Talking about MSG

Today I'm posting over on Feed Me Right about my latest health adventures and the startling connection I made between my preliminary diagnosis - Meniere's Disease - and an MSG sensitivity.

Click here to head on over and show some love!

Everybody's Got Swine Flu

There's nothing better than starting off your Monday with a controversial post. Consider this your warning - the following blog post may contain information and opinions that some may consider controversial or offensive.

Oh, yeah, we're going to talk about swine flu.

The kids didn't protest when Rod Stewart came on the Today Show this morning, so I was finally able to get my one-monthly dose of real world news. Unfortunately, the news was overshadowed by all these reports about the ebil swine flu! One segment in particular - On Call with Dr. Nancy - featured an excessive amount of fear mongering in regards to the swine flu and the vaccine that's being rolled out.

"There's nothing you can do to stop it!! Not without the vaccine!" Oh, that's right. The rushed-to-market vaccination that has had no real testing and is overloaded with other chemicals and garbage along with the supposedly helpful ingredients that "prevent" swine flu. Have you ever looked up the adverse vaccine reaction reports? The numbers are surprisingly high and the victims and parents of victims are saddeningly real. Some of them are close friends of mine. Their bravery, honesty, and continuing awareness advocacy inspires me and reaffirms my position on vaccines. 

Bonus detail? The DHHS Secretary is granting full immunity to the vaccine makers against any side effects or adverse reactions recipients may suffer. (Source) Translation? If you or a loved one receives the swine flu vaccine and suffers any serious side effects or even dies in connection with receiving the vaccine? You can't sue. You get no remuneration. You. Can't. Do. Anything.

When flu season rolls around? MarvMan gets his shot - he has to, he's military. He gets incredibly sick. Me? I have yet to be sick. The last time I got the flu was the last time I received the flu shot. MarvMan battled another bout of flu recently - we think it may have been swine, but have no testing to confirm - and it took him four days. My girls have never been vaccinated. They caught the same thing from him and were down for a day at most. 

Me? I have yet to get it.

I practice my own brand of natural living. I take Vitamin C. I drink Echinacea tea. I give my kids Vitamin C and they drink their own Echinacea. I am researching herbal immune boosters and am taking the recommendations of friends to start incorporating elderberry into our diet in order to keep us healthy. While I am not opposed to going to the doctor when the situation warrants it, the methods to properly take care of ourselves are already here and they require no pharmaceutical methods and are exponentially less expensive.

So based on education and practical experience? I'm not getting the swine flu vaccination, and neither are my children.

(image credit: found on Coach Peter Rouse blog)

And for those of you who found this posting to be offensive? Here, I'll make it up to you with this video:

Quick! Where's Lin?

I've been cheating on my blog. With others. Shhhh, don't tell her!

Where've I been?

Blissfully Domestic

• Brandi Carlile album review
• Securing your wireless network

Feed Me Right

• Lin: A Journey

Been a busy little girl! Go check out both Blissfully Domestic and Feed Me Right. FMR is still in the baby stages, so be patient, but we've got a lot of great plans.

More personal blogs to come again starting tomorrow!!

NaNoWriMo is almost here!

Oh, my gosh, NaNoWriMo is coming up so quickly. I never realized just how fast this would sneak up on me. One moment, it's the beginning of October and I'm starting to get giddy with anticipation.

Now? It's nearing the end of October. There's approximately 8 days left until this bad boy kicks off and I am in a tizzy. A tizzy of epic proportions.

What's NaNoWriMo, you ask? Oh, it's just a writing challenge. A month long writing challenge. How much do you have to write?

50,000 words. It's about the length of a novella. 

Which averages out to about 2000 words a day. 

I say 2000 because it eventually creates a buffer I will inevitably need when the house comes crashing down around my ears for the simple reason that I focused on something other than the family for a little bit. 

Easy? When you've got two kids, two dogs and a household to run? Not in the least. But I'm getting there. You see, I acquired a secret weapon to help with this year's NaNo efforts.

I'm going oldschool, baby. 

So much to do, so little time

Oh, my goodness. Things have been absolutely insane around here. I'm actually taking some time to update around here on a day when the girls are sick. They're taking their naps and I'm trying to watch Dog Whisperer on NatGeo while the linens are washing.

ENG125 is finally over. It really wasn't all that bad until the TA turned out to be supremely frustrating to work with. It's apparently a bit difficult to attend college online these days while using a Mac. Regardless, I'm doing it. Why? Because I'm not buying a Microsuck machine just to get through college. So head down and boring through it we go.

Homeschooling has been a bit scattered. We're doing a combination of workbooks (we've been scoring some really good ones from the Dollar Tree) and a Montessori curriculum I purchased. It's been going well. A-Girl is on a Kindergarten level for pretty much everything, and she's already nudging into 1st grade level territory, which is as thrilling as it is a reminder that she's growing up way too fast.

Meanwhile, MarvMan got himself back into the swing of college, which means both of us are attending and of course it's making things a little hectic. As is keeping up with the house.

I swear I'll be updating more, because there's so much to talk about. But in the meantime, you can always check me out over on Blissfully Domestic, as I'm now contributing there as well!

Wordless Wednesday

Why I'm against Breed Specific Legislation.

Pardon my absences

(Image source. I really just liked this picture. I don't know that it has anything to do with the following post except that I've been practically surviving on coffee.)

Things have been absolutely crazy around here. I've been feeling so overwhelmed with college coursework, it's all I can do to keep my days of the week straight. Some of it has been procrastination due to housework piling up all around me.

How in the world does everything seem to pile up and then come crashing down all at once? There was a time when I thought I was on top of everything! Now? Not so much.

I did find some comfort throughout it all. Despite the house falling apart and despite my struggles to keep everything straight when it comes to school, I got the best e-mail this morning:

On behalf of the faculty and staff at Ashford University, congratulations on being named to the Dean's list for summer 2009.

I nearly fell over out of my chair and actually had a squeal fest worthy of sonic alert levels in the middle of my living room. I am beyond thrilled.

Sometimes you get that little nudge. That one small thing that reminds you - in the end? It's all worth it.