Tuesday 29 May 2018

not an empty nester

A little while ago I signed up to a Future Learn course on infant nutrition. I thought it might be interesting and it could possibly be something to add to my body of knowledge on babies and young children. As it turned out, I followed the course through the milk feeding stage, which concentrated on breastfeeding and by the time I got to the stage on feeding solids I lost interest.
I was talking to somebody about the course and opened the course list to show them the mind blowing options available. I noticed a course on Digital and social media skills so I signed up for that and then I also signed up for one on Maternal Mortality.
I finished the digital media course, which really just put my intuitive understanding of all the platforms into an organised structure.
My interest in Maternal Mortality & Morbidity is mostly driven by the rising maternal mortality which is effecting the US but the course is far more international in it's view so after spending quite a lot of hours learning about childbirth around the world, I decided not to continue with it.
The way Future Learn works is that you get free access to your chosen course for the time the course is running (most seem to be 3 or 4 weeks) and after that time continued access is available for a fee.
All my courses finished on the weekend so I have lost my chances of changing my mind and have started on a new program: watching movies with my daughter. Briony has decided that her knowledge of pop culture is lacking and she is using the university holidays to "catch up".
So far, we have watched Peter Pan, Twelve Angry Men and Good Will Hunting. She is now watching When Harry Met Sally with  plans to also watch Sleepless in Seattle. This project could last a very long time.
In other news, in the last month I have had one child decide to go vegetarian and one decide to go vegan. Of the others in the house, two insist on eating meat quite regularly and two just want to put food in their bellies. Anyways, all this is to say that shopping and cooking has become more complicated. I enjoy the challenge but I wish I could choose when to be challenged......

I have been only half interested in blogging for a little bit and I think it's because I have felt busy. Cooking vegan food, watching movies and dropping out of online courses hardly constitutes "busy", distracted is probably right, though

29 comments:

  1. Busy or distracted, cooking for that many bellies with different tastes would be very exhausting. These courses sound interesting, nevertheless.
    Practical Parsimony

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    1. I think I am going to make a large dish per day and put them in the fridge so everyone can have what is suitable for them. There will be a myriad of problems involved with that, too but I'll figure it out from there

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  2. Everything has a season.
    I hope you don't turn your back on blogging altogether though - you would be much missed.
    I find vegan cooking challenging. The taste/nutrition balance doesn't come naturally/instinctively to me. And cooking for three diets is busy. And distracting.

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    1. I can't see myself giving up blogging, after more than ten years it has become an historical document of sorts. One day it might be of interest to my grandchildren or my children. Or just random people who are interested in personal histories rather than the big picture.
      I can do a good job with random vegan meals: a decent curry or soup or maybe a pasta but texture wise it all becomes a bit the same. Apparently the meat substitute burgers, schnitzels etc are very good but they would get pricey in any significant number.

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  3. Will you email me at pparsimony@yahoo.com. Notice there are two--pp

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  4. I discovered Future Learn last month as well! I was using it as a refresher for creative writing. I thought it was a great resource, but I also dropped out as I have loads of other things to do, too.
    Sx

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    1. There are so many courses! the ones I have tried have been things I already have a lot of interest in and know most of the material. I should try branching out a bit

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  5. I've tried a couple of Future Learn courses and was rather disappointed by how basic and uninspiring they were. However Jenny has recommended a course on the History of the American South which she greatly enjoyed, so I'm waiting for that to be re-run.

    The cooking situation sounds pretty hair-raising. Best of luck with meeting all those different preferences! I like your comment "I enjoy the challenge but I wish I could choose when to be challenged."

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    1. I think I saw that course, I'm not a great historian but I might be able to get interested in the American south.
      I'll figure out the cooking thing. If there is one thing I put effort into, it's food. It's not gourmet but I try for healthy and varied

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  6. It seems you could cook large batches and freeze them for using later. You could work your way up to having many things in the freezer. I found a frozen lentil soup that I knew friend mike like. He did, but I dumped a lot of shredded or diced chicken in his bowl as I heated it. He did appreciate the meat as he likes meat. So, could you make soup type things for the ones on a restricted diet and add meat to the dish or add meat to their plate?

    That lentil soup was on a great markdown, and I knew I could make it more meat rich for either of us.

    Well. these are things I think I might try since cooking for so many tasted in one day would reduce me to tears. Practical Parsimony

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    1. A vegan base with meat added after is a great idea! I will probably do that at times

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    1. I was once so busy I didn't have time to scratch! after that everything seems like a walk in the park

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  8. You will become an empty nester soon enough. You will miss the people who have all the different ideas they are wanting to experience.

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    1. You are right, Red, I will miss them. I'm not really complaining, I am proud that they are prepared to stand for something and I have been promoting vegetarian/ vegan food to them for years. I just didn't want to be fully committed so I took the approach of reducing animal products. They are doing what I taught them

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  9. Much as I enjoy cooking I certainly would draw the line at preparing all those meals each day.

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    1. Yes, I'll prepare a variety but there never have been and never will be customised meals for everyone

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  10. My 24 year-old daughter is back from uni for the summer and she cooks all her own meals. Only because no one else can cook! Actually she quite enjoys it, the only issue is the mess she leaves behind.

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    1. My vegetarian cooks for herself much of the time. The vegan is snowed under with uni and says he will learn to cook vegan in the holidays (a month away)

      I am very familiar with other peoples cleaning up although they have got better at it

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  11. I have a similar challenge when I take a meal to my vegan/vegetarian daughter and her meat-eating family, but that's only a handful of times a year, not every day like you are doing! I usually make vegetable soup and add meat (like Linda above) for the meat-eaters, or make a cheese and pasta dish for the main course and put meat on the side for the meat-eaters, or make two pizzas, one with meat and one without. It's definitely a challenge! I can't imagine having to do it every single day.

    Those courses sound interesting. I'm thinking I should have a look.

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    1. I'll borrow your ideas, I'm sure!

      Does your daughter cook separate meals for herself and the family? does someone else cook? Most vegetarians don't want to cook meat

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    2. Due to her medical issues, her husband does most of the cooking, so if he wants meat, he cooks it. Even at that, she can barely stand it because of the smell!

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  12. I don’t think you should stop blogging.You’re so good at it right now. I was ata stage when I went back to eating meat but I wished I was vegetarian again. The food tastes much better. Really.

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    1. Nice of you to say that, Terry. Thank you.
      I read your latest posts but maybe you turned commenting off?

      Why did you start eating meat again? a lot of vegetarians do eventually

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  13. After my divorce I was seeing a Dutch colleague for 6 years whose English was better than mine so I decided to enrol in the Future Learn Dutch course. I love languages anyway as I have an affinity for them BUT while I didn't find it difficult I found that I actually prefer a formal and strict methodical setting. In the end I dropped out and since me and my lovely Dutchman split up (but remain friends) I don't think I'll bother as my life is just too busy at the moment. Anna

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    1. I think learning languages is so hard, nobody would do it without very good reason, even with talent!

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    2. I don't think it's hard if you choose a language you feel attuned to. I learnt a lot of Italian very quickly because I love the language. But I wouldn't become fluent unless I lived in Italy for a while and had to speak Italian all the time.

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  14. Nice to hear that Briony is working very hard during the university holidays to advance her cinematographic knowledge. Watching all those films must be so intellectually taxing. Does she get to eat popcorn?

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