Women's Well: Let's Discuss All Topics, Hosted by Oiseau

CALMNESS IN OUR LIVES

I am passing this on to you because it definitely
works, and we could all use a little more calmness in
our lives. By following simple advice heard on the Dr.
Phil show, you too can find inner peace. Dr. Phil
proclaimed, 'The way to achieve inner peace is to
finish all the things you have started and have never
finished.' So, I looked around my house to see all the
things I started and hadn't finished, and before
leaving the house this morning, I finished off a
bottle of Merlot, a bottle of White Zinfandel, a
bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream, a bottle of Kahula, a
package of Oreos, the remainder of my old Prozac
prescription, the rest of the cheesecake, some Doritos
and a box of chocolates. You have no idea how freaking
good I feel.

Cheers!

Spotlight: There is a code of etiquette that is to be followed when handling or displaying a country's flag.

Following are some of the rules stipulated by the US Flag Code:

Never allow the flag to touch the ground.

Do not fly the flag in inclement weather, unless it is an all-weather flag.

The flag may be flown at night only if it is properly illuminated.

When reciting the Pledge of Allegiance — which Congress officially recognized as the nation's pledge on this date in 1945 — one must stand at attention, with his right hand over his heart.

Quote: "I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands: one Nation indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all." — Francis Bellamy's original words, published in 1842

I have never been to either Disney Land or Disney World. Maybe some day.

Enjoy going and take lots of pictures.

Yes Bren get out those money bags LOL I took my family for a week and a half a few years ago to Disneyworld,Florida. I paid for everything and it set me back around 12 thousand! Surprisingly the food at the nice restaurants was very expensive to say the least! And because I paid for everyone on the private club floor our breakfasts were complimentary...nothin cheap there LOL

Starting my packing and looking so forward to this trip! :D

SAFE Holidays and fun for everyone!!!

Been busy with laundry today and cleaning. will be leaving this weekend for Arizona...can't wait!

thank you xoxoxoxox

The History of the Sock

"How on earth could the history of a sock influence culture?" one might ask. Associated with the Christian religion, Christmas has adopted just such a tradition in a big way. For years and years we look forward to nothing other than the important traditional hanging of our sock over the fireplace on Christmas Eve in hopes that Santa Claus will leave us some great gifts but seldom do we ask ourselves why a sock or who started such a crazy idea. There are several theories: the Dutch, the North American, or the poor, kind nobleman are just three of many possibilities.

The Dutch theory suggests that during the sixteenth century it was a widely practiced ritual of Holland children to leave snacks out for Sinterclass along with their clogs full of straw, which Sinterclass used to feed his donkey. For this favor, Sinterclass would leave the children treats in their clogs. It is said that when Americans adopted this tradition, Sinterclass became Santa Claus, the donkey became a reindeer, and the clogs became socks.

The rather bland idea that the North American culture adopted the practice of hanging socks over the fireplace as an effect of popular literature is much less exciting. Stated to have simply arisen from illustrations of Thomas Nast drawn for a famous Christmas story written by George Webster in the 19th century leaves the imagination somewhat less than teased.

The last but quite possibly the most exciting idea revolving around the historical impact of socks on Christmas is the tale of the poor kind nobleman. It is said that this man of three daughters, whose wife died early, had no money for a dowry needed so his daughters could marry. Distraught without any idea of what to do, his daughters finished their laundry and hung their socks over the fireplace to dry. Saint Nicholas, saddened by such despair, waited for all to retire to bed and then scurried up to the rooftop. Dropping three bags of golden nuggets down the chimney with one landing in a sock of each daughter they awoke to find each had enough to marry.

No matter which tradition you believe, the sock has definitely had a profound impact on the celebrations of Christmas, much to the delight of children everywhere.

Return And Reclaim

As children, many of us entertained fantasies or even goals of being an actor, singer, dancer, artist, or musician. In some cases, we received enough encouragement to develop our abilities in those creative arenas, but somewhere along the way we stopped. This stopping may have been due to circumstances beyond our control or to our own unconscious acts of self-sabotage. Being creative can be scary in a world that seems to value logic over imagination and practicality over dreaming. We can forgive ourselves for shutting down or turning our attention away from our inner artist, but perhaps we can also take steps to reclaim our dreams.

In certain times and places, developing a creative ability was considered an important part of being a well-rounded human being. It was not necessary to be a professional or a masterly genius, because the act of creativity was valued in and of itself. It gifts are manifold—from the sheer pleasure of allowing our imaginations free reign to sharing and enjoying the fruits of our labor. Children share drawings and songs freely, without self-consciousness, and there is no reason why we cannot do the same thing. You may already be remembering some lost form of expression, such as making jewelry or writing songs. Your soul may be responding with an energetic lift as it feels its way back to a time when it was allowed to express itself freely. Your brain, on the other hand, may be throwing up obstacles, like the idea that you are too old or do not have the time.

The truth is, you are not too old, and if you have time to pick up a pen, you have time to make a doodle or write a haiku. Recognize that the obstacles you find before you have arisen from a place of fear and that they will wane in power every time you do something creative. Each creative act takes you deeper into a realm of beauty and magic, a realm that you have every right to return to and reclaim

For more information visit dailyom.com

Fall has arrived with a vengeance. If you're like me, there are days when you barely have the energy to crawl out of bed in the morning. But you can beat that lethargy. Here are 3 quick tips to help put the bounce back into your step:

1. Eat fibre-rich foods. Start your day with a bowl of bran cereal with some banana slices or dried apricots. The fibre in these foods slows down the release of glucose (sugar) into your bloodstream and helps keep you alert. Fibre also helps cure constipation – so you'll feel lighter and more comfortable.

2. Breathe deeply. This helps create mental focus and renews energy levels. I recommend this: Sit in a chair with feet flat on the floor and back straight. Inhale slowly through your nose all the way down in your belly, expanding your abdomen and filling your lungs. Breathe in to a slow count of three, then exhale to the count of two. Continue without pausing for at least two minutes.

3. Stretch to relieve stress, a real drain on your energy. I like this exercise: Stand with your back against a wall, feet about hip distance apart and about a foot from the wall. Inhale, pull in your abdomen and exhale, slowly rolling your body away from the wall, head first, then neck, shoulders and back until only your tailbone and buttocks are still touching it. Relax your neck and shoulders, and let your head and arms hang loose. Take slow, deep breaths, and circle your arms inward for five counts, then outward for five. Slowly roll back up.

Yours Sincerely,
Pauline Anderson, Health Editor