My New Blanky, Some Flowers and Blue Apron Invite

Hi there everyone. Welp......it's the last day of August....someone please tell me, where has this month gone????? Remember that song that Frank Sinatra sang...."and the days dwindle down, to a precious few...September, November....."  Now what was the title to that song. Always think about it this time of the year, fall is in the air. 

Well as you can see, I bought my new blanky at Shopko. It was a $50 blanket and I got it for $21...not a bad price. Kylie likes it very much as it is soooo soft and cuddly. I love the color.

Here are some flowers I picked to sit on my table....pretty huh?? Oh and some zinnias too.

These are my volunteer Brown eyed Susans......they love coming back every year in different places of my garden. I wish I could get them to grow in my back yard....but I guess there is too, too much shade back there.

This is my second planting of petunias....the first crop died out and these petunias came free to us. So, wah-lah a new place to grow.

Three days (9/3) till my hernia operation....I have to be at the hospital at 5:30 am....uge, not looking forward to this little field trip at all. You would think I would be used to this after going through two cataract eye surgeries (July 22 and Aug 5), but no, I am not. Fear of the unknown grips my spirit. I would like to have that peace that passes all understanding....the kind of peace that Jesus gives, not what the world gives. Although I cannot say there is much peace in this world, so yeah, I will take the peace that Jesus gives any day or hour.

I have some good news.....Blue Apron (here is their site) just gave me 3 free invitations to invite 3 friends to try out Blue Apron. You will receive 3 free meals with meat, vegetables, spices and directions that come in a refrigerated box with ice on the bottom. It is delivered to your front door and you can start cooking one of the meals that night. I have already invited one blog friend, so I have 2 invitations left.

I really like this concept...as I am trying new foods and spices that I would not otherwise buy at the store....because I did not know how to use it or make it. One of the previous meals called for coconut rice...man that was good and the chicken stir-fry that topped the rice was delish.....JP wanted a second helping and so did I.

Another item I liked and have actually found at the store after much hunting was Polenta. I have seen the rolls of polenta, but not the kind you make yourself. I might make that tonight with the pulled pork I made the other day.....sounds like a tasty meal.

So if you are interested in receiving a box of free food from Blue Apron (again here's the site) please leave a comment, saying you would like to try this out. Even if you are not  interested....still leave a comment. The only stipulation I have is that I must know you and you are a regular visitor to my blog....oh and you like to cook for your family.....thank you. I will email you to get your email address, then send it on to Blue Apron and they will contact you for your address and when the best delivery date is. I think this is so nice of them.

There are two other Companies that do this, "Plated" and "Hello Fresh" Have not heard the reviews of Hello Fresh....but Plated I have. I think I will stick with Blue Apron....thank you again.

Well, guess I will close here for now, you have a great day and keep looking up.....yes, I am trying to do that too!!
Cheers ~ Louise

42 Years & Counting

Hi there everyone....how is your day going? Today we celebrated 42 years of marriage. We did not do anything....nope, not this time around. Guess I am not in a celebrating mood. I thought I was going to buy a cake at Walmart, but decided not to. I have not even made a card, what's up with that????

I guess it is mostly because I am facing hernia surgery next week and tomorrow I have to have a CT scan....so maybe my heart is not in this right now. Maybe after the surgery and recovery I can think about doing something special.

Here is a picture of JP and I at "Red Lobster" (thus the bibs) celebrating our 37th anniversary in 2010. The waitress took this picture of us....looks like happy times to me. Oh and the food was delicious too. No, don't remember what it was.

This picture was taken at Christmas time, looks like Kylie is pretty young there and maybe I was still working as a merchandiser, my last year of working was 2010. So maybe this picture was taken in 2006 or '07.

This picture was taken maybe about 3 years ago (2012) there abouts. Not sure if it was around one of our anniversaries or not....just one of the few times we went on a boat for a fun day.

Ummmm.....guess we don't take a lot of pictures of ourselves, as you can see. Too bad I did not date these pictures...my camera now dates pictures I take....but not then.

Well, I guess that is about it for now.....I have to get ready to make JP's dinner and maybe make a fast card. I need to go to bed soon
because I have to get up early to leave for the hospital tomorrow morning about 6:15am....uge, I am not an early rising person, so this will be tough. If you think about me tomorrow morning and on September 3rd, I would appreciate your prayers.

Have a great day and keep looking up. Cheers ~ Louise

Some Blue Apron Meals & A Warm Cuddly Blanket

Hi there everyone. Hope you are having some nice cool fall days.....it sure does feel like fall out there. I am starting to pull up some plants that are dying out.....gosh, I may  even put some things away for the winter....less to do for fall clean up, I guess.

I am not exactly sure where the spring and summer went to...but it sure went by fast. Must be the older we get the faster time goes by and as the Bible says, "we are all but a vapor" and vapors or puffs of smoke don't last long, do they?!?!?!

Today I am going to show you some of the meals I have made with my "Blue Apron" meals that I have so far received. Here is the link to Blue Apron if you would like to check it out. So below are 5 meals....not sure what happened to the sixth one....must not have taken a picture of it for whatever reason.

In the above picture is the "Chicken Milanse with Summer Corn, Cherry Tomato and cucumber salad. I liked the way the chicken was made and have already bought some panko breadcrumbs to make this again. The chicken was dunked in flour, then a mustard/water mixture then into panko crumbs and fried in olive oil. Very tasty.

In this picture is the "Cod and Miso Soba Noodles with multicolored Cherry Tomatoes and Eggplant." JP liked this meal as he is a "Cod-fan" Me not so much. I am also not caring for the eggplant either. This dish was just okay in my taste pallet.

In this above picture is "Summer Ratatouille and Parmesan Polenta with Heirloom Eggplant and Garlic-Cheese Toasts" a really yummy meal. Polenta, which was an interesting dish to make. I shall be looking for Polenta in the store now....hopefully I can find it. Again there was eggplant in this dish, not my favorite. Zucchini would be my choice. The garlic bread is always luscious!!!

NOW this was really a good meal...."Spiced Meatballs with Garlic Toasts and Summer Squash Salad" The recipe says, spiced meatballs served in a warming tomato sauce are a North African specialty. One of the defining features is a hint of lemon. The salad included green olives, mint, lemon, Parmesan cheese and the squash. The meat balls were really tasty. Yes, I would make this again.

OH YUM....I made this last night and JP wanted a second helping. I was hoping to have enough to freeze for a meal while I am convalescing after surgery......but nope, not this meal. This meal is a "Stir-Fried Ginger-Basil Chicken with Tinkerbell Peppers and Coconut Rice." The coconut rice was made with a coconut milk powder that was mixed with water then added to the rice to cook. Need to look for this product for sure. The stir fry had such a good sauce...we both enjoyed it immensely. Most definitely will have to make this dish again.

Tomorrow will be my final visit to the eye Doctor to check my eyes....I have 6 more days of drops....it's be a long hard haul....but I am almost done. I shall celebrate by buying a warm cuddly purple blanket I saw the other day at Shopko. Oh my, it was so soft, I could see myself cuddled up in it during those long cold nights....it's on my list to buy, SOON like this week!!! 

Also tomorrow, I will be making a dish that will be coming in my Blue Apron box on September 3rd...the day of my surgery. I told JP to just put all the food in the fridge....hopefully in the following week I will be able to cook a little.

The recipe is called "Tomato & Goat Cheese Pie with Sweet Pepper and Basil." I have lots of tomatoes and basil from my garden, bought the goat cheese and pepper and will buy a pie crust tomorrow. So, I am all set. Hopefully I will be able to freeze some too. I did make some lasagna soup on Saturday....I should try and freeze a couple of containers there. That's if JP has left some in the pot.

I made him a rhubarb/strawberry pie on Saturday....I am surprised there is still some left. He is slacking a little.

Well, time to close here, don't want to wear you out and make you hungry with all my ramblings. Have a great couple of days and keep looking up. Cheers ~ Louise

Doctors and Mini Vacations

Hi there everyone. Wow....can't believe where the time has gone....a whole week has past. Oh well, I guess you might say, I have been vacationing, if only minute vacations on Pinterest is about all I can manage for now.

I have been busy though....visited my Doctor on Tuesday. He did blood test and urine test. Everything was normal and my A1c is 7.0.....yay, I guess that means I am learning to control the diabetes. I also wanted to talk to my Doctor about something that has been bothering me. It seems I have a hernia and that, apparently is what has been causing a lot of my sickness once a month or even twice a month.

Today I went to a specialist in Hernias. And yes, I will be needing surgery. Next week I will have a CAT scan, the Doctor will then know exactly where the hernia is. She will preform the Robotic surgery making 4 incisions and putting mesh in....sounds amazing to me. If it helps me not to have that awful pain, nausea and throwing up, I will face my fears of an operation. The operation will be September 3rd.....if you think about me that day please pray for me. Thanks. I will be out of commission for at least 2 weeks, no lifting, housework, driving, etc. Hopefully I can have all my errands done and food cooked in the freezer for JP to eat. He likes his beans, oat meal and chicken soups....easy to make in the micro-wave.

I should add...this hernia is a result of the operation I had in 1986. I had a bleeding ulcer, the Doctors operated to try and stop the bleeding. The nerves were cut in my stomach, the spleen was accidentally touched and started to bleed and that was taken out. I have  a long incision from the breast bone to the belly button. It seems that the walls around the stomach weakened over the years and the hernia appeared...it actually started to bother me back in March of 2014...I would get pain, nauseousness and throwing up. Always clutching my stomach. One good thing out of this....I have lost almost 40 lbs since last October....so hopefully I can lose a few more before the operation. The Doctor said.....good job, this will help a lot.

My minute vacations took me to the Galapagos Islands.

Greece

Bora Bora, Polynesia

Fiji Islands

 

I shall feast my eyes on these beautiful pictures and just dream. Minute vacations will have to do for now.

 

 

I have my final post-op checkup for my eyes this Tuesday....putting drops in my eyes ends in 8 more days....just in time for me to start the next phase of my life and a new month of surgery on the hernia. Yes, this has been quite the year of trials and tribulations....I think I need a rest from all this though.....like maybe a vacation someplace...don't you think??? I guess for now I will have to settle for my mini vacations on Pinterest.....it's cheaper.

 

 

Well, time to close here...keep looking up and take care of those you love. Cheers ~ Louise

Another Eye Update

Hi there everyone.....this is just a short update on the eyes. Went to the 2nd post op on my left eye today. The nurse had me read the letters on the wall......I could read the very last line and she said "WOW, we have to give you an award....your vision in the left eye is 20+1!!!!" When the Doctor came in....he said I had the eye of a Hawk and that my left eye must be the dominate eye......yeah, I said, my eye must be bionic!!!! He was very pleased that my eyes are doing so well.

He asked me if my eyes were feeling dry and I said yes. He put something in my tear duck that would cause my eyes not to dry....forgot what he called it. But he has it in his eyes and all his nurses too....so I thought, why not....so far, so good. No dry eyes and they feel comfortable. Remember when you used to wear contacts and the eyes felt gritty? Nope, does not feel that way now.

 

I have one more Post op appointment on the 25th of August....I told Dr. Neilitz that I would miss seeing him.....he for sure, has to be my favorite Doctor of all time. A very nice man who made me feel like I was his only patient.....very good bed-side manners. Yes, I will definitely miss him. Although I do have an appointment with him again January 7th, 2016!!! A lot can happen between now and then.

 

Well, the Green Bay Packers played the Patriots in New England. Yay for the Packers they won!!! 22 to 11!!! 

 

Well, time to close this blog....hopefully I will have more news this week-end. JP's family is coming for a visit and we will be going out to eat. Have a great weekend, talk to you all later and keep looking up. Cheers ~ Louise

UPDATE: On the Eyes & A Smile

Hi there everyone. How is your day going? Thought I would give you an update on the eye surgery I had on Wednesday. Everything went well....yes, I was still a bit nervous and my blood pressure was up a bit. The nurse asked me, "am I anxious?" Why, yes, I guess I am....hard not to be. After all, I am having surgery.

After the surgery, I was surprised that my Left eye was still a bit blurry. When I got home, I sat down in the lazy boy and konked out for 3 hours. I should have put drops in my eyes when I got home....but sleep took over first. About 1:00pm I finally put drops in my eyes, things were still blurry. I called the Doctor's office to find out what the problem was. The Doctor was emailed and had the nurse call me back to say....."that was normal, not to worry." Okay.....I shall not worry.

When I went in yesterday for the Post-op appointment.....the Doctor checked my eyes and said the Left eye was just a little swollen and should be fine by Friday or Saturday. He said that every eye is different and each one reacts differently. Eyes are like snowflakes....everyone is different.

As my Right eye did not react like this, and everything was clear right away....I just figured the Left eye would do the same. After all.....both eyes are in the same head......right??? Nope....the Left eye had to be different and act up. But now...the second day after surgery I can say that the film that was over my eye, is gone and everything is clear.

The next problem I faced was...I could not read....everything was a blur, I could not read anything on the computer, could not read my drops-chart to see which drops to put in my eyes....uge, I had to use a magnifying glass....if that was not frustrating, I don't know what is.

Doctor gave me a pair of reading glasses to try on....2.50 in strength and handed me a chart to read.....oh my goodness, I could read!!! I was so happy....my next appointment is on the 13th of August for another check-up on the eyes. My finale post-op appointment is the 25th of August.

After the appointment, JP and I stopped off at Shopko.... yes, I bought a new pair of reading glasses and a new pair of sunglasses. I spent $31.....that sure is a good price, considering I don't have to buy glasses that could run maybe $100 not including the lenses. Yes, I think this Cataract surgery is quite the miracle from God!!!

Here is a smile for you and for me.....yes.....take some fat too!!!!

Everyone needs a friend who understands.......

I got this picture from Patty.....yep that could be me someday.....gosh, she looks comfy...look at her using an I-pad...I need one of those.....someday.

So yeah.....have a great weekend and a Happy Saturday too. Keep looking up! Cheers ~ Louise

Laying Low Until Wednesday

Hi there everyone. So yeah, I am laying low until Wednesday. That will be my second cataract eye surgery. I am looking forward to it....finally will see clearly from both eyes. It has been sort of weird these last couple of weeks looking out my eyes....one eye is clear the other blurry. As I do this post, I have to lean in to see what I am typing....maybe I shall have to get reading glasses to see what I am typing next.

Been doing the drops in both eyes now and have not really been into much of anything else. I have a dozen and one things to do...but don't feel like doing anything. Seems my get up and go has got up and went.....someplace other then with me. Oh well, hopefully things will get better in a few weeks.

So following are a few pictures I took of the flowers in the front of the yard, sitting on the porch and zooming in. My moss roses and asylums....aren't they sweet.

In this picture is my black eyed Susan's....they volunteered to grow there....so I just let them do their thing.

Not sure what these purple little flowers are....someone gave us the plants about 3 years ago and they have come back year after year along with the weeds.

Just a little closer look at the moss roses......I rather like these guys.....even though I planted some new plants this spring....I noticed that the moss roses from last year volunteered to grow this year. I like their spirit!!!!

So here is a picture of Kylie. She loves being on the porch and looking out past the porch posts.....her favorite thing to do besides going for walks. Tomorrow Kylie gets to go to the Groomer for her shower and shave.....she is not too happy about going....but when I pick her up.....my goodness, is she ever happy. First of all, cause I came back to get her and secondly.....she feels really good.

The one thing that is hard is those 6 hours she is gone....it is so quiet in this house, it's just not a home without her.

Well, time to close....if you think about it....please pray for me on Wednesday morning, about 8am is the surgery.....I would appreciate it. Cheers ~ Louise