Sunday, April 28, 2013

Words To Live Well By




I've seen this several times over the years, but have no idea who gets credit for these wise words! Take them to heart in your Living Well practice!








When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.


Follow the 3 R’s: Respect for self; Respect for others; Responsibility for all of your actions


Remember that not getting what you want might be a wonderful blessing.


Learn the rules so that you can break them properly.


Don’t let little disputes injure a great relationship.


When you realize that you have made a mistake, take immediate action to correct it.


Spend some time alone every day.


Open arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.


Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.


Live a good, honorable life, and then when you get older and think back, you will be able to enjoy it a second time.


A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.


In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the present situation.  Do not bring up the past.


Share your knowledge, it is a way to achieve a type of immortality.


Be gentle with the earth.


Once a year, go somewhere you have never been before.


Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.


Judge success by what it took to achieve it.


Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

Love,
Suzi~Q

Friday, April 26, 2013

Living Well: Fun Little Romantic Gesture

This one's gonna a be a quickie ... slightly appropriately inappropriate considering the title

Four years ago, while on a girls trip to Hawaii, we visited a beautiful temple! In the gift shop, I bought a tiny little Lucky Frog. I brought it home and showed it to my (then boyfriend, now husband). I explained the simple rules to the game:

One person hides Frog, and the other person finds it, taking turns. (Did you find him in the picture?)
Frog hides in random "hiding in front of your face" kinds of places (He's been in the coffee beans, in cereal boxes, on high light fixtures, behind the turned leg of a table, in cowboy boots, pants pockets, under drying dishes, once, even in the bottom of a freshly poured cup of coffee that was waiting for me when I got out of the shower! And many other cleaver little places!)
Frog does not leave the house. (this did happen once, when we went on an out of town fishing trip, and he was hiding in the pocket of a pair of jeans I packed!)
We don't "talk about it", it just happens. If we happen to be together when Frog's hiding place is discovered, we giggle and kiss, and go about our merry way ... plotting the next hiding place ;)

There that's pretty much the game.
A sweet, fun, simple romantic game that helps keep things light and playful and reminds us to be
Living Well!
Love,
Suzi~Q

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Living Well: Loving Washington State

I have said it before, and I will say it again.
Washington State is one of the most beautiful and diverse places on the planet!
I love it here!
I love the green!
I love the browns!
I love our water: the ocean on our most western boarder; so many rivers, creeks, and streams criss cross our varied terrain; a great many lakes of various sizes dot our landscape and even change how we live; and of course, beautiful Puget Sound!
I love our various mountain ranges! It is amazing to me that there are places that I can stand and look east and see our Cascade Range, then turn around wesst and see our Olympic Range!
We have desert.
We have ocean.
We have luch fam lands.
We have rain forest.

We have several different beautiful regions here.

The state is divided in (almost) half by the Cascade Range running north and south, which creates two very different and beautiful climates! The very lush Western Wa, and the arid desert farm land of "E-Wa". There is also an invisible dividing line that runs east/west through the middle, so we also have north and south. Each of the quaderants has very distinct and beautifully amazing things to experience!

Last weekend my husband and I took his son for a soccer tournement near Port Angeles on the pinensula, which requires a ferry boat ride (another amazing Washington experience!)

I have lived in washington since I was 3 years old. I love it here! Everyday is amazing. The weather doesn't get old for me! I can feel the electric energy in our stormy skies, and I can feel the rush of life energy with budding new spring life!

Knowing and loving the region where you live is yet another very important way to be
Living Well!
Love,
Suzi~Q

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Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Living Well Does Not Need to Be Filled with Drama

A commentary on our modern work environment:

Drama and dramatic efforts reap rewards, while quietly and simply getting the job done are invisible ;)
Why do companies thrive on chaos to look successful?

Made up example … But I KNOW we've all witnessed this in one form or another:
2 people are given projects and deadlines.

One gets to work, maps out a plan and begins the take quiet methodical action, calling on individuals to assist when necessary. The project is quietly finished and turned in on time. The employee is thanked.

The other schedules planning meets and spends a lot of time talking with people about the project and what it means and how best to do it. Makes charts and graphs showing why it's so important to accomplish. Then suddenly realized the deadline is looming! Calls a meeting! It can't be accomplished with the current staffing, hire and train more people, work over time late into the night to get it accomplished … It's finally finished, a little late, and DONE with flare! The employee is heralded as a team player, and a stellar example.

It may not always get you recognized, but, keeping your tasks efficient and effective is better for your blood pressure and your temperament, allowing you to
Live Well!
Love,
SuziQue

Follow Rural Girl SuziQue as she shares crochet designs and tutorials, healthy food, exercise, fun adventures, wise budgeting experience, living with congenital hip dysplasia, and so much more that will challenge, inspire and encourage you to truly live your life as fully and wonderfully as possible!

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Saturday, April 20, 2013

Living Well is a Sensual Experience

Yes, I said SENSUAL, not sexual (though that is certainly a very important sensation in the scheme of Living Well!!)
 
Sensual is not a "dirty word"!
Sensual is a behavior of using ALL of your senses!
 
God gave us five physical senses.
Sight
Smell
Hearing
Taste
Touch
 
But He gave us some others too, that might be less obvious ... and are certainly senses that can be developed.
 
Intuition - (I had a sense that something wasn't quite right. or It just felt right.)
 
Mental faculties- (Have you taken leave of your senses!?!?!)
 
Common Sense - (Come to your senses!)
 
Soul connection - (I'm so glad you called! I was just thinking about you!)
 
Living Well requires that you use ALL of the senses that God gave you!
So! Lets get out there and really, truly, experience our world!
Use all of your senses!
Pay attention to those that you more often brush aside!
Make note of how the air smells while it's raining.
Notice how the fabric of your shirt feels on the skin of your back.
Notice the texture of food in your mouth!

It's a wonderful world ... FEELING every bit of it is part of ...
Living Well!
Love,
Suzi~Q

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Living Well by Eating Beautiful Food: A simple and Delicious Breakfast

This morning, I made a delicious smoothie!
1/4 cup oldfashioned oats
1/4 cup protien powder
1-1/2 cups copped fruit (half and apple, half a banana, half a fresh mango, and the balance was frozen peach slices)
about a cup, maybe a little more, of coconut milk
blend smooth ... enjoy!
 
I make these a lot, they are fast easy and delicious! And satisfying!
 
for the 1-1/2 cups of produce, I use a variety of things based on what I have and what sounds good!
Any kind of frozen fruit! Blueberries are a favorite! But whatever is on sale is usually what I get.
Fresh fruit: grapes, banana, apple, grapefruit, oranges (I'm allergic to pinapple, so I can't do that! But I would if I could!) Use your imagination! Choose what looks beautiful at the grocery store!
Sometimes I add spinach, or kale, or carrots, or celery
 
Really, as long as you like it, you can't go wrong!

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Living Well Doesn't have to be Expensive: A Facial Recipe

Looks like ingredients for a tasty salad dressing ... and in fact, they likely would make just that! But today, this is becoming a wonderful natural and inexpensive facial!

I snip the end of a flax seed oil capsule and squeeze it into a little dish. You could use Vitamin E, olive oil, grape seed oil, or even coconut oil. For this application, I like the anti-inflammatory properties of the flax!

I put similar quantities of each of the other ingredients in the dish. It's like 1/4 teaspoon for those of you that like to measure and not guesstimate.

I eat plain Greek yogurt regularly, but any plain yogurt will do. It is best to avoid flavored yogurts as they have unnecessary sugars.

Side note: In my opinion, this brand of Greek yogurt is my favorite! and doubles nicely for sour cream! And I'm not usually big on pretending one food is another, but this brand is really delicious! I buy it plain, and I can put frozen fruit in it if I want to flavor it up!

OK ... back to the facial, you've got your oil, your lemon juice, honey (mine is local and organic) and yogurt of equal portions in your dish. Mix them up well, and then smear it all over your face and neck!

It doesn't dry hard, or tight. In fact, it feels pretty good! So I leave it on for a half hour or so then rinse it off. My skin feels and looks fresh again! YAY!

I like keeping it as kissable as possible so my hubby will kiss it as much as possible!

Fresh, soft happy faces are pure art, and glow with ...

Living Well,
Love,
Suzi~Q

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Ruth and Harry: A Love Story

This is one of my first blog articles. In fact, it wasn't even written as a blog article! I didn't even have a blog at that time! After writing this, and sharing with the couple's family, I decided that I wanted to share with a wider audience this and so many other amazing experiences that God brings to me, and how they impact me to be a better human being.

And so, with a little editing, without further adue, my re-post:

Ruth and Harry: A Love Story

Sometimes the universe gives us opportunities that enrich our lives. God has placed beautiful experiences in our everyday lives, but they are not always obvious. Don’t forget to look for them, and see them!

On this particular day, my teenage son and I had a brief verbal exchange that sunk my heart. I grabbed my camera, and left him at home without saying a word. As a form of therapy for me, I went looking for beautiful things to photograph, and within two blocks of home, I found something so sweet, and beautiful it brought a tear to my eye. OK, not hard to do considering my already tender emotional state at that moment, but even now, the beauty of the moment wells in my heart.

Walking, totter-ishly slow, yet steadily up the hill near my home, was an older couple holding hands.

Not altogether unusual in my tiny little town, one might think, until the realization that this was no ordinary couple. I thought to myself, “Those are someone’s Great Grandparents!” I love great-grandparents! They are one of the most wonderful inventions of our Creator!

I parked my car at the playground just ahead of them, grabbed my camera, and got out of the car.

As I approached, I could see that not only were they holding hands, but their fingers were laced together in the romantic way that lovers do! I could see in their cantor that they were quite in tune with each other. They emanated a kind of symbiosis that only comes with great time, care, and love.

As I approached them, I introduced myself, and asked their names. Ruth and Harry.

As we chatted, I learned that they had been married 63 years! A remarkable feat that makes me proud and I had only just met them! They had lived in our little town their entire lives. As have their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Their son-in-law and adult granddaughter were on their own walk across the street from our conversation, and came protectively over to ascertain who might be photographing their beloved family members.

Through our conversation I learned that the couple went walking most everyday. As her vision had dramatically diminished, Harry read the newspaper to Ruth every morning while she cooked him breakfast in her familiar kitchen. Harry and Ruth are quite highly regarded by the community, and have received several commendations over the years for various community activities and services.

At first, they seemed a little unsure as to the sentiment that so enamored my attention; to them this was just a normal, ordinary, condition. Nonetheless, the pair consented to my request to capture the moment. I took a couple of pictures of their faces that display the sparkle still held in Ruth’s now blind eyes!

I asked to photograph their entangled hands, as that is what intrigued me to stop. I captured a picture of clasped hands; warn from years of work and weather.

As we continued to visit, Ruth and Harry’s fingers instinctively sought the other; and they were again, as intended by the ties-that-bind, laced together.

I went away from that experience filled with a kind of love for this couple; filled with inspiration; filled with gratitude to Ruth and Harry, for allowing me to have just the tiniest moment in their lives. Harry went home to be with his Lord just two weeks after our encounter. A lasting and loving legacy he left behind.

Monday, April 8, 2013

Old Friends: A Long Lost Poem, Renamed

When I was in high school, I wrote a lot of poetry! I enjoyed it very much! In fact, when I was in school I did a lot of artistic stuff that I was good at and I enjoyed! I drew a lot, with graphite or charcoal or oil pastels. I sewed, I knit, I crocheted. I baked. I sang. I played the flute and the clarinet. It feels good that my life is shifting to a new place where I can again explore those talents and interests. My creative outlets provide the momentum to keep me focused on Living Well.

During yesterday's home organization project I found a poem that I had written as a gift for my paternal grandpa. I think I was a sophomore when I wrote this one. I offer it here for your reading pleasure.

I titled it Soldiers back then ... however, now I'm not sure that is the correct title, perhaps "Old Friends" is better ... Yes, Old Friends is a better title, so I hereby rename my little poem.

Keeping our hearts and minds fresh to creativity helps keep up interesting and vibrant and ...

Living Well,
Love,
Suzi~Q

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Old Friends

I saw them walking
Together
the two of them
Plaid shirts flap in the breaze
Worn green work pants
sag from behind
Gay strains of laughter
float towards the sky
and a gentle wind blows
the wisps of
soft silver hair
When the sun lands there
it glitters
Together
they remember the past
they chatter
about the excitement
of the first "talkie"
and the war
Nobody forgets that
Especially since it brought them
together
They part at the cross roads
shaking hands and
as they stand there
Together
They wonder:
How many more
walks will they take
Together?

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Combining Two Households: Living Well by Blending our Things

We've been married 4-1/2 months now, and there still is much that I have not had time to unpack. We have blended so much stuff! We have donated so much stuff, and we still have so much more stuff to go through!

It really is amazing to me! Blending two house holds is challenging. Some decisions were easy ... For instance, we did not need 4 couches! And his newer ones goes perfectly with mine, so that made it easy to choose!

Our kitchen was a little more challenging! We both love to cook, and we both have our favorite pots, tools, pans, bowls .. LOL we made the easy decisions, and then we chose to just live with the extras and see what we are really reaching for, and then thin again later. We have taken this approach on several matters, and it really is working nicely!

I started today's project by organizing my book shelf, which currently resides in the dining room. I got all of my ancient tomes back in their proper order, and placed in attractive order on the wood shelves. It is always so good to spend a few minutes with each of them. They really are precious friends to me!

Next, I spent most of the rest of day today sorting and organizing photos and other mementos. Most of my family pictures had remained boxed, simply because of time! But recently, I have found myself really missing those friendly faces of my ancestors watching down on me! So, I gathered up all of the the pictures I could find in the house and out of the boxes, his and mine, and stood all the standing frames on the dining room table and started looking at them. Envisioning what brought about each moment, and recalling stories. It is so true, isn't it ... A picture is worth a thousand words!

Our braker box is in the dining room (ya, I know ... who thinks of this stuff!!??). JQ has always had a really cool, very large, Ansel Adams print of the redwood forest hanging over it. It is an awkward size box to cover, and one really doesn't want to put a piece of furniture in front of it, as it needs to be accessible! But finding a piece of art that large, that is not obnoxious, is challenging!

As I progressed, the vision I got for my project is the have all of the pictures in the dining room be about family! But that braker box posed a little obstacle! SO! I went into town (and yes, that is a journey! I'm a little more than 20 miles to the local Michaels Craft store!!

Armed with my trusty 50% off one item coupon, I made the journey! In addition to finding a photo collage frame large enough to cover that braker box, I acquired a couple of other necessities, like a picture from for George's first birthday picture!

I brought home my treasures and started tucking in photos of OUR family from the options at hand. Taking some pictures out of frames, and finding some that were loose. Next, I will need to delve into my digital collection and start to fill in the gaps, but that will have to wait for a different day! Standing pictures are now sweetly tucked all over the bookshelves and mantel and end tables.

It feels good that our family pictures are blended, as our lives are blended!

I know more more arranging has to happen. We are going to be painting at some point, so everything will get packed up and moved around again! But for now, it sure feels nice to have my great grand parents smiling down at me! And it makes me laugh to see our grandson's laughing little face beaming from it's new frame!

Having my family about me in this manner is comforting and I feel loved and protected by them.
One more way that we can fill our homes with love and know that with our much cost we are ...

Living Well!
Love
Suzi~Q

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Tender Loving Care of the Body and Spirit is key in Living Well

I have spent this afternoon at the most wonderful spa! This is my second visit here and it is my intention to make it a quarterly ritual!

Its not expensive! $35 for a day pass, which includes unlimited use of the heated pools, saunas and heated themed therapy rooms. Saturdays they are open from 9am-midnight! $5 for unlimited tea throughout the visit, in the charming tea room! What a bargain! $40 for a FULL day of relaxation, rest, care, luxury!

There are lots of special services that of course cost extra and are wonderful! But, not necessities for every visit. The full body scrub/exfoliating treatment is, I think my most beneficial extravagance here!

Today has been a wonderful experience to work on heating and loosening tight muscles guarding my hip. LOL! You would laugh knowing me because I've been doing "hot yoga" in the heated therapy rooms when there aren't too many others, but this robe is restrictive, so I just used it as my yoga mat.

I'm also focused on exfoliating my skin to silky softness. Soaking in the 104 degree tub and rinsing with mugwart before scrubbing rough dry skin away. I bought myself a special body scrubbing cloth and a half pound of mugwart for at home.

Connecting body, heart, mind and spirit here is easy. Opening the flow and connection, open to receiving what G.U.S. has for me today. Journal near by to document His gifts for me. My heart is full and grounded!

I have chatted with some delightful ladies and love the fact that here, we are all beautiful, all equal. We're all wearing the same pink and white cap and the same mint green stripped robe. This is the part that feels the most extravagant and luxurious! Connecting with other lovely spirits!

My husband is at the drag races with his brother, so, no time constraints for me! Im luxuriating. I'm meditating. I'm pampering. I'm journaling. I'm loving. I'm...

Living Well
Love,
Suzi~Q

Sent from my Windows Phone

Friday, April 5, 2013

Living Well with Chronic Pain

I have no way of knowing how many of you live with chronic pain. I have no way of knowing what it might be caused from. I have no way of knowing how long you have dealt with it.
 
I can, however, share my experience! And perhaps provide some encouragement. Some commaderie. Some ideas.
 
As many of you know, I have a birth defect in my right hip. It's called Congenital Hip Displaysia. Yes, that picture is an x-ray of my right hip. I'm totally open and authentic with you here! I'm not making this stuff up. The joint is not the right shape, and doesn't fit together correctly. All of my life this has slowed me down, but not stopped me from doing what I wanted to do ... mostly.
 
I have never been able to run well (learned as an adult that my hip does not camber properly, so no wonder I've never even walked like other people nor been able to run!). I've never been able to do the splits, or most other full leg stretches. But there is much that I can do, and that has always been my focus ... I love to hike and I used to lift weights when I was in school and it was the season for spending the entire PE period out on the track running (uh ... ya, not gonna work for me). As an adult, I just uncontiously adjusted ... I've never really thought about it, it's just how I was made. Even so, I swing dance with my husband, and can even twist allthe way to the floor and back up again!

In recent years, however, the wear and tear has really started to take more effort, more energy to manage. Most of the time I get to stay in control. Most of the time, people don't even notice that I have a limp. It is very important for me to maintain symmetry in my posture so as not to injure the other hip, or my back, or my knees! But every year or so, it catches up with me, and the last month or so has been one of those times. My energy level has been low, and my pain level has been high. I've had a difficult time sleeping.

A friend of mine brought it to light for me this way: She is a runner, and sometimes she gets hurt. When this happens, not only is she dealing with healing, which takes energy, but with pain, which takes energy, and every move has to be calculated, which also takes energy. She made the "uh, duh" very obvious statement (that I was too close to to see) that I have to do all of those things all day every day of my entire life! HOW EXHAUSTING! And that is so true!

Every couple of years, it just gets to me, it wears me down. I'm tired, I'm emotional, I hurt. And this has been the case for the last month or so.

I've done some research on anti inflammatory foods, and fish oil came back on my radar screen! Now, why was it that I stopped taking it a couple of years ago?? Hmmm ... So, I'm back on the fish oil now, 1400 mg three times a day, in addition to all of my other vitamins! I notice a difference! So I'll keep doing it! Highly concentrated fish oil contains eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid which are crucial elements in fighting inflammation ... which arthritis is.

I know that I can control so much with my diet and exercise, and I know that I really have to have a more disciplined routine and stick with it ... it is as important as taking blood pressure medication everyday!  So I'm refocused, and adjusting. and So thankfult hat my husband is so supportive and thoughtful about my care!

Being in charge of how I feel and knowing that I have that power, and dare I say responsibility is yet another very important part of ...

Living Well,
Love
Suzi~Q

P.S. Your thoughts and comments are important, please share them with us here! Love SQ

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Growing and Blossoming with Living Well

I've been blogging for a couple of years now. I have found it to be a wonderful outreach, and a great way for me to share my story and encourage others to keep seeking their own healing process. I have gotten good feedback from those that have been encouraged by my words, and I have felt inspired to continue increasing my sharing. Which in turn increases my efforts to stay focused on the never ending process of my own healing and learning and growing.
 
All or most of us have gone through some kind of difficult times, but how many of us come out the other side of those experiences better than we were to start with!? That is a decision that we have to consciously make! That is what I can teach you how to do! One little thing at a time. One huge thing at a time! It doesn't have to cost a lot of money. It doesn't have to take a lot of time. It is a decision to not be a victim of circumstances. It is a decision to be a better human BECAUSE of the things we have gone through! It is a decision to be IN CHOICE everyday, because that is where our power of individuality is!
 
This is what I teach. This is what I share. This is how I attempt to live my life every day.
 
I'm human. I get snarky at my day job sometimes. Sometimes I eat foods that are not good for me. Sometimes I sit more than I should and sometimes I'm just plain lazy! I can be bossy and I can be sarcastic. But I don't stay in those attitudes very long. I don't beat myself up for stumbling now and again. I just stop. Breathe. Apologize as necessary. Cry as necessary. Identify what triggered that behavior (without spending too much time over psychoanalyzing myself) and devise a realistic strategy for the next time (and there will always be a next time)!
 
Through my process of healing and growth, the other wonderful aspect is that I continually have more quality information to share with you, and I am now in the process of offering some of those resources to you! I am very picky about what I will recommend to my readers. I love you, I care very much about your well-being, and want very much for you to learn and heal and grow, therefore, if I have read a book, or tried a product or service, and not felt I received great benefit, it is not likely to show up here! (Unless it is so awful that I feel the need to warn you to stay clear!) I have not shared a great deal regarding specific products and services over the years, but to increase the value that I offer you, I have decided to start doing just that!
 
Lots of changes will be showing up over the next several months (or more, as new ideas come to me!). I am adjusting the blog layout a bit, in an attempt to make it easier to read on your computer screen, as well as on your mobile device. I have done a tweak or two here and there a little at a time.
 
I am excited that there is now an option to subscribe via email, so try it out! Keep in touch! Comment and be part of the conversation!
 
For the month of April, I have committed to The Ultimate Blog Challenge! Daily posts, and daily sharing, spreading the work about Living Well, and building our community. I have lots of great developments that I am working on, so stay tuned and be part of this growing movement, be part of this burgeoning community!
 
This is where the cool kids hang out, so why wouldn't you want to be part of it!?
 
There came a point when it was more painful to stay tight in the bud that it was to just blossom! It is spring people, it's time to blossom! Show your colors, breathe deep, dance in the rain, love, laugh, and everyday ... more and more ... be...
 
Living Well,
Love,
Suzi~Q