Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

I know I haven't been back here since Thanksgiving.  There is really no excuse except that I am enjoying the holiday season and haven't really wanted to spend much time in front of the computer (although that hasn't kept me off Pinterest!)

Anyway, I just wanted to wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year from me and mine!

Thankful

Today is a day that folks all over the US will be gathering with their loved ones, eating tons of yummy food and perusing the paper for Black Friday ads.  People will be giving thanks, playing football and watching parades.  The holiday season is officially in full swing.  I am sitting here in the early morning, drinking some tea and gearing up for the day.  Cornbread is cooked and roasted root vegetables are simmering in the crockpot.  This morning we will head over to my parents house to share in thanks with my family.  This will be one of the first years we will not be joined by extended family.  An intimate Thanksgiving, if you will.  This year my brother raised and butchered the turkey (aunts and uncles and cousins who aren't joining us are missing out :-)  I am looking forward to the homegrown goodness!  

I am thankful for so many things this year...My wonderful husband who is patient and kind, hard working and funny...My family, an amazing group of people who inspire me everyday...My friends, both old and new...Our new church that we love, a community of awesome people...I am thankful for events that have unfolded in the last year that have brought me closer in my relationship with God...I am thankful for food and shelter and the warmth of a home...I am thankful for insulin and good doctors, things that help me live a healthy life...I am thankful everyday for this wonderful life I have been given.  

I hope you all find many things in which you are thankful for today and throughout this Holiday season.  Oh, and I am thankful I don't have to do any shopping on Black Friday (be careful ya'll!).  Happy Thanksgiving!

My Pinterest Entrance

Hey Folks!  I figured it was about time I updated my blog, since it's about halfway through November already and my last post was on Halloween!  Oy!  I can't believe it is almost Thanksgiving!

I have been doing all kinds of organizing around the house the past few months and I figured I should show you my favorite spot!  We put new floors in the kitchen (the last link to a loooong kitchen remodeling) and we had to move out our free standing cabinet.  Once the cabinet was in the dining room, I decided I liked it much better in there and that I should figure out a new arrangement for our little wall in the kitchen.  We enter our house mostly through the laundry room (updates on that remodel to come!) and this wall is right off the laundry room door.  We needed a place to put keys and wallets, etc and also a way to organize our mail.  

Now, I am addicted to Pinterest just like the rest of you...come on admit it, you can only begin to face your addiction when you admit it!  I found a lot of these ideas for our new entrance organization on Pinterest.  I have put links to the websites where I got my ideas.  

And...since I know you are just all biting your nails in anticipation...here is our new mail/key/entrance area!

 I still need to get a little basket for the bottom shelf of the table.  I found this table for $25 at a local thrift store.  We took it apart and painted it, it was awfully scratched and dinged up! It is a super solid table, we think the wood is teak, but not sure.  Either way it was a steal for the quality! 

 And I could not help but jump on the chalkboard bandwagon!  I got this frame from the thrift store for $1 and painted it red.  Then I painted the glass with chalkboard paint.  Funny sidenote:  My hubby, who always has to touch everything, touched the edge of my chalk heart, erasing part of it, I had to redraw it several times to get it right..observing this, he asked why I had to put a heart on the chalkboard and I said in a frustrated tone "cause our house is so freaking full of love, that's why!"

 I got this idea from Pinterest, you can find it here.  The wood was from a pallet in our shed and I just painted it white, the old keys were ones we had sitting around the house.  The GM key is from hubby's old car.  

 And, last but not least, our new mail organizer! (Not sure why the wall looks beige in this picture, our walls are green, I assume it is because of my lack of photography skills!)  I got the pattern from Noodlehead, you can find it here.  It was super easy to make!  The fabric I used is actually outdoor home fabric that I had gotten on sale a few years ago.  I was perfect for this project because it is more sturdy than normal cotton.  The top pocket is for bills, the middle for "action" items, and the bottom for things that need to be filed!  We use it every day and it really cuts down on the clutter in the kitchen!

If I can keep on the ball, I will show you some more of my projects as they get completed!  What kinds of projects have you been inspired to do? 

Happy Halloween!

I have to work tonight, so we wont be home for the Trick or Treaters.  So, I figured I would make some festive Halloween treats for the kids at the center!  I can't eat these because of my food allergies, (unfortunately for me, but fortunate for my waistline) but I just love making fun treats for others to eat!  I hope the kids like them!

I got these ideas straight off of Pinterest!  They were super easy to make and did not require too many ingredients! 

Oreo Spider cookies!  Aren't they cute?  Normally, spiders really creep me out, but these little guys are so cute...I don't think I would mind spiders too much if they all looked like this! 

 You can find the recipe here.

I also made little witches hats.  If you have been on Pinterest, you have seen these for sure!  They were so easy.  You can find the recipe here.

I hope everyone has a safe Halloween!

Grow, Growing, Grown

How many of you have memories of being measured each year on a door frame or closet door?  Each time hoping you were much taller...because all kids know that the taller you are the closer you are to being an adult (if only we knew back then that staying little was a lot more fun!).  And being an adult meant later bed times and more freedom.  I have watched in amazement at how fast my nephews have grown, their marks on the pantry door at my parents house prove just how fast time has flown. 

In my opinion, there is nothing more precious than documenting how your children grow.  So, a few years ago, when a friend had a wee little one, I decided to make her a growth chart to hang on the nursery wall.  Since then, making growth charts have been, by far, one of my favorite craft projects.  I love the idea that these are portable for those inevitable moves and life changes.  But, above all, I love the feeling I get while I work on these charts, all the time thinking of the recipient and how much I hope they love it!  I also love planning the chart and then seeing my vision come to life.  It is so satisfying and smile inducing!

So, I thought since I have been really slack about posting my craft projects lately, I would share my most recent growth chart (and probably one of my favorites!) and a few of the ones I have done in the past. 

For my friend's little girl Dani, a woodland theme!

 (I must admit that the little gnome is absolutely my favorite part!)

For my husband's cousin's little boy Eli...a cowboy theme!

 

A jungle theme for a little boy, Evan!  (My friend M helped me make this as a gift for one of her friends!)

One of the first charts I made for my friend's little girl Riley

How did your parents keep track of your growth growing up?  Do you do something special for your little ones? 

Another weird thing

There are often times when Hubby and I wonder why our lives are not what most would consider "normal".  We wonder why weird things always happen to us and why our stories seem to be so different than the stories shared by our peers.  I chalk it up to our lifestyle.  When you live the way we do, you are bound to have stories of crazy animal antics and oddly placed bee stings.  We don't even have that much land, or that many animals, but for some reason, weird things always happen in our back yard and what happened a few weeks ago was no exception....

It was a Sunday morning, at 6:00 am....yes folks...while you were snug in your beds at 6:00am on a Sunday morning, Hubby and I were awoken by horrible screams.  Screams that were not quite discernible, as in "is that a person or an animal?" kind of scream.  So we rolled out of bed and in our pj's we stumbled on to the back deck.  The screams were louder and very close...whatever was making that noise was in our backyard, in the woods.  We put on our boots and went down to edge of the woods.

Through the dark shadows we could see that something big, black and furry was moving around the edge of the fence.  Brian and I were both unsure of what this creature was...until it hit us...oh yeah...our dog is big, black and furry.  (On a side note, Waylon, our dog, is a big wimp.  We have a shed with a doggie door and he spends most of his days and nights in the safety of his lair, unless we are out there with him.  He is much happier to be in the garage or on the deck.  He doesn't like to walk on the grass.  He is afraid of our chickens and does not come out if the chickens are in the yard, unless there is something promised, like food or a walk.  We have watched him start to chase a deer until he got close enough to realize how big it was, only to turn around and head back up the yard.  So, we assumed he was still in the shed, really...I know he is a dog, but the last thing I expected was to see him investigating loud screams from some kind of animal.) 

When we got close enough to survey the situation and call off the hound, we realized the screams were coming from a baby deer that was stuck in our fence.  We have no idea how it got in the yard.  In an attempt to escape, it was obvious that the little gal couldn't find a way out.  When she got stuck, she started screaming, triggering the dog, which made things worse.  Her little foot was stuck in the wires of the fence and by this time she was lying on her side, completely exhausted. 

We approached with caution, because a deer, even a tiny one has some serious kick.  Brian cut the wires loose but she didn't get up, so we held down her legs and checked for breathing, but her poor little body couldn't handle the stress and within minutes she had stopped breathing.  We were too late.  She only had one injury, a scratch, from the fence wire.  The dog had not harmed her, but I am sure he contributed to the fear.  So Hubby picked up the little body and we hauled her up the woods to the yard.  He put her in the back of the truck and took her up to the right-of-way with power lines near our house (can I tell you that we really felt like we were doing something wrong, I mean, early morning, disposing of a dead body, it just seemed weird).  The grass is tall there, and all number of varmints and vultures patrol the area.  And, so is the circle of life.

When I walked back on the porch, my heart wrenched.  In the neighbor's yard, I could hear a doe calling, a specific call, from a doe to her fawn, one that fell on the silence that had returned to this early Sunday morning.  We walked back in the house, the clocked blinked 7:00am...too early to be up on a Sunday.  We ate breakfast and went on about our day as usual, nothing different here...just another story to add to the log list of weird things that happen in our backyard.  

Wordless Wednesday with the Nephews

...of course it hasn't been very "wordless" around our house!

Because we have fancy chickens...

we get eggs that look like this....

with built in decorations and fancy swirls on the end....

Because our chickens don't just lay eggs...they lay fancy eggs.

You know what this means...it means our chickens just "one-upped" all of those other chickens out there that only lay "normal" eggs. 

...or it means there is something seriously wrong with this chicken...

Important Things by Melissa

So today marks 5 years with Type 1 Diabetes.  I could write a long post about my feelings, living with diabetes, how I am living strongly, blah, blah, blah....I am not saying these things are not true or important, I just don't feel like being serious today...today I feel like being funny, and forgetting that diabetes related mishaps awarded me with about 4 hours of sleep last night!  

Lately I have been hooked on watching Demetri Martin on Netflix.  He does this funny sketch called "Good, Bad, Interesting" go here to see a clip of this segment...

Demetri Martin: Good, Bad, Interesting

So I decided to do some "Good, Bad, Interesting" 

Topic: Diabetes:

Low Blood Sugar
Good: when you want to eat a cupcake
Bad: while driving
Interesting: when it makes your tongue numb

High Blood Sugar
Good: when you really want to exercise
Bad: when you are starving
Interesting: when you just finished running 3 miles or haven't eaten anything, or better yet, when you first wake up in the morning

Door Knobs:
Good: for opening doors
Bad: for pump infusion sites
Interesting: when they break and leave you locked in the bathroom

Needles:
Good: for injecting insulin
Bad: for stepping on
Interesting: when someone thinks you have a drug problem because of your full sharps container

Insulin Pump
Good: for delivering insulin
Bad: when attempting to wear a dress
Interesting: when someone wants to use it to make a phone call

Insulin:
Good: for living
Bad: when it is hot outside
Interesting: when someone wonders why you smell like band-aids  

Test Strips:
Good: checking your blood sugar
Bad: fighting with the insurance company over how many test strips you "really" need
Interesting:  because used ones end up in the weirdest places and finding one in the fish aquarium is just baffling

Carbs:
Good: because they taste good and provide fuel
Bad: for screwing with blood sugars
Interesting: when they don't come with a label and swagging (guessing the number of carbs in a food) ensues 

Exercise:
Good: for blood sugars and waistlines
Bad: for your couch (it gets lonely)
Interesting: when you have to take everything but the kitchen sink (meter, test strips, glucose tabs, snacks, water, ID, phone, etc) with you to the gym/on a walk/on a jog.

Loved Ones/Family:
Good: supporting you and helping to manage this difficult journey
Bad: when they are the diabetes police
Interesting: because who doesn't have an interesting family member?

Do you have any "Good, Bad Interesting" things to add?

Wordless Wednesday: Liquid Gold

 

A few words on this one, after removing the honey, Hubby put the frames back outside so the bees could collect the remaining honey from the frames.

D(ee)r Chickens,

To my dearest fluffy, squawking, spoiled feathered friends,

I was quite surprised at the sight to which I awoke this morning.  While rubbing my sleepy eyes and staring out the window, I was sure I was still sleeping.  A doe a deer a female deer....wait this is not a musical...a deer was standing outside your chicken coop watching you very closely.  You gals were having quite a staring contest with her, nose to beak with nothing but chicken wire in between.  Am I wrong?  Were my sleepy eyes deceiving me?  If only I had my camera handy.  I assume she must have come across your lair while she was grazing and was caught by quite a surprise to see all of you ladies, squawking away at this unknown intruder...a quiet and stealth beast...one you haven't seen up close before.  I can only imagine your surprise and fear and possibly hers, at that.  I watched as she investigated you closely and then moved on to something more interesting.

As I encouraged Waylon, our supposed guard pup, to chase the deer off, I was met by a blank stare and feeling that if he could roll his eyes, he would.  I have come to realize that Waylon is really good for no such things as being a watch dog or a normal dog at that.  I apologize dear chickens that his lack of prey drive has left you to your own devices when it comes to encounters of the animal kind.  But, fear not ladies, unless you are green and leafy, this deer wont bother you if she returns.  Of course, it worries your human momma, because she has a garden to tend.  But alas, this is no worry of yours.  You can go about your day scratching and pecking and being somewhat of a general nuisance.

In the meantime, you may find that the blueberry plants have been covered with bird netting.  Yes, I have seen seen you eying those ripening berries.  I know you think you are sneaky, but we did finally figure out that you gals were the ones eating the pole bean seedlings a few weeks ago and we solved that problem.  Don't blame me for the week of grounding to your pen.  Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice and I don't get fresh blueberries.  So now that the berries are turning full shades of luscious blue, I would like to keep them to myself  If you would like to keep your freedom, you will steer clear.

That is all my feathered friends, thank you for the delicious eggs and please refrain from pecking my newly painted toenails when I am in the yard. 

Sincerely,
Your human momma

Diabetes Hero~D-Blog Week

Today's Prompt: Let’s end our week on a high note and blog about our “Diabetes Hero”.  It can be anyone you’d like to recognize or admire, someone you know personally or not, someone with diabetes or maybe a Type 3.  It might be a fabulous endo or CDE.  It could be a d-celebrity or role-model.  It could be another DOC member.  It’s up to you – who is your Diabetes Hero??

Who is my diabetes hero, you may ask?  Well after this weekend it is hard to narrow it down to one person.  I just spent the most amazing weekend at the Diabetes Sisters Weekend for Women Conference in Raleigh.  I met some amazing women with diabetes and they are all Diabetes Heroes to me!  

I met women who had lived with diabetes for 5months-50 years.  Women with all types of diabetes.  Women with children and families and careers. Beautiful women who shared their stories and experiences with me and many others.  These women, living with diabetes all together in one place celebrating life.  I walked away from that conference this afternoon with new, dear friends and precious memories.  I walked away thinking that nothing could stop me from living life to it's fullest.  My diabetes heroes are all on their way back to their homes, their families, and their lives today but they will forever hold a place in my heart as one of my DiabetesSisters. 

To learn more about the Weekend for Women Conference, you can go to the DiabetesSisters website at

http://www.diabetessisters.org/index.php

You should know....D-Blog Week

Today's Prompt: “What is one thing you would tell someone that doesn’t have diabetes about living with diabetes?”

There are several things I feel like people should know about living with diabetes.  But, when it really comes down to it, the one thing I want people to know is...living with diabetes is harder than you can ever imagine.  Managing this disease takes time and strength.  Some days I don't have the time or strength.  Diabetes doesn't go away, I can't push it aside and forget about it.  It is emotionally draining.  It is always there in my thoughts, no matter what I am doing.  I think about it when I exercise, eat, sleep, and even when I am relaxing.  Sometimes it keeps me from doing things I love.  It creates anxiety when I plan trips, outings, meals, and holidays.  When I am invited to a party or a get-together, concert, show, game, etc....my first thought is what is there going to be for me to eat, should I bring my own food, what is my blood sugar doing?  What if there is not anything I can eat....what if my blood sugar drops low, what if it goes high?  Diabetes creates a constant chatter in my thoughts, one that I can never turn off.   

Multitasking is now my forte.  Math is my best friend (even though I am not all that good at it!).  Every minute of every day diabetes is in my thoughts.  It has to be, I wish I could take it all away but I can't.  That said, the truth is that eating, drinking, and sleeping diabetes means I am living with diabetes and being alive and staying alive makes me happy.

Fantasy Diabetes Device~D-Blog Week

Today's Prompt: Tell us what your Fantasy Diabetes Device would be?  Think of your dream blood glucose checker, delivery system for insulin or other meds, magic carb counter, etc etc etc.  The sky is the limit – what would you love to see?

To be honest, I am not really sure what my Fantasy Diabetes Device would be and I kind of had a hard time thinking of anything other than a cure that would make my life any easier.  I kind of feel like no matter what devices are developed they will just be better or more accurate versions of what is already out there.  Sure that would be awesome to have a better blood glucose meter, a better, smaller pump, better insulin and CGM's, but I guess I just feel like no matter how awesome the device, it is still not the same as an actual functioning pancreas.  Since my pancreas is not functioning anymore when it comes to producing insulin I feel like any device that would make my life better or easier would be great, but I figure it be much better to keep this from happening in the first place?

So, short of a cure, I guess my fantasy diabetes device would be some sort of protective device for those poor little insulin producing cells that get attacked by the immune system.  Like a wall or a moat around those cells, protecting them from attack and allowing them to continue to do their job.  I figure with this fantasy device, insulin producing cells could be saved and there would be no need for any other devices in the future.  A device that could stop diabetes in it's tracks and possibly reverse it.

Of course, this fantasy device would do no good for someone like me who already has Type 1, but wouldn't it be great to save any more people from the struggle of living with diabetes? 

Always Room For Improvement~D-Blog Week

Today's Prompt: Yesterday we gave ourselves and our loved ones a big pat on the back for one thing we are great at.  Today let’s look at the flip-side.  We probably all have one thing we could try to do better.  Why not make today the day we start working on it.  No judgments, no scolding, just sharing one small thing we can improve so the DOC can cheer us on!

There are a lot of things in my life that I could try to do better and many of these are not related to my diabetes.  So when I read today's prompt and thought of all the things I wanted to improve on, I had a hard time blocking out the "non-diabetes" chatter and focusing on what I could do to improve my diabetes management.  

When I was first diagnosed, my Hubby could tell when my blood sugar was high because I was mean.  I would get so upset when I saw a high number on my meter.  And don't even think of coming near me if that high number appeared after a long workout.  I would take out my frustrations on him and anyone else who was around me.  A simple task such as helping me bring in the groceries became a blown up argument about how he NEVER helped me do anything.  Poor fellow, I am surprised he made it through those first few years (well, not really surprised because he is pretty amazing, but surprised that he was so tolerant).  Once things calmed down after the initial diagnosis, he learned to steer clear of me when my blood sugars were high and I began to learn to control my frustrations.  It wasn't anyone's fault (except sometimes mine for being careless) and I had to learn that over the last few years.

These days I don't get quite as upset when my blood sugar gets high after exercise or after I eat something that I expect will skyrocket my numbers.  But, I often find that I still get quite frustrated and upset when my blood sugar gets out of range for no foreseeable reason.  For example, the last few days I have been hovering in the upper 100's lower 200's and no amount of exercise, bolusing, etc seems to be changing that and it makes me mad and puts me in a foul mood.  

So, that is one thing I need to improve.  I need to give myself a break when my numbers are out of range.  Remind myself that all I can do is treat the high numbers, work on figuring out the cause and move on and not let it bring me down or get me upset, and I think I will start today!

One Great Thing~D-Blog Week

Today's Prompt: Living with diabetes (or caring for someone who lives with it) sure does take a lot of work, and it’s easy to be hard on ourselves if we aren’t “perfect”.  But today it’s time to give ourselves some much deserved credit.  Tell us about just one diabetes thing you (or your loved one) does spectacularly!  Fasting blood sugar checks, oral meds sorted and ready, something always on hand to treat a low, or anything that you do for diabetes.  Nothing is too big or too small to celebrate doing well! 

This is a difficult prompt because, well, having diabetes is tough and unpredictable and it's really hard to be awesome at managing something that is always throwing wrenches at you.  That said, I am pretty much a rule follower when it comes to taking care of my diabetes.  I always have supplies on hand, I check my blood sugar often, I eat right and exercise and I never skip a trip to the doctor.  I work really hard to maintain my diabetes but I guess I just don't feel like I am doing anything grand.  To me it just feels like doing what I have to do to be healthy.  

But, despite all the things I do to manage my diabetes, there are always times that I get knocked down.  Sometimes I feel like there are days where my diabetes is running me over with a truck and reversing it several times just to make sure I am really down for the count.  But I find that even on those days I can muster the strength to peel myself off the ground and find something good to focus on.  I always try to look at the other things in my life that are worth being healthy for and that helps me get through the tough days.  So I guess that is the one thing I do spectacularly when it comes to my diabetes.  When diabetes gets me down, I never let it keep me there. 

Find a Friend D-Blog Week

This week I am participating in the 3rd annual Diabetes Blog Week.  So all week you wont hear me complain about weeding the garden or what varmint keeps eating our beans.  This week is all about the 'betes.  Thanks to Karen over at Bitter~Sweet for organizing the cool "event"!  

Today's prompt is "Find A Friend", Think about the d-blogs you read that you think we may not know about and introduce us to one that you love!!    The cool thing about organizing a diabetes blog week is that so many folks who have diabetes blogs come together in one virtual place to share their life with diabetes.  In one swoop you could read over 100 blogs about diabetes.  The other cool thing about this event is that we get a chance to "meet' our fellow D-bloggers, which brings us to today's prompt.  

It is my pleasure to introduce to you Holly from *Arnold and Me*.  I have been reading Holly's blog for over a year now and I love it.  I am sure many of you are already aware of Holly and "Arnold" her insulin pump.  But I tend to be a little behind the times on catching up on blogs so it is all new to me!  Holly is currently pregnant with her first baby and following her journey has been quite exciting.  She is an inspiration and shows strength and determination in managing her diabetes.

One of my other favorite bloggers is Sysy over at The Girls Guide to Diabetes.  Sysy is an amazing person, managing her Type 1 diabetes while raising two beautiful children.  Her blog provides practical and inspirational advice for women living with diabetes.  She has become a close friend and confidant and I look to her for support when I am feeling down and defeated. 

I also love Jacquie's blog Typical Type 1.  Jacquie is so funny and really proves that a sense of humor can be great medicine.  I love reading her stories about living with diabetes.  I know I will always smile when I read her posts. 

I hope you all have found a new friend today!  I look forward to checking out all of the other links here and find a new friend too!

Mini-Vacations and Fish Tales

This past weekend Hubby and I went to Cape Hatteras for a few days.  We stayed in a quaint little hotel which sat directly on the beach.  It was a much needed mini-vacation for both of us.  This will be the last chance we get to go away for the summer since vacation season (i.e. summer) brings for us loads of work in the garden and the kitchen.  So we like to take advantage of the cooler temps and better fishing and take our vacations in Spring and Fall. 

We spent some time on the beach while Hubby surf fished and I relaxed and read my book.  We also kayaked some on the sound side of the island.  Hubby did some night fishing on the beach and caught a huge Red Drum.  The biggest fish he has ever caught and one of record breaking stature.  Unfortunately for him, he did not take my advice to bring the camera along on his fishing jaunt and he didn't even have his phone.  I mean, these days, who doesn't have their phone?  Plus, being that it was pitch black on the beach and around 11:30pm there were no witnesses (I was snug in bed!).  Anyway, so he now has a tale of fishing legend that might as well be a tall tale since he has no documentation.  And, although I am not a fishing guru or a fellow fisherman, or the guy running the local tackle shop, I believe his story and well, shouldn't that be enough?  

Anyway, here are some pictures of our trip.  It was quite a success as the weather was nice, the food was good, there were fishing adventures to be had and no one got sunburned!  

The view from our room

 Climbing Hatteras Lighthouse

 

View from Hatteras Lighthouse

 Climbing down Hatteras Lighthouse

 My view most of the weekend (Book: In the Company of Cheerful Ladies by Alexander McCall Smith part of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency Series)