Photo by
Janet Beasley
Never Let Anyone Tell You
It Can't Be Done
Hello everyone! So great to see you here.
Regular blog posts are still appearing on Mondays - but with a little bit of a twist.
Due to the enormous success we have had with Maycly - I need to get busy on the next 5 novels...you read right...5 more novels! For this reason, every Monday we're going to head to the archives and the postings will be some of the coolest and most helpful blog posts I made throughout 2011 and early 2012. This will allow me the much time needed to let my creativity run wild and write, and write, and write. ;-)
Not to worry, I'm not abandoning my fans - I'll still be at your fingertips through comments here on the blog, email, Facebook, Twitter, Pintrest, and other social media.
So, without any further ado - welcome to the past!
Original Post Date
6 / 6 / 11
(as of this post 7/31/2012, yes, I still struggle with CEBV, but just look how far I've come! My hope is that this post will be an inspiration to you and your loved ones who suffer from chronic illness)
Welcome back and thanks so much for taking some time to stop by. This week is very special to me, as I have been humbled time and time again by your kind words, compliments, and encouragement. For that very reason I am dedicating this blog to you! I felt it only fair to give something back in return to those who continue to make JLB Creatives a reality.
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WEEK 15 VIDEO
"SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE"
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It was in the longevity of struggles while learning to survive a different way of life,
Janet rekindled her passion for scenic photography.
Don, her husband, now enjoys taking Janet all kinds of places to "get the picture" of a life time! He says there's nothing better than to see her smile - and when she's snapping shots, smiles are happening.
Don and Janet own a tandem kayak which supplies them with wonderfully peaceful times together in their domain of the coveted outdoors. Don does most of the paddling through the quiet waters of nature, while Janet seeks out and captures moments in time that are beyond words.
Her uncanny knack at seeing God's creation through a lens is amazing! Janet's photos are all natural, there is nothing staged about them. She likes to capture moments in time as they are and not disturb what nature has put in her path for all of us to enjoy.
Her most popular photos are sunsets. Janet has captured the pinks, the purples, the oranges, the reds, the golds, the peaches, and the ambers of so many day's ends, yet she claims she never tires of them or waiting for the next to start clicking away. Sunset is her favorite time of day.
She says there's nothing any more beautiful than a setting sun casting its brilliant hues against the birch trees in the upper northwoods of Michigans U.P. in summertime.
If you'd like to check out some of the sunset photos she has on her website as free stock photos, simply click on any photo above, or follow the link below:
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PIC N' THOUGHT
by Janet
It's amazing the things we can find when we
look beyond our immediate surroundings.
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LINK OF THE WEEK: Chronic Epstein Barr Virus - What the heck is that?
What if you were faced with the challenges of having a chronic disease? I know first hand. I've dealt with stacking chronic illnesses for nearly 20 years. The one I despise the most is CEBV Chronic Epstein Barr Virus. Very rarely a life or death situation, CEBV is more so a lifetime dragging annoyance.
From total exhaustion and pain, to brain fog and low grade fever, it's a constant nagging of ups and downs. The best way I've been able to describe my good "normal" days is this: I feel like about day 2 or 3 of a bad flu. You know, the chills have stopped but there's still just enough fever it's noticeable. You're just plum wore out from heaving and being dehydrated - but you're on the mend. This is where I live daily.
When the news of having CEBV was first delivered to me I didn't want to believe it...seriously, who would? But over the last 20 years I have learned that, how not being a quitter and being able to improvise - adapt - and overcome in my healthy years, has paid off throughout these years of what most would consider demanding struggles.
Do I like it? NO! But have I been able to help others who have been delivered the news, or those who have had it for years such as myself and can't seem to "brighten up." Those moments have made my struggles worthwhile.
On top of the CEBV you can now throw in fibromyalgia, polymyalgia, and hypothyroidism. Holy cow!, you say. Yeah, I used to too...but learning to take life day to day, not sweat the small stuff, and always...ALWAYS...striving to put a smile on at least one person's face a day has helped me become a better person.
Look at the bright side like I do - if it weren't for being knocked for a loop and stopped dead in my tracks with these crazy illnesses, you wouldn't be hearing about or have the opportunity to read "Maycly," and you sure as heck wouldn't be hearing about 5 more novels that I have planned to write that stem from it in my now, "Hidden Earth" series.
Do bad things happen to good people? Everyday! It's all in how the people handle it, and the attitude they choose...notice I said choose. My, my, it's easy to fall back in to the early years of dwelling on the devastation watching my once highly active life crumble like falling rocks in an avalanche. But I have chosen to wake up each morning, thank God for another day filled with opportunities that I CAN handle, and put a smile on my face and keep on taking pictures and writing so other people on this earth may have a little something to smile about at the end of their day.
Many who have followed me on FB have discovered how much I DON'T like the medical field. It stems from having a disease that most medical professionals see as "simple minded," "laziness," and even "non-existent." Like my husband likes to tell them - try living with someone who has been diagnosed with it and see how "unreal" you think it is then.
After being mis-diagnosed as clinically depressed, I was put on one anti-depressant then yanked off of it because of extreme side effects, and immediately put on another then yanked off of that due to opposite extreme side effects then told by the doctors there's nothing we can do. We were left on our own to discover ways to help "ease the pain" and discomfort of the disease and try to get me well...and we've done all right in going the all natural route: vitamins, herbs, proper diet, etc. But because it is a chronic illness, it's still hanging around. We've discovered my limitations and adjusted our lives drastically to live within my perimeters. Easy? No...but doable. ;) Remember, I'm talking here with 20 years "experience" dealing with CEBV - this DID NOT happen over night - it took somewhere in the neighborhood of 13 years or so to get to where I could somewhat function again in life.
For instance, in the blog videos you may notice me slightly stammering or searching for words at times. This is one of the more noticeable aspects of the CEBV, but I try to shoot the videos on really "good" days. Here's another example: The first day I thought I was well (only a few weeks in, and it's been 20 years now) I went to the store. I called Don, my husband, in tears. I was in a large box store and completely lost! Even when I found my way out, I didn't know where I was parked. I found the car, fumbled with the keys, got in - still crying in his ear on the phone that I didn't know how to get home - and we only lived three miles from the store. We've learned that I don't drive unless it's a REALLY good day, and I don't go alone in the stores unless we have our cell phones. I go in a wheelchair if it's going to be a long day at an amusement park, or traveling by air. There have been countless times we've planned to go out to dinner and movie and after dinner I'm too wiped out so we blow off the movie and come on home.
You'll love some of the nicknames CEBV has been given, or traits with which it has been tagged. My favorites are "Drop Dead Flu," "Brain Fog," and the "Alice in Wonderland Syndrome." So now you know why writing epic fantasy is right up my alley! :-)
To learn more about CEBV, follow the link below and from there, you'll probably be able to find more and more as the link drops you into a post on a forum with some good info. I by no means endorse the site, nor do I get paid for click thrus, visits, etc. I simply want to help those of you who are not aware of this disease become aware if you are interested, as well as those who may have just gotten the news.
Our biggest challenge was learning, it's not just the victim who has to learn to cope, but also the loved ones supporting them.
WEEK 15 SUMMARY:
WOW! Talk about your ups and downs. I didn't mean to get that diverse on the topics...but when something is that "close to home" I guess your passion to share "runneth over" at times! On the up side we learned that you now have access to Free Stock photos from Janet, and sunsets are the top pick by the majority of my fans.
Thanks for hanging in there with me. Here at JLB Creatives we want to extend our gratitude to our faithful fan base for your encouragement and shared enthusiasm.
Please remember to share us with others...you'll find tons of links to do so on the right hand side of the blog, near the top.
Until next week -
Stay casual, live life to the fullest, and enjoy a piece of chocolate!
Your picture takin' writin' fool-
~Janet~
Be sure to check out the full color illustration companion book that accompanies Maycly, "The Chukkons Say, Ye Need ta Be a-Seein' Maycly." The perfect enhancement to read before, during, or after. This outstanding paperback brings you full color illustrations by Dar Bagby along with detailed descriptions to give you a more in-depth knowledge of the plants, animals, and dwellings on Maycly. There are NO spoiler alerts - so if you read it before you read Maycly you'll know exactly what those creative creatures are and the purpose they serve. Snag your copy from Amazon today!
