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Mid winter
February 14, 2006
Wow, already more than 1/2 way through winter. Obviously we have lots of cold weather left but the days are noticably longer and February is almost 1/2 done.
We've been pleasantly busy with everyday life stuff around here. I love having my kids home with me because winter mornings are so cosy - snuggling in bed, no rush to get up and out the door, wearing pj's all day if we want.
Damien and I are heavily involved with teaching our health course again this season. This is our second time and it just keeps getting better. In addition to the weekly classes we are counselling/encouraging individuals and families within our church who are struggling with health issues such as depression, type II diabetes and obesity. So, this is very time consuming - but a real blessing for us to help people this way. This Friday night we are hosting a potluck and DVD presentation and discussion on the book "Disease Proof Your Child". Damien blogged about this awhile back.
This past weekend we enjoyed another contra dance at Bates. It is such a fun time. Yesterday we went to Bethel to visit friends. Their son is a Marine and going to Iraq soon. He was home on a short leave and they hosted an all day open house for friends and family. We went after church and didn't get home till 10pm.
Tomorrow is Valentines and Damien and I are going for lunch together. Later this week we're out to the farm for the yearly planning meeting. This week I plan to sew - new duvet covers for the kid's room, curtains and help Celine finish her first project. Next week the kids and I will attend a fun day at church during school break (doesn't really apply to us), I'm leading worship. Next weekend is Laurent's 5th birthday. In March we plan to go to Boston to the aquarium. Well, what else can I say - nothing much else is going on here. It's nice.
I won't bore you with more mundane life details. Life is good, I like the pace - taking advantage of winter to do indoor stuff.
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becky on Feb. 14, 2006, 10:01 p.m.
It's so nice to hear what your family has been up to lately. I have felt a bit out of the 'family loop' because I am busier now and don't have as much time to connect. So thank you for blogging and bringing me/us up to speed.
Yes I agree with your Mom, cute hat! I can't believe how big the kids are, Brienne looks like a big girl...where's the baby?!!!?
It's great to hear too that you and Damien have been dancing. Maybe this summer you can show off some of your new moves....?
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melanie on Feb. 16, 2006, 5:32 p.m.
Sounds like you have been filling up those winter days with a little fun. I agree with Becky, you will have to show us what this Contra dancing is like when you come down this summer.
The nutrition and counselling sounds interesting. What are your resources that you use for a basis for your teachings? Do you do it together as a couple or individually? How many people do you work with?
Love the pictures. Thanks for sharing.
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renee on Feb. 19, 2006, 3:05 p.m.
Our course is run over 13 weeks, one night/week. It's essentially like an adult ed course but offered through our church, though not with a religious focus at all. We have people from our community also taking the course. In the future we are considering doing it through adult ed but we started it in our church. So anyway, our main teaching resource is a DVD series by Dr. John McDougall . We supplement this with materials from Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Dr. Joel Fuhrman, The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and more. We give lots of recipes and practical cooking advice. Some of our favorite recipe resources are Fat Free Vegan, Fat Free Vegan Kitchen Blog as well as Dr. Fuhrman's and Dr. McDougall's recipes.
We are teaching people the why's and how's of a plant based diet. How a vegetarian diet high in natural plant foods and low in refined fats, processed foods, meats & dairy can prevent cancer as well as cure type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol, heart disease, digestive problems, hormonal problems, obesity etc...
We do this totally as a team, although we have different roles. Damien knows lots about nutrition. He reads a lot and can remember the details to answer everybody's questions like: what about protein, what about calcium, etc... He also does research for people about their different health questions and problems. I give more help with the implementation. I am the recipe source and do all the teaching on how to cook and bake without eggs, oil, dairy, meats etc... I also gather lots of supplemental material that explains to people how to make these changes in their diet.
Our class averages about 10 people each night. We also help people "on the side". Families and individuals who can't make it to the class but are struggling with health issues. These people we have over for meals, recommend resources, as well as loan them our books and DVDS.
Teaching these classes and being a nutrition resource for people and seeing people's lives change for the better is one of things that gives our lives great purpose and meaning. It is our passion and we feel it's one of the reasons God has us in Maine. We've grown so much here in that regard. Firstly, as a family we've been able to define ourselves and say this is how we eat and why. Which is very different than how either of us grew up. Also, our church leadership has been on board with this from the beginning. In fact, before we even came they had a vision for the type of work we are doing. The people at our church have come to respect and trust us. They know we are there as a resource and come to us for advice.
So, we are very excited to be where we are, doing what we're doing. Even though at times, like this weekend, it can be exhausting. We hosted a group potluck on Friday night and then last night we had supper and a one on one counseling session with a family dealing with diabetes.
I think that pretty much sums it up!
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Karen on Feb. 14, 2006, 4:41 p.m.
The hat is very cute - doesn't look too difficult. I like the yarn. The purse I started knitting last fall might be done by the end of this month - but I honestly do enjoy knitting when I actually do it! It looks like Brienne got her bangs cut - makes her look like such a little girl and not a toddler. Speaking of hats, I might be investing in some caps this summer as the annual cancer fund-raiser some running friends of ours have is trying to set a world record with the most heads shaved within a certain time period. If I decide to do that - anyone out there willing to sponsor me? I thought since Mom's death was cancer-linked this might be something positive I can do about it. However, my mind is not yet made up - the hardest work is collecting the sponsors. Back to the blog - good luck with the sewing, Renee. And many people would be delighted to have your version of mundane as their way of life.
melanie on Feb. 16, 2006, 5:28 p.m.
Karen, Kelly and I would sponsor you for such a great cause. Just let us know if you take the plunge and decide you want to participate. Hair grows back so quickly anyways, but I don't know if I would have the guts to do it though.