As winter approaches, there are some special holidays to look forward to. One major holiday happening in December 2023 is Hanukkah, which is a Jewish holiday also known as the Festival of Lights.  Jewish people around the world celebrate Hanukkah. Traditions include decorating the home and gathering to light the menorah, reciting Hanukkah blessings, eating fried foods, playing Hanukkah games like a dreidel, and exchanging Hanukkah gifts.

The history of the eight-day celebration is rooted in the rededication of the Holy Temple after the Jewish people reclaimed it from the Syrian Greeks in the second century BCE. As they worked to restore the temple, they used an oil lamp fueled by a tiny bit of oil that was only supposed to last one day. The oil miraculously lasted for eight days, and that is considered the Hanukkah miracle. Hanukkah always coincides with the winter solstice.

Our temperatures are hovering around the freezing mark. We had snow late in November, then rain for a few days and now we are experiencing snow with high winds. The changes in barometric pressure and temperature sure plays havoc with my old bones. It would be nice to have snow for Christmas. Havoc on the roads happens when the temperature changes from below freezing to above freezing.

My telephone appointment with my cardiologist confirmed the diagnosis of congested heart failure and pulmonary fibrosis. Pulmonary fibrosis is a disease where there is scarring of the lungs—called fibrosis—which makes it difficult to breathe. This is because the scarring causes the tissues in the lungs to get thick and stiff and makes it hard to absorb oxygen into the bloodstream. I had an appointment with my family doctor on November 24th. We discussed the symptoms I am experiencing and how best to cope with them. Salt and processed foods are off my acceptable food list. Fresh vegetables and fresh fruit come highly recommended. I also have to control how much fluid I consume. To keep track of the amount of fluid consumed I weigh myself in the morning and again in the evening. These restrictions will take some getting used but a small price to pay for a longer life. I have an appointment with a Respirologist in January. Respirologists, sometimes referred to as pulmonologists, are medical doctors who further specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of lung disease.

Ever since the increase in the daily intake of my blood pressure medications the readings have been normal or below normal. My cardiologist would prefer that my blood pressure readings are below the normal of 120/80. The reason for this is to prevent further thickening, stiffness and scarring of my lungs. The thickness and stiffness cause difficulty in breathing which can be a frightening experience.

Christmas is just around the corner. Thank goodness for online shopping. Peter and I accomplished a joint Holubshi making marathon last week.list; I made the grocery list; he did the shopping. I called out the ingredients and Peter mixed them together. Peter made sure that cabbage leaves were boiled enough to soften them. I put the mixture into the cooked cabbage leaves and rolled them up. We filled three roasters. Sure feels good to complete a project. After all was done, we decided to change the menu for our Christmas dinner to Holubshi with mashed potatoes and Chicken Cordon Bleu. I was fortunate to find someone who makes meat perishky. I ordered six dozen for Christmas. They are a tasty snack in between meals.