Mine has changed dramatically since I have stopped eating wheats, grains, and sugar.
It may not seem like much, but I have found that instead of printing out all of the recipes I want to try, I have started to write them on paper, by hand.
It’s a novel idea, in this day, and age, but nevertheless, it’s what I’ve taken to doing. And my letters are completely different than in any time in my past. The words are legible, and uniform. I honestly don’t remember a time when my penmanship was uniform. Silly though it may be to you, it has shown me the evil hold that sugar, especially, then wheat, then grains, has had on me.
Speaking of being free from the aforementioned, I find that I have very little appetite, TYJ, and that I don’t have to stuff myself to keep sated until the next time I eat. I stop eating, frequently, about 6pm, and don’t eat again until at least noon. I plan what I’m going to have for my brunch, go about my morning habits, prayer, exercise, morning ablutions, well, you get the idea. I’m content to wait until after my first walk, wherever that takes me, to then prepare, and eat finally.
It has only been 4 days, but I feel so different, so less stressed about what to eat next, when to eat next, to make sure I eat enough to last until the next meal. I feel lighter, less dense. It sounds crazy, I know, I just reread what I typed, but it’s true. I thought I wouldn’t be able to give up those types of food that I do so enjoy, but I have. I’m changing from the inside out, and I can’t wait to tell you all of the wonderful things I feel.
Until next time, stay happy, and healthy in the Lord.
In the thunder. And has for weeks now. Even before he died.
We have had nightly rain, and thunderstorms for weeks now, easily 8 weeks. So, some of the lightening, and the following thunder, has been significant. When we’ve had exceptional thunder, Ivan would ask me, from across the hall, “Did you call down the thunder?” I’d answer that “Absolutely. It’s to tell you that I love you.” “I love you too” he’d answer.
There have been many thunderstorms since he left me, but whenever I hear the thunder, I know we’re having the same, short, but important conversation. Yes, my love, I love you.
Thank God for the thunder.
Until next time, stay happy, and healthy in the Lord.
Post script: Find some way to communicate with your love, your best friend, so you’re never alone after they’re gone.
Post post script: it’s 9/16/25, and it has rained, with thunder, every night since Ivan died. Just thought you might be interested to know that. ❤️🩹
The administrator of the condo we live in, Ivonne, has been my saving grace. She came up the morning Ivan passed away, called the police, helped me make all of the arrangements for his cremation, etc. I couldn’t have done any of that. She stayed with me throughout the investigation of what proceeded Ivan’s death, what happened, what medications he was taking, who prescribed them, etc. It took about 30 minutes.
My brain was in a fog, my heart was bleeding out, and my husband was still sitting in his chair, in the bedroom, cold, and still. I covered him with a sheet, only to his chin, though. I wanted to see his face as long as I could. Every few minutes I went back, scolded him for leaving me too soon, kissed the top of his head, and hugged him to my breast.
I kept hoping he’d open his eyes, and tell me he was kidding.
He didn’t.
Today, Ivonne took me to a small mall about 5 km from the condo, up to the 2nd floor, to an outdoor kiosk where I gave the young man the copy of the paperwork I received from the coroner, when he told me he needed $90MXN for each copy. In total, it was $450MXN. In my billfold I had $470MXN. The extra $20 I used for the parking. I had exactly the amount of money I needed.
So, now I have 5 copies of the death of my best friend but no best friend.
Until next time, stay happy, and healthy in the Lord.
I have the cleanest living space as ever I’ve had.
Void of life.
I’m trying to clean areas, fix things that have been “on the list” for some time, and I’m making a dent.
Then I remember that it’s never going to change. It will be forever this way as it’s just me.
I would rather have a messy apartment, with my live soulmate, than a clean, soulless apartment.
I have fewer meltdowns, and a few more times of less despair, and, I also see a light at the end. I trust in the Lord, and know that He, too, is with me, along side my beloved, my best friend. I know that they are an unbeatable team that are going to stay by my side while I work through this.
Then, there are my sisters, Martha, and Nancy. What a dynamic duo they are!! They have been texting me several times a day, to make sure I’m ok. I’ll never be ok again, but you know what I mean. I thank God for them all day long.
I have no appetite whatsoever but I force myself to eat twice a day. It’s not much right now, but I do what I can.
Until next time, stay happy, and healthy in the Lord.
I know he’s not here, physically, with me, but this used to happen when he was here. I’d be in the kitchen, and have to stop what I was doing to go back to the second bedroom that he used as his “office”, to find out what he needed.
He hadn’t called me.
But, I heard him call my name.
I wish he were still here to call my name hundreds of times a day.
Until next time, stay happy, and healthy in the Lord.
My love, you won’t see this, unless you read over my shoulder.
Right now, I think you just might be there.
I hear you all day, every day, calling out to me, calling my name, shuffling your way to the bathroom, and back to your chair. It ended up making me upset when you’d call me to watch a silly “short” video on YouTube about every 20 minutes, but NOW?
Come back to me, and I’ll watch all of the videos you want me to.
I miss you so much.
Happy birthday my love. I know you’re where you need to be, free of all your horrible demons. I’m glad you’re at peace, finally.
I miss you.
Until next time, stay happy, and healthy in the Lord.
I have waited 36 hours to start my healthy gut routine.
I have “the book”, the actual physical book, Super Gut, by William Davis, MD who is a preventative cardiologist, and has written a plethora of books on the human microbiome, and it’s affects on our health, and well being.
I’m looking forward to feeling better, having pain-free energy, and all of the benefits that come with having healthy gut flora, (the list of which is incredible). I’ve been wanting to do this for about 10 years now.
I made what’s called L. Reuteri yogurt, though it’s not really a yogurt; it’s actually a fermented dairy product. If you don’t have someone that can give you a half cup of their LR, you’ll have to buy it from a health food store, or on our friendly website Amazon. What you want, however, is a specific strain of LR which is DSM17938, with ATCC PTA 6475. The rest, how you make the yogurt, and use it, you’ll need to research it yourselves as I’m not going to put it all here.
My first batch separated terribly, so I ended up discarding it. DON’T DO THAT. Separation is very normal on the first few batches, so don’t freak out. Put it in the fridge, then come back to it later with a stick blender, blend it up, pour a half cup in a glass, (you only need to drink 1/2 c. daily), add something to flavor it, (or don’t, your call), and drink the stuff. It tastes very sour, but I plan on adding a bit of liquid Stevia to it to help with that. When I consider the myriad health benefits coming, I’ll drink a bit of sour everyday. Hell, I used to drink a half bottle of tequila every day, and look where that got me.
So, I’ll keep a record of how I’m feeling before starting this, and what changes over the next few weeks.
Until next time, stay happy, and healthy in the Lord.
Post script: I’m going to post at 0700 M-W-F for awhile, as most folks that read this, my 2 sisters, and 1 or 2 former coworkers, are all retired and don’t have to get up at 0600 anymore. Enjoy.
This will be my last post for a couple of weeks. As I said, I need a little down time to stock up on blog posts, and get deeper into the keto lifestyle, all the while mourning my best friend. (Remember, please, that the bulk of this particular post was typed on the 20th, 9 days before Ivan left me. I am leaving most of it as it was written, and will write a post dedicated to him during my time off, to be posted when I return.)
I believe I mentioned, recently, that I found a keto specialist, Dr. Eric Berg who has completely captivated me. I just wish I would have found him years ago when I had first started, and failed miserably on Keto diet.
Today, however, I am sitting at my dining room table, typing this last post, listening to the first book in the Harry Potter series, and smiling like a Bedlamite.
The imagination of J.K.Rowlings has always amazed me, from the first time I opened this very same book, 28 years ago, to this very moment. Her mind is similar, in my mind to those of J.R.R.Tolkein, and J.R.R. Martin. Hah, and they all start with J, and have R’s in them as well.
Anyway, as I am undertaking the wheat, rice, and sugar removal from my diet, praying to return a healthy gut flora, I am going to relax, and enjoy the muggles, Diagon Alley, and the infamous Professor Albus Dumbledore.
Until next time, sometime in September, stay happy, healthy, and safe in the Lord.
Post script: a very happy 72nd birthday tomorrow to my best friend in the whole world. I pray we have many more birthdays to come.
Post post script: little did I know last week when I was typing this that by the time it was posted my best friend in the whole world would have left me. Ivan passed away peacefully, here in our apartment, this morning at 4:00am, 8/29/25, 1 day before his 72nd birthday. My heart is in shreds, and my brain is in a fog. Please, remember him with the respect he deserves, regardless of what you may have thought about him. I will have a devotional post after I come back with interesting things to share with you that none of you ever knew, or saw. He was a man of integrity, and worth. I told him so often. I have no more words right now. Here he is, with me until I’m dead.
Rest in perfect peace mi amor. You deserve it more than most. I’ll be with you someday, so save me a seat. Tu Querida.
Maybe not all wrong, but definitely not all correctly.
In my research of late I learned that I needed to be making the water kefir with Spring water, or bottled water- with minerals.
Well damn. I’ve been using boiled water, which not only destroys harmful bacteria, and critters, it also destroys most of the minerals needed to feed not only the water kefir, but us.
So, I am making a very small batch, 500ml., of L. Reuteri cultured milk, frequently referred to as a yogurt. However, I am also making sauerkraut to which I’m going to add a sliced apple for flavor, and to feed the probiotics; a plain kombucha, but also a blueberry 2nd ferment, 6 bottles; and a milk kefir that I’m going to use to make something that I haven’t yet thought of but know where to find recipes, most likely cheese.
Tomorrow I have 40 bottles of Spring water, 500ml each, being delivered to return minerals to our microbiome, and, God willing, bring us back to a better way of life, and better health.
As I have said before, the guru that I acknowledge is Donna Schwenk, of YouTube fame. Her channel is called CulturedFoodLife, and she is amazing. She, on the other hand, has been highly influenced by Dr. William Davis, a cardiologist, and L. Reuteri expert.
She has hundreds of recipes on her website for many of the cultures able to preserve foods for better health, and future use. Many of the recipes state they can last in the fridge for up to a year, not all of them, of course, but many. So, when you want a bite, or 2 of something, you can be assured that it is still edible, and safely preserved.
You do realize, don’t you, that this is how food was preserved for hundreds, and thousands of years? Without refrigeration, preservation of meats, vegetables, milks, water, grains were all preserved via culture incubations! There are some cultures that are still alive today from before the birth of Jesus himself!
Back then simple was best. The need was to preserve food, safe for consumption during times of travel, or migration, drought, flooding, and famine. If foods were preserved using cultures, it was safe for very long periods of time.
Not only were these food stuffs safe, they were healthy. Our body requires billions of microbes be fed daily as to survive the rigors of our lives. However, our lives have changed exponentially from the days of Jesus.
One bacteria I’m learning about is Lactobacillus Reuteri, as you may know if you’ve been following my nonsensical musings. It is one of the most fragile bacteria our body needs, one we had at birth, (usually), but is completely destroyed if one is given an antibiotic. One dose of an antibiotic, and poof, it’s gone. It is such an important bacteria that, if you’re able, you need to replace it. It is a superhero of our gastrointestinal tract that it surprises me that God made it so fragile.
That said, I’m still having a devil of a time getting it to behave in my attempts to cultivate it. I’m going to keep trying until I get it right. It should come out from its 36 hours incubation bath to look, and act like a yogurt, though it’s really a cultured milk. Anyway, mine hasn’t yet.
So, what do I do with all of the “end results” that aren’t yogurt you might be asking yourself? I put the batch in the blender, add about 1/2 c. Maracuyá pulp, and 2T honey, blend it all up, and put that in my 6oz bottles, and into the fridge. The flavor is addicting, and our favorite. So nothing goes to waste except the time it took to make it.
Here’s a photo of the much awaited “end results”.
Until next time, stay happy, and healthy in the Lord.
