Motivation

Thanksgiving, thankfulness & surviving diabetes

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It’s a few days before Thanksgiving and I am thinking about what I’m thankful for, maybe you can relate. Are you considering what you are thankful for? There’s lots I am thankful for: my amazing circle of friends, my snuggly loving dog Echo, my overall good health, to name the top items. I’m also profoundly … Read more

World Diabetes Day 2016 & The New USA President

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Monday, November 14th, 2016 is World Diabetes Day. And it’s six days after finding out who the new president of the USA will be starting on January 20th, 2017. I am a radical liberal and have been since I was 14 years old. I’ve been arrested seven times in non-violent civil disobedience protests. I am … Read more

Tips to Stay Motivated for Weight Loss with Diabetes

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I told you last week that I started a 3-month journey of weight loss and increased fitness with diabetes. I successfully have logged my food intake for 8 days and I have joined the YWCA Maintain Your Weight program. I have lowered my basal rate by almost 15% and I am keeping my blood sugars … Read more

Poem of Magic: Cancer #Previvor Finds Her People

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Note from Mari: This is a blog post written by Michelle Scharber Banks. Michelle was a volunteer at P.ink Day MSP 2015 and again for 2016. In addition, she got her transformative, healing tattoo this year. Here is Michelle’s beautiful story & a poem she wrote, in her own words: After the Tattoo I’ve been … Read more

12 Years of Surviving Breast Cancer: YES! #DoingIt

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Breathe deep. Plant my feet firmly on this beautiful Earth. Feel my heart open. Allow grief, loss, relief, gratitude, to one by one wash through my being. Today, October 20th, marks the 12th anniversary of my first breast cancer diagnosis. I am still alive. I am healthier than I have perhaps ever been. My attitude … Read more

Odyssey West Adventure, Camping with 50 7th & 8th Graders!

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devilstowerAt the end of the school year last year, I was invited to join the Adolescent 1 (A1) Odyssey trip that headed West starting the 3rd day of school. I agreed to jump on the Odyssey train, not really knowing what I was signing up to do. I love working at Great River School, the Montessori/International Baccalaureate 1st grade through 12th grade school at which I substitute teach and help out in other odd ways. I used to take groups of teenagers on all sorts of overnight adventures, so tent camping for 7 nights with 50 7th and 8th graders didn’t seem like that big of a jump in my experience wheel.

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How to Reduce Stress and Live Authentically while Renewing Life

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On August 17th, it was officially Break The Silence Day in Minneapolis, MN, as declared by the City Council. As many of you know if you’ve been paying close attention to my various posts and blogs, what I posted on Facebook wasn’t a big surprise. On my Facebook page I said: Today, 8/17, is #BreakTheSilence … Read more

The Shadow Is Calling You

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sunset-1016345_1920Do you have a shadow? Are you wondering, “What is a shadow?” I’m not talking about your body shape that appears on the concrete when the sun hits you in a certain way. The shadow I’m talking about is what Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung called the “unknown dark side of the personality.”

I want to talk about shadows because the violence and the terrorism and the difficulties of life in the United States, where I live, are reaching a critical point. As a result of my sadness and grief and anger, I found myself thinking and wondering, what can I do? How can I help? Talking about shadows made sense as something I could offer.

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Tour de Cure Twin Cities 2016: Cycling, Walking & Smiling to #STOPDIABETES

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Me & my boot sending off Red Riders!
Me & my boot sending off Red Riders!

Saturday, June 4th was intended to be the day that I rode my bike 100 miles alongside a few of my friends at the Tour de Cure Twin Cities. I’d trained for 16 weeks and then, when I was out walking my dog as I explained in my last blog; I fell and broke my ankle. No bike ride for me on June 4th, not with my leg in the air boot.

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Broken Bones, Diabetes and Cycling

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<--- BreakOn Monday, May 16th I was walking my dear dog Echo. We were on a perfectly flat sidewalk. The weather was perfect. Echo was not pulling. I was wearing new boots that I had never walked very far in before. These boots have rubber soles. I think what happened is the rubber caught on the cement of the sidewalk, and caused me to trip and wobble. So badly, I fell hard to my left. As I fell, I relaxed as I learned years ago from my cycling coach. Nonetheless, as I hit the ground I heard a very loud snap.

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