Liam's Grandma or Maggie in Real Life

Happy Thanksgiving

A very happy Thanksgiving to all.  Maggie and family will be in NY for the holidays where I will be cooking for 13 family members.  It is my wish and prayer for you that your holiday is filled with love, laughter, good food, a warm place to rest your head and so much to be thankful for.

God Bless.  I'll see you next week!

- Liam's Adoring Grandmother

Flu Season Warriors - Zinc, Echinacea and, yes, Mushrooms as Immune System Boosters!!

It's that time of the year again and I am one of those who is trying to stave off the flu. I feel it; it's there - scratchy throat, a little stuffy, some body aches and a headache here and there.  But so far, so good.  As you should know by now, Maggie is one who likes to live life as naturally as possible.  That includes how she eats, what she puts onto her skin and hair and how she combats disease.  Here are some effective ways to keep that nasty virus away by fighting it with the shields and swords of vitamins, minerals and nutrients, all contained naturally in what we eat and drink.  

If you are already experiencing symptoms and it is Day 1 or, at the furthest out, Day 2, run (do not walk) to your nearest drug store.  Ideally, the best time to kill a virus that has made it past the first string of warriors is when you begin to feel the symptoms. Otherwise, you may still get sick, but taking the following measures will sharply reduce your illness.

First, purchase Cold-Eez zinc lozenges. I say Cold-Eez because it's readily available and has worked for me in the past (like you wouldn't believe).  Research has shown that zinc boosts the immune system in a big way - but don't overdo it. Research has also shown that we need only 15 mg per day of the stuff; anything over that could actually suppress our immune system.  So do it right, ok?  Nipping your illness in the bud with zinc can actually chase it away.  Starting it after you have your full-blown illness will reduce the amount of time you are ill.  It may also reduce the effects of the illness.  For more great info on zinc, go to this link and this link.  Remember that zinc is found in a daily vitamin like Centrum.   You may need a bit more (but not more than 15 mg/day) when you are coming down with something.  Follow directions properly on items such as Cold-Eez.

Echinacea is also a great method of fighting illness.  This beneficial herb is found in the root of the Purple Coneflower plant and has been used for centuries to combat colds and flu symptoms.  Echinacea is so widely used today that you can find the supplement in the grocery store, drug store and, of course, in health food stores. Warning:  If you are already on antibiotics, check with your doctor first before starting Echinacea.  If you are taking steroids, such as prednisone, again, check with your doctor.  It is usually not recommended to take Echinacea if you are already taking either of these medicines. For additional information on Echinacea, click here and, for real nerds, click here, where you can read not only about boosting the immune system, but also about some of its other benefits, such as accelerant healing in skin grafts and treatment of a variety of inflammatory skin conditions such as wounds, eczema, burns, and Herpes simplex.  

Finally, mushrooms (yes, mushrooms!) have been proven to assist our immune system and to help prevent cancer.  They also act as anti-aging heros (which makes them a huge hero in my book!).  I often hear people remark, "I thought mushrooms had no nutritional value; they're just a fungus that tastes good."  And, I might also add, they provide shade for toads on a hot summer's day and a stool for those darling little sun worshipping amphibians.  Take these wonderfully variant edibles seriously and start adding them to your soups, salads and chilis, to name a few dishes.  You will be glad you did.  For more information on the health benefits of mushrooms, click here.  

Other methods of keeping our immune system happy during cold and flu season are:

• drink at least two glasses of orange juice a day;
• drink at least 3 cups of green tea a day.  Now don't wince; a lot of green teas are flavored these days.  One of my favorites is Republic of Tea's Goji Raspberry Green Tea.  Not only do I get a nicer flavor and the full benefits of a green tea, but I also get the benefits afforded me by the raspberry and Goji berry.
• drink 8-8 oz. glasses of water per day.  It really is easier to do than you think.
• Take a multi-vitamin daily. 
• Get fresh air, take walks and bundle up when it's really cold out there.  You'll feel great when you come back home. 
• On kinder, milder days, turn down the heat and open your windows for 30 minutes. Air the place out! 
• Avoid fast food and processed food - ALWAYS.  You may be surprised at what is processed food (more on that in another edition of Maggie's Health and Beauty Tips).
• Get to the health food store and get some Green Magma or try Garden of Life's Perfect Food Berry.  I drink this everyday and feel great.  It's great for the skin and hair as well.    
• Keep your stress at a minimum - easier said than done.  I know this to be so true of myself and something I struggle with daily. 
• Above all, be happy.  It helps us to maintain good health.  Find joy in small things and throw the garbage away into imaginary trash bins.   

Copyright 2008 liamsgrandma

Birthdays and Turning 29 - AGAIN

Well, here it is, another year and I am 29 - again.  Monday I celebrated the eternal 20-something in all of us.  As a child, I couldn't understand why dad would say he was 29 for another year.  Now, as I turn 49 and think about turning a half century next year, I completely understand.  

But I have much to be grateful for this year.  Grateful that Liam has come into our lives and grateful that I get to spend every single day with his beautiful self.  

Grateful that when I was 12 years old and praying that God wouldn't give me breasts because, at the time, I was a major Tom Boy, he reversed that prayer a few years later when I got down on my knees and said, "I didn't know what I was saying - I can't even get a date, Lord!  Please give me something!"

Grateful that I got my mother's beautiful skin even though I also inherited her angular body, her legs that I can't find pants long enough for and that rotten bunion on my right foot that has been with me since childhood.  

Grateful that Dave and then Karl dumped me because I met a man who really really loves me for exactly who I am - nothing more, nothing less - but who makes me want to be a better wife to him because of that love.  Shame on Dave and Karl for dumping me - I was quite a catch and my husband will attest to that when I cook gourmet meals, make sure I always look pretty for him, dance around the kitchen, chase him through the house, engage in hysterically funny pillow talk, do things that make him shake his head but always in an admiring way, and always loving everyone no matter what the circumstances.  

Grateful for my kids who are a challenge at times but sheesh, what parent doesn't want to know what it's like during a kid's teen years to be driving around at 3 am looking for him/her, having the doorbell rung at 4 am with a band of angry bar attendees looking for your son or daughter, seeing a patrol car driving by and thanking God when it keeps on going, wondering why that ladder is up against the house and then looking up to see your child who you had kicked out a week earlier at the top of the ladder trying to get into his bedroom, hearing the smash of a bedroom window as one child tries to wake up the other with a "very small stone, mom," in the middle of the night and breaks a brand new window in the process.  Oh the joys of parenting juvenile delinquents!

I am grateful for so many things, mostly for my family whom I love more than life itself and grateful that God has given me such a wild ride in this life of mine, sometimes one which I fantasize about trading for, perhaps, the life of a tortoise.  

Copyright 2008 liamsgrandma

AARP, Senior Citizens and What's that Got to do With Me??

We have been dealing with some stress in our lives and needless to say, Druck and Maggie are showing our age.  Mirror checks reveal a haggardness we've never seen before, wrinkles that resemble the ripples in the bedsheets of an unmade bed, and eyes glossed over like props from a horror movie.  

After having a fairly good week last week, we entered this week which has not been so good.  Last night, after taking 3 Tums to ease my aching stomach and later, drinking a tea that is supposed to be soothing on the nerves and invite sleep, I crawled into bed and cried.  And cried some more.  Finally, spent from the tears, I rolled onto my side and tried to relax my racing mind.  As my husband read on the other side of the bed, I felt him reach over and pat my shoulders and then he rolled over and said, "Do you want to hear about my bad day?"  "I would love to," I replied, because his bad day stories are usually loaded with comic relief.

"So I went to get my oil changed today at the dealership and when I was checking out, I handed the girl behind the counter a coupon.  'Can I use this,' I asked her.  'Yes, you can,' she said.  'And you can use this 10% off coupon too.'"

"I looked at it," Druck said, "and it was a senior citizen coupon."

"'Oh.  I can. . . I can use this too?' I asked the girl, a bit flustered and thinking she would clarify and say something like, 'Oh, yes, we're just giving that 10% off to everyone today.'"

By this time, I (Maggie) was screaming in laughter as I pictured the scene.  Druck went on.

"There was a long, uncomfortable pause and she said to me, 'Yes, you can use it even if you aren't a senior citizen.'  But it was clear to me that she had made a mistake and was trying to cover her tracks.  So I took the discount and left."

"We need a vacation," I said.  

"We need something," he said.

"Would you like a Tums?"  I asked.

"No.  I'll just stick with my Echinacea and Airborne for tonight."

"How exciting," I replied, kissing him goodnight and rolling over to dream about kidnappers in Tuscany, theft at the airport and talking Dove candy bars.

Copyright 2008 liamsgrandma

Election Night Discourse

As we lay in bed after watching the results of the Election, we waited for the speeches.  John McCain gave his speech and while we waited for Barack Obama to give his, I said to Druck, "If I doze off, would you just nudge me so I can see Obama's speech?"

Druck:    Like this?  (gives me a little nudge in the back).

Me:         Maybe it should be two nudges.  One might not do it.

Druck:    Like this?

Me:         OW!  What'd you do that for?

Druck:    You told me to nudge you.  Do you want to be nudged or not?

Me:          Not like that.  Why are you such an extremist?

Druck:    Now I'm an extremist?

Me:          I asked to be nudged, not thrown off the bed.

Druck:   OK.  Like this?

Me:         Not there.  It tickles.

Druck:    OK.  Here?

Me:          Yes.  That's good.  Just like that.  And nothing more than that, ok?

Druck:    I'll do it just like you said. For crying out loud!

Me:         OK.  But if I don't wake up after two nudges,  just leave me be.

Druck:   Now you want me to leave you be?  Do you want to watch the speech or not? 

Me:        I. JUST. SAID.  If I don't wake up after two nudges, leave me sleeping.

Druck:   Sigh.  Fine.

As we lay there waiting, I felt heavy panting on my neck.  I turned to look and Druck had dozed off.  He hadn't given me any instructions on whether he wanted to be nudged or not.  I was in a quandary and decided to just let him sleep.

When Obama came on, however, I jiggled the bed slightly and Druck woke with a start.  "What'd you do that for?"

"I didn't do anything.  Now watch the speech and shut up."

Copyright 2008 liamsgrandma