Sylvia's Scenario

I haven't done a New Year's Resolution in a couple of years but I think I have one this year.  I've been pondering what makes for a festive holiday season with lots of holiday spirit and what makes for a stressful holiday season.  Everyone wants a low stress holiday season with lots of fun times and memorable moments, of course, and I feel fortunate that that’s how mine has been.  For me, I know the most obvious reason is because we haven't traveled anywhere.  It’s been really nice staying home to relax and enjoy the holidays.  Our last trip was in September for Bruce's birthday but we haven't gone anywhere since.  I get in a good routine when I’m home and I have a nice, low stress frame of mind.  My diet is more healthy and I exercise regularly.  I'm not going to say that my New Year's Resolution is to not travel, however.  There's more to it than that.  We also had friends and family come over for dinner parties more than usual so the...

I do not do New Year's Resolutions but instead I call it my New Year's Intention .  Since I started calling it my New Year's Intention in 2019, I've actually been able to accomplish what I wanted to do every year for the past four years. I have decided that 2023 will be my Year of Reflection; I just want to find peace within myself after those hard years of  reconstruction (2019),  rehabilitation (2020),  reformation (2021), and 2022 was my  year of reconnection .   I am tired now.  There was a lot to focus on the past four years. Not so much physically tired exactly, just tired of absorbing so much. I just want to reflect on things now. I’ve learned a lot  about myself since my joint replacements and just need time to contemplate.  Because of the past four years, I now have a regular routine with my diet and exercise so those things are set. My body has changed so much physically and I can do things again like my younger self because I have ...

Happy New Year, everyone. Even though we continue to deal with a raging pandemic, I'm trying to stay optimist about 2022.  I already have two trips planned which is two more than all of 2020 and 2021, not counting the weekend road trip to Portland in October that I briefly wrote about here .  The two trips I have planned in 2022 involve flying on planes so I c onsider them major trips.  We are going to Hawaii for one trip and then I'm going to Sedona, Arizona with a girlfriend for my second trip.  The above  Lucky Cat  pin is a New Year's gift to myself that I just ordered to bring me luck in the New Year and to keep reminding me to have a positive outlook for 2022.  Isn't she a cutie?  We all need a little luck these days in fighting this virus that just won't quit.  I'm hoping that if I wear this pin, it will keep me in a positive frame of mind because that is what my New Year's resolution is about this year.  This is going to be my Ye...

I am happy to announce that the top recipe for 2020 on my blog was one of  Hannah Freese, RD's  recipe that I make over and over again,  Pumpkin Bean Chili .  Apparently, other people liked it, as well, because it was the #1 most popular recipe on my blog for 2020.   I make this recipe a couple times per month.  I would say that this recipe has taken the place of spaghetti in our house.  We use to eat spaghetti pretty often and it would always be a staple dinner.  Now, it's the pumpkin chili.  Of course, it's been chili-type weather since I started Hannah's method of eating in September.  But interestingly, this is the most recent of the top three popular recipes, yet it got the most hits.  I don't eat pasta anymore and I cook my own pinto beans when I make this recipe.  Pinto beans cook fast so I can start them in the morning and they are ready to add to the chili by dinnertime.  But of course, you can use canned pin...

We are starting our New Year on a spicy note, specifically with  Chicken Curry with Sweet Potatoes  that I made for dinner last night.  We forget how tasty some of the recipes are on my blog and this one is a favorite.  On New Year's Eve, we invited my friend to dinner who lives in the neighborhood and I made my  Chinese Chicken Salad  and  Won Tons .  Knowing my menu, she brought some Vegetable Egg Rolls with Peanut Sauce that was like a rolled up salad with the most delicious peanut sauce that was finger-licking good.  I especially had fun using my new dinner plates on New Year's Eve that Lauren gave me for Christmas from my favorite Seattle shop called Watson Kennedy . These dinner plates are their beige cabbage plates and I love them.  Setting the table brings such simple pleasure and joy when I get to use my new dinner plates.  It was a lovely, quaint evening sitting by the fire talking and getting ca...

I wasn't joking when I said this is our year of reconstruction with our house being remodeled and having a  total hip replacement  in February.  I'm on a roll right now so on August 15th, I had my right knee done, too.  Both my knees need a total knee replacement which is a bummer but I need to just buckle up and get it done.  My hip surgery went so well that I wasn't so fearful of the knee surgery, although everyone keeps telling me they are totally different experiences.  I realize their differences but I was still eager to get it over with.   I'm currently post op. day # 9 and it hasn't been that bad at all.  If I was to give anybody advise about this surgery, it would be PAIN CONTROL.  Duh.  I know that sounds obvious but twice I tried reducing my pain meds because I was feeling so good and twice I ended up increasing them back up to the prescribed amount.  I need to be doing my PT exercises 3X/day and I can't d...