It's such a lovely time of year, remind me of this in the dead of winter. Yesterday afternoon I went for a walk on Main Street and saw 4 different wedding parties. The brides wore lovely, summery, Cinderella-like white dresses. I remember one white dress had a pale yellow sash at the waist, a nice touch. Her bridesmaids wore purple, plum-coloured dresses. Another bride and groom trotted by in a white, horse drawn carriage with white horses, no less. People were out in their antique, summer cars or their convertibles.
I'm trying to find a small novel that is somewhere in the house and has been put away too carefully. It's maddening. Also the kitchen sink has sprung a leak, so we're investigating, prior to calling for help. L and I are going out for a short walk to get some coke frosters, something to look forward to on a gorgeous, sunny day. I'm wearing shorts as I wished I had done yesterday.
M and K went to play some tennis. They saw the new Star Wars movie last night and loved it, as M is a big fan.
News
Canadian utilities may bill with smiley face scale
Teens still fantasize about these 10 cars
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Cottage Cheese Pound Cake
Here is an interesting recipe for Cottage Cheese pound cake from Lily's Wai Sek Hong blog. Any takers? It would be lower in fat than regular cottage cheese. I've made lasagna with cottage cheese instead of ricotta and couldn't really tell the difference.
I answered a telemarketing call this morning and ended up making a small donation to a blind cause. They are outfitting blind children with special PCs. Some other charities give/sell your profile to other charities and they know the kinds of causes you have an affinity for, along with your name and address.
My friend liked the scented body butter and lip balm I had given her for her birthday. We met for a walk a few days ago. Afterward, we had one of the new iced 'tea fusion' drinks at a coffee shop and she was in the mood to split a slice of chocolate cake, so (me being an accommodating sort), we did.
That same day, I went off to my doctor's office to renew my blood pressure prescription. I heard a newborn screaming inside his office. Apparently the doctor was performing a circumcision..so you don't have to be in the hospital to have that done as I would have assumed.
K enjoyed his recent school semi-formal. He was looking his best, all dressed up with hair perfectly in place. The party went well, by all accounts and he was able to show off his new dance moves (compliments of youtube) during the circle dance. This is where random people take the centre to show off their moves as the others stand around them in a circle. Apparently a couple of teachers even got into the act. M did pickup and arrived to witness the slow dancing.
I just pruned some trees and a shrub that I thought were encroaching too much on the neighbour's property. He grows vegetables and likely needs all the sunshine. His mint herbs are spreading all over, I had read that mint is better confined to a pot. It's also the time of year for bug bites, and I have a lot of those at the moment and am trying not to itch.
News
Driving is the real threat to a woman's health
New Wave Deck Opens On Waterfront
First human trials: Blueberries may help prevent diabetes and arthritis
How high is too high when it comes to SPF?
I answered a telemarketing call this morning and ended up making a small donation to a blind cause. They are outfitting blind children with special PCs. Some other charities give/sell your profile to other charities and they know the kinds of causes you have an affinity for, along with your name and address.
My friend liked the scented body butter and lip balm I had given her for her birthday. We met for a walk a few days ago. Afterward, we had one of the new iced 'tea fusion' drinks at a coffee shop and she was in the mood to split a slice of chocolate cake, so (me being an accommodating sort), we did.
That same day, I went off to my doctor's office to renew my blood pressure prescription. I heard a newborn screaming inside his office. Apparently the doctor was performing a circumcision..so you don't have to be in the hospital to have that done as I would have assumed.
K enjoyed his recent school semi-formal. He was looking his best, all dressed up with hair perfectly in place. The party went well, by all accounts and he was able to show off his new dance moves (compliments of youtube) during the circle dance. This is where random people take the centre to show off their moves as the others stand around them in a circle. Apparently a couple of teachers even got into the act. M did pickup and arrived to witness the slow dancing.
I just pruned some trees and a shrub that I thought were encroaching too much on the neighbour's property. He grows vegetables and likely needs all the sunshine. His mint herbs are spreading all over, I had read that mint is better confined to a pot. It's also the time of year for bug bites, and I have a lot of those at the moment and am trying not to itch.
News
Driving is the real threat to a woman's health
New Wave Deck Opens On Waterfront
First human trials: Blueberries may help prevent diabetes and arthritis
How high is too high when it comes to SPF?
Thursday, June 11, 2009
A funny video and a 'new' book
Here's a funny video commercial:
How Long Can You Hold Your Breath?
And here is an excerpt from an interesting article in my 'News' section below where 'A mom ruminates over life with four almost-grown boys':
'According to a book called The Eight Seasons of Parenthood, this is the stage of child-rearing known as "family remodelling," when young adult kids start to orbit around the home planet, occasionally intersecting, and we're all supposed to renegotiate the rules.
"All bets are off," write authors Barbara Unell and Jerry Wyckoff. (Which I think means it's time to stop bossing them around because they already know how to pay their phone bill and cook dinner without their mother.) '
I decided to order this book slightly used off Amazon.ca as it sounded intriguing and it wasn't available at the local library or bookstore, although there are some other books by these authors.
News
Empty fridge, no sleep - kids must be home: A mom ruminates over life with four almost-grown boys
How Long Can You Hold Your Breath?
And here is an excerpt from an interesting article in my 'News' section below where 'A mom ruminates over life with four almost-grown boys':
'According to a book called The Eight Seasons of Parenthood, this is the stage of child-rearing known as "family remodelling," when young adult kids start to orbit around the home planet, occasionally intersecting, and we're all supposed to renegotiate the rules.
"All bets are off," write authors Barbara Unell and Jerry Wyckoff. (Which I think means it's time to stop bossing them around because they already know how to pay their phone bill and cook dinner without their mother.) '
I decided to order this book slightly used off Amazon.ca as it sounded intriguing and it wasn't available at the local library or bookstore, although there are some other books by these authors.
News
Empty fridge, no sleep - kids must be home: A mom ruminates over life with four almost-grown boys
Heart Attack Symptoms in Females
I got this in an email and it sounded like good advice:
FEMALE HEART ATTACKS
I was aware that female heart attacks are different, but this is the best description I've ever read.
Women and heart attacks (Myocardial infarction). Did you know that women rarely have the same dramatic symptoms that men have when experiencing heart attack ... you know, the sudden stabbing pain in the chest, the cold sweat, grabbing the chest & dropping to the floor that we see in the movies. Here is the story of one woman's experience with a heart attack.
I had a heart attack at about 10:30 PM with NO prior exertion, NO prior emotional trauma that one would suspect might've brought it on.
I was sitting all snugly &warm on a cold evening, with my purring cat in my lap, reading an interesting story my friend had sent me, and actually thinking, 'A-A-h, this is the life, all cozy and warm in my soft, cushy Lazy Boy with my feet propped up'.
A moment later, I felt that awful sensation of indigestion, when you've been in a hurry and grabbed a bite of sandwich and washed it down with a dash of water, and that hurried bite seems to feel like you've swallowed a golf ball going down the esophagus in slow motion and it is most uncomfortable. You realize you shouldn't have gulped it down so fast and needed to chew it more thoroughly and this time drink a glass of water to hasten its progress down to the stomach. This was my initial sensation.The only trouble was that I hadn't taken a bite of anything since about 5:00 p.m.
After it seemed to subside, the next sensation was like little squeezing motions that seemed to be racing up my SPINE (hind-sight, it was probably my aorta spasming), gaining speed as they continued racing up and under my sternum (breast bone, where one presses rhythmically when administering CPR).
This fascinating process continued on into my throat and branched out into both jaws. 'AHA!! NOW I stopped puzzling about what was happening. We all have read and/or heard about pain in the jaws being one of the signals of an MI happening, haven't we? I said aloud to myself and the cat, Dear God, I think I'm having a heart attack!
I lowered the footrest dumping the cat from my lap, started to take a step and fell on the floor instead. I thought to myself, 'If this is a heart attack, I shouldn't be walking into the next room where the phone is or anywhere else .... but, on the other hand, if I don't, nobody will know that I need help, and if I wait any longer I may not be able to get up in a moment'.
I pulled myself up with the arms of the chair, walked slowly into the next room and dialed the Paramedics. I told her I thought I was having a heart attack due to the pressure building under the sternum and radiating into my jaws. I didn't feel hysterical or afraid, just stating the facts. She said she was sending the Paramedics over immediately, asked if the front door was near to me, and if so, to unbolt the door and then lie down on the floor where they could see me when they came in.
I unlocked the door and then laid down on the floor as instructed and lost consciousness, as I don't remember the medics coming in, their examination, lifting me onto a gurney or getting me into their ambulance, or hearing the call they made to St. Jude ER on the way, but I did briefly awaken when we arrived and saw that my Cardiologist was already there in his surgical blues and cap, helping the medics pull my stretcher out of the ambulance. He was bending over me asking questions (probably something like 'Have you taken any medications?') but I couldn't make my mind interpret what he was saying, or form an answer, and nodded off again, not waking up until the Cardiologist and partner had already threaded the teeny angiogram balloon up my femoral artery into the aorta and into my heart where they installed 2 side by side stents to hold open my right coronary artery.
I know it sounds like all my thinking and actions at home must have taken at least 20-30 minutes before calling the Paramedics, but actually it took perhaps 4-5 minutes before the call, and both the fire station and St. Jude are only minutes away from my home, and my Cardiologist was already to go to the OR in his scrubs and get going on restarting my heart (which had stopped somewhere between my arrival and the procedure) and installing the stents.
Why have I written all of this to you with so much detail? Because I want all of you who are so important in my life to know what I learned first hand.
1. Be aware that something very different is happening in your body - not the usual men's symptoms, but inexplicable things happening (until my sternum and jaws got into the act). It is said that many more women than men die of their first (and last) MI because they didn't know they were having one and commonly mistake it as indigestion, take some Maalox or other anti-heartburn preparation and go to bed, hoping they'll feel better in the morning when they wake up .. which doesn't happen. My female friends, your symptoms might not be exactly like mine, so I advise you to call the Paramedics if ANYTHING is unpleasantly happening that you've not felt before.. It is better to have a 'false alarm' visitation than to risk your life guessing what it might be!
2. Note that I said 'Call the Paramedics.' And if you can take anaspirin. Ladies, TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE! Do NOT try to drive yourself to the ER - you are a hazard to others on the road.
Do NOT have your panicked husband who will be speeding and looking anxiously at what's happening with you instead of the road.
Do NOT call your doctor -- he doesn't know where you live and if it's at night you won't reach him anyway, and if it's daytime, his assistants (or answering service) will tell you to call the Paramedics. He doesn't carry the equipment in his car that you need to be saved! The Paramedics do, principally OXYGEN that you need ASAP. Your Dr. will be notified later.
3. Don't assume it couldn't be a heart attack because you have a normal cholesterol count. Research has discovered that a cholesterol elevated reading is rarely the cause of an MI (unless it's unbelievably high and/or accompanied by high blood pressure). MIs are usually caused by long-term stress and inflammation in the body, which dumps all sorts of deadly hormones into your system to sludge things up in there.
Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let's be careful and be aware. The more we know, the better chance we could survive.
News
Israeli Woman Accidentally Discards Old Mattress With $1 Million Inside
Depression in men: the 'silent epidemic'
FEMALE HEART ATTACKS
I was aware that female heart attacks are different, but this is the best description I've ever read.
Women and heart attacks (Myocardial infarction). Did you know that women rarely have the same dramatic symptoms that men have when experiencing heart attack ... you know, the sudden stabbing pain in the chest, the cold sweat, grabbing the chest & dropping to the floor that we see in the movies. Here is the story of one woman's experience with a heart attack.
I had a heart attack at about 10:30 PM with NO prior exertion, NO prior emotional trauma that one would suspect might've brought it on.
I was sitting all snugly &warm on a cold evening, with my purring cat in my lap, reading an interesting story my friend had sent me, and actually thinking, 'A-A-h, this is the life, all cozy and warm in my soft, cushy Lazy Boy with my feet propped up'.
A moment later, I felt that awful sensation of indigestion, when you've been in a hurry and grabbed a bite of sandwich and washed it down with a dash of water, and that hurried bite seems to feel like you've swallowed a golf ball going down the esophagus in slow motion and it is most uncomfortable. You realize you shouldn't have gulped it down so fast and needed to chew it more thoroughly and this time drink a glass of water to hasten its progress down to the stomach. This was my initial sensation.The only trouble was that I hadn't taken a bite of anything since about 5:00 p.m.
After it seemed to subside, the next sensation was like little squeezing motions that seemed to be racing up my SPINE (hind-sight, it was probably my aorta spasming), gaining speed as they continued racing up and under my sternum (breast bone, where one presses rhythmically when administering CPR).
This fascinating process continued on into my throat and branched out into both jaws. 'AHA!! NOW I stopped puzzling about what was happening. We all have read and/or heard about pain in the jaws being one of the signals of an MI happening, haven't we? I said aloud to myself and the cat, Dear God, I think I'm having a heart attack!
I lowered the footrest dumping the cat from my lap, started to take a step and fell on the floor instead. I thought to myself, 'If this is a heart attack, I shouldn't be walking into the next room where the phone is or anywhere else .... but, on the other hand, if I don't, nobody will know that I need help, and if I wait any longer I may not be able to get up in a moment'.
I pulled myself up with the arms of the chair, walked slowly into the next room and dialed the Paramedics. I told her I thought I was having a heart attack due to the pressure building under the sternum and radiating into my jaws. I didn't feel hysterical or afraid, just stating the facts. She said she was sending the Paramedics over immediately, asked if the front door was near to me, and if so, to unbolt the door and then lie down on the floor where they could see me when they came in.
I unlocked the door and then laid down on the floor as instructed and lost consciousness, as I don't remember the medics coming in, their examination, lifting me onto a gurney or getting me into their ambulance, or hearing the call they made to St. Jude ER on the way, but I did briefly awaken when we arrived and saw that my Cardiologist was already there in his surgical blues and cap, helping the medics pull my stretcher out of the ambulance. He was bending over me asking questions (probably something like 'Have you taken any medications?') but I couldn't make my mind interpret what he was saying, or form an answer, and nodded off again, not waking up until the Cardiologist and partner had already threaded the teeny angiogram balloon up my femoral artery into the aorta and into my heart where they installed 2 side by side stents to hold open my right coronary artery.
I know it sounds like all my thinking and actions at home must have taken at least 20-30 minutes before calling the Paramedics, but actually it took perhaps 4-5 minutes before the call, and both the fire station and St. Jude are only minutes away from my home, and my Cardiologist was already to go to the OR in his scrubs and get going on restarting my heart (which had stopped somewhere between my arrival and the procedure) and installing the stents.
Why have I written all of this to you with so much detail? Because I want all of you who are so important in my life to know what I learned first hand.
1. Be aware that something very different is happening in your body - not the usual men's symptoms, but inexplicable things happening (until my sternum and jaws got into the act). It is said that many more women than men die of their first (and last) MI because they didn't know they were having one and commonly mistake it as indigestion, take some Maalox or other anti-heartburn preparation and go to bed, hoping they'll feel better in the morning when they wake up .. which doesn't happen. My female friends, your symptoms might not be exactly like mine, so I advise you to call the Paramedics if ANYTHING is unpleasantly happening that you've not felt before.. It is better to have a 'false alarm' visitation than to risk your life guessing what it might be!
2. Note that I said 'Call the Paramedics.' And if you can take anaspirin. Ladies, TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE! Do NOT try to drive yourself to the ER - you are a hazard to others on the road.
Do NOT have your panicked husband who will be speeding and looking anxiously at what's happening with you instead of the road.
Do NOT call your doctor -- he doesn't know where you live and if it's at night you won't reach him anyway, and if it's daytime, his assistants (or answering service) will tell you to call the Paramedics. He doesn't carry the equipment in his car that you need to be saved! The Paramedics do, principally OXYGEN that you need ASAP. Your Dr. will be notified later.
3. Don't assume it couldn't be a heart attack because you have a normal cholesterol count. Research has discovered that a cholesterol elevated reading is rarely the cause of an MI (unless it's unbelievably high and/or accompanied by high blood pressure). MIs are usually caused by long-term stress and inflammation in the body, which dumps all sorts of deadly hormones into your system to sludge things up in there.
Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let's be careful and be aware. The more we know, the better chance we could survive.
News
Israeli Woman Accidentally Discards Old Mattress With $1 Million Inside
Depression in men: the 'silent epidemic'
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Eating Locally
Well, I went to step class as usual. A few of us have various back and knee problems but we still keep at it. The instructor herself is recovering from a virus. I swear one of these days, I'll trip and injure myself on some of the faster paced numbers as I try to defy my age. It's hard enough keeping time as you twirl in circles as best you can, then the instructor will add arm movements to go with it! But it's fun at the same time.
Afterward I tried unsuccessfully to locate the latest issue of Rolling Stone magazine where Adam Lambert 'comes out', but it just came on the stands apparently. The internet gives it all away anyway. Then I bought a birthday gift for a friend.
L is working on a self portrait for art class and realizes how tough it is to paint something that actually looks like yourself.
I was watching a bit of a TV show yesterday called 'The 100 mile challenge' where the people were trying to eat only food that can be procured within a 100 mile radius of where they live. After 16 days, they found themselves craving things like oranges and lemons and were fortunate enough to find someone 60 miles away that had managed to grow them in a certain region. We are spoiled to have produce from all over the world.
News
Afterward I tried unsuccessfully to locate the latest issue of Rolling Stone magazine where Adam Lambert 'comes out', but it just came on the stands apparently. The internet gives it all away anyway. Then I bought a birthday gift for a friend.
L is working on a self portrait for art class and realizes how tough it is to paint something that actually looks like yourself.
I was watching a bit of a TV show yesterday called 'The 100 mile challenge' where the people were trying to eat only food that can be procured within a 100 mile radius of where they live. After 16 days, they found themselves craving things like oranges and lemons and were fortunate enough to find someone 60 miles away that had managed to grow them in a certain region. We are spoiled to have produce from all over the world.
News
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Lard's fat is mostly monounsaturated
The news of the day for me has to be the Lard article in the news below. It states:
'Now you could even argue that lard is the better choice. As Jennifer McLagan points out in her celebrated book Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient, With Recipes, lard's fat is also mostly monounsaturated, which is healthier than saturated fat. And even the saturated fat in lard has a neutral effect on blood cholesterol.'
Continuing on with the food topic, have you ever tried celery sticks with peanut butter? It's our delicious, healthy snack of the moment.
Remembering Paris is running Inch by Inch art Tuesday and it will be a treat stopping by all the participating blogs to check out their creativity.
News
When it comes to fat, lard is finally finding favour
Too Sexy For Your Shirt: Men's Girdle Hits The Market But Will Guys Wear It?
Scientists use mosquitoes to fight malaria
You Age As You Eat: Nosh to keep your noodle like new
'Now you could even argue that lard is the better choice. As Jennifer McLagan points out in her celebrated book Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient, With Recipes, lard's fat is also mostly monounsaturated, which is healthier than saturated fat. And even the saturated fat in lard has a neutral effect on blood cholesterol.'
Continuing on with the food topic, have you ever tried celery sticks with peanut butter? It's our delicious, healthy snack of the moment.
Remembering Paris is running Inch by Inch art Tuesday and it will be a treat stopping by all the participating blogs to check out their creativity.
News
When it comes to fat, lard is finally finding favour
Too Sexy For Your Shirt: Men's Girdle Hits The Market But Will Guys Wear It?
Scientists use mosquitoes to fight malaria
You Age As You Eat: Nosh to keep your noodle like new
Monday, June 8, 2009
Bride Wars
If you love/like fairy tales, you should see the movie 'Bride Wars' starring Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway. I've always loved a good fairy tale, I was chuckling the whole way.
I'm having a lazy, relaxing day...a prelude to summer? I had a 2 hour walk with my girlfriend yesterday, so I thought that entitled me to a day off without exercise. We also got K new dress pants for his upcoming semi-formal, along with a trendy shirt and tie to go with it. He's now in the basement level practicing his dance moves that he learned from youtube. Maybe he can have a dance career if school doesn't work out lol.
News
I'm having a lazy, relaxing day...a prelude to summer? I had a 2 hour walk with my girlfriend yesterday, so I thought that entitled me to a day off without exercise. We also got K new dress pants for his upcoming semi-formal, along with a trendy shirt and tie to go with it. He's now in the basement level practicing his dance moves that he learned from youtube. Maybe he can have a dance career if school doesn't work out lol.
News
Appreciating Dad on Father's Day
What Temperament is Your Father?
What Temperament is Your Father?
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