my favorite things when I'm sick

I've been sick this week, and at one point, taking a hot shower to relief some of the aches and congestion, I started thinking about my favorite things, my must-haves when I'm sick. My friend Kirsten might say she'd start wanting a McDonald's cheeseburger, as that's what her Mom always brought her for lunch when she was sick growing up (no offense Kirsten but I'm glad I wasn't at your house! ;) ). But I think mine are much more therapeutic ...

Let's start with that hot shower. I can think of nothing better to relieve chills and aches and reduce congestion. (I've often said that my two favorite inventions of all time are hot showers and window screens.)

Sudacare Shower Soothers. When these came out a couple years ago there was a big advertising blitz, and when my brother found out that I thought they sounded as cool as he did, he gave me some for Christmas! The aroma makes you feel relaxed, almost like you're in a spa (or as close as you can get when you're sick) while the menthol really opens up your sinuses. I hope they never stop making these!

My new favorite, Matt's Egg Drop Soup. I told him that I wanted chicken noodle soup but couldn't think of one that would be low-carb (all the store bought ones have potatoes or noodles and of course I wasn't even close to making a batch of soup myself). He offered to make me egg drop soup. I'd never had his egg drop soup, and it was delicious and warm and I like it better than any chicken soup I've ever had! Of course, now he's on the hook--I'll be looking for this soup when I'm sick!

I've long been a big fan of Nyquil, but the ones we've bought the last couple of years haven't worked as well because they haven't contained a decongestant. Well, I've now found out that you can get Nyquil D (which seems like the original Nyquil to me) behind the counter! This seems like very good news, even if I do have to feel like I'm facing Big Brother when I go to buy it (today I had to give not only my name and ID, but also full street address, driver's license number, and date of birth).

And of course there are other standards, soft tissues and a cozy blanket and perhaps a cuddly puppy!

now for something silly and fun

My friend Eclectchick had this posted on her blog, so of course I clicked on it. You enter your birthdate and it gives you all sorts of facts, figures, and - as Marjie so aptly put it - fortune-cookie info.

So what did I learn? My Native American plant is raspberry (mmmm! favorite fruit) and - no surprise - my ruling planet is the Sun.

I am 11,541 days old. That REALLY puts the 101-in-1001 list in perspective (I could've accomplished such a list only 11 times! Makes my life seem short, and makes me feel awesomely young, a wonderful contrast to how lately I've been feeling old).

My birthstone, peridot, is used to help dreams become reality (maybe I should have added "buy peridot ring" to my 101 list?).

Finally, my birth tree is:

Poplar, the Uncertainty Looks very decorative, no self-confident behaviour, only courageous if necessary, needs goodwill and pleasant surroundings, very choosy, often lonely, great animosity, artistic nature, good organiser, tends to philosophy, reliable in any situation, takes partnership serious.

Ahh, what fun things we can waste time with online!

A few pieces of progress on my 101 list

It seems like I haven't been doing enough towards my 101 goals, but now that I sit down to write I notice that yes, there are updates!

• Hannah and I have started our dog training class! So far we learned the commands for "finish" and "stand." I've been so proud when she has finally caught on! Five more weeks of class to go.
• I did switch to all natural soap and shampoo, which I managed to do (surprise) during a grocery shopping trip to Rainbow. I'm impressed with their natural foods (and other goods) section.
• This isn't actually accomplishing a specific goal, but can contribute to at least one of them: I took a class on fruit production last weekend. Espalier apple trees, here I come!
• I made low-carb peanut butter flax muffins. Tasty, healthy, and a hearty breakfast. The down side is that they were a bit dry.
  

Strangely, I have felt much more relaxed since creating this list. It's almost like once I put the list out there, once I had figured out what I wanted to spend the next 1001 days working towards, I could relax more! After all, I know the goals (so I don't need to spend time agonizing over what to do next) and I know I have plenty of time to accomplish them (so I don't feel stressed). For this reason alone I am a fan of this list!

my lovely puppy and talented husband

Matt bought a new lens, and used Hannah as a trial subject. Isn't this a beautiful picture??

A Weekend of Firsts

I told Matt I was going to kidnap him for the day on Saturday, and surprised him with an adventure on the light rail! He hadn’t yet ridden on the Hiawatha Line. We rode the entire length from the MOA to downtown, where we met friends Erika and Aaron for lunch. It was chilly, but still fun to watch the world go by through the windows of the train.


After the train ride, we went to Ikea and – even though we weren’t looking for curtains and I didn’t think I’d want curtains in our family room – found the perfect set! I fell in love with the pattern immediately and Matt liked them too. We agreed that these would look great in our family room.


Sunday was my first day of no computer use (one of the goals listed in my 101 below). It was great!!! It was a nice challenge to be away from the computer, as it can become such an addiction. But the benefit was that I got to enjoy my day based on the real life around me instead of being sucked into a virtual world. We spent the morning cleaning and organizing, even tackling some projects that had been put off. When Matt went to spend the day photographing at the Arboretum, Hannah and I relaxed in the sun, reading in a comfy chair by the front window.

Hannah doesn’t always like it when we clean, because we move around the house, and she can’t relax in one place. At one point during the day she finally gave up trying to follow us, and laid by the back door using Mom’s boots as a comfy pillow!


Since I mentioned the 101 list, I’m happy to report that Hannah and I start a dog training class on Tuesday! Six weeks of classes …