I saw this new theme at Erin at Still Life, with Cracker Crumb’s blog (hosted by Anne at In Residence) so I thought I would jump in this month for fun!
The idea is to post what your picking and preparing, trying, feeling, and following for the upcoming month. We’ll see how this goes!
Picking and preparing: I’m picking up butternut squash from my dad, or at least I was supposed to get more of it this week, so I can make some butternut squash soup for us, them and others. I made it last year and it was so good. I used the Pioneer Woman’s recipe but I made a lot of adjustments, to the point I pretty much only added the squash, a few potatoes, onion powder and a couple of cups of milk. I don’t need heavy whipping cream for everything like Ree does.
I think I also added carrots to mine. I cooked it all in the Instapot and then blended it with my immersion blender, put it in a pot on the stove and cooked it down some more. The only part that is a pain for me is softening the butternut squash enough that I can cut it up. I’m a wimp and can’t cut it while it is raw so I have to soften it in the Instapot and then scoop out the insides and cut it up and sometimes I overcook it in the Instapot and it becomes a mushy mess while I try to pull the skin off of it. Can you tell I am not a cook?
The most important tip for butternut squash soup is to pick up some mozerella and melt it all over the top of your bowl of soup. Sooo good!
Trying: I am trying to count calories and keep a food diary. I’ve never thought counting calories was the way to go to lose weight but I’ve watched my mom do this in the last year and she’s down 50-some pounds, maybe even close to 60 now. I have a feeling one of my biggest issues is that I don’t actually eat enough calories and I don’t have enough protein throughout the day. My mom has a certain amount of protein and carbs at each meal and fills up on vegetables as well. I know perimenopause and hypothyroidism are against me in the weight loss effort but about seven years ago I lost close to 40 pounds by dropping all wheat, dairy and sugar and adding natural progesterone to balance my hormones I’m doing all of that again and am hoping it helps not only with the weight but with a myraid of symptoms.
Feeling: Feeling is a difficult one. I’m feeling a mix of emotions these days. I’m lonely many days. I don’t have any close friends anymore. I’m feeling anxious because we need to find a house closer to my husband’s job and my parents and that has proved to be much easier said than done. But, in the midst of it all, I’m also feeling somewhat optimistic as I continue to work on my stories and simply have fun by posting them here on my blog, on Kindle, or wherever I want.
Following: Much less than I used to follow, if we are referring to social media. I’ve been taking longer breaks from all social media. I am following more authors on Instagram than I used to, but right now Instagram isn’t even on my phone. I find myself feeling super jittery after looking at Facebook or Instagram (don’t even ask about Twitter. I don’t have an account). I hate how I can be scrolling along looking at happy photos and bump into someone yelling about politics or the environment or any number of things. It’s just too much sometimes and my brain can’t keep up with it all.
Even the stuff that is good for me is overwhelming. “Read this Bible verse/devotional!” “Watch this sermon!” I can’t keep up with it all and I notice my heart starts racing and my breath quickens as I try to bounce from tab to tab. I’ve resorted to deleting it all from my phone and blocking Facebook throughout much of the day, only looking at it a couple of times to see updates from the few friends I have left on there.
So how about all of you? What are you all up to, or plan to be up to in November? Let me know in the comments!
All images by Lisa R. Howeler and available on Lightstock.com.
Boondock Ramblings 
I hear you about Facebook – “jittery,” that is how it made me feel too. I also felt like I needed to keep up with everything on it and became overwhelmed. It was for those reasons and several others that I deleted my account. I’m a happier person without it!
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I deleted mine then went back on and I think I will delete again soon, honestly.
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I don’t know how anyone can keep up with the social media world, it is a little intense sometimes. I just take things day by day and hope for the best. This was a fun read, love your honesty about what I think 90% of us are actually feeling right now in this world and as always… I love your photos. That sunflower is stunning. Have a great weekend and I hope you find your perfect home soon.
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I really can’t keep up with it. I finally dropped Instagram, deleted Twitter a year ago and have been going on FB less and less. Ironically my anxiety has been better without it
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Smart, just keep you and your love ones happy and at peace. Too much social media brings about a lot of stress. I love my breaks when I take them. I don’t do Facebook or twitter. I try every now and then to post something on Instagram but even that takes up time in my life. I rather live life then record it.
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Welcome to the Currently link-up! That’s awesome your mom has lost so much weight, and I hope you can too. It’s definitely something I’m focusing on. I’m gluten free and mostly dairy free, but I still need to find other ways to eat better, etc.
-Lauren
http://www.shootingstarsmag.net
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Loved this real life post. I don’t have a garden so what I pick is from the grocery store bends. I have been experience with avocado’s because they are a good fat. So I made a spread with them and on a piece of toast with my green tea I am feeling spoiled.
I too am trying to lose weight and doing a poor job of it. I the YMCA warm pool about four days a week, love it, can move so much easier then outside the pool. We live in Simi Valley, Ca. and there is a cross on a high hill near Reagan Library and a couple days ago I tried for the second time to climb to it. For the second time I did not make it, only about 3/4 of the way. I have not gotten back my strength from heart surgery and maybe never will unless I loss about 40 pounds. Our four year grandson was with us and he runs up those steep place, sits down ,takes his cars our of his back pack and plays till Grandma and Grandpa make it to where he is. He was sad I could not make it the whole way. He and Grandpa did it yesterday without me, he is happy now. It’s a rough climb.
I tell you all that to say I was sad too and still am because I want so badly to make him happy and make me happy with myself. Thank God He allows me a few days of feeling sorry for myself and now I am in a better frame of mind, such as getting up that hill does not define me. Jesus climbing Calvary hill defines me. thanks for letting me share my heart.
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Thank you so much for commenting, Betty. I always love when you do. As for the climbing, at least you are making the attempt. That’s more than a lot of people do. Don’t you give up. Luckily Jesus doesn’t require us to climb any hills to reach him.
I bet you’re so grateful you have that time with your grandson. It’s so cute the way you described him sitting and waiting for you to get there.
They just had fires close to there didn’t they? I saw on the news that the library was threatened. It’s a beautiful area. I remember seeing it when Mrs. Regan passed away.
Take care and we will both keep trying to get better physically!
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Yay!! I am glad you participated! I think this is such a fun and reflective monthly post. 🙂 Thanks for the link love!
I love butternut squash soup! And I am also a wimp, I can’t cut the squash by myself. LOL. I lost a bunch of weight years ago counting calories – I actually went to weight watchers and it really worked! I have found I am so much less disciplined now though. Eek. Combined with perimenopause over here too, having a baby at 39, it’s been a struggle.
I am sorry you are feeling lonely a lot of days – Jeannie at Marmelade Gypsy and I were talking about how important the blogging community has become to us, now that we don’t work outside the home anymore. I used to interact with so many people, I worked in an elementary school! So many kids, but now, my days are pretty lonely too. My son has Cerebral Palsy and that is an extra little challenge to getting and doing things. My best friend is a SAHM too, and we probably talk on the phone three or four times a day – I think it really helps us both. We laughed the other day, saying that we are coworkers.
I am writing a whole book here in the comments! Sorry! I agree about social media. I have curated my feeds for everything (except Twitter, which I also avoid) so that I only see good things honestly. My Insta is all books and nature and FB I have hidden people who give me anxiety. I feel like it is another outlet to the world for me though. 🙂
Thanks again for the shout out and I am glad you joined in!
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I love books for comments! I learn so much about people! I had my little girl at 37 and she’s five so I hear you on the pregnancy weight- I actually gained much less with her than her older brother and lost it faster but then it all came rushing back when the thyroid decided to poop out again. Not fun at all!
Glad I found your blog and a new theme to post to!
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That soup sounds so good! I love winter squash in any shape or form! And I have gained weight from being on prednisone for so long. It can be discouraging, when I have already been gluten, dairy and (mostly) sugar free for several years. But I keep asking God to help me trust Him with even this, and not to heap shame upon myself. It’s sure not easy to do that, tho! I am thankful that He stays so close through it all!
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I’ve been gluten free for seven years but I guess the thyroid doesn’t care anymore like it used to. I just dropped dairy and am also cutting sugar so I hope it helps! And yes, I’ve been asking for God to help me deal with it all – the weight gain and the weird symptoms, hoping it all makes sense someday.
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The soup sounds really good! I need to really work on losing a few pounds, too. It’s hard to get exercise when it starts getting cold because I refuse to spend money on a gym membership. I’m with you on feeling lonely. Being a stay at home homeschool introvert mom is not easy. The best adult conversations I have any more are with my dog. 🤗
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The exercise wipes me out since hormones shifted so right now I want to focus on eating better at least. I don’t eat horrible – can’t even eat fast food or baked goods, but I don’t eat enough of the good stuff either. I think I have better adult conversations with my dog too….
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Well, thanks so much for joining in! Nice to have you. And I’m all about other people growing me butternut squash too 🙂 My in-laws always give us a bunch, and my favorite thing to make with it is this: https://boysahoy.com/one-pan-wonder-roasted-butternut-squash-brussels-chicken-sausage-bacon/
On the menu for tonight, in fact!
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Oh my gosh! I must try that recipe!
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