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Showing posts from 2021

Transplanting - One of my Favourite Activities!

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Transplanting - One of my Favourite Activities!  I love transplanting trees, shrubs and plants. For me it's like planting hope.  It's especially fun if the stuff is free! When I lived on a farm, there were woods on the perimeter of the 100 acres but right near the house there were hardly any trees at all. And the lane was not tree-lined. I changed all of that one tree at a time and at no cost. I remember clearly getting up early in the morning and taking a vehicle out to the woods and digging up some treasures and transplanting them around the house. Some didn't make it but most did.

My Mother-in-Law is For the Birds

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 My Mother-in Law is For the Birds! Well, not really. I mean 'for the birds' means worthless or trivial and my mother-in-law is certainly not that. She is definitely valuable and meaningful. I just said she is 'for the birds' to get your attention. Really I won the mother-in-law lottery. She is wonderful. My 95-year-old mother-in-law is vital, alert, and still interested in life. She never complains even though she has hardly been able to get out for over a year. But I mention the birds because that has been the hobby that has helped her to endure the covid restrictions while living in a seniors residence. Her granddaughter outfitted her with three birdfeeders, one which attaches to the window and what a wonderful pastime that has become. Birds are small but powerful creatures. They bring joy, entertainment, beauty, and awe. They are precious and surprising. They are delicate and intricate. Some are colourful and beautiful. Some make wonderful sounds. I could go on and

Covid Fatigue

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  Covid Fatigue Covid fatigue Aren't you thankful that we are not in the same kind of war that this soldier is? Well at least most of us aren't. But I guess the hospital workers taking care of covid must feel like they are in a battle and they are. Covid fatigue....

Covid Comforts - Take Care of Yourself!

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  What is a comfort to you when there is NOT a pandemic? If you struggle with mental illness like I do, it helps to know what comforts you. It is called 'self-care' and at no time is it more important than now. And even if you don't normally suffer from depression, you just might be experiencing a bit of it, especially if you live in Ontario, Canada where I live. We have had 3 long lockdowns which means stay home except for essential things like food and medical appointments. This has been tough.

Volunteering - You Get More Than You Give

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  Volunteering - You Get More Than You Give Is it still possible to volunteer during covid? You bet! It sure is. I found an article, no longer available online, that lists the following benefits of volunteering:

Hobbies - Great Covid Getaways

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 Hobbies - Great Covid Getaways HOBBIES FOR HEALTH Instead of 'depression getaways' we are going to talk about 'covid getaways'. They are amounting to the same thing these days, do you agree? I am sure we can all agree that having hobbies had great benefits. But if you need a reminder read this: Why we need hobbies? During these stressful and uncertain times, many social, physical, and mental activities and routines are disrupted. Thankfully, hobbies can be there to fill the void and have many benefits:

"More Good Days"

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"More Good Days" Retired NHL hockey play Kelly Hrudey has become an eager mental health advocate. He is open about his own experience. Men are not typically known for reaching out for help for mental illness, or for even admitting that they might have any emotional struggles at all. So it is helpful when some of these sports guys who struggle, become open about their own experiences.  You may want to read more about men and depression.

I love libraries and book stores!

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 I Love Libraries! Pictured below is my cozy hometown library. Why do I love libraries so much?  Libraries just seem so full of potential to me - potential to learn, to enjoy, to escape, to be part of something that you can only imagine. Each good book is a little holiday from life - a little depression getaway. Each book takes you on a journey, a lovely private journey between you and the book. And since I love libraries, when I enter them, my endorphin levels instantly go up. Remember that endorphins are natural feel good chemicals.

Facebook - To Follow or not to Follow

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Facebook - To Follow or NOT to Follow? Are these smiles fake or phoney? Well I'm sure you've figured it out already. This might be a real family but they are definitely posing for this picture and they are probably not that happy all the time. Who knows? Maybe they fight all the time? But if this woman were a 'friend' of mine on Facebook, I might assume that she has a very happy family ( all the time ) and that they play together and laugh together ( and all the time ). It might even make me wish that my family were happier like this one. The picture might give me unnecessary thoughts of jealousy and resentment. Facebook is a fun way to keep up with friends and to share ideas and certainly has its place. But sometimes it can just make you feel like everyone has a happy life, except you. You may imagine that their family gets along all the time, but not yours. If you are depressed, you will be particularly vulnerable to these kinds of thoughts. This can become a negative

Hackers Unite! Crack Codes for 21 Depression Getaways

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Hackers Unite! Crack Codes for  21 Depression Getaways It sure looks like Cliff and I are having a good day in this photo, and we were. We were having a fun time in Myrtle Beach (before Covid) at a flea market and we were with family we love. Cliff had just purchased this funny hat with fake hair on it. (Normally he is quite bald). We were 'laughing' at his hat, 'holding hands' while we walked around, enjoying the 'sunshine' and basking in our 'healthy relationships' with our family. When you get to the end of this post you will see how these pleasant activities factor into our hacking project.

WANTED! Focus Group for Depression Getaway

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  Here I am at the Peterborough farmers' market just before I met my husband, Cliff. I loved painting for a living and I was pretty good at it but sales were not great. I painted plaques, furniture, signs, mailboxes, baskets, lampshades, t-shirts, straw hats, family trees, milk cans and a whole bunch of other fun things. Frankly business wasn't that great and I didn't make much of a profit. I knew it wasn't the quality of my work, but I had no idea how to make things better.  Enter Cliff! Somehow he knew how to arrange my little booth to create more interest and thus more business. He would walk around the craft shows and notice what sorts of booths were really busy and what people were buying. Plus he was a natural salesman. Business doubled!

Six Pandemic Projects

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What sorts of projects have you tackled since this pandemic broke out? You've had a whole year, right? I've got some ideas in case you need a little inspiration: 1. Get reacquainted with an old friend. 2. Pick up on an old hobby. 3. Sort out some closets. 4. Plan a fantasy trip. 5.Finish something you started.  6. Read a book. Those are just a few ideas. I'm sure you can add some of your own. The main thing is to do something. You can't just watch TV every day all day. Or can you?

Jenga: A Toppling Tower of Fun

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Jenga. Do you know this game? Are you a game player? Now, during a pandemic is a great time to start if you aren't. And if you are, do get those old games out of the cupboard and get going.  What does the game 'Jenga' have to do with the pandemic? What does Jenga have to do with depression? This delightful manipulative game can serve so many purposes during these tedious covid days. Any game could help really. Games take us out of ourselves. Games give us a chance to NOT THINK ABOUT COVID for a little while. Games force us into interacting in a fun way with those we are isolating with. And the amazing game Jenga can even be played alone!

Covid Labour Pains - "Just Breathe"

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If anyone told me when I was in labour with my first baby, that it would be 36 hours before she appeared, I wonder what I would have done? I might have panicked, but, not knowing what was ahead, I managed, one contraction at a time. My husband and I were well-equipped with weeks of Lamaze training and I can still hear him saying 'just breathe' . And if anyone told me, when the first covid lockdowns were announced in March of 2020, that a year later we would be no further ahead, I wonder what we would have thought? I wonder how we may have reacted?  For me, the only thing that made it manageable was the thought that it wouldn't last that long.

second novel

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 My Second Novel in 'The Fernwood Trilogy' It's here, it's here, it's here! The second novel in The Fernwood Trilogy. Guaranteed happy ending!