Traveling Tribe

The semi-unspoken journey

2023-05-19T21:20:00.000-04:00

11 months into a journey I genuinely don't talk about much to outsiders, I just put my head down and drive forward. No one truly knows this story and I'm sure a few jaws will drop and a few will say I had no idea, but let me back up on June 15th, 2022 a day I thought would never happen...Happened.

Ok, let me set the scene. Wink and I were on vacation in our favorite city New Orleans with our friends Masshole Meemaw and Peepaw. That morning we had planned on going to the Death Museum (rather fascinating actually) and walked to a few other sites we wanted to take in as our week in New Orleans was quickly coming to a close. As we wandered the city on a very humid day I was laughing and just taking in the sites and smells praying that I could just hold on to the memories of this trip for the rest of my life (memories are a weakness of mine and that's connected to another journey for another day). As we entered Jackson Square I noticed Peepaw pick up his phone like he was on a Facetime call...figuring it was his son I walked away to give him some privacy. The next thing I know I look and I see my Wink on one knee. With my hands on my hips, I said to him "What the F*CK are you doing?" he then proceeded to say something like we have talked about this and it's been a long time coming and I just stood there frozen in time with my hands on my hips wondering What the F*CK is he talking about...And in my head, I had flashbacks to all those dates over the past 9+ years at the time and all the trials and tribulations we had, he had just recently sold his house and moved into mine just the fall prior. It all seemed so surreal. I at some point snapped out of it and said Yes! My head was still in a fog as to what had just happened. As we wandered around the city the four of us slowly started to come back to reality with what had just transpired. We wandered to one of our favorite watering holes in New Orleans "Crescent City Brewery".

It was then that I was shown the video that I thought was a phone call taken by Peepaw and the photo that Meemaw captured right at the second he was putting the ring on my finger and the thing that really whipped me back into this was REALLY happening was the photo. That photo quickly made its way around the globe within our Red Knight community. That photo became my motivation. That photo in some ways stole that moment in time from me and the beauty of the moment I had been waiting for.

I looked GOD AWFUL. I was trying so hard to stay in the glow of the moment, but thanks to social media I couldn't stay in that moment long. That photo would show up again and again. That Photo was the reason for this journey.

A few short weeks after our trip I was already scheduled to see my OB/GYN and her and I spoke quite candidly about things and life in general when she said to me..."Your BP is really high, and your weight has drastically increased since I saw you last (which was only about 6 months ago)." I'm a little concerned for you. I want you to see this specialist in our office.

So the following week I meet the specialist. He tells me that for my age I'm not healthy and he's concerned with my other health concerns, family history, and numbers and wants to put me on some medication and wants the following two things from me.

✔️200 mins a week of exercise of some kind

✔️Low-carb/no-carb diet NOT KETO he said

So I went all in and from July 11, 2022, to November 30, 2022, I walked nearly every day for a minimum of 45 mins, and watched very closely what I ate and drank. I lost 22.8 lbs.

Well, the holidays came and I tried my best to stick to the plan that had worked so well for me leading to this point, but ugh who wants to walk in the cold weather. So I fell off the wagon, didn't put the weight back on just wasn't losing as quickly.

The specialist was more than kind and understood that a recent career change had also occurred along with the holidays and knew that stress was playing a role so he just encouraged me to stay the course and I would be losing again in no time. It wasn't until March that he let me slide month after month with only a couple of pounds lost each month.

Now, mind you I'm coming on up on the big day that this first photo made possible, and trying on wedding dresses when you haven't a clue what size you are is a really fun time let me tell you! (insert eye roll here...) so as I type this we are less than 1 week from the big day and well yall are the first to see the updated photo.

I've hit my first official goal weight and surpassed it by a pinch. I'm also proud to say that all my numbers that were a reason for concern are now under control. The last time I saw these numbers on the scale was in February of 2017!

Not the end of my journey but we are getting closer.

My baby may be graduating High School in a few short weeks and some of that baby weight from 19 years ago isn't attending the graduation. 🤣

Just the beginning

2023-04-24T12:00:00.001-04:00

Just the beginning

Part 3: Accident series

I was finally home after 16 days in the hospital. Seeing the new wheelchair ramp that was built by our fire family made me cry. Crying because it was built with love and support. Crying because this is my new normal until I work my way out of the chair.

When I finally got inside, I got to see my fur babies. Obviously, they didn’t understand why they couldn’t jump all over me, so they lay beside me on the floor. They would occasionally bump my hand to ensure I was still there.

Then the medical equipment started appearing. Nothing ruins your dignity more than having a portable toilet beside your bed. Though I will say I had fun making Woody uncomfortable by staring at him while sitting there! HAHA!! My daughter helped me get on my new shower seat so I could take my first real shower I’d had in the 16 days. As I sat there with the water just running over me, I cried. I bawled until there were no more tears. I washed my hair. Let me repeat…. I washed my own hair! The hospital had these dry shampoo caps that gave the illusion of washing your hair. Nothing felt better than scrubbing all the crud out of it. I sat there for probably 20 min just enjoying the water. This was my routine every day for the next few weeks.

Everything was bandaged up so I never truly got to see what was going on down there, but Woody knew. He changed my bandages three times a day and every time he looked defeated. I was scheduled for surgery about a week after I got out of the hospital. I had a wound vac attached to my foot and they were going to remove it.

Woody and I had a big decision to make after the surgery. Will we still be going to Gatlinburg, Tennessee with a group of our friends? Our daughter said it would be good for me to get my mind off things. Two weeks after my release we went to Tennessee.

This my readers are how the Traveling Dingleberries began.

One couple we had never met before and the wife of someone we had only met once. Everyone and I mean EVERYONE helped with anything I needed. We all had an instant bond that I cannot describe. It just felt right. These are my people! The type that you don’t have to see every day or even talk to every day, and you can just pick up where you left off the next time you see them. This vacation was good for my soul. So much laughter and love flowed that week.

There’s so much that happened the next month I’m going to do a small breakdown.

Stitches and staples were removed. 79 stitches and 30 staples. The majority was my foot alone. I had a skin graft done while in the hospital. That was probably one of the most painful spots to remove staples from. The nurse was even crying along with me.

Started physical therapy. In the first month, I was given exercises to build up the muscle I lost. The biggest issue was the swelling in my foot. The swelling was keeping my foot from bending to a regular angle.

I started having ridiculous pain in my foot at the beginning of December. We made a trip to the Orthopedic ER to find out what was going on. After the x-rays, we found out the tiny rod placed on my fibula slid down into my foot it turned out. I was then scheduled for surgery to remove it.

I wasn’t sure how much more I could take. I was emotionally and physically drained. Then the worst thing happened…. I lost my Bullseye. My daughter took him to the emergency vet since I had a doctor’s appointment I couldn’t miss. I never thought I would get the call that he couldn’t be saved. He started having seizures the night before. When scans were done, they noticed he had tumors on his brain. He was 10 yrs old and he had the best life. His sister was more at a loss than I ever thought she would be. He was her sight dog since she was blind.

Once the rod was removed the swelling went away within a few days. When I went to my next physical therapy appointment my therapist was shocked and excited because I was going to be walking soon!

On December 31, 2020, I walked 30ft!!!! I was able to walk into the new year!!

The next few months we used to gain strength and hopefully find some shoes that would work with my prosthetic. The prosthetic I got was expensive and I’ve only used it once or twice. It really amazed me the lack of shoes that are out there. Just because I have a wider foot now doesn’t mean I want them black and Velcro. Horrible. I finally found a company called Billy Goat that sells shoes geared toward kids and adults that have ADHD, muscular dystrophy, amputation, etc. Let’s just say I love this company and what they do!

Greenlight!!! I was finally able to go back to work after 5 ½ months. My ortho doc gave me the go-ahead!! Was I completely healed? No, but I was still able to go back. In the following months, I still had doctor appointments, but we’ll get into that another time.

I have so much more I could discuss, but I’m going to save that for future blogs! I’m sorry it took me a few extra weeks for this one, but this was for some reason a hard one to get out. So much to say, but I didn’t want to bore everyone!

Until next time! Thank you to everyone that followed along!

Your Friday Funny

2023-04-21T06:37:00.001-04:00

Need A laugh?!? Read this!!!

My husband and I were dressed and ready to go out for a lovely evening of dinner and theatre. Having been burgled in the past, we turned on a 'night light' and the answering machine then put the cat in the backyard. 

When our cab arrived, we walked out our front door and our rather tubby cat scooted between our legs inside, then ran up the stairs. Because our cat likes to chase our budgie we really didn't want to leave them unchaperoned so my husband ran inside to retrieve her and put her in the backyard again. 

I didn't want the taxi driver to know our house would be empty all evening, I explained to him that my husband would be out momentarily as he was just bidding goodnight to my mother. 

A few minutes later he got into the cab all hot and bothered, and said (to my growing horror and amusement) as the cab pulled away. "Sorry it took so long but the stupid bitch was hiding under the bed and I had to poke her arse with a coat hanger to get her out! She tried to take off so I grabbed her by the neck and wrapped her in a blanket so she wouldn't scratch me like she did last time. But it worked! I hauled her fat arse down the stairs and threw her into the backyard....she had better not shit in the vegetable garden again."

The silence in the taxi was deafening...

What if Wednesday

2023-04-19T06:00:00.001-04:00

Where we provide a chance for you to interact with our Travelin Tribe ladies and answer a What If question along with the ladies. This is voluntary for the ladies so every week you will have different ladies answer or not answer.

What if Wednesday

2023-04-12T06:00:00.001-04:00

🚍All aboard!🚍

2023-04-06T08:30:00.010-04:00

You may recall from my intro to the blog that I'm a work-from-home entrepreneur - I have my own social/digital marketing firm. It's a real challenge getting my name out there since it's a startup. I'm often up in the wee hours of the night with ideas, concepts, or random thoughts that just come to me or sometimes it's the random train of thought from earlier in the day that derailed and I had no survivors I suddenly find one and now I'm AWAKE!

However, there are some perks of working from home:

The commute is pretty decent, might be a furry speed bump along the hallway, but mostly smooth sailing.
Coworkers are pretty decent, sometimes demanding, often distracting, and most of the time just plain quiet and a lot of one-sided conversation.
Breakroom is usually pretty stocked.
The ability to say meh it's 5 o'clock somewhere after a meeting that doesn't go well and no one blinks!
Working from my pj's is usually my uniform
Work when I can sneak in 5 mins here or 3 hours there (usually depending on my coworker's ability to get along).
Working from the backyard on days when getting a tan, watching coworkers play, and work collide, is starting to happen more often.
The ability to embrace the idea of a siesta is always a great perk that most corporate jobs would frown upon.

While this is not a complete list of the perks, it's some of the main highlights for me.

Working from home is great for me since I have a medical condition that doesn't stop me from working outside of the home, but it gives me more freedom to handle my issues when I need to instead of when it's convenient. However, it also brings up some other concerns.

Working from home definitely has its perks, but there are some downsides that you should consider. For starters,

I'm virtually always home, which can get a little boring at times.
People also tend to think that because I work from home, I'm not doing anything – which isn't true.
Plus, it can be hard to find other people to bounce ideas off of and collaborate with,
I don't have anyone to gloat to when I've finished a project that has made me struggle.
Let's not forget the extra cleaning duty that comes along with it!
Plus, when I do leave the house, everyone seems a lot less intelligent than before.
Last but not least, it can be really lonely when I need to vent or even if I feel like crying.

Working from home can be a great opportunity for those who are able to make it work for them, but it isn't for everyone. It takes a lot of discipline and determination to make it work, but with the right mindset, it can be done. There is no easy way to completely separate work from home life so show a little appreciation for those who choose to work from home and support them. While their commute may be short they still may be riding the struggle bus while looking to achieve work-life balance.

If you are interested in my business you can visit my website www.MarketingWithPre.com and request a FREE consultation!

What if Wednesday!

2023-04-05T06:00:00.000-04:00

Table Time Tuesday's

2023-04-04T06:00:00.003-04:00

Where we answer the dreaded question...What's for dinner?

All of the recipes we share are tested by one of the five lovely ladies in the traveling tribe.

Ok so this week it might not be what's for dinner but it's what's for dessert!

Check this favorite out!

https://bakeorbreak.com/2008/03/paula-deens-banana-pudding/

“Half off pedicure!” Part 2 of the accident series

2023-04-03T06:00:00.001-04:00

September 20, 2020

When I woke up from my first surgery and looked down I couldn’t believe what had happened. The amount of metal surrounding my lower leg was crazy. I knew I had hurt my leg, but I did not know how bad.

I was laying there crying from the pain when the nurse came in to check on me. She asked me how I was feeling…. And that is when the first joke came… “I feel like I was hit by a truck!” She just looked at me, shook her head, and laughed. I asked what all happened, but fell asleep before I got the answer. Oh, blessed pain meds, you were my best friend!

The next morning waking up in pain again I got to meet my new nurse. She explained to me everything that happened, and what was up next. I had a compound fracture on my right leg, my foot had been degloved, and my Achilles tendon was cut in half. She was there to prep me for another surgery. I was scared and wanted Woody. No one could tell me where he was, and if he was ok. I fell back to sleep, and when I woke up Woody was there, and of course, I cried again. Some details are sketchy because I had a lot of pain pills in my system.

Sidebar time: Woody went through hell trying to get to me! The hospital would not let him go up to my room. We were in the middle of covid and no one was allowed to see anyone in the hospital. Me being in the Orthopedic hospital on the critical floor made it worse. He stated he was not leaving, and he was going up! The director of nursing came down and talked with him. The agreement was, once he went up if he left, he could not go back up. Woody was by my side for the next 15 days. He slept on a tiny futon couch. Thankfully our daughter was able to bring him the items we needed, and we were very thankful. I asked Woody several times if he was ok. He swore he was. He lied! Every bit of cartilage was broken in his chest. So, imagine sleeping on a tiny futon with that sort of chest injury.

I was taken down for the 2nd surgery of the 9ish I had while in the hospital. This surgery was to put the interior rods and nails in. While waiting for surgery, I heard a voice that I knew too well. I looked over at my surgical nurse and shouted... I KNOW THAT VOICE! I obviously startled her. I said I was sorry! I was just excited because I know that voice!! It was one of my associates from where I worked. I begged the nurse to go next door and tell him hi from assistant manager Bo! She promised she would after I went in for surgery. (When I got back to work months later I asked the associate if he was told Hi! He said he was told and he prayed for me to have an easy surgery)

When we got the news after a few surgeries, I would have a few of my toes removed. The skin was dying from my foot being degloved. Ok, I can deal with this! What are a few missing toes!? Well, my big toe and the toe next to it were removed. A day went by and went down for debriding. It was decided at that point that all the toes would be amputated. I was taken back to my room. I remember feeling numb about it. It wasn’t like I could stop it. There were a few jokes made, and I fell asleep…again.

Half off pedicure!!! That was the first thing I said to Woody and the nurses when I was brought back after the trans metatarsal amputation. If I didn’t laugh, I cried.

So many things transpired while I was in the hospital, and I slept through most of them. I had to have a plastic surgeon do a skin graft to replace the skin that died on my foot. I now have a permanent white square patch on my right thigh. I tried talking with my best friends through face time. 5 minutes in and I’m falling asleep! Almost 3 years later, it is still funny!

I had the most amazing care while I was there. I only had trouble with one nurse. When one nurse promises me I can take a shower the next day after not having a shower in 10 days, and the next day’s nurse is an absolute “B” word. She told me I was not getting in the shower. She didn’t last long in my room. I would say Woody was pleasant with her, but that would be a lie. Haha!

Day 15: My favorite nurse gave me the best news! You get to go home tomorrow!!! She said she would be sad seeing me go. I had been one of their favorite patients. Always smiling and laughing when I was awake.

Woody and I had been waiting to hear those words. Woody had things packed up and ready in record time!

Day 16: The best sight is seeing my daughter outside waiting for us!

Let’s go home!!

Check out next Monday for the finale!

Friday Vibes

2023-03-31T06:00:00.002-04:00

Sometimes you need to just find something to make you laugh, even if it’s on a Friday!

Confrontation...

2023-03-30T06:00:00.002-04:00

Are you someone who struggles with avoiding confrontation?

I'm not proud of it, but I have an unfortunate tendency to avoid confrontation at all costs. If I post something and it causes contention, I'll just remove it. Or, if I'm wearing something that's not well-received, I'll stop wearing it altogether. As for decisions I've made, I'll prohibit myself from expressing emotion or crying in front of the person in question. Anyone else?

If you are like me and try to avoid confrontation at all costs. Here are some tips on how you can help yourself when dealing with confrontation.

1. Writing it down: Writing down my thoughts and feelings can help me to process the situation and move on. This can also help me to see things from a different perspective, as it allows me to look back at the event objectively.

2. Talking to a friend or family member: Talking to someone I trust and feel comfortable with can be a great way to process the situation and find a way to move forward. It can also provide an opportunity to gain insight into how other people view the situation.

3. Taking a break: Taking a break from the situation can help me to clear my mind and refocus my energy on something else. This can allow me to come back to the situation with a fresh perspective and new ideas.

4. Exercise: Exercise is a great way to release stress and tension. Going for a walk, run, or bike ride can be a great way to clear my head and move on from the situation.

5. Meditation: Meditation can be a great way to focus on calming my mind and body. Taking a few moments to focus on my breath and relax can help me to find a sense of peace and clarity.

Confrontation can be a daunting and difficult experience, but it is one that we must learn to face if we are to grow and learn from the situations we are in. By writing down our thoughts and feelings, we can help ourselves to process the situation and to see it from different perspectives. Remember that while it may be difficult, it is an opportunity to learn and grow.

It's What if Wednesday?

2023-03-29T06:00:00.017-04:00

Table Time Tuesday

2023-03-28T05:30:00.006-04:00

Where we answer the dreaded question...What's for dinner?

All of the recipes we share are tested by one of the five lovely ladies in the traveling tribe.

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

https://pin.it/31dNBJa

The only thing I omit is the onions due to food allergies. It's still one of my favorite pasta salads.

“Not Yet” Part 1

2023-03-27T05:30:00.002-04:00

The part of my life that I’m going share with you all is how I did not let life beat me down, and did my best to stay positive.

On September 19, 2020, my husband purchased a brand-new motorcycle. (And yes I knew about it!) It was a beautiful bike, and I could not wait to ride that baby home!

September 21, 2020…. This is the day that would change our lives forever.

Woody got home around 3:30 that day. It was my first day of vacation so I was already home. Woody had brought home some different windshields to try out and wanted to go ride and test them. Something felt off all day, and for some reason, I was not wanting to get on that bike, but I did and didn’t follow my gut instinct.

At 4:05 PM we sat at the three-way traffic light barely 5 blocks from our house. Almost exactly 2 days after the purchase. There were no vehicles waiting or coming. There is a curve that comes around a local pizza place that leads vehicles toward the direction we were turning. As we started turning left, we both noticed a truck flying around that curve, and I knew at that time, this is why I felt uneasy all day. I screamed, “HE’S NOT STOPPING!!!”. Woody and I both said oh shit at the same time as I watched this kid not even glance up in our direction as he barely yielded at the stop sign…. And he turned right into us.

We were just hit by a truck. I landed on the tiniest patch of grass next to a thin metal light pole. Right in front of a group of people from the Optimist Club selling mums. God laid me down where I needed to be.

Someone told me I was 3 inches away from wrapping my body around it. I tell everyone that will listen that I didn’t land, but felt someone catch me. Of course, it was probably the ground catching me! I remember waking up and screaming for Woody. When he didn’t respond… I prayed for God to take me because I was not living without him.

I remember the pain.

I remember opening my eyes and seeing one of our friends saying, “Oh god it’s Bo and Woody!”

I remember a soft older female voice talking to me, and telling me “You are going to be fine, just squeeze my hand.”

I remember opening my eyes and seeing Woody crawling toward me. I closed my eyes, and the next thing is Woody laying across the top of my body so I wouldn’t look down. “I won’t lie honey it’s really bad!” All I could say was “GET OFF OF ME” Woody’s a big guy and was putting all his weight on me.

The other sentence I remember hearing was… “Not yet”

As I have told you in my previous blog my husband is a career firefighter for the town where we live. So, as you can imagine these guys and gals who were there to help us was family. I looked over after what seemed like hours to see my sister-in-law Amy who was helping the medics.

Amy is a registered nurse so you can see why I was so happy to see her. Not only is she family she is also medically trained. I was also grateful they allowed her in the ambulance with me since Woody couldn’t be with me. Woody got his own ambulance ride to the hospital. The medics were not able to give me any pain meds on the ground since my readings were so low. Possible broken pelvis you know! (Not broken btw!) I remember the pain was so excruciating I’m pretty sure I broke a few eardrums from screaming when they had to move my mangled leg. I was loaded into the ambulance and taken to the airport so I could be flown by helicopter to Lutheran Hospital in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Amy couldn’t go with me, but luckily, I knew the medic on the helicopter. My vitals were stable enough for them to push pain meds. THANK GOD!!!

FYI: That was the most expensive flight that I don’t remember taking! Haha!

I remember being unloaded and that was it! Next, I wake up while I’m in the process of getting a Cat Scan done!

Sidebar: if you know what Minecraft is you’ll understand, if not look it up! I have never played it, but I know what it is!

When I woke up, I was in Minecraft!! I wasn’t sure how I got there, but I was NOT going to stay green! I begged someone to get me out of Minecraft!!! I just hear, “oh she’s waking up, let’s get her something stronger!” I remember I asked for my Minecraft sword because that would make me stronger.

I then woke up in a room in the Emergency room. My brother-in-law Jamie was in the room with me. I can’t really remember what all was going on I just remember the nurse or doctor asking Jamie to step out for a minute or until they brought Woody into my room. Once Jamie stepped out, the doctor said, let them see each other and say “goodbye” just in case…. JUST IN CASE????? Oooooh ok!

When Woody was brought over in his bed to my room, he swears I was ignoring him and posting on Facebook! I have absolute proof that I was not on Facebook. (If I had been, whatever I typed would have come up as a memory the next year! So, there’s my proof Woody!!) I honestly don’t even remember being on my phone. Our daughter CiCi had been with him while Jamie was with me. Because of Covid, only one person was allowed in the room, but nurses allowed both to stay with us.

I said I love you to my child, Jamie, and most of all Woody.

Off to surgery, I go! As they were pushing me down the hall I looked over, and my brother was walking beside me. My brother Scott passed away more than 5 years ago. I asked him if he was here to take me home. Home as in heaven. He just smiled and shook his head no. That’s when he slammed his hand down on my chest. I asked him why the heck he was hitting me. All he would say is, “Not yet!”

Please check in next week for part 2!!

Happiness...Have you found it?

2023-03-23T05:57:00.007-04:00

OK! OK...International Day of Happiness was March 20th, but shouldn't every day be a day of Happiness??

We all want it and lately, that’s all I’ve heard about when listening to podcasts or watching tv. One of the podcasts mentioned this new book The Good Life Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness by Robert Waldinger who leads the “Harvard Study of Adult Development -- one of the longest-running studies of adult life ever conducted.” This also reminded me of another book from a few years back written by Dan Harris called 10% Happier. It seems happiness is something everyone is looking for and I find that pretty interesting. Are you looking for happiness??

Happiness can be so elusive to so many people, for example, I’ve had my bouts of depression, contemplated suicide more times than I’d like to admit, and often wondered if I'd ever find happiness again all while crying from sunset to sunrise.

What makes you happy?

Well, according to The Good Life the key to happiness is Relationships. Social connections give us life and loneliness and isolation kill us. Now introverts don't worry you're not going to die young or ever have happiness like the extroverts. Introverts...You have relationships, you just don't need as many of the rest of the world to feel that same level of happiness. I really think that you are the lucky ones!

Now as someone who works from home, most days the only person that hears my voice other than the dog is my fiance and that can go on for DAYS!!! This is why every day I feel more blessed to have these ladies a part of my life not only are they adding value to my life via text and phone calls and whatnot, but they are adding happier days to my life. They are adding Happiness!

This brings me back to this very page you are reading. This tribe. If the #1 thing that can bring us happiness is social connections then why do so many of us spend time doing things that isolate us? Playing on our phones, or watching tv for example, many of us can easily spread 40+ hours a week between those two things and not even know it.

Are you adding happiness to someone's life? Is someone adding happiness to yours? Based on the idea that Happiness is found in social connections or relationships who are you going to connect with today? As a good friend of mine, Nikki-Dee always reminds me that if someone is on your heart let them know. They don't have to respond and it doesn't have to be detailed but it can mean everything to either them or even to yourself. Just knowing you have that connection to someone can change your total outlook on your day.

So the one thing you should take away from this is no one lies on their deathbed saying they wished they had done more at work or spent more time with their boss or co-workers. “The one thing that if you want to make one choice today to be healthier and happier is to improve your connections with the relationships you have around you.” Who are you going to connect with today? Are you adding happiness to someone's life? Is someone adding happiness to yours?

Table Time Tuesday

2023-03-21T06:03:00.002-04:00

Where we answer the dreaded question...What's for dinner?

All of the recipes we share are tested by one of the five lovely ladies in the traveling tribe.

https://pin.it/2dWR80V

Motivational Monday

2023-03-20T06:07:00.001-04:00

It's a new week.

What will you do this week to make your life better?

Friday Vibes

2023-03-17T06:00:00.001-04:00

From the 5 of us ladies...

Mental Health and the Workplace...

2023-03-16T06:00:00.003-04:00

We have all worked someplace where we weren't happy, or it wasn't good for us mentally but did you know?

The average person spends around 90,000 hours or one-third of their life at work, so it’s important to ensure we’re in a healthy mind space while there. Maintaining positive mental health is critical to health and well-being. But it’s also important to our success at work and the success of our employers. Managers take note...if your employee isn't happy your not getting what you are paying them to do!

Are aware that individuals struggling with mental health issues are at greater risk for a variety of health conditions. But did you know they're also at greater risk for disability, unemployment, and underemployment?

Poor mental health and stress can negatively affect (this is not an all-inclusive list):

Job performance and productivity
Engagement with one’s work
Communication with coworkers
Physical capability and daily functioning

Are you working in a good mental health workplace?

What would you change to make it better?

What If Wednesday

2023-03-15T06:00:00.003-04:00

Some Wednesday's we are going to give you a chance to interact with our Travelin Tribe ladies and answer a What If question.

Table Time Tuesday

2023-03-14T05:50:00.003-04:00

Where we answer the dreaded question...What's for dinner?

All of the recipes we share are tested by one of the five lovely ladies in the traveling tribe.

https://pin.it/6ErRSDZ

Motivational Monday

2023-03-13T06:00:00.003-04:00

It's a new week.

What will you do this week to make your life better?

Sunday Snuggles

2023-03-12T06:00:00.001-04:00

As animal lovers, we wanted to offer places that have pets looking for Fur-Ever homes an opportunity to be spotlighted. As we are all located in different areas of the US we thought maybe this would help get the word out.

This little 4-legged cutie is Russ McGruff. Russ suffers from a super serious, super medical condition called "little dog syndrome". LOL

To find out more about Russ and his friends at the shelter go to www.HuntingtonHumane.com

Friday Vibes

2023-03-10T06:00:00.001-05:00

Sometimes you need to just find something to make you laugh, even if it’s on a Friday!

Wounds equal pearls

2023-03-09T06:00:00.001-05:00

Did you know….An oyster that has not been wounded in any way does not produce pearls?

A pearl is a healed wound.

Pearls are a product of pain, the result of a foreign or unwanted substance entering the oyster, such as a parasite or a grain of sand.

The inside of an oyster shell is a shiny substance called “nacre.”

When a grain of sand enters, the nacre cells go to work and cover the grain of sand with layers and more layers to protect the defenseless body from the oyster. As a result, a beautiful pearl is formed!

The more pearls, the more valuable…

We are all valuable with all of our wounds. Some of us have small wounds or pearls and others have gigantic ones. Regardless of the size, they are what makes us each beautiful. It's hard sometimes to embrace the pain or the wound at the time, but just remind yourself that you're going to make it thru this and you'll have a pearl to show for it.

So, just a little reminder your survival rate of making it through tough times is 100%. So you got this and you're never alone and you are valuable.

God never allows pain without a purpose.

What if your greatest ministry to others comes out of your greatest hurt?