In the Company of Women

I went to Chicago this weekend for a sorority reunion. It had been 15 years since I had seen most of the people that came, and it was a wonderful evening. Two of them told me that they came because I was planning on being there, and I was welcomed with open arms by so many.

It was most interesting to me that we all fell into our old patterns. The same people hung around together, and certain people didn't socialize at all, and others made sure to talk to everyone. One woman summed it up perfectly when she said that the first thing that she saw was one certain person sitting at the bar just like old times. And, as expected there was a certain amount of snottiness from others.

Just about everyone was immediately recognizable. Some gained weight, some had lost weight, and some appeared to have bad work done. Most had shiny diamonds on their left hands, and everyone had pictures to show. Thankfully, no one had enormous hair.

I was really quite nervous about going. But, I felt so loved and missed and I was shocked by how much I loved and missed some of them.

And so, I have come home.

Five for Friday

I'm a little early, but I did forget last week. Oops.

Things that make me happy:

1. Yankee Candles.
2. Carrots.
   
3. Feeling helpful.
4. Fully stocked, and freshly cleaned out, freezers.
5. Twitchy cat tails.
   

Things that make me less than happy:

1. Horrific gas and electricity bills.
2. Sinus headaches. I never really had one until we moved to Tennessee, and now they're common. And, they make me throw up.
   
3. My noisy washing machine.
4. Having to clean my own house. It. Never. Ends.
5. The news. For all intents and purposes, I've stopped watching. I read headlines on the major papers and that's it.
   

Cooking Made Easy

A few months ago, D asked if she could borrow one of my freezer-friendly cookbooks. I'm a big proponent of making extra food so that I can freeze some of it. I like to cook, but my energy is rather limited and I don't want to spend a lot of time messing with it. I suggested that we take a Supper Thyme approach to it and work together on making meals. She loved the idea.

I've done both Supper Thyme and Super Suppers in the past, and they're great. It's wonderful not to have to do any prep work or clean up, and each month there are at least 12 recipes that you can choose from. The problem is that it's pretty expensive. For just 6 meals, or 12 if you divide them in half, it can cost over $125. Convenience and variety is great, but right now, money talks.

So, we got together with K and M to talk it out. We set a menu, created a shopping list, and put it all out on Google Documents. We raided our pantries to see what we already had on hand and didn't need to purchase. We looked for sales and hit Costco and Kroger. Yesterday, D, K, and I got together at K's house to prepare 5 meals in freezer ready packages. It took us just over 3 hours to get everything done. The amazing part is that it cost us less than $50 each... which translates into 12 meals for H and I.

We set the menu for next month, and I worked today to get the menu and shopping list posted so that everyone could access it. K and D have memberships to Costco, and D's husband works at Kroger. This way, with a month in advance, we can look for great sales and stock our freezers. This time was a little chaotic for everyone, and M wasn't even able to make the food prep, but that is to be expected for the first time. But, we learned a lot and it will get better in time.

The other lovely part is that we have a box of supplies that we can reuse (such as spices and big Ziploc baggies). That will certainly save money in the long run.

D also mentioned that they are interested in planting a communal garden. We'd all pitch in for seeds and plants, we'd all take care of it, and we'd all share in the harvest. Woo hoo!

Please

Pray for Kari and her little Ike-a-saurus. Things are scary again.

Pure Romance

Homemade Veal Parmigiana. China and silver. Nice wine in crystal glasses. Candles giving off a warm glow. Just the two of us in the dining room celebrating Valentine's Day.

All this splendor accompanied by the smell of singed cat hair.

Dietary Dilemmas Update

So, I got brave and called my GI's office today for a referral to a nutritionist. C, the nurse that I always talk to and just adore, gave me a number for a dietary clinic at Vanderbilt. I called during lunch and got an appointment for 8:30 on Monday. Monday! Holy smokes! I really need to do it before I chicken out.

I'm not sure what I'm so afraid of. I need the guidance and it will only be good for me. And, since Dr. L's nurse recommended them, I'm sure that they'll be fabulous. Help is good.

Dietary Dilemmas

I really need to clean up my act.

Let me clarify. It's not that what I eat is all that terrible. But, I eat the wrong things for my body.

Red meat causes my body to freak out. I'll spare you the gory details, but I can't handle it. Even simple hamburgers just about kill me. And, I don't process raw vegetables that well either. So much for green, leafy salads every day.

I need to eat more protein, because that makes me feel the best. J's Tortilla Soup recipe is cheap, damn good, and makes me feel wonderful because it's full of meat and beans. Peanut butter also works. Cheese is great. Carbs, on the other hand, make me feel incredibly sluggish but that's what I tend to eat because they don't cause any other problems.

I should ask D about her nutritionist. D is incredibly healthy and must be horrified by what she sees here. It's not as much about losing weight as it is about not feeling horrendous any more.