Friday, July 31, 2009



There are 7 cats here having a catnap. Our friend bj calls this the caterwaul.

A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book.
~Irish Proverb

I agree with this. Have you ever laughed so hard your belly hurts and you quack like a duck or snort? That is good laughter. It makes you feel alive. And sleep, ahhhhhhh, I love to fall into bed at night exhausted and then take time to stretch and slowly wake in the morning. Also I have noticed that things always look brighter in the morning. I may have gone to bed with troubles, but in the morning light these troubles seem smaller, easier to handle.

Joy Scale: 10/10

Thursday, July 30, 2009



Twenty years from now,
you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do,
than by the ones you did do.
So throw off the bowlines.
Sail away from the safe harbour.
Catch the trade winds in your sails.
~ Mark Twain ~

Joy Scale: 9/10

Wednesday, July 29, 2009



I have found that if you love life, life will love you back.
~Arthur Rubinstein

Joy Scale: 9/10

Tuesday, July 28, 2009



Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths.
~Etty Hillesum

Joy Scale: 9/10

Monday, July 27, 2009



Spirit can walk, spirit can swim, spirit can climb, spirit can crawl. There is no terrain you cannot overcome.
~Irisa Hail

Joy Scale: 9/10

Sunday, July 26, 2009


This little guy sat for about an hour guarding "his" feeder yesterday. Here he is vigilantly watching for invaders.

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul. ~John Muir

Joy Scale: 10/10 A perfect sunny, breezy day and my honey is home.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Love Yourself



The greatest gift you will ever receive is the gift of loving and believing in yourself. Guard this gift with your life. It is the only thing that will truly ever be yours.
~ Tiffany Loren Rowe

Joy Scale: 9/10

Happy day, Hal comes home from camping tonight after drumming. YAY!

Friday, July 24, 2009



Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life.
~Rachel Carson

Joy Scale: 9/10

Thursday, July 23, 2009



The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful. ~e.e. cummings

We had a much needed, perfect, rainy day yesterday. I could hear the plants slurping and saying "ah". There is just something so freeing and invigorating about being out in the rain, splashing through puddles. I think it speaks directly to my inner child. No umbrellas for me!

Joy Scale: 9/10

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACLYN!!!! I LOVE YOU!

Wednesday, July 22, 2009



Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. "Pooh!" he whispered. "Yes, Piglet?" "Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's paw. "I just wanted to be sure of you."
~A.A. Milne

Joy Scale: 10/10 It's raining and I'm off to a spontaneous lunch/movie date with my parents! Life is good! And Hal is having fun camping in NH!

Tuesday, July 21, 2009



Most beds sleep up to six cats. Ten cats without the owner.
~Stephen Baker

Joy Scale: 9/10

My bed is somewhat empty now that Hal is off camping for the week. Well not really empty, and the felines have taken over Hal's side of the bed and Baby joined them this morning.

Monday, July 20, 2009



Hem your blessings with thankfulness so they don't unravel.
~Author Unknown

Joy Scale: 10/10
This morning as I had my quiet time out by the trickling fountian I found my thoughts turning towards gratitude. My life is filled with so much I am grateful for. Sometimes I get weighed down with negatives and have trouble seeing the positives. BUT they are always there! I am grateful for this day and the people and animals in my life just to name a couple.

Sunday, July 19, 2009



Do not be afraid of tomorrow; for God is already there.
~Author Unknown

Joy Scale: 9/10

Saturday, July 18, 2009



When the Japanese mend broken objects, they aggrandize the damage by filling the cracks with gold. They believe that when something's suffered damage and has a history it becomes more beautiful.
~Barbara Bloom

Joy Scale: 9/10

Friday, July 17, 2009

Respect



Teaching a child not to step on a caterpillar is as valuable to the child as it is to the caterpillar.
~Bradley Millar
Joy Scale: 9/10

Thursday, July 16, 2009



Life is too short to wake up with regrets.
So love the people who treat you right.
Love the ones who don't just because you can.
Believe everything happens for a reason.
If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands.
If it changes your life, let it.
Kiss slowly.
Forgive quickly.
God never said life would be easy.
He just promised it would be worth it.
~ Unknown

A tall ticket to fill, but it makes life much more fun and actually easier! It is worth it!

Joy Scale: 9/10

Wednesday, July 15, 2009



The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.
~Flora Whittemore

Joy Scale: 10/10
Fever Scale: 97/103.9 No more hot stuff....YAY!!!!

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Sometimes You Just Have to Go to the Doctor!....kicking and screaming!



The art of medicine consists in amusing the patient while nature cures the disease. ~Voltaire

Yesterday I went to see my most wonderful doctor, Dr. Jonas, because I just was not recovering from my flu bug. Before he started my exam he asked me to look at him. I did and I smiled. He said, "you'll be OK, you're still smiling". Now I am kicking myself for not going sooner! Duh! But in my defense I didn't think it would last so long and each day the symptoms got worse.

Joy Scale: 9/10

Monday, July 13, 2009

Success



When asked to name his greatest accomplishment in life he replied: "My children still come home to see me." ~ Former President George H.W. Bush

Joy Scale: 8/10

My youngest daughter Chrissy has been visiting us since Wednesday. Oh, the joy to see how much she has grown and how ready she is to conquer the world.

Sunday, July 12, 2009


The most affectionate creature in the world is a wet dog.
~Ambrose Bierce
Joy Scale: 9/10

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Meditation



True silence is to the spirit what sleep is to the body...nourishment and refreshment
~ William Penn

Meditation is such a healing way to start the day and/or end the day. It can be hard to meditate at first as your mind jumps around, but I promise as you meditate more it does get easier. When you have a thought simply acknowledge the thought and focus back on your breathing. Breathing is a good way to quiet your monkey mind of thoughts. Another option is to use guided meditation. I use both ways and I know I am better for this practice.

Joy Scale: 8/10

Friday, July 10, 2009

Take care of thyself!



Gold that buys health can never be ill spent. ~Thomas Dekker, Westward Ho, 1604

Joy Scale:8/10

It is hard to spend money on your own health, but sometimes you just have to do it. Last week I went to my doctor because my right knee has been really bothering me. He asked if I had tried the supplement SAM-e. He said SAM-E is helpful for inflammation and inflammatory conditions like Fibromyalgia. I said I hadn't that it was too expensive. He did some quick math and said it is only 50 cents a day, was I worth that much? Put that way, I realized that, yes, I could manage that and it was worth trying. Long story short, I bought some the next day and it has really helped with my knee pain. The same can be said for the Bowen and massages that help me so much. It can be hard to come around to believing that you are worth it! BUT YOU ARE!! I have heard that in the US only something like 3% of health care monies are spent on preventative medicine. In Japan and China the opposite is true, around 97% of health care monies are spent on preventative care. Over there they can have accupunture 3 times a week if they want.
It appears that US healthcare is being driven by pharmaceutical companies. As long as this is true then prevention will not be supported. There are now drugs for Fibromyalgia, Lyrica and Cymbalta. But what will it cost the patients taking these drugs physically? I refuse to take prescription drugs, it does not ring true with me. I have seen too many people have side effects from the drugs they are taking and then have to take another drug or drugs for the side effects. It is a vicious cycle. That is why I believe there are natural, hollistic ways to heal thyself.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Sleep



A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book.
~Irish Proverb

Joy Scale: 9/10

Sleep, ah, such a wonderful thing. I love to fall into bed and have the waves of sleep overcome me as soon as I say my nightly prayers. I had my days early in my fibromyalgia days where I could not sleep. After a month of what seemed like very little sleep, I was barely functioning. Letting it get to that stage was very scary feeling. A body needs sleep to function! What I found to help me sleep was a Tylenol PM tablet and a 3mg Melatonin tablet. I am so anti-drugs that it was a hard step to take them. The good news is, now I rarely take anything for sleep, but I am thankful that those drugs helped over a hump at that difficult time in my life. A lesson to be learned here is, just because you use something to get you through, it doesn't mean you are going to have to use it forever!

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Breathe



Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths.
~Etty Hillesum

Joy Scale: 10/10
Chrissy comes to visit us today! Yay!

This is from Dr. Andrew Weil. I am going to do this. It sounds like such a simple process with such wonderful benefits. It makes sense to me too.

Dr. Weil says,"practicing regular, mindful breathing can be calming and energizing and can even help with stress-related health problems ranging from panic attacks to digestive disorders."

The 4-7-8 Breathing Exercise

The key to this exercise is to remember the numbers 4, 7 and 8. It’s not important to focus on how much time you spend in each phase of the breathing activity, but rather that you get the ratio correct.

Here’s how it’s done:

1.Sit up straight
2.Place the tip of your tongue up against the back of your front teeth. Keep it there through the entire breathing process
3.Breathe in silently through your nose to the count of four
4.Hold your breath to the count of seven
5.Exhale through your mouth to the count of eight, making an audible “woosh” sound
6.That completes one full breath. Repeat the cycle another three times, for a total of four breaths
You can do this exercise as frequently as you want throughout the day, but it’s recommended you don’t do more than four full breaths during the first month or so of practice. Later you may work your way up to eight full breath cycles at a time.

The benefits of this simple practice are enormous and work as a natural tranquilizer for your nervous system.

Personally, I think one of its greatest values may be gained when you combine it with your meals. Most of us eat three meals a day, so it makes remembering to do it easier. Also, I believe that combining it with the attitude of gratitude for the healthy meal you just ate, or are about to eat, can have a powerful, beneficial influence on your health.

The Health Benefits of Breathing Exercises

Self-applied health enhancement methods like the 4-7-8 breathing technique are particularly remarkable because of the broad array of real health benefits that are triggered.

Learning to breathe mindfully can modify and accelerate your body's inherent self-regulating physiological and bioenergetic mechanisms.

These changes are in large part due to the fact that you’re oxygenating your body properly as well as correcting your internal and energetic balance, and it has a direct impact your nervous system.

This in turn affects your entire body and its countless cellular functions, including all of your subtle energy systems.

The web site breathing.com offers a list of clinical studies into the health benefits of optimal breathing. One such study, which spanned a 30-year period, concluded that the most significant factor in your health and longevity is how well you breathe.

It focused on the long-term predictive power of forced exhalation volume as the primary marker for life span. According to the researchers,

"This pulmonary function measurement appears to be an indicator of general health and vigor and literally a measure of living capacity."

It’s also important to realize that much of hypertension is controlled by the way you breathe, so breathing exercises are an excellent adjunct to your other healthy lifestyle strategies to control high blood pressure.

Breathing exercises such as the one I showed you above have a positive impact on your:

•Respiratory system, which can reduce mental and physical fatigue, as well as relieve symptoms of asthma and bronchitis
•Circulatory system; improving blood circulation and cell oxygenation throughout your body
•Nervous system
•Digestive system, by acting as a pump to massage internal organs
•Endocrine system. The action of your diaphragm helps push lymph throughout your body, which helps eliminate toxic waste and strengthen your immune system
•Urinary system, by helping to eliminate fluids and massaging your kidneys
•Skin. Toxic CO2 waste is eliminated more directly through your breath, and your skin can also be positively affected by improved blood flow and oxygenation
Breathing Your Way to Optimal Health

Another obvious use for the 4-7-8 breathing technique is to use it whenever you feel stressed or anxious. It’s a powerful way to help relax your system without drugs.

Best of all, it doesn’t cost you anything but a couple of minutes of your time! And, if you commit to it, I believe you’ll be absolutely shocked, and pleasantly surprised, by how quickly and easily it can center and relax you and allow you to achieve high levels of health.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009


Smiles are like yawns, they are contagious! Let's keeping spreading them around.

Joy Scale: 10/10

Monday, July 6, 2009

Enthusiasm



Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.

~ Samuel Ullman

Joy Scale: 10/10

Sunday, July 5, 2009

A Farewell Blessing to Ev & Rick



May flowers always line your path and sunshine light your day.
May songbirds serenade you every step along the way.
May a rainbow run beside you in a sky that's always blue.
And may happiness fill your heart each day your whole life through.
~ Irish Blessing

Joy Scale: 9/10

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Rainbows in the clouds



Earth's crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God;
~Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Or in our case last evening the clouds were afire with God.
It was such a humbling moment to witness the rainbows in the clouds. Last night as we were driving home from Bullwinkles we(Hal, Rick, Ev and I) started to find shapes in the clouds, like Bob Hope, a volcano, pyramids. Then off to our left Ev saw the first rainbow cloud, then we saw another. As we drove along and changed angles with the clouds the colors of the rainbow changed. We watched these clouds in awe as we drove home. I felt truly blessed to witness such an event. God is great!
This rare phenomenom is called a circumhorizontal arc, google it if you want a more detailed description of it. Briefly, it is caused by the sun hitting hexagonal ice crystals in cirrus clouds just right. Our rainbows were not as large as the one in the picture in my post, but I was still very awed by the miracle we witnessed.

Joy Scale: 10/10

Friday, July 3, 2009



A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song.
~ Chinese Proverb

Joy Scale: 9/10

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Now



"Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. And today?
Today is a gift. That's why we call it the present."
~Babatunde Olatunji

Joy Scale: 9/10