simple woman's daybook 12-5-11

edited a bit 12/6/11

http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

(Won't you join in?!) 

Outside my window...it's dark - just after 5:00 AM - 42 degrees.

I am thankful...to have learned about a profession called Functional Medicine and to have been "prescribed" some  specific and healthy  things to do/try that very well could help our daughter feel better. 

In the kitchen and around the house ... is where I plan to spend most of today catching up on laundry, cooking & quilting. 

I am creating... a quilt.

From the learning rooms...I've been learning that there is something good about homeopathic/holistic healthcare - as opposed to taking medication or having surgery for whatever ales you before even considering other more natural and/or less invasive approaches to dealing with it - and I'm thinking there should be a better balance in general between the two quite different approaches to healthcare. 

I am wondering... Do you know what this is?

 It's a box of matches all dressed up for winter 

- and -
it's a gift my friend made and gave me when she came over the other day. 

Pretty cute - huh?! 

I am looking forward to...to doing some Christmas shopping at a candy store, hopefully later this week with my husband - and to receiving my new totally grain free cookbook in the mail.

click the pic

I'm reading...  

click the pic 

& may read ...

click the pic
The very short video of the author that  you will be linked to if you click the pic is interesting to say the least. It's not necessarily all about gluten ... but - it is all about wheat & well worth it for anyone - not just those with wheat/gluten sensitivity to at least watch & consider.

I am going... to snail mail only a few Christmas cards this year. 

I am thinking... whatta FUN and complete SuRpriSe! these were to find in my mailbox from a good friend & fellow blogger & quilter - along with the instructions for how to make them!...

It was a totally unexpected surprise that made my day!! 

Thank you SO much, mommazim! :)

I am hearing...the clock ticking.

One of my favorite things... is exploring places I've never been before.


Pics for a thought I'm sharing:

study buddies 

I'm pondering...well - I'm still pondering last week's sermon about the Trinity.  Here's just a few of my notes:

1. 
   
   In God there is one indivisible essence w/ three distinct persons. Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Each possessing the characteristics of personhood - intellect, emotion, will (ability to determine/purpose a plan to obtain a desired result). The indivisible essence of God belongs equally to all three "persons"and each person posesses the whole essence of God.

   
   

   With the understanding that we can't really comprehend the Trinity, as I tried to understand it, it seems God has given us lots of evidence of the Trinity both in Scripture and in nature to study in attempt to understand/know Him better. 

   
   

   The Trinity of God is expressed in nature/creation: 

   
   

   The Universe: Space, Matter, Time

   
   

   Space:  Height, Length, Depth

   
   

   Matter: Solid, Liquid, Gas

   
   

   Energy:  Light, Heat, Sound

   
   

   Time:  Future, Present, Past

   
   

   Man: Body, Soul, Spirit

   
   

   Personhood: Intellect, Emotion, Will

   
   

   And there was more...about how The Father, Son & Holy Spirit "interact" with us - each doing their "part" if you will in regards to our salvation, adoption, prayer, ministry, etc. but I just could not write fast enough ... :)

   
   

   My thoughts: This reminds me of ...

   
   

   - a quote: 

   
   

   Every artist paints his own nature into his pictures.
   - Henry Ward Beecher - 

   
   

   - a time: 

   
   

    when I began to "see some of this" for myself & I journaled fast & furiously thru it & unsuccessfully attempted to wrap words tightly around it

   
   
   - a verse:  

   
   

   Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. - Ecclesiastes 4:12

   
   

   
   

make it paleo - grain free cooking - & wheat belly

I just ordered this, my first gluten free cookbook, as we begin this gluten free leg of our journey (see previous post for the motivation behind this major lifestyle change).  I chose this particular cookbook because it has gotten raving reviews and it is totally grain free cooking - and so I gather it doesn't include many recipes that attempt to cook/bake/modify much that normally contains gluten (bread, pasta, etc.) - as I know from a bit of our own experience and what I've heard from others that often that route can be pretty disappointing - and difficult!

For the record - Our family as a whole is not going totally gluten/grain free but we're attempting to eliminate gluten from our daughter's diet - and so -  rather than cook separate meals all the time - and considering that a gluten free diet is generally much more healthy for anyone - not just those sensitive/allergic to gluten, as well as the fact that my husband is totally on board with this whole thing and we are choosing to look at it as a mixed blessing and a challenge we are ready and willing to embrace ... well - that is, in a nutshell, how we arrived here and where we're heading....

And this book below was recommended by someone who left a comment on my previous post.   I haven't read the book yet but what the author has to say in his brief video is really interesting and thought provoking - and I think well worth it for anyone/everyone to watch and consider. Click the pic below to learn more about the book and to view the short video:

Functional Medicine & Gluten Free

Attempting to keep this short. Anything in bold/ colored text is a link that you can click on to begin learning more if interested.


It's been several years since Playmaker was preliminary diagosed with a potentially very serious medical condition (JDMS). In our passionate quest for answers, we met with many well respected doctors at prestigious medical facilities and she underwent numerous tests with the use of amazing technology. At that time we chose/went the "western" (by that I mean traditional/American) medicine route as opposed to taking a more holistic/homeopathic approach. In our society the two really are VeRy different approaches to health care and patients essentially have to choose between them. And, at the risk of getting ahead of myself, I'll just interject here to say that I think that's really unfortunate - and insurance companies often cover little, if any, holistic treatment  -  which I also think is very unfortunate.  But, I digress.  Fortunately most "news" back then and the most recent diagnosis  were encouraging, essentially ruled out JDMS (Praise God!) and seemed at the time to make sense. Yet, even still, all that passionate search really yielded us in "the end" was a ton of information yet few solid answers - but I will say that I personally learned some valuable lessons in the absence of answers on that leg of our journey.


Fast forward to the past few months. A friend & fellow blogger's post introduced me, if you will, to a profession I had never heard of. That being Functional Medicine which seems to blend and therefore balance the two rather extreme approaches to health care/medicine better than any other medical profession that I'm aware of.  (Edit/Note:  This "profession" does still lean heavily on the homeopathic "side" (or maybe a better word is naturopathic..honestly I'm not sure what the difference is -  but anyhow the "balance" I found was in some very specific/pretty simple tests used to first rule out/identify personal nutritional deficiencies - I don't remember me or any of my children ever having one of these -  and another for  allergies/intolerances to nearly 100 different things, etc. - and the "prescription" in our case was some healthy/very specific (key word here) supplements and diet changes ... so - really - what's to lose? - other than out of pocket money bc many insurance companies don't cover much...but - really - which is worth more?...your money? - or your health?.  Sad - tho' that we often have to chose between the two. Especially - those of us who a pay a lot of money for health insurance already. Thankfully our insurance did cover some of it - but I think that's about to change.... :/ )  I found a Functional Medicine Doctor in our area and made an appointment for our daughter. In retrospect, I am so glad I did.  Our experience has been similar to my friend's. Bottom line in Playmaker's case ... we learned that she is very low/deficient and in high need of three particular nutrients (CoQ10, Vitamin B6 & Zinc)  - all of which can be easily supplemented, as well as consumed more naturally by eating certain foods. Pretty simple "treatment" that could have a significant affect on her day to day health and well being. That's the good news.


The "bad" news is something I'm choosing to look at as more of a mixed blessing. Tests that tested for nearly 100 different allergies &/or sensitivities revealed a strong positive reaction to Gluten :/    Not necessarily a full blown allergy - but a high sensitivity to it.  This was new/previously unknown news to us! You'd think that something she is so highly sensitive to would be obvious in daily life but the kicker here is that with her particular type of sensitivity, often reactions are delayed hours or even days after particular foods are consumed and therefore it is difficult to pinpoint the culprit without testing for it. This high sensitivity to gluten is also quite consistent with several of Playmaker's mysterious, intermittent symptoms  and it could very likely trigger them. I see it as a mixed blessing in that I'm so thankful that it is not Celiac disease (the extreme allergy to Gluten) and it is far cry from her original/preliminary diagnosis (much less serious). But - gluten is extremely difficult to avoid. It's in wheat, rye, oats (via cross contamination), barley, etc.   - and our food supply is permeated with it ...bread, cereal, pasta, gravies, salad dressing, sauces, etc.   But it is getting easier all the time to deal with gluten issues because so many people are struggling with them so many more/new Gluten Free products are now available for purchase.  Dealing with it will require a major lifestyle adjustment - but - it is something that we can manage and do something about - and Playmaker will likely enjoy some very positive health benefits & better quality of life by doing so, therefore I believe it is very worthwhile to embark on this new Gluten Free leg of our journey. 


On another note, Playmaker also tested "strong positive" to dust mites (we'll be purchasing special bedding and likely an air purifier for her room) - and, of all things, Oregano! Not sure yet how this particular piece fits into the puzzle?! 


ALL of this was new/news to us! - and when you consider where we've been, who we've seen & what we've done and even how much money was spent trying to find some answers for her ...well, I just find it interesting and rather perplexing that only/finally the more holistic approach revealed this new information and offered some healthy means of dealing with it (specific/diet changes) as opposed to drugs/medicine to address (mask?!) the symptoms. Which reminds me of what one medical (not homeopathic!) doctor whom I highly respect once told me in so many words:

Medicine is essentially a poison that is taken to gain a desired effect. 

Anyhow - from all of this I've learned another valuable lesson and so from here on out I intend to take a much more balanced approach when seeking and obtaining health care advice for me - and for my family. 


Indeed, life is a journey...

care to "read my mind"?

Good early morning on this, the first day of December.  It's 4:38 as I begin this post. Peace and quiet. I crave it sometimes...enough that I'm willing to get up at 4AM to enjoy some of it!  


I'm sitting in the same rocker my mom rocked me in as a child - with a quilt I made with my own two hands...(so prouda that!)  about as close to the fire as I can get - a cuppa pumpkin spice coffee and my Bible within reach and lotsa random (key word here)  thoughts lining up for their turn to be presented here in black and white. 


1.  I feel like people are trying too hard to make it feel like Christmas. I prefer to let it happen more naturally. Hard to explain. I love God's decorations best of all  - as opposed to giant blowup ones (ugh!).  I much prefer snowflakes - especially as I consider that each and every one is unique. And icicles. Stars that glisten like diamonds on a cold clear night. Evergreen trees laden with snow - and the joy of spying a cardinal in the branches of one.  I love too how God adds to His decor little by little. Continually changing things up and keeping things interesting. Placing new decorations in places where sometimes you hafta search a bit to find them and others that "pop" like pleasant surprises He wants to be sure you find - ones He simply won't let you miss.  - and so ... that is how we'll decorate our tree this year. Gradually.


2. Funny thing. Once I have gifts bought for people I love, then is when I can hardly wait for Christmas to  arrive! Last night, after doing some shopping for our girls and with my husband who met me on his way home from work - well - sure enough - that did it!  The Christmas spirit began to burn more brightly within! Now - as long as I can keep it from burning a hole in my pocket we'll be good ;)  Anyhow -  I wonder if that's how God felt - if He could hardly wait for the precise moment - the moment when eternity intersected time and the time was finally right to present the world with the best gift ever?! 


3. Playmaker recently made a book for her boyfriend -  in honor of his 18th birthday. She sent a questionnaire to eighteen people (friends, relatives, past Sunday school teachers, Pastor...). Among the things she asked were  "What is something you admire about "D"? - and If you could go back to when you were 18, what would you do differently? - and What do you know now that you wish you knew then?  She asked for Scripture verses, practical wisdom, spiritual wisdom, etc. ... and for pictures and for memories too.  Not everyone responded  - but - in the end she creatively collected much of what was given to her and some of what she already had and crafted that into a precious gift. One that keeps on giving ... as we just received a response in the mail as late as yesterday ;)


4.  Tonight I'm having friends over for a Christmas Tea, book discussion & ornament exchange. And I've invited some ladies over for Coffee, Crafts & a touch of Christmas tomorrow. I envision it to be much like an old fashioned quilting bee - except I invited them to bring any project they're working on ... knitting, scrapbooking, sewing... whatever. I figure we'll take a break at noon and I asked guests to bring a sack lunch for that. I'm looking so forward to both of these informal times of fellowship, food and fun.


5.  Yesterday I attempted to summarize the ABC's of our 2011 and was surprised how easy it was to do simply by reading my blog in "rewind" mode.  I'm a bit stuck on a few letters - but just a few.  If we follow through with going to Zoolights to end our year long 25th Anniversary celebration, then I'll even have something for the letter "Z"! :) 


6.  Did you know that Matthew's record of the geneology of Jesus includes five women? Tamar - a widow who played the role of a prostitute in order to have children after her husband died, Rahab - a prostitute and a foreigner, Ruth - a widow and a foreigner, Bathsheba who may have been a foreigner was an adulterous (or victim of rape?) at the hands of King David and whose husband David had killed when he learned Bathsheba was pregnant with his child, and Mary - a peasant girl from Nazareth...a place where in John 1:46, Nathaniel asked, when told that Jesus was from Nazarath, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"  - via (my summary).  If you'd like more info/insight on these five women you can either read your Bible - or Francine Rivers has written a fascinating book called A Lineage of Grace.  


7.  Last night Playmaker and her boyfriend went into Boston to see  Peter Pan.  Sounds like she had a fabulous time!  I'm anxious for her to wake up and tell me more about it.  I gather the 360 degree theater was actually a tent near City Hall in Government Center.


Wow - this got pretty long - and there's more I want to share ... it seems perhaps, though not for certain, we've discovered a breakthrough after all these years as to what triggers/may contribute significantly to Playmaker's mysterious, intermittent and sometimes painful symptoms - and there are sermon notes from Sunday that I've been pondering ... but that's gonna have to wait. Strike is getting ready for school and I need to get ready to take her there.  Assuming you're still with me here...well - I'll give you a break from "reading my mind" for now - but - stay tuned for further details :) 

Today

http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

TODAY, 

Outside my window...It's kinda grey/overcast.

I am thankful...for so very much and attempting to convert Thanksgiving into Thanksliving.

In the kitchen...are some fun ingredients that I'm looking forward to including in some tasty treats. 

I am wearing...a sweater, scarf & jeans

I am creating...well...I just created my second quilt. A bit more involved than my first and almost totally different than I originally planned. When I laid it out, I didn't like the pattern I had designed...so - I redesigned it :) 

From the learning rooms...I'm learning more about quilting as I quilt more. This time around  I learned that stripes are tricky and triangles are too!  And I forgot to allow for the sewing margin on the diagonal of the triangles. When you sew two triangles together to make a square, that diagonal sewing margin in addition to the outside edge margin significantly alters the size of the square and ultimately the size of the quilt! It actually all worked out fine as the "final" size was almost as big as a down blanket I recently purchased so I just added a border and then sewed the quilt top right to the blanket. I love the feel .... it's puffy, thick,  a bit crunchy (hmm...there's got to be a better word but I can't find it ...but this is one of the things I like most about this one)  and it's so warm and comfy and I love the medium weight and the different fabric textures. 

I am looking forward to...making yet another quilt. This one for my son for Christmas. I took him to the fabric store with me the other day to pick out materials/colors/patterns that he liked. Not a place most guys would want to go, nor is it something most guys would even want to do with their mom - but he was a good sport about it and I'm so glad I brought him! I would have never come up with this combination of fabrics on my own...but I like them! I really do. And I know he does too.   

I am  wondering..what this next quilt for Spokes is going to look like when it's done considering that the one I just made is nothing like what I originally pictured in my mind and I'm hoping that I can finish it by Christmas.

I am reading... Well - I'm going to read this book with my family around the dinner table beginning this evening. I need to put it on the dinner table so I don't forget. Click the pic for more info:

Around the house...Things are beginning to look rather festive. My husband, Strike & Spokes put up the Christmas lights on our house yesterday. The kids put up the tree. We will keep it with only the lights and the star for a little while before we decorate it. 

I am going... to put up a few more Christmas decorations. 

I am thinking... That Strike is going to get a lot of milage out of these...  

I texted her to let her know I had a little surprise for her when she gets home from school :) 

I am hearing...Playmaker playing the piano. Beautiful. 

I am pondering...Yesterday's sermon. We almost decided to stay home from church yesterday but I'm so glad we didn't. I didn't want the sermon to end. Really interesting. Perhaps more on that later.

I'm also pondering a quote from the movie Playmaker and I finished watching together this morning ... to the effect that when babies enter the world, their fists are clenched tightly because they don't know any better and they want to take everything. But -- when someone dies, their hands are wide open because - when we near the end ... we finally realize that we're not taking anything with us.

One of my favorite things... Heath Bars :)

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from our home to yours. 

Don't forget to thank God 

 for that stack of dirty dishes ;) 

I've posted this before - and will probably post it again. 

Hmmm....perhaps then this is the beginning of a new tradition?! :)  

Thank God for dirty dishes;
They have a tale to tell.
While others may go hungry,
We're eating very well
With home, health, and happiness,
I shouldn't want to fuss;
By the stack of evidence,
God's been very good to us.

Author Unknown

sneak peaks

Just some sneak peaks of quilting projects in various stages of progress at our house. 

Below. Fabric for my next quilt.   Still keeping it simple but this one is destined to be a bit more involved than my first in that I designed my own pattern and will actually be building simple blocks w/ triangles this time around. The blocks will be smaller/5 inches with a total of 120 blocks (10 rows x 12 rows) / 50" x 60". 

Playmaker's quilt is well underway and is ready for the border. 

Strike's gotten some of her squares cut. She has so little time to work on it  but hopefully she'll have some time soon.