Life, Interrupted

Sorry to be so silent -- my father's computer has so many security features, Live Journal would not let me in. Depending on your point of view, it did or did not end well. Dad passed the evening of Thanksgiving, having waited until Mom was asleep and we were out of the room. Once hospice took over and he refused his meds, he lived six days, most of it in a coma. It was a blessing in that he was finally out of pain -- my mother commented that he looked so young, with the pain lifted from his face.

I'm afraid the past two months has messed with my own recovery, and nothing has gotten done on the manuscript. So don't know how often I'll be posting. But I will continue "Let the Gluten Go," since avoiding gluten on my trip was one of the things that kept me able to function.

There are war stories about starting to clean out the condo, but they are for later. I was stunned at what papers want for obits now -- quite a money maker for them, I imagine.
( Here's the obit )
Blessings.

A cup of tea to the rescue! DAMMIT!

Thanks to all who asked, and for those good thoughts!

Well, word's back on my father's health, and it's not good. It's bad enough that I finally have him willing to try eating food prepared in a macrobiotic style. So I'm looking for someone who would be willing to take a diet plan created by a macrobiotic nutritionist and prepare some basics for him, like soups and grains. He would need these delivered to him at an assisted living center in northwest Tucson.

I'm hoping that if he likes the food, he will want more things from the chef. If this makes a significant improvement in his health, the chef might see more business from the doctor. I will make sure the doctor knows about the improvement.

I am pretty frustrated. I made extra of things summer before last, and he "did not want to take any of my special food I'd hauled up there" so would not try it. Even the squash soup, which he watched me pluck from a farm stand and saute. AND tasted and said was SO good, but would not steal any!

If I can't find a macro chef, I will look for a chef who would prepare macro to spec from the nutritionist's recipes. (I'm assuming this could be accomplished, often a dangerous thing.)

Last ditch, moving to Tucson to cook for him. Not what I want (or my parents -- they like having us a little bit farther away), but it has to be on the table.

So please -- forward to anyone who might know about the Tucson area!

Does anyone have a sourdough bread recipe they love, and will share?

Why? We gotta make sure this is good stuff before forwarding!

***
Great minds think alike! The question of the ancient K____ sourdough has been raised, and today, I can answer it. The yeast lives!

Seriously, the yeast was dried and in the back if the fridge when we moved from our previous house. I asked W what it was, and he told me -- and it occurred to me that yeast dormant for thousands of years has been cultured. So, we took it along. And last week, I gave it organic wheat and water, prepared the jar, and tucked it next to the refrigerator. I can smell sourness and alcohol, and I think we're in business.

The proper way to send it, amazingly, is to dry it out, probably on parchment paper, and then mail it along. So, when I'm sure we're doing all right, I will dry out some yeast and send it along.

Dad Yeast -- the glue of the family! (Apparently in the family some XX years or so.)

I was remarking to a friend recently how my respect for my mother (already great -- after all, she raised three daughters through a turbulent time, and none of us got pregnant, did drugs, or joined the SDS) has grown in the wake of trying to fix real meals for W & I -- both for weight reasons, and simple health reasons (refined carbohydrates just ladle on the fat, when you're on antibiotics.) The time issues are nuts.

Then this study is released:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1916891

So, I sure hope you got your Mom a card, for heaven's sake!

I apologize for the nuttiness of this paragraph. My energy is improving, but brains are still dandelion fluff . . ..