Checking in

Sultry, steaming, sweltering. . . .Slow down. Or stop. It's time to shed ambition and
expectation, along with commutes, clothing, cellular phones, calendars. Now our wants
seem to diminish. Is it because our needs are met? A shady nook, a cold drink, a cool
breeze--whether indoors or out. A respite from the rigors of the day. Time off for good
behavior. Summer is not so much a season as a melody, that tune of contentment we
hum as the days begin to beautifully blur. The pursuit of happiness becomes our personal
priority this month, as the sweet strains of . . . Harmony start to be heard in our hearts.

Sarah Ban Breathnach

 

Good morning everyone.  Lots been happening here.  Weather is very hot and humid so I have been staying close to home doing a lot of studying.  Originally I was studying to become an HHP (Holistic Health Practitioner) but I've decided to take it further and become a Nutritional Consultant.  The three courses I am now taking are all part of that curriculum as well.  But I will need more than the original 5 courses 300 hours training time.  An NC certificate requires 720 hours of training.  Finished  Natural Therapies and got an 'A' on that one, finished Dietary Wellness and am awaiting my grade, and am now working on Healing With Whole Foods.  This has been a dream of mine for a long time, and even if I don't work afterwards, I will have fulfilled something I really wanted.

This Thursday is my big day at the dentist, and I am so scared.  I know it has to be done, and I am looking forward to being able to eat the things I enjoy again, but that don't stop my stomach from churning and my teeth from chattering.  Time to start sipping some Bach Rescue Remedy and put it to the test.

Good news.  Mr. Leadfoot  is gone.  I'm able to go to bed now and not wonder what time I was going to be awoken.  That's right.  I don't think I've told you.  About two weeks ago Mr. Leadfoot called the office and said he was 'sick of them' and wanted out of his lease.  He's the one who is doing something illegal, but he is sick of them.  Go figure.  Well, he wanted out as of July 1st.  Of course, they were glad to be rid of him and allowed him to break the lease as long as he put it in writing.  His guests stayed until the very last minute, and one hour after they left, Mr. Leadfoot came with a van and two helpers.  Took them six hours to move everything.

Got me to thinking.  Why, all of a sudden, did he want out and did it have to be on July 1st, only two weeks notice?  And where was all this furniture going?  Mr. Leadfoot has definitely been living elsewhere for awhile now, so it wasn't going there.  My thought is that he found another apartment that he believes he can make more money on and one where his guests coming in and out will not be noticed as much, and this apartment was available on the 1st.  What do you think?  At any rate, farewell to bad rubbish.

Speaking of rubbish, I hate to say wrong about Susun Weed because she is so famous, and this I am not pointing at her, but what staff she does have.  I received an email on June 17th saying my books had been sent out by mistake, and I could either send them back or keep them for $85.  Well, I told them I'd be sending them back.  Now, both UPS and USPS leave packages by my door if I am not home so to avoid not having to carry a package of 8 books to the return site, I sat home waiting.  I was hesitant to leave a note that I was refusing the package because I was expecting a couple others at the same time.

So, after a week I emailed them and asked how they were being sent so I could contact that agency. I explained that they tended to leave packages and rather than sit in and wait, I'd rather head them off at the pass.  Never did get an answer.  I was told they would check.  What?  They should know what service they use.  And I got a snippy response, " Well, we don't want you sitting in waiting for them.  Just keep the books when they come.  I'll pay for them out of my salary."  I wrote back that I didn't want that and was feeling bad, when I realized that that was another ploy to get money out of me.  The books NEVER had been sent out.  Otherwise they would have been here, even by media mail.  They were only being sent from a couple hours away. It hit me that, prior to my canceling the course, I had told them how much I wanted the books.  They probably figured that I still wanted them, and if I agreed to pay, they would ship them right out.  Well, good riddance to more bad rubbish.

And that was June, and this is July.  Looking forward to a fantastic month.

Have a good one.

Doesn't Pay to be too Hasty

Have patience, my friend, have patience;
For Rome wasn't built in a day!
You wear yourself out for nothing
In many and many a way!
Why are you nervous and fretty
When things do not move along fast;
Why let yourself get excited
Over things that will soon be past?
Gertrude Tooley Buckingham 

Good morning everyone.  We've been having some wonderful weather here in Brooklyn lately.  Warm, not humid, sunny skies.  A little rain this afternoon won't spoil a thing.  This morning I am off to Weight Watchers.  Kind of anxious to see the scale.  Finally got my new refrigerator on Monday and have been pigging out on all the foods that I missed.  And it's been such a joy to drink a glass of 'cold' water.  I tell you, it never tasted so good.

So, I've been having a problem and my patience is wearing thin. As I mentioned, I signed up for Susun Weed's herbalism class but it has been a total disappointment.  It's something I wanted to do for a long time so I enrolled in her herbalism class and paid in full with my credit card. They deducted my money but I received no welcome until I contacted them. Then I got a call from Susun herself telling me to send in a picture, a letter briefly telling about myself, and my selection of extra books. 5 come with the class and I get 3 extras of my choosing. I go to CVS and have my picture taken, write my letter, and send it in as requested.

Time passes and still nothing. I just wanted some acknowledgement that my letter and choice of books was received. I am instead told that Susun is busy and probably hasn't gotten to it. Huh???? Susun is supposed to personally mentor me, but she is too busy to say 'I received your letter and hope you enjoy your course.' Is this what I really want? A couple days later I receive what is supposed to be the course. 

No real instructions. First part is 'buy and aloe plant and use the gel to heal a burn." So what if you don't have a burn? Heck, I knew that. Don't need Susun Weed to tell me. Another one is to make a tea of a certain herb. No instructions about the herb. How is it with someone with high blood pressure? I'm supposed to make it without knowing. Of course, that is probably in the books I never received.

I call about the books.  Heather says "I will email Kim to find out what happened to your books" Again I am told that Susun has been busy. That was last week. I've heard nothing. So here I sit.  The time is almost up for me to cancel the course and get my money back which I have already attempted with phone messages, 6 emails to different addresses, and snail mail. No one responds. I have no instructions on course. No one has acknowledged that my letter was received. No books. And now no response to my numerous requests to cancel. Thankfully I have proof that I sent cancellation notices in the 30 days allowed to cancel.  I told them, deduct the $50 fee they charge and give me my money back. 

So now I have a grievance, and the bank is helping me.  This afternoon I have to head to the library and print up all my request letters and fax them over.  I am shocked that I have to go through this with Susun Weed.  Personally I think with all these courses and tours and books she has bit off more than she can chew.  Will keep you all updated.

Monday Morning Gratitude

Gratitude turns what we have into enough.
Author Unknown

Good morning everyone.  We are in for a  warm, but not hot, sunny day here in Brooklyn. O am so grateful for having another day. Finally got my new refrigerator yesterday, and it is such a pleasure.  One never realizes how important something is until they don't have it anymore.  I always thought nothing of going to the fridge for a cold drink or a yogurt.  After a week with a refrigerator that never got below 50 degrees I have learned to appreciate it.   

Went out yesterday after everything was taken care of and bought  fresh fruit salads, yogurt, some low fat whip cream, WW cheese and regular cheese for Ralph, some peppers and onions, frozen sweet potato fries and some WW ice cream. Didn't buy my favorite though, Mocha pops. Seems like every time I buy them my refrigerator goes. Call me silly, but instead I bought double fudge. Not chancing it. LOL!!!   And this  morning I'm taking my cart and heading over to but the staples such as eggs and butter that ended up getting heaved. During the past couple days the old refrigerator temperature had been about 50 degrees, not cold enough to stop bacteria from growing so I got rid of it all.  I am so thankful, though, that the freezer section of the old fridge never gave up on me, and I was able to save all my meats and frozen veggies. 

The new refrigerator is a pleasure. I will admit I did pig out last night. After a nice dinner of curried chicken, string beans and sweet potato fries I had orange slices, berries, grapes, pudding with low fat whipped cream and a Weight Watchers Triple Fudge Bar. Not that any of the foods were really bad for me, but fruit is full of sugar and it just tasted so good last night that I ate plenty of it.

Oh, before I forget.  When I got home guess who was standing out front waiting for a ride? Mr. Leadfoot. First time I saw him close up. He didn't know me, but I knew him. I'd seen him racing down the stairs to greet his 'guests'. I can see where he could pass himself as a personal trainer, but having lived downstairs from him I know he's not. Otherwise, he would have been at the gym working out. He's is all hulked up. Looks like steroids to me. Also answers some of my questions about pacing the floor all night. Anxiety from steroid use.

Have I told you my latest idea?  I'm planning a cookbook.  Since I use a lot of different spices in my cooking, my book will focus on spices, and along with recipes, I plan to offer a bit of history of the spice and health tips.  This will take some time to get started though, if ever.  I do need a good camera for pictures.  My phone will not do.  And even though I am already typing up recipes and information, I don't plan on putting it all together until I have my HHP.  In my certification I am focusing on diet and wellness--healing with whole foods, dietary wellness, healing with herbs, holistic healing, etc.

Have a good one.

Update on Teeth

Oh dear, I am so sorry.  I wrote this post days ago and totally forgot to post it.  Actually pressed save instead of publish.  So sorry for those who were concerned. Just went through and changed some of the days.

Well, all went well on Tuesday,  and I am very pleased with my new dentist.  He really listens to you when you talk and wants to do what's best for you.  When he heard my story about the treatment I've had in the past, he was more than eager to do the best he could for me.  Sometimes when you have Medicare insurance you get crap, but even before I told him I'd pay for it, he offered to give me the best. He reminds me of the dentist who did my permanent bridge.  So, the teeth DO have to come out, but I've got about a month's reprieve. Fortunately there is no infection. What has happened is that the teeth under my gums have broken off the permanent bridge. That's why the pain I get is not what you would call toothache pain but a pain under the teeth. They  will need to be cut out once the bridge is removed.. Not looking forward to that. I expect pain after that.

So, we took the impressions yesterday and what he will do in 4 weeks is remove the permanent bridge and cut out the parts that broke off. Yikes!!! Then, I assume he will stitch me and the new teeth will go right in. And they are going to be made of the best materials. I know that will probably hurt like heck for a few days, but you get a much better fit that way. Then, after 3 months I go to have them re-aligned. And all for $900. Can't be that. Here I was thinking thousands. And best yet, I will never have to go out without teeth.

So here I am with nothing for me to eat except soft foods. I bought meat for Ralph alone. Guess I will have to pick up some more chicken and stuff and eat some of this soft food.  My refrigerator is on the blink so all those yogurts and stuff I bought were tossed.  Waiting for a new one.  I'm in a rent stabilized apartment which is great when rent increase time comes around.  They are only permitted to raise me so much.  However, getting a new fridge is going to increase my rent by $7.  Totally not fair but New York City Housing law.  If I was not rent stabilized, my landlord would be responsible.  Not fair when it wasn't my fault.  Yes, it was new when I moved in, but I obviously got a lemon.  But, not going to argue at this point.

Have a good one.

The Day I Have Been Dreading has Arrived

Many of our fears are tissue-paper-thin, and a single courageous step would carry us clear through them. 

Brendan Francis

Good morning everyone.  Well, today is the big day, the day I have been dreading  My dentist appointment is this afternoon.  I am physically ill over this. Can't eat and didn't sleep. That's how much I fear the dentist.  Part of me keeps hoping that he'll tell me he wants me on a week of antibiodics first, but that only gives me another week to worry.  

And now my refrigerator is acting up.  The freezer is working fine, but the fridge itself gets cold, but not as cold as it should be. I had just bought a lot of yogurt since I won't be eating anything but soft foods.  I don't want to lose that.  Believe it or not, this is the second refrigerator in a month.  I seem to be cursed.  My last one was brand new when we moved here and the same thing happened....only even the freezer wasn't cold enough. Guess I had just gotten a dud.  Then the super found a working refrigerator downstairs.  It's not new, but I like it better than the other one.  But now, the same thing happened.  I'm cursed.  To make it worse, both times they went out the day after I did almost a month's worth of shopping.  All that meat and veggies.  Oh dear!!!

There is a building around the corner from my house that was demolished, and they are rebuilding something new and modern.  Fortunately, they had enough sense to save these Romans and Lion.  In fact, they left that wall standing and are melding it into the new building.  Thought I'd share these pictures as a closing today.  I totally love them.

Have a good one and please, keep me in your prayers.


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Monday This and That

He who takes medicine and neglects to diet wastes the skill of his doctors.

Chinese Proverb

(Pictures from the parade of ships last week)

Good morning everyone.  Haven't been here for a few weeks and for that I do apologize.  I've not really been well since I last posted.  Another darn tooth infection followed by a nasty cold which led to a sinus and throat infection.  When it hits me, it hits me all at once.  Finally, though, I have made an appointment with the dentist to have my teeth removed.  Just can't deal with this anymore.  I can't eat the things I want to eat.  My mouth waters when I see those commercials on TV but I can't chew a salad anymore.  In fact, there are a lot of things I've had to give up eating.  Just can't wait for this to be done.

I know I am going to be recuperating for awhile and I have prepared myself.  I say 'recuperating' but the whole thing is really vanity and not wanting to go out without teeth.  The gals are all aware in Weight Watchers so I will be going to that.  I've also started my studies to become a Holistic Health Practitioner.  Not that I really plan on working anymore.  Heck I'll be 70 in March, and it felt good to get a whistle today.  But now I diverge.  Yes, holistic health has always been something I love, but could never find the time to study.  My courses include Dietary Wellness, Healing with Whole Foods, Healing with Enzymes, Herbal Healing, Orthomocular Nutrition, Back Flower Remedies, and Natural Therapies which includes Homeopathic Remedies, Nutritional supplements,  Herbs, lifestyle, etc.  It's an awesome course.

So my pal upstairs, Mr. Leadfoot, will be moving soon.  Every week he has been renting out to new people.  The Israeli couple moved on a Tuesday and by the weekend he moved in 3 people from Rhode Island who came down for the Memorial Day weekend and really raised hell upstairs.  They blasted music, stomped feet and sang at the top of their lungs.  This time I wasn't the only one who complained.  A couple people from the second floor had their say as well.  And when I called the office this past Tuesday to complain they told me he will be out by the end of the week and just to get rid of him they are letting him break his lease.  He had the nerve to tell them the HE was sick of THEM.  Who's breaking the law here?  This after threatening to get the super fired.  That's a sick man.

And the day after that I hear the vacuum going, and he has moved 3 people up there.  At first I was concerned because they are young, look like college students, and I thought I'd be in for lots of noise, but they surprised me and haven't been bad at all.  Just goes to show that people don't HAVE to stomp their feet when they walk.

So, I got this bright idea that I'd like to put a cookbook together.  Not your average cookbook but one concentrating on spices and herbs from A to Z, health, taste etc., and recipes to go along with them.  To help out I begin a course in "Food Writing" this week.  I'm sure it has been done before but what the heck.  I will definitely need a good camera if I go ahead of this. 

Well, that's about it for today.  I'm sure I will think of something I forgot, but that can be for another day.  Have a good one.

Hi.  Just letting you know that I have been under the weather.  Annoying health issues have knocked me for a loop, but I'll be back on Monday and let you know all that's been going on.  Sorry I have been remiss, but I just have been feeling so blah!! Hope everyone is well.  See you Monday.