The Vaulted Files: The Fine Line

 

(I am finding a lot of crazy stuff in the vault, which duly represents the crazy in my head.  Much like the saying goes for blowing your nose: “Better out than in.” LOL.  Enjoy…)

I am an absolutist.  (Is that a word?  I should have looked that up first…sorry.)  I would normally say I’m an extremist, but my understanding of extremism is that it breeds intolerance for other people’s decisions, and that just doesn’t sound like something I want to be.  For instance, I believe that certified artificial food colorings are absolutely bad for us.  So I spend three times as much money on Unjunked m&m’s for my kids’ candy treats.  That’s my absolutism.  If I were an extremist, I imagine I would storm the middle school and demand that they stop selling Skittles to innocent kids.  And then my son would die of embarrassment because his mom is the crazy lady who attacked the concession table.  So I just prefer to work in absolutes.  And here’s how I came to this conclusion:

I was thinking about this the other day, feeling like I was sitting far-out on a hippie limb all by myself, wondering why we as a society even allow poisons in our foods, much less voluntarily consume them.  One thought led to another and the next thing I knew, I had planned out the next two decades.  The odds of my children finding and falling in love with others who had been raised on grass-fed beef, organic veggies and homemade bread are slim to none.  And then I started thinking that my poor grandchildren (God willing I ever have any) will face all the health problems that I’ve tried to prevent in my own children, simply because my daughter- or son-in-law would have contributed the wonky chromosomes tainted by Big-Ag and corporate America, all because his or her mother didn’t give two hoots about Roundup-resistant wheat and soybeans.  And then I’m quite technically back where I started.

So then I thought how nice it would be to have a huge commune for those of us who want to live away from the oppression of our corporate food supply. We could farm together, raise happy chickens and cows, and control everything we consumed.  We would be untainted by the outside world.

There are just two problems with this idea:  1) I’m not, and have no desire to be, Amish; and 2) no matter how good our intentions at the beginning, eventually we would all find some Kool-Aid to share.

So, no, this idea of segregating ourselves from modern society will never work.  And I wouldn’t want it to, really.  My rules can really only be imposed on me (and my kids for the time being), and that’s okay.  So I’ll just hang on to my absolutes and do what I can to make the world a better place in my little corner of it.

Unjunked candy, anyone?

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Why No Wheat?

Tags

diabetes, glycemic index, Grain Brain, no grains, paleo, pre-diabetic, wheat, Wheat Belly

I had the “wheat-free” conversation with two friends recently, which prompted me to write this post.  Over the course of the last year and a half whenever I tell someone that I try to follow the Paleo lifestyle for eating, they always ask why I don’t eat grains.  I suppose sugar is a no-brainer for most people, as it was for me, but I didn’t always have a ready answer on the grain part.  I had only vague “grains are anti-nutrients” statements that I could not support with any memorable scientific notes.  Not being one to try to force people to my way of thinking, I’d shrug and let it go.  What’s right for me isn’t necessarily right for someone else.  Hadn’t I learned that already in my own household?

Last autumn when my husband was diagnosed as being pre-diabetic I read through the literature his doctor sent home with him.  It recommended low-fat foods, fruits, vegetables and lots of whole grains.  Ugh.  But I nearly lost it when the literature encouraged diet soft drinks and sugar-free candy.  ENCOURAGED!!!   I read the absurdities out loud and then tossed the literature across the table.

“Will you help me eat right?” my husband asked.

“I don’t agree with that crap,” I said, pointing to the literature endorsed by the American Diabetes Association. “I can’t even explain to you exactly why I don’t agree with it, but I can’t stomach the idea of medical professionals telling people whole grains and Aspartame are good for you.”

“Then we’ll throw those papers away.  Will you help me eat right?” he asked again.

How could I say no?  He was placing more trust in me than in his doctor, and I wasn’t about to let him down.  I jumped back on my Paleo bandwagon with both feet.  Dom immediately cut out grains and sugars.  His blood sugar, which we tested daily, normalized at once and over the course of the next three months he lost 20 pounds.  Even better than those awesome health benefits, we were enjoying cooking dinner together almost every night and sharing lunch at home during the workdays.  I decided to make it my mission to find out why this grain-free life was treating us so kindly.

Two of the books I have read in my quest are Grain Brain and Wheat Belly, both written by physicians and chock-full of science.  Admittedly, I sometimes found myself zoning out from all the scientific references, but two things caught my attention and held it: 1) Both doctors referenced cases of various illness and disorders which other doctors could not specifically diagnose – all alleviated with the elimination of grain from the diet; and 2) the scientific trials referenced in both books included tens of thousands of individuals – large scale research.  Conversely, I overheard our local news recently touting a health study in which 200 individuals participated.  Wow…a whole 200 people?  Please.

Even though I had already given up wheat and other grains, these books reinforced my resolve to avoid them.  Some basic facts that strengthened my understanding are:

• It’s not my great-great-grandmother’s wheat.  The wheat we eat today has been so genetically modified in order to produce larger crops and greater profitability that it no longer resembles the wheat of our ancestors, and it wreaks havoc on the body in ways that ancient grains simply did not.
• The inclusion of grains as the basis of our food pyramid (not to mention the sheer proportion of grains compared to other foods in our “recommended daily nutrition”) is not based on any scientific evidence.  It was pretty much decided by a group of politicians in the 70’s (who were likely trying to support corporate agriculture) and simply never challenged.
• Genetically engineered wheat (roughly 99% of all wheat world-wide) can not survive in a natural environment.  Originally created to produce higher yields in an effort to offset world hunger, these grains were propelled into our food supply without any studies on their health effects.
• From a blood glucose standpoint, a slice of whole wheat bread whacks out your blood sugar more than a Snickers bar.  (NOT that I am advocating you dine on Snickers!)  To be precise, a Snickers bar has a glycemic index (GI) of 49.  A slice of whole wheat bread has an average GI of 71.  This information alone makes me furious that the ADA literature I referred to earlier actually promoted wheat products and whole grains for people wanting to manage diabetes.  I guess I should just be happy that they didn’t advise we have a Snickers bar with our diet soda.

I looked at the American Diabetes Association’s website explanation of GI on various foods.  They list the GI of a piece of whole wheat bread as “medium GI (56-69)” while stating white bread has a “high GI (70+).” Conversely, according to the Harvard Medical School, whole wheat bread averages a GI of 71, the very same as white bread.  Surprising to most, a “healthy” bowl of instant oatmeal averages a GI of 83.  I looked extensively at various groups’ food GI charts and came to my own conclusion:  given the extensive varieties of food products available to us in the stores, the data pretty much can be expressed in any light to support any claim.  But I have to marvel at the fact that a whopping 79 million people in the U.S. are “pre-diabetic.”  From my standpoint, it’s easy to see why.

Okay, so I gave up bread (and oatmeal and crackers and cereal and donuts and… you get the picture).  Wanna know what else I gave up?  My ever-growing list includes joint pain, cramps, blemishes and skin oddities.  Dom gave up antacids entirely.  Just a little slip (which we made on two separate weekends) brings back symptoms we would have otherwise ignored in our former selves.  So many health inconveniences were just accepted as a part of life and aging.  But the elimination of wheat (and likely sugar too) has proven that life and aging can be so much better than we had been trained to accept!

So, what do I eat?  Well, lots of eggs, uncured meats, cheeses, whole milk (I’m “paleo plus dairy” 🙂 ) fruits, nuts and vegetables.  We drink red wine with dinner.  No sugars, no starches.  I rely on sweet potatoes for an indulgent carb boost and paleo “treats” for my occasional sweet tooth.  (See Living Healthy with Chocolate and PaleOMG for some awesome treat recipes!)  I don’t worry about calories, fat or cholesterol for many of the reasons cited in the two books referenced above.

And no, quitting wheat cold-turkey was not super-easy.  I actually did it three times before it stuck.  This last time, with Dominic’s health at stake and armed with much more information, I walked away from wheat and didn’t look back.  But I know how hard it can be… after all, I made an Italian give up pasta.

I’m no doctor and I don’t pretend to be.  I don’t know your personal situation and cannot guarantee any results for anyone, including myself.  But if you’re dealing with an ailment no one can identify, or you’re simply just wishing you could feel better, try eliminating wheat and grain from your diet.  Give it four weeks and see how you feel.  It may work for you; it may not.  I’m betting that it will.

I found a quote on Facebook the other day that stated, “Every time you eat or drink, you are either feeding disease or fighting it.”  (Credit: Heather Morgan, MS, NLC.)  I have learned that I’m a fighter.  How ’bout you?

I wish you health and peace.

The Minimum

While driving to work a while ago I noticed a new billboard.  It has a smiling man on it with five simple words: “Do the minimum.  (I do.)”  Way to instill confidence, SafeAuto.  I can see how “good neighbors” and “good hands” would be a turn-off.  Your marketing reps must be proud.

Despite that this ad was for auto insurance and had the polar opposite of its intended effect on me, it made me think about all that we do and wonder why we would ever want to promote doing the minimum.  Isn’t that kind of what’s wrong with us?  Everybody wants to get more and give less?  Avoid all the cost and still benefit with all the gain?  Don’t we already spend too much energy trying to claim more while actually doing less?

It reminds me of a former co-worker.  I was new on the job, fresh out of college and eager to learn.  I’ve always been motivated at work – in a behind-the-scenes kind of way.  A wallflower in public, I’m not too big on taking in all the attention, even for a job well done.  But I truly believe any job I do has my name on it and my reputation behind it.  So that makes it worth giving my all.    Anyway, about a month or so into the job a problem arose and I volunteered a solution.  No one really understood how to implement the solution even though it sounded good to them, so I also volunteered my own energy to make it happen.  I viewed it as a chance to sink my teeth into something creative, and they viewed it as an opportunity for an issue to be corrected without taking their time from other duties.  Everyone walked away happy.  Win-Win.

As soon as the directors were out of earshot, my co-worker tsk–tsk-ed me, warning, “You’d better be careful.  Don’t let them know what all you can do, because then they will expect you to do it.  It’s best to keep quiet and let them do the work.  You’ll see.”

I was dumbfounded, completely blown away that someone with that attitude could actually draw a paycheck.  While I picked my jaw up off the ground, she rolled her eyes and turned back toward her computer, leaving a lasting impression on me.

I suppose that was a lesson that naïve little Lori needed to learn.  No matter how I expect people to behave, many of them will only ever do the minimum.  Some of them will expect me to follow suit.

I won’t.

Not in life. Not in relationships.  Not in my work.

And for the record, I won’t change my expectations of other people, either.  And I fully intend to teach my children the value of exceeding the minimum.  Take THAT, smiling billboard man.

Here But There

Tags

paleo, Recipes

Sorry for being  MIA again.  I haven’t been able to complete a blog post for what, four months now? I’ll start one and then it just sort of fizzles.  I think I have writer’s block.  It’s showing up in other areas of my life, too.  Time to banish the demons.  😉  I once read that a blogger should post something every day, even if it’s crap writing.  I just can’t make you suffer through EVERYTHING in my head, so I (obviously) haven’t subscribed to that idea.  Maybe I should.  Be warned.  (Footnote: after finishing this post and re-reading it, I think I’m already testing the theory. My apologies.)

The Hubster and I are back on the Paleo Wagon in a much more committed way.  It’s been pretty easy this time around, and we are already feeling better as a result.  Hubs is dropping pounds and I can already tell that food is in control of that crappy pain in my right elbow.  My pantry is shaping up nicely and I have found several new blogs to stalk.  Not all of the blogs are strictly paleo/primal, though many are.  I likely will not turn PDM into a paleo blog, but I just have to share some of the awesome sites I have been stalking.  Check ‘em out:

PaleoHacks  I just registered for PaleoCon, a free week-long e-seminar that starts Monday.  Paleo pros will share information, research, exercise and recipes.   Eeep!!  As I read up on PaleoCon, I noted that one of the speakers, John Durant, reminded me an awful lot of the mainstream media image of Jesus.  And then I saw that his topic in the conference is about (roughly interpreted by me) the biblical aspects of paleo.  Too funny!!  Bring it on, John!

Crackers on the Couch I found and fell in love with Brooke’s recipe for mushroom broth, which we now cannot live without. 

Edible Harmony  Denise rocks some “real food” recipes!!  Shortly after I canned an army’s supply of sugary pumpkin butter, I found her paleo pumpkin butter recipe. 

Paleo Spirit  On her “About” page, Lea states, “When I realized that ‘Paleo’ could mean much more than just diet and exercise, I was hooked. I embrace the ideal of pursuing health and fulfillment through simple, time-tested strategies and apply them to my life as a woman, a wife, a mother, and a Christian.”  I heart her.

Crazy Sexy Wellness  Kris is a ten-year Stage 4 cancer survivor with a wealth of knowledge and experience.  She has some great whole-food for your whole-life stuff on her blog. 

PaleOMG  Juli calls it food porn.  It is.  Seriously, as my friend Kim says, Oh-Em-to the double-Gee!!  This is usually the first place I go when I’m brave enough to try something new.  Or when I want sweet cheats.

Paleo Cupboard If you’re in the mood for Cajun Shrimp and Grits, give this a try!  After a stressful week of questionable eating, this was the first meal that actually satisfied me.  That shrimp spice recipe?  Ohhhhhhh yyyyyyeaaaaahhhhhhhhhh. 

Everyday Paleo  Sarah was one of the first paleo bloggers I started following, way back when my quest for natural sun tolerance led me to try paleo.  And since we are tamale lovers, I cannot wait to try her brother’s paleo tamale recipe. 

Multiply Delicious is home to my favorite herb cracker recipe. 

Elaina at The Rising Spoon saved me several dead presidents this fall with her pumpkin pie spice recipe.  She’s also trying to get me to put butter in my coffee.  Hmmmmmmm…

So there you have it… a smattering of the places I’ve been hanging out lately.  You should visit them too.  I’m sure you’ll find something you like!

Late night edit to today’s post: I was browsing the Paleo Digest on my new computer (found in the Microsoft Store for Windows 8 – love it but don’t know much about it…anyhoo) when I stumbled upon a site I am going to haunt for the long term…Living Healthy With Chocolate.  Basically, imagine something you like with chocolate in it, and I’m pretty sure Adriana has already made it Paleo!  Magnifico!!!!!

 

My Wishlist for App Developers

Tags

help me organize my life, phone clutter

OK, the last time I ranted about my information needs I got a pretty good response.  And my previous posts about iPhone apps have gotten decent attention from the developers.  So here is my Issue Du Jour:

I recently upgraded my phone and lost most of my apps in the process.  Not lost as in forever, but lost as in they were no longer staring me in the face upon startup.  I had to go fetch them from the cloud as I needed them.  I hate to say my kids told me so, but they were among the first ones squawking that I had too many apps on my phone and there was no possible way I really used them all.  Five screens of apps, all in folders.  Too much, you say??

I hate to delete an app that actually has potential.  I’ve hung on to financial calculator apps and Christmas shopping organizers, saving my mad delete skillz for the likes of Talking Tom and virtual measuring tapes. (Do those ever really work?)  My argument for the useless apps I keep has always been, “But I emailed that developer and he is going to make this app do exactly what I need it to do, so I have to hang on to it!”  Except that I’ve been an app freak for four years now and those cool features I desire still do not exist.

Listen up, app-mappers.  I have needs.  I’m willing to bet I’m not the only one with these needs.  (Then again, maybe I am. Whatev.)  Essentially, I believe any app’s primary objective should be to make a small, even insignificant, aspect of my life easier.  Otherwise, you’re just cluttering my already crowded phone with more useless stuff and empty promises.  Allow me to be specific:

Reminders/To-Dos with snooze  I love the native Reminders app on the iPhone.  It will remind you of whatever your task is based on your location or time of day.  It’s as customizable as any app I could ask for with one exception.  I can’t snooze a reminder.  Admittedly, Outlook has spoiled me.  I can set any task and customize the reminder.  When the reminder pops up, if I’m in the middle of something uber-important, like facilitating Middle East peace talks, I can snooze the reminder for anywhere from another five minutes to the next day.  ‘Cause seriously, we can’t expect world peace to wait while I pay my Comcast bill, can we?

Product Usage I downloaded a beauty products app that touted it would remind me when to replace my cosmetics.  Except it didn’t.  It gave me a quick run-down on the known shelf-life of each beauty product, which had absolutely nothing to do with how fast I go through a product, or even when I opened it.  So mascara typically lasts three months.  Big whoop.  What if I regularly burn through it in two?  No, what I want is an app that will let me set a date that I open a product, assign my own typical usage period, and generate a list of items I need to replace.  “Hey, Lori, it’s time to add laundry detergent to the grocery list.”  Or, “You’ll run out of moisturizer next month.  Better place an order.”  It doesn’t even need to be that wordy, but you get the gist.  I actually communicated with the lady behind the app I downloaded (which was only for beauty products) and she thought my idea was awesome and she swore she would find a way to implement it.  Two years ago.  Ahem.  Movin’ on…

Recipe Storage Serving Sizer is a recipe organizer that I really liked.  I bought this app only after asking the developers if they would consider making the app calculate nutritional value of each recipe.  They assured me that they had already thought of that and were planning to include it in future updates.  I haven’t seen it yet.  (Three years, but who’s counting?)  But if they’re listening, let me bend their ear on one more matter. I’d really like to see cloud storage on this app so that I can access my recipes from any of my devices, including online via desktop and a simple login to my account. Yes, I know that whole account thing would be new…work it out, guys.  Additionally, I think that the desktop access is important because I also want to be able to upload recipes that I already have stored on my computer.  Inputting recipes into this app is a bit tedious, and an upload feature would seriously rock.

Voice Commands I will not bore Apple with my Siri aggravation, but let’s examine my only two requests of her.  The day after I got my new phone I asked Siri to install my WordPress app.  She informed me that she could not install things for me.  Later, I asked her what time a local business opened and she basically told me to Google it on my own.  I knew before meeting her that she wasn’t going to cook dinner or fold my sheets, but seriously…what good is she?

Gift Card Wallet  Passbook was on the right track, but it doesn’t support everything I have and/or want.  I need a gift card wallet.  You know, an app that will store all my current unused gift card balances and produce a barcode to let me pay with the gift card from my phone.  That way, if I have $2.83 left on a Bass Pro gift card, I don’t have to carry it around with me on the off-chance that I need more camo.  The app needs to operate like Cardstar, with the added feature of showing me a list of available balances.  I mentioned this to a developer friend of mine one day several years ago.  He just shook his head as he muttered something about “one single point of compromise.”  But that was long before the days of wallet apps, so perhaps he’s changed his tune.  Then again, this is the guy who used to chastise me for not changing my passwords every two weeks.  😉

Coupon Wallet  While we’re on this whole wallet idea and offering single-point gateways to our innermost sanctums, could someone do the same thing for coupons, please?  A coupon organizer on my phone – Holy frijoles! – wouldn’t that make me happy?!  I’m not an extreme couponer by any stretch of the imagination, but I would be better at it if I had more than my paper-hoarding accordion file.  I could add coupons to the wallet by scanning the barcode.  Or by downloading them into my app from some huge coupon-making conglomerate’s website.  If anyone is interested in creating this, it would be important to have a select option, much like in a grocery shopping app – click it to put it in a “cart.”  Then at checkout, produce a list of coupons for which I have purchased products.  And location services would be important too!  Add lists of stores where I can use the coupons, and when I arrive at that store, have a notification pop up that tells me I have coupons to use at this location.  Expiration dates will be important – they can delete themselves the day after expiration and immediately after use.  Half my problem with using coupons is that I a) forget I even have them to use, and b) forget to throw them away when they’ve expired.  Admittedly, this is probably the most difficult and least needed item on my list.  Take it for what it’s worth.

Oh, one more thing.  I’m willing to pay fair app prices for those that can make me happy.  I am not willing to pay for apps without the ability to test-drive them first.   So, be sure you have a limited free version for me to try.  I promise, if it impresses me, I will not hesitate to buy the full version.

 

You’re Killin’ Me, Smalls!!

Tags

earrings, last minute, metals, scheduling, slumber party

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.  No one knows this better than the mother of a teenager, and no one anticipates the learning curve ahead like the mother of a ‘tween.

Heaven help me.

Five months and two short weeks ago my daughter got her ears pierced.  The golden rule of newly pierced ears, according to the all-knowing lady with the piercing gun, is that you do not go without sterling, stainless or gold post earrings for at least six months.  Personally, I am and always have been a hard and fast rule follower. Yet somehow, I failed to share that gene with my daughter.

By the way, dear readers, do you know how long six months is to an almost-eleven-year-old?  For-EV-er.

In the past four weeks Vic has wrangled, bargained and begged to dip into forbidden fruit early.  To wear hook earrings for just a few hours at a time.  To don costume jewelry full of God-knows-what nasty pseudo-metals.  And today, she asked to go to school without earrings.  I just about lost it.  “You begged to get your ears pierced, couldn’t wait to wear earrings, and now you want to ditch them before the initiation period is over?!!  Wear the dang earrings!!”

And then I hear the sage advice of other mothers: pick your battles.

We had already battled earlier this weekend when she sprung not one but TWO events on me.  One was a slumber party that was scheduled to start two-and-a-half hours from the moment I learned about it.  (That’s a Hell No, in case you were wondering.)  And just when I thought I had gotten through, that she understood without exception that I don’t do last minute, she came at me the next night with a school dance that was to start within four hours.  I grabbed a book and headed out to the patio chair to keep from going into an all-out rage, leaving Dom to explain to her what she should have learned from the slumber party invitation fiasco the night before.

When I fail to handle situations properly, Dom is always there to take the reins.  I am so grateful for that.  Because if he hadn’t been there to casually step in and offer his thoughts on the matter (and back me up, I might add), she would have followed me out onto the patio to plead her case, and I would have morphed into The Hulk.

Spontaneous Mom Hulk.  That’s what I’ve become, folks.

Now, put your earrings back in before I rupture a vein, please.

Like Riding a Bike

Exactly six weeks ago I was driving my car and talking to my kids about their falling grades and sagging attitudes.  I had to admit that I, too, was not quite myself in the home-stretch of waiting for our home to be built.  My kiddos, who are usually good students, were seeing their second-quarter grades drop into oblivion.  They both admitted that they could do better, and they just hadn’t been putting forth the effort like they used to.  I in turn admitted that I hadn’t been doing all my “mom duties” like I used to either.  I let stress wear me down, almost to the point of illness again.  My purpose-driven-ness got put on autopilot, and many of my own “Oh-no-I-WON’Ts” morphed into “Oh-what-the-hells.” It was a rough autumn, to say the least.

My own parents are Super-Heroes for taking us all in.  For four solid months I did not cook, clean, wash laundry or make a bed.  I think I only fed my dogs twice in all that time.  Knowing how hard it was for all of us to be without permanent residence, my mom made good-and-sure that we were spoiled like last week’s fruit.  I vocalized only once, but secretly feared for at least two months, that I would completely forget how to maintain a household.  (I love you, Mom!)

We moved in to our new house on December 7, and though we were so glad to have our own place, I wondered if I would actually find my feet again in my new kitchen and utility room.  I am pleased to say that I have.

Baby Girl was sick the entire first week after our move, and while I felt I really needed to be at work, the cosmos and my husband felt otherwise and set me straight pretty quickly.  As the Hubster pointed out, “She is sick.  She needs to stay home and rest.  And, you have more sick time than I do.”  Point taken.  So in between reading to Vic and checking for fever, I unpacked a box or two and then decided we were going to need to eat, and if I had anything to say about it, we were NOT eating more fast food.  (Yes – I had regressed THAT far!)  I pulled out the dutch oven, washed off the summer’s storage dust, and proceeded to make Red Beans and Sausage.  Then I whipped up some olive mix, made muffalettas and baked a whole chicken in my sparkly new-fangled oven.  I’m sharing all this to express my surprise that my domestic abilities have not faded with the season.

I bet I could still ride a bike if I tried!  But it’s rainy and cold, and I’m a weather wimp, so that experiment will have to wait.

The Velveteen Rabbits

Tags

Graham Cracker, Marsha Mallow, Pet Zone, pets and children, rabbits

This past weekend we gave our fluffy little bunny rabbits, Marsha Mallow and Graham Cracker, away.  It was harder than I thought it would be.

 

For the past two years we have played with, nurtured, fed and humored these two bunnies.  We have given them baths (which we weren’t supposed to do, I later found out), clipped their nails, and fluffed their fur with talc-free baby powder.  We kept their food and toys natural and chemical-free, treating them no different than any other members of our family.  We cuddled them when they would tolerate it, and gave them space when their fuses were short.  We spent ridiculous amounts of money on their cages, dishes, playthings and health.  In short, we loved them.

 

In the course of planning our move to the new home, we neglected to determine appropriate housing and play areas for the rabbits.  Owning two Labrador Retrievers (one of which LOVES to chase vermin) restricts our ability to let the rabbits have run of the new back yard.  And even though I love them, I am not about to let them inside my new home to chew my new baseboards and pee on the new hardwood floors.  (Crosses arms, taps toe, and scowls…)

 

 

As moving day grows closer, we have come to realize two things: 1) our rabbits don’t have room to run and jump and twist and play the way they are meant to, and 2) we do not have the time to devote to monitoring their exercise and giving them the attention they deserve.  We have spent the entire summer sloooooooowwwwwly coming to this conclusion.  Dom would have gladly vamoosed the rabbits a year and a half ago; I foolishly held out hope that he would grow to love them.  However, even I began to find their maintenance tedious about nine months ago when we had to take Marsha to the vet for a $132 bladder infection.  I know, right??

 

Marsha munching a carrot

 

We have been conversing with the kids throughout the summer about the possibility of finding new homes for Marsha and Graham.  Amazingly, both children finally conceded that the bunnies needed to be cared for by people who can give them more attention than we can.  And then the search was on to find out who in the world would be willing to take two 8-pound rabbits.  I fully intended to call all the pet stores and vets’ offices and even the wildlife zoo who took Isaac the Squirrel off of our hands.  But after only one phone call, I was spent and my attention went elsewhere.  I realize now that there was a reason I kept “forgetting” to make more phone calls.

 

My mom called our favorite pet store on my behalf and found out that they would gladly take the bunnies and find them new homes.  She called me right away to share the good news.  “Pet Zone will take Marsha and Graham, with cages or without, and find them new homes!  They open at 9am tomorrow, so I figured you and the kids can take care of that first thing in the morning.”

 

I thanked her and then surprised us both by bursting into tears.

 

The kids were excited that our beloved pet store was willing to take Marsha and Graham, though the thought of giving them away saddened everyone except Dom.  Victoria naturally compared the transaction to the giving back of the hermit crabs, which did nothing to lighten my mood.  She understands the difference, in that giving up the bunnies is entirely in their best interest, even if it’s not what we want to do.  We all know it’s best for Marsha and Graham.  It just sucks for us.

 

The Pet Zone employees were wonderful as they assisted me in getting the cages out of my van and wheeling them into the store.  We handed them all of the rabbits’ food, toys, and other accoutrements.  Victoria and I shed tears as we said our goodbyes, and the employees comforted us with sweet words and understanding nods.  The shopkeepers took immediately to Graham and Marsha because of their inherent “cuteness” and said surely they would find homes by the coming week.  I dried my tears long enough to buy a bag of dog food for Mabel, and we were on our way.

 

As we drove away and Victoria sobbed over leaving Marsha, I explained to my children that when you know you are not enough for a situation, especially as it regards another living being, the kind and gentle thing to do is make the situation better for the creature, be it pet or human.  Emotional relationships must be built on a selfless love if they are to prosper.  Vic nodded her little tear-stained cheeks, and Aaron chimed in that it was hard, but he knew it was better for Graham too.  We will always remember the bunnies, and we will always love them.

 

So the chapter closes for us and our two little Velveteen Rabbits.  I will miss their twitchy little ears and their nightly grooming rituals.  But I am grateful for the lessons my kids learned from owning them.  True love made us keep the bunnies.  And true love made us give them up.

The tail end

How Healthy Living Impacts Hearing

Tags

healthy living, Hearing

I’m thrilled to have been approached again with a guest post! John O’Connor writes about speech and hearing issues, and he shares information on how living a healthy lifestyle can benefit our auditory systems. I have to admit that I never considered how hearing ties in with all the positive changes we have implemented in our lives, but it makes complete sense! Check out John’s post here, and then check out his website where he recently started blogging and offering advice for sustaining our hearing health. (You can bet I’ll be cranking up the Vitamin C and turning down the ear buds a notch now!)

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Your ears are designed to pick up sounds, processing them and send them to your brain to help you hear clearly. When any part of your ears are not working properly, your ability to hear can be adversely affected. Living a healthy lifestyle is an integral part of keeping your hearing healthy.

Eating a healthy diet is essential to maintaining good health. Nutritious foods keep our bodies strong and vital, which is important to warding off viruses and infections that can cause hearing loss. Ear infections often occur when we become sick with a cold or the flu. Untreated allergies can also cause ear infections to develop. People who eat a diet rich in complex carbohydrates, lean protein, healthy fats and dairy products are less likely to become sick with ear infections. Chronic or untreated ear infections can cause hearing loss in children and adults. Taking vitamin supplements such as vitamin C, may also prevent infections. Babies infected with cytomegalovirus or CMV, often have hearing loss. Infection occurs before birth, while babies are still in the womb. The Center For Disease Control states for every baby born with CMV, 1 in 5 will suffer serious hearing loss, total deafness or other disabilities. Pregnant women who eat healthy foods, exercise and receive proper obstetric care are less likely to have babies infected with this serious disease.

You can take other steps to keep your hearing healthy. Keep your ears free of excess earwax, as this can lead to hearing difficulties. Avoid cleaning your ears with cotton swabs, as this can lead to ear infections that could damage your ears. Avoid listening to loud music, especially when wearing headphones. Repeated exposure to loud noises can lead to hearing problems later in life. If you enjoy shooting sports or hunting, wear earplugs to protect your ears.

If you have difficulty hearing or are concerned about hearing loss, consult your doctor for a hearing screening test. These tests will provide accurate results that may help your doctor diagnose your hearing problem. If you have hearing loss, there are many devices available today that can help restore your hearing. Devices such as hearing aids and cochlear implants help many people who suffer from hearing loss.

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Thanks, John, for bringing this issue to my blog. 🙂

Helloooo, July! It’s Sooooooo Good to See You!

Greetings from the road to recovery!  We have actual, reportable progress on so many of my most stressful issues that I just gotta share…

First, I am finally healed from my first tumble.  The doc determined that I did not fracture my elbow and he downgraded me to a sprain, which made me very happy.  Unfortunately, that news was not even twelve hours old when I fell AGAIN right at three weeks ago.  Despite bruised ribs, a gashed up knee and a face that made me look like a volunteer punching bag, I am finally healing – again.  Only in the last week have I actually felt like myself.  I accomplished tasks at work (yay!), cooked dinner, and even did a little more packing.  Oh, and I managed to sneeze without feeling like my ribs would be blown to the four corners of the earth.  For the win, right?

Next, while I was laid up in bed whining over my wounds and snorting Lortab (not really…well, maybe…) we got an offer on our house.  Which, of course, we accepted.   Which means we sold our house.  Which means that we have to get ready to get the hell out of Dodge…for real now.  Aaaaaaaaand, we closed on our construction loan and broke ground on the new house.  Next we move in with my parents.  (And their world will never be the same…)

On the Food Front, I have to thank you all for your support and wonderful comments with regard to me changing our diets for Aaron’s benefit.  It has not been an easy change, and we have had several nights that tried everyone’s patience at the dinner table.  But Aaron is a trooper, and even though he abhorred many of the things we made him try he DID try them, and even found some new things that he likes.  I had to throw in one or two cheat days to keep everyone sane and chugging along with me, but that one night of sundaes and DQ Blizzards was worth the tummy aches we all had the next day, if for nothing more than strengthening our morale (as well as our resolve!)  We are tweaking Paleo to work for us, and in the end I think that we will each have a better ability to make proper decisions about our own nutrition.  The kids have really embraced all this change better than I imagined they would, and I am so grateful to have such earnest learners, even when they are begging me relentlessly for Southern Maid donuts.

Finally, I think the biggest change is once again happening within me.  I’ve learned that falling down is easy (too easy, thankyouverymuch!) but getting up is where you grow and learn.  I learned am learning to slow down – to not rush through these days of change and uncertainty, but rather to embrace them and try to appreciate something different about each day.  Last week as I walked across the parking lot, realizing that it feels so damn good to be “me” again, I found myself hurrying.  And then I realized that hurrying is exactly how I got injured in the first place.  I will make a conscious effort to slow down, physically and mentally.  Because as stressful as I know these days ahead may be, I don’t want to miss a single thing about these events and the opportunity to see my family through them safely.