Gathering thoughts

As I gather my thoughts today, I look back at the last 10 days and I am very glad that they are behind me...

My health issues started previous Monday, with heart pounding and head spinning and almost fainting feeling, headache, pressure and again the heart racing and awful, awful dizziness!!! They had lasted for a week, with occasional breaks in between.
 Somebody has recommended a cardiologist in Boston, so I made an appointment.  It took us (  I did not dare to drive myself to and through Boston ) 2 hours to get there! The doctor decided, after looking into my blood tests, ECG and other important stuff, that nothing is wrong with me. Except maybe for vasovagal syncope syndrome. While I still have other symptoms, I know for now that I am alive, although not feeling the best, and I need to make sure, that I have something to sit on, in case the fainting feeling comes...

I am grateful to Andrzej, who while recovering from his back problem, took time off and stayed at home with me and kids, and took me to Boston today.
I try to take it easy and rest a lot. It really helps. Girls don't mind. It gives them more time for themselves:)

                                     

Watching 3D movie, not caring about the world:)

Easter Sunday came and went, and due to mentioned reasons, we took it easy and unfortunately skipped all the liturgy of holy Triduum. Kids had a good time while blessing the food baskets and indulging in chocolate eggs afterwards. They also enjoyed backyard egg hunt on Sunday. I took few pictures, but must say that after looking at my friends Easter-ly, beautifully dressed up, egg hunting children, I feel bad, that I let mine slip into comfy clothes. Kubus was all together oblivious to the egg hunt. He preferred the trucks:) No, no family Easter pictures this time.

So we spent Easter Sunday singing Alleluia in church, eating Polish Easter brunch ( very unpleasant meal for our kids, involved eating the real eggs  ), watching some movies and basketball games and eating lamb for Easter dinner. Yet again not our kids favorite. Sometimes I wonder if it wasn't better to put macaroni and cheese in front of them. That would make a peaceful dinnertime.

My daffodil blooming prediction for Easter did not come true...
Maybe for Divine Mercy Sunday?

We are back to somewhat routine this week. School, afterschool rehearsals, dinners, trucks, libraries and filling out the 200 raffle tickets. For fundraising. Did I ever mentioned that I hate fundraisings? Yep, not my cup of decaf, but I have to, mandatory...

 

 

 I am planning to go back to my blogging routine though, and include some recipes and books and knitting, sewing...come what may!

So for now I am looking ahead with much clearer head than a week ago. The days are longer, the seeds and bulbs are waiting to be planted, the birds are singing even late in the evening. I can enjoy again a late movie date on the coach with my hubby and have plans for the future. From the perspective of the last week, I have to say, it doesn't get better than that:)

Kinga.     

My Holy Week

 

I have decided to take a week off from blogging and concentrate on the events of Holy Week.
No manual mode Monday, or Tuesday in the kitchen or needle and thread or Thursday theme...and so on. I was planning to do more prayer, contemplation, spiritual reading, Easter reading with children, Holy Triduum liturgy and cleaning, and cooking and baking...:)

Well...
My week started not as I, or my family have planned...

The week consisted of visiting a doctor, an ER, different blood work tests and EKGs.
On Monday I had experienced an unusual dizziness with almost fainting feeling and heart pounding. In the store... with Kubus, very frightening thing. Tuesday and Wednesday went even worse, with uncontrollable shaking and a lot of fear. Fear of what is happening to me, why, and if it ever going to end or is it the end of me? No, I am not ready yet. My kids, my husband still need me. I have work to do here.

 Andrzej had to take care of me, the kids, the house and miss two days of work, not to mention doing shopping for the Easter. I did not want to go out by myself .
The tests came out very good, except for vitamin D ( I really need to move to more sunny place).
I do have an event monitor hooked up to me, and I am awaiting visit with a cardiologist in Boston.
I don't have any diagnosis but I am not as fearful as I was this past week.

And right now I am thankful for a chance to feel a little better, and for warm weather, for a beautiful orchid from Andrzej to brighten my spirits and for Easter tomorrow.

Today I have managed to participate in Holy Saturday events, like making hot cross buns for breakfast, blessing food in Polish parish, cooking food for tomorrow, decorating the egg tree and enjoying the gorgeous weather outside.

Tomorrow is Easter and that makes everything around me new, meaningful and hopeful again:)

Kinga.

Zeppole with Kubus {phfr}

 ~ Captured  context of contentment of this week~
 

{pretty}

 

 They were pretty delicious!!!

 

{happy}

 

Kubus was very happy to be part of preparation, until...



{funny}

 

 

 

 

...he discovered whipped cream on his finger. He had no idea what to do with it. So while I was recording his reaction, he picked a spoon up and used it to clean himself. It had never occurred to him, that he can lick his hand! 



{real}

Meanwhile, Zuzanna "cleaned up" the bowl herself, and Kubus was really disappointed with what was left for him. While he was holding this spoon he was crying  real-ly hard:(

 

 

 But the end he got what he wanted:)

 

 

Kinga.





Spring in my backyard

 

Gorgeous day today. The sun has invited me to the garden. I have caught a few signs of spring:)

 

 

Dandelion

 

Lily



Japanese maple

Rose



 Dogwood Tree



 

Azalea



 

Rhododendron

 

 

Garlic:)



Blueberry Bush



 

Daffodils!

 

 

Kinga.

 

 

 

 



the moment with butter

This is what I have found today on the kitchen counter top...

...and then I couldn't stop taking pictures.

Eventually, I had to take the butter away. I have met some resistance:)

Inspired by SouleMama.

Kinga.

Thursday theme: mud

All right, this one is not easy and not pretty, but I think I have managed.

I went for a mud hunt in my backyard. I would like to state that majority of this muddy mess was found in the sandbox. My backyard does NOT look this bad!!!

Now, go over to Cari and check other people's mud:)

Kinga.

Pennywise Platter Post

My first time participation in Pennywise Platter.

I like to cook, and sometimes I step away from the written and recommended recipes to create something of my own. The best person who creates something out of anything and it actually tastes delicious, is my mother in law. Too bad that she doesn't blog:)

This week I had half of a cooked chicken with all of its giblets. A few days ago I used it to make chicken broth. Kids are fighting the colds and did not mind having yummy soup with noodles.
To, whatever was left of broth, I added water and concentrated tomato paste. I spiced it up with salt and black pepper and tomato soup was ready.

Then my Polish genes kicked in and I have decided to make some pierogi with chicken.
 I took all of the meat of the chicken bones. Cut it in tiny pieces together with all the giblets.

 



 I added salt, black pepper, garlic powder, dried parsley flakes and 2 Tbls of ricotta cheese, to hold it together. For pierogi dough I used about 2 cups of flour, 1 egg, salt and about 1 cup of milk. I kneaded it, rolled it, cut it and stuffed with chicken. Then put the pierogi aside and started heating up a pot with water.

In the big pan I melted butter with olive oil and added 1 cut onion, 1 cubed sweet potato and a cup of very well chopped kale. I used the frozen one. I added salt and pepper and let it saute until soft and wonderfully smelling!

 Meanwhile the pot with  salted water was boiling so I put in the pierogi. I cooked them for about 5 minutes. After carefully draining them I added to the sauted veggies, and served.

They disappeared quite quickly!

Kinga.