Our Worst Annual Checkup Ever!

Annual checkup time is always stressful and I'm glad it comes only once a year!  This time though, it was even worse than usual!

When I got weighed and the scale showed 143, I said WHAT?  That can't be right!  Granted, I did have on shoes that together weigh 3 lbs., corduroys and a turtleneck under my sweatshirt, but still.  That is a 13 pound difference than my weight at home wearing just my slippers and PJs.  This morning I tested our scale with my 10-lb. weight to see if it is accurate, and it is.  But then, I went ahead and got weighed fully dressed and oops--it showed 140!  Yikes!  Time to cut down on the desserts--the hostess ding dongs, the snowballs and the brownies.  I really don't know how I can possible be more active than I am already, other than playing pickleball three times a week in the mornings.  For that though, I need dry warmer weather consistently.   

The day after, I get a call from the hospital offering to schedule me for a catscan that my doctor ordered.  Again, WHAT!  He mentioned no such thing to me and no, I do not want to schedule one.  This call was so annoying to me because not only due to the content, but because it was a machine calling so I couldn't even talk to a real person.      

One thing we did learn is to always drink some water before going so they can draw blood easily for the lab work and the urine sample.  My husband hadn't drank enough which led to an additional trip to the outpatient building at the hospital after stopping at home to drink a lot of water to rehydrate.  Oh, what a nightmare!  To summarize, he had to wait over an hour and by then he really had to go bad.  Turns out the lab didn't even know he was waiting--something got screwed up when he checked in.  After they did find out, it still took them 20 minutes to get him in and by then he was afraid he'd wet his pants.  Fortunately, he didn't!      

Not only that, but my husband hates needles and in addition to his Pneumonia shot, was poked six times for blood, four at our doctor's office and twice at the hospital.  I felt so bad for him.  My husband only goes for these checkups because he knows I think it's important, but this trip was truly awful.  We spent 4 hours dealing with this annual checkup torture.  He's such a good guy!

On the bright side, there is some good news.  

    (1)  The doctor ordered him that Colonguard test to do at home so he doesn't have to have a colonoscopy!  

    (2)  My blood pressure was 120/80 which is amazing!  Retirement definitely agrees with me.  

    (3)  We got a one-year prescription for our pills that are keeping our cholesterol under control.

Do you go for annual checkups?  If not, don't let this stop you.  It is always helpful if things can be caught early that are wrong and prevention is worth it.  Next up is my annual mammogram.

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7 Benefits of Raspberries--Eat Up!

I like raspberries so I was happy to see they have many benefits such as:

1. They are low in sugar and high in Vitamin C.
2. They contain Maganese which protects against bone demineralization.
3. They contain Omega-3 fatty acids which fight inflammation, increase calcium absorption and help to maintain bone density.
4. They contain anthocyanins (flavonoids) that help improve brain function.
 Because they contain ellagic acid:
5. They promote neurological health.
6. They help to prevent cancer--it can actually kill cancer cells!
7. They prevent wrinkles and inflammation associated with too much sun exposure.

When I was a kid, the neighbors behind our garage had a raspberry bush and they would come through the fence.  I remember eating those and liking them.  We will definitely be including raspberries on my shopping list.  How about you?

Source:  "Build Your Bones With This Berry Delicious Summer Treat" by Vivian Goldschmidt, M.A.

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Changes For My Bone Health

Having decided not to take prescription drugs Fosomax, Actonel and Prolia because of the side effects, I am trying to follow the Save Our Bones Program (click the link to see my review) that Vivian Goldschmidt, MA has put together after much scientific research that prevents and reverses bone loss naturally.  This book has a wealth of information related to building strong bones and has inspired me to make the following changes:

1. Don't take more than 500 mg of calcium and 800 IU of vitamin D-3 at one time because the body can't absorb it.  I used to take 3 of the GNC be-balanced bone strengthening calcium chews at one time (600 mg of bone-building calcium each) but now only take one a day and the Citrical Gummies--two at breakfast and two at supper (500 mg calcium, 500 IU Vitamin D-3 at each meal with food which helps absorb it better).


2. If the sun is shining, I try to get out in it for at least 20 minutes no matter how cold it is.  


3. I switched from drinking tap water to distilled water which is free of a lot of added chemicals.  Sometimes I'll add a tiny bit of lemon juice too.  


4. I discovered from reading her book that there are two categories of foods:  alkalizing and acidifying.  She recommends the optimal balance of eating 80% alkalizing and 20% acidifying.  I liked that she specifically lists where certain foods fall.  For the most part, generally fruits and vegetables are alkalizing but also almonds, Whey Protein Powder, cinnamon, honey, and Almond Milk (I had already switched to Almond milk last year) to name some things that I actually like.


5. Started drinking the Whey protein drink again.  I mix it in my new blender and it tastes good that way.
   


6. Now I buy and eat more fruit.


7. Snack on almonds and celery instead of trail mix.


8. Try not to sit for more than 20 minutes at a time.  This is hard since I am a secretary and have a sit-down job, but I was shocked when I read ". . . Women who spend more than nine hours a day sitting down are 50% more likely to fracture a hip than women who sit for six hours or less in the course of one day."  That's the wake up call I needed to move more and also who inspired me to buy a lectern with some of my Christmas money so I can stand to read more easily when at home.


9. I also have begun exercising daily according to her Densercise e-book which gives specific bone strengthen weight bearing exercises.  She recommends doing fewer reps but for five minutes with 10-20 seconds of rest between sets.

Only time will tell as to if this will strengthen my bones but there are many people who say it worked for them. There are some more things recommended as well, some of which I already do and some that I am not going to worry about. If you have Osteopenia or Osteoporosis, I suggest you check out www.saveourbones.com too!


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Praise The Lord!

God is my Healer!

This is a follow-up post to A Prayer of Faith Heals the Sick that I did about calling on the deacons to pray that my bones would get stronger so I would not have to get the Prolia shots twice a year.  I had a bone density test done last Thursday and when I was walking our dog yesterday, I got a call from the doctor's office on my cell at the park.

I am thrilled to report that it was good news!  There has been some improvement since my last one done a year ago and they just said to continue taking my vitamin D and Calcium supplements.  There was no more mention of that nasty shot which can have very bad side effects.

I will continue with my supplements, but even more will continue to put my faith in my Lord Jesus Christ to continue reversing the Osteoporosis and make my bones strong again.  Thanks for all my friends who prayed for this request!  Prayer is powerful. 

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A Prayer of Faith Heals the Sick

Since my lumpectomy, I have been taking Femara which is supposed to prevent the cancer from returning (so far so good).  However, it seems like this can bring on Osteoporosis which is weak bones.  My Oncologist has been scheduling me for bone density tests which show my bones are weaker than they should be.  She tells me they are more prone to fractures--even without falling.  I feel fine.  I can walk and run without pain (except when I was taking bone strengthening pills which I stopped).

I have another bone density test coming up next week on Thursday.  For those who may not know what a bone density test is, this is like the easiest test ever!  All I do is lay down for about 10-20 minutes.  There is no pain, no needles, no fasting or special drink required.  I am praying that God will reverse this and strengthen my bones so that I do not need to take two shots a year of Prolia which is now what my doctor is recommending.

The Fosomax and the other pill I tried resulted in excruciating pain in my legs and hips.  I could hardly walk and could not even do a jumping jack or bend over to feed the dog without pain.  I couldn't even sleep through the night because I'd wake up from pain in my legs and hips.  I felt like I was 90 years old.  These were pills I took once a week.  My doctor says none of her patients experienced the Prolia side effects and that it has helped them; however, the side effects are even worse than the ones from those pills.  With a shot, if I experience bad side effects, I can't just undo the shot which is good for six months! 

My God can easily heal and I am putting my faith in Him.  Last night I asked that the church elders anoint me with oil and pray for my healing according to the instructions in James 5:14-15 which says:

If one of you is sick, he should call the church's elders.  The elders should pour oil on him in the name of the Lord and pray for him.  And the prayer that is said with faith will make the sick person well.  The Lord will heal him.  And if he has sinned, God will forgive him.

I love that God has given us such a clear course of action to take.  Seven elders (deacons) prayed for me last night.  Recently, I came across these verses in Proverbs 3:7-8 that I am encouraged by which say:

Don't depend on your own wisdom.  Respect the Lord and refuse to do wrong.  Then your body will be healthy.  And your bones will be strong.  (ICB)

I believe in God and in the power of prayer.  When I was diagnosed with breast cancer July of 2009, I called for the elders of the church to pray for me then too as well as many others, including some of my blogging buddies.  So, once again, I would appreciate all the prayer I can get if you believe in the power of God like I do.

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How is Your Blood Pressure?

Image source:  Vaughn's Summaries

Blood pressure is always a mystery to me.  I don't understand really what affects it nor why it fluctuates so much.  All I know is that I mine has been improving and last week when I had it checked it's lower than it's been in a very long time.  When a did a "good search" I found this nice little chart giving meaning to the numbers.  For a long time I was just at the borderline of high normal and hpertension, but now I am solidly in the normal range at 122/70!  Yippee!  I was careful not too eat anything during the 2 1/2 hours before my appointment, and have cut out my salty nut snack, changing over to unsalted peanuts to munch for a snack.  I don't know if these little changes made a difference or not, but the only things I did any differently than before. At least I felt good about this, not so good about the doctor telling me I should get two shots a year of Prolia.

How is your blood pressure?

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5 Friday Fragments (time, health, aging, life)

Friday Fragments is hosted by Half Past Kissin' Time for bloggers to post a list of short things on their minds that aren't really enough for a whole post to give Mrs. 4444 a break for the summer. Here we go:

Daylight Savings Time

When I googled "When do we set our clocks back in 2013?" I discovered that Arizona and Hawaii do not change their clocks for daylight savings time. I thought that was strange.

No Ballot

Gerard and I both requested ballots to vote by mail. I got mine but he never got his;wonder what's up with that. Fortunately everything he was going to vote for passed.

Department of Aging

I got my Golden Buckeye card this week even though I don't turn 60 until next month. (It's a discount card for 60+ people in Ohio).  My hubby wants to get me something special for my birthday, but I can't think of anything I want other than just a fun day with him.  I do not need more clothes, or an iphone or anything else.  You know you are old when you are hard to buy for. 

Yellow Flags

When we got home from work yesterday, there were little yellow flags in our yard and some of our neighbors yards apparently showing where the gas lines were. Don't know why they are there though.

Prayer Request

I don't usually ask others to pray for me, but I am struggling with a health issue, actually a treatment option for my osteoporosis. I'd like prayer that God would reverse the weakness in my bones and completely restore my health and strong bones before my next bone density test on Nov. 21. Getting two shots a year of Prolia is what my doctor recommends. Going that route seems to be relying on my own wisdom and not on God, plus it has some bad side affects. I experienced bad side affects of other bone strengthening medication before and do not want to go through that again.

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5 Friday Fragments (food, humor, heart attack, blogging, computer)

Friday Fragments is hosted my Half-Past Kissin' Time for bloggers to post a list of short things on their minds that aren't really enough for a whole post. Here we go:

Alternative Cooking

I heard of a new way to make a grilled cheese sandwich: turn the toaster on its side, insert two slices of bread, one with cheese on it and put them together when it pops out. I haven't tried this yet because I would think the cheese would get all over the toaster when it melted, but I may have to update my video: Making a Grilled Cheese Sandwich Without a Stove.

Ambrosia

At my Sunday morning Bible study, I had a delicious treat called ambrosia and the best part is that it's easy enough for even me to make! Yes, I'm going to give it a try and will post about it. The main ingredient is whipped cream and all you do is mix in some pineapple chunks, pistachio pudding mix, marshmallows, chopped nuts, and some cherries if you like.

Heart Attack Symptoms for Women

This is a humorous video with an important message:

Find out how this video may have just saved a life at Go Red For Women.  The symptoms are shortness of breath, nausea, chest pressure, aches, dizziness, and jaw pain.  This video is probably how I would be.  We put off calling 9-1-1 because we think it's nothing and we'll be fine.

Feeling Guilty

I keep telling myself that I do not have to post something every day, but when I don't, I feel a bit guilty. Especially when I have ideas in my mind about things I could do. I just don't always have the time. I could have done a good post with Mama Kat's prompt about a ride in a limo, but just didn't get to it in time. Thursday morning I linked up an old post about an Easter memory from our "My Funny Dad, Harry" blog (Easter was Great Except For the Stupid Hats) and spent some time tweaking the layout. The gadget with the links across the top wasn't letting me delete the one that is no longer working--what a waste of time that was! Then I didn't have time to visit my usual blog buddies.

New Computer

I got a new computer at work--they replace them every three years! My new monitor is huge! At home, I am still using the emachine PC that I got for my dad in 2006. I hesitate getting a new one because I dread reloading all the software and I don't even know if my anti-virus program would be transferable. I feel so ignorant when it comes to technology now.

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7 Friday Fragments

Friday Fragments is hosted my Half-Past Kissin' Time for bloggers to post a list of short things on their minds that aren't really enough for a whole post. Here we go:

☻Last Saturday when we visited The Pleasant Care Center at Legacy Place, one of the residents told me how much she enjoyed reading My Funny Dad, Harry (the book I wrote in his memory). She isn't a reader and usually doesn't finish books, but she had a hard time putting this one down and loved it. She even enjoyed reading about his cats and she isn't a cat lover. It makes me so happy when I hear people enjoyed the book and feel as though they knew my dad too. He was a wonderful man! The book is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Click the link to read customer reviews (21). It comes in paperback or available on Kindle.

☻ Work was crazy hectic this week so I feel very productive.

☻ The sun has been shining most of this week AND temperatures are back on the rise! I feel so much better when the sun is out!

☻Our dog, Abby, is getting ten laser therapy treatments to help rebuild cells in her hips and knees to lessen the pain of her arthritis. The sessions are short and painless. We have a short video I'll get posted one of these days.

☻ Our church is doing the NOT A FAN DVD study. Some of the questions in the journal we are supposed to do every day are very pointed and really helps me reflect on my relationship with Jesus; on the other hand, some things like imagining him sitting next to me and sing a song to him are pretty ridiculous. I'm trying to do everything they suggest to give it a fair shot and try to get as much from it as I can. Are you familiar with this study? If so, we would like to hear your thoughts about it.

☻

I go for blood work tomorrow in preparation for my bone and CT scan--the insurance will cover it. Oh, and I got a new prescription from my doctor that is supposed to help strengthen my bones: Actonel. The good news is that I only have to take it once a month! I'll take it the same day I give my pets their revolution so I'll remember it.

☻ The audio book Gerard is listening to and loving this week is "The Fifth Witness" by Michael Connelly.

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7 Things We Learned This Week (feet, health, photography, dogs, blogging, safety, tragedy)

Friday Fragments is hosted my Half-Past Kissin' Time for bloggers to post a list of short things on their minds that aren't really enough for a whole post. Here we go:

1. Feet

   
   
   
   As we get older, we need a bigger size shoe because our arches tend to fall. I used to be a 6 1/2 for the longest time but now wear a 7 or even in some shoes a 7 1/2. The shoe saleswoman at Lucky Shoes told us this tidbit when Gerard bought a new pair of tennis shoes in a size bigger than what he used to get.

2. Annual Checkup

   Our doctor said Gerard has perfect anatomy and used his collarbone to demonstrate to his intern a procedure for inserting a catheter. He marked up his neck while showing her.  It was also the first time my blood pressure was lower than Gerard's.  In fact, I think I set a record low at 110!

3. Photography Tips

   

   Sunrise on way to my bus stop

   
   I found 8 Tips for Photographing Sunrises and Sunsets by by photographer Rob Sheppard over at National Wildlife (www.nwf.org). A couple that stood out to me were to (1) check your white balance setting and change it too "cloudy" or "sunny" instead; have the horizon at the bottom of your shot or not at all to show the sky; (3) take some shots before, during and after since the colors change, and (4) use your zoom with a wide angle view.

4. Dog of Kings

   When playing Freekibble, I discovered a dog breed I never heard of before--Kuvasz. It's a big, strong, white furry dog called a dog of kings. Check the link to learn more and see the picture.

5. ATM

   Over at Jodi's Journey I learned that if a robber forces you to withdraw money from an ATM, you can notify police by entering your PIN backwards!

6. Scheduling Calendar

   Blogger took my suggestion and revised the calendar for scheduling posts to have the week start with Sunday as most calendars do. (It used to start with Monday.)

7. Tragedy

   Our youth minister's parents and sisters live in Colorado Springs and had to evacuate due to the wildfire there. They most likely will lose their home!

(We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during June and July to The Wounded Warrior Project which helps wounded warriors and their families returning from current conflicts.)

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4 Things We Learned This Week (health, Marines NJ)

Friday Fragments is hosted my Half-Past Kissin' Time for bloggers to post a list of short things on their minds that aren't really enough for a whole post. Here we go:

Modern-Day Cannon--Marine's biggest weapon!

1. Cats and Health

   Having cats are amazingly good for your health - lowering blood pressure; stress, fewer strokes, heart attacks and less depression!

2. 

   There were signs like this at each different vehicle

   Marines

   This was "Marine week," I learned that (1) most Marines like their camouflage uniforms best, (2) missiles can be fired with computers inside the truck, (3) the U.S. technology for weapons is very advanced, (4) it takes a missile to blow up a tank, (5) the biggest missile launcher that looks like a modern-day cannon can go as far as 2.6 miles. Watch for my post about Marine Week in Cleveland coming up soon! 



High Artillery Rocket System--fires rocket from inside truck with computer

3. 25th Anniversary

   Today is my 25th anniversary at work--the firm gave me a big basket of flowers that I put on our porch (because the cats would chew on the leaves) and a gift card!

4. New Jersey

   When playing Freekibble this week, I learned that in New Jersey, dogs riding in cars must use a seat belt! It's a $1,000 fine if they are not strapped in! Abby is glad we do not live in New Jersey.

(We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during June and July to The Wounded Warrior Project which helps wounded warriors and their families returning from current conflicts.) Share this:

Getting the Most out of My Walk

Did you know dogs make excellent personal trainers?  It is a very important job to keep our humans in good shape.  My strong suit is cardio.  This video only shows a small part of my walk. Mommy came along to take pictures of the disc golf course  I showed her at the park (which she posted about yesterday).  Then on the way home, I showed her how I usually go. Now she understands why my walks take so long, usually an hour or more. I think my mommy should come along with us all the time and she'd get in great shape real quick, even if she does take some shortcuts. I knew she was anxious to get home so I skipped going over by the soccer field even though I usually do that too. I hope you like the video--I had a great time making it!  If you do not have a dog, please consider getting one.  This is just one of the many benefits you receive.

Find other pet posts or link up yours at Pet Pride with Bozo.

(We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during June and July to The Wounded Warrior Project which helps wounded warriors and their families returning from current conflicts.)

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7 Good Health Habits I Actually Have

Karen Golfing at Shawnee Hill Golf Course

I came across this video by Dr. Oz last week sharing 7 Habits of Thin People and thought I measured up pretty well. Below is a list of the points he mentions and how I measure up:

1. Exercise before breakfast. I have found that this is the best time for me to get exercise into my day and was happy to see that it is on this list! I’ve been doing just about 15 min. of in-home exercises before I get dressed. That way, I get it in!

2. Eat small meals through the day rather than big ones. No kidding! This is just common sense and I usually do this. At the fitness class I am currently in, the one nutritionist told us that we should use the 95-5% rule which is that if we eat right and do what we should 95% of the time, then it is okay to go ahead and splurge 5% of the time. For me, a normal week consists of three small meals a day with a couple morning snacks. I only have one big meal once a week on the weekend when we go out to eat breakfast. Even that one, I cut down from what I used to eat at Hometown Buffet since we switched to Denney’s.

3. Eat slower and savor your food. I do savor my food but could probably eat even a little slower. Gerard eats slower than I do because he generally reads while he eats.

4. Eat breakfast every day! I love breakfast and have no problem with this at all. I actually look forward to breakfast. It makes sense to eat more calories at the beginning of the day to fuel up so that you have energy during the day to do things and time to burn them up before going to bed.

5. Weigh-in regularly and journal progress. Well, I do check my weight at least once a week. I used to journal my progress when I worked out at the gym, which I’ve pretty much stopped doing. I just got tired of it and decided to exercise at home instead and just try getting more active during the summer.

6. Have a fitness hobby outside of the gym. I really like this one because it’s more fun. I look forward to playing tennis and walking more again as the weather gets warmer. Maybe I'll even get some golf in this summer--it's good exercise because we don't use golf carts when we go!

7. Drink lots of water (32-64 oz.) is what I’ve been told. I do good on this Monday through Saturday but should really increase my intake on Sunday. For some reason, I just don’t think about it as much on Sunday.

How do you measure up?

(50 cents per legitimate comment during May goes to Joni and Friends for family retreat scholarships for those having special needs children.)

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4 Things We Learned This Week 13 of 2012 (health, blogging, jobs, calendar)

 

Friday Fragments is hosted my Half-Past Kissin' Time for bloggers to post a list of short things on their minds that aren't really enough for a whole post. We like to share what we've learned each week.

1. My Waist Grew

   I found out my black jeans are too tight on me! I couldn't even get them zipped! YIKES! When I measured my waist, I was shocked to see it was five inches bigger than I expected!

2. Commenting

   I couldn't leave a comment at Should Be Reading for my weekly teaser this week--it said I had to sign in and it didn't work when I tried signing in using my Twitter account.

3. Skip Tracer

   
   From reading Deceit by Brandilyn Collins, I learned that a skip tracer is someone who finds people that are missing using all sorts of special ways on the computer. This was a good book about hypocrites and deceit. (Follow the link above to my review).

4. Calendar

   
   My plan to re-use my old 2006 Day-by-Day calendar with the cute cat pictures for my desk at home didn't work out so well. I just noticed yesterday that the dates are off because this year had 29 in February and in 2006 there were only 28 days in February. I'll have to go through my other years and see what matches up with the current date. I saved them to re-use because the pictures were so cute!

(50 cents per legitimate comment during March goes to The American Cancer Society by sponsoring Mrs 4444 and Lucky Lady in The Race For Life.) Share this:

6 Things We Learned This 7th Week of 2012 (scrub, technology, marriage, death)

Friday Fragments is hosted my Half-Past Kissin' Time for bloggers to post a list of short things on their minds that aren't really enough for a whole post. We like to share what we've learned each week.

1. Cereal

   
   Gerard's new favorite cereal is KRAVE. He found a coupon for it so decided to give it a try because it sounded good. It's little squares of crisp multi-grain outside with real chocolate inside. He loves it and eats it for supper and also snacks on it dry right out of the box.  There's a double chocolate kind too.

2. Scrub

   We just buy hand lotion, but at my Women of Wonder (W.O.W.) meeting I learned that some people actually make what is called a "scrub" to put on rough skin to soften it. At the meeting, we mixed some brown sugar and oil and some chocolate together to make a concoction for a scrub. This was foreign to me, but I wasn't the only one. Do you make scrubs?

3. QR Codes

   I never heard of a QR code until I read Cracking The Code over at Half-Past Kissin' Time last Saturday. There is a site where you can make one. Apparently it's some kind of app for the smartphone which takes you to a website. Go read the post to learn more about it.

4. Bedroom Closet

   My husband told me he'd like the bedroom closet for his stuff. I thought that was a reasonable request because at the time I had my wardrobe and shared the closet too. I moved my coats and jackets that I had in the computer room closet to the front entry way closet and then the dresses, blazers and sweaters I had in my bedroom closet to the computer room closet. No problem.

5. Two Deaths

   It's always sad to learn of famous people dying that we like and feel as though we know. This past week Whitney Houston died and it was all over the news and Twitter and blogs, but I saw this video posted by one of my friends on Facebook and want to share it because it expresses my feelings to a degree about how we show partiality to the famous. All life is valuable. My first thought after "How sad" when someone dies is "I wonder if they knew Jesus." 



6. Energy Saver

   I learned that DirectTV now has an energy saver setting for the cable box that after four hours of inactivity, the cable box shuts off. To turn it back on, all I need to do is press that "info" button and the show comes right on. Someone needs to tell the customer service reps and the technicians there about this. When I called they acted like something was wrong with my box and told me to run a system test. Duh!

 (50 cents per legitimate comment goes to Caroline's Kids Pet Rescue for February in honor of cat appreciation month!)

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4 Things We Learned Week 4 of 2012 (reviews, money milk, Facebook)

Friday Fragments are just some items that aren't substantial enough for an entire post and is hosted by Mrs4444 over at Half-Past Kissin' time where you can find more and link up your own.

1. Amazon Book Review

   I was thrilled to learn that Beth Ann from It's Just Life read My Funny Dad, Harry and loved it. Not only did she make my day by letting me know that in an email which gave me a lift that I needed, but she also reviewed it on Amazon: "A Daughter's Memories of a Wonderful Dad." Whenever I really enjoy a book, I will review it on Amazon (and sometimes on Barnes and Noble) because I know how good it makes the author feel. Here's my stats for my reviews: Reviews written: 286, Reviewer rank: 4,741, Helpful votes: 332 of 420.

2. Practical Plan for Getting Out of Credit Debt

   Last Sunday our Pastor continued preaching on financial fitness based on what the Bible says about money and shared a very practical 3-step plan on how to dump credit card debt. I thought this might be helpful to a lot of people, so plan to post about it next week.

3. Milk

   
   In our W.O.W. meeting in January, we had a certified fitness instructor/Physical Education teacher speak about good nutrition and exercise. She recommended the almond milk over regular dairy milk so I tried it and it tastes good!

4. Bartels and Busack Pet Hospital

   This is the place that saved our dog, Abby. They are so impressed with how well she is doing and the great progress she made since being attacked that they are going to post about her case on their Facebook page. Yea for Abby, our "miracle" dog!  Thank you, Dr. Busack!

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What Is Your Healthiest Habit?

Many people are concerned about their health and especially at the beginning of the year, one of the most common resolutions relate to health such as exercise, get fit, lose weight, eat healthier, etc. That is why I thought this little quiz would be appropriate. I was curious to see what my healthiest habit is.

Although I eat pizza 3 days a week, I only eat two slices a day.  Believe me when I say, I could easily eat the whole pizza at one sitting.  This takes a lot of will power on my part, but I do it.  I am pleased to say I think it came out accurate for me:

Your Healthiest Habit is Practicing Moderation

You don't think that anything can kill you in small amounts. You believe it's all about balance. You are willing to engage in unhealthy habits occasionally. After all, they are a lot of fun! Some may criticize your moderate approach, but it's very sustainable. You're into being healthy for the long haul, and you know that extremes only lead to trouble.

What's Your Healthiest Habit?

Click the link to take the quiz to find out what your healthiest habit is and share your results in the comments.

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9 Things We Learned This Week (blogging, movies, reading,news, gifts, sports, health)

Funniest Christmas Present

Over at Mr. Puddy Merry Christmas and Happy New Year post, he demonstrated playing with his new toy: video games for cats on his iPuddy! It's hilarious! Now even our pets will have to work at staying active and not becoming addicted to video games!

Number Pad Does More Than Just Numbers

By holding down the ALT key and typing in numbers on the number pad at the right of the computer keyboard, you can get a whole lot of different special characters, symbols and even letters! See a whole list of ASCII Code List for Numpad Characters at CHEXED. Here are a few I might use: ♥ (alt-3), § (alt-21, Section sign), ► (alt-16), ♫ (alt-14).

Kindness In the News

Last Saturday in the PLAIN DEALER I read some 'Layaway angels" people who actually paid off individual layaway accounts that were full of toys to help out families they didn't even know. I thought that was so wonderful!

One guy at the Walmart in Cleveland Heights paid off $1,000 layaway account and bought $1,000 worth of $50 gift cards, gave them to his school age children to hand them out randomly to customers throughout the store! I love it! What a generous and wonderful thing to do and to allow the children to experience the joy of giving as well! As if that wasn't enough, the guy came back and paid off $1,700 of the store's layaway accounts.

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Color Is Good--Eat Healthy!

This is an email that Louise over at Country Pictures sent to me that I think is so good, I want to share it with my readers.

COLOR IS GOOD Yesterday I went to the doctor For my yearly physical. My blood pressure was high. My cholesterol was high. I'd gained some weight, and I didn't feel so hot. My doctor said eating right doesn't have to be complicated and it would solve my physical problems. He said: Just think in colors. Fill your plate with bright colors. Try some greens, oranges, reds, maybe something yellow, etc. and eat an entire bowl of bright colors. And Sure Enough, I Felt Better Immediately !! I never knew eating right could be so easy !! Now stay healthy, eat your colors, and have a nice day!

Are you a healthy eater? This cartoon shows the way I think!

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Eye Doctor Trip Is Birthday Downer

Necktie from Abby (our dog)--Yup, that's me on his tie! Woof!  Woof!

I never minded going to the eye doctor because it was painless and I would get new glasses so I could see better if I needed them.  Saturday was Gerard's 59th birthday and he said I should go ahead and make our eye appointments for that day.  The year is almost over so to get the benefit of our eye care insurance, we had to get before the end of the year.

We both got our eyes dilated and had to wear sunglasses because it was a nice sunny day.  The bad news was that on the one test, Gerard flunked!  The doctor said his peripheral vision on the right side didn't exist and referred him to another doctor.  This news did not set well and Gerard's initial reaction was "I just won't go."

After talking to the doctor myself, she said his eyes were healthy but . . . the peripheral vision problem could be something neurologically wrong so "make sure he goes."  The book we read, Left Neglected by Lisa Genova immediately came to mind.

This is difficult to accept, but I told him it was just like if I had said I wouldn't go see the surgeon that our doctor referred me to when the mammogram indicated I had breast cancer.  I mentioned how great it was to have those three months off from work with full pay after my surgery!

Fortunately, I guess that convinced him to go because he said I should make the appointment for the last week of this month when we are off work.  I just hope the doctor isn't taking off that week too between Christmas and New Year's.  From now on, we are not making any more doctor appointments on our birthdays!

People should go to the eye doctor every year because even if you can see, sometimes they can discover other problems from a thorough eye exam, including diabetes for one.  Have you gone this year? 

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