About to be a veteran's mom...

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Tomorrow (Monday-turning-into-Tuesday) night at midnight son Mike will sign out for 'terminal leave', having weeks of accrued leave time that he must take (or lose) before his last official day in the Army. On the 4th of July, his medical discharge becomes official and he will be a veteran. And on that day he finally will receive the promotion he earned several years ago.

After the Service, soldiers go home. Mike's driving East starting early Tuesday morning, and his wife and sons will fly here to arrive on 'Memorial Day'. They'll spend several months living with son Alan's family in their new home.

Home. Like other veterans, Mike -and his wife!- must redefine home.
They are both (she's a vet too) now entering a different battleground: civilian adjustment.

The next several months will be full of change and decision-making for them as they go forward. Since 3.5-year-old grandson Danny still shows a bit of his once-terrified separation anxiety issues when Mike/Daddy packs a duffle bag, we are all glad that the days of deployments have ended. (Mike plans to leave Washington before 4am Tuesday so that Danny doesn't seem him leave!)

So I'll no longer be a military mom of an active duty soldier... and sure am relieved. But I'll remain supportive as this little family adjusts... and yes I'll surely still worry too. After all... Since my 95-year-old neighbor frets and worries about her 70-something-year-old healthy, very dynamic, well-traveled daughter, I guess it's okay for me to still have that feeling that I need to somehow help...or at least listen... We moms are like that, y'know?

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Thought for the day; keeping it positive

Saturday, May 18, 2013

If you've read my blogs for awhile, you've perhaps noticed that certain key thoughts recur; even though phrased differently or with a particular focus, the basic thoughts recur. Words or meanings that pile from my keyboard onto the site include 'balance', 'achieve', 'persist', 'nurture'...and more. Focus on these things is crucial to me because the positive words bolster my confidence that this tortoise pace of mine is A-ok. And it is.

A few days ago a question for the day on one of my teams
asked members to share a thought of the day.
What I wrote was and often is quite high in my approach to much in life these days:

"To me,
the regrets that
I cannot have or do more
do exist,
but
they balance out with the fact that
I have always done the best with what I had
... and still do so.

To live honorably in word and deed outweighs any loss along the way."

Yes, Frank Sinatra, regrets I have a few but then again? Hey, too few to mention. Or rather: too few to shadow the good stuff from my vision!

What is important is not how 'much' we can do, but whether we truly enjoy it and behave in a way that is humane, challenging in a constructive way, considerate, moral, and excuse the word: polite. WHAT we are doing sometimes is less crucial than HOW we are doing it. The 'what' of it is ever-expanding even when my limits are down in some area or another; positives lie hidden at times, just waiting for me to grow enough to realize them.

I've fully embraced as challenge the Army motto
to Be the Best I Can Be.
What is marvelous is how my definition of the word "can" evolves.
And how I love that this little motto serves as an energy boost when my optimism begins to dip. It reminds me to look at what I'm doing to see where change is needed... and then to switch gears (if necessary) to keep on going.

In recent months this slow journey of mine took a few hits, and I'm thankful that an important part of it has been taking care of the inside Me. All the above thoughts, words and phrases can repeat not just in my blogs but as little mantras that fuel me when they are needed. I do believe that focus on the inside is very important in this journey, and hope my friends don't neglect remembering to think of 'half full' instead of 'half empty' especially when 'things' feel like they are really 10 percent...ummm... you know: full!

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Meaty talk

Wednesday, May 08, 2013

Ha! Gotcha! You just HAD to see what I meant, huh? lol

I really don't like/enjoy eating meat.
The doc says that since I go low on protein (especially when I skip meat a lot) I should have it a few times a week. Well, the only way to like meat is to pile on the sauces and cover with fruits. But. Maybe. Just maybe... trying a different way of cooking MIGHT help? Yes, I love my pork tenderloin but oh yuh I cook it on a pile of cabbage, onions, apples, with lots of cinnamon and minced garlic... so the pork is sort of in there with the veggies even as the fork lifts off my plate. So that's not really 'liking' the meat; I just found a way to eat it by covering up the taste.

I don't get all excited by a plain slab of meat sitting on a plate. But forget the meat and fill that plate with steamed or sauteed veggies and I am so THERE. Well, if following the concept of savoring (mindful eating), I'd sort of like to get to a point where I could like the meat itself even if not just a little spot in the middle of veggies or sauces.

And that's where the meaty talk switches to... brining.

I saw something on tv briefly the other day; a recipe/preparation idea that sounds great!
Doing a brine for pork chops to retain moisture so that after cooking they are moist, 'fuller' and better in flavor.
Here's the recipe:
www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/grilled-
apple-brined-pork-chops-recipe/index.html
It sounds sensible but I've never done it and... WILL.
Anyone here do that? Not just turkeys, but... CHOPS. Little dudes of meat.

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When the plan must change for a while (or completely?)

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Sometimes the articles don't touch my problems.
Ok. Frequently, to be frank.
Take for example the one about five things that undermine motivation:
www.sparkpeople.com/resource/motivat
ion_articles.asp?id=1676
Nothing in it addresses my current issue.
I'm in pain, a flare that will not stop, just keeps worsening.
These facts led me to think about high hurdles that can be solid obstacles.

What do we do when issues like 'emotional eating' or 'finding motivation' would feel NICE compared to the obstacles before us? What do you do when the articles don't address your issues but you want to somehow keep going forward or at least tread in place rather than slip?

One thought: Focus on the mind. Everything does begin there, y'know.
Feed it healthy thoughts, give it positive input.
The mind needs to be nurtured when the body is out of sorts and we cannot follow the plan we know is right for us. Plan 'how to cope' just as you would plan 'how to balance nutrition'. With thought, with reality-checks about habits, likes, dislikes...and needs. Consider it an emergency lifestyle plan with healthy habits present where possible.

Some healthy habits are not possible when life issues get in the way.
So. Restructure to cope and adapt to changes whether temporary or permanent.
If you have trouble moving at all without pain, then skip the articles on ways to change-up exercise. If you have a bout of stomach problems and the doctor advises you skip fiber for a few weeks? Then skip the articles on healthy eating, too. For a while.

When life switches to abnormal, we need to deal with whatever wrench was tossed into the mechanism that motivates and keeps us on track for healthy lifestyle. And we must know that we make conscientious choices; when the going gets rought, it's just too easy to forget our plans, ditch our progress. So instead, I recommend remaining aware of what we do.

Part of a healthy journey is knowing when to ease up on change or habits... and knowing and how to do so without losing sight of the goals.

Creating healthy HABITS instead of merely 'doing what I should do' helps us all get back on track when a plan must downsize for a while.

And if there is an event that changes our ability to return to the original plan?
Would we give up? NO! Of course not; the goals we set are bound to encounter hurdles of all magnitures, so giving up just is not an option.
Perhaps the best approach is to regard the change as a challenge to greet and meet...optimistism propelling plans and actions in forward movement.

I've known people who absolutely personify that last statement.
They are the survivors.
The people who defeat the odds, the ones who come out of the dark fighting.
I'd like to think I could be among their numbers should necessity arise.
How about you?
---
post script; response to thriver over survivor by definition.
One does not 'survive' without fight. Survival against strong forces requires commitment and is not interchangeable for merely existing. It is thriving against all odds.

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Liver Health

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Looking good on the outside is nice, as long as that appearance is a reflection of good health on the stuff inside the shell. Many people obsess about things like makeup and trendy clothing, but they have habits that erode eternal health even though the outside shows no signs... for a while. The following list of "25 Ways to Love Your Liver" sets forth sensible ideas that work for overall health while protecting that vital organ, the liver. Here note that since many people die while waiting on the long lists of folks needed liver transplants, a little change in lifestyle here and there is truly worth the effort:


"1. Avoid taking unnecessary medications. Too many chemicals can harm the liver.

2. If you are a baby boomer, get tested for Hepatitis C today.

3. Don’t mix medications without the advice of a doctor.
Mixing medications could be poisonous to your liver.

4. Drink alcohol responsibly.

5. Never mix alcohol with other drugs and medications.

6. Be careful when using aerosol cleaners.
The liver has to detoxify what you breathe in.
Make sure the room is well ventilated or wear a mask.

7. Bug sprays, paint sprays and all those other
chemical sprays you use can cause harm as well.
Be careful what you breathe.

8. Get vaccinated for Hepatitis A and B and
make sure your children are vaccinated as well.

9. If you get a tattoo, make sure you only use single needles and ink pots.
No sharing!

10. Exercise regularly – walk a little further, climb the stairs.

11. Don’t share personal use items such as combs, razors, and manicure tools.

12. Teach your children what a syringe looks like and that they should leave it alone.

13. If you received a blood transfusion prior to 1992, you may have hepatitis C.
You should talk to your healthcare provider about getting tested.

14. Use caution and common sense regarding intimate contact –
hepatitis can be transmitted through blood.

15. Eat a well-balanced, nutritionally adequate diet.
If you enjoy foods from each of the food groups
you will probably obtain the nutrients you need.

16. Keep your weight close to ideal.
Medical research have established a direct correlation
between obesity and the development of fatty liver disease.

17. Do not smoke.

18. If you have any body piercing, check that the
instruments used are properly sterilized or used only once

19. Increase your intake of high-fiber foods such as fresh fruits and
vegetables, whole grain breads, rice and cereals.

20. At your annual physical, ask your doctor to do a complete liver blood analysis.

21. Take the right dosage of medication – too much can cause trouble.

22. Help someone else – sign an organ donor card.

23. See your doctor for regular check-ups and share
any information about health problems.

24. Make a contribution to the American Liver Foundation to
help further the work of the Foundation, including research.

25. Remember liver disease can happen to anyone – from infants to the elderly.
Do your part to stay healthy. "

SOURCE:
Liver Foundation site's article "25 Ways to Love Your Liver",
www.liverfoundation.org/aboutthelive
r/25ways/

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