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The world lost a sweet young woman on Friday.  I don't really know what to say, other than the fact that I'm so shell-shocked and stunned that I can't think about anything else.

Since I haven't asked her family's permission to talk about this, I'll call this precious young woman “Joy” because that's what she was.  Joy wasn't just a kind, caring, Christian woman.  She was truly leveraging her life for God.  She had an impactful ministry with a few other incredible women, and she had just released her first book.  Joy was speaking to and reaching and touching tens of thousands of people at a time with her story.  In the face of devastating personal loss, she had not crumbled and allowed it to destroy her life, but had clung to her faith and allowed God to use that loss for good.  Joy was making a difference.  In so many ways.  Even though she was so young.

I met Joy through my church at a women's bible study.  She was one of those people who win you over immediately.  She had a huge smile that seemed to come from her heart, and not just from her teeth; you know what I mean?  She had a warmth about her that drew people to her.  She drew other women to her, and you know how big of a deal that is.

After that bible study ended, I didn't see Joy again until a few months ago when I saw her in a short segment on the weekend news.  I recognized her right away, since there aren't too many people around with that smile and that kind of enthusiasm.

I didn't see Joy or hear of her again until I was flipping through the Sunday paper last weekend, and saw her obituary.  I must have read it a dozen times.  What happened?  How could this be?

I'm just so confused about this.  Like I was last year when one of the worship leaders at my church died suddenly; also a very young woman.  I know that I do not have the capacity to understand God's ways.  I know that.  But still I try to make sense of things in my own head when heartbreaking losses occur.

What I don't comprehend is why God would allow someone to get a horrible painful illness when they are living their lives for Him, and are reaching so many other people for Him.  But yet, He lets evil people go on their merry way, la dee dah.   He lets me go on my merry way, for cryin out loud, with all of my sins and shortcomings.  I'm still dealing with some of the same old crap and sin that I've been dealing with my whole life.  Why not take me and leave Joy to do His work?  She was doing it, and doing it marvelously.  With passion and spirit.  But she was sidetracked with this illness out of the blue in March, and now she's gone.  And it's only June.

I know that Joy is with God now and she isn't asking questions.  I'm the one with questions.  I'm the one who is so sad for all of Joy's family and friends, and all of the people who won't get to hear her speak again.  All of the young women who won't benefit from her encouragement and her example.

I'm not mad at God, and I honestly don't question God.  I trust Him and I know that His ways are perfect.  And He knows I don't mean to be disrespectful; sometimes I'd just like to understand a tiny little bit.  Maybe I'll ask Him about this when I see Him, or maybe I won't even think about it because I'll be too busy worshipping.  Like Joy is right now.

~BigSis

Posted under This & That

The best blueberry smoothie is the perfect way to start my day. My body craves it. Even in the winter, I have to have it. If I include protein powder, a big smoothie will last me for 3 hours until I get hungry for second breakfast.

You do know about second breakfast, right? (Sorry for the dorky “Lord of the Rings” reference. I love those movies.)

You can throw whatever you like into the blender, but here's my basic recipe for what I think is the best blueberry smoothie.

Best Blueberry Smoothie

1-1/2 cups frozen organic blueberries
1-1/2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 tsp ground flax seeds
1 heaping scoop unsweetened vanilla brown rice protein powder
1/2 tsp maca powder
1 tblsp coconut oil
Splash of homemade vanilla extract (see note below)
Optional: a tiny bit of chlorella powder

Place everything into a blender and mix until thoroughly blended, adding a little water if the mixture gets too thick. Enjoy!

Notes:

• I use blueberries because they're such a nutritional powerhouse, but you can use any fruit. I used to mix in some strawberries, but I've been reading that even organic strawberries are likely to contain pesticide residue. I prefer frozen fruit because then I don't need ice cubes to get a nice freezy texture.

• My usual liquid is Almond Breeze, but I've added a splash of orange juice for flavor when I had it around. I don't like using much juice though because of the high natural sugar content. If I wanted a sugar buzz, I'd rather have a piece of chocolate.

• Instead of the flax seeds or in addition to them, I've also used hemp seeds and chia seeds. They're all good in smoothies.

• Maca is one of my favorite little foods, and I think it's highly underrated. Google it and see. It's a powdered Peruvian root that I first read about it in Brendan Brazier's book Thrive. It helps balance out hormonal issues for menopausal women, and is said to have a variety of other benefits including increasing energy and endurance, and reducing stress and adrenal fatigue. I don't know about all of the claims, but I can tell you that my hormonal issues are lessened when I use it and I just feel better. I like the Royal Maca brand. It is gelatinized, which means it is less starchy, more potent, more concentrated and easier to digest than raw maca.

• Coconut oil is another little jewel that I love. It's supposed to reduce night sweats and other hot flashy problems, as well as helping to prevent Alzheimer's and provide quick energy since it doesn't have to be metabolized through the liver first like most other fats. I'd really like to get one more tablespoon of it in my diet each day.

• Homemade vanilla extract is pretty complicated, so pay close attention. Once I finish a bottle of my favorite vanilla extract, Penzey's Mexican Vanilla, I keep the vanilla bean inside the bottle and fill it up with the cheapest vodka I can find. Then I just store it in the back of the pantry for a few weeks. I have 3 bottles in rotation, so while I'm using the oldest bottle, I have 2 others marinating in the pantry. Why do this? Because I'm a vanilla extract snob; I like the good stuff which is pricey. There's no need for it in a smoothie though and this cheap version works perfectly fine.

• Chlorella is another food I learned about from Thrive. It's a freshwater algae that is a detoxifying super hero! It helps speed up the rate at which toxins are removed from our bodies, and is even used in cases of mercury overload. You have to respect chlorella for the power it possesses, and add it into your smoothie very, very gradually, otherwise you're likely to experience bloating and real discomfort. I don't add in chlorella all of the time, and when I do it's usually 1/4 tsp or less.

I hope you'll give the Best Blueberry Smoothie a try, and start your morning with a team of super nutrients that will go to battle for you throughout the day!

~BigSis

Posted under Food, Health

Once you see everything there is to see on BigSisLilSIs today, you have to look at what CuteOverload.com posted on October 27th.  It's a pet costume extravaganza!  There are only 3 kitty-pie costumes and none of them are that full of cuteness, so come back on Friday for our Cats in Hats post.  To tide you over til then, check my favorites from CuteOverload:

Ewok Puppy

No explanation necessary!

We're not in Kansas any more, Toto!

The donut man kills me

There are lots more of these hilarious photos.  Let me just give you a little hint of what you'll find.  A boxer with completely inappropriate cleavage, perhaps?

~BigSis

Posted under Animals

Actually, that's not exactly true. At least it isn't the whole story. ShiKai Borage Therapy Dry Skin Lotion isn't just the best vegan body lotion I've ever used. It's the best body lotion I've ever used, period. Vegan or non-vegan, it's the best by a mile.

What's so great about it? It works!

The bottle claims that instead of working on the skin's surface, Borage Therapy works at the cellular level, fighting the cause of dry skin and healing it.

It also claims to relieve dry itchy skin quickly, and says that the skin will retain moisture to become healthier and more supple.

I don't claim to know what's happening to my skin at the cellular level, but here's what I do know for sure:

• My skin is softer and smoother than I've observed with any other body lotion.

• The softness stays. Even though there is no stickiness or greasiness, this lotion keeps working. When I shower the next day, I can feel a soothing layer of healing lotion rinsing from my skin. I didn't even know it was still there, but it was still doing it's thing.

• When I apply ShiKai Borage Therapy, it sinks in immediately. It doesn't go white on my skin, and it doesn't take a while to absorb into the skin. Who has time in the morning to wait on your body lotion to absorb before you can get dressed for work? Not me.

• I use the lightly-fragranced variety, and I love the scent. It's a very soft, almost citrusy scent. There is also an unscented formula if that's your preference.

• There are no animal ingredients and no animal testing is used. Sweet!

I found ShiKai Borage Therapy at my favorite hippie health food store, but you can also find it at Whole Foods, through ShiKai's web site, or at Amazon.com at a great price. I highly recommend it if you want to say goodbye to dry skin!

~BigSis

Posted under Beauty and Skin Care

~ If all you can do is crawl, start crawling. – Rumi

~ There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth… not going all the way, and not starting. – Buddha

~ Dare to believe that something inside you is greater than your circumstances. – unknown

~ Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself. – George Bernard Shaw

~ The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen nor touched but are felt in the heart. – Helen Keller.

Photo credit: intent.com

~LilSis

Posted under This & That

We had a great time last week while BigSis was here in California visiting and helping me prepare for the big baby shower! We ate Mexican food every single day during BigSis' visit and may have over-indulged just a little bit, but that's just what we do. It's tradition.

Now, it's back to the grindstone and the gym for both of us. BigSis is back to work in Texas and today was my first day back to work after several days off.

We shared a ‘sneak peak' photo of these crackers the other day when we talked about the shower and we promised that we'd be back to share the recipe with you.

Crispy, Cheesy, Yummy, Chive Crisps

This recipe is similar to one that SisMama has made for years; with only slight variations like the chives and the rice krispies. You can find this recipe for Cheese and Chive Crisps on allrecipes.com.

These crackers were absolutely “melt in your mouth' delicious and each and every one of them disappeared long before the end of the day.

I was a little skeptical about the rice krispies at first because I had always made the original recipe that didn't include the cereal, but BigSis convinced me that they would be yummy and now I couldn't imagine making them without the cereal. And the fresh chives made these cheesy crackers even more special.

The only thing that we both agreed on is that the next time we make these, we would at least double the amount of Frank's Red Hot to give them just a little more kick!  🙂

These tasty little crackers would be great for any get-together – especially a cocktail party – so give them a try!

~LilSis

Posted under Food

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With all of this eating, we don't really need a dessert but we wanted one to finish out the meal, so it needed to be light and easy.  How about Mexican Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats!  To call these Mexican Chocolate is a BIT of a stretch, but it comes from the addition of cinnamon to the chocolate treats.  Whatever you call them, they're muy bueno!  I'm not usually a huge fan of Rice Krispie Treats, but I have to say the chocolate/cinnamon/vanilla aroma from these enticed me and I tried one.  They were so darn good!  Make these!

This is all you need! Oops, I forgot to show the chocolate chips!

Mexican Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats
(adapted from Cooks.com)

1/4 cup butter
Dash of salt
1 10-oz pkg regular marshmallows
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp Mexican vanilla
5 1/2 cups Cocoa Krispies cereal
1 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Butter a 9 x 13 pan, or line with non-stick foil.

Melt butter in a large pan over low heat.  Add marshmallows, and stir until melted.  Remove from heat and stir in a dash of salt, the cinnamon and vanilla.  Add cereal and pecans.  Stir well and quickly.

Firmly press mixture into prepared pan.  Immediately sprinkle chocolate chips over the surface.  Cool and cut into squares.

Delicioso!

~BigSis

Posted under Food

It's been a month now since the Nasty Virus hopped on me, and 3 weeks since I got out of the hospital.  You'd think I'd be back to my usual workout schedule, but it hasn't happened that way.

• I was shocked to realize that after about 11 days with no physical activity whatsoever, I had not only lost weight – which I expected – but I had lost a lot of muscle.  I don't understand how it can take months of regular focused exercise to build muscle and muscle tone, but only 11 days to lose a huge percentage of it!?  Somebody needs to splain that to me!
• It was really jarring to me to realize how weak and puny I had become, when I had gone into this illness as a very strong and healthy person.  To walk up the stairs to my condo almost winded me, and to stand up after kneeling was a huge challenge for my quadriceps.
• And stamina?  Forget about it!  After sleeping 10 to 11 hours a night, I still woke up exhausted and struggled to work even half a day.

Those are the facts of the situation.  So what to do about that situation?  I NEEDED to get back to working out; both physically and mentally.  But how well should you feel before resuming exercise?  Should you start when you still feel crummy and build up super-gradually, or do you wait until you feel better to begin at all?  Meanwhile, how much more fitness would be lost?  I haven't really known the right thing to do, but I do know that my body is saying “I NEED EXERCISE!”

So off I went to the internet to do a little research about resuming exercise after an illness. Melanie at Healthy Eating Coach talks about the struggle of getting started again, and she reinforced my thoughts to walk first and then gradually add back in weights with more strenuous workouts much later.

There is a great article on TheBody.com which addresses the importance of listening to your body, resting without necessarily sleeping, getting back to your work routine before adding exercise back in, and eating well even if you don't feel like it.  Excellent advice!

The Denver Post also provides some excellent guidelines to follow when you're getting back to an exercise regimen.  I thought it was a great tip to work out at the gym during less crowded times, since your resistance to germs could still be diminished.

And lastly, I found that according to the National Institute of Health, exercise boosts the immune system. They say that:

• exercise flushes bacteria from the lungs
• exercise may flush out carcinogens (cancer-causing cells) by increasing output of waste
• exercise sends antibodies and white blood cells through the body at a faster rate
• bacterial growth may be reduced by the rise in body temperature when you exercise
• stress-related hormones that increase the risk of illness are reduced with exercise

I didn't know all of these things, did you?  These are all great reasons to get back on track!

After reading all this information and thinking it through, I decided that moderation and patience were the keys, as well as common sense.  This past weekend was gorgeous weather, and I couldn't stay indoors resting on the sofa one more day.  So my modified workout plan resumed.  Here's what I did:

• One hour walks outdoors last Saturday and Sunday at a slow pace
• Three trips to the gym during the week for walks on the treadmill at a medium pace
• One hour walks outdoors this Saturday and Sunday at a medium pace
• Plans for this week include stepping up the treadmill pace a bit and adding a few minutes to the workout, and adding a couple of light weight workouts.
• I also want to add back in my yoga and pilates workouts, but I'm trying not to overdo it so that may be placed on the agenda for next week if I'm up to it.  I feel like the first order of business should be to do the light cardio and build from there.

So far, it's feeling fantastic to be active again, even at a reduced level.  I can feel my muscles beginning to wake up a little, and they're very happy about it!  Hopefully this process will continue to go smoothly.  It's been an exercise in patience, if nothing else!  How about you?  Have you had this experience, and how did you handle it?

~BigSis

Posted under Health