Questions and Answers and Comments, Oh MY!

Well here it is August and I already feel I'm running behind!  Isn't that just the way it is?  I've actually taken a couple of days to rest this week because I've been so busy the past week or so, but I'm not complaining about busyness nor rest.  I'm enjoying myself!  I mean that quite sincerely.  I'm enjoying being busy.  I'm taking time to enjoy my rest times.  I'm happy.  I finally have broken through the writer's block I've experienced.  Now there is truly not nearly enough time to do all I want to do, have to do and should do.

I thought I'd do my usual round of replies.  So many of you have kindly written encouragement, helpful hints, or appreciation for past writings (which you generously read in lieu of the lack of postings the past couple of months).  I thank you all for it, I do truly.  It has been like having my own cheering section and I needed that.

Iced Tea Chat in which the doctor prescribed humming...Kathy, You hit on something that John and I have said many, many times over:  we are so grateful for that medical insurance.  I hated being pushed into the purchase and feeling like a criminal because I didn't have it.  I didn't see how on earth we cold possibly afford it, but we have.  And I see now that it was part of a bigger plan that we couldn't see at the time.



Lana, I admit that I was very reluctant in this choice of doctor, but my husband convinced me of it.  He'd worked with him in emergency room and has taken some continuing education classes under his instruction.  He told me how smart the man is and how he felt his approach with supplements and such was a perfect match for what I attempt to do on my own.  I'm quite happy with the doctor and his care so far.  I am learning to trust him.

No one ever mentions this, but there must be trust between a doctor and patient.  I met so many doctors at the hospital in that short period and let me tell you their approach to patients varied widely. I wasn't overly impressed with any of them, but I accepted it as a temporary situation, which it was.  I am looking at this as a relationship of sorts.  He will be my primary doctor, the one who follows my care most closely.

Karla mentioned my bird nesting on the back porch.  I think I told you all of the eggs hatching.  John came in from work one morning and there was a live naked baby bird on the porch. I tucked it back in the next and it was out again the next day.  I think it was about day four that I went out one morning and discovered the nest destroyed.  I don't think it as either Maddie or the cat as neither had bothered the nest or even the baby bird that was out of the nest.  I was heartbroken.  I doubt that the birds will nest there again.  Reading up on their habits they prefer a marshy area.  The aloe had been overwatered by rain and the spot was just right for what they prefer...but not for the plant itself.  And of course, once they nested I was reluctant to water the aloe for fear of ruining the nest.

Pam you are quite right in that sometimes we must look back in order to see the blessings in our life...as I said to Kathy about the insurance.  At the time, it was a decision we struggled hard with.  Now I see just why we needed to purchase it and learn to budget it.

Iced Tea and Peaches Kathy, Once upon a time, I wanted to portray only the perfect, glossy side of my life.  I've found that my readers are real women and they appreciate another woman owning her real emotions.  I do try to show how I cope with myself, too, because I see far too many who figure that 'this is just the way I am and I can't help it,' and use it as an excuse to whine and wail and blame.  Phooey!  None of that for me.  It might be how I am at the moment but I'll do my best to change it because I am more than the sum of my emotions.  And if I can't master those I'll never master much else.

Crystal H.,  Now there's an attitude I can admire!  It's hard sometimes to stop looking at the problems before us and not see the very things we need to DO all the same.  Like you, I feel unsettled when my home is neglected.  Setting things to right sets my mind right, too.

PS, please let us all know how your son is doing.  Many prayers went up for him.

In Questions, Answers and Comments for June, Georgene shared a website that I found had some helpful information, bloodsugar101  I do not agree with everything the site says but there are helpful portions and for someone who is struggling this may be help you can use.  There is a lot of conflicting information I've noted on different websites.  You'll have to sift and sort for yourself to figure out what works best for you.  For all that Diabetes II is a  tag many wear it is as different as each individual and that is the one thing I am certain of.

Lana,  My cold lasted about three weeks over all.  I had sore throat and ear problems following that but my doctor gave me Pro Silver to spray into my throat and it healed in a couple of days as did my ear.

First Money Savings post of the month  I discovered that Gramma D is a cheerleader, lol.  Seriously Dorie, I too know those people who eat whatever they want, whenever, in whatever quantity and shrug and say "Oh that's what the insulin is for..."  NO!   I can't be that sort of example.  Did you know that only 26% of diabetics ever even TRY to control their diets and medications properly?  I just shake my head.

Lana, Yes, I am perusing thrift store racks.  I went through a whole rack of nice shirts today at my local flea market (where I have my booth).  Unfortunately everything I liked was either two sizes too big or two sizes too small.

Tightening Purse Strings post:  Susie at Persimmon Cottage, I'm sorry to say I was told just today at the peach shed that next Friday is the LAST day for peaches this year.  A peach producer in the next county South of us is done as of tomorrow.  Too short a season!
Wow!  35 years from your AC unit is pretty awesome.  I pray you get as many years from this new unit.

Ronnie,  You are so right, I do get frustrated at myself.  My husband is home more than he's not, and he keeps a sharp eye on me as a rule.  He reminded me one afternoon that I was "only on death's doorsteps six weeks ago, so chill..."lol.  It was blunty put but apt.


Better Savings Habits  Several of you over the past two savings post have mentioned our Shabats at home (Saturdays) and how restful they sound.  They are restorative!  I know how busy life can be especially if you work outside the home.  Our weekends used to be more hectic than the weekdays and they were long and wearying.   It's hard to carve out a day of rest if you're accustomed to waiting until the weekend to do shopping or cleaning.  Sundays for many is a church day and that isn't restful exactly though it is uplifting.  I begged John to let's have a Sabbath day many years ago and we chose Sunday.  At the time he was not at all interested in going to a church of any sort but just being at home all day on Sunday was so helpful to me.
After we began attending a Messianic congregation, we began to try and keep Sabbath from Friday evening to Saturday evening.  It was a struggle in our first synagogue which was very small and dependent upon EVERY member in order to operate but after we moved to a larger congregation we found it much more easy.
I often prepare ahead on Friday for Shabat.  I plan meals and prep or cook as much ahead as I can.  I clean the house really well on Fridays.  When I wake Saturday mornings, I know that the bulk of woman's work is done.  I stack dishes all day long rather than stop and do them after each meal.  We consciously do something other than what we'd do on weekdays.  I read blogs and Pin to my heart's content and read or work on my genealogy notes.  Quite often we nap.  By the end of the day I feel rested, and almost restless to start on the work of the week ahead.  It's well worth the time investment to set that time aside.

Karla,  I well recall my grandparents serving cantloupe halves with scoops of vanilla ice cream in them.  Of course, the melons weren't the huge things like we get at market now, but it was still a generous dessert and very tasty.

Sarah,  I know V made bags from t-shirts to use to organize her freezer and I think another girl I know used reuseable shopping bags.  It's certaily a do-able way of organizing and would take up less room than the baskets.  I like the baskets because I can only fill them so full which limits how muhc they will weigh.  I have found if I freeze some items flat I can fill in the spaces around the baskets so it's not wasted space.

Pam, I used to feel I ran a chuck wagon back in the day when we had five kids at home and numerous guests at our table, lol.  I've seen some of the menus from older home magazines meant for feeding the summer farm crews.  Wow is all I can say.  That took some doing!

Rhonda, I was proud of my CVS haul but I am not you by any means.  You are right.  It took time and patience andconcentration to pull off my CVS deal that week and I couldn't have done it any sooner.  I'm watching the papers now so I can do another series of deals.  Katie is making out like a bandit at Target these days.  I am so proud of my little apple falling off right at the tree, lol!

Doe853/Dale, I am happy my menus helped you out with your company.

Ambition, Inspiration, Determination  Gramma D, those temps are all too normal for us in Georgia in July and often in August as well.  If it's ever 80 here everyone makes chili this time of year because it has gotten 'cold' compared to the above 100F marks we're more accustomed to....and I'm not even joking, I'm perfectly serious!

Lana shared this:  Blessed indeed! One of the first things my husband did was thank God for our trial of having my debit card compromised. We know that in all things He is working it for our good. 
It is indeed a shift in thinking to thank God for the trials!  When we've learned to do this every time a trial comes up (and I haven't mastered it yet) we can have great peace.

Wendy, You are quite right about using the magazines (when I'm really done with them) to make cards with.  I am so inspired by your and Annabelle's creativity in that area.  Just beautiful work from both of you.  And V recently sent me a tattered old Atlas just full of maps that shall make some nice masculine cards I think.

Sarah, I am learning to spread my energy in the right ways, just like I'm learning how to spread my carbohydrates throughout my meals so that my blood sugars are stable.  I too need to simplify many areas.  The one I'm working on at present is giving myself one day to prepare or prep meals for the week.  I did that the past two Mondays and it is working great.  In fact, this week I only have to determine what we'll eat following church and prep that ahead on Friday.  Friday and Saturday's meals are taken care of already.  Easy peasy.  Now to figure out how to do that with my yard work.  That's going to be a long haul!

Grammy Goodwill Thank you so much for taking time to comment!  I so appreciate it when a long time reader speaks up!  I love to plan meals...I just don't always follow my own menu plans!  In the past two weeks though I've followed them almost to the tee due to that Monday prep day.  It's a huge help timewise and takes me perhaps an hour of that day.

Tracy Lee, Thank you.  You're an inspiration yourself.  I know you work really hard at saving and living well.

This Week In My Home: Lightening  Lana, it wasn't an artificial sweetener that contributed to my sore throat...It was a Stevia allergy.  I was surprised, but shouldn't have been.  Natural things are allergens for some of us and Stevia is one for me.

Janell, You are too funny!  I really did need to lighten up.  I haven't yet experimented with oatmeal as a cereal, just as a topping for the fruit crisp I made that once.  I haven't tried cocoanut water either.  Still lots of experiementing I might do in the eating line.  We like oatmeal a lot when it's colder.  Figuring out how to make that lovely Butterscotch oatmeal without messing up my blood sugars is one of my planned tasks when it's cooler.

Sarah, Actually none of the diabetic team recommended I read anything!  I'm just a natural student (meaning I love to learn things so I start studying under my own initiative).  And yes, I'm finding the diabetes is as individual as each of us.  Thank you for taking a motherly tone.

Lana,  In my recipe files I've collected recipes for breakfast foods, breads, desserts, cookies, cakes, pies, fruits, beef, chicken, other meats, other proteins and then I have this slim little section called 'Salads'.  For all that we eat some sort of salad every single day I haven't moved much beyond lettuce and tomato.  I just need to work on expanding that area of my recipe file that's all.  And by the way when I culled that file, I considerably thinned all the cookie, cakes, pies, and dessert files too, lol.

Better and Better:  Sew Blessed Maw (Judy), we liked that strawberry dessert okay.  We were agreed that my berries were pretty tart but it also improved in texture and taste over the next two weeks or so (it lasted us that long!).  I'd done that cool whip thing in Weight Watchers and had forgotten about it.  I really liked those, too.  I use the fat free whipped topping, as palm kernel oil does not sit well with my digestion.  It has only 1 gram of sugar per tablespoon so I think I could do the grahams with that...Thank you for reminding me of it.

Lana, I shall look into raw sugar as well.

Kip, I used to love Belks but got so big their things didn't fit me.  Maybe now they would.  Goodwill on Bass Road?  I'm familiar with the one on Zebulon but where is the Bass Rd one...besides being on Bass road, lol.  Is it in the same shopping center area where Publix and Margaritas and Chick Fil A is?

Ambition Meet Inspiration  Crystal H.  I could have written that same note you wrote to me!  My experience is in the medical field (Nursing Home, Hospital, Dr. Office) and I've been home now for 18 years in this current stage of life.  I too have to limit myself when I find a blogger I really like.  Thank you for sharing your sweet note and a bit about you as well.  It's always a joy to find I can get to 'know' one of you girls.

Pam, I've heard so much about your work on that mudroom that I want to see pictures! lol  I remember gardening days with Mama and Daddy.  It is work when harvest starts coming in but so worthwhile and so tasty!

Lana The ONLY advantage I could see to the egg products was that I did not deal with Lutein intolerance as I do when I eat a load of eggs.  I'd rather have the whole egg.  I read somewhere that doing away with the yolk only saves 9 calories...That is such a small savings for doing away with all that nutrient value.

Easy Living  Gramma D, I have never eaten sugar on my grapefruit.  My Granny always peeled them and ate them like an orange!  I do prefer the pink or red over yellow grapefruits.  I think I've found my right balance of carbs.  It is about 40-50 for breakfast, 45 for our big meal and 35 for supper with a little room for a small snack or milk and grahams at night.  It seems to be working rather well for me.  I'm not absolutely certain of those numbers but I guess at them now that I'm aware of about what each foods value is.   Yes indeed, cinnamon is still highly recommended as is lemon.  Using lemon juice in water, lemon in cooking etc.  It helps to stabilize blood sugar.

Sew Blessed Maw (Judy)    I so hope I can be an encouragement to you.  I know that it's hard when you have a doctor only deal with you and not a nutritionist.  If you have medical insurance you might see if you can visit with a diabetic nutritionist, either through a recommendation or through a larger hospital.  And there is a wealth of information online (remember how overloaded I got? lol).  I've found focusing on one area at a time is the biggest help as is the Iowa Diabetic Association Plate Method.

Dale  I spent a lot of time looking over that blog and her polyvore page.  fiftynotfrumpy

Now I've left off only the Wondering post in commenting.  Please do read those comments! They were so interesting, each one.

Thank you all for taking the time to comment.  I read every single comment you all make on every post.  I appreciate you all.  You've all been a big encouragment to me in this new path.  Thank you!