How Can I Help Someone Going Through Hard Times?

There is so much going on in the world today. Natural disasters, wars, plagues...you name it!

With all these things going on, it is easy to see how one can feel helpless, sadness and pain. It is also hard to know what to do to help others.

I am very grateful for my life. Sure, I go though hard things, we all do. Some of us seem to go through harder things than others. One thing I have learned, though, is part of learning from the hardships we go through is our attitude toward them.  We all know, whether we want to admit it or not, these hard times are also times for us to grow and become stronger and wiser. We can choose to feel sorry for ourselves, or we can say to ourselves, "What can I learn from these hard times?"

I know of several families going through some very difficult times. A friend of mine has a grandson who is very sick. He was born 4 months premature, and has been in the hospital is whole life of 5 months. He is a little fighter. He has a tube where his nutrition from, and will probably have it for the rest of his life. There are other things that this innocent little guy is dealing with. He has known nothing but pain and hospitals. Even though this family struggles,  they have a very strong faith in their Lord and Savior.  

A close family member of mine has been dealing with stage four cancer. He learned of this about a year ago, and we all know that his time is running short. He has a beautiful family. They have a strong faith in the Lord. Even though they are saddened for what is to come, they have accepted it...no matter what. He is only 54, but he has lived a very full life, and he feels closer to the Lord than he ever has.

The third family I would like to mention is my daughter in law's family. Several years ago, they lost their home and business to the devastating Camp Fire in California. They were one of 27,000 people who fled their homes in Paradise, California. There was nothing left of this beautiful town. When I first heard of this, I couldn't believe it. I have so much empathy for them. They have taught me something though. This family, just like the ones mentioned above, have a very strong faith in their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Yes, they are saddened about the loss of their home and business, but they are content with their life. They know that everything will be fine. 

So what do these people have in common? Their belief in Jesus Christ, and His love for them. Each one of these families are going through something that is devastating, yet, they have put it into the Lord's hands, because He knows. He knows what we can handle, and that the things we are put through are for our growth. They are there for us to learn and gain wisdom. Hard time are there for us to be able to help others. 

Yes, the world is in turmoil right now. Many people are suffering. I wish I could help each and everyone one of them, but that is an impossible task. For one thing, not everyone wants to be helped, and as far as the ones that do want help, it is too overwhelming for one person to do it all. But!!! There is one way I can help. One way that little ole ME can help, and that is to pray. Pray for the people who are suffering. Pray for the people who don't know their Savior. Pray for the people all over the world. They are our brothers and sisters. We have a HUGE, worldwide family, and thinking, praying and having empathy for them is a way to help. I know many might think that this is no help, but it is. I feel very blessed that I know my Savior, Jesus Christ. I hope and pray, that if and when that day come where I go through my hardships (because we all do), that you will pray for me, because, you know.....sometimes that is all anyone can do. But!!!! Prayer is a very big help.

Mental Illness is Real!

My thoughts this day are with a family I never met. However, I did know their mother. 

The summer of 1980, I had the opportunity to go on a wilderness trip in Yellowstone. The group I was with was made up of about 30 college aged students from Rick's College in Rexburg, ID. During this trip, we were to backpack, canoe, horseback ride, and even climb a mountain. Most of the kids didn't know anyone else in the group, but we all became quite close during the several weeks we were together.

The big company split into smaller groups. Our group consisted of the only Southern people in company. Four of us were from Florida, and one from Georgia. Three of the Floridians were actually from the same area...two of us were close friends that went to the same high school, but I only had met these two girls just days earlier.

As the tents and supplies were handed out, most of the groups were issued tents that slept up to five called McKinley Tents. There were two of us left over, and so we were issued a small two man tent. Stacey and I were to share that tent for the next five weeks.

So, let me tell you about Stacey. I had only just met her, but I already felt a closeness to her. She was bubbly, vibrant, happy, and a little bit sassy...but in a good way. She was one of those people who everyone was drawn to, everyone wanted to be Stacey's friend. 

I turned 20 on that trip, one of the oldest in the group, and now that I am in my 60's, I still talk about that trip. There was a lot of personal growth during those short few weeks, and I am grateful for the time I was able to spend with everyone. Out of the 30, I have only been able to keep up with three, and even those three, I just "see" them on Facebook. But still, everyone in that group has a special place in my heart.

Especially Stacey. Since that trip, Stacey and I never have really communicated, but I still look up to her. I know that the giant personality she had as a college student has been put to the good for others. She was the type of person who would do anything, and give everything to help them out.

Sad things is, she had her own struggles. You would never know it though, and I, like so many others, had no clue until... Well...

You see, Stacey was suffering from mental illness. She had severe depression, and she lost her battle with it this past week. She always seemed so happy. But deep inside she was not...and that is so sad. Sad to think that no one could reach out to her. Not to say they didn't try, because they did. 

Mental illness is so misunderstood. When someone has cancer, we feel for them, it seems easier to reach out. Mental illness, though is much different. For one thing, like in Stacey's case, it is hidden, and so many of us go our merry way and the illness gets ignored. 

You never know how much someone is hurting. This is why it is so important to reach out to EVERYONE. Let other's know you truly care. You do not have to go around saying, "I love you" all the time. Most of the time it is by our actions. Even something just as little as noticing them, looking into their eyes and giving them a genuine smile.

The Good Ole Days...Growing up in the 1970"s

Once upon a time in a not so far away neighborhood lived a group of people who genuinely cared for one another. 

Lined ever so neatly, were perfectly manicured modest homes; and in each home lived a mommy, daddy, and children. Some households had pets too...maybe a dog or a cat, or even fish or a hamster or two.

Each morning, dad would get up, read the morning paper over a cup of coffee, and then head out to work. Mom would get the kids up, and get them off to school. Some would make sure they got to the bus stop on time, other mothers would take their kids to school.

After the morning rush, mom would clean up the breakfast mess, maybe do a load of laundry or two...or three. Laundry was more than likely done on Monday's...after the weekend full of family fun, or possibly some heavy work around that house that needed to be done. 

The teenage son, or teenage boy down the street usually mowed the lawn. Cars needed to be washed, have a change of oil, or some other mechanically fix. Dad usually did all of that instead of taking it to a mechanic. It was a lot more affordable than to take it in. 

There were actually certain days for certain chores. One day mom would change all the bedding for clean ones. The old dirty sheets would be washed, dried, folded and put away. One day would be the shopping day. It was not unusual for mom to clip coupons, make menus for the week, make her grocery list from the sale paper and menus she put together before going to the various stores to shop the individual sales. 

One day a month, she would do her budgeting. Families kept on a strict budget. This allowed mom to be able to stay at home and tend to the needs of the family. 

Each day of the week had a different thing that needed to be done. Mom was very organized, and ready for the time the children are due home after school. Mom usually had some sort of a snack waiting for the children's arrival. Once everyone was settled at home, it was time to hit the books and get the homework done. Mom was always a big help when it came to any questions that might come up. 

After the homework was done, it was time for the kids to head outside to play with their friends before dad came home and it was dinner time. 

The neighborhood was a very busy place...children skating down the sidewalks, other's riding their bikes around the block. Many games, like hide and go seek, kick the can, volleyball (if you were lucky enough to have or know someone that had a volleyball net set up in their yard).  Other games and activities were jump rope, chase, or maybe some girls practicing their cheerleading skills.
Even in the rain, you would see kids outside, usually in the street skimming on a makeshift skim board. 

During this fun time, Mom was in the kitchen whipping up some yummies for dinner. As soon as dad got home, it was time to sit down together, as a family, and enjoy the beautiful meal mom lovingly cooked for them. Conversations of the day took over as they filled their tummies with good, homemade nutrition.

As soon as everyone was finished, the clean up began. If the children were old enough, they took turns cleaning the dinner mess. If not, mom cleaned the kitchen while dad retired to the living room to watch the news. Walter Conkrite was the man to watch as he delivered the latest information of the day. 

With the kitchen cleaned up, there was still an hour or two before the sun went down, so the kids headed back out to be with their friends. 

Sometimes you might see a circle of mothers gathered on a neighbors lawn discussing events and making plans. You see, many of these women helped one another. If one of them was in the middle of baking cookies, and forgot to put sugar on the grocery list, which means she ran out....she could call her friend next door to see if she could borrow some. Many times the way it was payed back was by returning the favor.  Probably not with a cup of sugar but for a couple of eggs. 

Many of these women car pooled together to get their kids to and from school. Sometimes they just needed someone to talk to. Picking up the phone and calling one another was no biggy. They helped and comforted each other.

Whenever the phone rang, or someone came to the door, it was not unusual for the children to run to answer. Usually all of them yelling, " I GOT IT, I GOT IT, I GOT IT!!!!!!" 

OK....now let us fast forward 40 years....or even 30 years.

When most of us read the above, we think of that as a fictitious place. Something made up. Well, it is not. I just described the neighborhood I grew up in (1970's). My dad was a NASA engineer and made pretty good money. Most of the people in our neighborhood had the same type jobs. There were no huge homes. The house we lived in was about 1100 sq feet. Basic three bedrooms, two bath, living room, eat in kitchen, and one car garage. 

Children were expected to do chores...mow lawns and house hold chores like dishes, vacuum, dust, clean the bathrooms and their own rooms...and whatever else needed to be done. Most children even shared a bedroom with a sibling.

Today, technology rules our lives. Now don't get me wrong. Technology can be a wonderful thing, but we have allowed it to come into our lives and take over!

How many of you know your neighbor? How many of you feel comfortable to go next door, or call someone to see how they are doing? Or even feel comfortable answering your phone or door?

Many of us HATE talking on the phone. Many of us just HATE talking to people at all. This is pretty sad. 

Depression has become ramped. People need people. Yes, we need each other. Sure through social media, it seems that we are more connected, but are we really? Yes, we can communicate with other's through text, facebook, and other technology. But is there a difference between that and actually sitting down, face to face, over lunch and actually looking at each other and talking? 

Through text, messaging, etc much of the real communication is lost. When we are face to face, we can see through fluctuation of the voice and body language what is really meant in the conversation. So much is lost when not face to face. 

Life is so different today. Yes, some things are easier, but honestly,  overall, life was much simpler back then. I am sad that my grandchildren will never get to experience what it was like when I was a kid. I sure miss those "Good Ole Days..."

I FINALLY Got my Ears Pierced!

 

For as long as I can remember, I always wanted my ears pierced. My dad, however, didn't think it was such a great idea. He said not until I'm 18, when I can make my own decisions. He would also say...."If God wanted holes in your ears, He would have put them there!" *sigh*

I remember BEGGING, to get my ears pierced, and my mom, ever so patiently, would tell me to just be patient. FINALLY, the time came, and my mom was able to talk my dad into letting me get my ears pierced for my 13th birthday. He reluctantly said it was ok, but only if a doctor did it.

So...on my 13th birthday, mom took me to see our family doctor and he pierced my ears. I was so happy. I loved the little gold balls that adorned my ears. Anyone who got theirs pierced in the 70's remembers the gold balls. Mine were a bit different though, because they had a brushed look to them. I liked that mine were a little different. 

Each day, I would care for my ears. Six weeks of alcohol, on a cotton ball was applied three times a day, twisting and turning the earrings so the alcohol would get into the holes. This was so they would heal with no infection. 

Each time we would go to the store, I had to look at the earrings. I was saving up for some new ones. They were all so cute, it was going to be hard to choose. Finally, a week before I could take my gold balls out, Mom took me to TG&Y, and I bought my first pair of pierced earrings. Now, one of the stipulations was that I could NOT wear any dangles until I was older. According to my dad, dangles were very inappropriate for a little girl. I was ok with that, at least for awhile.

As the year went on, I saved my allowance money and bought a pair of earrings about every week or so. I had quite the collection; elephants, different colored rhinestones (dark green, light green, clear, pink, etc), crowns, and one of my favorite--silver tone treble clefs! 

About six months after I got my ears pierced, I noticed a pair of tiny little dangles. They were posts, with just a slight little cameo dangle. I loved them. I hesitantly ask my mom if I could get them. To my surprise she told me I could! I wore those earrings A LOT!!!!

Tell me, when did you get your ears pierced and what were your first earrings like?

 This post is going to be somewhat of a rant....about reading...

Now, I'm not much of a reader. NO, you won't see me curled up with a book. Honestly, I have a hard time sitting for long periods of time. This blog is more about reading descriptions when you are shopping on the internet, or reading descriptions about what a video is about on YouTube, reading emails that give directions or information, reading posts on Facebook, etc. 

In todays, world, when most people read, they skim read. I believe this is something the school system has taught. Not on purpose, but because the schools are so focused on children passing a test in a certain amount of time. The children have to read fast and look for specific information...maybe even reading the questions first so they can skim for the answers. 

When you skim read, you miss out on so many things. For example...I know many online shops have very good descriptions about their product. Sometimes, they will get emails asking certain questions about the product. If the shopper had actually read...not skim...but read the description, they would have had their questions answered. Some shoppers even buy something, then are disappointed when they receive their purchase. Why? Because if they had read about the product first, they would have seen that it was a small painting. They would have seen the dimensions were 6X6. But instead they assumed it was a large painting, one that was going to fit on the huge wall over the couch. 

I have posted on facebook before, and had someone start an argument, or try to call me out on something, only to find out we had the same outlook. If they would have read the post instead of skimming through it and jump to conclusions, they would have agreed with what I was saying.

Just the other day, I had someone comment on a post about how they couldn't see what I was doing. I posted a video about the process I use to pick out beads to make something. I mention in the video, and in the comments that this is NOT a tutorial, but an explanation...so no, you are not going to see HOW I put it together. 

Sorry for the rant, but I do wish we would all take time to actually read what is being said. I am just as guilty about this as anyone else, but if we want to make sure we understand what we are getting in the mail, or watching on TV, YouTube, etc, or what what someone is really saying, we need to read the entire thing.

Are We Vitamin D Deficient?

Over half the population is Vitamin D deficient. This affects all ethnic groups across the planet. 

Research supports the possible role of vitamin D against cancer, heart disease, fractures and falls, autoimmune diseases, influenza, type-2 diabetes, and depression.

So....how are we suppose to get our Vitamin D? Well....Vitamin D is also called the Sunshine Vitamin, so the main way is through outdoor activity.

Whether walking, riding your bike, gardening, spending time at the park, or just hanging out in your own backyard are just a few of the ways to get your Vitamin D.

Can you get your recommend amount of Vitamin D in other ways? According to The US National Library of Medicine....

"Obtaining sufficient vitamin D from natural food sources alone is difficult. Consumption of vitamin D-fortified foods and exposure to some sunlight are essential for maintaining a healthy vitamin D status. Dietary supplements might be required to meet the daily need for vitamin D in some group of people."

Of course, there is always a supplement you can take. Egg yokes; cheese; liver; fatty fish like tuna, mackerel, and salmon; are also good sources of Vitamin D. Many other foods are fortified with it too such as, dairy and cereals. All that being said...daily sunshine is the best way to get most of your Vitamin D

Not only is it good to get your sunshine vitamin through sunshine, but it's good to get outside for some good ole fresh air! Yes....our air quality it not what it use to be, but in most places it is much better than being inside with all those toxins that build up over time...but that is a whole other subject we can address some other time. 

I love the outdoors. I especially love being close to the water. The beach is my most favorite place to be. I love walking up and down the shoreline collecting seashells, I love watching the birds, and other animal life enjoying their presence...and yes, I even enjoy people watching, especially the kids running around, building sandcastles and being joyful.

2022 #100DayProjectChallenge

 It's that time of year again....

#100DayProjectChallenge 2022!

Yes! Starting February 13 and ending May 24 I will be participating. I've been doing this for several years now, and honestly, have yet to go the full 100 days.

Last year, I came pretty close. I participated with a group of jewelry makers hosted by Brittany Chavers from Brittany's Beads. She randomly chose colors to work with from an online random color generator. My goal was to make a pair of earrings each day. Each week, or so, I put together a video showing my creations. I hope you go check that out by going to my Youtube Channel's #100dayprojectchallenge play list. 

I've been thinking about what I want to do this year for the challenge. Each year I have participated, I have made jewelry. This year, I want to change it up a bit. 

Back in 2020, when people were first looking for masks, I started making a ton of them. Needless to say, I had a LOT of scraps that I just put into bags. 

Most of the fabric is bright and tropical. I knew, eventually, I would find a new project for all this beautifulness...

My plan? To make a collage. Some people refer to it as "Painting with Fabric."

I'm not exactly sure what the final outcome will be. I do have a few ideas, but, if you have followed me for any time at all, you know that I sometimes change things up midstream...so I just want to keep my ideas a secret...at least for now.

I will tell you this....

I started a little early.

Why?

Well, I am hoping to be spending some time with my family who live in Florida. I have not seen them since before the pandemic. One of my sisters I will not have seen for over three years! 

We are planning a family "getaway" so to speak. We have rented an Airbnb on the beach, and we have some fun plans. I will probably be back home by the time May 24 rolls around (the official last day). I want to have my project done and using it on my trip.

My start date was actually February 1, 2022. It has been in the planning and sorting stages. I will be documenting everything mostly on my Youtube Channel Tappingflamingo, aka The Bohemian Hippie. Through shorts and long videos here and there. I'll probably also post on my IG, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, etc...so stay tuned.

In the mean time....

Are you joining in on the #100DayProjectChallenge?

If so, what are your plans?

Have you ever done fabric collage?

If so, what have you made?

Hope you stay tuned...

And mostly....

I hope you have a FANTASTICALLY Wonderful Day!!!!

Terry Jeanette

Tappingflamingo

aka The Bohemian Hippie