Peanut Butter Coffee

You can tell by the title what this post will be about, no mystery here.  Today's story will be short and just a little sweet, because there's not much sugar in my peanut butter; the flavor is just right.  I eat it mostly for the protein. As for the coffee, you might recall my slight problem with acidic foods and drinks, so even though I crave the earthiness of a good strong cup, I'm forced to drink my husband's brew at half-strength by watering it down.  Okay, I admit none of this is note-worthy, so here comes the rest.  In my haste to mix coffee into a cup of boiled water, I grabbed a knife that I had just used to spread peanut butter with and stirred the hot liquid for a few seconds.  By the time I sat down to actually take that first sip, I had forgotten all about the "dirty" knife residuals, but the surprise on my tastebuds quickly reminded me.  The slight flavor of peanut butter in my coffee was delicious!  If you like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy this accidental discovery.  Give it a try.  Let me know what you think.

The sea glass photo above is called, "Wired One", named for the section of wire running through one of the pieces of glass.  Some of the colors remind me of coffee, though, and I had used this picture before with another coffee story.

Sitting on Tarlov Cysts

It's been a while since my last post.  Instead of writing my thoughts down, I've been looking other things up.  One of those things is a cyst named, "Tarlov".  I have two of them on my S2.  Being one for symmetry, these cysts aren't following my rules.  The right cyst is over twice the size of the one on the left, yet most of the pain is on the left side of my body.  

According to the Tarlov Cyst Foundation, these neurological cysts don't usually cause symptoms, but when they do, the list is rather long.  For a couple of decades, I've had these symptoms, but with so little research done on this topic, none of the doctors I've seen have considered the possibility of linking cysts to the cause.  

Not wanting the nerve-fiber-filled walls of these spinal intruders to continue to grow, I'm searching for readers out there who could tell me where to go for treatment.  So far, I've only found one neurosurgeon who actually removes Tarlov Cysts, but wouldn't you be a bit hesitant to go under the knife when all other doctors say it may not work?  

If you're a regular reader of my blog, you're used to me getting a little personal now and then.  If you're new to this site, I apologize for today's topic, but I always write what's on my mind.  Now, I need to get off these Tarlovs.  Literally.

The photo above is my latest, called, "Sea Glass Spine".  It features some of my best pieces of beach glass from here in South Haven, so I guess they have been the "backbone" of many pictures.

Comfort Food

With the busyness of the holidays behind us, I am so looking forward to my husband's turkey dinner for two.  He had already gotten us through several family brunches and lunches without my having to lift a finger in the kitchen.  My dear man has become quite a good cook in his older years, and unlike my attempts at cooking for company, his time management always aligns well with the consequent presentation and flavors of whatever he prepares.  I can't taste any fear in his cooking, and I told him so.  He laughed because he knows exactly what I'm talking about.  When I cook for anyone other than him, my lack of confidence, along with a large portion of stress, seems to drip out of my fingers, onto the spoon or spatula, and into the bowl or pan.  It's evident to anyone who's watching.  Even if it ends up tasting good, I can barely eat my food made for others.  It's not comforting to me; it tastes like fear.  Afterwards, I'm exhausted and still hungry.  So this year, my husband did the cooking while I got to spend time with our loved ones.  Instead of talking with my face over the stove, we enjoyed eye-contact.  I was able to pay attention to what was being said rather than to what was being burned.  I didn't mind doing the dishes later, because it gave me time to reflect, and that was comforting. 

Perhaps someday my cooking skills will improve.  I'm sure that if you love to cook, you probably feel a little bit sorry for me.  What kind of a nut doesn't enjoy serving up portions of love on a plate for her family?  I wish I had an answer to that.  One thing I do know is this:  as long as my husband enjoys cooking large meals, I will gratefully eat them.  Ahhhh.....the smell of turkey.............

The picture above is called, "Beach Blessings III".  I'm using it again today because my husband is such a blessing to me.

Is Your Plate Too Full?

God did a favor for me today.  He made it snow.  It's been 17 days since my last post, and had the roads been clear enough to travel upon, it would have been another four days before I could write.  Thankfully, one of the many cancellations occurring today is a meeting that I was supposed to co-host.  While I was looking forward to seeing the presentation and my friends, it is actually a relief to get back that 9:30 to 3:30 time slot.  Do you ever say, "Yes" to things that you know you don't have time to do?  This was one of those things.  I looked at my calendar, shook my head, and said, "Well, I don't know.  I guess I could do it".  Now, like many previous posts, here I am writing about my lack of resolve to "just say no".  If you are finding yourself in the same boat, it's time to jump out.  The holidays are busy enough without taking on every job that's put on your plate of responsibilities.  Scrape some of them off, or say, "No thank you; I'm full".  Let's savor the moments ahead of us instead of gulping them down to make room for more.  If saying, "Yes," will hinder the flavor of what's already on your plate, remember to say, "No".  
It's never too late to change, no matter how many times you've tried.
   Today's sea glass picture is called, "New Perspective".  (I'm trying....)