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Happy Fall Y'all

11/8/2019

The Hired Hand and I went for our morning walk...Burrrr! It was a brisk, breezy, damp 50* and fortunately I had mittens in my pocket! I could of used a hat too and if you could of seen my lioness mane....the neighbors wished I had a hat on too...these curls of mine are totally out of control in the morning! We put in our 30 minutes more or less and called it a day. I'm already looking forward to 100+ weather in Texas again!

Since we live in a pine forest and pine trees are evergreens...well....its predominantly ever green here even in the fall. We don't get to see many leaves changing into their autumn attire like we did in Central Maryland, but there are a few.

I'm really NOT looking forward to cold weather...but that's too bad cause next week we will have some VERY cold mornings, the lowest being around 24* on Wednesday morning. Good grief Charlie Brown!!!!

Winters are so hard on me...I crave sunshine like a dog craves meat. I discovered after finally running my DNA that I actually have a mutated gene (1 among many) that causes me to crave the sun...Vitamin D. SO...I've got The Hired Hand onboard to plan a Winter vacation from our permanent vacation, to Puerto Rico! We've got a lot of Southwest points so our airfare is virtually free and renting a small house on one of the islands will be very affordable.

Now I've got something to look forward to midway before it starts to warm up again, which is about February when we can have early Spring temps. Our winter here is usually 3 months, with January being the worst (that's when I'm leaving on a jet plane!)...although to my dismay it started a tad early this year. We found a new house/dog sitter so watch out world...here we come!

Have a cuppa spice tea! Be Sweet,
Diane

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The Shepherd Who Gently Leads

10/26/2019

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I was awake at 4:15A, after 7.5 hours of good restorative sleep. I usually lay there for a few hours to pray for an hour and I've started using resistance bands laying on my back exercising arms and legs before getting up. The Hired Hand usually switches beds sometime during the night...he's my night crawler...he has been for gosh...20+ years. He never sleeps through the night and switches bedrooms so he doesn't disturb me cause he knows how much I treasure sleep. And then kindness in return, I lay there in the morning so I don't wake up the monster....Ozzie. He's a whiner and if he knows I'm awake he'll start making a bunch of noise....so I laid there for 2 hours and couldn't take it any longer and got up to face Mr Whiner. He was actually pretty good this morning and we kept quiet so The Hired Hand could sleep another hour.

As we age....it's just a dance!!!

This morning in my quiet time with The Good Shepherd, He gently guided me to a passage that caused me to be utterly broken with JOY.

I wrote about the desert I've been walking in for the past 3 years, trying desperately to find my JOY restored. Sometimes in the desert, just like the Israelites, we walk in circles hot, tired and thirsty.

We cry out....God where are you?

Why have you forsaken me?

Why did you lead me here?

This morning, I was reading some of my life verses in Isaiah; chapters 61 and 58. But God wanted me in Chapter 55....I started at verse 12.

"For you shall go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you shall
breaks forth into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall
clap their hands."

I stopped there. I already had some worship music on and began worshipping. Because if we fail to worship the rocks will cry out. I let go of some heavy burdens and just wept and sang.

Then I heard the Holy Spirit tell me to not stop. READ verse 13!

"Instead of the thorns shall grow the pine tree;
Instead of the briers shall grow the myrtle;
and it shall make a name for the Lord,
an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."

It took me several times reading verse 13 before I heard the message God had for me.

You see, we bought a pine tree farm and not only does it have pines, it has waxed myrtles.

Do you see?

He has already told me on countless occasions that He has me right where He wants me. But in my desert place I have not see His hand. I've fallen on my knees countless times as I've walked the 2/10 of a mile in our forest to the mailbox....just fallen right there on the gravel crying...."why have you brought me here to just leave me? WHY? WHY would you do this? I don't think I can take much more of this place of great sadness."

Doesn't that sound like the Israelites?

But you know as I do, that He never left me. He has been here all this time. Waiting.

Trying to find our place here in RURAL East Texas has just taken 3 years.

We came back to the little church where I attended for 3 months before The Hired Hand arrived in Texas. I think as a couple we had to attend several other congregations before we could find the place God has for us both. And let's face it, I'm the one who has struggled so greatly with this sadness....being married to a melancholy left brain aspie, he's just as happy as a clam being alone...but I'm not....so really, I'm the The Who counts. Just kidding....but The Hired Hands knows, I need to find a place where my heart is filled with love, kindness and service.

This desert experience has been so I would really press into Him.

"For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their SHEPHERD,
and He will guide them to springs of living water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
Revelation 7:17

Isn't that just like Him? He's a gentleman. He will never force us into anything. He will gently guide us to the living water!!!

Sometimes all we need to do is get into worship and He'll speak to us. He'll show us just what He has for us...and He'll show us just where He wants us.

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Praises!

10/15/2019

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The Hired Hand had his 6 month check up on Friday and we were beyond elated. His bloodwork came back shining like the stars!

His new doc in Texas has wanted to see him every 6 months for almost 3 years.....excessive if you ask me....but then again....I don't like doctors...and I really didn't like this guy! But he keeps trying to find something....I mean, how can a 73 year old man be in prime condition and his only medical complaint is migraine headaches??? The last check up the nurse called and said he was slightly anemic; eat more greens, take an iron pill. Well, come to find out he was .01% anemic!!! I could have rung that nurses neck! She had us both very concerned because often times, the first sign of cancer is anemia. The doctor said they shouldn't have even said anything because there is always the fudge factor. Hubs doesn't ask enough questions when he's there or when they call....SO, I went along for the fun this time....Shake My Head!!! :/

The most amazing numbers were for his PSA...that's the prostate. His numbers have been gradually going up which is quite typical for men as they age but not necessary. His last reading was 4 which is at the top of "normal" and at the point when they start watching...and then they start screaming prostate cancer!!! SO, I remembered a story I heard about 20 years ago pertaining to Progesterone Cream. In the late 90's I started using the cream for PMS and actually Hubs wouldn't allow me to be without a tube, it worked that well.

The story was that a gentleman had prostate cancer and after his wife began using Progesterone Cream his prostate cancer was healed. Interesting....Huh??? I'm sure I don't need to explain to you how he picked up the Progesterone from his wife since the application sights include the breast and the inner thighs. Six months ago I reminded Hubs of that story, so he started using a small dose of Progesterone Cream on the inside of his forearm. And 2 months ago he also began rifing for prostate cancer.

His cousin was diagnosed with prostate cancer a year ago with a particularly aggressive cancer took the life of 1 uncle, was diagnosed in another (cousins dad), and Hubs dad had a different form (not a blood relative to the uncles). SO, he was going to be proactive...as much as possible....at this point in life anyway.

His PSA went from 4 to 1.4 in 6 months!!! His cholesterol is 143, his weight is 135, his BP was 112/65! His red blood cell count "normal", no anemia! We were extremely elated and gave thanks!!! I think he's seen the benefits of eating a Whole Food Plant Based Diet even for just 2 short months! God created our bodies to heal....its just a fact. If we give it the right food and nourishment, it will do what it was designed to do. In just 11 days heart disease & diabetes can be reversed and/or halted!!! 11 days!!!

After experimenting for a year (August 2018-July 2019) on my own body (and now I wish I hadn't), I am convinced that the WFPB diet is what I was meant to eat. My dad died almost 9 years ago, from heart disease, diabetes and complications of both. My mom, 85, has been diagnosed with a leaky heart valve, RA, and blood cancer....she is constantly in pain and is short of breath and nothing can be done to help her...she always says, "I've outlived my expiration date!"

I decided IF I have a choice (and I think we do), I didn't want that to be my destiny. Although these diseases are NOT genetic diseases nor do they "run in the family", but rather, they are lifestyle diseases...habits run in families!

Tomorrow is my 61st birthday and Hubs just turned 73 last week. We are doing life with hearts of gratitude.

Gratefully Yours in Christ,
Diane

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Pots of Gold

10/9/2019

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"Winds in the east, there’s a mist coming in, like something is brewin’ and ’bout to begin. What is that something?"

It's Autumn here in the Piney Woods!

The morning temps are delightfully in the 50's! We haven't taken to the porch yet, but we're fixin to shortly.

The Hired Hand and I have added a long walk to our day. Did you know that walking an hour a day, 7 days a week may increase your health benefit up to 24%? Housework and Gardening even fit in the category of moderate exercise!

NIH tells us that "those with the highest activity had a 20% lower risk for 7 cancer types: esophageal adenocarcinoma, liver, lung, kidney, gastric cardia, endometrial, and myeloid leukemia. They also had a 10-20% lower risk for myeloma and cancers of the head and neck, rectum, bladder, and breast."

Combine diet with exercise and you've got a win win! God made our bodies to heal. Given the right nutrients and exercise, plus a grateful heart and one given to resting in the everlasting arms of our Heavenly Father and not taking to fear and stress...it will happen. It may take time, but remember it took your body a LONG time to scream and tell you it has had enough!

As most of you know, I've been hooked on health for well over 20 years (mostly out of necessity. I've healed from nearly a lifetime of chronic Lyme disease plus 4 other co-infections and I'm still healing from lifetime of asthma and the side affects of childhood Epstein Barr Virus) ...I wish it was well over 60 years but sadly, I was raised eating the SAD (standard American diet) and I spent most of my early adult life eating SAD. My kid's friends referred to me as a "hippy"! I was a crunchy mama, before it was even cool to be considered a crunchy mama! We've been eating organic and using alternative medicines, cleaning supplies and recycling for well over 30 years! My kids never got a soda after 1993....at least a soda I bought. For the most part our daughter is raising her 2 sons the same. It's easier to pass those things onto daughters than it is sons. It's nice to start with a clean slate too.

I'm tickled pink when The Hired Hand says...."can you fix sweet potato fries please? Did you know that they are packed with Vitamin A and C and are antioxidants and anti-inflammatory foods?"

I smile and say, you bet I'll get those ready ASAP!

We don't eat any added oils or fats...we get our fats from our veggies (where do you think vegetable oils come from? :) ) and The Hired Hand can eat nuts and seeds, but I can't because I'm mostly allergic to all of them. However, if I avoid them for a long time, on occasion I can have a handful of walnuts.

I fix my sweet potato fries by peeling and slicing and then par boiling them for 5 minutes before popping them in the air frier at 400* for 15 minutes. I just love my air fryer!!!

I started with a very small inexpensive air fryer because I wasn't sure how I'd like it or if I'd use it. I did but found it to be too small...so I upgraded to a GoWise 6 qt for around $100. But since I use it SO much and really want more options as far as temperature, my Christmas gift this year will be a Breville Air Fryer/Convection/Toaster Oven.

I have an "adda boy" bonus I've been saving from The Hired Hands working days...hehehe...that's funny....which will allow me to save 50% of the cost of this Breville. I'm waiting for an additional discount from a holiday sale and should get a pretty good deal on it. But for now my GoWise 6qt is serving us well.

Since this is only my second growing season in East Texas, zone 8b/9a I am very pleased with my small harvest of sweet potatoes which I grew from my own slips that I grew remembering our simple second grade science experiments of putting a sweet potato in water with toothpicks and watching it grow!!! You snap those off and root them in water and they are called "slips". Plant them and wait for gold to grow!

I didn't weigh my bag but it's around 10#. Most were pretty good size but one bucket had lots of little fingerlings in the bottom. I'm curing them in the greenhouse but the temps are still pretty cool. I need a couple weeks of warmer temps. Knowing Texas, if you don't like the weather....wait 10 minutes...it will change!

Eat your colorful veggies and fruits!!! Your body will thank you!

Eat To Live,
Diane

"You're not sick because you have cancer/heart disease, diabetes, etc. You have cancer/heart disease, diabetes, etc. because your body is sick." Eat to live!

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The Shepherd's Studio

10/5/2019

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My Happy Place

I still haven't found a home for everything....but like eating an elephant...one bite at a time!

I got my basic art table set up and have done a few watercolors.

It feels good to paint again!

I've got 2 old chairs to finish upholstering....they had good old bones and just needed some TLC. I came to a stand still because I've got to tie springs and need a day to fight with that!

We brought some old chairs with us (against the wall) and I'm going to give all of them new seats and a coat of colorful chalk paint....love that stuff!!! Some old tables will also get a coat!

I love this little alcove. My Grandma's old Hoiser bottom fit perfectly and I hung a mirror over the electric box.

My sewing supplies are stashed in the closet for now....The Hired Hand is building me a sewing table. He's gotten pretty good at this building thing....every time he turns around now I ask for something! We're trying to repurpose as much as possible. Wait till you see the barn door he built for the bathroom! It's beautiful and made from leftover tongue and groove ceiling wood....that's what he's going to use for my sewing table too. It's great!

The Hired Hand built the island. We moved the oak top 1400 miles which we had made in Maryland and all the cabinets except the center "sink" cabinet were also on the moving truck. I had a vision...it just took a while to be fulfilled. I was transformed in the waiting period.

I love all the different wood tones. The Shiplap and tongue and groove came from local mills. Here in the Piney Woods of East Texas we have many many small and large sawmills because....it's literally the piney woods!

I love how the stairs turned out. The man that built the basic shell used very narrow boards and since the angle is fairly steep anyway....it made it pretty precarious to go up and down. So The Hired Hand took them completely apart and rebuilt them.....and we're so glad he did! I stained just about everything in the studio...and the steps are my favorite!!! We still haven't figured out what to use for railings and/or balusters. What I want is too labor intensive....so, for now...we're just not sleep walking! ;)

The Wool Room

I know this resembles a bedroom....but it's not! It's the wool room! The bed is in case I get tired!

I refinished that antique dresser almost 40 years ago when I was a newlywed, it was bright red and The Hired Hand fixed the drawers so I don't have to fight with them anymore. I just had a new mirror put in and LOVE it!!!!

I found this old iron bed for $95! What a steal! I bought the rug for the house but with 2 dogs....well, it just wasn't staying clean. :( I hate that they dictate my life....but that's just the way it is for now.

It's coming together....TTT. Things Take Time! I'll eventually get everything in it's place and then won't be able to find anything.

If you're in the neighborhood, stop in for a cuppa tea! I'll have the water waiting!

In The Waiting Places,
Diane

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Fall Gardening In Texas & Cancer

9/28/2019

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Our temps have finally cooled off a little here. Our high is about 93 instead of 99-110! The sun is much lower in the sky and although we've been in a drought for 3 months, it's not feeling like scorched earth.

I'm still harvesting eggplant and peppers from my container garden on the driveway pad. I think my summer squash actually do better in a late summer planting. My harvest of Butternut Squash came from volunteer plants that came out of my compost. :)

My first attempt at fall greens only burned up in the heat of August. I finally reseeded Arugula the last week of August before my trip to Maryland and it came on strong while I was gone! I love the peppery bite from Arugula...The Hired Hand not so much. I used it in his carrot juice this morning and he said, "Somethings a little different today." I said, "Arugula!" He sorta frowned but drank it anyway. We're upping his antioxidants and anti androgen foods after we found a large Basel Cell Carcinoma on his face. He's treating it with Rife therapy and food. It's been quite a shake up for him because of the location being so close to his ear, eye and brain. It was hiding under his sideburn, so we failed to see it growing. It started out a good inch in diameter. After Rifing for a month it's reduced in size dramatically.

He opted out of surgery for the time being. Gave up sugar because if anything loves sugar more than my man, it's cancer! For the most part he's eating a Whole Food Plant Based/Oil & Sugar Free Diet with me but since he is also slightly anemic, he's eating some meat 2-3X week. Personally, I wouldn't but he's his own man and I'll help him whatever ways I can. We're hoping this is the only cancer he has or ever will have. We have an appointment in a few weeks to check on a few other areas of concern. We covet your prayers.

I have a big incentive to grow lots of greens for this fall....he needs them and I love them! He'll get a big punch of nutrients in an 8oz glass than I couldn't force feed into him on any given day.

I'm making use of everything, even sweet potato leaves! I chopped them up in the mix I made for Spring Rolls. The Hired Hand ate them but didn't request a repeat!!!

I'm hoping there's a big pot of gold under all these sweet potato vines! Actually 2 big tubs of vines! These are my first ever sweet potatoes and I started a fall pot....we'll see if they have enough time before our first big freeze in December.

My gardening in Texas has been nothing short of a miracle! We live in a forest, we only have sun in a few choice areas...one being on the driveway pad. SO, since we only have 1 car and use 1 bay, the other side houses my container garden. I think I had a good dozen pepper plants, 6-8 eggplants, and 6 summer squash. I've got a couple pineapple plants, gogi berry, hibiscus, fig, artichoke, a tub of turmeric....and multiple citrus; lemon, grapefruit, satsuma, sweet orange and my favorite, kumquats! It's been fun trying new plants in our zone 8b-9a. Watering is a daily essential though...but I have a routine now and everybody gets a good drink every morning.

I attempted to add perennial plants to my mostly sun/part shade side yard. We have nothing but sugar sand here for "soil". I'd hardly call it soil....it's just sand! But we found a source of mushroom compost and it does miracles for growing after I huff it and haul it 1 load at a time in the wheelbarrow!

My garden garden is really a collection of "islands" where I've built up the compost. I leave wide open spaces for walking so I can spot snakes...thank goodness...none so far to scream about!!! I use the livestock tubs for carrots, greens and extra space since I'm chasing the sun here too.

For the most part my 2nd growing season in Texas was a big success!!! I'm trying to embrace the change of pace and rejoice in the different variety.

God is the giver of all things. By His hands we are fed.

By His Grace Alone,
Diane

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Diane

Current Resume
I am now a retired FarmHer of the most amazing creatures God created; Sheep!!! I loved every day I was blessed with Shepherding them. I now am focusing on my art and gardening and allowing The Lord to use it for His Glory. I designed and we built The Shepherd's Studio (Sept 2019...complete) on our awesome 25 acre pine tree farm and have NO idea what God will do with it....but It's His to use however He chooses. I continue to be ever so excited about health issues, food and fun! Over the past 2 decades it's been my ongoing endeavor to find health and healing. I've experimented/biohacked myself with Whole Food Plant Based, Keto, Carnivore, Paleo....all of them! The way of eating that makes me feel my best and breathe freely with life long asthma, is the Whole Food Plant Based way of life...more specifically, Dr John McDougall's Starch Based Diet. We are enjoying our retirement days together seeking The Father together for whatever He has for us here in East Texas. We remain broken and poured out vessels for His purposes. We love our quiet and peaceful life here in The Piney Woods.

The Shepherd's Studio

A Life Well Lived For Yehoshua!

Happy Fall Y'all

Have a cuppa spice tea! Be Sweet,
Diane

The Shepherd Who Gently Leads

Praises!

Gratefully Yours in Christ,
Diane

Pots of Gold

Eat To Live,
Diane

The Shepherd's Studio

My Happy Place

The Wool Room

In The Waiting Places,
Diane

Fall Gardening In Texas & Cancer

By His Grace Alone,
Diane

Diane

Archives

Categories

The Shepherd's Studio A Life Well Lived For Yehoshua!

Happy Fall Y'all

Have a cuppa spice tea! Be Sweet,​Diane

The Shepherd Who Gently Leads

Praises!

Gratefully Yours in Christ,​Diane

Pots of Gold

Eat To Live,​Diane

The Shepherd's Studio

My Happy Place

The Wool Room

In The Waiting Places,​Diane

Fall Gardening In Texas & Cancer

By His Grace Alone,​Diane

Diane

Archives

Categories

The Shepherd's Studio

A Life Well Lived For Yehoshua!

Have a cuppa spice tea! Be Sweet,
Diane

Gratefully Yours in Christ,
Diane

Eat To Live,
Diane

In The Waiting Places,
Diane

By His Grace Alone,
Diane