Tag Archives: Karen McFarland

Safe and Sound


 

What makes you feel safe?
 

How important is it for you to feel secure?
 

What lengths will you go to make sure you and your family stay out of harm’s way?
 

For one reason or another, all of us harbor some form of fear and insecurity. And, for the most part, our environment plays a huge part of who we are and what we are affected by, both emotionally and physically.
 

Like the picture above, our lives may sail along with perfect skies above. Then there are the other times when we want to hit the restart button. Darkness looms and all we can see are the lights that shine brightly amongst the shadowy night sky.
 


 

Last week, hubby and I took off for San Diego. The community we live in decided it was time to slurry all the pavement in our 41 acre complex. For some, this would just boil down to a minor inconvenience. But for us, this situation turned into a major problem.
 

At first, we didn’t know what to do. We debated back and forth the pros and cons of the situation. Should we stay and bunker down the hatch? Or should we flee to safer waters? In either the case, we knew that the decision we made, would affect our safety.
 

Why? Because our family has a physical condition that would make it difficult for us to stay or to travel. In fact, this is the reason why we haven’t traveled anywhere for several years. We have what researchers call MCSD, or Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Disorder.
 

What is MCSD?
 

MCSD, or EI (Environmental Illness), is a result from having adverse reactions to things in your environment, such as certain chemicals, foods, perfumes, cleaners, solvents, air pollution, cigarette smoke, pesticides, mold pollen, dust, dander, (or slurry) and the list goes on.
 

Basically, it can be likened to an allergic reaction with harsh reactions that can affect multiple organ systems, such as respiratory, nervous, cardiovascular, digestive, skin, etc. and therefore can cause numerous symptoms that include asthma, headaches, joint pain, rashes, irritable bowel, mood swings, brain fog and many more.
 

Are we having fun yet?
 

Anyway, triggers and symptoms can vary depending on the individual. As an example, someone may eat dairy and later on develop a headache. Or, as in the case with our family, we are affected by perfumes/fragrance, pesticides and petroleum products and our allergic reaction varies from high blood pressure, seizures, heart palpitations, alopecia, depression, nausea, or flu-like symptoms.
 

And over a period of time, like most allergies, these triggers can grow ever the more sensitive, so that they become very debilitating for those of us that suffer from this condition.
 

If you suffer from any of the aforementioned, don’t be misled or discouraged. There are two camps on this issue: those who believe that these symptoms are psychosomatic and those who feel that this is real and caused by over-exposure to chemicals in our environment.
 

I for one am with the second camp because I am living it, along with countless veterans of the 1991 Gulf War and First Responders and others exposed to the World Trade Center toxins. And we are not alone. There are literally thousands around the world who suffer from MCSD.
 

In our head? I think not.
 

So what did hubby and I do to keep out of harm’s way?
 

I had to call ahead and request that the hotel remove all fragrance from the room, including soaps, shampoos and linens and to clean with nothing but hot water and vinegar. Yep, Grandma’s old cleaning recipe really works as a great cleaner and disinfectant. And the Hotel was all over it. They assured us that this was not a problem and would have our room ready upon our arrival.
 

But…they had forgotten one request. They had forgotten one step that would make or break our stay. What was it? Ozone. They forgot to ozone our room. For those of you that don’t know, ozone is a safe way to neutralize chemicals, odors, molds, etc. from any surface or space. And they forgot. I wanted to cry, but never fear, the manager was near. He gave his word that while we dined, at their expense by the way, they would ozone our room. (Mmm, I can still taste that filet mignon.)
 

What’s the moral of this story?
 

It wasn’t perfect. And how could we expect it to be? Our world is far from perfect. But we survived. Perhaps a little sick, but it could’ve been worse. I spent the entire trip sleeping on the floor of the bathroom on a make-shift bed that hubby put together made of several pillows, topped with a comforter and pillow. It was a little like camping out in an RV. An expensive RV, but we survived. And we made it home safe and sound.
 
 

So what do you think? Have you ever heard of MCSD? Do you or do you know someone who suffers from any of the symptoms listed above? For the longest time, hubby and I did not make the connection until our doctor diagnosed it. It was truly an “Aha” moment. Perhaps you may suffer from another malady. What are some of the things that you find helps your family keep out of harm’s way and stay safe and sound? Please feel free to share any thoughts or suggestions!
 
 

For more information on MCSD, please visit http://www.chemicalsensitivityfoundation.org/index.html.
 
 

Thanks everyone for stopping by and for all your encouraging comments!
Karen
 

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If You’re Missed and You Know It, Clap Your Hands!


(Do you know who those hands belong to? Is it a plea for help? Is someone missing? If so, could it be you or me? Thank you Lynn Kelley for volunteering this picture via WANA Commons.)
 

In any event, everyone Clap Your Hands!
 

Some of you may have noticed that I didn’t blog over the summer. It wasn’t planned. It just happened. I succumbed to burn-out, an aftershock from all the turmoil that happened over the last couple of years. I couldn’t move. Days would go by and I literally could not move.
 

Was I depressed? No, not really. More like exhausted. Beyond exhausted.
 

When you are deluged by difficulties that are out of your control, when necessary, you will rise to the occasion, then afterwards you collapse. I think it has something to do with that old adage, what goes up must come down. And I crashed. It’s just that simple.
 

At first I thought I’d take a month off. That sounded reasonable. With so many of you at home with your children or gone away on vacation, I would go unnoticed. Then another month went by and then another. It got easier not to blog. I mean, who would really miss me?
 

But I was wrong.
 

I tried to connect on Facebook because it’s a great way to stay in touch. Then, in mid-August, I saw a post on my feed that mentioned a WANA classmate who was recovering from major surgery. Don’t ya just love that about Facebook? It gives us an opportunity to support and root for our family and friends. The WANAite was none other than Anthony Tuscano. And he apparently had a serious issue that required major surgery.
 

Ding, ding, ding, off went my radar. I, of all people, know about the recovery process from major surgery. So I left a cheerful “Get Well” message amongst many others. Well, don’t you know, dear Anthony leaves me this reply, “Karen, I’ve missed reading your blog; and I miss you!”
 

Moi?…Really?
 

I was taken aback by Anthony’s kind words knowing HE was the injured party. It was HE who no doubt suffered from major surgery. And he thought of me?
 

I clapped my hands.
 

At the beginning of September, I heard from another WANA classmate, Pat O’Dea Rosen. Do you see a trend here? Pat, it seems, has an art for direction. She, in her own gracious, complimentary manner, gave me a nudge. Why, this writer remembered the very first post I ever wrote. She, in a nutshell, told me that I had “set high standards and put too much pressure on myself.” Her comment actually mirrored something Jenny Hansen had said to me over a year ago.
 

Call me thick headed, but don’t you hate it when people are right? Did they nail me, or what? I have come to realize there is no hiding behind what you write. It’s there for all to see in black and white. But this was Pat’s way of telling me that I was missed.
 

I clapped my hands.
 

Then I thought about others who are struggling. Or those of you, who out of the kindness of your heart, come by and leave a comment on my blog. Do you know how much you’re missed? Yet, it is possible that many of us may feel like we are blogging out to the Universe and are never missed. Now, how sad would that be?
 

There’s been a lot going on over the past few months. Fires, tornadoes, floods, illness, yes, most of us are dealing with quite a number of challenging issues. Yet, we keep pressing on. Why not take a look around you. See who might be MIA and send them a message. You’d be surprised how little it takes to encourage another.
 

I leave you with this thought that came across my Facebook feed the other day…

“If you find someone who makes you smile, who checks on you often to see if you’re okay, who watches out for you and wants the very best for you, don’t let them go. Keep them close and don’t take them for granted. People like that are hard to find.” (Author unknown.)
 

So if you’re missed and you know it, Clap Your Hands!
 

Thank you so much for the encouragement Jenny, Pat and Anthony! Well all of you actually! 🙂

And we hope you have a speedy recovery Anthony!
 
 
So what do you think?

How did you enjoy your summer? Were you able to re-arrange your schedule and get some rest? Did you and your family get away on a much needed vacation? Were you affected by one of the crazy climatic disasters that have struck our globe? If so, I hope that you and your family are safe!
 

Thanks everyone for stopping by and for all your upbuilding comments!
Karen 
 

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Country is Taking Country by Storm


 

Can you hear it?

Can you hear it coming?

With immense passion it’s gaining momentum,

Like a huge thunderous cloud rollin’ in.
 

Do you know what it is?
 

It’s Country.
 

And I can’t believe I’m going to do this.

Never in my life would I think of confessing to this.

I am going to admit to something I never thought would ever happen.

And that is…
 

I am listening to…
 

Country.
 

Yes, as in, Country music.

And I’m not alone.
 

Country has even taken over The Voice. Which is now taken over the Country.
 

I’m not talking about Hillbilly, Bluegrass or Honky tonk.

No, this is not the music Grandma and Grandpa used to play.

Somehow, over the last several decades, Country has infused with Rock.

Don’t ask me how it happened. But it is hap-pen-ing!
 

Hubby and I got an invite over the weekend to attend a free outdoor concert over at the Irvine District Mall in southern Orange County, California. This invitation came from some friends of ours that we’ve known, well, almost forever. It involved their son who is playing in a band called Black Label.
 

Well, may I just say this Country Band rocked!
 

Black Label is a group of five very talented musicians, whose background is mainly Rock. Confused? I was. That was until I heard them play. Or should I say sing. Well, sing and play actually.
 

But I was suspicious. Why would a group of obviously talented young men who lived and loved Rock ‘n Roll play Country?
 

It was the Voice.
 

No, not that Voice.
 

The Voice.
 

Let me explain.
 

The minute Hubby and I walked into the outdoor mini-amphitheater we heard it.
 

We heard—the Voice.
 

The voice was belting out notes with immense passion, like a thunderous cloud rollin’ over the crowd. It was powerful. It was resonating. It was captivating. It was a little Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley and Garth Brooks, all mixed into one. It melted like butter seasoned with grit. And it, the voice, is the reason why this group of musicians sacrificed Rock and made the switch-a-roo…
 

To Country.
 

So can you hear it?

Can you hear it coming?

Country is taking country by storm.
 

Here’s a little of what I’m talking about…
 


 
And Lady Gaga no less! Not bad, eh?
 
And if you live in the vicinity, Black Label will be appearing for a free concert at the Surfin Cowboy in Capistrano Beach this Friday, June 14th. Should be lots of fun! 🙂
 

So what do you think? Do you think that Country is taking over Country? What kind of music do you enjoy? Are you a little bit Country or a little bit Rock n’ Roll? Does your mood reflect the type of music you listen to? Do you find that listening to music stimulates your creativity? Got plans for a summer concert? Who are some of the musicians that you like to listen to?
 
 
Thank you everyone for stopping by and for sharing your thoughts!
Karen
 

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Let’s Whip Our Summer Into Shape!

(Huntington Beach, California)
 

Yes, those lazy, hazy, crazy days of Summer are upon us.

For most of us, what does that mean?
 

For those of us that have children in the house it means school is out. That is a whole other subject altogether. Although I will say that may fall into the category of crazy, IYKWIM.
 

For those of us who fall into the other category, meaning, for whatever reason, there are no children to disrupt our daily activity, we have our own challenges. Not to take away from those parents who pull double duty mind you. We all have immense respect for you. Been there, done that. And may the force be with you.
  

Yet, it was brought to my attention the other day that summertime may cause a lazy haze to creep into our daily routine much like a fog bank makes its way onto shore. One minute we’re enjoying the warmth of the sun and then a climatic change threatens to rearrange our good intentions and before you know it, we can’t make our way through the all the minutiae.
 

But do we give ourselves the time to appreciate life’s little pleasures? Most of us have trained ourselves to be self-disciplined people. And as such, we make lists and schedules that do not allow us to take a break from our normal routine. I would venture to say that few of us ever accomplish what we set out to do on any particular day. Which keeps us in this vicious cycle of frustration and exhaustion knowing full well it is virtually impossible to get everything done.
 

So what to do?

Take a small break.
 

No, I’m not talking about cleaning a toilet, or fixing a meal, or doing a load of laundry, or catching up on all your emails. Over the years, I have found that for some reason, those things will still be there for you to do later. It’s called job security.
 

No, what I am proposing is to take a little break. For some of us, we may have a vacation planned on some exotic Island for all I know. Yet, what I’m suggesting does not require that drastic of a measure. Here’s what I propose:
 

Get out of the house!

Yes, get out!
 

Go for a walk and breathe in some fresh air. It can be around the block. Or at a beautiful park. Or at the ocean, that is, if you live near an ocean. As you can tell by the picture above, that is one of my personal favs. Even if you are living under a deluge of precipitation that measures in seismic proportions, go to a mall or some other indoor arena available to you and walk.
 

I know some of you are working out. You may be doing potty squats with Ginger Calem. Or Crossfit like Jenny Hansen. But that’s not what I’m talking about. We need to get out of our normal routine and change the scenery.
 

And the best part— it doesn’t cost us anything.
 

Well, maybe our time, which I know is a precious commodity. But you will not believe how stimulating it can be. It helps to clean out the cobwebs in our brain.
 

Have you had writer’s block lately? Has a figurative “fog bank” rolled in across the page?
 

Then take a walk.
 

And you will be surprised how fast you’ll Whip your WIP this Summer into shape!
 
 

So what do you think? Have any special plans for this summer? Do you like to exercise? Do you have a hard time allowing yourself to take the personal time needed to regain your creativity? What things do you like to do to help stimulate your mind and keep your sanity?
 
 
Thanks everyone for stopping by and for all your amazing comments!
Karen
 
 

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Bees Do It, So Why Shouldn’t We Do It?

Who of us hasn’t heard the phrase, “Busy as a Bee?” For the most part, if we keep busy, buzzing around like a Bee, it means we are productive, leading a full, meaningful life.
 

Well, as it turns out, Bees are very busy. They lead an industrious life filled with lots of responsibility. Yes, they are pests and some of us are allergic, but what they do is crucial to our existence. Their role is an essential ingredient needed in the development of our food chain. It’s safe to say, that without the Bee, we humans couldn’t survive.
 

Why?
 

Because without the Bee, we wouldn’t be able to pollinate our crops. Without the Bee we’d lose valuable foods that sustain our lives. You see, about one-third of the human diet comes from insect-pollinated plants, and the honeybee is responsible for 80 percent of that pollination.
 

So, to be honest, without the Bee…we are in deep doo-doo.
 

After 20 years of beekeeping, Tim Lovett, a public affairs director of the British Beekeepers Association, explains why bees are vital to our existence and why we need to care. “The more time you spend with bees, the more you get drawn into their amazing world: the way they organize themselves, control themselves, and what they’re responsible for.”
 

Just think. If there were no Bees, there wouldn’t be orange juice on our table. There’d be no jam, no honey. And that’s just for breakfast.
 

For the last several years, Beekeepers from around the world have noticed the dangers that Honeybees are facing. “I’ve been to China,” says Mr. Lovett, “where the bee population was wiped out, and you see men on ladders using paintbrushes to pollinate the fruit trees. Can you imagine the cost of our food if we had to do that ourselves? You’d only be able to afford half an olive on a pizza, and the mozzarella – which comes from cows raised on (bee-pollinated) alfalfa – would be absolutely prohibitive.”
 

Okay, I can do the math. No olives + No mozzarella = No pizza!
 

Say what? Ouch! That stings!
 

Here’s an interesting tidbit. Hubby and I were watching a documentary on the decline of the Bee population in the United States. It chronicled the typical life of a Bee and the business of Beekeeping. We watched as a Beekeeper traveled cross country from Georgia to central California to transport his hives where they’re needed to pollinate Almond groves, one of the largest crops grown in the state.
 

Then, after the bees finish doing what bees naturally do, they were brought back to the east coast in order to prepare them for their next job in Florida. But…they are not allowed to directly pollinate the next crop.
 

Why?
 

Apparently, as the Bee pollinates, they absorb the release of nectar to take back to the hive in order to produce honey. But…they’ve found that after the Bees have ingested the insecticide laden nectar from their last job, they need to detox the Bees before taking them to the next valuable food crop for pollination.
 

Detox the Bees? Have you ever?
 

Yes, I know. These poor little Bees cannot get rid of all the toxic insecticide they absorb from the heavily sprayed California Almond fields. The Beekeeper is forced to take them to another field to pollinate first, thus leaving behind the excess insecticide before being taken to the next job or else there’s a greater chance they will release the leftover toxins and pollute the next vital food crop.
 

Iy, yi, yi! Do you see a problem here? Or is it just me?
 

“It’s not a simple situation. If it were one factor we would have identified it by now,” President-elect Inouye, of the Ecological Society of America said. “The problems in Europe and United States may be slightly different. In America, bee hives are trucked from farm to farm to pollinate large tracts of land and that may help spread the parasites and disease, as well as add stress to the colonies, while in Europe they stay put so those issues may not be as big a factor.”
 

So, even though there are many factors that weigh in on the demise of our Bee population, I think there is something positive that we can all take away from this.
 

And that is…Detox.
 

Yes, detox.
 

Think about it. In order for the Bee to do its job well, it needs to rid itself of the toxins it’s ingested. I mean, if Bees do it, why shouldn’t we do it?
 

What? You thought this was going to be a Birds and the Bees post?
 

Ha, ha, ha, gotcha!
 
 

So what do you think? Are you concerned about the blight of the Bees? Have you been feeling a little bogged down lately? Feeling a little more tired than usual? Not producing like you think you should? Then perhaps it’s time for a detox. What is your favorite recipe for a great pick-me-up?
 
 

Thanks everyone for coming by and for all your wonderful comments!
Karen
 

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