Glad I Was Running a Tad Bit Late Today!

Lately, I seem to be in constant pain...all over. The only thing that does NOT hurt is my hair. So, I headed to the doctor yesterday. She took a bunch of blood, so hopefully I'll hear something by the end of the week. It will probably all come back negative, which is a good thing, I think. I would like something to come back positive, something that we can do something about, and get me back to my normal self.

Although I hurt all over, I've been going to the YMCA five days a week. I've been swimming my mile and treading water for 30 minutes to an hour. Some days, in addition to that I take a water aerobics class or a water walking class. As long as I am in the water, I seem to not hurt so much. But as soon as I get out, uggg, especially my heel where I plantar fasciitis is. 

This morning, I decided I was going to go to Pilates. The other day I had gone to Yoga, and actually felt a little better for a few hours. Figured Pilates would be the same. I do stretch when I get out of bed each morning, and also I do some stretching through out the day, and afterward, I feel better, for a little while.

So, I got myself out of bed, got ready and headed off to the Y. I don't really have time today to go to the pool, as I have somewhere to be later this morning. I was running a tad bit late, but that's ok, since the Pilates class is always late getting started. As I headed down the road, I see what looks to be a pretty bad accident. I am sure glad I was running late, as I probably would have been involved in that. It looked like a guy driving a pickup was trying to beat the light and turned too sharply, flipping the truck into the little white car in the left turn lane. It had just happened, and everyone was waiting for ambulance and police to arrive. I think everyone was ok, and the driver of the truck was trying to crawl out the passenger side. 

I sat there for a few minutes, and even talked to one of the people walking around. I asked if they had called 911, which they had, and made sure everyone was ok. Then I turned my little Scion XB around and went home. 

Oh well, so much for going to the Y today. I think I'm going to go do some more stretching....

A Visit From Mr. Hulk

I went to yoga for the first time since I got out of the hospital two months ago. Boy, did I ever miss it. 

When I first got there, we were getting our mats out and everything ready for class. As we were doing all this we had an interesting visitor...the Hulk! No not really, but if you painted his skin green, he sure could pass for the Hulk.

marvel.com

So, Mr Hulk stood at the door for a few seconds. You could tell he was wanting the room. Finally he asked if there was a class. We told him yes, that there was a yoga class starting soon and that he was welcome to stay. He looked at us pretty funny and said that's fine, that he needed to work on his abs. My friend told him we worked on abs and he should stay. He left, and I didn't see it but I'm sure he left rolling his eyes.

I'm not sure people realize how good yoga is for you. It is not an easy class. Yoga is good for everyone, young, old, people who are into athletics big time, and those just starting to move.  Yoga is one of those classes that is for YOU. It is YOUR practice, not the person beside you, not your teacher, but YOU. As you progress in your practice, you will see improvement in your own class and lifestyle.

My daughter is a yoga instructor and has actually taught athletes at their local university. I commend these coaches who see the benefit of yoga in their sport. Mr Hulk could not see that. All he saw was a bunch of old ladies sitting on the floor do a light workout. I would love to see him come in and try. I do believe that after our workout today, he would have a very different opinion of yoga, and if he did not come back, it wasn't because it was easy...it was because he found it more difficult than he thought.

Just like the lady at our club that runs marathons. We have tried to get her to come workout in the pool and swim laps. She told us that you can't get a workout in the water, that running was much more of a work out than swimming. Well, I would like to see her come and prove that. I'm sure she would have a change of mind.  I've known people who had the same attitude toward swimming laps, and when they came and tried, they were out of the pool by about lap five.

My Essential Oils Have Arrived!

For the past week, I have been tracking a package, and it finally came today, my essential oils!

Since I am new to these things, I decided to order one of their kits. I have used Lemon, Lavender, Peppermint, Oregano, and one of Doterra's blends--Digestin. This introductory packet has all of these in it plus more. Before I show what I got, I'd like to share my story about oils. 

When I got out of the hospital a several weeks ago, they did not send me home with any antibiotics. I had had so much of it in the hospital they were afraid I might develop some more allergies to antibiotics. I'm already allergic to so many, that they just decided it would be best. A friend of mine was worried that since I was going on a cruise that I would be susceptible to any bad germ that might be floating (:p) around, and sent me Oregano and Digestin. Oregano is a natural antibiotic, and both these oils together would be good for me to take on my trip. I had ordered some empty capsules to put drops of these oils into, but they did not come in time, so she told me how to apply them to my feet. Not sure if they did any good, but I did not get sick, and I healed up pretty quickly. The jury was still out on oils.

 After our cruise and a little visit with my family in Florida, we headed to Louisiana to visit my daughter and her husband. I had told her to get me some Lavender, Lemon and Peppermint oils. While there, I got a fourth round of fever blisters since I had been in the hospital (that is four times within a four week period...one right after the other). I was reading the paper work and it said that lemon oil was good for fever blisters. I started using it on my new batch and they quickly went away and I haven't had any since. Hmmm...maybe there is something to them. Jury still out.

I have had a cough for months. I get it all the time, usually when I am exposed to cigarette smoke. Sometimes all it take is one whiff of someone's clothes that has been smoking. Then I have the cough for MONTHS! The cough makes it hard for me to sing, and even talk sometimes. I then read that lavender, lemon and peppermint were good for allergies. Well, this cough is surely from allergies, so I tried it, and guess what!? It has helped...a lot! As in just about gone!

Then!!!! I had the hiccups! You know those horrible ones that hurt? I had them for hours. uggggg! My daughter told me, "peppermint oil!" Two tablespoons of water and about five drops of peppermint oil and drink it down. I'll have to admit, it gave quiet a kick, but my hiccups were no more!

In my new intro packet, was Deep Blue, which is used for sore muscles. I have had a sore neck ever since my surgery. The first thing I did when I got my packet was open it up and tried the Deep Blue. I'll have to say, I'm feeling pretty good right now.

I know many of you are a bit skeptical as I was when I first heard of oils. But since I have tried a few, I am wanting to try some more. I do believe there is something to them. As I was doing some more research today, I came upon this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PCEsulMB5Q

Pretty interesting, don't you think?

Ok, so now, what did I get in my kit?

Well, of course these three. They are ESSENTIAL!

And then the Deep Blue.

Yes! Frankincense, this is one of the things that the Three Kings brought to the Baby Jesus. From what I understand, this is one of those oils, that "when you are in doubt, use Frankincense." It is good for minor cuts, bites and sores, supports immune function, and...this is the what I want to try...."use with your favorite face moisturizer for beautiful radiant skin."

Now, these two I will not be able to use. You see, I am allergic to Melaleuca also known as Tea Tree oil. Breathe has Tea Tree oil in it. Melaleuca is an incredible oil. I wish I could use it. One thing that it is suppose to be good for are rashes. Funny thing is, I have had a rash on my shin for about ten years. It goes away sometimes, but it is there most of the time. I was using Melaleuca oil to try to get rid of it. The rash seemed to be getting worse, then, I found out I was allergic to it. You also need to be careful with this oil around pets, as it is toxic to them. Melaleuca is good for skin and hair care and you will find it in a lot of your products. Breathe is good for any respiratory problem you may have.

On Guard is a blend of oils good for helping your immune system. I'm sure I will be using this this winter.

Ok, so there you have it. My new introductory kit of oils. So far I do think there is something to them. In this kit, you get small sample bottles of each of the oils. I do plan to stock up on more as time goes on. So far, I feel the oils I will have on hand all the time are Lemon, Lavender, Peppermint, Deep Blue, Digestin, and Oregano. I am sure as time goes on, my list will expand.

It's For The Birds....

Ok...before I begin, I want you to promise me you won't laugh too hard. You see, what I'm about to show you is pretty funny, and I have been laughing at myself about this.

A few weeks ago, I started making these cute little critters. The first one I changed up a bit because I wanted to make a duck. 

The second one I made exactly like the instructions said, and came out with this cute little orange chick.

The third one I call Ghost Bird. Even though I followed the instructions exactly like the orange chick, it came out looking like a football...hmmm...

I wanted to try to do a flamingo. You know I HAD to do a flamingo...Tappingflamingo?  Anyway, he turned out big and, well flat. Yes...same instructions. Not sure what I am doing wrong to come out with such a diverse group of birds.

 I took them to the stitch club I go to each month, and the ladies loved them. Then I told them about my dilemma. We all had a good laugh. The only thing I can think, is that the first one I did with ZERO interruptions. Not so with the other three. 

Well, even if that is not the true reason, it is a good excuse, don't ya think?  Hey!!!! At least they stack well....

Our Backyard...A Work in Process...

Just over a year ago, we moved from Louisiana. This time last year, we were living with my in laws until we could get in our new house in Kentucky. One of my favorite things about our front yard landscape in Louisiana was our fountain.

It was one of the focal points in our front yard. I wasn't quite sure where I wanted to put it at our new home. There was already a fountain in front, besides there are a lot of pretty big bushes in the front, I thought the fountain would get lost.

My husband decided to put in the back, that way we could enjoy the sound when we sat on the desk. The only problem was, it looked funny there all by itself. We left it there over the winter. 

This past April, my mom and I went to Disney with my sister and her family. While we were there, I was inspired by these planters they had all around Downtown Disney. I thought it would look nice around our fountain.

So a couple weeks ago, we gathered our pots that did not get broken during the move and started planting.  As far as a choice in flowers, there was not much of a variety. At first I was a bit disappointed  but as we started planting, I was fine with what we came home with.

I love purple and yellow (no, I am NOT an LSU fan, I have always liked purple and yellow). 

We picked up a few herbs...Basil and Thyme.

We found this Salvia on the half price shelf and decided to give it a try. It looks like it is going to make it. I can't wait to see the butterflies and hummingbirds it is suppose to attract.

So far, this is what we have. It still needs a few more pots, but it is a start. I do believe once the flowers start filling in the pots more, it will look a lot nicer.

We bought some Begonias,  but after we planted them, we learned that they are poisonous to dogs. I moved them to where Sox cannot get to them.

Next to the fountain area, we have some cucumbers that are beginning to grow.

We also have some grape tomatoes and green peppers that are getting big. I think we should have planted the peppers somewhere else.

Can't wait til we have some read tomatoes!

Here are some more tomatoes. Not sure how these guys are going to do. We planted them here so the deer would not get to them. You see, we have a deer issue; as in about six to ten deer a day come through our yard. Hopefully, they will not come up on our deck and eat our plants.

Wish us luck!

Bridal Necklace

Someone very special is getting married soon, so I've been working on wedding jewelry. The bride has chosen pink and green for her colors, because her favorite color is pink and the grooms favorite color is green. Since they are getting married in August, and the birthstone for that month is peridot, she has chosen a lighter green.

A few months ago, a friend of mine (who started making jewelry sometime ago), decided she wanted to focus more on quilting. She wanted to sell all her stuff and told me about it. There were all kinds of pretties, and I bought it all. Included in her many boxes of stuff were some really nice crystal hearts. She had one big deeper pink (which is pictured above and for the bride), three smaller hearts to match, three more that were a bit lighter, and three clear hearts. She also had a lot of pink crystal beads and a few peridot colored crystal beads. I had some freshwater pearls that I've been keeping aside for an occasion like this.

Here is the bride's necklace up close.

My friend also had some round, silver, clear crystal beads in her stash that I thought went perfect.

Everything easily came together for this necklace, and I've started on the rest of the bridal party. I'm sure I will be showing them all when I get them done.

Sleep...

Before ya'll start reading this blog, I want to apologize for the mess it is in. For some reason, Blogger is being crazy, and I can't seem to make it look the way I want, so please excuse the mess. 

As I mentioned in my blog last Wednesday, I will be discussing health issues (each Wednesday). One health issue we all have is sleep, or the lack of....zzzzz....

How important is sleep?

Well, according to the Harvard Women's Health Watch, there are six reasons why we should get more sleep:

1. Learning and memory: Sleep helps the brain commit new information to memory through a process called memory consolidation. In studies, people who’d slept after learning a task did better on tests later.
2. Metabolism and weight: Chronic sleep deprivation may cause weight gain by affecting the way our bodies process and store carbohydrates, and by altering levels of hormones that affect our appetite.
3. Safety: Sleep debt contributes to a greater tendency to fall asleep during the daytime. These lapses may cause falls and mistakes such as medical errors, air traffic mishaps, and road accidents.
4. Mood: Sleep loss may result in irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate, and moodiness. Too little sleep can also leave you too tired to do the things you like to do.
5. Cardiovascular health: Serious sleep disorders have been linked to hypertension, increased stress hormone levels, and irregular heartbeat.
6. Disease: Sleep deprivation alters immune function, including the activity of the body’s killer cells. Keeping up with sleep may also help fight cancer.
7. 
   

Wow! Doesn't that make you want to get the amount of sleep you need? So, how much sleep do you need?  Well, sleep varies as to who you are, and what you do. For example, are you a young adult or baby; do you have a stressful job, or is your lifestyle more laid back?  There are many factors which determine how much sleep one needs.

According to the National Sleep Foundation the following are the recommend amounts of  sleep one needs each night. Which does NOT mean you can get a little sleep on some days/nights and then make it up all on the weekend.

Personally, I need about eight hours each night. I can remember 

when my children were small, I needed more sleep, yet got much 

less. I call those my, "Walking Zombie Years."  As my children 

have gotten older, life has been better because I have been able to 

get my eight hours of sleep. 

I read in interesting article about how much sleep we need. It 

suggested a couple of interesting things that I do believe will work.  

To determine your personal needs, try this experiment:

If you use an alarm clock to get you up in the morning, that is a telltale sign that you are not getting enough sleep. The fact that you rely on an alarm clock to wake you up every day shows that your body is not rested enough to wake naturally.

A simple test you can use to determine if you’re getting enough sleep is to go to bed fifteen minutes earlier that you normally would. See if you still need an alarm clock to wake up. If you do, try going to bed another fifteen minutes earlier. Continue in this manner until you reach a point where you wake up naturally in the morning without an alarm clock. That’s how many hours of sleep you need each night.

And a secondary note about the amount of sleep you need:

Even if you’ve enjoyed a full night’s sleep, getting out of bed can be difficult if your alarm goes off when you’re in the middle of deep sleep. If you want to make mornings less painful—or if you know you only have a limited time for sleep—try setting a wake-up time that’s a multiple of 90 minutes, the length of the average sleep cycle. For example, if you go to bed at 10 p.m., set your alarm for 5:30 (a total of seven-and-a-half hours of sleep) instead of 6 or 6:30. You may feel more refreshed at 5:30 than with another 30 to 60 minutes of sleep because you’re getting up at the end of a sleep cycle when your body and brain are already close to wakefulness.

Something else that works for me, is exercise. I have always been 

one of those who wake up exhausted. Sleep never seemed to do 

much for me and I hated getting up. About six years ago, I started 

walking with a group of ladies. We met at 8 a.m., sometimes 

7:30, depending on the weather. It gets really hot humid 

in Louisiana. Since I have hypoglycemia, I have to eat a decent 

breakfast in the morning before I exercise, so I was getting up at 7 

so I could do so. For the last few years, I don't need an alarm clock

 to get me up. I go to sleep around 11 and wake up ready to hit the 

floor by 7.  Now, I know most of you work and have to get up at 

that time to head that way, but if you make time in your schedule to 

exercise, and then go to bed at a decent hour, I promise, you will 

not only feel better, but be more productive in your daily activities. 

You will also be healthier and happier.

Now that we talked about not getting enough sleep, I'd like to talk a 

little about getting too much sleep. This can lead to some health 

issues. According to Web Med, here are a few problems that could 

arise if you get TOO much sleep.

Diabetes. Studies have shown that sleeping too long or not enough each night can increase the risk for diabetes.

Obesity. Sleeping too much or too little could make you weigh too much, as well. One recent study showed that people who slept for nine or 10 hours every night were 21% more likely to become obese over a six-year period than were people who slept between seven and eight hours. This association between sleep and obesity remained the same even when food intake and exercise were taken into account.

Headaches. For some people prone to headaches, sleeping longer than usual on a weekend or vacation can cause head pain. Researchers believe this is due to the effect oversleeping has on certain neurotransmitters in the brain, including serotonin. People who sleep too much during the day and disrupt their nighttime sleep may also find themselves suffering from headaches in the morning.

Back pain. There was a time when doctors told people suffering from back pain to head straight to bed. But those days are long gone. You do need to curtail your regular exercise program when you are experiencing back pain. But doctors now realize the health benefits of maintaining a certain level of activity. And they recommend against sleeping more than usual, when possible.

Depression. Although insomnia is more commonly linked to depression than oversleeping, roughly 15% of people with depression sleep too much. This may in turn make their depression worse. That's because regular sleep habits are important to the recovery process. Need another reason not to overdo the ZZZs when you're blue? ? In certain instances, sleep deprivation can have a temporary antidepressant effect.

Heart disease. The Nurses' Health Study involved nearly 72,000 women. A careful analysis of the data from that study showed that women who slept nine to 11 hours per night were 38% more likely to have coronary heart disease than women who slept eight hours. Researchers have not yet identified a reason for the connection between oversleeping and heart disease.

Death. Multiple studies have found that people who sleep nine or more hours a night have significantly higher death rates than people sleeping seven to eight hours a night. No specific reason for this correlation has been determined. But researchers found that depression and low socioeconomic status are also associated with longer sleep. They speculate these factors could be related to the observed increase in mortality for people who sleep too much.

Oh wow, scary! Now, there are some people who 

have health issues that keep them from getting the 

sleep they need. If you are one of these people, a 

doctor's visit might be a good idea.

We all need to practice good sleep habits. Sleeping

 seven to nine hours each night, going to bed and

 getting up at the same time each day, avoiding

 caffine or alcohol close to bedtime, exercising

 regularly and making your bedroom a comfortable

 haven to sleep in will help you get the amount of 

sleep you need. 

With that being said....I need to get our room in 

shape!  Seems like when we move, our room is the

 last one to get in shape, it probably should be the 

first.