Check-In September 2008

[aklap]

Labor Day...

A day of doing little as possible, except grilling.. While we grill year 'round in the Al-n-Peg house, the grilling season is starting to wind down here in the northern latitudes. Burgers and Brats are on the slate for today!

While this song is not really about "end of summer", the opening lines sets the overall tone and always make me associate it with this time of year.

[kb9oyo]

August was a loonngg month! Jim found a job that started at the end of May, but he had been unemployed for over a year. The house was in foreclosure and we rushed to the mortgage company with the news of the new, good paying job. They took their time in getting back to us after we sent them all of the information that they had requested. Their first answer was to request $30,000 to re-instate the mortgage. Obviously, we told them that if we had that much cash available, we would have continued to pay them for the last year. We thought that with a great deal of effort, we might be able to come up with about $10,000 and to restart paying the mortgage. It took them until the middle of August to get back to us with some figures that might actually work for us. In the mean time, our house appeared on the foreclosure sale list several times with it being withdrawn at the last possible minute. It was very scary, to say the least. We have managed to pay them what they wanted up front and think that we can come up with the new amounts (they raised the mortgage payment almost $1000 per month and the mortgage rate about 2%) each month, but it will continue to be a struggle.

I have finally admitted defeat and applied for Social Security since I am over 62 but not yet 66 or whatever they have raised it to for us who were born in 1945. The extra bit of income should help at least a little. My husband's new job takes him back on the road each week traveling to whatever college needs new software from Oracle. I miss him, but our granddaughter who lives upstairs **really** misses her "Gampa". She is about to burst into tears again because he has to fly out again to Denver this afternoon.

I am hoping that we are about to see the light at the end of the tunnel to end our financial difficulties.

Sue B
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Sue Beyer

[luvscowznh]

My DH and I are settling into being parents. It wouldn't be so hard if there were more sleep involved. My recovering from a C-section isn't really helping. Hopefully our little guy will start sleeping more at night in the next few months. We should also know by the end of the week early next week if he's going to be colicky or not.

Hopefully I will be able to post and read more as the month goes on.

--Manda
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[soutram]

Hi,
Here in Montreal things are getting back to a regular schedule for me after being off for the summer. As I've mentioned I teach High School, and this year my core class (middle school, I teach my students more than one subject, therefore I see them everyday at least once) is going to be a difficult one. I'm happy to get back into routine and be with the kids everyday, but I am not looking forward to the work load that comes with it.
I am a little stir crazy from being home all the time too. I got so sick this summer after being poisoned on my vacation to Calgary, that I had to stay home for weeks to get myself back to feeling human again.
I was so happy to get the results from Enterolab, it has really helped me come to terms with the fact that I "knew" what my body was telling me, but I needed to hear that it was real, and really happening.
My dearest mother in law has started to be more understanding since I emailed her my results (which proved her theory of it's all in my head, wrong).
I am worried about going back to school a little bit with my laziness at times to make lunch. I am starting out well, but I really hope I can continue it. I have made it a goal to make my lunch everyday. It's hard some days, but there is absolutely nothing I can eat in the cafeteria that has no potential for cc.
I think I wrote in August about the sick cat I have, well Zoe has bounced back beautifully from her kidney infection and is starting to get into trouble again Such a relief.
I have been gluten free for almost four months now, but keep having set backs from either hidden gluten or cc. I am working on being more vigilant and eating at home far more often until I have the hang of this.
Have a wonderful week.
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Sue
Gluten free since May 2008

[ostrich]

Urgh. August was....amazingly busy. Appointments, birthdays, stuff needing to be fixed, working weekends... September better be more quiet. I'm going to need a break before the holidays kick in. For some reason I'm really looking forward to October.

(BTW, Hobby Lobby just set a new record. They had their Christmas stuff out in August.)

Labor Day weekend was busy but productive. Found a really nice desk for DH on mega clearance. So we redid the whole basement, including hauling 2 other desks downstairs. Now the upstairs is cooler (the computers are downstairs) and I have a place for my sewing machine.

I got glutened a couple of weeks ago, which hasn't helped. Took me 2-3 days to shake off the effects, and my skin is still recovering.
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Ostrich :>--O==={

Time falls away, but these small hours
These little wonders still remain

[zip2play]

September is here! Where oh where did the year go???

This is my birthday month! *clapping* we tend to celebrate with my family over Labor Day weekend and we did so again this year. We went to the Lake of the Ozarks in MO and had a great time! It was a fun, food filled weekend! need to skip eating till about Thursday to make up for it!

School started mid-August so we are now in the full swing of things. PTA events are starting. I am in charge of the all school ice cream social tonight, I am also in charge of the main fund raisier that is a family fun walk that is scheduled for October 4th. SO, if I survive September, all will be right in the world!

Monica

[isto]

We started school on the 2nd, but we are doing really light work. Just the very basics for a few weeks - math, english, science. My husband didn't want me going at school full force only to stop for a week or two when (if? ) the baby finally comes. So that means the children are free to spend more time outside while the weather is still decent and I still see them being productive with their schooling.

We have been doing really well staying GF - no hidden gluten or mistakes for quite a while. I'm glad I finally feel comfortable enough to shop without feeling stressed about buying the wrong thing and making someone sick!

My husband and I were grocery shopping this evening and the clerk asked if I was having multiple babies. I told her there was only one in there and she said I was just so big and round in the belly that she thought for sure there must be several babies in there. I feel like I'm going to give birth to a 4th grader!! And don't even get me started on the bleeding stretch marks!

I hope everyone has a wonderful, healthy month!

Danita

[Fifi]

August was a terrible one for me. I would love to forget. My mother had stage 4 colon cancer surgery resulting in an ileostomy bag and a lot of time in the hospital. She has since been losing her memory and been deemed incompetent to make her own decisions. She was just placed in a nursing home yesterday. This woman is the person who single handedly raised 4 children put us all through catholic grammar and high school, working as a waitress usually 3 or 4 jobs at a time. the strongest woman I ever knew. My best friend in the whole world. Now 95 lbs actually skin and bones and can not remember what she did yesterday. I am the oldest of the children, therefore am getting most of the responsibility and the blame for what is going on. I can take it. I am a strong person and I believe that God is helping us through this. I am hoping that September has to be better! One good thing, eating has been the last thing on my mind so no chance of being glutened!!!!
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GF BD 1/4/2008
Rosanne

[Torrey]

Wow--I can't believe the summer is over already!

In any event, August brought with it a new job...in NYC, so I'm commuting to the city once again...I've been taking a lot of training classes and I have had the chance to do a lot of concept work, which is great experience.

As I think I mentioned last month, August was also my brother's wedding, out in San Francisco, which was absolutely beautiful. We recently got the professional shots, and it enabled me to savor the time even more. Even my brother's dog got to wear a tuxedo collar.

September looks to be busy, but I am hoping it will be so in a good way. Football season has begun (and my Giants won tonight--HOORAY!!! ), so that's cool. Halloween candy is already out at the grocery store...and my neighbors are having their annual bash--any suggestions for costumes this year?
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~Torrey

August 24, 1975
GF BD July 12, 2004

[Linda]

August was crazy busy around here. Swimming lessons, visit from my folks, renovating the basement, replacing washer/dryer (thanks for breaking my washer, Mom!), excavating the backyard to install weeping tile, hockey camp, work...ugh!
School started on the 2nd and I'm working full time this week and next while someone's on vacation, but I'm home by 2pm. That's good, allows me to play with the dog and get something out of the freezer before school's out. At the arena three times already this week for hockey evaluations.
Things will settle down I hope after the 15th or so.

Meanwhile, SOUTRAM - you say you were poisoned in Calgary. I live there. Where/what did you eat so I can try to have Ty avoid it.
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Mom of Ty (he's nine) who was diagnosed by bloodwork June 2005, biopsy August 11, 2005, notified on & started GF August 18, 2005

[nancw]

School, soccer, fall baseball (I always said no more than one sport per season - I broke my own rule ), and recovery from a mad summer is what September brings to my family.

I've been easing a little corn, beans and nightshades back into my diet with pretty good success. I don't have allergies to these foods, per se, but they were not agreeing with me when I had my multiple-food-meltdown-and-elimination last summer and fall. I am hopeful that this means my gut is healing and there are good things to come! Guess I better change my sig, or I'd be lying.

I've been asked to co-chair the garden committee at DS's school. We started the gardens last spring and they are just lush and beautiful and bountiful! I have been dubbed "Compost Queen" and have taught several people how to compost. The veggies just took off after we applied our first finished batch in July. Batch #2 is cookin' right now and will be ready to dig into the beds after harvest and frost.

We didn't make it to Red Rocks for any concerts this summer (boo, hiss), but had a date with DH to hear John Hiatt and Joan Osborn last Saturday. Good stuff!

I had the startling realization that it's been 25 years this month since I came to Denver for college. I came across my freshman college id card and quickly looked in a mirror to measure the wear and tear. I'm guessing I'd be a lot worse off had I not discovered and addressed my food issues.

Enjoy the fall, all.

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Nance

gluten, dairy, soy, rice, yeast and 99% grain-free

[aklap]

[nancw]

Well, everyone at my 20th HS reunion (gulp! 5 years ago???) said I haven't changed a bit. I beg to differ (and so do the mirror, the camera and the scale), but I still have the long hair, multiple ear piercings and (sometimes) the attitude and demeanor of an 18 year old.
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Nance

gluten, dairy, soy, rice, yeast and 99% grain-free

[Deb]

[aklap]

[quote="Deb"]