Movin’, movin’, movin’...

Image via kreatikar of Pixabay

Celebrating recovery!

As of this week, it’s been two years since I landed in the hospital for a month, right after Thanksgiving 2021. I spent Christmas and the New Year in the hospital and therapy center. This week is also my anniversary of being one year cancer free!

During the first year of chemo/radiation/surgeries, and the second in recovery, time seemed to drag by. I spent most of it sleeping or praying–especially praying for God to help me get to the other side of all the difficult stuff.

So here I am, and all of it is in over-my-shoulder view.

The Lord is faithful! 

He’s blessed me with the support of amazing friends and family. Also, the understanding that as difficult as things sometimes got, all of it could have been much, much worse, and I’m still thankful that it wasn’t.

About the moving...

Spring of 2023, I began moving content from my Weebly-based website, back to Blogger. Blogger was the very first blogging platform I ever used, but after many years with Weebly, I was dissatisfied with the lack of customization options and the ease of producing good looking posts, like I had with Weebly, so, I bailed and went back to Weebly.

Weebly has always been buggy. If a blogger’s work is monetized, such as with AdSense or Amazon affiliation, Weebly sometimes (far too often for my liking) fails to publish, or posts disappear entirely, especially with third-party coding, such as the inclusion of AdSense and Amazon affiliation. This happens even though the platform is set up to easily integrate with AdSense.

I was all good giving Weebly another go until about a month ago, when Weebly’s platform began having hiccups again, and this time, there was no acceptable solution to getting it sorted.

Ten hours with Weebly’s tech-support team before they decided the problem was with the customization of my site (which is supported in the selections, but change one thing, like a background image or fonts (even tho they’re offered. 

So, if my Weebly site has to look ugly and can’t support AdSense, there wasn’t much point in maintaining with it, so, I’m officially back at Blogger and very, VERY happy about it.

Blogger isn’t as visually fancy, but it’s still customizable and doesn’t wig out over using my own graphics, changing fonts, including AdSense or Amazon affiliate coding.  It also comes with LOADS of widgets that provide guests with quality resources for my website visitors to enjoy.

My YouTube channel

Another thing, YouTube is a sister-platform of Blogger, both being owned by Google.

Both can generate money for content makers. Their monetization comes from the same source, but each is independent in its stats, so you know how many guests your website and channel are each getting and same thing for the coin they generate. Very blonde-friendly!

If you’ve not yet visited my channel, I hope you will. You can get there via the side-bar link here on the the site, or just click here.

All that and Blogger is totally free, always has been. Google also provides customized domain names for under $15 annually, and there's no extra fee to have them on Blogger. 

Currently, Weebly charges $10 per month to accommodate a personalized domain name.

More perks: Getting back in touch via Blogger

One of the many perks of blogging on Blogger is its community of bloggers! 

Blogger makes it easy to find other writers using the Blogger platform, and I’d forgotten how easy it is to follow several writing colleagues, who became friends over the years, also using Blogger.

I’m gonna enjoy catching up on their site content and will share a few links to their sites below, for your perusal.

Molometer (Prof. Mike Mulcahy)

Sometimes serious but often a hoot! This guy is knowledgeable on a wide array of interesting subjects and presents mot of them through YouTube vlogs, thatare also available on his website. Scholastics, scuba, music (especially strings) and travel are just some of the topics he addresses in his work, and not a one of them is boring!

"Stoopin It" In the Suburbs (Dr. Laura Rogers, PhD)

Like Mike, Laura produces some fascinating and beneficial content on her site. She’s an excellent writer and often addresses many life-challenges that most people encounter sooner or later. She’s an optimist, which shines bright in her posts. 

WarnerWords (Prof. Vicki Warner)

WW may be last but it’s certainly not least! Vicki Warner and I have been close friends and colleagues for more than a decade now, and like Mike, she has an amazing array of content, oozing with helpful content on topics such as organic master gardening, cooking, travel, money management and more! 

Already subscribed to my stuff?

If you were already subscribed to By the Way, you don’t need to subscribe again. You’re all good.

I’m not sending email notifications of posts that were previously published, so no worries about your email getting barraged with updates. I’ll only let you know about the new stuff!

38  “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be given to you.§ For with the same measure you measure it will be measured back to you.”

Luke 6:38 

(World Messianic Bible Translation)

The wrap!

Thank you for visiting today and I hope you’ll continue on with me, here on Blogger. It may not be qute as fetching as Weebly, but it doesbn’t look back and the perks it provides in a good user and guest experience have been well worth the move, so I hope you’ll continue on with me in this blogging/vlogging journey and enjoy the new surroundings.

I pray your holiday season is full of blessings, pressed down, shaken together and running over. I pray for God’s protection to cover Israel and until next time, 

Shalom

DIY Organic Salve: Help for cats with wonky tummies

 

Not a cat person? 

This scrawny little dude showed up at a friend’s house, out in the country, insisting on being my friend. Couple days later, I brought him home with me and he’s been here, mostly thriving, ever since.

I say, mostly thriving because, wouldn’t you know? I rescued and adopted a cat with a gastrointestinal disorder, which convinced me of our path-crossing being a God-thing. The good Lord knew I’d be sensitive and patient with that, because, lo and behold... I’ve had a GI disorder since birth.

My sister named him Savitch, after Jessica Savitch, who ignited my love for journalism when I was in my teens. If ever I end up with another pet, I’ll name it Sawyer, after Diane, a fellow Briarhopper, whose work is equally inspiring.

Savitch, right after rescue and adoption

Wonky-gut challenges

Savitch has poor digestive function, which causes him to become easily constipated. At least, that’s how it starts. Once it’s gotten that far, the vomiting, abdominal pain, whining, hissing and drooling set in. 

The first time it happened, I was nearly frantic. We weren’t sure what was going on. He was in pain and miserable, so we rushed him to Stone Ridge Animal Care. Their small animal team is awesome and they’ve been helping us take great care of our senior quarter-horse, Touching Fire, for several years, too.

For Savitch, they checked him out and immediately administered laxatives. He spent the day with them and when I picked him up later, he was a few pounds lighter and feeling much better!

Trial and error

We didn’t learn until later that the GI challenge was gonna be an ongoing thing with Savitch. Little by little we learned what foods he tolerated and what foods got his tummy all jacked up. We switched him to a soft-textured diet but that alone proved to not be enough. He needed more help to digest his meals.

After a little research and careful experimentation, we came up with an inexpensive, simple-to-make organic salve that works great.

Blend these in a small container with a lid. It doesn't need to be refrigerated and may separate after settling. If it does, just give the mixture a stir before using.

  

   

I suggest using corn syrup that doesn't have high-fructose corn syrup as an additive. Great Value brand does not have it in their ingredients. Also it's best to go with an organic, unrefined, virgin coconut oil which is also available in Great Value brand. Both are inexpensive and readily available at Walmart.

Make the mixture about half and half.

You can store it in the fridge, although I keep mine at room temp so it's much easier to apply.

Will look like this...

   

Just a dab will do and this is enough to last for months!

It's easy to apply. I just take a small amount on my fingertip and swipe it onto Savitch's foreleg and top of his paw. He's definitely not a fan of having the mix on his hair and will hop away with a limp before licking it off. 

I do this almost daily and it's cut down on vomiting and constipation, resulting in bowel blockages, about 99.9%. 

On a side note, I do recommend wiping the excess off onto a paper towel before washing your hands. Unrefined coconut oil will eventually build up in your drain pipes, causing plumbing problems.

It's been a few years since I started using this and since then, Savitch hasn't had to go to the animal clinic for a bowel blockage since the first day I began using this on him. Most of the time, unless he's caught a mouse or eaten something he doesn't tolerate well, like dry cat food, his tummy does great!

A happy, healthy Savitch!

⁷Isaiah said, “Take a cake of figs.”

They took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered. 2 Kings 20:7 

(World Messianic Bible)

The wrap!

If you have any experience or information you’d like to share, please leave us a comment. We’d love to hear from you! Knowledge is power and sharing is caring.

I pray you have a beautifully, blessed weekend and hope you’ll be back to visit soon.

Shalom 

Beginner Musicians: Keeping it simple–keeping it fun!

 

L to R: Khloe McClellan (clarinet and percussion), Kathy Smith (ukulele and vocals) Kylie McClellan (ukulele)

Image via AS Phillips

As part of BTW’s Music Therapy series, I’m excited to introduce you to some wonderful folks, participating in their community music program, hosted by Maumee General Baptist Church.

Kathy Smith and Kylie McClellan, are beginner ukulele students. Khloe McClellan is a second-year clarinet student and member of the Owensville Middle School Band. At Maumee she’s a percussionist, playing the box drum and smaller percussion instruments, in the Maumee Generations Jam sessions, an aspect of the community music program.

Kathy is a long-time member of Maumee, and one of the first vocalists (a soprano) to participate in the weekly Generations Jam sessions, which I introduced here on BTW a little while ago.

A few months into the GenJam sessions, we knew we wanted to include free lessons for participants who wanted to learn to play an instrument. Kathy was the first student and continues to in her dedication to both aspects of the GenJam sessions.

The stringers method

Kathy and Kylie are learning to play by ear and memory. The lessons are very short with a larger amount of time spent on rehearsing what they’ve learned in previous lessons. That knowledge is applied by integrating new notes and chords they just learned into the current lesson.

The system keeps things easy and fun for both the students and the teacher(s) and no music sheets are required.

The music students receive a lot of encouragement from the GenerationsJam crew, and making mistakes is never frowned on. It’s all part of the process as they grow in expertise.

Why ukuleles are a frequent fav for beginner musicians

Ukuleles can be an inexpensive investment and they’re easily portable. If a student (or their family) purchases one, and the student decides they don’t want to continue playing it, it can easily be gifted or resold.

Image via AS Phillips

Upgrading an inexpensive uke is also very affordable. High quality strings can be purchased online. My fav uke strings are Aquila’s Lava series. Here’s a little info about them...

Aquila Lava series ukulele strings are inspired by volcanoes, a Hawaiian symbol of new life. They are a grey-black color with a touch of mother-of-pearl. They have the same mechanical and sound properties as Aquila's white-pearl Supernylgut ukulele strings. 

I’ve been using them for several years. I love their sound and they’re comfortable on my fingertips even during long play sessions. Also, they last a good long, while. Other accessories, such as guitar straps, strap buttons and gig bags are also available for very reasonable prices 

Amazon, eBay and Walmart all offer them online for under $15 USD (as of today’s date). They also offer great prices on quality guitar straps, strap buttons (if the uke didn’t come with them already installed) and gig bags.

What do the music sessions do for them?

Khloe

Image via AS Phillips

Khloe

• Knew early on in school, around fourth grade, that she wanted to play in the school band. Her first instrument was an Orff xylophone. She and Kylie are twins and both girls played the same starter instrument in fourth grade
• She chose to learn the clarinet because it was an instrument presented during the beginner band tryouts and she wanted to explore woodwinds. For now, she’s not considering learning other instruments, other than the percussion instruments she plays during the Generation Jams
• Would like to perform for beginner students, to let them know what an instrument would sound like after a few years of learning to play it. Playing music makes her happy and accomplished
• Enjoys playing percussion during the Generations Jam sessions
• Advice to others who are considering learning an instrument to experiment and pick one they like. If they don’t like it as much later, they can switch to a different instrument.

Below is a vid of other fourth-graders playing similar Orff instruments.

Kylie

• Says the ukulele was interesting and decided she wanted to learn to play it. 
• Says it’s an easy instrument to play, and since her second lesson, she’s written a little song to play on it when practicing
• Says she loves all kinds of music except the Gummy Bear song
• Shared same advice as Khloe regarding advice to new musicians

Kathy

• Says she’s learning to play the ukulele because I made her (true ‘nuff). The next instrument she wants to learn is a six-string guitar 
• Would enjoy playing at senior centers and while Christmas caroling because it’d provide an opportunity to share some music and joy to folks who would sincerely appreciate it
• Expressed that playing music makes her sometimes happy, sometimes thoughtful and sometimes sad, depending on the song. Says she’s always loved all kinds of music with exception of opera
• Lately, her fav genre is Bluegrass, especially Bluegrass Gospel
• Says she would encourage new musicians to practice a lot to gain confidence and expertise

All three expressed their desire to continue playing and improving their musical abilities.

All agreed that community music programs provide a great opportunity to enjoy fellowship with other music lovers. 

The wrap!

My thanks to everyone involved in the interview and especially to Kathy, Khloe and Kylie for participating!

If you love music and your area doesn’t have a community jam, maybe check alternative communities near you, or get with a couple friends and start one of your own. Once done, you’ll continue finding ways it’ll bless your life and the lives of others!

38  “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be given to you.§ For with the same measure you measure it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:38 (World Messianic Bible Translation)

Thank you for your visit today, and until next time...

Shalom

Of Sailors and Sauerkraut

 

 

Image via Kelsey Todd of UnSplash

“Oh no! It’s the scurvy! Arrgggh!!!!”

Back in the days of big ships, with high masts and billowing sails, scurvy was one of the most dreaded ways for sailors to die.

It'd be easier to imagine the Scourge of the Sea referring to hurricane-force winds, big fish with big teeth, or pirates, but nope. Scurvy held the title. It was lethal and claimed the lives of an estimated 2 million sailors during a 300-year span. 

The disease is caused by a lack of vitamin C. The symptoms can progress to be hideous and horribly painful.

Image via thommas68 of Pixabay

In 1768 Captain James Cook of the British Royal Navy set sail on a three-year mission. His food stores would remain intentionally well-stocked and among the stores was 7,860 pounds of sauerkraut. At the end of the mission, not a single death was reported to have been due to scurvy.  

What was being used by the Brits in the 1700s, had already been in use for several centuries (if not longer) by the Asians. Kimchi (one of my all-time fav foods) and other varieties of fermented cabbage were common fare in Asian communities and considered essential during long winters when fruit was sometimes scarce.

Fruit’s tasty, life-saving alternative!

Image via distelAPPArath of Pixabay

Raw cabbage has vitamins. But, cabbage fermented in nothing more than salt and its own juice, or whatever else might be added to it, like rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar, becomes a super-food, due to probiotic enhancement that occurs during fermenting.

Image via lydiana of Pixabay

The fermenting that ultimately gives sauerkraut and kimchi its sour scent and taste is also a result of what takes it from being basically healthy food to super-food! During the fermenting process, the vitamins in it multiply, along with good gut bacteria.

The list of health benefits that can be derived from fermented cabbage is huge, but I'll keep it at a decently-sized overview of the big guns for you.

• Reduces inflammation 
• Protects and increases digestive health
• Boosts circulation, protects and boosts heart health, and enhances energy
• Promotes healthy skin, protects against some types of cancer and helps maintain good, or better vision.
• Promotes healthy blood cell production
• Helps support and maintain strong bones

You can buy organic sauerkraut with live cultures for a small bit of coin, but making it yourself is super-easy and even less expensive. It stores easily too. 

Another plus to making it yourself is that you'll know for certain it's chemical-free. Too, you can make it the way you want, adding your personal preferences to the ingredients. 

Caitlin Shoemaker is cookin’ up a storm on YouTube. Her videos are chock-full of excellent recipes. Hope you’ll like the one I’m sharing in this post and if you enjoy it, please consider subscribing to her channel. 

Just click on the vid below to see an excellent example of how to make your own great-tasting sauerkraut variations.

Some doctors recommend eating at least a few bites of fermented food with every meal. Just sayin'--knowledge is power and apparently, so is sauerkraut!

23 Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business in great waters,

24 these see the LORD’s deeds, and His wonders in the deep.

Psalms 107: 23-24

(World Messianic Bible Translation)

The wrap!

Thanks for visiting today. If you’re a sauerkraut fan and maybe have further information about it you’d like to share or have a question about it, I encourage you to please let me know in the comments. 

Thank you as well for your interest and support of the independent journalism community.

‘Til next time,

Shalom

FarmaCOPEia: Pond Water Tea

 

Image via AS Phillips

How do you prefer your pond water? 

Room temp and neat? On the rocks? With a twist of lemon? Shaken, not stirred?

Ponds are what Nee (my sister) and I learned to swim in. Two in this area were Eastville and Barefoot. Both look way different now, but back in the day, they were probably our favorite swimming holes, where we kept cool on hot summer days with our family and friends. 

However, today's post isn't featuring pond water from a favorite swimming hole. Instead, it's filtered water with a majestic mix of herbs harvested right from the yard and garden.

I've named it Pond Water because that's what it looks like. ☺

Not mucky-dirty-scummy pond water, but pretty pond water. The sort that's crystal-clear and has beautiful green plants drifting side to side in it.

Minus the pond scum, of course...

Pond Water is my own variation of a blend I've seen circulating on the social networks recommended by Dr. Oz. His was a specific one for increased energy and weight loss.

I decided to make use of some of what he suggested but alter it to allow for a wider scope with whatever ingredients we had on hand. 

The pictured batch has a variety of herbs and liquids blended with filtered well water that rendered a bright, yet savory, flavor that's packed with good-for-you nutrients.

It was so good I became an instant fan before I swallowed the first sip.

Included in this blend are (to the best of my memory) rosemary, cilantro, lemon juice, dandelion, violet, mint, sage, oregano and apple.

There are lots of other delicious things that can be included in your own pond water, but, those are what I had on hand.

As the growing season progresses I'll add more to each batch, including things like cucumbers, berries, cherries, sliced ginger, lemon fruit and/or lemongrass, wheat grass, oranges, grapes, rose petals, celery stalk, chili pepper, and maybe even a bit of honey.

Ingredients: Have ‘em YOUR way!

• Water. You can also include carbonated water, tonic water and/or fruit juice for your liquid base. 

Your favorite tasty plants. A few examples could be...

• Lemon grass
• Mint
• Apples/Guava/Mangoes/Peaches/Plums/Pineapple
• Blackberries/Blueberries/Mulberries/Raspberries/Strawberries
• Celery/Cucumber

And, on and on it goes! There are oodles of choices for you to personalize it, but you can also minimize to work with what you already have on hand...

Image via AS Phillips

In event you’re a vinegar fan, a splash of plain or apple cider vinegar goes well with it, too! 

For diabetics, including vinegar is a great option due to its ability to lower blood sugar. If you need a sweetener, my recommendation for diabetics (and even non-diabetics) is monkfruit sugar or stevia. Both taste great and keto-friendly, having zero calories and carbs.

Hoping whatever ingredients you incorporate will be organically grown, just to keep it as healthy as possible. 

An easy, simple prep

Nothing fancy needed to put this recipe together!s

• Clean and wash the ingredients
• Bruise any leaves and stems you’re including
• Put everything into a roomy, glass container (preferably with a lid) 
• Fill it up with water

*Sometimes, you can get two batches from the same set of ingredients

*Recycled large pickle jars make perfect containers for this stuff

*When your tea is all gone, the leftover ingredients go great in nearly any kind of salad

A delicious, inexpensive, refreshing and healthy alternative to commercially processed beverages

If you're someone who has a thing for soda, or whatever else you might drink frequently that isn't a healthy beverage, I urge you to please give this blend a try.

Our bodies are magnificent creations and will maximize any good thing we do for them. This is one way of pulling that off in a blonde-friendly, no-fuss, and little-to-no-cost fashion.

If you decide to make yourself some Pond Water Tea, please come back and leave a comment as to how you made it and whether or not it was a hit! I’d love to hear all about it, especially any variations you might have used in the ingredients.

Image via AS Phillips

29 And God saith, `Lo, I have given to you every herb sowing seed, which [is] upon the face of all the earth, and every tree in which [is] the fruit of a tree sowing seed, to you it is for food;

Genesis 1:29

Young's Literal Translation

The wrap!

Before I leave you, I wanted to share a link to post with you, produced by Vicki Warner, regarding diet drinks. It's part of her Processed Foods series on WarnerWords. Great post for some surprising and helpful info regarding diet drinks, especially sodas! Just click here to get you there.

Thank you for your visit today and ‘til next time, 

Shalom

Trolls

 

They walk among us...

For centuries they’ve been the stuff of faery tales but in modern times, the term troll has been applied to humans who engage in a variety of acts, some of which are considered to be in poor taste, socially inappropriate and without integrity.
One specifically, I’m addressing in today’s edition, is regarding social media trolls.
Before I go further, I didn’t come up with the term, but when the shoe fits, I’ll employ it.
Social media trolls are people who use social media platforms, but of course, not all people who use social media platforms are trolls. Thankfully, they make up a far smaller percentage of users, however, one social media troll is still one too, many.

How to spot a troll

It’s oh, so easy! You won’t even have to hunt for them. They’ll find you! Trolls may or may not look like ugly, gnarled goblins. Most look like regular people. It’s not their looks that define them, it’s their actions. Trolls are social media users who seldom interact with you, unless you post something on your own account that they disagree with. It drives them nuts, and they’ll be compelled to fly to your social media page and leave a comment (or comments) that can be any of the following...

• Accusatory
• Argumentative
• Hypocritical
• Inflammatory
• Insulting
• Offensive
• Threatening

If any of those sound like familiar comments on your social media posts, from folks you seldom (if ever) hear from, unless you post something they disagree with, you’ve likely encountered a troll. They may look like regular folk (or not!) but looks aside, the content they leave on your page can be downright ugly. Being a liberty-lovin’, conservative Christian who loves my country, Old Glory waving in the breeze, who appreciates the privilege of living in a free republic, governed by and for the people, I’ve encountered a good many trolls over the years.

How to keep trolls at a safe distance

My best advice on troll-defense, is to take the offensive as soon as possible, which involves two steps.

1. Issue a warning: Encourage them to play nice, or not play at all. If that’s not enough to bring about an attitude adjustment, see step two.
2. Block them: Prevent them from interacting with your account, or you may end up not even having an account. When trolls fail to take over, they often file an unsubstantiated complaint against the user they’re trolling and next thing you know, your account’s closed.

Often the warning is enough. When they realize you’re not troll-fodder, and their negative content on your account (page) isn’t welcome, they’ll often troll elsewhere for folks who’ll put up with their shenanigans.

That is usually enough to put a stop to themand their troll-friends, too. Trolls don’t always hunt alone. They love to run and attack in packs, not only leaving their own mess on your social media page, but will invite and encourage their troll friends to do the same. 

All the while, of course, they’ll be going on and on about love and acceptance while labeling those who disagree with their ideologies, as haters.

Free speech is a blessing, and a high price is paid for it. Even trolls have a right to free speech, it’s just best for them to express themselves on their own social media accounts.

Good stewardship is a responsibility each of us should exercise and the world would be a much better place if trolls just stopped being trolls.

Do two walk together, unless they have agreed?

Amos 2:3

(World Messianic Bible Translation)

The wrap!

Thank you for your visit today.

Until next time, Shalom

Ginger: The creepy-looking, good medicine!

 

Image via AS Phillips

What is that ugly thing?

An ingredient commonly found in tea and soups, breads and cookies. Too, it can be dried and crystallized into a chewy, healthy snack item. In the same form, it makes a wonderful and very effective (from personal experience and multiple testimonies from other users) easy-to-keep organic medicine to treat a wide array of ailments including (and especially) nausea associated with motion sickness and flu virus.  

Ginger may be a hooky-spooky lookin’ root (which is the part of the plant mostly used in the above food products) but wow! It makes up for its looks with outstanding flavor and health benefits.

Soooo many reasons...

I love ginger for a bunch of reasons. Near the top of the list is because it’s an easy-keeper. Just wash it, bag it (even with paper or another organic material) and put it away in the freezer and it will keep for thousands of years. Kidding, but it will keep frozen for a very, longgggg time.

You can keep it in the fridge too, but it won’t stay as well-hydrated there. 

Each time you need some, just chop a bit off, process it, via slicing, grinding or mashing, to add it to whatever dish you want, or let it cool enough to chew it up and just eat it as is. I love refrigerated, fresh ginger. It has both delicious flavor and a crisp texture that’s addictive. 

Low-carb, organic goodness

Ginger is naturally low in calories. It's an organic, high-quality, broad-spectrum anti-microbial and anti-parasitic, even being lethal to cold and flu viruses. It's rich in antioxidants, anti-inflammatory agents and contains therapeutic compounds of gingerol, shogaol, paradol and zingerone.

Another of my fav forms of ginger is the sort made by my colleague and close friend, Vicki Warner of WarnerWords. Vicki, is a retired professor, multi-business owner and a well-respected mentor in the independent business community.  is also a master gardener, and a collegiate-trained chef. This chic can seriously cook, and grow an impressive amount of her own ingredients. 

She processes ginger into delicate, thin slices, dries it, and adds a light, crystal-sugar coating. It’s the best ginger, in that form, I’ve ever had and I’m convinced it had a great deal to do with how I managed to feel as good as I did while working with her in western Canada.

I’ve had a variety of the same sort of processing here, but none can compare to Vicki’s. Her crystallized ginger still ranks as primo.

To get there, and during my stay, we traveled quite a lot. I have a tendency for motion sickness and Vicki urged me to try an organic med, available in Canada, called Gravol. Its main component to combat motion sickness is ginger. It worked great and there were no side effects, such as drowsiness or dry mouth. In raw or crystallized form, ginger has never produced any foul side effects at all when I’ve used it.

Organic help for a gripey gut

My sister also got me into the habit of using crystal candy ginger as a natural medicine to combat nausea and menstrual cramps. It came in very handy when we traveled home to Kentucky to visit our kin, driving along the twisty roads through the Appalachian mountains.

Ginger is an effective remedy for tummy cramps, whether they’re from the flu, a spastic colon, irritable bowel syndrome or menses.  It also has nice warming effect that brings on a comfy-cozy feeling during cold weather, which is maybe part of the reason ginger snaps and ginger bread are so popular in cold weather and cooler seasons.

In cookie (or biscuit) form, it’s an excellent choice to partner with coffee, tea, cocoa or milk. I only use plant-based milk, but ginger cookies and breads go well with whatever type of beverage you prefer. 

My family and friends also use cookies (snaps) as treats for our horses and a few other animals. It warms their bellies when it’s cold and they love the taste. Ginger snaps store well for long periods of time if sealed in a dry environment.

You can make a go-to infusion for your homeopathic medicine cabinet with ginger by adding several slices of it to a plant-based oil, such as EVOO or coconut oil. It also works in much the same way if you add it to alcohol, such as a high-quality potato vodka. You can also blend it with other herbs of your choice in this fashion, like mint, clove and cinnamon, to name a few.

It's warm

Ginger is a hot plant and tastes a bit peppery. Please be mindful of the heat factor when using it. A little goes a long way and I advise big caution with it where children are concerned. 

To get your own, I hope you’ll consider buying it from a local farmer’s market or even getting some starts from a friend who has heirloom plants. If not, get some from your local health food shop. You can start your own ginger plants with it, even if you want to grow them in a pot. They’re very pretty, a bit exotic looking and you can harvest them and regrow the next batch using just a few pieces of the root you harvested.

14 He causes the grass to grow for the livestock, and plants for man to cultivate,

that he may produce food out of the earth:

15 wine that makes the heart of man glad, oil to make his face to shine,

and bread that strengthens man’s heart.

Psalms 104:14-15 

(World Messianic Bible)

The wrap!

For a fun and informative read on how to easily grow your own ginger, here’s a great article compliments of Vicki Warner and WarnerWords, Ginger: A Celebration! 

Thanks so much for visiting today. Your interest and support of the independent business community is always appreciated, especially by bloggers and vloggers!

Until next time,

Shalom

Music Therapy: Generations Jam

 

Back (L to R): Kevin Miley, Nathan Ramsey

Front (L to R): Billie Zehner, Kathy Smith, Joyce Turnbow, Sarah Patterson

Image via AS Phillips

Gospel: The common thread

A while back, Maumee GB Church (Johnson, Indiana) launched a weekly Gospel jam session. It’s all-inclusive, for anyone wanting to join in, whether they attend Maumee, or not.

Since then, participation has grown, and now has folks in their teens up to (so far) 90 years old! 

Elder Bill Krohn is a retired deacon of Lighthouse Assembly of God. in New Harmony, IN, He’s also the oldest member of the Maumee Gen Jam, having celebrated his 90th birthday in May (2023). 

Congratulations to him on this wonderful milestone!

Elder Bill Krohn and Billie Zehner (vocalists)

Image via AS Phillips

The weekly Generations Jam allows for a great time of fellowship for the participants.

For juniors, seniors & everyone in the middle

Session content varies as participants suggest favorites. The list ends up being a fair mix of both older and newer music.

Depending on who joins the gatherings, sometimes we’re blessed with multiple instruments being played. This makes them an excellent atmosphere for new musicians. No pressure for perfection, just an air of camaraderie and encouragement among friends.

With the challenges of busy schedules and a large list of stressors, these jam sessions can be profoundly therapeutic. Past the music, we not only sing and play together, we pray together, too! Music, worship and prayer make an excellent combination for healing hurts and refreshing a weary body and spirit.

Kathy Morten (pianist), Joyce Turnbow (alto vocals), Jesse Baize (percussion). Bruce Paige (bass vocals)

Image via AS Phillips

4 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! Burst out and sing for joy, yes, sing praises!

5 Sing praises to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the voice of melody.

6 With shofars and sound of the ram’s horn, make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD.

Psalm 98: 4-7 

(World Messianic Bible Translation)

The wrap!

Is music one of your go-to medicines to help you feel bright and better? If you attend church, do you have a regular program for music fellowship, too? I’d love to know about it in the comments!

Also, if you’re not part of a group like Maumee’s Generations Jam already, I personally invite you to come join us! We meet from 6 until 7(ish), Thursday evenings. and we'd love to get acquainted with you!  

Thank you for visiting and hope to have you back again soon.

‘Til next time,

Shalom

A God-Wink

 

Image via AS Phillips

The image above

One day I was lying on the floor of my sister's van, heading from a skilled care unit at a rehab center to the hospital, for another of what would become several surgical procedures.

So many things were going on in my life, health-wise, adding up to one shock after another.

I'd had an emergency surgery a few weeks prior. Learned I had cancer. Spent Christmas and New Year's in a hospital and rehab center. I was weak, feeling so sick, and in less than two hours, would be back in the operating room.

Of course, I was in prayer mode, having to trust the Lord to help me quell the fear and maintain a positive mindset. Come what may, I was His child, in His hands and nothing could happen that He didn't allow.

While riding on the floor of the van (since I wasn't able to sit up for long) I was reading my bible. 

Unsure of what scripture to choose, I simply let it open and the pages separated to what I hoped the Lord wanted me to see--Psalm 91. 

There I began to read about the faithfulness of God and how He places His angels to watch over us.

One of my own God-winks

Arriving at the hospital, St. Vincent's in Evansville, Indiana, I headed inside to check in and find us a place to sit, while my sister parked the van.

After check-in, I found us some seats about the time she came through the doors. 

As she settled in next to me, I surveyed the room, finally gazing up toward the high ceiling. 

There, in beautifully ornate print was the same scripture my bible had opened to on my way there. Even now, tears fill my eyes remembering the immediate feeling of being bathed in love and reassurance.

I took a pic of the wall, having no idea I'd end up using it two years later to introduce you to my friend, who is also one of my fav authors, who's also experienced God-winks.

A faith-based fav...

This post is very special in that it was contributed by author, Kimberly Kruise Thompson, a good friend and one of my favorite Christian story crafters. Most of her work has been produced under her writer's nom de plume, Sunny Day. 

If you've ever met Kimi, you'll know why Sunny Day was a perfect choice. She radiates SonShine wherever she goes.

In fact, it was Kimi who introduced me to the term, God-wink, explaining they're  divinely-designed instances, that may be small yet have the ability to make a lasting impact on our lives.

This isn’t a big story, but like a God-wink, much good can (and will) come from it. Sometimes the blessing is exactly the thing needed to brighten someone's day, a God wink created just for them!

Enjoy!

(To read the rest of the post, just click the Read More option below)

OstomyLife: Those inspirational littles!

 

Image via AS Phillips

Sooooo many ostomates!

When I first discovered other ostomates (people with ostomies (aka stomas), I learned the global ostomate community was a huge blessing. They freely share their knowledge and experience with folks who are brand new to stoma life and are just beginning their adventures in how to live with a stoma. Some adapt quickly. Others are hampered by a plethora of health challenges making it very difficult. Others are caregivers to folks (like children) who can’t manage their stomas on their own.

Now that I’ve passed my one-year anniversary, stoma life is much easier for me, but those first eight months were often frustrating and sometimes seemed saturated with both physical and emotional difficulties and disasters.

Thankfully, the ostomate community on Facebook helped me through that phase, teaching me what I needed to know, and helping me to problem-solve and be proactive in learning more about self-care and attitude adjustment, as needed. 

It’s always good to remember we’re often not alone in our challenges. Other folks are sometimes dealing with the same thing, and often, much worse than what we’re dealing with. A great example I can plug in here is my friend Dora, an ostomate since her late 60s (she’s now in her early 70s), stays physically active, regularly spends time with friends and family, mows her own lawn, attends church and picks up others to take along with her. She does all that with not just one, but TWO ostomies! She’s survived both bowel and bladder cancer and has an ostomy to function for both!

Teaching me the ropes...

Veteran ostomates engaging in social media, consistently interact with not just new ostomates, but caregivers who are also new to helping care for someone with a stoma. I learned so much from the Facebook group’s comments and quickly realized that I had it really good, in spite of the beginning issues in managing my pouching system and keeping my abdominal skin intact.

I learned about other products specifically made for active folks who have stomas like mine, which is nearly flat, small in circumference, with a half-moon-shaped rise to the left. They also taught me more about adhesives for folks who have skin sensitivity to it.

They taught me all about medical adhesive remover, skin barrier spray and how to top it off with a light layer of calamine lotion if I developed a breakdown. 

While learning all this and putting it into practice, I was learning something equally important. The colostomy wasn’t a curse. It didn’t have to be something I regarded as disgusting but something that saved my life. Something to be very thankful for.

(In the beginning, I really was disgusted with everything about it and had to pray constantly for help with an attitude adjustment. The future seemed pretty dismal--stuck at home, other than for medical visits and spending a ton of time in the loo, on pouch duty. 

My outlook became grim.

But, the Lord has a way of helping us see beyond our own struggles, especially when He introduces us to others who are enduring similar things, often much worse than what we’re going through.

Discovering the littles...

Beyond the grownup sphere, there are the children. Some are infants who’d had to have ostomy surgery the day after they were born!

The grownups inspired me, but the littles, their predicament broke my heart and at the same time, caused the smiles to erupt!  

Sometimes, a parent would post a pic of their child, displaying their little tummies wearing their pouching system. Some were all good with it. Others were hoping other ostomates would post a pic of their own bellies, with their pouching system in place. These were usually kids from about seven years old, into their early teens, who were new ostomates and thought they were ugly and gross since getting their stomas.

The response to these kids, or their parents' requests, brought ostomates out by the hundreds, to proudly display their own abdomens and pouching systems, ensuring the littles that they had nothing to be ashamed of–that because of their stomas, they’d be able to live a full life instead of being as sick as they were before getting it.

It worked. It encouraged and emboldened the littles and had the same effect on me!

Not saying I don’t get frustrated over my stoma these days. I do. But, I maintain a steady dose of reality-check every time I see new folks, young and mature, in the ostomates group. They remind me of how blessed I am for both the stoma and the products I use that help keep me safe and among the living.

Lemme show you what I mean...

Below is a video of a little man named Elijah. He was very sick with UC (ulcerative colitis) before he had a stoma placed and part of his intestines removed. 

In the vid, he gets interviewed and does a great job explaining what his stoma is and how excited he is over his new type of pouching system because it has velcro. I grinned when I saw that he and I both use the same type of system.

This vid was made about a decade ago, but, it maintains as an inspiration to ostomates and their families. 

Last, props to Coloplast, the company that produces these life-changing products!

Now, here’s Elijah!

He’s one of thousands providing a bright reminder, that much of the time, things could be worse. 

 ⁶David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the souls of all the people were grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters; but David strengthened himself in the LORD his God. 

1st Samuel 30:5 

(World Messianic Bible Translation)

The wrap!

Thank you for visiting today!

It’s my hope that even if stoma life isn’t something you’re living with, or even familiar with, you’ve found the information interesting.

Shalom