Sleep Like a Baby

Have you been feeling stressed out lately?  

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be able to “Sleep Like a Baby”?  You’ve seen what it looks like and maybe even know what it feels like, especially if you’ve held a sleeping infant in your arms.  It's that feeling of total surrender and trust, as the little one nods off into a state of complete slumber.

Cal and niece Nora - 2013

What kind of sleep are you getting?  Is it restless or restful? 

With recent changes to my sleep schedule, I'm getting to bed an hour earlier and getting up earlier.  It's giving me more time to write before the rest of my day kicks in. I’m a morning person and more words are getting on the page, but it's taking a bit of practice to get my mind to slow down ahead of time in order to get to sleep.  To help this along, I’ve done a little exploring on the subject and discovered that getting a good night’s sleep is more important than I’d ever imagined like:

Quality Sleep is Life Changing.

According to Medline Plus, a good night’s sleep can help you:

⦁ Feel rested and energetic the next day.

⦁ Learn information, get insight, and form memories.

⦁ Give your heart and vascular system a rest.

⦁ Release more growth hormone, which helps children grow. It also boosts muscle mass and the repair of cells and tissues in children and adults.

⦁ Keep from getting sick or help you get better when you are sick, by creating more cytokines (hormones that help the immune system fight various infections).

Fostering a Good Night's Sleep 

Sources recommend things like:

⦁ Going to bed and waking up the same time each day. 

⦁ Exercise during the day, but not too close to bedtime.  

⦁ Less caffeine.

⦁ A cool room to sleep in.

⦁ A good quality mattress.      

Monitor Your Sleep

Maybe by keeping a daily sleeping journal - write down what’s going on in your life, as well as, how well you’ve slept. If you’re a visual person,  like me, you might find a smart band like Xiaomi Mi Band or a Fitbit Charge 4 beneficial.  Recently I purchased a Xiaomi Mi Band 5. It monitors my heart rate throughout the day, as well as, gives me a read out on how I’m doing with their 3 stages of sleep: Light, Deep and REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep.  With some of the suggestions mentioned above and using the resources below, I’m getting better quality sleep and higher scores on my new smart watch.    If you, need help with getting a better night’s sleep, then join me in my quest to “Sleep Like a Baby” by checking out the resources below.  Maybe you've already getting quality sleep or have been working on it.  If so, I'd appreciate knowing what's worked for you.

Resources

https://medlineplus.gov/healthysleep.html

https://www.tuftandneedle.com/resources/what-to-do-when-cant-fall-asleep/ 

https://www.androidauthority.com/xiaomi-mi-band-5-review-1147866/

Advantages of a Staycation

As Jim and I approach the last two days of our almost week long staycation, we've found some advantages.  Instead of packing, we did a little spring cleaning a couple days before.  The house looks and feels more relaxing. 

There's no road lag from driving and no moving in and out of hotel rooms to get there.  Also, we're appreciating the money we saved.  

We're fortunate to live in a place with front facing windows that have a picturesque view, surrounded by a lot of green and some beautiful flowering plants.  The bees are having a field day with the rhododendrons.  

It's quiet, having turned off the various rings of on our cells phone. Cell phones aren't pinging all day long.  

For health reasons, while on vacation, we prepare most of our meals; cooking in our favorite kitchen is an added bonus. Though we did get one take out meal from a local restaurant.

Both of us got in some of our best exercise due to a friendly challenge, thanks to Virgin Pulse. We're both on teams of five. Jim is in second place on his team.  On my team there are two of us competing for second place.  It's been great to be able to complete 20,000 steps a day.  The challenge ends soon.

There's also been time to listen to the birds, take some photos and read, but most of all to rest our minds.  This being our second staycation, we've found that once the vacation is over, we can make a little vacation time during our work week by setting aside time to be together.  Time like Friday night movie nights and even impromptu going out to eat in where we set the dining room table a little fancier and have a special meal which may include something like scallops.

Though we've enjoyed our time at home, we're still looking forward to fitting in our typical two week vacation, traveling to Myrle Beach, SC next year.

Book Update - Halifax Explosion

It's four months into 2021 and the memoir I’m working on about my Grandpa Joe Landry’s family, before, during and after the Halifax Explosion is looking more and more like a book worth publishing in 2022; thanks to weekly meetings with my editor, Sylvia Clark.  As you can imagine, it’s taken a lot of research time, many hours of writing, and several edits per chapter to get to this point. 

We’re half-way through chapter six with about two chapters left.  In chapter five, two ships, the Imo, a cargo ship and the Mont Blanc, a munitions ship had collided.  The collision breached the hull of the Mont Blanc, causing sparks, then a massive fire. About twenty-minutes later, the Mont Blanc, having drifted into Pier 6, blew up; leveling homes in the northern sections of Halifax and Dartmouth. In chapter six, there is a threat of another explosion on the Halifax side of the harbor at Wellington Barracks, when the munition shed appeared to be on fire.  Panic spread throughout the city, as calls were heard to head for higher ground and that the munitions shed at Wellington Barracks was about to explode.

Members of the Landry and Burke families were scattered throughout Halifax - some at home and others at work or school when the explosion hit. At this point in the narrative, family members were trying to get to their homes to check on loved ones. The panic spreading throughout the city was making it more difficult to get into the devastated area.  Amidst the chaos, those who were wounded were taken to hospitals or dressing stations. Roads were closed off.  The north end of Halifax was lit up by the flames of overturned coal stoves.  Rescue efforts were disrupted and some members of the Landry and Burke families would lose their lives - all were left homeless.

By the end of chapter six, families will be split apart, not living under the same roof, as they were prior to the explosion. A couple of the teenagers wouldn't be reunited with their family for weeks.  

There’s still a bit of research left to do, as well as, writing to complete this chapter, but it's moving forward at a steady pace.  Right now, the focus is on the various places throughout the city of Halifax and Dartmouth that family members wound up at, like hospitals and shelters. Thanks to the Halifax Relief Commission claims records and Archibald MacMechan's digital collection online, along with books like Shattered City by Janet Kitz and The Great Halifax Explosion by John U. Bacon, the second half of chapter six is taking shape.  

Thank you, family and friends for your continued support and encouragement. 

Halifax Explosion Stories – Halifax Relief Commission Records

Joseph Landry - born 1889

Over 2,000 people died as a result of the Halifax Explosion, and it left 9,000 injured and 25,000 homeless.  

Having grown up in the United States, I had not heard of the Halifax Explosion and no idea that members of my Grandpa Joe's family had lived through this event.  I'm determined that the generation, coming after me, will have a written account of their experiences. As I work on this project, the Halifax Relief Commission (HRC) claim records are one of my favorite resources, giving me a better understanding of what my relatives lived through - before, during and after the Halifax Explosion.

Looking at the HRC claim records I’ve discovered how few possessions, most of my grandfather’s family owned before the explosion.  Each family member might have two pairs of  a certain item of clothing, like a shirt and pants, or skirt.  Maybe one to wear and one to wash.  Household items listed were handwritten and wouldn't fit a letter sized sheet of paper.   

Other information found in the records:

Their ages and education, with some unable to read or write;

Though most of the family survived, we lost four;

If they were working, where they worked before and after the explosion, with one person being in and out of a job because he was needed at home.

Many of the records contained the remark "home destroyed and family scattered."
They were scattered because those who weren't injured needed to find shelter near their places of employment - while other's who were wounded were taken to different hospitals throughout the city; 

One family member, having lost her husband, came down with Tuberculosis and struggled with the decision of whether to leave her children in order to get treatment at the hospital.  She just couldn't leave her children.  Another family member, having lost his wife and children, was in shock and it was affecting his ability to work. 

When housing standards were substandard, the HRC made efforts to relocate.  It would take close to 3 years before they were in permanent housing. 

Out of the families that I'm writing about, only one was able to stay in their home because it was in the southern part of town and the damage wasn't that extensive. This family's HRC claim record was about a paragraph, yet others were from about 13 pages to about 50 pages. I've used information, found in the HRC records, to write previous blogs, along with the chapters that I'm working on for the family memoir I'm writing called, A Picture on the wall.

Two notable books were written using information they found in the HRC records as one of their sources. The first book was written by a woman named Janet Kitz, who having helped organize and catalogue Halifax Relief Commission records, desired that they be more than a number or name, that their stories be brought to life. Kitz's, wrote many books, starting with Shattered City. The second book was written by James Mahar and Rowena Mahar, about their family line and it's titled, Too Many To Mourn. Its about the Jackson family who suffered, what appears to be, the greatest loss of life, with sixty-six of its members living in the section of town closest to the blast: forty-six were killed, nineteen were injured and brought to hospital and only one escaped harm. 

If you’re looking for information whether you have little to none, or just want to expand what you’ve been told about your relative, the HRC claim records might be a good place to start. These records can be found at the Nova Scotia Archives.  Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, you can access the files by making an appointment to visit the archives.  My hope is that some day these files will be accessible online.  May you be inspired to bring the massive amount of statistics regarding the dead, the injured, and the homeless, associated with this disaster, to life, one family at a time. How about your family? 

What's in Your Family's History?

What’s in your family’s history?  Maybe there’s someone born during the depression or a survivor of war? An artist or photographer? The list is endless…

During this time of social distancing and our use of Facetime, ZOOM, and Skype, now might be a good time to get to know an older relative and uncover your family's history.  When you've visited them in the past, was there an item in their house that caught your eye and appeared to have historical significance? It could be an old photograph on the wall, an antique chest at the end of a bed, a medal, etc. Ask your relative to tell you about the item.

Cal Shook and Anna Bella (Landry) Bradley

My great Aunt Anna Bella Landry Bradley had a large Sepia toned picture that hung above her bed. I asked her about it.  The answer, "It's the only thing that survived the explosion."  That explosion was one I hadn't heard about until that day, the Halifax Explosion.  That one conversation, led to more stories. At first I took notes about them then realized I wasn't getting everything, so she gave me permission to audio tape our conversations.  I wished it had been easier to do video recordings back then like it is now. It was around 1995 when Aunt Anna Bella started sharing about this event. 

ZOOM, Facetime, and Skype, allow you to video record your time together. It can be beneficial to  write down some questions ahead of time to fuel discussion during your time together. This is a simple way to help your loved one(s) leave a legacy and keep their stories alive for generations to come. If a family member is hesitant, assure them that they can view the final video, before you show it to anyone else, and that you’ll edit out anything they’d rather not include. This could be a time, not only to get to know a family member, but to uncover parts of your family's past, as well.

My visits with my great Aunt Anna Bella, along with other relatives, have given me enough information for a family memoir.  Who knows what spending time with your relatives might uncover?

The memoir that I'm working on is called, "A Picture on the Wall."  My editor and I are meeting weekly as I work through the chapters, with plans to have a full draft by the end of the year.  Our goal is to  publish in 2022.  I'm not a professional writer, but am hoping to create a memoir that authentically portrays my great Aunt Anna Bella and my Grandpa Joe's family, showing their triumph over the tragedy, after the the tragedy they survived, on December 6, 1917, the day of the Halifax Explosion.  

There's no time like the present to preserve our family's heritage?  It could give us new insight on the people that came before us.

Be Love

Just for today,
 “Be Love.”

Easier said than done. 

Just when I think I’m a loving person, someone says or posts something and I feel the rage of disagreement well up within me.  Not so loving thoughts appear. I like to think that I’m open minded, but it’s difficult with the extreme polarization that exists today.  

A New Outlook. 

My husband Jim and I took a staycation this past week.  It was wonderful to have some down time, to enjoy being together, relaxing, reading, exercising, and having some of our favorite meals.  During this time, I completed a book titled “Reckless Love” by Tom Berlin.  Berlin reminded me of the power of God.  With God’s help I can become a better lover of people, not like me.  

I started reading the book on vacation because I was discouraged.  My faith is being challenged with my country’s (USA's) political extremes.  Two parties, for the most part, not willing to value each other or listen to one another. People of faith exist on both sides of the isle. How do I come to grips with the fact that I know Christians who are members of different political parties who believe their doing God's Will?

Through Berlin's book I realized that's not the question I should be asking.  Maybe more like, what can I do to be more loving toward people that I don't agree with? Or, how can I be a part of the solution rather then fueling the problem?

The book encourages us to have a relationship with God. To let God take us to places we’ve never been before. 

Berlin mentioned, how Jesus was into experiential learning when it came to his disciples. 

"In many ways, Jesus was reckless. Rather than meet faithful Jews in the synagogue or Temple, Jesus' path took them to outcasts, Gentiles, Roman soldiers, women, people who were physically and mentally ill, and some said to be demon possessed... They saw him rejected by old neighbors of his hometown... Rather than ridicule sinners, he forgave them. When he heard of a man who lived among the tombs who was a danger to himself and others, Jesus got in a boat and went to look for him." - pgs 9-10 of e-book "Reckless Love"

I was reminded that I’m responsible for me and the choices that I make and for my relationship with Christ. To remember why I became a Christian in the first place.  Christ showed how much he loved me by sacrificing his life.  With gratitude, I desire to “Be Love,” with God’s help.  I need God's help and guidance now more than ever.  How about you? 

Also, that once in a relationship with God, if I'm willing to listen, there’s transformation. Berlin lays out some guidance to assist in that transformation, drawing closer to God, to “Be Love.”

Begin with Love
Expand the Circle

Lavish Love
Openhearted Love
Value the Vulnerable
Emulate Christ

If you, too, are struggling with loving others, you disagree with, and would like to experience the transformational power of God, I’d like to invite you to read, “Reckless Love” by Tim Berlin, during Lent this year, either on your own or with a group.  My church, Hope Ministries, will be hosting a Lenten Study on ZOOM, using this book, starting Wednesday, February 24 from 6:00pm to 7:00pm for six weeks.  For more information or to sign up Be Love form. You are welcome to join us.