Was this a Trick or a Treat?

 I can't believe that it snowed 6 inches where I live.  Yesterday, we were trapped inside most of the day, but it was fun in an odd way.  My hubby and I just got warm and toasty and watched Halloween movies all day.  I think it would have been more appropriate to watch Christmas movies. Ha Ha ! Mother nature sure has been showing us who's the boss when it comes to the weather this year. So, I went with the punches and went outside to make a snowman.  I had fun. 

What's that saying??? When life gives you lemons, you go make lemonade? Well, I thought....when mother nature gives you premature snow......go make a snowman. 

Trick or Treat!

Breast Cancer Tips

I have been debating when to write a post about Breast Cancer, being this is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Now with 36 year old reality show star, Giuliana Rancic, being diagnosed with breast cancer recently, I thought this would be a good time. Remember it's never too early to preform a self breast exam. 
As Most of my readers know, my mother at age 56, battled bilateral breast cancer. So in honor of my mother and other pink warriors, I am posting the following breast cancer tips, which I read from the  " +50" web site.  Think Pink!

What can you do to lower your risk of getting breast cancer?

1. Maintain an ideal weight

2. Exercise three times a week

3. Alcohol consumption

4. Exposure to estrogen: The female hormone estrogen stimulates breast cell growth, so exposure to estrogen over long periods of time, without breaks, can increase the risk of breast cancer.

5. Oral contraceptive use

6. Fruits and vegetables - eat at least 3 to 4 servings daily

7. High glycemic carbohydrates

8. Smoking

9. Stress and anxiety: There is no clear proof that stress and anxiety can increase breast cancer risk, but some research suggests that practicing yoga, prayer, and meditation to manage stress can strengthen the immune system.

10. Perform monthly breast self-exams, get routine screenings and work closely with your health care provider.

My mom, my warrior (left) and her sister on the right.

My mom and my grandmom Nornie.  My angels in heaven.

Proof Positive :-)

Here is proof positive that your attitude reflects in all aspects of your life.

I just read this article from a web site called “Living Better @ 50+ .  After reading it I thought to myself.......how true it is.  So, I thought I would share it with everyone.

Those who are consistently more negative than positive in their communications and interactions suffer from an untimely demise of their career potential

Why is Negativity So Destructive?
Negativity limits, constrains and tears down. Negativity also tends to escalate, and as it does, it strips away future opportunities for success, self-esteem, trust, confidence and growth.

What Does Positivity Do Instead?
Being positive has the opposite effect – it builds, repairs and protects. Using positive language and behaviors builds up support structures and creates new roads to solutions and success. It paves the way for a deeper level of human connection, compassion and creativity.

In fact, I’ve found that concentrating your focus on being more positive as you engage in your professional endeavors achieves the following 10 powerful outcomes.

Being more positive:

1) Helps you engage with others more effectively and gain support more easily for your ideas and initiatives

2) Develops you as a role model and someone to “watch,” admire and learn from

3) Gives you greater positive impact and influence on your culture, your environment and your colleagues (positive language and emotion are magnets)

4) Boosts your “immunity” to negative outside occurrences – you become more resilient and bounce back quicker

5) Inspires others around you to find the courage to seek – and move toward – the positive

6) Strengthens your ability to advocate effectively for yourself and others, which in turn attracts more opportunity for all involved

7) Paves the way for more collaborative success rather than crushing competition
Builds your reputation as someone worthy of trust and support

9) Helps you see possibility where others see only hopelessness

10) Brings to light your achievements and accomplishments rather than highlighting your failures

Please pass this information on to your co workers and family.  Ha Ha

Today my knees are feeling a bit better and this puts me in better spirits.
It's sure changes your attitude when you your not in as much pain.  I even got up the energy to clean my house and do a little decorating for Halloween.  I am feeling so much better that tonight after dinner I am going biking.  

24 Hours

I started taking Aleve for my knee pain today and have added some leg exercises to strengthen my thigh muscles.  So, hopefully I will start feeling some relief.  I have talked to some other woman my age, and they have said the knee pain can be common.  Still stinks.
I read a posting on another blog that I follow, and she writes about how she "takes everything 24 hours at a time."  She handles her chronic pain and her weight loss on an 24 hour bases.  She tells herself that she can manage her pain (she has back pain) for today or she knows she can eat well today and she deals with tomorrow, when it gets here.  Stop worrying about how you may feel emotionally or physically tomorrow.  Just focus on today.

Good plan if I do say so myself.

Looking in the Mirror

So, looking in the mirror I see someone that is struggling with pain.  Lately, I have had so much knee pain, that I have a very hard time walking and standing most of the day. Now, ask me to sit down on the floor and try to get back up........forget about it.  
I had knee surgery a few years ago that was not too successful. I had a torn ACL, so the doctor fixed the torn ACL like scheduled, but the doctor told me that I had a lot of arthritis on my knee, and he said he didn't have time to clean it up during the surgery.  Great huh? 
To avoid the continues pain I was in, I must have been leaning to the side of my foot........then this past spring I suffered a stress fracture of my right foot.  All this related to chronic knee pain.  One more thing to add to this.  My right knee is now causing me pain.  I suppose it could be arthritis is that knee or it could be pain from putting most of my weight on that leg to avoid the pain in the right knee.  So whatever the reason for this pain......i just know my knees hurt....all the time.
I have been taking Advil for the pain.  I don't want to take pain killers...but I need some kind of release from pain.    My legs have become their own entity.  They do their own thing.  I now have no control of them and it sucks....really sucks.

This is my first day of blogging about what this Diva has been dealing with. No, it's not life threatening but it's my reality and it sucks.