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Category Archives: Self-Care

Drops of Gratitude

2013/05/13 Autoimmune Diseases & Syndromes, Behaviors and Patterns, Chronic Illness, Coping, Creativity, Health, Healthy Living, Homesteading, Lupus, Mothers and Caregiving, Nutrition and Gardening, Oregon, Outdoor Fun, Relationship-focused, Self-Care, Social Support No comments
I know…I have the best intentions of being here more, but there is always so much work to do.   Now that there is a little rain back in the forecast, that gives me an excuse to take things......

I’m back and still kicking

2013/04/11 Autoimmune Diseases & Syndromes, Chronic Illness, Homesteading, Lupus, Oregon, Portland Metro, Self-Care, Strategies No comments
Hi~ remember me? I don’t know about you out there, but I have a very difficult time knowing when to say “when.”  This is my busy season with self-management workshops as well as updating my cred......

Five Minute Check-In: Knowing When to Let Go

2013/02/20 Autoimmune Diseases & Syndromes, Challenge and Opportunity, Children, Coping, Emotion-focused, Family, Health, Labs & Testing, Mothers and Caregiving, Personal Stories, Problem-focused, Self-Care, Social Support, Stress Mgmt No comments
  Although the last two to three weeks have been especially challenging – typical road bumps around money and unexpected expenses– this past week was one of professional realizations, fami......

Part Two: Tearing Down that Brick Wall

2013/02/09 Challenge and Opportunity, Chronic Illness, Family, Health, Healthy Living, Homesteading, Lifestyle, Oregon, Problem-focused, Self-Care, Strategies, Stress Mgmt, Targets No comments
Getting back to using the Jenga metaphor I used in Part One for problem solving, I have to see each task awaiting me as I enter into homesteading as a brick to pull from this huge goal. Recogniz......

My longest post EVER?

2013/01/25 Advocacy, Challenge and Opportunity, Chronic Illness, Coping, Education and Skill Building, Health, Healthy Living, Lifestyle, MLWT, Oregon, Resources, Self-Care, Strategies, Stress Mgmt, Targets, Washington No comments
Windows seem to frequently represent possibility or potential. At least, they do for me. I had a window open up for me a few days ago and the view was unsettling. During a recent conversation w......

Paying Attention to my Lupus Road Signs in January

2013/01/19 Autoimmune Diseases & Syndromes, Chronic Illness, Coping, Health, Lifestyle, Lupus, Outdoor Fun, Pain management, Problem-focused, Self-Care, Social Support, Strategies, Stress Mgmt No comments
This morning, I’m so happy to see the sun streaming through the windows again. Well, once I get past the realization that they desperately need cleaning. We have had three glorious days of beau......

“…- – -…” the CI Way

2013/01/14 Behaviors and Patterns, Challenge and Opportunity, Chronic Illness, Communication, Coping, Friends, Health, Mothers and Caregiving, Relationship-focused, Self-Care, Social Support, Stress Mgmt No comments
The other day I received an email from a friend and colleague who has been hit hard with the flu, by Pacific NW standards. Oregon hasn’t been hit as hard as the rest of the country…yet, ap......

January and February are Discovery Months!

2013/01/12 Challenge and Opportunity, Chronic Illness, Coping, Creativity, Internet, Local Resources, MLWT, Problem-focused, Resources, Self-Care, Social Support, Stress Mgmt, Support Groups No comments
As I try to finish up those holiday gifts that I still haven’t  finished, I’m seeing my weekly schedules begin to fill up with work.  Before I get too swamped and overbooked, though,I want......

Five Minute Check-In: The Flu

2013/01/06 Advocacy, Autoimmune Diseases & Syndromes, Challenge and Opportunity, Chronic Illness, Coping, Health, Labs & Testing, Lupus, Problem-focused, Self-Care, Stress Mgmt, Treatment Approaches and Perspectives, Work and Career One comment
It is a new year and I am going to try different approaches to making my life more my own. What I know about the effects of chronic stressors on one’s health, what stress tells my immune system ......

Getting back up on the wagon, one glass at a time

2013/01/04 Health, Healthy Living, Nutrition, Nutrition and Gardening, Self-Care No comments
I think I can count the number of times I had soda pop (hey, I like vintage phrases!) in 2012 on one hand.  That is, until December struck and I probably had five a week.  My weakness?  Ginger a......