Hello!
Its been an industrious afternoon here.
Auntie Gloria and I put our heads together earlier this week and I've spent the last few days tackling Vegan Amish bread... and I think I won! The recipe for you vegan-folk will follow this post. I made a traditional sourdough starter that uses water instead of the Amish Bread starter that requires milk. I substituted tofu for the egg and then used coconut milk for the milk that the recipe calls for. The final product tastes a bit tart... a little more sour than regular Amish Bread but its still delicious! I'm so glad that this is something my vegan friend and I can enjoy together!
Church this morning was good. Thank goodness people were so good about leaving me be about my seizure. I had a few words with our minister who swore that cameras would 'be as far as the east is from the west' from me from now on. Its a good thing to hear, lets hope its true. Sunday school was good. We had two kids and did a great Mother's Day card craft while we talked about all the rad mothers in the bible.
Jill and I just got back from taking mom a nice, big white chrysanthemum at work. She was surprised and tickled pink. She loves 'mums! I told her that every mom needs a mum and she agreed!
I'm on my way to bed.
Moving Forward with Joy!
-----------------------------
Vegan Amish Bread
Mix well:
1 cup warm water
1 Tbsp sugar
1 cup flour
Add:
1 Tbsp yeast
Let sit two days, stir once every twelve hours to prevent a crust from forming. (I didn't stir it often enough and ended up with a crust so I just peeled it off and threw it away. No harm, no foul)
Will smell tangy, watch for bubbles and foam
After two days, stir down (mine was pretty flat by this point), and add:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 tsp sugar
Let sit twelve hours
Stir down and add 1/3 cup white sugar
Let sit for 20 minutes, then
Whip:
3/4 cup tofu plus 2 tbsp water until all lumps disappear (I found I still had little itty bitty lumps but over all, just make sure the water and tofu are well blended)
Add:
Yeast mixture
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup applesauce (I'm allergic to apples so I used another 1/2 cup oil)
1/2 cup coconut milk (make sure to stir the milk before adding it to the mixture)
1 cup white sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp baking soda
2 cups flour
1 large box vegan instant vanilla pudding (I found that the Jello brand vanilla pudding is vegan, so I used that).
Mix well
Prepare two loaf pans with either vegan cooking spray or vegan margarine (I used margarine).
Mix 1/2 cup white sugar with 1 tsp cinnamon and coat bottom and sides of loaf pans with it.
Pour batter into loaf pans, coating the tops with remaining sugar/cinnamon mixture
Bake at 325*F for 1 hour
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Friday, May 7, 2010
Hello folks.
Had a great day today.
Jill and I got together to fill up mom's planters on the back patio and the front porch. We had SO much fun and I think the final product looks pretty good, too. Today was the only day it would work for Jill and I to get together to put together her Mother's Day gift... and I think it was worth the effort.
I just got a call from mom. She got home late (10pm) from a meeting and wanted to tell me how much she loves all her new plants! I'm so glad she likes 'em!
We did these three huge planters...
Plus four hanging baskets...
Plus two smaller planters and two of Jill's old boots and finally the "coffee's not my cup of tea" mug. (We had a few extra plants... thankfully Jill had an old pair of boots that were worn through and then we found the broken mug!)
If I'm already going over to mom and dad's then I often take my laundry over, too, because its cheaper then doing it in the communal laundry room in my building. Today was such a beautiful day that I dried almost two full loads of laundry on their line. My clothes smell like sunshine and manure!! Such a good scent!
That's all for now. Bed is calling.
Moving Forward with Joy!
Had a great day today.
Jill and I got together to fill up mom's planters on the back patio and the front porch. We had SO much fun and I think the final product looks pretty good, too. Today was the only day it would work for Jill and I to get together to put together her Mother's Day gift... and I think it was worth the effort.
I just got a call from mom. She got home late (10pm) from a meeting and wanted to tell me how much she loves all her new plants! I'm so glad she likes 'em!
We did these three huge planters...
Plus four hanging baskets...
Plus two smaller planters and two of Jill's old boots and finally the "coffee's not my cup of tea" mug. (We had a few extra plants... thankfully Jill had an old pair of boots that were worn through and then we found the broken mug!)
If I'm already going over to mom and dad's then I often take my laundry over, too, because its cheaper then doing it in the communal laundry room in my building. Today was such a beautiful day that I dried almost two full loads of laundry on their line. My clothes smell like sunshine and manure!! Such a good scent!
That's all for now. Bed is calling.Moving Forward with Joy!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Hello!
Its late, late, late right now (3am). I made the mistake of taking a nap this afternoon and now, by gum, I can't sleep. *grumble* Its my own fault, though.
Things here are good. I took a walk down memory lane earlier today. I bought some yogourt that tasted exactly like the kind mom used to buy when we were kids. She'd buy plain yogourt and we'd flavour it with vanilla extract and a bit of sugar. This tastes much like that but is pre-mixed. I've been on the hunt for some good yogourt that isn't full of chemicals and gelatine. I'm not vegetarian or anything and I don't oppose gelatine on a moral level... I just don't want it in my yogourt! Its one thing to eat it in stuff like marshmallows, 5cent candies and Jello, but I don't think it belongs anywhere near something that's supposed to be healthy!
I asked a few of my crunchy friends where a yogourt without gelatine might exist and they directed me to the Olympia brand or Balkan-style... and gosh, does it ever make a difference. Now, these yogourts aren't exactly low-fat! But for the little yogourt I eat, its nice to know that I'm not eating something thickened with gelatine!
Oh, and I just discovered that my medication capsules are actually made of gelatine. How delicious. Oh well... c'est la vie.
I had my last morning in the AJ Towing office today. It went well but was really quiet. I took two calls. One call was for a tow and the other was a question about a car that was in impound. I dispatched the truck but gave the secretary the call about the car in impound since that's not something I'll deal with while on night shift. I'm going to meet their night dispatcher on Saturday (she covers the weekends) and have coffee with her at her house and hope that the lines are busy. They said they won't have me work during 'rotation', thankfully. Rotation is when the RCMP uses us for all their tow jobs and lasts two weeks out of every six. Apparently its pretty nuts during that time!
Worship practice tonight went well, too. Everyone was super good about not harassing me about Sunday and my siesta con the church floor. They were overly interested in my new job but that's a million times better then having to re-hash my seizure from each point of view. I don't know if one of them reads this blog or if they're just experienced enough to know I'm a bigger fan of just 'moving on'... at any rate, hello to which ever one of you is reading my blog! teehee.
Frig. I'm not the least bit tired. Time to do some dishes. Maybe chores will make me sleepy! Here's hoping!
Moving forward with Joy!
Its late, late, late right now (3am). I made the mistake of taking a nap this afternoon and now, by gum, I can't sleep. *grumble* Its my own fault, though.
Things here are good. I took a walk down memory lane earlier today. I bought some yogourt that tasted exactly like the kind mom used to buy when we were kids. She'd buy plain yogourt and we'd flavour it with vanilla extract and a bit of sugar. This tastes much like that but is pre-mixed. I've been on the hunt for some good yogourt that isn't full of chemicals and gelatine. I'm not vegetarian or anything and I don't oppose gelatine on a moral level... I just don't want it in my yogourt! Its one thing to eat it in stuff like marshmallows, 5cent candies and Jello, but I don't think it belongs anywhere near something that's supposed to be healthy!
I asked a few of my crunchy friends where a yogourt without gelatine might exist and they directed me to the Olympia brand or Balkan-style... and gosh, does it ever make a difference. Now, these yogourts aren't exactly low-fat! But for the little yogourt I eat, its nice to know that I'm not eating something thickened with gelatine!
Oh, and I just discovered that my medication capsules are actually made of gelatine. How delicious. Oh well... c'est la vie.
I had my last morning in the AJ Towing office today. It went well but was really quiet. I took two calls. One call was for a tow and the other was a question about a car that was in impound. I dispatched the truck but gave the secretary the call about the car in impound since that's not something I'll deal with while on night shift. I'm going to meet their night dispatcher on Saturday (she covers the weekends) and have coffee with her at her house and hope that the lines are busy. They said they won't have me work during 'rotation', thankfully. Rotation is when the RCMP uses us for all their tow jobs and lasts two weeks out of every six. Apparently its pretty nuts during that time!
Worship practice tonight went well, too. Everyone was super good about not harassing me about Sunday and my siesta con the church floor. They were overly interested in my new job but that's a million times better then having to re-hash my seizure from each point of view. I don't know if one of them reads this blog or if they're just experienced enough to know I'm a bigger fan of just 'moving on'... at any rate, hello to which ever one of you is reading my blog! teehee.
Frig. I'm not the least bit tired. Time to do some dishes. Maybe chores will make me sleepy! Here's hoping!
Moving forward with Joy!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Hello again!
Its been a busy couple of days.
I did two half-days, yesterday and today, learning how to be a dispatcher. Its going really well and I answered my first call today. It was a steep learning curve but I managed it with loads of help from Megan (their day-time dispatcher). I'll go back tomorrow morning and will try again. I know I can do this, its just a matter of practicing.
I'm 100% recovered from my flop on the church floor on Sunday. I have a little scratch on my left index finger from the floor tile that'll take a while to heal but seriously, if that's my biggest problem then really, what do I have to complain about?
I've had a bunch of calls from people at church, wanting to be sure I'm ok and pleading with me to forgive our minister for his mistake. It makes me wonder seriously how much of a hard-hearted bitch people take me for! Of course I'll forgive him. Gosh, if I was angry at everyone who ever triggered a seizure, I'd be a really miserable person. I don't have room in my life for that kind of baggage! Jeepers, people.
I've spoken to our minister a couple times and sent him an email, just to stress how much I don't blame him. Sure, he made a less-than-wise move by bringing a camera to church but like I said in my last post, people who are in my daily life still make the same mistake. It takes a lot more than a camera flash to make me hate someone! He's incredibly remorseful and I can tell he still feels bad. I suppose that's natural but I don't like adding to people's guilt.
The part I hate the most, even more than waking up on the floor, is having to deal with a group of people for the first time post-seizure. All they want to do is tell me about my seizure and how they either helped, didn't help, were shocked, dismayed or horrified. I have to re-live the seizure through their eyes about a dozen times and it just makes me mad at myself for putting these amazing people through the trials of a seizure. So I listen to them tell me all of this and then they usually finish by telling me how much they admire me. Its very sweet of them to tell me that they admire and respect me but I can't help but wonder why I can't just have the respect without them having to see me at my absolute worst. *sigh*
Well, onward and upward. There's no sense wallowing in any of this. Its helpful to get it off my chest, though!
I think I'm heading to mom and dad's so dad and I can work on my buffet and hutch with dad. Its really coming together! I can't wait til its finished and I can post pics! First I need to call Jenny, though. Gotta catch up with her.
Moving forward with joy!
Its been a busy couple of days.
I did two half-days, yesterday and today, learning how to be a dispatcher. Its going really well and I answered my first call today. It was a steep learning curve but I managed it with loads of help from Megan (their day-time dispatcher). I'll go back tomorrow morning and will try again. I know I can do this, its just a matter of practicing.
I'm 100% recovered from my flop on the church floor on Sunday. I have a little scratch on my left index finger from the floor tile that'll take a while to heal but seriously, if that's my biggest problem then really, what do I have to complain about?
I've had a bunch of calls from people at church, wanting to be sure I'm ok and pleading with me to forgive our minister for his mistake. It makes me wonder seriously how much of a hard-hearted bitch people take me for! Of course I'll forgive him. Gosh, if I was angry at everyone who ever triggered a seizure, I'd be a really miserable person. I don't have room in my life for that kind of baggage! Jeepers, people.
I've spoken to our minister a couple times and sent him an email, just to stress how much I don't blame him. Sure, he made a less-than-wise move by bringing a camera to church but like I said in my last post, people who are in my daily life still make the same mistake. It takes a lot more than a camera flash to make me hate someone! He's incredibly remorseful and I can tell he still feels bad. I suppose that's natural but I don't like adding to people's guilt.
The part I hate the most, even more than waking up on the floor, is having to deal with a group of people for the first time post-seizure. All they want to do is tell me about my seizure and how they either helped, didn't help, were shocked, dismayed or horrified. I have to re-live the seizure through their eyes about a dozen times and it just makes me mad at myself for putting these amazing people through the trials of a seizure. So I listen to them tell me all of this and then they usually finish by telling me how much they admire me. Its very sweet of them to tell me that they admire and respect me but I can't help but wonder why I can't just have the respect without them having to see me at my absolute worst. *sigh*
Well, onward and upward. There's no sense wallowing in any of this. Its helpful to get it off my chest, though!
I think I'm heading to mom and dad's so dad and I can work on my buffet and hutch with dad. Its really coming together! I can't wait til its finished and I can post pics! First I need to call Jenny, though. Gotta catch up with her.
Moving forward with joy!
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Hey there folks.
Hope you're all doing great.
Had a bit of an incident at church today. The minister forgot the 'no camera' rule in the sanctuary and took a picture of the Sunday School kids during children's time. I was at the back of the church and didn't see the camera but boy did I see the flash. I was out like a light bulb and woke up post-seizure to Ali rubbing my back telling me I'd had a seizure and she'd take me home after I'd recovered enough to walk. Joy of joys.
Just got a call from our Minister who apologized profusely and swears it'll never happen again. I can tell he feels pretty crappy about it... and I'm not about to make him feel any worse.
I know he said it'll never happen again, and its nice of him to say that, but I know that it isn't true. It might not be him next time, but it'll be someone else. Its just a reality of my life. Everyone tries their best to remember me and my photo sensitivity but people will always forget. Unless you're close to me, its easy to forget about seizures and all that related drama. And even people who ARE close to me forget from time to time.
The reality is that I see our minister once a week and we don't generally have a lot to say to each other - he stands up and preaches and then that's it. If I have a pressing concern that I need him to be aware of, I'll email him. But that's it. So I don't fault him for forgetting that I have seizures (even though there's about a dozen "no camera" signs posted everywhere in our church). There's a lot of stuff on a minister's plate and he's generally pretty good about remembering but it slipped his mind this time.
I only have a hard time with forgiveness when its someone who I have just directly explained the camera rule to, who then goes and takes a picture anyway. I still forgive but it takes work in those instances.
The only part I ever get upset over is that the count-down for my drivers license starts at zero again. I was five months seizure-free this time! A good number, but no where close to the 18 to 24 months I need for the doctor to give it back to me. I'll get it back one day.
Life goes on, though. I'm going to go lay down again.
Hope you're all well.
Moving forward with Joy.
Hope you're all doing great.
Had a bit of an incident at church today. The minister forgot the 'no camera' rule in the sanctuary and took a picture of the Sunday School kids during children's time. I was at the back of the church and didn't see the camera but boy did I see the flash. I was out like a light bulb and woke up post-seizure to Ali rubbing my back telling me I'd had a seizure and she'd take me home after I'd recovered enough to walk. Joy of joys.
Just got a call from our Minister who apologized profusely and swears it'll never happen again. I can tell he feels pretty crappy about it... and I'm not about to make him feel any worse.
I know he said it'll never happen again, and its nice of him to say that, but I know that it isn't true. It might not be him next time, but it'll be someone else. Its just a reality of my life. Everyone tries their best to remember me and my photo sensitivity but people will always forget. Unless you're close to me, its easy to forget about seizures and all that related drama. And even people who ARE close to me forget from time to time.
The reality is that I see our minister once a week and we don't generally have a lot to say to each other - he stands up and preaches and then that's it. If I have a pressing concern that I need him to be aware of, I'll email him. But that's it. So I don't fault him for forgetting that I have seizures (even though there's about a dozen "no camera" signs posted everywhere in our church). There's a lot of stuff on a minister's plate and he's generally pretty good about remembering but it slipped his mind this time.
I only have a hard time with forgiveness when its someone who I have just directly explained the camera rule to, who then goes and takes a picture anyway. I still forgive but it takes work in those instances.
The only part I ever get upset over is that the count-down for my drivers license starts at zero again. I was five months seizure-free this time! A good number, but no where close to the 18 to 24 months I need for the doctor to give it back to me. I'll get it back one day.
Life goes on, though. I'm going to go lay down again.
Hope you're all well.
Moving forward with Joy.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Hello!!
I've got some exciting news-
I got a job!
Yay!
Its a part-time gig as a night dispatcher for a tow-truck company. I know that's totally random but we have connections through one of mom's friends. I start training on Monday. There's going to be a lot to learn as I'm not too savvy about cars and trucks... but I can learn! And I will! I'm really looking forward to the challenge and the extra money each month. I've got a few things I'm saving for - a flight to Halifax, a new computer and then I just want to have some money in savings for once. What a novel concept, eh? This is definitely a step in the right direction towards coming off of disability altogether. One foot in front of the other!
I think my trip to Halifax last month was a real turning point for me. I decided while I was there that it was time for me to get a job, even if its just a small one like the one I got. I also made decisions about how to restructure several relationships in my life... and I came to the conclusion that God's got his own plans for romance in my life and I should just take my time and focus on Him while I'm waiting. Not that I've been unhappy with the lack of romantic stuff in my life but sometimes I think it would be nice!
Oooh, I picked up some tofu yesterday for the first time. I'm going egg-free (ever worsening allergies) so I plan to experiment with tofu in baking. My vegan friend and I want to do some baking but its quite the chore to accommodate both of our dietary restrictions. I think we'll bake some vegan brownies... seems safe enough! I'll let you know how it goes! Will pick up some vegan margarine tonight.
I need to go practice guitar and get ready for my lesson tonight. Jill and I are going out for supper before hand (*so excited*) and then we'll pick up a few groceries afterwards. I'm house sitting for the next four days and it'll be nice for there to be food in the house that I can actually eat.
Hope you're all well.
Moving forward with Joy!
I've got some exciting news-
I got a job!
Yay!
Its a part-time gig as a night dispatcher for a tow-truck company. I know that's totally random but we have connections through one of mom's friends. I start training on Monday. There's going to be a lot to learn as I'm not too savvy about cars and trucks... but I can learn! And I will! I'm really looking forward to the challenge and the extra money each month. I've got a few things I'm saving for - a flight to Halifax, a new computer and then I just want to have some money in savings for once. What a novel concept, eh? This is definitely a step in the right direction towards coming off of disability altogether. One foot in front of the other!
I think my trip to Halifax last month was a real turning point for me. I decided while I was there that it was time for me to get a job, even if its just a small one like the one I got. I also made decisions about how to restructure several relationships in my life... and I came to the conclusion that God's got his own plans for romance in my life and I should just take my time and focus on Him while I'm waiting. Not that I've been unhappy with the lack of romantic stuff in my life but sometimes I think it would be nice!
Oooh, I picked up some tofu yesterday for the first time. I'm going egg-free (ever worsening allergies) so I plan to experiment with tofu in baking. My vegan friend and I want to do some baking but its quite the chore to accommodate both of our dietary restrictions. I think we'll bake some vegan brownies... seems safe enough! I'll let you know how it goes! Will pick up some vegan margarine tonight.
I need to go practice guitar and get ready for my lesson tonight. Jill and I are going out for supper before hand (*so excited*) and then we'll pick up a few groceries afterwards. I'm house sitting for the next four days and it'll be nice for there to be food in the house that I can actually eat.
Hope you're all well.
Moving forward with Joy!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Hello folks.
Well, I'm gettin' ready for Christmas! I know, I know, how sick is that? I don't even like Christmas! I mean, I like the whole 'baby Jesus in a manger, the Saviour of the World' bit but not the mass consumerism and the pressure to buy things. What I mean is that I've figured out what my 'mass produced' gift will be. I have about a dozen or so friends that I love dearly who buy me a gift each year and while I'd love to buy them each something original, I simply can't afford it. And even if I could, I'd be buying into that consumerism garbage I was just railing against. So I look for something that's relatively easy to make, that's affordable, that's worth making and that I think people will either love or will say "oh, there she goes again, trying to suck into her tree-huggin' cult". This last Christmas I made flannel cozies for bricks... you heat the bricks up in the oven, tuck them into their cozies and then put them at the foot of your bed to keep you warm all night. I got a lot of strange looks from people this year but everyone who tried it has reported back to me that they love it. I know that flannel itself is NOT a green earth-friendly fibre and bricks are made using all kinds of chemicals but that's not the point, people! But ya know, I saved a lot of electricity this year, I didn't have to have my bedroom heater on at all this winter!
So my I think my project this year is going to be these: http://www.snacktaxi.com/ They're really quite adorable and can be used in boxed lunches to carry anything from loose snacks like cereal or chips to cookies to sandwiches, etc. Fortunately for me, the Snack Taxi website gives really clear descriptions of each item (including measurements and fabric choices). I've made a couple of them out of just plain cotton but the real-deal is lined with PUL (a plastic-y type of durable cloth used in diaper covers). I have some of it at home that I'll bust out. I'm going to borrow mom's serger to spare the poor zig-zag function on my sewing machine and I'll continue to experiment. Just think, I could have all of these little gems finished for Christmas in a month or two from now. Ah yes, the sweet smell of pre-planning.
I'm off to mom and dad's shortly for supper. We were hoping to have aunt Bev join us but she's still driving from Jasper and won't be with us til much later tonight... then I think she's headed back to the island tomorrow. Bummer.
Moving forward with Joy.
Well, I'm gettin' ready for Christmas! I know, I know, how sick is that? I don't even like Christmas! I mean, I like the whole 'baby Jesus in a manger, the Saviour of the World' bit but not the mass consumerism and the pressure to buy things. What I mean is that I've figured out what my 'mass produced' gift will be. I have about a dozen or so friends that I love dearly who buy me a gift each year and while I'd love to buy them each something original, I simply can't afford it. And even if I could, I'd be buying into that consumerism garbage I was just railing against. So I look for something that's relatively easy to make, that's affordable, that's worth making and that I think people will either love or will say "oh, there she goes again, trying to suck into her tree-huggin' cult". This last Christmas I made flannel cozies for bricks... you heat the bricks up in the oven, tuck them into their cozies and then put them at the foot of your bed to keep you warm all night. I got a lot of strange looks from people this year but everyone who tried it has reported back to me that they love it. I know that flannel itself is NOT a green earth-friendly fibre and bricks are made using all kinds of chemicals but that's not the point, people! But ya know, I saved a lot of electricity this year, I didn't have to have my bedroom heater on at all this winter!
So my I think my project this year is going to be these: http://www.snacktaxi.com/ They're really quite adorable and can be used in boxed lunches to carry anything from loose snacks like cereal or chips to cookies to sandwiches, etc. Fortunately for me, the Snack Taxi website gives really clear descriptions of each item (including measurements and fabric choices). I've made a couple of them out of just plain cotton but the real-deal is lined with PUL (a plastic-y type of durable cloth used in diaper covers). I have some of it at home that I'll bust out. I'm going to borrow mom's serger to spare the poor zig-zag function on my sewing machine and I'll continue to experiment. Just think, I could have all of these little gems finished for Christmas in a month or two from now. Ah yes, the sweet smell of pre-planning.
I'm off to mom and dad's shortly for supper. We were hoping to have aunt Bev join us but she's still driving from Jasper and won't be with us til much later tonight... then I think she's headed back to the island tomorrow. Bummer.
Moving forward with Joy.
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