Well today I started back to homeschooling and was shocked to realize that 3 weeks of my life are gone with nothing more of a haze of embroidery designs to recall for it. Last year I started a 2nd Etsy shop which features all Christmas items. I sold 10 stockings and felt like I was losing my mind. This year I sold 35 stockings and I did lose my mind. :) But it is behind me now and I am happy to create lovely items that are in houses around the US. From everywhere from South Carolina to North Dakota and I hope that they are all hanging in homes bringing smiles to faces. I mailed the last 2 this morning!
I am hoping that each and everyone of you have a lovely Christmas! I hope the holiday and the new year bring you lots of love and joy!
Jennifer
11.08.2010
Okay two things to talk about today...
Candida Yeast, I thought I had you beat, but you are back and I only fell off the wagon a little bit. So as of today I am back to diligently avoiding the chocolate, sugar, and heavy carbs. I had settled into my new body with a much less swollen stomach, clear skin, etc...... but it didn't take long for me to see that I still have to be careful and watch it.
I am going to be creating a new blog soon! Title yet undecided, but I have some thoughts. So here is the summary! My paternal grandmother Gertrude Cook was an amazing cook. She had 7 children to feed, and at times additional family members who lived with them. So she was accustomed to feeding a crowd. When she passed away there was great family debate over her recipe boxes... A few years back I asked my Daddy if I could take them and type them all up into a cookbook for the family. As I begin to look at them I found that some of them were just a list of ingredients and the direction "Bake".....obviously she knew what she was doing and didn't need any further direction. This deterred me some from the project because at the time I didn't really have time to figure this out. Lately though I have thought more and more about it. My sister has suggested that I try to make each recipe like "Julie & Julia"....maybe....but I am definitely starting a blog to provide these recipes to the family and world alike.
I am super excited about it and can't wait to get started, so I will give everyone a head's up as soon as I have it ready to go, hopefully you will follow me over on that blog and enjoy the recipes of my youth the way I do.
See you soon!
Candida Yeast, I thought I had you beat, but you are back and I only fell off the wagon a little bit. So as of today I am back to diligently avoiding the chocolate, sugar, and heavy carbs. I had settled into my new body with a much less swollen stomach, clear skin, etc...... but it didn't take long for me to see that I still have to be careful and watch it.
I am going to be creating a new blog soon! Title yet undecided, but I have some thoughts. So here is the summary! My paternal grandmother Gertrude Cook was an amazing cook. She had 7 children to feed, and at times additional family members who lived with them. So she was accustomed to feeding a crowd. When she passed away there was great family debate over her recipe boxes... A few years back I asked my Daddy if I could take them and type them all up into a cookbook for the family. As I begin to look at them I found that some of them were just a list of ingredients and the direction "Bake".....obviously she knew what she was doing and didn't need any further direction. This deterred me some from the project because at the time I didn't really have time to figure this out. Lately though I have thought more and more about it. My sister has suggested that I try to make each recipe like "Julie & Julia"....maybe....but I am definitely starting a blog to provide these recipes to the family and world alike.
I am super excited about it and can't wait to get started, so I will give everyone a head's up as soon as I have it ready to go, hopefully you will follow me over on that blog and enjoy the recipes of my youth the way I do.
See you soon!
9.26.2010
Candida Yeast....what is going on?
Okay I haven't blogged several days about the Yeast situation. I am going to give a summary of where I am, and what I am still doing.
Hints:
Don't juice carrots or beets. In fact if you are going to juice, then you need green juices: celery, kale, greens ( turnip and collard), cucumbers, garlic, ginger, parsley....all really good choices.
Juicing is not for the faint of heart. I did it for 4 weeks and it was not fun, but it was healthy...so pick your poison.
Cut out as much sugar, bread, pasta, vinegar and aged foods as you can.
Eat Activia yogurt from the beginning
Take Pro-biotic supplements daily, do your research and invest in quality.
Don't give up, it is going to get a lot worse before it gets better.
Take soda water ( 1 tsp in a cup of warm water) once a day
If you can do coconut oil, or coconut oil capsules....do it and don't be afraid of the yucky feeling it is killing the Yeast.
My results have been amazing. My hands, face, head, etc are completely clear of rash. It will probably be months before the condition of my skin is back to normal, it still looks haggard but it is not cracked or open or even red. Daily application of a thick moisturizer will help that.
For the last 2 weeks I have eaten anything I wanted. Including bread, pasta, sugar,etc..... I am eating it in much more moderation than I was before, but still it is in my diet and not causing any issues! YAY!!!!!
From time to time I will post any changes or things that give me trouble, but for right now all is good.
Hints:
Don't juice carrots or beets. In fact if you are going to juice, then you need green juices: celery, kale, greens ( turnip and collard), cucumbers, garlic, ginger, parsley....all really good choices.
Juicing is not for the faint of heart. I did it for 4 weeks and it was not fun, but it was healthy...so pick your poison.
Cut out as much sugar, bread, pasta, vinegar and aged foods as you can.
Eat Activia yogurt from the beginning
Take Pro-biotic supplements daily, do your research and invest in quality.
Don't give up, it is going to get a lot worse before it gets better.
Take soda water ( 1 tsp in a cup of warm water) once a day
If you can do coconut oil, or coconut oil capsules....do it and don't be afraid of the yucky feeling it is killing the Yeast.
My results have been amazing. My hands, face, head, etc are completely clear of rash. It will probably be months before the condition of my skin is back to normal, it still looks haggard but it is not cracked or open or even red. Daily application of a thick moisturizer will help that.
For the last 2 weeks I have eaten anything I wanted. Including bread, pasta, sugar,etc..... I am eating it in much more moderation than I was before, but still it is in my diet and not causing any issues! YAY!!!!!
From time to time I will post any changes or things that give me trouble, but for right now all is good.
9.12.2010
Other things in my life
So I have blogged so much about diet lately I haven't blogged about anything else.
I have had a very busy couple of weeks, I know some of my friends think I have abandoned them, but it isn't personal there is just so much to do and so much going on.
My family is getting ready to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles and that means cleaning the whole house top to bottom, and buying clothes, and packing clothes.... and lots of work!
In addition we have been going through a huge ordeal with my husbands church, it has literally been like a huge roller coaster of emotions and it has made us question every friendship attached to the church and it is really stressful.
We had a wonderful trip down to my parents for Labor Day weekend. My mother was very sick and I am really concerned about her current and future health. We all love her very much and just want her to be healthy. We had a wonderful time visiting both my parents, my husband's parents, both of our brothers, my cousins, it was awesome. My husband and my son both Kayaked for the first time and loved it. I can't wait to try it myself sometime. I even had a short visit with my Granddaddy. He and my grandmother celebrated 60 years of marriage on September 2 ! I honestly didn't think he would make it to see the day, but he keeps fooling us all.
Since Friday I have been cleaning and purging the house and as slow and tiring as it is it feels wonderful.
Tomorrow night is our Fall Court of Honor for our Boy Scout Troop and my son is set to receive three merit badges and his new leadership position of Den Chief.
So I will be good and ready to run directly into the warm water of the ocean, sit on the beach and listen to the waves for hours and lay in the sun for 2 whole weeks! Even though I continue to work part time even while on vacation, it is still the beach :)
Hope you will all forgive me for being so preoccupied lately....it will get better. Love you all !
I have had a very busy couple of weeks, I know some of my friends think I have abandoned them, but it isn't personal there is just so much to do and so much going on.
My family is getting ready to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles and that means cleaning the whole house top to bottom, and buying clothes, and packing clothes.... and lots of work!
In addition we have been going through a huge ordeal with my husbands church, it has literally been like a huge roller coaster of emotions and it has made us question every friendship attached to the church and it is really stressful.
We had a wonderful trip down to my parents for Labor Day weekend. My mother was very sick and I am really concerned about her current and future health. We all love her very much and just want her to be healthy. We had a wonderful time visiting both my parents, my husband's parents, both of our brothers, my cousins, it was awesome. My husband and my son both Kayaked for the first time and loved it. I can't wait to try it myself sometime. I even had a short visit with my Granddaddy. He and my grandmother celebrated 60 years of marriage on September 2 ! I honestly didn't think he would make it to see the day, but he keeps fooling us all.
Since Friday I have been cleaning and purging the house and as slow and tiring as it is it feels wonderful.
Tomorrow night is our Fall Court of Honor for our Boy Scout Troop and my son is set to receive three merit badges and his new leadership position of Den Chief.
So I will be good and ready to run directly into the warm water of the ocean, sit on the beach and listen to the waves for hours and lay in the sun for 2 whole weeks! Even though I continue to work part time even while on vacation, it is still the beach :)
Hope you will all forgive me for being so preoccupied lately....it will get better. Love you all !
Day 26....hmmmm how did that happen
Okay well as you know if you have been reading this blog, I was blogging everyday with my health status and emotional status, etc.... It got a little repetitious, so I skipped several days and I have been trying different things so I am going to just share a summary of what I have been doing and how it is going.
First of all my weight this morning was 194.5 so I have lost around 10-12 lbs on this cleanse. While I did not start this cleanse to lose weight it has been a welcome side effect of the process.
Secondly my diet hasn't varied much from what I had documented prior. Basically vegetable juice in the morning, hummus fresh veggies, meat or salad for dinner. I can tell you I have not intentionally had sugar, bread, pasta since I started this cleanse. I may have ingested some small amounts of sugar through sauces but it has been minimal. For instance on the chicken wings I had for dinner last night.....I did cheat and eat 3 french fries.
I have been emotionally up and down. There are days when I truly believe this is working and I am elated, then I will have a relapse and become depressed. Overall I do see a great improvement in my skin, rash, etc.
Just this week after even more research on the subject, I learned I should not have been juicing the carrots and beets that I was consuming. Which makes sense to me since they are a root crop and have so much natural sugar. I have switched to mainly a green juicing, cucumbers, celery, dark greens.
I have added Activia to my diet in the mornings with my juice. Activia has a lot of good pro biotics which are of a different variety than the Dan Active. I am actually doing both one morning, on afternoon along with a probiotic supplement. I have temporarily stopped the Fish Oil due to some fish allergies I have and the fear that it could contribute to the problem.
I think I have mentioned in the other blogs but just to touch base on it again. I was doing 3tbsp of Coconut Oil orally, I would suffer hot flashes and sluggishness along with a general feeling of yuckiness after taking it. I did some research on Sodium Bicarbonate as an anti fungal, I have started taking 1 tsp in warm water once in the morning and once at night. I have seen huge improvements since starting that.
One thing to note as well is that the rash comes from the yeast die off byproducts. So even though the rash is discouraging, it is actually proof that the yeast is dying away.
My plan is to continue on a complete elimination for about 8 more days. At which point I am going to slowly....very slowly start to add foods back to my diet. While I truly believe I will want to run out and eat a huge pizza and chocolate cake, I am pretty sure I will be gun shy :)
I also plan to continue to juice daily, maybe more than once, because I believe it is much healthier. I also plan to continue the Activia daily to keep the proper flora of the colon.
I will blog again in a few days as this winds down.
First of all my weight this morning was 194.5 so I have lost around 10-12 lbs on this cleanse. While I did not start this cleanse to lose weight it has been a welcome side effect of the process.
Secondly my diet hasn't varied much from what I had documented prior. Basically vegetable juice in the morning, hummus fresh veggies, meat or salad for dinner. I can tell you I have not intentionally had sugar, bread, pasta since I started this cleanse. I may have ingested some small amounts of sugar through sauces but it has been minimal. For instance on the chicken wings I had for dinner last night.....I did cheat and eat 3 french fries.
I have been emotionally up and down. There are days when I truly believe this is working and I am elated, then I will have a relapse and become depressed. Overall I do see a great improvement in my skin, rash, etc.
Just this week after even more research on the subject, I learned I should not have been juicing the carrots and beets that I was consuming. Which makes sense to me since they are a root crop and have so much natural sugar. I have switched to mainly a green juicing, cucumbers, celery, dark greens.
I have added Activia to my diet in the mornings with my juice. Activia has a lot of good pro biotics which are of a different variety than the Dan Active. I am actually doing both one morning, on afternoon along with a probiotic supplement. I have temporarily stopped the Fish Oil due to some fish allergies I have and the fear that it could contribute to the problem.
I think I have mentioned in the other blogs but just to touch base on it again. I was doing 3tbsp of Coconut Oil orally, I would suffer hot flashes and sluggishness along with a general feeling of yuckiness after taking it. I did some research on Sodium Bicarbonate as an anti fungal, I have started taking 1 tsp in warm water once in the morning and once at night. I have seen huge improvements since starting that.
One thing to note as well is that the rash comes from the yeast die off byproducts. So even though the rash is discouraging, it is actually proof that the yeast is dying away.
My plan is to continue on a complete elimination for about 8 more days. At which point I am going to slowly....very slowly start to add foods back to my diet. While I truly believe I will want to run out and eat a huge pizza and chocolate cake, I am pretty sure I will be gun shy :)
I also plan to continue to juice daily, maybe more than once, because I believe it is much healthier. I also plan to continue the Activia daily to keep the proper flora of the colon.
I will blog again in a few days as this winds down.
9.01.2010
Day 14..... I know I skipped some
Weight: 197.5
Health Status: Hands are almost completely healed, as are all other areas of rash. Stomach is less bloated and digestive tract seems more balanced.
Emotional Status: Don't ask! But it isn't related to the diet :).
Diet: Still doing the same sort of diet, when I can't eat at home I have a salad out, with the smallest amount of dressing possible or chicken strips or nuggets from Chick-fil-A where there is less breading and they are cooked in peanut oil.
Now changes I have made that are significant; stopped taking the coconut oil and started taking 1 tsp of baking soda in warm water. The coconut oil was making me have hot flashes and feel real sluggish. I have read amazing things about the baking soda as an anti fungal agent and decided to give it a chance. For 3 days I have been doing 1 tsp of baking soda in warm water and in that time my rash has almost completely healed up. The improvement is amazing!
I am going to continue this until we leave for our upcoming vacation in about 20 days. I will have been on the program for more than 30 days at that point. From there I will begin to slowly add back in carbs and sweets in small doses.
I will be updating as I continue along this path. If you are following because you have the same issues I do, please research the baking soda/ sodium bicarbonate treatments online and form your own opinion.
Health Status: Hands are almost completely healed, as are all other areas of rash. Stomach is less bloated and digestive tract seems more balanced.
Emotional Status: Don't ask! But it isn't related to the diet :).
Diet: Still doing the same sort of diet, when I can't eat at home I have a salad out, with the smallest amount of dressing possible or chicken strips or nuggets from Chick-fil-A where there is less breading and they are cooked in peanut oil.
Now changes I have made that are significant; stopped taking the coconut oil and started taking 1 tsp of baking soda in warm water. The coconut oil was making me have hot flashes and feel real sluggish. I have read amazing things about the baking soda as an anti fungal agent and decided to give it a chance. For 3 days I have been doing 1 tsp of baking soda in warm water and in that time my rash has almost completely healed up. The improvement is amazing!
I am going to continue this until we leave for our upcoming vacation in about 20 days. I will have been on the program for more than 30 days at that point. From there I will begin to slowly add back in carbs and sweets in small doses.
I will be updating as I continue along this path. If you are following because you have the same issues I do, please research the baking soda/ sodium bicarbonate treatments online and form your own opinion.
8.27.2010
Day 9, skipped Day 8 it was just too crazy a day
Weight: 198
Health Status: Hands continue to be red under the surface, but skin is greatly healed, skin condition itself is much better! Patch at the back of the leg is essentially gone. Skin on the face has been bad for the past two days despite my sticking very rigidly to the diet. I have read that the Yeast will cause a reaction in your body as a craving for something to feed on, thus the cravings for sweets. I have had the thought that maybe my body is craving the cortisone ointment I have used for years, so in spite of the break out I am avoiding the use of cortisone. Stomach condition is improving.
Emotional Status: Slightly overwhelmed and agitated. Some anxiety and very nervous and uneasy. I am not sure if this is due to the yeast or not, but I have read that anxiety and depression can be a result of the yeast, so I am noting.
Diet:
1 Meal- too rushed to juice today: 1 small cucumber sliced with 1 small bell pepper 3 tbsp of homemade hummus
2 Meal- 4 lettuce tacos= 4 leafs from large Romaine lettuce, 4 tablespoons of scrambled ground beef, mixture of sliced tomato, bell pepper, onion, fresh cilantro, 1 small crumbling of shredded cheese, 1 tsp of sour cream. The cheese is a cheat as you should avoid aged foods to avoid molds.
Lay the lettuce leaf on the plate, layer in cheese, meat, veggies, top with sour cream and sprinkle with salt.
2 Snack- 1 Dan Active Pro Biotic drink
Supplements: 2 Accu Flora pro biotic supplements, 3 Omega 3 Fish Oils 1000mg, 4 Cinnamon capsules 500mg, 1 Vitamin E 500mg, 3 tbsp coconut oil.
Health Status: Hands continue to be red under the surface, but skin is greatly healed, skin condition itself is much better! Patch at the back of the leg is essentially gone. Skin on the face has been bad for the past two days despite my sticking very rigidly to the diet. I have read that the Yeast will cause a reaction in your body as a craving for something to feed on, thus the cravings for sweets. I have had the thought that maybe my body is craving the cortisone ointment I have used for years, so in spite of the break out I am avoiding the use of cortisone. Stomach condition is improving.
Emotional Status: Slightly overwhelmed and agitated. Some anxiety and very nervous and uneasy. I am not sure if this is due to the yeast or not, but I have read that anxiety and depression can be a result of the yeast, so I am noting.
Diet:
1 Meal- too rushed to juice today: 1 small cucumber sliced with 1 small bell pepper 3 tbsp of homemade hummus
2 Meal- 4 lettuce tacos= 4 leafs from large Romaine lettuce, 4 tablespoons of scrambled ground beef, mixture of sliced tomato, bell pepper, onion, fresh cilantro, 1 small crumbling of shredded cheese, 1 tsp of sour cream. The cheese is a cheat as you should avoid aged foods to avoid molds.
Lay the lettuce leaf on the plate, layer in cheese, meat, veggies, top with sour cream and sprinkle with salt.
2 Snack- 1 Dan Active Pro Biotic drink
Supplements: 2 Accu Flora pro biotic supplements, 3 Omega 3 Fish Oils 1000mg, 4 Cinnamon capsules 500mg, 1 Vitamin E 500mg, 3 tbsp coconut oil.
8.25.2010
Day 7
Weight: 200.5
Health Status: Hands are healing the skin condition is much better, not rough or dry and not itchy. Scalp is almost healed completely. Patch on the back of the leg are healing. Stomach continues to be bloated due to continued constipation issues.
Emotional Status: Not feeling well today. Emotional and edgy. I am wondering about this Candida die off I saw on a website. The website didn't indicate what the symptoms are, only that you will go through it. I need to do more research on that.
Diet:
1 Meal- juice 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, 1 small handful of parsley, 1 small cucumber, 1 small ginger root chunk, 1 clove of raw garlic
1 snack- 6 chicken nuggets fried in peanut oil
2 Meal-spaghetti salad .....I know it sounds gross, but it was good! 1 cup of spaghetti sauce with ground beef over 1/4 head of iceberg lettuce, 1 slice of onion diced up, 4 small chunks of cheese shredded.
2 snack- apple & Dan Active Pro Biotic drink
Supplements: 3 Omega 3 Fish Oil Capsules 1000mg, 4 Cinnamon 500mg capsules, 2 Accu Flora pro biotics, 3 tbsp coconut oil, 1 Dan Active Pro Biotic drink
Throughout the day I drink large amounts of water and 2-3 cups of hot green tea, first thing in the morning I have a cup of hot water with lemon juice.
Health Status: Hands are healing the skin condition is much better, not rough or dry and not itchy. Scalp is almost healed completely. Patch on the back of the leg are healing. Stomach continues to be bloated due to continued constipation issues.
Emotional Status: Not feeling well today. Emotional and edgy. I am wondering about this Candida die off I saw on a website. The website didn't indicate what the symptoms are, only that you will go through it. I need to do more research on that.
Diet:
1 Meal- juice 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, 1 small handful of parsley, 1 small cucumber, 1 small ginger root chunk, 1 clove of raw garlic
1 snack- 6 chicken nuggets fried in peanut oil
2 Meal-spaghetti salad .....I know it sounds gross, but it was good! 1 cup of spaghetti sauce with ground beef over 1/4 head of iceberg lettuce, 1 slice of onion diced up, 4 small chunks of cheese shredded.
2 snack- apple & Dan Active Pro Biotic drink
Supplements: 3 Omega 3 Fish Oil Capsules 1000mg, 4 Cinnamon 500mg capsules, 2 Accu Flora pro biotics, 3 tbsp coconut oil, 1 Dan Active Pro Biotic drink
Throughout the day I drink large amounts of water and 2-3 cups of hot green tea, first thing in the morning I have a cup of hot water with lemon juice.
8.24.2010
Day 6
Weight: 200.5
Health Status: Hands are improving greatly, only the deepest sores remain and they are healing. I have seen a drastic improvement over this past week. Patches on the inside of the arm are gone, the patch on the back of the leg is still rashy and dry. Stomach is bloated today, having some issues with constipation and I am not sure why with all the veggies I have been eating! The scalp is almost healed completely, a huge improvement in the past day.
Emotional Status: Upbeat and optimistic. I am seeing improvements in my condition so it has me determined. It has made my will power stronger. Today my son offered me M&M's and I refused, he continued to insist and I was able to resist.... that is not typical. I think given my lack of nutritional knowledge, my hope is that I am doing this right! My schedule has been off today so I have been a little anxious about my eating.
Diet:
1 Meal - Chicken Strips Salad at Chick-Fil-A, I did drizzle some Light Italian dressing on top, but not much at all. Had I known the amount of sugar in it, I would have chosen something else.
2 Meal- 1 small cucumber, 1 small bell pepper, 5 tablespoons of homemade hummus
2 Snack- 1 Dan Active Pro-Biotic drink
Supplements:
4 Cinnamon capsules 500mg, 2 Omega 3 Fish Oil capsules 1000mg, 2 Accu Flora pro biotic supplements, 1 Dan Active Pro-Biotic drink
Health Status: Hands are improving greatly, only the deepest sores remain and they are healing. I have seen a drastic improvement over this past week. Patches on the inside of the arm are gone, the patch on the back of the leg is still rashy and dry. Stomach is bloated today, having some issues with constipation and I am not sure why with all the veggies I have been eating! The scalp is almost healed completely, a huge improvement in the past day.
Emotional Status: Upbeat and optimistic. I am seeing improvements in my condition so it has me determined. It has made my will power stronger. Today my son offered me M&M's and I refused, he continued to insist and I was able to resist.... that is not typical. I think given my lack of nutritional knowledge, my hope is that I am doing this right! My schedule has been off today so I have been a little anxious about my eating.
Diet:
1 Meal - Chicken Strips Salad at Chick-Fil-A, I did drizzle some Light Italian dressing on top, but not much at all. Had I known the amount of sugar in it, I would have chosen something else.
2 Meal- 1 small cucumber, 1 small bell pepper, 5 tablespoons of homemade hummus
2 Snack- 1 Dan Active Pro-Biotic drink
Supplements:
4 Cinnamon capsules 500mg, 2 Omega 3 Fish Oil capsules 1000mg, 2 Accu Flora pro biotic supplements, 1 Dan Active Pro-Biotic drink
8.23.2010
Coconut Oil
This website has good information about the health benefits of coconut oil.
http://www.coconut-info.com
Click on the About Coconut Oil section.
http://www.coconut-info.com
Click on the About Coconut Oil section.
Day 5
Weight: 199 lbs
Health Status: Fingers and hands are healing some, still somewhat raw in spots where the deepest irritation is, however, not as itchy tonight. Patches on the inside of my arms and back of the leg are continuing to improve. Face is improved greatly and complexion is improving. Scalp is still irritated in some spots, but seems to be improving some.
Emotional Status: Tired! Not from the diet though :) I am somewhat apprehensive that I am not covering all I need to do kill the yeast. One of the issues is at this time of the year some of the vegetables are not as readily available. I don't think I am juicing enough during the day....I have to do more research.
*****Note a couple of things I haven't mentioned yet. Yeast in your body feeds on sugar, vinegar, carbs. These are the big items to avoid! Bread, potato, pasta, fruits, vinegar condiments such as salad dressing, pickles, etc...
Diet:
1 Meal- Juice, 3 medium tomatos, 2 celery stalks, 4 handfuls of kale, 1 small hand full of parsley, 1 raw garlic clove, 1/2 inch ginger root, 1 small cucumber
1 Snack-3 tbsp home made hummus, 2 small bell peppers
2 Meal- large bowl of iceberg lettuce, 2 small tomatos, 1 small bell pepper drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice
3 Meal- 1 large soup bowl of mixed veggies ( purple hull peas, green beans, okra, tomato) 3 tbsp of hummus with 1 cucumber
3 Snack- 1 Dan Active Pro Biotic shake
Supplements: 4 Cinnamon capsules 500mg, 3 Omega 3 Fish Oil capsules 1000mg, 1 Vitamin E 1000mg, 2 Accuflora Pro Biotic supplements, 1 Dan Active Pro Biotic drink, 3 tablespoons coconut oil
Health Status: Fingers and hands are healing some, still somewhat raw in spots where the deepest irritation is, however, not as itchy tonight. Patches on the inside of my arms and back of the leg are continuing to improve. Face is improved greatly and complexion is improving. Scalp is still irritated in some spots, but seems to be improving some.
Emotional Status: Tired! Not from the diet though :) I am somewhat apprehensive that I am not covering all I need to do kill the yeast. One of the issues is at this time of the year some of the vegetables are not as readily available. I don't think I am juicing enough during the day....I have to do more research.
*****Note a couple of things I haven't mentioned yet. Yeast in your body feeds on sugar, vinegar, carbs. These are the big items to avoid! Bread, potato, pasta, fruits, vinegar condiments such as salad dressing, pickles, etc...
Diet:
1 Meal- Juice, 3 medium tomatos, 2 celery stalks, 4 handfuls of kale, 1 small hand full of parsley, 1 raw garlic clove, 1/2 inch ginger root, 1 small cucumber
1 Snack-3 tbsp home made hummus, 2 small bell peppers
2 Meal- large bowl of iceberg lettuce, 2 small tomatos, 1 small bell pepper drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice
3 Meal- 1 large soup bowl of mixed veggies ( purple hull peas, green beans, okra, tomato) 3 tbsp of hummus with 1 cucumber
3 Snack- 1 Dan Active Pro Biotic shake
Supplements: 4 Cinnamon capsules 500mg, 3 Omega 3 Fish Oil capsules 1000mg, 1 Vitamin E 1000mg, 2 Accuflora Pro Biotic supplements, 1 Dan Active Pro Biotic drink, 3 tablespoons coconut oil
8.22.2010
Day 4
Weight: 201 waking weight today, I did not weigh myself anymore through the day because I don't want to be obsessed with weight.
Health Status: Hands are less raw, still dry and slightly itchy today probably from being dry. Rashes under the arm from elbow to underarm seem to be getting better, patch on the back of the left leg has improved greatly. Scalp is still rashy and weepy in spots on the left side. Skin on the face is much better, complexion is improving. Stomach continues to be less bloated.
Emotional Status: Not feeling well today! Late this afternoon I had a bad headache and nausea, I had to lay down and rest for about an hour. I have been overly agitated today, easily angered.
Diet:
1 Meal: Breakfast drink I concocted: 2 cups of tomato juice (juiced yesterday) mixed with the juice from 2 stalks of celery, 1 small handful of parsley, 1 small chunk of ginger root, 2 raw garlic cloves, 4 small hand fulls of kale
1 Snack: 2 small bell peppers with 3 tablespoons of homemade hummus.
2 Meal: 1 small steak 2 cups of steamed broccoli and yellow squash, 1 cup of a mix of peas, string beans, tomatos, okra.
2 Snack: Dan Active Pro Biotic drink
Through the day I drink up to 6 glasses of water, 2 cups of hot green tea, and I start my day with a cup of hot water and lemon juice.
Supplements: 4 Cinnamon capsules 500mg, 4 Omega 3 Fish Oil 1000mg, 2 AccuFlora pro biotic supplements, 1 Vitamin E 1000mg, 1 Dan Active Pro Biotic drink, 3 tablespoons of Coconut Oil
One thing that I have realized is that today I have had no cravings for bread or sugar. In the past 3 days I have eaten a small amount of peanut butter. But today I haven't had any need for that.
Health Status: Hands are less raw, still dry and slightly itchy today probably from being dry. Rashes under the arm from elbow to underarm seem to be getting better, patch on the back of the left leg has improved greatly. Scalp is still rashy and weepy in spots on the left side. Skin on the face is much better, complexion is improving. Stomach continues to be less bloated.
Emotional Status: Not feeling well today! Late this afternoon I had a bad headache and nausea, I had to lay down and rest for about an hour. I have been overly agitated today, easily angered.
Diet:
1 Meal: Breakfast drink I concocted: 2 cups of tomato juice (juiced yesterday) mixed with the juice from 2 stalks of celery, 1 small handful of parsley, 1 small chunk of ginger root, 2 raw garlic cloves, 4 small hand fulls of kale
1 Snack: 2 small bell peppers with 3 tablespoons of homemade hummus.
2 Meal: 1 small steak 2 cups of steamed broccoli and yellow squash, 1 cup of a mix of peas, string beans, tomatos, okra.
2 Snack: Dan Active Pro Biotic drink
Through the day I drink up to 6 glasses of water, 2 cups of hot green tea, and I start my day with a cup of hot water and lemon juice.
Supplements: 4 Cinnamon capsules 500mg, 4 Omega 3 Fish Oil 1000mg, 2 AccuFlora pro biotic supplements, 1 Vitamin E 1000mg, 1 Dan Active Pro Biotic drink, 3 tablespoons of Coconut Oil
One thing that I have realized is that today I have had no cravings for bread or sugar. In the past 3 days I have eaten a small amount of peanut butter. But today I haven't had any need for that.
Thoughts and Recipes
Just a short blog about things I have forgotten to mention and to also provide some recipes. I am going to be providing recipes only if I came up with them myself to avoid copying someone else's ideas. One of the things I have found is that it is actually hard to find recipes without buying some one's book. The book I have purchased has been back ordered, but I don't want to lose my momentum so I am researching the vegetables and then combining them together to get a (hopefully) desired result. Which is KILLING Candida and making me healthier!
So one thing I haven't mentioned in my daily log, I just forgot, is my very first drink of the morning. I heat a coffee cup of plain water and slice a 1/4 inch section of lemon, squeeze the lemon juice into the hot water and just drop in the lemon slice so the oils from the rind are steeped in the water. Drink while hot! This will gently detox your liver.
My breakfast drink:
3 medium tomatos
2 stalks of celery
2 raw garlic cloves
1 small handful of parsley
1/2 in chunk of ginger root
4 small handfuls of Kale
1 small cucumber
juice all this together!
I am going to tell you something no one told me and I didn't see anywhere. Stir your juice! I didn't read that anywhere and the first time I juice I get a huge swallow of ginger root juice right on top!
Now why is this good?
Tomato is rich in Vitamin A & C and has a great antioxidant Lycopene
Celery is high in Calcium and Vitamin C, a diuretic, and lowers blood pressure
Garlic is a natural antibiotic, great cholesterol reducing properties, it boost your natural killing cells which combat toxins in the body
Kale high in Vitamin A and Beta carotene, a natural cancer fighter
Ginger root aids in digestion, circulation, and pain control
Parsley Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Vitamin A and a natural cancer fighter
Cucumber, Vitamin C, Silica, Magnesium, Potassium, lowers blood pressure
Final thought! I took 3 tablespoons of solid coconut oil and places in a small dish then placed it in the sun, with in 5 minutes it was liquid. I drank it all at once to get it over with :) The taste wasn't so bad it tasted oily (obviously) with a hint of the coconut flavor. Not something I would want to do forever, but willing to try to see if it will indeed kill the yeast!
So one thing I haven't mentioned in my daily log, I just forgot, is my very first drink of the morning. I heat a coffee cup of plain water and slice a 1/4 inch section of lemon, squeeze the lemon juice into the hot water and just drop in the lemon slice so the oils from the rind are steeped in the water. Drink while hot! This will gently detox your liver.
My breakfast drink:
3 medium tomatos
2 stalks of celery
2 raw garlic cloves
1 small handful of parsley
1/2 in chunk of ginger root
4 small handfuls of Kale
1 small cucumber
juice all this together!
I am going to tell you something no one told me and I didn't see anywhere. Stir your juice! I didn't read that anywhere and the first time I juice I get a huge swallow of ginger root juice right on top!
Now why is this good?
Tomato is rich in Vitamin A & C and has a great antioxidant Lycopene
Celery is high in Calcium and Vitamin C, a diuretic, and lowers blood pressure
Garlic is a natural antibiotic, great cholesterol reducing properties, it boost your natural killing cells which combat toxins in the body
Kale high in Vitamin A and Beta carotene, a natural cancer fighter
Ginger root aids in digestion, circulation, and pain control
Parsley Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Vitamin A and a natural cancer fighter
Cucumber, Vitamin C, Silica, Magnesium, Potassium, lowers blood pressure
Final thought! I took 3 tablespoons of solid coconut oil and places in a small dish then placed it in the sun, with in 5 minutes it was liquid. I drank it all at once to get it over with :) The taste wasn't so bad it tasted oily (obviously) with a hint of the coconut flavor. Not something I would want to do forever, but willing to try to see if it will indeed kill the yeast!
8.21.2010
Day 3
Weight: 202.5 ---- it was lower (198) when I weighed first thing in the morning, but I weighed again about an hour later and this seems more realistic
Health Status: Hands still dry and cracked, not as raw, patches on the back of my leg and up my inner arm from wrist to underarm are still there bumpy and itchy. Scalp still irritated and raw in places, may be improving some. Skin on the face is still dry in places, complexion still off. Stomach is not nearly as swollen or bloated today! YAY it is encouraging to feel like your stomach is becoming more flat.
Emotional Status: Afraid of Juicing.....it was harsh, I know it was worth it, but I have to find some more recipes. Emotionally my family is going through some things right now so I don't feel that I can accurately gage the impact of the yeast on my emotional state. Cravings are not as bad today. I was encouraged when I had lost some weight and noticed changes in the shape of my stomach.
Diet:
1 Meal- 1 small cucumber, 1 small bell pepper, 1 medium tomato sliced and drizzled with olive oil and salt.
1 Snack-1 small cucumber and 1 small bell pepper sliced eaten with hummus
2 Meal -medium bowl of salad with 1 small cucumber, 1 small bell pepper, 2 small tomatoes all drizzled with olive oil, lemon juice and salt
2 Snack- 1/2 tsp of peanut butter....I don't know where that craving is coming from
3 Meal- steak, 1 cup steamed broccoli ( olive oil, garlic powder, kosher salt), 1 cup grilled yellow and zucchini, 1 cup cut up cucumber, tomato, onion, bell pepper mix.
3 Snack -Dan Active pro biotic drink
Supplements: 4 Cinnamon capsules 500mg, 3 Omega 3 Fish Oil 1000mg, 2 AccuFlora pro biotic supplements, 1 Vitamin E 1000mg, 1 Dan Active pro biotic drink
Tomorrow I intend to juice again, I am researching juicing weight loss recipes until my book arrives, which I hope will be in the next couple of days. I really wanted to get in my raw garlic and coconut oil today, but that did not happen. I am going to try and liquefy the coconut oil and take it in liquid form. I think that will be much easier to do than taking it in solid form as it taste like you have mouth full of Crisco...YUK!!!
Health Status: Hands still dry and cracked, not as raw, patches on the back of my leg and up my inner arm from wrist to underarm are still there bumpy and itchy. Scalp still irritated and raw in places, may be improving some. Skin on the face is still dry in places, complexion still off. Stomach is not nearly as swollen or bloated today! YAY it is encouraging to feel like your stomach is becoming more flat.
Emotional Status: Afraid of Juicing.....it was harsh, I know it was worth it, but I have to find some more recipes. Emotionally my family is going through some things right now so I don't feel that I can accurately gage the impact of the yeast on my emotional state. Cravings are not as bad today. I was encouraged when I had lost some weight and noticed changes in the shape of my stomach.
Diet:
1 Meal- 1 small cucumber, 1 small bell pepper, 1 medium tomato sliced and drizzled with olive oil and salt.
1 Snack-1 small cucumber and 1 small bell pepper sliced eaten with hummus
2 Meal -medium bowl of salad with 1 small cucumber, 1 small bell pepper, 2 small tomatoes all drizzled with olive oil, lemon juice and salt
2 Snack- 1/2 tsp of peanut butter....I don't know where that craving is coming from
3 Meal- steak, 1 cup steamed broccoli ( olive oil, garlic powder, kosher salt), 1 cup grilled yellow and zucchini, 1 cup cut up cucumber, tomato, onion, bell pepper mix.
3 Snack -Dan Active pro biotic drink
Supplements: 4 Cinnamon capsules 500mg, 3 Omega 3 Fish Oil 1000mg, 2 AccuFlora pro biotic supplements, 1 Vitamin E 1000mg, 1 Dan Active pro biotic drink
Tomorrow I intend to juice again, I am researching juicing weight loss recipes until my book arrives, which I hope will be in the next couple of days. I really wanted to get in my raw garlic and coconut oil today, but that did not happen. I am going to try and liquefy the coconut oil and take it in liquid form. I think that will be much easier to do than taking it in solid form as it taste like you have mouth full of Crisco...YUK!!!
Day 2
Weight: 206.5-----probably those chicken wings :)
Health Status: Hands cracked and raw, sore and painful. Patch on the back of the left leg is less itchy but still present, scalp irritated and weepy in places, inside of arms from elbow to underarm are dry itchy and bumpy. Skin on the face has improved, but continues to be dry in places, complexion is dull and sluggish despite a good facial scrub. Stomach is still bloated in the morning, but less bloat by the end of the day.
Emotional Status: Determined! I have ordered the book " The Juice Lady's Turbo Diet" but I am waiting on it to arrive. I have a sample menu from the book which I found in a magazine so today I started my day juicing.
Diet:
1 Meal- Juice :) 3 Carrots trimmed and cleaned, 1 cucumber, 1 inch chunk of ginger root, 1 half apple, 1/2 lemon peeled (only the skin leave the white pith). This made one large glass of juice which I drank, admittedly with a large glass of water between gulps.
1 Snack- sliced bell peppers with hummus
2 Meal-Juice 2 medium tomatoes, 3 large handfuls of kale, 1 raw garlic clove, 1 large handful of fresh basil, 2 shakes of hot sauce
2 Snack- cheat.....I know it is only day one..... 1 tsp peanut butter
3 Meal-2 small chicken breast grilled with only herbal seasoning, 1 cup grilled yellow squash and zucchini, 1 cup roasted asparagus ( seasoned with a drizzle of olive oil, lemon juice, and kosher salt), 1 large salad with ice burg lettuce, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers and cucumbers dressed with a drizzle of olive oil, lemon juice, and salt
3 Snack- 1 Dan Active drink and 2 vegetarian crackers
Supplements: 2 Omega 3 Fish Oil 1000 mg, 2 Cinnamon capsule 500mg, 1 pro biotic supplement, 1 Dan Active pro bitioc drink
Health Status: Hands cracked and raw, sore and painful. Patch on the back of the left leg is less itchy but still present, scalp irritated and weepy in places, inside of arms from elbow to underarm are dry itchy and bumpy. Skin on the face has improved, but continues to be dry in places, complexion is dull and sluggish despite a good facial scrub. Stomach is still bloated in the morning, but less bloat by the end of the day.
Emotional Status: Determined! I have ordered the book " The Juice Lady's Turbo Diet" but I am waiting on it to arrive. I have a sample menu from the book which I found in a magazine so today I started my day juicing.
Diet:
1 Meal- Juice :) 3 Carrots trimmed and cleaned, 1 cucumber, 1 inch chunk of ginger root, 1 half apple, 1/2 lemon peeled (only the skin leave the white pith). This made one large glass of juice which I drank, admittedly with a large glass of water between gulps.
1 Snack- sliced bell peppers with hummus
2 Meal-Juice 2 medium tomatoes, 3 large handfuls of kale, 1 raw garlic clove, 1 large handful of fresh basil, 2 shakes of hot sauce
2 Snack- cheat.....I know it is only day one..... 1 tsp peanut butter
3 Meal-2 small chicken breast grilled with only herbal seasoning, 1 cup grilled yellow squash and zucchini, 1 cup roasted asparagus ( seasoned with a drizzle of olive oil, lemon juice, and kosher salt), 1 large salad with ice burg lettuce, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers and cucumbers dressed with a drizzle of olive oil, lemon juice, and salt
3 Snack- 1 Dan Active drink and 2 vegetarian crackers
Supplements: 2 Omega 3 Fish Oil 1000 mg, 2 Cinnamon capsule 500mg, 1 pro biotic supplement, 1 Dan Active pro bitioc drink
I did not take the Coconut Oil today because it was really hard to take, I need to find a better way to take this as I believe it is important to the process....maybe tomorrow!
Today was a hard day as I have never done juicing before and it was thicker and more intense than I expected. I was not hungry all day long, but by the evening when it was time for dinner I was STARVING! I was also craving carbs A LOT..... I believe this is from the yeast which feeds off the sugar. All I have read suggest that craving for carbs is from the yeast. It is a little crazy to me that one little thing can cause so much havoc, but I can feel it.
One comment from my blog yesterday asked for some of the websites that I used to research this condition, so I am going to provide a couple of links here, by no means is this the only research I did....so please do your homework and don't go into this lightly.
One anecdotal story I will share with you is I talked with someone yesterday who had the same type of problems with their hands that I have. They went on the diet and pro biotics and now have no issues and are able to return to a normal diet.
The first two sites here give you a quiz that helps you gage if you have this condition and to what extent you may have it. The third has some really good information on what the symptoms are as well as the long term effects.
http://www.thecandidadiet.com/
8.19.2010
Day 1
Day 1
Weight : 204.5 lbs
Health Status: Hands are cracked, raw, painful. Back of the left leg is itchy and bumpy. Left side of the scalp irritated dry skin, open places, painful. Patches of dry itchy skin going up both arms on the inside. Face is mildly irritated especially around the eyes and lips. Overall all skin appearance is sluggish and tired. Stomach is bloated and swollen.
Emotional Status: Upbeat because I think I may have found a way to help all the health issues. However unsure and apprehensive anxious to make the "right" changes and have the best results. At times overly sensitive.
Diet:
1 meal: 1 medium tomato, 1 small bell pepper, 1 4 inch section of Armenian cucumber: sliced in a bowl drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt. 1 cup of hot green tea with a splash of lemon juice.
2 meal: 10 unbattered chicken wings with barbecue sauce and a small order of fries.....hey it is the first day :)
3 snack/meal: 1 medium tomato, 1 small bell pepper, 1 12 inch section of Armenian cucumber: sliced in a bowl drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt. 1 cup of hot green tea with a splash of lemon juice. 1 32 oz glass of ice water
Supplements:
1 Vitamin E 1,000mg, 2 Cinnamon capsules 500 mg, 1 Fish Oil Capsule, 1 pro biotic supplement, 1 Dan Active yogurt pro biotic drink, 1 tsp of Coconut Oil orally.
Cinnamon is a proven supplement for the regulation of sugar and insulin in your system, it is also a proven anti fungal. Fish Oil is good for circulation and heart health, the pro biotics help to restore the Intestinal Flora, several websites suggest that Coconut Oil can split and kill Yeast bacteria, suggestions are to take 3tbsp per day.... I am working my way up.
Weight : 204.5 lbs
Health Status: Hands are cracked, raw, painful. Back of the left leg is itchy and bumpy. Left side of the scalp irritated dry skin, open places, painful. Patches of dry itchy skin going up both arms on the inside. Face is mildly irritated especially around the eyes and lips. Overall all skin appearance is sluggish and tired. Stomach is bloated and swollen.
Emotional Status: Upbeat because I think I may have found a way to help all the health issues. However unsure and apprehensive anxious to make the "right" changes and have the best results. At times overly sensitive.
Diet:
1 meal: 1 medium tomato, 1 small bell pepper, 1 4 inch section of Armenian cucumber: sliced in a bowl drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt. 1 cup of hot green tea with a splash of lemon juice.
2 meal: 10 unbattered chicken wings with barbecue sauce and a small order of fries.....hey it is the first day :)
3 snack/meal: 1 medium tomato, 1 small bell pepper, 1 12 inch section of Armenian cucumber: sliced in a bowl drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt. 1 cup of hot green tea with a splash of lemon juice. 1 32 oz glass of ice water
Supplements:
1 Vitamin E 1,000mg, 2 Cinnamon capsules 500 mg, 1 Fish Oil Capsule, 1 pro biotic supplement, 1 Dan Active yogurt pro biotic drink, 1 tsp of Coconut Oil orally.
Cinnamon is a proven supplement for the regulation of sugar and insulin in your system, it is also a proven anti fungal. Fish Oil is good for circulation and heart health, the pro biotics help to restore the Intestinal Flora, several websites suggest that Coconut Oil can split and kill Yeast bacteria, suggestions are to take 3tbsp per day.... I am working my way up.
Candida Yeast ...the beginning of a journey
For me the words Yeast overgrowth, or Candida Yeast, have until recently conjured thoughts of the typical yeast infections that women get....of which I have had maybe one or two in my life!
Until about 2 months ago I had never heard that all people of both sexes have a certain amount of yeast in the lining of the stomach. Now that is not to suggest that I was unaware that the human body contained a delicate balance of bacteria which helped our digestive system to work properly. I am only saying that I didn't realize that Yeast was one of these bacterias. Nor did I realize that this yeast could grow out of control in your body, causing a huge mirage of medical problems.
Now, my mother is a very homeopathic person so I have always heard that I should eat yogurt when I take antibiotics. The antibiotics killed the good bacteria in your stomach and is the reason a lot of people suffer with bowel symptoms as a result of that killing of good bacteria.
One thing that I didn't know, and I am not sure anyone in my family knew, is that in addition to antibiotics; corticosteroids can cause a disruption in your bacteria balance too.
For as long as I can remember I have struggled with Eczema, food allergies. The treatment for these allergies were corticosteroids! I have literally taken them my whole life! Every day after my bath and frequently through the day I cover my skin with Cortisone ointment. This has been going on for at least 31 years!
Over the course of my life the Eczema and allergies have gotten worse, then better, then worse but they have never really been gone. I have had menstrual issues, inability to lose weight, depression, anxiety, hair loss, constipation, the list goes on and on. After finding the issue of Candida overgrowth and taking the quiz to see if it could be my problem I found that I have 12 of the 15 symptoms!
Now I am going to come clean right now and tell you that one of my character flaws or "special trait" is this, when I decide that I want to do something I have to do it right then. I may take a while to make up my mind, but once it is made up I do it right then!
After reading at least 20 websites, watching videos, reading testimonies, and a long and very enlightening discussion with a good friend this morning, I have diagnosed myself with this condition. True to my character I went out and purchased a medium grade juicer, and several supplements suggested by the various websites.
For the next few days or weeks I am going to chart the changes I am making in myself , my diet, my routine, etc. I am doing this for me, so I can see if I am noticing a difference, and I am doing this in the hopes of helping others who may have this disorder and not even know it. I will be blogging about what I have found to be symptoms of the disorder, supplements I am taking, juicing diets, cleanses, etc....
If you have questions, ask, if you have suggestions, let me know! I want to learn and grow from this experience. I feel as if I am on the verge of a huge break through for me.
Until about 2 months ago I had never heard that all people of both sexes have a certain amount of yeast in the lining of the stomach. Now that is not to suggest that I was unaware that the human body contained a delicate balance of bacteria which helped our digestive system to work properly. I am only saying that I didn't realize that Yeast was one of these bacterias. Nor did I realize that this yeast could grow out of control in your body, causing a huge mirage of medical problems.
Now, my mother is a very homeopathic person so I have always heard that I should eat yogurt when I take antibiotics. The antibiotics killed the good bacteria in your stomach and is the reason a lot of people suffer with bowel symptoms as a result of that killing of good bacteria.
One thing that I didn't know, and I am not sure anyone in my family knew, is that in addition to antibiotics; corticosteroids can cause a disruption in your bacteria balance too.
For as long as I can remember I have struggled with Eczema, food allergies. The treatment for these allergies were corticosteroids! I have literally taken them my whole life! Every day after my bath and frequently through the day I cover my skin with Cortisone ointment. This has been going on for at least 31 years!
Over the course of my life the Eczema and allergies have gotten worse, then better, then worse but they have never really been gone. I have had menstrual issues, inability to lose weight, depression, anxiety, hair loss, constipation, the list goes on and on. After finding the issue of Candida overgrowth and taking the quiz to see if it could be my problem I found that I have 12 of the 15 symptoms!
Now I am going to come clean right now and tell you that one of my character flaws or "special trait" is this, when I decide that I want to do something I have to do it right then. I may take a while to make up my mind, but once it is made up I do it right then!
After reading at least 20 websites, watching videos, reading testimonies, and a long and very enlightening discussion with a good friend this morning, I have diagnosed myself with this condition. True to my character I went out and purchased a medium grade juicer, and several supplements suggested by the various websites.
For the next few days or weeks I am going to chart the changes I am making in myself , my diet, my routine, etc. I am doing this for me, so I can see if I am noticing a difference, and I am doing this in the hopes of helping others who may have this disorder and not even know it. I will be blogging about what I have found to be symptoms of the disorder, supplements I am taking, juicing diets, cleanses, etc....
If you have questions, ask, if you have suggestions, let me know! I want to learn and grow from this experience. I feel as if I am on the verge of a huge break through for me.
8.10.2010
Our Adventures in Boy Scouts continue.......
This past weekend we made a trek down to my parent's place to camp with some of the boys from Joseph's boy scout troop. We had 5 boys including Joseph and 3 adults which is a great ratio. There were times when we also had my husband Brian but we call him a trainee since this was his first overnight scout camp :)
We arrived on Thursday and stayed through Sunday, with lots of swimming, fishing, a trip to Dausett Trails Nature Center, Indian Springs State Park. We worked on our Fishing and Cooking merit badges and spent a lot of time just hanging out and building memories. Some would say that we didn't really camp, because we were close to a house, bathrooms, and showers. The boys didn't seem to mind, and each night they spent under the stars they fell asleep talking into the night.
I wasn't sure how the whole event would come off, but as we got ready to leave the boys had marked their territory with a new fire area and claimed their camping spots. I think they would like to go again sometime, and any time they request a return trip, means it has been a successful trip!
Last night our Troop committee met and discussed the upcoming year. Looks like we will have a busy calendar this year, and that is great for the boys, hope there will be some things Joseph can do. He loves scouts!
We arrived on Thursday and stayed through Sunday, with lots of swimming, fishing, a trip to Dausett Trails Nature Center, Indian Springs State Park. We worked on our Fishing and Cooking merit badges and spent a lot of time just hanging out and building memories. Some would say that we didn't really camp, because we were close to a house, bathrooms, and showers. The boys didn't seem to mind, and each night they spent under the stars they fell asleep talking into the night.
I wasn't sure how the whole event would come off, but as we got ready to leave the boys had marked their territory with a new fire area and claimed their camping spots. I think they would like to go again sometime, and any time they request a return trip, means it has been a successful trip!
Last night our Troop committee met and discussed the upcoming year. Looks like we will have a busy calendar this year, and that is great for the boys, hope there will be some things Joseph can do. He loves scouts!
7.21.2010
Tubing
I can't believe that until a week or so ago I had never been tubing.....how have I missed out on this form of recreation????? For the past 14 years I have lived in North GA which seems to be the tubing capital of GA. All I know is I love it, it combines some of my favorite things, running water, floating on giant inner tubes and having fun!
Today we are taking a group of 6 boys scouts and Genevieve tubing in Helen. It promises to be a good time!
What are the two successful elements of water play with scouts, discipline and leadership. You have to have enough adults and the boys must be willing to obey said adults, if those two elements are in place the rest will follow......or so the adult training website says :)
Today we are taking a group of 6 boys scouts and Genevieve tubing in Helen. It promises to be a good time!
What are the two successful elements of water play with scouts, discipline and leadership. You have to have enough adults and the boys must be willing to obey said adults, if those two elements are in place the rest will follow......or so the adult training website says :)
7.18.2010
Giving me a hard time
One of our first pictures together, he blames his big ears on me holding onto them as I rode on his shoulders.As soon as I walked in the door on Thursday it begin, a twinkle in his eye he did everything he could to get under my skin. It was a silent challenge that let me know, " I am still the boss". "Okay, we'll see!"
After about the 3rd try to push my buttons, I looked him straight in the eye and said "watch it buddy!" He looked right back eyes still a twinkling and said, " I know why you are here, and you have to leave before my nurse gets here because I don't stand a chance with both of you here."
We both laughed, but he knew it was true. I am the only granddaughter, the oldest grand child and my Granddaddy and I have always had a special relationship. I like to think he loves me a little bit more than all those stinky boys :)
You see for as long as I can remember I have been called in when Granddaddy wouldn't "behave himself". I can remember as a teenager going to the hospital to straighten things out when he was being exceptionally rude to the nurses, who were doing nothing more than following orders.
March of 2009 when the downhill descent begin in earnest, I got the call. Granddaddy is having some issues with his legs and we could use some help. I went and stayed 3 days I think, doing whatever was necessary but admonishing him to be nice to these people who were just trying to take care of him.
Yesterday as I got ready to leave, knowing that I may never see him again in this life, my last words were " don't let anybody make you feel bad, its your body, but be nice!"
As we visited yesterday he told me at one point that he didn't want any of us to feel bad, to carry any guilt. He is doing what he wants with his body. Ask him how he feels and you may get a different answer depending on who you are, and what you want him to do. If you want him to go to the hospital or doctor he is 100 % better and no problems, the pain isn't bad. If you want him to live out his last days his way....he leg hurts, it takes him a good 10 minutes to scoot out of the chair and he legs turn black when they aren't elevated, not to mention I think the left leg is now getting as bad as the right.
This morning I get a call as I am getting ready to head home, it is Granddaddy, "Hey" he says "you should be at church already, why are you running so late?"........no sense in arguing the technicalities....my response"What are you up to this morning?", " I am just calling to tell you I ain't dead yet!" laughing into the phone he thinks this is funny!!!!!!!!!!
I guess I should have been more specific about who he should be nice to and I should be on the list.
September of 2010 they will have been married 60 years!
The whole crew, all kids, grandkids, and great grandkids with Granddaddy front and center of his motley group!7.13.2010
GrandDaddy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LraOiHUltak
Tonight my heart is heavy and my thoughts are somber as I wonder what the rest of this week will bring. Today as I was having my weekly chat with my Nannie (grandmother) I suddenly heard my GrandDaddy scream out in pain. My demeanor went from one of lazy chit chat to instant alarm. My GrandDaddy is 86 years old and for the last year has been declining in health slowly but surely. He hardly ever complains so to hear him screaming was very alarming. Trying to calm myself I waited patiently for my Nannie to call me back to tell me what was going on.
To keep a long story as short as possible, my Grandfather who has for years had issues with blood clots as developed a really bad one in his leg. It is red, sore, painful, and can be deadly. One year ago he decided he would never return to a hospital. He had been chair bound for several days legs swollen, fluid seaping from them, and he could not even make it to the bathroom. So he went to the hospital and they prescribed medications to rid his body of the fluid, compression stockings to help with the swelling and a ton of test! After several test he put his foot down and said no more. Immediately everyone said, "he is so stubborn, why won't he do what we say".....
But my take on it is this, he is 86 years old, his mind is going! Most of our conversations any more take place in Germany 60 years or more ago during World War II. I have learned more about his military time than I ever thought I would.
At 86 years old, most of his friends are gone. There are very few people who he grew up with, went to school with, and made memories with that are still alive. He can't get around, he has only left the house on a handful of occasions in the last year, most of them doctors appointments. He can't attend church, work his garden, or go to the peach orchard. Walking from the living room to the back porch causes him to be winded. If you were in that shape would you want to take medicine to stay alive? If there were no guarantee that your condition would change, only that you would live in that same state for a longer length of time. I wouldn't....you couldn't make me! So maybe I am as stubborn as he, but I say leave him ALONE. Lets just love him as he is for as long as he is here, and remember the times we have had with him.
Now I am not going to get flowery and pretend that he was a saint, he is not, and was not..... but he does love his family and God.
The things I remember most about my GrandDaddy: going to the barn in the morning while he was milking cows, he would let me feed the babies with a bottle and let them suck my thumbs while the mamas were milked. I remember going to the sale barn with a big Holstein in the back of the truck kicking holes in the truck bed. I remember the Sugar Daddys he kept in the corner of the cabinet for us. I remember the ice cream cups he bought for us when the milk truck came. I remember planting the garden, picking beans, eating watermelon straight from the patch on the back porch, juice running down our chins and covering us with sticky sugar. I remember he showing up in our backyard in his bathing suit with inner tubes hollering for us to throw on a bathing suit and come with him. I remember bushels of peaches and him winking at me asking if I wanted a good ole peach! I remember riding in the truck while he threw hay onto the flat bed truck. I remember him reading his bible every morning and writing letters to my aunts every night. I will always remember The Rule of 72, which he taught us night after night when he was selling insurance and investments. I remember the afternoon after church that he loaded me up in the car and we went to Six Flags, just me and him and Nannie. I remember Sunday afternoon lunches and his prayer over every meal. I remember that there was always a hot dog available for lunch, and he would let us drink coffee no matter how old we were. This blog could go on forever.....I have 36 years of memories and I love each and every one!
I know his days are short and I am thankful for every day I have had with him in my life! Lord be with me as the time comes and comfort my heart to know that there will be no more pain.
I love you GrandDaddy!
Tonight my heart is heavy and my thoughts are somber as I wonder what the rest of this week will bring. Today as I was having my weekly chat with my Nannie (grandmother) I suddenly heard my GrandDaddy scream out in pain. My demeanor went from one of lazy chit chat to instant alarm. My GrandDaddy is 86 years old and for the last year has been declining in health slowly but surely. He hardly ever complains so to hear him screaming was very alarming. Trying to calm myself I waited patiently for my Nannie to call me back to tell me what was going on.
To keep a long story as short as possible, my Grandfather who has for years had issues with blood clots as developed a really bad one in his leg. It is red, sore, painful, and can be deadly. One year ago he decided he would never return to a hospital. He had been chair bound for several days legs swollen, fluid seaping from them, and he could not even make it to the bathroom. So he went to the hospital and they prescribed medications to rid his body of the fluid, compression stockings to help with the swelling and a ton of test! After several test he put his foot down and said no more. Immediately everyone said, "he is so stubborn, why won't he do what we say".....
But my take on it is this, he is 86 years old, his mind is going! Most of our conversations any more take place in Germany 60 years or more ago during World War II. I have learned more about his military time than I ever thought I would.
At 86 years old, most of his friends are gone. There are very few people who he grew up with, went to school with, and made memories with that are still alive. He can't get around, he has only left the house on a handful of occasions in the last year, most of them doctors appointments. He can't attend church, work his garden, or go to the peach orchard. Walking from the living room to the back porch causes him to be winded. If you were in that shape would you want to take medicine to stay alive? If there were no guarantee that your condition would change, only that you would live in that same state for a longer length of time. I wouldn't....you couldn't make me! So maybe I am as stubborn as he, but I say leave him ALONE. Lets just love him as he is for as long as he is here, and remember the times we have had with him.
Now I am not going to get flowery and pretend that he was a saint, he is not, and was not..... but he does love his family and God.
The things I remember most about my GrandDaddy: going to the barn in the morning while he was milking cows, he would let me feed the babies with a bottle and let them suck my thumbs while the mamas were milked. I remember going to the sale barn with a big Holstein in the back of the truck kicking holes in the truck bed. I remember the Sugar Daddys he kept in the corner of the cabinet for us. I remember the ice cream cups he bought for us when the milk truck came. I remember planting the garden, picking beans, eating watermelon straight from the patch on the back porch, juice running down our chins and covering us with sticky sugar. I remember he showing up in our backyard in his bathing suit with inner tubes hollering for us to throw on a bathing suit and come with him. I remember bushels of peaches and him winking at me asking if I wanted a good ole peach! I remember riding in the truck while he threw hay onto the flat bed truck. I remember him reading his bible every morning and writing letters to my aunts every night. I will always remember The Rule of 72, which he taught us night after night when he was selling insurance and investments. I remember the afternoon after church that he loaded me up in the car and we went to Six Flags, just me and him and Nannie. I remember Sunday afternoon lunches and his prayer over every meal. I remember that there was always a hot dog available for lunch, and he would let us drink coffee no matter how old we were. This blog could go on forever.....I have 36 years of memories and I love each and every one!
I know his days are short and I am thankful for every day I have had with him in my life! Lord be with me as the time comes and comfort my heart to know that there will be no more pain.
I love you GrandDaddy!
7.08.2010
Doubt
One of my character flaws is that I am always doubting myself. If someone acts "outside the norm" I never credit it to something they have going on. I am always convinced that I have done something to cause the difference. I always second guess myself and my impact on others. Sometimes it is a good thing because it makes me really think about my thoughts and actions and their impact on others. I think it make me more aware of how I treat other people and I hope that it makes me a more considerate person.
However sometimes it can make me turn a situation into something it is not. There have been many times when I will re think, re play and re visit a situation over and over trying to determine what the other person is thinking. Wondering what I could have said or done that would have been misconstrued. Often times it is nothing I have done at all but some outside element that contributed to the situation.
One thing it has taught me is that I don't know people as well as I think. No matter how much time you spend with someone or how long you have known them, you never really know what they think. I am having to learn to be the best person I can be and be as considerate as I possibly can and let the chips fall where they may.
However sometimes it can make me turn a situation into something it is not. There have been many times when I will re think, re play and re visit a situation over and over trying to determine what the other person is thinking. Wondering what I could have said or done that would have been misconstrued. Often times it is nothing I have done at all but some outside element that contributed to the situation.
One thing it has taught me is that I don't know people as well as I think. No matter how much time you spend with someone or how long you have known them, you never really know what they think. I am having to learn to be the best person I can be and be as considerate as I possibly can and let the chips fall where they may.
7.06.2010
Rough Day
So after approximately 3 weeks of having a break from our homeschooling curriculum, we started back to "school" this morning. You would have thought my kids had never seen a book, number, letter, etc...... Suddenly it was I can't read, I can't write, I can't add, I can't subtract! I literally thought I was going to pull every hair I have out of my head. This coupled with the fact that I have just been exhausted lately, for reasons I do not understand.
Today was a bad day!
So bad that I even wound up yelling at my son in front of one of his friends. I really try to avoid that :) I do believe in addressing an issue when it presents itself however, and if I let really bad behavior wait until we get home it really doesn't hold the same weight. My son has this issue with not knowing when to be quiet and let an argument end. He has to have the last word and typically it has to be some wise butt answer to whatever I have to say. So inevitably we find ourselves head to head over something that originally was nothing, but has now spiralled out of control.
Now I know what you are thinking, "you are the adult, just let it end". I do try, I say "son, please stop now before this gets out of control" He will not! There is one thing I cannot and will not as a parent tolerate and that is disrespect. Unfortunately that is where it always ends up!
It makes me sad, it literally makes me sick, but as a parent I have to parent. I know that I have different standards than some when it comes to parenting. But I will say this, I love my children to distraction! I completely adore them and I want them with me all the time. Most of the time I want the sitting in my lap and giving me snuggles, in spite of the fact that they are 8 and 12.
Bad days are just bad days I guess! I know we all have them and no one is perfect. I am glad that ours are much fewer and much farther between than they have been!
To tomorrow! May you be a much better day, full of smiles, laughter, learning, and love!
Today was a bad day!
So bad that I even wound up yelling at my son in front of one of his friends. I really try to avoid that :) I do believe in addressing an issue when it presents itself however, and if I let really bad behavior wait until we get home it really doesn't hold the same weight. My son has this issue with not knowing when to be quiet and let an argument end. He has to have the last word and typically it has to be some wise butt answer to whatever I have to say. So inevitably we find ourselves head to head over something that originally was nothing, but has now spiralled out of control.
Now I know what you are thinking, "you are the adult, just let it end". I do try, I say "son, please stop now before this gets out of control" He will not! There is one thing I cannot and will not as a parent tolerate and that is disrespect. Unfortunately that is where it always ends up!
It makes me sad, it literally makes me sick, but as a parent I have to parent. I know that I have different standards than some when it comes to parenting. But I will say this, I love my children to distraction! I completely adore them and I want them with me all the time. Most of the time I want the sitting in my lap and giving me snuggles, in spite of the fact that they are 8 and 12.
Bad days are just bad days I guess! I know we all have them and no one is perfect. I am glad that ours are much fewer and much farther between than they have been!
To tomorrow! May you be a much better day, full of smiles, laughter, learning, and love!
6.19.2010
Off to LYC Youth Camp
This week I sent my kids off to camp. This is a hard step for me because in 12 years I have never had a time when I didn't have at least one of them at home with me. It is also hard because my daughter just turned 8 and in my eyes is still very much my baby. So agreeing to let them travel over 700 miles one way from Georgia to Missouri was very hard for me.
The last couple of days before they left I didn't think my daughter was going to make it, she became very sensitive, weepy, easily upset and I could tell she was thinking of leaving home for the first time. Yet she was excited so it was a toss up, but when our friend came to pick her up she skipped out the door without even hugging me bye. I had to call her back so I could get just one more hug and kiss.
My son is 12 years old and he has already been off to camp once, so I was not as worried about him. I think this trip will be a great growing experience for him. At several places along the way it places him outside his comfort zone which is good for him!
They have been gone 2 nights both nights, both nights right at bed time I have gotten a call from Joseph. He has to tell me good night and let me know how the day has gone. Genevieve hasn't even asked to talk to us :) I know I should be sad, but I am not I am glad that she is happy and secure and not homesick.
I know they will have a great time at camp, and hopefully be glad to get home next Monday!
The last couple of days before they left I didn't think my daughter was going to make it, she became very sensitive, weepy, easily upset and I could tell she was thinking of leaving home for the first time. Yet she was excited so it was a toss up, but when our friend came to pick her up she skipped out the door without even hugging me bye. I had to call her back so I could get just one more hug and kiss.
My son is 12 years old and he has already been off to camp once, so I was not as worried about him. I think this trip will be a great growing experience for him. At several places along the way it places him outside his comfort zone which is good for him!
They have been gone 2 nights both nights, both nights right at bed time I have gotten a call from Joseph. He has to tell me good night and let me know how the day has gone. Genevieve hasn't even asked to talk to us :) I know I should be sad, but I am not I am glad that she is happy and secure and not homesick.
I know they will have a great time at camp, and hopefully be glad to get home next Monday!
6.16.2010
Scout Moms vs Scout Dads
One thing that absolutely drives me crazy is the conversation, that as scout parents, we have all the time. It starts with this sentence " We need more Dad's to volunteer".....and as soon as it is out my hackles are up and I am ready to fight.
Not because I don't believe that boys need male influences, I DO! I can't teach my son to be a man, he needs a man for that.
I can teach him, and other boys, how to be good people and how to live the scout law. I can also be there to make sure they don't hurt themselves and others when they try their many antics. I can drive the van, organize the trip, referee the arguments, supervise the younger ones, reign them in when the silliness threatens to go to far, and call them down when they step out of line. All those things, and a hundred others can be done by a Scout MOM!
I can also, coordinate a simple camp out, plan a field trip, teach a merit badge, manage money, review their books, discuss their rank advancements, give them direction and suggestions and be a sounding board.
One person recently said, "we need more Dads so that our kids can have a quality program." I tried really hard not to be offended, because I know for a fact that it wasn't a malicious statement.
Do I think we need more Dads? Yep!!!!! Sure!!!! I think we need more parents~ parents who are not just willing to show up, but parents who want to be there, who enjoy leading the boys. I don't really care if you are man, woman, Mom, Dad, Grandma, Granddad, Uncle, Aunt......whatever!
Yet I think we need to realize that there are many men who do not feel comfortable being responsible for other peoples children; there are Moms who don't either.
Let us be thankful for those who volunteer, who lead or give of their time in whatever way they can, and stop focusing on male or female.
Not because I don't believe that boys need male influences, I DO! I can't teach my son to be a man, he needs a man for that.
I can teach him, and other boys, how to be good people and how to live the scout law. I can also be there to make sure they don't hurt themselves and others when they try their many antics. I can drive the van, organize the trip, referee the arguments, supervise the younger ones, reign them in when the silliness threatens to go to far, and call them down when they step out of line. All those things, and a hundred others can be done by a Scout MOM!
I can also, coordinate a simple camp out, plan a field trip, teach a merit badge, manage money, review their books, discuss their rank advancements, give them direction and suggestions and be a sounding board.
One person recently said, "we need more Dads so that our kids can have a quality program." I tried really hard not to be offended, because I know for a fact that it wasn't a malicious statement.
Do I think we need more Dads? Yep!!!!! Sure!!!! I think we need more parents~ parents who are not just willing to show up, but parents who want to be there, who enjoy leading the boys. I don't really care if you are man, woman, Mom, Dad, Grandma, Granddad, Uncle, Aunt......whatever!
Yet I think we need to realize that there are many men who do not feel comfortable being responsible for other peoples children; there are Moms who don't either.
Let us be thankful for those who volunteer, who lead or give of their time in whatever way they can, and stop focusing on male or female.
6.11.2010
Its summer time......
Hanging out with the family, staying cool and having fun!
Celebrating year long accomplishments!
Celebrating year long accomplishments!
Learning new skills!
Enjoying the beauty of God's world and............
Getting lots of excercise and sunshine!
Hanging with our best buddies, making memories..............
Checking out the local scenery
Otherwise just haning around ;)
Happy Summer Yall!!!!
Enjoying the beauty of God's world and............
Getting lots of excercise and sunshine!
Hanging with our best buddies, making memories..............
Checking out the local scenery
Otherwise just haning around ;)
Happy Summer Yall!!!!
6.10.2010
Scouts and Accomplishments
So several months ago I wrote that I would be updating this blog and letting you know how we were managing to accomplish the Boy Scout journey without compromising my son's Sabbath observances. At the time it felt like a dismal and daunting task, some days it still does! Yet today I am happy to say that just a little over 1 years since he transitioned to Boy Scouts he has earned his First Class Scout Rank.
For those of you who don't know much about the ranks, you earn them in this order:
Scout
Tenderfoot
Second Class
First Class
Star
Life
Eagle
The first 4 ranks are about learning the scout skills, hiking, camping, first aid, orienteering, cooking, swimming, etc.
The last 3 ranks become learning your leadership skills, serving in a leadership role in the troop, earning merit badges, learning about and planning their Eagle projects. These ranks are timed, so to speak, you must remain in these ranks for a certain time period. This keeps boys from rushing ahead and getting to the end of the journey as clueless as when they started. This is where the true Eagle Scouts come from. Those boys who hang in there, earn the badges, serve the troop and stay active.
We have camped, hiked, oriented ourselves, cooked, etc.....all with respect to his Sabbath and we have managed to get this far! YAY!!!!! Joseph is so proud of himself and is so motivated to continue that it is hard not to be caught up in his enthusiasm.
Monday night we will have our Court of Honor and watch him receive his Rank and Merit Badges. I will try not to cry, just because I am that kind of Mama :)
Now off to plan more events for these Scouts!
For those of you who don't know much about the ranks, you earn them in this order:
Scout
Tenderfoot
Second Class
First Class
Star
Life
Eagle
The first 4 ranks are about learning the scout skills, hiking, camping, first aid, orienteering, cooking, swimming, etc.
The last 3 ranks become learning your leadership skills, serving in a leadership role in the troop, earning merit badges, learning about and planning their Eagle projects. These ranks are timed, so to speak, you must remain in these ranks for a certain time period. This keeps boys from rushing ahead and getting to the end of the journey as clueless as when they started. This is where the true Eagle Scouts come from. Those boys who hang in there, earn the badges, serve the troop and stay active.
We have camped, hiked, oriented ourselves, cooked, etc.....all with respect to his Sabbath and we have managed to get this far! YAY!!!!! Joseph is so proud of himself and is so motivated to continue that it is hard not to be caught up in his enthusiasm.
Monday night we will have our Court of Honor and watch him receive his Rank and Merit Badges. I will try not to cry, just because I am that kind of Mama :)
Now off to plan more events for these Scouts!
Love
Love, in my eyes is unconditional. I can love you and except you as my friend regardless of race, religion, politics, or what you may have done in your past. I also love you whether or not you do what I expect, want, or wish you would do.
Love is
being disappointed but shaking it off and moving on
wishing for a better result but trying again
wanting more and always hoping for the best
embracing your heart with two arms and holding your secrets with me always
If we could only begin to think of how we handle our relationships as the old rule of "do unto others as you would have them do unto you". This is a lesson I am learning too........
I know crazy rant right....its okay it is out of my system now.....besides how many really read this anyway?
Love is
being disappointed but shaking it off and moving on
wishing for a better result but trying again
wanting more and always hoping for the best
embracing your heart with two arms and holding your secrets with me always
If we could only begin to think of how we handle our relationships as the old rule of "do unto others as you would have them do unto you". This is a lesson I am learning too........
I know crazy rant right....its okay it is out of my system now.....besides how many really read this anyway?
5.21.2010
Chaos, Confusion, Calm
Since Friday of last week my world / schedule has been turned upside. The subject is work and the cause is toooo complicated to relate. But suffice to say that it has been an extremely busy and it has hampered me from doing some of the things I love to do. The first one that comes to mind is fabric shopping with Allyson yesterday :( Also my daily walk has been impacted which stinks because I seriously need the exercise.
In all the work chaos I have also had a couple of Boy Scout things hanging over my head that are right around the corner. One is our Court of Honor ceremony which I am the chairperson for, even though it has been unclear what/when we are to have it. The other is a camping trip that is coming up in the next week and a half.
Problems.....1) no place to have the Court of Honor that is free. 2) Forgot when I scheduled roofer that I had camping trip scheduled same day!
What this leads to? STRESS
God provided me solutions today! I was so relieved that I ran into the house praising him!
Solutions....1) Allyson asked Andy and we can use the band room at the college for the COH. (Thank you, Thank you, Thank you)
2.) Talked to roofer today, will not need me here, but will be finishing up around lunch time anyway so it doesn't matter.
In all the work chaos I have also had a couple of Boy Scout things hanging over my head that are right around the corner. One is our Court of Honor ceremony which I am the chairperson for, even though it has been unclear what/when we are to have it. The other is a camping trip that is coming up in the next week and a half.
Problems.....1) no place to have the Court of Honor that is free. 2) Forgot when I scheduled roofer that I had camping trip scheduled same day!
What this leads to? STRESS
God provided me solutions today! I was so relieved that I ran into the house praising him!
Solutions....1) Allyson asked Andy and we can use the band room at the college for the COH. (Thank you, Thank you, Thank you)
2.) Talked to roofer today, will not need me here, but will be finishing up around lunch time anyway so it doesn't matter.
5.04.2010
Distance
As I got home on Friday of last week I went out and sat in my swing, head leaned back, staring at the leaves in the trees as they danced in the wind. I thought this: as much as I love my family and I am so happy to get to see them, I love my home. I love the mountains, the trees, the landscape of the mountains. As much as I would like to live close to my family, I would rather they live close to me than me live close to them :O
However, it is weeks like this one that make me wish no matter where we live we were all closer together. No details, this is open forum internet ;) Lets suffice it to say there are lots of family that I would like to be closer too this week. My Daddy & Granddaddy in particular.
I have been blessed with two father figures in my life. I love both of them dearly. Last year my Dad had a ton of health problems and I shed many tears and issued many prayers while he was ill, I couldn't be at the hospital with him either. This year it is my Daddy, again, tears, prayers, concern, text, calls, I would be there if I could. Probably wouldn't be any help, but still would make me feel better to see for myself what was going on.
I have been blessed to have my GrandDaddy (not Pop) around as long as I have he is 86 1/2 years old....each day gets harder. I worry about every mini stroke, every swollen leg, and every time I leave him I make him promise me he will be there when I get back. I want him to always be right there, every time I come............
Prayers, love, thoughts to all my family! Miss you daily, pray for you constantly, Love you Much!
Jenn
However, it is weeks like this one that make me wish no matter where we live we were all closer together. No details, this is open forum internet ;) Lets suffice it to say there are lots of family that I would like to be closer too this week. My Daddy & Granddaddy in particular.
I have been blessed with two father figures in my life. I love both of them dearly. Last year my Dad had a ton of health problems and I shed many tears and issued many prayers while he was ill, I couldn't be at the hospital with him either. This year it is my Daddy, again, tears, prayers, concern, text, calls, I would be there if I could. Probably wouldn't be any help, but still would make me feel better to see for myself what was going on.
I have been blessed to have my GrandDaddy (not Pop) around as long as I have he is 86 1/2 years old....each day gets harder. I worry about every mini stroke, every swollen leg, and every time I leave him I make him promise me he will be there when I get back. I want him to always be right there, every time I come............
Prayers, love, thoughts to all my family! Miss you daily, pray for you constantly, Love you Much!
Jenn
4.25.2010
Hiking, Fishing, Hiking
For the last two weeks we have made the best of the North GA Moutains in the spring time.
Last Sunday April 18 we hiked a 6.7 mile section at Blood Mountain which is on the line between Union and Lumpkin counties. It was a long and tiring hike, but it was also beautiful, fun, and an accomplishment for me. In the last year I have lost 35lbs and have started a regular excercise routine, this time last year I would have never been able to complete a hike like this. Plus I got to spend time with Joseph. He is growing up so fast it won't be long before those moments will be few and fair between. Here is Joseph at the top of Blood Mountian, which our ScoutMaster tells us in the highest point on the AT in GA.
Next came trout fishing! Which I have no problem admitting is my favorite part of springtime. I was never a big fishing fan growing up, but I truly love trout fishing these days. I think it has more to do with my attraction to running water, peace, and silence or at least quiet. So Brian and I took the kids trout fishing Thursday for a few hours and had a great time.
Next came trout fishing! Which I have no problem admitting is my favorite part of springtime. I was never a big fishing fan growing up, but I truly love trout fishing these days. I think it has more to do with my attraction to running water, peace, and silence or at least quiet. So Brian and I took the kids trout fishing Thursday for a few hours and had a great time.Here are a couple of picks from our first fishing tirp of the year:
Today we woke up looking for something to do. Yesterday was rainy and miserable but today was clear and pretty with tempreatures that are cool and comfortable. So we decided to find somewhere new that we had not been before and go have a hike. I did a little research and found Raven's Cliff Falls. I CANNOT believe I have lived here for 9 years and never been there! It is one of the single most beautiful places I have seen in the Dahlonega area there were waterfalls everywhere, native plants, lots of rocks and it was just gorgeous. It will remain on my favorites list. Here is a couple of pics of the beautiful scenery:
4.21.2010
Working, Scouts,Clogging, repeat
Monday night at Joseph's Scout meeting the boys voted on a new Troop tshirt design. They decided on a cool design that through symbols says loosely " hike, eat, sleep, repeat" or something to that affect. I was thinking about how that represents my life most of the time these days.
Monday, Scouts, Work
Tuesday, Work
Wednesday, Clogging, Work
Thursday, Work
Friday, grocery shopping, work
Saturday, Work or clean house
Sunday, ****maybe free time*** if there is no work!
Repeat
Okay so I know I am not the only one caught in this cycle of life, but sometimes it is really overwhelming.
But do you ever feel like you have a cycle that ends with the REPEAT sign? I am challenging myself to get out of the rut, and I am challenging you too!
Monday, Scouts, Work
Tuesday, Work
Wednesday, Clogging, Work
Thursday, Work
Friday, grocery shopping, work
Saturday, Work or clean house
Sunday, ****maybe free time*** if there is no work!
Repeat
Okay so I know I am not the only one caught in this cycle of life, but sometimes it is really overwhelming.
But do you ever feel like you have a cycle that ends with the REPEAT sign? I am challenging myself to get out of the rut, and I am challenging you too!
4.16.2010
Back to Reality
Well after 4 months of not having a computer to call my own, I am finally back with the land of technology. My sister called me a computer geek yesterday, and maybe that is true. I have felt so out of touch to not be able to blog, do web research, etc....
This week has been busy, we finished school this week and are now on our first real break of the year. I will be ordering the kid's new curriculum in the next week or so and we will begin 3rd & 7th grade in a few weeks.
I am working round the clock and really quite tired, but I keep telling myself it will ease up soon but I am not seeing that happening anytime soon :) Well what is that saying, " I can sleep when I am dead?"
Okay so I was just checking back in, be back soon. I am setting a new goal of blogging at least 2 times a week.
This week has been busy, we finished school this week and are now on our first real break of the year. I will be ordering the kid's new curriculum in the next week or so and we will begin 3rd & 7th grade in a few weeks.
I am working round the clock and really quite tired, but I keep telling myself it will ease up soon but I am not seeing that happening anytime soon :) Well what is that saying, " I can sleep when I am dead?"
Okay so I was just checking back in, be back soon. I am setting a new goal of blogging at least 2 times a week.
2.17.2010
WooHooo we did it !
We did it , we did it....insert little happy dance here. It took a long time and three attempts but we finally managed to plan a non Sabbath conflicting camping trip. We managed to camp this past Monday at Pine Valley Recreational Area which is owned by NGCSU here in Dahlonega. We left the scout hut at 10am and spent the day hiking, practicing scout skills, and playing. Joseph got to serve as grubmaster for the trip and planned all the meals. We had sandwiches for lunch, then Chili for supper, apple blueberry cobbler for desert, and scrambled cheese eggs, turkey sausage and turkey bacon for breakfast. He did a great job, and all the younger boys got a chance to cook to help meet their requirements.
All things fell into place with the kids in Lumpkin County having a winter break this week so we were able to manage to older Life rank scouts to help out with the younger boys. The trip could not have been more productive! We were able to work closely because we had a small group and the boys got a lot of benefit from the experience.
The one drawback from this experience was that the temperature was 9 degrees and it snowed and sleeted on us all night. We were not prepared, so therefore not following the BSA motto, but we learned a lot and next time we will be!
Joseph has finished his Tenderfoot rank and most of his Second Class Rank. Which I think is a pretty decent accomplishment.
Now what can we tackle next? Joseph is currently working on 3 Eagle required merit badges and more to come! It is so exciting to see him learning and growning in this process.
Take care and if you have advice, please share!
All things fell into place with the kids in Lumpkin County having a winter break this week so we were able to manage to older Life rank scouts to help out with the younger boys. The trip could not have been more productive! We were able to work closely because we had a small group and the boys got a lot of benefit from the experience.
The one drawback from this experience was that the temperature was 9 degrees and it snowed and sleeted on us all night. We were not prepared, so therefore not following the BSA motto, but we learned a lot and next time we will be!
Joseph has finished his Tenderfoot rank and most of his Second Class Rank. Which I think is a pretty decent accomplishment.
Now what can we tackle next? Joseph is currently working on 3 Eagle required merit badges and more to come! It is so exciting to see him learning and growning in this process.
Take care and if you have advice, please share!
2.13.2010
The Journey of Scouts continues and seems.....doomed!
OH MY!!!!! I really just want to do one stinking camp out where Joseph can pitch a tent and cook a meal! It seems like such a small task right. It turns out to be the hardest thing in the world to accomplish. Every single time a camping trip is planned the weather interferes. I am not talking a misting rain, I am talking pouring floods, and snow storms.
There is an upcoming trip planned for Monday. A day which the weather forecasters are now saying will be snow filled and cold.....so will we ever get this trip behind us????? I am not sure, but we will keep planning and drudging along till we get there. Still looking to find a family of Sabbath keepers who has accomplished this so that I can get some tips!
Stay tuned!
Jennifer
There is an upcoming trip planned for Monday. A day which the weather forecasters are now saying will be snow filled and cold.....so will we ever get this trip behind us????? I am not sure, but we will keep planning and drudging along till we get there. Still looking to find a family of Sabbath keepers who has accomplished this so that I can get some tips!
Stay tuned!
Jennifer
1.30.2010
Do you miss it? Are you coming back? How do you really like being at home?
All these questions and more were the topics of most of my conversations yesterday. I was summoned to " the office" to meet with the new VP and the even newer Director of my department to discuss "my role". Now I know that I am a hard worker and that I am being productive, however, I have been in management long enough to know that, those qualities are not always enough to keep you employed.
So yesterday morning I got up at 4:30 am, showered, dressed in work clothes (UGH), and heels (double UGH), make up (don't even get me started) and headed off to the office. I have been back for lunch a couple of times since I left a year ago, but this was my only "full" day back.
The good news is right now, what I am doing is enough to keep me employed. I thank GOD every day for where he is allowing me to be right now. I have the best of both worlds, I am home with my kids, but still employed and able to make the money we need to keep us comfortable.
Honestly I don't miss it, I miss the people I have worked with for the last 11 years. I miss the interchange of ideas, the challenge that it gives my brain to reason and understand new concepts, to create new solutions. I do thrive on that.
But one thing I realized yesterday was that I still do that in homeschooling. Although it is a different and less complex process. I have to find the best way to reach my children. How can I teach my daughter her phonics and make it stick, what works best for my son reading aloud or silently, what do I say to get him to understand the Geometry formulas. All those things still challenge my brain, just in a different way.
As for all the above questions, I looked at everyone and said, I miss you! I am NOT coming back full time, I couldn't do that to my kids. I love being at home! I wouldn't trade it for anything. But I will put it aside from time to time and come down and visit you.
So much to do, it is the weekend and everyone is home today because the weather is to bad for them to leave for church. Going to Griffin next weekend for a visit and having a yard sale, so the rest of the attic has to be cleaned before we leave to get rid of all the junk!
Have a wonderful weekend!
So yesterday morning I got up at 4:30 am, showered, dressed in work clothes (UGH), and heels (double UGH), make up (don't even get me started) and headed off to the office. I have been back for lunch a couple of times since I left a year ago, but this was my only "full" day back.
The good news is right now, what I am doing is enough to keep me employed. I thank GOD every day for where he is allowing me to be right now. I have the best of both worlds, I am home with my kids, but still employed and able to make the money we need to keep us comfortable.
Honestly I don't miss it, I miss the people I have worked with for the last 11 years. I miss the interchange of ideas, the challenge that it gives my brain to reason and understand new concepts, to create new solutions. I do thrive on that.
But one thing I realized yesterday was that I still do that in homeschooling. Although it is a different and less complex process. I have to find the best way to reach my children. How can I teach my daughter her phonics and make it stick, what works best for my son reading aloud or silently, what do I say to get him to understand the Geometry formulas. All those things still challenge my brain, just in a different way.
As for all the above questions, I looked at everyone and said, I miss you! I am NOT coming back full time, I couldn't do that to my kids. I love being at home! I wouldn't trade it for anything. But I will put it aside from time to time and come down and visit you.
So much to do, it is the weekend and everyone is home today because the weather is to bad for them to leave for church. Going to Griffin next weekend for a visit and having a yard sale, so the rest of the attic has to be cleaned before we leave to get rid of all the junk!
Have a wonderful weekend!
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