A Heart on Halloween

Last night I hung my head over the edge of the bed to get more blood into it. Just in case Dr. Lee was right about my head not having enough blood. Well, my sinuses filled with fluid, but that dissipated once I laid my head on the mattress and tried to fall asleep. I say 'tried' because I laid awake for over an hour, as usual.
I woke up before the alarm, but not by much. I got dressed and brushed and swished. I found the vitamin powder that I made last night had congealed like brown sugar. So I swallowed some and dissolved the rest into a bottle of water to be sipped on throughout the day. Then I sat at my laptop and read e-mail. I tested the finger lights. They all worked but some were brighter than others. I separated out the brightest ones for handing out first.
At 9:30 I had a phone call from Evan Brand. He is my new health practitioner. We talked about symptoms and health history. Then he told me the tests he wanted to run and why. He suspects a mold problem. After the call, his staff sent me an invoice for the consult and tests, which will be mailed to me. I paid by credit card. It was expensive, but at least I will get some answers.
I made and ate breakfast, listening to the rain. But it stopped before noon. I got to quilting a little early. There was fabric to be given away on the table. I picked up some. Rhonda was out of the room, so I put the Boo box at her place. I asked the other ladies not to tell. When Rhonda came back in, they all said they saw nothing. I was talking to Pat, so tried to look like I wasn't watching. I got out the featherweight that she sold me and told her how it was working perfectly now that the bobbin winder was in the correct position.
We packed up early and I did not get any sewing done. I stopped by the WalMart neighborhood store for chia and hemp seed. Then I went home. Knowing it was going to freeze, I put most of the plants in the garage. The smaller ones in back went to the dining room. I left two hanging mums out for Halloween. I also policed the front porch area so no one would trip on anything.
I listened to a podcast while I wrote myself a recipe for yogurt and then made it. Once it was started, I made seed crackers for Sunday. While they were baking, I called Faye. Inexplicably, she was having warm weather there. It was nearly freezing here. She was passing out candy to trick-or-treaters.
Soon after I hung up, I turned on the light. My first trick-or-treaters arrived. After they left, I called up some Halloween music on the desktop. I added some other toys to my bowl of fingerlights. I brushed my hair over my face and put on glasses. I listened to a podcast on my laptop, stopping it each time the doorbell rang. Then I would jump up, put on the glasses and answer the door. All the lights in the house were off. And somehow, I lost my glasses in the dark.
At 8 I brought in the last two mums. I turned off the porch light and turned on the indoor lights. I still could not find the glasses. I finished the podcast, and started watching Royal Pains. Stacey texted me that I was invited to dinner tomorrow and did I want to bring a heart to smoke? So I found a beef heart in the freezer and took it over. It seemed somehow appropriate to be walking around with a raw heart on Halloween. We talked for awhile, then she watched me walk home.
I resumed watching the show. Then Chris called. We each shared our day, and then promised to talk again tomorrow. I finished the show and wrote my blog post. Then I got ready for bed.
* Cousin It strikes again. *

Feeling odd

I took nettles instead of Benedryl last night. And I consumed the magnesium drink right before I went to bed. I did have to get up once, but dawn was breaking. I laid down until the alarm rang. Then I got up to brush and swish and listen to podcasts. It was raining.
I exercised and tapped and meditated. I cleaned the bathrooms, and the kitchen. I washed dishes, and mopped the floors. Then I took a shower.
But coming out of the shower, I felt lightheaded and weak. I laid down for a while. I got up to check my blood sugar, thinking it was low, but it was 146. And my heart was beating rapidly. I wished I had a blood pressure cuff. It occurred to me that I needed electrolytes. So I put mineral drops in water and drank it. I also had a small bit of bamboo salt.
At 2 I went to the Korean clinic. I asked Dr. Lee to take my blood pressure. He did and it was normal, but my pulse was fast. He wanted me to help him take the Texas jurisprudence test. So I went online, signed him up for the test, and used his credit card to pay for it. I helped him read the test. He failed by one question. So we went through the study material. I found out that he only studied the test questions, not the material. So I read the material to him, because it was too tiny for him to read on the screen. His wife took pics with her phone and an app translated it into Korean. So then he took the test again (and had to pay again). Some of the questions were different. This time he passed it. Or should I say, the three of us passed it.
I suddenly felt chilly. He gave me an ionic foot bath. He told me my heart was beating so hard because I didn't have enough blood. He said there wasn't enough blood in my head which explained why I have trouble falling asleep at night. He went out front to answer the phone. I tried to do some breathwork to warm up, but he always returned too quickly. She told me I would lose weight if I would just eat the way she said. She recommended a big breakfast early in the morning, a small lunch and a tiny supper. She didn't want me to eat meat for supper because it wouldn't finish digesting before bedtime. She also said I shouldn't eat more than three things at a meal. She mentioned oats and barley for breakfast. She begged me to follow her advice, but I didn't want to mess with my schedule. Bad things always happen when I mess with the schedule.
It was after 4:30 when I left. I went to the post office. Only junk mail. I went home and checked the home mail. Same junk. I was still feeling odd. I checked my blood sugar again and it had dropped to 86. So I decided to eat something, before driving in the dark and the rain. (I hope the rain today means no rain for Halloween).
I ate vegetables and nuts. Then I felt better. I went to church, and practiced with the choir. Jennifer had a selection of chocolates for the members. But she brought some apple chips for me. In fact she poured some in my purse. Also she was handing out a bouquet of flowers for whomever was having the next birthday. It was Ed, but he didn't want them so she gave them to me. Will said there was a freeze warning coming tomorrow night and I made a note to bring in what I could.
I went home with flowers and apple chips, but only the flowers made it. I resumed listening to an audio. Chris called on Skype. He hasn't been able to book a flight home yet. He thinks the 146 means I have diabetes. After the call, I made more vitamin powder. I also made kava tea to sip while watching Frasier, but I forgot until afterwards. I remembered that I was going to call Faye at 5:30, but forgot that, too. Then I typed up my blog post and got ready for bed.

Swan food

I didn't have a hard time falling asleep last night, but when I woke up and had to go, I could not go back to sleep. Later, I shut off the alarm before it finished. Then I did go back to sleep because I remember dreaming about being at an estate sale and Kurt saying there was something valuable buried on the property. But I couldn't find out what it was.
I got up and noticed the crock pot was on. (The onions were not done when I went to bed last night) I turned it off and scooped out the onion soup into jars. I had taken the meat out last night. I put away some of the jars in the dish drainer. I brushed and swished, then jotted some notes for my blog. I rinsed my newest batch of sprouts and did one round of breathwork.
I started filling out the intake form for an online health practitioner. There were hard questions like What is your major complaint? And what are your other complaints? I didn't want to leave any out, so I kept going back to add things as they occurred to me at later questions.
I paused to go to quilting and did one round of breathwork at traffic lights. I only had 15 minutes to hang out before I had to go to the chiropractor. I expected to wait, but no one was in line. The attendant wanted to put me on the rack but I declined. So she put me in a room to wait for the doctor. I usually give him something. But I couldn't think of anything ahead of time. I thought 'God will provide.' When he came in, I realized I had an organic onion in my purse, so I gave him that. He talked about trying to grow rosemary, so I made a mental note to save him a plant if Jennifer gives me one. We talked through the whole examination. I guess I am fine, 'cause we didn't talk about that.
I went home to finish the intake form. The hardest question was to list all my supplements, plus their brand names, amounts, and reason for taking them. It was too much, so I just listed them. Well, most of them. It was a long list. I made and ate breakfast, but I had run out of supplement doses.
It was a little after 2 when I finished the form and left for church. I got right to work entering information. Before I printed the reports, Jennifer called. She talked about the speaker who said spirit told him that eating eggs was bad because they feed all the bad pathogens and such. So, she was taking back her request for eggs. After the call, I printed the reports, but made mistakes because my concentration was broken.
I took the money to the church's bank, then went to my bank to deposit a check. Then I went home. I called Faye. She was having supper with Dad. Then I went for a walk to the picnic table beyond the soccer field. I put one bare foot on the ground, and finished my book. Then I walked home, going the back way and picking dandelion. I also picked a pepper from the flower bed because a freeze is coming this weekend. I ate heart and onions. I listened to a podcast, then made dandelion salad. I ate what was wrapped up like a swan. I called Cecily who was concerned about Faye and Dad. I parsed out two weeks worth of supplements and took one to make up for this morning.
I read e-mail while listening to an interview. Chris called on Skype. We talked for awhile. He said the base shut-down should be lifted soon. After he hung up, I finished the interview while doing yoga stretches. Then I watched two episodes of Frasier. I did not understand the ending credits so I tried to look up commentary, but I could not find anything. Then I got ready for bed and posted to my blog while playing classical music from Youtube.
* This is Stacey's handiwork. *

I've been boo boo'd

Last night, I made a strong mixture of baking soda and water, and poured it over my scalp. I wrapped a towel around my head and went to bed. I got up once during the night, but it was almost dawn. I turned off the alarm at 7:30 and got up about 8:30.
I brushed and swished. I deleted a bunch of e-mail I know I won't read. I combed my hair, liberating a bunch of baking soda. I watched a video about the value of a kidney wrap, and I promptly wrapped a long scarf around my waist.
I did some tapping and one round of breathwork. Then I got a call from a functional medicine practitioner whom I am familiar with from the internet. We talked for 15 or 20 minutes, then made an appointment for Thursday. I rescheduled my chiropractic appointment from Thursday to tomorrow. I took protein powders, and looked for the intake form that I am supposed to fill out before Thursday. I made pre-breakfast mixes and then breakfast.
At noon I went to quilting. The room was pretty full and someone had to scoot over so I could have a place. Dinah fixed the problem with my featherweight without knowing it: she wanted to try her foot pedal on it and when she plugged hers in, she automatically moved the bobbin winder out the way. So when I used my pedal, it worked perfectly! And all this time I thought the belt was loose. We talked about what a shame it was that rain was expected on Halloween. Lauri told me that Publix has aisle trick-or-treating on Halloween.
I made a row of triangles and sewed it to the stack-n-whack. I trimmed the edges, and then it was time to go. I bid the last two ladies goodbye. I went to the post office – nothing. Not even junk mail.
I stopped by the library, but they were closed. I went home and checked the house mail. There was a birthday offer from a new restaurant in town. How did they know my birthday is coming up?
I put on an interview while I peeled and sliced a bag of onions and put them in the crock pot with a defrosted lamb heart. Stacey invited me to supper, but today is the best day for cooking.
I ate my daily handful of nuts and some of the anti-aging yogurt. I watched some short videos until 5. Then I left the house with three onions. I found a cute gift on my front porch. I had been boo'd again. I took a pic and put it in the house, then locked up. I proceeded to Stacey's house. I gave the onions to her husband and talked to him about ways of cooking liver until she came out from her office. She and I went for a walk while he put meat and acorn squash on the grill. We walked twice around the circle, sharing our thoughts. When we got back, we sat at the table while he talked and cooked. He put a piece of chicken on her plate, and a large steak on mine. Then he went out to the grill and brought in acorn squash and brussel sprouts with bacon. The steak was so good, although not as good as the last one he gave me. She and I ate supper together while he was in and out, watching the game. After the meal, she wrapped up a squash and the brussel sprouts for me to take home. She molded the aluminum foil wrapping into a swan, then put it in an insulated pouch.
She walked me home. I put the swan away, and turned off the crock pot. I opened the cute gift. It held snack packages. Chris called on skype. We talked, but not for long because he was tired and didn't have much to say. Then I called Faye. We talked until Darleen arrived to take over watching Dad. The social worker told Faye that there will be some sort of meeting before Dad can go home, maybe as soon as next week.
After the call, I pulled out the meat from the crock pot. The onions were not done, so I plugged it up again. I jotted notes for my blog. I watched an episode of Frasier. I texted Faye. I mixed up a magnesium citrate drink. I started watching TQS, but got sleepy. So I tried to post to my blog and get to bed before the feeling went away.
* Although there is a sign on my door saying I have already been boo'd, someone boo'd me again. I would just put it in front of a neighbor's house, but I don't know which one did it. *

Shopping at Soto Cano is riceless

Before I went to bed last night, I put more of the essential oils and vodka mixture on my scalp. The itching stopped for awhile, but later itched more than before. Perhaps fungi can feed on vodka? I had trouble falling asleep until after I got up to go.
So I slept until my alarm rang at 7:30. But I didn't feel like getting up, so I did a round of breathwork. That got my blood going so I got up. I did more breathwork, then brushed. I swished while taking a shower. I put on my red dress for church. There was not time to read e-mail. I grabbed the grocery list and excess plastic bags and headed out.
There was an accident right outside the front gate so I had to go around, making me later than I would have been. But I was there in time for the choir warm-up. Then Jennifer gave me $20 because I had given her too much on Wednesday night. Don came in and sat with me. After a nice recital, the service started. The sermon was about Martin Luther and the Reformation. There was a quiz in the bulletin. I kept looking at the parament on the lectern because it was one I made. I wondered if it needed more quilting. After the service, the organist told me that she had seen the accident seconds after it happened. I imagine that shook her up. Ron talked to me after the service. Then I went to Publix for groceries and returned home.
I noticed that the new neighbors who moved in yesterday, now have Halloween decorations in their yard. There is no moss growing under their feet. I changed my clothes, and called Faye. I was also able to talk to Dad. He sounded fine at first, but then his speech slowed down and it was hard to understand what he was talking about. I tried to talk to him about wearing a lifealert pendant. Faye had to repeat it to him. She said he sounded open to the idea. I put away groceries and made pre-breakfast mixes and then breakfast. I ate while listening to an interview. I really wanted to sew, but could not hear it over my sewing machine.
I read outside under an overcast sky. There was no sun, but the daylight still counts. I shut the book before I finished it and went back inside. I sewed strips while listening to the next audio on the desktop which has better speakers. Did you know that vitamin C is selectively toxic to cancer cells?
I paused at a decision point to have supper. I ate a can of organic soup, and two packets of onion juice. I called Michele to see if she needed curtains or an iron. Then I pre-made some mixes for tomorrow. I poured myself a small dish of blueberries. Chris called me on skype so he got to watch me eat them. We chatted for awhile. Nothing new in his world. The base is still on lock-down and the base store stopped selling rice. So he has to ask one of his Honduran workers to buy him rice next time they go shopping on the economy.
I made a fabric decision and did a little more sewing while finishing an audio. Then I watched an episode of Frasier while stretching and rolling. I brushed my teeth and got ready for bed, listening to classical music. Yesterday, a speaker mentioned that some people take Benedryl to fall asleep. So I took one with the least objectionable ingredients. I went to bed with hope.
* Another quilt from the show. *

Vodka - for medicinal purposes only

Last night I slept well until I had to go to the bathroom. After that, my brain was going through all the usual stuff and wouldn't go back to sleep. Then my alarm rang. I let it go since it only lasts a minute. I don't know if I fell asleep again, but I didn't find the energy to get up until 9. I made more vitamin mix and took a quarter teaspoon. 20 minutes later I took the bromelain, then brushed my teeth and swished for 20 minutes. I turned my phone on. There were no messages or missed phone calls.
I deleted the first round of e-mails. I listened to classical music until I came to a e-mail with interview links. I started the interview. I put on 4 vitamin C patches and 4 glutathione patches. Then I realized it was laundry day and went around collecting things to wash. I did four rounds of the Wim Hoff breathwork. I poured some vodka in a dropper bottle and added anti-fungal essential oils. I shook it up and put in the bathroom for later.
I wrote a card for Faye and Dad, which promptly went into the mail. I moved the wet load to the dryer and put in the white load. I made my pre-breakfast mixes, and put on the next audio.
Finally it was time for breakfast. After breakfast I folded laundry, and dressed the bed.
I used my EMF meter to measure signal around the house, trying to locate the ever-elusive 'Hidden Network'. I tried unplugging the printer and turning off the desktop, but it didn't go away. I measured signal coming from the microwave. Even not running, it was in the red zone. When I turned it on, I had to get at least 6 feet away. I watched a video where the man had to go 3 rooms away (40+ feet)from his microwave. Maybe he had a better meter?
There was only dim sun on this rainy day. I sat outside just under the eves, and read. The temp was nice and the air was fresh, even if the day was gloomy.
I tried to turn on the desktop, but it was slow and updating, and such. So I played the next audio on my laptop. I worked on the stack-n-whack and a strip set while I was listening. I also had a bite to eat now and then.
I went out to get the mail. The rain had stopped temporarily. The new neighbors were flattening boxes on their front porch. I don't know their names, but I can tell which Wi-Fi signal must be theirs. I went back to listening. I bought a kindle book on Amazon, and jumped through hoops to figure out how to read it on my laptop. I called Faye. She was at home preparing to see Dad. She and Kevin went to see the Joker movie. Then I called Chris. He was just sitting down to supper.
I made dandelion ginger tea and a special magnesium drink. Then I popped the Netflix movie in the player and watched “Without a Clue”. It was a Sherlock Holmes adventure where Watson is the master of detection and Holmes is a hired actor. It reminded me a little of Remington Steele. It was very enjoyable.
But it was also long. Bedtime was at hand. I typed up my blog and prepared for bed. I did not take any supplements at that time to see if I might sleep till morning without waking up to go to the bathroom.
* Quilts from the show. *

Life is like a box of chocolates...

...you never know what you're going to get.

Last night I had a number of dreams, but they all involved being alone in the back of a car which was rolling backward and I could not get into the front seat to step on the brake. I woke up once to use the restroom and could not go back to sleep. So when the alarm went off, I rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. I think I did. But some thought woke me up at 8:30 and I got out of bed.
It was raining. Weather.com said it is going to rain until Sunday morning. Sign. I turned on the heat because Cecelia said she was coming over. I also picked up the livingroom. I brushed and swished and took supplements. I made pre-breakfast mixes.
I took the liver and milk from the fridge. I put butter and ox fat in a fry pan and cooked two small sad onions. Then I pushed the onions aside. I washed the liver slices, unable to get all the blood out.. I patted the pieces dry and put them in the fry pan. It did not take long for them to cook. And they were pretty tender. I ate three pieces and some onions.
I hung out my red dress for Reformation Sunday on the closet door. I made breakfast while listening to audios on how to eat and exercise for your blood type. I checked out a product call Cell Food. I called Faye. I put magnets in my shoes to simulate a video I saw. I called Cecelia to find out when she was coming and she said not this Friday.
Then I made seed crackers. When they were done, I left them in the oven but turned it off. I left fot the post office. There was nothing to speak of in our box. Then I went to the Korean clinic. I wasn't happy about showing up on my day off but I tapped on it so I could be pleasant. It took a lot longer than he said to figure out what the e-mail was about and to purchase the study materials. Then she said there was a problem with her phone, which is now his phone. I rebooted it but that didn't change anything. It kept asking for a verification code but I had no idea where to get one. Nothing came up in his e-mail or hers. Finally they showed me a check from the state of California. I had applied for their unclaimed money for them. She insisted that he write me a check for 10% of it and I accepted.
I walked out in the pouring rain. It was only 3:45 but I went by Housing where they were about to have a reduced Fall Festival due to the rain. They had pumpkins to hand out and I was pleased to choose the first one. I took it home and put it on the porch. I also checked the house mail. Nothing to report there either. The house smelled like seed crackers, so I pulled them out of the oven and ate some. Sadly I had nothing to dip them in.
I jotted some notes for my blog, and added items to my next Swanson order. I ate salad leftovers and threw out the now-slimy green beans. I added narrow borders to the horse quilt so that the edges wouldn't have all those seams. I went out in the rain to get the sewing machine from car. The stack quilt top was in there. I added some triangles while listening to a bunch of audios.
I put on Royal Pains while I stretched and rolled some muscles. Chris called on Skype. We talked a little longer than yesterday. The base is still on lock-down so he won't be going anywhere this weekend. Then I finished watching the show. I took the last supplements and got ready for bed.
* This chicken quilt is from the show earlier this month. *

Chi Shield is back

I got up soon after the alarm rang. I brushed and swished. I put on an interview from the Heal summit. I went outside to add recyclables to bin at curb. I cleaned the kitchen, and washed dishes. I scrubbed part of the top shelf of the fridge. Patrick called to tell me about two bills that came to Dad's house. I called Faye, but there was no answer, so I called William. Afterward, I sent Faye a text about it. I made a vitamin powder mix. A man from Housing came to check water heater, and replace the AC filter. I mentioned the ripped screen and he repaired it.
I made pre-breakfast mixes, then breakfast. I ate it while listening to the beginning of an interview on brain health.
I packed a project with my featherweight and went to quilting. It was good to chat with the ladies. While sewing triangles, I decided the belt needs to be tightened, but I didn't have a screwdriver long enough. I added a row of triangles to the stack-n-whack quilt. Then we all packed up and went home.
I called Faye. She said Dad did really well at therapy this morning. I looked up a liver recipe. I took a package of lamb liver from the fridge and put it in a bowl. I poured milk over it and put it back in the fridge. Dr. Lee had called and left a message. So after the call with Faye, I called him back. He wants me to come over tomorrow to set up an appointment with some agency. He kept saying it was very important. Well, I have plans for tomorrow. I may or may not be able to get there.
I filled a bottle with water and put some vitamin powder in it. I did 4 rounds of Wim Hoff breathwork. The 10-day class is over but I plan to continue that part of it. Then I went to my massage.
When I got there, I sat to wait my turn. Gabriele gave me the Chi Shield back. She said she thought it helped at home, but wasn't certain. Still, she plans to get one and would like to buy mine if I don't want it. We had a chat before the massage. We talked through most of it as well, and she really dug in. I felt pretty good afterward and went to her office to pay her. I drank some of my vitamin water, then she let me out of the store and I went home.
I ate some seed crackers with the dregs of a package of salsa. I don't know why the top was bulging out, but it smelled and tasted ok. I also ate a pomegranate and some unpoured fat bombs. I went outside to shake the fallen leaves off of my comforter and bring it into the house. It is supposed to rain tomorrow. The comforter smells better after being outside for a day and a half.
My tapping buddy was online so we worked together on her problems. Then I called Chris. He is participating in a 3 mile run tomorrow morning so he did not talk long. I assume he went to bed early.
Then I listened to the rest of the interview on brain health. There was some sales pitch in it. I watched one episode of Royal Pains. I did some roller work and stretching. Then I listened to classical music while clearing out a few more e-mails.
I wrote my blog post and got ready for bed.
* This pic is from the quilt show. That black thing in the corner is a pelican, I think. *

Good thing I am not in the yogurt business

I got up at 9 with minimal pain in my foot. I brushed and swished and made coffee. The yogurt maker beeped at 9:45, but I wasn't ready to deal with it yet, so I set it for another 4 hours. I made a note to put out the recycling today for tomorrow. They only collect once a month so I don't want to miss it. I cleared my inbox of all the e-mails I don't intend to read – which is most of them.
I put on some meditation music. Beverly called to offer me emotional support. After the call, I exercised, meditated and tapped. I took a hot shower. Before turning it to cold, I did one round of Wim Hoff breathwork. But something strange happened. All of a sudden I didn't know where I was. I found myself sitting on the side of the tub with no memory of how I got there. The good news is, once I turned the water cold, it did not bother me at all. Still, maybe not the best idea.
I cleaned the hall bath which I use the most. I laid my comforter out on the driveway in the sun to air out. I watered the plants. I talked to Faye. She was having severe back pain. I ran out of time to clean the kitchen. I got the Korean boxes out of the fridge and went to the clinic.
Like last week, we worked on applying to Texas for an acupuncture license. I made a bunch of phone calls to get the documents he needed. But when it came to fingerprints, it was a complicated mess. I worked on it until 4:15 but then I really had to run. He gave me another box of onion juice and she gave me three fruits: persimmon, pomegranate, and an apple.
I went to the post office. There was a small package wedged in our box, so I needn't have hurried. I took it home and opened it. There were packages of vitamin patches. I also got a Halloween card from MaryAnn. I sat out in the sun and read for awhile. But it got a little chilly.
I brought in the house mail, mostly junk. I checked the weather for the next two days. My comforter should be safe out there through tomorrow, but not on Friday morning. I did three more rounds of the Wim Hoff method (without the recommended ice bath). Nothing strange happened. I watched part of episode 1 of a summit. Jennifer sent me an invoice for the DoTerra essential oils I had ordered. I counted out cash for her. I didn't realize two bottles of essential oil would be over $100. I took out all the recycling and put the can at the curb for tomorrow.
I went to choir. I dropped off cans for the food bank, then added my questionnaire to the packet at the Welcome Center. I dropped off the last anthem and picked up new music. Elaine walked by and I handed her the book she lent me. Jennifer had left the bottles of essential oil in the pew for me. I put them in my purse.
The choir did warmups and then sang through a few songs. Then the men left on time but the ladies had to stay late to practice something special. I talked to Elaine afterward. Then I headed home before the gate closed. I texted Jennifer that I meant to bring her some yogurt but hadn't tried it yet myself. I listened to more of the summit, then watched Frasier. Chris interrupted on Skype. We talked but not for long. He was tired from an extra-long day. I finished the episode of Frasier and jotted notes for my blog. I watched more of the summit, but skipped ahead because it was so long. I put magnets on my foot for a few minutes. I took supplements, and swished with vitamin C. The sore spot on my gums was almost gone. I tried some of the yogurt. It was surprisingly rubbery. In fact, I thought it turned out better when the maker didn't work. After posting to my blog, it was time to get ready for bed.
* This is Rebecca's turtle quilt. *

Lost my cool

I got up soon after the alarm went off because a voice in my head said something about heart failure. It had me worried and wondering how I could have heart failure, and then it occurred to me that maybe it was talking about someone else. My foot was doing so well that I could walk on it immediately. I got dressed and went outside to pick up all the plants that fell over in the rain yesterday.
I put milk on the stove to heat as part of the yogurt-making process. I read e-mail while it simmered at 180. While it was cooling, I did breath work and made the inulin slurry with probiotics. The slurry did not go well and I had to put it all in the blender. Once it was in the yogurt maker, I got ready for quilting.
I sat between the Beverlys, blowing off steam. She understood because she recently went through it herself. But she thought I needed to go up there to get things handled. Then William called. He wanted to know if Kevin brought eggs. I let him have it because he didn't deliver anything either. (Warning: rant alert!) I am tired of people who have jobs thinking it conveys such an honor upon them that they shouldn't be inconvenienced by family emergencies after work. And that those of us who are too busy helping others to get a job, are somehow second class citizens who should be willing to drop our current duties to run across the nation and do 24 hour duty there. Except for Faye, every bit the angel Karen called her, who has taken days off of work to make sure our dad is safe. Volunteerism is not 'free time'. It is a commitment. Where would this country be without volunteers? There isn't enough money to pay for all the stuff that needs doing. But someone has to step up and do it. (end of rant.)
When I got home, I started the breakfast process. Karen called, and I lost my temper because I was upset with William. I'm afraid I said something I shouldn't have. After breakfast, I called the rehab center and talked to Dad's nurse and the dietary assistant. I was assured that my dad was getting double rations now, and that he had therapy yesterday – something my sister told me never showed up.
I grabbed my offering stuff and went to church. I entered all the info into the computer – a job no one else wants and few have any idea how the software works. Then I printed the reports and took the money to my car. It was such a nice day that I thought I would take a short walk on the Greenway. My foot didn't hurt at the time, but it did when I got down there. So it was a short, slow walk.

On the way back, I stopped at the library to return the book I finished. I called Faye but there was no answer. I jotted notes for my blog. I kept trying to put the stress and tension out of my mind. Being this upset doesn't help anyone.
I called Faye. She was at Dad's house collecting Ensure and extra food. I sat outside in the sun and answered a long, involved questionnaire from the church. It turned out to be easier than I thought. I picked dandelion from the backyard for supper. I called Faye again but she didn't answer.
I called again later. She was shaving Dad and there was no indication that he might have fallen during the day. She said she'd call back while he got his shower.
I went to get the mail - one for us, three for former residents. I made a salad and ate it while watching an introductory episode of LiveLongerFeelBetter. I swished with salt because of sore gums. Then I swished with vitamin C.
I called Faye back and we talked until Chris called. He said I was doing the right thing by not going up there. Then I texted with Faye on the phone and with Darleen on the laptop, all while watching an episode of Royal Pains. I had to keep pausing it to tell one what the other said so it took me a long time to finish it. They reached an agreement and I gave them each other's phone number.
I took supplements, wrote up my blog post, and got ready for bed.
* This is what the Tuesday group is working on. *

Success

Last night I was doing really well with the EmWave, which means my HRV was high. So I tried one of the games. It was a garden in grayscale. As I sat there staring at the screen, color appeared here and there. The higher my HRV, the quicker the colors came and the picture filled in with running water and singing birds.
I may have gotten to sleep a little sooner than usual. I heard my alarm at 7:30 and shut it off. I dozed until 8:30 when my cortisol kicked in. I brushed my teeth, then threw on yesterday's clothes and sat on the front porch. I shucked the remaining sumac plumes. Then I took supplements and checked e-mail. I looked at websites in Richmond to find names of people who might be willing to sit with Dad at night. My searches were all in vain. I called the VCU school of nursing and left a message. I also messaged Wesley because I know he lives in Richmond.
It was after 11. I quickly made breakfast. When I sat down to eat, I saw Myra had responded to my message. I called her through Facebook. We chatted for awhile. She had some suggestions, but most I had already tried.
When I hung up, it was after 12. I threw my machine in the car and went to quilting, not realizing I was still wearing yesterday's clothes. I asked the ladies how to find someone to stay with my dad at night. Most suggestions were things I had already tried. One was to post on Facebook for all to see. Another was to call his primary care physician. Rebecca and I helped another lady arrange her 40 blocks. Then I got out my machine and sewed 20 of mine together without laying them out. See above.
I stopped by the post office on my way home. There was a Swanson's package. I unpacked it. There was something called genistein that I don't remember ordering. I called Faye. No one stopped by. I did the Wim Hoff breathwork. I considered going out in the rain to wash my car as a substitute for the cold shower portion. But I was hungry. I called Karen to see if William could take a dozen eggs to the rehab center since Kevin did not. Karen hung up with me so she could call Kevin. I ate the last piece of meat. She called me back. I gathered it did not go well.
I called Faye again. She said she signed with an agency to send someone over tonight. Also, Dad got a room closer to the nurse's station but did not get any therapy today. I made a salad. I texted with Darleen on Facebook. She was willing to sit with my dad at night. I called Faye to tell her. She said she had to ask Kevin about it first. I knew what his answer would be, but I did not think it should matter. I talked to Dad and did not understand what he was saying, except that he was tired and wanted to go to bed. Faye said she wasn't allowed to move him from the wheelchair to the bed so they were waiting on the nurse.
I watched Frasier and ate my forgotten salad. I texted with Wesley on Facebook. He said his mother was in Tyler rehab and she liked it. Chris called on Skype. We talked about taking time off for Thanksgiving and Christmas. He pointed out that Michele expects us to spend some time at her apartment.
I jotted notes for my blog. I did some tapping. I read more e-mail. I listened to an audio while I used the EmWave biofeedback device. This time I played a game where a hot air balloon flies around the world. The higher my hrv, the higher the balloon went. Pretty cool.
Time for bed.

Surprisingly attractive

Last night I did some tapping and went to bed around 11:30. I slept through the night. I probably woke up on time but did not feel like getting up, so I stayed in bed until 8.
I showered while swishing. Then I made the mistake of reading a book in the bathroom without my watch on. When I put it aside, it was 9am. I dressed as quickly as I could, grabbed the grocery list and excess plastic bags, and went to church. I felt like crying on the way because I feel so badly for Faye.
I warmed up with the choir, then greeted Don on my way to the bathroom. I talked to Ron before the service then went in and sat down. Lars did the announcements and the service began. The choir anthem went very well. The performance is usually better than the warm-up.
After the service, I spoke to Jennifer about the liver flush. She didn't do it after all. I told her the flush did not bother me at all so she shouldn't be afraid to try it.
I went to Publix and bought food. I brought it home. I brought in the mail from yesterday. I called William but he didn't answer. Then I called Faye. She accepted the call, but was busy talking to the therapist so I just listened to what was going on while I put away the groceries and made breakfast. She talked to me after the therapist left. She was feeling better about the place. William called while I was talking to Faye. I jotted notes for my blog while William talked. I also checked the Lucy Corr website for a floor plan but could not find one.
Then I called Kevin. I asked him to bring a dozen hard-boiled eggs to Faye and Dad and he said he would.
I sat outside in the sun and finished my book. Then I came in and finished an audio on viruses and macrophages. I started one on supplements for brain health, and sorted scraps for dog beds. I found denim in there so I sewed little cases for the magnets to make them easier to handle. It was more difficult than I thought because the magnets got stuck on the throat plate and the scissors. It pulled the needle to the left and screwed up the stitches at times.
My foot seemed to be doing better so I went for a walk. It turned out to be a longer walk than I planned. I went to the back of the neighborhood to the place where people dump their unwanted plants. A nearly dead fern was there. The root ball looked like it was full of small potatoes. There were canna lilies, no roots with them. And a tomato plant. It still had a small red tomato on it, so I picked it and took it with me.
When I got home, I saw Chris had called. I called him back. The base is still on lock-down so he did not go anywhere. After talking to him, I did the Wim Hoff exercise for today: another 4 rounds of breathwork and a cold shower. I nearly passed out on the breathing and skipped the cold shower.
I made salad using some of the dandelion that I bought at Publix. I put the rest in a jar of water to re-hydrate. Then I read e-mail. I called Faye again. She said no one came to see Dad. I looked up low aldosterone which might be Dad's problem. I told Faye about it, then she had to get Dad ready for bed. I watched an episode of Royal Pains while stretching and using the massage ball. I took the first round of evening supplements. I made more vitamin mix for tomorrow. I got ready for bed, then wrote my blog post. I used the EmWave to relax, took a round of binders and went to bed.
* These are the covered magnets. The darker side is the north pole and the lighter side is the south pole. *

First Day at Lucy Corr

I sewed for awhile before going to bed last night. I also took EDTA and charcoal. I don't know that it helped me fall asleep any faster.
I shut my alarm off when it rang this morning and turned over for another 40 winks because the room was a little cold. I got up at 8:30. I got dressed, then brushed and swished. I filled a bowl with hot soapy water and left three apples to soak in it. Then I sat on the front porch and removed seeds from the sumac plumes. That job is almost done.
After 20 minutes, I went inside to wash off the apples and do a few dishes too. Then I called up the Wim Hoff exercise for today, which was 4 rounds of breathwork plus pushups and a 2 minute cold shower. I skipped the cold shower.
There was an e-mail labeled Vinegar pie. I had to check it out. The ingredient list sounded a little bit like a shoofly pie. I refilled the turmeric powder. I chopped some garlic and ginger and turmeric root. I juiced several apples. I put the liver flush ingredients in the blender. Just then Faye called. I blended and drank it while listening to Faye. She sounded very unhappy with the conditions at the Lucy Corr rehab facility. No one had told her anything and she could not find the Admissions people.
I threw laundry in the washer. I looked up other facilities in her area. I called Johnston Willis hospital to see if they could get him changed to another facility. They told me to call Lucy Corr and ask for the on-call administration.
I called Cecily for advice, but she said Faye should just leave Dad there. I called Faye. She'd found the dining room when lunch did not get delivered. It sounds like they just made it in time before the dining room closed. I called Lucy Corr. I was put on hold with no music. I listened to the message about how my call was important to them 25 times or more before someone answered. I tried to tell the lday the problem but she insisted I was talking to the wrong person and she transferred me to someone named Bermuda. Bermuda said she would look for my sister and dad. So I called Faye and told her, but she said she was on the Bermuda wing and thought I had gotten the run-around. So I called Karen and told her. I cleaned up in the kitchen. Karen called them, then called me back to say someone was coming to help Faye. So I called Faye, several times, but she didn't answer. Then she called me back to say someone took her around to see the floor and what was available to the public, etc. Then Faye started talking to someone. After a bit I heard noises like she was walking with the phone in her pocket. So I hung up, probably forgotten.
I jotted notes for my blog and finished an interview. I made and ate breakfast, but could not finish it all. I sat outside and read, with my bare feet in the wet grass. Later I tore myself away from the book to go back inside.
I think I talked to Faye again and finished breakfast. She had called agencies to find a babysitter for Dad, but had no luck. She was most worried about calling in sick to work again tonight. I suggested she call Patrick, but she didn't think he was up to it. Then I called Chris to get his advice. He said she was overly concerned and needed to step away. After that, I called Kurt. He thought Patrick could do a good job if 'trained' properly and said he would be willing to sacrifice a few nights to stay with Patrick and Dad if it meant that Patrick would be giving Faye more nights off after that.
We talked about a bunch of other stuff as well, and it got late. My phone ran out of power and I had to plug it in. After that call, I took some supplements and called Faye to see how she was doing. She sounded absolutely exhausted. Dad was fidgeting and not sleeping. I suggested finding a classical music channel on the TV. She was able to find some kind of music on public TV. But he was still fidgety.
I hope they both get some sleep.
* Another quilt from the show. *
I held two magnets on my foot. It seems to be helping. I wrote my blog post for today. I got ready for bed and turned on the air purifier. I brushed my teeth and then wrote my blog post.

She's a home owner now

Last night I used the EMWave and got really good scores while listening to a documentary. Surprising. I went to bed, and slept in this morning. I got dressed and sat outside, swishing and harvesting sumac seeds. I also moved the shepherds hooks to a more symmetrical position. I put some meat in the crock pot with water. I considered throwing in garlic, but that didn't happen. I got sidetracked listening to interviews and such.
I did 4 rounds of special breathing with Wim Hoff. No cold shower was required for Day 5. Then I listened to presentations from the home medicine summit. I made pre-breakfast mixes. I called Faye. She said Dad was doing better today but still had to go to a special care facility. She was hoping to get him into Lucy Corr.
The meat was cooked, so I ate some. I think it was ox-tail. Then I made breakfast. There was plenty of stuff to listen to, so I sewed patches together to add to the horse quilt so it won't be square. At 3:45 I went to the post office. There was one bill and one ad. On the way home, I drove past Housing. I thought they were having a party today. But when I got home and checked their e-mail, it was for next week.
After sewing for awhile longer, I sat outside reading. I had my phone with me because I was expecting a call from Carol who wanted to have dinner. Instead, Michele called. She proudly announced that she is now a home owner and will move in tomorrow. We talked for awhile longer. About 5 seconds after she hung up, William called. He talked mostly about some kind of sandwich bread made from cauliflower.
My friend hadn't called so I ate supper. It was some meat, plus a mostly lettuce salad, and dried sweet potatoes.
I continued sewing and listening. Then I put the project on hold and watched an episode of Royal Pains waiting for Chris to call. I also used the massage roller. Then I started an episode of Frasier. Chris called. He had just gotten home from the Friday attitude adjustment and professional development. (That's a euphemism for happy hour at work.) He was supposed to go to Octoberfest after that, but that got shifted to tomorrow and the early morning chapel hike for tomorrow was rescheduled for next week. (The base is shut down since the president's brother was convicted of drug involvement)
So I thought we were going to have a long talk, but then he and the sergeant major made plans to hear a singer at one of the eateries on post. So he left, and I finished watching Frasier.
I took Cat's Claw and Caprylic Acid. I wrote up my blog post for the day, and got ready for bed. But I intend to sew for awhile before turning in for the night.
* This quilt was at the show. But it would be nice in Michele's new place. *

Short term care

Last night I stayed awake, using the Emwave to get into coherence after lying down, but it didn't work. Maybe my body doesn't like lying down. Is that why I have trouble sleeping? After quite some time awake, I got up and put socks on, and eventually went to sleep.
I dimly remember the alarm going off. I did the Wim Hoff breathing. I stayed in bed until 8:30. I dressed and sat outside shucking sumac seeds. Then I came in, brushed and swished, and listened to more interviews from the Home Medicine Summit.
I took the morning supplements on schedule. I read and deleted e-mail. It was after 11 when I started making breakfast. But by noon it was eaten and I put the featherweight in my carrying case and went to quilting.
Very few ladies were there. Rhonda wanted to work on Ruth (the name for my featherweight). She wore clip-on lights on her glasses. Rhonda found threads wrapped around the small belt wheel on the motor, and removed them. Ruth ran pretty well then. I sewed a bunch of triangles together and ran out of bobbin thread. I got a thread nest trying to put a new bobbin in. Then Ruth needed help getting started on each stitching run. Christy needed to go so we all packed up and left. I went home.
I did the Day 4 of the Wim Hoff class. I skipped the cold shower part, and just did the breathing. I took my blood sugar before and it was 90. I started eating after and never did take it again. I was reading e-mail when Faye called. But before she could finish, she got another call that she had to take. Then she called back. The hospital doesn't want to keep Dad but they don't want him going home either. They recommended a short-term care facility. Faye asked if I wanted to fly up there to sit with Dad at the facility to make sure he got the best treatment. But I kinda don't.
I called the Damours for advice, but there was no answer. Then I called Michele thinking they all went to supper. She did not answer either. I ate some salad fixings. I took a short walk. The mailman was just leaving as I walked up. So I got fresh mail.
I made a lettuce salad, and put some cheese and olives on it. After eating, I played with two of the magnets I ordered. I ate a packet of tuna. Michele returned my call. She put it on speaker so I could hear Cecily and Al as well. They recommended the Lucy Corr facility. I had to hang up then because Patrick was calling. I am not sure what he wanted exactly. He said he was going to take care of stuff around the house.
I hung up with him, then contacted Nell on Skype. We tapped for clutter issues, including what was on a chair by the door. Afterward, I called Chris. He is planning to apply for a job in San Antonio.
I cleared items from the chair and put it back. I turned on the air purifier in the bedroom. Then I watched an episode of Royal Pains. I rolled out my calves and shoulders. I took evening supplements. I posted to my blog and got ready for bed.
* A Harry Potter quilt at the show last weekend. *

It was like Christmas

My foot hurt last night and I wondered if the walk was a bad idea. I overslept waiting for alarm to go off, but I hadn't brought the phone to bed. Sigh. I got up at 9:30. I brushed and swished. I played a podcast on the desktop while cropping the pictures from last night on my laptop. I did exercises and drybrushed, then meditated and tapped.
Having gotten up late, I had to curtail my morning routine a little. Then I cleaned the kitchen and bathrooms and washed dishes. I took a shower with a cold finish and dressed in shorts and t-shirt. I emptied the coffee grounds and used sumac seeds outside. I made some dandelion and ginger tea.
Then I went to the Korean clinic. I spent two hours filling out forms for licensure in Texas. They decided Hawaii was too expensive. As I worked, she put dried fruits and nuts with sugar on the desk for me. Later I looked at the bag and all the ingredients were organic, including the sugar. Sigh.
William called while I was there to give me an update on Dad. I forgot to mention yesterday that Dad was taken to the hospital after falling. But nothing was broken and they just kept him overnight for observation. However, they gave him a variation of one of his meds today and it sank his blood pressure. So they are keeping him another day.
It was after 4 when I left. I went to the post office. There was a small package shoved into the box, and a yellow slip for a bigger one from the front desk. When I got home, there was another package in front of the door, and an aloe plant from Julia – marked Aloe-llujah. Ha, ha.
I finished the interview on liver health. It was getting chilly so I put on pants and watered the flowers. I sat in the back yard to read. At 6 I came in to warm up.
I listened to part of another audio, then paused it to put on a coat (gasp!) and go to church. When I got there, most of the choir was assembled. I talked to Lars, who said all the offering envelops had been destroyed. I asked Bill how his wife was doing. I think he doesn't expect her to come home now that she is in long term care.
After choir practice I talked to Jennifer who watched the same liver health video that I did. She wants to do the liver flush too. Then I went home, noticing how hot it got in my car with the heat turned up and the blower off.
When I got home, I called the lady about her destroyed check and she graciously offered to write another one. I was hungry so I tested my blood sugar, and it was 70. I called Faye for an update on Dad. He had a long nap after the blood pressure incident and he was well-hydrated after an IV. He is expected to be discharged tomorrow.
After that call, I followed Wim Hoff doing his special method. It is like hyperventilating and then not breathing for a minute or so. This time he held for 90 seconds. I made it but just barely. Chris called. He told me about his Interview today and thought it went well. I fFinished a video from earlier. Then I watched an episode of Frasier. I ordered more vitamin patches. Then I brushed my teeth and posted to my blog so I could get ready for bed.
* A present from Julia *

My first walk in weeks

Last night I found the energy to make up a dozen supplement mixes before going to bed. I remembered to wear the grounding patch.
I woke up at 6:45 to use the bathroom. I laid down again and the alarm rang. It seemed way too soon, so I stayed in bed until 8.
I brushed and swished. I skipped the sumac shucking and deleted the first round of e-mail. I listened to the next episode of something. I added to my Swanson's cart the supplements that were running low. I got dressed and took some protein powders mixed in water. Then I went to quilting.
There were 6 women gathered at a table. I pulled up a chair and worked on binding while joining in the conversation. This went on until a few ladies laid out lunch. It was potato soup, fruit, and brownies. I went over to see what Beverly was making: a garter. I made a ribbon candy bow with the blue ribbon she had. But her elastic was too wide and thick. I hoped she had something more suitable at home.
Then I said my farewells, and left for home, not stopping at the Asian store.
When I got home, I made a few pre-breakfast mixes, then worked on breakfast. I had to make more mixes for that, too. I ate while listening to some interview, then added cacao nibs to my cart. I forgot to put supplements in my breakfast so I mixed them with a little yogurt. I downloaded some EmWave software and did a Heart Math session. I printed out two Vanco sheets.
At 2 I left for church. It was raining lightly at times. I let myself in and got to work. I entered data and printed reports. I scrounged through the bin in the copy room for paper with a blank side (for printing Vanco reports). I went to the sanctuary and played the cantor's part and sang the psalm for last Sunday. It was ok to sing solo because I was alone. Maybe one day I will feel comfortable singing in front of other people.
From the church, I went to the bank to deposit the offering. Then I went home. The rain had stopped. I watered a few plants that were too close to the overhang to get rained on. Then I took a short walk around the circle. I checked the house mail: two pieces for us and one for someone who used to live here (presumably).
I found a phone message from a lady who put two checks in the offering, but only one had posted. I looked at my sheet for that week and only one appeared. So I called her and agreed to find her envelop and see if the other check was in there. I texted Lars to find out where he keeps the envelopes.
I ate a tomato, a packet of tuna and some seed crackers for a quick supper. I put my three newest works in a bag and went to the meeting of the modern quilt guild.
Even though I took Jordan, I got there pretty quickly. I found a seat at the table. There was a particle of seed cracker stuck between two teeth. I dug out my seam ripper and used it as a toothpick. I turned in the two blocks I had made and told her I would do another one if needed. Then the meeting started. I got to show off my challenge project, which they kept. I also had the horse quilt and the stack for show and tell. After the meeting, I got a prize: a gift bag with some fabric and patterns. I stayed late to see if there were any blocks untaken. A lady who had come in late asked to see my show-n-tells because she knew I always had something nice to show. Awww!
I went home. I resumed listening to a talk on medicinal weeds. Chris called on Skype and we talked for a bit. Then I went back to listening. When the video was over, I watched one episode of Royal Pains. I took the usual bedtime supplements. Then I wrote up my blog post and got ready for bed. I took binders and hoped to sleep really well.
* This is Rebecca's quilt on the design wall from yesterday. *

As good as it gets

I forgot to wear the grounding patch last night. I heard the alarm go off at 7:30 and I rolled over and stayed in bed until 8. It was cool, so I put on pants and a long sleeved shirt. I brushed and swished, and sat outside shucking sumac berries. After 20 minutes, I came in. I took supplements and listened to interviews. One was about exerises for improving eyesight. I wore the grounding patch whenever I was close enough to the outlet to do so.
At 11, I made and ate breakfast, refilling some of the containers. I took the last of the supplements I made up last week. Then I put my machine in the trunk and gathered up some projects and went to quilting.
It was a small crowd today. But Rebecca and Bertha stayed longer than usual. I was slicing up nine-patches and sewing the quarters back together. Rebecca was arranging her black and white blocks on the design wall. She let me re-order them. A few blocks had to be re-done to fit the pattern we were going for.
At 4 I had sewn all the quarters together and pressed the blocks. So I packed up and went home. There was no point in going by the post office. When I got home, I made a salad for supper. I also had yogurt and the last of the goat cheese. I went outside to finish mowing the lawn, and then I ate some frozen strawberries'
I called Dad. Faye answered and we talked. Then she put Dad on the phone. But he lost his direct objects so he did a lot of stuttering as he tried to think. I suggested he eat some fat bombs and ended the call.
I listened to classical music as I added more quilting to the challenge piece which is due tomorrow. I paused when Chris called on skype. We had a nice chat, but his laptop fan was really annoying. After that call, I called Michele. I suggested she visit my dad this week, and we talked about her new condo which she is moving into on Saturday.
After that call, I finished the extra quilting. I thought it needed more, but anything I added might make it worse. Then I added purple end pieces to the stack-n-whack, and texted with Beverly. I watched one episode of Frasier to relax. Then, realizing how late it was, I took my evening supplements, posted to my blog and got ready for bed.

Cooler weather

I woke up early to use the bathroom and decided not to go back to bed. I read e-mail and listened to an audio until it was time to shower and get dressed for church. It was a little cool outside, but I did not need a coat. I took my choir folder and a baggie of sumac seeds and went to church.
When I got there, I spoke to Ron until the choir assembled for warmup. I joined them. Jennifer put a sweet potato in my pew so I put it in my purse. I gave her the sumac berries. My pew buddy Don, did not come today. I talked to the other Don and Barbara and Jim.
After the service, I spoke to Jennifer. There was supposed to be a budget meeting, but people were just standing around for so long that I went to Publix. I got the usual stuff. As I walked through Produce, I realized that I had a sweet potato in my purse. I hoped no one saw it and thought I was stealing potatoes. “ Honest, Officer, this sweet potato came from the choir director in church this morning.”
When I got home, I changed my clothes and put on shorts and a t-shirt. I took the potato out of my purse. I made and ate breakfast, then put the food away. I strained the sumac seeds from the tea. I poured the water through them several times to make it stronger. I sterilized a kombucha jug and poured the tea in, then slipped it in the fridge to get cold.
I listened to interview after interview to try to catch up. It was sunny out, so I took a break to mow since my foot was feeling better. I only got halfway when the battery ran down. So I plugged it in to recharge. I put on another interview and worked on the two blocks for the modern quilt guild. Then I sorted a bag of scraps from the trunk of my car.
For supper, I ate a can of soup and a tomato and some yogurt. I read e-mail until I knew my neighbor was home. Then I took the jug of tea and her container next door, and stayed to chat with Julia. I came home, and saw that Chris had called, so I called back. There was no answer. I called again in 5 minutes and he picked up. We talked for a bit. Then he went back to watching The Flash and I watched an episode of Fraser.
I took my supplements and wrote my blog post. My stomach did not feel so good, but I don't know why. It seems to happen every evening now. I did not turn the AC down because the temp was already down to 71. I did turn off the electricity to the bedroom.
* Two blocks for the modern quilt guild *

Finding the north pole

I shut off the alarm this morning and slept in. I had no trouble standing up when I did decide to get up. My foot seemed to be better, but not 100%. I put on a shirt and shorts and went outside to harvest sumac seeds. But it was too cool, so I put on pants. I swished as I plucked seeds from the plumes.
I gathered up dark items for the first laundry load. I put them in the washer and went back for the sheets. I listened to today's interviews from the Body Electric summit. I took supplements, one at a time, spaced out until it was time for breakfast.
It was noon till I got to my first meal. I had read that it should be protein, so I ate nuts, and seed crackers with avocado dip, yogurt, an egg, and some goat cheese. Jennifer called. She wanted to catch up and to ask me to get her a dozen eggs next time I see Tina at quilting, (which will be November).
When the dark load was done, I put it in the dryer. Included were the fabrics I bought yesterday. I pulled the fabrics out of the dryer before it finished, and ironed them and then folded them. When sheets came out of the washer, they had mysterious streaks of dirt on them, so I ran the load again, in hot water. Then they were ready for the dryer.
I looked online at magnets for medical purposes and wondered if they are any different than other magnets. I took two small button magnets and clasped them around a thread (much harder to do than it sounds). Then I let them hang until one pointed north. I put a piece of tape on it to signify the north pole. From there, I ascertained which side was north on the other magnets.
I simmered some white vinegar and water while I peeled a jar full of garlic cloves. When the jar was full, I poured the hot liquid over them. I set the jar aside to cool.
After a few more hours of listening to interviews, I juiced all the leftover salad greens and drank that. It was not tasty. I ran the pulp through again and got a little more juice. Then I threw the remnants in the back yard. It seemed warm outside. Then I went out front door and it was cool. I brought in the mail. There was one bill that Chris needed to know about so I sent him an e-mail.
Then I finished off the squash soup. I folded laundry and dressed the bed. I realized I never made breakfast so I did that and listened to audios while I ate.
I unpacked the replacement yogurt maker to test it out. I jotted notes for my blog, then checked to see that it was warm. I was listening to an interview on dealing with negative emotions when Chris called on Skype. We talked for a while, each sharing our day. We both did laundry. Tomorrow he is going out with Herberth.
I finished the interview, took notes and watched a few others. Then I took my evening supplements and brushed my teeth. I did not bother turning the AC down because the temp is supposed to fall to 43 tonight. I put a blanket on the bed just in case.
Then I watched an episode of Frasier. I listened to classical music as I wrote up my blog post and got ready for bed.
* Here is a quilt from the quilt show, which ended today. *

The Huntsville quilt show

I woke up before the alarm went off. Sleep wasn't coming back so I got up. I swished while sitting outside and harvesting sumac seeds. I made pre-breakfast mixes, and then ate protein items like nuts, an egg, yogurt. I packed a lunch and filled a water bottle.
Rebecca came at 9:30 to pick me up. We went to the parking lot opposite the Von Braun center and parked. When we got to the Von Braun Center, we found the ticket table for the quilt show. We bought our tickets and waited for a few other friends to arrive. We stood in line talking until the doors opened and we went in. We entered our doorprize tickets and quilt drawing tickets at the appropriate table. Then we went to the Sew Creative booth to get free green bags. From there we looked at quilts in order. But we did not move at the same rate. I took pictures of most of the quilts. We were asked to support the vendors, so I stopped at a couple of places and bought fabric and one quilt template. We waited until 1 for the second drawing, then walked to the parking deck. Rebecca drove us to the other side of the parking deck so I wouldn't have so far to walk to the restaurant. It was an ice cream and coffee shop that also had sandwiches. I sat outside saving the table for the others while they ordered. We had to change out the low chairs for metal ones. As the others ate their toasted sandwiches, I ate seed crackers, a piece of coconut, and an apple.
When the party broke up, I walked to the car with Rebecca. She drove me back to base, then to the post office. I picked up junk mail and the replacement yogurt maker. She dropped me off at home and went off to Tuesday Morning.
I opened the package of serine and took a scoop in water. Then I sewed binding onto my challenge project, added corners on the back for hanging. I made breakfast for supper and ate that while listening to interviews from the Body Electric summit. They were talking about specific frequencies or healing.
I sat outside to sew the binding to the back. I felt a few raindrops, but stayed until my thread ran out. Only in the light of day could I see that there was a difference between the white background of the piece and the white border sewn around it. Sigh.
I added more quilting to the piece, inadvertently sewing through the triangles. But that improved the look of it. I cropped quilt pics while listening to the seemingly endless interviews. There was a sign at the show asking the pics include the tag with the name of the maker, but the tag did not show in all of the pics. There were too many to finish in one evening.
I called Dad but he didn't answer. I texted Chris on skype, and he called me half an hour later. We talked for awhile. Then I looked up biomagnetic therapy; using pairs of magnets to increase circulation and energy flow. It seems so DIY. I stopped to take supplements and write my blog post before getting ready for bed.
* A chemistry themed quilt at the show. *

Chi Shield helped Gabriele

I don't think I slept any better last night. It was hard to walk when I woke up to use the bathroom. And again when the alarm went off.
I sat outside and harvested sumac seeds for 20 minutes while swishing. Then I made all my pre-breakfast mixes plus breakfast. Dr. Lee said to eat between 7 and 9. But by the time breakfast was made, it was after 9. I ate it anyway.
Then I listened to interviews while cutting wedges to make blocks for the modern quilt guild. I also set the Brother up for free motion quilting and used the extra large cone of thread. When noon rolled around, I put the featherweight in my rolling case, and the Chi Shield in my purse.
I drove to quilting. Attendance was low, but we had a good time talking. Rhonda looked at my machine to see why it balks sometimes. I figured out that it only happens when the needle is at its highest position. She said to bring it next week and she will bring her screwdrivers.
I sewed black and gray wedges together to make the background of two blocks. We all agreed to leave at 2, so I packed up. We put everything away, then I took my stuff and headed to Ruth's Nutrition.
I met Gabriele there. She was impressed with the Chi Shield. We talked for some time before she left and I got ready for the massage. As she rubbed my back, she said her headache had gone away. When she got to my left foot, she whacked it with a hollow bamboo stick, therapeutically. It was supposed to do something for my plantar tendons. After the massage, I went to her office. I told her to keep the Chi Shield for two weeks and see if she or her family noticed anything. We set up the next appointment.
I went home and had supper: squash soup, an egg, seed crackers, sauerkraut, and yogurt. I put on an interview and quilted the fabric challenge item. I used ruler templates. I was not pleased with it since the templates moved when they weren't supposed to, but at least it was done. I read e-mail until 7.
I talked and tapped with Nell for an hour and a half. Then I called Chris on Skype. His fan is still not working right. I wanted to say 'put a fork in it'. He told me he will have an interview next week for a job at Fort Bragg.
I took supper supplements. I watched an episode of Royal Pains while rolling my foot on a golf ball which Gabriele gave me. Then I took sleep supplements, and wrote up my blog post so I could get ready for bed.
* This pic was taken before I quilted it. *

I got Boo'd

Going to sleep last night took as long as ever. I shut off the alarm this morning and went back to sleep. I got up about 8:30. I swished and sat outside harvesting sumac berries. I made coffee and did my coffee morning exercises and drybrushing, followed by meditation and tapping. Then I started cleaning the house. I washed dishes, including the one from Stacey. Then I showered, dressed and went to the Korean clinic.
He had a tax form for me to explain to him. Then she wanted to know what it would cost to move to Hawaii. I did an internet search and came up with U-Pack, which is what they had in mind. I called to get a ballpark figure for moving their household goods and then the lady transferred my call to another company to get a quote for shipping their cars. She gave me two clementines. He drew me a detox foot bath. Lots of stuff came out of the left foot, but not the right one. After the foot bath, he set up the foot massager for me. When my session was over, he gave me a box of onion juice packets. I thanked them and headed out.
I stopped at the post office, but there was nothing other than junk mail. I went home. Julia came over with some squash soup. We talked for some time about this and that and I went over to look at her mums which were full of buds but not blooming. She checked her mail and mine. More junk.
I listened to interviews from the Body Electric summit, but they were hard to concentrate on. I ate an egg and a can of soup.
I found a text from Stacey about walking and replied. I grabbed her dish and went out. She was waiting for me at the curb. We walked past Julia's house, but came back because Stacey could see that my foot was hurting. So we went to her house. There was a small white sign that said “We've been boo'd”. I was curious, but she didn't say much. We sat in her back yard and talked. Her husband came out several times with weather updates. I didn't realize it was going to get so cold. She invited me to dinner but I had just eaten. She walked me home.
I was reading e-mail when my doorbell rang. I jumped up to answer it and no one was there. However, there was a paper bag and two mums. Inside the bag were three apples and papers. In poem form, it was advised to post the sign on my door and 'pay it forward' by dropping off treats at someone else's house and running away before they answered the door. I suspected it was Stacey.
I went back to reading e-mail. I read an article from Malwarebytes about malvertising. As per their recommendation, I tried to enable click-to-play for add-ons but could not find it on Edge.
I tried to quilt around a template on a different machine that had a higher shaft. But the second machine would not make stitches on the quilt sandwich. Sigh.
I started watching Royal Pains and doing stretches. Chris interrupted on skype. He had been out with Herberth and they had a few beers. So he sang me two songs. That drowned out the noisy fan nicely. He told me his replacement was coming in November and he could leave on the 17th.
After the call, I took some supplements and finished the show. I rinsed my sprouts, which aren't doing so well. Then I typed up my blog post and got ready for bed.
* I guess it is my turn now. Who do I boo? *

An eveing on the phone

Last night I took extra CBD oil sublingually and triple the amount of melatonin. I think I might have fallen asleep faster. I woke up a little groggy in the morning. I got up late to do the usual morning stuff. I got dressed and read some of my e-mail. Then I threw two projects into a bag for quilting. But as I tried to leave, I saw that one of the shepherd's hooks had fallen against the screen door and it wouldn't open. I pushed and jiggled and it finally backed off enough that I could get one arm out to pull it away. Then I pushed it back in the ground, which was now softer from the rain.
I drove to quilting. It was the usual crowd. I pulled up a chair and took out my red quilt for binding. The conversation was the usual stuff. Then one by one, people left. I stayed until after 11, then packed up to go get kimbap. When I got it home, I measured my blood sugar at 88. Then I drank a bit of vinegar and sprinkled some cinnamon on my kimbap. With these precautions, I ate the kimbap with kimchi. I also made and ate breakfast. Then it was time to go to church. Just before I left, I took another measurement. It was 194.
I collected all the things I thought I would need, and left for church. When I got there, I sat down to enter all the offering information into the computer. I printed out the reports and filed them in the appropriate boxes. Then I checked my phone. Elaine said she was sick so wasn't coming.
I went to the bank to make the deposit. I had to wait in line and then the actual deposit took extra time because someone filled out their check in a confusing way.
When I got home, I measured glucose one last time and it was 126. I wondered if the vinegar and cinnamon kept my blood sugar from spiking as high, or if I just didn't measure at the right time.
I read barefoot in the back yard until I saw a tick climbing on my book. It was time to come in. I listened to interviews while sewing borders on to the challenge project. Then I layered it and tried to free-motion quilt. But the shaft kept getting in the way of the template. I needed to switch machines. I put on another interview on mold while making and eating a salad. There was kale in the salad and that became a problem later on.
Chris called on Skype. We talked amidst the intolerable buzzing of his fan. Afterward, I called Al. We talked about aging, and Michele's house-hunting and Thanksgiving. Then I called Dad. Dad rambled on for quite a while Kevin and a casserole. I could not figure out what he was talking about. I talked to Patrick and he didn't know either. I think Dad was confused. He said he hadn't eaten all day except for 3 subs he found in the fridge (which were probably sub quarters). Patrick said he hadn't taken his meds either.
I watched the rest of a video on digestion. I took some supplements, then I watched an episode of Frasier. I turned down the AC and took CBD oil and melatonin. I wrote my blog post, brushed my teeth, and got ready for bed.
* Thelma made this for her new granddaughter. *

Birthday Monday

I read that a person should eat a snack before bed if their blood sugar is low. So I measured it last night and it was 96. I decided I did not need a snack. I laid on the couch and listened to a yoga nidra session, then I went to bed with my grounding cord on. I think I went to sleep faster than usual, but the yoga nidra took half an hour, so. Sometime in the night it started to rain hard. And it was still raining when I woke up. It was a gloomy morning.
I got up with the alarm on the phone, which was still connected to my laptop. It should have been near the bed in case I needed it. I brushed and swished. I read e-mail, and somehow got to watching a video on Cher's mother. I went back to reading e-mail. I took protein powder and measured my blood sugar before and half an hour after. It went from 111 to 107. I guess protein powder doesn't raise glucose after all.
I set aside 6 eggs for seed crackers and hard boiled the rest. I made supplement doses for a week, focusing on vitamins and minerals. Then I got dressed and made breakfast.
After eating, I packed a bag with projects and went to quilting.
We had a good crowd since it was Birthday Monday. Two ladies are having birthdays this month. Rebecca provided the cake and left. I visited with the others and passed on the cake. I showed Bertha the horse quilt. Then I set up in the back of the room. I worked on the fabric challenge item. (I am not sure what it will be good for). Rebecca came back and we had a good chat. William called and I talked to him for awhile, but then realized how late it was. I packed up and said goodbye.
I went to the post office, getting there just before the front desk closed. But my haste was for naught because there were no packages today. I went home. I tasted the yogurt that came out of the cold yogurt maker. It tasted fine, but just in case, I just had a small bit. I made a salad, and added a hard boiled egg. I also ate some seed crackers and an apple. I watered a few plants that were under the eaves.
While listening to interviews from the Body Electric Summit, I finished my fabric challenge blocks and trimmed them. I separated out sumac berries, and put some in a strainer. I auditioned borders while listening to podcasts. Chris called while I was sewing. The sound of his laptop fan was so annoying that we cut the conversation a little short. He wore headphones to shut it out, but there was nothing I could do on my end.
I decided to add a star to the intersection where the blocks meet. I watched one episode of Raising Dion. It is a new show on Netflix, but I don't think it is my speed. I turned down the AC, took melatonin and CBD. I wrote my blog post and did my stretches. Then I got ready for bed.
* This is Lauri's quilt. *