Hello Lovely Readers!
I know I have been absent for a while I have been swamped with school, work and big blogging decisions. While blogger.com has been good for me I feel it has been time to move on for some while now. I am moving on to my own site at insearchoflovely.com!!
You can find me at insearchoflovely.com with a brand new look and a fun new post!
Monday, May 18, 2015
Friday, April 3, 2015
Life and Health
Today I was inspired by a post I read over on Penny Pincher Fashion. The post discussed the author's struggle with Lupus and the delicate balance of stress, life and health that comes with auto-immune conditions. I've struggled for years with endometriosis and IBS, which I have no doubt mentioned in passing here. What I haven't mentioned is that I have been seeing a rheumatologist since last summer and she is attempting to diagnose a definite auto-immune issue. She has narrowed it down to a connective tissue disorder of some kind, which could be Lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, sarcoidosis or fibromayalgia (doctor speak for we don't know). The tests are inconclusive, bouncing back and forth between positive and negative. My personal doc just ran off a lymes disease test today to cover our bases.
What I do know: I know stress makes these conditions worse, I know I can have a full night's sleep and still wake up dead tired and I know to listen to my body. I do yoga almost every single day and I can't sing its praises enough. It makes me feel so much better and often is enough to make the difference between a good and bad day. Starting this new job has thrown a whole new set of challenges into the ring. I am now the main earner in the family, I am sitting on my bum roughly eight hours a day and meal times are all over the place. No stress there!!
So I can't quit my job right now, hey, I like to eat! But I can minimize the impact. My doc is looking for an integrative medicine practice nearby. I get up and move on my lunch hour, I am pushing to get more fruits and veggies into my diet and try to decrease the amount of stress I cause myself on a daily basis.
If you are struggling with auto-immune conditions of any kind, please share your journey. If you are in remission, share anyway, you might be on to something that can help someone else. I am a big believer in community. The more we share, the more answers are found.
What I do know: I know stress makes these conditions worse, I know I can have a full night's sleep and still wake up dead tired and I know to listen to my body. I do yoga almost every single day and I can't sing its praises enough. It makes me feel so much better and often is enough to make the difference between a good and bad day. Starting this new job has thrown a whole new set of challenges into the ring. I am now the main earner in the family, I am sitting on my bum roughly eight hours a day and meal times are all over the place. No stress there!!
So I can't quit my job right now, hey, I like to eat! But I can minimize the impact. My doc is looking for an integrative medicine practice nearby. I get up and move on my lunch hour, I am pushing to get more fruits and veggies into my diet and try to decrease the amount of stress I cause myself on a daily basis.
If you are struggling with auto-immune conditions of any kind, please share your journey. If you are in remission, share anyway, you might be on to something that can help someone else. I am a big believer in community. The more we share, the more answers are found.
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Things I Learned This Week
So I survived my first week on the new job! Hurray!
I learned quite a bit this week. Perhaps the most important thing being that I need to have more faith in myself and my abilities, that I am better and more capable than I sometimes think I am. The proof will be in the "pudding", of course, but so far training is going very well.
I like my coworkers, both the group I am training with and the older hires. They are a bright, positive and fun group of people. You can't ask for more than that in coworkers!
I am still figuring out how to balance the job, school, blogging and still having some semblance of a life, but I am starting to get the hang of it. Hopefully I will be able to snap some pictures and get some new posts in the works this week!
I learned quite a bit this week. Perhaps the most important thing being that I need to have more faith in myself and my abilities, that I am better and more capable than I sometimes think I am. The proof will be in the "pudding", of course, but so far training is going very well.
I like my coworkers, both the group I am training with and the older hires. They are a bright, positive and fun group of people. You can't ask for more than that in coworkers!
I am still figuring out how to balance the job, school, blogging and still having some semblance of a life, but I am starting to get the hang of it. Hopefully I will be able to snap some pictures and get some new posts in the works this week!
Monday, March 9, 2015
Back to Work!
Hello Lovelies!
Today was my first day on my new job! This is the first full-time job I have had in a while, I've worked two jobs from time to time, however, since being married I haven't had a full-time job. So exciting!! So far I like my coworkers and my boss seems to be a decent sort. All good things.
It is an adjustment, without a doubt. My goal is to keep up with the blog and my school work while working this job. Am I crazy? Probably. I guess the only way to see if I can make it work is to try, right? I foresee a lot of scheduling in my future.
Do any of you have advice for keeping all the *hypothetical* balls in the air? I would love to hear from you if you do!
Today was my first day on my new job! This is the first full-time job I have had in a while, I've worked two jobs from time to time, however, since being married I haven't had a full-time job. So exciting!! So far I like my coworkers and my boss seems to be a decent sort. All good things.
It is an adjustment, without a doubt. My goal is to keep up with the blog and my school work while working this job. Am I crazy? Probably. I guess the only way to see if I can make it work is to try, right? I foresee a lot of scheduling in my future.
Do any of you have advice for keeping all the *hypothetical* balls in the air? I would love to hear from you if you do!
Monday, March 2, 2015
Five Things About Me
Life has been busy around here lately. I've been catching up on appointments and the like before I start my new job next week. Anywho, I've been trying to come up with a post idea and this was something I haven't done yet. So here are five things you may not know about me:
1. I am an avid Lord of the Rings/ The Hobbit fan. I love the movies. I occasionally have LOTR marathons and can't wait to watch them all in order starting with The Hobbit. I am not ashamed of this little quirk!
2. I didn't get my ears pierced until my late twenties. It took me months to work up the courage to actually get it done and I still took my bestie with me for moral support.
3. I love to paint, and I am not talking about landscapes. I love painting rooms, I find it relaxing, almost meditative. My family thinks I'm a little weird!
4. I love to bake and I do not do it often enough. I prefer to bake from scratch and the ensuing mess is a bit daunting to clean up when a dishwasher is lacking. The results are usually well worth it though.
5. I lived in England for years as a child and still get desperately homesick for the place. I would love to return one day, maybe even to live.
So, there you are! Five random facts about me that I'm pretty sure I haven't mentioned here before.
1. I am an avid Lord of the Rings/ The Hobbit fan. I love the movies. I occasionally have LOTR marathons and can't wait to watch them all in order starting with The Hobbit. I am not ashamed of this little quirk!
2. I didn't get my ears pierced until my late twenties. It took me months to work up the courage to actually get it done and I still took my bestie with me for moral support.
3. I love to paint, and I am not talking about landscapes. I love painting rooms, I find it relaxing, almost meditative. My family thinks I'm a little weird!
4. I love to bake and I do not do it often enough. I prefer to bake from scratch and the ensuing mess is a bit daunting to clean up when a dishwasher is lacking. The results are usually well worth it though.
5. I lived in England for years as a child and still get desperately homesick for the place. I would love to return one day, maybe even to live.
So, there you are! Five random facts about me that I'm pretty sure I haven't mentioned here before.
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| Rolls we had at Christmas. I am extremely proud of this photo! |
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Walking In The Snow
There is nothing quite so magical as walking through a snowstorm at night. The street lights create a soft glow, causing the night to be light enough to see, but still dark enough to be mysterious. The streets are deserted with only the occasional car driving slowly by. You crunch through several inches of snow, stopping to let your dog sniff some rabbit tracks or even jogging a little as he bounds through the drifts like a puppy. The city is quiet. Quiet in a way that only happens during a snow storm. There are no sirens, no noisy trucks and everyone is snugged up inside. Even your footsteps are muffled. The meaning of the Robert Frost poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" suddenly make sense.
A thought crossed my mind this past Saturday evening as I walked my dog through our latest snow storm. It occurred to me that there are two types of people in this world; people who look for peaceful moments and allow themselves to be healed by them and people who do not. There isn't much that a solitary evening walk in the snow can't soothe, if you let it. The trick is, you have to let it. You have to choose to let go of stress, anger, worry and whatever is making you miserable and just enjoy the peaceful beauty of the falling snow.
Of course this concept isn't limited to winter walks in the snow. The same experience can be found on a beach, in a warm bath after a long day at work, listening to music or simply sitting on your porch sipping tea in the morning (or evening). As this past year has been one of the most stressful years I have experienced to date I have learned to cherish these little moments of peace and to live them fully. It is my secret. When people have asked me how I have done it, what makes me so strong I tell them that I just don't give up, because that is the simplest explanation. The truth is that I allow myself to fully live those quiet, healing moments. For a few minutes or even a few hours, I allow my troubles and worries to drift away and I enjoy the peace and healing that has come my way. For a few moments I can forget everything and just be. Knowing that these moments exist even in the midst of chaos and trouble allows me to go on.
And so, weary as I am of the cold and the aching joints that come with it, when it snows I bundle up and take the dog for a walk. And I forget about those joints and just walk in the snow. Magically, when I walk back through the door, out of breath and looking like someone powdered me with sugar, there is a smile on my face and I sleep just a little better that night. And everything is lovely again.
A thought crossed my mind this past Saturday evening as I walked my dog through our latest snow storm. It occurred to me that there are two types of people in this world; people who look for peaceful moments and allow themselves to be healed by them and people who do not. There isn't much that a solitary evening walk in the snow can't soothe, if you let it. The trick is, you have to let it. You have to choose to let go of stress, anger, worry and whatever is making you miserable and just enjoy the peaceful beauty of the falling snow.
 |
| A particularly brilliant sunset reflecting off a recent snowfall. |
Of course this concept isn't limited to winter walks in the snow. The same experience can be found on a beach, in a warm bath after a long day at work, listening to music or simply sitting on your porch sipping tea in the morning (or evening). As this past year has been one of the most stressful years I have experienced to date I have learned to cherish these little moments of peace and to live them fully. It is my secret. When people have asked me how I have done it, what makes me so strong I tell them that I just don't give up, because that is the simplest explanation. The truth is that I allow myself to fully live those quiet, healing moments. For a few minutes or even a few hours, I allow my troubles and worries to drift away and I enjoy the peace and healing that has come my way. For a few moments I can forget everything and just be. Knowing that these moments exist even in the midst of chaos and trouble allows me to go on.
And so, weary as I am of the cold and the aching joints that come with it, when it snows I bundle up and take the dog for a walk. And I forget about those joints and just walk in the snow. Magically, when I walk back through the door, out of breath and looking like someone powdered me with sugar, there is a smile on my face and I sleep just a little better that night. And everything is lovely again.
Monday, February 23, 2015
Big News!
I have big news to share today. After three or so months of being unemployed I was offered a job last week!!! I accepted and have been making sure that all the pre-start date items have been checked off the list, making this a very busy week.
I am hoping that this will not effect my blogging in any way. I am working out a schedule that will allow for the new situation, while still keeping up with the blog. I have let this go before and I really do not want to do so again. In fact I am hoping that this new chapter I am embarking on will help to inspire new posts and ideas!
Now I just have to break the news to my dog that his Mummy won't be around all the time anymore. Somehow I don't think he is going to be so understanding about it! He's quite enjoyed all the one-on-one time he has gotten lately. He is nothing if not spoiled rotten!
I am hoping that this will not effect my blogging in any way. I am working out a schedule that will allow for the new situation, while still keeping up with the blog. I have let this go before and I really do not want to do so again. In fact I am hoping that this new chapter I am embarking on will help to inspire new posts and ideas!
Now I just have to break the news to my dog that his Mummy won't be around all the time anymore. Somehow I don't think he is going to be so understanding about it! He's quite enjoyed all the one-on-one time he has gotten lately. He is nothing if not spoiled rotten!
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