Would you like cleaner air, lower prices, and fewer catastrophic weather conditions? We can move closer to all of this with a few minor lifestyle changes.
There’s no denying that the whole earth is seeing troubling weather and events caused by that weather–fires, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, and mud slides. The snowballing impact of these circumstances is tremendous. People are losing their homes, neighborhoods, and livelihoods. Crops are being destroyed, which results in higher food costs and shortages. And these conditions will continue to increase over time.
Some say the cause is due to global warming. Others say it’s normal weather cycles or our lack of faith. And there are those who say that’s nonsense. Whatever the cause, if we want it to stop, we have to look honestly at what we are doing as a nation and individually. At the very least, we can show respect and gratitude for our God-given gifts.
Consider some of the small things that can be done to improve conditions. Yes, these steps require some effort, and perhaps sacrifice. However, we will suffer one way or another. Why not do what we can to improve conditions and leave the earth in better condition than it is right now?
Take a look at this list and see what you can do. A few minor changes will make a big difference.
Reduce waste by making careful purchases of items that truly will be used.
Repurpose items rather than tossing them in landfills.
Donate items in good condition.
Consider shopping at resale shops rather than for new merchandise.
Use long-lasting lightbulbs.
Avoid plastic water bottles.
Raise air conditioning thermostat temperatures one degree.
Lower heating temps one degree.
Conserve water when cleaning, washing, playing outside, and watering lawns and gardens.
Clean-up rivers, ponds, forests, and parks.
Don’t dispose of medications and chemicals inappropriately. Check with your town and disposal company for their options.
Eat locally grown foods to avoid transportation waste.
Eat less meat, such as by serving meatless meals one or two days a week. Animals contribute greatly to carbon dioxide production.
Promote better environmental understanding.
Demand and vote for better environmental protection.
Pray for our planet.
*Our faith changes as we age, and for good reason. Have you read, Young in the Spirit?
As I sat at my sewing machine removing stitches for the third time from a quilt that I’d been working on, I thought about how much in my life has been about doing, undoing, and redoing. Stitch, rip out, stitch again, only to rip out and stitch again until it is right.
My profession is like that, too. I write once but rewrite over and over. I really don’t mind the undoing and redoing because I then have an opportunity to write it better the second or third or fourth or fifth time. I can step away and see what I’ve written from a different perspective. In the end, I have a product I’m proud to put my name on.
Looking back, I see that my education was sort of a redo, as well. I did not attend college after high school but instead married two years later. My parents actually discouraged a higher education for me. What was the point, they asked? Being a good wife and mother was the ultimate goal. It was the early 70s, the end of a period when women were raised solely to be housewives and mothers.
Both of my grandmothers worked while raising their families. But my mother, and most women of her generation, did not. During the first couple of decades after World War II, men returned home and back into the workforce replacing the women who took over for them while they were gone. The working mom was the exception, and she was often looked down upon by other women.
My mother attended college for three years and worked as a chemist for General Foods before marrying and giving birth to her firstborn, my brother. I never understood why my mother never returned to complete her college education or wanted to work again.
Nor did she understand my desire to do so. She agreed with my then-husband that returning to school was a waste of family money.
But I longed for more. My solution was to apply for every available scholarship. I ended up with much more money than needed for junior college. Progress was slow as I’d take one class at a time. It was 18 years before I’d completed an associates, bachelor’s, and master’s degree. During those years, I had three children, divorced, worked, and remarried. School had to be squeezed in between other priorities, my children being the most important. Most likely, earning those degrees immediately after high school would have been easier, but I was fortune to have the opportunity and perseverance to accomplish it later.
Unfortunately, we can’t completely redo every decision we make. Some have lifelong repercussions. Those are the times that require major alterations and adjustments. We often can get where we want to go, however it may be via the long and winding road.
Birthing is hard work. Whether we humans are giving birth to a child, a horse to a colt, or a writer to a book, the process takes time, nurturing, and struggle.
My next book, tentatively titled, Tranquility, Transformation, Transcendence. The Enchanting Gifts of Public Gardens, is prime example. I’ve been working on this book for years. It is not only an unusual book for me, it is a bit different overall. The book contains photos of nature taken at three public gardens paired with poems prompted by the photo.
My previous books were quite serious. They covered the topics of women’s experiences with mentoring, praying with the Virgin Mary, Saint Theodore/Mother Theodore Guerin, spirituality and aging, and caregiving to loved ones with dementia. The Enchanting Gifts of Public Gardens is light, inspiring, and fun. It was a joy to put together and hopefully, a joy to read and ponder, something I needed, and I believe the world needs, now.
Books require time to stew, develop. I begin with a concept, a rough idea of what I’d like to cover. The book then takes on a life of its own once I begin to gather research and thoughts. The end result is often very different than I originally anticipated.
This evolution happens for many reasons. Occasionally, the story I want to tell isn’t more than what should be covered in an article or blog post, so I write it that way, instead. Every now and then, I lose interest in the topic, which no longer allows me to write an interesting book, and so I abandon that idea completely. Sometimes, the information I’m attracted to is heavy in a particular direction, and therefore, I venture off down that path.
I believe one book I wrote was spirit driven. While writing The Rosary Prayer by Prayer, I felt as if I was being directed by a higher power. The writing came together quickly and smoothly.
Most often, the book I write is basically the same as my original intention–with some refinement. Either I or my publisher narrows the topic. For example, in The Enchanting Gifts of Public Gardens, I had written poems about nature that were from numerous locations. My publisher advised I narrow this book to three public gardens. The rest may be used in future books. Now that this one is ready to go to publication, I totally agree with the narrower focus.
The process of putting a book together is like building a puzzle. Words build sentences that build paragraphs, that build pages and chapters, and so on. Even the title continuously evolves. I began The Enchanting Gifts of Public Gardens with the working title Poetic Nature. There were several reasons why my publisher wasn’t keen on that. And who knows what it will be in the end. It may continue to be tweaked.
Hopefully, the timing for this book is perfect. My last book, Inspired Caregiving, was released at the beginning of the COVID pandemic. Many of my other books, particularly the ones on prayer, did well during that time, but Inspired Caregivingnever got much attention, which is unfortunate. I believe it has much to offer caregivers on every level from parents and teachers to caregivers of those seriously ill.
The Enchanting Gifts of Public Gardens is scheduled to be released this spring. It is ready and waiting its turn to go through the publishing process, so I hope to be telling you more about it soon.
This poem sums up how we feel while living with a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease. Like a tease, we are shown moments of lucidity that briefly allow us to think all is well. Periodically, our loved one knows us, remembers our many adventures and shared life. Such moments quickly vanish and become less frequent as the disease progresses.
I wrote this poem for the opening page of my book, Navigating Alzheimer’s. My husband, Marshall, showed symptoms of Alzheimer’s during the last 15 years of our marriage. The heartache of witnessing the decline of his health and memories of our lives together continuously diminishing, in addition to the demands of around-the-clock caregiving, took its toll on my own mental and physical health. However, I learned while caring for him that loving and accepting him where he was at each point in time in the illness was important. Since, as of this writing, there is no way to reverse the disease, symptoms are progressive. Although today may be sad and difficult, tomorrow will likely be worse.
Live in the moment, enjoy the moment, alongside your loved one, wherever that takes you.
***Learn more about managing symptoms of Alzheimer’s and other dementias, as well as my experience, in the books The Alzheimer’s Spouse and Navigating Alzheimer’s. And please, if you have read either of these books, write a short review on Amazon.
The beginning of a new calendar year and birth year are good times to reassess where we are in our lives. For me, the timing is perfect. A May 31st birthday allows me to take note and make adjustments about 6 months apart every year.
The first step is to get in tune with our health because if we are not physically and emotionally balanced, we are less or totally ineffective. Think body, mind, and spirit, and ask ourselves questions such as the following.
Do we have chronic pain or ailments? We can begin by assessing our diet, exercise, and sleep patterns. If we are doing what we can to maintain good health and still suffering, it may be time to check in with a professional–a physician, chiropractor, or other healthcare provider.
Are we getting enough exercise? We don’t have to go from no exercise to running marathons. Start with gentle stretches, half hour walks, or walking back in forth in the house while swinging our arms.
Diet is critical to overall health. Food is fuel, and its quality is as important as quantity. Serving ourselves on small plates and in small bowls helps to reduce overeating. We also want to avoid processed foods. Processing breaks down the quality and adds high amounts of fat and sodium. Reading product labels on packaging is important in knowing what we are consuming. Best yet, eat whole foods. Think apple rather than an apple muffin and a piece of chicken rather than a breaded and fried chicken finger.
We want to ask ourselves how we are feeling emotionally? How often are we sad, impatient, frustrated, angry, or afraid. Sometimes it’s a matter of perspective. When we recognize our many blessings, we can see others’ needs and how we may assist them rather than wallowing in self-pity. If we feel these emotions regularly, then we might consider speaking with a counselor. We don’t function well when consumed with negative thoughts. And perhaps we should pass on watching the nightly news or watching television programs with violent or disturbing content. Our brain will continue to process those images and thoughts when we sleep. Listening to relaxing music or reading a fun book at bedtime is a better alternative.
Monitoring our financial health is also vital to mental health. Those impulse buys add up and can cause anxiety later when they need to be paid off. Taking a moment to ask ourselves if the item is something we need or will really use before purchasing can eliminate mounting debt and the stress of payments beyond our capabilities later.
Are we social? Connecting with other people is a basic human need and a key to longevity. Avoiding caustic relationships is just as important. Surrounding ourselves with healthy, and supportive friends promotes those same characteristics in ourselves.
Is our faith being fed? Trusting in a higher power alleviates us from believing we are in control of everything and therefore, responsible for all that goes wrong in the world. It also encourages us to understand how we are all connected and treat one another with love and respect no matter our station in life.
And perhaps the most important factor in well-being is recognizing our purpose. What’s our reason for getting up in the morning? Do we have meaningful people to care for and activities to occupy our time? Knowing our passions, such as gardening, playing a musical instrument, volunteering at a community center, food bank, or senior center; or drawing feeds our spirit with compassion, creativity, peace, and beauty.
Our list of needed self-improvements may be long, but we can’t change everything all at once. On the other hand, if we do nothing, nothing changes. Making one small change until it becomes a habit, and then moving on to another, moves us closer to a better, happier us one step at a time.
Do you balance a home checkbook? I took a quick, little survey with 15 responses and found most people no longer do so. Only three of the 15 responded that they are checkbook keepers. In fact, many don’t even have checks.
Surprisingly, even accountant friends said they don’t maintain a checkbook. Since most payments are made via online banking, they felt it was unnecessary. They simply keep in mind the rare check payment that hasn’t cleared the bank. However, a few responders stated that they do use some bookkeeping system such as a spreadsheet or a software program such as Quicken.
I used to be diligent about balancing the checkbook to-the-penny but the last few years I may wait months to do so and plan not doing it anymore at all. I would track my payments weekly and then refer to the checkbook to post them to an Excel spreadsheet for income tax purposes. Now, I find my credits and debits online and post them on my Excel sheet for tax records.
As long as we are careful, taking this time-consuming activity off of our to-do list lessens the load. The scary part is for those who pay their credit cards off in full each month and must have that amount in savings–or for those who don’t and end up with an unpayable credit card balance. Credit card statements can be substantial in this economy, especially while we do not go without or budget for the non-essentials as our parents did.
**Employers typically provide full-time employees with two short and one longer break each workday, because it’s common knowledge that their employees are more productive with periodic rest periods You also will be a better caregiver when you stop to recharge. –Excerpt from Inspired Caregiving. Weekly Morale Builders.
Good listeners are rare. In fact, I know few people I could award this title. I myself am lacking here.
We talk. But listening is another matter. We interrupt and interject. We walk away or hang up when someone says something we don’t want to hear.
Why do we do this when we don’t want others doing these things to us? We aren’t listening if we are talking. And when we talk over someone, we are saying that what we have to say is more important than what they are telling us. So many of our arguments could be avoided if we heard what actually is being said and we showed one another the respect to fully listen.
Effective communicators are engaged in a respectful exchange of thoughts. We listen in ways that we want to be heard. We then are able to learn from others and solve problems together.
Here are a few basic guidelines to better communications:
Don’t interrupt the speaker.
Rather than thinking of what we want to say next, concentrate on what the speaker is saying.
Don’t criticize or judge, especially before hearing the speaker’s whole story.
Maintain eye contact with the speaker.
Offer non-verbal cues that we are engaged, such as a periodical nod.
After the speaker has stopped speaking, paraphrase so we clearly understand what was said.
A question I’ve been asked over the years is which of the books that I’ve written is my favorite. This is a question that is as impossible to answer as which child is my favorite. Each book is special to me. I’m proud of all of all of them for different reasons.
Each was written with an intent to fill a need. Each book was sent out into the world with a mission to offer information and consolation to a particular audience. Most have won awards and sold consistently well over the years. And now I’m very excited about a new book coming out this year, which I will tell you about at the end of this post.
Mentoring Heroeswas my first book. Published in 2000, this book centered on my recognition through newspaper articles I’d written that successful people attributed their progress to the mentors who helped them along the way. I also recognized that women’s lives are complicated and multi-layered with family, household, and work responsibilities, and therefore, more challenging in finding ways in which to be mentored. Mentoring Heroes was widely used in university Women Studies programs and by clubs and groups. Today, I know that the book is dated in the way that it was printed–with copper plates and blue-line editing as opposed to today’s digital print method–and due to men participating more in household responsibilities and technology offering more ways in which to be mentored. Yet, the overall benefits and need for mentoring remains relevant.
The Rosary Prayer by Prayer, Grieving with Mary, andFatima at 100. Fatima Todaywere inspired by a devotion to the Virgin Mary. These were the types of books I wanted to write since childhood. Praying with Mary should always lead to a greater devotion to her son, Jesus. Mary is our heavenly mother, and like a good mother, she loves us dearly, promotes peace among all creation, and encourages us to care for one another as Jesus does. Praying with her offers a sense of calm in a world where this type of alliance is greatly needed.
With the The Rosary Prayer by Prayer readers can pray along simply by following pages showing the placement on the rosary, the prayer to be prayed, illustrations by Joseph Cannella, and a reflection. Grieving with Mary is a best-seller that aligns praying with Mary in a wide variety of ways during times of loss. And Fatima at 100. Fatima Today is a little booklet that reviews Mary’s messages in Fatima, Portugal in 1917 and how those messages remain vital in attaining peace.
Seven Principles of Sainthood Following Saint Mother Theodore GuerinandSaint Theodora and Her Promise to Godare books about a woman who immigrated to the United States to teach children and young woman. Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, also known as Saint Theodora, and a small group of sisters opened schools throughout rural Indiana and Illinois in the mid to late 1800s, a time when Catholic schools were greatly needed and in which this band of women faced great obstacles. The sisters also opened a school for the higher education of women when women had little-to-no choice for such an opportunity. Seven Principles was written for adults and Saint Theodora and Her Promise to Godwas written for children. I was inspired to write these books after attending Saint Mary of the Woods College, the school Saint Mother Theodore founded, as well as her canonization in Rome, Italy.
Young in the Spirit was published in 2013 when I was closing in on one of those big decade birthdays (I was 60 in 2014-Yikes!). Big birthdays spark contemplation on where we came from, how we arrived at a particular point in time, and where we anticipate the future to bring us. One of the areas of contemplation for me was in regard to my faith—how it changed through the years and what I could offer the Church now. Those thoughts are at the heart of Young in the Spirit.
Hans Christian Andersen Illuminated by The Message was part of a series initiated by my publisher, Greg Pierce. The series offers a unique way to promote prayer by pairing Scripture verses with passages from classic writings. I chose Hans Christian Andersen in remembrance of my mother and her childhood book, a 1936 edition of Anderson’s Fairy Tales, the same book from which my mother read to me.
Navigating Alzheimer’s,The Alzheimer’s Spouse, and Inspired Caregiving was born from a need recognized by Pam Sebern, the director of a memory care home where my husband resided in his last years. Pam asked for books to help families understand dementia and better care for their loved ones while caring for themselves along the way. She felt that the books available at that time were too medical and needed a perspective from one who lived the experience. As my husband suffered from symptoms from Alzheimer’s disease for more than 15 years, and I was an author with substantial writing experience, Pam believed I could fulfill that need.
Navigating Alzheimer’s covers the basics of Alzheimer’s and ways in which we can work with our loved one. It offers family members and caregivers a clear overall of the changes they’re likely to notice. The Alzheimer’s Spouse also covers the basics of the disease but from the perspective of the spouse. Alzheimer’s touches every aspect of both spouses in devastating ways. Inspired Caregiving provides readers with a daily/weekly boost of inspiration. Each weekly reflection follows a rotation that includes a photo, prayer, thought, activity, stretch, affirmation, quote, and bit of humor to offer guidance, encouragement, improved self-talk, and maybe a smile. All three of these books are recommended by memory care facilities across the country.
My next book, which currently is in publication, is less serious. I believe readers and I are in need of opportunities that promote peace, beauty, love, and inspiration. For this reason, my newest book, tentatively called The Gifts of Public Gardens, showcases vivid photos of nature that I have taken at public gardens paired with short, thoughtful poems. My intent is for readers to escape into the positive, wonderous gifts around us. I will keep you posted on when this book will be available.
If you’ve read any of my books, please post a review on Amazon. Readers rely on these comments to find books best suited to their needs.
On February 23, 2022, I posted about a new position I have with my publisher as a marketing advisor. I’m enjoying coaching authors in ways they can promote their new books. Every author and book are unique in its opportunities to reach their readers. I brainstorm with these authors on how they may take advantage of those avenues, such as reaching potential readers in their particular lane, as well as with press releases, blog posts, and maintaining an informative website.
If I was grading the authors I’ve worked with so far, I’d give them all A+s for their efforts. They fully understand their responsibility to promote their book along with the publisher and are striving to do so to the best of their abilities. Perhaps one or more of their books are exactly what you’re looking for. Following is a bit about each of them and links for ordering.
Steven Denny, author of The Merton Prayer: An Exercise in Authenticity illustrates how words are powerful, both the ones we say out loud and those that ramble in our heads. Author Steven Denny claims that a group of words written by Thomas Merton that begin with “My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going” changed his life. And he isn’t the only one. Denny offers fourteen reflections on this prayer with color photographs, scriptural passages, personal stories, and questions designed to stimulate serious and deep reflection on the profound words of the Merton Prayer.
Leaps of Faith: Playful Poems and Fanciful Photosby Marva Hoeckelman, OSB is a quirky, faith-filled book of playful poems and photos depicting contemporary monastic life in America. Sister Marva shakes up some of the stereotypes of vowed religious held by many in secular society with her imagination and personal experiences in this fun, yet thoughtful, book.
Sometimes David Wins is a remarkable book of true stories by community organizer Frank Pierson who spent a career encouraging and training people to organize enough power to take on the Goliaths that sought to do them wrong. Starting with his own family’s checkered history of involvement in the infamous Ludlow Massacre in Colorado in 1914 and continuing through the founding of community organizations in Illinois, New York, Arizona, Nevada, and Colorado, Pierson weaves his considerable storytelling skills to create a picture of “the world as it could be.”
Bending Granite: 30+ True Stories of Leading Changecompiled by Tom Mosgaller, Maury Cotter, and Kathleen Paris is an inspiring and informative book for leaders from committee chairs and supervisors to educators and students. Readers are gifted with more than 30 stories from people who share how they brought about positive change under circumstances that were as challenging as bending granite.
These books are available from both the publisher, ACTA Publications, and Amazon.
If you had the power to bring peace and justice to absolutely everywhere in the world, would you use that power? Would you at least make an attempt to promote peace?
Well, you do have such power, and it isn’t very complicated. More than 100 years ago, the Virgin Mary gave us a peace plan that she promised would work. And she provided clear instructions for us to follow.
Over the course of six months from May 13 to October 13, 1917, Mary appeared to three shepherd children, Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta in Fatima, Portugal. The plan is simple but does take some effort on our part. Basically, it is to build a relationship with Mary’s son, Jesus. If Jesus is our first thought before we act, we would be kinder, gentler, and loving. The more of us who do this, the more peaceful our world becomes.
One way in which to grow closer to Jesus is to pray the rosary daily. Throughout the rosary, we meditate on the life, works, and death of Christ. The repetition of prayers is calming, which allows us to think clearly. We end feeling more relaxed and positive.
Mary warned that if we did not strive for peace, an already greedy, angry, and selfish world would become worse. At that time, World War I was in progress. Undoubtedly, we did not heed the warning. We know that a greater war did in fact occur, and we have continued with conflicts ever since then.
At the time of the apparitions, Lucia was 10 years old, Francisco was 9, and Jacinta was 7. The Fatima children were quite young yet followed Mary’s instructions to the very best of their abilities. If they could do it, so can we.
For more information on Mary’s peace plan, see my booklet,Fatima Today, available for only 99 cents from ACTA Publications. To learn how to pray the rosary or understand it better, see my book, The Rosary Prayer by Prayer.
Midwest Mary 