Fight over the mitts...and ticks?

I finished the first pair of mitts from the Saltwater Mittens book.  While they were still waterlogged and drying on the (now cold) radiator, both my twins started an absolute brawl over who would get them.  Needless to say, I've started a second pair.  In case you have this kind of near bloody enthusiasm at your house, I've provided links to the book.

In other news, I have been busy at work on helping edit a new edition of a Diabetes health book....

However, it's tick season...so another writer asked me some questions-- she was doing a piece on Lyme disease in Canada.  Here's a link to the piece in the Toronto Sun.  (Yes, I'm that person who had Lyme disease...) I've written a lot about it, but it needs a lot more media coverage in Canada.  Bonus for writers and editors out there: I got to use the insidious in a quote.

We're preparing for a big birthday weekend--my twins turn 8 soon.  They helped me shop for favours yesterday at the dollar store.  It's going to be a blast...a bunch of kids in the university greenhouse.  Wish us luck that no one backs into a cactus!

Famous? For all the wrong, buggy reasons...

Long story short, a colleague of my husband's is a science writer.  She wrote a good article about ticks in Canada and Lyme disease, and it came out today.  Here's the link:
Ticks creep into Canada...

Famous?  Infamous? The article leads with my name.

The other part of this post is an apology.  Canadians, I am sorry if you tried to follow my Amazon.ca links and they all failed for you.  I know why now.

A while back, I was told by Amazon, hey!  We see you are an 'affiliate' in the USA!  You can do this in Canada, too.  What's that?  Well, it means that when I link to my books on Amazon, it gives me a few cents each time a person clicks through and purchases one.  This was something I was signed up for by my publisher, no kidding, in 2009, when my first book came out.  It earns very little, maybe enough for me to purchase a single paperback book every year or two.  (We're talking less than $10US!)

Some people use these to place ads on their sites and generate income.  I never did that, I have never been into monetizing things, although I did figure that if I was recommending a sale on Amazon?  I might use the link so I could afford to purchase something myself as well. 

When I saw the option to include Canada, I jumped at it.  However, according to the affiliate folks, I had to 'qualify' with a certain number of sales in a certain time frame. I asked my kind professor if he would use the link to purchase stuff, thus making sure it worked.  He did, and I put up the affiliate links online for you, too, on occasion.

I was told that no, those purchases had not counted!  I could not refer relatives or friends through the link, that didn't qualify.  (And yes, all the while, the elementary school was asking us to peddle cheese, coupon books, and other fundraisers TO family and friends...HUH.  Go figure.)

So, Canadians, although I am now a citizen and live here, I apparently do not qualify!  A few days ago, I got a note that said this, in part:

We are writing to notify you that your Associates Program application has been rejected and you will no longer have access to Associates Central.

This action was taken because we have not yet received qualified sales activities from your account.  As a reminder, Accounts that have not referred three qualified sales within in 180-days of sign-up are automatically rejected.

You are free to reapply to the Associates Program at any time, but we recommend only doing so if your website receives consistent traffic.

So you know, I consider blog readers my friends, and I know some of you are my family, so even if I re-applied, they wouldn't count those clicks.  If I link to anything in the future, and it goes dead for you, Oh Canadian compatriots, I am sorry.  I tried--oh, I tried! -But I was rejected.

This seems a little bit like being famous for contracting Lyme disease. :)  I wasn't clever enough to remember my tick bite (I've had a lot of them) or to get a bulls-eye rash, nor was I good enough at soliciting sales from strangers.  (Dear readers, I'm glad you aren't strangers!)

Famous?  So definitely NOT.

New opinion piece on Canadian Lyme disease research/funding

Here's my latest piece on the CBC:
(Along with a pretty big tick photo!)

Lyme disease research, funding falling behind in Canada

Focus

I'm still here.  I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed lately.  I've got too much 'on my plate'--still not feeling too well and taking antibiotics for Lyme.  The latest info I've learned is that even after I finish taking the antibiotics, it might be six months to a year before I really feel better.  Of course, there are the usual things, too: two little boys, work deadlines, and some volunteer obligations I took on before I realized how much time everything took.  Oh, and the news.  It is a bit much, the news these days...
On Friday, I took some time to listen to an audio book and produce lots of food...or what I thought was a lot...

Here are some "cauliflower bites" made with two heads of cauliflower, cheese, eggs, and seasoning.  I thought they were fine, healthy snacks.  Two out of two twin kindergarteners disagree.  I froze half, and now I suspect that I have to eat through the rest on my own...I have not even heard the Professor's opinion! (He's not a big cauliflower fan in the first place)

 I made three big loaves of challah, and I froze two.  I'd been coasting by for a few weeks on some kind "gift challahs" from a friend, and bread machine challah (it comes out in a rectangle, which no one likes).  This buys me a couple more weeks!

The best way to catch up on your work?  A little at a time.  It boosts productivity if you have good company like Harry the dog.  He follows me up to my office to keep me company, and hops into my warm spot if I get up.  He's helpful that way.  I have been working at night when I can stay awake--I have a couple of great editing jobs, but they require a lot of focus.  I can only do it for an hour at a time before I need a break.  Harry is happy to provide breaks.

The subject of this post is this: one of my twins gets overwhelmed, and his teacher taught him to pause, put his hands on his chest, and take deep breaths.  He then waves his arms around and says "Focus!  Focus!"  It helps.  I am trying to do the same.

Otherwise, we continue skating onwards towards March.  (literally skating, the boys are learning to skate, although the ice is very bumpy from our weird warm weather.)  What's going on with you?  Do tell.

Women's Health: Hysteria and illness

Here's a link to my latest CBC article--it came out this morning:
Hysteria, medical mysteries, and bias:sometimes unversity helps with life

The brief summary is that although hysteria is no longer a valid medical diagnosis--medical professionals still discount women's illness...and disregard the risks of Lyme disease, which is now prevalent in many places.  I felt relieved that this got published; I hope it brings attention to a real issue of concern.

It was my second "advocacy" post of the week; My current column for the Jewish Post & News is also about how women can make change during times of political unrest.  I related it to Yocheved, Moses, and her handmade, waterproofed baby basket.  My mom knit pussy hats instead...but these were both lawful and powerful, skillful ways of speaking up during a difficult time.

My mom, dad, sister-in-law, and many others marched in Washington, D.C. today, and I am so proud of them and glad that they represented us.  If we can remind the world and the U.S. political powers that be that women's rights are human rights and that women's bodies, health and well-being are human bodies, health and well-being--well, that is a huge and important step.  It's a necessary step, and it seems like one we keep having to mention.  (Oh, Doctor, do you think this could possibly be Lyme?  --I can't tell you frustrated I felt to be dismissed out of hand so often, without being offered any viable solutions for how to get better.)

Winnipeggers had a march here, as they did in Yellowknife, Ottawa, Halifax, Vancouver, Toronto...and in many other places around the world.  We weren't there...because we're still fighting this endless twin stomach bug.  It's lasting forever!

Towards the late afternoon, my husband and one of our twins (the healthier one) decided to go out yarn shopping for Mommy.  They set out through the back gate and faced a woman whose car was absolutely stuck in the deep slushy ruts of snow in our back lane...and blocking our cars' exit.  Our temperatures have gone from frigid to crazy warm for January.  As a result, everything is melting.  It took the Professor an hour of effort to try to get this car out, and finally, another man with a truck came along and pulled her out...it took team work.

Nobody got out to buy a yarn treat, but that was just fine!  I won't be running out any time soon. :)
  It was the thought that counted, and the hope that someday, someone might help me just this way if I were stuck in the snow.  Let's hope so.

what I did on my vacation...

Long time, no post!  Sorry about that.

My twins started winter break after school on December 16th.  Things got very busy.  In the meanwhile, late at night and during naptime, I managed to accomplish a few things I am very happy about.

Big Things: From the Outside In is now available in paperback.  It's available as a Kindle download and it's available from a whole pile of other places if you use another kind of digital device.

Also, after six months of running low fevers, having lots of unpleasant symptoms, and feeling generally crummy--I have been diagnosed with Lyme disease...and the lab test was positive according to CDC guidelines, so there is that.

This was a relief!  Instead of being seen as potentially hysterical or ill with something vague and undefinable, I've been handed a pile of antibiotics.  I sure hope it works and I begin to feel better soon.

Small Things:  Grown ups in our household did not get anything really glamorous for Hanukah.  We do not do really big presents, but even so, a few things really made winter break better.

1) A new microwave:  When your microwave has hot spots, it can make you run like a crazy person to get your (smokin') bag of popcorn and rush outside to dump it into the snow.  Then, when even the dogs won't approach it, I was forced to bring it back inside, run it under cold water, and then rush out to the compost to get rid of it.  Note: the temperatures here are really low, and I put the bag in the snow, and it was all still smoking.

You can bet the house smelled bad.  Time for a new appliance!?

2) A Gleener 
This thing removes pills from sweaters.  It is amazing.  We wear our woollies very hard, and a lot of handknit things in our house were looking mighty worn.  I set up a little schedule with one of my twins and we "gleened" two sweaters a day for a while and removed a lot of pills.  My kid still says "pins" when he means pills but he is very keen to take all the fuzzy bits and throw them away once the sweater is tidy again.  It has been a super investment.  Not romantic, mind you, but I am very glad the Professor bought it for me from Canadian Tire.

3) A gift from my parents:  A traditional gift on Hanukah is "gelt" which just means--money.  You may have noticed that Canadian currency has dropped a lot when compared to the US.  My parents sent us some money to spend on going out to eat/take out to make the break easier.  We had a lot of fun, and those American dollars went farther than one might think.  Thanks, folks!

That about sums up our break, aside from sledding, playing outside in snow suits, cooking a lot, playing inside a lot, three play dates (I baked challah with three five year olds.  I still can't believe I attempted this.)  and a lot more...

School started again January 3rd.  I love kindergarten. :)

That's the news from here.  How are you?  Drop me a line?