A post about food

This just came in the mail. Don't you want to eat those fries right now?


Oh, and I made strawberry jam. Yum. And the most flattering picture ever.

The man, the legend

Here's a bit about Dr. Ralph Feigin. (scroll down in the link, but also read about Dr. DeBakey.) He was President of my medical school and Chair of Pediatrics and Physician in Chief at Texas Childrens Hospital. I was blessed to be taught by him.

I lifted this one from Meena Julapalli on Facebook; hope she doesn't mind:

Several years ago, Dr. Feigin was flown to Washington, D.C. to meet with President George W. Bush at the White House. In the Oval Office, the President told him that he wanted him to be the next Surgeon General, an offer Dr. Feigin politely declined saying that he loved the job he had at TCH and Baylor and couldn't imagine himself doing anything else. Bush remarked "You can't say 'no' to the President," to which Dr. Feigin responded, "I said no to one [meaning George Bush, Sr.], I can certainly say 'no' to another."

Near the end of the meeting, Dr. Feigin excused himself to go to the restroom (yes, the Oval Office restroom) and when he returned, George Bush asked him if he had washed his hands.
Dr. Feigin said, "of course, I washed my hands -- I'm an infectious disease doctor."
POTUS: "Well, what did you think of the hand towels?"
Dr. Feigin: "Uh, they're nice, I guess."
POTUS: "You should take one as a souvenir."
Dr. Feigin: "No, thank you, that's alright."
POTUS: "No, really, I insist."
Dr. Feigin: "Uh, okay."

Dr. Feigin left hurriedly to catch his plane and stuffed the hand towel in the side pocket of his carry-on luggage. As he stood in the security line, he started to become slightly nervous that the security officers would search his bags and find a hand towel with the official Presidential seal on it. How was he going to explain that he didn't steal a hand towel from the President of the United States?

This story is from my friend Sujit Iyer, and typifies Dr. Feigin:

For those who remember hurricane Rita... it happened about 3 weeks after katrina, and in the midst of it all Houston had a city wide evacuation. TCH was in disaster preparedness mode and there was a meeting of heads of the hospital every 8 hours for the 48 hours before landfall....

So I'm at these meetings as chief to represent the residents, and there are people there from Nursing, Faculty, Maintenance, Food Services, etc.. in this huge conference room. As everyone is walking through their part of the disaster plan the maintenance guys get into an argument about where the main power breaker for the flood doors in the tunnel beneath the Feigin Center is (something I never knew even existed until that weekend).... they couldn't figure it out... then out of nowhere....

Dr. Feigin:, "Just walk down the hall on the way to the main flood doors, 20 yards before the door on the right there is a large box, either the third or fourth breaker down on the left will close the doors if the power goes out."

Engineers, ruffling through some papers.. "Mmmm, yeah, you're right Dr. Feigin."

Some people don't need blueprints.

May he rest in peace.

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Up to Speed

Whew, hi everyone! It's been awhile, right?

I'll just catch you up to speed quickly; the idea of a really thorough post about Christmas and New York is just too overwhelming.

Christmas was great. We drove all over Oklahoma to celebrate with family. Then we left the kids with my mom and Justin and I went to New York City for a few days. We had a great time; I feel like I could visit that city once a year and always discover something new things. I look forward to taking the kids....in a few years. I didn't care for midtown at all; the crowds make me crazy. I loved just exploring lower Manhattan, especially Greenwich Village. Little boutiques, bistros, and bakeries. So perfect. We saw a concert, had tea at the Plaza, toured the MOMA, took in a play, a stand-up act, and some amazing restaurants. We skipped the statue and Empire State Building; the lines were way too long. I love the urban life, but just in small doses. I was glad to come home to open spaces and green things.

So, yesterday Jonas drank a V8. A V8! Like with actual vegetables! He called it pah-sghetti juice. How cute is that?

He had been eating lentil soup, which I was excited about anyway. But he said that the part he liked best was "this red stuff," which was broth with lots of tomato juice. So I got a V8 out and gave it to him. (I can't stand the stuff, but I use it in pasta sauce. That's why it was in the pantry.) He liked it! He asked for another one later. So I'm thinking....I have a new way to get real food in my kids. I'm gonna have to invest in the big boy.

I'm realizing that lunch is the way to go to get the kids to try something new. Because I don't usually cook lunch, it's always something they like, like a PB&J or grilled cheese or pasta. We've done the "you'll eat what we eat" thing for dinner, but they just stopped eating dinner. They are content to live on two meals a day and skip dinner. That was a move in the wrong direction. So I'm going to have to suck it up and make real food for lunch. Leftovers, at least.

CHRIST CHURCH NEWS:
This Sunday will be the first service in the new building. Morning services! I'm so excited. The building is still in need of TLC. But it's come a long, long way. Just to see it clean, with no mold on the walls, is a huge step. The kids area is being painted today, the bathroom is almost done, and the guys made huge purchases at IKEA to furnish the nursery and foyer. Next stop: red shag carpet on the pews. It just has to go.

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FAQ's

Just in case you were wondering.

I'm a private person, and don't tend to write about personal things here. And maybe that's wise. But I want to be honest here, let you know who I really am. So I'll touch on some things that you may have wondered about. As they come to me.

1. Why I quit my job. I suppose that's a fair question, given the title of my blog. I always planned to be a stay at home mom, at least for awhile, probably not forever. My plan was to finish my residency in pediatrics, take a few years off to be home and have babies, and then return to work part time. It was not a bad plan, but it's not the way things worked out, and I'm so glad. My son was born during my first year of residency, and I decided against two more years of 80 hour workweeks. I craved more time with him. I thought I might work part time down the road, and I may someday. But I'm in no hurry. I really love being here. It was a hard adjustment, but hard in a good way, like exercise is hard. Like most things that are worth doing are hard.

2. What I believe about submission. Wow, this is a biggie. Just typing that word makes me feel all nervous, like, she's not really going to talk about that, is she? Well, apparently I am.

Here's the deal. I have found a way, after years of struggle, to embrace submission without feeling degraded. I have not always understood it that way, and have bucked against the concept. Mostly as a single person; if anything marriage made this easier, not harder. I tried to write off the Biblical passages as applying to the particular time and place where they were written, but I just can't do it. It doesn't work that way. There was a structure to marriage in the Garden of Eden. There is structure to the Trinity. These things are not accidental. They are not a result of the Fall. They are intentional design, and they are good.

This is not a thesis on womanhood. Maybe I'll write more another day, maybe not. But I had to at least get it out there, on the table. The most helpful thing for me has been to look to the Trinity. Jesus and the Spirit are both described as "submitting" to the Father. Same word in Greek, if I'm not mistaken. So clearly we are not talking about a difference in dignity or worth. This is not about ability or merit. The Spirit is described as a "helper" to the believer. This is not a secretary, right? An assistant, to iron shirts and bring the coffee? Justin likes to explain it as though "help" is a euphemism, as in "air helps me to breathe." As in, without this thing, I cannot go on.

AND, my submission to my husband "as unto the Lord" does NOT mean, like I once thought, "as if he WERE the Lord." I am not pretending that. They have a name for that, and it starts with an I. This is more along the lines of whatever you eat or drink, do it as unto the Lord. As in, serve God by doing this. Glorify God in this way, by trusting His leadership, His word. Practice submission, not because he deserves it, (he being the husband), but because God deserves it.

God has lots to say to the husband in all this, let's not forget. And my husband is diligent to do his part. That's a whole 'nuther post.

3. I'm a preacher's wife. Hubby's behind the pulpit. What girl wouldn't love that? Maybe some wouldn't, I don't know. I certainly didn't expect to, back in the day. Never, EVER dreamed I'd be a preacher's wife. I don't even play piano! ha. But I am his wife. And I love that job more than anything. I'm an ordinary wife. Not on staff at the church or anything like that. I love my husband, and it's his job to care for the sheep. And he's great at it. I'm so very proud.

4. Vaccines. Man, I'm just getting it all out there tonight! Here's the short version. I think vaccines are important, and have done way more good than harm. These diseases that they protect against are real, and they're deadly. We forget that, precisely because the vaccines have done their job. There may be more risk than we know, though. There are lots of questions out there. My hunch is that some children have a genetic hypersensitivity, a disposition to react badly to vaccines. That may be one of many, many contributing factors for some very complicated neurological disorders.

Here is one confusing fact: the natural history of autism, for most children, with or without vaccines, involves a fairly normal first two years and then some regression after the second birthday. That is hard to understand, and naturally causes many people to look for "what happened" to a seemingly normal child. But some genes just work that way. I am thinking of a family who had one child with autism. They felt the MMR vaccine was responsible. They had another child, chose not to vaccinate, and that child did the exact same thing. Seemed normal until two and then bam, autism. Or Parkinson's disease. Completely genetic. Normal development, normal life, until later adulthood, and then you get sick. Nothing "happened." The gene has been there since day one, sitting, waiting.

There are things that seem to suggest involvement of heavy metals, and the immune system gone haywire. Vaccines obviously would have some connection with both of those. There are things to suggest genetics. Also environmental pollution, potentially pesticides, and who knows what other thousands of exposures a young child could experience. I'm far from an expert. I'm an ordinary "entry level" physician, and an ordinary mom. Sort of thinking out loud here, if you don't mind. This isn't "professional advice" or anything.

So who knows? I think we really don't, right now. But I still believe vaccines are important. I vaccinate my own children, and would recommend that for any patient of mine. But I understand where parents are coming from when they express concern. Everyone wants to do what is best for their own child. Just do your reading, check your sources, think for yourself. Don't do something just because "Doctor knows best," but don't avoid something just because some person on Oprah said not to, either.

Well, I guess that's enough for tonight. Thanks for hearing me out. I don't mean to stir the pot; I'm not trying to start anything. If you have questions, that's fine, please, ask away. I just needed to say some things. Oh, man, I didn't even talk about homeschooling. Maybe next time.

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Snake in the Pantry

You've heard of Snakes on a Plane, but now I bring you....

Snake in the Pantry.

I kid you not.

Sunday night, I was getting ready for a bedtime snack of waffles (I know). I pulled out the waffle iron and then.....gasp:

See it? Look closer:


It was coiled up behind the waffle iron, on the knife sharpener. Scared the pee out of me.

I did what any self-respecting, capable and competent adult woman would do.

"Honey, there's a snake in the pantry. You have to get it out."

Y'all, my husband is a brave man. He really is. But....not so much in the snake department. Justin was, shall we say, a bit apprehensive about fetching the snake for me. My mother-in-law was there, and she also was completely useless. (I love you guys, I really do. Even if you are useless when there's a SNAKE IN THE PANTRY.)

I should clarify. Justin was willing to get the snake, but not in a manner that I was willing to endorse. He was all ready to get the hoe and start chopping, but I put my foot down. I will not, WILL NOT clean up snake blood from all over the inside of my pantry. I WILL NOT have hoe chops and blood stains on my new wood floor.

Hubby was less than enthusiastic about my proposal of BBQ tongs, so I was on my own.

Let me tell you, I got that bad boy. I was already in my bathrobe (see "bedtime" above), so I added boots and the one leather gardening glove that I could find:

(disclaimer: This picture is a reenactment, taken after the fact. Note the carefree laugh.)

I pinned him once with the tongs, but he wiggled out. He then proceeded to crawl all over the pantry, in and out of drawers, eventually settling in the corner behind the crock pot. When Justin pulled out the crock pot (with a ten foot pole), he coiled and hissed at us. Eventually I managed to pin him down with a drawer that I yanked out on his head and grabbed him with two pairs of tongs and threw him in the trash can. He was jumping around in there like crazy, trying to climb out, while I ran across the kitchen with the can, trying not to fall down in my cowboy boots. I kept knocking him back down with the tongs, and yelling "Open the door! Get out of my way! Open the door!" I threw the whole can out the back door, where the kitty Tiger took him down with relish.

Looking back, we probably could have killed it with a hoe without too much bloodshed. Maybe we'll try that next time.

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wish me luck

Tomorrow is the big day! My licensing exam will be tomorrow and Wednesday.

It's all computerized. The first day and a half are multiple choice, then second afternoon is case-based. It's a strange software with simulated cases. I am presented with a patient and brief history ("65 year old man presents to the emergency room with chest pain"), and then I take it from there. If I want to know vital signs, I click on "order sheet" and type "vital signs" as an order. I don't get any information that I don't ask for . Or I can type "appendectomy" if that's what is needed. (Better not do that for Mr. Chest Pain, though. That would be bad.) Simulated time passes, so if I wait too long to remember the EKG, my patient could die. It's a very odd little software program.

I'm trying to think of it as a video game.

I feel ready, though. Studying has gone well. I could learn more with more time, but I am somewhat back in shape. It feels good to use these old muscles, clear some cobwebs from my brain. The first week or two of studying I couldn't focus for more than an hour or two. But yesterday I made six hours straight with only short breaks, and I could have done lots more if it wasn't time for church. I am happy about the progress I've made.

Big thanks to everyone who's helped out during this time of studying. Thanks to Mamaw and Beth for all of the hours of babysitting so I could study. Thanks to Sandra at the cafe for the gallons and gallons of sweet tea. And thanks honey for your support. I couldn't do it without you.

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school supplies

Does this make anyone else as happy as it makes me?

All that's missing is a bunch of sharp, yellow, real wood #2 pencils. But I never use pencils so I couldn't justify it.

Don't you just want to go write in a college ruled notebook?

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Tag....I'm It

I was never good at sports. Why does blog tag feel like a sport to me? I'm having flashbacks to 6th grade PE, playing dodgeball in the gym. (How many of my Durant friends read this? Who can be the first to name the girl we were so scared of in dodgeball? I mean, it seriously hurt when she tagged you. I remember her name, but I'm interested to see who gets it first....Beth.)

But this time I'm tagged virtually. No gym uniform, no running around in the midday sun on a playground, so I'm game.

The tagging rules:
1. Post the rules on your blog
2. Write 6 random things about yourself
3. Tag 6 people at the end of your post
4. If you're tagged, DO IT and pass on the tag


I've been stalling because I didn't think I could think of 6 random things. But I'll try. Here goes:

1. I faked gym. See above. As in, when my parents asked "How do you like soccer in PE?" My response was that it was a little harder to PRETEND you were actually playing than some of the other sports. Softball, for example: you can just stand there in left field. Of course I'm not going to catch anything. I duck from the ball like Buster Bluth. But at least I don't have to run up and down the field while I'm faking.

2. Parenting came about as naturally to me as being an astronaut.

3. I almost broke up with Justin when we had just started dating because I didn't feel "called" to be a pastor's wife. Too opinionated, too independent, too likely to seek employment.... maybe I should run for vice president.

4. In medical school, I was always the one to raise my hand and ask a stupid question. I realized I would much rather do that than get caught bluffing. I always had people say things to me later like "I'm so glad you asked that; I didn't know either but I was too embarrassed to ask." Not me. I would literally raise my hand in front of a hundred people and say "I'm sorry, but I don't understand what that picture is. Would you please explain it?"

The ability to ask lots of questions without embarrassment is one of the best things I learned in medical school. It has served me well. I ask Justin stupid Bible questions all the time, and I know I drove our builder crazy. ("I'm sorry, I don't understand these symbols on the blueprints. Will you please explain them all to me?")

5. I have always wanted to drive an eighteen wheeler. Maybe it's something to do with my maiden name.

6. I grew up on country music, and it still feels like home to me. Not the new stuff, nothing described as "young country" or "today's country". I'm talking about Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Willie Nelson, Patsy Cline. My first concert as a small child was Willie Nelson. (My first concert "for me" was Michael Jackson Thriller.)

Well, there's my 6. I tag:

Beth Anderson, Jen Lokey, Heather Hendricks, and Lynsey Kramer.

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the saddest thing i've ever seen

this poor gorilla has been carrying around her dead baby since he died 4 days ago.

isn't that heartbreaking?

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nope, not dead

hi folks.

as the title says, i'm still alive and kicking. i'm trying to study for my last exam for a medical license, the usmle step 3. (well, next to last. texas medical jurisprudence will have to wait.) SO, all that lovely free time that i love devoting to the glorious world wide web, has been spent on nephrology, infectious disease, cardiology, oncology, etc.

i'm such a slacker.

i feel the same struggle i remember from med school. i need a bumper sticker: i'd rather be baking. let's recap what i've done this week, when i'm supposed to be studying: brownies saturday, turtle cake monday, blueberry muffins tuesday. trip to the outlet mall wednesday. today, blogging. but laundry? no. nutritious meals for the family? nope. i was planning to cover neurology this afternoon, but there's a little sundress for betty on the sewing machine that's calling my name...

priorities.

at one point i could spend 18 hour days studying in the back corner of the library, with short breaks for meals only (at the memorial hermann cafeteria! which is not where i worked. so much the better.) now i'm doing good to pay attention to study for 2 hours, at best. i've gotten used to the multitask!

(i know some of you doctor-y types i went to school with read this blog. now's your chance to step out of the shadows and leave a comment! you know my study habits were never that impressive, but everybody else will believe me unless you step in.)

well, bye now. time to go suntan by the pool review amytrophic lateral sclerosis.

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Veggie goodness

I am not, by any stretch, vegetarian. But I do need more veggies in my life. So I try to do vegetarian meals every now and then. "Meatless Monday" if you will. It helps me to stop thinking of meat as "the real food" and everything else as "sides," aka "optional if you're still hungry after the meat and bread" or "get this down so you don't feel guilty about the chocolate cupcakes." (Am I talking to anyone out there?) I would love to think of the green stuff as what I most need and want to eat, with a little meat thrown in here and there for protein. That would be much healthier.

Enter my new cookbook.


How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman is a great reference for curious omnivores like me. Justin picked this out for me, and it was a great selection. I've tried other vegetarian or even vegan cookbooks, but they too often are preachy, or a little too funky, or call for excessive amounts of tofu. I'm just looking for good recipes eaten by normal people, not self-help. We've got enough preaching around here; I don't need it from a cookbook (wink, wink).

But this book has great ideas, modern and interesting but not weird. I love his style of "theme and variations." For example, he'll list a simple pasta sauce but then 5 ways to modify it, depending on the season or what's available. Or a list of "20 things to put on bruschetta." The "vegetables" chapter is enormous, with lots of information about how to choose and prepare different produce. I think that will help me use up some of the bounty from our CSA.

I like cookbooks that are written by regular home cooks rather than professional chefs. The recipes are very realistic, and most ingredients are available even at small town groceries. If it's a complicated recipe or obscure ingredient, he makes sure to warn you so you don't get in over your head. He's also an omnivore, so it's a good perspective for someone like me who's just experimenting.

To give you an idea, so far I've tried Southwestern Mixed Vegetable Soup, Barley Soup with Seasonal Vegetables (the summer vegetable and roasted variations), Vegetable Lasagna, Buttermilk Blueberry Pie (in an oatmeal crust), Upside Down Plum Rosemary Cake, and Buttermilk Ice Cream. I'm excited to try his Corn Chowder, lots of pizza ideas, Oatmeal Apple Cookies, Olive Oil Cake, and Brown Sugar Cookies with Sea Salt.

I know, I've spent a lot of time in the dessert chapter. So sue me. Most desserts are vegetarian anyway (although he does include vegan recipes and modifications, which are harder to find), but these desserts are a little bit healthier but still feel like real dessert. More whole grains, natural sweeteners, that sort of thing. Baby steps.

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Bloggy love

My friend Steph sent me a blog award! A mom of a little baby boy who received a heart transplant started the award to raise awareness about organ donation. Click here to read more.

Here's the award and the story from the original site:


The rules of this award are: SHARE THE LOVE!!! Share this award with all those blogs out there that you love. All the people who make you smile. All those that make you laugh. All those that make your day. All those that leave uplifting comments on your blog. **All I ask, is that you include a link to this post with the award and ask your recipient to do the same**

So,

Gabriele, girl, you're gonna save the world. Congratulations on the wedding!

Mandi, you could singlehandedly bring back pioneering. You rock.

Share the love, ladies!

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July 4th Parade

Chappell Hill hosts an annual parade for Independence Day, and it is quite a slice of small town Americana. Anyone in town can enter: Tape some flags on your lawnmower, grab a bucket of candy, and you're ready to go. I love it.

I'm sentimental about that sort of thing, and always tear up at the national anthem. But this year really got me. Standing by us was a young girl, 25 maybe, in Army camos with an airborne patch and beret. She was with two kids, probably siblings but maybe hers. Here she is:


When the veterans' float went by, all these old grisly vets called out to her, "Soldier! Thank you!" and just showered her with candy. I tell you, I could've really used a hankie at that point.

Here are some more pics from the parade. Justin took most of these.


These ladies did a little drill team routine. I have no idea what organization they represent, if any, but I like their spunk.


Same goes for them.





Pastor Dean and his wife Toni.

Betty with the bounty.

Happy 4th.

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Rock The Reception

Thanks to BooMama for this link. This is a new TLC show where a couple surprises their wedding guests with a professionally choreographed first dance. Honey, you'd better thank your lucky stars this show wasn't around when we got married.

i may never march in the infantry....

....but I can sure FEED the Lord's army!

Email glitch

It seems that I've missed emails from a couple of people. I don't know what the problem is, but I'll try to sort it out. If you've sent me an email and haven't heard back, post a comment here and let me know. I could be neglectful, but I may not have gotten it! Sorry for any confusion.

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Calorie watch

So, the answer is 1880 calories. In Chili's Chicken Crispers. That's three Big Macs, people.

I'm not a big calorie counter. Anyone who's had my chicken fried steak with gravy and mashed potatoes and fried okra can attest to that. We were curious so I looked it up, and I was stunned.

So now you know.

Calorie count

Please vote in the poll to your right. No cheating!