Bibliosphere

My adventures in cooking originally started as a way to address health problems. Nothing romantic, just trying to feel better. At different points, the style I've used was different, from just getting calories at all to cooking in a specific diet. My cooking the past year or so has been the Mediterranean diet, but with some fusion elements. While I use ingredients in line with the Mediterranean style, I don't limit myself to Italian and Greek cuisines. Traditional foods from the region are my staple, but I branch out, incorporating ingredients and techniques from the Americas, Asia, and the Middle East. This winter, I've made many new recipes and used new techniques. I learned that I am not big on spaghetti squash, indoor dutch ovens are a fun twist on hearty dishes, and mint does go with parsley (and I enjoy it). I have enjoyed all of my adventures and am grateful to everyone who has sampled my creations or listened to me talk about them.

 Every year, teens and young adults are recognized as cancer warriors and survivors for National Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Cancer Week. This year, it falls from April 1 to April 5. From the Children's Cancer Cause' s website, the purpose is: "This annual awareness week is an opportunity to shine a light on the unique challenges that teen and young adult cancer patients and survivors face." AYA week encompasses young people ages 15 to 39. While this is an uncommon age range for cancer, it's not as uncommon as you might think. Some 89,000 young people are diagnosed with cancer in the US annually, and some cancers are even most common in young adults and adolescents ( x ). These include thyroid cancer, lymphomas, and primary bone cancer. AYA cancer survivors face unique challenges, from navigating more health problems than others their age due to long term side effects to peers not being able to understand their experience. Through CCC, one survivor said: “I...

 I've been a bit less active on this blog. It's been a rough few weeks with managing everything and some things had to be set down (to be picked up again later). If it makes blog readers feel better, I also did this to the HOA, so you're not the only ones. Some changes at work coupled with the season changes and a few other things. Plus someone accidentally lit their condo on fire. So there's that. Overall, I'm doing alright. This past week was better than the week before, and that was better than the week before that. Some stories are more exciting than others. Some are just the ones that I look back at and think, that might have been an overreaction. But I'm still cooking (my respite), getting back into walking, enjoying the sun, and reading my way through my TBR (although not as fast as I'd like on that one). I've finished many books in March, as well as walked nearly every day, ran one program and participated in another, and spent many hours hauling...

 I have a number of mental health conditions, and probably more that aren't diagnosed if I'm being honest (I have no interest in more diagnoses if there isn't a treatment I can do that I can't get now). However, one that has been present for years, in various forms and severities, is anxiety. I'm officially diagnosed with both generalized anxiety and social anxiety, so there's a lot of anxiety in my brain in pretty much all situations. It's gotten a lot better in the past year or so, but it's still a challenge. Coping with anxiety comes in various forms, and sometimes it's more successful than others. Currently my anxiety is higher, mostly due to work. I was explaining this to my friend, that I always have anxiety, but when I'm stressed it gets worse. We had this conversation because I am worrying about a lot of things, including the people in my life, which can be tough to deal with (I understand this, and usually hide it pretty well).  I wanted...

 Alright, so this is actually two updates in one. First, my St Baldricks fundraiser officially ended with $177 raised and 40 miles walked (counting only actual walks, not just nervous pacing while I'm on the phone). However, if you didn't donate, don't worry, you still can! My kind St Baldricks contact has informed me that people can donate all year, so if you missed February, please do still consider donating here . Also, my dad and grandpa both shaved this year, as they do every year. While Utah doesn't have St Baldricks shaving events (a future me project perhaps), Wisconsin does. It used to be put on at a high school but is now held at a bar (very Wisconsin). Anyway, February might be over, but please still consider a donation to St Baldricks, either through my fundraiser here or through their main site.

 Ok, so my reading goal for 2024 is 52 books (1 per week). I have read 12 books as of March 1, which is ahead of the pace I need to be. I generally have an audiobook and a print book going at once. So here's what I've read in January and February 2024: Don't Sweat the Small Stuff by Richard Carlson The Thing Explainer by Randall Monroe (author of one of my fave comics, XKCD) The Deepest Well by Dr Nadine Burke Harris (highly recommended for anyone working in a social service position) A Thousand Mornings by Mary Oliver All Cats are on the Autism Spectrum by Kathy Hoopman Mala's Cat (audiobook) by Mala Kacenberg (this was extremely hard to get through because it was pretty graphic in describing the Holocaust) Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall Cost of Living: Essays by Emily Maloney (I think this is actually my least favorite book I've read this year) Success Under Stress (audiobook) by Sharon Melnick You Are Here by Thích Nhất Hạnh Pageboy (audiobook) by Elliot Page Iki...

 I recently listened to an audiobook called "Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life." It was a short little book, but very interesting, and honestly covered a lot in its 3.5 hours. It was also very cross-culturally translated, because it's a book from Spain, translated to English, about Japanese culture. But I enjoyed listening to it. I feel like this fits with my very strong interest in the Blue Zones. I'm actually reading The Book about Blue Zones (the original one), or listening to it I guess. I'm glad that my library is so full of good resources to learn about these topics. Top takeaways? Eat well, socialize with those you care about, and find your purpose in life (your Ikigai). Good little read.

 Did you know that March is Kidney Cancer Awareness Month? Kidney cancer is a type of cancer that effects children, usually as a Wilm's tumor (about 90% of childhood kidney cancers and 6-7% of all childhood cancers), but other types are also possible. A new fact that I learned this year is that 5-10% of childhood Wilm's tumors effect both kidneys or there are multiple tumors in a kidney ( x ). I didn't know that was even something that happened, let alone that frequently. I also learned that about 10% of Wilm's tumors are genetic, which also seems like a lot (same link). If you're looking to spread awareness, check out the Kidney Cancer Association's website . You can even order a free orange ribbon to show your support.