Nov

28

Things I’m thankful for, V

Posted by Sarah R

November 28, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Oregon State University

Image via Wikipedia

Happy Sinkie Day! The day after Thanksgiving is oftentimes referred to as “Sinkie” day because many people eat leftovers (mmm turkey!) over the sink all day long. Unfortunately I am at work today … although after 3pm I’ll be listening to the Oregon State Beavers play the University of Oregon Ducks in our annual Civil War game. If we can win this game, we’ll be headed to the Rose Bowl for the first time in 44 years. Talk about excitement!

  1. my health - I live with chronic pain that may or may not have a spondyloarthropathy with fibromyalgia diagnosis (we’re working that out right now) but even though I have an invisible illness, things could be worse. I continue to pray that my health will be fully restored so that I can feel more like myself.
  2. my camera - right now I’m not using the best of cameras, but I have a machine to capture little moments of my life with. It works, and one day, LORD willing I’ll have a better piece of machinery in my hands.
  3. crackers - I like crackers a whole bunch. Saltines, Cheeze-it’s, Ritz, Oyster, VDog, I love ‘em all.
  4. lotion - it makes my elbows and my knees smooth, and my hands soft. Unscented lotion is my favorite, but sometimes I can deal with the scents.
  5. the Bible - cliche to say it, but it’s my favorite book. I am working my way through it from beginning to end and am slowly getting through Judges. I love to learn things from this history book and seeing my Maker revealed in it is amazing.
  6. olives - black, green, purple, they are all fantastic. They’re even better when they’re stuffed full of cheese!
  7. The University of South Carolina’s Arnold School of Public Health - headed there soon for an amazing graduate education experience … LORD-willing.

What are you thankful for?

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Nov

27

Things I’m thankful for, IV

Posted by Sarah R

November 27, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Thanksgiving Dinner

Image by QuintanaRoo via Flickr

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope that this day greets you with your loved ones and lots of food. I will be at my parents house celebrating the giving of thanks with them. Unfortunately my sister had to work today so she won’t be joining us, but I’m sure she’ll be there in spirit.

Let us continue my list of things I’m thankful for.

  1. the ease of finding things to be thankful for - I’m finding these lists are easier to create than I thought they were going to me. I know I have a lot of things in my life to be thankful for, but the ease at which these entries come out of me surprises me.
  2. my church - at first I thought the size was going to overwhelm me (the young adult group has over 1,400 members … who show up every Friday night to worship GOD) but the connections I’ve made with people there have been amazing. Solid Rock encourages me to have a personal relationship with Christ instead of following a “religion”.
  3. my job - I work at a bank, and times could be very dangerous right now, but my bank is doing well and while my job isn’t my passion (oh how I love education and public health), I do well in my position and it pays the bills.
  4. Mexican food - beans, rice, enchiladas, tacos, nachos, tortilla soup, oh how that makes me hungry for my Thanksgiving dinner now.
  5. my Epson Stylus CX4600 printer/scanner/fax - it may be out of ink right now but I can still use it’s marvelous scanning ability to scan old family photographs for some amazingly good times.
  6. bras without wires - this may fall into the “too much information” category, but I’ve recently learned the magic of super-comfortable bras and am totally loving ‘em!
  7. straws - they make drinking things more fun. Hey, it’s the little things sometimes.

What are you thankful for?

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Nov

26

Things I’m thankful for, III

Posted by Sarah R

November 26, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Image representing Netflix as depicted in Crun...

Image by via CrunchBase

Yesterday I shared all sorts of random things I’m thankful for, and today I plan on doing the same. Won’t you join me?

  1. movies - I can lose myself in a drama, cry my way through a romance, or pee myself during one of Will Ferell’s comedies. I belong to Netflix and watch movies onDemand through my cable company (since Saturday at least).
  2. music - like movies and candles, music evokes so many feelings in me. Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd and Tom Petty take me back to my childhood, Willie Nelson and Justin Timberlake take me back to last summer. Jason Mraz makes me a very happy woman. Music is amazing.
  3. my legs - they may hurt more days than not, but they carry me everywhere I need to go. My quads are hard as rocks and they’ve served me well for my twenty-something years
  4. fire - it can warm you up, clean things out (refining) and melt things down. (I know fire can be a bad thing, too. My prayers go out to those recently involved in the fires in California. May GOD be with each of you.)
  5. Twitter - if you haven’t already experienced the joy of this social networking site, I recommend you check it out.
  6. blank journals - the empty pages of journals call to me. They like to be filled up and I want to be the person to do it.
  7. lipstick - it brightens a face and cheers me up to put it on. I rarely wear it, so it’s truly a treat to wear.

What are you thankful for?

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Nov

25

Things I’m thankful for, II

Posted by Sarah R

November 25, 2008 | Leave a Comment

MODESTO, CA - OCTOBER 26: Fresh cheese curd u...

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Continuing the trend from yesterday, here are some more things I’m thankful for. I encourage you to participate with me and share some of your thankfulness!

  1. boots - most everyone looks good in boots. I have been coveting (forgive me LORD) these boots for a while now but there is no way that I’d spend that kind of money on myself right now.
  2. candles - they warm my house and my spirit. The glow they cast on humans makes everyone look beautiful. The scents they can emit have the power to evoke all sorts of emotions.
  3. cheese - I’ve never met a cheese I didn’t like. This may be something that has to be eliminated from my diet in the near future for health reasons, though.
  4. toile - this fabric is my favorite. I would love to have a comforter in black and cream or maroon and cream toile. Don’t really understand why, but I find it exquisite.
  5. my faith - it leads me up mountains to see the face of GOD and then into deep dark valleys to seek the face of GOD. My faith is always growing and changing and making me a more full person.
  6. traveling - right now I have such a travel bug. I want to go to Greece ($850), Germany ($645) and London ($650). I am being smart about finances though so I am not going, but I rejoice in the freedom that we have and am thankful that if I did have the finances I could go.
  7. college-ruled paper - I don’t like the wide stuff. I’d much rather write in my measured handwriting on narrow ruled paper. Sometimes I wish that it came even closer lined.

What are you thankful for?

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Nov

24

Things I’m thankful for, I

Posted by Sarah R

November 24, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Halsey, Oregon

Image via Wikipedia

As I mentioned yesterday, this week I’ll be sharing a list of things that I’m thankful for. I hope that you plan on participating with me!

  1. GOD - He sent his one and only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). Jesus died to breach the rift between me and GOD. Without the love of Christ I would be nothing. Above everything else I am thankful for the sacrifice that He made for me. He made it for you, too.
  2. My family - as I mentioned here, they love me no matter my kooky habits. My parents raised me to be a strong, independent and smart woman. I work every day to make them proud of who I am. My sister makes me laugh. She and I have had a rocky relationship, but we are growing to really know one another as adults and it’s a blessing.
  3. My friends - everyone says this, but I have the most amazing friends. My Christian friends love in Truth, and my non-Christian friends love me even though I talk about Jesus all the time. When I have a problem, I call friends. When I need a hug, I call friends. When I need to do some laundry, I call friends. And they still love me unconditionally.
  4. Coffee - it wakes me up, it comforts me, it calms me down (weird, yeah, I know), it makes my house smell good and it connects me to people.
  5. Sunshine - Oregon doesn’t see sunshine enough, and so when I see it, I know to be truly thankful for it. Today it was cold, but for a brief moment, the sun was out. In winter months, it is such a blessing to see the bright orb in the sky.
  6. Living in the US - while I may not have been a happy camper politically for the past eight years, I am thankful to live in a country where I can speak my mind, share it on the internet, and not be in trouble for the books I read.
  7. Straight teeth - my parents paid for me to have braces and I am so thankful for this. Teeth make a person … I kid you not. I stare at teeth and know that they are included in a first impression. Mom used to tell me “smile and show me my new car,” and thinking back it really means a lot that my Mom would have rather me have beautiful teeth than her have a beautiful car. Thanks Mom!

What are you thankful for?

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Nov

23

Honesty is good for the soul

Posted by Sarah R

November 23, 2008 | Leave a Comment

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Image via Wikipedia

I am sick of posting recipes! There. I said it. Hah! Food is good, but it was getting a little old to me! I cooked some of the stuff I shared, but really the month felt like it was nothing.

This week I’m changing things up.

Monday through Friday of this week I will be posting at least five things (each day) that I am thankful for. I’d love for you to either join me by doing it on your own blog, or by sharing something in the comments here.

Let’s celebrate Thanksgiving together on the internet by being honest about all the blessings we have in our lives! There may be a prize involved if I can get some participants! Leave me a note here if you’re thinking about participating and I’ll be sure to get a prize for someone!

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Nov

22

Intimate partner violence and chronic pain

Posted by Sarah R

November 22, 2008 | Leave a Comment

I read an interesting article this week showing that there is a predisposition to chronic pain in women who have suffered with intimate partner violence.

Abusive Partners Predispose Chronic Pain by Rick Nauert explains that even two years after separating from an abusive situation, many women still experience “high-disability chronic pain.”

I would have never made a connection in my head like this without someone else prompting it. “The authors noted that chronic stress caused by IPV may inhibit how the body naturally adapts to stress and causes imbalances in cortisol levels.” That makes sense. Cortisol levels are the cause for most inflammation in a person’s body - and when things are inflamed, they aren’t healthy.

I’d love to know more about this connection, and I’d also love to know if there is a personal story out there willing to be shared. If so, please email me. No information would be shared here without permission, but I would really like to talk with someone who is willing.

Living with an invisible illness is not easy, help me educate those seeking information!

Nov

22

Grilled Turkey

Posted by Sarah R

November 22, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Ingredients:
* 1 turkey, thawed
* 2 apples
* 4 plums
* 1/4 tsp sage
* 1/4 tsp garlic powder
* 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
* 2 oz tequila (or preferred spirit)
* One piece of cheesecloth large enough to hold fruit misture

Directions:
Boil turkey in a large pot of water for approximately 2 hours (you may add sage and garlic for additional flavor).
While turkey is boiling mash the apples, plums, spices and tequila and let set for one hour at room temperature.
Wrap fruit mixture in cheesecloth and tie the opening tightly.
After turkey has boiled for two hours, remove from pan and stuff the spice bag into the turkey cavity.
Wrap turkey in aluminum foil and place on the grill for about one hour or until done (varies based on size of turkey).
The spices bake all through the turkey and it remains very moist.

Notes: This is a wonderful Thanksgiving day meal, it may sound complicated but, it’s actually a very easy way to fix a turkey.

Recipe courtesy of Better Recipes

Nov

21

Crustless Lowfat Pumpkin Pie

Posted by Sarah R

November 21, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Ingredients:
* 2 eggs
* 12 ounce can skim evaporated milk
* 15 ounce can pumpkin
* 1/3 cup white sugar
* 1/3 cup brown sugar
* 1/2 tsp ginger
* 1/4 tsp nutmeg
* 1 tsp cinnamon
* 1/4 cup flour

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together.
Pour into 9″ pie pan coated with vegetable spray.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
Refrigerate overnight to chill.

Recipe courtesy of Best Recipes

Notes: Top with whipped light cream

Nov

21

Painful realizations

Posted by Sarah R

November 21, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Tylenol 3 - a compound of Tylenol and Codeine

Image via Wikipedia

Six weeks ago I received my rheumatology “first visit questionnaire” and filled it out. Three pages of pretty detailed questions “Considering all the ways in which illnesses and health conditions may affect you at this time, please indicate how you are doing:” (on a scale of 0, very well to 10, very poorly) and shading in “usual pain” areas on a pretty buff male figure (maybe they used Hugh Jackson). Tonight I pulled the paperwork out, as I’ll see the rheumatologist tomorrow and I wanted to double-check the answers. I am concerned.

Tonight I am in a very different place regarding my pain than I was six weeks ago. This week has been particularly hard on me (I hope it’s due to stress and the changes in weather) and so I amended the questionnaire in a different pen than what I used before. I am concerned that there has been such a steep decrease in my functioning in six weeks. I’ve even talked with a friend about allowing the rheumatologist to suggest antidepressants. I know the pain isn’t in my head, but if I can change my head space about the pain, I think that it would lessen. Aleve, Advil and Tylenol do nothing for me. I have prescriptions for Vicodin and for Oxycontin which I’m not comfortable using more than once or twice a week right now, but I might have to change my mindset about that as well.

For those who don’t know, I am a true believer in prayer, and so I have been praying fervently for relief. I am beginning to feel lead to pray for a different mindset about the pain I’m currently in, though. A close friend told me that this pain may be the thorn in my side, it may be the reminder I need to lean on my Maker, my Abba, the One who will heal me the day I meet Him. I think she may be more right than she knows.

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