We only had a little bit of rain on our trip when we were driving south along the coast of New Hampshire and Massachusetts. I would have loved to spend more time walking around some of the port towns like Salem, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Marblehead and Ipswich. I did manage to snap some quick pictures out of the car windows when we were in Marblehead. I loved the brightly painted houses and flower boxes everywhere. The streets were so narrow, and all of the houses seemed so small and packed together. I was fascinated to see all of the signs on the houses saying that they were built for so and so in 1680 or 1750... I can't imagine what it would be like to live in a house that was hundreds of years old!
It stopped raining for awhile and mom and I grabbed and early dinner at a restarant on the marina called The Landing. (Thank you Urban Spoon!) We had scallops wrapped in bacon, served with maple dipping sauce and fried clams with fries. I don't know if you have ever had fresh "Ipswich style" fried clams- they are so yummy. However, I do have one complaint. I don't like the bellies... :) A friend of mine who is from Hanover, MA says that the bellies are the best part. Maybe I would agree with her if I had grown up eating them.
1. Today for breakfast I ate a breakfast burrito ( I needed some protein because I'm traveling today.)
2. My go to/never fail recipeSpinach and Artichoke dip. I got it from RealSimple Magazine originally, but I've made it so many times my own way, that I don't know how closely it resembles the original anymore.
3. Something I eat that other people think is weird ishmm... large amounts of green olives? salt on everything? I can't think of anything too weird.
4. My worst cooking disaster ever was... oh there are many. When you don't follow recipes well, anything can happen!
5. If I could only eat one flavor of ice cream the rest of my life it would be peppermint!
6. One food I hate and avoid at all costs is... I don't know. There isn't much that I won't eat, even if I don't love it. Some things I really don't enjoy: Lima beans, fake cherry flavor, mushy broccoli (especially in casseroles!).
7. What is your favorite meal? Breakfast, lunch, or dinner? Lunch for sure! I'm a huge fan of sandwiches, salads and other easy to make meals. The perfect meal for just me is a grilled roasted turkey sandwich with chipotle mayo, swiss cheese, spinach and tomato. yum!
Summer is the time for vacations! I am lucky enough to get to join in on my family's vacation to Maine and Massachusetts this week. Mom, Dad and Sam set out to explore the NorthEast last weekend, and I'm going to join them in Boston tonight. Dad and Sam are going to go hiking for 3 days and Mom and I get to explore on our own. We're going to see the Maine coastline, Plimouth Plantation, Cape Cod and whatever else strikes our fancy.
Haha, sounds serious, huh? Well, it is good news. My Graves' Disease (hyperthyroidism) is not showing up on my blood work and I may be able to go for years without any trouble with my thyroid! My doctor says that I have a 50/50 chance of never needing treatment again.
For more than two years I took medicines to suppress my over-active thyroid (Methimazole and a beta blocker). Then when I was diagnosed with Addison's Disease, treatment for my thyroid disease got shoved to the back burner. 3 months ago things had become pretty stable with Addison's and my doctor decided it was time to see if I could go without taking thyroid meds. And it worked! I'm doing great, my thyroid numbers are perfect, and I'm hoping that this lasts!
Our endocrine systems are a complicated network of glands in our bodies that work closely together. They are the pituitary, thyroid and adrenals. Other organs perform secondary endocrine functions (like kidneys and heart), but these are the main endocrine glands. They control growth, metabolism, mood and also tell other glands in your body when and how to work. My thyroid decided it wanted to work overtime, and my adrenal glad decided it didn't want to work at all. As far as I know, my pituitary gland is working just fine.
If you're wondering, symptoms of Graves' Disease include:
· Rapid heart rate, or palpitations
· A feeling of over-stimulation
· Hyperactivity/increased energy.
· Tiredness
· Insomnia
· Tremor
· Weight loss
· Increased appetite
· Weakness
· Shortness of breath
· Increased sweating
· Heat intolerance
· hair loss
· Brittle nails
· Gastrointestinal symptoms
I had a constant stomachache, was never cold, was dizzy and shaky and I often felt like my head was spinning. When I walked up a flight of stairs I felt like my heart was going to beat out of my chest. My thyroid was puffy and swollen, and sometimes I felt like I couldn't swallow. I ate ALL the time but never gained any weight.
It's funny, Addison's Disease shares a lot of the same symptoms. That's why I kept asking the doctor to test my thyroid last summer when I didn't feel well. I think I went back 3 times telling her that something was wrong with me, but all my thyroid tests came back fine. It turns out not all doctors know what they are doing. But that is a story for another day.
I hope my experience can help others! It's no fun to go through something like this and not know what's going on with you. I am so happy that I don't have to deal with thyroid issues right now- and I'm praying that it stays this way!
I always get this song in my head when I think about the states I have yet to go to. You know, the one where you list all of the states in alphabetic order? "Fifty Nifty United States from thirteen original colonies..."
When I was a kid my parents took us on a lot of vacations around the U.S. and at some point I decided that I wanted to try and go to all 50. It's developed into a race between my dad and I. He's been to a few different ones than I have, and since I've gotten older I've gone to a few he hasn't. We're pretty much even right now though, 5 more to go for each of us. What's left on my list?
1. Alaska
2. Hawaii
3. Rhode Island
4. Connecticut
5. North Dakota
The top four left on my list are places I want to go, and can see them fitting into a fun vacation... However, what is there to do in North Dakota? Anyone have any ideas?
Here's a map that shows where I've been.
Green: Where I've lived
Blue: Where I've been more than once, or spent a lot of time
Orange: Places I've driven through or not spent a ton of time
Pink: States I still need to visit map created here
I have plans for a 50 States scrapbook, with a page for every state and some memories from each. I should start it now, maybe I'll have it done by the time I get to all 50 states!
