Checkup Time

No, not for the trees. For me. At the doctor. It was time for my annual physical.

It was actually past time, since I usually do them in April or May. I'd put it off over and over again this year. Life just seemed too busy. I'm mostly healthy. My blood pressure is good, despite everyone on my father's side of the family having high blood pressure. They'll get the results of my other blood work in a few days.

My dad wanted to protect us when we were younger. He didn't want to be a burden to us, but at times like this, I really wish he'd told us about some of his physical problems, especially the kind that tend to run in families. Like diabetes. I know at one time he was told he was borderline diabetic. The last few years of his life, he ate foods formulated for diabetics. He never took insulin, but some diabetes can be controlled by diet. I just wish I knew. My doctor and I are keeping an eye on my sugar, just to be on the safe side, but I wish I knew.

We discussed my suspected allergy to eggs, and I asked the doctor if it was really necessary to get me tested. He said there wasn't because there isn't any shots or anything to treat that. I explained that my concerns were not so much about eating them, but thinking ahead to the future when I would want to take the flu shot. How would it affect me then, and what my options would be. He asked if I'd ever had flu shots before and how I reacted to them. I replied that yes, I'd had to have them while I was in the Navy and got so sick from them. Of course, the corpsmen would always ask if I was allergic to eggs, and I always replied no because I hadn't made that connection yet. I thought I was just getting the flu from the shot, since my symptoms mimic flu symptoms. I can be a bit slow on the uptake sometimes. I also mentioned that I got kind of sick the last time I took aspirin, and he decided to refer me to an allergist. He said aspirin allergies can be a big deal. I guess that's because so many other medications are chemically similar to aspirin. That could also why the ibuprofen I was taking was making my chest and stomach hurt. Anyway, he said I can discuss my concerns with the allergist and decide then whether I really need to be tested, and also what my options on future immunizations are, etc. etc.

After my physical, I decided to get my oil changed since I was already in town. I spent more time doing that than I did at the doctor. Almost three hours I waited...That sort of threw my schedule for the day waaaay off. I did get two pecan pies made. The first one turned out a little dark, so I made another one. It looked a lot better, so we'll save it for Thanksgiving and eat the other one.


While I was dusting my Fall/Thanksgiving decorations, I noticed that Cody had added his unique touch to this fake pumpkin.


Well, the colors match perfectly, so I left it there.

Strawberry Jello Salad

1 box strawberry Jello

1 cup hot water

1 box frozen strawberries

3 bananas, sliced

1 can crushed pineapple, drained

8 oz sour cream

Prepare Jello according to box directions. Let jell slightly. Add strawberries, bananas, and pineapple to jello. Put half the jello into a serving dish. Smooth sour cream over jello and pour remaining jello over sour cream. Chill. I usually double this and it still doesn't last very long.