All posts by Deidre

A child of Colorado, Delaware, Oregon, and California – where she obtained her first college degree and became a Nursing Home Administrator – Deidre Edwards now resides in North Carolina. While helping her husband start a video production business and raising their two children, Deidre returned to college to earn her nursing degree. A teacher at heart, she soon applied her nursing skills and knowledge to helping high school students expand their medical career interests through the Health Science Program she established. After retiring from teaching, Deidre wrote her first book – Toolkit for Wellness – as a response to the health issues she witnessed while working. She witnessed both students and staff had struggling with excess weight, diabetes, poor food choices, and stress issues – yet everyone shared the desire for a healthier life. Her easy-to-understand explanations of body functions and how foods break down, clearly show her passion for teaching others. Deidre’s dual passion in learning about habits and habit formation is expressed in her books and regular blog writings so others can learn how to make big improvements through daily small changes. Life took a dramatic turn when Deidre’s husband became confined to bed under Hospice care at home for over two years. With all of her nursing skills on board, and a deep love between them to sweeten the moments, she provided the loving, quality-of-life care he needed. Still the teacher at heart, Deidre realized there was a huge need to light the way for others as they walked the path of caregiving for a loved one. Hence, she wrote Toolkit for Caregivers and Love Lives Here, Toolkit for Caregiver Survival. Together, both books address the caregiving processes, skills, and issues for before, during, and afterward. Deidre continues to be involved with her community through choral singing groups, volunteering for the North Carolina Symphony, Chamber of Commerce, church functions, and activities with friends and family. She also enjoys the time she spends promoting her books and speaking with others about health and caregiving.
Anti-Inflammatory Foods, Blogging for good health!, Recipes, This -n- That

Big Reveal And A Recipe Bonus!

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Before I share another crowd-pleasing recipe with you, I want to share some joyful news. 

It’s been almost a year in the making, and it is in the final incubating stage of refinement. Clearly, too long for a human baby announcement, and there’s no elephant-cam watch because they take two years gestation.  

So, what could it be? 

Just as a proud new parent, the Caregiver Series now has another member! Number three in the series is … Toolkit for Caregiver Emotions – What you’re feeling is normal – Discover your coping and resilience skills.  

Here’s the book cover that depicts how we can shelter ourselves from life’s storms to create calm and balance: 

Not only has the cover been created but … drumroll … Toolkit for Caregiver Emotions, is now ready for PREORDER on Amazon! 

As editorial reviews, final formatting, launch team creation, and marketing are completed, I have committed to a publication date of August 2nd – which hopefully, will be changed to an earlier date. 

When you preorder through Amazon eBooks, the sale is charged when the eBook is delivered. Preordering boosts sales; which, in turn, helps the Amazon algorithm make the book more visible to additional shoppers.  

So many people have been asking for this ground-breaking book for caregivers, and I am so happy to bring it to fruition. The frank conversations about emotions, along with the coping and resilience skills I share, are universally applicable – whether you are a caregiver or not. 

With the help of readers placing preorders, the visibility of Toolkit for Caregiver Emotions on Amazon should increase. 

Yes, there will be a print version as well, but preorders are only available for eBooks. 

Stay tuned for more information. 

LET’S TALK VEGGIES!! 

On to squash. Yellow squash, specifically. 

Squash elicits two responses. There’s the, “Yuck!” crowd; and there’s the, “I LOVE YELLOW SQUASH!” crowd.  

Converts to the second group happened after tasting my recipe – just saying. 

Growers of yellow squash delight in learning of any recipe that uses up their bountiful crops. Truly, most cooks already have a favorite yellow squash casserole recipe, but judging from recent comments by dinner party guests, I am sharing my gluten-free version for those who do not. 

A few tips before we get to the specifics: 

Quantities are often difficult to nail down, but this recipe makes enough for a 9” x 13” glass casserole dish. I’ve melded three recipes to get my version, and the range of the number of squashes was significant – also, the size of fresh vegetables can vary greatly. Just relax and enjoy your cooking experience – it will all work out. 

Since the goal of foodtalk4you is an anti-inflammatory cuisine and lifestyle, I have used gluten-free options whenever possible, but there is a dairy element. The French-fried onion rings by French’s, contain gluten; but there is a Kroger brand available that is gluten-free. Alternatively, gluten-free panko crumbs are an option for the topping. 

Our editor, Sheree Alderman, is making this recipe downloadable and printable below. I hope you enjoy it! 

SQUASH-CASSEROLE-by-Foodtalk4youDownload

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In health – 

 Deidre  

Anti-Inflammatory Foods, Blogging for good health!, Habit Building, Recipes

Famous Salad or Tik Tok Imposter?

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Well, the recipe I ripped from the Internet was being passed off as, ‘How to Make Jennifer Aniston’s Friends Salad’.

Touted as the famous salad the cast ate every day for 10 years while on the set of Friends, I was intrigued. The ingredients looked good since they qualified as being on the Mediterranean Diet.

Prepping in advance for a recent birthday dinner party for my sweetheart, I easily substituted naturally gluten-free quinoa for the Bulgur wheat that the recipe used.

The full recipe is available at the end of the post for you to download and print. Since one of our guests is vegetarian, I did not use the optional turkey-bacon.

Easy to assemble, light and refreshing to eat, this is now a favorite to serve to appreciative guests.

But really, what was the history of this salad?

With just a little sleuthing, I was able to discover that the 2022 viral Tic Tok recipe was not the actual one she and the other cast members ate.

Here is her description of the modified Cobb salad they ate from the commissary:

* “It was just lettuce, iceberg, I believe, which has zero nutritional benefits, and chopped tomato, garbanzo beans – too many garbanzo beans is a little bad for your tummy – mine, personally – salami, crunchy turkey-bacon, and chicken. Oh, and Pecorino cheese – and it was topped with Italian dressing.”

Jenifer does conclude her comments by saying she would totally eat the recipe I am sharing with you – it’s just not the one they ate.

Good to know.

This is such a versatile recipe – I could see adding halved cherry tomatoes, diced chicken, or olives – and it’s perfect for making ahead and storing overnight to let the flavors meld.

Enjoy this impostor salad anytime, as a main meal or side dish.

Feel free to share this post with your real-life friends using the options under the MORE button below.

Next week, I’ll reveal the cover to my next book, Toolkit for Caregiver Emotions, which will be available for pre-orders on Amazon very soon.

In health –

Deidre

* Taken from a filmed interview of Jennifer Aniston with Allure

How-to-Make-Jennifer-Aniston-Salad-RDownload
Anti-Inflammatory Foods, Blogging for good health!, Recipes, Stress Reduction

Happy Valentine’s Day!!

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Happy Valentine’ Day, sweet readers!

Did you craft a Valentine for someone from last week’s post?

If you are careful in cutting out the heart shape in the front piece, you have a handy heart to place on a rectangle of paper that can be taped onto blank card stock. Two cards for one!

Listening to a favorite meditation message from Amit Sood recently, I was reminded about how we share in spreading happiness. I call it, “making the day.”

He said, no matter our job or station in life, each of us has a job description that includes being a “Happiness Officer.”

Bottom line, it’s up to each of us to spread happiness wherever we go. Every day.

I am pleased to report that many people do this – or at least, many people join me as I endeavor to make light of potentially frustrating situations.

Today’s return of goods to a local big box hardware store seemed to drag on forever.

As one who frequently is frustrated with computer glitches, I turned a sympathetic ear to the cashier who was trying to get information from a new system. When that failed, she tried the old system. Even her boss was not getting the information needed to complete the return.

Noting a line had formed behind me, I apologized for the delay to them. The next in line said it was okay, and I commented in a lighthearted fashion something about, “you gotta love computers.”

The store’s music system was playing a lively tune which I may have bounced to. These days, especially, I want everyone around me to pick up on a body language and tone of voice from me that says I am patient and understanding. We never know who we might be influencing.

When a resolution to the situation was developed, I expressed appreciation for their diligence, creativity, and customer care.

With news about people on their last thread of sanity doing regrettable things, it seems to be more important than ever to take our job description of “Happiness Officer” to heart.

Speaking of happiness … I really like oatmeal, but …

How do you dress up a serving of leftover oatmeal?

We jokingly call my mixture of gluten-free: Oatmeal, steel cut oats, buckwheat, and ground flax seed, “gruel,” and I frequently prepare extra just to have leftovers.

I store and refrigerate the leftover hot cereal in a loaf-shaped dish so I can cut off 1/2 inch slices to brown in a pan with a dab of butter on medium heat the next day.

These browned slices can be eaten plain or dressed up with fresh or cooked fruit. Today, I cooked some Mackintosh apples until they were almost like applesauce and put a dollop on each slice. Yum.

Can you find a situation you can adorn with your brand of happiness?

May we all be Happiness Officers to everyone –

Deidre

You may share this post by using the options under the MORE button below.

Anti-Inflammatory Foods, Blogging for good health!, Recipes, This -n- That

I Love You, Snukums!

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Few holidays garner such visceral responses.

Our early childhood saw us delighted with glue, scissors, red paper hearts, and lots of glitter.

Then we might have experienced fewer Valentines in our sacks at school than others, or maybe the ones we were given were not the prettiest of the bunch and amounted to getting the rejects.

Later, we pined for romantic Valentines complete with a hand-holding sweetheart.

No sweetheart? Well, then, we started disliking Valentine’s Day. “Happy Singles Awareness Day” became our slogan. Groan.

“I hate Valentine’s Day” can often be heard. Too bad.

I’ve had my share of being single for this festival of romantic love. It is tough. It does not feel good in the heart.

BUT – we can expand our view of this celebration by making a big deal out of ALL the forms of love we find around us. Honor family love, deep friendships, new friendships, and honor the friendless.

Today, I’m sharing two of my favorite ways of saying, “I love you!” One is a pastime that morphs with the seasons, and another is a special treat. It is my way of giving you something of myself that may brighten your day.

Cards made using Iris Paper Folding

This art form uses the layering concept of a camera’s iris and this heart card is the first one I learned. The finished card’s look is infinitely variable and requires just few supplies and a pattern:

Supplies:

IRIS PAPER FOLDING PATTERNDownload

3 sheets of printed craft paper with complementary colors/designs

1 sheet of heavier weight craft paper for the card face plate

Blank card and envelope – 5 inch x 6.5 inch/12.7 cm x 16.5 cm white, ivory, or colored

Scissors are a must and a paper cutter if you have one.

X-ACTO craft knife

Cellophane tape and double-sided tape

Small heart sticker or jewel sticker

Steps

Prepare the papers:

Cut the pink heart frame into a 6-inch x 4.5 inch or 15.24 cm x 11.43 cm rectangle.

Cut your personalized-color fold-able sheets into 3/4 in or 1.91 cm strips using cutter or scissors – you will need 2-3 strips of each color.

Print two copies of the pattern.

Using the crafter’s knife, carefully cut out the heart shape from one pink frame. *Make sure to use something to protect your table surface! I use the thick pressed cardboard found as a backing to packets of square craft paper.

Place and center the heart shape under the pink frame and trace around it’s shape with an erasable pencil.

Using the craft knife, carefully cut out the heart. *Protect your work surface! Save the heart shape for future use on a different kind of card.

Tip: Color your second pattern with highlighters to make placing your three colors/patterns easier.

Put the resulting frame, with heart shape cut out, FACE DOWN over the whole second pattern and secure with a bit of painter’s tape at two corners.

Fold the edge of each paper as shown in the following photo.

Using your first color, cut a piece of the strip a bit longer than the area needed for space #1. The folded edge will go toward the center of the heart. Secure each piece with tape at the end.

Note: I use a piece of tape that’s almost 1-inch long and tear that piece in half. Use these smaller pieces to tape the strips onto the heart’s frame back. Don’t allow any tape to be exposed to what will be the card front.

Continue taping trimmed pieces, following the flow of the pattern 1-2-3-4-5, etc.

NOTE: The point of the heart can get congested with extra paper, so trimming pieces to a point can help with that.

When all pieces have been placed, peel back the painter’s tape for the big reveal!

Next, using the double sided tape, picture frame the BACK of the card you just created. The tape should be placed as near the card’s back edge as possible and go completely around the card.

Fold the blank card stock in half, and carefully center your card over the blank card, lowering to the surface and pressing down all edges.

Select your heart sticker or jewel and place in the center of the iris.

Voila!

Since there were no Christmas cards from me this year, my Valentine’s Day cards will be mailed to family and friends. It’s a gift they will treasure, and each will contain a note of appreciation and love.

SCONES-THAT-LOVE-YOU-BACKDownload

Scones that love you back – Still a favorite recipe that is also an excellent way to say, “I love you!” or, “I appreciate you!”

Just download and follow the recipe. What a perfect Valentine’s touch to breakfast on the 14th – or any day!

Who can you craft a card for? If not a romantic love, there’s someone who needs a special note of caring from you. Who will it be?

Feel free to share the love of this post by using the social medial options under the MORE button below.

In love and health – I truly appreciate each one of you!

Deidre



Blogging for good health!, Habit Building, Stress Reduction, This -n- That

Kaizen in Action – Part 2

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Sometimes the inspiration and application of an idea can come from a familiar message that’s been put into new words.

That old idea will grab us in a new way, when it’s presented from a different angle.

I’ve written about taking small steps for years, both here and in my books. But this book about Kaizen I referred to last week, has been just what I needed.

And look – even its size reflects its message!

As I stood in the chaos of moving boxes, not sure of which way to go because some of the options required other efforts to complete, I put Kaizen to work.

Clearly, the whole project, or even part of the project, was not going to be finished that day. What was one tiny thing within my reach that I could put away? One thing.

Easy enough. Done.

Next?

By the end of the morning, I had finished moving my things into the bathroom: Shelving assembled under the sink, objects sorted, discarded, and put away.

This job had been put off for several weeks. I had enough personal hair, make up, and tooth brushing supplies – it was not an urgent task, but to complete moving in, required me to get these things out of the ugly box in my new bedroom.

You can imagine the sense of accomplishment – albeit small – that propelled me to tackle one more object in another box. Ultimately, four or five boxes were processed that day. Wow!

Reading Maurer’s book opened my eyes to another reason why small is good.

Approaching any topic from the point of view of making the smallest changes is simply more user friendly, because we are comfortable with small steps.

When faced with change involving big ideas and big leaps, our fight-or-flight response is triggered. Our body prepares for physical action (fight or flight) and the circuits for less critical operations are shut down.

In a fight-or-flight response, we do not need to digest lunch, or think about our relations with Aunt Sarah. We need to stand and fight, or get out of Dodge as fast as possible.

The problem we face in everyday situations that bring on this response is that it also brings on some degree of fear. We fear departing from anything that takes us away from the norm – and we often end up like deer in the headlights. Stuck. Frozen.

Looking at major projects can leave us wringing our hands and walking in circles.

But, learning to take the smallest step possible keeps that fight-or-flight response asleep. We can tiptoe right around it.

I’m not opening and putting away fifty boxes today. I’m going to find a home for this bottle of Listerine.

Twice weekly, extreme gym workouts aren’t happening; but I did 5 minutes of arm exercises with 3 pound weights during the commercials last night – several times. Whenever I relocate my 5 pound weights, I’ll use them to ramp up the experience.

Little things.

How can you dissolve the potential fear of facing a large or difficult project by finding the smallest possible step to take?

What’s one thing you can do for your health today?

How can you incorporate one more glass of water into your day?

Are you looking at a mess? What is one small object you can put away?

Thank you for reading foodtalk4you. If you haven’t subscribed yet, just scroll down your screen or look to the upper left along this article to subscribe today. We won’t bug you, promise. Just one email a week to alert you to the new post.

Quietly stepping around that fight-or-flight tiger.

In health –

Deidre

Blogging for good health!, Habit Building, Stress Reduction, This -n- That

New Year – New Word!

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Bet you thought I had forgotten. Life was such a whirlwind last year, I did forget – at least to write about it.

This year, the ripples of past words and ideas returned to me – this time through an author friend, Otakara Klettke – who posted a query to her friends about what they had chosen as their 2023 Word of the Year.

Brilliant!

I grow so much from 1) setting a mindful intention for my new year and 2) spreading out the contents of last year’s blessings jar – and doing it now, the day after epiphany (as I write this), seems appropriate.

Besides, blessings are pouring in for 2023, and I need an empty jar to hold my notes!

My unspoken word of the year for 2022 had to have been GROW. What a ride of new experiences! Looking back, I am grateful for how life unfolded: I learned new things and improved on them; how I will do some things better; and how I had such amazing support every step of the way.

With most of these life changes complete, Otakara’s query about my 2023 Word of the Year gave me pause to think. Only one word popped into my mind and spirit: LOVE.

Not that love was lacking at any time in 2022, but my soul wants to turn its striving and focus to love.

Certainly, all intentions need to start at home. I’ll be mindful how I explore and show love to myself; but I long to show love more completely to others through my presence, helpful acts, and remembrances.

So, what is your Word of the Year for 2023?

I think it’s better than a resolution – any day – because it’s an intention set deep in our hearts that colors how we think and proceed. Resolutions fade away even before January ends, but an intention can stick with us.

Write it on a sticky.

Make a pretty drawing around your word.

Paint it on a canvas.

Sharing these easy ideas. Just use the options on the MORE button below to share this post with others.

In health and love –

Deidre

Blogging for good health!, Exercise, Stress Reduction, Titles Worth Reading

Change is Good!!

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It’s not a word on the tip of everyone’s tongue. Kaizen. It comes from two Japanese words “kai,” meaning ‘change,’ and “zen,” meaning ‘good’.

Many of us bristle at the very thought of change. Status quo is the word of the day for many.

But change is as natural as the different seasons in nature – morphing almost imperceptibly into something different. In our own lives, each day is unique, and each phase of our journey is new. We’ve never been here before. Change is our normal state.

Kaizen has also come to mean the process of continuous improvement. Since the early days of Toyota, the Japanese manufacturer was one of the first organizations to embrace the idea that perfection is not a fixed destination – as life evolves – our needs, visions, and approaches change – and so must our methods and products.

Therefore, change can be good.

There’s a lesson to be learned by the way nature changes that we can take into our own efforts for self-improvement.

What is that lesson? Sustainable change – or a process of changing that can be sustainable – must happen gradually.

We don’t jump from frozen ground to full-bloom spring, do we?

Taking the smallest, measurable step each day is enough to get us there. When we show up every day to take our efforts and results just a little farther down the road, that’s exactly what we want.

Sustainability is the key.

If we make our steps giant, challenging leaps, there’s a good chance we will not return the next day. Skipping one day makes starting the next time harder, and makes creating excuses to skip again very alluring and justifiable.

In that vein, the five-minute arm workout I shared with you last week is a perfect example of sustainability. There’s not a big commitment, this routine can be done any time of day or night, and I seem to naturally improve and expand what I do with no special effort.

There’s that Kaizen Principle at work in a simple arm routine.

Yesterday, I morphed a few moves to create a half-dozen more. So fun to do, and variation keeps things fresh!

Try taking a hammer curl to a full overhead arm extension and back again. Then extend that combination to a triceps extension: three moves in one loop.

Add another triceps move by standing upright, arms at the side holding weights, then bend elbows slightly while moving arms back. Hold that position and extend arms back straight. Pause. Flex at the elbow and keep pumping back, pausing at full extension 10-15 times.

If you would like to learn more about the Kaizen principle, I’d like to recommend this book: One Small Step Can Change Your Life The Kaizen Way by Robert Maurer.

I like what I read in the sample, so I have ordered a copy for myself.

My weights are moving around the house like Elf-On-The-Shelf! They are right where I can see and use them the most.

If you enjoyed this post, you can share on social media using the options in the MORE button below.

In health –

Deidre

Blogging for good health!, Exercise, Habit Building, Stress Reduction

Easily Make Your New Year’s Goals Come True!

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Maintaining exercise by carrying moving boxes was easily checked off last year as I made near-daily loops around my neighborhood to keep track of building progress on the new home.

Then lifting, shuffling, and sorting through 42 years of stuff at the old homestead was further enhanced by boxing, toting, and moving that which survived the great throw out.

Arms, legs, and back were all getting their workouts in 2022.

This year, with the moving-in process winding down, my arms need regular workouts. Time to keep my five-pound weights within easy reach for daily impromptu maintenance and strengthening moves.

How do you trigger doing regular exercise at home?

Just keeping my cute pink weights in plain sight and ready-to-use, usually does the trick. I’ve been known to keep them on the hearth in the living room so I can pick them up during commercial time when watching TV.

Some folks like using a habit-tracker like the one I offer as a download for my first book, Toolkit for Wellness. The entire download for that book can be accessed below and you can find the habit tracker on page 6.

Click on the GREEN DOWNLOAD button below to access!

Bonus-Materials-for-Toolkit-for-Wellness-PDFDownload

I’m going to use the habit-tracker this month because I want the visual reward of little check marks adding up.

Whatever your method, let’s get back to some easy arm basics.

Remember to start out using light weights: 1, 2, 3, or 5 pound dumbbells – or use 8 ounce cans of soup or nothing at all. Sore muscles and complaining joints are motivators to abandon exercise, and that would be counterproductive, to say the least.

A little jazzy music helps if you aren’t doing this during a commercial break, and standing is a plus for me – but many of these moves can be done seated.

Whatever position you assume, remember to “pull the string” of symbolically pulling a string at the top of your head to straighten your spine and to get your ears-over-shoulders and shoulders-over-hips.

Pulling the string gets us in good body alignment for optimal movement with decreased chance for injury.

NOTE: I am not a strength or conditioning trainer – this is what I do – proceed using your own wisdom and the recommendations of your medical professional. If you experience pain or discomfort, stop.

Basic Curls

Standing straight, feet should-width apart, holding your light weights, start with straight arms hanging close to your body, and palms facing forward. Bend both elbows slowly lifting the weight toward your shoulders – but do not touch your shoulders. Pause, then return to starting position. Repeat 10-15 times.

I like to add a set of curls with my palms facing each other. Changing hands to facing inward also changes the name to hammer curl, but don’t sweat the labels. Just note how this may feel as different muscles are called into use.

Arm raises

Standing straight, feet shoulder-width apart, with arms hanging straight down at your sides, slowly raise weights out to your sides and up parallel to the floor and just slightly in front of you. You should be able to just see your hands in the periphery of your vision. Pause, and then slowly lower your arms to starting position. Repeat 10-15 times. Do not swing your arms up and down – the point is to move slowly with control.

A variation of basic arm raises is to do them while standing slightly bent at the waist. Try bending forward about 45 degrees, keeping back flat, hands with weights at the sides of your knees, and raising arms out to the side until parallel to the floor. Pause, and slowly lower to starting position.

Overhead triceps extensions

This exercise may be done either by holding a single weight with both hands, or by using a weight in each hand.

Standing straight, feet shoulder-width apart, press the weight/s up over your head until your arms are fully extended. Without moving your upper arms, lower the weight/s behind your head as far as comfortable. Pause, then bring the weight/s back up to straight up over your head. Repeat 10-15 times.

Punch the air

Standing straight with feet a little wider apart than shoulder width, hold weights chest height. Using alternate hands, punch out and slightly up like at a punching bag. Crouching slightly by bending the knees adds another exercise element as knees are bent and then straightened at the top of the punch. Repeat 10-15 times.

It’s basic exercise fare but can amazingly help strength and range of motion. Most importantly, it’s doable and repeatable.

Can you spell S-U-C-C-E-S-S?

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In health for 2023 –

Deidre

Blogging for good health!, Exercise, Stress Reduction, This -n- That

Let’s Celebrate With A Clean Slate for 2023!

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During my final move out of storage and into my long-awaited new home in a new town, I was moved to take a picture of the empty storage unit before I left.

It’s empty – save for some broken glass.

Isn’t that what we all are looking at as we regard the past year? We’re moving on with whatever we are taking, and we are leaving behind the broken glass.

Well, we should be leaving behind the broken glass – maybe sweep it up so no one gets cut – but don’t start the new year with a pocket full of broken glass.

Admit our mistakes. Explore what we have learned from both mistakes and successes, and move forward with a clean slate to look for opportunities to flex our increased self-awareness and knowledge.

So, in these brief moments on the first Tuesday of January 2023, what pieces of broken glass are you willing to leave behind from 2022?

And what elements are you eager to take, nurture, and harvest for this new year?

This time last year, we were bundled up for the cold daily walks to gaze upon the bare hard ground where our new house would eventually stand. Each day’s steps brought us outdoors for exercise and anticipation – and were sprinkled with a healthy dose of patience as we longed for the breaking of ground.

When the weather warmed and progress on the new build was realized, we added sunscreen, water bottles, and shade hats to our warm weather attire – but the walking exercise continued.

Now moved in, realizing our dream, and using our new space, I am committed to taking the winter walks into the new year – making them a part of the fabric of our lives.

While every day represents fresh starts, certainly the new year marks a time to think about what we need to leave behind and what we want to take with us.

Happy 2023 to all our foodtalk4you readers! Remember to “do your body good” with each bite, each breath, and each movement.[

In health –

Deidre and Sheree

Blogging for good health!, Habit Building, Stress Reduction, This -n- That

Joy to the World!

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Peace, Hope, Love, and now JOY.

Have you found your peace? Have you discovered and explored it this month? Have you helped to create peace in your life, and have you shared it with others?

I hope so.

Oh, there’s that hope. There is a way. You can do this. We can do this. There is strength enough inside of you, and there is help and hope available from those around you.

Are you feeling love in more than one realm? The here and now kind and the other-worldly kind from those who have gone before?

As I think of those who are newly grieved, a sense of peace, hope, and love may seem a bit of a stretch right now. Experiencing that first holiday season without someone and all that it brings to grief can overwhelm.

The peace may look different this year – but it’s still peace.

The hope may seem to have evaporated – but look around. Your situation may be unwanted and different, but there is a new path that fits the new you. It’s there. Look for it and move toward it.

Love has no boundaries, and there is always room for new love. May we all take the love we have and the love we have experienced to grow MORE love – the opportunities and needs for love and expressions for love surround us.

As we take our peace, hope, and love out into the world, we will discover JOY.

Joy, I think, is contingent upon action – our action of reaching out to others with peace, hope, and love. It does not plop into our laps – joy requires our efforts.

Joy wants to be shared, too! Who sits around just being joyful? Sure, we have joy in our hearts, but doesn’t it just about leap out of our chests, begging to be spread around?

This is a great time for us all – especially if you find yourself feeling a little lack-luster as we close out the year – to pause and to ponder about small moments when you have found some peace, and hope, and love.

Jot each moment down on a small slip of paper; fold it and drop it into a jar. Every so often, add a short note about something positive – a blessing – to drop into your blessings jar.

On New Year’s Eve, one year from now, dump all your blessings out onto the table and read each one – and you will feel JOY!

Life is a series of tiny moments, and we often get stuck on all the negatives that have happened to us. But by being aware of the many small blessings that come our way, we realize that things are not that bad.

May there be abundant peace, hope, love, and joy for each of us, and may we reflect those feelings and mindsets in all that we do now and in the coming New Year.

Share the JOY by using the options under the MORE button below.


In health –

Deidre