crazy things

Okay, things have been a little crazy around here. I don't know why, but maybe it's just me. :-) I did laundry last Mon. night and when I went to put my socks away I was missing a tan sock. This made me sad because I like these socks and I knew I had checked both the washer and the dryer before leaving the laundromat. So, I put the lonely sock on top of my dresser hoping it's mate would show up in the sheets or something. When I folded the sheets, no sock. So there my little sock sat. Then I was watching football on Sun. and I look to the left of my TV. There is one box still left in my room and what was on top of that box? My sock! I had put it there to dry after the laundry. What a marvelous find.
Now, my alarm clock is a different story. No, I haven't lost it. Monday thru Friday the alarm is set for 5:30 AM. Last Fri. I didn't have school, so I set it for 7:00 to meet a friend. Guess what happened? The alarm went off at 5:30. On Sunday I set the alarm for 7:30 and it went off at 5:30. Now, I'm beginning to think this alarm is possessed. Doesn't it realize that not everyday is a 5:30 day.

Note to self: do not open a pomegranate when you are in a hurry or not wearing an apron. For those of you who have never opened a pomegranate it is an amazing experience. First, you cut off the top and juice flies everywhere (I mean it: there was some on the walls) Then you cut it into sections like an orange and pull the seeds out. (Now there is juice all over the counter and you) Last, enjoy!

Oh yes, why is it when you are not allowed to eat a certain food that is the only food commercials that are on TV? I mean really, what is up with the pizza commercials lately? So, after craving pizza for like the 8th week, I finally solved the problem. I found Rhodes bread dough in wheat and thawed them all day. Then tonight I topped them with sauce, pepperoni, and cheese. Definitely not as good as your average pizza, but they'll have to do for now.

Time to talk about Thanksgiving

Grammie always said that talk of Thanksgiving had to wait until after Halloween. Well, Halloween was last Saturday, so when I went to the house on Monday I was ready to talk about turkey. I told Grammie that Halloween had past and now that we were in November it was time to talk about Thanksgiving. First, I asked her if she was cooking the turkey. Her eyes got really big, but she didn't say anything. From the side chair, AJ reminded me that Uncle Jeff cooks the turkey. Then I told Grammie that she made really good orange rolls and we would let her just make those. Her eyes were still big, but she still didn't say anything. I reminded her that when Carmen and I made the rolls they didn't turn out nearly as well as her's. AJ said that Carmen wasn't going to be cooking rolls this year and I just looked at her. This wasn't the point of the conversation. Then, I told Grammie she could just make mashed potatoes, but I really preferred scalloped potatoes instead. At this point Grammie just closed her eyes and turned her head to signal the conversation was over. Well, at least I tried and she knows that Thanksgiving is coming. I'll keep talking to her about it.

Today I went over to Grammie and Pa's. Pa had a cold, so he was sitting at the kitchen table reading a book with a box of kleenex near him. Grammie and I attempted the puzzle, but after awhile Grammie said I should get AJ because she would know the answers. Grammie did remember that the Wizard of Oz had come out while she was in high school. She was so excited about that and that she remember it.

fun foods

Okay, you may get sick of hearing about the foods I find, but you don't have to read the posts. :-) On Tuesday I ate a pomegranate for the first time. It was good. I didn't know what to expect, but I didn't expect the tangy/tart flavor. That is going to be my fruit for Nov. and Dec. now that I know I like them. Yesterday I saw at Costco that they are selling dark chocolate covered pomegranates. I think I'll have to go back and get a back for a wonderful treat! Today I really wanted fish and I found a fish breaded with whole wheat at Winco. I was so excited. I also discovered that Costco's organic animal crackers are made with whole wheat. Having to watch everything I eat and read labels has really made me appreciate people that have serious food allergies. I can't image not being able to eat any wheat. I'm very grateful my body allows the consumption of whole wheat.

Books I've read lately:
Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kidder is about a young man who escapes the genocide of Burundi and comes to New York city with $200 in his pocket. This amazing book looks at the young man's life here in America and back in Burundi and Rawanda.

good news

The diet seems to be working. My stomach no longer growls! I can't believe what a difference it makes to cut out white flour. On another note, I'm going to tell you a little story about my meds. Last Monday, I called to have my sleeping pill refilled. For some weird reason last month there were only 16 pills instead of 30, but that's an entirely different story. Last Thursday, I figured they had been filled and called to check to see if they were ready to pick up. I was told that the insurance wouldn't cover the prescription. Now, I go round and round with the insurance about this particular medicine and every 6 months they need a new doctors note saying I still need the drug in order to sleep/function. I knew that the last time a note had been written I had been approved for 12 months instead of 6, so I didn't see what the problem was. I called the doctor's office and they agreed to fax a new letter. Then I decided to call the insurance company to figure out the problem. Well, the problem was I had already fill the prescription this month. Even though it was only 16 pills the computer said filled and wasn't going to allow me to fill again until the end of the month. The lady at the insurance company was wonderful and agreed to change the computer to allow me to fill the meds. Then she wanted to tell me how much they would cost. She said it would be about $70 for the month. I asked her if that was correct and she said yes it was and she checked all the other meds for me as well. Now, since my medical insurance starts Sept. 1st. the new prices had kicked in and all the meds had gone up quite a bit. In fact some of them had even doubled. So I said OK and she told me she would call the pharmacy to fill the meds. Then about 15 min. later she called back and said she had lied to me. The price of the meds was really $80 instead of $70. At this point I knew it wasn't going to work. In the past two months that meant my meds had doubled every month. So, I told myself I was going to go home and sleep without the prescription meds. Guess what? God provided a night free of nightmares! I didn't sleep great because I was having some withdrawals, but I can say that last night was night 5 without prescription meds. I have been using over the counter meds and they are doing a great job. Last night I fell asleep and slept until the alarm went off. Praise the Lord!!!

Random stuff

I'm sorry that I haven't posted in awhile. Things have been crazy around here. I got the cold/mild flu and was sick for a week. I finally got my appetite back yesterday after 2 weeks. Having to rethink my eating choices has also caused some slight issues, but I think I'm finally getting the hang of it. I have discovered through trial and error that my body hates white flour, so I've gone to whole wheat foods. It's a grand time in the grocery store, let me tell you. I'm going to hang the last of my pictures on the walls today and then I'll be able to post pictures of the apartment. I am also going to set up my sewing machine and maybe sew today. I have a quilt pattern in my head that just needs to get out, so I think I'll work on it.

Books I have finished:
A Promise for Spring by Kim Vogel Sawyer is about a woman who travels to America from England to marry a man she was promised to 5 years earlier. When she finally sees him again she wonders if she can really marry him.

I have also been reading the Heir of Arcadia series by T. Davis Bunn and Isabella Bunn. This series takes place in England and the Colonies after the Revolutionary War. This is a great historical fiction series. There are five books in the series and they need to be read in order.

Food choices

So after spending an hour at Winco on Friday reading food labels I found some foods to eat. Did you know that Triscuits are made with whole wheat? That's good news for me. So Sunday, I had an apple, some cheese, and Triscuits for lunch. When I found out about my new dietary plan my first thought was, no way! Then, I thought again and wondered, could God change my food palate? I prayed that He would, although it did seem trival at the time. That same night, two weeks ago, the ladies at my Bible Study prayed that my palate would change towards the new food. I have been working at trying to replace foods a little at a time, instead of switching everything over at once. So, yesterday, I was at Grammie and Pa's. The cookie jar is always full of Oreos particulary for me. I was standing in the kitchen talking to AJ as she made her lunch and she pulled some baby carrots out of the fridge. Then I heard this voice saying, "May I have some?" Oh wait, that was me. I chose carrots over Oreos. What is wrong with me. The carrots tasted delicious. Then, just for kicks, I ate an Oreo. It was too sweet. It didn't even taste right. Augh...the food palate is changing!! This just shows that prayer does work, even on the small things.
P.S. I made cookies last night. There were designed just for me (or so I hope). I'll post more on them later.

My new diagnosis

So last week, my osteopathic doctor decided that I have adrenal fatigue. In short, this means that my adrenal glands are no longer working like they should. After have been stressed for too long the adrenal glands have used up the adrenaline in my body. The good news is that this is fixable and it requires no medication. The bad news is that it requires a year of hard work on my part. Now, you all know that I'm not opposed to hard work in most situations, but this may be a definite challenge on some levels. One of the things I'm supposed to do is rest. If I feel like sitting in my apartment all weekend long and not doing anything, then that is what I'm suppose to do. The doctor said that after awhile I should be able to sit quietly and then I'll want to get up and see people or do something, but that it may take awhile to get to that point. The other thing I'm suppose to do is set boundaries. Oh, this is a little tougher. I'm working on this one. The last thing that is part of recovery will be the hardest. I'm going to get to change my eating habits. Now, I don't have to start right away because I'm supposed to be concentrating on resting, but as soon as the doctor started telling what I could and couldn't eat I started obsessing. Here's what I know at the moment: bananas are out, so are potatoes in any form [glad I live in Idaho :-)]. Eventually, I will cut out all sugar and most flour. I have discovered this week that my body doesn't like white flour, so I'm working on having only whole wheat flour for the moment. I'm supposed to eat lots of fruit, vegetables (yes, you read that correctly), and meat. Oh yeah, and processed food will be out as well. So, since I have the day off I looked up recipes on allrecipes.com. I was looking for foods that had whole wheat flour and no sugar. I got a couple of recipes and will let you know how they turned out. I did have to laugh as there were a lot of recipes for dog biscuits. I mean really, can't people have a dog recipe website instead!!
So, I have decided to offer up a thought. Anyone who would like, is welcome to join me on this wonderful journey of eating differently. I will try to let you know if I come across a fabulous recipe and you could let me know how it's working for you.

Books I have finished:
Deadline by Chris Crutcher is about a boy who is starting his senior year of high school and finds out he only has a year to live. It is such a great concept, but I don't recommend it due to the language and some of the explicit content.
What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell is about a teenage after WWII whose father comes home and decides to take his family to Florida for vacation. This girl grows up very quickly as she realizes that the family isn't down there just for fun.