This week in Anniversaries

Sunday the 21st was my wedding anniversary. 

8 years!!! 

Some days those years feel so short, like the time went by so fast, too fast. Other days it seems sooo long. Who would have ever thought I would be married for 8 years. And so much has happened in those 8 years. Just as I think, and say out loud occasionally, there just aren't enough hours in each day to get done what I want and need to get done...when I look back on 8 years there seems to be so much time there! 

Time I could have done more with. 

Not that these last 8 years haven't been great, they have held many blessings for me and for John. It just seems we could have squeezed in a little more "doing". 

John and I began our anniversary celebration by going to a movie together a couple of nights before our anniversary. On the actually day of our anniversary we both got up, got ready for church, attended church, came home ate lunch, having both forgotten which day it was!!!! Not until my precious daughter texted me with well wishes for the special day it was, did I remember. I promptly went and gave John a big ol' hug and smooch right in front of Damon!!!! I like to try and gross him out every now and then. but this time he was cheering..kiss more, kiss more! He seems to be in a kissing phase, might have to cut back on his viewing of movies and TV. He has been trying to kiss me and say, let's get married, or let's have a married kiss....hahaha 6 yr old boys! Though it warms my heart when he talks about wanting to marry me, or someone as beautiful as me. awhhh. 

John and I plan on finishing our celebration at the gun range! Of all places. I wanted to get pedicures together, we need them, but he wants me to practice with my new gun, which is a good idea. 

Yesterday however, was the anniversary of my diagnosis with stage IV Colon Cancer. ugh. 

I was sitting outside yesterday afternoon watching my very active son play while I soaked up some sun. While feeling the bright, warming rays on my face it dawned on me that this day three years ago was also a very beautiful day, in Kodiak, Alaska. While my husband and I were driving home from having heard the news, the sun was beating down through the windshield. I wanted nothing more than to go home and get out my lawn chair and sit in that sun the rest of the day, or walk the neighborhood with my son, or take him to the playground. But it wasn't to happen that way. I called my best friend there in Kodiak, Amy Earle, and asked if she and her family could watch Damon for a few hours. I had to go back to the hospital for some tests and scans. I had to drink this big jug of nasty liquid. I told her on the phone I wasn't ok, but would have to fill her in later when Damon wasn't listening...I think. Some details like that slip my mind. Maybe I did tell her right then. I was in such shock that any thought of Damon overhearing me was possibly cast aside. Some of my weaker moments! 

Needless to say Amy and her husband, Jake willingly took Damon, then I went home to drink my gallon of guk, and my mom called while I was there. She had bad news. Her sister had just passed that morning. Mom was crying and so sad, I completely understand, but now I had to give her more bad news. I had to bring her down more. I had to completely ruin her day, week, weekend, month even. I let her talk and when she was done I asked her to sit down. I told her I hated to do this, to grieve her further but I had news of my own. "I have Cancer", I told her. We both started crying, and mom was very upset. When she calmed a little, I asked her to come right away as I was to go into surgery in four days. We needed help with Damon and the home. 

So John and I headed back to town, I don't know what was going through Johns head, but all I could think about was "this is a test of our faith", and "what will my son turn out to be like if I don't raise him?" "how can I miss all the things my son is going to go through in his growing up years?!" I can't!!! I have to be here. 

So, while the beautiful, warm, brilliant sun shone outside, I was inside getting scans, and talking to my doctor. 

I am happy and blessed to be here 3 years later....statistically speaking I shouldn't be. I AM! And I am still fighting statistics. 

I am going to keep fighting. I welcome and appreciate all your happy, positive thoughts, and prayers! 

May you have many "happy" anniversaries. 

love,

Dani

Just when you do one thing...

One thing......being getting my bike down and pumping up the tires, and putting away the winter gear. Just when I do all that, it snows for the second time since we had a week of warmer temps and  a bunch of melting going on.
Two separate weeks of warmer temps. It warmed up, then it snowed.
It warmed up again and that snow melted along with old snow...the ditches have been overflowing and most of the yard was snow free. I even went outside without a coat a few times. Then is started snowing again!
Tricky tricky tricky.
Another trick.....starting a project which involves yarn, thinking you have enough because you bought how much it said you would need for that project...only to run out. Upon returning to that store the yarn you need is GONE! yes, GONE....every last one, in every darn color.
DArn darn darn......
So I picked a different yarn, for a completely different project and bought an extra skein...more than it suggests I would need for the project I am planning. I hope it's enough because with my luck if its not, that yarn won't be available when I return.
This is a lesson one would think I have already learned! Well at least me and my daughter would think so. (right Kaili?!) She is always telling me, if you don't buy it now it probably won't be here next time....not speaking of yarn but clothing or shoes...
I heard back from Mr. Gore though. The author of the book I mentioned in my previous post. He emailed me back and said he is going to call me. Awesome. I look forward to speaking with him.
Happy weekend everyone!
Dani

aaawwwwhhh yum

Well
So much has happened.
I have made a lot of recipes since I have been home, but not all of the ones I learned, yet.
John and Damon seem to already have their favorites and so have made those a few times.
Tonight I made butternut squash soup again...third time,except the second time I made it only potato soup at John's request and added some of the potatoes as chunks.
Chunks were requested.
Chunks were given.
Broccoli was also requested.
Broccoli with added.
John loved it.
Me,
Not so much!!!
I just love the creamy, squashy, soupy, texture and taste.
I dream about what it would taste like coming from a big, warm, melt in my mouth bread bowl.
mmmmm, I can still dream!!!!
Carrot juice doesn't really conjure up many "dreams" of such things, so when I make the soup, I love the moment.
I found these cool flatbread things at the store, they fold in half and make great veggie sandwiches. I have to have pickles on mine! John loved that too!
John and I went to the Great Alaska Sportsmans Show last saturday and looked at the infrared saunas. We ended up at the store later that day to discuss with Linda, the deal we might get on one. When she found out I had Cancer, she gave me a book. "Defeat Cancer: A Battle Plan for Living" by Gregory A. Gore. It's a great book. I am eagerly reading it to get more wonderful information about what to put in my body that can be healing and nutritional.
She gave me his phone number too. I do have questions for him, but didn't feel brave enough to call, so I called Linda and asked if she could supply me with his email address instead. She did, and I just got done emailing me my questions.
I hope I hear back from him soon.
I will let you know.
I have been busy juicing, walking, and Damon and I even went for our first bike ride of the season two night ago. the weather has been nice with Temps in the 40's during the afternoon. Next week will be cooler again, in the 20's. hmmmm, and we thought spring was coming. hahaha, in Alaska the joke is always on us.
The sauna..?
It's therapeutic.
Relaxing.
Warm.
Or hot. 
I love getting in and reading, or just praying, or meditating to relaxing music while I sweat!
It has colored lights so I can turn them according to my mood...blue, green, red, or red and blue, red and green.
It has a cd player too so I can play my relaxing cd's.
mmm so nice.
Blessings to each of you!!!!
Love
Dani

not forgotten

I haven't forgotten about my blog, or my readers. I have just been so very busy since I returned from Hallelujah Acres. I really want to write more on the whole experience and I will...right now it's my bedtime.
I promise I will write before the weekend.
Thank you for being patient.
Dani

I am home

I am home from West Virginia. It's been a very crazy week. I had to jump right back into my routine with Damon and at the same time get the produce and other groceries I needed to make juice and other recipes for John and Damon.
I had plans to empty out my pantry early in the week, and it still isn't done. Damon is calling on my right now to start it. He is starting to empty while I write. lol
I had a hard time finding carrots during the middle of the week.
Amazingly I have been able to find a lot of the condements and spices I need, locally. Yesterday I went to Anchorage, to Natural Pantry and was able to find more of what I needed. It's costly there, but I won't have to shop there all the time. I even found "wonder cocoa" there. Now I am almost set to make raw chocolate cake, just need to dehydrate my walnuts and cashews. Today I will be making gingersnaps for Damon.
Damon isn't too keen on the salads or even the cooked dishes I have made. But he is eating sandwiches with cashew butter instead of peanut butter, and oatmeal, healthy pizza's with Diaya cheese (non dairy).  I did get him to eat a little bit of salad one night. :)
John on the other hand is eating all the food and taking leftovers to work each day for lunch.
My time at Hallelujah Acres was wonderful. It was busy but at the same time, relaxing. It was educational and inspirational. I am pretty sure I want to take the class online and become a Health Minister. I think there is a lot of interest in Alaska and the more people we can get to start purchasing the hard to get stuff, the easier that stuff will be to get, and more affordable. Such as organic juicing carrots, vegenaise, nuts, Ezekial bread.
I am looking forward to becoming more healthy as each day passes.
I better help Damon with the pantry now.
If you have any questions about my trip, what I learned, please ask away!
dani

Week 1 done....

I like writing in word and then transferring it to my blog because Word has so many more font styles. Like this one for example, or the one I used for my last entry.

It is Sunday after my first full week at Hallelujah Acres in Parkersburg, West Virginia. I have been having a good time. I am over my homesickness and feeling right at home with Ben and Janis. I had a lot of time to myself and with them Friday afternoon and all day Saturday. Yesterday, Saturday, I went with Janis to do her grocery shopping. I thought it was hard to find what I need shopping in the Valley, well we had to drive an hour away to Akron, Ohio for her to find what she needed. And there was one thing she still couldn’t find so we came back to Parkersburg to the one and only tiny little health food store to find that one item.

It was a great chance to talk and just get to know each other better, and a time for me to ask questions and learn more.

Janis and Ben are amazing people, and an amazing couple, and such wonderful, spiritual teachers and examples of living a raw, plant-strong lifestyle. I have been blown over by the things I have learned in one short week, and the foods I have eaten. Things with ingredients that when mixed together taste great even though individually they may be things I never liked before, and never thought I would eat. Now I have no fear of trying new recipes that might not sound good based on their list of ingredients.

I am looking forward to the start of my second week with Janis and Ben and one new guest who is arriving this afternoon.

I will learn more, take notes, try more new things, and drink lots and lots of juice!

My husband and son better prepare themselves for a total overhaul. The pantry is going to get cleaned out, and the refrigerator too. And then their bodies are going to get cleaned out. If John wants to cheat he will have to do it at work and then he will have to deal with how he feels about that.

You hear that honey? We are all going to get healthy. I need people in my house who support me in action not just word. I shouldn’t have to be the only one getting healthy. Let’s take this journey together.

On another note, the sun is out today, and birds are singing, and it’s going to a great day.

I hope and pray yours is wonderful too.

God Bless!!!!!

Danielle

 p.s. my phone is completely frozen so i cannot transfer pictures to my blog. 

Wasn't working, now is....

Well, since the internet connection here is sketchy, I have not been able to log onto my blog since that first night I wrote. Interesting, but fact. I am writing in my Word program and will copy and paste at a later date. Not that that helps anyone today to read my blog. It will have to wait until I arrive home I guess.

I am having a great time here at Hallelujah Acres. I have met some wonderful people while here so far though, except for my hosts, they have all left. I am now here by myself until Sunday afternoon at which time an elderly lady arrives to spend the week.

My hosts, as I mentioned before are wonderful. It has been a pure pleasure getting to know them and about their lives and how they came to live a plant based life. They have shared stories about their families, and themselves that really stand as testimony to this whole lifestyle. It isn’t just a “diet”. How many of those have we all tried with no success, or temporary success at best? And anyway, this isn’t about losing weight, though I have lost weight since being here. It’s kind of a side effect of changing ones diet (as in what one eats) after having eating fatty, processed, refined, sugary foods for so long. I don’t mind that side effect.

It was hard to say goodbye to the wonderful people I met here. By first name only, Cecelia, Andrea, Kelly, and her husband Jeff. They each have a different story and reason for being here, but share the same passion as I do when it comes to wanting to get healthy by putting into our bodies only that which is fresh, living, and unprocessed. It’s amazing how quickly you can bond with others.

Now I am on my own for a couple of days and will get a little down time, but also still drinking every hour. So I carry my phone around with me, it’s my alarm clock…I don’t want to forget a juice, or a smoothie. I am feeling good though! I am exercising each day, and we are rebounding. If you don’t know what that is, it’s bouncing on those little mini trampolines…rebounding (I found out) is really good for your lymphatic system. And it’s super easy on the joints. I can jog in place on the rebounder and still walk around later the same day because my knees and lower back aren’t killing me. I use weights or the stretchy band while rebounding too, so doing some resistance for my arms. It’s a good workout. Well, I better get a few minutes of time to rest my eyelids before my next juice.

Blessings,

Dani

making fresh squeezed orange juice for our smoothies, and juices. notice how high the countertop is? tall people used to live in this house. lol

One of the many salads we made and got to eat. 

Cheesecake made with all raw ingredients. Sooooo delicious!!!!!

Some corn salad, it was too spicy for my mouth. Plus the avocado wasn't cut small enough. hahaha

Ben and Janis's house.