When I was pregnant with Baby Chang I threw up every day. Yep everyday for nearly 40 weeks. Often multiple times a day. One thing that got me through it all was swimming laps. If I could have I would have sat in a hot tub all day everyday but they frown on that when you're pregnant.
After being diagnosed with cancer and hearing I was going to start throwing up again I figured I would be hitting the pool again. Unfortunately that was a no, no. Due to the damage that was going to be happening to my skin I wasn't allowed in a salt or chlorine pool because of their drying effects. At times I yearned to be in the pool.
Since treatment, Baby Chang and I spend a lot of time in the water. Pools, lakes, the ocean she seems as drawn to them as I am. Perhaps we were both fish in a previous life...
I've always loved swimming. Some of my fondest childhood memories involve being in a pool or ocean. I figured this was because my parents introduced us early to the joys of swimming. In college I worked at the University Aquatic Center for five years and loved virtually every moment of it.
Recently I read an article in Whole Living Magazine about the healing powers of water. I love when someone tells me I'm right... Anyway, in addition to being a great workout because of buoyancy and the gentle resistance one of the biggest benefits could be a result of the hydrostatic pressure. Hydrostatic pressure can help in lung function and circulation. You can get the benefits of hydrostatic pressure in any body of water including your bath tub.
So take a bath and relieve stress while doing the rest of your body good!
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
Memories from a Lifetime Ago
Whenever I spend time at the farm I get overwhelmed by the unexpected memories that come flooding over me. The obvious memories of holidays and family reunions are welcomed with open arms. Every once in awhile though something completely out of left field takes my breath away.
This trip was no different. The memories started on our drive to Michigan. As we crossed Wisconsin I was reminded of the first adult road trip I took in college. It was Thanksgiving weekend and I hitched a ride with my neighbor to spend the long weekend at the farm. I remember Mom Chang saying to me "you just hop on 94 east and it will take you right to Detroit." Detroit was meant to be our stopping point where I was going to meet up with relatives and continue to the farm and she would continue to where she was headed. Well, we hopped on 94 and as we were crossing Wisconsin I asked to see the map. Her response "what map? I thought you just said get on 94 and it will take us to Detroit." Remember this was before GPS, smart phones and google maps. As poor college kids we certainly didn't have cell phones to call anyone and confirm directions. So we stayed on 94 right into downtown Chicago, at rush hour, on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. We spent a long, long, long time in Chicago that evening. Interstate 94 was of course at a stand still and we of course over heated. Eventually we made it to Detroit at about two or three in the morning and I had a fantastic weekend at the farm. Upon leaving I was armed with maps of Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota we would have no trouble getting home. Except for that midwest blizzard...
Probably the most unexpected memory of this most recent trip came near the end of our time at the farm. I was sitting on the porch swing looking out across the fields when BAM it hit. I'm unsure of the year but I think it was the summer of 1990. I was sitting on the porch reading when I heard the phone ring. The farm phone had a very distinct bell that could be heard well into the yard if the windows were open. It happened to be a call for me which was VERY odd. My best friend was calling to tell me that our classmate who had been battling bone cancer passed away. He had been diagnosed when we were junior high and never got to attend high school. He wasn't my first classmate to die but he was the first person I knew with cancer to lose his fight. I didn't understand then how much he did fight to make it as long as he did.
Finally, on our trip home I got hit by yet another memory. This one was definitely brought on by the flashing lights pulling me over at 3 a.m. but I think I'll save this one for another time.
This trip was no different. The memories started on our drive to Michigan. As we crossed Wisconsin I was reminded of the first adult road trip I took in college. It was Thanksgiving weekend and I hitched a ride with my neighbor to spend the long weekend at the farm. I remember Mom Chang saying to me "you just hop on 94 east and it will take you right to Detroit." Detroit was meant to be our stopping point where I was going to meet up with relatives and continue to the farm and she would continue to where she was headed. Well, we hopped on 94 and as we were crossing Wisconsin I asked to see the map. Her response "what map? I thought you just said get on 94 and it will take us to Detroit." Remember this was before GPS, smart phones and google maps. As poor college kids we certainly didn't have cell phones to call anyone and confirm directions. So we stayed on 94 right into downtown Chicago, at rush hour, on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. We spent a long, long, long time in Chicago that evening. Interstate 94 was of course at a stand still and we of course over heated. Eventually we made it to Detroit at about two or three in the morning and I had a fantastic weekend at the farm. Upon leaving I was armed with maps of Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota we would have no trouble getting home. Except for that midwest blizzard...
Probably the most unexpected memory of this most recent trip came near the end of our time at the farm. I was sitting on the porch swing looking out across the fields when BAM it hit. I'm unsure of the year but I think it was the summer of 1990. I was sitting on the porch reading when I heard the phone ring. The farm phone had a very distinct bell that could be heard well into the yard if the windows were open. It happened to be a call for me which was VERY odd. My best friend was calling to tell me that our classmate who had been battling bone cancer passed away. He had been diagnosed when we were junior high and never got to attend high school. He wasn't my first classmate to die but he was the first person I knew with cancer to lose his fight. I didn't understand then how much he did fight to make it as long as he did.
Finally, on our trip home I got hit by yet another memory. This one was definitely brought on by the flashing lights pulling me over at 3 a.m. but I think I'll save this one for another time.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
The Greatest Place On Earth
Baby Chang, Prairie Dad and I just spent a week at the greatest place on Earth. No not Disneyworld or Disneyland but on a farm. This farm holds a very special place in my heart. It has been in my family for over 120 years.
The farm is in Michigan outside a small town in the Thumb. My Great, Great Grandparents purchased the farm in the late 1800's and my Grandparents retired there in the 80's (the 1980's that is). As a kid we would spend part of our vacation time there nearly every year. The older I got the more I cherished my time spent at this family oasis became. By the time I was in college I would road trip to see my grandmother and to be rejuvinated at this special place.
It had been two years since I had been there. In 2009 we stopped for a couple days when we were on our way to New Jersey for Pairie Dad to start rehearsals for Little House on the Prairie the Musical. This time we had a glorious week.
We spent our time picking wild blackberries, feeding the neighbor's horses, eating blue moon ice cream and taking golf cart rides through the fields and the woods. Just before my grandmother died a few years ago she purchased a golf cart so she could get out on the property. This farm held the same magic for my grandmother as it does for me and prior to her death it was difficult for her to back into the woods. The golf cart made it possible. Just as it made it possible for us to take Baby Chang back into the woods.
The farm seemed to weave it's magic around Baby Chang as well. She was able to run and play outside as much as she wanted something difficult in the apartment lifestyle we have. Baby Chang definitely flourished and my Uncle thought she even grew significantly in the time we were there. There were no notable two year old tantrums and she only earned one time out in the week a definte record. I'm hoping she will love the farm as much if not more than I do.
I also spent many hours looking through old photographs, trying to identify relatives who were long dead before I came into this world. A difficult task as you can imagine. On many of the photos there is nothing to identify the person. A few have the marks of the photographer or the city where they were taken. I plan to do as much as I can to identify as many as possible but I'm sure many will never be known. These are people who have amazing life stories like fighting the Revolutionary and Civil War or settling in territories that had never seen white men and women and trading with the Indians. I wonder how many of my relatives I will come to know through this process.
A week in my personal paradise seemed barely enough time. I'm already looking forward to the next trip hopefully in the fall or winter. For now I'll just have to enjoy getting to know the people who loved this home before me.
The farm is in Michigan outside a small town in the Thumb. My Great, Great Grandparents purchased the farm in the late 1800's and my Grandparents retired there in the 80's (the 1980's that is). As a kid we would spend part of our vacation time there nearly every year. The older I got the more I cherished my time spent at this family oasis became. By the time I was in college I would road trip to see my grandmother and to be rejuvinated at this special place.
It had been two years since I had been there. In 2009 we stopped for a couple days when we were on our way to New Jersey for Pairie Dad to start rehearsals for Little House on the Prairie the Musical. This time we had a glorious week.
We spent our time picking wild blackberries, feeding the neighbor's horses, eating blue moon ice cream and taking golf cart rides through the fields and the woods. Just before my grandmother died a few years ago she purchased a golf cart so she could get out on the property. This farm held the same magic for my grandmother as it does for me and prior to her death it was difficult for her to back into the woods. The golf cart made it possible. Just as it made it possible for us to take Baby Chang back into the woods.
The farm seemed to weave it's magic around Baby Chang as well. She was able to run and play outside as much as she wanted something difficult in the apartment lifestyle we have. Baby Chang definitely flourished and my Uncle thought she even grew significantly in the time we were there. There were no notable two year old tantrums and she only earned one time out in the week a definte record. I'm hoping she will love the farm as much if not more than I do.
I also spent many hours looking through old photographs, trying to identify relatives who were long dead before I came into this world. A difficult task as you can imagine. On many of the photos there is nothing to identify the person. A few have the marks of the photographer or the city where they were taken. I plan to do as much as I can to identify as many as possible but I'm sure many will never be known. These are people who have amazing life stories like fighting the Revolutionary and Civil War or settling in territories that had never seen white men and women and trading with the Indians. I wonder how many of my relatives I will come to know through this process.
A week in my personal paradise seemed barely enough time. I'm already looking forward to the next trip hopefully in the fall or winter. For now I'll just have to enjoy getting to know the people who loved this home before me.
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