But Would You Expect Any Less From a Woman Whose Motto Is...

blue sky in autumn
"Keep Walking - Keep moving forward". So I've been away from blogging for a while. Over a couple of weeks actually. And I felt so guilty for not blogging. What have I been doing while on blog break?
{Busy being fabulous? You would be surprised how hard it is sometimes:)}

Well, certainly not. In fact, I went through some tough situations that threw me for a loop...that's the things about life-sometimes life can just suck, but we do get through it and develop strength through it all.

It's not often that I let people into my little world...writing about myself is just something that I learned not to do, but in an effort to be authentic I'd like to talk about something difficult I went through recently.
My life feels stressful sometimes. I nearly had an anxiety breakdown last week...I just couldn't fake being happy anymore.
You see, relationships can greatly impact my emotional life and cause emotional stress. Breakups can be really hard. After a bad breakup it can feel almost impossible to keep positive, motivated, and forward-focus.
Unfortunately, we all go through the ups and downs of everyday life and sometimes it feels like we are in an endless tunnel, but things do get better and I strongly believe that. Lost a loved one. Or maybe your pet, or even a precious dream. Whatever your case may be, these are times we all go through. We are all guilty of carrying far too much emotional baggage.
Things happen that I have no control over, so I have to put them behind me and get on with my life.
My point is that you're not going to feel sad all the time you just have to get over it and move on.
After all, although the breakup is sad, it's not the end of the world.

They say, there is no bad without good. Pain surprisingly is just an opportunity to find out how grand you really are.
So the best part is once we "come back", we come back stronger, bigger and better. Everything does happen for a reason.

When I feel lost, depressed or things fall apart for me, I've also found a few ways that really help me get grounded and feeling alive. 

Here's my list of things to get out of a funk. Works for me.

1. Go outside and spend my time in nature.
 I'm much of a 'nature' person, so taking time to sit outside, walk in the woods, or that sort of thing can be  very calming and refreshing.
2. Read a good book
3. Try some warming recipes like this
4. Surround myself with things and people I love.

It is amazing how much help comes out from all these people who want to be there for us.

Okay, enough of all this moaning. Frankly, I even hesitated to write this post because I am worried it is too personal to publish. But then I thought that what I've expressed here might have an ultimate impact on many others. I do hope so.

On a totally different note, I'm trying to focus on the fact that it's November. And each year when November arrives I realize that it's time to soak up whatever particular delights winter has to offer.
wood fireplace and flames and autumn landsacpe


yellow fall leaves and branches in autumn landascape
blankets and blue sky

mussels and pumpkin soup
Boiled mussels and pumpkin soup are on top of my list.

white scrarf and girl with hat in autumn
cup with hot chocolate along with books
Have you ever experienced a great deal of tension...felt depressed?
How do you overcome emotional stress?

Thanks for reading and hope you have a wonderful weekend! xx

Linking to: Little Things Thursday

Photo Story Friday

Sky Watch Friday
autumn landscape with mountains and grasses and flying birds{A touch of warmness}

autumn landascape and mountains with warm colored grasses

72 comments:

ΑΘΗΝΑ said...

I know these hard situations.I even when these situations happen,I don't lose my temper.I believe that I have much power in my own soul.

Betty Manousos said...

hey guys, it's good to be back! xo

TexWisGirl said...

betty, we all hit those rough spots in life. sometimes we can mask it and sometimes it just knocks us off our feet. i am so glad you are getting back on yours. that last photo is absolutely astoundingly beautiful. THANK YOU! you share joy no matter what...

Ruth Hiebert said...

Don't ever worry about sharing your life with your blogging friends. Life is just plain HARD at times,but we make it through,stronger than before.

Kelly said...

We all have those times, Betty, and I'm just glad to see you back.

(((hugs)))!!!

Karen Lange said...

It is a busy life when you are fabulous! :) Thanks for sharing. Enjoyed the photos on your other blog too.

Thanks also for stopping at Chatty Crone's blog and commenting. It's great to meet you! :)

Lynn said...

I especially love the phrase you wrote, "But there is no bad without good." So true, I think. I'm glad you are back and hope things look up soon.

It's me said...

Happy weekend....love Ria...x !

Sylvia K said...

Ah, Betty, many of us do indeed have those "down" time -- for whatever reason! I know I've found blogging a wonderful way to escape depression and those junky feelings -- particularly the older I get! I'm so thankful for my blogging friends who always understand where I'm coming from!! Thanks for sharing and the sun will shine again!!

Our Neck of the Woods said...

I'm so sorry to hear you went through a rough patch. It was brave of you to share this here! Just know that others understand what you went through and it's so awesome that you knew how to get through it. I find that nature and talking with friends and family really help me out in tough times as well :)

Margaret Birding For Pleasure said...

hi Betty. Don,t worry about sharing, it is very good to share. like others have said, everyone goes through rough times and I am glad you are back and have given us such a wonderful photo to bring in the weekend. Please relax and enjoy the weekend.

shirley said...

So sorry to hear about your rough patch. It was certainly brave to be transparent about it all and I like the four items you posted that help you through it all.
I hope it all starts to feel better - in good time.
Blessings to you!

Ms. A said...

Girl, I can soooooooo relate! My life is a patchwork quilt of rough patches, especially this year. Wishing you the best!

Fernando Santos (Chana) said...

Olá Betty; belas fotografias em particular a ultima...Espectacular....
Cumprimentos

chica said...

É mesmo verdade que o mal acaba e o bem volta. Assim, tudo pode melhorar sempre! beijos,lindo fim de semana,chica

Bob Bushell said...

I'm glad you're back with us. The last picture is ingenuity, brilliant.

Our photos said...

Betty, I'm so sorry to hear you went through a rough patch.
Try to enjoy nature when shooting.
You make beautiful photos!
Big hug, Sonnja

Cheryl @ TFD said...

I'm happy you're back and feeling better about things, Betty. Life is indeed rough sometimes. Don't worry a bit about sharing your feelings here...we all care about you!! And we're here to support and encourage each other. Relax and have a wonderful weekend!
That is a beautiful photo! Love it.
Hugs,
Cheryl

sky-blu-pink said...

Glad to have you back Betty, and sorry to hear life has not been kind. People whom we love and love us are the best at these times. Gx

MadSnapper said...

I am on a blog break to, not post for two days and maybe 3.. i have two very long To Do lists. see you when i am back to normal.. and put it all out there we want to hear about you

Chatty Crone said...

First of all I hope you are okay and on the mend. Second of all - you'd be surprised but a lot of us feel or have felt the same way.

sandie

Tamara Camera said...

I have my share of anxiety breakdowns in November. Why oh why can't they ever happen in May or something? Then I could be in the sun with a book all alone and it would help.
Anyway, thinking of you. I like the personal blog posts personally. I'm glad you can identify things that heal and help.

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

I'm sorry for your hurt and heartache, Betty. I'm glad you did share with us, so we can offer all the love that we have for you. It's a lot.

Big, big hugs.
Keep faith in life and in yourself.
xoRobyn

Craver Vii said...

So good to see you again, my friend. And I'm glad you posted this, especially because it's personal. If I could, I'd give you a really strong hug and a little square of Dove dark chocolate.

... but I can't, so is it okay if I just eat that chocolate square myself? ;-)

eileeninmd said...

Betty, we all love you and want you to be happy! I think everyone does have their share of unhappiness and it just takes time to heal. Spending time with nature does help me. I am so happy to see you back and I really love your photo! It is gorgeous. Wishing you a happy weekend!

Lisa Gordon said...

I am so sorry for your sadness, Betty, and I hope things are much better REAL soon.

Gail Dixon said...

Oh, can I relate! I think sharing stuff like this is good as it helps others know they're not alone. It also shows how much courage and strength you have. I am very sorry you have hit a rough patch, but if you are writing about it you must be feeling stronger. Hope that's true! I'm a new reader of your blog, but I find your writing true and honest and good. When I go through depressing times (and I have had many), I pray and spend lots of time out in nature. It's a good recipe. :)

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Bless your heart, Betty. We ALL go through hard times at different times in our life. You need to read the quotes on my sidebar. Maybe one of them will help you.

The key is to dust yourself off and keep on moving forward. It's not easy--but being out in nature is a great way to heal. AND--going to a nursing home or visiting a hospital somewhere and talking with the people can help. You will find that there are so many people out there in this world who are MUCH worse off than we are!!!!!

Good Luck with your healing. God Bless...

Hugs and Prayers,
Betsy

Felicity Grace Terry said...

So sorry to hear you've been going through a rough patch. I'm sending you a big hug as I know this always helps me.

A bit of a cliche I know but whenever I'm feeling like this I can hear my nana say 'Too beautiful to be sad. Take that frown, turn it upside down and smile'.

Sending you my best wishes Betty, I'm thinking of you. x

dianne said...

Betty dear, I am sorry to hear that you have been sad and feeling hurt.
People we love let us down, leave us, taking with them our dreams and happiness.
Eventually we recover and I guess we are a better person for the experience, that or more resilient.
I am still trying to work out why life has to be so difficult and why people let us down.
Thinking of you dear friend, I hope you will be happy again.
hugs
xoxoxo ♡

Shalet Jimmy said...

I go through this phase quite often and you are absolutely right that such incidents make you more stronger and grounded. It helps to see things which we could not have noticed without such a sad incident.

Definitely, what you have written was not moaning. The incident was unfortunate but every lines of what you have written exhorted to stay always on the brighter side of life. Your posts are truly positive.....

Magia da Inês said...

♩♫♬

Todos nós temos altos e baixos na vida, mas cabe a nós controlar nossas emoções porque sempre temos uma dose extra de força quando acreditamos na vida.

♯♬ Bom fim de semana!
Beijinhos ♪♫♬
♭♪Brasil
♪♮♩♫

dennistheeremite said...

A loss like that makes for horrible times, and yet, much as you say, there are moments of relief, peace, even laughter, unless you become determined to shut those out. God has designed our world and our souls to not be all of one color or one piece. This is a time of stress for me, as my two churches of 20 years of service are having financial problems. The smallest one is closing at the end of 2014, and the larger one (still small) has decided they can't afford to support me. So I am leaving the end of this December and have no idea what I will be doing in the future. I will pray for you.

Dirk Rosin said...

kjempe fine bilder !!!

Betty Manousos said...

to everyone! you all just made my day or actually my week. as i'm sure, this glowing, warm feeling that i have from all the responses is going to last me for many more days.
love to all!

Leovi said...

Nice pictures, I especially love the three photos of {A touch of warmness}, pure poetry written with light, good job!

Nancy said...

We all have these days, weeks... knowing how to move forward is the key and sounds like you are doing just that. :) Beautiful captures of your Autumn and November thus far.

George said...

I'm not surprised that you bounce back stronger from 'down' experiences. I thought my world would end when I lost my wife of 32 years to cancer, but I ca honestly say that my life has just begun since that dark time.

rainfield61 said...

That is nothing bad. Go taking pictures.

You may end up taking the picture of Superman who lose his loose pants while flying high.

Linda at To Behold The Beauty said...

So sorry to hear that life has dealt you a blow. It happens. I must say, though, that your blues haven't hurt your photography. These are lovely images. The books, soup, fire, and warm blankets all look so inviting.

Ariel said...

Hi Betty,
good afternoon,
I loved this part,
"They say, there is no bad without good. Pain surprisingly is just an opportunity to find out how grand you really are.
So the best part is once we "come back", we come back stronger, bigger and better. Everything does happen for a reason."
And your point number four is the key for everything...

Have a great sunday and a beautiful week
kisses and hugs

is good to see you back =)

Nevine Sultan said...

Dearest Betty, I'm so sorry to hear you went through a rough patch. But, like you mentioned, we all have them, and we do bounce back. I think life would be less interesting if we were all so happy all the time. Somehow, that's just not real for me. It's so... autopilot.

It's good to allow ourselves to just experience the negative emotions, sometimes. After all, as difficult as they may be, even the negative emotions have something to teach us.

I'm hoping you're back in full swing. I'm simply delighted by your gorgeous collection of photos this week. Wishing you a wonderful and bright week ahead, Betty!

Love and hugs,
Nevine

Reena said...

Yes, you are right. We've all been there. But we must have the pain in order to experience the joy! We just need to hold on until those happy days appear again. Nice post.

Unknown said...

καλημέρα Μπέτυ μου
Όλα τα καλά και τα κακά στη ζωή μας για κάποιο λόγο συμβαίνουν,και ναι,οι κακές σχέσεις επηρεάζουν αρνητικά τη ζωή μας.
Σου εύχομαι τα καλύτερα,και θαύμασα όλες τις φωτογραφίες-)))
Πολλά φιλιά και καλή εβδομάδα-)

Riot Kitty said...

Hugs! Great photos by the way. You're not moaning. I mean you even included a list of ways to feel better!

I know depression and anxiety well. Fight them all the time. Humor helps a great deal.

Bossy Betty said...

Take your time. Feel what you need to feel. Go through what you need to go through. Thinking of you.

Ashley Newton said...

Hugs Betty, I hope you feel better now.

ritsa said...

I hope things are much better soon!
Hang in there,

Hugs

Unknown said...

If god brings you to it, he will see you through it. I've been saying this to myself everyday since Dad was diagnosed and my personal life has gone in the toilet.

Thanks for sharing! I hope you're doing better!

Liz Mays said...

I'm thinking of you dear, Betty. You are the sweetest, kindest person and I'm sorry that you've been feeling pain in your life. :(

Giga said...

Najważniejsze w całym życiu, żeby zbyt długo nie być w ciemnym tunelu. Mam nadzieję, że jesteś już za nim. Pozdrawiam.

The most important throughout life, so do not be too long in a dark tunnel. I hope you're already behind him. Yours.

Lisa @ Two Bears Farm said...

I'm so sorry you have been in a rough stretch. I hope things get easier. Your pictures are gorgeous!

HansHB said...

Great serie of photos!

EG CameraGirl said...

I really like your last photo. I'm so glad you are back blogging!

betty said...

thanks for visiting my blog (a bench with a view) and your kind comment. I do agree with you, life does sometimes suck and we go through those hard times, whatever it may be. I have come to learn and adapt the motto "this too will pass" because whatever it is, it does pass after a bit until the next crisis, sadness, whatever. I think during those hard times, it does indeed help us to grow and helps us to increase our faith if we have a faith in God. I know I would be more of a shallow person than I am already if I hadn't walked through some of the things I've done over the course of my life.

I do hope today is a nice one!

betty

Diane AZ said...

Welcome back Betty, sorry to hear about your difficult time but I do appreciate your warmth and openness. Lovely images and suggestions! :)

Carletta said...

Life is hard and often it gets harder. Your post came at a good time for me. A little situation arose last week that I know will right itself as time goes on and my dear cat of 14 years passed away on Friday. I'm not always good with coping skills but your words have touched me. My life was better for having her in it, but life goes on - just a little differently than before.
All the best to you Betty!

Cezar and Léia said...

Thanks for this refreshing idea, lovely post dear Betty!
Léia

stardust said...

Nice to know you resumed blogging. When my heart as well as my body is too tired, I don’t feel like keeping on blogging, but sometimes concentrating on a new post could be a distraction from the ongoing troubles if only you have time. I feel consoled by all these images - perfectly lovely answer to your question!

(a touch of warmness) There’s something sad and lonely about the leaving autumn. But in your photos, soft sunlight soaks into my heart and makes me feel thankful. I often find my emotion is reflected in nature.

Yoko

diane said...

I hear ya loud and clear .... I stopped blogging for months at a time because I was in such a funk. Some of the things that you mentioned pulled me though ... going outside, doing my morning walk again, listening to music, picking up my camera, knitting, crocheting, crafting ..... I'm glad to hear that you pulled your way out of the funk. Keep plugging along. P.S. Wonderful photos!

Kim Cunningham said...

Thank you for being real! I think we all have those seasons of being in a funk due to various causes. But they usually are just a season, and we find a way to move forward. I'm glad that you are finding joy in small ways...because those turn out to be pretty significant and real. Love the images that you shared, and thank you for joining in with LTT this week!

Mersad said...

I like your attitude towards grey days!

Anonymous said...

Keep on going! It's always hard to write about tough times because tough for one is not so tough for others.so well done for being honest and huge congratulations on coming out fighting! x

aspiritofsimplicity said...

your pictures are beautiful. I do much the same when I am hurting or overwhelmed. I find getting outside in nature and being with my loved ones to be the most helpful

...melody... said...

Sorry for the tough times you are going through and I hope that things pick up and it becomes easier to smile soon. You can do it! These are just lovely photos too. :)

Hilary said...

Beautiful Betty.. I'm so sorry you're going through a sad time in your life right now. There probably isn't one among us who doesn't understand how you're feeling. It's always a rough task to get through heartache but it does indeed get better.

Your photography (and clearly, your cooking) is as wonderful as ever. I'm glad the blues didn't discolour your lens vision.

As for coping with the hard times, my list is much like yours except for the cooking part. I struggle with appetite when I'm in the dumps. But reading, walking in nature, an occasional nap and maybe playing a computer game is good distraction. And stay in touch with folks who love you. Count your blog buddies among those.

Claudya Martinez said...

It's not moaning, my love it's sharing. We all go through these things and I thank you for having the courage to reveal some of what you are going through. Life is personal, it's hard not to get personal at times.

Icy BC said...

I am glad you wrote it out, the sad time as well as the good time. After all, what you're showing is you're a real human.

Your photos are beautiful, and you're not moaning; you're focused on moving forward..

Pat Tillett said...

Yes, we all have problems and issues and knowing that sometimes helps, but sometimes it doesn't. I think you've got a great strategy for dealing with these things. Taking care of yourself is always a good idea.
Take care Betty...

Jenn Jilks said...

You know that this is the most cathartic thing you can do - write about what is going on. It names it you can own it, and then let it go.

I ebb and flow through depression, and you are brave to share your feelings. Well done. All the best. You're on the mend.
Cheers from Cottage Country Ontario , ON, Canada!

Mandy said...

What an incredible post Betty and thank you for sharing that with us. I know the feeling of hesitating to press 'publish' when something is a bit too personal. I'm sorry that you're going through a rough time. Did you say it's a breakup of a relationship? That is never fun. I'm sending you a warm, wintery loving hug from London.

Fantastic photos by the way!

michael said...

Inspiring post, thanks!