A Day of Rest...NOT!

For many people Sunday is a day of rest. Some choose to relax in pajama's while reading the paper and doing the NY Times crossword puzzle. Others spend time shopping, racing at a frantic pace from store to store to get the best bargains. While others spend time at a house of worship before enjoying a quiet day with family and friends.

For me it's sort of a mish-mosh of things. I start my Sunday like most days.  I wake to an alarm that is set about a half hour before I need to get out of bed. This allows me time to take medication that gives me strength in my muscles to go about my day. Then and only then can I proceed as others do! If I don't allow myself this time, I have to rely on the help of others before my day really gets started. It's difficult to go from being a caregiver in your professional life, to the person needing assistance and care in your personal life.

I use Sunday to decide what I might want to make for dinner for the week, catch up on laundry, do some light housekeeping, and care for my niece who is also disabled, while my sister is at work. This doesn't always work out. Like many with a chronic illness some days are better than others. Even the best plans must be rearranged to allow for sudden muscle weakness or fatigue when Myasthenia Gravis decides IT is in charge of your body.  The old saying about The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men is an everyday reality for many of us.

This weeks menu will include Unstuffed Cabbage, Chicken Fried Rice, Vegetable Soup, and some other undecided selections. I've chopped and peeled to my hearts content. All that remains is to stir fry the Chicken Fried Rice.  The aromas that have filled my house today are mouth watering to say the least...

I think a nap is in order, and perhaps I will "tackle"some treats for "The Big Game" or it will be Tea & Scones to enjoy while watching "Downton Abbey"...better not plan too far ahead!

Enjoy your day, no matter what you have planned...Remember even a bad day can be looked upon as a blessing...you never know what tomorrow will bring so make every moment count...

Goodbye Old Friend...

The other day I had to say goodbye to an old friend...

To some this will sound silly, but to others it will make perfect sense. After many years of faithful service my trusty Kuhn Rikon vegetable peeler has fallen apart...

This wasn't just ANY peeler, it was one of my first purchases from a gourmet cooking store...I paid more than anyone should EVER pay for a peeler.  It was made in Switzerland and could only be purchased at Williams Sonoma via catalog or in the store...this was long BEFORE the Internet and Amazon.com days.

It was one of the first U shaped peelers available in  the USA, she was as sharp as could be and felt great in your hands.  No old fashioned swivel peeler could compare.  I could peel at the speed of light!

As someone with a neuro-muscular disease replacing her has become an arduous task...There are so many things to consider when you have weak hands...

Not just any peeler will do. It must fit in your hand just so, the handle can't be too bulky, but can't be too thin either...A soft grip is easier to hold than a hard plastic grip. ...will it make your hand tired when you use it, will it slip and cause you to cut yourself, will it withstand being dropped on the floor and get run over with a walker or powerchair?

So will it be a new Kuh Rikon, an OXO Good Grips, or a Kitchen Aid...only time will tell