Category Archives: Odds and ends

A weighty topic

Most of my adult life I’ve battled my weight. I’ve tried all kinds of diets. Some worked a little, but I couldn’t stick to any. Now I found something that works for me. It’s called intermittent fasting or the 5/2 diet.

Here’s what I do (other people may do it a little different). Two days a week, usually Monday and Thursday, I only eat 500 calories. The other five days I eat a normal diet.

Today I’m fasting. I had a cup of tea and 1/2 a serving of oatmeal for breakfast with a couple of raspberries. At lunch, I made an egg with some green pepper. Supper will be a can of tuna with lettuce–no special sauce. Tomorrow I’ll have toast for breakfast and who knows the rest of the day. I won’t be fasting then.

The Fast Diet book by Dr. Michael Mosley

Yes, fasting can be a pain, but I always figure I can get through one day. It’s like fasting before a medical test. Survivable.

I don’t fuss with my meals when fasting. Why bother for 500 calories. Bob eats leftovers those days, so I just microwave his food and he’s fine.

One great thing about the 5/2 diet is that if I have lunch out with friends, I can always switch my fasting day. Like instead of Thursday, I do Friday.

Yes, I have failed. When my husband was sick and didn’t feel like eating, we tempted him with all kinds of goodies. I did not stick to fasting then. Now I’m trying to lose the pounds I gained over those winter months.

Right now I’m going to go to the kitchen for some ice water. There’s no limit on calorie-free drinks when fasting. Of course, that means more trips to the bathroom.

A new adventure

I’m not writing much tonight as I am tired.

Bob and I exhibited for the first time at a Farmer’s Market today.

Even though sales were slow–okay, non-existent, we will go again next week to the Seymour Farmer’s Market and every Tuesday through August because we had fun. We saw lots of people and met up with old friends.

My next column will give the complete story, so stay tuned.

Susan under canopy, ducking showers….photo by Bob

Blow is at its end. Now, I’m ready to put my feet up.

Words with the telephone company

We didn’t even realize our landline phone was out until our daughter Rebecca called me on my cell while I was at the grocery store. She was wondering what was wrong at home since all she got was a busy signal.

Nothing was wrong that we knew of.

When I got home the landline was working again, but our Internet was out. The recorded message said it would return at 2 pm–our Internet is DSL.

We couldn’t get any of our computers to connect to the Internet for hours. Even Alexa wasn’t talking to us. When it was time for Bob’s medicine alarm. Alexa sounded, but she wouldn’t shut off. I had to unplug her. Her Internet connection wasn’t working either–I never thought of her.

Finally, Bob’s desk computer started connecting, but nothing else would. In the end, I had to pull our modem’s plug and wait a minute. Only after that, did anything connect remotely.

Odd how we forget how life was before modern computers and the Internet. I send my columns to the paper via email. I communicate with friends on Facebook. Bob checks for sales on his computer and we both check the weather forecast there, too.

Susan makes connections via landline and Internet.

Now you know why my daily blog is late.

I prefer being connected, even if summer happenings keep me away from my desk most days.

Ouch!

The other day I reached over my pressure cooker and accidentally hit the steam release with my arm. Yikes! I scalded a small patch of skin on my upper arm.

Right away I put ice on the spot, but that didn’t help much. All day my clothes rubbed on the sore and irritated it more.

It was time for a bandage to keep it away from touch. Bob gave me a regular size bandage, but I needed something bigger.

Lucky for me, some time ago I had bought these large Johnson and Johnson gauze bandages for Bob when he needed to cover a large scrape when a wrench slipped.

One fit perfectly for me.

It claimed to be waterproof. I thought, “Sure it is.” Well, I can tell you that it stayed on even in the shower. I eventually had to peel it off and that took a bit of work to get it off my skin.

If you do something stupid, like I did, and need to cover an ouwie, this really stays in place. I recommend these bandages–I’m sure ours had been in our medicine cabinet for years and it still stuck.

Copyright © 2019 Susan Manzke, All rights reserved.

Seymour Community Museum

If you are out and about today, I’ll be at the Seymour Community Museum from 1 to 4. It’s on Depot Street.

A friend who reads my column met me there last summer. Up until that time we were only ‘newspaper/email friends’ but we finally got to talk face to face.

Susan and friend meet face to face for the first time.

There are exhibits for people of all ages, so bring the kids/grandkids. History is for everyone.