In Memory of David Lee Clark

In Memory of David Lee Clark  

 
The following is something I wrote one week after my daddy passed away in November of 1988.  I was 17.

I called him Snoopy.  I was only three but for some reason calling him "Dad" didn't feel quite right, not yet anyway.  So Snoopy it was.  He must have liked it because he drew a big picture of Snoopy on his bowling bag so everyone could see.

I'm not quite sure when he made the transition from Snoopy to Daddy but I never reconsidered my decision.  My mom said she knew how to pick a good daddy for her kids and she was right.

"Sing me a song, Daddy.  Sing 'Old Shep' for me, PLEASE!"  This was a usual request from  me whenever our family was traveling together.  I would then go on to ask him to sing every song I could think of.  He always ended with "You're the Nearest Thing to Heaven", which he sang directly to Mom.  Looking right at her he would sing, "You're the nearest thing to heaven, yes you are.  I have searched for happiness so long and far.  But my search for love was through the day that I found you.  You're the nearest thing to heaven, darling you."

Soon after mom married him, we learned that Dad's idea of a good time was roughing it in the woods.  Camping was a pastime that none of us were accustomed to but all of us grew to love.  Every weekend from Memorial Day to Labor Day we packed our things and took off for our campsite in the middle of nowhere.  With a stinky old two-seater outhouse and no running water, the motor that generated light at night was our only luxury.  I can still picture Dad making bacon and eggs over the campfire.

Though I was "only" his step-daughter, we never made a big deal of it.  People would often ask if I was his daughter and he would say yes.  We never made the distinction between daughter and step-daughter or between father and step-father.  We found it really amusing when people commented on the resemblance between us.  We would just look at each other and smile.  They didn't need to know right?

I always felt very fortunate that I had a father who was willing to be "Dad" to his step-children as well as his own.  He was a very special man.

Last week my dad died of a sudden heart attack and I miss him terribly.  I am very thankful that he died doing something he loved (hunting) and he suffered no pain.  Oh and I almost forgot, he got his deer, so he also died happy.

Daddy always use to sing this song to Mama.  I wonder if he sang it to her in person when she passed into eternity this past year?

Annual Post and Summer Fast 2021

 It seems like I only blog once a year.  I think the end of the school year and my summer fast make me think about blogging for some reason.  It's just not something I have or want to make time for during the school year.  

This week I had to have the dreaded colonoscopy which requires a low fiber diet for several days, and a liquid diet and "clean out" the day before the procedure. This is my second time because I am 50 and because colon cancer runs in my family.  Both times I have had colonoscopies they have found polyps, which puts me on a more frequent schedule than most.   UGH- not fun. It will be 3-4 weeks before we get the biopsy results on the polyps they removed. 

Anyway, I normally wait until school is out to begin my annual 3-5 day fast, but this year decided I should just continue on from the colonoscopy prep rather than have to start from scratch in a couple of weeks.  

I began my clear liquid diet on Tuesday, and continued on through procedure day- Wednesday, then Thursday and Friday. I decided on a four day fast this year, so Friday evening I ended my fast with 3 strawberries, a chunk of apple, and a slice of toast.  I didn't watch my weight each day, but was around 106-107 when I started and 102.7 this morning (Saturday).

I won't repeat all the things I have said about fasting from past years, but I will say that one of my favorite things, is how it helps me refocus my desire toward whole foods,  Once I have fasted, I am not eager to fill my body with junk, empty calories, or processed foods.  It helps me crave fruits and veggies and unprocessed foods.

This whole year I did a form of intermittent fasting where I don't eat until noon and stop eating in the early evening on most days.  I was not super strict, but did keep this as a general rule most of the year. 

I also had a regular routine of working out at Orange Theory Fitness 2-3 times a week.  This is a fairly intense 60 minute workout that incorporates both cardio and strength training.  I love Orange Theory.  It is fun to workout with a group,  the structure of the membership keeps me accountable to a regular workout schedule,  and I am stronger and healthier for it.  This spring I realized I had very little muscle, and started trying to lift a little heavier to build up some upper body strength.   It seemed to be going well until, unfortunately, I overworked my shoulders, without really realizing what was happening.  This has caused  pain, loss of mobility and loss of strength in both shoulders, so I am now in the process of discovering what is wrong and how I can rehabilitate.  Seems to be a different issue and different source of pain/restriction in each shoulder.  SIGH.  Getting older can be so frustrating.

Two more days of school, 3 teacher work days, and a week of summer school, and then I must do our taxes before my summer break officially begins.  Looking forward to it more than ever as it has been a long year!  Summer plans are to try to get my driver's license (after 6 years in Japan!!) spend some time at the beach, and at the lake.  We are so blessed to have many reasonable options for summer vacation plans. 

For various reasons, while I was attempting to fast, my family received a plethora of baked goods that sat on our counter to tempt me! 

Annual Summer Fast 2020

I guess the only time I think about blogging is when I do my annual summer juice fast.  This year I started a little bit early because we are heading out on a family vacation to the Mt. Fuji, Yamanaka Ko (lake) area next week.  I wanted to be done with my fast before we left!

Evening view of Fuji

The rules:

The allowed liquids: water, tea, fruit/veggie juice, coffee with a teeny tiny splash of milk, broth. 

Day 1:  

This is always the hardest day and I manage it by keeping busy.  This year I was surprised that it wasn't as difficult and I wasn't feeling as famished as I remember feeling in the past.  I did lead up to this fast by mainly eating large amounts of fruits and veggies, and very little other foods.  I didn't weigh myself at the beginning of my fast, but I am guessing my starting weight was about 3 pounds above what I think of as my ideal.  Drank about 24 oz of a fruit/veggie juice mix and about 12 oz. of coffee, also plenty of water.

Day 2:  

During distance learning my routine was disrupted and I had put on the famous "quarantine kilo" but had also lost a bit of it again before I started this fast. (Thanks to our gym opening up and me getting my motivation back!)  I do a form of fasting throughout the year to maintain a healthy weight (a restricted eating window most days of 12pm to 6pm- but I am flexible with social events.)  However, my main reason for this longer fast is not weight loss, but rather the many health benefits that I have talked about in previous posts.  I am convinced that it strengthens my immune system noticeably.  Before my first extended juice fast in 2013, I used to catch one or two colds yearly and it would sometimes turn into a sinus infection.  But since 2013 I have not needed to take a sick day for sickness even once.  I have had 2 or 3  colds in those 7 years, but none were severe enough to keep me home. 

Day 3: 

LAZY Day.  Sat around the house and listened to the rain outside.  I love to cook and bake when I am fasting, which I know is weird!  So today I made banana chocolate chip muffins and put them in the freezer for our upcoming trip.  A little hungrier today than yesterday.  Slight headache too.  All normal fasting side effects.  Two days to go!

Day 4: 

Woke up this morning and was a bit nauseous.  The last few times I have fasted,  I have had one nauseous morning.  This morning I sensed it coming and quickly drank some juice which took the edge off.

Did you ever notice how many pictures and posts on facebook have to do with FOOD?  Another thing that I love about fasting is that almost everything looks and smells delicious.  Also, it resets my focus toward healthier foods when I end the fast.  I am not sure why this works but it does.  Fasting makes me crave healthy food the way I crave junk food at other times.  I wonder if it is just me or if this is a normal side benefit for others too?

Last full fasting day.  

Day 5: 

I was so very ready to end this fast last night when I went to bed.  I thought I'd wake up this morning and eat the golden kiwi I have been saving for the occasion.  But when I woke up this morning I was feeling good and decided to push forward until I felt that strong desire to eat again.  I am definitely ending today, just not sure what time.  I am only planning to eat fruit today.  Probably some cooked soft veggies tomorrow.  The rule of thumb for ending a fast is to take as many days to return to your "normal" diet as you fasted.  That has been about right for me in the past.  

Yesterday I went through Allrecipes.com and looked up some recipes of things I want to make.  Weirdly, this is another thing I enjoy doing when fasting!  Also with summer break coming, I tend to take over a majority of the cooking duties from my amazing husband who takes care of it during the school year.  On the menu soon are things like a Chipotle style burrito bowl, Roasted vegetables- Italian style, fruit salsa and cinnamon tortilla wedges, a strawberry spinach salad, and a broccoli salad.  YUM.

I have talked about intermittent fasting and the different forms of it in prior posts, if you are interested in all the ways this can be done and all the ways it can benefit your health, scroll through or just google intermittent fasting.  This news article just came out this week... check it out.

Until next year!!  Happy eating.  And if you are willing - give fasting for health a try!