Peter Rabbit and good food finds...

                                    

Looks like one of my daughter's bunnies has become a house pet. I'll have to ask if she's calling him "Peter"...

almond crescents

If you don't recognize these, they are almond crescents... made without flour - so are gluten free. I love these and just found them again at Whole Foods near us. 

I also found that sourdough bread is OK for me to eat even though it is not gluten free. I'm not sure exactly why this is true, but a friend told me this and it seems to work. Since we eat artisan bread with lots of real butter with our coffee or tea most mornings, this has been a revelation. However, I have discovered that there are many versions of sourdough bread... and the one made at Whole Foods is one of my favorites. It is called sourdough boule.

Next is a short video of the kittens coming in to eat in the back.  They are getting big... maybe 6 months plus? 

(Remember to click twice on arrow and then on the little square on right to enlarge video. Then click Esc button to get back.)

That's it for today. Weather is still bouncing back from cold to warm, but hopefully spring is finally here to stay. 

My weird bp problem lasted about a week... and now has subsided again ??  Why?? Don't know... maybe stress (there was a lot going on, but I didn't feel especially stressed). Anyway, sleeping without waking up with the pounding heart and high bp this week. (Hurray!)

Hugs (virtual),

Rian

and the beat goes on...

Hiking around Hot Springs, Arkansas

Another busy week with the kids in town and everyone coming and going at different times. Oldest son and wife flew back in Wednesday morning to have the sutures (or staples) taken out from her hip replacement surgery. They were able to come by after the doctor appointment and have coffee with us before flying out again the same afternoon. 

Then daughter and husband returned that afternoon from their hiking trip around Hot Springs with other family members. They spent the night and took off for home Thursday morning. 

Today (Friday) youngest son and wife both had to work and it's still Spring Break, so youngest granddaughter came and spent the day with us. We had hot chocolate at the Mall, walked the Mall for exercise, and came home to Eataly's Pizza, games, and a movie. 

I didn't go to Hot Springs with them, but they sent lots of pics. Here are a few of the group.

The first pic is a selfie of the whole group (first row: SIL,oldest granddaughter, youngest granddaughter  2nd row: daughter, DIL, and oldest granddaugher's boyfriend) 

2nd pic is daughter and oldest granddaughter and 3rd is oldest granddaughter by herself.

If I haven't commented on your blog, do know that I'm playing catch-up this coming week.  

...and Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Hugs (virtual), 
Rian

An update on my week... such as it was

Good Morning!

Actually, today is a good day. It's Saturday morning and daughter and hubby will be in soon. They will spend the night here before heading off to Hot Springs to do some hiking during Spring Break. Oldest granddaughter and her boy friend will meet them there.  I thought about going with them, but with this bp spiking and new meds, thought I'd better not... not this time anyway. We are going to visit them in April - and that's not too far off.

Update of bp and Rx Propranolol: Took the pill Thursday night for the first time (before bed at 10pm). Woke up at 5 am with bp spiking to 174/103 bp and heart rate 73.  So, it did lessen the racing heart, but didn't do much for the bp. 

So... I sent a message to my PCP as well as my Cardiologist and the PCP called me back Friday morning telling me to continue with it. Take the pill at bedtime or in the morning. So... since my bp was 94/57 and heart rate 77 on Friday night, I didn't take the pill. It woke me up at about 5am Saturday morning with a bp of 150/85 heart rate 85 so, I took it then. That seems to work out better... 

Sorry to bore you with all this, but some of you did mention things that were helpful last time. Thank you. One interesting fact was that this particular meds is also sometimes used for migraines. Since I get those, it would be great if this also helped keep those at bay. 

Sunday morning:  As it turned out, daughter, son-in-law, as well as youngest son, daughter-in-law, and youngest granddaughter were all here yesterday. We ordered pizza, and had salad, and cheesecake for supper - easy peasy.  And we all retired by 10 pm since they were getting up at 6 in order to leave for Hot Springs. But first DH and I made them bacon, eggs, biscuits, and coffee for breakfast (and some home-made banana nut bread and granola). 

Now it is 10:30 Sunday morning  and DH and I are both exhausted... as we don't normally get up that early... and we forgot about the time change. But we did enjoy having them here! (and most likely both of us will nap this afternoon)

Also... on one of the blogs I read, the person asked what/where would we like to live if we had our druthers... our dream house or place? 

It didn't take me long to say that I would choose  an old 2-3 story house with a widow's walk or cupola (or both) on a cliff overlooking the ocean...  (this of course would be if neither money nor other people's choices were involved). This is where I go in my minds eye. (It might also be filled with books and cats) Where would you go?

Hugs (virtual) 

Rian

semi-serious post...

this is how I feel in the morning
 after a bp occurrence

I'm posting this because I've noticed that sometimes fellow bloggers have interesting and helpful information in their comments. I wouldn't put this on Facebook, but I think because most of my blog readers are 50+, that this would be a safer and more accurate demographic. 

Those of you that read my posts may remember that a while back I posted about occasionally having strange occurrences... I would wake up during the night or early morning with my heart pounding, headachy, and high bp. I was tested for sleep apnea and that was negative, I wore a heart monitor for a month and outside of a few quirky readings, the Cardiologist found nothing serious. I do have what they call Grade 1 Diastolic Dysfunction, but apparently that's not unusual for someone my age (77). And I have a few leaky valves, but they do an Echocardiogram every 6 months or so to keep an eye on them.

Well, these occurrences have started happening again with more frequency. Last night I decided to check my bp before bed (around 10pm) and it was 118/68 heartrate 74 (normal).  When I woke up between 5 and 7am, it was 170/99 heart rate 107. I got up, made a cup of tea, and did my breathing exercises (breathe in through nose to the count of 5, then hold breath to the count of 24, breathe out long breath through mouth) This usually lowers both my bp and my heart rate. 

So I got up around 8 am, took bp again around 9:30 and it was down to 130/79  heart rate 77.  Later at 12:30 it was up again to 151/83 heart rate 76, but down at 1:30 pm to 120/77 heartrate 80. My normal bp runs low-normal to normal (94 - 118). 

Anyway, I'm thinking nocturnal hypertension? The Cardiologist gave me some Rx Propranolol 10 mg to take in 2021, but I've never taken any as my breathing exercises seem to control it. I'm not into meds unless absolutely needed (due to the fact that I've had some strange reactions to many). I do intend to call him tomorrow. He will probably tell me to take the Rx Propranolol, but if it lowers bp, I wouldn't want to take it at night when my bp is normal, but possibly just in the morning when it spikes??

Anyway, if anyone has any suggestions or comments, I'd love to hear them.

Sorry this is such a bummer of a post.

Hugs (still virtual),

Rian

Thursday, March 2nd... Tornado Watch Alert!

We just got a "Tornado Watch Alert!" for our area. It's weird as although they have been predicting severe weather all day, it's been unusually quiet, no winds, very still... and very warm (80 F). 

We were supposed to go have dinner at a friend's house this evening, but with all the warnings (even schools cancelled all after school activities), we rescheduled our get-together for tomorrow.

Our daughter-in-law had her hip replacement surgery Tuesday and was discharged from the hospital yesterday. She did well, but is having a bit of pain (which I guess is to be expected).

If I remember correctly, when I was growing up in New Orleans, whenever a hurricane was coming, I remember the sky turned a strange green color before it hit. Don't know if that's real or something I just saw in my child's eye... (but look at 1st sign here!)

and lastly:

Nature can be scary. When lives are lost, it's nothing to joke about. But I find that it does help to lighten the worry when things get tense. Hopefully nothing too severe will happen, but it's been a long stressful day. I hope the weathermen/women are just over-reacting. Signing off at 4 PM.

Hugs (virtual),

Rian 

(Something else noticed: Feral cats seem to have disappeared. Haven't seen any all day...???)

March 1, 2023 Rabbit! Rabbit! White Rabbit!

 

Rabbit! Rabbit! White Rabbit!




Hugs (still virtual),

Rian

Hugs

another busy week coming...

Sunday morning breakfast

This was my Sunday morning breakfast:  over easy egg, sourdough toast soldiers,  and my allotted butter coffee... not that different from my every morning breakfast if you take away the egg (and sometimes add tea instead of coffee). We are not big breakfast eaters although we do have lunch around 11:30... so perhaps that makes up for it.

This past week was busy with 2 doctor's appointments. Both went well... annual Mammogram (which I normally hate but due to a very good technician and new type machine was the least painful I've ever had) and annual Dermatologist (nothing needed to be frozen or cut off) DH didn't fare as well as he had something on his hand frozen and something on his face cut out and biopsied.

And this next picture is the fisherman's afghan that my friend made for my daughter. I love it! (actually I have one that she made for me several years ago - but am still tempted to keep this one) I won't though as I've already told my daughter that she was getting it. However, my friend is in the mist of doing several and asked me if I minded doing the tassels. So, if you look closely, you'll see her beautiful knitting and my so-so tassels. I've just completed one side, but will do the other today. 

Fisherman's afghan

Oldest son and his wife are also coming into town this week for her hip replacement surgery. Please pray that all goes well. It's going to be another busy week as there are several appointments crammed in this week along with her surgery... and Spring Break starting March 11th with daughter and her family coming in that Saturday. (Will also update you on the bunny mystery next time)

And I will close this with a pic of youngest granddaughter in her Taekwondo class. Apparently she put 3 young boys down and was asking for 'bigger' opponents. She is in the red vest.

Oh, and I forgot that DH's younger brother had surgery this past Thursday. He has always had pain in his back with nothing working to relieve it, and finally decided to have some sort of spinal stimulater implant put in. We'll see how that works. It's only been a few days, so hard to say much yet. 

Going to really close this now as I have to work on finishing those tassels. Hoping all of you have a wonderful week... good weather and maybe some sunshine!! 

Hugs (still virtual),

Rian

Sunday morning thoughts... on Tuesday

It's Sunday and I'm not planning to post this today. Granddaughter is coming over to spend the night tonight and I've got a few things to get done before she arrives. I have a roast in the oven and although at 10, that isn't her favorite supper (probably pizza is), it is what it is. 

eye of round roast with garlic,
onions, carrots, and potatoes!

No, this is something that came to me after reading DJan's post Sunday morning. It's about trying to stay optimistic in a world that seems to be going downhill (and is it really? - or is it that we 'know' too much these days?) Knowing the possible state of things and realizing that there's little one can personally do to change the situation is frustrating... which is stressful. Add our own age related problems and... boom! sleepless nights and anxiety are the result.

How to overcome this? Not sure, but as cliche as it sounds, taking it one day at a time seems to help me. I think, what can I do today that will make the day more pleasant for someone (or myself)? Even something as simple as a phone call, a text, a batch of brownies could help. In my own case, if I can simply clear out an area that needs clearing, I've made my day. It's a small thing, but it works.

I know that at 77, life could end at any time and no one would be surprised (well, your family and close friends might be, but not the general public)... and it's something that until you get to a certain age, no one thinks about seriously. But once you're there, the thought affects all your choices. In some ways, it's like the song, "Live like you were dying" by Tim McGraw. 

Anyway, I just wanted to say that we may all want to 'contribute' in some way to making it a better world, but we aren't all capable of doing the big things. So maybe, just maybe, Mother Teresa's words, 

"Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love" is something we are all capable of doing. 

That's it... my thoughts on Sunday morning. 

It's already Tuesday and I'm finally posting this. We spent Sunday evening playing games and watching movies with Granddaughter. She's teaching me how to 'trade' on the game Roblox... and then we watched Narnia on TV, went to bed, and both of us read until sleepy. Monday morning meant chocolate chip pancakes and more 'trading' instructions, then my son came by to pick her up. 

DH and I had plans for Monday afternoon to take lunch and visit with my friend who had surgery about 2 months ago.  She lives about 45 minutes away. And luckily it turned out to be a beautiful day...  sunny and fairly warm. We ended up eating, talking, and touring the little town where she lives... very enjoyable day for all of us. Here's a pic of the old train that is by the Historical Center in that little town.

My friend is the one who helps me edit and proof my books and she is also part of the Historical Society for this town. They just published a book about this little Texas town and are now doing research on some of the surrounding areas. 

And...   

today is Mardi Gras 

back home in New Orleans!

Hopefully my cousins will send me pictures of the parades and any family participation... which I will share with you if applicable.

Hugs (yes, still virtual),

Rian

 

some of my 'joyful' clutter...

February and March are fairly busy... with Doctor appointments, a birthday or two, Valentine, Mardi Gras, a surgery, and Spring Break.

You'd think there would be material for a post there... but alas, nothing - at least nothing that inspires me. So, I will fall back on memories. Dusting my shelves made me think of sharing some of the little things that give me joy. So, here are some pics of one of our 3 bookshelves where some of my 'clutter' is stored.

Most of this bookshelf is pottery... little things I've made that for some reason I enjoy more than all the pottery mugs and plates I've made over the years. Silly stuff, but fun.

I have a poem published in that Roomfull of Starlight book (nothing spectacular, just something I wrote while on a silent retreat). And the 'Where's the Dragon' book on the 2nd shelf is a favorite children's book of mine (I actually have several of these... some where I absolutely adore the watercolor illustrations).

My Cheeky Chickens are everywhere (in different stages of firing). And of course there are grandkids pics scattered about.

There used to be books filling all 3 bookcases, but we decided to empty them (or almost) a while back. And to be truthful, no one will probably want these silly things when I'm gone. But for whatever reason, they give me joy. 

Do you have things like that? If so, please share.

Hugs (still virtual),

Rian

Happy Valentine's Day 2023!

Just a quick Happy Valentines' Day to Everyone!

Hugs (virtual),

Rian

 

Muse on vacation... and a chocolate pie for comfort

Well, this week my writing Muse has disappeared. I have 24 chapters written on the next "Annie's Story", (stream of consciousness writing, no proofing - just getting the story down)... and then nothing.

I look at a blank page, know where the story should be going... but for some reason, can't get it down. So, I'm taking a break... perhaps it just needs time (took me 2 years to get out the 2nd book so I shouldn't be surprised).

Anyway, on to other things. I did make a dark chocolate pie yesterday. I love a good dark chocolate pie. This one is made with unsweetened chocolate and topped with whipped cream (with a little added sugar, vanilla, and a touch of bourbon).... so-oo good! It's OK for me as there is no flour in the recipe (gluten free). Of course there is flour in the pie crust as I used a frozen Pet Ritz one - but blind baked it and basted the pie shell first with some butter mixed with vanilla and a tiny bit of bourbon... (flaky and delicious). 

Reading DJan's post today got me to thinking. I've really had a pretty easy life... I mean for the most part. DH and I married right out of college, had 3 kids, worked, retired, and are getting to grow old together. How lucky is that?  We aren't rich by any means, but we're comfortable. Our kids and grandkids are great. Life is good. 

Of course there's been some bad things  along the way... losing both my siblings and Dad to Cancer and my mom to Alzheimer's wasn't easy. Even though you're not a child anymore, you feel like an orphan when your immediate family is all gone. And it makes you feel a bit guilty that you're still here... and wonder why. Both DH and I have been diagnosed with Cancer - but both of us are survivors (so far). Old age (77) brings other inconveniences, but nothing we haven't been able to handle.

I wasn't able to go to Vet School as planned since we got married right out of college and we had 3 kids within the first 5 years. But I never regretted that... I did end up with a BS in Animal Science (LSUBR had no Vet School back then) and later (when the kids were school age) went back and got an Animal Technician degree (Associate degree in AMT) so I could at least work in the field... and did work at a Veterinary Hospital (that specialized in feline care) for years.

DH had a degree in Electrical Engineering and his first job out of college was in Florida. We lived there on Satellite Beach watching the rockets go up from Kennedy Space Center from the summer of 68 until 1971 when we moved to Texas... and stayed. I love Florida for visiting, but never liked living there. The salt air from the ocean rusted cars and as much as I love the water, our first 2 babies were red heads who couldn't take much sun... so time at the beach had to be severely limited.

But this post has taken a turn I hadn't planned, so I will stop here. Wish you all a wonderful Valentine's week, ask you to forgive my ramblings as sometimes my mind goes off on a tangent all it's own.

And before I forget, Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday)  is almost here. I believe it's the 21st. That was always fun growing up (the parades and King Cake parties).  Then of course the day after is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. Then Easter, my favorite holiday! Looking forward to Easter and Spring!

Hugs (still virtual),

Rian

(I know I didn't mention the earthquakes - so horrific that I don't want to go there, but they are in my thoughts and prayers and we hope to help in other ways if possible.)

Finally the ice is melting...

It's Saturday and finally the ice has melted... at least most of it. This week was weird. We've had cold weather before as well as snow. But even the Arctic Freeze in 2021 was different. This was no snow, just freezing rain and sleet - so our sidewalks and driveway and roads were solid ice. You couldn't venture out without sliding all over the place - dangerous for us old folks. And since the weather never got over 28 F for most of the week, nothing melted.  It looked like snow as everything was white... but it was solid!

And it was pretty to see all the trees and bushes iced (like a fairyland), but unfortunately the heavy ice accumulation caused many trees to fall. We lost one in the backyard  -  just fell over and cracked in half. DH just cut it down this morning. And our daughter lost quite a few on their acreage - one fell on their fence and one on their well.

Here is a pic of Moose, daughter's dog trying to keep warm by the wood burning stove. They lost power overnight, but it returned by morning.

Granddaughter thought it was great as schools were closed (most businesses too). We just aren't equipped to handle this type of weather, although possibly with Climate Change, we may need to get better prepared.

But thank goodness, it's over... hopefully for the year. We just have to get through February now. I'm looking forward to April and Easter! Easter is my favorite holiday...

And of course Valentine's Day is coming. We don't do much for that.  I send cards to the grandkids (and sometimes goodies), but that's about it. Here's a pic of one of the funny cards I'm sending.

Love that pic of the middle cat!

OK... that's the week that was! Really makes you appreciate the sunshine - and even though it's only 54 F now, I'll take it! We intend to bundle up and get out of the house this afternoon. Maybe go somewhere for coffee??

Wishing you a beautiful wonderful warm Saturday... Enjoy!

Hugs (virtual),

Rian

Feb 1, 2023 "Rabbit! Rabbit! White Rabbit!"

 

Rabbit!  Rabbit! White Rabbit!

So-oo cute!

Rain, sleet, and possible snow...

Hello..oo!

 

Well, it's COLD here! (Rain, sleet, and 27F) Cold for me, anyway. I know many of you are used to cold weather, but I don't work well in it... tend to want to hibernate (by the fireplace). 

Or stay in the kitchen (where it's warm) and cook. I made several things lately. Here's our breakfast Monday morning:

This is the way I fry eggs, no butter or oil, just spray with a Crisco Butter spray. I also use the little round metal thing (don't know if it has a name):

Think it's really for pancakes as I have several in different shapes - but it works great with eggs!

DH likes his egg sunny side up (like first 2 pics) and I like mine over easy, so:

mine

and then my over easy plated with toast soldiers:

If you'll notice, I can only have a small amount of coffee due to the acid... so I use an expresso cup and put in a tiny pat of butter. If you've never heard of butter coffee, google it. It's interesting and I find the butter doesn't change the taste at all... and if you're not worried about cholesterol, it's a great way to drink your coffee.

Then because it was cold and nasty out, I thought we could use a warm sweet treat. So I made the boys a peach dump cake. 

warm, crispy, and full of peaches!

Of course this is made with a cake mix - so I can't eat it because it's not gluten-free. But I did sneak a tiny bite of the peaches and pecans.

That's my cooking for the week. I did make the sour cream chicken enchiladas Sunday using corn tortillas instead of the flour ones - and we all liked them just as well as the flour ones!

Some cooking memes:

and last:

Have a great day! And stay warm!

Hugs (virtual),

Rian

a Saturday mishmash...

First, I have to say that I got my 2nd Shingles (Shingrix) vaccine Monday. I don't know if you remember, but when I got the first one back in September...  my arm was sore, red, and swollen for about a week. Well, this one only caused me to be sore for a day or so... and not nearly as bad as the first. Thank goodness.

Second, I saw my Family Physician (PCP) Tuesday as Tuesday afternoon, I had some strange pains in my chest. I don't get heartburn and all I had had about 2 hours before was some crackers and cheese... so I couldn't imagine what this pain was. 

And it wasn't a burning, nor a sharp pain, but rather a dull pain that came and went for over an hour. It also moved to my left side at one point and radiated to my back. DH gave me a baby aspirin... just in case... and the doctor told me to buy some Pepsid,  and if it came back, to go to the ER. Going to the ER for something that might be heartburn seemed a bit excessive, but I understand that women's heart attacks are sometimes different. Anyway, I never took the Pepsid,  and so far, it hasn't come back. 

Now I have to share this video of daughter's bunnies. It's so cute as you can see all the colors of the baby bunnies (white, gray, tan, and black). They are so-oo cute.

(I would suggest you click several times and enlarge it by clicking on the tiny square on the right)

And then...

beautiful kitty

This is the kitten (except in my story his eyes were blue) I had in mind in my second book. His name is Eragon and he belongs to Lizzy, Shamus the Bookstore owner's sister. He was a little monster and was called such until someone came up with the name, Eragon. My daughter saw this pic and sent it to me. I thought, "That's Eragon!"

And then I saw this...

reader's sanctuary

... and thought, "Wow! I love that!" 

 a person could spend their days reading and napping by that beautiful window! 

And before I close all this mishmash of unrelated ramblings,

 I had to share these:

I believe this

and this!

It's Saturday, I hope you are all enjoying your weekend. Today I'm planning to make some sour cream chicken enchiladas... and use corn tortillas instead of my usual flour ones (the corn ones are GF). Will let you know how they turn out.

Hugs (virtual), 

Rian

a little about our food life...

I'm sitting here at 11 A.M.  drinking a cup of tea and thinking that I should post this morning about food... not sure why... possibly I'm hungry. 

Breakfast: DH and I have toast and coffee (sometimes tea for me) between 8 and 8:30, and usually have a light lunch around 11:30.  Some days when I'm feeling a little peckish, I'll do GF pancakes or a fried egg with soldiers... but not often.

Lunch: DH loves soup and usually his lunch is soup and a sandwich with chips. I tend more to crackers and cheese or a small salad - almost always half an avocado (love avocado).

3:00 P.M:  This  is tea time and we always stop whatever we're doing for Coffee/Tea and a snack. We do our Central Market grocery shopping on Wednesday and tend to get a slice of apple pie or cheesecake to split for that day. Otherwise, it's a cookie or whatever snack is available. 

Supper is generally at 6... and very versatile. DH is making a big pot of red beans and rice today, so we know what the next 2 days' suppers will be. But I usually do some chicken recipe with potatoes and veggies. Salmon for me once a week... love it! But DH and grandson won't eat it, so it's sausage and biscuits with potatoes for them on Salmon night.

I don't do much red meat... do Shepherds pie and cheeseburgers, but little else... occasionally a roast. They do like pork chops and pork roast, so that's always an option.

New recipes are fun too. Recently tried a carrot Souffle... which sounds about as appetizing as carrot cake - but both are good!  My SIL tried it and recommended it to me about a year ago. And I had no way to cook carrots except in a roast with potatoes and onions, so I thought I'd give it a try. It's really good! More like a carrot custard. All of us liked it.

The other foods we eat on a regular basis are nuts, bananas, apples, and bone broth...

Well, I've probably bored you enough with all this food talk. But I'm going to close with a picture of the food we ate at our Anniversary dinner Friday at an Italian restaurant. 

DH had a sausage entree (covered with cheese) that he loved. I had a chicken and veggie entree that I love (pasta was gluten-free)... and we had one slice of bread pudding to share for dessert. 

OK, that's it... no more food talk...

Oh, but I do have to post a pic of this orange milk we recently found at Central Market. The story behind this is that when my grandson (who lives with us) was about 4 or 5, we went to Owens Farm near us and they were giving out samples of Promise Land milk. He loved the orange milk... and for years we tried to find it... with no luck. This past week we found orange milk (not Promise Land) but made at a Farm in Terrill, TX. I bought it and although he is now 23, he still loves it!  Here is a pic:

Have a wonderful Sunday... and thank you for letting me share!

 (by the way, Dark Chocolate and Peanut Butter are my food vices)

Hugs (virtual),

Rian