Tag Archives: freedom session

January 30, 2021 · 9:16 pm

It’s been awhile…

So many months have whipped by, all the while I’ve been thinking time was standing still as we waited for COVID19 to be finished. It is not.

Spring, summer, fall of 2020 and now parts of winter into the new year of 2021 has continued to see Hubby and I adjust not only to Covid and world events but to our first year of retirement together. Somehow insignificant to the the rest of the events but for us, two little peas in the pod, we’ve been sorting it out.

Officially Hubby’s one year anniversary of retirement was January 23/21 and we would have liked to be not here, not in the rain of the west coast of BC – however, we are well, we are safe and we pray for the end of the pandemic. We are doing our best to do our part in complying with restrictions, guidelines and try to remain optimistic for the future.

It was not in the realm of our plans to be hanging out together, every day, sometimes all day for months at a time but we found ways to entertain ourselves. I discovered just how handy the Hubby can be when he is not occupied with concerns with employment work – much of that focus has shifted to fulfilling the job lists, created by me. Job lists, I might add, that just seem to add one or two as one or two are completed.

We have, and I use that term ‘we’ loosely because in truth, as creator, director and distributor of the job lists, Hubby seemed to end up with a large bulk of the tasks to do. Some living-room furniture has been painted, our bedroom walls painted, bedroom furniture rearranged, digging of gardens accomplished, moving some garden path paver blocks two inches to the left, and a drainage issue resolved after severals days of work in the rain. I had nothing to do with the drainage problem – that cropped up all by itself.

On my end, no slouching has happened, as I’ve been creating projects of my own, such as the one in the fall writing an article for a new local blog. You can read it here: https://surreywritersnorthof60.wordpress.com/2020/10/21/mailboxes-on-24th-avenue/

I was to be in a small artist/artisan show in December but it was cancelled due to the Covid restrictions and I had to decide what to do with the several paintings I had worked on and hoped to show.

I started off this year, on January 1st by selling a painting. There are a few of them hanging in a local coffee shop so there was a bit of a learning curve there, choosing which paintings, pricing, hanging, and telling my inner critic to take a long hike.

Hubby and I are getting ready for a grand-baby to arrive in the spring of 2021. One of those recent projects has been to sort through a dozen years of my son’s education papers, report cards, personal stories and getting rid of what he’d likely call the trauma of the school years. After a couple weeks of making decisions of what to toss and what to keep, I now have a nicely sorted bin full of milestones of years…to share with the grandchild. Perhaps the son will someday enjoy hearing about his own wildly creative imagination in storytelling as he made his love of snowboarding come to life, how boring his teachers were, on rougher days, how bad he thought the school system was, how much he loved volleyball, his friends and finally in Grade 12, after graduation how much he was going to miss the closeness of his friends and all the life activities they shared. It’s been a lot of years since that graduation, like 18 years, of me the mother storing several bins of memories – his memories.

Because of Covid, but really not thanks to Covid, neglected tasks have been accomplished. I have in the past, been a facilitator/participant of a program called Freedom Session. I had books with hundreds and hundreds of pages of writing, of processing life that needed to be sorted, some kept and the rest shredded and let go of. That task was a couple of weeks of work, physical and emotional but oh, so freeing, once done.

Our daughter has also noticed how handy Hubby is, in her case…Dad. He’s been the helper of in house drainage issues, car troubles problem solver, the go to guy to put on snow tires, and all around big heart and listening ears for the many adjustments needed in a Covid year.

There are a few more indoor tasks to be accomplished by Hubby and myself and the spring outdoor list is under development. I have big plans for Hubby.

I hope he’s ready.

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November 17, 2016 · 12:43 pm

Infectious Bacteria Stalkers-My Summer Saga

Eight

If you made it through all seven other readings of Infectious Bacteria Stalkers to this – the end of my summer saga of illness, I thank you for hanging in there with me.  Just knowing a few people cared, read and even made comments is comforting.

It’s been therapeutic for me to process with words, to consider what my journals had to say and to be grateful that time has passed.  In the middle of one writing day – about sitting outside and listening to the crows squawk and swooping around, a random story came wandering through my head about a crow family and I had to quickly write it down.

Stop by here again soon.  I plan to share Mr and Mrs Crow…

Until then, a parting thought…I’m well – and a subsequent visit to the ear, nose and throat specialists office – the one for my throat, tells me I have Laryngopharyngeal Reflux (stomach acid travels up into the throat) and that is why I lost my voice.

Now, to make sure I’m a compliant patient and after an Allergist doc suggested it,  I’m trying some medication even though I’ve cut the dose in half because it has its own uncomfortable digestive issues.

I’m sleeping on a pillow wedge so any mysterious acid that may be trying to creep up into my Eustachian tube and blocking it, won’t be able to.  I’ve decreased acidic foods and drinks (and trying to limit coffee – poor me) and making my own Kombucha drink to continue the gut healing – you’ll have to do the research on that yourself.

Water is acidic I’m told, so I use a gadget to make it alkaline and drinkable for me.

However, without any medical proof I’m convinced my sore throat, dry cough and loss of voice happened after a two-day reaction to a prescription nasal spray for an ongoing plugged ear. Then my vocal cords closed, briefly cutting off my air supply thus I ended up in emergency and overnight in ICU.  The rest of that story is in my previous writings.

The other ear, nose and throat specialist – the one for my ear, says my ear is likely plugged because of hearing loss.  I had a hearing test that I waited four months to have only to find out that wasn’t extensive enough so I’ll be having another one next April, along with an MRI sometime next July to ‘see what’s going on’.

Though, in the end of all the upcoming investigations and diagnosis may be correct,  life has been getting back to my normal. After the infections were controlled and my fractured rib(s) healed I’m writing, attending fitness classes, playing Pickleball and involved in facilitating a group at Freedom Session.  I am completely grateful that I’m able do it all.

Recently the postponed spring Whistler trip happened and I happily ate the meals others prepared and lazed around in comfort for several days.  Hubby and I were drenched when out walking in daily rain downpours and at the Scandinave Spas. I had a treatment by a registered massage therapist who worked on a spot on the left side of my neck for so long I nearly asked her to stop as it became uncomfortable.

An interesting outcome I noticed after a day or two is this – my ear was no longer plugged.

Humph, eh?  It may be a further interesting discovery and expensive waste of time next April and July when I get more tests to ‘see what’s going on’.

An added note to this whole saga is this…I hadn’t even finished writing this post about how great I feel when two days after the Whistler trip I woke up with a sore throat.  Again.  By the afternoon as I guiltily lay on a bed at my regular massage therapists office I knew the raw pain in my throat was quickly turning into a whopper of a head cold as I repeatedly asked for a tissue for my drippy nose.

And though it is two weeks later and still fighting the nasal drip with cough congestion and hoping this isn’t going to turn into a Winter Saga, I do not have a plugged ear.

 

 

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January 7, 2015 · 4:32 pm

Time on my Hands

There’s been a word chasing me.

It’s January and time to choose a word for the year  which is a great idea and the third time I’ve done it.

I rather like being able to focus on a word and the way it shapes the year ahead.

My word has been preparing me, through my own journal writing though I didn’t realize it at the time.  Last September I began a study from the book of Proverbs and my focus was on health and how I want to focus on it as I move into my senior years.

I asked myself a question, “What brings health to my body and nourishment to my bones?”

In my post menopausal years I’d think its exercise, good nutrition, clean air and vitamins and I’d likely be right.

However, as a believer, there is more for me ‘to do’ …I am to trust the Lord with all my heart and not lean on my own understanding.  That tells me to stop trying to figure out all the details of my life as I am prone to do.   Acknowledge God and he will make my paths straight – plural, ‘paths’ –  more than one path.  That’s exciting.  I get variety.

More reading tells me not to be wise just by my own eyes.  This means I need more than just my own counsel.  I am to fear the Lord and shun evil – stay away from it.

I read, took my notes and acknowledged the gleaned nuggets of truth.

Then I put the journal away and kept on with my daily life.

CHANGE

I was “motoring” along just fine, by attending a fitness class twice per week, played pickleball that much or more, took an occasional beach walk  or a tour around my neighborhood and did a little writing.  I was even working on a painting project – of the canvas type, not a house renovation.

Facilitating a group at Freedom Session, a healing/recovery/discipleship program, was once again part of a weekly commitment – helping myself and helping others.

An upcoming vacation for February 2015 was in the planning stage.  I often visualized the trek to join some snowbird friends  in the south to go on walks/hikes, golf, play pickleball, swim, soak in a hot tub and repeat often.

The holiday was a BIG deal and I was looking forward to it.

 

Toward the end of November I was involved in an accident.

Three vehicles – bang!

 

Here is where the word CHANGE comes into my new year.  Am I willing to accept the change – like physiotherapy twice per week, at least once per week massage, twenty minute walks rather than my usual hour, twice per day neck exercises and stretches instead of heading off to play pickleball for two hours?   Ice?   Heat?   Rest?    …and this is what I get to repeat.

Am I willing to allow the tears of frustration to come out and then just get on with doing what is before me – put myself in the drivers seat of a car and go – be content with a good book to read instead of going to the gym – accept I am not going on my long awaited vacation?

How am I doing?

I am healing.  I’m aware things could have been much worse.  I’ve had to check my attitude, fears and self-pity. I’ve gone back to my September journal writing with fresh awareness seeking to make wise decisions, to trust beyond myself and accept I can’t figure out all the details of my current life.

Now it’s time to actively work with the change which is happening whether I willingly participate or not.  I choose to participate willingly.

For my writers group I wrote about how I’ve been affected regarding the accident and I believe the process assisted me to get unstuck and here I am, ready to believe good change is possible and is coming.

In future posts I hope to continue to share how I:

adapt to change,

accept change,

understand change,

can create change,

challenge change,

can be the change.

I have no idea what all this means but I’m getting ready – after all I do have some extra time on my hands.

 

How about you?  Is there some part of life that is asking you to change?  How are you doing?

 

 

 

 

 

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January 2, 2014 · 7:34 am

End and Begin

Here it is again, the end of a year and the beginning of a new one. Last year I chose a word to live by rather than making a list of New Year’s resolutions which I may or may not have followed.  I came across ONEWORD THREE SIXTY FIVE and adopted the idea.

Last years Word of the Year was Surrender and here I’ve hit yet another learning curve in my older age of navigating being a writer, connecting with social media, and trying to stay current with developing computer skills. Surrender to the fact that I’ve much to learn, must ask for help, must yield to instruction, follow instructions, then retain all that information to repeat actions in the future.

In order to finish what I originally set out to do: write about my word for this year, I had to teach myself a new skill which was to find the title of a previous post and insert it correctly with a title and not a long list of… what is the computer word for a bunch of letters, symbols and ….ahh…yes ‘code’?  This was definitely a ‘learn as I go’ post.

I read Claire De Boer’s  article on her chosen word and I borrowed her plan to think, pray and toss around ideas for what my word would be…several options presented themselves until it became clear. It wasn’t until after I’d chosen my word, gone back and read Claire’s article again that I spotted my word right there in the middle of her writing. Thank you Claire. It was confirmation somehow that I was on the right path.

I am currently reading The Inheritance by John and Lyza Clarke who share several of their sailing excursions along with spiritual truths of travelers from the Old Testament. In one particular chapter John was telling about the time he and his son were on the boat together, stuck at dock waiting for some stormy weather of wind and rain to end so they could continue sailing.

John says, “Two things are especially important to remember on a sailboat voyage. One is you need a destination to head for and the second is you have to keep moving. If you stay in one place too long, its charm diminishes and restlessness sets in. A destination gives you a direction, a distance to cover, and a sense of accomplishment. When our children were young, we headed for Desolation Sound and back to Seattle on our summer vacations. They anticipate the special places along the way, like good old Sydney Spit, Hawkins Island, Bucaneer Bay, or Harmony Island, but we always hauled anchor and moved on to the next spot before they grew tired of each place’s uniqueness. By the end of the trip we looked forward to the routines of home and were ready to get off the boat. But then we repeated the same cycle the next year and the kids never tired of it as long as we kept moving.”

I was prompted to read that paragraph several times and then continued to read, “Life, too, needs a purpose or destination to keep progressing toward. We are meant to keep moving toward the inheritance through the lessons God has prepared, to a place where the intimate knowledge of God and a mature character are the goals.”  While John and his son were stuck waiting out the storm they explored the beaches and kept moving and as John says, “talking about life.”

It was during those repeated readings the word FORWARD came to settle upon me as the focus for upcoming year. FORWARD is significant for me because it clarifies how to set goals and ask myself if any particular thought, book, activity or habit will move me or not.

Over my life journey I’ve needed to look back a lot, to sort out where I came from, heal from wounds and discover who I was – a tendency though is to emotionally live back there if I’m not careful. To let go and look FORWARD is wise and good inner advice for me to follow. As I approach my 60th birthday – oh right, that happened in October…as my husband Ross approaches his 60th birthday in February and we anticipate our 35th wedding anniversary in March we’ve planned a fun holiday for ourselves.

A few ideas of putting my word into daily life plan means I can prioritize my writing activities and decide whether they are moving me in the direction I want or need.  I may even dig my paint brushes out of confinement and get creativity going again.

I can focus on the big dream I have of one day walking the Pacific Coast Trail which runs from the Canada/US border all the way to the Mexico border which I’ve loosely read about. In looking toward that walking trek I can make choices about how much I will walk this month, this week, this day. I can choose how I treat my feet, my health, my attitudes about fitness and how I will use my mind while out walking.

I enjoy my family and friends, the game of Pickleball, the recovery/discipleship ministry called Freedom Session and I anticipate what will come in this next year as I keep my word in front of me as a guide. I want to step in the direction of my destination as it unfolds before me.

Oh, and after several hours of experimenting with how to ‘simply’ insert a link from another website I accidentally did it right one time and after that…well, I managed, with help to do it again.   I am moving FORWARD.

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