Oh, my goodness, yes.
The renovations to the apartment are almost finished, just a few more things to do and the walls to be painted and then, whoosh! It will be done. So the worker guys will be out of here in a week and I can put furniture back and artwork on the walls and the plants can go back on the window sill.
School is very challenging, intense, but I am enjoying it. And I am making lots of new friends from all over the world.
I will be in a craft fair in early December so I am making pots like crazy now so they can be fired before the fair and I will have something to sell.
I'm doing some freelance editing, volunteering, working out regularly, and I have been learning to knit, starting with a very simple hat pattern. I'm making the first hat for me, but I am going to try to make some others for holiday gifts.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Early morning
Here I am again, it's early morning, the sun is shining and there is a slight bite to the air, nothing uncomfortable, just a little bit cooler than last month. The leaves are starting to turn, Fall is here. And I love it!
Lily just came in from her morning romp around the yard. She is settled on my lap now, thwapping me with her tail. I guess I am supposed to give her some lovin', but she's going to have to wait a bit.
In a few minutes, I going to leave to spend the morning volunteering at the Brattleboro Community Justice Center and then I'll head over to the studio to finish up some soap dishes, bowls, and mugs. I switched to handbuilding recently. Throwing on the wheel became tedious, so I began making some three-legged soap dishes and bowls. I also am trying some mugs and larger bowls, to see what I can do. It feels good to stretch my creative mind.
Lily just came in from her morning romp around the yard. She is settled on my lap now, thwapping me with her tail. I guess I am supposed to give her some lovin', but she's going to have to wait a bit.
In a few minutes, I going to leave to spend the morning volunteering at the Brattleboro Community Justice Center and then I'll head over to the studio to finish up some soap dishes, bowls, and mugs. I switched to handbuilding recently. Throwing on the wheel became tedious, so I began making some three-legged soap dishes and bowls. I also am trying some mugs and larger bowls, to see what I can do. It feels good to stretch my creative mind.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Loving life and laughing loud
What can I say? I am enjoying myself. Retirement is great, I'm so busy with school, working out, making pots, and working occasionally at editing. And then, of course, depending on the season, there are things to do in the yard.
Winter is for clearing snow and hauling wood; mud season is for getting through it; spring is for clearing up winter's leavings, stacking wood for next year's heat, and preparing the flower beds for their new growth; summer is for mowing the lawn and weeding; and fall is for raking leaves.
Winter is for clearing snow and hauling wood; mud season is for getting through it; spring is for clearing up winter's leavings, stacking wood for next year's heat, and preparing the flower beds for their new growth; summer is for mowing the lawn and weeding; and fall is for raking leaves.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Yeasty Beasties and Other Fun Stuff
Back in July, I had oral surgery and was given a powerful antibiotic that, I was told, would probably give me a yeast infection. Okay, I've had them before, they're uncomfortable but treatable. But, how was I to know that the yeast infection the periodontist was talking about was in my digestive system and not the other usual place that women get them?
The antibiotic worked, there was no infection as a result of the surgery. However, in August, I began to feel queazy in my gut and to have other uncomfortable experiences with my digestive system. I won't go into details, you'll just have to imagine the outcome (pun intended).
So, I went to a naturopathic doctor and she ran some tests that came back showing I had 2 kinds of nonpathenogenic yeasts and 2 kinds of slightly pathenogenic bacteria encamped in my digestive tract. Yummy. They were having a lovely time, I was not.
How do you get rid of these guys? The protocol is to "starve 'em, kill 'em, and replace 'em." I have been taking acidophilous (to replace the yeasties and bad bacteria with good bacteria) and some anti-candida (yeast) meds for almost 3 weeks now and I have been on a strict diet (no sugar, no fruit (it has sugar), no vinegar and other foods that have been fermented in their making, no cashews and peanuts because they mold, no foods that have yeast in them, but I can have lots of lovely vegetables, whole grains, and nuts, other than peanuts and cashews). I have lost 7 pounds and I like this diet, except for the no fruit and no vinegar part. It is very healthful, very good for you.
Another bonus to not eating foods with sugar, including sorbet, rice milk, and butter, is the aches and pains in the muscles around my knees have disappeared. That means, the sugar was causing inflamation in my joint muscles there and the inflamation is gone. Wow!
That is a great reason not to eat sugar.
Butter has sugar in it, but ghee does not and ghee is the golden liquid that happens when you melt butter. The white particles are sugar. You can make ghee yourself or you can buy it at the natural health food store.
I'll just have to give up sorbet, but I have found dry roasted almonds and pistachio nuts help when I have a sugar craving, so I can find ways around needing sorbet. And, instead of drinking rice milk, which has sugar in it, I drink organic soy milk.
Who knew what I was eating had so much sugar in it? Now I know and I can and will do better.
The antibiotic worked, there was no infection as a result of the surgery. However, in August, I began to feel queazy in my gut and to have other uncomfortable experiences with my digestive system. I won't go into details, you'll just have to imagine the outcome (pun intended).
So, I went to a naturopathic doctor and she ran some tests that came back showing I had 2 kinds of nonpathenogenic yeasts and 2 kinds of slightly pathenogenic bacteria encamped in my digestive tract. Yummy. They were having a lovely time, I was not.
How do you get rid of these guys? The protocol is to "starve 'em, kill 'em, and replace 'em." I have been taking acidophilous (to replace the yeasties and bad bacteria with good bacteria) and some anti-candida (yeast) meds for almost 3 weeks now and I have been on a strict diet (no sugar, no fruit (it has sugar), no vinegar and other foods that have been fermented in their making, no cashews and peanuts because they mold, no foods that have yeast in them, but I can have lots of lovely vegetables, whole grains, and nuts, other than peanuts and cashews). I have lost 7 pounds and I like this diet, except for the no fruit and no vinegar part. It is very healthful, very good for you.
Another bonus to not eating foods with sugar, including sorbet, rice milk, and butter, is the aches and pains in the muscles around my knees have disappeared. That means, the sugar was causing inflamation in my joint muscles there and the inflamation is gone. Wow!
That is a great reason not to eat sugar.
Butter has sugar in it, but ghee does not and ghee is the golden liquid that happens when you melt butter. The white particles are sugar. You can make ghee yourself or you can buy it at the natural health food store.
I'll just have to give up sorbet, but I have found dry roasted almonds and pistachio nuts help when I have a sugar craving, so I can find ways around needing sorbet. And, instead of drinking rice milk, which has sugar in it, I drink organic soy milk.
Who knew what I was eating had so much sugar in it? Now I know and I can and will do better.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Down at the KOA
Yes, that's right, Lily and I are staying at the local KOA campground in a rental trailor, which is quite nice. Who knew?
We've been kicked out of our home for a few days and nights while the wood floors in the apartment are being stained. The fumes are overpowering, so we moved out.
Some of the young guests at David and Virginia's wedding stayed here in July and I overheard them saying it was decent, so, when I knew we would have to be out of our home, I called and made reservations. There are a lot of folks staying here these days, the leave peepers come north to see the beautiful colors of fall.
Speaking of beautiful fall colors, the leaves have started changing and the colors promise to be spectacular. This is a good reason to visit and a better one to live here. I love it.
We've been kicked out of our home for a few days and nights while the wood floors in the apartment are being stained. The fumes are overpowering, so we moved out.
Some of the young guests at David and Virginia's wedding stayed here in July and I overheard them saying it was decent, so, when I knew we would have to be out of our home, I called and made reservations. There are a lot of folks staying here these days, the leave peepers come north to see the beautiful colors of fall.
Speaking of beautiful fall colors, the leaves have started changing and the colors promise to be spectacular. This is a good reason to visit and a better one to live here. I love it.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Big Bang
Hi, hello again. First, I will apologize for the long, long delay in posting to my blog. I have been incredibly busy this Spring and Summer--more about that later.
But, the title of this entry is about something that just happened. Lady Lily climbed up on the sill of my bedroom window and was investigating a bug or something interesting on the other side of the screen when bang! she fell off the sill but did not go far. She was saved by the drape and the dresser that sits right under the window. Still, she made a big noise that puzzled her for a few minutes. Now, she is back hunting things on the other side of the window.
She is starting to be an outdoor cat. Tonight, she insisted on going out onto the deck. She would not come back when I called and went up the hill behind the house. I could see her exploring. When she was ready, she meowed to be let back in. Of course, I obliged and told her what a brave and wonderful kitty she is.
I am tired, so I will have to do a recap of the Spring and Summer another time.
But, the title of this entry is about something that just happened. Lady Lily climbed up on the sill of my bedroom window and was investigating a bug or something interesting on the other side of the screen when bang! she fell off the sill but did not go far. She was saved by the drape and the dresser that sits right under the window. Still, she made a big noise that puzzled her for a few minutes. Now, she is back hunting things on the other side of the window.
She is starting to be an outdoor cat. Tonight, she insisted on going out onto the deck. She would not come back when I called and went up the hill behind the house. I could see her exploring. When she was ready, she meowed to be let back in. Of course, I obliged and told her what a brave and wonderful kitty she is.
I am tired, so I will have to do a recap of the Spring and Summer another time.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
We're Vermonters now
Yeah, that's right Poppy Sox (my red Subaru Forester) and I are official residents of Vermont, as of two days ago. I keep trying to figure out if I feel any different--nope, no different. The only way I do feel different is that I do not have to go to work every day, now THAT is different. Of course, I like it.
Well, things are moving along with my ice damage problem. I finally filed a claim with the insurance company and an adjustor is coming out tomorrow to evaluate the mess. Thank goodness.
And a roofer is going to come soon to do a temporary fix and then again in a few weeks to put up a brand new standing seam metal roof, on the house first and then on the other 2 buildings. Instead of picking burgundy red, I think I will choose charcoal gray, so that, if we want to, we can have options when we paint the trim. If I chose burgundy red, I would have to stick with colors that go with it. Plus, reds fade fast and are not guaranteed as long as other colors. Who knew? The roofer, of course.
I went for another visit with a staff person at the School for International Training on Wednesday. I have decided to take the summer peacebuilding program (June 1-19) and then continue with the graduate certificate in conflict transformation in the fall. If I want to go on from there, I can the following year.
So, my days of being a hermit are drawing to a close and winter is beginning to turn to mud season. When we have warmish days, the foot of my drive becomes muddy, so I get a taste of what is coming. But I am looking forward to what comes after that, spring and all the surprises in store for me as the flowers in my yard wake up and the birds and other wildlife come wandering through. That will be fun to see.
Well, things are moving along with my ice damage problem. I finally filed a claim with the insurance company and an adjustor is coming out tomorrow to evaluate the mess. Thank goodness.
And a roofer is going to come soon to do a temporary fix and then again in a few weeks to put up a brand new standing seam metal roof, on the house first and then on the other 2 buildings. Instead of picking burgundy red, I think I will choose charcoal gray, so that, if we want to, we can have options when we paint the trim. If I chose burgundy red, I would have to stick with colors that go with it. Plus, reds fade fast and are not guaranteed as long as other colors. Who knew? The roofer, of course.
I went for another visit with a staff person at the School for International Training on Wednesday. I have decided to take the summer peacebuilding program (June 1-19) and then continue with the graduate certificate in conflict transformation in the fall. If I want to go on from there, I can the following year.
So, my days of being a hermit are drawing to a close and winter is beginning to turn to mud season. When we have warmish days, the foot of my drive becomes muddy, so I get a taste of what is coming. But I am looking forward to what comes after that, spring and all the surprises in store for me as the flowers in my yard wake up and the birds and other wildlife come wandering through. That will be fun to see.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
