Welcome my friends to our weekly issue of Journey with Friends. This is a time that we come together for support, for encouragement, for fellowship – all with one single goal in mind – to live better. Welcome to our journey to share our goals and our accomplishments and our disappointments and frustrations.
Together we can do this!
Hello my friends. How was your week? Mine is still having mountains and valleys but seems to be getting better. I’m still going to the plasma clinic twice a week. Sometimes it’s a fight to get passed through. Some days either my iron is too low or my pulse rate is too high. Then when I don’t pass, I have to go back the next day to try all over again. Some peeps say, “Why keep going then if you are having such a hard time?” You know however it puts me out, can you imagine the other end of the spectrum in the aspect of the people my plasma might be helping? I stick with that philosophy every time I have a day that I get dismissed and can’t give. I need to hang in there to help others. ♥
And computer people – there is a special place in hell for them. I’m still having issues at work on certain programs. Anyone want to come over and kick their butts for me?
And I leave you this morning with my husband. Yes, you can start laughing and rolling your eyes now. Enjoy my friends and have a fantastic week!
My sweet friends at Nikitaland have started this monthly issue of Pay It Forward. We asked for you to keep this in mind all month and to share things here today on what you have been able to do. Paying it forward is not for bragging purposes – it’s an attempt to show how many different things we can do to pay it forward – lots of them don’t even include money. Gestures that we take for granted may be a God send to another person.
What have you done this past month to pay it forward? Here’s what mom/dad have done so far.
One night, mom/dad went to a local restaurant called Cracker Barrel. They were having dinner, it was kind of crowded and this guy got seated between mom/dad and another couple. You could tell that he was a homeless man. He ordered two glasses of water and a coffee. He was content with just sitting there, enjoying the heat from the fireplace and drinking his coffee. He spoke to everyone that made contact with him – and was such a very pleasant gentleman. He wasn’t asking for anything from anyone except for conversation. Before mom/dad could buy him dinner, the other couple offered and did. Mom went up to the register and also bought him a gift card to use at the restaurant so he could also come back for another dinner without having to pay.
Mom is also still continuing with her donations of plasma. She has now made 13 donations and is getting closer to her commitment of 20. Some people ask does it hurt. There are times when you can’t even feel the needle and there are other times that you feel it and continue to feel it until the donation is done. Mom says that it doesn’t matter because what pain she does experience is nothing compared to the help it offers others.
My buddy Nikitaland made up a good deeds sheet. You can get it here. You can print it, hang it on your fridge and just jot some things down that you do during the month. That way at our next meet up, you can share what you have done to PAY ITFORWARD.
AND if you are interested in getting some Pay it Forward bracelets, check out Nikitaland’s post here for ordering information. Believe me friends – WE CAN ALL MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Next meet up will be February 3rd – mark your calendars!
My sweet friends at Nikitaland have started this monthly issue of Pay It Forward. We asked for you to keep this in mind all month and to share things here today on what you have been able to do. Paying it forward is not for bragging purposes – it’s an attempt to show how many different things we can do to pay it forward – lots of them don’t even include money. Gestures that we take for granted may be a God send to another person.
My buddy Nikitaland made up a good deeds sheet. You can get it here. You can print it, hang it on your fridge and just jot some things down that you do during the month. That way at our next meet up, you can share what you have done to PAY ITFORWARD.
AND if you are interested in getting some Pay it Forward bracelets, check out Nikitaland’s post here for ordering information. Believe me friends – WE CAN ALL MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Next meet up will be January 6th – mark your calendars!
Oh my friends – the overwhelming support that you have all shown me this past week has been so totally awesome! I have been blown away by the suggestions, the wonderful comments and the encouragement. I just know I can do this now. And did you notice my blog heading, “Journey with Friends“? It has been suggested that not only can this be a place for “ME”, it can be a place for others as well that are going down this path of better health. Some place where we can all meet up once a week for encouragement and strength. Please feel free to share any of your wisdom – great recipes, motto’s, encouragement, ideas, suggestions and/or your weight loss stories and goals. Together we can do this!
I’ve read all of your comments and taken your suggestions my friends. This week and next, I’m trying to float through and be nice to me. I’m not further stressing myself at a time that is already stressful in itself to handle. Now after Christmas, it will be time to buckle down and be serious. And don’t think I’m throwing all caution to the wind. I’m not. I’m still being watchful of what I eat and trying to walk more where and when I can.
I’m still doing my plasma donations. Thursday nights are usually no problems. This past Thursday night I had another problem besides the pulse of course. My iron was too low so I couldn’t give. Sigh – it’s okay though. I’ve been feeling kind of ‘low’ so I didn’t go Saturday either. I will try to pick up again this week.
And I’m still waiting for my VIP card that I earned so that I can go to the front of the line when it’s busy – hopefully that will work in keeping my pulse down. I hope to get it this week – I ordered it 11/30/2015.
How are you doing my friends? Are you surviving the holidays as well? Hugs to you!
My sweet friends at Nikitaland have started this monthly issue of Pay It Forward. We asked for you to keep this in mind all month and to share things here today on what you have been able to do. Paying it forward is not for bragging purposes – it’s an attempt to show how many different things we can do to pay it forward – lots of them don’t even include money. Gestures that we take for granted may be a God send to another person.
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Friends – this month mommy is going to report on something that she has started doing, something that is close to her heart and means so very much to her. She has been thinking about it for some time and to be honest with you she had not done it up until this point because of one reason – she was afraid. But she finally bit the bullet and did it. What you ask? Well, here’s mom to explain.
Thanks Bacon. When my husband Jim was in a car accident years ago, he was in the hospital for over 12 weeks, most of those in intensive care. During that time, he was treated with blood transfusions and other treatments that contained plasma. Then years later, a good friend of ours needed treatment that also came from plasma. I’ve done a LOT of research on plasma donation and it was one of those things that I really wanted to check out since it touched so close to us here at the Hotel Thompson.
Well, I took a big step on 11/18/2015 and went to a center to inquire about the procedures. Now I had done a LOT of research on line and knew about some things; however, to actually do this you have to go through a process that could take 3-5 hours the very first time. This involves watching a short film on the process, reading a short manual at the center, giving a medical history, being evaluated by a nurse and having your vitals taken – blood pressure, weight, pulse, temp. IF you pass all of this, then you are ready to give blood plasma. I was accepted – HAPPY DANCE!
If you have given blood or had blood drawn for blood work, that is how it feels. And let me tell you something my friends. This one ouch moment is *nothing* to how you feel afterwards knowing that you gave to a great cause something that you had that someone else could use.
And today by the time you read this, I have made 4 donations with 2 more scheduled this week. Even last week while on vacation, I got up at 6AM on my days off to be at the clinic and in line waiting to make a donation. Each donation, you go through vitals check and you can plan on being there for 2-4 hours. There is that big of a line which is awesome! I have to admit though, I’m having problems some visits with my pulse rate. It has to be under 100 bpm. As long as I can keep it under that, all of my other numbers (blood pressure, hemoglobin, iron and weight) are perfect. Please pray for me my friends that I can continue to do this. My commitment to myself was 20 visits.
My buddy Nikitaland made up a good deeds sheet. You can get it here. You can print it, hang it on your fridge and just jot some things down that you do during the month. That way at our next meet up, you can share what you have done to PAY ITFORWARD.
AND if you are interested in getting some Pay it Forward bracelets, check out Nikitaland’s post here for ordering information. Believe me friends – WE CAN ALL MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Next meet up will be January 6th – mark your calendars!
My sweet friends at Nikitaland have started this monthly issue of Pay It Forward. We asked for you to keep this in mind all month and to share things here today on what you have been able to do. Paying it forward is not for bragging purposes – it’s an attempt to show how many different things we can do to pay it forward – lots of them don’t even include money. Gestures that we take for granted may be a God send to another person.
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REMEMBER – this is November and Thanksgiving is closely approaching. What will you do to pay it forward this month?. Will you help out at a food bank? Will you help out at a feed the hunger dinner? Will you raise money or give to the food bank? These are great ideas – especially for this time of year. Can’t wait to see what you do my friends 🙂
My buddy Nikitaland made up a good deeds sheet. You can get it here. You can print it, hang it on your fridge and just jot some things down that you do during the month. That way at our next meet up, you can share what you have done to PAY ITFORWARD.
AND if you are interested in getting some Pay it Forward bracelets, check out Nikitaland’s post here for ordering information. Believe me friends – WE CAN ALL MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Next meet up will be December 2nd – mark your calendars!
My sweet friends at Nikitaland have started this monthly issue of Pay It Forward. We asked for you to keep this in mind all month and to share things here today on what you have been able to do. Paying it forward is not for bragging purposes – it’s an attempt to show how many different things we can do to pay it forward – lots of them don’t even include money. Gestures that we take for granted may be a God send to another person.
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My buddy Nikitaland made up a good deeds sheet. You can get it here. You can print it, hang it on your fridge and just jot some things down that you do during the month. That way at our next meet up, you can share what you have done to PAY ITFORWARD.
AND if you are interested in getting some Pay it Forward bracelets, check out Nikitaland’s post here for ordering information. Believe me friends – WE CAN ALL MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Next meet up will be December 2nd – mark your calendars!
My sweet friends at Nikitaland have started this monthly issue of Pay It Forward. We asked for you to keep this in mind all month and to share things here today on what you have been able to do. Paying it forward is not for bragging purposes – it’s an attempt to show how many different things we can do to pay it forward – lots of them don’t even include money. Gestures that we take for granted may be a God send to another person.
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This month mom/dad decided to do something that was a little different than the usual. They eat out a lot on the weekends. They decided that they would go out during the month and whatever waitress/waiter they met that really went overboard in kindness, they would leave a very nice tip. I mean nice… not cruise around the world nice but generous enough that it would mean more than the typical tip. That was their game plan and they stuck with it.
So one place they went to they met a nice young lady and talked to her throughout their meal. They learned she was supporting herself while going to school and working two jobs to pay for school and rent. Mom/dad both looked at each other and knew this was *the one*. At the end of their meal, they added their tip in on their charge and left. They didn’t want anything in return – just a smile on the waitresses face in knowing that people that really care are out there.
My buddy Nikitaland made up a good deeds sheet. You can get it here. You can print it, hang it on your fridge and just jot some things down that you do during the month. That way at our next meet up, you can share what you have done to PAY ITFORWARD.
AND if you are interested in getting some Pay it Forward bracelets, check out Nikitaland’s post here for ordering information. Believe me friends – WE CAN ALL MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Next meet up will be December 2nd – mark your calendars!
My sweet friends at Nikitaland have started this monthly issue of Pay It Forward. We asked for you to keep this in mind all month and to share things here today on what you have been able to do. Paying it forward is not for bragging purposes – it’s an attempt to show how many different things we can do to pay it forward – lots of them don’t even include money. Gestures that we take for granted may be a God send to another person.
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My buddy Nikitaland made up a good deeds sheet. You can get it here. You can print it, hang it on your fridge and just jot some things down that you do during the month. That way at our next meet up, you can share what you have done to PAY ITFORWARD.
AND if you are interested in getting some Pay it Forward bracelets, check out Nikitaland’s post here for ordering information. Believe me friends – WE CAN ALL MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Next meet up will be November 4, 2015 – mark your calendars!
My sweet friends at Nikitaland have started this monthly issue of Pay It Forward. We asked for you to keep this in mind all month and to share things here today on what you have been able to do. Paying it forward is not for bragging purposes – it’s an attempt to show how many different things we can do to pay it forward – lots of them don’t even include money. Gestures that we take for granted may be a God send to another person.
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This month mom didn’t buy anyone’s meal at all. She didn’t buy any toys for anyone She didn’t even send out any anonymous gifts. So you are probably asking yourself what did she do. I’m proud to tell you that she listened. She made it a point to visit several elderly people that she knows throughout the month and sat with them just listening. Listening to their childhood stories. Listening to their dreams. Listening to what they did for a living. Listening to war stories. Are you asking how this is a Pay it Forward? There are so many people out there that either don’t live close to their family or their family has a family and they don’t visit often enough with all of the day to day errands. Sometimes the best way to pay something forward is listening to stories of the past. Can you imagine how mom’s friends felt after she visited listening to them? How they laughed and got to remember happy times and adventures. When was the last time that you just listened?
My buddy Nikitaland made up a good deeds sheet. You can get it here. You can print it, hang it on your fridge and just jot some things down that you do during the month. That way at our next meet up, you can share what you have done to PAY ITFORWARD.
AND if you are interested in getting some Pay it Forward bracelets, check out Nikitaland’s post here for ordering information. Believe me friends – WE CAN ALL MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Next meet up will be November 4, 2015 – mark your calendars!
Miniature pot bellied pig and friends - Bacon, Houdini, Hemi and all of the Rock Clan with Journalist Rocky the Squirrel all out looking for adventures from the Hotel Thompson.
Okay Friends – Here We Go!
Piglove 