~~It's Friday!~~

(trying to grow a pineapple plant for the patio)

Outside my window...  It's cloudy today.  It's also sprinkling a little bit.  I've heard the rumor that its supposed to rain all weekend.  We'll see!  We need the rain.  Makes me crave chili. . .or soup. . .or sourdough bread . . .

I am thinking...I'm thinking where has time gone?  It's December tomorrow.  How do you get in the mood for Christmas in southern California?  There are a few cut your own tree places around here.  they grow Monterrey Pines.  I may also be talked into a large Rosemary tree this year and then we can replant it in our new yard beds.

(Monterrey Pine)

 
(Rosemary Tree)

I am thankful...  Thankful for prayer! 

1 Thessalonians 5:17
"Pray without ceasing!"


 

In the kitchen...Breakfast for dinner.  Turkey bacon, waffles, eggs and hash browns.  Tomorrow, turkey chili with beans and baked potato.

This is what we did for lunch today. . .
 







I am wearing...bright lime top, bright fall colored skirt. 
Newly painted red toes. . .ready for Christmas.
 

I am creating...No creating going on right now.  I finished a long procrastinated project recently.  I want to get some Christmas things out but may wait until after our church finishes it's Christmas program December 12th.

 



I am going...We are headed out to church tonight to practice for the program, then again tomorrow and again Sunday night and Wednesday and next Friday and Saturday too!  I am helping Tonya buy a party dress for a Army Christmas party.  (I'll be sure to post pictures!)

I am praying...Praying for the desires of my heart.  Praying for my children.  Praying for my husband.  Praying for wisdom.  Praying for my friends.  Praying for my health.

I am reading/watching... I am reading Daughters of the Promise series by Beth Wiseman.  Just entertaining reading for sure.  It reads like an Amish Harlequin Romance. 

We are watching Christy: Return to Cutter Gap

I am looking forward to...  We are traveling to see my sister @onehappymomma for the New Year!!  We are so excited.  It's my MERRY BIRTHDAY present from my husband.  

From the learning rooms. . .An easy week.  We caught up on a few tests and finished up our work week.  Piano lessons are going splendidly.  he told me last night that he though piano was his 'special gift' from God!  I'll try to see if I can get his last recital video to post on xanga.  If you follow me on facebook, it's there too!

Around the house...We've been having lots of company in the past few weeks.  My house is fairly clean, just a bit of dust.  We had two of the single men from church over last night for dinner and Christmas practice.

I am pondering...  I am pondering for sure!  Thank you for praying for me these last few weeks.  I really felt your prayers this last Tuesday when I did my 24 hour blood pressure monitor.  From what I could tell, my BP was under 120/80 most of the time.  It crept up a bit while I was making dinner maybe 135/85.  Even after our evening walk it was 117/77 with a heart rate of  101.  I haven't heard from my Dr. with those results yet.

As for my results from my pelvic ultrasound~  I have a rather large Hemorrhagic Ovarian Cyst 8.6 X 7.5 X 7.9 cm.  They've asked  That I return for a follow up ultrasound in 8 weeks.  Most likely to be able to compare the results and see what the cyst is doing.  I believe I will contact a homeopath and see if there are any other natural supplements I can take to shrink the cyst and help with pain management until then.

Please keep praying for me.  You don't know how much I appreciate the prayers.

A favorite quote for today...
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool
than to speak out and remove all doubt.

Abraham Lincoln

One of my favorite things...You can tell I've been on a diet.  I've been trying to cut salt, eat mainly vegetarian and drinking my organic juice 3 times a day.

I've been craving everything under the sun!  Especially Carne Asada Nacho's.  I've made them once so far and they were even better than at the restaurant!

A few plans for the rest of the week: Practice, Practice, Pracitce!  Maybe yardwork tomorrow if the rain isn't too heavy.

A peek into my week...
Pictures of the yard work we've done.  We'll spread the pile of leaves under the bushes and eventually top it with mulch.






My manly man's Merry Birthday present

 Our 'new' to us craigslist camper!



~~Have a great weekend dear friends!!~~

~It's Tuesday~

Outside my window...  The weather has been so nice.  We are experiencing our fall.  The temperatures range from 65-80 on any given day.  We've even had a day of rain.  It's beautiful.

I am thinking...  I am thinking about how far behind I've gotten in my blog.  But. . .life happens and the blog suffers.  

I am thankful...  I am always thankful for the provision, protection and wisdom of God that he so generously shares with me.  All I have to do is ask.

  Matthew 7:7  
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek,
and ye shall find; knock,
and it shall be opened unto you: 

In the kitchen... Salads and baked potatoes from the kitchen today. I may even get hubby to 'cook' for me

A quiche I made last week for brunch with Tonya and her girls.






I am wearing...  I am not feeling up to par today.  I am still in my nightgown and robe, sitting in my easy chair talking to you all.

I am creating...  A few things have been going on in the creating department recently.  Maybe not the creating that I have wanted to accomplish. . .

I DID make a few wedding gifts last week.  I framed a wedding invitation with a frame I found at the GOODWILL store.  I also made a Christmas basket (the basket was from GOODWILL as well)



I need to decorate #2 son's room with maps.   The windows around the house need cleaning.  I want to go out and attack the front yard with clippers and shovels.

From the learning rooms...  Adjectives and verbs, times tables and lots of writing practice.

I am praying...  Praying for my health, praying for wisdom.  Praying for my newly married nephew and his wife.  Praying for my children Maggie and Aaron while Aaron spends the next four months in Virginia at "A" school to receive his training to be an Electricians Mate.  (She stayed in Mississippi as the school is a bachelor school.)  Praying for far away family.

I am reading/watching... I have a couple books from the library, but they are not worth recommending, just time fillers.  I DO have the new Clive Cussler book, The Kingdom to read.  

We are watching a 'B' television series through netflix called~

 Okovango (The Wild Frontier)

I am looking forward to...  We joined a small Baptist church on Sunday evening.  Our hearts are happy and rejoicing.  It has been a LONG 2 years, without a church family, for us.  This church is an answer to our prayers.  We're looking forward to serving the Lord and having fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ!  

Around the house... The house is presentable.  The laundry pile is not too bad.  The dishes need put away, the toilets need cleaning.

What's been going on...  I had my 'lovely' Dr. appointment on the 31st.  My Dr. thought I was going to have a stroke right there on the exam table.  She wanted to know why my blood pressure was so high.  Had I ever been diagnosed with high blood pressure before?  Etc...
 
Ignoring the fact that I've put off this appointment for over a YEAR.  That I hate going to the Dr.'s.  I told her it was 'white coat' hypertension.  And that it happened before.  She was ready to prescribe me medicine right there.  Without follow up visits, change in diet, change in excersize etc.  So I have an appointment at the hospital on the 27th of Nov. to be fitted with a 24 hour blood pressure monitor.

For the reason I went to her to begin with, was pain revolving around my cycles.  She 'thought' she felt a cyst on my right ovary.  According to her the ONLY way to get rid of those is to go on birth control pills to shrink them and help with the pain.  She doesn't believe in hormone testing.  "Contrary to what Dr. Oz says, hormone testing doesn't work."  she says.  I told her I don't watch Dr. Oz   I have an appointment for an abdominal ultrasound, at the hospital, November 20th.

They drew blood to test my cholesterol levels.  It was just a tad high.

I came home from the Dr. appointment very frustrated at military medicine.   (welcome to OBAMA CARE!)  I am frustrated that they are sooo willing to prescribe drugs rather than treat the problem.  I wasn't offered a referral to see a nutritionist.  I wasn't asked at what doses I was taking my ibuprofen for my abdominal pain.  (Ibuprofen raises blood pressure.)  I wasn't encouraged to excercize regularly.  I wasn't counciled in the correlation to high cholesterol and high blood pressure.  I also wasn't told that blood pressure medication raises your cholesterol levels!
 
(my juicer)

We started walking as a family.  We're doing between 10-15 miles (or more) a week.  I bought a juicer and have been doing a modified juice fast.  I also bought my own blood pressure monitor and have checking my levels frequently at home.  They are all in a good range, go figure!

I tried straight juice for the first few days but ended up with other problems related to not receiving enough fiber.  So I drink juice 3 times a day and have a bowl of oatmeal or fruit in the morning and have baked potato or baked sweet potato and salads for lunch and dinner.
  I've cut out salt.  I've lost almost 10 pounds!

If I don't pass my 24 hour blood pressure test, I will ask for a second opinion and go see a Naturopath.  I feel that 42 years old is too young to go on that type of medication . . . for life.  And at 42, I really don't want to go on birth control pills either. 

Please pray with me that the results from the 24 hour blood pressure monitor will be favorable and that I will finally have answers to my abdominal pain.

 Recently...


A trip to the desert while the temperatures are cooler.

Passing by the Pacific Crest Trail

Waiting on my friends for a beach bonfire.

San Diego sunset.

Fall color in the desert.

  


Good buddies Tim and Sully.

 

A Wedding


Ian and Laura

A few plans for the rest of the week:  I have no firm plans for the rest of the week. 

Not even for sure what we will be doing for Thanksgiving.  I think we will spend Thanksgiving Friday with Tonya and her family.  Doctor appointment next week.

A peek into my days...



A sampling of family pictures.









Have a great week dear friends!!