Farmer's Market - the Real Deal

I'm still up in the hinterlands. Bro #2 and I will head back to Villa DeCay this evening, hopefully well ahead of the first snowstorm of the season. (Or so the Weather Hysterics have led us to believe.)

First stop today is the Farmer's Market. My city is about ten times the size of my home town, but has nothing even comparable. I'm trying to be a locavore, but it's nearly impossible without a good Farmer's Market. Whenever I'm back for a visit, I go overboard at this excellent market, in business for 70-80 years.

There are always things I love, things I've never seen, things I want to try. Besides all the fresh, local produce, there is a nice selection of homemade crafts, and locally made items such as jams, cheeses, and baked goods. I got a recipe there for a zucchini pie (yes!) that is just out of this world, and no one believes the main ingredient is zucchini. It's the only place I know where I can buy a dozen homemade keiflies, an almost unbearably rich Polish pastry. I love buying and trying new jams and butters: homemade pumpkin butter, tomato preserves, hot pepper jelly.

And it's my last opportunity to buy a Rosemary plant. Every year, I bring my delicate Rosemary inside, and every year, it survives the winter, only to die a week or so before the last frost. So the Thanksgiving trip always includes the purchase of 2-3 Rosemary plants, to keep in reserve. Fickle, fickle, sit on a pickle. From the Farmer's Market, of course!

You Are Rich If...

• you have a warm, safe place to go
• you have people there who will welcome you and who care about you.
• there is food on the table, maybe even enough for second helpings
• you can reciprocate, and sometimes cook and share a meal with others
• you have a clean, warm place to sleep at night
• you can read
• you can keep yourself clean, and wash your clothes regularly
• your have friends and family who will provide help whenever you need it
• you enjoy general good health and mobility; or even if you have a few aches and pains, they're manageable
• you are mentally alert and aware
• you have good dental health, including regular cleanings and the ability to take care of any problems
• you have leisure time, and can pursue hobbies and develop interests
• you have a means of transportation at your disposal

Think of all the things that might have distressed you the last week. Was it traffic? Finances? Family squabbles? Job pressures?

There's a world full of people who don't have a warm, safe, clean place to sleep or know where there next meal is coming from, or if there will be a next meal. Who think having a change of clothes would be an almost unimaginable luxury. I'm not saying that your problems and pressures aren't very real, and very troubling. But every once in a while, take a step back and view them as one element of The Big Picture.

Would most of the world trade their problems for yours in a heartbeat?

It's so easy to lose perspective and indulge in self pity, but most Americans enjoy comfort and a standard of living beyond compare. So join me in celebrating our wealth. Have compassion, take pity on the kings and queens, titans and tycoons, all the poor slobs who have only money.

(ADDENDUM: You are also rich if you are lucky enough to share your life and home with one or more of the furry critters we call "pets." Clever you, enjoying unconditional love, loyalty and affection, every single day.)

Go See...

Separated at Birth? - funny photo comparisons
WalMart Bingo - I'm ashamed of myself for laughing (only a little)
Pop-Up Cards - How to, from simple to advanced

Over the River and Through the Woods

For the last several years, we have given my mom the option of moving the Thanksgiving feast to Brother #1's house. But each year, Mom chooses to host the starving masses. As long as she is willing and able, we are happy to oblige. I hope you know, Mom, that you can pass the baton, or the drumstick, whenever you want.

It's a little bit less work now that Bro #1 also makes the turkey and brings it in from Chicago. He cooks it on his Weber grill, and let me tell you, it is probably the best turkey this side of Mars. I don't know how they manage to resist pulling over and attacking it; the turkey actually makes it all the way. It's like a Thanksgiving Miracle.

Bro #2 is in town. He arrived yesterday, and tomorrow we will drive together up to the hinterlands for Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, my talented, handy, patient Bro #2 is slowly working his way through a considerable "honey do" list. That's my Thanksgiving Miracle.

A Lot of Wine & A Little Goading = ...?

As questionable as my taste in men may have been over the years, that's how good my taste in friends is. Somehow I have managed to fill my life with truly outstanding individuals. Not just garden variety nice folk, but really exceptional friends.

Two years ago, one of those friends underwent surgery that was really going to debilitate her for several months. She's a fellow single; not many of us around at this age! Those of you with spouses and children probably don't realize what a terror it is for us old girls, not just to be ill, but also helpless and immobile. I felt a special obligation to be as helpful as I possibly could, because I could imagine myself in the same situation. For the better part of those 8-10 weeks, I made every effort to help her with anything she needed, and in word and deed, she expressed her gratitude. Our friendship deepened considerably.

Of course, I never imagined the roadblocks and detours that were waiting for me. Now, for the better part of a year, this same friend has returned the favors tenfold. On the rare occasions that I've asked for help (y'all have become so adept at anticipating my needs), she is always the first to volunteer, always with a smile, without a hint of impatience. She is one of the most big-hearted people I know, and I know a lot of kind people.

One evening a few weeks back, after a lot of wine and a little goading by her girlfriends, she was persuaded to join one of the dating websites. Then she gathered her courage and responded to someone who sounded interesting. And this delightful friend has met a terrific man who really seems to appreciate her. They're only a month or so into dating, but so far, no sirens or alarms. It couldn't happen to a nicer girl, and I'm so happy for her.

I hope, as this romance unfolds and they get to know each other better, that he really is as great as he seems, and worthy of her. But if he's not, if he hurts her, even inadvertently, I will hunt him down like a dog and make sure he experiences great pain, too.

And this all got me thinking about my possibilities, too. Although I haven't dated for a long time, I also haven't completely ruled out the chance that I could still meet my “beshert.” But, since my diagnosis, I have not met another single MM patient. Everyone in my support group is married; I think all of my internet MM pals are married, too. So... putting the cart miles ahead of the horse here... I wondered, how and when would I tell a potential beau about my MM? As soon as possible? As late as possible? And how exactly would that explanation be worded? Am I damaged goods? Should I just give up that flicker of hope? How would I feel if the roles were reversed?

So far, I only have questions.

The Food No-Nos

My SCT handbook has post-transplant activity and nutrition guidelines ("Neutropenic Diet for Autologus Patients After Discharge"). Supernurse G said they're not carved in stone, just suggestions, but honestly... why go through all this and then take any unnecessary changes?

Among the food NoNos:

• Any unpasteurized or raw cheese, milk or yogurt products; cheese that contains chili peppers or other uncooked vegetables; cheese with mold (Bleu, Stilton, gorgonzola, etc.); sharp cheddar, brie, camembert, feta
• Raw or undercooked meat, poultry, fish, game, tofu or eggs; meats and cold cuts from delicatessens; hard cured salami; cold smoked salmon or lox; pickled fish; tempe or tempe products; all miso products
• Unroasted raw nuts; roasted nuts in the shell; unwashed raw fruits; unpasteurized fruit or vegetable juices
• Unwashed raw vegetables or herbs; raw vegetable sprouts; raw mushrooms; salads from delis; refrigerator-case commercial salsas
• Raw grain products (I don't think I even know what these are); patients should not make mix or knead any product containing yeast
• Well water (unless tested yearly and found to be free of coliforms); cold-brewed tea
• Unrefrigerated cream-filled pastry products
• Fresh salad dressings containing aged cheese (Bleu, Roquefort, etc.) or raw eggs
• Raw or non-treated honey or honey in the comb; herbal and nutrient supplement preparations; brewer's yeast, if uncooked

It is also suggested patients who don't have a dishwasher rinse cleaned dishes with 1/2 ounce chlorine leach per 1 gallon of hot rinse water, and allow dishes to air dry.

So far, I've done pretty well. I've blown it with the cheese: I've had both hot pepper jack cheese and brie. This is a quality of life issue; I don't want to live in a world without brie.