General

There are many things on my mind today that I need to talk about, mostly to get it off my chest, but also to let you know about them.

In 1979, my youngest brother, Bobby, was the victim of a freak accident that killed him. He was a truck driver, and had arrived at his destination. He was walking around looking for someone to accept his freight, when two heavy boxes fell off of an outside elevator. One hit him on his chest, the other hit him on his back. The impact of the first one exploded one of his lungs, broke his sternum, and bruised his heart. The one that hit his back broke his spine. He lived for three days before passing away. He was twenty two years old.

At the moment of his death, I was sleeping in the ICU waiting room. I was dreaming that Bobby was walking across a green field towards a fence. On the other side of the fence, were people who had passed on before him, and they were all waving to him to come and welcoming him to the other side. He had his back to me, but he turned around and waved to me and smiled. I thought that it meant he was going to be ok, and the dream made me feel happy for him. However, just as he had turned to me and smiled in the dream, I was awakened by a loud alarm, which was the code blue at the hospital. My brother had just died from his injuries.

A little while after my brother died, someone gave me a copy of a book called “Life After Life“. It was about people who had died, and then been brought back to life. Nearly every one of them described walking across a green field towards a different place. It was then that I understood that the dream I had was my brother saying goodbye to me.

My Father passed away in November, 1992, just a few months after Fabgrandpa and I got married. Daddy had cancer of the liver. He was diagnosed the week of Halloween that year, and died the week of Thanksgiving. It was so fast our heads were spinning. I don’t know if he made his last wishes known, but he did have a funeral, and was buried next to my younger brother, Bobby.

During the last couple of days of Daddy’s life, a couple of things happened that have stuck with me for nearly 22 years. The first thing is that he wanted each of us, his five remaining children, to come in one by one so he could say goodbye privately. When it was my turn, I went in and sat in the chair next to his bed. He was lying there with his eyes closed. He started talking to me, telling me how much he loved me, how proud he was of me in my life, and blah blah blah. Then he opened his eyes and looked at me, and said “Oh, I thought you were _____” (insert name of one of my siblings here). Then he proceeded to tell me what he really thought of me. Yes, I am an adult, and he was on his deathbed, and I should be able to just let it go. But that was the last thing I heard my father say to me, and it still hurts.

The second thing that happened was at the time of my father’s death. Several of us were at his bedside, and he was gasping for breath. My brother leaned over and told Daddy that it was ok for him to go. And Daddy died. And at the moment that he died, the tornado sirens started alarming in town. My sister said he went out on a storm. It would seem so.

As you may know if you have been reading my blog for a while, my mother was in the hospital and then in a physical therapy rehab facility for about three months last year. She is 85 years old and mostly in good health, but she woke up one morning and couldn’t get out of bed because she felt dizzy and nauseated. My sister called 911, and they carted her off to the hospital. Mama spent a week in the hospital, with no real diagnosis. The doctor felt that she was better enough to go home, so she did. She spent one night in her own bed, and due to the same symptoms and very high blood pressure, she wound up back in the hospital for another week.

At the end of the second week, the medical providers had decided that she had a UTI and had her on an antibiotic to clear it up, and had stabilized her blood pressure, and said she was well enough to leave the hospital. However, she was not able to get out of bed by herself, so she was not allowed to go home. Her doctor told us the best thing to do was to send her to a rehab facility, so we did. Mama was angry at us for sending her there. It was the best thing to do, though. She spent about ten weeks in rehab, and had intense physical therapy every day. She didn’t like it, didn’t like being there, but when she did get to go home, she was walking better than she had in years.

When all this happened, Mama did not have a will. My sister, who is the main caregiver for our mother, told me that every time she has brought up making a will, Mama has gotten upset and says that she thinks we are trying to rush her death, or something like that. But after the experience of last summer, she did finally decide to get a will made. I’m not sure, though, if she has a Do Not Resuscitate Order (DNR). I’m not clear on what her wishes are for a DNR, whether she wants or does not want to be resuscitated if she has a terminal illness occur.

The whole reason I thought about whether or not my Mother has a DNR or not is that my father-in-law (Poppa) did have one. He has been a pretty tough guy all these years, and has spent the last twenty or so years taking care of my mother-in-law (Nana), who has several health issues over the years, and has not been able to walk or get up by herself or quite some time.

Nana has been in and out of the hospital for several years. Three years ago, she fell and broke her hip, had hip surgery, and went into a rehab facility and stayed for about three months. Physical therapists at the facility worked with her every day during that time, but she never did regain her ability to walk. In January of this year, she was hospitalized, and spent months there. She was transferred to a rehab facility, and then to a nursing home, and just went home at the end of May.

Sometime during the time that Nana was gone away from home, Poppa had a stroke. He was living alone but had a care giver who came every day to check on him, and do things for him. I’m not exactly sure when he had the stroke, but I do know that when we went to visit in May around Mother’s Day, he seemed to be fine, his old self. When we saw him next, he was in the same nursing home that Nana was in. That was at the beginning of June. He was still walking with a walker, and still talking and making sense, even though he did slur his speech when he was tired. He went home from the nursing home the next week, and on Father’s Day, we drove up to visit.

The Father’s Day visit was a very sad one for me. Poppa was in a wheelchair, not able to walk. He could still talk, but he was very difficult to understand. He asked to go out on the porch, then he wanted to go inside, several times. When his care giver served his lunch, he was sitting in his wheelchair next to me at the kitchen table. He sat there for a couple of minutes, looking at his food as if trying to decide how to eat it. Then he asked me to feed him. It was all I could do not to cry.

One day a couple of weeks ago, Poppa was taken to the ER during the night, but refused treatment. He has a DNR, so the ER sent him home, and set up an appointment with a hospice provider. They set him up on in home hospice care. When we visited with him on Sunday, June 22, he was in a hospital bed, sleeping for most of the time we were there. I went over and held his hand, and told him I loved him. He squeezed my hand hard, really hard, and said “I love you too, Sweetheart”.  I know he knew it was me. He has called me Sweetheart for as long as I have known him. He passed away in his sleep on June 26.

Poppa’s told everyone what he wanted for after he passed away. He will be cremated, and did not want a funeral. He wants everyone who loves him to get together and have a party. So, we will be having a Celebration of Life party for him next week. It will be odd going to his home with him not being there, but I will see him in every one of his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. He was a very loving and kind man, and has many people who loved him. It will be a great party, I am sure.

After thinking about all this over the past couple of weeks, it feels right for me to let my family know what I want after I am gone. I know they don’t have to honor my wishes, but if they do, here is what I want. My first choice would be to be buried wrapped in a shroud of cotton fabric (one of my quilts if possible) at Milton Fields in Alpharetta, Georgia. It is a “Green Cemetery”, and allows you to be buried directly into the ground without being embalmed. This allows your body to go back to nature, the way it was intended to be. If that is not possible, my second choice is to be cremated, and have my ashes scattered at the Grand Canyon North Rim up by Point Imperial.

Have you made a will? Have you told your family what you want to happen after you pass away? Death is a part of life, so it is important for every one of us to make a plan, and let our family and friends know what to do.

 

I am participating in a sponsored campaign for Beano. I received Beano products and compensation in exchange for my participation. All opinions are my own.

I have always had a problem with certain foods. Things like broccoli, garlic, and beans caused me to have bloating and gas. And wouldn’t you know it, that those three are some of my favorite things to eat. My husband and I eat a lot of garlic. I buy several heads of it every week. Broccoli is also a frequent item on our dinner table.

Gas was not the only digestive issue I have had. There were cramps, bloating, and just plain misery. Days and nights that I just wished that the feeling would go away.

I started eating a gluten free diet due to gluten intolerance. When I took wheat out of my diet, a lot of the bloating, cramps and general uneasy feelings disappeared. However, when would eat those three things, the broccoli, garlic, and beans, I still produced what seemed like an excess of flatulence.

Two years ago, I had some major digestive issues, and was hospitalized for over a month, and wound up with a colostomy. I was told by the surgeon who operated on me that I would have to be careful of what I ate, and to avoid things that produced gas, or things like corn, okra, tomatoes, and berries that had seeds in them. It was like just another group of foods I was not going to be able to eat.

One thing I found out was that when I did eat things that I knew gave me gas after my surgery, that the gas would blow up my colostomy bag. I would wake up in the night with that bag so tight, I thought it was going to explode, or pop off of me and fly around the room. I had to add things like eggs, peanut butter, eggplant, cheese, and asparagus to my list of things I really shouldn’t eat because they caused gas. This went on for about the first year. Then one day, I decided to get some Beano and try taking some before any meal that included one or more of the foods I knew was giving me a problem with gas.

I was so happy to find that using Beano helped, and the colostomy bag wasn’t in danger of flying off anymore. I just take two, and sometimes three, tablets before eating. It has made a real difference in my life. So much of a difference that I keep one bottle on the dining table right next to the salt and pepper shakers, and another bottle in my purse for when we go out. What foods do you avoid?®

Last summer Fabgrandpa and I were doing a series of posts about local farms and farmers. We went to several farms in the area, interviewed the farmers about their gardening methods, bought produce from them, and posted recipes using the vegetables we bought.

One of the farms we found by driving around, and saw their sign on the road. FreeCountry Farm is only about seven or eight miles from us. When we drove up to the house on the property the first day, we met one of the employees on a tractor. He told us the owner was not there, and that if we left a business card he would be glad to give it to her.

A few days later, I got a phone call from Eve, the owner of FreeCountry. She said she would be delighted to have me interview her, but she was going to be having a luncheon in a week or so, with representatives from the Chamber of Commerce and the 4-H Club. She invited me and Fabgrandpa to attend that luncheon, with a presentation about the farm and its goals.  I was so excited to be included in a meeting like that. She told me in that phone call that they did not sell vegetable to the public, that there customers were restaurants in the Atlanta area that participated in the “farm to market” program, and served organically grown produce in their establishments.

The presentation was about an hour and a half, where the presenters talked about the mission of the farm, that they were a non-profit organization and that their goal was to teach others how to farm organically. They had developed a “franchise” where they would sell you their raised bed irrigated system, teach you how to use it, and help you find a market for your crops. The resident farmer, the owner’s son, drew out the “system” on a whiteboard, showing how if you plant in a certain configuration that you would increase production of the plants exponentially. The whole thing was amazing to hear. Then there was an architect that spoke about what the plans for buildings and gardening sections were, and how they would accomplish their plans.

After the presentation, the luncheon, was served. All of the dishes they served were organically grown vegetables that they said were harvested from the farm. They were all so delicious, and presented in nice array by a chef hired for the occasion. The topic of conversation at lunch was how the owner of the farm wanted to work closely with the 4-H Club. They were offering a plot of land about an acre in size, where the children could plant an organic garden, learn organic gardening techniques, harvest their own crops, and sell them at the local farmer’s markets to raise money for their club. It all sounded too good to be true. There was even some talk about a community garden to benefit more people in the area.

While I was at the farm that day, I offered to come over once a week and do some volunteer work, like helping them on their website, writing articles for their blog, posting recipes, and things like that. However, that same week, my mother got sick and went into the hospital. She wound up in the hospital and a physical rehab facility for almost three months. Fabgrandpa and I had to spend three days a week visiting with her in a town 45 miles away, so I was not able to start doing anything at the farm. As time went on, it got more and more embarrassing to think about going over there to offer to do anything. So, I just didn’t go.

It may have been divine intervention. Last week, my mother called to ask if I had watched the evening news the day before. I had not, because I almost never watch the news. Then Mama asked me what the name of that farm was that I had told her about last summer. She said there was a report about them on the news. So, of course, I had to go look for it.

I found this on the Fox 5 News website:

A Fox 5 I-Team investigation discovered one so-called organic sustainable farm in Haralson County never delivered on its promises to dozens of Atlanta restaurants.

Even worse, former employees tell law enforcement the CEO of Free Country Farm defrauding them out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, using their personal credit information to set up American Express cards for the company. They’re personally responsible for outrageous credit card balances.

Atlanta News, Weather, Traffic, and Sports | FOX 5

What do you think about this situation? Is she a scammer, or did she really think she could follow through on her promises. I am on the fence, because if she was a scammer, she wouldn’t have sent refunds to the restaurants. But if she is really on the level, wouldn’t she pay off those credit cards that she got in her employee’s names?

I received product from Gimbal’s in exchange for this post.

YES! Jelly beans are not just for Easter. These jelly beans from Gimbal’s Fine Candies taste so good! They are also a good choice because they are free of gluten, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, dairy, eggs and contain no high-fructose corn syrup. What more could you ask of a sweet treat?

Fabgrandpa and I received several bags of Gimbal’s Jelly Beans. We quickly devoured the Cherry Lovers, both bags. We probably didn’t need to eat so many but we really could not stop.

Gimbal’s says this about Cherry Lovers Fruit Chews:

Cherry Lovers fruit chews are made with Real Cherry Juice and are High in Antioxidant Vitamin C. Feel good about every bite. With Chocolate Cherry, Bing Cherry, Cherry Daiquiri and more who knew there were so many ways to enjoy Cherry? Experience Cherry Lovers nine juicy combinations of cherry flavors. Life’s indeed a bowl of cherries!

Next up was the Gourmet Jelly Beans. With 41 flavors, you get a new taste in every bean you bite. I had several favorites, including one that I could swear tasted like buttered popcorn! Just watch out for those black ones if you are not a fan of licorice.

Last, they sent us some Sour Jelly Beans. I am not a fan of sour candies, so I gave them to the kids next door. Their dad said they would probably eat them right up.

You can buy Gimbal’s Fine Candies on their website, at Amazon.com, or find a store in your area on Gimbal’s Facebook page. (Scroll down to see a list). Which ones would be your favorite?

I received some samples of these protein bars from QuestBars. They taste delicious right out of the wrapper, but did you know that you can use them in recipes too? I had no idea. Quest Bars are a great gluten free addition to your kitchen. You can find creative Quest recipes online on YouTube!

QuestBars come in 16 delicious flavors, so you are sure to find one or two that you will love. My favorite is White Chocolate Raspberry. Find all the flavors available here.   You can buy Quest Bars worldwide, including at  GNC and The Vitamin Shoppe;  and at Amazon.com .  For further info on Quest Nutrition, check out their Facebook page and their website.

 

Fabgrandpa and I have been eating at this place frequently since we moved into our house. It is not far away, and has the best breakfast in town, which are two good reasons why we come here. They also have very good fried catfish, and about twice a month we skip breakfast and go to Turn Around for the catfish plate.

The catfish plate includes two filets, slaw, hush puppie and a side. Fabgrandpa usually gets slaw, but you can choose from a list of sides.

I know, call me a freak, but I love my catfish filets with fried eggs and home fries. It’s not on the menu, but if I ask for it, I get it there.

The inside is very clean. Those jars of pickles, jams, and pepper sauce are for sale. There weren’t many people here on a Saturday, but during the week it can get crowded.

You pay at the register with cash or a check. They don’t take credit cards here. There is an ATM machine down the road at the Piggly Wiggly store if you need to get cash.

The Turn Around Bar-B-Q is located at 2390 U S Highway 78, Tallapoosa, GA. If you want to call head, their telephone number is (770) 574-9966. Their hours are:

 

	Mon – Thu: 7:00 am – 2:30 pm Fri: 7:00 am – 2:30 pm, 4:30 pm – 8:00 pm Sat: 7:00 am – 2:30 pm

 

 

While all the rain has made it easier on me because I don’t have to go out there with the hose every day to water, there may be too much moisture on the flowers. They are slowly coming back and blooming again after at least a month of no blooms.

I guess everyone likes strawberries. The japanese beetles got to the strawberry plants, making the leaves look lacey with so many holes in them.

The squash plants are flourishing, and have plenty of blooms, but not actual squashes yet. I hope they make some soon. The beans I planted with them are getting pretty big too.

The nasturtiums like the place where I planted them. They have more leaves now. The broccoli, meh. Maybe next year.

This pepper is going to be on the dinner table tomorrow night. It isn’t yellow yet, but you can tell it would be soon if I leave it out there.

I can not wait to makes these into a tomato sandwich and a salad. It is tempting to pick them today, but I am going to wait one more day.

I am so proud that this basil plant is still alive. I love basil in salads, soups, and pesto.

The eggplant is blooming now. It has such beautiful flowers. I also think the fruits are gorgeous, and love some eggplant parmesean.

The photo is a little on the bright side, but you can see the purple pepper here. It will soon be big enough to pick.

More basil. I told you it is my favorite. This one is lemon basil, and smells so good when you rub the leaves between your fingers.

I love to cut pieces off these two plants and put them soups and salads. They make things taste so good.

The flowers on the plant stand are pretty to see, and smell so good.

I love this pink elephant watering can. I found it at Amazon.com and could not resist. It makes watering fun. OK, I know I’m a sucker for cute. I wish I had a pink flamingo to put somewhere in the garden.

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