survivor's nest

“To those whom much is given, much is expected.” John F. Kennedy

For those of us with safe, comfortable homes much has truly been given. Our gratitude propels us to give back, but sometimes we don't know how. I just learned about a horrible statistic with an easy, inexpensive fix that I have to share with you.

Did you know that a child dies every 45 second from malaria? Malaria is spread by mosquitos and a $10.00 mosquito net is the solution to ending this scourge in Africa by 2015. 

What can you do? Simple. Buy a book. The book is End Malaria: Bold Innovation, Limitless Generosity, and the Opportunity to Save a Life. 

End Malaria offers selections from 62 contributors, including Brene Brown, Tom Peters, Nicholas Carr, Pam Slim and Sir Ken Robinson. It's organized into three main sections - Focus, Courage, Resilience - and eight subsections - Tap Your Strengths, Create Freedom, Love & Be Kind, Disrupt Normal, Take Small Steps, Embrace Systems, Get Physical, Collaborate. All essays in End Malaria seek to "inspire readers to look within themselves for solutions to their everyday dilemmas and for motivation to realize their desires."

The book costs $25, with $20 going to the cause to buy two nets. ($5.00 covers the production costs.) If you buy the Kindle version, the cost is $20 and the entirety goes to the purchase of two nets. You can only get the book from Amazon which, along with the contributors and publisher, is making no profit on the book.

Thank you to Brene Brown who alerted me to this fabulous opportunity to give back and from whom I stole the title, "Buy a book. Save a life." (If you haven't already discovered Brene's blog and her wonderful books on vulnerability and shame, don't go another day without getting to know her.)  I've already downloaded my copy of End Malaria on my Kindle Fire. It feels good to know that, because of me, two more mosquito nets will be sent to a family in need.

If you are interested in this opportunity to give back and buy the book, please let me know. I'd love to hear that a few more nets made their way to Africa because of our community.

(Disclaimer: Amazon associates links, but, like everyone else, I will not make any money on the End Malaria book or Kindle edition.) 

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Every year, when the Oscars roll around, I look at the list of nominated movies and mentally count how many I've seen. Unfortunately, the number is always pretty low. Out of this year's nine nominated movies for "Best Picture," I saw three. It's a darn shame.

When I was preparing for the ten weeks of disability I'd need after my mastectomy and TRAM flap reconstruction surgery, I tried to focus on the opportunity of forced inactivity. With nowhere to go and no ability to work, what would I do with all of that time? Watching movies sprung to mind immediately.

I prepared by setting up my Netflix queue with lots of movies I wanted to see and upped my subscription to two movies at a time to keep them coming. It was a special thrill to realize I could watch whatever I wanted. Girly movie? No problem, this was my private showing so I didn't have to negotiate with my husband about what "we" wanted to see. For someone who couldn't stand up straight and was supposed to be resting, it encouraged me to relax and enjoy the downtime. 

Setting up a comfortable space to watch my movies was also important. I made sure I got yet another tutorial from my teenagers on how to work the DVD player. Our sectional sofa made it easy to sit with my feet up. On the sofa, I made sure to have warm throws and extra pillows in place for comfort. 

Relaxing and watching those movies was a gift I gave myself during those difficult weeks of healing. It strikes me that I shouldn't have to wait for a surgery to do again. 

Last December, I posted my "Best Christmas Movies Collection." After three prior difficult holiday seasons, I was ready to relax and enjoy the magic of movies. Watching the Oscars last Sunday encouraged me to get back into the habit. I'll be checking out Amazon's "Oscar Central" site for all of the movies I missed and doing my best to catch up. (Amazon associates site.)

The thing I struggle with the most on a daily basis is knowing when to stop and relax. Using my nest as a workspace doesn't help because boundaries become fuzzy at best. That's why it's important to build cues into the nest that encourage you to take advantage of downtime. For me, the memory of sitting all by myself on a Tuesday morning and watching a great movie reminds me that "life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." Ferris Bueller

Did you miss seeing any great movies this year? If so, order a movie, pull up a chair and give in to the journey. You'll be glad you did.

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"A house is much more than a mere shelter, it should lift us emotionally and spiritually." John Saladino

As a place to reconnect, re-energize and reflect, our homes support our healing from all of life's stresses and maladies. A house is truly a home when it lifts us up, especially when we are struggling. Here are five simple tricks you can do right now to bring cheer and healing into your home: 

1.  Let in the Light:   Natural light is a stimulant. In fact, the lack of natural light affects some people so much that they suffer from depression during the colder winter months. Look at your windows and ask yourself if they are letting in enough light. Are your drapes heavy and covering the window?  A decorator's trick is to move your curtain rod out beyond the frame of the window so the drape covers mostly wall and just the vertical edges of the window. This trick makes your window appear larger and you'll see a huge difference in the amount of window you've opened up. If you have a view which doesn't make you happy, put up sheers. They will let light in and soften the view.    

2.  Wake up with Color:  Color is directly tied to mood. We all know that there are colors that engender happiness, such as yellow and red. No need, however, to paint the entire room bright yellow!  Use accessories to bring in pops of color. Scatter throw pillows, vases, flowers, throws and the like around the room. This trick brings in just the right amount of color and can be accomplished in an afternoon after a trip to the local home store.  And the best part? When you tire of a color, simply change it out. You can't do that with a paint can! 

3.  Surround Yourself with Things You Love::  A long time ago, I went to a new client's house. Although the house was beautifully decorated, I noticed there wasn't one personal item to be seen except for a few family photos on one wall. It turned out that the house, formerly the neighborhood's show house, had been bought complete with all its furnishings. This created an interesting problem for my client, who was afraid to move a stick of furniture out of place.

As much as my client loved her new house, it wasn't yet a home because it didn't reflect the family who lived within its walls. Without personal items, such as books, souvenirs, family pictures, children's art - the list is limitless - the house had no soul and was still just a show house. Take the time to identify items you love, which speak to you of experiences, relationships or beauty, and display them proudly. If you love them, you will love seeing them in your home.

5.  Bring in Natural Accents:   There's something about flowers, pinecones, acorns, branches and leaves that bring life to the indoors. Using natural elements in the home creates a connection between the indoors and outdoors, which lifts our spirits.  Keep it simple and stay away from plastic, which is one of my decorating pet peeves. Whatever you can find in fake flowers will never approach the beauty of just a few cut branches from your backyard. A beautiful vase of real flowers is a focal point that helps rest your mind and calm you.

Wherever you are on your cancer journey, you deserve every bit of support you can find. Our home environments are a huge part of that support system. Do what you can, even if it's just something small, to bring cheer to your home and it will reward you. It was an ancient Greek poet, Pindar, who said, "The best of healers is good cheer."  I'd love to know what little thing you did today to bring cheer and healing into your home.

123RF Stock Photos

Yoga doesn't take time, it gives time. - Ganga White

About two years ago, I took my first yoga class. I had no idea what to expect, but figured a class called "Stress Management Yoga" would move slowly enough for me to keep up. I've been going to this class ever since and love it.

With the basics under my belt, I was ready to create a home yoga practice. Yoga at home is different from yoga in class. For me, 20 minutes on the mat at home can be more intense than an hour class. I tend to move more fluidly into poses, because I am more focused and not not waiting for direction.

I never really dream of a white Christmas. Unless you have no where to go and there is no way the weather will ruin your plans, snow on Christmas Day is never a good thing. I remember the Christmas my husband and I put the kids in the car and drove home, away from dinner with my family, because we had to get home ahead of a raging snow storm.