Actively Seeking Gratitude

Image by Tattooed JJ - very busy via Flickr

Ok, so we made a start. No more extra added salt and a daily mini-hike. So far, so good. This week I am going to take my baby steps concentrated on mental health. I just made a deal with my husband this morning to look for at least 5 situations or events during the day for which we can feel grateful, and to share them with each other each evening. This should be easy for Eugene, as he loves going to work each day, playing with his water balloons, hosting his waterwars! He always has great stories of the new and returning people that he meets and entertains there. I will have to be more conscience in my daily activities, maybe even inventing activities that will provide satisfaction and/or eventful activity. Trying out a new recipe, applying for new positions for the next season of our travels, finding a new book, looking for activities to meet new people, etc.

The second will be to attempt to take every negative situation or activity I experience and flip the glass to be half full. Like in the photo, 'better then sleeping on a sidewalk!' What lesson can I learn? Have I walked a mile in the other guys shoes? What can I do to either correct the situation, or putting in enough thought to actually determine how I will handle the situation differently next time. These are goals that cannot do anything but improve my life. Wish me luck, while I work on creating my own!

Until next time.....

Shaking Out a New Spice of Life!

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Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Definition of insanity; doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
What you do is what you get.
Wish in one hand and s___ in the other and find out which fills up the quickest.

We have all heard them. We amusingly grin, then move on to repeat the same old routine of our daily activities. When was the last time you thought twice about them, maybe even considering these simple little window openings, a call to action!

Nothing happens by accident. There is a higher purpose to everything that happens in this lifetime. Sometimes we don't understand it at the time, but somewhere down the road, it comes back to provide an insight, a lesson. If we can keep this in mind, it can take a little of the sting out of the hurt, or the false pride from the lucky, yet unearned prize.

Anything worth having is worth working for. Although I totally believe this, I have been a poor performer in putting this to work in some portions of my life. I believe love, health and happiness are worth having. Although I have worked on love and happiness, I really have avoided my own health. I
do not take care of my physical body the way I should, and it is beginning to show.

Now I am not good at making major changes all at once, at least while being able to maintain those changes long term, baby steps are more my style. So..........today I resolve...........

I will attempt to implement two small changes per week. That adds up to 104 of them per year. As water retention has been more and more bothersome lately, today I resolve to take my salt shaker off the table. (I love my salt.....), but I will pick up some Mrs. Dash seasonings when I go to the store this afternoon. I will also walk my block once a day (small circle really, but more then what I am currently walking), regardless of the weather or any other excuse I can find myself making.

That's it for now. I will decide next weeks actions, next week. I will just allow myself to feel accomplished if I stick to these two things this week. I am on a roll!!!

Until next time......

Government Health Care-VA As A Rolemodel?

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I accompanied my husband to the VA hospital in Des Moines today where he had an optometry appointment. He had also been able to schedule consecutive appointments to have a pair of diabetic shoes fit in physical therapy, and a new c-pap unit programmed specifically for him by the sleep clinic. I was incredibly impressed, as he was treated with such professionalism, by caring individuals who were empathetic, thorough and extremely knowledgable within their fields. He arrived exactly on time for each appointment and was seen immediately. Each practicianer took the time to review his records online and confer with him regarding the history that applied to the area he was being treated for. He was given detailed explanations on what procedures were being implemented and why, as well as how to utilize the various supplies and equipment that he was being issued.

I was equally impressed by a partial conversation I overheard by an orderly with the supply clerk, and although I did not catch the details, I heard the orderly question the clerk on whether something or the other was not a waste of resources. The clerk replied that it was something that should be brought up in their next staff meeting.

I wondered if this same careful evaluation of resourse management was taken by other medical facilities, somehow doubting it. Maybe, just maybe...our government knows enough about finding the right people to run an efficient and effective health care system after all!

Until next time......

My List

Image by Grantsviews via Flickr

Three beautiful children, and their families
Three great step children, and their families
A husband of 21 years who's young at heart
My Mother, Father and Sisters
My Grandmother who's over 100 years old
My large pool of Aunts, Uncles and Cousins
My Nieces and Nephews
My friends in Minnesota
My friends in Georgia
My friends in Iowa
My friends on Facebook
An exciting lifestyle of travel and workamping
Sunrises and sunsets
My new home on wheels
An absolutely beautiful sunny day
The gift of laughter
A full refrigerator
A full gas tank
A smile on the face of a child
My sight
My hearing
My smell
My feeling
My taste
My intuition
My unique ability to adapt
My intellect
Hot and Cold running water
A private shower
Ice Cubes
...............never mind me, I'm just counting my blessings for the next time I'm feeling sorry for myself.............
A comfortable bed
A community of like-minded neighbors
My spirituality
Having enough to share
Potlucks
Green grass and blue skies
Animals
Trees for shade
Real mayonnaise
Strawberries
Cream Cheese
My garden
My firepit
My computer
Books
etc....
etc...
etc..
etc.


Until next time.....

Therapeutic Relaxation

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This blogging has actually become quite fun! It is kind of like thinking out loud. I feel like I have found a great outlet for all of my passions, frustrations and ideas alike, only wish I could have found it long ago.

I am somewhat of a soloist with my thoughts, sometimes feeling like I have come up with a really original idea, or a very unique way of looking at a situation in my life, but not really sure with whom I should share it. Now I just share it with my blog. How therapeutically relaxing it has become. All I need to do is to write it out, and whether someone else agrees or not is no longer an important part of sharing it to me. If someone else can align themselves or something in their lives with my thought process, I am glad that they got something out of it, but it is basically for clearing my own mind.

I find myself stockpiling different ideas that I come across in everyday life to share with my blog. I feel like I have found a new best friend! It listens intensely, remembers from post to post and never judges. It only shares my secrets with those I choose to share them with and never talks behind my back. The best part is that it doesn't even charge me for clinic visits!

Until next time......

My Find is Hubby's Delight!

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After finding a beautiful new good quality electric fry pan at a garage sale yesterday, I bought it for $5.00, brought it home and couldn't wait to try it out. But what to make...........hummmm! As I checked out the refrigerator I found some thawed chicken breasts, some left over broccoli and a bag of shredded parmesan cheese that needed to be used up. So I started in!

I breaded my chicken breasts with cracker crumbs and fried them up in a little olive oil. I removed them, added a little butter, onion, garlic and the chopped up broccoli. Then I deglazed the pan with a little white wine that was just sitting there, and after cooking it down a bit, added a can of chicken broth. Now this whole time, I am checking out the fridge for other throw ins. I debated about adding the cream of chicken soup, but decided to use up the half and half instead. Then I mixed in the parmesan cheese.

I sliced up some left over ham and added a slice over each chicken breast and a slice of swiss cheese over that, then added them back to my sauce, covered the pan and set it on simmer. As this cooked, I realized I was going to have a lot of left over sauce, so I found a half box of shell macaroni in the cupboard and boiled it off. When the chicken and sauce were just about done, I added a can of flaky biscuits around the edges of the pan, sprinkled them with some grated parm, put the cover back on and continued cooking for 10 more minutes.

After removing the chicken and biscuits, I combined the macaroni with the sauce and we ended up with a fabulous "Chicken Cordon Bleu ala Broccoli Pasta Alfredo" dinner with only two pans to clean up! This one was too good NOT to share! Bon Appetite!

Until next time.......

God has Blessed America

Image by ohad* via Flickr

Tomorrow is the 4th of July! As I am able to watch the fireworks from the windows of my home, I have to be extremely grateful that the good Lord blessed me with my birth within this country at this time in history.

Even with the problems we are experiencing with our national economy, we are still the luckiest people on this earth. I believe that too often, our rich and fruitful homeland is too frequently undervalued by her own people. Not only do we have a vast choice in the type of climate and typography where we choose to set up a domicile, our food choices are plentiful, we have a great medical community and we have plenty of people who choose to share via hundreds of charitable means that help others in greater need. Our educational opportunities are outstanding for anyone choosing to seek them out. And our wonderfully brave children, spouses, sisters and brothers are fighting overseas at this very moment to attempt to not only preserve our great way of life, but to provide for others the opportunity to enjoy the same freedoms and blessings that we sometimes so callously take for granted.

Could you possibly imagine being the child of a third world county, where drought and famine dictate how you lived your life, in total survival mode?

God has blessed America, may we remember to give Him thanks!

Until next time........