Healthy Lifestyle Support Thread March 21st - 28th, 2009

This is my long day of the week but I love every minute of it. I go to the thrift store at 10, work until about 2:30 or so, then do a quick errand or 2 most weeks, come home to change clothes, potty breaks for the critters while I'm doing that, off to the cafe' hoping to get there before 5, volunteer at the steam table, make Texas toast, put away washed dishes, pots & pans, etc. come home, lock up the birds, take care of the house critters, start a new thread, maybe eat some supper, & go to bed. I wish I could sleep late on Sat. mornings but the dogs need to go potty as usual about 6, the birds need to be let out, the cats demand attention, etc. so I may as well just stay up when I let the dogs out for potty break. Sometimes I take a tylenol which makes me sleepy & get in an hour or so more sleep but that is not normal for me. I try to not get so tired I can't go to the cafe' again on Sat. night. Yvonne was telling me how blessed they feel that I come as I do knowing I only get supper as pay but I assured her I am there because I love them and want to be there to help them. Tests done this week show she has lost 15% of her respiratory capacity in the past year from the pulmonary fibrosis.

The weather is so fickle this time of the year. One day in the 70s, three days in the 50s, back up to the 60s or 70s, back down into the 40s or maybe 50s, etc. Nights range from just above freezing to nearly 50. It is hard to know if I should take plants outside for the day or not. The ground doesn't warm up well so seeds for some plants don't germinate. Tomorrow I'll try to put some plastic hoops over the spinach to see if that will help it to sprout. Then clear the tomato area & use glass jars over seeds or just bare ground or strips of plastic to warm the ground somewhat.

Eating has been fair. I lost those excess 3# again. I wish I could keep them off better & lose another 3 - 5 on top of them. Most of it was water weight this last time. I had big rolls around my middle that made me feel and look terrible.

I finally got that vaccuming done last night before going to bed. That made me feel so much better. I really like that new Eureka sweeper. I put it on carpet mode to get the brushes to rotate & pick up much much more hair and dirt. Now there is a sink of dishes to wash. I keep them washed up really well for a few days then start just piling them in the sink when I get busy outside. Then every 3 or 4 days I wash all of them. I need put most of them back in storage so I HAVE to wash them to have something to eat on. Usually I will put all the dishes in a pan of soapy water way to hot for my hands & tell myself I'll come back when the water has cooled a bit. Then the water gets cold, the pan is really full of dishes so I just dump it and wash at least some of the stuff. I should also store most of my Vision ware so I can't let pans pile up in the sink making it look worse than it really is. But where to store them that they aren't in the way is the problem. Storage tubs of glassware are way to heavy for me to move around much. I only use 2 or 3 pans of the Vision Ware regularly so the rest could easily be stored.

Debbie, good to hear from you. Can you buy good quality veggies & fruits that don't have a lot of pesticides, fungicides, herbicides in the area, etc. that are regularly applied just for good measure so to speak? If not, even a few green bean plants & a couple tomato plants as well as cukes, zukes, etc. just to supply your block(lol)would be a more healthy choice. If you mulch well you won't need to weed or water as much. That is all I plan on planting. I have so much from former years I don't really need to can this year. I probably will do the grapes into juice & pulp tho.

Anna, I would love to visit the barn with you. I'm sure so much has changed since my father's dairying days I would be dumbfounded. I only milked the goats and our 6 - 8 dairy cows by hand. But that is where my heart was as a younger person.

I'm gettng sleepy so I'll turn in for now.

Susan, have a fabulous trip & visit with your GM and other family members. I'll be praying you don't get sick this time.

Pebble, this thread shows up as soon as there is another posting made. Contact Admin. and ask how to get it to come up with each new post. I'm sure they can tell you how to get it done.

GOD bless & keep each of you.