Day 4 of Simplifying: Food

 

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

Come, in this accepted hour;

Bring Thy heavenly kingdom in;
Fill us with Thy glorious power,
Rooting out the seeds of sin.
C. WESLEY.

Day 4 Of Simplifying  

Food   

I've had a love affair with food all of my life. I ate whatever I wanted and didn't gain an ounce. I gave birth to four children and had no problem losing the weight. Gaining weight was never an issue and the word diet was absent from my life. Looking at me now, that may be a hard pill to swallow.   

When I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer almost 16 years ago, I knew my life had to undergo a major change whether I was ready for it or not. I gained quite a bit of weight which to this day I still haven't lost. It wasn't until four years into having cancer that I found out it was a reoccurring type and would be coming back until it finally killed me. That realization changed everything. Suddenly eating healthy became more appealing and a necessity. If I could prolong my life by maintaining a well-balanced diet of nutritious eating, then I'm all for it.  At least, my body would be ready, being strong and healthy, in between remissions.

When one thinks of simplification, one hardly considers food as part of it. How does that fit into that category? Well, simplification involves reduction, organization and getting rid of, doesn't it? Looking at food in your life as an elimination of what isn't good for you makes a huge difference to your well-being. What that looks like only pertains to you. We all have different health issues and our diets reflect that. What works for you may not work for me.

Since my daughter is a pescatarian it made sense to join her. The fact that she is also a great cook is another plus. This past year, we have taken it a step further in simplifying our food. We make almost everything from scratch: sauces, breads, pasta, you name it and my girl can make it. By doing so, we have eliminated a lot of the unnecessary preservatives one can find in prepackaged food nowadays. We choose what goes into our food and our bodies. 

The same goes for our beverages. We do not partake in drinking or buying soda of any kind. Although, I have been known to cheat. Instead, we have tea, juice, milk, and plenty of water. Every two days I fill up my 96 oz. of water and take it to work with me. I still enjoy coffee every morning and occasionally a glass of wine on the weekends. We would love to be able to can our own fruits and vegetables along with perhaps a dehydration process in place. That's still a little ways off, but definitely on the agenda.  Food sustainability is the ultimate goal.

The best part of our lifestyle is that our grocery bill has gone down dramatically. We buy in bulk as much as possible, especially the basic ingredients like sugar, flour, seasonings, butter, and eggs. People are surprised that we use sugar and butter at all since they consider that not healthy. The amount of sugar that we add is a lot less than what is in prepackaged goods. As for butter, when it comes to baking, one needs butter, but there is a huge difference between real butter and margarine.   

We now certainly feel much better physically and have more energy by choosing to live this way. Even though I still need to lose some weight, all my blood levels (sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure) are fine. I've had cancer four times already and when in remission I take no medication whatsoever. When in treatment, everyone compliments me on how well I look.

 Now, believe me, we are far from perfection when it comes to food and what we eat. There are still many binges and treats and food overdoses (occasionally), but I do feel that the changes we made had a lot to do with my health results. I'm sure there are plenty of things we still have to learn in regards to eating healthy. Heck, we even make bad choices once in a while, especially when our hormones are raging. We are women! Still, at least we know that we are doing the best we possibly can to prolong this life of ours.   

Have a blessed day everyone.

Day 3 of Simplifying

 

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

O power to do; O baffled will!

O prayer and action! ye are one.
Who may not strive, may yet fulfil
The harder task of standing still,
And good but wished with God is done.
J. G. WHITTIER.

                                      30 Days of Simplification

                                             Lottie Krol

Day 3 Of Simplifying  

Organization  

Organization is my nemesis. I have tried to implement organization into my personal life for what seems like forever, never really succeeding.  

At work I am the absolute organizational genius, often receiving compliments on this fact. Everything has a method and an order to it. I cannot and will not work in chaos. I have a schedule and a meticulous way of doing things. This is what I'm known for at work. So, it totally baffles me why I can't do the same at home. How can I be two separate people leading two completely separate lives?   

I think I might know what is behind this problem. At work we only deal with work related issues. When I place something down, it stays exactly in that place. I am the only one using that workspace with the occasional exception of additional assistance. That's not the case at home. I do not live alone and share space with someone who has different characteristics from me. You can say this sounds a lot like work.  

No, at work we can fire these people. You can't fire your family. You have to accept them and love them regardless of their lack of organizational skills. You can't even document their inadequacies, because they will hold it against you. They will lock it away in their memory vault to pull out when it's totally unnecessary. At work, I have enough tasks to last me eight hours and then I can put it away until the next day. The same rule does not apply in our private lives. The work is endless.   

In this struggle of mine to achieve organization, I have tried many techniques that have sworn guarantees of success:  

• Charts with chores assigned to every day.   
• Usage of organizers such as bins, baskets, and shoe boxes.   
• Creation of lists that lay forgotten on the kitchen table.   
• A pocket organizer to keep track of all tasks.  
• Cleaned out all drawers and closets only to fill them up again within the week with new items.  
• Utilized a desk-sized calendar, do I need to say for what?  

I have attempted, there is no doubt on that, but these things only worked for a short while. I believe the real problem is two-fold going by the names of "space and clutter." I have not enough of one and too much of the other.   

If there isn't enough space for things, then no matter how much we clean and try to simplify by organizing, it will always look cluttered. We simply have to go through our belongings and decide whether we can afford to keep these things or not. I am a terrible hoarder; just terrible! I keep skinny clothes just in case I lose fifty pounds overnight. Until recently, I was still holding onto my VHS collection in case it makes a comeback.   

We also live in a very small apartment where space is limited, but that's also our choice. If we were willing to spend a little bit more, we could get more. So, my inability to become organized is completely my fault. It is a choice that I'm continually making that begins with the famous "I can't." I need to learn to let go of things that no longer fit my lifestyle. Get rid of those skinny clothes that no longer fit these full hips that is now a part of my physiology.  

As for those VHS tapes, I laid them out in the laundry room of our building with a sign that said "FREE " and they sat there collecting dust until I, feeling pity for them, threw them out into the trash.   

To organize, one must first get rid of stuff! Secondly, one must change our habits and the way we do things. It serves no good to de-clutter if we just plan on bringing in new Things to replace the ones we trashed. Come on, you know you do that! There's a bag in your trunk right now. So, what are we going to do about it? Roll up those sleeves, whip out that box of kleenex and start sorting through that excess! 

Have a blessed day everyone.

 

                               

Day 2 of Simplifying

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

 Thy thoughts are good, and Thou art kind,

E'en when we think it not;
How many an anxious, faithless mind
Sits grieving o'er its lot,
And frets, and pines by day and night,
As God had lost it out of sight,
And all its wants forgot.
P. GERHARDT.

                                     30 Days of Simplification

                                           Lottie Krol

Day 2 Of Simplifying  

What Is Simplification?  

To determine the role simplification needs to play in my life, I first needed to clarify its definition. What is simplification? According to Webster's Dictionary, simplification is a noun, the act of simplifying, reducing complexity, and the elimination of superfluous details. Synonym: Reductions.  

Interesting to say the least. I've always believed gluttony was my deadly sin. The definition alerts me to the possibility of simplification being my polar opposite. This might just turn out to be something I needed desperately to happen in my own life.   

More curious than ever, I decided to find out what Google had to say on my topic. Pages and pages of everything under the sun popped up on the ways one can reduce or simplify to make their life easier. What was even more curious was the fact that there were more pages of calculators than anything else. Calculators = reductions = eliminations = simplifying. It seemed that simplification has a vast arena of usage. I wondered how people viewed that word in their own lives and decided to head on Facebook and ask the following question: What does simplification mean to you?   

Everyone clicked "like" yet no one provided an actual answer. At first, I was dumbfounded as to why click "like" at all. Then I realized that even though the word described an act that was meant for reduction of something, it was too complex to dwell on or reply to in a simple social media experience.   

Just imagine the enormity of the word. If someone asked me that question, I too wouldn’t be able to give a simple answer since it affects multiple areas of life. The word simplification isn't that simple at all. So, what is simplification then to me? It is the act of getting rid of all the unwanted debris that has cluttered our lives for too long. It is making room to living a life that we were meant to live without the chains that have imprisoned us. I know that I want to walk tall through this life and cannot with all this weight upon my shoulders I need to remove.   

So, I guess, I should get a move on then!

Have a blessed day everyone. 

 

Day 1 of Simplifying

 

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

Just as Thou wilt is just what I would will;

Give me but this, the heart to be content,
And, if my wish is thwarted, to lie still,
Waiting till puzzle and till pain are spent,
And the sweet thing made plain which the Lord meant.
SUSAN COOLIDGE.

30 Days Of Simplification  

Lottie Krol  

Day 1 Of Simplifying  

Thirty Days  

I've always considered myself to be an amateurish writer striving to better myself in the literary world. I take advantage whenever an opportunity arises where I can challenge my writing skills. When I came across the 30 Days Challenge, I thought it was a fantastic way to write for 30 days on one topic! I was immediately drawn to the concept.  

Could I do that? Am I good enough? What subject would I choose? Could I continue the momentum throughout the month? As I immediately thought of these things, I realized it was certainly a challenge to consider embarking on.  

Once I made the decision to take on this massive challenge, I had the difficult task of choosing a topic. The last thing I wanted was to write on a random idea that held no personal link to my life. I was looking for something that would be a life expanding experience in one way or another. I wanted it to be able to learn something, yet not be too easy to achieve. After all, the main purpose of this exercise was to help me grow as a writer.  

At first, I settled on three ideas and weighed the pros and cons of each one several times. I found that it was very difficult to decide. For the next couple of weeks, my mind went into total overdrive as ideas popped in and out. I finally decided on something entirely different than the three I originally had in mind. Of course, I should have already known that was going to happen.   

The topic I chose was Simplification and I wanted to focus on the different ways it can affect my life. I was very excited, but was also feeling nervous to where exactly this challenge would take me. It has been my experience that the path is always filled with unexpected twists and turns even when we think we know what is ahead. The map is not always correct nor clear.   

I'd like to think we are on this journey together, taking one step at a time, enjoying the view around us. Every journey is merrier when there are people with whom we can share the memories. So come, take my hand, and walk beside me during this challenge.  Let's see where we all end up!

Have a blessed day everyone.

 

Just A Little Nap

 

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

What stronger breast-plate than a heart untainted!  

Thrice is he armed that hath his quarrel just, 

And he but naked, though locked up in steel,

 Whose conscience with injustice is corrupted.

—William Shakespear

Naps are wonderful, aren't they? Especially, the ones during the Summer! There is something so invigorating and inviting about the season. One wakes up every morning to birds singing, the sunrise streaming through the window and the warmth of the coming day.

Everything is fresh and new and bright. So many new flowers burst forth every week blanketing the scenery with color. We face each day with excitement that Winter denied our hearts. We can bask in the bounty of this wonderful season called Summer enjoying the abundance of fruits and vegetables.

Let's get back to the nap. I have been working so much lately, taking on extra shifts for others while they were on vacation. As tiring as it can be, I am always grateful for the extra blessing God sends my way to be able to save up towards my dream. Naps actually help my body rest during times that I "overdo" with work.

This afternoon, a nap was essential and appreciated. Only in Summer can I nap and not feel guilty for doing so. Why is that? Why do we feel guilty for taking an extra snooze any other time?

I wonder if the Sun has anything to do with it?

This wonderful and free vitamin provides energy that we are lacking any other season. We are able to get up and face the day, an extra longer day, being able to cram into it as much as we possibly can. We feel productive and that does my heart good! I love being productive and therefore, I deserve a nap. You do, too.

Have a blessed day everyone.

Our Greatest Fear

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

Do good with what thou hast, 

or it will do thee no good.

 If thou wouldst be happy,

 bring thy mind to thy condition, 

and have an indifferency for more

 than what is sufficient.
—William Penn.

When I first started the blog, it was meant to be a memory journal for my children chronicling my cancer journey. At that time, my cancer came back for the second time and I really thought my life would end in death. 

It is not an easy task to think of death, especially when it is your own. Death is scary to us, because it symbolizes the unknown. It represents the  finality of everything we have ever experienced and puts to question our faith. Do you truly believe what you believe when it comes to the doctrine of your faith?

I believe that we all experience the fear of death at some point in our life. It is even more pronounced when our health is at question. The uncertainty and the unknown can eat away at us working our minds at full speed. Don't allow that to happen. 

When we are in a struggle of any kind, we forget everything that is true and sensible. We stress, we worry, we become anxious. We allow negativity to enter our minds. We lose track of everything we have been taught and we grasp at things that make no sense. 

I am no different and often struggle with these same issues. I allow myself a pity party that lasts only a few days. After that, I have to get back up and look at the reality of things. I have shed buckets of tears over my lifetime, especially during my cancer journeys. I cannot tell you the exact time and place when I came to terms with my fear of dying. I do know it was a process that had to take place. I recorded my feelings here on paper with words and that helped me deal.

I have no idea what that may look like for you. Will it take a group session with fellow survivors? Perhaps more of an one on one counseling? A personal journal or retreat? I do know that it has to take place. We cannot move forward unless we do so. Even as Christians when we accept Christ into our hearts, we have to overcome that fear of dying. Jesus is our salvation, our life. We become alive in Him and He offers us eternal life. 

I still have a fear of the process of dying. Will it be painful and full of suffering? Will it be quick or will it happen peacefully in my sleep? Either way, I know where I am going. Do you?

Have a blessed day everyone.

Just A Rocking Chair

 

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

Some murmur if their sky is clear,

And wholly bright to view,
If one small speck of dark appear
In their great heaven of blue:
And some with thankful love are filled,
If but one streak of light,
One ray of God's good mercy, gild
The darkness of their night.
R. C. TRENCH.

June has always been a time of new beginnings. People get married, children graduate and families move into their new home. Fresh new blooms in the garden grow and birds chatter away, bringing in the new day every morning. There is a bursting of energy in nature as well as in the communities around us. There is activity, there is life and there is busyness.

In the midst of all this chaos, I remain good. I have this sense of peace, a peace that has been missing these past two years. I am becoming astutely aware of how our life here is limited. We like to think that we have plenty of time for everything. We say to ourselves: Right now, I just want to have fun, enjoy myself with all the things I want to do. That is a lie we tell ourselves, because time is so fleeting. In my head, I like to feel as if I am 30, but in reality it couldn't be farther from the truth. Time has gone in a blink of an eye. I remember when my children were born and now they're way past grown.

In front of my door, there is a rocking chair given to me by my younger brother's family. When we moved here three years ago, my son placed that rocking chair right in that spot. That was the first piece of furniture he took out of the moving truck. It has sat there all this time. At first, I would sit there every morning drinking my coffee, taking in the sunshine and the birds singing. Then I found a job and life became busy once again. The rocking chair remained empty.

Funny thing about that rocking chair. The children in our complex flock to it, playing on it and so do the neighborhood cats. Many a times, we have looked outside the window only to see a cat rocking away! It does my heart good to think our front step is so welcoming. Didn't Jesus say, come all ye who are weary and rest?

What we have today can be gone in a heartbeat! One diagnosis. One divorce decree. One career ended. Lives changed forever. The way we go in is not how we come out. Think of the children playing on your front patio, so very carefree. Think of that cat rocking away, enjoying the moment he is in. That's peace. That's faith and trust in the Lord. So much Joy and release from stress just by saying a heartfelt sentence: Jesus come into my heart. 

Don't wait before it is too late and we are full of nothing, but regret. Open your heart to Him and He shall fill your days with peace.

Have a blessed day everyone.