Vegan Taquitos

 Causes, Finding Meaning, Kid-tested vegan recipes, Raising Vegetarian Children, vegan  Comments Off on Vegan Taquitos
May 182018
 

In my transition to veganism since the past year, I’ve experimented with vegan recipes. The latest has been taquitos after buying a frozen version. I noted the ingredients and made my own improvised, homemade version last night.

It included Swiss chard grown in my garden and black beans from scratch, using my Instant Pot. I was able to get the beans started before picking up my daughter, which was ready after.

I sautéed the chard in coconut oil with garlic, onion and spices such as salt, black pepper, smoked paprika and coriander. These can be improvised as per preference.

I rolled this stuffing onto corn tortillas which were then baked. I also used the stuffing in taco shells. I added organic tomato, homemade salsa and homegrown cilantro before serving. My 9 year-old daughter stated it was the best taco and taquito she ever had. I would add avocado in the future. They weren’t ripe last night. I also used the stuffing in mini burritos that she took to school and I took to work today.

Father’s age is linked to rise in Autism

 Autism, Causes, Children  Comments Off on Father’s age is linked to rise in Autism
Aug 232012
 

According to results from a study reported yesterday, a father’s age is linked to the possible development of Autism.  Below is an excerpt from the article discussing this from the NY Times:

“Older men are more likely than young ones to father a child who develops autism or schizophrenia, because of random mutations that become more numerous with advancing paternal age, scientists reported on Wednesday, in the first study to quantify the effect as it builds each year. The age of mothers had no bearing on the risk for these disorders, the study found.

Experts said that the finding was hardly reason to forgo fatherhood later in life, though it might have some influence on reproductive decisions. The overall risk to a man in his 40s or older is in the range of 2 percent, at most, and there are other contributing biological factors that are entirely unknown.

But the study, published online in the journal Nature, provides support for the argument that the surging rate of autism diagnoses over recent decades is attributable in part to the increasing average age of fathers, which could account for as many as 20 to 30 percent of cases.

The findings also counter the longstanding assumption that the age of the mother is the most important factor in determining the odds of a child having developmental problems. The risk of chromosomal abnormalities, like Down syndrome, increases for older mothers, but when it comes to some complex developmental and psychiatric problems, the lion’s share of the genetic risk originates in the sperm, not the egg, the study found.

Previous studies had strongly suggested as much, including an analysis published in April that found that this risk was higher at age 35 than 25 and crept up with age. The new report quantifies that risk for the first time, calculating how much it accumulates each year.

The research team found that the average child born to a 20-year-old father had 25 random mutations that could be traced to paternal genetic material. The number increased steadily by two mutations a year, reaching 65 mutations for offspring of 40-year-old men.”

HF Autism/Aspergers clarifications

 Autism, Causes, Children  Comments Off on HF Autism/Aspergers clarifications
Aug 232012
 

There is a lot of confusion about autism and its symptoms.  Parents aren’t sure what to look for as indicators and educators aren’t generally trained to know the different signs at different levels of the spectrum.  There is a saying within the autism community:  “When you know one child with autism, you know one child with autism.”

Following is one description, that may not seem typical, that describes symptoms that my 3 year-old has displayed:

  • “A general lack of fear or fearlessness may be evident, and children with autism may talk openly with strangers, hug strangers, invade people’s personal space, bump into peers in lines, touch or climb people inappropriately, or have excessive or a complete lack of separation anxiety from parents or caregivers (Mayes, 2008).”
    • My daughter has shown a complete lack of separation anxiety, has shown inappropriate fearlessness (making my heart pound at playgrounds), and has been inappropriately open with strangers.  Other signs that match my daughter and teen son, but don’t seem obvious, include:
  • An extreme perfectionism or “having to finish” what they have started, to the point of tantrums, may be evident especially during unexpected or unwanted transitions (Mayes, 2008).
  • They may have problems falling asleep, or staying asleep.
  • Children who are overly reactive to crowds and commotion may appear uncomfortable or avoidant of cafeterias, malls, gymnasiums, parties, family gatherings or even theaters (Mayes, 2008)
  • Communication may not appear to be delayed, but comprehension, social language requiring give and take may be lacking, an unusual tone or quality, rote or repetitive speech may present.
  • Blurting out, excessively asking the same question over and over, echoing or mimicking, large vocabulary, or difficulty listening to another and understanding another perspective can be apparent.
  • Some people with high functioning autism or Asperger’s Syndrome demonstrate extreme abilities in remembering facts, numbers, phone numbers, maps, words, birth dates, or other factual information.
    • I’ve seen this in both my kids.  The other day, my 3 year-old commented on a boy she saw at my son’s school as being his friend after only briefly seeing him with my son the previous day, surrounded by many children.
  • They may appear very rigid in their point of view, and unable to accept or understand another’s perspective. They may appear to never be able to “let it go,” or tend towards appearing argumentative or “splitting hairs.” A conversation can lead to tantrums, emotional meltdowns, or withdrawal with seemingly little provocation (Fattig, 2007).
    • This describes some interactions with my 14 year-old son diagnosed with Aspergers, who can be very argumentative and “split hairs.”  My 3 year-old can have a melt-down at the slightest suggestion of things possibly not going her way or how she expected.   Many times she is wrong – she doesn’t know that for instance, I am in the process of getting the remote to turn on her show…
  • Motor clumsiness or fine motor difficulties may be present, and intuitive physics may be higher than intuitive psycho/social abilities (Baron-Cohen, 2000), p. 16). A child may be able to dismantle and recreate elaborate lego designs, set a clock, reprogram a VCR, match shapes, or display, artistic or musical talents (Mayes, 2008, p. 2). ” Fathers of children with autism, as well as grandfathers, are over-represented in occupations such as engineering, whilst being under-represented in occupations such as social work.  Engineering is a clear example of an occupation that requires good folk (intuitive) physics,” (Baron-Cohen, 2000, p. 16).
    • Both of my children have struggled with clumsiness.  It was considered it may be due to their height – both 90-100%.  My son broke his arm when he was 2 after climbing a chair to switch lights on and off (a symptom, which I didn’t know then) and slipped, falling wrong on his arm.  He would fall while standing in line.  More recently, he has had concussions from soccer.  My daughter has regular band-aids after falls from walking and not looking where she is walking.
    • My teen son wants to be an engineer.  My father was an engineer.
  • Children with high functioning autism or Asperger’s Syndrome are “limited in brain areas that enable people to understand subtle cues,” (Hoover, 2006, p. 1), and often misunderstandings, literal interpretation, and/or sensory over stimulation can lead to overreactions, irritability, a low frustration tolerance, tantrums, aggressiveness, appearing to have an explosive (or bipolar) temperament, self stimulation, anxiety, depression, or self injury (Mayes, 2008, p. 2). Children with high functioning autism or Asperger’s Syndrome develop a tendency of distrust towards others, because of social failures and negative social experiences over time, which can lead to self-isolation and social phobia. This behavioral reaction can be viewed as “rude” by others, and often people on the spectrum struggle to understand why they are not liked or frequently feel rejected (Hoover, 2006, p. 1).

Source:  Disabled World – Disability News for all the Family: http://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/article_2255.shtml#ixzz24Om7cBEP

Encouragement from Raleigh to Aurora

 Attitude, Causes, Finding balance, Finding Meaning, Finding Purpose, Gratitude, Musing on Death, Philosophy  Comments Off on Encouragement from Raleigh to Aurora
Aug 082012
 

As an employee of the city of Aurora in CO, my husband has come across lots of words of sympathy and encouragement from around the world.  Following is an encouraging letter from the city of Raleigh to the city of Aurora following the recent shooting.

Subject: Words of Encouragement from Raleigh, NC

 

Yesterday afternoon I attended a matinee viewing of The Dark Knight Rises, the final movie in the Batman trilogy; the unfortunate setting for the tragic act of violence during the movie’s midnight premier in your city, Aurora, Colorado. I, like so many others, have been following the unfolding of the theatre shooting and have felt a pull of singularity similar to the immediate reaction of patriotism that followed in the wake of 9/11. Sharing in the horror and impact of the intent and actions of one man I became immediately aware of my own fleeting life upon entering my local theatre. As the previews began my eyes searched for the emergency exits, and I took particular notice of every person who entered the room (all ten of them at that early time of day). During the first few minutes of the movie a rattling of gunfire on the screen made me alert and agitated, echoing the tragic testimonies shared of an audience who quickly diverted their attention from fantasy to reality in an effort to save and protect loved ones and themselves. I thought to myself, should I have come? But as the plot continued I became enraptured by the villainous mind of Bain, the sheer hopelessness of Gotham City, and the contemplative genius of Bob Kane on the relationship between good and evil in our worlds: fiction and reality alike.  As the credits rolled up from the bottom of the screen at the conclusion of the movie, I sat recovering from being emotionally invested in the outcome of the plot and reflecting upon the men and women who are struggling to find solace and understanding in the aftermath of the Aurora tragedy. The truth is the movie made me think only of Aurora.  The character Bruce Wayne repeatedly remarks on his identity being only a suit that anyone can wear. In an epic moment of dialogue during the plot the audience is reminded that a hero can be found in a single moment,  “A hero can be anyone, even a man doing something as simple and reassuring as putting a coat around a young boy’s shoulders to let him know the world hasn’t ended (Bruce Wayne as Batman).” Although it is tempting to idolize the fictional Batman as the ultimate hero, there is a resounding distinction between the heroes of fiction and the heroes of our reality. The men, women and children who are picking up the aftermath of the Aurora tragedy are the heroes of our present day. Aurora has a nation of support surrounding them, cheering “rise!” as we watch a community climb out of the darkness of such tragedy. Aurora, I stand with a nation that is shouting cheers full of hope for you, that this tragedy will make you stronger as you search for answers, struggle with prayers, and learn the art of survival that follows great loss. Jonathan Blunk, Alexander Boik, Jesse Childress, Gordon Cowden, Jessica Ghawi, John Larimer, Matt MacQuinn, Micayla Medek, Veronica Moser-Sullivan, Alex Sullivan, Alexander C. Teves, and Rebecca Wingo are names engraved on my heart.

I could not help but to think of Aurora and the victims of that horrible night, and know that an entire nation is doing the same, as these words are echoed in theatres across the world, “I see a beautiful city and a brilliant people rising from this abyss. I see the lives for which I lay down my life, peaceful, useful, prosperous and happy. I see that I hold a sanctuary in their hearts, and in the hearts of their descendants, generations hence. It is a far, far better thing that I do, that I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.” Aurora, this is a moment for heroes, and we are all looking at you: a beautiful city, a brilliant people, a community that will rise from this abyss.

 

Sincerely,

Raleigh, NC.

An Unexpected Diagnosis

 Causes, Children, Personal Growth  Comments Off on An Unexpected Diagnosis
Jul 232011
 

Maya enjoying a Caribbean beach 2 weeks ago

We returned late the night of July 11 from Cancun, Mexico where we had vacationed for a week at the Riviera Maya. It had been an exhausting full day journey from the resort to our city of Denver, CO.  The following day, we had an appointment to get feedback from our daughter Maya’s evaluation for autism, which we had just before leaving.

Maya had been seeing a speech and OT therapist the past year for some delays, but we had been getting very encouraging signs about her progress.  We were being regularly told by friends that she did not appear to have the disorder.  Her OT therapist was also doubtful, particularly as we got close to the evaluation on June 24.  She was concerned about our time and energy being wasted with the lengthy evaluation.

As a result, we were also assuming that we would get a clean bill of health regarding our daughter, particularly me.  We discussed how we would handle it if we received the diagnosis of autism and we decided that there was no way to fully prepare.  We would just have to take the blow and begin the process of dealing with it; if that is where we would be.  And that is how it went.  The two psychologists met with us for two hours on the afternoon of the 12th in a small room and gave us the news upfront.  Then they patiently waited as we absorbed the hit and placed some tissue between us, which I soon required.  Then I tried to ask every question I could think of and to understand what I could, while being in the mental haze of  jet lag.

On the way home, after leaving a message with the OT therapist on the result, I bawled all the way home.  She called back and we chatted while I was parked in my garage.

Exploring a flower at the Mexican resort

 

 

A Friend’s Memorable Volunteer Trip – Part 1 of 3

 Causes, Environment, Finding Meaning, Finding Purpose  Comments Off on A Friend’s Memorable Volunteer Trip – Part 1 of 3
Oct 042010
 

"A lovely early morning walk with the elephants and their mahouts"

A friend that I met through the local vegetarian meet-up, Nasiya Amoroso, has impressed me with her volunteer efforts, along with those of her husband’s.  This past Spring, she told me about a trip she was going to embark on to an elephant sanctuary that sounded particularly enticing.  Then I thought about my family responsibilities and decided I will go when my toddler is older.  I asked her to allow me and others to experience it vicariously at least, by sharing her experience on my blog.  Following is her description of her trip, in her own words, in three parts.  Stay tuned the next few days for the remaining parts.

Part 1

“I try to take a volunteer vacation every year and I usually try to experience a different volunteer location every time. So, I couldn’t understand why my husband chose to return to Zambia every year to build houses. I understand about commitment and wanting to establish roots in one location so you can see progress (which is what lead him to create www.zambiabuild.org), but I always felt the urge to try something new every year.

That is, until I discovered Elephant Nature Park outside Chiang Mai, Thailand: www.elephantnaturepark.org

I’m an animal advocate, but surprisingly have never been on a volunteer trip that directly affects animals. But my experience at the Elephant Nature Park (ENP) was absolutely surreal and each time it leaves me with the wheels turning, making plans for the “next time”.

Elephant trekking, circus shows, elephant street begging, elephant painting, and other forms of elephant tourism may seem harmless and make the elephants look “happy” doing what they do.  But, there’s nothing “happy” about their situation. Most of these elephants go through the Thai pajaan technique (look it up online) or other forms of torture in order to make them submissive.  If you see an elephant holding a paintbrush about to create a beautiful work of art, or riding a bicycle…THINK about what they might have gone through before performing that task.

The goal of ENP is to provide a safe haven for abused and/or neglected elephants so they can live a life as close to their natural habitat as possible. Lek, the founder, has rescued over 30 elephants with extremely heartbreaking stories. It’s hard to come here and not shed any tears.  The history of the rescued elephants are heartbreaking.  But the good thing is the tears you shed may also be tears of relief, as these majestic creatures are finally living a life they deserve to live.

ENP not only takes volunteers for days, weeks or months, but it’s also a revolutionary way to support ethical eco-tourism, as day visitors are also welcome.  You get to support the park and the rescue of these poor elephants through your volunteer dollars or park entrance fee.  But, you are not supporting the exploitation or abuse of these elephants since they are not in chains, nor confined and no bull-hooks are used. The elephants live their lives naturally, and you still get interaction with the elephants (you even have the opportunity to bathe them!).  Each elephant has a full-time mahout, so I never felt unsafe around any of the elephants.”

The Story of Mae Do

"Mae Do, one of the saddest stories before her rescue from ENP"

Doing something here when disaster strikes there

 Causes, Children, Finding Meaning, Giving, Philosophy, Spirituality  Comments Off on Doing something here when disaster strikes there
Aug 282010
 

It is an interesting issue of perspective when disasters strike far from us and how much it impacts us here.  Often times, it is the role of the media that plays a big part in how emotionally connected we feel.  If the media does not discuss or show emotionally charged images of a disaster, people are less inclined to reach out.

Every place on the planet is far away for someone and thus can be cause for one to feel disengaged.  With the advancement of technology, places have become closer and closer.  Our world is more similar than dissimilar.  A relative recently commented on a photo of my daughter in Utah.  He said it looked like a photo of my ancestral village in Pakistan.  Both are deserts and geographically very similar.

We are all vulnerable one way or another.  If a disaster involved us, we would want the world to reach out to us.  Pakistanis affected by the floods, especially the children, deserve to be assisted.  They did not ask for this, just as the Haitians did not ask for the earthquake.  The magnitude of the disaster in Pakistan may end up being the greatest of the decade, yet the aid thus far has been a fraction of that provided for other recent tragedies.  The following article may provide some insight into why this is occurring:

4 Reasons Why Americans Aren’t Giving for Pakistan Flood Relief – International – The Atlantic

The comments below the article are interesting.  I am attaching the following that resonated in particular for me:

“Uncle_Fred 5 days ago
Wow. I don’t understand it. Here before us is America’s chance to make a positive difference. We all know this is a part of the world that associates the American brand with bombs and drones.

America is missing a golden opportunity.

Aren’t the troops and equipment a hop across the border? If they got the goods and the manpower, why isn’t America there to help these people?

Imagine the reaction in the Muslim world if they were beamed imagines of Americans helping Pakistanis in great numbers, assisting them as brothers in need. This could throw a wrench in the propaganda arsenal that radicals use to inflame militancy.

As an added benefit, it might help to stabilize the Pakistani element to the Afghanistan resistance. American soldiers might get to go home sooner!

Yes, it can be argued that previous help was ineffective in changing hearts and minds. A perfect example of this would be the earthquake that rocked the region a few years back. Nevertheless, the US has spent far more money and time bombing Pakistan then helping it.

Show the world your good intentions Americans. Show these people that you’re not their enemy. Consequently, the ill-will large swaths of the Muslim world feels towards poor US foreign policy can be partly alleviated.”

Support UNICEF’s flood disaster relief for the children of Pakistan

“I’m bored, mom”

 Causes, Motherhood, Parenting, Philosophy  1 Response »
May 212010
 

Observing birds and their nests on a bridge during a nature walk on Mother's Day.

Boredom is a subject many moms are looking at these days as summer break approaches for our kids. It’s a dreaded, scary word that prompts mom to feel inadequate. That’s not a difficult feat for moms on any given day. Seems to be a part of motherhood – our constantly trying to reach the perfect image in our minds. This is continually challenged by a toddler as she continually goes into and touches things she should not – and worse yet, when these items need to be explored with her mouth.

As I’m trying to keep my toddler from eating and touching things she shouldn’t, I am trying to make certain my preteen is “entertained.” Since when did the role of entertainer become a part of motherhood? Kids are getting increasingly entertained by the media and my specialization of marketing. Parents have to be the follow-up act, and it’s tough to accomplish.

My son brought up yesterday that he was bored, after a full few minutes of being in-between activities. I told him that was good! We’ve been engaging in chats here and there about the idea of boredom as we approach summer break. Some of the agenda behind this is selfish, so I don’t get inundated with continuous preteen shows that I already know more about than I care to.

Moms, the next time your child mentions the dreaded “I’m bored” sentence, accept it as a healthy part of life rather than feeling guilty and like you have to be a clown for your child. It is healthy for children to have “down time” when they can reflect and imagine.

Remind your child that if they feel bored, it means they’ve lost touch with the fascinating world around them and that now they can be more conscious of it. When they were younger, boredom was not a concept they knew about. I point out to my preteen how my toddler never gets bored because everything is new and interesting. This is a concept we should retain forever!

In fact, I don’t know of a single adult that ever complains of boredom. At least not a parent. Adults work hard to go on vacation and maybe, hopefully, “get bored.”

Birds building nests under a bridge

Honoring our 40th Earth Day

 Causes, Composting, Environment, Finding Meaning, Finding Purpose, Gardening, Recycling  Comments Off on Honoring our 40th Earth Day
Apr 222010
 

Today is the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and it’s a great day to reflect on ways we can be more environmentally-conscious.  Being conscious of my actions on the environment is a daily part of my life.   Ways that I maintain this consciousness on a regular basis include recycling and being a vegetarian.

I have been a vegetarian my entire life.  My diet and lifestyle began as a result of being from a vegetarian Indian family.  I’m glad I was raised that way as it seems much easier to just remain in the lifestyle rather than switching.  I chose to give my kids that gift by raising them vegetarian.

As a teenager, I researched vegetarianism and decided the lifestyle made sense to me at numerous levels, including environmental.  I was interviewed by the Vegetarian Times regarding my thoughts and beliefs.  I chose vegetarianism as my topic for Original Oratory in debate class competitions in high school.  I memorized the speech overnight and competed the next day with veterans.  I ended up being a quarter-finalist in the state of NC.  Judges told me that the speech opened their eyes and they would consider the diet.  I think the part of my speech that stood out the most for them was regarding the composition of hot dogs.

As an adult, I’m devoted to recycling.  My husband might call me somewhat of a hoarder at times because I don’t like to waste anything.  I was the first in my neighborhood to request an extra green bin from my town to hold my recycling and had my second regular black bin picked up (never need it).  In my family, we are trained to evaluate every piece of trash and determine if it goes into our recycling bin or regular trash bin.  This includes my preteen son.

I rarely use paper towels, preferring dish cloths for wiping up spills.  We regularly use cloth napkins at meals.  We use energy-efficient bulbs throughout the house along with any appliance purchases.  Left-over food is stored for future meals or given to our dogs.  Dogs can help a lot with recycling and preventing waste.  We make sure our dishwasher and washing machine is completely full before running it.  I remind my husband at least a few times a week to stop idling when I’m in the car with him.

We also compost.  We have a compost bin in our yard and are trying to perfect the art and science of composting.  Next to our trash and recycling containers in my kitchen pantry, we also have a compost container.  In there we put our vegetable scraps and anything else that can be composted, like dryer lint.  My husband and I debate somewhat the ingredients that will result in perfect compost.  It is a shared interest and goes perfectly with my gardening interest.  I like that not only am I not wasting and creating more junk for landfills, but helping my yard and garden out at the same time.

At my boutique, I offer environmentally-conscious fabric gift bags.  They are reusable, affordable, and save trees by replacing paper.

Fabric gift bags

Fabric gift bags at Komal Style Boutique

What are ways that you honor the Earth in your life?

Helping Haiti

 Causes, Finding Meaning, Spirituality  Comments Off on Helping Haiti
Jan 212010
 

As most people, I’ve watched helplessly as the tragedy in Haiti has unfolded.  Tears sprung to my eyes as kids searched for parents, with one girl wondering if any female that walked by was her mother.  My heart went out to parents that lost children or who had to hold their child’s hand to help them cope with the prospect of amputation, and further dealing with the impact of this for their grim future in Haiti.

Although we donated to the Red Cross, it seemed very passive and frustrating that more can not be done.  I’m sure many of us have felt the urge to get on a plane and be there, which of course is impractical given the country’s infrastructure barely being able to allow the planes that are trying to get there, and other impracticalities that would make us get in the way of helping, along with our responsibilities at home.

Many of us are turning to our faiths and spirituality to try to make sense of it all.  I believe in reincarnation and that we have souls that go on.  I like to believe that there is a bigger plan that we may not be aware of.  It is comforting to think that the souls who lost their physical bodies in Haiti will be born again to live out their purpose and journeys.

I believe that our souls have been around perhaps for different lengths, so some of us may have older souls than others.  I’m sure some of us have felt this when thinking of others in our lives!  It can make us more compassionate to others if they don’t seem to “get it” or appear immature for their ages.  Maybe their souls are younger??  I think this way about my ex.

Regardless of the above beliefs, I do feel strongly that we have to do what is within our power to try to make the world a better place.  It is our moral obligation and “dharma,”  which is related to performing good acts and achieving good “karma,” which lasts into future lives.

On a practical level, in the realm of what we can do, many of us want to make sure that what we do donate does the maximum good.   Organizations that can help with sorting out the most effective charitable companies include Charity Navigator and Guide Star.  There has been some controversy regarding the salary of the CEO of the Red Cross (apparently $500-$700k).  This has been compared to the salary of the CEO for Hope for Haiti (apparently about $53k).  It seems Hope for Haiti has been focused on helping Haiti and perhaps your money can go further towards helping Haiti by donating to this organization.

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