Tuesday, February 27, 2007
One of these days - POW - straight to the moon!
Do you have someone in your life like this? Eh, we all do. My mom sent me this - hopefully not in reference to me today, but on some days....
Monday, February 26, 2007
huh
We have a great group of kids preparing for Confirmation this year. They have their moments of "kidness" but mostly, they are a likeable group. Another member of the parish came in to do their interview last night - to make sure they are sure about being confirmed and that they understand their faith. During her initial discourse, she mentioned three times that her second graders knew all this - and that these kids were not as together as her second graders.
Is there any reason to think that insulting someone will motivate them to want to be a part of your faith? I cannot imagine why she thought this was appropriate behavior.
Why is it that people feel they have some right to be nasty to others just because they can?
Is there any reason to think that insulting someone will motivate them to want to be a part of your faith? I cannot imagine why she thought this was appropriate behavior.
Why is it that people feel they have some right to be nasty to others just because they can?
Friday, February 23, 2007
Good News, Not so good news
1. I found out yesterday that the infection I had was in fact kicking my butt - it turned out to be MRSA - a particularly nasty strain of Staph. Takes about a week and a half to kick it even on the right antibiotics - so I am not dying of cancer - or starting to be depressed - or losing my immune system ( which I so carefully feed with all that green tea and flax seed)- I was just sick. Hm, not too bad. Though I could live without the doxycycline - which makes you sensitive to the sun - since I have already gotten sunburn twice since I have been taking it - hey it is 70 here - a girl can get a little sun when it is that warm.
2. Jacob has been put back on the Adderall that we took him off of last year. I don't like what it does to his appetite - but finally he is back on track at school. Medication change #7 apparently did the trick. Sheesh.
3. My dad is getting radiation now, the tumors around his kidneys are so big that the kidney function is impaired - so they have to shrink the tumors before they can give him chemo - you know to shrink the tumors. Such a very messy thing, this cancer. But every time I talk to him he is in such great spirits - I can hardly believe he is this sick.
4. All the new goatbabies had apparently gotten the memo abotu being February kids - and I only have two does who could potentially still be pregnant. One of which is Harry - the Toggenberg -who has not succumed to George the Buck's charms - at least that I know of. We'll see. As the babies are getting bigger, I am hoping to get more milk and try my hand at making some cheese this weekend. I know, brave right. But when you are pinching pennies - it makes sense to use what you have at hand - speaking of which - we have about a gallon of duck eggs just begging to be dessert for the dogs.
5. Amazing Grace opens this weekend. While it is a Christian film, I guess, it is being sponsored by a group that seeks to abolish slavery. Oddly enough, there was a slavery ring broken up LAST WEEK just 50 miles from my house. Isn't that bizarre? I had always thought it was something that happened other places, in small isolated cases, but not so much - these folks say there are MILLIONS - doesn't that boggle the mind - millions. I'm going to see the film this weekend with the kids - since distribution is usually based on opening weekend ticket sales. I expect to be sad - and outraged - but you never know where your path will lead - maybe there is something more we can do - we'll see.
2. Jacob has been put back on the Adderall that we took him off of last year. I don't like what it does to his appetite - but finally he is back on track at school. Medication change #7 apparently did the trick. Sheesh.
3. My dad is getting radiation now, the tumors around his kidneys are so big that the kidney function is impaired - so they have to shrink the tumors before they can give him chemo - you know to shrink the tumors. Such a very messy thing, this cancer. But every time I talk to him he is in such great spirits - I can hardly believe he is this sick.
4. All the new goatbabies had apparently gotten the memo abotu being February kids - and I only have two does who could potentially still be pregnant. One of which is Harry - the Toggenberg -who has not succumed to George the Buck's charms - at least that I know of. We'll see. As the babies are getting bigger, I am hoping to get more milk and try my hand at making some cheese this weekend. I know, brave right. But when you are pinching pennies - it makes sense to use what you have at hand - speaking of which - we have about a gallon of duck eggs just begging to be dessert for the dogs.
5. Amazing Grace opens this weekend. While it is a Christian film, I guess, it is being sponsored by a group that seeks to abolish slavery. Oddly enough, there was a slavery ring broken up LAST WEEK just 50 miles from my house. Isn't that bizarre? I had always thought it was something that happened other places, in small isolated cases, but not so much - these folks say there are MILLIONS - doesn't that boggle the mind - millions. I'm going to see the film this weekend with the kids - since distribution is usually based on opening weekend ticket sales. I expect to be sad - and outraged - but you never know where your path will lead - maybe there is something more we can do - we'll see.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Math
In these days of filling out and filing tax returns, I am reminded that my father, whose degree in mathematics put food on the table, was never able to make me into much of a checkbook balancer - let alone a financier. Karla has a cute post with some pictures from math homework that looks much like the work of my own dear children. Take a look:
Friday, February 16, 2007
On Being a Woman
I was reading last night, and a very interesting article about changing a relationship without saying a word caught my eye. See, I am a talker, I like to hash things out, come up with some solutions and then have the problem over. A little overly pragmatic at times, but hey, when you are the only parent for years at a time, adaptive coping is SO much more practical. Anyway - I am going to finish the article and sum it up - maybe even post it over the weekend because I have been so impressed with it so far.
My girl Lora wrote an interesting post about how some women treat their significant others - and having had a similar discussion with my own daughter about boundaries and how much is too much, I thought I'd pass this along. Enjoy.
My girl Lora wrote an interesting post about how some women treat their significant others - and having had a similar discussion with my own daughter about boundaries and how much is too much, I thought I'd pass this along. Enjoy.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
must we????
I spend my days teaching people to live healthy - and I need to take my own advice. Note to self: if you run yourself ragged, you will eventually deplete your immune system and GET SICK! Having most of the joints in your body ache is also not a good sign - do something about it.
So once again, today, I am taking a half day at work because I have a stupid temperature and the antibiotics haven't kicked whatever it is out of my body yet. BLECH.
So once again, today, I am taking a half day at work because I have a stupid temperature and the antibiotics haven't kicked whatever it is out of my body yet. BLECH.
Monday, February 12, 2007
congratulations
People say a lot about freedom of speech - and there are times that even though we have the right to say something, we should have the sense to shut our mouths. Last night the Dixie Chicks walked away with 5 Grammys - for an album that is just ecclectic and heartfelt. You can hear maturity and motherhood seeping into their songs, and maybe that is what I like about them. There is only one song I skip - and it is the one they got awards for - if you have a chance, listen to the lullaby song - these girls can sing. And I like the real hair color too!
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Weight loss and Type 2 Diabetes
One of the first things that doctor advises a patient to do when they are diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes is lose weight. I always wondered if the docs didn't think the person standing before them already knew they were overweight. It has always annoyed me. If we knew how to lose weight and keep it off, we would. It is important to understand what has transpired prior to the diagnosis and what is happening now in order to lose weight. Start with one area - medication or exercise or diet adjustment. Do that for a month, then add another area. Otherwise, you set yourself up for failure.
Insulin Resistance: nearly anyone who has that little spare tire or poochy belly has some insulin resistance. Insulin has one primary job: to move the glucose out of your blood stream and into the cells which need it. Any left over glucose is then moved into storage - wrapped in fat and stored as a triglyceride and then deposited on the belly. Insulin resistance is the condition of having extra fat ( which has extra estrogen) that increases the need for insulin. Instead of it taking one unit of insulin to do the job of clearing the glucose, now it takes two, then three and so on. The more fat a person has, the more insulin resistant they are said to be. Metformin, Actos and Avandia work to reduce insulin resistance.
Insulin: Good blood sugar control is imperitive in getting weight off. Insulin's primary job is to keep the blood glucose in check, but it is single-minded. As long as there are insulin molecules in the blood stream, they will keep grapbbing glucose until they all "have one" This phenomenon is why sometimes blood sugars come down too fast, or get to low causing hypoglycemic symptoms. Everytime the blood glucose is above normal range, insulin is secreted in response - and if the cells are full, that extra glucose gets stored as fat. For example, if your blood sugar is 160 after breakfast and then before lunch it is down to 120, that extra 40 points of blood sugar have most likely gone to storage. For many people, getting dietary control will help lower their need for insulin injections. The studies show that overall blood sugars can be reduced by about 30 - 60 points overall by changing the diet. Coming off insulin is only a possibility for people with Type 2 diabetes.
Activity: I mentioned full cells earlier. This is important because we have some control over emptying out the cells to make room for more glucose from the blood stream. The muscle cells burn their sugar when we are active. When the glucose has been burned from those cells, the insulin can easily move the glucose out of your blood stream and into these cells - no resistance, no fat storage. This is why people typically decrease their diabetes medicines while they build muscle and lose weight with activity. Even light activity is better than none at all. The ADA recommends 60 minutes of exercise 7 days a week. That is a pretty lofty goal for most of us. But the rationale is that good glycemic control - having blood sugars in a normal range - is what staves off complications. If you don't routinely exercise, start walking. If that is prohibitive, find something else you can do and get moving.
Diet: Most of us need improvements in three areas: consistancy, quality and quantity. However, it is important to understand why we need to eat. The body is loaded with back up mechanisms. One of these is stored sugar which is kept in the liver and kidneys. If a person skips a meal, or does not take in enough to sustain the body, this emergency sugar is released. It is calle hepato-neoglucogenesis. Since it is an emergency mechanism, like your emergency brake, it is great in a pinch - like if we are stuck snowbound in a car for three days - but not so great on a daily basis. This release of sugar can be seen in people who see a rise in their sugars between when they go to sleep and when they wake up, since this sugar is often released at night as well as at meal times. This can be controlled through diet, but eating consistantly, and also by using Metformin.
Consistancy: in Type 2 diabetes, the pancreas is ticked off, not broken. It tends to work in fits and starts, so part of what we want to do is take some of the workload off by eating consistantly.A person should not go for more than 4 hours without eating something, except of course, overnight. If possible, it is best to break daily intake into 5 or 6 small meals, consisting of 20-40 grams of Carbohydrates at each meal. (it is easier to start on the low side and add, rather than the reverse) This gives the body steady fuel throughout the day and allows the pancreas to react gradually. Do not go without carbohydrates, or with a lower amount without first checking with your doctor. If you cannot do 5-6 meals, then at your three meals, aim for 45 grams each. If you have to have a snack due to increase activity or a late meal, try to keep it around 15 grams.
Blood glucose testing can also give you feedback on how you are doing. If you are having the right amount of carbs at your meals, you should see a difference of less than 30 points between your fasting glucose in the morning and your glucose 2 hours after any meal. If it is more than 30 points, try less carbs at a meal, and moving those carbs to a snack 2-3 hours after the meal.
Quality: If you could hunt it down, grow it on a farm or pick it off a tree it is probably good for you, if not it should not be the crux of your diet ( there is no Macaroni and Cheese tree!) Fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, lean meats and dairy and whole grains. Lay off the processed food and let the quality of the vitamins and nutrients in these foods feed your immune system and heal your body. The fiber is good for your heart, good for your sugars and helps fight cancer - what a deal.
Quantity: People with diabetes are hungry more often because the stomach tends to empty faster - usually in 2 hours. Some people have found that using Byetta or Januvia along with their metformin will significantly decrease these hunger pangs and slow the emptying of the stomach. If you are a quantity eater, fill your plate half full of vegetables - 1 1/2 cups cooked vegetables is about one serving - and that's a lot of broccoli. Have salads, have a glass of water before you eat and for heaven's sake, don't cut out the protien in your diet - it keeps you feeling full longer.
Insulin Resistance: nearly anyone who has that little spare tire or poochy belly has some insulin resistance. Insulin has one primary job: to move the glucose out of your blood stream and into the cells which need it. Any left over glucose is then moved into storage - wrapped in fat and stored as a triglyceride and then deposited on the belly. Insulin resistance is the condition of having extra fat ( which has extra estrogen) that increases the need for insulin. Instead of it taking one unit of insulin to do the job of clearing the glucose, now it takes two, then three and so on. The more fat a person has, the more insulin resistant they are said to be. Metformin, Actos and Avandia work to reduce insulin resistance.
Insulin: Good blood sugar control is imperitive in getting weight off. Insulin's primary job is to keep the blood glucose in check, but it is single-minded. As long as there are insulin molecules in the blood stream, they will keep grapbbing glucose until they all "have one" This phenomenon is why sometimes blood sugars come down too fast, or get to low causing hypoglycemic symptoms. Everytime the blood glucose is above normal range, insulin is secreted in response - and if the cells are full, that extra glucose gets stored as fat. For example, if your blood sugar is 160 after breakfast and then before lunch it is down to 120, that extra 40 points of blood sugar have most likely gone to storage. For many people, getting dietary control will help lower their need for insulin injections. The studies show that overall blood sugars can be reduced by about 30 - 60 points overall by changing the diet. Coming off insulin is only a possibility for people with Type 2 diabetes.
Activity: I mentioned full cells earlier. This is important because we have some control over emptying out the cells to make room for more glucose from the blood stream. The muscle cells burn their sugar when we are active. When the glucose has been burned from those cells, the insulin can easily move the glucose out of your blood stream and into these cells - no resistance, no fat storage. This is why people typically decrease their diabetes medicines while they build muscle and lose weight with activity. Even light activity is better than none at all. The ADA recommends 60 minutes of exercise 7 days a week. That is a pretty lofty goal for most of us. But the rationale is that good glycemic control - having blood sugars in a normal range - is what staves off complications. If you don't routinely exercise, start walking. If that is prohibitive, find something else you can do and get moving.
Diet: Most of us need improvements in three areas: consistancy, quality and quantity. However, it is important to understand why we need to eat. The body is loaded with back up mechanisms. One of these is stored sugar which is kept in the liver and kidneys. If a person skips a meal, or does not take in enough to sustain the body, this emergency sugar is released. It is calle hepato-neoglucogenesis. Since it is an emergency mechanism, like your emergency brake, it is great in a pinch - like if we are stuck snowbound in a car for three days - but not so great on a daily basis. This release of sugar can be seen in people who see a rise in their sugars between when they go to sleep and when they wake up, since this sugar is often released at night as well as at meal times. This can be controlled through diet, but eating consistantly, and also by using Metformin.
Consistancy: in Type 2 diabetes, the pancreas is ticked off, not broken. It tends to work in fits and starts, so part of what we want to do is take some of the workload off by eating consistantly.A person should not go for more than 4 hours without eating something, except of course, overnight. If possible, it is best to break daily intake into 5 or 6 small meals, consisting of 20-40 grams of Carbohydrates at each meal. (it is easier to start on the low side and add, rather than the reverse) This gives the body steady fuel throughout the day and allows the pancreas to react gradually. Do not go without carbohydrates, or with a lower amount without first checking with your doctor. If you cannot do 5-6 meals, then at your three meals, aim for 45 grams each. If you have to have a snack due to increase activity or a late meal, try to keep it around 15 grams.
Blood glucose testing can also give you feedback on how you are doing. If you are having the right amount of carbs at your meals, you should see a difference of less than 30 points between your fasting glucose in the morning and your glucose 2 hours after any meal. If it is more than 30 points, try less carbs at a meal, and moving those carbs to a snack 2-3 hours after the meal.
Quality: If you could hunt it down, grow it on a farm or pick it off a tree it is probably good for you, if not it should not be the crux of your diet ( there is no Macaroni and Cheese tree!) Fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, lean meats and dairy and whole grains. Lay off the processed food and let the quality of the vitamins and nutrients in these foods feed your immune system and heal your body. The fiber is good for your heart, good for your sugars and helps fight cancer - what a deal.
Quantity: People with diabetes are hungry more often because the stomach tends to empty faster - usually in 2 hours. Some people have found that using Byetta or Januvia along with their metformin will significantly decrease these hunger pangs and slow the emptying of the stomach. If you are a quantity eater, fill your plate half full of vegetables - 1 1/2 cups cooked vegetables is about one serving - and that's a lot of broccoli. Have salads, have a glass of water before you eat and for heaven's sake, don't cut out the protien in your diet - it keeps you feeling full longer.
Eternal Embrace
Archeologists on a dig in Italy discovered these two skeletons which appear to be young people locked in an embrace - apparently at the time of their death. You can see the story here. It struck me this morning and provided the reminder that love is in fact a real entity - that it exists regardless of space or time or appearances or your willingness to be a part of it. It was around 6000 years ago -and it will be around long after my own bones are dust.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Customer Care
Do not call your service department Customer Care and then tell me that you have reversed your billing correction and turned my phone off AGAIN without any forewarning. You suck and I knew we should have never ever come back to you. Comcast - you suck.
I met a man on the street last night, said his name was Jesus....( apologies to Big and Rich)
There was a man today, who had just come from having a heart catheterization - which is NOT a comfortable procedure, despite the anesthetics. He was tired and uncomfortable, in spite of the pain medication. He was lying flat on his back, waiting for his body to get back to some semblance of normal, when I walked in to talk to him about his diabetes. Unfortunately, he said come in when I knocked, and I spent about 30 seconds introducing myself before he interrupted to let me know he was using the urinal. We need an "occupied" sign on the doors....
Anyway, when I went back in, he introduced himself and said "what a smile!" He has that look in his eyes like a man who has charmed his way out of a lot.
Then we talked about his health, his heart, his lifestyle. He has a wild streak, but he was blessed with a wonderful wife who will give him a scoop of ice cream if he has done well with his diet all day. She came along when he was suffering as a result of losing so many brothers in Vietnam. His eyes welled up as he recounted the men he had gone to high school with - how he lost them - and then himself for many years. He said that their paths never should have crossed, he a gun-toting gambler and her a Southern christian lady. But they did. The joy as he extolled the virtues of having someone who loves you at home was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen - his face was illuminated and his eyes glistened as he spoke of her. He said " I never lie to her. I do stupid things, but I never lie to her."
And he told me that I was lucky. That there are so many women who never find a good man - or spend their lives struggling with a man who doesn't really love them. I am supposed to go home and tell my husband how lucky I am . Hopefully, he already does, but just in case, I'll do what he says.
You never know when an angel will pose as a cute little old man, just so you'll shut up and listen for a minute.
Anyway, when I went back in, he introduced himself and said "what a smile!" He has that look in his eyes like a man who has charmed his way out of a lot.
Then we talked about his health, his heart, his lifestyle. He has a wild streak, but he was blessed with a wonderful wife who will give him a scoop of ice cream if he has done well with his diet all day. She came along when he was suffering as a result of losing so many brothers in Vietnam. His eyes welled up as he recounted the men he had gone to high school with - how he lost them - and then himself for many years. He said that their paths never should have crossed, he a gun-toting gambler and her a Southern christian lady. But they did. The joy as he extolled the virtues of having someone who loves you at home was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen - his face was illuminated and his eyes glistened as he spoke of her. He said " I never lie to her. I do stupid things, but I never lie to her."
And he told me that I was lucky. That there are so many women who never find a good man - or spend their lives struggling with a man who doesn't really love them. I am supposed to go home and tell my husband how lucky I am . Hopefully, he already does, but just in case, I'll do what he says.
You never know when an angel will pose as a cute little old man, just so you'll shut up and listen for a minute.
Doing it the right way
Last night Tony Dungy and the Colts proved what I learned back in gradeschool: Believe in your players and treat each other with respect and good things will happen. Congratulations, guys, it was a joy to watch.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Funny
I't funny, isn't it, how we present ourselves - our thoughts - our dreams - in this space. I read some of my posts, and I really seem like I have it together most days - but lately, not so much. I have three friends who are spiraling into something I think is dangerous - jadedness replacing the joy and light I used to see in their writing - what do you say to someone to warn them - to let them know that they are close to making a mistake you have made before - and it isn't good? I have been doing a lot of reading, but not a lot of commenting because frankly, I am not in a good place myself, and it isn't fair to offer advice when you don't have your own stuff together.
This has been cycling for some time, and while I will spare you the details, I cannot remember a time when I felt more isolated and alone than I do now. Weird, isn't it. Alone and surrounded by a crowd. I think it is something I have done to myself - because I don't want to become a cliche - the nagging wife, the friend who always has another drama, the fat girl with all those emotional issues. It is not that my friends have been unsupportive - it's just that there are so many crises, so many things going on - and my friends have lives of their own. I've never liked those relationships where one person sponges off the emotional energy of the other - and I have resolved never to let it get like that.
A person has to be careful when talking about problems within the family as well. People develop opinions based on what you say, and walls are built during the crisis that may never come down later on. Prepare for the worst, and hope for the best - isn't that what we do - Steel your heart, but hope you don't need to. They say that love rejoices in the truth - that the truth will set you free - but all that truth is doing right now is breaking my heart - and that - well - that sucks.
All the talk in the world about cherishing your family and teaching accountability and personal responsibility goes out the window when people are allowed to behave poorly - and I have allowed it - so I may in fact be reaping what I have sown. Wow, that's a bright thought.
I thought maybe it was depression, but it doesn't fit exactly. I thought maybe it was just because I am still anemic, or grieving my father's illness, or worrying about my kids, or just exhaustion from the weight of things right now. I thought maybe some counseling would help - or even some time away. But the funny thing about problems is that they follow you even when you try to escape.
If you are my friend in "real life" please understand that I am staying quiet on purpose - because I am too big of a chicken to risk any more rejection. I cannot handle another person canceling out on weekend plans or blowing off a lunch date or deciding to call five minutes prior to when I expect them to say they aren't coming. This isn't home for me yet, even though I am desperately trying to make it so. I am normally easy going, and understanding to a fault, but right now I am tired of not being important enough for people to give a shit. So instead I am hibernating - waiting for the snow to melt and the storms to clear so that I can see the sun and hope again.
And if that doesn't work, I'll just move back to Arizona, because I know the sun shines there.
PS This is my horoscope this morning - and I wonder the question of the Ages, is there anywhere I can't go that my Lord won't try to get my attention?
If you try to put everything in a positive light, you'll enjoy a very good day. But if you focus only on what you don't have or what isn't going as well as you'd like, then you'll have a discouraging day. It's as simple as that. You can't let what's going on around you affect your mood too much -- you have control over your outlook and your attitude, so why not wield it? If you keep a smile on your face and act happy with enough conviction, soon you will start to feel happy!
.
This has been cycling for some time, and while I will spare you the details, I cannot remember a time when I felt more isolated and alone than I do now. Weird, isn't it. Alone and surrounded by a crowd. I think it is something I have done to myself - because I don't want to become a cliche - the nagging wife, the friend who always has another drama, the fat girl with all those emotional issues. It is not that my friends have been unsupportive - it's just that there are so many crises, so many things going on - and my friends have lives of their own. I've never liked those relationships where one person sponges off the emotional energy of the other - and I have resolved never to let it get like that.
A person has to be careful when talking about problems within the family as well. People develop opinions based on what you say, and walls are built during the crisis that may never come down later on. Prepare for the worst, and hope for the best - isn't that what we do - Steel your heart, but hope you don't need to. They say that love rejoices in the truth - that the truth will set you free - but all that truth is doing right now is breaking my heart - and that - well - that sucks.
All the talk in the world about cherishing your family and teaching accountability and personal responsibility goes out the window when people are allowed to behave poorly - and I have allowed it - so I may in fact be reaping what I have sown. Wow, that's a bright thought.
I thought maybe it was depression, but it doesn't fit exactly. I thought maybe it was just because I am still anemic, or grieving my father's illness, or worrying about my kids, or just exhaustion from the weight of things right now. I thought maybe some counseling would help - or even some time away. But the funny thing about problems is that they follow you even when you try to escape.
If you are my friend in "real life" please understand that I am staying quiet on purpose - because I am too big of a chicken to risk any more rejection. I cannot handle another person canceling out on weekend plans or blowing off a lunch date or deciding to call five minutes prior to when I expect them to say they aren't coming. This isn't home for me yet, even though I am desperately trying to make it so. I am normally easy going, and understanding to a fault, but right now I am tired of not being important enough for people to give a shit. So instead I am hibernating - waiting for the snow to melt and the storms to clear so that I can see the sun and hope again.
And if that doesn't work, I'll just move back to Arizona, because I know the sun shines there.
PS This is my horoscope this morning - and I wonder the question of the Ages, is there anywhere I can't go that my Lord won't try to get my attention?
If you try to put everything in a positive light, you'll enjoy a very good day. But if you focus only on what you don't have or what isn't going as well as you'd like, then you'll have a discouraging day. It's as simple as that. You can't let what's going on around you affect your mood too much -- you have control over your outlook and your attitude, so why not wield it? If you keep a smile on your face and act happy with enough conviction, soon you will start to feel happy!
.
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