Monday, May 24, 2021

May 24, 2021 Monday--10:15am

Good Morning!

Haven't posted a sky pic for quite some time.  I do love watching clouds.

More misplaced birds normally found by water...have had red-winged blackbirds here...

...along with the mallard couple.


Keeping watch over the patio visitors is diligent work...that calls for frequent sun-naps.  

I had another very busy week.  Monday Dagan dropped off stuff and took my trash out for me (because I could hardly move) while he was here.  

Tuesday Leah dropped off my part of our NDSU beef order (my freezer inside and in the garage are packed full) and I took a step toward purging food in my pantry since I've been off carbs for two years now.

Wednesday Leah dropped off a small CashWise order.  I did two loads of clothes.  Then worked all day on switching winter and summer clothes and purging the pantry.

Thursday I continued on the clothes and the pantry.

Friday was my appointment with Dr. Kessler, my new-to-me osteopath.  I filled her in on what I had been doing since October with her suggestions, the bad set-back with the vaccines am still recovering from, the zoom consultation with Elliot Overton, oxalate dumping, pondering Lymes, and the new recommendations from Elliot (tincture and less supplements).  She's wonderful!  It is so amazing to have a doctor who actually listens, understands what you are talking about, and is open minded.  

She thought Lymes (or even Bartonella) could be a possibility and was all for trying Elliot's tincture and other recommendations.  She totally agreed that it certainly can't hurt.  And if I have had Lymes for who knows how long and lived a more or less high stress life...maybe my system was wearing down and that's why I caught psittacosis in the early 90s...later mono in 1999...and why I never recovered after the mono, got progressively worse, and later got diagnosed with fibro and ended up housebound.  If I caught Bartonella from the barn cats that would have been late 80s and could also fit into the timeline.  The fact is--who knows?  Like I have said, these diseases are diagnosed mainly by elimination (not necassarily dependable testing for Lymes--tested negative years ago)...and they all can have similar symptoms, regardless.  

I had to hit the lab, too.  She wanted to check things like my calcium and potassium (normal), my kidney function (very slightly above normal but I had been fasting since the night before), test for blood in urine and sent home with another poop test.  Those last tests will find out later.  

After the long appointment Leah dropped me off at home and I collapsed while she picked up her brother and they made a Costco trip.  She dropped off a small order for me early evening.  Was definitely a pajama and R&R evening--LOL!

Saturday I started on the 1/4 tsp of the powdered calcium.  The citrates are supposed to help pass the oxalates.  I had been drinking lemon juice water off and on--have increased that, too.  So far, so good.  Oh, and Dr. Kessler wondered if I might have kidney stones that are causing me to have blood in the urine on occasion (came back but not as bad right after the first vaccine).  Well, we'll see how things go with the new regime.  Oh and I haven't had the acid reflux for a couple of nights now--knock on wood. Getting used to the tincture...or mixing in the citrate with it helps?

I continued to work on clothes and the pantry on Saturday.  Finished the clothing switch!  All the winter clothes were binned up and ready for the garage.  I used to do that in one afternoon.  How life has changed--LOL!  I really do live the snail life.  ;)

On Sunday McFamily came over again.  I thought they were just coming for a visit because I was too shot to make it over there but...surprise!
Took two trips to get them over here!  The new planter boxes are here!  I am so excited!  My little patio is going to feel so private!  Once we get it planted and growing it will feel like I have plant walls around me out there.  Whoohoo!!  

Timing...that neighbor lady from before was walking her dog and stopped to admire the big wooden planters.  Said she could hardly wait to see my flowers this year!

I had bags to go to the dumpster from the pantry purge.  Dagan hauled them out and then the clothing bins to the garage.  Leah asked if she could help me with purging the pantry.  Yes, of course!  So that got finished, too!!  Hurray!  

I had been running Tupperware containers and mason jars through the dishwasher for days.  Dagan and Leah stuck the clean empties on the shelves in the pantry for now for me.  I can see my kitchen counters and table top again!  Dagan brought more bags to the dumpster.  Truth--there were some items that had expired from 2013 through 2019!   

I did take pictures before I started...
..of both sides.  Can see the shelving on the back wall but I forgot to take a full on shot.
After step one (food purging).
Back wall...
...and both sides.

Do I have enough jars?!  LOL!
So next is step two.  I have to repackage things I am saving into jars and Tupperware containers.  Then I will decide which of the empties are going to make a trip into garage storage.  

Step three will be completely reorganizing everything and getting as much of my paper goods on the shelves as I can.  Feels like a new move type of task, you know?  Be so nice when it is done.

Leah ran to pick up dinner for us again!  Then since the boys were doing artwork projects (Ian started, of course)...Dagan and Leah joined in, too.  Leah made a heart maze for Ian to do and then Liam wanted to try so she made a copy for him, too.  Liam had never tried a maze before.  He got the hang of it and did well!  Dagan made a big heart for Leah that Ian then cut out.  I loved seeing everyone doodling and playing with markers and paper.  :)

I had them put their mazes on the frig...and they will each have a piece of artwork, too.  Liam's is top right... 
...Ian's is drying in the bedroom on the gatefold table.
He made this design with glitter glue.  When he comes for an actual Gramma Day (soon...like in a week or two...after school is out) he is going to color all the sections.  The ream of paper to the left of it...
...I was using to press a dandelion Ian picked for me.  The boys were making runs down the sidewalk to the cottonwood tree and back.  Ian stopped to pick a pretty white dandelion for me.

I had shown him what I was working on in the studio and told him I would put his dandelion on my dandelion page.  How I will actually manage to do that remains to be seen.  Might have to use packing tape to secure this delicate pressed treasure that is now coming apart in a million pieces--LOL!  But I will figure out a way to glue it into the art journal, you can bet on that.

I absolutely love the fact that Ian automatically equates a visit to Gramma's with doing arts and crafts!!  

To end this post I have a picture Leah took of my patio boxes (I know, huge, right?!).  Just love looking at them--even empty!

Oh, and I didn't know that the city makes compost from grass clippings, branches & whatever and then gives it away for free!  Leah is going to get city compost for my planters!  Hopefully this week.  Then next is a trip to Baker Nursery!  Can hardly wait!

Also a couple videos of Ian in the lake.  On Mother's Day weekend it was the first time Leah's family could all get together because all the adults were fully vaccinated!  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7FaDN1MvcY

Ian couldn't resist the water even if it was pretty cold. 

https://youtu.be/RtGztbKYnnk

Okay, I just spent an hour trying different ways to embed these short videos and couldn't find a way for love or money.  I am going to just put links up and I have no idea if those will work either.  Let me know.

I am getting extremely tired of Google's way of running Blogger.

Now I have to go back and see if I can get all the format centered and the font sized uniformly.  Oh and I have lost spell check somehow along the way, too.  Whatever I can manage is what you will end up with--LOL!

Do you think I can change my attitude toward Blogger/Google?

I hope so.  ;)

****

"Not everything that can be faced can be changed, but nothing can change that is not faced."

James Baldwin

19 comments:

Rita said...

I gave up. That's the best I could do with Blogger.
Have a great week! :)

DJan said...

I haven't tried those links yet, but I think you did a great job with all the limitations you had to deal with. Your plant boxes are great! I can imagine what it will be like once they are sprouting flowers. You got an enormous amount accomplished!

Deb J. in Utah said...

Hi Rita. Wow, you have sure had a busy and productive week. The pantry looks great and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that planters. Now I am wondering what kind of plants you will plant. So glad you have found a helpful and caring doctor. I hope you have a good week.

Far Side of Fifty said...

If the grass clippings have weed killer your plants will not grow well. It is an on going saga with compost when you don't know what people use on their lawns:(
Your planters are wonderful!

DVArtist said...

Great sky photo. Wow! you have been busy. I love the planters and the pantry looks fabulous. Have a nice evening.

Bonnie said...

I love those planter boxes! I bet you can't wait to choose all the plants and flowers you will grow in them. You have really been busy especially with cleaning out the pantry and switching out your clothes. You have gotten a lot done! The links worked okay for me and Ian looked as cute as ever!

David M. Gascoigne, said...

Your planter boxes look wonderful. Be sure to post pictures when they are overflowing with flowers. No only are they attractive they will give you a real sense of privacy as you sit out there, to say nothing of added beauty. Perhaps a few interesting insects will be encouraged to come and pass the time with you too.

Divers and Sundry said...

White, fluffy clouds :) what a beautiful sky :) I've seen red-winged blackbirds out in rural areas but never here in the city. They are striking birds. What a sight to see them on your patio! The planters do make it feel more private. They fit like they were made for the space. I look forward to seeing your plants.

I hope all this helps your health, and as your doctors say: it can't hurt. I'm sore you're having trouble with Blogger :( I just copy the embed code from Youtube and paste it into my post.

Darla said...

I am happy to hear you found a doctor who listens and hope this leads to some improvement in your health. Your pantry looks so nicely organized. It is a job isn't it? I can't wait to see your planter boxes full of blooms. I don't like the Blogger changes either and also lost my spell check. Why can't they leave things alone? Have you heard anyone say they really appreciate the changes? No.

jinxxxygirl said...

Rita! Just LOVE those planter boxes... Will you put rocks or gravel in the bottom for drainage?? Cannot wait to see what you plant in them.. You have been sooo busy!!! And you and Dagan and Leah have certainly accomplished alot! Big Hugs! deb

Anvilcloud said...

You seem to have such love and support through your troubles. Those plant boxes look great and will, no doubt, be very enjoyable for you.

Jenny Woolf said...

Those planter boxes are something else! Fantastic! I can't wait to see your flowers either!

Jo-Anne's Ramblings said...

Such lovely photos, Leo likes looking a the birds
I am unmotivated lately

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

You have been much busier than I. I adore those new planters. And you are SO lucky to get free mulch. I spent a fortune on some for my plants, along with potting soil that looks horrible.

Nice that you got the clothes all finished and purged your pantry. I need to go through my cabinets, since I no longer have a dedicated pantry like I did in my previous home. So sweet the boys worked on a maze, too. Glad they are in craft mode, too. Hope you have a great week and you get good results from any tests you still have to hear about.

kestrel said...

I like clouds too, esp the feathery ones. We get a lot of large dark cumulus here before the storms. Your planters are looking good, looking forward to you or your support group (haha) filling them with flowers. Hope you get to feeling better real soon Rita, and moving around. You can donate some of those glass bottles to me 🤣😂🤣

Rajani Rehana said...

Beautiful post

Intense Guy said...

Hi there!

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

By the time I catch up on what you did this past week, Rita, you may be readying another Monday post! This was quite an end of the week catch-up for me as the week just seems to have gone by somehow. You are certainly very detailed in sharing what's going on with you and honestly some days you do accomplish more than myself. I spent most of this week doing house chores with some pantry reorganization. Glass jars and plastic containers are favorites of mine as well and admittedly I have quite a few as well used for pasta, rices (several varieties of each) and flours (also several types). Hope you had a good rest of the week.

Harvest Moon by Hand said...

I think that's the first time I've seen ducks and a red-winged blackbird at your patio. That's great that the city makes compost for residents! That will really make your planters grow!