Morning Brunch

It was a nice treat this morning to have Alex and his friends for brunch - I use to do a lot of Sunday mornings when he was a touch younger and was at home more on weekends haha.
The kids were treated to an entirely gluten free brunch - thanks to the awesome Pancake and Waffle Mix from Kinnikinnick's :) and Johnsonville sausage, Safeway Hashbrowns.

Acceptance ... the word for 2013

Well soon 2012 will come to a close and then we dive into a brand new year ~ 2013 ... I am taking a moment to reflect on the old year and taking some time to ponder on what I plan for the New Year to hold ... I am trying to find a single word that will encompass what I wish the new year to bring, to hold, to hope for ~ but a few words go through my head that all have special meaning to me; as a woman and as a person with Celiac Disease.

Words like:
Balance
Change
Cleanse
Education
Awareness
Hope

Looking back over the last year and all that has happened in life it has been a year of change, education, and awareness and the big one "acceptance".  And maybe when it comes down to it this may be the word that all the others fit into ACCEPTANCE. 

For to find the balance in life - between what I need to do for my health and sanity and what I want to do for my health and happiness - I need to "accept" my limitations, I need to truly "accept" that I have not found this balance but not be as hard on myself as I have been in this last year.  Celiac Disease did not "come over me" "afflict me" in one night or even in a year ~ Celiac Disease is an auto immune disease we carry with us from birth ~ and over 40 years living with a disease I did not know I have - did some damage.  I need to "ACCEPT" it will take time to learn, to heal, to recover and TO LIVE with this disease.  It will take time to find the BALANCE needed - for health and happiness.  To find the Balance between what I WANT to do and what I NEED to do even for this blog, relationships, employment, working with the Celiac Association, and other pastimes in life - I need to accept I am only one person, and I am not super woman ha ha and never likely to be ~ I need to once again accept those limits.

To find the "Change" I need to take ~ to better my health and my lifestyle I need to truly "accept" that I have to CHANGE.  Period.

To "Cleanse" - I need to "accept" the change with courage and grace.  I need to cleanse not only my outlook on life, relationships, health, and my soul.

To find the "Education" - I have to "accept" that though I feel I know myself and my disease that I need to put more into learning, more into educating myself.  Whether that is by classes, workshops, group discussions, reading and writing. 

To find more "Awareness" I need to "accept" that though only being "one person" I need to be part of the growing and learning that is taking place out there ~ in our Celiac Communities, In our Schools, In the media and in personal connections.  True awareness is an important part of the life of a Celiac and those living with Gluten Intolerance.  An integral part to our quality of life.

To keep "Hope" in the picture ~ I need to "accept" that there always is hope in our days ... being a celiac in these times can be trying and frustrating ~ for though there is more awareness than ever before in history about Celiac Disease and Gluten Intolerance - with it can bring more prejudice and misinformation.  I need to accept that there is HOPE for more informed awareness, there is hope that the Celiac Community will get stronger and stand together for more education and awareness for all those with Celiac Disease and Gluten Intolerance ~ and hope that we can "educate" with grace and patience. 

We need to ACCEPT that until we were diagnosed with Celiac Disease - an auto immune disease that requires that we stay strictly away from gluten ~ that to many of us were completely unfamiliar to what Celiac Disease, Gluten intolerance or even just GLUTEN was.  And that even with diagnosis and further basic information a lot of us - who have even been diagnosed for years - still have a lot to learn. 

We need to accept that patience is now a part of our daily game - patience with ourselves, patience with others ... and not let frustration and anger cloud what we HAVE to do to live a good if not A Grand life! 

Yes I think Acceptance will be a very good word for me to use for 2013 ~ I would love to hear ideas of "words" that you feel would be strong choices for the year.

I want to finish off this blog post by sincerely wishing you all a healthy and happy foray into the New Year ~ and raise my glass for us all to have a strong and peaceful step into another year - may it be filled with Love and Laughter and many days of Health and Happiness.

Take care of yourselves,
Cheers - Sherri

Some Days ...

Some days it is a frustration ... Some days it makes me wonder if I will get a handle on this disease ... I know I will ~ because I know the knowledge of what I am facing helps on days like today where something (maybe gluten) has turned my system up side down and inside out and I just want to curl up in a ball and just rock back and forth.  The frustration comes from not being quite sure what set this reaction off ~ and not being able to truly explain to someone without this disease just how badly this has affected my body, my mind, my spirit today ... I just do not feel like myself - of course of late I am not sure anymore what "myself" is suppose to feel like.  I just do not feel good.

There is a small comfort in knowing - while I am working on getting this right - that I am not alone in this struggle ... that others have the constant roller coaster of health ... the up and down ... the getting thrown sideways, the fatigue and nausea.  The disappointments.  And I also love to read about how people are trying to get things right ... going for a more whole foods approach (which I have to be honest I haven't totally embraced yet) - looking to find a balance in what their bodies can or can not absorb - the trials and errors - there is so much information out there these days.  I am looking for ways to absorb and practice more of what I need to do to set my body on the right path.  To Wellness ~ to peace of mind ~ to uplifting of the spirit.

And to take days like today and yesterday - where I have upset my system by something - and this I did eating "safely(?)" at home ~ and find the energy and know how to control the depression at feeling like this ~ and find out what the culprit was.  It's frustrating when it is in your own home that you basically "poison" your system ... when we are out we can say "oh "someone" else wasn't careful enough" - when we are in our own home it often makes it sometime more difficult to pinpoint what exactly hurt us.

At times it is tiring to be in constant "spy" mode. :)  And I can see the benefit and wise advice in leaning towards more of a whole foods approach ... less ingredients ha ha.  As it is ... I know I have to go back and look at what we added to last nights supper - in the gravy mix perhaps? in the spice blend that we used to season the pork chops?  Brands that we have used before but just recently have bought new containers of?  Last night while dealing with the agony of cramps I was reading the side of the gravy mix ... well will have to go back and read it again - kind of blurred in my vision last night with all the ingredients.  Simple would be better ~ makes sense the less items you have to figure out the easier it is to do so, especially at a time where you are suffering from brain fog and doubled over with cramps.

Apply the "K.I.S.S" reasoning - Keep it Simple Silly (ha ha it is "Stupid" actually but I am feeling a touch on the weepy side today so don't want to set myself off ;)   So Silly it is.

I am thankful today that there is encouragement and hope out there ... that there are many that are having success in finding ways to "feel whole" ... and maybe a little cheered by the fact (though I honestly hate to see people suffer) that we all have our "some days" but that there is some really great days to look forward and strive towards as well!  :)

Cheers ~ now maybe some green tea to settle my stomach?