Getting to the Heart of the Matter

OK. So, I'll be 40 this year.
No big deal.
I have no preconceived notions about aging.
Does the rose complain because it withers on the vine?
No, it is only making room for others to bloom after it is gone.
I have a healthy outlook on aging and I do not believe that I am all that old. No matter what my kids may say !!! Mind over matter and all that jazz. But, for the last 7 weeks I have been having these heart flutters or hiccups. I gave it my customary 2 week waiting period, actually, 3 weeks and hubby INSISTED that I go see a Dr.
Well, I go. Get blood work done - that, I found out all was normal - at least something with me is normal. The Dr. sent me to the Cardiologist for an "Event Monitor". So I had these two snaps stuck to my chest and every time I have an "Event" I must push a button. After 5 events, I have to call and download the machine. You see, once it is full (5 episodes) it can not record any more. Well, day 5, I called around 11:00am to download, and no one called me back. So, once 5:15 rolled around, I called the after hours/weekend/Holiday number, they quickly respond to me and I download and go on with my day. Day 6, I had had an "Event-full" day. Yes, I have been fluttering all over the place and have been waiting 2 hours to download my last set of episodes. I have left 2 messages. I am trying to remain calm, cool and collected. The young lady with whom I am to talk to is a very sweet girl. She is a working mother trying to keep it all pulled together, BUT this is her job and I am getting frustrated because she is not doing her job.

With all that said, I get the call from the Dr.s office - 20 days after the a fore mentioned days. They say only a few of the "Events" that I recorded were of any significance or seemed dangerous and that I should go on with my life.
Skreeetch--------Whadda mean???
Only a few of them "seemed dangerous". I told her that I was still having the same symptoms, not as frequently as I was, but they are still there. I was told that if I had any further concerns to follow up. With whom??? The same Dr.??? I don't think so. Hubby thinks that I should see a specialist. He hasn't said I HAVE to go (yet). Yes, you know my issues with submission.

Stop. Pause. Breath in through your nose, out through your mouth.

Now, I am going to remember to put God first in this.
I am praying for direction -
I have already started to TRY to loose some weight (Thanks Amy, for the inspiration dress), eat better (no sweets after my coffee in the AM), exercise more (well, at least I am in the garden more - that counts, doesn't it???). I am drinking 1/2 caff. coffee - 2 or 3 cups (Thanks MOM - She gifted me 1 1/2#'s of Gevalia 1/2 caff) drinking more water, juicing more, eating more yogurt (plain) and using less sugar.

I know that God has a purpose in my having these flutters or hiccups in my heart. I am waiting for Him to reveal what that purpose is.

Oops, there goes a flutter now.

Well, I must be off. I've got my MIL coming tomorrow and a party to prepare for - will post on the partay prep. on We're Livin' the Happy Life, when I get the chance. And I will try to take some pic's and post them too.

Spinning on the Crazy Cycle

Why is it, that the more I learn (on some things) the less in control I feel?
Is ignorance really bliss??? Please, say yes. (I know it's not ....BUT)

A group of friends and I have been discussing Coconut Oil. Now, I am a long time grain grinder, bread maker and wanna be health nut. BUT (Behold the Underlying Truth) I feel as though I am blowing in the wind. Lost in a whirl wind of info. In researching Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (EVCO), Unrefined CO, Refined CO, Hydrogenated CO, I found an article on soaking your grains. Something about phytic acid??? Well, I went to another reliable source for info on all things grain/bread related and she said it is no big deal. Well then, what about sprouting your grain, dehydrating it then grinding it and making your bread. AND - if water and heat are the two biggest enemies of nutrients in wheat/grain, then why do we even grind it and mix it with water and yeast and then bake it at 350 degrees???
When is enough, enough?? I try to do what is good and right for my family's (or is it families?)health, as much as I can or as much as they will allow.

It boggles the mind.

If you can share any info or can lead me in the right direction for proper info - PLEASE do so. I'm spinning here on the "Crazy Cycle".

One thing that I am not spinning on is, what an AWESOME God we serve. It is such an incredible blessing for Him to reveal Himself to us AND He does it in small increments. This posting started several weeks ago (I know - I edit myself too much) and I had included a part about how great God is, in that He gives to us Himself, in just the right amount. Now, that sounded way to deep for me and I deleted that part. Well, I attend the Ladies Sunday School class ( only every other month) and right there, God confirmed that what I thought was right. Our wonderful teacher shared just that same thing. But, who am I , that God would confirm to me, or that God would reveal Himself to me? I am so very unworthy, yet He does confirm, He does reveal, He does love - without measure!!!
This past week, He has shown Himself to me in ways I can not fathom. He is worthy of so much more than I can offer. Yet, all He requires is that I put Him first. First, before myself, family, gardening, educating, blogging, eating, reading, cooking, first thing in the morning (that He created), first thing before I speak (OK, I have a hard time with that one - pray for me), first before EVERYTHING.

Lord, thank you for showing Yourself to me. Thank you for loving me so much, that You gave of Yourself to me. Thank you, for knowing exactly what I need and just when I need it and in just the right amount. Thank you for not overwhelming me with ALL of YOU, but that You gently, carefully, lovingly help me along. Father, help me to emulate that with my family, that I treat them as carefully, lovingly and as gently as You have been to me. As I start each new day, assist me in not leaving Your side. You have NEVER strayed away from me, it is I who distances myself away from You. Draw me closer and closer each day to You.

I am just being too Negative.......

OK, we have decided that I have a problem - well, all right, more than just one, but that is beside the point. I somehow contain some kind of negatively charged ion field around me. Things just break down when I am either around or using them. Now, truth be told, my hubby (jokingly - I think) says that it is "Operator Error" and I will give him that on many occasions - BUT NOT EVERY TIME!!!! I was trying to find some pint canning jars on "Craigs List" and the laptop crashes, I was ripping a piece of wood on the table saw --- and ran the hand guard into the blade about 1/2 inch -- the room got hazy and I panicked and turned off the saw, I was milling wheat and the mill slowly grinds to a halt, I was making bread in the Kitchen Aid and it died ---- Perhaps I should not do so much. If I sit around eating bonbons, painting my toe nails (which really need doing) and reading cook books none of these things would happen. Neither would the little projects that I do.

Enter Sonshine Cottage Man (SCM). The Master Mister Fixer!!! Now, don't get me wrong, I do have a Mister Fixer of my own, BUT hubby has been working a lot of overtime and volunteers with the local fire department and well, my pile has been growing.

OK - I left the computer for just a moment and I lost half of my post - what happened??? See what I mean --- these things just happen to me - I even clicked on the "save now" button - OY - And, I did not turn off the computer - just closed the laptop to get a box for a berry customer. I had come up with some really witty stuff and of course since I typed it out it was no longer necessary for me to file it in my brain (OK - my half a brain) so it is all gone. :o{

Oh, I remember some of it -- The fact that for 8 out of 11 years during our stint in owning a bakery, I manufactured around 300#'s of freshly milled whole wheat bread dough, loads of whole wheat cookies, muffins, scones, croissant and brownies (you get the picture) each week, I am entitled for things to wear out. Perhaps, considering the volume we did, I am indeed fortunate to only wear out 2 mills and 1 Kitchen Aid.

Anyway, Thank you to the whole Sonshine Cottage family, Momma, Poppa, "little" SCM and little Sister. You all have blessed this family in ways you will never know. Come over anytime for lunch - but, SCM - remember to always bring your tools, you never know what else I have wrecked.

Caring for Your Grain Mill

Guest post by Amy of Sonshine Cottage:

Making bread in your grain mill!

This is the Sonshine Cottage man, who has undertaken to fix some of Jessica's appliances. Did you know that mills suck air for cooling and if that air is full of flour, it can build up a substatial amount of flour in the housing around the motor? See above picture.

Very Informative

Had an opportunity to go thrifting the other day and found a book "The Complete Homesteading Book". This is no ordinary homesteading book - it gives you the good, the bad and the ugly side of homesteading. Very informative. One of the reasons for purchasing the book is that there is a picture that could be my grandmother and mother or my mother and me or me and my daughter.

Here is a really neat site I found. http://www.backwoodshome.com/
I have not done an extensive survey of the entire site, so proceed with caution. Have not found anything objectionable, as of yet, I've only looked up a few of the home making items.

Well, I must be off.

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It's So Cool

Well, today is the day. Our new fridge arrives. We ended up getting the side by side, my wish to get one made in the USA did not happen - we got a Samsung. There are so many choices out there one could get bogged down in the search. Let me begin by praising my dear sweet hubby, in that he spent the WHOLE day with me looking at refrigerators. We had such a good time. No, REALLY!!!! What a blessing it was, my mom & dad kept the kids and we just had the whole day to shop and be together. He took me out to lunch to a place that has been in operation in my hometown since 1958. It was a place I had never been before - he could not believe it, especially since he did not grow up in my hometown - just his college dayz :o}. Maybe , that is why I had never been there - my folks were VERY protective - thanks Mom & Dad!!!! But anyway, it is a neat place - I would not go there after 3:00 PM - it is a bit of a pool hall --- BUT, it had the best cheeseburgers & the most incredible french fries. You could tell the FF were home made because, they were wedge cut and not in a regular, cookie cutter style and deep fried to their crispy perfection. I felt like we were dating again :o} You know me, I am all about the food.


We ended up going to 5 different stores and yes, we went back to the first store and bought the fridge. I will say there were some really cool fridges out there. Sears had one that had the temperature gauges on the outside of the door - which looked really cool and I thought would be handy. It kinda looked like you were in an airplane or on a submarine, but that is not the one we got. The Maytag French Door style looked good BUT (Behold the Underlying Truth) the metal slider supports for the pullout freezer drawer had little rusty spots on it, in every store - I would stay clear of those. While we are on the subject of French Door styles, let me just say, I do not think that they are all that they are cracked up to be. Don't get me wrong, they look way cool, but I think that the freezer drawer will end up like your sock drawer - what is really at the bottom of it??? And, they do not have adequate lighting. I was impressed with the Electrolux side by side - it was like waiting for a show to begin - the lights come on dim at first and then get brighter - maybe takes 3-4 seconds, these also had pull out bins in the freezer for easy access - a feature that the one we purchased has - but is was not worth the extra $500.00 for the bins to be on slide out arms (like some kitchen cabinet drawers) for the Electrolux. All in all, most are the same (probably made by the same manufacturer under different names). We stayed clear of GE since they are getting out of the appliance business and replacement parts would be difficult to procure.


Some say that Samsung is a new company to the appliance world and have not proven themselves, but hubby said that they have received the JD Power & Assoc. award for excellence and he thought that it was a good model (I liked the pull out bins). The best thing of all is that it is a shinny black fridge and it is like looking into a mirror when standing in front of it - and it makes you look 10 sizes smaller!!!!! Yes, I looked like I was a size 6 instead of a 16 - Woo Hoo!!! Can I still justify getting the ice cream, since I look so much slimmer? Nah!!


Now, I am cleaning out the old one and prepping the spot where the new one will go - who knew that you are suppose to clean out behind the fridge every 6 months or so - behind our fridge had not seen the light of day in 4 years --- EEEWWWW!!!!! Hey, there are lots of GEO-MAGS back here - my son will be thrilled!!!!!

Will post later on how well we like it.