Hi everyone. Last week was a rough week for me. I kept up with my regular exercise but skipped my Gilad workouts. This week started off very emotional but today I am feeling like myself again. I've just completed another round of Gilad. Today is yoga. I still have not found a yoga session that I love. I think my expectations may be too high. Years ago I took a yoga class in college, I also took hot yoga with some friends and several other yoga classes in studios. I am not finding the same outcome at home than I did in class. Eventually I would like to take classes in a studio again. But for now it will have to be in the comfort of my home. I just have to keep searching for the right fit for me.

We went peach picking over the weekend on a farm that we have never visited before. I envisioned huge peaches that drip down your shirt when you take a bite into them. When we got there we discovered the peach and nectarine trees were mostly picked over. All the fruit was fairly small and very hard. They had rows of trees that were roped off and signs saying not to pick from the roped off areas. However there was nothing good on the trees they had available. I broke the rules, reached over the ropes and picked from the forbidden trees. We paid $45 to pick, there was no way I was not leaving the farm with peaches and nectarines. I've had them ripening on my kitchen counter. A few were ready to eat yesterday. I have to say they were delicious!!! On the way home from the farm we stopped at a vegan bakery that I recently learned about. I have not had baked goods in such a long time. When you open the door the smell hits you and you are instantly drawn in. It is a small bakery but what they had was so good. I was just going to get one piece of carrot cake. My husband kept asking "Anything else?" We ended up leaving with a slice of carrot cake, a mint brownie (my favorite), a slice of fruit tort? ( I don't remember exactly what it was called), an entire crumb cake and my daughter got a donut. Everything was so delicious that we finished it all by mid week. I am very excited about this new discovery. Usually for desert with family gatherings there is nothing ever for me to eat. I usually make a fruit salad which I happily eat with no regrets. But it is nice to know I have options now. I know I could easily bake something myself however cooking is my thing. I don't enjoy baking as much.

@bisky
The garden is going great. My tomatoes are starting to come in now. I'm starting to get a few peppers too. I have lots of zucchini and cucumbers. My strawberries are producing berries again. I just harvested a spaghetti squash and I have a butternut squash growing which is no where near ready to be picked. I did have a garden blunder earlier in the week. I was pruning my cucumbers by taking off old leaves. In doing so I accidentally cut the wrong part of the plant and killed half the plant that had lots of flowers and two tiny cucumbers growing. I was really bummed by my error. But the good thing is the plant will continue to grow and not all is lost.

I read you mentioning the instant pot to someone. I have one and absolute love mine. I make beans in it all the time.

@magic71755
I am not sure if this was already answered. I am responding as I read. When I cook most beans in the instant pot I do 35 minutes on high then I do quick release. If I want a softer texture I do natural release. I usually cook 1 cup of beans with enough water covering the top. I visualize approximately one knuckle worth of water above the beans. Sometimes I am left with extra liquid, sometimes I am not. You can save the extra liquid and use for dishes such as soups and rice. It's very flavorful!

I feel your frustration with the weight fluctuations. I experience the same thing even though I am consistent with what I am doing.

What a beautiful view on your walk!

@mihani
Your hummus sounds delicious. I have not tried making hummus yet but I really should! I second using the instant pot for beans. It is a game changer!

I would love to hear more about your famous lentil soup. I love soup and look forward to fall and winter because I eat a lot more of it.

@Carla_wfpb
Glad to hear your CT scan went well. I am glad you have answers to the issue you are having.
That is great that you got to hang out with Donna and Brooks! I love that for you both!

Mammogram done!
Super quick and easy, no wait. And we went out for breakfast. Win!

I have a sinus referral on the horizon and need to get my shingles vaccine. Then I'm all caught up. Every time I cross one off, another gets added it seems but I might be finally getting there.

Not on track with food, and not even keeping up with our walks in this heat - we've been skipping the afternoon one and going early in the morning and just before sunset.

Nanc, that lovely walk is actually where you live? How fabulous! It looks like a park.
We did not take any pictures of the 4 us together. We should have asked someone at the restaurant to do that. I am feeling terrible about myself right now with my weight gain and I was sweaty to boot but it still would have been nice to have that pic! I hope you have some good news to share soon regarding your work schedule.

@JNettie73 I would be expecting amazing peaches from a peach farm, too. I wonder if you just came on an off day or week. I have a peach tree here but it isn't the right climate for peaches by a long shot. We got one peach this year, the size of a golf ball Happy for you that you found an option for when you want to have a treat. Your garden makes me wish we'd have planted one this year. I think it is the first year in the 7 we have lived here that we didn't plant anything. I hope you have a great weekend and are able to start off next week from a good place.

Mihani, I hope that you are keeping up with work okay and still taking sanity breaks!

Next week I'm getting together with my cousin Lisa, who is the one that watched our doggos. I also have a friend in the area for work, so I will be seeing her and we haven't had a chance to catch up in person since before covid.

This weekend I need to do some cleaning and I am going to spend some time sketching with my ipad. I'm starting to get into it. It is odd to draw on a tablet instead of paper at first but it sure is easy to make changes!

Happy Friday!

Update on how I am doing.
As I might have mentioned I am in Stage 4 of Kidney Failure, I have diabetes and IBS to name 3 illnesses. And all 3 have a bit different in what to eat.
Lately I have been having trouble with edema - my lower legs and feet are swelling especially my left foot. But am unable to take water pills due to my kidney failure.

At any rate I have relooked at a list of what to eat re kidney failure and am making up some new menus accordingly. Best bet is lots of vegetables and fruit with very low protein as protein is hard for the kidneys to handle especially animal protein. Now that sounds all good but when you have IBS a food plan based mainly on veggs doesn't work as a lot of the veggs will bring on an IBS attack. So am having to go through a long list of food to see what will work without making me sick.

Speaking of sick - when I do eat something off plan such as hamburger within 2 hours I am horribly sick. So am learning what to avoid.

I see my doctor the end of the month - 13 days from now - so as of today I am making a plan of what I will eat and sticking with it - would love to lose 7 pounds by then and reduce some of the water retention as that is part of why I am seeing him. So what is this plan of action
1) no flour whatsoever
2) no sugar whatsoever
3) no salt
4) no processed foods - nothing from a package basically
5) 72 oz of water daily

So for today my food plan looks like this
1 cup oatmeal with 3/4 cup frozen blueberries (no dairy)
1 hard boiled egg
strawberries and blueberries - 1 cup possibly 1.5 cup
cabbage salad which will include cabbage, shredded carrots and granny smith apple
1/2 cup rice
2 oz chicken cooked in wok

Not sure how that works out with respect to the nutrition for the day - have to track the food to get those numbers as it is so important to track sodium, potassium and protein levels rather than calories.

Now to get going on the treadmill

Have a good day everyone

Hello all,

We got back from our trip last night. Today spent the day unpacking, grocery store, laundry, play with dogs, and general catchup! The trip was so fun!

Highlight of our trip was visiting Carla, Joe, Ruby and Radar. Their farm is so beautiful! Happiest dogs. Amazing fruit trees and blackberries. Carla has me hooked on cashew yogurt! Thank you again for all the gifts. I am a crafter but CARLA is an artist! Her variety of art is amazing!

Before visiting Carla we spent a couple of days in Seattle visiting Brooks’s new grandson! Visit went well. Brooks has had a stressful relationship with his daughter in the past but this was a good visit and SD referred to me as Grandma Donna! After visiting Carla we went up to Whistler, BC for 3 days. It was warm but not the blow torch SA has been. We had a great hike around Lost Lake (7 miles total for the day) and then 45 min swimming. It was so sad to return back to SA. Pacific NW is high on possible places to retire to.

Love the pics, Donna. Glad you had a nice vacation.

Home from the office and going to get the lentil soup made. Also baking a few garnet sweet potatoes and roasting some broccoli. That should all get me through Wednesday.

Oh my goodness you guys...Ruby was such a butt this morning! She woke Joe up around 5 am to go outside and then she wouldn't come back in. By the time we got up at 6:15 she'd knocked over my huge bag of bird seed and got into the orchard and stuffed herself on fruit. When she came inside, I was coughing which somehow to the dogs has come to mean that we are in danger. If either of us coughs, they get concerned. She went into protective mode acting all bossy with Radar keeping him away from me. And then she just couldn't settle down because she had a major sugar rush going on from the fruit. Cue my 6:30 am walk so she could run off the crazies. (on the plus side, I got in an extra little morning walk)

I just finished my first digital pattern. It is sketched on the iPad then put together in Illustrator. I was going for something simple but it still took a while. Kind of cool when it all comes together. Once I have a pattern I really like, I'm going to get it printed on wrapping paper.



We're still taking the easy route of tofu and salad for dinner. That part is fine...now to stop with snacking and desserts.

The rest of my walks today might have to be on the treadmill. I couldn't smell the smoke outside, but it is in the forecast and the sky is hazy.

Carla, oh that's maddening when dogs do that. Mine would sometimes get onto a scent of something late at night and refuse to come in, and you can't find them in the dark. Hope she doesn't have a tummy ache today.

Love that print!

Cool discovery, JNettie. Sounds like a place you'll be visiting again. Too bad about the cheese on your wrap. That would upset me too.

I have trouble following videos. I've had a few over the years that I did often enough to pretty well memorize and could do smoothly but not for yoga just for cardio.

Still haven't worked up the motivation to make soup but I am getting lots of work done this weekend.

Hi! Just got caught up on everyone’s posts.

Mihani - I love your lentil soup recipe. Going to go buy some liquid smoke and try it. In this heat, all I want is fruit and soup.

Magic - Good job on the treadmill! Have you made beans yet?

Jnettie - your day at the beach sounds awesome. Pics of the water so I can dream? Sorry about the cucumber plant. There is no better cucumber than home grown.

Carla - Ruby! I can just picture her getting into all the fruit you have growing! Her carrying around the apples like a ball we found hilarious! The pattern you created is beautiful. Do you print it yourself? You are very creative with the ideas you come up and the art you create. The cough you have, is it related to the smoke?

Well, I made myself sick again. Saturday I went running around with my friend to estate sales. It was 104*. I forgot to keep up with fluids. Didn’t buy much except a big heavy Lennox crystal vase for $10.00. Crystal is not nearly as popular or expensive. The people running the estate sales say they can’t hardly give it away. Anyways, I did not hydrate enough. Late afternoon Brooks and I drove to Houston where he did a triathalon Sunday a.m. He Came in 3 rd for his age group! I sat in the sun for 2 hours…there was no shade. I did have water but did not drink enough. When we got home yesterday, I drank 100 ounces of fluids over 8 hours. A mixture of Gatorade fit, diluted lemonade and water. Finally started feeling better.

Feel normal this a.m. Got up at 6:30 to walk dogs. It was already 82*. Going to go swim indoors now. Suppose to be 105* today.

Made my morning smoothie using Ka’chava protein powder with blueberries and strawberries.

Have a great Monday!