PatiSue

Hello! You know, if you (or anyone) ever get in a state like that, these are a couple of things that have helped me. The FIRST thing that helped is to realize that watching for "happy" is like trying to watch yourself go to sleep--you will never get there if you keep paying attention to it. The SECOND thing is to stop counting what you do not feel is "right" and start focusing on your blessings. Here is the problem with that: self indulgence REALLY feels good! I LOVED to cry! I felt more...."full" when I was melancholy. It was a bit more exciting, a bit more "me" centered. Now, I did not enjoy being miserable, but on the other hand, it was licking my wounds, which people (including me) DO tend to enjoy. So write down what your blessings are and if you EVER start thinking "Oh, THIS is just not quite right or I wish THAT" or even "What is wrong with me?" then that is the time to start dwelling on blessings. Eliminate EVERY "bad" thought. I am serious, not even one. Replace each one with a thought of some blessing in your life. NO ONE has a perfect life, EVERYONE will have to face death, fear, sadness, depression. Or maybe life is not that traumatic, but not just "what we hope for". No matter what, focusing on our blessings instead of our sorrows WILL help us find that happiness and peace we desire. It is like this: if a horse is in a burning barn, you have to blindfold them to lead them to safety. In their fear they will actually run TOWARD the fire. Their thoughts are so consumed by the fire, that they cannot think straight. Not ONLY that, but they have to be tied up AFTER they are led to safety because a horse WILL run BACK into a burning barn!! *I* was that way and many others are that way--they will concentrate SO hard on the disappointments, failings, etc in their life, that those thoughts consume them to the point where they cannot enjoy life. Their "burning barn" is a life of feelings of disinterest, sorrow, melancholy, anxiety, depression, and fear. See, our minds affect our emotions and our bodies a LOT more than we think. I say this after suffering from OCD, panic disorder (with and without agoraphobia), and chronic anxiety, starting at age 15. I had some bad reaction to meds so I had to go without. Plus I wanted a CURE, not just an outside adjustment. So I had to work on my thoughtlife. Let me give you an example: right now think HARD about the love of your life--your hubby, your dog, your kids, whatever. Whomever gives you the most joy, think about them. Stop and realize what your body is feeling. Probably a bit of tenderness and happiness and "snuggle" feelings. Now, what is happening is that you just made your body release chemicals like endorphins, prolactin (possibly, depending on your situation), oxytocin, etc. YOUR thoughts just made YOUR body do something. Now we can do this a different way: think hard about some thing that you fear desperately. NOW your body has gone from "snuggle bunny" to "adrenaline load". Your digestion, right now, is changed. Your blood pressure, breathing, heart rate, everything is changed. You are not in ANY danger AT ALL. HOWEVER your own thoughts made your body release other chemicals called "catecholamines" (adrenaline, noradenaline, etc). Again, what is KEY here is that you are not in any danger at all, but your body is preparing to react to a NON-EXISTENT DANGER!!! This can happen with any other emotion: fear, stress, anger, love, joy, sadness. In EACH case you do not have to actually be experiencing something horrible (or wonderful) to get the body and mind reacting to it. I think that is what happens to us when we get "the blues" and even explains MANY (but NOT all) of the current explosion of neuroses (depression, ocd, anorexia, anxiety, etc). NOW, there are certainly times where life is just THAT bad--a death or severe illness in the family, a financial crisis, etc. Those are times when some people will fall into a certain depression or anxiety state (but there are also people who suffer the same tragedies but can find their feet quickly). But many of us do not have many of these things going on but STILL suffer with these sorts of conditions. I was one of them. I have been blessed beyond measure but my THOUGHT patterns were wholly responsible for EACH and EVERY one of my personal conditions. And I mean they were BAD--at one point I could not leave my house--not even step out on my porch--for MONTHS. Literally months. I would do such things as wash my hands with bleach, scalding water, and lysol--sometimes all three. I could LITERALLY hear my own heartbeat when just watching tv. I would cry everyday and scream at God (NOT the brightest thing to do btw LOLOL). This went on for YEARS. Meds would not work (I was pg, nursing, and one I had a bad reaction to). Therapy was sporadic, but nice. But the biggest thing that I had to do was to fix my thoughts. Like a song stuck in my head, my thoughts were running SOLELY to the horrible, the frightening, the destructive, the sorrowful. Hence, my body was reacting all the time to those chemicals that my brain was releasing. I am firmly convinced that this is a "chicken and the egg" kind of thing--in some people maybe the chemical imbalance came first, however, in some the mental habits of people CREATED a chemical imbalance. In either case, it IS possible to work through with or without the help of meds. No matter if for a person it was a chicken first or the egg first, a person can reduce or even eliminate their mental issues. PLEASE understand I am NOT saying "this is just all in your head-just think yourself out of it--no prob.". THis was the HARDEST thing I have ever done and it takes work (especially when you have been thinking and reacting the same way for years and have fallen so severely). And I am NOT saying that meds are useless--they are VERY useful for some people! They are not a cure, though. However, they can be VERY valuable to keep you afloat while working toward the cure. Behavior modificcation is KEY!!! Oh I am going on so!!! This is a subject that i am so very passionate about because i suffered HORRIBLY for SO many years--my family did also. I could not tell you how bad it got. My hands would be bloody and raw, I could not eat, I had no peace except every once in a while I would have LITERALLY about 5 seconds of calm when I first woke in the morning....and then it was gone and I would be devastated. Panic attacks? Oh do not EVEN get me started there! AWFUL! So, I will stop babbling for now. if anyone is interested, please pm me or email me or something. I have tips that will help ANYONE reduce stress and anxiety in their lives. It will not ELIMINATE the stress IN your life, but it CAN help you get to the point where you do not have to be ruled by the events of your life. A.

Does anyone know if there is a precious moments sewing pattern out there somewhere? I have a SIL who is bonkers for PM and I would like to make one for her and my nephews. I have the crochet pattern, but the dolls looked like aliens (BIG CONE head, little body. I know they are supposed to have big heads and little bodies, but this was positively mishapen. I tried twice and wonder if there was a glitch in the pattern???). Thanks all. A.

How about "Jelly" and "Bean" (this will make a lot of sense the first time someone has to clean the cage!!!) Atro

Hey Lowlie!!! Welcome back! What do you do with crab apples? Can you make them edible? I actually CAN grow them here (those and choke cherries lolol). Any ideas for either would be great! A.

I am EAGERLY planning my yard (including a lot of landscaping, hopefully). I have a ton of time--I am in AK and today it WARMED UP to 1 degree. YAY!!! My goal for my yard is to have about 70% edibles and 30% ornamental (I am TICKLED that I can grow peonies here!). I want to plant potatoes (the foliage is REALLY pretty!! Why don't more people use that for cheap, lush greenery in beds?). I digress....any info on sea buckthorn would be GREAT! If it is not worth the effort, I will just get some more saskatoons. A.

AWWWW they don't have mine!!! My favorite flower is .....the dandelion!!!! Now before I am pelted by globs of fresh compost...let me explain.... Our yard has a TON of dandelions. I was REALLY considering getting rid of them, but they just provide so much pleasure to the children--like their own cache of sunshine. I started reading more about them and this is what changed my mind.... WHAT other plant: is free, is a beautiful true yellow, leaves can be used for salads, roots for coffee substitute, flowers for jelly, wine, and baking, provides children with a way to make their moms happy with bunches of sunshine in grubby little hands, provides hours of amusement for them blowing "dandelion clocks", grows, nay, THRIVES just about anywhere, with no maintenance, no cultivation, no special care, is medicinal, highly nutritious, and very resistant to disase? Now THAT is a preppers plant! Parenthetically, did you know that dandelions were actually brought here on PURPOSE? They were not considered weeds. BUT they are considered weeds now, so I understand if y'all relegate me to some far off corner of the yard to play with my dandelions (but you won't get any of my wine! LOLOLOLOL). TEE HEE!!! A.

I would like to give my thoughts on this for two reasons. One is because I know what Debbielee was feeling--I was a bit stunned by the reply that religious discussion will not be allowed, that it will offend others. I COMPLETELY agree about keeping debate out of the mix, but one of the words used was "discussion" and the reason given was because it would offend others. I honestly thought that *I* was being referred to (blame it on the fact that I have declared myself queen of all I survey, and therefore EVERYTHING revolves around me lolol) because I answered the question about what was expected as a Christian and quoted Scripture. I went farthest in terms of Christian discussion. Now, I did not take offense, I was not stung or hurt. I did think it was rather brusque (I even went back and re read, thinking I had missed something), but some people have that style. That is ok!! Did I feel it was bigoted? Not one bit. Did I think it was rather politically correct? Honestly, yes. I did not see even a SHADOW of debate starting. HOWEVER I am also a newcomer to this group, though not to boards, and I have been a moderator in other places. It is a DURN hard job. AND thankless. AND murky. You try so hard to "not let things get out of hand (for the eighth time this week....)", and every decision you make makes SOMEONE unhappy. Apparently this group has been stung by division and quarrel before, and I can see why a tendency toward being extra protective would be natural and perhaps necessary. While I might have preferred a different delivery, the INTENTION was true and honest, IMO. However, I also think the questions brough up were fair ones--EXACTLY how much is allowed to be said about our faith, where EXACTLY is it allowed to be said, and will every religion be treated the same way? I have a bit of a tough skin--especially since I am new. However, it would be nice to know what will and will not be allowed. My own, TOTALLY not asked for suggestion, would be to allow everyone the right to post their own beliefs, but as soon as people start scrapping, to admonish them privately and remove the message. If someone is offended by the mere MENTION of the word God, then perhaps they are just a bit touchy--the world cannot be the way we want it all the time. As long as no one is trying to beat them over the head with the Good Book (by forcing one's beliefs on them), I would suggest that the person might just be....well...again, touchy. I think that emotions are running high on this because many people (including me) were assuming things that were not actually meant. I am not being publically flayed, nanapop is not a bigot, etc. I think that fair questions were asked as to what will be tolerated and why some things will or will not, or have or have not, been tolerated. If I may (like anyone can stop me now BWAHAHAHAHA!!! A.

Oh me too!!!! Me too!!!! A.

I got a copy of this magazine and loved it--thinking of adding it to my subscriptions. It is beautiful, easy to follow and has lots of instructions. If I may, I think that we can strike a balance in preparing. It is entirely possible that NOTHING will happen. We can prepare but also enjoy A.

Snopes says that this is an urban myth http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/target.asp . Target is US owned (since begining as Dayton Dry Goods in 1902) and the reason why the fellow did not get money was not because they do not support vets but that the fellow was asking for money from a store, but stores are not allowed to give cash locally--it has to come from corporate headquarters (stores can give vouchers, I believe). Also Target did donate to "The Wall that Heals" (what this fellow was asking money for), as well as other veterans causes. Now, I am not sure that snopes is the definitive word on this subject but thought I might pass it along....ever since I sent out a MASS email that ball pits had rattle snakes in them, I try to double check everything lololol. If you believe that target is innocent (or any other company who has an email against them) please consider sending out the truth to the folks on your email list. A.

Hello! My sweetie does not fly--he is color blind. That is fine with me though--pilots have hard lives with long deployments. Where have I been stationed? Wow. That WOULD bea long list A.

Hey! I brought some treats for everyone....some some chocolate zucchini bread and some chex mix. Also, I brought some hot tang for anyone with a sore throat and some southern pecan coffee for anyone who likes coffee (mom just sent me a new bag last night!). AHHH....it is nice to relax... A.

ROFLOLOL--gee thanks, now I will be singing "getting to KNOOOWWWW ATROOOOOOO.....getting to know all about YOOOUUUUUUUOOOOOOOOHHHHHH (to make it rhyme lolol)....". And no you are NOT nosy! You are...concerned!! Interested!! But NEVER nosey (at least that is what I tell my sweetie when he says I am being nosey LOLOLOL). Sweetie was regular active duty AF, but now he is active duty guard. All the benefits of the military life (plus a couple), with all the benefits of civilian life (like not having to move so often!). And sweetie is right here with me for the time being! (ok, well not sitting in the bedroom typing with me, but you know what I mean lol). We have been truly blessed--my brother had been gone well over 200 days a year in his last post!! (thank the Lord he is also now where he can stay put for a couple of years!) A.

Yes, atropine, like the medicine--in this case particularly to keep military members alive in case of a nerve agent attack. The reason why I have this name is because I was joining another site and wanted something kinda military-y (because we are military), gender neutral-ish, etc. I bugged my husband for DAYS to help me think of a name. Over and over I asked him to think of something ("C'mon honey, YOU are the military one! You named our cats after a military vehicle and military armament! Help me think of something!!"). Well, one night, after even more bugging (and after I cornered him in the bathroom)_ he finally turned to me and exasperatedly said "ATROPINE!". "Atropine, why Atropine?" I asked. He said "Because if you are in a bad way, it will SAVE YOUR LIFE.... (now picture me all glowing with warm fuzzies...my sweetie thinks I am a lifesaver, a strong partner in this journey we call life...)....". THEN he said "But if you are NOT in a bad way....it'll KILL YA!". LOLOL He was SOOO off my "happy list" after that one A.

White toothpaste also polishes silver REALLY well. A.