"Medication adverse effects gnaw away at health and are unfortunately often dismissed."

GUESS I WAS EXHAUSTED as I slept in.  When I woke up, it was 11ish.  That's late for me.  Hubby allowed me to sleep in as he was assembling a new wheel barrow.  When I read the time I was in disbelief, "How did I manage to sleep so late?"   Still recovering from the co vid side effects.  The fatigue is still present.   I'm better, but I have fatigue and a cough that's lingering. Taking NyQuil before bedtime may have added to being sleepy.  I have been on the go and staying busy even with being run down.  Think my tired body took dominion over being busy and I slept.  

Had breakfast for lunch then an early supper.  We have what we call THE JACK for breakfast taken from Jack LaLanne's advice from years ago combined with a modified breakfast by what we gathered in this present day for health issues.  It has become one of my favorite BREAKFAST of all times.

THE JACK BREAKFAST  

Three soy-free, range free eggs for protein,
2 pieces of multi-grain toast
topped with organic butter from Ireland and local raw honey,
organic strawberries.  
Water to drink.

SNACK was HOT Matcha Green Tea.

SUPPER was Organic Vegetable Stew with unsweetened Iced Tea.

EVENING SNACK will probably have popcorn with a movie. 

TODAY was a take it easy day since the two previous days were very busy on the go.  Thursday, I painted in the pantry.  SO pleased with the results.  Friday, I had a slow start then went to Manhattan with Hubby and Lil Miss.  

We started out with Hubby getting a Raising Cane meal for his lunch.  Grand had already eaten. I wanted a salad but changed my mind and got a Starbuck's Egg and Cheese Protein Box (470 calories) with a TRENTA unsweetened Green Tea.  On our way to Starbucks, I noticed Summer Sales on Main Street.  Went around the block so I could park the car and go see what they were selling 75% off.

Found the cutest Boutique called THE BOUTIQUE.  Very original, huh?  Went inside and looked about.  Grand tried on some jeans as I sat my big body down on their cute sofa.

https://www.theboutiquemhk.com

I had no idea this boutique was even here. 

 

IT WAS EXTREMELY HOT OUTSIDE.  Our little car decided to overheat again.  On came the heater and rolled down the car windows.  Car's cooling system cooled off, but we didn't.  We went to TARGET to look around.  I drove a shopping cart.  After being air conditioned and sitting while shopping, I began to feel alive again.  I don't do HEAT very well these days, do you?

Then we went to the MALL.  Walked by the massage chairs.  Who could resist? and got a 3 minute job for a dollar.  Wishing I had one of these massage chairs at HOME!!!

Looked at American Eagle and the shopping was done.  On over to Olive Garden for supper. Spaghetti and meatballs and breadsticks.  I'll cut calories and carbs on Saturday.  Time to take Lil Miss HOME.  Had great fun shopping with her.  

While we were in the neighborhood of our COTTAGE I wanted to stop by and see what gutting my HONEY had done.  Very pleased with all the work he has accomplished.

Our gutted COTTAGE Bathroom.  Whaalaah...

WHAT WILL WE DO WITH THIS?

Some more scrapping up of the paper barrier on the floor then he plans to rip up the flooring out of the walk-in closet to the left.  

I'm excited that this much is done.  As he rips, I paint the PANTRY.  Coming right along.

TODAY, I rested and did a great deal of reading about health issues concerning type 2 diabetes, meds that cause diabetes, meds that cause high cholesterol, etc.  

I'm somewhat disturbed about the medicine I take can cause high glucose levels.  So if I take this medicine and it causes high glucose levels why would I want to continue taking it since I am now type 2 diabetic?  I'm bothered that my doctor wants to now place me on a statin drug and statins are known to raise glucose levels as well.  So I continue taking the one medicine that causes high glucose and begin taking another medicine that causes high glucose I'll end up having to take a medicine for diabetes won't I?  Not too happy about this.

One article I was reading says that those who know about the awful side effects from statin drugs are more apt to think because they developed high glucose have the NOCEBO EFFECT.  NOCEBO EFFECT means people who have negative expectations about a medicine, report experiencing the potential side effect at higher rates than the drug should cause.

In other words, the drug companies have an out on every drug they make and then the medical doctors go along with the makers of these medicines putting the blame for unhealthy side effects on the patient taking the meds.  It's the patients fault that they are ill because they already had a negative expectation about the medication.  

Jesus says that the love of money is the root of all evils.  With the pharmaceutical companies making billions of dollars off of the medicine they make, it is an excuse to not listen to the truth about their drug than to take the drug off the market.  The doctor that will not listen to the patient believing the NOCEBO EFFECT over the truth is not really concerned about their patient's overall health, but more interested in pimping drugs.  It's easier to prescribe another medicine to lower the blood glucose than to take the patient off the medicine that is causing the problem in the first place.

What mind set is the doctor embracing?  

Who is behind this mindset that people should be medicated even more if more symptoms pop up forgetting to get to the bottom of the problem?  Look away.  What's causing the problem in the first place... just give additional medicine?  Prescribe medicines that cause problems then give more medication that causes additional problems.

If an ailment can be alleviated by lifestyle changes, then perhaps the patient will do lifestyle changes before going on a medicine that has side effects that are unhealthy.  

"Medication adverse effects gnaw away at health and are unfortunately often dismissed."  

~d

WHAT A GOOD DAY

NO BREAKFAST THIS MORNING.  Thought we'd have an early LUNCH and call it BRUNCH instead.  I'm back at counting calories and eating many veggies to hopefully reduce some pounds before my September Thyroid Appointment.  I'd like to lose 10 pounds by the end of September.  The scale has stalled out.  That gives me two months to make a new goal.  Dear LORD, Please let it happen.

Dieting is really very difficult for me as I am spoiled and have a very healthy appetite.  While I was ill with Co vid, my appetite increased and I didn't hold back because I wanted to get well the sooner the better.  I ate very well and then some.  

I'm still coughing after 9 weeks.  It's horrible.  I'm going further between coughing spats though and I believe that's a good sign.  The coughing now is mostly from asthma as all the coughing I did has irritated my lungs.  Gosh...if it's not one thing it seems to be three other things to be challenged with, but then who's counting?  I am.

We went to a small Mexican Restaurant since they opened at 11.  I figured I'd get their Chicken and Vegetable Soup skipping the chicken and concentrating on eating the veggies.  The broth was too spicy causing me to cough so I scooped out the veggies and placed them on the plate that was under the soup bowl.  I asked the waiter for a TAKE IT HOME BOX so I could take the broth, rice and chicken HOME for later.  Hubby can enjoy this.

I ate all the veggies the soup had.  I felt contented.  Looking at the chips and salsa made me turn on my discipline.  I eye balled the chips and whined.  I could have ate the salsa though.

We went to the COTTAGE.  I sat and went through the mail that I had THEN started painting. The PANTRY is starting to look CLEAN!  I painted the wood sides of the shelves and the braces, some of the wall behind the shelves and some trim.  I had to sit for a break, rest up and go at it again.  I covered quite a bit of space.  I can now see that I don't have much more to do before it's done.  This makes me smile.  

AFTER I GET THIS PROJECT DONE, I'll go in for a hair appointment.  I needs it I do.  Will be on the hunt for new glasses this Summer.  I needs them I do.  Lord willing, I will thin down some more.  I needs to I do.

Finally.  I have a project just about wrapped up.  My paperwork is still a work in progress and it's draining.  I need a project to wrap up so I have the sense of something being completed. Completion 101.  

BEFORE

WITH SOME PAINT

BEFORE

WITH SOME PAINT

Tomorrow, if I am able, I will paint the trim around a window that is in the pantry, paint the door trim, the floor trim and add another coat of paint to the walls.  I'll have to see how I'm doing before adding another coat to the 10 wooden shelves.

The ceiling will not be painted.  I'm thinking of adding wood to the ceiling and can't do that until some professional electrical work is done.  The light fixture has a pull string that turns the light bulb on and off.  I'd like to have a light switch installed and have a different light fixture as well. Somewhere in here a new tile floor will be laid and then I can officially say my little PANTRY is done.

After the paint cures for a week, I will get some liner to line the shelves so that the shelves remain clean and don't get messed up anytime soon.  THEN I will begin placing things on the shelves.  I have a goal!  Isn't that something to get excited about a PANTRY when the world is so chaotic?  It seems like something to get excited about instead of getting down that we do not live in a perfect world.

Hubby worked at gutting the bathroom.  He's pulling up the icky, stinky floor that has layers of linoleum.  HARD, dirty work.  He will pull the sub-flooring up to make way for a new, clean sub-flooring then the lovely light gray tile will be laid.  The trim around the window will be sanded and painted.  Hammered glass will be installed.  Pretty tile will go on the wall behind where the tub will rest.  We're thinking of beaded board for the rest of the room's walls.  The lovely new vanity is still boxed up waiting in the Kitchen.  Lots to do.  Praise the LORD, we are making this happen.

HOME is my HAVEN.  God has allowed me to have something to take care of and enjoy.  I'm grateful and thankful.  

BRUNCH today was the vegetables from soup I ordered from the restaurant.  Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and avocado.  All was tender and tasted good.  I probably had 2 cups of veggies and no snacks in the afternoon.  By 6 o'clock I was starting to get hungry.  

Out came the Pot Roast leftovers.  I skipped the Bison meat and ate only vegetables of celery, carrots and potatoes.  Filling.  

Evening snack was a sliced apple.  I'm eating this slowly and drinking freshly brewed iced-tea.

What a day.  I had a GOOD, full day and I am tired in a GOOD kind of way.

My dollies that I adopted on Tuesday are sitting on the living room antique chair that's in the main house.  Glad to have them.  When I told my mom that I bought two dolls, she asked where I was going to put them since I'M DOWNSIZING.  haha and grins.  I told her that we will be building a floor to ceiling book case in the COTTAGE and they will sit on the shelves.  I plan on having an area on the book shelves just for the dolls.  My collection has already been downsized, but adding two Elke Hutchens dolls is doable.  

Do you like dolls?  I do.  Have ever since I was a little girl.  I like my dolls and may get into making some after we get settled in the COTTAGE, if the Lord will allow it.  

What's happening in the world.  So much, I cannot keep up with it all and don't believe I'm suppose to.  

Ivana Trump's funeral was yesterday.  The Trump family depositions has been postponed until scheduling can be made later.   President Jo Biden has co vid.  Deadly earthquake hit Afghanistan.  Peace, be still and know that God is God and still on the throne.

SCRIPTURE CARD TODAY:  "Whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be saved."
 ~Acts 2:21

The flip side of the card says, O Master, let me be worthy of being called a Christian. 

My King James Version says, And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

God richly bless you.

Until next time,

This is ~d on the prairie

'LIFE JUST GOT A LITTLE EASIER' PRAIRIE VEGGIE SALAD

'Life Just Got A Little Easier' PRAIRIE Veggie Salad

A quick fix that's easy  and refreshing as it is nutritious.

I LOVE THIS SALAD, ~d

Directions and Ingredients Add together and mix well in large bowl.

1 cup of water

1/2 cup vinegar

1/4 cup of olive oil

2 table spoons of sugar

2 teaspoons of salt

1 teaspoon of cracked pepper

Add to mixture 3 diced or sliced tomatoes

3 diced or sliced cucumbers

and 1 diced or sliced onion.

Stir well and chill for an hour.

SUMMER TIME WITH DOLLS

SO HOT OUTSIDE.  HIT 100 plus today.  We decided to go to TOPEKA after eating lunch at Sugar Creek.  I had a Rachel Sandwich made into a salad.  Bottled water.  Delicious lunch then shopped the aisles in the store.  Ginger Balls, Ginger Slices, Local Raw Honey, Black Licorice, MOON PIE.  Happy shopper.

Walked over to the Health Food Store to check out their vitamins while Hubby went to MJ's to get us Almond Milk Steamers.  My favorite.  Stopped by Family Dollar and off to Topeka.

GOD's STOREHOUSE was first on the list.  For little of nothing I purchased two Elke Hutchen's porcelain dolls.  Their hairs were a mess, but overall they are in very good shape.  I'm not familiar with Elke's dolls, but thought they were expensive looking.  I felt blessed to be able to purchase these for what I did receiving a 20% off DISCOUNT on SENIOR DAY.

These pics were found on the internet.  

Also picked up a small lamp for the COTTAGE, a small black and white vinyl handbag and a leather messenger bag.  Today was a very good shopping day for me!

Went to Natural Grocers for fruits and veggies.  Tomatoes, lettuce, green bell peppers, small bag of miniature peppers, potatoes, asparagus, celery, strawberries, broccoli.  Purchased Vitamin A, Vitamin E, L-Tyrosine, avocado oil, olive oil.  

As I have been sorting through old papers, I came across an article about the Delany Sisters both living into their 100s.  The Vitamins they took were Vitamin A, Vitamin B Complex, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Zinc, Tyrosine, morning garlic and cod liver oil.  The vitamins I got today were ones I did not have.  I think they knew what they were doing when it came to nutrition.  

They'd take their cod liver oil and garlic before Breakfast.  A glass of water before taking the cod liver and garlic.  A glass of cold water after and a glass of hot water.  They'd exercise then eat a Breakfast consisting of a scrambled egg, hard roll, some fruit, and oatmeal.  Lunch was a larger meal where they had beef, chicken or fish.  Supper was a large vanilla milkshake.   

I already take Vitamin D3, Vit. C, started Vit. B Complex, Zinc, Apple Cider Vinegar, Co-Q-10. Believe taking the ABC Vitamins is doable.  They both lived into their hundreds.  105 and 107.  They did something right...good Christian Ladies.  

The week is getting away from me.  Hoping to get some paint on the Cottage Pantry shelves this week.  Yesterday I managed to paint in the corners.  The actual shelves will be next.  By the end of the week, I hope I can say the pantry is painted.  

Still washing mason jars and sorting through loose papers.  Slow progress.  I work a little on sleeving the papers, then do something else.  Eventually this task will be done and I will be ever so glad it is.

Asthma is acting up.  Guess it is due to rag weed.   

Crockpot is on with bison, potatoes, onions, celery and carrots.  Sure smells good.  The aroma is filling the house.  Tomorrow we will eat well.  Thankful.     

Welp, I need to get to bed.  My LIFE on the PRAIRIE today was super good even with having fatigue.  Super good.

~d  

NOT GOOD

Scripture draw today is:  1 John 2:25

"This is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life."

Flip side of the card prayer:
Dear Father, teach me to give priority to the eternal values which make life worth living.  

I needed a slow paced week-end.  Sleeving loose recipes took most of Saturday.  On Sunday, I went through boxes of family pictures and papers.  This will take more time through-out the week.  Throwing away papers is easier now. 

It is most important to have my household in order.  Life is short and I know ones home should be in order ALL THE TIME.  Death can come at anytime.  It is weighing heavily on my mind.

Today, I finally got some paint on the pantry shelves in the Cottage.  Hubby continued gutting the Cottage Bathroom. While we were over there working, a phone call came in from my sister telling me that mom had fallen.  She didn't have all the details yet.  Will call me when she knows more, but mom was taken to the Hospital Emergency Room.

What she could gather was that Mom had gone shopping and when she got home, she started sweating and fell.  She wears a HELP, I'VE FALLEN AND I CAN'T GET UP necklace.  Don't know if she passed out or what.  Was told that she was dehydrated.  Nurses were checking her for a urinary tract infection and x-ray her pelvis.  She broke her hip last March.  So if Mom has a broken pelvis or whatever, it's a game changer for sure.  

Hubby and I have to forge ahead on the Cottage.  Having two locations to tend to is too much for us.  If Mom continues to fall then I believe she will have to go into a HOME to live.  I am in no shape to be her caretaker.  Hubby and I are elderly ourselves.

Will be talking to my brother later tonight to see what is going on with our Mom.  He is at the Hospital this evening.

He just called.  Shall see what info he can give us.

Mom has been told time and time again that she needs to drink water.  She ignores the medical advice.  She drinks coffee and milk.  Very little water.  SO what's a person to do?  She's 90 and very stubborn.  

Okay, brother is saying she has a small crack in her pelvis, no surgery needed, do a follow-up with doctor in a few days.  Take Tylenol.  She's back home. 

Think my Mom's time for moving into a Nursing Home are here.  Reading up on pelvic cracks. Not good.   

What do you do with a stubborn Mother?

~d 

FAVORITE COUSIN GONE But not forgotten.

TODAY REMINDS ME OF HOW SHORT LIFE CAN BE.  One year ago, my favorite cousin died.  She was 65 for a week.  Life as she knew it on earth ended and she woke on the other side with her husband.  My favorite cousin was in a terrible automobile crash.

When my Sister telephoned me with the news I burst into tears.  Weeping out loud I had no shame.  The shock and disbelief was overwhelming.  I searched on the computer for information about the car wreck.  So much was written already.  I was stunned.  

She wasn't raised Catholic, but would convert when she married.  The stories I could tell you about the differences in our FAITH.  We had a few conversations along the way.  What we had in common was the main focus of our relationship and it was for the best to not to correct one another as we'd never agree completely with each other.

Her last words to me were, "When nature calls, you have to go."  I said to her, "You look good.  I love you."  Off I went to use the throne in which I was called to use.  She went to visit with her Mom. This was on a Friday afternoon.  The next day, she'd be gone.  She entered eternity.  

The double funeral.

She was such an active woman ever since I can remember.  She and her Husband had a large family together and each time she got pregnant her mother and father objected.  They were not happy with the pregnancies.  I'm not sure when they decided their daughter had enough children.  Which grandchild would they send back if they could?  Why would they want to?  All beautiful babies with a multitude of talent.  

After nine children, why did it matter so much to her parents?  My cousin was a fantastic mother and her children never went hungry nor did they go without clothing.  All very clean and well groomed.  All were healthy and extremely athletic. 

Denice cried easily.  It was one of her super powers.  She said it cleansed her.  Made her feel better.  When one's mother doesn't show affection toward their own child, it can leave a deep hurt.  It's a deep hurt that God can help put into perspective.  Denice came from a family with four children.  She has a twin brother.  Three brothers altogether and the boys could do no wrong, but not Denice.  All the good she did and her mother constantly put her down.  When my mom said to Denice, "I'm not sure I'd go visit if my Mother did what yours does."  Denice said, "The Bible says we are to honor our parents."

I understand where she was coming from and to her, I'd have to say, "Sometimes we have to honor them from afar.  Same with other family members that have added insult to injury.  Sometimes we have to love them from afar."  She told me once that we are not to be door mats.  I agree.  But allowing a mother or father to be constantly mean to us, we must not be willing to be an enabler that allows them to abuse us as adults.  As a child living under their roof, it's a different ball game.  When fully grown...we shouldn't be an enabler that allows them to hurt us anymore.  

There was friction between her and her parents.  Tis sad, but that's the way it was.  She said that her Dad was the one to give emotional comfort to her.  That her mother was a injured woman that her Dad constantly was trying to comfort.  

I believe that there was such friction between Mother and daughter because the mother was upset with what her own father and brother did to her and also her daughter.  Angered that she had a daughter that she needed to protect and failed at it taking it out on the daughter.  If the daughter hadn't been there then the mother wouldn't have to deal with what her own father did that was wrong.  The boys are a different story.  They apparently didn't need protected from the monsters that violated the females in the family.

Denice is at peace now and knows more about death than I do.  She knows what happens when you die.  

I so admired Denice.  She could decorate cakes like nobody's business.  I have awesome childhood memories of us growing into young women getting married two weeks apart from one another.  

Blessed to have her in my LIFE as long as I did,

~d  

DIS IS WHAT I'M TALKIN' 'BOUT

PERHAPS IF THERE WERE THREE OF ME 

I WOULDN'T BE RUNNING SO FAR BEHIND.

Perhaps.

All of these papers I'm handling are making me rethink what to keep and what to pitch from here on out.  It's tiring having so many pieces to deal with.  Better now then later.  I saved just about every receipt, medical invoice, check, etc.

This is just something I am going to have to go through to get where I need to be.  The Spring/Summer of 2022 is one I probably will remember as an older woman.  

And away I go.

I'M FURTHER ALONG ON THIS PAPER JOURNEY THAN I WAS THE DAY BEFORE.  Still, I have a long ways ahead of me sorting through the individual boxes.  Take a deep breath.   The hat I'm wearing today is a Filing Clerk.

After gathering ALL the paperwork from various locations, I have already thinned out quite a bit. Now it's downsized to this.  Each box will still take hours to go through to thin out.  We had so many papers saved in an old nine drawer oak file cabinet.  After the fire, many of the papers were just boxed and placed in a storage shed.  I didn't have the heart to deal with all of it until recently.  Praise the Lord, it's happening.

I mustn't drag my feet.  Forge ahead.  This is the day the Lord has made.  Rejoicing.  Be glad in it. I want to be excited about life and not let this task drag me down.

Smile and carry on.

~d

MAKING HEADWAY TAKES TIME

CAN IT BE FRIDAY ALREADY???  This week flew right on by.  Maybe we'll watch a movie tonight with popcorn.

Just got back from a very busy day.  Hubby edged the lawn this morning and spent time sweeping the sidewalk.  Just a little more to do tomorrow.  The temps were too HOT at 102.  He came inside as I was sorting through papers.  Hallelujah.  I made huge progress on this paper thing.  

The large yellow envelopes I had planned on using to help itemize subjects turned out to have rusty clasp.  Not wanting to use these,  we'll need to make a special trip to Manhattan to get some at Staples. Also need sheet protectors.  Then I can continue creating more order. 

We went to the COTTAGE to work today.  I had planned on painting the pantry, but didn't have the energy to be so physical so I sat and shredded papers as Hubby worked at gutting the bathroom.  He managed to get the old jacuzzi tub out of the bathroom.  I managed to shred papers and more papers.  After he got the tub outside, he was resting and I went to the closet to look to see if there was anything in there that I could gather to donate. 

The gutting continues.

A large box up on a tall shelf got away from me and fell on my head.  I tried to stop it from falling, but down it went and landed on the floor behind me.  It hurt some, but I managed to go through it as I sat in the TV room.  I suppose my back, neck and head will feel some discomfort tomorrow.  Ouch.  It didn't knock any sense into me.

It was early enough to go to Manhattan to Staples because I wanted to get large envelopes and sheet protectors.  As we walked up to the door at Staples, the clerk said they were closed.  His help quit on him and he couldn't keep the store open.  Oops.  Off to Walmart to find out that their envelopes and sheet protectors were not a bargain.  Their prices made my jaw drop.  

Soooooo, off we drove to Topeka.  First we grabbed Raising Cain Chicken to eat as I drove across the prairie.  It was HOT outside, but other than that we had a nice trip to Topeka.  I guess this isn't my day to find envelopes and sheet protectors as we walked into Sams we were told the store was closing in 6 minutes.  I asked the clerk when did they start closing at 8pm and she said since Co vid.  I had it in my head we had until 8:30.  So very quickly we shopped finding yellow envelopes, but no sheet protectors.

Fueled the car.

Next was OFFICE MAX and they had the protectors.  Felt like we finally had a busy and successful day with Hubby edging the lawn, me shredding more papers, getting the old tub out of the COTTAGE and purchasing envelopes and sheet protectors all in one day.

When arriving HOME, I washed a Mason jar and filled it with sweet cherries.  There was room in the fridge for the jar.  No plastic for storing the cherries.  I filled a glass jar with a honeybee on it from Dollar General with organic raw honey.  Getting these little details taken care of makes me smile.  Finally my little Kitchen is taking on a different look with the use of glass jars.  

Now to relax and watch a flick.

d  

JUST ANOTHER THURSDAY OR IS IT?

TODAY STARTED OFF WELL waking at a decent hour where I started making plans for the day.  It's my 67th Birthday!  67...that doesn't seem possible.  I'm officially OLD.  
OLD
LADY
DEANNA

What will I set out to do different as it is the first day of being 67?  
Walk? Diet? Exercise? Read?

What have I got to work toward?  What have I to look forward to?
67 isn't young, yet it is younger than 80ish.  I must do somethings differently and that is the way the cookie crumbles.

Having my household in order is a must.
So I continue with the paperwork.  It's not the end of the world, but it is taking a substantial amount of time and effort to recover from such disarray that it hurts.  Put some good music on, light a candle, have a cold drink to my side and forge ahead.  I don't have to dread it.  Make it fun and the time will fly right on by.

I do have hopes of having our household in order, tidy and neat.  Letting go of much lightens the load.  Getting this done is what drags on and on.  

I asked my Husband what he wants to do...about our lives.  We're working on thinning out junk.  The COTTAGE will be remodeled so we can downsize into it.  This will help with our financial health.  He'd like to have a Art Studio.  I'd like to have order in our HOME and go travel a bit to see some sights in the United States.  BE healthier and relaxed about getting older.  Aging.

So far, I got off to a great start this morning going through the old papers.  I'd like to empty these boxes full of loose papers to where they have migrated all together into individual boxes of a HOME ESTATE BOX, FINANCIAL BOX, MEDICAL BOX, CHILDREN AND GRANDS BOX, Misc. BOX.  Then another round of going through each box and getting even more so organized to where the papers can once again be filed. 

Some of the envelopes I pulled out are smoked damaged.  Using new envelopes, I put the hair trimmings of my children and baby teeth I kept into different envelopes.  Talk about going down Memory Lane.  grins.  The fire didn't get everything.  Praise the Lord and move forward.

Today is Thursday.  I was born on a Thursday.  How's 'bout dat?  This day was about 24,472 days ago.  What have I gone through or done with my 24,472 days?   That sounds like a lot of days.  There's 170 days left in this year.  

President Eisenhower ruled.  
Aint That A Shame sung by Fats Domino was being heard on the radio.
I was considered a BABY BOOMER.
It was about 95 degrees hot that day.
I was born in the morning so that would have been in the cool of the day.
From here on out is HISTORY.

This evening, Hubby is fixing me a steak, baked potato and grilled veggies.  No cake.  Maybe ice cream.  All sounds good.  

Happy 67th Birthday, Ole Lady.
~d

  

PROGRESS AT A SLOW SPEED

BY EVENING I WAS ZONKED.  Took a nap.  Hubby was so sweet and fixed supper while I slept.  Out came a Bison Burger and potato chips.  He put spring greens, grilled onion, tomato, mustard and ketch-up on it.  What a nice thing to wake up to.

The burger was delicious and I enjoyed every bite.  So good.  We generally use ground beef for our hamburgers, but this bison was in the freezer.  It was delicious and I did not miss ground beef at all.  We still have some bison pot roast in the deep freeze.  Later this week I will try my hand at a pot roast made out of bison.  A first.   

I haven't used bison for pot roast so it will be interesting none the less.  Supposedly bison is a sweeter meat than beef.  I'll marinate it over night with strong coffee and garlic, slow cook it in the crockpot and see how things turn out. Let you know later.

Planned on going to the COTTAGE this afternoon.  Getting out of the house and taking a drive will lift my spirits.  The front porch plants need watered.  I need to sort through another huge box of papers as well.  A table will be set up in the kitchen to place items on so I can paint next week.

The pantry will be a very light grey color and the kitchen cabinets will be bright white with silver hardware.  Got this far after bantering back and forth on what colors the cabinets will be.  I have flipped flopped back and forth with a lengthy battle going on in my mind about this.  Going to go white cabinets with soft gray tile floors for the kitchen that has stainless steel appliances.  Pretty sure the backsplash tile will be white subway tile.  Not sure what type of ceiling will go up.  This is still in the works.  The pantry will have a mason jar hanging light.  

So many decorating ideas have come to mind about how we will fit inside this COTTAGE.  Many hours have gone into thinking things through on this.  I started gathering ideas from the internet to help with this task.  Fitting all these ideas into my head have caused massive discomfort. 

AS FOR KITCHEN STORAGE...Found some gallon sized Mason Jars.  What a relief. Locating oversized Mason Jars made me a happier camper.  Hobby Lobby had only two, but they were 50% off.  This made me smile. Located another two at a Ace Hardware.  

Filled the jars with All-purpose Flour, White Wheat Flour, organic Sugar and organic Brown Sugar.  

Placing Bay Leaves in with the flour helps keep bugs out.

I'd like to have some more mason jars for cereals and tea.  They will be filled with fruits, vegetables, spices, pasta, bread crumbs, corn meal, etc. and possibly left overs when needed. I don't want to store left-overs in plastic if I can help it.

Got motivated to drive straight over to HOBBY LOBBY in a different community in hopes they'd have some of these gallon size Mason Jars.  They had ONE, but it wasn't marked as being on sale. I didn't want to pay $28.99 for one.  This just about made me sick.  I stood there and decided okay I will bite the bullet and pay this for one jar.  As we checked out, the price on the cash register said the mason jar was half off!  I was glad I went ahead and decided to get it.  The 50% off helped.  

Before leaving town, we went for our Starbuck's unsweetened Iced Tea and as we drove off the car over heated.  We could hear a bubbling noise.  That's not good.  I found a place to park in the shade on this hot Kansas day to let the car cool off.  

One thing I remember from what a minister told me once was if your car overheats, turn the heater on.  Now, this was miserable as the day was in the mid 90s anyhow, but the car's temp did start to cool off.  I reached a place under a shade tree and had my ice tea to sip on as we waited for the car to cool down.  

I was so glad that my smart hubby was with me.  She cooled and Hubby said to go to a Auto Parts store to get some coolant.  We weren't too far so that's what I did.  We drove back to the shade tree and he filled the thirsty car up with coolant under the hood.  She cooled.  The air conditioner even started cooling better.

I wanted to go to Walmart to see if they had any of these gallon size Mason Jars.  They had ONE priced super good.  Now I have 2 more Mason jars for my Kitchen Pantry.  I felt like we had a successful shopping day.  That's 6 jars altogether in two days.  

Drove across the Flint Hills Prairie to the COTTAGE to water the plants, set up a folding table to place dishes on it, gathered up a couple boxes of MORE papers to take to the main house to go through and drove HOME.  I day-dreamed while I sat in the COTTAGE.  I think we will move forward on remodeling this week.  Both Hubby and I are feeling more like ourselves.  

When I got HOME, I washed the two additional jars and will fill with cereal and oatmeal later this evening.  I have to reorganize the small pantry I have at the main house so the jars will have a place to go.  Makes me want to organize my kitchen AGAIN.    

SPIRITUAL READING...Decided to start reading the Book of Leviticus.  Read Chapter One very slowly and out loud.  It helps me to hear the words as well as to read them at the same time. I want to read about the levitical laws concerning food.  Food doesn't save our souls giving us salvation, yet it aids us with good health which makes our earthly bodies better equipped to function staying healthy for the journey.    

HEALTH...Vitamins and minerals continued.  Vitamin C, Zinc and Vitamin D3, Ceylon Cinnamon, Garlic, Berberine, Co Q-10, Apple Cider Vinegar.   I was looking at my fingernails today and noticed that a nice color has grown in with the darker pink growing out.  Just estimating as I think the difference in the two shades of pink started happening when I started taking better vitamins and eating organic foods. 

This made me more hopeful that the vitamins and organic eating truly are helping with my health journey.  We have bounced back from having co vid and I believe our vitamins/organic foods helped with that.  Praise The Lord.  With the co vid, I only had a slight fever for one day. Blood oxygen levels stayed high.  Nausea was mild.  The cough was awful and the fatigued draining for a few days.  I believe we are on the mend with little if any side effects.  I did have to stop taking the antiviral meds three days into it as they lowered my heart rate.  A day after I stopped taking the meds, my heart rate returned to normal.

THANKFUL that I am feeling better and back to getting some things done.  Praise the LORD. Back to the details.  What is said about God is in the details? 

Blessings,

~d 

     

FEELING MORE LIKE NORMAL

TIS TUESDAY and I am feeling more like normal since this co vid thing got me down.  It's been rough coughing for 8 weeks.  Doesn't seem possible that two months has passed.  Better days ahead I pray.  

During this time, I have managed to rest and find time to gather up more things to donate.  This is on going.  Started yet another bag that rests in the Kitchen.  Very little housekeeping took place as I was beyond tired.  So fatigued.     

AS FOR PAPERWORK...I emptied a laundry basket full of papers needing attention to shred or file and emptied the Victorian Desk drawers.  I started by picking up a pile of papers, going through them and then placing them in individual piles on the floor.  A HOME and AUTO PILE (anything pertaining to home payments, utility bills to items purchased as well as for the cars), A FINANCIAL PILE (anything pertaining to spending, checking, savings, retirement), A MEDICAL PILE, A GRANDCHILDREN'S PILE and a misc. PILE.  

Next, medium size boxes were located and the papers will go into individual category boxes. After I have grouped all the loose papers in each box, I will begin to organize into individual subjects just what is there and then put in order of dates.  File away.  I will be ever so glad when this is completed.  It has been a heavy weight.    

Today, I felt like I made huge progress which is very uplifting after months of getting nowhere.  I can see light at the end of this messy tunnel.  Thankful to finally feel some relief.  I was bogged way down for so long. 

 

Beautiful sight!

If my health continues to improve, I plan on making a trip to Topeka or Manhattan to go hunting for extra large mason jars to store flours, sugars, cereals, tea bags and coffee pods. WEARING A MASK, I plan on going to Hobby Lobby first.  If they don't have any that will work then it will require hunting at Menards, Target, Big Lots, Walmart, Michaels, Family Dollar.  Not sure where else.  Perhaps I should check the internet first.  

Smaller jars will be used for spices and herbs.  Won't that be wonderful?  Awesome.  

At any pace, I know the direction I am headed concerning Kitchen storage and decor.  Praise the sweet Lord.

On the HOME FRONT: 

We purchased a large light from the thrift store for at the top of the stairs.  Got a super good price on this and Husband wasted no time installing it.  Sure like it.

Blessings,

~d    

 

DINING ON THE PRAIRIE: SUPER SALAD

Spring Greens is the base of this SUPER Salad.  Filled in with diced celery, green bell peppers, yellow bell peppers, Kalamata olives, craisins, blueberries, cherry tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, croutons, shredded yellow cheese, one beef weiner, walnuts, salt, black pepper and Olive Garden Italian Salad Dressing. 

DINING ON THE PRAIRIE MADE EASY!

DINING ON THE PRAIRIE has a multitude of salads these days as the MAIN EVENT for a meal.  Boy, have I ever changed.  A salad for the entire meal has crossed the barrier of Bon Appetit.  Not sure Julia Childs would approve or Martha Stewart...which doesn't bother me.

Enjoying cold and crisp salads as a meal is a perfect for someone like me wanting to get more veggies and fruits in a day.  Thankful I can eat one and have no problems later.

Making one salad at a time is divine,

~d