Another ten...

1- Just when things were settling into the new year rhythm, another kidney stone popped up. Bad enough to need hospitalization. Being on the high-risk, ante-partum unit was scary as crap. Being in the hands of the staff at Walter Reed(not all, but enough to spoil the whole bunch, in my opinion), even scarier. I am shocked by some of the things that were said to me. I am more shocked that they were said by military "professionals" and equally as shocked that they are health care workers. In charge of caring for sick people. I guess it's because I don't go to the doctor/hospital that often, because some people I've spoken to aren't surprised by the treatment I received. Considering my husband falls into both categories, maybe I just expect everyone to act as he does? I don't think that's the case. I think it's more that I expect people to have compassion, concern, general decency. Moving on! I'm saving the rest for all the letters I plan to write.

2- I was also turning over a new leaf. I was planning on trying to be a littler gentler when presenting my case against the food world on ye olde blog. And then I was given a tray of hospital food. I had to laugh when reading the label on my yogurt. "Oh, it's KOSHER gelatin." I said...Sean's response, "Oi vey."He makes me laugh. Sean also made the point, why on earth does there need to be fructose, aspartame(200 times sweeter than sugar), and sucralose(600 times sweeter than sugar) in this particular yogurt? Not to mention all the other wonderful ingredients...

3- TBHQ-A derivative of BUTANE. Lighter fluid. In your food. I've read articles that justify that it's not the exact same and it's all about dosages. Um, so it's okay to eat a little bit of poison, just not a lot? How much is too much? Just how many nuggets can I get away with if my entire diet consists of CRAP? See there, now I'm mad. I'll just leave a linky dink and you can read it at your leisure. I would encourage you to fumble through your pantry and see if you can find TBHQ in something you're currently eating. Don't think you're safe b/c you eat "healthy" food such as butter like spread...

4- While I'm in the neighborhood...I've mentioned it before: Carageenan. It makes me sick, literally and figuratively. I have a similar reaction when I eat MSG. It is in every non-organic baby formula but Good Start. I, personally, just found it in my freezer. Buh-bye, Trader Joe's ice cream sandwiches. A list you can use if you're looking to avoid this unnecessary, convenience toxin can be found HERE. Are we really so lazy that we need chemicals in our milk so we don't have to shake it? I've always shaken my dairy products whether they need it or not. It's just a habit, I guess.

5- Talking with two of my food friends today, we all seemed somewhat frustrated. It is immensely frustrating to feel like you're doing the right thing only to continue finding more and more and more in relation to food. It almost seems not worth it sometimes. But when you have a physical reaction to a chemical in food, when your body is TELLING you, "Hey, that ain't welcome here!" it's hard to ignore. When you can see your kids lose their minds after eating something they typically don't. With cancer and childhood diseases and obesity and and and on the rise, it has to be attributed to something. Considering a good bit of our food supply is manufactured in chemical plants, I choose to start there. Maybe it's not where you choose to start, and that's ok.

When is enough enough? I don't know. I haven't reached that point yet. I am aware that for every thing I know(about food and every other topic in life), there is an infinite amount of things I don't know. I get that, but it doesn't keep me from seeking. Why am I so belligerent about it? I have gotten to the root of that, but don't know if I manage to convey it all that well. I am not mad at individuals, I am mad at corporations. I am so angry that this crap is pushed on the public. I am angry that it has all been designed that way. I am completely pissed off that politicians have anything at all to do with our food supply. I hatehatehate that it's all a big money game and we are just pawns in some sick, twisted game. They use our kids, we get sick and they shrug their shoulders and laugh all the way to the White House bank. Thankfully, we still have a capitalist society. Money votes both ways, fellas. We may have less money, but we have more people.

I heard a sermon about legalism the other day and I'm not all about everybody agreeing with me. I am not truth. I seek truth in every area of my life and this is just one little segment that seeps out. Perhaps, I get a bit overzealous. Perhaps, I come across as a wanker. Perhaps, I could chill out, just a hair. Perhaps, people are actually listening and need a swift shove in the right direction. This blog is my only outlet to a very small audience, and by golly, I'm gonna use it. The end. Of this point. I'm probably not done completely. :)

6- And since I wound my way around to spirituality, I was reading John this morning. Specifically, I was reading about Jesus turning water into wine. I had the thought, "Why was this included? What is important about this miracle?" It's not one of the huge, dramatic miracles like raising people from the dead, so in my mind, it is less significant. Until I started searching. In my human mind, I guess miracles should be dramatic. The whole point of this miracle was to show the glory of Jesus. The fact that miracles don't have to be huge. God is in the little things, too. Ah...I found this commentary to be very informative.

7- While searching this morning, I came across the comment, "the Sadducees were the conservatives of the time." I guess that means the Pharisees were more liberal? So...two parties(we'll just call them Republicans and Democrats to Americanize it, shall we?) who knew the Law but JUST DIDN'T GET IT. They missed the WHOLE POINT. The biggest part of the story went right over their heads. The most powerful, influential people of their time...clueless. Makes perfect sense to me. Some people just aren't meant to get it, I s'pose.


8- Instead of doing 12on12, or maybe in addition to, I wanted to start the year off doing a 6on6 to make sure I take a picture of each individual in the family at least one day of the month, every month of 2013. I was a day late due to hospitalization, but I got 'em! I'll have to be a little creative for the youngest in the family for a few more months yet.

all (unedited) phone pix//1.6.13

Titus, hanging out at the foot of my bed.

 Simon, bored in the corner.

 Felix and his get well card.

 Looking smashing in my Walter Reed get-up, full of IV fluids, pretty sure I'd narrowly avoided death by stoning.

 My love, lacing up my shoes. This was actually taken on the 7th, but it'll have to count. 

The baby. They put us on the monitor twice a day. I just love hearing his little heartbeat. Magic to a mama's ears. He didn't like the sensors one bit and kept dodging and kicking them. 

9- A great blog post by a great friend. I respect the heck out of this lady who is so tough in the face of so many trials. #SweetsSynd

10- I am off to start my 2013 Project Life. It's 8Jan, so I am officially 8 days behind. :)