Thoughts on food

Or at least I will be finished as of Thursday.   Not only did I do the Whole30 but I cut out all the foods for the autoimmune protocal as well.   In addition to no grains, no legumes, no dairy, no sugar, no alcohol, I also eliminated all seeds, all night shades, and eggs.  I even gave up coffee - I don't drink a lot of coffee but I was very attached to my two cups each morning. 

Why?

Pain.

I had done really well with a gluten-free diet for over a year.   I think I had one donut during our summer vacation on Cape Cod.  But this past Christmas I indulged in a bagel and just wasn't feeling well.  Then I developed a tendonitis in my left arm - too much knitting?  too much floor scrubbing getting ready for the holidays?  I don't know but the pain and ache were sticking around.  I bought the book It Starts with Food and little bells started going off in my head.   I had already gone gluten-free to help with hypothryoidism - which did help - I lost over 20 pounds.  But it made sense to me to see if there were other foods that might be triggers and I  was still struggling with energy issues. 

One of the interesting things about the autoimmune protocol is that it is recommended to not take any NSAID's - guess what I was taking for my elbow?  A NSAID.  It wasn't helping much so I stopped taking it.  I would say that by day 10 of the Whole30, the elbow pain was very much reduced and while I still feel I need to be careful to not to do too much - I don't feel limited - I can knit without pain, pick up a tea kettle, take the laundry out of the washer without feeling that immediate OUCH!  

I've noticed other little things too.  I was out with the boys exploring the stream near our home and I felt much more sure in my footing.  I had jumped across a small section and realized - WOW - a month ago I don't know that I would have dared.

It's been worth the trouble and I am very excited to start adding foods back in this Friday!   I am going to try yogurt - a smoothie in the morning and then a carrot soup on Friday.  Exciting stuff.

On Candlemas Day

Last year, 2012, did not see many posts here.  Right now when I think 2012, the one word that comes to mind is tears, lots and lots of tears.  When the new year rolled around I couldn't come up with any  resolutions except to maybe not cry so much this year.   And I've already broken it.   Sigh.

This morning, on one of my favorite days of the year, I happened to be thumbing through a book that I haven't looked at in years and found a sweet little legend -

A Tear Moves His Heart

There is a legend of the Blessed Mother and her Divine Infant, seated under a portico, the Infant sleeping in Blessed Virgin's arms.  A group of pleasure-seeking young people passed by; but the sleeping Infant did not hear them. A procession of newly-weds approached with festive noise and still the Infant did not seem to hear them.

Then the thought came to the Blessed Virgin of Simeon's prophecy in the Temple, that a sword would pierce her heart.  A tear appeared on her cheek and the Infant started out of sleep and opened His eyes.

'What has alarmed You, my Child?'asked the Mother as she bent to caress Him.

'Mother,' replied the Infant, I heard something like a thump in My heart that awakened Me.

In the midst of the world's tumult, the silent tears of mothers of families still move the tender Heart of the Son of God."
- From "Family Life -Catholic Facts, Sayings, and Stories" by Fr. Anselm J. Viano *

And just look at that picture above - my cyclamen bloomed this morning!!  One of these years I really want to force some snowdrops but I am tickled PINK that my cyclamen bloomed again. You see, you have to understand something - for years I have purchased two cyclamens in support of my daughter's youth orchestra.  I bring them home after the concert which is held the first weekend in December and slowly watch them die throughout Advent.  By Christmas they are generally rather pathetic looking and moved to outside the back door before any company comes.   But this year our local paper ran an article on their care and some of the tips really helped.

I removed the foil wrapper and put the pot on top of a layer of shells in a clay saucer.  I filled the saucer with water and whenever it went dry I refilled it.  The shells keep the pot out of the water but the evaporating water helps the plant get the moisture it needs.  I also moved the plants to a cooler room in the house (not hard in our little drafty house and they were much happier in a window that got morning sun.  In the past they did not like being in a sometimes steamy, sometimes freezing bathroom or in the same room with the wood stove. 

 I am just giddy!

We've removed the Chritmas greens - as we always do this day -

Down with the rosemary, and so
Down with the bays and misletoe;
Down with the holly, ivy, all
Wherewith ye dress'd the Christmas hall;
That so the superstitious find
No one least branch there left behind;
For look, how many leaves there be
Neglected there, maids, trust to me,
So many goblins you shall see.

Robert Herrick - other versions here.

 

Here's a couple of pictures of the boys from our very happy Christmas this year -

 

 

 



 

*This book is a reprint from a past era, and while there are lovely little gems to be found like the above story, there are also sentiments that are better left in the past!

 

Lent

Ash Wednesday is nearly always a day I give my little corner table a serious cleaning.  After the Christmas season there are always those few straggling pine needles and drips of wax.   There is something refreshing about stripping everything away and starting from scratch.  The dark background cloth of Advent is replaced with blue, the burlap is shaken out  and a few purple silks are added.  

Stones and rounds of birch bark are are put in place next.  This year I also added a birds nest - we never remove birds nests from bushes or trees but we do sometimes come across them fallen in the yard or on our road.  A single candle and an angel - even Jesus was ministered to by an angel in the desert.

The bird's nest is especially for me, a reminder to myself that I do know what I am called to do.  

The twigs and fluff and leaves of the bird's nest are brought from all sorts of places, from wherever the brave careful mother alights, with the fluttering but daring heart, to fetch them, from the distances and explorations that only the spread wings of love know. 
- Caryll Houselander "The Reed of God"

And after a walk, a bit green is brought in as a final touch.



I think I managed the cute yarn along button and started a new project!

Can I tell you a secret?   I have long harbored this fear of both knitting instructions and circular needles.  I would open a book of knitting patterns, look at all those seemingly strange nonsensical  symbols, shudder a bit, and close the book.  If still wanted to knit I would go back to knitting some variation of a square.

Circular needles hearken back to memories of my grandmother knitting.  My mind could grasp the idea of two needles but a circle?  Huh?  That is until I found this -



Can you imagine how silly I feel now that I know how easy it is to get started?   I ventured up into the attic to retrieve a very old red paisley zippered bag that my mother had given me several years ago.  She was cleaning out my grandmother's closet and thought I might find something in there of use.  Honestly, I did open it, but when one look at those strange contents brought on a shudder I zipped it back up and put the whole bag in the attic.  Because that is what I do - I put things I might need in the attic, you know, for later...when I need them.  My attic is scary.  It is instances like these that reinforce my habit of squirreling things away.....after all....look what I found when by some miracle I actually located the red paisley bag....

Metal needles are not my preference, eventually I may start to update these needles with bamboo - but I was so happy to have all I needed to get started.

I found Men in Knits at the library and was pleasantly surprised to find each of patterns sized for boys too.  Here I have in the works what will be a Hyland Argyle Vest.  I am very excited, I will accomplish 3 knitting goals if I manage this - a boys vest, something with a pattern, and knitting with circular needles!  Added bonus - I am getting over my fear of knitting instructions.

As far as reading goes, I'll share an impulse buy for my amazon kindle - Living with Contradiction by Esther de Waal, I've only just started it but can I share this little bit....

"When a novice enters the monastic community and lays the vows on the altar, the prayer is always 
Susicpe me, accept me, O Lord.  These are wonderful words that I too can come back to, time and again, as a prayer for myself: accept me, O Lord, just as I am, in my frailty, my inadequacy, my contradictions, my confusion.  Accept me in my complexity, with all those discordant currents that pull me in so many directions.  Accept all of this, and help me so to live with what I am that what I am may become my way to God."

Drinking a lot of tea!

I finally succumbed to the bug that has visited all the children.  They bounce back from these more quickly than I do.  I have felt like a wet dish rag pretty much for a week now.   Drinking a lot of tea because one does not feel well is not quite the same as "taking tea" in the afternoon, but certainly a comfort nonetheless.   Today's tea was Stash's White Christmas, a gift from my mother-in-law.  This tea has become one of my favorites - along with Stash's Ginger Breakfast Black tea.  

Now I am in recovery mode and the list of things-to-do has grown exponentially each day I was not up and around.  I did finally pack up my "Advent Box".  One year I finally realized that there were certain things I needed even before the start of Advent.  I put together a box that I can take down with essentials to get a good start on the Advent season.  Interestingly, the Advent things always seem to get packed away well after most of the Christmas decorations are put away.  I had a lot of help from Gandolf, our fluffy addition from last Christmas.  Do you have any idea how difficult it is to have Santa deliver a cat?  But he did and we have loved having him for the past year.

My packing session went something like this....put out box....remove cat from box...pack a few things......remove cat from box....pack a few things....remove cat from box...you get the picture.

Anyway, the Advent box has a few books that help me plan for Advent and Christmas and any books that are specifically for Advent or the feast days that fall in Advent - such as St. Nicholas Day and St. Lucy's Day.   Before I closed the box all up I took a few pictures of my "new" Christmas book.  I am in love with the illustrations and colors.  It is an ex -library copy of The Christmas Anna Angel by Ruth Sawyer and Kate Seredy (a wonderful combination of talents!).  I had never heard of this book before but I was looking for more titles by Ruth Sawyer and took a chance on this one.  I am so glad I did!

The story is perfect for Advent with a visit from St. Nicholas...

And a description of their rousting of the chickens on St. Lucy day to ensure a supply of eggs through the winter.

The book focuses on Anna and her desire for Christmas cakes at time when any surplus wheat has gone to the soldiers and the war effort.  A wonderful addition to my Christmas book collection.  Also in the box are the candle holders for our Advent wreath and all the things I need to set up our Advent Garden (minus the greens of course).  Mother Mary and the Infant are wrapped in tissue paper along with some very pretty geodes that I bought so long ago at a Christmas fair at the Fellowship Community in Chestnut Ridge. 

What else is in there - our Advent calendar, many more books, ornaments for the years I do a Jesse tree and this little guy who acts as our family version of the Elf on a Shelf.

Until next year.....

And now my cup of tea is empty.    A simple Beet Soup is on the stove for dinner this evening...the boys will be thrilled, well Aidan does really like beets, Christian not so much.  But there hasn't been much shopping happening and I have an ever growing supply winter beets from our CSG....beet soup it is.  It is a recipe that is found in Nourishing Traditions - I usually make this at least once for our soup suppers during Lent at Church - it always gets rave reviews.  I don't usually have chives, so I just skip it, but I do season with salt and sometimes a bit of ground ginger. 

6 medium beets

4 tbl. butter

1 quart water

sea salt

Peel beets, chop coarsely and saute very gently in butter for about 1/2 hour until tender.  Add water, bring a boil and skim.  Simmer about 15 minutes.  Puree with a handheld blender and season to taste. 

That's it.  Just the thing for a mom on the mend.



And I won't forget to visit Dawn at By Sun and Candlelight.  Her delightful kitties haven't been feeling well, I hope they are on the mend.

Yarn along

I did it! I finished something - I have a winter hat just in time for more cold temperatures.

Not the greatest picture.  But it does have a little something new to me - there are decorative rows of seed stitches in the blue.  A new stitch!  And it wasn't even on my list of knitting goals.  It does have a seam since I used straight needles but I just put it on with the seam to the back.  Perhaps by the time I do my next hat I will have braved those circular needles.

Oh - and about that list of knitting goals - I shared it with my 15 year-old daughter and she said "What?  You mean you want to make all these things before you die?"  Sheesh - so maybe a year is unrealistic but goodness I hope I have enough years in me to get my list done and more!

Now I have to decide what I will do next.....hmmm.  I did buy a small set of cable needles - anyone know of any good videos that show the cable stitch?  My grandmother knitted cables; it is times like these that I miss her.  I remember when I asked her who taught her how to knit she said to me,  "What do you mean who taught me?  I got a book out of the library and followed the directions."   Easy, right? 

Somehow after the Christmas break, the boys and I got out of our habit of a read-aloud together.  We had started Coot Club by Arthur Ransome quite a while ago but for whatever reason it got put aside.  We've found where we left off and are happy to join Dorthea and Dick as they learn how to sail!

Now I'll go check all the other goodies at the Yarn Along with Ginny.  She has a new button.   Which will take me longer, installing the button or learning the cable stitch?





Yarn Along

So nice to put yarn on a new pair of needles.  This year I am determined to set some knitting goals for 2012! 

I am starting with a hat for myself but this year but I would like to break new ground - so in no particular order -

Knitting goals 2012!

Some kind of patterned something - I am eyeing the mittens in the book, Folk Mittens, you see above that I just borrowed from the library - might be a little too scary for my next project though, we'll see.

Knit a vest - a simple boy's vest (maybe two, I do have two boys).

Learn to use circular needles.

Knit a shrug for my teen girls (there are two of them too!)

Some kind of shawl for me.

Attempt to learn a cable stitch. 

And if I really get brave - a sweater for hubby. 

Ambitious?  Doable? At this point I have no idea but it's always good to have a plan, right?

As far as reading goes, I am enjoying my new Kindle Fire, I feel so *current*, you know up-to-date.  I NEVER feel like that.  It's weird.  But on my Kindle I am reading "The Man Who Was Thursday, a nightmare" by G.K. Chesterton.  So far so good.  I am still learning the ins and outs of downloading things but I really like it so far.  I can also sit, all warm and cozy with a cup of tea and read my favorite blogs - like the Yarn Along at Small Things with Ginny!