Journal of my journey

[Morris]

October 9, 2019
I did not do well with my eating plan yesterday. D1's SO came over to do some work for us around the yard and he came sooner than I expected. I ended up helping him do some things. One thing I did was weed an area where we are going to put garden boxes - guess what? Today I have a rash, I am allergic to something in our yard. Rarely do I do yard work and not end up with an itchy rash within a day or two. It is all over my arms even though I wore long sleeves and my neck and jawline. I have no idea what I touched that has caused me this rash.

So, instead of sitting down and slowly eating, I grabbed a pita bread and chowed down on that. Lunch was not much better: V8, pita bread and hummus. For dinner, I had mashed potatoes. I did all that prep work for a potato, onion and green pepper hash type dish, but left the house before the potatoes were done and he mashed them all. I was so upset because I told him what I wanted to do with the potatoes, but when I asked him to finish the potatoes so I could get started on the yard work. He said, "You want me to drain them and put them in the fridge?" I replied, "Yes, but save some of the potato water in case we want to mash some later." That was all he heard so he mashed them all.

So, today, I am going to saute the onion and green peppers and add them to the mashed potatoes and make a curry potato smasher. Not quite what I wanted but I cooked a lot of potatoes.

Today is day 9 of the Beck Diet Solution - Choose an exercise program. It is to include spontaneous and planned exercise.
spon·ta·ne·ous
/spänˈtānēəs/
adjective

1.performed or occurring as a result of a sudden inner impulse or inclination and without premeditation or external stimulus:

Then it has in the Commit in Writing section:
The spontaneous exercise I plan to do daily is...

Just seems a bit contradictory to plan an exercise that I am going to do without giving any thought to do it. I know it really means to choose something I will do randomly throughout the day on the spur of the moment. The idea is to get moving at times when you wouldn't normally be very active. In the past, I have done jumping jacks and/or squats while waiting for something to cook instead of just standing there looking at it. Thinking about what to choose as a "spontaneous" exercise, I think I will decide to walk briskly instead of strolling along when I walk down my driveway. Of course, that won't really be spontaneous because I am planning to do it. But, you get the idea. Take advantage of opportunities to get moving where and when you wouldn't normally do it.

My planned exercise is to do the Couch to 5k program using Robert Ullery's podcast and to do it on the treadmill and try to increase my mileage each time I do the workout for the week. But, today, since the sun is shining I am going to spontaneously decide to go for a run outside and enjoy the sunshine - just an easy run.

What I plan to eat today:
coffee
Cheerios with banana and plant-based milk

Potato smasher
salad

??

I'll be going to my mom's tonight and then we plan to leave about 3 o'clock in the morning for the trip to the Mayo Clinic. --Send positive vibes. -- My dad is 86 years old and the therapy the nursing home is giving him is helping him hold his head up better, but he still cannot hold it straight. His left arm is useless and his right is slowly losing function. He scoots around in the wheelchair with his feet, but he needs to really think hard to get his feet to do what he wants it to do. He has been an independent and proud man, but when I see him he seems to be doing well emotionally - my mom says that he has resolved to his condition better than her (or do I say she here?).

[moonlight]

Sounds like you may have gotten into chiggers. Very itchy. Sometimes I think I must have poison ivy then later realize it was chiggers.

[Lyndzie]

My husband got chigger bites a few weeks back. Took him a while to figure out what was going on. Use DEET next time, then shower right after and wash your clothes in hot water. Those things are awful and invisible.

[Morris]

Thanks for the information about chiggers - that explains why I seem to break out with itching a day or two after I do yardwork. I was telling my husband the other day that my rash was not typically like poison ivy, he suggested poison oak. One site I looked up said that
"Bites may appear as blisters or as flat or raised red areas." --> I am agreeing to all three description because I usually get all three. Also explains when I use insect repellent I don't seem to get itchy afterward. Since I break out so often, I think I need to research how to get rid of them from my yard. Thanks so much for the information

[moonlight]

I've read that nematodes will eat chiggers. It may be worth a try - no pesticides needed. And, October is a good time to do it. There's plenty of information on the web about how to obtain and use nematodes. Good luck!

[Morris]

October 14, 2019

Taking my dad to the Mayo Clinic turned into a long day... up at 2:00 am and home at 11:30 pm. This doctor said there was no sign of parkinsonism -- not sure if that is good news or bad news since my dad still has an issue, cervical dystonia -- either as the sole cause or a symptom of another neurological disease. My dad seems to be accepting of his condition, but my mom is taking it a bit harder.

I think I am finally catching up on my rest, I have been sleeping later in the mornings. So time to get back into the routine, or lack of routine, of my things I need to get done. We picked most of our produce from the garden due to the cold weather. We had freezing temperatures and some snow. Way too early for that. Today the snow is gone, leaves are still on the trees. I hope we get some dry weather so that when the leaves fall I will be able to rake the leaves before the snow falls and stays. We have red and white oak, one type drops the leaves in the fall and the other in the spring. This year the trees dropped acorns - GD2, age 4, wanted to collect acorns, I asked her why and she said to make money. For some reason I think she thought she could trade them like money. She is so cute and says the funniest things.

I finally finished eating all those mashed potatoes - I just added some diced onion and green pepper and some peas, and then heated them up.

I really need to figure out how to do meal planning and then stick with whatever I decide to make. Too often, by the time I shut off my computer and go to the kitchen, I have already changed my mind about what I want to eat.

I don't do bulk cooking very well, because I usually end up cooking too much and then quite a bit goes to the compost pile. I find it best to only do enough for 2 days at a time. I'll just keep trying and eventually I think something will click and I will be able to get with it.

What I plan to eat today:
riced cauliflower oatmeal, blueberries, mango and flaxseed

watermelon

gallo pinto (black beans, rice, onion and green pepper)
butternut squash

leftovers (see above)

Exercise: Week 3 Day 2 of the couch to 5k program using Robert Ullery's podcast - treadmill run

[Morris]

October 15, 2019

I am thinking that trip down to the Mayo Clinic wore me out and I am sleeping later than I have for quite some time. I can only imagine how hard it was on my parents, age 86 and 84.

The snow that fell the other day has melted and yesterday I worked out in the yard pulling up some of the sand burrs. I figured if I can pull up most the plants then there will be less seed that will grow next spring. I have so much yard work to do and only about 4 more weeks to get it all done. Too early to do a lot of it yet because the leaves are still on the trees. The timing for that is usually at the end of October and beginning of November. Right now I am trying to get the things done where I have to get down on my hands and knees, while the ground is warmer. We got three beds of garlic planted and covered for the winter.

I have been wanting to do my runs on the treadmill, but the reality is that it is too nice outside so I might have to change what I am doing for a bit to get those outside runs before it gets too cold and icy. I still need to add strength training to my routine. Sometimes the hardest part is just getting started.

Speaking of getting started, I needed some motivation this morning, so I went to the testimonial and success thread. I thing I am focusing too much on my failure and giving too many excuses as to why not to jump in with both feet. But I am thinking now that this trip for my dad to the Mayo clinic is over and hopefully, he has the answers that he was looking for - my mom said at this time, he does not want to do the follow up with that clinic. I am hoping that things settle down for me a bit and I won't have to be making so many trips into town. My mom needs to have her blood drawn about every two weeks - she is on blood thinners and needs to have that monitored.

I was telling hubby that I should go to town one day and use the bus service with my mom so she can get comfortable using the bus if needed - (I think her experience on a bus is when they went to casino, not for daily errands.) But, as a reality check, I think she is getting to unstable on her feet to do any trips on her own. That was one reason she wanted to move into town, but I don't really see her doing it.

I made the rice and beans yesterday so I will be eating that today. Unfortunately, since GD1 is coming today I made some chocolate chip cookies so she'll have some for when she gets here and for her packed lunch. I should not have done that because i have no self-control. Apparently, hubby notices that and he always hides some for himself. We are two junk-foodaholics

Well, my coffee is finished and I need to start my day -- I am hoping for a productive day.

What i plan to eat:
coffee
choc chip cookies - I shouldn't have but they went with my coffee

rice and beans
watermelon

leftovers - something with rice and beans - might do a black bean soup

[Morris]

October 16, 2019

This is going to be a quick post today -- I am so frustrated with myself. I dropped out of the Beck Diet Solution again, ever since the trip to the Mayo Clinic -- I just cannot seem to get with it. Plus I dropped out again at that spot that says to plan the next day's meals. For some reason I have a mental block when it comes to that.

And yesterday, those sabotaging thoughts, excuses, or whatever you want to call them, all became mine personally. I actually acted on the "I blew it! So I might as well continue..." -- I have been so tired since that trip, I just couldn't get enough sleep and took so many naps. Last night I took a melatonin and woke up at 3 a.m. very rested, couldn't go back to sleep. So, here I am at the computer.

But, I will not stay here for long -- I found my cards that I made many years ago for when we were selling out house and I followed the Side-tracked Home Executive way of scheduling daily, weekly, monthly and yearly tasks. I am going to attempt to get a schedule of some sort.

So, off the computer I go...

[AnnetteW]

I used to be such a Sidetracked Home Executives fan, just adored their books and the humor in them. I was so excited when they came to my town and I went to a presentation in a local church. My husband thought I was crazy. To this day I can't stick to a written plan, budget, list, etc. I can almost follow a recipe...lol.

Maybe it's just our "type" not to follow a plan...does it really matter? Are we really able to change that much? Perhaps it's easier to find our own direction.

Take care.

[Morris]

October 18, 2019

"Keep going. Everything you need will come to you at the perfect time."

I read this at the perfect time - this morning, I was feeling like, "Why bother? I have been struggling to get with my plan and just cannot seem to get with it."

Thinking back on previous successes, those, too, still took time to accomplish. So, this quote is very timely for me this morning and I feel encouraged to keep going and not give up. Sure, I had some setbacks, but I need to look at why and re-evaluate my goals and my plan of action.

I am looking forward to getting back to the STHE schedule for cleaning, I have lived in CHAOS for so many years when D1 and SIL were living in our house, while hubby and I lived in a small cluttered cabin, I feel I need a sense of order. Hopefully, now that my parents are getting settled into their new places and coming to terms with their health, I won't be pulled in so many different directions. Years ago, when we were selling our homes, twice I followed that cleaning schedule and it made things so much easier - just follow what was on the card for the day - do it, no excuses, just get 'er done. It gave me a sense of control - something I feel is lacking in my life at this moment.

I have learned that sometimes when I just make the bed in the morning, it gives me a sense of order and I feel like I accomplished something, even a small task of making the bed first thing can make a difference. This is why I still have not given up on creating and following a meal plan. "Keep going. Everything I need will come at the perfect time. " - I am just waiting for the time when the pieces all click into place.

What I plan to do today:
coffee
mocha - I needed one more cup of something warm

Go for a run ~ outside, the sun is shining

Eat Breakfast - watermelon, cereal with blueberries

Chop green peppers (from garden) and onions for freezing for future use. Clean up mess from that.

Clean Dining Room- per STHE schedule

Lunch: watermelon, salad, black beans and rice (using some of those green pepper and onion mix)

Supper: Stuffed green peppers - using the rice and beans from lunch

Okay, let's see how I do today - I may need to interrupt this plan to take the dog to the vet. I need to talk to them first.

[moonlight]

Thanks for posting that quote. It was encouraging to me, too.
Take care.

[Morris]

October 21, 2019

Man, that trip that we took to the Mayo Clinic for my dad must have really stressed me out. I feel like all I want to do is sleep. Or it could be that I took a melatonin shortly after and the after effects are hanging on, like forever. I remember, way back when, whenever I took a benadryl that I'd have after effects for like 3 days. But, not matter, it does feel good to get some sleep even though it is messing with my morning routine, (I am sleeping later, still waking up in the middle of the night, but then going back to bed right before sunrise and getting some deep sleep,)

We had some pleasant days, for a change, and I was able to enjoy some sunshine. Last week, I did my runs outdoors instead of on the treadmill. The weather was just too nice to stay indoors. Rainy today.

I managed to get another section of our gardens cleared. It looks so nice with all the dead plants gone. We did not get as good of a harvest as we hoped because there were so many rainy days - wet and cloudy most of the summer. I just hope this isn't a preview of the snowfall for the winter, because if it snows like it has been raining we'd be snowed in for sure.

Other than some peas and banana that I ate yesterday, the rest of my eating was totally off plan. D1 came over for came night and her SO changed the brakes on my car. I had spent most of my day out in the garden but needed to feed them supper, so I just used hubby's supply of hot dogs - yuck -- hot dogs are the worst. I have not had one for who knows how long. In the past, I ended up eating too many rancid ones that I have absolutely no desire to eat them. We had mac and cheese for the box also.

Today is a good day to get back on plan and refocus. speaking of refocus, have i mentioned that I dropped out of the group reading of the Beck Diet Plan once again, about the time of that Mayo clinic trip -

I was going through some of my cookbooks looking for things to do with butternut squash. We managed to harvest some from the garden so I will need to cook some up so they do not go bad. Then I went online and looked for recipes. It seems that butternut squash, or other winter squashes are paired a lot with corn. Makes sense since there is that Three Sisters combination - corn, squash and beans. I am looking forward to trying some new recipes,

What i plan to eat today:
coffee
riced cauliflower oatmeal with blueberries, mango, flaxseed

watermelon

gallo pinto
butternut sqash with corn

stir-fry type vegetables
salad

Exercise - start week four of the couch to 5k, most likely on tread mill

[Lyndzie]

Here is my favorite butternut squash soup recipe (omit oil, of course, and I’ve never made the red pepper purée garnish). https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food ... ree-108800

[Morris]

Lyndzie, thanks for the link for that soup - I use apple a lot in my winter squash recipes, but orange peel? - that sounds interesting. I am going to give that a try.

Another one to try - Spiced Pumpkin Carrot Sweet Potato Soup
https://fussfreeflavours.com/spiced-pumpkin-carrot-sweet-potato-soup/ by Helen Best-Shaw, she says it is freezable. I see a squash cooking session in my near future.

October 23, 2019
I think my body is guiding me to prepare for the winter. I am eating a lot of carbs, and I mean a lot. I really need to pay attention to the "eat until satisfied" rule - I am stuffing my face. The other day, when I made the rice and beans, I ate way beyond the "I feel satisfied", but it was so good. I made it using a cooking method I learned way back in the day when I was getting WIC (women infant and children supplement). They were always giving suggestions on how to cook and make different things with beans.

Here is how I made it:
1/2 large onion, diced
1 medium green pepper, seeded and diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 - 1 teaspoon chili powder
1 bay leaf
1-1/2 cup rice
3 cups vegetable broth
3 cups black beans, (2 cans) rinsed and drained

Water saute the onion and green pepper, until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes more. Add the tomato paste and spices, stir and cook about 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Add the rice, stir to blend. Add the broth and beans, stirring to blend. Bring to a boil, cover and lower heat to a simmer and cook until rice is done, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Note: amounts are guesstimates because I don't really measure accurately when I cook.

It has been years since I made my rice and beans this way that I couldn't stop eating it because it was so good.

Yesterday, my day did not turn out how I planned. GD1 was to take her driver's test and she was going to use hubby's car, but his third brake light shorts out every now and then, yesterday was the day it did not work. Then we got in my car, same type just different year, so GD1 would still be comfortable driving it for the test. Turns out my switch for the high beams went out, fortunately it was just on the automatic setting so it is not an immediate repair.

But, we planned to let her do a solo drive home if she passed. I was going to go to town early and help my mom get some stuff done, but I needed to have my car available for GD1 - She passed - she only did poorly on the finally park. That was because she was told to park anywhere and because she had to make the decision herself, she totally flubbed it because she kept second guessing what she needed to do. I am happy she passed on the first try. A lot of her friends did not pass at first, but her grandfather (hubby) spent a lot of time teaching her driving skills. She was the most comfortable driving with him and often did not want to drive with me even though I gave her many opportunities. i always got too nervous and I think it was contagious. It is just a matter of not being in control. I get nervous when I have to be a passenger when hubby drives too.

So, I did not get to visit with my parents and will have to make that another time. But, on the positive, I got to take my granddaughter to get her driver's license and watch her do her first solo drive. How exciting for her...

I think I am going to stop with what I plan to eat, because I am getting too discouraged because I cannot seem to make it through one day without deviating from my plan. Maybe that is my problem, I am so stressed with everything that is going on with my family and trying to stick to a plan is just one more thing to add to it. maybe I will make better choices if I am not feeling pressured by following a plan (as per what one of you commented a few days ago).

I'll see how this new strategy works for me...

[Morris]

October 26, 2019
Lyndzie - that soup recipe you gave me is a keeper. I was not sure i would like it because it was basically squash and onion - but I tried the recipe with minor tweaks - (I added a bit of sumac powder).

I tried a recipe in the Health Promoting Cookbook by Alan Goldhamer - Mashed Potatoes with A Twist (Potatoes and Butternut squash) I did not follow the cooking instruction which was to bake the potatoes and squash; instead I boiled them and then mashed. It was good, I added some onion and garlic powders to them.

I am trying new recipes for butternut squash, but as I am going through what we picked, I may not be needing as much as I thought - the summer was so wet - lots of rain. A lot of the squash is going bad already so I am constantly picking through and finding out bad ones.

These past couple of days have been decent for October - I started to get some of the leaf raking done. It is a bit early yet because there are a lot of leaves still on the trees. But we already had one snowfall that stayed on the ground for a few days, so I decided to get out there and do what I can while I am able to do it. I managed to get one section done that had a lot of leaves, it is where they go when the wind blows. I went over them with the lawn mower to break them down, now I have to rake the area and pick them up.

I need to get a pile of leaves for GD2, she mentioned the other day when she was here that she remembered jumping in the pile of leaves. I am hoping to get enough raked up so I can get a big pile for her to jump in. I use the ones that I did not mow over for that.
I did mention that we have a mixture of red and white oak, right? That means I get the joy of having to rake both in the fall and in the spring. One of them drops the leaves in the spring. I guess if I don't get the pile for GD2 this fall, I will have opportunity to do in the spring.

I have stopped with the "what I plan to eat today" in my posts here and I seem to be eating more compliant with the Starch Solution WOE and not making the daily plan seems to be lessening some of my stress a bit. But, with my latest binge that I have done, I seem to be a couple pounds heavier - UGH! My fault It is putting me at my early adult weight, but the other day when we were standing by a door with the markings for height, I stood by it and asked if the red line was seen, I was told yes, that means I have shrink a bit more than I previously thought. So, I went to the gym I have access to and saw that they still have that board you attach your ankles to and then hang upside down - I plan to go there once a week or so to lift weight and hang upside for a bit. I think I will start doing the Sun Salutaion in the mornings to just get some stretching in.

Well, I got to go, hubby has an event to go to this morning and I have to be his driver. --

Have a great day! Hoping to see the sun again