health vs taste

Back in the day when I made soup. it had chicken, carrots and potato. Along with canned tomato and flavorings etc.

Now, when I make chicken and veggie soup, it has chicken, carrots, zucchini squash, cabbage (and anything else I can think of at the time that’s not nutritionally vacant),  tomato,  tomato sauce and chicken broth. *And as many of these in organic form as possible.* But notice that the potato made an exit from the list. Really, it doesn’t offer much nutrition wise and it’s high in carbs. So bu-bye! Instead I add penne pasta from Barilla plus with omegas.

I cook the noodles at mealtime, put them in the bottom of the bowl and ladle on the soup on top. It works very well and the noodles don’t get all mushy. And a much better choice than a potato, which I can rarely find organic anyway.

It fills my crock pot. Enough for us and a couple more meals.

Last week I had left overs and took them to eat with a friend. We both enjoyed the soup, which as always, tasted better the second day. But then my friend confided to me that she doesn’t really care for cabbage.

Shhh…here is a little secret…I’m not a huge fan of cabbage either.

But I’m not eating solely to please my taste buds these days. Nutrition trumps taste EVERY time. And cabbage is crazy healthy. Oh yes…I also put chopped parsley on top after I ladle up my bowl. And here’s another secret…I don’t like parsley that much either.

But it’s super healthy for me, so I eat it.

I have JOKINGLY been labeled the food police. But really, I just feel like a bit of a weirdo because I eat for the health benefit of it, rather than solely for flavor.

If I weren’t sitting where I am now with my health, I would have been in the chorus of people making cute little remarks about healthy eating habits and having a good laugh about it. But to me, right now, it isn’t a laughing matter. And from here on out, it never will be. I HAVE TO eat healthy from now on. Period. My risk does not diminish after five years…it is stretched out over a lifetime. So my ‘new’ eating habits must be a permanent part of my life. Not just for a little while, or on certain days.

I just wish I could go back and talk to my pre-illness self about all of this. It might have made some sort of difference. I might be eating better only because I want to.

Not because I have to.

And that’s sobering food for thought.

almost full time fashion accessory

I thought I’d update you all on the foobs (fake boobs). Things are going better, thankfully. Just about the time I thought wearing them for any length of time was a lost cause, I turned the corner.

For the most part, I am now finally (it seems to me) able to wear my foobs somewhat predictably. I’ve worn them ‘full time’ over the last couple of weeks. There are days that I take them off before I make dinner, but for the most part I’m making it the whole day. Sometimes I take most of Sunday off too, just to give my chest a rest. I think that has helped me a good bit too. 

I am also able to work out with them on. I am so thankful for this, because it means I don’t have to juggle putting them on then taking them off every time I turn around. I can just wear them.

One day though, I didn’t wear them because I was doing some heavy duty house cleaning and I just didn’t want to push it. And there wasn’t a reason why I had to wear them to clean house. So I didn’t.

But then it came time for me to go walk and I had to decide if I wanted to put them on to go walk, since I now can walk (hard) in them. But I decided not to do that. I rarely see anybody other than the sweet lady that checks me in, and she knows ‘the scoop’. So who am I trying to impress here, ya know?!

I am still struggling to find clothes to accommodate my new restrictions. The tank top I’m wearing in this post is a new purchase. It was on clearance from Lands End (score!) and I thought it would work so well. But since that top is technically a shell and not a true tank top, the fabric is thinner, and while that is great for the summer heat, it’s not so great for laying flat. So as the day wears on, the top rim of the top folds over and puckers in weird ways. While sitting in a restaurant booth, I’ve asked hubs to tell me what he can see, if anything. And a few times in the Lands End tops, he has reported that he could see what we call ‘dips’ which is where my anatomy sinks in rather than protrudes. I bought some more tank tops today…super cheap ones…but they are cut a slight bit higher, and they seem to be better at staying ‘put’.

But this whole thing has left me with many things to ponder. I know of women that wouldn’t wear a tank top at all since given just the exact wrong angle and circumstance, their bra and or foob would show, since it peaks out of the side edges of the bra. Do I try to keep that 100% covered, and struggle that much harder to find clothes that ‘work’. Or do I do the best I can, trying of course, to keep it to a bare minimum of incidences where something ‘weird’ might be seen. I can see points on both sides of the fence. For now, I am opting for the later. I am not going to be sooo obsessed that somebody might see in my arm hole or down my shirt at just the wrong time etc, that I end up in turtle necks all the time. Having said that, I am very conscious of any situation that could show something I don’t want to show…leaning down to pick things up, waiters being ‘over’ me and armholes being high enough…so that I am as modest as possible.

Of course, it would be easier if our summers weren’t so hot that it feels like the surface of the sun. : )

freaky Friday

I was doing fine this morning. Minding my own business and everything.
Just finished the second ‘leg’ of my twice weekly grocery store journey.
First Walmart, for the boring stuff…I think I had a bathroom rug on my list this week along with tortillas and assorted other odds and ends.
And then I headed to our local health food store to load up on all the goodies I can get there. The most ‘exotic’ thing on my list today was peppermint essential oil to make lip balm. Along with lots of veggies and a bottle of vitamins.
Easy peasy….I do this all the time. So I got everything loaded in and headed home and I all of the sudden noticed this buzzing sound coming from inside the van. It totally freaked me out! I couldn’t see it but I could hear it. Loud and clear.
And then I saw it…crawling on the dashboard. A giant bee! With a stinger and everything. OHMIGOSHOHMIGOSHOHMIGOSH!!!
I quickly pulled into a parking lot and flew hopped out of my van just as the silly thing landed on my leg. Thankfully I was able to brush him off before he ‘got’ me.
So I hopped back in my van, huffing and puffing from all the crazy. And made my way home.
This post could have alternately been titled unusual ways to get my cardio in. Cuz I totally did.
This counts, right?

bluebonnets and grace

The other day, the hubs and I went for a walk along the city’s walk and bike trails. And this is what we saw…

..bluebonnets. Lots and lots of bluebonnets! They are the state flower and very much beloved.  It’s very common to see them in state parks and along the highway.

And in city parks too.

I just had to take pics. I love them so much!

Just so pretty.

Which brings me to my little bloggy makeover. I have to give a big shout out to (Suz who talked to) Dawn at Beyond Grace who made the header (Using one of my pics) and all the little label pics. They are so cute. I love pink but even I was getting tired of the brightness with my old design. This is very fresh, crisp and clean. I hope you like it as much as I do.

Thanks Dawn! : )

the gardens

The weather this weekend was just about as perfect as it can get. It was sunny and in the 70’s on Saturday and I think it might have pushed up to 80 today, but very sunny and just light winds.

it was a perfect day yesterday to go to the city’s public gardens. We usually go a few times a year. It’s just so pretty out there…and there is a lot to see.

Plenty of life out there. We got a kick out of these turtles sunning themselves on a log.

We saw this beautiful (and very big) bird. I zoomed in to get a pic, so I didn’t get attacked disturb him.

A mommy duck and her babies swimming in the Japan area of the garden.

More to see in the Japanese area…

So pretty!

And then there’s my girl and I.

And just me. I am usually behind the camera.

Hiding.

But not this time. : )

We had a great time. Even though we’ve gone so often, we know just about everything we are going to see, there are always surprises. Like the turtles. So it’s always a new experience on some level and this trip was no different.

A beautiful day to be outside.

Don’t you think?

a reminder

Because sometimes I need to be reminded…

…of who I am.

where the wild things are

One day last week, I I was getting going on my day…and one of the things I do before time gets away from me is exercise.

I have one of these little dealies and it hooks on the door and I know the things I’m supposed to do every day. (I have a trainer) Anyway, I finished using it and opened the door so I could detach it and toss it in the corner. And then I plopped down on the floor to do some crunches and something else that I have no idea what they are called.

And while I was mid-crunch…I heard it.

And so did that cat.

We both zero’ed in on one spot on the wall right above the place I tossed my equipment when I took it off the door.

Scratching. In the wall.

So I did what any reasonable woman would do who is about to leave the house. I closed the door to the office so we couldn’t hear it.

But I was left with a little problem. I needed to tell the girl what was going on because I put a call in to the bug man to figure out what we needed to do (if anything). And he might call while I was gone. And I really didn’t think he wanted to be the one to tell her there might be something lurking in the walls.

And she might wonder why the door was shut. So I had to tell her. And the conversation with a little bit like this…

Me: So yeah…I heard this scratching a little bit ago inside the wall..INSIDE the wall..not ya know..inside the HOUSE…and um…I called the bug man to see what to do. But it’s not IN the house so don’t freak out {while I’m thinking…I’m freaking out… I hope it can’t get in the house}.

Her: A rodent? In the wall?

Me: Yeah…but it can’t get in. It’s in the wall. We’ve had this happen before and whatever it was figured out how to get back outside. {That sounds like a good story.}

Her: But what happens if it does?

Me: It won’t. I promise. {I really hope it doesn’t get in while I’m gone.}

Her: But what if it does?

Me: It won’t. {I don’t think it can..hm can it?}

Her: But what if it does?

Me: It won’t. {I hope it doesn’t, cuz it would freak us both out.}

Her: But what if it does?

Me: It won’t. I’m going to run my errand and it will be fine while I’m gone. I promise. {I hope nothing happens while I’m gone because I’ll feel like I dog if it does.}

And then I left.

And just so ya know…nothing happened.  And whatever-it-is seems to have figured out how to get out.  Disaster averted.

But maybe I should have just left well enough alone and let the bug man tell her about it. It would have been easier.

For me. ; )