Vegetable Gardening

Our vegetable garden seems to be going great. Just wanted to share what we have planted so far & we will continue to add to it. Dh built all of the boxes, as we wanted to do Square Foot Gardening. So far, we have planted Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, Jalapeno Peppers, Eggplants (2 types), Bush Beans & corn. I also bought a Blueberry plant on clearance & planted that in a pot. We also have our large (10+ years old) Fig Tree & 2 smaller ones that my dad planted & gave us. He is 77 & such a blessing to us in gardening knowledge & goods. We also have a Mulberry Tree that just appeared inside our Fig tree. We are guessing that maybe birds brought the seeds? Anyway, it seems to be doing great along the Fig tree. I pick a good handfull every afternoon, which is the only branches I can reach & pulll down. Wishing I could somehow reach more but glad to share with the birds, since I think it is their tree anyway~LOL
Looking forward to canning & dehydrating some of the fruits & vegetable for food storage.
Just for the background info~I have many health problems~Fibromyalgia, Diabetes, Sarcoidosis (am on Prednisone & Chemo for this), 2 bad disc in my back, 2 heart valves that are bad & a few other things~~so just saying this so you can see how easy gardening can be!! I do all the planting & caring for the plants. I usually can do this in an hour~just about each day~but enjoy being out there~~I usually spend more time.
Would love to see what you have planted this season!
Take care,

One of the boxes Dh built. I do most of the actual planting

& caring for the plants.

Bell Pepper

Jalapeno Pepper

Roma Tomato

Eggplant

Pam

We don't see this often

Icy cold weather, that is. Here in SW La. our temps have been uncommonly low. For the past 2 days, our state has been practically shut down. LOL Dh has been off work (he is an Attorney) & Courthouse was even shut down. Kids have been out of school. So we have been hunkered down inside. We get Ice & Rain, instead of the beautiful white snow flakes. I put together a Homemade Italian Style Beef Soup~that was so good & certainly helped to keep us warm. Last night I made a delcious Monkey Bread. Kids have requested another round tonight! LOL I think that recipe is certainly a keeper! I will be sharing both of the recipes in the very near future.

Dh truck door handle when we woke up this AM.

                                                                 Trees covered in ice.

We are having freezing temps again tonight. Hope eveyone stays warm tonight.

Sarcoidosis

SARCOIDOSIS. Have you ever heard of it? I had not either, until one day in November 2010, I noticed a lump that had formed on my right forearm. I head on to my reg Dr. She refers me to a surgeon. After that visit, I am scheduled for surgery in 4 days to remove & send off for testing. Scared, worried, but dtermined that I believe that God will not give me more than I can handle. He will never leave me. But I also need to depend on my family. I get through the surgery (not too bad).

Advance a week later, I am giving a diagnosis of SARCOIDOSIS! What is This? I google it.

Sarcoidosis (sar-koy-DO-sis) is a disease of unknown cause that leads to inflammation. It can affect various organs in the body.
Normally, your immune system defends your body against foreign or harmful substances. For example, it sends special cells to protect organs that are in danger.
These cells release chemicals that recruit other cells to isolate and destroy the harmful substance. Inflammation occurs during this process. Once the harmful substance is destroyed, the cells and the inflammation go away.
In people who have sarcoidosis, the inflammation doesn't go away. Instead, some of the immune system cells cluster to form lumps called granulomas (gran-yu-LO-mas) in various organs in your body. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/sarc/sar_whatis.html

Some of you may know that I also struggle with Fibromyalgia (20 years now). Now to add this to my situation? I could ask "Why me?" but then I think "Why Not me?" But then I go on & the next 2 months have been very tough!! I am directed to go to a Rheumatologist. I am relieved that I already have a Rheummy (as I call him) that I have seen for the past 20 years for my Fibromyalgia (FM). I do not like adding new Drs to my life!! I have enough now to handle. Thanks anyway.

So off I go to my Rheummy. They take a chest x-ray. They are spots of Sarcoidosis on my lungs. Certainly may explain the chest pains & shortness of breath, that I have had for the past few weeks? I am put on Prednisone. This is a Devil Drug!! It just makes you feel horrible!! I am EDGY, MOODY,NERVOUS. Then go for recheck 10 days later. Ohh did I mention I also have Diabetes? Ok so now I have. Prednisone makes Blood Sugar go WACKO!! Through the roof~over 600. It is supposed to be below 150. SO I increase my Insulin from 40 units to 75 units! Still struggle with my Blood Sugars (BS). SO my Rheummy decreases my Prednisone & adds a Chemo Drug to try to combat this Sarcoidosis.

A month later, all the lumps continue to grow & many more are formed. I now have them on my face. Added to the prednisone, my face is quite chubby now! GREAT!! I would be ok with this~~if there would be an Improvement in this Sarcoidosis. I have growned to hate all these new words in my vocabulary. I have NO ENERGY!! I thought before, with the FM, that I had no energy?? Ohh no, Now I have NO ENERGY!! Ughhhh

So here I am on Prednisone & the Chemo Drug. I take the Prednisone each day & the Chemo Drug once week. I decide to take the Chemo on Saturdays. For the next few days, I am wiped out. I have a couple "better" days each week.

I barely get out of my house. I am always in PAIN! I am HOT & then I am Freezing! I have chills. I am sweating. I dream off having Fun & enjoying life. I try to keep my spirits up. I am on my laptop alot~on Facebook, reading blogs. I normally enjoy cooking & miss trying out new recipes. I collect more recipes & hope to one day, try some out again. I love cooking. I watch Cooking Channel & Food Network.

So I go back for recheck on Feb 13th? I think~have to check my Calendar. Normally, on my Dr days, my Mom comes with me. It is an hour drive one way. We enjoy our time together. We shop. We eat out. We used to do this so much more, back when I had energy? :(

I am sad to say, the drugs are not yet working. More lumps are forming. My Dr said that it takes a good while to build up the Chemo Drug! I want a Fast Cure! I am not getting it. It has been almost 3 months & it feels like forever!!

Would love to hear from anyone who is familiar with this disease. I am determined to get this Blog going with my life determining the subject.
Hugs & Blessings,
Pam

Thank God for a great Christmas!!

I am so Thankful for a great Christmas Season~as we continue to enjoy the 12 days of Christmas. My dh bought me a new laptop!!! Mine had gotten very ill & was not wanting to work with me anymore. So I could not post to my blogs, barely write comments,etc.
But looks like I am back in business & ohhh so excited!!
Looking forward to jumping back in & visiting with all my wonderful blog friends!!
Hugs & Blessings,
Pam

A Great Thanksgiving Giveaway!

Faithful Quilter: Elaine's Journey
2nd Annual Thanksgiving (Quilting) Give-A-Way
Click link Here:
http://faithfulquilter.blogspot.com/2010/11/2nd-annual-thanksgiving-quilting-give.html