Mamagotcha's journal

One thing I tell my clients when I'm a doula (and to other friends going through a hard time) is that it is a gift to their community when they let others help take care of them. I honestly believe this, although it can be hard to take my own advice.

Remember how, when someone you love was sick or injured, and you felt so helpless and useless? You offer to help, but often they shrug it off and leave you feeling even more impotent, watching them struggle. Or perhaps they said, "Yes, please! Can you pick up Annie from her summer class at 3?" and you felt so good, because you were able to save them a whole bunch of pain and maybe some pulled stitches, just by going ten minutes out of your way and doing an easy errand for them.

The other way that letting people take care of you is a gift to them is something a little less obvious but still very important in my book: you are letting them know that it is OK to ask for and receive help within your community, and that when it is their turn, when they are knocked flat by that wicked flu bug or break their arm or scratch their cornea, they won't feel strange or needy or rude by accepting YOUR offer of help.

Today, I'm making dinner for a local friend with a broken leg. She's got two little ones and stairs to her condo... she's gonna be stuck there for a while. One thing she asked for was bread, so I spent time making a few loaves of sourdough sandwich bread this morning. I felt like the girl in "Like Water for Chocolate," feeling the live, pliant, nourishing dough rolling under my hands and filling it with sturdy healing thoughts for my friend.

I am so grateful that I have friends who gladly accept my offers of help, and especially that my friend asked for something in particular that I know I can do for her. I'm bringing over some Italiany pasta casserole and some flowers, too, but it's this bread that she likes... I know it will bring her a little bit of pleasure while she's in pain and can't move. That feels so good, that I can do this for her, and I'm so grateful that she's willing to accept it.

I want to make these entries all lofty and noble and virtuous, but today... well, today the thing I am grateful for is pretty much as basic as it gets. Today, I am grateful for my kitchen.

We've lived in a lot of places, and I've had a pretty wide range of kitchens. For a while, when roadtripping with the kids, I carried the most minimal kitchen possible, and actually got an impressive amount of cooking out of it. The last house in KC had the smallest kitchen sink I ever saw, maybe 14" wide? And the McGee house kitchen was so far away from the heart of the house.

This kitchen is why I rented this house. I walked in and I *knew* I would be cooking in there soon. It's small, but designed in an efficient and comfortable manner. There are a few more things I would like (chiefly, higher water pressure and quicker access to hot water), but there is everything I need. I love the smooth granite counter... so easy to clean! It has a gas stove, which is hard to find in a rental. We have figured out ways to compensate for our vast amount of cooking supplies and gear (helloooo, IKEA!), and the dining room table is right over the counter... I can fix mochas for visitors and keep on cookin' during our chat.

Our kitchen is full of fun toys, essential gear, music, a notable collection of cookbooks and food-related writings, thoughtful quotes, colorful art, a vast array of herbs and spices, beautiful bowls and vases, wine and spirits... a place of nourishment and creativity.

Sometimes I feel like a painter in my studio, carefully arranging the color, texture and flavor elements of a dish according to some ethereal muse... and other times, I feel like a mad scientist in my laBORatory, fooling around with bacteria and enzymes, proteins and acids, temperature and weights. But at its very best, my kitchen makes me feel like the ultimate mix of art and science... I dabble in alchemy and create magical new things where before there were only mundane ingredients. Of course, there is plenty of failure and humility to be found as well, but where there is risk, the delight of a success is even sweeter.

When my kitchen is clean and well-stocked, I feel on top of the world... the leader of the free world and his family could sashay in and I'd be able to whip them up something delicious in no time. Vegan? Gluten-free? No dairy? Voracious carnivore? No worries... I can handle it!

Well, the first one is gonna be the easiest: I'm so grateful for my family, starting with my best friend and buddy Bill. I won the lottery four times with my kids. My sister is my loudest and most sincere cheerleader. And my dad is always there for me. I even hit the jackpot with my second set of in-laws.

I'm a much better person for having these people in my life. Thank you!

Well, I never came back and finished updating that road trip... not because we didn't enjoy the hell out of it, rather because I got home and got up to speed with the local homeschoolers, the SCA, the house, and so on.

I'm in the middle of a long post talking about tolerance, games, brains and biology... but it'll be a while yet, and ( I thought I'd just put something up here to let you know I'm still reading my LJ. )

OK, I think that's quite enough for one post, don't you?

Drove to KC in the rain, got in late to Jill's and crashed. Listened to Magnetic Fields much of the way, along with a Ben Folds Presents album of college acapella groups doing his songs. Awesome, thanks Clay!

Saturday, Jill had a few people over to celebrate Valerie's 4th birthday. Kenna, Raegan, Monica, Christina A., Tracy, Tara and Derek all showed up, with their assorted kiddos. It was for the most part a merry mess, with a beautiful purple and yellow birthday cake, sunny weather, and lots of yarn and beads. Christopher and Linc had a little tiff over Lily and Linc wound up with a bonked arm, but Monica came to the rescue and tragedy was averted.

Jill let me use her wonderful tub to soak in, but the hot water ran out after about six inches. I just flipped and basted, and felt so much better afterwords.

Sunday, I took Linc and Charlotte to the zoo (which didn't accept my Brookfield membership, pooh), then Kaufman Gardens (which was in glorious full bloom) and then a couple hours of Science City. They got along great and ran around like mad things.

That evening I was going to go out with Angie, Christina, Tamera, and Karen, but two of them were feeling poorly so we called it off and instead we did an impromptu picnic (using the sourdough sandwich loaf I made; the asiago pepper boules were long gone, and well appreciated, by then!). We went out to Black Hoof park near a dam by Jill's house, and Monica, Tara and Derek joined us again. Nobody fell into the lake, and we all enjoyed the beautiful evening. This time, Christopher and Linc were buddies. A few ticks were found and squicked over, but otherwise it was lovely.

Monday I was going to go to Nia, but just really didn't feel like it. I wound up taking the marudai back to Derek's (he'd made one for me, but there were screws in the mirror and he said he could redo it). I wound up chatting with Tara and we took the kids to the park near their house. Lily, Linc and Aden all wound up soaked and happy from exploring the creek and woods in the park, and they all found rocks with fossils embedded in them! Monica and little Tony and then Derek joined us and we headed to a WONDERFUL Chinese buffet (Joy Wok, I think?) once we got everyone dried off and into clean clothes.

Linc and I then went to see Anne U. and Anne B. to eat homemade kraut sandwiches and chocolate-cherry-almond clusters, plus some awesome gourmet sodas, while Linc plagued Sailor, Noah and Quinn (who are all tall and polite and beautiful young men now!). The hours FLEW by as we gabbed about everything... it was like I'd never left! Rick came home and I got a tour of their beautiful house that just went on the market... I also drove by the nifty condo they might buy. We finally tore Linc away from Sailor, and dashed over to see poor sick Christina before I left town (I'd grabbed some lacey chocolate cookies for her before I knew she was sick). Christian, Skylar and (?? forgot third guy's name) were practicing their band... they sounded great, and again entertained Linc. All these little guys grew into great tall yearlings! Christina and I hung out on the front porch during the concert, while Linc gamboled over the lawn (oh, I remembered to give back her book, Clay).

It was dark when we finally left KC, and only got as far as St. Joseph, to have a quick dinner at an IHOP and crash at a Motel 6.

The CPAP had been acting funny... took three nights before I finally looked up how to change the pressure and amped it up a bit. Not sure if my breathing needs more oomph, or if there's something wrong with the machine itself. I've had to ramp it up again with the high altitude. Also, while I was dashing around, I got several messages from an insurance person in Chicago... my handheld UV device was finally approved and they're sending it to me! I got them to change the address to my dad's house in California, so I'll get it in a week or so!!!

We grabbed our first geocache on the way out of St. Joe, and Linc found it before I got out of the car!

We headed to Lincoln, NE, and got to the Lincoln Children's Museum with two hours left to play. We grabbed a T-shirt (I've wanted a Lincoln shirt for Linc for a long time) and spent some quality time with the Rhoads sculpture there. Linc also talked me into buying him a canister of Brain Food, this awesome funky putty that has been worth its weight in gold! He plays with it constantly, and it's glow-in-the-dark, too.

We stayed in Kearney, and got a nice walk the next morning with another geocache. We hit the road and started listening to Diane Wynne Jones' "House of Many Ways," called the sequel to "Howl's Moving Castle," and it was absolutely awesome.

Argh. Linc really wants to get back into the pool, so I'll try to finish next time we have internet...

You are the Second Doctor
Take The Doctor Who Personality Test and Horoscope today!
Created with Rum and Monkey's Personality Test Generator.

Day 1 - Pride. Seven great things about yourself.
Day 2 - Envy. Seven things you lack and covet.
Day 3 - Wrath. Seven things that piss you off.
Day 4 - Sloth. Seven things you neglect to do.
( Day 5 - Greed. Seven worldly material desires. )
Day 6 - Gluttony. Seven guilty pleasures.
Day 7 - Lust. Seven love secrets.