Tuesday, July 7, 2015

How I Lost 15 Lbs and Felt Better

Eliminated meat, fish, and poultry - anything that has ever walked, crawled, flown, or swam

Eliminated brownies, cake, candy and candy bars, ice cream, milkshakes, cookies, pies, brownies, and chips

Consumed homemade fruit and vegetable smoothies

Drank more water

Minimized store bought fruit juices to just orange juice

Avoided caffeinated coffee and minimized hot cocoa

Meditated

Walked for an hour or a little more at least  three times a week

Danced to fast paced music for about 15 minutes ever so often

Walked away from stressful situations

Eliminated fried foods

Eliminated white potatoes 

Salads became the main meal

Consume toddler size portions of starches including pasta

Ceased using refined sugar - agave or unrefined instead 

Eliminated any processed meals 






Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Is Your Car Included in the Recall Issued for Nearly 34 Million Vehicles?

Takata,  a maker of air bags, has determined that a defect exists in some of its air bag inflators. Takata has agreed to a national recall of certain types of frontal driver and passenger side air bag inflators used in vehicles manufactured by BMW, Chrysler, Daimler Trucks, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, and Toyota.  These inflators were made with a propellant that can degrade over time and has led to ruptures that have been blamed for six deaths worldwide. The action expands the number of vehicles to be recalled for defective Takata inflators to nearly 34 million. 

Is your car on the recall list?


Visit the Vehicle Owners Tab on www.safercar.gov (www.safercar.gov/Vehicle+Owners/) to find out if your vehicle is on the recall list for the defective air bag inflators.

The NHTSA advises that you check your VIN in the SaferCar.Gov VIN search tool periodically as some recalls are not posted publicly or distributed to vehicle owners until weeks after the recall has been issued.

Be sure to check the official website of the automaker for your vehicle regularly as well.

Peace and blessings.



Source: NHTSA Recalls Spotlight - Takata Air Bag Recalls

Saturday, February 28, 2015

The Most Important Thing About Selling A Home

The most important thing about selling a home is the price that a buyer is willing to pay for it.   If the price is too high, the home may never sell.  If it is priced too low, the seller is giving the home away.  The key is to price a home around the dollar amount for what similar homes (in style, age, and condition) have actually sold.

Some things to remember if there are no offers:
  1. The selling agents, the agents representing buyers, believe the price is too high.
  2. If there are showings but no offers, the agents AND the buyers are finding homes that offer better value.
  3. If there are second showings but no offer - a minor price adjustment is in order.

Tips:
  1. There should be at least 1 to 2 showings per week.
  2. Every 10 showings should produce at least one offer.

~~~

t






Saturday, February 14, 2015

February 14, 2015

Having just watched two movies with my youngest on a snowy day with winter advisory alerts including dangerous wind chills, I relished in the moment that still all is well.

As my youngest moved on into the bedroom after the arrival of one of her best friends, I thought about how in a few hours I would have to venture out into that winter wilderness to head to the theater for the second last sold out show*.  Then I thought about how last night one of the audience members shook every cast member's hand with tears in her eyes as she expressed how the play touched her so.

It wasn't long ago when Valentine's Day was the most dreaded day to face.  But it's funny how a perspective makes a difference in feeling good or feeling bad.   Either a person can be sad that they do not have anyone in their life or a person can be glad that they are not in an unhealthy relationship.

That saying, I can do bad all by myself, just came to mind.

But if the saying was I can do good all by myself, that would be a sense of empowerment versus the defeating belief that no matter what, bad will exist.

There is a peace when self-fulfillment is not based on having a significant other.

I'm good.









*Joe Turner's Come and Gone at Karamu House


Monday, February 2, 2015

Signs A Woman Is In An Unhealthy Relationship

1.  She Does All The Planning

When a woman does all the planning of what she and "her man" are going to do for the day, the week, the evening, the weekend, their future, and their life, she is the captain (so she thinks) and the lone crewman in that relationship.  Simply, the guy is just on the boat to enjoy the cruise.


2.  She Doesn't Make a Move Until She Knows What He Is Doing

If a woman has to first check to see what a man might do before she can decide what time she will go to the store or create her five year plan regarding her education, career, and finances, she has enslaved herself.  When a woman plans her life on a man's availability, she does not have a life because she has given it over to him. 


3.  She Tosses Everything Aside to Devote Her Time and Energy With Him

A woman who tosses aside her friends, family, children, and other responsibilities is literally a woman who got her nose (and most likely her legs) wide open.  A woman's priority must be her health, her home's stability, and taking care of her family and/or other matters in her household.  When a woman gives it all up for a man for the sake of the relationship, ultimately she will have nothing when the man decides to be with a woman who he had to work for to get or when he just gets tired of being smothered.


4.  She Opens The Door

Chivalry is not dead and a man being a gentleman is not outdated.  A woman must always consider herself a lady and demand to be treated as such.
  • If the guy gets into the driver's seat while the woman opens up the door for herself to get in; 
  • If he walks behind her and waits for her to open the door to the restaurant or if he walks in before her;
  • If he orders his meal first instead of allowing the woman to first tell the server what she would like to have; 
  • If he takes the best seat at the booth (unless he needs to keep his eye on the door); 
  • If he responds to every text message and phone call while on a date; 
  • If he does all the talking about himself
  • If she puts her coat on and he doesn't assist
...then...as some folk say it... He ain't studden (studying) her.

He is either all about himself, testing her to see just what she demands or what she would put up with, or he has never learned etiquette and/or how to be a gentleman.


5.  Come Hell or High Water, She Is There

If a woman places herself in danger by traveling to his home in inclement weather; if she calls off from work or leaves her children with someone all the time to kick it at his home; if she ignores family events to sit on his couch or lay in his bed; if she takes care of things for him financially, then the guy got himself a fool for love and a fool over him.  The question comes down to...Is it love or is it obsession?


6.  Come Hell or High Water, He is Not There

Anytime a woman is not confident that the man with whom she is emotionally, financially, and intimately involved will not be there for her, then most likely she is not who he considers to be his woman.  Of course, women should be able to do things for themselves like change a tire, make a household repair, or put together a bicycle or furniture that came in the box.  But if a woman has a man that she does A LOT for, it is not unreasonable to expect that man to come when she is a damsel in distress. If a woman calls that man who is sitting at home with a way to get to her when she is stranded and comes up with a weak excuse on why he cannot come, she has given EVERYTHING to the wrong man.






These simple signs of irrational behavior are signals of severely low self-esteem.  Not only are they signs that the woman has cemented herself in an unhealthy relationship, but there is indication that she has some unhealthy mental and social behaviors and perceptions.

A healthy relationship consists of two people putting into the relationship on an equal balance.  But, a relationship is not a tit-for-tat record keeping program.  It's just about giving and receiving naturally. A healthy relationship is not when he gives her just enough of token gifts to make her think he is into her either.

Some women believe that they must do all they can to "save" a relationship or to put in the work so that the relationship will endure the rough times.  Then, some women believe that anything is better than saying she does not have someone in her life.  Although, both of these perceptions are unhealthy, the latter is definitely detrimental to a woman's time, body, mind, and soul.

My mother, widowed after happily married 53 years to my father after their several year courtship, used to tell me, "Don't you do all the loving."

When a woman does all the loving, it's safe to say she is typically loving by herself.



 tnd

Share with the women you care about - especially the ones in an unhealthy relationship and the younger females starting out.

Monday, January 12, 2015

Dating, Facebook, and 'Nem

Facebook has proven to be a gift from the heavens in rekindling old flames that have yearned for each other, reconnecting classmates from several decades ago, to keeping folks in touch about the welfare of others, and about club/group events.

Facebook can also be an unattended door into your personal life.

The definition of "friend" according to the computer dictionary is:
  • a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically exclusive of sexual or family relations.
  • a person who acts as a supporter of a cause, organization, or country by giving financial or other help: join the Friends of Guilford Free Library.
  • a person who is not an enemy or who is on the same side: she was unsure whether he was friend or foe.
  • a familiar or helpful thing: he settled for that old friend the compensation grant.
  • (often as a polite form of address or in ironic reference) an acquaintance or a stranger one comes across: my friends, let me introduce myself.
  • a contact associated with a social networking website: all of a sudden you've got 50 friends online who need to stay connected.

As one can see, the definition of friend has evolved from being someone who is close to just being....someone.

In the dating world, it's easy to merge getting to know someone and social media actions into one.

I had a conversation with someone that mentioned that they recently met someone online and that they were going to be meeting that person for the first time in the near future.  I asked if they had made them a Facebook friend.  They said that they did.  I then told them that they had invited that person into their personal life and into the lives of their family and friends to know everything about what their children looks like and pretty much the timeline of their life before spending a moment with them face to face.  They mentioned that their list of friends is not visible to anyone.  I told them that the majority of the closest friends are visible if they regularly comment on posts.  (I also mentioned that most guys generally seem great and "safe" at first.  It's taking the time to get to know them better that reveals true colors eventually.)

Adding someone whom one has just met as a social media "friend" is like inviting a stranger into the home to a seat on the couch to look through all the photo albums, diaries, journals, and somewhat personal business that would not normally be privy to just anybody.  Information about the kids, their pictures, their school name and activities, their birthdays, other family members' business...all spread out on the cocktail table.  When the home will be empty while on vacation, attending to family matters, etc.

Things to keep in mind about Facebook are:

  • Facebook does have the capabilities to sort friends for easy posting of what a person would want a certain group to see OR not see.
  • Photos posted on Facebook are quickly and easily downloadable.  And folks do download other people's pics.  I was visiting with a male friend one day and they were swiping through their personal photos and the female pics they had were downloaded straight from Facebook. (People take screenshots of who they are Skyping or FaceTiming with, too.)
  • The location services in photos tell a person where that picture was taken.  Doesn't seem like a big deal at first....until after a couple of dates it has been proven that it's no longer a good idea to continue to see the person....but now they have a chronicle of your life.
I am guilty myself of confirming friend requests from those who happen to be in a particular circle that I'm heavily active in and this has nothing to do with dating.  So, note to self:
  • Remember that unless that person has been sorted out in a particular friend list, they can see what close friends can see.
Any social media is a door into the living room and throughout the rest of the house. 



Back in 2012, I posted about Online or Internet Dating.  The content is still relevant today.




 tnd

















Friday, January 9, 2015

Above All Else...Guard Your Heart

In Proverbs 4:23, it says:

Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.

I remember when I first took attention to this verse when it was applied to relationships.  Rule #1 - Don't just give your heart out to anybody.  To first learn the person, having them gain your trust, then gradually opening your heart to them - knowing of course there are no guarantees that it won't be broken, but at least making all efforts to extend this vital vessel in seemingly safe waters.

The heart is our emotional command center.  But it's also our life command center.  When it's broken emotionally, the body can still function.  But when it's broken physically, life can cease.

In these last couple of years I have been in the hospital several times for overnight evaluation.  Either blood pressure was up or there were symptoms of a cardiac episode.  Every single time it was during a season that I was dealing with a stressful situation.  Not because of my personal pursuits or busy schedule, but from trying to come in and be BatGirl, Cat Woman, Wonder Woman, All Mighty Isis, and Foxy Brown in times of others' crisis.  

Since 2012, I began to step back from being what others have for so long expected me to be and perform.  By the end of 2014, I mastered being supportive without forgetting to keep myself supported.  I blogged on this past New Year's Eve about behaviors and feelings that would not accompany to 2015.

I have seen too many times where people have grieved, mourned, and overextended, while forgoing all sense of their healthy self for someone else.  With all of their unconditional gift of care, love, and support, they were gravely disappointed to only find that the other's drama, foolishness, and/or crisis continued without a lull.  

Compassion is one thing, but codependency is another.

So while watching to whom your heart is given, there is a safewatch to what your heart is given.  While the heart goes off on its own, it listens to the brain, too.  Whatever or however a situation is reflecting in the mind, the heart is internalizing that as well.

Heart disease is one of the many health conditions that can be caused by stress.  Stress can be physical, emotional, or mental.

A powerful option to alleviate stress is to have a solid spiritual base.  
God, give me grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.
~ Attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr

Another option is to know that there are only 24 hours in a day and a third of that day must be used for sleep and rest.  

Eliminating rest and sleep is never an option.  

But the number one option is to be kind to yourself.  When you are kind to yourself, you are guarding your heart.




TND