maybe it was the chocolate

"Excuse me? Was that directed to me?"

 

Actually, I'm just talking out loud and you happen to be here.

 

"Fine, I'll play. Maybe what was the chocolate?"

 

The sudden onset of my heart issue, of the atrial fibrillation.

I'm wondering now if it was from all that dark chocolate I was eating.

 

"Really? And what makes you wonder that?"

 

The ex sent me a link to a consumer report about the toxic levels of heavy metals present in several brands of dark chocolate.

I responded with "What?! Lead in dark chocolate?"

Not missing a beat, he replied, "Cadmium in your Cadbury bar."

(smile)

 

"Well, maybe that's some byproduct of the processing of those beans.

Maybe they've found the source and have corrected the issue."

 

Lead contamination does seem to be a function of processing.

However, that isn't true for the cadmium contamination.

Back in 2019, a group called As You Sow had a lawsuit against several chocolate manufacturers because of the lead and cadmium content of their candy.

That's when researchers found that cacao plants take up cadmium from the soil, with the metal accumulating in cacao beans as the tree grows.

The darker the chocolate, the more cacao present, the higher the cadmium levels.

It's very disconcerting to think that something touted as a 'heart-healthy' treat might actually be a source of heart damage.

"Those all seem to be bar chocolate and you hardly ever ate those...

Damn!

Is that Dove Promises at the bottom of that list?

Those were your favorites!"

So they were.

By the end of summer 2021, I was going through them, too.

'Heart-healthy', right?

Plus, I enjoyed reading those little sayings inside the wrappers.

CVS was giving me a 40% off coupon from CVS every week, so I kept my habit supplied.

I was eating two ounces a day for the six months before I landed in the hospital.

That means 6 to 8 of the Promises, daily, split up as desserts for each meal.

Daily!

"So, just what kind of levels were found of cadmium and lead?

How did the study by Consumer Reports determine what "toxic" meant?"

 

Here's what they used as their standards.

To determine the risk posed by the chocolates in CR’s test, we used California's maximum allowable dose level (MADL) for lead (0.5 micrograms) and cadmium (4.1mcg)... because there are no federal limits for the amount of lead and cadmium most foods can contain, and CR’s scientists believe that California’s levels are the most protective available.

They tested the Dove Promises Deeper Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao.

Per ounce, that chocolate had 74% the MADL for lead and 112% the MADL for cadmium.

Since I was indulging in almost two ounces per day, that means I was consuming roughly 0.74 micrograms of lead and 9.184 micrograms of cadmium.

Damn.

Damn.

Damn.

Neither of those metals are good for blood pressure, either, so that was just exacerbating the problem that developed with my heart.

"I am so sorry to hear all that.

Can anything be done to offset the presence of the metals?"

Well, calcium is good for helping to clean those out. 

I eat plenty of milk and cheeses, so those have got to have made a dent in any of lead or cadmium still in my system.

Iron is helpful, too, so meat products, including the dairy and eggs, will be useful.

I wonder if any of my blood work at the VA checks for cadmium and lead?

Maybe I should ask my PCP about that.

 

"For your peace of mind, you certainly should.

Meanwhile, stay away from dark chocolate!

Heck, stay away from any chocolate!"

Yes, ma'am.

Will do.

Now, I'm going to put this behind me and go see the Christmas musical at the Savannah Children's Theatre.

This year, it's about Rudolph instead of Charlie Brown, so I'll see how it goes.

"You do that... and be sure to sing along, too."

(smile)

beans and rotini soup!

Yesterday hit 70; today will barely make it to 60.

As for the weekend, we've got the mid-50's by day and 30's by night.

What does all that mean?

Soup weather!!!

Rather than head back southside to the Olive Garden, I thought I'd try my hand at pasta e fagioli.

I always have some kind of beans around, and some form of noodle, so why not?

And you know what?

It was fabulous!!!

I just may need to make a big batch of it and keep it handy.

Here's the recipe, and I'm putting it in the one place I know i won't lose it: in my blog.

(smile!)

 

* * * * *

pasta e fagioli a la faustina

 

2 cups of broth (fat-free, low sodium, chicken used)

1 large stalk of celery, sliced lengthwise, then into 1/2" pieces

12 slices of turkey pepperoni, cut into fourths

Mrs. Dash Lemon Pepper and Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herbs, to taste

1/2 cup of beans (low sodium kidney beans this time, rinsed well)

1 serving of dry pasta (I used rotini this time) 

On medium heat, bring the broth to a boil.

While stirring, add the celery, pepperoni, and seasonings, then cook about 10 minutes.

Stir in the beans, let return to boil, then add pasta.

Stir occasionally and cook until the pasta is al dente (about ten minutes for the rotini).

Enjoy!

* * * * *

 

With the weather flip-flopping all over the place, it's a wonder more folks aren't sick.

Between COVID and Influenza A running rampant, if's not safe to regard a sneeze or cough as just part of a head cold.

Believe me, I'm doing my part at keeping myself, and others, well by having a mask wherever I go.

I wish more people would do the same.

Omicron has two Barbeque variants that make up almost 70 percent of all new cases here in the USA.

Yeah, I'm surprised that the media hasn't glommed onto that moniker, given the identities given to those variants.

Instead, BQ.1.1 is called Cerberus, and it's the more dominant right now. That's its spread in the upper graph.

The lower graph has the numbers for BQ.1, known in media speak as Typhon.

So, what does it mean?

Here's the gist: wear those masks, folks.

There are all kinds of respiratory nasties out there and you don't want them.

Also, make sure children wear masks, too.

As well as these grown-up diseases, there's Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and a particularly nasty streptococcus that's sending kids to hospitals gasping for air.

Very scary.

Just try to stay aware of those around you and avoid crowds when possible.

Does that mean I'm not going to the play at SavChTh this evening?

Of course not... but my mask will travel with me and go on when needed.

Happy holidays!

a methodist, a baptist, and a jew celebrate the season!

This was at Asbury Memorial Church, once part of the United Methodist Church and still practicing as John Wesley had.

The event was almost a week after the church Christmas party.

Perfectly timed for Mama's birthday, the 13th Colony Sound was in the house that Saturday evening to present "Holiday Harmonies".

What perfect acoustics for their a cappella singing!

I wasn't actually feeling down, but I will definitely attest that after an hour of their melodious renditions of familiar Christmas songs, with me accompanying them sotto voce, I was certainly in higher spirits when I departed!

Well done!

The next day found me at Southside Baptist Church.

It's just around the corner and down the street.

They were presenting "A Christmas In Savannah" and I wanted to experience their show.

What a show it was, too!

Liturgical dancers enacting in pantomime, a formal orchestra in the wings, full choir in holiday colors, and even an acoustic sing-along of carols with the audience standing in the packed pews!

There were even ribbon twirlers during "The Little Drummer Boy", with four teens lightly playing their drums in key places in the audience.

Truly a magnificent show!

I could have done without the sermonizing segments, though, as they were a bit of a downer.

I arrived just as the free show began and stayed until candles were lit at the end.

Tonight, Barbara and I were off to see the Wizard!

Rather, that's what I thought we were doing at Bnai Brith Jacob Synagogue... nope!

Rambam Day School was presenting its annual holiday play and this year it was a musical!!!

"There's No Place Like Home" had Dorothy and her brother Toto, swept up by a tornado and deposited in the Land of the Munchkins, with Glenda, Gladys, and Gus telling them to follow the Yellow Brick Road to find the Promised Land.

Magnificent fun!

So were the Scarecrow and the Tin Man and that Lion with its Spotted Cow!

There was even a cow of a different color - hahahaha!

And Oz turned out to be a farmer named Boaz wearing a straw hat!

No slack in this show, as it zoomed right along from scene to musical number to the next scene!

The closing number was, of course, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's version of the classic song.

I sang right along with all those kids strumming ukeleles to "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What A Wonderful World" - what a finish!

 

Three holiday-themed performances, all located in midtown, all for free.

What a blessing!

i thank You, God! 

not THAT polar express!

Did you think I was referring to the one on my abdomen?

It's faded out to a single white line that runs between the area where the two tracks were.

After all, it's been just over twelve years since the hysterectomy.

However, that's the wrong train.

"The Polar Express" was the right one, and I caught it to finish my A*List -

wooooo hooooo, wooo hoo!

Barbara caught it with me, so I stayed through the end credits with her.

That's when I realized something: Mama never saw this movie.

I've been telling folks that it was one of her favorites, but that's not true.

The BOOK was one of her favorites.

She would have Jeff read it to all her grandchildren at the Christmas Eve gathering.

His radio voice was perfect for that.

(smile)

But the movie?

It came out late in 2004, almost four years after her death.

That came as a shock to me.

No matter.

I'm still going to see it again on Sunday morning with the four little blondes.

Most likely, I prepare for it with the same breakfast I had today.

Yep, that's bowtie pasta alongside coffee in my caribou-adorned mug!

Okay, you're right, that's not a caribou, it's an elk that no longer exists... which makes it entirely okay as a movie extra!

I'm sure it would have blended right in with those millions of caribou that were using the land the train rode upon as their grazing field.

(smile!)

And the bowties are real, too, even if they do go by their fancy name: farfalle.

Sounds farfetched to me... and I'm sure the hot cocoa-serving waiters on the train would most definitely agree!

I had more of that pasta for dinner upon my return home, but as a soup instead of a bare-style mac'n'cheese.

And for dessert?

Chocolate, but cold, in the form of a 9g-protein Ensure - delicious!

What a fun way to fill my A*List dance card!

(smile!)

elf and the garden of olive

Today was pretty well planned, meaning no extraneous driving was done.

After the appointment with my Primary Care Physician, I stayed southside to dine.

And just where was I?

I was at Olive Garden, silly one kenobi!

And just why was that such a good idea?

Well, I knew what movie was on my agenda for the afternoon, didn't I?

"Elf" was the 4:45 PM Christmas movie at the 10, as well as one of the three shared with little blonde girls that first Sunday this month.

And just what did that have to do with Italian food?

Oh, please, you know spaghetti had to be eaten after the movie, right?

That was Buddy the Elf's first real meal in New York with his biological dad.

And it was what he thought was their favorite meal, too, taking great care in making a great mass of the pasta for them for breakfast the next day.

Hahahaha!

I made sure to come home with two of the "spaghetti with meat sauce" take-outs, one for dinner, one for some other time.

For only $6, how could I not?

As for lunch, I had the pasta y fagiole soup with that great salad they make there - delicious!!!

I ate every bite of both!

Now, to check in some folks and see if their packages have arrived yet!

(smile!)

aging? here's what to expect

i thank You, God, that Susan Barker was back to take care of me today.

For my last PCP appointment, she was out, having a worse health year than I have had.

She's had three surgeries and five hospitalizations since last December.

Ouch.

Poor me, I had to deal with a substitute in May because she was out.

As the guys would sing on "Heehaw", "doom, despair, and agony on me/ deep dark depression, excessive misery/ if it weren't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all/ doom, despair, and agony on me".

(smile)

That song always brings a smile to my face, as well as the image of my Daddy singing along and hamming it up.

(smile!) 

So, what piece of advice did my dear doc have for me?

That irksome crust that builds up on the outer edge of my 'innie' navel is naught to fear.

Nope.

That's just another part of getting older.

Seriously.

The skin there dries out and drifts to the surface, where it dries out further and, within two days, forms a raised, slightly gummy, crust.

Ewww... but, apparently, not a sign of the apocalypse.

Just another one of those things that happens when you keep living.

You know.

Like getting gray hairs...

like getting smile lines and crow's feet...

like getting chin whiskers or a mustache if you're a woman...

like getting floaters in your eyes that make you think birds are in the air...

like getting skin tags and crusty freckles and brown spots...

like getting cataracts...

and, now, going from belly button lint to navel crust.

Yeah, getting older is not for sissies...

but it still beats the alternative.

Just be prepared for it and don't panic!

Maybe keep a towel with you, just in case.

You know, like you're a hitchhiker in this galaxy...

which you are, just as I am, catching a ride on Earth until we reach our destination.

Douglas Adams had that right.

(smile!)

Time for lunch!

Now, which gift card to use?

(smile!)

grinchy fun with lunch-e-on

Had to get it to rhyme, didn't I?

Of course I did!

It's been one of those lovely days, 

even if 'twere a bit chilly.

That's because I was in the company 

of the Chemistry Ladies!

See?

This is us, taken at my insistence 

just before we departed.

Our group has grown since

our last Christmas Luncheon

at Cracker Barrel.

Lea, in the teal top, made our fifth.

Brooke, bless her, is still the youngest,

but the gap is not as wide now.

She's getting in her nursing practice now,

so she stays crazy busy.

Then there's Cathy, Yvonne, and,

wearing Mama's Christmas tree pin,

me, in a top that looks lighter than it is.

Those two plan to retire in two years, or,

as they put it, four more semesters.

Hooray for them!!!

(smile!)

 

And what did we have at Cracker Barrel?

Well, two of the party had the fried turkey.

That was not my choice.

That was the selection of both Yvonne and Brooke.

Another had the vegetable soup and a salad.

Nope, not mine, either, but for Cathy, our eldest.

Leah had the four veggies plate.

Good choice, and one I tend to get often.

However, not this time.

Nope!

With so much Grinch viewing of late, I had a taste for one thing, and one thing only: Roast Beast!

Oh, so very good it was, too!

And everyone, including the waitress, got a kick out of me calling it that!

(smile!)

Best of all, there was a gracious plenty of it, with me taking home half of the meat and the fries.

Even better, after seeing "Dr. Seuss' The Grinch" again this afternoon - to catch the bits I'd missed on Saturday - I knew exactly what to do with the leftovers: Who Hash!!!

The recipe built itself in my mind on the drive home.

Celery?

Onion?

Yes, and yes, bought at Aldi's last week!

I diced up a medium purple onion and a large stalk of the celery and set them to saute.

Then it was to dice the steak fries and roast beast from the luncheon.

Into the pan they went!

Then, to please the Grinch's taste buds, generous sprinkles of Mrs Dash Garlic & Herbs!

Oh, my, what a heavenly aroma!

But something else was needed...

I've got it!

When I was growing up, hash was always served atop rice!

I'd bought some of that at Aldi's, too!

Perfect!

And it was, too.

Ah, such a lovely day I've had!

(smile!)

tracking women through the years

This was Claire's last Sunday before retirement and she had chosen, for this third week of Advent, to concentrate on the women forebears of Jesus' lineage.

That's a pretty tricky thing to do.

She had two women stand and read the genealogy of Jesus and, quite frequently, they would have to say 'unknown woman' before proceeding to the next name on the list.

I am well aware of the difficulty of such a task of tracing the mothers that brought forth my ancestors.

I have been working on that, off and on, for several years.

I'd recently gotten back into it, after getting some new data from an old source: our Family Bible.

I'd input the new names and dates, watching the family tree grow, assured that I was on the right track.

How so?

With MyHeritage.com, after you've entered data, a little brown leaf or little green leaf will pop up, to let you know it's valid.

The brown leaf is for information found in official record sources, such as the Social Security Index or the Birth, Death, and Marriage Records.

The green leaf appears for information that matches that in the trees of other users of that genealogy site.

Here's the caveat: you can only look at their exact data if you buy an annual subscription. 

Yeah, not planning to do that any time soon.

However, I have been able to unearth another woman on my father's mother's side.

Her name?

Mabel Brown, nee Franklin.

No middle name, no birth date or death date, no marriage date for her union with Robert Leonard Brown.

No little leaves of either color to let me know I'm on the right track, either.

However, thanks to my paternal cousin, Becky, I already have a clue that I'm correct.

She's the youngest daughter of Daddy's only sibling, my Aunt Barbara.

Back in 2016, she had done some of the same backtracking I'm doing.

She's already found that Benjamin Franklin is our uncle, back several generations.

What a relief when I found that a 'Franklin' is, indeed, in our line!

Here's the problem, though.

With no birth or death dates, I'm stuck right now.

I've made good use of "Find A Grave" to locate the menfolk and get their dates.

For instance, I found exact birth dates and death dates for my father's paternal grandfather, Guy Merritt Smith, as well as his grave site.

Not only that, but I found his wife's name and her dates, too!

Both of them died in the early 1960's, but I never knew them.

And just how do I know those names are correct?

Well, like I said, they were listed in the Family Bible that my parents were given by Mama's parents, with the family tree partially filled in.

Also, my father named my two stepbrothers with the middle names of his two grandfathers, with Merritt for the younger son and Leonard for the older one.

I'm going to keep at it, but it's a rabbit hole that gobbles hours of time...

kind of like facebook does, but for the dead.

Anyway, how did I get sidetracked into that?

 

Oh, yes, missing mothers.

Of course, I went to visit Mama after Asbury Memorial 

Church and Claire's sermon.

I had intended to do so yesterday, but by the time I was 

done with Christina and her two little girls, Greenwich 

was soon to be closing.

I wanted a leisurely visit, so I had waited for today.

I didn't stay long.

The cemetery was quite busy and very noisy.

What to do then?

I let my car take whatever path it wanted.

That found me driving by my youngest brother's house 

instead of to my home.

Good choice!

His two older grandchildren were over there, visiting, 

and guess what they had done?

They went to see "The Grinch" this morning because 

I had told them of the free movies!

How very nice!

Laura was busy trimming the Christmas tree; Tony and 

his son were redoing the bathroom; and the two teens

were just trying to stay out from underfoot.

So that gave me a chance to talk with them - very nice!

Carissa is showing off an ornament she made with Laura and 

she liked the eight maids a-milking one received from me.

She's very much into playing basketball for school.

Dylan liked his ornament, too, which had been the twelve 

drummers drumming.

He gets to hear lots of that when he's playing football, which 

is pretty awesome that he gets field time as a freshman!

How nice to get to spend a bit of time with them!

Hopefully I'll get to see Hope and her boys again soon.

"The 12 Days of Christmas" ornaments for them exactly matched their ages!

That means Sebi got the nine ladies dancing and Bert has six geese a-laying.

I just love how well that worked out this year!

Now to get ready for a celebration at a nearby church.

I've told Tony and Laura about it, but I don't think they'll make it this time.

That house only has one bathroom... so getting it done takes priority.

(smile!)

for her bday85

Dearest Mama,

 

Happy 85th birthday.

 

Your first granddaughter and I spent time together, along with her two little blondes.

 

You would have loved them!

 

That's Chloe on the left and Miyah on the right.

 

I taught them years ago to get up and dance during the end credits of a movie.

 

Sure, partly it was to blow off energy before they got into the car to return to Hinesville, but mostly it's because it's a fun thing to do.

 

You remember how much I've always loved to dance!

 

Christina doesn't usually join us on that apron.

 

She takes advantage of that time to gather all their stuff and have a quiet moment before the hustle and bustle of being a Mommie returns.

 

So, I get to play Great-Aunt during those moments.

 

(smile!) 

Here was another such today!

So, the first one was after we saw "Dr. Seuss' The Grinch", from 2018.

It was another free holiday treat from NCG Cinema.

 

Next weekend, we'll be together again for "The Polar Express" (hopefully with Michael and his two blondes.)

(smile!)

Where was I?

 

Oh, yes, my second time of serving as a distraction for the two here!

 

We went to the Jalapenos in Sandfly for a bit of lunch and spent probably two hours there.

 

It wasn't that the place was overly busy, as it was not.

 

We caught it after the lunch rush.

 

No, we were there enjoying each other's company, chatting and eating and singing.

 

Yes, that's right!

 

Two diners there had their birthdays, so the whole staff would make noise and have a little parade and sing to them.

 

So... near the end of the meal, we were talking about Christmas songs and that naturally led to the Christmas ornaments I gave them last week.

 

How so?

 

Chloe got "four calling birds" and Miyah received "five golden rings", but they didn't know what song they represented.

 

Oh, that just would not do!

 

So, just as you would have done, I started singing "The Twelve Days Of Christmas", making a big point of turning to each girl when their ornament appeared in the tune...

 

and Christina Ann joined right in with me!

 

Miyah even sang along for the "five golden rings" part!

 

That's a pretty long song... but no one complained, so we did the whole thing!

 

(smile!)

 

Then we paid the bill and shuffled on out to the parking lot.

 

Time for me to distract the girls again!

 

Whipping out my cell phone, I told them to make scary faces... and they did!

 

That kept them occupied until Mommie got all their stuff into her car.

 

Very nice!!!

 

Then a flurry of hugs and "I love you"s and they were off to get hair cuts!

 

Ah, such a fun day we've had, with you on our minds and in our hearts.

 

I miss you so, still.

 

Always.

 

Tonight I'll join mi amigas for a free concert at Asbury Memorial.

 

The 13th Colony Sound will bring their a cappella voices to fill the sanctuary.

I know you'll enjoy their songs, too, rising up through the night air.

(smile)

with much love always,

your one and only,

ever-loving,

daughter