Saturday Morning on the Homestead

It is a beautiful morning here.  Couldn't be better.  Except for me and my failings.  Sniff.

This week, after having done (imho) so well with my diabetes control....fell off the wagon.  I have found that as long as I exercise almost every day, I can eat a bit of sweets and not have it affect my blood sugar levels much.  All has been going well.  And then this week.....no exercise. No Wii Fit, one time on the treadmill, much hanging around the house.  And no cutting back on the carbs to correspond with my lack of exercise.  So, last week my fasting numbers were in the 104-111 range, the last few days they have been 126, 128,124, and we won the prize today with 130!

So, I got off my butt, slid the Wii board out from under the loveseat, and ran/stepped/boxed with my Mii.

Are Wii and Mii supposed to be capitalized???

Anyway, here is my strange dichotomy.  I have done great with my Bible study this week.  Got up every day and really studied and wrote.  I am using a new way I learned last weekend at True Woman 2012.  Priscilla Shirer gave a teaching on the 5 Ps of Bible Study (Pore over it, Ponder it, Paraphrase, Pull out the spiritual principles, Plan obedience) that has revolutionized my time in the Word.  It is supposed to be 10-15 minutes,  1-2 verses a day.  Of course, I get carried away and spend about 30 minutes, then I text what I wrote to my friend Julie who was with me.  I am in James, she began with Titus.

But......by the time I get done it is time to feed the cats, get the kids up, they want breakfast...then we start school, with our family Bible study and prayer time.  The next break I have is at lunch, and I want to a)eat and b)read.  Afternoon is spent finishing school, housework, laundry, working on stuff for our business (the accounting never ends!), besides the myriad of other things to do - then fix dinner.  After dinner, finish folding laundry, read science for the co-op I teach, bedtime reading, get my own shower in...and I am done, it is 10:30 and all I want to do is check my email, play Words with Friends, and read three pages before I fall asleep.

Obviously, this system needs some tweaking.  But, it is all a growing process, and overall, things are going well.

So, if you think about it, pray for me, that I will keep it simple, that I will keep my focus on my priorities, and that I will seek wisdom from the Lord in every aspect of my life.

And here, a few pictures of autumn on the homestead:

The garden, still lush-looking, but settling down for the fall.  Nevin replaced the wildflowers with mums.  The huge green plants to the left-center are sweet potatoes.  This is our first year with them.  Queen Esther is front-right.  

Hunter the Tomcat in his tree.  He is just a little over a year old, and has turned into a beautiful  fellow.  

Support Comes From All Around Me

Last night I attended my first Diabetes Support group.  It was pretty much what I expected, though it was more of a "class" and less "discussion" oriented. It was very similar to the sort of teaching I am getting from Joan, my Diabetes Instructor from Kick Diabetes - St. Louis.  We had a workbook of scenarios, dealing with nutrition, medication, feelings, exercise, etc. and had to get into pairs, read the "word problem" and then answer questions about what we thought the person needed to do.  My partner and I had "hypoglycemia", which is low blood sugar.  I have not experienced this in my brief diabetes journey, and my partner was a nurse who was observing the class as part of her continuing education.  So.....I think we did pretty well, but I did note that our information was strictly theoretical.

I keep thinking I am outside of the norm for Type 2.  Joan told me I was "the skinniest newly-diagnosed Type 2" she'd ever met (bless her!!) and last night I was definitely the youngest person in the room.  Maybe not by much, but the next youngest were in their 50s with grandchildren, and there were a lot of ladies my moms' age.  Everyone was very welcoming, and I do plan to go back.  Next month we are meeting at Schnucks and then going through the store and learning how to shop.  My initial thought was, "I am NOT doing this!  And I already know how to read labels."  But you know what - I need to do this.  I thought I knew how to read labels and Joan showed me some things I didn't know.

I see it as a defect of character that I always think I already know so much.  When I went to Weight Watchers four years ago I thought I already knew it because I had had gestational diabetes three times and had to learn to do meal plans, food journals, read labels, etc.  Now I think I know it all from the incredible combined knowledge of that and Weight Watchers.  And you know what?  A lot of what I "know" is wrong.  Or has changed.  Nutrition science moves forward, constantly.  The things I learned about food exchanges in 1998 when I had my first son are not the same as they are now.

Be Teachable - that is a good theme for life.

Yesterday I got a letter from a Christian sister who is in prison.  I will give more info later when I have time, but for now, just know that Michelle is saved, and she is leading Bible studies and ministries within the confines of a womens' state penitentiary.  The Big House, as it were, not one of the little jails.

It would be very easy for me, as a good church woman (and deacon's wife, have I mentioned that? Don't forget I used to teach Sunday School, too) to feel that my years of church experience and Bible exposure put me in the position of being somehow "more" Christian than this lady who is a fairly recent convert, and btw, is in jail.

Nothing could be farther from the truth.  This lady is a spiritual giant, standing next to my puny faith.  Yesterday I was grumping about, basically having a few extremely minor things not go my way.  Then I get this, my first letter from Michelle.  I had written her a month or so ago, sent a few pictures from the garden (the frog and butterfly over to the right, there) and a couple pictures the little guys colored.

She blows me away.  She made me a card, with the inscription:

Jesus Is:
The light that is Brightest
the word that is Surest
the peace that is Calmest
the counselor that is Truest
the friend that is Nearest
the companion that is Dearest

And this is part of the letter:
"God has not only made us alive in Christ, but He has gifted us for His purposes.  His Holy Spirit fills us and we are equipped to do any task He has ordained for us.  Our service to Him must flow out of our joyful praise and adoration of Him.  It must be more than an academic or mechanical theology or knowledge of God.  It much be to God.  W are not merely trophies of God's grace.  Show signs of life!  The born-again nature is FIT to do good works.  How can a light not shine?"

I began to cry as I read this.  This women, sitting in an incredibly dark place, reaches out and ministers to me, whose world is only light right now.  I was ashamed of my attitude, convicted of my sin.  And I have learned.

Keep learning today!

Reading Log for August, 2012

August was a good book month here -certainly a lot of diversity!

First up is "The Organized Heart: A Woman's Guide to Conquering Chaos" by Staci Eastin.  This one is a 5, and one that will be re-read.


I read most of this on the train coming back from Kansas City.  It is published by Cruciform Press.  Cruciform is a small publisher with a nifty idea - thin, to-the-point books dealing with deep theological topics, but put into very concise language.  These are the sort of books I'd be happy to share with friends/  Sometimes I would love to share books on topics like, say....idolatry.  Or sanctification.  But the sheer mass of the book keeps me from doing so.  No one likes to be handed a really thick book with, "Here, read this." But these books, generally around 100 pages or so, do the trick.  And - to top it off, they publish books every other month or so - and you can subscribe to them, just like a magazine.

The Organized Heart is different from every other "how to be more organized" book that I've read (and I have read A LOT) because it is not a new system - no index cards, no Excel spreadsheets, no giant calendars with post-it notes.  It gets to the heart of the issue - my heart, by addressing the idols that keep me unorganized - perfectionism, busyness, possessions and leisure.  The author, Staci Eastin, is a Missouri homeschooling mom of three, and her blog (how I discovered this gem) is over on my blog roll.  I highly recommend this book.

Next up, just a 2.  Stand By Me: Souled Out Sisters by Neta Jackson


I loved the Yada Yada Prayer Group books, some more than others of course.  I enjoyed the House of Hope series.  This one....I will probably read the series, just to keep up with my friends in the Yadas, but the new characters are ANNOYING.  I have noticed that the main characters tend to get on my nerves - Jodi Baxter was the least interesting of all the Yadas.  Gabby Fairbanks was someone whose impulsiveness and poor judgment would get on my nerves badly.  But Kat, the environmentalist-college student-busybody was beyond irritating.  Will Kat and Nick live happily ever after?  Most likely (it is Christian chick lit, after all) but really, who cares?

Next up, more dealing with diabetes in The Complete Guide to Carb Counting, which I will give a 4.


Carbs (flour, sugar, starches....you know, the good stuff!) turns to sugar when you eat it.  Glucose levels go up in the blood.  One of the ways I maintain my blood sugar levels is by planning how many servings of carbs I have each day, space them out, eat them with protein, etc. This, along with exercise, is really helping to keep my blood sugar controlled.

Another diabetes read is Sugar Nation by Jeff O'Connell

Jeff discovered he had pre-diabetes and went on a personal journey to discover research and treatment for Type 2 Diabetes.  He is pretty radical - comes down hard on the medical profession (some of which I definitely agree with), the American Diabetes Association, and anyone else he can find.  He also goes on a fairly radical lifestyle of next-to-no carbs, supplements and working out.  There was a lot I took with a grain of salt, but this book did cause me to think more about what I am being told and who is telling me, and to educate myself about this disease.  It is a 4.

The Hidden Flower is one of Pearl S. Buck's lesser-known novels.  Immediately after WWII, American troops occupied Japan.  There an American soldier fell in love with a Japanese girl.  This book went to a lot of places I was not expecting.  The Japanese girl was actually Japanese-American - she and her father were both born in the USA, but moved to Japan to avoid the camps Japanese citizens were shamefully placed in.  Her brother died fighting for America against Japan.  Then, for her to marry an American and go back to the USA, and face the discrimination there....let's just say this started out all love-love-kissy-kissy and I did not think I would like it, but once again, Pearl S. Buck's characters don't do what is expected and the story explores elements I never imagined.  I don't know if this is still in print or not, I found it used on either Paperbackswap or Bookmooch.  I give this one a 4.

Modest: Men and Women Clothed in the Gospel is another offering from Cruciform Press.



This book does not even touch things like how long your skirt should be or whether or not a woman should wear jeans (praise God!).  It goes straight to the heart - what is modesty, as an issue of the heart?  What does scripture say about being modest, for both men and women, and what does this mean?  Much deeper than a legalistic list of do's and don'ts.  I give it a 3, because I think it was almost a little over-edited and could have gone deeper.  But hey, it is one of those to-the-point books from Cruciform!

Prince Caspian, Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis.  I hate to say it, but only a 3.  Caspian was not one of my favorites, nor the little guys'.  Too much backstory, not enough action.  But, hey, it is part of the Chronicles, and so we love it as part of the bigger whole.

The Beautiful Mystery (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #8) by Louise Penny

Hard to believe, but only giving this one a 3.  I have loved most of the books in this series, but not this one.  The mystery was interesting, though a little drawn out.  Then, in the middle of the book the Inspector's nemesis on the force shows up, and it just goes from ugly to uglier.  One of my favorite characters disappoints and I am just going to leave it at that.  I left the last book (a year ago) all hopeful about an exciting turn of events.  Now I feel like I have a year to wait and see how badly some lives are screwed up.  Thanks, Louise.  Maybe at least next year she will take us back to Three Pines, the setting of most of the stories, and we can at least have some fun with the crazies there.

And that is it - my nightstand is piled high with the goodies I am anticipating for September!

Sunday Morning on the Homestead

Only 6:30, so everyone else is still asleep.  I think this qualifies as a "stream of consciousness" post.

Last week was very productive - spent a couple of days cleaning out and organizing the office/schoolroom.  We don't actually do much of our schoolwork in there, but it is where everything is stored, and we have desks and a nice big island top.  It is good for the older boys to have a place that is quiet to do some of their work.  When we built the shop here it also became the office, so a big chunk of the space is devoted to desk area for Nevin, room for job files and bid files, office supplies, etc.  Last year it was sort of a mess.  This year, I think we can do better, now that I have an idea of what our needs are.

Last year was a "finding our way" year - with Nevin working from home, us having the huge commitment of the science co-op here, having joined a new church and getting involved in the lives of people there, and Nevin becoming involved in ministry there.  Now, I feel like we have a good idea of what the "flow" of our day can be, and we have eliminated a lot of outside activities and "running".

Simplify, simplify!  We had already been looking at ways to be more intentional and focused on our family and on God's calling to raise these boys.  And then this diabetes thing shows up and now I really do HAVE to stop and take the time and care for myself.  I HAVE to fit in time to exercise, to check my blood, to plan meals, to get pedicures.....okay, no one told me that specifically, but foot problems is a HUGE issue for diabetics.  Diabetics should check their feet every day, any dark spots or cuts with pus are a trip to the doctor, and pronto.

I am not a diva about this stuff, I checked with the cosmetology school in town.  The students do the work, under supervision, and you can get a pedicure for $10, and toss in a manicure for another $5.  Cannot pass that up!

While I am on the topic of being frugal, I found another great deal.  At St. Louis Community College at Forest Park there is a dental hygienist program 

that needs teeth to clean.  We have not had dental insurance since I left my office job in 1999.  Consequently, for me to take the boys and myself for a basic checkup, cleaning and x-rays once a year is in the neighborhood of $700.  That was not a typo, for those of you who have insurance and no idea of what things really cost!  Still, the $700 is cheaper than any dental insurance we can find.  But, if we have the dental hygiene students do the work, all five of us can get it done for.......maximum $115.  Total.  For all five.  An added benefit is that it is next door to the St. Louis Zoo. So, this Thursday we are going to the Zoo, and then I go for the consultation.  A drawback is that we do have to make two trips, once to meet with the student who will plan our work.  The student will then get a "team" of other students together to take care of us and schedule an appointment.  So, we get to make two trips to the City, but I will plan some other outing for the day we go back.  I was explaining the process to Nevin and grumbled a little about having to use gas for two trips to St. Louis (it is about a 45 minute drive to the College) and he noted that I won't be using $600 worth of gas, so it is well worth it.

I met with my Educator from Kick Diabetes St. Louis again yesterday.  Joan is great, I am learning so much. When dealing with any kind of  "chronic condition" - knowledge is power!  Yesterday we talked about food,    reading nutrition labels, making good choices, what were some of my pitfalls (church fellowships!).  I have been humbled in this.  I always think I know so much, and having had gestational diabetes three times AND having been in Weight Watchers I just know all about it.  Not so, and I learned more about how fiber plays into counting carbs, how to deal with the "food police" who want to watch what you eat (and comment on it!) in a kind way (educated them, don't berate them!).  Here is a Diabetes Etiquette Card for those who don't have diabetes - very nice!  I remember reading something like this in college, when working on a paper about the Americans With Disabilities Act, on how to treat someone in a wheelchair.  It was very eye-opening.

Well, lots more going on here, more decisions about simplifying our life, just celebrated "my baby" Henry's 8th birthday Friday night (of course there are pictures!) but it is time to get moving and get breakfast going.  Have to get everyone out of bed and ready for church and then off to our annual church picnic!

You have a wonderful day, out there!

I Am Strong

This morning I took an early walk down to the barn and back.  Our "road" is just gravel and big rocks -most vehicles cannot travel it.  We generally go on foot or 4-wheeler.  After the thunderstorm last night, big gullies were washed out, revealing huge chunks of rock.  Walking down this hill is an exercise in caution -walking up the hill is easiest in mountain-goat mode.

I made my way down the hill to the bottom, then cut into the woods and began running up the dry creek bed.        I heard Tony going by on his 4-wheeler, so I cut up a hill through the woods and back to the road.  As I waved to him I started a jog/climb up the hill, over the rocks.

And the Lord spoke to me.

"I made you strong."

Yes Lord, through you I am strong.  Three weeks ago, BD (before diabetes) I could not have done this.
You have given me strength every day to get on the treadmill, set at an uphill walk.  You have given me strength to walk and walk around the house, through the woods, to the barn and back.  You have given me strength through my weakness, to eat this meal plan, to take my supplements, to monitor my glucose, to write down every.bite.of.food.  To only eat one piece of pizza yesterday, and IT WAS DOMINO'S!

God, thank you - you have given me strength.  I am not just a middle-age woman whose blood resembles a Krispy Kreme - I am created in your image.  Through this affliction, I will trust in you.

And I WILL rejoice!!

Thankful Thursday

A little late in the day, but that just gives me more to be thankful for.

Last night we went to our small group - we call them "C-groups" for "community".  I am thankful for the time of praise, of sharing what the Lord has showed us in His word this week, of study (Proverbs 9), and of prayer and singing.

Today I am also thankful for this tasty recipe I found on Pinterest.  Yummy treats, no sugar added!

I am thankful that I got to go to the grocery store, that I have access to all kinds of good food.  Sooo thankful we have an Aldi, too!  I buy the bulk of my groceries there, but needed a few things from Wal-Mart today, too.

Thankful for a windowsill full of tomatoes ripening (if I leave them on the vine too long the critters get them), for plenty of work for our shop, for all my school curriculum bought for the upcoming year, and for a day at home to FINALLY get some real work done around here!

I am thankful my glucose numbers are going down, down, down - a whole week of not going out to eat, counting carbs and exercising each day is starting to pay off.  Thankful that I get to meet with the diabetes educator this Saturday.

Thankful all my guys are healthy, everyone is doing well....thankful for all the Lord has blessed us with, and thankful beyond measure that He saved me, my husband and my two older boys, and praying for His mercy that my two younger boys will also be saved.

Thankful watching my 14 year old, 6'1" son eating pizza and watching ESPN and knowing that he turned out normal EVEN THOUGH HE WAS HOMESCHOOLED.

Yeah Buddy!

And it is official....

Per the nurse, my doctor has "coded" my file - I have Type 2 Diabetes.

True to nature, have purchased two more books on Amazon (gotta love that Amazon Prime!).  I am meeting with my personal Diabetes Nurse/Educator this Saturday at Breadco.

And I have to get my numbers down to avoid going on meds.

So....off to get my numbers down.



Just in case anyone is confused...

Tuesday Morning on the Homestead

It is so nice - two days in a row I could get up and open the doors to the breeze- and have there actually BE a breeze, not just rolls of heat like an oven full of biscuits!  Praising God for the cooler weather, and especially for the rain we got over the weekend.  My poor, dead yard is starting to come to life again.

Today is (hopefully!) going to be a quiet day at home.  I have laundry to do, things to clean, and need to scoot out and vote this afternoon.  If you have elections in your area, don't forget to vote!  It is a great privilege, one not to be taken for granted.

Yesterday I allowed myself to "stress" - I gave the doctor until 1:30, then I called to check on my test results.  The nurse said that they had them, and that the doctor would call me that afternoon.

Guess who did not get a phone call......and my doctor is leaving today and will be gone (out of the country, I believe) for the rest of this week and all next week.  Hopefully, the other doctor in his practice is picking up the slack and will call me.  On top of just wanting to KNOW, and wanting to PLAN the next stage of my "life with diabetes" (meds, no meds, diet, what???) I need a diagnosis and some of the test results to get scheduled with the KICK Diabetes program. So, basically, I am waiting.....and I hate waiting.  I want to get information, form a plan, and proceed with said plan in a timely fashion- usually in the form of a checklist.

Yesterday I was texting all this angst to my friend Faith.  Here her response to my cries of agony,
"Be still and know that He is GOD, He works all things in His time, trust.  I love you!"

To which I responded,
"I am trying.  I hate having to depend on other people.:

And her sage words,
"You don't.  Just Christ teaching you patience and contentment."

Be still, be patient, be content, wait upon the Lord's timing......I was praying on the treadmill today for God to give me peace.  This is not that big of a deal.  Lots of people have MUCH bigger issues going on right now.  But what I managed to do to myself yesterday was eat a little extra snack and a little less veggie and stress, which raises blood sugars.  So this morning I hop off the treadmill and see that my fasting number is 11 higher than yesterday, and I weigh .2 lbs more (I know I should not weigh every day, but watching the number go down the past two weeks has been nice).  Physical response to spiritual malady.

So....to take my mind off it, I will keep busy, and share a few pictures from our vacation last week.  We were so busy this whole trip that I didn't have time to take many pics.  My inlaws took us, and my sister-in-law and niece to Kansas City on the train last Monday.  We went up Monday morning and got there around 1.  They rented two cars for us (there were ten of us) and we drove to Worlds of Fun/Oceans of Fun.  We got to stay in cabins in the park (really nice, little modulars made up to look like log cabins) and just hung out.  Monday night we spent 6 (count'em 6) hours at Worlds of Fun theme park, then spent all day Tuesday at Oceans of Fun waterpark.  Wednesday evening we took the train home, but not before spending time in the new Lego Discovery Center in Kansas City.  And it was there that my few pics were taken.  I have better ones....somewhere, but here is what my phone can share with you:

Henry and Joe make a new friend

Joe, Henry and Ben building Lego racers.  Ben was easily the tallest person there.  Tony  declined  a visit to Lego-ville, and went to the aquarium with the rest of the family.

This is our souvenir picture.  Okay, this was fun.  We rode through a Lego adventure, and shot  lazer guns.  I did not do so well.  It appears Henry's gun was not activated.

Here is a cute one - Henry and Nora playing in the train station.  A  photographer from the Kansas City Star took this picture while we were waiting to board our train - I copied it off the paper's website.

I wanted to add this close-up, so you could see the focus, the  intensity in our eyes.  Oh yes, we will save the Princess, we will find the jewels, we will shoot the bad guys!!

And that is it for today - enjoy your day, look me up on Pinterest (I will eventually figure out how to put the link on the blog), and don't forget to vote!

Diabetes Update, and other Life Stuff

So, how is the diabetes thing going?  So far, so good, I guess.  I am keeping a food diary, and tracking my carbs, fats and proteins. I wrote up a meal plan, based on what it was when I had gestational diabetes.  I had that three times, so I am way too familiar with monitoring, etc.  I am just writing it down and being aware of portion size, etc. again.  Just like Weight Watchers, only a little easier in some aspects. What is harder, though, is that in WW you can save up your points for megadessert, or have a huge dinner one night with your extra points.  Here, the main thing is to stay regular.  The problem is not that blood sugar goes up (everyones' does) but that it does not come back down.  So if I eat a Big Mac and large fries, it is going to go up, up, up, but it won't come down.  If I eat a regular hamburger and small fries it won't go up so high, so I won't have such a high level over extended time.  I probably won't change a whole lot about how I cook, but it is portion control - if I bake cookies, two small ones, not 8 cookies and a giant glass of milk.  

It is really a shame, because I make such good cookies!

I went to the doctor Friday, and he said for now he calls it Impaired Glucose Tolerance.  On Monday, when he has the rest of my bloodwork back, he will call it Diabetes.   Semantics.  He also said the problems I have been having with my feet are nerve damage from the diabetes (numbness, tingling, feels like needles in them, as if they were "asleep").  Anyway, depending on my numbers from the A1C test (which will give him a weighted average of my blood glucose), I may be just diet-controlled.  I am trying now, and some of my numbers are coming down, but they are still too high.  He said we may start out with oral medications and then see if my numbers go down and wean off it.  He said that should help with my feet, too.  If not, there is a specific med for that, but he doesn't want to start piling on too many meds.

I was also super-blessed in that I have a friend who is a parish nurse, and she referred me to a program call KICK Diabetes.  It is free, part of St. Louis University Medical School and ADA/St. Louis Diabetes Coalition.  It is research on diabetes education, and people with pre- or type 2 diabetes can participate.  You are assigned an educator and you meet four times to go over nutrition/create a meal plan, exercise, monitoring, medications, etc.  You agree to fill out questionnaires when you are done and again at three months.  I think they want to see what role education plays in helping people to manage their diabetes.  I am very excited about this!  Plus, now I will get to go to St. Louis four times and can get in a little shopping!

Financially, this is not as bad as I expected.  I told the doctor I was self-pay, and instead of the $150 office charge, I had to pay $80.  He has his own lab, so my A1C and cholesterol tests together were $18.50.  He said the meds would be generic, too.  I was able to cancel the appointment with a nutritionist ($50) because the KICK Diabetes educator will do the same thing.  And I signed up for discounts for my blood monitoring strips.  

So, the Lord is good, as always.  Sometimes my sinful attitudes keep me from seeing that.  Today, for example.  We had our monthly Fellowship Sunday, aka, crockpot and dessert supreme!  I did really well, small portions of a couple starchy items, larger portions of veggies, small dessert.  Still, last month I would have had a LARGE portion of the chicken potpie (my friend Faith makes THE BEST potpie) and at least two regular servings of dessert.  And probably (syrupy) sweet tea.  And later on today I will hit the treadmill again.  I have been getting on it almost every day.  

August is my month to "organize and simplify" my life.  I have almost nothing except church on the calendar.  This seems like it would be sad, but I am so happy.  I need time to establish some routines of exercise and meals before we jump back into the whirl of school chaos.  I need time to get used to this and order my mind around the new "normal" here.  

As normal as it gets, anyway!

Reading Log for July, 2012

I know, a long time coming on this one!

Our Boys: A Perfect Season on the Plains With the Smith Center Redmen - Joe Draper - 4 - for some reason, I love sports stories.  I don't love sports, so go figure.  This is the story of the Smith Center Redmen and their coach Roger Barta.  Smith Center is a town of 1,900 in western Kansas.  They had been written up in Sports Illustrated because they had won 55 straight games and 4 straight state championships.  The author moved his wife and son from Manhattan to Smith Center to write about their upcoming season.  The coach was in his 30th year and considering retirement, they had just graduated the "dream team" senior class, and they were tied in the record books for most consecutive state championships.  The book is about the team, but even more about the town of Smith Center, about how the community completely supports the team, the school, teachers, etc.  They are not the Friday Night Lights variety of fanaticism - they are just right there for their kids.  If I ever decided to put my kids in school, we would have to move to Smith Center.

American Diabetes Association Complete Guide to Diabetes- 5 - my new "guide for life" - nice big book, covers everything, has been extremely helpful.

Practical Theology for Women: How Knowing God Makes a Difference In Our Daily Lives - 4 - Wendy Horger Alsup - I follow her blog by the same name.  I thought this brief book was very good in explaining who God is- the real God of the Bible - in terms anyone could understand.

Killing Calvinism: How to Destroy a Perfectly Good Theology from the Inside- 4 - Greg Dutcher - this is one you need to be Reform to get.  Reform folks sometimes have a reputation for being arrogant in their theology and "knowledge".  There is even a term for someone who is new to the Doctrines of Grace - "cage stage" - as in, they are on fire with new understanding of scripture and socially...they should be put in a cage for a while.  I found it very practical and enjoyable, and a good admonition.

Meeting God at Every Turn- 4 - Catherine Marshall - A series of essays of the different points in her life (going to college, marriage to Peter Marshall, her illness, his death, grieving, remarriage blending families, etc.) and how God met her at each point.  There were some definite aspects of her personal theology that I did not agree with (quite a bit of NVP "Power of Positive Thinking" mixed in, which surprised me)but overall it was very uplifting.    

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - 5 - C.S. Lewis - what can I say?  This is my second go 'round.  Read the series to my older sons a few years ago, now it is a bedtime read with the younger boys.

Saturday Afternoon on the Homestead

So far, a lovely day.  I was blessed to attend a wedding this morning.  It was just beautiful.  It was held in the bride family's backyard.  Not a fancy yard, a country yard, like mine, really.  Except more country.  You could hear the chickens during the service.  She is one of nine homeschooled siblings, marrying one of eight homeschooled siblings.  Everything was done simply, and inexpensively, and it was just absolutely wonderful.  The groom's father is a pastor and he performed the ceremony.  It was only in the 80s, plenty of shade and the Lord sent a nice breeze.

As long as I was fancied up, I had one of my sons take a new profile pic of me - sans the messy bedroom background:

Nothing much else going on.  Went to Breadco for lunch with my dear friend Betty, then ran a few errands.  Everyone is home again, waiting for Nevin to get back.  He is on a retreat with the other deacons, will be home sometime this evening.  I am glad he got to go, he has had a busy week:

He has spent a whole lot of time and energy shooting squirrels this week.  We have also taken out rabbits and possums who have attempted to eat our tomatoes!

The skunk we just let walk away.

And that is it!  The boys are quiet, I am continuing to check my blood regularly, eagerly anticipating (?) going to the doctor next week.  Actually, I am.  I like to have a course of action, a plan to follow.  Right now I have the one I made up, seems to be going okay so far.  Interesting discovery - just thirty minutes on the treadmill will really drop the glucose.  Yesterday afternoon it was 203 - high!  I jumped on the treadmill for 30 minutes, did a little over a mile uphill, and it came down to 134, which is within the acceptable range.  Yep, going to have to carve out time each day, at least once, plus some other exercise. 

Just keep thinking about the toes...

and the kidneys, eyes, etc.  It's all going to be okay, the Lord is in control.  I am reading Practical Theology for Women by Wendy Horger Alsup (link to her blog over in my blogroll) and she referenced this verse, which really spoke to me:

So we do not lose heart.  Though the outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16

That's right.  I need to be a good steward of this body the Lord has given me, but it is wasting away.  It is fragile.  One day I will have a resurrected body, but in the meantime - this is it!  But I must continue seeking the Lord, renewing my mind daily.  

The treadmill is a really good place to work on this!

Toes and Hair

I am very motivated by vanity. There - I said it.  

While Googling my way through various diabetes websites, I found a lot of disturbing images of feet.  See, that is one of the big problems with diabetes, you may have issues with circulation to your feet.  You can develop foot ulcers easily, and they spread all the way to the bone rapidly.  The only answer is amputation.  

I thought about showing you some pictures of those feet, but they are really awful.  If you want to see, you can go to Google Images and type in "diabetic foot" and find out more than you ever wanted to know.

Instead, I show you these feet:

After my very first pedicure

With my wonderfully comfy slippers

As you can see, I have reasonably nice toes, no weird disfigurations, polish up well. (Hey, we all have to have something going for us!).

I plan to keep them.

On another issue of vanity, immediately upon hearing the results and diagnosis from my glucose test, I pulled into the beauty shop and got my new super-cute cut.

I keep hearing Julia Roberts, in Steel Magnolias.

 

She had Truvy (Dolly Parton) cut off all her long hair and give her a pixie-ish cut.  She said she felt the need to "simplify her life".  

I feel the need to simplify my life.  

I find it interesting that the Lord has been leading me in this direction over the last few months, with much discussion between Nevin and I about our schedules, outside activities, etc.  I had already begun "mentally" streamlining our lives. God is so good.

Anyway, since Belle requested it, here are some pictures of the new 'do.  Try to remember, I am no Julia Roberts!

Sorry about the messy bedroom background, when getting a kid to take pictures you have to grab them when you can!

Diabetes, anyone???

So, it looks like I have diabetes.

It has only been a few days and I am already sick of thinking/typing about this.

Here is how it happened......

A few weeks ago I went to a Womens' Health fair for glucose, cholesterol, and a mammogram.  I was particularly interested in having my glucose tested.  I had gestational diabetes with three of my pregnancies, so I knew I had a greatly elevated risk.

My test came back a little high, 153 - should have been 140 or less.  So, I called my ob/gyn and asked him to call in an order to a local lab.  I had a fasting test done there.  That one was really high - 139, should have been between 65-95.  My ob/gyn said this was in the range (over 126 fasting) where diabetes is diagnosed.

So, I immediately went and got a super-cute haircut.  I do have my priorities in line, you know!  Then I went to Breadco with a friend, for salad.

I shared this with her (Shelley) and she got to bless me - she had just bought some file cabinets from a medical supply company and there were several brand new blood/glucose monitoring kits in them.  Yay!!!

So, I have been testing my blood the last few days.  I also sat down (for hours) and read info on diabetes, and picked up the ADA Complete Manual.  Pretty good reading!  I wrote out a meal plan for myself, based on the one I followed when I had gestational diabetes.  And, got back on the dreaded treadmill.  It actually felt....empowering.  My reading after lunch today was within the normal range, so I am hoping that with close monitoring, following the nutritional guidelines and getting exercise I can keep my blood sugar under control.  I have an appointment with my primary care physician and a nutritionist over the next few weeks.

So....this is kind of scary.  I don't get sick, I don't even have any allergies.  And now I have a "chronic condition".  Wow.  I am not even (much) overweight.  Actually, I am 12 pounds over the "healthy" guidelines, so at least by this winter I may be able to get back in my favorite jeans.  I don't smoke, I don't drink, I get enough sleep, I take my vitamins......but yet, there you go.  The Lord is in control, always, and in all things I will rejoice.  Right now, I am rejoicing that I have family support and resources to get medical help, that I don't have a lot of weight to lose, and at least now I know why my feet hurt!

This is going to be interesting, to see how the Lord uses this.