catsup? ketchup? or Catch Up?

I think Catch Up.  It's time again.  I really wish I could find it in myself to blog nightly again.  It just isn't happening for me and I can't quite figure out why I can't get back in that habit.  Back on thatspace when I had a huge following, I was so excited every night to sit down and write my blog.  And the people I met through that blog were super.  I'm still in contact with many of them today.  We've become more than just blog friends, we've learned much about each other and genuinely care.  I feel like I've gotten to know some even better than people I can physically interact with.  We've shared so much!

 

My goal will forever be to blog regularly again.  And I will.  I'm not sure when, or how, but I will. 

 

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I have notes day to day to day to day, but I'm thinking that's way too long and boring to blog.  Y'all who do follow me know pretty much what my days are all about.  Let me, instead, hit the highlights.

 

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The diagnosis is in.  I do have Sjogrens.  I don't know a whole lot about it yet.  I know it's an autoimmune disease, as is the fibromyalgia, and many times the two go hand in hand.  I know some don't think they exist.  Let me tell you something.  They do.  And I hope that you don't have them invade your body.  Things come back to you.  And many end up humbled. 

 

The aches and pains, fatigue, all are also a part of this new thing too.  What's new is all the drying.  My mouth dries so bad at night that it actually glues itself shut.  That's tough!  It was really bad when I had the lip biopsy, part of the diagnosis.  From it, we know my salivary glands are lacking.  My ears flake and I have no wax at all.  My eyes dry and itch.  My skin is dryer than it has ever been in my life.  I never had trouble with my skin.  And my feet.  Ugh they're awful!  I guess the tingly and numbness can also be attributed to Sjogrens. 

 

So I'm learning lots about me and how my life will be.  There are a lot of OTC temporary helps and I'm going to be on two new meds.  I also have to see an opthamologist because it can cause black spots.  ???  I still have lots to learn there.  I was told the eye doc will likely put me on drops or cream too.  And my teeth falling apart is also part of it.

 

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And there was the bread adventure.  I bought two carts full of bread for a very good price.  After passing it around the family in boxes and bunches, I came home and made huge jugs of croutons and bags and bags and a jug of crumbs.  15 bags if I remember right.  All varieties.  It will be interesting using them.  I know my mother-in-law made a bunch too.  Don't know what the others did with it all.

 

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I found out just recently I have a niece with Cystic Fibrosis.  I had no idea!  She's just a wee one, not yet 2.  If you would all please put little Reese on your prayer lists it would be very much appreciated.  She's also raising money to fight the cause.  If anyone is interested, you can donate at

 

Help Reese raise money for Cystic Fibrosis

 

Thanks.

 

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Another cool deal thing I did was the chicken legs.  I got a 10 pound bag of chicken legs for 5.90.  I put them in two crock pots and cooked them overnight.  I turned them into two big bags and one small bag of chicken, several bowls of stock and a meal.  Good deal!  The two bags were too full and I have to use only 1/2 at a time per dish.  Tonight I did a penne chicken broccoli alfredo with some.  Mmm.  Also have done chicken salad and chicken tortilla soup.  I used some of the broth in the soup and some to make Haluski.  Be proud of me!  I found out the "cabbage noodles" have a real name!  lol  Haluski.

 

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Chicken Tortilla Soup

 

     2-3 c chopped chicken
     1 can Rotel tomatoes and green chilies
     15 oz tomato sauce
     2 cans or equivalent homemade chicken broth
     1 can cheese soup
     2 carrots, chopped
     1 can whole kernel corn

     1 can cream corn
     1 Vidallia onion, chopped
     1/2 t. garlic garlic
     1/2 t  cumin
     1/2 t. chili powder
      a little salt and pepper
      a few sprigs of cilantro, chopped
Put all ingredients in your crock pot and crock it!  When the veggies are tender, it's done.

 

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Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo

 

     Boil or steam broccoli until it starts to soften just a bit.

     Boil penne pasta to al dente

     Add about a dozen thick sliced mushrooms and one slice onion along with the broccoli to a wok size skillet and cook until onion and mushroom have softened.  Add in about 3/4 c. cooked, chopped chicken.  Add one jar alfredo sauce (I had one or I'd have made my own.) and a good helping of fresh grated parmesan cheese.   When all are mixed and sauce is hot, it's done.

 

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Keep in mind with the recipes that I do use fat free or low fat when I can, sodium free or low sodium as I can.  I'm not to count calories now, but I still want to pay attention to those things.  What they have me counting now (the bariatric team) is protein.  I'm to eat 50 - 60 grams of protein a day and consume at least 64 oz. of liquid.  Calories shouldn't go off the map, but I don't need to count them.  I also do watch sugar.  I need to after surgery anyhow. 

 

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I've been having a ball working on the reunion stuff.  I took on the job of verifying addresses and finding people.  It's awesome. It's been exciting getting back in touch with people.  It wasn't good to find an obituary for one classmate.  That was kind of a shock.  But I know we have lost many, many classmates.  It's still so shocking when I hear of another.  And we have a couple in nursing homes too.  Why is it that I feel so young...until reality hits me upside the head!

 

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Oh boy did I have a GOOD time with Kennedy her last weekend here!  She and I went to the thrift store and we came home with two huge bags!  Little of this, little of that.  Little dresses for Emmi while we potty train.  A few fun toys.  Ya.  Good stuff.  She got a pair of shoes that looked like new plus a skirt and shirt for dress up. 

 

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Whoa boy!  We have a few wedding coming up.  I dug out my wedding dress.  Whoa boy I do NOT want to get quite THAT thin!  Good thing it's out of realistic expectations!  Was I really that ridiculously skinny??  And small as mine was, my sister's was smaller.  My one granddaughter is a skinny minnie.  And I don't know that it would fit her!  She's just 13!!  But I did find the little flower girl dress that 3 year old Kennedy wore in Kris and Darlene's wedding.  Awe.  If any of our little girls needs it for a wedding, it's in good shape.  :-)

 

~~~~~Death ends a life, not a relationship.

I now have three favorite apps on my phone.  Mine is an android but I'm sure if you have an iPhone, you can get the same ones or similar ones. 

 

OUT OF MILK

     This one is awesome.  I can make my grocery list on my phone.  I can set up more than one.  If I want to make one for each store and their specials I can.  I can make a pantry list.  Cool beans. 

 

MY FITNESS PAL    

     This one is helping me a lot now.  On it, I track what I eat and it puts in the nutrition info.  It keeps track of all the things I need to know to fill in my book for the bariatric team.  I can also track my weight and measurements if I choose, my water intake and my exercises.  I gotta work on that exercise part.  I'm not good at being consistent.

 

KEY RING    

     This one is new to me.  Rusty told me about it and Darlene has it.  You scan in all your key tags and your loyalty tags, your box store and grocery store cards and you've got it.  Always.  As long as you have your phone.

 

Oh I have four.

 

STATE FARM

     I've signed up and downloaded the mobile app and now all my insurance cards are there on my phone whenever I need them.

 

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And so now I'm pissed! I was NOT untruthful on my psych test. I was totally truthful. However, it DID ask questions that had no bearing on me. I do not HAVE co-workers. And yes. My family IS a great family that DOES get along quite tremendously I might say. And some of your questions were not properly worded. Grammar, folks, grammar. (That didn't affect the outcome but it is a pet peeve.  Professionals should come off professional.)  I had to it again on Friday. And guess what!! The answers will be the same!!!! ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh  Although now...I am angry. VERY angry. Some answers actually might have changed. And I kept note of some the idiocies that were on it. If you are preparing a test that is to measure whatever of anyone, you need to make it APPLY TO ANYONE!  And it didn't.  And some questions could be accurately answered with true OR false! 

 

But now it's over.  I've done it the second time.  I did call the kid administering it to task over some questions.  Only five.  He couldn't answer my question on one in particular.  He was actually agreeing with me via his body language but because he was "the professional" couldn't.  I imagine they will either give me the same test a third time or have me go back to talk to the doc.  I know I shocked the kid (he was younger than my own kids) when I told him that if it stopped me from having the surgery I'd tell them screw you and go on and find my own way to get thin and healthy.  I am, after all, losing weight.  Just way slower than I need it to happen.

 

Yes.  A psychological evaluation is a part of the regime you go through to have bariatric surgery.

 

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Insanity:  doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

~~Albert Einstein

 

And can I rephrase that to say...

 

Insanity:  having someone doing the same thing over and over again and expecting to get different results.

 

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My next big food do was 16 pounds of strawberries.  We'd gone to the R Store and to Hartville Flea Market with Missy and picked up two flats of berries.  I had already gotten a few inside before we checked the outside vendors.  After Missy took a bunch, I had 16# total to handle.  I cut them up and got them ready to "sugar" for shortcake.  I didn't want to do all sugar so I used mostly splenda with just a little real sugar to quicken the juicing.  I let them sit overnight and they still weren't juicy enough so I gave it one more day.  They are wonderful.  I thinnk they might have taken the extra time because of my substitution.  But, eventually it did work.

 

Putting up your own food, whether you can it, freeze it, dehydrate it or whatever gives you the ability to control what's in it.  You don't have preservatives and things you can't pronounce.  You decide if and how much salt or sugar it has.  It's up to you.  And...you're sure you've cleaned it properly.

 

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An extended family member lost their mother and it brought me back once again to feeling the sadness of losing my own parents.  Looking for a quote for this blog, I came across this one which just hit home...

 

~~Jack Lemmon

 

Very simple.  Very to the point.

 

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What cool kids we have!  I don't like my house cluttered, but you know what?  If it's to pass this to this one and that to that one, I'm good with it.  Right now I have things in the dining room waiting to be passed on.  I'll be glad when my own things are in better order so I can have an area for this sort of thing that isn't in my main living area.  It's just so GOOD to know that they all think of each other and pass things on. 

 

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It's been great watching how all the family members are planning their weddings.  Dusty and Leon's is coming together.  I love watching as my kids play the parent role in that one.  And the others in the works are coming together too.  This next year will be something!  I'll be putting the camera to task a lot!!!  lol

 

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Now we've come to the end of the blog.  I don't know that it's really time to end it, but I'm done for now.  I promise to be back, I just don't know when.  It'll happen though.  Just you wait and see. 

 

Love and hugs...

 

~~Mama Sage

And the journey has begun

I'm dragging you all along on my journey as I take the first steps on the road to weight loss through bariatric surgery. I'll be sharing whatever comes to mind to share. We all know how Mama Sage's mind works, so look out!

 

Wednesday evening was my informational meeting for the surgery. I'd been to one with Rusty before he began his journey and knew pretty much what to expect. The crowd was small this time so it was a bit more intimate than the one I'd previously attended. Rusty and Papa Sage went with me.

 

I was very impressed with how thorough the entire process was covered. We saw a slide presentation that was mixed with actual video of the operations. We learned about the two band types, the roux-en-y and the sleeve type. At the end of the presentation and the question period, a young woman who had the sleeve a year ago came to talk.

 

I've decided that when the doctor asks me what my choice would be, I will tell him the roux-en-y. After weighing all the info, it's what I would prefer. Of course I will listen to his advice and will probably go along with what he recommends.

 

I know for sure I don't want the band. I didn't know a lot about it until this meeting but already had a knowing it wasn't going to be my choice. They showed two types, both pretty much the same. The band goes around the stomach and is then inflated to make the opening smaller. It is adjustable. And THAT little fact made it a no go for sure for me. Ever think about just how it is adjusted? There is a tube from the band that has a port on the end. The port remains inside your body somewhere between your ribs and your pelvis. Nope. No thanks. This flabo fatso body would hide it now, but it would still out and show possibly as I lost weight. Plus having something foreign in my body just isn't for me.

 

The sleeve would be an option but I don't like it. About two thirds of your stomach is removed. Removed. Totally. And the pouch created is much larger. I think it would be way too easy to fall into old habits if you have that big of a pouch.

 

The roux-en-y is a much smaller pouch, the size of your thumb. Your stomach remains in your belly and it is reattached via part of the small intestine. I don't understand all the whys and wherefores enough to explain them to someone else yet. It's going to take some time and more education.

 

I'll be seeing a dietician regularly and will need to get on some sort of good exercise regime. That will still be hard with my knees but should get easier as I begin to lose weight. They will also do regular checks of my vitamin levels. With the roux-en-y, I will have to adjust my vitamin intake.

 

They have a wonderful system.  The group support meetings are monthly and I plan on going.

 

I was very impressed with the real people, area people who they showed us. One man in particular was very impressive. Not only had he lost tons and tons of weight, he went from a list of meds as long as mine down to only taking his vitamins. And he was no longer on a c-pap.

 

So my journey has started. In two weeks I'll be seeing the doctor for the initial evaluation. Rusty and Papa are going with me to that too. It's so good to have this much support. And the support that y'all are giving me in comments here, facebook and via email, etc. will also get me from start to finish. I appreciate every one of you.

 

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Today my Brooks AFB family lost a beautiful family member. Dixie Bonomo passed away today. Dixie was very important to so very many people. She was another "other mother" to so many kids who lived there through the years. I was lucky enough to have worked along side her at the youth center on base. She taught so many so much. She will be missed. RIP Miss Dix

 

~~~~~

 

Perhaps they are not the stars,

but rather openings in Heaven

where the love of our lost ones pours through

and shines down upon us to let us know

they are happy.

~~Author Unknown

 

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Tonight's "supper" wasn't really supper. We had breakfast tacos. Sometimes having breakfast for dinner is perfect.

 

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We made a second trip down to the R Store today. (Grocery outlet in Hartville) This trip we filled a few extra bags. I was glad to find fat free sugar free puddings to use for special desserts and recipes and sugar free lemon and sugar free lime jellos. Also got some things for when others are here. Pillsbury grands biscuits and crescents and less fat cinnamon rolls. Great deals! The cinnamon rolls were .69 and the grands were .50 and the crescents were .35. 1/2 off. Also some food pantry items like lasagna hamburger helper (I hate using it, but it's quick when things go completely whacky around here) were on the 50% off shelf. Got two boxes at .45 each. .50 for hot sauce. Can't remember how much the tortillas were, but they were the healthier kind.

 

Our trip the other day we didn't get a whole lot but found some great deals. Neufchatel, 33% less fat cream cheese, was .75. Can't remember if we got any other super deals.

 

We did find steaks marked down at Sam's. You have to hit it just right to find the discounts. I always scout out the meat to see. I make it a habit to check the mark down area in the back too before doing the rest of my shopping. And I do the same at BJ's. They have theirs at the back ends of the aisles. Sometimes you can pick up some really good bargains.

 

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Well this will have to be my blog tonight. I need to get some rest. Tomorrow is a big day. It's a weekend of birthdays. Hugs to everyone. Until next time....

 

~~Mama Sage