This post covers the last two weeks of craziness in my life. Writing it down has helped me let go of all the stress. Enjoy!
Garden Update
The garden is winding down. As we finish harvesting tomatoes, pumpkins and carrots, Bert will clean up the plants. I think the last thing before winter is to cut off the dried stalks of the echinacea and lavender.
Mary’s Health Update
I’m pretty recovered from my lumpectomy and radiation. Apparently, the cancer was sensitive to estrogen so I’m on an estrogen-blocking pill for the next five years! I recently had a bone scan and of course, I’m at high risk for fractures, so now I’ll start Prolia shots every six months and take extra calcium. Geez! It never ends.
And then there’s my blood sugar! The Dr. increased my meds and I’m back to testing one or more times a day. Joy. Combined with low-carb meals, I’m hoping things get back to normal. So, I’ll not mention my health issues again, but just know that the low-carb recipes I post will be part of my learning process.
Bake Sale Update
I recently wrote about the yard sale/bake sale by the Ladies Auxiliary to the Boalsburg Fire Company. You can read about it here: https://marykisner.com/trying-to-increase-bake-sale-participation/
My goal was to encourage our members to donate baked goods to the sale. We are a very small group and we’re all getting older. Many in our group don’t bake anymore. By providing an assortment of cake mixes and a recipe to make cookies using the mixes, along with disposable foil pans for breads, etc. our group came through with a nice collection of baked goods at the sale. I was so proud of our members! We’ll be writing a nice check to the Fire Company with our profit!
Oven Update
I was really organized the week of the sale…I was baking 2+ box mixes of scones every day for several days. I was having trouble getting the scones to bake thoroughly…the oven was just unreliable! And then…it wouldn’t heat right at all! On Tuesday of the week of the Bake Sale, I stopped baking and gave up! What a disappointment! Bert immediately ordered a new stove, but of course it would not come for over a week…after the bake sale! Thank goodness the other members of the Auxiliary came through with more items to sell. Of course, I now have a shelf of mixes available for the next sale in the spring…or even Christmas! The only problem is that I won’t be able to eat them! Way too many carbs. Oh well!
My new oven is beautiful! Even the inside is shiny! It’s been 23 years since I saw such a shiny oven! So, I’m back in baking business…but now I’ll have to change what I bake!
Ted’s Visit
During the week when I had no oven, Ted came to visit! So wonderful to see him after a year of emails, texts and phone calls. Luckily, he wasn’t craving home baked goodies…no oven, no baking!
He managed to connect with Ben, our grandson, who started at Penn State this fall. They hiked up to a nearby fire tower and then stopped to visit with us on the way back. Hugs all around!
Recipes to Come
(Remember, all the recipes I’ve written over the last 4 years can be found in the PDF on the Welcome page. When you find one you like, you can click on the hot link and go directly to the article.)
I’m already researching how I can eat low-carb and be satisfied with little to no bread or desserts. If you’re not interested in the recipes, go back to the PDF list of articles. I’m aware not everyone will care about low-carb recipes, so I’ll make sure I share other projects I’m working on that have nothing to do with food!
Bracelet Catalog
I seem to be getting deeper into making specialty and custom bracelets. I don’t need a huge inventory of bracelets until next summer so I’m focused on researching, designing and making bracelets that might help specific issues. When I make a bracelet for a specific request, I add it to my catalog…in case someone else could benefit. The catalog is a work in progress and not ready for distribution, but I will post the cover and the Table of Contents here. If you look through the list and don’t see a specific issue that you are interested in, please let me know. That might be the exact thing I should add to the catalog!
I’ve added this disclaimer to my business cards and to each bracelet description:
Each of the beads in your bracelet have meaning and together support each other for your well-being. You can wear the bracelet or carry it in your pocket. Each time you wear it or handle it remember its intention. Reminder: This bracelet is not medical device. Its purpose is to help you focus and send positive energy to your mind and body. Mary Kisner
Here’s an example of a custom bracelet I just finished:
*The person requesting this bracelet wanted the Good Luck bracelet focused on finding romance (not winning at the Casino). I started with my GOOD LUCK bracelet, with White Agate, Malachite and Green Aventurine. I added Rose Quartz to the bracelet to give the intention a nudge in that direction.
Looking Ahead
So that’s what’s been happening over the last two weeks. I’m exhausted just writing about it all! I’m looking forward to having all my medical issues settle down. I hope I can find good recipes for low-carb cooking/eating. Finally, my bracelet research is giving new meaning to my life. I’m not sure which bracelets I’ll be taking to the festival next July, but I’ll have fun figuring it out! Enjoy!
I would love to hear from you if you have comments, suggestions or questions. (Remember, I had to disable the comments feature in this blog because of all the spam “comments” that I’m sure are not from actual people.)
Contact me directly at maryjkisner@gmail.com.