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Enjoy the Holidays Mindfully

In this post, I discuss how detrimental I think it is that our society rushes us from one holiday to the next and how Mindfulness practices can help us keep our sanity, especially during the upcoming, Holiday Season.

Gird yourself for the Holidays folks, ready or not…they are coming! 😮

Here we go again…so I walked into my friendly, neighborhood, home store the other day, excited to see Halloween decorations on the shelves. It made perfect sense as we’re getting close to that fun holiday…and they were available…right across the aisle from the GIANT, CHRISTMAS tree, and decorations display! 🙄 EVERY year this happens and EVERY year it makes me irritated. 😝

Straight, No Chaser has a great song that speaks to this very issue

One of my biggest pet peeves is the overt rush to the Holiday Season, which seems to start in September. 😋 Why the rush? It completely goes against all principles of Mindfulness and being Present, or living in the moment.

I will acknowledge, that the pretty lights do help to lighten the mood as our days shorten…but there are plenty of Halloween/Fall-related decorations we could be focusing on right now! 😤

Christmas…in Fall?!

It seems like a week or two before Halloween each year, the seasonal sections of stores are already alight with Christmas decor. Not one or two things, here or there, mind you. No, there are rows upon rows of Christmas lights, outdoor and indoor decorations, and fake Christmas trees already filling the shelves.

This isn’t that big of a deal. It happens every year, so I know I should be prepared for it and should just ignore it. At the very least, it is NOT important enough to be wasting my precious, mental energy on…yet every year it irks me more! I just get irritated that while I’m busy thinking about goblins and ghouls, Christmas decorations are shining at me from the shelves. 😝

The stores have Halloween candy out in August! Seriously, if you buy the candy then, it would be gross come the actual holiday. And let’s be honest, who could keep it in their house that long without eating it?

Maybe that’s the plan of the stores and candy companies, get it out early so we start enjoying it…so then we have to buy more by the time the actual holiday comes. 🤔 They’re making us fat while simultaneously slimming our wallets! 😡 They probably partner with the weight-loss companies…we’re on to the conspiracy now though! 😉 (Ok, time to take off the tin-foil hat. 😇 )

Have we always rushed the Holidays?

I wonder if this rush to the Holidays is really a new thing? Maybe it has always been this way? The over-commercialization of Christmas is even mentioned in The Charlie Brown Christmas movie from the 1960s…

Perhaps our rush to the next event we are anticipating is just a weakness of human nature? I wonder if people who participate in less, mainstream holidays experience this, as well? Are those who celebrate Diwali, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa allowed to enjoy these holidays in their proper season?

I think one reason this yearly phenomenon bothers me so much is that it makes me feel rushed. I feel like it adds an additional level of stress to the everyday pressure I already struggle with. It’s no wonder we have so much ADHD and anxiety in our world today, we’re constantly being rushed from one commercialized holiday to the next and never given the opportunity to rest and enjoy a given event in its moment.

Stop Rushing the Holidays!

You barely finish your hot dog and watch the 4th of July fireworks…and “Back to School” and pumpkins are being rammed down your throat…then, a month before Halloween even occurs, and THREE FULL MONTHS before the Christmas holiday, I’m supposed to start getting excited about Santa and his reindeer…?

It seems like we skip right over Thanksgiving, which is so sad. That is the holiday where no gifts are expected, we can just enjoy the moments spent with family and friends. It’s the one time where we are actually supposed to reflect on our many blessings and how thankful we are for them. It’s one of the most mindful holidays of them all!

…then with the Christmas holidays barely past, we’re already seeing chocolate hearts for Valentine’s Day…then green clovers start appearing for St. Patrick’s Day…and shortly after, candied bunnies and chicks, for Easter, will be on the horizon…then the red, white and blue, patriotic decorations start flying for the summer festivities…and before we know it we’ve returned to Back-to-School and Halloween again!…and I swear we JUST took our Christmas tree down a few weeks ago! 😅

No wonder the years seem to fly by, we’re all living three months in the future at all times! It reminds me of a scene from A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. Upon learning that another holiday is just around the corner, Charlie Brown’s sister, Sally, states, “I haven’t even finished eating all of my Halloween candy yet!” I remember having this same thought as a child. (Regular readers will note I reference Charlie Brown rather frequently. The Trekkers like Charlie Brown ok, those stories taught me good lessons during my childhood, I’m not sorry! 😉)

I just don’t understand the constant need to always be reaching for the next thing. Do we ever take the time to just enjoy the current moment? Are we even able to anymore? On one hand, it seems silly to be concerned about this. But on the other, I think this is just another example of our over-stimulated, modern culture where we need to be constantly hyped up about something at all times.

Enjoy the Holidays Mindfully

Mindfulness principles can be really useful here. By focusing on and appreciating the individual moment, event, day (or at the very least, holiday) that we are CURRENTLY experiencing, we can help keep the stress and pressure of the Holiday Season at bay. We will feel less stress when we aren’t always preparing for something that won’t occur for several more months.

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE everything about Christmas, I just REFUSE to participate in holidays until their appointed season. For the Trekkers, this means NO Fall decorations until at least the last half of September and I 100% refrain from engaging in anything related to Christmas until Thanksgiving has come and gone…then it’s Merry Freakin’ Christmas all day, every day! 🙃

To Conclude

I think this rush to the Holidays is detrimental to us, and I’m not alone in those concerns. It increases the pressure of the already-stressful Holiday Season for many people. There are so many things that always occur at once: parties, religious and school activities, and family gatherings. All of these can cause us angst.

This time of year can also be very expensive for many people, with all the gifts, and the–sometimes lengthy–travel involved to see family and friends. On the other hand, not everyone has a loving family, so this time of year can be very lonely for them.

I think it’s pretty obvious that we would all benefit from putting a little less focus on the commercialized Holidays, and a little more on making our world a better place.

Do you find that the coming Season is over-hyped? Tell me about it in the comments!

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Just Groovin’: 5 tips for Using Mindfulness to Lower Anxiety

I find myself stressed, many days, over the simple tasks of daily life. Read on for how I’m striving to reduce this, and ways you can too!

I find myself feeling anxious over dealing with day-to-day items and stressors. I know this isn’t healthy for me mentally or physically. I want to be more Present and live in the current moment. So, I’ve set the goal for myself to use mindfulness practices to help lessen my anxiety levels.

I Feel Anxious Every Day

I think the anxiety stems partially from the less-than-regular, work-from-home lifestyle that I mentioned in a previous post. My days offer incredible flexibility, but the lack of routine can make life feel chaotic. I think the stress is also due, in part, to the general anxiety I deal with on a daily basis. I just have a tendency to worry about things in the future.

I think many people struggle with this. We worry about situations from daily life; we worry about interactions or disagreements that occur in our family, friend or work groups; we worry about the health of people we care about. Basically, we just worry a lot! Often times there’s nothing particularly awful occurring, these are just the situations we encounter over the course of life for any given day, week or month. These are normal things to concern ourselves with, but what can we do to ease the strain caused by that constant level of stress?

How I Lessen Anxiety with Mindfulness

I’m striving to implement a “Just Groovin'” mindset†. Read on for tips on how to use this to reduce your levels of anxiety and to live in the moment…

†You may remember this from a previous post, where I discussed us visiting a great BBQ spot in Marble, Colorado. It was called Slow Groovin’ BBQ, but their message was basically to just take time to enjoy the simple things in life. The Trekkers have made this into a personal, family motto of sorts, though we edited the name to “Just Groovin’!”

5 Tips to “Just Groove”: Using Mindfulness to Live in the Moment and Reduce Stress:

1) Stop Catastrophizing!

This is a therapeutic term that basically means, don’t imagine what horrible things can go wrong in a situation when it hasn’t even happened yet, or you don’t even have all the details regarding it yet.

This is something I struggle with regularly. I am striving to not worry about *insert-situation-here* until it actually happens. Usually, things play out better than I imagined they would anyway.

Often, I build up all this angst around an impending event and then it ends up proceeding far more smoothly (and often more quickly) than I had anticipated. Then I’m left with this surplus of negative energy that had been consuming me that, as it turns out, was completely unnecessary. Now I have no way to release that pent-up strain, so it is just added to my ongoing stress load.

Instead, I want to “just groove” through life, to just deal with things when and if they happen.

2) Don’t Stress Yourself Out Over Everyday Tasks:

I have this habit of rushing to get everything that’s on my To-Do list for that day, or week (or month) done as efficiently as possible. While it’s good to not procrastinate when necessary tasks need to be completed, it’s also good to implement productive, time-management practices.

We shouldn’t let ourselves get stressed out about these things. That causes unnecessary mental and physical tension. Again, I am usually able to complete all the to-do items that day (or at the very least that week or month) and it often takes less time than I thought it would. So then I am stressed out, and for what? Time and again, the list has been completed (usually more easily and more quickly than I anticipated), and all I’m left with is a further build-up of negative energy that I now struggle to relieve.

Are you seeing a pattern here? 😋 This compounding of stress just further contributes to the unnecessary tension we feel in our daily lives. 🤯 Ugh! This is why anxiety is so mentally exhausting!

3) Stop Stressing About the Future:

We need to remove the word “might” from our vocabulary. People with anxiety are always worried about what “might” happen in the future. “My boss MIGHT yell at me when he calls me into the office; those routine tests at the doctor MIGHT show something bad…” Let’s stop with the “might”!

There’s only so much we can control in life. Matthew 6:34 says, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Not everyone is big on the Bible, but I think this is some advice that can benefit all people, whether they are religious or not. We need to stop worrying about what “might” come tomorrow, next week, next month or next year. Because these things are only MIGHTS, they aren’t actually occurring yet, and we can’t deal with them until they happen. So, let’s be mindful, live in the present, and expend our precious, mental energy on what is actually occurring RIGHT NOW!

4) Don’t Miss Out on Today’s Joys by Worrying About Tomorrow:

Not all stress comes from negative events. We have a tendency to want to rush through life so that we can get to the good stuff, though that may mean we don’t fully experience or appreciate the simpler, everyday nuggets we encounter along the way.

A famous philosopher once described this problem in his young apprentice, “all his life he has looked away to the future…to the horizon…never his mind on where he was…what he was doing…” (If you’re imagining a small, elderly, goblin-looking creature, talking about Luke Skywalker…you’d be correct. Hey, Yoda was sort of like a philosopher! I’m a Star Wars nerd and I’m not sorry. 😉)

It’s good to enjoy the fun and exciting parts of life. But the humble joys of our daily existence are important too. Things like watching your children play on the playground, having a talk on the swing with an aging parent or pulling off the side of the road just to watch a particularly, stunning sunset. In the end, these nuggets are what we experience most often and they are what we’ll remember in the long run. These are the little things that make life worth living.

5) Just Groove!

My ongoing life goal that I’m continuously striving toward is to learn to just “go with the flow”. I will strive to not allow myself to be anxious about things unless I KNOW that there is something to be anxious about.

You may be thinking, “ever thought of trying some meds?” Anti-anxiety medication is always an option, of course (full disclosure, I do use it, occasionally, on days that feel particularly stressful). But I don’t want to have to rely on it for the rest of my–hopefully lengthy–lifetime. I don’t want to need it just to get me through the normal pressures of daily existence. It seems to me, being that most of us live in a time and place where the quality of life is about the best it’s ever been, throughout the entire course of human history, that I don’t have any excuse to build up so much stress over just getting through the day.

This is where the concept of “Just Groovin'” comes in. Basically, it means, take life as it comes. I am striving to embrace mindful minimalism, and only concern myself with problems as they present themselves (rather than wasting mental energy to worry about them ahead of time).

Want to join me on this quest? Tell me in the comments about your tips for using mindfulness to lessen daily stress, and to live in the present moment!

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Autumn is a Wonderful Time of the Year

In this post, I discuss my love for my second-favorite season, Fall!

It’s Fall ya’ll! The official, astronomical start of Fall is this week! (I’m always happy to escape the heat of summer! 🥵)

I live with a meteorologist, so I actually tend to go with the meteorological start of Fall which is September 1. The meteorological seasons always made more sense to me anyway.

The astronomical calendar is based on the position of the sun. Spring and Fall start on their various equinoxes, while Summer and Winter start the days with the longest (and least) amounts of daylight.

In contrast, the meteorological calendar just divides the seasons up into three-month sections (Winter starts December 1, Summer starts June 1, etc.)–Who thinks of winter starting in the middle of December, or summer in the middle of June anyway? 😋 It always feels like those seasons are half over by the time they “officially” start.

Why Fall is Wonderful

Fall is my second-most-favorite season of the year (it’s only slightly short of Spring as my most favorite season)! 😉 I absolutely LOVE it! There are only two bad things about this time of the year:

- - The South Dakota winds tend to start blowing again 😗
  - The days are starting to get shorter in earnest now, which I never enjoy. (The good news is, Fall is usually fairly busy for the Trekkers, and with Halloween will come the start of the Holiday Season so, before we know it, it’ll be January and the days will be lengthening again! 😎)

I am SO ready for the heat and bugs to be gone! I always look forward to summer, until it gets hot and stays hot and then I say…NOPE! 😋 I just don’t “do” hot ya’ll, sorry. And while I enjoy summertime activities (and all the daylight), I just don’t find that I enjoy summer weather that much. My body just can’t handle the heat (my doctor says I have “heat sensitivity”. 😓) This is part of the reason why the (almost) 2000-mile move from North Carolina to South Dakota was such an improvement for me (it doesn’t hurt that the Black Hills is known for having low humidity and some of the best weather for about 600 miles in any direction!) 😃

Click here for a list of some of the Trekkers’ favorite, fall hikes!

I can’t help it, I just LOVE fall weather; the crisp, cool evenings, the damp, foggy mornings. I LOVE that it’s starting to feel good to snuggle in a sweatshirt again.

I love the smell of drying leaves and the way they *crunch!* underfoot, not to mention all their beautiful colors! The ever-green pines here in the Hills contrast so nicely with the vibrant yellows of the aspen trees, all set against the backdrop of our–frequently–blue sky.

I love the way these signs herald change. The cool air just feels like such a relief after the hot summer. It’s like we’re all coming out of a sluggish mode and we’re gearing up for a season full of activities again. I also LOVE the moodiness of the cloudy, grey days (as long as they don’t occur too close together, or I have to pull out the Vitamin D3† early!)

Other Vitamin D3 options: Nature’s Bounty, Nature Made 2000 IU tablets, NOW softgels

What is your favorite season? What are your favorite parts of Fall? Let me know in the comments!

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Can we be friendly towards those with different political opinions?

After reading the book “Travels with Charlie”, by John Steinbeck, I discuss how many aspects of US society, that Steinbeck noted in 1960, are still true today.

Author’s Note: I want to be VERY clear that I am NOT endorsing ANY political view with this post. The critiques I outline below apply to ALL of us. I truly believe we can (and should) ALL do better. (Also, this comes from the perspective of an American speaking on how I see political views playing out in the US. I can’t speak to how things work in other countries.)

A while back I read Travels with Charlie, by John Steinbeck. This is a great story to read if you’re on a road trip since that’s what the book is about. 😉 It is set in the fall of 1960, as Steinbeck and his faithful poodle, Charlie, set out to explore the country. (Steinbeck wanted to rediscover it before he died.) I was struck by how many things he noted that seem to still be relevant today, almost 60 years–and a HUGE technology boom–later…sometimes the old adage is true, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Life isn’t simple anymore:

Steinbeck bemoaned the fact that people are always rushing around in the big cities and on interstate highways. He felt like they didn’t have time for chatting or pleasantries, that there was no real contact between them anymore. He felt like everyone just kept to themselves and in their own little world…

Imagine what he’d think of today’s world, where everyone is too preoccupied with their noses in their phones, or their earbuds entertaining them, to pay any attention to the world around them. 😮

Steinbeck thought everything was too mechanized, that there was too much technology in his modern world. He believed this made life too easy which gave people too much free time that they then filled with worry…

Things like mobile phones, the internet, and computer-driven machines hadn’t even entered popular culture yet. What would his opinion be of today’s Brave New World? He thinks things are bad in 1960, wait till he gets a load of the “always-on” society of the new Millenium! 😋 Does his theory help to explain why so many people suffer from anxiety in our modern world? Do we have such–relatively– easy lives, and consequently so much free time on our hands, that we have lengthy periods to “think” ourselves into an unnecessary panic?

Steinbeck felt regional cultures around the country were becoming too homogenized. That local dialects and customs weren’t as noticeable as he remembered from his childhood, he felt like they were all becoming too mixed and similar. He believed this was due to people moving all over the country and living in different places from where they grew up…

You have to wonder, if this was true way back then, how much worse is it now when people regularly move all around the world? On the other hand, does some good come from this? When we travel and move to places that push us out of our comfort zone, we are exposed to new ideas and cultures. I think that makes us more tolerant of and more educated about other viewpoints. Wouldn’t this experience then help to enrich our lives?

People are afraid to be honest with each other…

Steinbeck felt like there weren’t enough people, at that time, who would stand up for what they believed in. He mentioned how people didn’t want to talk about politics with their friends, families, or close confidants anymore. He lamented the division that he saw in the country…

It is interesting to think that, on the eve of one of the most turbulent decades in modern US history, he could feel like people wouldn’t stand up for what they believed in. The ’60s ended up being full of protests and people doing exactly what Steinbeck wanted to see more of, marching for what they felt to be just.

What would he say about the political situation in our country today? Plenty of people march and advocate for their rights, but others are afraid to speak up for fear of public shaming. I personally know people who won’t be open and honest with their closest friend or family member regarding who they plan to vote for in the next election because they’re afraid of negatively impacting that relationship. To me, this is a sad commentary on the state of our nation, that we can’t have differing opinions yet still respect each other.

A House Divided Cannot Stand

Steinbeck talked about fighting with his Republican sisters (he was a self-professed Democrat) when he visited them, in his hometown, in California. They would call him a Communist for his liberal views and he would compare them to oppressive tyrants like Genghis Khan because of their conservative opinions…

Sound familiar? Things DEFINITELY haven’t changed on this front! I think it’s sad how you see so much of this today. In the US, Republican talking heads call Progressives “mentally ill” or “crazy”. In contrast, Progressive talking heads refer to anyone who doesn’t agree with them as “bigoted” or the ever-popular “Nazi”. I know it isn’t just here in the States either. I’m not super familiar with the politics of other countries, but I’ve read enough to know there are similar debates in those places, as well.

Why do we treat each other this way? I don’t understand what we can possibly hope to achieve with it. Is the majority of “the other side” really that bad? I don’t think so. Especially when those people consist of our friends, neighbors, and family members, who we otherwise love and respect.

I think our differences come less from one side being “right” or “wrong” and more from the fact that we misunderstand each others’ perspectives. I also believe that people on both sides of any given issue are often ignorant (intentionally or otherwise) of the plight that others face. I read once that “you should never criticize someone else’s views unless you can explain them. Because, if you can’t explain them, you don’t actually understand them”. I think this is incredibly apt. I believe we need to stay humble and realize we may not always be as “right” as we think we are.

Steinbeck mentions a reporter who was beaten and his camera smashed for covering certain demonstrations that were occurring. He states that the few, screaming people who were acting badly will be on tv and will end up representing that entire area or group. Unfortunately, no one will know about the many, good people from that same region or social category who just want to go about their daily lives. He describes the media in his day as, “…all the polls and opinion posts, with newspapers more opinion than news so that we no longer know one from the other”…

WOW! He could literally be writing about almost any newspaper or cable TV, news outlet in the country today! It amazes me, with all the time that has passed and the many changes our society has gone through, how similar Steinbeck’s world was to our own.

It’s interesting, but it’s sad in a way too. You get the impression that not much has changed. In some ways, it may have gotten worse with the rise of social media and the reach of the Internet. You also get the impression we haven’t learned much in the last six decades. Will things change much in the next six? I’m not sure I hold out much hope…

Can people of different political views be friendly toward each other?

Why do we fight so much and treat each other so badly? I just don’t understand it. Why does it always have to be “us” vs. “them”? Why, if someone disagrees with us, do we automatically have to see them in a bad light? Why can’t we each just have different views and opinions?

I have friends and family members that were raised in VERY similar situations as myself and with VERY similar values, yet we’re on completely opposite sides of the political spectrum. We may agree there is a problem, but have opposing viewpoints on how to solve that problem. Yet, for both of us, the desire to see the problem solved comes from a place of love and caring for–and wanting to help–our fellow man.

Why can’t we use that as a cornerstone to build on, rather than calling each other names and finding ways to divide ourselves, when our values and beliefs are often similar? We all have to live on this big, blue ball together. Can’t we figure out a way to work with each other?

To Conclude

Steinbeck died in 1968, however, the politically charged climate that he saw wasn’t much different than the one we face these days. I wonder what he would say about our modern world, and if he’d ask, “can’t we all just get along?”

So I challenge you, dear readers, to try to understand where someone from an opposing political viewpoint is coming from. I’m not asking you to change your stance on any issue but if your question is, “how could anyone believe that?” I encourage you to look more closely at their viewpoint. Honestly ask someone that holds that view to explain why they feel the way they do and then try to listen and understand with an open mind, an open heart, and without judgment.

I think if we take the approach that most people are good inside, even if they hold very different beliefs than we do, and we give them this benefit of the doubt, it would go a long way to making this world a better place for all of us.

How do you keep the peace between friends and family with opposing political viewpoints? Tell me about it in the comments!

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Adopting a New, Furry Friend!

In this post, I relate our adventure when we adopted a new puppy!

After our long-time dog crossed the rainbow bridge, we adopted a new, furry family member from our local Humane Society. It had only been a few months since the death of our other dog, so I wasn’t quite sure if I was ready for a new pup just yet.

However, we didn’t want to wait too late into the fall as it would’ve been harder to exercise a young pup during those darker, colder days (we knew we wanted a younger dog). We also didn’t want to have to wait all the way until the next spring to grow our family again.

I’m glad we adopted our new friend when we did though, as she had SO MUCH energy. It was nice that she was able to run around the backyard for a few months before the snow started flying and we were cooped up inside more.

At first, I felt really guilty about “replacing” our old friend. But seeing the differences in the personalities between the two really helped to ease the pain. Each one is definitely unique! I found that we didn’t “replace” one friend with another, we just made room in our hearts for another who needs us. I can love them both, in different ways.

Our previous dog had a large amount of energy and an incredibly dynamic and dominant personality. Let’s face it, she was a bit of a handful. The new pup has energy too, is more just usual “puppy” spirit. In general, she is more compliant and easier to train. This is lucky for us, as things seem a bit easier. It’s unlucky for her though, as we know better training techniques after being used to a “difficult child”. 😉

Puppy Particulars:

It was a bit of a change, going from a 14-year-old hound dog who was happy to sleep on the couch all day, to a 7-month-old puppy, bounding with energy. We had also been spoiled by our previous friend, she had come to our home fully potty-trained. Puppers didn’t make it that easy on us. Fortunately, she learned quickly that the weird humans she lives with made “happy noises” when she went outside to take care of certain urges. 😋

We don’t know a lot about her history, other than she came from one of the nearby American Indian reservations and her previous owners were kind enough to surrender her to the shelter when they felt they wouldn’t be able to care for her anymore.

She’s a mix of many “flavors” of pup. The vet told us “Shepherd mix”, though apparently, she has “Beagle eyes” (figures, that was the ONE breed I wasn’t crazy about–only because of the bark. Fortunately, now that she’s discovered her voice, I can happily report that it doesn’t appear that she inherited that particular gene. 😅) We also heard she could have Carolina Dog and various Currs in her.

Eventually, we did a DNA test which confirmed…she’s a mutt! 😂 Supposedly she officially has combinations of shepherd, Golden Retriever, St. Bernard! and some drops of cattle dog, among others.

She’s a timid little thing. She’s very sweet, she’s just a little afraid of strangers, and loud noises, and it took her a good while to warm up to Daddy (unless he was sitting on the couch downstairs in which case he made a perfect pillow. 🙄) We get the impression she never lived in a house before, and very likely came from a quiet, secluded area. This is because we noticed she was originally startled at any loud noise, including cars driving past or children yelling from nearby yards.

It didn’t help that we brought the poor thing home during one of the loudest weeks of the year in the Black Hills, the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. 😝 I can imagine it would have been pretty overwhelming, to move from such a quiet place to the second most-populated region in the state. She did adjust quite well, though.

Puppers enjoys pats from the neighbor kids, though she seems to prefer having a fence between her and them as protection…for her. 😉 She absolutely LOVES other dogs.

The deer, rabbits, squirrels, and birds that frequented our yard were in for a surprise. Previously, they only ever had an elderly, arthritic dog to deal with. She’d put up a good show of chasing them, but everyone knew her heart wasn’t really in it anymore. Now they’ve got a young one with speed, agility, and energy (not to mention a healthy prey instinct) so they’re learning they need to actually move out of her way. 😂

This pooch is also OBSESSED with socks. If I put some outside on the drying rack, she carries them around the yard! 😝 She REALLY loves them if they’re still wet and sweaty. 🤢 She’s also FAST and LOVES to run! She makes good use of our fenced-in backyard!

Our pup doesn’t seem to have quite the same stamina as our old, hound dog, though she enjoys the many hikes we’ve taken her on in the nearby Hills. She has also learned to enjoy cars, including the camping trips, visits to the drive-in and storm chases we’ve taken in them.

Her one nemesis has been doorways. It took her almost a year to stop fearing them (though she LOVES her crate/”she-shed”).

We did have to teach her to walk on a leash. At first, she wasn’t sure about this tether that connected her to these strange people, but with a good harness, some practice, and a lot of patience, she learned that walks can be fun ways to enjoy new smells, people, and especially other doggies around the neighborhood.

Training the Terror: 😂

I have to say, this made me appreciate what the struggle must be in raising human children. I was barely capable of handling a puppy with the energy and mischievousness of a toddler! 😝 She wore me out those first few months! We’re lucky that she slept through the night. It took several months, but she finally stopped waking up around 5:30 am to play.

She was also a digger 😝 in those early days, and she enjoys finding things around the house and yard to chew on that may or may not be potentially harmful to her. Yikes! 😮 I think I’m growing those eyes in the back of my head. 🙃

A dog with its tongue hanging out lays on a car seat I read a puppy training book called The Power of Positive Dog Training† by Pat Miller. I really liked it! The author subscribes to the “positive” training method which employs the use of rewards (or lack thereof) rather than true punishments.

To give you an idea of her theory on the matter, she believes in using rolled-up newspapers in only one situation. If the puppy goes potty in the house (or otherwise tears up something it shouldn’t) you are allowed to use the rolled-up newspaper to smack yourself on the head and repeat “I need to supervise the dog better”. 😂

I really like this method. It’s essentially based on the idea that a dog is a dog, they’re going to do what dogs do. It is our job, as the species with superior intellect, to show them how to fit into our world. Dogs are never intentionally “bad” or spiteful. All they can do is behave like a dog. They only have bad owners or bad training.

There are no “bad” behaviors, there are only mistakes, miscommunications, misunderstandings, or painful memories of past experiences. Understanding that each animal comes with its own insecurities and histories (some of which may have been pretty negative) helps you to be more patient and understanding when they don’t always behave the way you want them to.

Rescuing a furry friend:

This is the second rescue dog the Trekkers have adopted. Rescuing a pet is an incredible thing but it comes with commitment and understanding.

Usually, a rescue dog brings with it some emotional baggage. Generally, the only way to avoid this is if you get them as young puppies, who were surrendered or found under the best of circumstances. Even then, they sometimes suffer issues from being separated from their mothers too early.

Unfortunately, many of these dogs are older and have been abused, abandoned, or neglected. Some have lived on the street all their lives, fending for themselves and never knowing kind, human hands. That doesn’t mean they aren’t worth your time and effort though. Once they learn to trust you, rescue dogs can be some of the most loyal and loving companions. And sometimes, it can be really nice to get a dog who’s past the chewing, puppy phase! 😝

Our old dog had been with her person for almost two years and was then surrendered to the Humane Society down in North Carolina. We didn’t see any evidence that she’d been abused or neglected, but she had separation anxiety from being left at the shelter (this is common for adult dogs who are surrendered).

She also had a strong fear of children, unless she got to know them well and slowly (there were a few friends’ kids who she got to know as babies that she absolutely LOVED!) We don’t know why she had this fear, but she had obviously had a negative experience with kids before she came to live with us.

Animals aren’t that different from people. They each have their own personalities and their own pasts. We need to be sensitive to that. I don’t say any of this to dissuade anyone from rescuing a pet, they can honestly be blessings to your family, you just have to be prepared for what you may be in for.

You will probably have to clean up someone else’s mess and teach the animals there is a better way of living. But they will ADORE you for the rest of their lives. It doesn’t matter how badly they’ve been treated in the past, all that matters is that you are their opportunity for a brighter future.

There are several rescues around our local area, many of which focus on animals from the local American Indian reservations. Unfortunately, there’s a large problem with strays and pet overpopulation in those areas. Many of the rescues are non-profits, run by volunteer Tribal members who do an incredible job. The adoption fees go to help rescue more animals, as well as to help provide low to no-cost vet care for people who live on the reservations, who want to keep their animals but struggle with vet costs.

We ended up working with the local Humane Society rather than one of the rescues, as that shelter was closer to our location and their adoption procedures are less complex (such as no home visits.) I understand why the rescues make the application procedures strenuous, they want to make sure the animals find committed, forever homes. But with the distance we’d have to travel to access these organizations, we opted for our local site instead. Oftentimes, dogs from the reservation rescues end up at our local shelter when the other rescues are full. The local Petsmart and Petco offer their adoption events through these agencies, as well.

If you live locally to the Black Hills, and you’re looking for a furry friend to add to your family (a cat, a dog, and sometimes other critters such as hamsters, guinea pigs, and even roosters or snakes!) I strongly encourage you to check out one of these local rescues (or Petsmart/Petco on their adoption days):

Humane Society of the Black Hills

Battle Mountain Humane Society

Oglala Pet Project

Turtle Mountain Animal Rescue

I’m not into clichés much, but in this case, I’ll make an exception. Unless you’re looking for a specific breed of dog for working or show purposes and you need a breeder, PLEASE, #adoptdontshop! You may be saving a life, and they’ll happily rescue you right back!

Have you ever adopted a pet? What was your experience like? Tell me about it in the comments!

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†As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases

IBS: an Invisible Illness

In this post, I discuss my ongoing struggle with a chronic condition called IBS.

It starts with a characteristic *grumble–grumble* in the tummy, like you might feel when you’re getting hungry…but not quite. It progresses to sharp pains and paralyzing cramps that can spread from your abdomen to your feet…then there’s the nausea, the cold sweats, the chills, and sometimes what feels like hours doubled over with stomach pains…and then…as quickly as it comes on, the attack is relieved…you may even feel hungry…

You just had an IBS attack!

I’ve mentioned several times that I struggle with this chronic condition, otherwise known as Irritable Bowel Syndrome. This is a unique problem. It isn’t considered a disease, per se, but more of a disorder. Basically, when people suffer with IBS, it means their bowels don’t work correctly, and it isn’t understood why. Doctors usually give you this diagnosis when they can’t find anything else wrong after other tests are completed.

Some people don’t consider IBS to be a “real” ailment at all. I’ve heard several claim it’s the “diagnosis of doctors who are too lazy to figure out what’s really wrong with you”. Symptoms and severity differ for each person (and what each individual suffers can vary over the course of time). IBS is complicated. 😛

What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

IBS comes in three categories: “Predominantly C”, “Predominantly D”, or an unpredictable, varying mixture of the two. I won’t get into the dirty details, but since this syndrome focuses on the bowels, I’m sure you can figure out what the C and D stand for. 😝 I also won’t TMI you with which one I deal with, as it isn’t really relevant, and people who suffer with the disorder can switch between the types throughout their life…I did.

I think part of the reason I struggled so much with the restrictive, low-carb diet I tried several years ago is that my IBS already limits what I can eat, so the diet just exacerbated that even more. In addition, some “Paleo/Keto-friendly” foods aren’t well tolerated by my testy tummy (like dark chocolate, or certain types of super-fibrous veggies). To contrast, many “naughty” foods, such as bread, my body loves. 😝 (Fortunately, my stomach will tolerate whole-grain breads, so I can compromise with those). 😀

What IBS is NOT?

As I mentioned before, IBS isn’t considered to be a disease…exactly. It isn’t as acute as Celiac, Crohn’s or Inflammatory Bowl Disease, though the symptoms can be severe (I consider myself blessed that mine rarely are). They don’t actually know what, exactly it is. It isn’t an auto-immune issue, it isn’t gluten intolerance (I’ve mentioned before that my body loves whole-grain carbs, for the most part). It isn’t caused by an allergic reaction either. Some people with IBS can be gluten or lactose-intolerant, but those are separate issues–I am not. For the most part, these foods don’t bother me at all, though there are one or two options in these categories that I’ve learned to stay away from.

IBS Trigger Foods

This disorder makes food choices complicated. Symptoms, severity and food sensitivity differs from person to person, though some foods are considered “trigger foods” as they, generally, “trigger” negative responses. These include onions and celery, though I can eat these foods if they’re dried, or well-cooked (the process must change the makeup of the foods so they are easier to digest). I recently learned that both almond milk and apples are frequently considered to be “trigger foods”. Nobody tell that to my stomach, as I’ve been eating both for years with no problems! 😛 Did I mention symptoms vary?

One of my “triggers” is spices. Not spicy food, per se, but herbs. Because of this, I tend to eat and cook my food pretty blandly. A perk of this, I have noticed, is that it enables me to enjoy the actual flavor of the food I’m eating, rather than whatever spice/essence has been added to it.

Another example of how complicated IBS can be, I can drink milk and eat cheese without stomach problems (though it affects my sinuses). But if I eat or drink things with a lot of heavy cream in them, my stomach may protest. 😛 I also have to be careful with honey. I can eat it, but only in small amounts.

How to treat IBS

I have seen a reduction in my symptoms in recent years. Some of this is due to learning what my trigger foods are, and avoiding them. I believe a lot of it is also due to reducing stress. An example of this stress reduction reducing one of my food sensitivities is that since decreasing my stress level I can now drink orange juice. One glass used to do me in. Now, I happily enjoy it every morning! I have also started a daily regimen of probiotics, which has been shown to help reduce IBS symptoms.

I find treatments such as stress reduction and healthy bacteria to be so interesting because, clearly, this is not JUST a physiological ailment. If my symptoms were purely based on an allergic or immune response, I should react to the same foods all the time. Because my response to them can vary based on the presence of other stimuli, other factors must be at play.

More and more, effective medications are being found to treat this disorder. For now, I’ve chosen to not use them. I’ve stated before that I’ve become disillusioned with modern society’s over-reliance on “magic pills” to fix everything. I don’t shun modern medicine, but this is one arena where mindfulness and behavior changes can bring positive improvement, sometimes without the use of drugs at all–though the need for medication varies by person as well. (To be clear, I don’t consider a probiotic to be a “magic pill”. Namely, because it is righting the actual issue that experts believe is playing a part in causing Irritable Bowel Syndrome, to begin with, that of inaccurate bacteria growth within the gut.)

Gut health and IBS

The gut is known to be a common place we all hold stress. When I’m under pressure, I regularly notice stomach cramps as I unconsciously hold tension in my abdominal muscles. This can trigger an IBS attack. If my body is reacting to a food I’ve eaten, there isn’t much I can do. However, if my symptoms are due to tension (and I have learned to feel the difference) I have literally stopped an IBS episode using nothing but relaxation and deep-breathing techniques. How empowering is it when we can see real, positive changes in our health just by changing factors that we have control over?

A connection between IBS and anxiety?

There is a known correlation between IBS and anxiety, though it isn’t fully understood. (I hear my Research Methods prof in the back of my head right now saying, “correlation is not causation!”) While an exact link between IBS and anxiety has not been successfully proven, it is not unusual for people who suffer from IBS to also struggle with an anxiety disorder or vice versa.

Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows that I wrestle with both. Researchers don’t know why this occurs, but they have some ideas:

- - It may be that the body is lacking nutrients as IBS can cause the gut to not absorb them from food well. More and more, problems in the gut (and subsequent nutritional deficiencies) are being linked to numerous physical and mental health issues, even if they once appeared seemingly unrelated.
  - It could also be that the stress brought about by anxiety causes changes in the gut flora, mini-muscle contractions, or a more acidic gut environment, all of which can then lead to the IBS symptoms.

Invisible Illnesses are Real

IBS is different for every person who suffers from it. It’s complicated and it’s hard to explain. The bottom line, this condition is a very real part of the lives of millions of people around the world, and it can hinder life greatly. I hope, one day, they find a cure for this life-altering and chronic condition, but until they do, I hope to continue employing the methods mentioned above to decrease the severity and frequency of my symptoms.

Do you struggle with an invisible illness like IBS? Tell me about it in the comments!

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Weeding as a Mindfulness Exercise

In this post, I discuss the peace that I take from the practice of grounding, which can be practiced by simply engaging in outdoor chores, like weeding.

This may sound odd, but I find weeding and gardening to be a mindfulness exercise (nobody tell Mr. Trekker that! 🤫)

Some people find things like folding laundry, cleaning the house, or doing dishes to be meditative. While I can see their point, those chores just don’t do it for me. 🙃 For whatever reason, weeding and flower gardening are some of the only activities (aside from outdoor recreation) that I find actually calm my racing thoughts. Though I may get tired when completing these tasks, I don’t get bored. Time doesn’t drag by. I find I’m often, satisfyingly surprised at how much I can get done in a short amount of time.

I read an article about people who have gained a substantial following on Pinterest showing off their techniques for keeping their houses so clean. While the writer agreed completing these tasks can be satisfying, she also worried seeing the level of cleanliness that others are able to maintain could add stress for some people, as they may not feel they can live up to those standards.

I can understand either perspective. I don’t intend to make anyone feel bad if they don’t always find time to keep up with their yard work. I can only speak to my personal experience. I am just regularly amazed how my mind, that constantly swims with numerous thoughts on various subjects, can be completely calmed just by working in the dirt a bit. Maybe this is why I’m Nature Girl! 😉

These activities also give me the opportunity to think through–and sometimes resolve–issues I’ve been struggling with. In distressing, stressful times, I find comfort in “playing in the dirt”. When I can get my hands busy with tangible tasks, I’m able to focus on just one idea at any given moment. On other occasions, my mind is actually able to completely relax and let go.

I think some of this is due to the fact that it’s incredibly satisfying to complete a physical task and see that something looks “better” after you’ve finished with it. I feel a lot of satisfaction when I look out the kitchen window and see flower beds that are well-maintained, where, just a few, short hours ago, they were shaggy with weeds and grass.

I think in our modern world, where so much of the work we complete is often either on a computer or even web-based, you can spend an entire day putting large amounts of energy into work–and can potentially accomplish quite a lot–but it isn’t as satisfying. There is nothing you can hold in your hand (or a desk free of piles of work) that allows you to feel like, “I made that happen”. There is something very real in the physicality required to complete tangible tasks.

There is some scientific basis for these feelings. “Grounding”, or “earthing” is a concept based on the idea that modern life keeps us separated from direct contact with our natural environment, much to our disadvantage. The theory is that the earth maintains a slightly negative electrical charge, while our bodies build up an excess positive charge, an effect of inflammation over time. So, coming into contact with the earth helps to bring us back into equilibrium. You wouldn’t be surprised to learn that these ideas are a bit controversial. 😮

Another blog I like, The Wellness Mama, offers a more in-depth explanation of these practices. While some studies are ongoing, nothing substantial has been proven regarding these theories…yet. The National Center for Biotechnology Information offers two of the more serious, scientific studies that have been completed on the topic, one of which discusses the health benefits of gardening. They can be found here and here.

Something special just seems to occur when our bodies come into direct contact with nature. I’ve spoken before about the peace I (and many others) feel in a connection with the natural world. The idea of forest bathing comes from this same connection. Humans spent eons living as a part of nature, that’s how we evolved. Is it really so far-fetched to believe there may be true health benefits found in a literal connection with that world?

In our modern existence of artificial lighting, artificial air, and artificial substances, is it any wonder that a lack of that connection may have detrimental effects on us?

Some of this starts to get into the outer limits of what science can currently prove, so I can understand if people may be a little skeptical. I’m not trying to suggest that playing in the dirt is the magic cure for all that ails us. But, I do feel better when I engage in a little gardening, so aside from a few dirty fingernails, what can be the harm?

A patch of purple and white iris — Just because I love it when my Iris’ are in bloom!

Do you find there are meditative qualities in simple, hand’s-on tasks? Tell me about them in the comments!

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Summer Solstice: The Longest Day

I discuss my feelings on the longest day of the year

The Summer Solstice, also called “Midsummer”, is the longest day of the year. Despite the name, most people don’t think of this date as the middle of summer (especially in parts of the country like the Black Hills where it isn’t unusual to see snowfall well into May! 😮) The calendar says today is the first, official day of the warm season, though that doesn’t feel quite right either since many of us have been enjoying warm weather for a while now…

Reflecting on the Summer Solstice

Today is always a day of reflection for me…

I’ve written extensively about my struggle with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) during the winter months. I’ve also discussed how I look forward to the Winter Solstice because our waning daylight finally begins its triumphant return after the shortest day of the year. Ironically the opposite extreme, the Summer Solstice, always makes me a little sad.

While I don’t struggle with SAD symptoms this time of the year, today is always a bit of a “downer” for me. Don’t get me wrong, I FULLY appreciate the more than 15 hours of sunshine we enjoy in the Northern Plains this time of year. 😎 But I will miss the sun, that bright companion that makes even the most difficult of days just a bit more cheerful.

Now that our daylight will be slowly decreasing, I won’t miss getting woken up at 4:00 every morning. My body is VERY sensitive to daylight so, if it’s light out, I’m awake. 😛 (This is especially troublesome when you have a bedroom that faces east). It got so troublesome I had to start wearing a sleeping mask to block out the daylight. 😝 It can also be a struggle to go to bed at a decent time when it stays light and warm out till almost 10 pm, and I need to get to sleep because my body is gonna wake me up again at 4! 😛

On this, the day of the year with the longest amount of daylight, I enjoy sitting on the back deck in the early morning, watching the sunrise, before the sounds of children playing outside and neighbors mowing their lawns takes over. The combination of the leafy and pine-needled greens that surround our backyard, combined with the cacophony of birds tweeting, complete with the dampness that starts the day, makes it almost feel like you’re in the middle of a rainforest. It’s a great time for reflecting, meditating, and/or journaling. We can’t hold on to daylight any more than we can hold the waves in place on the sand. So, we have to be fully present in each moment we are blessed with and embrace the joy to be found there.

Origins of the Summer Solstice

People who practice the Pagan religion call this day “Litha”, special ceremonies are even held at Stonehenge to commemorate the many hours of sunlight. In recent years I have developed my own little celebration. I try to get up early so that I can enjoy both the sunrise and sunset on this day. I try to spend as much time as possible experiencing every moment of today’s daylight. I want to soak up as much Vitamin D as I can, to start storing it up for the shorter days to come. 🌞

To our friends in the Southern Hemisphere, you can enjoy your “season in the sun” for a while now. Don’t get too comfortable with it though, we’re going to take it back in six months! 😎

Do you have any traditions to celebrate the longest day of the year? Tell me about them in the comments!

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A Day in the Life of a Freelancer

In this post, I detail what I learned from my experience working as a freelancer.

Author’s Note: I wrote this article several years ago when I was working as a Freelancer, writing grants, online articles, and doing some consulting. Unfortunately, COVID brought that opportunity to a grinding halt (though I now have a more typical “9 to 5 job” I’m still blessed that it’s very flexible and it allows me to frequently work from home.) I thought people may still find my Freelance experience interesting though and I do hope to return to this type of work someday.

I cannot express how thankful I was that I was able to seize this opportunity. My thanks especially go out to my amazing hubby, as without him this wouldn’t have been possible (both emotionally and financially). A word of warning, this type of work is not all roses and sunshine. It’s hard work, there isn’t a lot of job security and it requires a large amount of personal discipline. But the freedom it gave me to live my life as I chose made it all worth it!

Can you freelance in most professions?

Freelance work covers a wide range of industries. It can be anything from online writing, web design, or consulting to an artist who is contracted for work or a person selling beauty products or supplements on the side.

A freelancer could be a stay-at-home parent who babysits other people’s children in addition to their own, jobs like Uber, or a dog walker. Basically, it is any service contracted between you and another party, for any type of payment.

Payment may not even be financial in nature. While I firmly believe no one should work for “free”, it isn’t unusual to do at least some freelance work for no financial compensation. Instead, “payment” could include experience earned, connections made, or even just the hope of future dividends paid. I got started as a volunteer and this eventually morphed into a paid opportunity.

Freelancing can be a physical job based on a hand-shake with a real human, or a gig in the new, online workforce where you may never meet or even see your client face-to-face. Literally ANYONE can do this!

Is freelancing a “real” job?

The answer is a resounding YES! (and it can be TOUGH!) Freelancing often gets a bad rap. It’s become more and more accepted and normal in the past few years (especially during COVID), and trends suggest this will only continue into the future.

But many people (and even some businesses and potential employers) treat it with condescension. They think all we freelancers do is sit on the porch all day, sipping on lemonade while we type on our laptops.

To be fair, there is a little truth to this idea (says the woman who is currently typing on her laptop while sitting on the porch. 😇)

But many don’t realize the effort that goes into freelancing…

A freelance job is stressful

I didn’t fully appreciate just how stressful freelancing would be when I first started. There are things they don’t tell you about this “dream job”. For one, you literally don’t get paid unless you’re actively working. That may seem silly to say, but you don’t realize just how tiring a day of work can be until you don’t make a dime unless the project is delivered and completed, to the client’s liking. Whether it takes you two hours or two days to complete the project, the payment is the same. Even if you bill a client on an hourly basis, you have to justify every minute of that hour.

At a typical hourly (or even salaried) job, you get paid for those breaks you take to run to the coffee machine, or the bathroom, or to stop by a coworker’s desk to discuss a project (and end up shooting the breeze for the next 20 minutes). As a freelancer, you don’t, you literally have to work for every…single…cent you make. It’s a wonderful, flexible, exhilarating, rewarding experience, but it’s also tiring. I can honestly say I felt more tired at the end of the day, working part-time from home as a freelancer, than I almost ever have working a normal, 9 – 5, hourly job.

There is a lack of job security with freelance work

There is also the financial strain of fluctuating, irregular income, and extreme job uncertainty with freelance work. While no job is “guaranteed”, people with long-term employment are usually pretty comfortable that their job will still be there next week or next month. With freelancing, there is virtually no job security. There are some contracted positions, but those are usually only “guaranteed” until the current project is complete (and as we all learned with COVID you can be laid off at any time, with little to no warning.) Most freelancers are continuously seeking out new work.

Freelancers work an irregular schedule

You can spend days or weeks with almost no work, and then a big project will crop up with little notice (which is wonderful, for the money and experience, but it can cause a lot of sudden stress and really throw off a family routine).

Please understand I don’t intend any of these statements as complaints. I LOVED working as a freelancer and hope to return to it someday. I am VERY aware of just how fortunate I was to even be allowed this opportunity. I just want people to understand that just like any job, working for yourself has its challenges, as well.

Freelancer pearls of wisdom

I learned a lot through my freelancer experience, and I know a lot of freelancers who are striving to make their “side-hustles” work, so I thought I’d pass on a few pearls of wisdom:

–Freelance work is INCREDIBLY rewarding. This was one of the only jobs where I actually felt like I EARNED every single dime I made (don’t tell any of my “real” bosses I said that! 😛) That felt REALLY GOOD!

It was ironic, I made less working as a freelancer than I had in more than a decade, but I felt more proud of the work I did and the income I received. It reminded me of when I first started working in high school. Even though the checks weren’t large, I knew I busted my butt for every single dime I received (of course, then Uncle Sam comes in and takes his share…😤)

–I find online freelance work can be surreal. It IS work, it takes time, planning, and mental energy. But it doesn’t FEEL “real”. Depending on the type of work you do, tt may not be unusual to only communicate with clients via email or online messaging. You may never hear their actual voice, or even know what they look like! Then there’s also the fact that your work is magically sent into the ether that is the World Wide Web, and then, a while later, if the client is pleased, money magically appears in your bank account. 😮

I’ve gotten several jobs through Upwork, a freelance matching service. There are several platforms like this out there that allow freelancers to connect with potential clients around the world. I’ve worked with companies as far away as Seattle. Living in western South Dakota, just a few, short years ago it would have been hard to even connect with a place like this.

–I am still somewhat amazed that you can actually make a decent income, literally working from your backyard. I have learned that there are actually legitimate companies out there that will pay you a decent wage to work from home. It takes a little luck to get established and to find some of the connections, but once you get over that hurdle, depending on the time you have available, your internet connectivity, your skillset, and your determination, you can make a decent career for yourself as a freelancer.

–I liked being able to pick and choose what companies I wanted to work with and what projects I wanted to work on. Obviously, if I was picky, that meant less money in my pocket. But it enriches your work life when you don’t have a boss forcing you to work on a project you aren’t interested in or being forced to work with a company you don’t respect.

–I had to learn about things like quarterly tax payments to the state, and “estimated tax” to the Federal government. Ugh, every time I had to deal with the bureaucracy involved with these my Libertarian heart grew a little larger (and I say that as a former State employee living in a business-tax-friendly state! 🤑)

–Then there’s the constant bane of my existence, the one act of blogging that makes me want to rip my hair out and throw the–not inexpensive–laptop across the room…the dreaded coding. 🤮 I HATE coding! I’m learning to do it, though I’m still an extreme novice, but I HATE it. I know, this is an unpopular opinion, and I probably just made a bunch of “Women-in-STEM” advocates cringe, 😉 but I can’t help it. I HATE it! 😋

I find coding is a tedious process. The more I understand, the more I can use it, but it just doesn’t spark my interest. A lot of people really enjoy it, and I can kind of understand why. It is like a puzzle that needs to be solved (kind of like math, which I also HATE! 😉)

But for me, the time spent trying to figure out why that stupid heading INSISTS on remaining in the middle of the page just feels like a waste of time. It’s probably mostly that the blog isn’t making much income at this time. That’s ok, that’s how these things work and I understand that. The hope is that it will pay dividends in the future. But I think the stress of spending hours fighting the code would be much easier to handle if a hefty salary came along with it. 😛

Goals I was able to achieve in my attempt at freelancing:

- - I’ve was able to develop a decent portfolio of online travel writing that served me well in long-standing jobs
  - My grant writing career didn’t progress like I hoped it would. COVID, and the resulting economic decline saw to that. I did find I could only focus on a few projects at once, so having one or two clients I could place all my focus on was much better than having to divide that focus out among numerous agencies.I originally started by providing volunteer services. I learned A LOT during those years, and am happy to say that knowledge paid off as several grants I submitted were approved for funding. It’s incredibly satisfying to be able to help local, non-profit agencies that I care about and can see literally helping people in my own community, to be able to continue to provide those necessary services.
  - For a short time, I was able to work as a consultant for a local agency and was able to pull from several previous jobs to succeed in that position.
  - Regarding the blog, I have learned SO MUCH regarding marketing, social media, and coding and I’ve even begun to master the much-dreaded SEO. 😮 Don’t let anybody kid you, maintaining a blog can be a full-time job in itself. But I’m excited to say I’m finally starting to see some success and growth!

You won’t find a more flexible, family-friendly work environment than that of a freelancer. But, there’s also the stress that comes from uncertain job security and the financial strain that’s caused when you move away from a steady, full-time income (and benefits). This is made far easier for anyone who can lean on a partner or spouse for financial support or things like health insurance, but not everyone is in that position, which makes freelancing even more difficult.

To Conclude

Many people pursue freelancing on a part-time basis as the ever-popular “side hustle“. This is a GREAT way to get started, it’s also far smarter and more secure financially. But it poses problems of its own…

We’re all busy, trying to carve out time in our days around work, house chores, dealing with kids and/or elderly parents, or working around busy family schedules. Finding time to fit in an additional job, especially one where you may not make much money for the first several years, can feel like an insurmountable obstacle.

I pursued this endeavor under the best of circumstances (I was financially able to lean on a partner for support and we don’t have kids), and I STILL felt the stress and eventually failed at my endeavor (at least for now. 😉) I can’t imagine how people who deal with additional stressors manage. So to all the other freelancers out there, trying to make it as a pioneer in this new, gig economy, my hats off to you!

Have you done freelance work? What have you learned? Are you interested in becoming a freelancer? What additional questions do you have? Let me know in the comments!

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A Sustainable Low-carb Lifestyle

In this post, I review how I’m continuing to implement some low-carb recipes into my everyday diet.

Several years ago I tried to go low-carb as part of my Lenten fast. I’ve been able to maintain some of the low-carb practices and recipes I learned during that experiment and make them a sustainable part of my everyday life. I’ve had some interesting results.

The low-carb diet killed my sweet tooth!

It appears that my sweet tooth took a bit of a hit during my low-carb experiment. (I suppose some may consider this a good thing. 😛) I still enjoy sweets, I just find that my tolerance for them is lower. Or, at least, that my “palate fatigue” is stronger in regards to sweet treats. (This mechanism was discussed in the Paleo and Keto Diet book I reviewed in a previous post.) This seems to mean that while I still have a desire for sweet foods, and still enjoy them, my craving for them ends more quickly and it is easier to put them aside.

I also find I no longer have any interest in something that is “just sweet”. This would be treats such as milk chocolate or plain Rice Krispy squares. If I’m going to stimulate my sweet tooth these days, I need something with real flavor. Dark chocolate and/or treats that include peanut butter now seem to be the most appealing.

Better low-carb food choices…

I’m also striving to continue to snack more healthily, and have been attempting to stick with nuts, trail mix, and granola bars, rather than chips or sweet snacks. I’ve still been trying to keep more whole grains, brown and wild rice, whole-wheat flour, and more “breads with seeds” (as Mr. Trekker calls them 😉) in my diet as well. One of our new favorites is a rice medley of brown and wild rice that I add edamame to. Sprinkle a little soy sauce on for added flavor and it is divine! It’s also filling and really sticks with you! (See the pic above for the finished product!)

I have been rather proud of myself. In addition to having less of a sweet tooth, I’m still finding I don’t crave processed foods as much as I used to. I allow myself to eat these occasionally, but now I seem to be able to make a single bag of Cheetos last SEVERAL weeks when I used to only be able to contain my impulses on these favorite snacks for a few days. I am also finding that certain “naughty” foods, such as sweets, or fast food items, just don’t taste all that good anymore. This makes them far easier to say “no” to! 😁

Every now and then I continue to get the occasional, lightly-queasy feeling I mentioned previously, which I’m hoping means I’m still eating fewer carbs than I used to since this seems to be a normal side effect of a low-carb diet. It usually only occurs when I’m getting hungry, and I’m still finding that a handful of peanuts seems to take care of it rather effectively.

Fasting as part of a healthy diet

I’m also still trying to implement 12:12 fasting as well, where I try to eat mostly between the hours of 7:30 am – 7:30 pm. This is harder in the summer as it remains light so late. We tend to be outside in the evening, adventuring, or even just doing yard work, so sometimes dinner hasn’t even occurred yet by 7:30. This is especially true on weekends, though I tend to be more lenient with myself on those days.

Nausea from too many carbs…

I had an unexpected experience regarding white-pasta. We had spaghetti one night as well as some breadsticks. My body had a few things to say about this…

A short time after we finished dinner, the feeling came on fast. It was kind of like an odd mix of heartburn and an IBS episode, but without any pain. I just felt very strange. It felt like there was a giant brick in my stomach, weighing me down. Then I started to feel a bit shaky. I was also sweating profusely (with IBS episodes I break out into a cold sweat, get chills, and shake, but I also have intense stomach cramps). With the help of Tums, some ginger ale, and a little rest, I quickly got to feeling much better.

Related posts: Yummy Low-Carb Foods; Final Thoughts on Low-Carb Lent

This was a one-time occurrence and I haven’t had a relapse. I’m assuming my body just didn’t know how to handle that large brick of carbs anymore. I ate white-flour noodles and white-flour garlic breadsticks, and really nothing else. I had no cheese or protein, and even the sauce I used was a light, Italian sauce. On the other occasions that I’ve eaten large amounts of carbs, it was always mixed with other proteins or cheeses, such as in pizza.

I will say, I’m used to my stomach doing strange things, but that was a whole new experience. 🤢

Conclusion

My body seems to function best with a higher carb intake (healthier carbs at least) rather than what a typical, low-carb diet allows for. Overall, I think this crazy diet had a beneficial effect on me. I’m happy to see that while I’m in no way maintaining a strict, low-carb diet any longer, the experience seems to continue to encourage my appetite to lean toward healthier foods.

What steps do you take to maintain a lower carb intake? Tell me about them in the comments!

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