Summer Time

This has been a pretty good summer for us in the Northwest. Lots of days with plenty of sun. Many farmers are having record yields from their crops. It is wonderful to have such an abundance of food. Even backyard gardens are doing extremely well. Flowers and bushes are in full bloom and so very beautiful! There is a lot of give and take when the weather is like this.  There is a small problem though. Water. We haven't had much rain in southwest washington. When I look at Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Hood, I see a lot of the mountains and not much snow at all. That won't be good for the water tables.

But we don't have nearly the problems that California has. I was looking at some pictures of lakes in California and it makes me so sad. You can copy and paste this site I found on facebook.  http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/08/21/1323549/-Shocking-photos-This-is-what-drought-looks-like   

 Have a picnic, go for a boat ride, take the kids swimming.  Enjoy your summer.

Help yourself to good health

Good day to you all. I have been talking with some friends about different health concerns and how they are handling them. I will be having knee replacement surgery some time this fall and after discussing this with friends who have already gone through the procedure, I am satisfied that it will be in my best interest to have this done. I am happy to hear that once the surgery is done, there won't be any more joint pain. Wow. Imagine that. I could actually walk without a lot of pain and bone on bone grinding that I have now. So I will have the left knee done this year, and the right one next year. 

I have also started going to acupuncture once a week again. Being diabetic, I have neuropathy and it drives me crazy. Or at least it did until I had a couple of treatments. I had gone to acupuncture a few years ago to help with my arthritis and it turned out very well for me. So this time, we will work on my hands and feet. One of my friends is having some treatments done for cancer in the hip and she is amazed at how well she is doing. Her regular doctors said they could do nothing more for her. So, she talked to some of her friends about acupuncture and has been going for weekly treatments. I am very happy for her. She is not cured of cancer but her quality of life has improved immensely. 

The medical plan I have allows me to use acupuncture and even a chiropractor if I need it. There is a College of Oriental Medicine in Portland and I go there for my treatments. It is very inexpensive and the people are great!  They also have a section for herbal care. For people who need that little extra, this is an added bonus.

Now with the marijuana law passed in Washington and Colorado, there are all sorts of articles on the internet about cures for various ailments. If you wade through the chaff you can find some good articles that may help you or someone you know. Be smart, do your homework, and find what will work for you.  I wish you all good health.

     

It's been a while. Lets discuss cures for disease. One disease in particular.

It has really been a while since I wrote on this blog. Shame on me! Everything that follows here is IN MY OPINION. It is NOT a proven scientific fact, or any such thing. Just me talking about something I have noticed and some cures that I believe could be possible.

I am talking about Cancer and the various cures for it. I have lost many family members and friends to this wicked disease. I also have friends who are going through the process now. There is the standard "cure" to try, chemo and radiation. Phoey! and Double Phoey!
 
I see reports of new found "cures" for cancer every day. Just open a newspaper or read online about this. Occasionally a report is published after lots of investigation and research. I read today about whether or not cancer is a Fungus. This article, having got my attention also asked the question: "Is it curable with baking soda?" Now I like to think that researchers, doctors and anyone else involved is trying hard to find a cure for Cancer. Also in the news are various articles which talk about different new findings for a cure. Just google "cure for cancer". There are About 59,900,000 results just from that one search. I could spend months doing this research. I even read about marijuana as a cure from the American Cancer Society website. 

Without getting in deeper for now, let me just ask some questions. 

What you think about cancer and the various cures that are popping up all over?

Why do you think clinics like "Cancer Treatment Centers of America" have such a good cure rate?
 
Have you read the articles about various cures?

Would you rather not think about it?

I have a list of websites that I have read. I would love to hear your opinion.

Thank you.





   

Change

I see it all the time. On the news, in real life, on the internet. People are beginning to change. They are getting more involved in their communities, in politics and in daily life. Here in Washington state, we are voting on a bill to force GMO labeling so consumers know what they are buying. Just check the local news for stories about this subject. People are no longer satisfied to sit back and not get involved. 

More and more I see where volunteers are doing things like cleaning up vacant lots, or helping to get people out of flooded areas. I also see where folks are doing small things like keeping leaves out of the drains so the streets don't flood. In our area, I saw recently that there were no openings for volunteers at the local animal shelter. Wonderful! People Pay It Forward all the time. That is a wonderful feeling. I enjoy reading about how someone paid for another person's lunch or bought their groceries. I have done my share of the PIF movement. I always carry some extra cash with me just in case I find someone in need.

Another type of change I notice is the weather. This week here in the northwest, we are breaking records for the amount of rainfall that we have gotten recently. The closest statistics concerning the amount of rainfall we have had for the month of September goes back to 1889. Wow. We are used to rain here in the northwest but not like it has been lately. And just look at what happened in Colorado. Oh my goodness. The devastation there is amazing. All over the country the weather is changing and not so much for the better. I am afraid this winter will be bad for many areas of the country. 

I just shake my head in reference to cars. Oh my goodness. I remember when you could open the hood and actually see the engine. You could change your own oil, or give the car a tune up. Now that is pretty much a thing of the past. Have you looked under the hood of new cars? I did once on my 1995 Neon. I wanted to see what was there. Ha! You couldn't put a piece of paper between anything in that engine compartment. Everything was jammed in and there was no room for anything. That was the first and last time I looked under the hood. Thank goodness for AAA.

And of course there is the change that comes with old age. I for one am amazed that so much can change the older I get. Eat a cinnamon roll? Oh I wish. For some reason the cinnamon no longer agrees with me. Go for long walks like I used to or maybe spend the day shopping? Again, not a chance. I have learned to do things in a different way. I have to pace myself more and slow down. I now know how difficult it is to do anything with arthritis. When you are determined, you can change the way you do something or change your attitude about it. It warms my heart when someone opens a door for me so I can ride my scooter in to the store. People ask if they can reach an item for me on the top shelf at the grocery store. Twenty years ago it was rare that someone would offer to help a handicap person, but not anymore. I bless each and every one of you!     

Isn't it amazing that one simple six lettered word can make such a difference in the world? I for one am thankful for the changes I am seeing now. What kinds of change have you noticed? It is something to stop and think about.

Notice Your Surroundings

We have noticed lately there are a lot of people in our corner of the northwest who are polite, smiling and offering to help should help be needed by anyone. Since I use a mobility scooter to get around, my partner has to load/unload it from our van. More and more, people who are passing by will ask if we need any help. As a recent example, a man passing in his car stopped and asked if we needed help. When I am shopping in a store and can't quite reach something, someone will ofter to help me. We may even spend a minute talking.

I find it heartwarming that so many people are becoming aware of others around them. Not too long ago, people wouldn't pay any attention to their surroundings. They went through life not making eye contact with anyone and they didn't smile. It may be that if two people happened to make eye contact, they would have to either smile, or make some sort of conversation. Oh no! That could not be allowed it seems. But now, I notice people are not so afraid to look up and see another person. They may even nod politely or smile. When I ride around in my scooter, I smile and say Hi to everyone and most of the time they smile back. Children are especially curious about my ride. I am happy to explain why I ride it. Their parents smile and are glad that I would take time to talk to the children. It always makes me smile when a child will ask about my scooter. There is no embarrassment from a child, only curiosity.  

These little interactions between humans is a very natural part of living. Pay It Forward is one way people are interacting more. I see it quite often now. We try to Pay It Forward when we can and find that by doing so, we feel better about life in general. Helping another person in some small way helps make the world a bit better.  How do you deal with day to day interactions with others?           

Nature and my garden

I am eagerly waiting for the last frost to finish up here in the northwest so I can plant my garden. I am so excited because I have not been able to plant a garden for such a long time. It is going to be small but grown in my own yard with no chemicals. I will lovingly care for it and watch as the seeds and tiny plants grow and reach for the sun. There is nothing like picking a tomato right off the vine and biting into it. The flavor of the flesh warmed by the sun is a pleasure I have missed. When I was young, I would sneek out to the garden with my salt shaker and eat a tomato right in the garden. And sometimes I would sneak in a few peas too. More than once my mom would find me sitting in the dirt between rows with tomato juice dripping off my chin. 

People everywhere are discovering that home grown vegetables are great and really pretty easy to grow. And you can plant a garden almost anywhere you can find space. It seems to be the latest thing in cities around the country. For example, people in California where looking for something to do in Los Angeles. They call it "Guerrilla Gardening". Check out these websites: http://www.laguerrillagardening.org/, and http://dpw.lacounty.gov/epd/sg/. There are so many web sites that will help you get started. Even if you only plant a few tomatoes or beans, you will find that growing your own food is satisfying and the flavor beyond anything you can buy in a store. 

Give it a try. Don't have a yard? Try growing something in a flower pot on your patio or porch. There is a great satisfaction of watching a seed grow that you have planted yourself. 

Working and Retirement

I am still having a difficult time adjusting to retirement. I have a bit of anxiety when I think I have to get to work. I don't want to be late. Then it hits me, I don't have to go back to work. I worked for over 45 years and now it is time for me to rest. But I can't, I say to myself. And the argument starts. lol

So I have my crafts to keep me busy along with a wonderful man and two adorable kitties to love and care for.  I have a craft room where I have all my lovely items that I use for various creations. I make greeting cards, ATC's, journaling, and my favorite Polymer Clay. I haven't done clay work for a while. I thing my muse went on strike. I couldn't come up with anything new. I don't like to copy others and I just couldn't come up with anything. Recently my muse came back and I am beginning to get my clay together and drawing out plans for my new ventures. Soon I will be posting some new items in my Etsy shop.

This summer I will have a garden. I am excited about it. I want lots of tomato plants for sure. And of course carrots, lettuce and other things. Zucchini, red peppers, cukes and the list goes on. It won't be a big garden but a little of this and a little of that. In a couple of weeks we will get some manure to amend the soil and get the garden all tilled and ready. I can't wait to wear my garden hat and get busy!

So, that is what I am doing to keep myself from worrying about not working. It is so difficult to change a lifetime routine.