Friday’s Fave Five (August 7, 2015)

“Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.”
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

Whether my heart is feeling big or small, once I start listing my “gratitudes,” that list grows and grows. Below are just 5 items (and a bonus) from this past week that were captured on my gratitude list.

One. New Recipe that is Gluten-Free & full of pumpkin. I am always on the prowl for an easy, quick recipe that allows my taste-buds to feast but not spike my blood sugar. This pumpkin cake recipe fits the bill.  Even though it is called “cake”, it is also a great item for breakfast or a snack.

Two. Something that encourages my reading. While reading Barb‘s site (from Stray Thoughts) I came across information about an Austen in August Reading Challenge. As I found it in time to start with everyone else and I was on vacation to and had plenty of time to read, I decided to join in.

I am currently reading Mansfield Park. I am soooo confused as to who is who. I hope I will like this book better as I muddle through it.

Three. Delicious addition to drinking water. I am also always looking for ways to make my water more interesting so that I can consume my daily allotment. Evidently at the WoodSpoon restaurant in Los Angeles, you can get cinnamon drinking water. Cinnamon is reported to help keep blood sugar levels low, so of course I had to try this. And it is a keeper of a recipe that makes the house smell divine. It is also easy to make: simmer one cinnamon stick with 1 cup of water. Chill. Drink.

Four. A surprise in the butter keeper. When I gathered the ingredients for the above pumpkin cake recipe, I went to the butter keeper (in the fridge) to grab a stick. And to my surprise there was a chilled Starbucks gift card nestled among the sticks. I texted my daughter about my discovery and asked if it was from her. (It was just as likely that in a “senior moment” I had put it there.)

And, YES, it was from her! What a lovely surprise to find AFTER she’d gone away to her new job in Yosemite.

Five. Relief! Under advisement from my doctor I doubled (very slowly) my diabetes medication (Metformin). As the time progressed (4 weeks) I felt worse and worse (intestinal distress, fatigue, nausea). It wasn’t until about the 4th week that I thought it could be the medication.

Now my system is clear of the offending substance. My intestines and stomach are almost fine and my energy has almost been restored.

It was a great thing I had vacation last week so that I could get the rest I needed and get my health issues sorted.

My son and grand daughter at play

 

My daughter-in-law and grand daughter being silly

BONUS! I got to spend a day with my son and his family. It was a GREAT way to spend the last day of my vacation.

Please share some of your blessings from this past week. It is such fun to share and read these. If you’d like more of the above, check out this link to Susanne’s Living to Tell the Story. That is where this weekly meme is hosted.