Think Spring.....Think Dandelions

It seems we are all longing for an early Spring. It has been a long cold winter. Coping with Arctic wind chills and snow, lots of snow for some of us; well, most people including myself are fed up with winter period! The good news is that Spring will come in fact early this year. Punxsutawney Phil predicted this by not seeing his shadow. In my eyes, there is still 6 more weeks of winter any way you look at it. But, with the skies so beautiful baby blue and the sun shining ever so bright yesterday and today, and as i was sitting in my chair enjoying the warmth and soaking it all in, I seemed to forget for a moment my winter weather doldrums.
My dad and I love to do much of the same things and try to help each other out with freezing and canning, putting out a big garden. This year we have been talking about dandelions. Yes, that little so called weed with the yellow flower that everyone hates that seems to take over your yard. We plan on digging up a bunch of them this Spring to eat. Mom used to hate it when he would dig up a bunch and had her clean them. Oh! How I used to love eating them! Did you know the dandelion is not native to the United States? It's true! It was brought here by the European settlers for food and medicine. The fresh young leaves and flowers are a great addition to every salad. They are classified as a "bitter" which aids in digestion by helping the pancreas, spleen and stomach. They also increase bile, improve kidney function and contain high amounts of potassium. This can make them helpful for water retention and high blood pressure. Both leaves and root cleanse the blood and kidneys, along with liver and gallbladder functions. The root has been roasted for years and used as a healthy coffee substitute. In the bible it mentions that "they shall eat with unleavened bread and bitter herbs" The dandelion is one of the most common plants in Egypt and Western Asia. It is quite possible that it was eaten at the time of the passover. Chinese herbal practitioners wrote about it's medicinal value in the seventh century. The Roman scholar knew and wrote about it in the first century. How's that for years of testing? So, think about this the next time you get the urge to eradicate that "dandy" weed....maybe it grows in such abundance because we could all use more free food and health benefits that it so devotedly offers. After all, the Creator does not make mistakes.
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Dealing with a canker sore and free toothpaste

Painful shallow sores in your mouth called canker sores, have you ever had them? Let me tell you, I have had my share of them through out the years. I noticed one last night in my mouth,. I haven't had one in ages. Although canker sores are harmless, they can be painful. No one knows what causes canker sores but, some causative factors may include fatigue, emotional stress and certain foods, even biting the inside of the cheek or tongue or chewing a sharp piece of food like for example, potato chips ,may trigger a canker sore. Drugs like anti inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen can also have an effect. Whoops! I have been taking alot of this in the past month and a half! Your toothpaste may have an effect as well from the sodium Laural sulfate in the product. I learned avoiding hot, spicy or acidic foods and beverages may help. Does this include sprite zero?Although, not brushing my teeth is not an option, switching to an SLS free toothpaste may help. I found this site that has a toothpaste that has just this, and a trial size you can send for free. Yay! Verve ultra toothpaste at https://verveultra.com/ is just the toothpaste for canker sore prevention. It comes in soothing fresh mint. It has fluoride for cavity protection, whitening with no bleaches or peroxides and vitamin enriched. Verve ultra is priced at $4.89 at tube. A free trial size will be nice and can't wait to try it. If you have canker sores you may want to check Verve ultra out. Maybe, you will just want to give it a try even if you don't have cancer sores.

Menu Plan Monday

I miss you guys so much. I just had to try to write a posting. Thank you so much to all of you for all of your prayers. I feel a bit better although I am so limited to what I can do. DH still has to help me dress and bathe in the morning. I can walk with a cane. Mornings seem to be very rough for me. My back spasms are leaving and few and far between now. They say once you injure your back all it takes is maybe a sharp turn or bend to cause spasms. Its natures way to repair the muscles. I am taking 1- 250 mg magnesium supplement every day which supposed to help nerve and muscle function as well as 2- 400 mg of Valerian to relax my muscles at night. Applying heat with a heating pad as well. I haven't been to a doctor yet nor a chiropractor but by the end of this week if I do not get significantly better I will be making a chiropractor appointment. I have improved though. Anyways DH has been doing the cooking. Our pantry and fridge was getting a bit bare. I was finally able to get some groceries. It was getting a bit difficult to come up with anything easy to prepare that DH could prepare. His idea on easy is Mc Donalds , Taco Bell or carry out from our favorite restaurant and that is not very frugal and got to be very pricey. I kept thinking of all the food I could buy with what he spent on 2 meals for us from the restaurant. I mean it was literally driving me crazy so, we now with actual food in the house we can make easy, frugal meals without spending a fortune and I must say taste way much better and healthier too. So the menu this week at my house with my DH cooking looks like this and then be sure to check here for more meal ideas.

Monday- cube steak, mashed potatoes, peas

Tuesday- Baked chicken stuffed with wild rice, tossed green salad ( lettuce, avocado, cucumber and tomato)

Wednesday- Beef stew ( in crock pot), homemade bread ( using frozen bread dough to make it easier for DH)

Thursday- Pizza ( 1/2 veggie for me and 1/2 with meat for DH)

Friday- sloppy joe sandwiches, celery and carrot sticks, fresh fruit or tapioca pudding

Saturday- leftovers

Sunday On our own ( whatever DH fixes me)

I have pink eye!!!

I woke up this morning with what it seems is pink eye! You know when your eye is blood red and seeps and crusty. Ugh! I am very familiar with this sort of thing because almost all my adult life , every time I turn around I have pink eye. Then I would go to the doctor because I had insurance. Once I had to go to an eye specialist because it would keep reoccurring and wouldn't go away. But, I haven't had pink eye for over 6 years until now! I do not have insurance because we can't afford any. DH works for a small company and they do not offer any sort of thing. Going to the doctor at the moment will kill us financially at the time. I believe this is viral and will just have to run its course I hope. If not, or worsens then I will have to see a doctor. I just can't believe this has happened as I have been so careful about washing my hands all the time and even using a hand sanitizer. I carry a small one in my purse and take it everywhere I go. I haven't worn any makeup for weeks and do not wear contacts. This is just crazy! But, I have had alot of sinus problems last week which I thought I was coming down with a cold or something. I thought I was getting better. Has anyone out there had pink eye? Did you have to go to the doctor? Looks as if I am starting the new year with a bang! or I could say I am ending the old.

Becky"s Back!

If you have read my March 15, 2009 post called My best friend, it"s labeled under friendship. I talked about my dear good friend, and neighbor Becky., the inspiration she is to me and how she left for 6 months to go live in Indianapolis, IN to live with her sister. She is back! She stopped in this morning to say hello. She said she tried to call but her sisters phone wasn't working right and they didn't have long distance. In the 6 months, I have only gotten to talk to her once on the phone. My, it was awesome to see her. I have missed my good friend alot! We talked and talked and talked. She has her house back and is here to stay. As you recall, Becky has dementia and quite frankly I was afraid she wouldn't remember me. That's crazy I know. The Lord knows and watches over us and allows things to happen for a reason. Sometimes we don't always understand at first. Because,Becky had been on cymbalta. This is a prescription medication for the treatment or management of fibromyalgia, major depression and general anxiety disorder which in turn was causing most of her dementia and confusion. She isn't on this anymore although ,she still has fribromyalgia but, Praise God has improved greatly. She also, finally, a while back started receiving her disability. She looks great! Everything from her health to her mind. I think the Lord knew she needed this long vacation .I am very happy for her and most of all glad she is back home. I am looking forward to many times of fellowship and praying together like we used to. Hubby and I plan on going to her church sometime with her. I've been wanting to visit this church because it's just down the road from where we live. Yes, I truly believe the Lord knows what is best for us. Thank you Lord for bringing Becky safely home and all you have done for this woman who loves you so very much and who is obedient in your word.

Seasonal Allergies

It's about that time of year when many of us with seasonal allergies are starting to grumble. One of those many is me. My allergies are starting to flair up for me again. It's a seasonal thing starting in August right through the first frost. Although I really don't like to grumble but, allergies can make you feel miserable and moody. Right now I'm not too bad, like none of that sinus nasal thing yet. except for some sneezing and the last few days my eyes have felt like sandpaper 100% of the time and are extremely itchy. I am never without my trusty bottle of visine. Also for me it is hard to avoid pollen exposure altogether as I enjoy the outdoors this time of year way too much. Sometimes coping with my allergies can be difficult. It sometimes effects my sleep and my energy levels. My eyes feel tired all the time. There is some ways I deal with these symptoms or should I say try to.

1. I minimise early morning activity outside as between 5-10 am is when the pollen count is the highest.

2.I stay indoors when the pollen count is reported high or on windy days when the pollen is present in higher amounts.

3.I avoid mowing the lawn and fresh cut grass

4. I keep windows closed and if needed use the air conditioning ( I hate this one as this isn't very frugal on the electric bill )

5.I machine dry bedding and clothing because pollen can collect on laundry if it is hung outside ( this is another hate on the list and not very frugal. I love hanging my clothes outside )

6. I bathe at night to rid myself of all pollen on me before going to bed. This helps me to sleep better.

They say if something irritates you, avoid it, that's the motto that allergy sufferers must adopt. I can't avoid it all but I try my best.

Living Healthy on less

If you are smart about it, you can still eat healthy, stay physical fit and receive medical care even in these tough economic times. Most people are cutting back, trying to save more and make do with less. This is a must for my Hubby and I no matter what times. Let's face it, living on one paycheck is no doubt having to live on less.but, can you cut back when it comes to your health? I believe you can. Some of the things we do is treat colds and virus's,flu and other things at home. Colds and virus's and things like that have to follow it's course and you probably don't need to rush to see the doctor. However if you are not getting better and experiencing worse symptoms or different symptoms then I would suggest a call to the doctor should be made. For the cutbacks in the food arena you can eat healthy and still stay on budget. It just takes a little extra planning and thought. I found preparing more of your own food saves you money Prepackaged foods are often expensive. Have a plan at the grocery store.Don't go to the store hungry! (I'm sure you have heard that one before) and go with a list. Take advantage of seasonal produce. Produce that is in season is going to be a little cheaper. Better yet, if you have the time and space plant a garden and grow your own produce. Stockpile non perishables. Stock up on canned foods when they are on sale. buying food in the bulk is good if it doesn't spoil before you use it. Buy inexpensive sources of needed nutrients. Beans are very inexpensive source of protein and fiber and very versatile. There are many varieties of them and you can do so many things with them. Popcorn and oatmeal are inexpensive grain options and nonfat milk is a cheap source of dairy and not to mention great to have on hand. Why pay a pricey gym membership to keep fit. The thing people need to realize is for general health any kind of physical activity is all we need. We don't have to go to the gym. Walking is free and I find it very enjoyable when I can walk with a friend. You could also jump rope, ride a bike, purchase a physio ball. These are cheap and you can do all sorts of exercises with these balls. So you see, you can keep physical fit on the cheap, use extra thought and planning when planning your diet and cutting back health care by simply treating simple virus's at home. Your health and fitness need not suffer. and you can live healthy on less.

The 30 day challenge update

Well, here it is my 30 day challenge update! I know I am a little late on this because of taking a few days off from my blog. The good thing is I lost 5 lbs! I will be happy to except that. I didn't get my walking and crunches in every day but I have been working hard moving around all the time, eating less and so forth. A good part of it was having these garage sales almost back to back which is alot of work. It's amazing that you do not have to go to a fancy gym or do sit ups every day but, just getting off your keester and moving around and eating a bit less is will do the trick. I will definitely continue to sit less move more. I may not lose alot but I know I will be alot healthier for it. So... how did you do?

The 30 Day Challenge!

I am joining the 30 day challenge with http://dailyessentialsanddeals.blogspot.com Oh yea, for me its going to be a challenge! Diet and excercise has been on my mind now for some time. I have gotten quite lazy this winter and I wonder why I do not feel as good as I used to. This should be fun. I am going to find 10-15 minutes a day to excercise. That sounds simple enough hugh? It can be walking or crunchers, riding a bike whatever, it doesn't matter as long as its excercising. If you want to join me, just leave a comment and let me know! I will post each week my success and my hope, not too many failures. Here's my plan: excercise everyday! Keeping it simple!

Walk! and when I can't walk...

Stretch(this is very important, even before walking)

50 leg lifts

50 side to side crunchers

50 crunchers

Remember Drink lots of water 8-10 glasses everyday(this might be a hard one for me)

Let's have fun and encourage one another!

I'm Back!

Well, I'm back! I don't know for how long though. I have been sick., what I thought was the start of spring allergies or something turned out to be just a nasty virus. I guess I should have guessed, because it came on so sudden. Yesterday I felt as if a mac truck ran over me. UGH! I couldn't stand to watch TV, read, play on the computer or nothing I couldn't even sleep because my head would hurt so bad just to lay it on the pillow. I took a shot of NyQuil before bed last night and I can honestly say I feel better. Not good, but better. As for my postings, I am not sure i will be posting every day. quite frankly I do not have the time to sit here all day on the computer and be able to do this plus keep up with my e-mail, surveys and what not. I have far too much to do the upcoming weeks and I am not getting it done. However, if I get my new computer and better yet, high speed Internet, it will not be a problem. So, we will see what happens within the next couple of months. Mean time I will try to do my best to post as often as I possibly can.

Update on brother-in-law

I am sorry, as I do not have a picture today for wordless Wednesday. I promise though I will have one for next Wednesday. So, I will give you an update on my brother-in-law instead. As you know, He has been in intensive care at the hospital from surgery and a pulmonary embolism. He is now getting better each day. My sister said he is walking around a little bit and she is hoping he will be home very soon. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for all the prayers! I am a big believer in prayer and I know its because of all the prayers he is better. You should visit my sisters blog http://following31.blogspot.com you will be blessed!

Prayer

The snow just keeps coming and I am not taking it well. UGH! Please pray for my brother-in-law who has underwent surgery Friday just fine but, took a turn for the worse yesterday with a pulmonary embolism. He is in intensive care right now. Also pray for my sister and family, as, it has been hard on her and not to mention tiring. Thanks!