Last Thursday evening, I received a note from Miss N.K. announcing a shopping trip to our local Goodwill store for the following day. And I finally
Showing posts with label Musings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Musings. Show all posts
06 January 2011
20 December 2010
Unlettered
Long ago, the only means of communicating with loved ones who did not live nearby was by letter. There were no telephones, let alone cell-phones with texting capability and computers with internet access. Today, with the
17 December 2010
Great Grandma's Buttons
How many of us of us have a collection of buttons housed somewhere within our homes? Why do we keep these? After Great Grandpa died some years ago, two years after Great Grandma had died, Father took over the house and I moved into it. Incidentally, I acquired some of their remaining belongings that the rest of the family had left. I got Great Grandma's sewing kit, replete with her button box. What treasures therein did I find!
11 December 2010
My First
A young woman sits by the lamp in the warm lighting, a needle and thread in one hand and a torn pant leg in the other. She is hunched over the pant leg, stitching slowly and deliberately. Her brow is furrowed in thoughtfulness and frustration. The phone rings. She pricks herself and lets out a cry.
24 November 2010
Gluten and Assorted
Let me apologize, please, for my dwindling updates of late. Let me assure you that I am working on a couple of things at home, including a recipe (which will not happen until the middle of December) and getting that hair dye out of my towel.
I have recently concluded that I may have a gluten-sensitivity, not necessarily Celiac's disease. I will not divulge my reasons just at this time, but there are a few hints that my body has given me. It is a more common disorder than previously thought and my Candida dieting has cut a lot of foods out of my diet that I had not realized may be causing serious harm. I have noticed that the Candida diet tends to be quite low in gluten (I had avoided wheat breads because of the yeast content and I had not made anything with the wheat flours). Therefore, I am going to experiment. I am going to cut gluten out of my diet for about a month then add it back and see what happens. As a result, one might find a couple more Celiac-friendly recipes here, though, I want to help Candida-sufferers find edible recipes. No doubt there are those afflicted with both maladies who may also benefit.
I realize that I am not a doctor, and therefore cannot diagnose even myself- though I do the best I can. I will admit that I am one of the many in the United States unable to afford regular doctor's visits, and it is quite out of reach for me to undergo several tests et cetera on our budget. I can, however, adjust my diet and apply scientific principles to testing for food allergies and sensitivities. I cannot and do not recommend this. I am not a trained nutritionist or physician. I am a common denizen of the planet with access to the Internet and the Library and the Will to apply my limited Knowledge. In my experience, diet has a lot to do with illness, so I try to make the inevitable trip to the grave as painless as possible.
Do you have any favorite gluten-free recipe or candida recipe?
I have recently concluded that I may have a gluten-sensitivity, not necessarily Celiac's disease. I will not divulge my reasons just at this time, but there are a few hints that my body has given me. It is a more common disorder than previously thought and my Candida dieting has cut a lot of foods out of my diet that I had not realized may be causing serious harm. I have noticed that the Candida diet tends to be quite low in gluten (I had avoided wheat breads because of the yeast content and I had not made anything with the wheat flours). Therefore, I am going to experiment. I am going to cut gluten out of my diet for about a month then add it back and see what happens. As a result, one might find a couple more Celiac-friendly recipes here, though, I want to help Candida-sufferers find edible recipes. No doubt there are those afflicted with both maladies who may also benefit.
I realize that I am not a doctor, and therefore cannot diagnose even myself- though I do the best I can. I will admit that I am one of the many in the United States unable to afford regular doctor's visits, and it is quite out of reach for me to undergo several tests et cetera on our budget. I can, however, adjust my diet and apply scientific principles to testing for food allergies and sensitivities. I cannot and do not recommend this. I am not a trained nutritionist or physician. I am a common denizen of the planet with access to the Internet and the Library and the Will to apply my limited Knowledge. In my experience, diet has a lot to do with illness, so I try to make the inevitable trip to the grave as painless as possible.
Do you have any favorite gluten-free recipe or candida recipe?
19 November 2010
Secretly Auburn
Some have a thing for blondes, some for brunettes, and the women in my family are all secretly redheads. Strange how our follicles do not always agree with our nature. My sister, Miss C, is a caramel brown (I think); Mother is a peanut brittle; I am a 70% dark chocolate brown. And yet, when we seek to make a change, spice things up by changing our hair color, we invariably turn to the reds and auburns. We could go blonde. We could go dark. But, no. These ventures, of course, lead to... interesting results. We have seen Crayola orange, Crayola red, Pippy Longstocking red, and even purple. How does it become purple?
Perhaps our natures really are reflected in our natural colors. Caramel is rich and sweet, and what seems to be a little bit stretches for miles in generous helpings. Miss C is like a caramel truffle with her smooth, cloying syrup belied by a solid, almost bitter exterior. She is generous to a fault, giving more than perhaps she can afford, stretching so thinly as to be easily torn. Mother, too, shares this quality, breaking herself into as many pieces as possible to share with everyone. She is a tough cookie, but delicate and sweet and a little nutty (I love you!). Here am I, a little dark and serious-minded- an acquired taste, but I go great with fruits and nuts. Together we are a yummy, little PAYDAY candy bar. Delicious and addictive. Why must we constantly try to add cayenne and red pepper?
I do not care! Ha! And you thought I would Prose and Philosophize through half of the day. However, let us watch out for those purples, my loves. Purple is not red. Perchance we might also invest in a pillowcase specifically for the days directly succeeding the dying of our hair? It just may save worries over ruining our good pillowcases.
Note: This article has been an introduction into a Laundry Challenge! Mother has called me a Scientist and charged me with finding a way to eradicate the Purple stain from a pillowcase. Scientist, maybe. Mad Scientist, more accurately. Hopefully, she will not be forced to ask herself in shocked realization, "What. Have I. Done?" This should be fun!
Copyright November 2010.
Perhaps our natures really are reflected in our natural colors. Caramel is rich and sweet, and what seems to be a little bit stretches for miles in generous helpings. Miss C is like a caramel truffle with her smooth, cloying syrup belied by a solid, almost bitter exterior. She is generous to a fault, giving more than perhaps she can afford, stretching so thinly as to be easily torn. Mother, too, shares this quality, breaking herself into as many pieces as possible to share with everyone. She is a tough cookie, but delicate and sweet and a little nutty (I love you!). Here am I, a little dark and serious-minded- an acquired taste, but I go great with fruits and nuts. Together we are a yummy, little PAYDAY candy bar. Delicious and addictive. Why must we constantly try to add cayenne and red pepper?
I do not care! Ha! And you thought I would Prose and Philosophize through half of the day. However, let us watch out for those purples, my loves. Purple is not red. Perchance we might also invest in a pillowcase specifically for the days directly succeeding the dying of our hair? It just may save worries over ruining our good pillowcases.
Note: This article has been an introduction into a Laundry Challenge! Mother has called me a Scientist and charged me with finding a way to eradicate the Purple stain from a pillowcase. Scientist, maybe. Mad Scientist, more accurately. Hopefully, she will not be forced to ask herself in shocked realization, "What. Have I. Done?" This should be fun!
Copyright November 2010.
31 October 2010
Date Night
It has been a long week. Mr. Yeater and I have been like roommates all week, barely speaking, and rushing around like the proverbial chicken. I cannot imagine how busy we would be if we had children. Kudos to those of you with offspring. I can only imagine how things would be in our marriage if we continued in this fashion without stopping once in a while to remember why I married him, why he is my best friend. We would soon be merely polite without feeling, ships passing in the night, living completely separate lives with barely a signal flashed in either direction. How sad! During the week, sometimes I have to stop myself mid-craze, then stop Mr. Yeater, and make sure that I give him a big hug (if one does this, please be sure that one is at a complete stop as an embrace while either party is moving can be awkward and dangerous). We also make a point to schedule an occasional Date Night.
Mr. Yeater and I let only emergencies get in the way of this time. We might cook dinner together, play a game, watch a favorite TV show or movie- whatever it is, we do it together. There is no need to go out (especially in these economically difficult times, or if both are Introverts). It gives us an opportunity to get to know each other again, to remember why we love each other, and, at times more importantly, why we like one another. We are friends. We enjoy spending time together. That is why we chose to spend the rest of our lives together, forsaking all others.
I know that we are all very busy people. There is always something to take up our time. However, just as we exchange our hard earned money for something we feel has more value, we should 'buy out' our hard found time and energy for what is truly precious: our relationships.
So, enjoy your Date Night!
Copyright October 2010
Mr. Yeater and I let only emergencies get in the way of this time. We might cook dinner together, play a game, watch a favorite TV show or movie- whatever it is, we do it together. There is no need to go out (especially in these economically difficult times, or if both are Introverts). It gives us an opportunity to get to know each other again, to remember why we love each other, and, at times more importantly, why we like one another. We are friends. We enjoy spending time together. That is why we chose to spend the rest of our lives together, forsaking all others.
I know that we are all very busy people. There is always something to take up our time. However, just as we exchange our hard earned money for something we feel has more value, we should 'buy out' our hard found time and energy for what is truly precious: our relationships.
So, enjoy your Date Night!
Copyright October 2010
24 October 2010
Harmony
In the first months or even the first couple of years of marriage, one tends to be on relatively good behavior. The new couple is kind to one another, considerate, and polite. Soon the newness wears off and minor irritations grow. Please, Thank You, and I'm Sorry (if they were ever present) soon disappear, or make a lot fewer stops along the way. Consideration for the needs and desires of the other begin to diminish. There are wars over Remote Control, who changes the roll of toilet paper, who gets the bigger slice of pizza (chicken, steak, brownie, cake, etc.). ME! takes over.
I was speaking with a good friend a couple years ago. She and her husband have been married for just over thirty years. Being a new and young wife, I asked her how she and her husband managed to get along so well after so many years. She told me that they both worked at maintaining good manners. They are polite to one another. They are by no means polite in the frosty way that some may imagine politeness in a long standing marriage. They care about one another. Rather than stifling the affection and tenderness and creating resentment that is typified in ego-centric relationships, there is peace.
Everything starts at home and with our closest friends and family. "Please pass the salt." "Thank you." "Would you mind putting the toilet seat back down when you are finished in the bathroom?" "I'm sorry." "May I use your I-Pad, please?" It is these little things that make for more friendly terms. And do not forget the tone. Snotty, snooty, and sarcastic are sure fire ways to start a fight. A little consideration, please. Let's make life a little more peaceful and gracious.
Copyright October 2010
I was speaking with a good friend a couple years ago. She and her husband have been married for just over thirty years. Being a new and young wife, I asked her how she and her husband managed to get along so well after so many years. She told me that they both worked at maintaining good manners. They are polite to one another. They are by no means polite in the frosty way that some may imagine politeness in a long standing marriage. They care about one another. Rather than stifling the affection and tenderness and creating resentment that is typified in ego-centric relationships, there is peace.
Everything starts at home and with our closest friends and family. "Please pass the salt." "Thank you." "Would you mind putting the toilet seat back down when you are finished in the bathroom?" "I'm sorry." "May I use your I-Pad, please?" It is these little things that make for more friendly terms. And do not forget the tone. Snotty, snooty, and sarcastic are sure fire ways to start a fight. A little consideration, please. Let's make life a little more peaceful and gracious.
Copyright October 2010
16 October 2010
Introductions
Greetings! Shall I tell you who I am? Or shall I let you create an image of your own? Let you weave a story in your mind's eye. Is she a wandering minstrel? She dances and delights, jesting and juggling, playing the pipe until jocularity is ripe? Perhaps she is the irritable, old crank, ever critical and demanding, tyrannical and opinionated. Or a font of miscellaneous trivia and ramblings, rumbling and quaking, bubbling and shaking as a geyser bursting from the earth. The possibilities are many and sundry. Only the future will reveal. In any event, I look forward to divulging the not so secret mystery to you, and I hope you will enjoy the journey.
Copyright October 2010
Copyright October 2010
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