Writer's Cafe

Thanksgiving Project

gypsiegirl — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 14:52:50 +0000

If anyone is reading my post, please friend me on Facebook and join my Thanksgiving Project. Happy Thanksgiving!

On Our Way

gypsiegirl — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:30:32 +0000

Good Morning All!. I trust you had a good weekend. I had a wonderful weekend with my little Grandbaby TJ, along with enjoying a beautiful Florida Sunday. Something to be so grateful for. Though I had planned on talking about what Fibromyalgia is, I realized that there is a ton online about the subject. I am going to refer you to fibromyalgia.com website for more information than I am able to provide for you. So far I have found it very helpful. The forums have kept me from feeling so alone and it’s always nice to get feedback on anything I have going on. If it’s happening with me, I find other people are experiencing it too. I don’t spend a lot of time on there since I have so much stuff going on such as planning and writing my new cookbook, “Table For One.” Though this is a cookbook for people who need meals for one and are time and budget challenged, I am planning on including recipes that have been helpful to me with my Fibro. Many people may not believe it, but your diet can have a major affect on your health. Yes, I know you think I’m going to harp on your bad eating habits. Probably, but I’m mostly going to leave the guilty conscious up to you. You are a grown up, right? I do however plan to educate you on healthy eating. I know from personal experience that anything I eat, especially since I’ve had cancer and now Fibromyalgia, affects me immediately. It goes far beyond any long term effects like heart disease and obesity. What I put in my mouth from first thing in the morning and throughout the rest of the day can make or break the quality of my life for that day. Ever heard that saying, “let food be thy medicine?” I totally believe it! I take food super seriously. I know you are probably saying “I don’t have the money or energy to eat right.” I totally get that. I’m unable to work and living on student loans. After paying bills there is barely enough left for food, but still I do the best I can. We must find a way to take care of ourselves even if it means we do without something else. I don’t have cable, my own car (my son shares with me) or my own place (I live with my kids) as well as alot of other things. If you don’t make the sacrifice now, you may never have any quality of life. If you can’t help yourself, you must find someone to help you. I am going to do my best to help you from here. Ok, you ready? First I want you to take inventory of what foods you eat regularly. Keep a food diary of everything you eat and drink. I’m not concerned with amounts. The whole idea is to start being aware of your food choices. I’m going to teach you about making smart, healthy food choices. You won’t have to eat or buy anything weird. Just good regular food. I’m not going to force you to eat things you don’t like either, but like I tell my little grandbaby, “just try it. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to eat it.” You might surprise yourself. I am a regular at my local farmer’s markets and I make a habit of trying new fruits and veggies nearly every week, even if it’s just one thing. If I don’t know how to fix it or eat it, I just ask someone working there. I find things I like and others not so much. Doing this makes me feel adventurous and excited. As a person with Fibro, I feel so restricted with regular activities that I can do now, trying new foods helps to make my life a little more fun and liberating. I know it’s a small thing, but that’s how great things start. That’s it. Just take any notebook or even your computer and make your list. If it’s more fun for you, head out to the Dollar Tree and splurge on a fun notebook to write in. Keep your diary for the next few days. I will check in with you to see how you are doing and then we will start on step 2. Even if you don’t write down everything, just write down what and when you can. No pressure. Until next time…

New Projects

gypsiegirl — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 13:37:29 +0000

Here I sit with my morning coffee. All the animals have been fed. (It takes me an hour to feed and play with them all.) Now it’s time to relax and get to writing. I am excited that I have a new project to work on, “Table For One.” It is a cookbook/information book for living a happy, healthy life for one. In my book I will talk about recipes that take just a few ingredients to make a healthy and tasty meal while reducing time in the kitchen. No reason to do without wonderful cuisine when you are a “one.” Some people say that “one” is the loneliest number. Being part of a two can be, and many times is, a lonely number also. So if you are a part of a two and your other half is away a lot, welcome to the “one” world. You qualify and will enjoy this book too. Now that I have shamelessly plugged my upcoming book and probably will again, we will go on to other important stuff. First let me say that it is a tremendously gorgeous day out. Sure, the last couple of days have been a little nippy for us Southerners, but it warms up nicely in the afternoon. That’s why I live in Florida. Now for today’s subject.
Fibromyalgia.
I was recently diagnosed with it by a lovely doctor who says it was brought on by the treatments I received for Breast Cancer. Though that was my case, it can also be brought on by many things including, but not limited to, illness and accident. Though I was scared, I did not blame anyone for getting Breast Cancer. I knew I had a family history and the job I was working was stressful. The long hours prevented me from taking care of myself thus tipping off bad cells that turned into the disease. However, the recovery has been a bear. I would say worse in ways than the treatment phase. I am now two years from my last treatment and I struggle everyday to be normal, yet it feels like just surviving. Unable to continue to work, my doctor told me to cut back to part time and do something quiet. My last job had nothing part time so now I‘m unemployed. I am using this opportunity to work on self employment. I am like my dad. I can not sit still and do nothing. With a family full of successful entrepreneurs, I have support galore for working for myself. Lucky me! Now to find the energy and strength to proceed. It is all a journey. I am finding that I am not alone in this disease or my situation. I realized that I have a wealth of information from my athletic days work at GNC that may help ease the pain and agony for people like me. I will be sharing information in the upcoming blogs about this Fibromyalgia to educate those of you who know someone with it, but don’t know how to help or maybe you just want to know more about it. It is a disease that you can’t see and many times will not show up in medical tests, but the agonizing pain and debilitating fatigue is real just the same. Many, many times when doctors don’t see anything to be concerned about in test results, we are misunderstood and treated like Hypochondriacs, or trying to get attention or have some mental disorder. I want to give you comfort in knowing that you are believed and someone is here for support. I will be sharing ways in which friends and families can support and care for loved ones who are suffering. I will include tips for those with Fibromyalgia on managing the disease. I am by no means an expert, but as I find things that work for myself and others I will share it with you in hopes that I can help at least one person live a more quality life for themselves and with their friends and family. Before I finish my blog today I want all my Fibro friends out there to consider opening your minds up to trying new things. I will not ask you to give up your meds or make drastic changes. My goal is to get you to think in a new way and make changes gradually. The important thing is to find something that will help by being more open minded and thinking outside the box. Think about this. Is what you are currently doing helping or hurting you in any way? If it’s helping, then continue. If not, try something new. You might be pleasantly surprised. Ok friends. Til next time…take heart. Better days are ahead.

Determination and Patience

gypsiegirl — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 18:19:26 +0000

I’m going to do it. Yep you heard right. I’m going to build myself a little house. I’m calling it “Project Independence.” It’s part of my plan to get on my feet which includes the ability to support myself completely. I finally got a good job. Pay is low right now but looks promising to increase in the future with other position to choose from. And the great part is it’s at my Grandbaby’s school so when school is out, so am I and I can spend more time with him. It will help his parents out since they work different shifts. I am continuing my education after earning my AA. I decided to return and get an AS degree in Paralegal just in case the pay might be more or something happens with this job. The job market for Paralegal seems to be wide open and up and coming. I won’t rush through the degree since I have limited time and energy while working. I’ve always heard “where there’s a will, there is a way.” I never really believed it til I came up with my own plan and finally see a way to make the tiny house thing work. Sometimes you just have to wait awhile for it all to come together. I am going to forge forward and see what happens. I have no skills in this area to speak of, but luckily I know people who can help out. Unfortunately I’m not talking about my talented sister whose skills are awesome, but is not interested in the least in building a tiny house. Too bad really cause I would have loved the time with her. Anyway, now that I see a way, I must make my plans. #1 purchase a trailer to set my house on. Well, wish me luck! Will keep you updated.

Note To Self

gypsiegirl — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 14:24:59 +0000

I don’t know if it’s getting older or the side effects of meds administered to me when I went through cancer treatments, but whatever it is I have trouble remembering. I can walk from one room to the next and forget what I went in there for. I know..happens to alot of people, but when it happens to you you don’t care how many other people its happeneto. It is annoying. It’s most annoying when you have a brilliant idea for a story or there was something really cool you were going to tell your friend and now you can’t remember what is was. It leaves you with that kind of irritated feeling. I was just now trying to remember that great idea I had for a story from yesterday. I should have written it down but didn’t so now I have to resign myself to the fact that is gone..long gone. Oh well, comforting to know that if I’ve had one great idea then there are more to be had. I could do some memory exercises but sounds like alot of work I won’t remember to keep up with. Guess I will just have to carry around a pen (easy enough) and write ideas down on my hand or arm or wherever there is room cause I know for a fact keeping track of a notebook and a pen would be too much to ask of myself. Hopefully I won’t start looking like that guy on “Memento.” Remember that guy? He started tattooing things he wanted to remember all over his body. If I get like that then it is definitely time to do something. The odds are I won’t remember to. There are perks to having memory “glitches.” Maybe I will forget things that I don’t want to remember like that pesky divorce and having lost my favorite shirt and jeans in the last move. As a last resort I could lighten my memory load by jotting down things when I’m starting to feel the ” have to remember this” overload. Studies say that we can only remember 7 things at one time. Perfect! Problem solved. I have memory overload not memory loss. I guess it’s all in how you look at it. Now what were we talking about before this?

Virtual Coffee

gypsiegirl — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 14:05:11 +0000

Well, I have finally done it. I have found a way to have coffee with one of my sisters nearly every day without leaving the house. You know how they, whoever they are, say necessity is the mother of invention? Well, that’s what this is. My sis lives about 8 miles from me and has a very busy life. Mine is busy part time and transportation challenged the rest. I share a car and gas with my gracious son at the moment. Anyway, my sis and I plan endlessly to have just a cup of coffee together, but alas life gets in the way and it rarely happens so we have coffee by text. Usually I text, “coffee?” and she texts back “yeah, 2nd or 3rd cup.” Then our conversation is off to who knows where. Today I’m trying to convince her to start a blog or at least post a video of her new kitty on youtube. It’s tough for us older gals to get with the “virtual” program. Seems complicated and overwhelming. At least we know how to text and drink coffee. Unfortunately this is going to become even more important because within the next two weeks I will be moving further from her. It will be a good move for my family and fortunately most likely no different for my sis and me. We will just keep texting and drinking coffee and if we are lucky we will still get to see each other once in awhile. I miss you my sis. I hope you can make it to our housewarming. See you then….hopefully.

New Post

gypsiegirl — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 14:17:20 +0000

Writing new posts are tough especially when you feel like you have nothing to say, but sometimes that’s when they become the most interesting posts. The important thing is to just be discipline enough to do it regularly, then the thoughts will come. Doesn’t matter what you are writing about, someone will find it interesting and miss you if you don’t post. I have a friend who I love reading her blog. She does not post often but when she does it’s terrific. When I don’t see a new one for awhile and I can take her silence no more, I text or email her and “vwa-la,” new post. I know I may not hear from her now for awhile cause she is on a big moving adventure to California. Though we have lived far apart here in Florida for many years and rarely see each other, I still feel close to her. I know it will be the same even though she will be in California. Thank goodness for texting, cell phones, email, blogging and whatever new technology that may come our way that will continue to keep our friendship close. Best of all, now I have a new vacation spot. Who knows when I might feel the traveling bug and head out to see her. I wish my dear friend safety and happiness for her journey and good fortune with all her new exciting adventures at her destination. I can’t wait to hear all about them, which I’m sure I will when she get settled in and blogs about it. Check her blog out at startingover6point5 Love u my friend!

Warm Fuzzies

gypsiegirl — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 16:28:16 +0000

As I began my walk yesterday, I noticed a woman and little boy about 3 or 4 yrs. old preparing to walk also. The woman fastened his helmet and helped him on his bike. His little legs struggled to get the bike going but soon they were on their way when I heard him say, “you are the best lady I ever had.” With a smile I turned to the lady asking if she was his sitter. She smiled back and proudly told me she was his mom. My eyes teared and immediately I was overwhelmed with warm fuzzies. That continues to prove that kids don’t really need things to make them happy. They just need your time and attention. Priceless!

Exchanging Drama For Peace

gypsiegirl — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 16:08:59 +0000

I have a friend who shares a place with his friend. He is always complaining that there is continuous drama and how he gets caught up in it. Drama seems to follow him around no matter where he is or what he does. My intuition tells me that though he says he doesn’t like it, he really does. Some people thrive on it and it is their way. It is what they know and if they eliminated it, they would feel out of their element and very uncomfortable. Living a peaceable life takes work but once you get the hang of it, it is easier than you would think. I am a person who has never liked to rock the boat even as a kid. I think the desire to be peaceful was born in me. Even though I was strong willed and stubborn sometimes, I did lean toward sticking with following the rules thus limiting the amount of drama, and punishment, that usually comes with growing up. As I got older, left home and experienced a few life setbacks, I no longer felt I could follow the rules to be truly happy. Still I desired a peaceable life but knew it would not be easy. Luckily, I have found a way for me to have it and immersed my kids in it from the time they were little. As a result we are different, maybe unique is a better word, but it seems to be something that is appreciated by others. Peaceful living required me to take a different mindset and believe in myself when others told me I should do things differently especially with raising my kids. Sure it was scary cause I was not positive that what I was doing was going to work and had no examples to follow. I trusted my gut and heart anyway. It worked out better than I could have imagined. My kids are grown now and amazing adults not just cause I think so, but others see it too and tell me so. Even yesterday while finishing paperwork at the college to start on my next degree, one of the financial aid people came out and wanted to ask a question. I said ok, thinking it was about my information. Surprisingly he wanted to know who was more proud at my graduation last May, me or my daughter. I was so caught off guard I didn’t really know what to say so I just stammered around saying I guess I was after looking at my graduation picture. I looked a little CRAZY happy as I had every right to have been. That two year degree took me 20 years to complete through a horrendous divorce, numerous moves, raising kids alone and cancer. I’m lucky to have finished at all. The icing on the cake was, and what he was asking about, that my youngest daughter completed her second degree with honors at the same time but declined walking with the honors graduates to walk with me. We were even announced together and got a huge ovation. I felt like a star waving from the platform. I guess he was right. She was the most proud of us. She is now continuing on with her Bachelors degree, has a good job and is buying her first house at just 25 yrs. old. My other two kids are just as amazing. I will talk more about them in another blog. I could not be more thankful for the decision to live peaceably and raise them the way I did. Following my heart has gotten us where we are today, happy and thriving together in a tough world through tough times. Our next big adventure is in just two weeks when part of us will join my daughter in her new house, invited of course, living together under one roof. The rest will join us in November. There will be a total of 5 adults, a 4 yr. old, three cats and a pet squirrel in a 4 bedroom, 2 bath house. I will definitely be blogging about that. Look for our “Simplifying Life” video in a few months by the Faircompanies people. It will be about our journey of paring down our possessions and living more simply by moving from two residences to one, smaller space per person. During the next couple of years some of us will be preparing to build tiny houses, continuing our education, job hunting and completing a long time secret dream of mine. Will keep you updated on all this and where you can watch our video. Living peaceable is a tough decision but can be accomplished. I challenge you to find little ways to do this. Don’t forget to comment here. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this and the things you find that work for you.

The Perfect Morning

gypsiegirl — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 13:49:59 +0000

I didn’t wake up this morning. I just got up. I was plagued by sneezing, swollen eye and drippy face from what I assume was allergies from hugging my cat too much last night and the wheat bread I used to make my sandwich before I went to bed. Funny how the things we want to happen, happen in ways we don’t. I guess I should have been more specific when I imagined my perfect morning. After spending the last week sleeping in and just giving my body a rest, I longed to get up early and start my day before it got away from me. I wanted to drink a cup of sweet creamy coffee and watch the morning dawn. I wanted to get up before even my pet squirrel rustled around in his cage anxiously waiting for me to bring him some breakfast. This morning’s sunrise was beautiful…through the window…while I wiped my nose, made suggestions to my daughter as she worked on her paper for her class, and tried to be less irritated at my cat, Zola, who woke me up twice to get her food in the middle of the night and then later a drink of water. (She has digestive issues and eats only small amounts at at time which do not hold her through the night.) Despite all that it did not ruin my enjoyment of something so beautiful. It just made me grateful. All the disruption means I am not alone. I have people and animals around that I love and love me back. They inspire me and fill my life with joy. For that I’m lucky and will take it anytime over a full night of sleep or a beautiful sunrise.