Hey! So glad you stopped by today, I look forward to your comments each week.
Melinda
Friday Quote 5/6/2022
Month: May 2022
#Weekend Music Share *James Blunt – You’re Beautiful (Official Music Video)
Welcome back to Weekend Music Share; the place where everyone can share their favorite music.
Feel free to use the ‘Weekend Music Share‘ banner in your post, and don’t forget to use the hashtag #WeekendMusicShare on social media so other participants can find your post.
Melinda
Dealing With Isolation & Loneliness
It is often said that loneliness is a silent pandemic, and there is certainly something true about that. There are definitely lots of people out there right now who are spending their lives feeling very lonely, and that is a horrible position to be in. For one thing, it can make it difficult to get back into social settings. It can also lead to a variety of other physical and psychological issues, and in rare cases, it can be fatal in the form of depression. However, there is help at hand, and there are things to do if you do feel lonely or isolated and you want it to change.
Used in the right limited kind of way, social media can be incredibly useful as a means of feeling more connected with the outside world. If you are in a position where you can’t see people offline very much, then limited use of social media can be effective for this. You will want to take care to ensure that you don’t overuse it as if you are not careful it can sometimes make issues worse and make you feel even lonelier. But all in all, using it a little could help you to feel a little more connected with people, so that is something to consider at least.
Get Help With Transportation
One of the major issues related to isolation is that it can be hard to know how to get around. You might have social events that you would like to attend but you are not sure how, or you might even need to get to a medical appointment. For this, some people find it helpful to use an assisted living service, as that way you can have someone there who can help with all this – and they will also provide a certain comfort as well just by being there and being near you.
Watch Your Emotions & Thoughts
Because loneliness can be quite damaging, you need to try and watch for what your mind is doing, so that you can see if things appear to be getting worse for you or not. You need to watch your emotions and your thoughts consciously so that you can see if things are improving or not as you go about your life. Sometimes paying attention to a warning sign can be all you need in order to make sure that you take the right moment to look after yourself better. Being mindful in this way can help to spot those signs early on.
Work On Your Confidence
A lot of people with isolation issues and loneliness have confidence issues too, and often you will find that working on one helps the other and so on. To get this going, it’s worth taking some time to work on your confidence specifically. The more you do this, the more likely it is that you are going to feel less lonely and take more social risks, which are important for living well.
This is a collaborative post.
Melinda
Flowers of Spring-Verbena
Verbena is a small but mighty flower. It has long arms with dainty flowers on the end.
Melinda
Tips For Someone Newly Diagnosed With Fibromyalgia
May is Fibromyalgia Awareness Month and I’m participating in a joint post with the Fibro Blogger Directory Facebook Page which is a group I’m a part of.
The question was what would you say to someone who is newly diagnosed with Fibromyalgia?
I think the most important question to ask the doctor is what would they do next? It puts them in your place and may give you answers you would not normally get.
Then I would ask:
What type of doctor should you see next?
What you can expect next? Have them give you the resources on Fibromyalgia or ask where to go to get good information.
Outside of what to ask the doctor, I would start keeping a journal of symptoms and questions. Be sure to review your journal before your next doctor’s appointment to go in prepared.
It is also important to understand doctors have limited time, if your doctor only allows 15 minutes for appointments, you may be. lucky to get 10 minutes. Don’t go in with a list full of questions, you’ll only leave frustrated. Stick to the top three isues.
Establish a solid self-care plan.
Melinda
Let’s Celebrate Cinco De Mayo
What is the real meaning of Cinco de Mayo?
What are some traditions for Cinco de Mayo?
- Decorate your house. A Cinco de Mayo theme is simple to create in your home with colorful decorations you can make or buy!
- Bring Mexican to the family dinner table.
- Whip up some Mexican treats.
- Create DIY crafts.
- Teach them about Mexican history.
The Battle of Puebla
Certain that success would come swiftly, 6,000 French troops under General Charles Latrille de Lorencez set out to attack Puebla de Los Angeles, a small town in east-central Mexico. From his new headquarters in the north, Juárez rounded up a ragtag force of 2,000 loyal men—many of them either Indigenous Mexicans or of mixed ancestry—and sent them to Puebla.
The vastly outnumbered and poorly supplied Mexicans, led by Texas-born General Ignacio Zaragoza, fortified the town and prepared for the French assault. On May 5, 1862, Lorencez gathered his army—supported by heavy artillery—before the city of Puebla and led an assault.
Melinda
Reference:
https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/cinco-de-mayo
4 Helpful Tips to Create a Comfortable Living Environment for Your Retired Parents
It can be challenging to know the best way to provide a comfortable living environment for your retired parents. They likely don’t want or need the same level of care that they needed when they were younger, but they still need some assistance and support. This blog post will discuss four helpful tips to create a comfortable living environment for your retired parents!
Make sure their home is safe and accessible.
As our parents age, it’s essential to ensure that their homes are safe and accessible. This means ensuring no trip hazards, adequate lighting, and that any stairs are well-lit and have handrails. If your parents live in a two-story home, you may want to consider installing a stairlift or an elevator. In addition to making sure their home is physically safe, you’ll also want to make sure it’s secure from potential burglars or other dangers. This means installing security cameras, deadbolt locks, and motion-sensor lights.
Find a reliable nursing home or assisted living facility.
If your parents need more assistance than you can provide, you may want to consider finding reliable nursing homes or assisted living facilities. It’s essential to do your research when choosing a facility, as many different types and levels of care are available. You’ll want to make sure that the facility you choose is reputable and has a good track record. In addition, you’ll want to make sure that it’s affordable and that it offers the type and level of care that your parents need.
Once you’ve chosen a nursing home or assisted living facility, you’ll want to ensure that your parents are comfortable there. This means helping them get settled in, getting them involved in activities, and ensuring their needs are being met. Remember to call a lawyer immediately if you suspect any nursing home neglect.
Help them organize their space
Your parents may also find it more challenging to keep their homes organized and tidy. This can be a result of physical limitations and cognitive decline. If your parents find it challenging to keep their home organized, you can help! There are a few different ways you can do this. First, you can declutter and organize their space for them. This means getting rid of any unnecessary items and organizing what remains. You can also help them create systems and routines for keeping their home organized, such as making sure they always put away their belongings after use. Finally, you can hire a professional organizer or cleaning service to help your parents keep their home tidy.
Be there for them
One of the most important things you can do to create a comfortable living environment for your retired parents is to be there for them. This means being available to help them with whatever they need, whether running errands, helping around the house, or simply providing emotional support. It’s also essential to ensure that you’re staying in touch with your parents and checking in on them regularly. With today’s technology, it’s easy to stay connected even if you live far away. For example, you can video call your parents using apps like Skype or FaceTime, or you can send them regular emails or text messages.
You can also be there for them by helping them to effectively plan for the future. This means discussing topics such as investment opportunities, healthcare and life insurance, retirement funds, and any other financial arrangements that need to be made. For example, when looking at investment opportunities, you could consider researching the DiversyFund lawsuit to better understand the risks and benefits associated with certain types of investments. Financial planning can be a tricky topic to navigate, and having the right guidance is essential.
These are four helpful tips to create a comfortable living environment for your retired parents. By following these tips, you can ensure that your parents are safe, comfortable, and well-cared for in their retirement years.
This is a collaborative post.
Melinda
Introducing Vital Field Pollen Energy Cell
Since first introducing Vital Field they have expanded their product offerings beyond pain control to immune support, menopause, anti-inflame, resistance, energy boost, weight loss, and soon the Pollen Energy Cell. This one gets me excited and I can’t wait to try it. I’ll keep you posted. Be sure to check out their website for a complete list of products. The Pollen Energy Cell is so new it’s not on the website yet.
Our mission is to help people achieve good health and pain-free life with safe, natural, non-invasive and non-chemical methods. Frequencell Inc. (a Delaware corporation based out of Los Angeles, USA) provides treatments for health and chronic pain, based on the results of over 30 years of scientific research, development and clinical trials.
Twenty-five million Americans are in for a sneeze this Summer, with the onset of the Summer allergy season. Although we tend to blame pollen and other “impurities” in the air, the root reason for the increasing number of people suffering from hay fever or rhinitis is a compromised gut.
The POLLEN Energy Cell has been designed to make the body more resistant to common allergens by supporting the gut microbial balance and the respiratory tract’s mucous membrane load. The Cell “calibrates” the immune system to handle the irritants in a way that is 100% safe, non-chemical, and non-invasive.
Since Vitalfield products are safe, natural, non-invasive, and non-chemical, it’s worthwhile to see if our product can reduce your pain and improve your life.
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Vitalfield has collaborated extensively with expert scientists and healthcare practitioners in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, with a focus on biophysical and frequency medicine applications. Until early 2018, most of the technology in this field involved significant investments and training before it could be utilized in clinical environments.
Further patented technology discovered in recent years also enabled some of these natural treatment methods to be implanted into wearable materials that could localize the treatment for the long-term, in an extremely cost-effective manner.
If you suffer from allergies like I do, you will want to try the new Vital Field Pollen Energy Cell.
Use discount code Light 20 for 20% off your purchase.
Melinda
May Awareness Days
Here is a list of days of observance in May.
May Awareness Days
Daily Holidays and Observances
May 1: May Day, Mother Goose Day, Law Day, Make a Book Day, World Laughter Day* (first Sunday)
May 2: Sibling Appreciation Day, Teacher Appreciation Day* (Tuesday of first full week)
May 3: Sun Day, Kite Day
May 4: Intergalactic Star Wars Day, National Weather Observers Day
May 5: Museum Lovers Day, Cartoonist Day, National Day of Reason* (first Thursday)
May 6: No Homework Day, International Space Day* (first Friday), Tuba Day (first Friday)
May 7: Space Day* (first Saturday)
May 8: Mother’s Day, V E Day
May 9: National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day, Peter Pan Day
May 10: Windmill Day
May 11: Eat What You Want Day
May 12: Limerick Day, International Migratory Bird Day
May 13: Frog Jumping Day, Tulip Day, Blame Someone Else Day* (first Friday 13th of the year)
May 14: Star Wars Day, Stars and Stripes Forever Day
May 15: International Day of Families, Over the Rainbow Day
May 16: Biographer’s Day
May 17: World Telecommunications Day
May 18: International Museum Day
May 20: Endangered Species Day* (third Friday
May 21: Armed Forces Day* (third Saturday)
May 22: National Maritime Day
May 23: World Turtle Day
May 24: Scavenger Hunt Day
May 25: Nerd or Geek Pride Day
May 30: Memorial Day* (last Monday)
National Family Reading Week (first week)
Children’s Mental Health Week (first full week)
Teacher Appreciation Week (first full week, M-F)
Children’s Book Week (May 2-8)
Screen Free Week (May 2-8)
Wildflower Week (May 2-8)
Astronomy Week (May 9-15)
Reading is Fun Week (second full week)
National Backyard Games Week (week before Memorial Day)
Creative Beginnings Month
Latino Books Month
National Pet Month
National Photo Month
National Mental Health Month
National Military Appreciation Month
National Wild Fire Awareness Month
National Inventors Month
Young Achievers of Tomorrow Month
National Family Month
Wordless Wednesday*Garden Decor
Thanks for stopping by today, I appreciate your comments each week.
Melinda
How To Avoid Time Mismanagement When Working From Home
Time mismanagement is one of the most common issues of working from home. It’s very easy for your attention to stray to other things during your regular working hours, leading to work delays and affecting your productivity. You spend time on numerous activities as a remote worker, from your phone and television to home chores and housemates. Does it feel like you hardly have enough time in the day to complete work assignments at home? You may be wasting time on other things. Here are some ways to avoid time mismanagement when working from home.
First, you need to ensure that all your work tools, especially your computer and internet connection, are fast and reliable. Unsuspectingly, a slow internet connection and an under-performing computer can drain hours out of your time. Regarding your internet connection, be sure to use the best internet providers that offer fast connection speed, reliability, and affordable packages.
Declutter your workstation
A cluttered or disorganized workstation can encourage procrastination and waste more of your time than you think. You may think that spending several minutes looking for a pen or paper document shouldn’t be anything to worry about. But such distractions eat into your productivity. Therefore, take the time to organize your workstation, declutter, and keep important things within reach.
Stay away from distracting websites
With nobody looking over your shoulder to monitor the websites you visit, it’s easy to waste several work minutes surfing distracting websites. Whether browsing your favorite online store or watching viral content from social media, distracting websites can consume chunks of your work time. Statista, for example, reports that the average social media user sinks about 2 hours each day into Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. If you find yourself plagued by too many such websites, you can download plugins to block access to specific websites, so you can focus on your work.
Strategize your time
Try planning your workdays around your tasks and not your clock. Instead of thinking you have the whole day to finish a project, distribute your work tasks to specific times in your day. Consider the work you need to complete each day and set specific goals to accomplish them. For example, do you need to get shopping done and complete a marketing proposal within the day? When you’re most productive, you can assign the first part of your day to completing the marketing project and the latter part of the day to shopping. This strategy will help you focus on completing a task before attending to anything else.
Learn when to say no
Commitments come from different directions when working from home, and the last thing you want to do is accommodate all of them at once. That phone call from a loved one or that favor request from a colleague can cost you more time than you can spare. Sometimes learning to say no to commitments that eat into your work time is the best way to avoid wasting time.
This is a collaborative post.
Melinda
Just Pondering
Bella Grace Field Guide by Stampington
There are so many things a mirror will never reflect back to us. A kind heart, a curious spirit.
What will your mirror never show?
Melinda
What Your Body Needs To Stay Healthy-Vitamins
We have different needs for vitamins as we age and if we have health conditions. What we needed as a child isn’t the same as what we need as an adult. It’s important to know what your body needs and what you get from food. If you don’t get enough from the food you will need to supplement with vitamins.
Vitamins:
VITAMIN A
GOOD FOR: Healthy eyes and general growth and development, including healthy teeth and skin.
NATURAL SOURCE: Carrots and other orange foods including sweet potato and cantaloupe melons – all of which get their hue from the carotene pigment.
B VITAMINS
GOOD FOR: Energy production, immune function and iron absorption.
NATURAL SOURCE: This crucial group of nutrients can be found in whole unprocessed foods, specifically whole grains, potatoes, bananas, lentils, chili peppers, beans, yeast and molasses.
VITAMIN C
GOOD FOR: Strengthening blood vessels and giving skin its elasticity, anti-oxidant function and iron absorption.
NATURAL SOURCE: Everyone knows this one – oranges! But they’re not the only source – other fruits and veggies packed with Vitamin C include guava, red and green peppers, kiwi, grapefruits, strawberries, Brussels sprouts and cantaloupe.
VITAMIN D
GOOD FOR: Strong healthy bones.
NATURAL SOURCE: Apart from spending a few minutes out in the sun, which stimulates Vitamin D production, you can get this nutritional must from eggs, fish and mushrooms.
VITAMIN E
GOOD FOR: Blood circulation, and protection from free radicals.
NATURAL SOURCE: Our favorite Vitamin E-rich food is the mighty almond. You can also fill up on other nuts, sunflower seeds and tomatoes to reap the benefits.
VITAMIN K
GOOD FOR: Blood coagulation – that is, the process by which your blood clots.
NATURAL SOURCE: Leafy greens are the best natural sources of Vitamin K – so make sure you’re eating lots of kale, spinach, Brussels sprouts and broccoli.
FOLIC ACID
GOOD FOR: Cell renewal and preventing birth defects in pregnancy.
NATURAL SOURCE: There are plenty of scrumptious natural sources of folic acid, including dark leafy greens, asparagus, broccoli, citrus fruits, beans, peas, lentils, seeds, nuts, cauliflower, beets and corn.
CALCIUM
GOOD FOR: Healthy teeth and bones.
NATURAL SOURCE: This mineral is another one that most of us already know – the best sources are dairy products like yogurt, cheese and milk, along with tofu and black molasses.
IRON
GOOD FOR: Building muscles naturally and maintaining healthy blood.
NATURAL SOURCE: You might be surprised to know that clams take the top spot for iron content, followed by oysters and organ meats like liver. For the vegetarians among us, soybeans, cereal, pumpkin seeds, beans, lentils and spinach are great sources of iron.
ZINC
GOOD FOR: Immunity, growth and fertility.
NATURAL SOURCE: Seafoods like oysters are also zinc-rich, along with spinach, cashews, beans and – wait for it – dark chocolate.
CHROMIUM
GOOD FOR: Glucose function – making sure every cell in your body gets energy as and when needed.
NATURAL SOURCE: As long as your diet contains servings of whole grains, fresh vegetables and herbs, you should be getting enough chromium.
To be your healthiest self it’s best to get all of your vitamins from the food we eat and drink but sometimes we don’t eat like we should. that’s where over-the-counter vitamins come in.
Here are some important things to know when buying vitamins:
Are the ingredients non-GMO?
Does it have certifications?
Is it routinely tested?
How are the reviews?
Our body needs the proper vitamins to work properly and prevent diseases. If you find yourself needing over-the-counter vitamins, don’t get in a hurry. You want vitamins that dissolve properly and don’t have harmful ingredients in them.
Look for the certifications and buy one that is third-party tested if possible, that way you know the result are non-biased.
Melinda
References:
https://www.goodnet.org/articles/11-essential-vitamins-minerals-your-body-needs
My Stalker Almost Got Me Killed
The first time I was stalked was scary but I was a child and they never confronted me or my girlfriend. They just drove behind us in the car all the way home from school every day. I can still remember the license plate number, NJN637. We never told anybody and one day it stopped.
The second time was very scary and I’ve written about it before. I was a young adult and made some bad decisions in character. He stalked me and my family for six years, even when I thought he was gone, he wrote me after several years to let me know he could still find me. It got so bad that the guy I was dating would go check under the car when we left his house, he was afraid of a bomb. No one should have to live with that fear.
The third and last time was the one that scared me deeply. I was still battling Lyme Disease and was very sick. I also was not very tech-savvy with phones. That will come into play later in the post. I didn’t know anything was wrong until the day Twitter got hacked, it was also the day I got hacked. They were tech-savvy enough to make it look like it was coming from two people I knew. I accused them of this terrible act and hurt them badly. Even WordPress told me one of them was tracking my DNS. I didn’t understand all of that and went about trying to mend the damage.
Then I started getting weird messages on my computer, or I would write something and they would keep changing the first letter. My spell correct doesn’t auto change anything, I know it sounded crazy. One day I was writing Auther and they kept changing it to Luther. So I asked them if they planned to hurt me. I don’t remember all the other questions I asked but I tried to converse with them thinking I could solve the problem.
Then one morning I pick up my IPad and it had all this jibberish written on it, nothing made sense. Sometimes there would just be one letter on a line. I showed my husband who thou he believed me was still a bit unsure of what to think.
You have to understand I was taking around 20 medications for Lyme in addition to my other meds, so there were days I was too sick to take my mental health meds. This added to the problem. Also adding to the problem was my lack of understanding of how my phone worked. I had only texted a few times and still didn’t understand that you could move between phone and texting without losing the person on the phone. This will make more sense in a minute.
In an effort to understand how much danger I was in I kept trying to engage in conversation. I would write text messages but would not send them. Still, the answers would come. They would make sense but they would be giving me names of people at times but I didn’t know who it was.
Every once in a while I would think to send the text. Still, the conversation continued. They didn’t say they wanted to hurt me but didn’t say they didn’t so I was still very unsure.
One day I was texting a friend who said they had been hiking and the stalker jumped into the conversation to say that my friend was lying. I couldn’t understand how they knew I was on the phone or how they could even hack my phone.
One day I was talking with them and felt very threatened and thought they were coming into my house. Not thinking straight and reaching for my home phone I ran outside and ask my neighbor to call the police. I didn’t realize that I could leave the texting and move to the phone to call the police.
Mind you I was in a tee-shirt and underwear only. The next thing I know four police cars and two fire trucks show up.
I start to approach one of the police cars with my phone held high and an officer pulled her gun on me. All the other officers stepped out with no aggressive body language and could see I was stressed out. The fire medics began to check my blood sugar and pressure and ask who they could call. I was calm, I told them my husband’s number was under ICE #1.
The whole time this is going on the woman officer who pulled her gun on me kept saying I was Schizophrenic and she would have me sent to the county hospital. This was very upsetting because the county hospital has a bad reputation and it scared me. I told her I was Bipolar, not Schizophrenic, she kept going on like she knew it all.
My husband arrived about 30 minutes later and assured them everything was ok and that I probably had not taken my mediation because I was so sick.
It wasn’t long after that I asked my stalker how long they had been stalking me and they said seven months. Later they started to give me clues to who it was and I figured it out. It was a woman on WordPress who I had tried to help who was severely mentally ill.
As soon as I figured out who it was and said her name, she stopped.
If you’re ever in this situation, make sure you get the names of the police on the scene and file a complaint. My local police needed some mental health training bad and that officer needed to be reprimanded for parading around saying I was Schizophrenic to all the other officers. She didn’t know what she was talking about and should have diffused the situation and kept her mouth shut.
Several neighbors saw the whole thing and one of them saw her pull her gun.
It was a very scary time and one I will not forget.
Be safe!
Melinda
Blogger Highlight-Webb Bloggs-OCD and Me
Thank you for all the great feedback on the Blogger Highlight series, I’ve enjoyed meeting each blogger and sharing their site with you. This week I highlight a new blogger, Webb Blogs, OCD and ME
WEBB BLOGS
A Blog About Life With Mental Illness
Hello and welcome to Webbblogs! My name is Christina. I am a mother of 3, and a grandmother of 4. I live in California, in the United States. I am a long time mental health sufferer, and a recovering addict.
Here at WebbBlogs you will find my personal stories of the struggles I have been through and continue to go through. You will also find some positive experiences, family life, and some sillyness along the way.
I am trying to not live in fear anymore. With OCD, panic attacks and anxiety, living a life with less fear has been challenging. But, it’s time for me to get out of my comfort zone, share my life’s moments, no matter how embarrassing some may be. It’s time for me to make a change. After all, nothing changes, if nothing changes.
I’ve been following Chistina for a long time and enjoy her post, she’s raw and that helps everyone! Please check out her site.
Melinda
Everyday Magic 5/1/2022
I’m so glad you are enjoying Everyday Magic. I find it a good place to wind down and ask some important questions.
Bella and Grace by Stampington
It’s important to celebrate all of our victories. No matter how little or silly they may seem to others.
What’s one tiny victory you’ve had lately that you’re especially proud of?
Enjoy your day!
Melinda
Today in History May,1, 2022
Welcome to the Weekend Edition of Today in History. I’m so glad you’re enjoying the post. Have an awesome weekend.
1963
Gloria Steinem publishes part one of “A Bunny’s Tale” in SHOW magazine
After enduring a brief but grueling stint as a Bunny in Manhattan’s Playboy Club, feminist writer Gloria Steinem published the first half of her landmark account, “A Bunny’s Tale,” in SHOW magazine on May 1, 1963. Steinem’s undercover reporting increased her profile and stripped …read more
1851
First-ever “Great Exhibition” opens in London
On May 1, 1851, the Great Exhibition opens to wide acclaim in the Crystal Palace in London. Inside the Crystal Palace, a giant glass-and-iron hall designed by Sir Joseph Paxton, more than 10,000 exhibitors set up eight miles of tables. Technological wonders from around the world …read more
1997
Labour party returns to power in Britain
After 18 years of Conservative rule, British voters give the Labour Party, led by Tony Blair, a landslide victory in British parliamentary elections. In the poorest Conservative Party showing since 1832, Prime Minister John Major was rejected in favor of Scottish-born Blair, who …read more
1941
“Citizen Kane” released
Months before its release, Orson Welles’ landmark film Citizen Kane began generating such controversy that Radio City Music Hall eventually refused to show it. Instead, Citizen Kane, now revered as one of the greatest movies in history, made its debut at the smaller RKO Palace …read more
1926
Ford factory workers get 40-hour week
On May 1, 1926, Ford Motor Company becomes one of the first companies in America to adopt a five-day, 40-hour week for workers in its automotive factories. The policy would be extended to Ford’s office workers the following August. Henry Ford’s Detroit-based automobile company …read more
Enjoy!
Melinda
Eid al-Fitr-Happy End of Ramadan
I hope your day is filled with joy, love, prayers, and lots of good food.
Melinda
lookingforthelight.blog 