I'm Still Here, Really

Past time for an update, I'm thinking. My teeth weren't thru with me last summer. One of the fillings apparently had more decay than the dentist realized, and I had to have another root canal. Still haven't had the crowns and bridge done yet. Knock on wood, my teeth are doing ok for the moment.

Took 2 anthropology classes last summer (Civilizations of South America & Global Cultures), and am taking 4 this fall (Social Stats, Food & Culture, Principles of Archaeology, and INTS capstone). Am set to graduate in December, finally. I had decided to pursue a Master's in Anthropology, and wanted to start in January, but I've been told I may not be admitted until Fall 2010. Bummer. No problem, I just need to figure out what will work best for me until then. I still need to take BioAnthropology and the GRE. I'll either postpone graduation until May so I have enough financial aid to take the class, or I'll challenge the financial aid office to give me more money so I can return as a degreed undergrad.

Claire got her driver license a couple of weeks ago and has taken over the car. Now she takes me to school. Hooray for not having to deal with parking! She turned 18 last month and is thrilled. Now she's legal and she's enjoying every minute! I have some sadness over her newfound independence, but I know that this is what I've been waiting for. Now I feel more able to travel extensively than before, knowing that she can take care of herself. Maybe that's what this delay in starting grad school is about--it gives me time to pursue my interest in living among other cultures than my own. Hmmm. Food for thought, eh?

Not lost, really

Wow, so much time has passed since I last posted. I had promised myself I would keep this blog up. I have an excuse, really. They say we should have no excuses, so maybe an explanation would be a better choice of words. Earlier this month, I went to the dentist as a last-ditch effort to figure out why I was feeling so poorly. Turns out I had some serious decay and infection going on in my mouth. On June 8th I had one tooth extracted, and another one had a root canal. Then a couple of weeks later I had 3 more teeth filled (refilled, to be more precise).

I feel so much better! I had no idea how much your teeth and their health (or not) can affect your entire system. My blood sugars are beginning to drop, finally, and I have energy again. I am so grateful to have my health back. Of course, now I need 4 crowns, at $1100 each, but I know that it'll all work out. I used my student loans to get the earlier work done, and the next couple of semesters of loans will cover the rest.

Another new cat!

On December 21st, Claire and I found another kitten in the parking lot of our apartment complex. It was bitterly cold that night, and she was so little and cold and hungry. Of course, we snatched her up and brought her inside. Took us a while to catch her, but some cat food did the trick. I don't have a picture to put up yet, but I will get one off the camera soon.

Hunni (short for Princess Hunnicut) is a long-haired, short legged, stubby little cat. Her fur is white with tabby patches. Claire has informed me that we now have two cats of the same basic coloring as the ones we found homes for! The only difference is that the genders have switched. I'm told that we are supposed to have five cats, and of the colors we have. Everytime I suggest to Claire that we find a home for Hunni (Teddy is HERS, she says), she says, "Do you want to find another kitten in the parking lot? If you get rid of her, you will." So, for now, Hunni is part of the household.

It's taken till yesterday for Hoju to fully accept her, and vice versa. She is going to be a dominant cat in her own right, and she has refused to back down to him, even though he smacks her around (Gabriel at least submitted, even though he wasn't any too happy about it). Yesterday, we found her lying down, and chirrupping, with Hoju bathing her. Hooray! Monster only smacks her occasionally now (she also still smacks Teddy). She really didn't want any more cats in the house to take away from her attention. Precious loves everyone, as usual. He's such a peacemaker.

Doctors and Diabetes

Well, I finally capitulated and went to a doctor on January 30. I'm taking metformin (the dreaded drugs) and see a dietician today. That is giving me a lot of anxiety, because I am unsure what he/she is going to tell me to do. I do not subscribe to what most doctors believe, namely that a low fat, including saturated fat, diet is the way to go. My parents followed such a diet since the 1960s and my father still died of heart disease. Mother made her own jellies, using only 1/4 the amount of sugar typically used. We didn't eat fried foods (much), we ate whole wheat bread and good foods.

I, of course, started in on the typical standard American diet (SAD) as soon as I got out of her reach. 30 years later, I now have diabetes, caused by my high fat/high carbohydrate diet. Since I was diagnosed last February, I have tried to eat a lowish carb diet (around 100g/day), lots of good protein, and plenty of fats (olive oil, butter, cream, virgin coconut oil, lard...but not polyunsaturated oils). Aside from my blood sugars still being too high, I feel better than I have in years.

Let's hope that my new medical "team" will help me get my blood sugars under control and down where they belong, so that I can continue to heal myself.

Catching Up

It's been 3 months since I last posted. I swore I'd keep up with this blog this time. Well, like a dieter who blows her diet and gets back on track, here I am!

This fall has been fairly routine, with me tutoring again at UTA, but taking no classes this time. I had one class I had taken an incomplete on, and then didn't write the paper, so I've failed it and still have 3 hours to go to graduate with my BA in Interdisciplinary Studies. I think I'm afraid to graduate. My student loans come due this month, and I've asked for a deferment for another year. Tutoring is barely bringing in enough money to pay the bills, and that doesn't include loan payments. I'll continue tutoring next semester, and apply for financial aid for next year, which starts with the summer sessions. Hopefully I can write the paper this spring so I can fine-tune it during the class next fall and then actually graduate.

One thing I've discovered about myself this fall is how much I love to cook, and how much I want to study traditional foods of various cultures. This interest began with the cookbook, Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon, and has been nurtured by my diagnosis of diabetes. I find I feel so much better when I stay away from processed foods, including fast food. That's not to say I don't still want them sometimes, but I feel better eating whole, natural foods. Since I've been cooking a lot more this fall (including making my own stocks, soups, crackers, etc.), I've come to dream about having a homestead where I can grow most of my food. Eating healthily on foodstamps is a challenge. Now, don't get me wrong: I still want to travel, but I also want my own haven. Is that a contradiction? Can't I have both? I think so, especially if I enlist the aid of others, like my children.

How can I create income streams from my diverse interests? I'm not sure, but I'm interested in finding out. The other day, I made some almond biscotti from scratch (it's so easy!), and when a friend tasted them, she actually bought the whole batch from me for $10! That got me to thinking: how can I sell these and make a little extra money doing something I love? I know that to sell food properly, you need a food handler's license or certificate, and you need to have your kitchen inspected. I doubt mine would pass, since I have 4 cats.

Oh, about the cats! (I know, I'm all over the place, but for those of you who know me personally, this topic shift should come as no surprise.) At the last post, I had found homes for 3 of our 5 cats, and we had only Hoju and Monster. Well, Precious wasn't doing very well at adapting to our neighbor's very busy household, so we offered to take him back. He is much happier with other cats around, and he's used to Claire and me. He's still very skittish, but he's happier. About a month ago, I found a small kitten in the parking lot near our mailboxes. He came right up to me, and there was no one around, so I scooped him up and brought him home. He was about 6 weeks old. We figure he was born around the 1st of October. He's black, but has what I call 'shadow stripes' that show he's got a tabby in his background. Claire named him Edward (after the vampire in Twilight), but mostly we call him Teddy or Tedward. All kittens are cute, and Teddy's no exception. When he wants to cuddle, he approaches you purring loudly and settles down (beside you, on your chest, next to your shoulder on the sofa arm). He adores Hoju and harrasses him constantly. Hoju is teaching him the fine art of cat fighting/playing, but gets very frustrated at being sat on all the time. Poor baby!

OK, I'm going to quit for now, and go back to reading Barbara Sher's Scanner at Play blog. She's so inspiring! Her next Scanner retreat is in Languedoc, France. I wanna go!

Change of Direction

Things change very fast for me. Yesterday afternoon I was finishing packing and sorting and wondering if I'd have enough time to get it all done before I had to be out of the apartment by Tuesday. Then Claire and I talked, and yesterday evening we decided not to go on this trip. Oh, we still both want to travel, and intend to. We'll just stay here with a home base, and take short trips around the country to see friends.

Why did we decide to stay? Well, it just seemed like we were fighting an uphill battle to get it all done. Money was running out, we didn't have a good foster home for Hoju and Monster, our "estate sale" was a bust, and we were both dragging our feet. We are both of the opinion that if what you decide on is right, then everything falls into place easily. If you have to fight to get it done, maybe you should reconsider. And so we did.

I'm still a little in shock, but actually happy about the decision. I don't have to ditch my kombucha brewing, and I can continue to explore my low-carb cooking. My blood sugar is steadily decreasing with the low-carb diet and the exercise I get walking to do my errands. All is well, and we are moving forward in a different direction.

Thank you to everyone who supported us emotionally when we decided to take this trip, and I hope you will continue to support us as we work through the next stage of our lives.

It's Time to Go!

Well, it's almost time for us to take off on our walk-about. We still have a house full of furniture and "stuff" that needs a new home, and then we have to schlep what we are keeping (a couple of pieces of furniture and some boxes) to storage. My son is taking most of my kitchen for his new apartment. Hopefully he'll let me have some of it back when I return, lol! At least it'll be put to good use, as he tells me he wants to learn how to cook more.

So much left to do, and we have 4 days till we're supposed to be out of the apartment. Yikes!

Our first stop is going to be Columbia, SC, to visit a friend from my massage therapy days. We've missed each other in the last 7 years (has it been that long??) so we're both looking forward to catching up. Claire wants to meet her, as she also likes the supernatural, and was in the Air Force for several years. Claire's best friend is going into the Air Force after school, and Claire wants to know what it's going to be like for her.

After SC, we're not sure where we're headed. I'm wanting to head north along the coast, to see all the fall foliage. Wouldn't mind staying close to the ocean, either. Once we get north a ways, we'll head over to South Dakota to visit one of my best friends from high school, before it gets too cold. She's warned me not to come January thru March, and I'm figuring December won't be all that wonderful either.

Everyone stay positive and send us good vibes for a wonderful trip!