Wednesday’s Word: Horror!

Have you experienced horror on the highway? Yesterday I experienced total and complete horror underneath a mountain in West Virginia. I get a little claustrophobic driving through mountain tunnels, but yesterday I was horrified out of my mind as I looked into my rear-view mirror and saw a large red truck driving at a rapid speed.  It seemed logical to me, that a person might slow down as they entered a tight, dark tunnel but this trucker thought it was time to gain speed!

The trucker did maintain a “safe distance” of twelve inches behind my vehicle the entire length of the tunnel. What was the matter with him didn’t he know that I was someone’s mother?  Below are a few thoughts I had as I tried to calm myself down:

  • No, that is not like the big red truck you see in horror movies . . .
  • No, this isn’t like the tunnel that Lady Diana died in . . .
  • No, this tunnel isn’t swaying . . .
  • No, the walls aren’t caving in . . .
  • Remember breathe . . .
  • Is that a bright light I’m going towards? (Daylight-Yeah!)

I did survive and watched the red truck swing around me at an evening higher speed and I thought, “I would like to” . . . . Well, let us just say I would like to grab that trucker and put him into “Nightmare on My Street!”

How do you define H O R R O R on the Highways?  Do you have any effective stress reducing techniques that you use on long trips? I might mention the three cows running in the emergency lane along side I-77 did not bother me at all!

Warning:  If a child appears at my door, dressed as a big red truck this Halloween, I cannot be held responsible for my actions, but definitely -  NO CANDY FOR THEM!

NO MORE Negative Nellies !

I have agreed to write every Wednesday for Forsyth Woman Magazine Blog and I plan to embrace this as a challenge to begin living more fully, more thankfully, more wisely, more healthy and just MORE, MORE! I invite you to walk with me and live your life MORE, MORE. I invite you to share ways you are living life fully, healthy and wisely and I invite you to encourage other women to join us.

Here is my plan. On Wednesdays, you will find a word to consider for the day, a hint to reduce stress in your life or improve the quality of life, a recipe that tastes great and helps you reduce your caloric intake or some other positive reinforcement for life.

Today, Wednesday’s Hint: Simply count your calories. I am beginning this today and plan to do this for four weeks and see how this simple little change in my life might help me lose weight. A skinny little friend of mine told me she did this and I thought, “Well isn’t that wonderful.” By counting calories, she is probably able to stay a size negative two! All kidding aside, it is good advice and I plan to try it.

How can you count calories and keep it simple? Have you discovered a simple calorie counting method?  Join me, let’s be intentional about living life – MORE, MORE!

‘Tis the week before Christmas — Yikes!

‘Tis the week before Christmas . . . and my stress level is spiraling out of control. Generally, I have my Christmas shopping done the first week of December, but this year was different. I found myself, four days before Christmas, needing to make a trip to the mall.

When leaving the mall, I expected traffic to be moving slowly. Much to my surprise, however, traffic wasn’t moving at all. I spent more than an hour going from my parking place to the exit. “Merry Christmas to all…gridlock it is called!”

Seriously, though, it was interesting to observe the reactions of people during this traffic catastrophe. Some people were stressed out of their minds, while others seemed to be handling it quite well. I was one of those who was stressed out. For some strange reason, I like to sing when I am under at a lot of stress, and as the tension continued to build while I crept along, inch by inch, I started singing – and my stress level started to go down. While unorthodox, to say the least, I thought my song (or another original tune of the same genre) might help others to get through similar jams. To get the stress reducing benefits of my song (see below), begin by singing the first line as delightfully and joyfully as possible. Then, growl the second line as sarcastically and as angrily as you can. Go ahead try it.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas,
I can’t believe I haven’t finished my Christmas shopping!

Everywhere you go!
Not another traffic jam in the mall circle! No one and I mean no one, is breaking in front of me!

Take a look in the five and ten, glistening once again;
Why didn’t they scrape these parking lots better; if I fall I’m going to sue someone!

With candy canes and silver lanes aglow.
Why did I change lanes? Now I’m in the inner belt and I’ll never get out of the mall!

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas,
If I make it out of the mall, it’s gift cards for everyone left on my list!

Toys in every store,
Why do people bring their kids out shopping . . . and why don’t parents wipe their kids’ noses!

But the prettiest sight to see is the holly that will be
Why are people blowing their horns? What is that going to accomplish?

On your own front door…
Who’s at the door now? Not someone else asking for money!

…On your own front door.
Oh, Aunt Jean, so glad you came for a visit. . . . geez I’m glad she’s gone!

Now, don’t you feel a lot better?
(How do you handle stress during the holidays?)

Reducing Stress – A Woman’s “Stress Less” List!

Women everywhere have sore shoulders from carrying around way too much stress.  If you are alive, you are experiencing stress.  During the past 18 months, my husband had an kidney transplant; my mother was diagnosed with cancer and endured chemotherapy; my father’s health declined drastically and he died; a trusted friend broke my confidence; a daughter moved; a daughter became engaged and married; I lost my job and everyone knows what has happened to our family’s retirement funds!  

I know that you all experience stress that is unique to women and, as women, you are finding creative ways to lessen its weight on your shoulders. 

I would like to propose a “Stress Less” List, and I encourage you to make and share yours here.   A “Stress Less” list is a like a “Bucket List,” but of healthy, creative ways to lessen stress’s grip on your spirit.   This simple step prepares you to live life more joyfully and help others at the same time.

This is only the beginning of my “Stress Less” list.    

• Play with my dog
• Read a magazine . . especially Forsyth Woman and Forsyth Family!
• Talk with my husband
• Spend time with my daughters
• Girls Night Out:  Forsyth Woman’s Girls Night Out is great and I am planning my own at my home!
• Relax in the backyard -listening and observing nature
• Clean the house. (weird, but it does help me reduce stress – sometimes)
• Watch the blue bird family in my bird house
• Purchase flowers for my house (just the inexpensive cut flowers at the grocery store, I love arranging them)
• Bicycle ride or walk at Tanglewood Park
• Pray
• Sing (it’s best for me to keep my windows closed or it could cause stress for my neighbors)
• Get a pedicure
• Suggestions . . . . ?

Start your own personal list, begin it today, and share it!  We will get ideas from one another!