RELISH

Years ago when I was young and foolish, I tried to do "it" all.  Needless to say, I stayed busy.  In the areas of kitchen work and cooking, I learned to do a lot of the different things one can do with kitchen work, canning, and cooking.

As I grew older and wiser, my desire to do the canning and gardening (and often now, cooking) seemed to dwindle.  However, there is one item that I do annually.  And no, I don't grow the goods for this item.  I usually buy at my local wholesale facility along with Vidalia onions in season and the end result tastes just yummy.  Or at least it does to The Husband who really likes this product.

So here is the recipe and a look at this year's batch of Pepper Relish.  It is the recipe of a now-gone-to-heaven-for-many-years elderly woman from my church.  She would be glad to know that her wonderful, treasured recipe lives on.

And yes, this was done BEFORE my last surgical experience.

PEPPER RELISH

1 dozen sweet bell peppers (some red for color-I also use orange and yellow for fun)

2 dozen sweet banana peppers  (I also buy those mini peppers in colors for this ingredient.)

3 hot peppers

7 medium onions

3 cups vinegar

2 cups sugar

2 T. each:  mustard seed and salt

Chop or grind peppers and onions.  Combine with other ingredients and boil 30 minutes.  Pack in sterilized jars and seal.

I chop my peppers and onions in my food processor to save the wear and tear of my arthritic hands.  They are best if chopped coarse...the peppers, not the hands.  😀

Enjoy!

HOW CAN IT BE?!

Today marks The Grandbaby's birthday!  15 months old she is....yes, we count birthdays in months for her.  Every day, though, is a celebration and thankfulness for the blessing of her.

It seems she learns so many different things daily.  She is exceptional at head-shaking....side-to-side "no" being the preferred choice of direction.  And yes, she does know what that means.  This Gramma is smitten with her but not to the point of letting her misbehave.  She even showed me the other day that she can stick her finger down her throat and gag herself.  I gave her a big no on that one and she was very offended to the point of tears but I was tough.  Isn't it funny how kids don't have to be taught to do wrong things, but have to be taught to do right?  I still consider that mystery often.

So, just for a few pictures for you my faithful readers.  As I say time and time again, a picture is worth a thousand words.  

The Grandbaby loves pasta, potatoes, peas, and a few things that begin with letters other than "p".

The other "P" she likes is The Poppa.  AHH....they are a sight to see when together, which is often.

She has discovered Nemo and Dory so practically every fish is a Nemo or a Dory.

She will watch Toy Story for hours.  Woody is her favorite.  Uh, yes, The Gramma is guilty of buying her a small Woody of her own.  It was on sale, of course.  Jessie was too, so she couldn't stay alone in the store.  Duh. 

Can you tell which is The Grandbaby and which is her mama?  Yes, that is a vintage toy.

Yes, daily blessings and joys come from this precious one....Happy Birthday!

LESSON LEARNED

I am hopeful this is my last health blog for a while.  I imagine you, my faithful blog readers, grow weary of my health issues.  This one deserves a conclusion, I think.

I had surgery about ten days ago.  For the past couple of years and even before, I have had problems with pain and such caused by adhesions.  Now, for all of you who don't know what adhesions are, they are scar tissue that sticks and binds organs and internal body things together causing pain and function problems.  Adhesions are invisible to scans and X-rays--only their problems they are causing show and the smart doctor has to determine that is the problem.  In truth, a surgery or laparoscopic look around is the only way to totally determine they are there without doubt.  Adhesions are caused by prior surgeries and inflammations.  Most people can have them and do, it's only some in whom they cause problems.  I am, unfortunately, one of those people. How do I get so lucky?

A couple of years ago I spent a few days in the hospital with that ghastly nose tube pumping my stomach because of an intestinal obstruction caused by adhesions.  That resolved and didn't recur until I recognized the symptoms a couple of months ago and another ER visit happened to show a partial obstruction.  That time the nose tube was avoided and it resolved yet again.  It was at my followup with my wise family doctor that I learned the severity of this problem.  I was quite taken aback when she said the adhesions needed to be surgically addressed.  She strongly suggested I contact the surgeon and get an appointment within the week.

I did call immediately and there wasn't an appointment available for 5 weeks so I took it.  My family doctor was not impressed but I assured her I would pay attention to my body.  I couldn't imagine it would happen again that quickly.  The other episodes were two years apart.  I had time.

Amazingly, I was called the next week to say the surgeon had a cancellation so I was offered that appointment which I took.  I really have confidence in this surgeon so I was happy to see him. In fact he and I had just had a surgeon/patient relationship in late January with that lipoma removal.  It had only just healed so I felt like we had become friends.  :)

I will back up here to say that I had proof that my problem was adhesions from an operation report from 1993 when I had organs removed in a planned one hour laparoscopic surgery that, when all was said and done, took five hours instead of the one.  Yes, count 'em....five hours as I had massive extensive adhesions.  Impressive.  So yes, we knew they were there and I took that report to the surgeon for his records in case he needed proof.  The surgeon agreed with my PCP that the surgery needed to happen.  I signed paperwork for a laparoscopic adhesion removal with option for a intestinal resection.  I came home while the assistant worked on finding me a time.  I will insert here that my request for a time was after last week....anytime beginning this week (July 17) or anytime four weeks ago.  My thing is that my church revival was beginning July 9.  I hadn't missed a summer church revival in 40 years.  Now I'm not a revival martyr or anything like that, I just love revival.  So that was my request.

I had actually just gotten to the car in the parking lot when the MA called me and told me that since the surgeon was going out of town and didn't want to do my surgery then go out of town, it looked like it would be August.  I said ok.  Then by the time I arrived home an hour later, my phone rang again.  It was the MA.  She had searched and searched for another sooner time and the only thing she could find was July 5.  My heart sank.  July 5 was the Wednesday before my July 9 revival.  What if he had to cut?  I would be in the hospital 5 days and I would miss revival.  What if he didn't have to cut?  I might still miss revival.  So I stood in my kitchen with the phone and asked The Husband his opinion.  He said to go ahead.  I resignedly told the MA ok.  She said she knew I had not wanted that time but she felt my condition such that I just couldn't wait till August.

Fast forward to July 5.  The surgery happened in the afternoon and I spent a night in the hospital.  It was laparoscopic as I had hoped.  I came home to recovery mode the next day.  The doctor explained that I had nasty, impressive adhesions and a couple of spots of twisted intestines that had herniated. The pain I had been experiencing had been rough, but then I have such a high tolerance for pain.  I will admit to being fairly sick and not myself for the past couple of months.  I was glad to hear that this possibly was the root of the bulk of my health problems.

I was able to go to revival.  My nurse, The Husband, was very strict and I only went and sat on the pew but I still loved it.  Did I get tired?  Uh huh, but I would come home every day and put on my pajamas and sit in my recliner while The Husband took care of everything.  Did I say he was off on vacation that week so it worked out well?

Last Wednesday The Husband took me for staple removal.  The surgeon called me the patient whose serious issues didn't show on scans.  While there the surgeon discussed my surgery and went over the pictures.  Isn't it amazing how they can take these pictures and do these things through little stomach slits?  ( I would scan and show you, but I fear three of my blog readers might not enjoy.)  Technology, wow.  He got to the third page and there were a couple of pictures of a very black area.  It was at the point that he said he thought, "____, I'm going to have to cut and resection."  It was an internal hernia and he said after he clipped away the adhesion, it pinked back up and he said, "Whew".  It was what he said after that that got my attention and let me know that I don't trust the Lord enough.  He said, "If you had gone only 24 hours longer without surgery, that area of intestine would have ruptured and it would have been so very bad."  So while I was kicking and screaming to the Lord about this surgery date that didn't fit my plan, He was orchestrating it to my own good.  Romans 8:28 directly in action.  Duh, me the unbeliever....even though I say I do believe.  Maybe I've learned the lesson yet again to trust the Lord, especially when I ask His guidance.  I need to accept The Plan sooner and my life would be a lot easier.

Today I continue to recover.  I'm still tired and will tire easily for a week or so until I get strengthened.  I have instructions from my nurse, The Husband, to have a week or at least a few days in the recliner again in pajamas.  I love recliners and pajamas so I haven't argued.  :)  I have weight restrictions on lifting but can work up to more as I recover.  I look forward to being a new person health wise when I recover.  I have not enjoyed the past couple of months and feeling so very bad.  The ten pounds I lost over the past month is okay, but not losing it that way.  I'm assured it will come back but that's not a problem.  I'd rather be ten pounds heavier than ten pounds lighter and sick and in pain.

So yes, I will thank the Lord yet again for his provision.  I will look forward to a biopsy of a thing on my hand with the dermatologist in a couple of weeks and then my thyroid nodules' annual ultrasound with the endocrinologist--sorry, I only thought my health things were over....hopefully they are.  Whether they are or not, I am assured that the Lord has this.  He always has and He always will.

Consider...........

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."  Romans 8:28