Tag: depression

Mystery Box

What’s this? A box labelled, “Open me, if you dare…”

Obviously, this was left here by someone who doesn’t know me very well. The best way to get me ‘off the dime’ is to dare me, so here we go! First the ribbon, now the paper and off comes the lid! What’s inside for me?

A day without pain.

That simple. No more, no less.

Just one day. Not a lifetime, a year, or even a week. Just one day without the wracking physical pain that makes every movement torture. Describe it, you say? Imagine the second or third day of the worst flu you’ve ever had. Now, increase the magnitude by fifty times and you have my ‘good day.’ We won’t talk about the ‘bad days.’ Add to that, the mental anguish of PTSD and depression and you know why I’d wish for one day’s respite as a mystery gift from the universe.

Okay, back to reality. Since that mystery box from the universe isn’t happening today, let’s move on with daily affirmations and positive activities. Get up and get going. Move through the daily routine of mindful, meditative activities that soothe the body and heal the mind. Something as simple as keeping the house orderly can help tame the chaos in a ravaged mind. Taking time for creative activities such as painting, music, crochet, knitting, cooking or other crafts on a daily basis is another way of staying physically active while re-creating positive pathways in the brain.

Thanks for your time today. Here’s to hoping for your mystery box to arrive today.

Waste not, want not

Waste not, want not

A phrase I’ve heard all of my life is ‘waste not, want not.’ When I was younger, I found it hard to understand but as I’ve matured, I’ve come to understand it quite well. Basically, it means to conserve what you have now (waste not) so when you need it, you’ll have it (want not). Upon doing a bit of research, it appears the phrase originated in Yorkshire, which makes it seem even stranger to me that it was one of my German mother’s favorite sayings. She was, indeed, a woman of many mysteries.

Along the lines of conservation and not being wasteful, I have a quick recipe to share with you to save those apples (and other fruit) on the verge of spoilage. In these days of tight budgets and frugal living, there’s no need to throw away things that can be used in different ways. We all have had the experience of realizing the apples (peaches or pears) have been sitting on the counter a few days too long to be enjoyed fresh but not quite long enough to be quite rotten. I have good news! You can use the following recipe to create a quick dish to serve as a sweet side with dinner or as a sauce for ice cream or pound cake as dessert:

Cinnamon Fruit

Peel, seed and slice the fruit
Place in a skillet with a dollop of butter over medium-low heat
Add one to two tablespoons of liquid per 4 pieces of fruit (water or apple juice works as well as white wine – your choice)*
Add cinnamon and sugar to taste*
Cover and cook the mixture down until the fruit is tender and a nice sauce has developed (stir occasionally)
Serve warm
*Adjust liquid and seasonings based on amount of fruit

This is one of my favorite comfort foods of all times. There’s something about the butter and the cinnamon melding with the warm fruit flavors that signals ‘all is well’ on the home front. This is a particularly powerful and important message for anyone who struggles with depression and/or PTSD. Something as simple as the methodical preparation of a simple dish like this Cinnamon Fruit can calm the soul and save the day when one is a bit frazzled or fragmented after a challenging day.

Calming rituals involving repetitive, rhythmic activity such as cooking, crocheting, painting, playing music, knitting, and drawing can all be invaluable in bringing peace to the chaotic thought processes that can create havoc for those of us suffering. Find something that works for you and spend time every day to nurture yourself…to heal yourself…break the cycle.

Enjoy your day, enjoy your cinnamon fruit and come visit again soon!

Re-introduction

Although I’ve posted a couple of times already, I’ve decided I need to back up and re-introduce myself. I am a fifty something woman who has been around the block a few dozen times. I am someone who has been lost in the dark and finds her way back each and every day through perseverance, tenacity, a simple daily round and a love for art and creation.

During those trips around the block, I’ve been told repeatedly by many people that I should share my stories, my viewpoints, to help other people through difficult times. Additionally, I have some talent in arts and crafts that many people find interesting and inspirational. Combining the two areas in a blog seems like the best way to reach the most people with a message of hope and recovery while building a platform for my products.

In this blog, we’ll be discussing many topics of daily life from depression and PTSD to current events and housecleaning tips as well as a wide range of arts and crafts from crocheting to painting and gardening to cooking so stay tuned. I’m hoping to reach people who are looking for a simple, common sense approach to life from someone who’s been there; people who are looking for someone who has been in the dark but found a way back to the light.

Through publishing this blog, I want to establish a network of people supporting each other through difficult and good times through positive discourse, while increasing awareness of my product line of inspirational arts and crafts.