Life in the Slow Lane

Contemplating life, faith, words, and memories

Category: Health and Self-Care

Prescription for Cabin Fever — March 18, 2020
cabin fever, log cabin, cabin

Prescription for Cabin Fever

/Sherrey Meyer/13 Comments

Experiencing a bit of cabin fever? Government restrictions related to the coronavirus bugging you? Looking for a quick cure for cabin fever? Keep reading! 

Today we bring an expert to the blog to share tips for coping with cabin fever. Our expert has four years or more under her belt of being confined. Chronic pain has been her nemesis, but her tips will apply as well to cabin fever patients.

Here’s a list of helpful tips and hints for coping with the frustrating symptoms associated with cabin fever:

  1. Grab a good book and start reading. Need help finding a book? Check out book descriptions and reviews on Goodreads.
  2. Do a jigsaw puzzle. It may seem a bit old-school, but they can be lots of good fun unless you have cats who want to help!
  3. Schedule a movie and popcorn night. Especially popular if you have children around.
  4. Call a friend or two you haven’t touched base with in a while.
  5. Get out some board games or a deck of cards.
  6. Sort through old photos.
  7. Try a new hobby, like knitting, crocheting, stained glass, writing poetry, or Sudoku.
  8. Pour through cookbooks looking for a new recipe to try out.
  9. Start pre-spring cleaning. That way you won’t have so much to do when the good weather arrives.
  10. That home improvement project you’ve been postponing is something you could work on.
  11. How about adult coloring? Check out these sites for good resources to get you started: Johanna Basford, Colorit, Art Is Fun!, and The Spruce Crafts.
  12. If you’re a TV watcher, catch the newest season of your favorite show on Netflix.
  13. Begin researching family history and start a family tree.
  14. Plan a weekend getaway for after the restrictions are lifted.
  15. Enjoy reading aloud rather than alone and silently? Maybe this is a good family activity if you have young readers.
  16. Get some form of exercise. If you can get outside and continue social distancing, take a short walk, say 15 minutes. Or perhaps you have some slightly never used exercise equipment you could put to good use. 
  17. Continue to engage your faith or spiritual life through reading and/or prayer, or both.
  18. Think about that spring garden. Perhaps it’s time to draw up a plan for what you want to plant and how.
  19. Give in to that power nap. It’s amazing how much that few minutes improves your attitude.
  20. Try meditation.
  21. Plan and treat your family to a picnic. Cook up hamburgers and hot dogs and all the fixings. Then spread a cheerful tablecloth or blanket on the floor and get out the paper goods and plastic forks and knives. Add some chips and condiments and have fun!
  22. If you’re a writer, try writing in a different genre than usual.

And lastly, remember to practice kindness even if you are self-quarantined with your family–may be just you and your partner or spouse, and maybe a few kids, or some other configuration of family. Spread kindness even in these different and difficult times.

kindness, quotation, cabin fever

Image attributions:
Featured image: David Mark from Pixabay 
Quotation: Random Acts of Kindness 

December 2019 — December 4, 2019
book review, memoir, reading, books,

December 2019

/Sherrey Meyer/13 Comments

December 2019 is here. Where did November, October, and September go? In my world, they seemed to fly by. How about you? The image above reflects mostly what I’ve been doing–reading by the fire.

In looking through my blog yesterday, I was shocked to find my last post was on November 19, 2019. The post is my review of Kathy Pooler’s second memoir, Just the Way He Walked (see Disclosures). I have other book reviews to share but I’ll be honest and not beat around the bush. My motivation to write, even a book review, is gone. 

I seek inspiration looking out the windows, listening to music, reading others’ work. Nothing happens. Nothing comes to me. I go back over my list of ideas for blog posts. Nothing jolts me into action. And it’s not just writing. 

Some days I can’t find interest in doing much of anything. I tackle the mundane–household chores, laundry, cleaning the kitchen following meals, wiping down countertops. These are chores that cry out to be dealt with NOW!

Why am I telling you all this? Simply to let you know that I’m going to turn out the lights on the blog until January 2020 in hopes of feeling more like the writer/blogger I have been. I may even tackle sending out a monthly newsletter. Who knows what the new year may bring?

With the preparations needed for the holiday season and appointments four out of five days next week, I need to devote time to get through this month. 

I came across this quote from Marianne Williamson this morning. 

Ego says,
‘Once everything falls into place,
I’ll feel peace.’
Spirit says,
‘Find your peace, and
everything will fall into place.’

A still small voice said, “You need to find peace with your current situation.” That’s my plan for December 2019.

Just one more thing before I go…

and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

True Confessions — October 22, 2019

True Confessions

/Sherrey Meyer/15 Comments
Remember the magazine True Confessions? As an adolescent, I sneaked my sister-in-law’s copies of True Confessions to the creek banks. I’m not sure why I thought I had to take them to the creek behind the home where she and my brother lived, but I did.
 
The words “true confessions” have been playing havoc with my mind over the last couple of weeks. My blog looks neglected and forgotten with fewer posts published. And my presence on social media isn’t what it usually is. There are three reasons. As my readers and followers, you should know I’m not going away.
 
First, I managed to connect with a nasty cold and cough germ that kept me down for almost two weeks. Second, my laptop caught a virus or two or three. It was “hospitalized” for several days last week. Sadly, I didn’t even miss it. I found joy, peace, and calm in reading, coloring, and music.
 
And for the third reason, a hazard of my first spinal fusion in 2001 has raised its ugly (and I mean UGLY) head. I’m now seeing yet another doctor to bring this pain under control. We were told there was nothing to control the pain caused by the bone graft. Today patients are fortunate that cadaver bone is available for bone grafting. If we can get this pain controlled, it will be the first time in almost four years I am pain-free. 
 
For the next few weeks, I plan to focus on healing both my body and my mind. Healing the body is difficult when also dealing with depression. It takes time and a commitment to exercising, eating well, and allowing the self to heal.
 
One post per week is my plan. These posts will include reviews of recently published memoirs. I’ve also read some good books on writing creative nonfiction essays, and I plan to review them. I hope you’ll enjoy these posts.
 
Thanks for reading my words today.
Quiet Times — October 14, 2019
quiet times, calm, tea, reading, recuperating, peace,

Quiet Times

/Sherrey Meyer/6 Comments

     Silence is more musical than any song.
~~Christina Rosetti

The last week resulted in quiet times here on the blog and at home. A week of blank days on my calendar awaited me. I had grand plans.

With physical therapy appointments scheduled now every other week, I had no reason to go there. And there were no doctor appointments to keep. 

My plans included establishing an at-home physical therapy schedule as two weeks between appointments is a good bit of downtime. I also hoped to move my “office” supplies and writing tools back to the corner of my workroom. And we had lunch dates planned with two couples. I was excited by these prospects.

What I thought were allergies last weekend turned into a nasty cold by Tuesday morning. From then until now, this monster destroyed my plans. We did get in one lunch date on Monday. I hope that couple doesn’t get my cold germs!

But there is always a silver lining, isn’t there?

Ah, the quiet times of a slow and unburdened week. I’ve sipped tea while reading and jotting down notes. My handy yellow highlighter waits by my chair. Read an entire Elizabeth George Inspector Lynley mystery, plus started a Dinty Moore book on writing the personal essay (good stuff!). In the background, I’ve listened to classical music. 

I’ve stolen naps here and there from bed to recliner with a cozy tuxedo kitty on my lap or by my side. Somehow Maggie has just the magic to help one sleep easy.

I’ve simply allowed myself to be soothed by the need not to be hurried to get here, go there, and turn around to do the same thing tomorrow. Even though my plans were dispelled and I was feeling unhealthy, it was ever so nice.

Be Present — June 24, 2019

Be Present

/Sherrey Meyer/2 Comments
Last Sunday the cover art on our worship bulletin struck a chord with me. Not so much because of the artwork. It was, as always with me, the words. I’ve pondered these words over and over again. Finally, today I wanted to know more about who chose them. Who created the image?
 
So I rang up TinEye Reverse Image Search as I was unable to read the artist’s signature. TinEye helped me locate the artist, Kelly Rae Roberts, and her site. The words, I assume, are the artist’s as I find no attribution for them.
 
This is the work that has kept my mind engaged the last couple of weeks:
 
Kelly Rae Roberts
Be Present by Kelly Rae Roberts

Celebrating the moment we are living sounds like a comfortable plan for such a busy world. Something for us all to consider. 

 

 

Feature image attribution: Anshu A on Unsplash

Physical Therapy — June 12, 2019

Physical Therapy

/Sherrey Meyer/4 Comments

Physical therapy isn’t always a popular topic, especially for those undergoing it. Why did I choose this as a post topic? Because these days, physical therapy is always on my mind. Once a week appointments with my therapist, and a daily exercise regimen between weekly appointments.

I’ve been blessed following this latest surgery to be treated by two of the best therapists I’ve yet to meet. David, my therapist in the rehab center, was one of the most compassionate of my caregivers. And he was a hard worker but always conscious of his patient’s physical well being.

My outpatient therapist, Amy, is equally compassionate and explains everything in lay terms so her patients understand her expectations and helps them set their own expectations. Additionally, Amy has a great sense of humor and makes you comfortable during each session.

The point I’m attempting here is that even though it’s called physical therapy, a lot more goes into its eventual success. Compassion, language, patient comfort and care all go into the perfect recipe for physical therapy.

It takes a unique individual to possess all the qualities above. And if that is the case, you are likely to have greater success and actually look forward to appointments.

Image attribution: mohamed Hassan from Pixabay