August 9-15, 2020 Caffeine Free, HOT, Robins, Caulk and Paint, Deck, Green Beans

 August 9-15, 2020 Caffeine Free, HOT, Robins, Caulk and Paint, Deck, Green Beans

Hello Friends!

This Sunday marked the 39th year anniversary of my father's death, always such a hard day.  It was such a hot and humid week we had to turn on the A/C and get a little break from the heat.  We don't keep it on long, but it sure does make a difference; especially when it's humid.  We have also been sleeping in the basement where it is cooler. I also managed to finally finish the weaning process and become caffeine-free and I didn’t have any chest pains this week!!!

Garden: We finally have enough green beans to start picking and eating! With the heat so bad I have had to do a lot of watering to keep everything happy and thriving. 

House:  I have still been caulking and painting the house.  Dh keeps having to go buy more caulk tubes and five-gallon bucks of the paints we are using.  We have one color for the house, one for the trim, one for the top of the decking floors, and another for the undercoating of the decking floors.  He has also had to buy a lot more wood to replace the oldest boards from our deck. The boards that are mostly sound he has flipped over to put the nice side on top.  We didn't expect the decking to be so much trouble!  Boy, were we wrong!  This is a big job!  He has lots more to do!

August 2-8, 2020 House Painting, Fried Green Tomatoes, Basement Walls, Hot Tub, Decking Repairs

 August 2-8, 2020 House Painting, Fried Green Tomatoes, Basement Walls, Hot Tub, Decking Repairs

Hello Friends!

It was a busy week-- I only had one migraine and two headaches, so that always means I get more accomplished.  Last week everyone in our family, EXCEPT US, went on vacation to North Carolina to stay in a house on Holden Beach.  This was kind of a hardship for us as the only family members that were really concerned about Dh's parents getting Covid 19.  They are in their 80's and it just didn't feel like the right decision to us, so we stayed home.  The last time they rented a beach house was something like 14 years ago, so it wasn't an easy decision!  It would have been a real treat, but we just stayed home and missed out on the fun for the sake of safety and caution.

Caffeine: I'm slowly weaning myself down from caffeine--a tiny bit less each day to avoid headache withdrawals.

Anniversary: This week marked the second year we've had our rescue dog, Henry!  I'd never even heard of an English Shepherd before him.  I sure do love our daily hikes in the woods!  He is such a great dog and adds so much joy to my life, especially now that Dd basically comes home to sleep, he has become my primary company...and such good company too!  

Fun Food:

This week we had our summer fun food---Fried Green Tomatoes!!!  Such a treat!!!  While we had the oil hot we went ahead and added another special treat of ours: Agadashi Tofu.

Hot Tub:

Dd and her boyfriend finished the electrical repairs on the hot tub.  They had their friends over a few times this week.  They seemed to really have a fun time.  

House: I have continued to paint and caulk the house. Dh has begun picking out the oldest pieces of decking and replaced those pieces with new boards.  I finished caulking the drywall on the basement walls and painted the walls. Lots of hard work going on.

Henry: Enjoying hiking with Henry each day, and fitting in pilates and yoga here and there.  

Dd didn't turn in any progress sheets this week, so she must still be on her summer break.  

July 26-Aug 1, 2020

 Hello Friends,

My migraines from last week continued on this week too.  On Monday I had my botox shots in my head that should bring some help in a few days.  You would think it would help right away, but I usually end up with at least a headache, if not a migraine the day of the shots and even the next day too.  The doctor and I discussed "biofeedback" and acupuncture as possible future treatment possibilities.  

Caffeine:

I think I forget to mention that the heart doctor told me to stop drinking caffeine to prevent those chest pains I've been having for years.  It is a major bummer, but I will follow his recommendations as the chest pains have continued even if they were less intense.

Bible Study: Seamless by Angie Smith

I'm enjoying our Bible study.  It was a bit odd b/c at the end of our meeting one of the ladies brought out a political form we *could* sign---some sort of political petition against our governor.  This really was a surprise to me.  I've never had someone bring political things to a church event before coming to Michigan.  The two churches I've attended here have done things like this, but in Indiana, it was very much not acceptable.  I like Indiana's philosophy better, to be honest!  Bringing politics and church together seems to invite division and that is never good!

Dentist:

Dd and I had our six-month cleaning this week.  My last old amalgam filing was looking old and the dentist wanted to keep an eye on it, but I asked if we could go ahead and remove it now since they aren't healthy to have anyway.  I love my dentist!  He is such a great dentist and that is so hard to find!

House Painting:

We have begun the epic endeavor to paint our house.  It hasn't been painted in years and the wood has deep lines in it.  We are filling in those crevices with outdoor caulking, tube after tube of caulk!  I'm excited about this project! We went to Lowe's and bought the tools and paint for the job. 

Dd didn't turn in any progress sheet, so I guess this was another vacation week.  She spent the night at Lexi's house.  On Friday night, Dd and her boyfriend worked on the hot tub and put in a new breaker box.  They spent hours working on their project.

July 19-25, 2020 Tomato Caterpillars, Heart Doc, House Painting, Migraines and Blueberry Pie

 

July 19-25, 2020

Tomato Caterpillars, Heart Doc, House Painting, Migraines and Blueberry Pie

 

Hello Friends!

It rained some this week and we sure needed it.  The garden is coming along but, I did see my first tomato caterpillar of the year.  I know once I see one there will be some more.  I’m enjoying my Bible study.

 

Heart and Vascular Appt:

I learned some more about Orthostatic Hypotension this week after speaking to a specialist.  Come to find out, I need to wear compression pantyhose NOT compression socks.  I also am supposed to drink Propel every day for the electrolytes.  The appt went well and it’s not such a bad thing.  He scheduled a stress test for my chest pains and to make sure there is nothing physically wrong with my heart.

 

Migraines:

I had four headaches and one migraine this week.

 

House:

Still lots of work on the house---caulk, caulk, caulk and paint, paint, paint.  I’m putting down at least two coats on each section before moving to the next section.  I’m glad I work well on tall ladders!  I did a lot of trim work this week; which looks great.

 

Dd:

She has been struggling with her hormones and work adjustments.  This week she had her BFF, Hailee, give her a perm and burnt a lot of her hair.  This is probably her worst hair failure so far in her life.  Poor kid!  Her hair is pretty fried!  I keep hoping she will get through all these hair experiments soon and move back to having beautiful natural hair.

Dd didn’t turn in any work for her academic progress this week.

 

July 12-18, 2020

Painted House, Migraines and Chest Pain, Toads and Praying Mantises About!

 

Hello Friends!

I don’t mention Dd nearly as much anymore as she is so busy with her friends and job at the pizza shop.  She spends as much time with her boyfriend as possible and I don’t see her very much.  This has been a big adjustment for me; one that I will be processing more than her, I think!  Even though I homeschool her that doesn’t mean she won’t go through the normal process of finding herself without me to find exactly who she is.

Garden:

Things are going well in the garden.  I’ve seen a lot of baby praying mantises in my garden!  We used to have pet mantises in Indiana so this is a welcome guest!!!!! Yay!  There are lots of toads around right now too.

 House:

I am up on a tall ladder to reach the top of the back of the house for caulking and painting. Dh sprayed the garage doors this week.

 Health:

On top of a chest attack I had two migraines and two headaches this week.  I had another episode of extreme chest pain from 12:30-12:55.  The pain woke me up in the middle of sleeping; it was so painful.  I called my doctor and asked for a referral.  I’ve been having these episodes since 2017 and decided to have it looked at again to make sure it isn’t anything serious.  The pain is off the scale and horrible to go through.

 Bible Study:

Bible study is going really well!  I love the material but not really connecting with the other ladies.  It doesn’t help that I am literally the only person there wearing a mask in J’s living room.  I feel and look like quite the outsider.  It is very uncomfortable, but I do so enjoy the study and discussion.

Chickens:

The flies are horrible and I’ve been throwing down lime on the coop grounds to help deter them.

 

Dd’s Progress:

Since I didn’t get any paperwork from Dd I am assuming she is on break.

July 5-11, 2020 Migraines, Painting House, Caulk, Flies, Compression Socks

July 5-11, 2020 Migraines, House Painting and Caulking, Flies, and Compression Socks

 

Hello Friends!

We had to finally, turn on the air conditioner some this week! So hot and humid.  One of my poor chickens got pneumonia; they really hate the heat.  I've taken her away from the others and set her up in my garage.  This whole week was so hot.

Church: We have been watching church online due to the pandemic.  We have also been enjoying watching some sessions from Andy Stanley on YouTube as well.  Andy always does such a good job!

House: Dh has been spray washing the house before I paint that section.  I think he enjoys spray washing!  Dh also bought a fancy paint sprayer to help with the house painting job.  He spent two days taping and papering all the windows on one side of our house so he could spray.  I would never say it out loud but in the time it takes to tape everything up I could have painted most of it!

Health: In seven days I had 3 migraines and 2 headaches.  I'm thankful for the new medication, Nurtec, but wish I didn't need it so much.

Garden: Japanese Beetles arrive...I begin my serious bug hunting season.  The garden is doing great.

Dd's Progress:

German: DuoLingo: 5 sessions for a total of 2:00 hours

Biology:Apologia: 5 sessions for a total of 2:40 hours

Physical Educations: Trips to Lake Michigan, and 6:40 hours of physical activity

 

June 28-July 4, 2020 Health, Painting house, Dentist

 June 28-July 4, 2020 

Health, Painting house Prep, Tree Work

Hello Friends!

Another week of cutting up and stacking the oak tree that fell last week.  I was so fortunate that a retired neighbor helped out day after day with his log splitter to get the wood small enough to move and stack.  I'm so thankful!!!  It took over a week to get the majority cleared, and some will just stay in the woods. 

Church: We continue to watch church online.  Dd watches with her boyfriend and Dh and I watch together.

Chickens:

I still have a sick red hen that is residing in the garage, although I do let her free range alone some.  

Garden: I'm still blanching and freezing greens as they amass.  I like the frozen greens for smoothies and the canned greens for soups.  I'll do the canning later in the season.  House: Dh has been power washing the house to prep it for painting.  I've been cleaning the gutters.

Hot tub: Dd and her boyfriend have been working on getting our hot tub up and running.  It was here when we moved in, but we hadn't had time to mess with it yet.  Dd's boyfriend is an electrician so he has decided to look into this project.

Health:

I don't know if I mentioned it yet or not, but I was diagnosed with Orthostatic Hypotension this summer.   I kept having dizzy spells when I'd stand up while gardening.  When I'm gardening I typically go up and down a lot to plant, weed... and I have been experiencing a lot more dizzy spells this year.  My doctor took my blood pressure three different ways and compared the readings; laying down, sitting, and then standing.  If your pressure changes 10-20 points in the various positions you have OH, but mine was thirty or forty points different.  It's hard to accept any health change when you think you are going along just fine and are healthy and then out of the blue, you get some weird random diagnosis.  I will see a specialist soon, but for now, I was told to order compression knee-high socks.  Still trying to figure out how much this will impact me.  I was told to keep hydrated and that would help, as well as adding salt to my diet.  I do sweat so much gardening and painting our house outside.  We generally don't turn on our air conditioner so I am underhydrated often.  I ordered a blood pressure machine to have at home so I can keep an eye on my numbers.  My problem is that my numbers are too low and I get dizzy.

 

Dd's Progress:

German: DuoLingo: five sessions- total of 1:10 hours

Biology: Apologia: 5 sessions- total of 2:40 hours

Farmhouse pizza: 4 shifts

Physical Activity: pizza shop and mowing (2 hours)

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June 21-27, 2020 Migraines, Greens, Huge Tree Down, Dh and Dd to Indiana

 June 21-27, 2020 

Migraines, Greens, Huge Tree Down, Dh and Dd to Indiana

Hello Friends!

We had our huge oak tree, at the end of our driveway, fall across our neighborhood street this week.  It took out multiple electric lines and caused the power to go out for all of us.  Luckily, a few neighbors came to help with their chainsaws and axes.  This project took up a lot of my time for many days to come as the tree was enormous.  The worst part was that I was fighting migraines all week, but since neighbors kept coming out to help each day I had to work too; since they were working on 'my' tree.  Dh came home early the day it fell and we were able to clear the road so the neighbors behind me could drive in and out once again! Lots of branches all over the place, but we can drive on our road at least!

Trip to Indiana:

Dh, Dd, and her boyfriend took a trip down to Indiana to see family this week.  Dd wanted her boyfriend to see more of her family and invited him to come.  We bought him a room at the inn so he could go along for the trip.  They stayed at the Spring Mill Inn and had a really great time.  My garden needed my attention so I didn't go.

Garden:

  This week my greens were ready for harvesting.  I decided to blanch and freeze as much as I could.  I think I froze 8 gallons of processed greens for the winter.  That doesn't sound like much, but once you blanch greens they shrink down something like 80 percent.  I froze spinach, kale, and swiss chard.  

Chickens:

The flies this week have been horrible and are pestering the chickens.  I am working hard trying to keep their pen as clean as possible.

Hiking with Henry:

I'm still enjoying my daily walks with Henry in the woods.  This is my favorite activity and blessing each week.  So thankful for the woods and a great dog!

Bible Study:

The summer Bible study is: "Seamless" by Angie Smith. This is my second time with this study, but it has been two years, so it will be a great re-do. 

Dd's Progress:

German: DuoLingo: 4 sessions of 30 min. each

Biology: Apologia: 1:30 hours 

Physical Exercise: Tree clean up, hike at Spring Mill, and working at pizza shop x2

Trip to Indiana, family reunion, and new experiences.

                

June 14-20, 2020 Painting Deck, Flooring in Stairwell, Garden, Pruning, Watering

 June 14-20, 2020 

Painting Railing, Flooring in Stairwell, Garden, Pruning, Watering

Hello Friends!

It was a hot week!  I spent at least an hour each morning on just watering the garden!  What a lot of time used just standing around.  I do manage to weed and tend to the garden while doing it.  But, I'm getting lots of greens each day for my smoothies and salads.  I went to visit my friend, Teresa (from my last Bible study group) to see her garden and chat.  It is always SO interesting seeing how other people do their gardens!!!

Stairwell:

Dh completed putting down the hardwood flooring in the landing of the stairs going to the basement.  It was a complicated job for various reasons, but he kept figuring until he got it right.

Painting Railing:

This week I went back to the job I did all last summer---painting the deck, railing, and support boards outside/around our house.  This is a big job and each summer it looks a little better.  To paint the posts around the pool (to the upper deck) I had to prune the bushes at their base; which turned into a really big job!  After getting some new blisters I brought out my small chainsaw and went to town!  What a difference this job made in how our bottom deck looks like!  

Bible Study:

I'm really enjoying my study time for my summer study group, but we are having some trouble with the meeting because people are discussing political things and I'm feeling the odd vibes about me wearing a mask.  It is really interesting how our area is on the line between city folks and country folks and there is an invisible clash between the Fox News versus the CNN crowds.  It is so sad that sometimes, even in a Bible study, this political climate infiltrates all areas of our lives.

Health:

No headaches or migraines, but I've been struggling with dizzy spells and low blood pressure.

Dd's Academic Accomplishments:

This week Dd agreed to go on a hike with Henry and me!  We went to the new bridges put up across the river and it was beautiful!!!  What a highlight for me!  I love hiking and being outside and it was so nice to share some nature with Dd.

German: DuoLingo: 30 x 5 = 2:30 hours

Apologia Biology: 30 x 3, 45 x 2 = 2:45 hours

Physical Exercise: 5:15 hours

June 7-13, 2020 Summer Bible Study, Mower Troubles, Stairs, Hallway Flooring

 June 7-13, 2020 

Summer Bible Study, Mower Troubles, Stairs, Hallway Flooring

 

Hello Friends!

This week went well-- a very summery week where I accomplished a lot.  We ate really well this week too!  We had chicken pot pie, taco salads, blueberry pancakes (scratch/GF), GF peanut butter cookies, chicken strips, and chicken curry salad with grapes (all from scratch).  It was a good food week!  

Garden:

It's "garden season," so lots of watering and weeding this week.  I try to get out first thing in the morning before it gets too hot and sunny.  I'm focusing on doing second, third, fourth plantings of spinach and greens this year so I can eat my greens (and freeze/can my greens) for longer than I have in the past.  I've really improved in this area and have really stretched out my greens season.  I'm still transplanting flowers around the yard now that I know what will grow better is specific places and what didn't do well last year in those other places.  I'll figure it out eventually through trial and error!  I love flowers so it is well worth the effort!

Chickens:

My sick red hen kept getting sicker throughout the week until she finally died---so frustrating not being able to give my chickens antibiotics without finding a vet that will see hens.  My vet doesn't do chickens so I can only try to help with sunshine, love and good food.

Bible Study:

I wish I wasn't the only person in the group that wears a mask...but, I have to do what I think is best for me and my family.  I'd hate to give my Dh Covid!

Health:

Whenever I do too much I always take a hit physically and this week was very active!  I had two migraine days but was able to find easier things, like Bible Study or hiking with Henry at a slower pace, to keep moving forward.  Wednesday's migraine was bad enough I couldn't take Henry out in the woods, but I was able to every other day--despite the fact that the mosquitoes are in mass right now.

Hallway Flooring:

I was able to work alone and get the hardwood flooring laid in the hallway this week!  I didn't put in the last pieces where it connected to the front of the house; Dh did that technical intersection.  I was proud of all the flooring I was able to do by myself this week!  It is great to see some progress with this old house!  

Dd's Academic Accomplishments:

German: DuoLingo: 30 x 5, 10 x 1 = 3 hours 40 minutes of study

Apologia Biology: 45 x 3, 30 x 2 = 3 hours 15 min

Physical Exercise: 1:00 x 4, 30 x 1 = 4 hours 30 min

Sewing/ Home Economics./ Fiber Arts: 5:00 hours
Dd sewed a face mask--I think this was her third one?  She also sewed a dress.  It is amazing how naturally she does her domestic activities like sewing, cooking, and baking.  I've always struggled with those areas.

Physical Education:  Dd tried to mow this week, but the wheel kept falling off.  She found the nut that had fallen off in the yard after I joined the rescue mission, but it came a second time. She got frustrated and stopped, so I finished up the job with three wheels.  I'd give her 45 minutes of P.E. for this task.