Books by the old Leather Chair

  • Snow In The Summer
  • My Bible
  • The Power of Silence
  • What Comes Next and to Like It
  • Encore Provence
  • A Year in Provence

Saturday, August 30, 2014

Checking In

I am not a television person
and do check the weather and news at dawn each morning.
Much is so depressing and realize more and more the issues
I am dealing with at this time of life are nothing compared to what is
going on world wide.
Have finally cleared 2 desks of much mail and clutter, keeping home organized
but garden is full of weeds.   A school boy is helping once a week
after school and most now under control.
Have found many who say they will help when I have an emergency
do not show :(
Trip to the market this morning and purchased a rotisserie chicken just off the grill.
Will make a big salad, add some black grapes, tomato, avocado and cucumber.
My one big squash plant is still producing and turnip greens are growing and I will be able to
pick a serving next week.
The tobacco barns are smoking, love the scent and always a reminder of Fall.
Corn in front of cottage will probably be cut in about 2 weeks and once again will be able to see the distant road.
My girls are all busy with their schedules this weekend and seems traveling soccer is always going on.
Looking forward to my favorite New York Times in the morning.

So this one is better
but not where she was months ago.

That's alright because I realize more and more
that my time left on earth is a gift from God
and want to use it wisely.  Will just keep moving and doing all I can.

My pleasures are so simple at this time of life,
my books, writing, gardening, flowers (outside and a plant is in every room of this cottage), cooking,  healthy food.  Must have a mango every other day, yogurt, tea
and a treat of Lavender hand lotion and soap, and
hearing from children and grandchildren so I know all that is going on in their lives.
They are busy and just the way it is suppose to be at this time of their lives.

So at the moment it is starting to rain
and temperature will drop.
Settled in for the weekend
and thank you to all who thought of me....

Enough said......

Friday, August 15, 2014

Visitor

A welcome visitor early this morning.
I remember her well almost 40 years ago
singing in the choir every Sunday Morning.
I remember her pretty young daughter
who I have never seen without a smile on her face.
She soon caught the eye of a local farmer and they were married.
She recently retired from our local newspaper
and now enjoying all the things she loves to do and
many of them represented things I enjoyed doing

I always wanted goats, she has goats and makes the most wonderful soap.
Wrote about it in the past.  Her home is surrounded by flowers, vegetables,
chickens and acres of rich farmland.

She brought me a small cantaloupe, tomatoes, some cookies she made this morning,
and 2 bars of her wonderful handmade soap
Green Tea and Ginger
and Goats Milk and Oatmeal.

http://lanasherbalsoaps.com/

Image of granddaughter of one
who gave my Jamie piano lessons
years ago
holding baby goat...


I will  share some plants with her next Spring.
Her parting words "please be careful and keep phone and cane close by"
and I do....

Weather in my area is beautiful
with cool mornings and sunny days.
Planted turnip green seeds yesterday...


Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Words

Thankful for so many reaching out to me on my journal and email.
You are all good and
have such good hearts....
I am proud to call you my online friends.
Need to share with you.

After writing my previous post
a severe arthritis flare up is what I am told happened.
Several trips to ER for pain and after blood work was given a shot of morphine.
Test, ex rays and beyond, this one went through.
Cortisone shots in shoulders.
Taking something at this time to ease coming out of this nightmare.
That really has been creeping up on me all year.

Do I laugh
when results were shared
that I am really quite healthy.
Bones, organs and all that is flowing through my body.

But I am one petite lady filled with arthritis and inflammation.
at least that is what I was told.
My body experienced something like every muscle, tissue and bone was with pain
nothing like I have experienced.
Nothing was left out
and have to say it made me super angry and was repeated told to calm down.
but  did not like the visit this monster made.
Told probably  will happen again
Will continue to do everything in my power to keep it away
but  will have to take medication for inflammation
I evidently have lost.
Cannot rely just on diet, meditation, yoga, being good and living in this nature that surrounds me.

Sometimes I feel like an impostor.
I type away and share
and all sounds delightful
the family, writing, simpler lifestyle and beauty of nature which surrounds my daily life,
the super good, super bad, in between and now Heaven. This long life has a lot of  memories which at times without being invited
surface, you have to be aware of how sneaky they are and stop them in their tracts.
Because family and friends read my sharing
I truly have to be careful with my words.
it is the wise thing to do.

Through this health experience, once again it has shown me who is always there with
just the right concern and special words, old friends and some new ones  - and those that you wish in many ways were
different and not so casual and I can no longer welcome those who
continue to cause me pain into my life.
By welcoming them
I am punishing myself and I have done enough of that.
 There is not much time left
to experience all the joy, love and peace that I want to saturate my being..
There are so many good people with good hearts that are a part of my life at this time.

  My girls and grand girls who live in the big city
spent last weekend with me.
Needless to say they are a joy....
Frequent calls from son far over the ocean and daughter in another state
and those special grown grandchildren with magnificent careers
that I still think of as 12 years old.

So I will continue to heal, accept all and be more protective of the time I have
left on this planet.

Every health professional I came in contact with were proof of angels and they appeared
everywhere with their kindness and encouraging words

So many blessings
Going to visualize myself as a snail or a turtle
they are never in a hurry
as each day unfolds.

God Is Good

and as each day unfolds
I just know that there I will be typing
a lot soon and camera will always be close.

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Gardening A New Way and Correction

CORRECTION

Before I begin this sharing
I noticed yesterday reading my post about building and moving
the date was way way off :)
corrected it.

GARDENING A NEW WAY

I miss my garden plot of the past and must have a few fresh home grown items.
 Because I am 1500 feet off a country road
with a corn field as my front view,
tucked among my shrubs in front are
a zucchini plant and yellow squash,
one of each planted as an experiment and they
provide this one all she needs for her plate.
The zucchini plant has provided 10 cartons in the freezer for bread
and maybe more to come:)
Yellow squash has not been a disappointment
A new area I am hoeing a little every morning to prepare for turnip greens and turnips which
will be planted next week.  Just a few seeds, wait 2 weeks and plant more
and then in another 3 or 4 weeks the rest of the package.  This is by my deck, sunny area part
of the day.
So far 4 plants moved to this area in the Spring are doing well.
Tomato plant, green onions, lettuce and herbs in pots did well.
Chives, dill, sage, mint continue to volunteer yearly.

Next Spring will experiment with a few more items.

Noticed today
a lot of butterfly's
it seems later for them
but then
nothing is like it use to be.

Friday, August 1, 2014

South African Rooibos Tea and Organic Turmeric Ginger Tea

A lot of tea is enjoyed
by this one,
Green tea, Chamomile, White tea, Ginger, Earl Gray and many others.

South African Rooibos Tea
is new to me
and for the life of me
I cannot remember where I heard about it.
Might have been on Dr. Oz
when I think of it I will watch. (and I am not a television person.)

 Rooibos tea has a different taste, needs nothing to sweeten.
a crimson red color
and has a lot of health benefits.
Discovered a number of benefits when I did research.

The next time I have difficulty falling asleep
(which is frequent at this stage of life) I will make a cup.
Chamomile used frequently and may replace it with this new tea.

Recently brewed a cup and poured over ice
and was so good, did not need anything to make it sweeter
and I may replace my Southern ice tea that I drink daily
 with this tea because it needs no sugar.
Sugar is one of my addictions
and trying to cut way back :)

The only tea I ever sweeten
is the Southern ice tea that can always be found
by the 1/2  gallon container in my fridge.
This tea is sweet because it has an addition of  orange and pineapple juice
plus sugar.   Often add a slice of lemon and orange to the glass.

Have noticed this summer that my two youngest granddaughter's
like this tea. I smile because never thought at their age
they would enjoy tea.  When I ask "do you want milk" they reply
"no grandma I will have tea like your drinking."

This post written several days ago
and in the mail just received
"Organic Turmeric Ginger" green tea.
I had never heard of it before
and it was ordered from
a company with the name
"The Republic of Tea."

Turmeric and Ginger both good for inflammation.
Will try this soon...