Another busy day today. I went to church in the morning. That was nice. We had our annual meeting at the start of the service, which just means the board updates the congregation on the state of the church’s finances and other administrative items. Super boring, but crucial because we are a 501(c)3 corporation. And if we were to ask the congregation to come to a meeting, they likely would not show up, so you have to catch them while they are there for the service. A captive audience. Sneaky, I know.
After church the husband and I went back to Verizon to see if we could get the new phones set up. Negative. I had to unfreeze our accounts with the credit bureau (I froze them a couple months back when there was a huge data breach), and they hadn’t updated that information with Verizon yet. It was a weekend, and the guy at Verizon said that was likely the reason. They just need a human to handle it, perhaps? We are hoping that it gets resolved tomorrow because poor daughter is itching to get a working phone back.
The third act of the day was a baby shower. My daughter and I attended, and I’m so glad she went with me because I didn’t know anyone there. Just the mom-to-be and her mother-in-law. It was a solid three hours of estrogen and I was pretty exhausted by the end of it. But, I’m happy for the new parents, and I’m glad we were able to be there.
I finished the day with mundane stuff that needed to be done. Washed dishes, folded laundry, vacuumed, that sort of thing. Took a look at my calendar for the week to make sure I have all my rides scheduled. I still have a blood test I need to get so we’ll see when I can squeeze that in. It’s the test for the JC virus that I’m required to get every six months. My monthly infusions carry a much greater risk of me getting a fatal brain disease, PML, if I test positive for the JC virus, so that’s why we do this. Only I had the test done last month, and they screwed up the order so I need to go back and try again. I’m super grateful I’ve remained JC negative after all these years on the medication (Tysabri) and am praying I continue to stay that way.
In other news, Christmas is coming. Have you heard? My kids have both issued their wish lists (at my urgent insistence) and my sister is taking me shopping this week so hopefully we can find some things on the list. I’ve already been able to do some shopping online but a lot of items are better found in stores, and that’s something I need assistance with. We started this shopping tradition a couple years ago and we had such a great time, we decided to keep doing it each year. It’s a drive for my sister to come up to where I live, but it’s a huge help to me. I’m grateful for her help in finding things and for her patience when I’m not 100% clear on what it is I’m looking for. It will be an exhausting day but productive and memorable, I’m sure.
That about sums up my day. I’m hoping to sleep decently tonight. The last couple nights I’ve been waking up with night sweats, and that’s no fun. Hormones are a hoot.
Daily Post #3 – December 7, 2024
Long and crazy day. The original plan was for the whole family to go pick out and cut down this year’s Christmas tree. And that was going to be it, a nice relaxing day.
We ended up doing a lot more than that. To start off, a friend texted first thing in the morning inviting me to join her at the gym. I said absolutely yes, since I had missed the day before and had been itching to go back. I got reacquainted with the elliptical – I hadn’t used one in over 15 years, when I was pregnant with my daughter – and learned very quickly that the elliptical is an efficient way to work out the upper leg muscles. OOF! I’ll definitely be coming back to those. Then, with jell-o legs we went over to the 30 minute circuit and got full body strength workouts in. I was so exhausted after but it felt really good to be moving my body again. And, it’s a nice change-up from running, which can get dull at times. We finished at the gym with chair massages and then went for coffee to do some real catching up. It was a fine morning.
Once home and showered, I went with Mike and the kids – and Punky! – to pick out our Christmas tree. That was a blast, as always. It’s a nice tradition we’ve kept through the years and I will miss it when it’s gone.
So with the tree procured and placed in the living room, we decided to head back out for a special mission. My daughter’s cell phone was broken and needing replacement. Since we all have had our phones awhile and are outside of the contract, we figured now we be a good time to shop for new cell phones/plans. So we spent the entire afternoon driving to various service centers, price shopping. We finally settled on one, and tried to get it all set up, but ran into a snafu so we’re hoping to get that completed in the next day or so. Oddly enough, none of us got frustrated with each other during this whole ordeal. We actually just enjoyed hanging out together. I was extremely grateful for that. And!! For a good portion of the outing my daughter drove! She just recently got her learner’s permit so she’s learning. She kind of hates it, it really stresses her out, but I think she’s doing a great job and will hate it less as she gets more practice.
All in all, it was a pretty incredible day and I’m so thankful for my friends and family, and thankful to have a warm bed to come home to. I’ll be sleeping well tonight.
Daily Post #2 – December 6, 2024
Here we are again, folks! Daily recap coming atcha…
This morning I had planned to get dropped off at the lab to get some repeat blood work done (the original test was ordered incorrectly) and then walk over to the gym (they share a parking lot). However, when I woke up with the kids my stomach was not feeling right. As I moved around the kitchen it got increasingly worse, and devolved into sharp, stabbing pains. A pain I know all too well as gas. So I knew I wasn’t going to be able to do much until that got resolved. Skipped the trip and went back to bed. Falling asleep in the fetal position did the trick, and a couple hours later I was good as new.
The middle of the day didn’t consist of much. I ate some yummy leftovers and did some reading. I’m listening to The Case Against Sugar by Gary Taubes and it’s pretty interesting. Since it’s an audiobook I find myself getting distracted pretty frequently, but mostly I’m learning that a lot of what has been researched about the dangerous effects of too much sugar in our diets has been shoved under the rug by corporately funded researchers. All the folks benefiting from the sugar industry have spent a lot of money to keep people from learning that in the large quantities we consume it, sugar is harmful.
The other book I’m reading is The Obesity Code by Dr. Jason Fung. I recently finished his other companion book, The Diabetes Code, and I kind of wish I had read them in order because a lot of what I’m learning in this one would have been useful as I muscled my way through The Diabetes Code. I am downright fascinated by the science in this book. And encouraged, because it’s debunking a lot of the closely held yet erroneous beliefs our society has about weight loss/gain. Weight loss/gain is not an exact science, nor is it a simple math equation. The answer to losing weight is not calories in/calories out. There are so many systems in our bodies that play a part in fat production and processing the calories we put into it. So we need to stop shaming people for their size. Okay? Just stop it. I got in a heated debate a few months back on social media with a guy who was griping about people using the motorized carts at the grocery store, saying they needed to leave those carts for the truly disabled. I pressed him on it, knowing I am one who is truly disabled yet doesn’t look it, and found that he was referring to the heavier people. He said they needed to just walk more. Obviously he’s never struggled with his weight.
We need to be kinder, people. Because we really don’t know what we don’t know. We have been fed lies for decades that in order to achieve or even maintain a certain size, we just need to do A, B, and C. Simple right? Except that it never works. All my friends are entering the land of menopause and haven’t changed a thing, and yet we are getting larger. Is it our fault? Of course not! Hormones, baby. They have everything to do with why our bodies hold onto fat and there is not a whole lot we can do about that. I think we’re getting closer to finding answers, but what do I know? I’m just a retired accountant who likes to read about science.
Whew! Getting off that soapbox now. I finished off my day by attending my son’s wrestling meet. I don’t usually get to go, but my husband had come home early so I was able to ride up with him. We had a great time, Luke wrestled his heart out, and then we came home. Saturday we are hoping to go get a Christmas tree, so I look forward to updating you again tomorrow night!
Daily Post #1
I decided this morning that I want to do a daily post and see how long I can keep it up. Just a recap, no editing or fussing over wording or details, just stream of consciousness, talk about my day, and call it good.
So, day 1 here, December 5, 2024 started off around midnight, 1 am, waking up with a migraine. I took various pain medications throughout the night and eventually it was calmed enough to let me sleep. Hubby putting pressure on my forehead and holding my hand didn’t hurt either. I tend to get very panicky when I get these migraines, so if nothing else his gentle presence kept me from spiraling into a panic attack.
When I woke up in the morning (kids had a snow day so I was able to sleep in a little) I still had the shadow of the migraine so I took a 600 mg Motrin so that I could be comfortable for my infusion later in the morning. I had also had night sweats, which I found interesting. I haven’t had a migraine or night sweats in some time so it makes me wonder why they made a reappearance on the same night. Oh well. Onward.
I got my infusion and had zero issues with the IV – yay! – so that was a relief. I had some issues with my pickup ride running late due to the roads, but the ride home went fine and I survived it all. I’ve been having frustrations with Spec-tran because they are short on drivers and the people scheduling their routes clearly don’t know how to read a map, so getting anywhere on time can be a gamble. I’m still so thankful for that service, but I also still really miss being able to drive myself places.
This next update is long, so settle in:
About a month or so ago I met with a woman from Michigan’s Bureau of Services for Blind People (BSBP) to talk about training for using a white cane, and various other O&M (orientation and mobility) training. This is new information, y’all. I’ve considered using a white cane, off and on, for as long as I’ve had low vision, and I just decided it was finally time. The majority of the time I’m out and about I do fine, but there are the handful of times where I’m out in public, in unfamiliar places, and I feel completely unsafe. Super anxious. And when I realized how much anxiety I was feeling so often, I determined that maybe I could do something about it. I’ll be honest, I was absolutely conflicted about the idea of using a cane, because it can draw a certain attention to myself (mainly fawning, which I loathe), but in the end, after much prayer and pondering, I decided to take that step. So I met with a woman from the BSBP and we are working on getting me approved for services. After talking with her for a good length of time, I was so encouraged at all the ways they can help. Ways that I didn’t even realize I could use the help. Ways I’ve adapted over time, muscled my way through, and now I’m just tired. So tired.
I have a white cane that a friend gave me to use several years ago. She is blind herself and this was one she no longer used. We are around the same height so she figured it would suit me well. And it absolutely does, but I still need proper training. I did watch some YouTube videos to learn what I could, and I’m comfortable using it, but I know training is still needed in order to get the most benefit out of it.
You guys, it’s a game changer! I took it with me on a women’s retreat and used it while we were shopping in downtown Saugatuck. Outdoor walking, lots of cracks and bumps on the sidewalk. But with the cane informing me of what was to come, I was able to walk with my head up, not staring down just past my feet. I was even able to engage in conversation with the other women and that was probably my favorite part.
I had to make it fun, so I named the cane. Casey. Casey Cane. And she is now my companion for special outings. I take her to the gym with me and she is very useful for riding the bus. When I’m holding Casey, the bus driver doesn’t rush to leave. They actually wait until I’m seated before they start moving the bus again. It’s wonderful!
Another benefit to having Casey is that when walking in crowded areas, people aren’t expecting me to get out of their way if they are walking towards me. I’ve been in busy areas before where people nearly plowed through me, and it’s quite scary because I really can’t see them coming until they are very close.
The problem with my disability is that I look completely fine to strangers. In society, we have unspoken expectations on others. So it helps that they can see Casey and know that it means I can’t see well and likely need more space and time. I have said before it would be so much easier if I just had a sign on my shirt that says, “Deaf/Blind” much like the running vest I wear. So rather than wear a bright orange Deaf/Blind vest on outings, I’m going with something a little less obnoxious, a white cane.
Oh, and the best part? ZERO people have made a fuss over it. No fawning, whatsoever. They just carry on like it’s been there all along. I absolutely love it.
Since this is just a daily recap, I’ll finish off with the dish I prepared for dinner. Chicken and broccoli alfredo. I used a rotisserie chicken, and it was my first time breaking down a chicken, so I was pretty nervous about that. Since I couldn’t really see what I was doing it was all done by feel. I felt like I did okay, but one of my husband’s first bites was a piece of gristle or bone or something. Ack! That just ruins the whole dish you know? But my portion was tasty, so hopefully that was the only piece I missed. I made the alfredo sauce from scratch because it’s super easy, and storebought alfredo is crap. Overall I thought it was a yummy dish, and my son agreed, so I’ll keep the recipe for a repeat down the road and hopefully I can do better with the chicken next time. I put notes on how it went in my recipe app (Plan to Eat), because I know I’ll forget this information.
And that’s all for my recap. I’m pretty spent from the day and looking forward to tomorrow. I have to get some lab work done because they ordered the wrong test on a crucial item last time. But I’ll leave you there because I can talk about that in tomorrow’s daily update. How about that? Good night, and we’ll talk tomorrow!
Good Day
Some days we get to feel like we are winning. Not that there’s any type of contest, or reward for this “winning”. I mean the kind of day where you know you’ll be going to bed pleased that you were able to accomplish what you set out to do.
Today sort of feels like that, and I’m rereading that statement above and cringing at how pretentious it sounds. All I’m really trying to say is I’m proud of myself. And I don’t always feel that way, so it feels worth mentioning. Today I went to the gym and tried the 30 minute circuit that I had been wanting to try but had been too self-conscious to do. I was just nervous that i wouldn’t be able to see the numbers or instructions and that people would see me fumbling around or staring so long at the signs and would laugh at me. But I did it anyway! And it seems I started a trend because when I entered the room, I was alone. By the time I finished the circuit, several more people had joined in. When you finally do something that you had been avoiding for so long for fear of being laughed at, it’s a pretty incredible feeling of accomplishment. To be bold and confident when you don’t normally perceive yourself that way? Definitely feels like winning. The feeling is the reward.
Also, and this will hopefully be addressed in a later post, I traveled with my white cane today and I have to make an observation. The city bus drivers are a lot more patient with you when they know you have a disability. I found that when I have the white cane out in sight, they actually wait for me to be seated before they start moving again. I definitely appreciate that. I have so much more to say about this topic but the story is still working itself out, so it will be awhile before I can fully report on it. Stay tuned for that!
Dark Mode
Fun fact – I cannot read normal computer screens. I cannot navigate filling out forms on paper without significant difficulty (and inevitably leaving a lot of fields blank). My visual impairment is unique in that a good portion of my visual field is covered in fog. That’s the best way I am able to describe it. When I look at a “normal” screen (i.e. white background) I can’t see most of what is there. This means that a lot of the apps I use on a regular basis are very difficult for me to use. Over the years I’ve learned to be patient and allow myself more time to complete tasks.
But when I open an app and discover they have added the dark mode feature? Oooh boy, I can’t tell you how relieved I feel! I remember the first time this happened was with Facebook, and while I was elated, it didn’t add much value to my life. Cuz you know, it’s Facebook. But then, much later, I opened up my recipe app, which I use a ton for preparing meals and snacks for my family – something I strive to do well at, whether my family really cares or not – and it was in dark mode!! Let me tell you, that made my whole week.
Then awhile back I had another pleasant surprise when I opened the Android app for Goodreads to find my next book to read and it was in dark mode. I could have cried. I am an avid reader and it’s been so frustrating to not be able to really navigate that app for so long.
My third win for dark mode happened when I finally dug around the interwebs and found tape for my label maker in “white on black”. Guys, I’m having so much fun with this! I am a label nerd, for sure, and the first thing I did with my new readable labels is to tag my leftovers. Because once I put the dishes in the fridge, I never really know what’s there. Not without taking each dish out and opening it up, and even then sometimes I can’t tell without actually sniffing or tasting the food inside, and that’s I think mostly due to the atypical colorblindness. So labels have been a game changer. I’m a very happy woman over here.
For the record, these are my favorite apps that I am able to view in dark mode:
Plan to Eat (my recipe app!)
Goodreads (books!)
Facebook (no explanation needed)
YNAB (my awesome budgeting app!)
VRBO (trip planning)
Booking.com (trip planning)
Now it would be great to have my banks get on board. Out of all the banks we bank with, NONE of them have a dark mode option. So I keep doing my banking on the computer, where I have extensions to view those web pages in dark mode. Tell your programmer friends… we want more dark mode!
What’s cooking?
I am not the best at cooking. I’ve never enjoyed it, and that has always deterred me from trying. I think for most, cooking is a learned skill that rarely comes naturally. You get better with practice. However, I do like to bake, and I do like to make food for people if it makes them happy. Food = love, right?
I recently attended a weekend retreat with the women in my church, and I brought a pan of homemade rice krispie treats. I love rice krispie treats, and homemade are not only the best tasting, they are fairly simple and quick to make. And they are gluten free! Which made the handful of ladies from my church who are strictly gluten free, very happy.
But also, I’ve been on a weird kick lately of trying new things in my kitchen. It started when I saw a recipe for homemade granola. I eat granola pretty regularly, but I really shudder at the price of it in the stores. So when I saw that I had all the ingredients for this recipe, I jumped at the chance. And you know what? It was so easy, so delicious, and plentiful! I am going to save so much money on granola.
That got me thinking… if I can save money by making my own granola, maybe I can save on making my own yogurt too? My all-in-one Ninja cooker has a yogurt function, and I’ve always been a bit curious. So I tried that out too. Only the recipe I found used the dehydrate function, but it worked just the same. I learned about straining yogurt, and am now the proud owner of cheesecloth. I’m 46 and I’m still building my homemaker arsenal.
Which leads me to another thing that’s been on my mind lately – decluttering. Maybe it is time to get rid of that 25 year old crockpot? I’ve been watching new episodes of Hoarders on Hulu, and while watching the show doesn’t result in me getting much done in my house, it does keep my mind on the topic. I need to be ruthless about getting rid of the things I never use. Really. Because having to sort through drawers and piles to find what I need is not fun, and often deters me from starting joyful projects in the first place. So that’s going on my goal list for the next season. Tossing stuff.
So, while I’m over here being Miss Susie Homemaker it’s been a nice distraction from the mess that was our Presidential election. Woah baby. I was conflicted going into it, and am grieved coming out of it. I’m just hearing so many of my friends and loved ones who are hurting and scared. I think most of us could admit we didn’t have great options to choose from, so there are people on both sides who are conflicted. And then there are people like myself, who don’t really align much with either side and just want to see our country healed from all the fighting.
We are studying the book of Revelation in BSF this year, and this book was so timely for this election season. I’m blown away at how much it relates, especially given the fact that it’s an international study, not limited to the U.S. I sit in my discussion group each week with people of many colors, backgrounds, and faith histories, and I am encouraged. Encouraged that we can all come together in agreement that God still has dominion over all. We have hope in our Creator that one day He will make all things new. No more division, no more hate. And we can trust Him in all things. Time and time again He has used crummy situations to grow and teach people, and He will do it again. Because His character is one of a good and redemptive God and that fact will never change.
So I guess this post took a turn for the serious, and I apologize if that was too much for you. Go grab a cup of coffee and do some coloring. Take good care of yourself and then go out and help someone else. It will do your heart good, I promise.
My very brief “75 Hard” journey and what I learned
I don’t know if any of you have heard of “75 Hard” but it’s this bazonkers challenge that some guy made up a few years ago, and it seems to have quite the following.
The challenge is this: For 75 consecutive days you must complete the following tasks:
1) Drink one gallon of water
2) Follow a diet of your choosing, no cheat days!
3) Read 10 pages of a nonfiction book
4) Complete two non-consecutive 45-minute workouts, 1 of which must be outdoors
5) Take a progress picture
If you miss any of the tasks even once, you have to start all over again on Day One. Oof.
A good friend of mine completed this challenge a couple years ago, and she is now working the challenge once again. When she did it the first time, I seriously gave it some thought but never did anything with it. This second time I felt compelled to hop on and give it a shot.
Now a couple of these things were easy for me. I have been intermittent fasting since March of 2023 so following a diet wasn’t a big deal. I would just be more intentional about sticking with my chosen eating and fasting “windows”. No problem.
Reading 10 pages of nonfiction? I’m a huge reader, and 90% of what I enjoy reading is nonfiction. Again, no problem.
Taking a progress picture is a simple enough task, and thankfully no one would have to see it but me, so the trick was just to remember to do it. Easy peasy.
It’s the gallon of water and 2 daily exercises that were the real challenge for me. I don’t mind drinking water, but I prefer coffee, and that doesn’t count. So I just had to be intentional about sipping from and refilling my water bottle throughout the day. I even bought myself a larger bottle (half gallon) so I would only need to refill once during the day. However, since I had just been coming off training for the Sleeping Bear half marathon, I was already in the habit of daily hydrating so this wasn’t a huge deal.
For the exercising I was doing an outdoor walk and indoor Fitbod workout each day. That was going very well, and with all the water I was drinking, my muscles were recovering well every day. I would feel a bit of soreness but it never stuck around for long. I was feeling really good!
Y’all, I lasted 8 days. That 9th day I had a super busy day morning to night. Doctor appointment for me, orthodontist for both kids, and having to use paratransit to get everywhere means every trip takes awhile and has zero flexibility. But that wasn’t what killed the challenge for me. I had been out of town the weekend prior and the day before I came back, my husband left for a 3 day work trip. So on that bonkers day with all the appointments, that evening I just wanted to spend time with my husband. I had to make a decision – stay home and complete my workouts (because all the appointments prevented me from getting them done earlier) or ride with my husband to take our daughter to her horse riding lesson. I chose the latter, ending my 75 Hard challenge streak, and I have no regrets.
I may try again some other time, but I don’t know. I strongly felt like God had been leading me to that challenge, so I had to really ponder why. I think He was trying to show me how much my daily life had been lacking in discipline. And while 75 Hard was very much an all or nothing thing, installing discipline into your life doesn’t have to be that way. The key is to be intentional. So now I’ve been thinking a lot more about how I can maintain that intentionality but in a way that fits with my impairments and my daily life. I’m being humbled here. I need to cut out a lot of things in my life for awhile that were distracting me. I would spend hours on Facebook or Netflix or the stupid coloring app on my phone, and before I knew it, I had lost most of the day. Since I’m not working, I don’t have anyone telling me what or when things need to be done. I am the boss of my life, and I had been doing a shoddy job of it.
So I decided to make my own list:
1) Read 10 pages of a book
2) Exercise for 30 minutes
3) Drink a half gallon of water
4) Pray/study the Bible for 30 minutes
5) Write for 30 minutes
The times listed are just minimums of course. I just list them that way so I have measurable goals. I found a habit tracking app so I can keep the list in front of me and check things off as I go. It will be satisfying to see streaks of habits, but I’m allowing myself the ability to skip days if necessary. Some days my body and mind need rest, and I’m going to honor that. But I’m working really hard to not slip back into bad habits. While binging on Netflix seems like it would be restful, it’s really not. And it’s discouraging when you come off of a session of 6 episodes of Reba and realize you’ve lost your whole day, and you still need to put away that laundry you washed last Tuesday, and you have no idea what you are going to feed your people for dinner.
So yeah. I’m working on some healthy habits. I was gonna say “new” healthy habits, but then caught myself. These are not new. I’m working on some healthy habits – again. And I should say, it feels pretty damn good.
Moving forward!
Where are my glasses?
The other day I went for a run. Just before I left the house I was looking for my reading glasses in order to choose the music to stream from my phone. When I wear contacts it makes me far-sighted, so reading glasses are a necessity. When I run I often can’t read my Garmin watch well because I don’t have magic telescoping arms. I couldn’t find the glasses but I was able to manage without, so I left the house knowing I would surely find them later. I ran an easy 2.2 miles around the neighborhood. When I came back I grabbed my giant water bottle and went out on the deck with the dogs – our usual post-run routine. When I set my phone and water bottle down on the ledge of the deck I happened to glance down just enough to notice… my glasses were hanging from my collar. They had been there all along! I was surprised they hadn’t fallen off while I ran and chuckled to myself. Then obviously went back inside and snapped this selfie so I could show you how obvious and ridiculous it was that they were hiding in plain sight the whole time.
Running is going well. I’m taking it easy and focusing more on consistency and speed rather than piling on the miles. Only one race officially on the books, and that isn’t until March. It’s a 5k so my aim is to see if I can break my personal record (PR) from the 2019 Turkey Trot. That time was 34:03, which is ridiculous fast for me. I ran the whole thing terrified of tripping or getting knocked over, so I’m sure adrenaline played a huge role in my speed. That was before I had purchased the deaf/blind vest and to be honest, that was probably the reason I got the vest in the first place. I knew I would feel a lot safer with that information displayed for other runners. I’m currently in the process of getting trained to use a white cane for very similar reasons, but that’s a whole other post. I’m sure you’ll hear about that from me later.
I’ve got some other stuff rolling around in my head to write about so until then, shalom y’all…
Scary Book
I’m reading a really scary book right now. No, it’s not a gory thriller or suspense novel. It’s a book about type 2 diabetes – The Diabetes Code by Jason Fung, and it’s freaking me out. For one, it’s very science-y so it’s slow reading. For two, I’m worried about every human I know and love because, well, sugar. Refined sugar is terrible for our systems, and at least here in the U.S., it’s in *everything*. So it’s nearly impossible to avoid. I’m trying to just get through this book and when my brain slips into panic mode I set it down for a while and move on to more pleasant things.
Like watching Reba reruns on Netflix!
Little M.S. Runner 