h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi AR1!!

I thought I'd visit you rather than have a Live, the universe and PMT conversation on the spinach thread!

first, congratulations on your recent birthday

and second thanks for your nice comments about my spinach entry

Funnily enough, I hardly ever ate it (except occasionally baby spinach, raw, in salads) until the Gruesome Twosome came along. They used to have their lunch in kindergarten, and one of the staple foods of German children (ah yes, we're a British family in an oasis of German-ness)is fried egg, spinach (creamed or just chopped) and mashed or fried potato.

They regularly asked for this at weekends, and now we eat spinach at least once, if not twice a week (we often have spinach fritata, or spinach risotto)

As for the PMT - after my 2nd baby I seemed to get it back in spades, so much so that I seem to be turning into a screaming harpie for at least a week a month (on top of my usually grumpy disposition)

So any tips would be very gratefully received and tried out.

and ?

My dear Sho,

This time I shall save it before editing it!!. Although I have got an ugraded computer something is not working efficiently and all of a sudden my mouse goes dead!.

I must admit that the meals which your two darlings(!!!) ask for was one of the staple things which my Maman used to give us as children - and both my parents were French. So that is very interesting!.

Thankn you for the birthday wishes. I had a really lovely birthday and two of my five children were with me so that was great. Plus some loving and caring friends.

I have no idea why I started to be difficult - but I could literally time it . A week before you know what. Fortunately my second spouse used to think it was quite amusing when I started performing and throwin things across the room and generally bursting into tears and being difficult, but it was for a strictly limitd time, so I guess it is hormonal.
One did not talk about it to anyone in those days. However I had a miscarriage and was very low, and a friend sugggested that I should try Yoga. I had never even hear of it in those days!. Fortunately we had in Salisbury (now Harare) a very wonderful Swami who after he had trained in India went to Paris and then somehow found himself in the heart of Africa.!.
So every Monday morning we used to go to this tranquil garden, and Swami used to sit under a tree with a little vase of flowers next to him and read Aldous Huxley's Perrenial Philosophy to us for the first hour. Then we used to start our exercises. The whole gamut, and I practised them daily at home for an hour every day - before the children or my spouse got upIt took me about seven months before I could stand on my head and quite another six months before I could stand on my head and get my legs into the lotus position. (We won't say anything about my being in in a wheelchair now, but I KNOW that was not the reason. I have soriatic arthritis. )
I started noticing several changes.
1. I had suffered from allergies and hayfeber most of my life (I was then about 30 years old) I began to notice that my red eyes, and streming nose and incessant sneezing began to disappear.
2. I then began to notice that I became much calmer and was able to cope w9th the problems of remarriage and difficult parents visitations every fortnight and such problems no longer became insuperable and I was able to approach them calmly.

I continued doing Yoga for the next thirty five years until this wretched arthritis got hold of me. I have been on a special diet which is advocated by Dr. Robert d'Adamo called EAT Right. Diet Right and is based on what blood group you belong to.
As a reault of this, I honestly think that my improving health, in spite of a great many mechanical health problems such as an aneurysm in my left coronary artery which necessited an emergeny by pass, and other nonsenses, have been both controlled and negated by the fact that I am eating the right food.

But please, my dear Sho, remove that last phrase from your name. Do not think about it, but just start doing Yoga andsee if this helps you. I never had medication,and have certainly not had any ill effects with the menopause which I took in my stride.

Go well, and I hope that your spouse supports you and good luck. Just find a good swami - not one of these people who make a great deal of money out of giving Yoga lessons.

Good luck my dear friend.

Christiane Ar1

The philosophical approach is vital. By controlling one's body one is able to control one's mind and that is the whole essence of Yoga . A simplistic exlanation but it is very important to get the philosophical input in order tfor you to be able to "cure" or "control" your symptoms.
Good luck and please write to me as often as you like. I shall try and get my email address to you in case you would like to talk to me.

Very dear Sho,

I do hope that I have not offended you. I can be very bossy. Please forgive me!.

I hope you do not mind but I am passing on your wonderful spinach entry to my children and also to a dear friend who is fighting a valiant battle against the dreaded C.

With affection

ChristianeAR1

oh no, absolutely not

I'm a full-time working mother of 2 little ones (currently 7 and 9) and so I often only have intermittant PC time (and I've been watching football)

I also run quite a bit, so that takes up time. And actually it helps the PMT a lot. At my gym they do a few Yoga course - now if I can find one when I have time, I'm laughing!

And of course I don't mind - I'm flattered that you think it might be interesting to other people. I'm very fond of spinach, and I know that when I mention it to kids in the UK they all make a face! it's such a shame,because it really can be tasty.

The big C really does have to be fought, doesn't it? I hope your friend can keep the strength to do it.

Just for you I'm changing my name tag
today is a good day, despite the heat and the work.


Do you mind if I put you on my Friends List?

I realised that in my rudeness, I didn't reply to your previous posting.

Interesting to hear that French children eat the same as Germans! Did you grow up in France? I often think that the French attitude to food (and the Italian) is so much better than the British or German one. I'm glad to be married to a - we have given the Gruesomes interesting combinations, and interesting food ever since they were small. Hence they prefer Daddy Cheese (Brie or Camembert) over the more usual plastic German/Dutch stuff, and no salad is complete without a home-made vinigrette and/or capers.

and oh, you spent a lot of time in Africa. I have to say that I'm bursting to know more about that continent. No idea how close they are to Botswanan life, but I've read the Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency books and it sounds beautiful, frightening and fascinating all at the same time.

I'm also very interested to hear how you are helping your health with your diet - that's something I'm slowly slowly getting into. We are currently (small steps) getting around to making sure we eat enough fruit and vegetables, and (above all) drinking enough. For me, drinking is no problem.In the morning I put a 1.5 litre bottle of water on my desk, and I don't leave until it is empty. Often I'm finishing my 2nd bottle before I go. But the Gruesomes... too busy playing or doing ballet or somethng to drink.

Oh my, this is long.

I've never actually thrown anything when I've been PMTing - but I suppose there's still time. At least people would take notice

and now...
story time for the gruesomes and for me.