Check-In February 2007

[aklap]

Check-In - February 2007



January has come and gone, February isn't that long.

Winter has finally made it to WI. Frankly, it need not stay any longer. Since it's really cold here [14F - feels like 1F], a friend and I decided to whimp out and go walk indoors at the mall. We usually walk on an old railroad track that's been converted to a walking trail. I gotta tell ya - it's pretty boring making laps in the mall. Even though it's pitch dark out on the trail - it's not half as boring. Maybe I should walk with my eyes closed if we go there again. At least I got to hang out with friend. Another good thing...I picked up Bob Marley calendar for a friend of mine in observance of Bob's birthday on Feb 6th. He would've been 62. "Give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel all right."

I'm still battling tendentious in my heel. I'm icing as I type. It comes and goes. Walking...of course makes it worse. Icing it makes it better

Nothing much exciting going on in the Al n Peg Household.

How 'bout the rest of y'all?

For those of you just tuning in, Check-In is chance to introduce yourself, let everyone know how you're doing, what you're up to, to touch base...something, anything, just let us know you're still around

The Check-In Time Tunnel
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Al

“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa

[ostrich]

It's been a bad year so far. Don't ask.
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Ostrich :>--O==={

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

[cruelshoes]

February is my favorite month because I have my birthday on Groundhogs day. As a present (NOT!) my work is making me go to a whole day of 6 Sigma training on my birthday. Gag me with a spoon. Other than that, my new job is going well. I have lots of work to do and lots of processes to improve. I am always happiest in a job where I have too much work to do.

The kids are doing well. My son will be baptized this weekend, and we are having 20 people over afterward for dinner. I am trying out lots of new recipes, and I hope to have some new ones to share. My daughter is active in Girl Scouts. She has decided that her troop doesn't earn patches fast enough, so she wants to work on then at home. She has so many projects going it's ridiculous. We had the baby's 6 month checkup yesterday. Her growth has dropped to the 10th percentile and the doctor is a little concerned. She says it might be the gluten we have introduced (but to keep feeding it), it might be normal since most breastfed babies trend down at 6 months, or it might be that she isn't eating enough. I would love to stop with the nighttime feedings, but the MD says the baby still needs them, so we will press on. I've decided that sleep is something that other people need - not me.

Both our car and washer/dryer went kaput last month, so we got a great deal on a '97 Saturn and a beyootiful new front load washer/dryer. Thank God it's tax time!
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-Colleen

Where are we going, and what am I doing in this handcart?

[aloneinidaho?]

Great its february! That means this morning I get to go to the gynocologist. Pre- cancer for so many years before hysterectomy(dr. did'nt think it was a bad thing) so now I am supposed to get checked every year, well its been probably 3 years. So I better go! Thanks Colleen for bringing up taxes... Now I have a tummy ache. Jan, 15 we had to pay our estimates $6,000, now I have to hurry and come up with around &15,000 by tax time. This stresses me out every year I remember working for someone else and you would get money back every year. Husband is in Washinton this week for a sprinkler conference. actually I think its a drink fest. And Tuesday I started taking meds to stop smoking. supposed to stop next Monday. CROSS YOUR FINGERS! Thats all thats happening here besides the freezing teperatures. Carey
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Dear Lord, Please help me help my stupid self.

[Sheralyn]

We are currently renting a house and finally will be buying a lot in a few days. HATE to be poor again but thats life. We will start building in May or June. The property we have been waiting for has been taking forever. We sold out house 3 years ago so we could build in this new subdivision. ( we thought we would be building in 6-9 months) The city was fighting with the Power company because of of the placement of some retention ponds. This took 2 years to get settled and another year to get started. So now we have to wait for it to warm up so they can put curb and gutter in. We waited so long for THIS property because my kids wont have to change schools and it is a nice area. The property doubled in price and they wouldn't let us lock in three years ago. BIG BUMMER!

It will be nice to be in a new house. My husband acts as GC, this will be our third house we have built. I hope it is the last.

Colleen that's great about your son, my son loved his last September.

I can't wait for Spring and for clean air. Utah has the worst air in the country right now. The smog is terrible.

Have a great day everyone!

[plain_old_donut]

Hi all,

I'm faily new here, and I have enjoyed the forum and learned a great deal.

My Dad has CD. He was diagnosed in the late 60's, but was given very little advice beyond "avoid wheat, oats, rye and barley". We had no idea all the places they could hide. And it wasn't made clear to him that feeling better was not an indication that he was getting better - that there was NO cheating on this diet. It's been a rough road, including colon cancer 20 years ago that nearly killed him.

But in the past few months, he has been having dinner with us almost every night, and I have been learning a whole new way to cook. We've had pancakes, biscuits, dumplin's (both yankee and southern), "flour" tortillas, and other things he hasn't eaten in many, many years.

In my reading and research on CD, I have come to the conclusion that I probably also have it, but I am waiting till I can afford to be tested before going GF. I have been making sure to have some gluten foods everyday so there will be no doubt on the tests (which I can hopefully have later this month).

An interesting "side effect" has accurred since I stopped eating gluten foods near bedtime (I eat them for breakfast and lunch); I no longer wake up at night with acid reflux. Even if I have had a "fatty" meal (which is what I always blamed it on before) I don't have problems. Last night I had wheat flour torillas and acid reflux . I'll be more careful, now!

So, that's me, long-winded as ever.

Donna

[aklap]

[isto]

Man, am I glad it is February - one month closer to summer!! I have a son with a birthday this month - looking forward to a wonderful celebration.

My husband is walking with the aid of a brace, but the doctor says it could be months, even years, before the pain abates. So we don't know, still, if he will be able to return to his job. Personally, I like having him home all the time and I know my children do, too. I think our toddler would be heartsick if Papa went back to work again, because he can't even be away from Papa for a few days of vacation - he throws up!

Hmmm...got a great Frank Sinatra CD today and that's about all so far.

Happy Valentine's Day

[jayhawkmom]

I love reading these.

February is a crazy-busy time for me. My son is a cub scout - a Bear to be exact, and his Pinewood Derby was last weekend and his Blue & Gold Banquet is on the 24th. My dh's birthday is the 19th, with his "30th Surprise Party" on the 25th.

I teach religion classes and it's "crunch time" for my 2nd graders. My little girly, who is in the preschool class, will be singing in a Lenten prayer service on the 18th. Oh...and Lent will surely bring about some new and interesting challenges for us. We've always gone "out" for fish fry on Fridays... well, we won't be doing *that* this year.

My oldest child, the one who had previously been tested for CD twice - both negative, has now tested positive serologically. *pulling my hair out!!*

My daughter and I are working with a dietitian to boost her calories and help her gain weight. So far, it's going well.

My wee boy is doing well! He's growing, gaining weight, and he's in the midst of a verbal explosion!! He just started saying, "peas" and "tantoo" with consistency. (Please and Thank you.) He's been saying "you're welcome" for a while now. In Ian-ease, it's "gumgum." He had some blood work done yesterday and we are awaiting the results. His pediatrician and allergist are considering Eosoniphilic (sp?) disorders, we'll see what the BT say.

My husband has had strep throat.... and if he hadn't returned to work today, he would have been dead by this evening. I would have killed him... !

Ok, I'm done babbling... next!

[baldridgem]

We spent a few hours this afternoon in Small Claimes Court.
We had our kitchen remodeled in June and the contracter didn't
finish the job so we sued and won.
My Gf diet is going ok I guess, unless I've goofed somewhere and
thats why I ended up in ER. Or it could be some other issue. I'll see my
pcp next week. Maybe she cant figure out my problem.

No snow now but it is cold!! Looking forward to spring and planting a
vegetable garden.

[nancw]

So far February is great - I went to PF Chang's for the first time last night with a small group of good friends. The food was great (I had the spicy chicken); I was pleased by the number of GF menu choices, and the assurance I got about their avoidance of cross-contamination. I shared a lot of info about living GF with my dinner companions, who were genuinely interested and asked a lot of questions. They probably got more info and answers than they bargained for.

I am trying to prepare more of my food from scratch, and lessen the amount of gluten foods, and the resulting crumbs, in the house. I will most likely attend the next lecture in the GF Gastronomy series on 2/20.

Kindergarten basketball season is half over, and I'm looking forward to a break from coaching before baseball starts in May.

I just had the shortest cold I have ever had (2 1/2 days!) I was taking zinc every day for the last month, and increased that, along with C, when the cold hit.

The cold weather has departed Colorado for a little while, at least. Maybe the 50+ degree days forecast this week will get rid of a lot of the snow we have accumulated since 12/18 - snow every week for 8 weeks. I need to get out of here and go somewhere where there are green things growing outside.

Enjoy your February everyone, and stay warm!

[gola]

well im not really happy about feburary starting coz the cold is fading away here in pakistan and i simply love the winters...every single thing about it........
my life has pretty much been going the same... have loads of studying to do as my finals are approaching and as usual im lagging behind in my work...lol.....but hopefully i will catch up.....
ive lost my zing for trying new GF stuff to cook...i went thru a phase when i was obssessed with trying every pasta recipe i cud get my hands on...but now i hardly ever have any free time and i havent cooked anything in a while....so plz ppl give me ideas to cook some fun recipes....and then i ll get back in the game....
the month of feburary is when we here in pakistan celebrate 'basant' which is the kite flying season....ppl go crazy and fly kites all day and nite on their rooftops...there is a massive boom in the sales of kites and strings......then there are parties where ppl get together to fly....and theres color, music and food everywhere.....the basant colors are yellow and orange...and the date is 25th..so im also eagerly awaiting that day eventhough i ll have a final exam that day...i ll still manage to take out time to party...thats all at my end for now.....
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[Kimmus]

There is a light at the end of the tunnel! I always feel in February that a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. December is a mad rush. I love Christmas, but it is such a busy month. January is all my 'year-end' preparations at work, so I put in some long hours there (I work in accounting). So once January is over, it is such a relief. February is still pretty busy as we have our annual audit at work -- yuk, but at least all the hard stuff is done. Plus, when March is just around the corner, I know spring is that much closer. Usually about the middle of this month, DH will bring in his golf clubs and start cleaning them all -- that's when I know cabin fever has truly struck. My kids are all doing well. My oldest (with CD), just got inducted into the Honor Society at school so we are very proud of her. My middle school daughter is always on the go and keeps us very busy. My youngest just finished up her class valentines. She must not be the procrastinator that her mom is! Speaking of... I need to get busy and do a Valentines day letter this year -- I never did send out Christmas cards, but told people I'd have something after the first of the year -- YIKES, I'm behind already!
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Kim --
Mom of a celiac teen (GF BD Oct-04)

[NickisDragon]

Ah, February....Shedding season! My dog only sheds twice a year but I get enough fur off her to build at least 3 more dogs during that time--and this is it! Well, I have a legitimate reason for "cocooning" in this frigid climate. I'm still not driving because of my vision but it is improving. I'm only seeing two of everything instead of three! What an improvement I was still seeing triple in January when I had to renew my driver's license--it was REAL crowded in that Secretary of State's Office because there was 3 of everyone. ( I left my eye patch in the car cause I didn't want to tip them off.) When I couldn't find the eye testing machine the three clerks who were waiting on me thought the woman next to me was blocking it from view and politely asked her to move--that was a pretty good clue; and I managed to sidestep the screen I was told to stand in front of--just before I walked into it. They actually renewed my license which, I suppose, says quite a lot about the state of traffic these days when people like ME can get a license. Now if any of you are driving in Michigan, I can't promise you'll be safe, but you will be safe from ME 'cause I ain't stupid enough to attempt to drive!

I have resumed my duties at the Octagon House and it feels pretty good to get back into the swing of things. Yesterday we had a large group of assorted "scouts" (boys, girls, brownies) touring the House for an Underground Railroad Experience. That's always fun.
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The opportunity to find happiness dances within every moment, beats within every heart, and grooves within every occurrence, situation, and event----Let's dance!.

Nicki

B-Day: January 18
DX: October 2005

[TenKLady]

I am glad January is over. It was one of the most stressful months I have had in a long time. My son is developmentally disabled and I have to fill out paperwork for him for medicaid in January every year and that always creates anxiety for me.

My dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer last week and my husband was just diagnosed with stage 2 hypertention. His blood pressure was 166 over 96 and I was afraid he was going to have a stroke. He did go to the doctor last week and is going to have to go on medication to control it.

I am getting very tired of all the snow. I usually run outside all winter, but I haven't run outside since before Christmas because of all of the snow and ice. I'm getting very bored with the treadmill.

My son was hired as a temporary employee in November and the company he works for decided to keep him as a permanent part-time employee. He is very limited in what he can do so this was very good news!

My girls are both doing well and are enjoying school.

I am glad February is here. The days are getting a little longer each day and it won't be long before it is spring.