A day in the life......

Thursday, June 16, 2016

I am Celiac

I have Celiac Disease.
I am Celiac.
I am mad.
I am sad.
I am fucking mad.
I am soulfully sad.
I am irritated.
I am scared.

I am thankful.
I am supported.
I am loved.
I have an answer.

Monday I was in shock.
Tuesday I was sad.
Today I am hopeful.

So begins a new journey in my life.

The only treatment for Celiac disease is lifelong adherence to a strict gluten-free diet. My life has been forever changed.
The thankfulness I feel comes in that there are many more Gluten-Free food options now than in the past. As well I now have a reason behind the constant fatigue, joint pain and mind fogginess that has plagued me over the last couple of years.

In my researching Celiac I have found that 1 in 100 people have the disease. That's a lot of people! Knowing I am not as alone as I feel is a blessing.

My GI doctor explained the difference between having Celiac (allergy) and being Gluten Intolerant....
Celiac - you cannot eat gluten AT ALL without an allergic reaction with ill affects
Intolerant - you can have a little bit and it won't cause ill affects

Many people have hopped on the Gluten Free bandwagon with amazing results, I just want to point out that for me this was NOT a choice. So if I run into you and you casually say you're Gluten Free by choice and I seem irritated, bear with me - I'm new to this game and am still running on some bitterness.

Gluten is a general name for the proteins found in wheat (durum, emmer, spelt, farina, farro, KAMUT® khorasan wheat and einkorn), rye, barley and triticale. Gluten helps foods maintain their shape, acting as a glue that holds food together. https://celiac.org/live-gluten-free/glutenfreediet/what-is-gluten/

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that can occur in genetically predisposed people where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine. https://celiac.org/celiac-disease/what-is-celiac-disease/

Thursday, January 7, 2016

New Year - New Intention

I absolutely refuse to call it a "resolution", that word has such a negative connotation to it. If you don't complete it you've failed, if you marginally complete it you've failed, so unless you actually complete it/reach it you have failed! An intention is flexible, it's alive, it can more easily morph as the year goes along.

My New Year Intention is to increase my Curvy Yoga practice. I started last July 1 with a private class (with 3 friends) every Wednesday and I absolutely love it. Our class has grown to 4-8 people on a given Wednesday and even added a Sunday class for awhile.

I bought the Curvy Yoga DVD's but have yet to crack them open. What am I afraid of? I admit it is difficult to find a quiet place with a dvd player to do my practice, but I really need to make it a priority. I feel more content, more peaceful, more loving and forgiving of myself when I practice and I can only see those feelings growing the more I practice.

Some people tout yoga and brag at how great they are at it - to me those people are not true "Yogi's" they are only doing it to prove to others how good they are.

Our instructor, Heather, is amazing. It's all about modifying yoga poses to fit your body type - the boobs and the belly - getting them out of the way to accomplish a pose. It's all about what body you bring to the mat each time, and believe me each time it's a different one (amazingly)!

I am stronger and more patient......because I practice yoga!

Friday, May 29, 2015

Reality Television - friend or foe?

Unless you've been living under a rock for the last week, I'm sure you've heard of the child molestation story regarding Josh Duggar - one of the "19 kids and counting" star.

This family publicly touts family morals, christian values and has lobbied for businesses to be allowed to discriminate against patrons based on sexual orientation. Basically they would have us go back in time and progress.

***statement from Josh Duggar***

"Twelve years ago, as a young teenager I acted inexcusably for which I am extremely sorry and deeply regret. I hurt others, including my family and close friends," Josh Duggar said in a post on Facebook.

"I confessed this to my parents who took several steps to help me address the situation. We spoke with the authorities where I confessed my wrongdoing and my parents arranged for me and those affected by my actions to receive counseling."

***statement from the parents***

Josh Duggar's parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, who are named in the police report, also spoke out Thursday.

"Back 12 years ago our family went through one of the most difficult times of our lives. When Josh was a young teenager, he made some very bad mistakes and we were shocked. We had tried to teach him right from wrong," they said on Facebook.

I'm sorry, did you say Josh made some very bad "mistakes"....that's what you call forcibly fondling several minor females, including his own sisters? some are calling it nothing more than curiosity but I call BS on that! A mistake is sending a text to your mom instead of your boyfriend, or grabbing your child's lunch instead of your own as you run out the door in the morning. Forcibly fondling more than one child on more than one occasion is not a mistake it's horrific!

I have never really watched the show and when I did see an episode I thought "I wonder what skeletons they have in their closet".....now we know.

taken from: http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/21/us/josh-duggar-child-molestation-allegations/

the sad state of affairs in our world

A couple, in a faithful, loving relationship for 50 years - sounds like something to aspire to. Sadly they had to spend the last 15 years as father & adopted son just so they would have similar rights as a married couple (visitation in medical emergencies).

When I first saw the title of this new article "father and son dissolve adoption to get married" I was horrified - WHAT? But along the lines of things are never what they seem, this wasn't either.

I know many man/woman marriages that have ended in divorce, some rather bitter and hateful. I know many same sex relationships that are healthy, loving and long lasting. Who are we to tell someone who they can/should fall in love with? You don't choose who you fall in love with, it just happens!

Wise up America and realize that there are more important issues to argue about (the state of our failing education system, children who's only meal in a day is the school lunch, homelessness, gang and police violence).

http://www.aol.com/article/2015/05/29/father-and-son-dissolve-adoption-in-order-to-get-married/21188714/?icid=maing-grid7|main5|dl6|sec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D204006261

Monday, May 25, 2015

Worry

Stop worrying and concerning yourself about what others are doing and start focusing on what YOU are doing. If more people did this I am convinced our world would be one of peace, respect and caring instead of hate and judgement.

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Decision Time

It's been month's since my last post - and most of my posting's have been tame and boring. Maybe I'm just cranky, maybe I just don't care, but that stops NOW. Let's be honest - most of us avoid confrontation, most of us avoid speaking our minds for fear of being seen as rude or bitchy. That too stops NOW.

Here goes............................

The state of our education system is appalling! Every parent, teacher, student, grandparent, human being should be horrified of what we are teaching our kids (or more importantly what we are NOT teaching them). This is the future of our country, where we go from here, how prosperous we are, how technologically advanced we are, how safe we are will be in the hands of our children before we know it.

We (parents & schools) are not teaching our children

respect
common courtesy
giving
caring
honesty

We (parents & schools) are teaching our children

don't worry if you fail, you get a re-do
you have no money? no problem - just borrow it, then claim bankruptcy and you'll never have to pay it back
if you want something someone else has, just take it
don't give money to panhandlers - they could get a job if they really wanted to

I have two children in the public education system - one is a Junior in High School and one is an 8th grader in middle school.

Until the schools STOP teaching to the test and start educating our youth - and until the government STARTS investing in our future it all looks very very bleak from where I am standing.

A long time ago I learned that when you discuss a problem you should have some idea for a solution. My idea (call it revolutionary)

GET RID OF ALL STANDARDIZED TESTS (I know, just bare with me)
GET RID OF ALL BAD TEACHERS (you know who you are)
Classes are taught & graded on homework, tests and classwork - if you fail the class you have to retake it.
After elementary school - the model should be

if you pass the class you move on, if not you retake it
you need X number of credits to graduate from high school
once you reach X number of credits you graduate (PARTY)

Make Middle and High School resemble college - no more retaking test if you fail them, no more getting 50% credit on homework even if you didn't turn it in!

Now I have no illusions that this "plan" would in any form ever be implemented, there are too many people with the mindset "we've always done it this way" - which proves that educators are out of touch with the business that their students will soon be entering.