Check-In July 2008

aklap · Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Posts: 8501 Location: WI, USA

Holy cow! Peg just asked me if I started this post. Frankly, it didn't occur to me. It's been so cold and rainy in WI that it doesn't seem like July.

It was a busy June. The raffle for Lily was last night, I didn't get a chance to go. I kind of wanted to meet the person that won the panel. I hope they raised a boat load of $$ for Lily [so far the total is up to 12.5K. Not bad for a congregation of 309 ]. We should find out on Sunday how it went.

The Wed. we've been waiting for has finally arrived. The newspaper finally ran the article on our support group [or the concept of the support group]. Peg was paging thru the paper and started reading where we 1st saw it. When she started backtracking, she found that we were on the front page with a huge color picture - she missed it.

We got 1 call tonight already. We'll see how many others we get. The local cable channel spot did nothing.

So, how 'bout the rest of y'all?

For those of you just tuning in, Check-In is a chance to introduce yourself, let everyone know how you're doing, what you're up to, to touch base...something, anything, just let us know you're still around

The Check-In Time Tunnel

Here's what we were doing last July.
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Al

“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa

ostrich · Joined: 30 Mar 2006 Posts: 4137 Location: Nebraska

DH and I just got back from a 4 day trip to CA. It was nice to just do nothing for awhile (aside from a day-trip to San Francisco). And yes, the smoke is as bad as they show it on TV. Almost got glutened at Rainforrest Cafe.

And I did get glutened a couple of weeks before we left, which sucked. That means I had to stay home instead of working extra hours, which means I had to burn more precious vacation for our CA trip. Ah well, now I know to avoid that place.

We should be hearing back from the landscaping guy soon about our plan for the yard. I can't wait to see what he comes up with. I also can't wait to start working on it. I'm tired of looking at a large green rectangle.

On a sadder note, last month we had a couple of deaths in the family. DH's cousin and aunt both passed away from cancer. His aunt was sort-of expected. His young cousin was not.
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Ostrich :>--O==={

I lie below, you float above
In the pretty white ships that I am dreaming of

Fifi · Joined: 01 Feb 2008 Posts: 214 Location: Wauconda, IL

Well, I'm headed out to San Francisco on the 17th my db an sil are renewing their vows for their 10th anniversary. (ok I try not to gag) some people are really sappy in love and they are. I am taking my Mom (who is my best friend) and we will be spending 5 days there. My brother is planning a pizza party on Friday (of course he forgot I am gf) so I am making my own pizza and bringing it with so I can join in and not make him feel bad. I know he doesn't realize that pizza contains gluten. But The rest of the time My Mom and I are on our own so I am sure we will be able to eat where I have gf choices. I know SF has lots of options. We love to go to Pier 39. And if anyone has any other suggestions I am open.

Other than that, I think I have been eating too spicy as I have been experiencing heartburn and gas. so I have decided to plain my diet down for a while till my stomach settles down again. I was going crazy with my new found flour and my pizza. It may have been too much at once. But that is July in a nutshell.
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GF BD 1/4/2008
Rosanne

Torrey · Joined: 11 Apr 2005 Posts: 921 Location: Hawthorne, NJ

Wow--lots of California trips going on around here! Wink

I'm heading out to San Francisco at the end of the month for my brother's wedding. To be honest, I really can't wait to get out there--I hold a special place in my heart for SF. Smile

And besides, my brother and his fiancee are peas in a pod--just such a perfect match, and I am so happy for them! Very Happy

Other than that, the man and I continue our job search... Rolling Eyes

Os, I am sorry to hear about the sad news in your family. I hope July proves to be a better month for you all.

And Al, that's so exciting--very cool news! Smile

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~Torrey Smile

August 24, 1975
GF BD July 12, 2004

NorthernElf · Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 8:26 am Post subject:

We're heading out to England tomorrow for three weeks -we are SO excited. My three kids (12, 9, and 7) are pumped. We aren't going to do the museum to museum thing too much - we're going to hang out in the Northern Moors and see the sites as we want to, interspersed with parks and such for the kids to blow off energy. We'll probably go up to Scotland as well. My big challenge will be eating !!!! However, wouldn't you know it, my older brother (who lives over there) has a celiac girlfriend. Surprised

We won't meet up until the third week but she says the main grocery stores have a decent GF selection. I'm still nervous though because I know there will be dining out experiences.

We've had a heat wave here - 28-30 degrees Celsius for a week - 31 today. Kids are loving water games and such but I'm cooked.

celiacmaine-iac · Joined: 19 Dec 2007 Posts: 668 Location: Maine

I decided to do this today, because I have missed the last 3 check-ins thinking I would get to it, and then the month would be gone before I knew it. All is well here. We haven't had as much sunshine as usual, so my garden is off to a slow start. I hope it catches up because we have such a short growing season as it is.

I am now at 8 months GF and haven't been glutened in a very long time, months in fact. It is pretty much second nature to me now; I hardly even think about it other than when we have to go somewhere.

Our youngest DD is expecting her second child any day now. It's another girl. I wish she lived closer, as there is no way I can get to KY right now. Pictures will have to suffice for the time being.

On the creative side of things, I'm trying to get some quilting done this summer. I'm doing a lot of my own design work now, and am finding it to be a lot of fun, challenging as well.

Yay!! They finally published the article Al! Hope it gets you a good response. You probably won't hear from a lot of people this week because of the holiday, but hopefully after that. I can't wait to see it.

Also very happy to hear how much they have raised for Lily! I would think every penny helps when you are dealt a blow like that. I'm sure they will have a lot of expenses that won't be covered by insurance. Sounds like you have a great church family.

Happy 4th of July to all Americans on the board!
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Steph

GFPolarBear · Joined: 07 Mar 2007 Posts: 279 Location: WI

Hi, everyone. I've been MIA for a while, so it's time to catch up. I've certainly missed you all! Smile

DH got a job in Madison, so we moved back earlier this year. We also remodeled part of our house (which, fortunately in this case, hadn't sold yet).

My mother had been struggling with a breast cancer recurrence and unfortunately, she lost her brave battle in April. I spent a substantial chunk of April and part of May helping my dad to get affairs in order and support him as he tries to move on without his partner of over 40 years. He's doing as well as can be expected, and is coming to the Dairyland this month for a visit, so I'm excited.

I'm also about to return to school in the fall to do some 'post-bac' work, which basically means the last time I set foot in a classroom was some time ago and my science degrees are 'dated'. My plan right now is to try to get into Med school once that's done, or perhaps become a PA or a pharmacist. This summer, I'm basically just trying to get my zen back, rest a bit, and get ready for school.

I'm glad to be back on this board, and Happy 4th/Canada Day/whatever. Smile

TenKLady · Joined: 19 Jan 2005 Posts: 117 Location: Westminster, CO

Hi all,

I apologize for not posting in a very long time even though I do read the forum almost daily. Things are going fine as far as being GF goes. My daughter and I haven't been glutened in ages.

I had to give up running about a year ago because of severe cartilage damage to my knee. It has been a hard thing to give up because running helped me manage stress. I mountain bike now but I don't love it like I loved running.

I went to a GF food fair in June that was very fun! There were a lot of GF vendors there giving away samples and you could buy baking mixes and other items. My daughter and I were very full when we left.

We aren't taking a major vacation this year but are going on several camping trips instead. We just got back from one in State Forest State Park that was very enjoyable. We saw moose on several occasions in the campground.

We had a great 4th. My mom and dad had us over for dinner and then we walked to where the city was having the fireworks. The fireworks display was wonderful.

I've been keeping busy doing yard work and working in my garden which for the most part is doing well this year. My husband just finished adding on to our shed in the backyard to clear some of the junk out of the garage. Hopefully his next project will be to texture the wall in our dining room so I can paint.

Well that's all I have for now.

Laura Smile

nancw · Joined: 04 Oct 2006 Posts: 831 Location: Denver, CO

Hi all,

Gardening and composting at home and at my son's school, Little League (they are in the playoffs right now!), work is nuts (we are in the production biz, so lots of concerts/fairs/festivals), and prepping for vacaction next week! I'm excited for vaca, and the food and cooking utensil case promises to be rather full. I should have few problems eating well in Philly, as SIL is a nurse and "gets" my issues. I'm anticipating a long week in Indiana with DH's family, who are not as clued-in or understanding. Oh well, I can stand to lose a few lbs.

Food problems have been rare and my gut seems more tolerant of the things I eat sparingly. Very Happy

I've taken my anxiety level down a few notches and am learning to worry less about my health. It seemed the more I worried the worse I felt. Trying to decide whether to send my blood (and lots 'o' $) off to one of the specialty labs to have more extensive food intol testing done. I'd be interested to hear from those of you who have had this testing done. Though I am dealing with some upper back/rib issues which keep me from heavy-duty gardening and bike riding.

No measurable rain in over a month so things are hot and dry here in Denver. The lettuce and spinach have bolted so all I have to do is keep the squash and pumpkins going for the rest of the summer.

Take care everyone.

Cool

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Nance

gluten, dairy, soy, rice, yeast and 99% grain-free

NickisDragon · Joined: 06 Oct 2005 Posts: 331 Location: S.E. Michigan

Hi all, It's been "same ol' same ol' " here for me, but I DID love this year's spring. In June my peonies and iris were both blooming at the same time--all huge and tightly planted. It looked like Mother Nature exploded in my garden. It was breath taking. Unfortunately she exploded with storms shortly after and wiped out the blooms. The weather has been very strange but we Michiganders can't really complain when we see what everyone else has been hit with.
I'm getting ready for my annual retreat in 2 weeks. It's held at a small college. A few years back they switched to Marriott Food Services for their cafeteria and, amazingly, I haven't been glutened since. I let them know ahead of time that I'm coming and they prepare my food separately and scrupulously GF. Right now I'm healing from eye surgery and doing well but, please pardon any typo's. My fingers work just fine but my vision not so much just now. Hope everyone has a wonderful summer!
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The Love we withhold is the pain that we carry.
Nicki

B-Day: January 18
DX: October 2005

cruelshoes · Joined: 23 Sep 2005 Posts: 2501 Location: Washington State

Good to hear from some members we haven't heard from for a while. Thanks for catching us up on how you are doing.

Our busy summer is underway. Both of the older kids have already gone to one camp. Boy scout day camp for my son and church girls camp for my daughter. Sean is going to resident camp put on by the GIG in August. He has been a little quiet about it, so I knew he was nervous. The camp had an open house late last month, so we took the ferry over to check it out. He got to try canoeing, use a rowboat, do arts and crafts, do archery and see the cabins. They also had the counselors there for him to meet. Now he is nothing but excited to go to camp. He can't stop talking about it and how much fun he is going to have. He hasn't even gone yet, and he's already talking about next year. Very Happy

We have been working weekly with the Occupational Therapist for Sean't small motor coordintion disorder. It really seems to be helping. Last week, he was able to tie his shoes for the first time. That may not seem like much to you, but it is a big deal to him. Now he says he can have any kind of shoes he wants (previously he only wanted slip ons.) It still has not improved his writing at all, but we are taking things one step at a time.

Sarah turns 2 this month. I cant believe my baby is that old. Her toddler eating preference are in full swing. She won't eat anything but condiments. Ketchup, BBQ sauce, jelly, peanut butter, ranch dressing - if it is intended to be eaten on another food, she wants it. We get her to eat a little bit of real food, but mostly it's condiments. Oh well, she is growing, so I try not to worry too much.

Our garden is really going. The strawberry bushes are almost done, but the raspberries are exploding. We are eating them, freezing them and giving them away. Our pumpkins are starting to get little baby pumpkins on them. The peas are ready, and we just eat them straight off the vine.

I suppose I should mention GF food, too. Very Happy

Haven't been glutened in a while. I bought a christmas cookie magazine at a second hand store and I am planning to modify a lot of the recipes to GF. Get ready for the pictures!
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-Colleen
Dx 8/05 via bloodwork/biopsy
9-YO son Dx 11/05 via bloodwork/biopsy
Daughters have negative bloodwork - so far!

A woman is like a tea bag-you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water. - Eleanor Roosevelt

forinajoy · Joined: 01 Aug 2006 Posts: 201 Location: Texas

All is well here. We had our big 4th of July Party. This year we scaled down the number of people that we invited and we only had about 35 guests. It was much nicer for me and I enjoyed it so much more. I was able to actually visit some of my guests. We served brisket, shoe peg corn salad, potato salad, baked beans, spinach salad and watermelon for dessert...all of which was GFCF...rolls were brought, but served at a separate table (Ina could care less about bread most of the time or I would have made her some rolls).

My flower gardens are still blooming with zinnias, purple cone flowers, periwinkles, hydrangeas, caladiums and daisies. They have bloomed more this year than any year that I can remember, which has been so fun! Our vegetable garden has virtually burned up. We are still getting a few banana peppers and that is all.

Ina has been doing very well. She got braces and looks so cute! She is participating in the Special Olympics Swim Team. She will compete at the regional level in August and swim the 50 yard freestyle and the 50 yard backstroke. This will be her first competition and she is very excited about it. She has made several friends through this program and that has been so nice for her, the girls are really sweet.
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Connie, mom to Ina, 13 y/o with CD

HadassahSukkot · Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 4:45 pm Post subject:

We're still hanging in out here in Germany.
I celebrated my first 4th of July over here (last year I was too busy at a Genesis Concert in Leipzig... Embarassed

There were fireworks though, and we got rained out after!! ).

My inlaws came over and we had hamburgers (I even made buns!), Sweet potato casserole, corn and salad. It was a hit!

Of course the little one didn't think so, and decided to fight sleep the entire time we were eating Rolling Eyes

, but it turned out ok and we all had a great time. We played about 2 hrs worth of Dutch Blitz and had a blast.
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luvscowznh · Joined: 23 Dec 2004 Posts: 320 Location: Groton, MA

My DH and I moved into our new house the last weekend in June - thanks in great part to my folks. My mom and one of our friends were in charge of making sure I didn't do too much. "what are you lifting?" "How heavy is that?" "Why aren't you sitting down with your feet up?" It was kind of nice to be fussed over, but I wanted to do my share of the work. Especially since DH had a really bad cold and wasn't up to full strength either.

We're settling in and awaiting the arrival of the baby furniture so we can start setting up his room. I can't believe it's only another 7 or so weeks till he's due!! Time has gone by so fast!!

According to the cable company, our house is "unserviceable". They are sending someone out to figure out why and what we can do to fix it on the 15th. So, until then, I will be mostly logging in during the week when I get time at work.

AL - I'm glad that your stained glass panel is raising so much money for Lily. Smile

It is a beautiful piece! Can't wait to read the article you posted!

Torrey - I hope you find a job soon!!

Os - so sorry to hear about your losses.

--Manda
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celiacmaine-iac · Joined: 19 Dec 2007 Posts: 668 Location: Maine