Strange doesn't even begin to cover it for this summer. Some of the strangeness has been welcomed, but some hasn't so much. But I guess when I look at the sum of it all, it's been a blessing in total.
Cassidi has been GONE the entire summer it seems. She got out of school on May 29th and has been on a trip or at a sports camp all but 5 or 6 days. This has meant I can sleep in, stay in lazy clothes the entire day, and not have to cook on the days I'm not working. It should have meant that I was productive with all my free time and came up with some wondrous idea of how to save the planet or something like that. Instead I've been a slug. Oh well. Maybe it's just been my body's way of recovering from the crazy school year. She comes home Sunday from a beach trip with a friend's family. We have a basketball and softball camp left before school starts back August 10th. One smart thing I did was do school shopping already. So, we won't have any last minute trips to a city to shop (probably my least favorite thing to do in the world!!).
The weather has been completely bizarre. The winter was a very cold and snowy one for a change. I enjoyed that. But then the spring and early summer were all about rain. I did NOT enjoy that. I'm a sun lover and when it's gloomy outside, I'm gloomy, too. Usually in the middle of July, it's sweltering hot and humid. Right now I'm laying with an afghan over me contemplating if I should turn on some heat. I know I live in the mountains, but this is kinda ridiculous. The crazy weather has me wondering just what in the world is going on with our planet. I'm afraid our planet is doomed in more ways than one. But I keep trying to be cheerful and find the smiles in each day willing it forward one day at a time.
The really sad part of this spring/summer has been all the illness around us. So many people are fighting cancer. It seems like every week we hear of yet someone else we know that is diagnosed. And if it's not cancer, it's something else life threatening. I even had a massage client die. He was very young (51) and developed pancreatitis. I had only worked on him twice, but the day he died, he was scheduled for an appointment. I had found out the day before that he was in the hospital, so I wasn't expecting him. But I was shocked to find he had passed away. When I worked in the crazy corporate world, the amount of stress I experienced and saw in others was awful. And now that I'm a massage therapist, I see much the same in the clients that grace my table. I'm glad I can help in a small way to alleviate some of that stress, but I know it's not enough. We have to find a way to stop all this disease. Sooner rather than later!!
Jennifer has decided that she's had enough of the wild west and wants to return to the East Coast. She just got a job in the north east corner of Virginia. She'll start September 21st. She'll be coming home for a short stay before officially settling in. We don't have all the details, but it's great news that she'll be closer to home. A 6 or 7 hour road trip to reach her is far better than a 30+ hour trip!
I watched some silly tv tonight and laughed. It felt so good! It made me really think about my laughter quotient. I really do not laugh enough in life. I need to start making more time to laugh!! Not just giggle or laugh for a minute. But really gut giggling laughter. Laugh till you cry laughter. Laugh until your sides hurt laughter. I'd say laugh until you pee your pants laughter, but that's way too messy. But hopefully you get the gist. I want to really let my body laugh. Happiness is a great medicine for the mind, body, and spirit. Now to find a source for all this laughter. That will most likely be a challenge. But AFV plays every day and YouTube seems to be a good source as well. I'm just going to have to get creative in finding humor.
With the crazy petting zoo of animals that we have at our house, I shouldn't have to look far. The dogs are always getting into things they shouldn't be. The new kitty has an abundance of energy and is driving everyone (human and animal) CRAZY! And watching the wild life out the window or off the porch is often entertaining. The squirrel playing on the bird feeder would make a great video for AFV. Maybe it won't be as difficult as I think to find sources. I think I just need to open my eyes more and allow myself to see the world around me. Gosh knows my husband and girls provide enough entertainment for 10 families. I just need to focus on the positives and wake up to them more, too.
So, here's to laughter - the best medicine in the world!!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Shew...
I've been a terrible blogger of late. I don't know, I think I got myself in a stalemate thinking of the 3 posts I did make and contemplating which to pursue. Meanwhile, that meant I wasn't writing. And DUH! That was the whole point of this blog. To practice writing. So, as usual, mind took over matter and thus no blogs.
So, tonight, I'm just going to ramble. Just get some thoughts out of my head that need to be put onto paper (or in blogging lingo - cyberville).
Anyway, I'm getting REALLY pissed off at cancer. It seems at ever corner, there's yet another person in my life facing this deadly disease. A good friend from high school was really the first bout. We lost the father of a good friend from high school next. Tony has a good friend from work fighting it. And then it struck far too close to home - Tony's Mom. And from there, it just seems to continually pepper our friend base far and near. I found out last night a dear friend, our next door neighbor in Charlotte, has colon cancer. Fortunately they did surgery today and it appears to be contained. But we'll just have to see how that progresses.
All this disease is epidemic. We really need to figure out what's causing all of this and fix it. I have some theories and at times, feel like a "conspiracy theory" freak!! But my belief is that all the out gassing from plastics is the culprit. For those of you unfamiliar with out gassing, it's the release of toxins (chemicals that make plastic) when it is heated or cooled. Out gassing, combined with the amount of stress in today's crazy society of "I want more and work like a mad person to get it", the hormones they're putting in meat, and the pesticides they're using on fruit and vegetables is leading to CANCER. Our immune systems are weakened by the stress and all these pollutants are praying upon our bodies and activating the cancer that lives within each of us. I really do feel the FDA knows there are issues with all the plastic coming into contact with our food and water supplies. But they are doing NOTHING about it!! And worse yet, they continue to approve the use of plastic containers for food.
So, here's my soap box. Out gassing occurs when you heat plastic as well as when you freeze it. Having said that, think of all the uses of plastic for both heating and cooling things. The plumbing today is all plastic (hot/cold water we drink and bath in). The air ducts in our homes and cars are all plastic (heat/air conditioning). Nearly everything from a food perspective comes in plastic. But the worst are those that tell you to leave it in the packaging to microwave it!! And bottled water. UGH! Don't ever drink a bottle of water left in your car that gets heated from the sun!! It's practically poison!! Then think of all the plastic containers we use. We cook food and while it's still warm, we put it in a plastic container - only to follow that by putting it in the fridge or freezer!! Double whammy!!! Then we heat it up again in the dishwasher or sink while cleaning it. Those toxins go down our drain, into the soil, and pollutes our water supply. Plastic is EVERYWHERE!! Nearly impossible for us to remove from our lives.
Sounds like a defeatist, huh?! Not at all! My proposal is to do what you can to limit it's use as much as possible. Get rid of all the plastic in your kitchen. I know, I know. It's convenient, it costs less, it's easier to store, etc., etc., etc. But tell me that when you or a loved one are faced with this gosh awful disease and are paying dearly with your/their life!! I don't mean to be harsh here, but that's how we need to start looking at this! Plastic is the enemy. And I know there are different grades of it and some that are supposed to be "good". But my take is that any plastic is a source of out gassing. Next, limit plastic wrap and baggies as much as possible. The best thing is to only cook what you're going to eat. But we always have leftovers no matter what it seems. So, put it in a glass container with aluminum foil on top. Also, get a metal or glass container for your drinking water to go in the car. Get creative!! Review your life and see where all plastic intercedes it. Then see if you can't create some kind of alternative to remove it.
So, sorry again if I sound cold and heartless. No, not all cancer is caused by what I've blabbered on about here. There are various causes of cancer and many times nothing we can do will prevent it from developing in our bodies. For all of you cancer survivors out there reading this, or for those of you that have lost someone to cancer, I can't tell you how sorry I am that you're having to face this awful disease. None of what I'm saying here is meant to attack you or your habits. I just want to try to get folks thinking so they can minimize the risks.
Well, that's enough rambling for tonight. My prayers are filled every night with all those struggling against this monster. I pray for those ill, but also all the family and friends that are having to experience it with them. I also pray that we'll figure this monster out and find a way to defeat it once and for all.
So, tonight, I'm just going to ramble. Just get some thoughts out of my head that need to be put onto paper (or in blogging lingo - cyberville).
Anyway, I'm getting REALLY pissed off at cancer. It seems at ever corner, there's yet another person in my life facing this deadly disease. A good friend from high school was really the first bout. We lost the father of a good friend from high school next. Tony has a good friend from work fighting it. And then it struck far too close to home - Tony's Mom. And from there, it just seems to continually pepper our friend base far and near. I found out last night a dear friend, our next door neighbor in Charlotte, has colon cancer. Fortunately they did surgery today and it appears to be contained. But we'll just have to see how that progresses.
All this disease is epidemic. We really need to figure out what's causing all of this and fix it. I have some theories and at times, feel like a "conspiracy theory" freak!! But my belief is that all the out gassing from plastics is the culprit. For those of you unfamiliar with out gassing, it's the release of toxins (chemicals that make plastic) when it is heated or cooled. Out gassing, combined with the amount of stress in today's crazy society of "I want more and work like a mad person to get it", the hormones they're putting in meat, and the pesticides they're using on fruit and vegetables is leading to CANCER. Our immune systems are weakened by the stress and all these pollutants are praying upon our bodies and activating the cancer that lives within each of us. I really do feel the FDA knows there are issues with all the plastic coming into contact with our food and water supplies. But they are doing NOTHING about it!! And worse yet, they continue to approve the use of plastic containers for food.
So, here's my soap box. Out gassing occurs when you heat plastic as well as when you freeze it. Having said that, think of all the uses of plastic for both heating and cooling things. The plumbing today is all plastic (hot/cold water we drink and bath in). The air ducts in our homes and cars are all plastic (heat/air conditioning). Nearly everything from a food perspective comes in plastic. But the worst are those that tell you to leave it in the packaging to microwave it!! And bottled water. UGH! Don't ever drink a bottle of water left in your car that gets heated from the sun!! It's practically poison!! Then think of all the plastic containers we use. We cook food and while it's still warm, we put it in a plastic container - only to follow that by putting it in the fridge or freezer!! Double whammy!!! Then we heat it up again in the dishwasher or sink while cleaning it. Those toxins go down our drain, into the soil, and pollutes our water supply. Plastic is EVERYWHERE!! Nearly impossible for us to remove from our lives.
Sounds like a defeatist, huh?! Not at all! My proposal is to do what you can to limit it's use as much as possible. Get rid of all the plastic in your kitchen. I know, I know. It's convenient, it costs less, it's easier to store, etc., etc., etc. But tell me that when you or a loved one are faced with this gosh awful disease and are paying dearly with your/their life!! I don't mean to be harsh here, but that's how we need to start looking at this! Plastic is the enemy. And I know there are different grades of it and some that are supposed to be "good". But my take is that any plastic is a source of out gassing. Next, limit plastic wrap and baggies as much as possible. The best thing is to only cook what you're going to eat. But we always have leftovers no matter what it seems. So, put it in a glass container with aluminum foil on top. Also, get a metal or glass container for your drinking water to go in the car. Get creative!! Review your life and see where all plastic intercedes it. Then see if you can't create some kind of alternative to remove it.
So, sorry again if I sound cold and heartless. No, not all cancer is caused by what I've blabbered on about here. There are various causes of cancer and many times nothing we can do will prevent it from developing in our bodies. For all of you cancer survivors out there reading this, or for those of you that have lost someone to cancer, I can't tell you how sorry I am that you're having to face this awful disease. None of what I'm saying here is meant to attack you or your habits. I just want to try to get folks thinking so they can minimize the risks.
Well, that's enough rambling for tonight. My prayers are filled every night with all those struggling against this monster. I pray for those ill, but also all the family and friends that are having to experience it with them. I also pray that we'll figure this monster out and find a way to defeat it once and for all.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
