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  • Recalibrating Life, what does it look like?

    Being an introvert, I can get too much people, activity, and busyness in my life. I am a wall flower, I wear that badge, even a homebody.

    In May of this year, we will celebrate 38 years of wedded wildness. And it has been a wild ride, racing from one activity to another. When our children were young, I was known to lament that I wanted the merry-go-round to stop so I could get off! I found myself feeling that way again a few weeks back. And so, I decided-to get off. We are all adults. Take care of yourself. Moms not available. I wish it was that simple.

    Nonetheless, I have been sneaking in quiet times for reflection. And so far, my recalibration has been going pretty well. I have learned I can stop this merry-go-round whenever I need to; I can take a pass on some activities, stay home alone, and be better for it.

    Starting with the mornings, try to slow down and breathe.

    And I have learned more about myself, like how much I like a schedule. And I want to keep the schedule, thank you just the same. I had to explain this to Mr. B. We had a fair exchange of information; I learned new things too.

    Maybe you are also feeling the need to step back and find yourself again. We non-ADHD-ers can be exhausted by the sheer force of energy exuding from our hyperactive loved one(s).

    Honor yourself! Don’t wait for someone else to notice you need a rest. Go ahead and trot your tired self off for a much-needed quiet time.

    It is vital to stay true to ourselves. We can only run so far in daily life on someone else’s music. At first, it’s a novelty and even fun. But then, the fun starts wearing off, and we start to flat-line because we aren’t getting what we need to live happily. Life is full of give and take. No one gets to have it all. We need to remind each other that it’s okay to pull back, take a break, take a nap!

    And it might be time to reassess how much of an activity has to be done today. How small can you break a task down? I mean how small can you make it and still know you accomplished something? For instance, I am cleaning out the fridge. This week I cleaned the inside of the fridge door, wiped the bottles, wiped the shelving, checked dates and tossed a 4-year-old bottle of lemon juice. How? How does this stuff get forgotten? Life, that’s how.

    Life happens at the speed of, well, life. There are real seasons of life when cleaning the fridge isn’t a high priority. Those seasons when cleaning the fridge means wiping up spills when they happen. Done. Over it. And we move on.

    Move in the season of life you are in. I promise you it will not always be like this. Our children grow up. Our bodies change. Our work life changes. Life rolls on. Everything changes. And we are doing really good if we can realize the season is changing and start working into that new way of living.

    I’m cheering you on. You do you. Me do me. And shine brightly in your world. Even as introverts we can shine brightly. I inherited a really nice smile from my mom, my grandmother, and so on. I’m happy to share it. That’s me shining brightly. I have a sister who has a really sweet laugh, it’s a joyful laugh, she shares it lavishly. That’s her shining brightly. You do you!

  • Where Do You Find Worth?

    Where do you find your worth? In what you do? Where you live? Or who you know- here on earth? That is not where I find mine.

    Late 2024 I picked up on a ripple of buzz. You’ve heard of the Fruits of the Spirit? In Galatians 5:22-23 is where Paul writes about the goodness of life. Earlier in the chapter he lists out the evils and sins of life. Paul is strongly encouraging the Christians in Galatia to “Walk in the Spirit” so as not to wallow in the lust of the flesh.

    Paul says to get your heart right with God and you will see freedom from your fleshly desires. Then Paul reminds them that he told them before that if they choose to walk in sin they will not inherit the Kingdom of God. And then, to be extra sure that Galatia got his message, Paul list the Fruits of the Spirit. Verse 22 & 23:

    But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

    • 24: And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with [it’s] affections and lusts
    • 25: If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
    • 26: Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

    I always read this passage as through my own works I could produce joy, peace, and love, and be longsuffering and meek.

    Wait a minute. If I believe the salvation from Jesus Christ is a free gift, I can offer nothing worthy of it. I cannot work for the approval of salvation. Then how do I work for the fruits of the Spirit?

    This is where the ripple comes in. I heard the suggestion that the fruits of the Spirit are not gained by our devotion, our piousness’, our efforts or strivings. BUT the fruits of the Spirit are developed by the Spirit as we turn our walk to be walking closer with Jesus.

    Paul says in verse 18: But if you be led of the Spirit, you are not under the law.

    That’s it! Right there. When Jesus died on the cross He cancelled the law. Grace was born. Forgiveness was come. New Life was offered. And that is the way we are to walk, even today. Walk with grace and forgiveness in this new life.

    And so, I believe, our worth isn’t to be found in our profession. Our worth is found in how we do what ever it is we do. When we wrap our heads around the goodness of God. When we accept that life is completely dependent on Him. Just as salvation is completely dependent on the blood of Jesus Christ. Then we can begin to loosen our grip, and let God work through us to do his good work.

    What can you do this week to walk closer to Jesus?

  • Short read – big tip- check out this podcast!

    I have found a podcast called – Taking Control: The ADHD Podcast. I found it on Spotify. This podcast is reminding me of all the things about Mr. B I had forgotten! Good or Bad? Remember I said forgiveness is needed when you live with an ADHD person?

    Hence, I carry 2 weapons with me every day; forgiveness is one and grace is the second. lf I ever feel stingy with either one of these, my Heavenly Father is right there ready to remind me of my own short comings. Besides, I’m truly in love with Mr. B. He’s my best friend, my lover, my companion in life. And Mr. B feels the same way toward me. We get each other. And we both know I don’t behave well when I am short on sleep, hungry, or stressed. So, this forgiveness and grace works both ways.

  • Drowning in ADHD

    If you live with an ADHD person, you know what I mean! Everywhere I go, read, listen, I’m hearing the same message: Get your life in order, set your priorities, say no and mean it; all so you can do what you want, spend time with your family. STOP! What if all I’m doing is spending time with my family? Arg! These messages we are force-fed non-stop, where is the OFF button?

    Cue the podcasts, if it’s not encouraging, it’s off the list. Cue the email, ditto. I can’t decide which is worse. The emails that want to sell you this and that, you need this, don’t you? NO! Or is it the emails that want to pitch the latest solution to a problem you surely have. Culling unencouraging, unhelpful, mind numbing everywhere I find it, that’s where I am.

    Whenever I figure out how to set an email up on my blog site I will endeavor to send emails with encouragement, maybe a laugh, maybe a helpful suggestion.

    Back to my main point. I am finding my thoughts splintering into 5 thoughts. One day I ask my husband to try to number the thoughts he was thinking. He got to 12 and said, that’s what he could identify as not being a repeat. Well, I’m not there. But I am feeling the effects. What can we do to calm our minds?

    Suggestions are freely offered. Take them if you can use them, leave them if you can’t.

    + Switch to listening to instrumental music, fewer words to distract.

    + Take up or go back to reading. I recommend a book in hand. Don’t we get enough screens in our day?

    +Take a walk. Breath in fresh air. Smell the roses.

    + Sit outside. Listen to the birds sing. Feel the sun warm you up.

    + Help someone. Sometimes the best way to get out of our heads is to help someone else.

    + This is a big one. A hard one too. Do one (1) thing at a time. It may take a lot of tries, but don’t give up. We can get there. And we will be in a better spot when we do.

    + Stand up and move forward. We all need to move more. You can find lots of useful information for adding movement to your day,

    + Visit the local library.

    + Play games – board, card, or puzzles with your family, your friends, your neighbor, or just by yourself. (Mr. B doesn’t like games)

    + Open windows this spring and refresh our lungs and the house.

    Have I got you thinking? Pick one and start distancing yourself from the screens, and all the mind-numbing admonishments.

    My month of life recalibration begins week 2 today. Stay tuned!

    Life Recalibration

  • No more hair conditioner!

    In my humble opinion, hair conditioners have changed over the years. Or maybe it’s the shampoo that has improved. I don’t know which, but I do know I just tossed 3 bottles of conditioner in the trash.

    I have found that Avon has some excellent shampoos, and they are removing all the gunk that doesn’t help your hair. It’s a win-win. Maybe conditioners have taken a back seat. I don’t know. I was a little girl when conditioners came out, a little girl. Mom was still washing my hair at the kitchen sink so, I was less than 4 years old. My hair was a mess; it was thick and coarse, which made it hard to comb out and to keep in place. My mother was very careful when she brushed my hair, I think she cried as much as I did when the brush snagged and caught in my hair. She brought home a bottle of conditioner, and it was a game changer. My hair went from tangled mess to comb-able. We were both delighted. Going forward I would not dare to wash hair with a conditioner on hand. By the way, the combo shampoo/conditioner didn’t help me at all.

    About 5 months back this all changed. My sciatica flared up and life was quickly simplified. If you have suffered from an inflamed sciatica, we know the same road. So, when I got brave enough to shower, I shampooed and was done. You know, you can only stand or sit so long when the sciatica nerve is angry. So, I said no conditioner. I will grimace and bear it. To my surprise my hair was much less tangled than it had been.

    Fast forward to last week, it’s time to shampoo again, that conditioner bottle was mocking me, shame on you for not taking better care of your hair and so on. So, I said to myself, I will treat myself to conditioner, and so, I did. Thick, coarse hair dries slowly, like 24 to 30 hours. And my hair is getting poofy at 2 hours. This is not going to be good; I told my husband. Okay, side note, here. Have you been noticing that Avon is labeling some conditioners as having thickening qualities? I have too, but I didn’t have one of those. Now, hang on, I am not making this up. The next day I cannot get a comb through my hair, nor a brush. I have a tangled mess. Which I twisted up and put a hair clip on it. Day 3 I still can’t get a comb through it, but this is getting old. So, I (wo)man-handle the brush through my hair. That is when I tossed the conditioner.

    Tell me friend, have you been noticing a difference in your hair care products? What is your hair misery? I fight with my hair so much I only wash it 2 or 3 times a month. I couldn’t imagine washing it more frequently. Do you have a favorite Avon Shampoo? We have some new ones to try!

    Go here to see the new shampoos!

  • Coming to the Last Hooray

    Don’t ask me how it happened. I was not in control. But life is often full to the brim. And that is where we find ourselves every fall. About Columbus Day we start celebrating every 3 to 4 weeks until St. Patrick Day. Remember 2024 when we had Easter jammed into March? My head was spinning. Too much, too, too much. By Good Sunday I was done. No more celebrating for me.

    Wait, I lost myself there, we’re celebrating birthday, holiday, birthday, holiday, birthday, birthday, holiday. You get now. So, every year I am hanging on for that last birthday, then I crash. Done. Breathe. Check for broken bones. Now we pick up and get ready for another run. I tell you; it never truly stops in this ADHD home of mine.

    I am 10 days away from the last birthday. Basically, I decided in early February, it was time for a recalibration of my life. Consequently, I am sneaking in little reminders that it’s time to stop, and rethink how I do everything. Do you, dear reader, every reach a point where enough is enough? And the only help is to step away and rethink it all?

    Well, that’s where I am right now. Here we are on the cusp of March, for me March is the week between Christmas and New Year. During this month I will work like a busy beaver to set up a better working system to help me track all. the. things! Lord willing, by April 1 I will have all systems go, in order, and working. Stay tuned for an update.

    Peaceful little lamb reminding me to breathe