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

AN ANSWER

I wish I could tell you, my faithful blog readers, that I always know the answer.  News flash--I don't.  I always have said that any answer to any problem, concern, or daily life choice is in the B-I-B-L-E.  Do I always find that answer the first time I look?  Uh, duh, no.  Either I don't look hard enough or the Lord wants to teach me the searching technique.

Either way, I was blessed this morning in my early devotion to find a much sought after answer.  One of my little Sunday School class munchkins gave me a devotion book for Christmas that I have really enjoyed.  It always lists about three scriptures of reference for that devotion.  This morning the second scripture came from Exodus.  I mean, really, how often do folks really read Exodus?

I have been searching for some good comforting peace about some surgery I have coming up.  This morning I found some in this scripture.  It was too good to not share.  Exodus.  Imagine.  The scripture is regarding Moses as he seeks.   Exodus 33: 12, 14, 17 reads like this:

"And Moses said unto the Lord, See, though sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me.  Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name: and thou hast also found grace in my sight,

And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.

And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name."

Wow.  I love any of that scripture where it talks about grace and the Lord knowing me by name.  Grace.  Comfort.  Peace.

Consider that a while....

JUNE 21

Okay, so it's not "normal" for me to do two posts in one day.  I thought I would not acknowledge this date, June 21, but I just don't have it in me to let it go by without SOMETHING.  The Girl asked me this afternoon if I had forgotten what this day was and I had not, just tried to not mention.  But, oh well, I have to acknowledge.

June 21, 1991 was the day The Girl was diagnosed with Type I diabetes.  Yes, 26 years ago.  26!  In thinking of my earlier post today, I guess The Girl's story is a story worth telling.  And more than that, 26 years of living with a disease for which there is no cure is something to shout about with gratefulness.  Yes, years of tears and fears, but now days of joy and thankfulness.  And yes, still hope that a cure will be found in The Girl's lifetime.

So a shout out LOUD to The Girl for her success for living with this disease.  It's as The Pastor said just this past Sunday, the only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.  So a shout out loud for her working to keep a control.  Let those times of not keeping control fall away from the thoughts and let's just celebrate the success!

To The Girl--we are so full of pride for you and all you have become--with or without diabetes.  Yay! 

EVERYBODY'S GOT ONE

Yep, for sure.  Everybody's got one.  Got what, you ask?  A story.  Everybody's got a story.  That story most likely has many chapters of various sorts.  This blog actually tells a few of my stories.  For example,  you may visit some of my chapters in "Prayers and Pianos" (10/15/13), "34 Years" (6/29/13),  "Pride" (3/20/12), and "Revival" (7/5/12).  There are more in this blog, these are just a few.  We all have stories that define us.

I've been going to several funerals lately, one last week and two coming up this week.  At the one last week, one of the vocal selections was a song titled "Thank You".  The song talks about dreaming of heaven and seeing folks there who offer thanks to you for "gifts" you had given to them while on earth.  Now I don't know how heaven is going to work and it really doesn't matter to me as long as I'm there with Jesus, you know?  I will say, though, that this song has always, every time I have heard it, really makes me ponder my own life and I wonder if I have REALLY given to the Lord all the times I should.  Of course the answer is a no.  Do any of us ever really give to the Lord all the times we should?  I find a bit of regret in my own life every time I hear the song while at the same time giving thanks for those who have given so very much to the Lord and to others.

That got me to thinking about my story.  I'm writing MY story every day that I live. Some chapters of my story are pretty, some are painful, some are happy, some are not so much happy.  Some chapters are filled with victories, some filled with defeats.  No matter my story tells, it is mine and I know that life can pour out some rough stuff and tears but I know also that there is joy that comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5).  I have learned that though some times are hard, the joy in the journey remains.

I wanted to put out this blog post to offer some food for thought for you, my faithful readers, about your own story.  The grammar might not always be grammatically correct, the spelling might be off a bit, and maybe the handwriting or typing not top notch, but the story, oh the story, is so important.

One of the best sermons I have heard that I totally remember years and years later is one by a former pastor of mine.  His text was "This is MY story" and he proceeded to tell the story of his life--abbreviated of course as no one really wants long, long sermons.  😉 That day and every day I think of it since, I am blessed.   It made me think much about my own story.

One of my favorite gospel songs is "Blessed Assurance" and if you are familiar it goes "Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine".  The chorus goes like this:

This is my story, this is my song
Praising my Savior all the day long.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.

I encourage you, as I will do also, to keep on writing that story.  It needs to be read daily by others and used by you for encouragement.  So yes.....consider writing on......

HOLDING ON

The Grandbaby took her first steps last week.  Yes, two or three steps and that was all.  Yes, she can stand alone, rise from a floor sitting position without help, and even stand while waving her arms....but, no more steps alone.  She is insistent that someone hold her hands while she trots along.   It's is virtually impossible to pry her hands loose from mine.  She holds fast and strong.

A bit of her newfound temper showed itself the other day when The Great Aunt tried to entice her to walk her way alone.  The Grandbaby was having none of that.  She was even in the mindset of getting The Great Aunt's mind off of seeing her walk by giving huge hugs instead.  Oh, how quickly these little ones learn the "art"!

I'm often like The Grandbaby.  I often need hands to hold through the journey of life.  Hands that comfort, hands that guide, hands that just give support, or hands that love.  And just like all of our family is to The Sweet Grandbaby,  the Lord is right there ready to hold on tightly or catch me when I stumble while walking.  He stays THAT close, just like we do to The Grandbaby.

I am preparing for more surgery in a couple of weeks or so and have had quite a problem not dreading it.  Really, does anyone ever look forward to surgery?  I find that the Lord is helping me as I ask Him to by giving me these comforting thoughts of His presence and His control.  How blessed I am that I, like The Grandbaby, will have someone right there walking with me and holding my hand through my journey.  Yes, I know how to walk alone, but like The Grandbaby, I'd much rather hold hands while my feet move.

So I will hold on....you hold tightly, too!

TWO LITTLE WORDS

"What if".  Two little words that are a huge dish of food for thought.  "What if".  Of course my faithful blog readers will know that some life experience has prompted this thought with me.  And that would be the truth.

Last week The Husband and The Brother-in-Law took a fishing trip to Louisiana.  They were gone several days and had huge success fishing.  Here's a picture of only one day's successful catch.

No, I had no huge events while The Husband was away.  (I did say goodbye to my aunt as she moved up to glory before they left and her service was while they were gone.)   They arrived back home Sunday very early afternoon and the vacuum sealing began.  The Husband also brought back some bags of fresh shrimp so yes, we will be eating healthier for a while.  Blessed is the word that comes to mind.  The Husband put the fish in the garage freezer as it is the freezer we have that is oldest, biggest, and emptiest.  (Is emptiest a word?  Guess it is now.)

On Monday I got on my mind that I should make my Chicken Noodle Casserole and freeze it in two different pans for a couple of folks who were having surgery and could use it in the next week or so.  As I age, I'm trying to improve my organizational skills.  What if I became organized?  Wow.  A miracle in the making.  So I made the casseroles, cooled them, and packed them for the freezer.  I headed out toward the garage freezer to put them in and noticed some liquid red strawberry juice on the fish packs.  Insert big red flag here.  It seems the freezer was not freezing properly.  What if I had NOT done that good deed of making the casseroles to freeze?  Can you imagine the LOSS as I would not have known the freezer had become faulty.  My heart sank.  Granted some of the fish was hardening and it was all cold but those old colonoscopy popsicles in the door were mushy and some strawberries were beginning to thaw.  And yes, it was too late to go shopping for a freezer.  You might say why not call a repair man but the freezer was pretty old.  

As many of you know if you read regularly, one of my most used quotes is "No good deed goes unpunished" and I usually prove it's truth.  This time, however, I can say for sure that it's not always true.  Thankfully.

The Husband and I worked diligently to revamp the items in the carport freezer as well as the refrigerator freezer in the house enough to get the fish goods in there and frozen.  What a mess!   But, what if we hadn't found it?

I just get sick thinking of it.  Then I remember that feeling to make those casseroles which allowed me to know about the fault of the freezer and AVOID a loss.  Knowing me, I'm betting you think I think a higher power directed those thoughts?  Of course I do!  😊😊😊😊

I now have a new working cold freezer in the garage at a ridiculously cheap sale price so life is normal again.  Plus I had to do some cleaning out of the old to make room for the new so the freezers are better for the problem as well.

But those two little words....what if...can surely pack a punch.

What if I used every available minute in my day wisely?

What if I ALWAYS knew what I wanted to cook for dinner ahead of time?  (Another miracle that would be.)

What if my daily attitude was always positive?

What if I found the good in folks rather than the bad?  All the time.

What if I worry less?  Uh....

What if I dressed and looked really put together all the time?  I would be boring and uncomfortable.

What if I trusted the Lord more?  My life would be happier.

The list is endless.  And yes, as I type, my mind flies to other thoughts which I think will be more appropriate for other blog posts so I'll hold on to them.  Maybe I can remember them when I'm ready to write again.

So consider....until next time......

HANGING BY A THREAD

I spent yesterday at home.  Always when I have a day at home, I have great expectations for great accomplishments.  I actually felt like I succeeded yesterday.  At 10:15 a.m. I looked at the clock and thought, "Is it not lunchtime yet?"  I had put on a pot of beans for supper, cleaned out the refrigerator, been to my office and back, pondered writing a letter to the county commissioners about the horrid traffic issue they have created in our once-rural area, washed the car (which I had not physically done in about 5 years...that's why God made car washes), cleaned out both fireplace inserts, did three loads of laundry, washed outdoor porch chairs and washed front porch windows and doors.  Uh huh....me.  I did all that by 10:15 a.m.  After that, I took a shower and just enjoyed watching The Grandbaby for a couple of hours while The Girl went to the store.  Holding a sweet sleeping baby is beautiful rest for the weary.

While I was cleaning off the front porch, I noted many spider webs and a small wasp nest that was uninhabited.  I got my broom and intended to knock it down.  After many tries, I was unsuccessful even though I disabled it.  On closer observation, I noted it was hanging by a very small "thread" from the porch ceiling.  I got my camera to do a close up of it and got this picture....

I left it there just as it was but did google later to see how those little wasps make such a strong nest.  All my faithful blog readers will remember I did not score good grades in Science so Google helps.  Google said that wasps get wood from various places to put in their mouth with their saliva and their saliva kinds of gels the wood making it paperish.  (You should google yourself and read the whole thing.)   They find a nesting spot and put that mouth concoction on the spot and it hardens into this STRONG base.  Isn't that amazing?  I mean really.  The wasp is fairly small and it's mouth has to be very small and imagine the effort to make such a strong thread.  If the base is not secured, the nest will fall.  This nest on my porch did NOT fall even with lots of hard sweeping.  Granted by that time, my energy sweeping level had dwindled but I did try.   The picture is a close up....look at that narrow strong thread.

Of course these little natural things get me thinking about my spiritual things.  I hope my base or foundation is strong like these nests are.  I hope that I build with the kind of base that will endure through all kinds of adversities.

I never would have attempted to knock down this nest had wasps been in it.  You and I know how angry wasps can get when disturbed and the painful damage they can do.  That reminds me to be diligent in guarding my heart against danger and to stand firm when the enemy comes.

So with all that said to give you not a Bible lesson, but food for thought, when feel like you are hanging by a thread, be sure your thread is strong!

JUST A LITTLE THING

Last weekend my immediate family all went on various trips and I stayed home alone.  Now don't go feeling all sorry for me.  I was fine and actually fairly excited to have uninterrupted time to do some cleaning that had been needing to be done.  I will admit I had a long list and only marked off about a fourth of it but I stayed busy.  I didn't cook except for making a gluten free pasta salad for myself and a Marie Calendar's teriyaki chicken meal.  Well, I did make myself breakfast but how hard is it to warm some Canadian bacon, pour some egg whites from a carton into a pan, and pull a gluten free bagel out of the freezer and pop in the toaster?   Not very hard.

The Husband actually made the statement before he left that he hoped nothing bad occurred while he was gone.  I do have a reputation for that happening.  One year, the refrigerator died.  I bought him a new one while he was gone as the repair was excessive.  And how can my faithful blog readers forget two or three years ago when I was sequestered in my house because of a dangerous criminal that was in my neighborhood and tracked to my yard?  That was a really bad one and could have turned out wrong.  You may read that in my post of "SAFE" on June 25, 2014.

Anyways, during the time The Husband was away, I realized the trash compactor wouldn't compact when turned on unless I held the right side together.  The compactor is pretty old and we have determined that when it dies, we will just have a trash drawer so I was expecting it's demise while he was gone just because that's usually what happens.

So on Monday morning before The Husband's return on Monday afternoon, I decided to empty the trash bag in the compactor.  I left the clean bag out with a note that there was no bag.  I was going to babysit The Grandbaby and wanted to use the vacuum cleaner on the inside of the structure when I had the drawer pulled out.  The drawer was obviously in distress and very shaky on that right side.  

After I arrived back home, I got the vacuum cleaner and did the best I could.  Those compactors can get dirty fast and furious.  I noticed something in the left track of the drawer roller.  I tried to vacuum it out and it wouldn't come so I reached and pulled and pulled and it came out.  

Uh huh....an empty generic Splenda envelope.  Well lo and behold, I put the new compactor bag in and the compactor closed on the right side beautifully.  That little piece of paper envelope was keeping the track from operating properly.  With it removed, the compactor works exactly as it should and the drawer is straight.  Huh.

I got to thinking....isn't that how it is with life "things".  We allow the tiniest, smallest of things to clog up our track and mess up our joyful times.  I told myself I was going to be more careful of not only the generic Splenda packs but those little thoughts, actions, and traps of confusion that I tend to fall into--thinking I was getting all messed up when all it takes is a little "removal" of that little thing. Nope, it certainly doesn't take a big thing to mess with you.  I need to learn to hit the trash with these little trashy critters.

As I always wind up realizing when I know it already, God is always there to help me clean things up when they need cleaning up.  Believe me, no matter how hard I try, there's always some mess to clean up.  Know what I mean?  😁

And about that trash compactor, I thought had bit the dust....I'm kind of glad she's still in working order.  I would have missed her in my kitchen!  

Until next time...........