Do you drink sparkling water?

 Hi Everyone!

I learned something very interesting. First, my preferred beverage is water. I have a Zerowater filtering system that has been a money saver and the best tasting water. It has a gauge to tell me when the filter needs to be change. I have had this going on 2 years and have only had to change the filters one time. So much cheaper than buying bottled water.

2 filters that last us over a year and we use this water for everything.

 Which brings me to my question. Do you drink sparkling water? Before it was popular with all the flavors I bought sparkling water in a liter bottle. I don't know why I stopped. This was years ago.

Forward to last year. With Mr. M's kidney cancer and now only have one kidney that is stage 4 we have made a lot of changes to our diet. Drinking water has always been difficult for Mr. M. so he went to the sparkling water with a bit of flavor. No sugar. I didn't like the flavor kind. Just seemed a waist because there isn't much flavor. I drink just plain old sparkling water. I love the cold bubble fizz flowing over my tongue and down my throat. OK, so I could have left that part out. 😜

My point being, it is very refreshing. 

However, we all have a peptide hormone produced in our stomach called, gherlin, also referred to as the hunger hormone. 

I'm not going to get into the Leptin part of this. I just wanted you to have a visual.  

 The ghrelin hormone was discovered in 1999  by Masayasu Kojima, Kenji Kangawa and a "some" research has gone into understanding this puppet master behind hunger signals  pushing the “FEED ME” button before meals, and the “FULL” switch afterwards. 

A study published by the International Institute of Anticancer Research showed that Ghrelin levels are usually lower in people who have a higher body weight compared to those with a normal body mass index (BMI).

This suggests that Ghrelin is not a cause of obesity. Still, there is some research to suggest that people who are of a higher weight may actually be more sensitive to the hunger hormone which could account for why you may feel hungry even if you have lower levels of the ghrelin. Yeah it's complicated. 

  I know I'm getting carried away with my research. Let me get back to my original question. Even though I'm on a heavy dose of prednisone right now, I have gained about 5lbs of my 25lb lose back. 😩 My thought was is the sparkling water making me add the extra pounds? Or water weight gain?

Research in rats. 

It turned out that drinking either the plain or the artificially sweetened carbonated water was causing the rats to secrete increased levels  ghrelin.  This actually led to ghrelin hormone being known as the “hunger hormone.” 

So, I wrote all of that to say, A 2017 study found that carbonated water (both sweetened and unsweetened) significantly increased ghrelin levels in humans and rats compared to plain water, leading to increased food intake and weight gain.

I'm backing off the sparkling water to see if there is a difference.

Note:

As in all things there are contradictions, and some feel that sparkling water makes people feel fuller and able to manage their weight. 

I will soon see.

Thanks for staying to the end and reading all of this. Let me know what you think in the comments.

Have a great day

Nicole 
 

Monster Monday

 Hi Everyone!

I have some great monsters for you today.

I create all of my AI on NightCafe. It's free and so much fun. 

This one is more surreal. 

I call it the silent scream.

 

Now for some pretties. 

 

I just love how peaceful this place is.  

Well that's if for now. Everyone have a great Monday.

Nicole 

I Invite you to Sunday in the Art Room

 Hi Everyone!

 

As Mr. M. would joke. "Oh No." 

 

However, I've been thinking about something for a while now, and since our Dear Rain is retiring, I thought maybe this might be a good time to open it up.  

Beginning next week 

Sunday in the Art Room "SITAR"
will be open to any artist, any type of art in any medium. But instead of just showing art I want to explore how, you the artist, started out. How you evolved to where you are now. What types of tools, papers or canvases do you use? Did you go to art school or photography school, or any type of lessons? Or are you like me a self taught artist. Let's explore the history of art, how the progression of art has advanced to today's street art. Or, is it the same?  What inspires you, who inspires you? 

I would like this to be a secure place for anyone to ask questions on their blog about art and have people comment with  kind helpful tips. 

Do you make videos with art projects? Let's share those. Do you create with fiber, dye fabric, sew, work with leather, sculpt, and even write?  Or....maybe you just want to show images of your latest art work. 

Then Sunday in the Art Room is for you. You can be as involved as much as you like.

I will be honest, this is a selfish endeavor. I'm going to glean all the knowledge I can from all of you wonderful artists. 😁

 

I know that there are days you just wish you could talk to someone about art. If you are like me and have no one in person to do that with. There are times that I just need someone to say, "you can do it!" 

There may be some prompts and even a few challenges but for the most part let's just show and talk art. If you think this is something you would like to join in with let me know in the comments please.

I'm going to start this off. We all love seeing other's art spaces. Do you have a studio, a room, or maybe just the kitchen table? Let's start with that.  Tell me how your art space came about.

Join me next Sunday 

to show me your art space.

P.S. No, you don't have to clean it up to show it. It's your space. I'm quite the messy artist.

And while I'm talking art don't forget the FFO portrait challenge. 

Deadline to post Jan. 30. 2026

FFO Challenge

The new challenge is to create a portrait of anyone you want. It can be your family, friends, actors, faces you find on the internet, or a perfect stranger that will allow you a photo to work from and to show with your portrait. You can work in any medium, except photography and you have until Friday January 30, 2026.  Make it fun and let's see what you come up with. 

Remember this is optional. I still want to see all of your wonderful faces. 

 

Nicole 

 

 

New Years Lucky Food

 Hi Everyone!

Do you make lucky new years food?

My daughter got me started on it many years ago. It seems to be a southern thing. Because I never heard of it here in the Pacific Northwest. Anyway it goes like this. Pork, it can be any kind of pork, greens, black eye'd peas and or lentils. I make beans with both in the pot. Cornbread and ambrosia salad.

Pork, ham, bacon, ham hock. Pigs root forward representing progress in life.

oops forgot to take a photo of the ham hock here is one from the internet.

 

The meat simply falls off the bone into the beans. Best flavor ever. These are my beans and hock. 

I made fried cabbage for my greens. Although store bough cabbage isn't as good or as green as my cabbage from the garden. 😀 It still works.

I used cut up bacon with the cabbage.  

 Greens can be spinach, cabbage, collards or kale. They bring money, wealth and financial prosperity. 

  

 I made a pot of 15 bean soup and added the black eye'd peas. The 15 includes lentils so I didn't have to add those.  I couldn't get a photo of the inside due to the steam.

The peas and lentils represent coin and paper money and wealth.

The ambrosia salad  "Ambrosia" means "immortal" or "food/nectar of the gods" in Greek, referring to the mythical food of the gods that granted immortality. I don't want immortality but it serves as longevity and health.

Now for the corn bread.

I used to make them from scratch but I found a small packet of corn bread mix at Winco that serves two muffins. Just right for us. And it is pretty kidney friendly using aquafaba instead of an egg. These packs are well under a buck at winco.

 

  I don't by large muffin pan paper cups. I would rather have parchment paper on hand. Cut a piece of P.P. then crumble it up. 

Open it up and it fits perfectly in the muffin pan. Ever tried putting parchment in a pan or a cookie sheet just out of the roller. Try crumbling it first. It much easier to fit.  

I do trim the edges. Leave a little piece on either side to easily lift the muffins out. 

Are these beauties or what? 😁

Well that was our good luck dinner for the new year. Do you have any food or other traditions you do? Let me know in the comments.

I'm wearing glare free glasses for my eye and I didn't realize some of the photos are blurry. Sorry but I think you get the idea.

Have a great weekend.

Nicole
 

Friday Face Off 1/1/2026

 

 Welcome To Friday Face OFF (FFO)

This is the place to show off your face art.

You know, ANY type of face, nature, the face of a flower, Photography, drawings, paintings. There just needs to be a face in your blog post.

 

Update. I'm really messed up. I thought today was Friday and that I forgot to post FFO on Thursday night. I posted early this AM. Duhhhh I better get it together. I don't want my whole year to be brain fogged. LOL 

 

Well I'm off to an epic start with FFO 2026. Totally forgot to post it last night.  

I'm here now and it is Friday. 

For this first week of FFO I have a colored pencil piece. She starts like this.

 

Then this 

 

And I finished with this.

I had so much fun with her.

I did add a bit a pastel to the top of her head and used ink for her eye lashes.

 

I have a few AI pieces that are all pretties. 

These are all old pieces.

 

I love the yellow in this next one. 

 

Lovely paintings

Now it's time to show some features.

I want to say that last year all of you went above and beyond with your art. I saw so much adventure and people tying new things. It inspires me to be better in my art. I truly can't wait to see what all of you create in this upcoming year.

First up

Traude From Rostrose

I'm not a thief but I would find a way to get this red coat. LOL

It  must be coat day.  From the wonderful Iris and this is her husband Ingo. Again I would like this coat too. 

Christine always has something 

cute gong on.

Don't forget the new challenge. You have one month left.

FFO Challenge

The new challenge is to create a portrait of anyone you want. It can be your family, friends, actors, faces you find on the internet, or a perfect stranger that will allow you a photo to work from and to show with your portrait. You can work in any medium, except photography and you have until Friday January 30, 2026.  Make it fun and let's see what you come up with. 

Remember this is optional. I still want to see all of your wonderful faces. 

 

That's it for me. Now its time to show me your face.

Nicole    

Happy New Year 2026

 Hi Everyone!

My hope for 2026 is that kindness, understanding and love in the world prevails. 

 

For all of my dear and wonderful blog family may your year be filled with blessings, health, success, creativity and many reasons to laugh each day. 

 

For all of us, the best of 2026

Nicole 

Monster Monday

 Hi Everyone!

No big Monster Monday today. My eye has gone wack a doo. Just resting it today.

To end with something pretty.

Have a great Monday

Nicole

 

Sunday in the art room

 Hi Everyone!

I'm still healing my eye so not much activity here. My eye is healing. Not as many sparks and the floaters have pretty much gone away. Thanks to all of your for your prayers and well wishes they really do work.

Here is a graphite piece I did a few weeks ago. The background is pastel.

Enjoy your Sunday

Nicole
 

 

 Welcome To Friday Face OFF (FFO)

This is the place to show off your face art.

You know, ANY type of face, nature, the face of a flower, Photography, drawings, paintings. There just needs to be a face in your blog post.

 

I hope all of you who celebrate had a fabulous Christmas.  It was very quiet at our place. That's fine with us. 

As I mentioned before I have been deep into art. I really like how this one turned out. Here is the original photo. When I find a photo I like I do turn it to black and white. Helps with shading for graphite.

and here is my interpretation. I'm pretty satisfied with it. I do wish I had used a larger piece of paper.

on the easel   

 

I keep moving the photo of him around as I work. 

 

Yay I did chest hair. 

 Here is the finished piece.

AI art that I created on 

Night Cafe. It's the best site to create with. If you want to join in, it's free, just click on the link. Night Cafe

 

There was a baroque art challenge and I decided to make it more up to date. 

 

It's time to see some featured.

First up is Dixie  I love how delicate this is.

Carol from Artist Reflections has a lovely way of creating.

Leeanna  always has interesting art going on.

 She is a quilter but so much more.

 

FFO Challenge

The new challenge is to create a portrait of anyone you want. It can be your family, friends, actors, faces you find on the internet, or a perfect stranger that will allow you a photo to work from and to show with your portrait. You can work in any medium, except photography and you have until Friday January 30, 2026.  Make it fun and let's see what you come up with. 

Remember this is optional. I still want to see all of your wonderful faces. 

That's it for me. Now its time to show me your face.

Nicole