Suzanne Horrocks Wellness

Down a rabbit hole again

March 10, 2023 by Suzanne Horrocks Wellness, posted in Growth & Expansion, Memoir, Writing

I am finally writing a memoir!!

It’s about a widow (me) determined to get through the grief process with her mental health intact.

I haven’t written a book before and am finding it quite difficult. I see why it’s called a craft. It’s takes a lot of trial and error to “craft” a good sentence, paragraph, or chapter.

I finally created an outline that feels right. One of the chapters is about selling our house.

It’s the first chapter I have really started digging in to and DAMN it’s hard!!

I knew it was going to be therapeutic for me to write it. But trying to keep a reader in mind or to keep the story flowing takes a lot more work than what you see in a book.

I’m going into some rather deep rabbit holes. For one, because the hole opens and I dive right in. I do that because writing this memoir is as much for me as it is for the readers.

So anyway, the advice I have heard says 30,000 to 40,000 words is a good size. With ten chapters, that’s 4,000 words each. I have ten chapters in my outline. I’m going for 4,000 words each.

I hand wrote most of this chapter first.

Then I typed the notes in to a computer file. The word count was just over 2,000 and I have only written about packing up the house. So, yay!!!!

Now I’m beginning to write about the real estate agent and the whole process I went through. I plunged head first into a rabbit hole about judgement, self confidence, and creativity. One just lead seamlessly into the next.

I can see why writing a memoir is therapeutic!! I’m diving deep. Or am I procrastinating? Ohhhhh, another rabbit hole I can distract myself with.

Ok now. I’m going back to the chapter. Thank you for reading this.

More Spirographs and Doodles

January 5, 2023 by Suzanne Horrocks Wellness, posted in Uncategorized

More Spirographs and Doodles

Presents to myself, from myself.

January 4, 2023 by Suzanne Horrocks Wellness, posted in Coloring Books, Growth & Expansion

Presents to myself, from myself.

The Back Window Can’t Hold Itself Up

Featured by Suzanne Horrocks Wellness, posted in Summer, Uncategorized

The back window on my camper shell lost it’s shocks, the things that hold it up.

I lived about 15 minutes from a beach near Corpus Christi about 7 years ago. The truck spent a LOT of time very close to the salty spray. Not close enough to get stuck in the sand but really really close to the waves.

I didn’t get any rust except for those window holder-upper things. One went fairly quickly. The other one lasted a while but it finally gave way and leaked all of it’s oil out and never worked again.

It’s a pain in the butt to hold the window up with one hand while trying to open or close the tailgate.

Not to mention how awful it is to have to climb in there with a heavy window hitting you on the head.

Finding replacements has been it’s own challenge but we may have succeeded. We shall see.

https://amzn.to/3yrWgO4
(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)

I LOVE the convenience of having a truck but I abhor repairs. How about you? Does anything car related irritate you or do you take it in stride?

Heat Wave and Ants

Featured by Suzanne Horrocks Wellness, posted in Summer, Uncategorized

This article includes affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Hello Summer!

It’s finally here and it is H.O.T.

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the heat. The humidity, though….. I could do without feeling like I could cut the air with a knife. Where’s the cool breeze? Where’s the relief with being in the shade?

I do my best to keep complaints to myself, or at least to a minimum. I prefer to use that privilege in the winter. Cause give me hot weather over cold all day.

Summer Vacation

Do you have a summer vacation planned?

We have quite a nice vegetable garden going, so we won’t be leaving it for an extended time this summer. The hot weather is good for the okra, peppers, and tomatoes. Mini vacays and mental breaks will suffice for us this summer. We get to eat yummy veggies though! It’s a good trade.

Ants Are Here

They don’t like the heat either. We currently have them in our bathtub, presumably in search of cool water to drink. They have been inundating the kitchen countertops, stove, and sink too.

While I feel for them and their plight, I don’t apprciate them running around my kitchen. You feel me?

While being mindful of our limited space and our food prep area, we have been using Terro Liquid Ant Bait to keep them at bay. It works like a charm! If the darn things would just stay outside……

I hope your summer is fantastic! Stay cool. Stay well.

Do you have travel plans, or are you staying home and tending your garden this summer?

I Have Cataracts. Now What?

Featured by Suzanne Horrocks Wellness, posted in Journals, Low Vision, Notebooks, Visually Impaired

Having been recently diagnosed with cataracts, I naturally have some questions. The diagnosis wasn’t a complete surprise. I am “of the age”. Plus I smoked for decades.

**If you smoke, this is another reason to stop asap**

———————

In this article:

What are cataracts?
What causes them?
How to know if you have them.
What you can do about it.
What makes them worse.
What to do as prevention.
———————–

What are cataracts? According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, a cataract is when your eye’s natural lens becomes cloudy. Proteins in your lens break down and cause things to look blurry, hazy or less colorful. In other words, cataracts are the clouding of the lens of your eye, which is normally clear.

What causes cataracts? Most cataracts develop when aging or injury changes the tissue that makes up the eye’s lens. Proteins and fibers in the lens begin to break down, causing vision to become hazy or cloudy. Other factors can increase your risk of cataracts, such as genetics, diabetes, or high blood pressure.

How do you know if you have them? An eye doctor can give you a diagnosis. Regular eye exams are recommended, especially when you reach the age of 60. In most cases, that’s when cataracts start developing. However, changes in the lenses of your eyes can start to affect you in your 40s. Reading glasses anyone?

What can you do about them? At first, stronger lighting and eye glasses can help. If impaired vision begins interfering with your usual activities, you may need cataract surgery. Likewise, your eye doctor may recommend it. In the U.S., the average age for cataract surgery is 73.

What makes them worse? Dehydration, alcohol, smoking, and obesity speed up the development of cataracts. Uncontrolled blood sugar or high blood pressure are also contributing factors.

Prevention, please:

Get regular eye exams. They are helpful in early detection.
Quit smoking.
Manage other health problems.
Choose a healthy diet that includes plenty of fruit and veggies.
Wear sunglasses
Reduce alcohol use.

Now we know what cataracts are, what causes them, how to know if you have them. We also know what you can do if you have them, what causes them to get worse, and some preventative practices.

Hopefully, this answers some of your questions, just as it did for me.

Do you know someone with cataracts? Share this post with them. Sharing is caring.

Do you suspect you have cataracts? Tell us in the comments so we know we aren’t alone.
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Being visually impaired or having low vision, doesn’t mean you can’t still journal, write, jot down notes, make lists, etc. As a journal creator with low vision, I have created a book designed just for us. It’s on Amazon. Here’s a link – https://www.amazon.com/Need-Vitamin-Sea-lined-notebook/dp/B09RNFY3GG/ref=sr_1_19?keywords=i+need+vitamin+sea+notebook&qid=1648062359&sr=8-19

Crossing Bridges

Featured by Suzanne Horrocks Wellness, posted in Coloring Books, Gratitude, Growth & Expansion, Journals

Bridges help us cross difficult terrain, sometimes being the only way to get from here to there.

Are there memorable bridges in your life?

Speaking of bridges and crossings, and getting from here to there, I want to introduce you to a new endeavor I recently started. I am creating adult coloring books, journals, and to-do list notebooks. They are available on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/author/suzannehorrocks

This new endeavor feels like crossing a bridge because it is a new avenue, a new path, a new road. Having a bridge connecting my wellness journey, my entrepreneurial journey, and my dream of creating a line of blank books is priceless.

What bridge have you built or crossed that changed your life? (Small changes count too.)

Sweet Dreams

Featured by Suzanne Horrocks Wellness, posted in sleep

It feels so good to get ready for bed.

You filled your diffuser with beautiful oils, you rolled calming nourishing pure-fume on your neck, wrists, anywhere, everywhere.

You fluffed your beautiful sheets and pillows. You have the most delicious book ever written beside your bed.

Your bedroom is cool, it smells inviting and relaxing, the lighting is soft .It’s ready for you to leave your troubles at the door and snuggle into sleepy time.

Feeling clean, cool, relaxed, you climb into bed, the beautiful soft sheets and soft fluffy pillows are waiting for you. You settle in for a few minutes with your favorite author, and feel your tension and busyness of the day melt away.

When you are ready, you turn off your side table lamp and the room goes to a luscious welcoming darkness. The bed is the most comfortable bed ever, your body is clean and fresh, the room is cool and dark.

You snuggle down into the covers, close your eyes, take a few deep breathes, and off you go into a deep restful rejuvenating sleep.

Your lips form a slight smile as you drift off into that deep nourishing sleep.

The morning sun peeks through your curtains, the birds are singing their morning songs, your eyes open and you realize that you are ready, eager to begin your day.

Your body, your mind are ready. Your body, your mind have had a nice long chunk of time to collect, sort, and store the nourishing nuggets from yesterday.

You are ready to glide through today with joy, grace, and ease.

Because you just slept like a baby.

To learn more about how to sleep like a baby night after night, read this post.

Let’s talk about sleep

Featured by Suzanne Horrocks Wellness, posted in sleep, Uncategorized

This article includes affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Sleep is important for healthy metabolism, a healthy immune system, and healthy organ function, just to name a few things. During restful sleep, your body heals and your brain gets a necessary reboot. Just like your electronics need a reboot, so does your brain.

Up to 90 percent of adults report mental stress and anxiety as the number one reason that they can’t shut their brains off at night in order to easily fall asleep.

According to Dr. Ashley Anderson, there are some lifestyle changes that can help improve the quality of your sleep.

1. Own your morning. Get up early or at least on time. Give yourself time to organize your thoughts, and your day. There are anti-anxiety practices that you can do to start your day on the right foot. Things like deep breathing, meditation, journaling, or spiritual reading can help you begin the day in a calm, stress free mood. Unlike getting up at the last possible minute and rushing to get to work on time.

2. Create space within your day to de-stress. Take a break. Stroll outside. Listen to a short guided meditation. Relax in the sun for a few minutes. Take time to relieve some stress during the day to keep it from piling up at bedtime.

3. Create a good night time routine, especially in the last hour before bed. As parents, we know the importance of a good bed time routine for our kiddos. We need one too! Things like a warm bath, relaxing with a good book, dim the lights, low impact stretching, massage, journaling, etc., set you up for a good night’s sleep. Your brain will get in line with the program and pretty soon, you won’t have any trouble falling asleep.

There are some tools you can use to help you fall asleep easily. Namely essential oils. Cedarwood, Frankincense, Vetiver, Petitgrain, sleep blends, and more.

I work with doTERRA Essential Oils. Lavender, Roman Chamomile, and Vetiver are my go-to oils. doTERRA has curated a sleep wellness program which includes bath salts, some body butter infused with their sleep blend, a gratitude journal, a spritzer/sprayer for the bed linens, and more.

I have been using this program for two months and my sleep has improved noticeably. My energy is more consistent, my memory is better, focusing is easier, my food choices are better. The best thing is my good mood. I wake up looking forward to my day.

With my established bedtime routine, my brain is recognizing the signals and I’m ready for lights out quickly and fall into a deep restful sleep easily. This is after years of not getting enough sleep. The difference is stark.

Getting a good night sleep consistently is one of the best things you can do for yourself, your loved ones, your life.

To learn more about how to #SleepLikeABaby night after night, read this post.

The Rule of Four

Featured by Suzanne Horrocks Wellness, posted in Growth & Expansion, Uncategorized

The Rule of 4 = 4 hours a day of serious mental focus.

Your brain can only handle 3 to 4 hours a day of serious mental focus.

Whether you are Jeff Bezos, Charlies Darwin, or you at your best, everyone gets 4 hours a day of focused brain power.

You can work through mindless administrative work or manual labor for longer but concentrated intellectual effort is maxed out at 4 hours.

It’s biological. No need to guilt trip or let your inner mean girl send you negative vibes.

Pick your golden 4 hours and time block it. Protect those 4 hours.

You will get more done with less aggravation. And then you can get the more mindless tasks done outside your brain’s power hours.

It’s good time management.
It relieves guilt and stress.

Remember, it’s biological. It’s natural law.