...Oh how I love thee!

There are three things I love more than anything in this world.

1. God
2. Bacon
3. Cinnabons

Oops, I also love my husband, so let me start over...

1. God
2. Bacon
3. Hubby
4. Cinnabons

Um, this is embarrassing. So sorry babe, I meant to say:

1. God 
2. Hubby 
3. Bacon
4. Cinnabons.   

I just broke a 3.5 day fast, so my brain isn't fully nourished yet. I must have had food on my mind- hence putting my husband out of order. :)

My husband volunteers full time at a ministry where their mission is to help the homeless- and by help, I mean show them the love of Jesus, and when they are ready, give them a home to live in, food, clothing, and a chance to seek work, and get back into society.  They felt led to fast for 3 days and be in prayer over some major things.

I decided that if the hubby couldn't eat, it didn't seem fair for me to be noshing in front of him, so I decided that I would join him.  I want deliverance from my addiction to candy- I LOVE candy. I know, I know, "Then why didn't you list it up above, Kacey?"...well, because it's not in my top 4 anymore.

I just went almost 4 whole days without eating any candy, and I didn't think about it once. I used to think about it more than a guy thinks about nookie throughout a 24 hour period, and that's a lot. Like, every 7 seconds or something along those lines.  Wait- I'm sorry, but if that research is accurate, and men really do think about sex every 7 seconds, HOW in the heck can they get anything else done?

Can you imagine your husband as the POTUS  (President of the United States) preparing for a speech... it may go something like this:  My fellow Americans. Today we embark on- "Ooo look, I can see her boobies", er, excuse me. Ahem, as I was saying, today we embark on a new beginning- "Yeah, baby... I like the red one- Whoo-hoo..." oops, sorry about that. Now, where was I? Oh, yes- the bedroom or the kitchen table... Oh My Gosh- I'm sorry, but the Vice President is going to have to finish my speech, I am not feeling well and (WOW- look at that toosh, Mmmmm lady buns....) (POTUS runs from room screaming and jumps into cold shower fully clothed), while the (female) VP steps in and makes an amazing and historic speech.  (Because she can go more than 7 seconds before thinking about what men supposedly think about 12,343 times in one 24 hour period).

See what I mean? If I thought about something that many times in one day, I'd go insane. There must be some sort of Teflon in the brain of all men to keep them from going insane thinking about nookie over 12,000 times per day, so I am starting to think the research is faulty. Either that or men CAN really multi-task and have snookered us into believing that they can't so we do more work around the house and they get to watch 18 hours of non-stop sports on TV, AND control the remote. Pretty sneaky men... I'm onto you.  It's either that or you're all closet Super-hero's and are hiding your powers from us. Regardless, I've got your number! HA!

Okay, so back to my fast. I fasted to support my hubby and also for deliverance from my candy cravings.  I'd like complete deliverance from sugar all together, but I'm not giving up lemon bars OR Sweet Tea, so candy will have to take the fall.

Fasting wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be. I didn't think about food all that much, and my stomach only bothered me a few times, and I told it to quiet down, or I'd add another day to the Fast, and it obeyed. Wish I could use Jedi mind tricks like that on my banker... "This is the account with $500,000.00 in it!" "You must have a computer glitch!"... but, I digress.

I was concerned I wouldn't be able to fast because of my hormone and insulin conditions, but then I had a revelation. I have IBS, so I unknowingly, and unintentionally fasted almost all the time. There were times when the only thing I could keep down for a week at a time was Gatorade and/or chicken broth, so if I could live off that during times of terrible digestive distress, then not eating on purpose for 3 days should be a piece of cake, right? Right!  I didn't have dinner Monday night, nor did I snack before bed, so that's why I say I went 3.5 days.

I believe that God honored my desire to be free from the bondage of gummi bears from Germany, and lemon heads and milk duds, junior mints, Willy Wonka taffy... when I stepped out in faith to support John, and also prayed with him to be delivered from candy. That excites me. Now I'm going to Fast in the next couple of weeks over where I am supposed to go next- as in for school and a job. More on that next month, or later this month.

So, my husband and two of his co-workers were meeting this morning at 6:00 am for breakfast at Perkins- to break the fast. John had to leave a little before 5:30 in order to meet Dave and Pete for their pancake, sausage, bacon, egg, hash browns, toast and coffee extravaganza.  Since Honor rarely sleeps more than 6 hours a night, he was up and ready for play at 5:00 am.

I decided once John left to break out the THICK cut, No Name Bacon- my honey buckwheat pancake mix, and some eggs... If I timed it just right, I'd be eating before those boys were sipping on their coffee, and long before Flo the waitress was delivering their plates of greasy Perkins food.  See, this fast did not happen without lots of teasing about "cheeseburgers", etc- nothing like torturing your fellow brother or sister in Christ, by talking about food during a fast...but I digress.

So here is what I sent those boys as they were sitting in their booth, waiting for their food to come out-

Please excuse the chip in my porcelain sink, and the clear grout that is peeling off... I should have put the plate on a more attractive part of my homage to the  80's kitchen counter.

Yes, friends, you see BACON! My first love, I mean my second- um, THIRD- yes, my third love. Bacon...extra limp. The way my Austrian Grandfather likes it, and he's passed it down to me. Ya just knock the oink out of it, and it's heaven on a plate.

I don't like eggs, but felt I should have some additional protein, so it was hard to eat the eggs, but I make halfway decent eggs, so I washed it down with the two honey buckwheat pancakes and they were so good.

It's amazing how good food tasted this morning. I've gone longer without food because of illness, or episodes of digestive tyranny against my body but food never tasted this good when I was finally able to eat again.  However, this morning I think it was quite possibly the best bacon, pancakes and eggs I've ever had. :)

If you have never fasted, I suggest it. Not because it makes bacon taste better than it already does, but because it's amazing how peaceful and calm I was during that time. It was also cool that I didn't think about candy, and knew that God was working in me during that time and the Spirit was upon me, keeping me calm, safe and at peace.   If there is something in your life that you "love" more than you should, like me with candy- pray about it, and fast for a few days, you don't have to do a food fast, you could fast from the thing you are addicted to- like TV, the computer, your cell phone... Or just fast from food regarding those things.

It is pretty cool how something I was so afraid to do, and didn't think I could do- wasn't all that hard. Especially when I realized that with my stomach issues, I was probably fasting every 6 weeks or so and didn't even realize it.

This entry is a little all over the place, with no real point to it, but I am tired, and even though I did have an amazing breakfast, I think I'm still a little brain foggy at the present time.  So, enjoy my random, semi-meaningless, unorganized babble, and festive collection of clip art and Science Fiction movie references.  And Praise God with me that I am not craving a bag of mini Snickers! :)

Love ya all!
KC

Getting my smarts on.

Today, well, actually about a week ago, I felt I should start playing chess again. Chess is a great game.  During the 6 years that I have been dealing with my back injury, I've been given quite a few medications from many doctors- all treating me together, but not really communicating with one another. I swear some of those medications should never have been mixed, but since  I'm about 8 years short of a PhD, who am I to question.

What I do know is that those pills make me stupid. No, I'm serious- short term memory issues, heck, 20 second memory issues... hearing issues, and each time my back goes out, and the meds come back into the picture, I forget more and more of my past and how to do things I used to be good at.  Chess was one of them. Playing the flute, and reading music are two others, and the latter has me rather sad- but that's another post for another time.

So, I broke out the pre-installed chess game that came with my snazzy Microsoft Office 7 on the laptop, and found out I remembered nothing except how far, and in which direction I can move my own pawn. That's it. I was pretty bummed because John and I used to play chess together- I even have my own board made of maple and cherry- it's very pretty. Anyway, I was sad, because here was an example of something I was pretty good at, really enjoyed, and I'd forgotten 99% of everything about the game.

I went online and found a free download, that gave me 60 minutes of free playing time before I had to buy it if I wanted it permanently. I started the tutorial right away.        

I wanted to familiarize myself with each piece, it's role in this checkered army, and where each piece could move, how it captured, and which moves were legal.  I must say, I learned  things I didn't know before, and then my free 60 minutes was up, and I was only half way through the tutorial. Argh!!

Well, I bought the game, and made a snazzy spreadsheet of a chessboard (Yes, being unemployed, I actually miss making spreadsheets) along with basic rules and what each piece does. I played a couple of games today against a monkey- no seriously...the lowest level of the game I bought had the avatar of a Monkey. That primate kicked my butt.

I'm hoping that re-learning to play chess will help my brain get back what the drugs have weakened and that I can start to feel smart again. Plus, I'm certain improving my brain power will help me in daily activities and also once I start school in the fall/winter of this year. I realize there isn't anything particularly special about this post. I'm merely informing my meager, yet amazing 7 followers that I'm trying to restore my brain to the pre-narcotic and pre-steroid days (all doctor prescribed) and that I find Chess fascinating. I wonder if my dad knew how to play?

On a completely unrelated note, I do love my new magic shoes. They make walking almost effortless, and really help me stand up straight. I do feel the burn when I use them, but compared to regular tennis shoes, these things are amazing, and I believe they are helping to further increase my strength and bring healing to my back much faster, than if I just kept my regular tennis shoes.  That makes me happy.  I still have pain, but I sense the healing taking root.

Have a blessed night everyone!

KC

An Ode to Cilantro

Anyone that knows me fairly well, knows that I cannot stand cilantro. I can handle it in small doses, as in two leaves per quart of Salsa...but for some reason, that herb and I are not compatible. I also don't like dill or capers, but so far I've not written any poems or prose pertaining to those items.

I wrote this Ode in March of 2008 on or around the time that the Next Food Network Star reality show was airing.  I understand that generally an ode is a praise of something or someone, however "The Slamming of Cilantro" didn't sound right, so its an ode- a very loose ode. :)

Enjoy my Ode...and have a good night. :)

Cilantro, Cilantro so green and so leafy
To others you look like a cousin of Parsley

Your taste is so strong
Like pot in a bong
And I've tried really hard to like you...

I went to Chipotle
Because it is Friday
And ordered a chicken burrito-

With cilantro lime rice and little black beans
Your flavor is truly not what it seems

I dissected my meal
and I thought "what's the deal?"

And was saddened by what I discovered.

So many flecks of your green leafiness
Had invaded my Mexican supper.

So I picked and I tossed every green piece I saw
so my burrito is now without flaw.

One final note, which I feel I must make

Oh, why can't you just taste like CAKE!?!?! 

Okay, I'm officially signing out for the evening. I think I've done enough creative works for the day.