Home Sweet *Healthy* Home

Home sweet home.

I've been here for a couple of weeks now after spending a month in Maine. Being away from home for awhile gives a new perspective on home. Almost every time I go on a trip, I try to incorporate my favorite things I discover or enjoy back into my "normal" life. One of those things is a fresher, healthier diet.

I went gluten free on the trip. Doing so made me feel better and I dropped a few pounds. I ate more fresh veggies, salads and local foods in Maine, which I'm trying to do now that I'm back home. It's been expensive, but worth it. My priorities with food are:
1. Healthy (i.e. FRESH, not processed)
2. Local (I'm trying to eat foods grown/produced as close to home as possible)
3. Organic (Please--we're subjected to enough chemicals daily, must we ingest it with our food?)

Healthy is easy...fresh foods, not processed. It means more cooking and prep work for me, but I don't mind. It's a labor of love--a way to honor my own body, and to honor my family.

Local is challenging, but possible. It's a way to reduce our carbon footprint on the Earth (less shipping). I've enjoyed shopping at the Mississippi Farmer's Market at the fairgrounds, and last Thursday, I went to the new Livingston Market at the end of Hwy. 463. It's wonderful, and easy to find great organic produce, as well as treats like black bean hummus, polenta and local honey.

I actually bought a share of a grassfed cow which is currently grazing on chemical-free grass just a couple of miles up the road of my  house. This fall, I'll have steaks, roasts, ground beef and more in my freezer. If you've never tasted grassfed beef, you're missing out! It's actually higher in Omega-3's than salmon!

Finally, organic. No pesticides. No fertilizers. Yet, it's way more expensive in the grocery stores. But at the farmer's markets, the price is right and the farmers I've met are wonderful!

There are no true "farm-to-table" restaurants in Mississippi, but plenty of local restauranteurs are making the effort to purchase from local farmers and the results are amazing! I wish they could all take a cue from Christina Sidoti of Paolina's Way, the number four farm-to-table restaurant in North America. I had the pleasure of eating in Christina's beautiful restaurant in Camden the night before we left Maine. The restaurant has its own farm. I was a little concerned at first, because their specialties are wood fired pizza, pastas and breads.

Since my diet is now gluten-free, that didn't leave many options. But Christina told me they could make a gluten-free pizza crust, and I can testify that the results were fabulous!

I'm slowly getting back to reality...working, writing, yoga, bookclub...it hasn't been that hard (except for the HEAT!). A month is a long time to be away, so it's good to see friends and family again. Larry did a great job holding things together here, but he was ready for me to get home! His turn to relax comes next...I'm thinking kayaking and relaxing at a friend's lakehouse is in our near future.

I'm still hula hooping--in the privacy of my backyard. It really is a wonderful way to whittle your waistline! If you want a real workout, both of my children are working hard to earn a living while helping others achieve their fitness goals. Nicole is teaching "Yoga Meets Dance" every Tuesday evening at 7:15pm at Joyflow Yoga in Ridgeland. Just $10 for a fun, invigorating class...no dance or yoga experience necessary. Drop ins are welcomed!

Joe is a personal trainer at the Courthouse on Lakeland, and he can put together a plan to suit your fitness needs. Give him a call at 601-383-2545 to schedule an appointment. You do NOT have to be a member of the Courthouse to train there with Joe.

I challenge you all to honor yourselves by eating healthy, especially now when so many wonderful fruits and veggies are available in abundance--and beat the heat by exercising indoors with either Nicole or Joe.

Blessings to all who read this!
Susan

Wonderful, Wacky Maine

The South has in no way cornered the market on crazy, kitchy attractions. Maine is simply chocked full of them.

One of my favorites so far is Perry's Nut House, in Belfast. You can't miss it...just look for the gi-normous squirrel holding the colossal peanut out front.

Inside, Perry's sells all kinds of nuts, as one would imagine, as well as about 30 flavors of homemade fudge. They'll give you free samples of the fudge, and if you're not careful, you'll be on a serious sugar high in no time.

It's kind of like a Stuckey's on steroids. Toys and wacky gift items, bumper stickers, postcards and magnets. But there's some really weird stuff as well.

Like Jay.

Jay is a real mummy.

Now here's the really crazy thing. The back-story of Jay, the Forgotten Mummy is that he was taken from Egypt as a souvenir by aristocrats, which was a common practice back in the 20's and 30's, so that they could throw fashionable Mummy Parties. They'd unwrap the mummies to see what loot they were buried with, then throw the bones in the fire. Becoming an unwanted family heirloom, the last owner of the Jay the Mummy decided it would be better suited as a display at Perry's Nut House.

You can't make this stuff up.

Perry's Nut House was founded in 1927, as was Moody's Diner, where we ate breakfast this morning. In 1927, it looked as though Waldoboro, Maine might be getting some automobile traffic from folks headed north up US Route 1. The Moody's thought it seemed like a good idea to build a couple of cabins to see if they could find any weary travelers looking for a clean, inexpensive place to stay the night. Travelers would stop in for a five cent cup of coffee or a ten cent sandwich, and Mrs. Moody would "up sell" them a $1-night cabin.

We ate breakfast at Moody's this morning. Browine and Jane are flying out of Portland today, so we decided to go have a farewell breakfast. It's a typical diner, complete with sassy waitresses who just snap their fingers and tell you where to sit.

The cabins are still there, but they charge a bit more than a dollar a night. At least they have wireless internet access.

In a little while, Jonni and I are driving up to Camden to have lunch with a special new friend at Cappy's. We're going for their famous "chowda," but I'm also hoping to see Alexander the seagull. Mounted in an ornate frame in a restaurant, Alexander had been dead for 150 years before he ran afoul of an obscure federal law that almost had him banished -- but the town rallied to save him. That should be almost as good as Jay the mummy.

I'm keeping my eyes peeled for more wacky attractions. And you can bet that if it's crazy enough, I'll share it with you. There are some things in this world you can't keep to yourself.

Blessings to all who read this!
Susan

Challenge Yourself!

Sometimes, it's easy to just be...and that's OK. But other times, it's good to challenge yourself. Step out of your comfort zone. Try something that you will almost surely fail at a few times before you finally get it.

While I've been enjoying my time in Maine, without the normal concerns of my daily life, I have been "stepping out there" a bit, trying new things. Like writing a book--something I've never done before. And hula hooping.

Jonni did some research on Rockland before we ever left home, and she found a community center that offered yoga and other exercise classes. Since we do yoga twice a week at her house (we miss you JC!), we thought we'd continue that while in Maine. But then Jonni found a hula hooping class on Monday nights, and we mutually decided it would be lots of fun. We were right!

Our teacher, Maria, is a "Mainer" who lived in Wisconsin for several years then returned. She discovered hooping and took to it like a duck to water, losing 25 pounds without even trying. That was enough information for us to really get on board in a hurry!

Maria, like most hoop fanatics, makes her own hula hoops. We learned that the bigger the hoop, the less you have to work. If you use a smaller hoop, you have to work harder to keep it going. It's a great cardio workout, plus it strengthens your body's core. It's good for digestion, too, as it is like a little mini massage on your belly.

The first Monday night, it was just Jonni and I in the class. We got to know Maria and just had fun getting the hang of hooping after so many years. The first challenge was to hoop in the opposite direction of our dominant direction. It's like being right handed and trying to write a whole term paper with your left hand. There's nothing natural about it.

Jonni bought a hoop, and we took it home, with the intent of hooping every day until the next class. I did it a few times, as did she, but not nearly as much as we had both intended to. But I managed to practice hooping in my non-domniant direction, and it really did get easier for me over time.

The next week, Brownie was in town, so we took her to class with us. She showed us both up. It's like she has been hooping all her life!

And last night, we added a fourth person to the mix: Jonni's college roommate, Jane, who came to spend a few days with us this week. Jane just started hooping and never stopped the entire class!

Maria will teach us little tricks and techniques, then put some great music on and let us "freestyle," putting our little tricks together into a cohesive routine. The more we all did it, the better we became. I'd start out trying to do something over and over and over, with my hoop flying across the gym or crashing to the floor around my feet. But suddenly, I'd get it. And I'd try it again, and get it again! I felt such a sense of accomplishment! She's a great teacher, and has made our introduction to hooping so much fun. Check out her "Hoop ME" website.

Hooping has become really popular with the alternative music crowd. You see it at concerts alot, and alot of times the musicians will hoop as part of their act. Hooping has actually become a big part of music festivals.

What I like about it is that you need one piece of equipment: the hula hoop. You can wear just about anything, so no special attire is required. Although, alot of hoopers do like to wear flashy outfits, and that just makes me happy!

After getting a good bit of writing done last week, I took the weekend off to play and enjoy Maine. Yes, we have been eating WELL, but healthy. So many of the restaurants here serve organic foods, and most are locally grown. Also, gluten-free foods are easier to find here, and since I'm attempting to do a gluten-free diet this month, that's good news for me. Since I tend to post photos of my food on facebook frequently, Nicole asked if I was actually writing a cookbook while I'm here! Others have asked if I'm really writing a book at all, because all I tend to put on FB is about thing things we're doing and what we're eating. There's just not alot to say or show about writing, other than this is where I sat and wrote one day last week:

So, I don't write 24 hours a day. I've got to stop and eat. And when I do, I make sure it's something good! Jonni had been telling me about the famous Owl's Head burgers, so last week we drove to the Owl's Head General Store for one of their famous hamburgers...

I ate mine without the bun and honestly, didn't feel like I missed out on a thing because the burger was just that good!

Jonni's birthday was Saturday, and we spent the day going to Portland to pick up her college roommate, Jane, from the airport. I got up early and put up decorations around our little cottage to surprise Jonni when she woke up.

Brownie and I prepared a breakfast of quiche, orange juice and coffee. Jonni had her own special cup that I found at the Goodwill in Rockland.

Saturday night, we ate a wonderful meal at Suzuki Japanese restaurant in Rockland with Brownie's husband's cousin, Scott, his wife, Heidi and their son, Martin.

We ate lunch Sunday at a restaurant on the waterfront (called The Waterfront!) in Camden. I ate a wonderful warm spinach salad with smoked duck while overlooking the most beautiful harbor. (The photo below was taken Thursday evening before the rain rolled in on Friday.)

After lunch, we enjoyed a ride up to Lincolnville for a wine pairing at Cellardoor Wineries, located in an refurbished old barn that is simply breathtaking.

We ended the day with a birthday gift Jonni gave to US--a concert at the Strand Theatre in Rockland by Shemekia Copeland. Jonni made a great video at the concert that's worth watching:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-hSR9nunjw&feature=share

I have been able to slow down a good bit here, and really take in the beauty of this season in Maine. The forsythia is blooming everywhere and looks like yellow fire brushing across the landscape.

I've never seen as many tulips in one area in my life, and they are blooming everywhere.

It's easy to find beautiful things to look at, enjoy and savor by simply taking a walk around the yard of our little cottage.

My challenge to all of you who read this blog is to challenge yourself to do something out of your comfort zone...and to stop and see the beauty that's just under your nose. May you find joy in both!

Blessings to all who read this!

Susan

A Mother of a Weekend

At the risk of this sounding like a glorified travel log, I can't help but share what a great weekend I had here in Maine.

But first, Happy (late) Mother's Day!!!! To all you mothers reading this, I hope your day was special and filled with love.

If you've been on facebook at all in the past couple of days, you may have seen a link to an article that was on the front page of Sunday's Clarion-Ledger. Billy Watkins wrote a very flattering piece on me, Nicole and our family for Mother's Day. Jonni was the "official" Maine photographer, shooting the photos of me outside of our beach bungalow. You can read the article here. Thanks for all the kind commennts!

It's been a wonderful weekend in Maine. Jonni's business partner (and our friend), Brownie Shott, arrived on Friday from Katy, Texas. We went into town and had a relaxing dinner and did some catching up.

Saturday was a perfect weather day. We eased slowly into the day, hanging out, drinking coffee and eating some of these:

They were delivered to our door late Saturday morning! It was a Mother's Day gift from my sweet hubby and chirren! After eating a few just to make sure they were good (they were!!!!) we got ready and drove up to Belfast to Young's Lobster Pound.

It's a warehouse kind of place where you go in downstairs and choose your lobster from a huge holding tank.

We all ordered a pound and a half lobster each, corn on the cob and Jonni got an order of steamers (clams).  We went upstairs and sat at one of the many long picnic tables with a beautiful view overlooking the harbor.

Next we went to the Nut House...Perry's nut house where they had the most amazing fudge, nuts and all kinds of crazy curiosities. My favorite thing there, however, was Buzzy, the giant squirrel, standing out front.

Sunday we woke up to a glorious Maine day and spent some time on the beach, looking for sea glass and lucky rocks (more on that in a future post). We lounged around for the better part of the morning, all hanging out with our laptops, "tex-mexin' the the spacebook," comparing notes on news from home and just enjoying being in this beautiful cottage overlooking the sea.

We finally got ready for the day and headed out to Cellardoor Wineries, where they were hosting a special Mother's Day chocolate and wine paring. We tasted some of the most incredible hand-made chocolates from Sweet Marguerite's Artisinal Chocolates, each paired with a different wine. The winery itself was spectacular, overlooking huge vineyards and mountains.

From there we took a hour-long winding drive through rural Maine to the town of New Harbor, to the home of Scott and Joy Shott, Brownie's husband's uncle and aunt (keep up!). There, we met up with their son, Scott, Jr. and his wife, Heidi and their two sons. We all drove to Round Pond to a wonderful restaurant, the Anchor Inn, where they treated us to a delicious Mother's Day dinner. It was a special way to spend a special day.

Back home, Larry said they served over 875 people at the country club for Mother's Day. That's alot of vittles!!! Joe squeezed in a trip to the beach, and Nicole had a few speaking engagements, the most notable of which was her appearance/speech at the launch party of MS Legends magazine in Meridian last Thursday where Morgan Freeman was the guest of honor. I'm sooooooo grateful to Suzi Altman for sharing photos she took of Nicole and shared with me.

Today, it was get-down-to-business day. Jonni and Brownie took off to sell ads for the map they are doing while they are here. I spent some time doing ALS Association work, and going over writing notes for my book. Tomorrow, I'll be holed up in my little cottage right on the beach, writing the story that's in my head and heart.

Right now, it's off to hula hoop class!

Blessings to all who read this!

Susan

Getting Settled In

My first full day in Maine--yesterday--was blissful, despite being sick, sick, sick. (I've developed a bizarre digestive issue...it's slowing me down a little, but I am determined to get better!)

Jonni and I just hung around yesterday, spending alot of time on facebook and relaxing. We went to eat lunch but I was unable to eat.

But we plowed on. Jonni found a fun exercise class for us: hula hooping! Off we went to the Lincoln Street Center for the Arts, where we met our teacher, Maria. This woman loves to hula hoop!!! She had all kinds of hoops in all colors and sizes that she made! She said she teaches hoop-making workshops. Incredible.
Because I had eaten very little all day, I didn't have alot of energy, but I had enough to show off my mad hula hooping skills! I have always been pretty good at it, and like riding a bike, it all came back to me yesterday.

Jonni bought a hoop, and we took it with us to the beach today when we went to walk Cole. Check out my hula hooping skills for yourself here,  For the record, I had stuffed the front pocket of my hoodie with rocks I found on the beach. It did not make for a very flattering look, I know, but can YOU hula hoop that well??? Wait until next week...I'm gonna learn some tricks. I'll be hooper duper!

Today, Jonni took me out to see the sights. This really is a beautiful place. So quintessential New England. Lots of saltbox and Victorian houses. In the area where we are staying, many of the residents are lobstermen. It's not unusual to see stacks of lobster traps in someone's front yard or a truck bed full of colorful bouys. Up the road in Rockport, it's a little more upscale. We went to see the picturesque harbor there and it was full of boats.

We went to a wonderful shop today called  Fiore , where they sell artisan olive oils and balsamic vinegars from Italy, Spain and Portugal. We tasted all flavors of olive oils and vinegars, and finally I decided I love the blood orange olive oil and cranberry pear balsamic vinegar. Divine!

Next we went to Cellar Door Winery, where we tasted six different wines and got away with a case full. It helped that one of our favorites was on sale at a ridiculously low price!

Tomorrow, it's time to get down to the business of writing. I've been organizing my notes and getting things ready to go to my little writing cottage across the street. It's supposed to rain here tomorrow. That's a perfect writing day!

I am a little sad that I'm missing the CD release party for Grady Champion's new CD, "Dreamin'." The party is at Underground 119 in Jackson, and they'll be premiering the video of the song "Weight of the World," produced by Jef and Brenda Judin of 4 Tell Films. I'm a little partial to it due to the woman who stars in the vdieo with Grady. See it for yourself here.

We may be in Maine, but we are well aware of the flooding that's happening now in Memphis, and yet to come on further south. Our prayers are with those who will be affected by the floods. I'm so impressed with the many efforts of my friends to help with disaster relief for the tornado victims. A group of women I'm associated with are currently collecting prom dresses for the girls in Smithville. It's such a little thing to us, but such a big ocassion in a teenage girl's life. Do what you can to help someone in these trying times!

Blessings to all who read this!

Susan

Heading Out...

Twenty-four hours from now I'll be on my way! Jonni Webb and I are loading up her SUV with all the stuff we'll need for a month in Maine, including her dog, Cole.

We'll drive for about three days to get there...and I'm actually looking forward to the road trip. I'll be seeing parts of the country I've never seen before. And Jonni is a great traveling companion to do it with.

While we are there, I'll be writing a book on our family's journey since Nicole's accident. I've got alot in my head, and the year and a half of Caring Bridge we wrote, so I've got a book in the making for sure! Jonni is a potter, and she's designed some awesome lobster ornaments that she's going to try to sell to shops up and down the coast. She's also going to be selling ads for Front Desk (a tear-off map with restaurant ads that hotels give out to guests). So, we'll both be busy.

Nicole's journey has strengthened my spirituality for sure, and the book I have in mind will reflect that. Someone told me that "the closer you get to God, the closer the devil gets to you." I kind of think that's true...I've been tripped up every which way this past month. I've had some awful attacks that have seemed at times like a heart attack (enough to buy me a full cardio workup--and my heart is FINE) and at times it seemed like a gall bladder attack (lots of testing there, and a trip to the ER--gall bladder is fine!). The attacks zapped all my energy, leaving me useless to do the things I needed to get done.

Money has been t-i-g-h-t, and now we have all these medical bills to pay. But they can be paid another day...and I've worked hard in spite of the attacks so that I will have a little money coming in throughout May...enough to make sure I stay fed while in Maine.

So there! I'm going!

I'm leaving my sweet, supportive Larry behind. I'm leaving my miracle daughter behind. I'm leaving my now-maturing son behind. I'm leaving two high-maintenance dogs behind. I'm leaving my parents behind. Everyone will have to fend for themselves, because I'm taking one month to process what's happened over the past two and a half years so that I can share what I've learned in a book that I hope will glorify God as much as Nicole's healing has.

I'm still going to be taking writing assignments and doing work for the ALS Association while I'm there, so my time will not be spent lounging around. But I think a change of scenery, lack of daily obligations and a will to do something that will make a difference will make it all worthwhile.

I'll be reporting from the road, so stay tuned! Your prayers for our safe travels will be appreciated!

Blessings to all who read this!
Susan

Ain't No Roadblock Gonna Get in My Way!

Have you ever had a plan, and a million roadblocks seemed to try to keep you from that plan?

My plan is to head out on April 28 to go to Owl's Head, Maine, where I'll spend the month of May writing a book about Nicole's accident and our family's journey.

The first thing to try to thwart my plan is lack of funds. But I'm determined to do all I can to cover not only the household expenses I typically cover, but Joe's tuition and the trip itself, not to mention rental fees for the house, and expenses for the month.

The second thing to get in my way is my health. I've been in relatively good health for a long, long time, and I'm eating healthier and doing more exercise now than I have in years. Yet, my body is turning on me...simulated heart attacks, which were really the result of critically low potassium. Then severe abdominal pain that sent me to the emergency room at River Oaks last night, sure that I was having a gall bladder attack. Now, thousands of dollars of medical testing later, we know that my heart and gall bladder are fine!

The third challenge is my friend Carol, who had major heart surgery Wednesday. Somehow, I've got to fit a quick trip to Nashville soon to be with her for a few days when she comes home from the hospital. There's nowhere on Earth I'd rather be.

And then there's life in general...lots going on...like the Jackson Ad Fed Silver Medal luncheon/presentation that I'm involved with, and the Southern Miss Founder's Day Dinner that I'm planning. And Nicole's got her big annual "Evening of HOPE" event coming up tomorrow night. (Check out her facebook page to see the awesome commercial she did at WLBT earlier this week!).

In the middle of all this, I've got more work than I've had to do in years. And less energy. I poop out fast and my house is falling apart around me.

So, it sounds like this may not be the best time to go to Maine. But since when do I do things when the time is right? As a matter of fact, if we all wait to do things until conditions and situations are just right in our lives, I'm convinced we'd never do anything!

Sometimes you just need to plow ahead, regardless of the roadblocks that are thrown up in your way. Nicole taught me that in a major way, and the best way I can honor her bravery and perseverance is to write her story for others to be inspired by.

So, we're T-minus 13 days and counting! If I don't answer your phone calls or emails, please forgive me. I've got a book to write, and alot of work to do before I can!

Blessings to all who read this!
Susan

One day at a time...

Will this really happen? Will I really get to the point where I can leave for a month to go to Maine to write a book?

YES. 

I cannot doubt this. God gave us a miracle when Nicole fell off that building. He carried her down, he sat with her on the ground and he guided the surgeons hands as they knit Nicole's broken neck and back together again. She's a WALKING quadriplegic. And that story has to be told on a larger stage. I've been encouraged by so many, assuring me that because this book will give God the glory, He will make sure that the money will flow to make it happen.

My little health scare has slowed me down a bit...critically low potassium will zap your energy and fast! But each day, as my potassium levels rise, I feel stronger and stronger. I've got a week's worth of housework to catch up on this weekend so I can focus on work again next week. I'm going to be gone three days next week to go to Chicago for training for the ALS Association walk that I'm coordinating, so I have to cram alot into the two days I'll be in my office.

And I'm also going to try to go to Nashville later this month for a few days to tend to my friend, Carol, who is having surgery on her delicate heart--valve replacement and triple by-pass--next Wednesday.

One day at a time...

Have you ever had a goal that seemed impossible, but you plowed forward as if you would reach it no matter what? I'd love to hear about it! I know the first step towards reaching a goal is believing you'll reach it.

Blessings to all who read this!
Susan