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Today is the anniversary of the birthday of the author of Winnie-The-Pooh. There is a little quiz to see what character you are most like. Click here to see the 100 Acre Personality quiz.
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Friday, January 18, 2008
Quote of the Day...
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“The way to find out about happiness is to keep your mind on those moments when you feel most happy, when you are really happy — not excited, not just thrilled, but deeply happy. This requires a little bit of self-analysis. What is it that makes you happy? Stay with it, no matter what people tell you. This is what is called following your bliss.” ~ Joseph Campbell
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“The way to find out about happiness is to keep your mind on those moments when you feel most happy, when you are really happy — not excited, not just thrilled, but deeply happy. This requires a little bit of self-analysis. What is it that makes you happy? Stay with it, no matter what people tell you. This is what is called following your bliss.” ~ Joseph Campbell
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It's National Hot Tea Month!
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Read all of the info on why it is so good for you...
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Hot Tea Month was spearheaded by the Tea Association of the USA. Drinking may tea may offer some protection against such diseases as cancer and heart disease and help give your immune system a boost and protect against the flu.
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Read about tea here.
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And here.
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And finally here.
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Read all of the info on why it is so good for you...
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Hot Tea Month was spearheaded by the Tea Association of the USA. Drinking may tea may offer some protection against such diseases as cancer and heart disease and help give your immune system a boost and protect against the flu.
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Read about tea here.
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And here.
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And finally here.
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Wednesday, January 16, 2008
What do you do for breakfast?
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The top three items on an American breakfast menu...ready-to-eat cereal, coffee and fruit juice. I used to eat breakfast most days and usually cereal with banana or strawberries and whole milk plus orange juice. In the winter I had hot oatmeal when the boys were young. Now, with the thought of keeping my blood sugar at a reasonable level, I have a hard boiled egg and 4-6 oz. of orange juice with my vitamins. Mid-morning I will have cottage cheese and peaches (most days). And snacks consist of nuts and carrot sticks. More protein and less carbs is important when you are diabetic. However, it is most important that I eat something since foregoing breakfast usually means higher calories later in the day.
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What did you eat this morning? Click here.
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The top three items on an American breakfast menu...ready-to-eat cereal, coffee and fruit juice. I used to eat breakfast most days and usually cereal with banana or strawberries and whole milk plus orange juice. In the winter I had hot oatmeal when the boys were young. Now, with the thought of keeping my blood sugar at a reasonable level, I have a hard boiled egg and 4-6 oz. of orange juice with my vitamins. Mid-morning I will have cottage cheese and peaches (most days). And snacks consist of nuts and carrot sticks. More protein and less carbs is important when you are diabetic. However, it is most important that I eat something since foregoing breakfast usually means higher calories later in the day.
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What did you eat this morning? Click here.
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Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Word of the Day #7
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(7) accomplish - achieve: to gain with effort; to succeed in doing -
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I have several goals to accomplish this year and I have already achieved some of them. It is a good habit to assess your goals every so often and see what you have done and what needs to be done. Often times, people give up when they don't achieve their goals. Sometimes because it isn't set with a proper time limit or goals were set too high to begin with. Instead of giving up on the goals, reset the goals to something more do-able and with a different time frame. That might be all it takes to accomplish what you set out to do in the first place. The feeling you get when you accomplish something will set you up for success in the future. Likewise, if you don't complete goals, after a while, you set yourself up for failure and stop trying.
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Goals are best done with a short statement of what it is that you want to accomplish, a time frame for accomplishing it in and what you hope to achieve by accomplishing it. A goal that is too vague (for example: I will be a better person this year) will probably not last and you may give up trying because you didn't explain how you would do it.
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After a week you can see how do-able it was to write the first letter. If you are too busy, you may need to rethink the goal or time frame. Likewise, if you are ill for that week, you might need to readjust the goal to 4 letters per month (average is once a week) to allow for more flexibility in how you can achieve your goal. The idea is to not set yourself up for failure but to work with your goals to become successful and accomplished. As you achieve your goals, you can adjust them to take on more or less according to your needs.(7) accomplish - achieve: to gain with effort; to succeed in doing -
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I have several goals to accomplish this year and I have already achieved some of them. It is a good habit to assess your goals every so often and see what you have done and what needs to be done. Often times, people give up when they don't achieve their goals. Sometimes because it isn't set with a proper time limit or goals were set too high to begin with. Instead of giving up on the goals, reset the goals to something more do-able and with a different time frame. That might be all it takes to accomplish what you set out to do in the first place. The feeling you get when you accomplish something will set you up for success in the future. Likewise, if you don't complete goals, after a while, you set yourself up for failure and stop trying.
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Goals are best done with a short statement of what it is that you want to accomplish, a time frame for accomplishing it in and what you hope to achieve by accomplishing it. A goal that is too vague (for example: I will be a better person this year) will probably not last and you may give up trying because you didn't explain how you would do it.
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Goal: I will write one letter a week for the next three months to share with friends that live far away what is happening in my family's lives..
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Have a journal of some sort to write down your goals and leave room for notes as you go along. To see my on-line blog journal of goals, click here. You can write what worked or didn't work which will help you with future goals. It is also a great source of inspiration to see in writing what you have accomplished.
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Monday, January 14, 2008
What a glorious day!
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I wake up to 55 degree temp with a bright sunny sky, beautiful music to listen to while I change the sheets and clean up the bathroom, a perfect cup of coffee I finally made (after several failed attempts!) and ideas abounding in my head as I complete tasks one after the other. No glass could be half-fuller!!!
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I figured it would be cooler today after the storm we had yesterday but you never know here. I was pleased to wake up to true cool, crispness in the air. The kind that makes you want to open all of the windows and take a deep breath as you open each one. (Any cooler than 55, mind you, and I would be hesitant to have open windows. I have my "cool" limit!)
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I took a hot salt bath to ease the everyday pains in the joints and of course.....to shave!!! One must shave in the tub of water once in a while because you can see better than when you are standing in the shower, bending over, trying to hold your balance - you know who you are!!! Then, seeing that the tub has been neglected lately, I decided to get out the detergent for tubs and my gloves...uh-oh, only one glove and it is a lefty! Dang it!!! So, I put it on my left hand and proceeded to clean the entire tub bending over with my left hand. That's a lesson in futility (next word of the day). I was actually surprised at how much I was able to do. 75% of the tub was cleaned all with my left hand while my right hand held up the rest of my body!!! I was thinking about those who lose a limb and the half full glass popped in my head (kind of like the lightbulb that goes on for some people - mine is a half full glass!). I am blessed to have all limbs and functioning properly. But, it is still good to change once in a while to give the non-dominant a chance to shine. And my tub is shining now!!!
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I put on one of my recent favorite CDs and started thinking about my childhood. I can remember not wanting to practice the piano like I was supposed to and then when I did play, I wanted to play Elton John and The Carpenters. My teacher, Mrs. Kravitz would allow me to show her what I learned and then quickly got out the classical music books I was only allowed to play for her. She was classically training and I suspect, very good at her prime. I don't think I appreciated her very much at the time....the 70's weren't about Bach and Beethoven to an 8-14 year old girl!!! Now, I think about her and want to send positive thoughts to her memory that I do appreciate classical music so much now. I owe quite a bit of the early teachings from her and I can play a mean Fur Elise to prove it!
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Is there ever a time when you think about someone who put a mark on your life but you never had the chance to tell them? I was able to tell my mom and dad before they died and I am glad I did. But, I do think it is never too late. My thoughts to those who have passed are real and I know that they know how I feel. It is rewarding, to say the least.
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My coffee experience...I have yet to consistently make a great batch. Partly because I don't make the same amount or use the same measuring utensil, but I am learning.
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I bought some Dunkin Donuts coffee before the holidays (a fav of mine) and it definitely is stronger and doesn't require as much as say Folgers. The first two times I made it, it was so strong that I used at least a quarter of a cup of half n half to just lighten the color from black to chocolate!!! That pot I threw out, needless to say!!! Since then, I am down to less than half the 12 oz. package I bought and wanted to tweek it to get the most enjoyment out of it. Today was the day. I used my smaller scoop and with 2 scoops per cup, it made the perfect batch. Light mocha color, the way I like it, after a touch of cream and ooooh, that DD robust flavor. Mmmmmm...it's a glorious day!
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I think I might change my blog title from Haven for Relaxation to Half Full Glass.
.
I wake up to 55 degree temp with a bright sunny sky, beautiful music to listen to while I change the sheets and clean up the bathroom, a perfect cup of coffee I finally made (after several failed attempts!) and ideas abounding in my head as I complete tasks one after the other. No glass could be half-fuller!!!
.
I figured it would be cooler today after the storm we had yesterday but you never know here. I was pleased to wake up to true cool, crispness in the air. The kind that makes you want to open all of the windows and take a deep breath as you open each one. (Any cooler than 55, mind you, and I would be hesitant to have open windows. I have my "cool" limit!)
.
I took a hot salt bath to ease the everyday pains in the joints and of course.....to shave!!! One must shave in the tub of water once in a while because you can see better than when you are standing in the shower, bending over, trying to hold your balance - you know who you are!!! Then, seeing that the tub has been neglected lately, I decided to get out the detergent for tubs and my gloves...uh-oh, only one glove and it is a lefty! Dang it!!! So, I put it on my left hand and proceeded to clean the entire tub bending over with my left hand. That's a lesson in futility (next word of the day). I was actually surprised at how much I was able to do. 75% of the tub was cleaned all with my left hand while my right hand held up the rest of my body!!! I was thinking about those who lose a limb and the half full glass popped in my head (kind of like the lightbulb that goes on for some people - mine is a half full glass!). I am blessed to have all limbs and functioning properly. But, it is still good to change once in a while to give the non-dominant a chance to shine. And my tub is shining now!!!
.
I put on one of my recent favorite CDs and started thinking about my childhood. I can remember not wanting to practice the piano like I was supposed to and then when I did play, I wanted to play Elton John and The Carpenters. My teacher, Mrs. Kravitz would allow me to show her what I learned and then quickly got out the classical music books I was only allowed to play for her. She was classically training and I suspect, very good at her prime. I don't think I appreciated her very much at the time....the 70's weren't about Bach and Beethoven to an 8-14 year old girl!!! Now, I think about her and want to send positive thoughts to her memory that I do appreciate classical music so much now. I owe quite a bit of the early teachings from her and I can play a mean Fur Elise to prove it!
.
Is there ever a time when you think about someone who put a mark on your life but you never had the chance to tell them? I was able to tell my mom and dad before they died and I am glad I did. But, I do think it is never too late. My thoughts to those who have passed are real and I know that they know how I feel. It is rewarding, to say the least.
.
My coffee experience...I have yet to consistently make a great batch. Partly because I don't make the same amount or use the same measuring utensil, but I am learning.
.
I bought some Dunkin Donuts coffee before the holidays (a fav of mine) and it definitely is stronger and doesn't require as much as say Folgers. The first two times I made it, it was so strong that I used at least a quarter of a cup of half n half to just lighten the color from black to chocolate!!! That pot I threw out, needless to say!!! Since then, I am down to less than half the 12 oz. package I bought and wanted to tweek it to get the most enjoyment out of it. Today was the day. I used my smaller scoop and with 2 scoops per cup, it made the perfect batch. Light mocha color, the way I like it, after a touch of cream and ooooh, that DD robust flavor. Mmmmmm...it's a glorious day!
.
I think I might change my blog title from Haven for Relaxation to Half Full Glass.
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Word of the day #6
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(6) procrastinate - to put off intentionally and habitually the doing of something that should be done -
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I hope to not procrastinate as much this year. Setting goals and having regular check in times with these goals will make me aware of what I am accomplishing or not accomplishing. By "check in times" I mean writing down each goal and journaling about my achievements or what I haven't done that needs to be modified so that I can accomplish it.
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(6) procrastinate - to put off intentionally and habitually the doing of something that should be done -
.
I hope to not procrastinate as much this year. Setting goals and having regular check in times with these goals will make me aware of what I am accomplishing or not accomplishing. By "check in times" I mean writing down each goal and journaling about my achievements or what I haven't done that needs to be modified so that I can accomplish it.
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Sunday, January 13, 2008
Comfort food in the winter
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