tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-289608552024-03-05T05:46:50.896-06:00Just Passing ThroughAt the intersection of faith, marriage, health, cats, gardening, and lifeStephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17198404988950927327noreply@blogger.comBlogger380125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28960855.post-46042400081181550612021-08-12T12:51:00.000-05:002021-08-12T12:51:48.404-05:008 Weeks of DDPY<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTmbqVOXhyphenhyphenIXMX5PfHq-Jx-4vT1d1UfekDGIejYPl-0N51jbhdOCu-LV9zmjmIJILVeeweZuL-AVbPOKxsIVafJHkInNNmuXWHsN_ajlMM_r1p20btU-bXlLr1M07jlllx8GvJ/s960/Aug+Update+Side.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTmbqVOXhyphenhyphenIXMX5PfHq-Jx-4vT1d1UfekDGIejYPl-0N51jbhdOCu-LV9zmjmIJILVeeweZuL-AVbPOKxsIVafJHkInNNmuXWHsN_ajlMM_r1p20btU-bXlLr1M07jlllx8GvJ/s320/Aug+Update+Side.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <br />The pictures don't lie! I have been doing DDPY 4-5 times a week and eating clean for 10 weeks now. (These pics are a couple of weeks old) I am down 19.6 pounds! I am wearing the same shirt in each picture, fyi. In 8 weeks, there are noticeable physical changes, but the unseen changes are also huge. I have less pain in my back and hips. My feet don't hurt as much after a very long day at work. I had a knot on the bottom of my left foot. It was extremely painful. After a mixture of massage therapy, rolling on a spiked therapy ball, and stretches in DDPY, the knot is gone. My pants and shirts are looser. I had to tighten my bra! My posture is better. I sleep better. Best of all, after a 2-week trial with NO blood pressure medication and twice daily blood pressure checks, my doctor took my off my blood pressure medicine!!!! I am still monitoring my blood pressure and if it gets high, then I have to go back on my medication. So far, so good, though. All those non-scale victories keep me motivated. <p></p><p>The past two weeks have been tough mentally. I don't know if it's the weather (It's finally gotten HOT here which always gets me down) or what, but I've been slacking on my food and not as committed to working out. I also tweaked my back a little bit and have been taking it a bit easier on my workouts. I've learned I can't be as exuberant about the twisting lunges as I would like to be. I really feel it the next few days. I am also 3 weeks into completing my current level and I think I'm a bit apprehensive about moving on to a more difficult level. Even now in my program, the workouts are increasing in frequency and intensity. I can always edit and change the workouts, so it's not like I HAVE to do it, but I want to challenge myself. So it's time to re-group and re-focus and get back on track!</p><p>Stay tuned to see what happens!!<br /></p><p> </p><p><br /></p>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17198404988950927327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28960855.post-59986441901074266362021-06-29T19:08:00.000-05:002021-06-29T19:08:12.125-05:002020--The Year of the Pandemic and The Plague<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Qca0db43_6_Zwdznfr7gM6tjqh0yUY9dIbmc5u2Iyz4rAvDfzYi3muJEtZaeZtoei1at6iEklYizhqx7sfK_9Qt2jWANuhlzLxz3En_A1-cu3j-t2Qh8Znn_sFV5Eb4Er21E/s960/Horses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Qca0db43_6_Zwdznfr7gM6tjqh0yUY9dIbmc5u2Iyz4rAvDfzYi3muJEtZaeZtoei1at6iEklYizhqx7sfK_9Qt2jWANuhlzLxz3En_A1-cu3j-t2Qh8Znn_sFV5Eb4Er21E/s320/Horses.jpg" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>2020 was definitely an interesting year. While everyone was hoarding toilet paper, paper towels, and wipes, I was driving to work every day. I was deemed an essential frontline worker because I work for a major online supplier. The best thing about working through the beginning of Covid was no traffic! Seriously, my commute was so easy both going to work and coming home. It was great! Many of the safety procedures my employer put into place are still in place today. My employer also offers free on-site Covid testing. Employees can get tested weekly if they want. It's been really nice. Even now with associates getting vaccinated, they continue to offer free testing. </p><p>Also while the BIG pandemic was going on, we were dealing with a pretty severe plague at my house....bedbugs. Never in my life have I experienced bedbugs. I don't even know with 100% certainty how they got into my house, but my best guess is on one of the used books I ordered. That's the only thing I can think of. I initially went to the doctor because I thought I had an allergic reaction to a new medication, but no, it was bug bites. Let me tell you, it was miserable! </p><p>Do you know what is 100% effective on bedbugs and safe for pets? 90% alcohol. Do you know what was almost impossible to find during the pandemic? Alcohol! We used diatomaceous earth (food grade) under our bed and we found some other stuff on Amazon that we sprinkled on our box springs before we encased it, but we finally found a horse ranch that sold the correct kind of alcohol in a 4-pack, gallon size, so the Handsome Husband and I took a little field trip to purchase it. It was actually a very nice drive. It's great to live so close to horse country! The alcohol was the most effective and quickest treatment. </p><p>Additionally, we were washing our bed linens daily and vacuuming in the den and bedroom daily (the most affected areas). The husband also researched online and found out heat kills the little buggers. We started washing the linens weekly, but tossing in the dryer daily. Do you know how annoying it is to completely make your bed daily?? I'm not talking about pulling the sheets and blanket up, I'm talking wash your bed linens and put the whole bed back together type of making your bed. It's a royal pain, but it's what we had to do to keep the bugs at bay. We put encasements on our box springs and mattress. Hubby taped them with packing tape because the bugs cannot climb on slick surfaces. We had to put our shoes in plastic boxes for storage (I actually had bedbugs in my shoes!) and put all our clothes in plastic bags with zippers or in plastic totes. </p><p>I am happy to report that the plague of bedbugs is over! We are bedbug free, but I still keep spray bottles of alcohol in key places just in case. </p><p>On the health journey front, I lost another 2 pounds this past week, so I'm down 14 pounds from my starting weight. <br /></p>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17198404988950927327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28960855.post-79386808847705375292021-06-22T16:31:00.005-05:002021-06-22T16:31:57.112-05:00It's Been Awhile!<p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIapBPm9j4JzDYEn_TtOyYhhaMcSg3ce9JsxlQAVXrPXBrqmhq7sAb2EOssboadbY2jJJIQ1ju2hOIlATara3UZe5ydIGf-xDNneunkm9xRa4vUJYhOIu8g69UP6EAKX-mnKrC/s2048/20170630_130843.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIapBPm9j4JzDYEn_TtOyYhhaMcSg3ce9JsxlQAVXrPXBrqmhq7sAb2EOssboadbY2jJJIQ1ju2hOIlATara3UZe5ydIGf-xDNneunkm9xRa4vUJYhOIu8g69UP6EAKX-mnKrC/s320/20170630_130843.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">The past 18 months have been exceedingly difficult for me and my family. In November, 2019 my dad's health started to fail and he was in and out of the hospital several times with various issues and a skin infection on his shins due to water retention. We had to move him to a long term care facility because we could not adequately care for him on our own and home health wasn't working either. Eventually, Dad passed away on January 3, 2021. I still don't think I've processed it all. He was the best Daddy I could've ever had.He loved us well and he treasured all his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. <br /></span><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAdO_V42tMjBUd4JuYUxitDDbTh0nRCCy1D9diKnooXjtCV_Y6DoI6omXwymFXtugt9XmhYFZT4XG9N47dAsOrkUxfStWfIj3UlSLFp9limFaeKFJlXo1X3L2C4NS7bdmRodTC/s320/Hannah.jpg" /><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">In February of this
year, we had to let our precious Hannah Grace go. One day, she just
stopped eating. Not totally uncommon for her, but she didn't want to eat
the next day either. Off to the vet where they did tests and x-rays.
Her kidneys looked good, but the x-ray showed something in her abdomen.
We ended up taking her to the emergency vet where they did a barium
x-ray and ultrasound. She was diagnosed with intestinal lymphoma and had
many growths on her spleen which were already producing fluid in her
abdominal cavity. Mark and I made the very difficult, but most loving
decision we could've made. Hannah was only about 6 months old when she came to live with us and we were fortunate to have her for almost 16 years. </span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">After the stress and chaos of 2020 (I worked during the pandemic and closures) along with these 2 losses, I realized that I needed to take better care of myself because I'm not getting any younger and I want to be able to go on mission trips and do volunteer work for God as I get older. That will be difficult to do if I don't lose weight and get my own health under control! I talked to a friend of mine who's lost over 50 pounds, but the program she was on was going to cost me $385 a month for food. I'm not a big fan of pre-packaged and processed foods to begin with, not to mention that my budget cannot handle $385 a month. That's like our whole food budget for the month!</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQZ64OukLygSnL3HTQBGlBRPzyxBaeEMgE2qnfCHxS5TjItiIRs4hF1pX-1tsN2JNTnunL-eG3H2xdocLRXlr2VvzgSG4edi5hRJ7NDMBVg27P_vEWgmHI2wiMyQ9DO4teq3aq/s857/DDPY+logo.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="857" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQZ64OukLygSnL3HTQBGlBRPzyxBaeEMgE2qnfCHxS5TjItiIRs4hF1pX-1tsN2JNTnunL-eG3H2xdocLRXlr2VvzgSG4edi5hRJ7NDMBVg27P_vEWgmHI2wiMyQ9DO4teq3aq/w298-h150/DDPY+logo.jpeg" width="298" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sometime within the last year or so, I ran across <a href="https://ddpyoga.com/" target="_blank">DDP Yoga</a>, which is not traditional yoga. It's a combination of yoga, fitness, dynamic resistance, and calisthenics. It was developed by former wrestling champion Diamond Dallas Page (DDP) and is for anyone at any stage of health. There's a series with stretches and exercises done in bed for people who have mobility issues all the way to those who are in excellent condition and want a challenge. Check out the website and read all the inspirational success stories. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">Four weeks ago, I downloaded the app and began my fitness journey. For the first week, I fiddled around with various levels of workouts and finally decided to start with the chair to standing series because while I am very mobile and am on my feet A LOT, my core strength isn't the best and I was very wobbly on many of the stretches and poses. I am so glad I backed down to this level because it's allowed me to gain confidence and some mobility. Yay!<br /><br />So in the first 3 weeks, this is what I've accomplished:</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">--Down 10 pounds </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">--Changed my diet and eliminated gluten and sweets <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">--Pain and swelling in my hands is gone</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">--Mobility and flexibility has increased</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">--Chronic back pain and hip pain has lessened</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">--More energy</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">--I feel better </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">I do a Bed Flex workout in the morning before I go to work to wake up and work out tightness in my muscles and then 3 or 4 days a week, I do a regular workout video. My first goal is to lose 50 pounds, but ultimately I want to lose 150 pounds over the next couple of years. I'll be posting about my journey, so stay tuned!</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17198404988950927327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28960855.post-12635463161353224142017-11-19T18:25:00.000-06:002017-11-19T18:33:33.806-06:00It's a Wrap!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4DDNQ2KIXtS4_IY0uYLwz_BaGuzpAmlu3XMk-_DR5T83sA02Qky9yF_9qjdFmmyDjtfNBzCq9sG2nK7tTpI6HuT-m3-y9mqKEgj_r0bdsBxuH2ojdx8yFzqaEAMeJ1D2ru2C_/s1600/WorthIt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4DDNQ2KIXtS4_IY0uYLwz_BaGuzpAmlu3XMk-_DR5T83sA02Qky9yF_9qjdFmmyDjtfNBzCq9sG2nK7tTpI6HuT-m3-y9mqKEgj_r0bdsBxuH2ojdx8yFzqaEAMeJ1D2ru2C_/s320/WorthIt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Today was the final collection day for OCC boxes for my church. We collected 176 boxes! I am so very excited! Last year, we collected 116 boxes, so this is a big jump for us. Next year, the goal is to collect even more boxes so that more children can come to know Jesus and put their faith in Him.<br />
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This was the first year to head up this ministry and to promote it year round. I think it really helped educate people on the ministry and kept it in people's minds. We also integrated OCC into one night of KidConnect, our vacation Bible school. We collected hygiene items and we ended up with A LOT to share with people who needed hygiene items for their boxes and we were also able to send our excess to the processing center as filler items for boxes who need a bit of extra love.<br />
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I am already thinking ahead to next year and what I can do to facilitate more participation next year. I know that this ministry isn't for everyone, but for those who really buy into it, I want it to be the best it can be. So for now, I pray and organize my thoughts and ideas. Oh! And rest and enjoy the coming holidays.<br />
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Oh wait. I work for the largest online retailer in the world and this is our busiest time of the year. No rest until December 23rd for me.<br />
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This is the truck full of boxes we delivered to the drop off location today! Hubby says we can fit another 20 boxes in, so next year I want it to be FULL! <br />
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<br />Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17198404988950927327noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28960855.post-17034737979772141512017-11-12T15:12:00.002-06:002017-11-12T15:12:32.771-06:00It's Collection Week!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9x6FMmHZ0Dnhe8ppT9RhGEZSrPeVbKqi0nXKYSun16-9RODhLTLFz5DF_BLXqC69Ae91ok4UdBZrjjdBkJ2ovTh547EIc6ygeYxZIxzCcbg-Ec01VZ7kygzD-z-bG4Y8RMP5d/s1600/600x315-ncw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="600" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9x6FMmHZ0Dnhe8ppT9RhGEZSrPeVbKqi0nXKYSun16-9RODhLTLFz5DF_BLXqC69Ae91ok4UdBZrjjdBkJ2ovTh547EIc6ygeYxZIxzCcbg-Ec01VZ7kygzD-z-bG4Y8RMP5d/s320/600x315-ncw.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Now is the time to pack boxes and drop them off at your local church or at a drop-off location! I have been preparing and shopping since this time last year and was so excited to do 10 boxes this year. I packed for the older kids, the 10-14 year old boys and girls. For the past 2 years I've used the Follow Your Box option through the <a href="https://www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/" target="_blank">Operation Christmas Child</a> website. Two years ago, my boxes went to Ecuador. Last year they went to Mexico. I can't wait to see where my boxes go this year.<br />
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Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17198404988950927327noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28960855.post-5720605045621500192017-04-09T23:02:00.000-05:002017-04-09T23:02:48.162-05:00Weeds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDYSP6KHtP1I59ETWkfFuuvczR4Or1GcDIPgpnK4fPKjxcLMtQmzYY9lO8KV5ukZ7a6G5OcKZr97_dA60UJsR8fV1AoowPE1deSIlGok48QqBAvKF9rtRfDzeUaIkAQfTMuf8H/s1600/100_5605.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDYSP6KHtP1I59ETWkfFuuvczR4Or1GcDIPgpnK4fPKjxcLMtQmzYY9lO8KV5ukZ7a6G5OcKZr97_dA60UJsR8fV1AoowPE1deSIlGok48QqBAvKF9rtRfDzeUaIkAQfTMuf8H/s320/100_5605.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is my garden. It's not pretty, is it? How did it get this way? The short answer is neglect. I neglected to clean up the garden last fall before winter set in. I neglected to apply a thick layer of mulch to keep the weeds at bay, or at least reduce the number of weeds to sprout. I didn't get out in late winter/early spring to pull them out while they were young and tender and their tap roots weren't so deep in the ground. It would've been much easier if I had. I just didn't keep up with it. It would've been so much easier. You'd think I would know that by now. After all, this is not my first rodeo (or even my second).<br />
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The only real option at this point was to dig them out, making sure to get the tap root so they didn't come back with a vengeance. Some of these were single weeds, but most were clumps. One root, many stalks. I had to dig deep to get the root. It was hard on my back, my legs, my hands. It was dirty. It was itchy, even though I had on gloves. It was sweaty and I'm not a fan of sweat. It was hot work, hard labor. <br />
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Just like these weeds grew up in my garden plot because of neglect, sin grows in my heart and life because of neglect. I don't read my Bible. I don't allow God's words of life to flow in and through my heart and mind. I'm not focusing on God, but on my problems. I'm not choosing to see the best in situations. I'm not getting the rest I need. I become self-focused. I become grumpy. I become unhappy and lose my joy. The things of this world crowd in and crowd God out of my life. <br />
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Then, just like all the hard work I had to put into ridding my garden of these weeds, I have to work even harder to eliminate the weeds out of my heart. It's hard work. It's painful. It's dirty work. When those weeds are dug out, it's not always pretty. Dirt flies. It's tiring. It's sweaty. I don't think I have the strength to finish. New habits have to be developed. I have to learn to say "NO" to the not great choices. (It means eating yogurt rather than a candy bar sometimes!) I have to let go of relationships with people and things. It means I have to limit what I watch, read, and the kind of music I listen to. It's a constant, never-ending process. <br />
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The payoff, though. The payoff makes all the hard work worthwhile. Weeds in the garden rob the soil and plants of vital nutrients and water that the plants need to produce fruit. And so it is in our hearts as well. Weeds rob us of life, joy, and peace. They suck it right out of us. With the weeds cleared out, peace, joy, and grace abound. It's a thing of beauty.<br />
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Because even deep in the thick of the weeds, there are good things growing. As I started clearing the weed patch, I discovered these flower seedlings. Now they can get the sun they need to grow and flourish as well as the nutrients they need to produce beautiful flowers in a few months. <br />
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<br />Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17198404988950927327noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28960855.post-57749882848761012192016-01-01T13:34:00.002-06:002016-01-01T13:34:18.994-06:00Don't Toss Your Christmas Cards!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Each card you received at Christmas or New Year's this year represents one person whose life you have impacted or with whom you have a relationship. It may be a strained or distant relationship, but it's a relationship anyway. Maybe it's family. Maybe you're a friend. Maybe you're a teacher or a student. Maybe you're a co-worker. I even have received cards from my dentist and my massage therapist. Whatever your relationship, you were important enough for them to take the time to send you a card. Rather than tossing the cards out as you're putting away your Christmas decorations, keep them. Keep them with your Bible and choose one a day or one a week or one a month and pray for the sender of that card. Pray for their health, their financial situation, their life choices, their situations. Maybe you don't know what to pray. Pray that God would bless them and show His love to them that day. If you feel like it, after you've prayed for them, you could call them, send them a little note or a text letting them know that they were on your mind and that you hope all is well with them. You never know the effect your prayers might have on their lives. You never know the effect your prayers for them will have on you either.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17198404988950927327noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28960855.post-45964172363873991212015-11-24T10:47:00.000-06:002015-11-24T10:47:35.898-06:00"Come and See..."John 1:35-50<br />
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<span class="text John-1-39" id="en-NIV-26084"><span class="woj">“Come,”</span> he replied, <span class="woj">“and you will see.” John 1:39</span></span><br />
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"Come and see" was the invitation Jesus extended to John the Baptist and his followers that day. It was also the invitation extended to Simon Peter, Philip, and Nathanael. Indeed, it is it the same invitation extended to us all. Just like Jesus and Philip, we are to invite people to "come and see". Come and see the glory of the Lord. Come and see God's goodness. Come and see God at work. Come and see Truth. Come and see life. Come and see contentment in difficult circumstances. Come and see God providing for needs through his people. Come and see mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical healing. Come and see joy. Come and see peace. Come and see love. Come and see lives being changed.<br />
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Come and see...<br />
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...JESUS!<br />
...the Lamb of God<br />
...the Son of God<br />
...the King of Kings<br />
...the Alpha and Omega<br />
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Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17198404988950927327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28960855.post-71660091481025063392015-06-14T12:36:00.000-05:002015-06-14T12:36:05.071-05:00What's Blooming The rains of May have given way to the hot, humid temperatures of June. Seems like we went from cool and cloudy to hot and sunny overnight with no time to prepare. We also went from the feast of excessive rain to absolutely no rain. It's not rained one single drop in my little corner of the world for the past 2 weeks. My plants, garden, and flower beds could use some rain lovin right about now. Nevertheless, my flowers are still going and blooming. Guess they liked the 13" of rain we got in May!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN9VYdLkuYbPeS_b3ItnbI8uHrLFRqQnc0e2lJFS6UGo2u4PWrXYQStruHuJIwuktYeXR2ygGHFgVJypz2HaBX9D6qPlxuPtGW_lVjz78ji1L_4gyA7CVtHIEQqi3pr12IvEKj/s1600/100_2943.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN9VYdLkuYbPeS_b3ItnbI8uHrLFRqQnc0e2lJFS6UGo2u4PWrXYQStruHuJIwuktYeXR2ygGHFgVJypz2HaBX9D6qPlxuPtGW_lVjz78ji1L_4gyA7CVtHIEQqi3pr12IvEKj/s320/100_2943.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Echinacea, Purple & White Coneflowers were so vibrant thanks to all the rain, cooler weather, and clouds.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsMEAdwU-Pvg8f1uldDjNe7e6HP4xbZYkx2pPjPf62-DpcoEz9KfJo48l9WvTFLf5P-yRG8LDRLR_wpz0tY-g5fgev9Hq7q-JwpfE_nNGKFV-EP6HkVCjgAST1WFhAJWYhcfDy/s1600/100_2782.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsMEAdwU-Pvg8f1uldDjNe7e6HP4xbZYkx2pPjPf62-DpcoEz9KfJo48l9WvTFLf5P-yRG8LDRLR_wpz0tY-g5fgev9Hq7q-JwpfE_nNGKFV-EP6HkVCjgAST1WFhAJWYhcfDy/s320/100_2782.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This yellow yarrow came to me through a gardening friend. I think about her every time I look at this plant.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlhZHKTIc_wTlW02-mgXOqwka8u0BqxJ0TTGkMtyon2aUa4f2rYYfpveUAFq_NhsIDe4R_13nlRHVbLCI4LUsQf1Pp0fEDimkA94JJkMVY10wggIE14-Mt2wufb0I7aNsknU46/s1600/100_2944.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlhZHKTIc_wTlW02-mgXOqwka8u0BqxJ0TTGkMtyon2aUa4f2rYYfpveUAFq_NhsIDe4R_13nlRHVbLCI4LUsQf1Pp0fEDimkA94JJkMVY10wggIE14-Mt2wufb0I7aNsknU46/s320/100_2944.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This daylily was the prettiest its been in my garden. Again, thanks to the rain, cooler temps, and cloudy days.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCBGdNk2flvAShop6Kvq-n_m7N516HSkZb38dzraftq7_MLCRg7YNc-Hi9WC1TiL0tOYf4wYvSwvThIKZt5bW3CsG_kAPqkAPJn8bj-k4nDH6DFMCd-QZdr0CX_ifqirqhOo6v/s1600/100_2969.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCBGdNk2flvAShop6Kvq-n_m7N516HSkZb38dzraftq7_MLCRg7YNc-Hi9WC1TiL0tOYf4wYvSwvThIKZt5bW3CsG_kAPqkAPJn8bj-k4nDH6DFMCd-QZdr0CX_ifqirqhOo6v/s320/100_2969.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My all-time favorite daylily, San Antonio Firecracker, pays homage to my hometown.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE9L1G41K8whcqxEnIDqjyiSJarNhrCPd-gQQ_z4BF0Vs_y5tawkDIvT3kGz03dQYcG90yQvWGyekS1gl-mLJiSx76bRZ27JEUvgpgrEPX0YTYV9mUygWo6HrRYi90X0XUeSLl/s1600/100_3164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE9L1G41K8whcqxEnIDqjyiSJarNhrCPd-gQQ_z4BF0Vs_y5tawkDIvT3kGz03dQYcG90yQvWGyekS1gl-mLJiSx76bRZ27JEUvgpgrEPX0YTYV9mUygWo6HrRYi90X0XUeSLl/s320/100_3164.JPG" width="294" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mexican Milkweed, a nectar & larval plant for the Monarch butterfly. I just like the color of the blooms.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXcc_dJ7DApOQttF9ueKEGCeRvrqCrTW7lKT7QMcUArgVeqJNc2xYUS0_AQw2ZPbEmSEM_-vNRXL7r0Eqv2xQ2bPyKXnRB4byFqjBogViYaU2j3CpAdUkJZ9e6rIuNPJNHEGcQ/s1600/100_3165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXcc_dJ7DApOQttF9ueKEGCeRvrqCrTW7lKT7QMcUArgVeqJNc2xYUS0_AQw2ZPbEmSEM_-vNRXL7r0Eqv2xQ2bPyKXnRB4byFqjBogViYaU2j3CpAdUkJZ9e6rIuNPJNHEGcQ/s320/100_3165.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Many years ago, I intentionally planted one of these red salvias in my planter. I've been getting volunteers every year.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpaUhVFTx1rFuci2cvVar56s-IAKqrmoZG-AOIDVlvUKAq6XhYKVsuizUgH7M-YFkVq_XmM_JM1UgYIGK85gBWtZyV_m-hiSOQ__n7aqsCp6vN1Qm30BuCrRjDvQXhO8iqyevM/s1600/100_3173.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpaUhVFTx1rFuci2cvVar56s-IAKqrmoZG-AOIDVlvUKAq6XhYKVsuizUgH7M-YFkVq_XmM_JM1UgYIGK85gBWtZyV_m-hiSOQ__n7aqsCp6vN1Qm30BuCrRjDvQXhO8iqyevM/s320/100_3173.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This white Salvia greggii is evergreen and has a long bloom time. It's a native Texas plant and does well in our hot, harsh growing conditions.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xpxKtm_hmMnwtPa50ucXj2Rb7zDgp4qYBjaRvmMYo52dMSz-l2lSlLI5rwjANzTrrMJajPXlSnVwNd-wf1PO2vddU-l_QxH_5O7L6C62F-9w4TDAYz2VLazIsxwKH8M-ifaW/s1600/100_3175.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xpxKtm_hmMnwtPa50ucXj2Rb7zDgp4qYBjaRvmMYo52dMSz-l2lSlLI5rwjANzTrrMJajPXlSnVwNd-wf1PO2vddU-l_QxH_5O7L6C62F-9w4TDAYz2VLazIsxwKH8M-ifaW/s320/100_3175.JPG" width="231" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lanceleaf Loosestrife grows on tall wispy stems. The flowers are very tiny and dainty. It's always a delight when it blooms.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaJ4XBmMwgDWLw9Oou_wITE8LAqQFWMUNZ9nxroueoTfQ_4nBdnKChsHR-TrdkIwqP80Ohg_iL7YPAXvWFgLiTpl0W6ginZBeqkgJTtN_HxDq80qEmhNtjTQzO3gBIRd2qpN4j/s1600/100_3178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaJ4XBmMwgDWLw9Oou_wITE8LAqQFWMUNZ9nxroueoTfQ_4nBdnKChsHR-TrdkIwqP80Ohg_iL7YPAXvWFgLiTpl0W6ginZBeqkgJTtN_HxDq80qEmhNtjTQzO3gBIRd2qpN4j/s320/100_3178.JPG" width="242" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I received some Roughleaf Sunflowers from a gardening friend last spring. The plants didn't get very tall, but the did bloom. I sprinkled seeds around my garden and they germinated and have bloomed. These are easily 4 feet tall, but I love the pretty flowers.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRK3WKNxIQ5oclFttRHVhA8m2hd73ywmZ6BjtC_bO87xa67wcTYjjgDdpC9LoBpnZ9LB3oazQ6qnft7XXCv8EMZdBBw4hvL0G5E8H5OMStCzGtnW7n7_00ODoxMaHeZXoeGghj/s1600/100_3183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRK3WKNxIQ5oclFttRHVhA8m2hd73ywmZ6BjtC_bO87xa67wcTYjjgDdpC9LoBpnZ9LB3oazQ6qnft7XXCv8EMZdBBw4hvL0G5E8H5OMStCzGtnW7n7_00ODoxMaHeZXoeGghj/s320/100_3183.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These pretty yellow daylilies were in a box of daylilies I picked up at Sam's about 10 years ago. I knew nothing of growing daylilies, but that didn't matter to these guys. They have been blooming along my garage driveway faithfully every spring.</td></tr>
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<br />Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17198404988950927327noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28960855.post-82005463043012987032015-05-18T11:09:00.000-05:002015-05-18T11:09:57.478-05:00Welcome to My GardenWon't you please come and join me on a stroll through my garden? It's a bit wet due to all the recent rains we've received, so please be sure you're wearing your water shoes. :)<br />
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We've got lots of tomatoes, garlic, tomatillos, cucumbers, cantaloupe, watermelon, peas, okra, and green beans planted. <br />
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The peas this year are easily 5-6 feet tall. I love the d<span id="goog_35640096"></span><span id="goog_35640097"></span>ainty flowers. It's fun to watch the pods swell with the tasty little peas inside. This year, we're growing Alaska peas, an early variety. In the fall, I'll plant Wando peas.<br />
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If you pick the blackberries, be careful. They're very thorny, but oh, so tasty! These are Kiowa blackberries and they do very well here in North Central Texas.<br />
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Hubby was going to yank out the grapes this year because they haven't been very productive in years past. We have grapes coming out our ears this year and the vines are taking over the back portion of the yard. Can you say, "You should've trellised them earlier??"<br />
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<br />The green beans (pole beans) are filling in and the runners have reached the top of the cattle panel. We should start seeing blooms soon with bean pods to follow. These are Blue Lake Pole beans. <br />
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Tomatoes...These are Super Sioux tomatoes. First year in our garden and they have been very prolific. I like how they grow in a cluster of 5-7 and aren't huge. I foresee many salads in my future.<br />
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These are Marmande tomatoes. They are a rare heirloom variety from Italy. They produce a flattened small to medium sized tomato which is perfect for just one person, or two, if you want to share.<br />
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The garden wouldn't be complete without these little Large Red Cherry tomatoes. They are the perfect size for munching and in salads. They make a pretty cluster, too.<br />
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These cucumbers were grown from seeds I saved last year. It was my first attempt at saving cucumber seeds, but it was so easy. I'll do it again this year. This variety is called "Muncher" and they are so sweet and pretty much burpless. They make pretty good pickles, too.<br />
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I thinned out these Pike cantaloupe seedlings yesterday to allow circulation and better growth. You can see they are kind of yellowing. That's due to all the rain, clouds, and cooler than normal temps we've had the past month. Cantaloupes (as well as watermelon and okra) like it warm and a bit on the dry side.<br />
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Thank you for joining me today. I hope your shoes didn't get too wet. Next time, we'll tour my flower beds and see what's blooming. For now, here's a little sneak peek. <br />
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<br />Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17198404988950927327noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28960855.post-79196414328995371052015-04-27T16:32:00.000-05:002015-04-27T16:32:27.581-05:00Meow Monday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hannah </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tumbles</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daisy</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emmie</td></tr>
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Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17198404988950927327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28960855.post-74632724775947725412015-04-22T08:00:00.000-05:002015-04-22T08:00:00.866-05:00Homemade Coconut Lime Lip Balm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been struggling with dry, chapped lips more than normal lately. Hypothyroidism causes dry everything...skin, hair, lips, eyes. You name it, it will be affected by thyroid problems *Sigh* <br />
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I have been using <a href="http://www.aveda.com/product/5336/16543/Makeup/Lips/Lip-Saver/index.tmpl" target="_blank">Aveda Lip Saver </a>for many, many years, but it's gone up to $8.50 a tube, which is just about too rich for my pocketbook, so I started cruising the internet for a homemade lip balm that uses few ingredients, doesn't make a bizzillion tubes all at once, and is relatively inexpensive and easy to do. Believe you me, I found TONS and many are pinned to my Pinterest page. However, I found <a href="http://www.freshpickedbeauty.com/2013/01/coconut-lime-lip-balm.html" target="_blank">this recipe by Fresh Picked Beauty</a> that made one single tube and was easy to make! I had all the ingredients on hand, so I gave it a go. <br />
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I loved it!! <br />
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I loved it so much that I put it in my pocket and took it to work to make sure that it stood up to 10+ hours in my pocket without melting or becoming too soft. It did great! <br />
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Since I normally keep one tube of lip balm at work, one tube in my purse, and one tube at home, I decided to up the single tube recipe to make enough to cover those 3 bases plus extras to have on hand or to share with friends. I decided to shoot for 10 tubes, so I simply multiplied the base recipe by 10. This recipe makes about a dozen 0.15 oz. tubes.<br />
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<u>Coconut Lime Lip Balm</u> (Makes approximately 12 tubes)<br />
2 T + 1.5 t coconut oil (2.5T coconut oil)<br />
2.5 t grapeseed oil or sweet almond oil (Original recipe called for calendula infused grapeseed oil)<br />
5 t beeswax pastilles (or shredded beeswax)<br />
40 drops Lime essential oil<br />
30 drops Lemon essential oil<br />
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Place coconut oil, grapeseed oil, and beeswax pastilles in a glass measuring cup. Place measuring cup in 1" - 2" of water. Bring water to a slow boil. Stir to mix and stir occasionally until beeswax is melted. Once oils and wax have melted, remove glass measuring cup from water bath. Add essential oils and stir. Pour into tubes and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes. Place caps on top of tubes and then allow to cool completely. <br />
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**You can use a small funnel or pipette to fill tubes. I used <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000VMBF6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">these containers</a> and they worked okay. If I could find some smaller ones, I think they would work even better. <br />
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You can use an egg carton to hold your tubes for filling. Just turn the egg carton upside down and cut slits in the bottom and insert tubes. It's not perfect, but it's cheaper than buying a tube holder and it works well.<br />
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If you don't have access to essential oils, I use oils from <a href="http://www.sparknaturals.com/" target="_blank">Spark Naturals</a> and <a href="https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/" target="_blank">Mountain Rose Herbs</a>, but you can easily find essential oils at most health food stores or on Amazon. I also purchased my lip balm tubes from Mountain Rose Herbs. <i>Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with either business, just a satisfied customer.</i>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17198404988950927327noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28960855.post-18882029590262484242015-04-20T10:42:00.000-05:002015-04-20T10:42:01.652-05:00Meow Monday<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emmie</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daisy</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tumbles</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hannah</td></tr>
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Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17198404988950927327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28960855.post-24499702594642496602015-04-13T17:09:00.001-05:002015-04-13T17:09:30.322-05:00Meow Monday: Daisy's Story<br />
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Daisy's story is a story of learning to trust humans and feel safe and secure around them. We adopted Daisy in January, 2012 from a local rescue group. She had been found as a stray in a nearby county and found herself in their high-kill animal shelter. You can read about her coming home and initial adjustment in our home <a href="http://stephanies-stitching-and-musings.blogspot.com/2012_02_01_archive.html" target="_blank">here.</a> It's been 3 years since Daisy entered our lives and she has come so far!<br />
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For the first week, Daisy tried to escape out the windows by pawing and scratching her way out. I have no doubt that she was abandoned in a house and this was how she found freedom. Every morning when I woke up, I'd find the blinds in the bedroom bent. I finally pulled the blinds up about 6" so she could get under them and see out the windows. <br />
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As she graduated to full freedom in the house, we rarely saw her. She'd come to the area near the kitchen for feeding time, then she'd disappear into either the living room or the front bedroom, which was her "safe place". Every time I went looking for her, she'd startle and get the "fight or flight" look in her eyes. She never growled, hissed, or swiped at us, but she'd dart behind the couch or under the bed. If she was sleeping, she'd immediately wake up and pop her head up as if she had to flee. During thunderstorms, she ran and hid under the telephone table, which has a narrow opening.<br />
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Over the months, she gradually started exploring the rest of the house. I remember when she'd eat her breakfast or dinner and immediately head into the darkened living room by herself. She wanted to trust us, but at the same time, she was afraid to trust us too much. She gradually started coming into the den in the evenings with us. Then, she started spending time with us in the kitchen. Finally, she ventured down the hallway to the master bedroom and discovered the great view of the backyard from the bedroom window!<br />
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When I left for work, she'd ignore me when I got home. I think she has some degree of separation anxiety. I would work all week, come home and be ignored for a whole day before she decided to have anything to do with me.<br />
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Fast forward to today. Daisy continues to come out of her shell and trust us more and more. On days that I'm home, she is ON me. Not near me. On me! She loves to snuggle up on my chest and chill out. Sometimes, she jumps up on the back of the couch and snoozes behind me while I watch TV. She still likes to hang out in the front room, but only because she can watch the world outside, not to hide. She eats and stays in the room with us. She doesn't hide during thunderstorms and she sleeps soundly, even when we walk into a room. She is in the kitchen with us constantly, often standing between my legs while I cook or prepare their food. Of course, she's hoping for a handout, but she's still there. She absolutely loves to play with Tumbles and Emie and she's even been seen trying to get Hannah to play. <br />
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Torties are notorious for bonding with one human. I'm happy she's chosen to bond with me. <br />
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<br />Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17198404988950927327noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28960855.post-47469555678527483112015-03-30T19:36:00.001-05:002015-03-30T19:36:06.664-05:00Meow Monday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17198404988950927327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28960855.post-2804965765299404452015-03-23T15:58:00.001-05:002015-03-23T15:58:45.606-05:00Meow Monday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17198404988950927327noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28960855.post-13740907840262620392015-03-16T16:14:00.000-05:002015-03-16T16:14:41.077-05:00Allergy & Sinus Relief<br />
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About a week or so ago, the left side of my head became congested. My ear and my nose. The right side was perfectly fine. Go figure! I wasn't running a fever, but I had a lot of congestion and knew this was a recipe for one humdinger of a sinus infection. Rather than take an antibiotic as I've done for the past many years, I decided to <strike>suffer through it</strike> try a more natural way of curing myself. Also, because I was dealing with the yeast infection from Hades (which I'm still dealing with, by the way), I didn't want to feed the yeast by adding an antibiotic to the mix.<br />
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Neti Pot, essential oil diffuser, and Nasonex to the rescue!<br />
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I used my Neti Pot daily, once in the morning and once in the evening. If you've never used a Neti Pot, I highly recommend it. It looks gross, but it really cleans our your nose like a charm. It also flushes out all the allergens that have gotten lodged in the cilia in your nose. (Cilia = nose hairs) My eye doctor even recommends washing your eyebrows and eyelashes with Johnson's Baby Shampoo each day when you get home from work or doing any work outside to cut down on eye allergy problems. I digress.<br />
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I used my little essential oil diffuser (pictured above) every night when I went to bed. I set it on my nightstand and diffused the following blend in distilled water:<br />
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6 drops Rosemary<br />
2 drops Eucalyptus<br />
2 drops Tea Tree Oil<br />
2 drops Lemon<br />
2 drops Lavender<br />
2 drops Peppermint<br />
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This has a very pleasant, relaxing smell. Diffusing this blend really helped me sleep well. A couple of times I even put this blend in my Neti Pot with a salt packet and used it in my nose. Boy howdy does that clear you out and help you breathe! Eucalyptus and peppermint are excellent decongestants on their own and combined they really pack a punch. Lemon, Lavender, and Peppermint are a great combination for warding off allergies, too, by the way. Two drops of each rubbed into the bottom of your feet twice a day helps decrease allergy symptoms. You can apply them "neat", which means not diluted in a carrier oil. <br />
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After using the Neti Pot, diffuser, and Nasonex trifecta for about 3 days, I was 90% better. I was able to breathe and sleep throughout the night and wasn't blowing my nose non-stop at work during the day. Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17198404988950927327noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28960855.post-74064279984511679882015-03-16T14:38:00.002-05:002015-03-16T14:38:50.968-05:00Meow Monday<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tumbles looking dapper while basking in the sun.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daisy getting ready to supurrvise the restocking of the cat food shelf.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM2ftpHAn5rZPcTx36Ar4mPT4IjUJI3F150PRvtWHW3nqmxvf7iayec3KsBLdN-CTAhdrZI9o0rI9Ab_eoNnwJs0Fm3VF89Q-xAiBET15V_QOY5RU-IUh09FwgMkqvLz-ca_j-/s1600/100_2435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM2ftpHAn5rZPcTx36Ar4mPT4IjUJI3F150PRvtWHW3nqmxvf7iayec3KsBLdN-CTAhdrZI9o0rI9Ab_eoNnwJs0Fm3VF89Q-xAiBET15V_QOY5RU-IUh09FwgMkqvLz-ca_j-/s1600/100_2435.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emmie being, well...Emmie.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hannah</td></tr>
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<br />Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17198404988950927327noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28960855.post-61115123070123819362015-03-09T09:13:00.000-05:002015-03-09T09:13:35.593-05:00Meow Monday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hannah Grace</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tumbles</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daisy Mae</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emmie</td></tr>
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<br />Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17198404988950927327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28960855.post-22460695668967287092015-03-08T14:58:00.002-05:002015-03-08T14:58:52.734-05:00Let's Talk Yeast {Strictly Female Post}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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And I'm not talking about the yeast used in baking bread. I'm talking about the kind that lives in your body and every female has known and hated. The dreaded yeast infection. Crazy thing is not only do I have the regular female yeast infection, I also have a yeast infection on my lips, as in on my face! I had no idea you could get a yeast infection on your lips!! <br />
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About 10 days ago, I felt the beginning itchies of a yeast infection, down there. UGH! I've only ever had one other yeast infection in my entire life, but I knew what it was. Headed to the store to get something to help with the itch. If you've been there, you know the "my privates are on fire and I want to rub them with a bottle brush to relieve the urge to itch" feeling. The ointment helped tame the itch monster some and thank goodness I already had an appointment with my doctor this past Monday to reassess the problem with my lips...on my face. I got fixed up with 2 different medications, Nystatin for my facial lips and Fluconazole pills for the other yeast infection because guess what? They're caused by 2 different strains of candida! Joy!<br />
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Took my first pill Monday, to be repeated 3 days later. By Wednesday, I wasn't any better. My crotch was still on fire, I was uncomfortable, and I was desperate for relief. I mean, I'd have walked around with an ice pack on my lady parts if I could have! After perusing Pinterest, I came across <a href="http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2015/02/natural-remedy-yeast-infections.html" target="_blank">this easy remedy.</a> (Click the linky thing.) And guess what?? I had everything on hand! I made the suppositories and started using them a couple of hours later. OH. MY. G!!! Heavenly relief. God bless that woman for sharing her remedy! I did use these as suppositories for two days, but now I'm just using them like a salve to help control the itching on the exterior portions of my body. Warning, they are messy, but sooooo worth it if you're desperate for relief.<br />
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When I was in my mid-20s, I had my first and only other yeast infection. I went to my OB/GYN, who was as old as the hills (to me). I mean, she had to have been in her 60s. I loved her! She was so down to earth and practical. And she helped out the young girls in the small town who couldn't afford healthcare for their pregnancies. She gave me some invaluable tips for preventing yeast infections which I still use to this day. Obviously, I'd not been following them as religiously as I should've been the past few weeks, though. Yeast thrives in warm, moist environments in your body. <br />
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To help prevent a yeast infection, follow these easy tips. <br />
<ul>
<li><b>Wear cotton panties.</b> I know, granny panties are not the rage, but really whatever you wear should be cotton and not just a cotton insert. Your body needs to breathe. And for the love, please wear undies!</li>
<li><b>Wear loose fitting pants. </b>Again, I know that yoga pants and second skin pants are popular nowadays, but be kind to your body and wear something that breathes. Your lady parts will thank you.</li>
<li><b>Allow yourself to thoroughly dry after bathing.</b> Have a few dedicated (dry) towels on which to sit after you get out of the shower or bath. Spread 'em and sit for a few minutes. Hand towels work great for this.</li>
<li><b>Sleep without undies.</b> For some of you that may seem undoable, but again, it helps keep you dry.</li>
<li><b>Wash up before bedtime.</b> You don't have to take a bath, but you should clean up prior to bed. Also, if you're sexually active, you should clean up after to help prevent an infection.<b> </b></li>
<li><b>Cut the whites...white flour and white sugar.</b> Yeast feeds on sugar. White flour converts to sugar in your body (think carbs), and gives the yeast food to feast on. </li>
<li><b>Cut the refined sugar and processed food.</b> See above comment on the whites.</li>
</ul>
Now if I can just get the infection on my lips cleared up, I'll be set! I'm tired of swollen, red, chapped lips that hurt when I open my mouth too wide. The medication I was prescribed has helped, but I'm thinking of using the suppository recipe and adding some beeswax pellets and making some homemade lip balm. Coconut oil has healing properties. I also most likely have a systemic yeast infection that needs to be addressed. The joys of getting older.<br />
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Now that we've covered that tough topic, head on over to my food blog for my <a href="http://stefskitchen.blogspot.com/2015/03/cold-weather-is-chili-weather.html" target="_blank">Cold Weather Chili Recipe</a>! <br />
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Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17198404988950927327noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28960855.post-9085613277395721202015-03-05T20:31:00.000-06:002015-03-05T20:31:00.411-06:00Snow Day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I went to bed last night, it was very, very windy and sleeting. Sometime during the night, the sleet turned to 4" of snow. Thankfully, the gray skies that we've had for the past two weeks moved out and Mr. Sunshine arrived. Roads were slippery and my commute to work is a 26 mile trek, so I opted to stay home today. It was a nice way to break up my week. <br />
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The big oak tree in our front yard makes pretty shadows on the snow. This was fairly early as the street hasn't been driven on much yet. It soon turned slushy and the sun even dried out parts of the street as the day wore on.<br />
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My Savannah Holly tree always looks nice in the snow. The red berries are nice and bright and provide food for the birds during the cool months. This tree is also sturdy and tolerates the extremes Texas weather provides.<br />
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The sun and rising temperatures helped melt some of the snow and ice off the holly bush. It was still cold enough to form pretty icicles, though.<br />
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The irises are certainly ready for the snow to melt so they can put on their Spring show. These poor things have taken a beating the past couple of weeks. We've had ice, snow, ice, sleet, and snow all in the last 2 weeks.<br />
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All I can say is I'm ready for Spring!<br />
<br />Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17198404988950927327noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28960855.post-28669691811086258382015-02-23T14:03:00.002-06:002015-02-23T14:43:15.178-06:00Messy Meow Monday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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North Texas is covered in one big sheet of ice. On Sunday, we picked up about 3/4" of rain, which was great. Overnight into Monday morning, we picked up about 1/2" of sleet, which is not so nice. All the roads are frozen solid, even though the Texas Department of Transportation pre-treated the roads with a brine mixture and have been applying sand. Today's temperatures are not expected to get out of the 20s. I know for many of you, this might be considered warm, but for us, this is COLD!! Also, driving on ice is impossible while driving on snow is manageable. Truth be told, I'd rather it had snowed.<br />
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Enough of the "messy" part. Onto the "meow" part. The kitties are taking the cold weather in stride.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emmie's enjoying life on the top of the cat tree...in the path of the heating vent.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daisy wonders what all that white stuff is on the roads.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hannah's snug in her bed.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZXp4l5Zb_9pbAnG-jM81AG-p2S4TONp-izZWzFtxyrXOacDLTN08KbT55TY5HU9ptjcHBdK2HT5K-GM62s9TewDVvAbNuV8RLtuuxLUZHHRrWiLNMoYwoKRFwZJv49q0xPtHa/s1600/100_2258.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZXp4l5Zb_9pbAnG-jM81AG-p2S4TONp-izZWzFtxyrXOacDLTN08KbT55TY5HU9ptjcHBdK2HT5K-GM62s9TewDVvAbNuV8RLtuuxLUZHHRrWiLNMoYwoKRFwZJv49q0xPtHa/s1600/100_2258.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tumbles found the pet bed warmer in the comforter and is snoozing the day away.</td></tr>
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Have a terrific Monday wherever you are! Head on over to my <a href="http://stefskitchen.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">food blog</a> for a new recipe! <br />
<br />Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17198404988950927327noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28960855.post-19186190194322465372015-02-16T08:09:00.000-06:002015-02-16T08:09:04.715-06:00Meow Monday<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9AGk82gYFPhSdHemxkcOqU8G1UjrWLwQuDy4l6yxJoE_nBW2GTFJkNidV0Y8Qgv9ahqBoObhnp-G5Sm56OYRLslt2gjp7_vbYHufAGMjVvcB0Rt8YAA-Ygr-EaDT-hr7XFV9s/s1600/100_1079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9AGk82gYFPhSdHemxkcOqU8G1UjrWLwQuDy4l6yxJoE_nBW2GTFJkNidV0Y8Qgv9ahqBoObhnp-G5Sm56OYRLslt2gjp7_vbYHufAGMjVvcB0Rt8YAA-Ygr-EaDT-hr7XFV9s/s1600/100_1079.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hannah</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tumbles</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daisy</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emmie</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And because he's riding out the rain and cold weather in our sunroom, Mew.</td></tr>
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<br />Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17198404988950927327noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28960855.post-75583710013472175182015-02-12T08:00:00.000-06:002015-02-12T08:00:01.041-06:00There's a New Bug on the Block<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Meet Emmie, the newest bug in our cat clan. Technically, I think a group of cats is called a clowder, but that just sounds weird. We now have the Fab 4 made up of Hannah, Tumbles, Daisy, and now Emmie. Emmie showed up in our yard in early November, 2014. She was starving and almost emaciated. I don't know how long she'd been living in our yard as the day she showed up was the first time I'd seen her. After capturing her, which wasn't difficult considering I was bribing her with baked chicken that she was taking from my hand, we brought her inside and set her up in our spare bedroom. We have a large dog crate that we use for new kitties and post-op kitties, so in she went until we figure out what to do with her. Our initial intent was not to keep her, but to find her a loving home. Who knew that the loving home would be ours?? </div>
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Surprisingly, she was a lovebug, so she'd obviously had some positive human interaction. We looked for her owners to no avail. I contacted a rescue group about fostering her until she was ready for adoption, but that didn't go as planned. Hubby took her to the vet to have her tested for the nasties and to be dewormed. Two weeks later, we'd decided to keep her and started her on her kitten shots. At her final shot appointment in early December when she also got her rabies shot, we set up her spay appointment. After going through a heat cycle with her because she went into heat about 2 or so weeks prior to her spay, that spay date couldn't come soon enough! She's now spayed and microchipped and doing great with the other kitties. She even gets Hannah to play with her sometimes! <br />
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We estimate she was 6-7 months old when she arrived as she already had her adult canines and some tartar build up on her teeth. She's an absolute delight and full of kitten energy! She's definitely brightened up our home. Her favorite activities are running through the house like a crazy kitty and jumping up on the cat tree and then quickly jumping off again, playing with her purple floofy, playing with the kitchen rugs, playing with the sheers on the front window, pestering Tumbles and playing with him, playing with the sheets on the bed, and chattering at the birds outside the window. She loves sunny windowsills and sleeping on her fleece blankie in the warm afternoon sunshine on our bed. She loves to snuggle on my chest in the morning while I'm sitting on the potty, and she loves laying in Mark's lap in the evenings. At night, she likes to snuggle with us on the bed. She's usually on top of me or on top of the pillows I sleep with between my legs (to help my back). Everything's a toy and she's loving life. <br />
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Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17198404988950927327noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28960855.post-31798930476623049282015-02-10T14:02:00.000-06:002015-02-10T14:02:04.076-06:00What to Do? What to Do?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As you can see, I took a break from blogging. There are many reasons, the main one being that I started this blog to showcase my stitching, but I've not picked up my needle or crochet hook in almost a year. Almost 10 months later, I still find myself in a quandry. I'm still not stitching. Still haven't really done any crochet recently. However, I don't want to give up blogging. So, I've decided to just write about life and see what happens. We'll talk about thyroid health, adrenal health, gardening, kitties, LIFE, food, crochet, cross stitching (hopefully one day!) and God, not necessarily in that order.<br />
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One big thing going on in my life right now is my health. I know I've written about his previously, but it's time to get serious about it. I'm tired of feeling tired all the time and I'm tired of feeling like I'm 100 years old when I'm not even 50. I was diagnosed at age 16 with hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) and now, more than 30 years later, I'm starting to see some of the negative side effects of thyroid problems. I'm also of the age where <strike>mentalpause</strike> menopause is setting in and my hormones seem to have disappeared . Since the thyroid controls all the hormones in your body, it's a double whammy for me. Additionally, I have been tentatively been diagnosed with <a href="http://www.sjogrens.org/" target="_blank">Sjogren's Syndrome</a> (by my eye doctor no less!) which is a chronic autoimmune disease in which a person’s white blood cells attack their moisture-producing glands. As a result, I have dry skin, dry eyes, and dry mouth, along with a few other dry places. Thyroid patients suffer from many auto-immune problems since the auto-immune system is controlled by the thyroid. (Go figure!) My life is not all doom and gloom. I have been referred to a new doctor who works with thyroid patients to get them optimal in all levels and get them back on track with life. I should be on a new path to health by the end of March. Yippee skippy!<br />
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If you're one of the millions that suffer from hypothyroidism, I highly suggest checking out the <a href="http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/" target="_blank">Stop the Thyroid Madness</a> page. There's a TON of excellent information on that page. If you're on Facebook, there are several Stop the Thyroid Madness pages and groups. I encourage you to check it out and get serious about getting your thyroid optimal. <br />
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So! There it is in a nutshell. I'm glad to be back and I hope you stay along for the journey.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17198404988950927327noreply@blogger.com1