Merry Christmas, Hypertension Detected

It was a quiet subdued Christmas week and Day. Prior to the last minute retail holiday stampede we ran around doing shopping and donated to our local food pantries. I tried to keep my holiday grouchiness to myself as to not infect those around me. We had a slimmed down budget this year and gifted each other a few things each. The whole holiday crept up on myself and husband much to our surprise, and it was three days before Christmas we finally put our tree up. For whatever the reason, this year we just weren’t feeling it. Neither of us can put our finger on the why but it’s there. I blame part of it on cabin fever being stuck indoors in the freezing weather. 

I haven’t gone out much at all this winter, especially since that last storm I cramped up shoveling. I’ve been quite lost the last few months without getting up to work and not seeing a soul day to day outside of our family circle. We did a trip to Walmart and local stores just before Christmas to get wrapping paper and a few more little things for husband’s employee party at work. I very much missed out this year on interacting with everyone but it goes with the territory of being laid off. 

Christmas Eve and day was all about the cooking. I felt guilty having so much food knowing others that do not, nor did they have a place to be Christmas. My husband just loves to bake and he outdid himself making his favorites. He has absolutely perfected the art of making Spinach Quiche. His sausage rolls were made with puff pastry rather than traditional. We had decided this year for meat to use chicken and pork. The pork was a store bought marinaded tenderloin that ended up in the trash. After it cooked for whatever reason it had a strong unpleasant bitter taste to it, almost as if the marinade it shipped in had gone bad. After some thinking we decided to "when in doubt throw it out," rather than take a risk of getting sick. I’m not sure what’s changed but all three grocery stores in our area have food and produce that has been going bad within days of purchase this last year. The roasted chicken at least was a success. 

My meager contribution was to bake three dozen chocolate chip cookies Christmas Eve. I had intended to gift a plate of them to someone but later found they couldn’t have the sugar diet-wise, so that was a dissapointment. I have no doubt some will be eaten but not in that quantity. On holidays my husband enjoys doing all of the cooking and it’s been his tradition years. I often try to elbow in and at least help do some prepping but nope he won’t have any of it. Now he is a better baker than myself. 

All in all it was a nice Christmas Day spent with ourselves and my oldest son. I’d have loved to have our other children and grandchildren with us but it couldn’t happen this year. They have their own lives and family nor do they live close by. We are thankful for what we have and our health. Some of the ornaments on our tree belonged to family members we have lost over the years and each holiday season we bring them out in a tribute to their memory. 

My creative streak is still in stall mode much like a writer experiencing writers block, and it’s daunting to put thoughts into written words. I’ve always been a visual and do much better sharing with art and photography. Now that I am older I could very easily become an introvert, but I’m not there yet. I enjoy life and the company of others too much still. Some of the conversations my husband and I have had to have regarding our last stage of life are as I say, mind bending. The current economy in both the country and the state we reside in are not helping. Nobody should have to worry in retirement how they will afford it or where they will end up living after a lifetime of working but it’s how it is. These last couple months I find my mind drifting to a strange place and thinking, “ Is this all there is after the living we do in life?” It’s not a good or a bad thought but it’s uncomfortable. 

The day after Christmas I ended up at the doctor office. Not long ago my Apple Watch had alerted me one morning that it detected Hypertension, I had no idea what that was. Once I figured it out I started checking my blood pressure daily both in the morning and at night and it indeed was up. Though my father and stepsister have the diagnosed condition since their late 40’s, thus far I had escaped those genetics. I didn’t think my smartwatch was accurate because only a month prior at the GP it was normal. I’m guessing the combination of extra weight, my use of salt along with not paying attention to my intake caught up with me. The doctor instructed me to clean eat, walk outside daily, and avoid salt and sodium foods for 3 months to see if my numbers go down, if not it’s medication time. I already read ingredients on everything we buy but yes I had been lax the last month. I guess it's time I go out and join the bundled up herd of walkers around the park days. I can only blame myself, don’t be me! 

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