The Kitchen rag

After witnessing the public shaming/bullying of my best friend Jackie who blogs at LittleOwlCrunchyMama on the Today Show with Kathie Lee and Hoda (and the appalling flood of disgusted, unthoughtful, unkind comments questioning everything from Jackie’s hygiene to her child rearing, integrity, intelligence, appearance, and so on when they shared the segment of their Facebook page) … Read more

Remember when you were a kid and you told your cousin you were going to be an astronaut when you grew up and they split their ribs laughing at you. That time you stood there speechless watching them point a mocking finger at you while your cheeks burned with shame. You vowed then you would … Read more

“How are my sweet friends doing today?” I ask in a baby voice, careful to walk softly without disturbing them too much. My chickens eye me lazily from the tall grass. “Did you guys have nice day so far?” While I am doing my usual crazy chicken lady speech I check on their water levels. … Read more

Did you know that: A) Appendicitis, colon cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, hernias, diverticulosis, and hemorrhoids all may be caused by improper fecal elimination. B) I grew up using only an outhouse. Although you might be puzzled, both of these statements have more in common than you think. Stay with me and I will show you … Read more

If you suffer from confusion, irritability, impatience, shakiness, or inability to complete simple tasks when you miss a meal or just haven’t eaten in a few hours, you might consider trying to make some dietary and life style changes. These symptoms are typical for a condition called Hypoglycemia, which is connected to low blood sugar levels. Please … Read more

“What do you mean dinner isn’t ready yet?”, I ask in an aggressive, irritated tone and I can feel my eyes flooding with tears. I am trying to stay calm but I am so angry. “About four hours ago.”, I say.”That’s too long, sweetie.” he says gently as he is leading me to the couch.”I know, … Read more

For the last couple of weeks I have seen many of these cards on my Facebook news feed. While they are supposed to invoke humor, they are posing a serious question. What are we feeding little kids on Halloween? It would be nice if we were able to avoid the high-fructose corn syrup, hidden vegetable … Read more

” It’s 102.5.” “Whoa babe! That’s quite a fever! I am so sorry. Can I get you anything?” “Maybe another wet towel” comes my congested and slightly coarse answer. “Wouldn’t it be crazy if I got the chicken pox again!” I yell after Clayton while he is running cold water on a wash cloth in … Read more

Almost a year ago I was rushed to the ER with debilitating abdominal pain, a low grade fever, and nausea. A few hours later, after a myriad of tests, I was wheeled into the surgery room for a laparoscopic appendectomy. The entire experience still feels like a dream – a bad dream really. On Saturday afternoon I … Read more

Six days post surgery. I spent the first 24 hours post surgery in the hospital. The total recovery period in my case was five days. I am on day six today. While I was laying in bed I was given 3 rounds of antibiotics and offered more pain meds than I could imagine taking. One … Read more