Peri

Peri's stuff

January 25, 2015,

Dear Friends and Friends of Friends. Some of you know that I have worked at Upham’s Corner Health Center in Dorchester as a Nurse for seventeen years. For ten years my role has been that of Diabetes and Asthma Nurse. During this time I have formed especially close relationships with my young patients who have Type 1 Diabetes. I am writing to you about one of these young people in the hopes that my communities and my community’s communities can throw a lifeline to this (in my opinion) very deserving young man. I have decided not to use his name as I believe that he has a promising future ahead of him and the internet does not need to be privy to his sufferings. I first met this young person when he was diagnosed at age 11. We sat in a meeting room where adults were arguing in adult fashion about things related to his new diagnosis. Seeing that he was upset by the conversation I suggested that we talk in another room. Eventually over years he developed the skills he needed to live with diabetes, testing and taking injections 4, 5, 6 times a day. Many years went by in which his mother and brother and he moved form place to place in fear domestic violence. His mother, though clearly devoted to her sons was struggling herself. High School was a stable time during which a love of reading, a spot on the basketball team, journal keeping and good grades was disrupted by the appearance of his birth father. This new relationship was a bright time but brief, ending in his father’s early death from complications of poor blood sugar control three years ago. The emotional upheaval lead to some drinking during his summer in Puerto Rico with his grandparents and his mother asked me to talk to him saying, “He’ll listen to you.” Again this young person with the help of a brother who took him to shoot hoops, a teacher who knew his promise and his mother who loved him and kept a roof over his head, found the strength to get back on track. He gave me a copy of his prom photo when, the summer before college he came in to the clinic for tips on how to maintain his blood sugar while playing in a basketball tournament. Pursuing a degree as an Accountant on a Federal Scholarship he maintained his GPA above the required grade into this year, his Junior Year. This fall his grandparents came from Puerto Rico . His grandfather who has Type 2 Diabetes needed lifesaving cardiac surgery. The surgery done at Boston Medical Center was followed by two months of recuperation with daughter and grandsons. A month after the surgery, at home with his Spanish speaking grandparents, the police showed up at the door to tell this now 19 year old young man that his mother had just perished in a head on motor vehicle accident. From there, thrust into grief, without appetite he stopped going to school and became obsessed with the idea that he couldn’t think of his future until he saw his grandparents safely off the plane in Puerto Rico. The tragedies did not stop, a job lost, a federal scholarship lost, savings lost to paying a rent (section 8 had been lost the year before) to keep a roof over his grandparents heads. There are job interviews planned and the possibility of financial aid but eviction looms and food stamps are the sole source of income. I know that wherever you turn it seems that there are people and organizations in need of funds. I decided that opening up a bank account with no fees or minimum would allow people to anonymously contribute a small amount of money that could be used for housing, school and food. If you know me, you may know that this is not something I have ever been moved to do before or thought that I would attempt. Please feel free to ask me and I will address any concerns that you may have. Thank you. Sincerely Peri

Recipes

Brown Rice Salads

Brown Rice Salad 1

Serves 6

Crisp carrots, cucumbers, radishes and celery combine with fresh basil, mint and parsley in this honey-Dijon dressed rice salad. Served chilled or at room temperature, this versatile dish is perfect for al fresco dining alongside your choice of protein.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups cooked long-grained brown rice ( Learn to Cook: Brown Rice) 1/2 cup chopped carrots

1/2 cup chopped seedless cucumber

1/2 cup sliced radishes

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1 cup fresh or frozen and thawed peas 1/4 cup chopped basil

1/4 cup chopped mint

1/4 cup chopepd flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Method

Put all ingredients into a large bowl and toss gently to combine. Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve.

Nutrition

Per serving: 180 calories (50 from fat), 6g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 4g protein, 29g total carbohydrate (4g dietary fiber, 6g sugar), 0mg cholesterol, 170mg sodium

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/505

Brown Rice Salad 2

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/brown-rice-salad-recipe/index.html

Gardening

Mahoney's Chelmsford

155 Princeton Street Chelmsford, MA 01863 978-251-4001

Monday-Saturday 8am-7pm Sunday 9am-6pm

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Country Gardens (Pond Plants) 157 Central Street PO Box 345 Rowley, MA 01969 (800)628-0565 fax(978)948-2110

Spring Hours Monday - Saturday 9am - 5pm

Sunday 10am - 3pm

Living Systems Ponds''Italic text Write a review 29 Argyle Ave. Riverside, RI 02915 (401) 433-4722‎ livingsystemscustompondsbydave.com

email: country-gardens@comcast.net

howto upload photos

You can upload photos directly to by sending them to a secret email address. Photos are placed in your Drop Box folder unless you specify an existing album's name as the subject of your email. perimckenna.goirep12@picasaweb.com

gmail mailto:perimckenna@gmail.com gmailirep

misc

http://www.harborreef.com/guionesmap2.html

knitting

Beginning Knitting book

Patterns

Ribby Toque Hat

Lampshade

Cat basket

Materials: Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted, 2 of each color: M-18 Khaki, M-13 Sun Yellow, M-52 Spruce, M-120 Limeade. Needle: 29" US 13 Finished size after stretching and shaping 17" diameter

Chevron Pattern: R1: *K1 f&b, K9, SL2, K1, P2SSO, K9, K1f&b* Repeat from * to * R2: Purl

Please note that the whole basket is knit in garter stitch using 2 strands of yarn held together. The garter stitch felts thicker, and gives the basket a firm texture.

With Spruce, CO 161 stitches. Join round. Knit 6 rows in garter stitch.

Start chevron pattern above in following order of colors:

• 4 rounds limeade, 4 rounds khaki, 4 rounds sun yellow, 2 rounds spruce* This forms 1 color pattern repeat. Knit a total of 3 color pattern repeats. On the last color pattern repeat replace the last 2 rounds of spruce, with 6 rounds of plain garter stitch with no chevron in Spruce.

Base decreases: Base is knit in Khaki. R1: K2tog, *Knit8, K2TOG* Repeat from * R2: and all even rounds purl R3: Knit R5: Knit R7:*K7 , K2TOG*Repeat R9: Knit R11:Knit R13:*K6, K2TOG*Repeat R15: Knit R17: Knit R19:*K5, K2TOG* Repeat R21:*K4, K2TOG* Repeat R23:*K3, K2TOG* Repeat R25:*K2, K2TOG* Repeat R27:*K1, K2TOG* Repeat R29:*K2TOG* Repeat R29 until 5-7 stitches remain. Gather remaining stitches with a darning needle. Weave in ends.

Put the basket in a zippered pillow case, and throw in wash in hot water with laundry detergent, monitoring the progress. The basket will be crumpled, and somewhat wavy because of the chevron and will need to be shaped, pulled, and tugged on. I find that paying a lot of attention to the shaping really pays off

variety of wool yarn Brown sheep’s Lamb’s pride bulky. You will notice the fluted look of the bed. I decided the original pattern was not going to be big enough for my cats, so after getting to 144 stitches and stitching about five rounds I increased once again for a total of 288 stitches. Then I stitched 25 rounds for a total of thirty. I did the first decrease round, knit ten, knit 2 together. Then I panicked realizing I was not going to get it back into the kitty cup shape. So I knit another round then decreased back to 132 stitches and finished the pattern from there as written. After fulling it twice I got the resulting shape.

Tim-Cable Cardigan largest size chest 42" Tim 47" finished chest 49.5" Tim 54" arm length 52cm Tim 64 cm body length 70cm Tim 79cm materials #17 (137yd) Tim ? recommended yarn PINGOUIN Grege needle 3 and 6, cable needle and 5 buttons 50g/sk DK double 8 ply 30%wool, 26%alpaca, 18%silk, 18%nylon Pattern 27st and 28rows to 10cm work sample on 40st

Yarn Sources

Hub Mills Factory Store is located in Lowell's Historic Mill District.

In addition to Classic Elite's discontinued and closeout yarns available online, we carry a wide range of other wonderful yarns in our store. We also have a large selection of patterns, books, needles and other knitting supplies.

122 Western Avenue Lowell, MA 01851-1434 t) 1-978-937-0320 f) 1-978-452-3085 yarn@hubmillsstore.com