Elvis Presley January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977

As the month of August continues with purple ribbons for Overdose Awareness today I remember Elvis Presley who died from an overdose on August 16, 1977

"Drug use was heavily implicated" in Presley's death, writes Guralnick. "No one ruled out the possibility of anaphylactic shock brought on by the codeine

Challenge Myself: Day #61 Teaching In The Kitchen

Today is Day #61 of our Nar Anon Group Just For Today Challenge. I am also integrating the Live Happy into my Challenge. The Live Happy Challenge for today is out teaching young kids the responsibility of cooking.

As a matter of fact even little kids love helping out in the kitchen even if it is to stir a spoon.

The book says,

Ever too tired to cook? Encourage each family member to choose one day each week to prepare the family meal. Be graceful and supportive if you are presented with a stack of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Get children an age-appropriate cookbook and help them make some recipes. Even little children as young as four and five can prepare food.

Show them how to wash berries and grapes and break off pieces of bananas. and then demonstrate how to stir in some fruit yogurt as salad dressing.

Train the whole family so that the next time you are too tired to cook, you can relax and check the family schedule to see who's turn it is to cook.

This is a great idea. I remember when my own kids were younger and started showing an interest. My daughter once threw in two added cups of sugar into the oatmeal cookies.

Allowing them to help somehow gives them a feeling of being needed and of purpose of helping.

Of course this like the chore chart and is age appropriate. My kids are all grown up but they love to cook and create their own recipes. Use this to teach your kids early about healthy eating habits by making healthy snacks together~

Always supervise when the stove and oven is being used.

Just For Today: I am remembering the simple little things in life that bring joy.

Betty Crocker Fun For Kids Recipes

pic from: This One Site
From the book: Live Happy

Challenge Myself: Day #61 Teaching In The Kitchen

Today is Day #61 of our Nar Anon Group Just For Today Challenge. I am also integrating the Live Happy into my Challenge. The Live Happy Challenge for today is out teaching young kids the responsibility of cooking.

As a matter of fact even little kids love helping out in the kitchen even if it is to stir a spoon.

The book says,

Ever too tired to cook? Encourage each family member to choose one day each week to prepare the family meal. Be graceful and supportive if you are presented with a stack of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Get children an age-appropriate cookbook and help them make some recipes. Even little children as young as four and five can prepare food.

Show them how to wash berries and grapes and break off pieces of bananas. and then demonstrate how to stir in some fruit yogurt as salad dressing.

Train the whole family so that the next time you are too tired to cook, you can relax and check the family schedule to see who's turn it is to cook.

This is a great idea. I remember when my own kids were younger and started showing an interest. My daughter once threw in two added cups of sugar into the oatmeal cookies.

Allowing them to help somehow gives them a feeling of being needed and of purpose of helping.

Of course this like the chore chart and is age appropriate. My kids are all grown up but they love to cook and create their own recipes. Use this to teach your kids early about healthy eating habits by making healthy snacks together~

Always supervise when the stove and oven is being used.

Just For Today: I am remembering the simple little things in life that bring joy.

Betty Crocker Fun For Kids Recipes

pic from: This One Site
From the book: Live Happy

September Is National Recovery Month

September is about two weeks away now. I know everyone on this side of the addiction and epidemic are sporting purple right now. Purple Ribbons on the lapel, Purple Ribbons of remembrance on Facebook for those who lost their battle with addiction. Many Facebook pages and webpages reminding that

I'm Under Construction

I started thinking about Step Four of NarAnon on July 10th. That was the day we took our son to Huntington, WV.

The thoughts about that step didn't really start to sink in until the ride back home. I don't know it started with peace. Peace that I haven't felt in a very long time. It started with the word recovery. For once our son would know the steps to real recovery.

While I know he is dealing with Step One and admitting he is

Amazing Grace

Oh how sweet... the sound...

This song is beautiful in any language it is sung in!!!

youtube video

Be The Change: Be Kind To Others

With school starting in about a week I am interrupting today's Live Happy Challenge to remind you to Color Your World With Kindness.


Video from KarmaTube

Never Forget Their Name: Jessie's Story

Today is a posting of Gone, But Never Forgotten. This is Jessie's Story as told by her father, Jamie. He writes:

People that don't know are politely sheepish about asking me what happened to my 21 year old daughter that passed from this world on May 4, 2013. I understand their reluctance. However I want people to know what happened. Especially people that have children.

Jessie started using prescription pain killers as a recreational high when she was about eighteen. She got them from doctors

Community Event: The Run For Recovery

For more information go to the webpage at Racing For Recovery

You can also visit them on their Facebook page at Martinsburg Renew

Community Event: Chili Cook- Off Contest

Okay everyone it's time to dig out your old recipes!!!!!!!!......... and put your chef hats on!!!
And help us raise some funds for our Bikers Against heroin Wes...t Virginia chapter..

We will be giving out some great prizes for hottest chili and most unique chili..
Entry fee is $10
You must pre-register by picking up your forms at the Rock Sports Bar or by calling me at 304 240 4562
The cook-off is slated for Saturday September 24th.. Judging begins at 4 p.m.
We will also be having a cornhole tournament with teams of two beginning at 5 p.m. .. You must register by 4:30 p.m. entry fee for the cornhole tournament is $10 a team.
We will also be having a hoedown that evening at the Rock beginning at 8 p.m. so make sure you bring your dancing shoes along!

Proceeds will benefit The Bikers Against Heroin WV Chapter

Challenge Myself: Day #60 Chores: Early Teaching Tool

Today is Day #60 of our Nar Anon Group Just For Today Challenge. I am also integrating the Live Happy into my Challenge. The Live Happy Challenge for today is about teaching a child with chores. 

The book says,

An Update: That Which I Cannot Control

In April as our sons addiction spiraled way out of control we realized we could not hide in shame anymore. So many factors came into light. That would also be the last time we would be allowed to visit with two of our grandsons.

I will remember that Sunday for a very long time. Their crying and begging us to please save their dad because they were afraid he was going to die is just something you cannot put aside in your mind.

We needed help.

We needed to surround ourselves with those who were here,

Grandparenting

Today's post from the Live Happy Challenge on respecting and interacting children with their grand parents brought up another topic of conversation. That is about Grandparents who are raising their grandchildren.


This post is about Grand Parenting which is happening at much higher rates around the country and particularly here in West Virginia with our out of control heroin and opiate epidemic and high overdose and death here in the Mountain State.

I found some links on Grand Parenting that may be of interest

Challenge Myself: Day #59 Grandparent Interaction

Today is Day #59 of our Nar Anon Group Just For Today Challenge. I am also integrating the Live Happy into my Challenge. The Live Happy Challenge for today is about respecting grand parents

The book says,

If your children have grown up with grandparents around, they are truly lucky. Grandparents are repositories of memories and details of a bygone era and as such are often treasure troves of information for younger generations.

Encourage lively discourse

Just For Today

I rely on holistic practice and natural remedies for a lot of things. I prefer the all natural means and methods for healing and over all wellbeing.

Just for today I thank God for Dr. Bach's Rescue Remedy and his all natural stress reliever. It doesn't make those I do not wish to talk to at the moment go away. They are still trying to contact me through Facebook, but oh Lord does it relieve the stress! It helps center my Chi and brings a sense of restoring balance back into my life again.

Today I am sipping on Yogi's Sweet Tangerine Positive Energy Tea listening to my Moodscape music. The

Challenge Myself: Day #58 Praise Good Behavior

Today is Day #58 of our Nar Anon Group Just For Today Challenge. I am also integrating the Live Happy into my Challenge. The Live Happy Challenge for today is about praising good behavior with praise.

The book says,

It is human nature to repeat behaviors that get a lot of attention. When it comes to your efforts to build a strong happy family, the key is to focus on the positive behaviors you want repeated and not the negative ones.

Try also to lavish praise consistently for that particular behavior.

What do you do when a behavior is bad? You ignore what you can. Refuse to give it any attention. And pick your fights carefully. Because attention is usually what the other individual or child is seeking.

Your attention is the payoff for him/her acting out or doing something praise worthy. So, praise what you like, and ignore, if you can, what you don't like.

I notice that this applies also to our son who is recovering. I notice that when I stay positive and say positive things this helps him. And the days when he struggles I try to remain positive and if he falls I still say positive things instead of bashing and putting him down because for a moment he lost his way.

Just For Today: I will praise the good things.

pic from: Parent Training Promotional
From the book: Live Happy

Addiction and Recovery Advice

Dear Recovering Addict

pic shared on Facebook

Challenge Myself: Day #57 Be A Better Parent

Today is Day #57 of our Nar Anon Group Just For Today Challenge. I am also integrating the Live Happy into my Challenge. The Live Happy Challenge for today is learning to be a better parent.

The book says,

If you want to be the best parent you can be, sign up for parenting classes. Such classes can often be found through parent teacher organizations, local adult education courses, the family court system and even online.

Learn what to expect from your child as he or she goes through the various stages to adulthood. Discover techniques for discipline

Once in Awhile ...

To those who have lost someone to the disease of addiction

youtube video

Recipe For A Happy Home

Today was the last Live Happy exercise and challenge on Building Strong Happy Relationships. The next exercises are about Building Strong Happy Family which I am excited about also. I found a Thirty Day Marriage Challenge for anyone interested.

50 Pieces of Advice About Love and Relationships

Also here is a good read for Finding Love In Sobriety

We on this side of the heroin know that you can raise your kids in a happy home and do what is right and they can still make wrong choices. We the parents however still beat ourselves up wondering what went so wrong. I know we used to do that all the time.

pic from Always Happy Day
The Live Happy Challenges are from the book written by Meera Lester, Live Happy