A wonderful winters day

 I woke up the old board. Some of you might recall.

 This is organization central. It has set idle while I was recovering these last six years.

In years past this has been a vital tool in home making economics.

This tool and the use of it has saved us thousands of dollars.

 I got the gumption to do a menu today.

This is the first day in years that I have really been so active with food prep.

Years ago it was a weekly planner as it will now become again.

 

 Most restaurants have whats called a sue chief, the one who dices, cubes and such. Readying the ingredients for the dishes. Here as my own, I diced the onion, celery for the soup. Setting aside a measure for a curry for next week and some salad fixins.

 This big pot first was used to boil pasta, the pasta water was poured into the soapy sink water to soak pans. Reuse. Reduce and recycle is a motto I adored long before it was popular.

 Baked potato, enchilada, roasted root veg.

We have precious few cold days here. So the oven was set to double task.

Heat the house.

 To protect my back the plastic is now on a top shelf. The glass bake ware below.

 I buy good butter by the pound. Dicing up a bit for the week for eggs, or misc pan frying.

 By chopping up all the veggie for the soup into one large container it is all ready at the same time for the soup.

 These things set to cool on a rack.

 By melting butter I make gee, separate the whey and the solids. 

They would burn and add a bitter taste to my soup. 

There are times that the solid is best for flavor but not here.

 remove the whey or the white foam

then only use the oil not the solids

 This will not burn 

There are turorials on this blog for the soup somewhere.

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 Roasted root veggies of carrot, parsnip, sweet potato.

Used butter and nutmeg on them. 

They will be served with the lamb later in the week.

 Here is where you can use up those butter solids and the whey.

 I added water to measure.

 After the cooling the enchiladas packaged into to meals.

 Buying organic bananas letting them ripen well, peal and store them in a zip bag in the freezer for breakfast protein smoothies

 My lamb will be baked with curry, I ran out and will make some more. 

Years back when I researched curries I made note of it on my re-purposed jar.

I'll set this a side for another day.

Stevie Nicks Landslide Lyrics

Climb a mountain step by step.

Yesterday I climbed a mountain and I turned around.
I made it about a 1/4 of the way. Steep at parts but I did it.
I heard a comment from a friend that said" I am not a vessel as much as I am trying to be in cooperation with Gods will in my life."

I started IVIG in 2010 but was ill for at least three years before deteriorating. I do not even look like myself. I look like my mother when she was still with us. Strange to see my dear body so heavy. I just keep going, just keep fighting back. It is so amazing three weeks ago I was in a wheel chair. The hike was hard only in my calves very painful. My breathing was great! The tests last week showed 110% capacity! Even with still having the low IgA that protects my lungs I could climb. No pain in my low back either! Some fatigue today not much though. It was so peaceful out in nature.
This has been a long road to recovery.

Kathy and Dr Nemeh

My husband took me to Cleveland Oh this last weekend. The treatment was unconventional medicine with a heaping teaspoon of faith and hope, but mostly LOVE. Dr Nemeh used red Lazar and green Lazar along with a form of acupuncture along the meridian lines. Used also was a type of low frequency magnetic. This with prayer. Love seems to be the factor in all of  those healed he believes. It is the connection to the God of love through His Son Jesus. I do not claim to understand all things. It was not just basic mind over mater here. I have been pain free in my low spine since our second visit. It took over two hours a visit but his attitude and serine way was so refreshing.
During the first treatment it was like the pain was gathered into balls here and there. Then that night the ligaments and muscles moved. The next day the treatment went as was the day before but at this moment in time when I was distracted with fear he changed my focus with a word spoken and at that instant my back changed from a hard mass of bones to putty. I was in a sitting position and he let me down flat on my back. NO pain. My husband was so concerned I might scream out for this was not a position I have held in years.
Now I am pain free in my low spine. Other spots hurt here and there but not my low spine. Even after a long flight home in a sardine can of a jet plane.
At that instant of change in my spine the best way I can describe what I felt was ....the absence of fear. The next step for me would have been spine surgery for stenosis with nerve involvement that was effecting my ability to walk and to have continence.

Miracles still happen. 

Love God Psalm 91...he has loved me

In the Arms of an Angel with lyrics

Remembering days of yor and update.

I see it has almost been a full year ago I last visited this blog. I think that the long absence was a time of letting go and healing the loss of all that I used to do and be. Last week my dear friend and nurse Ashley asked if I would share my knowledge of homemaking with her.
A large part of my life was spent homemaking intentionally. It was a time of great strength and vigor. Those years set aside for a time are now beginning to speak to my soul. My strength is improving now. I have IVIG every three weeks. With the exception of joint and spine issues I am keeping healthy. Recently daily meals and food prep is coming back on line for my family. I push a little harder to keep us all fed and on a budget.
My spirit was crushed and broken those years after my knee replacement. The time in the nursing home really stole my light.
It is my hope to fan my flame and begin to burn brighter.
The teens are home for summer and with the many friends they have meals are a real challenge to keep up on.

 Now the peers drive and have boyfriends

 Becca is going to be 18 soon, she and her boyfriend enjoyed doing puzzles, an inexpensive date.

 We love our Willy boy, he is now completely blind.

 Livy our yellow lab helps Willy around the house.

 Becca is going steady with Andrew.

They spend as much time together as they can. 

He works full time as a Medical Assistant with hopes toward Medical school.

 Dan turned 14 this spring. 

He is very tall now and is loving the summer times with the sleeping late.

 Livy and Willy like to tug on bones.

 We made it up to the mountains this spring but just for the one day.

I showed Becca what I mean by watching the trees dance.

We had to come home because I fell ill.

That is so our limitations these last few years. However I keep plugging along. My great big news is a new car. The other one was not in the best of working order and a bit too painful to get in and out of. The windows did not work either. For the first time in 34 years of marriage we have a car payment. I tried to post an image but can not get it sized right.

My strength is limited so I am trying to be diligent to do what I am able to do.