HAVE YOU HEARD OF THESE?

 One problem with having to eat a certain way, which I won't mention AGAIN, one gets hungry and your choice of what you can snack on is very very limited.  One might grab a banana or a muffin or a piece of toast or fruit and cheese etc.  But we can't for obvious reasons.

So I set about hunting for a solution.  And I think I have found one!!!  The magic item is called a 'chaffle'.  A chaffle is a portmanteau of cheese and waffle.  I saw these mentioned on fb a number of times and the pictures sure looked good.

So I looked up a million versions of a chaffle and found a good basic recipe that you can do what you want with it.  A couple of eggs and shredded cheese and a small amount of almond flour and half a teaspoon of baking powder and boom!...you have a one carb toast, bagel, bread, actual waffle replacement.  

It seems what forced to be low carbers do is make a bunch and freeze them for future hamburgers, sammiches, breakfast sandwiches etc...it really is a game changer for us.

Now on the website I was reading and found the perfect basic recipe, mentioned a waffle maker that has two wells on one side.  When you put batter in and close the lid it makes the perfect bowl!!!  You can then add poke stuff, salad, stir fry, lettuce wrap ingredients and use the bowl instead of lettuce etc....

I liked that idea so much I decided to order one. On to Amazon I went. Well holy doodle they ain't cheap.  I think they went from sixty bucks to eighty.  So not happening.  But I did get another little mini dash one and Ange will man one of them and I will man the one Peter gave me ages ago.  That way with two of us we can get quite a few done and we can each have a bag of them in our freezer.  All you need to do is toast them to thaw and warm them up.  I hope we like them.  I think if they are crunchy enough I would like them.

Well I got the downstairs bathroom clean.  Arnie and I have talked about how, when we clean, we want whatever we are cleaning to be dirty enough that we see a difference when we are done.  We don't clean clean.  Some people do but they are nut cases!  haha

Well I think in all my years and all the reject houses we foreclosed in our job and had to clean out, none were as outstandingly bad as that sadly neglected bathroom downstairs!  Holy canoly!!!!!!  But what an awesome feeling of accomplishment when it was all scrubbed and shiny!!!  And now it's Ange's. She has girlied it all up with wee plants and candles.  I bought some gorgeous bath mats etc.  For an ugly as ditchwater bathroom it's looking pretty spiffy!  But can you believe they used the same green laminate countertop as the crap in the kitchen?  

Now I am going to finalize the guest room.  It's pretty clean.  All the bedding is washed and ready to be bedded.  Then I shall vacuum and be done.  Next big clean up is the kitchen.  Every corner of the counter is stuffed with stuff.  I am going to haul upstairs the giant garbage can and fill it.  Time to get rid of stuff and give Shane the garbage mover a call.  This is my favourite part purging.  No thrift store.  No storing.  Just flipping garbage.

Thats all folks.  Time to do my hair.  I washed it and now it's dry and needs to be pooferized.  TFL & TTYL

'At a formal dinner party, the person nearest death should always be seated closest to the bathroom'

George Carlin

THE LIFE OF MY KITCHEN SINK TAP

 When we first moved in, Aryn and I were so excited to roam through the house checking it out.  When we hit the kitchen we were somewhat taken aback.  In that show House Hunters, this kitchen is the kind that the house buyer immediately shouts 'this is a gut job!!!  I am not moving in until this kitchen is gutted and rebuilt the way I want it."  And frankly I wouldn't criticize them for saying it...given the state of our kitchen with the green laminate fake marble counters and home made painted plywood cupboards.

I hate to admit this but when I went through the house initially I didn't even notice the terrible kitchen and the shiny giant foil roses wallpaper and avocado coloured turlett and tub in the bathroom.  I did notice the pink wall to wall carpet in the living room but that certainly wasn't a deal breaker.  It was new carpet too.  But what sold it to me was the fairly new heat pump, expensive new furnace and NO EXPENSIVE BASEBOARD HEATERS!!!

So, back to the kitchen, Aryn and I decided to test the water pressure.  We turned on the water and a wee trickle trickled out and stopped.  Dam!!  But Aryn had the brilliant idea that the water was likely turned off.  So off we went and found the right water tap in the basement and turned it on.  Yup!!  Water gushed out at a very pleasing pressure.

Well that was six years ago.  It was old as heck back then but now it's beyond repair.  This house was built in the early 70's and I am pretty sure that tap is the original.  I did buy a 250 dollar awesome new tap a couple years ago..and it has been sitting under the guest room bed all this time.  I didn't have the money to have the plumber come back and install it.  Plus the old one was working just fine until....

About two months ago the tap (its a single handle up and down tap above the faucet) itself fell off.  We had to use pliers to twist the little knobby thing to turn the water on.  Monte came along though and managed to get the tap back on...but it goes right around loosely and it will be all cold all the way around or so hot you can't touch it.  There is no in between.  And to get it to change from one to the other you have to push it up and down and turn and turn it around in circles then up and down again, all the while keeping one hand in the water stream and screech to a halt when it gets to the one you are looking for.

The good part of all this is it makes us laugh...every time.  Eventually it will be fixed.  Probably Aryn will fix it when she comes over next time.  She has put new taps in kitchens for me at least twice before!

  Although I am tempted to call the plumber.  I call him Clint as in Clint Eastwood.  He looks like him.  I did ask his name once and it's Wendall.  Well let me tell you he looks way more like a Clint than a Wendall.  With those names though he should be out riding a horse, wearing a stetson and have squinty eyes.

The forest fire next door is now just a smoulder and will be for a few months they say.  The smoke though isn't pleasant.  It reminds me of Kamloops, who (whom? always a mystery when to use whom and not who)  I hear has had a pleasantly clear summer!!!  They needed that break for sure.

I am battling the very strong urge to move.  It's been six years now.  I am used to moving every five years or less.  I know it isn't possible this time.  I really do need to stay here and when rainbow bridge time comes this house really suits Monte.  He will be staying on after I am gone.  Plus I am just not physically able like I was a decade ago.  I would have to pack a box and then have to sit for ten minutes then get up and pack some more.  Thats pretty much how my day goes now.  Which is totally okay with me, if a little annoying.

Monte is doing so well now.  He is so much more relaxed now that he has a place he can go that is all his and he can be just himself and not worry about stepping on anyone's toes.

Last night he asked if I would go downstairs to Ange's for a couple of hours so he could record his music.  So I did happily as Ange and I are watching a couple of shows together.  It was a chance to catch up on one of them (it involves renovating a castle in France).  I could hear Monte playing upstairs and it sounded so good.  And after he was finished he said, and I quote, 'I don't have to ever play the piano again.  That was perfect and I got it recorded.'  He was so stoked.

Which got me fired up.  I ordered a couple of music books, just short ones off Amazon the other day.  They arrived yesterday!!!!  Two are classical and the other is Pachelbel's Canon in D.  I am so excited to be playing that one again.  I am going to have to practise, which due to my double type vision is a chore, but doable, and get back to where I have it memorized.  I love the piece!!!!

Thats it for today.  I must go downstairs and prepare the guest room for this weekend's guests.  I got all the bedding washed and now its make the bed and vacuum.  And then my fave part.....plan the food and make the lists.  TFL & TTYL

'There are 88 keys on a piano and within that, an entire universe.'  James Rhodes

FEELING OVERWHELMED

 I am going to complain here.  This goes very much against my Mother's teachings and even my own philosophy.  But the reality is that I have to come to the conclusion that this house has become too much for me to handle.  And that is not something I am used to.  How did this happen anyway?  I simply cannot do what I used to and I am not jiggy with it yet.  Getting there, albeit very slowly!

I get great plans and decisions going but ten minutes into any activity I have to sit for five or ten minutes to straighten my back and tailbone out.  This is when I used to put a shovel list but I am trying to break that habit.  Now I have to think of a penguin list thing.  Ummmmm...If you don't look in the laundry room, or bedrooms, or the deck, or the three sheds the house is squeaky clean.  And the housekeeper cleaned the front room window!!!!  (penguin list to the max on that one).

I have a friend I have mentioned occasionally, Anne.  She is nearing 80, dead poor, no tv, no internet, no cell phone, with the most amazing history.  She has saved my life mentally many many times.  I offered to take her on a cruise with me.  Monte isn't interested anymore. 

 I also have another bestie friend who she and I would love to do a cruise together.  The two cruises are polar opposites. One is totally sedentary and many at sea days.  The other is more active and most days off the boat exploring.

So Anne is most suitable for the Hawaii one and Cookie the Alaska cruise.  I am going to talk to Cookie about that.  I have one in mind.

But Anne doesn't have a passport, and because of where she was born she doesn't have a birth certificate.  She only has a proof of citizenship here in Canada.  She came here when she was nine.  So when I suggested the cruise to her I mentioned the passport.  Well she hopped right on it...headed down to service Canada and they of course totally helped her and when she called me a couple days ago its all done and she is just waiting for it to be mailed to her!!!!  I was so happy and proud of her.  I think it will have to happen in the spring.  The good thing about these two cruises is there is no flying involved.

We have had lots of things happening in this town.  The fire was a real threat for a while but the weather super helped and now it's a huge smoldering mess and will be for some time.  We have had three murders and two suspicious ones in the past two weeks.  One of them involves a friend of Ange's.  Getting close to home there!!! 

 Port Alberni is on the map quite often but not for particularly good stuff.  Remember those two boys that went north on a murdering spree and took the police on a cross country chase?  That was a particularly sad one.  They were so young with a whole life in front of them. 

 But on the upside, in spite of what hits the news, this town is the friendliest pretty place.  We have the water on one side and an amazing mountain on the other.  And in spite of all the negative crap that hits the news  it is the safest place I have ever lived.  And hey! I can completely cross town in eight minutes!  Even with the Tofino bound tourists it is still dead simple driving!

Well I have a day to start.  Coffee first though!  Have a great day friends and TFL & TTYL

'Aging is not for the young.  It would just confuse them.'  Me

TEMU

 Okay, I have named it.  That is the name of that Asian shopping website where stuff is so cheap you can't resist.

I am getting the bathroom downstairs ready for Ange and company.  I needed a bathmat set and guest towel sets.

I always start at Amazon and for a four piece bath mat set it wasn't under 35 to 50 dollars.  Then I checked on Temu and got one that is beautiful for 15. 

 And for us chubalub gals their plus size clothes are an eighth of the prices at Penningtons, the only fat lady store in Canada, and infinitely prettier and fun.  The same goes for anything for the house.  Temu does get expensive with the bigger items.  You do have to watch.

Today I bought a 15x24 canvas, wooden framed print that matches the bath mats for ten bucks.  That wouldn't even be on Amazon.  I do have twinges about the stories of how the Asian employees are not paid enough but I don't pay too much attention to that twinge.  I do know though that we here in Canada and the states spend millions and millions over there.  I tried to do some research on it and I did find out some stuff but it's not easy to get to the absolute truth.  I did find out that their biggest customer base is the Chinese themselves, if they are telling the truth.  I probably will continue!!!

Since I started this post our town has been threatened by a massive aggressive wildfire seven kilometres away.  So far the wind has been our friend.  Part of our town is on evacuation alert.  Ashes are falling in that area but my feeling is we will be fine.  That is if the smoke doesn't kill us!!!  This is the closest I have been to an actual fire.  Thank goodness I am one of those lucky ones that the smoke simply does not bother.  It is cooler and the amount of rain that fell was no help at all.  What people don't realize is that water from the heavens or helicopters tends to evaporate before it hits the hot spots.

We were supposed to have company this weekend but we have had to call it off.  I don't think it is wise to have people come into this smoke pit with the possibility of getting stuck in long lines of vehicles attempting to evacuate.  At the other fire, the Cameron Lake fire is causing road issues with our only escape route due to visibility from what remains of that fire.  I think we live in a difficult spot!!!

Anywhooo, thats all I got today.  I am in the middle of a process to make a Waldorf salad tonight.  I haven't made one of those in forever, if at all.  I will take a pic.  Speaking of which, this stupid blogspot combined with the updated iPhoto on my laptop has made it almost impossible to deal with photos.  Have a great few days and be glad if you can see the house across the street with no smoke!!!  TTYL & TFL

'How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?'  anon

ANOTHER VERY SPECIFIC UNINTERESTING YOU MAY WISH TO SKIP

 I was chatting with my sister yesterday.  She mentioned that she had been reading a nutritionist's opinion about low carb/keto diets.  And as usual the nutritionist was saying that the diet, I prefer 'way of eating' usually, was not sustainable.  True.  I agree with that statement.  It's a tough way to eat forever! 

So I got thinking about it in the night.  Nutritionists put such a negative spin on low carb eating.  I was up before dawn this morning and decided to find a positive report on low carbing from a nutritionist.  I didn't find even one written by an actual nutritionist.  Not one.  They all concentrate on the fact that it isn't sustainable and make it sound like you're nuts if you are going to try it.

So I abandoned nutritionists and skipped to medical professionals and specialists.  What a difference!!!  I ended up reading an in depth report from Harvard.  I learned even more about this way of eating.

The one that came out on top after many many group tests done by various universities was the low carb keto diet.  Second was low carb diet.  The next group were general diets like low carb Mediterranean, paleo etc...and at the very bottom of the list, in fact they were ineffective, were Low Fat and the American diabetes diet.  hahahaha!!!  Think Trump will fix it?  Just possibly Canada's diabetic diet isn't any better.

But everyone, including the above, know that it isn't easily sustainable, not even when your life depends on it. Can you imagine a whole life (I started this type of dieting to control my weight at 24...successfully I might add til I was forty plus) not ever eating a potato or a banana or gravy and Yorkshire puddings, or pancakes or bread of any kind etc...for the rest of your life?  Not likely to happen. 

 When I made the decision that Dr. Atkins was second only to Ohm, I read all the medical details and launched into a pretty successful way of eating til having a baby or two around 38, having all things female removed throwing me into menopause, and then quitting smoking, kinda sunk me for a while.  Even then though I got back on the carbless train and lost a lot of weight. Then got type 2 diabetes which I have learned causes weight gain in some of us.  I gave up.  I chose being happy over strict deprived eating 100% of the time. I consciously made an exception or two. If we are making a trip to Nanaimo Costco I am going to eat hot dogs and gravied fries thank you very much.

Now that Monte has moved permanently upstairs, he and I are going to share this upstairs bathroom.  And, after a severe scary cleaning, Ange will have the downstairs bathroom.  She is very excited!  I didn't realize having to share the upstairs one bothered her so much.  I should have figured that out.  Poor girl!  But holy hell..I won't even begin to describe what needs doing down there before that can happen!!!

Well I am HUNGRY!!!  Around five thirty this morning I sliced up a third of a pepper (5 carbs), one medium zucchini (5 carbs), 3 eggs (3 carbs), 3/4 cup of cheese, one tablespoon sugar free ketchup (2 carbs) and made an omelet.  And there is the 15 carbs of the twenty I eat every day before my sugars start to go up.  I ate half.  Now I shall eat the other half for lunch.  Supper will be fish and broccoli.  No carbs in fish and five in the broccoli.  Blech!!!!!

Well there you go...way more than you ever wanted to know about low carbing and my way of eating meal of the day.  

I must now go and get dressed and do my hair.  Ange and I have a busy afternoon.  Coffee at the Steampunk, pharmacist for new diabetes stuff, another pharmacy for Ange's sharps container switcheroo, a life lab appointment for her then the dollar store!!  Exciting!!!

TFL & TTYL

'Maybe psychopaths are just people on a low carb sugar free diet.'  anon

ps:  I was reading that women's personal hygiene stuff were going to be free.  Given how many millions of us are type two it would sure be nice to get a little help there.  I sure as heck didn't give myself diabetes!!!  As the doctor says some people have smaller livers and they are like sugar canisters, when they get full boom!!!  Type two!!!  My test strips cost me 150 per month and my pills for diabetes are 250.   400 per month.  I know people personally that skip pills and don't check their blood sugar levels often enough because it is so danged expensive.

OKAY....ENOUGH RELAXATION AND SELF-CODDLING!!!! (PENGUIN LIST)

 I would probably put a shovel in the title as well but that is just reticence due to pushing myself to something I am not used to.

I have been warring in myself between being way to comfy doing NOTHING, or getting out there and meeting new people and doing things.  Part of it is learning how far I can push my hip and tailbone and how to deal with it discreetly should I need to sit when what we are doing requires standing and walking.

  I am remembering my trip to China with my sister and husband and group of people.  It was so embarrassing.  I had to sit so many times and even sat out a couple of activities.  My awesome sister ran around and found me spots to sit whilst the guide  taught us stuff about where we were...like the the tour of the massive Forbidden City.  She was so good to me.  Thats what I remember and the embarrassment.  I felt like a drag on everybody except I do know no one gave me two hoots!!

So, on that note, a few months ago I happened to read in our local magazine about the Seniors Sunshine Club.  It has thirty-six different activities I could join...bridge, crib, chair yoga, cookbook writing, pot luck lunch once a month, swimming, gardening, painting, tours, crafts and on and on.  It is for over fifty year olds.  Which is great, no young whipper snappers speeding up our bodies or minds.  Except maybe fifty year olds can whipper snap!!!

Anyway I think it is time to push myself out the door.  I remember how I was somewhat reluctant to join Kiwanis in Kamloops...yet I so looked forward to every meeting every week.  I was probably never going to be best friends with any of them but I really enjoyed every single person there...even the ones that maybe could have been labelled annoying.  I think this sunshine club would be good.

I have lived here almost six years.  And at first I had the two boys living here and it kept me busy and had lots of visiting.  But the last three years have been really people absent.  We get all our purchases, food or stuff, delivered.  There aren't any activities in town to participate in or even go see so we rarely go anywhere.

  Back after the boys moved out Monte and I would tour around, go to the dump, go out for lunch and I loved it.  But he doesn't do that anymore.  Thank goodness Ange moved in.  Even though we don't sit and visit and spend much time together, (her cats won't let her lol) it is awesome having someone in the house.  I am already thinking about anyone else that could take her place should she move. 

Anyway I am definitely going to sign up, pay the 85 bucks for the year, bookmark the schedule and do some weekly activities.  Chair yoga first I think then the Potluck lunch!

Well I need to get out of this chair and clean the house for the housekeeper.  I should probably say prepare rather than clean...seems kind of crazy to clean for a cleaner.  

Have a wonderful few days til next post and I will update if I get the cajones to go sign up!!!  TFL & TTYL

'"Life is like a roll of toilet paper, the closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes."

Unknown

PAY IT FOREARD

 I was just telling ange that I was buying a sub sandwich at Subway the other day.  There was a kid in front of me in the line up...probably 15ish.  He had on a Fifa type shirt and when he spoke he had either a British or Australian or South African accen

  The two Indian (east) men working there asked the kid something and after he answered the men became visibly excited.  I couldn't understand any of their convo but it obviously was sports oriented and kinda famous.  Anywhoo, he moved on and got his sandwich and left.  

When I got to the til no-one came to help.  After a minute or two the cashier came and asked, 'Can I help you?"  Weird.  So I said yes I need to buy my sammich.  And she said that the young man ahead of me paid for mine.  I was gobsmacked!!!  I have done this but never had it done for me before.  I dashed out of the store to see if I could find him and thank him but he was gone.  Made my day!!!  (penguin shovel)

Ange and I have decided that we MUST leave this house once a week!  We just sit at home and do housey things and read and tv and laptop and phone.  That's it.  And we love it.  

Yesterday, being Friday our chosen day from now on to go out, we decided to go have lunch at Smitty's then go to No Frills.  We had a wonderful lunch and a fantastic visit about stuff we don't usually talk about.  I felt like Housewives of Port Alberni, avoiding carbs and gossiping.

 But we had to cancel No Frills.  I had to go home for reasons some of you can guess at.  But we plan on doing this every Friday.  Not the lunch part.  Too many carbs no matter what you order.

  I ordered the chef's salad, delicious but....so we will be going to the Steampunk coffee shop for coffees.  We love it there and then a trip to No Frills.  Like you all wanted to know that, right? Big sigh.  I have no life.

On that cheerful note...it reminds me of what Kevin said when we all got locked down during covid.  'I have been waiting for this my whole life.'  hahahaha!!!!!  He and I are truly able to be basement dwellers.  Pyjamma bottoms, ratty t-shirt, and sink to the lowest level and stay there.  Heavenly!

Well enough rambling for one post.  Have fun these next few days.  TFL & TTYL

Life is like a sandwich!
Birth as one slice,
and death as the other.
What you put in-between
the slices is up to you.
Is your sandwich tasty or sour?

Alan Rufus