You know, we stress preventative maintenance on our cars to keep our investment running longer and more efficiently. But, do we stress preventative maintenance on ourselves? It's a lot easier to catch problems early and take care of them than to wait until it becomes a chronic problem that dominates your life.
Honestly, I have done a half-assed job of keeping up with my health over the years. I go to the dentist every 6 months. I get a check up every 5 or so years. And I got my mammograms. Other than that, I tend to stay away from the doctor's office.
This is the year I turn 50. In anticipation of this momentous occasion, and my decision to have at least 60 more very productive years in my life, I have decided that it is time to start taking my health seriously. To this end, I had a colonoscopy today. (end---hahahah---- yeah, I'm still a little loopy from the drugs!)
The prep was not as bad as I was expecting. My Doctor gave specific instructions on when to stop eating things. High fiber foods- raw fruits and veggies, nuts, etc, were to be pulled out 4 days before.
Three days before, I stopped eating beef. Two days before, I ate as light as I could. Well cooked veggies, tuna, salmon. And then came the fun of the clear liquid diet yesterday. I won't lie, I was hungry and grumpy and headachey most of the day. I powered through by remembering my Mom's surgery. I swear, I can still close my eyes and see the wound and the damage caused by a colon that had ruptured due to colon cancer.
Funny thing is, the colon cleanse was pretty darn easy. I have problems with gluten. BIG problems with gluten. Honest to goodness, the colon cleanse was more gentle than what happens if I happen to have something with gluten in it.
Today was simple. Went in, changed into a gown, laid down on a bed. Rolled on my side, chatted it up with a nurse, and then went out like a light. Woke up 30 minutes later.
I did have polyps. 3 of them were removed. One of them was big. 1.5 cm.
That big one? It was in the EXACT SAME SPOT as my mother's tumor.
That polyp would have sat there, slowly growing for years, unknown by me until the only options were ugly, life changing options.
The peace of mind I have this evening is unbelievable. There was something that could have been a problem, and now it's gone. Granted, I have to go back in 3 years, but I will gladly go back, knowing that the procedure is easier than getting a root canal. (Yeah, there's a joke there, too...)
Colon cancer is one of the most treatable cancers, if it is caught early. I'd like to hope that the polyp wasn't cancerous. If it was - hey - it was caught when it was small. And it's gone.
So, I'm asking you - what kind of preventative health measures have you taken for yourself lately?
This is the only body you've got. You need to take care of what you have!
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Book Review: Vietnamese Children's Favorite Stories
Well, this was a fun book! I was browsing through the children's section of the library last week when I found this beautiful book sitting on a shelf display. This gorgeous little collection of Vietnamese Folk Tales has been lovingly illustrated. Each tale has been handed down over time, through a rich oral tradition.
The tales of bravery and beauty, in which integrity, hard work, and honesty triumph will win your heart as they bring to life the great cultural heritage of Vietnam.
Reading this book is a wonderful way to spend some time with the beautiful people of Vietnam. Whether you read these stories with one of your own little ones, or by yourself, this will be time well spent!
2015 Resolutions
There's nothing like public accountability to keep you honest about your resolutions.
Without any further ado, here are my 2015 resolutions:
1) Exercise More/Walk 500 miles
I began the month of June barely able to walk. I could put pressure on my knee, but I was so out of shape, it's not even funny. I've been slowly building my stamina back up, walking in the parking lot at work if I have extra time. Those short little distances are the little hops. They do add up, but I really need to pick up the pace this month!
Total walked in June: 13.7 miles. Total walked in 2015: 32.73.
2) Lose 10 pounds
No weight loss this month, sad to say. Gotta pick up the pace on the walks.
3) Remodel the Hall Bathroom
The money in the savings account is getting closer to the target for this.
4) Finish Oldest Child's Quilt
I have just 4 blocks left to quilt, the outer border to finish, and then bind it off. The deadline for this is Aug. 12. I WILL have this finished on time!
5) Clean and Organize the Family Room in the Basement.
Done and done. I'm working on the big messy room in the basement. I'm trying to decide if some of this stuff is worth selling, or if I should just give it all to the White Elephant Sale at the church? I'm also surprised at how much of this is just going straight into the trash. OK, maybe not THAT surprised. There is a lot of useless crap down there.
6) Cut Back on the Time I Spend on Social Media.
I took the apps off of my phone. Without access on my phone, I access social media once a day, in the afternoon when I have my downtime. (Some of us call it nap time, but hey, whatever floats your boat!) You know, I spent the first 40 something years of my life without social media. I really don't need to spend that much time on it now, either. Most of what I'm getting in my feed is advertisements, and I really don't like the fact that Zuckerburg is mining my data for his own personal gain. (targeted advertising)
7) Read 75 books this year.
I am making excellent progress towards this goal this year! I'm already past the halfway point, and there are still 6 more months to go! You can see the books I've read, and find links to the ones I've written reviews on here: 75 Book Challenge
8) Get out of debt/Pay college tuitions without going deeper into debt
The kids have scholarships, but there's still a balance that has to be covered. Oldest child is on his own for Graduate School, but the two youngest children still have tuition that needs to be paid. We refuse to allow our children to graduate from school with debt. This month is a challenge. There are 2 tuition payments that need to be made. (I've written at length about this in the past, and will do so again next week.)
9) Spend More Time With My Family
This will most likely be the last summer all of my kids are home for the entire summer. Believe me when I tell you I plan to enjoy every single moment of it.
10) 365 Grateful
You can find me on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/librarynut/
I've recently added a few more pictures. I do keep the ones with my kids and their friends private, however, so I think there's probably a lot of pictures on Flickr that you are not able to see.
11) Replace the car that was totaled.
This ties in with #8... those tuition payments are looming..... I'm holding off on purchasing anything until we make the tuition payments.
12) I will maintain my friendships.
This one is a great joy! I love connecting with my friends!
(I just wish I hadn't had to write it down in order to make it a priority.)
13) I will have more adventures.
I'm having a colonoscopy tomorrow. Does that count? How about the mammogram I had 2 weeks ago? Maybe you don't count them as adventures, but give me a break here. I've got to find a fun way to think about this.
14) Craft More
All of my efforts this past month have gone into finishing oldest child's quilt. No dilly dallying on other projects this month!
How are you doing on your resolutions for the year?
Without any further ado, here are my 2015 resolutions:
1) Exercise More/Walk 500 miles
I began the month of June barely able to walk. I could put pressure on my knee, but I was so out of shape, it's not even funny. I've been slowly building my stamina back up, walking in the parking lot at work if I have extra time. Those short little distances are the little hops. They do add up, but I really need to pick up the pace this month!
Total walked in June: 13.7 miles. Total walked in 2015: 32.73.
 |
| June totals walked: 13.7 miles |
No weight loss this month, sad to say. Gotta pick up the pace on the walks.
3) Remodel the Hall Bathroom
The money in the savings account is getting closer to the target for this.
4) Finish Oldest Child's Quilt
I have just 4 blocks left to quilt, the outer border to finish, and then bind it off. The deadline for this is Aug. 12. I WILL have this finished on time!
Done and done. I'm working on the big messy room in the basement. I'm trying to decide if some of this stuff is worth selling, or if I should just give it all to the White Elephant Sale at the church? I'm also surprised at how much of this is just going straight into the trash. OK, maybe not THAT surprised. There is a lot of useless crap down there.
I took the apps off of my phone. Without access on my phone, I access social media once a day, in the afternoon when I have my downtime. (Some of us call it nap time, but hey, whatever floats your boat!) You know, I spent the first 40 something years of my life without social media. I really don't need to spend that much time on it now, either. Most of what I'm getting in my feed is advertisements, and I really don't like the fact that Zuckerburg is mining my data for his own personal gain. (targeted advertising)
7) Read 75 books this year.
I am making excellent progress towards this goal this year! I'm already past the halfway point, and there are still 6 more months to go! You can see the books I've read, and find links to the ones I've written reviews on here: 75 Book Challenge
8) Get out of debt/Pay college tuitions without going deeper into debt
The kids have scholarships, but there's still a balance that has to be covered. Oldest child is on his own for Graduate School, but the two youngest children still have tuition that needs to be paid. We refuse to allow our children to graduate from school with debt. This month is a challenge. There are 2 tuition payments that need to be made. (I've written at length about this in the past, and will do so again next week.)
9) Spend More Time With My Family
This will most likely be the last summer all of my kids are home for the entire summer. Believe me when I tell you I plan to enjoy every single moment of it.
10) 365 Grateful
You can find me on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/librarynut/
I've recently added a few more pictures. I do keep the ones with my kids and their friends private, however, so I think there's probably a lot of pictures on Flickr that you are not able to see.
11) Replace the car that was totaled.
This ties in with #8... those tuition payments are looming..... I'm holding off on purchasing anything until we make the tuition payments.
12) I will maintain my friendships.
This one is a great joy! I love connecting with my friends!
(I just wish I hadn't had to write it down in order to make it a priority.)
13) I will have more adventures.
I'm having a colonoscopy tomorrow. Does that count? How about the mammogram I had 2 weeks ago? Maybe you don't count them as adventures, but give me a break here. I've got to find a fun way to think about this.
14) Craft More
All of my efforts this past month have gone into finishing oldest child's quilt. No dilly dallying on other projects this month!
How are you doing on your resolutions for the year?
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Grocery Expenses, Week of 6/23-6/29
This was a pretty light week as far as groceries went.
Youngest child took a 4 day trip with her Dad down to her new college. They stayed overnight in the dorms and got to eat dorm food for the duration. (I DON'T miss dining hall food!)
Middle child went back to work at camp, so he was gone, and won't return home for a break until next Monday night.
So, this left oldest child and me for a large chunk of the week.
We made Vegetable Soup with leftovers from the food pantry distribution, and other odds and ends of vegetables we had laying around the fridge. (Including my can of V-8 juice. I keep those on hand!) The Veggie Soup was dinner one night for me and oldest child, and then Sunday lunch, served with sandwiches.
We raided the freezer for a crock pot meal that lasted us two nights. We also pulled out some fish, and had that with roasted potatoes and green beans.
We made tuna salad, and then we hit up the farmer's market on Sunday morning and picked up fresh fruit, some of which went into a very large fruit and chicken salad. (The chicken was the last of the leftover chicken from the crock pot meal. If we'd had more than 2 people eating, that never would have stretched out over 3 meals.)
Last night, we had hamburgers that I picked up at the butcher last week, along with mandarin oranges. (That weird choice is due to the FUN AND GAMES I am having on Thursday morning. NO more high fiber or raw fruits and veggies until Friday.)
Since we pulled a lot of food out of the freezer, we didn't spend a lot of money at the grocery store this week.
Farmer's Market: $28
Grocery Store: $25
Total: $53
Hey? Did you notice? No Chick Fil A this past week! (But I do see a Starbucks Run in the works for Thursday afternoon....)
Youngest child took a 4 day trip with her Dad down to her new college. They stayed overnight in the dorms and got to eat dorm food for the duration. (I DON'T miss dining hall food!)
Middle child went back to work at camp, so he was gone, and won't return home for a break until next Monday night.
So, this left oldest child and me for a large chunk of the week.
We made Vegetable Soup with leftovers from the food pantry distribution, and other odds and ends of vegetables we had laying around the fridge. (Including my can of V-8 juice. I keep those on hand!) The Veggie Soup was dinner one night for me and oldest child, and then Sunday lunch, served with sandwiches.
We raided the freezer for a crock pot meal that lasted us two nights. We also pulled out some fish, and had that with roasted potatoes and green beans.
We made tuna salad, and then we hit up the farmer's market on Sunday morning and picked up fresh fruit, some of which went into a very large fruit and chicken salad. (The chicken was the last of the leftover chicken from the crock pot meal. If we'd had more than 2 people eating, that never would have stretched out over 3 meals.)
Last night, we had hamburgers that I picked up at the butcher last week, along with mandarin oranges. (That weird choice is due to the FUN AND GAMES I am having on Thursday morning. NO more high fiber or raw fruits and veggies until Friday.)
Since we pulled a lot of food out of the freezer, we didn't spend a lot of money at the grocery store this week.
Farmer's Market: $28
Grocery Store: $25
Total: $53
Hey? Did you notice? No Chick Fil A this past week! (But I do see a Starbucks Run in the works for Thursday afternoon....)
A Tale of Woe... Pinterest strikes again....
One of my resolutions this year was to craft more. I have a Pinterest Board filled with fun crafts and projects, just waiting for me to find the time to work some magic on these ordinary objects and make them into something magical.
So, over the past few months, I've gone through my boards and pulled out a few things that I felt like following through with. They were quick and easy, and I thought for sure I had the skill level to pull these little gems off.
So, without further ado, here is the update on my Pinterest Projects of the year.
Glitter Dipped Mugs
My original post about the glitter dipped mugs was here: Glitter Dipped Mugs. The original directions I followed were posted on White House Black Shutters.
The appeal of these mugs to me was that they were supposed to be dishwasher safe. We have a space challenged kitchen, and I hate hand washing anything, so there was definite appeal to me for a dishwasher safe version of this.
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| These purple beauties were my original mugs. |
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| The cheap knock off sealant. |
 | |
| A disaapointing result. HOW am I going to get the rest of the glitter off of that cup? |
Coke Can Succulent Garden
I found this totally adorable garden, along with instructions on Polka Dot Chair.
Cute beyond words, isn't it?
 |
 |
| And here I thought cacti and succulents could withstand even ME? |
Kitchen Organization
We have been challenged for space in this kitchen since we moved into this house 10 years ago. We don't have the money set aside for a kitchen remodel, so we've been trying to find space within the existing cabinets. I found this little trick on Pinterest, and it was awesome! I found some vertical dividers, specifically for pans at a home improvement store. They are screwed into the bottom and the back of the cabinet. Voila! Look at this! Space! The cabinet is not wide enough to hold ANYTHING horizontally - pans, pots, etc. With this one, wonderful little trick, we now have more than enough space to hold the large, long cookie sheets, pans, and cutting boards! They're no longer sitting on top of the toaster oven!
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| Vertical Pans! Everything fits! |
I'm curious. What Pinterest projects have you tackled, and how did they turn out?
Monday, June 29, 2015
Book Review: The Wrong Man
White, Kate. The Wrong Man. 2015. Harper. New York.Kit Finn, an Interior Designer from New York is on vacation in the Florida Keys when she decides to make a bold and risky move and take a chance on love with a stranger she meets on the beach.
After a magical night together, Kit makes plans with the stranger to get together for dinner back in New York. When Kit shows up at his door, she finds a different man - with the same name - looking askance at her as he claims that he has been a victim of identity theft.
Things take a wild and unexpected turn when Kit discovers that the man she met at the door in New York has been killed in a hit and run in the Florida Keys. The police call her for help because the man has no identification on her, but has only her business card in his pocket.
Kit suddenly finds herself embroiled in a situation beyond her control, with her life threatened and one of her clients killed - all because of a one night stand in the Florida Keys.
Can Kit extricate herself from this situation before she becomes the next victim?
A Note from Bettina:
This was an amazing book! A well written piece, with unexpected plot twists and turns that keep the story moving. The author does a fantastic job of keeping the story moving, without making it feel rushed. I love the character development through the story, and enjoyed the development of a love interest. This fast paced novel will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end! Loved this book! (I need to find more of her books. Seriously.)
Author's Web Site: http://katewhite.com/
Saturday, June 27, 2015
Update on the Rant Session
On Monday, I'd had enough and outed my kids and their struggles. After my venting session, things have worked out for the kids. While maybe not in the way anyone expected, but that's the way life can be at times.
Oldest child now has housing for next year. He and two friends have rented a three bedroom furnished townhouse apartment. The rent is beyond reasonable, and they are on the bus line. They are about 5 miles from campus, but the bus stop is right across the street from their front door. Funny note- they can see the football stadium out the back windows.
Middle child has a job. Monday afternoon, the camp where he used to work called him back. They were desperate for help this summer, and were wondering if, by any chance, he might be available. 3 hours later, I had him delivered to camp for the week. Bad news, though. On Wednesday night, a wicked, wicked storm rolled through and felled trees and power lines. They were trapped in camp with no power until early Friday morning. They spent much for Thursday and Friday with chainsaws, cutting up the trees that had fallen, and bringing down trees that were in danger of falling on campers. He is happy as a clam. This summer, he'll be working with the kayaks and canoes at the pier, teaching campers how to kayak.
Youngest child has a job. She signed the paperwork Tuesday, and begins this week. She had her college orientation this week. They took the train down to her college. They thought the overnight train would be a blast. They were mistaken. They had a fretful infant in the seat directly behind them for 12 hours, and a pair of hyperactive preschoolers who were bouncing around in front of them. Even worse, the train was running more than 2 hours behind schedule. Fortunately, they made it to the orientation welcome speech just as it was beginning. This is good for us to know, because if the train is going to be consistently late, we don't want to send her back on an overnight train, thinking that she'll be in town by the time classes start. It might be time to rethink how we're going to get her back and forth this next year. (We really don't want to drive 12 hours to go get her and another 12 hours to bring her back more than twice - once in the fall, and once in the spring.) They're coming home this morning, and last I checked in with them, they were more than an hour behind schedule. Something to think about.
I am having a colonoscopy on Thursday. I know, you are thrilled to hear this, and you're wondering how you ever managed without knowing this information before? Rest easy, you know now! After Mom's colon ruptured in October last year from a blockage caused by colon cancer. (Not once, but twice, and her stoma failed and had to be redone. AND her fascia tore...The entire wound took 6 months to heal. SIX FREAKING MONTHS with an open wound on her stomach.) Yeah, a colonoscopy seems like a walk in the park. I'm going to be reminding myself about that a lot this week. Especially through the day on Wednesday. I can afford to lose some weight anyway, so this counts, right?
Anywho.... thanks to everyone who took the time to read my rant earlier this week. I felt better after writing it, and I feel even better now that things seem to be working out for everyone.
Oldest child now has housing for next year. He and two friends have rented a three bedroom furnished townhouse apartment. The rent is beyond reasonable, and they are on the bus line. They are about 5 miles from campus, but the bus stop is right across the street from their front door. Funny note- they can see the football stadium out the back windows.
Middle child has a job. Monday afternoon, the camp where he used to work called him back. They were desperate for help this summer, and were wondering if, by any chance, he might be available. 3 hours later, I had him delivered to camp for the week. Bad news, though. On Wednesday night, a wicked, wicked storm rolled through and felled trees and power lines. They were trapped in camp with no power until early Friday morning. They spent much for Thursday and Friday with chainsaws, cutting up the trees that had fallen, and bringing down trees that were in danger of falling on campers. He is happy as a clam. This summer, he'll be working with the kayaks and canoes at the pier, teaching campers how to kayak.
Youngest child has a job. She signed the paperwork Tuesday, and begins this week. She had her college orientation this week. They took the train down to her college. They thought the overnight train would be a blast. They were mistaken. They had a fretful infant in the seat directly behind them for 12 hours, and a pair of hyperactive preschoolers who were bouncing around in front of them. Even worse, the train was running more than 2 hours behind schedule. Fortunately, they made it to the orientation welcome speech just as it was beginning. This is good for us to know, because if the train is going to be consistently late, we don't want to send her back on an overnight train, thinking that she'll be in town by the time classes start. It might be time to rethink how we're going to get her back and forth this next year. (We really don't want to drive 12 hours to go get her and another 12 hours to bring her back more than twice - once in the fall, and once in the spring.) They're coming home this morning, and last I checked in with them, they were more than an hour behind schedule. Something to think about.
I am having a colonoscopy on Thursday. I know, you are thrilled to hear this, and you're wondering how you ever managed without knowing this information before? Rest easy, you know now! After Mom's colon ruptured in October last year from a blockage caused by colon cancer. (Not once, but twice, and her stoma failed and had to be redone. AND her fascia tore...The entire wound took 6 months to heal. SIX FREAKING MONTHS with an open wound on her stomach.) Yeah, a colonoscopy seems like a walk in the park. I'm going to be reminding myself about that a lot this week. Especially through the day on Wednesday. I can afford to lose some weight anyway, so this counts, right?
Anywho.... thanks to everyone who took the time to read my rant earlier this week. I felt better after writing it, and I feel even better now that things seem to be working out for everyone.
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