Blue No More

I wrote the other day (here) about how yellow stains in clothing were making me blue. I described what I was doing to get the stains out and invited helpful tips from you my readers, in getting out the stains.

Since my post on this, I stumbled on an alternative to Oxy-Clean powder. I was browsing in a discount shop for a few small items when I came across a new to me product called, L.A.'s Totally Awesome Oxygen Base Cleaner. I purchased a small tub of it for $2.99 (Canadian).  I think this product is very much like the powdered Oxy-Clean.  When I used Oxy-Clean a few days ago I was using the liquid spray not the powdered form which probably works better.  If you can't find the Oxygen Base at the dollar store you can find it on line at Amazon.  One of the ingredients in the product is peroxide. Using peroxide on the stains is a tip that was left by Dimple on my previous post.

When I got home I mixed a bit of the new-to-me powder with water to make a paste.  Then I rubbed the paste into the sleeves of my blouses and left them to soak in hot water. After that I washed the clothing in a long cycle in hot water.  Voila, the look was much improved but still not good enough for me so I washed the blouses again with hot water only.  Again, the sleeves looked better but still not good enough.

I soaked and washed the stains in the solution again and this time I put them out in the sun to bleach. Presto, the stains are GONE or almost gone!  I've put these back out in the sun on the patio for another hour or two to "bleach" them even further. You can see in photos #2 and #3 that there is still a bit of discolouration but if the items are worn, the discolouration is not so noticeable. If you enlarge the photos you can get a better view of the sleeves.  I'm sure that with continued attention to the sleeves, the stains will be completely gone soon.

I would have put the blouses out in the sun earlier but I needed to have a long period of sunshine at the right time. As things happen, yesterday was not so sunny and warm until late in the day and I had no time then to leave the clothing outside.

I am pleased with the results and next time this happens I will be quick to sun bleach the stains.Thank you to every one of my readers who left helpful tips.  With a  lot of time and patience, I've now saved myself from having to buy new blouses for next summer. I think I could save time next time by placing the clothing in the sun much quicker and I hope I remember that should I need to in future.

Travels

I've seen these kind of maps on blogs of friends.

I thought it would be fun to make one for myself so here it is.

Create your own travel map - TravBuddy

I've done an awful lot of travelling in my lifetime but the map says I've only covered 7% of the countries of the world. I've been back to many places 2 and 3 times, especially to Australia & Kenya. I hope to cover more countries before I'm done.  Clearly I have a lot more travelling to do.

Yesterday was a very very busy day for me, catching up on washing and folding laundry, vacuuming (hoovering), emptying the vacuum canister, changing bed linens, unloading and loading the dishwasher, making salad, emptying garbage cans and a whole lot of errands to get some things for mom and some things for me as well.

I also did a lot of research on line looking for deals on duvet covers. I've narrowed it down to two possibilities, both of which are on a very good sale. I've been looking for these for a very long time but hate to pay the prices that they usually are on offer for.  I want to buy one solid coloured duvet cover for myself and one for my brother's birthday which is coming up in the Fall. Yesterday's flyers also showed a sale on two other things I need (a new tower fan and an office chair.  I've needed the chair for some time but that might have to be put off again.  Maybe I can get one for free. I always keep my eyes open for free things if they fit my need and they aren't too shabby).  I need to carefully think about each expenditure and figure out what I really need and can buy this month. Thinking two and three times before buying anything, buying on sale, or getting things for free is all part of my frugal living approach to living and to managing my finances.

The fan could potentially wait but the problem is that in my country, the fans will not be in stock again until the summer of 2014.  I can't take that chance since the fan I use in the living room sounds like it ready to quit.  Though I try not to add credit card debt, at times like this I often justify the use of  a credit card if those charges will be paid in the near future.  This is always a gamble as you never know what other expenditures come up in the meantime that are equally important.

Sometimes I dip into savings for such needs.  But again you must be careful.  If you get into this habit you will find it hard to save.  I know this because I often dip into it for needs other than travel which is what my savings are supposed to be dedicated towards.  I'm hoping to get to the point where I don't have to do that.  It would help too if I could get some donors to help the Kenyan man named Elvis. You can read about him by clicking the badge to the right of my blog. He still needs a lot of help to finish the year.

Sunday I was played out so I just relaxed. I didn't do much other than reading a very few blogs, continuing to try and get yellow stains out of my summer tops, logging my daily blood glucose, making soup and salad, and watching movies. Tomorrow I have to try and get to several accumulated "to dos" including getting to the post office.

I wish you all a great week.

Yellowing Makes Me Blue

These are the yellow stains after about the 4th wash. I've just sprayed them with Ocy-Clean.

Some time ago I noticed I had a few white blouses that were yellowing in my closet but I never got around to trying to deal with them because these are items that I seldom wear.  I've read that if you don't wash white clothing (or linens) on a regular basis, they start to get yellowed from dust and other particles in the air. Often the sleeves of tops hanging in the closet are affected because these parts are usually exposed more to the air while hanging in the closet.

I wanted to wear some of these light, white tops due to the very high temperatures we've been experiencing this summer.  I did some research on line about how I could get rid of the stains. Oxy-Clean is a ready made stain remover that I read could be sprayed on clothing and left for 10-60 minutes before laundering.  I also read that if I scrub the stains with laundry bar soap and let them sit or soak the clothing over night in a solution of vinegar and water, that my stains would be removed.  I decided to try all three approaches.

Altogether, I treated the stains about 7-8 times.  The stains are far less noticeable but they are still there and the items of clothing are still not wearable. I think part of the problem is I may have washed these items before and inadvertently set the stains by washing them in warm or hot water. That apparently is a "no-no". I've used cold water in my recent attempts. I will give these items a rest for a few days and try to scrub them out again. I think another 3-4 times might accomplish the job.

Have any of you had to deal with stubborn stains like this? If so, were you able to get rid of them?  Would you like to share your approach.

A New Dish

Would you take a moment to click on the badge to the upper right of this blog &  read the story of Elvis, the young Kenyan who is trying to finish his last year of university?

We would greatly appreciate it.

We seek donations and ambassadors to raise awareness of this young man's need. Would you consider it? You will find all the buttons and information you need by clicking on the bad. Thanks so much!

I apologize for the poor lighting in this photo.

As I adjust to a more rigorous way of eating  I have to try and find a menu of foods that will satisfy a number of criteria.  Foods that can be put together without too much fuss.  Foods that will keep my blood sugar levels balanced.  And foods that are interesting enough to eat over the long term. Part of my new diet includes eating enough pulses and grains daily to keep me full and keep my blood sugar more evenly balanced.  This first week or so has seen my blood sugars going wildly up and down since I'm also experimenting with different foods and noting the effects on blood sugar levels.  It's been a bit hard on me for one doesn't feel good whether the sugar is high or low but but I have begun to see things level out to more acceptable blood sugar levels so that is the good news.  The other good news is that the new way of eating while not easy is made a bit easier because I've already had a lot of practice soaking and cooking various pulses and grains, and practise eating a variety of fruits and vegetables.  I also have canned beans on hand for those occasions when I don't have time to soak and cook dried beans.  My challenge is in having enough of all the right foods in the larder. My room mate has not joined me in dietary changes so having every food we need on hand is an even bigger challenge.

Last week I prepared beans and put them in green salads.  This week I wanted something different so decided to make a cous cous dish.  After looking at a few recipes on line, I put this dish together with a few adaptations.

Ingredients:

• 3-4  cups cooked (in broth) cous cous
• 1 cup of cooked kidney beans (you can substitute another bean)
• 1/2 chopping red pepper
• 1/2 chopped red onion
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (or to your taste0
• 1/2 cup chopped or whole black olives (pit removed)
• 1 small bunch of cilantro
• 1 small bunch of parsley
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• feta cheese

Directions:

1. Saute onion, pepper and garlic in the olive oil. Cook until the red pepper is soft enough to your liking.
2. When the onion is transparent and red pepper is cooked, add the beans and olives.
3. Add parsley and cilantro and stir together well.
4. Add cooked (warm/hot) cous cous into the mixture.

Serve hot or cold and garnished with sprinkles of parsley/cilantro and crumbled feta cheese.
Serves 5-6

Let me know if you try it and if you like it!

Update on Life

Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,

Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,

He only doeth wondrous things,

He only doeth wondrous things,

And blessed be, 

His glorious name forever.

(An old hymn I sang as a child. I couldn't find a version of it on youtube to share with you).

This is a song that has been in my mouth the last few days. The last time I sang it was many years ago in Kenya when I shared it with one of the Kenyan congregations. I only know the words I've posted above. If you are reading this and you know the song or where to find it on line, please send me a link.

This morning started with a power outage. I could hear the burglar alarm going in an apartment next door. For some reason my computer didn't shut off. Sometimes that happens if I am on the computer before the power goes off. (Well the outage didn't last long. Within a minute or two, I could hear the alarm next door turn off and the power is back on indoors.  It must have been some kind of power surge).  Sometimes I find life is like that. We sometimes lose power but if we stay connected and grounded to our source of spiritual supply we can reconnect again. I have felt a disconnection of late with my power supply.

Health challenges that seem never ending or a loved ones dire health challenges can do that to us. It can be very hard to find time in these circumstances to stay connected to the source. Sometimes we don't even have energy to look after our own selves. Sometimes we don't even have the energy to pray for ourselves. Do you ever feel like that? That is one reason why I really try and take the time to pray for others. When someone asks for prayer or is in need of prayer because of what they've shared with you or I, you can be the one that stands in the gap for that dear one and holds them up when they can't hold themselves up.

Sometimes we get so weary of the drudgery of day to day existence. I know I am not saying anything shocking here. If people really stop and think about it they would realize that that is one of the reasons North Americans are excessive consumers, in high states of debt, and too busy, tired or distracted to consider the needs of someone else outside of their own circle of family and friends.

I don't want to be in this category.  I want my life to mean something and to matter to someone else outside of my family and friends.  At the same time though, I recognize that there are seasons in life where we can do more and other seasons where we can do less. Sometimes there are times to step forward and other times to step back. I'm trying to hear the voice of God in all these seasons and it takes patience. Also, there are times and seasons when family needs impact on things you can do for others. I also now have to take care of myself due to ongoing health challenges. I've been going through a long season of that though I never let it stop me from doing what I can to help on the mission field.

One needs to take care of themselves otherwise they have nothing to give to another person or cause. I tend to give so much of myself to others and find it hard to give to myself. That isn't a good thing but I was trained well by my mother and I've struggled to find a happy balance. I've come to accept that sometimes there is no way to really balance things.  There is still a need to try to take care of oneself.  Right now, I'm trying to take care of managing Type 2 diabetes much better than I have since I was first diagnosed. It took me a long time to get to this stage but  really must do this now if I don't want to have more troubles down the line. Some of you know I've been blogging about my renewed efforts to get the blood glucose under control over the past week or so and what I've been experiencing as a result of my efforts.  The good news is that the efforts I've made over the last few years to try and cook from scratch are helping me now when I have to eat a certain way. Yeah!

I didn't think I would write again so soon about my dietary changes after Sunday's post. But on Monday again I had an alarmingly low blood glucose reading (3.0 mmol/L).  I quickly downed a Coca - Cola and got it back up to 5.0. I also had a healthy snack that carried me through to dinner time without any more intervention.

My doctor is away for the month so I can't call her up or go and visit with my concerns about the emerging pattern of sudden blood glucose dips after lunch. I think it means, my dietary changes are working and I  need to reduce my medications already.  I experimented with cutting back on medication after dinner.  It seemed my blood glucose level was too high.  So I added back some of the medication I eliminated and then the blood glucose level was too low again. I had to snack all night long.  Tomorrow I will cut back once again.

Mom called Monday night to say she had sharp pain. She is worried it is part of the bladder infection. She asked staff to test her and so we will see how that goes. In the meantime, I prayed with her on the phone and then I called a national prayer line for prayer too.  It was nice when after praying for healing for mom, the prayer counsellor also prayed for me to have peace in the surrender of mom's health to God.  At scary times like these, prayer is so comforting and uplifting.

While all these things go on in the background, normal life more or less continues.

On Sunday when I wasn't feeling well I reverted to one of my favourite hobbies: reading. I managed to finish one book, My Sister's Keeper, by Jodi Picoult.  I enjoyed this book very much despite the heavy duty subject matter of medical ethics and parental and sibling anguish when you have a very sick child in the family. I won't say more in case you'd like to read it. I'd highly recommend it.

After finishing this novel, I started reading, Soho Blues, by Neil Blackmore.  I've only just started this book about a Soho (London) cafe owner named Henry Hudson whose life is forever changed when he hires Betty as one of his wait staff.

On Saturday, I started reading Paris, by Edward Rutherford. If you haven't read any of Rutherford's books, he has written several historical fiction novels (London, New York, and others). I read New York earlier this year and it whet my appetite for reading more work by this author.

In Bible readings this week, I've been reading so many of the stories of childhood that I haven't read for a long time.  I read about the miracle of the widow who had so little food but when she gave of what she had to the prophet Elijah, her meal and her oil never ran out. I read about how the prophet Elijah was taken up to Heaven in a whirlwind. What a mighty story that is!  I read about the Princess Jezebel and how she was eaten by dogs because of her wicked ways. I also read about Elisha, successor to Elijah,  and the many wonders (miracles) he performed by God's power. There are so many interesting stories and narratives in the Bible. I don't think I've read or heard of all the stories in the Bible and some I've forgotten along the way. It is interesting to read and see what is new to me.  There is always something new!

Please click on the badge to the upper right of this blog to read the story of Elvis, the young Kenyan man who is trying to finish his last year of university.  We would appreciate you taking a moment to consider a donation.  If you can't do that would you consider sharing Elvis' story on Facebook, Twitter or your blog?

I'm Making Some (Slow) Progress

Hi everyone, I want to thank those of you who have been praying for my mom and for me. I thought you might like an update on what has been happening.

Mom is still waiting for most of her medical equipment. If the word we've been given is true, she will have the trapeze and the parachute sling on Wednesday. She had the commode but can't use it just yet anyway. There are other more important things. There is no word yet on getting hospital table trays for her use. I left word with the OT about that about one and a half or two weeks ago. These tables are easy enough to get as they are on loan at the Red Cross. It just takes the OT to write something up. I guess she is too busy or something.

As for the largest need of all, the wheelchair, there have been some ups and downs on that front. The first step is to get a demonstration model. That wasn't so straightforward for the local supplier but it now seems as if they were ultimately successful but the chair won't be arriving until August 20th. Mom has already been in so much discomfort for so long that the demo chair couldn't come fast enough. Even when it arrives however, it won't be the chair she really needs. The point is to assess her specific and precise needs when the demo model arrives. Hopefully the demo model will be more comfortable for her than what she is currently using. She is in a high state of anxiety about the whole chair business. I try to keep her as calm as possible.

When mom moved into the care facility she moved into a second floor room until a room because available on the ground level. I've been dealing with the General Manager on that front and have been trying to get a move in date now for over a week. Just last Friday I was able to get a list of unassigned rooms on the ground floor but still no move in date. Then mom heard a rumour that there isn't going to be anyone moving in just yet as there aren't enough residents to fill the ward. That may be true as it requires the facility to also staff up and they aren't going to staff up until they have enough residents.

Mom is desperate to move because then she will have access to the outdoors more directly and the fresh air walks she craves. I would ask you all to keep this need in prayer.

 I'm busily preparing a bunch of things mom needs as I haven't seen her now in a month. One thing that has become readily apparent is that her wrists no longer can hold the telephone. This is troubling as she has arthritis very badly and the only real tool she has to keep her sanity, reach out for prayer and family and friend contact, is the phone. I've done some research on line to find a suitable head/ear piece for her. I'm not sure yet whether it will require a new phone. She just got a new phone within the last few months. I will let my brother look into what is really required.

Now on to me. I thank those of you who encouraged me and are praying for me too. I have to say I've been doing quite well this past week with tracking my food intake and my blood glucose levels eight times daily. I will only be tracking this extensively until I feel confident that I know what foods trigger my blood glucose spikes and by how much.   I had one scary moment of very low (for me) glucose level and day by day I see my glucose level is indeed levelling out to more normal levels.

This plane is advertising a website which I can't read because it is backwards from my vantage point. Or, maybe it is only backwards in the photo. I'm not sure.  Anyway it is probably not that important. We get bombarded everywhere it seems with commercials and advertising.

Today though I was in a lot of pain. I had to cancel a long anticipated dinner at friend's because of stomach issues. My radically new diet has caught up to me today and everything is backed up. I drank so much water yesterday but that didn't help. Today I was in a lot of pain probably caused from intestinal gas. I don't have flatulence just a lot of abdominal distension, pain and a feeling general malaise. I'm surprised by this as I've been fairly careful about the level of fiber I've been taking (not too much or too little) but I guess it stands to reason that there will be some issues arising as my body is adjusting to drastic changes being made. Yesterday  I felt rather good (normal) for the first time in ages. I hope to continue with that feeling after getting over today's bump in the road. I know it will take a lot of work and I haven't developed the good habits yet but I'm working on it.

There were some gentle colours in the northern sky last night. Usually you only get these colours (and deeper) to a western view. I don't have a western view so miss out on a lot of good photo opportunities. Nonetheless I get a great mountain view.

If you read this blog on a regular basis you know that I don't blog details about my health issues other than the knee issues I've been having.  Right now though, I feel the need to write about my diabetic challenges and blogging is what I do. Hopefully it will help me get this stuff down in writing.  Who knows it might even help someone else who is dealing with the same things. I hope also to continue writing about progress and challenges concerning mom's medical equipment (and other needs.   Updates probably won't be more frequent than once or twice a month or when there is something really good (or bad) to report.  Thanks for reading.

If you have a parent or loved one in a senior's facility and want to share your experiences, I'd love to hear about it in the comments section. Maybe what you share will also be useful to my readers.  Or, if you are dealing with diabetes like I am and have a story to share about how you manage it and what works for you, let me hear from you.

I am still hoping to raise funds to help Elvis finish university in Kenya. If you can help, please see my gofundme button on the right of my blog. Thank you so much!

Big Changes Are Happening: Logs & More Logs

Since my diagnosis of diabetes several years ago, I've only had sporadic success with balancing my blood sugars. I've tried many different things to balance them including:  taking my medications on a regular basis, taking alternative supplements, eliminating certain beverages and foods, eating healthier, incorporating more fruits and veggies into my diet, exercise, and other things which I've long forgotten about.  None of these things has really helped me on a consistent basis but perhaps if I hadn't done them my diabetes challenges would be much worse.

I used to walk a lot until I started having numerous issues with my knees. I've since learned that I have arthritis in the knees. That was another set back.  But I rallied and am now walking much farther than I have for ages.  I'm using walking poles to help me (I do not do well with canes) and am working on consistency as it has been so long since I've been able to walk consistently.  I track my exercise on a daily basis so I can see when I am falling behind.  I can also see if this activity is helping to balance my blood sugar levels when I get an A1C test every 3 months.  One thing I can't seem to do, is control or manage the stressors in my life, of which there are several. I know I need to pray more and meditate more. I can pray often during the day but have discovered that I need far more time to meditate than I commonly have time for on a daily basis.  This is the next thing I really need to work at. 

In the first 6 months of the year, my blood sugars were balanced (that is without the walking) and after a few months of walking, I discovered my blood sugar was a little elevated again.  When the doctor called to let me know last week, I have to say that I was utterly frustrated and left feeling a little blue. I feel I try so hard and yet positive results elude me. In reflecting back on the last three months, I realized that I had become a little lazy with my diet.  In part because I had balance sugars for half of the year, and in part because I had started a regular exercise program.

To get my sugar readings back to normal, the doctor wanted me to increase one of my medications.  I was reluctant to do so.  I am fearful of adding more medications and in fact, I want to get off some of my current ones.  She also asked me to track my blood sugar levels and food intake daily as well.  Again I didn't feel hopeful about these measures.  I've made so many positive changes to my diet already that I didn't think tracking things  was going to help.  However after a day or two, I decided I must keep track of my blood sugars at least 6 times a day so I can better see how certain foods affect me.  I have to be honest and say I'd become a little slack concerning my diet due in part to my new exercise regime and because my blood sugars had been under control for the first half of the year.  I felt things were really on track.  When I got my A1C results, I had a rude awakening.  I also can't underestimate the level of stress I've been under over the last 3 months.  Though I can't control the stress, I can do some things to try and manage it better.

Oatmeal with cinnamon. I also eat some bran flakes or Fibre 1 for breakfast but porridge seems to be best.

So now I'm keeping several logs:  a daily food and blood sugar log, and an exercise log.  The food and blood sugar logs  have already been very useful.  I am learning what foods are good and what foods aren't and how little of something bad it takes to really raise the sugar levels.  My exercise log is great too because I really don't like exercising. But with a log, I can see what I've done or haven't done and try to correct it.  I also keep track of when I do much more activity around the house and whether I do more stretching or other movement. All these things add up to physical activity that can help a diabetic.

After keeping my food log for a few days, I realized that I had become complacent over the past several months about my eating habits.  I had let good habits slide a little due to the extreme heat we've been having and because I had started exercising.  I thought I had room to "play" because I was now burning more calories.  (If I had thought about it for awhile I know that wouldn't have been my conclusion.  But sometimes we turn a blind eye to things).  I also know that with the two trips I made out of town this summer, I had to eat a lot of restaurant food and that didn't help matters.  I did try to eat salads while on the road.  But that was not enough to compensate for eating out more often than usual.

I'm also discovering that when my body feels a certain way, it is NOT necessarily low blood sugar.  This is borne out by the regular glucose testing. In the past, I would simply snack if I felt I was hypoglycemic.  Now I test myself and find I am not so no need to snack at that time.

Green salad with pinto beans.  I am trying to eat this or a variation of it 1 or 2x a day. Another salad I like is made of grated celery, carrot, apple, avocado with freshly squeezed lime juice.

Today I talked to my doctor again about what I'm learning through the food logs and glucose testing.  She thinks I am making great progress and we will review my progress in a few weeks time.  It is my goal to eventually get off all of my medications.  I've had this goal for a few years already and so I know how difficult it can be for most diabetics to truly do this.  I have renewed determination.

One thing I can say is that all these logs take an awful lot of time on a daily basis.  It also takes a lot of time to plan and prepare healthy meals and snacks every day especially and to take food with you when you go. One also has to shop for all the food.

Barley soup with vegetables (carrots, onion, celery and spinach). Good thing I love barley!  This is good for me for lunch or dinner along with some lean chicken or baked salmon.

For whatever reason, my blood sugar levels don't seem to drop quite so readily as other people who make positive dietary and physical activity changes.  Because of this my emotions and attitude have been on a roller coaster for some time over the consistently high sugars.  I get frustrated when what I am doing isn't working.

In the last few days though I can "see" the results of my more focussed approach.   The blood sugar level is improving.  Today though it dropped so low after lunch and I had a scary incident. My sugar reading was 3.8 and I was very irritated, unable to concentrate on a phone call and shaking.  I had to have pop for the first time in a while just to get my sugar levels to normal.

 I'm hoping to be on a more even keel soon with all the hard work I am putting in.  Replacing bad habits with good ones, or implementing positive habits on a consistent basis, will be my big challenge.It takes me a very long time to form new habits (at least the good habits).

I also signed up for a coach to check in with every week to make sure I am getting my exercise.  I am currently doing it on my own  but feel I need an accountability buddy with all my current challenges.  I hope that after my 6 month stint with the coach is done, that I will feel like and look like a new me. If I have my starts and stops and ups and downs, I hope to be able to pick up again after I dust myself off. Wish me luck.