two years today!

I spent most of my adult life fighting my weight. It felt like a battle to the death and I think it would have been except that two years ago today I had weight loss surgery (WLS). It saved my life.

WLS is controversial and becoming more common now but it took me a long time to come to that decision. My family doctor had been urging me for about three years, not just because of what I weighed, but because of more serious health issues. I had high blood pressure even on medication, high cholesterol even on medication, a heart murmur, irregular heart beat, two total knee replacements, depression, sleep problems and no energy. I felt awful much of the time. I could barely get myself to work. I couldn't keep up with my house and my kids would have to come over and help me. At 53, I was too young to feel so old and disabled.

Finally I realized that the weight really was going to kill me and that I was going to be dreadfully miserable until it did. Besides the health concerns, every day was a struggle with food, clothes, appearance and self-esteem. After 30 years of dieting I was fatter and sicker than ever and I didn't want to always be remembered in such a way. I had truly done my best to control my weight on my own and I had to face the fact that it hadn't worked and wasn't going to. I took another look at WLS.

The miracle was discovering a WLS called Duodenal Switch (DS) rather than the more common RNY. For more information on these surgeries, see the links I have posted in the sidebar of this page. Suffice it to say that when I read about the DS, I knew that this was a surgery I could live with. Not an easy way out by any means, but a possible salvation. I went through the qualifying process with doctor, surgeon, psychiatrist and insurance and two years ago today I was "switched". Then the recovery began.

I am now a different person - 100 pounds lighter. I no longer take blood pressure or cholesterol medicine - both are normal without it. I no longer worry about what I eat or what I will wear - I am normal in that respect for the first time in my adult life. Food is a joy, clothes are fun and I think about what I need and want to do everyday instead of how I look doing it. I don't dread getting out of bed or seeing others or having work to do. In fact, the picture below is something I'm very proud of!

Two years ago I could not pull weeds in the yard for even ten minutes. The blood would rush to my head and I would have to get a drink of water and sit down. You can't get much done in ten minute stretches. But take a look at this photo - this is the brush I cleared out of my yard just this week! That's seven bundles as big as I am tied up in twine and seven yard bags full of twigs, etc. This pile out for pickup stretches halfway across the front of my house. Mind you, I also work full time, so this is just the work of a couple weekend mornings and the evening the trash goes out. I bagged it all and carried it to the curb and you'd never know that I have two titanium knees. Not bad for a 55 year old, huh?

WLS isn't for everyone and I do believe you need to exhaust all your resources before you choose surgery. But for some of us it is a life-saving procedure. It requires lifetime compliance in taking supplements and getting proper nutrition and that cannot be neglected. It is worth it to escape the prison of obesity and I can say that I am happier and healthier than I've ever been. I am grateful and joyful over this every day. Life is wonderful.

pizza adventure

Nary a soul loves pizza more than I do and I've been working on perfecting my home made pie. This weekend I got a "peel" and some quarry tiles to put on the oven bottom to see if it would give me a better crusted pizza.

I have a dough recipe I really like (Wolfgang Puck) so I made it up and spread it on the peel. I tried to keep it dry and loose so it would slide off.


Alas, my fresh sauce was too runny and I knew as soon as I put it on that it was sogging the dough and it would never slide off the peel. Drats! Two attempts to get it into the oven proved that I was just going to toss the toppings all over the oven, so there I stood with a superhot oven, a dough-y pizza on a huge peel and nowhere to set it! Yikes!


I finally got the peel propped onto the stove and used a spatula to roll the pizza up like a burrito, toppings and all, and unroll it back onto a pan. Pretty messy, but a recovery nonetheless. Daggone sauce.

It did take the peel to get the pie onto the tiles so low, but was pretty easy since the pizza was on a sturdy pan. Hmmm... this could work.




The thing that turned out best was the crust bottom - nice and browned like I wanted.

So it was a good enough tasting pizza, but the dough was too thick, the sauce too runny. I think I can do it better the next time.

cleanup in aisle 2...

Actually, the cleanup was in my back yard this past weekend. I have very big old trees in my yard and the Ash drops branches like crazy. I'll have to have it looked at soon before it does some real damage to my house or my neighbor's, but I came home Friday to find another limb down. Fortunately it fell between the gas lamp and the mosaic pot. Phew!


Another view shows that it went right up onto the back porch, which meant I had to go out the front door and around to have a look at it.


Saturday morning I spent about an hour and a half trimming off all the small branches, cutting them up and bagging them into empty mulch bags. Sunday morning I got out the Gator and made quick work of the large branch. What a tool that is! It only took about 20 minutes and it paid for itself just with this cleanup job. Wow!

And in case you're wondering, it's the Alligator Lopper by Black and Decker. It has really helped me get my yard cleaned up!

zinnias again...

oh, how I love zinnias!!

honestly, there is a special place in my heart for old-fashioned zinnias...

more of the garden

Honestly, I cannot get over my garden this year! Every day I rush home from the job to enjoy it or to work in it and I could not tell you the last time my television was on. And I am seriously neglecting the computer as well! But that is a good thing when the weather is pleasant and your attention is diverted to the outside. Right on schedule, the daylilies are blooming in July...


And I have been anxious to post my new play area for the grandkids. It took some thinking ahead of time and then I was able to install it in a couple days. I moved some large logs from an old firewood pile to create a back "wall" for the play area and then put down a bed of gravel as a base. Along the logs are bins for sand, gravel and various toys that the kids like, all with lids to keep the contents dry. The "floor" of the play area is a large checkerboard made of 6" pavers, half of which were spray-painted black and all laid into the gravel base. Naturally, I had to teach the grands to play checkers (and they aren't all old enough yet to enjoy the game) but they LOVE this play area.


Another view...


I enlisted the kids' help of course, since it IS their play area, to make some signs. I suggested to AJ, the 8 year old, that he might want to make a sign that says "kids only" but he ammended that to say "KIDS and NONNA only" ("Nonna" is me - Italian for "grandmother") as well as "No adults unless invited". Isn't it just perfect??? Oh - and it was his idea to call the area the "PLAZONE". Even though he is only eight, he is into creative spelling and told me that he purposely left the "Y" out of the word "PLAZONE" since it would "read well" with just a "Z". I agree, and even though I do have a degree in design, I think he is WAY ahead of himself at age eight. He also instructed me to attach the signs to the stake at an angle so they would look like they had been made by "real kids". Of course, I did! Makes a Nonna proud!


There really is a path through the wooded part of the yard behind the play area, so Josey made a sign pointing to the Secret Path. She is my little princess and did a wonderful job, don't you think??


And here are a couple more photos of the sitting area. This year I put a glorious hibiscus into the huge mosaic pot and I will try to winter it over when cold weather comes.


And the cobalt blue pots are just delightful. Every evening the solar lights come on at dark and make little glowing spots in the dark. I cannot express how much enjoyment I get from this garden each and every day. If I'm not out in it, I'm looking out the window at it, so I enjoy it from every angle. How fun! Thank you, God, for blessing me in this way!

life in the garden...

This summer, life so far has been all about yardwork for me. After several years of being unable to do my yardwork, I totally delight in spending several hours PER DAY working in the garden. I've been too busy to post here, but will try to catch you up on the local events. First, one of the new gardens I installed this year is the Bird Hotel. Lots o' birdhouses, many adorned with stars, grace my biggest tree - an Ash that I hope will not succumb to the borer that is invading this area. Keep in mind that my garden is an Artist's Garden, not for the finicky type...


Also this year, I put out a few tomato plants and they are doing quite well! Look at these little beauties just waiting to be part of a salad next month!!


This evening there was a very busy butterfly gracing the coneflowers. She did not seem to be shy and so I got a photo of her.


Meanwhile, the hummingbird that generally frequents this feeder was sipping nectar when I sat down with my camera. Alas, my noise scared the little hummer away. He/she is a tiny thing with a ruby throat that I hope to capture on film soon. But this evening I sat and waited and waited and it did not return. Maybe next time...


And this is the absolute ultimate - I have a Chain Saw!! You do not know how amazing this is, but I have purchased this little gem and have been clearing the brush off the back of my property for weeks. What a beast of a tool! Makes a woman proud! And powerful!!! Yeh!!! Don't mess with me, ya hear???

back to sketching

Time to get back to sketching! I can't believe how I cycle through the projects at hand, but I always do and I am no longer going to try to figure out why I do what I do. On again, off again, on again, no matter.

Lately I have been working in the garden like crazy and finally I am wanting to sketch again. I got out last year's garden sketchbook and picked up where I left off. First, a little explanation...


And then an easy sketch of a plant and a couple little birds sitting on a porch table:


This evening I sketched the hummingbird feeder after taking a bunch of photos of the garden. Hopefully I can get some more detailed sketches soon of what's happening in the garden this year.

SP10 Package arrived today!!!

Well, I must say it was very nice to come home from work today and find a package I've been anxiously awaiting just sitting nonchalantly on my porch! My secret pal had let me know it was on the way some time ago so I had been on the watch. You see, I joined this secret pal knitting group and very much enjoyed sending off packages to the young lady I was given to spoil. Only one problem - my original secret pal assigned to me dropped out! And so, after not getting any packages, I reported it and I was given an "angel" secret pal. Now these are pals that do extra duty! They swoop in and rescue those who didn't recieve any gifts because - well, because they are just extra nice knitting pals who care. My angel pal is Karen and I am so tickled with my package from her! Just look at this:

the package has arrived!


Right on top is a card labled "read me" - how fun!! (I feel just like Alice in Wonderland, wondering what will happen next!)


Every message I had from Karen had a lovely knitting image on it and this card did too. I'll have to ask her where she got them!


A lovely note inside. I blurred out the personal stuff just in case...


WOW! Look at that book! It is filled with the lovliest patterns and photos ever! I don't think I would have splurged on it so I doubly appreciate recieving it. I adore books and I can't wait to try something out of this one. The photography is so luscious that I can just pore over the pages while deciding what to try first. The lace is so elegant! And look, too, at the yarns my pal sent me! Gorgeous chenille just begging to be cast on and some Knitpicks Essential that will make a delicious pair of socks. The color is Inca Gold, which is actually a yummy brown and much prettier in person. It will be fun to anticipate picking out a pattern for it.


And then, if that was not enough - a whole skin care package!!! Now I'm a girly-girl from way back and I just love all the personal jams and jellies you can get. Look at all these products! Notice the little jar of capsules you can break open and spread on - each one is a little present. And I am going to break into that bottle of lotion with the suspended beads of vitamin E in it yet tonite!! Even now I have a bath running so that I can gather up the whole collection and play in the tub with them all. That's a big girl's idea of fun!!


Thank you so much Secret Pal Karen - you are very much an angel to volunteer to make sure that an abandoned pal still gets a gift. I am nominating you for BEST PAL and if you don't win it will not be because I don't think you are the very best! I appreciate your kindness and generosity and I thank you for a most pleasant surprise that I will enjoy for a long, long time.

ps - I am going to affix your "read me" card inside the book with an inscription of how I received it so that I always remember where I got that lovely book. Thanks so much again!!

no way I'm MABEL!!

This is totally the weirdest poll I've ever taken. If you can get from "Starr" to "Mabel" in any way, shape or form ~ you are on another planet!! Go take this test and see how far off it is for you!!!

Your Old Fashioned Name Is...

Mabel Saynsberry

What's Your Old Fashioned Name?

catching up...

Well, it might not seem like it, but I have not been a total slacker! Last evening I was catching up on blogs of friends and I was totally shamed that I have not posted much! Really, I am as artistic as ever, but I get so dang distracted and don't keep up with any one thing, including this blog. But honestly, my first love is drawing and sketching and I do still do it from time to time. If I could indulge in one Big Regret, it is that I have not figured out how to have drawing/painting/sketching in my life every day while having to make a real living! UGH!! Does anyone know of someone who needs an apprentice to keep? I'm there!!

So anyway, my favorite program - bar none -is SURVIVOR!! I was so excited for the last season to begin that I copied the logo. That was in February, of course...


I did do one "everyday matters challenge" recently ~~~


Today I was just starved to draw something and picked up the nearest thing to hand...


And I have to say that I did follow the Survivor season and absolutely fell in love with Yau-Man. If only we had more men like this in the world!!

love my grands!

Today, I cannot help but brag on my grands. If you have made it as far as I have in this life, you will know that the grandchildren were worth waiting for! Oh how I love those little guys even if I don't want them with me all the time!! And isn't that the beauty of it?? You get to have them for the best of times and send them home for their pathetic parents to deal with. Ain't it sweet justice?? I am grinning sooooooo big over that!!

Meanwhile, I came home today to a gift! It was cookies made by my five-year-old grandson Colin. He had searched out the recipe himself ~ chocolate butter cookies in the shape of pretzels (with red sprinkles) ~ and his mom helped him make them since he and his older siblings were home sick from school and needed some entertainment. Colin wasn't thrilled with the cookies themselves, but he did bring me a bagful and leave them for me while I was at work today. Naturally he decorated the baggie they are in ~ he wrote his name and drew a picture of me, along with a heart for love. Personally, I think he is a budding Rembrandt and will keep that precious baggie as a remembrance. Then, if he gets famous it will be worth a mint. If not, I can torture him with it, right?? In any case, I love it. I do know that the child is gifted no matter what.


And the cookies were tasty, too! I held off eating any until I photographed them, but then I promptly gobbled down two of the four. Honestly, they were very good! So I called Colin for the recipe, but he is too busy playing outside in the yard to talk to me right now. Hmmmmmmmmm. I guess I can wait for his recipe secrets, but the rest of the cookies will be gone by the time I talk to him again.....

Pickled!

Sometimes even I wonder how I get interested in the things that I do! Of late, it has been making PICKLES! So, between working, yardwork, visiting family, knitting dishcloths and socks, studying Italian and working Sudoku puzzles, I've been researching pickle recipes and shopping for ingredients. Weird, huh??

I'm still experimenting, but I am focusing on FRESH pickles, not canned. I've made some sweet pickles, some authentic dills without vinegar, some kimchee style cabbage with Korean chile powder (whoo boy!!), some carrots that were wayyyy too sweet, some carrots that are just pickles and not sweet, some bok choy, some HOT cauliflower and so on and so on. When I get through the experimental phase I will keep the recipes that I like and go from there.

I do like the idea of Fermented veggies rather than just pickled, but we'll see how that develops. Meanwhile, aren't they gorgeous?? I love how they look just as much as how they taste!

Hmmmm...... should I plant some cukes real soon?????????? I know that they grow and multiply much faster than the grocery store prices would have you believe.......

knitting a shrug....

This is my latest project even though I'm not quite sure yet how it will turn out! I am using yarn from my stash and filling in to make it last for the project, so it may not develop as desired when all is said and done. Meanwhile, I am on the second half of said project and will post a pic when I can get it photographed. I am using "bowtie" yarn by Moda Dea in shades of lavender, pink and bright green.

Also, I have been thinking carefully about gifts for my secret pal in SP10. I have sent two gifts so far ~ gifts that I carefully considered in terms of the list my secret pal posted as to her likes and dislikes. Upon checking her blog, I think that my secret pal is pleased so far. At any rate, she has gotten two "surprise" packages from me and she seems to be thrilled!

bouna giornata,
starr

a little quiz...

I think I am really an enigma. I appear to be very social in person, but really, I am quite content to be alone and do not seek much company after mandatory work hours. I care very much for others but am quite selfish with my time! I think this little quiz captured me perfectly...

You Are 30% Extrovert, 70% Introvert

You are quite reserved You aren't afraid of social situations... But you very much prefer to go it alone And why not? You're your own best friend!

Are You An Extrovert or An Introvert?

sad, sad day

The Virginia Tech shootings ~ another heart-breaking day in American history. I cannot understand such things enough to even comment upon them. My heart goes out to all of the families affected, even the family of a young Korean boy who was disturbed enough to do this. There are no words for this extreme sadness...

shopping bags vs spring cleaning...

ok, I'm still knitting away in my spare time, BUT it is spring cleaning time as well! UGH!!!

When I was younger, I tackled such projects in a Very Big Way and took much pleasure in cleaning out the excess from my home.

Well....

Now, it is still something that needs done, but my enthusiasm has waned, to say the least! All that deters me now is the thought that if I don't do it, someone I love with have to and it won't be pretty!! UGH again!

And so I embarked on some closet and drawer cleaning this weekend. But only with my tried and true tricks in place. You see, I make a deal with myself. One, I only commit to working for ten minutes to start with and then, if I am too miserable, I can quit. Usually this will get me going for anywhere from one to three hours. Thank goodness!

Two, I play my current book on tape while I work to distract me. So far ~ so good! It works!! I start out with a small goal in mind and manage to do much more overall. Phew! It is good to know how to trick oneself to do these things!!

Meanwhile, I have lots more to do but am happy with what I was able to accomplish this past weekend. To reward myself, I took knitting breaks to work on Market Bags! I absolutely hate the buildup of all those plastic bags from the grocery, so I am going to make a stash of knitted bags to bring home the groceries. Here are two completed ones and the start of a third. It must be true that old hippies never die!! Peace, my friends! And happy recyling!!

fagioli alla Toscana

or ~~ Tuscan Style Beans
I am an admitted italiano-phile and last night I was reading a new cookbook that I got called "The Antipasto Table". It mentioned how Italians LOVE beans (as do I) and here is how they cook them: they "oven-bake" them slowly to tenderize them and retain their shape, only adding salt at the very end of the cooking time.

BUT ~ one needs a cast iron dutch oven in which to do this (which has been on my "list" for some time) and today I went in search of one. Do you know how expensive these are???????? OMG!!!! I was in sticker shock over the prices of Le Creuset - a medium size Dutch Oven is $150 ~ $225!!!! OMG!!!!!

I'm sure that pan would outlive me by a long shot, but who can afford to have it now??? OMG, OMG, OMG!!!!!

And so I took off for my fav local knock-off store, and lo and behold, there ~in all it's glory~ was a no-name brand of exactly what I was looking for!! It was RED, it was medium size (not too big and not too small) and it was OBLONG (my preferred shape). Yeh, it was made in China and it had a chip out of the rim, but not too big and something that woulda happened in short order anyway...

I snagged this prize and headed home to cook some fagioli of my own...


So here is what you do: rinse a pound of cannellini or Great Northern Beans, put them in a bowl covered with cold water by 2" and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. After that, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Drain the beans, put them in the ovenproof casserole with a cover. Add fresh water to cover by one inch. Add a large clove of garlic (peeled), a tablespoon of olive oil and a bit of fresh or dried sage. Bring to simmer over low heat on the stovetop. Move the dish to the oven and cook until tender ~ about an hour or so. Add salt to taste. Remove from oven, smash the garlic and add back to the soup. Serve warm or at room temp with a drizzle of olive oil and freshly ground pepper. These are really good atop toasted rounds of fresh bread, garnished with chopped fresh onion...

And that is exactly how I just had them ~ YUM!!! Best beans ever! Try them!!!

Family Dinner

Well, I've been on vacation from work this week and you'd think I'd get some extra stuff done, right? Nope! Been busy cooking and having guests and it has been a lot of fun. First up was a family dinner. On the menu were my grandmother's homemade noodles, which are drying on the counter here in the first photo. Just egg noodles, but mixed, cut and dried all by hand just like my family has been making them for over a hundred years that I know of. They came out perfect and everyone had seconds! For those of you NOT from the midwest, these are served atop mashed potatoes (yes, I said ATOP) and you simply go into a coma after eating this delicacy. Some of the shredded beef roast goes into the noodles but you can serve the rest on the side if you feel the need for protein balance...


The table all set and waiting.


My sister had such a good time that she stayed for five days! We had so much fun that I hate to go back to my normal working schedule. Why can't I stay home and knit and make family dinners for a living? But I must be able to afford myself, so I'll go back to work next week. Meanwhile, I've got a precious few days left to enjoy the arrival of spring and the new fun memories of a family gathered round the table. Life doesn't get better than that!

For Cecily & SP10

SP10 has begun! For those who don't know, that is Secret Pal 10 - an exchange with another knitter who would like to be spoiled with attention and gifts from a secret pal. How fun! I misunderstood at first, but now I know who my secret pal recipient is ~ and I do NOT know who my own secret pal is because he or she is the one spoiling me per the questions I answered for the project.

My current project is a pair of socks from the book Socks Socks Socks from Knitters Magazine. These were designed by Sheri Franz of Pittsburgh and I've had to frog them back to the ribbing once already, but that is fine~ I enjoy the process! The pattern is easy to remember so far and I am using Sockotta (Italian collection) yarn in superwash. It has a wonderful feel to it and a very retro look. I had to go down to size 0 needles and I do think I have someone in mind for these socks!


I've also been busy on my own version of dishcloths. I've developed a cotton cloth that is a good size and doesn't get weighed down when it is wet. I like it a lot ~ a whole lot!


And so I made a label for it for when I give it away as a gift:


Label back:


These cloths knit up quick, so you can make a set while watching a bit of TV or a movie on the weekend:


Use up leftovers by crocheting the edging on with a contrasting color:


and then wrap on that handmade label for a special touch: