I'm not sure exactly what week it is for my Wheat Belly diet, since I was on vacation last week and stayed with the gluten-free plan as best I could, but didn't manage to stay with it all the time. So I'm not sure if I should call this week #5, or start over with week #1.
With three friends from As Good as Gold, I spent the week volunteering at the animal sanctuary for Best Friends Animal Society in Utah. We have done this in past years as well. It was a wonderful week - I spent time working with the dogs and the bunnies, and two mornings working with one of the groundskeepers in the cemetery on the premises, cutting sage, sweeping the sidewalks, and brushing off the markers.
Working in the cemetery is not as depressing as you might think. It's called Angels Rest and it is a very peaceful place. So much love for the animals buried there, from their human companions! It's very spiritual and emotional to work there, and I always feel that I am standing in for the families that can't visit right now. The groundskeepers (Lenny, Dave, and Kurt) encourage us to talk to the animals while we work.
Best Friends has a dining room for the staff and volunteers, and everything they serve for lunch is vegetarian. There is always a salad bar and frequently gluten-free choices like stir-fry vegetables, so the days that we ate lunch there, I was able to remain gluten-free. Cocktail time was easy - wine, cheese, nuts and raw vegetables. For other meals, I tried to make choices that should have been gluten-free, but might not have been since I couldn't see an ingredient list. I had no major stomach upsets, so that was a good thing. But now I am back on my wheat-free plan and hope to see good results in the coming weeks.
My name is William Matthew Smolich. I’m a chicago native who enjoys many hobbies and activities. I have a loving and supportive family and group of friends who mean the world to me. Due to significant spiritual, psychological and emotional change over the years, I now live a balanced life where I treat everyone with respect, empathy and compassion. Years ago, I couldn’t say that. Like many, I lost focus on who and what were truly important in life. I entered a severely depressed and distorted state, formed unhealthy relationships and made bad choices that emotionally hurt people I cared deeply for. I’ll regret that for the rest of my life.
ReplyDeleteFor anyone who's tried to find me the last several years, you may have read some pretty unbelievable things online. These rants have been posted unlawfully, fictitiously and without verification of fact. As we see every day, anyone can post anything about anyone online, even if patently false. When challenged to remove it, they hide behind weak and outdated "freedom of speech" rhetoric. Those whose lives I've ever been part of, INCLUDING those posting this fiction; know the utter absurdity of many of these accusations against my family and I. I'll happily share the truth with anyone who would like to know. I invite old friends and new to write me.
William Mathew Smolich
2925 E. Las Vegas St.
Colorado Springs, Co. 80906-1598