Monday, October 29, 2007

Now that I think about it

I hadn't realize that having (ahem...) digestion problems, along with "being on my knees" for our restored health, may be benefiting our home in this way.

from The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge:

"...she is a distinct improvement upon that other duenna, ...Through the keyhole I have perceived her to be a woman of great saintliness of character and weakness of digestion, characteristics which, by concentrating a lady's mind upon her own soul and stomach, do not allow her to indulge in that feminine curiosity about the affairs of others which renders her presence so trying to the males whose domicile she shares."

But I do miss being more involved in the affairs of others! I don't like how this trial has been so all- consuming.

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Yesterday's baking lesson

Remember how your mom taught you to break an egg into a small bowl first before pouring it into your mixer bowl -- just to make sure you don't get anything unwanted in your batter (i.e. egg shells, etc.?)

Well, that step is absolutely worthless if the said bowl, (being glass,) goes into the batter, along with the egg, while the KitchenAid is running.

Friday, October 26, 2007

California fires

A year ago this week we were in Southern California visiting our doctor. I remember there being a fire clear over in Palm Springs and the smoke bothering us.

Now the whole area, in which we were staying and doctoring, is on fire. We tried to call my husband's cousin last night to see if how they are, but we couldn't get a hold of her. I want to call our doctor's office to see how everyone is doing. Are they even open?

Erin knows an author in Tustin (the city our doctor's office is) and this is what she had to say last night:

We're back now. Yes, we were evacuated at 8pm Monday night. Six fire trucks roared down our street with fog horns telling us to leave. We didn't argue. We ended up at the Anaheim Hilton, one of the only places that took pets. We almost had to leave again yesterday when the winds shifted blowing the fire back in our direction. But we were so lucky. So many people lost everything. Right now the fires are still burning but not as close. The hills behind my home are black. I feel so bad for the wildlife. Deer have been running down our street in broad daylight. Also we didn't have lookie loos jumping our fence to take pictures of the fires. Some neighbor's fences were torn down by this. Thank goodness for fire fighters, many who had worked straight for two days, some came in right off the Malibu fires. They are true heroes in my eyes.


Today on her live journal: There's a fire right over the hill, probably by Live Oak Canyon. The air is horrible and school has been out all week. I've lived in So. Ca for almost twenty years and I don't remember this ever happening!
The Santiago fires are back to only 30% contained. There's a $250,000 award for any info on who could have done this. http://kbaccellia.livejournal.com

We're praying. Among our prayers for containment of the fire, protection of lives, homes,and offices, is a thanksgiving prayer that we're at home right now.

Edit: Just talked to my husband's cousin. They've been staying with her mom (dh's aunt,) because of health reasons. She lives pretty close to the coast. They did get a call to evacuate, but decided to stay and watch things since they aren't up against the hills. They don't have air conditioning and the temps are in the 80s. They can't open up the windows, though, because of the smoke, so they're warm. Otherwise, they're doing okay.

Friday, October 19, 2007

friday fragments

We took the bff to the airport yesterday. Boo hoo.

Then three of us went to the dentist, just a cleaning.

We were able to take Miss E to meet a blogger friend, a librarian. Now the three bloggers in the family have all met "in person" a friend they've gotten to know through this super cool medium. Fun!

We even shopped at Target. Woohoo!

A day away from the kitchen and the couch. Seemed like heaven.

Now I'm needing to rest after our day trip and then start gearing up for another day away. We go next Wednesday to get results from all of B's tests taken last month.

It takes me about a week to build up leftovers and foods enough to be out the house for a day. I don't have a whole week - uh oh.

We passed by a pasture of miniature horses with a Great Dane walking amongst them. Those poor little ponies, how humbling is that?

We also passed a sign that said, "Hawks may soar, but weasels never get sucked into a jet engine."

Have a contented weekend. ; )

Monday, October 15, 2007

Random quotes from my reading


That had been an ache that rose sometimes to pain, the natural sharp exhaustion consequent upon twenty-one continuous hours in the saddle, a fatigue that might have been cured by one or at the most two good nights' sleep. But this present fatigue engulfed the whole being. He imagined that every perception of sight and sound was colored by it as objects seen through water appear wavering and distorted. Penhally, Caroline Gordon


"Anndd wee mussttn'tt looose ourr sensses of hummorr," Mrs. Which said, "Thee onnlly wway ttoo ccope withh ssometthingg ddeadly sseriouss iss ttoo ttry ttoo trreatt itt a llittlle lligghtly."
A Wrinkle in Time, Madeleine D'Engle






book cover
They say that faint heart never won fair lady; and it is amazing to me how fair ladies are won, so faint are often men's hearts! Were it not for the kindness of their nature, that seeing the weakness of our courage they will occasionally descend from their impregnable fortresses, and themselves aid us in effecting their own defeat, too often would they escape unconquered if not unscathed, and free of body if not of heart. The Warden, Anthony Trollope

Friday, October 12, 2007

Another computer in the family

We're now a three computer family. This from a family that didn't own a computer until a year or two after even the grandparents did. Two years ago, our one and only computer in the living room cabinet was constantly getting fought over by the three ill family members, and so we broke down and purchased a laptop.

But now, Brady, with the help of a really great friend, has built his own computer to service the needs of his 3-D artwork. Mom and Dad's was just too slow. Brady's machine is finally up and running after three weeks of trying to get it there. The processor ended up being a problem part, (after guessing motherboard first,) which even threw our expert friend for a loop.

The new problem is where to find Brady and his new "baby" a home. Our main floor doesn't have an office. Our basement is too cold and dark in the winter, and Brady's room gets pretty warm (hot) in the summer. Also, we kind of like him "around" and that rules out those two places. Tonight I started thinking about moving the piano out of the dining room and finding a pretty screen to put in front of his work station when we want our dining room back. Hmmm...

Wednesday, October 10, 2007


Blessings


My daughter's best friend has brought sunshine and smiles. She's visiting us from out-of-state (way out-of-state!) for a little over a week.

A neighbor in my parish graciously drove the 90 miles to the airport to get her and deliver her to our door.

A friend, from church, delivered goodies so we'd have extra food on hand for our friend's visit.

Another devoted friend laid a sackful of several homemade frozen dinners, for my dh, on my lap right after I seated myself at church on Sunday.

After a beautifully sunny, warm day yesterday, today we're getting a gentle rain. The fall-colored leaves simply glow through the light gray backdrop.

Brady's learning to improvise on his guitar, adding cool depth to songs on his CDs. So we're rockin...

Friday, October 05, 2007

3 months on SCD

Three months ago we began the journey of the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. Journey is a good way to describe it. There have been hills and valleys, rough roads - but all paved. Paved by the hundreds of people that have gone before us in this. I'm mighty thankful for them.

We'd been on the diet about a month and a half, and we had to travel. Not an easy thing to do when still a "newbie" on the diet. We were able to take our homemade bread, muffins, cookies, and crackers, but towards the end of the trip we had to really ration them. Our hotel had a stove-top, but no oven, so at least we could make our pancakes for breakfast.

The problem at the end of our trip was trying to find food for our last day when we would be traveling by plane and car all day and wouldn't be able to have our food warmed. (We are still at the stage of cooking all of our fruit and vegetables before eating them.) At Whole Foods, I grabbed some dried fruit (without any sugars or preservatives) which is perfectly legal on the diet, but is a more advanced food then where we were. It had lots of seeds (blackberries and strawberries) and we didn't start off with "just a little." Not a good thing. We all flared (lingo that spares you the details.)

I ended up restarting the diet - getting back to the intro foods. I also found and hired a SCD counselor that helped me get on the "straight and narrow." She told me a few other things I'd been doing wrong and gave me some suggestions of what to do differently. I'd definitely recommend anyone who wants to start the diet, to hook up with a counselor FIRST. Even though there is a wonderful e-mail forum of experienced people to ask questions to, a counselor can look over all the details of what's happening with you and give you guidance that sees the "whole" picture. She'll tell you things you might not have even thought to ask about on the the forum.

Something else that helped was each getting a few colonic treatments. We'd had a quite a series of these last year, which helped us immensely. Then for some reason we decided we didn't need them anymore, which at a the time might have been correct,but we shouldn't have stopped them completely. Next time we won't go nine months in between treatments until we're pretty healthy. I'm really thankful we can drive 45 minutes for this kind of help. If you want to hear about the many symptoms that have been helped by our getting these treatments, just ask - it's amazing! It's only been about 60 years since hospitals were doing these treatments, so it's not some new kind of radical protocol.

I'd hoped we'd be a little further along in progress at this point in our diet, but yet, I'm glad for what we've learned. We're starting to know our bodies - what we're reacting to, better then ever. How wonderful is that?

Here's something I concocted last night, inspired by my craving for chili or goulash (it's October, you know!) - and I think we all handled it pretty well. Even if you're not on the SCD, you might enjoy this fall dish.

Vegetable Chili

Ground Hamburger (I used 2 pounds)
tomato juice (from farmer's market tomatoes - peeled, cooked, and strained)
2 garlic cloves minced
butternut squash (I usually have some on hand that I've roasted, but last night I used 3/4 bag of frozen butternut squash cubes) - this helped thicken the chili
1 small zucchini (peeled and seeded as per our diet)
3 handfuls or so of chopped broccoli (I steamed it first)
2 tsp salt
2 or 3 dashes of nutmeg
1 dash of cayenne pepper