I’m working on several new things to offer from Shelmar Publications.

• Health Care Manual/Workbook This book is based on the talks I gave at the Farm Progress Show and Husker Harvest Days. My talk was titled Stretching Your Healthcare Dollars, and all of that information will be included in the manual, including Working with Your Doctor, Using the Telephone to Save Money, Saving Money on Prescription Medications, Saving Money on Over-the-Counter Medications, Importing Medications, The Internet, and more! I’ll also be including worksheets for listing medications the reader is taking, questions for the doctor, questions to ask when a test or procedure is ordered or a new medication is prescribed, and more!
• Goal Workbook This book begins by encouraging the reader to take time for herself every day, and provides guidelines for doing so. The book walks readers through the steps of writing GOOD goals–goals they’ll be able to work towards AND reach–and guidelines for writing goals. It discusses short, medium, and long-term goals, and provides different forms for writing out these goals and the steps to accomplish them. The goal forms in the book may be torn out and copied, so you can use it over and over! With this workbook, readers will FINALLY make, work towards, and REACH their goals!
• 366 Ways to Take Care of Yourself. In their quest to care for everyone and everything around them, women, and moms, so often forget to care for themselves. This calendar gives the reader simple, quick suggestions for caring for herself every day! When you care for yourself, you’re so much better able to care for those around you.  
• 366 Ways to be Nice to Your Kids, and 366 Ways to Show Your Spouse Your Love. I think we should make an effort to do something nice for our kids and spouse every day. Yes, you do that in your life anyway, but show them how special they are! These calendars provide simple, fun, original ways to show your love.

I’m working on all of these projects and enjoying the diversity of having the different projects to work on. I plan to have them completed and available for sale by Dec. 1st. (put some on your gift list, as requests to get, or to give!) If you have any suggestions for what to include, please email me at shelly@shellyburke.net. Suggestions from “real life” people are what make the books and products from Shelmar Publications so useful and valuable!

In the past two weeks, I’ve added two speaking engagements and a book signing to my calendar. The interesting thing is that all three events are within four days of each other! Funny how that happens.

• Dec. 7th I will be speaking for a MOPS group in Grand Island. I spoke to the group last spring, and the mentor (who called to see if I would speak again), said the group enjoyed me so much last spring, they wanted to hear me again! It’s humbling to know that I’ve had a positive effect on people and I’m blessed that I can use the gift that God has given me–I  KNOW I would not know the right words to say without His guidance. I pray before every time I speak, that I would provide encouragement and words that give the ladies what they need to hear at that time.
• Dec. 8th I will do a book signing at The Abbey, a Christian store in Norfolk. Kay, the owner of the store, works sooo hard to provide a great selection of Christian books, gifts, music, and home decor. I could do all of my Christmas shopping in her store!
• Dec. 10th I will be speaking for a book club group. The lady who cuts my hair asked me to speak about the process of writing and publishing books; several members of the group are interested. It’s been such a joy, and the fulfillment of MY dreams, to have published my books, and I want everyone to experience the joy of making his or her dreams come true.

I will be working on these talks over the next few weeks–something I really enjoy doing.

I was hesitant to make the switch from my 35 mm film camera to a digital, but finally did so on my last birthday. It was a “big” birthday, and Tim and the kids bought me the camera. I LOVE it!

I’d like to get the kids’ photo albums caught up for Christmas, and enjoy giving photos as other gift, so need to get some pictures developed! Believe it or not, I have not had one picture actually developed since I got my new camera in March. I’ve downloaded them and printed a few out from my computer, and emailed a bunch, but haven’t gotten any developed for use in albums and for gifts.

I know I can get them developed by WalMart, HyVee, or Walgreens, and I’ve been considering using an online service like Snapfish.

What have you all used? What do you recommend? I’d appreciate any information and advice you can give me. Please email it to shelly@shellyburke.net. And THANKS!

(my next project, after getting photos developed, will be to learn how to post them online in this blog!)

This is the next installment in the series, Stretching Your Healthcare Dollars.

All of us have areas in which we could . . . shall we say . . .  improve, in our health care. Perhaps you’re a smoker, eat too many snack foods, don’t exercise, or don’t take your prescribed medications regularly. It’s important to be honest with your doctor even in the areas in which you fall short, so he or she can properly diagnose and treat you.

It’s also vital that you’re honest with your doctor about sexual practices and drug and/or alcohol use.  

When your doctor knows about the above habits, he or she can order appropriate tests and medications, and counsel you on risk factors of your practices. He can also watch for, and alert you to, changes in your body related to these practices, that you should report to him. 

You’re making the best use of your healthcare dollars when you tell your doctor about anything that is pertinent to your healthcare, so he can treat you accordingly and effectively.

Be assured that your doctor has “heard it all” and no matter how weird or unusual what you do, or don’t do, may seem to you . . . he’s seen stranger things! Also rest assured that except in unusual circumstances (if law enforcement officials are involved, or if abuse is involved, or if you are a danger to yourself or others) your doctor is prohibited by privacy laws from sharing ANY information you give him with anyone.

Here are some suggestions for bringing up a topic you’re embarassed about (whether a health practice, symptom, or question) or uncomfortable with:

• “This is embarassing to tell you about, but I’ve been having the following symptoms lately . . . “
• “I know I shouldn’t be doing this, but I want to let you know that I’ve been . . . “
• “I have a question for you, but it’s hard for me to ask . . . “
• “I think I should have a test for _____ since I’ve been doing some things I shouldn’t have been . . . “
• “I know you prescribed that medication for me, but I have not been taking it because . . . “

Be honest with your doctor so he can treat you to the best of his ability.

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Do you have a question about health care? E-mail me at shelly@shellyburke.net. Selected questions will be answered in future posts.

Last month I wrote a post about how much I enjoyed the various cooking shows that were on TV. I don’t watch a lot of TV (it’s on most of the day, but I don’t pay much attention to it), and I really enjoy the shows I actually sit down and watch. And as of last week, they’re all over for the season!

Heck’s Kitchen and The Next Food Network Star ended a month or so ago, and Top Chef just ended Wednesday (I do NOT agree with who they chose for the winner–the most annoyatating {annoying + irritating} contestent ever). The new season of Fashion Runway starts next month . . . but that’s next month!

I certainly do have plenty to keep me occupied and so I’m SURE I’ll find something to fill my time, haha! But I will miss the inspiration of the cooking shows, even though my meal plan mostly consists of the old favorites.

It’s been a really busy week! We got home from AKSARBEN Sunday evening; I picked up a virus and was sick, so it was a miserable trip home. However, Morgan’s heifer, Mayberry, was the Reserve Champion Simmental Heifer, so Sunday was a good day. The kids’ team also won the fitting contest on Saturday evening! They were first among 16 teams, and it was quite an accomplishment. They worked together very well. That’s one of the neatest things about 4-H and showing cattle–the learning to work together aspect.

The week was very busy for everyone. Tim had some sick cattle so had to treat some every day. He works so hard to keep them healthy and it’s really discouraging when they’re sick, and especially when they die, as several did this week. He and the vets think they got ill in part because we had several heavy rains and cool nights, and hot days, and the abrupt change in weather was too much for them. Thankfully, they all seem to be getting better.

I did a book signing in Norfolk, NE, on Thursday. It was fun! I met several new people (one man was sooo thrilled to meet a “real author” and I was honored that he was that excited!) and saw some friends I’d met at previous speaking events.

Next Monday I speak for a local Compassionate Friends group. I cannot imagine the pain of losing a child, and I pray that I will have something helpful to say to the group. When doing the research for my book, What Should I Say? The Right (and Wrong!) Words and Deeds for Life’s Sticky, Tricky, Uncomfortable Situations, parents who had lost a child shared some of the helpful, and hurtful, things others had said.

On Friday I speak for a local MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group. I belonged to one of the first MOPS groups in Columbus when  our kids were young, and made friends through that groups who still are friends today. The friends I met in MOPS, and experiences I had there, were the inspiration for Home is Where the Mom Is; A Christian Mom’s Guide to Caring for Herself, Her Family, and Her Home.  I’m really looking forward to speaking for the group.

Last night and this morning I was just overwhelmed what things I had to do–bake for a bake sale, clean various (well, ALL) the rooms in our home, work on my talks, do laundry, send a few cards, prepare for the talks, download pictures from my camera and get them printed (I got the camera in March and haven’t gotten any pictures developed yet!!!), do some paperwork for my nursing job, steam cleaning the carpet . . . posting on this blog, writing the newsletter . . . I was really feeling overwhelmed! Finally I just started writing down everything that I needed to do, and felt a little more in control of the situation. Somehow having a list helps me to see what things are priorities (baking, as the bake sale is TODAY!), and what is not (cleaning!). I’ve been feeling overwhelmed for a few months now, and am praying about and trying to figure out what to cut out/rearrange, etc. I don’t know what it will be yet, but of course have several options and I think over the next few weeks things will become clearer.   

I certainly don’t mean to complain about all that’s going on in my life! For the most part it’s good . . . it’s just been a tiring few weeks and I don’t like the feeling of being out of control of what is going on. However, I know God is in charge, and he knows everything that is happening, and for what purpose . . . and for the most part, the things that don’t get done today will wait until tomorrow. I am very blessed with my family, my home . . . my whole life!

Now, I need to get a load of clothes folded and the kitchen cleaned up, and a few more things done in the next few hours because I have a very important thing to do in about 2 1/2 hours . . .  meet Cody and his girlfriend at their school and take some Homecoming pictures!