DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY

DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY AND YOU CAN EXPECT A DIFFERENT RESULT.

A person cannot expect for things to change if all they do is the same thing over and over again.

You cannot do the same thing repeatedly and expect a different result or outcome.

So that is three ways to say the same thing - I think it could easily have another 100.

So for the past few weeks I have tried to be very vigilent and aware of this mantra. I have tried to do something outside my box each day. Something that maybe years ago came easily and now has to be thought about and is an effort. Something's I have just forgotten to do. I wanted to make a little pact to myself that each day I had to write on this blog at least one thing done differently - one routine moved around - some new barrier broken - sometimes taking big leaps of faith and  other times just trying to change little things. It all makes a difference. So far over the past few days I have

• just got up and told hubby that I was going to have a cuppa with a friend around the corner
• suggested and organised for us to go visit a couple of good friends in town for a few hours on the weekend.
• said no not now to something.
• shut my mouth and said nothing when I usually would have.
• actually went to my doctor appointment and listened and acted on this info.
• actually posted a few birthday cards and on time.

I know that none of these things seem big to others but they are to me. They changed my day around. Shifted my focus. Gave me a different perspective. So the challenge is to be ever vigilent as to what can be done each day differently.

Today was our weekly meeting at the Tiaro Creative Arts Group. Barbara organised for us to paint silk scarves. It was really enjoyable and very addictive as I just wanted to keep making them because it was such a suprise as to how they would turn out. I made two and when I have finished later this week I will post a photo of my two scarves made into a cushion.

Mick planted out two black mulberry trees. I cannot wait to eat the fruit.

I made mayonaise tonight for Mick to use on his lunchs this week. I have got lazy lately and not been pursuing the making of my own store cupboard ingredients. This took less time than it takes to pick it up of the shelf in the store and walk to the register let alone line up and pay big bucks for a jar. The recipe and instructions are on my page to the side of Homemade Dressings.

Rice Pie for dinner last night - recipe in Homemade Main Meals.

Cheers, Wendy



Home improvements and Health improvements

There is so much to talk about that I am afraid I will bore you to tears so I will try and limit my post as much as possible.

We have little work on and Mick has had some spare time and the inclination to build a little deck at the bottom of our stairs. Except for the cement and some screws the whole deck is made using a recycled deck a friend of ours gave us when they pulled this one down and built a larger one on their home. So the above shot is before - just stepping blocks and the resident wildlife having a munch on the grass.

Getting there.....

and finished bare some wire along the front when we have a few spare dollars to get some.

Lemons from our tree. I have picked another four since this and the tree is covered in flowers and little tiny lemons already. This was it's first season of fruiting and I am so impressed. I am going to make some lemon butter tomorrow and some lemon cordial and all the peels will soak for a few weeks in white vinegar and become my lemon spray and wipe.

I am eating a Nightshade free diet.  Getting Started With Healthy Eating  has a list of what vegetables etc that this means avoiding in my diet. I have been on this elimination diet for the past three weeks and have seen an improvement. I have rheumatoid arthritis and for the past months it has been very debilatating. My usual way of dealing with illness is to ignore it and hope it goes away. I usually avoid doctors like they are the plague and try and do whatever I can to fix the problem myself. I have tried and I have some improvements but I had to come to terms with the fact that this thing needs intervention so that between me and what I do and what the doctor thinks will help we can get me moving and pain free. Whatever I have been doing has helped considerably to limit the damage done to joints. I have learnt a major lesson in all of this and I am obviously going to keep on learning.

So one of the foods that was first to go out of my diet quite a few years ago was tomatoes. OH dear. I really like tomatoes. I avoided them for over a year and considering when I originally came down with this arthritis most of my meals were very much based around the tomatoe base of some sort, this was a big flip in my cooking regime. I am lucky because I like to cook. I like to experiment. But this got me and food became very bland for a while. Then I slipped in a few cherry tomatoes (grown by my Dad so they couldn't be bad for could they?) and made the odd sauce with tomatoes. Well they do make my pain level higher and I don't care what any body else says. So out they go again.

I found this Tomatoe Free Tomatoe Sauce recipe. I have had this printed out for so long now that I do not even know exactly where I originally found it but I have now made it a few times and have adjusted it to my liking. I have added it to my recipe page for those wanting to try it. I will update as I make it each time but it is a definate winner. Above is a homemade gluten free lasagne I made using the sauce cooked with some mince for the layering. And below is some leftover sauce I poured over some corn chips and sprinkled with some cheese and melted under the grill. YUMMY. Honestly it really tastes good. It is very pink the first time - a little less the second time and I think I know how to get the colour more subtle. The recipe will update and explain how.

So much more to talk about but I will leave it there. Chat again tomorrow. I am of to Art Group in the morning and we are doing some silk painting (more like tie dying I think).

Cheers, Wendy