Updates from Jan

I'll admit it... I was one of those that rolled my eyes when I heard some one say, "I'm allergic to gluten" or "do you have any gluten free items on the menu"? It seemed like everyone was jumping on this new band wagon that I thought was a fad.

The last few weeks I have been battling some health issues. My doctor suggested I restrict my diet to gluten and dairy free while going through numerous tests. On Thursday we received some answers and although he agreed that living a gluten and dairy free diet would be healthier, it's not detrimental to my illness.  So, after a long Sunday afternoon of projects, and a new found pizza delivery place, we decided to splurge!

5:04 am the morning after.  That was the moment.  The moment that I awoke and was in so much pain that it hurt to roll over.  Every joint in my body hurt.  My wrist that I've had to wear braces on...hurt.  My whole spine...hurt.  My feet...hurt. 

Then I instantly received what I call a God nudge.  That's when I feel the Holy Spirit move within me, telling me something.  Only this wasn't just a nudge.  It was like a big ole' slap up side my head saying, "you dummy!!!  Pizza = gluten = inflammation = pain"  Yup.  5:04 am was the moment that I realized that while although you may not be allergic to gluten, there are certainly major health benefits to going gluten free to some that struggle with gluten sensitivity and inflammation.  I've battled numerous health issues for years, especially RA and degenerative disc disease.  So, this wave of inflammation hit me like a ton of bricks.  I think what made it even more prominent was that after being gluten free for 4 weeks, I didn't even realize how great I was feeling, until I didn't.

And so now, I want to repent for all of those eye rolls.  Unfortunately, I did not do my own research before having it hit home to realize the benefits of being gluten free, and how it affects so many.  I now understand.  God has such a sense of humor, doesn't he?  Luckily we happen to have another pizza joint in town that makes the best gluten-free pizza around.  

9 years ago I was officially diagnosed with RA and given medication and braces.  7 years ago exactly; I ended up in the Emergency Room with a possible heart attack.  Short story is that my medication had eaten away at my esophagus and it was RAW....  The pain was causing severe chest pain. 

 So, after a couple of days of testing and hospital stay, I was told,

Mine should be here any day.  For now I'm just so grateful that I figured out what was going on.  Yes, I googled withdrawals from CBD, and there are conflicting reports.  That's why I'm here to tell you that everyone is different, and YES YOU CAN HAVE WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS FROM CBD.

*Side note... one of those medications that they put me on 7 years ago, has since been proven to be cancer causing.  AGAIN... THANK YOU, JESUS, FOR OPENING MY EYES TO OTHER OPTIONS!

I'm definetly a planner.  And to help keep me organized, I love my planner.  In fact, I would call myself a planner snob.  I'm embarrased to say how much money I've spent on planners.  And although I am very frugal, I will throw away a planner that I used only a couple of months into a year if it's not working for me.  After all, a missed deadline or appointment can cost me way more than a planner.

My planner is my guide.  It has everything in it from birthdays to Sunday sermon notes to projects I'm working on, orders I've placed,  and of course appointments.  Through the years I've tried dozens of different brands, and the one that I keep going back to is the Happy Planner, Create 365 by Me & My Big Ideas.  

The Happy Planner comes in 3 different sizes and is by far the most customizable.  I've had the mini, the Big and the Classic.  It also comes in many different themes.  Such as weight loss, financial, and faith.  Then you can add inserts for notes, folders, project goals, and more.

This year I decided to go with the new Homebody with Dashboard style weekly inserts.  I love it so much that I couldn't wait to get rid of my 2020 planner and start using it.

So..... another great feature of the 365 Collection is that they have a special hole punch that allows you to add whatever you want into your planner.  I whipped up a calendar in Canva for November and December 2020, and added it to the front of my 2021 Planner.  This also helps as we get closer to the new year, I can put in any new appointments, and not miss any like my January 4th doctor's appointment...  I can't be the only one that has missed something because I didn't flip the calendar????

Another great advantage of having the hole punch is that I can also add other things like bulletins, flyers, grocery list, the possibilities are endless. You can find the Happy Planners in many different places. But if you'd like to order online, I recommend HERE and if you order soon you can use the promo code EXTRA10 and receive an extra 10% off your whole order.  A Cherry On Top* is located in Saginaw, Michigan, so you can also pick up your order if you don't want to wait for it to be shipped.

How does one even come up with such a name???  

Creative?  Ok, I get that.  

Frugal?  Yeah, who doesn't like to save money.  

But Wonder Woman??  Come on...

For many years I've been called Wonder Woman. She was my hero as a child, I remember watching Linda Carter as she would spin around to become a woman who got things done, used her gold bracelets to deflect bullets, and her magic rope to wrangle the bad.  I aspired to be just like her, LOL.

Well, here I am many years later, and I'm still doing just that. Let's take my son's recent wedding for example.  He contacted me to let me know that he was getting married, but due to the current Covid pandemic they didn't know what to do.  After a brief discussion they decided they would like to get married here at our home, which we affectionately call, "The McKee Ranch".  It's not a ranch with horses or cows, but a simple home in the middle of 10 acres of woods.  A beautiful pond and the sounds of the babbling brook,  along with dozens of turkeys and birds.  My husband, Kenny and I were excited to be able to host such an event.  Then the kicker.... they wanted to get married in 4 weeks!  Ok... we can do this, I thought.  As the days progressed closer to the wedding day there were challenges, but many victories as we prepared for a beautiful wedding on a budget.

The one thing I was not planning on was making a wedding

 dress.  Bre had gone dress shopping, but was not finding what she wanted.  Fortunately she had a good vision of what she was looking for, and between her vision and my ability to sew we got it done! 

 What a blessing it has been to accomodate our children to host their beautiful day. I used foam board from Dollar Tree to make signs reciting Corinthians as our guests came down the long driveway. Grapevine from our property to make an arbor for them to get married under.  And fleece blankets from Dollar General to keep our guest warm on the brisk fall day.

 It was a beautiful event for a beautiful couple.  Not everything has to cost a lot of money.  When you've got the Creative Frugal Wonder Woman you can get 'er done on a budget.  

My goal is to share my tips and tricks on how I get things done.  You can follow me here on my blog, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.

A couple of years ago I was working on a large event, and talked to my friend, Ashley about singing at the event.  Unfortunately he had a previous engagement and would not be able to attend; however, he gave me a song that he had written but never released.

I now cherish this song.  For some crazy reason my friend thought that this world would be better without him.  Or maybe he just couldn't stand the thought of going on without his grandma who had recently passed.  I'll never know the answers to these questions, at least not on this side of Heaven.

Suicide is something that is so complicated.  It leaves holes the size of a galaxy in hearts.  It leaves dozens of unanswered questions.  It leaves trails of pain miles long.  It leaves tears that can fill an Olympic size swimming pool.  If only in that split second you could have seen through the fog to realize how many people loved you.  How many people cared about you.  How many people would miss you terribly.  The lives that you touched.

You will forever be remembered, Ashley Peacock.  Rest in peace, my friend.

If you struggle with suicidal thoughts, please talk to a loved one, or call the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 800-273-8255