Forbidden rice rice pudding

Yummy eggplant colored rice pudding with coconut milk and crystalized ginger

a message from my mom...

Hi friends and family!

I am writing you to announce the release of my book, Shared Moments of Joy, a picture book for people with moderate to severe memory loss.

I was inspired to write Shared Moments of Joy when while working with people experiencing memory loss, I discovered that many individuals with moderate dementia retain elementary reading abilities. Many more enjoy the shared experience of a picture book. I also learned that finding age appropriate books, to which older adults can relate, is difficult. I was motivated to write a book that could be enjoyed, shared and inspiring to those with memory loss and their caregivers.

Shared Moments of Joy is a simple story and an easy read. It is written in first person and conveys the thoughts and feeling of an older woman with memory loss as she enjoys a day at the beach with her son. A chance encounter with a young girl enables her to revive lifelong passions and long-term memories. The book emphasizes the value of fostering opportunities to connect and create a sense of belonging – essential to all of us. The book also reinforces the importance of tapping into lifelong passions and long-term memories, when short term memory is failing. The illustrations are colorful, simple and hand drawn by my sister, Kara.

Statistics state that approximately 40% of people over 80 years old have dementia and the vast majority of those individuals have Alzheimer’s disease. Unfortunately the numbers keep rising. Today most of us know someone suffering with a form of memory loss.

I am sharing this with you and ask that you assist me in getting the word out to the families who are struggling with this devastating disease and to organizations and communities caring for people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Help me spread the word by forwarding this email (and if possible, add your own introduction). The book will soon be available through online bookstores and can currently be ordered through the website: www.sharedmomentsofjoy.com. For those of you associated with memory support communities, adult day care centers, and other organizations serving people with memory loss, please let your professional contacts know that if they order through my website, I will accept purchase orders and am offering discounts for volume orders. I will also be donating a portion of the proceeds each year to the National Alzheimer’s Association.

Please take a moment to forward this email to friends and family. Thanks for helping spread the word – Keep pursuing your passions and making lifelong memories.

Kathleen Michael Weber

my feet are taped

or as we joke at work "bound"

but let's back track. Last year in desperation I reached out to an acupuncturist for my allergies. The doctor was a guy that one of my co workers had seen and was great. He wasn't super into the new age-y part of acupuncture, but it seemed to help and I was happy. Until... late last summer I found out that my Dr was moving to Afghanistan where his entire extended family was relocating.

I was upset, but not as much and another coworker what had started seeing him for headaches. she was able to fine a Chinese acupuncturist in the city and regaled us with stories of chi and sorters and foot taping.

Fast forward to last month. My coworker (who had originally found the doctor because the doctor shared the space with a chiropractor) went to the chiropractor and came back with great news. A new acupuncturist would be starting soon.

I let both of my coworkers visit before deciding to go today. The one said that the new doctor did exactly what the old doctor had done, the other now having gone to two different doctors said he was closer to the Chinese doctor that our original.

So I went. I had about 7 more pins than I used to, and my feet are taped. I did make another appointment, though, because I am willing to suffer through extra needles and have faith on these meridians if it means my allergies don't start up. My diagnosis today: my Kidney was strong, but my Spleen needed work. also I must have had some Lung problems based on the pain I had at some of my points.

mother nature befuddles me

In anticipation of the new seeds I am awaiting and the onslaught of spring that must be just around the corner. I am trying to figure out the seeding schedule.

Last year I made the mistake of seeding some thing indoors instead of directly into the ground. I guess i get really worried about late frost and freeze. I have looked at the charts and I always scoff at the dates... April 20th? really? what about the mothers day snow that seems to happen every few years.

the good news is that much of what I want to plan directly is somewhat frost "tolerant" and so I am going to risk things and plant outside much earlier that I have in previous years.

sadly for me that means getting my garden into gear while wearing long underwear.

here is one link i found helpful in figuring out all of this.

tired

I have spent one too many nights staying up to watch the Olympics. I am getting to the point of totally exhausted.

In other news I am very excited because my gardening books that I ordered from Amazon should be at my house today. I can't think of a better way to celebrate another 4 inches of snow, than to read about gardening.

ok back to work

a comment about the last post

Malesa commented about my post about Lent saying "There are more rules for lent than I realized."

I just wanted to say that Lent doesn't have a ton of rules, and most of them stem from the ideas of abstinence/fast, service and prayer. They are supposed to help you prepared for Easter by being more Christ-like. I like following the no meat on Fridays, because it isn't too hard, but it does help remind me that it is lent. I also work with many Catholics so our lunch on Fridays is focused on being meat free. The fasting is also good, as I think of all those people that have no choice but to fast day in and day out. I also think of our Muslim friends who fast for Ramadan I have such a hard time fasting for two days in the whole year it really helps me understand the sacrifice they make during that time.

Anything else you choose to do or give up is really up to you and your spiritual journey. I am not super religious, but like I have said before I like the concept of lent the preparation /"spring cleaning" of your body mind and soul.
____
update:
this is my post from last year that had suggestions for the Lenten season

Meatless yet again

Lent always seems to sneak up on me when it comes to meal planning. When I was a kid, my mom wasn't the best at remembering the no meat on Fridays rule leaving me to bring a bologna sandwich for lunch once during the third grade. This did not go over well at the Catholic school I was attending. Mom's response (infinite wisdom for moms out there) you don't like your lunch you make it yourself. (I started making my lunch that year.)

Anyway, I might not be the best Catholic out there, but I am pretty darn good about my Lenten practices. So this leaves me fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and abstaining from non seafood meat on Fridays.

For many years this meant the Friday's meals consisted of PBJ, mac n cheese, and grilled cheese sandwiches. After meeting Bill, however, I have been exposed to sea food that I enjoy eating and many other types of vegetarian cooking. So, I like rising to the challenge of meat less Fridays. Unfortunately as aware of the liturgical calendar as I am, I always seem to flub my meal plans the first week of Lent. Which leads me to today, where I have had pizza for lunch (ordered in for our office) and sadly (or cheesily) will have pizza for dinner (prearranged plans with other people). Sigh, maybe next year I should give up cheese, forcing a total revamp of my Lenten dinners.

Olympic Fever

or is it fervor?

As readers who read my blog during the summer Olympics know... i love watching the games. and this past week has been so exciting. (did you guys see last night... so flippin cool!)

Anyway I was reading about medal predictions on the Freakonomics blog and found this site mentioned in the comments. The website is mostly political, but he has an updated prediction model, and you can scroll through the days to see how each days events have changed the ongoing predictions.

I have been very tired from staying up every night, and my studying is starting to suffer. I try to study while things record and then I can fast forward and catch up by the end of the night. This is ill timed as I also lagged in my studying last week from vacation. I am at least interested in the chapter, more so than the last.

disney pics as promised

Fat Tuesday

So I know I promised pictures, and I did up load them to the computer yesterday, so that should count as progress.

Today is Fat Tuesday, and there are two things I can't believe: 1. Lent is about to begin (spring and Easter are on their way!!) 2. It is Tuesday. OK so the first one I can believe because I have already been whining about how long winter has been. But the second one has me really off my game.

This past weekend was a Vale-dent-ese Day-ear weekend. (Valentine's Day, Chinese New Year, President's Day) Bill and I both had yesterday off, and I am still out of sorts because of everything.

Tomorrow will be Ash Wednesday and then we will begin the long trek towards Easter. As weird as it will sound I really enjoy Lent. I like the idea of a portion of the year that is meant for self sacrifice and being a better or more spiritual person. I also like that the end of Lent means Easter and spring.

So I will get some photos up, but in the mean time how did you celebrate the holidays this weekend (or today)?

Happy Valentines Day!

Hope you all have a great day!

back but busy

I'll have to post later, but we made it back no problems on Wednesday. I have a very busy weekend on tap so I'll talk to you guy later.

Seriously

I know this is going to sound like a joke, but bill and I just got in the most magical place on earth. We went to check into our flight and bill finds out that our flight doesn't exist anymore. So we call southwest and after being on the phone for 40 min we got rebooked on a flight for Wednesday.

So we frantically called about our dog and our house and our room (we needed another night). Luckily we have had a wonderful vacation and we are getting stuck now and not at the beginning of the trip. I think over all I couldn't ask for a better place to be stranded. We miss our doggy and feel bad but on the plus side we do get to miss this snow storm.

I'll post more once we are home.

iNeed

So about a year ago Bill bought me this little chair back massage dodad from Brookstone called an iNeed. I loved it in the store and was so excited to use it at home. Sadly, it is meant to be strapped around a chair, and there wasn't a really good spot the do this at home. So my iNeed sat in its bag all sad and under used. But this fall I said to myself, why don't I just take this into work? so I did. and about a month ago I set it up on my chair. This thing is one of the most addictive little machines out there, and I am afraid that while on vacation I will start having withdrawal symptoms (achy back, tight shoulders, general crankiness)

two more days

and then we're out of here!! I can't wait to get to a warmer climate for a few days. I think the sun will do me some good.

Lost: the final season

So there is a lot of hype out right now about the final season of Lost. While I am excited, as I do like the show. I feel like am and being set up for disappointment. Its like the Oscar complex. Very often if I see a movie before it is nominated/won, I will enjoy it and most likely think it is deserving of the nomination. But, If I see as movie after it has received a nomination, or more importantly won an Oscar, I usually think it is over hyped and not very good. There are exceptions to this but I am worried that a show that has entertained me for a good number of years now might have its final season over hyped by the time I watch it.

Bill and I had a very nice weekend. Spent time with Lily on Saturday, and Sunday we were able to see his friend Pasha and his girlfriend Tegan. I also made Bill go through his closet and clean it out (something that has not been done since we moved in). We still have a bunch of organization to do around the house, but I am feeling like it is cleaner and in better order as of late.