A Merry Rose

Sprucing up the Love nest -- Day 2

2013-05-23T09:46:00.001-07:00

Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant; also our couch is green. The beams of our house are cedars, and our rafters are firs. I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valley. Song of Solomon 1:16-17

She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

Proverbs 31

My dressing table arrived and is all put together (picture to come)! Somehow, the style of the table makes the rest of my old arrangement look junky by comparison. So, I'm on the lookout for some thrift store or otherwise inexpensive shelves to hold a little bit of my stuff, plus some books.

I love the style of this room by Lucienne. Of course, I don't have twin beds, but a king sized bed. And, it's not a guest room, the keeping of which is totally different than that of a master suite. But, we do have some yellow in our bedroom, which I would like to play down. We have a quilt made by my husband's mother for me with yellow, violet, and a touch of green in it; she chose those colors because she knows that I love the color yellow. We have enjoyed the quilt for many years now and still want to keep it. However, I'd like to de-emphasize yellow for a bit and pick up some other colors. I think the room in the picture is a very subtle, restful take on yellow. I don't know exactly what I'll come up with, but this gives me an image to work with.

I talked in my last blog about how easy it is to let your own bedroom be the last place in the home that you decorate. It's also easy to let it be the catchall for folded laundry that needs to be put away and other items. Or, at least it is for me. So, I am being inspired today by poetic images from the Bible regarding the love between a wife and her husband and also the potential beauty of one's most intimate space.

The verse from Song of Solomon, according to various commentaries, could refer to a romantic outdoor spot, a sweet country home rather than a palace, or the freshness and vitality of the couple's physical relationship.

Enjoy!

Sprucing up the love nest...Day I

2013-05-15T12:05:00.004-07:00


Carina Comfort Set -- Bed, Bath, and Beyond

Why is it that it's so easy to neglect our bedrooms and master baths? After all, that is either our personal intimate space or the intimate space that we share with a beloved husband. Along with the kitchen, it forms the "nest" in our home. We begin and end our days in our bedroom. It's where the romance in our marriages either thrives or dies. Peace and loveliness in this oh-so-important "nest" goes a long way to making our days sweeter.

I have this image in my head of having a calm and gentle heart which translates into how I keep the heart of my house. Some times, I attain something close to this goal. At other times, I let it become the staging ground for laundry that is folded and not put away, for packages that need to go here or there, for cleaning materials that could be put out of sight, and for an array of cosmetics that could be ordered.

I'm determined this summer to beautify my love nest on a tiny budget. Yes, I am an empty nester, so any of my young readers might be thinking, "Why does it matter at your old age if the bedroom is a romantic, soothing, relaxing place or not?" The answer is; you're never too old to want the place you share with your husband to be inviting. :) Also, the older you get, the better it feels to have a tidy, lovely place in which to re-charge not only your marriage, but your physical health and your spirits.

I have some chronic ailments which slow me down. It's just when I'm at my most fatigued that I am tempted to clean the public areas of my home, the areas that visitors will see, yet skimp on my bedroom. Ironically, it's at those times that I most desire to be able to curl up and recover in a clean and comforting environment. In view of that, I've decided to reinforce my routines for keeping the bedroom neat.

Along those lines, here are a few things I've learned in 32 years of marriage:

1) Your definition of a hot love nest might be different from your husband's, and vice versa. In fact, your husband may not care very much about a romantic setting as long as there's no clutter and you've got a smile on your face. Try to incorporate both his tastes and yours in your room so that the space is appealing to you both. Update things as both of your tastes evolve over the years.
2) Try your hardest to maintain your room as a place for sleep, romance, and prayer. Try to find other spaces for work, hobbies, working on your finances, TV, etc. If you live in a one bedroom apartment and must use your bedroom for many purposes, find ways to attractively hide your activities away so that your room will be a restful place. Catch some 70's re-runs and notice how Mary Tyler More always pulled a screen down to hide her kitchen after she finished cleaning it. She also made a ritual of pulling out her hideaway bed and neatening it every morning. Her character was single, but it's not a bad example for married women, too.
3) You will get behind at times. This is especially true if you are a mother with young children. That's ok. Just get back on track as soon as you can. It doesn't have to be perfect. Just be consistent in your efforts to keep things neat and sweet.
4) Teach your children to respect your bedroom. (And, show some respect for their personal spaces, as well). Teach them how to knock if they need you.
5) If you are the mother of young children, remember that the time when they will grow up and start their own adult lives is closer than you think it is. The transition to an empty nest is much easier if you make consistent investments in your marriage. Doing what you can when you can to keep your bedroom lovely is one way to show your husband that you love and value him.

I've been totally inspired by this blogger's creative and inexpensive bedroom makeover! It makes me want to take a beach vacation with my dear hubby, aka the Professor. :)

Do you have any bedroom projects going on this summer? Do post a link and some photos!

Enjoy!

The Merry Rose Reads : The Charlatan's Boy by Jonathan Rogers

2013-05-14T21:21:00.001-07:00

I received a review copy of The Charlatan's Boy by Jonathan Rogers from Blogging for Books (WaterBrook Multnomah Press). I was intrigued by the name, the cover, and the premise, and I looked forward to reading it. It had a charming fantasy plot hook, as well as quirky characters and an innocent tone. I enjoyed it, but wish I could say that I enjoyed it more.

The story centers around Grady, an orphan, and the medicine showman, Floyd, who takes him in. As the pair travel about their country of Corenwald, Floyd exploits Grady as a way of providing for himself and for the boy. The two use Grady's physical unattractiveness to promote him first as one of the scary swamp people, the Feechees and, later, when people don't believe in the Feechees anymore, as the ugliest boy in the world. All the while, Grady suffers from not knowing exactly who he is or where he came from. Grady's plot arc revolves around the question of his true identity and the need to find home and acceptance.

So far, so good. That plot hook certainly whetted my interest. For some reason that I can't put my finger on, I felt that the plot didn't live up to its potential. For me, the book lagged in several places. Also, I felt that the fictional setting pulled from too many influences. It felt like an odd mix of Georgia (my home state), the old American west, and Cornwall in England. I do think all of those influences could unite in a fantasy world. In this book, however, some of the details conjured up one setting in my mind and other details, another, and I found it hard to stay oriented in the author's intended world. For me, the setting kept getting in the way of the characters and of the plot.

I am a grandmother who still enjoys reading the best of books for children and teens. I'm not in the target audience for the book, however. So, just because it dragged for me doesn't mean that a young child, particularly a boy, might not think it's a thrilling read.

I've noticed that the author has written a trilogy that some reviewers seem to enjoy more than the Charlatan's Boy. I thought enough of the Charlatan's Boy to take a chance on reading the trilogy. I do think that the author has talent and creativity, and I can easily imagine that he either already has or will pen a treasure of a book. For me, the Charlatan's Boy is close, but not quite it.

Just a note: The book does deal with questions of belonging and identity and somewhat with faith, but not in a particularly Christian framework. It also deals with the theme of a person's value not being dependent on his outward appearance, which is an important subject in today's culture. I think the author was trying to hint at Christian spirituality without being overt. If so, it seems to me that he overshot the mark, moving right past subtlety to hard-to-find. I don't think that means that the Charlatan's Boy isn't worth a read. I mention this only because buyers might see the Multnomah label and might expect the book to be more evocative of Biblical themes than it is.

Enjoy!

Attic Treasures and The Dressing Table

2013-05-12T12:08:00.005-07:00

When I was a little girl playing among attic treasures (except that they were in a garage), I found a beautiful cover that had been on my mother's kidney shaped dressing table but no longer worked with her bedroom decor. It had pale pinks in it, if I remember correctly. I wish I knew what happened to that cover.

Mom eventually abandoned the kidney shaped dressing table in favor of a newer set up, and it, too, moved to the area of old treasures. Eventually, it ended up in their attic and remained their until long after she died. One year, I enjoyed "shopping" in my father's attic, which by then contained not only things he no longer used, but several items from his late sister -- who had been a good ten years older than my father. He was delighted to have someone use these items, especially since it freed up his space.

My mother had classic tastes. She would never, ever have described herself as glamorous, but she was very beautiful and she had that kind of classic, all-American glamor that I associate with women who came of age in the 40's. That fit very nicely with my Dad's classic tastes.

My paternal aunt and I, on the other hand, share some random frou-frou, rococo gene. Her frilly tastes were always neatly presented. I lean towards SHABBY chic, despite my best efforts to do away with the shabby and leave the chic. I often spot things I think are pretty for the home and say to myself, "Here's a new direction for you to go in." Inevitably, the item or look I have just seen will be labeled French provincial, even though I don't always see the French connection at first.

During my year of shopping in my dad's attic, I snatched up my mother's dressing table and sewed up a cover out of a yellow sheet, some yellow gingham, and some lace trim. I didn't attach it correctly to the swing arm, so I eventually wore out the swing arm. The cover is ratty after 11 or so years of use, as well.

I've ordered a new dressing table and hope to create a new little sanctuary in the corner of our master bedroom. This time, I have chosen something decidedly English -- note the spindle legs versus curved legs. It's still just a touch frou-frou, though, and I intended on frou-frouing it up. :) Here's a picture of the table:

What do you think?

Do you have any suggestions for how I might decorate my new space? I'd love to hear from you, my lovely readers.

Enjoy!

5 ways to pray throughout the day...

2013-04-21T15:23:00.000-07:00

Two Girls Praying...Munier 1850

In the Bible, particularly in the life of Jesus and in the Psalms, we see the value of daily times reading God's word and praying. We also see examples of getting away from it all in order to have even more focused time with the Lord. Finally, as when Nehemiah petitioned God before conversing with King Artaxerxes (Nehemiah 2:4), we see the value of sending up short prayers throughout the day. This helps us express our dependence on the Lord.

We can, of course, become so busy that we forget to talk to our Lord about the events of our day. There are several things we can do to become more prayerful. Here are five that have helped me:

1) Take every opportunity to praise the Lord. The Psalms and other scriptures are full of prayers that begin with blessing God's name. Reading and memorizing these will help us develop the habit of praise, as well. We must also train our hearts to take notice of the good things that God pours into our laps and to respond in gratitude. Even things that we don't enjoy -- such as a long meeting or scrubbing a kitchen floor -- can be an opportunity to thank God for having a job or for having a kitchen to scrub. There are many in the world who have neither. We can rejoice that we have the strength to do our work, for many do not have that, either. We can also always rejoice in what Jesus has done for us.

Jewish culture is known for saying blessings throughout the day. Here is a Jewish blessing for trees: "Blessed are You - the Lord our God, King of the universe, who has withheld nothing from His world, but has created in it goodly creatures and goodly trees for the enjoyment of human beings."

2) When you do someone's laundry or clean someone's room, pray specifically for that person.

3) Tell yourself that you will pray every time you buckle your seat belt or every time you sit down to the computer or the like.

4) Make an appointment with yourself to pause at some designated time during the day for five to fifteen minutes of prayer. This should be in addition to your regular devotionals. Set an alarm or phone reminder.

5) When you walk in your neighborhood or drive through your town, pray for the people you see, for the homes you see, and for matters that affect your neighborhood, your community, and the nation. Keep a map of world countries, and pick one to pray about each day.

Most of us also say prayers of thanks at meal times. Don't think that these prayers are of little account, but put your heart into them. I once heard a woman say that when she was thinking of giving up on God, the habit she had learned as a child of thanking the Lord at each meal kept her heart in touch with Christ so much that her faith only grew stronger, instead.

Enjoy!

Five things new mothers should know about nursing...

2013-04-02T18:27:00.002-07:00


A Pinterest funny...

He tends his flock like a shepherd. He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. Isaiah 40:11

When I was born, my mother nursed me for six weeks. That was unusual in that day. (The year was 19 cough, cough, cough). Medical science was in its glory, and the culture looked down on nursing as being primitive. To be fair, 20th century medicine made some astonishing advances: antibiotics, the eradication of smallpox, the near eradication of polio, organ transplants, and the like. Not the least of these advances was a reduction in maternal and infant mortality, as well as improvements in recovery rates for typical childhood ailments. Despite all of these advances, it does seem a shame that the natural process of nursing babies and having more natural childbirth got lost in the process.

By the time my children were born in the 1980's, our culture had been through the back to the earth movements of the 1960's and 70's. The La Leche League, among other influences, had slowly induced the culture to consider mother's milk as healthy again. Nursing was common. So many of us in the mid to late baby boom were having children, and we all had a lot of interest in the welfare of babies and interests. Younger doctors were coming into medicine, and they were more open to things like natural childbirth and nursing. I may have had an unusually good experience, but I felt very supported in nursing my children.

Today, there is even more support for nursing mothers. There are more lactation specialists around today. There are clinics for nursing mothers. There are newer breast pumps and other developments.

I think all of the new nursing help is wonderful. What I do see, however, is many young mothers struggling to have the "perfect nursing experience". That seems to work itself out in two ways.   I know young mothers who really wanted to nurse, but who hit a little problem and gave up too easily. They assumed that a glitch meant that nursing just wouldn't work for them and their babies. I also know young mothers who have had true medical or other barriers to nursing and who struggled for a long time with depression or even guilt for not being able to nurse. I suppose that my peers and I experienced some of the same struggles, but I'm now looking at it from the vantage point of having grown children.

In light of that, I'd love for new mothers to consider the following five things:

1) Whether or not you can nurse your baby is not the measure of whether you are a good mother or not. Yes, nursing is not only a wonderful experience, but it has great benefits for you and for your child. If you can't nurse for any reason or if you choose not to nurse, you may feel some pangs. It doesn't have to be the end of the world, though. Mothering is made up of many aspects, of which nursing is just one. If you must bottle feed, you can still give your baby great nurturing.
2) Relax! I know that can be easier said than done, especially if you have fifteen different friends offering fifteen different theories about nursing baby. However, nursing is a natural process that works best if you can stay calm about it. Learning to peacefully trust the Lord with your nursing experience is good training for trusting Him throughout mothering! Ask the people in your life for help in creating a peaceful environment for you and baby if you need to.
3) Nursing and parenting experts are great, but be wary of following any one theory too slavishly.   We are fortunate to live in a time when so much parenting advice is available. However, we can needlessly fret ourselves by trying to fit our mothering into a theory rather than enjoying a relationship with our baby. We can also take on unnecessary baggage if we compare ourselves unduly to another mother or to an ideal from a book. Let the Bible be your ultimate standard. Lean on God, a few trusted friends who have done well in mothering, and common sense. Let any other parenting tools be your servants and not your masters.
4) There probably is a happy medium between nursing totally on demand and rigidly scheduling a young infant. So many parenting theories divide out over this issue, and you may feel pulled between one or the other. Work out what is best for you and for your baby (and your husband!) and stay flexible as baby grows from birth to weaning.
5) Don't neglect God or your husband while you are nursing. While you are nursing, your infant will be a big focus. You won't get as many other things done as you might in other seasons of life, and that is ok. However, you will do well to make daily investments in your relationship to God and in your marriage. Even small investments will help you stay grounded and happy.

Enjoy!

Elegance

2013-03-03T08:11:00.001-08:00

"Elegance is refusal," said Coco Chanel.

If elegance can be defined as dignified gracefulness or restrained beauty of style, then we can understand what she meant. A woman who aspires to elegance choose that which is best and leaves the rest. That is not my strong suite, but I am working on being able to discern what is best from many options.

Elegance is not necessarily a spiritual value and the pursuit of elegance can take people far from the heart of love. Yet, what better example do we have of elegance than the Proverbs 31 woman?

She chooses what is best with regard to time.
She chooses what is best with regard to the raw materials she works with.
She chooses what is best in her investments.
She chooses what is best in being open-armed to the needy, for she seeks to spend her resources on people and their care.
She chooses what is best with regard to her words.
She chooses what is best with regard to fearing the Lord, rather than chasing ephemeral things that might lead to frustration.

She is a wise manager of all the resources the Lord has given her. She is not dragged along by busyness or the crowd, but evaluates and makes wise choices. She lives with purpose.

She is elegant.

Enjoy!

Advanced Style, Advanced Substance...

2013-02-24T12:41:00.000-08:00

While recovering from pneumonia, I have had the pleasure of perusing Ari Seth Cohen's lovely blog, Advanced Style. He takes photographs of interesting and stylish older women (and men), and he often adds quotes from their wisdom or little glimpses of their life stories. Most of these are people he meets on the streets of New York, but he also finds chic elders in other cities and countries, as well.

It seems to me that the women of Advanced Style along two sartorial lines. There is a continuum of women who favor boho/funky to wildly glamorous style expression and a continuum from nicely pulled together to classic to quite elegant in their presented. My favorites fall in the last category, though, that of course, is a matter of personal taste. My absolute favorite is this sparkly, spunky 101 year old named Ruth. Ruth was just featured in a Pilates magazine -- Yes! at 101 years old.

Apparently, some of the women that Mr. Cohen meets are surprised that anyone would want to photograph them at their age. Others have expressed gratitude that Mr. Cohen sees them, as older people -- especially women -- often feel invisible in our society. Kudos to Mr. Cohen for having the eyes to see the beauty in people of advancing years.

That makes me think how God sees us as we age. I'm not in the Advanced Style age group yet, but I'm close enough that I feel the passing of time. It means a lot to me that the Lord sees and loves us through this time in our life. Last night, as I was lying awake, having issues with breathing, so many verses about this came alive to me.

I love that God shows us in Proverbs 31 that his love for us transcends how we look or how old we are or any other circumstance of our life. He says, "Beauty is fleeting and charm is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." It's our relationship to him that the Lord values; it's the substance of us and not the style of us. And, even beyond our substance, which on our own is frail and sinful and corrupted, he loves because he is love and chooses to love us. "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8. Isn't that wonderful?

One beautiful example of how God sees and works through the aged is Anna, the prophetess. She is someone who could have felt alone and forgotten, but she devoted herself to the Lord. In her old age, she was privileged to see the newborn Messiah and to proclaim him. She came up to Mary and Joesph and Jesus just as Simeon, who as also aged, had recognized Jesus. Here's her story:

^"There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem." Luke 2:36-38.

What did Anna look like? How did she dress? We don't know. We do know that, though God, she got to be part of the most profound events in all of history, and this was at the age of eighty plus. She was able to see and to know Jesus. God holds out to every one of us the chance to have this deep, everlasting, intimate relationship with Christ. (Acts 2:38) When that is in place, our human relationships become more deeply connected, as well, and we have fellowship with God and others. When we obey God, his love is made complete in us. Our current bodies will change with time, but we can rest in peace that our hearts are held in the Lord's hands. I John Chapters One and Two

Do we truly grow insignificant as we age? Never!

Enjoy!

Christmas thoughts....

2012-12-21T10:12:00.000-08:00

I love this prediction of our Messiah's coming!

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light. On those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2.

I love that no matter how dark this world may be -- and the recent school shooting shows us the shadow - there is light. Jesus is our light.

How amazing it is that Jesus would walk among us!

Enjoy!

One woman's journey through the book of Isaiah...Part I

2012-11-14T10:00:00.000-08:00

I've always loved the beautiful images in the book of Isaiah. Who can forget the passage about how those who wait upon the Lord will rise up on eagles wings or the lovely descriptions of Jesus as Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, and so on? Yet, I'd like to read and study it on a deeper level.

Now, I'm no Bible scholar mind you, and I wouldn't presume to teach the book of Isaiah in any authoritative way. However, I am finding some insights that are meaningful to me, and I'd like to share them. I hope you will enjoy these thoughts, too. Since it's difficult to cover a book this deep in a few blog posts, I hope you will undertake your own study of Isaiah.

I am in awe of the vision that Isaiah saw when he took up his commission to preach to the people of Israel:

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. ²Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. ³And they were calling to one another:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”

⁴At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. From Chapter Six

Isn't that breathtaking? I've always loved that. What I didn't realize until doing further study was that this was written during a time when Israel's and, perhaps, Isaiah's hopes had been dashed. King Uzziah was, with the exception of Jehoshaphat, the most prosperous king of Judah and of the house of David since Solomon. He was faithful to the Lord for most of his long reign. He was mighty in battle. There was hope in the land that the former days of glory would be fully restored under his leadership.

However, Uzziah became proud, became unfaithful to God, and offered incense when only the priests should have done so. He was struck with leprosy and was removed from rule.

On top of that, the culture was turning away from the Lord to sin. (Isaiah Chapters 1-5) People were going through the motions of worshiping the Lord, but without living righteously before him. Their worship services and their sacrifices were hollow.

Many were selfish, and they overlooked the needs of the poor, the defenseless, the widows, and the orphans. The nation was trying to combine the worship of the Lord with superstitions from the east. Corrupt officials were taking bribes. The princes had thieves as companions. Leaders were misleading the people. The wealthy were exploiting the poor, drinking too much, too self-indulgent, prideful, and without concern for the Lord. The women were arrogant, consumed with materialism and finery, and wanton. It got to the point that people were confused about what was good and what was evil.

It was in the year that Uzziah died, and with him the dreams his kingship had awakened in the people, that Isaiah saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up. The throne of Judah wasn't doing well. The religious leaders were also letting the people down. However, God's throne is permanent and unshakable. He is King over all kings, Lord over all nations, cultures, and governments. Our ultimate hope is not in earthly people or circumstance, but in God's loving and just interaction with our fallen world. Our citizenship is in heaven, and we live by its principles of righteousness, peace, and love. Sometimes, it takes the dashing of our earthly dreams to point us to the glory that will never fail.

What's the lesson for me?

Are our current politics unstable? Is our country divided along political lines? Was our recent election a bitter contest? Jesus is Lord and Savior.

Is our economy wavering? Jesus is Lord and Savior.

Have my personal hopes in people or in earthly things been dashed? Jesus is Lord and Savior.

Am I getting older? Jesus is Lord and Savior.

Are there issues among my brothers and sisters in the Lord that I need to deal with? Jesus is Lord and Savior.

Are parts of our culture turning away from God and toward sin? Jesus is Lord and Savior.

Is there injustice in our land? Jesus is Lord and Savior.

Do people make up their own religion, as the Israelite did, by mixing a little something here and a superstition there with a smattering of the real truth? Jesus is Lord and Savior.

Do I need to identify and repent of sin in my life? Jesus is Lord and Savior.

After God revealed his glory and his kingship to Isaiah, Isaiah was strengthened to go into ministry to his people. The people sorely needed someone who cared -- someone authentic, someone who would love them and who would proclaim the truth to them. Only after Isaiah had encountered the Lord was he ready for this mission.

Enjoy!

Beautify our world -- thanksgiving.

2012-10-28T13:20:00.001-07:00

Before you go out into the world, wash your face in the clear crystal of praise. Bury each yesterday in the fine linen and spices of thankfulness.
Charles Spurgeon

My friend Margaret, who owns Mom's Sign Company. Isn't she cute?

One of the Thanksgiving signs that Margaret makes -- She does all kinds of decorative signs for the home.

I know it's a little early to be thinking about Thanksgiving Day, but I'm already looking forward to it. It's the favorite holiday of both my husband and my daughter. Actually, in our family, we all have happy memories of Thanksgiving. Seeing how my family does love it keep some from rushing ahead to Christmas.

I don't relate much to the "horror" elements of Halloween decorating, so I tend to focus on a fall theme that carries me from September through Thanksgiving Day. Decorating wise, I don't go overboard for any holiday. I do, however, like to change things up a little for the seasons and also to set holiday themed tables.

Small cheer and great welcome makes a merry feast. Shakespeare

November's such a great time to train our own hearts to be grateful, and to help train our children's hearts to be grateful, too. If we all take one month to just camp out on the practice of being grateful, imagine how much that would infuse the other 11 months with gratitude, as well. The old saying is that it takes 21 days to build a habit; the 30 days of November are more than enough time to cement the habit of gratitude in our minds.

I love this verse from Colossians:

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Wouldn't it be fun if everyone, everywhere was overflowing with thankfulness? How happy would our homes be if we were all so full of thankfulness that it brimmed right over into our words and our actions. Imagine waiting in line or sitting in a waiting room if everyone there was generally grateful. Think what neighborhoods and workplaces would become. Of course, I need to start my dream by looking in the mirror. :)

Enjoy!

Beautify our World...Nurturing

2012-10-20T14:46:00.002-07:00

I love the dictionary definition of nurture:

to feed and protect: to nurture one's offspring.

to support and encourage, as during the period of training or development; foster: to nurture promising musicians. to bring up; train; educate.

I'm sure we can all think of nurturers in our lives. One quality I think of regarding nurturing is the quality of making someone feel warm, safe, and accepted so that person can flourish. I know people who have an extraordinary gift for nurturing, and I see Christ in them. That's a quality that I want to grow in.

In our culture, we associate women with nurturing, and some women fear to be seen as nurturing for fear that they won't be respected on the same plane that men are. Yet, the Bible portrays God as a nurturer and also calls husbands and fathers to be nurturers, too. Paul, the apostle, said that he had lived among the Thessalonians in a gentle way, with the same nurturing quality that the mother of an infant might have.

Isaiah 49:15 (God speaking to Israel) Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!

Ephesians 5:4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

I Thessalonians 2:7 As apostles of Christ we certainly had a right to make some demands of you, but instead we were like children among you. Or we were like a mother feeding and caring for her own children.

Ephesians 5:25ff Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing of water through the word and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

Nurturing is a beautiful quality, for it is a reflection of God's own heart. It takes strength and faith to nurture others. It also takes prayer and wisdom. It also requires that we know when to step in and when to let go, so that we don't cross that line from nurturing into smothering.

What are some practical ways to nurture?

1) Study God's nurturing, as revealed in the Bible. Note in the gospels how Christ always saw what others didn't: the beauty of the widow's two coins, the tax collector in the tree, the woman who touched Jesus' garment in a huge crowd, the blind men calling for help by the wayside, etc.
2) Rejoice when others succeed, grow, or mature. Rejoice when others experience happy things or have reasons to celebrate.

3) Cultivate your own domestic skills. If you particularly enjoy a certain skill -- such as cooking or sewing or keeping a home tidy or fostering great relationships in the family -- learn and practice. Use that skill to nurture those in or outside your family.
4) Do you have occupational skills? These, too, can be used to nurture others.
5) At any gathering, two questions are useful in nurturing: what can I learn and what can I give.

You don't have to be a wife or mother to be a nurturer, but being a wife and mother is good training ground for learning how to nurture. By the time our nest empties, we have usually learned how to tune into the needs of our husband and children. Yet, our children are adults and, while they still need and appreciate our nurturing, they need a more subtle form of nurturing. Likewise, our husbands need us as much as ever, but, again, nurturing a husband is a tiny bit different than nurturing children. Instead of bemoaning that we have worked our way out of a parenting job, it's better to celebrate! We just graduated from a school of nurturing. Our grown children are our diploma! Now, we have lots of tenderness and love to give. We've developed some skills. So, we nurture our husbands, our grown children, and our grandchildren according to their needs, and we funnel all that extra nurturing sensitivity into loving others, as well. If we keep our hearts and our eyes open, we'll see lots of little ways to invest in the growth of those around us.

Likewise, a single woman can be a nurturer. Paul, after all, was single, and he nurtured the spiritual growth of countless people.

Enjoy!

Beautify our World...Respect

2012-10-05T14:53:00.002-07:00

Respect is a balm that, when applied to human relationships, brings beauty to our lives. Dictionary.com defines this quality as

esteem for or a sense of the worth or excellence of a person, a personal quality or ability, or something considered as a manifestation of a personal quality or ability: I have great respect for her judgment.

deference to a right, privilege, privileged position, or someone or something considered to have certain rights or privileges; proper acceptance or courtesy; acknowledgment: respect for a suspect's right to counsel; to show respect for the flag; respect for the elderly.

In Romans, God says:

Romans 13:7
Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.
Romans 12:10
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;

I Peter 2:17 tells us:

Honor all men; love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.

Speaking of the church, Hebrews 13:17 says

Obey your leaders, and submit to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.

Have you ever felt disrespected? Have you been given a task to carry out or people to lead and, yet, your role wasn't given the respect you needed to carry it out?   That's tough; isn't it? Have you ever felt disrespected simply as a person, as if you didn't matter? Oh, how that cuts our hearts. We all function at our best when we are given respect.

Knowing this, it's important to respect people on at least two levels: 1) We respect the basic person-hood of others, even of others over whom we might have some authority and 2) We respect the authority of those who are performing some sort of leadership role in our lives.

Respecting people rightly comes from respecting the Lord. (I Peter 3 We respect that others are made in his image, even if they, themselves, don't respect that fact. We respect that he has ordained certain roles, such as government authorities or leaders in the church, to make our world function smoothly. We respect the fact that while we must make judgements in many situations, we are not anyone's final judge -- God is. He is the authority to whom we all must give account; in that regard, we are all on equal ground and we respect this fact.

We are able to overcome our fear of respecting those who have authority in our lives because we know that the Lord is ultimately caring for us. (I Peter Chapter 3). Fear of being hurt is a biggie for me, and there's where I lean on God.

It's easy to respect people who are respectable. It's easy to respect them when they, in turn, respect us. Sometimes, however, a person to whom we owe respect isn't respectable in his or her own right. Perhaps, they have poor judgement, or they are unfair. Perhaps, they are making a mess of the job that they are called to do. Here's the thing that's hard for us as moderns to grasp: We must show respect even to those with whom we disagree.

For example,we may or may not like the President, but do we show respect when voicing our opinion? We should. The same is true when interacting with a parent, a teacher, a husband, the PTA president, our neighborhood watch, the policeman who's writing us a speeding ticket, etc. In the U.S. and most European countries, we are fortunate to have a high level of free speech. If we are to exercise that right responsibly, we must do so with respect.

In the household, it's especially pleasant when all treat each other with respect. It's also sobering when we realize how quickly children pick up on our respect or lack of respect for others. Our impatience turns into their rolled eyes and crossed arms.   It's up to us to teach our children to respect others, and that begins with cultivating the quality of respect in our own hearts.

Of course, in respecting others, there are times to speak up. When Peter and others were rebuked for teaching the happy news about Christ and his kingdom, Peter replied, "We must obey God rather than men."

Likewise, we are not to show favoritism:

James tells us that we are to show basic respect to all and not to favor the rich.

But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. James 2:9

We are to treat the poorest and those of least influence among us with honor, just as we treat others.

How can we show respect for each other in the household? Here are a dozen ways:

1) Keep the common areas of the house neat; pick up after ourselves; don't borrow without asking; treat other people's private spaces with respect.
2) Learn how to express feelings, even negative feelings, with respect. The same thing can be said either with a heart of respect or with a heart of disrespect. Choose respect. Also remember that being tired, hungry, or sick is not an excuse to be irritable or disrespectful.
3) Listen when others express themselves. Hear someone out even if we do not come to the same conclusion. Make sure that children and the elderly know that someone cares enough about them to listen. Listen to your spouse.
4) Use the old magic words: Please, thank-you, Sir, Ma'am, etc. Teach children how to show respect to adults and the elderly. Teach them how to interact with peers. Teach and use good manners. Especially, teach children good manners regarding cell phones, texting, and social media. Courtesy and manners are respect in action.
5) Pray for friends, family, neighbors, countries, political leaders, enemies, etc.
6) Care for the family pet with kindness. Proverbs 12:10
7) Make everyone who comes into the home feel welcomed.
8) Respect neighbors' property.
9) Teach children healthy limits and expect them to obey. Don't exasperate children by laying overly heavy burdens on them. On the other hand, don't let them indulge in disobedience or disrespect.
10) Help children navigate difficult interactions with peers, teachers, etc. Help them not to lose confidence in God's love for them even if they face difficult times in school or on the playground.
11) Be grateful! Showing gratitude to others helps them feel respected.

And, most of all, honor God as individuals and as a family.

Respect will adorn your home and make your world a little more beautiful!

Enjoy!

Do you dare greatly? The Merry Rose Reads

2012-09-20T10:11:00.000-07:00

Daring Greatly, How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brene Brown

Daring Greatly gives a secular picture, painted with much research, of a truth I'm learning from following Jesus: vulnerability and openness, combined with inner truth, is a strength and not a weakness. The author, Brene Brown, realizes that if we are going to accomplish anything, we must put ourselves out there with the chance that we might succeed or we might fail. To have successful relationships, we must go deeper, and, again, there is the chance that we will be accepted or rejected.

Brown takes as her theme one of my favorite quotes: It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly, who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly. Theodore Roosevelt.

Reading this was a good reminder for me. As I grow older and have suffered hurts through daring or being vulnerable, it is tempting to seek self-protection and a comfortable life. This is doubly so because I feel myself growing just a little more physically vulnerable with every passing year. Like many that Brown describes, I react to fear with attempts to control the uncontrollable. Yet, the most important things in life do require that we "get in the arena" so to speak, rather than to stand on the sidelines. If I don't want to fizzle out on the last quarter of life's race, I need to step it up again. For me, that will mean stepping back from selfishness and growing in how I love others. Love casts out fear.

The author describes shame as the basic reason why we try to protect self at the cost of daring to live fully. She cites that we live in a
"never enough" society. We tend to focus on what we or others don't live up to or don't have, rather than validating the good. We all have a sense of shame about ourselves that we don't want others to see. To me, the question is, did we all arrive at this solely through culture? I don't think so, though the things that Brown notes in our culture can help us recognize the problem. Early in the Biblical account of man's history, we find Adam and Eve hiding from God because of true guilt, shame, inadequacy, and broken relationship. For the first time, they are ashamed of their nakedness or vulnerability. Adam tries the first blame-shift in history, "That woman you gave me...", thus trying to pin his shame on Eve and maybe even on God! God seeks them out and restores the relationship, establishes the consequences of their actions, and offers hope to come. My personal opinion is that we all have this sense of shame because we are broken in a sense. We all have some glimmer of what we were meant to be in God, and we have all fallen short of that. Therefore, the strength to become vulnerable comes from admitting our shame and receiving the grace, forgiveness, and wholeness that God offers through Christ. My thought is that if we attempt to fix this shame problem with anything less than God's grace, we will just patch it rather than conquer it. I think that's some of what Paul meant when he felt inadequate because of an illness and Christ said that his grace was sufficient for him.

One thing that fascinated me was the discussion about shame as experienced by men and by women. Speaking as a 57-year old, long-married woman, I was surprised that so many women found it surprising that men also feel shame and are vulnerable. They are especially vulnerable in the area of initiating sex. Is this and the fact that men and women cover for shame differently really news? I think of Paul's words: Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes. Along the way in marriage, every husband and wife is confronted with how important it is to always protect the other, to always trust and hope for the best for the other one. In this way, we learn to be more connected in heart. To me, that adds to the sweetness and richness of a marriage. It takes time, perhaps a lifetime, to get there.

Brene also turns her research and observations toward helping people parent children and to lead adults in a healthy way. Many of her suggestions are practical and helpful. Overall, I am glad I read this book. As with any self-help book, I think it's a prompt to deeper thought and not the last word on the subject. It is, however, a word worth considering.

I received a review copy of this book through the BlogHer Book Club for a paid review, but my opinions are my own.

Enjoy!

Have you seen?

2012-09-13T15:41:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the darling giveaway at A Gathering of Thoughts? Check out the lovely cards, tea bags, gift tags, etc. in the Vintage Pink Rose Dress Form design. Hurry, though. The contest ends soon.

Enjoy!

September decorating...

2012-09-13T14:40:00.001-07:00

By all these lovely tokens, September days are here,

With summer's best of weather

And autumn's best of cheer.

Helen Hunt Jackson

This year, the first day of fall is on September 22nd. Here in Nashville, it still feels like summer and it still looks like summer, which is all right with this spring/summer loving girl. (I love fall, too:)) But, the days are noticeably shorter now, and they are milder, too. It's only 83 degrees outside right now!

Some years, I like to hang on to every last bit of summer goodness. Some years, I like to think ahead to the beautiful bounty of autumn. But, I'm always grateful that the seasons change in God's perfect timing!

This year is a special September. My daughter's due date was yesterday, and our whole family and her husband's are counting down the moments until her baby daughter (my first grandchild!) decides to arrive. If I don't finish this post, you'll know I got that phone call! LOL.

Anyhow, I've always marked the start of fall decorating season by the beginning of the school year, rather than by the weather. Here's my start to fall decorating this year. (Sorry the photo isn't clearer.) You can see my "Pinterest" beans in the bowl in the middle, on top of the wooden cake stand. If I had to do it over again, I would do them in a taller container. I may end up swapping them out with the rocks in the holder with the scarecrow.

The wooden stand is part of a two stand set that my father brought back from Bermuda. He was stationed there during WWII, and he brought back several wooden things that local craftsmen made.

I was on my way home from a Dollar Store run today when I thought to myself that I wish I had a bird's nest. I am crazy about birds, and I like to decorate with bird themes. I had bought a package of raffia to tie around things. When I opened it, it plopped out on the table in a nest shape. Well, there was my "bird's nest"! I placed in it a ceramic dove? partridge? that I've had for quite a while.

The painting that is reflected in the mirror was done by my talented father-in-law. The one in the picture below (It hangs by the side of the dresser, as you can see in the photo) was purchased by my mother back in the late 70's or early 80's. It is of a place in North Georgia, and the artist mixed local clays to use as the paints. I leave it up all year round, but the literally earthy tones blend in with a fall theme. It looks warped in the photo, but it's really not.

What are you doing for fall this year? I need some ideas so share the wealth.

Enjoy!

Just beginning fall decorating...

2012-09-10T13:18:00.003-07:00

So far, I have a glass bowl of what I call my Pinterest beans with a candle in it. If you're into Pinning, I'm sure you've seen all the hurricane glasses and other containers filled with layers of colored beans used as candle holders. (Some of the cutest are cocoa beans with vanilla candles.) The picture above is just an example. The various containers of beans and candles all look so lovely in all the Pinterest photos. I'm wondering, though, if people look at mine and wonder why that crazy woman stuck a candle in a bowl of beans. :) The beans do remind me of harvest time, though. I'm sure as I decorate more the harvest theme will come together.

Mine are sitting on a marble topped dresser in my entryway.

This year, my chickens will all be returning to the coop for Thanksgiving. The children alternate Christmas with us and Thanksgiving with their in-laws one year and vice versa for the next, though we usually manage to work in extra holiday visits as well. My daughter's favorite holiday is Thanksgiving, and neither she nor my son want me to decorate for Christmas early and call Thanksgiving weekend our Christmas time. They want to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday as Thanksgiving. It is such a lovely holiday, and it's a shame it so often gets overlooked in favor of Christmas. So, I'm wanting to do some warm autumn themed decor this year. Any suggestions?

I'm ready to bust out singing, "Over the river and through the woods," which I always thought was a Thanksgiving song and just found out is actually about Christmas. I'm expecting the birth of my first grandchild any day now. This will be the first year that my house will be "Grandma's house", so, of course, I am thrilled.

I'm putting together a fall playlist. I'm taking a page out of Aunt Ruthie's book and am including some selections from the movie "Little Women" -- the 90's version. I love that movie but never thought how warm and fall sounding some of the theme music is.

What about you? How will you be celebrating this fall?

Enjoy!

A Great Romance: The Perfume of Happiness...

2012-09-09T16:10:00.001-07:00

Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself...

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Doc Brilliant and I are coming up on 32 years of a happy marriage. One thing that binds my heart to his is the way he sacrifices for my happiness and welfare. A great lesson I've learned is that I'm happiest when I'm giving toward him and unhappiest when I'm being selfish. Happiness really is a perfume that you can't pour on your spouse without getting some on yourself.

I think that's part of what Jesus is teaching us when he says, "Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it." Luke 17:33. This is so opposite of what our worldly selves think. We think that we must ensure our own happiness by grabbing for it and holding on tight. This insecure grasping is ingrained in our hearts, and it's subtly interwoven in so many messages that we receive from the world. It's easy to slip into that mindset when we're not focused on Christ. Yet, grasping and grasping only leaves us feeling empty. We can't grasp enough of the world to satisfy the hole in the center of our self. We can't do, be, or have enough to bridge the chasms our sin has dug between us and God, or between us and other people. Only the love and grace of God is sufficient to fill us with peace and joy to the point that our joy can overflow into the lives of others.

Simply put, the ability to love unselfishly comes from God.

I John 4:10 says "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."

He lost his life for us, pouring his life into us, and now we love.

I John 4:10. We love because he first loved us.

The losing of Christ's life was followed by his resurrection, and, thus, his resurrection gives us eternal life, as well. Daily, we live a crucified life -- a life of dying to sin and selfishness -- and, daily, we live a resurrected life -- becoming more like Jesus.

In the 32 years Doc Brilliant and I have been married, the reflection in my mirror has changed quite a bit. Sometimes, a glance surprises me. How did that old lady get into my mirror? Slowly, day by day. I'm so grateful for this promise in 2 Corinthians: "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day."

Maybe, you are young, and you don't have a clue what I'm talking about. Maybe, you are my peer, and you smile with me. Maybe, you are ahead of me in life and think I don't yet have a clue. No matter.

There is an everlasting perfume sitting on all of our spiritual dressing tables: the fragrance of Christ. We can't drink in Christ's love and lavish it on others, especially on our spouse, without receiving back a harvest of joy.

I love the accounts of when Jesus was anointed by Mary. Out of love for Christ and out of gratitude for his mercy, she broken open her vial of costly perfume. The book of John tells us that the fragrance filled the whole house. I want to have the kind of heart she had. Don't you? And, I want to love my husband in a way that demonstrates my gratitude for the Lord.

Happy love which concerns itself with our husbands' welfare becomes a fragrance that fills our hearts and our homes. Let us love lavishly, because we are lavishly loved.

Enjoy!

Day 14 -- 14 Days to a Sneeze Free Home...

2012-09-07T12:19:00.002-07:00

Hi Y'all...

How's it going in keeping your homes sneeze free -- or at least cleaning in a way that helps any allergy sufferers in your home? In my area, pollen levels are high today, especially for ragweed and grasses. We'll get a break tomorrow, though, when cooler weather moves in for a day.

Let's close out this series by reviewing a few facts about allergies:

1) Allergies are produced when your immune system over reacts to harmless substances.
2) Breastfeeding a baby for at least 4 to 6 months will reduce the chance that the baby will go on to suffer allergies later on. The mother's diet while breastfeeding doesn't seem to factor one way or the other in whether a child will have allergies.
3) Changing formulas or changing a young child's diet does not seem to have much effect on a child's allergies, unless they are directly food allergies. It doesn't hurt to try changes, however, to see if anything might work for you or your child.
4)Very few people have allergic reactions to bouquets of flowers form the florist's or in groceries or other shops, though some do. There's usually not much pollen on such flowers, at least not in one bunch. If working in the garden has you sneezing, try enjoying flowers inside by arranging bought bouquets.
5)    Computers, printers, and other home office machines collect dust. Keep these clean, both for the sake of allergy relief and to extend the working life of the equipment.
6) Eating well, sleeping well, and relieving stress might lessen the severity of allergic reactions and also allow you to deal with allergy symptoms.
7) If your allergy symptoms do not quickly clear up with over the counter medications, visit your doctor to have them evaluated. There are conditions, such as thyroid issues and being exposed to irritating fumes, that can mimic allergies, but are not allergic reactions per se. These are treated somewhat differently than allergies. You may also need help in identifying your specific allergies. Additionally, you may have developed chronic sinusitis and you may need help for that.
8) Don't overlook the role that treating allergic symptoms plays in your overall health. If you experience only a week or so of sneezing in the spring or fall, you likely recover quickly. However, chronic allergies can take a big toll on your well-being. Sometimes, people live with a run-down feeling and other allergy-related issues without realizing just how much their allergies are dragging them down. The proper treatment, however, can make huge improvements in a person's well-being.
9) Remember that antibiotics don't cure allergy related problems unless a secondary infection has resulted. Don't be surprised if a trip to the doctor doesn't result in a prescription for antibiotics. It's best that we all not over-use these medicines so that bacteria don't grow use to them and so that the medicines will remain effective in cases where they are really needed.
10) If you are working with garden mulch and are sensitive to molds, use precautions such as a mask, gloves, and washing up afterwards.

Enjoy!

14 days to a sneeze free home- Day 13

2012-08-31T12:08:00.000-07:00

Achoo! The weed pollen count is high in my area today, and I can tell it.

Did you know that when you first begin to tackle an allergy-producing home keeping problem that you are most likely to stir up the very allergen that you are trying to clean away? This is true for dust, pollen, and molds. Yet, there is no way to get effective relief unless you do the clean-up. So, take proper precautions as you go. As we've talked about, using masks, wearing gloves, insuring proper ventilation while you are cleaning and choosing cleaning products that don't irritate your respiratory system can help you tackle allergens without succumbing to them.

When cleaning a bathroom, you can close the door to separate it from the rest of the house, cover the vents, and open a window. This will help keep from spreading stirred up mold into other rooms. Be sure, though, to keep adequate ventilation for yourself as you clean.

A box of baking soda placed in a closet can help absorb extra moisture and unpleasant smells. This will help your closet stay smelling fresh. Some people use sticks of chalk for the same reason. You can keep it in an open container or tie it up in cheesecloth and hang it, much as you would hang a sachet. Below, you can see how Martha Stewart has tied chalk in a bundle and hung it by a simple ribbon.

The holidays are coming. Most of us will be digging out treasured decorating items, holiday china, ornaments, and the like. This means we will be opening containers in which dust and other allergens have collected and also that we may be tracking to and from dusty storage areas. Here's where getting to the dust quickly will keep us from getting sick. Who wants to go through the holidays sneezing and wheezing? Start now, in September, to give the storage areas you will be working in a thorough dusting and sweeping. Be prepared as you open boxes to wipe items and to clean out the tubs they are in.

Be prepared to do some extra dusting and vacuuming during September and October. A little extra elbow grease while pollen counts are high might be paid off in feeling well. Plus, your house will be in good shape for the holidays.

It's unrealistic to think that you will ever achieve a totally allergen free residence. Even if you cleaned 24/7, you wouldn't be able to eradicate every spore, every grain of pollen, or every dust mite from the air. (Neither would you be able to eliminate every germ.) These things are a part of life. We need to cultivate good health in the hope that our bodies will learn to deal with allergens. However, we can help our immune systems by cleaning away the excess, thus reducing our exposure. Cleanliness, not fanatic avoidance, is what we're after. For those of us with allergies, we may need to pay more attention to cleanliness than people who are not bothered by such. However, obsessing will only stress our bodies and make things worse in the long run. Balance!

Enjoy!
Elizabeth

14 Days to a Sneeze Free Home -- Day 12

2012-08-20T14:56:00.003-07:00


The English translation of this painting's name:		Wanderer Above the Fog. It would have made a good photo to go with my last post about dealing with brain fog. :)

At this time of year, you may be going off to college or sending off a son or daughter. Or, you might be a young single or couple moving into a first apartment. As fun as these beginning are, it's important to put in a little effort to keep a dorm room or first apartment sneeze free.

Dorm rooms and first apartments often are in older buildings. They are full of young and active people who are in and out all day and who can track in pollens. They are occupied by people in a time of life when cleaning is, understandably, lower on the priority scale than a number of other things. They have a high turnover of occupancy and are often being painted, sprayed, or remodeled. These are the very things that make our first homes away from home so charming. Yet, the effect of these things can make those with allergies suffer.

Two allergens that love dorms and small apartments are molds and dust. Here are some ways to keep these allergens down:

1) Do your laundry frequently.
2) Sweep and dust out closets before unpacking for the first time and then several times during the year.
3) Use a well-ventilated laundry hamper.
4) If you have a bath in your room, keep it clean and well-ventilated.
5) Consider protective allergy covers for a previously used dorm mattress.
6) Consider a HEPA allergy filter but know that it won't take the place of elbow grease in keeping your space sneeze free.
7) Request a smoke free room.
8) Wash your towels frequently. Don't let wet towels build up.
9) Keep sports clothing and equipment dry and clean.
10) Know what allergy/asthma meds you need, as well as when and how to use them, and store them in a safe, easy to get to space.
11) If you can, avoid storing things that you don't immediately need in your dorm room, such as off season clothes and shoes or big boxes of keepsakes. Keep what you do store as dust and mold free as possible. If you go to school far away from home, you may need to store more things.
12) Don't feel weird about keeping your spaces clean. You may have to pay more attention to this than most students/young professionals. But, a little time spent in preventative measures can save you time in the infirmary.

Enjoy!
Elizabeth

A Sneeze Free Home

2012-08-18T09:38:00.000-07:00

The irony: If you have allergies, then cleaning your home, keeping your car clean, and keeping whatever work spaces you have -- in or out of the home -- tidy will help you feel better. Yet, if you have allergies, you are likely to have low energy, foggy brain or allergy medicine fog, and just a general malaise. Thus, you can get in a cycle of not feeling well enough to clean just at the time you need to clean most.

So, what's an allergy sufferer to do? One first step is to confront the brain fog or medicine brain. The brain fog can occur with any chronic illness. Likewise, many people find that antihistamines and the like cause a spacey feeling. In either case, the allergy picture can leave a woman feeling less than her best. In some ways, the brain fog of allergy is like a low level headache, and you may even feel that it "hurts" to think. The following are some ways that might help in coping with that all too familiar dull or spacey feeling.

1) See a doctor to assess causes of brain fog. Don't entirely self-diagnose. There are many causes for this feeling, and you don't want to assume it's just your allergies when it might be due to some other treatable cause. Once you have a diagnosis in hand, don't keep worrying about your brain fog and don't keep analyzing it. Focusing on it too much can make it worse.

2) On the other hand, be aware of what triggers brain fog for you and keep track of the timing.

3) A tip from a Lupus support group : When running errands, use your cell phone to take a video of where your car is in the parking lot. Be sure to use a landmark in the photo, such as a particular lamp post, a shot of the shop or mall in the background, etc. Refer to the pictures to find your car easily.

4) Find your personal balance between accepting that you might not be able to do all that you would like to do when your allergies are acting up and yet realizing that you can accomplish some things.

5) Keep a list of household chores that can be done in short segments. Break larger chores down into smaller steps and list these smaller steps, as well. Set a timer and do the first on your list. Then, tackle the second, etc. Take breaks when you need to.

6) Watch your thinking. It's easy to let our thinking slip into the negative on days when we don't feel well. It's also easy to over think or brood when we are not as physically active as usual. Likewise, we can become frustrated with ourselves and also project our frustrations outward to others. A downward spiral of thinking can sap what energy you do have. Faithful thinking and focusing on your blessings can increase your stores of energy, even when you are otherwise ill.

7) Make rest time productive. Keep a list of quiet activities that you don't normally have time to enjoy (again broken into short, doable steps), and pick something to do when you don't feel up to your regular schedule. Even if you can't do heavy activity, you might be able to sew, read, listen to soothing music, write a letter, paint, read uplifting blogs, watch a movie or show you've been wanting to, etc. Catch up on a little sleep or just rest quietly. Have some extra prayer time. Now, is not the time to mindlessly surf the web, mindlessly watch TV, etc. If you just fritter your rest time, you might find yourself feeling more anxious and more foggy than if you actively select an activity that will refresh you.

9) Take a few minutes of extra planning. When you are feeling your best, you may be able to instantly decide what the highest priorities for your day are. When you are feeling a dull, allergy induced headache, you may be more indecisive. You may not feel like checking your calendar or to do list, but this is just the time when these tools can be the most valuable. Choose something and stick with it until it's done or until you've accomplished whatever intermediary steps you've established. Then go on to something else. Having routines in place can help you when you don't have the focus to decide on the spot.

10) Unless you are so ill that you do need to rest in bed, try to accomplish a few things. It's so much more pleasant to reach the end of the day and to be able to think that some things got done than to have wasted a whole day. Even small investments in making your home pleasant, clean, and sneeze free will pay off later on.

11) Taking a walk in fresh air might help, or, if your allergies are forcing you to stay inside, doing little bits of exercise throughout the day can boost your mental and physical well-being. Stretch from time to time or take some deep breaths. If you're not up to your normal exercise routine, try taking a few minutes here and there to move about and get your oxygen going.

12) One days when you are the most ill, you will likely lack as much motivation as you usually have. Even things you enjoy doing might seem daunting. Sometimes, you may need to take a "just do it" attitude. Once you dig in to a chore, you might find that you have more motivation and more momentum. Likewise, if you are feeling too tired to exercise, you might find that your energy flows more freely once you get started. Even if you don't ramp up to full speed, you will probably find the strength and the will to accomplish more than you thought possible. If you get your day started well and you still can't find any "oomph", that could be a sign that you do need more rest.

13) As best as you can, keep your personal spaces -- bedroom and bathroom -- and your kitchen tidy and your appearance fresh and neat. These things can give you more energy to branch out to other tasks.

14) Pray for strength and clarity. Pray for the wisdom to know when to push through and get things done and when to step back and rest.

15) Do what you can to support your health on a daily basis. Often, we think about this when our body is weak, and it cries out for a healthy diet, rest, and exercise. For optimum health and mental clarity, however, we have to work on our health consistently.

16) On a really bad day, set just three important goals. If you get them done, set three more. Don't overwhelm yourself with a long, long to-do list. If you're having trouble deciding which three to do, just do your best. Sometimes, these three goals will present themselves: Perhaps, your children are at a class, and you must pick them up. You can even set goals by the hour. In the next hour, I will accomplish this________. If I finish and have more time, I will do this: _________, Be thankful for everything that you do get done.

Enjoy!

14 Days to a Sneeze Free Home -- Day 10

2012-07-31T18:06:00.002-07:00

Hidden Allergies....

Vitamins and your Pantry...

I have a feeling that food allergies are over-diagnosed these days and are wrongly made out to be the culprit for a lot of ailments. On the other hand, some people truly do have very serious allergies to certain foods. Besides, if avoiding a food works for you, who am I to say differently?

Some may also have other health reasons than an allergy for avoiding certain foods. For example, I have a disease that attacks my thyroid. Soy is thought to have a harmful effect on the thyroid. So, to be on the safe side, I avoid soy when I can. I also try to avoid MSG as both my parents have had a reaction to MSG. I may hit the genetic jackpot on that one, but why take chances?

Since I am no expert on food allergies, the focus of my series "14 Days to a Sneeze Free Home" has been more slanted toward dust, pollen, dander, mold, and things that we can "clean" away. However, I did learn something about a food concern recently that I thought was worth mentioning.

In researching my autoimmune disease, I came across something I had not even considered: Most multivitamin/multimineral tablets and another of other nutritional supplements have enough soy in them that many suffers of thyroid disease avoid them. That led me on a quest for soy-free vitamins, which turned out to be hard to find. (I happen to have a bottle of Women's Your Life Multi 45 plus in my pantry, and they seem to be soy-free. They contain more ingredients than I personally would like to take, but I've decided to use them up for now. If you know of another soy-free vitamin/mineral, let me know!) Apparently, some vitamins are often extracted from soy. Since soy is thought to have many health benefits, soy is even added to some vitamins, especially those for heart health and for perimenopause/menopause.

(Note: I had the wrong vitamin listed as being no soy. It's Women's Your Life Multi by Nature's Bounty.
If you know of other soy free vitamin/minerals, please comment!)

In my research, I found that many people also search for supplements that are gluten free and dairy free, which are somewhat easier to find than those which are soy-free. The bottom line is that if you are avoiding a particular foodstuff for health reasons, check to make sure that you are not inadvertently consuming it through supplements.

Likewise, don't assume that supplements or teas which contain herbs are allergy free. Be especially thoughtful when it comes to formulas which combine many herbs. A friend of mine took a multivitamin/multimineral supplement with many herbs in it and had a serious allergic reaction to something in it, though I don't think she ever knew exactly what was the cause.

There are many other ways that certain food substances can slip into our pantries unaware. MSG and soy, for example, both are used in many forms and appear on many labels under various names. If you are trying to eliminate MSG, for example, you must also avoid hydrolyzed soy protein, hydrolyzed wheat protein, and hydrolyzed pea protein. We're all aware by now how many foods contain added sugar or high fructose corn syrup, even those that are not sweet to the taste.

If you or someone in your family has an acutely dangerous food allergy, you're probably already alert to the many ways that certain substances can be hidden in processed foods, cosmetics and toiletries, and nutritional supplements. If you've never had a serious problem but do have a health reason for avoiding a substance, it's worth a little research to find foods and supplements that are safe for you.

Enjoy!

Pattypan Squash on the Grill

2012-07-09T19:14:00.002-07:00

I've cooked patty pan squash many times, but I don't ever remember doing it on the grill. However, Doc Brilliant and I spent a fun afternoon at the Farmer's Market on Saturday afternoon, and we came home with some wonderful summer bounty. We decided to have just a veggie meal, and we wondered if we might be able to grill the squash as we have done with other squashes, like zucchini. Sure enough, one of the Internet recipe sites had many recipes for grilled patty pan squash.

So, I poured a little olive oil into a bowl and added salt. The Doc brushed the oil onto the squash and grilled it. When it came off the grill, we threw some shredded cheese on top. We took the picture before the cheese had time to melt from the heat of the freshly cooked squash, but when it did melt, it looked lovely. It tasted wonderful, as well.

I'm sorry the plate was hanging off the edge of the table in the picture, but it had to share with a number of other dishes. It all went well with the Amish cracked wheat bread that we also bought at the Market.

Yummy!

14 days to a sneeze free home -- Day 9

2012-06-29T11:33:00.003-07:00

Here's an allergy taming tip that I need to try: When pets come in from the outdoors, give them a quick rub with a baby wipe to trap dust and pollens. Corduroy, the ferocious 10 pound poodle in charge of animal hospitality at the Merry Rose, managed to find some leaves to roll in, and these stuck to his hair -- which badly needs grooming. Wouldn't you know, he got inside before I could get the leaves of him, and they are now in crumbles on my floor. Time to vacuum.

Last summer, I had my first ever case of poison ivy. I had been in contact with the stuff before, of course, but had never been allergic to it. However, my dermatologist said that as our hormones change, the things that trigger our allergies can change, as well. One of the first questions she asked was if I had a dog. Dogs can contact poison ivy and give it to you if the irritant is still on their fur. So, again, it's a good idea to wipe dogs or cats when they come inside and also to get rid of any poison ivy or the like that might be in your yard.

I don't know about where you live, but we are having some brutal heat here in Tennessee. Naturally, we have daily air quality alert warnings. Right now, we are in code orange, which affects only those who might be sensitive, such as people with asthma, the elderly, and children.

Here are the code levels and what they mean:

Good" AQI is 0 - 50. Air quality is considered satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no risk.
"Moderate" AQI is 51 - 100. Air quality is acceptable; however, for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people. For example, people who are unusually sensitive to ozone may experience respiratory symptoms.
"Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" AQI is 101 - 150. Although general public is not likely to be affected at this AQI range, people with lung disease, older adults and children are at a greater risk from exposure to ozone, whereas persons with heart and lung disease, older adults and children are at greater risk from the presence of particles in the air. .
"Unhealthy" AQI is 151 - 200. Everyone may begin to experience some adverse health effects, and members of the sensitive groups may experience more serious effects. .
"Very Unhealthy" AQI is 201 - 300. This would trigger a health alert signifying that everyone may experience more serious health effects.
"Hazardous" AQI greater than 300. This would trigger a health warnings of emergency conditions. The entire population is more likely to be affected.

Enjoy!