I gave blood yesterday. The blood bank is trying to recruit more donors, so this month they are giving away a free movie tickets to anyone who gives blood. My husband donated also, so we get to go out on a movie date! The blood bank is particularly interested in recruiting O donors, so I not only got a movie ticket, but I also got a keychain with the slogan "I'm O so special." What a wonderful type O motto!

The blood bank provides cookies and fruit punch to donors, both of which are avoids. I took a bottle of pineapple juice to drink while my system stabilized. Afterwards I went to the health food store. Fresh baby okra was in! I don't like the thick woody okra that is normally in the produce department, which means I usually eat frozen okra. Fresh okra is a treat. I also bought beef liver to quickly replenish the iron I had lost. I had liver & grilled onions before leaving for school.

My pulse was 56 and my blood pressure was 104/70. I'll report cholesterol numbers when they come in.

Potluck meals are wonderful because of the sharing. There is something about a meal that everyone has had a part in preparing that lends itself to good conversation and bonding. However, trying to stay on the Blood Type Diet at a potluck meal is sort of like walking through a mine field. I guess every blood type has difficulties, but I think Os must have it the worst. Potluck dishes are usually casseroles with pastas and creamy based sauces. Just staying away from wheat and cheese is almost impossible. Then to try to avoid corn, potatoes, cucumbers and kiwi…sigh.

I usually plan ahead and take something that I know I can safely eat. Then I fill in with as many other beneficials and neutrals as I can find. I'm going to a potluck luncheon this Thursday, and am already planning to take a salmon. The other ladies will enjoy it, and it will be a safe foundation for my meal.

But I completely forgot that there was a potluck lunch between church and choir practice today. I came without anything to share, and I came without anything that I could eat. I chickened out. I went to the Whataburger across the street. I said the server, "Would you let me have a grilled chicken salad, but instead of the chicken put on a hamburger patty?" She looked at me like I was a space alien, then smiled and said, "We can do that." I had food that was tasty and good for me, but I missed out on the fellowship…sigh.

When I look back I always remember being a size 11/12. In fact I remember a particular pair of pants in high school that were size 8. I knew that they must have either been cut big or mislabeled in order for a size 8 to fit me, but I always felt slimmer when I wore them. I am tall enough to look good in a size 12, so while there were moments that I wished I were more svelte, I was content as long as I didn't put on any more weight.

I started the BTD, not as a weight loss diet, but because of GERD. I was surprised when I lost 5-6 pounds in the first couple of months I was on the diet. I was delighted several moths later when I realized I had dropped from a size 12 to a size 10, especially since I wasn't watching portion sizes very carefully. My weight stabilized at 10 - 12 pounds less than I was before the BTD. However because I continue to replace fat with muscle, the shorts I bought last summer were size 8.

Before school started I bought a black skirt. The 8 was too big, so I bought a 6. I wore it to school for the first time last week, and I couldn't keep the shirt tail tucked in. This morning I altered it, taking an inch out of the waist.

OK, I know that like those high school size 8 pants, this size 6 skirt must either be cut big or mislabeled. But still - imagine me, eating until I'm full 4 times a day; taking in a size 6. Thank you BTD.

I sometimes unintentionally annoy my husband by looking for something good in a bad situation. I think truth is on my side - there is Romans 8:28 after all. "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Nonetheless, I can see how a positive attitude could occasionally get on someone's nerves.

With gas prices so high, we had a family conference last week about how we could decrease the amount we drive. Basic necessities are work, school and church. Beyond that, we agreed to try to cut back on driving. I'm doing more errands on the way to and from school.

That discussion was in the back of my mind when I planned my morning. I needed to go to the bank, to buy a zipper for a skirt, and to buy a bubble envelope for mailing two yearbooks. A bicycle ride was also on my agenda. The bank would be easy to combine into the bicycle ride; it's only a mile away. But the fabric store is 4-5 miles away and involves riding on busier streets. For the sake of high gas prices I grabbed my back pack and set out.

The journey was a success. I accomplished all three errands plus I rode farther and faster than I normally would. Something good can come even out of high gas prices.

My son is back at college. We got a phone call this afternoon that he arrived safely and picked up the key to his apartment. We had lots of good conversations his last two days at home. One of the things we laughed about was how much I would miss having someone to share roast beef and lamb with. When I cook a roast or a leg of lamb just for myself, the leftovers last a long, long time.

I fixed lamb for the two of us for dinner last night. (The As got a soy vegetarian entrée). We also had fresh asparagus, green beans, and the best strawberries we've had all summer. I had intended to bake bread, but I didn't remember to start the bread machine on time. I started looking for some kind of wheat free biscuit or roll. I couldn't find anything. But there was a drop biscuit recipe in "Joy of Cooking" that I decided to adjust. I made so many substitutions that the authors would hardly recognize it. Though they started out fluffy, they went kind of flat in the oven. However, the As liked the flavor so much that they were clambering for more tonight.

The ingredients I used were: 2 cups kamut flour, 1 Tbsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 1/3 cup oil, 2/3 cup soy milk. Stir together with a fork, drop onto a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees until lightly brown.

Today for lunch I was eating leftover lamb alone. There are plenty more leftovers for tomorrow and the next day as well!

My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad; Proverbs 23:15