May Days
Dad in the RCAF
Is my favorite month of the year. Not only because I was born in this month but because of all that seems to happen in nature during this month. The sun is warmer, the flowers that were hidden under the snow or the leaves are bursting forth to once again decorate our yards and gardens, there is a sweet smell in the air as lawn mowers come out and cut the first growth of grass, birds come home and start to build nests, the ICE IS OUT in our Canadian lake and so much more. This May, my father who was born on the third, would have turned 100 years old. He was such a handsome man and he never got a chance to grow old. I so wonder what he would have looked like today. My brother and sister and I still wished him a happy birthday and drank a toast to him. He would have been so very proud of his family and amazed at how it has grown. One thing I remember well about him was that he loved babies. When his first grandchild, my daughter Katie, was born, he drove hundreds of miles to come and see her in the hospital (we stayed more than seven hours in those days). My mother walked into the room and immediately came to give me a kiss, my father sat down in the chair at the foot of my bed and just stared at his granddaughter. For hours! He just loved her. He would have loved everyone of his eight grandchildren and now his nine great-grandchildren. He would have been in the car to go and see them when they were born and he would have thought each and everyone was just perfect, the best yet! My oh my how we miss him.
The other thing about May is that in my southern home my beautiful gardenias bloom. Last year was exceptionally warm so they bloomed early in the latter part of April. This year the first gardenia was observed on May 3. How wonderful is that. I absolutely love these bushes. They bring back childhood memories of my grandmother’s house in Florida and the excitement we always felt when we were invited to go there. Sometimes we didn’t know we were going until the morning that we actually left. This was back in the day when flying meant dressing up in your best outfit and behaving like a young lady or gentleman. We had seats that faced each other so we could play “Go Fish” and I am sure my mother and father enjoyed a cocktail or two while keeping an eye on us. So that’s the memory that comes back to me every spring in South Carolina.
Fur Babies Update
L – R Lena, Cleo, Bean, Wyke
We have now had a full-house of fur babies for a month. Our latest addition, Little Bean (aka Beatrice) has settled in to our routine amazingly well. She is a tough little pup and expects the cats and Wyke, who outweighs her by 70 pounds, to do her bidding at all times. Who knew five pounds of white fur could have such control over a household. She has blessed us with being a great sleeper. We had one week when she woke up in the middle of the night, once, and then went back to sleep. Ever since, she has slept from 9:30 or 10:00 right through until 6:15 in the morning. I do not have any complaints in that department at all. The fun part was trying to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom without waking her up or letting her think it was time to get up. She is getting used to us now and doesn’t even stir which is wonderful. Slowly she has joined us on our morning walks. Determined to keep up with us, her little feet go a mile a minute. She does stop and rest periodically but then she is back at it again. We are introducing her slowly to others on our walks. Wyke is so good about greeting people and dogs. He just sits and waits until he is given the ok to interact. We are hoping that Bean picks that behavior up by osmosis. Whatever he does, she will do too. I was very worried that Wyke would over power her but that is not the case at all. He is gentle and patient and doesn’t seem to mind that she loves to chew on his lip or ear. Bean figured out that Cleo was the cat to be wary of early on. Cleo loves the fact that she is bigger than Bean and tends to beat up on her a bit. In turn, Bean picks on Lena and bites her ears which is not appreciated. The pecking order is fascinating. When I take the pups out in the morning, both cats are waiting at the glass door for us to get back. It’s almost as if they are worried she won’t come back or maybe they are hoping she won’t! Anyway, as I said before, we are all settling in quite nicely thank you.
PS: While writing this we lost Bean, as in we couldn’t find her but we could hear her yelping. John and I ran around the house looking for her and every once in awhile we would hear a little yelp. I was in a panic thinking how could she have gotten into trouble, she was right here, all the doors are closed except for a space in the gate to the living room. Scared that she was stuck under the couch or behind a piece of furniture. She didn’t answer when we called but then we heard another big yelp. I asked John if she could have gone up the stairs to his office. She absolutely couldn’t do that a couple of days ago, she was way too small. Well don’t you know, up the stairs she had gone and was stuck trying to get back down. Honestly, this one is going to give me gray hair – oh yes, I already have that. Oh well, she is keeping us on our toes.
Recovery and Walking are Slow
The Run for the Roses was yesterday so out came my hat and I decorated it with roses from my garden. I rallied for a great party with neighbors after being sick for over three weeks. I came down with some sort of bug on or about the 11th of April. I managed to keep it in abeyance for the weeks leading up to the trip to Asheville and the wedding but when I returned I just crashed. Not being a big fan of going to the doctor except for the regular annual stuff, I haven’t taken an antibiotic in over six years. Well, I broke down and went this week. I can’t seem to kick this whatever it is. I have heard from others that it is a very clingy bug and takes its own sweet time going away. What I don’t like is the way it has slowed me down. This past week I did manage to get in a walk every day and even a couple of longer ones but am I ever slow. That spring in my step that is usually there has just got up and gone somewhere. Hopefully I am on the mend now and will be able to say goodbye to the cough soon. Right now I sound like I smoke a pack a day. Yuck! Sleep is good and my appetite is about the same as always so I guess with patience I will get over this but it is time. Sometimes you just need a little extra help. Luckily I have a GP who is also a student of Functional Medicine so her first line of defense is not drugs but rather simple home or over the counter remedies. She agreed and did prescribe a gentle antibiotic which I believe has given me that little extra boost. You know I am not myself when I pass up a race and there was one this weekend “The Lowcountry Crawl” a 5K which I would normally have jumped at entering. Passed on this one so no medal and no t-shirt!!!
Food Facts and Recipes
We have all heard that probiotics are good for us. Avocados are also a very good food to add to your diet on a daily basis. They contain over 20 vitamins, they are high in carotenoids and antioxidants. They provide natural Lutein which is wonderful for the eyes. Anyone who is worried about AMD (Age Related Macular Degeneration) should be taking extra Lutein and eating lots of cruciferous vegetables. Avocado will protect your heart, they are good for your brain, they lower bad cholesterol and raise the good cholesterol. They are loaded with fiber so they make you feel full. To top it off they taste great. Are you convinced yet? Well I had a recipe come across my computer desk this week, once again from my favorite Blue Zones website. It is so easy and a real powerhouse of probiotics. Yummy and what a great way to eat the stuff that is good for you. Give it a try. It would make a great side dish or even a light lunch with extra veggies to dip in it.
Ingredients
1 avocado, mashed
1/2 cup sauerkraut (best option is high quality kraut from the refrigerated section)
2 tbsp feta cheese (optional)
Directions
In a large bowl, smash avocado until desired texture is achieved.
Stir in sauerkraut until well mixed.
Sprinkle feta cheese, if using, on top or mix in.
Enjoy alone or as a spread or dip for veggies.
