Where have you been...?
Here and there, but mainly just here.
Just thought I’d write a quick note to update everyone about my water fast and other things that have been going on since my last post here on Substack. It’s only been a couple of three weeks, but it seems like months. Time is funny that way…
”I been sitting on a riverbank, praying in Jesus name to come and save my soul. I know time was never on my side. I been waiting on forever now, hoping that it comes around and pulls me outa this hole. Cause I’ve run outa places to hide.”
Josh Meloy - Met the Devil in Oklahoma
That’s been my theme song lately. I ended my water fast on day four due to one of my young cats going missing. We’ve lost too many cats (and chickens) due to predators here and I really thought I’d lost her too. The pain in my heart wasn’t tolerable with the pain in my stomach, so I had soup. Thankfully, little Tycho came home the next day. She was hanging out with a new boyfriend, so it looks like we’ll be having kittens around the end of March.
I have always been a spay and neuter type pet owner…and then Convid happened. I can’t take my two youngest girl’s in without submitting them to vaccinations and I just can’t do that anymore. I won’t. So, kittens it is! And likely two litters at about the same time, because little Miss Pistachio had a boyfriend trailing her too. Not the best thing, but new life is always welcome in this weird, topsy-turvy existence we find ourselves in right meow!
Another thing is my son, Nick started a new job on the very day I started my fast. That was a trip and made thing’s more difficult than they would have been with him home. I was expecting some help with the chores and cooking, but when both men are putting in 50-60 hour weeks… I’m back to being alone all day, Monday through Friday for the first time since 2018. I used to have a “houseguest”, Lisa, so when Nick was at school or at work, I still wasn’t alone. After she moved out, Nick lost his job and hadn’t had a steady one for the last two years. He’d help a dude down the road every so often, but this new job is near Tulsa and for a printed paycheck. Well, I think they do direct deposit nowdays, but you get what I mean.
The good thing is I accomplished what I sat out to do and that was to finally stop the pills. I’d gotten stuck at two a day, which was excellent considering, but I wanted ZERO.
And I got it.
It’s been three weeks and I’m doing…okay. Thankfully, fasting seemed to really keep the worst withdrawals at bay, the physical ones anyways. The mental ones have been a bit tough and the dopamine crash is quite bad. I know it will eventually get better, it’s just getting there and time’s dragging ass. The pain I was on the pills for has been manageable and I’m now completely certain firing my doctor and following my own path to health was exactly the correct thing to do!
I’ve been passing the time hanging in there, doing the dailies but not much extra. I have been doing a lot of cooking and baking, mainly so Nick can have leftovers for lunches. Most of his co-workers eat fast food and have to smell my home cooking when he warms it up. The day he took curry, he said the whole shop smelled like it all afternoon! I felt bad and sent two dozen cookies yesterday for them.
I’m also garden planning, or at least looking at my Clyde’s guide and ordering some new seeds. I’ve got the soil and trays and am now just trying to find the energy to get the tent cleaned out and set up for seedlings. Energy. I have none to spare. Morning chores, afternoon cooking, and evening clean up wipe me out. I’m sleeping okay…when the damn dogs allow it. Bubba’s old and Pete’s a hoot and a half. With all the door scratching added to the getting up and leaving that starts at 4am, I feel lucky when I can stay down until the sun comes up.
Well, my new egg incubator showed up and is warm! I’ve got five eggs from yesterday and need to go see what the ladies have left me today. Have you seen the price of chickens? Holy smokes, Batman!!! Yeah, I’ll be raising my own for eating this year. We made up 25 pounds of sausage last weekend and the guys may dispatch Mr. Ham this weekend. The stand up freezer’s still pretty full of Mr. Hock, but I’ll make room. In fact, I might can up the last five chickens out of the chest freezer while they’re doing the dirty part of processing a hog. I get the fun part, cutting up the lovely primals into sexy chops and bacon! And we really need to get Miss Sassy a boyfriend to make more! Growing your own is the only way these days, folks.
(edited to add - got a dozen going!)
I also started some water kefir for Nick. Me and Jack just love the booch, but Nick…not so much. We’ll see how he likes kefir. It sure seems easier than brewing kombucha, so there is that! I also need to wake up my sourdough starter and get some more yogurt making. My new fermentation tops also showed up, so the cabbage is in immanent danger of a shredding! This is gonna take some coffee. Thankfully, dinner tonight is canned pork shoulder quesadillas in the air fryer.
TGIF
Stay tuned for an article I’m working on about the fall of civilizations.
Thank you for reading!
~J
Four days is respectable, but you probably didn't get to ketosis.
It's easy to find reasons to stop fasting, LOL!