Bath Time

Cyrus very sweetly covered Kai's private area with bubbles for the picture.

Calvin's Story Delayed

I was hoping to go through my old pics and videos of Calvin this weekend to do my 'Calvin's Story' post, but we'll be in Athens. It may be for the best to delay this activity, for it is bittersweet and leads to more tears, but I enjoy thinking about all the good times we had.

Goodbye Sweet Calvin

I'm not ready to write about him yet. I just wanted to post his picture.

Too Sad To Post

Calvin is still not eating despite the anti-nausea med, antacid med, and subcutaneous fluids we're giving him. We've even tried to syringe-feed him. Why won't he perk up? Three days till next vet appointment.

The Story Of Cosmetics

Saeed and I have been reading Dr. David Servan-Schreiber's book AntiCancer: A New Way of Life on the recommendation of Saeed's internist, something for which I will always be grateful. Dr. Servan-Schreiber explains that every one of us has cancer cells but that not all of us get cancer due to our bodies' own defenses. He himself had cancer and searched for ways that he could help his body become as strong as possible to fight his cancer based on the results of the most recent scientific studies. The urgings of others compelled him to write this book to help the rest of us prevent cancer's onset or to reduce its effects once established. On Amazon the book has five stars based on 199 reviewers. And although much of it has to do with the nutritive value of the foods we eat there are other lifestyle factors (such as exercise, emotional health, and the household/toiletry products we use) he discusses as well. It's nice that the anti-cancer diet provides anti-diabetes and anti-cardiovascular disease benefits as well. (link to Amazon video here - note he uses the word 'cereals' for what we call grains) This book is a gem. In no way does he dismiss current cancer fighting technologies; he himself has had two surgeries and chemotherapy. And in no way does he make any promises; he advises us to use all that modern science has to offer to increase our chances of survival.

So when I found the video below about the toxic chemicals that can be found in all the things we use on our bodies I thought I'd pass it along. Servan-Schreiber mentions avoiding parabens and phthalates, but there are many other chemicals we should try to avoid if we can. (link to Environmental Working Group data base here) If you watched "The Story of Stuff" I blogged about a couple of years ago you will recognize Annie Leonard and her animated message. Enjoy:

Happy Birthday Mom!

In younger times!

Top 10 Veggie Friendly Cities

It's a sin I can't remember where I got this so I can give credit. It came from an online source that I think Saeed forwarded to me some time ago. (Hey Tita - notice where Atlanta is!!! Come on back girl.) Without further delay:

"With so many smart folks going veg, the number of restaurants and other businesses catering (often literally) to our appetites is booming, which makes our task of compiling lists of vegetarian-friendly cities tougher each time. But we never shrink from a challenge—or from the chance to discover totally delish new veggie eateries—so we're proud to present our list of the top 10 large North American cities for vegans and vegetarians:

1. Washington, D.C.
   Although Congress may be populated by purveyors of "pork," Washington is making a bid to become the nation's capital of veggie dining. Folks on both sides of the aisle could surely reach a bipartisan consensus on the faux turkey club sandwich from Java Green, ratify the vegan pepperoni and mozzarella pizza at Busboys and Poets, and put an end to the gridlock for a trip to Sunflower Vegetarian Restaurant in nearby Falls Church, Virginia, to enjoy Popeye's Favorite—a potato pie mixed with spinach, soy protein, and veggie bacon in a black-pepper sauce—followed by egg-free and milk-free organic pumpkin pie or almond-blueberry pie.
2. Portland, Oregon
   Portland's volcanoes may be extinct, but the city's vegan scene has erupted—enough to propel Portland into our number two position. From the luscious lasagne at Papa G's Vegan Organic Deli to the sizzling TLP (tempeh bacon, lettuce, and peppers) at Red and Black Café, to the barbecue tempeh platter at the Blossoming Lotus, vegan Portlanders have plenty of reasons to be happy with their hometown.
3. Albuquerque, New Mexico
   Going vegan in Albuquerque is easier than learning how to spell the city's name! You'll find vegan options aplenty, such as the veggie chicken nuggets and boba tea at the Fei Health Café and the tofu scramble at Flying Star Café. Also check out both locations of Annapurna's World Vegetarian Café, offering a selection of vegan bakery items and ayurvedic cooking classes.
4. Atlanta, Georgia
   Life for Georgia's vegans is increasingly peachy, with restaurants such as Café Sunflower (offering stuffed mushroom caps in a miso mushroom sauce), Green Sprout (presenting veggie pork with tofu and Szechuan sauce), and Ria's Bluebird (serving up Southwest tofu scramble with veggies). The South will rise again—and ask for seconds.
5. Seattle, Washington
   Seattle has a reputation for being rainy, but even when it's overcast, Seattle is a sunny place for vegans. For instance, Araya's Place curries favor with a Thai red curry with tofu, Thrive tops its fiery Chili con Marvelous with onion cashew cream, and Wayward Vegan Café dazzles with the Warlock, a faux-chicken sandwich spiced up with a savory chipotle-tahini sauce.
6. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
   While we had our differences with the recent Olympic Games held there, we can't hold that against this beautiful city. Especially not while they're serving up almond masala cakes at Organic Lives, spicy falafel wraps at Gorilla Food, and a golden rice bowl with marinated Gardein strips, mock shrimp, and sautéed tofu at Loving Hut.
7. San Francisco, California
   The City by the Bay has opened its Golden Gate to a wide variety of vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants and cafés. While celebrated spots such as Millenium and Greens are well worth a visit, don't miss out on the "Neatloaf" at Ananda Fuara, the Broccoli Beef & Black Mushroom entrée at Golden Era, or the grilled portobello mushroom over creamy polenta, sautéed spinach, and crostini at the all-vegan Herbivore.
8. Los Angeles, California
   The City of Angels offers a wide range of heavenly delights for residents and visitors alike. Start with Flore Vegan Cuisine, where you can indulge in vegan Griddle Cakes (with strawberries), or perhaps you'd prefer the signature "TV dinner"—with veggie loaf, mashed potatoes, golden gravy, and vegetables—from Real Food Daily. Better yet, try both, and then have a Santa Fe Crispy Chickin'—made with crispy fried chillin' chickin', lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, and a southwestern-spiced vegan mayo—made by Veggie Grill.
9. New York, New York
   They may live in the city that never sleeps, but Big Apple residents are clearly using those extra waking hours to think up more great vegan stuff to eat. With choices like the pumpkin noodles with sautéed vegetables at HanGawi, a marinated and grilled Bamburger or spaghetti and "meatballs" at Red Bamboo, and spinach omelets, pesto noodles, or Unchicken Nachos at the all-vegan Caravan of Dreams, no wonder Gothamites are staying up nights!
10. Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    Canada's largest city comes through for the hungry vegetarians of the Great White North. No one who's had the raw vegan Pasta Bolognese at Rawlicious, the eggplant in ginger sauce at Commensal, or the beer-battered deep-fried tofu with cornmeal at Fressen would be surprised to find Toronto rounding out our list in style."

 Noticeably lacking? The Midwest. C'mon Martha.

Family Pics From Kai's Birth Weekend And Father's Day

OK, so these are some of the pics and videos from the weekend we went to Athens for Kai's birth and Father's Day, June 2010.

Kai was being held by Rita in this pic.

Two father's on Father's Day, celebrated in the hospital.

Saeed bonding with his new grandson.

Gabriel reads his Father's Day card.

Saeed is overjoyed with his new framed series of Cyrus photos.

Cyrus explains what's going on in each pic.

A father lovin' on his daughter.

Back home Cyrus and I were making a salad for Shirin and Gabriel's homecoming dinner. Cyrus' job was to bite off the bottom of each and every pepper.

King of the Peppers!

No wonder that air mattress ended up with a hole.

There's video of this below.

THEY'RE HOME!

Cyrus is happy to have his parents back.

Shirin immediately involved Cyrus in a book while breastfeeding Kai. She knew how important it would be for Cyrus to feel that everything was pretty much the same.

Cutie pie.

Gabriel is happy to have Kai home safe and sound.

Cyrus uses his Dad as a couch while they read together.

I love this picture.

There's only one safe way to cut a two year old's hair...

... mesmerize them with a Mickey Mouse cartoon!

Ta - Da!

Getting to know Kai.

Look what I've got!

VIDEOS (in no particular order)

As I watch this it amazes me how much he has changed in just six weeks:


Saeed and I love Cyrus' singing:


Cyrus is talking about what's going on in the pictures on the quilt... I think:


Stop it Baba!



... and the dog was chasing the cat...


Cyrus pretends to cover himself with a blanket (the wash cloth) and fall asleep:


Swimming in the bubble - ahhhhh:


Cyrus loves his train:

Marginal Success

Well, the book itself (I Capture the Castle) was a great success; my clubbers say I pick some of the best books for us to read. But I feel less than satisfied with my ability to lead a literary discussion. Saeed reassured me that most of that high-falutin' discussion can be a lot like the way people discuss art, trying to dig into it's REAL meaning when perhaps the author/artist didn't mean any of that! Still, when the lit prof made references and comparisons to Jane Austen and Charlotte Brontë all I could do was dumbly nod. Certainly I know these authors and probably have read them in school but couldn't use that to link to last night's discussion. Sigh... Perhaps there's an online "Literature For Dummies" course. I should do much better with next month's book Zeitoun.

Book Club

Last month we discussed The Photograph (link here) and Tuesday night we'll be discussing I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith (link here). Dodie Smith was born in England in 1896 and is probably more famous for writing 101 Dalmations than any of her adult pieces.

I joined my book club for many reasons but one was so that I would get better at dissecting written works. I am a very concrete thinker and typically follow the plot in a 'find out what happens' sort of way. Often 'what happens' has nothing to do with what the author is writing about.

I am hosting Tuesday night's discussion and admit that although I feel much more confident than I did when I first joined the club, I am a bit out of my league with this story. It takes place during the 30's in England and involves many elements of particularly British societal issues, issues of which I know little. Fortunately I do not have to present my own analysis but rather stimulate the conversation with well placed questions. Two of my clubbers have actually lived in England for some period of time and one new member is a retired literature professor so I know I'll get lots of help!

I wish my sister lived closer and could be in my book club too. Her analytical mind and former job as an English teacher would help me so much!

Last Weekend In Athens

Anyone reading this knows we went to Athens last weekend instead of them trying to drive here. Here a few pictures and videos.

Cyrus was eating blueberries - can ya tell?

Clean face, blue ghost.

I love how Cyrus says, "Want some":

Cyrus crawled under the 'rainbow' to hang out with Kai. Two cute little smiling boys.

Still lookin' blue at this point.

He may be only two years old but already he has a great sense of humor. Here I was asking him to smile but all he would do is this wide-eyed expression and then laugh about it!

Cyrus joined Kai under the rainbow and seemed mesmerized for a while. (Notice how he always finds a way to be touching Kai.) When he finally snapped back to silly mode he imitated Kai's pumping legs and tightly clenched fists.:


Where Daddy doh?:



If only Kai knew how sweet those kisses are (I think Cyrus got slopped on!) He corrects me after I say that he's a big boy by saying that Cyrus is little.:



As Shirin blogged, Kai had a bit of the snuffles and I wished I could've cleared his throat for him, but there are two moments in this video that look like he's trying to talk:



Saeed bought Cyrus some animals that Shirin blogged about. Here he is moving them from one side of the room to the other, one by one. I love those little chubby legs stomping back and forth.:

2 Great Animal Videos

Pics

I got a really good pic of Cyrus and Kai this weekend but it's still in my camera. It's frustrating that I can't find the time to do my blog like I used to, but I plan to devote a bit of time to sorting through my pictures this weekend... I hope.