Happy Heavenly birthday to this precious woman, my "Ba" that I am still honored to call not only my precious grandmother, but friend. I miss her so very much and her love, wisdom, and faith that filled my life with so much hope and love.
At one point during my health journey I had just found out that one of the most well known medical hospitals in the world felt my case was to complicated & that there was no hope. My dear grandmother, one of my best friends, my "Ba" came into my room in the early hours of the morning the next day and sat on my bed and spent time praying with me and over me for hours. As she finished she got up and said, "Rebecca, I don't care how bleak it looks or the fact that they say there is no hope...God is a God of miracles & has not abandoned you." I wept and held on to her words for the hours, days, weeks, months, & years ahead.... and have held onto them these past 5 years throughout some of the darkest moments of my life in loosing her and my precious daddy and so many other things behind the scenes that have been soul wrenching.
I have reflected on lot of things that made her the woman that she was. This memory remains one of my most treasured memories...the wisdom of a woman who had walked with God for decades and a faith that is unwavering in the midst of circumstances that would go to the contrary....
At one point during my health journey I had just found out that one of the most well known medical hospitals in the world felt my case was to complicated & that there was no hope. My dear grandmother, one of my best friends, my "Ba" came into my room in the early hours of the morning the next day and sat on my bed and spent time praying with me and over me for hours. As she finished she got up and said, "Rebecca, I don't care how bleak it looks or the fact that they say there is no hope...God is a God of miracles & has not abandoned you." I wept and held on to her words for the hours, days, weeks, months, & years ahead.... and have held onto them these past 5 years throughout some of the darkest moments of my life in loosing her and my precious daddy and so many other things behind the scenes that have been soul wrenching.
I have reflected on lot of things that made her the woman that she was. This memory remains one of my most treasured memories...the wisdom of a woman who had walked with God for decades and a faith that is unwavering in the midst of circumstances that would go to the contrary....
I love and miss you more and more everyday Ba... Happy happy birthday my best friend.
"The Lord will be your everlasting light..."
// Isaiah 61:20 //
Happy Friday friends!! I hope that you have had a lovely and wonderful week! I am so grateful to spend time with each of you in this sweet space every single day. This week has been extremely busy with various obligations and school assignments and I am still recovering from my iv treatment on Wednesday so today this Friday Favorites is just going to be simple and short and I am looking forward to getting back into fully posting this weekend!
Here are the posts from this past week:
I hope that you have a wonderful Friday and weekend friends! Thank you for making this such an incredible space to come to and connect with every single day. I am so blessed!!
Happy Thursday friends! Today I wanted to say a quick note of thanks for all who were praying for my iron infusion yesterday. The day was absolutely gorgeous on the ferry crossing on the way to the hospital (picture above).
If you have been around the blog or know my health journey (click HERE to read more) then you know that I struggle with severe iron deficiency which is treated through routine iron infusions. In 2023, due to a shortage of the type of iron that my body specifically responds well with, I tried a different type of iron infusion (something that has happened over my health journey- but never this specific one) and had a very difficult reaction that lasted for nearly 9 months throughout 2023-2024.
Even though I knew that this treatment infusion would be the kind of iron that my body does well with, I still struggled up to yesterday due to the extreme difficulties and pain of those 9 months. I have never spoken on the blog about medical ptsd or sometimes these emotionally medically hard things to do for various reasons, but I know that many of you struggle with these things and I want you to know that I see you. I am so grateful for all of your prayers, the encouragement of those who have walked this path before, and the listening and supportive ears of so many. Sometimes walking the hallways of a hospital that holds so many different emotions is the most courageous thing that you can do.
I have walked the halls of this hospital specifically for nearly 9 years and yet, as some of you are aware... this is now a triggering situation for me. These hospital hallways and rooms have held some of the most wonderful moments of fantastic news regarding my health and some loved ones and then some devastating news in the lowest times and the loss of friends.
For me, yesterday, to walk back into this hospital was emotionally difficult to get an iron infusion again, even though I knew how important it is for my body. As I walked these hallways I looked around and wondered at the stories of those who were passing me. Were they walking courageously towards a treatment? Were they walking the hallways worried about a loved one? These questions made me stop and really just start focusing on the stories of so many people in those hallways and pray for them as I walked.
When I arrived into the treatment area I felt so ready (due to so many prayers I am sure!) to take this on and honestly every moment was filled with so many blessings and grace. Mom was able to be in the room with me and stayed the whole time after her own infusion which was the biggest blessing. The medical assistant that took me to the room was kind and gracious, brought the most lovely warm blankets and got ice (haha- y'all know my love of ice). I was so grateful for being able to see a dear friend and have laughter and a wonderful nurse who was incredible. Their calmness, laughter, and help just makes for a supportive experience that is impossible to explain. It is priceless.
This specific iron requires a test dose first (even if you have had it before) and then after an observation period you receive the full dose of iron.
Overall the infusion went well... I was able to work (Eating ice of course *smiles*- thank you Sue!) and was able to finish the infusion in a shorter amount of time then originally planned. For those who are not familiar, some iron infusions are quick and others, like the one I need to have, take lots and lots of hours (depending on a number of factors). After getting home yesterday I went to bed very early and this morning am feeling okay all things considered.
Thank you so much for your continued prayers for there to be no delayed reaction and all of your support and love! Happy Thursday friends!
Happy Tuesday friends! Today I am so excited to share that I shared an instagram reel over on IG early this morning all about a beautiful winter ferry ride on Lake Champlain!! You can watch it by clicking HERE!
On Saturday (before the snowstorm hit) we headed over to Burlington to do a bit of shopping and had the most delightful picnic lunch in our car. It was sweet and simple and the beauty of Lake Champlain and the lightly snow dusted mountains was simply stunning.
As the ferry cut through the ice I was reminded again how much beauty surrounds our area. What a beautiful gift that this is and one I do not take for granted. You can see a beautiful glimpse of this area of the world over on IG early by clicking HERE!
Happy Tuesday friends- I hope you enjoy the beauty of our area in our upstate New York world.
Check out my reel on instagram (click HERE)
Happy Monday friends! I hope you had a lovely weekend! We haven’t had a “snowstorm” in a couple of years and this weekend we were hit with one that delivered over 2 feet over 26 hours. This honestly is not overwhelming for our area but enough that it allows you to pause and rest in coziness during this time of year. As I was attempting to shovel out our driveway way in the morning after about a foot of snow had fallen I looked at the woods behind us and decided to go for a walk in the snow.
It was so beautiful and quiet and reminded me of the stillness and blizzards I would read about in the Little House on the Prairie books as a child.
I also got a good laugh when I saw my hair. Y'all I couldn't stop giggling... look at it. Haha!
A happy little adventure hiking through snow was just one gift for the day … as the beauty of our neighbor who used their snowblower to dig out our driveway late last night after my numerous attempts throughout the day were losing against the snow was the kindest gift to end the day.
I hope your weekend was filled with cozy adventures and joy.
Come along to see the beautiful Little House on the Prairie inspired snow adventure on instagram by clicking HERE! Would live to hear your thoughts and comments!
Happy Monday friends! I hope you have a beautiful day!
If San Francisco houses were Valentine's Day...*smiles*
I snapped this picture several years ago in San Francisco and just smiled again at the colors. It popped up in my memories and I had to share it here again today! Happy Valentine's Day y'all... I hope that your day is filled with special moments, surprises, and lots of love.
I first heard of ginger from my acupuncturist about a decade ago. I started using ginger (specifically for nausea during times when I would travel) but didn't know all of the amazing health benefits of consuming ginger until I did additional research back in 2017. Y'all I was so amazed at the health benefits that come with consuming ginger and hope that it will inspire you to add this to your daily life!
I have mentioned this in several posts but I swear by THIS ginger here. It is organic and for less than $13 you can save yourself a whole lot of sickness!
So what are all of the health benefits that ginger has? Check out these 15 amazing benefits:
1. Ginger contains gingerol which is a powerful substance with medicinal properties.
1. Ginger contains gingerol which is a powerful substance with medicinal properties.
Ginger has been known to not only help aid digestion and reduce nausea but also help fight the flu and common cold (as I mentioned in this post HERE!)
2. Ginger helps prevent motion sickness.
2. Ginger helps prevent motion sickness.
As I mentioned above one of the things that I have long used ginger for is to help prevent motion sickness. There was a study done several years ago that showed that ginger was as effective (but without all of the side effects) as Dramamine! [It should be noted that many times it takes a "build up" process with ginger so if you are going to travel I would suggest using ginger for several weeks ahead of time and in addition to the time during your travel.]
3. Ginger helps reduce nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy.
3. Ginger helps reduce nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy.
There have been many studies that have been done that when ginger is added to an anti nausea regime for chemotherapy that nausea and vomiting was reduced!
4. Ginger helps the body absorb essential nutrients.
5. Severe digestive issues or cramps?
4. Ginger helps the body absorb essential nutrients.
5. Severe digestive issues or cramps?
Ginger has been known to help digestive issues and cramps! Ginger has been found to be as effective as ibuprofen in help relieve pain from menstrual cramps in women (see #6!). Another benefit to ginger is that it may help prevent stomach ulcers which can be caused by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
6. Ginger helps reduce pain.
6. Ginger helps reduce pain.
Ginger is anti-inflammatory and recent studies show that ginger has anti-inflammatory properties that may rival non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. In a study done in 2013 on women's athletes it was found that those that took 3 grams of ginger each day had a significant decrease in muscle soreness and muscle cramps. In addition to muscles though ginger has also been found to help with migraine headaches.
7. Ginger can help reduce nausea from morning sickness.
7. Ginger can help reduce nausea from morning sickness.
Recent studies have shown that ginger can help reduce pregnancy-related nausea.
8. Ginger can help Osteoarthritis.
9. Ginger may help lower blood sugar and improve heart disease risk factors in patients.
8. Ginger can help Osteoarthritis.
9. Ginger may help lower blood sugar and improve heart disease risk factors in patients.
Although the studies on this are very new (just started in 2015) doctors are now saying that ginger may help diabetes and heart patients. Ginger appears to help with insulin release and insulin action in the body and helps improve lipid metabolism. Another clinical trial done recently shows that those who consumed ginger had a marked difference in many of their levels. It will be exciting to watch in years to come what future studies say about this!
10. Ginger helps improve circulation.
11. Ginger can help inhibit certain bacteria, including Salmonella.
10. Ginger helps improve circulation.
11. Ginger can help inhibit certain bacteria, including Salmonella.
Ginger is a great item to add to your kitchen as it an help prevent sickness due to salmonella!
12. Ginger helps fight Cancer.
12. Ginger helps fight Cancer.
Due to the anti-inflammatory properties that ginger contains it is beneficial for many chronic illnesses including Cancer. A recent British study shows that Ginger can help in the effective management of certain Cancers, including prostate Cancer. Other studies have shown that it helps promote anti-tumor activity that can help treat even the difficult to treat types of Cancer. In addition to this a study that was performed at the University of Minnesota found that ginger can help slow the growth of colon Cancer cells.
13. Ginger helps reduce vertigo.
13. Ginger helps reduce vertigo.
Studies show that regularly consuming ginger or ginger tea can help reduce vertigo.
14. Ginger helps reduce the chance of a stroke and the damage done due to strokes.
14. Ginger helps reduce the chance of a stroke and the damage done due to strokes.
Taking ginger may help reduce the effects that a stroke can have on the body.
15. Ginger helps strengthen the immune system.
15. Ginger helps strengthen the immune system.
Along with other wonderful foods, ginger can help improve the immune system.
While using fresh ginger is a wonderful idea, ginger can also be used dried, powdered, or even as an oil (or tea). Do you use ginger? In what form have you found it helpful? Have you found any benefits to consuming ginger?
While using fresh ginger is a wonderful idea, ginger can also be used dried, powdered, or even as an oil (or tea). Do you use ginger? In what form have you found it helpful? Have you found any benefits to consuming ginger?
{Disclaimer: The information included on this site is for educational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult his or her health care provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation or if they have any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment plan. Reading the information on this website does not create a physician-patient relationship.}
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