It's been a while.

Today's quote....Love is the ability and willingness to allow those that you care for to be what they choose for themselves, without any insistence that they satisfy you.
                                                                                                                                          Wayne Dyer

It's been awhile. Hope everyone is doing well. I am a great Aunt again. I love it. Only draw back is none of these little ones live close enough to pop in and visit or look after them to give mom and dad a break. They are all in Toronto, Hamilton, Victoria. Looking forward to seeing the newest little arrival Carter who was born into my Nephew Nathan and his wife Sherri's family. He was born on the same day as his cousin who turned 4. Brings back memories of when my guys were born. Seems like not that long ago except they are 30 and 28 so was awhile ago!!! Hope you all have a great week end. We're doing some catching up with my step daughter who we don't see very often since she moved to Hamilton and Bruce's sister and husband who live in Ottawa but busy lives keep us apart. 

Where does your mind go when it wanders

Today's Quote.....If you want to know where your heart is, look where your mind goes when it wanders. 
                                                                                                                                             Unknown
My mind usually wanders to Bruce, our kids or my business. 

So we're nearing the end of October. The days will be shorter soon. According to my Oriental doctor Dr. Wen Shu Tang, we need to follow nature and as the days get shorter we should be resting more and doing less work. She never teaches any classes in the winter months and then she begins in the Spring and is busy until October. She feels this is a time to rest up and rejuvenate, to prepare for the spring and summer months. Some animals hibernate in the winter. Flowers stop growing and rest, trees loose their leaves and rest. We should try to follow this whenever possible. I plan to spend the winter preparing my business, making and testing out products and then start it up in the Spring. 
Happy Fall and Winter!!!!!

One of the keys to happiness

Today's Quote.......The key to happiness is letting each situation be what it is instead of what you think it should be.
                                                                                                                                        Mandy Hale

Well we're home from our vacation. It's nice to go away but it's always nice to come home again. We had a nice time and enjoyed a good visit with Bruce's sister and brother that were there with us. The weather was rainy and cloudy all week except for one day but we managed to golf 3 times and enjoyed the hot tub, pool, water park and one day had a rousing game of ping pong......unit Greg cut his head going for the ball.....don't ask!!!!! 
Now my focus is continuing to work on my business and decide exactly what I am going to do and slowly start to develop it. I am learning lots about the healing properties of herbs. While we were driving through Toronto we took a bit of a detour......for a reason......as I saw a school that was called Institute of Holistic Nutrition and when I went on their website I saw that they are opening a school in Ottawa in January 2015. Coincidence that we took that street that we have never taken before. I think not!!!!!! I will be contacting them ASAP. 
Hope you all have a great day. 

Getting ready to roll

Today's Quote....One thing they never tell you about child raising is that for the rest of your life at the drop of a hat, you are expected to know your child's name and how old he or she is!!!!
                                                                                                                                        Erma Bombeck

Easier said than done some days!!!!! I don't know how many times I have called my dogs by my boys names and vice versa. Calling out Nick, Ryan it's time to go out to go pee, usually got the response that they were o.k. thanks!!!! Now there ages can be an issue as well sometimes bad enough having to keep track of our own ages!!!!

Well this is the last day of communication for a bit. Bruce and I leave to drive to Guelph tomorrow morning where we will stay at his sister's place then Saturday morning all three of us head to Massanutten Virginia for a week. We will be meeting his brother there as well. It is our golf time share resort. There are 2 nice golf courses on the resort as well as lots of other activities. Unfortunately when I went back to the Dr. to have my broken foot evaluated when I asked about golf he told me that I was to take it easy!!!!! Every second hole I figure, 
Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving Weekend with friends and family.

A story about my great-nephew Ollie

Today's Quote....Laughter is timeless, imagination has no age, and dreams are forever.
                                                                                                                                         Walt Disney

Sometimes we need a reminder of this. I love to laugh and make others laugh. I think we use our imagination more than we realize. Often it is tied up with our dreams. We imagine what life could be like and then that turns into a dream. I love being with kids and spurring on their imaginations. 
A cute story from this summer about my great-nephew Ollie.
We were at my brother's and Ollie asked me to push him on the swing. Of course I did and we decided that it wasn't really a swing but a rocket ship that could take us anywhere. It took us to different planets. Some had zoos, some jungles and some farms, and we would look at all the different animals. At one point we decided we would go to Mars. Ollie said Mars then looked at me with big eyes. (Everyone calls me Mar and when you're coming to see me 'We're going to Mar's, it is Mar's dog, car, etc. You get the picture!!!) I asked Ollie if we there was a jungle, zoo or farm on Mars. He looked at me and said "What is on the real Mars? I smiled to myself and said a farm, so we explored the farm. 
Later I was telling his mom, dad and grandparents about the conversation. I was thinking that with Ollie starting school I could just imagine him telling his teacher some day that his Aunt lives on Mars!!!!!!!
I love imagining with kids!!!!
Make sure you spend part of your day, a big part, laughing imagining or dreaming!!!!

The benefits of Chia

Today's Quote.....If you're alone, I'll be your shadow. If you want to cry, I'll be your shoulder. if you want a hug, I'll be your pillow. If you need to be happy, I'll be your smile. But anytime you need a friend, I'll just be me.
                                                                                                                                                   Unknown



Chia

3 1/2  oz of Chia has

• Highest know whole food source of omega-3s found in nature
• More calcium than 3 cups of milk
• Higher and more bioavailable protein content that soy and more vegetable protein content than 1 1/2 cups of kidney beans

• highest natural fibre content of any food- ore fibre that 1 1/4 of all-bran cereal
• The iron equivalent of 3 cups of raw spinach
• the potassium of 1 1/2 banana
• as much vitamin C as 7 oranges
• an antioxidant capacity 3 times the strength of blueberries with Myrecetin counts 270 times the strength of red wine.

Chia is safe for diabetics and those suffering from Celiac disease or gluten allergy

There is evidence that Chia was first used by the Aztecs as early as 3500 B.C. and served as a cash crop in central Mexico between 1500 and 900 B.C. The Aztecs ate the seeds of this semitropical plant to improve their endurance. They called it their 'running food'.

Chia can be added to cereal, salads, beverages and used in baking. Refrigerate Chia after grinding. 

(Excerpt from Timeless Secrets of Health and Rejuvenation by Andrea Moritz)

A word for parents

Today's Quote....It is not what you do for your children, but what you have taught them to do for themselves, that will make them successful human beings.
                                                                                                                                       Ann Landers

Always remember this. Sometimes in a young parents busy schedule it is quicker and easier to just do it yourself instead of teaching and allowing you child to do it themselves. Time goes by very quickly so use the time to teach them how to do things. If they make a mistake be there to work through it with them and problem solve it. Doing something yourself that you thought you may not be able to do always makes us feel good. Boosts our self esteem. Even as big folks!!!!
                                                                                                               

Don't let your past control your life

Today's Quote....Healing doesn't mean the damage never existed...It means the damage no longer controls our lives.
                                                                                                                                                 Unknown

Don't let the open wound of your past get infected and bring physical and emotional sickness into your life. Don't keep looking at the wound and doing nothing about it. If you constantly focus on your wound you miss out on seeing all the good things that are going on around you. Going around with open wounds is dangerous. If you leave it open for others to see they take advantage, see you as weaker and put dirt in to make it worse. Clean it up, and ask family, friends or professional to help you stitch it up if that is needed. Some wounds are deeper than others. Do what you need to do to heal and then move on. . Clean up those wounds. Let others see that you think enough of yourself to clean your wound and  not let it get you down. Others will want to be around you more and help you if they see you helping yourself.

A story about my boys as my youngest celebrates his 28th Birthday.

Today's Quote.....Your friends should motivate and inspire you. Your inner circle should be well rounded and supportive, keep it tight. Quality over quantity always.
                                                                                                                                      Kushandw zoom

So once again we're going with the theme surround yourself with positive people. I guess this is something important to remember. I really try to practice this. I don't even listen to the news as it will put me in a negative head space. If a negative song comes on the radio I switch channels. I try to pop myself out of negative thoughts. That I need to concentrate on a bit more. The other things took practice and are now habits so I know the negative thought thing will become a habit too.

I was busy on the week end so didn't do a challenge for this week so here it is.

This week whenever a negative thought comes into your head replace it with a positive thought.
Ex. Harry is always talking about himself...... It is good that Harry thinks so positively about himself. Sometimes, though, when people talk so highly about themselves it is actually because they are trying to convince themselves of these facts. I will try to compliment him when possible.
I am really clumsy.....I get around so well most of the time I just need to slow down so that I can have less accidents.

Today my youngest son Ryan turns 28 and 28 years ago today my oldest son Nick got stitches for the first time. Nick was being babysat by a friend while I was in hospital giving birth to Ryan. I will never forget the nurse coming into the recovery room and asking for Mr. Titley (My boys father) He had already left to go home so I said that I was Mrs Titley could I help. She said 'Well it  is about your son' I immediately went to thoughts about something being wrong with Ryan. I asked what the problem was. She said Nick had fallen and was on his way in to get stitches and then he would come up to my room to visit. I said 'oh he'll be fine. My friend that is looking after him is a nurse so she'll know what to do.' Val called my Dr. and when he heard I was in the hospital he said to take him to Emerg and he would meet her there so that he could stitch him up and then he could come right up to see me. It was such an awesome moment to see my 2 boys safe and sound and with me. They have both given me lots of pleasure, joy, laughs and proud moments since then. 

Being with the right person is such a blessing

Today's Quote......Sometimes the most ordinary things could be made extraordinary, simply by doing them with the right people.
                                                                                                                                Nicholas Sparks

This says it all, doesn't it?  Being with a person that brings out the best in you, that you enjoy being with, makes simple little things more enjoyable. Shopping with a friend is much more fun than shopping alone!!! Bruce and I work well together and even when we're cutting wood, working in the garden, cooking we have lots of fun and it doesn't seem as much like work. I have lots of fun memories from doing simple things with fun people.

The benefits of eating nuts

Today's quote...Accept no ones definition of your life, define yourself.
                                                                                                                 Unknown

There are a lot of situations when people can attempt to define your life. In relationships, friendships, religions, families. Always try to have the confidence you need to be yourself and not acting like someone others want you to be. I spent many many years being someone I thought I was supposed to be to make people around me happy. In the last decade I have discovered who I want to be and I am soooo much happier not having to act all the time. 

So today let's talk about nuts.
 All nuts have anti-cancer and heart-protective properties. Almonds and walnuts particularly help balance cholesterol levels. Almonds seem to be the most valuable of the two. Studies have shown that almonds have the ability to lower total and LDL cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease by 10%. All it takes is one handful of almonds a day. It is best to remove the skin by putting almonds into boiled water a few minutes. Soaking the almonds overnight makes them more digestible. Walnuts are high in omega-3 type oil. 
Nuts particularly peanuts( actually legumes) are a prime cause of acute allergic reactions in susceptible people. Avoid nuts that are broken, for they become rancid easily. Nut butters are also notorious for causing adverse reactions in the digestive system. When ground and, thereby, exposed to oxygen, they easily oxidize, ie., become rancid. Rancid fats are very toxic and a major cause of illness. They can even cause irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn's disease. Eat only fresh nuts, or if you prepare fresh nut butter, make sure to consume it in no less that 2 or 3 days. Avoid eating nuts that come mixed with dried fruits or in commercially produced breakfast cereals (the nuts are pre-rancid or rancid and the dried fruits contain fungi).
All nuts seeds and grains should  ideally be soaked overnight, after which they can be heat-dried in the oven for 6-12 hours and stored in a dry container. Soaking removes phytic-acid, which can combine with important minerals in the intestinal tract and block their absorption, and thereby cause serious mineral deficiencies. Soaking also neutralizes toxic enzyme inhibitors that prevent digestion of proteins. 

When you're out grocery shopping this week end why not buy some almonds and/or walnuts. Try making your own almond butter. I just made some almond butter. I put 1 cup of almonds in my small ninja and blended them until they were all stuck to the sides then use my spatula to get them of sides and into middle again. I kept doing this until the nuts were a paste consistency. I then transferred to a bowl and added about 2 tbsp REAL maple syrup to make it creamier. It is delicious. No yuck ingredients or oils!!!
Try it out. Have a great week end.

Practice being tolerant

Today's Quote....It requires less character to discover faults of others, than to tolerate them. 
                                                                                                                                        J. Petit Senn

So today and in the days to come, develop your character to tolerate instead of finding fault. It is very true that it is pretty easy to find faults in others and in the work environment it is also pretty easy to share, with co workers, that fault you have found. Every time you find yourself thinking of a fault in someone also think about 2 positive qualities. Also concentrate on not sharing the faults you have discovered!!!!

Use your time wisely

Today's Quote....Time is free, but it's priceless. You can't own it, but you can use it. You can't keep it , but you can spend it. Once you've lost it, you can never get it back.
                                                                                                                                             Unknown

When I look at this quote and really think about it I realize that I don't want to waste a minute doing something that isn't positive, helpful or leading me toward my goal. The challenge I am giving myself over the next few days is to stop myself if I am thinking, talking or doing an activity that is not positive, or helpful to myself or others. I need to consciously think about what I am doing and saying. It is easy to get caught up in negative talk or thoughts. I have been more conscious of this lately but not stopping myself soon enough so that is my challenge. If I follow this it will soon become a habit and I won't have to consciously think about it as much.
I challenge you to do the same. Have a great day.

Make each day important

Today's Quote.....What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. 
                                                                                                                                                   Unknown

Well it's been a bit of time folks. We've been leading up to Bruce's daughter Carrie's wedding. She got married in Westport on Saturday to a great man Brandon. It was a beautiful day and everything was perfect.
It was an emotional time for Bruce walking his first daughter down the isle to, may I add, the song This Girl is on Fire!!!! He then gave a speech about his girl that was awesome, sharing a few memories. The whole day was great. The main things was everyone had a lot of fun, there was lots of dancing and laughing and none of that was planned for it just happened because of who was there and what they wanted.
It was important to us that everyone have fun and that Carrie and Brandon were happy and will start building some really special memories. We exchanged a day of our life on Saturday for watching our girl get married, visiting family and friends and having a blast with the folks there.  It was well worth it.

Laugh with someone today

Today's quote....I believe laughter is like a needle and thread. Deftly used, it can patch up just about everything.
                                                                                                                                Barbara Johnson

Laughter is so important in our everyday lives. Making someone laugh when they are feeling down is a great accomplishment. Seeing the lighter side of things, the non-serious side, makes life a little sweeter. There is nothing better than hearing a little child's belly laugh. Then what happens??? We grow up and think we can't laugh out loud and be happy. Even putting a smile on your face help  boost your endorphins and makes you feel happier. Try it some time. If you are in a tense situation, like in a traffic jam, smile and see how you feel just a bit better, even better think of something funny and burst out laughing. If you are laughing really hard look around you, chances are if someone in another car sees you they will be laughing as well. Laughter is contagious. If you are at home sick, throw on a comedy movie or TV show and see how you start to feel a better.
So on this Friday preparing for the week end make sure you find lots of opportunities to laugh. Just make sure your laughter is never mean spirited. Laugh with people not at people.

Spend time with people who are positive in your life.

Today's quote....Spend time with those you love. One of these day you will say either 
                          "I wish I had" or I'm glad I did"
                                                                                                                 Unknown

Spending time with those we love is so important. Sometimes we don't realize how important until too much time has past or it is too late.
My Aunt Mildred was a very important part of my life. A lot of what I do today, my profession, my empathy for the disabled population, my love for people who don't always fit "the norm" is due to my relationship with my Aunt Milly. She was born with Cerebral Palsy and was never able to develop the ability to communicate through words. Not to say she couldn't communicate!!! just not through words. It always bothered me when we would be out in public and people would stare at her or even worse when people would look at her deformed body and see that she couldn't talk and assume that she also had a mental disability. I swore when I was little that I would always treat everyone as if the were 'normal' (hate that word). I mean if they were physically handicapped treat them as if the weren't, mentally handicapped same thing. So when I work with that population I always treat them as I would anyone else. I accommodate what I am saying or doing but I treat them the same as everyone else.
Anyway that long ramble to say.....that when I had just finished college Air Canada was having a seat sale to fly to Vancouver, where Milly was living at the time. I talked about it with my mom saying how much I wish I could go to visit her but just didn't feel I could afford it with my school debt. I remember mom saying if it was something I really wanted to do and thought it was important I should go as 10 years from now I would never miss that money I spent. I didn't listen. I thought at the time it was more important to stay home and work and pay off debt that go to visit. I'm telling you I still regret that decision. I never got out to visit her and see her apartment out there. I have moved on and learnt from it. If something seems important, like visiting someone you care a lot about do it!!!! If it is a priority you will have time to do it. Don't let you life get so busy with the non-important stuff that you miss out on the important stuff. When talking to people about decisions I often refer back to that situation and the words of my mom.
Developing who you are and relationships with others is never a waste of time.

It's Sunday so get ready for your weekly challenge

Today's quote.....A good life is when you smile often, dream big, laugh a lot and realize how blessed you are for what you have.

The above are all pretty easy things to do. Make sure you are not just smiling at people you know. Smile at strangers as well. Don't just smile when you think something is funny. Smile if you are feeling blah, it will help lift your mood. We should always have dreams and goals. Laughing a lot is easy too. Just look around you there is always something funny to catch your eye. If not watch a funny video on or movie. As far as realizing how blessed we are just think of people in other parts of the world who are suffering through war, drought , floods, earthquakes, fires, etc  and you will always feel blessed.

So, now for your weekly challenge....
This week set a short term goal...It may be financial, health related, family, renovations, work, friends.
When you decide on a goal write it down, if you can attach a picture of what you envision. Get a mental picture of what you want your goal to look like. Tell at least one person that you have set this goal. Put a time line on it. Practice whatever you need to do to accomplish that goal for 21 days and it will become a habit. Now enjoy the ride and be passionate about accomplishing it.
Example. If I decide I want to be more flexible and better balanced physically I will
write this goal down and beside it put a picture of stretches I want to do.
I will get a mental picture of me being able to get out of bed in the morning without feeling any pain in my joints.
I will tell Bruce what my goal is and tell him that I am going to do some stretches every morning as soon as I get up before starting my day.
I will set a time line of one month.
I will stretch every morning for 21 days in order to form the habit.
I will be passionate about wanting to feel less stiffness in my joints and muscles as I get older.

So start thinking a a short term goal and get going. Once you can do this with short term goals it is easier to do it with long term goals.
I got this idea from reading The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

It's Saturday...Let's learn about the benefits of Kale

Today's Quote.....The world is wide and the world is grand, and there's little or nothing new, but it's sweetest thing is the grip of the hand of the friend who's tried and true.

                                                                                                                                                Unknown

We need to cherish those friends who have been with us through thick and thin. Make sure to tell them how much you appreciate them being there for you.

Soooo let's talk about...

KALE
Kale is a rich source of various anti-cancer compounds. It is a member of the cruciferous family. It is endowed with anti-cancer indoles that help regulate estrogen and fight off colon cancer. It contains more beta carotene than spinach and twice as much lutein. It is also high in the antioxidant Vitamin C.

If you buy kale that is bigger leaves make sure you take the leaf off the stem part as it can be bitter. Baby kale is the best. You can steam it with other greens such as beet greens, Swiss chard or spinach. It can be shredded up and put into a salad raw. It can be added to smoothies. Experiment with it and Enjoy.

Do something for someone somewhere!!!!

Today's Quote.....Work for a cause, not for applause. Live life to express, not impress. Don't strive to make your presence known just make you absence felt. 
                                                                                                                                               Unknown

This week's vegetable.
Artichoke
The artichoke, has been known for centuries, to be beneficial for digestion. The most noted effect is increased bile production. Because the body uses cholesterol to make bile acids, increasing bile acid production may balance blood cholesterol. Increasing bile acid secretions also aids digestion.

This week's challenge.

Take a homemade or store bought treat to someone with a note attached. Depending on the situation....thank you for.... I appreciate......Congratulations......Welcome.

Have a great week.

Dream new dreams, set new goals

Today's quote.....You are never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream.
                                                                                                                 C.S.Lewis

So my goals and dreams always involve helping people. Thus the reason I am in the social services field and am developing a business to promote healthy, happy lifestyle. I keep coming up with things I want to incorporate into my business. I have to share with you what has been eating at me for awhile. There is an old farm house that sits empty at the end of my road. It has been empty for at least 4 years. I can honestly say that I never drive by it that I don't think 'one day I want to own that house and do something with it that will help people in some way. I have thought of a respite home for children or adults with disabilities as I know there is a huge need for that service. Have also thought that I could use some of the rooms for my reflexology, reiki and cupping. Could use the kitchen for teaching healthy cooking. It could also be used a drop in/support for people that suffer from mental health and need a get away and support from others with similar diagnosis and professionals. I just keep getting plagued with a need to do something with it. There is property with it that could be used for gardening and sheds that could be used for storage. Now I just need to find someone who can help be develop these ideas.
If anyone has any ideas I am welcome to suggestions.
I think we always need to have goals and dreams to keep us moving forward.