Did You Know the World's Biggest Con Job Thrives on Blind Trust? #6

Your immune system is as powerful as you make it.  If you want to be protected from Ebola or Zika or anything in between, it is up to you to keep your immunity against disease a strong force. Optimum health is possible if your body is given the proper tools.  

Optimum Health Is A Choice

Are you tired of feeling tired?  Of getting sick?  Having those awful symptoms that come with aging?  Lacking energy?  Is your hair getting thinner? Aging prematurely? Not sleeping well? Having health issues that just won't go away?  You are in good company because the longer I practice as a Symptomologist, the more I hear these discouraging words.  It is thrilling to offer improved health and......hope.

Do you believe the claims that vitamin companies make about their products?  Do you take the time to check if they are true? This is number six in a series on understanding the vitamins you are taking and whether or not they may harm or help your health.

I almost died (ovarian cancer) before I found natural unaltered food supplements that actually fed my cells and helped me gain a healthy life. Before that, I was taking vitamins, expecting them to help me.  But I had no idea what I was taking or that they were actually hurting me.  It is frustrating when people blindly accept what the advertisers tell them; it could be destroying their health, and their lives.

There are many vitamin companies, whose names I cannot will not mention for obvious reasons, that make false claims.  One thing I often hear is, "I take X brand supplements because they are a company I can trust."

A Tribute to my Daughter - Happy Mother's Day

I wish I had words to describe my love and admiration for my daughter. I try -- but come up short. I have watched her survive much trauma in her young life and she never complains. She was a little girl when her father was in a serious car accident, leaving him disabled. She did everything she could to help me, encourage me and make me laugh. She was strong and a wealth of support for her mom. She has lost friends to cancer and suicide but is always the first one to console those around her.  She has lost much and endured immeasurable pain.  She is always first to offer a helping hand.  She lost her brother when he chose to walk away from our family four years ago and broke our hearts.

My daughter on the left.  Her daughter on the right.

I now watch her as a young mother and am overcome with emotion as she is a pillar of strength. She was born to be a mother. Almost losing her little son at birth, she stayed strong in her faith and he survived miraculously. But before he was a year old he contracted a very rare bacterial infection, had to undergo surgery only a handful have ever survived.  Shortly thereafter, the load was almost unbearable when she lost her second baby in utereo, yet she managed to be a source of strength for her family. Then her little girl had to fight an uphill battle to come into the world.

I watch her raise her children with a love and strength only a mother who has endured much heartache could comprehend. I consistently hear comments from friends, associates and even strangers who say they rarely see such incredible, polite, kind and gentle children. They have a mom who teaches them beyond their years.  Even though her son is only four years old, he has learned how to respect his parents, teachers, and peers.  He adores his baby sister, never tires of taking care of her and helps his mom in any way he is capable. 

When I need a friend.  When I need advice.  She has a unique perception and ability to see situations with resolution.  Every. Time.

She is my rock.

It is the strong women, the ones who give of themselves until they have nothing left to give – these are the women we need to applaud.  These are the women we need to rally around and cheer, returning the strength and love they so freely give to others. 

My beloved daughter – a mother who stands head and shoulders above – in any crowd.  

Can Anything Good Come From Total Devastation?

I am NOT a last-minute kind of gal but working seven days a week, long hours every day, sometimes things get put on the shelf until the last minute.  Me bad.  I read my challenging question for this month's Secret Subject Swap a couple weeks ago and didn't have a clue what to write about -- until an hour ago.

Something happened this week that can is affecting many people in the world and it is happening very 'close to home.'

Quotes That Make You Go "Huh?"

I enjoy quotes.  Many of us do.  I like sharing quotes.  Many of us do.  I love quotes that underscore a point we are trying to make. 

It would be difficult to write a post about quotes without including some of my favorite dog quotes!  We are dog rescuers and therefore, dog lovers!

 

What Makes You an Expert? Can You Add to this List of 9?

Everyone is good at something.  My dad was a minister and he officiated at one man's funeral who was the 'worst' guy in town. No one had anything good to say about him.  At his funeral, my dad shared what a good whistler he was and it made people realize that each of us can be an expert at something.  

What is your expertise?

Have you noticed how many people toot their horns on social media? On any given day, you can find dozens of experts on any subject; social marketing; media strategies, blah, blah, blah.  Often that makes it difficult to know whose advice you should take.

I thought about it and realized that I, too, am an expert and I bet if you think about it, you will realize how many things you are over-the-top awesome at doing.

I'm an expert in putting my foot into my mouth.  I have done it so long and so well I could write a book on it.

5 Rules - What Your Blogging Manners Say About You

When we were little kids, our parents and teachers taught us manners.  They taught us to say "Please" and "Thank you" and "Excuse me" to name a few.  We were also taught to respond when we were spoken to and to be polite at all times.

Now that I have been a member of the blogging community for a couple years, I have found it interesting and sometimes annoying, that these same manners don't seem to apply.

Can a 4-Year-Old's View of Marriage Be Enlightening?

Ever get a brand new major appliance that DID NOT work?  I was so excited to finally get a new washer and dryer operated by a computer instead of the old fashioned dials. The first day I noticed that all the bells and whistles were not functioning but assumed it was the operator, not the machine. But I soon realized that the only water temperature I was getting was HOT.

I did NOT need my jeans to shrink!  After calling Sears, they assured me it was a simple fix and a repairman would be there shortly.  I'm pretty easy going in these situations because I realize that mistakes happen; there are lemons that can be from the factory.

For the year that followed, I had three motherboards replaced and four repairmen try to fix it.  Every single time I called to find out the status of the replacement parts or when the serviceman was going to show up, I got the same response.

"I understand you are having a problem with a machine that does not fill up with water."

Each and every time I would tell them that there is no problem with the machine filling up with water -- but that NONE of the settings work and I cannot change the water temperature.

F I N A L L Y.....they agreed to replace the machine with a brand new one.  They showed up the next day and once again, I was thrilled to have a new washer -- and one that worked.

I filled the washer, turned it on and viola....it lit up like a Christmas tree.  YAY!

Three.  Minutes.  Later.  I hear 'ding' indicating the load was complete.  Clean clothes in three minutes.  This must be some kind of miracle.

I assumed I was having yet another blonde moment and needed to try it again.  Obviously, I did something wrong.  But, no, it was the exact same scenario.

I took all the clothes out, started the machine again and used a flashlight to see what was happening. The machine started with a gentle spin, then stopped, another gentle spin in the opposite direction and that was it.  Why?  BECAUSE THERE WAS NO WATER.

I knew instantly that they had given me a refurbished machine and let's just say you don't need to know what I told them -- but they are delivering a new machine tomorrow with an extended warranty -- their gift to me.  I'll keep you posted.

Get the picture?

Friends came for dinner the other night and brought their new dog, a French Poodle by the name of Mister Red.  We snapped his picture while he was sleeping on our living room carpet and when I looked at it later, I couldn't stop laughing.

When You Least Expect It -- And It's Bad News

Ever feel like someone hit you with a baseball bat?  Right across the gut? Hard. Bad news can often affect us like that.  It hurts.  Deep.


In recent years, I wonder what is wrong with me when something traumatic happens in my life. I don't handle it as well as in the past. Does aging force me to deal with things differently than when I was younger? Does age make it more difficult to deal with stress?