Looking for the Light is a Health and Lifestyle Blog covering topics such as Photography, Cooking, DIY Projects, Fitness, Men's and Women's Health, Lyme Disease, Mental Health, and having fun along the way.
Please stop by, pull up a chair, and read through my archives.
Melinda
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 we highlight Nine Cent Girl.
Welcome to my blog, Nine Cent Girl, which is my musings on family, food, and fashion, basically all life brings. This is not a philosophical or an epicurean or haute couture site, but instead a place to affirm all your own notions. I hope my nine cents will encourage you to live life fully!
Moira writes on many topics which is rewarding and her energy pulls you in. Check out her blog.
Clean Air Month is observed each year across the United States during May. The month focuses on ways we can contribute to making our air cleaner. There has also been a renewed focus on improving the quality of indoor air. In addition, the day brings to light the many ways in which we can reduce our carbon footprints and keep in check our use of fuels and other non-renewable energies.
Clean Air Month is an important observance as it encourages people to make our planet greener, healthier, and more liveable for future generations. By putting in the time and effort, we can significantly contribute to making the air cleaner.
HISTORY OF CLEAN AIR MONTH
Clean Air Month is observed in May each year in association with the American Lung Association. It started as a week-long event in 1972 and turned into a month-long one in 1994. Clean Air Month awareness campaigns aim to educate everyone about the impact of air pollutants and the importance of clean air for a healthy life. The celebrations also encourage people to adopt steps to improve air quality, both locally and globally.
Clean Air Month also celebrates the improvements that have been made to make the air cleaner in the last 40 years since the campaign kicked off. The Clean Air Act, initiated by Clean Air Month, was included in legislation in 1970. Poor air quality can have serious repercussions on one’s health and can pave the way for cancer, bronchitis, allergies, and asthma. Poor air quality has also been linked to the deterioration of our emotional and mental well-being.
Every time we reduce our carbon footprint, we reduce pollutants that can lead to more serious health problems.
I had the itch to change Themes and now I have to rebuild my widgets, they didn’t transfer for some reason. Over the next week, I hope to have it completed.
If you would like to provide feedback now about the new Theme, please do.
This post is for everyone who’s been through a traumatic experience. We have followed each other for years and I’ve learned at least one thing new in every post.
I can’t count the number of Nurses I’ve met in my life but it’s a high number. The majority of my experiences have been pleasant and when I had Brain Surgery, I couldn’t move without them. I have great respect for Nurses and their struggles.
What Is Nurses Week About?
National Nurses Week, celebrated annually May 6 through 12, was designated to recognize the contributions nurses make to communities. May 6 is National Nurses Day, and May 12 is the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.
The historical effort to establish national recognition for nurses was a collective one that extended over the course of 40 years.
Each year, National Nurses Week is celebrated to honor nurses present and past. This time is also used to highlight nurses’ personal and professional lives.
Don’t take your frustrations out on the Nurse, we are not always the priority and have to wait, hospital staff are trained to determine which patients are at greater risk. Your leg may hurt like hell but that’s not life-threatening. Be nice!
Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “note.” Use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!
Thinking back to my middle school days, I remember boys and girls would send each other notes in class and try not to get caught. The gossipy girls would also send notes among themselves too.
If you were caught it meant a place at the front of class and reading the note out loud. It made classes fun.
Melinda
Here are the rules:
1. Your post must be stream-of-consciousness writing, meaning no editing (typos can be fixed), and minimal planning on what you’re going to write. 2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop. 3. I will post the prompt here on my blog every Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a particular subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” “Begin with the word ‘The,’” or will simply be a single word to get you started. 4. Ping back! It’s important so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours. Your link will show up in my comments for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top. NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, such as Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below. 5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back to their post. Even better, read all of them! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later or go to the previous week by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find below the “Like” button on my post. 6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get! 7. As a suggestion, tag your post “SoCS” and/or “#SoCS” for more exposure and more views. 8. Have fun!
For more streams, rules, and tips for Stream of Consciousness Saturday, visit our host, Linda at Linda G Hill
I didn’t care much about school or think about the impact a teacher may have on my journey but I had a few angles along the way.
Teachers are underpaid, and unappreciated by their schools and the parents. Teachers are now being forced to take a gun to school! What if they don’t want to? I would not carry a gun to school nor would I take on the responsibility of keeping children safe. Let’s not forget the pressure from parents and how quickly they are to judge and blame.
They are also exposed to violence in the classroom or on campus by out-of-control students, how are we protecting Teachers?
Teachers have spent their own money to buy supplies for the classroom because the budget doesn’t cover enough. How can we continue to push more responsibility on Teachers who are already stretched too thin? How can we overlook the importance of Teachers? What about the student’s success in the future, not to mention their mental health.
I hear on the news that schools are understaffed and Teachers are quitting their jobs, what’s wrong with this picture? It tells me Teachers are fed up with being underpaid, school shootings, spending money on their classroom, and being disillusioned due to not receiving raises or higher salaries.
Investing in Teachers is investing in your children and community.
The family cookbook contains recipes, my Granny & Gramps used often and is the type of food I grew up on. Good ole Southern food like my Gramps dumplings, to Grannies pecan pie.
Another excellent recipe my Granny liked but there are no instructions because they always used cast iron pans for cornbread. If cooking that way, just flip when the other side is golden brown.
You Will Need
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1 can cream corn
1 1/2 onion chopped fine
3 eggs
1 hot chopped pepper
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup milk
1 TSP baking powder
Garlic
Salt and garlic powder to taste
How To Make
Mix in a bowl and combine until completely mixed
In our house, we always used a small cast-iron skillet to cook our cornbread but you can bake in over however I don’t have an oven temperature.
Cast iron skillets make food taste better and they last a lifetime with little maintenance.
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 use the hashtag #WeekendMusicShare on social media so other participants can find your post.
Living with a chronic condition can be difficult – it can even be overwhelming – and it’s definitely going to be a challenge, no matter how the condition might actually affect you and manifest itself. It could be anything from arthritis to diabetes to asthma to eczema or perhaps chronic pain, but if it’s affecting your life, then you need to do something about it.
You might think that’s not possible, especially if you understand your condition well, but the fact is that although it might not be possible to actually cure the condition and you might always have it, you can do things to reduce the impact of the symptoms and make life at least a little easier for you. If you can stop a chronic condition from ruining your life, then it’s got to be with trying. With that in mind, keep reading to find out more about what you might be able to do.
Understand Your Condition
The first thing you’ll need to do if you want to stop a chronic condition from ruining your life is to understand it – thoroughly. We don’t mean just a vague idea of what you’re suffering from – we mean that you need to really know it, inside and out. You need to educate yourself about everything you can that links to your illness, including its symptoms, triggers, and treatments.
Of course, to do this, you’ll need to only look at the most reliable sources when it comes to eczema treatments or anything else you need to know about, but that’s a good thing. True, it’s going to mean it takes longer to get the information you need, but it also means that you’ll be being as thorough as possible so you weed out any sources and information that aren’t reliable. In the end, you’ll have a good idea of what’s true and what isn’t, and that’s going to serve you well when it comes to stopping the condition from ruining your life.
It’s also a good idea to find support groups so you can talk to others about the condition you all share because even if you don’t get any more information, the support can make a lot of difference, and knowing there are people you can talk to if you’re having a bad day or who you can help if you’re able to is a wonderfully positive and empowering things. Plus, don’t forget doctors and other medical experts. You might think you want to do it all by yourself, but the fact is that doctors are going to have a lot of good information for you, and they’ll be able to point you in the right direction when it comes to learning more. Plus, seeing a doctor means you won’t ever have to (or be tempted to) self-medicate, and staying away from that dangerous path is a good thing.
Accept It
If this sounds like a terrible idea, don’t worry – it’s not as bad as you might think, and it’s well worth thinking about once you know more about what we’re saying. The crucial thing to remember is that acceptance doesn’t mean resigning yourself to the fact that you’re going to be unwell and potentially limited forever. It doesn’t mean giving up on trying to reduce the symptoms or finding a cure. What it means is that rather than fighting against it, you accept that this condition, whatever it is, is part of your life – but it’s not the thing that makes you you, and it’s not the thing that defines you.
So what we’re saying is that you need to accept that you’re unwell, but you mustn’t become a victim – you need to essentially shift your thinking from negative to as positive as you can (which might not be easy, but when you start, it becomes easier). Begin by not dwelling on the things you can’t do and instead focus on what you can do and what you can control in your life, make sure you do more of the things that bring you joy, and it’s definitely going to help because even if you’re still suffering, you’re not letting the problem ruin your life.
Prioritize Self-Care
Maybe you don’t put your own self-care first because you don’t want to look weak and admit you need some time to read or recharge. Maybe you don’t do it because you’ve got a lot of other people to look after. Maybe you’re too busy at work. Maybe you really just don’t know what you can do that means you’re enjoying some self-care. Whichever of these issues it is, or even if it’s some other reason entirely, it’s time to change your thinking – self-care has to come first.
The fact is that when you’re managing a chronic condition, self-care is non-negotiable, so you need to add more to your life whenever you can. The great thing about self-care is that there are so many different ways it can be done, so you might start by ensuring you get enough sleep, that you exercise regularly (even a little is good), or that you eat a balanced diet. Perhaps self-care for you means getting a chance to read or listen to music. Maybe it’s about going for a walk or enjoying your favorite hobby or having a spa day. It doesn’t matter what it is, as long as you include it in your life because when you do, you’ll be happier and less stressed, and that’s going to help you realize that your life is good and that your chronic condition, even at it’s most difficult, isn’t going to ruin it.
Set Realistic Goals
Something else that can help you if you’re suffering from a chronic condition and you don’t want it to ruin your life is to set yourself some realistic goals to work towards. They can be as big or as small as you want (although if they are big, it’s best to split them into smaller goals so you don’t get overwhelmed by everything you have to do).
Once you reach a goal, celebrate, and keep moving forward – always move forward. You’ll need to be flexible and sometimes those goals will have to change and be adjusted, but as long as you’re always working towards something, you’ll have hope, and that means your life is definitely not ruined.
I have spent my entire life surrounded by the love of pets including dogs, cats, birds, lizards, and fish tanks. It is hard not to feel the love of a pet, they are forgiving and have unconditional love. Ok, fish do not send love but they reward my Mental Health.
Did you know that in the United States, around four million pets are adopted from rescue shelters annually?
How did this Awareness Week come about?
The Fact Site explains National Pet Day is a day to celebrate your pets and show just how much you love them. Around 66% of households in the United States are believed to have pets. This high percentage shows just how much we love our furry friends!
Be sure to hug your pets often.
The photo is of Banjo, he’s long gone to pet heaven but he still feels my heart with joy. Photo taken in my office many years ago. He was one great dog, Banjo even had dignity while dying.
What’s the Difference Between Easter and Orthodox Easter?
The holidays both celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ but have some different traditions and are based on different calendars.
The religious holiday of Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, as described in the Bible’s New Testament. Although it is observed as the holiest day by both Orthodox Christians and non-orthodox Christians, it is a movable feast, and is recognized on different days by both religions each year. Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter later than most Christians in the Western world because the churches calculate the holiday by different calendars.
Known as Pascha, the Greek word for “passover,” Easter in the Orthodox Churchcelebrates “the eternal Passover from death to life from earth heaven.” Great Lent, the church’s strictest time of fasting, takes place for 40 days, ending eight days before Easter on Lazarus Saturday—when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, according to Eastern orthodoxy. Palm Sunday and Holy Week follow, with continued fasting until Easter. Orthodox Easter always follows the Jewish holiday of Passover.
Here are a few products I’m loving with right now. I hope you find a product to add to your household or self-care routine. The list may also give you ideas for a surprise for friends, and family. Most products are found on Amazon.
THIS WORKS
Deep Sleep Pillow Spray: Fast-Acting Natural Rest Aid with Lavender for Relaxation, 35 ml 1.2 Fl Oz
Not only do I use this at night but also at nap time! It’s worth the investment and by only using a few spays at a time, it lasts a long time. Don’t forget to share with your bedmate.
The Body Shop Shea Body Butter
Hydrating & Moisturizing Skincare for Very Dry Skin – Vegan – 12.9 oz
This is my favorite body cream, it’s from a company built on ethics, and it’s a great price point. There are many fragrances to choose from and everything else you need to pamper.
NEOM
Happiness Reed Diffuser Refill, 3.38 fl oz |Uplifting Scent Neroli, Mimosa & Lemon Essential Oil Blends| 100% Natural Fragrance | Scent to Make You Happy……
This fragrance is out of this world and a bit on the pricey side. Treat yourself to a new fragrance. On the less expensive side, I buy the below.
Cocorrína
Cashmere Vanilla Scented Reed Diffuser Oil with 8 Cotton Reed Sticks Fragrance for Bedroom, Bathroom, Home Décor, 6.7 oz. (200 ml)
They have many fragrances to choose from but this is my favorite from this company.
Gaiam Relax Massage Ball Roller
Handheld Wooden Total Body Massager for Back, Neck, Foot, Calf, Leg, Arm | Deep Tissue Massager Relief for Sore Muscles
Who doesn’t love a smooth massage without leaving home? High-quality brand and with little maintenance it will last a long time.
KIPRITII
Ergonomically Back Scrubber for Shower – Double-Sided Back Brush Long Handle for Shower, Wet & Dry Brush for Cellulite and Lymphatic (Blue)
I love this brush because it has a stiff and soft side. The ergo styling does make a difference in my wrist pain. It fit my needs and it was less than $10.
Organic Lavender Essential Oil Roll-On
Lavandula Angustifolia, 100% Pure USDA Certified Aromatherapy for Calming, Relaxation & Skin – 10 ml Roller by Silk Road Organic – Always Pure, Always Organic
It is great to keep these around the house and office for when you need to reduce stress. They help me fall asleep by rolling a line down both sides of my neck and a dab under my nose. Essential oils also help if you roll on the lower parts of your body, the smell will go right up to you.
Diffuserlove Ceramic Diffuser
160ML Essential Oil Diffusers Aromatherapy Essential Oil Diffuser for Room Air Diffuser for Home Bedroom Stone Diffuser White (Size:6.8″ H x 3.6″ W)
You don’t have to spend a fortune on a nice Essential Oil Diffuser, of course, there are more elaborate ones on the market. My life is about simplicity and this one has served me well for over 5 years.
I have not found a better essential oil mix to add to my Diffuser. It’s a great fragrance anywhere you have a Diffuser but this blend sets me up for a good night.
Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day, a popular misconception. Instead, it commemorates a single battle. In 1861, Benito Juárez—a lawyer and member of the Indigenous Zapotec tribe—was elected president of Mexico. At the time, the country was in financial ruin after years of internal strife, and the new president was forced to default on debt payments to European governments.
In response, France, Britain and Spain sent naval forces to Veracruz, Mexico, demanding repayment. Britain and Spain negotiated with Mexico and withdrew their forces.
France, however, ruled by Napoleon III, decided to use the opportunity to carve an empire out of Mexican territory. Late in 1861, a well-armed French fleet stormed Veracruz, landing a large force of troops and driving President Juárez and his government into retreat.
America has made the holiday a drinkfest which is an insult to the history of Cinco de Mayo.
Everyone suffers in an abusive environment. Our house was always in chaos. An alcoholic stepfather who abused my mother and a mother who abused her daughter. There were three other children in the house who saw the abuse and heard the screams and threats. I used to think the victim was the only person with scars. At 9 years old I survived almost daily beatings by taking drugs, plenty of alcohol, and trying to kill myself. It never occurred to me my brother suffered from witnessing the abuse. My brother’s scars are from seeing our stepfather beat our mother. Dragging her down the hall beating her head from side to side. Putting a knife to her throat saying he would kill her. Most of their fights ended in front of our bedrooms. We had front-row seats to hell. My mother abused me, and the methods escalated as I aged. I heard stories of abuse as early as six months old. I don’t think my mother was trying to kill me. She’s like the women on the news who allow their kids to die. She didn’t push my head under the water but would have crocodile tears if I drowned accidentally.
One weekend driving back from Houston we passed the exit to my mother’s house. I had strong emotions about my brother, not me. I didn’t understand the emotions. It hit me like a train, my brother was not physically abused yet was still a victim of abuse. He heard his sister scream and cry while his mother threw me to the floor, and hit my head on the countertop or down the hallway walls. He saw my stepfather hit me in the mouth with his fist. He saw my stepfather threaten to kill my mother while holding a knife to her throat. The realization was an eye-opener, I had overwhelming guilt. My brother and I never talked about it. The pain was swept under the rug. I didn’t know how he felt about the violence he saw. Neither of us knew how the violence would manifest itself in our souls. We had no idea how it would affect the decisions we made as adults.
My brother holds almost all emotions inside, it doesn’t even show on his face. I don’t think he realizes how the violence shaped him as a man. He has a good relationship with my mother yet he lives with the knowledge of what his mother did and allowed. I went to live with my father at 12 years old which meant I only saw my brother a couple of times of year. On my father’s designated holidays we went to my grandparents. We drifted apart from only seeing each other a couple of times a year. After college he moved to Arlington we were both alcoholics by then. Our meetings were at drunken parties at his apartment. We quit calling each other. It took the death of my father to bring us back together. It is the only positive from my father’s death.
I developed a strong relationship with his fiancé. We talked like old girlfriends. She was at my house one-night enjoying wine and chatting. I had no control over my mouth, it spilled out. I asked her if he acknowledged my abuse. She shared how much it affected him, the guilt he carries. A missing piece of the puzzle filled my heart. I thought I was invisible. We are very close, talk or e-mail very often. We live only 30 minutes apart but his travel schedule doesn’t allow much time together. A perfect example, is their Christmas presents are still in the closet. The difference is when we are together it’s like no time has passed.
It has been very touching to get e-mails from him as I deal with my health issues. His tone is of true concern. There was a time when I didn’t think this day would come. I’m so happy. I love my brother. I love him enough to attend his wedding even though I would have to see my mother. I did not want to look back knowing I missed his wedding. I realized another level of love and what you will do for love.
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 we highlight Kelly’s Quest.
Pay attention to any threat you receive! Does this person think I’m that stupid? Not to mention, I can’t perform the act he mentions. HAHA.
Hello pervert, I’ve sent this message from your iCloud mail.
I want to inform you about a very bad situation for you. However, you can benefit from it, if you will act wisеly.
Have you heard of Pegasus? This is a spyware program that installs on computers and smartphones and allows hackers to monitor the activity of device owners. It provides access to your webcam, messengers, emails, call records, etc. It works well on Android, iOS, and Windows. I guess, you already figured out where I’m getting at.
It’s been a few months since I installed it on all your devices because you were not quite choosy about what links to click on the intеrnеt. During this period, I’ve learned about all aspects of your private life, but one is of special significance to me.
I’ve recorded many videos of you jerking off to highly controversial рorn videos. Given that the “questionable” genre is almost always the same, I can conclude that you have sick реrvеrsiоn.
I doubt you’d want your friends, family, and co-workers to know about it. However, I can do it in a few clicks.
Every number in your contact list will suddenly receive these vidеоs– on WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, Facebook, and email – everywhere. It is going to be a tsunami that will sweep away everything in its path, and first of all, your fоrmеr life.
Don’t think of yourself as an innocent victim. No one knows where your реrvеrsiоn might lead in the future, so consider this a kind of deserved рunishmеnt to stop you.
I’m some kind of God who sees everything. However, don’t panic. As we know, God is merciful and forgiving, and so do I. But my mercy is not free.
Transfer 950 USD to my Litecoin (LTC) wallet: ltc1qcfmwa338xdc4wf40psy6fju3zum5scepxkx8kg
Once I receive confirmation of the transaction, I will permanently delete all videos compromising you, uninstаll Pegasus from all of your devices, and disappear from your life. You can be sure – my benefit is only money. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be writing to you, but destroy your life without a word in a second.
I’ll be notified when you open my email, and from that moment you have exactly 48 hours to send the money. If cryptocurrencies are unchartered waters for you, don’t worry, it’s straightforward. Just google “crypto exchange” or “buy Litecoin” and then it will be no harder than buying some useless stuff on Amazon.
I strongly warn you against the following: * Do not reply to this email. I’ve sent it from your iCloud mail. * Do not contact the police. I have access to all your devices, and as soon as I find out you ran to the cops, videos will be published. * Don’t try to reset or destroy your devices. As mentioned above: I’m monitoring all your activity, so you either agree to my terms or the vidеоs are published.
Also, don’t forget that cryptocurrencies are anonymous, so it’s impossible to identify me using the provided address.
Good luck, my perverted friend. I hope this is the last time we hear from each other. And some friendly advice: from now on, don’t be so careless about your online security.
This letter is total crap but for those who take everything as real, get a new attitude about Identity Theft and the dumb ass hackers out there.
I have taken many courses at Coursera over the last 15+ years and it’s a great way to try something new. Occasionally, the topic isn’t what I thought, and I didn’t finish the course. That’s the flexibility I appreciate. Coursera has so many options not only for free courses but they have degree programs as well.
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Take a look at their catalog to find your next learning adventure.
In this fast-paced social media world, it can be difficult to find the time to look within or back in time. I hope you find these quotes and questions interesting. So glad you stopped by today!
Looking for the Light 