LADIES! (only)

 So if you're a guy and want to read this; I guess I can't stop you, but be aware this post talks about female medical stuff so beware!

So it's official.  I am now post menopausal!   YAY!  I say "yay" because it was a rough road getting here.  Many of you are aware that I had a heart attack in 2018, 7 years ago this coming August.  My total cholesterol was 146 total then.  That's a cholesterol people would love to have, but I was put on a statin and was told they wanted it lower.  I asked every doctor if my heart attack was related to hormones since my cholesterol was so low, I was at the best health of my life, and there were no blockages.  Not to mention the heart attack struck 2 days before my cycle was to start.  I was told "no".  Isn't she cute thinking she can play doctor!  I was on to something even then.  Found out today from my Primary that total cholesterol lower than 150 increases all cause mortality.  Dually noted.  From 2018 on, however my cholesterol began to climb.  It currently sits at 223, down from 299.  Triglycerides were fine.  Below is a list of things I've dealt with over the past 7-8years.  See if any of these sound familiar if you're in your 40's or 50's. 

Weight Gain, especially around the waist, despite best efforts.

Migraines( and along those lines throw in a heart attack for good measure)

Insomnia

Increasing cholesterol levels

Irritability

Insulin resistance

Joint pain

Low sex drive

Restless Legs (or shoulders)

Memory Loss/ Inability to concentrate/ Brain fog

Nocturnal trips to the bathroom( that doesn't help the insomnia)

Irregular cycles

These are a few of the things I personally dealt with, but many things women deal with in their 40's and up can be laid at the feet of our hormones or lack there of.  While I knew to expect some of these things, many I did not.  Unfortunately neither did the doctors I was seeing.  I was pleading for answers with every doctor I went to.  I've come to the realization that there is an age and fat bias when it comes to doctors and patients, especially when those patients are women.  I wasn't old enough for the age bias, but I did get the fat bias, I believe.  Rather than seeing the 63 pounds I had lost, they saw  a woman who was off her "diet" gaining weight back and wanted to justify her lack of will power.  Only will power had nothing to do with it.  They never seemed to want to look any further to see if maybe there was something going on.  That is until my current Primary.  He did look further and has been trying to help me through this, but couldn't do much with hormone therapy until I was menopausal.  So YAY!

 This isn't the whole list, so if you're nearing that age of 40's and 50's, find yourself a good OBGYN that specializes in women's hormones; bioidentical hormones, not the synthetic kind( IMO).  Another reason to say "Yay!"  is because, now that I'm post menopausal I plan to go on hormone therapy.  Everyone should do their own research and do what's right for them.  I've been told, many of my issues may resolve with this therapy.  So I'm not just a "yea", I'm a Heck Yea!

So if you're "at that age", and your doctor is blowing off things that concern you or lecturing you because you're gaining weight, cholesterol is up, etc.  Find a new doctor!   Second opinions are great things!

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The Benefits of Weeds

 Good morning all.  We had a cool May morning today with our low being in the 46-48 degree range, depending on who you asked.  Fortunately my plants remained unfazed.  My morning consisted of harvesting more asparagus and strawberries, but my main thing was weeding.  Hence the title of my post.  

The latest trend among gardeners and you tube homestead influencers is landscape fabric.  I'm afraid they're a day late and a dollar short.  Contrary to popular belief; just because one has a you tube channel, doesn't make them an expert.  Many of us have already traveled the road they're on, only we're too busy with everyday things to stage, film, and edit our tasks.  Do I sound snarky?  I don't mean to.  It's just a lesson I had to learn myself.  Don't get me wrong, I have channels that I follow just like everyone else.  Only I follow more for the personality of the you tuber than anything I can glean from them.  I have learned something.  I take that back.  I learned about putting the cracked egg in the hole for planting tomatoes trick.  I learned that from a personality in Kentucky who learned it from old timers in the area.  Meaning it's nothing new, just new to me.  

So I've tried landscape fabric....Twice.  Once with a cheaper version I could afford, and another from a more top of the line brand.  Both failed, and both failed in the same way.  See there's these pesky things called birds, and wind that move seeds around.  Once the seeds get some water, they grow on top of the landscape fabric, sending their roots through the tiny holes in the fabric and into the ground.  This makes it impossible to get the root out, and if you get some of it, you can't get all; so it grows.  Other disadvantages of landscape fabric: fire ants love to build their nest under it, you can't cultivate, and soil gets compacted cutting off air flow to the roots of your garden plants.  Each time I've tried landscape fabric I've thrown it away and gone back to cardboard topped with wood chips( not green wood chips).  

So while I was weeding I was thinking about these things and decided to write this post!  Weeds do have positive side affects.

1)  Exercise-  Weather cultivating to get weeds out or pulling weeds out you are engaging in activity outside in the sun.  You're reaching, bending, stretching, and pulling.  You're hauling the weeds out of the garden.

2) Aerating the soil- Each weed that you pull away from your garden plant loosens the soil allowing fresh air to get to the roots of your plant.  This makes for a happy plant!

3)  Food for chickens!-  Many of the weeds in your garden are a favorite of chickens.  Just toss the whole pile in there.  They will eat what they want and the rest will compost into the ground.  Stinging Nettle and Dead Nettle are two favorites of my hens.  Plus those plants increase egg production.  

4)  Fodder for the compost pile-  If you have a compost pile, you have free organic fodder to toss in.  

5)  Some of these weeds can be edible and medicinal.  Do your research on this one.  Don't just start grazing.  LOL.  An example would be dandelions.  

I know weeds are a pain, but I just wanted to point out there are benefits too.  

Genesis 3:19-  By the sweat of our brow you will eat your food, until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken.  For dust you are and dust you will return.  

Even in the middle of man's fall and expulsion from Eden; it's nice to know that God saw fit to give benefit to our work.  If we could ever solve the weed problem, then we'd have a pest problem.  If we solved the pest problem we'd have a water problem.  See what I mean?  God's word doesn't change.  Frankly I don't want it to.  There is a sense of satisfaction in battling weeds, pests, drought, etc and still bringing something to the table.  Not gonna lie.  Gardening is work, but it's work that is worth while.

So while I have you here, may I present my garden picture for 2025.  My tomato plants are still small, but I'm thrilled with the garden itself.