Humble Mumblings

Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T22:17:00.001+02:00

Everyone has special traditions that they share with their family and friends each year. For some it's special mash potatoes, sugary candied yams or a certain pie. For others it's 'watching' football games after dinner, which is really code for falling into a serotinin induced siesta until it's time for coffee and desert. Being a wellness challenged family, we lost many of our food traditions

Happy Birthday Humble

2011-11-16T13:30:00.000+02:00

Today marks the three year anniversary of my inaugural blog post, and start of my humble mumblings. Three years ago today, I stretched my little naked toes, towards the vast murky waters of the blog-net and dunked them in. Three years. Forty two post. Twenty comments. Seriously? That's kind of lame, but hey. I'm still here, and I'm still humble, and thats not bad for the blogging world. As

Soul Soothing

2011-11-10T11:34:00.001+02:00

After dropping KC at day care this morning I took a walk with my dog. There are trails that lead off in numerous directions near our home. This morning, my soul feeling a bit unsettled, led me to the gravel path that leads to water. The promenade stretches in one direction winding along the shore. In the other direction trails lead off into the woods for an all together, different experience

Gluten Free in Sweden: The Saga begins

2011-11-09T00:36:00.000+02:00

Today marks the one year anniversary of Finance Guy starting his job with his current company. It doesn't seem like much of an anniversary, but prior to this he was stuck in a job that didn't challenge him, or use any of his leadership skills. So a year ago, when the opportunity presented itself, it didn't take much persuasion for him to embrace a change. The job came with the possibility of a

Blog Imitates Life

2011-10-25T17:06:00.001+03:00

So last week, with my new found, albeit limited time, I turned to the blogging world to catch up on posts and reads. My current Googling for resources in the UK, and Sweden seems to have broaden the search engines definition of what might interest me, and brought a whole new continent of blogs to explore. I also visited the gluten free blogger realm in the US and found a multitude of new,

30 Minutes

2011-10-12T15:10:00.000+03:00

This fine morning in Sweden (Day 90), finds me in a quiet home. The only sounds are a dog barking outside in the distance, the hum of our power adaptors (to prevent our American electronics from frying), and my fingers tap dancing across my keyboard. Sigh. Breathe. Exhale. It's been many weeks since I have spent any part of a morning in the company of silence. KC had her first day at Swedish

Reflections on 9/11

2011-09-12T01:11:00.003+03:00

Earlier this week in Sweden I was caught of guard while listening to Swedish Public Radio. They were doing a story about 9/11. In between the Swedish news reporters dialogue, they inserted audio clips of American's recorded on that day 10 years ago. After a brief moment of disbelief, I checked the calendar it was only the 7th. I listened mesmerized to the words in Swedish that I couldn't

A Post

2011-09-06T14:52:00.000+03:00

Before I left the states, a friend of mine said that no matter what, I had to keep blogging, 'Your going to be overwhelmed and exhausted, but write and post it even if it isn't good!' So here is what is more like a journal entry to myself to capture life in a random moment. Because what is life if not a string of random moments. ~K Week Eight in Sweden. I am sitting at an outdoor cafe across

STUFF!

2011-08-19T10:26:00.001+03:00

Sweden Day 35 For the last month we have been living in our Swedish dream house, with beds, a set of dishes and silverware, two pots, one pan, glasses, a coffee table we bought from Ikea. We added to this three fatboy bean bags for the girls, oh and the dog's crate. Let's not forget the dog crate. Our air shipment that arrived 3 1/2 weeks ago brought our bikes and Finance Guy's work clothes, (

Homesick

2011-07-28T23:41:00.000+03:00

Sweden Day 13: Homesick I am sitting on the deck in the yard of my Swedish dream house. The sun is about half way through it's 3 hour decent and the sky is filling with shades of pinks, lavenders and orange that if combined anywhere else would be gaudy. When the breeze blows one way, the faint smell of fresh and fermenting apples fills my nose, from the other the perfume sweetness of the

Change

2011-06-18T20:06:00.008+03:00

I am woman who loves freedom, adventure, and a challenge. My daily life, does not always reflect this. The roles of wife and mother have circumvented many of these desires to a well, 'sigh' maybe someday. Since going gluten free I have resigned myself to less risk taking, since risks in generally usually put my family at risk for getting sick. I have been totally ok with this.....except for

Dance

2011-05-22T16:48:00.000+03:00

I am a 'Dance Mom'. All three of my daughter's dance at the studio around the corner from my house. Five different classes three days a week. I am dropping someone off for, ballet, jazz, or modern. 'Dance Mom’ doesn't quite hold the same, testosterone rich, gun slinging, busted teeth and bruised, imagery as Sarah Palin’s, 'Hockey Mom', but it as superficial titles go...

Heroes

2011-03-28T18:17:00.000+03:00

Last week Beanie was Celebrity Student of the Week in her third grade class. On different days she brought in and shared, her stats, pictures of herself, her favorite book, her star talent, and a letter from me, about her. I knew from the first week of school I had to write it, and I have been dreading it. Do I include celiac disease and the challenges she's faced? If

Tripping 'round the sun

2011-02-20T07:48:00.004+02:00

Today I have completed my 43rd trip around the sun. I suppose some might cringe at my unabashed declaration of my age, but I must admit that statement isn't making me blush one bit. On the contrary, I am feeling rather proud of my accomplishment. Tuesday, I received a wonderful astrological validation, via a phone app, in the form of my daily horoscope. It was as follows: "Pat yourself on the

2010-12-04T21:50:00.000+02:00

There is something I have been dancing around in my writing for quite some time. If I file through pages of rough drafts, and online docs, there is one area that is conspicuously absent or attempted....and abandoned in my mumblings. At times, I have tapped its shoulder and nodded a curtsy, but quickly retreat from the topic before it could waltz too far onto the page. Two years of writing, and I

Camp Celiac Part II or The Grinch

2010-10-01T17:08:00.038+03:00

Before I dive into the fall happenings, I would like to take some time to conclude, albeit almost two months later, our Camp Celiac saga. Camp, as difficult as it was for me to prepare for, was, in my humble opinion, nothing less then triumphant. I am also pleased to report that my anxiety did not get the best of me, although it did turn me into a bit of a Grinch for a couple weeks of the Summer.

Camp Celiac....or, Dark Confessions of a Celiac Mom

2010-08-02T06:32:00.012+03:00

Four days and counting. Four days and counting, till I drop two of my celiacs off at Camp Celiac. Four days and counting, till I entrust my children's health to the hands of strangers. Four days, till I relinquish control of the care and feeding of two of my girls, for 5 days. That's 15 meals, and 15 snacks. I know this, not just because I can do basic math, but also because I have been staring

My Ramblings Return

2010-07-12T19:33:00.012+03:00

So I am a little embarrassed at how long it has been since I have posted, six months.... OUCH! Can that even be possible? For 3 of those months I was diligently writing and submitting my essays to the writing class that I was taking. However more recently....mmm....not so much.May and June were a whirlwind of culmination of children's school years, and July has been a pick up game of catch up.

Plunge

2010-01-12T22:34:00.001+02:00

After my last post about fuel, I took some time to evaluate my life. With the start of a New Year and approaching of my birthday, it seemed timely. One thing that struck me is that the circumstances of my life, have left me with very little opportunities to fuel myself. With five years behind me, of managing my families wellness challenges, and daily needs, there has been little time for me. Even

Fuel

2009-11-23T23:18:00.003+02:00

I have had my butt kicked by a toddler last week. How can something so small and sweet be so frighteningly fierce? Mindfulness and intention fell far to the wayside as I dealt with incident after independent adventure. Some of the highlights were the sugar bowl of demerra, and tea incident with collateral damage reaching past the onesie to the counter, floor, chair she was standing on, cabinets

Gestalt

2009-11-11T06:17:00.002+02:00

When I was in graduate school, I took a class on Gestalt Psychotherapy.Gestalt Psychotherapy focuses on individuals experience at the present moment and stresses moving from the mind, (thoughts and reason) to become more aware of the physical experiences of the here and now, to a more holistic state of being ( this is an oversimplification to be sure). It takes its inspiration from Zen Buddhism,

Osmosis

2009-10-19T00:06:00.009+03:00

This week’s acupuncture treatment was not too taxing. The intensity of the clearing out has quieted down and a focus on more subtle energy flows has begun. Before we could proceed further in treatment Dr. Bob needed to make sure the energy flows on the left and right sides of my body were equal and that there existed a healthy give and take between them. This makes me think of Mr. Grabowski, my

Needling My Self

2009-10-12T06:17:00.002+03:00

So I am four weeks into my acupuncture treatments, and search for self. It has been very interesting so far. I will give a brief recap of my experience thus far. I don’t have a deep working knowledge about the principles of acupuncture, so my description is based very much on my experiences so far, definitely anecdotal.The primary principle is that there is a flow of energy, called chi, that

Summer Surrender

2009-08-10T20:09:00.005+03:00

I realized this morning while my older daughters were at swim lessons that I have been fighting summer. I had the best intentions, with the help of my babysitter extraordinaire, to throw myself into writing and research while my children enjoyed the downtime of summer. However with the summer almost at an end all I have to show for my intentions is 1 post and 8 (potentially brilliant) unfinished

Pachyderm Poop

2009-07-13T04:58:00.014+03:00

Grief sucks. It is a constant pull on thoughts ,moods, and relationships. Like the elephant in the room that is sitting squarely on your chest. It presents a number of challenges, not to mention a whole lot of emotional dung piles to avoid. If there is a limit to the number of times the people I love will forgive me for my irrational, angry, outbursts, I am probably approaching it. Luckily, I

Winds of Change

2009-06-22T21:01:00.013+03:00

It is the first week of Summer at our house and there have been some unsettling winds blowing through my family. My cute little baby, so soft and gentle, has transformed into a sticky fingered little menace I have dubbed Todzilla. No corner of Tokyo (or Surely Manor), is secure from her well meaning curiosity. Yes she is still cute and funny but, like her namesake (Godzilla) she leaves a trail of

Finding Fun

2009-06-08T21:26:00.008+03:00

I used to be cool....and fun. Most of my friends wouldn't remember this long ago land of me...but it did exist. My cool seems to have evaporated sometime around the second child and the mini van. The little bits of cool that I managed to hang onto... Italian coffees at the french pastry shop, artisan breads, Chinese takeout, pizza and beer, were then mercilessly extracted when our family was

Difficult

2009-05-14T21:13:00.008+03:00

I have been having some trouble writing.The last 4 weeks have been difficult. It started with a call from the hospice 1000 miles away, saying that my Father was "preterminal" and has ended with grief. I had planned to write all about my experience, at the hospice inpatient unit, saying goodbye, helping my grieving mother....and I have tried.I have really tried. It is just too difficult.However

Easter

2009-04-13T05:22:00.023+03:00

Author's note: Faith is a topic that is very close to my heart, but that I rarely discuss with others. I am not a religious person, but have a strong belief in God. If talk of God offends you, you may want to skip this entry, or insert another name for God like, higher power, or the universe. I'm never really sure where this blog will lead me and I didn't see this entry coming, but would like to

Buoyancy

2009-04-11T05:41:00.000+03:00

When I was a kid, my Dad would take me and my two older brothers fishing almost every weekend during bass season. We lived up the road a ways, from one of the reservoirs that feeds New York City's water supply. It had great bass fishing, because when New York City decided to create it's reservoir system late in the 19th century, it chose the spot where my town was originally located. It is a

The Professional

2009-03-09T16:44:00.000+02:00

Shhhhh......she's here...the professional....the cleaner. She is upstairs right now, like some mythical creature having her way with my vacuum. The vacuum that I adore. The incredibly overpriced prone to breaking German engineered darling that I love. It was the indulgence that I allowed myself after the kitchen renovation. I convinced myself when my old canister gave out that I needed this

The Fall

2009-03-06T04:16:00.000+02:00

The laundry, clean and dirty alike, are in piles in almost every room of the house. The dust bunnies have taken over the areas not occupied by the laundry, and are beginning to make demands. The combination of cold weather and nearly five weeks of being stuck in the house with sick children, has pushed me to my critical mass. However when this woman reaches her critical mass it is not related to

National Foundation for Celiac Awareness- Monday Meet-up

2009-02-25T20:38:00.000+02:00

I am half Italian. My Mother was born in Italy. I feel that it is important for you to know before you read on because this ancestry predisposes me to a couple traits relevant to this post. First predisposition; Celiac Disease. Second; a love of food. Not just any food, but GOOD food. Another important aspect of growing up Italian, that should be known, is that Italian women of my Mother's

Celiacs: A People OBSESSED with Food

2009-02-19T06:21:00.000+02:00

I have spent that last, hour or so, surfing the web visiting other GF blogs. It actually all started because one of my favorite blogs was giving something away... a book. I thought, "I want to win something," and because tomorrow is my birthday and I am on day 17 of having at least one sick child home, and day 4 of me being sick, I am feeling that the universe could possibly owe me a little

The Brand Imaging of Chronic Illness

2009-02-11T21:52:00.002+02:00

Well I think I have come up with a plan to address my Facebook Conundrum (see previous post), I need to recreate the brand image of Chronic Illness. Now I am no marketing whiz, but it seems to me, that this is very similar to psychology, and that I do know. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)to be more accurate. Never heard of it? Well here it is, as described by Wikipedia," In cognitive

The Facebook Conundrum

2009-02-11T00:10:00.000+02:00

Since I last posted, I have been persuaded by Finance Guy to join Facebook. This is not something I was inclined to do by nature, but he assured me that it was a great way to keep in contact with our family that live in various parts of the country. After a year of resisting, I succumb, and in a melancholy moment of missing family....signed on.It is all that I feared it would be and more, but

Snow Day! Snow Day!

2009-01-28T22:30:00.000+02:00

I Love Snow Days!They are like playing hookie and stealing another day of childhood all wrapped up in one. Going out and getting snowy and wet, and everything is transformed into something....magical. Like this; Red Chokeberries Surely Manor Dog

Statistics and Parenting a Chronic Illness

2009-01-21T04:49:00.000+02:00

So I happily opened my email from the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness yesterday to peruse the current scuttlebutt in the celiac community. I used to volunteer for them before baby KC was born and think very highly of the organization.Anywho....as I scroll down the page and in the "Celiac in the News" section I see,Celiac Disease in Sibling Ups Risk of Non-Hodgkin's LymphomaKeep scrolling

Little Brown Pill Theory

2009-01-16T21:53:00.001+02:00

Well I have just returned from my below freezing poopie patrol of the yard. In our lovely 18 degree weather it was quite invigorating. It was also quite lovely to collect frozen poodle pucks as opposed to the warmer looser variety. Our wonderful canine is recently recovering from 4-6 months of chronic diarrhea. Yup, even my dog has gastro-intestinal issues. After many test and exams, I managed to

Another Year

2009-01-04T00:58:00.000+02:00

So here we are. Another year....(my Dad's last on this planet in his current form.) New Years eve sucked. Mostly because we had left Florida early that morning and we were too tired and emotionally drained to get together with any of our friends. So instead we flipped between Carson Daily and Brian Seacrest. Don't know if I spelled their names right, don't really care. It wasn't bad at first, but

Change of Plans

2008-12-21T18:22:00.000+02:00

We were planning a quiet Christmas at home this year. My family is in Florida and Finance Guy's is spread all over the southeast. So if we don't travel it is usually pretty quiet for us. However this past week, 4 years after his initial diagnosis of liver cancer, my father entered Hospice. Three days later we booked our flights to get the five of us down to Florida to spend Christmas with my

Not a Good Week

2008-11-25T21:15:00.000+02:00

In hindsight, this was probably not a good week to start a new project....my blog.The week started out harmless enough, baby KC had a little virus so she had a few nights and days with disrupted sleep patterns. I think that was the catalyst for the downward spiral that was to follow. Lets rewind 6 days and what the tragedy unfold.....ACT I: In which the sleep deprived heroine says YES when she

My Witchhazel is Flowering

2008-11-18T21:15:00.000+02:00

Oh joy, oh rapture, my native witch hazel (virginiana hamamelis.) is flowering! I thought she had abandoned me because I had not seen her flower in the last few seasons. I kept an eye on her last year, but it is possible I missed it..... seeing as I had a newborn baby and a kitchen renovation happening at the same time, but that was an adventure for another posting.But she has not forsaken me!!!!

A Place to Start?

2008-11-16T10:30:00.000+02:00

This is it. This is only going to happen once. I can never go back once I press the button. My blogging innocence will be gone forever. Will my reputation be tarnished? The anxiety has been keeping me up at night. Everybody is doing it. No one will judge me, (yeah I don't believe that either.) But what is a life without risk? A slow death that's what! Don't you think so?Still...this is a huge