I Can See Clearly Now

All week long my eyes seemed to be getting better and better.  I had a one week checkup with the eye surgeon and he said all was healing as it should and that I was good to resume all activities.  There is a bit of cloudiness on the left eye but that is minor and will probably clear up.  If it does not, he seemed to think he could polish it and that would take care of the problem, if it is a problem.  I am so delighted to be able to drive again and to actually see road signs and not feel as if the windows needed to be cleaned every time I got in the car.  My balance seems to be much better, I don’t feel “off” anymore and am sleeping like a baby again.  So many things were really out of sync that I almost didn’t know they were until they weren’t.  It really is good to see clearly now and I would say it is the best I have seen in a very long time.  Ah, life is good.

Big week this week as our oldest grandchild passed his driver’s test so we now have another licensed driver in the family.  What a milestone.  I remember very clearly getting my license and just waiting for the day I could get in the car and just go anywhere I wanted to.  Not sure I have ever actually done that but I do love road trips.  I hope he continues to be as responsible as he has been and has a safe time behind the wheel.  Congratulations Jack.

Gentle Walking this Week

We walked every day roughly our three miles with only one big walk at the end of the week when I joined two pals to walk over the bridge that goes over the Beaufort River to Port Royal.  It is a 6.17 mile walk, as we started from Publix parking lot, travelled over the bridge and then turned around and did it in reverse.  The bridge has what folks here think of as quite a rise in it as it goes over the river.  Compared to the hills of North Hatley it is barely a rise but it is more than we usually have in the Lowcountry.  My friends are going to do the Cooper River Bridge walk in Charleston next weekend so they needed a practice walk.  It was fun for me to join them and have a longer than usual walk in a place that was new and different for me.  However, I have to say that it was incredibly noisy and therefore probably not something I am going to do again with regularity.  I rather like quiet walks where I can hear the birds and not smell gas fumes or have dust thrown in my face as I walk.  I also enjoy walking on the beach and hope to do that again soon.  Managed to play golf quite few days and go to Zumba.  Next week back to Yoga again too and more walking.  This week’s total for six days of walking was 39.72 miles.  Well on my way to over 100 miles for this month and that is with two eye surgeries too.  A day of rest is required!

Visitors from Canada

March is the month that many friends decide to come south for a little sunshine to get themselves through the spring and to when the warm weather finally shows up in the north.  We had friends come from Canada to stay at nearby Hilton Head so Monday I went there with my friend Genie to play golf.  We had a wonderful day.  It was windy and sunny and a little chilly but not unreasonable for a golf day.  We had a lovely time.  On Wednesday, they came over to see our place at Dataw and it was fun to show it off.  After all we have been through with the hurricane cleanup it is really special to drive around the island with people who have never been here and to show it off.  It was a perfect day, in the 70’s and we took the golf cart around the island, had a very nice lunch in the pub and a visit to the ruins and to the Historical Museum.  The island has recovered very well and even though we are still cleaning up trees it is not so evident anymore and it is usually just one tree that is quickly removed.  Most all of the stumps have disappeared too which helps with the cleanup.  So glad they came for a visit and hope they will come again.

This weekend brings more Canadians to visit.  We have lots of plans for golf and dinners so it should be fun and the weather is spectacular right now.  We even have the gardens done and the geraniums are in their pots and on the patio.  Spring has arrived!

Puppies and Kittens

We marked the end of puppy school this week and are very pleased with how Winchester did in his classes.  No big diploma or graduation ceremony.  It wasn’t that kind of class but it certainly was a good class for socialization and learning to be a good puppy when introduced to new things and people.  He is always exhausted after class, it takes a great deal of concentration on his part and on his human’s too.  Not too sure what the next step will be but for now he gets to be on break for a little while.  As far as I know there aren’t any kitten classes.  The girls are growing, slowly, and are getting into lots of things that kittens get into.  This week brought a broken lamp in the living room.  I wasn’t too happy about that but no one was hurt and the lamp is repaired but without its pretty glass base.  At some point I may try and get the base replaced but for now it looks just like a modern lamp and it does work.  They are becoming very affectionate and have decided that they rather like us.  Immy, in particular, has decided that we are ok and spends time cuddling and purring with us.

Winchester loves to run with his friends especially if someone has a stick!

Cooking & Foodie Information

We had a number of entertainment opportunities so out came the tried and true appetizer recipes.  I make a mean spinach artichoke dip so that is what I took to the various events.  Newcomers reception, an Island Friends gathering and our annual Princeton Alumni gathering held here in the month of March.  It is amazing how many alumni are on the island and this year we added some off island folks too.  One absolute favorite recipe is one that my friend Genie made for the Princeton gathering and I just have to share it.  It comes from Pat Conroy’s cookbook and is for Pickled Shrimp.  The story goes that he would make it and bring it to the funerals of friends and thus he expected that all of the shrimp in Beaufort would be brought to his funeral.  I do not know if that happened but I bet there was a lot of pickled shrimp there.

I picked up a bit more advice on the Mediterranean diet which is said to be the gold standard for a heart healthy diet by many dietitians, cardiologists and other professionals in the healthcare field.  As you know by now, it is made up of plant sources and includes olive oil, fish, legumes, fresh fruits and vegetables, skinless poultry and low-fat dairy.  Here are some tips for getting the best options.  With olive oil, the best is extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) because it is the least processed.  It is best used at room temperature so in salad dressings for example.  It is not the best for cooking because of its medium-high smoke point.  If you are going to heat olive oil do so at a very low temperature.  Otherwise use regular old olive oil or a different oil such as coconut oil or sunflower.

Fish is the hands down winner for your heart.  Go for the ones high in Omega-3 such as salmon and tuna.  Other white fish that are good are sea bass, Pollock, catfish and grouper.  Shellfish are also good to have in your diet but be careful how it is prepared.  Our pickled shrimp is fine.

Cheese is a good supplement but try using it has an enhancement not as the main course.  Top salads or add it as the finish to a dish.  Natural cheeses such as ricotta, fresh or part skim mozzarella and feta are the best.

Olives – it’s all about flavor.  Choose any you like and enjoy.  Watch the salt content if you are supposed to watch your sodium intake.  Now, make some pickled shrimp and enjoy it with a glass of red wine if you drink wine, or sparkling water with lime if you don’t.

 

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