Simply Wellness

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

Although a friend may remain
 faithful in misfortune, 
yet none but the very best 
and loftiest will remain faithful 
to us after our errors and our sins.
—Dean Farrar.

It's always good to find a partner in crime when pursuing extracurricular activities. I have a good friend with whom I like to share self improvement articles, retreats or any other information that can helps us. We both love to better ourselves through self examination where we can grow as individuals. It was during our usual lunch that she dropped a bombshell statement.

She said I can't tackle other issues like grief If I don't get healthy.

Wow, that makes so much sense when you think about it. The whole body, mind and spirit immediately comes to mind. Our growth depends on so many things, doesn't it? Whatever we are going through health-wise with our bodies affects our way of thinking and how we see our spirituality. Trying to find that balance can be both difficult and time consuming.

As Christians we are encouraged to grow, grow, grow as much as possible. We want to expand our knowledge of the scripture, past events and even Bible verses as a way to prepare our hearts to be the best we can be. We seek to be more loving, more understanding, more Christ-like in all our actions as we go about our daily life.

 I have come across many fellow cancer survivors and patients who have professed to spend many moments having crying spells and emotional outbursts in the middle of their treatments. They cannot make sense of their emotions since they feel they should be grateful and happy for coming this far when others haven't. It is so understandable since we can only focus our minds on one traumatic experience at a time. At that moment, we are dealing with surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation. Way too much to process all at once. Our brain feels so jam packed with feelings and information where decision making is almost impossible.

So we understand the body and the mind, but why spirituality? Well, what keeps you going every single day? What gives you that sense of purpose? That meaning? We need hope. We need faith. We need prayer. We need God. We cannot face the difficulties of life and persevere without these four.

Have a blessed day everyone.

No Buy January

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

Not man's manifold labors,
 but his manifold cares, 
hinder the presence of God.
 Whatsoever thou doest,
 hush thyself to thine own feverish vanities,
 and busy thoughts, 
and cares; in silence seek thy Father's face, 
and the light of His countenance
 will stream down upon thee.
 He will make a secret cell in thine heart, 
and when thou enterest there,
 there shalt thou find Him. 
And if thou hast found Him there, 
all around shall reflect Him, 
all shall speak to Him, 
and He will speak through all. 
Outwardly thou mayest be doing the work of thy calling; 
inwardly if thou commend thy work to God, 
thou mayest be with Him in the third Heaven.
E. B. PUSEY.

I have been wanting to do a no spend month for a long time now. There are so many people out there who have tried this, especially right after Christmas. It's also a good thing to do as a new start to the year. It's always good to curtail a lot of our unnecessary spending as a way to save money. 


If we sat down and made a list of what is considered necessary within our four walls, you would be surprised to find how much we actually spend on things that are considered frivolous such as getting coffee every morning instead of making your own. Or going out to lunch everyday instead of bringing a meal from home. There are many ways we can cut back if we truly wanted to do so. 

So what are my reasons? Well, since I began my pantry and did some dehydrating of vegetables over the Summer, I haven't been spending a lot on food. In fact, I have noticed I am only picking up milk, eggs, salad or small items. Just those two things changed the amount of money I am spending. Imagine the possibilities and the freedom of no debt hanging over you. That is an awesome feeling. 

Let me list my rules for this month. The "no buy" goes into effect towards anything that isn't a necessity. If my shoes get worn out, I will need to buy a pair of shoes. If I see something I like or want, it doesn't mean I can buy it. It's pretty simple. 

This will be particularly hard when it comes to purchasing yarn, especially since I am always on the lookout for clearance or special sales. This, of course, I cannot do this month. Who knows? I may not be able to succeed. It might just sound like a good idea, but trying to enact it might be entirely something else. I will let you know at the end of the month how it went.

Have a blessed day everyone. 

Staying Focused

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

Yet I believe that somewhere, soon or late,

A peace will fallUpon the angry reaches of my mind;

A peace initiateIn some heroic hour when I behold

A friend's long-quested triumph, or unbind

The tressed goldFrom a child's laughing face.

Whenever we choose a goal to work on, there will be obstacles following not soon after the declaration. The first week or so, things always go great. We are focused, we are strong and we are invincible in our quest to reach that goal.

The real struggle begins in the next couple of weeks. We have to resist negative thinking, feeling lethargic and a sense that we could never achieve a goal such like ours. We are attacked from every direction and once down, it can be difficult to get back up again.

There is another side. What if our goal is not the goal intended for us? That has always been the hard part for me determining if I should continue on or jump ship. If only life were a bit simpler and there was a road map with a GPS that I could follow. When a wrong turn would be made, we would be redirected promptly without any unpleasantness. Why can't life be like that?

Be still and know I am God.

I keep saying that to myself over and over again. I could hear the soft whisper inside my head: keep doing what you're doing. Be still and trust. For someone who has declared to avoid all stress, I sure love to dwell on things I cannot control. If anything, I feel bombarded with worry even more now than before.  It has become a daily battle to stay focused on what I need to do right now at this moment. Whoever said that tomorrow will take care of itself, sure knew what they were saying. I've seen this on someone's Facebook: Keep calm and crochet on. Now that's great advice, lol.

Have a blessed day everyone.

Do You Want To Get Well?

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

Whatever troubles come on you,
 of mind, body, or estate,
 from within or from without,
 from chance or from intent,
 from friends or foes -- 
whatever your trouble be, 
though you be lonely,
 O children of a heavenly Father, 
be not afraid! 
J. H. NEWMAN.


I've been thinking just the other day, how in the world did I become so stressed this year? I think back to my goals that I set way back in January of last year  and don't remember adding anxiety, stress or frustrations to the list. Yet, here we are in a brand new year so stressed out that I have had a headache and a permanent scowl on my face all day. 

I began a new Bible study via an online free course. It comes with a daily e-mail and video of about 10-15 minutes long. I love these, because I can do them at my leisure and even all at once if I have the time. This one is actually a 15 day study and so far, it has been really good.

In one of the entries, we dealt with being a victim. In fact, we are asked that very question and right away I answered forcibly never! That question has stayed with me the entire day. Whenever that happens, I know that deep down inside the Holy Spirit wants me to re-examine that question once again. Do you like being a victim?

I have been extremely disappointed in my current cancer team. They are almost entirely made up of new individuals right down to the oncologist. Many people have pointed out to me that I have been very spoiled by my last set of doctors due to the length of time we were together. All true, I will not deny that fact. There is also the fact that my new insurance has not approved any of my usual tests like the Ct. scan or Petscan. All deemed unnecessary in their eyes.

So I have been very disappointed in the care I have been receiving, even though I am still in remission and that doesn't involve much care. Many people would say you should be jumping up for joy that you are seeing them every 6 months. The longer the better, right?

No. I have been in this "patient' mode for twelve years. I have gone in and out with regular screening like clockwork. My days off were spent getting lab work done and oncologist visits. Suddenly, it is not needed any more. I want to yell out, But what about my recurrent cancer? What about my thyroid? What about my petscan? How am I going to know if my cancer is back?

I guess, there is a bit of the victim mentality here. I can't seem to let go of the fact that I should be monitored regularly by a team of doctors just in case the cancer is back.

To make matters worse, the Bible study asked yet another question. Do you want to get well?

There it is, in a nutshell. I think we all have that victim mentality. Some may have it a lot stronger than others, but we all experience it. There is that sense of security surrounding the victim mentality. Is it any wonder that we don't want to let go of it? It is amazing what we can discover about ourselves if we just open our hearts to it.

Have a blessed day everyone.

The Ole Winter Blues

                                                             Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey


What ought to be possible for everyone 
is to arrive at a sort of harmony of life, 
to have definite things that they want to do.... 
The people whom it is hard to fit into any scheme 
of benevolent creation are the vague,
 insignificant,drifting people, 
whose only rooted tendency 
is to do whatever
 is suggested to them.
—Arthur C. Benson.

All over social media, all I see are posts of everyone experiencing the Winter Blues. They call it by different names such as stinkin thinking, down in the dumps, I'm depressed, I'm tired all the time. It all boils down to the same thing . . . Winter Blues.

January has always been the mid Winter month where we are pretty much done with Winter and the lack of Sun. Probably of all the Seasons, Winter is the one where we can't do the entire length and we start complaining. Just think about it. We never complain about Summer never ending or Spring or Fall. It's always Winter that we cannot endure the whole way.

Believe me, I am right there with everyone else. I set the alarm bright and early every single day. It rings, I turn it off and go right back to sleep. It takes every ounce of my being to get up in the morning. I hop into the shower and stay there for a good 30 minutes. It isn't until I get dressed, put on my makeup and have my coffee before I feel energized to get moving. It is the same every day.

I gave up trying to fight it and instead have learned to pamper myself during this time. Oh, I don't mean to go get a facial or a spa treatment. You can if you want to , but I mean something entirely different. On days where I am depleted of all energy, I sit quietly enjoying a book or watching a show. I don't bother filling up my day with a check off list of things to do. There's no point.  I will only disappoint myself and no one needs that.

So just relax and forgive yourself for not being up to par. Things will improve in a day or two. Until then, enjoy the simpler things in life like staring out the window and reflecting on your life . . ..  ten years ago.

Have a blessed day everyone.

The Twelve Cast Ons: Pt.2

                                                                 Everyday is a brand new day, 
                                                                  everyday is a journey




I cannot feel
  That all is well, 
when darkening clouds conceal
      The shining sun;
      But then, I know
  He lives and loves; and say, 
since it is so,
      Thy will be done.
S. G. BROWNING.

Over the Christmas vacation, I watched one of my favorite channels on YouTube and she threw out this challenge that she does every year. She casts on twelve projects for the upcoming year, one for every month. I thought that maybe I could join in and finally make some items for myself or my loved ones.

I decided to be bold and cast on projects I have always wanted to make, but felt inadequate. Why not? It was definitely worth a try. Here are my twelve cast on projects.

1. Poncho using Caron Latte Cakes in elderberry, wine berry and rose scented in the herringbone stitch. 
2. Lacy scarf using red heart scuba ombre in the spattered stitch (finished).
3. Rectangular Shawl in the red heart teal ombre in the vintage ripple stitch. 
4. A wide headband in the ribbed stitch in caron simply soft black.
5. Easy crochet cowl/shawl in red heart amethyst.FAILED. Did not come out correctly. Made a ribbed cowl using red heart amethyst instead (finished).
6. Super star blanket using craftsmart lite grey and variegated grey/brown/ivory blend.
7. Mandela blanket. Part 1 involves the colors eggshell, sea coral, lt. grey, rich orchid combo.
8. Lacy shawl/,an,ade paradise shawl design using red heart scuba ombre.
9. Ribbed cowl using caron simply soft in the color black.
10. Anyway the wind blows infinity scarf in the burgundy color using the front post double crochet, back post double crochet stitch (finished).
11. Bright blocks blanket using the colors red, yellow, blue, apricot, green, pink and cream.
12. Back post double crochet, front post double crochet blanket using the colors beige, black and medium grey in a stripe pattern. 

Well, here we are. I did finish three of the projects and passed on the goods to their owners. One I had to scratch and do something else, because I totally messed up. Otherwise, I am very happy with my list and how they have turned out thus far. I will keep you posted on the rest of the items as they are finished. 

Have a blessed day everyone. 

The Twelve Cast Ons Pt.1

                                 Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey



Let my soul beneath her load
  Faint not through the o'erwearied flesh;
  Let me hourly drink afresh
  Love and peace from Thee, my God!
C. F. RICHTER

By no means am I an expert crocheter. If anything, I have been a bit sheltered and ignorant when it comes to the world of yarn. I have spent the last 6 1/2 half years crocheting for different charitable organizations. I never looked at yarn in any other way except the price tag. How many blankets can I make with this skeins of yarn? That was my main focus when shopping, to always get the best deal and make that yarn go the extra mile.

The world of YouTube has opened my eyes and heart to many different kinds of crafting that is out there. Knitting, diamond painting, water colors, junk journaling, tatting, embroidery etc. The list is endless. Take your pick and enjoy.

From that point on, I dreamt of having my own home spun yarn, The beautiful hand dyed yarns or any specialty goodness out there. I looked on as crafter after crafter showed off her beautiful craft room with shelves brimming with yarn and supplies. They belonged to yarn clubs, ones I never knew even existed. My eyes were opened and my heart burst with longing.

Probably for the very first time in these six years, I went out and bought yarn with my own money for my own projects. I saved and clipped coupons. I watched for sales and clearances. I waited and slowly filled up my coffers with yarn so I could make all these special projects using special stitches. I would watch tutorials and learn all about the crochet world.

To Be Continued

 Have a blessed day everyone.

Your Quiet Days

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

What an amazing, 
what a blessed disproportion
between the evil we do,
 and the evil we are capable of doing, 
and seem sometimes on the
 very verge of doing! 
If my soul has grown tares, 
when it was full of the seeds of nightshade,
 how happy ought I to be! 
And that the tares have not wholly
 strangled the wheat,
 what a wonder it is! 
We ought to thank God daily for 
the sins we have not committed.
F. W. FABER

At work, we have these monitoring apps on our computer that sort of tell us how productive we are while on our computer. They send us an e-mail on a monthly basis and tell us just by seeing our calendar how many "quiet days" we have where we don't have any appointments. How many e-mails we sent out and how many recipients. That tells them that we have more time to be productive at our desks. They call these zero appointment days our quiet days.

I thought to myself how badly we need these type of moments in our daily life. There is so much noise surrounding us as we try to fulfill all of our engagements. It is almost a wonder how we can actually make a sound decision with all of these distractions being thrown at us.

I, myself, am unable to sit still. I have a compulsion to multi-task even when company is over. It is as if I have forgotten how to relate to someone just by being silent and listening. I've become a Martha always opting to being busy instead of being there an actual presence.

In my quest to rid myself of all things that bring my blood pressure up, I've been thinking about incorporating a quiet day into my schedule. A day with nothing, but relaxing.

It's not that easy. I thought I actually had a day like that already called Sunday. It may have begun that way, but quickly turned into another work day at home. The pressures and the need of ours to keep working, checking off the items on the list, has prevented us from enjoying precious moments. I believe that is why so many people don't know what to do with themselves when they retire. They are programmed to get up early every morning and start their day.

Sigh. Scheduling quite days will be difficult and the fact that I need to schedule one is insane. They should just happen, right? Life is ever changing with new things and people always coming/going. Either we adapt naturally or we are forcibly altered. Which way is more preferable? Well, that's up to us.

Have a blessed day everyone.

What Encourages You?

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


Appear I always what I am?
    And am I what I am pretending?
    Know I what way my course is bending?
  And sound my word and thought the same?
ANON.

What are you working on right now? We all have that something that we are dealing with and hoping to get through. What is that thing for you? Have you been carrying it around a long time?

Tomorrow I will turn 55 years old. Believe me when I say, I never thought I would still be here. Cancer has forever changed my life, at times for the worse and at times, for the better. Coming from a family of women that live a very long life (current family member turned 100), the thought that I might not do so shocked me.

When we are young, we do not think about the future. In fact, life doesn't seem to have any consequences. We live our lives with no regrets until we are faced with either an illness or old age.

Reflecting back on the past two decades, I can honestly say, life has been far from boring. In the 2000's, I was searching for something else spiritually, I quit smoking, I developed cancer and I gave my life to Jesus fully. In the 2010's, I faced cancer three more times, found my calling in life in the things I love to do and finally took care of all the things I should have done a long time ago. What do the 2020's have in store for me?

I have been very stressed, anxious about the future. My thinking has taken a dive into the world of negativity. It takes everything I have within me to stay centered and focused on what lies ahead. I listen to podcasts, devotions, I journal, I color and I sing worship songs. Basically, I have enveloped myself in the good Word of God. People have been extremely generous in offering suggestions.

I just have one question for you. What encourages you? What do you do to help you through life? God has been with me always and I hold onto Him dearly, especially now. What do you hold onto? What gives you the strength to get up every morning and face your life? Your daily life? I hope it's Him.

Have a blessed day everyone.

A Fall Harvest Update

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



Search thine own heart. 
What paineth thee
In others, in thyself may be;
All dust is frail, all flesh is weak;
Be thou the true man thou dost seek.
J. G. WHITTIER.


Usually around that time, I start making a list of items I need to replenish the pantry for the Winter. I like to have a fully stocked pantry so I will not have to brace the snow or cold going shopping. Winter time is the time to burrow. Or at least, a time I like to burrow. All I plan on doing is crocheting and writing. I keep saying that, but somehow it never quite works out that way.

When I stocked my pantry, I never knew how well it would turn out. The whole point was to save money on food by buying it in bulk, on sale and by dehydrating items. I also stocked up on over the counter medicines, vitamins, paper supplies and cleaning materials. It has saved me so much time.

I barely have been going shopping and when I do it's for small items that we use everyday like eggs, milk and salad. I have begun buying vegan plant based meats and I was pleasantly surprised on how inexpensive they were. I was afraid that the amount we were saving from the pantry usage, would counteract with the cost of the vegan meats. Maybe the small cost involved here had more to do with the fact that there is only the two of us. Majority of the vegan meats were two serving sizes or had 4 piece counts per package.

Either way, I feel like the pantry and the dehydrator has been a real success. All the jars filled with veggies will last a long time, far longer than what I believed. The dehydrated tomatoes, I plan on grinding into a powder in my food processor to use as tomato paste. Another tip I learned from a fellow YouTuber.

Now the only question I have is whether I should dehydrate again in the Summer or perhaps do a small amount of canning? Maybe even canning some fish?  I am not sure if I should expand my pantry with these things or not. That is my next project to see how much more I should delve into food preservation or just stick with what I have been doing.

No matter what I decide to do, I am enjoying this process tremendously and sharing it with my children. I could see that my son was eyeing that dehydrator. Perhaps it was the dehydrated diced apples that he loved so much? Hmm, now if I could find a place with a small yard or balcony where I could grow some veggies, too?

Have a blessed day everyone

Grab A Book

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


Be earth, with all her scenes, withdrawn;
Let noise and vanity be gone:
In secret silence of the mind,
My heaven, and there my God, I find.
I. WATTS.

It's been awhile since I actually sat down and was able to immerse myself in a book. So you see, I have only one book to share with all of you. One would think that Winter would be a great time to spend reading, but it seems the energy levels are depleted.

In the living room, my two bookshelves stand bulging with all sorts of literature, waiting to be opened. I wish I could devote that time to them. They deserve to be loved and explored in a way befitting the work that went into it. Someone took the time to create a masterpiece to be enjoyed by us all, we should read it. The thing with books I love the most is that they will always be there never in fear of being deleted by mistake. The pages can be touched and held  whenever we are ready for an adventure once more.

1. From The Grave
By: A.W. Tozer
This is a 40 day Lent devotional along with the famous Tozer's best reflections on faith, suffering and spiritualism. I've always wanted to read something of this famous author, even though it is not 100 percent written by him. I thoroughly enjoyed to read whatever small amounts there were. 

Have a blessed day everyone.