Caring For Yourself

Nutritionally Yours

March 1st, 2013
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The loss of a loved one can literally take your appetite away.
You find that you can barely get out of bed and food is not appealing at all.  You feel as though you are walking through cotton candy.  All of your senses seem dulled and off.Sadly, these symptoms are considered to be pretty normal for a person grieving.
I remember at the reception after my husband’s funeral I really didn’t want anything to eat.  I had a yogurt before going to the church for the funeral mass but that was about all I could handle.  People kept giving … Read More

Silver Linings Playbook

February 25th, 2013
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Bradley Cooper & Jennifer Lawrence I applaud the beautiful and sensitive movie, Silver Linings Playbook, which came away from the Academy Awards last night with Jennifer Lawrence winning an Oscar for Best Actress. I had heard a lot about this movie before I recently saw it and I blown away by it.  Silver Linings Playbook definitely lived up to its reputation as a solid, slightly edgy, movie and it stands out because its story and its actors are courageous and hopeful.  The movie shines a light on two subjects that make people uncomfortable: grieving and mental health, and weaves these… Read More

A New Day; A New Way

February 19th, 2013
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They say that sharing is caring and I care so much about my readers that when I read the below post yesterday from the Bereaved Partners Support Group (@BereavedPartner on Twitter), I couldn’t wait to share it with you. So many things in this article resonated with me: especially the idea of stepping into your fears and working through them to find something new in your changed life. Healing and recovery happen.  It may not feel as though this natural process is happening to you but it is.  You must believe in a new way of life and even a… Read More

Two Life Tips

February 18th, 2013
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Say Ohmmmm! My mother gets more magazines than anyone I know.  She always has a huge stack of magazines near her lounge chair and after she whips through them she is always happy to give them away. This weekend I stopped by my parents’ house to visit, catch-up and check in on them and she gave me at least 25 magazines to take home.  Oh don’t worry.  My Mom still has more magazines for herself! Stories about staying healthy and de-stressing always pop out at me and while reading a December 2012 Family Circle magazine, I came upon an article… Read More

Fat Tuesday

February 12th, 2013
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Today is Fat Tuesday. For Catholics, today is the last hurrah before lent begins tomorrow.  That is how Mardi Gras come to be.  Essentially, Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday and with Mardi Gras comes some hard partying and parades and good times before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. Lent is a time of fasting and serious reflection, a time of giving something up or doing something that’s personally hard in order to prepare yourself for the celebration of Easter. This year, once again, my demon is sugar. I know all the bad stuff about sugar and how it… Read More

Getting Into The Zen Groove

February 8th, 2013
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“Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.” – St. Francis de Sales, patron saint of writers   Courtesy of Bethany Fine Arts Gallery From my core being, I am trying so very hard to attain a zen state of mind. This year is the year when I am trying to learn to meditate and think about serene things and scenes of nature that bring to mind a balance of calm and beauty. It is a matter of trial… Read More

Comfort Dogs

January 28th, 2013
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“Charlie”  They say that dogs can sense when people need comforting. And when dogs feel a person’s fatigue, sadness or loneliness, it is in their nature to give companionship and sometimes entertainment to the person in need. I have been watching the generous spirit of a new puppy named Charlie who has joined the family of one of my sisters.  Charlie is full of so much energy and love and he just can’t wait for someone to hold him and play with him.  Charlie is a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel and he has an uncanny sixth sense about which person… Read More

Writing Through Your Emotions

January 25th, 2013
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To me, processing or working through difficult emotions such as grief, anger, frustration and confusion, is in a sense, breaking down the walls of why I feel a certain way.  Once I think I have figured out a pretty good reason why I think this is happening, I try to either get rid of as much of the feeling as I can or I try to readjust or “rebuild” my way of looking at the situation. During the “figuring out” stage (which can be hours or months), my mind is usually a jumble of thoughts and emotions.  I may be… Read More

Michael J. Fox’s Morning

January 23rd, 2013
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Good Morning, Morning. I have a mindless routine in the morning, the same routine that I follow each work day.  I am never really ready to do anything until I have had at least one cup of hot tea.  I think I definitely take for granted that I can get myself going in the morning without taking any medication and without dealing with a physical handicap. Unfortunely, that’s not true for everyone.  That concept was really brought home to me after reading a short excerpt from in this month’s Reader’s Digest.  Always Looking Up, is the title of a book… Read More