Reading for My Health

I have spent the last couple of weeks mostly reading.  I have hardly done any needle work.  And it has been the best thing for me. 

It has helped me rest from a very busy summer.  It has distracted me from all the negative news.  And it has given me some wonderful ideas for new quilts and embroidery.

Research has shown that reading is great for your health.  It lowers your stress level by distraction in the form of an engaging story.  If you read before bed, you tend to sleep better (as long as the book isn’t gory or too scary.  But that could just be me.)  It also helps reduce depression and dementia. 

I find that it exposes me to different people (in the character) and different settings I normally wouldn’t have a chance to meet or go.  I particularly like mysteries.  And two mystery series I enjoy have recipes at the end of each book.  One of the series refers to different herbs and the author includes little facts and suggests on how those herbs are to be used.

The way some authors describe the settings of their stories make you feel like you are actually there.  So in my mind, it is like going on vacation.  And it gives me great ideas for a quilt or an embroidery piece.  One series of mysteries the main setting is a tea shop.  I am not much of a tea drinker but I learn so much on how to brew tea, what different types of teas that are out there.   So now tea cups and tea pots are showing up in my designs.  Last year I did a pin cushion exchange in our quilt guild and I needle felted a tea cup to be used as a pin cushion.  I am sure the idea came from those mysteries. 

Some other research on reading shows that reading increases our empathy and gives us another view of the world through the eyes of the characters.  That can be helpful with persona or professional relationships.  Occasionally I read fantasy or science fiction and that does give you another view of your world when comparing it to an alien world.

What I really like is the distraction it gives when things are stressful (if you are involved with a book, you can’t think about what is stressing you).  You just escape for a while.  And with that distraction, it will help lower your blood pressure.  Although I did find out yesterday, that if you have a really engrossing book, it can make you late for an appointment, because you don’t want to put the book down.  Fortunately I got through the discovery of the murderer before I had to leave for class.  I don’t think I would have been able to concentrate wondering Who Dun It?

So the next time you need a break or want to get away but can’t, read a book.  It doesn’t have to be a mystery or even fiction but make sure it is something you want to read, not something you have to read.  It can improve your concentration, your vocabulary and lower your stress.

 

©2019  Cheryl Fillion

 

Stay-cation

Last week I took a stay-cation.  For those of you who are unfamiliar, it is a vacation you spend at home but you treat the time off as if you were visiting a tourist place.  In essence, you are a tourist in your own city.  Be honest how many of you visit the tourist attractions in the city in which you live; that is visit the attractions when you are not playing tour guide for out of town guests.

Well, I had some time between the end of the summer session and the start of the fall semester, so I decided to make it a real vacation.  I visited places around town, got lots of take out and read and sewed simply for my enjoyment.  I didn’t have papers to grade or student emails to answer, I even took a little break from my etsy shop.  And to really make it feel like a vacation, I limited my  exposure to TV and the computer (notice I said limit, it is hard to step away entirely).

 I did do some typical things but they were fun typical things.  I started the week with my Quilt Sampler group, that is always fun and from there went to the library to check out a new book I had on hold, and bought myself a small pizza.  My plan was to do very little cooking. 

Before the week started, I went to the grocery store and bought muffins for breakfast, a new type of snack, a small box of assorted fancy chocolates and a bouquet of flowers. The chocolates and flowers are something I rarely do for myself so since I was on “vacation’ I decided to splurge.  And since you are staying at home on a stay-cation and not spending money on plane tickets or hotel rooms, you can splurge.

As I just mentioned, I had decided to do little cooking, so  I went out to eat going places where I knew I would have leftovers which would feed me another day.  And again I went to places I don’t go often and did a little splurging.

So back to my first day, I went to my quilt group, got a new book from the library and bought a pizza.   I then spent the next two days lounging in my rocker reading my book.  Actually finished it in a day and a half.  I can’t even remember when the last time was that that happened.  And it was a pleasure book, not a book need to read for my classes.  I felt like I was in heaven.  I stayed up late reading and blissfully slept late the next day. 

The third day I did a little shopping, again went to some stores I don’t normally go to including a pet store where I bought some new fish.  I am allergic to most anything with fur or feathers so I have a little table top fish tank.  The fish I have had in the tank for the last 3 ½ years (which is a long time for these fishies), within a month of each other went to the big fish tank in the sky.  So one memory I will have of my stay-cation is getting some new roommates.  They are neon tetras and both doing fine although at the time of this writing, still unnamed. 

The campus where I work has a planetarium and a dome theater so I spent one afternoon there watching some films on space and the ocean.  They were wonderful and again something I don’t do often enough.  I also bought a little heart shaped (you know me and hearts) rose quartz necklace.  I mean what is a vacation without a souvenir.  And then went often to a Chinese place to get some shrimp and pea pods and an egg roll for dinner. Another afternoon I went to see a new movie at the theater and made sure I got popcorn and a soft drink.  And once again got take out on the way home to spend the evening reading my new book. 

I spent a couple of days at home sewing some clothes I had started at the beginning of the summer, so now I have some new clothes for the school year.  That might not be fun for some of you but it is fun for me.  I escaped to the library once again to get a second book I had on hold (all of these are new books.  This one was just released this month so I get to read it first.  And this one is fun because it takes place on a cruise so I can read about traveling even if I hadn’t left my neighborhood.)

No I didn’t travel far from home on my vacation but I treated the week like it was an away from home vacation.  Visited tourist spots, relaxed with a book (not by a poolside but by a fish tank.) enjoyed the local cuisine and treated myself to some things I normally wouldn’t do during my hectic life.  When the week ended, I had great memories, a couple of souvenirs, some new friends (of the fin variety) and felt very relaxed.

The next time you have some time off but can’t go anywhere outside of your hometown, treat your home town as if you were a tourist and have your own stay-cation.   It is a great way to relax and see some familiar sites in a new way and maybe pamper yourself a little (oh that fancy candy was great).

©2019 Cheryl Fillion

 

 

 

 

 

Prayer Flags

I like the idea of Prayer flags or Peace flags, as they are sometimes called.  In Tibet, small squares of fabric with different symbols and words are hung on a long line of rope.  The idea is that the message of the flag is then carried by the wind to the rest of the world. The positive message could be for yourself, your family, community or the world.  It is a simple way to send out good wishes and thoughts

Now you don’t have to go to Tibet to hang your prayer flag (although that would be a great trip).  You can make it and hang it outside your home, give it to someone or even hang it inside your home from a curtain rod, for example.

I have made a couple of flags myself.  I did one when I was hearing a lot of criticism of my work but also just general negativity.  I did the design and wording free hand which was something new for me and did it with pigma ink pens.  I created a fringe at the bottom with some hearts drawn on each piece of fringe and added some purple yarn at the side as a simple tassel (the orange yarn was to hang it on the inside of my front door).

Then when the bombing occurred in Paris in November of 2015 and then a second one in Brussels in March of 2016, I made simple flags with a spool knitted peace sign for each of those events.  I tried to imitate their national flag as the base. I didn’t know what else to do. Prayer flags don’t have to be painted or drawn, you can also appliqué fabric or spoolknitting (or couched yarn ) on them.

The first step is to decide what you want to say in your prayer.  Is it for you or a loved one?  Maybe healing from a disease or a break up.  Or is it for your community or the world.  Are you praying for peace or unity?   What symbol would work for what you want to say in your prayer?  I used a butterfly in my Speak Kind flag and a peace sign in my two little  country flags.

Now a prayer flag can be any size you want.  The two flags for Paris and Brussels were about 6 by 7 inches.  The Speak Kind flag was closer to 9 inches.  What ever size you make it make sure it is big enough to show your prayer and has enough fabric at the top or side to be able to hang it.  In other words, account for the hanging sleeve.

Your flag can be any color you wish it to be.  Do you have a favorite color or does the recipient of the flag?  Remember if you are using markers or colored pencil, it needs to be a lighter color so the design can be seen.   Once the design is decided, now create your flag.  It helps if you meditate or pray your message while making the flag. 

Once it is created, hang your flag.  Put it somewhere outside (or inside, if you prefer) where the wind will catch it and start spreading the message around the world.  If you give it to someone, send a little note explaining the flag and what prayer flags are supposed to do.  You might also want to include a way to hang it like a small rod or string or yarn through the sleeve of the flag so it is easier for the recipient to hang it.

This is something you can do on your own or even get children involved if it is a prayer that they would understand.  If you are making a prayer for a friend who is ill, gather other friends and each create a flag.  Think of how loved that recipient friend will feel when she or he sees a whole string of flags wishing him or her well.  And think of how much better you will feel having sent your love and prayers in a creative way such as a prayer flag.

©2019  Cheryl Fillion

 

 

 



Feeling Helpless

America is once again a witness to a mass shooting.  I am not going to go into the details about each one.  You can find that information on the news.  But if you are like me after each one of these incidents, you feel helpless. 

One can donate money to some organization that may help the victims and their families.  Donate to the Red Cross who usually help at the site of the incident.  Donate money to your religious denomination who can provide for the needs of people in the area. 

It is also during these times when I want to silently create.  Usually what I create does not go to the victims of the shooting or disaster but the need for beauty is needed at these times so creating is healing in itself.

Studies have shown that creating alleviates depression.  If you are doing something repetitive like knitting or crocheting, that repetitive motion releases serotonin, a chemical in the brain that is a natural anti-depressant. 

For a lot of people creating something helps relax them.  Staying calm will help with any helpless feelings.  It also helps alleviate stress.   Even if the incident is hundreds of miles away, it still can create stress in you. Another thing that often happens to me after one of these situations, even miles away, is that I cannot sleep.  Creating relaxes me so I am able to sleep.

Creating can also be a form of prayer.  If while you are creating you are sending prayers of healing to the communities involved how can that be a bad thing?  Prayer is never bad.

And when something like a shooting or a natural disaster occurs, you grieve even if it is not in your community.  You naturally feel the pain of other people.  Creating something beautiful helps with the grieving.

And if you want to give what you made to someone else, share it with a homeless shelter or an abused woman’s shelter.  If it is a painting it can brighten someone’s day.  If it is for an individual, they will not feel as alone.  Just remember to create even in the worst times.

 

©2019 Cheryl Fillion

Join a Group

There is nothing better than being a member of a group of people who have the same interests as you do.  I belong to the local quilt guild and the Fiber Artists group.

Not only in a group do you have people who share your interests and talk about the same things you do (If you have ever talked about your needlework or art to someone who just doesn’t care, you know what I mean.) but you learn from them.  They may have a slightly different way of doing something or might even know of a better needle, thread, paint or brush. 

If it is a formal group you belong to, you might get a chance to take some classes in techniques you want to learn.  If nothing else you can get together and socialize while you are creating.  And if you have a problem, two heads (or more) are better than one. Recently I was trying to figure out how to embellish an art quilt I had made.  I showed it to my small quilting group and with one turn of my little quilt, they gave me a totally different way to look at it and a totally new idea of embellishment.  I would still be struggling without them.

Belonging to a group gives you cheerleaders when you need them most.  They can cheer you on when you are sure and not sure what you are doing but they also can help in non creative parts of your life.  When I was recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes so many of the guild members helped with advice since they had experienced the same thing themselves.  And I know if I ever am in the hospital, they will be there with a visit.

And for me going on the bus trips with the guild to the Houston and Dallas quilt shows makes the experiences so much more fun.  I can share opinions of the quilts, have someone to shop with and eat lunch with and just laugh all the way there and home. 

If there is no formal group in your area, start one.  It doesn’t have to be a formal registered non-profit organization.  It can just be a group of creatives who get together and create.  You can meet in someone’s home or try a local church or library to meet.  Or even try meeting in a class room of a local quilt store.  Our small group that is part of the larger quilt guild meets at a local quilt shop.  And rarely does a meeting go by when most of us don’t purchase something from the shop.  So it becomes a benefit for both your group and the shop.

Just join a group.  It might be a great way to meet other creative people.  And remember if it turns out not to be for you, you can always leave the group.  But my guess is you will stay a member.

©2019 Cheryl Fillion