How Do You Spend your Leisure Time?

The question posed to me was:  "You finally have a few hours to yourself. What do you do?"  Thinking about this I came up with only one answer.  

What about you?  What would you do with a few hours to yourself? When my kids were young it was great having a few hours to be alone.  I would use that time to do some baking or have coffee with a friend.  But those leisure times are long gone and now I get excited at the prospect of having a few hours without having to meet a deadline or be 'on the job.'

Having a few hours to myself gives me more time to catch up. Since launching my new career, I work around the clock taking as little time as possible to sleep or eat.  I'm not complaining - just reporting.  It is the way it is and I love being busy - daily meeting goals I have set for myself.  I know I am not the only one who feels this way.  It seems I gravitate to extremely busy people and vice versa.  

I am the wife of a disabled man so most household tasks are on my shoulders.  I own and help manage three brick and mortar businesses which require my physical presence regularly. 
                                                                        













I am a health coach (my first passion) and muscle toning technician working closely with my clients to ensure them good health.  

I host my own talk show, Never Ever Give Up Hope, that airs bi-weekly.  This requires a lot of preparation and could easily be a full-time job on its own.  It is one of the highlights of my week, listening to uplifting and encouraging stories of people who should have given up hope but NEVER did.  



I am bookkeeper for each business, chief cook and bottle washer, dog walker (we have rescued over 30 dogs from abusive situations), house cleaner, friend, confidant, mom, grandmother....and the list goes on --- what else would I possibly do with some extra free time except  to catch up?

At least one week a month I am booked as a motivational speaker for various groups, promoting my memoir, Battered Hope, and sharing my story of never giving up - no matter what!  This requires many hours of travel.

Do I feel overwhelmed?  Some days - but not too often.  The busier I am the less time I have to think about the stresses of life that can often bombard anyone of us with negative emotions, discouragement, self-pity, or anxiety.  

Pulling oneself out of a depression is hard work; staying focused on the positive things in life is the only solution.  

So, what to do with those few extra hours that are so graciously given?  Catch up on a job I have been putting off and concentrate on everything good in my life -- everything I have to be thankful for.

What about you?  Do you long for that free time and do you use it for a much-needed rest or to finally finish that novel you started last year?  Or are you like me -- happy to have the extra time to play catchup?  And the bigger question -- do you ever feel guilty taking time for just YOU? 


This post has been a monthly blogging challenge when another blogger gives you a secret subject.  My secret subject this month was:  "You finally have a few hours to yourself. What do you do?"  It was submitted by:    Dinosaur Superhero Mommy                     

         

Baking In A Tornado

The Momisodes

Spatulas on Parade

Sparkly Poetic Weirdo

Southern Belle Charm

The Lieber Family Blog

Confessions of a part-time working mom

Someone Else's Genius

Cluttered Genius

Small Talk Mama

Rena's World

Climaxed

Dinosaur Superhero Mommy

The Bergham's Life Chronicles

Where to Look if Your Dog Goes Missing

"Ma'am"  I didn't respond.

"Ma'am - excuse me, MA'AM?"  This time I turned, reluctantly.  I remember the first time I was called ma'am - I felt like someone's grandma.  Well, now I am someone's grandma so I better heed the call.

"Ma'am, you have some toilet paper hanging out of your pants."  Yup, sure did.  The restroom was full of women, probably chuckling under their breath, but one was kind enough to alert me as I was leaving.

This happened on the ferry headed to Rochelle's place to do the usual house/dog/cat/sheep/goat sitting.  The goats are gone. Rochelle was tired of herding them home on LEASHES - on a busy highway. She gave them to a neighbor with a higher fence around their property.

Rochelle and family were attending a wedding which was a two-day drive away.  I always appreciate having the solitude of her home to spend time writing and catching up with my on-line deadlines.
























Their newest addition to their family of six dogs is Rocky who I introduced to you last month.  He is only five months old and incredibly well-behaved, especially for a dog who was found wandering on

Do You Have a Preference - Pointed or Flat?

Are you prejudice against certain dogs?  Do you stereotype them?  Do you believe some are smarter than others?

Our family has rescued over 30 dogs.  The other day it occurred to me that we have never adopted or rescued a flat-nosed one.  I asked my husband why and he simply said "I don't like flat-nosed dogs."  Come to think of it, I do prefer the long-nosed ones as well.

My question to you is this:  Dogs find us.  We must have some kind of internal magnet that draws the lost, the strays, the hurting to us.  So......how do they know we prefer long-nosed dogs? 

I did a little research to determine what differences there were between long and flat faced dogs.  Flat faced dogs often have breathing and respiratory complications which can lead to  health 

issues.  They are also more prone to infection, i.e. ear and eye problems.   It doesn't answer my question as to why only long nosed ones find us.  Do they SMELL us from afar?  And follow their noses?

Many of you have followed my rescue dog stories long enough to recognize many of these critters.  I have shared a few of their story links beneath their picture.  If you are a dog lover and want a laugh or a good cry -- here you go:

Abused Bernese "Charlie" was out of control
Now...two years later she is one of the best dogs ever

Do Fragrances or Music Trigger Special Memories for You?

Walking through the meadow, I could smell the wild lilies.  This was remarkable considering I know little to nothing about gardening and flowers.  But I do recognize the difference between a rose and a lily (most of the time). Fragrance always triggers memories for me as much as hearing a song from the past.  Especially Rock from the 60s and 70s like the ones played in What memories are triggered when you hear these songs?  

Today was a day of reflections and my walk in the quiet country was what this Type A gal needed. The potent smell of lillies took me back to the most beautiful wedding I ever witnessed - my daughter's.  

As mothers everywhere, we hope and certainly pray that our children will make us proud, and I am no exception. What surprised and blessed me was how incredible my daughter turned out. 

Watching her grow up and mature into a beautiful woman and mother, I am awed by her wisdom and trust I had a little something to do with that.  As a mom, you will relate to my heart-warming letter in Dear Daughter, Why Did You Turn Out this Way?


Continuing my walk I reflected on my life and the major turn it has taken these past few months.  For years, I was a charter member of the club for people who had low self-esteem or poor self-image yet could hide it well.  So well, in fact, no one ever guessed what had happened in my life, tainted by abuse,

Why is Alzheimer's a Commonly Seen Word in Health News?

One of the keywords we read in health news is the word "Alzheimers." Almost weekly, I receive an article regarding this debilitating and threatening disease that is affecting countless people no matter what their social standing or education level may be.

What concerns me is that I have yet to have an article come across my desk regarding a cure or preventative measures we can take. As a health coach, this is disturbing. The media is always quick to reveal anything negative and to instill in our minds that there is no cure.

However, there is a lot of information available on prevention of the disease and how to feed the brain proper nutrients and keep it stimulated in an effort to keep it healthy. I will share some of that research in this post.