FLASHBACK 2737 bc

BECAUSE IT'S TOTALLY WORTH REPEATING...
"you get tea when it's raining, tea when it's snowing. tea when the weather's fine..."
rumor has it that tea is discovered by chinese emperor, shan nong. supposedly, this emperor likes to boil his drinking water...which, if you watch survivorman at all, you know this is a good idea...and, one day, while strolling thru the gardens, a few tea leaves fall in his mug. KABOOM!! tea inventor! (all of this MUST be true...i read it on the internet. here and also here. )
FLASH FORWARD today
today is a brrrrrr chilly rabbit sort of day. a day where you get hypothermia just looking out the window. it's the perfect day for snuggling in with a great read...or a horrible lifetime movie...and sipping on a nice...hot...cup of tea. and what a perfect month to do that...it just happens to be national hot tea month!

             

^i'm telling you...brrrr chilly rabbit!^

so, you don't know the first thing about hot tea? or how to enjoy it? the following is a list of the different types and their health benefits. yes. i said HEALTH benefits!

• GREEN TEA: this is made with steamed tea leaves. it contains the most ECGC, an antioxidant known as as a flavanoid. green tea's antioxidants are thought to interfere with the growth of some cancers. specifically: bladder, breast, lung, colorectal, and stomach cancers. it is, also, thought to help burn fat. BONUS!!! plus, it's delicious. 
• BLACK TEA: this is made with fermented tea leaves. it contains the most caffeine. studies show that black tea may protect lungs from the damage caused by cigarette smoke. don't ask me how...i'm not gonna do that much research. also. it's delicious.
• WHITE TEA: this is uncured and unfermented. again, it's antioxidants have been credited with preventing cancers. it is, also, thought to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. ummmm...i have never ever tried white tea, so it might suck. but i imagine it's delicious!
• OOLONG TEA: this is a semi~fermented tea. it has been credited to lower bad cholesterol levels. and, it has been marketed as a weight loss supplement but no studies have substantiated this claim. again...delicious!

the best way to enjoy hot tea? well...some people add sugar. some people add cream. some people float a nice slice of lemon. there is NO wrong way. i, personally, enjoy a flavored tea, with a bit of splenda , while snuggled on the couch, covered in my nightmare before christmas blanket. 

                                   

"BETTER PUT THEM IN QUOTATIONS...

...say what you need to say..."

FLASHBACK march 22, 2013

i walk in the house and the bk is on the phone. he's excited about something but refuses to say. he hands me the phone and the voice on the other end says "so. do you prefer auntie (auhntie) or auntie (antie)?" ummmm...auntie (antie) duh doy! wait? whaat?! OMG!!! 

FLASH FORWARD march 28, 2013

i get a tearful phone call. "i'm on my way to the hospital. there's bleeding." it is an ectopic pregnancy.  of course they are devastated. but, also, hopeful. the doctor is positive they will get pregnant again. 

FLASH FORWARD today

never the person to have things go smoothly, this tubal pregnancy isn't over yet. there was a surgery on march 28. there was a dose (actually 2) of chemo on april 12. and an emergency surgery on april 14 that required removing the fallopian tube. the doctor is, still, certain she will conceive again. 

i offered my support in the form of ben & jerry's ice cream and a walking dead marathon. i, also, offered to shave her head if the chemo caused hair loss (which, by the way, can happen with one dose or not at all). but i avoided all the cliche sayings: "you're young. you can try again". duh. she knows this. "i know how you feel". no. no i don't. i can't even imagine. i had 2 very normal, happy, pregnancies and 1 that was complicated but still resulted in a happy, healthy baby. "everything happens for a reason". okay. i DO believe this. but, really? i'm not sure i want to understand the reason. and the statement isn't comforting, at all. 

deaths of loved ones, cancer, loss of a pregnancy...whatever the cause, offering support and comfort can, often, be difficult. how can you know what to say (or not) or do when you've never experienced it? you can't really, because it's personal and will be different for everyone. some people are going to want all your attention. and some are going to wish you would just go away. but i do have some ideas:

• do make contact. call, visit, email...but do offer your condolences and help. the person will let you know if the help is wanted. *when offering help be specific: can i bring you a meal? don't say "how can i help?" forcing them to think about what they might need done.* 
• listen. listen but DO NOT offer advice unless they ask for it. 
• don't say "i know how you feel". even if you think you do, they are feeling their own emotions, which might be different from how you felt.
• offer real help, like running errands. or bringing food. *idea: take toilet paper, paper towels, and tissues. especially in the case of a death in the family, lots of people will be dropping by and bringing food. paper products are the last thing on the family's mind.*
• avoid the cliches: he/she is in a better place, everything happens for a reason, or it could be worse. even if you believe it to be true, these statements don't help with the grieving process. the person will come to these conclusions on their own. in their own time. 
• understand that people heal in their own time. don't push them to get on with their lives at your pace. 

^pets can be incredibly comforting^

FLASHBACK august 2011

"when you're weak, i'll be strong...when you let go, i'll hold on"

my mom sends me an email.  she says a friend of mine, that i had (unfortunately) lost contact with, is battling breast cancer.  i contact her via facebook and mend that relationship.  why? because the moment you hear someone is battling the "big c" you realize how precious life truly is. you realize how petty you've been. 
FLASH FORWARD christmas 2011
jamie gets a text.  it's devastating news.  a friend of ours has stage 4 colon cancer that spread to his liver. how do you come back from that?  no really.  how DO you come back from that? 
FLASH FORWARD september 13, 2012
julie is a survivor.  she was declared cancer free a little while back.  and craig.  craig with the stage 4 cancer that had already begun to spread.  today.  TODAY he was declared cancer free.  yep.  that's what i said.  CANCER FREE.
medicine helped...of that i'm sure.  but i am 45000% positive that it was something else that helped them heal.  their attitudes.  yes...people prayed.  yes...people sent good thoughts.  yes...people offered support.  but they never gave up.  they never backed down.  they always kept a brave face.  when other people were on facebook complaining of migraines (hello? if you have a migraine, why are you on the computer?).  when other people were on facebook complaining about how unfair life is because someone bought the last newspaper.  they were on facebook talking about how beautiful life is.  they were on facebook smiling because cancer patients get special parking spaces.  they were on facebook inspiring us to be better people.  
FLASH FORWARD today
today is "stand up to cancer day".  1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will suffer some form of cancer in their lifetime, according to the american cancer society.  the big c can affect us all.  a friend.  a partner.  a parent.  a sibling.  cancer can touch all our lives.  so today (and everyday) consider donating to the cause.  raise money in support of cancer research and treatments.  volunteer your time to charities that support this cause.  but, most importantly, honor those who have been affected.  LET'S KICK CANCER'S A$$!!!