Firsts

Today was a day that I never thought that I would experience but then 2020 has been a year of things that so many of us believed we would never  experience. It's been a year of firsts for a lot of people but in many ways for all the wrong reasons.

Why was today so different for me? Well today I took my 93yr old father to his first appointment with a Radiation Oncologist! 

Now the first thing you may be thinking is "wow your dad is 93, he's pretty old". Yes he has been on this earth for 93 years but no he's not old, at least he doesn't look it. He's a very young and reasonably fit version of a 93 yr old that is except for the reason why we went to see an Oncologist.

Which leads to another first... 2 months ago Dad was admitted to hospital with a bowel obstruction. Scans were done, a tumor was found and an ileostomy was performed. I should mention that I am now a full bottle on how to change an ileostomy bag and trouble shoot issues with leakage, stool consistency and gas. And that's something else I never thought I would be saying or writing. You see it's been a very odd year. 

In my last post I mentioned that I'd been stood down from my job when my state locked down due to the pandemic and then stood back up when everything reopened. Then 2 months ago both of my parents were in hospital for different reasons and in different locations. There was a lot of driving, worry and late nights.  

At this point I am going to say we are so grateful and blessed that we live in Australia. It seems that there is a different perspective on cancer care here. Maybe it's dads age but there has been no pressure or rush to get him into treatment. After an initial panic in the emergency room 2 months ago everything seemed to slow down to a very careful and considered pace. It's like the universe opened its arms and said "I've got you, I'm carrying this. Although it's been a flurry of appointments with the Surgeon, his GP and his Health Coach (yes we got him a health coach) there's been time to consider the next steps.

But back to today... The oncologist we saw was amazing, he was lovely and very interested in my Dad and his story. He asked Dad where he grew up and dad told him a little of the story of his childhood. To which the response was "have you written this down? " Now my Dad is an awesome story teller, he's fascinating and his life and his parents lives are fascinating. It needs to be written. Thank you Mr Oncologist for suggesting this. 

But back to why we were there, it was essentially an information session. A here's what you've got, here's what we think is the best course of action, go away and talk to your GP and your family and decide what you would like to do. And start writing your story. 

On the drive home Dad and I got to pondering as to why this cancer challenge was presented to him at this point in his life. Dad's religious and he was pondering why God brought this to him now. And considered that maybe he might not know the true answer this side of heaven. I am little bit more 'A Course In Miracles' so my response was that sometimes these things are brought to us to bring about positive change or enlightenment. Maybe in this case it was for my Dad to meet the man who was to tell him to write his story. Maybe it was to meet the health coach who would set him on the path to live to 100!

Although the first few days of Dad being in hospital were stressful, we've all now settled into a state of relative calm. There is no fear or sense of worrying about what's to come. I listened to a cancer summit recently and the first this the first speaker said was "peacefulness is paramount" I'm happy to report that we are already there. 

In my last post I mentioned that I'd decided to study nutrition. After I wrote that I'd decided to leave it until next year. And then we took Dad to the health coach and then an opportunity to study online came up and I enrolled. I was inspired by Dad's coach and right when I was thinking I should just do this the right door opened and I'm on my way. I must also fess up that I'd started to think maybe I wouldn't be any good at it. But then I gave myself a pep talk and decided that I was not longer allowed to think that way and that really I could do anything I set my mind to.

I know some of you are still thinking "you got him a health coach!" umm well I have no faith in dieticians, well not the ones the hospital was offering cause I saw what was on his plate pre and post surgery with a possible cancer diagnosis and I wasn't impressed. My apologies to any dieticians out there, right or wrong these are my personal thoughts. We wanted to focus on Nutrition, Dad wanted to deal with this more holistically and Dads amazing doctor recommended the health coach. Which is kind of cool and synchronicity all in one given my desire to be a health coach. Dad's really into it and I'm loving the opportunity to observe. 

Well it's late here and I really should go as I have to take Miss Charlie to the vet tomorrow. That was another thing chucked into the mix of everything this year. 2 weeks ago Charlie got up and was staggering around like  a very drunk person. Somehow I've learnt not to panic. I considered the possible causes and called a vet. After quite an extensive appointment, which included the senior health check that was a little overdue, the conclusion was that she had a perforated ear drum. How ? I have no idea. But it got her to the vet, and I got to find out that the lump on her side that I'd been planning on getting checked but hadn't was not at all nasty. It was just a fatty lump that older dogs get. Phew!! Thank you doggy version of vertigo, I can stop worrying about the lump. 

It seems the Universe is throwing in a fair few silver linings amongst all the chaos. I may feel pummelled most days and like I just want to lock myself in a quiet room and not come out, or go to sleep and not wake up until 2021, but there's some genuinely good stuff coming out of the chaos.

Anyhoo I really just wanted to stop by and catch you up as it's been a couple of months and I'd promised myself not to leave it so long between posts again. 

I'll be back again soon with further updates and some insights that I'm learning in my nutrition course.

Jim Kwik the speed reading guy always says the best way to learn something is to teach it. So I'll share what I learn along the way.

Hopefully the chaos of 2020 starts to slow down my nervous system needs a break!

Until next time stay well and stay happy.

Love Lib and Miss Charlie XXX

2020

2020

We haven't spoken for a few years, where did all that time go?  I've been in the background learning and growing. Sometimes work has taken over and there have been break ups, house moves, job moves and lots of smiles, laughter and sometimes tears. Life as always has at times been a roller coaster, but there have been new discoveries and lots to learn. Charlie dog is still with me, she's about to turn 13 and she has a new best friend Suzy (pictured above). Suzys' photo sums up the 2020 feeling, everything is upside down this year.....


What a ride this year has been so far! it's been both challenging and heart breaking on so many levels. As with any challenging situation there is the opportunity for growth or change, a silver lining of sorts.

The year my part of the world started with the bushfires on the east coast of Australia. There was a collective heart break and outpouring of support for those affected. Some of us were left with the determination to do better for the planet. Climate change was raised as cause of the fires and whether you believe that or not it's time to look after mother earth better. I started looking at the impacts that my life had and asking what I could up level to do my part


Then Covid hit and our lives were all turned upside down from one side of the planet to the other. The shutdowns and the decision to close businesses and borders saw myself and others stood down from work. I can only imagine how difficult it was for my employers to be faced with the situation of standing workers down. Being stood down is something I never want to experience again. Despite all logical understanding of what was happening and knowing I wasn't the only one, being kicked to the job curb was devastating and a hit to my confidence that still hasn't recovered.

This week my world has returned to pre covid work hours and although I've muddled through ok the emotional affects have continued and I'm left questioning my path and what to do next. My current job in the tourism industry no longer feels secure like it did before. I want to do something meaningful and so it's time to make steps towards my future path and I keep coming back to the same thing, studying Nutrition and becoming a Holistic Health Coach. At the moment I'm investigating courses so there's more to follow on that soon once I've made the commitment.

Why study nutrition? with all that's been happening in the world I believe we need more voices to raise awareness that we are not at the mercy of outside forces, that we have the ability to influence our own health outcome. That's not to say that there will ever be absolute immunity to anything but we can certainly raise our chances of fighting illness by making better choices for what we put on our forks and our bodies. 

The last 7 years have been a path of learning about health and healing. As a result of a few health challenges 2 1/2 years ago I made the decision to follow a 100% plant based diet. It suits me well and I feel better than I have in the years preceding. One of my goals is to better understand how to nourish and support my own body with a plant based diet and in doing so assist others with the same goal. 

My heart goes out to anyone who is still suffering a job or income loss as a result of Covid. I was lucky and have been very blessed to have bounced back into the work force so quickly, others have been less fortunate.  

For me the  silver lining of Covid is not just the new Taylor Swift album, it's the opportunity to look to the future and make plans for the new normal. What will will my life look like and what changes can I make to withstand the next storm if it comes. What will be your silver lining? 

Love Lib x

Learning to Breathe

Oh my! It's been a while since I've written anything here. Some serious time out was required. My thoughts over the last months have been expressed in lines and squiggles in my drawing book. Perhaps sometime soon I'll share some of my crazy scribbles with you. 

I came here to see if I could be inspired to write something and I found this post below that I'd written over 6 months ago sitting in my drafts. It's time to share it with you, hope you like it ....

There are so many stresses and anxieties in this life that consume our thoughts that sometimes we simply forget to breathe. It's like 'holding your breath' while your waiting for an outcome to play out in the physical world.
Often when I'm upset or worrying about things, waiting for the outcome, I do this. I'll often catch myself holding my breath or shallow breathing

I've been learning about mindfulness and putting it into practice in my life is teaching me to stop, be in the present and breathe. I'm starting to recognize these moments when I'm 'holding my breath' and when I do I'm pausing to breathe. Taking time to fill my lungs with air.

Breathe in the good stuff... exhale the bad stuff 
Breathe in the healing ...... breathe out the immune suppressing, aging, cancer causing worry. 

It's little wonder that people who meditate and practice yoga or tai chi often appear to be younger and healthier beyond their years.... they simply spend a lot of time actually breathing. And in doing so they relax their mind and body and all the good stuff follows.

It's something that I just randomly noticed one day recently, a mini epiphany of sorts. I'd noticed it in the past but the thought was fleeting and I never did anything about it. Being older and a little wiser I'm taking time to notice.

I'm taking time to be present and breathe......... 

photo by Dingzeyu Li courtesy of unsplash.com

My Beautiful World

I titled this post “My Beautiful World” not because my world is perfect, in fact it’s far from it. My life is as full of as many disappointments and cracks in the pavement as the next person and there are many missing pieces. But lately I’ve been focusing on the things that make me joyful and realizing that the odd little bubble I live in isn’t so bad after all.

My world like yours is a work in progress, it’s me trying to find all the pieces that fit and letting go of the ones that choose not to fit. I could be sad about the ones that don't fit, and I have been sad, but I’ve come to realize that their absence creates space for other things that I love to expand.

I'm working on filling my world with the things that make me happy. My 'happiest places' are my doggie Miss Charlie, being creative and my obsession with organic gardening and healthy eating.

I’ve learnt that this life is about surrounding yourself with the people who let you shine the brightest and allow you to be the best person you can be and letting go of the people who dampen your flame and squash your spirit.

Everyday I’m learning to be grateful and to be joyful for the life that I have. So much of our lives is a choice and sometimes you just have to step up to the plate and go for it. I'm learning to step up, taking small steps each day to get to the place where I want to be. I'm working towards being bold enough to take the giant steps, to celebrate life by being the loudest drum and dancing with hands in the air!
  
I'm forever creating my beautiful world

Gluten Free Apple Crumble

I've just had one of those moments where I needed dessert. Perhaps it was because dinner was a little while ago or because I was watching someone cook dessert on Masterchef. Whatever it was I had a desire that needed to be fulfilled. Given that I'm gluten and lactose intolerant and on a clean eating path there's no processed goodies in my house. I've refused to buy I cream ever since I realised how many chemicals were in it and I haven't quite got around to making the raw ice cream I've been dreaming of. So what was tonight's answer?

Today I stocked up on fresh produce and there are plenty of apples in the house for juicing so I decided to create my food intolerant version of Apple Crumble with an Almond Milk Custard. Given the time and the fact I was using Apple I went easy on the sugar side. Not much was needed anyway with the sweetness of the apple. The crumble was created with flax meal, chopped pistachio and almond. I also added some craisins that were in the pantry to add a variation in flavour. Once constructed it was drizzled with honey before baking in the oven for 15 mins. 

I made this dessert for one person so if you are making it for more people you'll need to adjust your quantities accordingly. It's also easier if you make it in a rammekin or small dish

Here's the recipe

Apple Crumble

1 apple per person 

2 tablespoons flax meal

8 almonds 

8 pistachio

1 tablespoons craisins

1 tablespoon honey

Chop the Apple and place into a rammekin. Sprinkle craisins over the Apple and then top it with the flax meal. Chop the almonds and pistachios and sprinkle over the top. Drizzle honey over the whole thing. Place into an oven heated to 180 degrees and bake for 15mins.

While the crumble is in the oven you can make the custard. It only takes 5 minutes so you can leave it until the crumble is almost cooked.

Almond Milk Custard

This recipe will easily serve 2. If you are cooking for one you can either indulge or save some for the next night

150grams almond milk

1 egg

10 grams unrefined cane sugar or coconut sugar. I used rapadura

10 grams gluten free cornflour

Vanilla

Place a saucepan on kitchen scales and measure 150grams almond milk. Add the egg and whisk well.  Add vanilla, sugar and cornflour and whisk well again. I normally whisk it til it foams a little. Place over a low heat and whisk until it starts to thicken. I like my custard to be thick but still runny so once it starts to thicken you don't need to continue with the heat for long. Remove from heat and whisk well to ensure a smooth conistency. 

Remove the crumble from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Because of the portion size you can serve it in the rammekin. Pour some custard over the top and enjoy

Garden Update

 I haven't shared about my garden for a while now. It's still an ongoing and ever growing project. Lately I've been watching a lot of documentaries on FMTV about sustainability and our foodchain. I'm more than a little concerned about not just what goes into our food but also what goes on it when it's growing. Now I've been juicing daily I try to buy as much organic as I can afford, which is usually the items on the list that absorb the most nasties in the conventional growing methods like celery and the ones that you can't really wash residue off, ie Kale. The last thing I want is a glass full of pesticide. So my answer to this has been to look for ways to increase my growing space.

 A few weeks ago I resurrected my old raised garden bed that I bought when I was at my last house, it's been in pieces since I moved nearly 2 years ago. Today its a bed of kale

 This bed contains curly and tuscan kale and was planted about 3 weeks ago and so far there has been really good growth and no bugs. It's had a dose of organic fertiliser and a couple of applications of seasol. 

Apart from a bed of Rocket in a kids sandpit clam shell everything else is growing in pots. I'd always been under the impression that I needed to plant in full sun. I'd had my eye on a particular spot of garden along my fence but was worried it was too shaded. But a bit of gooling at the weekend informed me that leafy greens don't need as much sun and will tolerate shade. 

I'd been a bit lazy with pulling out the grass that had grown into the existing garden so I decided I could accomplish 2 things in choosing that spot. No more grass in the garden bed and a perfect growing spot. I laid cardboard down on the spot a couple of nights ago to start killing the grass and today I built the garden. Several bags of potting mix, and compost along with some shredded paper and garden edging I have a new garden bed and this is the result ...

 It contains lots of yummy greens for juicing.

 Across the front I have planted curly leaf parsley.

 Then behind that in rows from left to right there is 

 white stemmed silverbeet

bok choy

rainbow chard

   I planted some rainbow chard in a big pot when I planted the kale and it will be interesting to see if there is any difference in the results between the pot and the bed.

I also planted some english spinach a month or so a go and have been picking and enjoying it for a few weeks now

It's planted in a galvanised wash tub that's had holes drilled in the bottom for drainage. It was a great way to recycle a tub that had been a display years ago when I had a shop with my sister. The spinach from this patch is the sweetest I've ever tasted. I love eating it straight from the garden.

There's lots happening in the greenhouse at the moment too. Loads of coriander and parsley along with chives, mint, wheat grass and cherry tomatoes. The tomatoes started flowering again a few weeks back so I've moved them into the greenhouse to keep them warm and see what happens.

 
 I can't wait for everything to get to the point when I can start harvesting and eating all of these lovelies and share them with my family.
 

Saladspiration - the BIG Green Salad

I've been busy watching videos on FMTV and learning heaps. The other night I watched 'The Healing Effect' which focused on a policeman in the US and his vegan lifestyle and how he quietly influenced those around him. One scene featured him in a vegan restaurant where he ordered the "five o bowl", a huge colourful bowl of salad and nuts. It was with that image in mind that I opened my fridge and started creating my 'BIG Green Salad'

What's in it? you ask.... um kind of everything!

kale, baby spinach, lettuce, rocket, cabbage, parsley, coriander, broccoli, roasted sweet potato, swiss brown mushroom, tomato, carrot, red capsicum, pepitas, toasted sunflower seeds and quinoa. All tossed around in a splash of garlic oil.

I served it with some marinated pan fried organic tofu and homemade hummus. 

The salad was super tasty and has kept me nourished for a couple of meals. I have to admit that I'm a little addicted to hummus at the moment. I recently found a note book where I'd written the hummus recipe from Mollie Katzens  'Moosewood Cookbook' we'd bought as a present for our mum in the 1980"s.  Back then both my sister and I were vegatarian, and already interested in raw food and juicing. After 12 years of being vegetarian I returned to eating meat in the late 90's.

Tonight I added roasted beetroot to the salad and served it with a Free Range Chicken Burger created from a recipe on the 'I Quit Sugar' blog which I adapted slightly.