Now that life has returned to normal after being gone on Thanksgiving break, I have some wonderful news. My husband and I have been looking at houses and have not only found a gem, but we are closing in a week! I am so excited to be moving to a larger house that is not on a dirt road. We have already had to replace the struts on my car because of the road conditions.
With my surgery and Christmas on the horizon, things will not be normal for long. Thursday is my pre-op so that means traveling a couple hours to Augusta. Today I have a phone conference with my anesthesiologist so luckily that means one less trip!
I pray that you will stay with me, reader, even though I have not produced any interesting posts lately. Practice patience and understanding as my life goes through major changes.
Showing posts with label stress. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stress. Show all posts
Monday, December 2, 2013
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Being sick
As much as I love this time of year, I absolutely despise the pollen. This weekend I have had a bad case of the sniffles and is now carrying through into my work week.
When you are sick, people love to give you their sure-fire home remedies that have worked for generations, so that must mean it's gonna work for you too! Well, that isn't always true. I have yet to run in to a suggested remedy that has actually worked. Some have included:
When you are sick, people love to give you their sure-fire home remedies that have worked for generations, so that must mean it's gonna work for you too! Well, that isn't always true. I have yet to run in to a suggested remedy that has actually worked. Some have included:
- gargling with warm salt water
- taking a tablespoon of vinegar mixed with honey
- apple cider vinegar shots (NOT suggested if you have never taken ACV before!)
- vapor rub on the bottom of your feet
All of these are great for somebody out there, but they have never given me any relief that lasts more than a few minutes. My favorite thing to do is drink a cup of green tea with honey while sitting under a pile of blankets.
Some extreme remedies I have read involve some sort of alcohol. I am opposed to the use of it, even if it is taking it or dying (my convictions are very strong about it). Another extreme cure I couldn't do is to eat a raw onion. If there is a recipe that involves onions, I give it to my husband to chop. I can rarely cut an onion without looking like my mom after reading a Nicholas Sparks book.
Word of warning when offering advice to a sick person: unless you are a doctor and can back up your claim with medical research, your remedy will not always work the same on someone else as it does for you.
Monday, October 7, 2013
Noises
This world is full of a lot of noise from people. Noise from their opinions on how you should live your life. Noise of complaints about how hard their life is and your life isn't important. Nose saying how you should dress, look, act, and think.
In the midst of all the noise in my life, I have somehow found a much quieter place where I can go to think. In that quiet place I can only hear the sounds of nature. Wind whispering through the leaves. The water of the pond coming alive with birds and amphibians. The sound of a family of hummingbirds flitting back and forth between flowers.
This is a place at my parents' house where I could go and think.Their entire pasture was my walking/horse riding trail where I could escape the noise.
The noise of nature is much more appealing. It is this kind of noise that helps wash away all the negative noise of others around me. The sensation is similar to taking a warm shower when you have been soaked by cold rain.
The noises we have in our life come in all volumes and pitches. It can be a loud, deep pitch that blocks out all other noises, or a quieter, high pitch that annoys you. Among all the noises in my life right now, I am beginning to find ways to silence those noises.
There are many ways to deal with noise. You can confront whatever is making the noise and silence the source. For example, if a noise is consonantly making you feel bad, you can tell the noise how you feel. The noise could even change its tune and be a positive noise.
However, if a noise is hurtful and you have tried to confront the noise, you may have to not be around that noise. So far, I have found that removing yourself from a noisy situation is one of the best ways to get rid of noise. I have one noise in particular that always makes me feel miserable and less than who I really am. My way of dealing? I stay away from that noise. When you can't hear the noise, it no longer has effect on you.
Not all noises are bad. My quiet place is full of noise, but it is noise that doesn't bombard me. Cling to the noise that you want to listen to. I give this advice with caution, though. Sometimes noise we think is good noise is actually a harmful noise in disguise. Do not seek constant flattery, but instead seek a healthy range of noises. I know one person who has proclaimed that they will only have positive noises in their life. The harm: sometimes we need a sharp noise to keep us in check. If our pride gets to big, we need a noise to remind us that life isn't just about us. If we get into things we shouldn't, we need a voice to remind us that we are better than that. At the same time, if we get down, we need a voice that will lift us up. It is all about having balance.
My challenge, reader, is to evaluate the voices in your life. See if there are some you can let go. See if there are some noises you need to thank for keeping you in check. See if you need a specific noise to enrich your life. Who knows, maybe you could be the noise someone else needs to complete their life.
In the midst of all the noise in my life, I have somehow found a much quieter place where I can go to think. In that quiet place I can only hear the sounds of nature. Wind whispering through the leaves. The water of the pond coming alive with birds and amphibians. The sound of a family of hummingbirds flitting back and forth between flowers.
This is a place at my parents' house where I could go and think.Their entire pasture was my walking/horse riding trail where I could escape the noise.
The noise of nature is much more appealing. It is this kind of noise that helps wash away all the negative noise of others around me. The sensation is similar to taking a warm shower when you have been soaked by cold rain.
The noises we have in our life come in all volumes and pitches. It can be a loud, deep pitch that blocks out all other noises, or a quieter, high pitch that annoys you. Among all the noises in my life right now, I am beginning to find ways to silence those noises.
There are many ways to deal with noise. You can confront whatever is making the noise and silence the source. For example, if a noise is consonantly making you feel bad, you can tell the noise how you feel. The noise could even change its tune and be a positive noise.
However, if a noise is hurtful and you have tried to confront the noise, you may have to not be around that noise. So far, I have found that removing yourself from a noisy situation is one of the best ways to get rid of noise. I have one noise in particular that always makes me feel miserable and less than who I really am. My way of dealing? I stay away from that noise. When you can't hear the noise, it no longer has effect on you.
Not all noises are bad. My quiet place is full of noise, but it is noise that doesn't bombard me. Cling to the noise that you want to listen to. I give this advice with caution, though. Sometimes noise we think is good noise is actually a harmful noise in disguise. Do not seek constant flattery, but instead seek a healthy range of noises. I know one person who has proclaimed that they will only have positive noises in their life. The harm: sometimes we need a sharp noise to keep us in check. If our pride gets to big, we need a noise to remind us that life isn't just about us. If we get into things we shouldn't, we need a voice to remind us that we are better than that. At the same time, if we get down, we need a voice that will lift us up. It is all about having balance.
My challenge, reader, is to evaluate the voices in your life. See if there are some you can let go. See if there are some noises you need to thank for keeping you in check. See if you need a specific noise to enrich your life. Who knows, maybe you could be the noise someone else needs to complete their life.
Monday, September 16, 2013
Some of my favorite thigns
To start off, all images and videos on this post belong to me. Please do not pirate these images or videos.
As I am just now finding my way in the world of adulthood, I was searching for a hobby. In my teen years I was a avid horse rider. I still have my beautiful black Thoroughbred and love him dearly, but my health will not allow me to ride him like I want to. These pictures are compiled from our years together:
Cobalt will be 13 this October. I have owned him since he was five and I see him as my child because I have taught him everything. I have owned two horses before him: Judd, an Appaloosa who was the best horse a young rider could ask for, and Robin (my first), a pinto/paint who I owned for four months before he had to be put down due to a broken leg.
After my first surgery I couldn't ride for a year. It killed me to watch him stand at the gate and look for me. When I was able to walk again I would pet him and bring him treats. He knew something was wrong with me since I didn't ride him and I wouldn't come in the pasture. One time after a visit he began running along the fence and didn't stop till I came back to him. At my family's farm we have an old bell by the gate, and Cobalt evidently knew how to ring it. He once rang it while I walked by as a way of saying "Um excuse me, you need to pet me!" I laughed so hard at this!
The greatest memory I have with Cobalt is the summer I was seventeen. I had ridden him to my grandparents (the next farm over) and had let him loose in their goat pasture. He immediately rolled in the soft grass. I stood by and watched him enjoying himself. He knew I was there and didn't get back up so I decided to do something a little dangerous. I walked over and sat down beside him near his head. I started petting him and he laid his head in my lap. Those few moments were the highlight of my horseback riding career.
Now that I am married and out of my parent's house I do not get to ride Cobalt like I wish. However, I am very thankful for my neighbors that allow me to ride their Quarter horses on the days that I feel well enough. God has blessed me to continue the Southern lifestyle even though I no longer live on a farm.
As stated in my previous post I cannot exercise like normal, therefore I have to find an alternative for stress relief. During my first semester of student teaching this attributed to a lot of my weight gain and depression. I had no free time to do anything because of the bidding of my teacher and my college assignments. My second semester was much better and I could enjoy life because of the angel of a teacher I had, even though the workload was about the same.
Over the summer, I realized that I could paint. A friend of mine who owns a secondhand store gave me a copious amount of acrylic paint and brushes since no one had purchased them. They had belonged to her son, who worked for a designer in New York last year (so jealous, Blake!). They had sat in my closet for months and I decided to give them a try.
Walmart is my store of choice for anything because they have everything! I purchased a set of canvas and went to work. My first piece was a gift to my sister for her bedroom... that was once my room. Next, I did a painting for my dad to hang in his office. In addition to owning a goat farm and being a county commissioner, he is a pastor. He has pastored the same church for over 14 years. It is the church I got married in and is now the church whose school I work at. I wanted to do something to remind him to always stay strong and to never lose heart.
As I am just now finding my way in the world of adulthood, I was searching for a hobby. In my teen years I was a avid horse rider. I still have my beautiful black Thoroughbred and love him dearly, but my health will not allow me to ride him like I want to. These pictures are compiled from our years together:
Cobalt will be 13 this October. I have owned him since he was five and I see him as my child because I have taught him everything. I have owned two horses before him: Judd, an Appaloosa who was the best horse a young rider could ask for, and Robin (my first), a pinto/paint who I owned for four months before he had to be put down due to a broken leg.
After my first surgery I couldn't ride for a year. It killed me to watch him stand at the gate and look for me. When I was able to walk again I would pet him and bring him treats. He knew something was wrong with me since I didn't ride him and I wouldn't come in the pasture. One time after a visit he began running along the fence and didn't stop till I came back to him. At my family's farm we have an old bell by the gate, and Cobalt evidently knew how to ring it. He once rang it while I walked by as a way of saying "Um excuse me, you need to pet me!" I laughed so hard at this!
The greatest memory I have with Cobalt is the summer I was seventeen. I had ridden him to my grandparents (the next farm over) and had let him loose in their goat pasture. He immediately rolled in the soft grass. I stood by and watched him enjoying himself. He knew I was there and didn't get back up so I decided to do something a little dangerous. I walked over and sat down beside him near his head. I started petting him and he laid his head in my lap. Those few moments were the highlight of my horseback riding career.
Now that I am married and out of my parent's house I do not get to ride Cobalt like I wish. However, I am very thankful for my neighbors that allow me to ride their Quarter horses on the days that I feel well enough. God has blessed me to continue the Southern lifestyle even though I no longer live on a farm.
As stated in my previous post I cannot exercise like normal, therefore I have to find an alternative for stress relief. During my first semester of student teaching this attributed to a lot of my weight gain and depression. I had no free time to do anything because of the bidding of my teacher and my college assignments. My second semester was much better and I could enjoy life because of the angel of a teacher I had, even though the workload was about the same.
Over the summer, I realized that I could paint. A friend of mine who owns a secondhand store gave me a copious amount of acrylic paint and brushes since no one had purchased them. They had belonged to her son, who worked for a designer in New York last year (so jealous, Blake!). They had sat in my closet for months and I decided to give them a try.
Walmart is my store of choice for anything because they have everything! I purchased a set of canvas and went to work. My first piece was a gift to my sister for her bedroom... that was once my room. Next, I did a painting for my dad to hang in his office. In addition to owning a goat farm and being a county commissioner, he is a pastor. He has pastored the same church for over 14 years. It is the church I got married in and is now the church whose school I work at. I wanted to do something to remind him to always stay strong and to never lose heart.
The verse is taken from Jeremiah 20:9
I was beyond proud of this and I still consider it my crowning achievement! It is visible from the hallway of the church as you are exiting the building. I smile every time I see it.
My next work was an ocean scene for my living room and a landscape for my bedroom. I will have pictures soon. Afterwards, a friend of mine asked for a beach scene. Here was her painting:
The chair was the best part because I had never done one before. I love creating landscapes. The majority of my pictures are of landscapes taken around my parent's farm and from our vacations.
In high school I drew fairies. I have always loved them and as an artist, I am obsessed with their wings!
This is a drawing from when I was in middle school. One unique fact about my art is that I have never taken a lesson. Like many of the things I do it comes naturally. Piano is another one of those God given talents. Here is a video recording of an impromptu piece via Youtube:
One thing I love about impromptu piano playing is that it is completely me. There is no sheet music to reproduce on the piano. It is simply me bearing my soul in musical form. I encourage all of my readers to find a talent they can share with others, as I have done with my art and music. Whether your talent is dancing, crafting, baking, or simply being a good friend I hope that you will use your gift to uplift others.
~*Beth*~
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