Time to share

Well hello there, interwebs... it's been a while.

You might remember me from such blogs as... well, this one, just a long time ago.

I was talking to a friend at work today (hi!) who was telling me about a blog he started recently. It's a catch-all for all the resources he comes across for his hobbie - he thought it would be helpful for others as a place to learn the techniques of the trade through photos and video, and as a community for appreciation for the sport. It made me think about information and community and sharing - and how you can't have the middle one without the last one, or the last one without the first one.

I'd been thinking a lot recently about starting to write again, and this conversation is what jumpstarted me to be sitting here, in front of my screen, and typing again in the familiar "create post" section of this site. That, and several recent events.

This past summer I found out something about myself - I am allergic to both gluten and dairy! This diagnosis by a naturopath came after feeling bad for a long time. Trying to put my finger on it spefically is difficult, but I would say that I hadn't felt really well in close to a decade. Tired, blotchy skin, bloating, painful and hard stomach, forever feeling like I was coming down with a cold, along with hypothyroidism. I decided to see a naturopath in the early spring, and starting the next day, I spent a month on an elimination diet. Starting two days later, I felt a million times better! The stomach pains starting going away, the bloating started going away, my skin started clearing up, and I was less tired. I had more energy than I had had in a long time. I had eliminated most sugars, gluten, dairy, citrus, and "moldy" items like peanuts, mushrooms, etc. After the month was over, I brought back one item at a time, over 48 hours, and was easily able to tell the things that did not agree with me - definitely dairy, and definitely gluten, along with some citrus. I also eventually did an "official" test, and the results came back as allergic to gluten (protein found in wheat, barley, malt, and rye) and casein (dairy protein).

Pretty bad news for someone whose favourite meal included cheese on a french baguette!

Since the summer, I have been fairly strict about not eating either of those things, and have been feeling a lot better, and have lost some weight. My gains have been tempered somewhat with some stressful issues this summer (mostly work...) but overall, I feel tons better than I have in years.

It has definitely all been a huge learning curve for me - what does and does not contain gluten and/or dairy, what substitutions I can make, what other things there are in the world (teff? amaranth? wha?) to eat. Above all, it has been a lesson in listening to my body. When I unknowingly eat those items, I can tell right away. I can hear my body a little louder now - it's not so stifled under the big loaf of wheat bread.

So, as my friend is starting to do, I'd like to share my experience - through all the learning about new foods, about re-learning how to bake, and about my life in general in a gfcf context.

So, stick around, it'll be fun. Plus you'll get to laugh at all my bread failures. Or, maybe, you're looking for some gfcf goodness. I know there are a lot of gluten-free websites (I like: Gluten Free Gobsmacked and Gluten Free Girl ), and some dairy-free ones too, but not many that combine the two. So maybe, you just love food and arts and crafts and life in general, or you are here for other reasons.

Welcome!

kung f.... whoops!

Given that:
- I was in the elevator at work by myself
- I had a test tonight to advance another sash level in kung fu
- I wanted to practise my high kicks
- I can now kick much higher than I used to
- I guess I don't realize the size of my own foot

I shouldn't be surprised, when:
- the security desk phoned the elevator after I had accidentally hit the HELP! button when I thought I was just going for the "close door" button

And be hopeful that:
- there are no cameras in there and they don't realize that when I replied "ooops, I hit the wrong button, sorry, heehee!" I meant with my foot and not my finger.

greedy mcseedstealer

Last night we left the doors open to our balcony off the bedroom as the air was hot and muggy, but left the screen door closed. It rained during the night, and was pretty windy, but it felt good to stir the air in the room. In the middle of the night, we both awoke to some strange noises - not the wind-blowing noises we'd fallen asleep to... this was something very odd. It kind of sounded like someone was shoving something... then it sounded like someone wheezing (!) ... then it sounded a bit like something growling (!!) ... then I just plain thought it was a bear digging around for some food (!!!). We both got up and went outside, slowly walking to the edge of the balcony to see what was there.

Just a raccoon! That's ok, that's pretty normal in the country. The fact that he was eating birdseed that had fallen from the bird feeder above kind of pissed me off - get your own food, buster! The fact that he was eating birdseed that was being shaken down to the deck by the other raccoon hanging from the birdfeeder by his LEFT ARM was what was so alarming about the whole scene! It was the hanging guy who was doing all the grunting and snuffling and wheezing. The little bugger must have jumped up to get more seeds, and got his little opposable thumb caught and was trying to get down.

We went back to bed, he eventually got out and left with his buddy, and then we were left awake and dealing with the damn mosquitos that got in while the door was open while we were watching the raccoons. Do you think they're all working together?