Almost ready for spring!

Veganism is agreeing with me! My joint pain this winter has almost been nonexistent. I'm down to 184lbs (I'll tell now that I'm under 200lbs!). The headaches are still there daily, but less episodes of excruciating days in bed. And I'm down to 5mg of prednisone, yeah baby!
Even though I still have issues with Raynaud's I'm not ready to give up winter. There's something about winter and food. Roasted root vegetables are my love right now. It wouldn't feel the same in warmer weather. I've been making a vegetable medley at least once a week. Here's the recipe:
1 yam or sweet potato ( scrubbed with skin on) large dice
1/2 butternut squash ( peeled with large dice)
1 container of brussel sprouts ( washed, cut in half)
1 onion ( diced)
1 potato ( peeled and diced)
1 parsnip (peeled and cut in chunks)
1 carrot ( peeled and cut in chunks)
1 green pepper ( diced)
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp dried sage
2 tbs olive oil
I hope that's everything, you know I always forget something! You can really put what ever you want.
Cut vegetables all about the same size so that they cook evenly and place in large baking dish. Sprinkle herbs and toss with olive oil. Bake at 400 for about 45 min. Tossing every 15 min so that it doesn't burn. Done when all vegetables are fork tender.
I hope you enjoy!
I've also been drinking more water. I found this really cool water bottle by Rubbermaid. I love the spout. Has a large opening and a leak proof cap. Love it!!! I'm so bad a drinking water. I find this bottle very convenient.







Reading this great book on buddhism. Very insiteful. Talks about looking to yourself for the reasons why your life is the way it is and how to have lasting happiness. Lasting being the key word.

That's it for now.
Live.Love.Laugh.Enjoy!

Hello!

I'm still a vegan! I'm shocked. I'm doing so well with it, why wouldn't I want to continue. My prednisone is down. I'm still losing weight. I feel awesome - when I don't overdo it. Life is good! I've rekindled my Mary Kay business. It's going slow, but it's at a pace I can handle.
I'm more social since I last wrote. Gone to dinner parties. Hosted a small get together at my house for an old friends birthday. Going out more.
Managing my meds okay. I still forget from time to time. I still pay for forgetting from time to time!
Overall I'm doing good!
Live.Love.Laugh.Enjoy!

Feeling Good!

I hate to say it, because I go through so many extremes. I'm vegan! It hasn't been hard. No harder than being a vegetarian. I feel good. The headaches are still there. No help for that. I'm still taking the Neurotin and it's keeping them bearable, so I'm grateful. I'm doing my yoga and meditating. It's been three weeks. I'm losing weight ( sooo happy about that).
Still looking for answers about the headaches. Looking within me for the answers. I have a long road ahead of me, but I'm ready for the journey! That's what life is all about, right?
I haven't started on my list yet. It's snowing outside so I might as well start today!
Live.Love.Laugh.Enjoy!

new reminder

Just finished reading the book, Skinny Bitch. I loved it! Especially the end. I had forgotten to dream. I always remember I want to be healthy. I want to be pain free. But what else. That use to be enough. What am I going to be when I grow up? What are the things I want to accomplish? What happended to my list of 100 things I want to do before I die? Not as morbid as I once thought. I am 40 now and it's time to make things happen. I started my list about 5 years ago and some of the things on the list started getting done and I got scared. I put something on the list that I really didn't think would ever happen and it did! Freaked me out. Didn't write anything else on the list after that. Face fears and live my life. It's time. So Skinny Bitch is not just about being skinny, it touches on so many health and social conscious issues.
It reminded me about my affirmations. POWERFUL. Didn't realize how powerful until I had little energy to get out of bed and had very little hope and no faith in medicine and wrote down my affirmations faithfully every day 10 times each and would often say them. I did this for months and look how far I've come. Words are power. I'm learning to use them wisely.
I've been busy, so I haven't had time to sit and write. I look back and I don't know what I've been busy doing. I need to slow down. I say that often. It's not the physical zooming around, it's more of the mind racing and really, why. I'm back to meditating. It helps.  It's tough to quiet the mind. I'm out of practice.

I need to become a bit more social. I spend a lot of time in the house or with just the hubby and kids. I've let go of some stressful relationships over the summer so I'm leary of getting mixed up in new friendships. Not looking for a best friend, but I do need to get out and meet people. I use the excuse of having lupus and it being tough because of my energy level. It's not that tough. I just have to reach out and say hello. Again not looking for a best bud, not sure what I'm looking for. I'm not a phone person. I don't know. I do know I need to get out more. My next favorite is the I don't have any money. I have money for everything else though. Why do I have to spend a lot of money to get out of the house?! I'm crazy.lol  I know how it's done. Smile and say hello. Listen to me, I sound like I'm going out to pick up a man!!!
Feels good to write again!
Live.Love.Laugh.Enjoy!!!

Give and Get is Here!

Give and Get is Here!: "Enjoy 30% off from August 26-29 at Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy and we'll donate 5% of what you spend to a non-profit."

New Day

Well, I'm starting my day off counting calories. I'm hoping it will make me more aware of what I'm eating and where I can make changes. I already know this stuff, but doing it this way creates something for me to do.
Not sure what I'm doing with my day. Didn't go to sleep last night until after 1. A nap should definitely be in there somewhere.
It's going to be gorgeous here in CT!
Live.Love.Laugh.Enjoy!
By the way if your looking for a good summer read, try this book. I loved it!

On overload

I have all these ideas running around in my head.  I'm like a chicken with my head cut off. I have different projects going on all over the place. I'm tired and I hurt. I've been limping for over a month. Now my knee and my right buttock hurts. Not my hip but the ichial tuberosity. I think that's what it's called. ( I'm trying to use my big words lol). Is that a joint?I thought it was a bone. Can it truly be hurting? It feels like it. Time to get back to basics with my favorite book, if I can remember where it is!
I'm still eating healthy. I eat a lot out of my garden. I have been eating meat. Not a lot, but it's in there. I finally had a steak yesterday (and today). Needless to say it was delicious! Now I have to have my salmon and lamb on the grill to make my summer complete. I am the worse vegetarian imaginable. I should just stop saying I'm going to be one. It will happen one day. But not this summer!
Surprisingly I'm still losing weight. I try to move around more. Could be why I'm so tired. I had to force myself to sit today.
I made a great dinner. I put roasted tomatoes ( from the garden) and garlic in some homemade sauce I had in the freezer. Then I poured it over italian sausage that I browned with onions and put the whole thing in the oven for about 20 minutes. Mixed with brown rice pasta. Very good! Got the thumbs up from the kids.
Vege- corn on the cob cooked on the grill.
Well I guess I'll try to find something on TV to wind down. I watched Snoop dogg and his family on the View today.(watched it online -http://theview.abc.go.com/ ) His beautiful little girl, Cori ( 11 y.o. don't quote me) has lupus. Very inspirational.
Live.Love.Laugh.Enjoy!