Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Monday, July 16, 2012
Memories of a Child
I think I'm ready to finish my thoughts about why June 18 is both a happy and sad day for me.
In 2007, my whole world was turned upside-down, never to return to the way it had been, or to the way it should have been. My husband and I, who each had 6 children and then one together, were suddenly without anyone except each other. I don't wish to get into that whole story at this time. I've had many requests for it to be written, but I don't have it in me yet. Someday.
Anyway, in the fall we discovered that God was blessing us with another child. There were a lot of mixed feelings, of course, because we definitely wanted a baby, but it was a scary time to have one.
It was a fairly normal pregnancy for me, and the "due date" came and went, as expected. We planned for an "unassisted" home birth. I had read so many books on pregnancy and childbirth, repeatedly, plus my experience of already having birthed 7 children gave me peace that all would be well. The following is what I wrote on a private forum for my online friends, the morning of June 18, 2008.
I have to say that of all my births, this was the one where I felt the most in-control. I knew I could have the baby completely alone without panicking, but I was so very glad that Mark was there to experience it, as he should have been, since he was there to start the whole thing. ;)
We didn't have a name chosen, so we called him Little Guy. Some of our friends thought he looked like a little frog, so they called him Kermit. He looked just like his brother, Adam, who looks just like his Daddy. I enjoyed and treasured every minute I had with him, and he was very much loved and well-cared-for by both of us.
As the days went on, I did start having a lot of anxiety. I knew we needed to leave, preferably out of state, but there was nowhere to go. Nobody who would take us in. It seems rare for people to be willing to reach out when someone is hurting and in real need and to help, despite any real or imagined risks to themselves. I was alone, with nobody I knew I could trust.
July 16, when our LG wasn't even a month old yet, my nightmare became real.
You cannot imagine how many times since that day that I wish so badly that I had just listened to my gut instinct, packed up the car, and headed somewhere, anywhere, until I found someone to help me. How many times I wish I hadn't been afraid to tell the evil lying kidnappers to go to Hell and defend my precious baby and his right to be with ME to the point of death, if necessary. How many times I've cried myself to sleep.
We only saw him a few short times after that.
We did give him a name, even after we knew we'd never see him again, but I am not posting his name at this time for security purposes. My hope is that someday I will see him again because he is bold enough to search for us, to want to know the truth of why he wasn't raised by his parents. I don't care if any of my children are ever wealthy except in love and with the riches of God's grace, but I do hope that my son, and indeed all my children, will be a seeker and a guardian of Truth.
So now you know why June 18 holds good memories for me, the birth of my Little Guy. But it also holds bad memories because my time with him was so short. Many times I've been told that I'm a strong woman because I'm still alive and sane after having my 8 children taken away from me. But it isn't me, because I am weak and tired and angry, if left to myself. God's strength makes me strong. His love helps me to still have love to give. His peace calms me in the storm. His joy gives me joy and laughter even in the darkness. His promises give me hope for eternity.
In 2007, my whole world was turned upside-down, never to return to the way it had been, or to the way it should have been. My husband and I, who each had 6 children and then one together, were suddenly without anyone except each other. I don't wish to get into that whole story at this time. I've had many requests for it to be written, but I don't have it in me yet. Someday.
Anyway, in the fall we discovered that God was blessing us with another child. There were a lot of mixed feelings, of course, because we definitely wanted a baby, but it was a scary time to have one.
It was a fairly normal pregnancy for me, and the "due date" came and went, as expected. We planned for an "unassisted" home birth. I had read so many books on pregnancy and childbirth, repeatedly, plus my experience of already having birthed 7 children gave me peace that all would be well. The following is what I wrote on a private forum for my online friends, the morning of June 18, 2008.
9:39am
It looks like today's the day for me! Woke up at 9 (it's now 9:40) and had a "crampy" contraction, but felt different. Had another one at 9:06. Went to the bathroom and had some bloody show. So, yup, still having "cramps" every few minutes. Yeah, I know they're not really cramps, but at this stage that's what it feels like. Once things change I'll let you all know! Had to tell you first...well, second, after dh, of course!
We'd planned a quick run to Portland today to pick up more barrels, but looks like I won't be going. Not sure about dh... He buys them, cleans them out, and resells them. One of the few ways we make some money. We've been completely out for a couple weeks and are just now ready to go get more. Figures!
Oh, and the full moon is "officially" today at "universal time" 17:30, which I'm pretty sure is GMT, so in about a half hour. Nope, don't think I'll have baby exactly on the dot for full moon, but this would be my first full moon baby!
10:56am
Well, it might be pretty soon...we'll see. Having contractions every couple of minutes (haven't really timed them). Def. harder now. I have the ottoman to my glider rocker on the seat of the rocker and and a stack of pillows on top of that, then I can lean on it during a ctx. Dh rubs my lower back, which feels good. He's informed his parents that today's the day. Wish we could have been there instead of here, but that's the way life goes sometimes.
Dh has been cleaning our room all morning, vacuuming now.
I'll be back later with more news!
3:54 pm
Hello! New mommy here! Our baby boy was born about 11:50am, just less than 3 hours after I woke up. I mostly labored standing up, leaning against a pile of pillows on my chair, with dh applying pressure to my lower back--that really helped! I didn't have a clock to see, but I'm guessing it was close to 11:40 that I got down on my knees facing the bed. After a ctx, I reached down and I could feel the bag of waters there, so with the next contraction I popped it, then almost immediately I could feel his head coming out. Pretty much one ctx to push his head all the way out, then I just "rested" (hah!) and breathed until the next ctx when his body came out pretty much on it's own. Dh did great, no panicking.
After that I got up on the bed and held and snuggled with baby for a long time. He wasn't interested in nursing, cried a bit, snuffled a lot (but his lungs sound great now), and slept. Time goes quickly! It was over an hour after he was born, and I wasn't feeling the need to push out the placenta, so I handed him off to dad (after having a pan put on the floor) and got down to push it out (breathed it out, more like). It plopped out immediately... doesn't appear to be any problems.
It's 3:50 now, but haven't had my shower yet. I had to be on the phone listening in to a court hearing today about some issues with my children. Now I've had a bowl of chicken noodle soup (leftover from last night), so I'm going to go take that shower!
We don't have good measurements yet, but it looks like he weighs about 9lb 4 oz. Probably 22in long, and his feet are 3.5" long!
9:17pm
LOL I wish I could smell him! My nose is still stuffed up! He went into the shower with me, and I had dh put the new baby lotion on him...coconut oil, olive oil, lavender EO. Dh says he smells like coconut now! But I'm sure the new baby smell is still there. Maybe my nose will un-stuff soon enough for me to enjoy it!
Melie was such a sweetie and brought us dinner, chicken pot pie. We ate it all! No leftovers.
I have to say that of all my births, this was the one where I felt the most in-control. I knew I could have the baby completely alone without panicking, but I was so very glad that Mark was there to experience it, as he should have been, since he was there to start the whole thing. ;)
We didn't have a name chosen, so we called him Little Guy. Some of our friends thought he looked like a little frog, so they called him Kermit. He looked just like his brother, Adam, who looks just like his Daddy. I enjoyed and treasured every minute I had with him, and he was very much loved and well-cared-for by both of us.
As the days went on, I did start having a lot of anxiety. I knew we needed to leave, preferably out of state, but there was nowhere to go. Nobody who would take us in. It seems rare for people to be willing to reach out when someone is hurting and in real need and to help, despite any real or imagined risks to themselves. I was alone, with nobody I knew I could trust.
July 16, when our LG wasn't even a month old yet, my nightmare became real.
You cannot imagine how many times since that day that I wish so badly that I had just listened to my gut instinct, packed up the car, and headed somewhere, anywhere, until I found someone to help me. How many times I wish I hadn't been afraid to tell the evil lying kidnappers to go to Hell and defend my precious baby and his right to be with ME to the point of death, if necessary. How many times I've cried myself to sleep.
We only saw him a few short times after that.
We did give him a name, even after we knew we'd never see him again, but I am not posting his name at this time for security purposes. My hope is that someday I will see him again because he is bold enough to search for us, to want to know the truth of why he wasn't raised by his parents. I don't care if any of my children are ever wealthy except in love and with the riches of God's grace, but I do hope that my son, and indeed all my children, will be a seeker and a guardian of Truth.
So now you know why June 18 holds good memories for me, the birth of my Little Guy. But it also holds bad memories because my time with him was so short. Many times I've been told that I'm a strong woman because I'm still alive and sane after having my 8 children taken away from me. But it isn't me, because I am weak and tired and angry, if left to myself. God's strength makes me strong. His love helps me to still have love to give. His peace calms me in the storm. His joy gives me joy and laughter even in the darkness. His promises give me hope for eternity.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Memories of a Friend
Last night I had a very hard time going to sleep. It was after midnight, which reminded me that it was already the 18th of June. This should be a happy day for me, but it no longer is.
Today is the birthday of my best friend growing up. She is two years older than I. I think we spent more time together in the 5 years we lived next door than we did sleeping, at least in the summer months. We rode our bicycles to the swimming pool nearly every day, stopping back at her dad's grocery store for a snack on the way home. I'm sure he really liked paying for MY treats every day! I'm sure we usually just got a candy bar, but I remember occasionally getting a pint of ice cream.
Even after we moved away when I was 11, we still contrived to see each other regularly. Or as often as we could convince our parents that one of us spending the night wasn't going to cause any of them any extra effort or time. Luckily for us they quite often said, "yes." We wrote letters to each other frequently, especially when she went away to college. I was actually a pretty prolific letter-writer back in those days.
I remember the first time she and I went downtown shopping alone after she got her license. It wasn't "her" town, and she was frustrated at the stupid one-way streets and alleys and missing parking lot entrances, so I convinced her to let me drive. Yup, I didn't have a license yet, but we didn't care. If anything, I was more careful for that reason! That day we also both learned how to pump our own gas. She hadn't done that yet because in Oregon you aren't allowed, and the learning opportunity hadn't come my way yet.
Tammy was one of my bridesmaids. I was one of hers years later. I went in a pouring rainstorm (with broken wipes) 60+ miles to Portland, after arguing with my husband about my "need to go", to the hospital for the birth of her first child.
After my divorce and remarriage we didn't talk as often as I would have liked, but she was one of the first people I called to tell my news of my pregnancy with our first child. She wasn't happy with me. She tried to tell me how wrong I was to be with this man (who I am still with after 7 years, btw). I felt that instead of sharing in my joy, she was condemning me, trying to tell me how I should live my life, that I wasn't being a good Christian. Naturally, women are a bit more emotional during pregnancy, and I told her that I couldn't talk to her anymore, said goodbye (I think?), and hung up on her. I only meant that I couldn't talk to her anymore at that moment, but that was the last conversation we had. I think I cried more that night about the loss of a friend than I had cried about anything in years. My sweet husband's love comforted me and gave me the strength to go on, though.
Her mother died of cancer nearly 4 years ago. Mary had always been like a second mom to me, and it was very sad, especially since I never made it to see her after I knew she was sick. I went to her funeral, awash in deep grief over my own personal tragedy (another story). They had a time for people to get up and share their memories of Mary. I was surrounded by people that I knew, yet I was alone there. I somehow managed to get up in line to speak, and then I somehow managed to choke out a few sentences. I couldn't say all the things that were on my mind, the tears choking out what my turmoiled mind managed to let escape. "Mary loved me. She loved me!" I know I said a few other things, but they are lost now.
There was so much more I wanted to say. I wanted to say that she would never have treated me the way my own mother was. That she would done everything in her power to help me, and not cause me more grief and pain. However much I wanted to use that time, in front of my family and friends, to give a sermon/lecture on how things should have been, I knew that it wasn't the time or place for my problems. I still think they need to hear it, though, but I doubt that it will ever happen.
I wanted to talk to Tammy, her husband, sister, brother...but I don't think I even got a hug. Last year I sent her birthday greetings via private message on facebook, but she didn't respond. I still think of her, though, and I still wish her the best on this day and every day.
Tammy, if you ever read this, know that I still love you, and I miss our friendship. I hope you have a happy family life. You certainly have beautiful children.
There is more to why this day is a mixture of happiness and sorrow, but I have to save that for later. Now is not the time for more tears, and yet I can't help but cry as I sit here.
Today is the birthday of my best friend growing up. She is two years older than I. I think we spent more time together in the 5 years we lived next door than we did sleeping, at least in the summer months. We rode our bicycles to the swimming pool nearly every day, stopping back at her dad's grocery store for a snack on the way home. I'm sure he really liked paying for MY treats every day! I'm sure we usually just got a candy bar, but I remember occasionally getting a pint of ice cream.
Even after we moved away when I was 11, we still contrived to see each other regularly. Or as often as we could convince our parents that one of us spending the night wasn't going to cause any of them any extra effort or time. Luckily for us they quite often said, "yes." We wrote letters to each other frequently, especially when she went away to college. I was actually a pretty prolific letter-writer back in those days.
I remember the first time she and I went downtown shopping alone after she got her license. It wasn't "her" town, and she was frustrated at the stupid one-way streets and alleys and missing parking lot entrances, so I convinced her to let me drive. Yup, I didn't have a license yet, but we didn't care. If anything, I was more careful for that reason! That day we also both learned how to pump our own gas. She hadn't done that yet because in Oregon you aren't allowed, and the learning opportunity hadn't come my way yet.
Tammy was one of my bridesmaids. I was one of hers years later. I went in a pouring rainstorm (with broken wipes) 60+ miles to Portland, after arguing with my husband about my "need to go", to the hospital for the birth of her first child.
After my divorce and remarriage we didn't talk as often as I would have liked, but she was one of the first people I called to tell my news of my pregnancy with our first child. She wasn't happy with me. She tried to tell me how wrong I was to be with this man (who I am still with after 7 years, btw). I felt that instead of sharing in my joy, she was condemning me, trying to tell me how I should live my life, that I wasn't being a good Christian. Naturally, women are a bit more emotional during pregnancy, and I told her that I couldn't talk to her anymore, said goodbye (I think?), and hung up on her. I only meant that I couldn't talk to her anymore at that moment, but that was the last conversation we had. I think I cried more that night about the loss of a friend than I had cried about anything in years. My sweet husband's love comforted me and gave me the strength to go on, though.
Her mother died of cancer nearly 4 years ago. Mary had always been like a second mom to me, and it was very sad, especially since I never made it to see her after I knew she was sick. I went to her funeral, awash in deep grief over my own personal tragedy (another story). They had a time for people to get up and share their memories of Mary. I was surrounded by people that I knew, yet I was alone there. I somehow managed to get up in line to speak, and then I somehow managed to choke out a few sentences. I couldn't say all the things that were on my mind, the tears choking out what my turmoiled mind managed to let escape. "Mary loved me. She loved me!" I know I said a few other things, but they are lost now.
There was so much more I wanted to say. I wanted to say that she would never have treated me the way my own mother was. That she would done everything in her power to help me, and not cause me more grief and pain. However much I wanted to use that time, in front of my family and friends, to give a sermon/lecture on how things should have been, I knew that it wasn't the time or place for my problems. I still think they need to hear it, though, but I doubt that it will ever happen.
I wanted to talk to Tammy, her husband, sister, brother...but I don't think I even got a hug. Last year I sent her birthday greetings via private message on facebook, but she didn't respond. I still think of her, though, and I still wish her the best on this day and every day.
Tammy, if you ever read this, know that I still love you, and I miss our friendship. I hope you have a happy family life. You certainly have beautiful children.
There is more to why this day is a mixture of happiness and sorrow, but I have to save that for later. Now is not the time for more tears, and yet I can't help but cry as I sit here.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Much Better Now
The little bit of herbs and whatnot that I took must have helped, because I never did get really sick. I still cough a bit at times, but only a few times a day. I think there were only 3 nights that I slept propped up, so not too bad!
Only a few short days left of the 60 day challenge, which I miserably failed. At least I'm not any fatter! I think. I'm kind of scared to weigh and measure myself again. :P
We've been milking a couple of goats and cows lately. Not mine, so I don't have to milk them every day, even though I enjoy it. There is SO MUCH milk! And there are more cows due to calve soon! We've been trying to drink/use a lot of milk, but we aren't keeping up very well. I've made yogurt, cottage cheese, eggnog, ice cream, butter and buttermilk, and lots of chocolate milk, and yet the pigs still end up getting what gets too old to use. I've even cooked our oatmeal in milk instead of water! I'd like to learn how to make hard cheeses, so it could be saved long-term, but it's not something I want to tackle on my own. I'd rather be an apprentice :)
We finally got around to painting the living room. Whenever we find some trim, I plan to paint it bright white. Painting the colors made it much friendlier and homey, but also much darker. The couches didn't match, they were actually pretty horrid, so I used some white sheets to brighten up the room a bit and make it all go together a bit better. I'm sure I shall rearrange things at least once a month :)
Only a few short days left of the 60 day challenge, which I miserably failed. At least I'm not any fatter! I think. I'm kind of scared to weigh and measure myself again. :P
We've been milking a couple of goats and cows lately. Not mine, so I don't have to milk them every day, even though I enjoy it. There is SO MUCH milk! And there are more cows due to calve soon! We've been trying to drink/use a lot of milk, but we aren't keeping up very well. I've made yogurt, cottage cheese, eggnog, ice cream, butter and buttermilk, and lots of chocolate milk, and yet the pigs still end up getting what gets too old to use. I've even cooked our oatmeal in milk instead of water! I'd like to learn how to make hard cheeses, so it could be saved long-term, but it's not something I want to tackle on my own. I'd rather be an apprentice :)
We finally got around to painting the living room. Whenever we find some trim, I plan to paint it bright white. Painting the colors made it much friendlier and homey, but also much darker. The couches didn't match, they were actually pretty horrid, so I used some white sheets to brighten up the room a bit and make it all go together a bit better. I'm sure I shall rearrange things at least once a month :)
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Day 40 and Feeling Like Cr*p
Here it is, about 20 days away from the end of the 60-day Challenge. And I'm not doing a darn thing. I fully intended to get busy, but then I ... got busy. And I got sick. So now I don't feel like doing anything.
I seem to have the annual tradition of getting a horrible cold. It starts in my head, where I feel kind of "odd" for a few hours, then the congestion hits, and I start sneezing, coughing, and blowing my nose a lot. And then it gets worse.
Back in 1995, when I was pregnant with my third child, I got really sick. I tend to avoid doctors as much as possible, but when it reached the point where every breath was so painful I wanted to cry, I went in. Turns out I had pneumonia AND pleurisy. Not a fun combination. I am pretty sure that's when this cold thing became an annual beginning-of-summer/change-of-weather tradition. And because of that, it always ends up being a horrible chest cold.
In my experience, this thing always lasts at least 2 weeks and often 3, and I spend several days coughing so much that I think one of my lungs will finally come up my throat. Sometimes I do cough enough to throw up. I go through a LOT of tissues. I start stealing and hoarding all the pillows I can find, so I can try to make myself a recliner in bed with which to sleep propped up. I dose myself with Nyquil so I can actually get some sleep.
I'm now to the stage where the glands in my neck are swollen and painful, and I can feel the congestion settling into my lungs. I'm really hoping this time around I can beat it, but we shall see. I'm trying to take vitamins/herbs/supplements to counteract this nemesis, but I'm also pretty forgetful. Some of the things I have been, or should be taking or using are as follows:
I'm sure there are other things I could be doing, but I can't remember any of them right now. Oh yeah, SLEEP! I should be doing a lot more of that! Like, right now, in fact.
Please add to my list in the comment section. Maybe I'll actually try some of them!
I seem to have the annual tradition of getting a horrible cold. It starts in my head, where I feel kind of "odd" for a few hours, then the congestion hits, and I start sneezing, coughing, and blowing my nose a lot. And then it gets worse.
Back in 1995, when I was pregnant with my third child, I got really sick. I tend to avoid doctors as much as possible, but when it reached the point where every breath was so painful I wanted to cry, I went in. Turns out I had pneumonia AND pleurisy. Not a fun combination. I am pretty sure that's when this cold thing became an annual beginning-of-summer/change-of-weather tradition. And because of that, it always ends up being a horrible chest cold.
In my experience, this thing always lasts at least 2 weeks and often 3, and I spend several days coughing so much that I think one of my lungs will finally come up my throat. Sometimes I do cough enough to throw up. I go through a LOT of tissues. I start stealing and hoarding all the pillows I can find, so I can try to make myself a recliner in bed with which to sleep propped up. I dose myself with Nyquil so I can actually get some sleep.
I'm now to the stage where the glands in my neck are swollen and painful, and I can feel the congestion settling into my lungs. I'm really hoping this time around I can beat it, but we shall see. I'm trying to take vitamins/herbs/supplements to counteract this nemesis, but I'm also pretty forgetful. Some of the things I have been, or should be taking or using are as follows:
- Colloidal silver. You can buy this at many places, but we actually make our own. It's pretty awesome stuff.
- Vitamin C. I was completely out and just bought some more yesterday, so now I have to remember to take megadoses of this wonderful vitamin.
- Immune supporting herb combination capsules. I had a couple different brands of these, but they contain things like echinacea, goldenseal, myrrh, and other stuff that I can't remember right now.
- Herbal teas, made with things like yarrow, mullein, rabbit tobacco, mint, and whatever else I feel like adding to the mix. Most of these are herbs that I wild harvested and dried myself!
- Garlic. Like, a half a head of garlic to a pint of soup. Yum!
- Broth. Good, homemade broth, from whatever animal I've recently eaten; chicken, pheasant, goat. I like to add onion, garlic, and ginger to the broth.
- Congestion rub. Something like Vick's, but without all the nasty petroleum stuff in it. I found a recipe online, and made some myself. My husband said it needed to smell like eucalyptus, though, to be "real", so I added some essential oils to the finished product.
I'm sure there are other things I could be doing, but I can't remember any of them right now. Oh yeah, SLEEP! I should be doing a lot more of that! Like, right now, in fact.
Please add to my list in the comment section. Maybe I'll actually try some of them!
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Day 26, and a Cleanse
How am I doing on the Challenge? Not so well. I haven't been doing my T-Tapp regularly, maybe only a couple times a week. The scales haven't moved. My clothes don't seem to be any less tight. I just haven't been consistent. My own fault, completely. Only a few days left of our small group challenge, but I still have another month of my own personal challenge. There's still time!
A couple weeks ago I got a yeast infection. I can't remember the last time I had one, but it's been a very long time. Back when OTC "remedies" were the only thing I knew to use. This time around I employed the use of garlic, tea tree oil, kefir, cranberry juice, and coconut oil. I have had a mild case of athlete's foot for many years, and it occasionally goes beyond a couple small spots. A few days into this yeast infection I realized that the yuck on my foot was (and had been) worse than normal. Smack me upside the head - the two were connected! Yikes! I guess I figured I had a systemic yeast issue, but since it never really bothered me, I ignored it. I am definitely a sugar addict, which hasn't helped any. It was hard to stay away from sweets even for a day while fighting this thing!
About two years ago I read a great book titled Coconut Cured, by Dr. Bruce Fife. I highly recommend this book. In one of the chapters he writes about various fasts/cleanses/detoxes employing coconut in one form or another. I knew that one day I would have to try the coconut oil detox (you can read that section here), but I kept putting it off for one reason or another.
Well, yesterday I did it. I started the program. My initial intention is to do seven days, so I can kill off the yeast. However I am now wavering on that resolve. I like coconut oil. I have been known on several occasions to simply scoop some out and eat it plain, right off the spoon. This is a little different, though. This is extreme quantities of coconut oil!
I talked my best friend (my wonderful long-suffering husband) into joining me, for at least three days. He reluctantly agreed. He does NOT enjoy coconut oil, so I was grateful for this supportive gesture. I was doing fine, though a bit hungry, mid-day; he was already complaining that he was dying. By bedtime I was joining him with stomach cramps and nausea. After visiting "the facilities" in the middle of the night, I felt much better upon waking.
Neither of us rushed downstairs to have "breakfast" today, and it was almost noon before we had our first dose of oil. I broke down last night and allowed my dear husband to have his oil in chicken broth (homemade) so that is how he got his all day. For mine, I heated the lemonade and let the oil melt in it. I just couldn't bear the thought of eating it off the spoon again.
We have felt tired most of the day, though the lawn did get mowed. Having never done any sort of cleanse, I wasn't really thinking about the not-really-much-fun aspect of it. I know it's good for me, but I'm not enjoying it, that's for sure!
I tried the oil mixed with plain yogurt this afternoon. It probably would have been okay if I had only put 2 Tbl of oil in, instead of 4. Trying to get more in at one sitting isn't necessarily the best way. Tonight I gave in and did the broth for mine as well. Much tastier!
We have one more day, and then I will decide how to proceed. I'm not sure if I have enough coconut oil on hand to make it through the week, at the rate of 10+ Tbl per day. I have an order coming sometime this week, though. I am considering continuing to drink the lemonade and consume a lot of oil, but add foods like broth, yogurt, and scrambled eggs - things like that.
I'm not really sure how we'll manage tomorrow. We have to be back to work in the garden. Will we have enough energy to make it? How will we manage to get the oil in throughout the day? Perhaps we will only work in the morning. I guess we'll figure that out tomorrow.
A couple weeks ago I got a yeast infection. I can't remember the last time I had one, but it's been a very long time. Back when OTC "remedies" were the only thing I knew to use. This time around I employed the use of garlic, tea tree oil, kefir, cranberry juice, and coconut oil. I have had a mild case of athlete's foot for many years, and it occasionally goes beyond a couple small spots. A few days into this yeast infection I realized that the yuck on my foot was (and had been) worse than normal. Smack me upside the head - the two were connected! Yikes! I guess I figured I had a systemic yeast issue, but since it never really bothered me, I ignored it. I am definitely a sugar addict, which hasn't helped any. It was hard to stay away from sweets even for a day while fighting this thing!
About two years ago I read a great book titled Coconut Cured, by Dr. Bruce Fife. I highly recommend this book. In one of the chapters he writes about various fasts/cleanses/detoxes employing coconut in one form or another. I knew that one day I would have to try the coconut oil detox (you can read that section here), but I kept putting it off for one reason or another.
Well, yesterday I did it. I started the program. My initial intention is to do seven days, so I can kill off the yeast. However I am now wavering on that resolve. I like coconut oil. I have been known on several occasions to simply scoop some out and eat it plain, right off the spoon. This is a little different, though. This is extreme quantities of coconut oil!
I talked my best friend (my wonderful long-suffering husband) into joining me, for at least three days. He reluctantly agreed. He does NOT enjoy coconut oil, so I was grateful for this supportive gesture. I was doing fine, though a bit hungry, mid-day; he was already complaining that he was dying. By bedtime I was joining him with stomach cramps and nausea. After visiting "the facilities" in the middle of the night, I felt much better upon waking.
Neither of us rushed downstairs to have "breakfast" today, and it was almost noon before we had our first dose of oil. I broke down last night and allowed my dear husband to have his oil in chicken broth (homemade) so that is how he got his all day. For mine, I heated the lemonade and let the oil melt in it. I just couldn't bear the thought of eating it off the spoon again.
We have felt tired most of the day, though the lawn did get mowed. Having never done any sort of cleanse, I wasn't really thinking about the not-really-much-fun aspect of it. I know it's good for me, but I'm not enjoying it, that's for sure!
I tried the oil mixed with plain yogurt this afternoon. It probably would have been okay if I had only put 2 Tbl of oil in, instead of 4. Trying to get more in at one sitting isn't necessarily the best way. Tonight I gave in and did the broth for mine as well. Much tastier!
We have one more day, and then I will decide how to proceed. I'm not sure if I have enough coconut oil on hand to make it through the week, at the rate of 10+ Tbl per day. I have an order coming sometime this week, though. I am considering continuing to drink the lemonade and consume a lot of oil, but add foods like broth, yogurt, and scrambled eggs - things like that.
I'm not really sure how we'll manage tomorrow. We have to be back to work in the garden. Will we have enough energy to make it? How will we manage to get the oil in throughout the day? Perhaps we will only work in the morning. I guess we'll figure that out tomorrow.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Oh Costco, How I Do Love Thee
One of my dear friends wrote a blog post this morning about Costco. I started replying, but once my husband commented, "What are you doing? Writing a book?" I decided to write my own post. :)
Costco is my most favoritest store on earth :) My first experience was in 1984, when they opened their second store in Portland, Oregon, and until the past couple of years, I have been a steady and faithful member and shopper. It is only because of moving FAR from any C. that keeps me away now.
I remember the first time my sister and I went to do the grocery shopping alone, and when we got to the checkout we said, "Yeah! We can spend $200, too!" That was kind of the family joke about how much my mom always spent. That was probably a fair estimate of how much I spent regularly once I had my own family, but it wasn't weekly.
I usually lived at least an hour away from Costco, so it was usually a once-a-month shopping trip, and we mostly stuck to the basic necessities. But, like you, I know we succumbed frequently to something new or different.
I don't have records anymore of how much I spent there, but I do know that in later years especially, I definitely saved money by shopping there. I had a couple "tricks" that helped me in that area.
First, I made a spreadsheet of all the grocery/household items that I normally keep on hand, and had columns for each store where I would normally shop. I could then "fill in the blank" with the price at each location, either price per container, or per ounce/pound, etc. I carried this master list with me at all times! I could then compare prices at Costco with the regular prices in other stores to know if I was really getting a savings, as well as compare sales prices in the grocery store with C's basic price. To this day I have a really hard time buying things like cheese in a grocery store, because I know it's about twice the price that C has.
My other "trick" was to have a basic shopping list made out, that would cover our usual meals and keep us stocked up on all the stuff I needed on hand to change the menu occasionally. It was for a month, and right before my shopping trip I could see how many whole chickens, bags of potatoes, #10 cans of green beans, olives, mushrooms, and tomatoes I needed, as well as the rest. I had it divided into sections: baking needs (flour, sugar, spices, etc.), freezer, refrigerator, non-food (tp, pt, zip-lock bags, BATTERIES, etc), well, you understand. I could then double check my cupboards for the essentials and make sure I bought them when I needed them, and where I knew I was saving money.
I also could hand out part of my list to the boys and send them to a section of the store with a cart and have them help with shopping. Having extra hands does help :) They knew we'd usually pick at least one thing to buy extra, whether it was something new to try, or an old favorite.
Costco's Food Court was also frequented by our family. We could feed everyone for much less than two of us at a nice restaurant, and everyone liked it. I once tried to estimate how many Costco hot dogs I've eaten in my lifetime. I figured that I ate probably an average of one per month, for 20+ years. I'll let you do the math :)
A few years ago I needed to purchase new glasses. I checked the prices for exams, frames, and lenses at several locations, and even if I included the membership price as part of the cost for my glasses, it was still cheaper to go to Costco.
I have had probably hundreds (if not more) photos printed there, as well, and I don't remember a single complaint. Once I finally joined the digital photo world, I loved that I could upload my photos at home, crop them or add borders or whatnot, and have my order ready at whatever store I would be at next.
The customer service is also wonderful, and I would compare it to that of Fred Meyer (where I worked for several years) and Nordstrom (where I shopped occasionally - from the clearance racks, naturally).
Costco is not only a wonderful place to shop, but it is also a great place to work. No, I was never an official employee of Costco, but I worked at nearly all the stores in Oregon, as well as a couple in Washington, while working for different companies who were Special Event vendors. I got to know some of the employees at a few of the stores, and it was always a pleasure to return a few months later for another Road Show. My favorite stores were Hillsboro (the biggest Costco in the world!), Vancouver, and Clackamas (although, I always had a lot of jewelry stolen there).
If I lived near a Costco, and if I had money to spend :) I would definitely have a membership again.
Oh, and I didn't always spend $200 each time I shopped. On at least one occasion I went in needing bananas and that is the only thing I came out with. A whopping $0.97 spent. I think that must be a record.
Costco is my most favoritest store on earth :) My first experience was in 1984, when they opened their second store in Portland, Oregon, and until the past couple of years, I have been a steady and faithful member and shopper. It is only because of moving FAR from any C. that keeps me away now.
I remember the first time my sister and I went to do the grocery shopping alone, and when we got to the checkout we said, "Yeah! We can spend $200, too!" That was kind of the family joke about how much my mom always spent. That was probably a fair estimate of how much I spent regularly once I had my own family, but it wasn't weekly.
I usually lived at least an hour away from Costco, so it was usually a once-a-month shopping trip, and we mostly stuck to the basic necessities. But, like you, I know we succumbed frequently to something new or different.
I don't have records anymore of how much I spent there, but I do know that in later years especially, I definitely saved money by shopping there. I had a couple "tricks" that helped me in that area.
First, I made a spreadsheet of all the grocery/household items that I normally keep on hand, and had columns for each store where I would normally shop. I could then "fill in the blank" with the price at each location, either price per container, or per ounce/pound, etc. I carried this master list with me at all times! I could then compare prices at Costco with the regular prices in other stores to know if I was really getting a savings, as well as compare sales prices in the grocery store with C's basic price. To this day I have a really hard time buying things like cheese in a grocery store, because I know it's about twice the price that C has.
My other "trick" was to have a basic shopping list made out, that would cover our usual meals and keep us stocked up on all the stuff I needed on hand to change the menu occasionally. It was for a month, and right before my shopping trip I could see how many whole chickens, bags of potatoes, #10 cans of green beans, olives, mushrooms, and tomatoes I needed, as well as the rest. I had it divided into sections: baking needs (flour, sugar, spices, etc.), freezer, refrigerator, non-food (tp, pt, zip-lock bags, BATTERIES, etc), well, you understand. I could then double check my cupboards for the essentials and make sure I bought them when I needed them, and where I knew I was saving money.
I also could hand out part of my list to the boys and send them to a section of the store with a cart and have them help with shopping. Having extra hands does help :) They knew we'd usually pick at least one thing to buy extra, whether it was something new to try, or an old favorite.
Costco's Food Court was also frequented by our family. We could feed everyone for much less than two of us at a nice restaurant, and everyone liked it. I once tried to estimate how many Costco hot dogs I've eaten in my lifetime. I figured that I ate probably an average of one per month, for 20+ years. I'll let you do the math :)
A few years ago I needed to purchase new glasses. I checked the prices for exams, frames, and lenses at several locations, and even if I included the membership price as part of the cost for my glasses, it was still cheaper to go to Costco.
I have had probably hundreds (if not more) photos printed there, as well, and I don't remember a single complaint. Once I finally joined the digital photo world, I loved that I could upload my photos at home, crop them or add borders or whatnot, and have my order ready at whatever store I would be at next.
The customer service is also wonderful, and I would compare it to that of Fred Meyer (where I worked for several years) and Nordstrom (where I shopped occasionally - from the clearance racks, naturally).
Costco is not only a wonderful place to shop, but it is also a great place to work. No, I was never an official employee of Costco, but I worked at nearly all the stores in Oregon, as well as a couple in Washington, while working for different companies who were Special Event vendors. I got to know some of the employees at a few of the stores, and it was always a pleasure to return a few months later for another Road Show. My favorite stores were Hillsboro (the biggest Costco in the world!), Vancouver, and Clackamas (although, I always had a lot of jewelry stolen there).
If I lived near a Costco, and if I had money to spend :) I would definitely have a membership again.
Oh, and I didn't always spend $200 each time I shopped. On at least one occasion I went in needing bananas and that is the only thing I came out with. A whopping $0.97 spent. I think that must be a record.
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