{Angels Birthdates & Fortunes}

All of us know that there are often ANGELS among us, they can be two- or four-legged.

They know when we need them MOST...

This gorgeous 'Fashionista' bouquet got delivered while I was in the hospital for major surgery on October 7. Dear friend Celia M. High Heeled Life & Resilientista proved to be one of those Angels among us. Thanks again dear! Flowers do always pick us up in a special way...

This photo is made by Pieter at 3:50 AM when I just was one day out of the hospital and look...

Cat Nurse Barty is nursing me back to health... Barty is almost 10, on March 17 we celebrate his would be birthday; guessing from the Humane Society's adoption papers.

What a difference a down duvet bed makes compared to a hospital bed!

Love my Yves Delorme US cotton duvet cover with roses woven into it...

Drinking lots of water and using on and off my Spirometer (to the left of Barty).

This is the 2nd time Barty did care for me in a very special and soft way. When I got home from the hospital in January of 2010, after being almost completely paralyzed, Barty was there with me as a Cat Nurse...

When husband Pieter delivered a kidney stone some 13 years ago, our than feline girl Spooky sat next to him, keeping him comfort while pressing herself against him. They sense that their human is in great pain.

Guess that animals have a very special 6th sense and they can read our body language far better than humans can.

Barty knew that I had not been taking pain medication the entire time; due to my chronic kidney disease.

Sure it does help for getting human love and pet love. Such flowers do send a very strong message.

Like these gorgeous sunflowers that came from our Church Women.

Very sweet and they sure do help you mend...

Time heals and time also is passing very fast. Birthdays hit us at a much faster pace than it used to be!

Does any of you have the same problem?

But there is so much to be grateful for; for being healthy, for having a loving husband and loving pets.

For having numerous friends that lovingly bridge the gap between the ocean for being far away from family.

It is said about my Birthday that I have this Fortune:

Feb.6 ----You have a keen sense of humor, are witty, fond of fun, economical and prudent. You are inclined toward sensitivity which worries and annoys you. You should practice poise. You are demonstrative and loving, and should have a very happy marriage.

Husband Pieter's:

April.29 ----You live within yourself. Rather than make any of those you love unhappy, you keep your troubles and worries to yourself. You have determination of purpose and always do what you plan.

Pieter sure does what he plans!

Related links:

{Our Felines - Sweet Barty...} | previous post by me
{Our Felines - Sweet Spooky I...} | previous post by me

{CHIA for Iron Boost and Good for Blood Sugar Level}

Are you already aware of the great benefits of using CHIA seeds in your daily diet? Use CHIA for Iron Boost and it is also Good for Blood Sugar Level. That are two big reasons for me to embrace these powerful seeds! Being Diabetes type 2 and also having had on and off bouts of anemia, sure made CHIA a permanent item in our kitchen! Are you using it too?

CHIA seeds can be used in a number of ways. Here I added it to some cole slaw, together with dried cranberries and a dressing of Trader Joe's reduced fat mayonaise with some brown rice vinegar and CHIA Seeds. You can find below post a link from previous post with photos of this mayonaise.

Daily we both add CHIA Seeds to our Trader Joe's 0% Greek Yogurt with some fresh fruits. Chia seeds work gelatinous so keep that in mind when adding to certain dishes. Best is to do it right before being served.

So again, I did reveal another Secret for my size and weight...

For USA, Canada and Mexico citizens you can find CHIA SEEDS from Carrington Farms  at Costco Wholesale 

More you can read about Carrington Farms below my post.

Healthy Foods for a Healthy Soul

This sure belongs in the group of Antioxidant Super Foods!

CHIA SEEDS The Costco Connection, July 2013 (click link for Pdf format)

Combat Diabetes

Get More Fibre

Stock Up On Omega-3

Stronger Teeth And Bones

Don't Forget Manganese

Plenty Of Phosphorus

Pack In The Protein

Fight Belly Fat

Get Full. Faster.

Improve Heart Health

Chia Seed Benefits: 10 Reasons To Add Chia To Your Diet (link from above 10)

So are you using CHIA already?

Related links:
{Healthy & Quick Vegetarian Supper} | previous post by me showing Trader Joe's Reduced Fat Mayonaise

Carrington Farms Healthy Foods for a Healthy Soul | FB Fan Page
11 Health Benefits of Chia Seeds - Eco Watch info about Chia Seeds

{World Leprosy Day}

French philanthropist and writer, Raoul Follereau, initiated World Leprosy Day in 1954. It is being observed around the world on the last Sunday of January, or the nearest Sunday. This year that results in Sunday, February 2 for 2014 as it is the nearest Sunday. On December 20, I did write a post about both of us visiting the very same Leprosy Hospital in Jakarta, Indonesia where Princess Diana visited in 1989. You find that link below this post for those that missed it.

At the Amsterdam taxfree airport shop, Pieter bought me this long necklace of Majorica crema rosa pearls and in Singapore the matching Christian Dior pearl earrings.

Wearing the necklace here double.

This is me, back in 1997 in the Jakarta, Indonesia Leprosy hospital with a male patient.

Look at his disfigured hands... and skinny arms!

We both have been passionately involved in this Leprosy Project.

Indonesia belongs to the 3 billion people on this earth that have people that make less than US $ 2.00 per day. How would a leprosy patient who is also an outcast, make enough money to afford any surgery?

Immigration, World Poverty and Gumballs - Updated 2010 BEST video to show you this reality!

As if two affected hands would not be enough... look at his foot!

Showing you that due to this infection, the entire leg becomes swollen.

This man's feet are also affected... They are not able to wear shoes with such severely disfigured feet and thus they are even more prone to infection and open wounds.

November 20, 1999, I am holding here the hand of a poor man who lost already one hand and half of the other one... Seen is only his thumb and his palm; fingers are gone! Just imagine having to live like that!

People in the Western world complain about poverty but that is a far cry from those 3 billion, making LESS than US $ 2.00 a day. They cannot afford anything. 

Because Leprosy still has this Stigma about it, people that have the initial signs of this dreaded disease from biblical times, hide...

This young woman is lucky for having come to the hospital with her skin rash that is the beginning of Leprosy. Usually those untreated, loose their nose and part of their face and turn blind as well.

above text is from the Dutch Leprastichting. 

Sure, from the comments I received, there might be the need for providing some figures about annual new cases of leprosy world wide. In 1997 that was 600,000 annual and in 2010 less than 250,000 but keep in mind the millions that became disfigured because of leprosy!

The Dutch Leprastichting (Leprosy foundation) link also tells us about the human rights issues for ex leprosy and leprosy sufferers.

Did you know that the Leprosy foundation in The Netherlands receives money from De Nationale Postcode Loterij (The National Zipcode Lottery) and since 1996 they received 19.5 million Euro for the Leprastichting.

Wikipedia about Leprosy for above info, just scroll down.

The worldwide ILEP Federation is another help program.

Let us not turn away from those pour souls and educate others to tackle the harsh Leprosy Stigma and Ostracism!

Related links:
{Like Princess Diana, I also Tried to Tackle the Leprosy Stigma} | previous post by me
Why is it hard to eradicate leprosy? | article in The Economist November 11th, 2013
{My 6 Min Presentation The Truth About Leprosy for GPDLI, AtAmerica U.S. EMBASSY JAKARTA} | post by me with video + Pdf transcript link
{My 8th Blog Award - Sunshine from Japan} | previous post by me mentioning our fight for the underdog 
{We saw FOUR Armadillos at Lunch Time!} | Humans can acquire a leprosy infection from armadillos by handling them or consuming armadillo meat, and are a presumed vector and natural reservoir for the disease in Texas and Louisiana - previous post by me