Home Caregivers Not Given Vaccine?

In the state of Florida, there are currently 3.5 million home health aids and CNA per diem workers. Since we typically go from home to home providing much needed aid to the elderly and inferred, wouldn't that qualify us as "essenial workers?"

As of this morning, the company I work for has no plans to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine to those of us who are working away from the facility. I believe this is wrong. We are on the front lines, too! Do You Agree or Disagree? Post your opinions below.

Write Every Day... They Say

     Umm. Right... So what do I write about? I really have no life to speak of. Quarantin's got me down. My brain is fried from the boob-tube. (aka television) They say, write every day to get better. I'm really trying. I want to be back in the publishing biz. Learn editing or copywriting. 

     The days I spent working for a magazine in Florida was the best days of my life. All I really did was update ads and photoshop images. Rarely did I ever have a chance to do anything creative and it showed. My stuff always looked childish and dorky.

     No one even bothers to read my stuff. I need to push through the mud and get my head above water. I just don't know how to do it. Guess I'd better start by writing something every day.

Perfect Weather: A Short Essay

Perfect Weather: A Short Essay

By: Michaelene N. DeYoung
Today’s writing prompt is to look out your window and describe the day.

Looking out my bedroom window this morning, it really looked like the perfect day, in Florida terms. I literally jumped out of bed and turned on the television to see the weather report. Finally! The air of what I’ve been waiting for all year. I immediately opened my window to let the fresh ocean breeze in.     

Oh the refreshing wind! Slightly brisk and so delightful. Immediately my spirits are lifted. The subtle scents of the ocean nearby fill me with joy and contentment. The inhale of green grass and trees ensures me that I can keep moving forward and growing as each blade and leaf does. 

    I truly love days like this. The skies are deep blue with white puffy clouds with light gray underneath gently meandering across the ocean on a path only they seem to know. I dream of the day that I could be out in nature instead of observing it through a quarantine window. I’ve been in this home since March and haven’t even driven my car since my patient’s family is out of town. 

Truth be told now. I’ve been marooned here in Florida for over twenty years. I came down here to be closer to my parents who retired here. I enjoyed visiting them every weekend until my sister decided she wanted them closer to her and moved my mom and dad and all their possessions to North Carolina. I had no job, no car and I lived in a hotel room with a man who was my platonic partner whom I ended up staying with for the rest of his life. 

I really long for spring, autumn and winter once again. Twenty plus years of summer is enough. That’s why perfect days like today, rare as they are are such a gift I cherish.

Vegan Creamed Spinach!

VEGAN CREAMED SPINACH

This delicious side dish is quick and easy to make. Your guests won’t even know it’s vegan!
In my opinion, I could have used double the spinach for all that sauce. So, I suggest you get 2 bags of spinach instead of one so you can add in as much as you want. The cream sauce is super flavorful so it can handle all that spinach easily. :-)

INGREDIENTS:

1 tbs. vegan margarine such as Earth Balance

1  onion roughly chopped

1 cup baby bella mushrooms sliced

1 tbs. jarred minced garlic or 3-4 cloves chopped

1/4 tsp. garlic salt

1/8 tsp. black pepper

1 tbs. flour

1 tbs. fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp. lemon zest

1 cup coconut milk

1 - 2 tsp. nutritional yeast

1 - 9 oz. bag of fresh spinach

Additional salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Melt margarine in a large pot. 

Add onion and a pinch of garlic salt. Cook onions till they just start to carmelize. 

Add mushrooms and another small pinch of garlic salt. 

When mushroom start to sweat, add minced garlic and remainder of garlic salt.

Cook for 1 - 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and remove vegetables from pan carefully trying to leave as much juices in the pan. (I let them sit in a strainer over the pot for a few minutes)

Add flour to the juices and begin whisking. Let it bubble for abou 20 seconds then slowly add coconut milk. 

Add in spinach a little at a time till it is all wilted. 

Sprinkle with lemon juice, lemon zest and stir. 

Add mushrooms and onions back in. Stir to heat through. 

Add in nutritional yeast and stir. Taste for seasoning and serve!

Prayer for Those with Bed Bug Infestations

Dear Lord,
Please be with all of us that are dealing with this horrible insect infestation.
Help us to remember that you are mighty above all things and that you are the only solution to this problem.
Help us not to put our hope in man, in the exterminators or the pest control products, but in You alone.
Be with those that are treating our houses and be with those that are dealing with the situation on their own.
Be with the children sleeping in homes that are infested.
Protect us as we sleep and help us to rid our homes from this pest.
When we become discouraged and feel ready to give up, help us to remember Your Word in Psalms 91.
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
Surely He will save you from the hunter's snare and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge;
His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
We thank you in advance for Your provision, for Your goodness, and for Your answer to prayer.
In Jesus Name, We Pray
Amen.
                                                                                                  Written by: Unknown Author

My Everyday Carry

Right now, my EDC weighs a whopping 8 pounds! It's strange because it's mostly just little stuff.  Here are pictures and descriptions of everything I carry every time I go out.  Now, please keep in mind that some of these items are very necessary due to the fact that my partner is diabetic and also, we live in Florida where it rains almost every day in the summer.

On my lanyard is a watch, a small compass, fingernail clippers, a whistle, a P38 can opener, an aurora firestarter and a waterproof container with aspirin and tylenol. Next to the lanyard is a tube of glucose tablets.

This container hold a collapsible steel cup, condiments, wipes, a couple of small energy bars. On the right side is a small umbrella.

Next section holds bandaids, q-tips, a nail file, antibiotic ointment, feminine products.  The snus container on the left have matches, paperclips, safety pins and a sewing needle.  The other snus container holds cotton lint for firestarting. Below that are a couple of bag handles for groceries and an emergency blanket. There's also a hotel shower cap below that (almost out of the picture) for gathering food or water.  On the bottom left is a couple of sharpies, a comb, bug repellent and cocoa butter.

The orange pouch holds my wallet, kleenex, a microfiber towel and my Gerber multi-tool. The bag on my left is a crochet project.  I always have a small knitting or crochet project with me to keep me occupied.

And here is the whole shabang layed out on my bed along with the American Eagle messenger bag I carry it all in.  (Oh right next to the umbrella is a pair of chop sticks in a holder I made to keep them clean and above that is the bus schedules, a small note pad and small pen.

So, all this is 8 pounds? I can't seem to figure out why. :-)
Oh I forgot to mention that I also carry a 27 oz. Kleen Kanteen full of water which has several feet of 550 paracord wrapped around it. (not shown)

Retirement

I've been wondering, what am I going to do about retirement?  I haven't worked in a long time.  I'm essentially retired now but, with no income.  What will I do when Dwain is gone and there's no more Social Security to depend on?  Well, I've been doing some planning and some thinking on this subject.

Essentially, I have no plan.

Right now, my thoughts are to take up my walking poles and backpack and walk the country.  It's funny, but I've all ready started collecting gear that I plan on taking with me.  I have 2 hobo stoves in the works, tarps and many of the items needed in a b.o.b. I lack a few things but I'll slowly get them little by little and when I'm ready to (or maybe not ready to) hit the road, I'll be prepared.

So far:
The makings for 2 hobo stoves and 2 cookpots.
Gerber Multi-tool
2 tarps
mosquito netting
first aid kit
several small tins for fire starting materials
a utensil set
a rain poncho
a set of walking poles

Still need:
a fixed knife
a fire starting flint or two
a hammock
a bedroll

I'm thinking I might also like a 3-wheeled bicycle or maybe a wagon.  Those would really help lighten the load and make traveling much easier.

Make Your Own Cleansing Juice Fast!

Make Your Own Cleansing Juice Fast!
By: Michaelene De Young

I know there are many die-hard Master Cleansers out there that say if you don't use that "exact" formula it won't work.  Well, I'm challenging that theory.  I've created my own version of the cleanse and dubbed it MYO-CJF.  I'll be posting my results, detox issues, etc. on this blog and my thoughts and feelings as I continue on this journey.
The difference between a juice fast and a juice feast is that on a fast, you drink less than 2 quarts of juice a day. On a feast, you drink between 2 quarts and a gallon of juice.  This is a fast and is intended to be used for detoxing, cleansing and weight loss.

This formula will make 16 - 10 ounce servings of juice.
Juice any kind of fruits or vegetables till you have 2 1/2 cups of juice.

I used:

• 2 apples
• 2 oranges
• 2 lemons
• 6 carrots
• 1/2 inch piece of ginger

Put in a quart jar and add 1 1/2 cups of raw honey or grade b maple syrup.
Shake well and refrigerate.
When you are ready to start your fast, use 1/4 cup of the juice/honey blend, a pinch of cayenne pepper and 10 ounces of water. Drink 10 glasses a day with water in between if you're hungry.
Each morning drink a salt water flush first thing when you wake up. (2 tsp. sea salt to 1 quart of water)
Each night, drink a cup of Smooth Move Tea before bed.
This batch should last you for 1 1/2 days. This fast should be a minimum of 10 days and a maximum of 40 days. Feel free to mix up the fruit and vegetable combinations using whatever is affordable to you when you do your shopping. You don't have to stick to the same ones every time you make your concentrate every couple of days. Just as long as you start off with 2 1/2 cups of pure juice the ratio will be the same.

You can even choose different fruits and vegetables according to what benefits you need most if that's what you're most interested in.  But, I think higher caloric items would be better since this master drink is going to be watered down 1:3 and you still need to have enough calories to get through your day and not be lethargic.  I'm not intending this to be like a water fast where you have to stay in bed for weeks.  I still want to function, and I want that for you, too.

Organic fruits or vegetables are always best, but I went for budget cost this first time so mine were not organic, but they were at least fresh. The whole purpose of my blog is to live as raw as possible, cleanse and detox on as little money as you can.  I'm testing my theory on this fasting method starting today, March 21, 2011.  I'm going to stay on it as long as I can and I'll update this note with my results.  My starting weight is 266.5lbs.

So far today, I've only had minor hunger pains which is surprising.  I'm just finishing up my sixth cup and it's 7pm. I'm normally grazing all day long and I constantly have to be eating or chewing on something and keeping my mouth occupied. So, it's kind of cool to know I'm able to achieve this small goal and tomorrow, will be a new goal to get through.

I understand the first three days are the hardest and day one is all ready nearing an end.  Amazing!

Master Cleanse Delay

Makes me a little bit upset that I can't get started on time.  Reason 1: I still have an abundance of greens and raw foods in my apartment that will go bad if not eaten soon.  My husband won't eat them. Reason 2: I have to get up at 5am on Saturday morning to go to work.  I'm afraid that the cleanse would interrupt my functionality and my ability to effectively multi-task for an 8 hour period. So, what do I do?

I'm DEFINITELY going to get started a.s.a.p. REGARDLESS of my work situation on Saturday.  I'm just going to finish up the foods I have in the house first then start the cleanse.  Tomorrow, I'm going to juice all the remaining apples and oranges I have and then finish the salad greens over the next day or two.  I'm estimating that I'll be free and clear of temptations by Wednesday.

That would put me in day 3 of my cleanse on  my Saturday work day.  I'm going to have to make my lemonade up on Friday night ahead of time because I won't be able to do it that early on Saturday morning to get ready for work.  I'm just going to take a mason jar with me with the lemonade in it and drink it while I'm working.

I need thoughts and prayers to get through the first few days.  I've never been able to complete even a 24-hour fast without being sick first.  This is going to be a challenge and a stepping stone and also a major accomplishment for me. WHEN I do this, I know I'll be able to do anything I want to improve my health and well being.

I'm a little scared, and I'm also a little excited knowing what I'm doing to help myself. 

Weight Loss and Master Cleanse

Well, I started off eating raw in February. I was at 272lbs. After one month or so, I'm now at 266.5.  I've lost 5.5lbs.  Not a bad start.

Monday, March 14th, I'm starting the Master Cleanse. I finally got all the components to get a start on it. I'm going to be using honey instead of maple syrup because of the cost.  I have the lemons, the sea salt, the cayenne pepper and today I got the last thing, the smooth move tea.  I have enough tea for 32 days.  I'll go as long as I can this first time and see what happens.  I only have a few lemons though.  I'll just buy those as needed.  Wish me luck and health! Here's to Monday! ~Peace~

My Own Kind of Cleanse

I'm calling this My Own Kind of Cleanse simply because, I can't afford some of the items on the Master Cleanse.  So, I'm going with what I can do, and what I can afford. (and what I all ready have in the house)  No one reads this blog anyway so I doubt I'll be seeing much flack over my ingredients.  I'd really be surprised if someone commented on this.

So, basically, the Master Cleanse is lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper with a Celtic sea salt flush in the morning and laxative tea at night.  Here's what's available to me and what I am now calling "My Own Kind of Cleanse."  It will be the same proportions as the "other" MC but with ingredients I have available.  Lemon juice, raw honey, cayenne pepper a regular sea salt flush in the morning, (none of that Celtic stuff) and a spoonful of Konsil in water at night.

I "may" spring for the Smooth Move tea.  It probably tastes way better than the Konsil.  I'm going to start with a 5-day goal and see how it goes.  If I'm doing good, I may continue longer.  I would eventually like to go a full 40 days on, 60 days off, and 40 days on if I can keep that schedule.  Then eat only raw vegan during the 60 days off. 

My main goal is weight.  I really want to be normal.  I want to start enjoying life more.  I want a girlfriend.  I want a job.  I can't really effectively do any of these things the way my health is now.  So, it's off to Publix tomorrow to get the rest of the stuff I need!  I believe I'll be ready to start the cleanse on Monday, March 14th.  For REAL. No Excuses!

Sunshine Breakfast Bowl

I was trying to think of a way of using all the sprouts I grew before they started going bad and this is what I came up with.

Good Morning Sunshine Bowl
1/4 cup sprouted buckwheat groats
1/2 tsp. water
 raw honey or agave to taste
a few drops of pure vanilla
pinch of sea salt
cinnamon
1 cup leafy sprouts
1/2 apple chopped (or seasonal fruit)
1 tsp. walnuts chopped
Mash sprouted buckwheat groats with a fork. Add enough water to make a thick paste. (this is going to be your "dressing") Mix in the honey, vanilla, sea salt and cinnamon. Pour on top of your sprouts and top with pieces of apple and walnuts. Toss and enjoy!

Another variation:
1 cup leafy sprouts
1/4 cup sprouted buckwheat grouts
1 lemon peeled and chopped (use a board so you can pour the juice in, too)
1 tbs. soaked/dried almonds chopped
pinch of sea salt
pinch of pepper
dried or fresh mint
raw honey or agave to taste

Culturing Vegetables + Sprouting = Cultured Sprouts?

I was just sitting here thinking... I had so much fun making cultured cabbage and I have so much fun sprouting... I wonder if cultured sprouts would be any good?  It just seems like I have way more sprouts than I can eat.  I don't want to waste any or have them go bad. So, why not put them in a jar and culture them?  They would last a very long time that way.  I'm hoping someone might have some thoughts on the matter.

Sprouts for Life!

Ok, I'm officially a sprout addict. LOL Today was day 6 of growing the French Garden Mix from www.sproutpeople.org. Wow, they are really beautiful! (On the left side of the picture) In my opinion, the directions were spot on and they needed the full six days to fully develop. Then I took them outside and let them green up for about an hour. Besides munching on them the whole time I was de-hulling them, I also put some on a chickpea sandwich. OMG, I've discovered a new heaven!

I also grew a new batch of lentil sprouts at the same time and I let them go a full 6 days also. (On the right side of the picture) I should have harvested the lentil sprouts a day or two ago.  They are starting to look brownish in spots.  So, next batch, I'm going to keep a closer eye on them and see.  The first few batches of lentils I only let grow 4 days and they were perfect.  Well, it was an experiment in timing.  I'm going to take this batch and let them air-dry on the counter for a while, drizzle them with a tiny bit of olive oil then sprinkle them with a blend of nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, a tiny bit of salt and some pepper.  Shake them up and since I don't have a dehydrator, I'm going to try placing them in my oven overnight.  No heat except from what comes off the pilot light.  I'm hoping these "chezy snacks" will come out like I'm envisioning.

I started my first batch of chickpea sprouts this morning, too.  Can't wait to eat those buggers.  I love chickpeas more than anything and now that I'm going to be eating them sprouted and raw, they're going to be even better.  I can tell! (grin)

My fermented veggies are moving right along.  I put them in a dark corner of my room last night on some sheets of newspaper.  Good thing I did that!  I left the tops unscrewed and just resting on top of the jars and they indeed started to seep over a bit just like I read about.  I'm not going to touch or mess with them till tomorrow, though. (Man, is that hard to do!) I just hope my hubby doesn't notice the smell and start complaining.  He can't stand kraut. And he keeps referring my jars as "that nasty stuff in the corner." Then, tomorrow, I'll clean up the outside of the jars and maybe pour a tiny bit off the tops of each one to give them some more room.  Sandor at www.wildfermentation.org suggested you taste your veg every day or every other day to see how sour they're getting so that you can decide when is a good time to place them in cold storage.  So, I'll do that tomorrow, too along with the clean-up.

Last thing, I'm posting a new video up on youtube for those of you who are interested in hearing me praise sprouts some more! I'm having a bit of trouble with it, it keeps giving me errors for some reason.  Perhaps it's because of all the Saturday internet traffic.  Anyway, keep your eyes open for it and search youtube for webladyone01 and you'll find my video.  I was going to post a link here, but it's still uploading. Umm wait, not it's not.  Another error.  Oh well, I'll start the upload before I go to bed and hopefully, it'll be ready to view tomorrow.

My next blog post is going to be about my transitioning to 100% raw.  I'm still having some problems with it.  I haven't lost much weight yet, either.  I've only lost 3 pounds. So, I'm going to post what I eat and how I prepare it so that maybe I can get some feedback on what to change.
Peace & Namaste

First Batch of Fermented Veggies!

Starting a batch of fermented veggies today. It's going to be hard waiting the 3-6 days to taste them! Here's a picture of what they look like in the jar along with the ingredients.
In case ya'all don't know, fermented veggies are one of the best sources of probiotics you can get. They aid in digestion and help create good flora in your intestinal tract. Also, it's said that they help boost your immune system! Some common ferments are sauerkraut, kimchi and rejuvelac. (a fermented beverage made with wheat berries or rye) Almost any vegetable can be fermented as long as you have a base of cabbage which contains the needed bacteria for fermentation or a probiotic starter powder. Or you can start a new batch with some of the brine from the old batch kind of like a sourdough or yogurt starter.

Ingredients in this batch:

• sea salt
• 1 small head of cabbage
• 6 small carrots
• 1 granny smith apple
• 1/2 a medium onion
• 1 small green pepper
• 1 tsp. whole fennel seed
• 1 tsp. whole mustard seed
• 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp. whole peppercorns
• 4 small garlic cloves

Mary at Raw Food Rehab warned me about using too much fennel and recommended only 1 teaspoon because seeds and dried spices tend to get much stronger in the fermenting process.  I used only 1 teaspoon but once I started mixing it, it all ready started to have a strong smell.  I just hope I didn't overdo it and waste the batch.  I can't afford to lose any staples this month.  I have less than $100 left to get me through March.

Yeah! Going to do the Master Cleanse!

Dwain just bought me all the stuff I need to do the Master Cleanse!  We ordered it over the weekend and as soon as it gets here, I'm going to start on my 10-day journey.  Wish me luck!  I'll keep ya posted...

Raw Sprouted Lentil Cauliflower Curry w/Sprouted Quinoa

Don't ya just love when you wake up in the morning and your mind is all ready creating something fabulous?  Well, that's how my morning started.  I came up with this recipe just as I was waking up this morning.  I rushed over to my computer and quickly typed it into notepad so I wouldn't forget all the ingredients.  I can't wait to try it.

   Raw Sprouted Lentil Cauliflower Curry w/Sprouted Quinoa

    Ingredients:
        * 1 tablespoon first cold press olive oil
        * 1 cup soaked/dried macadamia nuts
        * pinch of sea salt
        * 1 small/med. onion, chopped
        * 1" piece ginger
        * 2 cloves garlic
         * 2 cups coconut water
        * 1 tablespoon curry powder
        * 1 teaspoon turmeric
        * 1/2 teaspoon cumin
        * pinch of cayenne pepper (if you like it spicy)
        * 2 cups lentil sprouts
        * 2 cups cauliflower florets in small pieces
        * 3 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
        * 2 cups arugula, chopped (spinach can be substituted)
        * 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

        Procedure:
       1. Put the oil and macadamias in your blender and blend till it turns into a paste.
       2. Puree the garlic, ginger, onion and coconut water in a blender. Add all of the spices.
       3. In a bowl pour the sauce over the lentils, cauliflower and carrots. 
       4. Place in refrigerator for at least 1 hour or longer for spices to combine.
       5. Add the arugula and stir to combine.  Taste and add salt, if needed.  Top with cilantro.
       6. Serve 1 scoop of curry with 1 scoop of sprouted quinoa side by side on a plate.

Master Cleanse

To heck with it! I'm just sick and tired of being sick and tired. Can't juice, cuz the juicer is crap.  Can't make smoothies cuz the blender is crap. Making that soup idea was crap cuz it just doesn't have any good backing.  I've heard too many bad things about it.  The water fast looks like it's going to be out because I don't think Dwain will let me do that for such a long time.  But, I think I can get away with doing the master cleanse.  (www.themastercleanse.org) It definitely looks like something I can do.  Since being on a raw food diet for a couple weeks then craving hot foods and getting sick from them, I've decided I need to start all over again. I've been doing some reading on the Master Cleanse.  It looks so doable.  Going to buy some lemons and maple the first chance I get.  Then after the cleanse, I'm going to stick to the raw organics as much as possible. 

Let me tell you how sick I got...  2 days ago I decided I wanted a cooked meal.  So, I made a spaghetti with fresh steamed broccoli, kidney beans, mushrooms and spinach with a garden vegetable spaghetti sauce on angel hair pasta.  It was really yummy.  But... yesterday, every time I ate, I got a stomach ache and a headache.  I still had it this morning when I ate.  It didn't start to calm down till I found some ginger tablets hiding in the medicine cabinet and I took those a couple hours ago.  I finally was able to eat some of the leftover pasta without feeling sick.  Once it's gone, (I don't like wasting food and throwing stuff away if it's not bad) I'm starting the Master Cleanse and getting back in order.  I just GOTTA do it!

The last few days of the cleanse, I'll start a new batch of sprouts that I can start eating once I ease out of the cleanse.  Back to sprouts and salads for me!

Peace & Namaste

Juice Feast Weekend!

I just got back from my friends home in Fort Lauderdale. It was a wonderful weekend. Steve went crazy in the produce department and bought all kinds of wonderful fruits.  We were making smoothies all weekend. It was fantastic. It made me feel so great that it inspired me to create this awesome t-shirt design! Man, I want a Vitamix blender! I told Steve he'd better guard his well cuz I may just come over and steal it! LOL Thanks, Steve and Chuck for putting up with me and also feeding me so well! I had a great time experimenting and tasting all that wonderful living food.

Doing the Dive

Hi y'all.  Time's a wasting and I'm not getting any younger that's for dang sure.  If I'm ever going to bike cross-country or tune out like I've written in this blog before, it's going to be THIS year.  I've still going to keep working on all my other things; mainly completing a fast.  But, I've also started to really downsize my possessions, too.  I've been selling books on Amazon and now started selling my CDs and DVDs online to get rid of those.  About the only things I am going to take with me is my drawing supplies and essentials.  This summer is going to be the summer of freedom.  I may never come back. LOL.  I am going to have my cell phone on hand to blog and keep in touch with family but that's about it.  I _have_ to do this.  I _have_ to take this leap and get back out into the world.  The preparations have begun.