Month: September 2015

October, An Opportunity to Review …

October, it is the beginning of the last quarter of the year.  How have we done this year regarding goals for the year?  There are personal goals such as investing in our relationships, domestic goals, career, and self improvement ventures.

October can have five long weekends if you can get Fridays off.  There are five Thursdays, five Fridays and five Saturdays.  Long weekends for exterior house and yard maintenance. Can you plan a picnic, or attend a fall festival before the cold sets in?  We have 31 days to plan in which to advance on our goal list for the year.  I cannot believe we have thirteen weeks until 2016.

We decided to improve the quality of our family relationships.  Although we usually have dinner together at the table we typically scatter afterwards unless we are doing our once a week family Bible study.  Since we play a game like cards or a board game together 1 – 2 nights a week, and we do errands or exercise together it is really leading to some relaxed fun times.  To help in this area of spending time, last night we just picked up Subway’s new Pulled Pork sandwich with all these veggies on it.  This way, no work, no mess or great expense and we could spend the time in a funful way.  It does not have to be expensive or time consuming to be thoroughly enjoyable.

The furniture on the porch that needs refinished has been worked on a bit.  Still enduring a lot of tests and medications which leave me feeling depleted.  Baby stepping this project of the little three drawer sewing cabinet.  Puff, our fat old green eyed, long haired yellow cat has commandeered one of the little drawers.  She stays there all the time, sleeps there, and patrols the porch.  Likely, an hour will be all it takes to finish this little project.  Considering the percentage that a job is finished can help remotivate working on it to the completion.  I have so many unfinished projects, I could keep a retired person busy just having them finish.

Little projects with quick achievement is what the doctor ordered.  She said, “DO Not get committed to anything, keep the stress load down”.  How right she is, so I am striving to obey her orders.  I am awaiting to achieve a little stamina, the exhaustion hangs on.  One project that I enjoyed was this reversible lightweight knit fabric, it was in the clearance bin for about $2.  I made the cutest dolman sleeve, cowl, crop top to go over a sleeveless lightweight mock crewneck knit top that I purchased while in Maine at the Kohl’s there.  Using the Serger, sewing machine, I made all the seams exposed.  You see the light material on the sleeve, the dark on the body, the light on the upper front, and then both the light and dark make up the cowl.  It cheered me up to accomplish something so nice in such a little time over a couple days.  I am learning to knit socks, with the arthritis it is a challenge, and I just have to put it down when I keep making mistakes because my hands do not comply.  My mother in law was watching me knit one day and she said to me “I am not impressed!”  I said “With What?”  She said “I am not impressed with your knitting”.  I was like, “should I just put it down and forget it?”.  she said “I would.”  I kept knitting.  “Pants”, pants I said, I still need to make a couple pairs, with the surgeries I have to make my pants a little higher to the waist for them to be comfortable.  Everyone sees me in the same couple few pants over the last couple years.  They are in great condition miraculously.  I just need to make a couple pairs.

Do you have a couple little projects you have been wanting to do?  Can you block yourself some time to work on something your interested in?  Taking an hour before that time to better organize the area, to make sure your tools are set up and ready, to double check you have all you need will help you to be more efficient and productive.  I actually enjoy working in my work area cleaning it up.  If you were in my work area you would wonder about what I am referring to since it is very disorganized.  I like it organized, and it definitely makes me more productive and time wise to keep it that way.  You just feel better about producing something if the environment is orderly.

It may be possible to sign up for classes or groups of special interest.  There are many free online classes, and some not free. It can improve the quality of your life or help with your career goals. We took Brent, our youngest son out to a nice steak restaurant for dinner tonight, we are so proud of him for sticking with one job, and working so hard to finish his apprenticeship for plumbing.  Although he was young, he had an opportunity, and despite unpleasant work experiences with fellow employees at times, he continued with it.  He put off taking the test for another six months after he could have taken it because he was worried about his dyslexia.  He heard of so many failing the first two or three tests he assumed he would too.  When we realized what his worry was we just expressed confidence in him because we always listened to him about how he addressed certain problems, and how he resolved issues we knew he had the knowledge to be a Journeyman.  He passed, we are so happy for him.  A lack of confidence can play a big role in our not fulfilling our goals.  Pretend your confident and give it a try, if it doesn’t work, try another approach and try again.  Just TRY.

Losing weight and getting fit are important, and rate pretty high on most peoples yearly goal list.  We do have thirteen weeks before the new year, and approximately 25 weeks until Spring.  If we want to start 2016 looking better than we do now, there is a fitness schedule we can practice now.  There are parks, walking and biking trails. There are indoor facilities whether it is basketball, swimming, or such in which we can fit exercise into our life.  If someone is very busy, they can use an exercise video you can check out from the library.  PBS channels provide an exercise hour starting at 6 a.m. everyday.  I do isometrics each morning which helps me with my arthritis.  The weight loss is working incredibly slow for me.  This week I am working on even smaller portions, and striving to get some exercise in.  Let us all work toward improving our cardiovascular health.

Domestically, some people are already perfectly clean, organized and efficient, to them I say, Learn a Hobby.  Maintenance, and fall cleaning, and getting the HVAC checked for this upcoming winter season will possibly save some money.  Can you do without the air conditioning?  We love the lower bills in the spring when we let the house naturally be a little cooler by turning off the heat.  We turn off the air the first week of September.  This last hundred years or so is the first time in mankinds history that temperatures could be controlled to such a Degree.  People do not know how to be a little cool, or a little warm, always adjusting the thermostats.  Where are the sweaters or a blanket to ward off a little chill.  Reasonableness is imperative, if someone has chronic illness, is old or young they do not need to suffer.  When my spleen an ITP made me so anemic, I was so chilled all the time, having the house cold and the floors cold put me in a state of apathy.  It is not good to force our ways upon others.  All things must be tempered with love and compassion.

Depression for some is very severe when fall and winter comes upon us.  A new outlook should be considered.  It is a time to stay in and get a few things done, learn something new thru a class or hobby, and an opportunity to enjoy family.  I am with you, let us make the most of this October as we work optimistically thru this fall season into winter and the rest of the year.  We can accomplish so much.

Whom is detached and depressed? Where is the reset button in my mind?

Getting reactivated after serious losses is equivalent to learning to live again.  Yet, down days, rainy Mondays, are bound to happen.  How do we get going when we just can’t find our start button?

I haven’t written a post for a week due to fatigue, anxiety, and sadness due to the loss of my father recently.  Stomach aches, low blood pressure, and low-grade fevers have me feeling weak and tired.  Over a week ago my son had a bad accident and has a compression fracture of the no. 2 Lumbar spine.  A Lot of tears of concern for him.  He is handling it better than I.

Today I went to see Nick whom helps me develop my life management skills, creative attitude along with my attention deficit.  Life management skills are essential for anyone with attention deficit, chronic illness, or depression.  I have been going to him for years.  He helps a lot.

Expressing my depressed state over such things, when I mentioned my blog to him he was excited about that and wondered why I did not mention that before during my visit today.  Although I have mentioned it on other visits, I haven’t expounded on it because I was still so new to it, and am still new.  It is being down that has prohibited me from writing this last week.  I felt, whom am I to think I have anything valuable to express under the circumstances.  I have an acquaintance whom said  “Give it up!  Whom do you think you are to write?”  Do we just roll over and give in when someone is discouraging?  This sadly effected me.  What motivates someone to be discouraging to another?  It is not love that promotes negativity.  I feel I have many unique and unusual experiences that have shaped my views balanced with sound principles.  It is my goal to help others to be resilient despite difficulties and loss.  We must always strive to be mentally fit to endure our present situations, while recognizing our limitations.

This particular article I present doesn’t really offer up anything helpful for anyone today, except a word of Thanks to all of you whom read and express appreciation for my better days and the articles I write and post.  Keep coming back, and I will keep writing.

Where is that recharge button?  Where is the start button I need to fulfill my responsibilities? One word of advice Nick gave me years ago is to just put four things on your to do list.  How is your TO DO  List?  I fill up a page or two sometimes.  It can be hard to face.  At the beginning of the day it can make you feel defeated before you start, at the end of the day it can cause you to feel like a failure.  A limited list helps one to address priorities, thus leading one to feel they have achieved something.  A successful business person enjoys seeing their certificates of success and achievements around.  Our certificates of achievements can be our crossed off short lists.  My mother would purchase the smallest of memo pads and she would put her list on that and that little book would be the root of her focus each day.  Flipping back thru the memo pad would make the doer of that feel mighty esteemed.

The Slob Sisters program breaks the list down into CaLL, Do, Send and Go, if I remember correctly.  I really like those two helping young homemakers get it together.  Over the years I have called, emailed etc. and they have always taken the time to help.  A young mother with no family around you can imagine how I felt with their help.  Their book “Get it together”  was a real hit about 20 years ago and I am due to read it again.

My friend Olivia picked me up and took me on errands and to my appointment with Nick.  I always enjoy my time with Olivia, she is never judgemental, just truly pleasant.  Are there any pleasant people out there?  It is a great quality to work toward.  She really built me up to face another day.  Tomorrow, if my body allows and Jehovah is willing I will only worry about the responsibilities for the day.  Now is the time to write my four items on my TO DO list, then I can pray about it,  Tomorrow is another day, another day for what?

Dedicated to a friend, Jamie whom is struggling with anxiety and depression.  May she have a better day and address the issues one at a time on short lists, so she can experience the joy of achievement once again.  All with Jehovah’s blessing and help.

Timex, Elgin, Carriage, Hamilton, Movado, has run by …Where has the time gone?..It just goes by.

There was a Time when everyone wore a time piece or took pride in sporting a particular brand of watch on their wrist.  It was a habit of the time-wise to flick the wrist and check the time   How long ago was it that you would see a man pull the watch on the chain out of the pocket so he could address the time.

Chicago sung the famous song “Does anybody know what time it is?”  How lost a person can feel if they do not know what time it is.

The phrases:  Time has just gone by …, Does anybody know what time it is?… Time just marches on… Time just runs by…  A time capsule…Can you arrest time?  The years just flew by… and so on …tick, tick, seconds, minutes, hours, sunrise, sunset, days, weeks, months, seasons, years, and then history in the making.

My Mother-in-Law Marcia is an expert on time.  She is 98, and she has always practiced a schedule and her watch is a big part of it.  Marcia still does her own laundry, changes her bed, daily walks with her dog, reading the paper, and she balances her checkbook.  She said she plans her life around time and according to her watch.  She is very aware of time, and there is this connection between the flick of the wrist, the time and what she expects to be doing next.

Her mind frame is there is a time to get up, a time to eat breakfast, morning activities, time for lunch, afternoon rest and activities, afternoon walk with the dog, time for dinner, and then there is time for evening activities, and then time for bed.  Nothing is happenstance, nor is it haphazard.

Too many function by feelings, do I feel like eating, or I felt like eating something sweet, or I did not feel like going to bed etc.  Too much feeling interferes with natural scheduling.  The old circadian rhythm is rendered dysfunctional.

Not everyone has a watch, many depend on their phone.  Phones do lose their battery strength, then where are you?  When you see someone often looking at their phone you wonder are they checking for messages and only half interested in being there with you.  No one really looks at their phone that often for the time, then again, if they are, just send them on their way, why let them waste your valuable time with their lack of attention.

A watch whether it is $100.00 or $7.00 is an investment because it can keep you time-wise.  I am trying to be more aware of time and work in time blocks as Marcia suggested.  A greater sense of accomplishment, routines are vital for our longevity.

Sometimes we just have to get thru it, other times it just fly’s by.  No matter how you look at it time is ours to manage most productively.  Being aware of time is essential.  A time to be born, a time to die, a time to skip about, as King David poetically wrote about.  Later his son King Solomon said at Ecceclasties  9:9-11 ” Enjoy life with your beloved wife all the days of your futile life, which he has given you under the sun, all the days of your futility, for that is your lot in life and in your hard work at which you toil under the sun.  Whatever your hand finds to do, do with all your might, for there is no work nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom in the Grave, where you are going.  I have seen something further under the sun, that the swift do not always have the race,nor do the mighty win the battle, nor do the wise always have the food, nor do the intelligent always have the riches, nor do those with knowledge always have success, because Time an Unforeseen Occurrence befall them all.”    Time to Heed the time in our life.

September is upon us …what do we have to be optimistic about?

September! September, a time to remember.  As the summer has passed by and fall is upon us, we still have time to reflect on what we want out of this month and year.  With a long weekend ahead, nominally nice weather, we have much to be optimistic about.  What would we like to enjoy this month?

There is still time to consider our options regarding the weeks ahead.  We have basically ten weeks of decent temperatures in which to enjoy outdoor activities.  We can take walks or bike rides with our loved ones.  Picnics are nice to do at this time of year as temps start to cool.

September is a perfect month to do some extra cleaning up on the exterior of our homes.  A touch of paint on the trims, cleaning the outside windows improves the view.  Taking a day for family clean day, clearing off the porches and doing a little upkeep results in good feelings of accomplishment.  Maintenance is an activity that can be done on these famous long weekends in both the spring and fall.

17 weeks until 2016, we have four months to work thru.  We can break our goals down to weekly steps to gain success.

I made up a game which we call Our Weight Loss Game.  We are working an 11/11 goal, when we started there were 11 weeks until November.  The rules are that we must pray daily about handling our stresses with wisdom and self control.  We must exercise for 30 or more minutes at least six days a week.  Make good food choices based on the program we choose to follow.  Keep in contact with each other and talk about what we are doing and how we feel about it.  The reward, we are making a $1.00 or more per pound contribution to the World Wide Work individually.  It is a personal decision.  The benefit is that where most diets fail because of doing it for self, when you have low esteem, self is not always a good reason to stick to a beneficial program.  The first bit of boredom or stress than one caves into desires.  Yet, if it is for a worthwhile cause, than it is a terrific reason to stick it out.  One is also benefitted, just like “….I Jehovah your God, and teaching you how to benefit yourself, and am guiding you in the way in which you should walk…” Isaiah 48:17.  I love this scripture, just quoted it.  It may not be exact wording but you get the idea, look it up.  A bit of guidance and beneficial results I am all for that. In addition the result is that we do benefit by such adjustments and we will feel better about ourselves, our clothes will fit better, or we may fit into a smaller size.  All are benefitted.  Even if a person is already thin, making good choices and getting a little activity benefits most people.

It is also important to consider that there may be a few things we can do to get organized to make this next years tax season a little easier.  What bit of info can you get together or compute?  This can make extensions avoidable by working ahead of time on the things that only you know present themselves to be stressful.

I decided to do a fall winter garden, my husband got it all tilled and prepared.  Still have pepper plants producing.  Tomato plants are still growing.  Want to start some cucumber and radishes before it gets too late.  You can dig up some plants, pot them and keep them on porch, later bringing them in for year round gardening.  Lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower are good winter garden plants.  Mums, always look nice planted along walkways.  Mine are still growing from last year.

Make this September memorable, enjoy time with family at parks, zoos, and on picnics.  Being productive now may make future months easier.