September 4, 2009

Too Much Salt




Thanksgiving, 1980.


Himself: Swam, job hunted, errands and boxes.

Herself: Swam, hunted for a new swim suit for G and found two at Amvets, errands, groceries, and sit for a little to read. Nothing is cooling down yet tho they say it will begin by 2 degrees today.

Reading: The third Mitford.

Weather: It was 105 in Marion B's drive way yesterday. It was 92 on 5 freeway, and it was 88 on the bay side with high humidity. We be misery.

Balance: Sitting. Too hot to want more.

I use too much salt. "You use too much salt mother," is the mantra of my youngest daughter. Ever since the arterial bypass, my legs swell. Balloon legs be me. I really hate wearing compression stockings in the heat.....I hate them any old time actually. Yes, I have reduced my salt use, but my legs still are swelling.

Did I tell you the one about Grandma and the salt? I'm sure I did, but I will cheerfully tell it again.

We always went to Grandma's for Thanksgiving dinner. Turkey, two kinds of stuffing, creamed onions, rolls, two kinds of gravy all served on her white Havilland for six of us overflowing her tiny table. Always the food tasted better than everyone else's. More than. I was never able to duplicate the taste of her dressing no matter what I did, and I assure you I tried for years.

In 1980, I was mixing up the dressing for the turkey in the truly tiny kitchen of the beach cottage. The salt slipped from my grasp and spilled a mountain of itself onto the stuffing in the large turquoise bowl. After the first gasp of horror, I scooped as much out as I could. When I took my first taste later in the day, the dressing tasted just like my grandma's. I'd found her secret.....too much salt in the stuffing.

Last week I was telling one of my fellow dawn water exercisers about my mental confusions plus my leg swellings. He's a doc and suggested cutting down the salt. Of course, if your legs and hands swell, all of your body swells right along with them. Including the brain.

I'll let you know if my brain seems any less waterlogged.

2 comments:

  1. Oh the weather has been awful, and the smoke from the fires righ here above me! I like you put way to much salt on everything!

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  2. I don't use additional salt in anything. My legs still swell. They've been doing it since I was 18. I've had every test imaginable. I figure if my legs swell, then maybe my brain doesn't.

    We're having San Diego weather here in Pittsburgh. Sorry you can't enjoy it with us.

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