Thomas recently read of a protocol that has the potential to heal one's eyes of various maladies that impair sight. He bought the information, I scavenged the grocery stores and internet for all the ingredients and today is my first day of trying it out.
There are three smoothies to make and drink per day for seven days. The process is repeated thrice, for a total of twenty-one days. Every smoothie is different (yes, every- all 21). The one I slurped this morning was okay. Blackberries, banana, coconut cream and maca powder.
The one I'm trying to get down now is a bit torturous. This one has a carrot, a beet, an apple, a pear, kale, lemon and ginger, blended in water.
Oh, it's pretty enough. That doesn't make it easier to swallow, unfortunately. The pulp and the ginger is what gets to me. The flavor really isn't so bad.
The man who sells the information says his wife came back from near blindness (macular degeneration) to 20/20 vision. And he says it will do the same for me.
It is no fun to tote reading glasses around so I'm hoping this will keep me from needing prescription glasses or even reading glasses. If I can just stomach all this stuff! I'll give it my best shot, that's for sure.
He says there is a 60 day money back guarantee. So at $27 or $37 it doesn't feel like a big risk.
He also says you can get all ingredients for pennies at your grocery store. This is incorrect. There are some ingredients I still haven't found.
Can you tell me where to find black currants? Or bilberries? Some of the ingredients I ordered from Amazon, but I haven't been able to find these two items for a very affordable price anywhere.
I'll try to keep you posted on the effectiveness of this protocol.
Words for today-
Maudlin
Extenuate
Vagary
Recently we had an overabundance of milk and no cheese. So I made some!
We made cheese at home when I was a girl. My father made a "cheese box" where a thermostat and a light bulb kept the cheese at a certain temperature for a designated amount of time. He also made a cheese press.
After I left home, I didn't know how to make cheese without these things. Some years later I learned from a friend who grew up in Costa Rica how to make a simple cheese, skipping the "cheese box" stage. And she showed me how to fry it. (I figured out how to press it with simple kitchen and rec room articles.)
We all really enjoy fried cheese. It is so simple. Just cut a slice of homemade cheese, lay it in a lightly greased skillet over medium heat and fry until it is browned on one side. Flip it over and do the same on the other side. (I don't know of a store bought equivalent. Sorry.)
This got a little extra brown. But it is still delicious.
Words to enjoy-
Pattens
Myrmidons
Excrescence
Sunshine. Oh, the beauty of sunshine, warm, bright and invigorating. You know, by now, how I love sunshine.
We have also had beautiful rain in the last week. Both of our rain gauges are broken so I can't tell you how much it rained except that it was a lot. Streams came down the hills, the creeks swelled and the rivers rose.
 |
| Daffodils and lilies |
All of creation responded with joy and the meadows are turning a verdant green. I never cease to be excited by the return of green.
 |
| Toad's bellies |
Or the sprouting of seeds. It makes me feel like I could dance to the moon and back. Or burst.
Thomas removed these "Christmas roses" (below) from a landscape job he did. They were not faring well in that location so he brought them here. Hellebore is their sophisticated name. They missed Christmas but they are the only blooming thing I've seen outdoors this winter.
I've completed two more comfort tops in the last week for relief work. This blue one (below) took me many days to complete. All the pale blue blocks (every other one) are a fuzzy type of fabric that slipped and slid and crawled all over the place as I sewed. It was a miserable thing to work with.
The one below with bigger blocks was a sight easier. I picked up a bag of blocks (that someone else had already sewn in rows) and sewed the eleven rows together. The outcome is always rewarding.
February ends tomorrow. It feels like we haven't had much winter. Even the couple weeks of extreme cold seem like a dim thing of the past. Spring is showing her (spring can't be a "he", can it?) welcome face.
Can you believe I heard spring peepers early last week? I almost couldn't believe it. But there they were, very loud and very real.
What are you doing today? I would love to peek into your house or wherever you are and see what life is dishing up to you. I pray you find God's grace sufficient for your needs.
More words to enjoy-
Erudition
Cornchandler
Ophthalmic
Exciting things happening these days! There are many seeds in the dirt and I am eager to see the faces they will portray as they die and then come to life in a new way.
On Tuesday Melvin, Christopher and I went to our friends' place in Delray. This family shares our milk cow and gets half of the milk. She had offered to give me seeds for the garden and even start some seeds for me.
They have a building they call "the conservatory" which is made of panels that allow light to come in. Like a large/tall greenhouse. They raise bananas, oranges, lemons and olives in there. There are lots of aloe vera plants and cacti, a small fish pond (5'x10'?) and a pet tortoise in the building.
I planted the seeds in trays in this building and then when we transplant the seedlings into cell packs we will probably put them in one of their hoop houses. They have two hoop houses which serve multiple purposes. They will raise meat chickens and then plant in the rich environment they leave behind.
This is an ongoing cycle where the chickens benefit from what is left of the plants and then the plants benefit from the chickens. The Mrs is determined to help me find a way to get a hoop house up. It is a good way to keep fresh food for the family through the winter.
While we were choosing seeds from her vast supply (I told her it was like looking through the seed catalog, only it was all in my hand!) and getting them into dirt, the boys took to fishing. Melvin landed a large 3 lb (+/-) bass which we enjoyed for supper last evening. It was a really exciting moment for him, bringing that beauty out of the water.
My wonderful friend also told me how I could grow ginger and gave me a rhizome to start. Now patience needs to do its work in me for a couple of weeks while I wait to see the results. (The pics show a few of the seeds she gave me to plant in the garden.)
We had a couple of days where the temperature was around 80 degrees. I couldn't resist the temptation to put a few pea seeds in the ground yesterday as well as some Mesclun mix (salad greens). The weather has turned rainy now which is awesome. These seeds were planted within the privacy fenced garden so they should have some protection from cold.
The egg-laying chickens worked up that part of the garden this winter and the soil is rich and fine. We are also trying the Back to Eden gardening method so it isn't a whole lot of work to just scratch a row in the dirt and put the seeds in.
The men are working a couple of construction jobs. With two trucks and four drivers, they can be at different places as necessary.
Today Thomas started out at a job where he's finishing some drywall and then met up with the three boys at another job. Austin remains frustrated with a weak wrist.
Tomorrow Stephen is scheduled to help another contractor and Matthew will be at home and school, Lord willing. I find it interesting that things are turning around and instead of me, it's Thomas who needs to employ most of the boys.
Reading books continues to take up my time, which tends to imperil the housework but increases my knowledge. I'll give you a few more words. If you like words, you're welcome.
Meer-schaum
Contumacious
Purblind
Have a wonder-filled day!
P.S. Billy Graham died this week at the ripe old age of 99.
This week has ended, with all its idiosyncrasies. (That word took me down in a spelling bee once. Had never heard of it before.) The weather has been up and down, quite literally. Temperatures up in the 70s and down in the 20s. Clouds up in the sky and clouds coming down, in the form of rain, sleet or snow.
Today it is snow. The forecast is for 2-6 inches. This evening it is maybe an inch and a half deep. It's been warm enough to keep it from sticking and also it is a very wet snow. You might know how that kind is. It snows more than you can really measure.
Stephen returned from his trip to Honduras and reported a relaxing vacation. He worked and lived alongside his cousins while there. They went to a waterfall one day and did some climbing. He says he has lots of photos so we look forward to seeing them.
He had booked their (his and Sylvia's) tickets to and from San Pedro Sula. That's where they flew into for the Bible school but I think he could have gotten return tickets from Teguc if he would have thought that far. The trip back to San Pedro Sula was made by bus with two cousins to help along.
They spent Monday night in Siguatepeque at a Mennonite children's home. An interesting connection was made at the airport when David Bercot came up and introduced himself to them. He was on their flight from San Pedro Sula to Atlanta. He was also bound for Dulles but they didn't see him after Atlanta and worried that he missed his flight. They were the last ones on the plane, coming after everyone else had boarded.
Today was a full day. I worked on selling some things around here (online, through Facebook & OfferUp). Then Christopher and I ran some errands that have been on my mind. The more I stay home, the more things pile up on me.
We stopped at the ATM first to get some cash, then went to Food Lion. While puzzling over the long lines there, it dawned on me that there is snow in the forecast. It will be warm in a day or two so there's really no need to worry but maybe some folks can't live two days without going to the grocery store?
Next we picked up apples at the farmer's market, picked up a bulk order from my sister, got some pork that was on sale at County Pride (which I grind to make sausage), grabbed a stack of books from the library, and unloaded a stash of unneeded items at the thrift store. Wow. Now my brain feels cleaner.
My parents had a nice surprise today when someone offered to bring them a Meals on Wheels dinner. A full meal of grilled chicken, mac n cheese, baked beans, coleslaw and cake.
Recently a friend gave me a nice big food processor. She had gotten it for a wedding present but hasn't used it to speak of in almost ten years. So she wisely passed it on to me. Since I've had it I got to thinking that we could surely be more frugal by getting a case of peanuts and making our own peanut butter.
We usually buy the Smuckers brand that has no junk in it (only peanuts and salt) and I am always limiting the boys' intake as it is so costly. They eat so much of it at one sitting! First thing I know, the peanut butter is no more.
My first attempt at peanut butter turned out well. We got a 30 lb case of blanched and salted peanuts. I'm dreaming of different ways to make the butter; roast the peanuts, add honey, molasses or maple syrup. Do tell me of a flavor you like.
Melvin used some peanut butter and whole peanuts in a batch of no-bake bars he made. Christopher added whole peanuts to the granola he made. I have a squeaky feeling this 30 lb case of peanuts might not last very long either.
Thomas and all the boys besides Christopher went to sand the walls in a house that they finished drywall in this week. They got done in a couple of hours.
The three older boys went to play volleyball with some friends this evening but some of their friends couldn't get there because of the snow and the others were in an accident that prevented their coming. So two of the boys came home and the other stayed with his friend for the evening.
Melvin and Christopher received their periodic shearing from my hand this evening. They balk about it (and so do I) but I said we need to just get it done! Christopher was looking especially shaggy. Now that's off my mind (and their heads) until the next time.
I've actually read a few books this week! I finished Trees Tall as Mountains, read Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass, and Little Lord Fauntleroy and began Great Expectations. I will try to report on them later.
I'll leave you with some new (to me) words and see if they're new to you too.
Burgoo
Dearborn
Execrate
Please let me know in the comments (or reply to me in a new email) if you find/know the meanings.
Today is opposite from yesterday, beginning with sunshine and becoming cloudy. Not as warm. Actually rather cold. It's all relative though, you know. If yesterday was 14 degrees, today would be warm at 38.
Our trip to PA ended at 2 AM today. When the 6 AM alarm went, well, let's just say I ignored it. My, oh my! Droopy eyelids are a thing today. My husband has a better constitution and also sleeps while traveling so he's faring better than I.
Thomas and Matthew went to work on a drywall job this forenoon. This afternoon Thomas is doing inventory with the door guy. Austin and Matthew are staining some doors for another job. Melvin likes to work outdoors every chance he has so today he tackled an unwanted rose bush. Don't worry, it really is not beautiful and is only a nuisance.
After reading aloud to the boys, listening to them read and reading to myself, I took a nap and awoke around 2 PM with no clue how long I slept. I found these guys scrounging around the kitchen, wondering what to eat. I'm a horrible cook these last couple days.
We got in on a spa night for the teen girls in inner city Lancaster last evening. The guys were playing games and doing their own thing in another part of the building. It was so awesome to witness the love poured out on these girls. And so peaceful compared to the Kid's Club we're used to.
They didn't have a normal evening because their regular teacher was away on a trip. Normally they will split the group in two and have a lesson half the time, then switch it up and do a hands-on activity. Alternating, so one group does the lesson while the other "plays". It would have been nice to see that happening as well.
Oh, and by the way, we could only observe the spa and help a wee bit. Like, we didn't get the foot soaks, massages and facials. Just itched all over to be on the receiving end. He-he. (I would have loved to help out with treating them, too.)
We made an interesting connection with the group leader, James Beachy. He disclosed the fact that he sang in a group with my cousin Merry (yes, that is spelled correctly) a number of years ago. I had never met her singing companions so that was nice to know.
A never-before experience was an 11 PM meal at Denny's. I am not a night owl but neither can I sleep well while traveling. Especially in a van that rides like a ship at sea in a storm. I did a lot of reading (Bible, Kindle). A shout-out to lighted books!
Obviously the storm at sea wasn't really bad because I do get motion sick and didn't suffer too much in that department. It was worse on the way up with another driver.
We got a welcome text message around noon from Stephen, saying they are at the San Pedro Sula airport. He will come into Dulles around 9 PM, Lord willing. It's been a toss-up who will go get the travelers- Stephen and my sister's daughter Sylvia- from the airport. It's a 1 1/2 -2 hour drive.
We moms didn't really want to go alone in the dark. We didn't want to send the young boys out there in the dark when they've never driven there period. One father is not at home and the other needs to work tomorrow so we didn't want to make him do another late night stunt.
My sister and I concluded that a couple of young boys would go and I would go along to hopefully guide them in the right way. Well, with that decided, Thomas said he'll go with them. So it looks like Sylvia will land in a boys' party.
The trip home from the airport is a good time to hear travel stories so I feel like I'll be missing out. But I won't complain. I am really tired from yesterday's adventure.
A couple words that may be new to you...
...tome.
...bole.
What do they mean?
Want a good laugh? Click here.
Why do boys do silly things? One put a hat on the cow and another called her to make her get up, filming all the while. Google Photo Assistant made an animation of it. You may see it here, if you wish.
I'm facing a blank page today with a mind that suddenly feels blank. Because I wrote a really good article I was going to post today and the stupid Google ate it! Just consumed it. The big ol' meany.
Well, now what?
I'm processing a lot of things right now and nothing seems quite ready for words.
So I'll just ramble about what's been going on here in the hollow where we find our home. And outside the hollow where life calls us; some of us daily, and some less often.
The sun is shining in our world! It really is. This morning I thought daylight seemed very long in coming. Then I realized there was a heavy cloud cover. It would be awhile until we saw sunshine.
This forenoon while we were reading together (the boys & I) there was a sudden downpour of sleet which quickly changed to rain. It rained awhile and then the power was suddenly cut off. We finished reading in the darkened room; then just as we finished and were speculating what to do without electricity, it came back.
But, truth to tell, I don't even know when the sun decided to come out from behind those clouds. Yeah, I know, it was the clouds that hurried on and there the sun was, shining like he was all the time and we just couldn't see him.
And the air is warmer! That "springtime feel" once again. Maybe if I can get past the mud, I'll go start some seedlings at my friend's house this week. Yesterday we needed 4 x 4's to get out of here.
While I helped one boy decide what to study today, the other was writing another story. Then while I helped the next one decide what to study, the first one studied.
Melvin wrote a grammar rule and illustrated it, worked on memorizing and read from a book about animals. Our Magnificent Wildlife.
Christopher read a whole book. I guess. He says he did. It seems impossible to me. But I think he's a speed reader. He read Madeleine Takes Command (204 pages)
Now he's started another, The Golden Goblet. We picked out four books for him to read this week. I asked, "Can you read that many?" He said, "Let's see how far I get."
My personal goal for this year is to read 30 books. I have never set a goal or kept track of how many I've read so I have no idea how realistic this is. I'd love to hear how many you read in a year on a normal basis.
The problems I experience with reading are these- 1) If I get into a captivating book, I have an extremely hard time doing the normal life things like, eating, working and sleeping. 2) If I try to read a deep book or one that is not so captivating, it is extremely hard to get into it while doing the normal life things like eating, working and sleeping.
Can you relate to my dilemma?
Austin is recuperating from a fall that sprained his wrist and banged his head. He wrapped his wrist and puts ice on it periodically. He bandaged the head. He is a silent sufferer so I don't always find out how much he's hurting.
He reports that there is marked improvement from yesterday. He was able to squeeze the shampoo bottle this morning and button his pants.
He is cubing a lot today with the one good hand. I wonder when or if he'll ever outgrow this obsession? I begged him to go relieve the calf who is staked out in the yard. Every time I looked out, there seemed to be a big branch accompanying his head, along the ground.
Austin confirmed that he was indeed greatly entangled with that branch. He was having difficulty with life while tangled up like that. He seems like a rather stupid creature.
Austin also did a bit of house cleanup and some basketball hoop shooting. I think he feels really hampered with only one functional hand. I know I would.
Thomas and I are heading, with a group, to PA this afternoon, Lord willing. We want to visit a teen Kid's Club evening in session. We are looking for options for the teens we know. Hopefully I'll have something to report on that later.
Thomas and Matthew went to the job this forenoon. The plumbers are there to do their work. This is another job where Thomas needs to fix another contractor's mistakes and finish work another started. It's appalling how many contractors will start and then skip off with the money, leaving the owner in a state of frustration.
All the hampers are full again today. I had emptied all four of them Friday. (I can't remember if ours was empty but pretty near, if not.) I'm sure you can relate if you have five children.
By the way, one pair of 34 length jeans fills the hamper about a quarter full. And 4 or 5 of them fill the washer. Four guys in the family wear that length. (Yes, the family picture on this site is sadly outdated.)
I think lunch wants me. Talk to you later....
Today I am thankful for...
...clothing.
...four wheel drive.
...rice.
