Angels!

Since Sunday I have come down with a cold. I was so disappointed, why? Well, because I have been trying soooo hard these past 8-9 months to learn more and more about my body. To take better care of it and to learn more about more natuaral things that I can do eat and take to make my body stay healthy.
 I think my last DR appt was about 6-8 months ago...that's a big deal for me. Now I know it was silly to think I would never be sick but... I was on a roll! Still I did push my body ( over the holidays ) more than I should have. But still so far, I haven't been as sick as usual, would love to keep it that way!
I just realized the last time that I went to my doctor, that she seemed puzzle on how to help me. We had been doing a lot of things but it didn't seem to be working lately. I also realized that I was relying on her too heavily, to know what was wrong with my body.
Now... ever since our kids were very young, we started doing Homeopathy and learning how to heal ourselves through food, fresh air, positive thinking and other supplements. I worked hard to know and do what was best for my kids, plus I was hopefully teaching them how important it is to learn how to take care and listen to their bodies. I was juicing for them each day, making their natural fruit roll ups, granola, bread and etc. Plus, trying to stay on top of what each one of them needed individually to help make their bodies strong. I think back on all those years as a good time where I was so involved with helping my kids be healthy and sometimes can't believe I did everything I did, plus still run my painting business, cut their hair and sew their clothes. ( I know that doesn't sound like I was taking care of myself much ...well, let's just say I didn't understand the importance of taking care of MOM too..I was too busy)! I know...it caught up with me later... big time!

But when you ask my kids about their "Natural" childhood, you will hear the funniest stories. They tell you of how they felt left out from TRICK OR TREATING, even though I did sew their cute costumes, they didn't think going to PCC to pick out some healthy treats was as fun.:) They still tell crazy stories about what all I fed them, oh well...I was really trying my best. Why is it always the Mother's fault? :)

But a few months ago ... I had the distinct impression to call a lady that I knew ( but not well ) who was brilliant in knowing how to take care of the body and she seemed to doing all the things now in her life...with her family.. what I was doing, some 15 - 20 years ago.
 Wow, what an answer to prayers she has been to me! She has taught me so many things, I have been doing and learning so much and...I have been healthy for quite a few months now ( even with my crazy schedule )!
 I have felt so blessed. I am still learning more, I am trying hard to listen to what my body needs and I am trying to be more accepting of the Stages of Life that I am going through! But it made me realize that through others that  this quote is so true!

" I testify of angels, both of heavenly and the mortal kind. In doing so I am testifying that God never leaves us alone, never leaves us unaided in the challenges that we face....Always there are those angels who come and go all around us, seen and unseen, known and unknown, mortal and immortal." ~ Jeffrey R. Holland

So I am not going to complain about this little cold I have, I am just going to pay more attention to how I am treating my body, keep learning about more about things I can do and take... to keep me healthy ( because "KNOWLEDGE IS POWER "). I am working on being more positive and trying to find the courage to get this business off and running. I'm also going tomorrow to a new DR about my back. It's January right? Need to start doing more!
Good Night my ANGEL friends!

When will my view change?

This is the view that I have been looking at for the past 5 days. Me wrapped up in my Chicken Soup Quilt and drinking hot herbal tea ( out of my new mug a dear friend got me ), to trying and get my BONE COLD feeling... to warm up.  I must have caught the bug that my granddaughter had a few weeks ago. Not every flu effects everyone in the same way, and like Jeff said yesterday " I have never seen anyone get as sick as you do". ( Says the man who never gets sick ).


When I first came up with the Chicken Soup Quilt, it was when Amy ( our oldest child ) left for college. And she called me when she got sick at school. I was beside myself, how do you take care of one of your kids when they are so far away? This was a first for me as a Mother with a kid in college. I had seen this cute chicken fabric at one of our local store a few months earlier.
One night when I went to bed worrying about Amy, I dreamed about making a Chicken Soup Quilt, one that I could give my kids when they were sick and no matter how far away we were, they would always have their quilt to wrap up in and feel better. Now I wasn't really into quilting much at all back then, so making this quilt was a huge undertaking and ( I even had lots of help from my friends.)

Lauren took a photo of it with her FAMOUS BEAR and we have made it into cards, that we still send people. Then my sister in law Shirley and I got the big idea that we should make some for her kids too, so we started working on 10 quilt tops, 5 for her and 5 for me ( we only have 4 kids each but we wanted to have one for our house too. ) So do our kids love their Chicken Soup Quilts? Well, let's just say that we got the tops done and are still  (years later ) waiting to finish them up for my kids. I have been laying under my original Chicken Soup Quilt! That sounds terrible that we didn't get those finished huh? Well, it takes a bit of money to get the backs and the batting for all of those, plus then other projects took priority. If you are a quilter...then I don't need to explain any more. :)





I have been sick for 5 days now, and it must have been a virus because, my body aches are the worst. I have suffered with Fibromyalgia off and on for years but usually it is not something I have to suffer with on a  daily basis.
 At first, I thought that was what it was, but then the fever and the sore throat and etc... came with it.
I am always amazed at how PAIN effects so many things.
...it makes TIME seem to slow down
...it changes your perspective, seems as if I might feel like this forever!
...it makes it hard to have a Happy
Thought, hurting this bad, is truly discouraging
...it makes me lonely,  I am not going anywhere, I don't feel like doing anything, seeing or even talking to anyone much. I just hurt. I haven't left the house since Weds.
...it makes me sad that I don't take better care of my body or that I push my body so hard ( think that is where the wisdom is suppose to kick in on the future ).
... it makes me not even feel like creating of any type and for me ...that is a big problem, I create all day long and live for that!
What does it do good? Makes me more grateful for good days, for health, perspective, the ability to create and have much much much more compassion for those who suffer way more than I ever have and for such a long time.  More of life's lessons to learn, they sure are hard at times though.



I was grateful that I was finally able to finish my afghan before I got sick, or Amy's girls got sick. We have already put it to good use! ( now that was sort of a Positive thought, right ?)

"The most important thing in illness is never to lose heart."  ~Nikolai Lenin

Good night dear friends!

Friends!

Today, I got to have lunch with two wonderful friends today. How blessed I am for such wonderful friends and realize no matter what life gives you...if you have the love of family and friends, I believe you are pretty rich.
Then later today I was able to go over and stay with one of my neighbors today and this evening. She has been sick for over a year and  and so we have been over there as much as we can, to let her husband get a break.
Yesterday he got sick. So we are trying hard to help. I am so proud of our neighborhood, everyone is trying to do all that they can. It is nice to know we all have each other's back. Yes, we are blessed to be in a neighborhood like this. On Halloween we will have just moved in here 12 years...I am soooo grateful!
Good Night dear friends!

Another tough day!

Yesterday I worked  but that was tough to do because I am getting sick again. I went to the Doctor on Monday and she said it looks like my immune system was really struggling again, or should I say still struggling. Seems like I just can't get on top of this junk, I am trying really I am but...system is just too weak. It now has gone into another sinus infection and bronchitis, so last night and today have been really tough.

I read a talk today about Gratitude and how important it is to have Gratitude even in your worst circumstances. Easy to have it when all is well, but being grateful in the tough times is the most important thing. I guess I needed to read this today, because I am sure getting discouraged to be sick again.
So here are quite a few things I am grateful for today...
1. I am grateful that my family is happy and healthy
2. I am grateful for a husband who is so good to help, and continuing to encourage me that I will get better.
3. I am grateful for friends who care
4. I am grateful for talents that keep me busy and my mind off of things
5. I am grateful for the knowledge that my Heavenly Father loves me, and is keenly aware of my circumstances. I know I am not alone.
6. I am grateful for my faith and the HOPE it gives me.
So tonight I will just concentrate on all these things I have to be grateful for.
Good night dear friends!

You can read the talk HERE:

Nana's health care services finished today

My job as Nurse/Nana was finished today. It was good to see Amy was finally feeling better and stronger. Still even though I was tired and had a ton of things to come home and do...I was missing them as soon as I got in the car.


So here is some of the fun things that we were able to do, while taking care of the sick and afflicted! Crocheted blankets for some of their cute animals, and of course hats too!



So grateful that we got the hats and blankies, cause Jenny's little kitty woke up sick this morning!


Angie's dinosaur had to be put to bed before she headed out to school this morning ( I guess not everyone is getting better ). So fun waking up and snuggling with my girls this morning.
.
If you think these kitty eyes are hard to say no to...you should meet my granddaughters! :)


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6 Blessings Challenge

Since I have been house bound for weeks, I have tried to start counting my Blessings more. Why? Well for starters, it doesn't take long to forget all your blessings and focus on all your problems when you feel really bad. I am amazed at how hard being sick is...on me spiritually. I have a hard time focusing on anything and discouragement is much easier to think of when you are really sick. So when I found this article ( from one of my favorite authors ) I decided it needed to be my blog tonight.
My sleeping ours have gotten so mixed up since I have been sick. When I stay up half the night coughing or trying to catch some air, then I find myself sleeping in late. Really what did I have to get up for? Empty house, 10 or so more hours to myself...loneliness 101 was killing me!
Yesterday I started a steroid to help my lungs. They told me not to take it too late or it would keep you up all night. Jeff picked it up for me and I took it at 2:00pm, guess what? That was too late and true to it's word...I was up all night. Finally got to sleep at 4:00 am. Woke up at 7:00 am and decided to take todays dose right away, then I went back to bed.
So I am making sure I am really tired tonight before I head to bed. I need to sleep to heal. I need to heal to have a LIFE!
But good news...I did feel much better today and even felt like drawing and making some Valentines!
Bad news...Jeff is starting to come down with it, my first thought...I hope he doesn't give it back to me? I know, that was a selfish thought. I have been ALONE way too long!
I am excited to hopefully have another day to feel like doing something  ( yes, Little ) but something!
Good night dear friends, I count you all as my blessings...every day!

The 6 Blessings Challenge

Posted on December 31, 2013 by Jason Wright

I’m something of a worrier.
I worry about our country, my kids, my half-written books, my friends, my mother, money and time.
I even worry that I won’t have time to do all the worrying I’ve already scheduled for 2014.
A few nights ago, with the house fast asleep and the only sound my snoring goldendoodle, I stared at the ceiling and considered the year that now slips into the night, soon to be replaced by the bright dawn of 2014.
It’s been a challenging year, more than most in my life might realize. Two long-awaited film projects — “Christmas Jars” and “The Wednesday Letters” — that finally seemed poised for takeoff, fizzled. Again.
One publisher declined to work with me because they feared my faith (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) would scare away Christian bookstores who have a history of not selling material produced by members of my faith.
Other exciting projects were put on hold over legal concerns or technology challenges.
Dear friends have died too soon. Others have divorced or separated.
Those thoughts and many more marched slowly through my mind, like anxious soldiers heading to a war they know they can’t win.
Then, without warning, I seemed to find a long-lost thought hidden in the clutter of my head. It was like that one missing present, wrapped and hidden for Christmas, but misplaced until after the day has come and gone.
I didn’t hear these three words; I felt them. “Count your blessings.”
And, so I did.
Before I drifted into the gray space between restlessness and REM, I challenged myself to count six blessings that filled 2013. When I was done, when I had measured them against the trials, bad luck and heartache, it was no contest.
First, my mother had a health scare that could have ended very differently. Instead, she’s happier and healthier than she’s been in ages. The year nearly began another era of a parent fighting cancer. Instead, 2013 became the year my mother finally learned to use Facebook.
Second, after a challenging late winter and early spring, my daughter began to overcome anxiety. She learned that leaning on Mom and Dad’s faith in God isn’t enough anymore; she needs to trust and rely on the Lord. After six months of, “Can I do this?” she’s now saying, “Is there anything I can’t do?”
Third, my sister, her husband and their six children had their Maryland home invaded and burglarized while they slept. During the cleanup the next morning, they discovered a large, missing butcher knife the criminals dropped on the floor before leaving. Had one of them awakened during the crime, they might have lost much more than a laptop, television and some jewelry.
Fourth, in 2013, I saw more friends and family called to serve missions than at any point since my own mission in 1990. All have served honorably and with distinction. Dearest among them is my niece, called to serve a Spanish-speaking mission for the church in Tucson, Ariz. Her righteous service has lit a fire in her immediate and extended family and weekly emails and letters home are a gift that keeps on giving — each and every Monday.
Fifth, though financing for “Christmas Jars-The Movie” fell through yet again, the tradition itself continues to grow. We received more accounts of jars being given and received than ever before, in many cases as direct answers to urgent prayers. The movement is alive and well and 2013 reminded me just how much the story has touched my family.
Sixth, perhaps the greatest blessing of all is my increased faith that God knows me, loves me and wants me to return home. Through prayer, study and action, I’ve learned so much about my relationship with my Savior. I have miles to go in understanding His divine role in my life, but I count chief among my blessings the indisputable fact that my Father in heaven hears my prayers, even on the nights I worry He can’t.
Wow! It’s been a better year than I thought.
I wonder, with my six blessings having moved from mind to paper, how many more I could count. Even in the worst of times, even when the day seems to have been lost to bad decisions, misfortune or the ill will of others, are there not blessings to be found?
Do those blessings not predict a brighter day, month and year ahead?
As you ponder your year over your own shoulder, as you worry about the things gone wrong and the opportunities missed, why not take a moment to marvel at all that went right?
Please, at any point along the way, feel free to borrow number six from my own list. I promise He loves you, too.
So, are you up to the 6 Blessings Challenge?
I read the article here:

Still Learning!

For the past 3 years...I have been very blessed to be healthy. So much of my life I have been sick and down for one reason or another. In the past when I was down with my back or battling cancer or whatever, I knew that at least sitting down I could draw, crochet, paint, make thank you notes or do something with my hands. But when I did have pneumonia in the past, I well remember not having the desire or the strength to do anything but just sit or sleep.
When I went to the Doctor on Monday evening and explained to her my concern of not getting better and actually getting worse (after only being out in the public 3 days); she told me something that made me feel a bit better. She said this has been a terrible year for the flu and viruses that have been going around. She has seen many patients who have had it for anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks.
Why is it comforting to know that you aren't the only one? There is a lot of truth in that, knowing that there are others who have had it or experienced it...for some reason makes you feel less ISOLATED and ALONE!
The tough thing about being so sick that you don't want to do ANYTHING at all, is that it makes for LONG DAYS and LONG NIGHTS. I keep coughing so hard that I feel like my ribs will break, I get winded to even go up or down the stairs to eat. I am lonely, but even talking on the phone hurts my throat and causes me to cough. I love to read, but I even feel too bad to want to do that even. I hope the antibiotics kick in soon so I at least feel like doing something, anything!
I realized now that I took my good health for granted, I just kept doing more and more, and was loving the fact that I was up and healthy and able to accomplish soooooo much each day.
 Now I am nervous about just going out at all and being around anyone who is sick. I remember after my radiation treatments and that next year having pneumonia, one month after another... I thought I would never go out in public again because of all the germs. Finally after 2 years of being sick, I was able to get healthy and stay healthy. I didn't worry about being around someone sick, because I knew my immune system was up and running ...doing it's job.
Now here I am again, worried if someone comes near me with a cough or sneezing!
I know this too will pass, just trying to remember the LESSONS that I need to learn from this.
1. Pace myself, be ok with saying No sometimes, and not taking on too much at one time.
2. Continue to eat better, cleaner, healthier...hard to expect my body to help me out if I don't fuel it properly.
3. Don't overdo, as much as I want to do so many things and help so many people, I still have to be smart about my choices that effect my time and energy.
4. Replace what I have lost...time, energy and sleep.
5. Be positive, this too will pass but don't forget what it felt like to be this sick...make better choices all around.
Life is sure full of lessons isn't it? Seems like if we don't learn from them the first time, they keep happening to us ...until we finally learn from them. Some times I wonder why I am such a slow learner?

Staying down a bit longer!

Got to the Doctor today, it was a bit nerve wreaking because she is new to me. My original doctor left about a year ago he moved to a different area. So I went to one of the Doctors that took his place. I had only gone to her once, and then she got sick and had to leave for quite awhile. I struggled a bit at once again going to someone new. I had developed quite a trust with my earlier Doctor and he seemed to go above and beyond for our family, during my last battle with cancer. I admired him and trusted him, so starting over was hard.
This new Doctor was nice and very thorough. As I thought... it was pneumonia, but she said that I am on the tail end of it. She was mostly concerned about how hard I was still struggling to breath. That is why I am so tired. So she gave me albuterol inhaler and asked me to stay down for 2 weeks, so that I won't get anything else while my immune system is jeopardized. It is hard for me to stay down usually, but honestly I am so tired that I don't really do much. So I really hope that I can start breathing well soon, so my energy will return  soon.
Thanks for your prayers and concern.
Good night dear friends!

Being a Hero and a Helper!

This just made me smile. I appreciate anyone who tries and help a child...especially a little child who is sick! Another lesson to learn is... it is the little things in life that make such a huge difference!
Good night dear friends!

Being Happy!

I found a book the other day that I forgot that I had, I love the illustrations and the common sense information in there. The book is called BEING HAPPY! A handbook to greater confidence and security
by Andrew Matthews
One chapter was on HEALTH...
"Scientific experiments have demonstrated incredible ways to kill guinea pigs. ( at first I thought I might not like this book by that first sentence, because we had a few guinea pigs as family pets, but I am glad I kept reading ) Emotional upsets generate powerful and lethal toxins. Blood samples taken from persons experiencing intense fear or anger when injected into a guinea pigs have killed them in less than two minutes. Imagine what these toxins can do to your own body.
Every thought that you have affects your body chemistry within a split second. Remember how you feel when you are barreling down the highway and a big truck suddenly brakes twenty meters in front of  you. A shock wave shoots through your whole system. Your mind produces instant reactions in your body.
The toxins that fear, anger, frustration and stress produce not only kill guinea pigs but kill us off in a similar manner. it is impossible to be fearful, anxious, irritated and healthy at the same time. It is not just difficult, it is impossible. Simply put, your body's health is a reflection of unresolved inner conflicts which in time show up in the body.
It is also fascinating how our subconscious mind shapes our health. Do you recall falling sick on the day when you didn't want to go to school? Or have headaches brought on by fear?  The mind body connection is such that if, for example , we want to avoid something, very often our subconscious mind will arrange it. Once we recognize that these things happen to us, we are half way to doing something about them. 
Repressed feelings and emotions affect our health. If we are not doing the job or leading the life we enjoy, our mind is constantly holding the thought,  " I wish I wasn't here." As our body is a slave to the mind, our body will then start getting us out of whatever we want to get out of . The first step is illness. I don't suggest that our health can be totally explained by the preceding paragraphs. 
Good health is your birthright; and by good health I mean energy and vitality. It is your right to wake each morning with the confidence that your body can more than just " struggle through". Too many people have the notion that good health means a mere absence of disease.  If we look at the mind -body connection, it is easy to see how much our body is affected by our mental state. 
Your mind is the architect of your body and your body is a reflection of your thoughts. If  you are consumed by fear and anger and unexpressed emotion, your body will reflect it. The "disease" of the mind becomes the "disease" in the body."


"Think healthy, happy thoughts. Imagine yourself as healthy. Decide that good health is your birthright and that you deserve to be healthy. Above all, be gentle on yourself. Accept, and love yourself where you are right now and acknowledge that even up until now you have been living life the best way you know how." 
 ~ Andrew Matthews

Adversity

Yesterday I started coming down with a cold. It so far has stayed at just that. I am so prone to get pneumonia that I always have to be extra careful not to have it go to my lungs. My lungs got compromised after having Radiation Treatments for my cancer.

Having said that though, I really have been soooooooooooooo much healthier this year so…I am not complaining. Well, I guess I am tonight because I feel so awful and my body hurts, I can’t breath cause my head is so congested and …oh there I go again, sorry about that.  Anyway, my point was I had better get to bed early, so I will leave with you this motivational short story about Adversity.

Good night dear friends!

 

Faced with Adversity

Who hasn't faced adversity in their life? We all have stories about facing adversity in our lives. The difference is what we did to overcome it. We all have two choices:
1. to do nothing, and just give up
2. to look at the adversity as an opportunity
For me personally, I could write for days about many different situations where adversity challenged my life. Let me tell you of one experience where I almost let adversity win.
We had a glass studio, which was located 50 feet from our home. A couple of years ago we experienced an awful winter; we had a lot of snow and ice. To make a long story short the weight of the ice and snow collapsed the roof on our studio, taking with it one of our sources of income. Before it did collapse, we got on the roof and tried to remove the snow and ice, but when you have 5 feet of ice and temperatures of minus 20 Celsius, it was pretty difficult to do.
We had a contractor come in to help us try and secure the roof by bracing. In the end, there was nothing that could be done. The roof came down. We had moved a lot of our goods and tools from the studio but we lost a lot also; glass, kilns, workbenches, to name only a few of the items. It was a devastating experience.
Here we were in the middle of winter with our studio collapsed. We couldn't work as we had literally piled all the material in a building we were not using. We could have done one of two things:
1. we could of simply said that we can no longer conduct our glass business, let me tell you that this was certainly a thought that crossed our mind
2. or, we could find a way to get our studio back up and running
We picked option 2. We had a large barn that we were not using. So we renovated the barn, redesigned our working area and today we have a nicer studio than we previously had. If the adversity we faced had not happened, we probably would still be working in the old studio - a studio that was less efficient.

Adversity:
You can make excuses, or take action.
You can see adversity as a friend, or as an excuse to give up or give in.
You can have the "poor me" attitude, or you can say something better will come out of this.
You can embrace it, or you can stick your head in the sand and hope it will go away.

My point in sharing our experience with you is this: don't be afraid of adversity. While it is discouraging and it can be draining, look at it as an opportunity. Think of different ways to overcome the adversity. How we respond to adversity will determine our success and our happiness in life. May you find adversity in your life one that will make you stronger, more determined, and allow your creativity to find ways to overcome it for the better. Remember the wisdom of Horace, who once said, "Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents, which, in prosperous circumstances, would have lain dormant. "  Author: Catherine Pulsifer, © 2012

We have no right to ask when sorrow comes, "Why did this happen to me?" unless we ask the same question for every moment of happiness that comes our way.  ~Author Unknown

“The only thing that overcomes hard luck is hard work.”  ~Harry Golden

Good and Bad Day

It was a good day… because the sun was shining and you could see all the fall colors outdoors. It was a bad day… because my cold is heading down into my chest. Our whole family (including Amy, John and the girls ) have been battling something for a couple of weeks. There were a few days where I thought I was getting something and then I got better, then there were days like today where it is getting the better of me. So even though I didn’t go outside and enjoy the sun, I still loved looking out of the window. It was also a good day, because I realized that one of my radio stations is playing continual Christmas music now…that is a good day!  It is also a good day because I purchased a clock from Hallmark that plays a Christmas song every hour. My family is going crazy that I have it but….obviously they just don’t have the spirit yet, give  them about a week and they too will think my clock is the best. ( Plus, it was only $12.00 )

I think even though I get teased a lot for listening to Christmas music all year long, that it really does help me to count my blessings and to remember good things from my childhood. The bad things are just so easy to remember even though I try to forget them, but when I listen to Christmas music, I forget all those things and remember all the happy times we had as a family. I remember all the fun things for Christmas that we have done with our kids when they were little and all the fun they had with their cousins living close.

Yes say what you want, but Christmas music seems to help me be more grateful. Well, my clock just rang and so it is midnight, I need to head to bed. I am sure all of us have had bad and good days, but I will head to bed and hope that tomorrow will be a bit better.

Good night dear friends.    P.S. There were 3 clocks to pick from, I got the Thomas Kinkaid one, what an artist!

 

“There are good and bad times, but our mood changes more often than our fortune.”     ~Thomas Carlyle

“If it weren’t for sorrow and bad times, every day would be Christmas”     ~ Lithuanian Proverb

Motivational?

I have to admit, for the past couple of days, I have worked hard to find something motivational to write in my blog, because I have felt anything OTHER THAN motivational.  Weds. I realized that I was beginning to catch a cold, by evening...I had bad body aches, chills, and just wanted to lay down and get warm. I went to bed early hoping that I could catch it, before it caught me. Woke up this morning feeling about the same...yuck. By this afternoon I realized that I wouldn't even be able to attend a Baby Shower for a dear friend of mine, I was so upset. But what even made it worse, was that the shower was at my house!  Yes, I stayed in my room, in bed the whole time. I slept some and cried some (feeling very sorry for myself) and also sorry, that I missed seeing the excitement on my dear friend's face as she opened all her gifts and had so many people around her that loved her. I pray that she at least felt at home and loved!

Lucky for me, my daughter Amy can host any type of a party. She came early and decorated, and Jeff and Lee cleaned the house for me. I didn't really do anything but feel sorry for myself tonight. I pray that this cold won't go any deeper. I want to go back to my healthy life again! Why do I get so sick, so easily?  You don't really have to answer that... I am just sad tonight. Hope I can sleep after sleeping this evening?

For all of you dear friends that came to the Baby Shower, I am sorry I didn't get to see you. I hope you had a great time, thanks for coming and supporting a dear friend. And I hope you know I would have participated, if I could have!
Good night dear friends!

P.S. Thought this was a good story for me to remember that even though I am sick, there are many reasons and people that I have ...to make it the best time of my life, and for that I am grateful!

 

The Best Time Of My Life 

It was June 15, and in two days I would be turning thirty. I was insecure about entering a new decade of my life and feared that my best years were now behind me.
My daily routine included going to the gym for a workout before going to work. Every morning I would see my friend Nicholas at the gym. He was seventy-nine years old and in terrific shape. As I greeted Nicholas on this particular day, he noticed I wasn't full of my usual vitality and asked if there was anything wrong. I told him I was feeling anxious about turning thirty. I wondered how I would look back on my life once I reached Nicholas's age, so I asked him, "What was the best time of your life?"
Without hesitation, Nicholas replied, "Well, Joe, this is my philosophical answer to your philosophical question:
"When I was a child in Austria and everything was taken care of for me and I was nurtured by my parents, that was the best time of my life.
"When I was going to school and learning the things I know today, that was the best time of my life.
"When I got my first job and had responsibilities and got paid for my efforts, that was the best time of my life.
"When I met my wife and fell in love, that was the best time of my life.
"The Second World War came, and my wife and I had to flee Austria to save our lives. When we were together and safe on a ship bound for North America, that was the best time of my life.
"When we came to Canada and started a family, that was the best time of my life.
"When I was a young father, watching my children grow up, that was the best time of my life.
"And now, Joe, I am seventy-nine years old. I have my health, I feel good and I am in love with my wife just as I was when we first met. This is the best time of my life."

Author Unknown
But Greatly Appreciated!

http://www.inspirationpeak.com/cgi-bin/stories.cgi?record=63

"When you are grateful fear disappears and abundance appears."  ~ Anthony Robbins

"Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation."  ~ Brian Tracy

Spring is here...sorta!

There are a few tell tell signs that Spring is here, such as ...the calendar, the bright and beautiful colors at the store, little girls all dressed  up in their Easter dresses ( of course, these little girls just happen to be my granddaughters), candy everywhere, and even some flowers starting to bloom ...but not by the weather today!  It has been one of our coldest and wettest Springs in a  long time. I have noticed that many people are really struggling with that. I feel blessed in that way, the weather has never bothered me here in Seattle. I love the sunshine just like anyone else, but I don't mind the rain and cool weather either. We did have a beautiful couple of days this weekend and so I am grateful.

Still feeling pretty sick and very weak,so I will just leave you with this cute story about a little girl and her Dad...and I will call it a night!

Golf Lessons with Daughter

Like every golfer, I can't wait for the start of the golf season. But I have a special reason: my new playing partner, my 8-year-old daughter, known affectionately as "the Terrorist."

When she was only 2, her mother and I bought the little rascal a child-sized seven iron. It was way too big for her, but she dragged it around the house. About the time she was 5, she started accompanying her daddy to the driving range and putting green.

She and I chipped around in the back yard until she started to hit the ball with some authority. One day, she put a Titleist through the bathroom window, which resulted in a torrent of tears After that, we confine golfing to the driving range.

Then last spring, I said to the Terrorist, "What do you say we play 'real’ golf on a ‘real' golf course?

"Yeah! Daddy!" came the enthusiastic response.

So the following Saturday morning, we drove to a nine-hole, par three course. It is a family-friendly course with slow greens, a driving range and a putting green on which to warm up. One rarely has to wait at the first tee.

After a torrential rain, water collects along the left side of the first fairway. And a ditch lies along the second fairway. Otherwise, it is hard to get into trouble on a course with virtually no rough. Just the place for an 8-year-old, and her daddy.

And so Daddy and the Terrorist played their first round of golf together. Golf is, a wonderful game to teach life's little messages to little girls.

"First of all, you have to count all the strokes, even if you accidentally bump the ball, and it rolls an inch," I instructed.

The Terrorist caught on fast and insisted on keeping score. "So you got a 5 on that hole?" I asked. "No, Daddy, I accidentally hit the ball on the hill, and it moved, so I got a 6." And she dutifully recorded the 6. I could be wrong but I think we have the making of an honest child here.

"Daddy, the ball is behind a bush, can I move it?"

"No, sweetheart, you have to play the ball where it lies, no fair moving it." Another of life's little messages.

On each tee, I dutifully filled my divot sand, then filled at least one more. "Always leave the golf course in better shape than you found it." I advised.

Since then, she has methodically attempted to rebuild every tee by filling every divot.

There is something about sand and kids. When the Terrorist knocked her ball into a sand trap, she would have spent the next hour making sure it was absolutely smooth. "No," I admonished, "there are people waiting on the tee, and we can't hold them up." That led to a simple lesson on slow play and about others around you and how your actions have an impact on them.

Once, when we were two holes ahead of the some behind us, we stopped to fix some extra marks on a green and to practice chipping. For 10 minutes, she chipped the ball at the hole, and I putted it back to her, another of life's little lessons: Practice makes perfect.

For now, golf simply is fun. Hit the ball hard, go find it, and who cares what the score is. We spend little time on the driving range with very elementary instruction, but nothing serious. In another two years, if she still enjoys the game, we will see about some lessons. But for now, it is just a game.

On a short, 60-yard hole, the Terrorist drove the green and landed her ball considerably inside her dad's shot. That was a momentous accomplishment, which later was recounted in great detail to her mother.

Two hours after we teed off, the Terrorist and I returned to the clubhouse to drink lemonade, eat candy bars and (at her insistence) add up the score.

She leaned back in her chair, pushed back her golf visor, looked at me with her child's eyes and, and said, "Daddy, that was a lot of fun! Let's do this again!"

And we did, all summer long.

By Donald Hoke

 

" daughter may outgrow your lap, but she will never outgrow your heart." ~Author Unknown

"The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month."   ~Henry Van Dyke

"It is almost impossible to remember how tragic a place this world is when one is playing golf. 
~ Robert Lynd

The Easter Bunny and Lee!

I am a BIG BELIEVER in tradition! However, since I became a MOM...I realized that I also need to be a BIG BELIEVER in Plan B. Things don't always go as planned, and so whether you like it or not, there better be a Plan B in your hip pocket. This week was one of those, Plan B type of weeks.
For instance, the Easter Bunny has always stopped by our house on Friday Nights ( by our request ). We thought it would be easier to teach the kids between Spring/ Easter Bunny and the real meaning of Easter, if we separated them by a day. It has worked quite well for all these years, however...when you have a tradition like that, you have to stay on top of it or...before you know it, it is Friday night already. I don't believe that the Easter Bunny has ever been late coming to our home in some 27 years, but he didn't make it last night!
We were surprised, but soon realized that this has been an unusually cold and wet Spring and so...he probably was sick. I can sure understand how hard that would be to deliver all those baskets, when you don't feel too well! Lucky for us, by today...we had word that he has finally visited all of our kids and so we are grateful, that even though it was a day or so late...we were able to keep our tradition!

Today is also Lee's 18th birthday. We got to celebrate it with all the kids together (when we were in Idaho). Then today we had Amy, John and the girls and then some friends and neighbors over to celebrate with Lee. He has turned out to be an incredible young man, and how blessed we feel to have him in our family. He will graduate in a month or so and before we know it, he will be off to college...wow, I am just not ready for that yet! I think one of the greatest joys of a Mom, is to see the love that the kids have for one another. Now when they were little, there were days that I thought they would kill each other but... that was just on hard days. It has been enjoyable to see how they connect now that they are all young adults. They are each other's friend, and that is what I prayed for...for years.

So Happy Birthday Lee, and thanks Easter Bunny for keeping our tradition... of coming before Easter Sunday!

 

"It is our choices ... that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."
- J. K. Rowling

"No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow."  ~Proverb

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome."  ~Anne Bradstreet

Just missed my goal!

Can you believe it, I just missed my goal of being healthy for one year straight...by only 13 days!!! I can't say that I am surprised, since I have been so stressed out this week, worrying about Lee. I knew I should go to bed early, but couldn't get my head to stop thinking and wondering. I knew that I should have honored THE WALL, but I just felt if I kept going, I could get a few things I was behind on. I guess no one ever plans for all the doctor appointments and all the things that come up, when someone is sick or hurting. So it is my own fault that I didn't take better care of my body better. I have been trying sooooooooooooo hard to make that goal. :(

I guess the I need to look at it, more on the positive side. I have been well ...COMPLETELY WELL for 352 days! That is great news! Especially considering that I had pneumonia four times, year before last!

I knew very early this morning that I was coming down with something, so the first thing I did when I got up...was put on a big pot of homemade Chicken Noodle Soup. For those of us that don't have Mothers here anymore with us...that is what we have to do, make it ourselves!

So even though I am freezing, aching all over, and I am cooking a fever, plus I have a sore throat and an already DEEP cough...life is good and I am thankful for all my blessings!

Good night dear friends!

"If you find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere."  ~ Frank A. Clark

" I can't change the directions of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination."  ~ Jimmy Dean

"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream."  ~ C.S. Lewis

 

Hitting the WALL!

Have you ever heard the statement made by many marathon runners, when they say "Around the 22nd mile, I hit the wall"?

Energy Dynamics 101

( Here's the scientific explanation )

“Hitting The Wall is basically about running out of energy,” says Dave Martin, Ph.D., Emeritus Regent’s Professor of Health Sciences at Georgia State University in Atlanta—chemical energy, that is, stored in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and obtained from the breakdown, or metabolism, of energy-containing fuel. The runner’s primary fuel sources are carbohydrates (in the form of blood glucose and glycogen, a polymer of glucose stored in the muscles and liver) and fats (free fatty acids in the bloodstream and muscle triglycerides, molecules containing three fatty acids).

I actually heard about it when I was on the track team, and our coach was explaining it and what to do to keep going AFTER you hit the wall. That mentality stayed with me for years, even though I wasn't running on the track, I was running or working or not sleeping so much ...that I continually hit the Wall, but remembered well, how to keep pushing and keep going. I actually thought that was a good thing?

Then I began to get so sick, and I was always trying to learn new ways to be healthy. One of the first things that I learned was how important it is not to push so hard, or so fast that you hit the Wall, that means your energy is gone and it seems like your shoes are filled with concrete. In healing your Mind and Body, you are taught to honor that Wall, recognize you are too tired, too sleepy, too worn out and to stop everything and let your body rejuvenate. What an odd concept that was to me, what a hard time I had learning that. But now I have to admit that more often than not, I do stop and rest.

Today however and actually for the past 3 days, I have Hit the Wall at some point and despite what I know, I kept pushing and totally ignored the wall. I realized tonight that I need to go back to honoring my body. Listen to what it is trying to tell me. The hard part for me is when it happens and I am doing things that I LOVE TO DO! I got to teach my Quilt Class today, which I love! Then I drove my son to an appointment, stopped and did some errands and then got ready and went and taught a class at church tonight. What a HIGH I am on, but oh...my body is paying for it. So I am telling you that ...I do know better, and I can't keep doing that or my body will get sick. So I am going to try to pace myself more. Why is it, even at my age...I am still learning so many lessons, and some of them OVER and OVER again?  Actually, you don't have to answer that... I know the answer! I will try to do better tomorrow.
Good night dear friends!

 

"Respect your efforts, respect yourself.  Self-respect leads to self-discipline.  When you have both firmly under your belt, that's real power."  ~Clint Eastwood

"Take care of your body.  It's the only place you have to live."  ~Jim Rohn

"The body never lies."  ~Martha Graham

"Sometimes your body is smarter than you are."  ~Author Unknown

 

 

"

Close in Heart!

    I have a dear friend, who is struggling in her marriage. I watch, as she bravely tries to save her marriage and sweet family. She is willing to forgive, change and even try again. What an amazing lady she is, she isn't just giving up and quitting...she is doing the hard stuff like WORKING on her marriage. Like most of us realize, it takes a lot of work to have a happy marriage and there are times...it is very hard work, but it is worth it!

    I have another dear friend, who is having a knee replacement tomorrow. She is pretty scared and as I visited with her tonight, I wanted to some how take that fear away and replace it with peace and confidence, but I couldn't. I told her that we would keep her in our prayers, I know that prayers truly make a difference, I hope she believes that too! As I left her house tonight, she gave me this sweet article that a dear friend sent her. She thought I might be able to use it for my blog...she was right!

    I loved the message of appreciating the relationships and friendships we have right now, while we have them!
So with that, I will say thank you for your love, support and friendship throughout the years. You have truly changed my life for the better. Good night dear friends!

Their marriage was good, their dreams focused. Their best friends lived barely a wave away. I can see them now, Dad in trousers, tee-shirt and a hat and Mom in a house dress; lawn mower in his hand, and dish-towel in hers. It was the time for fixing things. A curtain rod, the kitchen radio, screen door, the oven door, the hem in a dress. Things we keep.
It was a way of life, and sometimes it made me crazy. All that re-fixing, eating, renewing, I wanted just once to be wasteful. Waste meant affluence. Throwing things away meant you knew there would always be more. But then my mother became ill, and on that clear summer’s night, in the warmth of the hospital room, I was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn’t any more. Sometimes, what we care about most gets all used up and goes away, never to return. So while we have it, its best we love it, and care for it, and fix it when it’s broken and heal it when it’s sick.
This is true — for marriage, and old cars, and children with bad report cards, dogs and cats with bad hips, and aging parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles and friends. We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it.
Some things we keep — like a best friend who moved away or a classmate we grew up with. There are just some things that make life important, like people we know who are special ... And so, we keep them close in heart and mind and spirit.   http://www.tvilletimes.com/view/full_story/8949209/article-Reminders-of-the-good-ole-days?instance=most_popular

"Even though we've changed and we're all finding our own place in the world, we all know that when the tears fall or the smile spreads across our facer, we'll come to each other because no matter where this crazy world takes us, nothing will ever change so much to the point where we're not still friends."

"Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.   ( Christopher Robin to Pooh ) ~ A. A. Milne

"If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you."  ~ Winnie the Pooh

 

Life Is Fragile—Handle with Prayer

Today our son Lee had to stay home again from school because he is sick. We kept him home Friday when the cold began, with the hopes that we could catch it in time. He was pretty sick that night and most of the day on Saturday, but by Saturday evening, he seemed much better. He felt good enough to go to church yesterday but, by last night he had gotten worse again, his sinus area was throbbing and packed. The doctor told him today, that he needed to stay home from school for the next two days also, he heard some sounds in the lungs and doesn't want it to go into pneumonia, as Jeff and I's did, in August.
I found it hard  trying to reassuring him once again, that he would be alright and that his body would heal. It does seem like we just can't get better around here!  He is worried about his classes and homework, about missing weight training and about just getting better... period. Man, do I ever understand what he is feeling like. Yet, I want him to know that he needs to share his worries and concerns with his Heavenly Father too, in prayer. I want him to remember to keep praying, it's easy when things are going well, but it is vital to keep that communication open with God always, and receive peace and strength from Him. I struggle watching my kids be sick, I would rather be sick any time, they to watch them hurt and suffer...but that's not how it works some times. I too, am praying that he will not get pneumonia and that his body will be strong enough to fight this and heal soon.

For Family Home Evening tonight we had lesson on prayer. I know that as a family we have gone over this topic before but like anything worth doing,  you have to learn it over and over many times. We talked about some of the PITFALLS of prayer!

... Not understanding our relationship with God our Heavenly Father, when we finally truly understand we are His children then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive. It is important to remember that relationship.

... We need to remember to listen and not do all the talking, otherwise our prayers sound like a message rather than a conversation.

... We need to be careful of vain repetitions ( as the Bible says ). Where we say the same thing over and over, as if we have it memorized. We wouldn't do that in a conversation with a friend would we? And if we did, wouldn't they find it hard to think we were really serious?

...We need to remember we are not trying to change the will of God through prayer, but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant, but that are made conditional on our asking for them. Blessings require some work or effort on our part, before we can obtain them. (Bible Dictionary)

I love this poem on prayer...it says it all! :)

THE INFORMAL PRAYER

“The proper way for a man to pray,”
Said Deacon Lemuel Keyes,

“And the only proper attitude
Is down upon his knees.”

“Nay, I should say the way to pray,”
Said Reverend Dr. Wise,

“Is standing straight with outstretched arms
And rapt and upturned eyes.”

“Oh, no, no, no,” said Elder Snow;
“Such posture is too proud.

A man should pray with eyes fast closed
And head contritely bowed.”

“It seems to me his hands should be
Austerely clasped in front.

With both thumbs pointing toward the ground,”
Said Reverend Dr. Hunt.

“Las’ year I fell in Hodgkin’s well
Head first,” said Cyrus Brown,

“With both my heels a-striken’ up,
My head a-p’inting down;
An’ I made a prayer right then an’ there;
Best prayer I ever said;
The prayingest prayer I ever prayed;
A-standin’ on my head.” (Sam Walter Foss, “The Prayer of Cyrus Brown,”)

 

"I believe in prayer.  It's the best way we have to draw strength from heaven."  ~Josephine Baker

… Answers from the Lord come quietly—ever so quietly. In fact, few hear his answers audibly with their ears. We must be listening so carefully or we will never recognize them. Most answers from the Lord are felt in our heart as a warm comfortable expression, or they may come as thoughts to our mind. They come to those who are prepared and who are patient”  ~ H. Burke Peterson

Home again!

I really can't write too much tonight, still not feeling well. By the time I unpacked and got a few groceries in the house, I was gone. Oh well. It was great to be home and to see Lee and Jeff again. It was a different trip this time. Not one of fun and exciting things to do, I was mostly in bed or laying down. But I am home now and hope to get better soon.  It is hard to be sick when you are away from home.  It has been discouraging to say the least ...to be sick again.  Oh well, good night dear friends.

"Home is not where you live, but where they understand you"   ~ Christian Morganstern

"There's nothing half so pleasant as coming home again."  ~ Margaret Elizabeth Sangster

"Sickness shows us what we are" ~ Latin Proverb