Our Saturday Lunch

~Veggie Sandwich~ Click on photo to enlarge - © 2009 jim otterstrom

Lunch yesterday was a veggie sandwich consisting of healthy-sauteéd' (in vegetable broth) Portobello Mushrooms with Japanese Eggplant & onions, on a bed of Romaine Lettuce & fresh cucumber slabs, under sliced tomato & Mung Bean sprouts, all stacked between two slices of Food For Life 100% Whole Grain Ezekiel 4:9 Flourless Bread, lathered on one side with home-made hummus, and on the other, with Follow Your Heart Grapeseed Oil Vegenaise.

We create variations on this theme several days a week, sometimes with avocado and a slice of cheddar, but always making a superb tasting sandwich!

By my best reckoning, this absolutely cholesterol free sandwich, including the hummus and Vegenaise, provides about 290 calories, maybe 75 of them from fat (derived mostly from healthful essential fatty acids). But that's not the reason to eat this thing, the reason is because it tastes so danged good!!!

While I'm on the subject of food, I should, once again, recommend our bible on healthy eating, 'The World's Healthiest Foods', by George Mateljan.

880 pages of comprehensive and invaluable information on the world's hundred most healthful (commonly available) foods, including nutrient richness charts (based on nutrient density per calorie), exhaustive nutritional analysis charts, detailed explanations of why each of the foods is good for you, and, the most healthful ways to store, prepare, and cook them.

~Includes 500 delicious recipes~

(Incidently, the sandwich above is not one of the recipes, but the ingredients are among the Hundred Healthiest Foods, and the method of healthy sauteéing the eggplant, mushrooms, and onions is right out of the book.)

This huge book is the product of 10 years of research by Mateljan and a team of nutritional scientists, and it's a virtual steal at around $25.

If you're interested in this book you can order it directly from http://www.whfoods.com/ or buy new & used copies through our Amazon.com book link in the sidebar to the right.

'61 CLUB' FASHIONISTAS - HELL ON WHEELS!

Jim & Frank - '61 Club' Founders

Click on photo to enlarge - © 2007 jim otterstrom

Big Bear News

Jim & Frank, the sole-surviving members of the '61 CLUB' FASHIONISTAS, hit the trail together for the first time this morning ("There might've been other potential members but I guess they all died before we could find 'em", Jim said). The dynamic duo made quick work of their 10 mile round trip, from Earth Home Garden to the west end of the Alpine Pedal Path, and back, even extending their ride to include the .6 mile segment of bike path between the Cougar Crest hiking trail and the Big Bear Discovery Center.

Frank, on his vintage "original condition" 1960s road bike ("I believe those are even the factory installed tires & brakes", Jim said), was a bit rusty on the winding two-wheel circuit, but still managed to narrowly escape serious injury, and a nasty rear-end collision with Jim, by using his quick wit & lightning fast braking, as Jim unexpectedly slowed to make a right turn into the Stanfield Marsh Wildlife Preserve (Jim said, "I told him I'd be turning in at the first boardwalk but apparently he didn't know where that was").

Jim heard panicky un-deleted expletives spewing from behind him, and then some serious skidding, so he powered into his turn to help avoid calamity, thus a probable tragedy was averted by mere fractions of an inch.

Once Frank re-mounted, the rest of the ride was relatively uneventful, except for one other minor incident a couple of miles later. Heading onto the first wooden bridge along the Alpine Pedal Path, Frank had a close encounter (a little too close) with a very understanding young woman. It seems that Frank slowed a bit too much for the turn, losing his balance and bumping left shoulders with the girl walking in the opposite direction. Well, once more, Frank became dismounted, but again, no injuries were sustained by either party, both of whom seemed quite relieved with that outcome. (Jim said, "That's a heck of a way to meet women Frank!").

The boys did seem to cheer up the natives they encountered along the ride though. Frank, gears clanking and tires bulging, on his rickety relic, and Jim, beard streaming in the breeze, from his old-school army-green '90s era jeep-like Diamondback Topanga, with black rims and months worth of cobwebs tangled in the spokes (Jim said, "I ride all the time, unless there's ice or snow on the ground, but I rarely ever clean off those cobwebs, 'cause you never know, someone might be livin' in there!").

Two old coots, 61 and still stylin', Ol' Frank & Jim, with their thrift store fashion, short shorts, spindly legs, and don't give a damned attitudes. Frank still has all his hair, and Jim still has most of his teeth ("Most of the hair I have left is on my chin", Jim said, "so it's comforting for me to get up in the morning and comb my face, and I'm wondering, because of his scarcity of teeth, if Frank finds comfort in brushing that full head of hair, instead of those missing choppers?").

Formerly an avid cyclist, this was Frank's first ride, of any consequence, for several years (and, fortunately, the consequences weren't any worse), so Jim's hoping they can start riding together a couple of times a week.

Frank lost his dear wife of 37 years just a few months ago and their ride today seemed to lift his spirits a bit ("Even with those couple of mishaps.", Jim said). And it was obvious that Jim had a good time enjoying the silliness of their combined eccentricities.

Once it warmed up a bit, Frank took off his jersey and seemed to get up some wind, even passing Jim once on the bike path, where Jim could then see the back of Franks t-shirt, which read, "Growing Old Disgracefully", and Jim had to laugh out loud!

"Frank has a lot of shirts like that...

...it's why he's my fashion consultant."

Here's to ya Frank!!!

See you next Tuesday Buddy

Jimmy Update - April 2006 - Life Goes On

Click on photo to enlarge

Considering that our son Jimmy has been declared permanently legally blind at 24, he's doing pretty damned good.

On March 13th he moved to the City of Avalon*, on Catalina Island. He's the last one in line in the photo above (blonde hair, red jacket and sunglasses), waiting to board the catamaran for the 26 mile trip from Long Beach.

Jim phoned me after the trip, excited to tell me about the four-hundred plus dolphins that played alongside the boat all the way over. Apparently he can see well enough to make out their shapes and get an idea of their antics. Jimmy's been on several ocean-going trips, and dolphins are a familiar sight to him, so maybe some of it is from memory.

He's living with his long-time buddy Gregor, who grew up alternately between Catalina and Big Bear. Jimmy spent a lot of time over there prior to his car accident and really loves the place. Avalon is so tiny that it's not practical to have a car, which is good for Jim because he can't drive anymore, and he doesn't feel so conspicuous in a town where, essentially, nobody drives.

Jimmy's been doing a lot of ocean kayaking, hiking and playing his guitar. His room-mates all play guitar too so he has some like-minded companions. Another uplifting development is that Gregor has a sister who's taken a liking to Jim. She's a captain on tour boats there, so it seems that Jimmy has a new girlfriend who is including him in her adventures as well.

Jimmy can see shapes and colors, can differentiate between a $10, $20, or $100 bill by looking at it up close with his peripheral vision. He goes kayaking by himself and can make out the horizon, the shoreline, and the scenery to some extent, but says he has to be careful of approaching boats because he can't accurately perceive objects moving toward him at speed.

His plans for the immediate future are to take a massage therapy course this June in San Diego, and he says that a woman in Avalon has already promised him work once he completes the class. He's determined to find new ways to make a living and get off Social Security Disability.

But I think the most positive and encouraging thing right now is that he's finding ways to enjoy himself, and I really admire the bravery he's shown us through this past 7 1/2 months.

And for those of you who are curious, his previous girlfriend, Lindsay, has moved back to Colorado with her parents. Obviously, this was a very tough experience for a 21 year-old girl to come to terms with, but we will always be grateful for the courage and clear-thinking she demonstrated during the immediate aftermath of the accident. Her actions undeniably saved Jimmy's life (see post from Sept. 02, 2005).

postscript

Jimmy has asked me not to talk about his situation on the blog, but what he possibly doesn't understand is that he's not in this alone.

Thus, I've decided that I need to be able to talk about this now & then as part of my own grieving and healing.

This has been a major life-changing event for our family, a tragic occurrence that affected all of us very deeply. The unavoidable reality is that these have been difficult and stressful months for us, and for me to simply take pictures of birds and scenery, or discuss gardening, crafts, the environment, or current world events during this time, has often left me feeling frustratingly isolated, because there were much more immediate and personal things on my mind.

Another aspect is, that there are many of you out there who are also concerned, and I've felt I should have been able to let you know what's going on too!

So now you have an update, and I've been able to share a bit of what's going on with Jimmy, and I feel better for it.

With love,

Jim

* The 'Avalon Bay' photo at the above 'City Of Avalon' link is by Aaron Logan and was downloaded from Wikipedia.

Counting Our Blessings!

Click on photo to enlarge

Our brave handsome son Jimmy is alive and smiling at the dawn of 2006, and he says, "If the loss of my vision is permanent, it's not going to ruin my life, I'll find ways to do the things I want to do and enjoy life, you'll see dad."

Jimmy loves the guitar I gave him for Christmas, it was my beloved Gibson, but I prefer to play acoustic, and he likes electric, so it's the perfect gift at the right time I think.

I enjoy hearing him down in his room playing softly into the wee hours of the night, it soothes me to sleep at a time when I'm experiencing insomnia and have been very restless & worried.

Observing Jimmy's courage during these extremely difficult days has made it easier for Peggy and I to deal with too, but I realize it's still very early in a long long period of adjustment, and he is going to need plenty of support.

Jimmy's working on pumping back up that buff physique he sported a few months ago so we set up a weight bench on the deck to assist in his efforts.

I don't know if I've posted this before, but just 48 days after Jimmy's wreck, another local kid, Nathan Hoover, 22 years of age and also a carpenter, went off Forest Road 2N02 in exactly the same place as Jimmy & Lindsay did, but Nate was killed. It's a small town and we knew Nate, and his parents too, from our years at the Post Office, but the magnitude of their tragedy puts our suffering into perspective doesn't it?

We are here, we are healing, and we are thinking of you all as well...

I, for one, am hoping for a more fruitful and much less traumatic 2006!

Love,

Jim

to the passing of time...

"Sorrow comes, but it's like manna - you can't hold it past its time. Nor can you deny its value for the moment and refuse it altogether. All things in season." - madcapmum

Jimmy, Lindsay & Dallas

Click on photo to enlarge

Lindsay just returned today from a visit home to Evergreen, Colorado where she visited her parents.

I'm sure they were quite relieved to verify that Lindsay's all in one piece after going over the cliff with Jimmy, but I can testify for certain that Jimmy is elated to have her back here again.

Survivors!!!

Click on photo to enlarge

It's hard to believe that just five short weeks ago these kids went over a 450 foot cliff in a Toyota 4X4.
I had to post two pictures of them today just because I could.
This is an extremely lucky young couple and we're so fortunate to still have them in our lives.
Now comes the job of caring, nurturing, promoting health & healing, and patiently waiting for improvement in Jimmy's vision.
Keep sending those positive thoughts and well wishes our way...

...and THANK YOU ALL!!!

Jimmy & Dallas - October First...

Click on photo to enlarge

Jimmy & Dallas on the Alpine Pedal Path this afternoon during our 6 mile walk.
Peggy & I have taken a break from our chores today for some sunshine and exercise with Jimmy.

We got a mix of good & bad news the other day on the condition of Jimmy's eyes.
There is blood in both eyes which is blocking his vision, but in the right eye the blood is actually in the retina itself, where in the left eye it is in front of the retina.

We were told nothing can be done about the blood in the retina but, considering his age, strength and good health, it could eventually disperse on its own.
The blood in the left eye supposedly can be removed, with a simple surgical procedure during an office visit which is good news, but it was also explained to us that the existing blood is preventing a thorough examination of the left eye for other damage that might be concealed by the blood.

Jimmy has an appointment with a retinal surgeon on Monday for further evaluation, and we are hoping that removing the blood from the left eye will give him further clarity and some encouraging hope while his eyes are healing.

Jimmy is noticing improvement in his peripheal vision every day and can see some definition in things off to either side. He can walk along the street, on a sidewalk, or smooth path without much difficulty, but he can't see details like a pothole, a bump, or a rock that he might trip over. Neither can he see approaching objects like cars or bicycles until they're just a few feet away so someone needs to be with him at all times for guidance.

If he looks at vey large print from the side, like the header on the Los Angeles Times, Jimmy can make out what it says, but looking straight on he can see only vague blurry shapes, what little vision he has is almost all peripheal at this point.

We all believe his vision will eventually improve and Jimmy is just working on getting exercise and eating as healthy as possible to enable his body to do its healing work.

Obviously this is a very difficult ordeal for a young & strong craftsman who makes his living at carpentry, but Jimmy is maintaining a positive attitude most of the time which can only aid his progress.

Jimmy At Home Today

Click on photo to enlarge

We brought Jimmy home from the hospital yesterday after 17 days there.

He's making good progress every hour now and looking very much like his old self in this picture taken just a few minutes ago.

The trachea tube has been removed from his throat and the swelling of his jaw is much less pronounced, especially on the left side as you can see, but the right side is still quite swollen and the surgeons think they may need to go back in and drain it some.

His right arm has a fracture and is in a splint for the time being, it may be put in a regular cast next week.

His appetite is great, but for the moment he can only have liquids or finely pureed foods, so Peggy made a delicious organic chicken soup today and Lindsay pureed a big batch of it for Jim.

He ate a large portion of it for dinner just now with two glasses of whole milk and organic blueberry applesauce for dessert.

We can't get the bandage over his tracheal wound wet so Lindsay gave him a bath in water up to his chest this afternoon and then I laid him on a table on the deck to shampoo his hair.

After that we sat out in the sunny garden while I wrapped his face in a steamy towel and shaved him, a relaxing experience for both of us.

Jimmy still can't see anything except blurred shapes & colors, but during his shave he said he thought he could make out some leaf detail in a nearby quaking aspen, and when I held up two fingers he couldn't make them out, but he could see the two fingers of my hand shadowed on the ground.

It seems to me that his vision has improved ever so slightly over the past week or so, but we'll just have to wait & see what happens over time.

Lindsay & Jimmy walked around the block together this morning and he's already asking to go on longer walks.

He's getting stronger by the moment and is very glad to be home where hopefully we can give him all the love and care he'll need for a full recovery.

We almost lost him...

Nourishment!!!

Click on photo to enlarge

There is an update on our son Jimmy's condition below but, for the moment here, I'd like to give thanks for the abundance of Nature, and the nourishment provided for body, mind and spirit through even the worst of times, if we'll simply respond to these gifts with thoughtfulness, care and a small measure of rewarding effort.

Above is a photo of this morning's harvest from our garden and I was really in need of the calmness that descended upon me as I harvested this healthful home-grown food today.

All of us at Earth Home Garden (Jimmy & Lindsay will be staying with Peggy & I during his recovery) will need much nourishment in the days, weeks and months to come, and the importance of a garden in our lives is today freshly illuminated.

UPDATE ON JIMMY:

Dear friends & family-

Jimmy had surgery to repair his broken jaw last Tuesday afternoon and the surgeons said the jaw is now in perfect alignment again.

Yesterday they replaced his trachea tube with a smaller one that has a valve on it so Jimmy was able to speak for the first time since the accident, and he had quite a bit to say.

Two physical therapists also came in yesterday and got him up on his feet for a few minutes, but it was all he could do to get to the door of his room and back to bed again.

Jimmy also has been able to start drinking some liquids through a straw which he says is a great improvement over being fed solely through the tube in his nose.

His vision hasn't improved so he still can't see anything but vague shapes.

The doctors say that his CAT Scans and MRIs show no evidence of brain injury that would cause blindness and they are still hopeful that his vision will improve, but they don't know how much, or how long it might take.

His trachea tube may be completely removed in a few days and it's possible he will be released from the hospital some time next week.

He is making good progress now and we are just so thankful that he's alive.

Peggy and I want to thank all of you for your support & concern, and kind offers of help, during this very difficult time and we apologize for not being able to respond to each of your messages personally.

Love,

Jim & Peggy