April 2020

Come to Cancun with Us

Take a virtual trip to Mexico. Read about our trip and start planning yours!

So much is going on right now in the world. I chose to take this week’s topic South. In 2009, my husband surprised me with a trip to Cancun. We are adventurous, but not that adventurous, so he booked us in an all-inclusive resort. So off to Cancun we went.

We flew from Missouri to Dallas, then down to Cancun. We had read up on what to expect and the stories held true. When arriving at the airport, we retrieved our luggage and out the door to all the taxies waiting. We found the taxi that we felt was good for us and off to our resort we headed. When arriving, I was a bit surprised that the front office was open air. There were no doors, just up the steps, to the main area. You could see the pools and ocean from the front desk. We checked in and up to our room we headed.

We had the honeymoon suite, even though we had been married for 22 years at that time. It was like a honeymoon. Our room was at the end of the building. We had our own hot tub and deck. The view was fabulous. We could see the entire resort and the ocean from our balcony.

Looking down we could see the pools, the cabanas, beach, and ocean. So many folks out there, just relaxing. We decided to take a stroll. Down the elevator and out the corridor to so much beauty. We were finally alone, together. No cell phones (at that time it cost $$$$ to have cell service in another country). We were just us, for a few short days.

Making a decision about what to do while in Mexico. As with most any destination, you can fill your days with trips or choose to stay at the resort. We chose to take a bus trip to the market that everyone said we should check out one day. On other days, we took a trip. We went to the ruins Chichen Itza, and to the Island of women, Isla Mujeres. I had never been on a catamaran so the trip was intriguing.

Touring the city was very interesting. I was surprised by the filth. Maybe they did not see things the way I did. I wondered why, if this is a vacation destination, would they allow things to look dirty. We got to the market that everyone told us we should go to Market 28. It was like our flea markets here in the states. We went from booth to booth, as we heard them tell us what great deals they had. The American dollar was worth more than the paseo so they were happy to get a sale. Yes, we did buy some souvenirs. We decided that we would eat back at the resort.

Our trip to Chichen Itza started very early in the day. The bus loaded around 7am, for our 2-hour drive to the ruins. The ruins are villages, buildings, that have been found by digging. The Mayan tribe lived in these villages. They had large rock buildings for homes. There was a ball court with seating. On the way into the ruins there were vendors selling many different types of items. This also happened in the days that the Mayan people lived there. We were not able to climb on any of the buildings, like you can at some of the ruins. It was a very hot day. We used wash cloths soaked in water to help stay cool. In the middle there was a pyramid. The story goes that they told time by the stairs on the pyramid. The shadows, made by the sun and the steps, helped tell the time. The one story that still sticks in my mind, is winning the game. The story goes that the winner’s, have their heads chopped off. All I could think, was how happy I was to not be the winner. This was a long day of learning a new culture, eating foods that were “different” cuisine and learning that winning is not always winning.

We headed to bed early this night as the following day was another trip. We were heading to the Island of the women, “Isla Mujeres”. I am excited to go on my first catamaran ride and of course see the Island of the women.

Up early again, as we had to take the city bus, to the catamaran business, to get on the boat. The buses are paid, per ride, and they have a jar for you to put your money in. You need to have correct change for each time you get on the bus. We arrived early, but that it OK, since we didn’t want to miss the boat. They have scuba gear for those who are choosing to dive when we make a stop, on the way to the island. They say the coral wreaths are beautiful. I have never been able to figure out how to breath with my mouth, when wearing scuba gear. I am such a nose breather, I just fogged up my mask. So, I did not rent any gear, neither did my hubby. We were all loaded on the boat, and what a vast number of folks from so many countries were on the boat.

The ones that drew our attention the most, were the four ladies from England. They were in their 70’s, I am sure. Each one in a bikini (not that they had perfect figures) but they had confidence. One of the ladies did not have her straps on her bikini top at all. I am really, to this day, not sure how it stayed on. I am thinking duct tape on the inside. They danced and had a great time the entire trip.

Second was the lady who brought her son (age around 10). Yes, they did say this is a party catamaran, not a family one. But he did get an education as she kept him at the front and looking forward. Then was upset that the adult sized scuba gear did not fit him, to snorkel. With language barriers, she may not have understood it all. But I do think he had a good time; she was probably a little stressed the entire time.

We also had that one, you know the one with the perfect body and wearing a thong bikini, the one the guys all enjoyed and the ladies thought “was I ever there”.

We finally get to the Island and it was such a pretty place, nice clean streets, little shops, great picture spots. We walked around, shopped, sat at the park, and ate on the beach at one of the little shops. This was a relaxing time of the day.

Our trip back was without stops, but lots of partying. It was fun. I do not drink alcohol much at all. So only chose to have soda and water. However, many drinking games were played. Such a fun time. We were glad to get back to the resort to relax and enjoy our fine dining experience in the French restaurant that evening. With the honeymoon suite we were given one night of specialty dinning experience.

The last day was just relaxation. We met a couple that was from Italy and they had come to the resort for a two-week vacation. How nice I thought, two weeks of just relaxation. We finally took time to relax by the ocean. Then to bed, as we were headed home the next morning.

I hope you have a chance to go on a vacation, enjoy different cuisines and cultures. If only by doing it through reading and cooking in your home. Have you had any great trips you would like to share? If so, comment below. Also, if you are enjoying reading my blog please share with your friends.

Mask and Gloves Do it Right!

CONGRATULATIONS!!! You just infected yourself with corona.

Corona virus or Covid 19 is a novel virus, meaning that we have not seen it before. We are fighting an enemy that we cannot see, hear, or feel. We are doing things, that we never thought about in the past. We have seen companies shut down, laid off workers, no dine in options (except at your own table, in your home). Many folks are working from home. Many parents are having to become teachers, and the list goes on. Today we are going to talk about those mask and gloves that are being worn for our protection.

A couple weeks ago I posted about hand washing. It seems that everyone is on board with learning new techniques. Actually, old ones, that had become, automatic for so many. Hand washing for 20 seconds. Cleaning under our fingernails. Not turning off the water, with our clean hands. Using a towel or paper towel to turn off the water. We have done fairly well at relearning this skill.

Now, let’s go on virtual trip to the grocery store. You walk in, you are told “the carts are sanitized, please stay 6 feet from others”. You are playing by the rules and try your best. You have a mask on, you have put on your gloves. You are feeling protected, now start shopping. You look at different soups, pick up the can and look at the nutrition label, and sit it down. Then look at the next, and the one after that. Your phone rings so you answer it, your spouse reminds you to pick up some milk. You put your phone back in your purse. Head to the milk isle, and pick out a gallon of milk. Your eye itches and you reach up and rub it. CONGRATULATIONS!!! You just infected yourself with corona.

You thought you were being careful. You are only as clean as those gloves. You have picked up and sat down many items. Not one time did you sanitize your hands (probably because you had on gloves). I would like to believe that this scenario would not happen, but it does every day. Worse, people are not trained on the proper way to remove dirty mask and gloves. Here is a link, to my Facebook page where I have a video about the proper use of mask and gloves.

https://www.facebook.com/102889964651305/videos/158572015484246

As you can see there is a safe way to put on your mask and gloves and to remove them. Following this technique will decrease your chances of infecting yourself with covid 19, or any other illness. Why is it so important to put on, and take off your gloves and mask correctly?

“More than one-third of healthcare workers were contaminated with multi-drug resistant organisms (MDRO) after caring for patients colonized or infected with the bacteria, according to a study published today in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. The study found that 39 percent of workers made errors in removing personal protective equipment (PPE), including gowns and gloves, increasing the incidence of contamination.” Per study reported in ScienceDaily. “(https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/03/190320110630.htm) March 20,2019.

If this happens within healthcare, where they have been trained properly, what is happening with those not trained? Here is a link to video from the CDC on mask and glove training.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html

As in my scenario above with picking up many different items, with the same gloves. This is another example of what was found in healthcare. Again with staff that have been trained.

“The major break in compliance with glove use was failure to change gloves between procedures on the same patient.” Per review article https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26447080, May 15, 2015

The use of facial masks, has long been a belief, that only healthcare workers, working with someone ill should wear them. This is false. Not only do these mask help keep the ill person from spreading germs, they also help protect the healthy person from getting the germs. If both are wearing mask, that will decrease the spread of disease. I have not found any great studies to show figures and if you have some please share.

We are in the middle of a pandemic. We are all worried about becoming ill. We can help stop the spread by a few simple things.

#1 hand washing, at least 20 seconds with soap.

#2 When out in public or helping others wear a mask and gloves. Yes, the home-made ones are better than nothing.

hand disinfection, disinfection, mouth guard

#3 Social isolation as much as possible.

Thanks for stopping by, and reading my post. I challenge you to wear your mask, wash your hands and stay 6 feet from others. Do you have any great ideas, tips or tricks? If so, please share in the comments below. If you like my blog please share it with others.

EASTER-He has RISEN!

He died so we may live!

This weeks topic EASTER! Most years we are out buying up eggs, coloring kits and the such. Deciding which church service we are going to attend. Making plans to help with serving or cooking Easter breakfast or eating at church. Kids are excited that they will get to hunt for Easter eggs. We buy them gift baskets and such.

This year is different. We are all practicing social distancing. We are, or most of us are, on stay at home, city or state mandates. We are to only be out for the essentials. Well, Jesus is essential. While we are not to hold gatherings over ten, we can meet virtually and praise him.

If you have small ones at home, decorate those eggs, or use plastic ones. Have an Easter egg hunt at home. Remember to teach the meaning of Easter to the little ones, or attend a service online. Sunday we will all be exclaiming “He is risen, indeed! Faith Lutheran Church has many sermons and music online.

Happy Easter, He has Risen, He died so we may live. I challenge you to reach out via phone, text, internet to ones and share your heart with them.

Do you have a favorite Easter story or tradition? Share it in the comments.

7 ways to decrease your anxiety.

7 of many ways to help when you are suffering from anxiety symptoms.

Anxiety, what does it look like? Well the answer to that is different for most folks. Can it come on all the sudden? What if you have never had anything like that in the past? How do I cope with anxiety at home?

This week we will dive into anxiety. Anxiety is our bodies way of “warning” us that something might happen. The common symptoms are feeling of unease, heart racing, chest pain, feeling of shaking (may or may not be noticeable on the outside), sweating, pacing you get the idea. Anxiety can come on all the sudden, or can come on slowly. It can happen to anyone at any time. Most people can relate, that they had a significant event in life, that happened prior to the first time they experienced anxiety. There are many medications out there that can be used for anxiety. However, medication will take up to 40 minutes to take effect. See the list below on things you can try to do at home. Most of these will help in less than 40 minutes.

Now for the part that everyone is reading this blog to find out. How do I manage anxiety!!

1)Talk to a friend: While this seems simple, that is exactly what you need when you are anxious. Having someone to help you process the situation can be very helpful. Just hearing another view on a problem’s solution can be very comforting.

2)Take a walk: Just getting out and doing this can calm you. It takes you away from the place that the anxiety started. It allows for you to get some fresh air, see other things, and get your mind off of the situation that started your anxiety flare.

3)Take a bath, a warm bath with some soothing smells like lavender can help ease the spirit.

4)Listen to quiet music, water falls, light rain, birds chirping. You can get CD’s that have all these sounds and more. You could most likely find an app on your phone with the same types of music. These have been out for years and many people are able to relax when listening.

5)Read, do you have a favorite book? Do you prefer to look through magazines? Maybe you prefer kindle or online reading. Give this a try, next time you become anxious. Do not read about what makes you anxious, but look up things that are comforting to you.

6)Deep Breathing see this video on deep breathing exercises.

7)Exposure: Do you have a specific activity that causes you to become anxious. Slowly exposing yourself to this activity for only very short timeframes can help with overcoming your anxiety about that activity.

Do not turn to illegal drugs and/or alcohol. These are not good resources, drugs are addictive and while they may take away the symptoms for a bit, they are not great alternatives. Alcohol can cause many other diseases such liver disease, dementia, depression and more. When you turn to these, it can actually make anxiety worse over time.

The magic pill blog post, that I wrote, can be used here also. Many times, people want the pill that takes all their anxiety away. Pills do help at times, but are not great long-term options. They can help with as needed. However, sometimes you will require higher doses, the longer you take them. It is best to learn techniques that will help you at any time. Studies show that behavioral changes are better long-term treatments than medications in most anxiety type situations.

A little about medications for anxiety. There are both daily (maintenance) and as needed(rescue) type medications. You need to see your primary care or mental health provider to discuss if they are appropriate for you. I am not giving you medical advice this is only information to help you understand. If medication is warranted (by your provider) you will most likely be given a daily medication. These take 6-8 weeks for full effects and have some potential side effects (as do most anything you put in your mouth). These are the best for your control of anxiety along with behavioral changes. Short acting or rescue medications are sometimes used to help while getting the daily medication started. Sometimes you need to continue with rescue after the 6-8 weeks, but use, should be much less by that point. Again, talk with your primary or mental health provider about these options if you are interested. This is only for information purposes and is NOT healthcare advice.

So, if you are doing something daily that increases your anxiety, try to avoid that activity. You can try to have less exposure until it is not triggering your anxiety. For example, if you are watching the news several hours a day, and it increases your anxiety. Consider decreasing that activity and only watching 30 mins a day. You will get what you need without over doing it. Follow the information above to try to calm your anxiety, learning to use these behavior type activities, can be helpful anywhere, anytime. But like most things you have to practice. So when its needed you know what to do.

I challenge you to take the time and effort to use these techniques to help with your anxiety. If you have other tricks that help you, please, comment below.