Beth Trissel's Blog, page 43

If You Love Vintage American Christmas Cards

I do. Here are several more cards and a tag from the stash Mom found in the old family trunk we poured through at Thanksgiving. Each card tells a story and has messages and Christmas greetings penned from friends and family now gone. Some long gone. We even came across my great-grandmother’s dog-eared address book with notes tucked inside and other bits and pieces important to her. Many of these cards were sent to this gracious woman, though not all. She died well before I was born, but through stories I’ve been told and glimpses into her life, I’ve gained a richer understanding of this lovely Virginian who lived in a gentler age, Makes me terribly nostalgic. So hearken back, and Merry Christmas to all.~

“Love came down at Christmas,

Love all lovely, Love Divine;

Love was born at Christmas;

Star and angels gave the sign.”

~Christina Rossetti

“I sometimes think we expect too much of Christmas Day.  We try to crowd into it the long arrears of kindliness and humanity of the whole year.  As for me, I like to take my Christmas a little at a time, all through the year.  And thus I drift along into the holidays – let them overtake me unexpectedly – waking up some fine morning and suddenly saying to myself:  “Why, this is Christmas Day!”  ~David Grayson

As you can see, this card is for New Year‘s.~

“It is the Christmas time:

And up and down ‘twixt heaven and earth,

In glorious grief and solemn mirth,

The shining angels climb.”

~Dinah Maria Mulock

“Fail not to call to mind, in the course of the twenty-fifth of this month, that the Divinest Heart that ever walked the earth was born on that day; and then smile and enjoy yourselves for the rest of it; for mirth is also of Heaven’s making.”  ~Leigh Hunt

We assume this guy is bagging the Christmas goose.~

A tag I particularly like below:

Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: Christina Rossetti, Christmas, Christmas tree, early American Christmas cards, Holidays, Merry Christmas, New Year, Old family Christmas cards, Vintage Christmas cards

‘As long as we know in our hearts what Christmas ought to be, Christmas is.’ ~Eric Sevareid

“I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.”  ~Charles Dickens

“I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month.”  ~Harlan Miller

“Christmas is the day that holds all time together.”  ~Alexander Smith

‘Twas Christmas broach’d the mightiest ale;

‘Twas Christmas told the merriest tale;

A Christmas gambol oft could cheer

The poor man’s heart through half the year. ~Walter Scott

“Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time.”  ~Laura Ingalls Wilder

“May Peace be your gift at Christmas and your blessing all year through!”  ~Author Unknown

“It came without ribbons!  It came without tags!  It came without packages, boxes or bags!”… Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before!  “Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store.  Maybe Christmas… perhaps… means a little bit more!”  ~Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

“At Christmas play and make good cheer,

For Christmas comes but once a year.”

~Thomas Tusser

“Sing hey!  Sing hey!

For Christmas Day;

Twine mistletoe and holly.

For a friendship glows

In winter snows,

And so let’s all be jolly!”

~Author Unknown

“To perceive Christmas through its wrapping becomes more difficult with every year.”  ~E.B. White, “The Distant Music of the Hounds,” The Second Tree from the Corner, 1954

“Oh, for the good old days when people would stop Christmas shopping when they ran out of money.”  ~Author Unknown

“May the spirit of Christmas bring you peace,

The gladness of Christmas give you hope,

The warmth of Christmas grant you love.”

~Author Unknown

Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: Charles Dickens, Christmas, Grinch Stole Christmas, images, quotes, Seuss, Thomas Tusser, Walter Scott, ~ Laura Ingalls Wilder

Nifty New Gardening Gadget–the Ring Weeder

For all you fellow gardeners, I came upon an innovative little tool to help with weeding. As you know, there are many kinds of weeds, the sort that require a wench and pickup to uproot, or a strong back and shovel, down to those smaller pesky weeds for which you need a trowel, or you think, maybe just your hand. But no, not quite. For those in between trowel and hand pulling size weeds, I’ve chanced upon the ring weeder. Worn over a glove on your index finger, this little gadget uproots the weeds with its hard plastic tip, like an extension of your hand, You then toss the weed aside and go on. And on, if you have as many as I tend to. I’m good at growing weeds. All sorts.

The ring weeder is the brainchild of Vince Suozzi, a longtime gardener, landscaper, and teacher, who conceived this nifty device after seeing the need for it over the years. With much encouragement to share his invention, he’s done so, and it’s really taking off.

From Vince:

The Ring Weeder has been featured on yahoo homes blog (http://homes.yahoo.com/blogs/spaces/10-best-home-projects-kickstarter-now-040219790.html )  Gizmag (http://www.gizmag.com/ring-weeder/28582/ ).  Newsday.com (http://www.newsday.com/lifestyle/home-and-garden/gifts-for-gardeners-1.225028#6 ) and review.com (http://www.businessinsider.com/7-improbable-kickstarter-success-stories-2013-11).

And other sites, as this innovative tool gains recognition.

For more on the Ring Weeder visit: www.theringweeder.com
It would make a great stocking stuffer, but is an anytime gift for a gardener.






Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: Garden, Gardening, Hand tool, new garden aid, ringweeder, Shopping, Weed, Weed control

Author Lynn Sholes and Native American Historical–Woman of the Mists

Welcome Lynn Sholes, who shares her writing journey and the inspiration behind her NA themed historical novel Woman of the Mists. Lynn is giving away the eBook to someone who leaves a comment. The winner will be announced Monday morning. So you have the weekend.

Lynn: I was a senior in high school when I attended an assembly that had an enduring impact on dreams of my future. I remember hearing the introduction of the guest speaker, James Michener. I was totally mesmerized. In my mind this man seemed to consume the entire stage with his presence. I had read Hawaii and there, right before me, stood the man who had written it. I recall looking at him with such wonder and thinking, wow, that’s what I want to do. I want to be a writer.

Years crept by filled with excuses for putting off my aspiration. First it was I’m going to write a book when I get out of college and then it was when I settled into my marriage and my new job, when the babies were out of diapers, when I wasn’t running carpool everywhere, when the kids were no longer in organized sports, when I could afford to quit my day job. And then I had a birthday that got my attention, and with it came the reality that the time to write was never going come on its own. I had to make the time.

The first attempt was an experiment to see if I could sustain 100,000 words. I did. I stored the completed manuscript in a box where it still remains for my eyes only. During that time I learned a lot about myself as a writer and also that the typewriter thing wasn’t working out for me. I needed a computer. So, on the way home from work one day I stopped at a computer store, told the sales person I wanted one of those (an Apple IIc), a printer, and software. I was nervous all the way home because I’d never made a major purchase without discussing it with my husband. My whole family was in shock when I unboxed it and set it up in the dining room. It was obvious they believed I had lost my mind. That night when everyone had gone to bed, I planted myself in front of the tiny green screen excited to begin my book. To my horror I realized I didn’t have anything to say, no story to tell.

Luckily, I was participating with the Broward County Archaeological Society in digs and salvages. One day as I scraped away layers of black muck with my trowel, I uncovered an interesting artifact. Often while we worked on the Indian sites we made up stories about the artifacts. The find that intrigued me that day was a lovely polished columella pendant (the columella is the center spiral of a conch shell). I created a story about how a man had given the pendant to the woman he loved. As I spun the story, I realized this was the seed of the novel I was going to write. At last I had a something to say. The result was WOMAN OF THE MISTS.

Story Blurb:

Long before the arrival of Columbus to the new world, a magnificent and brave people flourished in a verdant tropical land. Their culture, steeped in spiritual life and tradition, provided them sacred wisdom and strength that survived generations.

In this land of abundance, a young a woman, Teeka, surrendered her heart to the shaman’s son, Auro. But when a raiding rival tribe invaded their peaceful village and she was stolen away by their leader, her life changed forever.~

***Amazon Link for Woman of the Mists:

About Lynn Sholes:

As a native Floridian, Lynn became intrigued by the prehistoric people of Florida as she researched their history and took part in excavations. It was this that birthed the seed ideas of her first six novels, writing as Lynn Armistead McKee. Now writing as Lynn Sholes, she has teamed up with Joe Moore writing international bestselling thrillers. Lynn has presented numerous fiction writing workshops and has been a writing trainer and coach for schools in Broward and Citrus County, Florida. She now writes full time from her home in the Sunshine State.

Visit Lynn Shole’s Amazon Author Page

Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: Ancient artifact, archaeology, best selling author, historical fiction, Lynn Sholes, Native American, New release, pre-historic Florida, romance

“The North wind doth blow and we shall have snow” And Ice, Freezing Rain…

“The North wind doth blow and we shall have snow,

And what will poor robin do then, poor thing?

He’ll sit in a barn and keep himself warm and hide his head under his wing, poor thing.”

From Nursery Rhyme & History: “This nursery rhyme is referred to as either the North Wind doth blow or The Robin. ‘The North Wind doth blow’ is British in its origins and believed to have originated in the 16th century history. ‘The North Wind doth blow’ uses the olde English word ‘doth’. The purpose of the words to ‘The North Wind doth blow’ is to ensure that a child associates security with home whilst empathizing with the plight of the robin.”

I thought of this old rhyme because we are under a winter storm watch in the Shenandoah Valley late tonight through Sunday night and threatened with snow, sleet, freezing rain, and ice. So, the generator and backup generator are as ready as they can be to keep the farm going and cows milked. I’d also like some electricity in the house, being the product of a modern spoiled age. Our internet provider is a small local company (two guys in their basement, I think) so chances are that will go out. 

Another favorite of mine is Christmas is Coming:

“Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat. Please do put a penny in the old man’s hat. If you haven’t got a penny, a ha’penny will do. And if you haven’t got a ha’penny, God bless you!”

 

From Christmas is Coming: (same site as above)

“The lyrics of the poem “Christmas is coming” associate the Christmas feast with geese which are eaten in traditional English Christmas feasts. The meaning that is conveyed to a child in “Christmas is coming” is that the festive period is where each should give to charity, according to their means… even if all they could give was their blessing (If you haven’t got a penny…)”

***A pertinent post from past holiday’s you may enjoy: Christmas is coming the Geese are Getting Fat

Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: Christmas, Meaning behind Christmas is Coming Carol, Meaning behind The North Wind Doth Blow, North Wind, nursery rhyme, Shenandoah Valley, The Robin, Winter storm watch

Author Colleen Connally and Her New Mystery Suspense Novel!

I’m glad to have Colleen here to share the inspiration behind her release, Fragmented, the kick off to her new mystery series.

Colleen:

A few years ago between my historical suspense romances, I sat down and wrote a contemporary murder mystery. Writing a contemporary mystery story wasn’t a giant leap for me. In my historical romances, there has always been a mystery behind my stories. I have never written a simple romance.

The challenge for me with Fragmented was coming back into the present. When you write, you submerge yourself into that world. One would think it would be easier to write a contemporary story than a historical, but for me, I’m an old soul. A contemporary mystery presented itself with its own obstacles, but I look at a mystery like a puzzle. I love puzzles.

When I decided to start this series, Boston’s Crimes of Passion, I went back to my Fragmented manuscript. It needed revising. I tweaked the story and the characters until I was satisfied. I believe you will find Fragmented has everything you want in a thriller—action, danger, and mystery.

Blurb:

The first in the Boston’s Crimes of Passion Series! A pulse-pounding thriller! Ms Connally’s first murder mystery delivers! Suspenseful…shocking…a psychological thriller— leaving readers on the edge of their seat.  Cameron Quinn is caught in a web of deceit. Protecting her brother from being framed from a murder places Cameron in untold danger. When the real killer diverts his attention to her, she has nowhere to turn, especially not to the man who she shared one unforgettable night… who now is trying to put her brother in prison. A “must read” for any suspense lover!

She would do anything to protect her family…

Cameron Quinn watched her father fall into a world of despair after being falsely accused of causing her mother’s death. Now, her brother is a suspect in a crime she knows he’s not capable of committing. She’ll risk everything to save her brother from the same fate as her father, even destroying evidence that implicates him in a series of murders.

He would do anything to win a case…

ADA Darren Kennedy is known as ‘the bulldog.’ He doesn’t lose. When a killer emerges on the streets of Boston, he’s dead-set on putting that killer behind bars…along with anyone that stands in his way.

A killer would do anything to get his heart’s desire…

Cameron soon discovers that the police aren’t the only ones who suspect her of covering for her brother. The murderer is still out there and he isn’t happy his plans have been disrupted. Now, the twisted psychopath has turned his attention towards Cameron and will stop at nothing until he has her in his control.~

Sounds great! For buy links and to connect with the author check out:

Fragmented at Amazon: http://goo.gl/LCHOcW

At Barnes and Noble: http://goo.gl/5OY20y

At Amazon UK: http://goo.gl/gqcVMZ

Connect with Colleen Connally

Website- Jerri Hines, Romance Author  http://jerrihines.org/

Colleen Connally Blog: http://colleenconnally.blogspot.com/

Twitter- Colleen Connally   @colleen.connally

Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: action, Boston, Colleen Connally, Crime fiction, Fiction, Murder, mystery, New release, Novel, Thriller

Two Christmas Romances for .99 through Dec. 20th

“A Warrior for Christmas took me by complete surprise. I expected the usual tale of a former Indian captive transcending his past to live the life of a gentleman, but Beth Trissel’s exquisite writing skill made me love this story…No reader of historical romance will want to miss A Warrior for Christmas, even if it isn’t Christmas.” ~Two Lips Reviews (Five Lips and A Recommended Read Rating)

Colonial American historical romance novella A Warrior for Christmas is reduced at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Wild Rose Press and other online booksellers.

Blurb: Reclaimed by his wealthy uncle, former Shawnee captive Corwin Whitfield finds life with his adopted people at an end and reluctantly enters the social world of 1764. He plans to return to the colonial frontier at his first opportunity–until he meets Uncle Randolph’s ward, Dimity Scott.

Deaf since a childhood bout of Scarlet fever, Dimity Scott intends to be cherished for herself, not her guardian’s purse, even if it means risking spinsterhood. Then the rugged newcomer arrives, unlike any man she’s ever known. Dimity has learned to manage her silent world, but unaccustomed to the dangers of the frontier, can she expect love and marriage from Corwin, who longs to return to his Shawnee life?~

In A Warrior for Christmas, I sharply contrasted Corwin Whitfield’s hard-won life as an adopted Shawnee warrior in the colonial frontier (the setting for many of my books) with his new privileged life in a well-to-do estate outside of Philadelphia After wealthy Uncle Randolph reclaims Corwin following a treaty with the Indians that requires the return of white captives, he’s given a swift course in etiquette and hustled back into the fashionable world of colonial high society. Expectations that Corwin will learn to manage and ultimately inherit the family estate and undertake the care of his uncle’s ward, Dimity Scott, clash with his restless desire to return to the frontier. Any hope that he might take the unexpectedly appealing Dimity with him dissipate when he realizes the odds of her survival in such a rugged land. Dimity is deaf–risky in the frontier where every sense must be tuned to danger.

If you wonder how Dimity and Corwin communicate in an age before traditional sign language and other advances for the deaf existed, so did I. But the results are surprising and not a little bit wonderful. And then there are the charming traditions of celebrating Christmas in colonial America. A Warrior for Christmas is a story I very much enjoyed researching and writing.~

Hauntingly beautiful Christmas romance novella, Somewhere the Bells Ring, is reduced at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Wild Rose Press, and other online booksellers.

Blurb: 

Everything changes when a ghost requests her help.

Caught with pot in her dorm room, Bailey Randolph is exiled to a relative’s ancestral home in Virginia to straighten herself out. Banishment to Maple Hill is dismal, until a ghost appears requesting her help. Bailey is frightened but intrigued. Then her girlhood crush, Eric Burke, arrives and suddenly Maple Hill isn’t so bad.

To Eric, wounded in Vietnam, his military career shattered, this homecoming feels no less like exile. But when he finds Bailey at Maple Hill, her fairy-like beauty gives him reason to hope–until she tells him about the ghost haunting the house. Then he wonders if her one experiment with pot has made her crazy.

As Bailey and Eric draw closer, he agrees to help her find a long-forgotten Christmas gift the ghost wants. But will the magic of Christmas be enough to make Eric believe–in Bailey and the ghost–before the Christmas bells ring?~

The old Virginia home place where my father was born and raised and I grew up visiting over the holidays has inspired more than one story I’ve written.  I spent some wonderfully memorable Christmas’s in that beautiful plantation home (circa 1816) but the ones I’m most sentimental about were in the late 1960′s. Drawn to that era, I set my Christmas romance, Somewhere the Bells Ring, in 1968 during the tumultuous age of hippies, Vietnam, and some of the best darn rock music ever written.

Not only did that nostalgic time period beckon to me but also an earlier one, 1918 and the end of World War One.  Not in the way of battle scenes, but in the form of a wounded soldier recently returned from war-weary France who lives in the house. Having a Marine Corps Captain grandfather who distinguished himself during the thick of the fighting in France during The Great War and then tragically died when my father was only three definitely influenced this story–dedicated to the grandfather I never knew, but grieved all the same.

But the biggest influence was the poignant dream I had years ago about a young woman visiting this house during the Christmas holidays and the mysterious gentleman she met. That dream nagged at me every Christmas until I finally wrote their story.  If you enjoy an intriguing mystery with Gothic overtones and heart-tugging romance set in vintage America then Somewhere the Bells Ring is for you.

“An intriguing, gripping ghost story with a focus on romance rather than terror.” ~Reviewed by Stephanie E with Fallen Angels Reviews

Romancing the Book: “Ms. Trissel captivates her reader from the moment you start reading the first page. She has written a compelling love story that spans some fifty plus years and keeps you entertained every step of the way with the story within a story…I fell in love with her characters and look forward to the next delightful story ready with Kleenex box in hand. A must read for every romance fan.” ~Reviewed by Robin

Sizzling Hot Book Reviews: “As I read on, I didn’t put it down. I even went back and re read it! For all it is melancholy, it is a sweet story of past and present loves and how they parallel. The feelings of each of the main characters are written well and though only a few days pass in the story, it covered years of emotions, and glimpse of a family through the years. When I finished Somewhere the Bells Ring, I felt a sense of peace and calm, a wonderful thing at any time, but especially during the hectic Christmas season that is the setting of this story.” ~Reviewed by Beverly

Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: Award-winning historical romance author, Christmas, Christmas romance, Colonial American Romance, ghostly romance, Historical Romance, Native American Romance, sale, Virginia

Wonderful Find in an Old Family Trunk–Vintage Christmas Cards!

Mom came across an antiquated box of family Christmas cards reaching back into the early 20th century. For those of you who enjoy the British television series, Downton Abbey, this would be the Edwardian era before WWI (Season One). Other cards were sent during the Great War and soon after (Season Two). Some cards may extend even further back in time. This window into the past makes me very nostalgic. Reading the messages included in these holiday greetings takes me back to an age forgotten by many, but shouldn’t be.

I’ve often heard about these ancestors, fine people, and even remember some of them from my childhood. Others lived far later into my life, but began theirs when America was quite a different place. Some cards from family friends are people not known to me, but glimpsed through their greetings. These gentle folk wouldn’t be trampling each other at Walmart on Black Friday. There is a graciousness in this era, despite the World Wars, that we are losing. Hearken back with me to earlier days.

These cards Mom scanned are among the most colorful. Because the cost of ink was high in that era, many only had small colored images or were in black and white. To receive a truly colorful greeting would have been a real treat. I’m grateful my family saved these images and messages from a simpler, more refined time. Many of these folks lived in Virginia. Our roots in the Old Dominion go back several hundred years.

Because of my fascination with these bygone days, I’ve written two Christmas romance novellas: A Warrior for Christmas (set in Colonial America) and Somewhere the Bells Ring (set in the old Virginia family homeplace in the 1960′s with flashbacks to 1918). Both eBooks are on sale at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. A Warrior for Christmas is also out in audio.

“Christmas is the gentlest, loveliest festival of the revolving year – and yet, for all that, when it speaks, its voice has strong authority.”  ~W.J. Cameron

“Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time.”  ~Laura Ingalls Wilder

“This is the message of Christmas:  We are never alone.”  ~Taylor Caldwell

“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”  ~Charles Dickens

“Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart.”  ~Washington Irving

“Christmas is the day that holds all time together.”  ~Alexander Smith

“A Christmas candle is a lovely thing;

It makes no noise at all,

But softly gives itself away.” ~Eva Logue

***For those of you interested in old trunks. The one containing these cards and other family memorabilia is pictured below. We think it dates from about 1870, but are not certain. If you have a better guess let me know.

Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: Christmas, Christmas card, Downton Abbey, Early American, Edwardian era, Historical Christmas romance, holiday, old Christmas cards, vintage American, Virginia

“Tea began as a medicine and grew into a beverage.” ~KAKUZO OKAKURA, Book of Tea

This is my story of how herbs are saving my life. Some of you are already aware of my journey, but others are not.

I’ve been a tea lover for years, but now it’s medicine first and a beverage second. Tea is also soul satisfying and hearkens back to long-held traditions. What’s more civilized than sharing a steaming cup of tea? Little did I realize it would come to play such an important role in my health when continual infections and worsening, inexplicable anemia had my family doctor insisting I pay a visit to the hematologist. In May of 2010, after a lot of blood work and bone marrow biopsy, he floored me with the diagnosis of T-Cell LGL Leukemia, a rare form of chronic leukemia. I knew something was wrong, had been for some time, and must have sensed it was some kind of blood disorder because vampires chased me through my dreams, and not the sexy kind. I even tried to make alliances with them, but was unable to win over the alpha male or female and the lesser ones couldn’t adequately protect me. So I was always on the run in my sleep, and soooo exhausted.

Advised by my hematologist to anticipate slow deterioration until I required treatment, which would be postponed until I got really bad, since at that point the treatment was worse than the disease, I was sent home to wait to get worse and return for frequent check ups.

Nothing, if not determined, I spent days online researching everything and anything that might help me ward off the inevitable. Then I came across a clinical study by the Mayo Clinic using green tea extract to slow or even reverse symptoms in a different form of chronic leukemia, an even worse kind. So I thought if the extract would work for that type, why not mine?  As I didn’t have access to their specially formulated concoction I decided to just drink a lot of green tea. Next followed even more research into the proper way to brew the tea to achieve maximum health benefits. And this is important.

***Note, water for green tea should be brought to just below the boil. Boiling water will not make as good tasting or beneficial a cup. To achieve this temperature, I ordered an electric tea kettle from Amazon that has settings for green tea and regular tea or instant coffee, whatever you need boiling water for. I can’t find the exact one over there anymore but here’s a list of choices. Also be careful not to over-steep the tea, brew for 2-3 minutes and try to drink within half an hour as the quality deteriorates rapidly. Bottled tea has little benefits at all. Also, caffeinated green tea has the most beneficial properties, so if you drink decaf you will need twice as much. Then I experimented with different varieties and settled on one main kind: Yogi Green Tea Kombucha  *Kombucha is also very beneficial. I drink two quarts of freshly brewed green tea every day. It has a refreshing fruity flavor and I add extra peppermint tea to it–also soothing to the stomach.

I should also mention the importance of Olive Leaf extract which I came across on a leukemia message board site. I get mine from Olivus online (their best quality capsules) and took one three times a day, the maximum dose, for several years. I have cut that back to one and occasionally two a day now. At the start,  I began with one capsule daily and worked my way up. Olive leaf helps with many things, including being a powerful immune booster and can aid blood levels. To this, I added Vitamin C and TOCQ10 supplements–also indicted on the message board. The only contraindications I know of for olive leaf are that you shouldn’t take it if you on on a blood thinner because it also thins the blood. And it can interfere with the effectiveness of an antibiotic so take it at a different time of day.

My report, slowly but surely my blood levels have improved over the months until this fall they were the best yet. My red blood count is up to normal levels, the white count is good (for me), and had been through the floor, and there’s a substantial decrease in my lymphocyte levels. My lymph nodes are undetectable and there’s no inflammation in my spleen or liver. Is it all the green tea and olive leaf I’m taking?  My hematologist has no other explanation for why I’m doing so much better than expected. All I can say is thank God for leading me to this discovery.

*Disclaimer. This is my story. Not a scientific study. Make of it what you will. *Olive leaf can make you worse before it makes you better as it cleanses toxins. So if you feel worse initially, as I did, that’s actually a good sign. *I sweeten my tea with a raw honey–also healthful–or plain sugar. Artificial sweeteners are incredibly bad for you.

“Tea … is one of those rare treasures, enjoyed throughout the world, that actually benefits health.”

Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: blood disorder, chronic leukemia, Green tea, health benefits, herbal treatment, Mayo Clinic, Olive leaf, T-Cell LGL Leukemia

“The struggle ends when the gratitude begins.” ~Neale Donald Walsch

Thankfulness quotes for the whole year:

“We pray for the big things and forget to give thanks for the ordinary, small (and yet really not small) gifts.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer

 (I just made my gluten-free butternut squash bread for supper and am thankful for it, so thought I’d add this image. If you want the recipe, click this blog link)

 “Those blessings are sweetest that are won with prayer and worn with thanks.” ~ Thomas Goodwin

“Sometimes we focus so much on what we don’t have that we fail to see, appreciate, and use what we do have!” ~ Jeff Dixon

“Life without thankfulness is devoid of love and passion. Hope without thankfulness is lacking in fine perception. Faith without thankfulness lacks strength and fortitude. Every virtue divorced from thankfulness is maimed and limps along the spiritual road.” ~ John Henry Jowett

“The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you.”  ~John E. Southard

“As each day comes to us refreshed and anew, so does my gratitude renew itself daily. The breaking of the sun over the horizon is my grateful heart dawning upon a blessed world.” ~Terri Guillemets

“For each new morning with its light, For rest and shelter of the night, For health and food, for love and friends, For everything Thy goodness sends.”

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity: it must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all.”  ~William Faulkner

“The struggle ends when the gratitude begins.” ~Neale Donald Walsch

“If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness.  It will change your life mightily.”  ~Gerald Good

 

“Wherever I have knocked, a door has opened.  Wherever I have wandered, a path has appeared.”  ~Alice Walker, In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens

“Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.”  ~Henry Ward Beecher

“We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.”  ~Cynthia Ozick

“God speaks in the silence of the heart. Listening is the beginning of prayer.”  ~Mother Teresa

“Rest and be thankful.” ~ William Wordsworth

“Courtesies of a small and trivial character are the ones which strike deepest in the grateful and appreciating heart.” ~ Henry Clay

“Whatever happens in your life, no matter how troubling things might seem, do not enter the neighborhood of despair. Even when all doors remain closed, God will open up a new path only for you. Be thankful!” ~ Elif Shafak, The Forty Rules of Love

“Gratitude is the real treasure God wants us to find, because it isn’t the pot of gold but the rainbow that colors our world.” ~ Richelle E. Goodrich

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” ~ William Arthur Ward

Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: Cynthia Ozick, gluten-free bread, God, gratefulness, Gratitude, Neale Donald Walsch, quotes, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Thanksgiving, Thomas Goodwin