Walking – take a break – Walking
Wyke and Millie in the mud
After my marathon week of walking last week, I decided to take Monday off and have a rest day. Well, I didn’t walk but it certainly was not a rest day. My mother who will be 93 in October, had not been feeling herself for a couple of weeks. My sister was not happy with her and decided we needed to get her to see a doctor. Easier said than done. Our local clinic doesn’t have a doctor at the moment and the local hospital was full of sick people. We took her into Montreal which was an hour and three quarters drive. The hospital emergency room was wonderful and took her right away. Her heart was beating too fast and they didn’t like that at all. All her records are at that hospital so from that perspective it was a very good thing we took her into Montreal. From the time we left here to the time she was in a bed and being treated was under three hours and the drive was almost two hours of that. The doctors said she needed a tune-up. Medications needed to be regulated and adjusted. She is diabetic and her blood sugar was extremely high, kidney function was low and her heart rate fast. All of this contributed to her not feeling well. I stayed in Montreal until the evening and then drove back out to the country getting home around ten. A very long day and it rained the whole time!!! So much for a day off from walking.
The next couple of days I did some shorter and more intense walks. The best one was a dogless walk that was five miles and accomplished in 1 hour and 33 minutes. I cannot walk that fast with my beautiful Wyke, it just doesn’t work that way. Dogs have to stop and sniff and pee and greet friends – they stop and smell the roses which I suppose we all should do more of. Not to mention the mud and the swimming that gets thrown in there too. I made my goal of 100 miles and still had a week to go before the end of July. I continue to log the miles and will be interested to see what my grand total is for the month. We are going away for a week and will be on an island in a lake in Northern Ontario. Not sure how much hiking I will get done but I am going to give it a try.
For the first time in over a year and half I am participating in Yoga again and I feel strong. For some reason, and I think it was a medication that I was taking, I felt rather weak when I did Yoga. Well this week I did not. I managed to do a shoulder stand and sun-salutations and Eagle poses and tree poses and felt fantastic. So, so happy. Of course I love Shavasana (nap time at the end) who doesn’t?
PS: The total for the month of July 127.5 miles. A new record for me for a month of walking. Doubt I’ll be able to beat that one again for a long time but it has been a fantastic month of walking.
Katie & Me on a West Side Walk
Food of the Week – Artichoke Fun Facts
https://www.finedininglovers.com/recipes/main-course/tagine-recipes-chicken/
I started looking up artichokes this week because my doctor told me I should eat them every day. That’s fine but wouldn’t it be nice to know why she recommended them. They are good and many people enjoy them served with melted butter and lemon. I like them marinated and added to my salad or in my favorite Spinach Artichoke Dip.
For starters, artichokes are healthy because they contain a substance called cynerin, which helps boost liver and kidney functions. Thus, consuming artichokes helps detox the body, improve digestion and have diuretic effects.
In 2010, the U.S. Department of Agriculture noted that artichoke leaves are rich in antioxidants and phytonutrients. This vegetable is also a great source of fiber, iron and minerals like magnesium, which is lacking in many people’s diet. Here are some fun facts from finedininglovers.com:
1. The heart is the best part of the artichoke. It is also very beneficial to the human heart because it can lower cholesterol levels, reduce inflammation and improve blood flow.
2. How many calories are in an artichoke? Very few: just 60 calories in a medium artichoke.
3. Submerging the prepped artichoke in water and lemon – or water and vinegar – avoids oxidation and retains that beautiful color.
4. The best artichokes for consuming raw? Those would be the purple varieties from Italy – sliced thinly, seasoned with salt and pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Here’s a great recipe that we tried this week and believe me it was delicious. I used boneless chicken thighs and I had enough for two meals and I still have some in the freezer. It was easy to make and oh so healthy!!!
[mpprecipe-recipe:109]
Fur-baby Update
So many of you have been so kind and ask about Immy when I see you or via email. She is doing well. You actually wouldn’t know she is sick as she behaves just the way a nine month old kitten should. She plays with her sister, is eating well and interested in everything going on around her. Today she was batting a small cat toy around the bath tub and chasing it just like a kitten should. We have no idea what is in store but we are so happy that we have had these couple of weeks where she has been pretty much normal and a very happy cat. We are going away for a week to pick up our grandchildren from camp and will leave her and Cleo at home with my brother (another cat lover) taking care of things. If there is a crisis while we are gone he knows what to do and I trust him. We certainly hope there is not but we just don’t know what will happen. I have faith that it will all work the way it is supposed to. So thank you for all your good thoughts. We appreciate it very much.
Have a wonderful week. August is here, we know because of the fog on the lake and the color of the cedar trees. The air is clear and cool and the sunshine brilliant after the fog burns off. Here’s a photo taken early Sunday morning.
