Junk food junkie? Not anymore!

So...
I thought junk food junkie was just a cute catch phrase that I made up one night after plowing through a bag of chips, a few energy drinks, and a candy bar. Now, I see that certain foods are, quite literally, addictive. I was hooked on garbage.
Now, I am an unofficial Wahls Warrior. Dr. Terry Wahls gave me the hope that no other doctors had given me.
I was nearly bedridden a few months ago.  I had to ask my husband to find me things at the clothing store. I didn't have the energy to walk around the store. Embarrassingly, I would get winded just walking five feet to get to my bathroom. This was in spite of the high dose stimulants and massive amounts of caffeine which I was constantly consuming.
Now, thanks to Amber Turner (PT), Kevin Lucas (OT), Chris Reid (PT), Dr. Archer (MS specialist), and Dr. Wahls, I am putting those days behind me. I have reduced my stimulant intake from the highest dosage of modafinil to a super low dose of Adderall.  I can walk around big stores and choose my own things! I still use my walker and need help seeing things, but I am getting better!
How did I do it?
Daily physical therapy, occupational therapy, NMES (neuromuscular electric stimulation), & big diet changes.
I thought that the diet change would be difficult.  I thought veggies were gross. I lived off of microwaved food, sugar, and fast food.
I didn't realize that microwaving my food was ruining the flavor. I had no idea that I was allergic to the foods that I used to love.
So, what do I eat? Tons of food. 3c color rich veggies and fruits,  3c leafy greens, 3c sulfur rich veggies,  natural meats, and other wonderful foods.
What did I eliminate? Processed foods, inhumanely raised meats, glutens, eggs, legumes, sugars, and hydrogenates.
This is just a short framework. For the whole story,  I suggest that you get a copy of The Wahls Protocol.  It is a great resource for those of us who struggle with MS.

I am inspired, alert, and loving what I eat.
Keep an eye out for more news about my journey. I plan to kick MS's butt in a big way!

Bugs Be Gone!

It is bug season again!
Many of you have kids and many of you are sensitive to chemicals.
Here are some safe ways to deter the bugs without poisons:
1. Mint-  most bugs do not like spearmint or peppermint. Plant mint around the perimeter of your home. It smells great and keeps bugs out. Besides, what kind of mojito can you make with no fresh mint?
2. Chalk- ants and other pesky bugs will go far out of the way to avoid chalk. It disrupts their pheromone trails and tastes bad. Many bugs, like spiders, taste with their feet. Chew on some chalk, and you will know just how spiders feel when they walk on it. Gross, huh? Mash up some chalk, put it in a spray bottle,  add water, and spray baseboards. You can also smash up the teeny chunks of sidewalk chalk and sprinkle around under/around your house. This works well for trailer homes.
3. Lemon scented anything- remember that spiders taste with their feet? They HATE lemons. As long as you don't put lemon stuff that has sugars or sweeteners, the spiders will stay away.  Plant lemongrass,  lemon balm, or lemon trees. If you can't do that, just get some unsweetened ReaLemon, put it in a spray bottle,  and spray where there are places that a spider could enter your home. Also, mopping with lemon floor cleaner works.
4. Borax- sprinkle, spray, or whatever. It is a great, poison-free way to prevent any bug infestation. If your pets bring fleas, try sprinkling the carpet with Borax, vacuum it up, then dispose of the vacuumed dirt right away. Put it in tied plastic bags in a trash can outside.
There you go! 
Have a safe, happy, bug-free spring!

More Artworks

More goodies

Genesis...Well, Re-Genesis...Of A Non-Smoker

Hi, everyone! 

I haven't posted lately because I have been laid up in bed. First, I had the flu. After the flu, I had one or two days of feeling sub-human, then I caught the worst cold of my life. 

Having the cold was not a huge surprise. I am quitting smoking, so I knew my body would fight me a little. 

Quitting smoking is extra difficult for MS'ers like me. 

Because of my MS, I have to be really careful about withdrawal. Withdrawal can send me into a relapse state. 

For people who don't know, a relapse, in terms of MS means that an ability (like walking) can be lost.

Sometimes, a person can regain the ability. Sometimes, though, it is a permanent loss. I am not ready to lose my ability to walk. Are any of us really ready to be unable to be in a power scooter?

Anyhow, I have opted for E-Smokes as a means of helping to withdraw from the nicotine slowly, while  allowing me to get my oral fixe. I will work on *that* part as soon as I beat nicotine. 

I will be posting my progress as often as I can. I need cheerleaders!

When I post about my efforts to quit, I will post links to the places where I got my E-Smoke. I am not using an e-cig. I am using a personal vaporizer. It is pretty cool. It looks like a green cigar. I like it. 

I am waiting on my first shipment of PG free, organic e-liquid. The PG kind made me a little sick. I am hoping that the lack of PG and preservatives will make the transition easier for me. 

I have already used my Silhouette Cameo to create skins for my "cartomizer". I will be posting the pictures as soon as I catch up on everything I had missed out on while I was laid up. 

This is the most difficult thing I have done. I have smoked for most of my life. 

I began smoking at 13 years old, I will be celebrating my 36th birthday on 10/22. This means that I have smoked for almost two times the length of time that I was a non-smoker. I have quit before; however, this time is different because I have MS. This time, I am going to make it permanent. I do not want to smoke any more. Once this is done, it is DONE.

Whatever your beliefs are, please help me through this. 

Please pray for me. 

Please meditate for me.

Please send kindness, love, and health out into the universe for me. 

Please help me save my own life.

 I need you all.

I love you all! 

Have a beautiful day.  

Here is the link to my favorite digital painting app

Check out "Infinite Painter"

Make a paper cube!

I just found a great Youtube channel for all kinds of origami and kusudama.
If you would like to see some fantastic videos about how to make some really amazing origami and kusudama, check out HappyPuppyTruffles' Youtube channel.

You will be amazed at how many things you can make with her help. 

this is what I am showing you how to make
it is a very simple cube made using a modular technique.
Modular origami is called kusudama.

Begin with a 3x3 square of paper

fold the paper in half

now unfold the paper

fold one side of the page in to meet the crease in the center

then, fold the other edge in to meet the center crease

fold the top-left and bottom-right corners so that your piece looks like this

unfold

you will notice when you unfold the piece that the two flaps now have small triangle shaped creases. tuck those small triangles under their flaps

after you tuck the small triangles under the flaps, tuck the larger triangle shape under the flaps

when the larger triangles are tucked in, your piece should look like this
This is one of six modules you will need for your cube

flip the module over

fold each point upward to make a square that has two points facing upward protruding from the top and bottom. The module should look like this. 

you will need six modules

each point of your module will fit into one of the triangular pockets on the front of each module

keep tucking the points into the pockets

you should see a cube shape begin to form as you continue tucking points into pockets

the last point being tucked into a pocket

Voila! one completed cube!

The video below is a time lapse video I made which shows how a cube is made. It goes pretty fast. I am still learning how to use the Lapse It! app on my Android tablet.

Make a paper star!

This design was adapted from kusudama which uses paper money. I like to use regular paper to make these. I would rather give the gift and the cash separately. 

Start with a rectangular shaped piece of paper

turn the paper upside down, so that the patterned side faces the table top.

Fold the paper in half lengthwise

unfold

fold the top two corners toward the center crease like you are making a paper airplane

fold one of the bottom corners to meet the center crease so that it creates a guide for the next step

fold the top point to meet the guide fold that is at the bottom

unfold the guide at the bottom

flip the folded piece of paper over 

fold the top two points in to meet the center crease
It is like making a paper airplane

fold the top two points in to meet the center crease
It is like making a paper airplane

fold the top two edges to meet the center crease again
It is kind of like those paper jets we used to make in grade school

fold the top two edges to meet the center crease again
It is kind of like those paper jets we used to make in grade school

flip the folded page over
it should look like this

begin rolling the bottom of the folded piece of paper toward the top

roll the bottom toward the top until it can be tucked into the small, triangular flap at the bottom of the piece 

you have just made your first module

make five modules

tuck the tabs into the slots in the back of the next module

continue to join your modules into a star shape
This is the part that requires the most patience. It isn't difficult, but does take patience.

your star will look like this from the backside

your star will look like this from the front
it takes a little bit of adjustment to get the modules connected just right
there will always be an open star in the center
if you don't like the center being open, you can paste a photo or star shape over the open part

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