Bring back the stewing hen!

Yesterday was hard.

Much harder than I anticipated, actually, based on my previous forays into Intro-Land. I think I have it narrowed down to three reasons:

1. I wasn't really ready, so didn't have a variety of food on hand. When I got nauseated, I didn't want the one soup I had prepared, and the other wasn't ready yet.
2. I went into a store that I know uses noxious air fresheners. Silly me! I was feeling good at the time, but ignored my wiser self and went in "just for a minute." The migraine that resulted lasted way longer than that...
3. I quit caffeine. For now. This is hard, as I drink only a bit of tea each morning, but I thought I should do it, to get a clearer read on how my adrenals are responding.

Yes, I realize I brought it on myself, but it meant that I spent the night agonizing with nausea and the migraine. With the help of some herbs and a cold wet washcloth, I did finally get to sleep. And then Blondina, the youngest daughter (9), started throwing up. Really. All over the place. At 2:30 am.

My husband, The Captain, took her out for Mexican when it was clear I wasn't getting up to make their dinner. Which turns out to have been a bit of a waste, as every bit of it came back up. I would have pointed out to her that crappy food had no business being in her to begin with, but who am I to talk, making myself sicker than necessary? (See above.) She will get to figure these things out in time.

So here I am, a bit woozy with a migraine hangover. But I don't want to be so negative when there is good news! My basal body temperature, which had been steadily going down over the last week (it was 97. 3 yesterday) shot up to 98.1 today! And that was earlier than usual, which I would have expected to be lower.

I feel pretty good so far today. I have had my lemon water and my thyroid medicine (I stopped taking all supplements, but I do have to continue with my Naturethroid), and a large mug of ginger tea. I did use a bit of honey (maybe 1/2 tsp) to help with the shakiness since I have not eaten since lunch yesterday. I have to wait an hour after my medicine to eat, which is coming up, but I needed to hold out until then.

I started a pot of soup yesterday with a stewing hen from one of our local egg farmers. He sells his old layers for the old fashioned soup pot, and I was super lucky that I had a couple in the freezer. This morning, as I was pulling off the meat, skin and fat for my soup, I felt very meditative. The fat and skin on this bird are so yellow, so full of the sunshine where Harley's birds run. I really appreciate how, now, past her ability to lay eggs, this hen is still a life-giving force. These hens make the best chicken soup I have ever tasted. They are scrawny to look at, nothing impressive. But the flavor, the color--and I am sure, the nutrition--are incomparable.

I put a leek, a couple of carrots and two tiny beets in the soup, along with the small bunch of tender beet greens. A little ginger, peppercorns, and some sea salt are the only seasonings. In a moment I will eat some of this healing soup--worthy of my great-grandmother Regine (I hope!), adding some chopped garlic, and a teaspoon of kvass for probiotics. I am thankful that this hen gave her life for my nourishment.

I am starting this Day 2 of intro in gratitude--for new lessons to be had in taking care of myself and to inform my work with others.

How did your day go?