just a bit of time...

I'm not highly motivated today, but at least a bit more than yesterday.  Does that count? Our wild little Belle decided at 4 am that all of us had slept in quite long enough and she was ready to play. Dad was already awake but didn't hear her knocking on the basement door, so Beau and I became her victims. But she meant it in the most loving way.  She was wide awake and tired of being alone.  I get it. 

Since I got up so early with my little charmer I spent some time doing computer work that I've been putting off.  Nothing exciting or major, just printing out some of my favorite recipes.  I sometimes forget where I found them so I try to make sure they are saved in a paper format.  And it truly makes it easier to put my notes and stuff about modifications I might have done.  

As Hubs got ready for work I started on a canning project I am doing for my friend. It is one that takes quite some time to come to pressure, but that is literally all that it takes of my time.  So I loaded up my 921 canner and it is doing it's thing while I relax a bit with the pups and write my blog. 

she is a wild child...

I feel a lot more on the human scale today, so it will be a productive day, even if I time things terribly.  I mean, feel human in time for the heat to soar again.  Geez. I was definitely enjoying the beautiful temps.  But hey... Happy Summer in the Lou!  Ugh! Can I officially go on the record of stating that I am not ready!  I'm never ready.  The summers are truly the reason that I could leave the Mid-west and never look back.  But thankfully, it will shift away sooner than I realize and we will be back to the beautiful fall weather.  

sweet hubs surprised me with roses

Truth of the matter, I am never going to be a hot weather person.  I simply do not like it. I'm guessing my northern European heritage is strong in that sense.  I loathe being hot. Once it tops 80° I'm pretty much done with it.  

Yesterday I made my sweet Hubs several batches of sugar-free ice cream.  Stuck with the strawberry since I didn't want my berries to go bad.  I would definitely say he is quite happy. I didn't get a ton accomplished yesterday, but hey... 5 batches of ice cream during the summer heat isn't a bad thing, right? And the fact that it's pretty darn healthy for him has to count for something. 

I try really hard to make lots of yummy treats for him, I want him to stay healthy, it's important to me that we have a lot of great years together.  I'm super proud of his progress towards health in the past year.  I've done good, he's done so much better.  He was on so much medication, and truthfully he is a lot like me in that he does not trust the pharmaceutical companies. I mean, have you read and/or listened to those lists of side effects? Geez if that isn't enough to scare you into a healthier lifestyle I simply do not know what it will take.  

there was a time that shirt fit...

check out that hottie on the right!

Anyhow, a year ago, I could barely squeeze all of his morning meds into the little pill boxes there were so many.  This of this and that for that, and this to counteract that and so forth.  I was so scared for him. I hated preparing what felt like little boxes of poison. The nighttime meds weren't much better.  Top it off with the fact that he was having quite a few of those side effects and his mood was downright ugly.  It was simply not a good thing. 

When the doc suggested a strong dietary change for me, Hubs decided we should do it together.  My "career" had led to our having a very unhealthy life.  I never had time or energy to cook, we ate what we thought was good for us (FYI - it wasn't) and struggled to find time for anything active outside of work.  

My sweet Hubs is healthier than he has been in several decades.  The sparkle is always in his pretty blue eyes and very few folks ever guess that he is 70.  Yup, 70.  The absolute best part of it all, no more boxes of poison.  He takes one prescription (unfortunately that one will never go away) and then just his vitamins.  So will I keep making him yummy treats and healthy dinners.  Darn right!  He promised me at least 30 years, and I want 50! Am I greedy, yup, I am.  Next year will mark 20 years married, unreal, I know!  So he's got a ways to go yet.  I need to stay busy. 

Sorry, nope, not sorry.  I was cleaning out old files on the computer and came across some older pictures of us.  Wow... what a difference a year makes. And it isn't about looks.  It's about health.  It feels amazing to have energy and to not hurt all the time.  Neither of us will ever be free from arthritis or other health issues, but it feels amazing to have so much of it under our control now.

The more research I have done, the more I question the "food" (yep using that term extremely broadly now) sold in our supermarkets.  I question the thoughts behind the advent of the grocery store and the mass produced crap.  I ponder the ingredients that are in the goods you purchase and I really question how people were convinced that all of that was better than the stuff gramma or great granny made. 

I always knew the food I grew up with in Europe didn't have the crud American food had in it.  The massive list of things that no one could pronounce. I wonder if there was a reason behind all of it? The more I learn about health and how food plays a major role.  The more I question. I have always been old fashioned.  I've always wanted things to be a way that I had never personally experienced to a large degree.  Only romanticized it into something wonderful, yep remember I am totally that Little House girl.  Now that I am able to really dive into it.  Well... let's just say the trust factor is even lower than before. 

I no longer have a pantry, I now have a cantry.  I am the one making sure the food we consume is as healthy as I can make it.  I am doing the best I can without moving to the country and staring a farm.  As Hubs and I sat in the treetop garden last night he was marveling at how well it is doing this year.  It made my night.  Nope, it definitely won't feed us, but it is a healthy addition to the things we are able to purchase.  I am sliding into a phase of buying local, sourcing small farms for my needs.  Guess what, none of us "need" most of that crap that isn't available right now anyhow. 

The things I now have the time to learn are helping our garden grow and produce like never before.  Hopefully this afternoon I will pick up the compost bin from my daughters house and then I'll be able to start creating my own rich soil so next year will be even better.  It's crazy how much more you want to do, once you've experienced the success of doing for yourself. 

Yesterday as I finally finished up my socks and put them out to block, I started thinking about what my next sitting around and going places project would be.  I have enough yarn that I can knit socks for the next 20 years, but I like to mix it up a bit so I don't get bored.  I think I am going to dig out some of my cotton yarns and knit up some dish clothes, I haven't done that in about 10 years, and mine are getting rough.  It will give me that 10 minute break project, that watching a show with Hubs not concentrating project, that pop it in a tote and go for a drive project.   I need those kind of things interspersed with my more intense projects. I will still feel productive when I simply have small windows of time.  A bit less of surfing the book is definitely good for the soul. 

Well... six more pounds of pressure and the first project of the day is complete, so it's time to get with it and get the next one prepped - after I water the garden... it's gonna be a scorcher again... please remember to listen to your heart and follow the journey it's asking for, the difference in your life will be amazing!

love and peace...