Minimalism is…

“Minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of anything that distracts us from it,” Joshua Becker.

What do you value? The ability to travel? The ability to give of yourself to others? The stuff you collect? A job that makes lots of money? Time with your family? Seeing friends regularly? Time to get more healthy? Time to study things that interest you?

What in your life keeps you from being able to do what you value? Too many things requiring maintenance? A sense of not yet having enough of this to be able to do that? People in your life making too many demands on you? Too much house to clean? So many apps you can’t find the one you need? Too many “favorite” TV programs?

Is what you need more time? If it is, what is wasting yours now?

What could you remove from your life to get you where you want to go faster?

What are you most likely to regret when your life is over? The money you didn’t earn? The time you didn’t spend with friends and family? The things you never owned? The Joneses you didn’t keep up with? The person you would have helped if only you had more time or money?

Once you figure out what you most value, sorting out what to keep vs. what to get rid of becomes much easier. Even if that means getting rid of people who no longer contribute to your values–how many Facebook friends do you really need anyway? Wouldn’t it be more fun to meet a friend face to face and spend some time together?

Make room in your life for what you really value. You’ll be a happier person for doing so. Yes, Jim, for you that includes fishing.

TTYL,

Linda

Skinny feet?

For many years my feet and ankles have swelled in the evenings. This last winter when I was preparing to go out to dinner with friends I discovered not only could I not buckle my sandals, I couldn’t even make the straps reach around them.

So I did what doctors always tell you to do. Cut back on my salt and elevated my feet in the evenings.

Didn’t help.

Yet, I’m now having trouble keeping my slippers on my feet and at 7:00 pm after eating a heavily salted supper my feet and ankles look like this:

feet Do those look swollen to you? Me neither. Yes, they are up on a hassock but I put them there just to take this photo. First time they’ve been up all day today.

What changed?

This:

t-tapp I ordered these exercise DVDs just before I headed home for the summer and they were waiting for me when I got there.

I started right in doing these exercises every day to jump start the program and I now do them several times a week.

One of the advertised benefits of this program is better “Lymphatic Function”. Wanting to know what that meant I Googled lymphatic and learned this from Wikipedia, “Lymphedema is the swelling caused by the accumulation of lymph fluid, which may occur if the lymphatic system is damaged or has malformations. It usually affects limbs, though face, neck and abdomen may also be affected.”

So this program and my improved lymphatic system has removed my daily swelling of my feet and ankles.

And stopped my feet from sweating all the time.

And improved my posture.

And the way my clothes fit.

And my mood.

Want to know more? Go here: http://www.t-tapp.com

And help yourself.

TTYL,

Linda

 

 

Nosey People

WARNING: This post will includes lots of mucus so if you are squeamish do not read this one.

I’m one of those women who always has at least two hankies in my pockets. That’s because I have what my ENT called chronic vasal motor rhinitis. That means my nose runs. A lot. Think streams of clear mucus coming from my nose with regularity. Every time I eat something hot or cold. Every time I go into or out of a building where the temperature changes. Every time someone wearing too much scent passes by. And sometimes, it seems like, just because it feels like running. So I carry hankies to keep my nose from dripping.

Walk around my house and you will see many boxes of tissues. Because I can only keep so many hankies on hand. I wear them out. Not many people wear out hankies but I do.

And that’s only one part of my issue with my nose. Another one is morning congestion. When I get up my nose starts to run. But only what I call the front sinuses do that. Behind those are what I call the back sinuses. The back sinuses are not connected directly to my nose. Nope. They are connected to my throat. Those are the one that create post-nasal drip. Except, in the morning mine don’t drip. They stay stuffed up. I cannot blow them clear because they don’t connect to my nose. So I snort. Fortunately, I am able to do this in the privacy of my bathroom. Snorting brings the thicker mucous from my back sinuses into my mouth. If I swallow that mucus it overly lubricates my digestive system. So I prefer to expel it from my mouth into a tissue. Or, rather, several tissues. Between my front and back sinuses I go through about a dozen tissues every morning. It’s not lovely but it is a fact of my life.

I hate that I have this runny nose in public. I would go someplace private to blow my nose if I could. But when it decides to run it does it very well which leaves me no time to hide.

So, if I am somewhere you are and I have to blow my nose, please understand that I am not trying to gross you out–just the opposite. And if you hear someone snorting, know that the person is likely doing the best they can to deal with allergies. Yes, it is gross. Yes we would like to not have to do it. Especially in public. But, please, try to think of it as a handicap and forgive us.

TTYL,

Linda

 

I’m fine, thanks.

I’m fine but very busy relearning how to live in something as big as this two bedroom apartment in a city with all its resources. I’m using all my energies making good food and doing a new to me exercise program. More about both of those later.

For now, here’s a post I just read during a break that I feel compelled to share:

Death, Life & The Legacy Of Clutter

Hope all is going well for all of you.

TTYL,

Linda