Social Media, Friend or Foe?

Social media; it’s a great tool for staying in touch with friends and family, sharing the milestones in our lives, and even sharing jokes.  And it’s a great tool for sharing prayers, giving encouragement, and healthy topics like diet, exercise, meditation, and Reiki of course!

But, social media is also a breeding ground for negative energy through gossip, rumors, lies, politics, bullying, and racism.

It’s so important to limit, not only the time you spend on social media, but the things that you read and the sites you visit.  The posts and meme’s that you allow yourself to read, you are absorbing.  You’re pulling all the negativity into yourself.  You don’t even have to believe what you are reading, but by reading the post you are acknowledging the negative vibes.

Unfollow, not unfriend, people that post negativity; it doesn’t mean that you need to end a friendship or relationship, it’s only to avoid exposure to the negativity.

Another way to avoid negativity on social media is know that what most people post as “fact”, is nothing but fiction.  People make stuff up all the time to make you think like they do, or like/hate the same things they do, and even to start drama and rumors. Scroll on past that stuff.

I try to not be on social media too much, but I do have a couple of pages I maintain. So when I am on, I do what I need to do and skip on out of there!

How do you avoid the negativity of social media?

Daydreaming about winning the lottery!!

Raise your hand if you daydream about what it would be like to win the big lottery!

Most people say the first thing they would do would be to quit their job. I think I would hold onto mine until all of my finances would be in order. Then, BUH-BYE!

A lot of people would travel, buy a bigger house and a new car. A few might say they’d donate some to a charity.

I would most likely do some traveling. My dream vacation would be to spend about 3 to 4 weeks in Italy. Then off to Paris for a little.

I can only daydream about what it must be like to be able to just wander around these cute little towns and sample the food and wine, learn about the culture, and shop.

What fun it would be to visit all of the sites to learn about the history of the towns that I have only read about.

There are plenty of locations right here in the US that I really need to see first.

I think the daydream I have the most fun with is that I would buy a small farm, remodel the house and barns, and then rescue horses. I have no idea how to care for them so I would most definitely need to win enough money to pay someone to help me care for them.

Maybe I could even go with a bigger farm and give riding lessons! Not that I know how to do that either BUT, I have always, and I mean always, LOVED horses!

I would have lots of vegetable and flower gardens. And having bee hives is a must, I want to help get the bee population back up. And chickens!!! Must have chickens!

I would have a grand greenhouse. A pottery craft room. A lavish craft room to paint and sew. And a gourmet kitchen.

But then I think I would also want to start to flip houses. Not your everyday homes but find older homes with the old details and character that contractors no longer build. Can you imagine doing away with decades of dirt, or layers of flooring and drywall to uncover the details and architecture that has been covered and hidden! And to restore what was damaged or removed.

I would want to do some charity donations. Child hunger is something I would definitely want to help with, there are so many families in my area that cannot afford to pay for their child’s lunches at school. Nor have enough food at home.

Also, suicide prevention has been a deep passion of mine for a very long time. My brother died from suicide in 1986, my nephew in 2001, and a very dear friend in 2018. I have visions of some sort of brick and mortar house or office space that is open 24/7 where people that are dealing with suicidal thoughts or depression could come for comfort, support, direction for therapy and counseling, and so on.

But yes, I do have awesome visions of me just lounging on the deck of my beach house just enjoying the warm breeze, ocean waves and the sea gulls chattering while I sip a fruity drink and read a book. This is most likely the most realistic dream!

What are your lottery winning dreams?

Spiritual and Faith Journey

The Bible.  Have you read it? Do you understand it? Do you believe?

I just joined a 5-week bible study group at church.  The one thing I was really hoping would NOT happen is that we go around the room and talk about ourselves. Of course, that is the first thing we had to do. I do not like attention drawn to myself, nor do I speak well in front of people; it is all so very uncomfortable for me.

What we needed to do was to give a brief description of our journey and what brought us to the study group.  Thankfully I was about the 10th person so I had a few minutes to try to figure out what the heck I was going to say!  

In all honesty, I’m not sure I HAD a definitive reason for being there.

And what exactly did this leader want to hear about my journey, how much did I really want to share.

When it was my turn, I briefly stated that I was brought up in a strict Catholic religion from my fathers’ side of the family and that in my adult life I always had a strong faith.  But it wasn’t until about 15 years ago that I really dove into my faith and scripture when a Deacon that I knew gave me his Catholic study bible that he used for the bible study groups.  It meant the world to me and it was filled with some of his notes.

Then I mentioned that my faith and belief is now stronger than it ever was, and I had never imagined it could be like this!  I never knew the craving I would have for scripture; I never knew what it meant to give my life over to Him and be reborn in faith.  

The rest of the day I reached deep inside my core, deep inside of my heart to find a better answer.

Some of it I didn’t like.

As I mentioned, I was raised a Catholic.  I attended a private Catholic school for the first 4 years of elementary before switching to a public school.  After that transition, we had weekly Catholic classes through the school week in the evening and then Mass on Sunday.

But there was nothing at home with religion, scripture or faith.  We did say a blessing before our meals, that was it.  

By the time I was a teenager, I protested the weekly classes and even church on Sunday.  I stayed in bed until I got yelled at, and then like a slug I got ready for church.

When I had my kids, I switched churches and I took my kids to Sunday school but no church service right away.  By the time they were old enough to actually sit still for a church service, I was divorced.  For several years I did not attend church, nor did I take my kids to Sunday school.

Eventually I found my way back to church and took my kids every other Sunday when they were with me.  They fought me, just like I did when I was a kid.

I did the same as my parents; church on Sunday and no bible reading or scripture verses through the week.  We even stopped saying the mealtime blessing.

When I was in church, I attempted to read scripture from the bible, but I didn’t understand it and it didn’t make sense to me.  I hoped I was getting enough from what the pastor was saying, and I hoped my kids were getting something too.

Then my kids were grown and on their own.  They had no religion or spirituality in their life, which I blamed myself.  I did manage to get them to attend Christmas Eve service for a few years but then that stopped when they started having kids.

At that point, I was on my second marriage and my husband’s work required us move to Maryland and then Virginia.  I stopped attending church again, but I did my occasional praying and thanking God for my blessings. 

I knew the basics from my upbringing and had my faith, and I always thought was enough.  

By now I had drifted further from the church and I was “open” to the possibility that biblical times were not quite what the bible stated.  

I was satisfied with my faith and spirituality.  And then it all changed.

By the time we moved from Maryland to Virginia, our marriage was in trouble.  And I was realizing that I was in a damaging, selfish and controlling marriage.  

I was working in convalescent center in Virginia and the residents and staff were very “religious”, spiritual, and read the bible daily.  I became good friends with the Deacon there, and a few other coworkers.  And my life was changed.

When I saw how strong everyone was in their faith and the bible, I started asking a lot of questions about Jesus, the bible, heaven, and the path that God had planned for me.  One of my friends suggested listening to Joyce Meyer.  I was hooked. I craved learning from her, she made things easy to understand.  And sometimes, depending on her topic, I swear she was looking through my eyes and into my soul.  What she said just resonated with me and I was finally able to understand.

I had a lot of conversations with the Deacon, I craved those intense and deep conversations. I would challenge him on the bible, whether it was really God’s word or just an interpretation from man what they wanted us to believe.  It didn’t take long for me to change my views on the bible, so I started looking for my own bible.  But there were so many versions, I didn’t know what to choose.  

As my faith became stronger and stronger, I prayed for my marriage and what direction I needed to take.  I had told my husband not long after we moved to Virginia, that we really needed to work on our marriage.  I won’t go into details, but he did nothing to fix us.  I suggested we go to counseling, he told me to go instead.  So I did, unbeknownst to him.

Between the counseling, the praying and talking to the Deacon; I eventually made the difficult choice to ask for a divorce.  And just like that, I was single and living back in my hometown.  As I mentioned earlier, my Deacon friend gave me his personal Catholic study bible to take with me.  For a few years, I picked it up on occasion but never really did any serious reading.  

Now that study bible and another bible are always out; either on my sofa, bed or dining room table.  I crave reading it and learning the scripture, I crave learning the culture.  

After I moved back home, I did go to my old church a few times, but it had changed.  The pastor and choir had changed, the service had changed.  And honestly, I got nothing out of it.  I sat there listening to them “preach” but heard nothing.  I missed my conversations with the Deacon, I learned more about God and the bible from him than I did sitting here in this pew at a church that I once loved.  So I stopped attending.

Last year I discovered we had a Christian rock radio station.  I have been hooked ever since!  I love that station; it is now the only radio station that I listen too.  One Sunday morning I was out running errands and on two separate times within 30 minutes a song came on about going to church.  I got the message loud and clear.  

One of my girlfriends had been talking about making plans for me to attend church with her but we never confirmed a date.  When I told her about the message I had gotten, she said “OK, I’ll pick you up Sunday!”   I have been going ever since, and in September I joined as a member.  I cannot imagine NOT going to church on Sunday.

I have cried during the praise and worship songs; I have been touched by the sermon in such a way that I was brought to tears.  I have also made new friends and found some friends that I had lost touch. 

Now here I am, in this bible study group for the next 5 weeks.  Pondering the question I was asked this morning.  Thinking back over my life and my faith journey.  I am sad that it took me this long to get where I am in my faith journey, but I am so happy to be here and not back where I was.

 

My Cherished Winter Break

These long, cold, and dreary winter months can sometimes be depressing for many people. And I get that. But for me, they offer me a break from yard work. These cold months offer me a time of relaxation and a time to rejuvenate spiritually, physically and emotionally.

But in all honesty, it has not been very cold here. Mostly rain and cloudy days, no snow.

I can use these months to settle in and catch up on reading; concentrate on self-care and exercising, bible study and prayer as well as meditation and yoga.

Winter allows me to catch up on hobbies that I have either already started and set aside or that I have been wanting to start.

This time also allows me to finally get some things done inside the house like painting rooms, cleaning out closets and dresser drawers. And I can finish sorting through all the boxes in the basement that contain family heirlooms.

Best of all, I begin to plan my vegetable and flower gardens. That does make me anxious for spring and to get outside to play in the dirt even though I am enjoying being snuggled in a blanket on my sofa.

Sounds like a busy winter for me doesn’t it 😊

But what I really like is that I can be a hermit and just stay inside (other than my 8-5 job of course!) and snuggle on the sofa with my pup and watch movies. I prefer staying busy but I have mastered the art of being a lazy bum too, and sometimes we need to allow ourselves that time to just be quiet and relax and rejuvenate.

What are you doing during the winter months?

 

Thinking of my Dad

Isn’t it odd how something as simple as a song can bring a rush of memories back to us.  Including the emotions to go along with it.

I left work the other day and needed to stop at the store on the way home.  A song came on the Christian Rock station, that was played at my Dad’s funeral and a flood of tears immediately filled my eyes.

I recalled sitting in the church for his mass remembering all the memories of growing up in that church with him but I was staring at his casket.

Before this particular church was built, we had mass in the basement of the catholic elementary school I attended.  We sat on metal folding chairs in a room that was used for a variety of things for the school, mostly the gym I think.  There was a church area upstairs that was used for a more formal services, but we usually attended the mass in the basement.

The church that my Dad’s funeral was held was built when I was a very young, maybe 10 years old.  Every Sunday we were there for mass.

Eventually my Dad took over the role of custodian and I helped him clean that church.  Then he started a lawn and landscaping business, I didn’t start working for him until my divorce so then I did the mowing at the church.

When I married, he walked me down that aisle.  He was by my side when my kids were baptized there.

At the conclusion of my Dad’s funeral mass, this particular song played while I walked up the aisle out of the church behind his casket.  My heart shattered as I was remembering him walking me down the aisle to be married and now I was following him out of the church to be buried.

And today is Father’s day so my mind and heart are filled with happy memories of tea parties, building sand castles and a ton of other things.

My heart is heavy with missing him but full of joy with the memories.  I know he is with me every single day.

Fibro Sunday, What Works For Me!

Hi there! Welcome back to my Sunday Fibro post! Today I am going to write about how I try to deal with the pain and what I try to do to survive the rough days.

1. One of the things that I have learned is not to fight a flare or the everyday pain. Sometimes I forget that important piece of advice and when I do, I seem to get knocked down!! So I just acknowledge that I have pain, trying to fight it takes too much energy. Trying to ignore it and hope it just goes away, is ridiculous. I try to stay relaxed and breathe, and basically just give myself a break.
2. Try it, just take a few deep cleansing and relaxing breaths, and acknowledge the pain. If you can stay home and recover, do it. If you have a family to care for or must go to work, give yourself the time and patience to get through your day until you can rest. Slow down, and be gentle with your body.
3. Another thing to remember is that stress can aggravate your pain. It is next to impossible to avoid stress in our busy lives but if you can learn to walk away from drama, or learn how to deal with difficult situations in your life by asking for help it can really help alleviate the stress.
4. You know that saying “Not my monkeys, not my circus”? Keep that in mind! But if they are your monkeys, ask for help. Acknowledge that at this very moment you are having difficulty with the pain and need a little help.
5. That being said, my next topic is to change my attitude. If I am not able to get the house cleaned or the laundry done like I had planned, I just try to realize that my body needs some rest and needs to recover before I try to do anything.
6. Be prepared for bad days, take it easy and take care of YOU!
7. Praying helps. If you pray and believe in a higher power, then pray. Be thankful for the good days you have, be thankful for the good days yet to come, and be thankful for your support system. If you don’t believe in prayer, then journal about your fibro journey. It will help you vent and you can also look back on the good days you’ve had and give thanks.
8. Drink plenty of water, eat well, take a hot bath with Epsom salts, use a heating pad – just a few things to remember on days with pain. Cuddle up with a book and a pet, watch movies. Just breathe and relax and know that tomorrow is another day. I always remind myself there are others that have a much worse health condition. I might have pain that makes me curl up and cry but it could be soooo much worse!
9. Exercise. It is so darn hard some days, heck even most days! I once went to the gym several times a week. I used the treadmill, weight machines, and some of the lighter free weights. But it became very difficult. Then I stopped. Even walking a few blocks was exhausting. But I am back to my yoga, meditation, trying to swim at least twice a week, and walking as often as I can. I don’t always want to but if all I can do is a few blocks on my walk, or a few yoga stretches and poses, I figure it’s better than doing nothing. Just be gentle with yourself and don’t push yourself beyond what you are capable of handling for the moment.

These are just a few things that work for me. Hopefully, they will work for you. Feel free to post what works for you!

Hey! How are ya doin?

So how many of you are sticking to your resolutions or goals for the New Year? January is all about starting fresh right!

I haven’t been quite as dedicated to swimming as I hoped, sometimes my schedule gets a little crazy but I am doing the best I can and don’t beat myself over it!

I have been trying to organize my craft room, again. Last January I reorganized it and now, here I am again! This time I have a sewing machine to fit into the room. Still working on that space!

I just reviewed a list of recipes that I want to start working on, the baked goods I will have to definitely share because I need to stick to my diet and shed a few pounds, okay a lot of pounds!

Be sure to follow me on Facebook! Live well and be happy!

Happy New Year!

Well, here we are at the beginning of another year. I cannot believe how quickly time is flying past me!

I am also a little disappointed in myself that I didn’t post as many blogs as I planned, or that I didn’t cook as much as I would have liked!  My days and evenings just seem to get away from me, working a full day usually gets the better of me with the fibro and arthritis that I have. Throw in some time to try to exercise and get my pup some exercise, housework and family, my life just seems to be moving too fast.

And that is something I want to work on!

But what is most important, is that every morning that I am blessed with, I just try to be a better person than I was the day before.

I guess the New Year always brings us thoughts of attempting to make our lives better with resolutions. I am sure I have mentioned before that I don’t usually make resolutions. I set GOALS.

Now I realize that many of you might want to challenge me that resolutions and goals are the same. I beg to differ!! To me a goal is what I strive to accomplish, it’s a “work in progress”. But maybe the REAL reason I choose a goal over a resolution is because of all the failed resolutions I have had in my lifetime.

That being said, I no longer beat myself up if I didn’t do what I really planned to do, yea it might disappoint me but I don’t stress over it.

I know most people want to eat healthier and exercise. But, so many of us fail with the high expectations that we place on ourselves. I have done it myself!

I always strive to live a life that is calm, hopeful, kind and loving. I think that is what most of us try to do isn’t it?

It just gets challenging with all of life’s twists and turns.

This year I am trying something a little different with my goals. I will try to begin each month focusing on one or two things that I want to improve upon. For instance, for January I will concentrate on my health and my family.

Start the month out by writing them down. Write down you plan too.  Sometimes putting our thoughts into words on paper makes it a little easier to follow.

Then at the end of the month, put out the list and see how you did.  If you didn’t quite accomplish your goals, just continue on with the list you made but see if you can tweak the plan to make it work.  Then try again.

I plan to focus on eating healthier, trying to stick to my schedule of swimming 2-3 times a week and instead of spending time watching a Hallmark movie I will read or do meditation and yoga. However I need to fit that in, I will definitely be working on a plan.

I am just not going wake up tomorrow morning and resolve to go to the gym and eliminate certain foods from my diet.  It won’t work, and I know it.

My plan for family is to hopefully get us together for Sunday dinners or a game night. Maybe after each night that I swim I can swing by and visit one of my kids for a little. Anything I can do to spend a little more time with my kids and grandkids.

My daily goal is to be more aware of my faith and spirituality. Concentrate on prayer to get me started in the morning, even if that is 10 minutes of meditation. My goal is to take the time to slow down and be thankful, hopeful, and mindful of my thoughts and my day, all day.

Give it a try, but remember you are human, you will make mistakes. You might slack now and then (who doesn’t), but when you do just recognize that you did and promise yourself that you will try again tomorrow.

Be kind to YOURSELF!!

LOVE yourself!!

Stress is not healthy.

I just want to wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year! And thank you for stopping in to see me! Live well and happy!!

Less Stress for the Holiday Season

I love the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Thanksgiving might be my favorite but only because we gather to share our love, our memories, and eat a delicious meal together. So for me, there is definitely less stress, and less to prepare for. The only expectation is the meal which I love cooking!

It is also the beginning of the Christmas season. The weeks leading up to the Christmas holiday, for me, are so very beautiful with all the decorations and lights. I love listening to the Christmas music; many songs awaken lovely memories from my childhood. I also love giving gifts, whether they are made by my own hands with love, or a carefully chosen store bought gift.

But then there are all those folks that I hear complaining about how commercialized Christmas has become. Or they are complaining about all the parties to go to and the food they must prepare to take to these parties. There are also complaints about buying gifts for people that they probably don’t want and they can’t afford to buy. And it breaks my heart to hear them say they can’t wait for Christmas to be over.

Christmas is no different than any other situation in life, YOU GET OUT OF IT EXACTLY WHAT YOU PUT IN IT! So if you go into it with disgust, dislike, and grumpiness…. That is exactly what you are going to get out of it!!

I totally understand how the holidays can also be difficult to get through because we may have lost a loved one, or we might be alone and have no one to celebrate with. Been in both of those situations, I know it is not pleasant and can be heartbreaking and depressing.

So hopefully I have come up with some ideas that might be able to help you get through the upcoming holidays with a little less stress. Maybe this will help you have a little more love in your heart. And maybe you will actually learn to at least like the holidays.

1. Eat & drink smart and healthy! This is so hard to do with all the baked goodies and homemade candies BUT try to resist making a meal out of unhealthy treats!  Go ahead and have that small slice of pumpkin pie or cake, have one cookie, indulge in that one piece of fudge.  But only allow yourself one treat so choose wisely!  Snack on healthy things like veggies and fruit, nuts, a piece of cheese or some peanut butter for protein.  Drink lots of water, add lemon for a little taste and detox.  Do allow yourself a holiday cocktail, or two, but alternate with water.  Waking up tomorrow with a headache or being hungover will just add to your stress level.
2. Meal plan! As mentioned above you want to eat healthy but still allow some treats, so plan your day’s menu/diet so that you are continually eating healthy.  Especially before you go to parties!!  Make sure you are planning your family meals according to your schedule, use a crock pot or casserole recipes for busy days and nights.  Make some casseroles, lasagna, anything that you can throw in your freezer.  Later in the week you will be thankful that all you need to do is pull out a casserole to thaw in the fridge while you are at work, and then pop it in the oven when you get home.
3. Parties! I have heard a lot of people complain and basically whine about all the parties they need to go to!  Really?  Please be thankful that you have friends and family that want to share the holiday with you, no one is promised a tomorrow.  You do not always need to say yes to every party, it is okay to say no so that you can stay home and take care of you and your family or just to rest.  If you really don’t want to go, then don’t.  We all need some alone time, but we also need our friends and families too.  Think of the memories and fun times you might have, think of some friends and families that you can reconnect with.  Visit for as long as you want, eat healthy and drink healthy, be thankful for the friendships and have some fun!!
4. Can you bring a covered dish? Yes, you can!  You do not need to go overboard and try to be a gourmet chef!  If you like to cook and prepare something fancy, great!  If you don’t, then just take something simple like cheese and crackers, veggies, or check out the appetizers in the frozen section of your grocery store.  There are some pretty good selections to choose from!  I love to cook but there are times when I just do not have the time to prepare something, so this works out well and they are delicious.
5. Shopping and gift giving. This IS enough to stress everyone out!  You really need to be smart here, don’t just buy a gift for the sake of buying a gift.  If that is your reason for gift giving, just stop!  First, make a list of people that you want to give a gift, then think about them and what they like, jot down some ideas before you shop.  Also, set a dollar amount that you are willing to spend on each gift and stick with your budget.  Keep receipts, jot down names on the receipt/tags just in case you need to return something, and keep them all in an envelope.  I usually suggest not giving clothes but if you are confident in that choice, then go for it!  Also, keep an eye out for sales, use coupons.  If you do not like wrapping your gifts, then bag’em!  That is the easiest and the least stressful way to go.  Keep in mind that a simple gift from the heart is all you really need to give.
6. Teach your kids about giving and receiving.  This is a challenge for most parents.  We don’t want our kids growing up to be materialistic and greedy; and we want to teach them about giving too.  Set boundaries for what they are asking for, have them organize and clean out what they already have, show them how fortunate they already are for what they have now.  Give your family members limits on what they can spend on your kids. If you have older kids and your budget allows, have your kids donate gifts to the needy, a shelter, or sponsor a family for Christmas. Have them volunteer at a food bank or as a family take a few bags to the food bank. Living in today’s world that is so materialist, I think this is something we all need to do.  Also, teach you kids the value of saying thank you as well as how to gracefully be thankful for a gift that they just unwrapped but don’t like!
7. Stress-less kids? This is a time that kids are super excited!  Remember when you were a kid at Christmas?  They have a lot of stimuli from all the toy ads on TV, so it might be a good idea to limit their time in front of the TV.  Sit down and chat with them about their wants, desires, expectations and then chat about giving to the less fortunate.  Talk to them about your childhood memories and realize that you are creating and shaping theirs.  Involve them in decisions about new traditions.  Make sure they are eating healthy, drinking plenty of water, limit their treats and make sure they are getting enough rest and sleep.  This can also be a busy time in school with reports and projects needing to be completed before their holiday break so make sure they are getting enough time to complete their school work.  Get them outside for exercise and fresh air!  This is also a time for the little germ carriers to be sick, not fun for the holiday.
8. Traditions! I love family traditions!  And I love creating new traditions!  Think back to when you were a child and the things that you used to do as a family, create those wonderful warm memories with your kids!! Slow down and enjoy the holiday season, celebrate it lovingly, and involve the kids!  Look online or on Pinterest for some new ideas.  Have fun!
9. Physical and emotional health.  Make sure you are getting your exercise too!  Get those kids outside and play, walk, hike, whatever you can find to do.  Don’t forget about your gym membership, even if you only have 30 minutes to use the treadmill or lift a few weights, or if you’re lucky enough to have a pool to swim a few laps.  Every little bit helps.  Don’t forget about your mental and emotional health.  For as much enjoyment and beauty as some find in the holiday, there is also disappointment, sadness and loneliness.  Meditate, pray, go to church, talk to friends, talk to a professional if you need to.  There is no shame in that!  Try yoga, sit and read or just sit and look at the tree and drink in the beauty and silence of the room.
10. Keep your life and the holiday in focus.  Easier said than done, I get it.  But try.  It’s so easy to compare your holiday life to others and be sad that you don’t have what someone else has.  Life isn’t fair, but this is your life and you only have one shot at it so stay focused.  You don’t have to have a lot of friends or a big bank account to enjoy the very beautiful and simple holiday.  Celebrate with the love of the family and friends that you are still blessed to have.  Don’t get caught up in the commercialism, that’s not what the holidays are about.  Remember, what you put into this holiday gig is what you are going to get out of it.

Live and love well my friends!

Caring For Yourself After Surgery

I just had surgery for a rotator cuff tear, all three layers were torn. The doc also scraped bone spurs from the shoulder joint. On my dominant right arm nonetheless!

I knew I would be in a sling for 6 weeks, I knew therapy was going to be rough, I knew I’d have pain and I knew I’d have to depend on my left arm that also has a small rotator tear as well as a bicep injury.

But, was I really “prepared” for my recovery??? I thought I was…

I piled books I wanted to read, photo’s and albums to clean up and organize, cookbooks and magazines to sort through and find new inspiration…. At 4 weeks into my recovery and I had little to no motivation!

What I HAVE tried is painting canvases with my left hand! It’s almost a challenge to see just how much I can depress myself with how awful they turn out!! Sort of makes me laugh too.  And playing with paint always brings me joy!!

But what I wasn’t expecting was the amount of time I would spend spiritually in prayer and meditation. The peace I find I have now is slowly bringing me to a new place in my life post recovery. It’s also helping me get through long days.

I’ve been very blessed with family and friends that are such a great help by bringing me meals, visiting, and taking me for groceries, to doctor appointments and therapy.  My daughter is such a huge blessing!

But even with all this, I still found myself on many days, lonely, depressed, and BORED!!!

So, I thought I would use some of my boredom trying to type with a non-dominant hand and maybe find some pointers for those of you that may be facing some downtime while you recover from some sort of health issue.

1. Prepare your home. Whatever that may be for your recovery. For me, I was instructed to sleep in a recliner for my recovery but I don’t own a recliner so I slept on my sofa for many uncomfortable weeks. I brought a few bed pillows, a warm throw blanket, and I placed a large tray beside me. I used the tray to hold my cell, water bottle, remotes, tissues, lip balm, hand lotion, my library card (see #3) and a few books. My laptop was placed on the dining room table along with my checkbook and all of my bills/finances.
2. Prepare food. My friends from work provided almost all of my meals the first few weeks which was such a huge help and greatly appreciated! But I also made a few things for the freezer, I purchased some frozen food items and I stocked my pantry. Unfortunately I had a lot of nausea after the surgery so it took some time for me to actually want to eat anything!!
3. Books, magazines, etc. I knew my recovery would be long and painful and that I would physically not be able to do much so I placed about 15 books on my table. If you like to read I would suggest giving yourself a wide variety to choose from, when the boredom sets in you will appreciate the many choices. I kept my library card handy too because I like to “borrow” ebooks, an awesome way to spend time is browsing book online from my library!!
4. Prayer, meditate, spiritual time. I have 2 daily devotionals that I have been reading. Also, my prayer book that I made. It includes favorite prayers, verses, and people that have either requested prayers or that I am praying for. And I have a bible app on my phone compliments of my pre-teen grandson!! My prayer time has increased tremendously since surgery!
5. Any plans to be made?? I planned my gardens, flower and veggie. I ordered some plants online, and made a list of what I wanted to purchase when it’s time to plant. Sadly I will have to hire someone to actually dig up the gardens and do the planting as my shoulder most likely won’t be ready for that just yet!
6. Prepare for bad days. I’m sorry, but you’re going to have them. I have days where I swear I am going to die from boredom, I have days that I swear I am going explode just from the discomfort of this awful sling that I am confined to wearing. Those moments are when you will need your prayer time the most. Try to breathe, try to relax, and remind yourself this is only temporary. I also needed to tell myself there are many others with a much worse and permanent situation. Even though I was told it would be a year before I would be back to my normal self, I knew things would get better. Put your situation in perspective.
7. Don’t spend all of your time in front of the TV. The boob-tube will only add to your depression, you will find yourself lethargic and lifeless! This was difficult too since I cannot do much else, but I often turned off the TV. Find other ways to occupy your mind…prayer, meditate, read, games, catch up on phone calls, crossword puzzles.
8. Exercise? Check with your doctor first!!! My left shoulder is also injured but I am allowed to do some bicep curls with a light weight. Get some bands to do leg exercises. Get out and walk! Just PLEASE use caution and do not do anything to further injure yourself and check with your doc before you do anything!
9. Accept the help you are offered. This was VERY difficult for me to accept because I am always doing things to help others. A friend of mine very bluntly told me that it is now MY time to let others care for me. The day I came home from the hospital was all it took for me to realize I had no other way to live with my dominant arm in a sling unless I had help! I cannot take my shirt off (much less my bra) without help!!!!
10. And finslly….Just RELAX! Take this time to heal, let others love and care for you. And most of all love and care for YOURSELF!!

Ok I gotta go, my son is bringing me tacos for dinner!!