Month: October 2021
15 months — Guest Blogger Musings of a Cancer Patient
A socially awkward doctor called with the news. The call I had been dreading. Cancer. When the short call ended, I just sat there, dumbfounded, until I mustered up the courage to call my mom. To this day, sharing the news of my diagnosis has been one of the worst things I’ve had to do. […]
15 months — Musings of a Cancer Patient
Today in History October 24, 2021
Welcome to the weekend edition of Today in History. I’m so glad you’re enjoying the post. Have an awesome weekend.
1901
First barrel ride down Niagara Falls
On October 24, 1901, a 63-year-old schoolteacher named Annie Edson Taylor becomes the first person to successfully take the plunge over Niagara Falls in a barrel.
1945
The United Nations is born
On October 24, 1945, the United Nations Charter, which was adopted and signed on June 26, 1945, is now effective and ready to be enforced. The United Nations was born of perceived necessity, as a means of better arbitrating international conflict and negotiating peace than was …read more
2003
The Concorde makes its final flight
The supersonic Concorde jet makes its last commercial passenger flight, traveling at twice the speed of sound from New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to London’s Heathrow Airport on October 24, 2003. The British Airways jet carried 100 passengers, including …read more
1969
“Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” opens in wide release
On October 24, 1969, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford as a team of bank robbers in the Old West, opens in theaters around the United States. The film was a commercial and critical success, receiving seven Oscar nominations (including …read more
1997
Marv Albert faces sentencing in sexual assault case
Circuit Court Judge Benjamin Kendrick announces that he will dismiss the sexual assault case filed against Marv Albert by 42-year-old Vanessa Perhach if the sportscaster agrees to get counseling and stays out of trouble for a year. Albert faced up to 12 months in jail and a …read more
Enjoy your day!
Melinda
Just Pondering
“When you look at a field of dandelions you can either see a hundred weeds or a hundred wishes”
Unknown
Melinda
Want To Make Your Home More Energy-Efficient?
Energy efficiency is a bit of a buzzword of late, right? But what does it really mean for us and for our homes? When you are more energy-efficient you can save yourself a lot of money, which makes sense for anyone. So if you are wondering what you can do to be more energy-efficient, then here are some things to think about and what an energy-efficient home actually means.
Wall and loft insulation
Heat rises, as the science goes, so if you have heat in your home, where do you think it is going to leave from? It is going to leave from the walls and the ceiling, which is why having loft insulation can really make a difference to how energy-efficient the home is. If your home loses heat quickly, then you will keep spending more and more money on your heating bill to keep the home at a temperature that you like. So check your wall and loft insulation and see if there needs to be an update.
Consider solar panels
Natural and renewable sources of energy are the way forward, but can they be used in the home? The answer is quite simple, yes! One of the most commonly used is solar panels on the roof of people’s homes. This often means a massive cut in electricity bills, even being able to sell some of the power back to the grid. If you’re not too sure about the upfront costs of getting solar panels, then looking at a site like ChooseSolar could be a good idea. The idea there is that homes are connected to solar farms in the local community and can use the power of those solar panels, rather than needing their own.
Windows
Much like loft spaces and walls, heating can also be lost through your windows. If there are even the smallest of gaps, they can let in a lot of air and if it is cold, can mean that you have to keep your heating on for longer, as it will not keep the warm air in the home. If you have single-glazed windows, which can be present in a lot of older homes, then they need to be replaced. This can have quite large upfront costs, but you will quickly see the benefit when it comes to the energy efficiency of the home, not to mention the noise reduction that you will experience when inside the home too.
Switch your energy provider
If you want to pay less on your energy bills, then think about how long you have been with your current energy provider. Are you on an acceptable tariff with them and do they offer the use of renewable energy? When you move to a different provider that does offer such terms, then you can save money and know that you are using better sources of energy that are natural and renewable.
It would be great to hear what you think. How do you make sure that your home is energy-efficient?
This is a collaborative post.
Melinda
Fun Facts That Will Amaze You
I’m so glad you are enjoying the new weekend tradition. I learn something new each week, even if it’s weird.
Being compassionate to others–as well as oneself–leads to greater happiness
Melinda
Looking After a Pet’s Mental Health: Is It So Simple?
Pets keep loneliness at bay for millions of people and can help with our overwhelming thoughts and while we are more than aware of how a pet can help us with our well-being, we must remember to return the favour. Supporting your pet’s mental health is essential. The pandemic has made us a lot more anxious, but what about our pets? Our pets’ behaviour might change intense situations. But what can we do to make sure that, if we notice our pets having any signs of poor well-being, that we support them?
Stimulating Their Senses
Providing mental stimulation is crucial. If you are currently stuck at home, you can hide treats and toys around the space to provide that all-important exercise and mental stimulation. But when life returns to normality, give them the benefits of a variety of scenery. Taking them to explore new scenery is as important to your pet’s mental health as it is to you.
Exercising With Different Techniques
Ensuring that they remain agile is essential. Building up their agility will teach them something new and stimulate them. If your pet needs to stay indoors, you must remember that their exercise should not suffer. You can also incorporate new toys on a heavy rotation. A variety of interactive toys can keep your pet interested and stimulated. There is a lot to consider. And when you start to stimulate their senses, you give them that all-important distraction.
Access to Light
Fresh air is important, as well as light and exposure to a variety of senses. Giving them exposure to different smells and sounds provides simulation. You have to remember at this point if your pet’s behaviour changes or they get frustrated, you may need to change your approach. If you are not taking your dog out much at the moment, you need to remember that the variety of noises and smells may frustrate them at not being able to go outside.
Observing and Acting
A physically and mentally stimulated pet will be happier and healthier. Observing changes in their behaviour gives you the opportunity to spot if their mental well-being is being impacted. You should always contact a vet if you are concerned, but the solution might be closer to home. You could give them more treats if you feel you’ve been cutting back recently. There are also other ways to stimulate them, such as the soothing sounds on My Dog’s Favourite Podcast available on Spotify. It is an audio treat for your dog that could help to calm their anxieties.
Stimulation is crucial, but we have to remember when we are trying to look after our pets and mental health that we are more observant. They could be taking their cue from us, in which case, it’s essential to focus on creating a healthier environment for everyone. We can look after our pet’s mental health. In many ways, it is simple.
Melinda
Two Of My Favorite Frugal Finds
I love to save money on items I’m already purchasing and there are two Apps that you add to your browser that will help you save money if there is a coupon code available or promotion going on.
Ratuken
I can’t tell you how much I love Ratuken! They have paid me so much money for shopping it’s hard to believe. To date, I’ve earned around $1850 just for shopping and buying what I already planned to buy. They payout once a quarter and next month a check will mail out for over $250, my credit card is going to love that payment.
Companies love Ratuken too. One of the companies I shop at often has 10%-15% Ratuken promotions versus the normal 1%. So I try to plan my shopping around the higher cashback days. Ratuken emails me with companies that are doing promotions and what the extra cashback is. If I plan on shopping or need something from one of those companies I jump on the extra cashback. On $100, 10% cashback versus 1% cashback is a big difference.
Ratuken has a pop-up when your shopping, you need to click on it to activate it. Then all the items in your cart are counted for. You can go to the R at the top of your screen to make sure Ratuken is active. One thing to remember is sometimes Honey will have an offer that Ratuken doesn’t so if you click on the Honey offer it disables Ratuken. All you have to do is go up to the R again at top of the screen and reactivate. Always go back up to the R to check you are still active if you’ve clicked on any Honey offers before you check out.
Ratuken also pays for referring friends and family and currently has a limited-time offer of $40 per referral. When you refer someone you get $40 dollars after they spend $40. You can refer as many people as you like, just make sure to use your individual link.
It’s the season for shopping, not only are the holidays coming but weather changes often call for new clothes and shoes, not to mention those honey-do projects.
Here’s my link if you would like to join. https://www.rakuten.com/r/MSANDO99?eeid=28187
Honey
One of the greatest things about Honey is that they give you points even if they can’t find a coupon code. They have also recently started offering money for certain items when you are shopping. Example: I bought a pair of jeans, Ratuken only had a 1% reward going at the time but Honey paid me almost $16 for the jeans. A pop-up will appear if the item qualifies and you click on it to activate the coupon.
The other change I like about Honey is they allow you to cash out every time you have 1,000 points. You don’t have to, you can wait and collect more but it’s available. Another big change I like is you don’t have to get a gift card, you can have the money sent to your PayPal account.
This month alone I’ve been able to cash in close to $50 by getting in on the special offers for what I’m already buying. That’s $50 cash to PayPal and straight to my bank account.
Here’s my link to join. joinhoney.com/ref/gvehf5o
You can’t find a simpler way to make money and find coupons than with Ratuken and Honey.
Happy Saving!
Melinda
Friday Quote
Have a great weekend!
So glad you stopped by today and look forward to hearing your comments.
Melinda
October Chronic Illness Writing Prompts
This month’s Chronic Illness Writing Prompts are Falling, Transitioning, Choosing, Imagining, and Beautifying. This month I picked three of the five. Each month the prompts are from A Chronic Voice, be sure to check out her awesome blog filled with tons of information on living life to the fullest.
This month I’m working on the inside and the outside of me. On the inside I’ve started Yoga, at least I have bought the necessary items to start. I plan to focus on stretches then work into some actual Yoga moves. It’s been years since I’ve done any exercise other than walking the stairs. Today I started walking with my husband and the dogs at lunch.
As for the outside, after getting my hair cut my ears are more noticeable so I pierced one of my upper ears and have bought a diamond shooting star for it. I pierced both sides but the side I sleep on hurt too bad and I let it close up. I have plenty of jewelry but haven’t worn it much this past 10 years. I started wearing a necklace again and that has worked so far. I also bought a faux diamond wedding ring since mine no longer fit. Now I have a wedding ring to wear after years of going without one, it feels good and I think my husband likes it.
I have spent many years living as a patient, always reading about what is going on with me, the latest research, and even listening to others with the same health issues. I’m choosing to no longer take that approach. When I go to the doctor, I’m a patient, ask my questions, come home, and read about the side effects of any new meds, and then I’m putting it away. Yes, I have to pay attention to the everyday issue and look for side effects or worse but I’m changing my mindset. I’m working on a healthy mindset with a sick body. It’s not glossing over the facts, I chose to not focus on the facts. There is a big difference. My doctor is great and she changed my meds yesterday, I’m taking a positive attitude about how they will help my pain levels without opioids. I’m living opioid-free for as long as I can.
I’m having fun with my blog by doing more Book Reviews and Interviews. I have had so many great books to read and enjoy the opportunity to share with my readers. I have two companies out of the UK that I’ve been working with and now work with NetGalley so I can expand my range of self-help and mental health books.
I wanted to be a journalist from the sixth grade on, actually worked on the school and our local newspaper in high school. I won a Journalism scholarship but we couldn’t afford for me to go to school out of town. I look at blogging as my writing opportunity. I’ve forgotten most of what I learned about proper writing but I get along. I want to expand myself. We are well-rounded people with many interests and I want to bring you more interesting topics on my blog.
I also want to get back to more advocacy work, I’ve been lax and now it is the time to get involved in issues that mean something to me. You may have noticed how active I’ve been in October Awareness Days, they are great issues that need more conversation around them. Look for more in the coming months.
Happy October!
Melinda
lookingforthelight.blog 