This Friday is EXTRA-Special!

It's National Wear Red Day.

In an effort to educate, the NHLBI began this campaign a few years ago. Wear red, Knit Red, learn about women's heart disease at WomenHeart, the National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease.

I had my heart attack in May 2000. Two months later, the stent they inserted to fix my blockage, closed up, and I had to have by-pass surgery. I spent a year unemployed (yup - that happens, too, when you're young and sick and working where they are extremely worried about the rising cost of health care). I found WomenHeart and trained in the first class of women's heart health community educators at Mayo Clinic.

Today? Well, I do my best to live life to the fullest. I sometimes feel as if I'm on borrowed time. That heart attack I had was a "Hollywood heart attack" - the kind you don't walk away from. I'm grateful to be here.

Be sure you take a moment - if you don't wear red on Friday, then at least take a moment and think of one thing you can change in your life to make you more heart healthy. Maybe the easiest thing is to add 10 minutes of movement to your life right now. Or eat one more vegetable each day.

The BEST thing you can do, is quit smoking if you do. And stay away from smokers, if you already are smoke-free yourself.

(I'm a former smoker - I know it's hard. If you're trying to quit, maybe try The Q - it's what did it for me!)

I'll show you the one piece of knitting I've done since my heart attack that I hold near my heart often - My Queen of Hearts shawl from Fiber Trends. Made of Knitpicks Merino Style it's a warm and visible reminder of how far I've come!

Fascinating, Really!

86% Barack Obama
84% John Edwards
84% Hillary Clinton
80% Mike Gravel
80% Dennis Kucinich
80% Chris Dodd
77% Joe Biden
74% Bill Richardson
46% Rudy Giuliani
36% John McCain
29% Mitt Romney
27% Mike Huckabee
24% Tom Tancredo
18% Ron Paul
15% Fred Thompson

2008 Presidential Candidate Matching Quiz

Getting Serious About Those Goals...

The New Year has gotten off to a rocky start, courtesy of one nasty sinus infection. I'm still making my way back from the almost 2 weeks of misery...but there is finally a kernel of hope! :)

Months and months ago, my good friend and fellow knitter, Pam and I were talking about CSAs...I'm only one person (with pets who don't eat vegies and fruits) and she's a family of three (hoping for 4 - please keep her in your thoughts and prayers, as she is a terrific mom!). We'd thought that between us, we could easily split a 1/2 share...with of course, me doing a lot of freezing and even perhaps some canning. Stop laughing. I used to do this all the time. I also used to have a fairly large garden (or the "tomato forest" as my DD used to call it!).

Well, Pam and I are finally discussing this at the RIGHT time of year (I hope!). She'll be calling tomorrow in hopes of securing us a spot on the list.

And once that's done? I'll be scouring Freecycle for canning jars! *wink*

In that spirit, I decided that part of my commitment to this has to be to "use it up" (as well as "put it by"). I've had some vegies in the crisper and on the "porch" - what else would you call a paneled-in staircase down to an unheated basement with shelves built-in at the top? So today, I started a beef stew/soup on the back of the stove...

Using up all the potatoes, carrots, and celery from Christmas dinner - did you know how long you can keep celery good if you wrap it in aluminum foil, and then wrap it again? (yes, two distinct wrappings of foil) and keep it in the crisper? Well, this celery was as crisp as the day I bought it - Christmas Eve! Tastes good, too! (I can't claim credit for this tip - it's a Martha Stewart recommendation - and it WORKS!

I'll plan to grow some herbs on the front steps this summer, but otherwise, the extent of my gardening is going to be restricted to this sort of plant -

I guess it's my "New Year's Cactus?" It can't make up it's mind what it is...Thanksgiving? Halloween? Christmas? Nah. This year, it's on a LATE schedule instead of early.

I'll post more ideas about my plans and goals as I go here...Let me know what you think, okay?
(((hugs)))