I have decided that my tummy and I have reached an understanding, whether or not my tummy fully agrees or not. It seems my tummy has a tendency to be very fickle with its preferences, and frankly it is time to lay down the line. Here is a sense of the conversation:
Me: Tummy, I need to talk to you.
Tummy: Hmmm, grumble, grumble.
Me: We have been on this journey for three years now, and you can't seem to make up your mind as to what makes you happy.
Tummy: Sniff, hmmph, grumble
Me: Here is what we are going to do, and I want you to understand that I am telling, not asking.
Tummy: Hmmm. ??
Me: We are going to start doing four smaller meals a day, so that you don't get overwhelmed with my trying to not be hungry between meals.
Tummy: Murmur, murmur.
Me: The first and third meals will have grains. I am going to keep them light and simple, so as to stress you a little as possible. We are also going to have chamomile tea in the morning to help keep things relaxed and comfortable.
Tummy: Hmmm. Murmur.
Me: I am also going to be adding some things back in small amounts that you haven't eaten in a while, but would be helpful nutritionally.
Tummy: Grumble, grumble.
Me: Don't worry. I am not going to make you deal with anything that will leave you kicking and screaming, but you are going to have to learn to manage with some some dishes that we haven't eaten in a while.
Tummy: Murmur. ??
Me: Yes, it is what we have been doing the last few days, and it is going pretty well over all, don't you think?
Tummy: Hmmm. Shrug.
Me: Well, just so you know, this is how it is going to be, so I hope you will be cooperative.
Tummy: Sigh. Shrug.
Me: Nice to know you are so willing (rolling eyes).
I wasn't too excited about trying to work around four meals during the day, but it has actually gone very well. And so far, tummy and I haven't had any major arguments. Here's to keeping the peace.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Monday, January 28, 2013
Stars in the Dark
Lessons learned are only helpful if we remember them. And this is a lesson I know well: For quilting to show on a quilt, it needs to be done on a light or medium colored fabric, or done in a contrasting thread. On this project, however, I totally let that knowledge escape me when I planned the quilting.
The top is an old pattern called Rail Fence, and it was pieced by one of the lovely ladies in my quilt group. I thought she did a great job, and was happy to do the quilting on it.
The block consists of three rectangles that are placed alternately vertically and horizontally in the quilt, forming a zig-zag similar to the old wooden rail fences. Since the fabrics were patriotic themed, I planned to do wavy lines on the two outside "rails" and a line of stars on the inside one--a stars and stripes idea. Once I got started with the quilting, which is the point of no return, I realized that using a navy thread on navy fabric meant the stars weren't going to show at all. In fact, I had a hard time seeing to quilt them, making it a challenge to be sure I was in fact creating stars and not some abstract, pointy shape. It was a relief to get to the borders where I could actually see what I was doing.
Introducing Stars in the Dark:
The top is an old pattern called Rail Fence, and it was pieced by one of the lovely ladies in my quilt group. I thought she did a great job, and was happy to do the quilting on it.
The block consists of three rectangles that are placed alternately vertically and horizontally in the quilt, forming a zig-zag similar to the old wooden rail fences. Since the fabrics were patriotic themed, I planned to do wavy lines on the two outside "rails" and a line of stars on the inside one--a stars and stripes idea. Once I got started with the quilting, which is the point of no return, I realized that using a navy thread on navy fabric meant the stars weren't going to show at all. In fact, I had a hard time seeing to quilt them, making it a challenge to be sure I was in fact creating stars and not some abstract, pointy shape. It was a relief to get to the borders where I could actually see what I was doing.
Introducing Stars in the Dark:
\
Monday, January 21, 2013
Going with the Grain
I was sorry that I didn't have good posts to both end and begin the new year, but this past year does feel like I have started at one place, walked a giant circle, and have ended up in the general vicinity of where I began almost three years ago. At the same time, it feels like a new and better place.
Around November, I started having issues with my limited, but by all other accounts healthy diet. A trip to my doctor, plus one to a gastroenterologist yielded only the suggestion of trying some digestive enzymes. Not a bad suggestion as it was something I wondered about trying, but was a bit wary of. Gave that a go, but as with all other synthetic supplements and vitamins before, my body was not receptive to the idea.
By the time we had arrived in the Northeast to celebrate our younger daughter's wedding in early January, I was so frustrated that I threw caution to the wind and joined in the feasting. No issues! I wondered what this meant and by the time we got home felt a little lost in regards to how and what to eat.
Thankfully, I had also made an appointment with a dietitian before the holidays, and that happened a week after our return. While she didn't offer me anything really new, it was very helpful to have someone to talk to who understood the complexity of dealing with food issues. I was encouraged to move forward in adding foods back into my diet.
Since then, here is what I have discovered. Whole grains and nuts are a no, but processed grains and nuts are okay. Examples: brown rice, no. brown rice crispies, yes. Oats, no. Cherrios, yes. Almonds, no. Almond milk, yes. And, as much as possible, avoiding things "enriched" with vitamins.
I have had French toast (yum!), English muffin loaf, and biscuits successfully. I am enjoying hot tea again. The biscuits were made with a margarine containing palm, canola, soy, flax, and olive oils. So far, so good. This opens worlds of possibilities to me, and it is with some difficulty that I am making myself proceed with caution.
For the most part, I am limiting myself to the grain and nut family for the next few months, to see how I do over time. That will be the real test. I am also working to keep grains to no more than half my starch intake. Right now it is about a third, and I believe that will work well. Fruits are still a problem based on what little I have tried there, and I am in no hurry to push that issue. In fact, I am wondering now if they weren't more of an issue than the grains all along.
What does this look like in the day to day?
Breakfast:
Egg
Greens (Kale or chard--they are as essential to me now as orange juice was before)
Cereal or bread
Lunch and dinner:
As I have been doing up to this point.
I continue to work with a menu plan/rotation, since I am wired that way, but can easily shift things around as needed.
We will see where things go from here. Bon appetit!
Around November, I started having issues with my limited, but by all other accounts healthy diet. A trip to my doctor, plus one to a gastroenterologist yielded only the suggestion of trying some digestive enzymes. Not a bad suggestion as it was something I wondered about trying, but was a bit wary of. Gave that a go, but as with all other synthetic supplements and vitamins before, my body was not receptive to the idea.
By the time we had arrived in the Northeast to celebrate our younger daughter's wedding in early January, I was so frustrated that I threw caution to the wind and joined in the feasting. No issues! I wondered what this meant and by the time we got home felt a little lost in regards to how and what to eat.
Thankfully, I had also made an appointment with a dietitian before the holidays, and that happened a week after our return. While she didn't offer me anything really new, it was very helpful to have someone to talk to who understood the complexity of dealing with food issues. I was encouraged to move forward in adding foods back into my diet.
Since then, here is what I have discovered. Whole grains and nuts are a no, but processed grains and nuts are okay. Examples: brown rice, no. brown rice crispies, yes. Oats, no. Cherrios, yes. Almonds, no. Almond milk, yes. And, as much as possible, avoiding things "enriched" with vitamins.
I have had French toast (yum!), English muffin loaf, and biscuits successfully. I am enjoying hot tea again. The biscuits were made with a margarine containing palm, canola, soy, flax, and olive oils. So far, so good. This opens worlds of possibilities to me, and it is with some difficulty that I am making myself proceed with caution.
For the most part, I am limiting myself to the grain and nut family for the next few months, to see how I do over time. That will be the real test. I am also working to keep grains to no more than half my starch intake. Right now it is about a third, and I believe that will work well. Fruits are still a problem based on what little I have tried there, and I am in no hurry to push that issue. In fact, I am wondering now if they weren't more of an issue than the grains all along.
What does this look like in the day to day?
Breakfast:
Egg
Greens (Kale or chard--they are as essential to me now as orange juice was before)
Cereal or bread
Lunch and dinner:
As I have been doing up to this point.
I continue to work with a menu plan/rotation, since I am wired that way, but can easily shift things around as needed.
We will see where things go from here. Bon appetit!
Monday, December 24, 2012
Merry Christmas
Oh! But then again.....
Merry Christmas!
Monday, December 17, 2012
Technology
It is great when it works, but when it doesn't, it can be a little scary. This past week, I was fixing my lunch as usual--heating up some acorn squash in the microwave and sauteing some asparagus on the stove top. I pressed the button on the microwave to turn on the over-the-stove light. The light came on, as well as the vent fan, and about 3 minutes was added to the cook time for my squash. Okaaaay. I stop the microwave, and consider my next move. My squash needs a little more time to heat, so I push the number 4. It shows up as 5 on the display. Hmmmm. Okay, I can go with 5. I push another number and start. The microwave tells me to enter a second cooking time. All right. It doesn't like 4 anymore. I manage to finish getting my lunch ready and make plans to replace the microwave.
Plan A: Replace the mircrowave.
Get on the internet. Do a quick search at Home Depot, Lowes, and Sears. The brand of the microwave we currently have has good reviews, so we decide to get basically the same thing we have. Check on availability. Alas, we want a white mircrowave, which is not the popular item right now and will have to be ordered. No possibility of getting it until after Christmas.
Plan B: Forget the microwave and just get a vent hood.
Certainly much cheaper. Can I remember how to heat up food without a microwave? Worked through all those scenarios, even looking up how to reheat rice without a mircrowave on the internet. (Everything is on the internet!) Since there won't be a replacement until after Christmas, I will have to do things the old-fashioned way anyhow.
Plan C: Look at a countertop microwave/convection oven.
Dual purpose appliances don't get very good reviews. Toss Plan C.
After going back and forth between Plan A and Plan B, we decide to go ahead with Plan A, since it would be something we would have to do anyway if we were to need to sell the house for some reason. In the meantime, the thing that is driving me the most crazy is not having the light over my stove. To make sure I don't accidentally turn it on, I did the Big X.
The one good thing is that over the stove microwaves are a lot less expensive than they were when we last bought one. And that is a technological plus.
Plan A: Replace the mircrowave.
Get on the internet. Do a quick search at Home Depot, Lowes, and Sears. The brand of the microwave we currently have has good reviews, so we decide to get basically the same thing we have. Check on availability. Alas, we want a white mircrowave, which is not the popular item right now and will have to be ordered. No possibility of getting it until after Christmas.
Plan B: Forget the microwave and just get a vent hood.
Certainly much cheaper. Can I remember how to heat up food without a microwave? Worked through all those scenarios, even looking up how to reheat rice without a mircrowave on the internet. (Everything is on the internet!) Since there won't be a replacement until after Christmas, I will have to do things the old-fashioned way anyhow.
Plan C: Look at a countertop microwave/convection oven.
Dual purpose appliances don't get very good reviews. Toss Plan C.
After going back and forth between Plan A and Plan B, we decide to go ahead with Plan A, since it would be something we would have to do anyway if we were to need to sell the house for some reason. In the meantime, the thing that is driving me the most crazy is not having the light over my stove. To make sure I don't accidentally turn it on, I did the Big X.
Monday, December 10, 2012
Reordering the Order, Part 2
Sorting my fabric scraps freed up some room in my stash storage, it was time to deal with the fabric that was spreading onto the guest bed.
I like to go ahead and group fabrics that work well together, so that projects have a bit of a head start, so to speak. I pulled out my storage baskets, bundled up the fabrics on the guest bed, and rearranged them back into the baskets.
I counted all the bundles and I have groupings for about 30 quilt projects, both personal and for my quilt group. That should keep me going for a while. Apart from adding a fabric here or there to complete a bundle, I will focus on working through my stash.
The quilt budget this coming year will go to keeping up the thread, batting, and backing supplies as visions of quilts dance in my head.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Holiday Musings 2012
This is a holiday of transitions--grandparents growing older, children getting married, grandchildren arriving. As the seasons of life bring change, there is comfort in the traditions that continue and enjoyment of the beginning of new traditions.
Three or four years ago, beginning the weekend after Thanksgiving, I started reading through The Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. I have fond, though faded, memories of watching the Mr. Magoo cartoon version as a child. Last year I read it out loud to my husband at meal times on the weekends, one stave per weekend. We are repeating that tradition this year and find it to be a enjoyable and thoughtful part of the season.
Our little tree is up, though it owes being decorated to my husband. I just didn't have the enthusiasm for it this year. I placed the ornaments on their hooks, and he put them on the tree, and it was a little task made pleasant by his company.
The creche is arranged on our new fireplace mantle, and it was a lovely surprise to see how the colors in the creche matched the colors in the new fireplace.
All that is left of the decorating is adding our bit of lights to the front porch. Sending out the Christmas cards, wrapping packages, and holiday baking should finish up the preparations.
Family will gather together, and I am anticipating a time of lots of laughter, bustle, and love. Afterwards I may curl up in a comfortable place somewhere with maybe a book, some knitting, or a movie and enjoy a bit of solitude.
Three or four years ago, beginning the weekend after Thanksgiving, I started reading through The Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. I have fond, though faded, memories of watching the Mr. Magoo cartoon version as a child. Last year I read it out loud to my husband at meal times on the weekends, one stave per weekend. We are repeating that tradition this year and find it to be a enjoyable and thoughtful part of the season.
Our little tree is up, though it owes being decorated to my husband. I just didn't have the enthusiasm for it this year. I placed the ornaments on their hooks, and he put them on the tree, and it was a little task made pleasant by his company.
The creche is arranged on our new fireplace mantle, and it was a lovely surprise to see how the colors in the creche matched the colors in the new fireplace.
All that is left of the decorating is adding our bit of lights to the front porch. Sending out the Christmas cards, wrapping packages, and holiday baking should finish up the preparations.
Family will gather together, and I am anticipating a time of lots of laughter, bustle, and love. Afterwards I may curl up in a comfortable place somewhere with maybe a book, some knitting, or a movie and enjoy a bit of solitude.
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