Freezing Friday

Wow!! What a week!

Between the snow, the ice and the polar vortex of winds hitting the Washington, DC area, it's seems as though it's been a battle of the elements every day.  Fashion has definitely gone by the wayside and staying warm is the priority.  Sometimes the sun is out but I'm not feeling too much difference in the temperature.

 

I am not really a winter person at all but this chilly cold season does teach me to be comfortable with the uncomfortable.  I can't change it so I've got to go with it and get on the other side of it.

 

I try to look at it as another lesson in a different kind of resilience.  As in: I can't control what Mother Nature decides to bring to my area of Planet Earth but I can control my response to her events. 

Snow People Visiting The U.S. Capitol

I can stare and curse at the frozen snowy icy car or I can go out and start it, warm it up and start clearing it off.  It's all about taking a deep breath and just doing it.  And that's when I put one pair of gloves inside another pair of gloves and the same with socks.  It's the only way to make sure my fingers and toes stay warm and toasty.  I don't know about you but if my hands and feet get cold, I'm a goner.  I just can't take it.

So for those of you in warm and tropical climates, I wish I were there with you.  But seeing as I am not, I will be dealing with my Freezing Friday, staying bundled up and taking it a step at a time.

A Healing Patch of Green In Richmond

I took a road trip to Richmond, Virginia this past Saturday to visit my son and his girlfriend and we spent part of the day leisurely strolling the grounds of a breathtaking place called Maymont.

 

I knew nothing about Maymont but was happy to go along and discover more about this estate and 100 acre park given to the city of Richmond in 1925 by James Henry and Sallie May Dooley.  As we walked through the nature center and then went out its back doors, rolling hills of green and rows of small rose bushes and manicured gardens greeted us.  The sound of rushing water further along the path could be heard and we came upon a water fall of sorts (I took the photo!) which you could view from above where the water descended down the hill and beside it as you walked down the steps to a another healing patch of green: a beautiful Japanese garden full of bamboo, small bridges and large orange and white koi.

Maymont Water Fall

I could have stayed there for hours, absorbing the tranquility of the trees, the warm sun, relaxing sound of the water and the beauty of being surrounded by undeveloped green space.  It was so comforting and hopeful and yes, healing.

 

Unspoiled nature has this incredible power to produce a calming effect on me.  When you stop and observe its seasonal beauty, it takes you out of yourself and reminds you that you are part of something a lot bigger than yourself, a community as big as Planet Earth and all of its natural wonders.

 

Exploring Maymont reminded me that I need to pause everyday and enjoy life's small, fleeting pleasures, the colors and fragrance of a flower, the sound of water falling over rocks, the crisp smell of a wood fire, the feel of the sun on my face, and just walking in the grass.  I need to spend more time noticing and enjoying whenever nature is around me and let its healing spirit wash over me.

 

I love the city but sometimes its noise and constant traffic jams can tend to grind you down and when I find an oasis of green space, whether it's a park or potted plants and flowers, it calms me down and allows me to put positive thoughts back in my brain.

We all know how to work and set goals for ourselves but do we know how to play?  Do we go out of our way to make sure we regularly relax and enjoy the people we love and the beauty of our surroundings?

 

Exploring a new path on Saturday, talking and walking through Maymont's historic grounds untangled the thoughts in my head and allowed me to refresh my perspective about life, reminding me that life is not as overwhelming as it may sometimes feel.

 

Healing Through Lavender

Mother Nature is one smart cookie.

 

She has given us natural remedies for anxiety, stress and other ailments but instead we choose to try and manufacture something that we think will be better.  Something that is usually full of chemicals and ends up causing environmental problems or making us sick.

 

Enter the healing herb of lavender, which is a beautiful and hardy perennial.

 

 

I discovered the healing benefits of lavender a little over a year ago and can't say enough about it.  Smelling lavender immediately calms me.  While on vacation recently in Bethany Beach, DE, I went to the local farmer's market, as I usually do, in search of a lavender vender who was there last year as well as farm fresh tomatoes and corn on the cob. 

 

As I entered the parking lot full of shoppers and tents and tables, I immediately spied a table full of natural products from Lavender Fields, a 5-acre lavender farm in Delaware (www.lavenderfieldsde.com).  I haven't visited the farm in Milton, Delaware but would love to do so.  Lavender Fields is a farm and a cottage store where 37 varieties of lavender are grown that is open from May to November.  One day I intend to check it out.

 

Lavender Fields located in Milton, Delaware

 I loved smelling many of the wonderful lavender products and ended up buying three types of hand made lavender soaps and a small glass vial of lavender oil which I sometimes put on my temples, my wrists and behind my ears to relieve tension or stress.

 

Studies show, and I have found out for myself, that the scent of lavender lowers your heart rate and blood pressure, putting you in a relaxed state.  Here are a few other ideas for taking advantage of lavender's healing and health properties:

 

--use a few drops of lavender oil into your bath water to soak and relax;

 

--use on burns and bites to relieve itch and pain;

 

--apply to skin to repel mosquitoes and other insects;

 

--sprinkle a few drops on a cotton ball by your pillow to help you sleep.

Lavender has been with us since Biblical times yet even today, in our fast-paced world, Mother Nature continues to take care us with the most natural and organic healers.

Earth Day -- Big Yellow Taxi

Today is Earth Day and I give thanks to Mother Nature for her endless gifts.

 

As we turn our focus on cleaning up and protecting the environment, events in Washington, DC (cleaning up the Anacostia River) and communities around the globe are being held today to remind us that our natural resources are precious and finite and shouldn't be taken for granted.  When we take better care of Mother Earth, she takes better care of us, giving us tranquil beauty and continual inspiration.

 

Nature also has the incredible capability to heal us: the fragrance of a flower, the cleansing sound of the ocean and the glorious rise and set of the sun.

 

When I spend time outdoors, I de-stress and relax and start to feel connected and much better almost immediately.  Whether its a leisurely stroll or an aerobic run, I take deep breaths and notice and try to enjoy whatever is around me.  Right now that would be the smell of freshly cut grass and deep pink azelea buds ready to burst open.

 

The first April 22 Earth Day was held in 1970.  I don't think it's a coincidence that the multi-talented and award-winning singer songwriter Joni Mitchell wrote and originally recorded "Big Yellow Taxi" also in 1970.  It's a great song that is known for its environmental concerns.

 

Do something green today, such as walk, buy locally grown produce in season, recycle, use cloth totes for shopping, or garden and sing along loudly to  "Big Yellow Taxi:"

 

 

 

Break Away

I go to nature to be soothed and healed and
to have my senses put in tune once more.

                                                                ~ John Burroughs, American Naturalist

Instead of spending my Saturday morning doing the usual routine of reading the paper and attacking chores, I got in my car and drove out of the city.  I needed to break away from the congestion and concrete and refresh my spirit.

A little over an hour later, I found myself driving through a shady tree-lined highway and then on to a flatter area of land surrounded by rolling hills of greenery and fields of dried corn stalks.  I purposely didn't turn on the radio because I wanted the quiet to envelope me.

 

At one point, I actually could hear crickets chirping the fields (even thought I can't stand crickets) and saw a couple of box turtles on the road, which of course I swerved around.

 

My only goal was to let my eyes take in the new views and let my mind chill out.

Almost spontaneously, I found myself taking deep breaths of fresh air and loosening my grip on the steering wheel.  The clear blue sky was full of white wildly shaped clouds lazily moving along the horizon.

It's amazing what a change of scenery can do for you!

Spending time in nature has a rejuvanating and healing effect on me and I bet it does on you too!

New Orleans Deserves A Break

 

  

My son drywalling in New Orleans

  

The people who live in the magical city of New Orleans know about resilience.  In fact, Webster's dictionary should probably publish a picture of the city of New Orleans next to the word "resilience" to add depth to the word's definition.

 

Residents of New Orleans have proved over and over that they do have an incredible inner strength that gives them the "can-do" attitude to forge ahead and bounce back from natural disasters, the worst of which was Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and now is Hurricane Isaac.

 

The rebuilding of New Orleans after Katrina is a cause that is close to my heart because my son traveled there twice and spent time clearing debris, painting houses, drywalling and even doing some tilework to help in that effort. He said reaching out to help and meet the people who owned the houses they worked on and walking through the communities that Katrina destroyed was heartbreaking but also rewarding and educational. 

 

I am hoping and praying for the safety of the city and its people because I never want to turn on the television again and see the devastation and desperation that aired when news stories showed New Orleans and its thousands of abandoned citizens after Katrina hit the city and caused millions of dollars in damage.

 

True to its spirit, New Orleans has taken more than its fair share from Mother Nature and has endured, as it will no matter what Isaac throws its way.  May the rebuilt and restrengthened levees hold back the deluge of rain because New Orleans definitely deserves a break!

 



My son (in sunglasses) and his friends

 

 

Sleepless in DC

A deep, restful sleep is truly a gift from Mother Nature.  Uninterrupted sleep recharges your whole system and makes you feel like you can solve anything.  A goodnight's sleep makes me feel like a million bucks and without one, totally bankrupt.

The other night I was reading a book for a long time and wasn't even starting to feel sleepy.  I knew it was after midnight and I was going to pay the next day for being up so late but I just couldn't fall asleep.  I've felt this way before but it was a long time ago.  The wide-awake at night feeling took me back to those blurry times after my husband died and sleep was this strange state that I wanted so bad but it just wouldn't happen.

Or when sleep finally did happen it was at a weird time of the day and not for very long.

Working your way through the loss of a loved one can change your sleeping and/or your eating habits.  It may feel as though you are falling apart but it's your body's way of processing the shock of your loss.  Your loved one was here and now, suddenly, they're not.  That's a lot to handle.  There are times when you want to fall asleep and you just can't get there. Your body may be tired but your brain is in overload and just won't settle down.  There are so many decisions to make and so many emotions coming at you at once that rest is elusive.

Part of my problem was racing thoughts in my brain and the other part of the problem was that I wasn't sleeping in my bed.  I had moved to a different bedroom because my husband had died in his sleep in our bed.  I couldn't go back to our bedroom or our bed for a very long time.  I was sleeping in the guest room on an unfamiliar bed which contributed to my unrest.  Everything was turned upside down at that time and if sleep happened it wasn't like regular sleep.  It was closer to hitting a wall and blacking out.

When I would wake up, it was usually around 4 am, and then I couldn't go back to sleep.  I seemed to always be tired.  When I would first wake up I was unsure of what day it was and then I would try to think about what was going on.  Then all of it would all come rushing back into my brain and I would remember that my husband had died.  Oh s___!  At that point, I was up and dragging myself around the house.

I have no idea how my son put up with me during this time.  It was not unusual for him to walk into a room in the middle of the afternoon or early evening and find me sleeping on the couch or in a chair.  Most of the time he would tap my arm and say, "Mom, it's 7 o'clock.  Let's have dinner."

Eventually I found my way back to my (our) bedroom and my sleep patterns started to follow a more normal routine.  But it took about eight to ten months for me to start sleeping through the night.  I never used sleeping pills or asked my doctor to prescribe any for me but I know of some people who have taken sleeping pills while going through a rocky period and I don't think they found it helpful in the long term.

In this "I needed it yesterday" world, we all try to squeeze one more thing into our day before we go to sleep and if you only did it once in a while then it wouldn't affect how you sleep.  But done on a daily basis, it's just that much harder for your system to settle down and get some rest.

It's a matter of mentally unplugging and finding that peaceful place within yourself.  I promise you, it's there, just waiting for you to slow down, breathe deeply and imagine a soothing place.

Aloha! 2012 Philadelphia Flower Show

If it's February it means people are ready for a change in the seasons.  The promise of spring is close at hand but not close enough.  It hasn't been a terribly cold or snowy winter but the blahs have set in and it's time to get out and see some color.

If you're experiencing cabin fever then sign up for Sibley Hospital's day trip to The Philadelphia Flower Show, the world's largest indoor flower show, on Wednesday, March 7.  The 2012 Philadelphia International Flower Show theme is the exotic "Islands of Aloha."

Visitors will be able to enter through a giant wave of orchids and towering waterfalls and also have a chance to participate in a traditional Hawaiian luau, featuring hula dancing, music and chants.  Expert gardeners will also be giving talks and offering advice about gardening basics and design.

Travel Itinerary -- Wednesday, March 7, 2012

8:00 am             Bus departs from Sibley Hospital
11:00 am           Arrive at Philadelphia Flower Show
                         Free time to enjoy the flower show & lunch on your own
4:00 pm             Depart for Washington, DC
7:30 pm             Arrive at Sibley Hospital

Cost per person: $79 (includes ticket to the show, transportation, tolls taxes and all gratuities).

Please call Kim Grizzel at Eyre Tour & Travel for reservations at 1-800-321-3973 ext. 3224