If I could afford it, I’d just call in to work for tonight and stay home. I’d love to just be able to stay home full time again. For right now, that’s not possible but I would like to stay home a few days and get completely moved in!

My dream is to be able to dress in t-shirts and denim skirts again, full time, and not have to deal with an outside job. I’d like to have a full garden again, do my canning and dehydrating, and have plenty of home-cooked meals. I’m really a home-body at heart, as you can see. I enjoy my activities done in my own home at my own pace.

Maybe one day I’ll have all that back again, but for now I’ll just keep punching the clock and wishing.

Technorati Tags: home, garden, meals

I’m getting my kitchen organized as I go along. I use the same plan for everyplace so I know just where to put things. I have cupboards, cabinets, and drawers assigned for dinnerware, snacks/breakfast, beverage, baking, mixing/storage, canned veggies, canned meat/fish, flatware, utensils, wraps, linens. Naturally, there is one small drawer for items that don’t fit any other categories. I think we all have a drawer like that.

This kitchen has plenty of cabinet space and plenty of drawers, something that was sorely lacking in the other house. There is plenty of counter top area, too, so cooking should be a breeze in here. This kind of space even helps make cleanup easier.

The hard part of this whole thing is having to move, unpack, and organize between work shifts. It takes longer and I get anxious, wanting everything in its place right away.

Technorati Tags: kitchen, cabinet, organize

I’m up early and feeling better right now than I did yesterday, although I am occasionally beset with fits of coughing. I haven’t done anything special to get over this bug. I never did go shopping for the herbal teas and vitamins I needed because I didn’t feel well enough to shop for them. I figure I will go ahead and get them today, though, since I’m feeling better and would like to have them on hand for the next time, if there is a next time.

Taking them now couldn’t hurt anyway. I might be able to throw off this lingering cough if I get some mullein and take it. I tend to deal with my health through more natural means and find they work very well without causing side effects such as a jump in blood pressure. If I were wanting a supplement to help me lose weight, I’d probably choose something like lipovox because of the ingredients, which don’t include stimulants or chemical appetite depressants. Just things like green tea, vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acid.

If I had been eating normally (plenty of fresh veggies and fruit, nuts, seeds, and whole grains), I probably wouldn’t have even had to deal with this “creeping crud” to begin with. But with moving and the job I have, I haven’t been consistent with my diet and have been eating things not so good for me. I think I’m going to celebrate moving into this new house by making a batch of granola!

Technorati Tags: herbal teas, vitamins, blood pressure

The interim time we spent at a friend’s house until we moved into this house has resulted in not many groceries for us. I am truly starting over in restocking the cabinets and fridge here. But I’m not going to go on a shopping spree and spend too much. I’ll still be looking for the best buy in groceries, spices, and herbs, picking up a little here and there until I’m satisfied with what I have on hand.

I will be potting some herbs for use as fresh and later dried in my cooking. Nothing but nothing beats the taste of home grown oregano, basil, sage, and other wonderful cooking herbs!

Technorati Tags: groceries, cabinets, fridge, shopping, herbs

I’m in the midst of moving into a different house, Although I am thrilled about being here, with the abundance of cabinets and counter space in the kitchen, as well as the roominess of the rest of the house, the stress of moving certainly takes its toll. My resistance to infection has been lowered enough that now I’m sitting here with a sore throat, stuffy nose, and chronic cough. I’ve caught some kind of bug and this means I’ll be miserable at work tonight.

Not feeling well has got me to thinking about some things. For instance, if I’d just been consistent about taking vitamin C, I wouldn’t now need that along with echinacea, zinc, and mullein to feel better. Between having high blood pressure and now this whateveritis infection in my head and lungs, if I were applying for life insurance no medical exam would ever pass me! Yeah, I feel just that bad.

Here I am in my new digs and I don’t even feel like unpacking boxes or decorating. I’ll be trying to just get some rest today so I can make it through my shift at work tonight.

Technorati Tags: moving, house, kitchen

Like everyone else this time of the year, I’d like to drop a few pounds. Well, I need to anyway for my health. Besides high blood pressure, I also have some issues with my joints now and losing weight would help both of those problems. Considering these issues, my best bet is to change my eating habits, reduce sodium and fat intake, and do more purposeful walking. All the steps I take at work really don’t count anymore because it’s what I’m used to doing.

It seems like weight loss is a frequent topic of conversation among many people. I hear of the various plans they’re on, their sources for cheap Phentermine, the particular exercise regimen they’re taking part in, and the calorie counts of just about every food imaginable. The truth is, since dieting and weight loss are on so many people’s lips, it really makes it easier to embark on a diet. You get a lot of support from others instead of hearing them say, “Oh, you look just fine as you are!” Looking fine and being fine aren’t at all the same things.

Technorati Tags: high blood pressure, weight loss, exercise, diet

Wow! It’s been several days since I posted here. I can’t believe how many! But, I’ve been really busy with work since I’ve been transferred to a new store. I’m liking it better. Far less stress which will translate into better control of my blood pressure.

This is a new McDonald’s located inside a Walmart store. Most of the equipment is brand new which means not much down-time from it. I like that. It’s really nerve wracking to have to deal with equipment break-downs and try to explain to customers that there’s really nothing I can do about it.

A few days into the transfer, a terrible storm came through and knocked out all the power. When the electricity came on, the beautiful, shiny, new, nearly Cadillac grills weren’t heating up again. The display screen on them kept showing an error message. Yes, the grills and all other equipment are controlled digitally, and while that’s a really good thing, that day, it wound up being a road block.

Repairmen came in and reset everything for us, replaced a breaker in the grills that had blown out from the storm, and got us going again. However, it takes about 30 minutes for them to heat back up. I thought we’d have to get a couple of electric griddles from Walmart to be able to make burgers!

Technorati Tags: McDonald’s, grills, electric griddles

One thing you can do to make your meals more personal and welcoming is to set your table according to the occasion or the season. Adding a centerpiece including either fresh or silk flowers, along with some candles, natural items, or baskets can really bring a family together.

Using cloth napkins, tablecloths, and the appropriate place settings invites your family to sit and enjoy the meal and the ensuing conversations. Too often busy family grab-n-go when it comes to mealtimes. They are nearly strangers living under the same roof. Set aside a few nights a week when your whole family can gather ’round the dinner table and catch up on what happened that day or earlier in the week. Serve the food on the table instead of from the stove top, so that folks don’t have to be constantly getting up and down for seconds and the traffic from the kitchen to the dining room isn’t distracting.

Use the same dinnerware you would use if you had company over. After all, isn’t your family more important than any guests who might come to dinner?

Technorati Tags: meals, table, centerpiece

A couple of nights ago, I fixed some barbecued ribs for our supper. These were “country ribs” which means they had a lot of meat and little bone, because most of the bone had been trimmed away. They turned out delicious! Here’s what I did:

I placed the ribs, fat side up, in a baking dish. I poured a cup of ketchup and a cup of Coca Cola over them. I covered the dish tightly with foil, and baked them about two hours.

When they came out, they were fork-tender and tasty. No other seasoning was needed. I had mashed potatoes and succotash with them, so the meal was heart-warming and hearty fare for us all.

Technorati Tags: barbecued ribs, country ribs

I’m going to head to bed soon. It’s been a very long day and I’m tired. I started this morning at 3:45 AM, getting ready for work. I worked a full shift from 4:30 to 12:30, then headed home.

After a nice glass of sweet iced tea, I relaxed on the sofa for awhile. Of course, Son wanted us to go out to eat, which we did, and then we did a little shopping in town. Now we’re home and I’m really more tired than I thought I was. I really wish I had a memory foam mattress I could sink down into. I think I’d have a much better chance at a good night’s rest since I have to open again in the morning, which means getting up at 3:45 again.

Technorati Tags: work, sweet iced tea, shopping