Winter blues, Winter lights, Autism Society conference.

Gearing up for the end of Daylight Savings.
 I have made it a tradition to hang winter lights in the house during the darker months. I hang them close to the end of Daylight Savings and turn them on daily until the time springs forward again.  My most wonderful mother in law is the queen of clearance sales and had boxes and boxes of Christmas lights waiting  for me when we were there visiting. I use clear lights  in the house and only colored here and there.  It makes the house seem cozy and cheerful and helps to combat the blues of shorter days. Daylight Savings ends on the 7th so prepare my friends!

Combating the winter blues

Soup and baking season is also upon us and time to pull out the wool socks and vitamin D supplements. Wool is a wicking fabric as well as naturally antibacterial and keep you incredibly warm as millions of sheep can attest .  When inside, I am usually in shoes. Whether they are flip flops, minimal running shoes, or warmer boots. Toe socks are great when you just can't quite give up the flip flops! 

Pumpkin Sweet Potato Soup from Gluten Free Goddess

  My lovely hubby is making split pea soup with green beans and potatoes.  It ends up tasting like the worlds greatest green bean casserole!  We also have 8 pie pumpkins that need to be made into Black Bean Chili and a spicy bisque.  I could live on Cabbage and turkey soup with balsamic vinegar and it is so fast and easy to make.

The lovely hubby also roasted a turkey yesterday and made stock for said soups!

Vitamin D supplements are ready and waiting. I was told by a dietitian and our doctor (who is both an MD and holistic practitioner)  that I should be taking 6,000 iu a day and the children 2,000iu or more if testing shows they are low.  Studies are showing that the previously recommended dosages were dramatically low.  Its a simple blood test to check levels. This concurs with the research I have done while looking into supplementation. I try to get some sunshine in the winter months but it is never enough for me since we are inside so much during the winter. Low vitamin D levels can lead to depression and a culprit for sure of the winter blues.

Autism Society Iowa Conference
I am on a waiting list to go to the fall  Autism Society conference in West Des Moines in a couple of weeks. Temple Grandin will be the key speaker and someone I would love to meet. There are some mothers I would really like to connect with again that I have not seen in quite some time.  There is a powerful connection between parents of special needs children. Shared empathy as well as an understanding of celebrating of the small stuff that often gets taken for granted with typically developing kids.

Temple Grandin

 Autism has been a large part of our lives for the last 6 years.  My son Jupiter has severe autism and is non verbal.  The support of my dear husband and running make it bearable.
We have tried so many treatments and spent thousands of dollars to heal some of the damage done to his gut.  A  gluten and casein free diet has been the biggest success so far. The frustrations of trial and error and harsh realities are left on the side of the road in the form of sweat and tears over and over again as my feet connect with the earth. Maybe I should run to the conference!

How are you planning for the impending winter??

On a completely different note, here is the link to a  NY Times barefoot running article that I was a part of.  Its a nicely balanced article and all about barefoot marathoners!!