I have decided I want to start documenting a bit of our journey with food. I’ve had a lot of discussions with various people and it seems prudent to begin sharing why and how we’ve made changes so far.
Harry & my first big shift with food came as a result of a year of very limited income. We did not want to sacrifice quality or health and live off Top Ramen and mac & cheese, so to help stretch our food budget we either eliminated or significantly reduced consumption of meat, juice, alcohol, and other unhealthy foods. We also stopped eating out or buying coffee and pastries (one of our favorite weekend traditions), apart from special or rare occasions.
Through that year we got quite used to eating this way and maintained many of the habits once Harry had a full-time job. I don’t enjoy handling nor cooking most meat so the only forms I began incorporating semi-regularly were ground buffalo and wild salmon. Additionally, I learned much more about gardening, had a huge amount of bed space to do so, and quickly fell in love with growing food. Last summer and fall I barely ever bought vegetables at the market because our garden produced enough for our family, and often enough to share or store. This perpetuated our mostly vegetarian diet because it was the most convenient, healthy and economical way for us to eat. I also believe this helped me become a much better, more flexible cook. I had to learn new ways to use the same vegetable without us going crazy at the sight of it or how to incorporate a bunch of random veggies into a dish before they went bad. I now have several meals that I can cook without following a recipe that work as great vehicles for leftover produce (homemade pizza, pasta dishes, salads, enchiladas, frittatas, etc…)
The next steps we took came because of articles, books, and discussions about the food industry. Not fast food (we’d watched SupersizeMe years prior and have successfully avoided McDs, as well as most of it’s equals, since), but the major players behind most “food” products on the USA grocery stores shelves. Food, Inc. was probably the most powerful catalyst for change, but Pollan’s articles/books and other key players in the slow food movement have all contributed to our baby steps. Each bit of knowledge has led to either a softening towards change or immediate change. It’s definitely a bit like peeling an onion-layer after layer reveals something new, usually equally pungent. Sometimes we’re ready to digest what we learn, other times we’re not.
We have found the process extremely rewarding. I am really enjoying providing healthier, more sustainable food options for our family that are balanced out by delicious treats. (In our home, very little sugar in the three big meals a day leaves plenty of room for some sweet treats as snacks!) I am definitely doing a lot more dishes, pots & pans nearly every meal, but the truth is that only adds about 5 minutes of clean-up per meal. I have grown very accustomed to the bulk food sections of stores and now know which stores I can no longer shop at for just about anything. Recently, several grocery store clerks looked at me like I was crazy after asking if they had spelt flour. One questioned whether it truly existed and followed up that question with “Is it for Passover?” So funny. Also, none of us are missing our old breakfast staples like I anticipated. We are enjoying our oatmeal, granola, pancakes or eggs for breakfast. Charlie has stopped asking for boxed mac & cheese unless he sees it in the grocery store. He got it as a treat with a babysitter one night and we’ve decided it’ll be saved for just that occasion for two reasons, to please the child’s palate and help us get out the door without tears. I have seen substantial improvement in his willingness to try new foods and eat what’s put before him. This has probably been a big enough reward in itself to keep us motivated.
It’s an exciting time for us with the baby on the way but I feel like these changes are sustainable. Additionally, we will probably have groceries delivered to home for awhile, which along with buying a bit more time and keeping healthy foods coming our way, will probably lower our grocery bill because there won’t be any impulse purchases. I’ve also stocked our freezer with lots of beans, soups and breads that we can pull out as needed. (To help prevent us from going to the grocery store and buying a frozen pizza, for example…but again, there’s room for grace. There will undoubtedly be those days.) There are no vegetables growing in pots on our front porch, like I’d hoped to have, and at this point I wonder if I’d have any chance of keeping them alive. (I think we’ll be ready for summer veggies but missed the cool weather spring veggie window.) I am sad I won’t be able to rely on my own produce like I could last year, but hey, at least we’re in Seattle surrounded by farmer’s markets in every neighborhood come May! And the year-long Ballard market is so fantastic. It helps tremendously to be in a community filled with believers in the importance of changing our food system, and even moreso to have close friends walking the same path, sharing recipes and meals with us. (Have you watched Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution? Such a great start…)
Harry and I are not black and white about this, and Harry’s particularly good at keeping me gray given my tendency to be all-or-nothing about choices. We’re going to eat whatever meals people share with us and be thankful for that time of fellowship and food. We’re going to enjoy meals at restaurants. And while we’d like to support restaurants that avoid factory farmed meat, it won’t always happen or be possible. (We are discovering that vegetarian options at restaurants often taste better, though!) We’re striving to do our best but there’s plenty of room for grace. This is a journey. We understand that others may not agree, are at different spots in their own journey, or don’t know about the situation. It is all relatively new to us, too, and we’re very aware of how much more we have to learn. We love to dialogue about it and have gleaned tremendous amounts of insight from those further along this road, as well as from those who aren’t on it at all.
There is so much more to write about, but I’ll end with a little of what has been required to make this happen: careful time management and planning of social events during the week, a definite dedication to cooking, reading more recipes to expand my repertoire, and initially, more trips to grocery stores because I couldn’t find things I needed at certain ones. It all requires a mindfulness that wasn’t necessary when I knew I had some packaged item in the freezer we could cook up. In a crunch, stovetop oatmeal or plain whole wheat pasta just isn’t as appealing as potstickers and frozen pizza.
Our sweet boy turned three years old today. He’s an absolute delight and amazes us in many ways. He is rather musical, singing and humming nearly all the time that he’s not talking. His life just has rhythm. He loves making up songs with us but also can’t get enough of U2′s “All That You Can’t Leave Behind” album. I am certain we have listened to Beautiful Day at least 200 times in the last few months.
Charlie appears to not forget anything. I’m starting to wonder if he has a memory like his Uncle Steve. If so, he’ll remember nearly everything from 18-months on. Yikes. It takes him just a few readings of a most books to memorize them. He’s repeating segments of movies, books, conversations, etc… that were heard months ago. He’s also a big word-lover. He loves rhyming and making up new words. He’s beginning to break apart the sounds in words and loves telling us the beginning sounds that he’s hearing- “Mama, scuba starts with scoop.” I *love* these blossoming pre-literacy skills and probably delight in this too much! (This is a good reminder that I need to stop saying “crap.” If this comes out of his mouth, I’m totally to blame. I seem to have had it spit out a few times in the last few weeks…mostly in the form of crappers. Maybe people will think he’s talking about people who capture animals since he’s still fronting his /k/ sound. Phew, I’m off the hook!)
He almost always brings smiles to the faces of those who meet him. Today, while picking out his birthday treat at Fran’s chocolates (his choice over cupcakes-see description attached to picture in last post), the employees were smitten. “Isn’t he so cute?” We hear this a lot. It is rather endearing to have a three foot tall little boy approach you confidently and clearly ask for a chocolate that is “far away” (huh?!). When provided with his choices, Charlie picked the “blue chocolate”, which happened to be an oolong tea truffle. I think he was drawn to it’s lovely blue flower. True to habit, he then made sure that Harry & I each picked one out, too. He is king of sharing and amazingly adept at keeping people in the loop. Even absolute strangers will get offered his snacks if they merely glance at him sideways.
According to Charlie, he’s a “big boy” and he’s “huge.” These were some of his first words this morning after we wished him a happy birthday. While Harry and I don’t use the term big boy, many people do, and I love that Charlie equates it with size right now. Overnight, he grew three feet in his mind. I’d much rather him think this than that he is somehow more responsible now so that he feels pressured to act older than he is. Let’s face it, he’s already three going on thirty with his “no thank you”s and “how are you today, papa?”s and “I’m well”s.
Annual Shots:
As all parents would write, there is too much to say about him than can be written. Therefore, in an effort to remember the little details that are too quickly forgotten and keep our extended family up to date, I am going to write here more often! Until next post, trust that the little boy is a top-notch three year old. Deeply loved, loves deeply. Happy Birthday, sweet pea.
Harry’s maternal grandmother, Gretchen Tadlock, passed away this weekend, just days after her 82nd birthday. Harry is with his family in Louisiana for her memorial service tomorrow. I am really sad to not be there, but thankful we get to visit for a cousin’s wedding over Labor Day weekend. We are so sad that MawMaw won’t get to see Charlie during that visit. She would’ve adored him at this age and I think he would’ve loved many of her antics. I think she would’ve made him laugh and have no doubts he would’ve charmed her.
The part of Charlie that reminds me 100% of the Tadlocks is a piece of his personality that usually comes out at dinnertime. He completely lets his guard down and tells silly stories, makes faces and enjoys his company. After Harry and I became engaged, the Tadlocks threw a lovely party for us. Afterwards, MawMaw and some of her children and grandchildren played cards, all the while teasing each other and having a great time. I knew I was in for fun. I absolutely adored this playful aspect of the family and was charmed and entertained by MawMaw’s continuous attempts to change the card game rules while her sons lovingly kept her true.
So, MawMaw, this video is for you. Charlie’s telling Steve, Harry and I made-up stories while we eat dinner. We wish he could’ve told you some in September. We will miss you!
In addition to reading his own memorized version of Big Red Barn tonight, Charlie requested that the following be healed tonight during our bedtime prayer:
Papa, Mama
Pawpaw, Mimi
Grandmaw, Grandpaw
Grammy Ellen, Grandpaw Jud
Uncle Steve
kitty cat
monkey
dinosaur
light
bed
Uncle Steve’s bed
Mama and Papa’s bed
Elvis (his sock monkey)
choo choo
a few other things I didn’t understand
Given that the incantation probably would have gone on into the night had there been more time, consider yourself prayed for and healed.
2008 has been an incredibly significant year for us. In March Harry left his job to pursue working on his website, Jetrecord, full-time. In April we returned to Seattle to visit with friends for a week. Charlie snuck in his first steps at SeaTac airport on our way out, thrilling us that he first walked where he was born. In May Kathleen started working as a per diem speech-language pathologist with acute care and inpatient rehabilitation at Boulder Community Hospital (which happens to be her birthplace). In the fall we realized that neither of our ventures were going to sustain us much longer so Harry began seeking full-time employment and Kathleen began working at the hospital as much as she was needed. In early November Harry was offered a short-term contract making a website for a Seattle company. Between this job, Kathleen working 2-4 days/week, Charlie cared for courtesy of grandparents, and very intentional spending choices, we have been able to continue paying our bills. We are deeply thankful for the amazing experience of having Harry work from home on a project that excites him, for all the help we’ve received to make this period possible, and for the joy that comes from living simply with frequent reminders of what really matters to us. We also eagerly anticipate having a regular income! We would appreciate your prayers for Harry to find a full-time job that fits his skills and personality. A great bonus would be that he gets to telecommute. We can’t stand the thought of not seeing each other as often as we have.
Favorite Books
Kathleen: Top vote goes to Three Cups of Tea for inspiration factor. Greg Mortenson is now one of my living heroes. This book documents what I believe to be the best long term anti-terrorism strategy possible. (I have an admittedly limited knowledge base.) Reading the book, along with Khaled Mosseini’s phenomenal books and seeing Charlie Wilson’s War, I’m horrified by the potential consequences of our nation’s current actions in the Middle East. We need a thousand more Greg Mortensons and a government willing to fund them instead of bombs.
Predictably Irrational provided excellent insight into the array of subconcious processes that affect our decision making. A fantastic read for election year, as well as prior to the holidays. The writing isn’t quite as excellent as the content.
Finally, I must mention The First Circle. When Solzhenitsyn died in August I had yet to read one of his books and this was the only one offered at our local library. It did not dissapoint.
Harry: I have a crush on Steve Martin and so loved Born Standing Up. I’d been wanting to read The Timeless Way of Building and A Pattern Language for a couple years and found copies at our local library; I thought they were brilliant, especially for the potential applications outside of architecture. The Spirit of St. Louis was very inspiring; I can’t believe those people accomplished what they did with the available technology. I also loved Boo and Baa Have Company.
Favorite Music
Kathleen: Uh oh. Here we go again with the dreaded music question. I admit, I am completely out of it with regards to new music. I must sing “Baa Baa Black Sheep,” “The Wheels on the Bus” and “Five Little Ducks” more than I listen to all adult songs combined. That being said, For The Kids continues to be the most tolerable kids album in our household. Please feel free to suggest some good music!
Charlie: “Baa Baa Black Sheep”
Harry: I’m in the same boat as Kathleen. I don’t think I listened to anything released in 2008. But I created an online playlist of some of my faves that you can listen to. Use the player below or click the “online playlist” link.
Favorite Movies
Kathleen: My most memorable, moving, and unusual movies include The Visitor, Children of Heaven, The Story of the Weeping Camel, and Seven Samurai. I’m finding more and more that independent and foreign films seem to be the best stories for me. (This question was so much easier to answer this year now that we have Netflix!!!).
Kathleen: Living simply and contentedly. Finding ways to balance our immediate family time with all our jobs, extended family time, and other necessary aspects of a healthy, sustainable lifestyle. I nearly crashed and burned multiple times this year from not nurturing my faith, health, and social life.
Charlie: stairs
Harry: Finding direction. This year I really struggled with the fact that I will never fully explore all the areas of life that I’m interested in. I’ve always known this to be true but it really sunk in this year. And now combine that with an inability to decide on one area of focus and you’ve got a recipe for a bad French movie. 2009 will be the year of my great redemption story or the year I buy a Porsche on credit. I’m also tired of being heavier than I should so look for New, Improved, Buns-of-Carbon-Nanotube Harry™ at the end of next year.
Name Something You’re Particularly Proud Of
Kathleen: I am most proud of supporting Harry in his dream to work on Jetrecord full-time. I needed to let go of a lot of false securities and fears to do this. This decision has provided deep satisfaction for Harry, amazing times for our family, and no regrets. I am also proud of myself for going back to work in the hospitals. It was rather daunting to enter medical speech-language pathology after several years off. Neither of these actions would’ve been possible without the incredible support we’ve had from our families.
Harry: Even more than Jetrecord itself, I’m proud of the hard work Kathleen and I did to get to a place where we could make that decision to go for it with confidence and joy, even in the face of such great risk. It’s funny, looking back to February, how small that risk seems now.
Best Surprise
Kathleen: Finding out that Harry’s brother Steve was moving to Colorado. We are deeply blessed to have him close by now…and Charlie adores his “Uncle Cheese.” One of the simplest, sweetest surprises was making my best friend’s baby laugh for the first time. I didn’t know it was her first laugh, and when her parents watched wide-eyed as one of their twins giggled, I was overcome with the emotion of being part of that sacred moment. It was also especially special since I had flown to Seattle for the express purpose of being with that friend and meeting her little girls.
Harry: I’m really glad my brother moved here. Now we just need to get the other one.
Favorite Time of Day
Kathleen: I love dinnertime at our household. Even though I’m usually exhausted, it’s wonderful to be together as a family, try to have conversations with Harry, and listen to Charlie’s thoughts on the important matters of our family. It’s also one of the silliest times of day for us and I treasure our laughs. I know you didn’t ask, but my least favorite time of day would be 3:45am.
Charlie: Mealtimes and the crack of dawn. While we’re still half asleep and grumbling about the unfairness of morning, Charlie’s already running to bring us multiple toys and making us laugh with his cheerfulness and enthusiasm for a new day. (The kid does sleep 12 hours a night.)
Harry: Night night time with Charlie.
Favorite Foods
Kathleen: I tasted the most incredible chocolate bar of my life at Chocolopolis in Seattle. With regards to healthy options, I think sushi still tops my list of favorite foods. I would be happy to eat it every day. I also really enjoyed the tomatoes from my garden and the raspberries & rhubarb from Harry Sr’s!
Harry: I’m kinda partial to yellow curry from Thai Kitchen. Kathleen also received a dangerous recipe for Dutch Babies from a friend in Seattle. And I don’t think I’ll ever outgrow the desire for pizza.
Favorite Websites
Kathleen:TED is filled with incredible talks by experts in technology, science, the arts and global issues. I am often awestruck by the content. It’s a bit like getting to attend the best lectures at Ivy League schools for free. Last year I shared about joining Facebook. I admit to a love-hate relationship with it now. I love seeing regular updates from so many of my friends. I hate the superficiality of much of it. I definitely would never want it to replace conversations. One of my New Year’s resolutions is to stop looking at it as often and pursue writing more emails and making more phone calls to friends.
Harry: Netflix is one of the most functional sites I use although I would love to see much better organization. I love TED, as Kathleen does, for its content. I love FFFFOUND! for design inspiration. I’m on Facebook but I hate it. (I actually have this fantasy that I’ll wake up one day and Facebook will be gone. No explanation. None needed.) I use Twitter to communicate, somewhat unsuccessfully, with the outside world. That’s another love-hate relationship. I’m redesigning my web site this year (again) and I’m going back to plain ‘ol web pages. I’m fascinated by and fearful of, perhaps paranoically, the slow, automated integration of every web site with every part of my life, even though I’m also partially responsible.
Favorite Song Charlie Makes You Play on the Piano
Kathleen: “Pop Goes the Weasel,” hands down.
Harry: It’s a tie between “Chariots of Fire” and “Axel F.”
Least Favorite Activity You Must Do Daily
Kathleen: Washing out poopy diapers in the toilet. If I had to clean toilets everyday, these two activities would tie. I am really glad we use cloth diapers, but this is definitely not the best smelling part of my day.
Charlie: Go nigh’ nigh’.
Harry: Yep, me too. I don’t like go nigh’ nigh’.
Favorite Thing Charlie Says
Kathleen: So many things!!! The SLP in me adores every utterance. “Mama, Charlie eat mac cheese yesterday.” I hear this at least five times a day. I also liked it when, after feeling my wet hair, Charlie once said, “mama, turn off.” Apparently wet hair isn’t his thing. The other cute phrase we heard all Christmas season was, “Charlie get Christmas tree basement yesterday” (and he pronounces Christmas tree as “piss chee”). We had pulled our Christmas tree up from its basement storage place to set it up for the holidays without realizing this would have a profound impact on our child. Maybe he thinks we are storing streetlights or bushes down there that we’ll bring up and decorate for the next holiday. Last one- I like that “UPS truck” sounds like “peace truck.”
Charlie: Seems to really like saying “Baa!” and “Mac sheese mac sheese mac sheese!”
Harry: I love that Charlie will continue addressing his stuffed robot until the robot acknowledges him. It doesn’t matter if Kathleen or I answer him back. If he’s talking to Robot, Robot should answer. And this means Kathleen or I must acknowledge him in Robot’s voice while holding Robot.
Favorite Animal
Kathleen: Still love dolphins. Of the animals I regularly see, I’m quite fond of one of our neighbor’s dogs.
Charlie: “Tee-tat.” He loves kitties and even has a make-believe one he holds in his hand on occasion. We must pet it gently.
Harry: I like tee-tats, too, and am secretly hoping we get one this year. But it’s a secret. I also enjoyed seeing a coyote in the field behind our house.
Least Favorite of Charlie’s Toys
Kathleen: I grew so tired of reading a particular book that I hid it. I brought it out days later, but I could not label the Cars and Trucks and Things that Go one more time at that moment. Alligator cars and cheese cars are cool, but man, twenty times a day for weeks on end?! I’m used to his noisy, battery operated toys now so they don’t bother me like they used to. I am also a little tired of rolling rings down the slide and fetching them from our basement stairs.
Harry: I will shoot the next person who gives us a battery operated toy of any kind. Okay, I won’t shoot, but you will walk with a severe limp.
Favorite Campaign Moment
Kathleen: The Obama family walking out on the platform together for the President-elect’s acceptance speech. I cried. I am thrilled he will be our President in three weeks!!!
Kathleen: The Obama campaign and the election kept my attention for most of the summer and fall. I got great laughs from Jon Stewart’s segments mocking election coverage, too.
Harry: Easily, the election of Barack Obama.
Favorite Font
Kathleen: After watching the movie, Helvetica, I’m aware that there’s a lot more to this answer than I could’ve ever dreamed. I like the familiarity of Helvetica and certainly the positive associations Gotham provides (it’s the typeface of the Obama “Change” campaign).
Charlie:Chicka Chicka Boom Boom‘s font. He saw the same type and colors on a FedEx truck once and started singing the alphabet song.
Favorite Speech-Language Pathology Area of Practice
Kathleen: I yearn to work with child literacy development again. I am strongly considering starting some part-time private practice literacy work this year, in addition to my current hospital work. I am thrilled to be practicing in acute care again, too. I am fascinated by swallowing disorders, diagnosis and treatment.
Harry: I’m a big fan of Barium enemas although I don’t get to administer them as often as I’d like. Wait, that’s Speech-Language Proctology.
Hats Off To
Kathleen: Angie, for raising newborn twins and a toddler with amazing grace. Our parents, for supporting us immensely through this crazy year and embracing their days with Charlie. Harry Sr, for his extensive hands-on help and consultant role with my gardening and landscaping work. My sister & her husband, for weathering great challenges this year and coming out dry! My brother, for graduating from Great Lakes Maritime Academy.
Harry: My brother, Steve, for taking a big chance moving here. Our family, for their huge support during another crazy year.
Inspired By
Kathleen: Harry has been my deepest inspiration this year. The lessons I’ve learned from him have changed the way I face the future. His courage to leave a secure job to dream big, incredible talent at thinking outside the box, and pursuit of what’s best for our family and his career have been nothing short of inspirational. It takes great faith to pursue dreams, and even more so when they are countercultural. I love that Harry has lived out our beliefs, priorities and definition of success. I am now much more willing to think big for myself.
Harry: I’m inspired by Kathleen’s steadfastness, dedication, and discipline, three qualities of which I need so much more. And whether he knows it or not, my other brother, James, inspires me with his relentless pursuit of his own dreams in music.
That’s a Wrap
Thanks for joining us again this year. We’re looking forward to all that 2009 has in store and we hope this letter finds you in good company. Per our usual finale, here’s a slideshow of some of our favorite photos from 2008.
tonight, Charlie requested that the following be healed tonight during our bedtime prayer: