I feel the need to let everyone know I'm alive. That's a good thing for me to be reminded of as well.
Even though I feel as if I could sleep for a couple days, I am, indeed, alive.
I honestly sometimes don't know how my friends who work and have kids, or who just have multiple kids, even do it! It's busy season for the accountant in our household, and that means I need to be around for any and all repair people/exterminators/other service people who make appointments to come "between 10 and 4". It also means I need to make sure there's food for me to eat here and run all of our errands. Oh, and have clean clothes to wear.
(One of the awful things about cold weather is the amount of dirty clothes that pile up at an astonishing rate due to all the layers required each day. Surely I'm not the only one who notices this?)
And perhaps most sad of all: I will again have to start taking the trash out on garbage day. Anyone who has read this blog for a while should know that trash is the one household chore I hate, and thus I gratefully hand that over to John when he's in town.
Unfortunately, I've also been required to go into work more the last couple weeks.
And on top of the extra hours, my work has been especially packed with crazy this month. I am beginning to feel a bit emotionally and intellectually exhausted.
I want to go to Hawaii.
And we may really be able to do that again after my husband sells the free cell phones he ordered up yesterday based on upgrades he was eligible for. And then earns even more hotel and airline rewards with all his travel the next couple months.
Until a trip becomes reality, I shall dream of sunshine, snorkeling, soft sand, and tropical drinks in a land where I have no trash to take out and no craziness awaiting me when I wake up in the morning.
Aloha!
Monday, January 24, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Next It Will Be Ads for Dentures
We only got two pieces of mail today. One of them was a Mrs. Field's catalogue...which I momentarily thought of keeping because we received a gift box of Mrs. Field's brownies after our miscarriage and it was a decidedly tasty and unique gift.
But, as I don't have anyone to send a gift like this to at the moment, I quickly disposed of the catalogue in the recycling bin to suppress the urge to thumb through the whole thing, which would inevitably lead me to the chocolate stash in the pantry that I am desperately trying to avoid!
You're probably thinking that I have now sunk to new lows in blogging about my mail (or my chocolate stash in the pantry and/or lack of will power) but, wait, the other piece of mail today was what I really wanted to tell you about.
I opened it after glancing at the front to see that it was addressed to us (which it was).
This is perhaps the strangest, most out-of-place and confusing piece of mail I have ever received.
I did a double take, looked for some kind of letter of explanation, then read the address label again to make sure we didn't get a neighbor's mail.
My husband's name and our address were definitely printed on the front.
No letter of explanation, but on our table now sits a brochure about an assisted living facility. As if the illnesses of last year haven't already followed me into 2011 and made me feel like an 80-year-old, now it's like someone actually thinks I am 80. Maybe they know how often I've been to see a doctor over the last year, or how many prescriptions I've filled at the pharmacy. I can see how that alone would lead one to believe I am in need of assisted living.
Now that I think about it, I would love someone to assist me in living. If they could just come over and do all our laundry, clean our house, iron some clothes and go grocery shopping for me, I'd be a happy camper.
Heck. I they would even make my doctor's appointments for me, pick up all those prescriptions and make sure I take all my pills at the right times every day.
Oh my. Now I really do sound like I'm 80! I'll sign off here before I start regaling you with tales of all my physical ailments.
Except to say that writing this post and looking at that assisted living brochure has made me more grateful that my illnesses are not fatal and I am strong enough to do my own laundry, cleaning and grocery shopping...whether I like it or not. Thank you, Mayberry Gardens, for reminding me of that.
But, as I don't have anyone to send a gift like this to at the moment, I quickly disposed of the catalogue in the recycling bin to suppress the urge to thumb through the whole thing, which would inevitably lead me to the chocolate stash in the pantry that I am desperately trying to avoid!
You're probably thinking that I have now sunk to new lows in blogging about my mail (or my chocolate stash in the pantry and/or lack of will power) but, wait, the other piece of mail today was what I really wanted to tell you about.
I opened it after glancing at the front to see that it was addressed to us (which it was).
This is perhaps the strangest, most out-of-place and confusing piece of mail I have ever received.
I did a double take, looked for some kind of letter of explanation, then read the address label again to make sure we didn't get a neighbor's mail.
My husband's name and our address were definitely printed on the front.
No letter of explanation, but on our table now sits a brochure about an assisted living facility. As if the illnesses of last year haven't already followed me into 2011 and made me feel like an 80-year-old, now it's like someone actually thinks I am 80. Maybe they know how often I've been to see a doctor over the last year, or how many prescriptions I've filled at the pharmacy. I can see how that alone would lead one to believe I am in need of assisted living.
Now that I think about it, I would love someone to assist me in living. If they could just come over and do all our laundry, clean our house, iron some clothes and go grocery shopping for me, I'd be a happy camper.
Heck. I they would even make my doctor's appointments for me, pick up all those prescriptions and make sure I take all my pills at the right times every day.
Oh my. Now I really do sound like I'm 80! I'll sign off here before I start regaling you with tales of all my physical ailments.
Except to say that writing this post and looking at that assisted living brochure has made me more grateful that my illnesses are not fatal and I am strong enough to do my own laundry, cleaning and grocery shopping...whether I like it or not. Thank you, Mayberry Gardens, for reminding me of that.
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
I'm toying with the idea of going back to a sort of "endometriosis diet" - no red meat, very limited or no dairy, cut out the simple carbs and sugar...maybe not the whole wheat-free thing this time since I didn't notice much of a difference for me and evidence of its connection to endo is more sketchy. I've already given up (and stuck with it!) alcohol and caffeine...except for chocolate.
I'll need to really gear myself up for not having chocolate. I should probably just start with at least cutting back some.
OK, and I had some wine over Christmas...but none since then!
(If you're interested, there's lots of different websites and books that discuss this topic. Basically, dairy and red meat can stimulate prostaglandin production which causes inflammation and pain. Red meat, sugars and caffeine have been linked to estrogen production in the body, thereby throwing off proper hormone balance...and many women with endo already have unbalanced hormones.)
Anyway, regardless of whether your diet is restricted or not, I highly recommend this recipe from Vegetarian Times: Quinoa Stuffed Peppers. I've made some adjustments to the recipe, so what I'm posting here is my version; you can find the original on the Vegetarian Times website.
The first time I made this I did not plan enough time for the whole process. This is a labor-intensive recipe. But I kind of cook as a hobby, so every once in a while I'll have enough time to do something time-consuming...and enjoy it!
I guarantee that if you go to the trouble of cooking this, you will love it!
(Edited to note that I just finished cooking this by parboiling the peppers first, thus cutting down the baking time. It was all much faster, so I put a note at the end of the recipe below.)
I'm rambling for no reason now, so let's just get on with my version of the recipe, shall we?
I'm not sure that sub-par picture really adds anything to this post. You'll just have to take my word that it's delicious.
Alright...the recipe:
Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
Serves 4
Ingredient List
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped (~1/2 cup)
1/4 cup chopped red pepper
1 rib celery, finely chopped (~1/4 cup)
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 Tbs. cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
couple handfuls of spinach, chopped
1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained (LIQUID RESERVED) (use fire-roasted or with green chilies for more spice)
1/2 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
6 Tbs. quinoa (or 1/4 cup + 2 Tbs.)
1 large carrot, grated (3/4 cup)
3/4 cup grated pepper Jack cheese, DIVIDED
2 large green bell peppers, halved lengthwise, innards removed (Use any color pepper you want. If you use red, you don't need to add in the chopped red pepper up there at the top of the ingredient list.)
Directions
1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, chopped red pepper and celery, and cook 5 minutes, or until soft. Add cumin and garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Stir in spinach and drained tomatoes. Cook 5 minutes, or until spinach is wilted and most of the liquid has evaporated.
2. Stir in black beans, quinoa, carrots, and 1 cup of water. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes, or until quinoa is tender (look at your package directions). Stir in 1/2 cup cheese.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour liquid from tomatoes in bottom of baking dish.
4. Fill each bell pepper half with heaping 3/4-cup quinoa mixture, and place in baking dish. Cover with foil, and bake 1 hour. Uncover, and sprinkle each pepper with 1 Tbs. remaining cheese. Bake 15 minutes more, or until tops of stuffed peppers are browned. Let stand 5 minutes. Transfer stuffed peppers to serving plates, and drizzle each with pan juices before serving.
OR (Quicker Version)
While cooking up the first step of the recipe, parboil the bell pepper halves in a pot of boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Remove from water, rinse under cold water and allow to drain. Then reduce covered cooking time to 25 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle each pepper with 1 Tbs. remaining cheese, and bake 5-10 minutes more, or until tops of stuffed peppers are browned. Let stand 5 minutes.
I'll need to really gear myself up for not having chocolate. I should probably just start with at least cutting back some.
OK, and I had some wine over Christmas...but none since then!
(If you're interested, there's lots of different websites and books that discuss this topic. Basically, dairy and red meat can stimulate prostaglandin production which causes inflammation and pain. Red meat, sugars and caffeine have been linked to estrogen production in the body, thereby throwing off proper hormone balance...and many women with endo already have unbalanced hormones.)
Anyway, regardless of whether your diet is restricted or not, I highly recommend this recipe from Vegetarian Times: Quinoa Stuffed Peppers. I've made some adjustments to the recipe, so what I'm posting here is my version; you can find the original on the Vegetarian Times website.
The first time I made this I did not plan enough time for the whole process. This is a labor-intensive recipe. But I kind of cook as a hobby, so every once in a while I'll have enough time to do something time-consuming...and enjoy it!
I guarantee that if you go to the trouble of cooking this, you will love it!
(Edited to note that I just finished cooking this by parboiling the peppers first, thus cutting down the baking time. It was all much faster, so I put a note at the end of the recipe below.)
I'm rambling for no reason now, so let's just get on with my version of the recipe, shall we?
I'm not sure that sub-par picture really adds anything to this post. You'll just have to take my word that it's delicious.
Alright...the recipe:
Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
Serves 4
Ingredient List
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped (~1/2 cup)
1/4 cup chopped red pepper
1 rib celery, finely chopped (~1/4 cup)
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 Tbs. cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
couple handfuls of spinach, chopped
1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained (LIQUID RESERVED) (use fire-roasted or with green chilies for more spice)
1/2 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
6 Tbs. quinoa (or 1/4 cup + 2 Tbs.)
1 large carrot, grated (3/4 cup)
3/4 cup grated pepper Jack cheese, DIVIDED
2 large green bell peppers, halved lengthwise, innards removed (Use any color pepper you want. If you use red, you don't need to add in the chopped red pepper up there at the top of the ingredient list.)
Directions
1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, chopped red pepper and celery, and cook 5 minutes, or until soft. Add cumin and garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Stir in spinach and drained tomatoes. Cook 5 minutes, or until spinach is wilted and most of the liquid has evaporated.
2. Stir in black beans, quinoa, carrots, and 1 cup of water. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes, or until quinoa is tender (look at your package directions). Stir in 1/2 cup cheese.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour liquid from tomatoes in bottom of baking dish.
4. Fill each bell pepper half with heaping 3/4-cup quinoa mixture, and place in baking dish. Cover with foil, and bake 1 hour. Uncover, and sprinkle each pepper with 1 Tbs. remaining cheese. Bake 15 minutes more, or until tops of stuffed peppers are browned. Let stand 5 minutes. Transfer stuffed peppers to serving plates, and drizzle each with pan juices before serving.
OR (Quicker Version)
While cooking up the first step of the recipe, parboil the bell pepper halves in a pot of boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Remove from water, rinse under cold water and allow to drain. Then reduce covered cooking time to 25 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle each pepper with 1 Tbs. remaining cheese, and bake 5-10 minutes more, or until tops of stuffed peppers are browned. Let stand 5 minutes.
Tuesday, January 04, 2011
Choosing My Own Adventure
I'm not sure how many, if any, of you reading this blog are on the infertility journey. I realize this is not a blog about that topic, per se. Just thought I'd throw an immensely helpful website out there in case anyone's interested. Creating a Family is a great place to start on research and obtain resources on both infertility and adoption. I especially enjoy their weekly podcasts (found under "Radio Show" on their site).
I have to give the credit for finding this site to John. He's great at researching and finding helpful stuff like Creating a Family when I'm too worn out and tired of the topic to work very hard at researching.
We make a great team!
(He does the work and I don't have to.)
(Just kidding!)
(I think.)
Another example of John doing the work while I supervise is his last-minute project last night after a long day of work. On the way home he called me and said, "Choose Your Own Adventure: a free movie from Red Box, a programmable thermostat, or other."
Turns out there wasn't really an "other" and I was too tired and busy cooking dinner to think up a third option.
I went with a programmable thermostat, which was bought and installed before we went to bed last night. (Thank you, Aunt Ruth, for our gift card, with which the thermostat was purchased in full!)
Although, after I hung up with my awesome husband I realized I was cooking dinner while subjecting myself to the seven-hour-long season's first episode of "The Bachelor" that I vowed I would never waste my time with again. I had just, in a matter of five minutes, heard about one female contestant who's obsessed with vampires and another who lost her race car-driving first love in a fatal plane crash right before discovering she was pregnant with his child.
Perhaps I should have opted for the free DVD from Red Box! So goes the inevitable ruefulness of Choose Your Own Adventure.
I'd like to think my thermostat choice is providing me with a lasting outcome unequal to an evening of movie-viewing: a warm house when I get out of bed in the morning.
Although, I may also be plagued with the permanent after-effects of last night's "The Bachelor" - mainly a cringing disgust and awe at entertainment in America in the form of "reality" television...and I probably only really saw twenty minutes of it.
No amount of cozy warmth will make me forget that nonsense!
I have to give the credit for finding this site to John. He's great at researching and finding helpful stuff like Creating a Family when I'm too worn out and tired of the topic to work very hard at researching.
We make a great team!
(He does the work and I don't have to.)
(Just kidding!)
(I think.)
Another example of John doing the work while I supervise is his last-minute project last night after a long day of work. On the way home he called me and said, "Choose Your Own Adventure: a free movie from Red Box, a programmable thermostat, or other."
Turns out there wasn't really an "other" and I was too tired and busy cooking dinner to think up a third option.
I went with a programmable thermostat, which was bought and installed before we went to bed last night. (Thank you, Aunt Ruth, for our gift card, with which the thermostat was purchased in full!)
Although, after I hung up with my awesome husband I realized I was cooking dinner while subjecting myself to the seven-hour-long season's first episode of "The Bachelor" that I vowed I would never waste my time with again. I had just, in a matter of five minutes, heard about one female contestant who's obsessed with vampires and another who lost her race car-driving first love in a fatal plane crash right before discovering she was pregnant with his child.
Perhaps I should have opted for the free DVD from Red Box! So goes the inevitable ruefulness of Choose Your Own Adventure.
I'd like to think my thermostat choice is providing me with a lasting outcome unequal to an evening of movie-viewing: a warm house when I get out of bed in the morning.
Although, I may also be plagued with the permanent after-effects of last night's "The Bachelor" - mainly a cringing disgust and awe at entertainment in America in the form of "reality" television...and I probably only really saw twenty minutes of it.
No amount of cozy warmth will make me forget that nonsense!
Sunday, January 02, 2011
Hello 2011
I have been enjoying a refurbished kitchen for a year now after John decided two hours after getting home for his Christmas vacation in 2009 to start kitchen renovations.
Broccoli inexplicably began to appear in my garden in January after utter neglect for months.
In February it snowed. A lot. For Texas anyway.
Strangely, I have no photos to show for March, even though according to blog posts my nephew and sister visited that month. Also, according to blog posts, I spent a good deal of March in sadness and uncertainty about my future - all centered around infertility. Ironically, unbeknownst to anyone, I was also pregnant all during the month of March.
April was a big month. It was probably also the last completely happy month of the year. We took our eighth anniversary trip to San Francisco where I spent the entire week exhausted and nauseous. The last day of that trip I discovered why: I was miraculously pregnant without the aid of fertility drugs or procedures.
In May, our baby died when I miscarried. John canceled his trip to Uganda with a group of accounting students from Baylor.
In June, my wonderful, sweet nephew turned three and we got to spend a fun weekend with him (and his parents! and my parents!).
July brought a much-needed trip to Colorado with John's family. We saw a moose up close and went off-roading in the rental. It was so good to also visit some dear friends in Colorado Springs.
Hawaii in August and September was my favorite vacation ever! It was free, it was relaxing, it was so much fun!
Taking my nephew to the State Fair of Texas in October was a blast! I hope we can do it again this year!
November brought fresh grief again, as I knew the holiday season would. Our baby might have been born around Thanksgiving. I cooked up a "Pumpkin Stuffed With Everything Good." It was good!
That brings us to December. The last half of the month brought great times with my family the week before Christmas and John's family the week after Christmas. And now that all the family gatherings are over, I'm going to have to start cooking again for the first time in two weeks or more! Hope I remember how!
December also made me aware of a need to focus more on the internal, spiritual part of myself - not just by attending church on Sunday or doing Bible study homework...though those things are important. I really want to concentrate on the relationship and communication I have with God. I want to figure out how to be satisfied and content with knowing I have what I need, no matter what the circumstances. I want to live life in the present without worrying about making plans or what might happen in the future.
Those are lofty goals, I know. It would be so much easier to measure if I decided I needed to quit eating all the sugar for goodness sake! Or actually get my behind to the gym three times a week. Or write every day on this blog...which I tend to think might increase readership, but I could be wrong about that! (The sugar thing might actually be a necessary resolution since this holiday season I feel I may be on the cusp of developing diabetes from all the cookies, chocolate, pies, ice cream and, did I say chocolate?)
I began 2010 hoping for fresh starts and new delights. I can't say last year was especially, or even remotely, delightful. I hope 2011 brings more healing to my spirit if not my physical body, and more joy that has nothing to do with circumstances.
"And God will be the stability of your times, a wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is his treasure." (Isaiah 33:6)
Broccoli inexplicably began to appear in my garden in January after utter neglect for months.
In February it snowed. A lot. For Texas anyway.
Strangely, I have no photos to show for March, even though according to blog posts my nephew and sister visited that month. Also, according to blog posts, I spent a good deal of March in sadness and uncertainty about my future - all centered around infertility. Ironically, unbeknownst to anyone, I was also pregnant all during the month of March.
April was a big month. It was probably also the last completely happy month of the year. We took our eighth anniversary trip to San Francisco where I spent the entire week exhausted and nauseous. The last day of that trip I discovered why: I was miraculously pregnant without the aid of fertility drugs or procedures.
In May, our baby died when I miscarried. John canceled his trip to Uganda with a group of accounting students from Baylor.
In June, my wonderful, sweet nephew turned three and we got to spend a fun weekend with him (and his parents! and my parents!).
July brought a much-needed trip to Colorado with John's family. We saw a moose up close and went off-roading in the rental. It was so good to also visit some dear friends in Colorado Springs.
Hawaii in August and September was my favorite vacation ever! It was free, it was relaxing, it was so much fun!
Taking my nephew to the State Fair of Texas in October was a blast! I hope we can do it again this year!
November brought fresh grief again, as I knew the holiday season would. Our baby might have been born around Thanksgiving. I cooked up a "Pumpkin Stuffed With Everything Good." It was good!
That brings us to December. The last half of the month brought great times with my family the week before Christmas and John's family the week after Christmas. And now that all the family gatherings are over, I'm going to have to start cooking again for the first time in two weeks or more! Hope I remember how!
December also made me aware of a need to focus more on the internal, spiritual part of myself - not just by attending church on Sunday or doing Bible study homework...though those things are important. I really want to concentrate on the relationship and communication I have with God. I want to figure out how to be satisfied and content with knowing I have what I need, no matter what the circumstances. I want to live life in the present without worrying about making plans or what might happen in the future.
Those are lofty goals, I know. It would be so much easier to measure if I decided I needed to quit eating all the sugar for goodness sake! Or actually get my behind to the gym three times a week. Or write every day on this blog...which I tend to think might increase readership, but I could be wrong about that! (The sugar thing might actually be a necessary resolution since this holiday season I feel I may be on the cusp of developing diabetes from all the cookies, chocolate, pies, ice cream and, did I say chocolate?)
I began 2010 hoping for fresh starts and new delights. I can't say last year was especially, or even remotely, delightful. I hope 2011 brings more healing to my spirit if not my physical body, and more joy that has nothing to do with circumstances.
"And God will be the stability of your times, a wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is his treasure." (Isaiah 33:6)
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