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Old 04-02-2015, 06:31 AM   #1
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A Different Life II

Many here are aware that my husband of 21 years, and close companion of 27, died unexpectedly in March 2014, while we were doing what we did in our retirement lives....traveling the country many months of the year in our beloved Airstream Interstate.

Active for years on these Forums, I shared here almost from the beginning of this life-altering event. This wonderful community basically picked me up, carried me home and generously gave...still...of their support, compassion and kindness as I waded through trauma, tragedy and grief. I couldn't appreciate it more, and cannot imagine having been without it.

Having closed A Very Different Kind of Life thread 5 or so months ago, I found myself wishing on many occasions that I had left it open.....so I could drop in and share thoughts, feelings, problems, recipes, solo travel, quotes, etc.

I missed it, yet it had felt like time.

And so, I have decided to start another......more forward-facing, one year out.....where I can connect and share whatever, with those here who connect with me.

What do you think? Read if you like, jump in and share at will.


Maggie
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Old 04-02-2015, 06:56 AM   #2
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Miss Maggie,
This is a perfect time to validate Hope... For each new day and Gift that is awaiting... Unwrap the PRESENT with enthusiasm!!!

We are blessed you are with us...
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Old 04-02-2015, 07:15 AM   #3
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What a great idea! I look forward to reading your posts.
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Old 04-02-2015, 07:19 AM   #4
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Maggie,

That sounds like a great idea. I still felt connected because you have been so active on everyone else's threads, but I'll look forward to seeing posts (especially the latest bread recipe) in your thread now.

Missy and I hope to see you again, somewhere. We will be at the Region 3 rally in Charleston and putting the trailer in for repair of "the driveway incident" in early May. After that we hope to hit a few places (maybe Virginia Highland Haven) before coming back to Florida in late May. The fall travels haven't been planned yet, but we already have reservations for Canopener in January. You should come; another great group.

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Old 04-02-2015, 08:45 AM   #5
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Great idea, Maggie! Will be checking your new thread frequently!
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Old 04-02-2015, 09:16 AM   #6
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Maggie, I smiled this morning when I saw the thread title. I was hoping it was the "next book in the series" so to speak. I am happy for you that you started another thread and happy for us all that we have another nice thread to follow.

Your thread writing style reminds me of a time when I was reading the Father Tim Kavanagh Mitford series books.
Keep writing!!
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Old 04-02-2015, 09:34 AM   #7
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Y'all are so sweet to me.

Lily and I returned home Tuesday mid-afternoon, from the longest-by-far solo trip.....capped with the most wonderful Alumalina Spring Rally.

Unpacking, emptying the Interstate, doing laundry, putting the little house in order, sorting thru mail, getting tax things together, seeing the grands.....I slept like the dead last night. Enjoy being gone, always good to get home, but lots to do.

Several have mentioned Canopener and Springstream, but they are far from home at the wrong times of the year for me. Y'all should come to the Moraine View Rally second weekend in June. Smack dab in the center of Lincolnland, Illinois corn and soybean country. Also a great group of folks.

This longest trip brought a greater internalization of my new life, for lack of a better way to describe it. I feel more solid underfoot, and doing it all has become more routine than not....tho every time I empty the tanks I understand why Doug cursed this task.

A longtime co-worker/friend lost her husband to a fast-moving cancer about 5 months before I suddenly lost mine. We had a long talk on the phone last month. She and I are much alike, also much different. She is still crying every day, feeling lost and suffering greatly, and says she has been waiting to feel better over time.......everyone says grieving takes time, she has been waiting for time to do its thing.

She began going to a grief group, and loves the therapist leading it.....who told her that it isn't just time that makes things better, but what you do with that time that is important. Of course.

Not being one to sit in misery well, I began looking early on for ways to make peace with Doug's death.....he's not coming back, you know....feel better and pull myself together. It helped me immensely. A difference between she and I. I sent her a long document with quotes I had found that had helped me, and she loved them. We will get together for lunch soon.

And so, moving forward, and doing pretty well.

Off to Iowa next week, to visit the cemetery and check on/tend to the rosebush, visit with Doug's 97 year old mother, and see his kids/grand there.

Am hoping to go to the UP in August and part of September......not much planned yet other than a family gathering and Moraine View in June.

Take care, and stay in touch, folks.


Maggie
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Old 04-02-2015, 12:07 PM   #8
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Maggie, thanks for opening chapter 2. You may remember that I lost my father around the time that your lost your Doug. Reading your thread brought comfort in understand not only my grief but the process that my surviving mother was going thru.

Again thanks....
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Old 04-02-2015, 12:12 PM   #9
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I did remember that, and I am glad I was able to be of some help.

I am humbled that my words have had meaning to some, and that you and others have made the effort to communicate that to me.



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Old 04-02-2015, 05:32 PM   #10
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Without someone to cook for, my meal plans have gotten very loosely defined.

If I have an entree, fruits/vegetables and some good carbs over the course of the day, it is good enough for me. It doesn't all have to be on the same plate, at the same time.

Then, if the day has been balanced, I can pull out the air popper and have popcorn for supper.

Did you know.....Trader Joe's has frozen tamales...and they're really delicious? Also frozen potstickers, a favorite carry-out item of mine. I love TJ's. Stopped at one in KY on the way home Tuesday and stocked up for the frig at home. Extra coffee for the pantry, too.

The little house is nearly pulled back together, and tomorrow I will clean. Dust thoroughly, wipe down with PineSol the kitchen and bathroom....things that haven't been done in several months, as I have been gone. They don't look that bad, it's just the idea.

A loaf of seeded rye is mixed and on the counter, to bake tomorrow.

Home....with an oven, a washer/dryer, and my clothesline.



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Old 04-03-2015, 02:00 PM   #11
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High on my short list of things to do this week was to see my longtime chiropractor/homeopath, whom I adore and trust completely.

He has resolved a number of debilitating issues over the years that my medical doctors had said they could do nothing for. He says that traditional medicine treats symptoms rather than causes. A good man, and one I wish I had found earlier in my life. For those of you who believe traditional medicine is the only way to go, I was once one of those people. He made a believer out of me, and also Doug.

It has been about 5 months since I have been in for what I refer to as a tune-up...too long...and he had last told me I was woefully low in B Vitamins. He said that extreme physical and/or emotional stress depletes the body's store of B vitamins, necessary for the healthy function of bodily organs.

Having seen him for many years, been thru severe stress during this time and never before had an issue with B vitamin deficiency, I thought to myself....hmmm, maybe sudden death of a spouse is a different kind of stress....and per his instruction doubled my B vitamin daily supplements.

As of today, I am improved, but still significantly below where I should be. And so, I purchased his supplements, only slightly more $ than I could obtain them for on Amazon.com, but quite a bit more than those I have been getting from Walgreens, etc. One, three times a day, get back with him in a month.

I had looked online for B-rich food recommendations after his initial diagnosis late last year, took some note of those but didn't really change anything....believing the increased supplements would take care of the problem.

I am suspecting at this time that the B vitamin deficiency is due as much to my widow's, near-vegetarian diet as the stress of this past year. Am going to pay more attention to the B-rich foods, and insure I eat more of them each week.

Vegetarians, and especially vegans, are apparently more susceptible to B-vitamin deficiency, and, from what I have read, it is one of those things that creeps up and often progresses to the point of negatively affecting the functioning of organs before getting the attention of the medical profession.

It is just not anythng I have paid much attention to before but, until a year ago, I have been cooking for and feeding children and/or a husband since 1971. Definitely more meat and eggs.

Other than that.....he pronounced me fit and doing well.

Little house is mostly sanitized, and therefore I feel better about myself as a person.

I brought back too many seashells from Edito Beach, but came across an idea for making candles out of the larger ones. I think they will be beautiful.

On the agenda for the weekend, plus egg-shaped cookies to take to the grands on Sunday.


Maggie
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Old 04-03-2015, 02:12 PM   #12
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Hi Maggie I love that you posted this. You have an aging conversational style of writing that is beautiful!

Allopathic Dr ''s do treat mostly symptoms. Homeopathic and alternative medicines treat the whole person.

On vitamins.... Cheap isn't always cheaper. Quality does matter. Unless I am buying something like Emergenc-C I never buy at walgreens or wal-mart.... They don't have enough effective ingredients in them to be worth the price.

The flip side is pricier is not always better either =)

FYI for inexpensive all around decent vitamins Emergenc-C is pretty good... And it has lots of b6 and b12 which are the two that are water solvable and aid digestion and gut health
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Old 04-03-2015, 02:28 PM   #13
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Hi, Maggie; Glad to hear that you are still on-the-go. And taking care of your self. I have never had Dutch Oven Bread, but dream about it every time I read one of your posts.


You will have to cancel your trip to Southern California, to visit us, because we moved to Oregon.
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Old 04-03-2015, 02:44 PM   #14
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What he gave me is Bio Glycozyme Forte, made by Biotics.

Knowing supplements are not regulated by the FDA, what I have been taking seems to have worked til this past year. I simply rarely am ill, with anything, and credit most of that to him.

I have a box of EmergenC in the medicine cabinet, also another in the Interstate, but have not had to use them. Hubby, former longtime smoker, was more prone to severe colds, and we kept those for him. Not quite ready to pitch them, but will eventually.

I write how I speak, generally, altho have the ability to edit writings before posting......rather than my oft-unedited speaking style. Thank you.

Bob, if I make the drive to add Nevada to the map, I will go to the West coast. Have friends in Washington State and northern California. Then, there is kingfisher24 who has just settled he and his family onto that beautiful island.

Am getting ready to bake that rye bread right now.

I am working up the nerve to drive in the mountains. Have a serious fear of heights, and simply don't know if I am able. Wouldn't want to get up and not be able to get down.

I remind myself that I don't have to master everything at one time.


Maggie
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Old 04-03-2015, 04:45 PM   #15
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A near-perfect loaf.

Always more uniformly colored in the home oven, but just as delicious done outside and with charcoal.


Maggie
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Old 04-03-2015, 07:47 PM   #16
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Lovely!
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Old 04-03-2015, 08:11 PM   #17
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OK, now how'd you make that delicious looking loaf? It looks fabulous!

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Old 04-04-2015, 05:55 AM   #18
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Dutch Oven Artisan Bread.

If you send me a pm with your email address, I will email you a pdf document with instructions.



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Old 04-04-2015, 07:10 AM   #19
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Nice Thread, thank you.

My wife and I also use alternative medicine in addition to MDs. In December I herniated two discs and broke my back, fractured actually as they call it. Medical teams said operate but our long time Chiro said no, give it six months and take these, Dr. Maroons Fish Oils, pure fish oils. It's now April and I have full mobility, still painful but along with Chiro use Acupuncture which also helps. Five years ago I would have been the last person one would expect to seek alternative to the knife and pills.

Waiting for things to improve is never a good option, your approach is what makes the awful and unacceptable bearable and doable. Congratulations on moving on without forgetting.

Our Best

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Old 04-04-2015, 07:17 AM   #20
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I have had several requests for the pdf document, which I am happy to share with anyone who requests it.

After discovering this wonderful, no-knead, one-artisan-loaf-at-a-time, recipe in late fall 2013, I baked numerous loaves in my home oven before Doug & I headed out on our winter trip in early 2014......where we worked up a methd of duplicating this delicious loaf in an outdoor DO, with charcoal.....in all kinds of weather.

All were edible, tho it took some work to figure it all out, and to get the good results outdoors.

Artisan bread is $4-$5 a loaf in the grocery stores these days, and you can make your own for probably less then $1, tho I truly haven't tried to calculate.

If you can manage an RV, you can bake good bread. It is just a different learning curve.

This last trip, I refrigerated my dough, once risen 6-8 hours, and baked stovetop a single serving at a time in my small panini pan.

It was delicious, and I could have a bit of fresh bread every day.....without having to do an entire loaf or haul out into winter weather the DO and charcoal. I was very happy.

If you are interested in doing pan bread of any size, rather than reposting that here please see the Cast Iron & Fire Cooking thread in the Stella's Kitchen sub-forum. Pictures and instructions.

I did a loaf of DO bread two nights at Alumalina, also one additional batch one night in a large skillet on my stove. Every crumb was eaten.

Healthy, delicious, homemade bread is one of life's little pleasures.

Go forth, and bake your own bread!


Maggie
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