It’s been a while since I’ve put a post up here. It’s not because I don’t think about this blog everyday (I do) it’s just that things seem to be a little overwhelming right now.
But if having 6 kids has taught me anything it’s that when things seem to happen too quickly the best way to slog through them is to simply make a list and attack what needs to be done, one item at a time.
So in that vein, here’s some news:
Spring Border-to-border New Hampshire walk –
Griffin (my son and border-to-border NH walking buddy) has agreed to join me in a walk *across* New Hampshire sometime this spring. I have another son who, if he is around also wants to join us.
According to Google, the trip is about 108 miles (we are starting at the New Hampshire/Vermont border and ending up on the coast in Portsmouth (where we will celebrate with Lobster rolls.) We are allocating 9 days to do it – we had learned from our walk last summer that walking on roads can be tough on our feet and bodies. We are planning on no more than 12 miles a day.
You can be sure I’ll come home with more lessons learned while we walk.
Spain
At the end of March, I will be going to with a friend to Spain for 8 days. She and I don’t have many plans other than to explore, eat good food, and drink some world-class wine. We’ll also be taking a side trip to France. I’ll be taking lots of photos and look forward to sharing that adventure with all of you.
Cancer update
I *still* have not had my skin cancer addressed (not really my fault – docs keep taking vacations and appointments keep getting moved.) I did finally get to see a plastic surgeon and it looks like the surgery is going to be a bit more extensive than I had thought. (I thought it was simply an office procedure where I drive myself in, have it done, thanked him very much, and then drove back home.) Nope. It looks like this one is a bit aggressive. The doc talked about cheek and forehead flaps while I stuck my fingers in my ears and said “na-na-na-na-na” (if you want nightmares go ahead and google what those are.)
If I can’t have the surgery in the next few days, it will have to wait until I get back from Spain in April. I’m thinking of ordering this wig to wear until I heal.
Plant-based diet
All this talk of skin-flaps has gotten my attention. I’ve written (many times) about how diet is so important when you have a chronic disease (Lyme in my case and now cancer.) I write about it, I understand the principals, and yet I’m the first to reach for a mug of beer, some ribs, or bread dunked in olive oil.
Not anymore. You want to be motivated to make a change, have a doc tell you that he may have to slice your forehead into ribbons.
So it’s plant-based for me (although when in Spain, while I plan to be as much plant-based as possible, I do intend to partake of the local food and drink.)
Last night I prepared two meals, eggplant parmigiana with salad and corn muffins for the family and soup, flat bread with hummus, avocados and tomatoes, along with a salad for me. My kids showed a lot of interest in what I was eating – they wanted to taste the soup, wanted to know where I purchased it (Whole Foods, Engine-2 Moroccan Stew) and wanted to know if I was full at the end of the meal (I was.)
Pro tip to parents – they still watch what you do even when they get older.
Chicken workshop
For New Hampshire Locals – I will be at the Lebanon Tractor Supply on March 25th from 11 – 3 with a table ready to answer any and all chicken related questions (and if I don’t know the answers, I know friends who would know.)
Stop by if you can to say “hi.”
Current book I’m reading
I’m reading the Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb – a novel based on historical fact. I grew up in Fairfield Connecticut and often visited the Barnum museum in Bridgeport, so I already knew a fair amount about General and Mrs. Tom Thumb, but this book is absolutely fascinating. How Lavinia went from (literally) the farm to the big stage is a journey of courage, insistence, and a great deal of side-who marketing.
Once you start, I’m not sure you’ll be able to put it down.
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Wendy Thomas writes about the lessons learned while raising children and chickens in New Hampshire. Contact her at [email protected]
Also, join me on Facebook to find out more about the flock (children and chickens) and see some pretty funny chicken jokes, photos of tiny houses, and even a recipe or two.
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