POWER OUTAGE

THURSDAY APRIL 28. It feels strange sitting here without power while the sun shines. Strong winds are blowing the pine and spruce branches outside my glass door while Terri waits patiently on the floor beside me. I wonder what has happened? The electricity's been off for two hours since about 1:20 PM.

After last night's rain, the grass has thickened and the yard looks green. Flower went out to eat some grass and spewed it out as soon as she got back indoors. The wind was so strong, I could barely hold myself steady to take photos of her. Terri doesn't like the wind so we're not outside playing fetch games.

Compare that all-green yard above to this scene taken 3 days ago -- almost green. Today is the official start of my green yard for 2011 :-)

55% battery power remaining in my laptop. Since I'm supposed to use the battery once a week and haven't done that for a while, it makes sense to use it now. I suspect the battery is holding less energy as it gets older.

Time for lunch: sandwich and milk.

I don't know why I always have this feeling that I can't do anything without electricity. I could read a book, organize my piles of papers, put away towels and clothes, dust the furniture, change the bed. Guess which ... option ... I'll pick ;-)

Playing computer games. So lame.

3:30 PM Only 25% battery power. I hope this blackout doesn't last much longer. I'll have to shut down soon. At least there's light to read by :-)

4:00 PM Terri alerted me to goings-on outside and I found this scene. A hydro pole is down on the highway somewhere north of the police car.

Started reading by daylight. Fell asleep at some point. Woke up again - still no power :-( Found my hand-powered light/radio and used it to get around. Have the electrical company workers stopped working until morning? Will everything in my fridge melt or warm up and spoil overnight?

10:48 PM YAY !!!!! We've got power !!!

APRIL SHOWERS

... BRING MUD PUDDLES

It seems like a long spring this year, waiting for drier weather so the mud puddles don't last so long. I mustn't complain -- it could be much worse. People in more northern parts of Ontario and in the west have been getting snow. No, I wouldn't trade places with them.

In fact, I think that eastern Ontario has ideal weather for people like me who prefer sunshine to days and days of rain (Vancouver), sudden snow falls in the wrong season (Alberta), rain and floods (Manitoba), or some very short summers (Maritimes). Winter snowstorms often pass by south of us and we don't get the snow squalls that make areas near the great lakes so dangerous for driving. When it comes to location, I'm a happy camper :-)

BIRDS WELCOME

Yes, birds are welcome here, though I can't guarantee their safety when cats are present. I've been feeding the winter birds with seeds on the spruce trunk and in a feeder hanging from a pine branch. I've been lucky -- cardinals and bluejays have graced the yard as well as chickadees, juncos, sparrows, etc. The robins have recently taken up worm hunting in the front yard.

A few minutes ago, I glanced out the back door and saw a flock of black birds (starlings? blackbirds? crows?) enjoying the seeds on the trunk and sharing a communal grassy birdbath at the back fence. Lots of splashing going on. I wish I had a working SLR camera and telephoto lens so I could capture sights like that.

AHA GUIDELINES

The American Heart Association has revised its guidelines for achieving optimal heart health. Here are seven things you can do to reach that goal:

1. Get Moving for Heart Health. Regular physical activity lowers blood pressure, increases HDL ("good") cholesterol levels, keeps blood sugar in check, and helps you control your weight.

2. Eat a Heart-Healthy Diet. A heart-healthy diet includes:
• At least 4½ cups of fresh fruit and vegetables per day
• At least two 3.5-oz servings of fish per week. Ideally, you should choose fish that contain omega-3 fats, like salmon, mackerel, lake trout, sardines, and herring
• At least three 1-oz servings of whole-grain products that are high in fiber (1.1 g or more of fiber per 10 g of carbohydrate)
• Less than 36 oz of sugar-sweetened beverages per week (that's less than three 12-oz cans of soda)
• No more than two servings of processed meats per week
• No more than 1,500 mg of sodium per day if middle-aged or older.

3. Control Cholesterol for Heart Health. A total blood cholesterol level of 200 mg/dL or higher puts you at risk for a heart attack or cardiovascular disease.

4. Manage Your Blood Pressure for Heart Health. High blood pressure (hypertension) is the single most significant risk factor for heart disease. It's not curable, but it is controllable. Ideally, your blood pressure should be below 120/80 mm Hg.

5. Maintain a Healthy BMI for Heart Health. Body mass index (BMI) assesses your body weight relative to your height and indicates your level of body fat. An ideal BMI is lower than 25.

6. Stop Smoking for Heart Health. Smoking by itself increases the risk of coronary heart disease. When it acts with the other factors, it greatly increases your risk from those factors, too.

7. Reduce Blood Glucose for Heart Health. Adults with diabetes are two to four times more likely to have heart disease or a stroke than adults without diabetes. If your fasting blood glucose level falls in the category of "prediabetes" -- a level between 100 mg/dL and 125 mg/dL -- weight loss can help get your blood glucose down.

HEART-HEALTH BOOK

Reverse Heart Disease Now by Stephen Sinatra M.D., James Roberts M.D.

The cardiologists write about heart-related diagnostic tests, risk factors, medication, supplements, anti-inflammatory diet, exercise, stress reduction, and the "new cardiology unclog program". I'm seeing a pattern in heart-health books here ;-)

There is so much fascinating info in this book that if I created a summary here, I'd probably be accused of some kind of copyright infringement. I love to learn "why" certain nutrients are important and how they work. Such details are more convincing to me than reading a list of nutritious foods I should eat. If you enjoy details like that, read Reverse Heart Disease Now.

The doctors explain details about how the cardiovascular system works and why it needs particular proteins, lipids, etc. They mention food sources for nutrients. In particular, they recommend that people use a combination of antioxident supplements -- vitamins C, D, E, bioflavonoids, alpha-lipoic acid, beta-carotene, lycopene, CoQ10, selenium -- to improve their cardiovascular systems. Miscellaneous topics from the many they write about: triglycerides, sticky blood, cell membrane permeability, arterial inflammation, fish oil, magnesium, niacin, L-arginine, glycemic index.

I found lots of ideas here for my own "self health improvement" plan that I can discuss with my doctor. That's an essential review since some of the supplements are powerful and might not be advisable for everyone.

CARBOHYDRATES

The Carbohydrate Addict's Healthy Heart Program by Dr. Richard F. Heller & Dr. Rachael F. Heller

There is no doubt that I'm a carbohydrate addict. I'm on the DASH diet now and I'm very gradually losing weight -- will I keep it off? -- only if I stay on this diet. The DASH diet is not strict with regard to carbohydrates like the CAHHP is.

The purpose of CAHHP is to lower insulin resistance by eating carbohydrates at only one meal per day. Snacks and other meals come from low carbo foods such as lean meat/fowl/fish, dairy and a very limited list of vegetables. No breads, grains, cereals, fruit and juices, legumes, seeds, nut butters, pasta, rice, carrots, peas, or tomatoes except at one meal per day. This diet may suit some people but I believe that if I didn't get some fructose from apples, oranges and bananas throughout the day, I wouldn't be able to maintain the low cholesterol DASH diet.

The doctors share some informative details about foods and how they affect the human body. Most of it is about insulin but since my main concern at the moment is cholesterol, I'll share some cholesterol-related things I learned.

LDL, low-density lipoprotein, is not cholesterol at all. It is a carrier that transports cholesterol between blood and the liver. LDL picks up cholesterol from the liver and carries it in the blood. It is a sign that the liver is in a fat-making mode, producing cholesterol.

The "good" HDL, high-density lipoprotein, transports cholesterol in the blood to the liver. High levels of HDL mean that the liver is in a fat-burning mode.

Consumable fats

Trans fatty acids appear to be the most health-damaging of all fats. They may be listed as hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats. I am avoiding them as much as possible. Sources: vegetable shortening, hydrogenated fats, margarine.

Sources high in saturated fats: butterfat, beef fat, lard, milk fat, coconut oil, chicken fat, palm oil, cocoa butter (uh oh!)

Sources high in polyunsaturated fats (a better kind of fat): safflower oil, soybean oil, corn oil, sesame oil, cottonseed oil, omega-3 oils.

Sources of monounsaturated fats (best for heart health): olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil. I have purchased virgin olive oil for making oil & vinegar dressings for my salads.

I should mention that the program is not just about diet. It includes exercise, nutrition supplements, and stress-reducing changes.

CHASING WILD HORSES

I've just watched a beautiful 2007 film, "Chasing Wild Horses", about photographer Roberto Dutesco's visits to Sable Island. http://dutescoart.com/index.html

He created exhibits in New York City of huge photographs of the horses. Most were shown in grayscale. Do photos of Terri look more artistic in grayscale? ;-)

WHAT IS THAT?

That is the result of too much ...

... and not enough of this, due to rainy days and days with VERY COLD winds from the north!

You'll note the mud Terri is sleeping in, in the second picture. There's still lots more where that came from :-(