What Have We Done?

    We have done it to ourselves. We really have. Our problems are multiplying because we tried to control the situation.

    What on earth could be such a big deal?

    If you read articles about food production for the future. You may be reading about Genetically Modified Organisms, Pesticides and other topics of frivolity.

     Frivolity?

     All right, let me go back just a bit.

     In the 19th Century, to increase farm yields, farmers began to spray their crops with lead arsenate. By the beginning of the 20th Century, this was becoming common practice.

     Lead and arsenic. Yummm. Neither of those sound harmful to people, right?

     So, a lot of soils are contaminated. ARE contaminated? Didn't the lead and arsenic just go away? No...

      Oh, silly me... lead and arsenic were not the only things used to control pests...there has also been a lovely chemical called DDT, which eventually was banned... The DDT all dissipated right? Um... not really. DDT has a nasty tendency to bioaccumulate.

     All right, so let's skip the nasty details. They don't really matter. I mean, after all, we know not to sprinkle our foods with lead, arsenic and DDT at the table. That is what is important.

Now on to GMO foods.

     GMO foods are the most perplexing of all. Genetically Modified is far to vague. There really are some good things coming from Genetically Modified Organisms, but since they are all lumped together, it makes it rather difficult for us consumers to make either heads or tails of it.

     Yes, in nature, plants will cross polinate all on their own and form their own natural hybrids. This is an adaptation process that has been going on for as long as their have been records.

    GMO can be a way to "force" that process along, or to create a hybrid that we are specifically looking for. Perhaps a Tomato that will grow in the arctic circle due to its change in temperature requirements...

     Ahhh.. but then why would I be so against NOT labeling our foods as GMO?

     Some of our GMO seeds were altered in a way to actually produce their own pesticide... Okay, so it is not DDT, it is a genetic code for a bacteria that once ingested by the critter in question, produces a toxin that destroys their gut.

    Nice. Okay, so that one is supposedly safe for humans. Let's just say that all of the pesticide-like crops are...

   Remember the part earlier where I mentioned that in nature, things tend to adapt?

    The critters are beginning to adapt.

    There are already critters who are resistent to the biotoxin effects.

    By creating a new plant, we are creating new bugs.

    Sigh.

    We may have created a "super-insect".

    THAT won't give me bad dreams.

    So read some of the articles for yourselves. Google a few of the keywords in this blog. Digest the information for yourselves.

      Labelling foods is only part of the issue. A simple GMO stamp is not going to satisfy me. I would like to know much more. Was it altered with the gene of a plant that can survive harsher winters? Was it altered with the gene of a bacterium? How exactly was this food altered?

    Have your soil tested if you are gardening. Learn more about companion planting. Learn more about soil erosions and amending.

    If you are simply purchasing your foods, read the articles associated with our food production. Are you benefitting by purchasing organic produce and getting non labeled meats? What were the animals fed?

      There is a pig farm in southern Nevada. It is a successful pig farm. It has even been described as “sustainable”. There are no corn fields in southern Nevada so what do you suppose the pigs are fed?

     Of course, if you answered scraps from local restaurants and buffets, you would be right. Included in those scraps are vegetables, fruits, breads, meats and fish.

      Hmmm… Meats? What did we learn from Bovine Spongeform Encephalopathy? (Mad Cow Disease) Didn’t they discover that it came about from feeding the remains of other cattle to the cows…

     Hold that thought for a moment.

     There is probably no bacon, ham, sausage or other pork coming from the restaurants, right?

      EEK! Yes, they boil it all together, feed it to the pigs and when the pigs are fat enough, they are slaughtered, processed and end up back on the same buffet.

     Ugh.  I am all for eating animals, but clearly this is not how things should be done. Oh... let's see, the pig being fed the GMO grains AND it's own grandmother? Can I have seconds please?

    

     When we know better, we are supposed to do.... BETTER.

   So, scientists are predicting an extreme shortage of foods in the very near future. Population explosions combined with less lands and less healthy food choices available are creating a fairly bleak future.

    So, please don't ask me if I am a "prepper".  I do not have buckets of beans and rice. (By the way, rice comes up a lot in articles about arsenic contamination...)

     I do not have a "plan".  I would like to shake everyone and say, "Please pay attention to what is happening! Please use your voices and wallets to speak up!"

     Or... ignore it and trust others to make the decisions. Mind you, at this time, most of those decisions are being made based on money, not necessarily what will be healthy... So this or that may have been shown to cause cancer and alter fetal development...I'm sure that everyone would simply prefer to save some $$ on their groceries.

     Now I am just being snarky again...

     We have done this to ourselves. Now what do we do?

 If we know better, we must do better.  

I highlighted the words or phrases for you to do your own research.

Turkey Time

     Oh, I know some of you dread turkey and being "thankful"... I know some of you feel overworked and under appreciated. I know that some of you even (gasp) dread Thanksgiving.

     Roll your eyes if you must. Thanksgiving makes me positively gleeful! 

     My children love roasted turkey! They cannot get enough of it, so while they hear others grumbling with "no, not turkey again...", my children will actually high-five each other. 

     Turkey is cheaper than beef, so I get a double bonus. I will practice my recipe a week early just to be sure I have it right before making my turkey for Thanksgiving day. 

     I really do not enjoy the "what I am grateful for..." speech as much as I just like to see everyone together. Togetherness means a lot to me. 

     I just look around the room and watch as people talk about work, sports and new babies. I watch as children who do not see each other often, find ways to get along for the day. I watch as someone brings a new "significant other" to meet the family...

     It's like watching time. 

     Yes, it is just one day, but it is one day every year. It is a place to mark time. Oh, yes I am getting older. Yes, that little girl is now a mother. It is an acknowledgement.

     This acknowledgement in itself is a blessing. Just to see each other, catch up, share a meal and watch the children play is a blessing.

      I also get a bonus blessing this year... For years, I also made home made bread rolls the morning of Thanksgiving because I had worked the night before, so I was already awake... This year... I am NOT making the bread!  Hooraayy!!!  Someone else is going to get up at 5 a.m. and start batches of bread so that there will be enough time for it to rise properly!

      Also, because I worked the overnight shift for so long, I had my own special annual tradition for both Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I would get everything ready, and just as others were eating, I would doze off. Sometimes I fell asleep on a sofa, in a chair or at the table. One time I was close to inhaling my mashed potatoes..
     So, for all of the years I fell asleep on the sofa, or in my Christmas dinner plate. This year, for the very first time in many years, I will be sleeping in.

      Maybe...

     

       

3 Pairs of Clean Underwear

    Someone asked me today if I had considered counselling.

    As a matter of fact, I am not at all opposed to counselling. I have gone to a counsellor before.

     When my daughter had meningitis, I did not sleep the entire time she was in the hospital. I watched every single breath she took. I was afraid that if I fell asleep, something would change, she would wake up, or she would die, and I would miss it. The doctors did not know if she would make it. I only asked "when" she would wake up.

    On the sixth day, she had woken up and we were able to take her home. On the sixth night, I still did not sleep.

    I had lost my trust...the trust that I could go to sleep and wake up and my children would still be okay. I had broken something very vital in my mind. It had been replaced by fear....

    I still did not sleep. I knew it was insane.

    On the ninth day, I went to my doctor. I told him I had not slept since July 24th. He immediately gave me prescriptions to sleep and scheduled an appointment with a counsellor for me.

    I was of course fidgety and nervous in the waiting room. I had finally slept, so I wished I had been wearing a T-shirt that said, "No, I am not crazy, I just had a bad week."

     I laughed to myself in the waiting room thinking about this. I laughed because if I were in the waiting room of a psychiatrist and I saw someone wearing that T-shirt, I would probably sit farther away from them...

      When I met the psychiatrist and he asked me why I was there, I told him a brief synopsis about my children and the medical dramas and my fears. I even told him that I was certain that given our situation, that my fears were perfectly rational and that I wasn't sure what he could possibly do about them.

     Arrogant, huh?

     He paused and then asked me if my house was in order.

     I told him that yes, I was a bit behind on some things, but having a toddler in the hospital frequently and a six month old had been a bit challenging. I was just a bit snipey about this, but then I scolded myself aloud.

     "I really should pull myself together. If I tried a little harder all of the laundry would be done and everything would be right again."

     And he stopped me there... "Do you have three pairs of clean underwear?"

     What a stupid question. Of course I have three pairs of clean underwear. Its the folded towels sitting on the sofa that need to be put away. It's the baby blankets that should have been put in the box at the top of the closet since it is August...

     Instead I answered stupidly, "Yes."

     "Then everything is going to be okay." He said matter-of-factly. As if he really had not heard a word I had said.

      My eyes may have actually rolled back into my head. I had obviously found the guy who barely made it through school.

     Then he said, "If you have three pairs of clean underwear, the rest can wait. Everything else is extra. You can survive with things being a little bit behind schedule."

     I looked around the office for dead mice, dirt and general mayhem.  Everything seems orderly, but surely this is the advice of a filthy madman.

     I stared back at him blankly.

     "You see, you are spending just as much time worrying about all of the other things that you cannot possibly control. You have to learn to prioritize. Clearly, you have scheduling and self control mastered. Now you need to learn to let go of the extras and get back to basics."

      Some of this made sense, but I was still afraid of the madness. I had been without sleep for days....

      "How about you make a promise to go home from here, take care of the children's needs and get rest. Leave the towels where they are, leave the dishes in the dishwasher, leave everything alone and see what happens when you wake up."

      Now I am clearly beginning to hallucinate. Will little mice come in the middle of the night and put everything away? Will the house explode? What is the punchline? Why on earth would I do that? Clearly I just need to try harder.

       I was too exhausted to fight anymore. I had these three prescriptions. I did as he asked.

       I went home, I fed everyone. I gave everyone a bath. I put everyone in pajamas and once the children were in bed, I took the three little pills and went to bed. There were dishes in the dishwasher, there were books on the table from bedtime stories. The towels were still in a pile on the sofa.

      When I woke up the next morning, I did not find that everything had done itself. I did not find that my house had vanished. Instead, everything was exactly as I had left it.

      Later that day, I calculated how many breaths per day my children had taken. My toddler took an average of 50,000 breaths every day. She had been doing this for a while. Somehow, this thought gave me peace...She took those breaths whether I was watching her or not.

      This helped.

       The towels were not any less useful on the sofa. They were still towels... I took them to the bathroom on my way in the morning.

       I took dishes from the dishwasher to make breakfast. The world did not end because I had not taken them from the cabinet.

       Basically, somehow that suggestion gave me a big, enormous dose of "GET OVER IT".

       I went back to see that psychiatrist one week later. I was sleeping without medication and even though I was no longer planning everything, scheduling everything and most importantly, I no longer felt like I had to watch every single thing. I thanked him.
      He only said this:
      "It was good to work with you. Come back if you ever need any help again. I think you are done with me for now."
       Ahhh.. another fear gone. I was not going to become dependent on a psychiatrist. I had exactly what I needed. Tools to get through that difficult time. I was not going to be part of a long term program. I was part of a catch and release program.
       Mind you. If I need something long term. That is okay. I just have a fear about it. I am afraid that I will run out of tools to cope, to get through things...
       I have been getting the "Three pairs of underwear" message a lot lately. I think I get it.
       I cannot do everything. I cannot cover all of the bases. I need to let go and allow the towels to stack on the sofa for a day or two and just live.
      I get it.
      Everyone here has three pairs of clean underwear, so tomorrow, everything else will just have to be okay without me overseeing it all.
      Good night and God Bless.

Patient Customer Service

     I get these ideas... I generally find out about half way through the project that I clearly needed either to do more research, or to call in a professional. 

     Although I have found myself in these situations countless times, it doesn't stop me from following through with more ideas...

     Yesterday, I had that all too familiar phrase run through my mind, "How hard can that be?"

     This is usually the beginning of a project. I will jot down a few notes and off to the hardware store or craft store I go.

     Yesterday, when I was taking notes, I drew a little picture.

    It's just a box, with wheels. Right. Of course it is not really that simple. 

     I decided I would like the box to be approximately 18" tall. Hmmm. I have no idea how tall those wheelie things are.. Okay, so literal translation, the box will be 18" tall plus the wheelies.

    Wait.  If I have the boards cut at 18" square, and use boards that are 3/4" wide... then I am going to have a box that is 19 1/2" tall plus the wheelie things.

      Sigh.  So I decided to have four boards cut at 16" squares. Now, do I join them two by two?  Or in a ring around the rosie pattern?

      Which one will be stronger? The deciding factor here became the size of the top and bottom. I could make them perfectly square if I chose the ring around the rosie method, I would have to have rectangles cut if I chose the two by two method.

    Um.  How will I make this a box that can be a storage area as well as a seat? Sheesh! Do I want hinges? Do I want to make a recessed lid?

      Arrrrggggh!

      They do NOT look this complicated at the store. I just thought I would screw a box together, add batting and fabric and wheels and make a box.

     Okay, now I have figured out what to do, I have written down the demensions of each board I will need.

     Now all I have to do is go to the hardware store and not say my terms for what I am doing. Mentally shaking my finger at myself, "NO ring around the rosie or wheelies" descriptions allowed.

       Yes, I make the people at Lowe's chuckle.  I know they secretly look forward to my visits. They are kind to me and never make fun of me to my face. I go in there with something in a plastic bag. They ask if they can help me and I pounce. 

      "Yes, I need something that looks exactly like this, only is NOT broken."

       Oh, make fun of me. I don't mind. I do not have to know all of the correct part names or terms to get things done. Those details just slow me down.

     Maybe that would be a good thing. I almost went to the store yesterday and bought 6 boards all 18" square. 

       Sigh.

      I cannot wait for them to ask me THE question that requires me to take my notebook out of my purse... They will LOVE my drawings and lists...

      I am grateful for such kind employees. I will not stop getting "ideas", nor will I stop pursuing them at the store, but I go to this store because they are kind and helpful no matter what shenanigans I am up to.

     Never underestimate what your kindness is encouraging today.

 

       

       

                

  
 

Ben's Favorite Recipes #3

   This poor man has been living without his smoked meats, processed foods, bar-b-que and bacon for quite a while now!

   

    Awwwwwww.... Now let's all get over it!

    Good foods can be so good! He will be the first to tell you that he is not going without. He feels satisfied and full. He loves the flavors.

    It seems that what we learn in childhood really stay with us for a very very long time.

    Now that the weather is cold, and we are eating more soups than salads... I thought it would be time to add a few soup recipes...

Vegetable Soup Base

     I use this for lots of soups!  Basically, I turn on the slow cooker in the morning and away we go..

     2 cup chopped celery

     2 cup chopped carrots

     2 cup chopped onion

     2 cup chopped bell pepper

     2-3 garlic cloves, chopped or minced

     1 cup chopped parsley

     1 Tbsp freshly ground pepper

     4 cups water

    Add all ingredients to a slow cooker set to the "low" setting. Leave it alone all day. If you would like to reduce the water content, concentrating the flavors, cook for the last hour with the lid partially off of the cooker.

    Now, I know that some will use this as a stock, and pour all of the veggies out, and I do this too, but sometimes I just whizz it in the blender when everything has cooked down so that it is a thicker soupier soup.

When I am ready to put this to good use, I use these recipes.

Potato Soup

    3 lbs potatoes, cubed

    1/2 cup of chopped onion

    1 cup vegetable soup base

    2 cups milk

    1/2 cup chopped ham

    5 Tbsp butter

    5 Tbsp all purpose flour

This part is easy...Place the potatoes, onion and ham in a pot, cover with boiling water and boil until the potatoes are soft. Drain.

    In a seperate saucepan, melt the butter and add the flour gradually, stirring constantly until it is thick. This will take about a minute.  Stir in the milk and vegetable soup base slowly, whisking constantly so no lumps form. Continue to stir as the milk mixture cooks in and thickens. This will take about 5 minutes.

     Whew!  That was the hard part.  Add this new mixture to your pot of potatoes, ham and onions. Heat it up and serve it!

     Yummmy.

     Notice that this one is not particularly "healthy", but there is no added sodium. The ham and dairy add plenty of sodium. This is a comfort food item that I serve with a fresh salad.

    I am adding chopped kale to the next batch. Yummmmmmm...

Vegetable Beef and Wild Rice Soup

     This one is my youngest daughters favorite!

    

     1 lb roast meat, cubed (we make them small)

     1/2 cup chopped onion

     1/2 cup chopped bell pepper

     1 clove garlic, chopped

     1 cup carrots, chopped

     1 cup celery, chopped

     2 lbs chopped potatoes

     1/3 cup chopped parsley

     1 tsp thyme

      1 cup Vegetable Soup Base

      1 cup wild rice

   Turn your slow cooker on to the "high" setting.

    Spray a saute pan with oil and saute the meat quickly. Just lightly browned on the outside.

    Add the meat to the slow cooker. Get yourself a drink or something. Come back in ten minutes and add the onion, pepper, garlic, carrots, celery, potatoes, parsley and thyme.

     Cover with hot water. You do not need a lot of water.

     Turn the slow cooker down to low. Leave it alone for 4 hours.

     Add your vegetable soup base and rice.

     Leave it alone for another hour.

Serve and enjoy. This is a super yummy vegetable beef soup. You do not have to add the rice, but my daughter love love loves the wild rice added to hers. If I have them, I add chopped crimini mushrooms also. This adds a meatier flavor.

Chicken Vegetable Soup

       This one is easy also. I buy the powdered chicken stock with no sodium.

       

       1 lb chicken, cubed

       1/2 cup onion, chopped

       1 clove garlic, chopped or minced

       1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped

       1/2 tsp thyme

       1 cup carrots, chopped

       3/4 cup celery

       1/4 cup parsley, chopped

       1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

       1 tsp powdered chicken flavoring

       1 cup frozen peas

       1 cup Vegetable soup base

       2 cups boiling water

       Noodles or rice

   Turn on your slow cooker to the "low" setting.

    Spray oil in a saute pan and brown the chicken quickly.

    Add chicken, onion, garlic, pepper, thyme, carrots, celery and parsley to the pot. Add boiling water and leave it alone for four hours.

     After four hours, add the vegetable soup base, the chicken powder, and the peas and turn the slow cooker to "high".  Add the noodles or rice and cook until done. (About 30 minutes)

     Taaa daaaa

     Most of the flavor comes from the onion, bell pepper, garlic, celery and black pepper. I do not add salt to my recipes. If they need a bit more of something, I add a little more of one of the above ingredients. 

    Most of my recipes are simple. Most of them are super easy because I am busy. A lot of my recipes involve the slow cooker because it saves me from "babysitting" my kitchen. 

    I do not add salt to most of our recipes at all. Occasionally, I will place a sea salt shaker on the table, but usually, salt is not missed. Somehow the flavors created by cooking things together slowly seem to help even him stay away from salt.

     Any recipes with milk, cheese or meat will contain more cholesterol and sodium than you may realize. If you are on a strict diet, you will want to do your own calculations to monitor your health. We do not eat meat every day and when we do, it tends to be in smaller quantities. Since he is on such a strict recommendation for both sodium and cholesterol, we have greatly reduced meats and dairy products to help him stay within his guidelines.

    There have been some "free" meals. I can put all vegetables on a pizza, but with the crust and the cheese, it is still fairly high in sodium. I haven't really found a way to create a pizza that he likes without those numbers being rather high.

      My children love pizza made with eggplant instead of crust, so that will help them, but he is not a fan. 

      Sigh.

      One recipe at a time, we are finding ways for him to feel satisfied. That is a big key for him. If he does not feel satisfied, the bacon cravings return.

       His doctor has recommended no cured or processed meats. She says the nitrates and nitrites are very bad for the heart.

     I hope you are able to find something in his recipes to enjoy.

* Just so you know... if you like a little less flavor, you can make any of these with less onion, garlic and pepper... :)

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Christmas Plans

   Yes, I am THAT mom.

    I am sitting here, trying to figure out what to do about Christmas.

    In the past, we have tried to keep Christmas less "commercial"... I know, I am not doing my duty to support the massive lines, the fights over the "in" toy or really even trying to support artificial consumerism....

    Sigh...

    My children do not own every video game, music player or their own bounce house. We are not that family.

    One year, I was pretty sure that commercials and new friends were invading my bubble. My five year old asked for an iphone. She assured me that she would get one because that is what Christmas is all about...

     Hmmmmmmmm......

     So, we (gasp) made gifts for each other and packed 42 boxes of socks, oreos and other goodies for troops overseas fighting this war. We also mailed over 600 Christmas cards with handwritten notes and drawings.

     Now, credit where credit is due, when my friends found out what we were doing, they contributed money for postage and baby wipes, travel sized shampoos, other toiletries and other snacks...

     Yes, I am THAT momma.

     I get a bit snarky about Christmas. Christmas is sacred to me. 

     When I was a child, I was fortunate enough. I always had plenty of everything. Things were always very busy and very loud.

      Christmas was the one day every year that I could count on. Both of my parents were with me. Everyone was fairly quiet. It was peaceful.

      Let me explain a little. 

      Both of my parents travelled a LOT. My mother was in either Italy or Germany the first time I experienced a blizzard. The first time I experienced a blizzard, our school bus crashed and I didn't get to class until 10:30. My father was in Greece during my softball awards ceremony.

     Things happen. They had jobs. They had to travel. Every year we were together at Christmas. 

     So there it is.

     I have a special place in my heart for families who cannot be together at Christmas. I hope that they have some other "permanent" thing to hold on to.

      Those permanent things matter.

      We make time for Christmas. We put thought into it. We try to make someone else's Christmas a little better.

     So what will I do this year?

     To be honest, due to all of the uncertainty, I am considering putting up the tree this week. We don't know what will happen this week, much less what will happen between now and Christmas.

     There is already too much pressure on the date of Christmas this year. Both doctors have said that the biggest goal right now is to get him to Christmas without having another heart attack.

     Ugh....

     So how on earth do I keep Christmas a big deal and reduce some of the pressure?

     I am thinking that this year, maybe we should keep things simple and small. Maybe I will give each person a small box and a small notepad. My idea is that they write something they like, or some memory they have about the other people in this family every day. Then at Christmas, we can sit together and read them like Mad Libs.

      I am also thinking that if things don't go as well as we hope, that we will have all written down some of the best things about each other. I am thinking we will need this, no matter what.

      It is known that stress tears people apart. Pain divides people. I intend to beat that. I do not intend to allow this situation to divide and conquer us. I love us too much for that.

     I am trying to help my family stay focused on joy, grace, light, love and all of the other good and positive things.

      I hope that no matter what your plans are for Christmas, that you each have enough. Enough food, enough love, enough family, enough friends...because no matter how much thought I put into Christmas each year... we have always had enough and more.

      

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Service

     Today has been a race already.

     Church, followed by an impromptu issue with my grandparents. I got that squared away and returned to join my children at the Fall Festival.

     There is always a "jail" at the festival. My children always take great delight in having me "arrested"...

     Imagine my surprise when I was presented with a very imaginative "warrant" for my arrest.

     Sigh.

     So I hung out in "jail"... shortly after my arrival came the Pastor, an Elder, the heads of the youth group....etc.... I suggested we stay there and let the kids do all of the cleanup.

     I actually did have time to visit with a few very lovely people. Then it was time to do costumes and make up for two very giggly girls.

    I was giggling too, because they really needed to relax their faces so I could do their make up. Of course that is impossible when you realize that you have blue hair...

     One of the girls looked soooooo serious that I started giggling and really was not help at all for a few minutes.

     A van filled with teens then headed to a homeless shelter to help children create their own costumes and then give them hot dogs and candy.

     These are the kind of teenage kids I like to be around.

     Some of them may have began the day grumbling about "having" to do this event, but I can tell you they were all having a lot of fun getting ready.

      I shouldn't do it, but I do. I am at that age where I grumble about teenagers... I shake my head at the news... I make those comments about "young people"...

     Sigh.

     In honesty, when I am around these kids, I do not grumble. They are a joy.

      Perhaps all children and teens need so many people acting as "family" around them. Perhaps that is the difference. Maybe it is the simple act of giving joy...having a purpose...being needed by someone.

     These kids have a lot of fun events, but they are required to do certain service events. I would guess they would tell you that they enjoy the service events just as much as the other events.

     I only have a few more minutes to relax before the next scheduled item for the day, but it is so nice to take a moment, or five minutes to just be grateful for the joys.

      Ahhhhhh.....

    

Slowing Down....

    I didn't get the roast started this morning. I didn't finish the laundry.

    There are a lot of things that I did not finish. There are a lot of things that won't get done tomorrow.

     I did manage to take my youngest child Trick or Treating downtown. This is the first year we have done that. We have had a tradition of going to the old office to participate in games and costume contests, etc, but this year, I honestly didn't even think to ask what day that was planned for...

    Tomorrow, we are going to carry on.

    We will be attending the Fall Festival. The same Fall Festival that we have attended every year since the children were babies. We will go, we will let the children play games and eat a hot dog and help with booths.

    After the Festival, we will take my oldest daughter to help pass out candy and goodies to homeless children. They will also be helping these children to make their own Halloween Costumes. That is the kind of activity that my daughter and her friends come up with.

    I am thankful.

    I believe I will check my cupboards for any new toothbrushes in packages as I am now concerned about the teeth of these children.

    Sigh...

    My poor brain is programmed to worry.

    Maybe I also have packages of travel sized toothpaste...

    During Halloween, we also need to remember to be patient. Children get excited and run across the street without looking. Some children have special needs and aren't able to simply take the candy and move on. Some children get "stuck".  Some children are not able to say "thank you" because they are also not able to say "Mom"...

     Please slow down and remember that you may be the very best example of kindness a child will see this weekend. You get to decide how you want to be viewed. Make it special for at least one child.

    Have a great weekend!

         

        
   

So Here We Are

    This is it. We have exhausted our savings and the bills are still coming in. We are starting to get bills from the hospital and doctors from this last ICU visit and we are out of savings.

     Since April, we have exhausted all of our savings trying to do this without asking for help. He was off of work for almost four months this year before this second heart attack happened.

     At this point, we are trying to manage on my income alone. My income is from a part time job. I would like to get a second job, but I am caring for him, our children and my grandparents, so I have not yet figured out exactly how I could do that.

    So here we are... we are asking for help to get through this. He is unable to work at this time. We don't know what the future holds. We are praying for several miracles right now. We are praying that he survives each day, we are praying that we are able to keep our insurance. We are praying that our children have food, warmth and shelter. We are praying that we are able to continue to purchase his medication and that the medicines help him.

    So here we are...

     A friend helped us to set up a fundraiser for contributions if anyone would like to help us get through the rest of this year. We know he will not be working until at least the New Year. He must give his body a better chance to heal at this time.

     His company has made it clear that he is not their concern. I would like to hear a different message from them, given that he averaged over 70 hours per week, but that cannot be helped at this time.

    Here is a link to the fundraiser if you are interested. Please take a look.

     http://www.youcaring.com/fundraiser_details?fundraiser_id=12486&url=benneedsyourhelp

Comments Welcome

     I am not a professional writer. I simply like taking notes during my life. 
     I have never claimed to be all-knowing or even insightful. I am truly just jotting down a few things as I go about my daily life.
     I hope you have enjoyed reading, or found a few things of interest. If so, I hope you will take a few moments to comment on any of the posts you like. I have taken a leap of faith and enabled comments from all. Previously, only registered users were able to comment, but as I have noticed that I have readers all over the world, my curiosity has gotten the best of me. 
      I write this for myself, and occasionally for friends or family who have asked me a question. Now I am curious why others are reading and/or following my blog.
      I realize that this blog has become more of a journal than I originally intended. That is life. I originally intended to post a few things to do in five minutes that have made our days special. So many things happen in our lives that this has just evolved, and I am guessing, will continue to evolve.

    

       

Just in case you are feeling generous.....

...or want to support this blog...



Swallowed the Fly

    It began with an idea that I would grow a few extra fresh vegetables. Usually I grow a few tomatoes and a few peppers, this year was a little like the nursery rhyme about the old lady and the fly.....
     I read a few more books and articles. I discovered ways to reduce or even eliminate pests by my choices of plants and where I placed them.
    For instance, this year I planted carrots and peppers near my tomato plants. I also tossed in a few marigold seeds. I placed my pepper plants closer to each other as they apparently like to "shake hands". 
    I wanted to add squash, zuchini, brocolli and peanuts this year. While reading about squash, I found out about radish plants. Apparently radish plants deter squash bugs. I don't really like radishes, but I planted them anyways. We planted a round yellow cucumber for fun. Then, while reading about brocolli, I discovered that cauliflower like the same conditions, so I added a few cauliflower plants. I planted the peanuts to show my children how they grow.
    Then, I decided I would like to try to grow melons, kale, swiss and swiss chard....
     So here we are, now toward the end of the growing season since I do not have a greenhouse, and I am still picking things from my garden. We had another drought this year, but I was able to add a lot of fresh vegetables from my garden to our meals.
    I have been inspired to do more.
    As I picked more and more tomatoes, I needed to find a way to preserve them or I would lose many to waste. I had already been giving some away, but the tomato plants kept producing. I learned to "can" my tomatoes.
    I needed to find someone to give the radishes to and I did. Someone was happy to have fresh garden radishes and they had done their job and repelled the bugs.
    I had fresh cantaloupe when there were several recalls of fruit due to bacteria.
     At this moment, it is very cold outside and I am still picking broccoli. The cauliflower, kale and swiss chard is almost ready to be picked.
     It is lovely. We have tried more recipes this year also. We found that the cucumbers we planted for fun are now our favorites! They are round and yellow, flavorful and just the right size for a salad. No waste! Three plants provided us with fresh cucumbers for salads every day all summer.
     Oh, I have gained a new addiction to be sure. I already have a notebook with plans and sketches for next year. I have plans to get the old table saw out and build a few of my own trellises.
     If I had known that adding a bit more to my garden would have meant I would be building more, canning, cooking more and so much more work, I don't know that I would have initially added more to my garden. I intimidate easily when the old lady swallows the fly.
    I will say that I love it. I love that there was added pressure on all of us to eat the fresh vegetables. It reduced the processed foods and meats from our diets even more. It was simply a natural side effect.
    I love that my children were not too excited about cucumber sandwiches at a party, but when we made them at home, they were thrilled. I love that we have added kale and broccoli to our basic potato soup, which means more vitamins in that particularly unworthy soup.
     We have made a lot of changes and discoveries to be sure. We now value fallen leaves in our yard. They are free compost material. We look at a lot of things differently. We look at produce at the grocery store differently as a family.
     We spent so much time working on ways to make our garden successful without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides that we look at a lot of things differently.
     Mind you. I have a tiny garden area. We could not have survived without local grocery stores. We also do not have a cow, so milk and cheese must come from the store. (We don't seem to be able to reduce those in our diet at this time... We love dairy too much.)
     I have read articles about a family of four being self sufficient on 1/4 acre. I won't say it is impossible, but in my area, I am going to say that it is unimaginable. How would I find space to grow grains and other things? I don't know. We grew a tiny patch of corn and I felt that it was totally unworthy. One to two ears per cornstalk when each cornstalk needed a square foot of garden space? It wasn't math I enjoyed. 
     I do not foresee any livestock possibilities. I considered rabbits for their compose additions, but it gets really, really cold and really really hot here and I do not want them in my house, so ... no bunnys for us. Forget a cow, chickens, goats or pigs. They need too much space and extra foods.
     That seems to be a problem for all of us. Agriculture specialists around the world are trying to find ways to produce more foods in smaller spaces. They are working on more and more artificial means to accomplish this. Perhaps we will get lucky and wont accidentally destroy the human population with these changes. I don't know.
      I am not someone who is prepping for the apocalypse, but I am trying to make a few changes to help my family. I can make no claims about being a Master Gardener, or an expert on foods and nutrition. I cannot claim to know what is best for anyone. 
     I can tell you that this summer, this gardening season, I was able to burn off some stress in a healthy manner. I was pulling a few weeds when I was angry. I was watering to contemplate how I would get through the next week. I was harvesting to feel a sense of accomplishment when everything else seemed so out of control.
     It is work. Every day I watered by hand. It was too hot and too dry this year. Every weekend, I walked around and gathered the few weeds that had accumulated. Several times each week, I picked vegetables.
    I will do this again. It was totally worthy. The old lady swallowed the fly, and I planted just a bit more. I am a better person for it.