Taking a Step...................Back

I'm a fixer....or at least I think I am.  I like to fix what's broken, stop something from breaking or harm the one who facilitated the break; kind of Olivia Pope-ish!  That all began back in 1979 around Valentine's Day!  It's kind of a gift while also being a huge cross to bear!  Having the means to fix the little things like scraped knees and broken toys was the easy part. Anguishing over failed projects and heart wrenching breakups is gut-wrenching and wrinkle inducing. With one child, it's a constant tug of war over whose life it is. Who knows best and who thinks with a level head.... That would be me.  With the other, it's a case of wanting a pain free life with the ability to give as much joy as I receive.
With one it's the open appreciation for the guidance, support and stability I have given.  For the other, it's often unappreciated financial and moral support with the ground rules I have set. That one is my mistake.  
If the situations only involved the children (mine), the rules would be drastically changed. Now, each game has a child involved and my strings are pulled tighter and my vision focused in their direction.   What I must remember is that these are NOT my children. I struggle with this daily and pray about it nightly.  I have managed to make a list (Thanks Dad) of the things I must work on....My Don't (Dwelling on negative things) list, if you will:

1. Don't use financial support to control my kids.......Guilty as sin!
2. Don't offer advice when it isn't requested......Then what the hell would we talk about!
3. Don't push a child in a career path that they don't like just because it pays well and provides stability......Why the hell not! DUH
4. Don't ask probing questions about their lives....How else will I know?
5. Don't overdo it..........I'm so dead with this one!
6. Don't judge everything their mate does.........or doesn't do.....or does pathetically wrong..  Bury me!

So basically I'm intelligent enough to know what the heck I'm doing wrong and stupid enough to not fight my way past it. The answer most likely lays in the the premise of asking for permission to provide advice.   That would mean I would have to respect their answer...regardless. If they prefer to work through it without my seasoned opinion, I'm not sure what I'd do.  I was always taught two things; there are NO stupid questions and never ask a question for which you don't know the answer.
Minding my own business might alleviate the problem!  
Well, that only took 64 years!

Easter 2016

Another Easter in the books. No egg hunt for us this year.  Hard to get everybody together in one spot with families' sharing time and bodies.  Maybe next year when Jett will be walking and can navigate the grounds at EIEIO. We had a great dinner at Aunt Kim's. The usual, yummy fare of ham, taters, veggies, salads and amazing desserts. I did steal the tiniest of slivers of carrot cake...my first sweet treat in a month!  To top off a great day, the SU Orange women and men each defeated a higher seed and made their way into the Final Four.  Quite a feat for both teams!!!!

My Plan

Yep, this is my plan for today.... All of the below including:

-Lunch with the girls

-Lunch with my beautiful daughter in law to be

-lunch with my handsome grandson

-some time with 2 of my favorite grands tonight

-relaxing TV tonight

and

-Keeping my sugar levels.......level

Shouldn't be all that tough!

   

Spring has Sprung

Spring has Sprung here at EIEIO.  Everybody is in the mating and laying mode....well almost everybody.  Some of us choose not to have our feathers ruffled. Old age has its privileges.  The barn is in full "spring" with ducks, chickens and Original, our turkey all laying.  The only gal in the barn who hasn't produced an egg (at least that we've found) is Penny our peacock (actually we should be calling her our penhen.)  She is the only one who has taken flight to come and go from the pen as she sees fit.  She quite likes napping at the foot of the house steps (in the garage) and also enjoys pooping on the stoop as well.  Birds are not trainable......at least in the defecating sense.  Lee thinks he's going to train Baby, our goose, to ride with him in the golf cart.  I'm thinking he has way too much free time!

                                               

Original decided to peck through the screen in the barn into the feed room.  She laid 2 eggs there in relative peace and quiet, I presume. I guess everyone is entitled to their own delivery room. With no more Crispy, they're really only good for eating...or this week for dying.  We might just have the coolest Easter eggs ever this year......at least the largest.

It's time to think about mates. Baby and Penny need a man. I'm not sure about Original as they say that it's not easy to get baby turkeys without artificially inseminating them.... Way beyond our knowledge, desire and checkbook.  Our Hobby Farm is already deeply entrenched in the red.  If we could only find a way to grow something worthwhile with the bird poop, we'd be rich....Regardless, we love the crows of our 3 resident roosters, Sammy, Tyson and Steve Harvey, the chirps of Original, our turkey and the mule sounds (no kidding) that Penny braes. Now, if we could only see some baby eaglets soon, spring would definitely have sprung!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

                                                    
                                     AND THE FUN BEGINS !!

Bloody Mess

I have never been a fan of roller coasters. Rode one once and it was enough to last a lifetime. But...now I find myself riding one every day and it takes a little getting used to.  This diagnosis of diabetes has changed my lifestyle just a hair.... a big, thick, long, tangled hair!  It began a couple of weeks ago when I got the call that my a1c level plopped me into the diabetes (pre-maybe.) My Dr. put me on meds twice a day with the encouragement to change my eating habits. I knew that someday my eclair for lunch and smarties for snacks would catch up to me.  They caught me.  The weirdest part is that I didn't feel bad until I started to take the meds. So, adjusting my food choices has helped. The absence of snow has helped and the meds (now down to one a day) are supposedly helping.  I opted to test twice a day to see where I truly was on the blood sugar scale.  I've read several books and articles and they ALL have a different normal range. I prefer this one as I have always tested in this range so far!

Today I am giving myself a big "Atta Girl" as I am 2 weeks sweet free.....No cookies, candies, ice cream or treats of any kind.....except kisses from my grands which are totally enough to push me over the edge but I maintain!!!
I realize that this isn't just a diet of the usual fad kind.  It's going to be the new norm for me.  Which, in itself, will be interesting as there's never really been anything normal about me....so I've been told ;-)  I'm trying to acclimate myself to the daily roller coaster.  Up in the morning and down at night. Now that the days are longer.. (yes I realize they still contain 24 hours,) I might be able to grab a little walk after dinner...that might help. My knees are really arguing with me about the walking thing.  One used to do most of the talking but now they're fighting with each other. Uneven ground is their nemesis and we're surrounded by it. Dodging my feathered friends' feces makes for even rougher terrain but we'll get the job done.  I may have to cross the road and wander with the coyotes for an evening walk.  I guess if I have to start eating trees, I might as well learn to walk among them.
Old dog + new tricks = a grouchier senior citizen! This could get bloody!
                                                                   

Stuck in the Middle (Story 2)

I like to believe that every single family has it's share of dysfunction.  It makes me feel less flawed.  It's not that I wish discord of any sort on anyone but being related doesn't necessarily mean you relate.
For nine and a half long years I have had one grandchild and she has had one Grandma....  Win/win in our case.  I've been blessed to see her often and share her good days, bad days and any days!!!!  For the last several months, It seems that every time I'd like to spend time with her, her Mom prefers that she stay home.  That makes me sad.  We've had some pretty heated discussions about it, especially since her Mom has a new job and works second shift. I try to only ask for her when her Mom is working.

Not much gets by an inquisitive, intelligent nine year old. Although I'm generally on the other end of the phone line, she gets it.  When she is with me, I'll tell her how happy I am that she's here and how sad I feel when she can't visit.  It's my own little pity party and I probably over share.  She'll rub my arm, kiss my cheek and say, "Well I'm here now!"  Who's the adult I think to myself.

The other day we were discussing Easter.  Holidays and birthdays are pretty big in our world.  Spoiling isn't mandatory or expected but it's my choice and a right of grand-parenthood.  I asked what she might like in her Easter basket this year.  I could see the wheels turning and I'm always entertained and often amazed by her wants versus her needs.  This time was no exception.  "Grandma, if I could only have one thing for Easter this year........I'd want you and Mom to stop arguing over me!"  You've got it baby.... a whole basket full of it!  No more stuck in the Middle!

Stuck in the Middle (Story 1)

Having been diagnosed with diabetes last week, I REALLY feel I'm stuck firmly in the middle between insurance companies, health professionals and pharmaceutical companies.  There's a defining scale for diabetes called the a1c scale.  Your blood is tested and an average of the past 3 months (which is the time that red blood cells tend to live) is given a number. Because sugar "sticks" to these cells, it gives an idea how much sugar has been around for those past 3 months. Labs differ but most say the normal range is about 4-5.9 (the points are important.)  Mine was 6.6!  So, let's change my diet by reducing sugars and carbs and TAKE A DRUG.  Of course, let's immediately  prescribe something. I sometimes think that doctors have a quota of prescriptions to write just like policeman have their quota of tickets. Most drugs have some kind of side affect. Metformin affects my back side.  Old Faithful has nothing on me the past week!  Also, when I went in for my BP check and had blood work too, I felt fine......not so much this week. So, I have decided, on the heels of a persuasive chat with my health care office, that I will try to cut sweets (with the exception of special occasions and 10:00 p.m.), reduce carbs while still eating as usual and add lunch to my daily routine.
I did get a glucose test kit yesterday. Random glucose testing in the normal range is 70-125.  Last night before dinner I was  65....until I turned the meter right side up and realized it was a good 95. This morning before breakfast, I was 119. I am now taking the drug with supper and skipping the breakfast dose. So far, so good and it will last twice as long.... Nothing gets past me.
Now for the stuck in the middle dilemma.  My a1c # was 6.6.  My health care provider said that was in the diabetic range and we needed to add drugs.  My pharmacist said she really believed that 7 was the start for drugs and believed that diet and exercise could alleviate the need..  Wait a minute, who's the drug pusher here?  I realize that everyone's health issues are totally exclusive and should be treated differently due to lifestyle but if you were on the lesser end of the scale, wouldn't it seem prudent to begin with changes that didn't include medications that might alter other factors in your body like the immediate evacuation of everything that went in the top rapidly coming out the bottom.  Just sayin'
Now, I personally, have dilemma #2 ( and I use the term loosely....v-e-r-y loosely.)  I have quite a bit of my stock portfolio sitting in pharmeceutical companies.  I want them to make money. They do so by selling drugs.....................to people like me who really aren't sure if they actually need them.  A real Catch-22!
Education is the key I believe. I've tried to read all that's available and learn all I can about this silent disease...What I've ended up doing is reading 2-3 articles about the same issue and then believing what facts are the same.... Scales differ, numbers differ, diagnoses differ, scripts differ and so on... So when I find that 3 or more agree on something, that's my norm.  I can do this but many can't and don't. They take everything a health care provider says as gospel.  I'm trying to find my own path...right now, it's eating regularly, a bit of exercise (which is more than none,) cutting back to maybe one sweet a day and taking the shit pill only once a day.  I'm hoping strongly that my stocks will still be valuable and I'm looking into investing in PG...they make Charmin:-)

SPRING FORWARD....early:-)

Spring before March 21st?  Turning our clocks ahead before April?  Yes Please!  Next weekend our lights won't have to come on before 7:30 and the following week, it'll be Spring....regardless of the weather.  Two huge reasons that we put up with mud.  The Easter Bunny arrives, the woodchucks crawl out of their sleepy homes...(won't the ones across from the Glen have a rude awakening...literally?), we might not be in our recliners by 7 and maybe, just maybe, we'll stay outdoors a bit more. Sometimes, the very things we have absolutely no control over, are good things!

It all happens because the number of days in a year isn’t even. A year lasts 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds. Call it 365.2422 days. If only the year were 11 minutes longer, or 365.25000 days, we could simply add one day every fourth year and take care of the fraction forever.

But because Earth spins a hair less than 365 ¼ times per year, we must sometimes omit that extra once‑every‑four‑year day, and that’s what creates all this fussing. Skip three leap years every four centuries and you’re accurate to one day in about 3300 years. (We even deal with THAT little glitch by skipping February 29 in the year 4000.)

A calendar that doesn’t accurately divide days into the year starts going weirdly out of sync. Seasons start happening at odd times. In the previous Julian calendar (where all century years were leap years) the annual 11‑minute error accumulated to where equinoxes were happening around March 11. The Easter Bunny was hopping around in the snow!

The present calendar takes care of everything. This leap year will make 2016 have the earliest seasons of our lives (thus far!).

Sugar High

Well it appears I am on a continual sugar high.  Not the best news to get from your Doctor but at least I'm not pregnant!  It's manageable with diet, exercise and meds.... Probably 3 of my most disliked words.
So, today I begin reading the back of almost everything and anything that might go in my mouth. I love to read but this is gonna be a pain in the ass.  Although, if I do begin exercising, at least a little, my ass may get smaller... yeah right!  "Keep a journal of what you eat." By the time I write down what I'm eating, read the labels of everything I plan to eat, I'll be so hungry I'll want to eat my journal.  45 -60 carbs at every meal.  Crap... that means I can only eat breakfast!  I like water but I also like milk and diet Pepsi.  The diet Pepsi no longer has aspartame so that's a good thing but if I cut back on the milk, my old bones will get brittle and break and I won't be able to exercise. This whole watch your food intake thing is a giant catch-22!  I'm kind of thinking I should have started this lifestyle a long time ago.  I'm not looking forward to it...... I love carbs.. I love potatoes, I love bread, I love crackers and I love chocolate.

On the flip side of this, I just said my good byes to my sister in law who died from diabetes............She had diabetes but she really suffered ( and died) from the side affects; poor circulation, heart issues, nerve issues, poor eyesight, kidney failure and a multitude of lesser affects.

I'm ahead of the game! I do not smoke, I drink socially and in very low volume.  If I were told I could never have another drink, I'd be fine with it!   Quitting chocolate, is "a whole nother" ballgame!

There are two big reasons that this whole deal is doable.... and they call me Grandma!  I can do this♥

Happy Birthday Ted :-)

  I'm a little partial to rhyming as my family can attest.  

A funny quip, a holiday poem, an Easter basket quest. 

My favorite man could make the world a rhyme for any use. 

His name they say, on his birthday, was the wonderful Dr. Seuss!

It's never too early (or too late) to read to your kids...in my case, my grandkids. I read to Bailee from the second she arrived and she is a master reader.  She reads way ahead of her grade level and reads with inflection.  A less than interesting story can turn enjoyable when read, out loud, with inflection.  Let's just say, it's "inflectious!"  Hey, if "meh" can be a word, so can inflectious!

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go."

- I Can Read With My Eyes Shut! (1978)

Life is good!