Socal Mom by Donna Schwartz Mills

Iron Poor Blood

The UFE procedure I had in November worked really well...

... for about six months.

Then - just before we left on our vacation - I discovered I'm not actually menopausal yet.

My anemia is back - with a vengeance. I feel more like this silly old commercial than I care to admit:

Hysterectomy is back on the table, but as the average age for menopause is 53 (and I'm 54), my doctor thinks we might be able to ride it out until my uterine fibroids shrink of natural causes. So I've agreed to try another less invasive surgical procedure.

Apparently, this one can be performed on an outpatient basis -- no hospital stay. So I'm hopeful it doesn't keep me down for more than a day or two... and that it takes, so we don't have to do anything more drastic.

Dining Out in Britain: Diet? What Diet?

Heaven is where the police are British, the cooks are French, the mechanics German, the lovers Italian and it's all organized by the Swiss.

Hell is where the chefs are British, the mechanics French, the lovers Swiss, the police German and it's all organized by the Italians.

--Author Uknown

I remember the first time I dined at the home of my British sister-in-law (who was not yet my sister-in-law, which tells you how long ago this was).

Tracey is a fabulous cook who makes feeding a crowd look easy. This is remarkable when you realize that until they put in their new kitchen, she was producing course after sumptuous course in a space about the same square footage as my closet (with accordingly-sized appliances).

So a bowl of "salad" was passed around that first meal and I noticed it was undressed. Naturally, I reached for a bottle that was marked "salad cream." 

For those Americans unfamiliar with British household products, "salad cream" is not the same thing as "salad dressing" -- unless the salad in question is cole slaw. This is something I learned the hard way (by tasting it).

And that's when I learned the sad truth about dining in Britain: "Salad" usually consists of a few leaves of lettuce, a couple of slices of tomato, and a sliver of red onion. And nothing else.

Now, it is possible to get a decent salad in the UK -- but finding one isn't easy.

Another funny thing about the Brits is their tendency to serve fried potatoes with everything. Curry and chips is also a popular dish -- and it works on the same principle as chili fries. But I still experience culture shock when I visit a Chinese restaurant and am asked if I want chips with my sweet and sour pork.

Aside from that, I have no trouble enjoying some fantastic meals whenever I visit my in-laws... even when the cook isn't my talented sister-in-law.

SoCal Mom at AskPatty.com

I'm pleased to announce that I'm now a contributing blogger at AskPatty.com ("Automotive Advice for Women")... and my very first post there is now live.

It deals with some of the issues involved with renting a car overseas -- many of which we faced on our recent visit to the United Kingdom. 

Ask Patty has been one of my "go to" sites for automotive information. I used it myself the last time I considered buying a new car -- and it's been invaluable to me whenever I've had a question about auto maintenance.

If you are one of these people who practically live in your car (as do most of the moms I know in SoCal), you should add it to your bookmarks.

Stonehenge!

My first visit to the UK was Christmas, 1991 - and before we left, Gareth told me to make a list of things I wanted to see and do.

At the top of that list was Stonehenge.

We saw and did a lot of things on that trip, but seeing Stonehenge was not one of them. Nor did we make our way out there in 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, or 2006.

I guess twelve time's the charm.

Shedding the Past

You might be surprised to learn that at one time, I was passionate about music.

It was a passion that turned into a career: From 1980 through 1983, I wrote and produced programming for  nationally syndicated radio. In 1984, I was a staffer on a music video show that was syndicated by Group W (this was in the days before MTV was a staple on ALL the country's cable networks -- in fact, at this time, there was still NO cable service in my neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley!)

Needless to say, I had a HUGE collection of vinyl records, which have been taking up space and gathering dust in my home for years. As I was on the mailing list of several major labels, the collection ran the gamut from rock to pop to hip-hop to jazz and country... and a lot of them had NEVER been taken out of their jackets and listened to.

From time to time, I thought about selling some of these items on eBay, but I had no idea how to evaluate their worth -- and the tedium of creating an entry for each record gave me a headache.