Monday, August 31, 2009

Birthday Massage

Today is my birthday! Hurrah! Over the weekend I got a massage at Lake Austin Spa. It was wonderful...the woman had been trained at M.D. Anderson and knew exactly the pressure needed for cancer patients, no heat, etc.

If you know someone who is or was recently in treatment for cancer, tell them about Pamela at Lake Austin. I could stand straighter after she had worked the scar tissue.

My physical therapist had suggested massage for the scar tissue but I was afraid to go to someone who didn't understand my surgery. The muscles aren't where they used to be! Anyway, I was glad to find someone who understood.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Lentil Soup for the masses

I have been cooking up a storm, trying to eat healthy. It goes against my natural inclinations...cooking, that is, but I really do want to eat better. Today I made Lentil Soup from French Women for All Seasons. I've made it before....I think.

It's really easy to make, but it requires lots of the "C" word (chopping). It says it serves four, but I'd like to see the size of those four people. I freeze a lot and store the rest in containers for lunch.

Oops, I was talking to my mother and forgot to add the tomatoes. Oh well, how much cooking could they need. I'll just add them at the end. Maybe a chocolate chip to settle my nerves.

Back to storage issues: I put as much as I could in glass containers. But (and this is a big but) there is a lot left over. I saw someone store liquids in baggies so...... It's still sort of hot so I put the baggies in the fridge. Just a couple of chocolate chips to make things more pleasant.

When I checked the baggies they had leaked and run down the fridge and settled under the vegetable bin. Yuk! How many paper towels does it take to soak up that stuff? A handful of chocolate chips helps.

Here is the recipe; it really is good!
2 qts vegetable stock
1/2 lb lentils
2 T olive oil
1 med onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 T chopped parsley
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
salt & pepper
Bring stock to a simmer & drop in lentils. Heat oil in skillet and add onion, garlic, and celery. Cook until golden, 3-5 minutes. Add parsley & tomatoes; cook 8-10 minutes. After lentils have been cooking for 35-40 minutes, add onion mixture to pot & cover. Simmer until lentils are soft, 5-10 more minutes. Season with salt & peper.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Finally! A place to turn my Ferrari loose (I'm joking!)

There is no real point in this blog other than I thought it was really interesting. I met one of my neighbors recently, and he was on his way to Nice to stay at a friend's villa. Yeah, well, I'm on my way to San Antonio and I'm thinking of stopping at the snake farm!

Anyway, I asked him what he did that he would be in Nice. Among his many projects is Driveway, a training track in East Austin. It is used to train EMS drivers, homeland security employees, and law enforcement. The founder is a retired racecar driver who drove for Ferrari.

The 90 acre facility is 10 minutes from downtown Austin and is surrounded by a greenbelt keeping it isolated from adjacent development. The Web site is http://www.drivewayaustin.com/ I had no idea this facility was in Austin. The only world class racing track I've seen is Loop 360 on Saturday.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Another lesson from cancer

My birthday is coming up soon, and I've been trying to decide what I wanted to do this year. It needs to be special since last year I had just had my first round of chemo on my birthday and it was a doozy! I barely remember that day (and probably a good thing).

Then I realized that I don't really care what I do as long as I'm with people I love and are positive, faithful friends and family. I used to think of lots of places I wanted to go, but they don't seem as wonderful if I can't share the experience.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Keeping up with tests

I'm trying to get back on schedule with my checkups with my local doctors. You know, mammogram, colonoscopy, etc. I remember reading in Health magazine about the tests you should have at each stage of your life. Worth repeating!

In your 30s:
Gyno check, Thyroid check (if you've had a baby)
Heart check
Skin check
Eye exam

In your 40s:
Gyno check, Diabetes test
Heart check, Mammogram
Skin check, Vitamin D test
Eye exam

In your 50s:
Gyno check, Diabetes test, Thyroid test
Heart check, Mammogram, Bone-density scan
Skin check, Vitamin D test
Eye check, Colonoscopy

Excuse me... what about 60s, 70s, etc.? I guess they're the same as 50s but I'm not sure. You know, I always read those articles about how to dress in your 20s, 30s, etc. but it's depressing when they stop at 50. What do they think we wear... flannel pajamas? But that's another blog.