'Avocado Toast...'

I just discovered the most delicious snack...

...avocado on toasted spelt bread...with sea salt...yum!

I was into the 2nd piece before I even thought about

 taking a photo...

I wonder if this will replace

 our famous peanut butter toast....hmmmm

taking my medicine...

Since I don't extract the pulp from my greens/vegetable mixture, I'm not technically 'Juicing'.... 

I guess you could say I'm 'Smoothie-ing'... :)

...the preparation and ingredients are pretty much 

the same as juicing...

(romaine, spinach, cucumber, carrots, apple, etc.)

...it looks just as 'gaggy'.... (no respect)

...and the flavor is comparable...

...and the nutrient value is great...plus lots of fiber....

...but the texture is vastly different...

...fortunately, Hub is on board with this...

...with enough romaine to last awhile...

California Dreamin' - Day 2

at the cabin - The next morning Chris and Pam picked us up and we headed up to Pam's Family's cabin that is nestled up in the beautiful pines of northern California near Arnold...

...we experienced some QDT (Quality Deck Time)...

...birthday celebrating...

...a fun trip to the river...

...sun bathing beauties on the rocks...

                                            ...what a beautiful place...

                             ...what a beautiful day...

Mother's Day 2012

Since we weren't going to be in town on Sunday for Mother's Day, the kids came through a little early....
and I loved it....

Flowers - Candles - Cards - Chocolate - 

and a dvd of 3 Sam Elliott movies....

Who could ask for anything more....?

Thanks guys...love you all...

new stove...

Convection oven cooking....induction stove top....warming drawer...
...whatever you want, this baby's got it...

...you like???...

...I  lo-o-o-ove!!!...

April Fool's Day 2012

I had a little fun this year for April Fools.....

...notice anything?...

...blue (almond) milk...

 

I really don't think Hub thought it was all that funny...

(salt on the toothbrush)

 ...but I did...  :)

a little trip...

In January we took a little jaunt up to Snowflake to visit 'uncle Mike'...

...after his usual 'saving' adjustments' he took us for some sightseeing...

...here is uncle Mike in his cool jeep...

...this is uncle Mike's hill...

...we stopped at the cabin on the way home 

and it was snowing...

 

...so we built a warm fire...

 

...and ate yummy food... 

...the next morning we saw javelinas in our yard...

at first we thought there were 3...

but soon discovered it was a whole herd of them...

 ...never a dull day at the cabin...

never too old to learn...

Please read to the bottom to discover my insights about my recent experience(s)...

...I guess we are all 'idiots' in our own right...here is my latest claim...

I was going to title this blog as 'my journey to HEALING'

but since I'm not anywhere near to being 'healed'

(either physically or psychologically)

I'm just going to try to document

my experience(s) of the last 3 weeks...

Experience #1:

OK...so since I'm always trying to better myself nutritionally,

when my 2 daughters-in-law told me about a 'Juice Feast'

(yes, I said 'Feast' and not 'fast')

they were participating in,

I was all over it...

(after-all I had done a week long fast (as opposed to feast)

2 different times in my youth -

of course I forgot that was about 40 years ago...)

Actually, I did pretty well for the first 2 weeks with the usual de-tox symptoms

of slight nausea, headaches, small backaches, etc...

This was my daily schedule for preparing the 'feast':

...this is enough fruit and veggies for 1 day...

...the goal is to get at least 4 quarts of juice a day...

1 - from green leafy veggies

2 - from celery, cucumber, apples

3 - from carrots, turnips, tomatoes

4 - other vegetables & fruits

at least 2 lbs of leafy greens...

...blend the leafy veggies with about 3/4 cup of water until it is liquid...

Next you need to strain your juice

(a paint strainer bag works good)

...maybe that is why it tastes a bit like paint...

Squeeze all the juice out so only the dry pulp remains...

and Voilá...your first quart of Super Juice...

...Super what??... I'm not sure...

and then the real juicing begins...

(at least the the 'real fun-to-make' juicing)

...but as usual...after a while...

not so fun...

...first, the veggies...

...caught in action...

...then the fruit...

...to be honest...this is more & higher glycemic fruit than I normally did in 1 day...

I am sure (in retrospect) that is what perpetuated what became a series of mistakes and traumatic events that ultimately were 'tender mercies' in disguise...

...don't they look pretty???

(and delicious...)

...even with that innocent-looking catastrophe-filled one in the back...

...boy...my garden sure got good nutrients for those 14 days!

Experience #2: (including mistakes & tender mercies)

On Day 14 of my Juice Feast...after ingesting my 3rd bottle of juice (which happened to be pure high-glycemic fruit juice)

I got very ill & bloated...

I grew more and more miserable as time went on...

...the next day I researched and (tender mercy) found that I possibly had Candidiasis

(an overgrowth of Candida in the small intestine)

...I made the decision to stop the Juice Feast - cold turkey and

start following the Candida Diet that I found...

...BIG MISTAKE...

...my body went into a crisis that included severe nausea and vomiting for 24 hours and continued on through another day and a half until

(tender mercy)

my precious children intervened...

Hubby had been trying to aid and assist me but I was being my usual stubborn self

and resisted most of his efforts...

...the darlings' intervention came with

phone calls, pedialite, nausea meds,

essential oils, herbal tea, sage advice & offerings of support...

all of which I sorely needed...

one even brought me a rose...sigh...

another, a trip to the ER... (such a fun outing)

I felt their love...and their truths...

(you will understand in a minute)

my 2 Chiropractic brothers were (are) also very helpful and generous with their knowledge

...my family is the best!!

Here is what I have learned:

1. pain next to (prolonged) nausea is pretty much.....nothing

Here is what I hope I'm learning:

2. we need to be humble(d) so we can learn (truth)

3. trials make us humble (mistakes can too)

4. the Lord helps us find truth

5. we must obey the principles of truth with exactness

6. we must be patient with our selves and others who are also learning

(I thought I had already learned that one.....I guess not...)

7. we must be grateful for the truths that have been shown to us

8. we must continue to strive to follow truth at all times and

learn to discern truth from deception...

9. we must be willing to change our opinions in order to follow truth...

(oh that silly pride thing always gets in the way...)

10. Family is Everything....and that's the truth!!!

(actually I have learned this one...)

a good Mother's Day...

Yes...I had a good Mother's Day...

...one of the best...

...my children all gathered around...

...and brought food...

...and flowers...and dark chocolate...

and gifts from the heart:

...the darlings had collaborated and each brought some special (positive) memories that I truly am grateful for...

They even made custom cards...

...from Todd & Becky...

...thanks...Todd & Becky you are both a blessing to me...

...from Kevin

...yes Kevin, you are amazing...thanks for being my son...

and marrying DaNelle...

...who is an awesome daughter-in-law...

...and having such wonderful kids...

...and being such great parents...

...from Dayla...

...yes, Dayla I am proud of you...you are fabulous...

...from Rusty...

Rusty's memories included the many 'good' movies they watched
(over and over)

most of them being the animated musical classics...

...'Bedknobs & Broomsticks' was one of the favorites...

I'm sure his love for music started with these musicals as well...

...thanks Rust, for being so unique and sensitive...

...from Angie...

...thanks Ang, for staying sweet & thoughtful...

...good memories are the best...

...thanks my darlings...I love you!!!