my three cats

Where else can I sing praises to my cats and not be made fun of? 

I am privileged to share my life with three of the most interesting, entertaining cats on the planet.  I'm not talking You-Tube or America's Funniest Home Video entertaining.  I'm talking about three unique individuals that melt my heart several times each day.

Winky came to us through one of Eric's classmates, Winston, in the fall of 2007.  Winston's mom has a habit of rescuing all types of creatures, and Winky's pregnant mom was one of those lucky critters.  Winston's family named the kitten Winky because he opened one eye and didn't open his other eye for a day or two.  Ta Da...Winky.  It fit.  We have several names for him...Jabba the Kitty Hut, Sir Winksalot, Love Bug.  He is a big sweetie and the most accomplished hunter.  Just this morning I opened the front door to find a rat, laid out in trophy perfection, on the porch.  Thanks, Winky!  Winky is a long-haired orange tabby.  Beautiful boy with an annoying, raspy meow.  Very persistant when he wants milk.  Or attention.  Or thinks you should be paying attention to him and him alone. 

Oreo is, as  you might guess,a black  & white beauty.  We adopted him from Town Lake Animal Center in the fall of 2008.  His foster name was Cap'n Planet and he is certainly spacey enough to fill that bill. He is a big, long-haired cat with the tiniest meow you've ever heard.  He has never lost that wide-eyed kitten look.  He is a sweet, sweet boy and I love him dearly.  Sometimes I wake up and he is laying square on my chest.  I wake up because I'm having trouble breathing.  15 pounds of big furry cat on  your chest will do that. His favorite water source is the kitchen sink.  He jumps up and waits for me to turn on the faucet.  I'm sure this would not pass the KVUE clean kitchen test.

Daisy is my girl.  I haven't had a female cat in years and years - decades upon decades, actually, because the ones I had were f-in crazy.  Daisy is crazy too, but in a kinder, gentler way.  So far.  She was so little when we adopted her from Town Lake Animal Center in fall 2008 that we had to wait to bring her home. She didn't weigh enough for them to administer anesthetic so she could be spayed.  We were finally able to work that out with staff...and brought our bundle of girly joy home.  Since she is a white and orange tabby cat, my first thought was to name her Peaches.  Eric told me to name her Daisy (based on the Mario Bros game - Peaches wears pink and I am not a pink fan...)anyway.  The name was chosen and it is perfect.  We call her Daisy Mae Magpie.  She steals shiny things.  Keys, earrings, coins.  She is affectionate on her own terms.  She also plays fetch with those little furry mice.  She will swat them all over the living room and then jump up on the arm of the couch and drop a little furry pink, blue etc "mouse" in my lap.  I throw it, she swats it around, brings it back and we repeat the process. 

I have been blessed with many wonderful feline companions in my life.  These are the three with which the universe has chosen to bless me at this moment.  I cherish them as the individuals they are, for the love and friendship they provide. 

Art Bras

Been having a lot of fun with a particular posting by a Facebook friend with a teacup bra

 In looking around the Facebook page of Graphic 5 that posted the beautiful teacup bra, I discovered that GRAPHIC is a group that provides the funding for Breast Cancer Research Center  programs like the Pink Ribbon Cowgirls.  The fifth Auction Art Bra Event took place on April 23.  Read more about it on their facebook pages (linked above).  Oh, and there are lots more cool art bras to look at, too!

Not to take away from the wonderful work these folks are doing, but...with my recent post about eating Paleo, the art bra picture brought to mind this particular rendition of the undergarment...

 

photo from brian kusler on flikr

I don't think this would work to well here in Austin.  Too hot.  Too many dogs, both the four-legged and two-legged varieties...

Wearable art...edible art...wearable breakfast...hmmm.  Possibilities are endless. 

Eating Paleo

What is Paleo, anyway?  There are a lot of definitions, some more robust than others.  This Paleo Diet Summary Introduction has a pretty good overview of the concepts, and a lot of good references, to boot.

My current focus is eating real food.  No grain, pasta, bread, rice, potatoes, refined sugars.  No legumes or dairy.  No soy, and that includes soybean oil.  ...shopping mostly around the edges in the grocery store. And venturing into farmers' markets in search of locally grown produce and pastured beef and chicken.

MEAT!  VEGETABLES! FRUIT!

Not so bad.  I eat eggs, chicken, sausage, bacon, fish (admittedly from a can at times), all kinds of squash, lettuce, tomatoes, avocados, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, green beans, cucumbers, peppers, carrots, okra,  berries, apples, oranges, nuts.  I use olive oil, sesame oil, coconut oil and coconut milk.  Lots of spices.  I drink coffee and tea.  And an occasional glass of wine. Or two.  But only once (or twice) a week.  And dark chocolate - 85% or 90% cocoa.  Exceptional stuff.

I don't eat dairy right now...I'm new to this and letting things settle out.  I do miss cheese.  If it works out well, I'll probably add that back in moderation.  I don't eat legumes, including peanuts or anything made with soy..

I'm not 100% "pure" in this, but that's ok.  I'm working on developing eating patterns and habits I can maintain for the rest of my long, healthy, happy life. 

Why am I doing this? I followed Atkins for quite a few months, dropped some pounds and was doing okay.  Working with my wonderful trainer at Efficient Exercise.  More muscle...stronger, more energy...all that good stuff. But my clothes were not fitting quite like I wanted and I couldn't always ignore my cute little muffin top anymore! (Ok, it wasn't cute, and it wasn't particularly little, either)

My trainer Keith Norris said, yep that's the diet part.  He's gung-ho Paleo and believe me, he and his beautiful wife Michelle Curtis Norris are walking testimonials.  He talked to me about the systemic inflammation a "modern" diet can cause and the resultant problems, including possible links to Alzheimer's.  That got my attention. You've heard that saying "It's not the years in your life, but the life in your years"...well, I want lots of both, thank you.  Yes, I'll have MORE of THAT!

I toyed with the idea for a couple of months, read some, ate a farewell cookie and began the journey.

BUT WHY?

The more I learned about what devious, dangerous things grains are, the easier it was to leave them alone!  And I'm not just talking about the outward evidence (refer to muffin top above) but also all the other sneaky things that can happen as a result...metabolic disorder, auto-immune issues, etc. 

So what is it about grains, and to a lesser degree, legumes and dairy?  In a word...LECTINS.

Lectins are in a class of molecules called glycoproteins (molecules that contain a protein and a sugar) and are found in many many plants and animals, including human animals.  Foods with the highest lectin activity include: grains, legumes, (which includes soy and peanuts), dairy, nuts, and nightshade plants which include tomatoes, eggplants, peppers.

Lectins are not broken down in the regualr digestive process.  Because they are "sticky" molecules, they glom onto the gut lining.  Once attached, some lectins  trick other molecules to carry them directly through the intestinal lining.  This move damages the intestinal lining, and allows other large molecules (partially digested foods, toxins) to enter the bloodstream. This is the genesis of leaky gut syndrome.

Once in the blood stream, these sticky molecules are free to attach to other tissues, like those in your kidney, pancreas or thyroid. Out of the intestine, attached to otherwise healthy tissue, these big old undigested protein molecules  continue to trick our bodies because they look like invaders - viruses, etc..  Our bodies attack these "invaders", and the healthy tissue to which they are attached.  This sets the scene for a host of auto-immune disorders and food sensitivities.

Oh, and did I mention that grains contain phytates that tightly bind to metal ions, like clacium, magnesium, zinc and iron?  That means these metals can't be absorbed by the body.

Short answer?  Not really.   But that's why I'll pass on the grains, on foods made with soy products, etc...If you're interested, try some additional reading:

On the web:
RobbWolf.com 
The Low Down on Lectins (Mark's Daily Apple)
Why no grains and legumes? - The Paleo Plan
Lectins-A Little Known Trouble Maker
Food Lectins in Health and Disease - An Introduction

Books (you remember those, don't you?)
The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet  Robb Wolf
The Primal Blueprint Mark Sisson

Urban Gardener

Squash, cucumbers, okra, tomatoes and a bell pepper have been planted!  Little cucumber leaves were sighted today.  I haven't planted much except tomatoes in a long time and I'm looking forward to out of my garden veggies.  I planted a variety of squash so who knows what I'll get.

Planted the tomatoes and bell peppers from plants, everything else from seeds. Ellis did a lot of work clearing the roots from the old trashberry tree that we took down last year...now it's a garden plot with full sun and sloping drainage.  Worked a lot of good organic garden soil into the old yard dirt that was there...hoping for a bumper crop.

Also threw some Texas Wildflower seeds around...maybe with water and love they'll grow.  Next in - sunflowers.  Love me some sunflowers!

Not much to post in the way of pictures, but I'll post as things become photograph-able.

Makeover

I'm all excited about the new look of my blog!  The new play-pretties are from shabbyblogs. com  (There's a link in the upper left hand corner)

All free, easy to install, don't have to know how to code...Something I reeaelllyyy appreciate after fighting with the code on VioletCrownSoap.com for  most of yesterday and half of today....What a treat!  Thanks, Shabbyblogs!  I love my new look!

nostalgia. 5/25/10

with the recent flurry of activity on FB of old high school chums/friends/acquaintances/classmates...and making familial connections with here-to-for unknown relatives, listening to "old" music...waxing quite nostalgic.  Not wishin for the good old days, but almost feeling wrapped up in what was.  Or what I remember, not necessarily the same thing.  But it feels good...

Billy Sunshine

I had a fantastic afternoon today.  I drove to San Antonio and had a 4 hour lunch with four "girls" I knew in high school and junior high.  I've know one since elementary school.  We haven't talked in many many years but have "reconnected' on Facebook and decided to connect up close and personal.  It was amazing, and I'm so glad we did it. 

One of the first things I was asked was "What about Linda?"  My friend Linda and I were so close in junior high and the first part of high school. 

In high school - 10th grade, probably - Linda saw a boy in the hall.  She had a crush on him but didn't  know his name.  Somebody told her it was Billy.  To us, he became Billy Sunshine.  I wrote her/them a poem:

His name
is Billy Sunshine
It fits him
better than William or Bill or Willy
Billy
goes good with him
Sunshine has to
We made it for him
Because that's what
he is for us
brightens our days
a little here
a little there.
And makes them more enjoyable.
And so from the bottom
of our hearts that you have warmed
more than just a little
we thank you
Billy Sunshine.

High school was many, many years ago, but I still remember the poem. I'm pretty sure that's the way it went.  It was a kind of a clap poem - we clapped and said it in rhythm.   His name was Tim.  They married later and had a beautiful daughter.

My dear friend Linda died from breast cancer in January 2008.  We had not been in touch in the last few years, and I read about it several months afterwards.  I miss her, and the friendship we had so many years past.  I am sorry I didn't make the effort to stay in touch.

When the opportunity came to actually see people who I knew so long ago, and rekindle old friendships, I jumped at it.  How could I not?

Linda is, was and always will be one of the most important people in my life.  She was an amazing, beautiful person and I was blessed to spend the time I did with her and her family. 

So take a minute and make a call.  Write a note.  Go for a visit.  Find that old friend.  Make a new one.  Put yourself out there.  Live, laugh, love.

Peace and joy,
Lea

Linda then and always

NEW ROOF

I am VERY excited that we are getting the roof replaced today! Mr Roofer is doing an excellent, noisy job of ripping of the old, bad roof and replacing it with a new, beautiful, non-leaking roof. It is very noisy inside, though. Cats are hiding, except for Oreo, who is protesting. He has such a little tiny meow for such a big cat, and he rarely "talks" to us, so his protests are rather amusing. A few minutes of reassuring hugs settled him down, but he's still not too sure about all the commotion.

I am thrilled, though, despite the racket. Ellis is working diligently to make some rafter repairs and I will be called upon shortly to assist with fascia board replacement. I am also in charge of making sure he has coffee. Couldn't ask for better weather (maybe a few degrees warmer, since Ellis is working in the back where it doesn't get sun til late afternoon) BUT it looks like the men on the roof are comfortable (Shirt sleeves - it's about 45 degrees right now at 9:45).

Every now and then there is a very loud thud up overhead - don't know what that's about - I just hope nobody falls through a soft spot.

Got my blogs back!

Somehow I did something to lose access to my blogs, but thank heavens I save every email about registrations and was finally able to dig up my verification code! I am confused, though, about what name to log in as...but here I am!

Trips, home repairs, new glass classes...

I am excited about so many things today that I find myself pacing around the house...not knowing where to light!

We are planning an August vacation to Washington State and I am really buzzed about that. A couple of days in Seattle/Tacoma and then on to the wilds...over to Mt Rainier first and then upstate to Skagit Valley, Cascade Loop, the San Juan Islands, Whidbey Island... everytime I sit down I make the mistake of looking at the travel guide put out by the state, finding some new website to explore. Planning and anticipation is really a big part of the joy. But I'm glad it's not too far off or I'd pop.

Also very excited that DH Ellis finally patched the hole in the porch roof. And he fixed both faucets (kitchen and bathroom). I think his spurt of home repair energy is prompted by the impending visit of his sister for her sister-in-law's wedding in early August. Whatever it takes! I've been after him forever to fix this stuff. Thank you, Erica!

And a new bead class starts tonight. I am always excited about making beads. One of the places we plan to visit in Tacoma is the Museum of Glass. How cool will that be? I have to focus when I make beads, so that will help me center a bit and maybe I'll settle down. Or not!

Why I can't run...yet

I had my annual check up and am incredibly healthy. I did ask my doctor about running and why my knees hurt (especially my right knee) and if I should go to a specialist. She looked at my incredibly gorgeous legs and told me my right quad is smaller than my left and my knee would hurt until I built it up.

SO I will continue bike riding and walking and get my tail back to the gym and do leg presses with one leg at a time and maybe eventually I will be able to run.

Eric's coming home

Eric's coming home from scout camp today - and, yes, I am excited about that! He's been at Camp Hale in Oklahoma for the past week. This picture shows him working on his Rifle Shooting merit badge.

He and his dad were gone for several days last week to visit Ellis' parents in Baton Rouge, so I haven't seen much of Eric for two weeks.

I'll probably be ready to send him off again by Monday evening. Not.

More Glass Bead Classes

I am taking a shaping class at Blue Moon Glassworks. It's a four-week class and we've met once so far. Using the oxygen-propane mix is very different than the propylene setup I have...trying to convince/coerce E3 into cleaning off the back porch (screened in) so I can set up an oxygen=propane rig out there. Better ventilation. The mixed gas gets so much hotter and it's quicker and easier to get the glass melted for the base beads.

Until that day, I'll keep working away with my hot head torch, and maybe rent some torch time at Blue Moon when I feel the need for working hotter. I'm still fascinated by this whole process and can work at my torch for a couple of hours without noticing the time go by. I work in the mornings before it gets too hot to open the windows - it's just now noon and already 86.

Can't wait for this week's class. Lisa is a great teacher.

Lampwork Beads

I took a bead-making class from Molly of Heritage Glass in New Braunfels. This is more fun than ... well, lots of things. Working with a torch, molten glass...I gravitate towards dangerous crafts. I am not particularly good at this yet, but I make a few beads every couple of days and my technique is definitely improving. One day soon I will take and share pictures of some of my better efforts.

Blue Moon Glassworks here in Austin also offers classes, and they have plenty of supplies. I met Rose and Lisa this week when I was picking up a few more glass rods. They are very friendly and helpful...not to mention all they know about this stuff.

There are so many different types of beads, special techniques, cool tools and wonderful finishes to try! I look forward to many happy hours working at my torch.

Running: Week 2

I splurged today and bought a new pair of running shoes. Went to RunTex and actually got fitted. Guess I shouldn't consider this a splurge; rather, I should think of it as an investment. Anyway, spending the money meant that I had to run today, even though I was pretty pooped after my gym session.

BUT I DID IT. This is week two, and started the run 3 minutes, walk 3 minutes phase of the plan. My knees hurt -both in the same place - the inside, but they hurt before so I know it's not the shoes. It's not really joint pain, probably where the tendon or ligament or whatever joins to the bone or some such. I'm icing them, and that feels very good. From what I'm learning from my trainer Erica, this may be because the muscles on the outside of my legs are tight. Some ow-time with the foam rollers may help.

Towards the end it was very much just a slow jog, and I had to laugh - as I start my last 3-minute run, "I Will Survive" shuffled around and started up on the iPod.

And I did survive, and I know I'll live to run-walk again on Wednesday.

Learning to Run

Today will be my third installment in my first week as a beginning runner. I bought the Runner's World Complete Book of Running, dusted off my running shoes, and am happily following the recommended run-walk schedule. This week, it is run 2 minutes, walk 4 minutes - repeat 5 times for a total of 30 minutes. The goal is to run 30 minutes solid in 10 weeks.

Why did I decide to do this? For one thing, I am looking to continue to improve my overall health and maintain my weight. Taking off (almost) 40 lbs isn't something I want to do again. I would like to lose another 10 lbs, though. I think running, combined with my improved eating patterns (I hate to say diet) and strength training should do the trick. I want to be like the 70-something skydiver in the V8 commercials. Except maybe not skydiving and definitely not a man. And not until I'm 70...

Anyway, the REAL reason I am doing this is so I can run in the Thundercloud Subs Turkey Trot this year with my 12-year old son, Eric. We talked about it last year, but I knew I couldn't run it, and he wasn't interested in walking it. So we made a pact to run it in 2009. The race is held here in Austin in the morning. A perfect way to start Thanksgiving Day.

Monday was the first day out, and I actually thought I wouldn't make it through that first 2 minute run. But it got incredibly easier each time around. And Wednesday's run segments were easier still. I tried to take longer strides. I'm not winning any speed records, but I'm moving.

I will be heading back to the gym tomorrow after two weeks out. I miss my leg presses! I hope I'm able to balance weights and running. I really enjoy strength training. Well, maybe not always when I'm doing it, but I appreciate the difference in my energy. Not to mention my mental outlook. Or my hip measurement.

Enough writing about doing stuff. Time to run/walk.