Food to fight the Cold

I found this picture, today. It is not mine, but I did want to post it on the blog because it has something to do with Raynaud's Syndrome. I never really thought about foods that could actually help your body to keep it's temperature. I always drank hot chocolate because it is hot (duh). No matter what I put it in, it keeps my hands warm. When I sip it, it warms my core.

I have read that ginger can help people who have Fibromyalgia. It is something that my mother has and I was trying to help her find some home remedies so that she wouldn't have to take medicines. Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm not a fan of pills, so I try to do things in a somewhat natural way. I do understand that sometimes, medicine helps. I didn't even consider the fact that ginger might help people who have Raynaud's. After all, ginger helps to improve your body's circulation.

Also, I am anemic. I have low iron, among a bunch of other vitamins and minerals that my body seems to be missing. I thought that it was interesting to learn that iron can help your body contain up to 30% of it's heat. Unfortunately, I cannot take iron supplements and my doctor has said that I could eat nothing but meat, spinach, multigrains and other iron rich foods; but I would still have low iron. I have been anemic since I was six or seven years old. I remember my first encounter with Raynaud's around that time too.

My family and I were living in Gulfport, Mississippi. It snowed for the first time and my dad took my brother and I outside to build a snowman, with all of the snow that was in our yard. We went out and bought gloves, but even with the gloves, my hands hurt. They turned interesting colors, I thought I had frost bite. I was crying and my dad didn't know what to do, except to take me inside, start the fireplace and have me roast my hands by the flames. Needless to say, I still have yet to build a snowman, and I still have yet to have decent levels of iron.

With this new knowledge, I am going to try and find other remedies that could help control the symptoms.

Feel free to comment below, if you have any thoughts, questions or comments. I would love to hear from you.

Do not forget, you are beautiful, inside and out!

Raynaud's Syndrome

I was diagnosed with Raynaud's Syndrome, a bit over a year ago. Sadly, I am just now starting to look into it and what I can do to help. I think that I am going to start writing about my findings, so that if any of you (my beautiful readers) have Ray's you can maybe learn and provide some insight. If you do not have Ray's that's still great! I think that it is good to know about it, especially if you know someone with it.

Raynaud's (ray-NODES) Syndrome/Disease, also known as Ray's, is a disorder of the small blood vessels that reduces blood flow. My doctor explained it to me like this: In the normal body, when your body experiences cold, the blood vessels open up so that more blood can reach the entire body. People who have Ray's, instead of dilating, the blood vessels shrink. This keeps a lot of the blood from reaching the extremities (hands and feet) which can really hurt. Typically, the fingers change colors (blueish-gray, purple or blue), the color really varies from person to person, when exposed to cold temperatures and turn red when they start to warm up.

There are two kinds of Rays: Primary and Secondary. Primary Raynaud's is the most common and is not associated with other medical conditions such as scleroderma, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Primary Raynaud's has no known or apparent cause and isn't disabling. However,it still can cause a lot of pain and discomfort.

It is not known whether Raynaud's is hereditary. Also, there is no known cure. The most that can be done is to try and control the symptoms and be in the least amount of discomfort as possible.

People with Ray's are often said to have cold hands all of the time. I know that when I greet people at church, I usually get some comment about the temperature of my hands. Even the little old ladies say my hands are freezing. I used to avoid shaking hands but I find that their hands are warmer and it feels nice. Ha!

Those who do not have Ray's have a difficult time understanding, exactly what goes on. My family used to, and I think sometimes do, think that I complained to much about my hands hurting when they were cold. To me, it feels like I am getting frostbite, just by grabbing some chicken from the freezer. My husband, God bless him,has gotten so much better at dealing with my Raynaud's. He is quick to remind me to put my gloves on before I get something frozen, or he will get it for me. He is also, very concerned about my hands when the car hasn't warmed up yet or I decide that I want to go for a short walk in the winter. We are still trying to figure out ways to keep my hands from hurting. Especially since I have yet to build a snowman.

So, join me, on an adventure of my own, and learn more about Raynaud's whether you have it, know someone who has it, or are just curious. Raynaud's affects 5-10 percent of the population.

Not to worry, I will still post about all of my other adventures and the little things in life that make me smile. But, Raynaud's Syndrome, has made itself a part of my life. Thank you!

Remember that you are beautiful.

scleroderma (also known as systemic sclerosis), lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus) and rheumatoid arthritis - See more at: http://www.raynauds.org/frequently-asked-questions/#sthash.qChrArpg.dpuf

scleroderma (also known as systemic sclerosis), lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus) and rheumatoid arthritis - See more at: http://www.raynauds.org/frequently-asked-questions/#sthash.qChrArpg.dpuf

scleroderma (also known as systemic sclerosis), lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus) and rheumatoid arthritis - See more at: http://www.raynauds.org/frequently-asked-questions/#sthash.qChrArpg.dpuf

Moving Right Along

Life is certainly full of adventure and anyone who knows me probably hears that more than they wish to hear. I love life! You never know what is really going to happen or where the road might lead. Every day is full of possibilites, both good and bad.

My husband and I have learned to embrace all of these. Most recently, we began to talk about a move. I have a job, one that I'm not always happy with, but I have one. We own the house that we are currently living in but it is old and it needs a lot of fixing up. I never thought that I would actually convince my husband to leave the house, even temporarily. But, he is full of surprises. We are moving into a small apartment for about a year. During this time, I will have full time job and be able to work at getting my teaching certificate. We will finally have heat! Which is something we can't afford with the house, since fuel oil costs quite a heavy bundle. We also plan on putting all the money back, that we can; so that in Spring we can start working on the house and getting it back to where we can live in it without worrying if it is going to burn down because the electrical system is as old as the house is.

We are both very excited for this move. We will be closer to family and I believe that it will help both of us feel more connected to our friends and in general. Afterall, we won't be living in the middle of nowhere.

I am not sure that I have ever felt so at peace knowing that my husband is 100% on board with the idea of this temporary move. I am excited to face these adventures with him.

Something worth fighting for.

I know that it has been a while, over a month, since my last post.  A lot has happened, but mostly I have been working late and just trying to keep from sinking into debt. I'm sure that many of you can relate to my situation. Credit cards and student loans are the bane of finances.

I graduated from college in May of 2014. Yay! I have a degree! A shiny piece of paper tucked away in a frame that, like many people who graduate, I haven't been able to do anything with, yet.

In fact, I have had a long battle with the university I graduated from. I went to school to become an elementary teacher. I fought the college to graduate and even the day of graduation, I wasn't sure that my name was going to be on the list. My Godmother had come up just to see me walk and my husband and mother-in-law were there as well. Thankfully, I was able to graduate, after tens of phone calls, pulling higher names and praying that I wouldn't fall on my face in high heels as I walked to recieve my fake degree. (Which, by the way turned out to be some "welcome to the alumni association" paper).  As I walked up, the Dean of the College of education handed me the rolled up paper, grinned and said, "I see they couldn't keep you out. You deserve it, now smile!" The camera flashed and I walked on with pride. She had helped me in my battle to graduate.

Today, I am still fighting the university, pulling higher names and trying not to drown in the feeling of utter failure and hopelessness.

In March, the registrar's office took me out of my student teaching seminar, without my knowledge or permission. They refunded me the money (after the refund date had LONG past) and then put me back in. All the while, I was still attending my seminars, unaware that any of this had been going on. I was a good girl and did my taxes. The money I had been refunded was very close to the same amount I was to receive from taxes, So, when I looked in my bank, I thought nothing of it and used the money to pay some bills I was behind on (because it was the university policy that I wasn't to work while student teaching. Understandable but frustrating). When my taxes were actually returned to me, it was far less than what I expected, some of it had been garnished to pay a bill that I forgot. This confused me and when I realized the mistake, I paid the univeristy all of my return, which only covered half of what I had used. Since then, I have tried to reason with the college and either convince them to drop the charges because it was their mistake or set up a payment plan that I could afford.

They refused both, wanting the payment in full.

Here is where it gets more frustrating.

I work a minimum wage job, part time. I would love to work full time but there aren't enough hours and I'm looking for a second job. So is everyone else. I am not yet certified to teach, because I need to observe in an Urban classroom for 40 hours. I live in a very rural area and the closest urban school is an hour away and we barely have enough gas in the tank to get me to and from work. However, I can substitute teach. In order to complete the application, I have to have my transcripts from the university.

Here's the frustrating part.

Becasue of the university's mess up, I now have an overdue account AND I can't get my transcripts. So, that means I can't sub, which means I can't pay the university for their mistake and mine.

Granted, I should have returned all of the money but it was an honest mistake on my part. I would have never been mistaken had the university not messed with my class schedule. If they didn't do that...I would be substituting in classrooms and I would probably have my hours finished. Which means, that had the university not messed up, I would be certified to teach, right now.

But nothing worthwhile was ever obtained without a fight, it seems. I was born to teach. I want nothing more than to teach. I love teaching. I love my students. I love working with teachers who have the same passion I do, and someday soon I will be able to do what I was born to do. First, I have to fight for it.

And believe me, education IS something worth fighting for.

Car Update

We finally have a vehicle! It is a 2001 Izusu Rodeo! One of the ladies I serve, often, was selling it. It has been kept up nicely with only a bit of work that needs to be done on it. Which for a used car, we weren't expecting to get a perfect car.

We are going to get an oil change on it and see about the battery. We think that it was acting up because of how long it had been sitting on the lot. There is a bit of rust on the bottom but that seems to happen on Michigan roads and actually has less rust than most other vehicles we were looking at.

The adventure of finding a used car, that met our needs was a wild one full of stress and anxiety but it has passed and we have found a vehicle that works for us until we can save up for a better one.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. Hopefully, I can now get back to my crocheting, writing and this little adventure that I have the honor of traveling with my husband, called life.

Savor the moment, and enjoy the bumps.

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all" Helen Keller