Family/health issues

Our Future Foundations Family Center, under the direction of Laura Jaramillo, is providing a place to address community family and health issues. January has been a very busy month for the staff preparing for programs and events.

S.W.A.G (success with adolescent goals) began on the 13th with an orientation meeting with parents. This the second year for S.W.A.G., which is a program for teens ages 12-15, focusing on teen pregnancy prevention. The program began when the New Mexico Department of health targeted Cibola County as one of the counties having a high rate of teen pregnancies. Part of the program invites teen parents to share their experiences with the students. There are also opportunities for the students to help with community projects. Those completing the 16 week program will receive a $200 Wal-Mart gift card.

The second event sponsored by Future Foundations and Cibola General Hospital takes place tonight and is also in its second year. It is called Paint the Town Red:Ladies Night Out. It is a fundraiser to raise awareness about heart issues and obesity prevention. For $25 ladies over 18 will be offered food, entertainment,local vendors and live music. The first 100 guests will also receive a gift bag. Yesterday the "SWAG kids" helped decorate the Kights of Columbus Hall where the event will be held.

I am very happy to be involved with a group that cares about family/health issues. As a member of the family center staff I am also looking forward to working at the event tonight.

Intuition wins again

Another interesting week has past with a little twist at the end. Yesterday as I was driving to work I noticed the little check engine light go on in my car. Since it was the first time that had ever happened it caused me some concern. I knew that by the time I got off work I wouldn't be able to get the source of the problem checked until this morning. I had all kinds of opinions as to the reason the light was on ranging from: low on coolant, needing antifreeze and someone this morning insisting I needed a new gas cap. As it turned out nobody was right!

After I got off work last night I checked my owners manual to see what it said about the warning light. That didn't help much, but at least I tried. I also opened the hood of my car to see if possibly I saw an indication of low fluid of some kind, which didn't help either. I finally decided there wasn't much sense in worrying about that pesky little light that refused to go out. My intuition was saying it wasn't anything serious, but I still worried a little about driving the car without knowing what was wrong.

Realizing that I would have to go into town to solve the problem I decided to stop off at the family center first to watch my grandson's basketball game this morning, then take the car to have the engine checked. If my intuition gave me any resistance at all I would reconsider my plan of action.

Since I received no resistance I moved forward with my plan. After the game I drove to Delta Tires where I explained my concern, had my oil changed and all the fluids checked to see if the light would go out. Nope it was staring at me as bright as before. Next stop was a few doors East at Auto Zone where the car was hooked up to a diagnostic tool. At first there was a small problem because the transmission refused to talk to the tool. It was a little cold out this morning, after all. Then communication began and the problem was solved. All I needed was new spark plugs at $1.98 each.

Next and final stop was back to Delta Tires to have the newly purchased items installed. My car now runs like a top. If I had allowed worry and fear to take over and not followed my intuition this little adventure could have walked an entirely different path.

By the way, the basketball team lost, but played a really good game. They are getting better every week!

Not again!

Having finished a full week of work after being off for two weeks I assumed my ill health last weekend was in the past. That was until I woke up in the middle of the night and could barely move my upper left leg. It was really fun trying to figure out how to get out of bed. Something similar happened a few years when I had pulled a muscle in my knee. Eventually grabbing a makeshift cane I managed to hobble around. Since I had missed my grandson's basketball game last Saturday I was not going to let that happen again. Call me stubborn, but those games are important to me.

After I managed to get upright (I'm glad there was no video camera present) I attacked what appeared to be a pulled muscle with massage, muscle rub and ice. Eventually I was able to let go of the makeshift cane and the situation seemed to be getting better, not great just better. After breakfast I gave in and took an Ibuprofen, something I almost never do. Just for good measure I decided to click on a site I used to use to balance my chakras.

I was so upset at the possibility of missing another game, I just kept repeating, "I am going no matter what!!"

The game was at 11:00 AM and I was there sitting in the front row of the bleachers. I even managed to briefly stop by the grocery store to pick up a few things on the way home.

Living a fairly healthy life I am always thrown off balance when something like this happens. It causes me to think about all the people around my age, who have to deal with debilitating pain every day of their life. It also causes me to be grateful for the life I am living.

Did I do that?

I spent an interesting weekend mostly doing nothing, but resting. I had no choice because my body decided to be sick. It is almost unheard of for me to stay in bed when I don't feel well. I remember back in 1990, after cancer surgery,I got up and accomplished what I thought needed to be done. If I didn't do it who would? My family sure wouldn't. I had trained them not to. Yup I did do that.

Apparently this past weekend my body decided not to listen and forced me to shut down. Living alone does present cause for concern, when in the middle of the night one is in pain and wondering if a trip to the emergency room might be in order. My brain recalled the last time that happened in 2011 and it resulted in major surgery. I was actually chewed out by the emergency room doctor because I had driven myself to the hospital. It is only about 10 minutes away. His words were, "I can't give you anything for the pain if you are driving" adding "why did you wait so long?"

Gee Doc do you suppose that's because I live alone and it's the weekend and I have no insurance?"

This time everything turned out alright and I gave my body the rest it deserved. Even though I opted out of my life for a couple of days the world did not come to an end.

I don't care to go into detail, but there is one almost unbelievable occurrence that I want to share. While laying on the couch yesterday I clearly heard a very pleasant female voice say, "Hi how are you?". Don't think I'm making that up because my dog heard it too. My first reaction was to wonder who the voice belonged to, but a friend had a different reaction to the experience. She suggested that instead of spending energy on asking who it was I should be grateful that someone, anyone, cared about me. She was absolutely right and I immediately gave thanks to the voice with no body. Yes, I did that!

Do your own thing

At the beginning of this new year I decided my life was getting into a rut and I needed to add some new things to get out of that situation. I have pretty much been self-taught when it comes to learning things not generally offered in school. I probably inherited that tendency from my father, a self-taught man. When I took French in high school I remember my father saying, "After you learn it you can teach me". Neither happened! The only reason I attempted the language in the first place was because some of my maternal ancestors were French.

My mother was a professional seamstress and tried to teach me to sew. That didn't work out well either, perhaps because I didn't do things her way. Later on I became quite good at stitching up creations on my own. I even made my daughters wedding dress. Sewing led to teaching myself how to knit and crochet. I think my maternal grandmother had a lot to do with my desire to work with a new medium. As a child I remember helping her wind and unwind yarn. Through the years many hours were spent offering my creations at craft shows.

Time goes on, people die, children grow up and the word family takes on a new meaning.

In 2000 I began writing as a creative expression. It was fun and has led to many exciting experiences. One of the things I am most proud of is that I have always encouraged my young grandson to not only read, but try out his version of writing. A priceless gift I received after recently reading a story he had written was his comment, "I have learned a lot from you and I have a really good Language Arts teacher."

In celebration of a new year and because I have become bored I purchased a keyboard from Amazon. After taking it out of the box, setting it up and plugging it in, my first thought was "now what?". I did briefly take piano lessons at about age 10, but recall nothing except where middle C is and striking wrong notes. My next stop was the music store, where after a conversation with the owner/music teacher I purchased a beginner music book and I am determined to teach myself. After a few days I can play, Mary Had a Little Lamb. Don't laugh I'm still learning!

Another talent (?) I have been ignoring is art. Although I am not a photographer I do take some beautiful photos of natural subjects like clouds, water and sunsets. A professional photographer once told me I have a natural gift for framing what I see. I haven't found the right showcase for my work. Perhaps someday!

In the past I also dabbled in sketching, again teaching myself. I never thought I was very good. I do have an unrealized desire to draw and paint. Recently I shared a couple of my sketches with an artist saying, "I really don't have a gift". The response was, "I can see that you have a gift, you just haven't used it." His comment inspired me to try again and I took out my sketch pad and began trying to copy a very peaceful scene I found on Facebook using colored pencils. I wasn't happy with it and I finally realized why. I was trying to copy something someone else had done.

The image I was trying to reproduce, although peaceful, was structured. Every mark I made on the pad was trying to force my brain to do something it didn't want to do. I believe my next step is to try abstract art and let my brain have its way. In the meantime I am sharing an image I reproduced several years ago. It was a large clump of weeds sitting on a hill above my little town. It caught my eye one day and I decided to make it into something it was not. As the saying goes, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder".

I have concluded it is of utmost importance to just do your own thing.

Through the eyes of love

Love has been on my mind today and the fact that everyone alive has their own special idea of what the word means. I believe that single word has been the inspiration for more poets, writers and musicians than any other in any language. It is, in the minds of some, the one word definition of our creator and the reason we are all experiencing a human life.

Love is something no one can put in a box and give as a gift. It cannot be purchased, although many have tried. It just is. I believe it is an invisible expression of what the heart holds most dear. No one can take it away from you.

There is no limit to the ways love can be shared with others. For some reason the subject has caused me to think about Walt Disney (1901-1966). There was a man who knew how to share love with the world! If not for his wonderful imagination we would never have known a mouse could talk. Because of his willingness to share through his gift of animation, children of all ages have experienced his unique brand of love.

My favorite story as a child was Bambi. Somehow I related to that poor little dear who lost his mother and was showered with love by his friends. I believe most animated movies have been about love in some form. The ones I recall are: Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Lion King, Beauty and the Beast and in recent years in the company of my young grandson; Finding Nemo, Happy Feet and Wall-e. The last two are my favorites because they show that love is where you find it.You just have to be willing to accept what is being offered.

In closing my thoughts I would like to share a poem I wrote awhile back about the subject of love.

Celebrate

An angelic celebration takes place
When two souls realize they are one
Not held back by earthly boundaries
Going in the same direction at the same time
With no clear destination
Not understanding how it happened
Acknowledging that it did and
Going to any length to nurture the bond.

Are you crazy!

I am sure some people reading my posts might think just that. My perspective on what I see is a personal view that I love sharing with others. It is not my purpose to convince anyone else to believe the things that I believe. It is my purpose to inspire those teetering on a different opinion than the masses to just do it. There is no right or wrong about anything. So what if other people might think you are weird or just plain crazy? It does not change a thing. I love being a non-conformist in a conformist world.

I especially love shaking up "educated" people who think they are in charge of my life and expect me to act in a certain way. I recall a medical person accusing me of being passive aggressive simply because I dared to challenge her way. Get over it lady! If I am paying you to assist me in being well I have a right to question what you are doing. This person didn't stay around very long and it didn't take me long to realize I didn't need her in the first place. Interesting isn't it how everyone knows what is best for you except you?

The best advice I have for anyone is be true, be honestly you and let everyone else do the same.

No I am not crazy, weird, strange or any other similar word one might care to use. I have simply reached the point in my life where I enjoy being me and if along the way I can inspire you to enjoy being you- perfect! I will have realized my purpose.

A guide with a sense of humor

I have known for some time that I have an unusual guide, whom I call Richard. He is quite evident in my E-book, Journey of an Enlightened Egotist. Although he has stayed pretty much in the background since I finished the book he still makes his presence known from time to time. His antics usually make me laugh. I realize that others may not believe that I have a one on one relationship with an entity/guide from another realm, but I personally do not care!

Today's post is a continuation from one I wrote yesterday. You may want to look back if you didn't read it. The ending comment and, not part of the poem I shared, in case you were confused was: "No more holes for me".

I went to bed last night feeling pretty good about what I had done in abruptly removing an entity that had briefly entered my space. My action was in no way mean spirited. I simply followed my guide's sudden push and realized that I did what I was supposed to do and it was time to leave. I'm quite sure the other entity involved will figure out why sooner or later. It's not my problem.

This morning I rose from my warm bed and made a trip to the bathroom. Any female reading this can relate to what happened next. I almost fell into the hole! Yup it is true- really. I need to make a note here that the only males living in my house are a cat and a dog and they don't use the toilet. Looking around in shock my mind was asking, "Why the hell is the toilet seat up?" Now I'm not exactly blaming Richard, but he has been known to cause some strange experiences to happen in my life. Remember, I said he has a sense of humor?

Later on I was reading over the poem I had shared yesterday and suddenly realized that there were four males in my life who represent chapters one through four.It was as clear as a bell that each experience they had participated in followed the poem. Thankfully, Chapter five represents my freedom to walk down another street with no more holes.

Thanks Richard you've still got it!

Although you, the reader, may not be able to spot him, Richard is in this spirit photo, he knows where he is.

A hole again

Over the weekend I had an interesting experience with a person who I had never met before. We began a conversation and as time went on I began to feel uneasy about some of the things he was saying to me. This morning it finally dawned on me why. This person was simply a repeat, in different clothes, of what I thought I had eliminated from my life. There is a saying about not getting the message that involves moving from a pebble to a boulder that is aimed at ones head. By this morning I could clearly see my guide waving a large bright red flag in front of my eyes as I thought, wait a minute, I have been here before and I have no desire to return. So I pulled the plug on the person with no explanation.

This situation reminded me of a wonderful poem by Portia Nelson titled, There's a Hole in My Sidewalk. It goes like this.

Chapter One I walk down the street, There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I fall in. I am lost...I am helpless It isn't my fault.

Chapter Two I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I pretend I don't see it. I fall in again. I can not believe I am in the same place. But, it isn't my fault. It still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter Three I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I see it is there. I still fall in...it's a habit. My eyes are open. I know where I am. It is my fault.

Chapter Four I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I walk around it.

Chapter Five I walk down another street.

And so it is- no more holes for me!

Escape from control

I love the Shakespeare quote: "All the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages." I always stopped at the first part, so I never got the full meaning of the quote. The men and women he was referring to are all one person. This morning I am wondering if his ages of man are what scientists refer to as the DNA changes we experience every seven years.

In any case during those seven stages there are people who are placed before us to get our attention. I suppose they could be called road blocks. In my life I can clearly see who they were and that they all had one purpose. That purpose was to give me a choice of standing up tall or surrendering to their belief that there is something wrong with me. Perhaps I have a guardian angel, a determined guide or even a deceased soul mate who decided to give me a push in a positive direction when I was in doubt as to how to react to an experience. I see that I have always been protected from serious harm and I am grateful.

In no particular order (except of course the first) this is some of what I have been given as road blocks: a critical parent, an uncaring brother, a womanizer, an alcoholic, controlling friends, manipulating relatives, a hypnotist, a religious fanatic and I can't leave out groups including the Catholic Church. Wow that's a lot of energy just to get me to see that they were ALL WET!

Yes, all the world is a stage and I have the starring role. My mission all along has been to prove to the doubters that there is absolutely nothing wrong with me. I have escaped from your control and I am walking in a different direction.

No stop please!

I thought I would begin the new year by creating a new blog. I got in so deep that I was afraid I had totally lost the old one. I was just trying to find a new way to share my wonderful photos and stories about Cibola County, New Mexico. I completely messed the whole thing up! It appears I am forgiven and my original blog is still in one piece, at least for now.

There have been some interesting posts on Facebook today. One in particular got my attention. it was a video showing the mansions of 15 celebrities. My very first thought after viewing the site was- very cold. I feel sorry for anyone who is so attached to things. My manufactured home was built in 1976 and would not appear on any celebrity list. It fits me and my style of living just fine with plenty of wiggle room for my furry children.

Another post by a friend stated that she has been feeling bad about her life and doesn't know what is wrong. Strangely, I have been experiencing similar feelings since the new year began. In talking to her I realized that I am in the last year of a 7 year DNA change and that could be the cause of uneasy feelings. Looking back over the last 6 years I see a ton of positive gradual changes in my life. I have slowly come to understand that I am done taking responsibility for anyone else. It's my turn! I did my job as best I could under some mitigating circumstances as a daughter, wife and mother. I'm done, not with life, just putting others first.

Perhaps the step to change my blog was a bit too big this morning. I only know that something new is just a few steps away and when the time is right I will be walking in that direction.