Living With Multiple Sclerosis: day

The second installment (and maybe the last, they're just a bit draining to write) of what my life is like daily living with Multiple Sclerosis. You can read the first installment here ...

It’s just after 9am. Steve is at work. The kids are at daycare.

I’m standing in the shower as the warm water rushes over my head. I probably shouldn’t have the water as hot as it is but it feels so good on my tired, aching body -- the body that woke up only two hours ago.

I close my eyes as I take in the warmth -- a quiet, relaxing moment. I open my eyes again and wonder how long I’ve had them closed. It feels like forever though I’m sure it’s only been a few seconds.

As I lift my arms up to wash my hair, they feel swollen and heavy. I’m sure the temperature of the water has something to do with it but any cooler and my body would tighten up making every joint feel brittle and stiff.

I tilt my head back to rinse out the shampoo. My neck and back begin to tingle. A shock travels quickly down my spine.

I think it’s about time I get out of the shower.

My body tenses at the change in temperature as I step out onto the tile and wrap the towel around my body. Not good. While the swollen feeling in my arms starts to subside, a feeling of heaviness overwhelms them as they try to adjust to the temperature of the room.

My hair is still dripping wet. I wrap a towel around my head and then stop to take a look in the mirror.

Who is this person staring back at me? The dark circles, eyes looking bloodshot and drained. Where did I go? What has happened to me?

I shake the thought out of my mind.

Time for make-up, make-up to hide my tired face. Maybe if I try to hide the tiredness then I’ll forget about it. It’s worth a shot. I put on my moisturizer and then cover-up as I try to hide the circles so dark that nothing seems to mask them anymore. As I raise my arm to put on my eye shadow, it feels like it’s taking way too long for the brush to reach my eyelid, way longer than it should. Every reach feels like a draining task but I keep the movement going.

What was I looking for again? I lost my train of thought. I was too focused on my arms.

It will come to me.

Oh right, mascara.

I glace at my watch. It’s been about 20 minutes since I stepped foot in the shower and I still have to finish getting dressed and dry my hair. I must keep my routine going. No time to stop or my body will remember it’s tired. I still have the whole day to go.

Having a shower and getting ready has made me tired. I just want to lie down on the bed but I know that won’t help. The minute I stop, my whole day will be shot. I’ll just want to lounge around and do nothing.

As I start to head for downstairs, I walk by the mirror that’s hanging on my bedroom wall. I take a quick glance as I keep walking, my legs feeling heavier with every step, my knees feeling like they’ve swollen to the size of melons. The tingling is still very much present in the bottoms of my feet, up my legs, in my cheeks and down my neck. My arms feel long and heavy like I’m wearing weights around my wrists.

It’s another day.

Here we go again.

Just got to keep on s'myelin!

The Secret's In The Soup

I remember summers going up to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario to visit my relatives. My dad would often take my brother and I to his parents house for lunch while my mom ran some errands with her mom.

My dad's mom was a great cook. Perogies, fish fries, blueberry pies, yum! She also made wonderful Minestrone soup. When I was about 11 years old and started getting interested in cooking, I asked my grandmother if she could show me her soup recipe. She went to the cupboard, brought out a pot, spoon, measuring cup, noodles and a can of Habitant Minestrone soup. What? A can of soup? You mean all this time I thought this soup was some wonderful concoction she created with homemade broth and vegetables from her own garden (which she had been known to do).

So, what was the secret that made this soup different than all the other canned soups out there? She added extra noodles, barley and a touch of cornstarch to make the soup a bit thicker! What a smart Grandma.

Sadly, my Grandma pasted away last September but I always think of her when I'm cooking. She is one of the people who inspired me to Paulatize my food creations like Lipton Chicken Noodle soup for example. My kids kept saying that they wished their soup had more noodles. No problem! I bought a package of noodles the same shape as the ones in the Lipton Soup package. Now when I make the soup I add 1/3 cup of the noodles to the pot at the same time I add the package of soup. More noodles for everyone!

Broccoli With Garlic Butter And Cashews

Today is my mom's 65th birthday. Happy Birthday, Mom! We celebrated yesterday with a yummy meal of red wine, lamb, Miami ribs, rice, grilled zucchini and one of our favourite side dishes, Broccoli With Garlic Butter And Cashews.

Broccoli With Garlic Butter And Cashews

1 1/2 lbs fresh broccoli, cut into pieces
1/3 cup butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup chopped salted cashews

Place the broccoli into a large pot with about one inch of water in the bottom. Bring to a boil, and cook for six minutes, or until tender but still crisp. Drain, and arrange broccoli on a serving dish.



While the broccoli is cooking, melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat.


Mix in the brown sugar,


soy sauce,


vinegar,


pepper and garlic.


Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat. Mix in the cashews, and pour the sauce over the broccoli. Serve immediately.



Bon Appetit!

Sherkston Shores

We're back from a week at Sherkston Shores with our friends Alana, Pete and their two girls. We had a wonderful time and wished we could have stayed longer.

Our days consisted of lounging on the beach, hanging out by the pool, mini golf, lots of play time, great conversation, watching satellites chase each other in the night sky, barbecues and some cool drinks to wash down our extra toasted marshmallows.

We even managed to get in some sight seeing to see one of the Seven Wonders Of The World -- Niagara Falls.

And who would have thought the bunk bed would be one of the best things that our trailer had to offer. Not only did the bed keep the kids entertained as if they had found their very own clubhouse but Lucas slept through the night without waking up once. You heard me, the boy SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT and slept until 8am! I think it was one of Steve's highlights of the week.

On the last night we were informed by the guys that it was Football Night (oh, great joy). Alana and I managed to make it through the game, just barely (can't say the same for the kids). We watched the time clock tick away, stop a bazillion times, and even add a few seconds. What is the time clock for anyway? Is a minute ever really a minute in sports? A sports minute always seems to end up being at least five minutes if not more....yawn!

A few pictures from our fun-filled week...

Our home for the week

Mini golf, anyone?

The beach at Sherkston Shores

Niagara Falls, ON

The Canadian Falls

The Crew

Toasted Marshmallows by Chef Luke

I am...

wondering who coined the term trailer trash 'cause this trailer definitely isn't trash.

Be back tomorrow...enjoying some sun, sand and sauvignon blanc!

I am...

enjoying a glass of Strut Well-Heeled White Riesling -- a bottle of wine my good friend gave me -- while eating nibs and watching Two And A Half Men with Steve.

Hope all of you are enjoying your Friday night!

Ghirardelli Brownies

I've been hearing people rave about Ghirardelli brownies for some time now so the last time I was in Costco I bought a box (only $7.99 and you get six packages).

The first time I made the brownies, I only used one package. They were OK but with everyone saying how good these brownies are I guess I expected more. This time I used two packages and they were heavenly!

The trick to making a good Ghirardelli brownie -- use two packages!

Enjoying An Apple

After hearing over and over AND OVER again about how awesome Macs are and trying out a few of my friends Macs, I finally caved. I'm now the proud owner of a MacBook.

I'M A MAC GIRL!

I feel like I've entered a new chapter in my life, a much needed change, a step in a new direction. I've joined, dun dun dun, the Apple World.

Come on Mac owners, show me your best Mac happy dance!

Now to figure out how to use my lovely white jewel.

One Skirt. Two Looks.

I've been really into the skirt dress idea since I wrote about it not long ago. I don't own any skirts except from the one I wore in the last picture so I've been keeping my eyes open for the perfect skirt. I was at Old Navy the other day and came across this brown full-length skirt marked down from $32.99 to $8 so I couldn't pass it up.

One Skirt. Two Looks. Voila!

Skirt: Old Navy
T-Shirt: Jacob Connection
Tank: H&M
Sash Belt (dress photo): Jacob
Sunglasses: Winners
Shoes: Old Navy

The Julia Child In Me

Here I am revealing my inner Julia in 2001

When I was in my teens I would come home from school, plunk myself on the couch and watch Julia Child & Company. It was my midday ray of sunshine. I loved her casual cooking style, her smiles, her jokes, her running commentary but best of all I loved food and loved watching her cook food.

I remember making Coq Au Vin and Boeuf Bourguignon in my parents kitchen. I must have been around 17 or 18 years old, adding a bit of this, a dash of that, chopping and stirring, and talking in my head as if I had my own cooking show. I was Julia -- the master chef of the kitchen though not so masterful because, well, I'd never been to cooking school and although Julia had, there was something about her that made you think that you could cook just like her regardless of whether or not you had ever cooked before. Julia made cooking fun! I'd drop a carrot on the floor or the flour would be all over the counter but that was OK because, well, if Julia could drop a whole chicken, duck or whatever the rumour had her dropping on the floor than my carrot was still good too.

I had another wonderful influence, my dad. He loved cooking and cooking loved him. He just had a natural talent for it. His spaghetti sauce made with tomatoes from his own garden was something I will never be able to duplicate though I have tried. To him it was all from memory, his own creation that he never had a recipe for. And his pizza -- friends still remember his pizza. I helped him every time he made it. I can vaguely remember the ingredients, I'm just not sure I'd be able to make it the same or even if I tried there would be something a little different about it. My dad taught me many things, to laugh, to enjoy life, to always write down your recipes even if your recipe is a pinch of this, a little of that -- one thing he never did.

Through the years I continued watching cooking shows. You name it, I'm sure I watched it -- Wok With Yan, The Urban Peasant, The Galloping Gourmet, The Two Fat Ladies, Emeril, Jamie Oliver, David Rocco, The Barefoot Contessa and so many other wonderful cooking shows that would influence me as I started to cook for myself, my family, my friends.

Back when Steve and I had our first place together, I had a pot of something on the stove that needed stirring. In his best Julia Child voice he came walking into the kitchen and said something chef-like as he started to stir what was in the pot -- I couldn't stop laughing. Until a few days ago when we reminisced about that time, he didn't realize how much I love Julia Child.

The other night I went to see Julie & Julia and absolutely loved the movie, LOVED IT! I had a happy tear through almost the entire movie because that was me, I was Julie. I was the one who used to loose herself in cooking, my escape from life's daily stresses. There was always a good recipe somewhere to take away the chaos of a hard day.

I do wish that I would have known about Julie Powell's blog (here and here) before it became a big screen movie, before writers, producers and directors tried to make a person be like her instead of reading about her thoughts from the true Julie Powell.

My love for cooking hasn't faded but it has been put on the back burner. These days it's all about what's quick, easy, cost efficient, what my kids will eat -- meaning chicken fingers and fries and definitely not any fancy kind of pomme frites.

Just like my love for cooking hasn't faded, my love for cookbooks is and will always be a part of me. I love reading cookbooks, drooling over the pictures, dreaming of creations I might one day whip up. There are so many wonderful recipes out there.

So, I ask...

What are your favourite cookbooks?

What is/are your favourite recipe(s)?

Bon Appetit!