fEELINGS...

This time it is about me and only

2010-07-13T22:34:39-07:00

Hello my Friends,

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I am posting this Blog to let you know what happened in my life recently and what I am dealing with right NOW.

I was not feeling well for a while, first thought perhaps my spine surgery had something to do with it but one day was so bad that I ended in a hospital. Tests, tests, and more tests until� doctor came to me and told me : You have a pancreas cancer and have 2 months to live!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In my wildest imagination I would never thought of that. How do you react? How do you take it?

I think even till now I did not get a full message.

This message was like a bomb to my Family (except MOM, she does not know anything about it yet)) and my best friends who immediately started helping, searching for some answers and studying everything about my cancer.� This tremendous amount of positive energy and prayers from all over the World...and here is my special THANK YOU� all for yours as well...made me cry many times, except they were happy tears. I was and still am very touched by your supportive and kind words you sent my way...please accept my Blessings.

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I am trying to fight, to get rid of my " intruder, unwanted visitor" how I call him.

I am ok now, thinking positive and eating differently, learning something new every day and waiting for Friday to see oncologist to know more.

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My Special Thank You ISIS, you are a wonderful friend, you helped me a lot by spending your time to let my other friends to know what happened to me...be Blessed my Dear!

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I appreciate you all and I wish you all what for is BEST for YOU and your Family.

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Thank you,

make this phone call you planned for a while, let others know you love them, be kind, be generous and spread smiles and hugs every day as we never know any minute of our life.

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Thank you

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P.S.� I have not decided when I will� close my page yet but� You will not see me here much so please allow me to thank you for all your wonderful comments, your friendship, laughs and many great smiles, your support and prayers...

Thank You from my Heart.

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Dorota

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"Change is created by those whose imaginations are bigger than their circumstances"

Unknown source

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"Your imagination is your preview to life’s coming attractions."

Albert Einstein

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Daily forgiveness

2010-06-09T21:24:50-07:00

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"As long as you don't forgive, who and whatever it is will occupy rent-free space in your mind."

-- Isabelle Holland

We cannot avoid daily resentment and thoughts of guilt. They are a part of human nature. What we can do is release their grip on us. We can forgive others and ourselves daily.

Forgiveness requires nothing in return. There are no conditions. It gets rid of old baggage and clears up unfinished business. It leads us to a life of authenticity, lightness and directness. Forgiveness is the highest form of letting go of resentment and ego.

True forgiveness is more than an apology, understanding and acceptance. There is an element of recreating and re-imagining. There is a need to envision ourselves as more loving, interdependent, courageous and compassionate. Forgiveness requires honouring the sacred journey of learning about life - our life and others'.

"Whatever we have done, we can always make amends for it without ever looking back in guilt or sorrow."

-- Eknath Easwaran

Life comes with problems

2010-05-10T16:10:27-07:00

"For a long time it had seemed� that life was about to begin -- real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be got through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life."

-- Fr. Alfred D’Souza

Life always brings problems. We really can’t live without them.

And so it helps to shift our perspective. We can stop trying to avoid the problems. We can stop feeling victimized by what’s happening. Instead, we can consciously work with the challenge of the moment to learn more about ourselves and the world. When we make this shift in attitude, we discover ourselves to be strong and powerful.

23 ingenious uses for VINEGAR

2010-05-03T20:54:38-07:00

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Vinegar’s magic ingredient is acetic acid, which comprises about 5 percent of the finished product. Vinegar has been produced commercially for about 2,500 years, making it one of the oldest products in use by humans. There are many different types of vinegar out there, all produced by the oxidization of alcohol into acetic acid, but white vinegar is the most useful and the most versatile by far.

White vinegar has dozens of household applications, and the best part is that it’s green. It’s enjoying a newfound popularity as many people try to avoid toxic or harsh cleaning chemicals around their pets and children, as well as save money by making their own cleansers. Not to mention that vinegar is cheap, it’s versatile, and it doesn’t irritate allergies like some fragranced cleansers. Chances are, whenever you run into a household funk, vinegar is your answer.

Kitchen Remedies: Besides adding zest to salad dressings, white vinegar is handy for many cooking tasks.

1. Adding a few tablespoons of white vinegar to the water when poaching eggs helps the whites stay formed. Add a few tablespoons to the water when boiling eggs, and if any shells crack, the whites won’t leak out.

2. If your leafy veggies are wilted, soaking them in cold water with a little vinegar can perk them right up.

3. After chopping an onion, you can eliminate the odor from your hands by rubbing them with a bit of white vinegar.

4. When cooking any vegetables from the cabbage family (like broccoli or cauliflower), adding a little vinegar to the water will perk up the taste and reduce the gassiness they can induce. This also works when cooking beans, making Mexican food a far more attractive option.

Cleaning House: Vinegar can help with a variety of cleaning tasks, since the acid acts as a disinfectant and an odor neutralizer.

5. Clean and deodorize the garbage disposal by mixing equal parts vinegar and baking soda and putting it down the drain. After letting this fizzing mixture sit for a few minutes, flush out the drain with warm water for a clean and stink-free sink.

6. The steam from a boiling a bowl of vinegar and water can loosen caked-on food and get rid of odors in the microwave, too.

7. One of my favorite vinegar remedies and my personal weapon against fruit flies is to set out a small dish of white vinegar and some smashed fruit, covered with plastic wrap with some holes in it–the flies crawl into the trap, but can’t get out.

8. If your stemware is cloudy from the dishwasher, wrap the glasses in paper towels soaked in vinegar, let them sit, and the cloudy deposits will rinse right off.

9. There’s no need to use bleach on tile grouting when you can let vinegar soak on it and then scrub with a toothbrush.

10. Bring lightly scuffed or dirty DVDs back to life by wiping them down with some vinegar on a soft cloth.

11. If you have water condensation marks on your wood, just rub the piece of furniture with equal parts vinegar and vegetable oil to remove them. Make sure to rub with the grain, and then invest in a set of coasters.

Cleaning Clothes: Vinegar works magic on upholstery and fabric, too.

12. If a child has an “accident” on a mattress, clean it with a solution of vinegar and water. Afterwards, pour some baking soda onto the mattress, and brush or vacuum the residue once it’s dry.

13. Spraying vinegar onto deodorant-stained shirts before the wash can remove the discoloration. It’s also great for fighting mustard, tomato sauce, or ketchup stains.

14. Adding a cupful of vinegar to the rinse cycle of your washing machine can freshen up bright colors and give you cleaner laundry. Acetic acid won’t harm fabrics, but it dissolves the soap residue that can dull dark clothing. It also acts as a fabric softener, a static reducer, and a mildew-inhibitor.

15. Vinegar will also loosen chewing gum stuck to car upholstery, rugs, and carpeting.

Outdoor Solutions: Tough enough even for the outdoors, vinegar can function as a car cleaner and an organic pest remover.

16. If your car still sports a bumper sticker from two elections ago, remove it by spraying the decal with white vinegar to saturate the area, and the sticker will peel off in a few hours. (You might need to spray it a few times.)

17. Wiping down your car windows and windshield with a three-to-one vinegar-water mixture can keep them frost-free in the wintertime.

18. Kill weeds and crabgrass growing in sidewalks and driveways by pouring vinegar onto them. A half-and-half solution of vinegar and water can even kill garden slugs if it’s sprayed directly onto them.

19. To extend the life of cut flowers, add a few tablespoons of vinegar to the water in their vase, along with a teaspoon of sugar.

Pet Protection: There’s no need to use chemicals near pets when vinegar can handle most cleaning and bathing tasks.

20. Wipe out itchy ears with undiluted vinegar to keep dogs and cats from scratching at them.

21. Cats avoid vinegar, so to keep them from scratching furniture or sitting on certain areas, spray a vinegar solution onto the spot.

22. For outdoor areas, soak a sponge in vinegar and place it in the forbidden area to keep cats away. If kitty likes to mark his territory, spraying the area with vinegar can help eliminate the smell and deter recurrences.

23. Vinegar also gets rid of skunk odor. Soak the animal with a half-and-half vinegar and water solution, and then rinse with fresh water.

Vinegar can disinfect, deodorize, and de-gunkify just about everything. From shower curtains to sofa cushions, there’s not much that it can’t do. As an alternative to expensive and harsh cleaning chemicals, vinegar is something you can feel good about keeping in your cupboards. White vinegar and baking soda can even remove product buildup from hair and leave it soft and manageable. A product that can clean you, the dog, your car, and your house is what I’d call a good, green buy.

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EARTH DAY...what and where in USA

2010-04-22T14:18:45-07:00

Celebrations of Earth Day are in full tilt.� Expos, music, sustainable cooking, green building demos, plantings, and clean-ups are going on all around the globe through the end of the week to celebrate our planet. If you’re interested in hanging with other treehuggers for some fun, learning, or service, visit Earth Day Network for an extensive listing of activities across the United States, along with a few international listings. Here’s a listing of a few of the many activities happening across the country:

New Haven, Connecticut: Earth Day Family Camping - Pre-register for this two-day event running from April 22-April 23rd.� In addition to the usual campfire and roasted marshmallows, an optional guided hike is offered and a breakfast including eggs from Common Ground’s farm.

Denver, Colorado: Earth Day at Red Rocks features the music of Oregon’s Aspen Meadow, showings from W.O.L.F. Sanctuary, a park clean-up event and displays from environmental organizations.

Wilmington, Delaware: This Earth Day Celebration takes place outdoors in downtown Wilmington and features “green” vendors offering conservation tips and a variety of products. You’ll have an opportunity to learn about hybrid cars, earth-friendly gardening, and more.

Miami, Florida: Miami Going Green is a free, family-friendly event packed with entertainment, displays (including a solar powered Wii), and special offers.

Fairfield, Iowa: “Building Sustainable Communities” is the focus of this year’s Mum Ecofair. Featured will be nationally and internationally known speakers and workshops in the field of sustainable living. This fair includes a self-organizing “unconference” on the topic “Creating Sustainable Communities Where You Live” and the EcoJam Fashion Show.

Manhattan, Kansas: Celebrate Earth Day at Sunset Zoo with the music of Top Chapin (brother of Harry) and some local favorites. Fun activities are a part of this celebration and rain barrels will be given away on a first come, first serve basis.

Louisville, Kentucky: Earth Day Extravaganza Open House and Invasive Plant Clean-Up at the Louisville Nature Center will host a variety of nature-related crafts and activities, stories, hikes, and more. All are invited to join in an Invasive Plant Clean-up.

New Orleans, Louisiana: Enjoy jazz and Latin music at NOLA’s Earth Day Festival “in celebration of environmental justice!” There will be displays from local environmental groups, a raffle, and special giveaways.

Baltimore, Maryland: Crafts using recyclables, games, and learning activities about gardening are some of the activities happening at the Maryland Science Center. You will receive a sapling to take home and learn family-friendly ways to green your lifestyle.

New York City: ING DIRECT Cafe Earth Day Savers Swap - Receive a free cup of coffee and post-consumer recycled shopping bag for swapping your slightly used book, music CD or movie DVD.

For animals lovers. Lilies: Deadly for CATS

2010-04-20T12:40:08-07:00

Beware of a popular plant this spring season that may be fatal to your cat.

Members of the plant genus Lilium including Easter lilies, Tiger lilies, Rubrums, Japanese show lilies, Stargrazer lilies, and Daylilies can be very toxic to felines, causing kidney damage and even death. All parts of the plants are toxic, and a cat can become ill even after chewing on one leaf.

Cats are unique in their susceptibility to lilies. Dogs, rabbits, and rats do not seem to suffer the same toxic effect from the plants.

Dogs may experience minor digestive upset if they ingest lilies, but not renal damage.

Cats who are suffering from lily toxicosis will generally start vomiting within two to six hours of ingestion and stop eating. Vomiting may cease for a period but then generally resumes within 24 to 72 hours of ingestion.

It is important to get veterinarian attention as soon as possible if a cat has ingested a toxic lily plant. Postponing treatment for longer than 18 hours can often end in kidney failure or death.

For a broader list of plants and foods that are toxic to pets, click here.

To my Family and Friends

2010-04-05T04:13:20-07:00

My Dear Friends!
Time is flying and tomorrow will be my last day at home for a while.
I am going to a hospital for back operation. I have been dealing with often terrible pain for over a year, on morphine and limited with my activities.
One of the best neurosurgeons will remove my bulged disk which is blocking sciatic nerve, remove some of the vertebra and replace it with coral and clean some fat and calcium deposits there.
Of course I am scared, there is always a risk in every operation BUT I trust my doctor
and believe that all will end successfully.
When I come back home, I will be wearing specially molded/removable cast, very limited with my movements, mostly lying down and walking a bit. It will take weeks until I will be able to do more but I am prepared for that.
For now, lets just hope for the best.

I will miss talking to you, visiting your pages and leaving comments but my thoughts will be with you. Lucky me, I met a few extraordinary people here and cherish them all.
You are one of them.
Please take care and play nice with others.
Blessings
Dorota

healthy choice...

2010-03-31T12:11:37-07:00

“what cookware should we use?”

It’s a great question because apart from being aware of the pesticides on produce, the mercury in fish and the chemicals generally in our food, it is important to realize that your choice of kitchenware can make a difference too because the materials can contain chemicals which can leach into your food–Teflon in particular but also aluminum and lead and even PVC Plastic.

Here are guidelines:

Avoid non stick pans, pots, bakeware and utensils because they contain Teflon. Although non stick kitchenware is very convenient, Teflon is made from perfluorinated compounds which have been linked to cancer and reproductive problems.

If you use non stick kitchenware and the coating is coming off, you should not use it. Get new ones.

If you use non stick kitchenware and the coating is intact, avoid heating them above 450F because above this temperature, they release toxic gases.

Avoid aluminum pots and pans as it may cause aluminum to leach into food. Although the dangers of ingesting aluminum are disputed by some, I think it is silly to use them as we don’t know they are safe.

Avoid ceramic dishware that is cracked or chipping because the glazes used in ceramic dishware often contain lead and cracked or chipping glazes may be more likely to leach lead into foods and liquids.

Avoid dish racks made of plastic-coated wire, substituting instead stainless steel dish racks

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5 Foods that sabotage your sleep

2010-03-27T12:45:15-07:00

If you’re having trouble sleeping, what about a midnight snack?

Think twice, here are five foods that can prevent you from getting a good night’s rest:

1. Chocolate.
Love an evening cup of cocoa? That sundae in front of the TV? Be careful of chocolate in all its disguises. Many people are increasingly sensitive to caffeine as they get older, and even the little chocolate chunks in chocolate chip ice cream could zap you just enough to prevent ZZZZs. Chocolate also contains tyrosine, a stimulating amino acid.

2. Preserved and smoked meats.
Slap your hand away when it reaches to make a ham sandwich as an evening snack. Ham, bacon, sausages, and smoked meats contain high levels of the amino acid tyramine, which triggers the brain to release norepinephrine, a brain stimulant that makes us feel alert and wired.

3. Energy drinks.
Red Bull and other energy drinks are high in caffeine as well as the amino acid taurine, which boosts alertness and adrenaline. Recent studies have shown that even if you drink energy drinks early in the day, the combined high dosage of taurine and caffeine can make it hard to sleep, or to sleep well, later on.

4. Tomato sauce, chili, pizza, and spicy foods.
Digestive disturbances are a common source of sleep problems, but many people fail to make the connection. Acidic and spicy foods can cause reflux, heartburn, and other symptoms that interrupt sleep.

5. The nightcap.
A drink or two may make you feel more relaxed after dinner, but it comes back to haunt you–literally–a few hours later, by preventing you from achieving deep sleep. And because alcohol both dehydrates you and makes you have to pee, it wakes you up, too. Wine is high in the stimulant tyrosine as well.

Be...do and have

2010-03-26T05:28:32-07:00

Be, do and have

"Often people attempt to live their lives backwards: they try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want so they will be happier. The way it actually works is the reverse. You must first be who you really are, then do what you love to do, in order to have what you want."

-- Margaret Young

The formula for success is Be, Do, Have.

If we seek abundance, we must be abundant in spirit. We can begin to cultivate spiritual wealth by opening our hearts in gratitude.

Start a gratitude journal today. Each evening, write down at least 5 things for which you are grateful. This simple tool will help you open your eyes to the abundance of your world right now.

"Who does not thank for little will not thank for much."

-- Estonian proverb