Bake a Treat for Neighbors

April 24, 2023 by GmasPhoto 10 Comments

Bake a treat for neighbors.

Hi, this week I baked treats for the neighbors, which is #94 on my 101 in 1001 goal list. One day while browsing my Facebook, I saw a post about these mounds brownies. I absolutely love the mounds candy bar. So I decided to make this for my neighbor friends. This is the first time I have made this recipe.

Bake treats for neighbors

101 in 1001 — #94 Bake treats for neighbors

These are delicious! As my pictures show, I made two pans of mounds brownies. Thank goodness my grand girls, daughter and son-in-law came over to see the baby chicks and eat dessert. Took a plate full to my mom and dad. Had plenty to take to two different neighbors. Next time I will make just one pan and still share with the neighbors!

Take Care. Best wishes, Debra

Bake treats for the neighbors.

I Have Crohn’s Disease

April 17, 2023 by GmasPhoto Leave a comment

I have Crohn’s Disease.

Hi, this past week I was not feeling well. It affected my regular weekend activities. One of which is going to the library to write my weekly post. I was debating on what I would post this week. This week post will be about Crohn’s Disease. In a nutshell, it’s ulcer’s in the colon.

It was the summer between my junior and senior year of high school I was diagnosed. My first flare was the diagnoses itself. The second was just before my wedding. And the third was during the dark time of a close family member’s diagnosis. Crohn’s disease

Thursday evening is when I began feeling uncomfortable. Friday was the beginning of the worst. I knew I was constipated. Constipation and Crohn’s who would have thought the two would be associated! Friday night I did not get much sleep. I moved to the couch so I wouldn’t wake Kevin up each time I had an urge getting up to go to the restroom with no results. I did manage to have a couple trips that produced, TMI 🙂 And felt somewhat better by Saturday morning.

Kevin took me out to breakfast which I looked forward to. I never ate Friday and was rather hungry by Saturday morning. I had gotten up, took a shower, got dressed, put on make up. After we got home I felt uncomfortable. The exercise must have stirred things up! The grand girls were coming to the house to spend the day. Well I retreated to the bedroom to get as comfortable as I could. I resorted to taking stool softener.

Sunday evening I was finally feeling better and comfortable. I had to Google on how to prevent constipation Include plenty of high-fiber foods in your diet, including beans, vegetables, fruits, whole grain cereals and bran. Eat fewer foods with low amounts of fiber such as processed foods, and dairy and meat products. These are not on the diet for people with Crohn’s Disease!

What I can do is Drink plenty of fluids and stay as active as possible and try to get regular exercise. One of my 101 in 1001 goals is exercising more.

I look forward to aging. There was a time aging was not a certainty for me. So each day my feet touch the floor I praise to God. Getting older presents some new challenges and constipation is just one of these!!

Take Care. Best wishes, Debra

Weekly Routine and Ruts

April 10, 2023 by GmasPhoto Leave a comment

Weekly Routine and Ruts

Hi, I have noticed that I am getting into a weekly routine. Do you live by routines? It’s been quite some time since I have done anything spontaneously. One of mine and (more so) Kevin’s weekend routine is eating either breakfast or lunch at a local restaurant. For us, local is either Tonganoxie, Oskaloosa, Winchester, Leavenworth and Lawrence. Lawrence more so for me on Sunday’s.

This weekend was no different. Saturday we went to Jalapeños Mexican Grill in Tongie. My lunch choice was the vegetarian quesadilla. I was pleasantly pleased. Kevin ordered the burrito lunch meal with the margarita. Kevin is not one to like his picture taken. Hence, the reason I have not featured him or his platter in the image below.
Weekly routine ruts If you ever want to take a short drive, Tonganoxie has several delicious restaurants serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Our big outing for Saturday was our lunch date. We spent the rest of the day around our home.

Sunday I did my regular weekend routine filling Adam’s pillbox, going to the library and picking up my groceries. At the Lawrence library one of the enjoyable experiences is the window by the table I sit. This Sunday the weather was so Spring, 70! The window view is the park across the street. So many people sitting on blankets, playing basketball and just plain walking. Everyone enjoying the outdoors. Most are wearing shorts and sandals. Too early for me, however I am wearing my Sketcher Slip In shoes without socks!

My mind drifts. Trying to stay focused, I am thinking of things to do out of my regular weekly routine and rut. My 101 in 1001 will be my inspiration. To be able to do my complete list I need to do 3 a month. My three for April will be:

Best wishes, Debra

Visit with the Grand Girls!

February 27, 2023 by GmasPhoto 2 Comments

Visit with the grand girls!

Hi, I am excited to see the grand girls any time I have the opportunity. This past weekend was such the time. Their parents had a lunch date Saturday and needed me and Kevin to stay with the girls. Come on over was my response!!

The girls arrived in the morning about 10 am. First i had to get my hugs and kisses. Those are a necessity! Next we played Dominoes. The girls are fun to be with. Listening to the them talk. Every time I see them they seemed to have grown so much. It was a short visit. Just enough time to play a few games, eat pizza. Briella went with Kevin to feed the calves while Brynlee and I stayed in the house. The 3.5 hour visit went fast.

Kevin does not like to have his picture taken. When I am able to get a nice shot, I treasure them! In the set of images below, the top middle. The girls are getting ready to go home. Brynlee went to give Kevin a hug and kiss goodbye. I just happened to take the shot. Even though he is not looking at me, you can still see him smiling.

Later Saturday evening my mom called. She said Erika and her family were going to hang out at my folks house Sunday. Mom invited me and Kevin over to join them for lunch. Kevin had made prior plans to help with serving the homeless. Even though Kevin wasn’t there, it was still a special day. My son joined us as well. It’s not that often we all can be together.

Special grand girls visit — Unexpected pleasure time spent with family.

As I had mentioned in a past post, I wanted to get a picture of Brie’s handwriting. She had written everyone’s name and assigned the sitting at the lunch table. Her handwriting has improved from the list she made just this past Thanksgiving.

My goal #38 on the 101 in 1001 list is a work in progress.

Best Wishes, Debra

Visit with the grand girls, priceless.

The Serenity Prayer

February 6, 2023 by GmasPhoto 2 Comments

The Serenity Prayer

Hi, I have the Serenity Prayer hanging on my diningroom wall. A reminder I need to keep reading and re-read. Times like now when I hit a funk (depressed) is when I have to stop and remember the prayer.

I take “happy pills” daily for depression. The pills help keep the tears at bay. But the funk can creep up on me and that is where I am now. My funk is about things I can change like my weight and how I think about myself.

After many years I have come to the conclusion, I simply love and enjoy eating. My favorites (weakness) donuts, hot chocolate, ice cream, macaroni and cheese, pastas, baked potatoes, meats and so many others. Fiber does not fit in my diet for Crohon’s.

I am working at home now after COVID. Not getting out, no excersize and my love to eat. Guess what, yep, I have gained weight. And I am down on myself. So what am I doing about it you may be wondering. I have a plan.

I am beginning with this blog. An online diary of sorts. Working at home now, the idea of having a project and selecting a location such as a coffee shop, restaurant or the library to work on this blog/online diary. Getting out of the home, socializing will certainly be uplifting.

The thought of where I will go to write my next post is already exciting. Living near a college town, there are many different coffee shops and restaurants to choose. Heck, I can pick a different location each week!

Exercising is another goal I am interested in doing. Not that I plan on going hulk, but taking a walk or walking on the treadmill. Drinking water with my meals. I don’t like the taste of water. Water washes food down verses calories in sweet tea.

Just this past Saturday, I spent the day with Kevin. First we went to breakfast and drove the long way home, a scenic drive. Once home both of us took a nap. And to end the day we went grocery shopping. Proof we are now part of the senior group. Most of the shoppers were our age. Getting out of the house felt good.

Sunday the library was my chosen location to write my post.

Best wishes, Debra

tonganoxie library

Take the Shot

January 10, 2023 by GmasPhoto 3 Comments

The best place to start taking better pictures is simply to take the shot. Any shot is better than not taking a shot at all.

My goal is to take one image each time I leave my home. This may be when Kevin and I go for breakfast or lunch. Other times when I take a walk in the pasture, around the farm. This post image is my favorite entrée at the Aqua Mexican Grill and Cantina, the beef quesadilla.

The picture is straight from the phone camera. No editing. Image was cropped to make two images. Camera (iPhone) settings used: photo, 1x lens, Live Photo off. I let the camera’s auto function do the rest. While framing the image, it was necessary to move the phone to avoid getting its shadow in the picture.

Just because my phone is with me, I still have to remember to take the shot. It’s second nature for the younger generation. For us baby boomers, we have to train ourselves to take the shot! Taking the shot is better than not. Now I have a visual to add to my memory of my yesterday’s lunch date with Kevin.

What’s your favorite meal? Have you taken a picture of the food you like to eat? Please share!

This is the original image from the phone used for the collage at the beginning of this post. Here you can see a bit of the phone’s shadow in the bottom right side. I was able to crop the same image twice. Creating two different images for the collage. Notice in the collage the phone shadow is not shown. With simple cropping, I was able to make the picture look better.

Take Care. Best wishes, Debra

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