"The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit.
The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are."
Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor, philosopher

If this has been a busy summer for you and you want to yell at the kids or ship them off to Fantasy Island for a weekend, think again. Robert Benson, one of my many favorite authors, addresses time with the kids in his book, HOME By Another Way. (What a great easy read, quieting book!) He says: "My children are off on their own now; my house has grown quieter; there are fewer people coming and going. I wish I had some of those days and nights back. I wish I could go to the ballpark and watch my kids play and sit by the pool or on the beach with them for a whole afternoon. I wish I could see my son wrestle again, and I wish there were buddies over to spend the night, all crowded onto the floor upstairs. I wish my daughter were still in high school so we could be out on the softball field together everyday for months at a time, the way we were for four years. I wish I had gone more slowly through those days, and I wonder what I missed because I did not. I am increasingly aware that the things I treasure the most are not out there somewhere waiting for me to hurry up and get to them, but rather they are here with me and beside me and near me, waiting on me to be present to them."

Now that you know the priceless stage of life you are in with your kids, load the car, go for a picnic, go to the park, go biking, go to the library, read them a book, actually bake cookies with them instead of opening a package; tell them they are one of your favorite treasures in the whole world. Go to it! Be spontaneous! Use your imagination! You can think of something. Don't waste your time. It's ticking!

We women are sometimes slaves to our own ideals. We are graciously lenient with others, but we refuse to extend pardon to ourselves. Don't you think it's time to let up a bit? I read a while back that it is best to let your standards slip, not your relationships! The children won't be there forever. They won't remember how clean you kept the home. They will remember the nights you sit with them in a quiet setting and asked questions about their day. Your husband won't even see the clutter, if you use candlelight. Don't let important moments slip away.

I came across a couple of health hints that might come in handy for you sooner or later. They are from the January, 2010 Natural Health Magazine, a magazine I have come to trust.

1) When you must take antibiotics, down them with green tea. It can make antibiotics work nearly 100 percent better and even weakens drug-resistant bacteria.

2) If it feels like a urinary tract infection drink unsweetened cranberry or blueberry juice. Research has shown that drinking 32 ounces of cranberry juice daily can treat UTIs. It helps E. coli, the bacteria responsible for most UTIs, from adhering to the urinary tract. I have tried the cranberry and know for a fact, it works(I didn't drink 32 oz. in a day!) I have not tried the blueberry juice, but this article says it works similarly.

Would you like to do a kind deed from someone, a deed that would take less time than having a Starbuck break or trying on a new pair of shoes? Copy the length below into your browser, to make a mother happy this mother's day. If you lean toward being judgemental of the prison population, remember they are there because of bad choices. Have we not all made a few of those? Let's have a heart and reach out to another woman. You can make a difference this Mother's Day, in the life of another woman. For some, it could be the nicest thing that has happened to them in a long time.

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Quiet places. They are hard to find these days. Actually you have to work at it. But it must be important because

you can find many studies that have been done on the affect of noise on our life. It has been proven that loud noise creates tension in the brain; it keeps the brain constantly engaged and distracted. This makes it harder to concentrate, because our brain reacts to all the outside stimuli.

Could it be that more quiet time could reduce the need for medications to quiet us, to help us release our tensions and stress? I challenge you to look for quiet times. From my own experience I can tell you, I need it as much as the air I breathe everyday. With multitudes of outside interference, it's up to us to decide what is important in our life and then pursue it with all our heart.

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Have you ever said or have you heard
someone else say, "Life isn't fair!"
Someone along the way put another slant
on the subject that's worth thinking about:

"Life isn't fair, but life isn't fair for
everyone. That makes life fair."
unknown

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Professionals that study communication say that we speak approximately 30,000 words a day. These words can break hearts, start wars, ruin marriages, give hope or dissolve friendships. We make our choice each day. Choose wisely.

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As our country continues in an economic crunch, it's good to look for ways to save money. There are ways to cut back on spending that don't hurt as much as other places you try to cut. If you check the different areas of your budget such as food, clothes, entertainment and transportation and then find ways to cut by five or ten percent, as the months go by, this can make a difference.

Below are tips that can make a difference without noticing a change in lifestyle. Then check out the following good money saving web sites that follow.

Add a few drops of hair conditioner to a clean washcloth and throw it in the dryer with laundry to sweeten and soften for less.(I have not done this, but it's worth a try.)
Cancel subscriptions to magazines you don't enjoy anymore.
Save gasoline by making sure your tires are properly inflated.
Check with your insurance agency to see if you might save money by increasing your deductible on your car or household policies.

www.daveramsey.com
www.cheapskatemonthly.com/
www.crosswalk.com/finances/
www.moneycentral.msn.com

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Sometimes we can find laughs in the strangest places. This sign is in the window at a great shoe repair shop in Cadillac, Michigan.There's always something somewhere to make us smile, if we look for it.

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Theft Alert!

I recently came across an article that I felt was worth passing along. It advised motorist to use the button on the door to lock their vehicle rather than the key chain. This hand computer, your key ring lock, sends signals that can be picked up by a device that nearby watchers can obtain. When you are out of sight, you become a victim, whether it is stealing your vehicle or the items in it such as laptops, etc. Be aware!

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A Clean Sweep

We are all familiar with the term recycle, but what about free cycle? That was a new term for my until a few weeks ago. Evidently , it has been around for a while, but somehow I missed it. The website for more information: www.freecycle.org. Pull it up and type in where you live and what you have to get rid of; baby bed, old golf clubs, bar stools, etc. Once you've posted the availability of items, you could get dozens of responses from people near you who need them. You put it on the curb and it's taken away by someone that wants it. That's much better than trying to find a way to discard it or even taking it to a second hand dealer. Responders have reported getting rid of baby clothes, magic markers, all kinds of items for kids. I have not used this website, but check it out if you are in need of this service. You just may make someone happy besides yourself! Their mission statement: "Our mission is to build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources & eases the burden on our landfills while enabling our members to benefit from the strength of a larger community." Don't forget to read their disclaimer as well!

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Great Tip For Fighting Carbs
(from Natural Health Magazine, June, '09 issue)

I'm repeating myself. This can be found elsewhere on this website. But it's worth repeating! Sprinkle on cinnamon. Use half a teaspoon a day to improve insulin sensitivity, so carbs are used for energy, not stored as fat.

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"Home is not a place, but an emotion."

Ladies, what kind of home are you making for your family? We do set the atmosphere, as the age old saying goes. We make it a loving, happy place or we make it a disaster! I know there are exceptions. No matter how some"homemakers" try, they receive no help in the line of growing the family.

Pew Research recently did a survey that I read about in USA Today. It talked about people's "heart home", the place their heart considers home. For those with bad home experiences, hurt abounds. For some people it's hard to talk about "home" while others reminisce with a twinkle in their eye. What makes the difference? I think it is the mother.

University Psychology Professor Marshall Duke says and is quoted in the article in the newspaper, "Home is not a place, but home is an emotion. One thing we turn to is this feeling called home. It just makes us feel better."

My question? What is the emotional thermometer in your home saying? Needs reworking? Start now. Give that child a hug! Accentuate the positives, not the negatives! The world, outside your walls, is only too willing to point out what's wrong. It's your job to point out what's right!   That husband, that child, that teenager will look for love somewhere. Let it be found in your words and actions in the home.

ATTENTION PARENTS

This is serious information. I came across this on a great website, http://ziggysblogs.blogspot.com/ Pass it on! A reader of this website has varied that this truly is a trend that has hit the teen community!

TEEN TREND - "ZIPPERS"
Do you know what your teen is putting in his/her lunch box? "Zippers" are commercially produced "Jell-0 shots"
(cups of fruity flavored gelatin and alcohol), the sweet, chilled concoctions that, in the past, could only be found in bars and liquor stores. "Zippers" are dangerous, because they come packaged in containers that look just like any other snack pack a teen puts in their lunch box and it makes it easy for teens to sneak alcohol into school.

THESE GELATIN CUPS HAVE BRIGHT COLORS AND CATCHY NAMES, LIKE:
- Blue Hawaiian
- Melon Head
- Purple Hooter
- Fuzzy Navel

Zippers tastes a lot like Kool-aid.
EACH CUP CONTAINS 12% 24-PROOF ALCOHOL.
The "Zippers" packaging is clearly marked with a government alcohol warning, but in a crowded, busy school cafeteria, once the lid is ripped off, it looks just like Jell-O. "Zippers" are sold in bars, liquor stores, and GROCERY STORES in eleven states, including TEXAS, GEORGIA, TENNESSEE, KENTUCKY, VIRGINIA, INDIANA, OHIO, NEW YORK, CONNECTICUT , MASSACHUSETTS AND WISCONSIN.

( More information on http://www.acde.org/common/alerts/Zippershots.htm )

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Brain Gyms
This is a new phrase for me. In fact, it is a relatively new concept across the country. A gym for the brain is exactly what it is. I remember my gerontology professor saying a few years back that baby boomers would be trend setters in years to come. He knew what he was saying. These places to exercise the brain are becoming a big thing, charging as much as $60 a month in some areas. This gym improve concentration, focus and memory. They claim to make a difference in relationships and attitudes. Much of the activity is computer programs. As I have not visited this type of gym, I am not personally familiar with all the techniques used.

For those that don't feel they can or want to join another gym, there's hope. There are brain-teaser programs available for home computers. There are also books written on the subject of how to keep your brain in good working order. A lot of research has been put into these books. I suggest a book I bought a few years back, Keep Your Brain Alive by Katz and Rubin. In it you will find 83 neurobic exercises to increase mental fitness. It's not too early to do all you can to improve brain function.

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It's not a good thing to get into a routine life with few new experiences. Our brain starts to operate on rote and it's almost like we live our life without having to think. Brains can get sluggish under these circumstances. The old saying, "If you don't use it, you loose it, seems to fit very well when it comes to brain activity!

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Getting Back To Basics

Natural Health (November Issue, a great magazine) says extra belly fat puts increased risk in our life for heart disease, diabetes and stroke.

A recent study says that people, with excess weight around the stomach and in their 40s, are more likely to have dementia in their 70s. That's a scary thought, but it's not meant to scare you. I'm telling you to get you moving. I'm going to be more faithful to my health club! What about you! It not only makes us look better physically, but it makes us feel better and gives us a sense of control, which is something that is rare in today's economy!

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Times are hard. News programs are bad for our health. I mean that statement literally! Take a break from it. Listen only once a day to reports of the world's happenings! Look for good things. There are some! We need to take the above quote serious, in this time of questionable happenings. Change the music you keep on your stereo or in your home. Settle down. Soothing is good for us. Life is fast, with little time for relaxation or pleasure. But we have to remember we choose our speed. Instead of fast, violent entertainment, choose something that has not been your lifestyle for a while. Our son sent us a DVD a week or so go that was absolute entertainment. It's Brian Regan. He does stand up comedy that is clean enough for the whole family. Check out I Walked On The Moon. You can put yourself in each scenario he talks about. We keep XM's Escape going for background music to lift our spirits, joining in from time to time, but allowing for times of NOTHING, no music, etc.) Let's lighten up! It will help us get through these economic times that drain more than just in our wallets. Worrying, grieving, fussing steals our dreams and optimism

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Don't underestimate the power of personal "down time". You're not the only one to benefit. Your family will see a difference when you pamper yourself because it refreshes! A job, husband, family, social events can rob us of those little moments when we need to shut everything out. Try to get religious about this most important time in your life. I am working on it myself!

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