I just wanted to share that the authorities believe that the Ebola epidemic may be over. You can read about it here.
The article also includes information about what they have learned from all this.
How To Stay On A Good Diet!
Breakfast can help you maintain a good nutritional diet. Here’s a nutritious recipe for my Egg & Tomato Florentine Stack. It can help you maintain a good diet for the rest of your day, which means it can help you maintain your New Year’s resolution for eating better.
Breakfast is my most important meal of the day. No matter how badly I did with my nutritional or exercise needs the day before, I can always start fresh and anew with breakfast.
So what was bad for me the day before? Well, eating more than the portion I had allotted myself for a dessert. Not getting around to the weights I needed to lift? Not getting out and walking for my load bearing and aerobic exercise. Eating more than my allotted portion of just about anything. Having that second alcoholic drink in a day. The list is always numerous.
It is always, always a struggle.
But I’ve learned over the years that I am best in the early morning. My willpower is at its peak then. And if I eat right during breakfast, I’m more likely to do better for the rest of the day.
Rule #1 is to always ALWAYS eat breakfast, no matter what the circumstances. I cannot remember the last time I skipped breakfast, and I was a very busy business woman. During the legislative sessions in Florida, I was in the Capitol many days by 6 to 7 a.m.; and frequently we worked until late into the evening for several days in a row at a time. I always ate a good breakfast, no matter what. It was a good start to every day.
Rule #2 is to always eat a good balanced breakfast. I try to eat at least one egg for breakfast. Usually I just fry it up in coconut oil and eat an egg, but during the past few years I’ve been adding extras. Lately, those extras added are what I call “a breakfast stack”. My favorite breakfast stack is spinach, tomato, goat cheese and egg. My recipe follows this post.
I add to my stack a glass of whole milk and a piece of fruit, which is mostly mixed together in a smoothie. I wrote a post about this earlier, and you can find it here.
Finally, I have a piece of sprouted whole grain toast with some real butter. I sincerely believe that all the diets that cut out real fats had it all wrong. I believe that if you cut out the fats, you’ll be hungry for the rest of the day.
I now drink whole milk and use real butter. I no longer buy cheese made with skim milk. I changed this in my diet over a year ago, and I’ve been checked by my doctor at least twice now. My cholesterol has not increased, and my weight has maintained itself within a coule of pounds of what I consider my optimal weight.
Rule #3 is to always relax while I eat. I give myself about 20 minutes. Back when I worked, sometimes I didn’t get the full 20 minutes; but I always tried, even if I had to get up earlier. It was worth it. Those de-stressing moments set me up for a more relaxed day ahead.
Below is my breakfast stack. It is easy and takes less than 10 minutes to make (probably closer to five but I’ve never timed it.)
Eggs and Tomato Florentine Stack
Ingredients needed: one egg, some goat cheese crumbles, a handful of fresh spinach, coconut oil spray, and two slices of tomato.
- Take a small frying pan, turn the heat on medium high, spray with coconut oil spray and stir fry a handful of spinach until it wilts. Add it to your plate. By the way the other day Chuck passed through the kitchen while I was doing this and said, “You know you’re just frying leaves there.” Funny man.
2. Next, spray again and fry up the two slices of tomato on medium high heat. Turn once and when the tomatoes get a little soggy, remove them and stack the two slices side by side on top of your spinach.
I use a variety of tomato that is near and dear to me, plus in my opinion it is the best tasting tomato in the nation. I used to work for and represent the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (aka IFAS) at the University of Florida. For years our nation’s food scientists bred tomatoes so that they would withstand the rigors of shipping, until they eventually bred out the gene that made tomatoes taste good.
Years ago, though, while I was working for IFAS the scientists there began working on breeding a tomato that tasted good. The result is the “Tasti-Lee” tomato. Finally, a commercial tomato that tastes juicy and sweet like a tomato should. Commercial is important because it means that you can find this tomato in your grocery store on a regular basis.
I buy mine from Publix a grocery store here in the south, but I’m sure it can be found in lots of others. This tomato is good!
3. Before you go to the next step and while the tomatoes are hot, sprinkle a few goat cheese sprinkles over the slices of tomatoes. Also, between each step remove your frying pan from the heat so it doesn’t get too hot. You may have to experiment with this. Every cook stove is different.
4. Spray your pan again and add your egg. I usually pierce the yellow, because you don’t want it runny. I just pierce it with the edge of my cracked egg. I’m a firm believer in saving on washing dishes.
Fry the egg well, turning once. Then stack the fried egg on top of the goat cheese. The egg will continue to melt the cheese.
Voila! You’re done.
Usually, I compile the smoothie before I make my stack. I just don ‘t blend it until I’m ready to eat.
Also, the plate you see above is one of my salad plates. Years ago I realized that my mother’s dinner plates were the size of my current salad plates. I’ve been eating on a salad plate ever since. It helps me with portion control.
Also, when I put the egg on to fry, I start the toaster. Everything gets done about the same time; and I get to sit down, relax, and read something while I eat breakfast.
I have always tried to never read work-related materials during breakfast. I usually do some type of devotional. Right now I’m reading the books of the Bible that didn’t make the Protestant cut for the King James Version. Interesting reading, actually. I always wondered about the historical breaks in the Bible. Some of these books cover those breaks. I only read one chapter and if I finish, I go on to reading a book for pleasure which is always on my Kindle.
Right now I’m reading a book about an incident in Old Florida. The book is entitled “Shadow Country” by Peter Matthiessen. The setting is the ten thousand islands on the southwest coast of Florida during the 1800s after the Civil War. This was a common place to go for people running from the law. The main character is Ed Watson, a Florida native who was said to have killed Belle Starr in Arkansas.
I vary the ingredients in my smoothies and stacks. For my stacks sometimes I have regular good old grits (can’t help it, I’m from the south), with my egg and tomatoes stacked on top. I’ve also added other cheeses, according to my stack. Cheddar cheese is better with my grits and egg stack. Oh and I only allow myself one portion of grits when I do this. That means what will fit in the palm of my hand.
And I never allow myself to eat a pastry of any kind for breakfast. That is probably my worst breakfast ever. It absolutely sets me up to fail over and over again all day long. And I absolutely love the stuff. I have a sweet tooth that will always win if I keep that stuff in my home.
What I get from my breakfast stack and reading is a really good start to my day! I am more likely to take good care of myself and more likely to maintain a good diet throughout the remainder of the day.
Grit: A New Year’s Resolution
Meta Description: <The “Greatest Generation” had grit, but do we and our children? Will we be able to rise to the occasion if our liberties are threatened?>
Remember the John Wayne picture named “True Grit”? In the movie, a fourteen-year-old girl Mattie hired Rooster Cogburn, played by John Wayne, because she heard that he had true grit. She needed someone with passion and resolve to track down and capture the man who had murdered her father.
Have you ever thought about that word “grit” and what it actually means. What was it that John Wayne’s character had that was so special?
Well, I decided to look up the definition, and here is what I found. It means courage, resolve and strength of character. Synonyms are bravery, pluck, mettle, backbone, strength of character, strength of will, steel, nerve, fortitude, toughness, hardiness, resolve, resolution, determination, tenacity, perseverance and endurance. Kind of reminds you of the girl in “True Grit” when she crossed that river.
One example of use in a sentence was given by the online dictionary. It said, “He displayed the true grit of a navy pilot.”
Which brought me to think about a generation that seemed to have these characteristics. Many of us knew them as the “greatest generation”. They were the men and women who carried our country through World War II. As a whole, they epitomized this concept.
But their time was over seventy years ago. And today is…well, it is today! I can’t help wondering if our generation has this? Do we have true grit. I’m thinking, not. I’m also wondering if we have raised our children to have it, too?
I’m concerned because whether we want to admit it or not, we seem to have an enemy. Someone wants to take away our freedoms of speech, religion, and general happiness. There are those elsewhere in this world who don’t like us the way we are. They keep hitting us here on our own soil–a little here and a lot there (the Twin Towers). Each time, the threat makes us realize that we may have to call on our young people to help us again. And I’m not talking about simply air strikes in another country.
I guess I’m worried, because I’m wondering if we will have what it takes to rise up and do what is needed to be done when the time comes. It will take much fortitude, courage and hardiness from not only our military but from all of us as well.
That word “fortitude” worries me, because it seems a little hard to maintain fortitude when we have such short attention spans. I’ll give you a brief example that seemed truly insignificant at the time but may be an indication of a bigger problem.
As a family we celebrated our extended family Christmas on Christmas Eve. There were 26 family members, including our children and their families, our sisters and theirs, a nephew and his, and even one mother-in-law. As is traditional, we placed two of the grandchildren ages eight and seven in charge of handing out the gifts from the great pile under the Christmas tree.
There was one problem, though. They would pick up two or three, hand those out, and then get distracted. We would have to jump start the process again. Their parents, too, were distracted and didn’t seem to notice the problem. After about three times of this, I finally gave up and jumped in and handed out the gifts myself.
I thought of a quote I recently heard. “People today have the attention span of a gold fish.” Notice he didn’t say kids. He said people, and I think he may be right.
I’m wondering if we as productive members of society should be more concerned about teaching our children to have true grit–to demonstrate strength of character, hardiness and resolve. It all goes hand in hand with “finishing the job”. How can we have a “work ethic” if we never finish? And again I’m not just talking again about the kids. This is the job of parents and even grandparents, to maintain the effort through thick and thin. To “finish the job”. If we give up over and over, how can we expect our children to do otherwise.
Our nation’s schools of psychology are beginning to look more into this behavior called “grit”. University of Pennsylvania psychologist Angela Duckworth defines grit as a child’s “perseverance and passion for long-term goals.” She says that it is a better indicator of future earnings and happiness than either IQ or talent.
I found a blog post that explains how parents can teach their children grit. It is entitled What is Grit, Why Kids Need It & How You Can Foster It? Click on the name, and a link will take you there.
Also, this is the time of year when we re-evaluate ourselves to see what needs improvements. It is the time of year when New Year’s resolutions are made. A good focus for all of us can be to evaluate how we’re raising our children. Subsequently, a good resolution might begin in 2016 that can teach our children grit and ultimately help themselves and ourselves.
I sincerely hope someone out there is listening. These freedoms that we all cherish can only be maintained with diligence, attentiveness, and just plain “doing our part”. We must maintain and finish the jobs that we’ve been given.
Grit may be a key ingredient to our liberties.
A Christmas Story Abt a Cat Called PETA
We adopted this magpie cat, a sort of cast off from one of our kids. Abby is not an especially nice cat. She bites, and I’m usually the one she bites.
Several times she joined me on the sofa, and after some petting she just hauled off and sunk her fangs into my arm. Deep, like to the bone. It hurt like hell. Needless to say, I don’t pet her anymore. My daughter had nicknamed her “the psycho kitty,” a fitting name.
Abby came to live with us over ten years ago, when Tracy decided to marry Eric, who was very allergic to cats. Chuck and I had finally become a true empty nest with no kids and no pets. The kids’ last cat had died a year or so before. We had had sweet Grey for over eighteen years; and when she passed we decided “no more animals”. But Abby needed a home, so we said yes.
Abby had always been a tough kitty. There were stories about Abby charging out from under the bed and entangling herself in Tracy’s hose. After several pairs of ruined hose, Tracy had her declawed. She would also attack people, but she was still a kitten so it was just kind of cute.
Now she is a 13-year old 22 pound cat. She’s huge, but can move fairly quickly. Sometimes, I believe she still thinks she’s a kitten. She’s also smart. She’s the only cat we’ve ever had that knows her name.
A few weeks ago when Tracy and her family were in town, her youngest three-year-old Bryce was awfully enamored with Abby. We kept telling him to leave her alone because she bites. A few minutes later when we weren’t around, we heard a blood curdling scream from downstairs, which is Abby’s domain. Sure enough, she got him.
Bryce and his big brother Noah
The poor baby had two sets of fang marks on the top and bottom of his wrist. I thought, “Well, we won’t have to worry about Bryce and Abby anymore.” Now when Bryce sees her, he says, “Abby bites,” as if he’s sounding an alarm for anyone nearby.
Which brings me to another idiosyncrasy of Abby. She might be very good at protecting herself from the human race, but her hunting skills are practically nil. As far as I can tell, she has never killed anything outside of a slow lizard, thus her other nickname “PETA.”
It isn’t because she doesn’t try. I’ve watched her many times sneaking up on birds, squirrels, and just about anything that moves. They always fly or run away. Her biggest problem is a lack of camouflage, but she’s also just plain clumsy.
I’ve never come home to a dead bird on the front steps.
There was one bird, though, that she got. One day after work just before Christmas, I came home to a bit of a mess in the living room. There was a pile of broken ornaments underneath one side of the Christmas tree and an entire swath of decoration looked like it had been dragged down on that side.
Confused, I couldn’t imagine how it had happened. No one had been in the house all day. I looked around for anything else out of place, but the room and the rest of the house seemed untouched.
So I got a dust pan and hand broom, got down on my knees, and began to clean it up. That’s when I saw movement back behind the tree in the shadows. At first I thought about a varmint that might have gotten into the house. It had happened before. Raccoons used to get in the garage all the time. But then I realized it was Abby, and she was holding down something with her paws like it might run away.
Abby finally got a bird.
It was a fake red soft ornament that looked like a Cardinal. I remember clipping it high on the tree several days before.
No way was she going to let me take away her bird.
Can a Princess Become an Ordinary Person?
We ladies love the fairy tale about Cinderella becoming a princess, but do princesses dream about becoming a commoner? Surely, not, I would have thought; but after seeing the movie, “A Royal Night Out,” I’m not so sure.
This is billed as the “untold story of Queen Elizabeth on VE Day,” when she and her younger sister Princess Margaret were allowed out of Buckingham Palace for a chance to watch the city celebrate the end of World War II. They had permission from their father the King.
I adored the movie and its fictionalized story. It was light, entertaining and became comedic in places to the point of slap stick. We found it an uplifting, slightly romantic story.
The movie is rated PG-13 for a brief scene when the girls find themselves in a seamy back alley brothel where drugs are part of the culture. I even augmented my vocabulary when Margaret asked her parents, the King and Queen, “What is a knocking shop?” I had to look it up to be sure.
I guess you could call this film a dramedy, but Chuck and I both left the movie in great spirits. It was that type of movie.
I couldn’t wait to get home to look up the story about the two princesses and VE Day. Did it happen at all? Did it happen like in the movie?
I was surprised to find out that parts of it did. You can read about it here, but you must see the movie to learn about the rest.
It was a fairy tale in reverse!
The Movie “Youth” & Our Trip to Switzerland
Years ago, Chuck and I had an opportunity to visit our son while he was stationed in Stuttgart, Germany. The three of us took a trip down into Switzerland and hiked around a village called Gimmelwald. The village was high upon a cliff, and we got there by loading our luggage into a lift which rose 1,500 feet from the floor of the valley. Rick Steves suggested this area.
Our Bed and Breakfast in Gimmelvald
Gimmelwald then was a tiny farming village of approximately 130 residents. The year was 1999, and I was a young 45 years old. The quaint village had traditional log cabin architecture, no cars, no television, and lots of blond-haired children and livestock. The lift was also used by bungy jumpers, and we watched one jump over 500′. I remember thinking 100′ or 500′, what is the difference? You would be just as dead if it broke.
For the next several days we hiked from village to village and sometimes we caught the train to places higher so we could hike back down. We were especially awed by the scenic views, the pastures, the mountains, and valley. I felt like twirling around and breaking out in a song–something like “The hills are alive….”.
Sometimes we would hear a crack and get to watch an avalanche in the far distance on the other side of the valley. We crossed meadows and pastures. We were told that in Switzerland the pedestrian has the right of way even through private property. You’re allowed to cross any pasture or any fence, and we did.
So this past weekend while I was in Atlanta, I saw this preview of the movie “Youth”. Michael Caine, who plays a composer, sits and conducts the cattle with their bells to a melody that only he hears.
This scene reminded me of one afternoon while we were hiking near Gimmelwald. Chuck, Jeff and I followed this trail to the next village and hiked even higher when all of a sudden we heard what sounded like hundreds of tinkling chimes. There was a breeze, and we weren’t exactly sure from where the sound came.
We looked all around for the source, but all we could see down in the distance was one lonely log cabin and a barn. There appeared to be no chimes, so we hiked farther finally walking over a hill and up to a meadow where there were dozens of cattle. Each had a bell around its neck, and then we knew from where the sounds had come.
The sounds floated through the cool mountain air, and the moment was magical.
My friend Sylvia Alderman and her husband hiked in Galacia, Spain last September and heard the same sounds. She videoed the experience. It is linked below.
I think I will like the movie “Youth”.
Training for a Cattle Drive
“What does she mean she’s training for a Cattle Drive?” Honestly! That is exactly what Chuck and I are getting ready to do, but it will take some time and much planning
So I guess I better back up and start from the beginning. My decision for this next great adventure comes from two different directions.
First, I’ve always wanted to go on a cattle drive? Hasn’t everyone? I grew up watching all those westerns with the cowboys sleeping on the range under the wide open skies full of stars and coyotes howling from far away.
Well, this is Florida; and it is little known that we have cattlemen and cowmen, wide open places, prairies with big skies, and even coyotes.
Here are some more little known facts. One Florida ranch owns the largest brood cow herd in the entire nation. Florida is a cow/calf state where our primary crop is calves shipped to other states to be finished and processed into beef. We are home to four of the ten largest cow/calf operations in the US.
http://www.greatfloridacattledrive16.org/cow-hunters-crackers-and-friends
Florida has the longest history of ranching of any state in the US. Florida’s landscape was once a vast area of grazing lands. When the Spanish came to Florida they brought their long-horned Andalusian cattle with them, and some escaped to survive in the wilds of our state. These cattle are called cracker cattle.
Cracker Steer
Cracker Steer, Great Florida Cattle Drive, 2016. http://www.greatfloridacattledrive16.org/cow-hunters-crackers-and-friends
Just before Florida became a territory in 1819 and a state in 1845, cowmen from South Carolina and Georgia came here bringing with them their foundation herds that interbred with the wild cattle. By the mid 1800s cowme ran large herds on Florida’s extensive open range in central and south Florida.
During the three decades after the Civil War, Florida was the nation’s leading exporter of cattle.
So, I know I’m romanticizing this cattle drive thing, but so what! I still can’t wait.
More important, though, I believe this cattle drive can help me write about Mary and her family’s migration from South Carolina to Florida.
For those new to my blog, Mary is the main character in my book, “Palmetto Pioneers.”
She came to Florida as a six-year-old girl with her family, who were cattle people. They brought some of their foundation herd with them, so they drove their cattle and came down by wagons from the Colleton District near Charleston, SC all the way through the state of Georgia and into north Florida where they settled near Monticello. They made the trip about 1827.
Years ago, I studied the Oregon Trail and read about other great migrations. What I learned is that many of these people did have the opportunity to ride in wagons, but wagon riding is very rough. It basically causes everything from general soreness to bruising.
People usually got out and walked. Their journals are full of stories about how they basically walked all the way to Oregon, Utah, California or wherever they were going.
Great Florida Cattle Drive ’95. http://www.greatfloridacattledrive16.or
So when I learned about The Great Florida Cattle Drive, ’16, a once every decade event, I registered us.
Chuck and I signed up to walk it. It is about 40 to 50 miles, at about ten miles a day with one rest day toward the end. Their website is here.
Of course, one doesn’t go on a cattle drive every day, so Chuck and have to train for this. We’re already assessing our gear, such as dragging out the 25-year-old camp tent. I’m thinking it is finally time to retire it and get something smaller and lighter.
Also, we have to either wear period clothing or western wear. This is a reenactment of an 1850s cattle drive.
I’m thinking about what Mary’s mother might have worn for the journey from South Carolina to Florida.
State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory. Accessed 30 Nov. 2015.<https://www.floridamemory.com
I may try to reenact her outfit, but I think I’ll take along a pair of jeans and a western shirt in case I just can’t stand it anymore.
And of course, most important will be our shoes. My daughter, who blogs at “A Pixie Dusted Life”, just posted 4 Things Runners Need To Know About Their Shoes, so I’m taking notice of her tips. I won’t run the 50 miles, but we won’t be able to stop on the trail either. We’ll have to keep moving, so foot wear will be key. Her advice comes at a good time.
The cattle drive will be at the end of January. Here is a link for photos from the two prior drives. By the way these photos were taken by a young man named Carlton Ward, Jr. Check out his website here.
Carlton Ward, Jr. is a conservation photographer and an eighth generation Floridian from a pioneer ranching family. His beautiful photographs documented Florida’s often unseen world of cowmen who every day ride out to their herds on over 15,000 ranches, which raise nearly two million head of cattle.
We are so proud of this native son who has captured on film this living legacy of our long history of ranching.
Ward, Jr., Carlton, Photographer. http://www.greatfloridacattledrive16.org/photos-by-carlton-ward-j
I’m so looking forward to this adventure!! Of course, about day two or three, we’ll see how I feel then. I plan to blog from the trail each day if I can get a signal.
What Was Black Friday Like at 3 AM?
Well, I know, because I was there on Black Friday. Here’s what I found.
First, I’m kind of proud of myself; and the whole experience reminded me of my Mom. Every year she loved Black Friday. As young women, my sisters and I got up early to go with her; but we were no match for her shopping energy.
We stood in lines and braved the crowds. We walked the malls and rushed from store to store only stopping for lunch or a quick snack. I remember one year we stopped for dinner and shopped into the night; this after getting up and driving to Tallahassee to be there when the doors opened at 6 a.m. She shopped circles around us and wore us out every Black Friday
So this year I’m alone here without my girls or sisters in town, and last night I sat down with the Black Friday sale papers and planned my attack. About midnight, after I knew which stores I needed to shop and what I wanted to purchase, I went back to their flyers to see what time the stores opened.
Well, boy was I surprised! Three of my chosen stores opened at 5 pm on Thanksgiving (something I already knew), but what I didn’t know was that they stayed open all night and into Black Friday.
So what did I do? First, I checked to see which stores I could shop online. I finished shopping Toys-R-Us at home and then went to HH Gregg’s website and bought the new TV we needed. These were stores that I didn’t have to visit.
Then, in Johnelle fashion I left Chuck a note on his coffee maker and left the house to go shopping at 1 a.m. I was about to pull an all nighter–something I used to do quite easily when I was young.
I admit, though, that it occurred to me that maybe I am too old for this. But I plowed ahead, anyway. Here’s what I found when I got to my first store.
Wal-Mart was my first stop, and it was practically empty. I bet there weren’t 20 cars in the parking lot next to the store entrances. I had the place to myself and all the help I needed.
The employees were restocking the shelves.
There were no lines at the checkouts, and I got in and out of there in record time.
I found the same thing at Target and Kohls. In fact I did Kohls around 3 am, and I only saw three other shoppers the whole time I was there. By that time I was humming Christmas carols and was on a roll.
I stopped for a Frappuccino at the Starbucks in Target,and took a nice break around 4 a.m. Then I was on to Belks and four more stores, but majority of my Christmas shopping was already done. There were still no crowds, even at 6 a.m. when most all the stores opened.
By 9 a.m. I was done and done. My last store was Academy Sports, and it was where I encountered my first sold out item. I replaced it with a comparable product, though.
Here’s the best part! When I walked out of Academy Sports, all my Christmas shopping was over with. I had bought for every person on my list.
On the way home, I stopped at the Village Inn, had breakfast, and updated my Christmas list. I caught my third wind, and I think I could have shopped for several more hours.
Instead, I got home before 10 a.m. I surprised Chuck, because I came in so early. He thought I had gotten up early to go. He didn’t even know until I told him what time I left or that I never went to bed.
Within a few minutes after getting home, I went to bed. I left all the gifts in the car and slept until 3:30 this afternoon.
This was the most efficient Christmas shopping experience I’ve ever had. The only thing missing was the fellowship of my mom, my sisters, and my daughters.
If some of the stores stay open all night again next year in 2016, I’ll do it again; but I’m wondering if they will. The stores were empty while employees were standing around looking for things to do.
I would love to know how your 2015 Black Friday went, and if it was the same throughout the country. Please share!
A Different Type of Thanksgiving
We live in the Deep South, so deep that we’re all the way down here in north Florida. We have Indian Summers that last sometimes until well into late November, and sometimes we camp even until Thanksgiving, something my family used to do when my parents were still living.
One year we loaded up the motor home and several tents and drove to Torreya State Park west of Tallahassee. We looked forward to hiking the high steep bluffs over the Apalachicola River…
High Upon the Bluffs of the Apalachicola River
…and down into the deep ravines.
Only my family didn’t call it hiking, we called it walking. I can still hear my Dad say, “Come on Cindy, let’s go for a walk”. I think it was really designed to give my Mom some relief.
Instead, when we got to Torreya, it began to rain. And it rained, and rained, and rained. Undaunted, we took our umbrellas and walked the forest trails. We gazed at the exceptional scenic vistas. We helped Mama prepare our Thanksgiving feast.
Daddy did his part by putting up a large tarp, attached to trees up high, covering our campfire to help keep it dry. It also gave us enough cover to crowd our chairs in around the fire below.
My cousin Rusty and my sister Linda hanging out around the campfire in the rain.
We talked and laughed, told stories, and thoroughly enjoyed our four days there. We were always joking that at least the rain soaked tarp didn’t stand much chance of catching on fire.
Chuck and I enjoying ourselves, too.
It was an unforgettable Thanksiving that me, my sisters, our spouses, and my cousins still love to relive through story telling.
Another time we loaded the motor home, my sister’s pop-up camper, and tents and went to a little private park on the Suwannee River north of Old Town. It was a KOA that is no longer there, but there are many other campgrounds along the long Suwannee.
Way Down Upon the Suwannee River.
I grew up camping all along the Suwannee River. I’ve slept in tents, several times out on the boat and one night even in a hammock. I was only 14, but even then in my youth the hammock gave me a backache. Mom and Dad were always inviting friends, and we kids always drew the short straw when it came to a free bed.
Camping on the Suwannee was magical. With over 200 springs, scads of sink holes and some of the prettiest scenery ever, there was never a dull moment.
Fanning Springs which feeds into the Suwanee
So my memory of the Thanksgiving near Old Town was another wonderful holiday. We walked down the sandy trails, huddled together over a campfire, and again gave thanks to God for all our blessings. It is now another treasured part of our memory collection.
We told Mama that she shouldn’t feed the deer. She listened to us about as well as we had listened to her.
So this Thanksgivng Chuck and I will have Thanksgiving dinner with my 94-year-old uncle, whom I’m so thankful to still have and who won’t be able to get out for an outing. But later I plan to suggest to Chuck that we make a point to take a good, long walk. I’m ready to do Thanksgivng with a walk in the woods somewhere.
I hope wherever you plan to be that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, too!
A Different Type of Doctor
I have this special doctor in Tallahassee named Leslie Emhoff. He is special because he does a great job of staying up to date on the latest developments in medicine and wellness. He provides me with good health choices.
Below is a quote from him that I found on his website.
“I don’t just believe in wellness, I try to live it personally and professionally and stay informed of the latest developments in medicine and wellness. I’m not just a physician, I’m a health coach. Become an informed participant in your own health care. This involves more than improving your diet or beginning a long overdue exercise program. It involves partnering with your physician to understand what you – and your own unique body – need to sustain a full and rewarding life.” – Leslie Emhoff, MD
Dr. Emhoff ran several tests on me and then made suggestions for my diet, exercise and much more. He didn’t make many suggestions for changes in my diet, but he did recommend a major change in my exercise routine.
I take yoga twice a week, but he noticed while testing me that my fat to muscle ratio was too high. He recommended lifting some light weights — no more than 10-15 pds–both arms and legs. He also recommended a little more cardio.
So I added two days of about 15 minutes each of weight work and two days of some type of cardio. For example, this past weekend we watched our grandson Thomas while his parents were out of town. We played ball with him and played tag. That was my cardio for the week. Done.
More specifically for the weights it was suggested that I choose three different muscle groups and using dumbbells or Kettlebells do three sets of 10-12 reps for each muscle group, resting between each set. As stated before, it can be done in 15 minutes for the entire workout, 2 to 3 sessions per week. I do two sessions each week..
Here’s where my diet came into play. He suggested I avoid sugar and grains to maximize the fat burn and optimize insulin sensitivity to get to my goal quicker. Now this is getting serious. Did I tell you that I love breads and desserts. Well, I do. Sigh!
But I can tell exactly when I’m off the wagon for this one. Within a day after I add back the sugar and grains, my muffin top magically appears almost overnight. I think that it is the result of a decrease in my body’s ability to handle insulin. Another sign of old age. Double Sigh!
He talked to me about how our brains tend to lose some of their ability to burn glucose as we age.
He said that the current food pyramid is way off base–that I should be getting 50-55% from good fats, 25% from protein and 20% from “complex” carbs. I’m still trying to figure out where the desserts fit into this pyramid.?. Maybe, it is in the 5% that floats between “complex” carbs and good fats.
In his testing he did find some evidence of hardening of the arteries in my EKG and recommended Vitamin K2 (90-100 mcg twice a day). He said that this keeps calcium out of the blood vessels and directs it to the bones.
He also said that my CRP (C-Reactive Protein test) was minimally elevated, and that this was a general measure of inflammation in my system. Again, he recommended avoiding refined sugar, white carbs and most grains as these are inflammatory to my system. There goes another strike against my bread and desserts. Three Sighs Here. He added Turmeric 700-900 mg twice daily for its anti-inflammatory properties.
In conclusion he said that my body composition analysis indicated a need to reduce fat content and increase muscle mass. He wanted me to lose about 15 pounds of fat and gain 2-4 pounds of muscle in primarily my core and lower extremities. He also wanted me to work harder at reducing inflammation in my body. So there you have it–my marching orders in a nutshell.
My doctor is an MD-VIP doctor, which is a personalized healthcare program. You can read more about it here. Traditional practices need to see 2,000 patients or more a day, but this organization ensures that each MDVIP-affiliated doctor cares for 600 patients or fewer. I pay an annual fee for this.
Because he sees less patients, this means I receive extra time and attention from Dr. Emhoff. I also believe this is what gives him more time to stay up to date on the latest information in medicine.
He wanted me to take these suggestions and try them for a couple of months. Afterwards, he wanted to see me again to assess my progress.
I’ll let you know how it goes–as soon as I find that cookie that I hid from myself yesterday. Just kidding.
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- 25
- …
- 39
- Next Page »