BellaOnline Forums Beauty and Self Stress Management What is This Week's Stress for you?

My stress for this week is erratic glucose levels. Ran the gamut from over 200+ down to 47. ugh.

And then, my daughter's situation is always a stress.

I get bombarded with link exchange requests every day. I have a signature set up in my mail package so I don't even have to type anything. I just hit RESPOND and then choose the "link exchange" signature which puts in a whole block of text. It says:

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Greetings! Thank you for your note about participating in a link exchange.

BellaOnline receives 20 million pageviews each month and is usually the #1 Google result for search terms we write about. As a result, we get hundreds of requests for link exchanges every day.

Here is our information on link exchanges:

http://www.bellaonline.com/misc/adv/linkexchange.asp

Please let me know if you have further questions.

Lisa Shea
BellaOnline.com

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That's it. No muss, no fuss, they're pointed at that page which says we don't do it. If they write again, I give them that same response.

If they want to send a product to review, and it's in my area, I'll accept it with the note that my review is going to be 100% my own words and thoughts. Either they accept that or they don't.

If it's not in my area, then I say it's not in my area, and point them at the site list for them to choose someone else.

If I'm swamped with the item, like too many books, then I'll tell them my backlog is too huge and I will write them when I have an open schedule again.

That should take care of everyone!

Chi -

Wow, those are wild fluctuations! Is there something odd going on with your diet?

I feel better now. I did some gardening and worked on my patio area. That is always soothing. I still have to deal with the car and a dr, but at least I have a plan.

I feel like drawing right now.

I did some drawing last night! That made me feel happy. I had not done that in a while.

Jilly - that is awesome! You have found space in your world for drawing again, it shows how much things have settled down for you!

Yes, I was so happy to be able to sketch a little. I am filling up a little sketch pad with drawings of Bonsai trees. I find that soothing.

Ok, my stress this week is dealing with my grief over losing my kitten. I might have had other things on my mind but right now this is big enough. William was my baby, my favorite, and i was there to birth him. Right now he is in my freezer, wrapped in the blanket he was born on.

Oh, my glucose fluctuations are due to the new insulin I'm on. I'm on insulin for the first time and learning how to gauge my dosages based on what I'm eating.

This week's stress:

We need to move in with my elderly aunt. She is a very organized hoarder. Her house is filled with labeled boxes and collections of all kinds. From Elvis and empty plastic cups to shampoo samples and stuffed animals. Used medicine bottles. Political buttons. Three stereos (the old turntable kind). And organ. A piano. Over 3000 kitchen magnets. Disneyana. Even cleaned wishbones from chicken and turkey dinners past. Does that paint a picture?

She needs living assistance but refuses to get rid of anything. We need to store our own stuff just to fit in there. Good thing we live very simply. Hardly any stuff at all. But we are stressing just a bit over how we will fit in.

Plus, she is very particular on everything from how to wash her trash (yes, you read that correctly) to using a toothbrush to wash the forks. She is a very neat and clean hoarder. ack. What a combination.

The added stress comes from my husband who can't stand clutter. He gets overwhelmed. His own mother is a neat freak. I'm stressing over how to help everyone get along.

Wow, Lori, that sounds like madness. I'd advise getting out of that environment as much as possible. Spend your free time at the library or coffee shops or at parks. Someplace peaceful.

Jill - give yourself time to heal. Find ways to commemorate his passing. Create your own rituals.

Chi - find just one area of the collection that might have a treasured new home. For example - find a political museum that might adore the buttons. Then talk to your aunt about how the buttons will be treasured and adored by many if they are safely - *temporarily* - displayed in that museum. Get her comfortable with the idea that the items will be safe, and yes you acknowledge that they are incredibly valuable. That all her hard work in saving them has been worth it, because now they can be really appreciated.