Month: January 2026

Crocs..

I have discovered that with my double thick cotton winter socks, and my too-large Crocs, they make the perfect combination to walk comfortably around the park.

I have worn this combination several times now, and have not had to stop to stretch a single time while walking. I’m getting my haircut tomorrow at the Plaza, and, as I have to walk, I’ll wear the same combo, and see if I’m right.

Until next time, stay happy, and healthy in the Lord.

Post script: I was right. No difficulty walking, fairly quickly even, to, and from the salon. Yay.

I am so proud to tell you that I have made a few successful edibles using only Einkorn flour.

Yesterday I made a medium pizza that was very tasty, though I need to work on the toppings. In the past 3 weeks, I have made 3 loaves of very tasty artisan style bread, which don’t need anything more than for me to remember to add honey to the batter, an addition that changes the sourness of the bread.

In fact, I had a moment of trepidation this morning when I went to find all of the Einkorn grains I had just sprouted, and dehydrated. I couldn’t remember where I put them.

Found them. Up in the cupboard above the microwave. In the upper upper cupboard, the one that requires a footstool to access. Why did I put it way up there you ask? Good question. Answer may just be forthcoming. Not sure.

As I’m using it in quite the abundance, I’m currently sprouting another batch so I don’t run out.

I am going to make a few “Star breads” to take with me to Veracruz, but I’m going to use regular all purpose, and bread flour. I’m also going to use real sugar as I’m the only one not eating real sugar. Not going to push my ways on the families there.

Until next time my lovelies, stay happy, and healthy in the Lord.

I hope your holiday season is progressing as you’d like.

Mine sure is.

Today I fixed the door in our shower, after 6 years of it not closing completely. Six years drying the small stream of water that escaped from said open shower door. Six years of the warm shower steam escaping into the freezing cold bathroom.

No longer.

Today, armed with a moist sponge, and a prayer, I removed the plastic strip that is supposed to keep the shower door closed, cleaned it, and put it back. I put it back, however, on the portion of the glass that doesn’t move, effectively making me open the shower door to the inside, not outwardly as it always has.

Voilà. Job done. No more mopping up the trickle of water sneaking out of the shower, no more losing the lovely warm steam during these cold morning showers. No more open shower door. Period.

I’m smiling. 😊

Until next time, stay happy, and healthy in the Lord.

Here is the “noise” update.

It wasn’t being caused by my neighbors upstairs.

IT WASN’T EVEN IN OUR BUILDING!!!

It is construction work being done in a neighboring building. I’m telling you, though, it sounds like the ceiling is going to fall in.

I did keep the deerslayer hat on, and texted our maintenance guy, Beto, about the noise. I recorded it, and sent it to him. He took a listen to it, and went around the building to find it. There were metal bars, or some such thing, rubbing against each other. It’s horrendous. And it’s in the building behind us.

Now that I know, I’m more relaxed and forgiving, and no longer raise my voice to the ceiling.

Until next time, stay happy, and healthy in the Lord.

Post script: Happy birthday tomorrow to my younger sister, Nancy. Wishing you many more good ones.

The people that live in the apartment above me make so much noise, scraping their chairs on the floor, day, and night.

It is driving me to madness. I have begun raising my voice, in English of course, telling them to please stop whatever they’re doing. Immediately.

For a plug nickel, I think I’d send her, Claudia, a text asking her to send me a photo of their chair legs so I could buy them chair foot covers, like I have. My chairs don’t squeal anymore since I bought the covers. Therefore my neighbor downstairs, Ivonne, the condo admin. isn’t’ bothered when I move my chair forward, or backward from the table.

There is also some horrendous metal against metal scraping such as you might expect to come from a trap door being scraped open, or closed. Something not meant to be used in that way. What could it possibly be, you ask? I’m going to find out.

Somehow.

With my deerskin hat in place, I’ll be talking to the guards in the lobby to see if they have any ideas that can help me. They, Claudia, and here evil minions, should be very glad I no longer drink. Just putting that out there. 😡

Until next time, I’ve got my noise cancelling earbuds in, TYJ, and want you to stay happy, 😆, and healthy in the Lord.

Post script: this past weekend I discovered how to call up the emoji keyboard on all of my devices, you may be happy to know. I sure am.

I found a dozen, or so, videos/recipes for a loaf of artisanal bread made completely with Einkorn flour.

I just happen to still have at least 1o lbs. of Einkorn grains that I bought in 2020. I’m going to sprout what’s left, then dehydrate it so it will be shelf stable, then grind it as I need it.

I started the dough process yesterday evening, having the dough ready to ferment on the counter for 12-14 hours. At 9pm it was in its plastic container, covered, resting on the counter.

Twelve hours later, this is what I found.

So, from there, I shaped it into what’s called a batard, or an oval shape, place it in a well floured banneton, or wicker basket, if you will, and set that on the counter for another 2 hours to proof.

Now, it’s been forever, I’ve put it in a 4750F oven for 30 minutes covered, removed the cover, and continued to bake for another 12 minutes. Here’s what it looks like just out of the oven.

I lied. That was just after the covered 30minutes.

Here it is after an additional 12 minutes without the lid. I can’t wait to try it.

This is my first “real” loaf of Einkorn bread that didn’t come out like a hockey puck. Yay!!! TYJ. I prayed multiple times yesterday, and last night that the bread would be something I’d want to make routinely. I’ll let you know in a later update if that is what happened. Einkorn is so much better for your health that I would like to replace as many of my bread recipes, pizza dough, crackers, bread sticks, etc., with Einkorn. I seriously could not be more proud of these results. Prayers.

Until next time my pretties, stay happy, and healthy in the Lord.

I’m getting close to being overwhelmed with growing things getting ready for their next stages.

HerbS, and ferments of all kinds. Christmas is in 11 days, and I’m no where near ready.

I used to say that. I don’t anymore. Not this year anyway. I’ll be going to Veracruz the end of this month with Jesús, and Liz, to spend time, 3 days, with their families. It’s been 3 years, no 4 years since we were last there. I won’t be able to recognize any of the little children, they’ll have all grown so much.

I can’t wait, regardless. To get out of the apartment will be a treat like none other. The emotional rollercoaster will be well worth it, I believe. They are all such wonderful, giving people. I’ve missed them greatly.

Until next time amigos, stay happy, and healthy in the Lord.

It’s going on 4 months now since Ivan died.

I’ve been trying to decide if I am ready to go to Los Altos for the New Year, as I have been invited, or should I just stay here. I’ve been seeking any kind of instruction from the Lord, but haven’t really felt Him speaking to me about it, one way or the other.

Until this morning. I was listening to today’s episode of Bible in a Year, with Chris Pratt, the actor, speaking about spending quiet time with God. How we should try to take time out of our busy lives to reconnect with God through solitude.

He was describing the difference between solitude, and isolation. My ears perked up. He said that isolation is an escape, a danger. It paints a target on ourselves for the “tempter”. Solitude, conversely, is being alone, with God, engaged, and open to Him. It is time set aside to feed, and nourish the soul.

Thank you Lord. That was just what I needed to hear. I’ve been completely isolated since Ivan died. I’ve not gone anywhere, not done anything outside myself, and my surroundings. I’ve given nothing to anyone besides myself.

Self, self, self. Boring.

Our families in Los Altos loved, and adored Ivan. I owe it to them, and to myself, to go, and reflect upon the wonderful things we all remember about Ivan. He’ll never be forgotten.

Will it be hard to rehash all of my memories? Of course it will. So what? He’s not coming back. There’s nothing else I have of him except memories, so I might as well get used to it. I’m not going to spend the rest of my life hiding here in the apartment. I have to go out, and live my life, albeit alone.

Am I lonely, or just alone? I’m not really sure at the moment. That’s a thought for another time.

I’ll let you know how it went in Los Altos, reconnecting with my loving, and amazing adopted families.

Until then, stay happy, and healthy in the Lord.

I received mine just yesterday.

What am I writing about? Surely you’ve seen the grounding mat advertised on every possible platform. It’s a long, fairly narrow “sheet” that you place on top of your bottom sheet, close to your skin, plug it in, and it allows your body to “ground” with the Earth. They claim it has all kinds of healing qualities. I’m skeptical, but hopeful.

I have to tell you that for my first night of sleep, it was as advertised. I slept 2 hours nicely, closed my eyes again, and slept another 4 1/2 hours, dreaming several uneventful dreams.

Discomfort control? Some. I woke up with a bit less pain in my lower back, and hips. In the first 5 minutes of my morning walk, it felt as if I was 10 years younger. Virtually pain free. The other 15 minutes were as normal; walk 0.2 km, do 5 hhhc’s in each direction, (*see note below), continue walking. That is for the first 3/4 of any walk. The last 1/4 almost always allows me to enjoy a comfortable, leisurely walk, no hhhc’s needed.

I’m going to continue to sleep on the grounding pad for another month. By the time you read this an entire month will have gone by, and I will post an update.

However, as we have only 1 working electrical outlet in our bedroom that has a ground, you know, that 3rd hole, and our extension box thing is plugged into it, and it lives in the closet, (don’t ask), I had to plug the ground into an extension cord that is plugged into said grounded outlet. As far as I can tell, it worked just fine.

Until next time, stay happy, and healthy in the Lord.

*Note: hula-hoop hip circles. Please make not of this abbreviation as it will reassert its ugly little head in the future.

Post script: a very happy wedding anniversary, (yesterday), to our son Joshua, and our beautiful daughter-in-law Molly. I pray you celebrate many more in the future.

When walking outside, say, around the park, across from the condominium in which one lives, it’s best to wear shoes made for walking outside, around the park, across from the condominium in which one lives.

To where shoes meant to be worn inside said condominium, and not outside, one can only expect to be extremely uncomfortable on said walk around the park, etc.

I have had a bit of time away from walking around the park, for various inane reasons, and of no consequence to this tirade.

One thing I discovered, just this evening actually, is that wearing my Haflingers, woolen European footwear, to walk around the aforementioned park, etc., is not the footwear to keep ones very old back in alignment, and pain free.

Having said that, my Earth shoes, old, black, my negative heel marvels, are.

The walk I took this morning, 11:30ish, was an absolute killer. I was in fear, all afternoon, at what my muscles would feel like when it came time for my evening walk.

They were fine. I did have to stop a few times to do the slow hula-hoop hip circles in order to continue, but I’m used to that. I had on the Earth shoes, did 5 hhhc’s in both directions, and finished in record time.

So, the moral of this story is to pay attention to ones footwear prior to leaving the house for ones walk around the park, across from the condominium in which one lives.

Until next time humans, stay happy, and healthy in the Lord.