STEPPING ON THE SCALES

STEPPING ON THE SCALES TAKES PLACE TODAY TO DISCOVER HOW MUCH WEIGHT VANISHED FROM MY OLE BODY BY EATING THE DANIEL DIET WAY for 21 days.

Hubby took off 18 pounds and I managed 12.  Puts a smile on my face.  I'll embrace eating better today and continue eating forward.  Fruits and vegetables are my friend.  A TBSP of Peanut Butter is my go to when I need a pick me up in the afternoon.  Sipping SPRING water continues.  Avoiding sugars, processed foods, additives in foods, breads, pasta, cookies, candy, sugary drinks, sodas, coffee, alcohol, excessive meats, dairy, seed oils except avocado and olive oils.  It can be done.  I can do this thing.  

DAY 22 has appeared.  THE DANIEL DIET/FAST has concluded.  Made it.  It seemed like it took a very long time to get here, but here it is.

Aiming to take off 10 more pounds come July14th, my 70th birthday.  I have 5 weeks until the day.  WEIGH IN will be on the medical scales the day of my appointment for a yearly exam.  I'm hoping to see less of me and have more happiness that I reduced.

Making up my mind and sticking to this goal is a life changer for me.  A mental battle takes place as I desire to be less heavy and more healthier.  Let go and let GOD.

Stepping on the scales,

~d

AND WE'RE OFF...taking a HEALTH JOURNEY

DAY 14 OF THE DANIEL DIET.  Stepping on the scales this morning and weighing less than the day before.  8 pounds off since I started two weeks ago.  ALMOST A BAG OF POTATOES!!!  Hubby has lost 14 pounds.  AMAZED that he lost more than I thought he would when the diet ends.  I'm hoping for a 10 pound lose for me.  Pray I get there and then stay on course for another ten pounds each month until I reach my GOAL WEIGHT.

Going for the GOLD of 21 days of lots of veggies, fruit, seeds, nuts, legumes and water.  I fell off the wagon one meal by eating a dinner roll with a pat of butter.  Another time I ate a small amount of chicken.  We are two thirds of the way through this.  Then I'll ease back in smaller amounts a meat, cheese and an occasional piece of bread and when I eat pasta it will be measured out to only one cup.  The same with rice.  Praying that there is no late night snacking or pigging out as I dine.  Slower eating and less stress.  Continued walking and getting rest when needed.  Speaking LIFE over myself as I take this health journey.

TIS HORRIBLY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO DISCIPLINE MYSELF TO NOT EAT BREAD AND MEATS.  Terribly hard.  I'm going to try to not have bread and meat the rest of the fast.  Giving up coffee, soda, booze has not been an issue.  It's been 27 years since I had soda.  I forget on the coffee.  I never was a big alcohol drinker.  

Increasing water intake hasn't been so bad.  Intermittent Fasting has gotten easier for me over the last two years.  BUT the Daniel Diet has been eye opening to me as to how much SUGAR is in the grocery store foods available to purchase.  Also, I have noticed the added chemicals, additives and such added to everything.  Taking note of pesticides, herbicides and GMOs.  Genetically changed products makes me wonder who's in charge. Who's wanting to sell bastardized food to the people GOD made?  Who's wanting to make us sick and kill us off?  

THE SPIRITUAL ANGLE of this diet to me comes down to GOD made wonderful foods to nourish us and as a whole, I haven't appreciated it like I should.  I have desired fast and furious consumption of junk foods like potato chips and mouthfuls of casseroles.  Eating until stuffed and uncomfortable.  Learning that I have some very BAD habits that need crucified and left behind.   

I'm looking at things differently when at the MARKET.  

~d

MONDAY HAS COME

MONDAY IN THE COLD.  BRRRR.  Temps are low so I will remain HOME.  I need bubble wrap for wrapping the Nativity figurines.  Think we'll go to TOPEKA after it warms a bit to get some wrap and a new storage box as the one I have has a big hole in the bottom corner.  

Always something.

Going to TOPEKA will be a treat for me to get out of the house for a few hours.  Looking forward to this.  Medical appointments this week as well.  Two of them out of town.  Trying to make the best of it. 

 

DANIEL DIET.  On Wednesday, I can have eggs and toast for Breakfast as my 21 days on the Daniel Diet/Fast will be over on Tuesday.  What have I learned?  That it has been hard for me to deprive myself of whatever.  My mind wants what it wants and I have to do a physical check to see if I am truly hungry or not.  Most the time I wanted to eat other things not on my menu, I wasn't actually hungry.  I had to tell myself NOoooooo.  AND change the subject.  

15 pounds off and I don't want to put it back on.  I'll continue to deliberately eat lots of veggies and fruit.  Small amounts of Peanut Butter and nuts.  Beans.  More salads.  Cut back on the dairy, breads, pastas, pies, rice, cookies, cow's milk and sugar.  Go easy on the meats.  Smaller portions of food.  Slower eating in a relax atmosphere.  More low calorie veggies and fruits verses flour and sugary snacks.  MORE ORGANIC foods.  Taking notice of what's in the food and avoiding those that have ingredients that I cannot pronounce.    

I'll need to look at photographs of myself when I was heavier to remind myself that this is FAT that I don't want to carry around on me.  Forge ahead and be healthier.  I don't like being obese. 

BEFORE, I tried to convince myself that I am just going to be FAT forever.  It didn't rest with me. Can I thin down?  I'm working at it.  I pray that I will thin down in a healthy way.  

My plans for 2025 is to avoid pork products as best I can.  Bacon!  This one is one I have to talk to myself about.  Ham, not so much. 🐷🐖🐷🐖🐷

This health journey has been educational and it interest me.  The chemicals and additives added to foods has been eye opening.  Growth hormones that animals have been fed don't belong in my body at all.  Nobody needs these.  I'm not a scholar, but my eyes are opened wider.  PRAISE THE LORD.  Whatever an animal eats ends up in your system when you eat that animal.   

HORMONE DISRUPTERS are being taken notice of as well.

    

LAUNDRY.  I've been working on this off and on throughout the day.  I believe it will come to an end soon.  NEVER and I mean never have I ever been so far behind with the laundry.  EVER. Through all kinds of sicknesses and recoveries I have been blessed to stay on top of this task until the year 2024.  I cannot stay so far behind.  Each time I enter the laundry room and see first hand the piles in baskets of dirty laundry I sigh and forge ahead.  My goodness.  It's an embarrassment.  Shake the shame off and do another load.  It can be done. 

In between loads, I manage to do LIFE.  Other things are taken care of.   

AFTER I am caught up on the laundry, I'll begin to clear out the FOOD PANTRY and get the shelves tidied again.  It gets cluttered after 6 months or so.  Time to tidy again and make some order out of it.  Then under the kitchen sink.  Master closet is screaming for attention.

HOBBIES.  THIS YEAR I am going to do some FUNNNN HOBBIES.  Things that bring me JoY! I have to stop making excuses as to why I am not doing these HOBBIES now.  

With cold weather here, I watch many videos as I sit in my chair.  AS I WATCHED HOW EASY IT CAN BE TO START PLANTS FROM EXISTING PLANTS AND FLOWERS I'd like to try starting some. 

Why not do things that bring happiness. 
GOD bless us,

~d

DAY EIGHT and THE NUT JOB HAS SPOKEN

THAT FIRST WEEK OF EATING DIFFERENTLY IS UNDER MY BELT. Honestly, I think the first week was an exercise in casting down my constant thoughts about FOOD.  At moments it was a terrible struggle to talk myself out of popping food morsels into my mouth whenever.

Knowing fully well that this is a HABIT that needs broken.  Self control like nobody's business.  I am in hopes that I will redirect my thoughts with ease the longer I am retraining ugly and damaging habits.

I have thought of myself as a discipline person in many areas of life, but I am not.  I am human and humans have habits.  I mustn't get too big headed about what I am doing when it comes to changing food habits.  I need to hold this up in esteem that I did change, but shouldn't get arrogant about it.  I confess and admit, it has been a struggle rerouting what I eat and when.

My journey has been challenging.  I get big headed at times and think more highly of myself than I should. There I said it, I am arrogant at times.  To lighten the blow, I have to extend GRACE to even myself and humbly mention to myself that I am human and not a super human.  As a sickly child I developed a survival strategy to make myself stay on the go and keep up.  I was determined to be as normal as I could be and stay up with others my age.  At times, I failed miserably.

I have struggled with fatigue most my life as I had Rheumatic Fever at age 6 which left me with a heart murmur which caused me to have to pace myself through life.  I am 69 years old now and still have to pace myself not always feeling very good about my limitations nor being realistic that I can only move so fast.  I can only do so much then I have to sit and rest. I have to rest and if others think I am lazy then that's on them.  I am who I am and that's that.

Being determined to succeed is a benefit, but still I need to stay respectful to myself and pace myself.  God has given me strength.  As I age, I know that nutrition does play an important role in my character.  Having knowledge about nutrition has been a means of growing more informed about health matters.

The good that has come out of being sick so much is humbling and learning to have respect for others who are challenged in their health journey.  The good in all of this has strengthened me to research and dig deep into what causes health issues and how to achieve the state of well being. 

The good in this is that I draw closer to God and ask for help and to ask for more help. After the burn of being ill so much, I have not wanted to remain sickly, but be in the best health that I am allowed.  The good in all of this has been that my eyes have been opened to where I can better see how living in a FALLEN WORLD controls people to stay sick through the means of polluted foods and beverages. The good in this is that I embrace God's counsel on what to eat and to respect that HE cares for humans and gives instruction on healthy eating.  

Some say that the Biblical dietary laws were for the Jews only and as a born again Christian we do not have to follow these food laws.  I BELIEVED IT.  The food laws do not save one's soul and give eternal salvation through Jesus Christ, but I have come to believe that following the food laws gives a saving grace to the human body while we are living on earth.  That it gives a guided way to be healthy in one's body to feel better and to function better.  Getting HEALTHY does require being PRO-ACTIVE and participating with healthy lifestyles.

SO I am striving to thrive in a respectable way.  I am guilty in thinking that the things sold in stores must be alright to eat or why would the stores be selling them? Innocently and ignorantly I paid no attention to living in a fallen world where there are companies and people who don't care if the things they sell has harmful ingredients or processed in such a way that they are harmful for human consumption as well as for animals to eat.  The more money made the better.  Like the ABBA song goes, Money, money, money, it's only money, it's a rich man's world.

Taking back my health has been laborious.  Spending time deep diving into literature for years about health ISSUES has taken a toll.  One that I must grow from remembering that not everyone tells the truth and they are fine with that, 'cause money talks, but it don't sing and dance and it don't walk...as long as I can have you here with me I'd much rather be forever in my blue jeans.  Unfortunately, Neil Diamond doesn't mention that many make loads of money from singing, dancing and walking with the help of a corrupt system that wants to make money.  To heck with your health.  Better get off my soap box.

The FDA has loopholes about what is listed on the labels of the ingredients in a product.  Because a process is looked upon differently than what has been added in such as a additive/chemical, they do not have to inform you of all the pesticides that are in a product because of the well planned techniques they use to disguise dangerous substances in a product.  The way something is processed doesn't mean it's like added sugar and salt.  The process doesn't need to be listed in the ingredients, but knowing full well that how a product is processed can determine additional concerns about the quality of the product.  Huge amounts of pesticides in the process can be used and it isn't going to be listed on the label, so being a label reader thinking all is good isn't good enough.  Whah and I thought I was doing better when selecting products as I read the labels. Tricky mate.  Chemicals that were created for chemical warfare with the military were added to foods to prevent the chemicals from going to waste.  The government allowed the process of adding chemicals to our foods and drinks for gaining profit.  Your health means nothing to them.  Nothing as long as monetary gain is made.  You are a victim without knowing so much.  

Same with what has been added to vaccines.  OOPS.  DID I SAY THAT?  Nanoparticles in meds and in injections are a real thing.  Conspiracy theories and all.  The nut job has spoken.  It is easy to make someone appear unstable through the media.  So easy.    

DAY EIGHT of this wonderful Daniel Diet.  Today my food program is going something like this with food and water:  Breakfast was hot lemon water.  Morning snack was nothing.  Lunch was a V8 and two specially made taco shells.  Still have an afternoon snack and Supper to consume.  

The sun is shining and I'm busy throughout the day working on laundry.  It's T-shirt day.  The pile of dirty t-shirts was high, but shrinking. Gotta stay with it, babeeee.  The VICTORY is near. Same with weight loss.  Stepped on the scales and since I started this food program 7 pounds has left the building.  May be water, but still I'm 7 pounds lighter then I was December 31st.  Shazam. That's good.  Have you ever picked up a 10 pound bag of potatoes noticing the heaviness of it? I'm almost there.

When I lost 54 pounds a few years ago, I put 10 pounds back on.  Lost the 10.  Put it back on. Lost the 10, put it back on.  Lost the 10 pounds then put it back on and then some like another 10 pounds.  This is where I am.  Working at taking it back off and downsizing until I reach my goal weight.  Then I will have to manage to keep it off after I reach the goal.  ANOTHER HURDLE to leap over.  I mustn't give up.

For example...meet Easter

                                      Easter at 350 pounds

Watching how to eat differently and how others have reached their goals and stayed with it, have been helpful videos for me to watch. 

Here are pics of Easter who lost 200 pounds by eliminating flour and sugar from her diet, drinking 2 liters of water a day, using portion control and not binge eating.  Her channel has been helpful to me.

https://www.youtube.com/@easterellen

Now to meditate on God's word and purpose in my heart to eat healthier and stay healthy.  Amen.  

Blessings to you
~d

DAY FIVE FOR ME

DAY FIVE FOR ME ON THE DANIEL DIET/FAST was over the week-end.  It's soaking in as I eat an apple and sip on water looking outside at the WINTER WONDERLAND.  I pulled back the lace panel so I could look outside to admire the white beauty.  

I feel more energy today then I have since starting the Daniel Diet.  Think caffeine withdrawal was causing the fatigue.  SO I'm glad that I didn't have tea the other day when I was trying to convince myself that tea wouldn't hurt this diet.  I'm not suppose to have caffeine period.  If I continue to perk up with energy, I will know that caffeine has a downside to it when you go off of it.  It really does affect me.

Are you familiar with the Daniel Diet?  

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/daniel-diet

I stepped on the scales this morning to see that 5 pounds has left my frame.  5 pounds is welcomed.  At the end of seven days, the fast will be one third done.  For 21 days I will do my best to stay on this diet.  I can tell that detoxing is taking place in my body.  

I about jumped ship yesterday as I mumbled to myself that I wanted something to eat.  The temptation was there as I walked about in the Kitchen.  

My Husband's hearing is challenged.  He is terribly hard of hearing and wears hearing aids that do not work very well.  I have to ask him now what did you hear?  When he repeats it back to me, it sometimes is so far off base I laugh.  Not to be cruel, but because it sometimes is so different than what I said.  Really, really off the subject matter completely.

🍔 He thought I said I wanted a cheese burger when I said something.  I said what?  Are you toying with me?  No, he misunderstand.  This wasn't as bad as in the evening when he asked if I wanted some ice cream🍦🍨.  I glared at him.  I said jokingly, "You are the devil."  This wasn't funny.  He misheard again, but isn't it wild that he mentions illegal foods that are not to be eaten while on this Daniel Diet?  I have to laugh and go on.  Stay STRONG and go on.

Today is a new day.  Breakfast was hot lemon water and a teaspoon of peanut butter.  🍎Snack, an apple and 6 Brazil nuts and macadamia.  I believe I will make a smoothie for Lunch with almond milk, blueberries, strawberries and spinach if we still have some.

I'm making plans to wash and peel some carrots to bake for Supper.  We need to use the green beans that are in the fridge.  Hubby will eat some meat along with the veggies and I will simply eat vegetables.  Lots of them.

Busy doing LAUNDRY.  Hubby plans on drawing this afternoon, but I hear him snoring in the TV room.  He needs the rest.  Not a busy day planned.  

My Nativity Scene is still on display. Epiphany is January 6th.  The Wise Men arrived to see Baby Jesus.  Wouldn't it be wonderful to celebrate Epiphany by exchanging gifts then?  The after Christmas Sales would be a good time to purchase gifts as merchandise is discounted instead of paying full price on items.  Jesus more than likely was actually born in the Spring time as he was a babe coming into the world not in the Winter time.  

When I move the Nativity Scene off the antique walnut chest that sits in the Living room, I have a tea set in the pantry that will sit in the Nativity's place.  This will be the first of putting Christmas decorations away after Christmas 2024.  Onward to Valentine's Day.

When we were at Walmart last, they had red and white wreath boxes for $5.50 each.  Great price. Went ahead and bought two for the front doors wreaths for when they come down off the doors. I didn't have wreath boxes for these wreaths so it was a good time to buy.  

❄❅❆ I picked up some white, paper Christmas napkins with a red snowflake design on them for half off.  Adding these to my napkin stash.  I figured the paper napkins can be used during the Winter and it won't  matter that they are Christmas.  They are affordable at 50% off. 

🎅HOBBY LOBBY has marked their left-over Christmas decor 90% off.  I picked up a SANTA placing it in my shopping cart then took it out.  I don't need another SANTA even if it is 90% off. Instead I purchased miniature dishes for my Doll House that I will be working on in 2025.  I figure if I buy some pieces ever so often, before long I will have the things I need to furnish my Doll House later.  This is a affordable way to furnish the Victorian Doll House I bought over a year ago when it was on sale.

💗💗💗💗💗💗 The merchants are gearing up for Valentine's Day and St. Patty's Day. ☘☘☘☘☘☘  It doesn't take them long to change seasons at the stores.  I admire how fast they accomplish this.  I can't work as fast as they so the changing of the seasons around here comes as it will.  

I'll read some today and write some letters to loved ones.  I have a couple of packages that I need to brown wrap and mail when the weather is better.

There's no place like HOME as the City's snow trucks buzz down the street cleaning the road. They are the only traffic that has traveled down the road.  If we lived in the country, we'd be isolated from the big trucks moving snow.  They drive fairly fast around here.  Not sure they need to go the speed they do.

The Bird Feeder has been loaded with seeds and the birds finally found the restaurant.  Once the word gets out, here comes the birds to dine.  Watching the variety of birds that take turns eating has become a past time to enjoy.  We started last Winter feeding them.  Flittering about seems to keep them occupied.  

Time to open the front door and take a look at what's happening.  Still snowing.  Winds blowing. The snow piled on the hood of our car is rather deep.  Expecting at least a foot of snow.  It looks like we will get more than a foot.  Comfortable inside.  Praise the Lord!

Blessings to you,

~d

JANUARY 2nd KIND OF DAY

GROWING EXTREMELY TIRED, I TOOK AN AFTERNOON NAP.  AFTER WAKING, I WALKED TO THE FOOTBALL FIELD so I could walk my mile around the track.  It's a half of a mile from my house to the track, so I put in a mile and a half today walking around 3:30 in the afternoon.  Hubby met me there to time my laps and keep an eye on me for health reasons.  I didn't walk home, but caught a ride with him to go to the BANK and the POST OFFICE then to Lil Misses to give her a birthday card as she is turning 18.

I got a tad bit emotional when I gave her the card and placed my hand on her head to tell her that she would understand after she reads the card when I placed my hand on her head as a infant the first time I saw her and said, "God, please keep your hand on her all the days of her life."

I did this with each one of my Grand babies when I first saw them.  She's the first GRAND that I told this to and I don't believe I have ever told anyone until today.  What a sweet child she is and has grown up to be.  She told me that she will be an adult tomorrow.  I know.  I know.  I am 18 years older than when she was born.

We had been packing our earthly goods back then as we were moving into the rock house as we moved out of the country rental.  I remember the week she was born.  I asked God to please not let her be born on that day as I was exhausted from moving and we would have a 5 hour drive to Tulsa.  The weather was cold, but sunshiny  the day she came.  As we traveled the distance, the phone rang about three to let us know she had arrived.  Mother and baby were fine.

What a sweetie she was then.  It would be about 10 months later that she came to live with us as her father abandoned her and my daughter.  We had no idea what 18 years down the road would be like, but it has been such a blessing to have had a part in raising her.  She and her mom lived with us for 5 years before leaving to live in an apartment.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIL MISS.  I have shared some of when the girls lived with us early on in my blog.  What a ride it has been. 

AFTER I WALKED MY MILE AND A HALF, I needed to cool off.  My face was beet red.  Went to the Post Office where a large yellow envelope was waiting for me!  I had won a book in a giveaway from Mrs. White's BLOG, The Legacy of Home.  SEEKING A THRIFTY AND SIMPLE LIFE by Mrs. Sharon White.  THANK YOU!!!

I was thrilled.  Please visit Mrs. White's blog.  It's wonderful.

https://thelegacyofhome.blogspot.com/2024/11/seeking-thrifty-and-simple-life-my-new.html

I have good feelings about my day.

SECOND DAY ON THE DANIEL DIET went well.  There was a point in here where I wanted a piece of bread and was able to put the brakes on to stop myself.  grins.

Breakfast was a large cup of HOT WATER with lemon juice in it.

Snack was water and a TBSP of peanut butter on a spoon.

Lunch was a sliced avocado with grilled cherry tomatoes.
Snack was water. 
Supper was a super big salad with lots of lettuces, chick peas, sweet apple, celery, pecans, cucumbers, orange pepper.  What else?

Snack will be some pineapple juice and peanuts.

SO today, I did paperwork, laundry, dishes, prepared food, nap, wrote, read, walked, bank trip, post office, read some more, visited with Granddaughter, blogged, rested.  Will probably watch a movie late tonight.  Another load of laundry is calling my name.

Overall a very nice day,

~d

WINDOW TO THE FUTURE

THAT TRAIN THAT JUST BLEW BY has a very loud horn on it.  I had forgotten how many trains travel near the out skirts of the small town I live in.  I can hear the rattling of the train tracks from here.  

We lived in this small community back in 2006 to HALF THROUGH 2017 with the trains being closer to us.  It took me 7 years to get use to their noise making sleeping through the night very challenging.  Not getting sound sleep affected my peace of mind.  I finally adjusted.  We'd live in the rock house about 3 more years before the devastating house fire that forced us out of our historic house made of native limestone.

DO I miss the house?  Sometimes I do.  Sometimes, I am just fine where I'm at. If the rock house had been in the country away from the maddening crowd, I think I would have lived there the rest of my human life.  We lived in the 1883 house after the fire for 6 and a half years and now, I am living in a very small 1900 Folk Victorian Cottage.

This sweet place is a stepping stone in our lives to thin out 80% of our earthly belongings making the most of the small storage spaces.  A LIFE LESSON in downsizing and getting back up.  

The washer and clothes dryer are both running.  Woke early starting the laundry on this fine day. Washed some dishes left in the sink.  On some days, I can hear the church bells ringing to announce that church services will take place soon.  On other days, they sometimes ring the bells at 6 in the morning.  When the city sirens go off at noon on Mondays, we can hear it loud and clear.  The sirens work very well.  Hello there.  

Being able to hear is a huge blessing.  Right now a group of birds are chirping outside my window.  When they do this, it reminds me that SPRING is coming.  In the dead of WINTER, they sing which reminds me that SPRING is near even when it is so cold outside.  Spring is 16 days away!  That turns my crank.  

ON THE HOME FRONT.  I looked at the Kitchen window hardware which needs the paint stripped from it.  That can happen anytime now, but isn't a priority even with it being so grossly grungy.  Shabby Chic it aint.  

Getting settled is the priority.  Have mercy.  As I work I do look at things like this and if I'm not careful, it gets to me.  I don't like grungy anything.  I have to remind myself to stay focused and keep on keeping on.  Some would not be bothered by this grunge.  I am.  Gets to me. 

Started SPRING cleaning and will do a little each day until completed.  The window opens and that's a plus grungy and all.  Sometimes windows are painted shut which causes different issues.
This little window OPENS.  I do like the two small windows above the Kitchen sink.  Small, but mighty.  I want to keep them as they are original to the COTTAGE.  The clean up as it comes will be uplifting to say the least.  Perhaps my blood pressure will go down on its own.

To look at the COTTAGE inside and out, we appear to be ROUGHING IT.  I think of this time as if we are PIONEERS.  We have running water, but for awhile there we did not have any HOT water.  I heated it on the stove and used the Keurig to get instant HOT water.  When the new hot water heater was installed, it made for a happy day.

I got use to using the Keurig to run 4 oz. of water onto a washcloth so I washed my face at the Kitchen sink.  Feels so good placing a very hot washcloth on my face first thing.  Thankful we have running water and the house has heating and cooling.  I've thought about living off grid, but I truly love hot and cold running water straight from the faucet and I LOVE having a flushing TOILET!  If I can cut our expenses is the best procedure for me.  I won't be living off grid although I wouldn't mind subsidizing our groceries some by collecting vegetables from a small garden. 

I continue to fold my comforters and quilt stash.  Nice and neat. Taking shape.  Washed the mattress pad cover and bedsheets for the Victorian Bed that we are sleeping on for the time being.  The bed will get made up.  I moved the Victorian sofa making more room to get in the bed on the far side.  It's a narrow pathway.  After the walls are repaired from closing them off, the Vanity Dresser will be moved to the other wall and the sofa put in its place.  In hopes this makes the room better arranged to live with.  For now, it'll have to do.

Grandma's Quilt

Working on catching up on laundry.  This is ongoing.  It'll take a bit of time to get this done.

AND then of course the Dining room needs attention.  I shredded more papers last night as I came across them in boxes.  Some need filed.  Always an opportunity to get organized again.  It was over a year ago I started my adventure of shredding thousands of pieces of paper.  Here I find some more.  It is manageable now.  

Large trash bags were filled with the shredded papers now confetti.  Lost count of how many bags were filled and thrown away.  It is a relief to have this behind me.  Some of these papers were old credit card statements and I hang my head down low.  I had wondered how much we had spent plus interest on this mess?  Relieved we are out of the credit card jungle.  It was awful to be enslaved to so much debt.  Awful and taxing.  I'm not use to NOT HAVING a credit card payment due.  It's like aren't we suppose to pay a bill?  The freedom that comes from not having a house payment, car payment, credit cards to pay, etc. hasn't soaked in yet.  A newby at this.  We were slaves to debt.  It takes some time to get use to doing things differently.  A welcomed practice.  

I didn't want the debt.  Hubby and I had a huge difference of opinion through the years and it wore me down.  We are finally on the same page after 49 years of marriage.  That's a chunk of time. 

God would rather we stay out of debt.  I have to remember this by honoring HIS WORD.  If I want to be HAPPY in the LORD then I need to embrace HIS counsel and know HE is right. Something that has been going on in life is realizing that GOD's ways are BEST.  After I've made horrible mistakes and bow my knee to HIS counsel, I know HE is right.  To honor HIS COUNSEL before making the mistakes is a far better way to live.  Oh, the pain that could have been avoided.     

MOVIE TIME:  We watched a double feature last night on the television and I have to say it was a waste of time.  MISS JULIE was not my cup of tea.  I wouldn't suggest watching it.  Blah. Terrible.  The second feature was ALL THE GOOD.  It was more interesting, but when the movie has so much killing in it, I need to do something else besides watch it.  Movies do affect the way I feel.  Needing to guard my heart.

If I detox from movies, I have to fill the time with something else.  I use to watch soap operas during the day when my kids were young.  Slowly I detoxed from it and the tv rarely came on during the daytime.  I don't miss it.  Like drinking soda, I am better off not doing it.  I have adjusted and am thankful I no longer watch daytime tele.  I have found plenty to do besides watching it.  It was a habit I did away with.  Praise the LORD.

Be right back.  Gotta check on the laundry.  The machine is chiming. The dryer has a quilt in it so it's drying on the delicate cycle.  I'll let it finish drying by air.  Delicate.  It's a quilt my Grandma made.  Proud to have it.

~Daniel Diet~

I patted myself on the back as Day 5 was a rough one.  Things that I wanted to eat came to mind. I.want.meatloaf.  Cho-co-late.  MEAT.  I kept as strong as I could and didn't blow it.  Day 5 was tough.  I weighed myself and I had lost a couple of pounds.  PTLord.  Stay strong girl.

Day 6.  Fabulous.  Day 6  Had a TBSP. of peanut butter and half a banana with water for Breakfast.  Nibbled on a juicy navel orange and still sipping on water, the drink of CHAMPIONS!

LUNCH was a huge salad.  Probably 4 cups of salad.  Wish I had some sunflower seeds.  Would be perfect.  

SUPPER.  Baked potato topped with salsa and green beans with almonds.  
Snack?  Baby carrots and crunchy celery.

DAY SEVEN.  Think for Breakfast I'll have blueberries and pineapple.  Water of course.

LUNCH will more than likely be a vegetable salad and SUPPER a different kind of salad with other vegetables and legumes like chick peas. 

By sundown, I will have put my first full week of eating the Daniel Diet.  How do I feel about my progress? Glad to have the first week under my belt.  The struggle I have is that I want this to be over and in reality I will need to eat more like this all the time to lose weight.  Which do I want more, to lose weight, to be healthier or to eat whatever and as much as I want?  

I have to remind myself that its alright to change habits for the better and that means I have to change the way I eat.  It's alright to be healthy.  When eating the right kind of food it's a blessing and a healing takes place.  I don't have to feel guilty that I am eating differently than I did growing up.  It's not an insult against my parents and my upbringing that I have had to change what I eat.  I'm not dishonoring them and I'm not being disrespectful to change my mindset that is different than what it was.  I am a new creation.  It is alright to change.  Perfectly alright.  It is possible to change and be better off.  I do not have to be imprisoned to the past even with what foods I ate.  I discovered that I am breaking free from past mistakes and it's alright to be a different person than how I was raised.  Take the good and be thankful.  The past was then and I'm living in the present.  I must go forward and be.

The rebellious Deanna wants to be able to do whatever.  The logical Deanna wants to be healthier which means I have to be proactive and apply myself.  The educated Deanna wants to be well informed and do what is best.  The spiritual Deanna wants to embrace God's dietary instructions. The physical Deanna wants to slim down and be healthier.  SO with all that said, for now it's the Daniel Diet way.  Two more weeks of this and then I begin to add in chicken, tuna and turkey. Some beef, eggs and cheese.  I will continue to hold off on the bread, pasta and desserts.  More water and a variety of fruits and vegetables.  I know along life's road that I failed to eat enough fruits and vegetables.  This is a bad habit I am breaking.

Temps are suppose to hit the low 70s today.  
Like SPRING!!!  That will be sweet.
God bless you,

~d on the prairie

JUNK FOOD eVEryWhErE

DAY FIVE OF THIS DANIEL DIET.  Smiling all the way to the scale.  Looks like I have lost a pound or two!  It usually happens after three days of eating this way.  3 days under my belt and a couple of pounds go away.  Maybe water loss.    

My VICTORY TREAT when I  f i n i s h  my 21 days will include a trip to the HAPPY HIPPY in Manhattan where I will get a large Acai Bowl.  This is what happens when I diet...I think about FOOD.  It is a trick the mind plays on me when I decide to eat differently.

LOOK at that.  DOn't you want some?  I do.  I do.  It's been awhile, hasn't it?  Be still and know that God is GOD.  I can ignore the cravings.  Eventually the cravings go away.  THINK HARD ABOUT NUTRIENTS and feeding myself real food.

REAL FOOD.  Plant based and healthy.  
When at a store, I notice the JUNK FOOD eVEryWhErE.  DOn't look...it'll get cha.  This go round, I thought of all the sugar and fat in the snack foods.  Walked away.  Quickly.  

My treat will be one with the Acai berries as a sorbet topped with banana slices, strawberries, drizzled with peanut butter, coconut and extra granola.  I have to wait, but looking forward to this.  St. Patty's Day is the end of my 21 day Daniel Diet.  So on the 22nd day of my food program I CAN GO GET ONE of these treats.  I plan to continue eating more like what I have been on this food program, but adding some chicken, tuna, and turkey.

I've made up LOW-CAL meals for later to help me during this journey of reducing when I need a VERY LOW CALORIE MEAL.  Some days the calorie count is uncomfortably high so I aim to have a lower calorie day the day after the high cal day.

A GREAT LOW-CAL MEAL is a bed of lettuce with 4 oz. of chicken from a can.  Protein and low cal veggie.

A bed of lettuce with 4 oz. of tuna.  Squeeze lemon juice on it.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Protein and low cal veggie. 

A cup of cottage cheese with a cup of blueberries.  Protein and fruit.

A baked potato with sugar-free spaghetti sauce.  Veggies.

A LARGE veggie salad with boiled eggs, chick peas and black beans.  Veggies, protein, protein, protein.

A veggie platter.  Veggies all the way.  Very low cal.

2 boiled eggs mixed into avocado.

Avocado with piece of Dave's Killer Bread toasted.  Healthy FAT and grain.

Oatmeal with blueberries.  Grain and fruit.

Steamed veggies with turkey patty.  Veggies and protein.

Celery stalks with 2 Tbsp. of peanut butter.  Veggie and protein.

ALL LOW-CAL.  Could add small amount of fruit.

These meals are not the Daniel Diet.  Daniel Diet meal has no cheese, eggs, milk, meats, or grains.  All veggies, fruit, legumes, some seeds and nuts.  Going for a VARIETY of veggies I don't usually eat.  One article I read, they allowed whole grains.  I just think I need to skip the grains.  

March will be a busy month for me as I will be having two cataract surgeries two weeks apart from one another.  Daylight Savings Time happens.  St. Patty's Day. Palm Sunday.  Good Friday.  Easter.  AND the month is over!!!

Previously I had plans of working in the flowerbeds during the month of MARCH preparing them for SPRING blooms, but this has changed because of the surgeries that will take place.  No bending or lifting.  I won't be exercising or walking long walks.  Have to baby myself so I properly heal. 

SO back to the drawing board.  For now, I am preparing the dining room for the recliner to sit in so I can have assistance with getting up and lying down after cataract surgery.  I look at what needs to be done and I sigh really loud because there is much to do. 

CHOW,

~d on the prairie 

POPPING IRISES and EATING THE DANIEL DIET

MY BODY IS SCREAMING AT ME as my back aches a bit from gardening.  Resting my back in the recliner feels awesome.  The drive HOME this evening was delightful as it started raining as we left the COTTAGE.  The timing was excellent.  We had spent time at the COTTAGE working, got finished what we had set out to do, had loaded up to go HOME and it started to sprinkle.

A very light rain came down and that fragrant KANSAS RAIN smell was happening.  What a delightful event.  

Our day was very full as Hubby worked some on the ENTRYWAY and I researched on the computer about health issues.  We loaded the car with gardening tools and some other boxes that need to be removed from the premises.  A trip to Manhattan needed to take place to purchase some more grout as Hubby ran out.  We went to Menards, Starbucks, Home Depot and Target.

While at Home Depot I looked at their shrubs and plants.  GORGEOUS MUMS.  Just about decided on YEWS for the front flowerbed at the COTTAGE.  These plants would be about the size and height that I was thinking about to fill in the flowerbed space.     

Drove across the Flint Hills to the COTTAGE to unload some things, do some laundry and work in the flowerbed.  Hubby used the weed whacker to trim some over grown grass in the backyard and I did my best to pop the Heirloom Irises with purple blooms out of the flowerbed in front of the porch.  The soil was extremely HARD.  Too hard to quickly work at this task.  I had to labor at it taking my dear sweet time very slow and steady.  

I struggled popping these Iris beauties out of the hardened ground.  Had to go inside the house to cool off and check on the laundry.  I just about don't have it to do what needs to be done.  

Managed to pop out all the Heirloom Irises and stare at the messy flowerbed dreaming about how it should look.  Daughter will take these Irises and do something with them.

The soil in the flowerbed was so hard making it difficult to pop the Irises.  I managed and stood there eyeballing the soil and talking to it about how it will be whipped into shape.  There is still much to do to BEAUTIFY this place.  Hubby and I had a business meeting in front of the flowerbeds and agreed about what needs to be done.  Now to get this all done.  

While I do the laundry each day, I'll work some on these beds.  I'm getting close to being caught up on the dirty laundry.  It doesn't take long to get far behind when it comes to laundry.  I always feel so much better when the laundry is caught up.  Waiting for that blast of feel good when I come to the bottom of the laundry baskets.  Between my husband and myself, I wonder how on earth do we dirty so many pieces of clothing?  Same with filling the waste cans.  In no time the waste cans need emptied again.  Just two old people and it seems like it never ends.  

TIME TO HEAD HOME to eat a late supper and relax some.  Maybe watch some television. Thankful that we got as much done as we did.  What a feeling.  

When I was researching earlier about thyroid health issues, I came across an article about thyroid issues that come from having eaten ground beef that came from around the neck of cows.  The ground beef may have some of the cow's thyroid in it and when eating this it might cause too much thyroid hormone for your body causing one's thyroid numbers to go whacky.  

I haven't paid attention to which part of the cow our ground beef comes from.  Instead we have been trying to buy grass-fed beef to avoid cattle that has been fed bioengineered foods, chemicals and other kinds of hormones. 

I may have messed up AGAIN thinking because we were buying and eating grass-fed beef that we were doing a great thing for our health, but hadn't taken into account which part of the cow the ground beef came from meaning we could be eating parts of the cow that will cause health issues even if it is from a grass-fed cow.

I have had a roller coaster ride through the years with my TSH numbers being unstable.  I wonder if my numbers are unstable because I have eaten ground beef with too much thyroid in it?  Makes me wonder.

  

Not sure how you can tell what part of the cow the ground beef came from unless you buy only certain parts of the cow that's labeled.  

THEN, I read that when eating Kosher, you shouldn't eat the cut of beef from the sciatic nerve area in the backside of the cow because it's very fatty plus some other interesting exotic details about what happens when eating this part of the cow.  MOOOve over sexy.

More time is needed to research all about cuts of beef.  What you should eat and what should be avoided.   

TODAY, I started another round of eating the DANIEL DIET.  How'd that go?  Pretty well for day one.  No Breakfast.  Lunch was a huge salad.  Snack was unsweetened iced green tea.  Supper was cabbage and potatoes.  Water to drink.  Day two will be more veggies, fruit, legumes, some olives and black beans.  

21 days on the Daniel Diet.  I'll have to remind myself that I can do this and 21 days isn't an eternity.  I am not deprived.  I'm blessed.  I can do this Daniel Diet and be better off when all is said and done. 

Some tea and water.  Fruits and vegetables.  Legumes and nuts allowed.  No dairy.  No meat.  No grains.  No sugar.  It can be done.  Some weight should come off, cholesterol and blood pressure should improve.  A1c should lower.  This all would benefit my health.  

May this week go super well and we get lots done.  Praise the LORD.

~d

   

WELCOMING WEDNESDAY.

GRANDBABY looking at a children's book.

LOADED UP THE ENCYCLOPEDIA SET to donate.  I can't lift the box, so smaller boxes are needed to transfer the set into for easy lifting and carrying to the car.  Removing these books from the living room bookcase freed up two shelves.  The Encyclopedia set hasn't been used in over 30 years.  THIRTY some years.  That's eye opening.  Another thing to turn loose of. 

It'll be nice to get out of the house and go to town.  The weather is suppose to be pleasant today.  Perhaps I'll get a trenta green iced tea and sip for 4 hours.  Hubby needs to get some car parts as well.  Another full day will be in the works.     

I'll make a donation dropped this afternoon and while I'm out and about, go purchase Halloween candy.  There's a couple of dolls upstairs that I'll donate as well.  Bye-bye.  On a different day, I will go through the rest of the books to thin more out.  I do love my books.  Turning loose a little here and a little there.

After I get binders made up for the loose papers, I'll house them on the shelves for order.  Continuing on.   Right now, I have reached the bottom of a huge tub that was once  f u l l  of papers.  Further along than I was a month ago.  While I'm working at this, my attitude could have been better I know.  I'll like the end results that's coming together, but grunted away when in the middle of this task.  Not a good attitude to have, but I am determined to get through this junk.

Let there be peace in my HOME.  

Harmony and order.  

It is possible to multi-task.  I may not like having so many loose ends going at the same time, but this process is happening.  Concentrating on weight loss, juggling so many medical appointments, dealing with health issues, an aging parent, thinning out mountains of personal paperwork, downsizing home belongings, remodeling a COTTAGE, touching up the main house, figuring where the furniture will go in the COTTAGE, trying to make room for sentimental pieces, shuffling rooms....my brain is in high gear.  Body not far behind.

Rome wasn't built in a day as some say.  It does take time to get things done.  Still, I think there's too much going on.  Makes my head spin.

BABY SAT.

October is nearly half over.  Today BABY C is 11 months old.  I'm on the outlook for his first birthday present.  On Monday I babysat.  He was such fun to watch.  Never cried when his folks left for a doctor's appointment.  It almost felt like I was at a spa looking out the window seeing countryside in the background.  Pleasant view.  SO very peaceful.   

WHEN I LEFT, he waved good-bye to me.  Cute.  Yesterday, we had to pick up a piece of equipment from the kids, so I got to see him.  His mom was holding him and he leaned into my open car window trying to show some affection toward me.  Now that's sweet. 

This is day 12 of my Daniel Diet.  Started the day out with cooked oatmeal topped with blueberries, sliced banana and raspberries.  Matcha tea to sip on.  

As I was going through my paperwork, I came across a different diet that I may do after my blood work is done in November.  Gracious sakes.  Shall see if it assist me in more weight loss.  I'd like to continue this weight loss journey in a healthy way one meal at a time full of nutrition and few chemicals.  Clean eating.  The biggest change of all during this remaking of self has been the change of eating habits.  Being more aware of what and how much I am eating has been a work in progress.  Making myself aware and take notice is something I have to remind myself each day.    

I woke early today and dove into the box of paperwork.  sigh.  As I look at each piece of paper, it's either going into a large box for shredding or into a pile of papers to keep.  Round one.  Then the pile of keepers are gone through again to either sleeve for binders or just keep.  Round two.  Round three is grouping like kind papers and Round four is placing into binders or into a file cabinet.  Tadaah.  CELEBRATE!  Almost there. 

This is a part time job for sure.  What will I ever do with myself when this task is completed?  I'm sure I'll think of sumthan.  All new incoming papers and receipts will be handled in maintenance mode.  Lord willing.  Chin up and onto other things to conquer in plain sight.  

For now, I'm dealing with recipe print outs, medical articles, medical statements, Rx papers, children and grandchildren papers, artwork, religious input, home remedies, decorating ideas, pictures, newspaper articles, banking, financial and utility info., and so much more.  I think I will relocate my work station to a desk upstairs where I will continue working on this so the living room and dining room return to what they are suppose to be, beautifully functioning rooms. Making this happen again will require morphing right along.

THRIFT find for HOME.  

One of the easiest ways to decorate is with pillows.  Want to change the mood of a room?  Add a pillow.  Swap them out for the season adding splashes of color to an area.  Whalaah.  

Here it is the middle of the WEEK.  I have a tendency to get worked up thinking there's so much that needs done.  I'm a work in progress as well.

Praying for wisdom and favor.  
May everything be done decently and in order,

~d