HA! from the sarcastic files 












check out SmartAssy on Facebook 

Have you ever had one of those mornings where you woke up and your body and brain said...NOPE! we're not participating today? I have, and I've had more than I'd care to. But really? it's now a part of life with a chronic illness isn't it? Yes it is. 

So when these days come what do you do about it? Do you allow yourself the time to go back to bed? Do you muster the strength and force yourself through your day? What do you do? How do you talk to yourself when these mornings come? 

There are days when we can't go back to bed...days when we have to be responsible adults and we have to muster through it. Then there are days when we can go back to bed...and we can start our day over again...and that's okay! 

If you have to gather your strengths and muster through it...give thought to the coping skills you have. What can you do for you to help you through your day? What can you bring with you as you go about your day? (some coping skills should be portable ie a pillow for your back when driving) What words can you use to help yourself, to encourage and support yourself? (How you talk to yourself is important...be helpful to you...not hurtful okay?) 

If you can start your day over...do just that okay? Start over! with a new attitude towards your day... towards yourself...do not feel guilty for going back to bed. Resting does not make you lazy! it does not make you selfish! And when you start your day over...yes you may still need your coping skills to get you through the rest of your day...use them and support yourself through your day. And if you need a nap again...that's okay! Keep your thoughts and words positive and support yourself.

Sometimes...you have to start the day over...and that's okay! Just take good care of you eh? 

Today we believe God wants you to know that it's okay.

Just rest for a moment. It's okay. Yes things are crazy, yes the world is going nuts. Yet, deep underneath the stormy waves, there in the core of your being, there is pure silence, pure love...and...it's...just...okay.










Picture taken by my daughter Emily at the Pinery.

HA! yep!! it's cold outside

​

The Past is behind you....learn from it.

The Future is ahead of you....prepare for it.

The Present is here....live it.

~~Unknown~~







​

Picture taken on the pond.

Hello and Happy Friday to you! we made it! I don't know about you but my week has been filled with coping skills, coping skills and even more coping skills. It's been a week. I've even need a few ME Days too to get me through it all.

How was your week? Did you need some of your coping skills too? Did you use them? What did you use and did it help you? What did you do for you? (Nosy questions I know but give them some thought okay?)

I learned once again this week that I can have and use all the coping skills in my bag of tricks and even then...it's sometimes not enough...and sometimes...I have to dig a little deeper and try a little harder. I have to be more diligent with my thoughts and where I let them take me and I have to take care of me.

If your week has had you going through your bag of tricks and coping skills...please don't give up! Sometimes we have to dig a little deeper and try a little harder...AND...always remember...you are worth every effort you take for you! you are worth your time! and your needs need you...so take good care of them...and yourself too.

What can and what will you do for you this weekend to soothe and support yourself?
(HINT: it's a healthy healing goal and your needs are worth it! and so are you!)

I wish you a gentle weekend

I received a message today on the Facebook page from a friend saying that she was burned while using a heating pad...and she asked me to spread a warning. 

Have you ever turned to heat and/or ice to help your pain? Have you ever experienced a burn from either treatment? It's very easy to get burned and it's more common than we think, and although both heat and cold can be beneficial to helping us manage our pain...they do need to be used safely.

I went looking for some information to share with you to help you use these options more safely and to explain the benefits. What I am sharing here today is not meant as direct medical advice and is shared for your entertainment only. If you use heat and/or cold as a part of your pain management...please speak to your doctor if you have any questions about what you read here.

Although this article is geared towards arthritis pain...pain is pain. Whether yours is from arthritis or one of the other many invisible illnesses and causes...please give some thought to how you use heat and/or cold to help manage your pain. Are you using it safely? Could your usage cause you to be burned? 

Whatever treatment you choose for you...educate yourself on it and how to safely use it. There are many choices to choose from and the choice is ours to make...just make yours wisely okay? 

What's done is done. What's gone is gone. One of life's lessons is always moving on. It's okay to look back and think of fond memories but keep moving forward.

~~Unknown~~








Picture of me taken at the Pinery.

The past few days I've been struggling a bit and I'm not feeling well. My body is aching, my head is too and yes I'm still healing from the surgery. My life feels like it's just been tossed upside down and I'm hurting for it.

I took the past two days off from the website and I've been almost absent from the Facebook page too...I do apologize but I needed some time for me to do the things I need. I'd like to say I'm feeling better but I would be lying. I am trying though and that's all I can do for now. I know eventually this period will pass and I will be smiling again...I just have to hang in there.

I'm doing what I can to help me through and I've even thrown myself a rocking F&%K the World party too. I've turned to my music, to my writing, to thoughts of days spent on the beach...I've used my coping skills. I've had to have some serious chats with my thoughts and I've had to put them in a time out too (they haven't been very nice lately).

I'm doing what I can for me and that means I'm not here much. I do appreciate your understanding and your support too. I nag you guys all the time to do what you need as you need it for you and to not feel guilty about it. (I'm trying to follow my own advice here). 

thank you for the kind words and messages left on the Facebook page! every one of them felt like a hug and I've been needing that. THANK YOU!

take good care of you eh? and thank you for being here!
​Tammy