Reading and Relaxing

After the very busy, hurried week I had last week, I really needed some time to relax. Sunday, I started a good book, and I read it whenever I could yesterday and then stayed up until 11:30 p.m. to finish it. There is really something about a good book that just grips me. I get sucked into the plot and I just can't put it down. As a teenager, I remember spending my summer days reading. I would carry my book to the table and read and eat. I would carry my book to the bathroom and yes, I would sit and read. I've even read while in the bathtub. These days, I read in the car (while Terry drives), I read while I eat (if we don't go out to eat), and I read late at night after Hannah is asleep. Hannah has discovered the joy of reading too. She is reading on a chapter book right now, a Little House on the Prarie book, and she reads shorter books--usually over and over again. Today, we stayed home all day even though I wasn't sick. I didn't have a new book to start, and I also wanted to get some work done so I didn't want to get chained down to a book. I worked on some office work that needed some undivided attention, cooked some eggless chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, cooked a meatloaf, squash, mashed potatoes, and prepared some chicken to make enchiladas with tomorrow. I also washed some rugs, washed the dishes several times, vacuumed 95% of the house, and Hannah and I each painted two pictures (watercolors). It was just so nice to relax at home and not feel that I had to be somewhere at a certain time or do something every second. Oh, I almost forgot, I also took a nap for an hour. It's been forever since I've had a day like this, and I needed it. Next week, Barbara will be off work in order to prepare for her daughter's wedding. Terry is going to go camping--alone. Hannah and I will be holding down the fort at the office by ourselves. Then Hannah will be in the wedding (she's the flower girl) and on Monday after that we will be going to church camp. June has just dissappeared. So I guess I will go the Library and stock up on a few books, I will need to escape in the evenings. I highly reccomend it--it's a great way to relax!

Happy Father's Day!

I want to wish my father, my husband and my son a Happy Father's Day! Hope you all have a wonderful day!

Happy Birthday Ashley!

I have a wonderful daughter-in-law--Ashley. Even though Hannah is just 7, she has a very wonderful sister-in-law. When Hannah was in Kindergarten, she told her whole class she had a sister-in-haw. Since Ashley has been in our family, Hannah has included her in all the family pictures she draws--in fact sometimes she forgets some of us. Ashley has been a part of our family for several years now, and we love her, and hope she has a beautiful, wonderful, excellent, exciting, marvellous, and remarkable birthday! Happy Birthday Ashley!!!

Pugsley

Hannah would love to have another dog, but we have four too many as it is. She did get to spend the evening with her Papaw this weekend and he has the cutest little pug puppy named Pugsley. They played together until they both collapsed on the couch. She is adorable!

How Can This Be?

I've always shared my life with everyone, mainly because I know that something I say might encourage someone else or help them to not feel so lonely. I understand this even more now as I am going through my current life crisis. Yesterday, I went to the allergy doctor and discovered that I am allergic to trees, grasses, weeds, lots of molds, milk, and eggs. I came away with three different lists of foods that I should avoid and what wasn't on one list--was on the other. I didn't know that being allergic to molds comes with a list of food to avoid. Apparently all the health problems I've been experiencing are rooted in my allergies. This obviously cramps my style just a bit. I love food and love to cook, and I have to get motivated to learn some new recipes and new ways of cooking. It is somewhat depressing, and today it was wonderful to run into my old friend Linda Louton. I used to work with Linda at the Garland County Library and I always thought she ate so plain. She would eat plain rice, a plain meat, and a plain veggie. She has lots of allergies, and I now totally understand her. I don't want to eat anything that I don't know what's in it. Eating, one of my greatest joys, has become my worst nightmare. Talking to Linda really

did help just to know that I am not alone.

I did have some wonderful dairy free ice cream this evening. Except for the fact that sugar grows mold, it was totally legal. It was called Purely Decadent and the flavor was Peanut Butter Zig Zag. It was chocolaty and peanut buttery--yummo!

I know in time things will level out after I get used to the medicines and figure out foods to eat that my whole family will enjoy. Life has taken an interesting turn!

Just Stress!

I've spoken about some health issues in the past and am starting to figure out some of my problems. For a little over a month, I thought I was allergic to some food that was causing me to have trouble swallowing. I was also still having my intestinal problems; therefore, I cut out all milk products and then all wheat products, but my problem just got worse. It started to happen when I drank cold water or would lay down. I finally told myself the obvious--this has nothing to do with what you are eating. I looked up dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) on the internet and realized that I was having esphoageal spasms. I went to the doctor and he ordered a barium swallow test to make sure I didn't have in strictures, lesions, or growths in my throat. I do not--I do have a very small hiatal hernia which should not be causing any problems and does not need to be treated.

So why am I having these problems with my esphoagus and my intestines? It's actually because of America's number one health problem--stress. Stress is the pressure or tension exerted on a material object; or a state of mental, emotional, or other strain. The problem with stress is that we endure it all day long. Our bodies are built to endure a certian amount of stress and actually it can make us more productive. We have just increased the amount of activity we acomplish in the normal routine of our lives, and if we throw in anything extra--a death, a flat tire, a sick child, a cold or flu, etc., then our bodies can hardly bare it. We are so busy running to and fro with our jobs, our extracurricular activities, and our children's activities, that we don't take time to rest and recuperate. I know that sometimes I work harder on the weekend than during the week at work. In Genesis 2:2, it says, "By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work." Our bodies need time to rest and recuperate from the stress of our lives. The problem with causing your body to endure more stress than it is capable of handling is that you can get ill. Your muscles can spasm, which control many of your body parts. I know one lady who swells up and gets welps like she's having an allergic reaction. She's actually not allergic to anything--it's just stress. I read one article that said 75-90 percent of all doctors visits were from stress related illness. The doctor does tests and then tells you, "it's just stress." When maybe he should sit us and down and say, "You have a serious problem, and you need to take a break." Remember next time you feel guilty about taking the extra moment for yourself or when you take a nap in the middle of the day, that "just stress" can kill you.