volunteering

This morning I helped make Braille books with my Lutheran lady friends. We manufactured seven 73 page books which are shipped to California and then distributed to blind people all over the world. Last year I got my five year pin for doing this. This morning one of the ladies was a little late and this was her excuse: she was taking a picture of two hawks that were at her bird feeder. We talked a lot about birds and squirrels getting into bird feeders. We usually have lunch together but it was snowing this morning and everyone was anxious to get home. I'm giving myself a grace period from the gym. My shoulder is still sore and I've put off going to the doctor. Maybe I'll ask my cardiologist about it next week.

too cold and lazy

Yesterday it was just too cold to get out and walk and I was too lazy to drive to the mall or the indoor track so I stayed home and finished two books, Patrick Kennedy's A Common Struggle, and Lovable Livable Home by Sherry and John Petersik. Later on I started a new paint-by-number. I knew the laziness wouldn't work two days in a row so I was at the Y bright and early. Well, early for me anyway. I clocked five miles on the indoor track and also finished up with weights and ab work. I know my mileage for January will be low but that's okay. Sometimes you need a slack month every once in awhile.

my granola recipe

Several months ago I discovered this recipe in our local newspaper. I have made it about twenty times and tweeted  and changed it so that now I feel like it's my personal recipe. I eat this every morning with a little honey, sliced fresh strawberries or raspberries from SAMs  to top it off. I have been known to eat the same thing for breakfast for years, like overnight oatmeal and before that, frozen Slimfast right out of the can!

Chunky Monkey Granola
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup coconut flakes
1/3 cup chopped peanuts
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup chopped pecans
3 tablespoons ground flax
2 tablespoons chia seeds
2 bananas
1 egg white
1/3 cup peanut butter
Dried cranberries and chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine first eight ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Use a hand mixer to combine bananas, egg white and peanut butter
Until smooth. Pour peanut butter mixture over oat mixture
And stir until incorporated. Pour mixture in even layer
on baking pan.
Bake until crisp (about 30-40 minutes), removing from oven
and stirring every 10 minutes to allow granola to brown
evenly and break up into smaller pieces. When granola
is golden and crisp, remove from oven and stir in cranberries
and chocolate chips. Store in air-tight container.

the tilt table test

Yesterday I had a tilt table test at the university. I knew that I was scheduled for this test and I was dreading it.The name tilt table sounds ominous, I mean I stay away from roller coasters. A Prince Harry look alike met me at the cardiac waiting room and reassured me that everything would be fine. And it was. After he inserted a needle-less IV in my arm, attached two blood pressure cuffs and electrodes on my neck and seat belts around my middle and legs because we do have a set belt law here in Missouri, the table was tilted back and I just stood in a darkened room for 40 minutes while he watched what my heart was doing on a monitor behind me. All very harmless, and I was told I passed with flying colors!
Today I power walked six miles. Two miles on the indoor track and later, another four miles on the Greenway. I had to dodge patches of ice but the temperature was in the mid sixties and glorious for this time of year. I also lifted weights and ab work as I didn't get it done yesterday.