it's already another Sunday!

..... and there went another week. Another one of "those" weeks..... where not much seems to get accomplished and I feel as though hours and days blew by me....

The robins and I have been playing in the backyard. This is their special tree. A Mayday....the berries are now ripe and plump and so shiny they look like plastic shining in the sunlight. The birds are already flitting in and out wildly.... eating as many as they can. They seem to get a bit drunk on these things.... flying erratically... narrowly missing windows....fighting over a berry... and of course....don't park any vehicles within range.... because as much as goes in definitely comes out!! There can be what I call "blueberry ice cream accidents" on the side of the house.... and the driveway.... I have a vintage scrubbing brush with very stiff bristles....it sure comes in handy. . Ick..! By October 15, which is the date they fly south.... it will be totally stripped of any berries. They don't leave a single one for the poor little squirrels who invariably will check every branch to see if perhaps they forgot one tiny shriveled little berry. Then, it's time to scrub down a few nasty spots near the shed ..under where they sit o n the neighbour's overhanging tree branches and eat and shi-...well...you get the not too pretty picture.

So, I've had a bit of an introspective week .... . my siblings and I all seem to have inherited some cholesterol problems. For the last few years my blood work has been showing "above normal lipid levels" as they like to call it, and the latest.... even with renewed efforts to bring it down with more severe dietary changes.... it still resists. The only thing I can actually change is to get more fiber in my diet... and to exercise more. I admit I did fall off my daily two hour workout exercise wagon last year with my broken foot.....but, this year I am back to more activity (even if not quite the same amount).... so it is disappointing to know that things are still elevated. They think I need an appointment to see the nurse to discuss diet changes....hahahahha.... yeh...right....like I am not already cognizant of all that can be done. I have medical texts and the internet for crying out loud! Info is everywhere for the looking!!

Guess I am going to have to get up earlier...so I can somehow create more productive hours in my days.... for more exercise.... and also more time....to eat more..... more veggies and more fruits..... gag...how to stuff more eating into a day......and drink more milk for my osteoporosis and make sure the calcium supplements don't interfere with other supplements for my eyes etc..... arrrrgghhhh!!!!

And.... recipes. Yes, there are plenty of great veggie recipes....but did you ever notice how many of them include gobs of cheese? Sigh....how I wish...... I haven't eaten cheese for bloody ever it seems. I am busy scouring the net now for some tasty ways to eat veggies that don't include cheese or cream or all the other bad (and very tasty) "stuff". Please send non-cholesterol recipes if you find any... like Ratatouille....









I love to cook and bake..... how sad is that? ..... Already I just look longingly at all the baked goodies and perhaps nibble off a bit on a corner in order to stick to my sensible diet and then give things away or put them in the freezer for lunches for my better half. Poor Mr. Bumblevee.... he is trying to be helpful and will eat anything I put on the table. But, the other day I splurged and made him a big juicy burger. I was eating porridge because I was pouty and couldn't think what else to eat while he had his supper.... he stopped mid bite..... looked at me with a totally serious face ....... . and said... ick... this burger is awful...terrible...... ptooey..ptooey..... and we both had a good laugh. Good thing we still have our sense of humour. Meal times used to be more fun.... where we both enjoyed something wonderful and tasty and even if I only had a tiny portion I still felt good about it. Now...I feel guilty eating any of it.... I'm not convinced that medication is the way to go ..not just yet. Does my liver need anything else to try to process and filter? So far there are no other risks, such as high blood pressure..... but if that happens... there will be no choice. So... for now it is onward with more exercise and more fiber ... stuff in more fruits and veggies ...even if they are raw and plain I guess.











I've wasted a week feeling sorry for myself....(even if there was a bit of studying involved) .... but, now...it is time to do the usual. My sister and I say it all the time..... we just have to pull ourselves up by the bootstraps, kick ourselves in the butt (I would rather use a different word here today of course) and get on with life. She is my hero. Like she says....WE can DO this!! Well, she does add a few more choice words in between there, as do I ... we are not always ladylike, but we are tough dammit. For various reasons, over the years, we have had to be.

She has had 6 years of nastiness after a fall on ice, a terrible concussion in which she sustained some residual brain damage, and working her way back from months of nausea, dizziness and lying in a fetal position on her couch. No strength to even sit upright. She has fought tooth and nail back to pretty much her old self..... most of that was all by her self, against pretty formidable odds and muddling her way through a maze of drugs and doctors who gave her very little hope of rehab. or of recapturing her original self. I can definitely do this. Thanks Vik....











Look at her now.......