by Sarah | Apr 28, 2013 | All About Erik, All About Indiana, All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, Indiana Family of Farmers, Sponsored, Zest & Zing
GIVEAWAY CLOSED – WINNER SELECTED
Are you a foodie?
Are you a wanna-be-foodie?
Do you love watching the cooking shows – even better, the cooking competition shows?
Ever fancy yourself a judge on one of those?
Do you like helping out awesome causes like Gleaners Food Bank?
For the second year, Indy is pairing up chefs with local farmers for a cooking competition for Zest ‘n Zing.
And they’ll be picking an audience member to be a judge!
Oooh, and it’s being emcee’d by the Weather Man – Paul Poteet and Jennie Runevitch of WTHR.
I know, I sound a little fan-girl here, but I’m really excited for the opportunity to go to this event, and even more so that I get to give one of you a pair of tickets to go! That’s right, I’m not just talking about the event, I’m inviting you to join me! (Thanks to Indiana’s Family of Farmer’s!!)
So before I give you tickets, here’s the nitty-gritty details of the event.
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Zest ‘n Zing: A Foodie Event for the At-Home Chef
What it is: Two teams, each made up of a chef and a farmer, go head-to-head to create a great new dish. The winning chef receives $500.
When it is: May 7, 2013. Doors open at 5PM, the competition begins about 7PM.
Where it is: Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center
Cost: $20 online – and all proceeds go to benefit GLEANERS! Seriously. How awesome is that?
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So, you want a pair of free tickets to this event, right? I know you do, because it’s awesome.
So I’m going to make it easy on you. All it takes to win is one comment.
For that comment, I want you to just tell me what you’re most excited about for the event? Is it the good food? The thrill of competition? The possibility of being a judge? Or meeting the farmers that will be there?
The Giveaway will end at 9PM on Tuesday, April 30th. I’ll contact the winner by midnight through email. You’ll have only 24 hours to respond before I draw another name so I can get the name to IFOF.
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Disclaimer: I am an IFOF Ambassador and therefore this is a sponsored post. I’ll get the same Zest ‘N Zing tickets as the winner does. However, while I do blog for good food, good company, and good competition – I don’t sell my opinions. All thoughts and opinions expressed in the post are my own.
by Sarah | Apr 9, 2013 | A to Z Challenge, All About Erik, All About Marriage, All About Me, All of Us, Story of Me
This hummingbird glass sculpture was purchased to be my cake-topper at my wedding to match the light hints of hummingbird throughout my wedding (like the hummingbirds mom embroidered on my dress). Less than a year after the wedding my cat skidded across my dresser, knocked it to the ground and shattered it. I refuse to throw it away. It sits there, sealed in a plastic bag, for eternity. The symbol of the hummingbird means too much to give up. I dream of finding someone to fix this cake-topper, even though I know it’s not possible.
*~*
My grandparents used to take an annual trip to see my Grampa’s brother. They’d go out to Massachusetts and spend time with family, and then return home to Buffalo.
One of their favorite parts of the trip was sitting outside and watching the hummingbirds buzz around.
Then, my great-uncle passed away, and my grandparents went out for the funeral. On their last night there, in the cool evening air they spoke of my uncle. As he sat there talking, a hummingbird flew up near my Grampa’s shoulder and hovered. It lingered near his face for several minutes, flitting back and forth before flying off.
They all decided that had been my great-uncle stopping by for one last visit.
Almost seventeen years ago, after a year’s fight against cancer, my Grampa passed away.
It was September in Buffalo. Cold air had begun to move in. All summer things were fading. I returned to New York with the funeral, and then went right back to NC to return to school.
Three weeks later the family grapevine lit up with the story.
At the end of September, Gramma was out on her porch to bring in all the chairs, etc. for winter. It was a yearly ritual when it just became too cold to sit on the porch. Since it was sunny, she decided to sit outside for one last afternoon. Wrapped in her sweater she sat, watching the cars go by as she always did.
There.
In the cold end of September.
Hovering near a hanging plant.
Buzzed a hummingbird.
It flew under the porch roof.
Hovered near Grandma.
And then took off.
*
Every September for the past sixteen years.
Even if I have not seen one all year.
A hummingbird shows up.
Every year.
*~*
I won’t let go of the cake topper.
The hummingbird is still in one piece.
And Grampa still visits.
*~*~*
The A-Z Challenge has over 1900 participants, all blogging from A to Z this month. Check them out and see if you can’t find a few new favorites!!
by Sarah | Feb 28, 2013 | All About Erik, All About Kennedy, All About Me, All of Us, Cystic Fibrosis, Failure to Thrive (FTT), Hospital, Special Needs
Monday morning Kennedy had her tests scheduled.
By luck (or misfortune? or happy accident?) they decided only to perform the bronchoscopy. Of course, that meant she still had to undergo anesthesia and have a tube stuck down her nose – but it was one test, not two.
Overall the test went well. They were able to get a good sample to test.
For the bronchoscopy purposes and getting the sample, it was required that they inject fluid into the lungs…of a CF patient. This, of course, “could cause a low-grade fever.”
Low-grade my ass. She spiked up to 103.6*.
In the end, it came down with Tylenol, snuggle time, and a good round of her [amazon_link id=”B005LAIHW2″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]favorite[/amazon_link] [amazon_link id=”B007MDB6L0″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]movies[/amazon_link].
Now she’s back to normal, at school, playing/fighting with her sister…and none the wiser.
Meanwhile Erik & I wait.
And wait.
And wait some more.
The test results could mean a hospital stay, a PICC line, a g-tube – any or all of the above.
Kennedy is blissfully unaware of the repercussions.
But Erik & I wait.
Waiting sucks.
by Sarah | Feb 19, 2013 | All About Denver, All About Erik, All About Family, All About Kennedy, All About Me, All About Molly, All of Us
Time is moving fast these days.
When I would like to sit back and breathe it in.
There are great things happening.
There are frightening things happening.
There are moments I want to hide away and pretend the world doesn’t exist.
And moments I want to just sit and enjoy.
When I was growing up I wished I was older. I wished I could do things I was too young for. I wished to be grown up.
Now I just wish for time to slow. For the days to not rush by in a whirlwind of activity and necessity.
Just yesterday I had a six year old son and was realizing that I might just be pregnant with Molly.
Now my son is a teenager, my daughters are almost 8 & 7. My marriage is ten years old. This blog is seven (really?).
We’ve gone from one neurotypical son to three special needs children.
They’ve grown up and are declaring independence and having dreams of their own (A doctor! A model! A teacher! Oh my.).
My husband has had his struggles and we’ve had ours together.
What I wouldn’t give for a chance to take my family outside of the home equation and give us time away. It isn’t in the cards this year, it never seems to be..and we’re running out of time.
Time that is moving way too fast.
Because soon, Denver will be in college. The girls in high school.
And we’ll blink and they’ll have their own lives.
Can we slow it down?
Just for a few days?
by Sarah | Dec 28, 2012 | ADHD - Adult, All About Erik, BiPolar, BiPolar with Hypomania, Depression, Special Needs
I have depression, amongst other problems and it’s killing me slowly, but surely. I’ve taken medications and been in therapy almost all of my life.
Nothing seems to take, nothing seems to help.
I have a wife, three kids and I should for all intents and purposes, be a happy person.
But I am suffering. I feel little else but pain and loneliness.
I don’t want to be this way, but I don’t seem to be able to escape it. It’s akin to drowning, being so close to the surface yet feeling the weight pulling me back down.
I want to be happy, to enjoy my family, to enjoy life, and be a happy, productive, positive person.
I seem to infect everything I do with my doom and gloom, my job, my friendships, my marriage, my kids, the list goes on. I suspect my wife is tiring of me. I think my kids are growing apart from me. I can barely function at work without causing problems. My friends don’t want me around because of my negativity and gloom.
I’m at the end of my rope.
I have been suicidal in years past, the most recent last year. I was in a group therapy class for a while which really helped, and some new meds that I really thought were working.
But my meds crashed hard on me, which they all do invariably. Tried several others this fall, had a myriad of bad side effects, so I decided (after discussing it with my Dr.) that I needed a medication break. I haven’t had one in several years and I have bouncing from medicine to medicine. But this leaves me in my bleak state, and barely able to function normally.
I think at some point I am feeling sorry for myself (or so some people tell me), that I am just wallowing in my misery. But I WANT out, I don’t want to stay like this anymore. I also think that if I dismiss my problems as feeling sorry for myself, I may not be accepting that I have a truly crippling disease. It’s chronic. It won’t kill me, but it will make me wish I was I dead. It will not eat my physical body like cancer. Instead it will feed on my soul until there is just a husk left, no personality or self anymore, just a mess of quirks and poor decisions, unlovable or unwanted.
Does anyone understand this? Do I feel alone for a reason? Or is it just self pity?
I have had a lot of people tell me that I just need to stand up and be strong. To read self help books. To suck up my weaknesses and stop feeling sorry for myself. I literally don’t know where I stop or start anymore. Where I belong in the world. I know that I need to be with my family, but I don’t want to drag them down to my depths of despair.
And that is where I am.
In despair.
I accept and own all of my actions as a result of my problems. I don’t advance at work. I don’t provide well financially for my family.
I am not the husband or father I want to be.
I am not the person I want to be, seen as someone who is likable and respectable.
Who am I? Where am I?
*Written by my husband Erik. He has spent the past year in deep struggle to regulate his depression/bi-polar/ADD issues – including a myriad of diagnoses & medications. Right now he is in a very dark place and has written this. With his permission, I post it. Please offer him as much support as you can.
by Sarah | Dec 27, 2012 | All About Denver, All About Erik, All About Family, All About Kennedy, All About Marriage, All About Me, All About Molly, All of Us
I’m not going to lie and come in here with rainbows & sunshine and say 2012 was the BEST YEAR EVER!!!
Because it wasn’t.
We had struggles. Financially, physically, mentally, we struggled. Kids went in the hospital, husband had medical issues of many kinds, I sprained my ankle, husband sprained an ankle, Kennedy came within inches of a feeding tube.
There have been lows. Some of them mind-numbingly bad.
But we are still here. Our whole family.
And beyond those lows – there were highs. Highs like we’ve never seen – and experiences that were beyond amazing.
For me, 2012 will be a year to be immortalized in my mental record books.
It was the year I dyed my hair purple.
It was the year I got published.
It was the year I swung through the trees.
It was the year I signed my first book contract.
It was the year I climbed mountains.
It was the year I signed 2 more publishing contracts – bringing my years total to 3.
It was the year Erik and I finally got a vacation.
It was the year I got to see Cirque (Creepy & cool).
It was the year I turned 36 – & finally felt like I’d come into my own.
It was the year I ran my first 5k.
I made friends out in that big world, my blog grew, my experiences grew, I grew. Sometimes out of struggle, but I still grew.
2013 has so much promise to it. Two of my books and a short story are all due to be published. I have more experiences waiting for me on the other side of January 1st. I know we’ll have struggles, I know we aren’t done fighting many of the battles we’re still waging today, and I know that there will be days I’ll want to give up.
But I also know – that I will emerge from each of those struggles. Maybe scarred, but always stronger.
So bring it, 2013. The Promises, and the Struggles. I’m ready for you.
