Becoming Vegan...."The Joy of Meal Prepping"

At my last medical check up it became apparent that my lifestyle was catching up with me. My life is not as bad as a lot of people, yet my cholesterol was up- way up, as were my weight and my blood pressure. The icing on the cake was that my blood sugar was elevated as well.  Everything was bad enough that the PA gave me 6 months to try to straighten it out without medication.With the divorce, almost everything healthy fell by the wayside. There was moving, mediation and the a concentration on settling everything to be able to move on.

Thirty days ago I realized  my allotted six months of time was running out. I was home sick, bored, and grumpy and while scrolling through movies I saw "Forks Over Knives." Having always wanted to watch it I paid for the rental and sat back. It was eye opening to say the least! Full disclosure, I have read, "The China Study" and was a vegetarian for six years. My time being a vegetarian stopped when I moved in with Rob and I was trying to make two meals every night- sometimes three if the boys were over. It got old fast. if that were to happen now there wouldn't be different meals, I would just say, "Too Bad!" and let everyone else fend for themselves.

Forks over Knives reinforced my reasons for originally becoming vegetarian and provided a road map on how to improve my health going forward. Shortly, and I do mean shortly, after the end of the movie, the pantry and fridge were cleaned out of all dairy and high fat items. All of the butter and meat remain frozen and will be given away this week. My pantry and fridge are now full of grains, beans, vegetables and fruits. 

Over the course of the last three and a half weeks my blood pressure has been better every morning and I have lost six lbs.  Unfortunately, there are still about 15 to 20 lbs. left that can still come off and I have no idea where my cholesterol is at yet. A little at a time I guess.

To help me stick to eating healthy and tasty vegan meals, meal prepping has become part of my weekly routine. On either Saturday or Sunday I pull out my Cosari electric pressure cooker and cook off a couple types of beans and a grain or two I can use throughout the week. Normally, I make one kind of soup, freeze half and put the rest into containers for lunches or dinners a couple days a week. By the time I am done there are 4 lunches, 5 dinners and 2 or 3 frozen meals prepped and in the fridge or freezer. For me it works.

This week dry black beans went into the pressure cooker, were cooked and then turned them into black bean burgers. Quinoa became 2 side dishes of quinoa and 3 servings of quinoa "tabbouleh" that will be eaten with mixed greens as part of a salad meal. Since there was enough soup frozen none needed to be made and instead no bake sunflower and oat  bars for breakfast or for snacks were put together.

It has taken a bit of practice to figure out what to eat, how to make it vegan and how to make it easy. All in all, as part of my lifestyle changes lately, this was an easy one. There wasn't really a New Years Resolution other than trying to continue learning to live in line with my values and beliefs. There are both good days and bad days yet either way it is still a healthier way of life than the one before the separation. I guess I am a vegan, social justice junkie who loves the outdoors and spending time with people I love and who love me.

Another Time Around

Restarting the blog has been on my mind for a while. Yet it is taking me time to find my voice and try to figure out how to say what I want to say. After all, I am a wimp and tend not to want to offend anyone. However, there are times when that need not to offend is secondary. Today is one of those days.

Several hours ago I picked up my divorce papers from the mediator to be filed later this week. Yes, I know it is the week before Christmas. We haven't lived together since last February, and well, he has a girlfriend and has had one since long before the day I left. Between my illness and his affair we were toast, I tried, he sorta tried but that's not enough in the end.

So at almost 50, I find myself starting over. The thought came to me, "What the hell." I can blog about the experience and re-figuring out who I am and what I want and need out of life.

This is the reboot. This whole starting over can be both exhilarating and exhausting and honestly between work and going to see the mediator for the final signatures I am fried mentally and physically. I will be back to follow up and be chatty about all the crazy I have stirred up in a year and a half.

Hugs-
Jo 

Been gone....so long....

I haven't blogged for a very long time. To be honest it hasn't even been on my radar. There was a time when I would compose blog posts in my head while driving home or during really tedious inspections with trainees. That hasn't been the case lately.

After years of being sick a lot more than anyone I know an Immunologist diagnosed me with a type of Primary Immune Deficiency. Easy version: My body does not make antibodies like a normal healthy person makes antibodies. No real way of knowing why but it could be inherited or a mutation somewhere along the line.

My time has been spent dealing with a life changing illness and the issues that come along with a serious diagnosis. Between doctors appointments, a treatment every two weeks that takes almost 3 hours and is followed by several hours of me being useless before bed, my free time has been impacted. Additionally, learning how to listen to my body is taking a toll on my time as well. Why? When I feel good after treatment I am a whirl wind then later there is no energy to tap to do much else.  

I am not going to die from this any time soon. With treatment I will live to be a ripe old age. I must , however, take the time necessary to face this head on and make the necessary changes to keep me healthy without giving up on life. Somehow, I will find balance, I am not denying this any more and I am over the anger. I guess I am almost accepting that this is the new normal. Don't get me wrong I still hate like hell putting 4 needles in my legs every two weeks. I may never get used to infusing myself. Unfortunately, there is no choice.  

I am not pulling down the blog. It is being left up. If I ever get to that place again I may pick it back up.
Just not right now!
Peace, health and hugs!
Jo  

Words to go with the Cape below..

Yesterday while loading the photo of the cape that I finished I got sidetracked. Really sidetracked. Thus the photo of the completed project was posted before the words that went along with the photo were drafted.

In a couple weeks I will be traveling to Boise, Idaho for a national conference and with my Florida blood figured it might be a bit chilly for me that far North. After toying with the idea of a wrap for the cool weather then pricing them it became apparent an alternate plan was necessary. There are a couple of jackets that are lightweight and one really heavy wool coat in my closet but nothing a bit dressy that could be multi purpose. The items were all really casual, or in the case of the coat, designed for frozen tundra temperatures.

The pattern I used was Butterick B5819 and it was purchased on-sale online. Here is a link to the Butterick website with all of the pattern information. http://butterick.mccall.com/b5819-products-27967.php?page_id=872&search_control=display&list=search
The fabric is a blizzard fleece that was on-sale at Jo-Ann Fabric and there was a 25% off coupon applied to the price as well.  The clasp was the most expensive part of the project and it was $13.25 on Amazon. Everything else that went into the project was already in the ever growing stash of fabric and supplies. Most of the sewing was done by hand while sitting on the couch with documentaries playing on the T.V.Total cost right around $20.00.

The directions were confusing for me as I chose a fabric that really should be hemmed and the directions were for fabric that did not need to have seams finished, so I winged it. It forced me to do a few odd things in the construction and any experienced seamstress would be shaking their head in exasperation.

All in all I am quite pleased and hopefully it will get some use.

A Cozy Cape for a Chilly trip

Asthma with Bronchitis

This is what I have along with my morning coffee and pb smoothie to get me going. Visuals help some people understand more than words. It is hard to get the point across sometimes. So for all you visual readers, here you go!

On the plate we have 2 different types of steroid inhalers, albuterol for the nebulizer, prednisone, montelukast, Tessalon (for cough), Allegra and Rhinocort nasal spray. I accidentally left in the bp medicine. The steroids do jack up bp and I didn't have problems til recently. Notice 3 if the meds are allergy meds due to the asthma being "allergic asthma".

The cough medicine and the prednisone are temporary the others are daily. The albuterol is dependent on the asthma symptoms.

All of this is followed by a steaming hot bath or shower. After all that I usually am ok and functional- provided I don't have Bronchitis or an exacerbation.

So there is the morning! Hope everyone has a great day. Off to pick up groceries (don't have to get out of car ). Then back to couch. Happy Saturday!

The End of Radio Silence

My "Radio Silence" recently is due to a plethora of unexpected reasons. Work travel came first, followed by a wicked bout with bronchitis that morphed into pneumonia. All enough to keep me off the interwebs and mainly reading on the couch or watching really bad t.v. for last couple of weeks. Towards the end of my recovery my brain was beginning to melt from the medications and lack of intelligent stimulation. Then and only then, did it actually occur to my fevered brow that, "Hey, we have Roku and I can watch good t.v. from Amazon Prime...for free!" Then I started watching quality dramas interspersed with bad t.v.. What can I say the brain can take just so much high brow before it begins to lock up. Although if anyone asks me it was the codeine cough syrup, really, it was.

Today, I went to the doctor for a follow up and he basically told me pneumonia or not, my asthma is in the "severe" category and we now must take more drastic measures.  This is not an instance of a severe asthma attack but a specific type of asthma that affects my breathing a large portion of the time and causes me to have breathing difficulty even with an ongoing treatment regimen. It is not even worth listing the daily medications necessary to keep me functional; suffice to say there are more than a couple along with having a nebulizer for breathing treatments in my home. 

So I came home and ordered, yet another, air purifier for the living area. We already have a HEPA unit in the bedroom and a smaller one that gets moved around the house. Admittedly, I need to stay on top of changing bedding weekly and dusting regularly. Bedding tends to be washed every 2 weeks and aired out daily while dusting is less frequently. We have HEPA Vacuum, I just need to use it more often.

Can I say- this BITES! Yes- the big one! It sucks and there is not a lot I can do to make it better. Luckily, I am an odd bird who takes the medications as required and really tries to stay on top of the food allergies. Can I also say- this is FREAKING HARD!!!!!! I feel angry, helpless, frustrated and most of all misunderstood.  After all I look ok - until the asthma kicks in and knocks me flat. Coworkers don't see the bag of medicine I travel with, the nebulizer that ALWAYS gets bomb swabbed at airport security, the pains I take to get a hotel that doesn't allow pets, or the calls to make sure there are no down pillows on the bed. They don't see me at the front desk changing rooms for heavy dust build up in the room or even just mildew in the shower.  They don't understand how aftershave and perfume terrify me and that when they smoke and come back in the room that is enough to trigger an attack.    

Family remembers that I used to be able to run 5 miles at a pop and come back refreshed, hike for hours and have limitless energy. Spending hours in the garden was nothing and traveling was a joy.  It is different now. I am unable to walk more than a mile without losing my breath, whenever I travel I come home sick and sometimes I even need to come home early from trips. My quality of life is not as good as it was and  that is really hard to come to grips with at 47.

So now I am starting another round of specialists to determine what exactly can be done to help get me on the right track. I am not giving up. HELL- I AM TOO DAMN MAD TO GIVE UP! I want my life back!

Tomorrow is another day!
Jo 

Spending the day...

Since today is MLK Day the state did not require me to work. Fortunately, after a long week and a bit of family medical drama I had a day at home to recoup. My one and only granddaughter came over to keep me company while her little brother was napping. She is 6 and full of questions as well as energy and she is adored by her grandmother- me!

We got to spend the afternoon talking , drinking hot cocoa, sewing and taking a run around the block. What is it about the unmitigated candor of a 6 year old that is simple, refreshing and oh, so earnest?  She shared her concerns about a new baby coming into the family, laughed about her little brother and was ever so solemn about her friends at school. If I could live like that every day- Sigh. She is always present in the moment and notices things that we adults seem to ignore or take for granted. Having her or her brother around forces me to stop and appreciate the things I might normally miss, like a butterfly shaped cloud or the joy of a small child running as fast as she can.

There was time when I would try to do housework, or laundry while the kids were here and I was never quite content, the kids would get grumpy and after they would leave I was exhausted. It took me a bit to figure out that the laundry will wait and that the kids really do benefit from my undivided attention. If something absolutely has to get done keeping them involved is crucial. Today, however, the laundry waited as did working on a to do list 12 items long while we both  played, swapped funny stories and jogged around the neighborhood. The best part is I am relaxed, happy and ever so grateful for the little ones that share my life. the words are really trite, but the sentiment is apt, "LIFE IS GOOD!"

Good morning Garden!

These are Suyo Long cucumbers that were picked on my morning tour of the garden. Each one weighs over a pound! Soon they will become half sour pickles.

Breakfast for dinner ....again.

Bacon...mmmmm, potatoes, onions and peppers all cooking in the bacon fat.

Light and flufy frittatta with fresh spinach and a hint of nutmeg just out of the oven.

 

Rob is working late and my plan for a romantic dinner for two fell flat due to the work schedule of an executive chef at a private club. I had even splurged BIG on grass fed steaks and wine. He only has a few days of freedom before the onslaught of opening a new facility and snowbird season and I had hoped for a nice dinner together. Alas-the wine is waiting and dinner for tonight is shelved,and will be prepared tomorrow when he is home for his last real weekend evening of freedom. Since the dreaded call came at the last minute it took pulling bacon, cheese, peppers and onions from the freezer along with the addition of eggs, a potato, spinach and nutmeg to round everything out.  

For a last minute meal it was amazing! Unfortunately, I stink at remembering ingredients used in recipes and also tend to misremember amounts and cooking temperatures. Sadly, my foods are thrown together and Chef Victor forgive me, but I really don't taste much as well. (Chef Victor was an amazing Culinary Instructor at Johnson and Wales while I was a student. He was unbelievable and makes the TV chef's like Ramsey look like wussies.) Normally, my cooking turns out well but there have been a few frightening instances that were questionable at best.  

Next week begins Jo's Friday night dinners for one and evening projects to keep occupied. Maybe I will be sewing but more likely baking or canning to keep occupied. Who knows? There is always a lot that can be done. 

Happy Friday!!!

  

Asthma and Stuff

Allergies, asthma and bronchitis are making me crazy. By the time I get home after every trip I am either suffering from allergies or struggling with asthma. This last trip was no different, after getting home on Thursday the coughing started and I was on the couch sleeping with the bags left unpacked in my office. Thursday night saw a lot more coughing so Friday saw a trip to see my favorite P.A., a steroid shot, and countless Rx for Bronchitis. Since then my life has revolved around using the nebulizer, sleeping on the couch and relocating to the bed. My brain can't focus on too much so the news websites on my phone have been my entertainment, along with a couple TV shows.

I have not been sleeping except in bits and pieces due to the coughing and I am so far past exhausted it is unbelievable. Along with that I apparently have not been paying close enough attention to what I consume. My allergies are a long a** list and include: Eucalyptus, Wheat, Grass, Palm Trees, Oak, Peaches, ... and on and on. After the doctors office visit I picked up cough drops and a few misc. comfort items. While sucking on a cough drop I noticed the bag read "menthol." And where does menthol come from? In this case it was eucalyptus. Sigh. Not to mention the cough drops were cherry and cherries are a relative of peaches. Not totally terrible yet not good. Then at 4:45 this morning I was making Sleepy Time tea to soothe my throat and decided to read the label just to be sure. The third ingredient...lemongrass. Double sigh. I dumped the Sleepy Time tea and got out pure peppermint instead.

When I was first diagnosed I read everything and the lately have gotten lax. As often as I get sick I really have to read labels better and go back to researching the botanical families of food if I am uncertain.We make  so many of the foods that I am allergic to or buy items that are gluten free as a precaution. If it is processed it is questionable. If it is something that I have not had before it is off limits until research is done on the item. Foods are always researched before going out to eat and usually before we hit the restaurant so it is not awkward at the table with everyone else when it comes time to order.  

The P.A. suggested acupuncture as we have exhausted all avenues for asthma short of a surgery that introduces heat into the bronchial tubes to in effect "cauterize" the tubes to stop the asthmatic response.
I am all for anything that avoids major surgery even if it involves sticking pins in me at regular intervals.
Back to bed I go...I am done!
HUGS-
Jo
   

There is nothing wrong with Ironing...

My husband has new chef uniforms for work and the uniforms do not look professional if they are not well pressed. Tonight, one of them was ironed while getting clothes ready for travel to Tallahassee next week. The white chef's jacket now looks nice and crisp with sharp creases on the sleeves. Don't misunderstand me, my husband does know how to iron and does not expect me to do the ironing simply because I happen to be female. Since the iron was already hot and he needed it to be done for work next week the uniform was ironed.

There are many tasks and jobs that I choose to do that others sometimes classify as "old fashioned", "women's work", or in one case even one was labeled as "bizarre." (See the sewing machine story below). Ironing is a case in point. Friends, coworkers and even family have said they don't even own an iron.To me that lack of an iron in their lives is perfectly o.k. What do I care if they have an iron? Many times the statement of a lack of an iron is accompanied by the statements; "Why even bother?",  "I don't iron." or "Everything is taken to the cleaners." Once in a great while the statement comes along with a faint tone of scorn for my simple choice to iron some of the clothing we own.

It happens with gardening as well. "Why garden when you can go to the store and buy fresh fruits and vegetables?". Sewing; "That is too much work." Canning; " How long does that take?" and on and on.
A coworker once pulled me aside after I had excitedly shared about the purchase of a new sewing machine to tell me not to "....say things like that too loudly people might take it the wrong way...." Unfortunately, I did not have the self confidence back then to ask her what the hell that statement meant. My job was as a Food and Beverage Manager in an upscale private club, but seriously what would they think....that maybe I could make my own curtains?  Or, hells bells, spread my wings and...GASP... make a pot holder or goodness gracious maybe, just maybe, a skirt? 

Today you can call me amazingly unapologetic for my hobbies and abilities. Ironing happens not because I love to iron but because I would rather do it myself than look wrinkled or pay someone to iron the clothes needed for meetings. Paying someone to press my clothing is not on my agenda unless something else comes up that is MUCH more important, like a trip with my husband or a day with the grand kids. Hell, when retirement hits I may not even have an iron! Even if I somehow happen to become iron less there sure as heck will not be anything but praise for someone who works to save money or for someone who simply likes to iron.

These things that I do in my free time are done mainly for my own personal enjoyment or because it doesn't hurt me in any way to do the task and I have the ability necessary. There is enjoyment for some of us in simply seeing the fruits of our labors- regardless of if it is in a freshly ironed shirt, an overflowing garden or rows of gleaming jars of jam on a shelf. These same tasks not only, remind me of my grandparents who did almost everything themselves but also provide a sense of shared history and a link to the family that is no longer here with me. This simple manual work, performed by my hands is full of meaning and value. If one person finds value in an item or a task it does not necessarily mean others will feel the same. However, if a task, like ironing, has value to me that is enough.




        

Breakfast for Dinner

Thanks to Ilene's amazing blog!

Gave up and gardened

After starting a pity party post I realized how pathetic it sounded. While reading it through prior to posting a burst of energy overcame me and I simply said screw it to the pity party! The result of the burst is a clean house, a garden bed cleared with pole beans planted and even the trellis for the beans is up. Go me!!! The best medicine out there is gardening!!!!

Garden as of today...don't look too close.

A few of the seeds that went in this year so far.

Jiffy 1364

First attempt at Jiffy 1364, a vintage 1960's blouse. On the right is the original pattern cover from the pattern I used.

 And below is my version of the blouse. Excuse the bedroom in the background. I obviously did not crop this in my exitement to post! 

 

This pattern is the modern version of an original pattern published in the 1960's. The bust had to be adjusted and the shoulders had to be shortened and narrowed a bit. The fitting took much longer than the sewing, however, now I am now the owner of a fully modified well fitting pattern than can be used again and again. Definitely, worth the extra time and effort. 

It took a great deal of reading to figure out why the blouse would not fit and exactly how to fix the fitting issues. I started with too large of a size as the size was chosen on my bust. I then went to a smaller size, adjusted the bust to make it a DDD...and it worked much better. It was still necessary to alter the shoulders slightly. There are 2 small tucks at the shoulders in bot  the front and the back that are barely noticeable. Next time I plan on changing those to "ease" and making it appear to be part of the fabric. That will take some practice. 

All in all, I am pleased as punch to have made an extremely comfortable and wearable garment!! Next up a wrap dress.