Read. Write. Mom!

A Much Needed Spring Break

Posted on March 13, 2021 by Mandy

I have absolutely LOVED being off work this week for spring break. Although life is already pretty slow thanks to COVID, it sure was nice to sleep in, nap, and just enjoy not having to do much of anything.

Monday– Cleaned house. Felt pretty great! I love a clean house.

Tuesday– The kid and I made a two-hour trip to my endocrinologist appointment. We lunched at Red Lobster (a treat when the nearest one is so far away) and we shopped at Target (again, a treat…2 hours away….yadda, yadda, yadda…). My lunch:

I ordered the salmon because I love salmon and I’m trying to make better choices. Unfortunately, the food and the service were not that great. I could have spent hours in Target, but I really didn’t need anything except the new supplement I need to start taking. The kid ended up just buying two gift cards for a video game he plays. The weather was beautiful and perfect for traveling. We had a good day trip and it was nice to get out and see something new.

Wednesday– Super tired. Started new medication. Blood sugar numbers are all over the place and mostly sky-high. Naps were taken. Nothing much accomplished.

Thursday– Still exhausted. Still napping. Still adjusting to the new medicine. All in my feelings. Tears were shed. Frustration sets in.

Friday- More of the same, but decide that maybe eating more might help. One of the new medicines I am taking almost kills my appetite and I wasn’t eating much. Surprise, surprise. My numbers start looking better.

Saturday (Today)- Feeling much better, and I have lost five pounds. Did a little yard cleanup with hubby and he cooked a wonderful steak dinner tonight. Enjoyed a good nap earlier and feeling more hopeful about my health.

I have to say the weather has really made me so much happier lately. This week was perfection and being outside and seeing the sun has felt wonderful! The strays are enjoying the warm sunshine and napping all over the yard. I can’t wait for our yard guy to get here and clean up our yard so we can see the grass again.

Jake, the neighbor’s cat who thinks he lives with us (and he pretty much does) has been the best snuggle buddy at nap time:

He sometimes balls his little paw up at me.

The trees and flowers are in bloom:

I didn’t get 90% accomplished of what I had planned to do around the house this week, but maybe I just needed to be forced to slow down and just be. Life changed for all of us a year ago this week and it’s been wonderful in some ways and really tough in others. I have certainly enjoyed being home more with my family. However, I miss my busy library and hugging my students. I see their little faces on a screen each day, but it isn’t the same. I miss meeting up with friends for dinner. I miss smiles and not having to wear a mask. We also lost my mother-in-law and a family friend because of COVID, and it’s still not over. The worrying about it is exhausting.

I’m glad to have had a week off to recharge and hope things will only get better from here.

Managing Diabetes With New Technology

Posted on March 12, 2021November 13, 2021 by Mandy

I am officially managing diabetes with new technology! I have been a Type II diabetic for 16 years. My journey with diabetes started when I was pregnant. I developed gestational diabetes and took insulin shots twice a day until my son was born. A few months after he was born, I received my diagnosis of Type II Diabetes. Fast forward 11 years and I had heart surgery. Since then, my blood glucose levels have been unmanageable. After trying nearly everything, my cardiologist sent me on to see an endocrinologist. My appointment was this past Monday.

I fully went in expecting to be put on insulin shots again. I dreaded returning to the days of checking my levels by sticking my finger several times a day and giving myself inulin shots again. But I have reached the point where if they told me to get my nose pierced I would do it if it would help. I have been feeling so bad for so long and just want to feel good again.

Meeting The Endocrinologist

My doctor turned out to be amazing. She was very proactive and supportive. I explained to her that no matter what I ate, my glucose levels were high. I always felt hungry. I had tried doing keto….low carb, everything. She explained that she didn’t think I needed insulin just yet and she noticed some hormonal things going on in the bloodwork that would explain why I was always hungry as well. She took me off of Metformin and prescribed two new medications, Synjardy and Ozempic, which is a once-a-week injection. I go back in two weeks to see how this is working for me.

Managing Diabetes With New Technology

But, the coolest thing is that I am now managing diabetes with new technology! I had NO idea how far technology has come when it comes to checking blood glucose levels. I am now proudly wearing a FreeStyle Libre 2 continuous glucose monitor. This little sensor inserts into the skin and you wear it on the back of your arm, like this:

The sensor is good for two weeks. It comes with a hand-held reader and an alarm goes off if my blood glucose levels are high or if it can’t detect the sensor for some reason. Here is my reader, with a very high reading:

The best part? I never felt the sensor go into my skin. I actually had to ask the nurse was it IN my skin, or just stuck to my skin like a sticker. I don’t even notice I have it on. It’s also fine for me to shower with. It’s even comfortable while sleeping. I just have to watch when I put on or take off my shirts and bras.

I am loving that I don’t have to prick my finger daily to check my numbers. All I do is hold the little reader up to the sensor on my arm and it scans it automatically and keeps track of my readings in the logbook. It also has graphs as well.

I’m pretty sure it’s only available by prescription, but if you have to check your blood sugar levels daily, then this is a wonderful alternative to regular glucose monitors. I am so thankful for this new technology and the fact that it literally saves me time and makes this part of trying to manage my diabetes much easier.

I did not receive this monitor for review. I am not a healthcare professional. I am not offering health advice. I’m just sharing what is working for me. No affiliate links in this post.

Printable Easter Egg Coloring Page

Posted on March 7, 2021 by Mandy

Do you need a printable Easter egg coloring page? This one is completely free to print and use! Just click the picture or the link here to get yours.

This black and white printable easter egg coloring page is also perfect for adults who like to color. Coloring is very relaxing no matter what age you are. I personally love breaking out my markers and doodling when I’m feeling a little overwhelmed.

I use the Staedtler fineliner pens for most of my doodling, but when it comes to coloring, you just can’t beat good old Crayola Crayons. Check out these fun Spring-like crayons!

Aren’t those colors beautiful? I just may have to get a set myself! So, print yourself a copy of this free printable Easter egg coloring page and have fun relaxing and coloring!

More Easter Fun:

35 Easter Books for Kids– get your kids in the Easter spirit with these 35 hop-tastic Easter books.

10 Fun Things to Hide in Easter Eggs That Aren’t Candy– If you’re trying to go easy on the candy this year, check out these items you can put inside plastic Easter eggs that kids will love.

DIY Easter Bunny Crayons– Have some old crayons collecting space? Make your own adorable bunny crayons.

35 Hop-tastic Easter Books for Kids

Posted on February 25, 2021 by Mandy

These hop-tastic Easter books will spring you right into Easter! Discover the answer to the age-old question, which came first the egg or the chicken, in First the Egg. Hop along with Peter Rabbit and discover his Easter Surprise. You can even find out why The Old Lady Swallowed a Chick. Hoppy reading!

Easter Books- 35 Hop-Tastic Titles!

You can also use these books to fill up those Easter baskets! Need even more ideas for those Easter baskets? Check out these 10 fun things to hide in Easter eggs that aren’t candy!

Share with us, what are your favorite Easter books? Did they make our list? Happy Easter!

Thawing Out From the Southern Winter Storm

Posted on February 22, 2021 by Mandy

We are finally thawing out from the Southern Winter Storm that swept through last week. When I got off work Friday before last, I knew we were probably going to get a little snow and would most likely be working from home a couple of days into the new week. I had no idea we would be working from home the entire week and freezing our tooshies off!

Hubby decided to leave for Houston, Texas on Saturday (the 13th) just in case the storm started coming in sooner. I had NO idea when he left that Houston and all of Texas would be getting the very worst of this storm. By Sunday night, his hotel lost power. We started to get snow here in Mississippi. By Monday morning he was still without power and had to tough it out another night, going to the car during the night to warm up. The snow and sleet arrived here. The funeral home in Houston had to push my mother-in-law’s funeral out to what we thought would be Friday. Husband was miserable and could not stay that long. He managed to convince the funeral home director to let him see his mom Tuesday afternoon to say his goodbyes. The weather was getting worse there but he was positive he could make it home and be better off than staying. I was nervous, but he is a truck driver with over 20 years of experience. He started home at 3:00 Tuesday afternoon.

By 11 PM that night he was still crawling through Texas. The roads were horrible, but he had an emergency backpack with supplies, extra food, and water. I told him I would be by the phone waiting for updates. He called at 1 AM to report he was in a terrible backup on I10 in Louisiana and had been there for two hours. It really looked as if he might have to leave the car and accept a ride to safety. This is the backup he was in:

Naturally, I was scared and nervous. He promised to let me know if he left the car. He called back two hours later to tell me that he and some more drivers were able to use the shoulder and go around the backup. The cause was several 18 wheelers unable to get up the incline on the interstate. In total, what should have been an 8-hour trip took my husband 23 hours in those treacherous conditions. He arrived home Wednesday afternoon, exhausted and shaken. I am so thankful he made it home and managed to stay safe. My car looked like this:

We spent the entire week making sure to leave faucets dripping, cabinet doors to the sinks open at all times and just trying to stay warm. I am so thankful we never lost power or had any plumbing issues. It dipped down to 7 degrees one night. The highs were 11 and 16 a couple of days. We just aren’t built for this in the South and neither is our infrastructure.

It honestly could have been so much worse. I’ve lived through an ice storm where we lost power for two weeks, but not in such horrible cold like what this Southern winter storm blanketed Texas with. If you’d like to help, this article has a great list of places in need of monetary donations and other items.

Mourning and Celebrations

Posted on February 14, 2021 by Mandy

It’s been a week of many emotions around our home. My mother-in-law passed away from complications from Covid last Saturday. She had been on a ventilator for almost two weeks and she just had a very, very rough time. The silver lining in it all was that the hospital was so gracious to set up Zoom meetings for the family, as my husband lives 8 hours from them and the hospital didn’t allow visitors. He was able to see her and visit online with his sisters. As I am writing this, he has made the trip to Houston, TX to be there for her funeral on Tuesday. She will surely be missed and we know she is now completely healed in her Heavenly home. I never imagined that this awful pandemic would touch our family so deeply.

Happy Times

We also had much to be thankful for and celebrate this last week, which seems strange in the midst of loss. Our son turned 16 and I don’t even know how he grew up so fast, but here we are. We had a very small, “just the three of us” celebration at home Tuesday night. All he wanted was Popeye’s chicken and an ice cream cake from Baskin Robbin’s. Ha! So, of course, we obliged. You only turn 16 once.

He couldn’t think of anything specific he wanted for his birthday, so we just gave him cash. He is such a great saver of his money and I’m so glad he is learning that life skill early. He reads online about FIRE (financially independent, retire early) and that’s his goal. I’m rooting for him because I wish I had been that smart about money when I was his age. We also celebrated my grandmother’s 95th birthday. How blessed am I to say at 46 years of age I still have a grandmother? Very! My mom planned a drive-thru celebration for her and we had cake and ice cream with our small family “quarenteam”.

Winter Weather Coming In

I’m listening to the sleet coming down pretty hard outside. We are forecasted to get walloped with a major winter storm. 8-12 inches of snow have been predicted with temps dipping down to 3 degrees for tomorrow night. I’m sure if any seasoned Northerners are reading this you are laughing right about now. I live in Mississippi and we aren’t built for this. I’m worried sick about our pipes and keeping power. I lived through the Ice Storm of ’94 (as it is not so affectionately called here) and went without power for two weeks. I was 20 at the time and much more adaptable. We are all-electric, but we do have a fireplace. We stocked up on food and I washed up everything in the house. I’m just praying it won’t be too bad. I will be working from home for the next two days for sure.

Speaking of work, look what came in this week!

My new book cart! We desperately needed a new one, so I picked out one with a fun color. I know the kids will love it when it’s safe enough for them to come back to the building. It makes me smile every time I look at it.

And Now I Know Why My Foot Hurts

Posted on February 8, 2021November 13, 2021 by Mandy

If anyone reads here regularly, which I highly doubt, you know I’ve been wondering why my foot hurts so bad. I have been around and around with having an MRI and seeing a chiropractor for what I was told was sciatica. This has been going on since September of last year. This past Thursday night I got no sleep because my foot started having shooting pains going through it that were just constant. It hurt to wear a sock and especially a shoe. I had bought special tennis shoes thinking that might help. They felt more comfortable than my old sneakers, but it still hurt to wear them.

It was absolutely miserable and I had to miss work on Friday. The bottom of my foot felt like I had walked over hot coals and it was numb as well. I told hubby I was going to the clinic and I wasn’t leaving until I knew why my foot hurts! I was in tears as I explained to the nurse what was going on.

Finally, some answers!

Well! In swoops the doctor and the first thing he said was, I know EXACTLY what’s wrong with you, Miss Mandy!”. He certainly had my attention!

Turns out, I have diabetic neuropathy and it’s bad in my foot and starting to affect my left hand as well. The doctor was floored that not one of the medical people I have seen about this suspected it or even tested me for it. He was so great at explaining what diabetic neuropathy is and how I need to get my blood sugar under control so it won’t cause permanent nerve damage. He then told me there was a medication that he wanted me to start. He said it may take a week or so to feel any difference, which kind of disappointed me because I needed relief NOW. He sent me on my way with instructions to follow up in two weeks and a new prescription.

So, how am I feeling now?

Well, Lord bless the makers of Gabapentin because I was a brand new woman after I went home and took that medicine! I took a nap and woke up noticing a HUGE difference in how my foot felt. It took all of the pain away, but my foot still feels numb. Walking is tricky and I am having to be very careful.

I am so thankful to finally know why my foot hurts so badly. I have just been absolutely miserable for months, thinking it was sciatic pain. I had to cancel an earlier appointment with an endocrinologist this past holiday season, but I will definitely be trying to get in very soon to see the specialist. I want to get my Type 2 diabetes under control once and for all.

Snow Days Just Aren’t Snow Days Anymore

Posted on January 31, 2021 by Mandy

About three weeks ago I learned that snow days just aren’t snow days anymore. Thanks to virtual schooling, the show can and must go on from home. We woke up to flurries coming down, which turned into flakes, which also turned into a full-on snow shower by 7:00 AM. Our district determined that traveling wouldn’t be safe, so we were all told to carry on with our regular school day schedule from home. Naturally, if I couldn’t just get a REAL snow day off, this was the next best thing to me! My son’s school completely canceled, even online, so he got the free day.

It made for some pretty pictures, but by day’s end the sun came out and the snow melted off. Only remnants could be seen the next morning in shady spots. Still, working from home was nice and we enjoyed lots of coffee, cocoa, and sausage balls.

The last time I posted was January 9. Wow! Life just got busy again. Mainly with work….getting back into the groove after the holidays and after being allowed to work from home until the 18th was difficult. I was so much more effective at home. I was able to work and also oversee what the kid was doing with his school work. Now, it’s back to being exhausted on the weekends and trying to keep all the balls up in the air at once. To say I’m looking forward to Spring Break in March would be an understatement!

Covid Update

Fortunately, we have all remained healthy. However, my mother-in-law has not been so fortunate. She was diagnosed with Covid last week and has been placed on a ventilator in ICU. She is holding her own, but we are very worried about her, and being at least 8 hours away and unable to visit her in the hospital (their operating rules) has made it difficult for my husband especially. Thankfully, the hospital has set up Zoom calls so my husband and his sisters and the extended family can see her and visit amongst themselves. This has been so very helpful for him and I was able to join in with them Saturday evening. I hate this for my mother-in-law so bad, but we are praying for her healing.

Whatcha Got Cooking?

I’ll admit between work stress and now being worried about MIL, I sort of fell off the meal planning wagon. I’m slowly climbing back on, but I wanted to share this amazing recipe we tried that was really, really good. It’s Sweet & Sour Vegetables with Pork Chops. This was a recipe that hubby and I tag-teamed. We work pretty well together in the kitchen. I definitely added it to our go-to recipes for the future. It really is that good.

This weekend our Saturday night meal was our favorite stand-by…..steak with green beans and Hidden Valley Potatoes.

I’ll probably just make a pot of taco soup for the first part of this week. I only really cook anything different when hubby is home.

And so begins another week of Pandemic Times. I really have to admit that all of a sudden this pandemic is really getting to me. I’m trying to do fun, creative things at home, but I miss visiting my mom regularly, I miss my students, I miss going places without fear of germs. It’s hard to believe we are almost a year into this and the numbers just don’t look any better, at least where I live. I say it all of the time, but we are living in strange times, indeed. I hope you and yours are well and staying safe.