A couple of days ago I briefly mentioned my family going on a mini reunion trip to Brown County State Park.

When getting ready for the trip I wanted to do something special and fun!

Using family photos, some old, some recent, and pets too, I put together a “Concentration” card game.

To add a little silly to the photo cards I altered some with captions, hats, glasses, facial hair, and such.  They turned out really cute!

There were about 14 sets of photos.  We placed them face down and just as the old game, turned over to make matches.

We all played the game, laughing at the sillies, and filling our eyes with tears from looking at others.

There really isn’t much these days offered with no cost attached, but I stumbled across an awesome site, www.picmonkey.com.

Using Pic Monkey is how I was able to add to my photos for the game.

Pic Monkey is a free photo editor with lots of offerings. You can crop, resize, sharpen, fix imperfections, put together collages, and so much more.  It is a treasure.

Ana, my 7 year old niece, also had us using the photo cards to play “Fish“, asking “do you have a Grandma in a hat”, or “do you have Squeeze Box the cat”.

Of course, the player with the most matches in the end is the winner in both games.

If you love photos, as I do, try Pic Monkey.  It’s free!

To end this post, I am going to share some photos from our mini reunion.

Love to all.

Our two floor cabin, lots of room, with a full deck on the back.

Pony rides and horse back trails were available.

One of the shops in town.  Nashville, Indiana is a town right outside the state park with many different shops and restaurants.  We had lunch at a charming corner restaurant and bakery

I loved this sweet shop, with a full flower garden on the side, and the old bike at the entrance.

We visited an old cemetery playing something new to me, Geocaching!

“Geocaching is a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices. Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (container) hidden at that location.”

Fun!

It has been over three weeks since I posted to my sweet blog.  I have missed it so much, it really does bring added joy to my life.  I hope some day I can build a following of folks who love the things I love in my life.

This time off has been a “slowing down” time for me.

First, a mini family reunion trip to a state park in Indiana.

We rented a family cabin in the woods, no Wi-Fi, and very little cell phone service.

It was really a beautiful place.

A time for me to reconnect with my sister and all of my nieces.

Over the years, we lost the closeness we once had due to all the different directions we chose in our lives.

We talked, laughed together, and of course shared good food.  It was really a wonderful time for me to be with all of them.  I thank God for that special time.

On returning, I immediately came down with a terrible summer cold.

Better now, just dealing with a lingering cough.

For nearly two weeks my best friends were lemon, honey tea, and a box of Kleenex!

When we are sick we are forced to “slow down”.  It is a hard thing to do when your everyday routine is moving and doing.

Sleep, rest, and reading from time to time, was all I had in me!

Most of the time I felt so guilty that I could not get up, clean, and cook for my family, but they did just fine. I realized that if the house work wasn’t done, it was OK.

We really do put pressures on ourselves that are not necessary.

Everything in life does not have to be perfect!

Again, I feel so much better, life is so good, and so beautiful.

See you tomorrow, begin your tomorrow with joyful expectation.

I will.

XO

Folks can be so hurtful, or are they just unaware of what they have done?  Regardless, today was my day to “let it go”.

Such a gorgeous morning, so I pulled out my little box of watercolors, and I headed to my quiet place, my back porch.

Trying to express my feelings I painted this sweet artwork.

I know it is not a Van Gogh, but it is special because it was painted by “me”.

So that we can be happy and find peace and joy in our lives, we need to sometimes just let go of the things that cause us so much pain and unhappiness.  Many times these are things that are out of our control.

Forgive and “let it go”.

The sadness and hurt I have felt this past week from some I love is over.

We are all made in different ways, some more sensitive than others.

After prayers and quiet reflection I realize that my problem most of my life is my darn heart that I wear on my sleeve!

I placed my simple artwork on my desk as a reminder of what we all might need to do sometimes in our lives.

Just love those who hurt you, and “let it go”!

XO

Yesterday was a really bad day for me, sadness and loneliness took hold of me and trying to get back my joy felt like an impossible task.

Tried to reach out to my sister but she was so busy with her daughters and grandchildren that I did not want to interrupt their fun time together with my problems. Just having someone to talk to helps tremendously.  I was able to reach my brother late last night and I thank him for his words, and love.  I felt so much better.

My husband suffers from Multiple Sclerosis.  He doesn’t like doctors, and he is convinced that since there is no cure for the disease, they cannot help him.  He reads everything he can online and tries to be his own doctor.

His illness was one of the major factors in my decision to stopping working.  I wanted to be with him, to help him, and possibly make his quality of life better.

Everyday is a struggle for him, and without sounding selfish, for me too!

Today I thought I would share some things I have learned about living with him and his disease.

Pray – If you can, have your first cup of coffee in silence, in a peaceful setting. Pray for strength and patience to get through the day ahead, with all that might be thrown at you, with joy and love.  Be thankful for everything that you have and especially the time we spend with those we love.

“Dear Lord, if you cannot cure him, please don’t let him get worse!”

Help Them Without Making Them Feel Helpless – I really try hard to help my husband in small ways without appearing to be watching his every move.  Getting him things that might be on another floor so he doesn’t have to try to climb a flight of steps, saying “I’m going upstairs, do you need something while I am up there?”.  He is stubborn and even through climbing a few steps can take him a long time, with the risk of falling, he doesn’t like to ask for help.  He is very independent.

Do Not Criticize – No one likes to be criticized, but when you are ill it can be devastating. Since his balance is off he spills things all the time.  I try to keep my home clean and many times I would react to things he would do in a negative way saying, “try not to spill that” or “can’t you pick up your shoes”.  Oh, how I have learned the things he does, or does not do are nothing to fret about in life.  I pick up his shoes, and I clean up the spills, and I love him!

Laugh Together – Laughter is great medicine and helps to eliminate some of the depression they feel everyday.  Jim is a funny person and when he is having a good day may repeat a joke I have heard so many times before, but I just laugh again.  I know there will be a day when I will miss his silly jokes, or he will miss having me to repeat them to!

Do Things Together – Do the things with your loved one that you can, going out to breakfast, taking lunch to the park, going to the movies, even if it means seeing the latest “Planet of the Apes” movie (which we did last week).

Ask For Their Help – When I have a small task that I know my husband can do, I ask for his help.  When the job is completed I can see a sense of accomplishment come over him, thankful that he could contribute.

Be a Good Listener – I have learned that when Jim wants to talk about his health issues or his thoughts on politics or whatever, listen. Don’t just listen with your ears, but with your eyes as well.  Engage them, let them know you are taking the time to hear their point of view.

Learn to Hold Your Tongue – As I have mentioned, there are some impossible days.  When someone is sick they are angry, “why me”, “what’s the use”, etc.  It’s as if they want to argue and be hurtful with words.  I understand this now, and when he wants to argue I leave the room.  I do not need to have the last word!

Observe Changes –  Especially since my husband will not see a doctor I try to watch for signs that he is declining further.  This is mostly for safety issues.  Right now taking away driving is at the top of the list.  He only drives a block or two to the grocery, to get a milkshake, which he loves, or to the barber.  I drive the rest of the time.  He assures me he is OK to drive and will know when he cannot.  Taking this away would be devastating to him.

And the last thing I have learned, is to Love Them.  They are so scared, they need us.

Being with my husband is part of “Loving My New Simple Life”.

I am so very proud of him, the way he is trying to cope with all that is thrown at him every single day.  He doesn’t give up and won’t.  He exercises, lifts weights, sit ups, hundreds of them, and tries to walk on the treadmill by holding on to the side handles.  Falls a bunch, in fact he had a bad one last night, but he gets up and tries to continue, bloody legs and all!

Hope some of this helps other folks dealing with a sick loved one like me!

Blessings to all.