Photo by The Reliable Source
Every dog has his day – well, in Baltimore, Maryland, some dogs get to eat al fresco because there, some establishments with outdoor dining allow pets! This is according to today’s article Dog Day Afternoons by Jill Rosen in the online version of the Baltimore Sun, which you can check out to view names and locations of actual restaurants in that area which allow you to share your outdoor dining experience with your true best friend. Continue reading
You’re going to get out there and help where help is needed anyway. And this world needs all the help it can get! But the question is, who cares for the care-giver?
It can be stressful to try to make a difference in the world. While it is worth it to try to make your corner of the universe somewhat better compared to how you first found it, it shouldn’t hurt in the process. That’s why I liked the idea of “Give a Day. Get a Disney Day.” “Receive free admission* to one of the theme parks of Walt Disney World® Resort or the Disneyland® Resort when you sign up and complete a day of volunteer service with a participating organization.”
The big news is that Disney is trying to give ONE MILLION Disney Days to volunteers all across North America during 2010!
AARP’s The Magazine tells a telling truth: A cascade of studies in recent years has shown that caregivers stand at particular risk for a host of mental and physical illnesses, many of which have roots in stress, exhaustion, and self-neglect—symptoms some medical professionals have begun calling caregiver syndrome. Caregivers appear more likely than noncaregivers to get infectious diseases, plus they are slower to heal from wounds, says Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, Ph.D., director of the Division of Health Psychology at Ohio State University in Columbus. Kiecolt-Glaser has conducted several caregiver research studies with her husband, immunologist Ronald Glaser, Ph.D.
“Many of you, I’m sure, have stories of taking a loved one home from the hospital with no instructions on follow-up care and no one to call when you find yourself in trouble. What does it mean to be responsible for a sick, frail or demented loved one when you have no idea how to take care of them properly and nobody assigned to guide you, when you have no telephone assistance or home visits?” …Asks Jane Gross of The New York Times’ The New Old Age blog.
“If you can’t hear me, you’re too loud.” This is from the Whisper Principle, or Gentle Parenting, or other similar philosophies which emphasize mutual respectfulness between parents and children. When I had the opportunity to be in a day-care setting, I used the phrase, sotto voice, of course, and as our classroom relationships deepened, soon I only had to say the phrase once before the children settled down.
I love to see- and hear- enthusiastic play! Children and their boundless energy inspire me to relish my world. When it is time to transition to a slower, quieter pace, I let it begin with me. A simple deep breath takes me to a more relaxed state because I am a grown-up with at least a semblance of self-discipline. 
Children’s extrinsic motivation can be a starting point to develop a stronger intrinsic motivation. This is the beginning of self-discipline and a balance of both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation shows maturity.
When it is time to calm down, I calm down. I use calming tones and phrases, and try to bring the power of the group together in order to make a purposeful change from high activity to low activity.
Welcome! That’s what we all love to say to our family and friends as they enter our doors this holiday season. We also love to hear it when we reach our destination and finally get together after who knows how long. I haven’t seen my brother and his wife since last December, so I know it will be totally cool to catch up on where we’ve been all of 2009. But we have a heritage of heart disease in the family, and this could be a cloud over the festivities unless we de-stress, and stay smart as the years rush by. I know I don’t want 2010- or any year- to bring sudden bad news, when simply paying attention to a few good habits could tip the scales the healthy way.
Mary Benton says her Emergency Department Prepares to See Higher Number of Heart Attacks on Christmas, New Year’s
In a national study published in Circulation, researchers at the University of California at San Diego and Tufts University School of Medicine found that there are 5 percent more heart-related deaths during the holiday season. The biggest days of the year for heart attacks are Christmas Day, Dec. 26 and New Year’s Day.
Doc Childre and Deborah Rozman Ph.D. blogged last week that reduced budgets can mean stressing more this year over how much to spend on gifts and what to get. I’ll implement this tool as they suggested in the post:
Tool: Notice and Ease
Step 1: Notice and admit what you’re feeling.
Step 2: Try and name the feeling.
Step 3: Tell yourself to e-a-s-e- as you gently focus your attention in the area of the heart, relax as you breathe, and e-a-s-e- the stress out.
Merry Christmas! It’s that time of the year again, and this year, it’s going to be bigger and better than ever- bigger donations and better understanding of the need to solve challenging social issues, that is. Advent Conspiracy says, “This year, give presence.”
Water! Advent Conspiracy has joined with Living Water International again this year to promote and supply clean, drinkable water sources all around the globe. If Santa wasn’t so busy with supporting avarice, he could get in on this, too.
I’m standing by this sign here at the entrance of a super stuffmart location. I already have and like my iPhone and I just wanted to get a picture of myself by a huge picture of one. It was a nice moment for me.
I admit that I remember the 70′s- the gasoline lines, the will-work-for-food signs, the high mortgage interest rates. I also remember Mean Joe Green’s coke and a smile and Dave Thomas was making it big with his restaurant business and turning it into an adoption awareness foundation. Could it be that when times are tough- and we’re at a 26-year low mile marker according to Meridith Levinson at Computerworld/Careers- the tough get nicer?
If you want good karma for your career, you certainly will tap into your nice side. Here at HealthPatio, we have miracles rolling around under the picnic table every day, but out there in the work-a-day world, it couldn’t hurt to take this advice from Heather Gardener with 360jobinterview.com :
Doing good deeds by putting yourself out there for a good cause is an excellent way to at least provide a perspective hiring manager something positive about you. If you get heavily involved this might even prompt someone to talk “nice” about you and your working efforts to help others and provide a solid reference alternative.
My sky:
I fly.
Shoes and feet
for my street.
Sunshine?
All mine.
Dirt and waters
Wild critters
If all this
I possess
It’s all mine-
for zero time.
The land, the world, earth, loam, these words are a few that we use to talk about where we live. Of course our existence is much more than simply physical, but today of all days it is brought home to me that it is no bad thing to celebrate a simple life.
I get the bulk of my opinions and attitudes about ecology from Tolkein, and I use the quotation above from Bilbo Baggins to express my own sentiments. Thanks for indulging me, BB old friend.
As expected by fans of Health Patio, I found out about an event that melded the physical and spiritual, however, as reported by Episcopal Life Online. (I’m a long time reader of Bishop Spong, as a pertinent aside.) “[L]eaders from ten faith traditions including the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan on April 22 planted the first of 12,000 trees during an Earth Day ceremony on the shores of Lake Superior.” It seems 20+ inches of snow could not hold back the EarthKeepers from loving their mother. (I don’t know what is keeping them from getting their own domain name, but accolade none-the-less.) Continue reading
