St George

My mom lived in St George for 23 years and loved it. I would visit it at least once a year, if not more often. It grew and changed a lot just in the time she lived there. Don't know the year of this pic, but early years. Mom lived one block down and one block over from the temple.

Rick and I discuss all the time buying a second house there. For when we leave Texas and locate in northern Utah and will definitely miss the warm climate. St George climate is a lot like Texas.

GI Health

I have read soooo many books and interwebs articles on GI health. It begins to contradict. Then I have to take what I believe, what I think I can do, and make sense of it and a new diet for me. Who knows what messed me up so badly, maybe the antibiotics when the teeth were pulled along with the soft starchy diet that encourage the bad microbes and killed off the good ones. Maybe too much of the soft starchy diet that allowed for fermentation and hence gas in the small intestine that then blew its way thro the stomach, thro the LES and hence to my esophagus.

Who knows? Well, the Lord does, but I don't. All I can do now is try to correct. And I'm sure a lot of my eating was all wrong and made it worse. Hopefully, now what I'm doing is correct and will help my GI tract to heal and become normal again.

Examples of contraction: One book said drink raw cow's milk, it's a wonder food, along with raw cow's milk cheese, butter, etc. Another said never drink raw cow's milk, use goat, sheep, or camel milk. One book said whole grain, especially Ezekiel bread, and rice. Most said cut out all wheat and grains. One said go easy on the nightshade family, which includes white and sweet potato. Another said no grains, but can eat potatoes for carbs. Eat raw salads, especially spinach is great. Never eat raw spinach, the body can't utilize the nutrients in raw spinach, cook it. Don't eat bananas; bananas sooth a gastric reflux upset esophagus.

Crazy. I'm mostly on my own figuring this out.

Birthday party pics from Alyona

It was such a beautiful day, not too warm, not too cold, and no rain. Since it has been pretty much raining non-stop for 2 months now, having that weekend be rainless was great.

GERD/LPR

I have GERD not LPR, but after reading about LPR I must have had the "silent" part of reflux to have caused my Barret's Esophagus and not even know it. I think my shortness of breath I just had was  caused by refluxing/gassing up my esophagus and also by not eating enough calories. I was only eating 700-800 and it was causing rapid heart beat, shortness of breath, faintness. As soon as I got my calories up to 1100-1200 it helped. I can always tell when my calories go too low because those symptoms return. But I do have slight shortness of breath even as I type. It's heck getting old. But does beat the alternative.

I did have sympathy/empathy for mom and did show it but could have been waaay more helpful in trying to get some medical relief from her pain. I'm so sorry that she spent so many years in such pain.

Fred is slowly going downhill due to his kidneys. He is unwell, has not energy. I have sympathy/empathy for him also. The body is a miracle and wonderful - until it isn't.

So happy Rick could get his hip fixed and do away with his pain. It was also starting to affect his knees from how he limped and swayed so as to take pressure off the hip. I'm sure the crooked walking would have damaged the other hip in time.

He's so looking forward to retirement. Wish it could be sooner, so do I for his sake.

Open carry in Texas

Chris sent this pic thro text message. I have to say I really love it!!

Sleep Number bed comes today

When Rick moved to Texas back in Jan 2013, he bought a new queen size mattress and frame. Then we decided we really wanted a king. The queen went upstairs and a king went into our bedroom. Unfortunately, Rick decided we bought too hard of a mattress so we bought a softer king. Gave away the brand new harder king. After a few months, Rick became Goldilocks and said the mattress was too soft. Plus my GERD was affecting me quite negatively and I was sleeping in the recliner in the great room, so we went to Sears and looked at a frame and mattress that inclines. Then onto Sleep Number and despite the 2 annoying sales people, bought a king size flex, meaning the top is split and go up and down independently while the foot moves together.

And the Sleep Number is getting delivered this morning. I'm quite looking forward to it.

After spending about $11,000 on all these beds, let's hope we finally get one we both like and can sleep on.

Chris gets one of the queen beds upstairs for his guest bedroom, so when they have company, the company can sleep on a bed as opposed to the couch or a blowup mattress. Yay all around.

More meadow pics

I love these pics so much I'm going to post some more.

Wildflowers in Texas in the Spring

I have been waiting since we moved to Texas and saw the meadows of wildflowers with small children leaping thro them to have my ggrrls in Texas in the Spring. Well, my time arrived!

3 Rapunzel ggrrls

For some reason I love these ggrrls in matching clothes. Paige and I went for a walk last night with them in their nightgowns - looked so cute swishing along.

Not too cold to swim

Paige and crew got in the pool several times. Today the temp was up to 91, so in got Paige, ggrrls, and Scott. Rick and I were to lazy, I guess. Well, I wasn't feeling well and Rick was cooking fish for me.

 Stella turned into a fish at the end of last summer. She's still a fish at the beginning of this summer.

 Last summer Hattie's head still went too far in to trust the floaty device. This summer she is swimming all over. Posing on deck.

 Scott, Hattie, Paige

Hattie, Paige, Scott

Loving sisters

So sweet to see the sisters show love for each other. They can be each other's best friends throout life.

Surprise Party cont

The boys took Rick to play at Top Golf yesterday, while Alyona, Paige, and I got stuff ready for the party. Paige was in charge of decos, Aly set up the backyard, and both of them collected all the food. At 4pm we were just finishing up, and the guys arrived, along with party attendees. He was surprised, but was very suspicious when he saw the gate open and lots of balloons.

I waaaaay overbought on food, an Owens tradition - 25 lbs of brisket when 10 lbs would have been more than plenty. I also had hot dogs and sausage dogs, 15 lbs of potato salad and 5 lbs was too much, 10 lbs of cole slaw and 5 would have been too much, 3 large cans too many of ranch beans, along with enough buns to feed a goose and duck army. I keep telling myself to not overdo, but what can I say? It is an Owens tradition.

The cake from HEB was delish, and about 30 servings too many. Lots of food leftover; I really don't like to see waste.

But it was all fun and the kids loved surprising their dad. Hope Aly got some nice pics.

Rick's 60th surprise

Rick turned 60 on May 6, yesterday. All the kids came in on Thurs to surprise him. He knew something was up, but not what. I'll post more on all that happened later.

We did finally get family pics taken last evening. Yay!! I have been trying to get them done for 2 years, as the last one was 3 1/2 years ago.

GERD or LPR

I quit taking the Prilosec and started Pepcid again around Feb 29 or so. Within 2-3 days I could feel it not working and began again on the Prilosec, but something had happened and I just haven't been able to get the acid reflux back under control. The middle to end of April I tried Prevacid, it didn't work any better. Meanwhile I saw Doc Just twice and called his office maybe 3 times. He put me on Nexium, which I think I have allergic reactions to. It's not working any better, in my opinion.

I have started on a low acid/high alkaline diet. It seems to be working the best.
The belching is causing acid reflux, I think, which rehurts my esophagus, not allowing it to heal. A real Catch 22.

Whenever one of my chronic things acts up, GERD or Tinnitus, I have more sympathy for people with chronic illnesses.

I just want to feel well again.

I promise to never complain about anything ever again if I just feel well again.

Walking along rediscovered creek

I have been walking more on the path by the golf course with the little creek by Dies Ranch. It's so pretty and quiet there; I can almost forget I live in Texas. (But Texas does have 7 ecosystems that are completely different.)

This morning I decided to take my walk there and saw this tree lying across the creek making a natural bridge. It obviously fell over when its roots got water logged during some rainy storm or period and then the Cedar Park park peeps sawed off the top, making a nice smooth end. The roots must still be living in soil on the other side of the creek because it has cool looking branches growing out the side straight up, by the color of the sawed off part and the growth on the branches, the tree has lived this way for at least a few years. Life will find a way!!

Walk along creek

Saturday morning Rick and I got up for a walk along the creek, so enjoyable. I love being in nature and the greenery.

 I just learned what a selfie was a year or so ago.

 A man walking his dog saw us taking the selfie and offered to take it, very kind but I actually didn't like that pic as well. There is the same waterfall in the background that Alyona took last week, but you can't see it.