February Challenge

 Just for fun

Time Has Passed

It's been over a year since I have posted on this blog. 
Time has passed, one day at a time. 

Our horizon is a fresh new day, 
the birds are singing 
and the flowers are starting to bloom. 

Welcome spring.

It's Actually Love

If you were to look at my counter you would see clutter. 

I see hearts, it's my "thing". I saw this cord in the shape of a heart.

I had a moment of introspection.

If you were to know about the clutter on my counter you would see it represents love haven been given to us. 

Priceless 

The skinny black cord that is in the shape of the heart 

is part of a tag. 

The tag was taken off of a gift, a candle. 

Next, you see blue ear buds. Benjamin being so generous gave them to me to use cause he knows I love listening to music so much. 

The popcorn seems like it should be insignicant but it's not. It was a gift of love for us to be able to eat, enjoy and relax.

The big brown basket came to us from hearts full of love and support  ... in it were such things as vitamins, lotions, 

teas and candles.

It came from the Dienstfreis. They filled it, 

Savannah decorated it beautifully 

and Cathy delivered it to us.

In the background you see brown, plastic vitamin bottles. Those are daily words of encouragement and love from Kimberly and Ben. The vitamins are exceptional and really strengthened Don 

before he progressed in his treatments to the point of 

not being able to swallow. 

They are really expensive but because of 

Kimberly's association with DoTerra 

she is able to get them to us for free.  

Lastly, the Bible under the notebook. 

That was my Christmas gift from Don and the kids. Pretty sweet. 

Clutter 

It has a bad wrap, but from my perspective it's proof of a life lived. 

And in our case .. it's proof of love. 

Without the oxen the stable stays clean ...

Proverbs 14:4

Maybe Ginger and Honey

I am sad to say that my stock did not gel. I don't think I cooked it long enough. So sad. I'm sure there is still good in it.
It will be back to the cooking pot for me!

We did use the chicken last night- made wonderful chicken veggie tortillas. mmm

The beautiful chickens Erin and Ethan had. 

I did a "god thing" on Sunday. I cut up tons of veggies, boiled eggs, opened up some beans and am now using them this week. I store them in mason jars in the fridge so it looks really pretty too. Even Benjamin likes going in the fridge and take out handfuls of fresh green beans and chomp them down.

It's amazing what you can get done when you stay home. Maybe there is a concept for me to catch there .. mm?     Probably not.

Today Don is mucasy and nauseated .. but he is drinking water and maybe his medicine is staying down. This morning I made him the ONLY thing he is willing to eat - and he reminds me of that anytime I try to give him something new - a raw milk, Bryers Natural Vanilla ice cream, and Gold Standard protein smoothie - plus some things I can usually sneak in .. like a couple vitamins or today .. a tablespoon of kefir.

There are pros and cons to what I give him in that shake. One pro is the amazing amount of nutrition and protein. He's getting babies milk fresh from the cow,which is full of so much good nutrition - the protein powder and the small amount of vitamins - with the milk he is getting fats. He seems to digest cows milk well enough so I think it's a good food for him.

Negative is .. very little, if no whole food. Food with any kind of pulp for his body to send through his digestive system. I was thinking about putting in a small slice of apple, I have frozen apple slices with the banana chunks so it's a good add to a smoothie but he was adamant this morning that he just wanted his regular smoothie. I think I might be able to get some blueberries in there next time, he likes those.

And lastly, a big negative is that milk products are mucus producing .. grr .. boy does that ever put me in a bad place. This smoothie is the only thing he wants to eat and he doesn't want to eat cause the mucas in so neasuating. So, round and round we go.


I am just biding my time. Keeping him alive for his throat to heal. Then, I will have a little more chance to try new things.

One thing he is willing to try is fresh ginger in green tea with honey. Today he had a half teaspoon.
Right now he is at the table with me, head down on the table. No energy, not well.

He scoffed at my continual effort to "Let's try this" He said .. "Easy for you to say" Here is a picture of the ginger, tea and honey. After sitting with his head on the table for about 10 min. and with encouragement from me. He drank it. How much was that? A tablespoon? Two tablespoons? I didn't measure. Now we are waiting to see if it stays down or helps relieve his nausea.

The uphill Work of Recuperation

It's funny .. the Lord tells us to do what it He tells us to do.
I am happy to say that the Lord has given me the job of getting Don's body back to health.

No easy task. He is continually nauseated. He can't eat cause his throat is swollen and burned.

OK - that's where we start.

I have been doing a lot of reading, I am a fan of old world food. I like to look and see what has been working for centuries .. and consider that.

My new goal is to perfect a meat stock. I guess I will start with chicken. I have been given recipes. I have been told to put the whole vegetable in .. like with onions to include the peeling . I remember that from my grandmother, Nuna.
She was a hub back in the day - she knew stuff. She came over to the US from England at the turn of the century.

One thing I consider that she did not have to consider is organic or not organic. For Nuna it was all organic. When I put in whole vegetables now I only use organic. I might be over reacting but since I am dealing with Don's compromised immune system I keep it as pure as possible.

The recipe I am trying today is from Nourishing Traditions, it calls for free range chicken - to include the bony parts, gizzards and chicken feet if I can find them.
Put the chicken in 4 qts of water,
2 Tbsp vinegar
1 large onion
2 carrots
3 celery
and one  bunch of parsley.

Let stand for 30 min to 1 hour then bring to boil. Remove scum as it rises to the top.
Reduce heat then simmer for 6 to 24 hours.

The vinegar is in there to pull out the calcium and other minerals from the bones.

Later I can use chicken for chicken salad or things like chimichangas.

Strain the chicken bones, skin and meat, pour the stock into a large bowl then refrigerate until fat rises to the top and the stock congeals.
Skim off the fat and reserve the stock in fridge or freeze it in ice cubes or larger portions. Ice cubes will be good for me cause Don only eats a teaspoon of food at a time - you think I'm being sarcastic, I'm not. It's such a small amount of food that goes into that body. That is why everything he eats has to be huge in benefits.

Benefits of congealed stock .. it's the gelatin. It helps in digestion and enables to body to absorb nutrients.
It is also helpful for joint conditions. Civilizations have been using it for centuries.

http://www.westonaprice.org/food-features/515-broth-is-beautiful.html

The recipe I tried from Nourishing Traditions today, turned out pretty well. It had a pleasant, light flavor which is good for Don.

Let's hope tomorrow it will be a good food day for Don. Today he seems better. His attention span is better and he is more alert.  I am hoping I can find food or conditions that help reduce his mucus - it's the stuff that makes him so nauseated. It's the bodies way of healing but there is to much. I am thinking antihistamine and a using the humidifier more often in the house.

Fun thought though .. we are invited to a Super Bowl party, Don should be well enough by then and Benjamin and I will be routing for the Steelers.

O Precious is the Flow

***

What can wash away my sins?

What can make me whole again?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus

No other fount I know

Nothing but the blood of Jesus

What can fill my empty arms?

Now by this I will overcome

Now by this I will reach my home

Nothing but the blood of Jesus

It’s what I have

I look around me and I see pain, broken hearts, and abandonment.

I look to find relief – it’s no where.

The pain just enflames. Cuts, sears brings down

Crying out to heaven searching for relief

Holding onto a thin thread of survival

Heart wrenching – pulling apart

No solution, no comfort

Time, obedience, walking, looking, waiting

Where is my hope?

My relief?

What arms?

Nothing, nothing, nothing but the blood of Jesus

The Love that was spilt

The pain that was endured

The promise shown

Evidence of love

Amidst the pain – nothing but the blood of Jesus

It’s the only thing that can reach that deep.

Everything else comes short

What will reach into my bleeding soul?

Will reach me .. where I live .. in my soul

It reaches past the pain

A gift

A savior comes

He loves me.

Warm, true, real eternal

My hope, my righteousness

My relief, my only true -soul depth- healing balm

The blood of Jesus

Now by this I’ll over come

What can make me whole again?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus

Glory .. this I sing .

Back Home From Salt Lake

The last day with our Salt Lake Family was bittersweet. 

Normally, I will pack the day before I have to go so I am ready. But on that Monday we didn't need to be at the airport till noon so of course ... I had LOTS of time. 

Or so I thought. 

I was awakened early by Zackary telling me we had to pack. Oh thanks I thought, he's right, I do need to pack but what he meant was that I needed to help him pack HIS bags cause of the fun

 plans we had made.

You see, Zackary and I were going to drive across country with Uncle Benj, Aunt Elisa and Ben.

The plan was to drive all night - play all day - eat macaroni and cheese at every meal and the hotels were to have pools and most importantly - hot tubs.

Uncle Benj wasn't really going to come so I didn't think Zackary was REALLY planning on going. 

But early that morning, with only one sleepy eye opened I realized he wanted to go with us to North Carolina. 

I tell you what .. if I had the money, I would buy tickets for me to fly to Utah, pick him up then he and I fly back to NC and then after about a week - he and I fly back to Salt Lake for me to take him home. 

We do have a fun thought thought .. The Belchak's are coming for Thanksgiving!! YAHOO!!!

To get back to my original post .. I woke up on Monday morning, thought I had time to do laundry. I fooled around till it was a half hour before we had to go! 

I grabbed the damp laundry out of the dryer. Don did a magical job of getting it all back into my little suitcase. We stuffed stuff here and there. Made sure I had my license and ticket and off we went. 

We made it to the airport ON TIME. Amazing. 

Don and I have a wonderful flight home. I love sitting by him. I love traveling with him. 

We played scrabble on my touch. I read my stuff, he read his stuff. And we were just happy to be together. Even if it was the BACK of the plane. 

We were picked up by Benj and Ben. Had a late night drive home. 

When we got home, Elisa had cleaned the house, the lights were low and the music was lovely. 

On top of all that - Elisa bought welcome home gifts for Don and I. There in our cleaned room, on our made bed were the gifts from Elisa. 

Lots of hugs and "I missed you so much" we settled down and finally went to bed. 

The end of a wonderful trip to Salt Lake. 

But - I cry often times. Missing my little ones in Salt Lake. I try to remember that God is sovereign but sometimes that isn't enough. It will never be enough. I want all my children by me all the time. 

But if I can't have that I will thank God for the precious time I do have. 

it was 

Fun in Salt Lake.