Shirley Bullock's Blog

Preparation for the doctor.
Hello everybody! How are you doing? I hope you have had time to sit down and make out your “List”. By-the-way did I suggest that you include a folder and a calendar with your list? Did I suggest that you keep it at bedside along with one of your glucometers?
• Time to go to the doctor for 2012. If you are a new diabetic or if you are going to a new doctor in an unfamiliar place here are a few tips (may be common sense but if you are running late a check list is mighty helpful):
• Make a list of your current meds and medical procedures. Copy them and place them in your folder.
• If you are going to a specialist of some type and need xrays or test results now is the time to get them. Place them in the bedside table drawer also.

• Google the directions to the doctor’s office. If it isn’t too far away and won’t use up too much liquid gold (gas) make a trial run to make sure you know how to get there and if there are any obstacles such as construction on the highway. Place the directions in the folder with your list.
• If you live on a fixed income, place the gas money in your folder or write a check ahead of time and subtract it on your check book.
• Do the same with your co-pay. Most places will not see you if you do not have your co pay.
• Make a list of your accuchecks for the past three months.
• The day before your appointment make sure your car is gassed up, and the oil checked, don’t forget to check the tires.
• If you cannot drive now is the time you enlist a family member or put aside for a taxi.
• If you are responsible for children, now is the time to find a baby sitter. (look into mother’s day out, drop off day cares or swap with another mother.)
• The night before make sure you eat nothing after midnight if you are to have labs drawn.
• If you are able to eat, set your coffee maker timer and place your breakfast on the table.
• Since stress is a major component in diabetes, enlist your spouse to help get children ready in the morning.
• Put your keys and coat in a familiar spot or if you don’t have one, put your keys in the bedside drawer with your list.
• Go to bed early (be sure and give your feet a good scrubbing or exfoliate, it will save you the embarrassment of rough feet.
• If you have diabetic changes be sure to wash your feet and dry them thoroughly while noting changes that you want to discuss with the physician.
• In the morning don’t forget your list, folder and your accucheck machine.
• Wear comfortable clothing and shoes. Bring along a book or magazine. If you crochet or knit bring a small project along. (use a cloth grocery bag to carry everything in, including your accu check machine and list.
• Leave early and take your time. Smiling always helps it releases endorphins from the brain.
• You have arrived at your doctor.
• I will see you in my next letter. Geri.

Hello, everyone, this is Geri. I thought I would give you one of Dr. O’Neal’s favorite dishes…Diabetic friendly chicken recipe.

• Serves 4
• Serving size 5 ounces
• 1 ½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 cup crushed corn flakes
• ½ cup skim milk
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 egg white

• Directions

• Combine all dry ingredients into a zip bag.

• Combine egg white and skim milk into a shallow bowl and dip chicken breasts into the wet mixture.

• Place chicken breasts one at a time into the dry mixture and shake to coat well.

• Remove chicken from the zip bag and lay in baking dish.

• Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes.

• From Mechelle Coble adapted from Kroger Corn flakes Recipe

• Nutrition facts per serving

• Total Calories 247

• Carbohydrate 9g

• Carbohydrate choices ½

• Protein 40g

• Total Fat 5g

• Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

• Monounsaturated Fat 2g

• Cholesterol 104 mg

• Saturated Fat 1g

• Dietary Fiber trace

• Sodium 328 mg

• You should see my trying to copy this in 1888! I miss zip lock bags. Of course crushing the garlic and onions was fun. Enjoy, Geri.

Hello, I wish we had some of these substitutes here in 1888!

1 egg...........2 egg whites/1/4c egg sub
Nuts....toast and use 1/2 the amound
Chocolate chips....use mini chips/1/2 amt
Whole/2%milk....skim or 1% milk
Oil..................cooking spray
Bacon for seasoning.......lean ham
Margarine/mayonnaise.......light/fat free
Frying...grill,roast,bake,broil,microwave
Sugar.........sugar substitutes/blends
Salt..vinegar,lemon juice, herbs, spices

Hope you can use these! Geri

Hello everyone, I have been busy here in Betheltowne helping the new school marm start school.

Here is something that happened this year I think you might find interesting.

The Roundhay Garden scene is an 1888 British film directd by inventor, Louis Le Prince. It is the earliest surviving motion picture. Filmed at Oakwood Grange, home of Joseph and Sarah Whitey in roundhay, Leeds West Yorkshire, Engtland on October fourteenth 1888; it featured Adolphe Le Prince, Sarah Whitley, Joseph Whitley and Harriet Hartley in a garden walking and talking and laughing.

Just think less than 40 years and we have Gone with the Wind! See ya Geri

The Canonical Five of Jack the Ripper

From what I understand, the first victim of Jack the Ripper was Mary Ann Nichols. Her body was discovered Friday, August 31, 1888. She was found at Buck’s Row, Whitechapel London.
Her throat was severed by 2 deep cuts; her abdomen was open by a deep jagged wound. There were several other cuts on her abdomen by the same knife.
Modus operandi
Prostitute
She was killed at night
Killed close to a weekend
Killed at or near the end of the month
The only difference in this first murder victim was that she wasn’t missing any organs.
Police surgeon Thomas Bond wrote in a report that according to his investigations that she was definitely one of Jack the Ripper’s victims.
Even though Arizona territory was suppose to be ‘rough and tough’, these murders left everyone shaken.
Geri

Diabetic Serving Sizes
Hello, Robinson says howdy. Here is a mini list of serving sizes.
• Starches
• 1 slice of bread
• 4-6 crackers
• ½ hamburger or hotdog bun
• 1/3 cup pasta or rice
• ½ cup starchy vegetable (corn, potatoes, dried beans, sweet potatoes, lima beans and winter squash.

• Vegetables

• 1 cup raw

• ½ cup cooked

• ½ cup juice



• Fats
• 1 tsp butter, oil, margarine, or mayonnaise
• 1Tbsp reduced fat oil, margarine, or mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp salad dressing
• 2 Tbsp reduced fat dressing or sour cream
• Fruits
• 1 piece fresh fruit
• ½ banana
• ½ cup canned in own juice or water
• ½ cup fruit juice, ½ if grape or cranberry


• Milk and dairy
• 1 cup skim or one percent milk
• 6 oz yogurt no sugar added or fat free


• Meats
• 2-3 oz cooked chicken, beef, pork, fish, game
• 1 oz cheese equals 1 oz meat
• 1 egg equals 1 oz meat
• 1 Tbsp peanut butter equals 1 oz meat
• ¼ cup cottage cheese or tuna (in water) equals 1 oz meat


Hope this helps, Geri.

History 1888 from Time Travel Novel Forever Promised
Jack the Ripper

Hi, my name is Geri Lanham and I am the heroine of the time-travel, western-fantasy novel, Forever Promised. I try to give everyone in the future an insight to life here in 1888, and why I chose to stay.
I would be remiss not to recount a media sensation that reached our American ears, being… Jack the Ripper. I learned about him in school while in the future, but to hold a newspaper here in 1888 sends chills down my spine.
Robinson received several missives from other law enforcement friends so I generally have fresher news than most. Jack the Ripper accrued sensational media coverage for today.
Jack the Ripper was a name given to a serial killer that terrorized the poverty stricken area of Whitechapel, London. He was also known as the Whitechapel Murderer and the Leather Apron.
There were 11 murders but only five of them were considered The Canonical Five. Ripper had a modus operandi of deeply slit throats, abdominal/genital mutilation and removal of body organs. Facial mutilations became increasingly grotesque with each victim.
The killings lasted until 1891. The murders were never solved, leading the perpetrator into the realm of folklore or pseudo-history status.
Study of these murders soon came to be known as ‘Ripperology’. Think of today’s Star Trek fans or ‘trekkies’. (It generated that type of devotion) The unsolved case has spawned many works of fiction.
I will give more information on the victims later. I have to leave for now, this man has always made me queasy and today is no exception. Everyone knows everyone here in Betheltowne, but do you really know your neighbor??
Later, Geri

Diabetic Terms from Geri’s Medical Minis
Hello, here are some more terms for diabetics.

• Sweets and Desserts
• Try (notice I said try) to limit sweets they provide little nutrition.
• If you have favorite sweets that you binge on, count your carbs all week and make a date with yourself to have that slice of chocolate pie. Then once finished make a date and work toward the next indulgence next week. This approach works best with a coach that you can eat with like the girls on girl’s night out or your wife on a special date night.
• When you read sugar-free it does not mean carb or calorie free
• Protein
• Protein is the building blocks of the body and most Americans eat too much protein.
• Most Americans need 2-3 ounces of protein at two of their three meals. 2-3 ounces is about the size of a deck of cards or a woman’s hand.
• Other protein sources include dried beans and peas, cheese, nuts, soy, and milk or milk products
• If you have kidney problems ask your health care provider you may have to limit your protein intake
• Fats
• Fats are maligned for good reason: We need it to absorb certain vitamins. We use it to flavor foods, of course people eat too much and the wrong kind of fats.
• Here are some simple ways to cut fat:
• Cut the amount in half and see if it tastes good
• Measure the fat.
• Do not add fat to foods, we no longer need to use lard for example in cooking, use cooking sprays
• Bake, microwave, grill, boil, roast or broil your foods.
• Choose oils that are liquid at room temperature such as olive or canola oils.
• Look for total fat content on the food label and keep under 3 grams per 100 calories.
More will be coming, eat healthy today. At least you don’t have to cook on a wood stove! I am finally learning how! Geri

Hello all, I hope these medical minis aren’t too basic for my readers, but I wanted the lay person to be included too.
What is a healthy plate? It is a plate that contains all the foods from the diabetes food pyramid: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, starchy veggies, whole/low fat milk, lean meats, meat substitutes and healthy fats.
• One half of your plate should contain vegetables.
• One fourth of your plate should be a starch/starchy vegetable
• One fourth lean meat or protein.
• One fruit side serving
• One dairy side serving

Here is a sample 2000 calorie diabetic meal plan for adults and older children.
• 2 cups of fruit (2-3 servings)
• 2 ½ cups of vegetables each day (5 servings)
• 6 oz of grains (1/2 grains to be whole grains), beans and starchy vegetables. (6 servings)
• 3 cups milk-low fat or fat free and other milk products.
• 5 ½ lean meat, meat substitute
• Know your doctors recommendations on salt, fats and sugars.
• Please remember to exercise daily.
• Eat about the same time each day
• Depending on blood sugar control, many people need a bedtime snack.
• Plan ahead for Holidays in order to enable you to eat as routinely as possible.
• Alcohol may cause low blood sugar, no more than 1 drink a day for women, 1-2 for men a day no more than 1-2 times a week.
I hope this leaves ‘food’ for thought, Geri. (lol)

Safety in Bird Feeding
By Shirley Bullock
The Passenger Pigeon is on its way to extinction along with a plethora of wildlife and plant species. I would like to talk to you about safety in bird watching.
Bird feeding can be one of the most rewarding hobbies a person can indulge in. Not only are the various species kind to the eye and a delight to watch, but you play a role in their survival.
Young and old alike can participate in bird watching. Safety can be maintained with a few rules. The first thing a prospective bird watcher needs to do is purchase (or borrow from the library) a field guide to bird identification. Second, is to find information on habitat and feeding habits; especially if the bird is territorial and will try to protect its’ nesting area.
Keep safety in regard to both animal and human health. Various birds need different food and shelter in order to survive.
You the birder need to make sure your equipment is in tip top order, and you have shelter from the elements while enjoying your hobby. Remember sunscreen, bug repellent and your cell phone. Always let someone know where you are going. ( You will probably in more danger from humans than flora or fauna).
Feeders need to be placed where the birds have easy access. Few people realize when feeding their feathered friends, they can be setting them up to be meals themselves. It is a fine rope to walk when making the feeder predator proof.
Keeping squirrels at bay may not be as important where you live than protection from hawks, cats and raccoons. Hawks can and will make a salad bar from the very birds you are trying to help.
I myself have come to the conclusion that squirrels may keep the few nuts they steal, I do not want to feed a goldfinch to a hawk. Most hawks are protected wildlife, so call your state fish and wildlife department and ask how you can steer those species away from your yard.
Make sure your feeders and houses are under your watchful eye and are easy for you to care for without becoming injured yourself. A feeder on a window can become a nightmare when your two year old crashes through the window after the ‘pretty birdie’.
Keep the feeders on ground floor windows and waterers where little hands can’t turn them over on themselves. Ensure that water gardens are not deep enough for a child to drown in.
Many birds commit unintentional suicide on windows. Place reflectors on windows near feeders and bird house so your tenants won’t fly into them.
Some birds become territorial and want to fight the trespasser (reflection). Hang pie tins, or place a statue of an owl or snake on the sill will help in most instances.
In the case of hummingbirds, males can become aggressive and guard the feeders. More than one feeder and plenty of bird friendly plants around will add to your property’s appeal.
Please do not throw rice at weddings. Birds eat the rice, the rice swells and their stomachs explode. Do not release balloons in the air; they can choke on the rubber or become entangled in the strings.
Please encourage others not to throw out trash that can poison or entrap your feathered friend.
These are just a few points I hope you will find helpful.

Here is another predator on Shirley's web site www.foreverreadswriting.com. Ewwwwwwww Geri.