Five Simple Things (July 9)

Hello.

We had a fun week actually. With Fourth of July and a few other fun activities, it was a pretty good week, actually. We also have a trip to Bend planned this weekend to look at some land that may become part of our future. We are pretty excited about it and have our fingers crossed it all comes together, but we've been here before and it hasn't come through, so we aren't putting all of our chicks in the same basket just yet. But, we are hoping for a positive outcome. We also went on a nice bike ride this week and also laid a lot in our hammocks. We've been enjoying out backyard a lot this summer and are hoping it remains a calm summer and not an edgy one like last year. We also took this week to organize our camping equipment and get things in order for camping. We don't normally camp in the summer because of how warm it is, especially the last few years. We enjoy our camping time towards the end of summer and into the autumn months. We have a few new things we added to our supplies, and plan on adding a few more items soon. Here are five things this week.

1. These Flowers.

This plant is called 'Lucifer's Tongue' (Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’) and the honeybees and other pollinators love its bright red blooms.

2. This Salt.

Been spending a lot of time this year soaking in bathwater with a mix of dead sea salt, Epsom salt, baking soda, and Himalayan salt. The combination has been great for healing the scars from my surgery and overall helping with stress and anxiety. Upon doing my own combination of salts for the month this huge chunk of Himalayan salt was at the bottom of the bag. I ended up using it in the bath water for the night and letting it dissolve on its own. My mixture I use is as follows:

1 cup of dead sea salt

1 cup of Epsom salt

1 cup baking soda

1 cup Himalayan salt

40 drops lavender essential oil 

(Soak for at least 30 minutes)

3. These Cupcakes.

These are the best cupcakes I've ever had. They are from our local food co-op and are chocolate with buttercream frosting. The difference is that they are made with better ingredients and not artificial additives. It's interesting how our taste has changed by changing what we eat and put in our bodies. Chocolate even tastes better to me now and name brand chocolate tastes like eating a wax candle now. Once you make the change, you won't go back. And, you'll feel so much better.

4. This Dispenser.

We've been filling our own water bottles for a couple of years now and not drinking the city water here. We had a pump on the top of the water bottles, but the water was at room temperature. We still use the pump when we want room temperature water, but colder water was needed for the amount of heat we've had here lately. This water dispenser also dispenses hot water, but we mostly use the cold water side, especially this week and last. It's been great.

5. This Art.

Have you heard of Gus Fink? He's an artist with a different eye. I entered a contest and won this Edward Scissorhands art drawing done by him. I was excited to win, but I figured it would fit right in with our podcast room and add to the "horror" and "originality" of it. You can check out his other art pieces here.

Did you catch Mercury in the sky this week (3)?

Positive affirmations this week:

Trauma/PTSD, or even fight or flight response, is a sometimes difficult thing to navigate through from day to day. Some days you get through the entire day without issue, but some days it feels as though you're being crushed beneath a pile of wood and screamed at that you're a failure. These days are the hardest and the most undeserving. There are times I feel as though I may die, never get better, or wish I could end the pain as soon as possible. These days are getting better to navigate through due to my own strength and perseverance. I don't want to ever give up, or give into people that try to pull me under water. You, too can do this! You are strong, capable, and above all deserving of a better life. We are better than our past and our mental illnesses. Fight and never believe the negative of what your mind likes to trick you with. 

Have a nice weekend.