LuAnne’s Refrigerator Rolls – The easiest, most reliable dinner rolls, from a 1950s recipe by LuAnne van Uitert.

Pumpkin-Pecan Pie – Delicious, light, not-very-sweet recipe adapted from The Thanksgiving Book.  Serve it with lots of rich vanilla ice cream.

Roku was the answer.

I’d read good things about Roku, so my husband & I bought the mid-range Roku box. (This was when Roku1 was available, and it was about $80).  It’s available at Amazon.com, Best Buy, some BJs, etc.

Within hours of connecting it to our Internet service and our TV set (an old, analog-type TV), we called our cable TV company and told them to cancel our service.

We’re really glad we did.

My Roku review…

I love Roku.  I miss a few cable TV shows — mostly sports, and a few shows on things like Showtime — but not enough to make it worth switching back to cable TV.

We have Netflix, so we’re able to see several (not all) Showtime series.  They’re added later than they air on Showtime, of course, but I don’t mind waiting.

Also, several TV channels are adding at least some of their programming to Roku.  If you’re a BYU-TV fan, it’s live on Roku.

Fox-TV fans can watch all-Conservative news, weekdays from 9 am to 3 pm, and Liberals can watch Free Speech TV — including Thom Hartmann’s The Big Picture — streaming live on Roku.  There’s something for everyone!

BBC World News is also live on Roku, 24/7.  RTE (Irish TV news) also streams live, 24/7, via Nowhere TV, a channel you can get free on Roku.

Hulu Plus is also available for Roku, so you can watch many popular TV shows there, too.

If you can’t live without your NBC Nightly News, you can still watch it nightly — about an hour and a half after the broadcast, free and commercial-free (except NBC’s ads for its own shows) — on Roku via Nowhere TV, or on the free NBC channel at Roku.  (I know… this sounds confusing.  It won’t be, once you see how Roku works.)

Roku is a one-time investment.  Once it’s connected to the Internet (wireless or hard-wired to your router) and your TV, you don’t need to spend another cent to watch TV.

Sure, we have Netflix streaming to our Roku box, but that’s not necessary.  There are lots & lots of free channels — movies, TV shows, and more — so you never need to pay for TV again.

Here are some useful links:

To stream directly to your TV without Roku – one among many options – http://jacksonlawnservice.com/internet_television

Roku info – http://www.roku.com/roku-products

(Note: You can use Wii and other devices to stream from the Internet to your TV, but Roku offers its own wide array of channels, and it makes the process a lot simpler.  For me, simple is better.  I love Roku!)

Nowhere TV – lots of free channels for Roku, and other devices: http://www.thenowhereman.com/roku/

You can also get Nowhere TV on your Roku via http://streamfree.tv/nowhere-tv/

While you’re there, check everything else listed at Streamfree.tv… the website is pretty diverse.

Start here – http://streamfree.tv/apps/roku-private-channels/live-streaming-channels/ 

That’s where we added BBC World News and a few other channels.  All of them were free.

(If you’ve been wanting the Plum channel, get MummyBox… free via Roku: http://www.streamfree.tv/apps/roku-private-channels/live-streaming-channels/mummybox-113-thread.html? )

JustinTV – more free channels, but much lower screen quality, so some people don’t recommend this: http://www.justin.tv/directory/entertainment (also available through streamfree.tv)  We like it to watch the Bison Frichee puppies in Florida, in the Pets section of JustinTV.

Also look for additional websites that list the Roku private channels (they’re generally free, but not necessarily listed at the Roku Channel Store screen).

For example:
http://www.fta-heaven.com/forums/showthread.php?312-Roku-Player-Private-Channel-Codes

There are also lots of low-cost, paid options … far less expensive than the most basic cable TV service.  They provide many of your favorite shows direct to your TV screen.  One popular option is PlayOn ($4.99/month) http://www.playon.tv/content-channels.  However, it’s going from the network to the Internet, through a computer, and then through Roku… before it reaches your TV.  In other words, the quality may not be what you had in mind. You can add it to your Roku with a plugin, and there are other streaming options as well.

If you’re using Roku outside the US, you can also get free, basic TV stations that you’re accustomed to in the US… things like ABC, CBS and NBC.  However, I haven’t done that because — when you sign up — your IP number has to be outside of the US.  You may also have to prove American citizenship, using a passport or a green card, in that other country.  The most popular service for this is US TV Now.

Also, for the latest news (and lots of newbie questions) plus a fairly good private channels database, join http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/RokuDigitalVideoPlayer/database

Anyway, that’s enough to get you started if you’ve been looking at the steadily-climbing cost of cable TV, and wondering if there’s an alternative.

There are several great alternatives.  We’re thrilled with Roku and would never go back to cable TV.  We added Netflix to our Roku, but — other than that — we’re enjoying hundreds of great TV channels, free.

Roku Shopping Tips

If you’re buying a Roku, and Roku2 is the current model, you’ll want the top of the line model (linked below) if you want to hard-wire  your Roku box using a cable connection from your computer router.  It’s the only Roku model that isn’t exclusively for use with wifi.

We feel that we get a better, faster connection when the Roku is hard-wired to our computer set-up.

In addition, the top model of Roku has buttons that allow you more control over what you’re watching.  Kind of like TiVO, I can pause a live program if I need to answer the phone and — on most Roku channels, so far — resume my viewing, later.   I can also pause, fast forward and rewind my Netflix movies, etc.  As I understand it, the other (less expensive) models of Roku2 don’t have those bells & whistles.

And frankly, for the amount you’re going to save when you cancel your cable TV service, it’s worth spending $30 (or so) more for the fanciest Roku2.

However, if you want to test this on a shoestring budget, you can get Roku models that cost far less.  You’ll still get wonderful TV stations… but you’ll need to connect via wi-fi — which most people choose for their computers anyway — and you’ll have fewer options.

See larger image Roku 2 XS 1080p Streaming Player (Electronics) List Price: $99.99 USD New From: $82.95 In Stock Used from: $71.99 In Stock

Yesterday’s birthday was one of them.  I suppose it didn’t help that I’d thrown my back out, big time, a few weeks ago.  (The yoga is definitely helping.)

However, on a big-zero birthday, I’ll admit that I’m feeling dangerously close to being one of those old ladies who have nothing to talk about but their aches and pains!

There were other reasons to feel sorry for myself on my birthday, but I refuse to be a complainer.  I’m living a charmed life.  I know that.

Anyway…

I’m continuing to do yoga daily.  Okay, I’m doing yoga most days.  I’ve missed three days in the past 15.  For me, that’s not bad.  One would think it’d be easy to find time for something that makes me feel better… but it’s not.  I guess I’m not quite past the 21-days-to-a-habit hurdle, yet.

And, to be honest, my schedule is kind of overwhelming.  It’s that time of year, and I’m juggling too many things right now.  I’ve been doing that for the past couple of years, actually.

But, that’s why — after November — I’m being very selective about things like personal appearances.  Okay, I’m being more than selective: I’m saying “No, thanks” to them.  The general idea is to cut back on everything that’s not key to creating products and sharing important & unique information.

See… I want next year to be different.  I want it to be a lot different.

That means doing different things.

Meanwhile, I’ve already selected the next 30-day project: No complaining!  (Figure that this post is pre-emptive venting, so the upcoming 30 day assignment will be easier. *chuckle and sigh*)

My normal body temperature is about 97.2.  Really.  I also have chronic tinnitus, super-thin eyebrows and no half-moons on my fingers. (I have them on my thumbs.) In the past 15 years, I’ve put on weight; thank heavens I was really thin before that. However, when I reduce my calories to shed some pounds, I actually gain wait… often a lot of it.  All are classic signs of low thyroid.

Around 1990, when my thyroid levels were tested, I was low enough to be described as hypothyroid. My doctor was opposed to synthetic thyroid medications unless there’s no alternative, so he recommended a hefty daily dose of kelp.

I’ve been using kelp, off & on, ever since.  For me, it helps reduce anxiety, the constant sense of feeling chilled, and — as a side benefit — it’s eliminated the false positives in my mammograms.

The following is my post, edited from an email I sent to someone in my family who may have inherited the thyroid issues.  I began by describing my experiences with a Reiki practitioner at Fiverr.  Then, I said this:

A few days later, she wrote to me and said she was prompted to recommend Lugol’s oil to me. She was rubbing some on her thigh so it was gradually absorbed, and she was getting good results.

I looked it up, saw that Lugol’s is used to improve iodine levels for low thyroid (she knew zero about my thyroid stuff… all I told her was that I was having a tooth out) and ordered some.

Well, the iodine in it turns your skin orange. I remembered the Tincture of Iodine stains as a kid, when iodine was what every parent used on scrapes & scratches that kids get… it’s an antiseptic.  (Soon, Bactine replaced iodine as the first aid treatment of choice.)

So, the Lugol’s oil stained my skin.  However, unlike my childhood memories of iodine stains, the stain almost vanished in about an hour.

I decided to research Lugol’s and find out how to use it. (Rubbing it on your skin is just one option.)

I landed at http://misslizzy.me/blog/category/iodine and then at http://www.jcrows.com/hypothyroidism.html . (The Lugol’s that I bought is the J. Crow product.)  A whole lot of that startled me, big time.

I don’t have everything on the lists like http://www.suite101.com/content/hypothyroid-symptoms-and-remedies-a21270 , but enough… in addition to having the well-documented low body temp.  (I’m also seeing lots of aches-and-pains stuff with low thyroid: http://www.tinnitusformula.com/qtimes/2008/04/thyroid.aspx  and — even more extreme — http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/long-and-pathetic/ … which is a hypochondriac’s dream list.  However, I most recognize the symptoms at Miss Lizzy’s blog, which relate to adrenal issues as well as thyroid.)

So, I ran out to the store and bought some Tincture of Iodine, to do the patch test.   Walgreen’s was sold out (is this a fad?) but I found a bottle in the pharmacy section of Shaw’s grocery store for $1.99.

Here’s the patch test info: http://naturalhealthtechniques.com/healingtechniquesiodine-patch-test.htm  I wanted to follow the real test, to be sure that the “vanishing” Lugol’s stain wasn’t different or a fluke… just in case.

Also, from Iodine Remedies Secrets from the Sea, by Mary Jo Fahey (PDF).

“The iodine patch test is a do-it-yourself test that involves painting a 2 inch X 2 inch square on the skin. This test is thought to identify an iodine deficiency in people who see their iodine patch disappear or lighten after 10 hours.”

I took a shower yesterday afternoon, then did the patch test.  In three hours, the stain had faded almost completely.  In five hours, I could just barely tell where the patch was.  This morning, it’s vanished completely.

So, yeah… iodine.

But here’s the weird part: I was watching TV after my shower, and about a hour later, I started worrying about the TV. I had to keep turning the volume down because it seemed to get louder & louder.  Finally, it reached a reasonable level and stayed there, and I went to the kitchen… and the refrigerator hum was really loud.

It was the tinnitus.  It had nearly gone away.

(It had almost entirely stopped before, too, when I tried a gluten-free diet.  However, the benefits of that diet didn’t outweigh the inconveniences so — after two months off gluten — I chose a low-gluten diet, figuring that I’ll live with the ringing.)

Then, the apartment started feeling hot… not unusual on the third floor of our building, on an early September day.  So, I checked the thermostat… and it was only 70 degrees.  My body temperature was rising.

And then I was in the bathroom, checking the iodine patch in the (different-colored) light there.  I glanced in the mirror and was amazed.  The bags under my eyes, and the puffiness under my chin… they were far less noticeable than usual.

This morning, the tinnitus is mostly (but not entirely) back and so is some of the face puffiness… but I learned that blood goes through the thyroid every 17 minutes, so it’s reasonable that I’ve used up most or all of yesterday’s iodine boost.

Slight back-track…

When I was on the modified gluten-free diet earlier this year, I’d noticed that I could eat my own baked goods later in the day and not have such a severe “speed” effect.  It didn’t make much sense to me, but I decided there must be another factor in the commercial baked goods.

Well, when I read the info about the bromine-thyroid connection (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/thyroid-health_b_472953.html is just one), I was astonished.  See, I’ve always preferred to bake with King Arthur’s flour. Their slogan is “never bromated.”

That may be why I’m relatively okay with my own baked goods, but not commercial products.

So, anyway…

If you’ve had any doubts about thyroid issues, iodine deficiency, or related symptoms, the iodine patch test is probably worth trying.

Here’s the odd coincidence. I bought Bragg’s vinegar in the health food section of Hannaford’s, a couple of weeks ago.  I couldn’t figure out why I thought that was a good idea, but I tend to pay attention to those kinds of promptings.  It turns out it’s part of the Dr. Jarvis treatment involving Lugol’s oil.  Weird.

If you’re interested in Dr. Jarvis’ other research and discoveries, including his work with thyroid issues, see his folk medicine book.

See larger image Folk Medicine: A New England Almanac of Natural Health Care from a Noted Vermont Country Doctor (Paperback) By (author) D.C. Jarvis M.D. List Price: $15.00 USD New From: $7.95 In Stock Used from: $5.30 In Stock Release date March 1, 1995.

In that TED talk, Matt Cutts mentioned that the way to meet NaNoWriMo targets is not to go to bed until you’ve reached your daily goal.

I’ve quickly learned that the same principle applies to (at least some) other 30-day projects, even relaxing yoga workouts.  If I don’t make a point of doing this at least once before I go to bed… well, it may not happen at all.

Seriously, one would think that I’d look forward to a 20-minute relaxation break.  Instead, the concept of relaxing is practically like getting a kid to eat his spinach.  “Yeah. Okay, but only if I have to.”

*chuckle and sigh*

Of course, this means I really need to do this.  It also means I’m getting tremendous benefits from daily, self-imposed relaxation time.

It seems a little silly, but there it is!

I’m starting with this because I had some back issues.  Mostly, they’re due to chronic lack of exercise and the (very bad) idea that it was okay to push the (heavy, old school) TV and TV table across the room.

A couple of days after moving the TV, I realized that I had some twinges in my lower back, especially after sleeping or sitting for very long.

So, my first yoga routines are for aches and pains.  I’m using the video, Healing Yoga for Aches and Pains.

(Nov 2011 update: Currently, the excerpt isn’t on YouTube.  If you’re really interested, search at YouTube anyway.)

I’ve been using the full-length video for about four days, and the results have been dramatic.  Whenever I feel a twinge, almost any one of the poses in this video… well, each pose seems to bring immediate relief.

In addition, I think this workout really is healing.  Yoga is a simple, relaxing way to ease aches and pains.  No stress.  No anxiety.  And, in Healing Yoga for Aches and Pains, I haven’t encountered any weird concepts that conflict with my views and spirituality.  The content is very generic and focuses on the very basic movements and yoga poses.

If you’ve had issues with stress or stress-related pain, or if you’d like to prevent it, I highly recommend this yoga video.  Every pose can be modified so you aren’t pushing yourself too far.  (That’s important.)

As yoga videos go, this is easy, gentle and very effective.  All you’ll need is a chair and something (carpet, towel, or mat) so the floor isn’t too hard for your back.

You can choose a workout that’s about seven minutes, or follow all three workouts in about 20 minutes.

Though I’m watching this video on Netflix, it’s also available at Amazon (as a video to watch online or via Roku, or to buy as a DVD).

If Netflix discontinues this, I’ll buy the DVD in a blink.  It’s that helpful, and it keeps me far away from painkillers.

See larger image Healing Yoga for Aches and Pains (DVD) Director: Andrea Ambandos Starring: Charles Matkin, Lisa Matkin Rating: NR (Not Rated) List Price: $16.98 USD New From: $79.88 In Stock Used from: $44.99 In Stock Release date October 22, 2002.

I tend to be very organized… hyper-organized, in fact.  So, I decided to start my 30 days on the first of the month.

(When it’s a 31-day month, I have a day off.  When it’s a 28-day month, I’ll overlap by two days.  Yes, I really do think that far ahead, and I really am that kind of organized.)

My blog (this one) is going to include notes from my 30-day experiments… along with all the other personal things I post here.  If you’d like to follow along, they’ll be in the 30 Days category (linked in the sidebar), and organized by project.