It's been a good week. The therapy sessions at the lymphedema clinic are going well. Step machine, exercises with b-i-g rubber bands, massages, and the "golf bag" machine-- and book talk! I discovered that the volunteer there is not only a voracious reader but a voracious mystery reader, so I've been giving her loads of recommendations that she's been paying attention to. It helps when you can bring in one of your passions to something that's a bit of a chore.
As you can see in the photograph, Elly Griffiths' Dr. Ruth Galloway mysteries are worth the indulgence, at least to me. I'm being good and making myself finish the book I'm reading now before I start with The Lantern Men, but it's hard!
Before I let you take a look at the links (I'm acting like you simply can't ignore all this and just scroll down to them), I've been changing things around in an attempt to get my leg in good shape. One of the things I've had to change is my diet. No more dairy. I've been testing plant-based protein shakes, and some of them are nasty, so that's still a work in progress. I'm also using almond milk. Brazil nuts and walnuts are supposed to jumpstart the lymphatic system, but since I don't care to eat a handful of either (don't like the taste), I'm taking a selenium supplement. And I've decided to go vegetarian for the four days that Denis works. This is going to be even more interesting than I thought because Denis said he wanted to lose weight and would be doing the same thing. I'm making a personal, private bet with myself as to how long this lasts-- especially since he's at the airport those four days and has access to all sorts of food. We shall see. He just isn't a veggie man!
Meanwhile, let's get to these links!
►Books & Other Interesting Tidbits◄
- A shoe with a GPS insole lets you track loved ones with Alzheimer's or dementia.
- Dozens of historic Mexican cookbooks are now available online.
- The rude, crude, and insulting "Vinegar Valentines" of the Victorian Era.
- How the earliest crime scene investigators identified murder victims.
- The 200-year-old diary that's rewriting gay history.
- The bizarre story of how one man stole $24 million from McDonald's.
- 700,000 ancient African books have survived in Mali's Timbuktu University.
- On the trail of Hollywood's stolen Oscars.
►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄
- How two 1950s kids playing on the railroad tracks found a national treasure.
- The missing fourth Great Pyramid of Giza may finally have been found.
- A Pennsylvania museum has discovered an unidentified Rembrandt portrait in its collection.
- New research is rewriting the demise of Easter Island.
- This glass gaming piece may hail from the first Viking raids in England.
- A man found an engraved 1834 gold ring and sought out the original owner's family to return it.
- How archaeologists are hunting history from space.
- The Egyptian pyramids may align with an ancient North Star. NASA scientists found that star undergoes never-before-seen eclipses.
►Channeling My Inner Elly Mae Clampett◄
- After an 8,700-mile journey, an endangered gray wolf is found dead.
- A preliminary census documents Antarctica's chinstrap penguins are in sharp decline.
- Please take a moment to meet some of Hollywood's legendary leading canines.
- The People's Choice Award for Wildlife Photographer of the Year has been named: two mice fighting in a London underground station.
- A cheetah changes his hunting strategy in a surprising way.
- Humans are the only mammals who rely on grandmas to babysit: orcas do, too.
- Scientists have resurrected the DNA of the world's last mammoths to investigate what killed them off.
- Hero beavers built a dam and stopped an oil spill.
►Fascinating Folk◄
- One hundred years ago, the world's biggest action star was a woman named Pearl.
- Playful pastry chef Matteo Stucchi turns ordinary desserts into delightful mini-scenes.
- Nine women whose remarkable lives deserve the biopic treatment.
- Niharika Rajput, a self-taught Indian artist, sculpts intricate birds from paper and wire.
- Reuben Peiss, the librarian-spy.
►The Happy Wanderer◄
- A hidden three-foot-wide house separates two churches in Portugal.
- A supervolcano in Utah? It's thirty times larger than Yellowstone's.
- Drought has uncovered a lost Australian village complete with American tanks.
- Nairobi's unique brand of noir.
►I ♥ Lists◄
- Agatha's back: Five mysteries that channel the Queen of Crime.
- Ten words for angry and upset.
- The best books about pandemics.
- Top ten tales about the rich.
- Fourteen authors like John Grisham.
- Eight compelling crime novels about people haunted by their pasts.
- The great Los Angeles crime novel and the women who are revitalizing it.
- Fifty-nine quick slang phrases from the 1920s we should start using again.
That's all for this week! Don't forget to stop by next Friday when I'll be sharing a freshly selected batch of links for your surfing pleasure.
Have a great weekend, and read something fabulous!
Glad your leg is improving, and particularly glad to read that you found a crime fiction fan at the clinic to discuss mysteries with. That must provide a distraction for you and some interesting talks.
ReplyDeleteWill read the links. Curious about the 9 women who deserve biopics and that 3-foot-wide house.
Having someone there who loves mysteries is definitely a help even though I am able to use part of the time as reading time.
DeleteGlad to hear that your treatments are going well, Cathy. And there's that lovely added bonus of being able to talk books. Nothing like it, is there? You know, FWIW, I gave up dairy (and gluten), too. Not entirely an easy switch, because I do love my cheese, etc.. But I am VERY glad I did. I'm healthier, my digestion's better, the whole thing. It took a bit of time to accustom myself, but I wouldn't go back. I will, however, take a trip to Giza and check out that pyramid...
ReplyDeleteI knew you would!
DeleteCathy, like Margot and Kathy above, I'm delighted that your treatments are helping and also that you've found a new crime fiction lover. I know how fun it is to suggest books to others. Oh, I couldn't wait for the new Elly Griffiths book either. That exact book is on the way to me as well. Cannot wait! As to your diet changes, all I can say is that I've found it possible though not always easy. However, our health is a big incentive for persevering. Good luck. Be kind to yourself. And I feel that you'll find some new tastes that you can live with. Your body will adjust.
ReplyDeleteI know it will. So far it's not been a huge sacrifice, but I know that could change in a New York minute!
DeleteKeep up the good work on your health, Cathy. Off to check some of these links. :)
ReplyDeleteEnjoy!
DeleteGood luck with the shakes! I can see where it would be a work in progress!
ReplyDeleteFrozen dinners used to be horrible. Now there are many good ones. Low fat or fat free used to taste terrible. Now they don't. I think this plant-based stuff is in its infancy and soon there will be more good-tasting ones.
DeleteDairy is a bigger problem than most people imagine, since we mostly lose our ability to digest it after a certain age.
ReplyDeleteIf you can find it at a local health food story, I would recommend Daiya brand dairy-free cheeses. They aren't perfect matches, but they are very good. Their cheddar style is great in grilled cheese sandwiches, and the lighter-colored cheddar-like cheese, which I will have to look up the name when I go to the store, is really quite good. They have a variety of styles and have the product in slices, blocks, and shreds. Also, they have gluten-free Mac & Cheese, and gluten free veggie pizzas. Their salad dressings are a little thick, but good.
Beyond Meat puts out a number of very good meat substitutes. My favorite is the Original Brats.
Quorn has some really good chicken-like nuggets, patties, and other products, as well as some grounds that work well in dishes that require ground beef. Great for taco salad, Sloppy Joes, etc.
You will probably need to the conscious of the amount of salt some of these products have in them. If that is a problem, a little of these chopped up in a salad or other dish will give you the flavor without overdoing it. Don't expect them to taste exactly like the real things, because they don't, but they will make it easier to go veggie on the days you need to be off meat.
Thanks for all the great tips, Pepper!
DeleteHealth food store. Ugh.
ReplyDeleteI had to go back to see what you were talking about. I read it the way you meant it the first time! LOL
DeleteI love Amy frozen dishes and bean soups. Lots of frozen main dishes with brown rice and vegetables, vegetable lasagna (a few types), and black bean and lentil soups.
ReplyDeleteI put frozen broccoli in the soups and on top of the dinners to add more vegetables. Or I throw in chard and other greens.
I think this adds up to nutritious meals with little work. And, in general, no or low-fat.
I don't think I can give up dairy though. I love cheese and frozen yogurt, and I use low-fat milk in healthy cereal and tea.
I eat Uncle Sam's cereal which is full of wheat berries and flax seeds and has nos ugar or other junk in it.
I also love good bread.
Good luck with the diet. And, of course, with your leg and your mystery-focused discussions.
I'm going to miss cheese and ice cream the most...and the homemade bread I used to make.
DeleteThere are also really good ice creams made from almond milk, among others. The early days of vegetarianism have passed, thankfully, and food companies are taking the idea of being meat and dairy free more seriously.
DeleteThere are a lot of other options than what I listed previously. I can't eat soy, so I can't eat many of them. There's a newer cheese substitute that tastes very like the real thing. The parmesan is excellent. When I can get to the store to shop, I'll gather names for you.
The Daiya products I love when they are melty and blend with other flavors. I don't care for them by themselves, but then, I never cared for the taste of many cheeses by themselves, either.
Taking notes like crazy. Thanks so much for all the excellent info, Pepper!
DeleteOk, the Daiya cheese I like most is a Monteray Jack style. Great in taco salad.
DeleteThe other brand with the good parmesan is called Violife. Their Mature Cheddar slices are very mild, but good chopped up and added to salads, which I can't say about any other I've tried. They also make a Feta that doesn't taste like anything to me, so I guess you can't expect everything.
Wal-Mart locally has some options in the freezer section as well as in the produce section, and with Phoenix being vastly larger, one would think you could find things there. You may also be able to talk a health food or natural foods store into ordering things you might like to try.
Thanks, Pepper!
DeleteThere are some good non-dairy frozen desserts that are like ice cream. Cashewtopia is one of them. Their pistachio and chocolate hazelnut flavors are very good. There are more flavors.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to see if I can get them here in Phoenix. Thanks.
DeleteWhy can't you eat your bread? Or some other bread? There are all types now for people with sensitivities, and you can probably get some without any dairy products in them.
ReplyDeleteI can't give up bread. I eat it all day with various toppings.
If I was on that proverbial desert island, with me would be (hopefully) good bread and cheese, chocolate and lots of fruit, together with Donna Leon's series and Sara Paretsky's books to reread. That's about 50 right there, which should tide me over until I am rescued.
I'm not really a bread person. It was just the Sally Lunn bread I made that was close to my heart. There are many reasons why I should stay away from bread, so it's a willing sacrifice. To be completely honest, I think it's the aroma as it's baking that I miss the most.
Delete