Oh, my aching back!!!!!

I had a wake up call yesterday! I've been down with a horrible lower back ache which to me, felt like it was originating from my left hip where I had a total replacement 7.5 years ago.  I finally went to see my ortho surgeon to make sure my hip prosthesis was still in place.  Good news is that my hip is fine.  But they did take an x-ray of my back and found that I have a small indication of arthritis in my back.  They think the lower back pain is actually from muscle strain but wanted to let me know that I do have some arthritis.  WOW!!!! 
I'm 64 years old.  Most my friends have arthritis somewhere in their body, and most of them, in the lower back.  So I know it's not unusual.  But I guess I always thought of myself as being relatively healthy for my age.  At least, on rare occasions when I turn on my Wii and insert my Wii Fit disc and do that little test for age, I'm told I'm 35 years old.  So I've been going on believing that I'm 30 years younger than my real age.
I don't take any blood pressure medicine, and I'm not a diabetic.  But the truth of it is, I don't go to doctors so I don't have to find out. I do have a blood pressure monitor which I use once every other month or so.  It tells me that I'm at stage 1 hypertension.  I borrow my dad's blood sugar reading machine, and measure myself some mornings - not often.  It tells me I'm good (60 to 70 range).  But I don't take it in late afternoons after my 4th bar of chocolates!
This arthritis in the back really is forcing me face the truth. The truth isn't that I'm old and need to plan for death.  But truth is that I really need to get going with being healthy and treating my body right. Eat simply! Live simply!  EXERCISE!!!!!

Oh Christmas Tree....

We lost our Christmas tree this summer in the flood.  So it's time to buy another one.  You'd think that would be an easy task.  But it's never easy for me, because I'm not a big fan of traditional Christmas trees.  I'm not artistic by any means, but when it comes to Christmas trees, I like to walk to the beat of a different drummer, maybe that of a little drummer boy?
Here is a photo of a Christmas tree I made 3 years ago.  I cut off some branches from one of my bushes, painted it all white, and decorated it with white lights and small red bow ties. 

 

It cost me a lot less to do this (free) than to buy a new tree whether fresh or artificial.  I also got a lot of compliments on this.  But my daughter missed the traditional tree with all the ornaments. So I bought a cheap small artificial tree and placed in a corner of our TV room. 

 

I suppose I could do this again, but I'm looking for another idea. Just what, I don't know yet.  But keeping with my attempts at simplicity and frugality, I need to look for an idea that won't cost much and won't be complicated.

 

Anyone has any ideas?

 



 



Re-Creating Leftovers

I'm trying to get back to normal and healthy after my binge eating from Thanksgiving weekend.  Despite all the self talk about discipline, eating the right food, cutting back, exercise... nothing worked.
Problem is that I still have tons of foods leftover, and I really don't want to throw them out. 
I did manage to freeze most of my turkey meat, turkey chili that I made on Friday, and some pies.
But I still have a lot left, and I didn't want to eat it again!
So I took the left over rice,  left over peas, salad ingredients still in the refrig from last Thursday, salmon from my freezer, and made a meal.  I have to say, it was delicious because it wasn't that heavy, fat laden food of the past few days.

Salmon was baked in my NuWave oven with sprinkling of salt. I mixed the cooked rice with left over peas and seasoned with salt and pepper and some olive oil to loosen the rice.  The green mound you see to the left is fresh spinach that I had to cook before it went bad. I made a small mound and indented the top, then poured a small amount of rice vinegar into the hole.
Very simple, healthy, good for you kind of dinner!

Buddhist Prayer

9:30am and I need to get in the shower and get going for the day.  My routine of coffee and reading is done.  Currently, I'm reading The Ambassador by Morris West. It's an old book and I think it's out of print.  There is a quote of a prayer in this book that I love and hold dear. 
     
If there be light, show me light.
If there be power, extend it to me.
If there be forgiveness, forgive.
If there be tomorrow, grant me a hope in it.
And if there be all these things, but not for me,
Give me the patience to endure the not having.

I need to print it out and frame it and read it every day.

My life is changing again.  I'm waiting for a call or an email from my most likely employer some time this week.  I retired 7 months ago, but got an offer that I just couldn't refuse.  It's 99% that I'll take the job, but still waiting for the contract offer to make sure that compensation and benefits are what I want, and worth coming out of retirement.

Will check in later.

My Dad at Masonic Nursing Home