Had a very good workout at Cardiac Rehab this morning, where the exercise physiologist boosted the treadmill to a 3% incline to increase resistance for me. I began with a 98/65 blood pressure reading and ended at 88/56. "How do you feel?" the exercise physiologist asked, making sure that I wasn't lightheaded. I wasn't. It took a while for my heart rate to slow down, but I felt fine...I didn't feel my heart racing or anything.
I'm glad I worked hard at the session this morning, since I won't be back at Cardiac Rehab until next Monday, because we plan to camp a few hours south of here for an annual end-of-May weekend family gathering. Of course, I'll take time to ride my bike and walk for exercise while there, but I probably won't get quite the workout I do at Cardiac Rehab.
After lunch, Hubbie and I shopped at the farmer's market and the worldwide discount chain store for the food we'll need while at camp. We also picked up barbecued pork for the big get-together Saturday. Right now, it's in the freezer unit of the RV refrigerator, so I'll need to remember to put it in the fridge Friday to thaw.
We like to prepare foods ahead for camp, so we won't have to spend all our time cooking after we arrive. We've boiled potatoes, macaroni, and eggs for salads, and chopped the veggies that go in them. There's a large meatloaf baked and ready to re-heat, or slice and eat cold in sandwiches, and there's a big container of homemade pimento cheese (made with white American cheese, since I'm allergic to yellow dye). The locally grown strawberries are capped, sliced and sugared. The muffins and cupcakes (both chocolate and white) are baked.
We'll also take store-bought jars of spaghetti sauce and spices to "kick them up a notch," and boxes of macaroni and cheese for kids who won't eat anything else. There's ice cream in the freezer, individual chocolate pudding cups, homemade cookies, and Girl Scout cookies (I buy lots of boxes for occasions like this).
Those who don't like pimento cheese or cold meatloaf can make sandwiches from deli turkey and cheeses, or peanut butter and jelly at lunchtime. There's even fresh lettuce from the garden and raw veggies for making chef's salads. For breakfast, there's cold cereals, fresh fruits, homemade muffins, and loaves of homemade banana bread, as well as bagels and cream cheese.
Over the course of four days, we never know who will drop by or when, so we are prepared to set out food at any time of the day. On Saturday, though, everyone tries to be there around lunchtime. On that day, there could be between 30 and 40 family members in attendance.
This afternoon, then, was occupied in packing the RV with everything but last-minute items, so we can head south by around 9 a.m. tomorrow morning. We'll be at the same Corp. of Engineers campsite that we've reserved for a number of years now. It has a large grassy space around it so the kids cab spread out and play.
The weather promises to be mildly warm with low humidity this weekend, so it should be quite comfortable for visiting outdoors. Can't wait to get my hands on all the babies who will be there.
My digital camera will get a workout, too.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Cardiac Rehab and a Recipe
Cardiac Rehab went well this morning, though I'm up a pound since the last time I weighed...too much Memorial Day food, I guess, and not enough strenuous exercise. My blood pressure was very low, however, and after the workout, registered at 98/56.
The most exciting part of the session was when the fire alarm went off. Instead of a raucous clanging or siren sound, it was more like musical bells accompanied by flashing lights. This is probably so the noise doesn't startle patients. A staff member stood at the door to be sure there was no real emergency, and the alarm stopped after a few minutes. "Probably someone smoking in the bathroom," she said. The hospital is supposed to be a smoke free campus, but I guess some folks just have to sneak smokes, anyway.
This afternoon, I decided to make a batch of Morning Glory muffins from a recipe I got at http://www.about.com/. To satisfy my special dietary needs, I've tweaked the recipe somewhat, so here's the version I use:
Morning Glory Muffins
1½ cups all-purpose flour, or ¾ cup all-purpose and ¾ cup wheat flour
½ cup one-minute oats (uncooked)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar (we use the equivalent of Splenda brown sugar)
¼ cup egg substitute
¼ cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup fat-free milk
1 8-oz. can crushed pineapple
1½ cups freshly grated carrots (about 2 medium carrots)
½ cup raisins (we use golden raisins)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners, or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Whisk flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a large bowl.
In a medium bowl stir brown sugar, egg, oil, vanilla extract, and milk until well combined.
Add wet ingredients to dry, and mix until just moist. Fill muffin cups ¾ full.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean, or tops spring back when pressed. Makes 12 muffins.
These have become Hubbie's favorite muffins, so he'll really enjoy them for breakfast when we camp this weekend. We'll also take banana bread that Mother has made, as well as bagels and cream cheese, preserves, and fresh fruits. Sis has planned a few vacation days for when we'll be at camp, so maybe she and my daughter can join us for breakfast at least one morning.
The most exciting part of the session was when the fire alarm went off. Instead of a raucous clanging or siren sound, it was more like musical bells accompanied by flashing lights. This is probably so the noise doesn't startle patients. A staff member stood at the door to be sure there was no real emergency, and the alarm stopped after a few minutes. "Probably someone smoking in the bathroom," she said. The hospital is supposed to be a smoke free campus, but I guess some folks just have to sneak smokes, anyway.
This afternoon, I decided to make a batch of Morning Glory muffins from a recipe I got at http://www.about.com/. To satisfy my special dietary needs, I've tweaked the recipe somewhat, so here's the version I use:
Morning Glory Muffins
1½ cups all-purpose flour, or ¾ cup all-purpose and ¾ cup wheat flour
½ cup one-minute oats (uncooked)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar (we use the equivalent of Splenda brown sugar)
¼ cup egg substitute
¼ cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup fat-free milk
1 8-oz. can crushed pineapple
1½ cups freshly grated carrots (about 2 medium carrots)
½ cup raisins (we use golden raisins)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners, or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Whisk flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a large bowl.
In a medium bowl stir brown sugar, egg, oil, vanilla extract, and milk until well combined.
Add wet ingredients to dry, and mix until just moist. Fill muffin cups ¾ full.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean, or tops spring back when pressed. Makes 12 muffins.
These have become Hubbie's favorite muffins, so he'll really enjoy them for breakfast when we camp this weekend. We'll also take banana bread that Mother has made, as well as bagels and cream cheese, preserves, and fresh fruits. Sis has planned a few vacation days for when we'll be at camp, so maybe she and my daughter can join us for breakfast at least one morning.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Quiet Day
We had a very quiet Memorial Day. After staying up late watching a five-hour movie last night, we slept late this morning. Mother slept late, too, but said it was because she had trouble falling asleep last night. I know the feeling...tossing and turning while a continuous-loop tape of an inconsequential event of the day plays over and over in my mind. I think women have more problems than men either falling asleep, or not being able to fall asleep again after waking up suddenly in the wee hours of the morning.
Anyway, we all seemed to be zombies for the day and didn't accomplish much. All I managed was a treadmill session this morning, and ironing a few clothes, but otherwise I was a slug. We decided against the traditional Memorial Day hamburger/hot dog cookout in favor of chicken fried in Pam, mashed potatoes and white gravy, corn on the cob, and sauteed yellow and zucchini squash, and sliced tomatoes for supper.
Later, Hubbie and I went to see the new "Indiana Jones" movie. We meant to use complimentary tickets given us months ago when we went to see the 3-D movie "Beowulf" and we couldn't get into the theater, because the manager had changed the locks and failed to supply new keys to the staff before he went out of town. Staff eventually got into the theater, but we patrons were delayed quite a while getting in to see the movie.
The problem last night was that there wasn't a ticket taker in sight, and we couldn't find another staff person to give our tickets to. The line was long at the concession stand, with only one person on duty, so we just went on into the movie, thinking someone would be available when the movie ended. The lobby was silent as a morgue when we came out, though, so we are still in possession of the tickets. I guess we'll try to use them again when another movie comes along that we want to see.
Anyway, we all seemed to be zombies for the day and didn't accomplish much. All I managed was a treadmill session this morning, and ironing a few clothes, but otherwise I was a slug. We decided against the traditional Memorial Day hamburger/hot dog cookout in favor of chicken fried in Pam, mashed potatoes and white gravy, corn on the cob, and sauteed yellow and zucchini squash, and sliced tomatoes for supper.
Later, Hubbie and I went to see the new "Indiana Jones" movie. We meant to use complimentary tickets given us months ago when we went to see the 3-D movie "Beowulf" and we couldn't get into the theater, because the manager had changed the locks and failed to supply new keys to the staff before he went out of town. Staff eventually got into the theater, but we patrons were delayed quite a while getting in to see the movie.
The problem last night was that there wasn't a ticket taker in sight, and we couldn't find another staff person to give our tickets to. The line was long at the concession stand, with only one person on duty, so we just went on into the movie, thinking someone would be available when the movie ended. The lobby was silent as a morgue when we came out, though, so we are still in possession of the tickets. I guess we'll try to use them again when another movie comes along that we want to see.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Lazy Sunday and a Movie
Yesterday turned a bit cool after an afternoon rain, but today is warm and humid. The air conditioner felt good for a session on the treadmill this morning. I usually skip exercising on Sunday, but since I didn't get a session in yesterday, I felt I needed to make up for it today.
Others, I'm sure, will be engaged in Memorial Day activities all weekend, but we studiously avoid the crowded parks and lakes favored by young families on patriotic holidays. We do hang the flag, and our thoughts and prayers go out to those currently serving our country, just as we honor those who have gone before, including members of both my and Hubbie's families. We are very proud to be Americans.
We made only one short outing today...to the farmer's market after lunch to pick up more strawberries and tomatoes. I enjoyed the wildflowers growing along the roadside to the market, where red clover has been replaced by purple vetch, black eyed Susans, and Queen Anne's lace.
We spent the rest of the afternoon leisurely playing on the computer, reading the Sunday newspaper, and watching TV.
We were scheduled to go to an outdoor movie sponsored by the local arts council and held on the campus of one of the colleges, but TV weathermen kept predicting thunderstorms for our area at the hour the movie was to be shown, so we opted to stay home. Right at 8:30 p.m., just as the movie was to begin, lightening split the sky and thunder boomed loud enough to startle me and Shih Tzu. I hope those in charge of the movie ("Grease") either cancelled it, or moved it indoors before the storm began.
"Grease," is not a movie we were lathered up to go see, anyway, but we would have gone to support the cause. Instead, we enjoyed a more satisfying five-hour movie I'd recorded from the public television channel...a Masterpiece Theatre production of "Cranford," written by Elizabeth Gaskell and starring Judi Dench. We didn't mean to watch all five hours of it in one sitting, but we got so interested in it that we just kept watching, right up to midnight!
Others, I'm sure, will be engaged in Memorial Day activities all weekend, but we studiously avoid the crowded parks and lakes favored by young families on patriotic holidays. We do hang the flag, and our thoughts and prayers go out to those currently serving our country, just as we honor those who have gone before, including members of both my and Hubbie's families. We are very proud to be Americans.
We made only one short outing today...to the farmer's market after lunch to pick up more strawberries and tomatoes. I enjoyed the wildflowers growing along the roadside to the market, where red clover has been replaced by purple vetch, black eyed Susans, and Queen Anne's lace.
We spent the rest of the afternoon leisurely playing on the computer, reading the Sunday newspaper, and watching TV.
We were scheduled to go to an outdoor movie sponsored by the local arts council and held on the campus of one of the colleges, but TV weathermen kept predicting thunderstorms for our area at the hour the movie was to be shown, so we opted to stay home. Right at 8:30 p.m., just as the movie was to begin, lightening split the sky and thunder boomed loud enough to startle me and Shih Tzu. I hope those in charge of the movie ("Grease") either cancelled it, or moved it indoors before the storm began.
"Grease," is not a movie we were lathered up to go see, anyway, but we would have gone to support the cause. Instead, we enjoyed a more satisfying five-hour movie I'd recorded from the public television channel...a Masterpiece Theatre production of "Cranford," written by Elizabeth Gaskell and starring Judi Dench. We didn't mean to watch all five hours of it in one sitting, but we got so interested in it that we just kept watching, right up to midnight!
Saturday with Family
We had a nice, though short, visit with Daughter, Granddaughter and her husband, and two great-grandchildren yesterday. Daughter brought lunch...deli chicken, baked beans, and sides. We supplied fresh lettuce from the garden, along with other veggies to make a salad, and a plate of fresh fruit. Daughter brought along a tempting cheesecake dessert, but I exerted my willpower and didn't sample it.
Hubbie had hoped for good weather, so we could enjoy some time outdoors, but we got showers. The boys, a four-year-old and an 18-month-old love playing outside, and they were none too happy about having to be confined most of the time to the indoors.
Around 2 p.m., the boys were very vocally demonstrating their frustration and weariness, so Daughter and family decided to hit the road. We figure the little ones conked out on the drive home.
About 3 p.m., Mother and I shopped at the worldwide discount chain store. I picked up some grocery items, but this trip was mainly for Mother, who only shops every couple of weeks, because she hates walking around that store.
We got back from shopping in time to start a Saturday supper of ground beef burgers (for Hubbie) and turkey burgers (for Mother and me) on buns, sauteed potatoes, and salad.
The rest of the evening was uneventful.
Hubbie had hoped for good weather, so we could enjoy some time outdoors, but we got showers. The boys, a four-year-old and an 18-month-old love playing outside, and they were none too happy about having to be confined most of the time to the indoors.
Around 2 p.m., the boys were very vocally demonstrating their frustration and weariness, so Daughter and family decided to hit the road. We figure the little ones conked out on the drive home.
About 3 p.m., Mother and I shopped at the worldwide discount chain store. I picked up some grocery items, but this trip was mainly for Mother, who only shops every couple of weeks, because she hates walking around that store.
We got back from shopping in time to start a Saturday supper of ground beef burgers (for Hubbie) and turkey burgers (for Mother and me) on buns, sauteed potatoes, and salad.
The rest of the evening was uneventful.
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