17 January 2023 First Session

Hello to you. How are you today? Today I had my first online session with a therapist through better help.com. I was surprised that he was deaf so it was kind of hard to understand him at times but I think we connected. He taught me a anxiety grounding technique 3 2 1. Three things you can see, two things you can touch or smell, one thing you can hear. It’s a way to ground yourself when your having a panic attack. I shared this video with him that helps me a lot: https://youtu.be/pJWY3Bkkaew – Relax For Awhile Anxiety Attack Talkdown

Today we have sunshine which is great! I really feel bad for those people in California that are dealing with flooding and rains right now.

14 January 2023 Passages

Hello to you. I hope this finds you well. The message from A Woman’s Spirit for today resonated – May be it will resonate with you as well:

We are not unlike a particularly hardy crustacean……with each passage from one stage of human growth to the next, we too, must shed a protective structure. – Gail Sherry

Our passage into a new stage of development was initiated by our desire to stop using chemicals. The values we lived by while using chemicals no longer got us. We need to shed our old skin and grow a new one that reflects our current world view.

We are now, and always will be, in the stage of becoming, of trying to fulfill our changing dreams and aspirations. What we can accomplish at one stage of life is different from what we can handle at another. And yet an overall design is being shaped by all our endeavors. The more willing we are to shed yet another skin, the more centered, stable, and spirit-filled we’ll become.

Do my actions fit my values ? As I outgrow my values, I will release them. I we I’ll relish my growth today and celebrate my new skin.

9 January 2023 New Year

Hello there. How are you? I hope your new year is off to a great start. Can you believe it’s the 9th already?!

I didn’t make any New Year’s resolutions as I probably won’t keep them lol. What I do want is a positive year so let’s hope for that.

A new fur baby for Link from my Auntie

27 December 2022 Quiet World

Hello to you. How are you? I hope this finds you well. I just went and got groceries – not my favorite chore. When I bent down to a lower shelf to get some chicken soup I lost my balance and fell. Very embarrassing! I am too heavy and need to lose weight.

Today I’m thinking about how quiet my world is compared to when I was manic and was connected to the spirit world. I miss my friends – the benevolent spirits that kept me company. I was never alone or lonely when they were with me. Another side effect of the medication in addition to losing a lot of hair. My hair is really brittle and whenever I brush it a bunch comes out . This happened with Depakote before.

Quiet mind vacant drifts the waves fall on blank and porous shores.

20 December 2022 Family

Hello to you. How are you? I hope we’ll. I’m doing ok. Still having the swaying motion and stuff but can tell the prayers are helping. This past Sunday we got together to celebrate Christmas. We had a full house to include new baby Suton. The house was full but we had a nice time. My Uncle Bill catered the meal like normally does – bbq and a side dish of macaroni and cheese. We are all so grateful he does that as it makes getting together so much easier especially for my Aunt and Uncle.

We did the traditional gift exchange game and that was fun. I ended up with yummy See’s candy. My gift contribution was a fuel gift card and chocolate.

For Christmas Eve I will be going over to my cousins for brunch which will be nice. No plans for Christmas Day. They are doing construction on the main road I take to get to my Aunts and the route around is quite a detour.

Me with my Auntie
We frosted some cookies

16 December 2022 Asking for Help

Hello to you. How are you today? Today my thoughts turn to something that has never been easy for me to do and that is asking for help. I’ve always been self reliant and independent but since I’ve moved here to Idaho and the health issues that have cropped up I have been having to ask for help and thanks be to God it’s been there!

What is it that keeps us from wanting to ask for help? Pride? Fear of making debts we may not be able to repay? Lately I’ve been asking Jesus for his help a lot. I’m hoping for some miracle that only he can deliver in regards to my health. May be that’s why I’m going through this at all – so that I might get closer to him. Not try and rely on my own strength and understanding. That’s what it seems like anyways.

I’m grateful for my family here helping me get through what I’m going through. They are extensions of Jesus in my life.

14 December 2022 Little Coffee Pot

Hello to you. How are you? This morning I ventured out early to get groceries because I needed to buy some coffee for the new little coffee pot my Aunt bought for me. She found a little 5 cup at Savers and thought of me. During my manic episode my coffee pot was one of the casualties.

She found a reusable filter that fit perfectly too so no buying paper filters

13 December 2022 Consider the Lilies

Hello to you. How are you today? I was looking through the clippings from my Grandma and found this pretty one. How easy it is for us to take the beauty of each day for granted. Since I’ve had this condition set in on me, I’ve not been as good about appreciating the natural beauty that surrounds me. It’s just a struggle to walk versus easily getting around and taking in the world around me.

Appreciation for the little things that make up our world

12 December 2022 Belief

Hello to you . How are you today? My thoughts turn to belief today. I want to believe in the healing power of God over what I’ve got going on physically and psychologically. I want to believe God is healing me and restoring me to my self. Half of the battle in healing is just that I think. People can pray for us but if we don’t believe the change can’t occur.

Thank you for your kind words and prayers of support – I believe they are helping!

9 December 2022 Happy Birthday Link

Happy birthday baby boy – he’s 8 today

Today is Links birthday. Hard to believe he’s 8 already! We got snow over night pretty thick too.

Talked to my psychologist yesterday and we decided to put things on hold until we get the physical stuff worked out. I have a appt scheduled with neurology in March.