Creating a simple home budget can help you manage your finances effectively. Here are five steps to guide you through the process: Determine Your Income: Use the budget worksheet below. List all sources of income, including any wages, freelance work, support income, or any other sources. Make sure to use your net income (after deductions (more...) Source ..read more

Buying food on a budget can be challenging, but with some strategic planning and smart choices, you can make delicious and inexpensive meals. Here are five tips to help you buy food on a budget:  Plan Your Meals and Create a Shopping List: Before heading to the store, plan your meals for the week. Consider (more...) Source ..read more

Cherry blossoms are a favorite this time of year. Filled with color and fresh fragrance they lift our spirits after a cold, often bleak, winter. Bird songs rise this time of year, too. Enjoy our Spring haiku titled, Spring Song. Source ..read more

You’re sitting around the table with several friends and one begins to speak, “It’s dusk and the road is dusty and rutted. The town is another half day’s walk. It begins to rain. You look around and there isn’t a soul or house or even a cave nearby. What do you do now?” And so the story begins. With all the chatter and YouTube videos, plus the new Dungeons and Dragons movie about to be released, there aren’t too many people who haven’t heard about the game. But if we move past the hype we’re left with the question what’s Read More... Source ..read more

The way we eat determines how healthy we are in the long run. When we’re young greasy, fast food stops several times a week may not have much impact, but the impact you don’t see in the moment will manifest itself later in life. There are many foods that support brain health, but I wanted to focus on the top five foods you can eat for a healthy brain: Fatty Fish: Fatty fish is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for brain health. Omega-3 fatty acids are critical for the formation of brain cell membranes and Read More... Source ..read more

Virtual worlds, especially Second Life, provide an invaluable lifeline for many in our community who are isolated for a variety of reasons. I’ve written about this before and personally experience how helpful Second Life can be. The immersive experiences and connections with others have been especially helpful over the past three years as shifting health mandates and recommendations are more often confusing than helpful. The big push for video meetings, aka “zoom meetings” with the onset of the COVID pandemic in 2020 helped some and left many others without the connections they craved and that ..read more

I’m a big believer in self-care for brain injury survivors, or for anyone at all for that matter. Medical professionals are great at their jobs and they help us keep breathing and walking around day to day. I don’t know where I’d be without the professionals who treated me while I was experiencing a major stroke, but I’ll tell you, I wouldn’t be here, breathing and walking around every day. But I also know how important it is for me to participate in my own healthcare decisions. After all, I know myself best. While I follow the doctor’s advice, I Read More... Source ..read more

Did you know that the lotus grows in muddy water? It is said that the muddier the pond, the more beautiful the flower. The lotus flower has great meaning in Buddhism. An open flower, one that has bloomed, represents enlightenment and the muddy water represents the turbulence and challenges of our daily life. The Buddha said that “as a lotus flower is born in water, grows in water, and rises out of the water to stand above it unsoiled, so I, born in the world, raised in the world having overcome the world, live unsoiled by the world.”   Source ..read more

This is the time of year when your immune system takes a beating; flu, common cold, bronchitis, stomach bug, and even COVID. Yes, any virus can sneak in and take control whenever your immune system is weakened. That includes some medications (talk to your doctor about this if you have concerns about your prescriptions). Sure we can get a pill or vaccine or some over-the-counter snake oil, but if we focus on good nutrition and a reasonable amount of daily exercise we create a great foundation for sustained health. Add to that the 10 immune system boosters in this article Read More... Source ..read more

It’s February. Cold, wet, windy, and snowy. I know you believe chocolate and flowers make these days a lot easier to take. Just wanted you to know how much we appreciate you! Source ..read more