Blog Entry February 7th 2015

Hi All,
Here's hoping all is going well with those that are reading this blog. I'm writing from Minneapolis Minnesota, the weather is around 36 degrees Fahrenheit no wind and clear sky.  Below are some pictures from my walk today.

I enjoyed the walk and hearing the birds singing.  I even saw a squirrel sitting up high in a tree. 

Be sure to get out and move this weekend if you're able.  If the weather doesn't permit - try deep cleaning a room - it helps to move at least 30 minutes every day.  

Have a great weekend everyone.

Peace,

Missy

Blog entry January 11, 2015

2015 is a good year to make some changes that are lasting. I have found that no matter how dedicated you can be about eating the right things it's one of the most difficult addictions to kick.

Memories associated with certain foods or TV ads that push certain foods that trigger remembrances are the hardest to resist.

It's very easy to fool myself into believing I can have something even though I don't need it just because it doesn't bother me but I've realized in some instances, I can have low-grade reactions. Even the very idea that I'm eating something beyond what I need puts weight on my body - weight that is rooted in fat not muscle.

In my case both in 2013 and 2014 the holidays meant having sugar. In 2013 I weighed enough that it didn't really matter because I stayed at about the same weight because I hadn't lost that much but in 2014 I gained weight because I had lost enough. Now I have to look at myself in the mirror and know that I need to change 365 days a year.

Having fellowship and having memories of family and good times is not a reason to eat. I can have relationships I can have a social life but I need to be clear on what I need to eat to digest properly.

I don't have the resiliency of a 20-year-old anymore and whether or not I like it, it's true as I age my digestion has changed and I must change my eating habits accordingly.

It's been a hard lesson for me to learn but luckily I can still fit into the new clothes I bought and the new shoes.

We all have a job to do and for me its to stay as healthy as possible to be a good citizen and I also have learned the best way to do this is through moving my body, cleaning, eating right, and working as hard as I can on each thing I need to do.

Managing my asthma symptoms is another big thing I've been tackling in 2014. So far I have learned that there's a different way of managing triggered asthma versus constant asthma. Triggered asthma doesn't need long acting medicine but more short-term types. Also, controlling sinus symptoms is key to not having flare ups. One of my biggest triggers is dry air so I've been humidifying my apartment helps much to stop symptoms. Knowing the triggers and avoiding them as much as possible is better than any medication.

Along with proper diet and controlling my asthma I've discovered sustainable exercise is best when completed daily for at least 30 minutes. I have been able to ride my bike on a fly wheel that simulates the road and walking through my apartment building to replace outside activity whenever weather keeps me indoors.

I found that I do best when instead of being discouraged when I fail, I rededicate myself to those things worth doing. Eating food because it sustains my body in the best way possible instead of as a comfort or reward works best for me. I have to keep food as a means of fueling the body not as a means of satisfying me emotionally.

I hope you find a solution to staying healthy happy that works for you.

Keep on working on being the best person you can be when doing all the activities you need to do in a day. I pray to be the best driver I can be when I drive, the best worker I can be when working, and the best eater I can be when eating. It works for all the things I do in the course of a day.

I've been discovering other ways of getting enjoyment besides finding it in types of food and drink. There's ways to stay busy. I ask myself - what needs doing right now to be a good citizen and I find many things that need doing.

I'm hopeful to find the strength and courage to follow my dreams in 2015 even more so than I was able to in 2013 and 2014. Everyone has set backs I've discovered I want to succeed.

Good night and peace to all.

CanDo Healthy Lifestyle - Journal for my Journey to Wellness 5/26/2014

This is my second installment of my journey to wellness.  This weekend has been full of remembrances that bring laughter and tears.  Some of the memories are painful but once expressed I feel as if I have a weight lifted.

Here are some of the tools that have been helping me express myself more.

1.  Video logs.  As I do my 30 minutes of exercise a day, I've been recording short videos which have helped me really see myself.  I find that I am able to communicate and I'm easy to look at so I've lost some of my self-consciousness around others.
2.  Audio logs.  These help and are free apps you can get on iphone and ipad to record yourself speaking or anything going on around you.  I've used it to get quotes from TV shows I'd like to share and for recording quotes from audiobooks so I can pause easier and get the exact wording.  The most important way I've used it is when I can't type or look at the computer anymore but still have more I need to express.  This tool has also shown me how off topic I get when I talk sometimes.  Good place to clean up my communication style.
3.  Reading this blog:  http://fallintothestory.com/dogs-disasters-and-determination/ I recently discovered that it's ok to have a mentor you don't know personally.  I find myself in sync with Nora Roberts lately.  What she recently posted (find on above link) was exactly what I needed to read for this weekend.  She challenges me whether it be via web conferences at book signings, brunches or her blog posts, she inspires me to have the courage to explore what my true purpose in life is, not only discover it but be the best I can be.  Find a mentor that interests and challenges you.
4.  Connecting with positive people on social media.  Embracing the positive posts and find positive things to share back.  This has taught me more about myself than my 51 years before combined.  Thanks to all who support me with kind words, wisdom and sharing your journey with me.
5.  Listen to the Doctor, read the notes they give you, look up the words you don't understand on the internet, and ask questions.  Don't assume, it could be deadly.
6.  Assert yourself.  You are important make sure you learn what you need to know to be the best at what you do.  Believe in yourself.
8.  The past is a rug that is rolled up, you can't change it or relive it.  The future has yet to be unrolled so we can't shape it or learn from it.  We can only stand on the rug in the present.  Its fully revealed, we can choose to dance on it, sit on it or lay on it.  Its our choice and the only time is now that we have any say of what we are able to do on or with the rug.  I hope you choose to dance.  Keep learning and striving in every moment you're given it won't be back to give you another shot at the prize.
Here's some pictures from my weekend.  I hope you find them as full of joy and promise as I did when I was in the moment.

 The flowers are a decoration for all the graves to far away for me to visit in person so I'll keep them on my deck as I keep the spirits of my loved ones in my heart as memories I'll never forget.  Grandma Effie (the seamstress), Grandpa Dean (the Chef), Grandpa Collins (National Oats foreman), Grandma Bert (nurses aid and home care aid), Mom (Casino bus coordinator), 3rd Cousin fought and died in Vietnam - Great Uncle Marshall's son, Grandma couldn't speak of him so don't know his name but he was a pilot that was shot down and killed in action.  Great Great Uncle Harvey, fought and took care of the horses in WWI.  He also painted train bridges across great expanses, many times hanging suspended to get the job done.  Great Grandpa George Holt (carpenter - built barns and much of the fine wood work in office buildings and autos), Great Grandma Blanchard (worked as a waitress).  These are the family I remember best.  Friends I wish I didn't have to remember, David Deal and Teddy Stark.  Both died at 27 but in different years.  David died in the 100 years flood in a small creek that left its banks and swept away his car.  He got free of the car but was unable to get to higher ground before he died.  Teddy died of pancreatic cancer that spread to his spine.  He exhausted all his treatment options in his fight.  Colleague Richard Huntley, Sterile Reprocessing Director and pioneer of scanning surgical instruments for electronic tracking.  He died of throat cancer.
I planted these flowers in their memories as testament to new life out of the darkness of loss.
I fly the Sentinel of Freedom as a tribute to all the troops that have died in the service of their country and to remind me to say a special prayer every time I put it out in the morning and take it in at night for the safe return of all the fighting men and women over there and those in harms way here as well.  Thanks to their family and spouses for their sacrifices too.
May all the grieving hearts find the will to keep on believing in the possibilities of hope that each new day brings.
Peace.
Melissa Blanchard 

I've signed to give those making the least a raise this year - raise the minimum wage

 Signon to give those making the least a raise.

I've signed to give those making the least a raise this year - raise the minimum wage.  When I first got out of college I worked at a Wendy's - had to live with my Dad since rent is pretty hard to make when you get little more than 3.00 dollars an hour.  That was in 1984.
People that are trying to work for a living, need to make a living wage.  Please sign the petition - you don't have to donate to sign - and you don't have to subscribe after - just decline at the bottom of the e-mail is this link:

 Click here if you'd like to unsubscribe from these messages.
Organizing for Action, P.O. Box 66732 Washington, D.C. 20035

This is an easy, safe and fast way to make you voice heard - just click on the link:   Signon to give those making the least a raise. And make a difference.  Peace.