Reflections of My Life

Yesterday afternoon we played Bingo in the community room. It was a nice time. Sonny came too.

I was thinking how much my life has changed since I moved here in 2018. So many things I thought I would never do I do now. Sometimes I decided in the past, I will never do this or use that and out of necessity I had to. For instance at my house I used as little plastic as I could. When I first moved here my husband was bringing my water in glass canning jars from our well. I think he did that for me so he would have an excuse to come here often. Slowly, (and mostly due to Sonny) I let Sonny give me the water dispenser which has of course, a big plastic bottle to hold the water. He would refill it with water from his house. Plus he started bringing me plastic gallon bottles of water and refilling them at his house too.

Now I get the water delivery from the local water company and it is all in plastic. Do I think plastic is bad for you? Yeah, I do but sometimes you have to accept things you don't totally agree on. I just say oh well and go on. My life has been like that for the most part. Accepting things I said I would never have a number of years ago. I never thought I would live in a city in an apartment much less downtown. I had to give up a lot but it is a matter of surviving I believe.
 

In a little while I am going down the hall to my friend's apartment for coffee. I think 4 of us will be there. Just us girls. Her husband is going out somewhere.

Yesterday was a weird day for me. My brother called me to tell me his daughter, Lisa, my niece was found dead in her apartment. He didn't know why or what happened. She was 36 and was estranged from us due to the way she treated everyone. It was better to stay away from her and not have any contact. I would check her fb page from time to time to just see if she was okay. Nothing I could do for her if she wasn't. She was a drug user and talked tough to everyone so it was better to not see her in person. Her kids had been taken away from her so don't even know where they are.

When she was little I wanted to adopt her but my brother and his wife at that time said, "oh no, we can't give her up." But they could leave her with any old babysitter anywhere at all different times. Finally her mother gave her (and her brother) to my brother and his girlfriend and the girlfriend did not like his kids. She treated her horribly. So now her life is over and this is how it ends. Waiting to hear from him what happened.
 
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hollydolly said:
Ooooh such a sad story Kat... I'm so sorry for your family Loss.... what a waste of a young life.. :(
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Thank you, yes it is.

It always seemed to me that she wanted a mother more than anything. Particularly her own mother. But her mother would never have anything to do with her for some reason. Her mother died in November of last year of COVID and in the obituary it mentioned her brother and half sister but not her. I don't know if she ever knew her mother had died. It had crossed my mind to message her on FB to tell her. Then I remembered that I was better off with her not having contact with me.
 
We had a really nice coffee hour.......more like 2 hours at my friend's apartment.

Everyone is staying inside and staying cool. I am cold! I am. I have turned the temperature down a few times on the ac so it would not be so cold. I think it is because I was not doing anything to heat myself up. Well in a bit I will be cleaning the bunny cage and that usually heats me up. 91 degrees here right now. Very happy we got my son his new air conditioner this week. He would not be able to tolerate this heat.
 
RadishRose said:
@Kat, I'm so sorry about your niece. I know you were estranged to some degree but still, it's upsetting. Seems like she was in trouble from the start. My sympathy to your family. 🌹
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Thank you, Radish. I hadn't seen her in almost 10 years but I keep remembering her as a little girl when she would stay at my house. I'd keep her for days and would buy her all kinds of clothes and toys. I keep thinking I know I could have made a difference in her life. But if she had still gotten as bad as she was as a teenager, I don't think I could have handled her myself.
 
Today it is supposed to get into the 90's and then tomorrow in the 60's. I do not look forward to the hot weather at all. The electric company sent out emails warning people there may be power outages as they expect thunderstorms with high winds. I pray no trees come down or lose their branches because I don't know how I could deal without the AC in this heat. Soak my feet in cold water is the only thing I can think of. I do have a very small rechargeable fan that I keep charged (USB) that I carry in my purse in the summer.

Since I have not been able to drive my mobility chair ("Jazzy") until the tire is fixed I have no interest in summer weather at all. That was my enjoyment and until I get it back and feel safe on it I stay home. I have not been able to walk in the park when it is so hot as the heat really affects me. It is bad enough walking out to the dumpster. I can walk laps around my hall for exercise though.
 
Rabbit and I survived yesterday! Didn't seem that hot at all in my apartment. Several times I turned my AC down, then even off for a bit. I never get cold, but I have been lately. Must be that aging thing.....

Yesterday Sonny caught a potato on fire in his microwave! I did not know a microwave would catch your food on fire. Of course, I have not used one in thirty years. He had it set to cook for 9 minutes, must be that was too long. He had to get a hold of it with a steel spoon and carry it outside. It was raining outside so that put the fire out. He did that the first time he cooked a dinner for me. To garlic bread in the oven. I told him he better sign up for meal deliveries! haha

While I am on here this morning I am preparing a pork roast for the Instant Pot. I like to get the cooking done early in the day.
 
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I just wrestled with my bunny boy to clip 3 more nails. He just doesn't understand that this is good for him. In fact, he runs around more once I have done it. When I hold his foot he struggles to get away like he is caught in a trap or something. I have to be careful......firm, yet gentle with him. I am afraid of breaking his foot or leg while he is struggling. That is why I will not let someone else help me. Oh well, so is the life of a bunny mom.

The pork roast came out perfect and I will be having that for supper. With cauliflower in cheese sauce. I have some cheese I need to use up before the next time I go shopping.

Quiet day so far. Just the way I like it.
 
I have not been on my computer too much the last couple of days. I am on the phone instead. I finally got my insurance benefits explained to me and now am making appointments for all the things I needed. Hoping to hear back from the dental office today. As much as I dread it, that is my #1 priority right now.

Today Sonny is taking me shopping. His aide comes on Monday and Thursday So after she leaves he is coming here. I am on Rabbit's last banana (YIKES!) and he needs more spring mix too. Working on my grocery list right now.

I ordered another pair of compression stockings. The expensive ones. Well........expensive to me at $31.99 but there are many higher priced ones available. My lymphadema therapist liked this pair best of all the ones I have purchased. They are the only ones I am comfortable wearing, at least for four hours or so. I ordered another pair just so I can wash one pair and while it is drying have that extra pair to wear. Surprisingly, in this hot weather my feet are not swelling as bad as they were before. Could be due to having the AC on. Or that I am walking more and trying to do the dry brushing and getting my electrolytes in. This condition never goes away but if I can control it I will try my best to do so.

Missed my live book discussion yesterday, just forgot about it. So going to watch the recorded video right now. Have a super day everyone who reads this!
 
katlupe said:
Yesterday Sonny caught a potato on fire in his microwave! I did not know a microwave would catch your food on fire. Of course, I have not used one in thirty years. He had it set to cook for 9 minutes, must be that was too long. He had to get a hold of it with a steel spoon and carry it outside. It was raining outside so that put the fire out. He did that the first time he cooked a dinner for me. To garlic bread in the oven. I told him he better sign up for meal deliveries! haha
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Oh yes the microwave can definitely set things on fire.. usually because a food has overheated. People tend to forget that some foods need stopping half way through.. and also people forget that an extra minute or 2 in the oven is the equivalent of 4 times that in a conventional oven.. ( not that important with a baked spud but you get the gyst)...

I cook large baking potatoes in my 1000 watt oven for 9 mins max... less if they're medium sized... but I always cook it in 2 bursts... 5 minutes.. then turn the spud, then another 3 or 4 mins depending on the size...
 
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hollydolly said:
Oh yes the microwave can definitely set things on fire.. usually because a food has overheated. People tend to forget that some foods need stopping half way through.. and also people forget that an extra minute or 2 in the oven is the equivalent of 4 times that in a conventional oven.. ( not that important with a baked spud but you get the gyst)...

I cook large baking potatoes in my 1000 watt oven for 9 mins max... less if they're m medium sized... but I always cook it in 2 bursts... 5 minutes.. then turn the spud, then another 3 or 4 mins depending on the size...
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Sonny thought he had set it for 9 minutes.........but he had hit two numbers instead of just the 9. Then he did not pay attention.
 
Well, I finally got through to the dental office. June 8th. Foot doctor on the 7th, dental on the 8th and hair on the 10th. What a week that is going to be!

It is a little difficult with making appointments now because Sonny has to drive all the way here to pick me up and then bring me back and then he drives all the way back to his house. He insists on doing it. I feel bad that he is spending so much money on gas now. I can get transportation through my insurance. The dental though, I would like him there with me. I am scared of it and when they extract my teeth, I definitely want him with me.

I am going to test myself to see if I can walk to the foot doctor. He is not far from my place so I think I may be able to just take a break on the walker if my pain is bad that day. Now if "Jazzy's" tire was fixed it would be no problem.

I still think my decision to not have a car when I moved here was the right one. Yes, it would be much easier in some ways if I had one. But in winter, you have to go out and clean it off and move it while they plow the parking lot. I could not do that. I will not drive in winter, even when I had one. I will not drive to a big city any more. Then there is the expenses of having one and that would include a payment and insurance. No, I think I would not be happy owning one now.

Getting ready for going shopping now.
 
I have not been spending much time on fakebook for the last two weeks or so. It gives me the opportunity to get other things (more important) started or done. I do feel guilty about not going there like I used to because of the people I am friends with. They send messages wanting to know if I am okay. I used to watch their videos and look at their pictures and posts and react or comment on all of them. I felt that I should or had to show them that someone valued their content. Sometimes I would spend hours on there.

Life is short and it passes so quickly. I look at my photos from a year ago or even 10 years ago and can remember the exact time I was taking that picture. How fast that time has gone by! If I had to account for the time I spent it would be by my photos. The important or rather meaningful times would have photos to represent them. The other time that I spent doing mundane things would normally not have any pictures (except that I have that blogging mentality which means I take pictures of boring chores and write about it).

I suppose social media is no different than any other activity people do to entertain themselves. If you do an activity that results in rewards of some kind maybe it is not mundane after all. If it gives you that good feeling (dopamine spike). Besides don't I get pleasure from social interactions as much as from cooking a tasty meal or going for a walk? So I should just make sure I follow my list of things I need to do each day and include fakebook in that time period. There are many activities I do that don't sound important but in my day to day life they are. Household chores is one of those. Cooking is another. Reminds me of putting a puzzle together. Work for days putting it together. Admire it for a few days then take it apart and put it in a box. Life is like that in a way.
 
I found out yesterday what my niece died from. Sepsis. It affected her liver. I was wrong about her age. She was 38. I read two different obituaries and they both had the wrong information. My brother's ex-girlfriend was listed as her mother and her children as her step siblings. Her real mother had died in November or December of last year and her obituary never mentioned my niece as one of her children. So I guess people can just put what they want in those things.

When I die I do not want it in the paper at all. Nor do I want a funeral or any mention of my death anywhere. It is just another thing that costs money for someone.
 
Yesterday, Sonny came over and worked on "Jazzy" (mobility chair). He finally got that stubborn wheel off and put the new one on! He had to use a torch..........I am glad I was not out there watching that. I would have been stressed thinking the fire alarm might go off. But I guess it does not let off a smell or smoke. My friend was out in the hall on her scooter watching him work on it. I charged it up overnight and now today if I want I can take a ride. There is a Memorial Day parade today. Maybe I will go to it but more likely just take a short ride to make sure it is working good. It still makes a noise underneath but now I am thinking that is the foot rest thing. I will take my screwdriver to that this morning.

If everything works good with it I will take a test run to my foot doctor's office. Not very far away and I was going to try to walk there with my walker anyway. I have an appointment there on the 7th so I am hoping I can get there under my own steam.

I have to be very careful from now on with where I drive Jazzy. The sidewalks have areas that are broken and bumpy. I need to go around those. Now I have a tire with an inner tube. I researched about it and they say that it is more stable then the other tires. These mobility chairs are not different than any other vehicle. At least they don't need gasoline. A guy in my building has a nice new scooter and it has two rear view mirrors which I like. I always wished I had one on Jazzy but there is no place to put it. Except for the arm rest. Scooters have the dashboard. I like the chair best because it does zero turns and in the elevator or store aisles that comes in handy.

Happy Memorial Day, my friends!
 
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One food that most people following a keto or low carb food plan use is nuts. For some reason, I do not feel so good after eating them. I think it is because I overeat them. I try to control my portions but it is easier to not have them in my cupboard. I do still use almond flour but it has carbs and have to be mindful of that. Recently Joe of 2 Krazy Ketos made a mug bread using pork rinds instead. No carbs!

It is made like a mug cake but is bread instead. One carb for the whole mug. He made it in a microwave so I am making it in my Nuwave oven instead. I am going to make it tomorrow and if it comes out good I will show you a picture of it.

Today I made my own creation of an iced coffee caramel macchiato with the Keto Chow. It is in the refrigerator for tomorrow. I am saving it for when I come back from Bingo. It is my reward for not eating all the junk food they have there. I find it interesting that people who have all kinds of health issues that are quite serious keep eating the foods that got them there in the first place. No matter what you say to people about what they eat they just keep eating it. I would never say a word if I didn't care about them. But I do care.
 

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