So, three days ago I discovered Facebook.  Funny?  I guess so. Not that I didn't know of it in principle or didn't have an account, or didn't accumulate dozens of friends. I just couldn't figure out how to fit it into my life. I finally tried it, and it's awesome (during work-hours, when people are not posting their mafia wars updates!)

As a result, I asked my twitter friends how twitter was to be used differently. The answer surprised me. This particular group said, twitter is like a running conversation,a chat - while Facebook is more of a news feed.  I know, not everyone shares is. However, the discovery became very powerful. I am really enjoying the idea that I can make my comments to a pretty tight group of people, engage in conversations and just plain amuse myself, without any pressure or expectation of response times. It's made my day better.

Over the last couple of months I have really discovered blogging. Topic-based communities are extremely appealing to me, given that my interests tend to be shared with various tiny minorities: objectivism, rational parenting, paleo,  I have been able to connect with people that care about what I think more than they care about me. As odd as it sounds, it's quite satisfying. (Mike asked me how many blogs I had. Two: parentingis.com and cavekitchen.com.

Surprisingly, there is still room for LJ: well, I guess it's the people that just plain got to know and care about the whole me.

I've got a better life. I am connected with friends, like-minded people, pleasant cliques, communities. It's weird that there are so many tabs & applications this connectedness required, but I figure Steve Jobs will fix that soon enough.  :-)

We had a pretty unusual vacation this weekend.  For details, read more.

Did you know, trans fats are not the invention of the food industry? That they occur naturally in beef, lamb and dairy? I just learned that today and at first did not take it seriously. Turns out that not only is it true - but it's not at all bad news!  http://www.cavekitchen.com/2010/09/trans-fats-not-entirely-unnatural.html

I don't push my Paleo blog on here too much, but I will do so just this once, because I've been feeling so good about the world lately! CaveKitchen was planned as a recipe blog. I don't know what it will become in the future, but at the moment, it is a collection of my research in nutrition. It contains discussions of studies on topics that matter to me the most. Currently, I am on a kick about fats. I'd love it if you would follow!

Get this: Stretching before running does not prevent injury according to a study published at the USA Track & Field website.  However, enthusiasm matters!

The study found a slight increase in "reported" injuries in the non-stretching group. However, "serious" injuries measured by a week or more off practice, did not increase.  Why?

So you are a runner who volunteered to participate. If you were used to stretching, and were randomly assigned to a non-stretching group, you'd be pretty scared, right?  Yeah, so 22% of such people reported an injury to a medical professional.  Only 11% of those who were not used to stretching did.

Bottom line, though it's hard to believe given what we have been hearing since middle school, a warm-up is just that: an increase in your body temperature. Stretching feels good and is a worthwhile exercise in and of itself. However, it is highly optional.

I love finding these bits and pieces.  Thanks to NY Times article by Tara Pope for bringing this information.

Dear organizers of the MOMS chapter for the city of Rancho Palos Verdes,

I was extremely eager to join your organization when I first moved here and was thrilled to pay the $25 annual fee to join.  Having been accepted (what an honor!) I rushed to the first event you had, which was hosted at the California Pizza Kitchen. To make the story short and avoid hurting anyone's feelings, I took my children and dined at a nearby table so as to avoid any further emotional damage to them or their mom caused by the adults' behavior.

Unfortunately, paying the $25 fee apparently entitled me to a life-long subscription to your mailing list, which underscored all the reasons I wouldn't be part of your group if I were receiving a $25K fee to do so. I had been hoping that once my membership expired, I'd quit being bothered by the inane correspondence.  We are now past the two year mark and I still get subjected to spoiled PV moms looking for "reputable pet sitters". (No, there is nothing wrong with reputable pet sitters - it just sort of adds color in describing your group.)

So, come out with it - what's it going to cost to have me off the list??

Kate

P.S. Truthfully, I can see the difficulty as THERE IS NO LIST ADDRESS.  Each member hits "reply-all" every time they wish to post and I receive a message with fifty names that I could sell at a profit... Hmmm... there is an idea.

Guess what! Talked to my beloved obgyn and (as I was hoping), he poo-pooed the ultra-conservatism with which pregnant women are encouraged to treat excercise.  He told me not to hurt myself, not to go past pain or dizziness - and generally listen to my body.  But it is ok to get very tired, overheating is not a concern (unless I planned on doing a 5-hour marathon) and the biggest concern is hurting me - not the baby.

Yay!  Crossfit wouldn't be a lot of fun if you weren't allowed to push yourself. I am so relieved.  Its like, I have worked so hard to get pregnant, I don't want to give it up - but I've worked even harder to attain my new lifestyle - I want to have my cake and eat it too.  :-)

One of my biggest regrets right now is that I do not have sufficient time to do proper research into paleo. Yes, paleo is awesome. It tastes great, it grants you much more energy, and turned me into a happy well-adjusted human being.  BUT I am not sufficiently familiar with the science behind the statements to be able to state with confidence, why.

Today is a wonderful day as the science came to me!  If you are interested in healthy & nutrition to any level at all, go check it out! 

JAMA: Dietary Guidelines in the 21st Century - a Time for Food

(Oh, and so I know you read it, leave me a comment with your thoughts!)

I haven't read the underlying publication yet, but I will before long!

I am feeling absolutely amazing today. Rolled out of bed and showed up for my Crossfit class super-sleepy. A jog around the block woke me up, more or less.  The warm-up would have killed me a few weeks ago.  How do you like this:

10 x pullups (I use a kind of a rubber band to reduce the weight i am lifting - but today was the first day I was able to do all pullups with no stops or fails)
10 x kettle pushups (pushups while holding to "kettle weights" instead of the floor - just different muscles, I suppose)
10 x PVC overhead squats(squats don't sound bad till you try to do them right)

all that three times = warm-up.

And then today was my first back squats day: real bar on my shoulders, full squats. I am super-conservative any time my back is involved and I could do much more than I was, but it was totally amazing. This little Brazilian girl maxed out at 170lb! I did 53... sad, eh? But when they made me go all the way down into a squat, things still got complicated nonetheless!

After that - a long cash-out, lots of bends and twists with a light barbell on my shoulders. I feel glorious!

I explained to Alex that Granny and I had a tiff, and that's ok because it can happen in families. We sometimes hurt each other's feelings. Then we make each other feel better. I also told him that she apologized and that I forgave her and we exchanged hugs. I asked him if he wanted to make her feel better. (I had to explain to Granny that the roaring dinosaur was a representation of such an attempt!)

Despite it all, I had a horrible day. I thought and re-thought our exchange. It is a harbinger of the things to come unless I figure out a good way to get a grip on the situation. I spent most of the day next to tears. I can't wait to see my husband. I miss my mom. I'd like to talk to my dad. I spent the day with my kids who love telling me that I am the sweetest mommy in the world. Finally, Veronika, the nanny, came and it was good to see her and we chatted. I also spent a little time on LJ and got to work building our latest business venture.

And just now it hit me. *I* am complaining about being alone?? She doesn't have a mom & dad (well, her mom is demented and in a nursing home). Her husband has died. Her babies are building their families and it's been a long time since they told her, she is the sweetest mommy in the world. She doesn't have a job, a business, or an online world that she is part of (not in a way we mean it, anyway). What she has is a family that she is not used to, doesn't really understand (least of all, her own child), but her survival depends on making piece with this strange girl (me).

That said, she has a funny way of going about it! But still... I guess I can understand a certain amount of spazzing.... I'll go make her feel better!

No, no... I fully intend to continue various carnal pleasures.

I am having a very sad day... If you've read Atlas Shrugged, you'll recall the fascinating identification that evil can only succeed by taking advantage of your virtue and solely if you allow it. In other words, evil is impotent except in as much as the good sanctions it. Ok.. that's poetic. In practical life, evil can show up and rob you in the middle of the street. Still, I've encountered the phenomenon often enough.  It is particularly illustrative when dealing with those who are close to you.

There is nothing more wonderful and gratifying than helping another out of a hardship. Yet, you are never more exposed. Your kindness becomes a weapon against you in the wrong hands. Your care, a poison to seep slowly into your emotions and cripple you.

So, is the answer to quit caring? To walk coldly as another is in pain? Nah... I find so much happiness in my relationships, caution be damned. I do tend to be extremely choosy and have few friends as I prefer not to let the serpent into my soul. I maintain few familial relationships as those are not a matter of choice - most of those people would never be near me if it wasn't for the old tradition of blood comradery. My parents are wonderful people and I take pride in that.

Can I be more vague? Yeah, I know, this is pretty rambly... but that's the way it goes. I wanted to ramble. I am sad.  And alone. In a dark office that shares space with my bedroom. I miss my mom. Somehow, despite a great chasm in our relationship stemming from my parents' divorce and lasting several years, she has found a way back into my heart and she is always there for me, from 15,000 miles away. She always knows my pain and even my happiness. I am closer with my dad, but our connection is intellectual. With my mom, few words are necessary.

I got a bit far afield. Was there a field? Oh well.  :-) Years ago, when my marriage was falling apart and I thought myself too much of a coward to leave, my mom said to my dad, "It probably won't work. But she is not ready to leave. Until and if she is, all we can do is be there for her." I found out years later - and there is so much wisdom in that statement... I grew a whole new level of respect for her. (And the unthinkable did happen - our marriage survived and became stronger, eventually growing into a peaceful and happy union.)

That's it from the Dept of Gloom.

Did I mention, I do crossfit now? I am actually really into it.  It's like strength/conditioning/endurance/cardio all rolled into one, workout that's designed to make you think you are going to die - and then come back for more. For somebody who has never been into exercising, I am doing great. I am not yet at a level where I can do a full crossfit workout as it was designed to be - but in the month or so I've been doing it, I've seriously made progress.  It used to be, my main problem was the inability to continue breathing through the workout - no cardio endurance whatsoever.  As that passed, I was able to really tax myself in terms of strength & endurance.  Now, my workouts are far more rounded, each bringing out some weak point I didn't know I have.

It's awesome.  But.. boy, am I sore today!

I am feeling quite sour today. Getting ready for my weekly review with myself, I stood in front of the mirror and silently said, "So what exactly is making you unhappy?" Thoughts whirled around - there were too many to condense into an answer and presented insufficient pattern to isolate the fundamentals.  "So what would make you happy right now?"  "Working with Jeffy on our project together!" It was so immediate, and so strange. Then it hit me.  "I won't go too far off course if I were to say that all unhappiness in my life comes from a sense of loneliness."

Much like joy does not equal happiness, sadness, stress, anxiety are neither necessary nor sufficient ingredients for unhappiness. I may be crying about something specific, but once the issue is resolved, if I regain the fundamental feeling of general well-being, I am not unhappy - just emotional.

And it is so easy for me to find myself lonely! My main endeavor, parenting, can be an extremely lonely task, cut off from my intellectual peers, alone in the responsibility, finding few people who could understand the what's and why's of what I am doing, fewer who could offer creative input I crave. My kids are wonderful company and comfort and I have learned to draw support from them. My husband has gotten better at being a partner over the years and whenever I feel a degree of partnership, it is warms me. My job is far worse - literally alone without even a team mate to bounce ideas off of. I enjoy the technology mailing lists and imagine real people behind the emails.  Jeff and I don't share our tastes in food, having virtually incompatible palates, and as healthier eating is becoming an important part of my life, I find myself alone there too.

The irony is that every important principle I have isolates me from the majority: philosophy, parenting, education, politics, nutrition - I seem to move farther away from humanity with every field I delve into seriously as I learn that, yet again, I join a tiny minority to pursue something of value.

I find some poetry and romance in this discovery. More importantly, I see hope in identifying the root of, well, all unhappiness I've ever had in my life.  That has to be a good thing! I've been on a firm path toward happiness for about six months now. Not there yet, clearly - but I am happy far more often than not.

My new mac is here!  It looks amazing. $425 for a 1.83 GHz/2GB Memory little hard drive.  :-)

And here is a tip for mac users whose laptop quits emitting sound: if the mac is acting like your speaker output is non-existent or broken, insert a paperclick into the headphones jack. In my case, when I looked, the hole was lit up red. Inserting a paperclip and pressing some reset button inside caused the light to go off and the sound to come on!

Yipee!

There are so many changes suddenly happening in my life, I feel like I am on a merry-go-round.

I am now firmly and solidly on the Paleo diet/lifestyle and it's pretty amazing what it has done for me over the last couple of months.  CaveKitchen is my new blog detailing my paleo life, the trials and tribulations of trying to learn to cook, discovering and discovering the improvement of one's life and health as a value and learning about blogging and its role in my life.,

Alex is going back to school! To get everyone caught up, I pulled him out mid-year because despite everyone's best efforts, he was still having a hard time separating after a year and a half or preschool. This time he feels different, I feel different and the whole idea was led by him and his passionate desire to return (one he had to keep at bay for months now!) We went to visit his school and his teacher, and it was amazing.  Pretty obvious, she was astounded and delighted to have him back. I always thought, her interactions with him were far more heart-felt and filled with emotion than with other kids. Watching her delight & joy today made me realize how true that was.

Not the least of the changes: (are you ready for this??) My mother-in-law is moving in with us tomorrow! We spent several days now moving our office into the bedroom, cleaning it out and setting it up for her. 

My mac was starting to get sick, so I sold it and acquired a new one - mistimed in such a way that I am stuck on my windows computer until Monday!  On that note, if you are a mac person and like having your printer attached to an AirPort router, this discussion will help you get windows to print to it (make sure you find the information about port 9101 half-way down - it's critical!)

Alex asked me if it was ok for him to eat at his friend Olivia's house. I said, certainly.

Olivia:  "Let me go ask your mom"
Alex:    "I did. She already said yes."
Olivia comes over, apparently ignoring his claim.
Olivia:  "Ms. Kate, can Alex come over for dinner?"
Me:      "You didn't believe Alex when he told you, I said yes?"
Olivia:  "No."
Me:      "Did you think he lied?"
Olivia:  "Ah.. yeah.. no.. Does Alex like meat?"
Me:      "Why don't you ask him yourself?"

Everything went smoothly from there.  Seriously, kids are so used to being disbelieved, they have accepted the fact that they are untrustworthy as a group. This is quite sad. I bet, Olivia's parents think they've done a tremendous job teaching her about honesty. I wrote a while ago about Teaching kids about being truthful because I think that the vast majority of parents miss the mark.  Boy.

A few weeks ago, Alex's swim teacher (Matt of Akai Swim School) was holding his arms, asking him to kick and saying, "OK, now put your face in the water!" Alex would gingerly dip his nose, lift it up, lest an extra drop go where it isn't supposed to, and sputter.

Today, he has no fear of water. He jumps, he dives to the bottom, he is reprimanded by the lifeguard on trying to pull stunts while jumping in. He is one step away from being a swimmer: side breathing (lift your head out of the water and take a breath for those who, like me, learned to swim from their pet dog).

The method they use is very unusual and quite amazing.

Step 1: learn to get your head in the water and hold your breath. They do that alongside teaching the kids to jump in the water, kick their feet and learn to accept back-lying position.
Step 2: swim under water by kicking feet only - then come up for air and find your footing)
Step 3: learn to use the arms and put everything together (along with learning to float on the back)
Step 4: side-breathing (completing the basic stroke along with the back stroke)

Until they get to step 4, they are limited by the amount of time they can hold their breath in how far they can swim.  However, everything is done under water - something most of us avoid like the plague while we are in the pool. This process builds so much confidence and comfort in the water! And it clearly looks like swimming "the right way".  I would like to take an adult course this fall, too. (My pet dog wasn't the best of all swim instructors!)

A key element at Akai swimming program is the use of an extremely shallow pool for independent practice along with a class pool that allows a 4-yr-old to reach bottom. In my view, it is so important to let the child experience the water outside of his parent's arms and without any swimming props like boards, floaties, noodles and the like. Other swimming programs, like Australian Swimming School we had a few classes in, just pale by comparison.

Someone I am in contact with said:

I've been eating Paleo for about three weeks now. Today I indulged myself in some maple syrup to go with ham I cooked for lunch. I am in such a food coma right now... can barely keep my eyes open - the first time since I quit food-pyramid-style-eating.

Every day thus far I have marvelled at the amount of energy I had. Surely, I could eat a tiny bit of maple?

N O .

Damned.

Today I blogged (in my brand-new, totally cool Cave Kitchen blog) about making perfectly amazing ribs. Today is a good day!

On a separate note, there is some seriously funny stuff about food pyramids, real and imagined on Mark's daily apple. Be sure to scroll down if you don't click for the articles. :-)

This post is dedicated to Eleanor, whose LJ name I can't remember. (Please remind me so I can make sure you show up on my friends page). Turns out, besides great taste in men, we share a desire to learn to cook this summer.

And boy, do I need it. This whole Paleo thing has changed my life dramatically in so many amazing ways. Only... it's also kind of impossible without cooking. Like what would you do if you couldn't just put a pot of pasta on the stove in a pinch, or just throw a piece of cheese on a bagel?I know I know! I really know now :-) YOU GO HUNGRY. And what do you do if you don't know how to cook and start attempting to make things for yourself and others three meals a day? YOU GO HUNGRY. LOL.

For the first time in days I cooked something I actually liked.

I was in a huge rush and found some frozen chicken from Trader Joe's, which included some boneless thigh meat as well as breast for the picky eaters. :-) I poured everything I could think of into a bowl and left it out to defreeze and marinate for an hour and a half while we went swimming. So here it goes:

- A cup of orange juice
- Similar amount of white wine
- half a cup of vodka (I figured it would help the flavor penetrate the frozen meat)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup worceshire
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- diced onion
- 5 cloves diced garlic

Marinade for as long as you have available. :-)

- 1 man with a set of grill tools

20 minutes on the grill over *low* heat, brushing with marinate (I learned, that's how you make your meat tender!)

It was absolutely amazing. My pieces also had some BBQ sauce brushed on them, while hubby and kids ate theirs plane. It was tasty, not too spicy, juicy, yummy - I am a happy cave woman today!

Today Lily (almost 2 yrs) has figured out (correctly, if you study anatomy) that there is a penis inside her vagina. She is the one I have come to believe, would bring a Fields medal into the family. Do you really need further proof?

So, this topic might make you cringe. I, personally, find it somewhat amusing. I first became aware of the idea of circumcision some time in the early nineties. And quickly realized that whenever it got mentioned, people put on arms and began tackling each other! Perfectly normal moms and dads start flaming wars, calling each other names, and using vocabulary that does not normally belong in an intellectual debate.

Recently, one of my normally buttonned-up mailing lists because inflamed, generating 50 messages  in a half an hour after the topic got mentioned. No, really, how can you help but laugh?

OK, so I'll just say it, I chose not to circumcise my son because I did not find enough evidence in favor of circumcision.  (The burden of proof is on he who asserts the positive here). That said, I am completely understanding of both sides of debate - except while they are in the process of debating!

Well, it turned out (at the end of the heated discussion mentioned above) that they finally managed to put together a pretty good study on the subject of sensitivity (this happens to be the big argument for those who, unlike me, choose to try to offer proof for the anti-circumcision side).  It's an interesting read - it appears to be an application of good scientific method - and you get to find out terms and locations for all kinds of interesting places!  :-)

( Results summary behind the cut )

OK, I know that all of my friends think I have gone crazy.  I have specifically selected friends from among those who *would* think ideas like the ones that are possessing me are crazy!  :-) Please don't be shy about feedback. Recently, lariss did me a favor of going off on a rant about raw milk.  (The jury is still way out on that). Before I adopt these radical notions, I need to get them past as many  filters of logic and reason as I can. So, call me names, ask me questions, make me defend my views, put me on trial.  I will repeat this message from time to time to make sure no man is left behind.

( Today I made two delightful discoveries.  )

1. We've been making soda for some time now with sodastream.com . They send you a little carbonation device and a selection of syrups. The result is absolutely delightful.  Well, since I started Paleo, my taste for sugar has plummeted.  I can't stand almost anything that's sweet.  It really grosses me out. Water is better than soda, but boring. Today I found a delightful idea: carbonated water with lemon juice!  Unbelievably delightful. I'll be trying other juices next!  I imagine, grape & pomegranate are going to be a good idea.

2. OK, this is a crazy one.  Heard of "poo-less"? People decided shampoos are evil. Don't get me wrong. I am pretty sure I hate 99% of those people. But I also happen to think that shampoos, though lacking the morality of any sort, overdry our hair and are marketed for daily use, which is clearly inappropriate (this claim supported by every hairstylist I've ever visited). Well, poo-less people say that if you quit using shampoo and put up with the horrid mess that results for a few weeks, your hair will start doing the job on its own.  Poo-less people use water, occasionally baking soda on roots, someone suggested coconut oil on the ends (makes a lot of sense, actually), and a vinegar solution for dandruff, if it's a problem at all.  Can't say much about the latter (I do have horrible dandruff, so I'll have to try it soon) but I did try the baking soda/coconut oil.

It was amazing.  My scalp is singing! We'll see how I look in the morning.  I used coconut oil for shaving, too, as someone suggested, and that was predictably very very nice.

I found MarksDailyApple.com to be an invaluable source of nutritional reference and early research.  One day I might wonder, "Is chocolate OK?"  I search for chocolate in mark's daily apple and - wholla - very dark chocolate (my favorite) is one of the best options for sweets. So I try it.  Guess what! You can only eat 3-4 squares of dark chocolate at a time, and you feel deliciously indulgent! Put me in front of Mike'n'Ikes and my husband and I can polish off the entire halloween supply in a night or two! I like the results, they make sense, no further research necessary at this stage.

Today, I thought, "Salt?" Found the scoop on salt! Nothing new here. Salt is not so good, but the best way to reduce it is start with natural ingredients (I mean, like, chicken & tomatoes instead of a can of campbells).  Note the variety of links that lead down further paths. Not too interested this time. Moving on.

The biggest thing I need to learn about now is the digestive tract. Just how does it work? Now I don't want to ask a guy with an agenda. I am looking for articles that come from .edu sources, contain no graphics and are *boring*.  I think, I've got my candidate: A chapter out of an online biology book. Now this brings up old memories and reminds me of why I dropped my biology course after the midterm! Hey, this time I am seriously motivated.

Finally, the most controversial topic I have discovered since venturing into Paleo: raw milk.  Seriously? Non-pateurized 19th century practices? Don't they have episodes of House on non-pasteurized cheese? No, really, people! I have to find out if I am going to associate with that group, right? Well, here it is... I am baffled and confused. Perhaps more so than if the same group of people started advocating evidence of Jesus Christ & his special powers... I think, I am going to have to track down the references in this article and makes sense of them. But the bottom line is: the fear of raw milk is exaggerated and pasteurization/homogenation processes kill the good with the bad, doing more harm than good.

Stay tuned... i

This is a repost from my report to the OEvolution group:

-----
After two false starts and almost giving up on the whole idea, I suddenly found myself in an amazing place.

I am now eating a high-protein diet and am discovering a sudden change in my physical and emotional well-being. I am so excited, I find myself waiting to wake up.  I just had to share with someone!

So here it is. About two years ago, my life spun out of control, leading to a lot of stress and unhappiness.  I was able to get myself back together and fix most of the problems, but stress, low energy level, short-temperedness and near-constant exhaustion stayed. I quit smoking without much of a problem - but found that months later, i was so edgy, I was unable to be a successful parent.  Reintroducing nicotine (sans tobacco) helped my mood, but left me feeling desperately helpless for I've never found myself so out of whack, I needed drugs to cope with day-to-day living.  I assessed my life and found that I was on a good track and happiness should have been within reach - I was just too exhausted to get there!

I have experienced a transformation that almost sounds too good to be true. My energy lasts way past dinner time. I am bouncing around, taking care of my children, maintaining nearly perfect demeanor throughout the day, and feeling full of endorphins (that's one of the things that surprised me the most). And my food tastes sooo good.  The last time food was this yummy was when I was pregnant the first time (*everything* made my mouth water!) The last time I was this happy was, well, back when I thought I was happy!

And here is what I am doing/eating:

1. Minimal grains/no beans (grains mostly come in the form of things like tortillas when we are eating out).
2. No fruit except 1-2 bananas daily (I decided, that would be my fruit luxury)
3. No sweets except dark chocolate bar , a few squares a week.
4. I continue to use sweetener with coffee, but I am cutting down gradually.  (I discovered, heavy cream with coffee is delightful, and it enabled me to cut splenda by 60% right out of the gate.)
5. I continue to drink home-made soda (sodastream.com), which uses splenda as sweetener, at least for now.
6. Lots and lots of meat. (Did you know, Hooters has amazing ribs an an appetizer? And of course, their wings are out of this world.)
7. I am very gradually moving my family toward yams. For now, I do things like mix potatoes and sweet potatoes together, to get their taste buds adjusted. My daughter and I loved yams right away, but dad & son, not so much.
8. We always have and continue eating lots of veggies: tomatoes,, avocado,  cauliflower, carrots, broccoli, cabbage (cabbage salad tastes so much better than lettuce!) and so on.
9. I am having fun doing a lot of cooking. Yum! The best part is, my kids are getting interested too.  Alex (4) announced, he will be a potato peeler when he grows up - he peels all the potatoey veggies!
10. I *love* Trader Joe's "Creamy Line" yogurt. (I've always loved all manner of yogurt, but oh boy!)  My classic desert now is yogurt with blueberries.  Yum!

Yesterday, I had an ice cream. I felt grosser than gross! Don't know how my body could adjust this fast - but it seriously told me, this behavior was no longer acceptable.

I told my son about the purpose of a man's life being his own happiness and told him all about how I was changing my life for the better. I was able to point out some of the changes I've seen him make to attain greater happiness - it was such a joy that I could finally talk about that with him! 

I am so grateful to those on this list who helped me along. I know, I plunged in without sufficient research and suffered the consequences. I am educating myself slowly now - and it is easy to do with all the motivation I've gained in the past week!