The BIG C....That is Cancer

Purchase the "Shack"

I guess you're asking me, "Why are you writing about CANCER if this is a blog about the Best Loved Things?".  Well, I am here to tell  you that if you have cancer or know someone who does, LOVE THEM and YOURSELF the BEST! Don't give yourself or them a death sentence.  It is a wake up call to love better and deeper than you ever have in your life.  Here is my take.  It is all about your mind and your GOD over matter.  Don't carry having cancer or knowing that a beloved one has cancer as a sign of pending disaster. Know that once you  have settled it in your mind, you can handle having cancer or supporting someone who has cancer! Now, hand it over to GOD because at this point it does not matter.  God is the ultimate healer.  Now let's begin to work on doing some of the things that will make us feel better.

1. Pray and find your spiritual center
          Start by saying... I am too blessed to be stressed. Another good one to start the day is, Don't tell God  how great the storm is... Tell the storm how great YOUR GOD is.
Spiritual Quotes

2. Surround yourself with positive energy and people with WINNING attitudes
Winning Quotes
Successories Winning Quotes

3. Understand the importance of food and nutrition.  Junk + Junk = 2 much Junk
    There are 10 Foods that you must incorporate into your diet.  Every day at  least three of these should           be consumed!
    GARLIC
    BERRIES - Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries
    TOMATOES
    CRUCIFEROUS  VEGGIES - Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus
    GREEN TEA
    WHOLE GRAINS - Oats, barley, brown rice, whole wheat
    TURMERIC - can also be  found in Indian curry
    LEAFY GREEN VEGGIE - Greens (Mustard, Collards Kale), spinach
    RED GRAPES - A glass of red wine or red sangria is great too
Great Cancer Fighting Foods
Health.com's 6 Cancer Super Foods

4. Educate yourself.  Understand your condition. Don't  be afraid to ask questions or say you do not understand what you are hearing.
MD Anderson News

5. Get a second opinion.  Doctors are human. YOU know your body. Confirm the confirmation!
Cancer Centers Of America

The Unmistakable Ms Mamie

The Unmistakable Ms Mamie

I ran across this picture of my grandmother and I sitting on a bench in Charleston, SC on South Battery.  I was so young and as this picture depicts she was my best buddy.  Grandparents fill a place in a child's life that no one else can.  I just loved and adored my grandmother.  She made me feel like I was the most important person in the world. I knew that I had a special place in her heart and she had one in  mine. I was fortunate enough to live with my grandma for the first 6 years of my life and still  to this day, those years hold some of my best memories.  Getting up early in  the morning to sit out  on the front porch with her hot buttery homemade biscuits and what she lead me to believe was  my very own cup coffee which was  more cream and sugar than coffee.  We would sit on that porch every morning talking and people watching. I got so much joy out  of  sitting with her and watching people going by.  You would always speak and at a minimum say good morning.  I would always look forward to the Vegetable man or as we would say in gullah "Da Ve ja tible man"  He would come  by every morning yelling, "Ve ja tible Man, Da Ve ja tible Man come get your Ve ja tibles, Frashe Ve ja tibles."  Yes, that means fresh vegetables. He was almost better than the sound of the ice cream truck.  And don't let my grandma say stop him.  Boy that was a real treat.  We would go out to his cart..Yes, I said cart. He pulled a cart with vegetable and fruit through the streets. I would get a chance to pick  fruits and veggies with my grandma.  I loved to hear her haggle with him about the prices and of  course she  had a way of always getting  her way about the price she paid. That Ms. Mamie was a professional at getting HER price.  The next part of the fun with her would be preparing what she  bought for our dinner.  Oh the stories I could tell.  She was the best cook ever.  She was the type of woman who could make  boiled water taste great. I learned  so much from her during the time  we spent together. Just she and I and yes, I  was very spoiled.

Thanksgiving

I spent Thanksgiving with my older sister, her grandchildren, my daughter Chandler and two close long time family frends.  While I miss not having my eldest daughter at home, we really had a great time.  With finances being as they are, we really had to spend wisely and stretch the mighty dollar far. But even with the bad economy there was such joy this year.  God has a way of really making us focus on what is important in our lives.  For the first time in a long time, I did not have the money to shadow the holiday with unnecessary things.  It was the attitude of "make do" with and appreciating the little we had. It was understanding the abundance in a day spent with the people who mean the most.  I think that maybe the financial hardships that many of us experienced was a way for us to refocus on what is really important.  It was also a way for us to get rid of the clutter that we accumulated in our lives during the times of prosperity. I now have greater appreciation for the simple things that bring joy.  This Thanksgiving was great!  I felt closer to my family and friends.  I know that we are far better people for the things that we had to endure this past year.  I know who are my true friends and especially who are those will be there through thick and thin.  I KNOW what it means to have faith in God and the direction that He has for my life. I truly know what it mean to be thankful for every blessing that God  has bestowed upon my family, children, friends and me.  Thank you God for teaching me to be greatful and humble for all things big and small.