Happenings in My World

Hello everyone, I hope this post finds all of you happy and healthy. Health is such a wonderful gift. If you have it please cherish it. If you don't have it, remember that you are worth looking after and do what you can to keep it or improve it. I'm learning all this myself. Some of us are slow learners but every one of us can learn.

Over the past several weeks I've been back to the grindstone doing everything I can to get my blood sugar levels down. I'm exercising each and every day, taking my medications faithfully, testing my blood glucose levels, going to sleep earlier, trying to make sure only good foods are prepared and served and just generally trying not to get overly stressed.  I have some days where my sugar levels are doing very well and other days where it is very high even though I do all the right things. For example, last night before bed, my blood glucose was 5.7 (normal). This morning it was 7.5 (slightly over normal).  After a breakfast of cold cereal with fibre, 1% milk and 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds it soared to 17.5! That is unreal. My blood glucose is always higher in the first half of the day.  Even if I eat my usual breakfast of oatmeal (with cinnamon, goji or strawberries and flax meal) my blood glucose is still at about 11 or 12 ml. I still think that is way too high so I've been experimenting with exercising on my stationary bike after each meal. I am better at it some days and not so good on other days though I keep on doing the best I can and feel that it will all help make a difference.  (I already know that eating vegan helps but I am not quite that disciplined.  Perhaps in time with all the changes I've made over time I will end up with a totally vegan diet but for now I still eat a bit of cheese, dairy and chicken/meat/fish).

My doctor wants to increase one of my medications but I am resistant to the idea.  I know that increasing medications is not going to solve anything in the long run though it may help in the short term. That is why I am now exercising every single day rather than a few times a week. I will give it a bit more time and then go back and see the doctor to discuss with her. In the end I may increase the medications but first I want to try everything else possible to correct the problem.

I LOVE pansies.

In addition to that I've gone for my annual eye check and discovered that I had a retinal tear in one eye.  I was very shocked but apparently it comes with age and affects some people who are quite myopic which I am. There can be some very bad consequences of an unchecked retinal tear. In my case, I went to the eye doctor on a Wednesday afternoon and by Thursday morning I was at the retinal specialist's office. By Wednesday morning of the following week I was at the downtown Vancouver hospital getting eye surgery.


I didn't really have time to ask a lot of questions as the eye specialist was and is super busy. I found out he is one of the best in town (I didn't know of him before I was referred) and suffice to say that the surgery went well. There was no pain from all the light beams directed into my eye. What I did find a bit painful was the pressure on my eyeball from whatever was used to keep my eye open. It wasn't exactly painful but the pressure exerted on the eyeball was making my eye fatigued and sore.  By the time the doctor was finished zapping my eye I was so happy!  I return to his office in a month's time for followup.  Everything seems fine afterward, though I've noticed I tend to get eye strain more than I did before. Perhaps this will subside in time.  All I can say is that I am grateful the problem was found and corrected in record time.

It poured heavily on Sunday

In the meantime, I've been keeping very busy this Spring with a myriad of things: planning and preparing my small garden, buying a new patio table, Spring cleaning around the condo (declutter my drawers and closet shelves, wiping down the kitchen), taxes, paperwork, running to different doctors, reading, and life in general. Of course most of you know that the simple tasks of planning and preparing meals and blood glucose monitoring takes oodles of time.  So all in all, I am keeping rather busy.

Starter plants waiting for their pots.

Because I've read a lot of books early this year I've decided to increase my reading goal for the year from 25 to 30 books. It's no problem as I've got hundreds of books on my "to read" list. It is just a matter of finding some of them at the library or the second hand (thrift) store.  I may have to increase the goal again before the year is out since we still have 7 months left in 2014.  I'm reading at a leisurely pace.  In fact I haven't been doing any reading for a few weeks so today I will pick up a couple of library books (the two you see in the photos). They look like light, fun reads.

Last but  not least. I've dug out a work-in-progress.  It's the African hexagon flower crochet throw/blanket I intended to give as a Christmas present in December 2013!  I've managed to sew all the hexagons together now.  By laying it on my double bed I can see that I still need a few rows of flowers and I've run out of the yarns I've been using. I either have to carry on in different colourways (perhaps too much difference in shading) or try and find more yarn (easier said than done though I could perhaps order on line).

My hexagons are randomly placed and are not all identical. I've used 4-5 shades of yarn in different order and have sewn them together without much thought.  It is too time consuming to keep laying the throw on the floor or my bed to see how to arrange the hexagons.

I still have to fasten the ends at the back and add another row before deciding whether to buy more yarn and continue.

I'm pleased with the overall effect. 

Right now I am experimenting with the yarn I have on hand to finish adding one more row.  I can then see whether what I have on hand will work or whether I need to buy more yarn.  After seeing how heavy the throw is getting I might skip the idea of making a cover for a double bed. But, you never know, I can always change my mind.

Chicken cacciatore is bubbling away on the stove.  This is something I never make but am tired of eating baked and roasted chicken so I thought a change would be fine. I don't generally eat much pasta  and thankfully it doesn't tend to cause any huge blood glucose spikes. I almost decided on boiling some steel cut oats for the foundation of the meal but I'll save the oats for breakfast.

I think tomorrow's menu for lunch and dinner  will be a nice green salad with canned salmon and a hearty vegetable stew.

Keep well everyone. I may not be posting for awhile as I'm going to be busy catching up with friends and work and relaxation around the house.

Joining in with My World Tuesday

A Day for Planting

The weather continues to be a bit unsettled here. After a couple of glorious days I really thought the heavy rains were a thing of the past but i was wrong.

Sunday was very gray and the rains came down quite heavily. I couldn't do any of the gardening I planned. 

What a difference a day makes. The sky cleared up considerably on Monday and I started planting my container garden.

I made some progress but I still have a lot to do.

This Solomon's Seal below is one of my favourite plants in the garden and one of the few perennials that I planted and kept for years. 

These hostas are a new addition to the garden. I planted 12 bulbs last year. Some in container boxes and some in the garden plot. Only 7 of the hostas sprouted this year.

Petunias are something I usually buy in a hanging basket but this year I bought a bunch of starter plants and put them in one of my colourful pots. It was a lot less expensive than purchasing a hanging basket which I never hang anyway as I've got no where to hang it.

This green leafy thing is sprouting. I can't tell if it is a plant or a weed. Does anyone know.

Joining in with Our World Tuesday this week.

Happy May!

Weather & Finances

On Tuesday night I saw some fluffy little clouds in the middle of the sky. There was an airplane making its way to the Vancouver International Airport for landing. It looks like an insect on my camera lens as it makes it's way westward.

It's been a record breaking month of sunshine and heat in this month of July. We haven't had rain for the entire month. I think that is supposed to change over the weekend though the rain is not expected to be heavy.  The persistent heat can feel oppressive to those of us who aren't used to it. It is also hard on the lawns and gardens since our plant life in these parts is used to much more rainfall to keep everything nice and green.

On my walk to the park this evening, I noticed the lawns in some places are looking a bit yellow and dry around the edges.  I took a photo of the sky from the park on my camera photo but can't figure out how to get it from there to my computer. It used to be easy to do but since I went on holiday, unlocked my phone and put back the original SIM card it no longer works properly. I think I need to reset it to the factory settings but am afraid to lose my photos. I'll have to ask someone for help first.

I notice the flowers along the streets are very full and healthy looking whereas the flowers I planted in my garden are extremely slow to grow.  The flowers only seem to do okay in containers. The vegetables are looking a bit better but the kale looks a bit skinny. I've probably left it in the garden too long now as it is going yellow around the edges.

I had a rude awakening on Monday morning.  I mentioned in an earlier post how I dislike the crows who come to my patio garden because they make so much noise, leave food and feathers in the birdbath, chase away the little birds that I like to watch and are just generally destructive.  For two weeks, I chase them away every time I see them land on my bird bath. I guess they didn't like that. Yesterday morning they made quite a ruckus and totally dismantled the bowl of my bird bath until it came loose and topped over.  What pests they are but I have to admire their intelligence.

After running errands at the local pharmacy on Tuesday night, I finally started clearing my desk of the many receipts that have been piling up for the last month. I have to sort them by month and date and put them in baggies until I transfer all the information to an excel spreadsheet. I'm not so disciplined when it comes to inputting all the information as it isn't my favourite thing to do.  I put this kind of work off until I really feel like doing it.  I have been  trying to keep a record of all regular expenditures for the last 4 months or so to get a better handle on where my money goes and also see how much I've saved.  This is part of my "package" of financial goals for 2013.  Although I don't track every expense, I do track most expenses. I don't keep track of meals out or stops at the coffee shop because these are not part of my usual expenditures unless I am on holiday.

I hope your week is going well and that you are making progress on your goals whatever they may be.If you haven't yet read my last post, please read here. I would appreciate whatever you can do to share it on your social networks; especially on Facebook as we need 10 connects to get this profile in the searchable directory. Thanks so much!

Patio Make Over Unveiled

Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, 

food and medicine for the soul. 

~ Luther Burbank 

The garden is not fully planted but these container pots will remain more or less the same. The blue pot is a newer addition to the grouping. I've planted some colourful geraniums in them. I can't wait for the proliferation of blooms.

 The repainting of the patio table and chairs was completed during this week of sunshine and warmer weather.  Just in time too as it is supposed to rain tonight and for much of the week.  The metal parts of the set used to be hunter green. Now they are a dark milk chocolate.The patio cushions won't be left out in the rain for at least this first year of wear. They last a little longer that way even if I have to remember to bring them in out of the rain. I purchased a chair cover for the winter months when we get even more rain. I've never used one before. I hope it works!

I will try to post more photos later if my garden "takes".
It would be nice to be surrounded by healthy gardens this summer if we ever get the right balance of sun and rain. I need all the help I can get ;-)


I also have some wonderfully awesome news.  A friend of mine in NC has been dealing with cancer for over a year and has tumours in various parts of her body.  The prognosis didn't look too encouraging but just yesterday she wrote and told  me that the tumours in her kidneys and liver which were to be removed surgically are now gone!!! That's just the most awesome news I've heard in awhile. God is good and I continue to pray for others who need a healing touch. May God bless you and encourage you if you are reading this and are in need of healing.  Keep on praying and believing.


I also found this awesome daily audio bible podcast which makes it easier to get into the word. If you'd like to try it, please go to dailyaudiobible.com

Happy week ahead to all of you.

Summer Daze

Hi friends, I hope you are all enjoying your week. I thank those of you who left messages of encouragement and prayer for Kenya and those affected by floods, famine or just general lack. I thank you too for leaving me birthday wishes. I'm one of those who would rather not have a birthday, lol but we can't help but grow another year older each year. Hopefully we are making the best of the time we have. I know I'm trying to live a meaningful life and do things beyond myself that will  make a lasting difference for someone else.

I have been home from my recent travels to visit elderly relatives for about one week now. I have been trying to take it easy and catch up on rest. At the same time, I have busily been trying to move forward on my action list.

I've been reading a great new novel, Half a Yellow Sun and studying my Swahili lessons which are already coming to an end. I've been searching around for a Swahili tutor and thinking about continuing with classes in the Fall. I found a tutor at the university and I found another longer and more expensive class out there too. However I want to do a lot more study on my own to build on something in whatever class I decide to take.  These are all ideas I have.  No decisions have been made yet.

The blue pots are new. I wanted to plant geraniums. I can't wait for them to bloom.

I've also been catching up on cleaning around the house; mostly in the kitchen and my bedroom. I'm thinking of getting the carpets cleaned. Right now there is a deal with Groupon that I might buy (two thirds off the regular cost).  It's amazing how dirty they can get even when you take care. I suppose it doesn't help that I have to carry bags of dirt throughout my apartment to get it to the patio garden. I've brought in bags and bags of dirt and new containers for container gardening. All of these were heavy.

New brown colour for the patio furniture.

These are the new patio chair cushions.

The patio furniture is getting a make over and the new patio cushions are waiting to sit on the revamped chairs. The cost of the spray paint ended up being a lot.  Equal to the cost of one new chair or one new cushion (about $40. Canadian), but still a lot less than buying a new patio set.  It has been raining all week so there is a delay in getting the table repainted. 

I'm still working on container gardening too.  I had to get a few more pots and was able to find these dazzlingly beautiful blue pots.  I looked and looked to find a good price. I've learned that container pots are amazingly expensive, even the plastic ones that are made to look like stone or ceramic. I don't like to use plastic outdoors as the pots crack after being left out in the sun, wind and rain. Also, they don't biodegrade.

My little bird bath is a delight. It is a cast metal so it withstands the strong winds we've been having. I've been wanting one of these for years and years. I finally got one at about one third the usual price.  After the patio furniture is ready and the garden is done, the patio will need a general cleaning.  I had to move everything out onto the patio when I was getting the new washer and dryer installed. Stuff is still sitting out there because I've been so busy these past two months. I can't believe how much time has gone by.  It feels like yesterday when the washer and dryer were being installed. I've had to buy so many things for the household this Spring. Hopefully I won't have to buy anything more for a long time to come except perhaps a new patio set if rust weakens my chairs (hopefully that won't happen).

I love my new bird bath but mostly it's attracted crows so far.

Today I am meeting a friend for coffee but I see I am out of bread so I have a batch rising as I write this post. Hopefully I can have it baked and cooling before I leave the apartment. I am also thinking of whipping up some cookies to have on hand. I've been wanting to bake for awhile now but have been too busy. I like to have cookies in the freezer so that I don't go out and buy snacks.  Actually I don't have funds by this time of the month since I am trying to balance my budget to zero at the end of each month. This means all funds are allocated for the entire month and are paid out or assigned before the first week of the month has gone by. It leaves no funds for playing around with. I'm still working on being consistent about this as it takes care of first things, first. This way of budgeting is not that easy to do if you have real emergencies arising and your emergency budget doesn't cover it all.

I also have to go out to do some banking later and stop at one store if there is time. They are having a 50% off sale of already marked down items. It pays to get things when there are these kinds of sales if they have what you need and if you have set aside some funds.  That is always the catch. The stores often don't have my sizes in stock by the time they get to the clearance but sometimes they do and that is a happy moment.

I have a lot of people I'm praying for; many are in Kenya.  There are so many needs. Some of the people I am praying for read this blog. Please know you are loved and prayed for.  God bless.

Harvest is Nearing

My beets are still small; about 1 inch or so in diameter.

The corn is doing well. I think the squirrels will like these.

I LOVE celery. They are great for soups and stock.

I will try this kale in my juicer soon! Should be nutritious.

My Hungarian yellow peppers. Not quite sure how to use these but will look on line for some recipes.

My sweet cherry red peppers. These are cute.

My cherry tomatoes are ripening as well though I have more green ones than red ones. They should be ready for salad soon.