In The Short Rows

Lazy Girl

2012-02-03T07:27:00.000-08:00

I swear I still exist. I am still here. I would love to say that I have spent my time away from my blog doing all kinds of crafty and exciting things. But alas...I am embarrassed to share that the last few weeks I have been nothing more than an unmotivated and lazy girl when it comes to the creativity factor. I have spent my days maintaining a relatively orderly household, tending the animals and exercising only to find myself sitting on the couch in the afternoons, hopelessly sucked in to the likes of Pinterest and Facebook hoping someone or something will spark some creative interest.

That is what winter does to me. Although, I have no excuses since our weather around here has been lovely. I do manage to get outside a few times a day and enjoy the unseasonably warm days. I have been reading some wonderful books including, "Undaunted Courage, Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West", by Stephen Ambrose, "The Forgotten Garden", by Kate Morton and currently "The House at Riverton", by the latter (thanks to The Lefthanded Housewife for the awesome book suggestions).

We are also starting the long awaited work on our Master bathroom. Sanding has ensued and this weekend points to more sanding, fixing the walls, and installing various fixtures. When I say we, I mean mostly Hubby does the hard labor while I scour the internet for the perfect mirrors and light fixtures. I look forward to sharing pictures of the finished project.

So, you see, I am still here, I just chose not to bore you all with my stories of laziness. I do have a few projects in the queue that I am hoping to find the motivation to attempt soon. Until then, you will find me lurking on other people's websites, wishing for the motivation they all seem to posses in these long months of winter.

A few changes...

2012-01-15T08:49:00.000-08:00

Hey there! I just wanted to let ya'll know, that for the next 6 months I will be blogging over at DiabetesSisters website. My blogging over there will focus being a woman, living with diabetes. Here is the link to my part of the SisterTALK Blogs.,,,

http://www.diabetessisters.org/supportcommunity/sistertalkblogs/type-1-blog

...so please check me out! You should also check out some of the other bloggers too!

I will still be blogging here, but I figure I am going to keep my diabetes blogging to a minimum at In the Short Rows and focus more on my crafting and homemaking stuff, for now.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! We are pet sitting for a friend, so Waylon has been enjoying some much needed doggie play-dates with his best friend Roxy. I did some very fun wedding dress shopping yesterday with my cousin and today is looking like a good day to make a new apron and otherwise be lazy :-) Happy Sunday!

Too many bags

2012-01-05T08:20:00.000-08:00

Hubby says I have too many bags. It's a good thing he was talking about the number of purses and duffel bags I have...otherwise I might have used one of those bags to knock him upside the head. In his defense, I have been making a lot of bags for myself lately. Some of this stems from winter boredom and too much time on Pinterest. But the main reason is that I would like to start selling some of my crafts. I figure I can't sell stuff if I haven't test driven the design. This is my newest addition to my ever growing stash of purses!

I needed a bigger bag to carry all of my junk and various diabetes related paraphernalia, so I made this messenger bag.

My favorite part is the stitching. I did this with my grandmother's old Kenmore.

I put books in the bag to take pictures, but it is plenty big enough for all of my gear.

I love the simple outside and the fun vibrant lining, it makes me happy! Would you buy a bag like this?

Brothers and superheros

2011-12-29T08:18:00.000-08:00

Let me tell you about my brother. Or better yet, let me embarrass my brother by writing an entire blog post about him. I'll refer to him as "Day-go" from here on out...you know to protect his "real" name, and well, because "Day-go" was what I called him when we were little...so you know...its cute.

Day-go and I are a few months shy of 2 years apart. He is older. Our birthdays fell in a way that we were only one grade apart in school. I would venture to say that our relationship is similar to most older brother/younger sister pairs. He always watched out for me, and I bugged him a bit. Growing up, Day-go and I were pretty much like night and day. I had dark hair and dark eyes, he had light hair and light eyes. I took after my mom's family and he could never have denied relation to my dad's kinfolk. I was a diligent student, stayed out of trouble, and followed the rules...and he...well let's just say he was different than me.

I am told that when I was very small and still sleeping in the crib, Day-go would wake up early and crawl into the crib with me. My parents would get a few extra minutes of relaxing in bed while they listened to us "talk" on the monitor. Which mostly consisted of him making me laugh. He was quite the entertainer. As we grew older, I never remember a time we did not get along. I can count two times (I am not exaggerating) that we actually got into a real fight. When we both entered into the horrid middle school years we kept out of each others way and only acknowledged each others existence at home. But nonetheless, we continued to get along and remain civil.

When we hit high school, we ran with the same crowd, had the same friends, and got into the same kinds of trouble. All the while, Day-go had his "big brother radar" on high, always keeping a watchful eye. Day-go was well known at our high school and I was well known as "Day-go's sister". I know for some folks, being known as "someone's sister" is annoying, but I liked it, I wanted everyone to know who's sister I was, I was proud to have the label.

A curious thing happened after high school. Even while going our separate ways, Day-go and I continued to cross paths within the same social groups. We attended the same parties, hung out at the same coffee shop and most often folks could find one where the other was. Day-go was as much my friend as he was my brother.

To this day our relationship continues to be the same, equal parts friend, equal parts sibling. Day-go has taught me many things and made me laugh many times. He married an amazing woman who is like the sister I never had and together they made me an aunt to two amazing little boys. I am lucky they live close to me and I visit them every week. So, when Day-go suggested that this year, as a gift to our mom, we should take a picture of just the two of us, I was definitely on board. The last picture we have of just us, was from high school. Day-go's lovely wife took our pictures one day and we gave them to our mom for Christmas.

I love these pictures, because they are the still life proof of what we share. I could not have asked for a better brother or a better friend. I am so proud to be "Day-go's sister".

This is the picture we made larger for my mom.

The next few were put into a collage

I told you he always knows how to make me laugh!

These are two of my favorite candid shots.

Yep, it was that funny.

I saw this quote once and it always makes me think of Day-go...

"Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero." -Marc Brown

Not just because he used to dress up in a superman cape and jump off the hearth (sorry Day-go) but because having an older brother like him was like having a personal superhero, someone to look up to and someone who was always there whenever I needed him. Thanks Day-go!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T06:52:00.000-08:00

Here is the fifth and final installment of my favorite Christmas memories. You can read my last four here, here, here, and here.

Merry Christmas! I hope you all are enjoying your morning! Christmas morning has always been a special time for me. As a kid, it was the anticipation and the excitement of seeing what Santa brought and even in to adulthood, I still felt that excitement but it was often directed more towards giving the perfect gift and seeing loved ones. As I have mentioned before, we spent most of our Christmas mornings at my Grandma Louise and Grandpa Offey's house. I loved waking up with my other cousins, sneaking in to the den to see what kind of loot we scored! There are too many memories of the many Christmas mornings to share just one. It's like a whirlwind of images and if I put them all together it would make the most perfect Christmas!

There was the year where Santa left clues and a scavenger hunt to find where our presents were hidden. The year my cousin got a Barbie mansion that we played with for hours. The year "Santa" forgot to put out the presents before we woke up (to credit my parents, we were all old enough to know who the real Santa was) and we had to wake up our parents, go back to bed, and wait for "Santa" to come and leave our gifts. Oh, and every year my aunts and uncles and other cousins would stop by in the afternoon and we would have a big meal and more presents. Every Christmas Day seemed to last forever, there was always one more gift to open, one more family member to see.

Now that I am an adult and some of these traditions have changed I am making new memories of Christmas. I look forward to spending time with family, sharing memories of Christmases past, watching the younger generation's excitement over Santa and the season. I have enjoyed making gifts this season, each one made specifically for a special person. The past five years, I have enjoyed spending Christmas with my husband and his family. This year my family visited on Christmas Eve. We ate homemade Brunswick Stew and pimento cheese sandwiches. This evening my hubby's family is coming in to town for a few days. We are cooking a pork butt on the smoker today, a nice relaxing activity on a cool Christmas Day. This Christmas, I wake up to a quiet house with just me and my husband. I miss the hustle and bustle of a house full of family, but I cherish the time we get to spend together on the wonderful holiday.

I hope you and yours have a wonderful Holiday Season. Merry Christmas!

The stars

2011-12-24T05:13:00.000-08:00

Here is my Christmas Eve installment of my favorite Christmas memories. You can read my last three here, here, and here.

First I would like to tell you about a long standing tradition on my dad's side of the family. Every Christmas Eve, my dad's entire family (now, when I say entire, I mean entire...aunts, uncles, great-aunts, great-uncles, cousins, 2nd cousins, 3rd cousins..well you get the idea) would get together and celebrate. It was just like a family reunion, just on Christmas Eve. There would be pot-luck style grub, Christmas carols, a Christmas play, and even a visit from Santa Claus! Now, the Christmas play was all the youngin's dressed in various robes and white trash bags, acting out the birth of Christ and Santa would be some unlucky uncle dressed in a Santa suit. But we all had fun and everyone looked forward to the festivities each year.

This tradition dates back as far as my dad can remember and it has continued to happen every year since. Although this tradition in and of itself provides a wonderful and lasting memory, it's not the actual event I remember, as much as the ride home. Almost every year we spent the night at my Grandma Louise and Grandpa Offey's house on Christmas Eve. After the get together, we would head to their farmhouse.

Now, you have to keep in mind, that at the get-together we had just had the privilege of seeing Santa with our own eyes. We didn't know he wasn't the real deal. He showed up with presents in a bag, with OUR names on them! I mean, it had to really be the Big Guy. Our parents were very good about reminding us that he was "in the area" and that we better get ourselves home quickly and in to bed, so as to avoid the inevitable "kids who are awake get skipped over by Santa" conundrum.

So even though seeing family, acting out a play, and sitting on Santa's lap was more than exciting for this little girl, it was always the ride home that lulled me into the proverbial sugar plums and candy canes trance. I remember sitting in the back seat of the car, my head tilted against the cool window, gazing out at the stars, hoping for a quick glimpse of Santa's sleigh. I know there is a pretty good chance my parent's encouraged this behavior as to further their plans to get us in bed soon after crossing the threshold of the farmhouse. But, alas I found myself mesmerized by the stars.

The years we did not stay at the farmhouse, we took the hour long journey back to our house. I still remember the same feeling of wonder while searching the skies for Santa. Now, I would like to say that this behavior slowly waned as the years passed, but that is simply not true. I remember one year, as an adult, I was riding back from the get together with my parents. I was sitting in the backseat of the car with my Grandma Louise. I remember leaning my head against the window and seeing the stars twinkling in the sky. Of course, I was not looking for Santa that night (I swear I wasn't!). But that night, as the stars rushed by and we headed home, I found myself in a kid-like trance, dreaming of what joy Christmas Day would bring.

Gift wrap please!

2011-12-22T13:28:00.000-08:00

This is the third installment of my favorite Christmas memories. You can read my first two here and here.

I have always enjoyed wrapping gifts. As a kid I enjoyed picking the perfect paper and ribbon, tying bows and placing the tag in the perfect place. I loved a challenge...how DO you wrap a basketball so it doesn't look like a basketball? And, I was queen of wrapping little things in big boxes to confuse and excite the receiver. Not to mention, a tree just looks too bare without gifts underneath. There is nothing short of pure joy then when you put freshly wrapped gifts under a twinkling tree.

I am sure my mother loved my gift wrapping excitement. There were even years when I wrapped my own gifts, under the ruse that they were for a cousin or a friend's little girl. I was none-the-wiser, as long as I got to put a pretty bow on it, I didn't care who it was for! I remember years when mom and I would set up a wrapping station in the guest bedroom. I am sure I bugged her to death, wanting to wrap things that were not ready to be wrapped and searching for new things that needed festive wrapping paper.

I remember one year when I was probably 8 or 9, during a wrapping session, I wrapped a clock radio for my Grandpa. We had put batteries in the radio so it would be all ready to go when he opened it on Christmas Day. As soon as I put the last piece of tape on the radio, and flipped the box over, we heard music coming from inside. I must have hit the button when I was putting it back in the box and now we had a singing Christmas gift. Well, instead of carefully opening the package, I frantically ripped off the paper as if I was opening my own gift from Santa. Mom looked on in shock and then explained that we could have just opened one end carefully, but now we will have to re-wrap the entire thing! Imagine my disappointment...muwahahahaha...wrap it again? Oh what a shame. So I proceeded to wrap the gift again, secretly wishing I could wrap presents forever!

Nowadays, I still look forward to wrapping gifts. I try to find interesting ways to wrap gifts for other occasions, but Christmas gifts are in a category of their own. I still like to get the festive holiday paper and bows, wrapping each gift slowly, savoring the perfection of a neatly wrapped box. Now, I am sure you are all clambering to call me over to your abode to wrap your mountain of Christmas gifts...but I would never want to rob you of the joy...I mean it is Christmastime after all :-)

The Manger

2011-12-22T08:23:00.000-08:00

Here is my second "installment" of my favorite Christmas memories...to read yesterday's post about the Birthstone Ornament go here!

As a kid, I always loved to listen to the Christmas Story. My Grandpa Horace would read the story from the Bible every year. We talked about it in church and my parents reminded me each year that Santa was not the only important person at Christmas. We always had a Nativity scene as part of our Christmas decorations and one of my favorite parts of decorating the house was setting it up. I am a little embarrassed to say that as a child it was not because of what it symbolized, I just loved setting up those little figurines and putting them in the perfect spot. It was kind of like playing with my Barbies, but more special.

My brother and I both had a Nativity scene. When the time came to set up them up, I would find the perfect spot on the shelf. I would slowly unwrap each figurine, gently placing them to the side until they were all free from their storage cocoons. Then, I would place each piece in just the perfect place. I loved the fact that my Nativity had animals too, they were my favorite part! (I know, I should have like Baby Jesus the most, but hey, I was a kid who loved animals, can you blame me?) And the years my brother did not want to set his up was like an early Christmas present! You mean I get to set up TWO Nativity scenes? Score!

Even as I grew older, I still looked forward to setting up the Nativity scene each year. Every year the same excitement would wash over me and I would be like a kid again. My old Nativity scene is packed away in a box at my parents house. It makes it out every so often at Christmas, but I am not usually around when my parents decorate. The first few years, when I was no longer living with my parents and I had my own Christmas decorations, I often missed setting up the Nativity scene.

Then, after Hubby and I got married, his Pop and Nanny gave us the most beautiful Nativity scene as a Christmas gift. I was so excited to have a Nativity for my own house. Although this one will never take the place of my childhood Nativity, I still have the same excitement each year when I drag the Christmas decorations down from the attic. I slowly open the boxes for each figurine, unwrap them and place them in the perfect spot. I still feel like a kid when I set it all up and step back to admire the scene. Not to mention, this Nativity scene has animals too! As an adult, I now truly cherish the meaning of the Nativity scene and what it represents...but I have to admit that the animals are still one of my favorite parts!

The Birthstone Ornament

2011-12-21T04:54:00.000-08:00

With Christmas quickly approaching (only 4 more days!), I find myself thinking more and more about what I love about this time of the year. The memories I have collected over the years are priceless, but there are a few very specific memories that make Christmas special for me.

As an adult, I notice each year how things evolve and change. How traditions shift to the new generations and how hard it is to let go of the traditions you held as a child and allow them to change with growing families. So, in honor of making and keeping memories at Christmas, I thought I would share with you for the next 4 days, some of my cherished memories from this wonderful season.

From the time I was a wee little one until later in my teenage years, Grandma Edith and Grandpa Horace (my mom's parents) would give each of us grandchildren a gift at Christmas. Since most of us were girls (except my poor brother who was the only boy for many years until he was joined in ranks by my youngest cousin "N") Grandma Edith and Grandpa Horace often got us all the same gift. We were all aware that our gifts were likely to be the similar and so when it came time to open them, we would count down and everyone would open their gifts at the same time. We were clever, weren't we? This way, we could avoid any "spoilers". We were always grateful for the gifts given to us by our grandparents. We knew they took lots of time to find the perfect gift that we would all love.

The truth is, I don't really remember many of the actual gifts they gave us over the years. Except one. The Birthstone Ornament. Grandma Edith loved the Christmas Season. After she passed away, Christmas was always very hard for my Grandpa and the entire family. We would get together and follow all of the same traditions from years past, then when we would sit down and Grandpa would read the Christmas story from the Bible, tears and sniffles would start. We were all missing Grandma Edith. But, for the years following Grandma's passing, Grandpa was always determined to keep up with the gift giving.

One year, we all happily opened our packages. This year the gifts were the same but also special, precious, and unique. You see, when each grandchild was born, Grandma and Grandpa had bought a Birthstone Ornament to hang on their tree. That year, Grandpa gave us each our ornaments. There was a note tucked inside the box....

"Dear Melissa, Grandma and I bought this ornament when you were born and each year we hung it on our tree, and later Grandma put all 8 of them on a ribbon and each year at Christmas we hung them on the hall clock. I want you to have it now and each year when you hang it on your tree, do as in memory of Grandma. Love Grandpa."

Now that Grandpa is no longer with us, each year I hang this ornament in memory of them both. Each year, I unfold the note, and admire Grandpa's words. The note tucked inside the box brings tears to my eyes every Christmas. Each year, I open the box and on the label, written by my Grandma the year I was born, is my name and birthday. Each year I hang this ornament on my tree and think of the precious memories I made with both of them. I always make sure to find the perfect spot, safely hung on a sturdy branch at the top of the tree.

Although this ornament sometimes makes me sad to think I wont spend another Christmas with Grandpa Horace and Grandma Edith, I cherish the happy memories it brings. And, every time I walk past my tree, the glittering red ornament catches my eye and makes me smile.

An army of snowmen

2011-12-13T13:58:00.001-08:00

On Wednesday nights I work at a local center in a program for high school juniors. Tomorrow night is our last session until after the holidays. I wanted to make something sweet and festive for the kids in the program, so I made these...

The snowmen are made from marshmallows and "glued" to ginger snaps with icing, the hands are pretzel sticks, the face and buttons are icing and the hat is made from two spice drops. I saw the idea here. I will have to admit that they were time consuming, constructing each snowman individually was a little tedious. But nevertheless, I enjoyed it!

Of course, after all that work, who could resist playing "Army of Snowmen"? Hubby suggested I line them all up for battle...and the foolishness continued from there...

"Freedom!" (Hubby thought I should have painted their faces Braveheart style)

Hubby suggested I use "parts" to depict the dead snowmen already lost in the battle, but I decided, in the observance of Christmas Spirit, to just show the stand-off...

then to imagine, they all made up and enjoyed a nice soak in a hot tub full of cocoa...

Are you making any fun treats for the holidays?

I love this...

2011-12-11T15:20:00.001-08:00

These made me think of Kyra-dog, she loved her little Octopi (as we so lovingly called her Blue Octopus). What a quick and easy gift one of these would be for a little person. I think I know the perfect little niece to make one of these for!

Check it out at G rosgrain

You know you are a country girl...

2011-11-28T15:10:00.001-08:00

...when even your insulin pump plays bluegrass tunes! I got my new insulin pump last week. The warranty on my old one had expired and it was time for a change. I am very excited about my new pump. It has a few more bells and whistles and the data program (charting and graphing of data from pump and meter) is pretty awesome. Not to mention, the blood glucose meter is also a remote control for my pump. So no more digging the pump out of my bra strap when I need to bolus. (That's a pretty picture isn't it?).

Anyway, for those of you unfamiliar with insulin pumps, you generally can set alarms to remind you to check your blood sugar and for various warnings and such. My old pump only did boring little beeps. My new pump has songs! Not only can you change the tunes using the computer program, but you can also compose (yes I said COMPOSE!) your own tunes for your pump. So my hubby, being so musically inclined...has now programed my pump to play Dueling Banjos when it's time to check my blood sugar. I wonder how long it will take for that to get old!

My new pump

In other news, we had a nice relaxing Thanksgiving up at the mountain with hubby's family. He and his dad spent some time mountain biking and hunting grouse and I got a chance to hike with my MIL and Waylon. We also got a nice visit from some friends of the family (go here to see pictures of their visit) who headed up the mountain after picking out Christmas trees at a local farm. Saturday afternoon, Hubby and I took the new UTV down into the woods to do some target shooting with his pistol.

See those two holes right in the middle of the can? I made those..yessiree! Oh and I feel that I must clarify, that the beer can was not ours...we just did our part by picking up someone else's trash, shooting at it and then disposing of it properly :-)

The only time you can get hubby to smile in a picture is when he is shooting guns or paddling in a kayak :-)

The weekend was wonderful and relaxing and left me feeling awfully lazy today...hey, there is no reason I can't prolong my vacation by one more day...right? Tomorrow it's back to the real world...and by the real world I mean holed up in my craft room putting the finishing touches on Christmas gifts. I hope you and yours had a wonderful Holiday!

Being an elf in a new skirt

2011-11-13T08:59:00.001-08:00

So lately I have been a hermit. Spending hours at a time in my craft room, only venturing out for short trips to the kitchen for food and walks with my neighbor and the dog. I have been avoiding running errands and trips out of the house because I am not digging this colder weather and I have been turning out Christmas gifts like some of Santa's Elves. On any given day you will find me sitting at my table, in front of the space heater and burning through my Netflix queue while I stitch away! Before it got cold, I was getting a little discouraged with myself because I was having trouble getting motivated to work on crafty things. So this long stretch of craftiness for Christmas has been quite therapeutic.

I am really excited about some Christmas gifts I am working on, but unfortunately I can't really show them to you since recipients of those gifts often visit this blog! I guess that will give me plenty to post after the Christmas Holiday.

I did take a break this morning from my Elf duties to make a pleated, denim skirt that is now my new favorite piece of clothing! I used Simplicity Pattern 2215. In the summer I made a red cotton skirt with the same pattern, which is quickly becoming one of my favorites for skirts! Not to mention that this skirt gives me the perfect reason to wear my Frye boots!

Wordless Wednesday: 2011 Kayak Fishing Trip

2011-11-02T12:12:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T05:13:00.000-07:00

Missing K-Dog

2011-10-24T08:44:00.000-07:00

Today Hubby and I were driving home from a wonderful weekend of kayak fishing with his parents on the coast of NC. Those of you who live in NC or are familiar with Hwy 40, east of Raleigh, know that this stretch of road consists of little more than open road and endless farmland. Heading to the coast offers anticipation of arriving at the beach, but not much more in the form of visual stimulation. The most exciting moments are when you get to joke about which of you is guilty of that awful smell that lingers in your car round about Clinton, NC where hog and turkey houses dapple the fields on either side of the otherwise desolite road. Now, of course being a farm type of girl, I love the scenery and the quiteness of it all.

Most folks traveling down Hwy 40 East would never notice the exit for Magnolia, NC. A small hog town somewhere along about the time you start wondering when the openness will end and when the heck are you getting to the beach. For most people, Magnolia is nothing more than a blip on the Eastern NC map. But for me, Magnolia is special. Magnolia is where I found the type of unconditional love and companionship I never knew could exist. Magnolia was where I found my precious baby girl Kyra.

Kyra about a week after bringing her home

For the last 12 years, whenever I pass the exit to Magnolia, NC, I would exclaim to anyone willing to listen..."that's the town where I got Kyra. She was just a 12 week old pup living on a hog farm, so cute and cuddly. She rode home all the way back to Raleigh in my lap." Passing that town has always triggered the memories I have of Kyra as a cute chubby pup.

This weekend, passing that little town conjured a reaction I would have never suspected. Riding along, I happened to look up just as we passed the sign for Magnolia...my first thought was as always..."aww that's where I got Kyra"...within moments my eyes teared up and I was a blubbering mess.

Most of you know that I lost Kyra earlier this year after 12 years of companionship. This was the very first time since the few days after her death that I really felt that loss. Sure, I have missed her and have had occassional flash backs of the "good ol' days", but I guess it just hadn't really hit me yet that she was gone. Seeing that sign made me miss her terribly. It reminded me that when I got home that afternoon, she wouldn't be there to great me happily and then shun me for leaving her for so long (she was good at pouting)!

I thought I had dealt with losing Kyra. I thought I had moved on and had nothing left but the happy memories. But loss is sneaky, stirring up emotions when you least expect them. Man, I miss my baby girl. I mean who couldn't fall hopelessly in love with such a spirited and soulful pup?

Luckily when I got home I still had a wagging tail and happy grin to meet me and even though no other pup could ever fill the space in my heart occupied by Kyra, this one has his own special place too!

The buzzness of bees

2011-10-03T11:42:00.000-07:00

We tend to have a very minimalistic, hands-off approach to managing our bee colony. We check them often enough to make sure they are doing their thing and to manage any pests or disease we may find. Last year we did not collect honey because we wanted to leave the majority of it for the colony to make it through their first winter. So this year, Hubby was really looking forward to collecting some honey from our girls.

You may remember that back in the Spring we had a little trouble with replacing our queen. We finally had an active queen but by the time she was "large and in charge" our colony had dwindled to quite a low number. Because of this, we were not sure if we would have a strong colony to make enough honey for collecting. Our thought process is, we only collect honey if the bees have stored enough for themselves to make it through the winter, that way we just get whatever is extra.

A few weeks ago we noticed the bees were not as active and we suspected an issue with the colony. When Hubby went into the hive, he found lower numbers, but also saw evidence of an active queen and a healthy looking hive.

This weekend, Hubby decided to visit the hive to see if we had any honey to harvest before winter. What he found was quite a different story from a few weeks ago. The bees had set up shop in only one of our two hive bodies and the other hive body had been completely destroyed by wax moths (go here to learn more about these destructive insects). Most colonies can fend off these nasty bugs but ours, dwindling in size, were unable to protect their entire hive.

In hindsight, this was partially our fault for not reducing the size of the hive when the colony dwindled....but this has been a learning process for us and we try to be the least invasive when managing our hive.

Hubby removed the damaged hive body (sorry no pictures...but you can go here to get an idea of what we saw) and cleaned up the frames. There is still a honey super on the hive but we decided to leave this for the bees to eat during the winter. So not a lot of extra honey for us (sniff, sniff)

However, we did get one frame of good honey, which yielded a nice amber colored jar of sweet goodness!

That's the honey super in the background.

Now for our other dilemma. The remaining honey super we removed from the hive had a few partially filled frames of honey. We wanted to "return" this honey to the bees and the only way to do this was to have them find the frames and collect the honey themselves.

We placed the extra honey super on the porch (so we could see what happened but also to keep other insects off the honey). It took our girls a few days to find the honey...but today they did! Over a 10 minute time span the number of bees on the frame went from 1 to at least 40 coming and going. What an amazing activity to watch!

The first few to find the frame

Look closely and you can actually see their proboscis (straw-like mouth part) sucking the honey out of the comb.

Good to the last drop!

The same frame after 10 minutes. The picture didn't pick up the 20 or so bees that were flying around the frame (and my head!)

Of course, Waylon (our bee-fearing pup) was not so happy that the bees are buzzing around his favorite lounging spot!

Awesome Fabric Finds

2011-09-26T11:52:00.000-07:00

Over the past few weeks I have made a few trips to the Scrap Exchange. An awesome place to get used and scrap materials for all kinds of projects! I love getting fabric and sewing notions there, it is a great way to reuse items that others might throw away and I usually can find some awesome fabric.

This past week we kept our nephews for a couple of days. The oldest wanted to learn to sew (yay!) and this gave me a perfect excuse to make a trip over to the Scrap Exchange. They both found some really cool items to use in various projects and I found some great fabric! Check out these awesome finds!

I love this fabric! This is about 5 yards of cotton fabric for $11!

Some really neat upholstery weight fabric (about 1/2 yard-1 yard each) for $0.75 a piece! I was thinking these would make some neat heavy duty little bags!

Don't you just love this mushroom fabric? There is about 1.5 yards. It is a lovely pale green.

I am not usually a fan of pink, but I thought this pink and green olive print fabric was just too cute!

Oh, and I think this fabric speaks for itself! Blue and brown...circles...yum!

And my new obession with all things corduroy ...this lovely bright blue and yellow! I think I see some more corduroy purses in my future!

These are small swatches of fabric from a display...but I just couldn't pass up these interesting patterns. They were only $0.25 a piece and I thought it would make a great little coin purse! The blue one reminds me of a bee!

And a fat quarter of this yellow stripes and orange flowers pattern!

Here's to being thrifty! Now I guess it's time to stop accumulating fabric and actually do something with it! I just have to figure out what I should do.....any suggestions?

Experimenting

2011-09-23T10:53:00.000-07:00

I am experimenting with some new blog templates. I had grown pretty weary of my other layout...as weary as one gets over blog templates! Anyway I thought I would try a few new things. You may notices some changes here and there and maybe some day I will settle on what I like!

Meanwhile it has been rainy and muggy here for a few days. The rain is nice, we needed it...but I am ready for cool Fall days without rain!

Today to beat the rainy day blues I am working on a few sewing projects! Wish me luck!

Almost Wordless Wednesday...

2011-09-21T05:03:00.000-07:00

Get them hooked while they are young and they will come back for more....

All's quiet on the front

2011-09-15T08:45:00.000-07:00

It's awfully quiet around here isn't it? Sorry I haven't updated much lately. My life has not been quiet by any means, but I haven't had much to blog about lately. I have sewn a few more bags and made a few really awesome skirts that I am quite proud of (hoping to get pictures up soon!). I have about 10 sewing projects in my mental queue and I keep getting distracted by more fun ideas! I have finally been able to pack up the canner for the most part and my kitchen is no longer a steaming mess of boiling water, jars and vegetable parts!

Hubby and I don't plant much of a Fall garden, just a few collards, maybe some spinach, and this year we will be planting some more garlic. I usually focus on landscaping our yard in the Fall. But the end of this Summer has left me not so motivated to plant shrubs and the complete overhaul of one of our car's transmission and the other's engine has left both Hubby and our bank account a little drained. So this year we are sticking to some basics. I just purchased a few more blueberry bushes to put in this weekend and hoping to get a few grape vines too. Otherwise, this Fall we are focusing on cleaning out some of the scrub plants from the woods and cutting down some very large, rotting and too close to the house trees.

On the diabetes front I am happy to say that things have calmed considerably. Remember this post? I was at my wits end. Yes, I still have the whole Celiac thing to deal with and the food allergies, but that is much easier to handle now that my bloodsugars are finally back in range. For six months I was fighting an uphill battle with my blood sugars. Constant high numbers that were virtually unresponsive to insulin. Because I had been so sick dealing with the food allergy issues I figured the numbers were a result of that. But 4 weeks after resolving the food issues and not getting sick anymore, I realized the highs had nothing to do with food. I was ready to throw in the gloves, I was tired of fighting unexplained highs.

Then I had a realization. I had started at the beginning of this year and I had began to suspect it was the culprit, so I stopped the medication. Twenty four house after stopping said medication, my blood sugars leveled out and 3 weeks later I am still holding strong with perfect blood sugars. It is amazing what our bodies can tell us and even how someone as aware as myself can often ignore the signs. Had I paid closer attention I might have been able to stop the medication earlier and avoided months of struggling and burnout. I have to say I will never again take this medication and likely not take any of similar affect. I am just glad to be back to my kind of normal.

Now that the weather is cooler and I am feeling much better, I can focus on what to do next....of course my list of projects is longer than the Nile...where ever shall I start?

How to Make Going to Work More Fun...

2011-08-26T08:01:00.000-07:00

If you ask me what I do for a living I will tell you I am a homemaker. Not a stay-at-home mom (unless you count Waylon as a kid!), not a housewife, not unemployed...a homemaker. I make our home run as smoothly as possible. I maintain our garden and animals and I strive to make our lives more sustainable. But this post is not about what I do at home.

Since I do work at home most of the time, I don't have a reason to have fun work supplies...like cool bags to carry your computer or important work documents, or fun office supplies. Well, I guess I do have office supplies...but it's just not the same as having them on your desk displayed in cute containers and such!

I do have a part time job. I work with a local center that provides college-prep support to low-income students. Most of my hours are working from home, but once a week I meet with my students at the center. This is my one chance to "go to work" every week...so I figured I should milk the whole "fun work supplies" angle while I can!

Our weekly sessions at the center start up this week. So for inspiration and to channel my excitement for the upcoming year (my students are Juniors! A big year for college prep!), I decided to make a new bag to carry my notebook and supplies. Even though I get great enjoyment from this job and I consider it lots of fun, I figure going to work is way more fun when you have a bag you look forward to using every week!

This bag is perfect for carrying my notebook and any other paperwork. It has a front pocket big enough for my meter and diabetes supplies I sometimes need access to while working.

I am so proud of this bag (sorry I have to brag a bit because sometimes I surprise myself)!

The bag is made from thrifted corduroy and the liners and appliques are made from scraps from another project!

Front

Back

I am so excited about using this bag! Do you have something, a bag or maybe a fun office gadget that makes you excited about going to work?

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-17T11:42:00.000-07:00

Because Diabetes Sucks That's Why...

2011-08-13T13:06:00.000-07:00

Today I am writing this post because diabetes sucks. Burnout has arrived. I am in a slump. I am weary. I find myself aimlessly wading through my world of finger pricks and insulin, failing pumps sites and high blood sugars, sleepless nights and debilitating lows. I am tired of this disease and my numbers don't lie. I am ready for a break. A break I will never have.

The burnout and weariness is all part of this disease....like a symptom they forget to put in the handout. Diabetes is the culprit, but not the only reason I feel a little defeated. I am at the tail end of a 6 month stint of sickness and food allergies, food diaries and doctors visits. Although I find myself happy to report that I figured out what was making me so sick...I shed a little tear for the loss of more food groups and the installment of an even more restrictive diet.

A recent genetic test shows that my genes have a plan of action...one I would have never suspected...they lie there ready to ambush when I least expect....my immune system playing more tricks on me. The onset of food allergies and the dreaded news from my genetic test that I am at the highest risk possible of developing Celiac Disease. The reality that if I continue to eat gluten in any form my body will turn on itself once again. The stern recommendation from my doctor to remove all gluten from my diet from here on out or run the risk of developing Celiac...this is my new reality. New news that is hard to absorb, hard to hear.

But don't yall worry about me. Gluten hasn't been too hard to take away from my diet. I figure if this is the worst I have to deal with, I can manage.

But if you ask me to tell you the truth...I know this is not the worst. This is not likely to be the only complication I will ever face. Removing gluten is easy. Taking away nuts, soy and fish...a breeze. It's been hard having a more restrictive diet but that just pales in comparison. You see, this week the diabetes community lost 2 young souls. Two young souls who were living full lives with Diabetes, two young souls who succumbed to the complications of this horrible disease. And as I write this another struggles in the hospital fighting DKA a life threatening diabetic complication.

The reality soaks in when news of death and suffering cross my ears. A reminder that as I sit here feeling normal and healthy, in reality I am not either of those things. Sure, I am a "healthy" Type I Diabetic and I am as normal as any other woman my age...but I am still at the mercy of a disease that can so easily take a life or two...or mine.

I struggle at times with this reality. I often don't speak of these fears aloud to family and friends sometimes it makes it too real to say out loud. I share this fear with you today because I realize how lucky I am to be here typing this, how lucky I am to have support from family and friends when this disease takes its hold on my heart and mind. I share this with you today so you can take a moment to pray for the families of these young souls and all of the others who have been lost to diabetes. Pray for a healing hand and a cure. Pray for me.

Five years and a new dress

2011-08-09T08:58:00.000-07:00

Hubby and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary this past weekend in Hot Springs, VA. We stayed at a beautiful Bed and Breakfast, the King's Victorian Inn. (Highly Recommended!) We rented the small Honeymoon Cottage on the property. It was an adorable little private one bedroom cottage next to the main house. We had our privacy but were also able to enjoy breakfast daily in the main house.

During our visit in Hot Springs, we had a chance to explore the many historic landmarks in the area and visit a local park/lake. The weather was beautiful and the rolling hillsides of pastures and farms made us both long for the country life. It was a great trip and for once...nothing went wrong!

Also, I made a new dress for our trip. I am calling it my Anniversary Dress! It's by far my favorite one! Here are some pictures of our trip!

The King's Victorian Inn

An old swing in a 100 year old Buckeye Tree...and me in my anniversary dress.

The grounds of the Inn were absolutely beautiful!

Ha! I actually got a picture of him smiling!

Jackson River

Lake Moomaw

My Summer of Dresses!

2011-07-30T14:11:00.000-07:00

It's been miserably hot around here. All of this hot weather has inspired me to sew (well mostly the inspiration comes from doing anything that involves A/C). So between canning the garden goods and keeping things alive in this heat I have made a few summer dresses.

I started with a mission to update my "at home" wardrobe with some dresses I could wear around the house and in the yard but also out to the grocery store and for quick errands. I ended up only making one "house dress" and then ventured on to other more versatile dresses. I discovered the technique of "shirring" with elastic thread and I have fallen in love! It means I don't have to fool with zippers or too much with sizing. I have 2 more dresses in mind and hope to finish them this week or next! The best part about these dresses? Between the material and the thread, each dress cost less than $8!

Here is what I like to call my House and Garden Dress. It is made from Batik fabric. I like the pattern on the material and it is dark and sturdy enough to hold up to the dirt I encounter on a daily basis but still pretty enough for the grocery store clerk :-)

This is me demonstrating the all important and nifty pocket for my pump. I built a button-hole into the back of the pocket so I can run my pump tubing through.

This is my "I copied a dress I tried on at Khol's Dress"

This is a lightweight stretchy-ish denim fabric. I put thicker straps so it's a little more modest and allows for undergarments. Perfect for Spring and Summer and probably Fall with a sweater. I can dress it up or down with belts and shoes to wear on most occasions!

And last but not least what I like to call my "Picnic Dress"...because honestly don't you think I look like I am heading to a picnic in Central Park? The material is striped seersucker so it is lightweight and easy care.

This dress has a large twirly skirt and a side pockets. I also did a button-hole in these pockets for my pump tubing

The belt/tie is removable so I can change it to a colored one or a real belt for a different look. Again this dress could be dressed up or down with different accessories (you know this garden girl is SOOOO into accessories)....oh and for those of you who have never seen me in real life....that streak of gray hair is very much real!

I am quite proud of myself as I did not use any patterns for these dresses. I did use some various tutorials on hoe to do the shirring process. I am so happy to be learning some new skills. I never thought I could make my own clothes! What are the possibilities?

Every Clink

2011-07-22T12:12:00.000-07:00

Remember this post when I said to ask me how I feel about our tomato jungle in a few weeks? Well, it has been a few weeks and I am up to my eyeballs in tomatoes. Everyday, beautiful red globes shine from the garden. Red globes that I swear were green the day before. I find myself thinking...how did I miss this one yesterday? Navigating the tomato jungle is now a daily adventure. The ripe fruit is them piled on my kitchen window sills and in my fruit basket waiting to be turned into fresh tomato sauce, canned for later use or eaten freshly sliced with homemade mozzeralla and home-grown basil. Ah...summer is grand.

Tomatoes have not been the only produce gracing my counter-tops. I have also been canning beans and pickles from the garden. Our bean plants have slowed down at the moment but they are covered in a new crop of flowers. Our bees are busy pollinating and we expect another bumper crop of beans in about a week. Last week you would have found me processing fresh picked blueberries making them into no-sugar added jam and freezing the rest. Farmer's Market peaches were turned into Jalapeno Peach Chutney today!

I think my summers can be defined by my canning calendar. Ebbs and flows of ripening food determine what days I am free to manage my own time and which days I am chained to the metal beast that is my pressure canner. Don't get me wrong, canning is wonderful, just often time consuming and a little tedious. Oh and there is nothing like steaming up your kitchen on a 100 degree day!

Thermometer in the shade!

I love to preserve food. The self-sufficient nature of the whole process, the sense of pride in producing a beautiful jar of food, nothing can take the place of those feelings. There is something very satisfying when you hear the "clink" of a mason jar sealing as it cools. A sound that I know generations of homemakers have relished for many summers before now. Every clink fast-forwards me to this winter when I will open a jar of tomatoes, as red and tasty as the day they were put in that jar. Every clink is another homemade gift for Christmas and birthdays. Every clink reminds me of why I am here...making my career as a homemaker, providing for my family and preserving a way of life that will never go out of style.

Beans and the some of the tomato sauce I canned yesterday (aren't they pretty!)

I canned this hot sauce hubby made from our hot peppers!

And..one very hot dog chilling in the A/C...not sure why he is lying in this position...I promise his neck is not broken. Sometimes I think he is just trying to make himself look miserable...as if I would feel sorry for this spoiled pup!

Blueberries and Birthdays

2011-07-15T11:23:00.000-07:00

Today is my 31st birthday! To celebrate I picked 12lbs blueberries with my friend Frances at this local farm and will make Maple Blueberry Conserve with Walnuts this afternoon. Right now I am making a gluten-free, low-carb chocolate cake! Tonight dinner with friends and tomorrow smoked pork butt with my family. The weather today is beautiful...cool and breezy...a rare experience in the middle of July. Here's to 31 years!

To celebrate my D-aversary

2011-07-06T17:36:00.000-07:00

I have to apologize. Summer has swallowed me whole. Our garden is at full-steam ahead with beans and cucumbers coming in every day. This means I get to can those beautiful veggies every other day! Our first tomato is ripening. Ask me again in a few weeks how I feel about that when I am up to my elbows canning tomatoes!

That's my hubby (he is 6'4'') in our sea of tomato plants

But...as I promised I wanted to tell you all about what I did to celebrate my 4 year d-aversary (I know it's a little late). Back in January Hubby and I planned to head to the Outer Banks of NC and kayak-camp this June to celebrate my 4 years with diabetes. We were to paddle out to a small island and camp for 2 nights. The island was close enough to civilization that I felt it to be a good challenge for me...packing supplies in a small kayak, making room for diabetes supplies, and keeping insulin cool for a weekend.

But...in true and typical fashion for our vacations...our trip to celebrate my D-aversary was canceled. For those of you who don't know me well, most of our vacations are plagued with bad luck. It's true...not many of our vacations go by without a major incident (hospital visits, sickness, horrible weather and many diabetes related malfunctions)

This time, I was sick. I will spare you the details...but I have been getting sick since about March of this year. I tested negative twice for Celiac Disease (a common concern and first test for Type I diabetics with stomach issues). From doctor to nutritionist to allergist we are working through the elimination of food groups. Since late June I have gotten things under control by eliminating certain foods...but unfortunately this discovery didn't come until after our planned trip.

Don't worry about me...I feel pretty good now. Hubby and I had planned this trip as a kick off of yearly trips to celebrate another year of living with diabetes. My idea was that we should plan trips to do the things we love that have often fallen to the wayside since my diagnosis (backpacking, backwoods camping, climbing). Since we were unable to go on our trip to the Outer Banks, we decided to take an evening and head out to one of our local lakes. I felt good enough on that Friday to go out for a few hours.

We took the kayaks and a picnic dinner and hit the backside of one of our bigger lakes in the area. We arrived at the lake around 5pm and paddled around. We found a nice shady spot for dinner and enjoyed a yummy spread.

After dinner we paddled some more and fished a little (ok well Hubby fished and I relaxed in my kayak). We ended our excursion as the sun was setting. We had a nice time and in true D-aversary fashion...my blood sugar was PERFECT the entire time :-)

While paddling and watching Hubby fish I pondered what celebrating my D-aversary meant. For me it means 4 years of triumph. Four years of strength and dedication. Four years of support from family and friends. Four years of life. Cheers to all of you who have lived another year with diabetes and cheers to the years to come that WILL be better than the last.

My Pancreas Broke and All I Got Were These Lousy Lessons

2011-06-19T14:22:00.000-07:00

I have learned a lot of things in my 30 (almost 31) years of life. When I was a wee little one I learned early on that the best entertainment came from my big brother. I learned that if you beg long enough your parents are likely to get you that hamster, guinea pig, snake or puppy (even if it takes 10 years). In high school I learned that fitting in was not as important as being an individual...and that pink hair often brings stares. In college I learned to be adventurous and to try new things.

At 24, I learned that boys who sing Johnny Cash songs and play the bluegrass fiddle are definitely the marrying type. I've learned (or so been told) that even though I tend to be shy at first...once you get me talking you will most likely never get me to stop. (In fact, I am not sure my hubby has gotten a word in edge-wise since our wedding). And most recently I learned that no matter how hard I try I can't help but giggle when I see Waylon's new haircut.

I would have never guessed that what I have learned through the course of my life so far would prepare me for what I have endured over the last four years. I have to give credit to my parents who taught me to be independent, strong, and driven. They shaped me into the woman I am today...teaching me to take control of my life and be happy in everything I do. Their guidance during my formative years not only prepared me for the life changing event of being diagnosed with Type I Diabetes, it made me more open to the things I would learn over the next 4 years...and what I will continue to learn over the course of my life.

So here we go...My Pancreas Broke and All I Got Were These Lousy Lessons....

1. Exercising sucks. That said...it is so important to health and well-being that it's worth the burn...so making it fun and fitting it into your daily schedule is a must.
2. Support from family and friends is priceless and very much a necessity...not only in dealing with a life-changing disease, but in all other aspects of life.
3. Sometimes all you can do to feel better is throw your hands in the air, sigh, scream, yell, and cry...and that is OK!
4. When you are dealt a challenging hand, don't fold...be happy with the good cards and make the bad cards into something more manageable.
5. Needlework and sewing are great hobbies for a diabetic.
6. Growing your own food and eating clean and whole is not as hard as you may think and does wonders for your mind and body (and sometimes even your pocketbook!)
7. One of the most important jobs a person can have is taking care of themselves in order to be there for the ones they love.
8. I can prick my finger 10 times a day, give injections to myself and insert infusion sites...yet I am still a big wimp every time I get blood drawn at the doctor...is this strange?
9. Diabetes is a good cure for a french fry obsession.
10. Strength is not just measured in how much you can bench press or how many miles you can run...it's also measured in your ability to see a 350 and a 47 on your blood glucose meter in the same day and still have a smile on your face.
11. Feeling like you are all alone is the worst feeling you can ever have. Since my diagnosis, I have felt this many times. Finding someone who shares your struggles and understands what you are facing (i.e. another diabetic) is the best medicine when you feel this way.
12. I have an amazing husband (of course I already knew this...hence the "husband" part)...he is more than I could have ever hoped or dream for in a partner. He is supportive and understanding and loves me despite my broken pancreas....and my incessant talking!
13. When you have a disease that is typically misunderstood...people will often impose their thoughts and opinions on you (i.e. "Are you allowed to eat that?" or "Have your heard that eating cinnamon can cure your diabetes?"). The best thing to do in that situation is smile, provide the correct information, and understand that their questions and comments often mean they are just concerned with your well-being.
14. Multitasking has taken on a whole new meaning...who knew I could ever count carbs (i.e. do math which I am horrible at), talk about the garden with my hubby, fix dinner, calculate insulin, and plan tomorrow all at the same time.
15. I have learned that "life-long" takes on a whole new meaning when you add the word "disease".

Most of all I have learned to be in control without overbearing. To forgive myself every now and then. To pat myself on the back and remind myself that I am doing the best I can. To remember to live my life and to balance all that is important while teetering on the see-saw that is diabetes.

My D-aversary....Part I

2011-06-13T10:01:00.000-07:00

Four years ago this month my life changed forever. In June of 2007 at the age of 26, I was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes. My life would never be the same after that June. For my D-aversary (daibetes diagnosis anniversary)...I want to share with you my diagnosis story, what I have learned from having diabetes, and what I plan to do to celebrate another year with the big D. Get comfortable and let me tell you my story....

In January of 2007 I was on top of the world. I had just gotten married the previous August to an amazing man. I had graduated with a Master's in Agriculture Education the month before and I was halfway through my first year of teaching agriculture in a local middle school. Hubby and I were settling into our new home and looking forward to the rest of our lives together. I remember going to the doctor that January for a annual physical and getting a gold star for being healthy (including good blood sugar). Hubby and I were eating healthy and staying active. I had gained a few pounds that winter and hubby and I had decided to start back at the gym on a regular basis. Aside from the stress at school I was doing great. Life was good.

In March of that year I got sick...I had caught the bane of every teacher's existence...the "picked it up from one of the kids stomach virus". I was sick for about a week, recovered quickly and was back to school. Little did I know this was when my immune system went haywire and decided those pesky insulin producing cells were no longer needed. The remainder of the school year seemed to weigh heavily on me. I was exhausted all the time, cranky, and very stressed. But who could blame me? Who wouldn't be feeling that way while teaching middle school kids?

As the school year came to an end in late May, I begin to notice some odd symptoms. I was still exhausted, waking up with leg cramps in the night, starving all of the time and craving foods (especially sweets), and constantly thirsty. I couldn't make it through a 45 minute class without drinking an entire bottle of water and then subsequently having to go to the bathroom between every class. The symptoms were easy to brush aside as stress induced. At the time I was also cleaning my classroom, dealing with seasonal allergies and the impending heat of summer. It seemed excessive but not totally out of the ordinary for me to have these symptoms.

I remember going to the gym one afternoon and realizing I had lost 10 lbs in about 2.5 weeks. I had been on a plateau with weight loss so I thought my hard work at the gym had finally paid off. I should have seen the signs. The following week, Hubby and I went backpacking with some friends. Our hike in was a short 5-6 miles and we were camping by a river for a few days. The hike should have been a breeze but I found myself struggling to keep up and experiencing leg cramps and major fatigue. I didn't understand how I could feel so out of shape when I was in great physical shape for backpacking. After we set up camp I spent the weekend filtering water (or so it seemed) because I was so thirsty. We made it through the weekend and hiked back out. On our trip home, after the 4th bathroom break in a 5 hour trip hubby informed me it was time to go to the doctor to figure out what the heck was going on.

The following week I went to my primary care doctor to have some blood drawn and tests run. My doctor called me 2 hours later and told me my fasting blood sugar was 435 (normal is 70-90). He explained that I had diabetes. I realize now that I could have died that weekend in the woods. Undoubtedly my blood sugar was dangerously high and I had ketones rushing through my body. It was a miracle that I did not go into diabetic ketoacidosis and lapse into a coma.

The days following my diagnosis were a whirlwind. I started immediately on insulin therapy via multiple daily injections. I learned about checking my blood sugar, taking my insulin and carb counting. Within 6 months I was on an insulin pump.

When I was diagnosed I had no idea what having diabetes really meant. I didn't know anyone who had Type I diabetes and I felt incredibly alone. The year following my diagnosis I had started teaching at the high school. By the following summer, my 1 year D-aversary, I realized being a new teacher and a new diabetic didn't mesh well. Something had to give, and my health was first. That summer I quit my job.

Four years after my diagnosis, I am healthy and happy. I struggle everyday with this disease. It's like having a full-time job, among all of my other responsibilities, except diabetes is the one that never gets checked off the list. The first 3 years after my diagnosis I felt like diabetes had taken over my life. I struggled to keep from drowning beneath the weight of this disease while keeping all of my relationships afloat. I was a different person, a shadow of who I used to be. The activities hubby and I enjoyed and bonded over were now too difficult to manage while learning to manage this disease. Finding a job that would work with my new job of managing my health was impossible. Being happy again seemed quite unlikely.

This year on my D-aversary I celebrate reclaiming my life. This past year I have found that groove that allows me to come up for air every now and then. Diabetes is still a full-time job. I still struggle and it is not easy. But now diabetes is a part of my life, not the thing that controls my life. I finally feel like myself again. Reclaiming the pre-diabetes me has been a long fight, but a fight I have won nonetheless.

Stay tuned...
Part II: What I have learned from having diabetes
Part III: What I did to celebrate my 4-year D-aversary

Going "Nekked" for the Summer

2011-06-09T16:54:00.000-07:00

Waylon's going naked for the summer...

Before

and After

We hesitated with having him shaved...but he is so dang hot in the summer. He looks like he lost about 20lbs! Doesn't he look like a coyote? Ok...I admit he is a little goofy looking but he doesn't seem to mind!

The pup and the fiddle

2011-06-05T15:13:00.000-07:00

Strawberry Jam

2011-05-27T09:16:00.000-07:00

Do you know how to tell that the growing season is really gearing up and summer is here? Look in my kitchen and you see my grow shelf, the one that held seedlings a few months ago is now covered in rows of mason jars! Canning season has started!

To kick off the season, Frances from The Left-Handed Housewife (check out her blog!) came over and we spent the morning making strawberry jam! I was so excited, not only because of the fun company, but also because this is my first time making strawberry jam.

Last year I didn't have my canner during strawberry season so I am really excited about having strawberry jam. Strawberry jam always reminds me of breakfast at my grandparent's farm. It is my favorite. We tried a new recipe using apple juice concentrate to make no-sugar added strawberry jam. This made a wonderful new flavor that I can't wait to delve into!

In other news, I spent two hours this morning weeding the garden, making bread, and playing with the chicks! Looking forward to a great holiday weekend and catching up on some chores around the house. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Snake in the Chicken Pen

2011-05-24T09:23:00.000-07:00

I just realized the title of this blog posting sounds like a Bluegrass song...

I walked down to check on the chickens yesterday and found a visitor in the chicken pen...a giant Black Rat Snake...

See, we still have 8 babies that are about 6 weeks old (half the size of a full grown chicken) and Broody Mamma Hen in a smaller enclosure inside the big chicken pen. The other big gals were out in the yard at the time. I assume the snake thought he might get a tasty snack when he saw the babies...but upon entering the cage he must have realized they were too big to eat.

When I came upon the scene, the chicks and Broody Mamma were all scruntched up on one end of the pen and the snake was scruntched up on the other trying to find a way out! I think he was just as afraid of the entire situation as the chicks and Broody Mamma were!

The discovery of the snake happened at the very same time that hubby pulled into the driveway from work. So he comes home to be yelling about a snake in the chicken pen.

Now, there is something you may not know about me...

I love snakes, I respect them and love to see them in my yard. I know they are at work killing mice and other vermin. I don't particullarly want to see a venomous snake in my yard, but I still respect and like them all nonetheless. However, I don't want to see them in my chicken pen and up until now we have never seen one even remotely close to the chicken pen...only a matter of time I suppose!

Anyway, I used the garden rake and eased the big guy out of the pen and he slithered away into the wood pile where I assume he has been living for a while now. I didn't get any pictures because I was so caught off gaurd from the discovery! But I do have this picture from about 2 years ago...

This is a baby black rat snake we found in the driveway. We let him go unharmed that day. The snake we found yesterday was about the size of a healthy two year old Black Rat Snake...hmmmm....so we meet again!

Recovering

2011-05-16T12:55:00.000-07:00

First off, I want to say thanks to everyone for the kind words during this rough week. We miss Kyra terribly, but I feel a little bit better every day. Every time I walk into the yard I expect her to come up and nose my hand or leg in greeting and follow me around the yard as I do my chores. But, then I remember she isn't there. To make things worse, Waylon has been sad and mopey. He seems to be mourning Kyra. I know this sounds anthropomorphic. I am on the fence about whether dogs feel loss like humans. But there is no doubt they feel the change and when a pack is disrupted it takes a while for things to resettle. Waylon seems to be mourning the loss of Kyra's guidance and protection.

Waylon has never been the only dog...he is afraid of the chickens...and now he is afraid to go in the back yard by himself. We think having Kyra around gave him the confidence he needed to be a normal dog. Lately he is reverting to his puppy self, when he was afraid of EVERYTHING! But lots of hugs and kisses and extra attention seems to be helping. I look forward to seeing a smile like this one again soon...

On the "farm" front...we have re-homed some of our chickens to make room for the new babies. I have been fretting over how to introduce the babies to the folk without too much turmoil. Alas...nature always figures out what to do!

We have had a broody hen for about 6 weeks. Last week, we made a small pen inside the big chicken pen for the babies to venture out of their brooder house. From the moment the babies went outside, our broody hen spent her days clucking and pacing near the baby pen. That's when I had an "aha" moment.

Broody mama (what I have been calling her) thinks she hatched out those eggs she has been sitting on for weeks! So I put her in the pen with the babies and boy does she take her mamma role seriously. She went straight to counting her babies, rounding them up, and clucking directions at them! After a few days, the babies seem to go to her for direction and guidance. It is quite amazing to watch how she has adopted these babies. She sure is proud of herself.

Today I let the babies out in the main pen with Broody Mamma and her sisters. There were some pecks from the big gals and the babies learned quickly to stay out of their way. But any cries of distress from the babies as a result of being picked on by the big gals, were met quickly with the evil eye from Broody Mamma.

We expect to introduce them to the main pen in another week or so, when we know the big gals will be civil! Did I mention how much I love those chickens?

When you lose your best friend....

2011-05-09T15:16:00.000-07:00

Today I had to make the most difficult choice I have ever made. Kyra, our 13 year old Shepard, my precious baby girl, the pup who has been by my side since she was 12 weeks old, will leave me tomorrow.

Over the last week she has developed a painful infection. Treatment options are limited to surgery. At her age, surgery would be a stressful and unpleasant event. So, we have had to make the difficult decision of putting her to sleep to end her pain and suffering.

Kyra was my first pup that was my dog, and my dog alone. She has spent many hours at my side. Sleeping at the foot of my bed, waiting at the door when I returned home, riding around in the car with me. When we were both younger, she went to the coffee shop and friend's houses, we spent hours at the park and afternoons hiking. She was my companion. Through friends, boyfriends, roommates, Kyra was always there.

She is a special girl. When I met my hubby, our second date was walking our dogs. Kyra and Sampson (hubby's dog) became fast friends. Over the last few years her roles have changed. We no longer venture to the coffee shop together, but she established her new role as herder and watcher of the chickens. Until recently she would spend hours patrolling the yard and keep the vermin out of the garden. She has truly been a wonderful dog during all stages of my life and hers. She is my crazy and neuriotic shepard, she is sweet as pie and I love her dearly.

My heart breaks to think of life without my baby girl, but I know it is time to let her go. Hubby and I are taking tonight to say goodbye and we will take her to the vet tomorrow. Kyra will always have special place in my heart and my memories. She will always be my one and only baby girl.

Kyra at 13 weeks, with "Octopi"

Kyra at a few months old...aw baby girl!

Backpacking at Shining Rock, she is about 2-3 years here.

With her best bud Chorney, at our duplex when I was in college.

About 9 years old here, our first year in our current house

With Waylon when he was a wee-little one

Last years egg stealing shenanigans

Last Fall. I love those ears and that smile.

Mass Emergence

2011-05-05T15:10:00.000-07:00

Do you know what made these holes? They are all over our yard...thousands of them!

Give up already? It's these little buggers...

So what you may say....who hasn't seen a cicada stuck to a tree?

Your question raises a valid point. But have you ever seen this many?

or this many...

The pictures above are from one tree branch in our front yard. There are hundreds of cicada exoskeletons, emerging cicadas, and recently emerged ones too.

The kicker is this...every low tree branch, on every tree in our yard is covered like the one you see in the picture. Not to mention our garage and garden fence, shrubs and the shed.

To say we are overrun with cicadas is a vast understatement! Apparently we are witnessing a 13 or 17 year mass emergence of these little critters.

When you step out on our doorstep you can hear the cicadas. It sounds like a broken fan belt in a car.

Apparently adult cicadas do not eat, but the females can damage woody shrubs and trees when they are laying their eggs. So we are picking them off our more valuable plants to prevent too much damage.

But guess who really like the cicadas? I'll give you a hint...no cicada is seen alive any where in the backyard, unless they are a good 5-6 feet from the ground and are smart enough not to land lower.

Here is another hint...

Unlucky cicada gets plucked off a plant and carried to the back yard....

Said cicada gets spotted by ferocious golden feathered predator...

The golden feathered predator goes in for the kill...

Unlucky Cicada becomes afternoon snack!

Silly dog wants in on the action.

Have you ever witnessed an mass emergence of cicadas? If this ever happens in your yard...I have one piece of advice. Wear a hat...cicadas will give you the heebie jeebies when they get caught in your hair.

Diabetes Sisters Weekend for Women Conference

2011-05-03T09:43:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I was lucky enough to attend the Diabetes Sisters Weekend for Women Conference in Raleigh, NC. Diabetes Sisters is an amazing organization that brings women of all ages with all types of Diabetes together. The focus of this weekend was to educate, empower, and energize women with diabetes.

As a relatively newly diagnosed Type 1 Diabetic (4 years this June), this conference was such a blessing. Since my diagnosis, I have not met any other women with diabetes (except for in the online community). Dealing with this disease is a daily struggle and feeling alone makes this struggle even harder. This weekend gave me the opportunity to meet some amazing women who are dealing with the same day to day issues as myself.

Lately I have been feeling lonely and isolated dealing with this disease. I have a great support system, but there is only so much my loved ones can do to understand this disease and the struggles I face. The sense of normalcy provided by being in a room with women who have diabetes was what I needed to get out of that slump and soothe that feeling of being alone.

During the conference, we had the opportunity to learn more about dealing with diabetes, complications and risk factors women with diabetes face, and empowering ourselves. There were talks about heart disease, thyroid disease, Celiac disease, sex, relationships, living with advanced duration diabetes, pregnancy, menopause, exercise and nutrition. Although some of these talks were too real and a little scary, they brought to light how important it is to take care of yourself, whether you are diabetic or not.

The most amazing experience for me was to see women who had lived up to 57 years with Type 1 diabetes. Women with no complications. Healthy, energetic, beautiful women. This was such an inspiration for me to maintain my health and a much needed reminder that I can live a long and healthy life with diabetes.

I also got a chance to meet some fellow bloggers, Allison and Sysy, (you can check out Sysy's coverage of the conference at the previous link, and see a video from Allison at Diabetes Mine). I consider myself lucky to also have met awesome women who are local to me! I look forward to building relationships with my fellow D-sisters!

There is nothing I can say to tell you how important support and love is when you are dealing with diabetes or any other disease. Knowing I have women who are there to support me, women who understand and can relate to my struggles, is priceless!

Busy Busy Me!

2011-05-02T09:02:00.000-07:00

I know you have all been so worried about me...you know since it has been a week or maybe more since I have posted. Right? Have no fear, I am still here! I am just swamped with Spring related projects. Garden and bees (re-queening our hive) and can't forget the baby chicks who I feel like I have not spent nearly enough time with :-(

Not to mention, I am finally getting around to working on those cabinets I started a year and half ago...yes folks, we have been living without cabinet doors for almost a year. But we have decided to paint them and we are getting a new tile backsplash in the kitchen! More on that project soon!

But I have so many exciting things to share! New projects in the sewing room, a family auction and some awesome finds, and a diabetes conference for women that was awesome and empowering!

So please stay tuned I have some pictures and stories to share! In the meantime, I am looking forward to a lot more of this since the weather is warming up!

Hello Neighbors!

2011-04-24T11:46:00.000-07:00

Our chicks are growing fast! They are living in the brooder house that is built on the side of our main chicken house. Our big girls are often very curious about all the chirp-chirping going on in the brooder house!

The little girls are not big enough to go outside yet, but it is about 85 degrees today. So I turned off their light and opened the door to the brooder house so they could get some fresh air. They loved it!

And our big hens got a chance to meet the new neighbors!

Spring Bag

2011-04-22T12:52:00.000-07:00

Its a rainy Spring day here. Even though rain doesn't often inspire Spring-like projects it has kept me from my usual outside projects, so sewing seemed to be the right choice to keep me busy. I started working on this bag last week and haven't had a free day to finish it, so thanks to the rain, I have finally completed my Spring Bag!

The best part about this bag is that I got the fabric from the Scrap Exchange. The beautiful flower patterned fabric was $2 for 2 yards! I used another blue fabric from the Scrap Exchange to line the inside. I only had to purchase the hardware. So this bag cost me less than $8 to make! What a bargain!

I can't wait to use it! Happy Easter!

The Shepard watched over her flock...

2011-04-16T10:17:00.000-07:00

Or better stated...the sleeping Shepard

who can't hear very well anymore...

Was the last to know that someone was creeping up on her charges! (To give the poor girl some credit, I am not much of a threat!)

I won a Spacey Stitchy Giveaway!

2011-04-14T09:35:00.000-07:00

I am so excited I could jump to the moon. I just won my very first blog giveaway! Michele over at Michele Made Me hosted this space inspired giveaway last week and I was lucky enough to win an out of this world wallet made by Michele herself.

Along with this spacey stitchy wallet she is also sending me the book "Stitched Collage" by Sherrill Kahn. I am the luckiest gal in the universe!

If you have a chance, space jump over to Michele's blog at http://michelemademe.blogspot.com/ and check out all of the awesome and inspiring projects she creates using recycled and re-purposed materials.

Garden Apron

2011-04-13T10:12:00.000-07:00

Hubby was gone all day yesterday, so in efforts to keep myself busy I took Kyra to the vet, worked in the garden and tended to the animals...then I made this...

I followed this tutorial at Make it Do. I used a canvas type cloth that is typically used for outdoor furniture. It has sturdy pockets for all my garden tools!

I am feeling a little under the weather today, so I don't think I will get much use out of my new apron for a bit, which is a bummer because it is a beautiful day here in Central NC. But I am hoping to get into the garden again later this week and put this baby to work!

Chickenbarrow

2011-04-10T16:58:00.000-07:00

Yep folks...that's what you call a wheelbarrow full of chickens...

The girls were pretty excited about the buffet of garden weeds in the wheelbarrow!

Baby Chicks & Flirty Skirt = Signs of Spring

2011-04-07T14:40:00.000-07:00

Spring is definitely moving in and setting up shop! I keep waiting for one last cold snap (our official last frost date is April 16th) but I think it is safe to say we are into the warming season! There are so many signs of Spring there is no denying it's presence. Hubby and I were just in the yard and saw a swarm of honey bees fly by....AMAZING! They took a quick rest on a tree branch and moved on. This is the first time Hubby or I have seen anything of the sort! Of course we are glad they were not our bees, but it gets us thinking about swarm prevention. So we will be visiting the hive again on Sunday to check the progress of our ladies.

Spring also brings fun and flirty clothes, skirts and dresses! In my last post I showed yall the apron I had made. I love it so much I want to save it for special occasions, so I whipped up another one on Sunday. This one has much darker colors so I figure it wont show stains so I can wear it on an more regular basis! Don't you just love the chickens?

After my second apron, I felt confident enough to try my hand at a real skirt! I say real as in, "I want it to be good enough that you can't tell I made it at home"! What a perfect project for Spring! I had this beautiful fabric and the perfect pattern. On Monday morning I sat down in my sewing room and got to work. It took a few hours to finish, but I was able to get it all done by Monday afternoon. I am so excited! I can't wait to wear it!

The waist is elastic, so completely comfortable!

Big pockets allow plenty of room for my insulin pump (a major downfall to Spring skirts...no pockets for my "gear")

And you know it's Spring when you find these cutie pies in the brooder house!

Just picked these gals up today. Five Buff Orpingtons and 4 Barred Rocks! Baby chicks...*Swoon*

Spring Apron

2011-04-04T07:02:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been wanting to branch out from odd and end sewing projects to making clothes...not the easiest task since I do lack a certain patience required for that kind of sewing. Yet, my desire to make something cute and functional has become stronger and then I happened upon some awesome fabric on sale ($1 per yard) and $0.99 patterns at my local fabric store! Isn't just darling?

I couldn't pass up the opportunity to make this apron. This is the first apron I have made and I am so excited with the turnout! Don't you think this would be perfect for the summer canning season?

Can you see the darling writing on this fabric? "Watermelon, seeds, vegetables...etc)!

I almost hate to even wear it in the kitchen! Are you making anything great for the Spring?

Touring with the Rye Mountain Boys

2011-03-28T11:08:00.000-07:00

This weekend I went on tour with Hubby's bluegrass band, the Rye Mountain Boys. We traveled up to the beautiful state of West Virginia this past Friday. The drive was absolutely gorgeous and made me long for rolling hills and an old farmhouse of my own. The "Boys" played at a quaint little coffee house/restaurant/bar called the Purple Fiddle in Thomas, WV. There was a good crowd and those boys put on a good show.

We rolled out early on Saturday morning, after eating a great breakfast at a cute little eatery called Flying Pigs and headed over to Frostburg, Maryland. Frostburg is a small college town in the mountains. The views were beautiful and the air was cold! Brrrr! We spent the afternoon resting up and hanging out in some of the local establishments.

Saturday night the Rye Mountain Boys played at the Frostburg Palace Theatre. They opened for Junior Sisk and Ramblers Choice. A well known traditonal bluegrass band, and some down right nice guys. The show was amazing. The Rye Mountain Boys won the hearts of the crowd with their traditional bluegrass tunes and waltzes, while Junior Sisk and Ramblers Choice tore it up with some fast paced traditional and original bluegrass music. Of course I am partial and will tell you that the Rye Mountain Boys were the beaus of that bluegrass ball!

We headed out early Sunday morning for the long drive home. Hubby thinks we should buy land in the middle of the WV mountains, he figures he would make a good hillbilly. I guess it's in his blood :-)

One of my friends asked if I was a roadie, a groupie, or a Yoko. My response was this....I carried a fiddle so I guess that makes me a roadie....I went home with the fiddle player so I guess that makes me a groupie....but alas...I am married to that fiddle player so maybe that makes me a Yoko? But no worries Rye Mountain Boys, I wont get in the way!

Wanna hear how great the Rye Mountain Boys sound? Check out the music on their website....http://www.ryemountainboys.com/Music.html ...and stay tuned...videos from this weekend are coming soon!

Our visit to Honey Bee Lane

2011-03-15T16:34:00.000-07:00

This weekend Hubby and I were finally able to get into the bee hive and get those little ladies ready for the Spring nectar flow. This time around we went through every single frame looking for signs of disease and replacing any damaged frames. Our other goal for our morning visit was to check for a healthy queen and evaluate/treat the bees for varroa mites. We are definitely newbies at this bee keeping thing but we are enjoying the learning process. Saturday's visit to "Honeybee Lane" was quite successful. Hubby and I didn't seem to aggravate the little ladies too much and neither of us were stung!

Duct taped shoes is especially important for those pesky ladies that like to crawl up pants legs!

This is me removing the top of the hive....I know....bee suits are not the most flattering attire!

After removing the top of the hive, Hubby removed the medium honey super and the top brood chamber and placed them on a piece of plywood. This allowed us to go through the bottom brood chamber first.

Just look at that proper lifting technique! That brood chamber was heavy!

This is the bottom brood chamber. You can see the top super, and brood chamber there in the left of the picture. Here Hubby is cleaning up the top of the frames, removing extra comb.

This is me removing a frame from the bottom brood chamber for inspection.

Lots of healthy ladies!

Up close, you can see the pollen attached to some of the bee's legs!

This frame had some damaged foundation so it was replaced...

You can see the new frame among the older ones, the ladies will be happy about that! New foundation always get's the bees excited and busy building new comb!

After we inspected all of the frames in the bottom brood chamber we dusted the entire chamber with a cup of powdered sugar. This is a non-chemical method of measuring and controlling varroa mites on the bees. The theory is that if you dust the bees with the sugar, not only do the mites fall off, but the bees also groom each other to get the sugar, in turn helping clean off more mites.

After dusting the bees, we placed a grid under the hive to measure the number of mites.

Next we went through all of the frames in the top brood chamber. As we inspected the frames we placed them into a chamber box. This rotation of boxes helps to preserve the boxes and makes them easier to clean each year.

Lots of bees in this hive body. This is where we found evidence of the queen, newly laid eggs, and lots of uniform, healthy looking brood. There were also a few frames of honey.

After inspecting these frames and placing them in the new box, we dusted this box with sugar as well. Then we went through the honey super to evaluate the food storage. Looks like our bees still have at least 20lb or more of honey stored in their hive!

Here is a frame from the honey super, this one is almost completely full of honey! This tells us our bees should have enough food to get through the remainder of the winter and early Spring, which is essential this time of year. Many bees die of starvation in the late winter. We will continue to evaluate their food storage and feed them if they begin to run low on food before the nectar flow.

By far this was the most exciting experience with our bees. They were calm and our intrusions seem to have caused minimal upset in their hive. I have a few videos as well that I hope to post soon. In the next month we will add new honey supers for our own honey collection!

Honey Collecting Princess Nymph

2011-03-11T10:04:00.000-08:00

I just learned an interesting factoid about my name. I have always known that my name "Melissa" means "honey or bee" but I guess I had not thought about the connection lately. My parent's would have never guessed that the sweet honeybee of a baby (that was me in case you were wondering) they named Melissa would have lived up to her name!

I was reading about what my name meant for no reason in particular, I was just bored and I came across the following story about the origin of my name..

Melissa was a Cretan princess who discovered honey and taught the uses for honey. Some stories say she then turned into a bee herself. She was often referred to in Greek Mythology as a nymph. She was a nurse to Zeus but instead of feeding the babe milk, she fed him honey. It has also been said that the bees brought the honey straight to the babe's mouth.

It is believed that because of this that all of the nymphs who cared for Zeus as a babe were referred to as Melissai. It is also believed that this is the origin of the honeybee scientific name....Mellifera.

So considering that tomorrow I will be up to my bonnet in honeybees while Hubby and I work the hive and later this summer I suspect I will be up to my elbows in honey, I would have to say that my parents picked the perfect name!

Anyone need a honey collecting princess nymph? I know where you can find one!

Garden Limbo

2011-03-10T08:11:00.000-08:00

I've been a horrible blogger lately. I know you have all been holding your breath in anticipation for my next post......right?.....

Alas, I have not fallen off the face of the planet...I've been a horrible blogger lately. I know you have all been holding your breath in anticipation for my next post......right?.....I have just been a little bored and I wanted to spare you the pain of reading about my boring life at the moment. We are in that downtime of late winter/early spring around here. Late enough in winter to start thinking about the Spring but not warm enough to start really planting and preparing for the Spring growing season any more than we already have. There is a little work to do (late winter garden, preparing the soil, etc) but not enough to keep me busy! So I continue to float along in garden limbo for a few more weeks!

In other exciting news, I am working on my 3rd growth chart. This is my first one for a little boy and I am so excited to get it completed. I think it will be just darling and boyish all at the same time.

This weekend hubby and I are getting into the bee hive and doing our Spring maintenance in preparation for the nectar flow. I am hoping to get some pictures and video of the process . So keep your eyes peeled for that next week!

In the meantime, here is a picture of one of my crazy chickens drinking out of the dog's water bucket and generally making themselves at home, anywhere they please!

Can you guess...

2011-03-01T10:01:00.000-08:00

...what this is going to be?

How about this?

Here's another hint...

And another...

Still need another hint? I've been busy as a BEE putting these together....

You guessed it! It's our new honey supers and frames/foundations for our bee hive!

You guys are so smart!

The nectar flow is coming soon, so we are preparing to add extra honey supers to our hive. The bees made it through the winter and are going strong and loving these warm days! Our existing hive is blue and I painted the honey supers yellow to add some pizazz to our hive! (But, clumsy me, I dropped my camera before I could get a picture of the finished boxes...RIP my poor little camera!) This year we hope to collect honey from our bees so stay tuned for this will be a bzzzzy summer!

Can you lend me a...wing?

2011-02-19T17:25:00.000-08:00

When Hubby said he needed help putting the siding on the shed, I am not sure this is what he had in mind...

The Old Homeplace

2011-02-17T08:35:00.000-08:00

When I was a child I always looked forward to visiting my grandparents at the homeplace. The homeplace was a once, working farm in Nash County, where my dad and his siblings spent their childhood.

When I was young, my grandparents no longer worked the land, but the farm still produced crops mostly maintained by other family members. The homeplace was littered with memories of a working farm, buildings and barns and old farm equipment, but the barns no longer echoed the sounds of livestock.

I have vivid memories of playing in hay lofts and exploring the many corners of the delapitated buildings. My imagination would take me back to a time when those old barns were filled with animals of the cute and cuddly kind. As a young girl who's image of a perfect world involved horses of every breed, I especially enjoyed stories of my dad's good old black stallion, Black Beauty.

I would listen in awe as my dad told me how this horse was just like the one in the book, wild and crazy and all his. I remember wishing I had my own Black Beauty. Alas, I was left to my imagination, standing in the old barn, peering into the stall once housing a magnificant animal. Running my fingers over the wood and dreaming of what it was like to brush the long mane of an animal I only knew from my father's stories.

The barn held memories that were not my own but those of generations of farmers. As a young girl I dreamed of furry animals and fresh hay, horses and cute little pigs. How different would I imagine that barn now?

Although I no longer think much about horses, I do imagine a barn filled with animals. Working animals. Mooing, oinking food. Animals who serve the same purpose as those who lived in that barn long ago. No longer does my imagination take me to the barn of my childhood, it takes me to the place I want to build my life and provide for my family. A place of hard work and satisfaction.

Imagining myself standing now in my grandparent's old barn, the scene is quite different than what I dreamed of long ago. An old and crumbling barn, years of dust settled into the cracks, still breathing with the wind. Memories of hard work and sweat are etched into the wood.

The stall, once holding that magnificent horse would still be there, but would no longer remind me of the horse I always wanted. It would be a reminder of a time when farming was a necessity and hard work was commonplace.

A time when sustainability was a way of life. A place where rewards were in the form of satisfaction in a hard day's work. Where the simple joys in life where all that mattered. A place where after a long day's work, a young image of my father would trod into the barn and jump on the back of his wild and crazy horse and take off down the long dirt road.

Love and all that jazz...

2011-02-14T10:46:00.000-08:00

Hey Folks! Happy Valentine's Day! I hope your day is filled with lots of love! Hubby and I keep Valentines Day pretty low key around here. All we expect from each other is a nice quiet evening at home to hang out and enjoy a home cooked meal. I am baking a Chocolate Stout Cake (yumm!). For the remainder of the day I plan on sitting on the back porch, finishing some cross-stitch and reading a book. The weather is beautiful and I want to soak it in! Not to mention spending time with the other loves of my life!

Hope you have a beautiful day filled with hugs and kisses...even if they are of the slobbery, furry kind!

Surrounded by memories and sewing machines

2011-02-07T14:24:00.000-08:00

I have to admit that lately I have been a little obsessed with sewing machines. Many years ago my Grandma Edith gave my mother her Kenmore 158.1913 sewing machine. Or maybe the machine was given to me, I don't really recall. Regardless, the machine is now mine and has a permanent place in my craft room and in my heart. I would sooner chop off a limb than part with that machine.

Now mind you, I do not sew clothing or much of anything really, but I enjoy learning new things and learning about this machine has been lots of fun. I retrieved it from my parent's house last year when I decided to make some curtains for my kitchen. When I was hand-making gifts this Christmas, that was the first time in a while this Kenmore had graced the dining room table. Actually this machine is even what fueled the process of getting a proper craft room. This machine has managed to grab ahold of my heart and refused to let go.

I love this machine for more reasons than one. But first, I have found from further research into the world of vintage Kenmore sewing machines, that I am quite lucky to have it in my possession. New sewing machines aren't made with the same quality that Kenmore used when making this machine. It's sturdy and strong and runs like a champ, even 35 years later. Learning more and more about this machine everyday, I find myself purusing craigslist and ebay looking for parts and attachments and even machines of the same series. Even last week I picked up my mom's old Kenmore 158.1345, a younger machine but just as awesome.

Awesomeness aside, let me tell you why I like my grandmother's old Kenmore more than anything. My Grandma Edith was one of the most amazing women I have ever known. She was strong and independent, kind, funny, and wise. She was everything I wanted to be in a person and she had more love to share than anyone I have ever known. When she passed away years ago, it was the first of the biggest heartache our family would endure, the second being the loss of my grandfather, her husband.

I have many memories of Grandma Edith and a few small mementos of our times together. I don't usually hold a lot of attachment to physical things that belonged to my beloved family members, but this sewing machine, this is different. When I pull out this machine I touch the same knobs and work the same needles as Grandma once worked. I even have a box of her old threads and when I pick up that thread, I feel her. I feel her love and her memory.

When I work with this machine, I imagine her sitting in front of it, stitching a blouse or hemming a skirt. I see her embroidering gifts and mending holes. I can imagine her in more vivid detail than I ever have. Her memory is alive in this machine. I have come to realize, my Kenmore is more than a sewing machine, it's a living breathing memory of an amazing woman and that is priceless. Do you have something that brings back memories of someone you loved?

Not for Vegetarians

2011-01-31T17:09:00.000-08:00

Hubby and I are avid meat eaters, but we like to be conscious of where our meat comes from and are always looking for fresh and local sources of meat. Some folks don't eat meat for various reasons and we respect those opinions. Of course, we feel that animals raised for meat who have been well taken care of are the best sources and we look forward to the day we can raise our own meat.

We are both agriculture geeks at heart, so when we heard that Hubby's uncle was slaughtering a few pigs on the same weekend we were visiting, Hubby was excited to see the process! We made the trek to GA to visit Hubby's grandparents this past weekend and Hubby and Pop decided to hop in over to Uncle D's to watch them slaughter their pigs they had raised. I stayed at home with Nanny but asked hubby to get some good pictures of the process. I have never seen a pig slaughtered and was actually anxious to see the event!

Pop and Hubby got to the farm right about the time they were finishing up one pig and starting on the next. Aunt J was cooking up sausage as it was coming off the pig and canning it for later use. Hubby was lucky enough to try a piece of this fresh sausage from a pig that had been walking around not more that 3 hours before. Hubby says, "It doesn't get much fresher than that, unless you take a bite out of the pig's butt while it's walking around."

Warning...pictures not for the faint of heart or those who do not want to see the process.

Removing the hair

The "in-ards" Aunt J is using the liver for liver mush

Ribs

Sausage making

Watch them grow!

2011-01-23T13:15:00.000-08:00

My sister-in-law's sister (that's a mouthful!) and her hubby are due to have their first baby sometime in the next two weeks. I decided a while ago I wanted to make handmade gift for the baby, but since I have no knitting or crocheting skills, I was at a bit of a loss as to what a new little babe might need.

That's when the grand idea of making a wall hanging or art for the nursery came to me! The only obstacle was how the heck would I be able to make anything that resembled art? Realizing this was not a likely possibility, I begin to think of things I could make out of cloth. Finally, I settled on making a growth chart for the nursery!

Aren't yall just dying to see what it looks like! Well...just hold your horses cause here it is!

(Disclaimer: I apologize for the crummy pictures, the low light conditions paired with a not-so awesome camera and a mediocre photographer yields not-so-good results!)

This is made out of cotton canvas fabric. I hand-stitched the name using a stem-stitch (again, the crummy light means seeing the name in the picture is not so easy...I promise it looks better in person!). The numbers are made of fabric and heat-bonded to the canvas.

Along the side of the chart, I hand stitched inch-markers using embroidery thread.

I made each of the flowers out of material and sewed them on the the canvas. The cute little bees were an awesome find at the Scrap Exchange. They are pewter and I added the black beads for little heads. Then I hand-stitched their "flight-patterns".

The chart is hung using a dowel rod and some pretty purple ribbon.

To mark the height on the growth chart, the parents will either use tags pinned on to the canvas, or write the date/height/age with a permanent fabric pen.

Much inspiration and excitement over how Baby Bella's gift turned out, I just couldn't stop there! So prompted by a commitment to make homemade gifts for 5 of my friends, I decided to make a growth chart for another good friend.

Her little girl just turned one at the end of last year. So I set out to make another growth chart using a similar pattern but a different theme. Here is what I made for little Riley!

I used the same fabric for this one, cotton canvas.

I stitched the name again, using a stem-stitch. This time I filled in the entire name, which took a lot longer than expected, but well worth it!

The clouds are cut from fabric and heat-bonded to the canvas.

I made each of the birds from fabric and stuffed them with cotton batting so they are slightly plush and 3-dimensional.

The owls are by far my favorite. I made these the same way as I did the birds with the exception of heat-bonding fabric to make their "masks".

Each of the branches as well as the numbers are hand-stitched. I also hand-stitched the inch-markers along the side of the chart.

I am so excited about the outcome of this chart as well. I have to say that I have surprised myself with both of these projects. I do not claim to have any noteable crafting skills but I am happy with what I would call a successful accident!

I would have to say that the very best part of working on these growth charts was the constant reminder of the wonderful folks who would be receiving these gifts. And that my friends makes it all worth while.

Caught in the Act

2011-01-21T12:36:00.000-08:00

You may remember when I posted this picture a while back...

Look closely, that's the back end of our German Shepard Kyra, hunting for eggs in the main chicken house. How she manages to get her old body in that little hole is beyond me. She knows good and well she is not allowed in there, and she will only attempt this when she is very sure you are not looking. (No kidding, I have actually watched her from the house and she looks both ways and up towards the house before sneaking into the chicken pen!)

Since then, we have takin' to keeping the pen door closed with just enough space for the chickens, so Kyra is no longer able to get into the chicken house.

Well, this is what I caught with my camera yesterday...

This is our "chicken tractor", essentially our retirement home for our two older hens. And yes, that is Kyra, inside the tractor. Again I am amazed, she is a nimble old girl!

You can see Bandit out in front. Our older hens don't really lay anymore, so I am sure there are very few times where there are eggs in that house, but Krya likes to check it out anyway.

And this is when she realized I was watching her (she can't hear worth a flip anymore, so she didn't hear me walk up).

" What mom? I was not in the chicken tractor, I swear!"

When sharing a bath, expect no privacy!

2011-01-19T11:01:00.000-08:00

For those of you who may not know, chickens love to take "dust baths". It is an essential part of their well being, helping to keep their skin healthy and bug-free. Not so good for your flower beds though!

Our gals like to take their "baths" along the side of the garage in the blueberry bed. That spot is warm year round since it gets lots of sun and the soil is nice and loose. Today is a really nice winter day in our neck of the woods (about 50 degrees and sunny), so the gals are taking advantage of the nice day to take a little bath....

Chicken's have no modesty...those girls were taking a bath...right out in the open...for God and everyone to see! And apparently the Americana gal is quite the "tub-hogger". Sharing the space with her greedy friend seems to be getting this Buff gal in a huff!

Not only that...now everyone else wants to see what going on in the bathroom. The poor girls even get stepped on at one point by another Buff! I tell you...lesson learned...if you are going to share a bath, expect no privacy!

Not to mention that moments later, this entire bath-time shin-dig was rudely interrupted by a curious and slightly jealous pup!

On another note, Hubby asked me yesterday what was tearing up all the grass in the yard....

I have no idea ;-)

Why needlework is a perfect hobby for a diabetic...

2011-01-13T10:31:00.000-08:00

So I have been teaching myself to cross-stitch...well I should really say "re-teaching". My mom used to cross-stitch and she taught me some things when I was little. However, since it has probably been 25 years since I learned those tips, I have had to re-teach myself. The lessons are going along swimmingly. I am using a few books and referencing a few very helpful stitching websites and I have to say I have been quite pleased with some of my work.

I find the hardest thing to get used to is finding that groove where I can move the needle effortlessly through the fabric. I am still in the stage of constantly undoing knots and untangling thread, taking out stitches and generally just mucking up most of my projects.

There is one thing I have found less of a nuisance than most folks who sew or stitch by hand. I was in the fabric store the other day and was considering buying a thimble, you know to protect my fingers while I worked the needle. Ironic, huh? Why is this ironic you ask? Well, I realized (like I could ever forget), I prick my finger 10 times a day....ON PURPOSE....to check my bloodsugar. My fingertips are callused and tough and generally don't feel much pain anymore.

That's when I knew that needlework was the perfect hobby for a diabetic. I laugh in the face of needle pricks. No thimble needed here, do your worst cross-stitch needle, do your worst!

Lost in fabric and thread

2011-01-11T07:57:00.000-08:00

Good morning all! I know you all have been so worried about my whereabouts these last few weeks. I promise I have not fallen off the face of the Earth. I am still here, procrastinating my way through the new year. It's always hard for me to get back into the swing of things after the holidays, including blogging. The wintry weather we have had around her doesn't help either....makes me want to stay inside all day and not venture out into the cold world!

I have however, been practically living in my new craft room...emerging for short periods of time to eat and sleep and take care of my other chores. But most days you will find me hidden away among piles of fabric and thread. My new craft room has been somewhat of a blessing and I am happy to have a new place to work on my hobbies (some hobbies I didn't even know I had!)

Currently I am working on some exciting projects. I want to share so bad, but a few of these things are gifts for folks who read my blog. So until these secret projects are unveiled to the recipients, I can't show you! Stay tuned though! In the meantime, here are some pictures of my new craft room. I plan to do a little more decorating (curtains and such). It's nothing fancy but I love the space.

This is my new workstation. Hubby just hung my "inspiration board" yesterday so I have yet to add too much to it! That's my grandmother's sewing machine, a Kenmore 158-1913. It's about 30 years old and runs like a champ.

My craft storage...fabric, beads, notions, and paint!

My reading corner, sans chair...hopefully coming soon!

Humphrey, the chinchilla is not sure what to think of sharing his room with me. Here you will notice him giving me the stink-eye for bugging him. Up until I remodeled this room, he had it all to himself...now he has to deal with my noise and disturbances. (He is active mostly in the evenings and very shy, so often my crafting wakes him up from his mid-day naps.)

But he is warming up to the idea of sharing his room...

Often waking up from his naps to check out what I am doing...

And demanding I give him a treat for being so accommodating regarding this new arrangement!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-03T08:37:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! We were lucky enough this year to ring in the New Year with my brother and sister at their annual New Year's Eve Party. Good times were had by all! My brother and I have always been close and I am so grateful for that....even more grateful that he married an amazing woman who I like to consider the sister I never had! Anyway, enough of the mushy stuff...the point is we had a great time and I am so glad I got to spend the first hours of the new year with family and great friends.

I have really enjoyed reading the New Year's Resolutions of fellow bloggers and friends. Unfortunately, I have never been very good at resolutions. I don't like to make resolutions for things that I really need to get done (i.e. lose the extra weight I gained since my back injury last summer) because the pressure of a resolution often makes me doubt my ability and get frustrated with myself. I like to look at things I have to get done as a necessity, no choice in the matter, it's easier that way for me. However, there are new things I would like to learn and some things I would like to do.

I have not always been very crafty. Lately, I have been perusing a lot of crafty bloggers' sites and I have craft envy! I would like to learn a little more about some crafts, maybe pick up a few and try and perfect them. I am working on cross-stitch now and have been learning some new sewing techniques. Winter is often a slow time for me, so I figure crafts may keep my mind busy.

I would also like to spend more time with friends. I would like to get back into yoga in the evenings to relax and read a little more.

I want to maintain control over my diabetes and continue to stay as healthy as possible. I want to stop worrying so much about insurance and money. I want to quite my diabetic mind at least an hour a day (that's the part of my mind that never stops worrying and thinking about my diabetes).

I want this year to be a great year full of great things. I want new traditions and exciting adventures.

What grand adventures are you pursuing in 2011?

That sure is crafty!

2010-12-30T14:51:00.000-08:00

Since all of my loved ones have received their gifts for this holiday season, I have decided to post a few pictures of some of the things I did. Me being horrible about taking pictures, I failed to get pictures of all of the baskets I put together. Oh well, I guess you will have to use your imagination!

Hubby and I were doing mostly homemade gifts this year. Most of our friends and family received canned jams and pickles, homemade bread, and homegrown crushed hot pepper. I also tried my hand at some homemade ornaments and other crafty things.

Here are a few of the wine cozies I made....I got the pattern from here

And some of the coffee cozies I made....I got the pattern from Erin over at House on Hill Road

And I also made some adorable bird ornaments, but forgot to take a picture before I gave them away :-) You can check out the pattern and tutorial over at The Purl Bee

All of these homemade gifts inspired me to redo our office to make it more functional for crafting and general use. Plus, Hubby got awfully tired of seeing my sewing mess strewn around the dining room table! So I spent the last two days painting our office and the last week or so, gathering various pieces of furniture. I am so excited about my new craft room/functional office! It is not complete yet, so I will post pictures when I am done. In the meantime, I have to say I am very happy with the outcome of our homemade gifts and I look forward to coming up with some new ideas in the near future! What better way to spend the cold winter days! What kinds of crafty stuff did you do for the holiday's?

White Christmas

2010-12-27T08:38:00.000-08:00

We just returned home from a Christmas weekend with Hubby's family in Western NC. We love it up there, and had a wonderful time visiting with his brother and his folks.

It seems though that lately when we visit in the Winter it snows like crazy. We had a beautiful white Christmas! The kind of White Christmas I always wished for as a kid...the kind where we went to bed on Christmas Eve to no snow and not a cloud in the sky and woke up Christmas morning to snow falling. Snow that didn't stop falling ALL DAY LONG! All in all by Christmas night there was a little over a foot of snow on the ground!

We headed home on Sunday as snow blanketed the entire state! Up here in our neck of the woods we only got about 5 inches of snow, a lot for this area but nothing compared to what we had left on Sunday morning. So we are back home, enjoying the snow. Hubby has the week off and we are looking forward to relaxing at home, cozy as a bee in a hive...

Very Merry Christmas

2010-12-23T08:03:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

I hope your holidays are filled peace and love!

Wonderful, Wintry, Weekend

2010-12-19T11:19:00.000-08:00

I have been buried in Christmas preparations. Today I have spent my whole morning and expect the remainder of the afternoon doing secret Christmas presents :-)

Although Christmas is sneaking up quickly and I have been swamped I took a much need and break earlier this weekend to hang out with my beloved nephews! My brother and sister needed time to do some last minute Santa's helper errands and Hubby and I offered to keep the kids. We had the boys Friday, Friday night and most of the day Saturday. We had a blast but...let's just say I have a great appreciation for my sister. An appreciation that was there before this weekend, but has tripled....no quadrupled after our few days together.

Now, don't misinterpret my comment, my nephews are amazing, polite, and well behaved. They were nothing short of great this weekend. But two boys under the age 9 and 5 take a lot of energy and a lot of ingenious methods of keeping them busy (and out of trouble)! Not to mention someone should follow them around with a dustbuster! But so is having the boys around and I wouldn't trade it for the world!

Hubby and I did have a blast and we cherish every minute we can spend with them. They offer a new perspective and they are too funny for words. (I think I recall my brother saying that his kids must be really funny when you don't have to spend every day with them....and yes bro, yes they are hilarious!) I have to laugh at how Lil'D (the 5 year old) snuggled up to my hubby on the couch while we watched a movie Friday night, my hubby who, bless his heart, doesn't generally do well with hugs and snuggling.

The boys and I spent some time at the Scrap Exchange on Friday afternoon. A great place to get re-purposed materials for crafts. Then we made these really cool Christmas Ornaments with some clear glass ornaments and re-purposed crayons. A great cold day activity. All in all, we had a great weekend and even had more snow on Saturday afternoon!

So there is my quick update. I hope to post lots of pictures of all the things I have been working on (after Christmas....I would hate to ruin any surprises!) I hope you had a wonderful weekend too! (I bet your weekend wasn't as good as my brother and sister's was :-)

This is where I have been....

2010-12-12T10:18:00.000-08:00

With Christmas just around the corner I have been super busy with lots of Christmas activities...

We are not really decorating the house this year but I have been getting into the Christmas Spirit by doing some of this....

and some of this....

and other crafty things like this....

Handmade gift tags! I can't take the credit for this great idea...check out the tutorial at Inchmark

And to keep my sanity a lot of this....

What are you doing to get ready for the holidays?

December is here!

2010-12-04T11:59:00.000-08:00

Boy, December sure did sneak up! As I type this it is snowing heavily outside. Yeah, snowing in December in NC! Hubby just finished cleaning all of the leaves off the yard today. What happened to Fall? It is quite rare for us down here in the South to get snow in December! It is nice and wintry.

I am snuggled up inside drinking a homemade latte and getting ready to do some crafty things! Hoping to post pictures later, but some of the things I am working on are gifts! Hope you are all staying warm today!

Is there an app for that?

2010-11-29T08:32:00.000-08:00

Current Bloodsugar: 135

So, I have been getting behind on my posts for 30 days of Diabetes. Diabetes has been kicking my butt lately. Lots of highs and lows and sleepless nights. Hooray for the holidays. So, I am going to wrap up the last two questions I have missed into one post!

Sometimes having diabetes means you have to carry a lot of supplies or organize different types of medications. Pockets, purses, glove compartments, hands – what do you use to be sure you’re prepared?
Aside from constantly having this pump attached and always having a meter handy I do have to carry lots of stuff around with me, wherever I go. I was never a purse kinda girl, but now I have to have one to carry all of my "paraphernalia" around. I have a bag with extra needles, test strips, lancet devices, batteries for my pump, pump tubing and insertion devices for my pump site. I carry candy and snacks and medical ID cards. I am like a bag lady of medical supplies. But these things give me a piece of mind so I know that no matter where I am I am never far away from a fix.

What’s the best diabetes gadget, phone app, book, or other tool you have?
Hands down, my most trusty diabetes gadgets are my pump and my blood glucose meter. I could not live without my pump, I never want to go back to daily injections. My blood glucose meter is often my sense of security and the bane of my existence all at the same time.

I have read several books about diabetes, and although they tend to be helpful, diabetes is an individual disease. We all have the same general challenges but how we deal with those challenges may differ from person to person.

I am not a techie type person, I have a simple phone and generally don't get into all of the new technology. I know how to use a computer and I could definitely get sucked into using a phone to run my life. I know there are apps for carb counting and keeping track of your medications, health, and exercise. But what I would really like is a cure so I don't have to do all of those things....Do you think there is an app for that?

My Family Shares

2010-11-27T10:01:00.000-08:00

Current Blood sugar: 89

For yesterday's prompt for 30 days of Diabetes, I was asked to have a family member guest post on my blog. The purpose of this guest post was to have a family member share how they felt about my diabetes and how it affected them. I am honored to have my parents guest post today. Here is what they have to say...

We've always heard about diabetes but never quite fully understood, until now. When our daughter Melissa was diagnosed with Type I just three and a half years ago, it caught the entire family by surprise and struck fear in our hearts for her well-being. We realized from the beginning we had no real understanding of diabetes and the life-changing impact of this disease on her and on us. However, as she has grown more confident in managing her diabetes, we have gained a greater understanding and realized that although it is a life-changing disease, it does not define who you are...if you do not allow it to do so. That's the goal Melissa has set for her life and she is doing a wonderful job of making it a reality.

We are so thankful for the strength and courage she has demonstrated in managing her life with diabetes. Her determination to maintain her health and to reach her life's goals is a comfort and inspiration to us and all who know her. She has helped us, as her parents, to put aside much of the worry about her future with diabetes because of her discipline and dedication to managing her health. Her example has also helped those in her family to pay greater attention to a more healthy life style.

Although she has helped us feel more relaxed, we still worry. We continuously strive to balance the desire to be overly protective while allowing her much deserved independence to manage her health, especially in times of family meals. We try to strike a balance between accommodating her needs while not making diabetes a visible point of menu preparation. We're sure we sometimes fall short on the independence side; after all, we're still her parents.

Our hope for Melissa is that research will one day soon free her and others from the constraints of diabetes. In the meantime, we are so grateful for her dedication to managing this disease and for the loving support she receives from her husband in the daily struggles only obvious to those closest to her. We are so proud of who she is, her commitment to helping others with diabetes and the example she provides in addressing this life-changing disease.

Friends and Heavy Artillery

2010-11-26T17:16:00.000-08:00

Current Bloodsugar: 62...so I may have overbolused for dinner...but I guess that means I get to eat a cookie!

Today's prompt: Today is Family and Friends Friday, but since I forgot to get my act together to do the actual prompt (which consists of having a family member guest post on the blog), I will have to do that post on another day!

So instead, I will share with you some fun pictures from Ammofest today! A day spent shooting targets with good friends and no crazy bloodsugars was a good enough day for me!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T07:24:00.000-08:00

On this day I am thankful for many things. I hope you and yours have a great Thanksgiving. In keeping with the 30 days of Diabetes posts, I will be sure to update later with yummy pictures and fun stories from today's festivities. Until then, have a wonderful day of family, friends, and feasting!

Current Bloodsugar: 116...do not be deceived, this number is good now...but this is after 83, pre-thanksgiving lunch and 285 post Thanksgiving lunch...7 1/2 hours later back in range!

We had a great time today with family! The food was amazing and quite carb-filled as these meals tend to be.

I am not sure how many carbs total I ate...a round about guess was all I had to work from. I gave myself a ton of insulin pre-meal, increased my basal rates for the day, and did an extended bolus (little amounts of insulin over a few hours) post meal. This did not completely prevent the highs I was expecting today, but prevented them from being high into the evening hours. I would say as diabetes goes, today was relatively successful and much as I expected.

Not all of my family members were at our gathering today. We have a very large extended family who often make it for every holiday gathering. This seemed to be the year we are all a little scattered. But it was great to see those who could make it and catch up. There was lots of laughter (mostly at the expense of my brother and his turkey frying skills!) and lots of stories shared.

I am so Thankful for my health today and the inventions that have allowed me to share in this time with my family (insulin and insulin pump). I hope your day was filled with love and yummy treats! Time to heat up some left-overs and pop a squat on the couch for the evening!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-11-24T12:51:00.000-08:00

Current Bloodsugar: 126

Today's Prompt: “Wordless Wednesday” – Share a picture or video on your blog! (need ideas for subject matter? How are you getting ready for the Thanksgiving festivities? Baking in advance? Adding some extra exercise to your schedule? Cleaning to prepare for company? Show us!)

Sugar-free chocolate chip cookies (made with xylitol)

Whole grain Peanut Butter Chews

Sugar-free Snickerdoodles

Jordan Rolls, dough rising

Second Rise, Jordan Rolls

Finished Jordan rolls...yummm!

Holiday Tips

2010-11-23T11:03:00.000-08:00

Current Bloodsugar: 119

Today's Prompt: Holiday Travel – The pilgrims traveled for 66 days to make it to the “new world.” Do you travel for Thanksgiving or other holidays? What tricks or tips do you use to navigate airport crowds, traffic-filled highways and blood glucose fluctuations?

We don't really travel a lot for the holidays. My folks are close by and hubby's are within driving distance. It's nice to be able to see family without having to fly across the country or the world. To navigate this crazy time of year I definitely have some tricks up my sleeve, not just for diabetics...

1) If going out of town for every week, pack enough insulin, diabetes supplies, and snacks for 2 weeks. This is so important if your plane/car/walking stick leads you to a deserted island with absolutely no medical care or pharmacy...ok so this may be a little extreme...I do however pack enough supplies to last me a few more days than I need.

2) Bake, cook, bring with you things that you know you can eat! This is so important, not only cause you might not like Great Aunt Gertrude's congealed salad, but also because when every one else is noshing on holiday goodies you may want something you can eat too!

3) Leave your worries, concerns, and overall stress at home. The holidays should be filled with joy and happiness and family fun. Don't let the stress of traveling and other people's insanity get in the way of your good time.

4) Tell people what you want and need (food, space, that crazy expensive television). This is key to surviving the holidays when tons of people are convening in one tiny house.

5) Have a good pet-sitter/farm watcher. When you have as many animals as we do you have to have a reliable person who can come by and check on all the critters. It will ease your mind to know everyone is ok!

6) Remember that the stress and excitement of waiting in line to see Santa can make your bloodsugars a little wacky. So don't get discouraged when your numbers go a little haywire. Take them as they are and do what you need to fix them, then go on up there, pop a squat on Santa's lap and break out that long list.

7) Take a deep breath, remember that folks love you and keep your head on straight, January is just around the corner!

Now...If I could only take my own advice!

Mouthwatering Monday

2010-11-22T12:29:00.000-08:00

Current bloodsugar: 189...ughhh

Today's Prompt: “Mouthwatering Monday” – What’s your favorite Thanksgiving Day recipe? Share it here (don’t worry, we won’t tell Great Aunt Doris you’re sharing her secret!)

Since my last post was probably quite depressing to you readers...I am happy to see a recipe prompt!

I really like Thanksgiving food...I mean c'mon...who doesn't? Our whole family gets together and everyone brings a few dishes, pot-luck style. Its a wonderful plethora of food. Of course I never really know what to expect so I always bring a few things that I know I can handle.

I don't suppose there is any one food that I like more than any other, it's all pretty danged good if you ask me! But here are my two favorite things we make....

Hubby's famous mac-n-cheese

Now, this recipe is one of those...throw together till it looks right, so no measurements really. This can make one 9x13 pan or if you use less cheese and less noodles, 8inch square or round casserole dish

1 box of macaroni noodles
1-2 blocks of Cracker Barrel White Chedder
1-2 blocks of Cracker Barrel Sharp Chedder
Milk
Butter
Salt to taste
Hot pepper to taste

Boil the macaroni (we boil 1/2 to the whole box and then just determine how much we need in ratio to the amount of cheese sauce). Preheat oven to 350 or 400. Pour drained noodles into a 9x13 pan (or smaller if making a small batch). Melt the cheese in a saucepan over medium heat, add milk until desired consistency, add a few tablespoons of butter and salt and hot pepper to taste. When cheese is melted and creamy, pour over noodles, place in oven and bake until bubbly and crispy on top. You can even add a layer of Parmesan cheese or bread crumbs if you like.

Sugar Free Chocolate and Peanut Butter Fudge

3 cups granulated xylitol (or other granulated sugar replacement)
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1-2 tablespoons of all-natural peanut butter

In a heavy 4-quart saucepan over medium heat combine sugar, cocoa, milk, and salt. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to boil, without stirring, until mixture reaches 235° on a candy thermometer; remove from heat and place it on a dish towel or cake rack to cool down. Add the margarine, peanut butter and vanilla, but don’t stir. Let it cool until the bottom of the pan is barely warm to the touch, or about 110°.

Beat well with a large wooden spoon until mixture begins to thicken, Very quickly it will start to lose its glossy, shiny appearance on top. Pour into a mold, container, or pie plate. Let cool completely and cut into squares.

Do you have any favorite Thanksgiving foods?

Thanks Diabetes

2010-11-21T06:10:00.000-08:00

Current Bloodsugar: 116...this was after battling highs all afternoon and evening yesterday, only to wake up to a 41..yes 41...at 3am...so I am happy to have a 116 this morning.

Today's Prompt: Being Thankful – It’s almost Thanksgiving. What are you thankful for? Has diabetes helped you realize your appreciation for anything?

Dear Diabetes,

There are very few things you have done for me that are worthy of thanks. Sure there is the fact I know more about how my body works and responds to food, that's kinda nice. Oh yea,h and there is the whole, "reason to exercise on a daily basis" thing. You have given me a new outlook and appreciation of life and health. Of course I can't forget the times that you have behaved and allowed me to be "normal". But I have way more than that for which to thank you.

Thank you...thank you for ruining yet another wonderful evening with friends. Thank you for being so out of control yesterday that hubby and I had to leave a gathering early. Thank you for reminding me that it is too much for me to ask, to have two consecutive nights of fun with friends and music and no d-related issues. I forgot my place and should have remembered that I am only allotted one fun evening at a time without diabetes turmoil. I promise it wont happen again. Thank you, diabetes for reminding me that just when I think everything is under control, you kick my legs out from underneath and wrench me away from my life. Thank you for knocking me down a few pegs, I am sure I needed. Thank you, diabetes for not only bringing me down but bringing my hubby with me. Thank you diabetes for reminding me that I can never forget about you for one tiny second. I am tired of you interfering with my life.

I think it is time we ended this relationship. I think it is far time for us to break up. Even though no matter what I do, you will keep calling and showing up at my doorstep...begging for attention. I guess I have to give it another shot (no pun intended). Thank you, I can't imagine the amount of fun I would have without you.

Sincerely,
Melissa

P.S. Oh yeah, one little thing....I HATE YOU!

No Short Cuts

2010-11-20T09:28:00.000-08:00

Current Blood sugar: 97

Today's prompt: Short Cuts – Are there any diabetes short cuts you have learned over the years?

I take short cuts to the mall. I take short cuts sometimes when I am cleaning, cooking, and doing general housework...hehehe...don't tell my hubby! I take the short cut to my friend's farm when we go walking,. I will generally take any short cut I can find in any aspect of life, assuming that short cut doesn't end badly...think..."I can take this back road and get us there 10 minutes faster" only to end up getting lost and adding 10 minutes to the original drive time. This may or may not have happened to someone's hubby last night :-)

But, diabetes short cuts? I don't take any short cuts when it comes to my health. I cant honestly even think of any thing that you could short cut in diabetes, much less something that wouldn't have negative consequences. It's as simple as that....short cuts in diabetes don't exist in my everyday life. There is no reducing the time required to maintain my health. Maybe I am missing something? What kinds of short-cuts do you take?

Survival

2010-11-19T05:48:00.000-08:00

Current Bloodsugar: 147 this is fasting in the morning, after battling highs all night. I hate waking up to this number, it will throw off my whole day.

Today's Prompt: Holiday Survival – Here’s our guide to surviving the holidays (PDF). What’s your survival tip? Do you avoid carbs, fats, or family members?

So apparently I thought yesterday was Friday and posted Friday's prompt yesterday...so today I will do Thursday's prompt.

What is my survival tip to managing the holidays? Pack up your clothes, take the hubby, get a pet-sitter and go to the Carribean, or some other secluded warm location of your choice, for the entire month of December. Tell the family you wont be able to make it to any gathering because you have previous commitments you just can't break. Enjoy Christmas and New Years sitting on the beach in peace and quite.

But....

Since I can't afford to do that and I do actually love my family...hmm...maybe a few of them could come along. Hubby and I do really enjoy spending time with our families, we just prefer relaxing and not getting involved in the hustle and bustle of the holidays and all the stress that goes along with the months of Nov and Dec. We get so frustrated from all of the pressure from our families to attend multiple gatherings and travel all over the state. It makes it very hard for us to enjoy the holidays and the time we actually do get to spend with our family.

So I guess my true holiday survival tip is to just suck it up, not take anything personally, and go with the flow. To prepare myself for miserable blood sugars and crazy food choices and generally a lack of a routine that is such a pivotal part of my management. Lean pretty heavily on my hubby for support during these frustrating times and try to be an advocate for what I need without burdening others with crazy demands.

Believe it or not I really do love the holidays and when all is said and done, there are some really enjoyable moments. But sometimes what works best for me and hubby and makes a holiday relaxing and enjoyable, does not always fit into the vision our families have. So keeping in mind what is truly important and sticking to making that happen is the path I have to take.

Disclaimer to any family members reading this prompt: Please do not take any of my rants and raves about the holidays personally. Take this post as it is...that I have some genuine frustrations about gatherings in general and the problems I tend to face.

This is my burden

2010-11-18T12:48:00.000-08:00

Current Bloodsugar: 87

Today's Prompt: “Friends & Family Friday” – As the holidays approach, social events and family gatherings are bound to occur. If you could say anything, what would you tell your loved ones about your diabetes?

Ah...the holidays...I love spending time with my family at Thanksgiving and Christmas. I have so many wonderful memories of the holidays with family. The last few years holidays have presented a new challenge for me. One that involves actually thinking and worrying about the food I eat and what will be available, how will my blood sugars behave, etc...etc...

I hate having that extra stress, it often overshadows what I enjoy so much about the holidays. This just means I have to work a little harder to remind myself what this time of year is really about and to try and not let the diabetes get in the way of enjoying that time.

If I could say anything to my loved ones about my diabetes (and I imagine I am at this moment since many of them read this blog) I would say....

Please take the time to understand what it truly means to live with diabetes. Be well informed of this disease and my lifestyle. Accept my choices. Accept my decisions about what is best for my body and my health. Ask questions. But, please, please do not worry about me. Although I may ask you from time to time to help me along this journey, living a life with diabetes is my burden to carry and I do not wish for you to carry it too.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-11-17T13:22:00.000-08:00

Current Bloodsugar: 144

I know it's "wordless Wednesday" but it is just too hard for me to be wordless. Here is a variation of a post I did a while ago that I have adjusted for life with diabetes.

Lessons about living with diabetes from the residents of a backyard farm....

We all need something (or someone) to lean on every now and then...

Diabetes management is stressful...take time to relax and feel the sand between your toes...

Diabetes is like a pile of rocks. Uncomfortable, heavy, unstable and always in the way. But there are bright sides to every situation, you can always find a good use for a pile of rocks (like a favorite napping spot!)

Friends and family are priceless and are an important part of diabetes management...

keep them close by....

Exercise is very important....

Life with diabetes often presents situations that are big and scary. Face these things head on and you may may find they are not as scary as they seem.

Find the resources available to help you manage your health. Use them wisely, make the most of them and turn them into something awesome!

It always helps to have some who can help look out for you, emotionally and physically...

It's great to have an outlet for your frustrations about diabetes...

Entertainment is sometimes the best medicine....

A good night's sleep is important for maintaining your health.

Get plenty of rest....

any chance you get....

Keep looking up..

and smiling....

and keep your eyes wide open...

you never know what the future will bring...

Diabetes Etiquette

2010-11-16T13:21:00.000-08:00

Current Blood sugar: 107...yep, that's good folks...I like it when my body decides to cooperate!

Today's prompt: What question do you get asked the most when you tell someone you have diabetes? Do you use any of these opportunities to help teach about diabetes, or do they get annoying? Or both?

Ok folks, get ready to learn a lesson about diabetes etiquette. Today's prompt makes me think not only of what questions I get asked but what comments folks make when they find out I have diabetes. I generally love getting questions about my diabetes, with the exception of a few. I consider it a chance to educate folks on the disease. Not to mention the more questions people ask me, the more they know about how my life works and that makes things easier for me.

The most annoying questions come from folks who lack information or think they know more than they do about diabetes. Now, don't get me wrong... I do not hold the lack of knowledge about diabetes over anyone's head. It's not expected for someone to know everything there is to know about every chronic illness. But, with the media streaming information to the public about Type II diabetes, people tend to be quite misinformed about Type I and how it works.

No matter what you know about diabetes, there are some things you should not say and should not ask when you are conversing with a diabetic.

Questions and comments that I endure on a regular basis that are cring-worthy...
(In other words, you should avoid asking these questions or making these comments)

1. "Oh, you have diabetes...but you are not overweight, did you lose a lot of weight recently?" yep folks, I have been asked this question. I know I am not overweight and no I did not lose massive poundage...you do not get Type I diabetes from being overweight.

2. "Oh, you have diabetes, did you get that from eating too much sugar?" I don't think I can even explain how this makes me feel...are you placing the blame on me? Like I did this to myself? No one causes diabetes. You don't get diabetes from eating too much sugar.

3. "Are you sure you are supposed to be eating that?" or "I know you can't eat this" or "I bet you wish you could have some of this yummy ______" Now I know that you may be looking out for my best interest, but do I question your food choices? Let me make my own decisions, I know better than anyone what is best for my body. As a Type I on insulin, I can eat anything you can, I just might make my choices differently.

4. "Oh you have diabetes...my great uncle, mom, sister, cousin, college roommate, dog had/has diabetes....they lost their vision/foot/arm/died/went into a coma and never woke up." Ok, this is dicey...I know you want to connect with me by talking about your family or friend that has dealt with the disease and I don't discredit that. But your family member and me are very different and I know very well what risk factors I have with this disease. I am happy to hear stories about your diabetic friend or family member but I do not want to hear about the gruesome foot amputation. I take care of myself to prevent those things from happening.

5. How is your diabetes? Honestly, what kind of question is this? Well...my diabetes is still not cured, its still wrecking my life on a daily basis. My pancreas still does not work and generally "my diabetes" sucks. I don't mind general questions about how I am feeling or how I am (I am not that sensitive)...its just when folks as how my diabetes is.

Questions and comments I welcome from friends, family, and even strangers:

1. Why are you pricking your finger? How does blood testing work? What do the numbers mean?

2. What is that pager like device? (my pump) I am even happy to take it out, show you how it works, how it is attached, and anything else you want to know about it. I mean seriously...I have a smart computer attached to my waist...its pretty cool!

3. What can you eat? How do you decide what to eat? What kind of foods do you have to avoid? How do you make choices about food? Notice the difference between these questions and the previous ones about food? I am happy to answer any questions as long as they are inquiries and not statements about what you think I can and cannot eat.

4. What is the difference between Type I and Type II? How do you get diabetes? What are the symptoms?

5. What are the complications that can come from having diabetes?

6. Do you have to give yourself injections?

7. I was watching Oprah the other day and I heard _________ about diabetes...is that true?

8. Oh you have Type I...but you are not a kid (shoot...I knew there was a reason why I couldn't fit into the clothes at the Baby Gap) I thought Type I was a kid's disease" This is a common misconception, so it is OK to ask if you are confused by someone being diagnosed in their late 20's .

Ask away my friends...just keep in mind what questions are appropriate and which ones are just down-right not cool. Oh and in general I am open to any other questions about my life...since you know...diabetes isn't all I do!

Mouthwatering Monday

2010-11-15T08:51:00.000-08:00

Current Blood sugar: 148

Today's Prompt: “Mouthwatering Monday” – Carrot sticks and potato chips have a similar crunch, but the similarities end there. What’s your favorite snack?

My favorite snack? This one is not hard at all. For a salty snack I love mixed nuts. They are low in carb and work well for satisfying my hunger and not wrecking my blood sugar. I have recently started making my own roasted nuts, it's cheaper that way! I also like to make sugar coated pecans using xylitol (natural, low carb sugar replacement).

For a sweet snack I like dark chocolate. Sometimes I eat dark chocolate chips, sometimes it is a piece of an organic dark chocolate candy bar. Dark chocolate is good for you in moderation and it is low in carbs, so it works well in my book! I have also experimented with several recipes for sugar free cookies and brownies. These generally turn out well and are low carb. I tend to save making those for special occasions...they don't last long in our house!

Here is a recipe for homemade roasted pecans and one for sugar coated pecans.

Spicy Roasted Pecans
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
A dash of cumin
2 cups pecan halves and pieces
Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add chili powder, salt and pepper and stir to blend. Remove from heat. Add pecans and stir to coat. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet. Bake until pecans are golden, about 8
minutes. Cool. Coarsely chop pecans. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.) from: http://www.angelfire.com/la3/gourmetkarl/spicedpecan.html

or just use salt to taste if you prefer plain non-spicy pecans

Sugar Coated Pecans
this is a good link to a recipe I have done in the past that works. Use whatever sugar replacement you like, if that is what fits your needs!

World Diabetes Day

2010-11-14T10:45:00.000-08:00

Current Bloodsugar: 130...after a long walk with a friend, I feel pretty content about this number, not bad, not great, but diabetes is not on my mind at the moment.

Today's Prompt: World Diabetes Day – Today is World Diabetes Day, recognized by the United Nations, so across the globe people are taking an action to raise diabetes awareness. What about you?

As important as advocacy is for diabetes, I am not doing much of anything today to raise awareness. Well, I am blogging and I will post some links and information on various multimedia and social pages, but that is the extent of my activism for the day.

I think it is so important to have World Diabetes Day and Diabetes Awareness month, I do not intend to discredit the value of these events by not putting forth more effort for diabetes awareness today. I guess it is my tendency to be shy which prevents me from standing on my rooftop and screaming about the importance of education and activism.

So what am I doing to promote awareness for diabetes? I check my blood sugar in plain view of others. I don't go through extreme measures to hide my pump. I vocalize my needs to others. Sure, I don't say to people..."Hello, my name is Melissa and I have Type I diabetes" when we first meet, but I don't hide the fact if it comes up in conversation. I answer questions and ask questions and dispel myths when I get a chance. I proudly wear my medical ID bracelet and welcome questions and comments. I do these things every day. This is my way of advocating. Diabetes is a invisible disease. I look normal on the outside but I am not. How are folks to learn more about this disease if I hide it from the world?

It's Sunday and I am spending the day relaxing and spending time doing the things I enjoy. I am living my life and trying to be normal and not letting diabetes get me down today. Sometimes that is all the activism I need.

Feel the Burn

2010-11-13T09:04:00.000-08:00

Current Blood sugar: 87...whoohoo...I love numbers like this! After exercise with very little insulin left on board and it's almost time to eat lunch. This is one of those times I start to think I have it all under control....better not get too sure of myself!

Today's Prompt: Unexpected Exercise – Raking leaves can be such a chore, but it can also be a great way to sneak in some exercise. What are some ways you sneak in some exercise? (And no, we don’t think “Jedi mind tricks” count!)

I have never been one for exercise. I like doing outdoorsy type activities, hiking, biking, walking, etc...but tell me I have to exercise and I am likely to kick you in the shin (well not really, I am really a non-violent person!). I just don't like exercising for the sake of exercising.

I do however like to be healthy and to stay in shape and if exercise is how that happens, well then so be it. The need to exercise to maintain control of my diabetes is one of the positive sides of being diagnosed. I now have something to force me to exercise. I have positive results with long term management of my blood sugars when I exercise and I always feel better. For a girl who lacked the motivation to exercise daily before my diagnosis, I have more motivation than ever to do it now.

I generally don't have to sneak in exercise since I plan exercise into my daily schedule. I rotate riding my bike trainer, lifting weights, pilates, swimming laps and walking. I do these things most every day or at least 4 times a week. Scheduling exercise is the only way I can make it happen.

Exercise can definitely be a thorn in my side. Take all of the scheduling, time, and motivation that most folks have to pull together to get an exercise routine that works and then add on trying to manage blood sugars before, during, and after exercise.

Imagine eating, changing, getting all of your gear together and going to the gym, hoping on your bike, or heading out for a walk, only to find after you have laced up your kicks, that your blood sugar is too low. Then imagine making the decision to either pack it all up and head home or consume more calories in juice or food than you will burn during your exercise just to be able to get through the session.

Or imagine you are all ready to exercise and your blood sugar shows up at 250 or 300, way too high and too dangerous to exercise. Or you have a perfect exercise session, a perfect blood sugar after the session, only to find 2 hours later that your blood sugar has risen to the 200's, 300's or even 400's. Then you spend the rest of the day correcting with insulin for an exercise related high blood sugar. Or how about a perfect exercise, perfect blood sugar and then the rest of the day your blood sugar plummets so that you are constantly stuffing your face to keep up with your body's need for carbs. All because you didn't calculate your insulin and carbs correctly or you worked out harder than you planned.

These are all of the things I face every single time I exercise. It takes months of trial and error to get an exercise routine to the point of maintaining reasonable blood sugars before, during, and after exercise. Not to mention, those things often change once your body becomes more efficient at that particular exercise. It's an ongoing battle, one I face every day. Can you see why it is so hard for diabetics to maintain a healthy exercise schedule?

So back to the original question. How do I sneak exercise into my schedule? Everyday I feed and water the animals, carrying bags of feed and buckets of water. Once a week I rake the chicken pen. I clean the house on a daily basis. I walk the dog, work in the garden and do yard work on a regular basis. These are the things that make up my life and the things I love to do. This is not exercise to me. I guess they do fit into the guidelines for physical activity, so some folks would consider it exercise. I am lucky enough to have a daily schedule that involves a lot of physical activity.

Any and all physical activity affects my bloodsugar. Twenty minutes of unplanned work in the yard can make me drop from a normal 130 or 150 to a 47 reading on my meter. Housework and yardwork, daily chores...they all affect my blood sugar. It is a lot of work to stay healthy. However, I am grateful for the ability to exercise and take care of my home and family. I am grateful I can reasonably manage an exercise schedule. I just wish sometimes it could be a little easier.

Family and Friends Friday

2010-11-12T11:00:00.000-08:00

Current Bloodsugar: 150....this is not bad...but frustrating after riding the bike trainer for 30 minutes, lifting weights, and dancing around the den like a madwoman to the songs of Rocky Horror Picture Show (I was watching the movie while I road my trainer...I know...I know...you don' t have to tell me). Now I am waiting for it to come down a little to eat lunch.

Today's Post: “Friends & Family Friday” – Who is your biggest support and how do they help you in managing your diabetes?

Awww...shucks...where to do I even begin with this one? I have lots of folks in my life for who I am very grateful. All of my family and friends are supportive. So I guess the easiest way to do this is to just list some of those folks that really stand out, who go above and beyond to support me.

Disclaimer: These are in no particular order, and there are many, many folks who I wont list on here, simply because I can't list everyone! These are just a few of those special folks!

1. My nephews G-man and Lil'D: G-man is only 9. It may seem odd that I, a 30 year-old would tell you that some of my main supporters are children. First of all, G-man is a wise soul. He is compassionate, intelligent, and he questions everything. He doesn't take things as the come, he wants to know the whole truth. He asks questions about my diabetes, he listens to what I say, and he never forgets. You know how 9 year olds are...they remember everything. I don't have to dispel any myths with him, I don't have to explain the same thing over and over. He doesn't question my choices or offer advice, he just gets that this is what I do and he accepts it. Lil' D is only 5, too young to be burdened with the details of my disease. But he knows about my pump and knows it gives me something my body cannot produce. They both see me for who I am and not for the disease I have, and that my friends is what I call support.

2. My parents, my brother, my sister, and my friends: These folks have been there with me from the very beginning. They worry about me (sometimes too much) and they care about my health. They think of me when they plan meals. Sometimes they are a shoulder to lean on or an advocate. They love me and they are always there when I need them. I would not trade them for the world.

3. My dog: We have two dogs and I love them both dearly. Kyra has been by my side for the last 12 years, Waylon has been with us for 4. Although Kyra will always be my one and only baby-girl, she is not one for cuddling. Waylon loves to cuddle and he looks at you with soulful eyes. I always feel comfort when I cuddle with that furball. He likes to nuzzle against you. He is very aware. When we walk, he waits patiently as I stop to check my blood sugar, watching me. He has even gotten to the point that he stops when I take out my meter, he knows it means a quick break. When I find myself frustrated and annoyed about my blood sugar while walking, I look down and his blue eyes have such a peaceful look, I can't help but relax. He offers a non-judgmental, unconditional support.

4. My hubby: I am not even sure I can describe the support he gives me. I was diagnosed with Type I during our first year of marriage. Hubby married a laid back, easy going, active, biking, hiking, rock climbing girl and then 8 months later was thrown into a spiral with an emotional and physical wreck of a wife. It has taken 3 years to get back to some semblance of who I was before my diagnosis.
Three years to get it under control to where I feel like myself again. Three years of shots and finger pricks, carb counting, food issues, data charts, and pumps to get to a point where I control my diabetes instead of diabetes controlling me. It takes a strong man to deal with all of the crap we have been through in the last few years.
There is no doubt that diabetes has changed a little bit of me and hubby still loves me all the same. We have learned to deal with the loops and wrenches this disease throws us. He has weathered that crazy storm. I like to think we are stronger because of it all.
Hubby offers the kind of support no others can. He knows enough about my care to ask questions when they need to be asked and keep his mouth shut when they don't. He walks the tight rope of emotions with me and always catches me when I fall. He maintains the perfect balance between knowing enough to help and not helping too much. He keeps me grounded and provides the perspective and strength that has allowed me to stay true to who I am, diabetes and all.

Time Tested Routines and a Sneaky Dog

2010-11-11T08:33:00.000-08:00

Current Blood sugar: 119

Today's Prompt: Veteran’s Day – Veterans Day marks end of World War 1 in 1918 on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. Is there something you do every day at the same time to help with your diabetes routine?

First and foremost, thank you to all of our veterans who have served our country. We are in great debt to you and your service. Today's post did kind of make me laugh a little though. Not because I have a weird sense of humor, I laughed because I do just about everything the same, every day to help manage my diabetes. There is no one thing...it is everything.

I eat the same breakfast 7 days a week, generally at the same time of the day. Cinnamon toast made with xylitol and egg whites. Occasionally I throw a loop and use homemade sugar free jam on one piece of toast and cinnamon toast for the other, or I will make a spinach omelet with my egg whites.

I might get adventurous and have fruit with yogurt, a piece of toast, and egg whites. I have a "breakfast" setting on my pump that has the carbs and insulin already que'd up so I don't have to do any carb counting or insulin caculating in the morning. I do this the same every day because it is predictable and when dealing with diabetes...predictability is the name of the game...although losing that game is a common occurrence!

I excerise in the morning at the same time most days. I do the same rotation of different exercises. Every one of them I have tested and done a series of trial and error to figure out my insulin and carb needs to prevent lows or highs during exercise. Most days I eat the same thing for lunch at the same time, or cycle through maybe 2 or 3 different options.

This sounds boring...believe me it can be...but it makes my life easier...one less thing I have to think about. The problem with diabetes is that even though I try to stay on a routine schedule and I eat the same thing everyday...my results are very rarely the same. I can work as hard as I want to manage this disease and make my schedule easier and more predictable, but diabetes will always throw a wrench in my plan. There are always other variables for which I cannot account. I do the best to mimic what my broken pancreas would do, but I can't be as efficient as my body should be....so I have to become predictable and routine with the hopes of providing some sense of normalcy.

On a lighter note...from the "farm"....our shepard Kyra has an interesting relationship with our chickens. She seems to really enjoy their company and she has learned very quickly that these little fluffy birds are walking egg dispensers!

Our younger chickens are great about laying their eggs in the chicken house, but our two older chickens lay wherever and whenever they choose. Since our two older chickens have slowed their laying for the winter, Kyra has began a daily egg hunt to find eggs laid by the younger chickens. It has not taken her long to figure out they only lay in their house....

So....this is what I found today when I went out in the yard....thanks to Kyra's old age and failing hearing I was able to sneak up and snap this shot of her being ultra-sneaky during one of her egg hunts. Luckily the egg boxes are at the back of the house so she can't reach the eggs. Of course, you should have heard all the noise coming from the poor chicken sitting in the nest box during this sneak attack! If Kyra were a younger more limber dog, I imagine I would have found her in the chicken house!

Words Cannot Express

2010-11-10T13:35:00.000-08:00

Current Blood sugar: 154...I have been having some higher numbers in the afternoon...time to start tweaking my basal rates....what fun!

Today is Wordless Wednesday...I don't want to think about diabetes today...so here are some of my favorite pictures, people (and dogs), and places I love!

Thompson River

Sliding Rock

Waylon when he was a pup and my baby girl Kyra

Hubby and me

My dad and me in Thailand

My family...well it's a little outdated...that bundle of joy there is me :-)

Winter at the mountain house with family

Six things I want you to know

2010-11-09T10:24:00.000-08:00

Current Blood sugar: 104, can you see the smile on my face through your computer screen. This is a number I like to see!

Today's prompt: The 30 days of diabetes blog prompt is about diabetes in the news.

Today is Diabetes Blog Day. I would say that when the majority of the diabetes online community blogs about diabetes all in one day...that is quite newsworthy. You should take a minute to head on over to Diabetes Talk Fest and see the massive number of links to other diabetes bloggers who have chosen to blog today about 6 things they want everyone to know about diabetes!

Six things I want you to know about diabetes...

1. Type I is not just a kid's disease. I was diagnosed with "juvenile" diabetes (Type 1) at age 26. People older and younger than me have been diagnosed with Type 1 as well. Anyone at any age can be diagnosed with Type I or Type II.

2. You do not get Type I from eating too much sugar, being overweight, or any other combination of these things. It is not my fault I have diabetes, I could not have prevented it...no one can. Type I is an autoimmune disease. In other words, my immune system attacked my insulin producing cells in my pancreas. Since my pancreas can no longer produce insulin, I have to mimic as close as possible what my pancreas would do with insulin via an insulin pump.

3. Insulin is NOT A CURE. Sure, injecting insulin allows me to live, but it is not a cure. I still have diabetes. Insulin is a treatment, not a cure. Using insulin via injection or insulin pump does not mean I have really bad diabetes and it doesn't mean I have bad control. Insulin is what I use to stay alive. Simple as that.

4. If you have questions about diabetes please ask. I would rather you ask me a question than for you to have misinformation about the disease. There are so many misconceptions about this disease. Nothing hurts my feelings more than for people to rely on misconceptions and falsehoods instead of asking someone who knows firsthand about the disease. Please ask me if you are not sure!

5. I can eat sugar and carbs and whatever I want. Please treat me as a normal person making normal choices about my food and let me do the rest. I choose to eat low carb and avoid most sugary foods, but this does not mean I cannot eat those things. I have the ability to eat anything a non-diabetic can, I just may have different consequences if I don't take enough insulin or manage my blood sugar well. And, just because I ate pasta or a brownie yesterday doesn't mean I want or can eat it today. When I turn down food, sometimes it is because of my diabetes, but sometimes it is because I don't want what is offered. Food is completely variable on my mood and what my blood sugar is doing. I can never predict what I will be able to eat and I sure don't expect others to.

6. Dealing 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? Multitasking is now my forte. Every minute of every day it is in my thoughts. It has to be, I wish I could take it all away but I can't, so I live with it and that makes me happy...living.