Caregiving Sucks

 My “Survive Caregiver Burnout” . . . 

?Guide?

PRAY! Thank God for HIS many Blessings. Ask for HIS guidance on this care giving journey.

Go places . . . in my head or even online . . . that I would love to visit. Day dream for a few minutes, then come back to reality.

Leave the house (if possible) for at least 15 minutes EVERY DAY. If you can, stay away longer. JUST DO IT!

Set aside time to “do nothing”. This is time just for me.

Go for a walk, even in the rain, even if it’s simply around your cul-de-sac, just to get out of the house for a few minutes. It’s always refreshing just getting out of the house.

Sit on the front porch, on the patio, on the deck, or in the back yard…ALONE. Prop up on the bed in my room with the door closed. Sit in the back storage room, Mom’s not allowed in there.

Go sit quietly at the park. Or walk around the park. It’s refreshing just to be outside.

Read Inspirational Quotes, Poetry, Stories.

Listen to some favorite good-mood music.

PRAY! Be thankful for blessings large and small. 

Drive to the nearest Sonic Drive-in. Park under the canopy and place an order. Order a slush, a coke float, a hamburger, anything. Let someone “wait on you” for a change.  Merely being out of the house is invigorating.  .  

Stay in touch with friends and family. Try not to stay isolated too long. Contact someone every couple of weeks, or at least once a month. Just say hi and chat for a short while.

Do Mindfulness exercises like yoga, meditation and journaling, they can be soothing.

Online Puzzles, Games, and applications are good for emotional health.

Visit AgingCare.com online – Interact with others. It is great for interacting with people who are very supportive.

PRAY!   

Release Negativity

 3 Simple Steps to Renew Etc.

Here are 3 Simple Steps to Take to Renew, Revitalize, and Release Negative Thoughts, Behaviors, and Patterns:

First, think about a particularly challenging situation in your life. This could be related to family issues, professional struggles, or even a habit you’d like to change. 

Second, write it down. 

Third, try this exercise to release the negative charge of this issue, struggle or habit: 

Evoke a positive thought that you’ve never had before about the person or the situation. Choose something positive and true about them. For example, let’s say your boss drives you completely crazy! See if you can find one positive quality about him or her. 

Attach a positive emotion to that quality and focus this emotion towards the person or situation. Let’s say you have a difficult relationship with someone in your family.

Think about one positive quality about this person. How does this positive quality make you feel? Send this positive feeling and energy to this family member.

Exhibit a behavior you wish to see in this person. This is your chance to be the role model to a family member, a boss, a friend or even your child.

If you can practice these 3 simple steps, your mindset about the situation or the person will change. This challenge will no longer define your life and your experience with this person or situation will begin to shift. 

What are your thoughts on this topic? Have you ever experienced a negative situation? Have you ever been in contact with a negative person or persons? How did you handle it? Let us know in the comments section. We’d love to have your feedback.

Cell Phone DOs & DON’Ts

Some Things To Do & Some NOT To Do

A few years ago my cell phone started acting up. I could barely finish sending a text and the battery would be drained over half way. The same thing happened with regular phone calls. I could only make or receive two or three calls and the phone would beep for low battery.

I had to plug the thing in, off and on about a hundred times a day just to be able to talk on it. I completely gave up trying to text after a couple of weeks. There was so much life stuff going on, I didn’t have time to take it to the shop to have it checked out.

Finally, I did take it to my service provider and explained the problem to the salesman. He gave the phone a good going over and found nothing wrong with the phone itself.

He did find my problem to be a bad battery. He said the battery is supposed to be flat and mine was puffed, probably from too much heat. I DO keep the danged thing in my pocket all day long . . . just in case loved ones try to reach me during the day.

After several questions, the young man told me the following 3 things.

1.Don’t keep your cell phone plugged in charging all night long. It only takes an hour or two to charge.

2. Do Charge it “only” when it registers way down past half way full. Once it is fully charged, unplug it.

3. Don’t keep your cell phone in your pocket all day long. Your body heat will damage your battery.

So there you have it, some things to DO and NOT-to-DO with your cell phone.

Did you know about these DOs & DON’TS already? Have you ever had a problem with your cell phone battery? What did you do?

Click Image #1 to view source 

101 Things To Do Instead of . . .

Being Depressed, Stressed, or Alone

Doing Drugs or Drinking

Golden Time of Day - Sunset 

Watch a beautiful sunset ~ Watch a happy video ~ Smell a flower ~ Draw a picture ~ Take a bubble bath ~ Look at old photos ~ Listen to music ~ Create something new ~ Go to the zoo ~ Learn something new ~ Read a good book ~ Collect something, rocks, seashells, stamps ~ Learn the names of the stars and planets ~ Get together/ZOOM with friends ~ Play games ~ Enjoy a hobby ~ Play a sport ~ Smile ~ Make someone else smile ~

Jace smiling @ Herman Park

~Finish what you start ~ Solve a riddle ~ Jump rope ~ Gather seashells ~ Whistle a tune ~ Feed old bread crumbs to birds ~ Read a poem ~ Fly a kite ~ Do a favor ~ Surprise someone ~ Play catch ~ Join a club ~ Sing ~ Give a hug ~ Get a hug ~ Talk to friends ~ Wish on a star ~ Run through a sprinkler ~ Go camping ~ Do a jigsaw puzzle ~ Memorize a song ~ Help a friend in need ~ Build a sand castle ~ Find a home for a stray animal ~ Do good deeds ~ Have lemonade on a hot day ~ Blow bubbles ~ Dance ~ Exercise ~ Climb a tree ~ Run through a field of wild flowers ~ Volunteer ~ Tickle a baby's tummy ~ Play with your pet ~ Cheer someone up ~ Roll in the grass ~ Snuggle a stuffed animal ~ Swing on a swing ~ Eat ice cream ~ Walk barefoot in the sand ~ ~ Wade in the ocean ~

Jace wading in Galveston Bay

~Play with a little kid ~ Do Cartwheels ~ Go bird watching ~ Give a gift ~ Play some hoops ~ Kiss a parent ~ Learn how to juggle ~ Watch the clouds ~ Start a garden ~ Learn a language ~ Play an instrument ~ Go fishing ~ Make a gift ~ Hike ~ Set your goals ~ Phone a friend ~ Have a picnic ~ Think happy thoughts ~ Ride a bike ~ Write to friends ~ Do your best ~ Count your blessings ~ Make a poster ~ Make someone laugh ~ Improve your score ~ Listen to birds ~ Learn to cook ~ Skip rocks into a lake ~ Play in the park ~ Go swimming ~ Window shop online ~ Care for plants ~ Keep a promise ~ Trade cards ~ Do magic tricks ~ Make a model ~ Go Bowling ~ Keep a journal ~ 

~     ~     ~     ~     ~

 Photograph things you love ~ Do better than the last time ~ Brighten someone's day ~

What is your favorite thing to do instead of...?  

My Central Heating System Died

Don’t be fooled by the small size of this little heater.

My Photo

A few years ago my central heating system died. When the young repairman informed me that it would cost an arm-and-a-leg to repair the central unit, I sadly sent him on his way and said I would get back to him.

The door had barely closed behind him when my mind went into overdrive. No way was I going to pay that much to have the central unit repaired! I quickly decided to go old-school and give space heaters a try.

The Lasko 1500-Watt Portable Electric Digital Ceramic Tower Heater with Remote Control features 2 heat settings… to the rescue. I chose this Portable Electric Ceramic Heater and the rest is history. I Love it!

What’s to like about this heater, you ask?

I like the adjustable, programmable thermostat of this heater. That means that maintaining the best possible comfort level is just a push button away. This heater itself is easy to use and has easy to use digital controls and digital display. It has 2 heat settings: high heat and low heat. It also has a Nonslip Base.

Don’t be fooled by the size of this little heater. This bad boy is awesome! It IS small, but this little doozie is powerful. It heats up a space fast. It has your room warming up at lightning speed. This one is the TOP reasons this little heater is so amazing.

The other TOP reason this heater is so great is that it oscillates. The fact that it turns from side to side as it heats a room makes it a winner in my book. That way, it heats a larger area of the room … faster.

Another reason I like the oscillating feature is that if there’s more than one person in the room, each one can receive direct heat at some point during the heater’s rotation. They don’t need to be sitting right next to each other to benefit from some direct heat.

Oh, wait! There’s more. THE number one, TOP, BEST reason to love this heater is the remote control. I can point the remote towards the heater from any point in a room, press a button, and the heater is on instantly. I don’t have to get up and turn it on.

I can even reach my hand from under the covers in my COLD bedroom, grab the remote control, point it, and turn the heater on. After staying in bed a while longer, I can get up to a nice warm room.

Life doesn’t get much better than that!

I definitely recommend this heater. I’m not getting paid for this review. I’m not reviewing this as an affiliate for any company. And, I definitely did not get this heater FREE. I paid for it out of my meager monthly income.

There you have it, my personal review of The Lasko 1500-Watt Portable Electric Digital Ceramic Tower Heater with Remote Control features 2 heat settings.

Have you ever used Lasko products? Do you know about this heater? What are your thoughts about it?

Found Money

I Found Money in the Parking Lot!

The parking lot at the grocery store is full, looks as if everybody and their grandma is out shopping today. If the few items I need to pick up were not extremely necessary, I would keep driving and go back home. It took a minute or two to find a good parking space but, I found one eventually. 

I opened the car door and planted my feet firmly on the ground. I looked down to make sure I wasn’t stepping in a wad of bubblegum or a puddle of transmission fluid. The coast was clear so I stepped out. That’s when I saw it…

A Penny!

My photo

I quickly whipped my camera out of my purse and took this photo instead of picking up the penny the way I had done in years gone by.

Have you ever found money on the ground? How much? Do you pick up pennies you find on the ground? Do you know anyone else who does?

Source

Sunday Solutions

Rubber Bands

When all else fails, these put things into perspective.

Rubber Band Goofy Face

Rubber bands are good for millions of things. Some of you probably already know that. But, did you know rubber bands are like relationship experts? 

Traditional, inside-the-box-thinkers may not realize the similarities between rubber bands and those who are experts when it comes to relationships. 

Here are a few things to consider about rubber bands and relationship experts.

Like relationship experts, rubber bands:

-They are good at holding things together when they’re falling apart.

-They good at hanging around, waiting to help when needed.

-They hold up things that keep falling down.

-They great for bringing closure.

There you have it, just a few ways I use rubber bands.

Always keep a supply of rubber bands on hand. You never know when you might need one. You’ll be amazed at the things you can do with Rubber Bands.

What do you use rubber bands for? Tell us in the comments. We’d love to hear all about it.

Energizing Foods

A Healthy Well-Rounded Lunch w/ Whole Wheat Roll

Are you feeling sluggish? Or do you just feel downright tired, overstressed, overwhelmed, plain old exhausted? If you do feel that way, you already know where I'm going with this. 

In case you are wondering why I ask these questions, the answer is simple. A few weeks ago I began feeling extremely tired and exhausted. It was over and above my usual “dead-tired” feeling. I was exhausted to the point I felt as if I would pass out sometimes.

It did not take long to realize what was wrong. I had “been-there-done-that” before, back in 2011. I was doing too much, not truly relaxing as I should. I was not sleeping well, and I definitely was not eating the way I should. Truth be told, I was not taking good care of myself.

I did not want to end up sick the way I was in 2011. Therefore, I quickly got myself together and set goals for doing better at taking care of ME. First, I eliminated everything from my to-do list that was not imminently important. I also made a point of relaxing to refresh throughout my day, then dropping everything and going to bed at a decent hour.

I made a concentrated effort to eat healthier. That started with not skipping meals. It also meant eating well rounded meals instead of my usual intermittent nibbling throughout the day. I built-in healthy energizing snacks instead of chips and junk food for in-between meals.

A healthy energizing snack w/ orange juice

My first task was to research Foods That Give You Energy. Then I compiled a short list of those energizing foods. So let me get right to the list for those who need to scan quickly and move on.

Here is my List of Foods & Beverages That Energize, in no particular order.

-Water

-Coffee

-Tea
-AppleJuice
-Orange Juice
-Greek Yogurt, low-fat cottage cheese

-Dark Chocolate
–Popcorn

-Nuts: cashews, almonds, walnuts

-Coconut: coconut water, fresh or dried coconut
-Whole Grains: oatmeal, brown rice, whole wheat bread
-Fresh Fruits: apples, pears, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, bananas
-Citrus Fruits: oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits

-Lean Meat:  chicken, turkey, pork, beef

-Shrimp
-Canned Tuna (white or light) 

-Fatty Fish: smoked salmon, albacore tuna, mackerel
-Chicken Noodle Soup 

-Eggs

-Leafy Green Vegetables: kale, spinach, romaine lettuce
–Beans and Peas

-Sweet Potatoes
– Avocados

There are many more foods and beverages that give us energy. This partial list contains only those items I have tried first hand and know that they work.

Let’s wrap it all up. If you are feeling overly tired, sluggish, overstressed, overwhelmed, and totally exhausted, start with these tips. Change your lifestyle, your diet and your eating habits. Use this list of energizing foods to change your life. You will feel a lot better within a few days.

This process worked wonders for me and I am extremely I am happy to have some energy again. Give it a try, you might like it. You’ve got nothing to lose and a lot to gain.

Happy Re-Energizing to you! 

Recover Your Health with Clean Eating

Baby Food to The Rescue

Several weeks ago Jace started rubbing his nose like it was itching from the inside. You know how kids do that. A while later he began to sniff and cough a bit. His mommie had been keeping an eye on the situation, and gave his decongestant medicine.

He didn’t want to eat at lunchtime. Mommie let that pass. When he didn’t want to eat supper, she became concerned and asked for my help. Sometimes he’ll eat for me when he won’t eat for her. He still didn’t want any regular food.

We discussed his lack of appetite and, she asked what I thought we could do. I suggested we try some of the baby food we keep on hand for just this kind of emergency. I asked Jace if he wanted Mangos in a jar, he said yes. He loves those mangos.

Since that worked so well, I decided to push the envelope a tad bit further. I then asked Jace if he wanted some chicken in a jar, and he said yes. Oh goody, I think we’re on to something.

Jace ate every bit of the Mangos and chicken in a jar (as he calls it).

Then, we remembered why we kept a supply of baby food in jars on hand. It had been quite a while since we had to resort to using them for this reason, we had forgotten.

Luckily, we always have a supply of baby food in case Jace loses his appetite and we need to make sure he eats and gets some nourishment.

For those of you who are thinking baby food is for babies and not three year old kids, think about this. There is no difference in a jar of baby food chicken and making a puree from fresh chicken meat. It’s all mashed up meat.  

Has your toddler ever lost his/her appetite? What did you do?  

Who Tha’ Bleep is Dan Perrin?

It is very irritating to find  this same type of letter in the mailbox every week  (sometimes several times a week) literally frightening old people out of their money. Here is how it begins ...

  The recipient's name and address have been changed to protect the innocent. 

RED markings belong to Dan Perrin.

 Does anybody know Dan Perrin?  Has anyone heard of Dan Perrin?  Have you heard of Dan Perrin’s organization, the Seniors Center @ P.O. Box 96692 – Washington, DC 20090-6692?

After much urging and begging and such, here's how the letter ends. Well, almost ends because there's a lengthy PS. 

Somebody help me! I ~dellgirl~ need all the help I can get before I do something stupid.  I have been known to ‘shoot-myself-in-the-foot’ a time or two.  I've even gone so far as to ‘cut- off-my-nose-to-spite-my-face’ because of a little pimple on my nose. I am now in the process of figuring out what to do about Dan Perrin’s constant and frequent solicitations for money from old people, starting with my mom.

So, before I get started calling this man a bunch of ugly names and besmirching his reputation, I want to know if you have heard of him.  Let me know real soon,   before I post about how I really feel about what he's doing to old people.  Soliciting donations for fake charities is shameful. And, using scare tactics about losing social security benefits three or four times a week borders real close to the edge of elder abuse, in my opinion.  

Okay, enough already! I’m just wondering, what are your thoughts on groups and organizations coercing or deceiving old people out of their hard earned money? I’m ready to put an end to this harassment!!!

Ctrl+C equals Copy - Ctrl+V equals Paste

Thanks Stephanie!!! It works!

Testing, Testing, 1-2-3

This is a test. I have nothing to post right now. Nothing to report. I am testing copy and paste functions and procedures and the like, writing this in my word processor to copy and paste to my google blog.
That’s it.

Now I’m going to keyboard function Ctrl + C (without spaces) to copy this information.
Once in my google blog – New Post page, I’ll use Ctrl + V (without spaces) to paste this information in the compose box.

Summary: Write your information using your word processor.
Highlight the information you want to copy to place elsewhere.
Ctrl+C = copy
Ctrl+V = paste

If you see this information here in my google blog, we’ll know it works. If not, you’ll see me “WHINE”

Until later

Google AdSense Activated

Okay! So I requested AdSense the other day, got all "hoity-toity" thinking I'd done something big. Thought the thing would work automatically. It didn't. I kept coming back looking for something to be different. It wasn't. Nothing happened.

Finally, I caught my breath, thought about it, and decided to do some research on why nothing was happening, why aren't any ads appearing on my blog.

Well, duh!

I needed to activate the thing, don't know exactly what it is called - Oh! It's a page element. That was what I failed to activate when I had my son hook me up with the Goodle AdSense account.

To cut-to-the-chase. I came by for one last visit for the night. No ads visible. I clicked around until I found the AdSense info and the place where I could add the page element needed to get the ads going on my blog.

GREEK-2-U?! Yea! Well, greek to me too.

All in all, I think it is done. I'll make this post, take a break, and check back to see if the ads are working.

See you later.