A Charlie Brown Chirstmas

My daughter has decided that she doesn't want to put up our big Christmas tree this year.  When I asked said child why this was her response was that she didn't want to have to put everything away.  I guess this is because she and my mom did most of the work last Christmas as I was still recovering from a hysterectomy gone bad that occurred the day after Christmas.  So, when I asked my child what she wanted to do for a tree she stated that she wanted a little tree...like a Charlie Brown tree.  Well, we, as a family (mainly just me) decided that the best way to handle this without having all of the needles of the small tree fall off and make (and making me sick) would be to get a Norfolk Pine...you know, one of the little potted scraggly looking pine trees. 

My husband and I had one a long time ago that was about 7 feet tall.  It was planted in a pot and sat on our front porch.  At the time we were living in an apartment on the second floor.  One day when afore mention spouse was leaving for Kung-Fu practice on Saturday morning he realized that some time during the night that our tree had been stolen.  This was a rather large tree and was exceedingly heavy.  There had to have been at least 4 people to cart the thing away.  Well, spousy-poo was a bit miffed and came back inside to tell be about the travesty.  I only mention this because when he opened the door our cockatiel, Waygo, lived up to his name and flew out the door never to be seen again...at least by us. 

Okay, back on topic.  The family has decided to get a Norfolk Pine for our tree this year.  This will be a tree that we can keep in a pot and take inside and out as we see fit.  And, if there is ever a desire to have a real tree or another Charlie Brown tree we'll already have it.  We picked up one today.  The poor little thing.  It really needs some love.  It is a bit scraggly; but, that just fits the bill for what was desired.  Here is a picture of our head decorator doing the honors.  The tree is seated upon a pedestal and is fully pictured here in its complete glory.  From this angle it looks like it is standing up straight.  The truth is, there is no way to do this.  If you get it straight on one side then all of the others are way out of whack.  It is really pathetic.  How cute is that?  Our very own Charlie Brown Tree for Christmas 2007.  One added benefit to this little tree is that the kitties can not climb it like they do the big one!  They may still run off with the little decorations; but, at least I won't find any kitties sleeping in its limbs.

Just so you know, my child does still want to decorate the outside of the house in our usual manner.  I guess this is because:  first of all, she wants to show off to her friends and second, she knows she won't be asked to put away the lights because she would only proceed to put them all in knots that would just enrage her mother.

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The 22 hour mark

Well, it would appear that my body does need some iodine supplementation.  Here is a picture @ 22 hours after application: 

There is no trace of any stain of iodine anywhere.  It is sorta hard to see because my skin reflects oddly in the light; but, I assure you there is no trace of any of the iodine left.  According to the article that I referenced earlier, this indicates there is a need for supplementation of iodine.  So, I'm going to go and pick some up from my N.A.E.T. office.  I'll let you know how my progress goes.  Just as an FYI, my daughter wanted to do the test as well and her mark was gone after 12 hours.  This concerns me because thyroid problems run in both sides of the family.  I have had her T4 and TSH levels tested in the past...but they showed as normal.  If she has any issues I want to make sure to catch them as early as possible.  This test may have given me just that information.  I'm going to discuss possibly getting her treatment as well for iodine (I don't know how different the dosages would be for a 10 year old).

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Iodine

If you have never had a thyroid issue I'm sure you have really never considered your iodine levels.  I personally have gone from one extreme to the other.  Where I started out hyperthyroid I am now hypothyroid.  To me, in the beginning, this just resulted in suicidal thoughts and major depressive disorder.  Even a few years into therapy, after getting radioactive iodine to kill part of my thyroid, I still had some really ugly effects.  It wasn't until I switched from using Synthroid to Armour Thyroid.  Most thyroid medication is synthetic any only addressed T4 levels in your body.  Through treatment with many different medications I had learned that I responded better to T3 treatment though this did not get my TSH to the desired levels.  Upon doing some research on Armour I convinced my doctor to change my treatment to using only it.  Armour not only has T4 but also T3 and trace amounts of T2 and T1.  I have been on the same dosage for over two years (whereas before I was always getting increased about every 6 months). 

This change in medication, though, did not eliminate all of the problems.  You've read where I've joked about my weight.  The truth is, since being zapped 13 years ago I have been gaining weight at a rather high rate of speed.  Where I couldn't get above 115 I can now hardly get under 170.  Now, since getting off of the test medication I have dropped 8 pounds...but that is still a far cry from all that I have gained.  While I was at my N.A.E.T. appointment today I read an article they had in the office about Iodine Fulfillment Therapy.  Here I read that though I am getting treatment for hypothyroidism that I could still have an iodine deficiency.  Towards the end of the article (which can be read here if you didn't click the last link) there is a simple test for checking your iodine absorption rate.  Well, I'm doing the test.  I'm about 5 hours into it and it is looking like I'll be needing some iodine.  Here, look for yourself:

This picture is upon initial application...

the second picture is at the 5 hour mark...

It would appear that my skin is readily absorbing the iodine.  I'll keep you posted on the progress through the 24 hour mark.  Hey, if getting my iodine levels where they should be can possibly eliminate the need for medication, I am all for it!  I can get the iodine supplements from my chiropractor's office and start treatment as soon as tomorrow if the need is proven to exist.

Soap box word of caution

I just wanted to mention that (in regards to the previous post) tea tree oil is toxic to cats.  So if you use any products with this wonderful oil in it make sure to keep them out of reach of you lovely little feline friends.  Make sure you wash your hands well after handling tea tree oil before you pet fluffy.  And never use any type of soap with tea tree oil in it to wash your furry little friends of the kitty persuasion...not even actual cat soaps (which hopefully have already been removed from the market). 

And just so you know, Sweetie never came in contact with this oil. 

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Hello, did you miss me?

I haven't posted since the passing of Sweetie not because I've been that upset (though I was) but because I haven't had much extra time lately. My plumbing has been a bit of a nightmare in my house. I would go into detail; but, it's just not worth it. I have also had bronchitis which made my voice go into the realms of "the sexy voice" for quite some time. I didn't want to type for fear that I would send out the wrong vibe or something:) I am almost well and my voice is back to normal. I did have to get off the drug study I was on. I was testing a newer heavy duty strength version of Astelin. I was convinced that it was making me gain weight; but, nobody believed me. In order to get over the phlemies I had to take some medication that was not allowed by the study and therefore could not participate any longer. That has been almost two weeks now and I have lost 8 pounds. I truly do think it was the medication! I haven't done anything different except eat nearly a whole container of brownies at work this week. No, the brownies are not a usual thing for me. I have for the most part eliminated sugar from my diet. The brownies just attacked me and forced themselves down my throat. I did not enjoy it at all...nor did I cover them in butter and heat them slightly to make them ooey gooey and warm. No, not I! Well, maybe I did. At any rate, since I don't do it too often I decided it would just be a pre-thanksgiving treat.

Speaking of cutting out sugar; the reason I decided to severely limit it in my diet was due in part to the outbreaks of acne I had been having on my face, neck, chest and back. I have suffered from zits since puberty without any relief. I can safely say that I have finally found relief...and it wasn't too too difficult once I got the right combination of treatments. First of all, using Dr. Bronner's Tea Tree and Hemp soap. Second, starting pro-biotics (consuming Kefir and taking pro-biotic capsules). Third, using a couple moisturizers from Herbal Luxuries (HL). Forth, using a trusted o.t.c. zit cream. And lastly, improving my diet and limiting sugar. My face and skin, for the first time since I was about 10 has no acne! Not even an oil plug (which I had quite a few of since my face is just one big oil slick).

This is my routine for cleansing my face...in case you're interested...wash with Dr. Bronner's soap...dry face...apply thin layer of otc zit cream (with benzoyl peroxide)...after at least 5 minutes apply moisturizer (AM moisturizer is HL Aloe Manuka Gel, PM moisturizer is HL Anti-Acne Facial Massage Treatment Serum). And that's it. A couple times a week I will do an herbal steaming followed by an herbal mask and/or my homemade facial scrub (if you want the recipe, drop me a line). It did take a little while to get everything cleared out of my skin (the oil plugs don't like coming out on their own) but it was well worth it. The other areas of skin that had issues with acne have cleared up as well (I only do the above routine on my face). This leads me to believe that the acne itself was more of a candida derived infection as if I stop taking pro-biotics it does return with a vengeance. I have been on numerous treatments since high school for acne and this is the first that has ever worked. (FYI...I haven't gotten any dry skin from the zit cream when I use the moisturizers mentioned above.)

If you are interested in some good skin care products check out Herbal Luxuries and see all of the all natural items they offer!! I would not recommend something that I personally didn't trust to use myself. This stuff works! And I love it!

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Bitter Sweet End

I have such a brave daughter. She is kind and considerate. It really pained me to not be there with her when the expected end came for Sweetie. This child cared and loved Sweetie through ‘til her last breath. She faced this by herself with courage, strength and valor. She stayed by Sweetie’s side through every convulsion and trembled in anguish knowing that the end was near…knowing there was nothing that could be done but be there. I truly wish I could have been there not only for Sweetie; but, so that my daughter wouldn’t have to face the death of a family member alone. When the end came and the last breath was released my poor bereaved child couldn’t speak to tell me. She sent me a text message. It is so much easier to type than it is to talk during a time of tragedy and sorrow. She sent me a text asking what to do with her. I texted her back and then called once I had my composure about me. I asked her if she was alright…knowing that she couldn’t possibly be. She said she was. But then she broke down and admitted she wasn’t. So, I made a call to a good friend who went over and tended to Sweetie and got her ready for her burial. You know that you have a good friend when they go over to tend to your passed animal.

You may think, “hey, it’s just a cat…get over it”. But, you don’t know what this “just a cat” is to our family. I can’t even put it into words. When you have been entrusted with the care of another living creature it is an honor and a privilege. I never took it lightly and have loved her truly as a member of the family (as did our entire family).

Sweetie, you were a blessing to our household and family. I cherish every moment I was granted to spend with you. Be well and at peace in God’s hands and thank you for choosing our house to be your home.

Sweetie Kittie:

Born ?--joined our family July of 1998

Passed--3:33 PM Oct 2, 2007

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Sweet trials

Things have been a bit rough here of late. As you may have read earlier, my oldest kittie, Sweetie, has been very ill. Upon returning from vacation in mid-August we found her suffering from a respiratory infection. Here eyes were covered in mucus; she was sneezing and wheezing unable to breathe. On top of all of that she had completely lost her appetite. My once fat cat (we called her fluffy because she was very weight conscious and angered easily when she was referred to as being fat) began to drop weight like crazy. I began giving her breathing treatments with a facial steamer. To do this I would place Sweetie and the steamer in the cat-carrier and cover all of the opening with towels to keep the moist heat inside the carrier. After a few days of these treatments she began to breathe more easily and her wheezing began to disappear. She was still not eating though. We began force feeding her a pureed mixture of fresh calf liver, coconut oil, fish oil and a small amount of Kefir. After a couple days of this we noticed that she was picking at the hard food in the communal cat bowl. Since she was eating a bit on her own we stopped the force feeding. During this whole time she would hide out in windows or in my closet hiding and not moving too much. Once she started eating on her own she began walking through the house a bit.

You may wonder why I didn’t take her to the vet. Well, for one thing, from much research I had found out that most cats do not recover from respiratory infections. Sweetie has always hated taking medication and fights it tooth and nail. Then will spit it back up after you turn your back. Her hatred ran so deep that she would foam at the mouth and anally lactate. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like having to deal with that. Beyond that, I knew that there would be a lot of lab work involved and procedures that I couldn’t afford.

Like most animals, Sweetie hates the vet as well. She has just cause. When we first found her she had giardia (you know, what you get when you drink the water in Mexico) and had to go through a series of shots and things being stuck up into places where stuff should only exit the body. She was not a happy camper. But, she did get well and has enjoyed 10 years with us. 10 years where she was fat fluffy and happy. Knowing my kitty and the fact that what was ailing her would only get her on medication and treatments that wouldn’t solve the issue I felt I had to do all that I could to make her last days comfortable. She did begin to recover…until. Yes, the dreaded until.

The until came this past weekend when we had to begin force feeding her again as she was throwing up any food that she tried to eat. She has become increasingly weak. By Sunday she could hardly move. When she tried to walk her hind legs couldn’t keep up and she would end up falling over. By this time she had lost so much weight that even picking her up was painful to me. I could feel and hear her bones rubbing against one another. I hope to God that it didn’t hurt her too badly. Sunday and Monday we kept her in our bathroom with the heat lamp on to try to keep her warm and safe from the other cats in the house (which have actually been trying to keep watch over her). Her breathing has become really shallow and she can hardly hold up her head.

To say that I am torn up on the inside is an understatement. I have cried many rivers for this beloved member of our family. I am crying one now and I’m sure there will be more to come even after she makes her final journey. The worst was when we were trying to clean her up because she cannot stand to get to the litter box. I placed her in the kitchen sink and she just slumped there like a sack of potatoes. She doesn’t like baths but has always tolerated them. Being a long haired kitty she would get one every so often when her hair got beyond her control. So, the kitty is in the sink just lying there looking at me with those pained eyes. My husband had to help me wash her belly as I had to hold her up with both hands. She cried at the touch of a hand on her stomach. I had to hold her under her arms and hold her rear up because she couldn’t take the weight of her hind quarters. I held her for hours in towels because it hurt too much to try and dry her.

Once she was cleaned up a bit I could tell that the end was truly in site. Her kidneys have begun to fail. Her skin was turning yellow as were the whites of here eyes. All I could do was stroke her and tell her how much I love her and what an honor it has been to have her in our home.

I eventually put her on a towel in the bathroom closet. I have no air vents in my bathroom so I knew it would stay warm with the door closed. I left her with food and water. I didn’t bother with a litter box as she wouldn’t be able to climb into it or even get to it for that matter.

This morning she was out of the closet and on the rug in front of the sink. When I put her water bowl in front of her she did drink a little. This is so hard to watch. Her head just bobbed trying to get the strength to hold it steady and take a couple laps of water. This wonderful cat, in her hay days, used to throw back what seemed like gallons of water. She would empty the water fountains every day. Now, she can barely get down three sips.

It killed me to leave for work today. And here I sit typing to get the day to pass. I don’t know what I will find when I get home. On the one hand, I want her suffering over. On the other hand, when my daughters gets home from school I don’t want her to have to face a lifeless Sweetie alone. I wish I could be in two places at once. Rather, just at home as I am no good anywhere else. I have never dealt well with death…especially when it is a helpless animal. I am overly sensitive when it comes to any living creature passing from life. The loss tears at my insides like a separate entity trying to get out. The sense of loss is so strong that I mourn for even those that I have never met or seen before. I know that Sweetie will be with her Maker playing with Squirt but there will be a void left here. Our family will have another member resting eternally under the tree in the front yard. This is not an easy thing for me, my husband or our animal loving daughter. Watching a loved one pass is one of the most painful things there is. The only comfort comes from knowing that she’ll be with Jesus soon and won’t ever have to worry about coughing up another hair ball.

So, let’s try to remember the good times now:

When we first got Sweetie and would give her a bath she would smell like talcum powder no matter what type of soap we used.

She knew how to turn on and off lights and would do so on command (when she felt like it).

She could change the answering machine message and did on one occasion.

She was almost toilet trained (until the Demon cat “Baby” messed that up). She would cover her movements with toilet paper in the toilet trap contraption and would even put the lid down when she was done.

Though Sweetie would never cover her leavings in the litter box, she would obsessively scratch any object that was within reach after leaving her litter offerings.

She could unscrew light bulbs and somehow keep them from breaking when the hit the floor.

She did not like Avery Johnson after he left the Spurs. On the day of his trade she found his poster on the dining room floor, scratched out the face and left a litter offering on it.

She liked to shred paper into the thinnest possible strips. She was obsessive about this!

She loved iguanas and would act pretty for them; rolling and doing tricks.

Sweetie liked feet. This cat truly had a foot fetish. She preferred feet to hands on her at any given time.

Sweetie would start licking and grooming herself if you so much as touched her anywhere on her body.

Sweetie didn’t like her feet touched.

Sweetie required two hands to pick up as she weighed almost 20 pounds. You could not pick her up by the scruff of the neck…you’d pull all of her skin off!

Sweetie didn’t like people. If somebody she didn’t know came into the house she would run and hide for days. If you were lucky enough to see Sweetie count yourself privileged…not many people did.

Sweetie would stay by my side when I was sick.

She would leave bruises all over my legs when she would walk on me in bed.

Sweetie didn’t say much except when she was stepped on or hungry. If you stepped on her you would hear a hiss. If she was hungry you would hear a light “mwahhf” type sound.

If you overslept on Saturday morning and missed her feeding she would run up from the foot of the bed and plant herself on your chest, staring at you until you got up to feed her (or you suffocated beneath her weight).

Sweetie did not like being covered with anything. Nor did she like having her picture taken.

She would groom Mali and Maja on occasion and even Squirt when she was with us.

We love our Big ol’ Fluffy. The Sweetie Kittie. The Fluff Butt. Our Sweetie forever. You walked into our hearts the day you ventured into our back yard and sat there while the cat birds dive-bombed you. You chose us to be your family. I hope we were able to make your life happy and comfortable. I hope you know you are loved without exception and will always live in our memories. Thank you for being in our lives. You truly helped me through some of the hardest days I have ever had to face.

Be well and rest in His peace forever.

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I'm gonna cry

I, for lack of want, haven't blogged in a while. I am completely torn up that nobody, not one of my two regular readers, even questioned me about it. You call yourselves friends? I am totally heartbroken and distraught. I don't know what to do. Ahhh, who am I trying to kid? You two know it doesn't bother me at all. I could really care less. Which does mean that I do care, just not that much:)

Oh, how I miss me....

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The shocking truth about Kefir!!!!

Public service announcement:

I found out some interesting information about Kefir that anybody who consumes it should know. I found this out by personal experience and wanted to make sure that this occurrence is made public so that the next time it happens I will know you will know what is occurring. This is truly a shocking experience that will undoubtedly catch any Kefir drinker unaware.

First, let me set the scene: I am at work getting ready to drink my Kefir smoothie for a snack before lunch. I go to the break room to obtain afore mentioned Kefir from its container in the refrigerator. I proceed to shake it up to get all of the elements thoroughly mixed and re-blended (it has been a couple hours since its original making). The newly re-blended Kefir is then transferred to a Styrofoam cup for quick and easy consumption (some regard is given to the environment but then quickly pushed to the side). The container that the smoothie was originally in is then cleaned and dried so that there is no “funky” smell later on as I am not going to put the empty container back into the fridge to keep it cool and stink-free. I am now free to bring my treat back to my desk and enjoy a little pick-me-up. While I am walking down the hall back to my work station it happened. I was shocked and stunned at the same time. I think that what has just happened may have happened before but I’m not sure…it could be déjà vu. Anyway, the event that I am talking about is the fact that the foam on the top of my smoothie just shocked my upper lip. Kefir can conduct electricity apparently! I don’t know if it was holding the static electricity build up or if I am to blame as we do have carpeting in our office. Just the same, thought, I was shocked…literally! Since the déjà vu thing I have decided to actually document the incident for future reference. You know, in case it happens again. That way I will know that it really did happen before and I won’t be racking my brain wondering if the “shock” triggered a repressed memory or is unlocking a secret portal in my brain to an alternate level of consciousness.

Second, let’s look at what happened and try to come to a conclusion as to why, how and what caused it to happen. Okay…Kefir shock is the issue (not the shock your body goes into during a toxic cleansing but an actual electrical shock). The Kefir smoothie was contained in a plastic lidded container in the refrigerator. The Kefir smoothie was shaken up in the plastic container before being transferred to a Styrofoam cup. Both the plastic container and Styrofoam cup are known to hold static charges on their surfaces. So, did the charge come from the cup or the original container…or even me (from scuffing my feet across the carpet)? But, better yet, why was it held in the foam of the Kefir? Were there maybe a lot of minerals of the metal persuasion in my smoothie? Does milk foam naturally carry a charge? Does pineapple juice carry a charge along with its natural bite?

So many questions. Questions I am not going to answer. At least not right now. If you have any answers or insight, please, let me know. Otherwise, please be very careful when you consume a Kefir smoothie. You probably will want to avoid doing this while pumping gas, around the use of pure oxygen (or any natural gas for that matter) or anywhere where there is a chance that combustion may occur from the slightest of sparks.

This concludes my public service announcement. Thank you.

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Back from the coast

I am currently of the mind that I am a hurricane repellant or something.  It rained all of five whole minutes while my family and I were at the coast.  We awoke twice to rainbows (pictured here).  I was really hoping for a little rain; but, noooooooo!  That all hit at my house at home!  And then went up to find my family in Ohio to tell them that I had scared it off and it was seeking its revenge on them.  There weren't many waves to speak of at the beach in Port Aransas.  The picture in the previous post is what everything still looked like.

At any rate, I was glad to get home to my little kitties.  When we left it had completely slipped my mind to say goodbye to them before I walked out the door...so, I felt a bit guilty the entire time I was gone.  I even had dreams about my little love, his sister, Sweetie and Nos.  Speaking of my kitties, please keep Sweetie in your prayers.  She isn't eating like she used to and has lost a lot of weight.  She seems to be having some allergy issues (which happens because she is always getting into something that doesn't agree with her).  Hopefully she'll get better soon.  She is still the "big fluffy" but you can actually feel her backbone.  We can't really get her to eat much (we've even tried sardines without much success). 

Oh, typing of sardines reminds me, my Mexican had to go to the store to purchase the afore mentioned sardines for Sweetie.  He knows I am trying to eliminate soy not only from our diets but also from our animal's.  He said it took him quite a while to fine a tin that didn't contain soy.  The one he ended up getting had the lovely little fish packed in olive oil.  I would think that fish oil would be the oil of choice for packaging fish in...wouldn't you?

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Texas waves to be compared to...um...Texas waves

This is a picture of this time last year of the wanna-be waves at Port Aransas, Texas (Aug 2006). The year before there were no waves at all to speak of. It was like walking into a wading pool. The only good thing about the no waves was that you could clearly see anything that was in the water so you didn't have to worry about stepping on crabs. Since there is a bit of a squabble going on at sea I would suspect that the waves would be a bit larger this year. I will at least give a picture of that if there isn't anything else picture worthy this time around.

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Tropical Storm Erin?

Well, it seems that the Texas coast knows that I and my family are headed there way tomorrow and have made arrangements to make sure we get wet--whether it is by the likes of the nasty gulf coast water or by the precipitation that will be falling over it. Hum…at least once I get out of the “beach” water I can quickly get all of the sand and salt washed off!

Note to self: leave aluminum beach chairs at home…use only plastic things outside.

I totally love the rain; so, this will only cause mild dampening upon the ground and will utterly bring no ill effects regarding vacation! My family may think otherwise. Oh, well; they'll get over it.

If presented with the opportunity I will take some pics so that the three of you who read this can see how deadly a rain storm in already water saturated Texas can be. Oh, and a first hand account of the terrors of a tropical storm (if it even completes its formation into one).

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I look like a cherry tomato

I just had to post this because it seems funny to me. You have to understand, this is just one of those thing regarding the way I think. I have always been one who is critical of my looks and appearance. You know, bad hair days, bad face days and all of that. Well, it was about two years ago that I decided I needed to get back into good health and a good shape rather than round and expanding. So, I looked at some pictures I took of myself to chart my progress in August of 2005. No, I will not show these pictures right now nor will I take a more recent one than the one that is on my profile (which is only about a month old). Once I reach my goal I may show the before and after. Just as a little background, since I started this weight loss endeavor I have gained at least 16 pounds. Yuck!

At any rate, I have decided to take up my pursuit of better health and a desirable shape again. I had been working on the internal for a while and actually made some good progress this weekend in that arena. I began experiencing what is called The Herxheimer's Reaction. This is when all of the toxins in your cells, liver and other organs begin purging all of the bacteria that is dying that have been living there for so long. This happens because all of the bad bacteria begin to die off and flood the blood with toxins that need to be removed from the body. The really fun part of this reaction is the way it feels. It is nearly flu like and not altogether lovely. I was mostly tired and headachy. I also suffered from heat flashes and cold chills. This made it rather hard to sleep too. Despite these icky feelings I can already feel myself improving! I have quite a bit more energy and that is always a plus for somebody who has only wanted to sleep for the past 20 years.

The worst part of the "reaction" is that my face is as red as a cherry tomato. Everybody who has seen me today is certain that I got a sunburn. I know the worst of the cleansing is over...hopefully the facial showing will not continue for too much longer. I'm going to the coast later this week. I don't need a real sunburn on top of my cherry-ness!

As a side not, I started on the external change-up this weekend too. I am joining a new gym which is less than half of what I used to pay for that "high-end" one that I went to for so long. Since I have been working out in the morning I can actually feel my body's metabolism kick up as I really feel when I need food and certain substances rather than just a growling tummy. It has really lifted my already high mood in only two days.

So, stay posted. I'll let you know if my face gets back to it's pasty porcelain color and when I'm able to fit comfortably back into my regular non-fat clothes:) When the latter occurs I will show forth my beauty in almost all of its glory (Ha!)...as long as it's not a bad face day, bad hair day, not too humid, my eyes are bright and green, the mud puppy stays away and that I'm not too covered with kitty hair. For those of you who don't know me too well, I am not capable of true conceit (I may convince a few that I am) and I am one of my own worst critics. I love making fun of myself, it helps me deal with what I see as my imperfections (which are great in number to my eyes).

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My Little Love...again

I just had to post this picture of Maja...if you've already seen it then just don't look:)

He was sitting in my bedroom window watching the rain trickle down the glass. Isn't he beautiful?

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Mouth Sounds Re-visited

I think I may have found a way to make the mouth sounds from my neighbor's popping gum go away! I found today that when I heard her start popping all I had to do was get out my cell phone and put it on record mode. I wanted her to hear how loud she is. Well, wouldn't you know it? She stopped! I wonder if she has a camera over here watching me or something. I am going to have to remember this tactic for next week to see if it really works. If it doesn't, then I will post the recording here for all to hear!

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Sourdough Spice Cake

Last night I made my Mexican a sourdough spice cake for his birthday. Well, I actually had to start the day before and let the starter (which is already over a month old! yeah, he is SDS2 is doing so well) ferment some of the ingredients and then make it last night. It turned out wonderful! It's about as close to made from scratch as you can get as I did use my own hand made butter and I even ground my own nutmeg and cloves. I didn't have any fresh ginger or cinnamon so pre-ground got used for those.

Just as a side note, if you grind your own cloves (this does not apply to nutmeg where you use a hand grater) make sure the container that they are being ground in is not plastic. I found out the hard way last night that clove oil is really hard to get off of plastic and even alters the texture and appearance of the plastic. I don't yet have a grain mill; so, I had to use my food processor for the job. It did okay...but, now I really want a grain mill! It smelled so good in my kitchen and the fresh spices really stood out in the cake.

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Keeping the mouth sounds at bay

I have figured out how to keep the dreadful mouth sounds from my workspace neighbor to a minimum. In order to block out the sound of her popping her gum incessantly I have to have my radio on, my air purifier on and be printing a crap load of stuff (using the printer at my desk, of course). If I have all of these things running I can almost block out the sound of her popping. Almost. In the past I had asked for nice ways of letting her know that her sounds were bothering me. Simple things do not work with this person. I even mentioned it to her earlier this week--in a round about way..."Do you hear that? Is that your gum? Goodness, I was worried that something was broken on my printer. That's quite loud." I guess I should have stated that I wanted it to stop; but, I thought that would go without saying. I was wrong! So, just about every day after lunch sometime I hear the dreaded popping of gum mouth sound. Occasionally in the morning. Please pray that God gives me the ability to block out the sound so that I don't just snap one day and go off on her. That wouldn't be too good or nice of me.

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What's in your nose?

Well, I had my rhinoscopy done today. It was rather fun. I found out that I do indeed have a fuzz wad in my throat...it's actually a polyp. It's not too big that they need to go in and remove it; they'll leave that as a last resort if I just can't take it any more. Even then, I'd have to go to an ENT (ear nose and throat doctor). I think I can live with it for now. At least I know there is something there and I'm not just going more crazy. On a side note, I did find out that I have a slightly deviated septum. This too is only minimal and requires no surgery at present. I would suspect that if I were to get kicked in the face again while swimming that the current diagnosis might change a bit. Since I don't plan on joining any swim teams anytime in the near future I don't think I have to worry about that. (For those who don't know, I had my nose broken in high school---I was at swim practice and one of my own team mates accidentally kicked me in the nose and broke it.)

My daughter went with me to the appointment today. She was a riot. She kept asking me if I had cleaned out all of my boogers so that the doctor wouldn't have to see them when they started the procedure. She also took a picture of the camera with her phone camera. You can clearly see that it is not a good picture but also that the camera wasn't quite the 35 mm I had been expecting. My nose, therefore, remains normal looking and was not stretched out any at all. I am getting feeling back in it and have been sneezing like crazy. That feels funny! Have you ever sneezed while the inside of your nose was numb? I hope you never have to experience it; but, if you do try not to let the phantom snot feeling get to you. I have been wiping my nose for almost an hour and have yet to find what it is that I think I'm feeling.

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Munchies

I am so craving a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup that I can barely contain myself. Only problem is that it is not on my diet. And I don't have enough change to get one out of the vending machine here at work. I want one so badly that I don't even care how it looks! Well, it's not going to happen; so, I opted for the next best thing. Frozen chocolate chip cookie dough from Pioneer. We have some in the freezer in the break room that is community property. I think there's only two to three people who get into it...so there is plenty! I went ahead and scooped out some chunks and put them into a small cup. I am enjoying them at my desk knowing that the sugar is not good for me nor is it going to help me in my endeavor to lose weight. Oh well! Some craving are just too strong for any will power to handle!

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Do you have a flag?

This article here brought the words of Eddie Izzard to mind from his "Dress to Kill" standup routine regarding Britain:

• We stole countries! That's how you build an empire. We stole countries with the cunning use of flags! Just sail around the world and stick a flag in. "I claim India for Britain!" And they're going, "You can't claim us, we live here! There's five hundred million of us!" - "Do you have a flag?" - "We don't need a bloody flag, this is our country, you b******!" - "No flag, no country! you can't have one! Those are the rules, that...I just made up."

So, it would seem that Russia has decided that the strategy of olden Britain will work for them in areas that are not inhabited by people. If anybody ever walks down to the sea floor at the north pole they will see Russia's flag and know that they were there first. "Ha ha, I beat you!" is all the flag seems to say to any other country at current. Hum...I wonder why. Well, you can read the article to find out more...I just had to post about Eddie because that spot so fits what Russia did:)

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I'm alive

I thought I'd do a quick post to let everybody know (well, the three of you who read this) that I am still alive after yesterday's potential Styrofoam poisoning incident. I have been rather busy today with work and doctor's appointments; so, the post is going to be shorter than most.

I went to the doctor this morning to try to find out what the "fuzz wad" feeling in my throat is from. The nurse wasn't able to see anything. I therefore had to schedule a procedure for next week where they will stick a camera up my nose and push it down my throat to see what the deal is. I hope it's not a 35 mm or anything...that would hurt (not to mention it will leave a mark). I believe the procedure is a rhinoscopy. I will let you know how it goes at any rate. Hopefully they won't find a fruit sticker in my throat or anything like that. But, if they do then at least I'll know for sure what is causing the discomfort (I guess that would be better than a fur ball).

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Oh no, what have I done?

I think I may have poisoned myself. I don't know for sure. I do know that it didn't dawn on me that I may have until I saw the results of what I did. Okay, let me set the scene. I am sitting at work with the sniffles. I have a bottle of Vicks Vapo Steam and I am sniffing it straight. This doesn't seem too strong, I say to myself. So, I get the bright idea that since it is made to be used in a hot steam vaporizer that adding it to some boiling hot water would do the trick. Off I go to the break room, I'm at work, to get a cup of hot water from the coffee maker. I do this and return to my desk to add the water soluble liquid. Immediately I can smell those lovely fumes. A smile crosses my face as I am pleased with myself for thinking of this. In between sniffs I cover the cup to keep the fumes and heat inside. I don't want to get the whole office to have clear sinuses at once! Any way, I continue to sniff my concoction for quite a while until I notice something. I had used a Styrofoam cup and it seemed to be disintegrating before my eyes. There was a line around the entire diameter of the cup right at the water line. This line looked like I had burned the foam in the microwave or something (not that I have ever used a microwave or heated something in Styrofoam in one). It wasn't blackened or anything...it was just starting to vanish. I had to dispose of my liquid before it decided to take over my desk as I could see its plan for escape was really taking shape. Here is a picture of the cup after the liquid was discarded:

I guess camphor eats through Styrofoam?

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Can you spot GMO foods? (Genetically Modified Organism)

I thought this was an interesting article on how to avoid GMO foods (which make up at least 70% of all foods in the grocery store).

Quick reference for being able to determine if your produce is organic, conventional or GMO:

Look at Produce Stickers

Those little stickers on fruit and vegetables contain different PLU codes depending on whether the fruit was conventionally grown, organically grown or genetically engineered. The PLU code for conventionally grown fruit consists of four numbers, organically grown fruit five numbers prefaced by the number 9, and GM fruit five numbers prefaced by the number 8.

For example:

• 
  

  Conventionally grown PLU: 1022

  
  


• 
  

  Organically grown PLU: 91022

  
  


• 
  

  Genetically modified PLU: 81022
  

  
  

In terms of fruit, another strategy is to avoid hybrid varieties, which are fruits that have been altered by humans. Typically hybrid fruits contain more sugar than regular varieties so they taste sweeter and can be picked out because generally they don't contain seeds (seedless watermelon, seedless grapes, etc.). Although there are also seeded hybrid varieties, avoiding seedless fruits is one of the more prominent ways to avoid hybrid fruits.

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Keep raw food raw!

I just learned that the FDA, USDA and California Almond Board have announced that beginning in September of 2007 all almonds will have to be pasteurized...even organic. After this pasteurization the almonds can still be labeled as raw. This is direct deception to the public. I personally prefer raw nuts of all kinds to the cooked ones. The raw almond (as well as all other nuts) have valuable oils in them that oxidize faster once the nut is pasteurized or rather cooked. This causes the nut to have a shorter shelf life and less health benefits.

Is the FDA just trying to find a way to up the sell of almonds by making then go bad faster so that you have to buy them more often? They say that there have been some cases of salmonella regarding raw almonds...well, it has happened with raw veggies as well. So, is all of our fresh produce going to be removed from the market because it too will have to be pasteurized? This doesn't seem fair or logical. Then the deception that will be occurring afterwards is completely offensive. These cooked nuts should never again be allowed to be marketed as being raw because that is something that they will never again be.

This is going into effect for Canada, Mexico and America. Here is a link to sign a petition to halt this effort: Almond pasteurization is Wrong. Please take the time to go there and sign this as it is only a matter of time before all of our healthy choices for foods are removed by the very agencies that are supposed to protect us.

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Syria is a demon cat

Well, I tried to avoid actually believing that Syria was truly "bad". This morning my Mexican let me know beyond the shadow of a doubt that she truly is. When he went in to feed the little heifer and her brood he quickly found out that the little entity has quite a temper...and a taste for plastic. Syria had knocked down everything from the shelves in the closet to the point where her little ones can no longer even get into the closet. She also proceeded to chew open the bags of powdered milk and buttermilk that I have for making milk baths. This particular batch was not food grade (I hope the kittens don't get sick). She has spread the powder all over the floor. Her little ones have no choice but to try to hide out under my drafting table to avoid her wrath and the remnants of her tantrums.

Poor little kittens...it must be awful to know that your mother is a demon.

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Bite me!

I just had to do a quick post for one of my favorite authors, Eric Wilson. He just recently returned from a trip to Israel where he has been doing research for his upcoming book series on Vampires. In case you don't know, Eric Wilson is a Christian and writes Christian fiction...some of the best, I might add! His works are right up there with Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker, in my opinion. At any rate, his newest book , Jerusalem's Undead Book I of the Trilogy, is scheduled to be released in the Fall of 2008. So, if you're into Vampires check it out! If you're a Christian and into Vampires this is going to have to be a must have for you! By the way, it's not a sin to be interested in this type of stuff...so; don't let anybody tell you that it is (that's another post in itself)! After all, Christ's blood was poured out for our sins to the point of His death...this very blood we are commanded to drink in remembrance of Him while taking communion...and the best of all...He still lives even after all of that. I am not trying to say that Jesus is a vampire...just that there are similarities in the aspect of life after death and the symbolism of blood. I personally want to applaud Eric for going into a topic that is mostly frowned upon by most main-stream believers. Bravo to him for having the faith and ambition to clear a way for Christian creativity in writing about what would seem to be an off-basis topic to most believers.

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Syria...the demon cat?

I don't think that Syria liked the idea of us giving away her kittens this weekend. Though we only were able to find a home for one of them she was still a holy terror! I doubt this had anything to do with her dwindling brood. We left her out of the "kitten room" a.k.a. my craft room almost all day on Saturday while her offspring were kept in a rather large and roomy kitty carrier (yes, it is big...my fat cat, my little love and my little love's sister can all fit into it at the same time). While Syria was tasting freedom she may have ultimately sealed her fate at being given away with the rest of the tiny ones. You see, during the 6-8 hours that she was out and free she got into a bit of trouble. First, while I was making breakfast she decided to jump up on the counter and eat some of the plated eggs that were awaiting fresh warm buttermilk biscuits to emerge from the oven. She did this while I was standing right there! What nerve this little beast has! At least my other kitties are smart enough to not try this while I am in the room. After this, she proceeded to tear open a bag containing a loaf of bread (not one that I had made...just a quicky for making Philly Cheese Steaks earlier in the week). She got bread all over the kitchen and the recently vacuumed carpet. The bread had already molded; so, it wasn't an actual loss except that again she went up on the counter and got into something.

Thinking that one kitty couldn't possibly get into any more trouble, I took a bit of a nap. I was, after all, a bit tired after my NAET treatment. When I awoke I found that she had gotten into my sourdough starter. That little fiend! I guess I should be grateful that she didn't actually step into it. She simply stepped onto it and pushed my rubber banded paper towel covering into it. She then pulled out the paper towel and proceeded to eat out the middle of it...all, again, on the kitchen counter. She left starter everywhere!

By now her butt should be hurting enough to keep her out of further trouble...wouldn't you think? Well, she decided that she wanted more of the moldy bread she had torn up earlier and dug into the trash and pulled it out and tore it up some more! Ya know what? That was the last straw...she got put back into the "kitty room" and hasn't seen the rest of the house since.

So, knowing now that nothing is safe in the kitchen, it has been decided that next Saturday (when we go to my sister's house for Part II of Kitty Elimination Free Kitty Drive) that Syria will accompany her remaining fuzz balls and join them in their fate of being relinquished to complete strangers to whom we will entrust their complete care.

I guess I should be thankful that she didn't pee on my bed like my former "demon cat" Baby. We are still keeping Syria's son Nos and my three kitties...so we will still have a house full of cats. And since the dog isn't going anywhere, we will continue to have a mud puppy in the back yard (with all the rain we've had it doesn't look like Klaus, our German Shepard, will be clean for quite a while).

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I really am on the right track...honest

I just wanted to show that I truly am trying to make better choices as far as food is concerned. I, for the second time, have made butter. This butter tastes far better than any you can get from the store. It is made from raw cream from grass fed Texas Jersey cows. My Mexican loves it...this is a picture of my second batch (the first one didn't last long enough to be immortalized):

I am also including a picture of my sweet sourdough starter. (My pro-biotic starter is resting in the fridge.) This particular starter, who's name is SDS2 (SDS1 is the pro-biotic), is a sweet starter because it is feed not only with whole wheat flour and raw whole milk but also sugar. I know, "what about your diet", you ask. See, that's the good thing about sourdough, the yeast eats the sugar and digests it so that when it actually gets to your body it no longer is the same substance. The same goes for the flour and milk. The yeast creates beneficial bacteria that actually make breads and some sweets good for you. I do have a wheat allergy; but, I have found that sourdough/fermented breads and sweets do not have an effect on me. Just remember, not all sourdough bread is fermented...in order to reach fermentation of the whole loaf the dough must rest or proof for at least 8 hours. This is so that all of the flour and goodies that have been added to the starter have a chance to be ingested and digested by the yeast and happy bacteria. It truly makes for a good loaf of bread...and the occasional cookie. This picture is the same starter that I have kept going since my previous posts on fermented cookies and sourdough pro-biotic pancakes (you can see those posts here). Here is what it looks like playing in its room:

Notice how nice and bubbly it is. This lets you know that the yeast is active and giving off adequate gas.

Once I get SDS1 re-activated I will post a picture of him.

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Suicide takes thought!

I speak from experience regarding thoughts of suicide. Most people don't just do it on the spur of the moment...at least not people who aren't depressed. Depression alters your view of life and the circumstances that surround that life. I say this to make a point that this particular post doesn't come lightly from me...I'm just trying to make light of a different aspect of living and dying.

So, I've made a choice to eat better and to take better care of myself. How am I doing? Not too good. I have failed miserably this week. But, I have made some observations that should help me in the future. Previously I had mentioned that I don't take the time to enjoy my food (if you're reading this on my blogger page then you will need to see a previous post here... look for the other Reese's picture). When food looks like crap it is easier to avoid it...even when you think you really want it. As is the case today. So, just who has been messing with my Reese's Peanut Butter Cups? Here is what they looked like coming out of the package today:

This isn't very appetizing, is it? So, I have decided that since these treats are going to continue to not look as good as they once did that starting next week I will not partake of their sweetness anymore! If I'm going to eat something ugly on purpose it better be because it is actually going to do something beneficial for me rather than leading me to an early grave. I did have to think about this for a few moments before I quickly ate the ugly confections. The more I thought about them, after consuming them, I realized that eating these things was just as bad as when I used to contemplate suicide. Though I may not be putting a blade to my wrist I am putting stuff in my body that is slowly poisoning it.

So, suicide is in a way just like eating badly. It will kill you. I decided a few years ago that I wasn't going to allow "me" to kill myself; but, allowing stuff like this to be eaten is still doing just that. This has to stop not just in though but in my actions as well. I may not be thinking of how to kill myself...but what I am still doing is doing the job just the same. Just like suicide is the easy way to escape difficult situations that seem to have no resolution so too is eating poorly. In order to live life to the fullest one must be able to enjoy the fullness that is offered. One cannot enjoy said fullness if they are ill of health...or mind. In order to make sure that I am as healthy as I can be I must be responsible for what I put into my body. So...with that said, I will return to my diet of eliminating sugar and most grains.

I have asked God's help and I know He is helping me. First off, the food (if it can even really be labeled as such) looks ugly and second off...it is starting to taste ugly as well. It has seemed that the past few weeks the only food that truly tastes good is what I make at home. I know I won't even be able to use some of my "non-stick" pans for much longer because I am beginning to smell the toxic chemicals that are in them when they are heated. Now, only if God would give me the energy to work out and actually burn off some of this extra "fluff" that I have gained over the past few years. I guess, it's one step at a time. He's making me more aware of the importance of what I put into my body. I know the importance of taking care of my body...hopefully the next step will be having the energy to do it. I know I feel better when I eat better. Perhaps once I am eating better regularly I will also have the energy to take care of the outer layers along with the inner?

With that said, it is back to the fermented breads and desserts (if any) and healthy all around cooking. I wish I liked more veggies...the few that I do like get old after a while. You can only eat green beans for so long before they too start looking ugly! I'll have to culture more Kefir too...I ran out the other day and can really feel the differance. When I drink it for breakfast it gives me energy and fills me up until lunch time. I've missed it the past couple days...and my skin has taken advantage of the situation going crazy with the ungodly amounts of sugar I have consumed to propogate all of the yeast that naturally occurs on the skin's surface to the limits of where the yeast has taken over the task of making my skin appear ugly. Sugar = acne; though, this acne is all over and not just on my face.

You know, I have had a headache for the past few days. Do you think that my body was banging my head against a brick wall without my knowledge because of what I have knowingly been feeding it? I feel like banging the same wall because of my lack of self control and responsibility. Bad Angie! (I can't really blame Andy or Danny for this one...you know the old Bad Andy Domino's commercials.

As far as Danny goes, it is his fault and he knows it...I'm just taking responsibility for it this time because he won't change!)

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Pinja Nillow

I was never a believer in the Pillow Ninja until last night. I was always of the mind that I was the one in control of myself getting out of bed in the morning. I was wrong. I have a bruise to prove it! The pillow Ninja beat me up this morning because I had to get up for work and then proceeded to holler at me until the time I left for work. He wouldn't even let me sleep before I had to get up...which is why lysdexia got the better of me for the title of this post. I don't know exactly what time the actual attack began but I will try to walk you through what happened.

At some point in the night the Maja decided he wanted under the covers. I knew he was there but didn't want to move. He proceeded to head butt my arm in an attempt to get the covers loosened from my hand. He did this pretty hard...I was fully expecting to awaken this morning with a bruise on my arm. The bruise did happen...just not on my arm; it's on my nose. When Maja realized that I was going to continue throwing him across the bed to get his wet kitty nose away from me he decided to flop down on my pillow. Now, when Maja lays down he more so throws himself down...imagine a little disgusted kitty "humph" going along with that. He threw himself down on my pillow and hit the headboard of the bed. So now imagine the disgusted little kitty "humph" and a forceful "whack". I was completely awake; but, this is not what got me conscious. When Mr. Thang threw himself down he threw out his hind leg and kicked me in the nose...with claws extended! Can someone say "ouch"? Well, if you can't I more than made up for your lacking ability.

Needless to say, when I woke up this morning I was quite tired and didn't feel too well. And my nose hurt. I surmised that the Pillow Ninja had struck because my little love wouldn't do something like that to me. No, not the little Maja. So, Pillow Ninja it is. I am going to go out on a limb here and suggest that the Pillow Ninja is also related to Rico the closet monster. Why would he not be? Better yet, maybe Rico is the Pillow Ninja just trying to spice up his life with a change of identity. Maybe the Pillow Ninja used Rico as his secret identity to gain access to people's homes? Maybe this is just the beginnings of knowledge at finding the Hidden House Mafia that is surely lurking in nearly everybody's home. Rico, in the Mafia? No! Who would have thunk it? Hummmmmm. Could that explain the holes in my socks????

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my little love's sister

I don't usually say too much about Maja's sister; so, I thought I'd do a post for her. Not like, you know, she's ever going to go online and find this or anything. Mali was attacked a while back by our little brood meisterin Syria (the mommy of all the fatherless kitties).

When Syria was still with kittens she had a severe "B" complex. At that time Mali was a really laid back kitty who let all the other kitties have their way and would just walk off rather than cause any trouble. Well, Syria grabbed her butt one day and ripped out two paws full of hair. Poor Mali...she had a bald spot right beside her tail that was about the size of a quarter. Thankfully, though, the skin wasn't broken.

Syria had her offspring and has been sequestered in my would-be craft room since their arrival. During this time Syria's only son who didn't get adopted during the last free kitty spree decided to play with Mali. He got a bit rough and ripped open the exposed skin on Mali's back side. It took quite a while for this wound to heal as it was quite large and Mali is not the lazy type. Having learned that she didn't want to be any kitty's little whipping post she has taken it upon herself to make Nos's (short for Nostral, because he has a really big nose) life miserable. He is, after all, the one who truly hurt her. She has left a few scratches across his nose...but, all in all seems to live to scare the ever living crap out of him. He spends every day hiding under the couch or one of our chairs just waiting for her to leave him alone.

I know, this post was supposed to be about Mali. Well, it still is. I've said or rather typed all of this just to say that she finally knows who she is as a cat and will not allow any of the other kitties to beat her up any more. She also has found that she really likes empty laundry baskets; but, doesn't necessarily like to be pictured in them.

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My little love

I just had to make a quick post about my "little love". His name is Maja...if you're one of the two who read this then you have read about him before. He is my Bombay cat who loves eating metal and chewing on pencils. I snapped a picture of him the other night and was really shocked at how beautifully his eyes came out in the picture. Orange doesn't even begin to come close to describing their color. See for yourself in this picture :) He was a little miffed at me for taking it.

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Free Kittens

The four little additions to our family that popped out about six weeks ago are well on their way to finding new homes. It has been decided that this weekend will be the great quest to find them new accommodations. They have been in my craft room since the day they were birthed. This has made it quite difficult to complete the set up process of all of my crafty things. We did get the carpet up and the new floor down; but, the carpet in the closet is still there and crying to be torn out...well, the room is crying for it at least.

So, with that said, anybody want a free kitten?

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I am so bored

I am so ready for my ride to get here. Who knew saving the world would be so boring? My husband and I decided that since he didn't work too far from me that we would carpool. It sounded like a good idea and it would help reduce emissions being released in the air by one less car. Truly, though, the motivation behind this step towards "greeness" was prompted by our pocketbook. It is simply less expensive to go the same direction in one car opposed to two. Doing this, though, has increased the amount of time I have to spend in the office. By an hour. In the evening. Already after about 8 hours of really not wanting to be here. So, needless to say, I really want to go home. I'm hungry and I wanna go to sleep.

Squinting at the small big numbers

I needed just a quick break from work. My eyeballs are getting tired from looking at numbers and print outs and everything else on my desk. I thought that as long as I was typing that it would still sound as if I was working. Hey, it's better than reading my book at my desk!

Well, I'd better get back to work. I don't get paid to blog.

Talk to you later...maybe.

Two toned in black and white

I thought I'd share a b&w picture that was taken when my blond hair was trying to replace the black hair (with dark red streaks) that had dominated my head for so long.