Any ideas?

I have a sore right "milk jug." I've had infections before, and don't want to spend my birthday tomorrow with one. I'm taking vitamin C and echinacea. Doug bought me a cabbage, because the leaves are supposed to be comforting. I have a feeling it is brought on by stress. I have a bunch of things piling up right before Sabbath, like three bushels of peaches. Any ideas for treatment? It is not infected, but I know that could quickly change if I don't stay on top of it. Thanks!

You did what?!!!

I know moms have eyes in the back of their head, but yesterday, mine were malfunctioning.
It has been raining all week, so the kids are crazy. I told them to clean up the living room while I continued to work in the office.
Isaac comes running in, screaming something completely unintelligible. I didn't have a clue. Finally I figured out that he swallowed a coin! And not just any coin. No, Isaac had to swallow a quarter (Oklahoma special edition, to be exact.)
I  spouted off some "What on earth were you thinking!!!" and then tried to determine the seriousness of the situation. He said his throat hurt. I got online to research. Emergency rooms! Esophageal blockage! One guy responded to a question on a forum with, "They'll be okay as long as they don't make change." Now, how helpful is that!
So I called my mom. She had swallowed a penny, but she was too little to remember. And we never did anything like that when we were kids. We were sensible children.
Next, I called Doug at work. One of his fellow pilots suggested ice cream. It would get him swallowing, but would melt rather than get stuck. No ice cream. So I fed him crushed ice. That seemed to help, and his throat started feeling better immediately. But how could we be sure that it was past the esophogas? From my research, once it hits the stomach, the majority of danger is over. The only way to tell for sure where it is would be an x-ray. And here I am, without my personal x-ray machine. :) But then Doug had a stroke of genius. Praise YHVH for the idea! What about the metal detector?
So I got out the metal detector and had Isaac lay down on the floor. I moved the metal detector in sweeping motions over him, and sure enough, it started beeping just below his nipple line! I tried it a few more times to confirm, and there it was, in the same spot every time. It seemed safe to assume that the quarter had made it to his stomach.
I decided to let him have some mushed up canned peaches. He ate two bowls with no problem. He slept in my bed, and several times during the night, I checked to make sure his chest was still going up and down. (How we mothers sacrifice!) This morning he has been eating fine, and when I scanned him again, the coin had moved into his small intestines. Now we wait.
Of course, he has been reciting, "Don't put anything in your mouth that isn't food!"

A "girlie" service project

I love cloth pads. The disposable varieties drive me crazy, so give me my flannel! That said, I came across this blog post, and thought I would pass it along. It describes a ministry of making cloth pads for girls in other countries that need them. I think this is a wonderful idea, and some time in the future, I hope to participate. I would encourage you ladies to start with your own home, and perhaps make a few to send to another girl who would really appreciate them.

Water kefir, teeth, and other things

Wow, I have missed my blog. I have not been able to get on the internet for nearly a week. I still don't know what the problem is and can't get a hold of my service provider. Thankfully, my mom told me about a free dialup service and I am back in business again.

I have used milk kefir grains for a long time, not as regularly as I should. The only problem is that my husband doesn't like dairy, aside from cheese, particularly my homemade cheese. He is very supportive of healthy, nutritious food, but we all have our limits. So I was very excited to stumble upon the idea of water kefir. But then bedrest happened and I nearly forgot, until I tried to buy mesophilic culture for making cheddar cheese. (The first cheddar batch of the season is aging nicely. I love making cheese!) I stumbled across Cultures for Health. They have excellent information, recipes, etc. So I ordered water kefir culture. It came yesterday and is rehydrating on my counter right now. Doug is very excited about it. He wants to try ginger flavored kefir. I'll keep you posted on how well it is received.

In other news, I have been reading a very interesting book.







It has been very eye-opening. Okay, it has in some ways been so frustrating that I wanted to cry. It is hard to learn that even though I do my very best to feed my family well, I still need to improve. Even though I have made very good effort, my two oldest children still have dental problems. One has a problem with plaque, and one has already had to have a few cavities filled in her baby teeth. I don't appreciate taking them to the dentist, and being lectured about the importance of flouride (which is not permitted in our house) and being called a liar about how much juice I let them drink. As you can guess, I am anxious to get their teeth in better shape in a better way.
This book has been very helpful. The majority of dental problems can be fixed with improved diet. Much of the changes needed involve more steps in food preparation. My grain preparation is now a bit more involved. Doug has once again been very supportive and is helping with those extra steps. If you are struggling in the dental arena in your home, I would encourage you to glean what you can from this book. I downloaded the free kindle app for my computer, and was able to get the book for $10, instead of $26.

And a little about me! I am slowly getting back on my feet after a two week bedrest. I have been feeling cruddy, and I think it is partly my body trying to get rid of the remnants from the medication. It served its purpose when needed, but I'll be glad to be rid of it. Thankfully, I don't need it anymore, and Noah is free to arrive anytime. So I am trying to get my house back in order and ready before he does make his appearance. This is a challenge, because I work for about 20 minutes, and rest for nearly an hour, so I can get up and work another 20 minutes lol. Things are slowly coming together. My birth kit is laid out in piles just like I like it. Unfortunately, the piles found in other parts of the house are not like I like them lol.

I have also been researching in the educational department. I have been rethinking some of the ways I do things. This is still a process in my brain, so I will share more when I have things a little more concrete.

Shalom to you all!