Vitamins 101: Take Two

  

                                                          Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.



Though waves and storms go o'er my head,
    Though strength and health and friends be gone,
  Though joys be withered all, and dead,
    Though every comfort be withdrawn,
  On this my steadfast soul relies,--
    Father! Thy mercy never dies.
JOHANN A. ROTHE

Today, I want to talk about how I chose the vitamins that I did. Well, very simply, I assessed what my body needed the most. I knew I had issues with my joints, bones and that my immune system was weakened from all the treatment. I started small and simple, as I began this journey, I kept adding on more vitamins.

Take Magnesium, it is one of the last ones we bought, about a month ago. Yet, this one has done wonders for me. I am giving credit to this vitamin for the great improvement in my mobility in regards to my legs. I still ache and creak, but it is manageable. It is also very inexpensive, selling around 9.99 at Costco. 

The fish oil is one of the first ones we tried, because it is known to help in lowering your blood pressure, reduces triglycerides, heart attacks and strokes. There are certain vitamins that we need as we age, fish oil is one of them. If you are a person who dislikes fish, this is an excellent substitution for getting your omega-3 daily dosage.

Vitamin D3 is used to prevent and treat bone disorders. If you noticed I take quite a bit of vitamins that aid joint/bone prevention. I'm always on the lookout for anything that will help manage my leg mobility. It's not just about vitamins, I also do leg exercises. It is all about preventive care. 

At first, we began with a women's daily multi vitamin, but then we came across the gummy bears. It is very pleasant to mix in some gummy bears so one doesn't feel like we are swallowing nothing, but pills for breakfast. We often joke that we take so many vitamins that it's a meal. This brand is one we use all the time now and in our mind we act like it's a candy treat!

Now, I know that someone of you might be thinking that this is way too much, but I disagree. My entire purpose nowadays is to be as healthy as I can be so when my cancer does return, my body will be strong. It takes a long time for our bodies to heal after treatment, why wouldn't I want to help it along?

To be continued.. .

Have a blessed day everyone.

Just Share It; Anne Graham Lotz

                                                           Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                            everyday is a journey.




When to the sessions of sweet, 
solemn thoughtI 
summon up remembrance of things past,
I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought.
But if the while I think on thee, 
dear friend,
All losses are restored and sorrows end.

--William Shakespeare.

I know I have been sharing quite a few of these lately, but I could not miss the opportunity when it came to cancer. We are here or we should, encourage each other daily, especially if we have lived through cancer. So fellow cancer survivors, let's be there mentally and with prayer for Anne Graham Lotz as she goes through her journey with cancer. Everyone has their own story and path to experience. Just remember, the way you went in will not be the way you come out. 

What Cancer Can Do
By: Anne Graham Lotz

I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener…Every branch that does bear fruit he trims clean so that it will be even more fruitful.  John 15:1-2 Yesterday I had my one-week check-up after breast cancer surgery. While there are some issues to be expected, the doctor believes that all seem to be healing nicely, for which I praise God. The surgeon then revealed, with compassion in her eyes, that she had the pathology report. As she went over the numbers, it became evident that the results were not what I had prayed they would be.  A trace of cancer was found in the lymph nodes which alters the follow-up treatment significantly. So beginning October 18th I will begin eighteen weeks of chemotherapy, with additional treatments stretching out over the next twelve months.  The adventurous journey through the valley of the shadow will be longer than anticipated. BUT I am still confident the Shepherd will walk with me each step of the way until He sees me safely through! The hardest thing facing me is the need to clear my schedule. By necessity, I will have to cancel commitments throughout the next year in order to take the cancer treatments. As I looked ahead at the calendar, I could almost audibly hear the “click” of the Divine pruning shears. I’m confident that the Gardener knows exactly what He’s doing. I’m more expectant than ever of bearing much eternal fruit. For His glory. Thank you for your prayers and your concern! So many of you have sent cards, gifts, pillows, emails, texts, and testimonies of your own experience. I have been blessed by every single one! There is one devotional thought that has been sent to me by quite a few of you. It is entitled, What Cancer Can’t Do.  It then lists about a dozen things.  It’s a great list, and I was encouraged when I read it. But I wanted to turn it around. Although I’ve only known about my cancer for a little over a month and so in no way qualify as an expert. I have experienced some things already, and I’m expecting to experience even more things, that cancer can do. I want to share them with you. Feel free to add to the list. Cancer Can… …enrich love …refocus hope …strengthen faith …deepen prayer …command peace …bolster confidence …increase endurance …multiply friendships …enhance memories …open doors …realign priorities …grow courage …create empathy …tenderize compassion …develop character Cancer can be a blessing in disguise. Cancer can be the preliminary to bearing much eternal fruit. Cancer can be a display case for God’s glory.  Have a blessed day everyone.

Vitamins 101 Take One

                                                                                  Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                                                  everyday is a journey.




All my life I still have found,
    And I will forget it never;
  Every sorrow hath its bound,
    And no cross endures forever.
  All things else have but their day,
  God's love only lasts for aye.
P. GERHARDT.


Vitamins are not something that we have been taking for years and years. It is something fairly new to us. It seems that the last bout with cancer has left me feeling very fatigued and I tried to figure out how to gain back my energy levels. Also, this past Winter, I've experienced the Winter Blues for probably the first time. I really had a hard time adjusting to the lack of Sun.

Now, we are Costco people here. For us, to buy bulk really works financially. They also have a huge selection of vitamins at a very economical price. We don't select our vitamins based on the brand. We look for the price, the amount of grams involved and also the amount we have to take daily. So our brand varies depending on these things. 

Also, we did not buy all the vitamins at one time. We gradually kept adding as we saw what our bodies needed. Plus, we grew in knowledge about each vitamin and it's usage. Just a month ago, we added another two that have actually been very beneficial for me. 

I wanted to do a blog series on vitamins mainly, because I believe in preventive medicine. If you have a chronic illness, you should be doing everything you can to help keep your body as healthy as possible. I have a co-worker friend who had breast cancer 11 years ago. She never stopped smoking during this time and in fact, has kept herself in poor health. Never went back for preventive visits and tests with her oncologist. She is back in treatment and had to go on disability, because her health has gone down so bad. 

I am not here bashing her, so please forgive me if I sound like it. I just can't stress enough the importance on maintaining your body well after your treatment. The point here is to remain healthy and strong. Also, these are my opinions and I only want to share what has worked for me. It may be a different story for the rest of you. You have to figure out what works best for you and stick to it. Another thing, I am not here saying that you will never have to go to treatment again if you do. I have had four bouts with cancer, but I want to keep my body as strong as possible so it can endure it. That's very important.

To be continued. . . .

Have a blessed day everyone. 

Just Share It: Grandma's Apron

     

                                              Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.                             





Sail fast, sail fast,
Ark of my hopes,
Ark of my dreams;
Sweep lordly o'er the drowned Past,
Fly glittering through the sun's strange beams;
Sail fast, sail fast.
Breath of new buds from off some drying lea,
With news about the Future scent the sea;
My brain is beating like the heart of Haste.
I'll loose me a bird upon this Present waste;
Go, trembling song,And stay not long; 
O, stay not long;
Thou art only a gray and sober dove,
But thine eye is faith and thy wing is love.

--Sidney Lanier.

I came across the following poem by mistake one day. When  I read it, I couldn't help but think of my own grandma. We all have great memories of our grandparents or at least, we should. The apron brought on another memory for me of my granddaughter Hannah. We bought this apron for her by chance one day as we were shopping. Just came across it and thought it was so cute, we bought it for her. She wears it every time she is in the kitchen helping or preparing a dish of her own. Did I mention she loves to bake?

Grandma's Apron

I don't think our kids know what an apron is.
The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath, because she only had a few, it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and they used less material, but along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.
It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears…
From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.
When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids.
And when the weather was cold grandma wrapped it around her arms.
Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.
Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.
From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables.
After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.
In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.
When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.
When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men-folk knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.
It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes.

REMEMBER:

Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool.
Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw.
They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron.
I never caught anything from an apron…But Love. (Author Unknown)

NOTE: This poem Grandma's Apron is often listed as "Author Unknown" but the original version was written by Tina Trivett. Take a look at the original poem:

• See: http://withagratefulheart.blogspot.com/2007/07/grandmas-apron.html

Have a blessed day everyone.

Another Good Day

                                                         Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey. 





Thy calmness bends serene above
    My restlessness to still;
  Around me flows Thy quickening life,
    To nerve my faltering will;
  Thy presence fills my solitude;
  Thy providence turns all to good.
S. LONGFELLOW

It's been a very interesting, but confusing week here for us. Many things have begun to move forward for my little family almost at once. Here nothing happened for months and months, then suddenly here we are. I'm attributing all of it to my decision on a very important matter in my own life. 

Sometimes, I believe we have to take stock of where we are and what we need to take care of or we cannot go any further on our journey. All of us like to postpone the ugly or unpleasant matters voicing all sorts of excuses. Eventually, God stops us where we are and we are almost forced to confront the things we have been avoiding for years. I believe this has happened to me, but more on that in November for sure. 

So let's talk about Emily first. The new position at work that I was hoping would turn into a permanent one, faced a small curve ball. Two fellow co-workers from her last department have left and she is needed to stay until more people are hired. In the meantime, she is only training in her new position once a week for now. A little disheartening, but I believe the Lord knows what He is doing. I let Him know that I will trust Him in this. This Department has much better hours, a better Manager and a lot less dealings with customers.Customers are extremely rude and difficult if you didn't know. If you need a reference, refer to Moses in Exodus.

Now my Joey. They finally sold their home and bought their new one all in one week. If that wasn't enough of a blessing, the closings for both homes happen to be on the same day. How did they manage that? Well, I think the One upstairs had a say in it. Only the Lord, people, only the Lord. Plus, the area where they will live has a large yard where I can park my little home or Rv if I choose. It is a blessing to have at least an option for 6 years down the road. 

Yeah, you heard me, 6 years. Over the Summer, my entire retirement plan went from the age of 57 to a whopping 59 yrs. I am not pleased. This is where the confusion begins. I thought it was simple enough, I could move my money into an IRA or somewhere else, but my HR rep wants to see me regarding this entire transition from one company to the next. Why? I'm wondering if there is a stipulation involved. Somehow, I don't believe this transition will go as smoothly as they implied. I detest hassles of kinds. I don't like dealing with people who speak a different language.Ugh!

On a pleasant and a tummy comforting note, Emily whipped up a quick lunch the other day consisting of sauteed mushrooms and broccoli over polenta. Yummy, yummy in my tummy. This was so filling that I wasn't even hungry when Supper came around. I think we opted for a green salad. I think we flip flopped our meals for that day.

Have a blessed day everyone. 

Apartment Life

                                                              Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.



Wherever in the world I am,
    In whatsoe'er estate,
  I have a fellowship with hearts,
    To keep and cultivate,
  And a work of lowly love to do
    For the Lord on whom I wait.
A. L. WARING.

Having lived in an apartment setting now for almost eight years, I have noticed that people sure move a lot in life. Our parents and grandparents basically stayed in the same house they bought or maybe moved once or twice. Nowadays, nothing could be further from the truth. People are moving constantly, especially the ones living in an apartment.

I've been in homes for majority of my life. It wasn't until 2011 that we moved into an apartment. For the most part, it has been very satisfying. We no longer have to worry about cutting the grass or shoveling the sidewalk. Who would miss that? 

As the years went on, our opinions have slowly changed. I mean slowly, because as we experienced things we changed our opinion based on how it turned out, right? We have learned a few things about apartment dwelling, especially when we moved here. 

1. Landlords
Landlords play a huge part in our review. There are all sorts of them. We have had an agency that we could call anytime we needed a repair. No problem. I have found that places like that usually hire anyone to be a handyman. They do come out, but really don't do a good job or it takes them a long time. 

Then there are the landlords that are first time owners and helicopter the building. They are over all the time. They constantly knock on your door wanting to come in and check on this or that. That was my last landlord. When he did come in, a constant flow of what's this or what's that? 

The third kind basically never fix anything until it is broken completely and it could cause further damage like a leaking ceiling. Otherwise, don't bother them for minor things like a dripping faucet. That is my current landlord. He is very nice, though. 

2. Neighbors
Where does one begin? There are all sorts of people in the world. The ones I don't care for are the ones who seem not to respect anyone around them. For some reason, they seem to think they are alone in the building and they can be as disruptive as they want at any time of the night. We have had neighbors who fought violently in the hallways at 3 o'clock in the morning. . . every night. We have had neighbors who whooped, hollered, danced and sang until the wee hours of the morning on a weekday. . . . everyday. We had nice neighbors who would put in a load of laundry and then go out for the day. People are crazy and every one of them thinks they are right, including us.

That is the life of living with others. One has to take everything into perspective. We have to get along, share and be polite to one another. We have been fortunate for a year to have a great group here in our building, but then one moved out. Now, it's the party train people. I'm missing a small house right now.

Have a blessed day everyone. 

It All Began

                                                         Everyday is a brand new day,

                                                          everyday is a journey.

To heaven I lift my waiting eyes;

There all my hopes are laid;

The Lord that built the earth and skies

Is my perpetual aid.

I. WATTS .

It all began when the Company I work for was sold once again. We knew nothing about it and they gave us absolutely no warning that they were even considering it. In fact, the new owners have visited our facility many times, but we were told they were thinking of becoming our clients, not buying us. 

Why would that bother me?

Well, you see, it interferes with my five year plan. According to the Company policy, I could retire under the old rule of 85 points and that means at the age of 57 1/2 years of age. I'm fifty-three right now and that's where my five year plan came into action. 

All my dreams just went out the window. Somehow, I have to come to terms with that and it won't be easy. I see the obstacles in my way and I'm beginning to feel resentment. My mind has been full of cobwebs with everything that has been going on. So many changes and so much uncertainty. It's as if I saw the finish line, but somehow, someone tripped me before I could cross. 

In the big meeting they basically told us that if I don't have all my points by January, then I will not receive my milestone pension money. All that I will have is what I have right now in my pension. I can keep what I have now, but that's all. 

Before everyone starts to comfort me, I'm okay with it. It's all how one sees things. Is my cup half full or half empty. To me, it's half full. I'm more upset at the prospect of postponing my retirement until I am 59 1/2. That seems incredibly far, but I do plan on taking this time to build up and prepare. I will be in an even better place then I would have been at the age of 57. 

I don't cry over spilled milk. I do however, need a moment to get my head in perspective.  I am blessed with two very intelligent men in my life who are pros when it comes to these things. I intend in seeking them out for their help so I can make all the right choices for me. More to come on that, for now, I am grateful that I actually have choices. 

Have a blessed day everyone. 

Just Another Season

                                                                     Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                                     everyday is a journey.




They who on the Lord rely,
Safely dwell though danger's nigh;
Lo! His sheltering wings are spread
O'er each faithful servant's head.
When they wake, or when they sleep,
Angel guards their vigils keep;
Death and danger may be near,
Faith and love have nought to fear.
HARRIET AUBER.

Another day, another dollar, another errand, another hurdle. Tomorrow we will get up and do it all again. That's how it has been these past few weeks. One step at a time, one hurdle after another. We get through it all, one breath at a time. At the end of the day, we exhale a deep sigh of relief. We made it through.

There are Seasons just like that and the good news is that it's all temporary. It will pass and a new Season will replace the old one. We just have to make it through the rough patches. They are not easy, but necessary for our growth. That's what we hear from all the wise friends we keep and are in a good Season themselves.

That's okay, because things seem to be easing up a bit. I'm beginning to think we are coming out from the worst of it. It's funny, just when things seem to be a little better, we are instantly full of hope. It's in our nature. We are naturally born survivors. We battle, we endure, we learn, we move on.

We are in the last days of New Avon and I wish I could say that I am sorry for this Season to end, but I'm not. I am actually looking forward to the future and what it may bring. I know I wrote last week that we had a very important meeting and I will bring the results from it to you soon. Right now, I need to process all that information. It's all about how I view this information. Is my cup half full or half empty?

Fall is here and by November many things will come to light that I have been meaning to address in my life. It's not just the Company or Emily's work situation. It's quite a bit of things rolled into one. You know that famous line when it rains, it pours? Well, that's what we have here. It's pouring, folks. The good news here is that water means life and we are certainly full of the living water. Only the good from here. Only the good will emerge. 

Have a blessed day everyone. 

An Apology

                                                                Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.






Say not, 'Twas all in vain,
    The anguish and the darkness and the strife;
  Love thrown upon the waters comes again
    In quenchless yearnings for a nobler life.
ANNA SHIPTON.

The other day, I was on my blog writing a post when I came across a comment from someone who apparently has been following me since last year. This individual has left many comments that I never responded to and quite honestly, wasn't aware they were made. I felt horrible that this person was writing such beautiful and kind words about my blog. Where was I? 

First, I want to apologize to anyone who has been following me and I haven't responded to the way I should have. I'm sorry. There really is no excuse for bad behavior. 

Secondly, I wondered how I could have missed something like this. I mean, we should be getting alerts whenever  comments are made. Then I remembered that I haven't updated any of my social media outlets since my e-mail has been hacked over two years ago. I quickly spent an entire morning doing so and responding to any comments that have been made. 

Thirdly, let me be truly open and direct with all of you. I never have considered myself this great writer who has a great following. Half the time, I forget that there is an audience out there reading my blog. I mean, I am far from being an Ann Voskamp or Beth Moore. I am just a simple amateur writer blogging about her experience with cancer. 

If anyone ever needed to get hold of me or wanted to leave a message or desire a private chat, you can e-mail me at wladyslawakrol@yahoo.com. 

Have a blessed day everyone. 

Clothes Shopping

                                                          Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.


Though heralded with nought of fear,
    Or outward sign or show:
  Though only to the inward ear
    It whispers soft and low;
  Though dropping, as the manna fell,
    Unseen, yet from above,
  Noiseless as dew-fall, heed it well,--
    Thy Father's call of love.
J. G. WHITTIER.

There is nothing more depressing, more stressful than clothes shopping. Emily and I headed out one Sunday after Church for what we thought would be a quick shopping spree. In and out like a bandit. Yeah, right, in what world?

After spending the morning searching through the racks for the appropriate items, we ended up being exhausted, hungry and totally discouraged. One can try on all the outfits, some end up being too tight, too small, too short, droopy, etc. You name it, we experienced it. It's really depressing for a woman's self confidence! 

Just take these three way mirrors that do nothing for our figures. I stared at myself from every angle and all I wanted was to run home to hide. Good Lord, is that what I look like? I have never felt so frappy, unattractive, sloppy and overweight in my life! Let's not forget the outrageous prices. 

We finally walked out with three items and totally dejected, our pride wounded from every side. I don't have any idea how a woman is to feel beautiful clothes shopping? We all have such different body shapes that there is no way we can look good in one type of dress or outfit. I can see why rich people tailor make their clothes so they fit perfectly. 

We spent the rest of the day avoiding all reference and all mirrors. Came home and put on our mismatched, comfy outfits. Yeah, we were very comfortable.

Have a blessed day everyone. 

Just Share It; Robert Service

                                                                 Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                                  everyday is a journey.



He that of such a height hath built his mind,
And reared the dwelling of his thoughts so strong,
As neither fear nor hope can shake the frame
Of his resolved powers; nor all the wind
Of vanity or malice pierce to wrong
His settled peace, or to disturb the same:
What a fair seat hath he, from whence he may
The boundless wastes and wilds of man survey?
--Samuel Daniel.


I cannot help, but feel a certain camaraderie with the following poem. Even though it is speaking of a nomad, a wanderer, I have also felt like I didn't fit in this world. The one place where I feel this the most happens to be my workplace. One could be in a room surrounded by throngs of people and still feel alone. That's me at work. 

Being different is not something new to me. When I was growing up, I was the foreigner, the greenhorn from another country who spoke with an accent. In my twenties. I was the single, young mother with two children. I was always breaking all the rules of society. I didn't drink, smoke pot nor go to clubs. It's no different now. I have a huge variety of diverse friends and that's how I like it. 

The Men That Don't Fit In

BY ROBERT W. SERVICE

There's a race of men that don't fit in,

    A race that can't stay still;

So they break the hearts of kith and kin,

    And they roam the world at will.

They range the field and they rove the flood,

    And they climb the mountain's crest;

Theirs is the curse of the gypsy blood,

    And they don't know how to rest.

If they just went straight they might go far;

    They are strong and brave and true;

But they're always tired of the things that are,

    And they want the strange and new.

They say: "Could I find my proper groove,

    What a deep mark I would make!"

So they chop and change, and each fresh move

    Is only a fresh mistake. 

And each forgets, as he strips and runs

    With a brilliant, fitful pace,

It's the steady, quiet, plodding ones

    Who win in the lifelong race.

And each forgets that his youth has fled,

    Forgets that his prime is past,

Till he stands one day, with a hope that's dead,

    In the glare of the truth at last. 

He has failed, he has failed; he has missed his chance;

    He has just done things by half.

Life's been a jolly good joke on him,

    And now is the time to laugh.

Ha, ha! He is one of the Legion Lost;

    He was never meant to win;

He's a rolling stone, and it's bred in the bone;

    He's a man who won't fit in.

Have  A blessed day everyone.

An Important Week

                                                          Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.


 


None the place ordained refuseth,
    They are one, and they are all,
  Living stones, the Builder chooseth
    For the courses of His wall.
JEAN INGELOW.

This has been a very important week for both of us. First, Emily has begun training in a new department. I'm totally thrilled! Sometimes, just being moved elsewhere can make a huge change in your career. I'm very happy about this move and hope this turns into a prosperous one for her in more ways than just the financial. 

The new owners of my Company have been here all week. The CEO, the IT, Marketing and the Quality team have been visible on a daily basis as new changes are implicated. Old furniture and just about everything Avon is being removed slowly, but surely. My reaction has been surprising to me. I thought it would be very emotional since I have been there 23 years. I still believe it will be, especially when the sign outside is taken down and a new one erected saying Fareva. That certainly will be a life changer!

Their presence is extremely important this week, because it is a mere 6 weeks or so before legally they become owners of this building and us. Their presence signifies our future and when we all sit down together with our new CEO in a meeting this week, we will know all about our policies, insurance, money etc. All should be revealed. . . .hopefully. 

We have been stuck in limbo for so long now, that all of this whirlwind action is both thrilling and energetic to us. We are hopeful. We are excited. We are happy to be moving forward after this dry spell. What brought on this finally? Well, I do have an idea on the why now, but I won't reveal until November. You'll just have to sit tight and wait patiently. 

I do have to say that I never thought things would turn out this way at all. Definitely, it never entered my mind. I thought Emily would have a job at the hospital, but that hasn't happened. I thought I would be retiring at Avon in a few years, but then they sold our facility. It just shows you how things turn out so all the planning in the world does not mean anything. When God has a plan, He means them to come to fruition, because He is God and I am not. Amen, amen. 

Have a blessed day everyone. 

Things We've Learned

                                                           Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                           everyday is a journey.



When the lamp is shattered
The light in the dust lies dead--
When the cloud is scattered
The rainbow's glory is shed.
When the lute is broken
Sweet tones are remembered not;
When the lips have spoken
Loved accents are soon forgot.

--Percy Bysshe Shelley. 

Whoever said that knowledge is power, knew what they were talking about. We may have stayed put in one spot all year, but we sure have learned a lot during this time. Maybe that was the whole point?

We have learned about our bodies and what it takes to keep them healthy and strong. Each of us needs something different for our body to work properly. Each of our bodies is lacking in something, some vitamin deficiency we need more of than normal. All of it, of course, involves research and experimentation. 

Both Emily and I are on a road of natural, organic and stress free lifestyle. We have learned how to eat healthy by eliminating so much waste from our diet. The same can be applied to over the counter medication. If it is a minor irritation or scrape, we prefer to look on-line for a home remedy for the cure. 

The same can be said of vitamins. We really have embraced vitamin intake whether by pill form or via vegetables. Emily is the expert of us two on this subject. She watches how many grams of each she needs daily to be healthy. Great, great job on her part in maintaining that lifestyle. Not so by me. I will eat healthy, but occasionally still indulge. She exercises and I don't, just the basics for me. 

Another area involved our finances. We set a pretty high goal of becoming debt free by the end of this year. We made great progress by mid year, but I'm not exactly sure we will meet the goal by the end of December. I'm thinking we might have been a bit ambitious and hopeful in that department. I made one error. I didn't leave room for unexpected expenditures which happen in this life. Not everything is black and white. 

Probably the most important lesson of all is this: Not everything is set in stone. We cannot get too comfortable in our shoes. Changes happen all the time and what we thought was going to happen in our life suddenly shifts into another direction. Believe me, I never thought my future would be different than what I have pictured inside my head. Yet, lately, I'm beginning to believe that God's plan for me has been completely different than my plan. 

Have a blessed day everyone.