Health – Page 6

18 May 2022 “Up!”

May 18, 2022May 18, 2022 by saymber, posted in animals, Art and Poetry, Bipolar life, books, dreams, Health, history, Home, human rights, In the News, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Music, Nature, photography, Science (Keshe Foundation and other innovations), Spirituality and Religion, technology, trust, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Hello to you. How are you today? I hope you are well and if your not, for whatever reason and there are so many these days, I want you to know you are in my prayers. All things both good and bad pass on.

Last night I had a bit of a struggle again with sleep. I got some new pillows called My Pillow and it just takes some time to break them in.

Hoping these will help with my quest for restful sleep!

The title of the post today is because of what I want to call a persistent and very short dream I had last night. The dream was of seeing red clouds and Prince just saying over and over again “Up! Up!” When Prince Rogers Nelson was alive, one of the things he had talked about in interviews was the spraying in the sky. (https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3znbey – he talks about his experience here.) Yesterday on my walks I noticed there have been a lot of trails going on here and I noticed myself feeling more irritable than normal. You can just feel the stuff all around. It’s rare to see a picture with sky that doesn’t have these trails in it – no matter what part of the world. So anyways……I woke up to go to the bathroom and I’m sitting there and asked in the darkness, “Ok Prince, what was that dream about?” As soon as I said that I saw a round ball of light run across the wall past the bathroom! Like someone running. It wasn’t a car or anything because I checked. More weird stuff! I just had my eyes checked so it wasn’t that. Prince was one of those artists whose music helped me so much growing up! Messages come to the waking and dreaming worlds.

Source: Internet
I think Prince was lonely too sometimes

Some messages from A Woman’s Spirit for today:

It’s all in the attitude! – Eileen Fehlen

We are learning from this program that we are in charge of our attitude. No other person or no situation can force us into a negative frame of mind. And if we have intentionally, though perhaps mindlessly, chosen to feel negative, we can instantly feel positive instead. A gentle reminder is all that’s necessary.

Most of us got so used to negativity that we failed to see that we could feel otherwise. We resented women who always seemed happy and up. Now we understand, but understanding how our attitude is developed and taking charge of it are separate acts.

Being consciously and actively in charge of a positive attitude takes lots of practice, but every time we succeed in changing a bad attitude to a favorable one makes change easier the next time. We will soon discover that we are just as happy as we want to be. The power rests solely with each one of us.

I will be a happy woman today if that is my choice. No one can make me feel otherwise.

———————-

Now for a walk and messages from yesterday:

I love the iridescent look of this trees leaves

Yesterday was hot and there was a lot of natural and unnatural “stuff” in the air. Finding a dead mother squirrel in the road didn’t help with the grumpiness I was already feeling!

I love some of the names of streets – I hadn’t been down this one yet!

Isn’t this cool? What’s even more special was for the first time in years I was greeted by a cat! We had a short and sweet little visit. Their home is for sale.

Isn’t this beautiful?! A little worse for wear but still lovely. Every time I see a blue butterfly I think of my Grandma B.

Waters and habitat like this support so many lives

My Aunt sent this to me yesterday – so perfect for how I was feeling yesterday!

Things were feeling a bit chaotic yesterday afternoon

“Hi there! It’s going to be ok! Love you!”

14 May 2022 Make Better Choices

May 14, 2022 by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, Food, Health, history, Home, human rights, In the News, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Native American Culture, Nature, photography, Politics and Government, Science (Keshe Foundation and other innovations), Social media, Spirituality and Religion, technology, trust, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Hello to you. How are you? It’s overcast. Gray and wet here but I’m not complaining! I am so grateful we are experiencing this type of weather and not the kind so many are experiencing lately! Yesterday I found out the Midwest, where I am originally from, has been experiencing wild dust storms: https://www.argusleader.com/story/weather/2022/05/13/south-dakota-storm-met-definition-derecho-what-haboob-severe-weather/9759725002/ – this is from my hometown newspaper. They do a good job of explaining two weather terms I hadn’t heard of before. A derecho and a haboob:

It’s really strange to have noticed this type of stuff going on in the Middle East a few posts ago and then to see this show up at my parents doorsteps!

The title of this blog today is a message for me and I think for others. On the small scale for myself is health related. I had a couple blemishes show up on my face and I messed with them and I know better! I was laying in bed and noticed how much belly fat was there and at the same time was feeling pain in my lower back which is one of the main parts of my body that carries that belly! I went to the mirror and the message that came to me about all of my meager issues was, “This is your fault! Make better choices!” Thinking of all that is going on in our world in all the principalities I don’t think that message is just for me. Bad choices can come from initial well meaning intentions and then they just compound on themselves making new problems on top of old ones. A good example is Roundup or weed killers. We use poison that ends up in our bodies through various means and we wonder why cancer shows up.

https://youtu.be/ZQYPlEoU9ko – Life is a Walking from Good Buffalo Eagle

The next images are kind of random but may be something is for you:

With the pain I’ve been experiencing, I’m very grateful to George!

My Aunt and Uncle gave me this electric blanket and it really has been helping me manage pain

Sometimes it’s good to just stop and appreciate the world around you. Link likes to walk really slow so he really helps me slow down.

This little trees leaves look like they were painted on

I was happy to see this little one again. The last time I saw them they were running off with a hurt foot! Reminds me of a cat I had, loved and miss named Amber.

One of my favorite spots – isn’t the sun amazing?!

The blooming trees on the walk transitioning to leaves and berries

My favorite pic of the day – as I stood here I was thinking of my Grandma Carol and how much she loved streams like this too. The sound and just watching it glisten in the sun is balm for my soul.

A little deja vu seeing this happening in our times. I can remember my Grandma Schmidt talking about actually living through this. What kind of choices have been made to have this sort of thing happening again?

5 May 2022 The Humming Tree and Orange Flowers

May 5, 2022 by saymber, posted in Animal Rights, animals, Health, Home, Leading Life by Example, Nature, photography, Spirituality and Religion, trust, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Hello to you. How are you today? I am writing to you from bed again. I think I overdid it the past couple days and my back and legs are not happy with me! A ruckus going on in my temple lol!

I had a new friend on Facebook express to me her love of the Bible and that she noticed I had been sharing Bible passage’s. She asked if I have a favorite passage and I said not really. I don’t have scripture committed to memory. Lately when I have questions about things I told her I look to see what the Bible says about my question. She thought that was an interesting way to study scripture. My question yesterday was about bees. I looked at a few different passages and this one stood out as my day had included seeing both flies and bees:

Yesterday was kind of magical for me. During the morning walk we stopped to visit with one of my favorite trees. As I stood there I saw thousands of bees working! I thought no wonder the energy from this tree is so happy! They have lots of friends! I tell you the most amazing thing was hearing a tree literally humming because there were so many bees. This picture I took shows the sun with a halo that makes the sun look like an eye to me…looking to see this lovely being. A healthy and happy tree filled with life:

Even the sun paying a visit to this humming tree

Do you remember me mentioning I had asked God for orange flowers? Yesterday there were orange flowers growing by a part of the canal I like to visit! Some California poppies! I don’t have a telephoto lense so couldn’t really zoom in but you can still see them:

Knowing God I will begin to see orange flowers wherever they are hiding!

Here are other moments from walking yesterday:

Link was too hot and didn’t seem interested on exploring so I headed out on my own

Bees bees everywhere wonderful bees! I gave them thanks for their hard work! Little gardeners making the world I see so beautiful

I love what sunlight does – deep oranges in this trees leaves are illuminated

I noticed this little grove by the water. They weren’t budding leaves yet which I thought was kind of odd.

I had to take a moment to visit with this amazing being resting on the leaves of a plant I had never seen before. Love jumping spiders!

This was over at Tsai’s Kitchen our Chinese food restaurant down the street from me

A wasp taking a moment. I notice these guys take care of trees like oak and pine. I haven’t seen them with the flowering trees.

I think this is a California poppy too! Orange!

This was supposed to be the last picture and then….

I have never seen one of these guys before! I think it’s either a swamp rat or nutria. From what I read when I was looking it up on the internet they aren’t very well liked. Considered an invasive species. Sigh.

3 May 2022 Who Is Your Boss?

May 3, 2022 by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, Health, history, Home, human rights, In the News, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Money, Movies, Music, Nature, photography, Social media, Spirituality and Religion, technology, Television, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Hello to you. How are you today? I’m writing to you from my bed. My lower body is still not happy with me. Mornings are the toughest part of the day but through the course of the day things loosen and warm up. Yesterday was a really good day. The gravel install went really well and the men did a wonderful job. I’m so grateful to them. Such hard working people that I could even hear whistling as they worked! Doing that kind of work has to take a toll on the body. I prayed for them and their bodies.

This will make things a lot easier for me!

My neighbors thought the crew did a great job too. My neighbor works 40-60 hrs a week and has a child. She doesn’t have much free time or energy for yard maintenance. She’s thinking about having these guys fix her yard too. With drought conditions also it’s a good move.

These words really resonated thinking specifically about the men working here yesterday and others I see splashed over headlines. Generated a question as I observe much of the world and what it’s going through – who do you work for? Who is your boss? Ultimately who do you answer to with the work and other things you do? For me, God is my boss. God gets the glory not me.

Yesterday my cousin and I got a chance to talk on the phone and she mentioned my other cousins husbands mom had a stroke. My cousin and I are about the same age (50’s) and we are noticing that there is a whole generation of people, for us in their 70’s that are going through a lot of “body stuff” all at once. I felt sad when I heard about Naomi Judd and her battle with and ultimately succumbing to mental health issues. She was in her 70’s. I know from my own journey that mental health can be a potentially fatal condition. Suicide being the big part of it. What happens with our mind affects our entire existence. What I see in the news about all this doesn’t talk about what I see in the dis-eases of the mind and body. For all the proclamations of faith we are a very sick country spiritually. You can’t put tangibles…things of a material world in the soul. That space is just for God. All the pills, self help modalities, treatments and spa days in the world aren’t going to help a broken soul. This is what I have had to learn and relearn for most of my life.

https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/mental-health/3474366-naomi-judds-death-spotlights-a-national-mental-health-crisis-worsened-by-covid-19/amp/

Millions of Americans struggled with their mental health well before COVID-19, but the pandemic hasn’t made shouldering mental illness any easier – an issue brought to light over the weekend after the death of country music star Naomi Judd.

Who is your boss? Do you even really know? When I was in the military I had a boss all the way to the President! A lot of different people telling me, ordering, what to do each day. Through all the voices, expectations and demands I had to understand that ultimately I answer to God. When all is said and done in this life no one here on earth is going to matter to you. Who are you allowing to feed your soul?

Time for a walk, Link and I have been going even if it hurts! We just go really slow!

I looked this up and I think it’s going to be an Iris!

This place gives me a rest – love the running water

So vibrant! Had to stop and admire this!

One of these walks I’m going to remember to bring money so I can try food from this little food truck!

Doesn’t the sun look huge lol?! These are shops when we take the longer walk – pizza, tanning and s laundromat

This is a musician I spent time listening to yesterday – mentioned him here before – Astravert aka Justin Carter. I realized yesterday when he smiles he reminds me of my younger dad when he would smile and laugh! He’s back in Omaha Nebraska with his parents for a couple months to save money. Some times trying to live off of A Twitch salary is rough! Watch https://twitch.tv/astravert with me on Twitch! astravert

I was exploring yesterday. I had been hearing an instrument in some music lately and discovered it was the Tanpura! You can really sing with this instrument – so soothing! It’s a very distinctive sound in music from India:

https://youtube.com/shorts/t-Tf-YP5Ttk?feature=share

https://youtu.be/Qh67dka7a5I – Drone Music, Briefly, All you need to know about Drones

https://youtu.be/DGhN2O6Eh6g – Dead Can Dance The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove

I noticed music from The Chosen has the sound of the Tanpura in it also!

19 April 2022 Surprises on Walks

April 19, 2022April 19, 2022 by saymber, posted in animals, books, Food, Health, Home, Leading Life by Example, Music, Nature, photography, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Hello to you. How are you doing? I didn’t do a video for Twitch again today. It’s been about a week. I just haven’t felt up to it. It’s been hard to convince myself to get out of bed lately! I just hurt!

I was doing some surfing yesterday about joint pain and arthritis connected to having Covid. Turns out it’s indeed a thing! I’m really starting to believe what I’ve been going through is post Covid related stuff. Here is a link to one of the videos I found where a man and his wife have been experiencing joint pain after Covid: https://youtu.be/fyR9uJHCdKA – if you are experiencing inflammation and pain in your joints, like for me it’s my upper thighs and knees, this video might resonate with you. I am hoping it will eventually stop!

Despite the pain, I’ve been trying to get out for walks with Link. It’s so rewarding when I do! So much to see! There have been surprises lately too! This morning I looked down for just one minute and was amazed to see not one but two wild pansies in the edge of a yard we were passing! I struggled to get down to take the picture…..getting up made me curse gravity a bit lol….but it was worth it!

A lovely surprise for us today on the morning walk- a wild pansy!

Other pictures from yesterday and today:

The tulips are out here in Idaho – when I see them I think of my Mom. She used to grow flowers like tulips

I noticed this yesterday in the shopping center on our walk

This beauty caught my eye even with being surrounded by so many power lines

Part of what makes each tree an individual is their bark – I love seeing trees in afternoon light

This little one made me think of a cat we used to see all the time in Alvarado TX! Love the mustache!

A blue version of the car I used to drive in Sr. High School! Mine was red. I’ll never forget Dad and I practicing stick shift in a parking lot lol!

Ridleys is the grocery store I always go to. I told the cashier I was so grateful she was there (they seem a little short handed), that I was grateful to wake up to peace and quiet and that there was food in the store…..little things people in warring parts of the world aren’t experiencing today. We are so fortunate!

My day will be dark only if I shut out the light f my Higher Power. Through my faith and my friends I can know peace – A Woman’s Spirit

https://youtu.be/bFeNjMjk0dA – Toni Cornell singing Nothing Compares 2 U in honor of her Dad Chris. Her eyes are so sad to me. This was the first song Kyle and I listened to (the Sinead O’Conner version) after we said goodbye to our sweet dog Sam. It’s hard for me to listen to for that reason but I toughed it out to hear both Chris and now Toni’s interpretation of it. She did her Dad proud I think!

23 March 2022 Finding Comfort

March 23, 2022 by saymber, posted in Art and Poetry, Bipolar life, books, drawing, Health, history, Home, human rights, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Music, Nature, photography, Social media, Spirituality and Religion, trust, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Check out 23 March 2022 Wednesday chat(AA Step 3) https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1434295003

I had to talk to God and myself this morning while feeling anxiety

Hello to you. How are you? Today began with one of those anxiety attacks I get once in awhile. I think it has to do with sleep apnea but I’m not sure. I just know I kind of freaked out. I had to pull out some tools from my sanity toolkit to get myself calmed down. I started with talking to God and went to the Bible to try and find comforting messages. I looked through so many chapters….the concordance for anxiety and comfort and just couldn’t find what I was looking for. It came to me to try the “Big Book” from Alcoholics Anonymous, specifically Step 3….made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. I ended up making my Twitch Stream today mostly about this step. When I initially entered into the program this step was hard. My sponsor reassured me that it didn’t have to be just the God of the Bible that I turned my will….surrendered to. It had to be a power that wasn’t me. It was me that got me into the mess I was in. Chances were that it wasn’t going to be my own will that was going to get me free. I just had to acknowledge I was powerless over alcohol (among other things of an addictive nature), admit I had a problem and then, most importantly, be WILLING to ask for help….accept help the way it came. What I realized using this program is if you get to the core of why addiction happens there are fewer what’s. A lot of people I met in AA were self medicating – they had a lot of “why’s” they were covering up with alcohol. They needed therapy and either couldn’t get it or would rather have the stigma of being an alcoholic than the stigma that comes with mental illness. When I look at my own life with help and by myself, there were so many why’s to my addictions. I kept trying to fill voids in my life with people, places and things. Many of those voids were of an intangible nature. You can’t put tangible things in the space where only the intangible dwells.

The messages from A Woman’s Spirit today had to do with friendship. The power we learn through the program is we can choose better friends. Here is a thought provoking part of the message:

“We may not have picked our friends carefully in our youth. Many of us felt pressured to hang out with a crowd that didn’t share our values. We frequently lived up to their expectations of us rather than our own. The internal conflict was painful, and we may still suffer from it.”

My choice of friends today reflects the health of my recovery.

________

It’s pretty easy to tell who are true friends are in life. They are the ones who are still there for you and comfort you as you clean up the mess you’ve made. I consider many members of my family also as dear friends! When we are young it feels like we don’t have a great power of choosing – so much is chosen for us!

Speaking of friendship! Last night Astravert did a wonderful collaboration with some fellow musicians on Twitch:

Check out astravert afishinabirdcage bagelrabbit COLLAB https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1433997448

10 March 2022 The Challenge of a Quiet Mind

March 10, 2022 by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, Health, Home, human rights, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Nature, photography, Social media, Spirituality and Religion, technology, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Check out 10 March 2022 Thursday chat https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1421288283

Hello to you. How is your where and when as you visit me here? Hard to believe it’s Thursday already. The week has gone by fast.

This gift rock from my dear friend “T” brightens each day

Todays message from A Woman’s Spirit has to do with quieting the mind and meditation. Both of these things have been a challenge for me! I have always had a monkey mind and or chatter brain. However, when I was living in Texas I used to lay on my back for hours just connecting with the passing clouds or sit on the band stand we had and connect with the trees, flowers and insects. I guess it was like meditating! I do better outside when it comes to trying to still my body and mind. Inside there are so many distractions!

This morning I did something that I need to do more often and that is get quiet inside and focus my thoughts. It’s really hard for me to “hold a thought.” In particular my sinuses were kind of blocked up so I focused my thoughts to my sinus and told them to open up and or to clear…..it worked! I was able to breathe freely again. I then proceeded to focus on different parts of my body that have been hurting and was able to get relief there too. Then before my feet hit the ground to get up I just asked God to be with me today….”Hey God would you hang out with me today?”

Anyhew lol what I’m talking about here is a challenge in the kind of world we live in. I really struggle myself with this! If we are in a relationship of some kind, have kids, pets, a job, hobbies….things that keep us busy and distracted all day long, it can be really difficult to find time to just stop not only our bodies but our busy minds. Stop long enough to connect with our inner selves and our Higher Power. Be still…..some of us in this world are choosing and in many cases out of survival are having to stay busy every waking minute. We have to rest our bodies and our minds —- make space and time for our spiritual selves to exist. Like I said on my stream today if you are having trouble with having quiet time inside – why? What is keeping you from it and what can you do about it? If it’s a lot of things and you are overwhelmed what is one thing you can do to get peace inside? I have to do this myself – not focus on all the stuff I can’t change but focus on what I can. Kind of like what The Serenity Prayer talks about:

The Serenity Prayer is a prayer written by the American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr. It is commonly quoted as: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.

Messages from A Woman’s Spirit today:

“Today I will stop brooding – and start meditation.” – Nancy T

“I can figure out my next best move today if I quiet my mind long enough to receive God’s message.”

13 February 2022 Birthday

February 13, 2022 by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, Health, Mental Health, Social media, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Check out 13 February 2022 Sunday morning birthday stream https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1296945099

Hello there how are you? Today is my 54th birthday…..it still is a shock sometimes that I’m over 50! In a little while I’m meeting my Aunt for church which will be really nice. Later this afternoon my family is getting together to celebrate both my cousin and my birthday and watch football.

I wish today was completely happy but it’s not. I found out yesterday that not all is well with my parents right now. My Mom is having to have steroid injections for pain in her hips and my Dad has had a couple falls and he fractured his hip and will need surgery. I am feeling really powerless about it. This kind of stuff is what I’ve been talking about that happens and you have to choose how your going to deal with it. Shit is going to happen in this life in varying degrees and you have to go within and draw strength from your spirit to walk through it. There is no other way but through! I hate that my parents are having these health issues! They were supposed to be able to enjoy their retirement! I have to let God on this.

If you pray or meditate could you please think of my parents Larry and Dianne. Thank you!

“Our inner journey is a transformative process. It involves becoming who we already are in essence and letting go of the phony in favor of the authentic self.” (A Woman’s Spirit)

26 January 2022 Wednesday

January 26, 2022January 26, 2022 by saymber, posted in Art and Poetry, Bipolar life, Mental Health, photography, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Hello to you. How are you? I’m up really early after another battle with sleep and anxiety. This too shall pass. It always does.

The eye appointment went well yesterday. I had them take a picture of my eyes and they are looking good. Just needed a tuneup for distance vision! I walked over to the clinic and back. There was another stream I passed with some really hardy ducks but they swam away too fast for me to get a picture of them.

Very cold water the ducks were swimming in

Not much planned for today other than talking to my therapist this morning and may be getting groceries. As I write to you I’m in bed with Link and a warm blanket. A part of me wants to try and go back to sleep. Do you ever feel like just hibernating until spring?

“Right now I am at peace. All the tremors and quakes that shake me will cease. In the loving presence of the Spirit I am surrounded with warmth and security. “

25 January 2022 Feeling Better

January 25, 2022 by saymber, posted in Art and Poetry, Bipolar life, drawing, Health, Mental Health, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Check out 25 January 2022 Tuesday morning chat https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1275516113

Good morning from here. How are you? I hope your feeling well today. I’m finally starting to feel better after almost 4 weeks. The Hydroxyzine has been helping to take the edge off of the anxiety that has been accompanying whatever I’ve been going through. Another thing I have been doing is live streaming on Twitch and that has been helpful. Sometimes interesting people show up to visit with.

A lot has been trying to enter into my space lately

In a bit I have an eye appointment hopefully everything will check out ok . It’s been a couple years since I have been in for an exam. What’s nice is the clinic is within walking distance which will be good for me!

“These days are rolling like thunder….pulling me up and pulling me under. I seek the level horizon a warmth I can feel. A safe warm place where I can heal.”