Archive | September 23, 2014

Go me!

Sep23

I work for a healthcare insurer and you get money off your yearly insurance premium if you pass certain criteria. I’m happy to say I got $500 off mine for next year. Last year I only got 200 off. This year they added $100 for getting a flu shot which they provide free anyway. That was a no brainer. I’ve gotten those every year since my parents were getting old and eventually dying. I didn’t want to make them any sicker than they already were.

We can get up to $700 but $200 of that is for a BMI they consider appropriate but since BMI is a very poor and inaccurate estimation of health designed by actuaries and not doctors, that ain’t gonna happen. I was a lot less healthy on a daily basis when I had a low BMI. When I was skinny I got colds constantly.

I have a bad case of white coat syndrome so I sometimes have trouble passing the blood pressure thing. I can if they are patient and take it 15 minutes or so apart. Last year the guy wouldn’t do it and I failed spectacularly. This year I passed on the second try. Go me! Another $200 off. And I got another $200 for never smoking. So a total of $500 with the flu shot. Hooray! Less money out of my pocket.

Next time I’m going to try to remember to bring my lancet from my diabetes kit. Those damn plungers they use to test your cholesterol (not something that counts against you) hurt a lot more than my diabetic lancets. I bled like crazy too and it left an itty bitty bruise. Anyway, I’m glad I got my blood pressure down and it saves me money. And I got my fly shot.

And flu shots don’t give you the flu, the exposure to an actual person with the flu gives you the flu. Get one!

Bi Ann

Sep23

Bi Ann

Feb

21

Bí ann, bí liom

Bí gasta, bí cróga

Bí cliste, bí cinnte

Bí casta, bí glic

Bí grámhar, gealgáireach

Bí socair laistigh

Bí doimhin ach bí éadrom

Gan teannas ar bith

I do chorp, i do chroí

I do cheann, ins a tslí

Ina chuireann tú tú fhéin i láthair

I pé chomhluadar ina bhfuil tú

Bí ann liom

Bí láidir il-dána

Nuair a chasann an domhan

Bí ann dom

Agus buailfimid le chéile

Nuair a thagann an t-am

Be there, be with me

Be quick, be brave

Be clever, be sure

Be tricky, be sharp

Be loving, light-hearted

Be steady inside

And be deep but be light

With no tension inside

In your body, in your heart

In your head, __

In the way which you present yourself

In whatever company you happen to be

Be there for me

Be strong and be able

When the world takes a turn

Be there with me

And we will meet together

When the right time comes

-Kila-

Split Pea Soup – in time for harvest

Sep23

1 small package of split peas

1 onion chopped

2 carrots sliced

3 inch sprig of fresh rosemary

2 ham hocks

Salt to taste

  1. Place all ingredients in a large pot. Add water according to the pea package plus 2 cups. Cook until the peas mash when pressed with spoon, at least an hour.
  1. Remove the vegetables and blend until smooth. Remove meat from the bones and return vegetables to the pot. Mix well

Good with corn bread and honey butter.

This was my Swedish great- grandmother Hilda Sjoberg’s recipe and the rosemary was my mother’s addition.

I thought this went with the time of year.