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Stacey_mb:
Independent People by Halldor Laxness. I am in the slump that comes after reading a wonderful book with the knowledge that it is an exceptional treat that comes only once in a while. Laxness won a Nobel Prize for Literature in 1955. The book is set in Iceland and, as described on the back cover, "Bjartur of Summerhouses, the book's protagonist, is an ordinary sheep farmer, his flinty determination to achieve independence is genuinely heroic and, at the same time, terrifying and bleakly comic." Original and beautifully written.
fyi, it isn't the grinder itself that gets hot, it's the attachment you use. the typical sandpaper "bits" will get very hot because there is no air circulation. the diamagroove that i linked is made such that there is air that circulates around the bit to keep it cool. i can grind one nail at a time before moving on to the next one. i use it once a week on my dogs.
I've been using the Dremel on my dog's nails for 11 years and have never felt any heat on the nail at all. She is a large dog and has some very hardy nails that take a bit of time to cut them down. I use the sanding belts.
I had mine out in 1995 and all I can say is I wish I had it removed sooner. I could eat whatever I wanted. I cut back on fats and fried foods because of weight, not because of a special diet due to gallbladder removal. It was one of the easiest operations I've ever had. Good luck.
In the process of having a scan for what turned out to be a pinched nerve I found out I have gallstones. This post has been helpful in learning that my fear of chronic diarrhea after gallbladder removal hasn't been an issue. Thanks sushipup2 for this post and hope your surgery goes smoothly.
In regard to weight loss and gallbladder issues per Johns Hopkins: " As the body metabolizes fat during rapid weight loss, it causes the liver to secrete extra cholesterol into bile, which can cause gallstones."
The usual blackberries growing wild along the side of the road. When I was young we would pick blueberries that grew wild on our 40 acres. I am too scared to pick mushrooms.
Oh yes, foraging is a happy spring time endeavor. As you know, hosta is one of my favorite early free gift from Mother Nature, earlier than asparagus.
It's my unscientific believe that after millions years of evolution, the human body really needs a great variety of nutrition, much more than the super markets can offer. I can't tell you all the other I enjoy. It's too long.
One way I enjoy hosta is to blanch them with a black cover. I will get these fancy spears that are tender and tasty. Interestingly like some of your gardens, my hosta patches are invaded by ground elder weeds. By blanching the hostas, I also get these long crispy looking ground elder sprouts. As you may know, ground elders are very edible also.
dcarch
Oh yes, I forage regularly. Before my garden is ready I can usually forage the lamb's quarter and purslane, both tasty and healthy. They grow so well that I hoe out a LOT more than I could possibly eat.
Right now morels are just starting here, I'll look for some this weekend if the weather stays nice, although I'm not crazy about them. Mother used to love them, so I picked for her. I sometimes find Hen of the Woods too, and even tried puffballs, but wasn't crazy for them either. A neighbor actually got certified by the state to forage mushrooms, and he finds a lot which he puts on pizza. Sometimes he shares, the pizza not the mushrooms, LOL. Dandelions have already started to bloom, so the greens are getting bitter, they are nicer when they are smaller. Later I'll pick the wild blackberries and probaby sumac berries for drying and making sumac powder.
I did make jelly from autumn olive one year and it was.....OK. It tasted like cranberry, a little but it took me 4 hours to pick enough little berries for that batch of jelly. Elderberries will get made into elderberry syrup, good for the immune system. We used to make chokecherry syrup for pancakes too, and Grandpa tapped the maples for syrup, but I haven't done that for several years now.
Annie
I have 6 of the ones Rob posted the link to. I didn't pay for them, but was selected via the "Vine" to test them. I really like them. I wouldn't use them on anything plastic, but have been using them on pots and pans and my old Corelle mostly. The ones I'm using aren't wire or like those copper chore girls. More like woven or knitted tinsel, but heavier. And their innards are some type of white fabric (I don't think it's woven). It doesn't show any signs of scratching anything I've used it on. I don't have a dishwasher. Things I might often leave to soak a bit can be washed sooner. And it doesn't take much pressure while scrubbing.
I bought a few of them from Temu. I don't' think they do much at all. They are very soft.
With a nod to Glenda, Magnolia Springs, AL.
I, too, have scoliosis and have had it for many years. I was scheduled for surgery because it is so severe. It was going to be a 14 hour surgery stretching over 2 days. It is the type of surgery where they fuse the entire spine together from the neck to the base. I backed out last minute. The risks were too great and I would be in a wheelchair, but my back would be straight. LOL. I can't do much and just sit in my recliner all day. I use a walker to get around. I don't go anywhere except doctor appointments. I don't even go outside. I am prone to falls because I am so twisted. Poor DH has to do everything. I hate my scoliosis.
The torso relaxation sounds good! I'll try it.
The spine surgeon I saw insisted on taking Xrays in his hospital (Rush in Chicago). They were indeed *standing*. Anything else makes no sense.
I can commiserate about low tolerance for extended walking/standing...even sitting for very long. I've lost so much weigh that I sit directly on my pelvis. That started years ago when I'd take a pillow to sit in the stands at DGS's little league games. DH usually accompanies me to the grocery now, to load/unload the car. He'll run to the library, PO, whatever, then 'come find me' before I'm checking out.
I can't always tell exactly what is dragging me down. Age, the MM, sociliosis. I had swollen glands and a whopper sore throat last week, then the shingles in my eyebrow. Enough already! I'm sure the grandkids don't 'get' why I'm not 'up' for much, and that is sad.
But better today!
Alisande yup, i always grab a cart in the parking lot.
oh, no doubt the QL muscle issue is related to the scoliosis. what's frustrating for me is that since i'm not a candidate for surgery, and nothing else so far has been much help, i don't know what the next step will be. i'll find out at my follow-up with the pain dr. i abhor the idea of taking opioids on a regular basis. i try to only take the tramadol when i know i will need it or i've already overdone it.
yesterday, i went to the city to take my grandson shopping for a new bike. come to find out, my son raised the seat on his bike and it works fine so he won't be needing a new one until late summer/early fall. BUT, we decided to hit the sporting goods store for some new Legos. this place is 3 stories with row after row of Legos so we did a LOT of walking. while i did have a cart, i forgot to bring my back brace with me so this morning i was seriously hurting. i'm spending another day in my recliner with the heating pad!
a cane used to help me but i've graduated to a rollator. i do take it with me when i know i'll be doing a lot of walking and would have taken it yesterday but didn't think i'd need it. big mistake! if i didn't have it with me during grandparent's day at my grandson's school recently, there is no way i could have lasted 3 hours of walking with very few opportunities to sit and rest!
FOAS - thanks for sharing the recipe. I use a tablet and haven't figured out how to save and post a link.
Thanks! Saved 😀
That is sad news. She seemed to have led a full and active life full of people who loved her. I have a chicken chili recipe somewhere thatt she posted years ago. Haven't made it lately but will do that soon.
If you need sweet to offset the potential bitterness, try the unusual tourte aux blettes. Here's David Lebovitz recipe. I wonder if the roots criss-cross with the 16th century herb torte above:
https://www.davidlebovitz.com/swiss-chard-tart-recipe-tourte-de-blettes/
TULIPS!! I shared a Sunday too--and then the local news featured the beauties from the MN Landscape Arboretum. But ya can't get too many looks.
Teddy: our little 16 pound, two year old Corgi-mix rescue that we adopted just 4 days ago. A quiet, mellow, very affectionate, super snuggler little boy.