Recently read and reading

- I Regret Nothing, A Memoir by Jen Lancaster (it's a LOL book)
- 'Til Death Do Us Part, another in a series of mysteries by a former Cosmopolitan editor
- Sideways on a Scooter: Life and Love in India, by a young, female NPR reporter
- Home Sweet Anywhere: How We Sold Our House, Created a New Life, and Saw the World
- The Receptionist: An Education at the New Yorker
- Romance is my Day Job: A Memoir of Finding Love at Last, by a Harlequin romance editor.
- An Italian Journey: a Harvest of Revelations in the Olive Groves of Tuscany
- There was a Little Girl: the Real Story of My Mother and Me, by Brooke Shields
- Nine Lives to Die: a Mrs. Murphy Mystery

Entering the Zone:

No aches, no stiffness, no lie!

So I had a house call from a doctor several weeks ago. When I originally was contacted about this visit, I was assured that it wasn’t because I was, well, getting a little long on the tooth, but rather just a courtesy to participants in my self-insured health plan.

Well, it actually was generated by my advancing age, I discovered, but once we got past the preliminaries and he realized I wasn’t exactly homebound and shuffling around with a cane (wait, what!), I decided to pump him for information. He told me that his three biggest preventative health suggestions were mammograms, colonoscopies and daily baby aspirin use. Having once worked for the maker of Bayer Aspirin, I was a little skeptical about his assertion that aspirin can help one become a vegetarian, but I do plan to ask my primary care physician if the regimen would be a good idea for someone not knowingly at risk for heart attack or stroke.

What I really wanted to ask this doctor about was my joint stiffness, ie likely arthritis, and his response was astounding. He said that if I started following an anti-inflammation diet called the Zone, enhanced by some supplements, that I could likely dramatically reduce the aches and pains. Wow, this guy was so worth the initial annoyance of being put on his senior citizen client list. After all, he wasn’t exactly wet behind the ears either.

Anyway, I first went out and loaded up on a multivitamin, a joint health herbal formula with turmeric and fish oil/omega-3 (which is supposedly purified and contains no nasty mercury, PCBs and dioxins from our bodies of water). Then I went to the library to look for The Zone book, written by a researcher on inflammation named Barry Sears. Unfortunately, since the book was about 20 years old the library didn’t carry it so off I went to a local bookstore which has a large used books section. Voila – I found the book. But, in looking at current titles, I realized that Sears has actually updated the book with The Mediterranean Zone, published just last year.

Before I invested in this book, however, I had to make sure that his dietary recommendations were not going to be too restrictive or complicated. Bottom line, could I still have my beloved cottage cheese and other dairy products, my coffee and the occasional dark chocolate?

The answer is yes, in moderation of course.

 

It’s all about reducing cell inflammation, which can  lead to lots of bad stuff, including stiff joints, weight gain and even aging too fast. And to do this, you simply need to avoid gorging on sugar and other white stuff such as bread, pasta, rice and potatoes and start focusing on polyphenols – antioxidants found in colorful fruits and vegetables. If your plate at every meal is about one-third protein and two thirds of these vegetables and fruits (with an emphasis on vegetables), you’re in the Zone.

Initially, it was a little challenging reverting to this eating plan, but a grocery list in the book definitely helped. My morning cereal was replaced by egg white omelets with veggies or plain yogurt and fruit, along with coffee. Lunch sandwiches were replaced by Wasa crackers with lean meat, veggies and mozzarella cheese, along with cottage cheese., For dinner, I’ve been eating a variety of sautéed veggies and throwing in some shrimp or other “easy” meat. I also like veggie or fruit spinach salads. Later, I’ll have some berries and a square of dark chocolate.

 

I’ve discovered that I like eggplant, brussel sprouts and hummus, in addition to cheese sticks and lowfat cottage cheese. Plain yogurt was definitely an adjustment, as were the dry red wines and the more bitter dark chocolate that fit better in the Zone. I’m still working on an optimum eating schedule (which should happen every five hours) and haven’t yet finished reading the book.

But what a payback already! In addition to losing about 35 pounds in a relatively short time, I’ve lost most of the joint pain. No aches, no stiffness, no lie! And grocery shopping is now so much easier when you can bypass all that processed food and just head for the fruits, vegetables, dairy products and meat.

So I may be getting a little long in the tooth, but if it weren’t for this fact I would have likely never been visited by this doctor and discovered the Zone. Better late than never to begin eating healthier and yes, I still have the occasional ice cream.

No words needed for this cuteness.

New backsplash brings back Contac paper memories
Maybe I’ve overloaded on home redecorating television lately. Or perhaps I’ve been spending too much time admiring my neighbors’ kitchen repainting and tiling project. At any rate, I decided it was time to cover my kitchen’s mottled gray laminate backsplash with something less mottled, but much less expensive than my neighbors’ pretty but pricey subway tile.

I started researching ideas on the internet and first found self-adhesive synthetic trimable tiles that could be ordered from a manufacturer in Canada. But they were quite pricey, difficult to determine their color and, most importantly, my trusted contractor/friend had never heard of them. Then it was on to the usual building supply stores to see if I could find any other alternatives. I even looked at Contac paper, which was very limited in design.

Then, while roaming the aisles of Target, looking for inspiration, I found some self-adhesive rolls of wallcovering that looked, well, like more sophisticated Contac paper. There was even a blue and white striped design that would complement my refaced beadboard kitchen cupboards. And for less than $25 per roll, it was worth a try.

I used to be a bit of a Contac paper aficionado back in my early-apartment days. I used it mainly to cover stained shelves and drawer interiors, but had never attempted anything as large or as visible as a kitchen backsplash.

The key is to measure carefully and leave enough length for trimming with a razor. Then, as the paper is applied, the backing can be smoothed off with a ruler or yardstick to minimize bubbling. I started slow with about three feet of backsplash surface to make sure I liked the look. And I liked it so much that I finished the project in just a few hours over a few days.



You can't have too many stripes in your kitchen.

The only tricky part was matching the stripe pattern when adjusting the adhesive around the stove and outlet covers. But otherwise, it was a pretty easy application, requiring just one roll of the adhesive, and brightened up my kitchen considerably. I even hung a couple of cute 88-cent fish plates I found at Target over the stove.

 
One thing leads to another, however, so now I’m swapping out my black metal/wood kitchen set for a white one and plan to add a couple of white bar stools to improve the view of the new backsplash. Now if I can just figure out how to get rid of the mottled gray laminate countertops . . . .                

                                    

The 'rooms' of summer:

mow, mow, mulch, mulch

The advent of spring into summer gives me four new rooms to decorate for warmer weather living – the front yard, the back yard and two side yards. Moving the indoors outdoors brings a “rug” of grass, a picnic table and all-weather chairs and accessories ranging from a variety of florals to lots of green plants.

Since this is only the second summer in my cottage, there’s still lots to do in decorating the outdoor space.  And the overarching theme is “you never can have enough mulch.” There’s something about finishing garden beds and those odd spots around the yard with the rich brown mixture that says, “I have conquered the weeds.” Especially since I place the mulch plastic bags under the mulch to really keep the pesty weeds at bay.

This season, I really focused on furnishing the room on the south side of the cottage, since it had basically been ignored. A kind neighbor gave me some ferns and my mom is always generous with plenty of her hostas for transplanting. I also added some lilies-of-the-valley to the existing lily population and finished the room off with a small floral banner, two hanging impatiens pots, some small stepping stones, rock borders and the requisite mulch.

Voila – the side room is done!

The other side of the house is my dining room, dominated by a large picnic table I bought last year. This year, I added a new umbrella over and an indoor/outdoor carpet under. It is my go-to spot for breakfast with a good book and hopefully many meals to come.

The front and back rooms continue to evolve as well. I’m mulching out some new perennial beds and adding rock borders. Then there is the mole tunnel erupting helter skelter in the backyard. Since I started feeling bad about exterminating these creatures, I’m trying to convince them to relocate elsewhere with a castor oil spray. Supposedly, it will repell them as they search for worms and grubs. We’ll see, but hopefully not more tunnels.

Other spring/summer wildlife is emerging now, so I’ve added a birdbath and bird feeder in the back. In addition to a wide variety of small birds, there are rabbits, ducks, geese, squirrels, chipmunks, skunks and even the occasional deer and a family of foxes in the neighborhood.

So as I mow, mow, mow and mulch, mulch, mulch, I need to remember to sit back and enjoy my additional rooms for the warmer months. Because, yikes, the Christmas decorations have already at Hobby Lobby.
         

Recently Read:

About memoirs, royalty, France and home making

 

- My Brief History, by Stephen Hawking

- Someday My Prince Will Come: True Adventures of a Wannabe Princess
- The Making of a Royal Romance
- The French House
- A Perfectly Kept House is the Sign of a Misspent Life
- Happier at Home
- The French Don’t Diet Plan
- The Tulip & The Pope
- Not That Kind of Girl, by Lena Dunham
- Then Again, by Diane Keaton
- The Tao of Martha: My Year of Living, or Why I’m Never Getting All That Glitter Off Of The Dog

Pass the thyroid and break out the cat food, or how retiring will just have to wait

I used to believe the old adage about retirement being the “golden years.” I envisioned sprawling out in one of those cottagey Adirondack chairs with an iced tea, a good book and a nap in between. Well, I have two of those chairs, albeit the plastic version, but have yet to really sit down in them. And napping isn't really happening.

Today for example, the morning began at the crack of dawn with a wake-up call by my dog yipping to go outside. This generally means she needs to eat grass and vomit and today was no exception. I always tread carefully first thing in the morning, looking for hairballs or other surprise deposits by my three elderly cats.

The old girl still likes a milk challenge.

Then it was on to pet feeding and medications, all with a specified order. First, the largest cat with pancreatitis gets the less costly of two prescription cat foods and awaits his meal in his designated spot – my bedroom. If he meows after his first meal, he gets a second helping of the more costly food. The youngest of the cats, a notoriously poor eater, gets fed in the bathroom. Some days, she will eat on the first try, but generally I have to offer two or three different foods before she will eat. Then, it’s time for the dog to eat in her kennel so that I can feed the third cat without the dog grabbing her food. Today, doggie is not hungry due to the aforementioned vomiting, but she still needs to be locked up.

 

Then my oldest (18) and most frail cat gets her food, with quite a lot of coaxing. She likes a powdery substance I sprinkle on her food for joint pain, so the mornings are usually easier. Other times, I have to offer other food choices and, just lately, roast chicken and sometimes pet her while she eats. Since it’s a Monday, she needs a chemotherapy tablet to try to keep her bladder cancer at bay. I have to wear a surgical glove to avoid getting any of the chemo on my hand, but at least she usually swallows it without too much trouble. Lots of treats afterward help. She also gets a potassium substance rubbed on her gums three times daily. And, I typically have to help her with post-litter box hygiene every now and then, because she sleeps on my bed most nights.

The two female cats also need a thyroid supplement twice daily. One will take it in a handy pill pocket, but the other one has to be pinned down while I attempt to throw it down her throat. I take a thyroid supplement too, with far less effort.

During this routine, I text my daughter about her nearly-two-year-old daughter, who had come down with a fever while we were returning from Mother’s Day festivities the day before. We negotiate back and forth about childcare, as my daughter needs to go to work but apparently feels I will catch the bug if I come over. I remind her that I’m not old and frail and was already exposed the day before, but she ultimately decides the child’s father is a better option.

I then hear it’s supposed to rain by 11. Since my backyard looks like a hayfield, I decide to quickly walk the dog around the block and then do the mowing. I also catch up with my neighbor who had arrived home at 4 a.m. after being temporarily stranded on a flight in Texas and another neighbor who is going through some health challenges and who I want to remind that I am there for her.

Lawn mowed, I do two errands for my mom – mail out a book donation to two libraries and buy a razor. I find one that I think she can operate, with a big on/off button she can see even with her macular degeneration. And I pick up some photos my daughter ordered for a wonderful photo album she made me for Mother’s Day. During the day, my phone stays at the ready. My daughter and I constantly “talk” this way and share photos through texting and I stay in touch with other friends and my daughter in Italy through email. How did we ever exist before the constant “binging” of this contraption.

I try to eat my meals while either reading or watching the news, and my book of choice currently is “Not That Kind of Girl” by “Girls” star Lena Dunham. I don’t have the level of cable coverage I need to actually watch her show, but in my opinion she kinda is that kind of girl I would expect for a 20-something.

After lunch, I get a medical update from the neighbor with health challenges and it’s quite positive following a doctor visit. I am happy for her and suggest my usual celebration of any good news – a visit to our nearby ice cream/coffee shop. We’re hoping for tomorrow, when it might not be raining. The ice cream is severely interfering with my ability to get into my size 6 and 8 summer shorts, but who can resist a little celebrating now and then.

Cleaning the three litter boxes each afternoon is not exactly my favorite job of the day, but it helps keep my dog away from her disgusting poop eating habit. Plus, if I’m lucky, I’ll get enough clean urine from pancreatitis cat to check for any diabetes issues on a human test strip.

That’s about it for now. It will soon be time for the evening pet feeding, checking in with everyone electronically and “Dancing with the Stars.” Oh, and I have to try to finalize plans for pet care when I hope to go on vacation for about two whole days later in the month. I had to cut it short by one day because my vet tech caregiver wasn't available. 

 

As I sit here on the edge of my chair, my elderly cat is taking up most of the seat cushion but purring contentedly.  So retiring to the Adirondack will have to wait. I think I’ll spoil my dinner with some ice cream.