Go Walk In The Woods

http://www.collective-evolution.com/2016/04/08/doctors-explain-how-hiking-actually-changes-our-brains/

I always knew my life was missing forests. Truly I can not imagine ever being away from them again.

Thought of The Day

Some times life is about risking everything for a dream no one can see but you.

Just one word

I text my daughter almost every day, I wish I would hear just one word.

I WAS SHOCKED

I went to my friends for dinner last night. I had been chatting on the phone with my daughter as I drove there .... I parked down the street a ways from my friends place, due to limited street space when I arrived, then gathered all my things and headed in the house at about  5:45pm.
We had dinner and talked wedding stuff for a bit. Then we went for a drive to look at the chosen HalloWedding party location and gazebo spots. When we got back to thier place, we chatted a bit more, I gathered my things and said goodnight. Their street is not well lit, so it was quite dark as I started to maneuver my Green Giant Tahoe out of the perfect parallel parking spot. It was then that I saw something on my windshield. I was more worried than curious. But I put the Tahoe in park and got out. I walked around the the passenger side and lifted the windshield wiper. Did I mention that it was dark outside? As soon as my fingers touched the soft leather I knew what it was. Someone was kind enough to pick up my wallet, that I must have dropped hours before and leave it somewhere I would find it. The realizing that I had dropped it and someone picked it up for me was surprising. But  I was totally amazed to find all my cards and cash still inside! I wanted to thank the good deed doer, but I had no idea who did this act of kindness. I called my friend on my way home, and told her what had happened. She was as surprised as I was. I arrived home by 10pm, checked my bank accounts and so far, nothing has been touched.
This was a humbling experience. Even in very questionable places, there are good people. Restores your hope for humanity right! I'll pass the kindness forward, and keep living on good karma!

Quote of The Day

"I had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. 
But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalog:
'No good in a bed, but fine against a wall.'"

Eleanor Roosevelt

Friday Night

A Happy Friday Night is ... picking up your favorite pizza and dessert for less than the regular price of said favorite pizza. Watching an entire episode of a new weekly tv series and enjoying it. While eating crispy Mediterranean pizza. And having the dishes washed, shower done and being in bed on time without feeling cheated out of Friday Night!

The First Day of Fall

On Thursday, September 22, 2016, at precisely 10:21 a.m. EDT, the Sun will cross the Equator, marking the precise moment of the Autumnal Equinox, or the first official beginning of fall.

So what does that mean? Essentially, our hours of daylight — the period of time each day between sunrise and sunset — have been growing slightly shorter each day since the Summer Solstice on June 20th, which was the longest day of the year in 2016 (at least in terms of daylight). Even after three months of the days growing shorter, we were still seeing more light than darkness over the course of a day. The Autumnal Equinox marks the turning point, when darkness begins to win out over daylight but on the 22nd, the days and nights are approximately equal in length. The word equinoxcomes from the Latin aequus(equal) and nox (night).

So now, for the next three months, our hours of daylight will continue to grow shorter. In December (December 21, 2016, at 5:44 a.m. EST, to be exact), we welcome the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year in terms of hours of daylight. 

After the Winter Solstice, the days will begin to grow longer again. It will take another three months, until the Vernal (Spring) Equinox (March 20, 2017, at 6:29 a.m. EDT), for the periods of daylight and darkness to reach equilibrium once again.

From the Vernal Equinox, the days will continue to grow longer, until we reach the Summer Solstice again on June 21, 2017, at 12:24 a.m., EDT, and the cycle starts all over again!

Did you ever wonder…
Why doesn’t the change of seasons happen at the same time every year? Well, to explain, the Earth takes approximately 365.25 days to make one trip around the Sun. This is why we have a leap year every 4 years, to add another day to our calendar to make up for that .25 day, so that there is not a gradual drift of dates through the seasons. For the same reason the exact time of the equinoxes and solstices are not the same each year, and generally will occur about 6 hours later each year, with a jump of a day backwards on leap years.

So no matter what the weather is doing outside your window on the 22nd, this day marks the official start of autumn, and with it, we’ll see the many changes this new season brings, including the leaves changing color!

By The Farmers' Almanac Staff

TRAVELING COMPANIONS

Today, I spoke to a lovely woman 
who is going on a business trip. 

The trip is to a very beautiful location; 
a tropical vacation spot in fact. 

As we chatted, I became aware that the anticipation 
of the trip was being overshadowed by a 
particular traveling companion. 

And although there will be many other work 
associates on the trip, the one specific associate, 
has a way of selfishly manipulating and 

tarnishing the positive atmosphere. 

As we chit chatted about the upcoming trip, 

my delightful traveler chose to be 
more positive about the situation. 

She said that the unpleasant co-worker, 
"Would be a far better 

traveling companion than Charles Manson, 

or Jeffery Dahmer or even Osama Bin Laden." 

And thus...
I commended her on her 
positive out look toward the traveling companion 

and wished her well on her tropical business trip!

BANANAS

About 12 years ago 

I had an allergic reaction 

when eating a banana. 

I had never had a problem before that.

 The banana was the only thing

 I had eaten, so there was no question 

that the reaction had come from the fruit. 

It had taken three Benadryl  pills 

to calm the reaction. 

I also had similar reactions to avocado 

and fish in that time frame. 

So, I just avoided those things 

from there forward. 

It was so scary and sad.

  

Recently however, 

I had yogurt for breakfast while on a trip. 

The first bite told me 

"This isn't strawberry yogurt, 

this is strawberry banana!"

 So I quickly 

read the ingredient list. 

It was a good brand of yogurt, 

so I was sad to learn it had real bananas 

and not just banana flavoring in it. 

At that point, 

I tossed out the yogurt. 

Then I waited to see 

if there would be any repercussions. 

I always keep several 

Benadryl pills with me at all times, 

just in case I ever have 

another scary reaction. 

But nothing happened! 

In talking to my daughter a while later, 

I told her of this happening. 

(She panicked, 

she had been with me the day 

the banana tried to kill me, 

it was scary for her as well.)

I told her that I was going to give 

the yellow fruit another try. 

She made me promise 

that I wouldn't try consuming one 

while I was alone. 

Just the other night 

I was having dinner with friends,

when I noticed bananas on the counter. 

I asked if I could have one,
 then I put it on my plate. 

My friend Kim saw me do this thing, 

and knowing of this scary banana allergy, 
questioned my logic. 

I told her the new development, 

and produced two pink Benadryl pills

 from my wallet.

 I had the first tiny taste,

I waited several minutes 

to see if there would be any reaction. 

And there wasn't! 
So, I had some more. 

Then some more!

It took me about an hour 

to finish that banana, 

but I wanted to make sure 

there was no allergic reaction. 

I am pleased to report that all went well. 

I had no negative reaction 

to the delightful tropical fruit! 

I can't tell you how delicious it was, 

like tasting one for the first time. 

It was so amazingly yummy! 

Bananas are now on my grocery list! 

I also think I will pick up some 

salmon and an avocado just to try! 

I am very excited!

Houston

I have a dear friend, whom I met nearly 6 years ago. He lives in Corpus Christi now. We keep in touch, he keeps track of me. We started off our friendship looking for more, but quickly found out that we are great friends, so don't mess up a good thing. The other night he sent me a pic of an eternity band. He wanted to know what I thought. It is beautiful. He is going to ask his girlfriend to marry him. I am  so happy for him, for both of them. She makes him happy, she fills his lonely places, she completes him. Although I found myself feeling very envious, I couldn't be happier!

Happenings Here in Mayberry...,

Tonight I sat down to enjoy dinner and a bit of Nova on PBS ( because I love that kind of educational entertainment...or maybe because I am old? Either way, that was my plan) I would also be chatting with my Life Coach this evening. (Yes, this is how I spend my Wicked Wednesday evening!)
But, from outside I could hear a lot of commotion. It sounded like teenage girls, being loud obnoxious teenage girls. I didn't think much of it. There are new neighbors down the way, they get a bit loud now and then. Just one of the joys of apartment life in Mayberry. Well, the volume got louder and more hysteric.  Until someone screamed "Stop yelling!" I had no desire to intrude on someone else's drama, so I finished dinner and Nova, let the dog out, washed the dishes and headed upstairs.... on the way I looked out the peep hole in the front door. It was dark outside (nearly 8pm), but I could see three sets of headlights angled toward the new neighbors place. Mayberry's finest were here, no need to worry about a thing. I headed upstairs and had my chat with my Life Coach and my world was again spinning in the correct rotation, I looked out the window. The volume was over, people were loitering and deputy Barney Fife was setting things to order. I watched as the sheriffs department left one by one. Those involved were now calm. I had viewed all I could, assured again that there really was nothing to see...and it was dark, so who knows what I was seeing anyway. I took a shower, brushed my teeth and climbed into bed.
What an exciting evening, I am thankful that my Wicked Wednesday evening was drama free.
I'm sure Doc, my next door neighbor, will give me all the neighborhood info tomorrow, so I will be up to date on the happenings here in Mayberry.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

HaPPy BiRTHDay to my Baby!
 I love you with all of my heart! 
OXOXO 

A Gaggle

The view outside my front door! 

SO UGLY, HE'S CUTE

I think the bug population
is my gardens best producer.

Quote of The Day

Steve Irwin:

"Crocodiles are easy. They want to kill and eat you.
People are harder. Sometimes they pretend to be your friend first."


I read this with an Australian accent.

TOUGH PUPPY LOVE

Cheree is beside herself. She is doing her puppy cry at this very moment. And it's all my fault? Let me explain:

When I fill her puppy bowl, she has a cute little ritual of "Dog Prayer". She taps her place mat with her nose, then taps her bowl. She does this over and over and over. It is darling, and always the same.

When I drop any tidbit of food on the floor, she is all over it and under my foot. When she hears the cutting board being used, she can't move fast enough to make sure she won't miss a thing. She is a perfect Hoover! And if I put a special treat in her bowl, like sliced tomato, chicken, cheese or pizza, she eats every speck.

However, when she eats her puppy kibble, she is a very sloppy puppy. She leaves puppy bites all over her place mat and the floor. She never eats the puppy bites that escape the bowl... ever. Even when she has emptied her bowl she still will not clean up the mess, it gets spread all over the floor.

When Cheree emptied her bowl of puppy kibble (and tomato) she came to tell me her bowl was empty (she gets very excited, it's so cute). When I looked at her place mat, once again, it was covered in the bits she refused to eat. So I took her bowl, knowing that my puppy was full and not in need of more kibble. She saw me take her bowl, I showed her the bits left behind, she sniffed them in acknowledgement, and I left the room. Since then she has whined, barked, danced and given me lots of kisses, to let me know she needs more food. Yet, as the photo shows, she wont eat the unloved bits. I will give her bowl back as soon as she tidies the floor.

AN HOUR LATER.......

Lesson learned....sad bits eaten, and full bowl having "Dog Prayers" being given at this moment!

Dr. Weil on Napping

http://www.drweilblog.com/home/2016/9/1/naps-for-better-blood-pressure.html 

My take: I’m a big fan of napping. I used to worry about the time it took to nap, and I would fight off the impulse when I had work to do, but I've since learned that people who nap generally enjoy better mental health and mental efficiency than people who don't nap. They may also sleep better at night. Now, if I feel the need to nap and have the opportunity, I just take one, and usually wake up after 10 or 20 minutes feeling refreshed. The National Sleep Foundation reports that dozing off for 20 to 30 minutes is the ideal amount of time to sharpen your alertness. Other sleep experts have suggested that an hour-long nap can help your memory for facts, places and faces, and a 90-minute nap has been found to boost creativity. If the newly reported effects of napping on blood pressure are confirmed in future studies, there will be even more reason to take a daily nap. 

I love this guy! ❤️

How Rude

Windows open and happily napping on the couch. Sound asleep!
In my dream I hear my boss yell "Angie, come into my office."
There is no going back to napping after that!
How Rude!!!!

Long Weekend

Blue sky's, 81 degrees, with a stiff, cool breeze from the north.
The perfect way to start a long weekend!!!