As It Happens...

It is not how busy you are, but why you are busy — the bee is praised, the mosquito is swatted. ~Author Unknown

I started this post two weeks ago and had to tweak the time references twice and I decided to break it up in subtitles to make it easier for...well, I wish I could say for my readers, but in honesty it was for me, because life is just speeding up and we are close to having it change course to a different pace again soon.

The Florida Estate
Two weekends ago was the estate sale for the Queen Mother's things and it was rather pitiful. My husband was there the weekend before it and went back the weekend after it. I was hoping we would get about twice of what we did, but summer estate sales do not do as well in Florida as when the snow birds are there. Plus most of the things were collectibles that do not sell well at all. We did sell the car for fair market value, which is very important as less would have caused us legal issues with Medicaid.

We also have a really motivated buyer for the house, which we are doing without a real estate agent. The woman buying it just finalize her divorce and from that day only has 30 days to move out. There are criminal charges against her husband for abuse, actually he choked her so there was intention to murder her, and was court ordered to buy out her half of the equity in their house. She is doing all the foot work for buying our house. My husband had to go to Florida this the last weekend in July to pick up all the things we were keeping for the Queen Mother in her closet as well as correct the title on the car because he signed it in the wrong spot and then drive back on Sunday so he could drive me to my periodontal surgery that Monday. The buyer, my husband calls her a force of nature, actually had the purchase agreement made out by an attorney and somehow had the house and termite inspectors there on that Saturday, which is unusual for them to work weekends.

The Force of Nature has a very good friend that lives across the street who can look after her ten-year-old son and her work is so close she can practically walk to it, when she had been driving for 45 minutes to an hour in traffic. We had several people seriously interested in the house even though we did not have a sign out, just word of mouth by people in the neighborhood, but she was the most motivated and she had experience with buying houses without a realtor, so she was willing to do the foot work understanding that it was difficult for us because we live out of state. Termite damage was found and so they will treat and repair it at our cost, but after talking with the Queen Mother, we now know that they had termites there years before and it was treated, but probably not repaired as there was no active termites found this time. Closing is at the end of August, but the Force of Nature may need to move in before that and we are working it out with her.

The Periodontal Surgery
The last week of July the upcoming periodontal surgery was looming in my thoughts, especially after getting the call one week in advance. During that call I was told the amount I would owe. Now I had been given two quotes previous to scheduling the surgery. One was surprisingly affordable and the other was more expensive by four times, and it was discussed as recommended but it was not said that it was absolutely needed...at least that is where I understood it be over a month back. However, having conferred with my orthodontist, they both agreed that it would be better if I had more gum material in the front of my lower teeth, especially since I would be going into braces.

I was not particularly happy about the price or the extra work and such things usually cause me to have anxiety, but as I felt that trying to settle into my nerves, I just said, "Jesus." My Lord reminded me that He is blessing me and that He has all this. I consciously decided that I was not going to worry about it and I would just deal with things as they come. I did not take any Valerian all week and I was not even nervous when I walked into the room for my surgery on Monday morning. I was actually looking forward to be lightly sedated and I was awake for much of it. In fact, the doctor was done nearly an hour earlier than expected. He said that everything was straightforward and clean. God has been blessing me as He promised.

I used my polarizers on both of my cheeks immediately afterward and went to sleep with them for most of the day and all the night. Believe it or not, I honestly had no pain and no swelling. Although I have used these polarizers for many things over the years, I am still surprised that they worked so well. I will say that the periodontist used a form fitting hard "bandage" over the two of surgery sites, but not on the one where the back tooth was removed, however I had no pain at all after the anesthetics wore off EXCEPT in one place where I did not have surgery! I mean, the doctor packed in bone grafting material where he removed the tooth not all that gently even though I was completely numb and I still had no pain at all at that site. The ONLY pain I have had is below the surgery site across the front, more like the top of the chin, and I think that is caused by the "bandage" digging into that sensitive area where the back side of below the lip meets the gum. It began hurting before I left the office and icing only made it feel worse. It still feels bruised a week later. I have my post-op appointment on Wednesday so I am thinking that I might have to deal with some tenderness at the surgery sites when that stuff is taken off, but I think my chin area will then heal.

Of course, I can only eat soft foods, which is getting old. I miss my salads! Not much in fresh foods are soft enough to not mess with the "bandages," and I have been having yogurt and/or cottage cheese at least twice a day to four times to take with the antibiotic and replenish the gut probiotics it kills off. I did a very happy dance as I took the last pill of that this morning!

The Competition
While I am still recuperating (mostly from the meds) this Sunday, my husband and my daughter were dropped off at the airport to start their trip to California for competing in the National Fine Arts Festival in Anaheim, California. They registered today and she is scheduled to play on Thursday at 2:20 p.m. Mountain Time, which is 5:20 my time.

My husband told me that they are expecting 20,000 in total attendance! Wow! I do not know how many of them are registered to compete and I do not know how many pianists are competing in classical piano, but I am hoping that the Princess shines her brightest and places well.

The Rain
I am so thankful for the rain we had here last night. My plants were just so very drought stressed and I am the only one that waters them...and I have not really felt like pulling the hoses all around the house this week. Granted, I am not in much pain, but the meds have taken their toll with my energy, plus I was advised not to do much physically so that it would hinder the healing process.

My Lord, whew! So much has been going on! But right now I want to concentrate on the next thing and that is that my daughter does well at this competition. Let her know in her heart that You are there with her.

That Something Broken Between God and Me

God has yet to bless anyone except where they actually are.
~Dallas Willard

Everyone has felt let down by God some time in his or her life, but the trial is not the condition that caused the feeling: the trial is what we choose to do with it. The majority of people either become embittered against God for the rest of their lives or consider it God's punishment against them. Fewer see it as we probably should: we are living in a fallen, imperfect, sin-filled world along with evil, so there are disease, destruction, decay, deterioration, degeneration, and death.

I have been struggling with an expectation I had on my Lord for several years and it was not an unreasonable expectation of the Almighty! However, it was left unfulfilled and I allowed it to cause a brokeness between us, one of my own making admittedly. Every time I have prayed for the last few years, I have this festering thought in the back of my mind. Every time I have prayed for others to be healed, I was harassed by thoughts of "why not me" or "like I should pray for someone to be healed when I am unworthy to be healed myself" and other such thoughts. Some would blame Satan for those whisperings in my mind, but these were my own doubts springing forth from their hiding places that I did not want to admit I had, not even to myself.

I have such wonderful stories of healings in my family. My aunt was developing so many floaters in her eyesight that it was predicted she would be blind by the time she was 30 and God healed her. God not only broke my uncle's addiction to smoking a pipe, but also the lingering smell on himself and their home! Things like that were just kind of accepted but without expectation in their home. However, not everything in their lives was wonderful and they never expected everything to be. My aunt eventually needed glasses and my uncle developed a small spot of cancer on his tongue decades later. That is the way of it; healing does not mean healed forever. Even in with healing victories, we still live in a sin-damaged world.

God did a very big miracle for me when I was just about the age my daughter is right now. I was camping with my aunt, uncle and cousins, as they always tried to take a camping trip for a week before school started. I had a dream that was so real that I wished so much that it was real: my teeth were straight. I woke up moving my tongue along my teeth and they felt straight...but only for that moment. Then the reality that they were not plunged my hopes into the ground and I just wept and prayed this: "God please straighten my teeth." I heard without any hesitation, "I will." Now I had experienced encounters with God before that night, but not one that struck me as a promise that He made specifically to me for something I wanted.

Even though I was just 16 years old and not long on patience, I never doubted it for even a moment that He would do it, but I reminded him of His promise for nearly a year before I found out how He was going to do it. Unknown to me, my aunt had approached our dentist, who had known me from the first time I had a baby tooth that would not come out on its own, probably because my teeth were so crooked and crowded. He knew my mouth was a mess, but I came from a very poor family, and my aunt and uncle had not much to spare after taking me in with their own four children. So, my dentist asked his orthodontic friends to look at my case, knowing we could not afford braces.

One look and I was told I had the worse case they had ever seen and they were not even sure that they could help me. They said that I had nearly everything wrong with my mouth but the opposite of it, as in you cannot have an over bite and an under bite at the same time. They took my case pro bono and my dentist did all my dental work for free as well during the time I had braces, which was a long time...I think it was nearly five years in braces and then a year in a retainer and then another year in my retainer at night. I would have kept wearing my retainer at night but my dog had gotten a hold of it and I could not get the orthodontist to replace it. How I wish I had pursued that more!

Teeth will move...I was warned....and they did, but they looked straight until sometime after I had my daughter. Slowly I again developed an overbite and then one tooth in the front dropped and then one in the back also on the top got a gum infection once. The tooth dropped due to bone loss and the back tooth, which has been loose, had far more bone loss even though my gums looked healthy. My dentist even told me that it is nothing I am doing wrong because my dental hygiene is very good, but even so I have accepted that God is not miraculously healing me and probably both of these teeth will need to be removed and have implants replace them.

So, this week I had a consultation with the same oral surgeon I had picked to remove the Princess' impacted wisdom teeth, when they are further along as he recommended and possibly four other teeth if her orthodontist decides that needs to be done, as he said she is borderline on the crowding. The oral surgeon took a look at my x-rays and asked if I had had braces, probably easily deduced because I am missing four teeth. Then he asked if they had used a palette spreader...now I am impressed! How could he know that?

Well, it comes down to this. The palette speader is braced on four teeth and you are given a key to insert in the middle to give it a half turn every day so that it spreads out the palette, because my palette was too narrow. The preferred method, at least now, is to surgically do this (although many orthodontists still are using that method). Why? Because afterward the teeth tilt back in towards the mouth and that is how he could tell I had that done. So the teeth look straight on the outside, but they actually tilt inward.

Now I knew my upper teeth in particular had moved in ways that I did not like, but after seeing the my excellent hygiene care and the condition of my gums although with some periodontal pockets, he could only attribute the bone loss to problems he was seeing to my bite. So, I also need to see a periodontist but the oral surgeon said to talk to the orthodontist first and he will coordinate what needs to be done and in what order, so that everything is prepared for starting orthodontics.

Fortunately the orthodontist had an opening the very next day so I went. He asked me what my goal was and I said to save my teeth, because if my bite was the problem as I had been told by his friend the oral surgeon, then I had more problems to come with my teeth in the future if I did not correct the bite. The orthodontist said I have an open bite and that ideally upper jaw surgery would be the best corrective procedure. I was asked if the oral surgeon suggested it, which I do not think he did and we discussed the next best option. The second best option would be to work with the jaw as it is to give me the best bite possible and take the extra stress off the back teeth, which are the only teeth really making contact for chewing presently. That would put me in braces for about a year and a half. I was going with that option until I talked to my husband, who was considering the first option to be the better one.

So, I am taking a look into the the jaw surgery and may need to talk to the oral surgeon again to see if my case is borderline or would be necessary. It would solve a number of problems for me including some TMJ, but it is a pretty intense surgery and can leave numbness in the upper lip, cheeks, and nose for months. It also adds time to being in braces, because the braces have to be in place before the surgery, but thankfully there is no wiring the mouth shut, just rubber bands to hold everything in place.

Also the orthodontist was thinking that he might try to work with the tooth that had dropped down in the front. It was just slightly loose and even though teeth do not really move back up much, he thought that the two middle front teeth could move down some and it up some, and maybe it would not be completely even but still good. He was the first one to not say pull it and do an implant automatically, although the oral surgeon did not give an option saying to talk to the orthodontist first.

The orthodontist is kind of like the conductor of this whole thing. When teeth are removed, when implants can be placed, when jaw surgery should be done (if I go that route), and so forth. However, the first thing is to see a periodontist, because while my gums look healthy pink, I have a few pockets and gum loss to deal with first before anything else...well, accept for the one tooth that cannot be saved. It seems that my the oral surgeon and the periodontist both can pull the tooth and place a bone graph, so the question is who to do that which is probably next.

Considering everything I am going to have to do, the funny thing is I actually feel very relieved. I have been feeling that I had been given this wonderful gift 40 years ago and I messed it up. I did not always take care of my teeth as well as I should have, but there was this overwhelming guilt so bad that I did not want anyone to know. I felt terribly ashamed to say that I ever had braces, because my teeth sure did not look like it now. Their present condition was not a good testament of the gift God had given me. However, now I know that my former orthodontists had done the best with their knowledge at the time and open bite jaw problem as it was.

And, here is the thing that really warms my heart. A few weeks ago, I was trying to pray with that wedge of guilt about my teeth and letting God down...and feeling unloved between us because he had not healed me still. I do not remember now what I was praying about exactly but I think it was along the lines of my husband and his mother and that whole situation—whatever it was I do know it was not directly related to me or my teeth—and I heard my Lord say "I am going to bless you," as plainly and as clearly as when He said "I will" 40 years ago.

I did not really know what He meant at the time, but considering how much all this dental work is going to cost us...well, the timing is pretty good for that part. (Although who ever wants to spend money on things like this?) I feel a bit guilty about the cost, but also wildly relieved, which I find rather odd. Ever since the Princess has gotten her braces, I have been so excited for her and even a bit envious thinking I how would love to go into braces again (strange as that may seem), but I knew that it would be far more complicated and costly for me (and I did not even know the half of it). I have been weighing that with my age and its worth. However, now that it seems the bone loss will continue because of my bite, that I could lose more bone and more teeth, and all of that is not really associated with how well I am taking care of my teeth, I feel so much better. I actually teared up when I was talking to the oral surgeon, not because of the work I dreaded to have done as I thought I would when I went there, but because I was doing everything I could and he could see that and found the likely cause and this could save my other teeth.

Yeah, I am feeling rather blessed—and loved—right now. My Lord and I will be going through this together...again.

My Lord, just days ago I was weeping in my heart, feeling unloved by You. I knew that was wrong, which only made me feel worse. Today, I am weeping with joy because I now see the special gift you had been holding for me in secret until now. You are a such a good Father. Thank you.

Cool Down...Period

When envoys are sent with compliments in their mouths, it is a sign that the enemy wishes for a truce. -Sun Tzu

After calling for a cooling down period—literally—the refrigerator war finally is over and, although our new relationship started tenuously and is still fragile, I am ignoring its chilling looks and focusing on the exchange of cold foods that was the point of the war. I appreciate its beauty, how it blends in with the other appliances, and how seems to be fitting in well now, as I am sighing in relief and thanking God it is over.

I had to cancel my daughter's piano lesson and not go grocery shopping yesterday because yesterday afternoon was the soonest we could get the new non-working refrigerator swapped out for one that looked exactly like it. Once everything was hooked up, I heard the very quiet hum just like the last one. I pace in front of it hoping it will cool like it is supposed to do...and, yes, I did place my refrigerator/freezer thermometer inside, despite the warning I was given to not do that. I am still rolling my eyes over that one!

Within a few minutes the gauge read about a degree or two lower. Yay! About an hour later it was in the low 50's and still going down. At around 8:30 p.m. I began moving all the things in the coolers into the refrigerator. I found that one item had not been as sealed as it should have been and had gotten knocked over one of the times we got in it, so broth had leaked on a few things and sat on the bottom.

I do not have everything arranged the way I want it yet, but at least everything is staying cool now!

Midnight, our outside cat who seems to want to be an inside cat whenever she wants to be, was particularly interested in the refrigerator swap as the front door was open, I picked her up and held her to keep her out of the way. Unfortunately, Midnight did not let me know that she had urushiol from poison ivy on the her fur on her right side. How do I know where it was on her, you may ask? Well, she likes to perch herself to look over my shoulder and she usually prefers my left shoulder, but I also had her on my right side and I have three spots between my shoulder neck on that side and only there. It is even more ironic that I was telling one of the delivery men, who is a cat lover, that she tends to give me poison ivy.

I had been looking for my poison ivy homeopathic for the last two weeks thinking I needed to start taking it to avoid the problem starting in February every year, but I just was not looking in the right places. This morning it had a higher priority and I found it.  I will be taking it daily until fall when poison ivy dies back.

I am not in the mood to get into another war, especially not with poison ivy. I would like to have some peace for a little while at least.

My Lord, thank you for reminding me how blessed I am, how the things I take for granted every day are things about which people for centuries did not even know was possible and would have seemed miraculous...and some people in the world still do not have. Help me to be grateful for each moment an appliance works as it is suppose to do so that my life is easier.

Fighting Weeds to Fighting Infection

A weed is a plant that has mastered every survival skill except for learning how to grow in rows. ~Doug Larson

What happened this week was not in my plans. My plans included repairing and painting the cabinet in the master bathroom, while my husband was gone so he did not have to deal with the disorganization. I could have, should have, and would have had it all done, hopefully, before his return and most things back in place, but that did not happen.

Monday was Independence Day and I woke up to being called to my herb garden in the cool of the morning, although it was not all that cool. There is a spreading, low growing weed that I finally identified as Virginia buttonweed, and Virginia can have it back! I know it looks almost pretty in the picture I choose to post here, but it really is as invasive as mint and harder to get rid of! I have been fighting against this weed for the last few years that makes me unhappy every time I look out the window or water my plants, so I am determined to take out completely this year, but it is a very tough weed to eradicate. It is nearly impossible without tearing up the entire garden covering it for a year or two and then starting over, but even then...?

I would dig it all out and have but it has these runner roots or rhizomes that are three to six inches down, so they are growing even under my stepping stones and borders, and I have found from experience I don't get every bit of them, they come back with a vengeance. I find that the leafy parts pull out easily from the rhizomes so it just grows back. Since I have identified it, I have read that everything I have experienced with this weed is true: Virginia buttonweed can even reproduce from small pieces of the stems or roots. I have had to carefully paint an herbicide on its leaves on the ones in the pathway area were I do not plant the edibles but just pathway fill-in plants that have not completely filled in yet, thanks largely to this weed. That actually worked and they have not come back, as much as I hate using chemicals, between this weed and poison ivy, I have an appreciation of them more now.

I was digging out the beds...again! Then laying down a thick layer of newspaper to cut of their sunlight, even though that only cuts them down in the numbers I see and not their roots so does not seem to kill them off. Moving some plants to other areas just because and planting some that have been sitting in pots for weeks. Of course I only got about a third of the garden done, but it is a very good start.

While I was working in the garden, I noticed that an area on my neck that was a bit sore the day before, which I thought was from lying wrong, was becoming quite sore. Every time I bent over I could feel it and a lymph gland was swollen, but usually these things correct themselves in a day or two and I ignored it because I was gardening! (Yeah, I really like it that much even though the heat of the day approached.) Later we all ate and went to see Independence Day: Resurgence in 3-D.

The neighborhood was filled with fireworks that night. Although less than the night before, it was enough to keep us up later. On the morrow, Tuesday morning, my husband left for the airport to work out of state and I prepared for our errand day, but the Princess had not been able to get to sleep until around 3:00 AM, so she was not getting up even after I woke her twice and then she complained of not feeling well. Then I just gave in and decided that we could try move her piano lesson to another day this week, as it is easier to do now since her teacher has fewer students in the summer.

It was a good thing I did because by noon I had a fever. The soreness in my neck was probably an infected lymph gland and now my immune system was trying to fight the infection full on. The fever battled on for the next two days while I stayed in bed for the most part. The fever was not particularly high but the dizziness was quite disconcerting. I do not think I had an inner ear infection, but because this lymph gland was not draining, I believe the inner ear was also not draining fluid, which added to the dizziness and not quite nausea but certainly not hungry feeling.

Thursday I had no fever and the swelling had gone down, but I still did not feel up to doing much of anything. I still got dizzy when I was up so I canceled the piano lesson. Today I am mostly fine and annoyed that I made no progress on the master bathroom all this week, but I hope to do a few things today. I am thinking of painting a bit of herbicide on that bottonweed and looking forward to welcoming home my husband.

My Lord, thank you for the days of good health so that I can garden, and work my house as I tend to take it for granted.

Finally Normal, er Well....

Illness is the most heeded of doctors: to goodness and wisdom we only make promises; pain we obey. ~Marcel Proust

I am taking this back-to-good-health thing one slice at a time!

This morning is the first morning I have felt normal...as normal as I ever feel, that is. Although I was on the mend, I still had energy issues as the infected gland drained all week, but it seems that yesterday was the last of it. I finally can stand, walk, and sit up in a regular chair without any pain—well, you just do not really appreciate a simple thing as sitting until it is too painful to do for two weeks.

Today will be the first normal day I have had in nearly three weeks...as normal as any of my days are. The Princess and I will be doing our homeschool lessons in full swing, much to her displeasure. While I was laying around (literally), on most week days she did do the very basics: the three R's: reading, writing, and arithmetic—algebra actually. (The girl actually sometimes admits she likes algebra and she gets the concepts easily even straight from the textbook without me, as I knew she would.)

This week may be the first normal week I have had...again as normal as any of my weeks are. My husband, who has thankfully been working locally for the past couple of months is away this week until Friday, so he says, so I am doing all the chores he normally does plus trying to get back into doing my own.

I have much to catch up on, like my blog—so much to share—and homeschool records to which I look forward to doing with almost as much enthusiasm as my daughter has doing the lessons. I also need to restructure the language arts and history portions of my plan for the rest of the year. Then there is the upcoming consignment sales just two weeks away—the child has grown into the woman-child stage and not many jeans are fitting her now. So many normal things to do...and I am thankful that I can do them.

~ My Lord, thank you for Your timing. That my husband was home to take care of the things I could not and that my daughter was so helpful when I needed their help. You and I both knew I needed a break mentally, but I would not take one had I not had this painful condition developed and had taken away my ability to keep pushing. I praise You even in my illness; help me remember to praise more You when I am well. ~

Another Winter Storm with Ice and More

The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain.
 ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

As we recovered from the last winter storm fiasco with our governor making future promises and appointing someone to manage storm threats, I came down with a flu. I rarely get sick with a cold/flu, but I definitely was feeling horrible on Tuesday, two weeks ago. I tend to have low days now and then, but an all out flu is something I rarely get. After I set aside denial, I called my husband asking him if he could take the Princess to her last piano lesson the following day as it was before the judging on that following Saturday.

As things turned out, I ended up taking her after all...mostly because of my stubbornness and my unforgiving mood about how it seemed to inconvenience others. As I said, I rarely get really sick, so when I am and my husband is working from home and our daughter has a deadline, I have this expectation that my family will take into consideration that I am SICK, so all the stuff that Mama usually does is going to have to be done by others. Actually, my husband had worked it out to take her, but by that time I was too angry to stay at home in bed as I should have done.

I did take the Princess to her school and piano lesson, but I did not have the energy to go grocery shopping and I thought that it would be fine since I would be coming into town for the piano judging on Saturday and could shop then. When I dropped the child off at her piano lesson, her teacher told us that the judging was rescheduled to a month later because the church she rented for it was having renovations done. Weeks ago, she had been concerned about how unprepared nearly all her students were for the judging, even the Princess who had just pulled it together the previous week, but that was the only available slot for the church. Now she had the extra four weeks she felt nearly everyone needed, except for the Princess and one other girl, and more students could participate because it would not be conflicting with school sports. The church had called to inform her of the problem and offered her another day that was not available previously just one hour before we arrived. I was happy that the Lord had worked it out for her, but all I could think of was I wished we all had known before I had left that morning for I would not have tried making the trip at all.

When we got home, I prepared for bed and stayed there for two days.

Since there was no judging, I did not go grocery shopping on Saturday. We are well stocked with a full pantry and two freezers, but my husband was able to get fresh organic greens, eggs, and fruits locally.

I recovered and made it to church on Sunday, where everyone was abuzz with the news that another winter storm was coming on Tuesday night (last week), but this one would likely be an ice storm starting with rain that freezes. This would mean downed trees and power outages. The schools did not take any chances this time; they were closed on Tuesday. For us, science class and piano was cancelled again. The governor declared a state of emergency before there was one. The schools here were closed the rest of the week, but power outages did not affect us, mostly because there little wind here with the storm, thankfully.

By Monday, I realized I was having my own state of emergency: an infected gland in tender place. I had this once before about thirty years ago when I had no health insurance, so I dealt with it then the old fashion home remedy way with hot sitz baths or compresses. I had to make a decision about seeing a doctor on Tuesday because it would be highly unlikely it would be possible after the ice storm hit. My husband was home and had made as many preparations for the storm as he could, so I chose to home treat, but this infection grew to be more stubborn and worse than the first one. I was feverish for most of the week and too sore to sit and praying not to have to have it lanced. Thursday night my fever broke and Friday morning it finally began draining.

Sitting upright on a chair is not comfortable yet, but my husband is leaving and I have errands to do tomorrow, as usual. During most of my illnesses the Princess had time off from lessons and is as reluctant to get back to our regular schedule as I am to sit in a chair, but at least the latter will pass.

~ My Lord, thank you for hearing my prayer for healing. May all go well tomorrow with errands, science and piano. And, thank you for reminding me how precious a thing good health is and let me not waste it. ~

Eye Am Fine

The eye sees a thing more clearly in dreams than the imagination awake. ~Leonardo da Vinci

On Thursday, the Princess and I went to have our eyes checked. I know that I am somewhat nearsighted with a slight astigmatism, but I have not had glasses for over 25 years and I gave up on contacts 20 years ago because my eyes became so relaxed that my eyesight was worse than before I had them, but it improved again afterward. I rather my eyes not get that lazy about focusing on their own. Reading a book or working at my computer I do just fine, but really tiny print or cross-stitching now requires 1.25 reading glasses, so I could have gotten bifocals that I could wear all the time, but I really felt that I just wanted glasses for distances, mostly for reading signs when I drive, signs in a unfamiliar store, the occasion captions on a movie, or words of songs projected at our church. I just do not see me wearing them in my home, where I am most of the time.

The Princess has been telling me that she has a problem seeing things close up, but I think the range in which she means close up would be difficult for nearly everyone! I have always known she had good eyesight for distances and she has no problems reading at all, but now I have confirmation: the girl is 20/20. The optometrist said that she is very slightly farsighted, but not enough to bother with glasses; she looked so disappointed, as I was thanking God! I think she even tried to convince the doctor that she must need glasses, because he made a point to say that her complaints were probably due to eye fatigue. This is likely because she reads books and writes on her computer in her leisure time as well as the work she does for homeschooling.

I was also thanking God that both of us had very healthy eyes, because last year about this time I had incidents of flashes of light in my eyesight, which could have been an indication that the retina was detaching, but when I asked my Lord, He told me this was not the case. Flashes are also common as the fluid in the eye changes with age. So, in a little over a week I will be enjoying the fall colors in crystal clarity, if I choose to wear my glasses.

Our appointment was just after 8:00 AM, but because our eyes were dilated for most of the day, even well into the afternoon (instead of the two to three hours we were promised), we took the day off from former lessons. The Princess said everything was fuzzy and she even was seeing double. I told her that what she was complaining about is how I see all the time, except for the double vision. Because the doctor was so informative and because she had recently dissected an eye in her science class I decided that this would be considered a field trip. Everything is a learning opportunity! She spent part of the day working on her science project and cleaning her room, without being asked.

Some days are good days...but then I have not told you what happened the previous day, Wednesday, our errand day...and I just do not think I have the energy to go there right now.

~ Thank you, my Lord, for our healthy eyes and for the excellent eyesight you have given to my daughter. Protect her vision in that she sees only what You wish her to see. ~

I Should...Maybe I Should Not

Taking 'naps' sounds so childish...I prefer to call them 'horizontal life pauses.' ~Unknown

My aunt often tells me about how she used to nap when she was a young child. My grandmother would tell her it was time to nap, but my aunt would just keep doing whatever it was she was doing until she was so tired she could barely stand up. Then she would run to the couch and as soon as her head hit the pillow, she was sound asleep.

As an adult, my aunt would nap on Sunday afternoons now and then, but for the most part she has always been the kind of woman who could out work most anyone and keep going until she practically falls flat in complete exhaustion. Of course, now she may seem to be making up time and would prefer to nap most days, but then she is approaching 80 years of age.

Oddly, I seem to be changing to become more like her in the last few years. I did not really notice it. The change was kind of subtle as the Princess and I started working with the horses, but in the last few days as I have been gardening, I realize that I am doing more physical labor now than I have for years and I just keep pushing, perhaps because I have not yet fallen flat. Yet, just a little break can make me keenly aware of how close I might be to that point though.

Yesterday evening it began to rain. This meant all my gardening plans for today would be postponed. It rained throughout the night and this morning too, so I awoke with resolve to switch gears, doing more work inside, even a full day of lessons. I knew I was overly tired the last few days, but I just kept on going until the rain began. Then I began to really realize how tired I have been and also how little patience I have for a child who is only putting a half effort into her chores and lessons today.

I should get more done today, but my fatigued body in response to the damp, cool air is pleading for me to wrap up in a warm comforter and lie down for a just a half an hour or so, with emphasis on the "or so."

I usually fight such rare urges as I am not one to nap much, but I think I will just give in to this one today. Ah, yes, I need to just run to the couch and catch a few winks....zzzz. (Did I make it?)

~ My Lord, thank you for times of rest. There is nothing so satisfying as getting some rest when I need it most. ~

Feeling Stabbed in the Back

Pain is never permanent. ~Teresa of Avila

Because I have some abnormal curvature in my spine, it can cause problems now and then. I used to have serious back problems for about six years that started when I was 28 years old, but my back has been in far better shape since then, even through a pregnancy when I had to still carry our 45 pound crippled collie up and down the steps and recently I have been doing all kinds of labor at the horse barn. I rarely have a problem with it at all these days...but I am today.

Apparently, a few of my rib heads were subluxated, chiropractic terminology to say that the beginning of the rib closest to the vertebral column is somewhat dislocated. Rib head subluxations have happened to me now and then over the years, but this time in a differing location than usual and it must have happened during a restless sleep, of all things! The problem is not so much the rib, but the muscle spasms that accompany its being out of place. It started on Saturday, but it was mild and sometimes the ribs slip back in place with just moving around. Not this time, of course. Sunday I did go to church but wished I had not by the time we came back home as the spasms worsen while sitting in the chair there.

Monday,...well, I cannot really describe the pain level of the spasm I began experiencing Monday morning. I would liken it to childbirth, except the child is coming out of my mid back on the left side. Actually, it felt as if being stabbed, breathing gets really difficult, and torso distorts into a paralyzing twist. On a scale of 0 to 10 with 10 being the worse, I think I have been spiking at 9. I nearly passed out a couple of times and then I really wished I had because it was so intense. I am thankful that the spasm does subside so that I am not in pain all the time, but they were lasting longer and longer. Three days is usually my pain limit with rib heads.

My husband had taken the day off Monday for other reasons and I am always amazed, by the grace of God, that I do not have these flare ups when he is away. He drove me to the closest chiropractor, as we see two different ones with the farther one being an hour away, but nearby on our Thursday errands. The ten-minute drive to the close one was agonizing enough. I spent some time getting therapies to relax the muscles as much as possible. The adjustment was not a painful as it could have been, but the muscle spasms persisted all the day afterward with movement, which I tried not to do at all. They were spiking around 8 yesterday, but usually did not last as long as they did in the morning. I always feel stiff but better in the mornings, getting worse later on, but the last time I fasted and got better as the day went on. I may go back in for another adjustment today to be sure the the rib heads are holding in place.

I did begin fasting Monday as it has been my experience that usually reduces muscle spasms and soreness faster and I expect to be quite sore, perhaps, for most of the week, unless my Lord intervenes. So far, my husband planning to be in town for the day, the week actually, but plans change with his job so I never count on him being available.

I was supposed to take in my consignment items yesterday, but I rescheduled that for Wednesday afternoon. Knowing I would still be sore today, I called to have someone else feed the horses at the 4-H barn this morning--good thing too because I am still having spasms at level 6 this morning. I am hoping this will not take all week to get over, as I am suppose to face paint all day Saturday for the 4-H Spring Fling fundraiser.

Ironically, I just began reading a book on healing....

~ Please, Lord, please heal me. ~

Knocked Down

The appearance of a disease is swift as an arrow; its disappearance slow, like a thread. ~Chinese Proverb

I did not touch my computer at all since Monday. Did you miss me?

There is nothing like a good old fashioned stomach bug to make me appreciate the normal things in life, things like: food being digested after eaten instead of violently rejected (or ejected, might be more accurate); having energy to feed your pets; sleeping without a chilling fever, stomach cramps, every joint in your body aching; not being concerned how far away is the closest bathroom or bucket; and just things like that.

The Princess began complaining about stomach pain just as we were finishing lessons on Monday and her evening was trips to the bathroom continuing until around 11:00 PM when she finally slept peacefully. I called that evening to say we would not be at the horse barn the next day because I was not sure how she would be. She was no longer getting sick in the morning, but she would not eat and needed to rehydrate. We watched Netflix together on the couch and by late afternoon, I was in the same condition she had been just twenty-four hours before. She would have to go outside to feed the rabbits on her own, which she had not done before, but it is not a difficult job.

My husband was out of state. I did not talk to him Tuesday evening nor Wednesday morning as the Princess took his calls. The Princess fed the rabbits again that morning. We again camped out on the couch all day watching episodes of Stargate Atlantis, drinking lots of water and juice and light soups, eating little. Our stomachs still were not "normal" although we were not getting sick. I had a fever all the day and took a four-hour nap in the afternoon.

My husband came home Wednesday evening and that is when I found out he had spend a day in a hotel room all alone with the same symptoms, plus more. As I lay in bed on Thursday morning, I was feeling pretty well as the fever had broke during the night, even though I still ached everywhere. I hoped we could do our errands and make the piano lesson as the Princess as a judging coming up very soon and her teacher cancelled on us the week before because of her own illness. However, after I had been on my feet a few minutes, I knew those plans were a wash. My husband ran a few very necessary errands as the cat food was depleted, before he left for work.

I felt so well, while sitting on the couch, but up and moving, not so good. I have tried to eat...some, but the appetite does not bounce back quickly with this thing apparently. The Princess is still struggling with that too. So, here it is Friday and I thought for sure I would be well enough today, but the energy comes and goes and my appetite has still not returned even though I eat some. We again spent most of the day on the couch, but my daughter was a bit more restless and is now playing a game on her computer downstairs in the office/homeschooling area. As you can see, I turned on my computer, so I guess we are starting to feel better finally.

We do not know if it was food poisoning or a stomach flu. I am not sure it matters. I am just very happy it is ending.

~ My Lord, thank you for good health when we have it and take for granted the simple things in life that we can do. ~

What I Learned from an Aging Dog

The longer I live the less confidence I have in drugs and the greater is my confidence in the regulation and administration of diet and regimen.
~John Redman Coxe, 1800

I mentioned in my last post that I had learned about alternative health from a former dog we had. This is a reprint of an article I wrote over ten years ago:

When I first met my husband, I also met Suziebelle, his Brittany Spaniel. Suzie had a few health problems. She had a congenital heart condition that caused fluid to build around the heart and lungs periodically. She had to take a daily hormone because she was incontinent after the surgery to spay. She also had a harmless fatty tumor about the size of a nickel in diameter on her breast bone.

This picture is Suzie at the age of four. You can see she is pretty healthy at this point. Like most responsible pet owners, we fed her a higher quality commercial dog food and she received yearly shots, that is, until she was 13 years old. At that time, Suzie had many other problems. She had lost some of her hearing and her bark sounded more like a cough. She was coughing more often due to fluids building in the lungs and some nights she could barely lie down to sleep. The fatty tumor had tripled in size in just a few months and warts were appearing everywhere, even on her eye lids. She had cataracts so bad that she was beginning to walk into furniture. The incontinent problem was no longer controlled by the hormone and the hormone, unknown to us at the time, had robbed her body of calcium; not only was she losing teeth but she was in great pain with arthritis. Because she was in so much pain she began to get snappy and mean.

When it came time for her shots, my husband and I discussed the subject. We had observed in the more recent years of how sick the shots made Suzie and how she never recovered to her previous energy level afterward. We feared that she would become sicker or even die. Having agreed on that point, we decided against the yearly shots and took her to a holistic veterinarian to see what could be done for her in alternative medicine.

This was our very first experience with alternative therapies; we did not know what to expect. What we learned nearly made us cry. The food and shots were suspected to be the main culprits in Suzie's illnesses. It was explained to us that the yearly shots have two types of ingredients, a weakened or dead virus that the body was to supposedly overcome resulting in immunity, and chemicals, used as fillers and preservatives. What is basically unknown is that these substances build up in the body. From her general health condition and the warts, it was obvious to the vet that Suzie was no longer able to contain nor rid herself of the toxins and viruses to which she had been exposed through the shots.

The vet explained that she was so weak he did not know if Suzie would make it through a detoxification program but if we were willing to give her the extra attention she would need, he was willing to work with us. He prescribed homeopathic remedies and supplements. We changed her hard food to Hund-N-Flocken, a Solid Gold product. It was mixed with a homemade soft food including organic rice and other grains, organic vegetables, ground free-range turkey and fresh garlic.

During Suzie's detox, we were expected to give weekly reports to the vet. It was frightening to see how low her energy would get. After a few days, she could barely walk or lift her head but I think Suzie's love for my husband made her fight for her life. To detox her, we would give her the homeopathic for one day of one week and then she would rest another week. Each time she recuperated from the detoxing effects, she seemed to get stronger. The main part of this process took about ten weeks.

During the detox we began to notice changes in Suzie so this report of her condition after beginning the detox program did not happen instantly, but considering how long it took her to get in the unhealthy state she was in, it seemed like nearly overnight. Suzie's cataracts had improved by 50% and she was no longer walking into furniture. She could hear noises that she had ignored before and her bark was strong. The fatty tumor reduced to its original size. She had a tooth that was very loose at the beginning of the program that we were sure she would lose but it tightened up and stayed put. ALL the warts disappeared! Suzie began running around like a puppy with no apparent arthritis. Her temperament improved to her sweet old self -- I should say, new young self. She no longer coughed and the fluids were at normal levels around the heart and lungs. We had stopped administering the hormone and she also was no longer spotting! What's more, Suzie's coat was the thickest we had ever seen it. Her fur was shining and we even had to begin trimming her "feathers" for the sake of hygiene.

We were so surprised at how much she improved! We vowed then to never give any animal or child shots and would provide the best diet we could afford. Suzie lived three more happy healthy years! Most people mistook her for a puppy; a real example that you are never too old to learn to be healthy and have energy.

At nearly seventeen, Suzie had about ten days when her health plummeted sharply. She could not lie to sleep and coughed all night the last two nights. The holistic vet had educated us about the signs of healthy animals nearly the end of their life span, when the body just could not support their lives much longer. Healthy animals die in a relatively short time and do not suffer with chronic problems for long periods as Suzie had done years before. Evaluating the situation of her immediate bad health continuing downward regardless of efforts, her age and previous care, we felt that her time was near. My husband decided to put her down rather than to have her suffer. To do that we went back to the original vet who had cared for her all the years before the last three.

We will never forget what the vet said to us that day. First, he looked at her file and asked if Suzie was really nearly seventeen years old. Then he said he was surprised that she lived that long as he has never seen any dogs of her breed live pass thirteen years in all the years he had been in practice. Alan and I looked at each other and smiled. We honestly were convinced that Suzie would have died at thirteen years if we had continued conventional care and had not tried an alternative way to improve her health. It is a difficult thing to say good-bye to a loyal loving pet but when we remembered that we had given her three additional years of good health, it eased our minds.

This picture was taken when Suzie was 8 years old. At this point she was only four years older than the previous picture, but the white on her face and the general look of the eyes shows that her health had been to deteriorating and she was in some pain then also. Although her health declined during the next five years before the detox at 13 years of age, this was generally how she looked 8 years after this picture. It was almost as if she had reversed the aging effects! The only noticeable difference she showed at 16 years of age in comparison to this picture was that her hair was much thicker and she was a little more white around the eyes, which sparkled with energy and youthfulness.

~ My Lord, thank you for Your guidance, even through a dog, to help me learn about alternatives in health. ~

Who Let the Dog Out?

Properly trained, a man can be dog's best friend.
~Corey Ford

A loved one asked me this in a recent email:

I have a question, you have a German Shepherd, right? I thought I saw a dog in one of your pictures. Well, if you do, I wanted to know how often you bathe the dog and with what type of shampoo. I have one, he's a boy and his name is Max. I wasn't wanting a dog but [my husband] brought it home around Valentine's Day. I notice when I wash him he has dry skin, especially where his tail is.

The reason I am posting my answer is because I have been asked such things by many people over the years and a couple of sentences would not be the complete answer, especially since it goes completely against conventional thinking as to how to keep a dog healthy.

First of all, yes, we do have a German Shepherd (GSD). Hanah is our second GSD. She was originally from Czechoslovakia and brought by a breeder/trainer in Ohio. There she was Schultzhund trained to work for the Border Patrol in Texas, but was retired while she was in her prime because she had ulcers and clouding on the cornea of her eyes that they believed would cause blindness. She was sent back to the breeder due to this defect. Her training made her worth thousands of dollars, but the eye problem brought her value down to that of an untrained GDS.

When we were in Ohio to visit family just over two years ago months after we had lost our first GSD, my aunt saw a younger dog that looked so much like him, mostly black with a rough coat, that she asked where the man had acquired him and we stopped at the breeder's on the way home. We were looking for a puppy as we enjoy training, but so much was going on that we decided an adult trained dog might be better when we saw Hanah, another rough coat GSD, at just about the same price.

Now you might be wondering why would we were actually quite excited to get a dog that was going blind with ulcerations, scaring, and cloudiness in her eyes. It is because I spent years studying natural and even some rather strange alternative health treatments. I knew that her eye problems were not genetic as the vet had told the breeder and I knew I had seen similar problems clear up before in humans and animals. I was pretty sure Hanah's problem was a combination of the shots and her diet and maybe other treatments they would use like those for fleas and heartworm, so all she needed was a better diet and some detoxing with homeopathic remedies.

Within a week the ulcerations were improving and about a month later they were completely gone. The general cloudiness also was nearly gone and even the white scarring had diminished noticeably although she has a bit of it left even now. Once she relaxed into her retirement, as she was a bit of a hyper dog, always ready to work, she has been a very good house dog, but she still checks new places and people for drugs and weapons as she was trained to do.

Now as to the second question about bathing: Here is the part you might think is unbelievable, but we have only given her a complete bath twice since we got her over two years ago. The first time was when we brought her home just to remove any treatments that may be on her hair and skin, and another time when she got muddy. We have had four dogs and after we learned about feeding them a truly proper diet and not giving them shots, we very rarely had to bathe them, except for one who began having some skin issues when he was very ill towards the last months of his life. Our dogs do not smell. They do not have skin problems, unless there is another health issue that we have not addressed. Our dogs do not even get fleas usually.

When we bathe a dog, we use a product called Critter Oil made by woman I met when we lived in Florida, who also sold Solid Gold, an all-natural dog food suggested by our holistic vet when we were detoxing Suzibelle, our first dog. Critter Oil is very good treatment to kill off a flea infestation and provide relief of mange and other skin problems. I would also use food grade diatomaceous earth (DE) for a house and yard flea and tick treatment if we had an infestation. You can even put DE on the dog's hair for pests and in the dog's food to kill of parasites in the intestinal tract. I have never had to do this actually, because usually a very healthy dog with a proper diet has a natural immunity to parasites and just a bit a garlic can do wonders as well. We used to take in stool samples regularly, but after five years of no worms at all we decided to save the cost and just not do that anymore.

Now for the question I was not asked, but would logically follow: What do we feed our dog? We have tried a variety of organic dog foods, which we have liked. Much of what we decide to get is based on availability and pricing of course. Right now I have been getting Newman's Own and you can read about what they have in the food and what they do not and why not here. (Whatever you decide about commercial dog food, just adding cold pressed Omega fatty acids as a supplement to the food may be enough to help Max's particular skin problem.)

All carnivores would even do better on the BARF diet, which originally stood for Bones and Raw Food but now is called Biologically Appropriate Raw Food. I would like to give all our meat eaters this diet alone and we have done that during detoxing or due to a temporary digestion problem, however it is a more expensive diet. I often buy natural (no antibiotics or hormones) chicken wings or thighs in bulk to give one raw to Hanah and the inside cat as part of their meals. Now that we have the rabbits, the dog and cats are given hearts and livers and meaty bones from that source as well. I have noticed over the years that outside cats can hunt for their own fresh meat and usually have great looking teeth in comparison to inside cats. One thing that needs to be stressed is that this not a diet of table scraps; the bones must NOT be cooked as these can splinter and cause damage, but raw bones are great for them and natural teeth cleaners. Oh, and I also get raw milk so all our pets have a bit of that each morning too.

If you are interested in detoxing your dog, it is best to use the homeopathic remedy Thuja 30x to detox the shots and any viral infections. Sulfur can be use to detox a variety of other things. I used Sulfur alone to clear up Hanah's eyes. I have also added food grade hydrogen peroxide or colloidal silver to the water for our animals at times when they are fighting an infection or have diarrhea--actually, our rabbits, since we are using them as a food source, get one teaspoon of 3% food grade hydrogen peroxide to one gallon of purified water all the time. (I drink it myself from time to time, especially when I am feeling drained or coming down with something.)

Lastly, this is a choice that most people would believe is not being responsible but we do not give our dogs regular shots or treatments as we feel they make pets unhealthy. We pay attention to all our pets and work with improving their health and immunity so they do not need them. There are alternatives. For instance, the rabies nosode, which is an acceptable preventative treatment in other countries but the United States is not one of them. The downside of not having an up-to-date shot record is that we cannot board our pets at a kennel and so they all have to go with us everywhere, stay at a friend's, or we hire a house sitter.

This is a lifestyle choice that complicates things but also makes for very healthy pets. It is more expensive in one way and less in another, but I would rather pay more maintaining a healthier pet than to pay vet bills trying to get my pet healthy from being over treated. Actually, that is our complete philosophy about health for all of us.

I will look up and also post an old article about on how our first dog, Suziebelle, helped us learn about homeopathic remedies and detoxing, which made us believers about natural and alternative health methods.

~ My Lord, You know that I often wonder if we cause more illnesses in trying to prevent illness. Please bless us with knowledge to maintain the health of the animals in our care. ~

Spring Fevers Continue

I used to wake up at 4 A.M. and start sneezing, sometimes for five hours. I tried to find out what sort of allergy I had but finally came to the conclusion that it must be an allergy to consciousness. ~James Thurber

Have you ever just felt tired of being you? Sometimes I feel just this way. Perhaps I am just exhausted or terribly disgusted with myself...or both? I have much I would like to write about, but nothing of which I want to write about at the same time. I am disgusted with myself because I have not really been doing much at all, certainly little of what I should do. I suppose, if I am exhausted, that would be my excuse for not doing much, but at the same time I have not done enough to be so exhausted.

This time of year does such strange things. We were out most of the day Saturday because it was so beautiful, and we tilled and prepared a front garden for planting a small food-producing garden. The Princess seemed recovered partially from her fever last week, which kept us from going to her piano lessons, but she did not really get her appetite back completely and still was not quite herself. By Sunday morning, it seemed she had a relapse. I stayed home with her instead attending church that morning and Sunday night my nearly ten-year-old fell asleep at service, which is more of a study, while sitting up on my lap! The fever and sleepiness returned on Monday morning, this time with sniffles, a bit of sneezing, and some coughing. Then it dawned on me what the problem has been: I keep forgetting how much the pollen affects us even though we do not have much in the way of the typical allergy symptoms. We have no itchy eyes, no sinus headaches, no puffy faces, and no running noses for the most part, but we are most definitely affected.

I need to remember that about the time the dogwoods and azaleas are blooming, not that these plants themselves the problem necessarily, but just the sheer amount of pollen overall at that time, that the Princess needs to stay inside more with only about half an hour day out at the most. This is probably the cause of my exhaustion too. It is cruel that while the weather is the perfect temperature and the blossoms are so beautiful and the bugs are so low in number, that each hour we enjoy it will cost us at least twice as many hours feeling poorly, but that is the way it is apparently.

It just gives me one more thing to which I will look forward in Paradise!

~ My Lord, please restore our health and energy, and help us to use such precious gifts wisely. ~

Spring Fever and Then Some

It's spring fever.... You don't quite know what it is you DO want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so! ~Mark Twain

I have decided that there are basically three types of Spring Fever:

1. The desire to get outside and do things in the warmth of the sun after cold winter months.

2. Allergies, also known as hay fever, due to pollen, which so predominate in the spring.

3. A fever for unknown reasons that just happened in the spring.

We have all three going on here! We are having sunny days at times in the high 70's and I have a sore back so I should not be doing any gardening as I would prefer to do. Now allergies are not a big problem for us thankfully, but Georgia has so many lovely things blooming in the spring that that pollen counts are astronomical—even people without allergies have some difficulties during this time of the year. Lastly, my Princess is rarely ill, but this morning she woke up with that fever headache and has been resting most of the day while refusing food.

All this plus my back still aching, requiring I rest it, gave me some extra time to write, in between bread making and laundry and tending to the child, of course. I tried to not notice the dusting and vacuuming that also needs to be done because my back had enough with the kneading of dough for the one loaf, hamburger buns, and honey topped rolls I made.

Last weekend on Saturday, I face painted for the 4-H Horse and Pony Club but I did not get any pictures this time. I did do some new designs that worked quite well and I may bribe the Princess to let me paint her one day for pictures—it seems commonplace that the children of face painters tend to tire of it all and often must be bribed. I will have to prepare a post with pictures of face painting that I did in the last year with at other 4-H functions.

The Princess will begin with 45-minute piano lessons this week because her skill level just requires more than 30 minutes now. Hanon exercises have been added to her regular lessons. These are meant to strengthen the typically weaker fourth and fifth fingers as well as improve speed, precision, agility, and flexibility in the wrists. Unfortunately, we may not even make it to piano lessons this week because the Princess is ill.

I hope we all recover soon as I have things I really want to do...not exactly sure what they all are right now, but it fairly makes my heart ache, I want them so.

~ My Lord, please bring us back to good health so we can enjoy the lovely spring days again.~

Colds Be Gone!

Love is staying up all night with a sick child -- or a healthy adult.
~David Frost

Rarely has my daughter been sick and even more rarely my husband, but he was sick with a really nasty cold for over a week that he just got over in time to go to the men retreat with three others from our church. He left yesterday and should be back tomorrow...briefly.

Since the men are away, the women are running church services and I was asked to sing, however Princess woke up with a cough and a bit of a sore throat yesterday, which is how it started for my husband. She also complained about dizziness, but there was no detectable fever at that time. Right after my husband left for the men's retreat, the fever became official. The Princess stayed in bed all day and slept a good portion of it. This morning she still has a fever, so she will be in bed for today as well.

It does not appear we shall be going to church at all tomorrow; my confirmation came late last night, when my throat began to feel a bit sore. Perhaps just the dryness in the air, even though the humidifier is working well? This morning, the soreness is a bit more pronounced, so I made a smoothie with honey for our breakfast to sooth our throats. I think I am beginning to feel that "off" feeling, maybe some dizziness...? Oh, no! There are times when mothers just must not be sick...actually, I am not sure there is ANY time mothers may be sick! However, when I get sick, I usually am really down, and I just cannot be when the Princess is and my husband not only is away now, but will be away all next week too.

It is embarrassing, but we still must get our Christmas tree down tomorrow too!

~ My Lord, You are Creator and Healer, please make us whole and healthy. ~

Bye-Bye to Twenty

Sometimes you have to let go to see if there was anything worth holding on to. ~Unknown

I now feel I can tell this unspoken thought on my blog. I let go of something...a part of myself. I am not sure I will ever get it back. I am not sure I ever want it back. Yes, I am pretty sure it was not worth keeping, although I could get it back if I really wanted it.

It happened during the 40-day fast. I did not mention it before because I did not want to take away from the spiritual focus and significance of the fast. However, I lost about 15 to 20 pounds during that fast. It is gone. It has stayed gone for nearly month with a vacation (of sorts) in between. I am thinking it will not be coming back easily and I do not need it. It is a vanity thing, I know, but I am very pleased with the way my clothes are fitting—actually I should say that I am very pleased with the way my thinner clothes are fitting because many of my jeans are just too big now.

My husband lost about 45 pounds! We both weigh about the same as when we were first married. Of course, being that it is over twenty years later that weight just does not have the same look, but we know how to shape our bodies because both of us used to practically live in the gym. My husband was a competition body-builder and trainer. He even was part owner of a gym at one time and trained a co-worker of mine, who won a number of local competitions (more than he did, I think), but I found that he had trained her after we had met later.

We have a workout area in our garage that was recently cleared of clutter (Yay!) and we have been begun using it again. We just gave up on working out mostly after the Princess was born, but before that it was not only a big part of our lives, it was one of the main things we had in common when we met. I still enjoy working out and I wanted the Princess to learn the proper ways of doing it also. She has begged us to show her since she was four years old—I suppose I should not be surprised. Then there is that whole modesty issue with it that I will have to address with the Princess, which was not an issue for me when I was working out and lived in Florida where swim suits were common wear and shockingly tiny. In comparison, I was fairly modest (most of the time).

I have digressed....

I wanted to share a few of things that this fast confirmed for me:

1. Typically, a person loses several pounds in the first 5-7 days and then usually about a pound a day until the fast gets to about two weeks. At that point, the body makes adjustments in metabolism so a person tends to slow down the weight loss; this is one of the reasons that if I am fasting to lose weight, I usually only go up to two weeks. Of course, much depends on the amount of body fat one had at the beginning and what type of fast one is doing. Our fast was supplemented with juices, broths, teas, and raw milk, all diluted with water, as well as water alone. I read somewhere that the average American has enough body fat to do this type of fast for 70 to 90 days. Unbelievable, right? I have heard people tell me they cannot fast even one day although they had no health issues to prevent it; this is simply a mind-set and fasting does help a person change his ideas about what he can and cannot do.

2. Having about two to four ounces of whole raw milk before bedtime actually stimulated the metabolism enough even after the first two weeks to continue a higher rate of weight loss for my husband. When I only lost two pounds in two weeks and was waking up twice a night and having difficulty sleeping, my husband suggested the milk before bedtime. I slept better and began losing weight also, even though I was supplementing with juices more during the day! Just a little fat can be a good thing after all! (I did do a raw goat milk and water fast many years ago and I was very pleased with the results, but that was a health experiment, not a spiritual fasting thing.)

3. On long fasts, your body will regulate its weight loss according to how much body fat you have. My husband lost more than I did, because he had more to lose.

4. Regardless of what many medical professionals have told people for years, fasting does not make you gain more fat after the fast is over and you start eating. Their philosophy is that the body goes into starvation mode and begins storing even more fat whenever you eat. Actually, the body has so much greater need to use the nutrition it is taking in that it cannot bother with storing it! (Honestly, it scares me sometimes when I think these people have degrees.)

5. Longer fasts are like hitting the restart button on your metabolism. It is definitely higher than before the fast and produces a more energetic feeling. Digestion of food is far more efficient, energy is increased from the foods eaten, and healthier foods are more enjoyed.

6. Based on recent research, fasting heightens the human growth hormone (HGH) naturally. HGH enhances healing, slows aging, encourages fat loss and muscle building, and even brings back some youthful qualities! This bears repeating: Fasting can actually stimulate muscle building and fat loss.

6. Fasting is a self-discipline that inevitably infiltrates other parts of your life.

7. After a fast, it is just as easy to maintain the new lower weight level as it was to maintain the previous weight level. I really don't eat much less than I did even before I began working out. You probably are wondering how can one be leaner eating as much as one did before? I have lots of ideas as to why this happens including many of the aforementioned benefits of fasting, but regardless of what reasoning I have, it still seems like a miracle to me as well.

Fasting has a number of other benefits such as detoxing the body, but I just wanted to address the ones that were a confirmation of what I already believed but had not really experienced since I had not done a fast beyond two weeks before. It was an amazing spiritual experience and now I am enjoying the physical advantages very much.

I could justify that we are working out to be stronger and have more endurance because we plan to do some laborious tasks planned in the coming months and that is a part of it. However, to be honest...well, I suppose it is vanity, but...yeah, I am going to say it: I do look good!

~ Thank you, my Lord, for the miraculous health benefits of fasting. ~

Frankenfood Fears

The industry's not stupid. The industry knows that if those foods are labeled "genetically engineered," the public will shy away and won't take them.
~Jeremy Rifkin

For over twelve years, I have been writing articles for a local newspaper published by a well known health food store in my area (and I am still surprised my writings get published). I don't write much on health topics here because I have this outlet with its deadline and editor, however there are many issues about health that are quite near and dear to my heart. This is one of them.

One of the things I have warned against is the introduction of synthesized or imitation foods that are not found in nature or those that are natural but extracted so such higher dosages, which would never be found in nature, are put into process foods. For instance, the new sweeteners often called sugar alcohols, which is a very deceiving term, that do not get absorbed well during digestion. Some are found in edible produce in nature, but these amounts are small and just one of the various ingredients making up the fruits from nature's kitchen. For some, like me, in high amounts needed to replace sugar, these sugar alcohols cause abdominal discomfort to diarrhea, sometimes just thirty minutes after ingestion. I understand many people do not have this kind of reaction, but I wonder how overloaded the digestion system is with other toxins that they would not. You see, we eat more organic and fresh foods than most people and we also detoxify using various methods on a regular basis, so I tend to see our reaction as the reaction that everyone should be having.

I believe that nature provides delicate balance in edible foods, one that we cannot imitate and remain healthy. I often feel so sorry for indoor pets who are usually fed exactly the same thing every day, infused, supposedly, with all the nutrients they would need...? Are we really so arrogant to think we could eat the same food, labeled to be nutritionally balanced, every day and not become insufficient in some nutrients? People and animals need variety!

Now we have something far more frightening on the horizon—actually it is not on the horizon, it is already in our food chain and we are the laboratory rats.

This is an article I wrote in May 2008:

The Frightening Phenomenon

While watching the movie Phenomenon some years ago, I was gripped by a tender moment when one character, George Malley, philosophically explained his impending death to two children: He took an apple and said, “...if we take a bite of it like this...it becomes part of us forever....”

The philosophy of an eaten apple becoming part of us is both wondrous and...really quite frightening! In reality, the apple will be digested, so the body will use it for fuel and to heal at the cellular level (without going into greater technicalities), and some of the less digestible parts will pass out of the body. This is the natural process of all foods we eat. The question is whether the foods work with this natural process or work against it. Let’s set aside the fact that the pesticides sprayed on the plants become a part of the apples that will become a part of us or that the artificial hydrogenation processing of natural oils creates trans fats that also become a very undesirable part of us (plague in the arteries)—there is something even scarier!

Tampering with Nature’s Blueprint
There are several impressive scientific names involved: genetically modified (GM), genetically modified organism (GMO), genetically engineered (GE), green biotechnology, agricultural biotechnology, transgenic crop plants, and—my personal favorite, although not one of the scientific names—frankenfood. I have heard about all these things for years, but it just seemed too much like science fiction than real science. However, recently I watched a documentary on how they do this slicing of DNA, and use a machine that acts like a "gene gun" to literally shoot DNA fragments into the cell nucleus. These fragments can combine with the plant's own genome with the use of “promoters” that some argue could also promote undesirable dormant genes. (This is no longer sci-fi; this is reality!)

The really disturbing part—well, there were two things, actually, that are equally disturbing! First, DNA fragment selected may not be of a similar plant or even any plant. It seems that scientists can use any DNA fragment from any source producing recombinant DNA. Think about that for a moment. Vegans could be eating plants altered with animal DNA. Those who follow religious dietary laws could be eating DNA fragments of prohibited foods. We could be eating foods that even have been altered with human DNA one day!

Second, the enthusiastic scientist interviewed on the documentary believed that she could isolate DNA fragments, add them to a plant, and get the precise results she wanted without any concerns about potential side effects in the short or long term!

Does this sound incredibly presumptuous or is it just me? If there is anything we have learned in the recent years, with FDA recalls of medications, is that long term side effects on human beings never really seem to be discovered in the confines of medical science labs; the real test for long term side effects occurs when they have been released to the general public and have been in use for at least a few years, even then specific medical problems may not be linked to the source for many more years or decades.

Science Reining Nature?
Scientists in favor of genetic engineering claim it is a “natural extension of traditional breeding,” the main difference being that it allows access to a broader range of genes even from unlike organisms to produce desirable results. The skeptics argue that extracting the specific gene is highly precise, but the insertion of the gene is uncontrolled and highly unpredictable. Should the desired result be achieved, we still don’t know what affects it will have on the animals and humans eating the foods. In addition, inserted genetic material is still subject to genetic nature, such as the natural occurring genetic drift evident in each generation that is also rather unpredictable.

You may have heard of the StarLink corn controversy eight years ago. StarLink corn was genetically engineered with a particular strain of Bt pesticide, called the Cry9C protein. It was produced and purified from a bacterial host in hopes that the corn plant would be resistant to the European corn borer, a very destructive pest. Although the FDA banned StarLink for direct human consumption, Cry9C was approved for livestock feed. However, in the year 2000, Cry9C was also found in taco shells by an independent laboratory. Although recalled, even today some measure of Cry9C is still found in corn products made for human consumption. Corn readily cross-pollinates as do some other plants. This may be why organic farmers continue to report problems with "genetic trespass" from genetically modified crops—a poignant reminder that nature will not be contained or restrained!

Going Where No Gene Slice Has Gone Before
In our enthusiasm to improve one thing “for the good of mankind,” science and technology often takes a great leap forward into a new frontier, but it often costs us in ways we cannot foresee. About 100 years ago, a seemingly innocence process for altering natural vegetable oils was thought to be harmless, but now we know that trans fats build up contributing to arterial plague and heart disease: Trans fats become part of us. People once thought that pesticides were harmless and, at first, farmers did not even wear any protective gear during application, but now we know that these chemicals cause a wide range of diseases, including cancer: Pesticides become part of us.

Presently, we are on that familiar threshold of another technology, one that we may be even more helpless to hold in check, beckoned for its promises in food production improvements. How can we possibly foresee what we are risking before transgenetic foods become a part of us?

Before it was speculation, but now there is scientific proof:
Genetically Modified Soy Linked to Sterility, Infant Mortality

Please, please, please try to buy only foods with the "No GMO" labeling.

~ My Lord, people are so amazingly skilled but sometimes we are so excited about what we can do, we forget to ask if we should do it. Please let Your Will and Truth be known in all areas of our lives. ~

Mosquito Magnet

Undoubtedly, mosquitoes have preferences. People do differ, and in any group of ten, one person will be fed on more than others. ~Jerry Butler

Mosquitoes! You can place me in a room with a hundred other people and release just one mosquito. It will most likely make a bee-line for me and bite me ten times, before it even notices there are a hundred other people in the room!

I have several reminders of this all over my legs since we began doing some serious gardening, particularly last weekend. I took no notice of the mosquitoes with my preoccupation of wrestling with some impressively invasive roots and vines that have been creeping out of the woods and claiming more of our lawn along the fence. I have no idea what the name of one of these towering weeds is but it can grow taller than I am and spread roots in all directions fifteen feet and more away but close to the surface so that they can grow more from those roots and this plant is not a vine! Fortunately, it breaks up the soil and pulls up easily, even in Georgia's clay, and that is about the only thing I can say good about it. So intend was I on removing these plants that mosquito bites happened without me noticing, until I was showering off the day's work and then the itchy bumps could not be ignored.

It is a very familiar sensation. When I was a child we lived very close to a lake. Had it not been for the blessing of winter, I don't think I would ever have enjoyed even one minute without itching. Throughout the summer my legs and arms were dotted so that no two-inch circle was without a scab. Now, yet again, it is the season for the little pests to breed and feed!

I keep hoping to see mosquitoes on the endangered species list. Would anyone mourn their possible loss? I rarely question why God made many of the creatures He did—I mean, as much as I hate to admit it even cockroaches seem to have a benefit to the ecology that I can understand, although I am sure I would not miss them either—but I just don't get the benefit of mosquitoes. Certainly fish, dragonflies, birds, and bats can find plenty of other pests to eat, I would think.

Oh, just in case you are also a mosquito magnet, as I am, the best treatment for the bites I have found is simply hydrogen peroxide. It neutralizes the itch and I have seen it do the same for allergic reactions in others. We keep ours handy in a spray bottle and rub it onto the skin. I have yet to find a repellent (that I would actually consider putting on my skin) that really works for me. Suggestions are appreciated.

~ My Lord, of all the things in Your creation, I do not understand why these little bloodsuckers were necessary, but I trust that, even if I don't understand the reason, You made them for some good purpose. All I ask is, if there are mosquitoes in heaven, that they will not be as irritating as they are here. ~