It’s Ragnar RACE WEEK!!! I’m so nervous! Today is the day to start getting my list of things to pack written – sleeping bag and pad, headlamps, running clothes (3 sets), snacks, coolers, medications.

The other half of the stress is making arrangements for kids to be driven to soccer practice, soccer games, picked up from school etc. Sometimes the planning for the kids hardly makes taking time for myself worth it but we all need that time to do something fun and crazy. I’m not sure running a 200 mile relay race is fun and crazy but I’m about to find out! I’m sure at midnight when I have to wake up to run 4miles I’ll be questioning my sanity. 😜🤣😲

I was recently listening to a podcast about the Longevity Project, a documentary looking at centenarians around the world. One common theme is food is love, food is community. A lot of time is spent on acquiring and preparing food by the community and also consuming the food in a community setting.

I bring this up now because I mentioned to my husband that I was going to make a beefstew (kids favorite) on Wednesday for the kids to eat Thursday and Friday when they get home. He thinks I spoil them and should let them fend for themselves. While they wouldn’t starve and would find something to eat, I see it as a labor of love to have a good, nutritious meal for them to eat while I’m away.

In a different podcast, the interviewer speculated that at some point in the US, cooking and being in the kitchen was seen as a negative. You had advertisements from the food industry to get quick, prepared meals so that you didn’t have to slave in the kitchen. Cooking was made into a chore that we should all avoid.

I know I do not like to cook. I think mostly from a lack of confidence in the kitchen. Maybe one day I’ll take that summer long cooking class I’m dying to take.

So would you let the kids fend for themselves or would you make them something yummy to have in your absence? The stew is going to take me 30min to prep tops.