Category: Health and Wellness

This neck o’the woods

I could write all day about the current list of atrocities and tragedies in the news, but let’s heed the advice we’ve been giving each other here on this blog and focus on the good things in our lives, shall we?    I want to thank each of you who stop by to read my musings and join the conversations, it’s encouraging to hear from like minded people, truly. #MakeAmericaKindAgain  #MakeAmericaSaneAgain    either would do.

It’s maple sugaring season here in the Northeast, but you wouldn’t know it by the current weather trends.   We’ve had very little snow so far, the trees are tapped on our farm with a little flow, but the temps have not been cold enough overnight to get the sap flowing when the heat rises during the day.  We don’t have a sugar shack here on our farm, so we take ours to the community farm Sugar Shack in our town, where volunteers process it, bottle it and sell it to continue to support the farm.   You might wonder why pure maple syrup is so expensive compared to the fake stuff like Aunt J*mima, and the answer is there is so much work that goes into it, and so much tree sap is needed  – 40 gallons of clear tree sap boils down to one gallon of actual syrup.

Have you tried Maple Water?  I have found it in a few of the grocery stores in this area, but not all.  I absolutely love it – light, refreshing, with just a hint of maple – it’s the pure maple water(sap) that comes out of the tree, is flash pastuerized and sold in stores.  YUM! And it’s hydrating, it’s actually good for you!  I’m not getting any compensation for saying it – treat yourself to a bottle if you find it in your local stores.  Canadian runners have been using it to refuel for some time.

In my better health/better weight quest I have lost a few pounds and have gained some muscle, I’m not perfect with the food intake but I’ve made some headway.  My clothes are starting to feel better on me and that is a good beginning.   I continue to walk/hike/jog with the dogs, light weight training and all of this helps greatly with the Fibromyalgia I’ve been dealing with for the past five-six years give or take.  If you suffer from the same, in my experience, keep moving – that’s the best line of defense.  And.. eat much less sugar and dairy, much less processed foods.

 

L-R – My Sally and Frasier, K’s Gizmo on the right. Now that we live nextdoor to each other, we often take the dogs on walks together.  It motivates us both to get out there and keep moving.

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.

 – Henry David Thoreau

Our dear old  retired showhorse, Max, is now dealing with Glaucoma in one eye, thankfully not the painful variety.  He’s on four different meds to try to stave it off for a while and seems to be learning to live without vision on the left.  I’m glad we can give him the peace to deal with the handicap and he will not be shipped off to a kill pen like so many others, no longer useful.  Another reason to be so very grateful for what this old farm affords us.

Our son has begun the construct of his home just over the hill, the foundation is poured… and I am over the moon to have both kids so close by.  Over the years we will all benefit from this little patch of farmland not far from everything else, just the right mix of country and suburb.  He and his GF have worked hard to begin and build their careers and are very excited about the plans they’re making for their future together, it does my heart good.  🧡

That’s my mom in the red hoodie up there, the one who leaves awesome comments now and then and hates her picture to be taken but I do it anyway because – I GOTTA BE ME- .. and I love my mom.

One more update – I’m not happy about global warming so a mild winter is concerning, BUT… I do believe, because it’s been so mild… this batch of christmas trees might just actually survive.  Third time’s the charm?  Stay tuned…

I’ll close this post with something to ponder.  Why is it that men or the kids think they’re doing us a HUGE service when they lift a finger in the direction of  cleaning up after themselves  such as… oh, say… changing the toilet paper roll or washing the dinner dishes or flipping the load of laundry into the dryer or taking the trash out or putting the sneakers back in the closet instead of under the bench in the mudroom.  Aren’t they also the ones making the mess?  AmIright?  Just sayin –

Karen

 

 

 

 

Lift

Have you been watching the impeachment hearings/trial?  I haven’t.  Can’t believe I just typed that, but it’s true.  I just cannot believe, in this day and age, that apparently for some of us and a particular sector of our government… law no longer applies.   Truth no longer matters.  When witnesses and evidence are banned from a Trial, we’re lost.  Since he is getting away with everything but murder,  I doubt 45 will be held accountable… for anything.  It’s how his whole life has panned out despite his corrupt practices both personally and in business, and it looks as if the same will be true of his presidency.

Onward.  Last week I took a look in the mirror and realized I hadn’t been for a haircut in almost  a year.  I did chop a few inches off about a month ago to “clean up” the split ends but the effect was… choppy.  So my dear stylist Amber fit me in yesterday and gave me a good shaping cut.  I felt lighter walking out of the salon with just that simple lift.  I’ve got more grays now but I don’t think I want to get into the habit of having to be at the salon every three-four weeks to douse my head in toxic chemicals to cover the gray. I might change my mind as more come in, but.. for now.. I think I’m just going to see how it looks as it turns.

My weight loss journey continues – I’m getting good exercise in with light weight training and walk/jogging.  Plus shit shoveling, hay bale throwing, water bucket  lugging, horse blanket swapping. etc. etc. and then some.  What I’m putting in my mouth is still the struggle.  Will power is not my strong suit.  I have indeed lost a few pounds since the last time I blogged about this.  And so… I’ll keep moving forward, hopefully, putting less in my mouth.  We’ve got a family vacation coming up in which I will be in a bathing suit often, and I really… really.. want to feel comfortable in my suit.

Speaking of suit shopping – man, (that should say woman)  if that isn’t the hardest item to shop for.  Mostly because I’m just not happy with how I look in a suit. But also, for a girl of a certain age, the suit needs to be comfortable, hold everything in, not too revealing but not a house dress either.  I did find a suit that’s made well, does the job, and I feel OK in it.  That’s the best I’m gonna get out of that experience, so be it.

LL Bean –  she looks better in this than I do, but close enough.  It’s their halter tankini, which comes in several colors/patterns and won’t break the bank.

As the news out in the world gets uglier, I’ve been turning away from it and looking around and  inward, paying more attention to the relationships I cherish with family and friends, doing some organizing and refreshing here on the farm and at the cottage and in my line of work.  It’s the lift I’ve needed and it feels good.  Having our daughter and Company right next door has been such a blessing, and our son has begun the build of his home just over the hill.  This little farm has become a haven for all of us, and I am so very grateful.

Hoping all is well in your neck o’the woods –

Karen

 

My kingdom for a Cookie

 

I cannot express without sounding a tad ridiculous how very difficult it is for me to “diet”.   With the exception of  the trauma and recovery of one of my children from a horrific accident years ago, this is the most difficult thing I have ever tried to do.  To sound even more ridiculous… it bothers me so much, that if I could wave a magic wand and lose the 25 lbs I need to lose and that weight would stay off for the rest of my life and be able to eat whatever I want regardless… or.. have my hearing restored, I would chose the weight loss.  Not even blink an eye, the decision would be easy.   Oh yes I know it, that’s undeniably, certifiably….. nuts.  But it would absolutely be my choice, given the option.

I started Noom at the beginning of January, and I can tell you it’s a great program for calorie counters, for those who love setting a goal and get excited about meeting that goal each day. It’s similar to WW if you’ve done that too.  Been there, done that !   There’s also a great online presence of fellow users of Noom on facebook. Except there are a lot of whiners on that forum,  (yep I know I’m currently whining, shush. )

What  ultimately happens and in fairly short order for me is… I become resentful of the restriction and then I cheat just a little.  And just a little more.  And then I don’t log every single thing I eat because it’s just one hershey kiss and it’s just an apple and it’s just a handful of nuts and it’s just a scoop of chocolate ice cream – blah blah blah blah blah.  All that adds up, of course, and then the cheating feels awful, and the app become ineffective because I’m not really following the rules and off we go to the races.

I’ve tried the talking to myself approach –   Every time I pick up something to east I say to myself…  Is this FIGHTING disease or AIDING it?   Is this HELPING me lose weight or HELPING ME FAIL ?    I’ve looked in the mirror before helping myself to a snack.  I’ve gone dairy free for a while, I’ve gone sugar free for a while, I’ve gone processed food free for a while, and reduced meat consumption by a lot.  It all helps a little, but ultimately I cave somewhat.  Menopause makes it all that much harder.

It’s not about what I’m doing exercise wise – I’m pretty active.   As my General practitioner has said to me often, it’s what I’m putting in my mouth.  And Jezus H. Christmas, it is soooo hard for me to reduce significantly what I’m putting in my mouth.  Such a simple thing, really… and yet.

Food is comfort for me, I love to cook it, bake it,  I love to serve it to my family etc., I love growing it,  I even love shopping for it.   Oh, I am fully aware one can do all those things in moderation and be successful at weight loss…. I just haven’t figured out the combination to that lock yet.  I keep spinning the dial hoping to get the numbers to line up just right.

******SIGH…..

Just keeping it real here.  And if you are like minded but found what works, please… any tips appreciated.

Here’s a Healthy recipe that looks delish – I’m going to give it a try this weekend.

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili

By EATINGWELL TEST KITCHEN

Ingredients

Directions

  • Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sweet potato and onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion is beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, chipotle and salt and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add water and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the sweet potato is tender, 10 to 12 minutes.

  • Add beans, tomatoes and lime juice; increase heat to high and return to a simmer, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.

Tips

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Note: Chipotle peppers are dried, smoked jalapeño peppers. Ground chipotle chile pepper can be found in the spice section of most supermarkets or online at penzeys.com.

 Karen

 

Back on the horse

Not the equine variety, although we’ve got those here on the farm.  I’m referring to the constant waxing and waning of my exercise and diet routine in recent years.  Until my 50’s I didn’t really have to worry about my weight and I ate as much as I wanted.  Oh, how I love food.   I’ve always led an active life – but with my 50’s came fibromyalgia and hypertension and higher cholesterol and menopause and weight gain and a general feeling of -yuck- in my clothes, when I am active, in the mirror, you may know the struggle too.

The answer to these things that I have in my control is better food choices, better portion sizes and stepping up the workouts and walks.    If you’re in the same boat, don’t ever quit rowing.  We are worth the effort, don’t you think?

So, with 2020 comes a new wave of resolve for me – to not quit even though I haven’t succeeded in losing those 25 extra pounds.   The scale annoys me to no end, so I’m not getting on it all the time – How I feel in my own skin and in my clothes will tell me how well I’m doing, or not.   I’ve joined Noom, are you familiar with it?  It’s similar to WW – calorie counting, some coaching on the phone app, and a great facebook page support group, which I am finding is very helpful.  I’m not the “meetings” kind of girl nor will a very restrictive diet ever work for me, so this is something I think I can stick with, and so here we go.  Again.  and that’s OK  

I’m also back in the gym – walking on the treadmill when the weather is not cooperative, and light weight training 3-4 times a week, besides the farm chores and dog walking that are part of my regular routine.    Just a few hand held weights stored under your bed or in your closet and some tips online  or from your Dr. are all you need to incorporate light weight training into your routine at any age.

In a friend’s Christmas card was an enlightening list I’ll share with you here – I used a photo from my backyard garden as a backdrop.  Good advice for anyone.

 

Wishing us all a Happy, Healthy 2020, and World Peace… oh, if only there were that.

  Karen

Vitamin Sea

When I find myself running low on faith in humanity,  I’m often refueled while out observing nature.

He comes every day to feed his friends.    They are wary of others, but not him, it’s clear there is trust between them.    After I observed for a while, he motioned me into his circle, spoke softly and encouraged the birds to take a cracker from my hand, and eventually they did, trusting him next to me.

 

 

 

 

More Light

I am so sick and tired of being so sick and tired of the current asshat in chief of this dear ole US of A,  not to mention his spineless enablers, I’ve decided to just let that whole mess go for at least a little while.  I’m not looking at the news .. much… I’m not reading someone’s spin or fretting over ignorance because really what good comes of it… answer  – zilch.    I need to breathe clean air, think clean thoughts, see inspiration and act on that.  I need to believe most of us are made up of more good than bad.

So what is helping me accomplish this necessary avoidance?  Extending kindnesses where a little light needs shining.  (if only it would help me stop the holiday EATING… so far, no luck there. Onward….. )

The local veterinarian put out a plea for blankets and cat beds for the foster dogs/cats in their care, and we have an Ocean State Job Lot not far from here where those things are available pretty cheap.  For $50 I was able to bring them a nice armload of blankets/beds and that simple act just felt good.   Some light.

Recently a local family lost their matriarch, Carol Anne,  a joyful woman who has known more heartache than should ever befall  one person and yet she always found a reason to be happy.  She would say to friends when they asked how she could remain so upbeat -” I have two choices, I can be miserable for the rest of my life, or I can choose Joy.  I’m choosing Joy. ”  Her home was always decorated to the hilt for Christmas, there were lights and pine garland even in the rafters of the family log cabin.   When she passed a month ago, she  left two daughters who are afflicted with a similar illness and are  missing her terribly.  Her favorite color was purple, and as I thought of how difficult this holiday must be for the two girls, an idea arose.  Why not put together a Christmas package for each of the girls containing purple things – a nod to their joyful mother in this, their first Christmas without her.  Purple no-slip socks, a purple cardinal ornament for their trees, (she loved birds) purple nail polish, purple candy coated chocolates, lavender soap.   It didn’t take a lot of effort or a lot of money to do this, and to drop it off at their home, give a hug and reminder that their sorrow is not forgotten, their mother is not forgotten.  And once again, it felt good, my soul lifted.  More light.

As I left their house I stopped in just down the hill  to visit 90 year old Marge .  This lady has always known how to make the best of any situation, ever the optimist.  She has many friends and family who love her, and she is still living on her own, taking care of a rescue dog I found for she and her now- deceased husband about five years ago.   That dog takes such good care of her, and she him.   She still cooks for herself and for company on occasion,  rarely if ever complaining about the many aches and pains that come with reaching that monumental milestone of a birthday. She’s seen a lot of good times, and some really hard times, watched this world turn upside down more than once.   She is concerned for the changes, but she also has faith that things will work themselves  out in the end.   90 years of observation  have proven it.  She is another who is always looking at the bright side.  While I thought I was doing something good for her on this visit, turns out she was the one gifting me.   More light, still.

If you are weary as you read this, for any of the multitude of reasons this life can provide, I’m wishing you peace in your heart and more light in your life – I promise any light you can shine on another in whatever the ways that are possible for you will reflect back onto you tenfold.

Till soon, friends –

 

 

 

Goodbyes and hellos

 

We laid to rest our dear Dane, Ben.   At 10.5 years of age, (ancient for a Dane) his hind end gave out.  We are lucky to have a very good vet who came to the farm so that there would be no added stress to poor Ben, and he had a peaceful passing.   We miss the big guy, he was a horse in the house and there’s a big hole in our hearts and hearth where he once took up space.  I don’t know that we’ll bring home another giant dog, they don’t live long enough and their decline is so heartbreaking to watch, although that’s true of any living thing.

New England has experienced many  perfect weather days in recent weeks. Fall is unfurling slowly into the morning and evening light, the leaves beginning to change color.  Some Autumns are a dud as far as foliage color depending on weather conditions, and some are just glorious.  We’ve had many Monarch butterflies in the hay fields and in  our Zinnia patch!

We will soon tuck our Stella by the Sea away, as her 2019 season has come to an end.  Closing up a summer cottage is a reluctant good bye, thankfully just a temporary one.

In this glorious month of September, my sister’s youngest son was married on their farm.  The bride and groom were so clearly happy and in love, and the wedding was a fun event – with fall decor and comfort foods and a great DJ who got the crowd dancing, rocking the house all night.  The wedding cake wasn’t a cake at all – it was DONUTS!… a nod, no doubt, to the groom’s profession – a police officer.  Wishing Brian and Kate many many happy years.

My kids, my niece and my other kids……

Mom and sister, Sue

I think my most favorite picture of my mom, ever… in my sister’s Sunflower patch on that day…

On the better health front, I’ve lost 10 lbs of my 25 lb weight loss goal so far, and the rest ain’t gonna come off easy.  Menopause sucks in some ways, this is one of them.  A nutritionist has helped me sort out why I overeat and how I can make changes that are doable for the rest of my life, to keep the weight off.  I’m still tweeking, because Lord I Love To Eat.  And Cook, And Bake.  But… slow and steady wins the race.   This below is a good mantra to keep in your arsenal for making positive change in your life.

In closing,  I’ll give you a sneak peak of our daughter’s new home, right next door to this old house on the farm.  By September 30th, they’ll be in!

Till soon, friends…

 

 

Ambrosia

I may do a lot of communicating my views on social media, but I don’t often get too personal regarding whatever my life struggles. Believe it or not, I usually view that as a weakness and I’m not a cryer. This morning I woke with a song in my head and then tears in my eyes, and neither is a normal occurrence. With my hearing loss I lost music as well as language identification.  The the biggest tragedy for me with this handicap? – no music. But the song is an oldie and because of my love for music and my participation in bands in my younger years I remember every inflection, every cymbal, every trill, every beat, every note of most of the songs we all loved in our youth. So this song this morning – Ambrosia – You’re the Only Woman. I wondered why it’s making me tear up now, what heart string is it strumming so deeply that it’s bringing me to tears … and then I realize what this release is and how those words apply …and now I can’t stop the flood.

I am so horrified and heartbroken at all this hate I’m seeing on the news, on social media, even from some of the people I know well – our country is in real turmoil and it’s coming from all angles and all walks of life. I might some day go for that operation that could restore some hearing and perhaps some music in my life… ..and I hope and pray every single day this world finds it’s way back together in some form of peace we can all live with.  As with that operation , the fix might be painful and there are some risks, results not guaranteed, might have to step out of our comfort zone, but isn’t it worth it? Aren’t we worth it? How comfortable is what we have right now for any of us??

This is a beautiful world we live in and I  see it more acutely now that I can no longer hear it. I want to take every one of you in my arms and heal these wounds for all. I’ll pray that we all wake up and smell the coffee, see the value in loving and respecting each other and truly hear the music, inside ourselves and outside in the world … despite our differences. We are so lucky to live here, we should all love this place with all it’s flaws, and fix them. I just want us all to realize that, and to find the path that leads us to loving and respecting each other for whatever time we each have here on this earth..

When the pain of love surrounds you 
And the world may be unkind
I’ll put my lovin’ arms around you 
Take you far from this place and time

Because you and I been in love too long 
To worry ’bout tomorrow 
Here’s a place where we both belong….……………………..