Spent….

Whew! What a day….Today was our final presentations for the volunteer naturalist program. Everybody was allotted a twenty minute spot and the lady that I have always sat with said her speech would never take twenty minutes and I said I would never finish in twenty minutes. It was a complete swap. She went over and I flew through mine.

Honestly…I didn’t think I would be nervous and when I was, that threw me off. All of us were nervous! There was a woman who teaches with PT who said to the woman next to me “you were nervous and this was your first presentation, I have done this same presentation more than 500 times and I can’t get my hands to stop shaking.” So  not only was I a nervous wreck but I was picking up on everyone else. When I came home I legit sat outside in silence for at least twenty minutes while I grounded myself again. Today was just too much.

My project was a complete whirlwind…I flew through my presentation. My sweet peers said it was neat and cool and they would think twice before they threw something away. Was it a truth? It doesn’t matter,it made me feel better.

I learned a lot from other presentations…now I want to go camping, make syrup, etc. We had a really good group of people in our class. Hopefully I will bump into some of them while accumulating some of my forty hours of required volunteer hours.

I had places that I “had” to go to when I got home…after I grounded  myself the Girl and I ran to three places. I put dinner in the oven and then I crashed. Part of it is the full moon…part of it was the stress of the presentation and everyone else’s stress and the rest was hormones. I was 22 days late this month which I think counts as a skip? I started on Thursday and had a brief pause this morning (thankfully) and then the flood gates opened again later this afternoon.

After running dinner to the ex father in law the Girl and I sat down and watched Bohemian Rhapsody. It was due today from the library…so I will be a day late in returning it. It was well worth the fine. Maybe it was all of the factors that I have previously mentioned or maybe it was just the movie but I was moved. All the way to tears more than once. Good for you Freddie for being true to yourself. Sure you made some mistakes…who hasn’t?  He was the real deal..talent and authentic…a beautiful soul trying to fit into an ugly world.

Maybe part of it is I am tired? I am hoping for a dead to the world kind of sleep tonight…one that pays no attention to the full moon cat shenanigans where I actually get rest, even if the cat is running from window to window. I feel exhausted and off today so hopefully tomorrow will be a better day? I am hoping because I have a ton of catch up work to get done….Zia

 

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Toast Should Be Illegal

Okay….maybe I am being a tad dramatic….it just smells so good!! The girl just toasted up some toast in the toaster for a snack and it smells so tasty. I had a really bad food night last night so it’s extra hard today.

Last night was my Italian class party and while I stayed away from the cannoli, tiramisu, pizzelles, cream puffs, and other fancy treats…I had to eat something. I was safer staying with the meat and cheese trays. I decided to try the eggplant parmesan and was extra careful to scrape off all of the breading. It didn’t help and I also tired the tiniest amount of homemade wine. I ended up with a big headache and an upset stomach last night. It wasn’t worth it…this is why I don’t go anywhere!

When the Girl came home from her dad’s she had a Frosty. I already felt bad so I took a couple spoons of the Frosty. It did not make me feel worse and I didn’t get any bumps on my cheeks. I am really hoping that ice cream is a random thing that does not bother me…

Tomorrow is the catered lunch for the final presentation of the volunteer naturalist program. I am hoping that by bringing my own salad dressing…I will be able to eat something. Feeling crappy isn’t fun and I can’t live my life only cooking for myself….. I need to find a happy medium.

I ordered my Reiki manuals today and have decided to teach the class either June 22 or 23. More than likely it will be the 22nd. I have had some interest lately which is why I ordered the books. Hopefully I will end up with the five I am anticipating.

Tonight was rubber stamp club and we made the best card!!! I am not sure if I can part with the dragonfly card…it’s so pretty!

I have to go and make my index cards for tomorrows presentation…I will supply the facts and then give the upcycle show and tell. I am not too worried about filling the twenty minutes because of my show and tell. Hopefully I won’t go over too much. I will fill you in tomorrow….Zia

Should I Be More Nervous?

Part of me feels like I should be more nervous about my presentation on Saturday. Do I really want to get up in front of twenty plus people and talk for 20 minutes? No not really…but I could have opted out and taken an open book test….I chose to do the presentation. 

Talking about upcycling will be easy peasy and I am bringing examples of things I have made in addition to the new things I made for the birds. All I have to do to help me is put my facts on some index cards. All I need to turn in is an educational based resource page…which I still have to put together and print out.

Today I was lured away by dirt…you already know about my hanging cherry tomato baskets and my hanging strawberry basket. Today I went out and bought a few plants, I spent less than $40.00 so hopefully I will grow at least that much in food.

The barrel has kale and red leaf lettuce and in the ground I have a pumpkin, some acorn squash, and some butternut squash.

Here are some roma tomatoes and in the small container in back I have some bib lettuce.

Here is the plant for the BLT’s. Hopefully by the time I get a tomato big enough, I will have mastered some kind of bread recipe.

Eggplant on the right, peppers in the barrel, and some zucchini on the left.

The lavender I bought last year from the pricey greenhouse that was supposed to come back….hasn’t come back yet. I bought two regular ones just in case it doesn’t. I haven’t taken the cover off of the grill yet but I noticed it in the picture. The cover is not even a year old…I guess it didn’t fare so well this Winter.

I also put some herbs out on the back porch…

And some sweet banana peppers….I can see the no bread/cracker thing becoming a problem come harvest time.

I also picked up a movie while I was at the library today. I had every intention of watching it tonight…I just ran out of time. I still have to food prep for the next two days. Where did my day go?

I have heard it’s a great movie, maybe tomorrow night after the Italian class party?

A couple of things about the ex mother in law….remember that part about teaching the kids how to be good humans when I cooked her breakfast on Mother’s Day? She said to the Boy “I must be dying if your mom is cooking for me.” She has since had a relapse and the infection is back. They also think she may have had a stroke or has possible alzheimer’s disease? First rule while living in this town….don’t get sick enough to need the hospital. Also…. I am not taking the blame for that one. It’s true what Big K always says “no good deed goes unpunished.”

The boy came home and said he might have to go live with his grandparents now? Way to step up to the plate ex husband.  I can honestly say…that is one decision I have never regretted, making him an ex I mean. Such drama….I hate drama.

Now I am off to make my breakfast and lunch for the next two days and chop up some vegis for a vegi tray to take to the Italian class party.  If I’m lucky I will have a little bit of time to work on my resource page……Zia

Stopping Now….Mostly

I feel like I have been running nonstop all weekend. It’s not true…it’s just how I feel.  I started my Saturday by standing in line at a local greenhouse at the obscene hour of 6:45 am….I don’t even leave for work until 7:30am during the week. It was cold and it was damp but you know what? I really wanted two cherry tomato hanging baskets and they are super expensive.  $30.00 for two is much more reasonable than $30.00 for one.

My plan was to only plant edible plants this year and because of the sale I grabbed an ever bearing strawberry plant. I really didn’t want two strawberry plants….

So I decided one really spectacular flower would be okay…

I will have to buy a big shepherd’s hook for it since I only have two hooks on the porch. Or…I will put the strawberry on the hook and plant this big beauty in the large urn I have by the front door. It’s huge and will make a statement wherever I decide to put it.

I waited in line for more than thirty minutes on the way out…there really should have been someone directing traffic. When I finally got to the register the young girl was being replaced with a sweet little man who should be retired. The line I was in went all the way to the back of the store….I was so happy to be out of there. Like I told the lady behind us…”it’s worth it because we want to save the money.” The lady in front of me saved $231.00….that’s a lot of plants!!  I saved $55.00 and it was worth the wait for me.

I haven’t forgotten the dream I had that told me to plant a fig tree so looked while I was there. The fig trees were pretty big and $70.00. $70.00 is out of my price range and the size also posed a problem. I live in a temporary house so it needs to be movable…they were too big. It was hard to walk away from…I will look in other places because I still want one and the voice was pretty adamant about it.

I came home, unloaded the backseat and had my second cup of coffee. By the time I finished it was time to head to the farm where I but my fresh eggs and the other farm where I buy my meat. I even stopped at the eagle’s nest on the way back. I did not see either of the parents but it was super early so I am sure they were off finding breakfast.

I came home again and put away the food, emptied the dishwasher..etc. I was waiting for HB to finish up with her yoga event because we were going to check out a new shop downtown-ish.  This little shop reminded me some of a dream I had the other night….

I was in a house and it wasn’t my house. The girl who lived in the house was moving to an area full of houses that I love but don’t feel are safe. Houses awesome…neighborhood dangerous. I was walking up the stairs toward the attic when I noticed that there were shoes lined up out on the roof. There were men’s shoes and woman’s shoes all lined up and there were two people sitting on the roof in lawn chairs. Oh …and it was raining too. Nobody seemed to care that the shoes were getting wet and the people in the chairs didn’t mind that they were getting wet either. Strange….I know.

This little shop isn’t in what I would call the best side of town…I even passed the street my high school was on to get there. I haven’t been this way since 1989. This store was in an old house one block from my old high school and within walking distance to the university where the Girl goes to school. I love everything about it. I love the things she makes, the way it’s displayed, the way it’s packaged, the “feel” of the space….everything. I couldn’t help but look up the price of the house on Zillow and it said $20,000.00. I don’t know if she owns or rents and I don’t know much about business but that seems pretty reasonable. There were lots of college kids in and out of the shop while we were there.

While HB and I were shopping she was mixing up a new batch of incense powder. I have used sticks and cones with a charcoal disc but I have never used a light-able powder incense before. It is amazing! I think this may be her super power!! I have been looking on Pinterest on and off the last two days to try and find the technique. The Girl hates incense but she doesn’t mind this stuff. I wish you could smell it through the computer!!

The packaging was perfect until I found the assaulted feather on the floor this morning….damn cat.

HB and I left there and headed down to a monthly outdoor flea market/craft show type event. Two things happened….I found an amazing beef jerky that I can eat!!!

The second thing is….someone was sampling their roasted red pepper relish on gluten free crackers and I had one….and it was okay. Nothing happened….no reaction. Other than the chocolate bar I discovered a week or two ago….I haven’t had any processed food. Four months without processed food… so no reaction from a harmless cracker is a huge thing for me!

Actually…this has been a pretty big food weekend for me. Friday night was book club and I talked everyone into meeting at the new Core Life Eatery that recently opened. It was pretty busy but we managed to secure a table and get our food in a timely fashion. It was a little loud but I could eat. I did not have a reaction the next day which was huge! What would I do different?  I think I will still bring my own salad dressing like I do everywhere else. I only ate half of my food because I could feel some bloating coming on…I wasn’t sure if it was the canola oil or the spices…I am fairly certain it was the canola oil since spices seem to attack my glands more than my belly if they don’t like me. The important part was that I woke up with no reaction so we may have book club there for a while.

The Girl and I also stopped at JC Penney’s yesterday because I had a coupon and they had bathing suits on sale. Both of us went to the neighbor’s pool last summer ….all summer, in shorts and a tank top. This year we will have suits and at $20.00 per piece…it wasn’t horrible.

Clearly I am the black one with the shorts and the Girl is the colorful one, now all we need is for the weather to cooperate….the neighbors are ready!

This morning I woke up and after drinking two cups of coffee and stalking out social media, I decided to make breakfast. I made my new favorite, sausage with apples and sage. I woke the boy up and strongly suggested that he and his sister take brunch to his grandmother in the nursing home (she just got out of the hospital) and to their grandfather. They are good kids for the most part and did what I asked. Why did I do it?

I didn’t do it for the ex in laws….I did it for the kids. Their father taught them that it is acceptable to go see “End Game” even though the Boy drove his grandmother to the ER…where she was admitted earlier that day?!?! I am hoping that I taught them that even though…..their grandmother treated my mother like shit….and made the Girl cry on numerous occasions….we won’t even go into how she tried to treat me…that it is Mother’s Day and she is in a nursing home because of an illness and still deserves a visit. . She probably won’t even like the brunch I sent and will complain to her acquaintances about it….I don’t care….It’s not about her…it’s about them. I also had them drop some off to their grandfather. Nobody seems overly concerned about him and he falls all the time. Whatever….not my circus…not my monkeys. I did what I thought is right and I can sleep at night…well except for the crazy dreams…The morality part is in check.

When they came home the Girl and I ran to Sam’s Club and TJ Maxx.  We came home and I started to food prep for the next few days.  Sometimes it’s a pain but for the most part it doesn’t bother me and it’s crucial if I want to eat…..

Do you remember when the Girl was upset that I bought an old unicorn book at a church book sale? This is why….

She bought the one on the left from eBay for $9.00. It is in better shape than the one I bought but I think they came from the same place since they both say $.50 in the corner…and the handwriting looks the same.

She was right….it’s cool and unique and a rare find. I didn’t mean to find it before Mother’s Day….. So if I decide to do a project with the one I bought I will still have the nicer one intact. It’s the thought that counts and it was a damn good thought. The boy bought me a nice bottle of wine…they are getting better at this….Zia

 

Four Months and Fourteen Pounds

Four months and 14-17 pounds later…I am still on the GAPS diet.  Most Monday weigh ins are at 136 but one Monday I weighed in at 133 and I have had the occasional 134 and 135. I would say that I am leveling out to my weight from diet only. I haven’t been to a yoga class since last fall and with the exception of  mowing my grass, I’m not getting any exercise.

Do I feel better? Yes…I really do. I rarely feel bloated, my skin is clearer….unless I eat too much cheese and those are allergy bumps not acne. I am in need of more variety. One day last week I had cheese cheeks because I was hungry while making dinner. Do you have any idea how hard it is to not be able to open a bag of chips or a box of crackers for a light snack??? Trust me…it’s no fun!

Yesterday I ventured a little out of my norm to try something new. It’s pricey so I only bought a little of each.

I don’t need bread so a perfect snack for me is to roll up a piece of salame and mozzarella and eat it as it. I did that yesterday while I was food prepping my breakfast and lunch for today and tomorrow. I felt a little bloated but I had no bumps on my cheeks this morning so I will take that as a win. Tonight I rolled up a piece of turkey inside a piece of the swiss. I didn’t like this one as much so I only had one. I am not going to risk a reaction for something that doesn’t taste fabulous. The Girl likes swiss cheese so she can finish the rest of that quarter pound. I also bought their pepperoni, I haven’t tried it yet because I am trying to do one new thing a day. I think my idea of a charcuterie board for my Girl’s Night Out is looking up!

While I was taking these pictures another customer made a comment. There were only four of us in the store at the time. He said something like “oh..are you going to take those pictures home and frame them up?” I looked at him and calmly said “no…I am having food reactions and I am trying to keep track of what works and what doesn’t.” It didn’t even occur to me that he was being a dick until I was back in my car driving. I’m so gullible, I gave a serious answer to a smart ass question. I swear I will never learn.

Next week is the party for my Italian class so tonight was our last night of learning. With the weather getting nicer and outdoor chores to do..it was time. I’ll be back in the Fall to learn again…

Speaking of weather getting nicer…although we haven’t had many days that have been nice the five we have had have been great! When I let the dog out yesterday, I noticed that my neighbors are getting their pool ready to go…Every day in the next seven has temperatures ranging in the upper fifties to lower sixties. It will be a while before it will be nice enough to relax in the pool.

It’s definitely something to look forward to…..Zia

Tempting the Fates

I didn’t mean to tempt the fates….. Although I do envision the Universe laughing a big hearty chuckle while saying “Fear?? You think that is a fear??” Do you remember how I mentioned facing some fears walking that dam on Saturday?? The Universe laughed and laughed and then said ” I will see you and raise you one”….

Monday I had to drive to one of our Southern offices. I have driven there before but this time I was following Google maps. The interstate I have driven in the past is way out of the way since I moved so I thought I would take the scenic route, and Google maps said it was faster.

As you know…driving to unknown places is not one of my favorite things and bridges are definitely up there on the fear scale. So I headed out early …..ready to face my Monday. I leisurely drove out the state route I was familiar with but once I passed the road I turn down to get to the farm where I buy my meat I was a little less familiar. Then I passed the dirt mall that is locally a big deal around these parts on Fridays in the Summer. I haven’t driven out this far in years but it was still familiar. In my head I thought I was following this route the whole way and then my phone told me to veer to the left. Okay…so I veered to the left.

This road didn’t seem too bad, mostly country. Then it started to get curvy and then hilly so when I got stuck behind a school bus I was grateful for the break. Then the bus turned left and I lost my safety crutch. The hills started getting deeper and the curves more often….I then started a downward spiral on a small mountain only to be greeted by a sign that said one lane bridge ahead.  Bridge is not a term I would use to describe this contraption. Thankfully it was low but as I drove over those metal grates that could loosely be described as a bridge….my breathing changed….this is where I believe my panic attack started….

As I was trying to breathe and not break the steering wheel I noticed the next obstacle…a steep incline up what appeared to be a mountain….Trying to breathe while repeating “oh shit” as I put the pedal to the floor. The drive up was just as curvy as the way down. By the time the road leveled off…I couldn’t feel my ears or my fingers. They were all pins and needles. My phone was in the drink holder and I picked it up and it said two minutes…two more minutes. Thankfully the last two minutes were smooth sailing. I never quite got over that drive Monday.

On the way home I took the interstate for three minutes and then I got to the route that I started on. THAT was the scenic, leisurely route that I imagined the morning to be. The next time my phone tells me to veer to the left and take S road…I think I will say “f*** you…start recalculating.” The extra three minutes is totally worth it to my sanity.

Since I had a day and the eagles are located right off of this route, I decided to stop on the way home. The babies are getting so big and so fast!!

I know I have said this before…. My pictures aren’t super clear but I am very proud of the pictures I have taken. They make me happy and that’s all that counts….right?

My final project for my volunteer naturalist program has also evolved. What started out as a simple “whimsical upcycles for your backyard birds” has become as much about upcycling/recycling as it is about the birds. I even have a sweet lady from our recycling education department dropping off some fact sheets for me on Friday.

You know me….it’s never as easy as previously anticipated..it’s always a surprise…Zia

Working on that Fear

I did a little work on my fears this weekend….not that I had much of a choice. Our last meeting before the final with the volunteer naturalist program was a field trip… So I drove out to a place I have never been knowing there was a road closure that would make it a bit tricky.  I found the first stop without a hitch…unfortunately the correct spot was not where everyone else happened to be. I was rescued by a cutey patooty park ranger and his trusty sidekick. Side note….cutey patooty is the husband of one of my classmates who happens to be on a field trip with her students this weekend. I followed him to a lower parking lot where the rest of my classmates were.

As you know…I am not a fan of bridges or heights..yet I trekked up this hill to the top of the dam….I even looked down and took some pictures.

I was a little shaky and a lot uncomfortable but I did it…I worked on that fear a little bit. We left the dam and headed to the classroom. I even mentioned to a classmate “remember when they said the GPS would take up to the wrong place?”  I just followed everyone else as we kept turning around and finally I rolled my window down and talked to car in front. I read from the directions in the manual and we finally ended up in the right place….It was a group adventure. We will always have that to laugh about.

We were out in the elements at 9am and went out again in the rain around 10:30 and then we broke for lunch. It was a drizzly, chilly, dreary, Ohio day. Luckily we wrapped up a tad bit early and I followed a teacher who works with PT home. I don’t know if it was faster but it was certainly bumpier….I got home though. Boy was I drained.

I made the sausage stuffed acorn squash again and had the girl take it to her grandfather. Did I mention that the evil grandmother is in the hospital? Did I also mention that the ex husband still took the kids to see End Game instead of going to the hospital? Not my circus…not my monkeys…but still. The Girl didn’t even want to bring her grandfather the food??? I made it…I drove…all she had to do was deliver it??? She is convinced that he is fine and doesn’t need help. He can barely walk and emergency services are called at least twice a month because he falls and needs help and that’s when the grandmother is home. Maybe I shouldn’t care? I’m sure it will result in negative feedback but you know what???? I know I did the right thing…

I finally found a chocolate bar I can eat….

I have successfully nibbled on this bar all week and no acne….finally!!! I recommend you buy stock…because their sales are about to go up!

Today I was lucky enough to be a part of a upcoming documentary on sound therapy. Being a part of …meaning….I got to lay there and soak up some sound therapy. The girl who was leading the documentary was adorable and totally authentic. I seem to notice the people lately who shed the labels of society. She had pink curly hair and glitter on her nose. You know how I love glitter so when I asked about it she said “Coffee and glitter…two things I need to start my day.” I love it!!! I am hoping I wasn’t recorded too much…

I felt over committed this weekend… I mean, I had to do the volunteer naturalist thing and maybe if the weather wasn’t so dreary I would have accomplished more when I got home on Saturday. I chose to be a part of the documentary about sound therapy and even that left me feeling short on time.

I took my shower….I made my breakfast for the next three days and my lunch for tomorrow. I even cut some grass…I have to travel to our southern office tomorrow which I don’t like to do but I do like to stop at their Goodwill while I’m there. I still have a mess in the kitchen and seven minutes until the next Game of Thrones. I guess the dishes can wait…..Zia

Foraging for Flowers

Tonight I made the violet jelly from the violets I foraged on Wednesday….They look pretty and the taste is subtle. I would say it is more suited for a cheese tray…or what is that new fancy word? Oh yeah…charcuterie….this jelly would make a nice addition to a charcuterie platter. It was worth the time crawling around in the grass foraging for violets.

Unfortunately because I was foraging wild violets on Wednesday I missed my opportunity to go to the farm where I buy my meat for the week.  I can get up tomorrow and leave at the same time I do during the week and bring the meat home before I go or I can leave a little later and head straight out to my naturalist field trip and keep the meat on ice for seven plus hours??? I didn’t realize that they opened at 8am, I had been planning from a 9am start. Regardless….I have to go tomorrow.

I guess I will be getting up early tomorrow. It wouldn’t be so bad but my dreams have been so intense and constant that I am waking up tired….

Even at lunch where I only sleep for 15-20 minutes….today I dreamed about a barn dance. It’s not a restful sleep when I am constantly dreaming. I think that the one hour of sleep after my colonoscopy was the best sleep I have had in years. I honor my dreams and understand that they have meaning but come on….give a girl a break once in a while…

I am very happy that it is Friday!! It has been an exceptionally hard week of trying to fit in a world that I am not a part of to say the least…

Hulu recently added Zombieland….which is to the Girl what Buffy was to me. She quotes every line before it is said…it’s a good thing I like that movie….Of course one movie doesn’t compare to seven seasons but it has a similar effect…Zia

 

 

 

A Few of My Favorite Things….

Once again my to do list went out the window today…..I didn’t have much on the list to begin with but there was some serious recalculating happening today. There was a patient this morning that when I looked at him, I remembered the rummage sale happening today. His wife usually reminds me and I found it odd that she wasn’t there. They said she had to leave…probably to pick him up when I asked about her at the sale. I think I did great for $8.00!!! This little table needs some work but for $3.00 it will be perfect for the front porch after I am done with it…

I found a sheet for the couch aka protection from the dog. I was just thinking yesterday that the blanket wouldn’t work for too much longer since it is slowly getting warm outside. $1.00 is the perfect price for a sheet to put on the couch.

I found a Pyramid Collection cardigan type thingy for $1.50…and my favorite deal of the day is this jacket for $1.50…it looks so good and hits all the right spots.

It doesn’t look like much on the hanger so I promise to post a picture while I’m wearing it. You know how I hate to have my picture taken….I also got a great skirt that’s already in the laundry so no picture of that one. Then I found some pans to make some birdseed wreaths and at 50 cents a piece I was sold!

There was a book in there somewhere too…I think I did great for 8 bucks! I stopped at the Dollar General for some spray paint to update some plastic chairs I bought last year. Unfortunately it was super windy today so I didn’t get to check that task off of my list. I did get all of the weeding done and that was huge. I tried to cut the grass but couldn’t get anything to start.

Sometimes things like that happen for a reason. I spent a good amount of time connecting with earth today.

I will be making a dandelion salve and a wild violet jelly when everything is ready. The violets should be ready tomorrow night and the dandelions by this weekend. The cat yelled at me the whole time I was outside…he is such a bully. He hates it when he is the only one in the house. He was yelling out the window at 2am this morning too so he is already on my list. I collected this many violets…

Almost 4 cups is a lot of time on the ground where I saw a few questionable spiders. I would rather not repeat the brown recluse experience again, twice is enough for me… My grandmother loved violets so I thought a violet jelly would make a nice Mother’s Day present for my aunt…in theory….if it turns out. The dandelions need to dry out for a few days before I can put them in olive oil, then I will make a salve.

My violets aren’t Missouri but I needed some extra validation before I made them into a jelly and gave them away. I like my little plant identifier app…I didn’t think about this until after I spent hours on the ground…luckily it all worked. out.

I didn’t get much done in the kitchen today since I was outside most of the afternoon. I did get my eggs made for the next two days. You can see here the difference between grass fed chickens and what you buy in the store. East and West are grass fed, North and South are free range brown eggs. The gouda cheese is shredded underneath..

There is a visual difference and a big taste difference. I love my two eggs with one slice of nitrate free turkey bacon everyday. Speaking of my food change…after the colonoscopy on Monday I weighed in on Tuesday and am now down to 133lbs which is 17 pounds since January 7th. I am not trying to lose any weight and three more pounds is the most I want to lose. In another month I will start introducing more foods. It definitely won’t take that long for me to give ice cream a try. It has dairy and sugar so I don’t know what might happen but I do know that I love ice cream, and I have no idea how to replace it in a tasty way.

While things didn’t turn out like I planned today I did get to do a few of my favorite things…I love a good rummage/garage sale full of possibilities and I did score some deals today. I also spent some time connecting with nature and plants and will get to do some mad concocting very soon. I would count to day as a win for sure….Zia

I Guess It Was a Good Thing

I begrudgingly agreed to get a colonoscopy and I told no family members other than my kids. My brothers and father are the biggest nags about it and I will tell them after I get my results. Today the doctor removed one polyp, he said it was a decent size but didn’t look cancerous and he will send it to the lab to be sure. That’s a pretty big assumption? Don’t get me wrong I will do a little dance if he is correct but if he’s wrong? Let’s just hope he is right.

I went in this morning and I wasn’t starving or dying for a cup of coffee. Yesterday was harder in that respect.I am not sure why? When I started the GAPS diet I basically did a liquid diet for a few days so I know I can do it. I guess I didn’t want to do it yesterday. The Optician told me I would have to get naked, thankfully she was wrong. I got to keep my bra, shirt, and socks on the whole time. I was a little concerned when the nurse put on the heart monitor and the oxygen…what the heck? When she started to give me the anesthesia I looked at the liquid in the shot thingy and first said “I know I don’t need all of that, followed by ugh! What is that taste?” That taste didn’t leave my mouth until after 4pm and she probably gave it to me around 9:30 am.

The next thing I know I opened my eyes and looked at a wall while passing some gas. The gas part is slightly better tonight…just slightly. I never felt a thing during the actual procedure and actually accomplished a lot today. After dinner my stomach was very loud during the digestion process. I tried another recipe from that cookbook I got from the library “Against All Grain” Even the Boy liked it …hashtag miracle.

This recipe goes in the keeper file…it was so good. I also finished up one of the bird food recipe projects. It is taking forever to render the lard and hopefully I will get the other one done before bed. Like I said…I got a lot done today….yesterday was the hard day.

It’s true what they say…the day before is hell. I don’t know if I can do that again in three years?  I couldn’t use Gatorade because of the sugar and besides it’s gross just like Kool Aid…yuck. So they prescribed me a powder that I could mix with water.

I wimped out and in 16 of the 64ounces I made some herbal tea with peppermint, lavender, chamomile, and marigold. There were other things in it but my goal was to make it easier to drink. It didn’t hit me until my second trip to the bathroom that it was supposed to be clear. Lucky for me it didn’t matter…slight yellow was okay. I started drinking this concoction around 6pm, it should have only taken me two hours or so…it took me more like three. It was awful.

Luckily I get HBO through my Amazon Prime which gives me the option of pausing the show. Also lucky for me…last night’s battle was giving the Girl anxiety.  She even asked me once “are you sure you don’t have to poop? I need a break, this is intense!” It was a very dark episode last night and I mean literally. When I showed the Girl the photo I picked for this post she was worried it might be a spoiler? It can’t be a spoiler if you can’t see it. The beginning was the worst and I didn’t love Ghost being on the front line but all in all it was an excellent episode.

Thankfully they did right by Lyanna Mormont…such a little bad ass and the queen of badasses Arya…kicked some major ass last night.  Did I mention it was an excellent episode? Spoiler photo ahead if you can see in the dark….

 

One of the few things I accomplished on Sunday was organizing my beads. All of my beads are now in this contraption…

I purged this much….

I wish I knew someone that would benefit from the ArtBin organizer, it’s like new. I don’t so now it’s in my trunk for a donation with other craft supplies I collected today. My craft supplies haven’t been this organized in years, hopefully it will make it easier to create when the mood strikes. I’m just happy that nothing is on the floor and all is swept and looks clean.

Somebody posted this on Instagram and it made me said “yes, this!”

Powerful was the word that came to my mind….Zia