Part 1 – Plants for Decoration: When I came up with this title, I didn’t think of the plants pictured below. I thought of the kind you plant . . . then eat. But now . . . that’s part 2. We buy special plants to decorate our homes at Christmas. Do you recognize any of these? The first two are flowers. The last two can either be bushes or trees. First up is the Christmas Rose – I only recognize it from the Christmas Eve hymn. Its English title – “Lo, how a rose e’er blooming. I didn’t know it was composed in Germany. To learn more about this old hymn, click here: Es ist ein Ros entsprungen - Wikipedia. Don’t worry! The link is written in English. The second flower is the one I think of when I think Christmas – the Poinsettia. They’re also called the Christmas Star. A lot of people buy them in November and December. I never do – I hate to kill plants! If someone gives me one, they only last a month or two, and then they die. Poor plant! I think it’s kinder for me NOT to buy one. The third plant, Holly. I didn’t know there were 18 different kinds. I can’t decide what I like better – the waxy leaves, or the red berries. They look great in your yard, and they grow year-round without needing a lot of care. But whatever you do, don’t eat the berries – they’re poisonous! If you love the way they look, use them for decoration, or save them for your local birds . . . They’re safe for them to eat, and they love the taste. The last one is everyone’s favorite – the Christmas tree. Some people buy artificial ones. Others go out to the woods to chop theirs down. Still others go to the store and buy one to decorate in December. If you’re into the environment, you could even buy one for Christmas, and then plant it in your yard. If you did it every year, you’d wind up with your own small forest of evergreens. Part 2 – Plants That Grow in Pots: Like vegetables! That’s what I was thinking of when I decided to put up this post in December. Fresh vegetables are great to have anytime, but especially in the winter when nothing grows up north. But inside in a pot, plants can grow and thrive. Back in August I got an email from Jen Stark, from Happy DIY Home.com. She had a link she hoped I’d share. Her turn came up this month, and it struck me that gifting someone with plants for Christmas, might make the perfect gift. If you have kids, growing vegetables is a great way to grow responsibility too, and your kids get to eat their profits. The title of Jen’s post – 16 EASY VEGETABLES TO GROW IN POTS. They include – beans, beets, carrots, chard, chili pepper, cucumbers, kale, lettuce, peas, peppers, potatoes, pumpkins, radishes, spinach, tomatoes, zucchinis. That’s a lot of growing you can do when it’s freezing outside. Jen’s Link: https://happydiyhome.com/easy-vegetables-to-grow-in-pots/ I must warn you – some vegetables are easier to grow than others. Lettuces and greens are easy-peasy. So are peppers. If you go to Jen’s link, it will tell you what size pot you need for each plant, and what kind of light they need based on your location. Some vegetables are climbers. They’ll need something to climb, like a trellis. The one I would never do inside – pumpkins. A friend tried a few pumpkin seeds, and they took over her whole backyard. I’d hate to put one in a pot. Part 3 – Easy Plants to Grow During the Winter: The easiest ones – lettuces, greens, and herbs. After I read Jen Stark’s link from yesterday, I wanted to make sure I had the best ones for you . . . so I checked with Google. The link: can you grow vegetables inside during winter - Search (bing.com) That’s where I found Dian Farmer. She did a post about best practices if you want to grow plants inside during the winter. She also had veggie suggestions. I posted basic information. Click Dian’s link for more specific instructions. Link: 7 Vegetables You Can Grow Indoors In Winter – Dian Farmer Learning To Grow Our Own Food
Dian’s Tips: 1. Use good potting soil. It should be a mix of peat moss, vermiculite, and perlite. 2. Pick pots that let the water drain out. Make sure the container fits your plant. Some veggies only need a few inches, but others need a foot of space to grow properly. 3. Place your containers in windows that face south. They get the most sunlight during the winter. If yours face a different direction, add lighting. Check out Dian’s site. It has a link to Amazon that will help you buy the right light. 4. Avoid drafty windows. They’re too cold. Don’t put your plants too close to heaters. That will dry them out. 5. Pick the right plants to grow inside in the winter. It makes a difference! Dian’s Top Seven Suggestions: Garlic greens or chives, lettuce, kale, arugula, beans, peppers, and culinary herbs like rosemary, thyme, oregano, cilantro, lemon balm, and basil. If you feel more adventurous, you might consider alpine strawberries, brussels sprouts, Bok choy, Asian greens, broad beans, lamb’s lettuce, winter cabbages, or collard greens. I found another helpful link. It had some of the same information, plus a few tips that were different. It also comes with links to the stuff you need to make your garden grow. Link: Learn How Easy It Is To Grow Vegetables Indoors In The Winter (theedibleterrace.com) My favorite part – his conclusions . . . 1. Start small, with lettuces, the come and cut kind. They’re easy, and they can help you learn as you grow. 2. Check with local plant nurseries. Sometimes they have classes or experts who can guide you into gardening. 3. Gardening can be tricky. Be diligent, patient, and determined, and you’ll grow as a gardener too. Good luck, and happy gardening!
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If you haven’t been in a school the last week of October for a while, you might not have heard of Red Ribbon Week. It’s been around since 1985. It started as a tribute to a DEA Agent, and now it’s the largest and longest running drug awareness and prevention program in the United States. Part 1 – Its History: This is Enrique or Kiki Camarena. He was born in Mexico, and his family immigrated to California. Kiki served as a Marine. Later he joined his local police department and did undercover narcotics work for them. Kiki joined the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) when it opened in 1977, even though his mother told him not to. He said that he was only one person, but he wanted to make a difference. Kiki’s memory still matters, and I’m glad his story hasn’t been forgotten. Kiki left work on February 7, 1985 to have lunch with his wife. He never made it. He was kidnapped by five men from one of the Mexican drug cartels. They tortured him for his DEA work. His body was found a month later. My heart hurt back then for Kiki and his family. It still does. His friends and neighbors wanted to remember him. They wanted to join his fight against illegal drugs so they started wearing red ribbons. So did parents across the country. They wanted to stop the drugs and alcohol that hurt their children. They formed groups and took up the fight. They adopted the red ribbon as a symbol of Kiki’s sacrifice, and one by one they showed that one person can make a difference. The National Family Partnership (NFP) was one of those groups, and they sponsored the first National Red Ribbon Celebration in 1988. They’re doing it again this year. I remember Kiki’s story from the 1980’s. I remember taking part in Red Ribbon Week for most of my teaching career. I don’t remember when my school started, but I’m happy they’re celebrating it again this week. Part 2 – FAF Called Me: FAF, or Families Against Fentanyl, has been calling me to write about them since the summer, but I never found the right time. This has to be it, and I think Kiki Camarena would agree. He believed that one person could make a difference, and this might be my chance. All of my illustrations are screenshots from FAF’s website: Families Against Fentanyl. This one caught my eye. Fentanyl is the #1 cause of death for anyone aged 18 to 45. That’s my three kids. All three. I thought they were safe from drugs. Maybe not. Fentanyl is so sneaky. It’s sent over the Mexican border by the same cartels Kiki fought in 1985. It can be added to other pills, to other drugs. It’s so potent that a rookie policeman died three times in a drug bust, and he only caught its smell. He didn’t swallow. Thank goodness! He lived to tell. Now those same cartels are disguising fentanyl to look like candy. My best advice with pills/candy is to buy them from the store, even if you have to pay more. Your life is priceless, and you only get one shot. That’s it. When trick-or-treating this year, go to the houses of people you know. Don’t eat anything until you’re home, and your parents can look it over. This feels like when my kids were growing up, and people were adding razors to Halloween candy. AWFUL! Back then we took our kids to places we knew, and we checked their candy, just to be sure. Some people even took it to the hospital for an x-ray. They wanted to be safe, not sorry. I absolutely agree with FAF. We can, and we must stop this. One of the best ways you can help is by signing their petition. I thought if I’m going to write this post, I should sign. I’m #41,584. Their goal is 50,000 signatures. You’re welcome to sign up too, but the decision is yours to make. When I was scanning through FAF’s homepage, I ran across this headline. It’s shocking, that a chemical added to a pill, or something that looks like candy, could be a weapon of mass destruction, but the data is there. I paraphrased this sentence from FAF so I could wrap my brain around it. This year, either 2021, or so far in 2022, drug overdose deaths reached 100,000, and fentanyl accounted for 64% of those deaths. That means 64,000 people lost their lives because someone snuck fentanyl into their pill. My children are in that age range. It’s frightening . . . so I’m writing about it. This screenshot and the next one, are from FAF’s button, ‘Take Action.’ There are four bills that are waiting for Congress to vote on. All four deal with fentanyl. After the November election, my guess is that nothing will happen until January, and then new bills will have to be proposed, again. The next screenshot (below) shows a sentence from each bill. I like H.R. 8030 best – it requires action from the Department of Homeland Security. H.Res.1172 seems weak. It urges President Biden and the Department to do something. Require sounds stronger. I’m a writer. I love strong verbs! H.Res.1327 seems weak too. It expresses the sense that the House of Representatives should do something. Expresses? I’m a require kind of writer. I like H.R.9162 because it directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to do something. I like words that show action. If this is so deadly, I don’t want to urge or express. I want it done! I’d like to think Kiki would agree. Part 3 – This Year’s Red Ribbon Week Theme: Celebrate Life – Live Drug Free My old school always found one way each day to celebrate the theme. Here are ten ways I found to have fun, to celebrate life, drug-free this week, and the rest of the year. 1. Play with toys. 2. Get outside to play. To have fun. 3. Have fun in the water. 4. Find animal friends 5. Find human friends too. 6. Play sports. 7. Spend time with family. 8. Read a book. 9. Listen and play music. 10. Get creative with art. My Sources – Click and Learn More Red Ribbon Week - Wikipedia Kiki Camarena - Wikipedia 2022 Red Ribbon Week Theme | Celebrate Life. Live Drug Free. Families Against Fentany Would you believe this post started with an email? Gwen Payne wrote to ask if she could write an article to help the parents of kids with special needs. It’s not easy to raise children, but it’s even harder when they need more from you. I said absolutely, and this is what she wrote. I hope it helps you and your kids. Making Time for Self-Care for Parents of Special Needs Kids As a parent of a child with special needs, you know just how important it is to care for their emotional health in addition to their physical health. For many parents in your position, though, it can get exhausting to constantly give care and rarely receive it. According to research, 66% of working parents experience burnout — and this figure might be even higher for parents of special needs kids. In order to be the best parent you can be, it’s imperative that you make time for self-care. This article will help you find ways to take care of yourself and prevent parental fatigue. Part 1: Recognize Your Roles Outside of Parenthood It’s easy for any special needs parent to become absorbed by their role as a caregiver and forget that they have other interests, too. This is especially true when you’re battling parental fatigue and burnout. If you suspect that you may be fatigued, consider whether you’re parenting effectively — or whether you’re satisfied with your parenting. If you don’t feel that you’re at your best, this may be an indication you’re dealing with fatigue. To combat it, consider what roles you have beyond your role as a parent. Are you a musician? Craft enthusiast? Writer? Reader? Tapping into other aspects of your identity can help you achieve a sense of balance that’s often lacking for fatigued parents of special needs kids. Making time to invest in your other interests can be challenging, though. As you pursue a self-care plan, you may find that you struggle to seek help from your support system without overburdening them. To avoid this, you should simply be straightforward in your communications and ask your friends and family to set clear boundaries. Part 2: Invest in Your Mental and Physical Wellbeing Another way to assess your level of fatigue is to consider how much physical exercise you’re getting. In many cases, a lack of exercise can contribute to fatigue — especially for special needs parents who are tasked with daily caregiving. It’s important to make time for exercise and ensure you maintain a quality diet, too, in order to prevent physical exhaustion. Of course, your physical health isn’t the only aspect of your wellbeing that necessitates care. You must also tend to your mental health in order to take care of yourself. It’s not uncommon for special needs parents to experience anxiety and depression, but an online therapy service can help combat these symptoms. You can take advantage of the convenience of virtual therapy by scheduling an online appointment. This allows you to consider a wide variety of licensed providers, eliminate the need for travel, and pay less than a traditional therapist would charge. You may even be able to take advantage of a free consultation to ensure that your new therapist is a good fit. Part 3: Don’t Get Burned Out on Caregiving Caregiving of any kind is an arduous task. When you’re taking care of your special needs child, though, it’s an especially difficult responsibility. Feeling fatigued doesn’t make you a bad parent — it simply means that you’re human. You can mitigate this fatigue by investing in self-care, eating healthily, getting enough exercise, and scheduling an online therapy session. These steps can help you regain a sense of balance that will ultimately make you a better parent. School’s out for the summer, and it’s lovely – more time for vacation and family – But it can also make it harder to get things done. If you need a little help, here are four tips from Justin Bennett. (@HealthyFit.info). I hope they’re just what you need. Having a baby or toddler makes life exciting and exhausting. However, working from home while managing your children presents an additional layer of challenges. If you are looking for ways to be successful when working remotely while taking care of your kids at the same time, follow these four tips. 1. Rely on Others Having a support system makes a huge difference when it comes to taking care of your kids while working. Your partner, family members, friends, and neighbors are all excellent resources when you need someone to watch your child. Sit down with your husband or wife and make a weekly schedule; it should note who watches your children and when. Do your best to include some child-free work time for yourself. Maybe there are a few days during the week it would be helpful for someone else to watch your child. Perhaps you need someone on standby for extra busy days. Talk to people in your support system, and see if any of them can tend to your kiddos on a regular basis or as needed. 2. Reorganize Your Processes If you are a company employee, over time you have probably gotten into the habit of doing things a certain way. Taking a step back and reevaluating your processes helps you realize there are faster options that save you time. For example, maybe your inbox is a mess, and you have simply gotten used to it being that way. Making a few teaks can make it easier to manage and track emails. Search online for articles and videos with helpful recommendations for reorganizing your inbox. If you are a freelancer, you have more flexibility with revamping your processes. Maybe you need help tracking your income. Instead of sending a generic email to customers as a bill, better track the amount and accuracy of payments using free tools. Check out this invoice maker. This allows you to create professional invoices that feature your logo and brand. Simply select from a variety of pre-built templates, and customize your invoice with your brand colors, business name, logo, and other important information. 3. Stock Up on Toys and Books Whether your kiddo is stationary, sitting, crawling, or running, having items to play with helps him or her stay busy while you work. Set up a play area in or near your office so you can monitor your child. Fill the area with kid toys, books, and games. Wash the toys on a regular basis to prevent germs from spreading. Stock up on toys without spending lots of money by shopping at thrift stores and garage sales. 4. Make To-Do Lists Many people find their lives run smoother when utilizing checklists. According to one article, 96% of those surveyed felt their lives were better when they used to-do lists. To prevent personal and professional tasks from slipping through the cracks, make a to-do list at the beginning of each day. Check items off as they are accomplished. Create other to-do lists throughout the month, such as bills or chores lists. As needed, add tasks from these indexes to your daily list. This ensures big-picture items are not overlooked and get tackled during the week. While working remotely gives you more freedom, you need to take intentional steps to make sure your job and your little ones are tended to. Following these four tips brings balance to your workday while still loving on your children. Visit Rinda Beach for more.
I spotted this on one of my Private Facebook Groups, and I saved it to share with you. It made sense to me because I’ve done all of these things, tried to quit, and found myself going back there again. Bad habits, they’re hard to break! When I went back, my source had disappeared. I did a reverse picture search and found the original site on Tiny Buddha.com. I’m glad to give them credit. 1. Trying to please everyone – Have you ever felt like this? Like everyone wants a piece of you, and you just can’t say no? You don’t have to be a doctor to feel this way. It happens to everyone, even kids. I’m a retired teacher, and I used to feel that way all the time. I had kids at home and at school who needed me, and I tried to help everyone. The result . . . I burned out. You can’t take care of everyone, if you don’t take care of yourself. Sometimes that means you have to say no to someone. Just make sure it’s not always YOU. Sometimes you need to say yes to your own needs and wants. If you’re happier, everyone around you should be happier too. 2. Fearing Change – No one likes it. Change is hard, but it’s inevitable. Everything changes. Kids do . . . they grow from babies to toddlers to high school graduates in the blink of an eye, and they’re excited about it. As a parent, I felt torn between being happy and sad. Fear needs to be handled like anything else. I look for opportunities in it. Sometimes what I fear actually makes my life easier. Look at elementary age kids – no diapers. No terrible twos. It was my favorite time with my three kids. Losing a job/failing to find a new one – those are hard changes to make. When I’m in the middle of one, I look for silver linings. I wait for them. I know they’ll come, but I have to be patient and wait them out. You can too. 3. Living in the Past – You have no choice. You can’t stay in the past. It will quickly become the present, and eventually the future. Nothing stays the same forever. I’ve been a kid, an adult, a mom, and now a grandma. Each stage had things that were wonderful, and awful. That’s life. It’s interesting that #2 fearing change, and #3 living in the past can be the same. You have to change to move into the future. For me, the trick is to minimize what’s awful. Then I look for silver linings. There are opportunities out there. Sometimes you have to look for them. Sometimes you have to work, and make them happen. 4. Putting Yourself Down – Are you harder on yourself than you are on anyone else? Me too. It’s important to be honest with yourself, but you also need to give yourself a break, the kind you give other people. I’m a recovering perfectionist. I’ve learned to forgive myself when I fall short. It’s hard. It’s easier to forgive someone else. My advice – Put yourself up. Recognize one thing you’re doing well. You have to believe in yourself to get things done. Put downs can stop your forward progress. 5. Overthinking – Do you examine every angle before you start something new? Thinking through consequences is a good thing . . . unless you freeze and can’t move forward. I overthink things, but I’ve learned to balance it by looking for problems, and then coming up with solutions. If they don’t work, I make a new plan. Life is about problem solving, not perfection. I want to enjoy both the journey, and the challenges. My Summary – I’ve given you a list of don’ts, but I’d rather finish up with things to do. 1. Please yourself. If you’re not happy, no one else will be either. 2. Examine change. Look at it closely. Does it fit you and your style? Adjust as needed. You don’t have to change, for change sake alone. 3. Live in the present. Learn from the past, and plan for the future, but enjoy the here and now. No one is guaranteed tomorrow. 4. Compliment yourself. Celebrate what you do well, and what mistakes can teach you. 5. Make a plan and test-drive it. Correct as needed. Remember detours can be a good thing. Do you have flower power? Test yourself with a few trivia questions . . . 1. Which flower follows the sun across the sky? 2. What makes them follow it? Nectar Water Sunshine Shadow And the answers are . . . 1. Sunflowers follow the sun across the sky. 2. Water helps them do it. Did you know that as young plants, sunflowers actually follow the sun during part of their day. How? Why? Because of Heliotopism. Common sunflowers who are the same age, turn their petals in unison toward the sun. Before the flower opens or is pollinated, the young plants face the sun at dawn and follow it across the sky. At sunset they turn to the east and wait for the sun to rise again. Who knew sunflowers could tell time?! Heliotropism uses special cells at the bottom of leaves and flower buds. They’re called pulvinus. Those cells have tiny motors inside them, not the kind we have in cars, but they move the flower so it can follow the sun. Water inside the pulvinus creates turgor pressure. That means those cells get either bigger, or smaller. How do they know which way to go? That depends on the pressure, and it makes the stems bend toward the sun or away from it. Wow, who knew plants could measure air pressure too?! Sources: For More Info: homeguides.sfgate.com Which flower follows the sun’s... | Trivia Answers | QuizzClub Part 2 3. Why do people plant sunflowers close to nuclear accident sites? To monitor radiation To suck it out To decorate the area To increase crop yields 4. What are sunflowers better at cleaning? Soil Water And the answers are . . . 3. Sunflowers suck the radiation out of the soil. 4. They can do it better with water. Sunflowers suck the radiation out, but how? They grow quickly so they’re known as hyper-accumulators. They need to gather lots of nutrients, and FAST! They’re not particular about what comes in, so they absorb minerals, both regular and radioactive ones. They pull the nutrients into their roots, stems, and leaves. If you travel to Chernobyl or Fukushima, both nuclear disaster sites, you’ll find fields of sunflowers growing and cleaning the dirt. Scientists studied sunflowers first at Chernobyl in the 1990s. They were surprised by how effectively they could clean water sources. Soil is trickier because radioactive elements get more time to bond with the minerals down in the dirt. Part 3 Got flower power? Test yourself with my final pair of trivia questions . . . 5. Which one of these plants do people eat? Hint . . . it belongs to the sunflower family. 6. Where does this plant come from? The Caribbean The Mediterranean The North Sea The Arabian Sea And the answers are . . . 5. The plant people eat . . . artichokes. 6. They’re from the Mediterranean. Artichokes look like thistles, but they belong to the sunflower family. They’re also perennials. That means they live at least two years. They’re hardy so their seeds go straight into the ground. They don’t need to be planted inside first. Artichokes come from the Mediterranean region, the Middle East, northwestern Africa, and the Canary Islands. People eat their stems. They also get a liquid coagulant from it that southern Europeans use to make cheese. Coagulants change liquids into solids/semi-solids. The best part about the cheese – it’s vegetarian so it comes strictly from plants. The artichoke we eat is classified as an invading species in the United States, Argentina, and Australia. That’s because it comes from somewhere else, and because it damages our own native plants. Sources: More Info: en.wikipedia.org https://quizzclub.com/games/bonus/which-of-these-plants-do-people-eat/answer/822763/ Photo: Hellabore Argutifolius: By Daderot - Self-photographed, Public Domain, ttps://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3760755 Summer’s coming! No teachers! No homework! No school rules! It’s a kid’s favorite time of year! For parents, it depends . . . on if your kids can find things to do that don’t get them, or you, in trouble. TV is an option, but there are others. Better ones. If you need some, here are 15. If you’re feeling anxious now, here’s the link for some options, AND their illustrations. Link: 15 Things You Could Achieve Tonight Instead Of Watching TV (cablecompare.com) Marci from Cablecompare.com sent me this idea a month ago. My plan – to share their link with you. Then to write about their list with my own unique retired teacher spin. My advice, ask your kids what fits them. Then let the summer flow. Do what fits your family. Change it up when needed. Then you’ll all have a better summer. Blink . . . and it will be over! Summer always goes way too fast. Reading, Writing, and Artwork (#1, 2, 5): You could do these together or separately. With my examples, don’t worry about perfection. With my 2nd graders, if they marked a word, I’d correct the spelling. If they didn’t, I’d let it go. The important thing is that your kids enjoy what they’re doing. You don’t have to do one every day, unless your child wants to. One a week is enough! Feel free to switch them up. Variety is the spice of life! Example 1 – Join a summer reading program – record your books in a journal/calendar/sheet of paper. It doesn’t matter. The journal part can be as simple as writing the title and I love this book/hate it/because. Add an illustration, and you’re done! Example 2 – You could sign up for something like Storyworth, the one you’ve seen on TV. Let your kids interview you, write it up, revise, and illustrate it with their own artwork or by selecting photos. If they’re not comfortable writing, you could do it, and let them help you revise it. They can listen to it on the computer on an ap like narrator, or they could listen to you read it out loud. They’ll hear the things they want to change, which is what you want them to do. Remember, perfection is over-rated, especially when it comes to kids. Example 3 – Write letters to a relative or a friend. If they answer, it’s a bonus. Everyone loves getting mail! Take a Walk and Get Fit (#3 & 4): If you’re walking, that’s getting fit for me. It doesn’t have to be walking around the block. Example 1 – It could be walking along a beach, through a museum or the mall, even a toy store. Getting fit doesn’t have to be calisthenics every day. Example 2 – Kids need to play whether it’s a team sport like soccer or baseball. A backyard game counts. So does an afternoon at the pool or swimming classes. I’d even count a playdate at a friend’s house. Summer is downtime for kids. School pushes them to meet standards, to pass achievement tests. They need a break, and a break that’s fun. Summer’s coming, and the biggest thing I wish for you . . . is FUN! Here are 5 more things you can do instead of watching TV. Thank you, Cablecompare.com! Link: 15 Things You Could Achieve Tonight Instead Of Watching TV (cablecompare.com) Make Dinner, Learn Something New, Family Time, & Do Chores (#6, 7, 8, 10): Would you believe you can combine these too? Here are a few ideas. Example 1 – Think cooking! Plan a meal and cook it as a family. There are lots of great skills that are new for kids, and chores to be done from setting the table to cleaning up. Example 2 – Learn something new. Look around your community. Places like libraries and YMCA’s offer classes, especially during the summer. When you’re on vacation, keep your eyes open for new things to try, like boogie boarding or hunting for seashells. When you’re finished, don’t forget to clean up and put things away. Example 3 – Clean as a family. You could pick one room, or set a time limit like an hour. Let little ones help. It makes them feel big, and they learn real life skills. When you’re done, have fun together. You earned it! Call a Friend (#9): Example 1 – How many kids miss their friends over summer vacation? This is a great way to promote social skills and to arrange playdates. Example 2 – Don’t forget your family! They love hearing from you. You can take turns, or put it on speakerphone and let the conversation flow. Here are 5 more things you can do instead of watching TV. Thank you, Cablecompare.com! Link: 15 Things You Could Achieve Tonight Instead Of Watching TV (cablecompare.com) Make Plans & Work on Them (#14 & 15): In other words, set a goal and work towards it. You could set one for yourself to accomplish by the end of the summer. You could set one as a family. Then, figure out the steps to get you there. Example 1 – If your goal is to read 10 chapter books this summer, try reading a chapter book a week. By the end of the summer you’ll have read 10 – 12 books. Example 2 – If your family goal is to take a vacation together, then you’ll need to figure out how much your family can spend, look at places to go, pick one, make reservations, pack your bags, and go. Every voyage starts with that first step! Some Ideas – Redecorate, Expand your Horizons, or Join a Club (#11, 12, 13): Example 1 – Set a goal to redecorate a room, like maybe the family room. The easiest and cheapest way is to change the paint color. Another small step is to watch yard sales and thrift shops for treasures. If you have a problem, like the toys are everywhere, look for storage. When you finish redecorating, you’ll have a brand-new room that everyone can enjoy.
Example 2 – It reminds me of #7, learn something new. Whatever you call it, look around for ideas. Maybe you want to try photography or crafts. The local library or art store might have something that will fit you or your family.If you go to the Y, look for sports or activities to join. Maybe even a club, like rock climbing. Keep your eyes open for opportunities. Give them a try. Even if you don’t like them, you’ll have tried something new. Finally, remember summertime is downtime. Don’t push so hard to set goals and achieve them, that you forget to have fun. Kids grow up. Enjoy your time together. It ends all too soon. Here’s to making the summer of 2022 the best one ever! Have you traveled on an airplane since Covid? I hadn’t, not until last week. It was an airline I’ve never flown, but it’s the worst trip I’ve ever taken. Ever! It was that bad! I was flying to Texas to see family. I had a delay, but I made it to my next flight on time. Thank goodness! But going home to Ohio . . . it was awful! Here’s the story of that flight, and what I learned. Part 1 – Delays, Cancellation, and Falling Apart: It all started with one delay. It rolled through the whole afternoon. Four hours later we finally boarded the plane. We made it out to the runway, sat there for like 15 minutes, then returned to the airport. It was so depressing. An hour later my flight was cancelled. I thought I was handling it. I read my kindle all afternoon, snacked on popcorn, and made jokes about sleeping in the airport. It all fell apart when I was waiting in line for fast food that wasn’t. When I finally got mine, there was no place to sit and eat. I was at the end of my rope, close to tears. That’s when my husband texted me some great advice. He said I should get a room for the night. I listened. I’m glad I did. The 6 or 7 hours of sleep helped me get through the next day. Would you believe it was even worse? Things I Did Right: 1. Bringing my kindle so I’d have something to do. 2. Taking a walk every hour or so. Exercise is always a good thing. 3. I listened when my husband had a better option. Things I Did Wrong: 1. I ate junk food. It was popcorn, but it didn’t fuel my body. It let me fall apart. Next time – I’ll eat a better lunch and dinner, so my body’s fueled for speed bumps. They’re all over the airport. 2. I planned to sleep there. I’m a diabetic with insulin shots and pills to take. Stress and lack of sleep will increase my blood sugar level. That’s a terrible thing for me. Next time – I’ll look for a hotel as soon as my flight is cancelled. Self-care is important when navigating an airport. Part 2 – More Delays, A Missed Flight, and A Lost Phone: The next day, well, it got even worse. It was a downhill slide that didn’t stop until I got back to Detroit at 10:00PM. It started with an early wake-up call. My alarm got me up at 5:30 so I could be at the airport by 6:00AM. I thought my flight was at 8. I wanted to make sure I had plenty of time. If you know me, you know that I’m not an early bird. My worst nightmare – waking up at 8 and missing my flight. By the time I arrived at the airport and grabbed a light breakfast, OK, Chex Mix, my flight time moved back to 10:10AM. I wished they’d told me earlier. I would have slept another 2 hours. But I thought let it go. Within 10-15 minutes, someone stopped to chat. She remembered me from the night before and asked why I was there so early. Would you believe my flight was delayed the night before, after I left the airport? My airline, whom I won’t identify, and whom I will never fly again EVER, didn’t message me. URGH! So I settled back into my kindle and waited. At 9:30 . . . nothing. At 10 . . . the flight was delayed, again. I kept reading. I tried to remain calm and focused. Thank goodness I got at least 6 hours of sleep! I also picked up some popcorn to get me through. It helped, a little. At 11:10 . . . nothing. No change, and my plane had been sitting outside since it cancelled the night before. I watched and waited. About 11:30 the airline announced we’d be leaving soon. I wondered when soon would come . . . this afternoon . . . this evening . . . maybe tomorrow?! There was another flight arriving from Dallas, departing again in the gate next door. The airline announced they’d be leaving as soon as their plane arrived, and, prepped for departure again. They also announced anyone who had early connecting flights leaving before 12 should speak to the desk. Mine left at 1:15. I knew it’d be close, but I thought I’d be safe. NOT! We finally left at 12:30 after sitting on the runway for 30 minutes. There were 4 planes ahead of us. The flight to Dallas took 1 hour and 30 minutes. TROUBLE AGAIN! My flight left without me! By the time we finally took off, I was hangry. I’d gone through worry over my next flight, plus hunger. Chex Mix and popcorn won’t keep you going when you’re stressed out. Then the airlines did it. They served first class. I was the row behind, and I got nothing. They cancelled my flight and made me pay for a hotel room, but they couldn’t give me a coke and pretzels. URGH! When they finally did, I was the last one served. Surprisingly the first-class flight attendant could take away my trash – even though she couldn’t serve me. URGH again! I did make friends with a family from 1st class. I’m not a frequent flier so I asked them what to do. They said go to the nearest gate with an airline employee. Any of them could reschedule me. The first employee sent me to gate 28. No one was there. Figures! Then I ran into my favorite flight attendant from 1st class. At least she pointed out a gate, and it had someone there. SAVED! I went over, got my flight changed, and thought I was on the road to recovery. I found my gate, then stopped to find a place to eat. I lucked out! I had the best waitress, best food . . . but that’s when disaster struck. AGAIN! I settled in with my drink, food on the way. I had time to text my husband my new flight information. The only problem . . . NO PHONE. I made myself sit still. With my heart pounding and panic gushing through me, I could barely do it once, let alone twice. After the 2nd search, my waitress came back. She asked if I was OK. I said no. That my phone was gone. It was all I could do not to cry. I didn’t have my food yet. She offered to let me go look. I thought for 2 seconds, then decided I needed to sit, to eat. It’s the best decision I’ve ever made. I needed food, badly, and I needed to gather my composure. Part 3 –The Search and My Return Home: After lunch, I began the search for my phone. First up – finding the lost and found. My waitress couldn’t help, but I remembered seeing an airline information room. I stopped by a gate along the way and asked the attendant to try my phone. It rang, but no one answered. His guess, my phone got turned into a supervisor who locked it away. My next stop, the airline information room . . . it was absolutely useless. They couldn’t help with the lost phone or with calling my husband. But at least they gave me the terminal and gate number for the lost and found. I made it to the right terminal, the right gate, but the wrong room for the lost and found. Would you believe it was next door? They hadn’t gotten in any phones all day either. I asked to make a call but wound up going next door again. Do you ever feel like you’re chasing your tail? I finally made my call. My hero made sure I gave my husband the flight number, passed me a couple tissues, and looked up the arrival time for Detroit. She brushed off my thanks, but I repeated it. Kindness means the most when your life is just plain horrible. I fought to keep back tears during the call. Afterwards I took a minute to gather myself together, to figure out what to do next. I had 2 hours before my flight. I decided to take a few minutes to backtrack to see if I could find my phone. Nothing, but walking off anxiety helped. So did a kind supervisor who checked her gates. Kindness makes everything easier. It was time to head to the gate. I was over an hour early. My flight wasn’t on the screen, so I settled in to wait, and to read. Finally about 30 minutes before my flight, the screen lit up . . . Denver. Not Detroit! I panicked! I ran to the nearest attendant for help. He said I had time, then sent me on to the right gate. I had another 30 minutes to wait. Another delay, and the gates changed on me. I was beginning to wonder if I’d ever get home. When I finally got on that last plane, I was thrilled! I was in the back row of an airbus, but I didn’t care. I was finally going home after 2 days of delays and cancellations. My husband was in Detroit, waiting on me. I got in at 10PM, then home to Wapak at midnight. My trip was finally over! The next one – I’m driving! Things I Did Right: 1. Eating a good meal, especially after I’d lost my phone. 2. Retracing my steps to find it. Exercise is good for your body and your brain. 3. Repaying kindness with a sincere thank-you. Things I Did Wrong: 1. I carried my phone in my hand when I got into Dallas. Next time – I’ll keep it in my bag. Losing things is too easy when you’re stressed out. 2. When I left the gate with my new flight, I didn’t double check to see if I’d left anything out. Next time – I’ll make sure I have everything in my bag, before I take a step in any direction. 3. Losing my phone upset me. Next time – I’ll start looking for that silver lining sooner. I got a new phone, and it’s better than my old one. Scheduling Flights: 1. I will stay away from small airports. They’re having trouble staffing their flights. Next time – If I’m flying into Hobby, I’ll take Southwest. It’s their Houston hub. Tonight, I have a Guest Writer, Justin Bennett, from Blog – Healthy Fit. He asked to write a post for me about Reset Trips. He sent me this post at the perfect time. I think we all need a reset from Covid, gas prices, and now the news from the Ukraine. Everyone loves a vacation, but a self-care reset trip provides another level of benefits. According to researchers, many travelers are looking for places to de-stress and relax. Any place you decide to go for your next vacation should have an element of soul-filling and self-care benefits. Here are five suggestions, each with something special to offer, brought to you, courtesy of author Rinda Beach. 1. Crowd-Free Vacation in Wapakoneta For some, the perfect self-care getaway is full of quiet spaces and interesting local history. Wapakoneta, Ohio, is the perfect small-town experience with plenty to do and learn. It's home to the Armstrong Air and Space Museum, known as The Moon Base, and you can stroll through the community without all the stress of crowds. If you've been thinking about living the peace of small-town life, Wapakoneta has all the charm of the midwest and isn't far from Lake Erie. If you can’t make the drive to Wapak, click on the link above, ‘The Moon Base.’ It’s the next best thing to being here. Don’t forget to take a look at the local museums where you live. It’s a great way to reset, support your local community, and save gas money! 2. Beach Vacation in the Caymans What is more relaxing than hearing the ocean waves, and where is a better beach vacation than the Caribbean? Palm Heights in the Cayman Islands is a place for culture, cuisine, and overall wellness. This beautiful resort rested on Seven Mile Beach offers spa treatments and ocean views from every room. You may never want to leave. Thankfully, that isn't a problem because the island offers a thorough guide to help you relocate to Grand Cayman. Can’t make it all the way to the Cayman Islands? Me neither, but I love looking at it online. Or, hopping in my car and driving to the nearest beach or water view. My favorite is my lake in Tennessee. I hope you can reset too. All you need is a great view. 3. Natural Spa Vacation in Mystic Hot Springs If you want to combine the relaxing elements of nature with a spa retreat, Mystic Hot Springs in Utah has everything you need. It offers bathtubs in the middle of the natural hot springs that are open 24 hours and only cost $15 per adult. It's also easy to fall in love with the town of Monroe, Utah, where the hot springs are located. If you want to stay, it's a perfect place to live for those who love to hike and ski. We don’t have natural hot springs in Ohio, but I could find one in Indiana, Illinois, or Tennessee. If you’d like to try one, try this link: Hot Springs Locator (hotspringsofamerica.com) If you have a family, I’d look for a great hotel like Great Wolf Lodge. Kids have told me about it for years. 4. Mountain Vacation in Denver Mountain vacations offer a cozy environment for rest. If you love to ski or just want to sit by the fire with a cup of hot cocoa and look at the mountains outside the window, Denver, Colorado, is the perfect place. The famous Rocky Mountains are right there in Denver's backyard. The Rockies offer year-round fun, and Denver has a vibrant art scene. If you consider moving there, you can find affordable apartments for rent in Denver CO. Scout homes and apartments for rent and filter for the number of rooms you need and the amenities you want. Don't waste your vacation taking in-person tours. Most rentals and realty companies offer 3D tours online. If you can’t make it out to Colorado, try some mountains around you. I can find them in Ohio, up north in Michigan, and down south in Kentucky, West Virginia, and Tennessee. There’s something special about being in the mountains. 5. Animal Therapy in Tucson Some of the best luxury hotels and spas offer a connection with animals. This very special kind of therapy is good for the soul. The Purple Sage Ranch at the Miraval Spa and Resort in Tucson, Arizona, offers equine experiences to help you unleash creativity and improve communication. If you need more sunshine in your life, consider relocating to Tucson. It's pretty warm in the summer, but the evenings and early mornings are perfectly brisk. It doesn't hurt to have a beautiful desert mountain view around you at all times, either. Tucson sounds wonderful! Who wouldn’t want to spend a week with horses? I might not be able to get out west, but there are animal opportunities all around us. I’ll close by thanking Justin for all of these great suggestions! I hope they inspire you to find a way to have fun. To find time to take care of yourself, and your family. Justin’s Conclusions: Everyone has a different definition of what constitutes a relaxing getaway. Sometimes a getaway isn't enough, though. Self-care should be a year-round priority. Consider what you can do to make every day as much like a vacation as possible. Are there things you’re afraid of? Me, ABSOLUTELY! Some people say fear can be a good thing – that it signals danger. Warnings about them are good things, unless they make you freeze. I have three big fears, and sometimes I see them and freeze. I don’t take action when I should. Tonight – one of my biggest fears from the 1990’s and early 2000’s – getting lost. Part 1 – Get Lost! In the 1990’s and 2000’s this was my biggest fear – getting lost. It terrified me. I felt like I was lost in a maze, without a clue to my location. People told me where I was, but it meant nothing. It just increased my frustration . . . because I was still lost. Sometimes maps help! Sometimes they don’t! Maps are great if you can find your location, then figure out where to go. But when you can’t . . . URGH! Then I feel like the second maze . . . frozen! I can’t move. Not one footstep. Sometime in the 2000’s that fear disappeared . . . Why? GPS . . . Also known as GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM. Oh My Gosh! It was a game changer! My fear vanished! Even if I messed up, GPS would always take me to the right address until . . . 3 years ago. The unexpected happened. I had a rental car with no GPS. I had my phone – so I thought I was OK. NOT! My phone went dead somewhere on the back roads of Tennessee. I was following I40 East to Knoxville when my GPS took me onto those back roads. Then it died. I recognized a few towns, but I couldn’t figure out for the life of me how to get to I75. I was in the middle of farm country. I even saw a moose laying down in a field. He was HUGE – even sitting down. I was literally 30-45 minutes away from the lake house, but I didn’t get there till 2 hours later. I tried all kinds of ways to get myself redirected. My solution . . . I stopped at a gas station for directions. It took 3 tries before I found someone who could tell me how to get to I75. The good news . . . I finally got home, but the best news . . . I no longer fear getting lost. As long as I have my phone and my mouth, I can find my way home, even if I get lost in a German school . . . That really happened. I WAS SO scared! I didn’t even know how to say lost or help in German, but it all worked out. Some kind soul took me to the teacher in charge of the sister cities program. I was found! Facing your fears and surviving them is freeing! Part 2 – Fear of Failure: I didn’t worry about school failure until middle school. It was easy for me. I was an A/B student. My first C came in 7th grade on an English worksheet. I teared up. The kids around me wondered why I was upset . . . a C was OK. By the time I got a C in high school physics (so hard), I was grateful! Sports, now that was a different ball game, and I was terrible at it! Girls started softball in 4th grade in the 60’s. I was horrible at bat, horrible in the field. I was afraid of failing everytime I tried to bat, every time I tried to catch a ball . . . there was a good reason the coach put me in left field. I only did baseball for 1 year. That was enough! Even now I just want to duck when something flies my way. Sports are not for me! This could be me when I was in college. I had a couple classes where the professor commented on my first test, my first paper. They said I’d done a great job, and that they looked forward to the next one. OMG! The FEAR of FAILURE! I never did as well on the next paper. Fear fueled the result. But once I got through it, would you believe I did better on the third, because I wasn’t worried? I could just be me and do the work. Sometimes I look like this when I’m writing. I stare into space, at my computer, at the pictures on Pixabay. I’m trying to find the words I need to write about them, but I’m frozen. I can’t move forward, and I feel like a failure. Sometimes I can force the words to come. But sometimes I have to do the braver thing – stop. Then try again later. It’s not a failure – it’s me giving my brain a rest. That’s what I did when I tried to write part 2 of this post. I kept trying to write. Then I kept changing the pictures around. Finally, I stopped! And tonight, it was easy-peasy! What’s hard for me to write? Either a brand-new story, or something about my writing business. I’ve been writing since 2007. I have enough practice to know when to force my words, and when I need to stop for a brain break. That’s how I push away those ‘F’ words – Fear and Frustration. Part 3 – Fear of the Unknown: This one has been with me as long as I can remember. New things . . . New places . . . New people . . . They’re all scary. Like crossing the road on a foggy day and hoping that you won’t get hit by a car. Have you ever scheduled a great vacation, but when it gets close, you just want to stay home? It’s easier, and you don’t have to worry about things going wrong, but, no risk – no gain. My dad was like that pre-trip, but he always went, and everything turned out fine. I still get those feelings, but I force myself past them, like dad did. Usually things work out, but when they don’t, I learn something new, and that’s always a good thing! Do you ever feel anxious when you meet new people, like the first day of school? I did . . . I always hoped I’d see a friendly face across the room. It made everything easier! In junior high, kids and classes changed every hour. That didn’t stop until I finished college. Did you know teachers feel as anxious as their students? The kids who come in the door affect the year we’ll have. Most kids are great. That’s why I taught for 33 years, and it’s why I still sub. Did a blank page ever scare you as a kid? Sometimes teachers put questions around them. Filling them in with good ideas can be hard. I never worried about those blanks until college. That’s when an essay question almost sank my boat. I knew the answer, but I couldn’t remember it. I went blank, totally! I didn’t know what to do, but the clock was ticking. I started writing. I rephrased the question, then kept going. I wrote around the answer, trying to put down everything I could think of, coherently. It worked! I answered the question, and I didn’t bomb the test! When I first started writing, I didn’t think about blank pages. Maybe because the first story I wrote happened to me. I held a bat on a mop in Germany, but I didn’t think it was enough of a story, that I was enough of a writer . . . so I added in Herman the German. He defeated three Roman legions in the year 9AD. Today it would be like the Ukranians taking out three Russian divisions. Good luck, Ukraine! I didn’t have a blank page then, but I had the beginning and an idea for the end. I just needed to figure out the middle. No Problem! I found it by thinking cause/effect. When I finished, I had something good, but I also had tons of mistakes, the kind brand-new writers make. Now that I’m a published author, I still start with the beginning and the end. They’ll change, but it’s a start. No blank page! I still use cause/effect, but I’ve learned to think in acts – three. The main character will try to solve the problem all the way through, but things get worse each time. By Act 3 and that 3rd try, the main character is ready to quit. That’s when something changes, and the story comes to a close. It sounds easy, but it’s messy. It takes work, and multiple tries, multiple critiques. But when you get it right - success is sweet! Part 4 – Four Fears I Live Without: First up . . . aging! I have never had a problem with decade birthdays like 30, 40, 50, even 60. I’m lucky . . . I’m named after my grandmother, Rinda. I knew she died young so I always felt grateful to live through each decade birthday. I never met my grandmother, but she made aging easy. I’m retired now, but I retired to a new career . . . writing. I’m enjoying every minute of my 60’s. Here’s to what the 70’s will bring! Second, I’m a diabetic, type 2. YUCK! Diabetes is an awful disease that could take away my sight. It could hurt my heart. I never wanted to have it, but it’s been a part of me since the day I was born. I found out in my 50’s. I’m lucky! I live in an age where diabetes can be controlled. Diet and exercise used to work, but it’s a hard disease to beat. You think it’s under control, and then it breaks free. Now I test myself each day. My numbers guide me on what to eat and what to skip. I also control them with medicine. I take two pills and a shot each day. They allow me to live and enjoy my life! Third, I’m a daughter of Alzheimer’s. It took my dad away from me. First his brain, then the rest of him. I always look for silver linings. When dad had to go into a nursing home, I was his Peter Pan. When he saw things that weren’t there, I played along and believed him. Everyone needs to be believed. I found another silver lining as the disease took over his body. It was hard to see him stop walking and talking, but dad didn’t know it was happening. I think it made it easier for him to leave this world behind. If dementia claims me, I’m glad there will be a few silver linings. And finally, death. Over the last 7 years my husband and I have said goodbye to our parents. It was hard, but as a Christian, I believe they’re in a better place, with the people they loved. Someday, I believe that will happen to me too. Have you noticed that fears shrink when you face them, like the bullies they are? My best advice – face your fear. Then make a plan to beat it. Test-drive that plan. If it doesn’t work, then come up with a new one. Here’s to us, facing our fears! |
AuthorWhen I write, I can only have one voice in my head, mine. A little noise is fine. But too much, or worse yet, WORDS, and I must change rooms or pull out headphones. Then I can write on! Categories
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