Take a Break: Engage in Random Act of Kindness

The situation in Orlando is confusing, frightening and once again seems to throw everyone into a state of turmoil and asking many questions. In Anne Lamott’s post  following the Paris attacks, she said she wished there was a website we could turn to called “What it means, What is True, and What to do.”.... So where do we even begin today? What do we do when it feels like we are all doomed, and the future will only be worse, and we can't remember anything that ever helped us come through? Well, we have shards of truth, and we can gather them up, bits of broken mosaic tile that shine. We know that this is a very dangerous place, that we are an extremely vulnerable species, that Cain is still killing Abel. And yet also, that Love is sovereign here.

I thought about that, and while there are very practical things that are needed-such as blood donations and fundraising to help the people and families most impacted, it has a scaring effect on all of us. So today, take a break and practice random acts of kindness, particularly for someone you don’t know. It will help them and lift your heart a bit.

Need some examples?

• Complement someone on what they doing, saying how good they look etc.

• Volunteer to help out with something

• Donate items to a library, food shelf, school, hospital, shelter etc.

• Use your skills to help someone

• Pay it forward. Buy a slice of pizza (cup of coffee, sandwich etc.) for the next person in line

• Bring a healthy treat to: work; local library; health center or any place in your community that would enjoy it.

• Don’t write the angry Internet comment you are thinking about

• Put coins in an expired parking meter

• Turn off your cell phone and listen

• Befriend someone new to town

• Write, call or e-mail someone who has made a difference in their life and let them know that.

• Over tip your waitress and definitely drop something in the tip jar at the local coffee shop

• Smile at people on the street

• Pick up litter when you see it.

• Help a neighbor

• Write something nice on that person’s updates who posts on Facebook constantly. They’re probably lonely.

• Leave some extra quarters in the laundry room.

• Invite someone out for a meal

• Plant something

Little by little, act by act, we can help heal our own corners of the world, hopefully making it a safer and kinder world.

“The Best Thing for Being Sad is to Learn Something”

In the midst of a conversation with someone that is extremely sad due to the death of a spouse, I started thinking about the writer T.H.

White, “Sword and the Stone,” “Once and Future King.” As a teenager I was heavily influenced by his belief that the best way to deal with sadness and despair was to learn something new.  White’s anecdote to such an episode was to learn about falconry, which later turned up in his writings.

“The best thing for being sad," replied Merlin, beginning to puff and blow, "is to learn something. That's the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then — to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing, which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting. Learning is the only thing for you. Look what a lot of things there are to learn-pure science, the only purity there is. You can learn astronomy in a lifetime, natural history in three, literature in six. And then, after you have exhausted a million lifetimes in biology and medicine and theocriticism and geography and history and economics---why, you can start to make a cartwheel out of the appropriate wood, or spend fifty years learning to begin to learn to beat your adversary at fencing. After that you can start again on mathematics, until it is time to learn to plough.― T.H. White, The Once and Future King

There is a lot to be said for White’s insight as to wholly engage in learning something new means you become focused and mindful. The stressors of having an illness and other types of problems take a back seat. Quieting and centering helps the brain heal from the assaults it deals with from disease, anxiety, frustration, depression, sadness etc. Fact is learners live longer 

After the sudden death of a very important person in my life,  somewhere in my moments of despair and grief, White’s comments about learning surfaced and I threw myself into learning to play guitar. The benefits were astonishing and it ultimately changed my life in some very profound and positive ways. After a house fire, where we were displaced and uprooted from our lives, Qigong became my new focus of learning and it too was transforming. Now whenever I’m at a loss, I remind myself of  T. H. White’s message, “The best thing for being sad is to learn something.”

Looking for something to learn? Check out:

Learn Something New 

Make it a BrainBreak 

Take a Break: DIY Silly Putty

As a kid I remember spending hours playing with Silly Putty. Decided to make my own since there isn’t any such thing as a “local” toy store near me and wasn’t about to order it on-line.

Directions: To 2 tablespoons cornstarch add 1 ½ tablespoons dish soap. Found it needed more cornstarch. This video is a good one to watch 

Had a lot of fun just molding it my hands-sort of like a stress release ball. Cleaned my computer keyboard with it-gets out all the dirt that’s stuck between keys. I kept it on a piece of paper next to my computer not only to play with it, but to see how long it would last. Turns out it was a fun play toy on and off for a day but did hardened over night. Since I had left a thumb print in the middle of it, I wondered if it could be used as a mold.

Not really as it breaks quite easily. No problem though as it quickly dissolves with water and washes away.

The idea of clay and making molds lead to a really cool way of making molds with what I think of as silicone caulking. There are easy directions at Instructables  but if you prefer a video, this one works pretty well.

Not interested in today’s activities, try the Take a Break Pinterest Board.

Living with Chronic Disease: Are coupons/discount cards worth it?

There are few people affected by a chronic condition that don’t have to worry about money. In an effort to understand ways to reduce costs, many wonder about couponing or discount cards. Is it worth it? Consider the following

• Check with the local chapter of your condition specific organization (e.g American Diabetes Association). They will often have special deals and coupons for medical supplies, including medications, and durable goods. Most of the conferences put on by these groups will have a vendor area where it’s possible to get vouchers, coupons and free samples all of which are helpful if it’s a product you use or think you might like to try. I’m a big fan of some of the amazing gadgets they hand out (usually medical supply company booths) that range from pill caddies/reminders to devices that make it easier to put on shoes. Specialized clinic/center at hospitals are also good resources for these types of thing.

Note that there is state based assistance for durable medical equipment, which can come from one of three types of programs (excluding Medicaid): Assistive Technology Projects, Protection and Advocacy Programs and non-Medicaid nursing home diversion programs. To learn more about what’s available in your state, go the List of State Programs. 

• Comparison Shop. If there is something you need, be it food, clothing, medications, cleaning or personal care products, it’s worth it to take a few minutes to do a little comparison research on-line. However, endless hours of couponing-particularly for groceries-is not a good use of your time.

• Food Couponing is not recommended since a high percentage of the items are “middle aisle” foods, meaning they are for snacking, heavily processed items, encourage impulse buying and ultimately cost more because these are products your body doesn’t need. However, if you are at the store and you see an in- store coupon for a product you were already planning on buying by all means use it.

• To reduce food spending try the following:

a)     Set a budget and stick to it. Track your spending and use cash instead of plastic. Keep meals simple and healthy, using what’s in season.

b)    Meat is not a requirement and if you do serve it, keep portions small

c)     Purchase generics (store brand) particularly for things like salt, sugar, or baking soda.

d)    Plan meals before you shop. That way you’ll know what to shop for. The free Weekly Meal Plan  from All Things Mamma, makes it very easy to figure out a menu and create your shopping list at the same time. Check store circulars for sales, as well as what you may already have on your shelves, as part of your menu planning. Make a list and stick to it. Eat before going to the store can also cut down on impulse buying

e)     Shop more than one store and definitely consider places like Trader Joe’s and the Aldi Store. Again stick to what you need.

f)     Avoid stores with gas credit gimmicks as they tend to have higher prices

g)     Purchase bulk for items that you will use-carrots and sweet potatoes can last a long time, strawberries can’t, unless you freeze them.

h)    Look for two for one deals on items that you would normally be using, have a long shelf life or can be frozen and it’s cheaper than comparative options.

• Shopping on-line sites like Amazon or Jet can be a real saver for those affected by chronic conditions. It allows you to shop when you have the time and energy, it eliminates a lot of the difficulties getting in and out stores, and your purchases are delivered to your door. Prices are often the same or even less than what you’ll find in the stores with or without coupons (and yes, some of the on-line sites do offer coupons). For a good comparison check out Where to Get the Best Deals Shopping online for Groceries 

• Cleaning Products/Personal Care Items: Both of these categories can be hazardous to your health and no amount of “savings” is worth it. For a more detailed information, including evaluating current products and alternatives, read Are Your Green Cleaning Products Making You Sicker? What about your skin lotions? 

• Pharmacy discount cards from AARP and other places. Are they useful? According to Consumer Reports, not really. However, they do suggest that store savings programs are a better option. A Drugstore Tool we’re not Crazy About  US Prescription Discounts and Script Relief  mail out pharmacy cards that promise average discounts of 50%. While not a scam, nationally pharmacies say that discounts are generally far below the advertised 50-70 percent off.

If this is an area where you are having issues, check with your pharmacist, medical provider and/or condition specific organization about patient assistance programs that could provide the best discounts. Every state has some type of Prescription Assistance, which your provider and pharmacy should know about and many pharmaceutical companies offer discounts as well.

Other Posts on This Topic

• Ways to Save Money on Monthlies (Bills)

Take a Break: Make something from Coloring Pages

While very meditative to do, if you like to color you end up with a lot of lovely paper. Wondering what to do with it? Try the following:

• Make a frame from magnetic stripping and “hang” your most recent drawing on the refrigerator door

• Use it as gift wrap and/or make a paper bow. 

• Print your design on card stock so that once you have finished coloring it, you can easily cut it up into bookmarks, postcards, or note cards. If you use a coloring book, glue the page to card stock and cut as desired. If you want an official looking postcard, download a postcard template. 

• Print your design onto labels-Avery makes ones that are a full-page size. Once you have finished coloring, peel off the label and adhere to tag or foam board. Coat with Modge Podge and then cut with an Exacta knife These can be turned into earrings, the cover of a book, or other types of jewelry. Use this same technique, peeling and sticking onto a journal.

• Create a plate using a colored mandala and a glass plate. 

• Decoupage an inexpensive piece of furniture with coloring paper. Make Your Mark! has good instructions on how to do this. You can literally color your coffee table while watching TV. 

• Cut and glue onto tile or bamboo for coasters. This is a good tutoriall on making tile coasters that wont yellow. 

• Use as you would colored or scrap booking paper to make greeting cards, gift tags, name tags, ornaments, origami, book marks and other craft projects.

• For tips on coloring as well as projects to make, check out the video Cool Projects from Coloring Book Pages.