Happy, Healthy New Year

Wishing all my friends, family, and obloggernewbie.blogspot.com visitors a joyous New Year. I am sending love, peace, and positive energy to you today, and intend to continue this plan throughout 2014. Be well, live well, and love well!!!

The quotation for today is “Tomorrow, is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one.” 

― Brad Paisley

#Tips #Holidays #De-stress

How can you navigate through the holiday season without feeling bent out of shape? Here are 5 Simple Steps to Help Minimize Stress during the Winter Holidays. Apply these techniques and let me know which ideas work for you. 

1. Look at the green leaves above and breathe easier. I put this theme on my computer monitor, because shades of green refresh my spirit, soothe my eyes, and are thought to increase productivity. Play around with your computer or tablet background color to find colors that relieve eye strain for you. Blinking, looking away from the screen for a few seconds, or taking frequent short breaks from the computer screen are helpful techniques to clear the mind and relieve tension in muscles. According to a recent National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) study, discomfort and eye strain were significantly reduced when computer workers took six five-minute "mini-breaks" throughout their work day.
2. Set your priorities to cut down on overcrowded schedules and overtaxed endurance thresholds. Many try to take on gift shopping, card sending, decorating and entertaining, and gift wrapping tasks along with regular responsibilities. Overdoing activities and a racing mind makes for cranky, anxious, and exhausted people. Keep it simple. Celebrate the traditions that really matter to you, or forge new ones that are fun and contribute to your health and happiness. 
3. Quality vs. quantity. "Shopping, especially if you're worried about money or getting elbowed in the stores, can drain the fun out of the holiday season. People who focus on gifts generally feel less holiday cheer than those who spend more time with close friends and family," explains Joanne Barker at WebMD http://www.webmd.com/parenting/family-health-12/reduce-holiday-stress

A Lesson From Nature in Autumn

Majestic Autumn Show at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Richmond, VA

Fall wears a fiery coat that has wowed me this season. Splashes of crimson, tinged gold, burnt orange, and Sugar Maple yellow adorn the trees and landscape. Colors dance in the wind from points in New England to the villages and hills along the east coast. Autumn shows off its vivid hues in towns and cities across the U.S. as far north as border towns in Washington State. It is evident along the west coast, even traveling to select spots in southern CA like Julian, with an altitude of 4000 ft. Leaves blow and pumpkins, apples, and pears are harvested. The evening chill invites many to sit by their crackling fire with a cup of hot apple cider. Yet the heaps of crumpled, drying, brown leaves stir something else in me.

Here a Squash, There a Squash, Everywhere a Squash, Squash

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Couscous

Roasted Butternut Squash Sliced Lengthwise

Here's the real deal about "Winter Squash."

Aging Gracefully and Website Building is not in my DNA

Image by Shutterstock/Jonathan Feinstein

Why this photo, you may ask? It is clip art of the cross sections of many trees. Slicing the tree this way and counting its rings is one way foresters and botanists use to determine the age of each tree.

I chose it today, because I was born before the computer came into its own and feel like an old-timer in many respects. Today, I am reflecting about the rings that circle my core. There is a ring I earned as I learned to navigate around the Internet. Several others appeared as I shifted gears three times to keep up with my word processing programs. My first computer came with Lotus, but I moved on to Word Perfect, and now use Word. I've gained computer skills, since I started blogging in 2009, and am excited I've learned lots of things about health, nutrition, the mind-body connection. food, travel, and a green lifestyle.

Lizz Huerta, Mind Of: birds flying out of me

Lizz Huerta, Mind Of: birds flying out of me: Summer is aching out slowly, the way it does here in Southern California. It gets hotter, the air thickens from the storms further south, in...



I enjoyed reading this and will add Liz Huerta, Mind Of to my reading list! Nan @ obloggernewbie.blogspot.com

Labor Day, Yellow Daisy, and Freedom 2013

I'm grateful I live in America and have the freedom to express my views without fear of reprisal.

I do not believe we should strike Syria now. I think we should wait for the UN report and other countries to band together before any U.S. military action commences. The congress and President need to get clear on what is and is not our responsibility. I don't want another Iraq, where there was action before we discovered the lack of hard facts about weapons of mass destruction. Also, I am disappointed President Obama did not offer Syrian Leaders a chance to repent and surrender chemical weapons as a last ditch effort to change the tide of events in Syria.

Plant Based Special Event

Just a quick note...

Do you know? The Healthy You Network is hosting a special event, Your Health, Your Planet at the Fox Theatre on September 21, 2013. Cost is $35. It will feature 5 talks on plant-based eating, cooking, fitness, and health topics by recognized authorities and lunch catered by Urban Fresh . For further information and tickets see the website http://healthyyounetwork.org/. This is a fabulous chance to have fun while learning!

Taking the Pulse of Our Healthcare System

I believe the US Medical System Needs a Major Overhaul. Instead of focusing primarily on treating people after they have a condition, the U. S. medical establishment must shift its focus to prevention. This is sound, both ethically and economically. I sense it will increase our chances of getting quality medical care that is cost-effective as well as mindful of the body’s power to reach optimum health through a balance of healthful nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle changes. My ideal calls for less medication and medical interventions, less hi-tech tests, and no cruel and inhuman treatments that are worse than the diseases they are supposed to cure. 

GMO labeling bill gets backing from natural-food, supplement group. We need your vote too!

"The nation's largest trade group for natural products is getting behind a legislative effort to require that consumers know when their food has been genetically modified." This quotation from Julian Hattem in this blog tells it like it is. This is an important read. GMO labeling bill gets backing from natural-food, supplement group - The Hill's RegWatch

I often ask myself if GMO's are supposedly so safe (according to Monsanto and others that have tampered with our crops by genetically modifying them with toxic or allergen causing chemicals like Roundup®), why does Monsanto's UK facility serve no GMO foods in their corporate dining rooms?  Here's a list of the top six major players in agricultural genetic engineering in the private sector. Many of them have extensive plant breeding operations across the world, and then add transgenic traits to the varieties they breed.

• Monsanto (NYSE: MON) is based in St. Louis, Missouri. Monsanto has the largest market share of GE crops in the world.
• Pioneer Hi-Bred International is based in Johnston, Iowa. Pioneer is a subsidiary of DuPont (not publicly traded).
• Syngenta AG (NYSE:SYT) is based in Basel, Switzerland.
• Dow Agrosciences is based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Dow Agrosciences is a subsidiary of Dow Chemical (NYSE:DOW).
• BASF (OTC:BASFY) is based in Ludwigshafen, Germany. While primarily a chemical company, they are rapidly expanding their biotechnology division.
• Bayer Cropscience is based in Monheim, Germany. Bayer Cropscience is a subsidiary of Bayer (OTC:BAYRY).

Think Before Reacting to Climate Action Plan and US Energy Policy

The climate action plan outlined by President Obama yesterday in a speech given at Georgetown University sparked a glimmer of hope in me. It calls for expanding clean energy use and cutting energy waste. The White House proposal is available online in its entirety. Read it and give serious thought to this important matter. I welcome feedback about whether you think it’s on target and/or want to hear your ideas about ways for improving the situation. 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/image/president27sclimateactionplan.pdf

May Activities and a Recommendation

  

Yume Japanese Gardens of Tucson

This is where I spent a lovely Mother's Day afternoon in the heart of our desert city. It was so soothing and refreshing to take in this plush, emerald oasis. The quiet is sublime. See the Website. http://tucsonjapanesegardens.org/

Are you willing to share information about a tranquil place where you live? Please click on the white envelope under this post and leave your comment. That way, we all will know where it is.

I had an opportunity to check out Anita Fonte's new publication and recommend it to you. Talk Up^ Tucson presents ideas and resources to promote community happiness and community prosperity through diverse positive collaborations. For more information go to Anita's Website. http://communityrenaissance.webstarts.com/

Earth Day 2013-14 An Invitation to Take Positive Actions

Ideas have been germinating in my mind and heart...and my inner guidance tells me April is the perfect month to birth changes in my life that I wish would manifest in the world.

Today I make a commitment to align more closely with our planet's best interests.

What steps am I taking to further my goal? See below.

White Roses for YOU

Sending my dear readers-a bouquet. The white is a symbol of the unexpected snow we had last week. Part of me felt sad these roses didn't smell sweet. And most of me was joyful, because they were a gift from a loved one.

Have you noticed, for the last couple of years, commercial roses have little or no fragrance? That's why I cherish those picked fresh from my garden. Does anyone know of a florist in Tucson that sells roses that have an aroma? Please let me know. And who do you want to send a bouquet to today? And for what reason? I especially want to send these flowers to special friends: Mary S., Linda D., Minka, Beth, Jodi, Paula, and Marianne. You have been helping me grow in special ways. Thank you for being in my life.

The quote for today is: "A friend is one who knows you and loves you just the same." Elbert Hubbard
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_friendship.html#jCSbIw4PiTMOUBW6.99 

Rebound from Rejection, Resume the Creative Process

This week I received notice that one large project and one smaller one is not going to be published by the presses where they were submitted.

At first, I felt numb. Then I traveled back in time to a familiar place, my childhood. After I turned nine, my parents were both troubled and preoccupied by health issues. Much of what I accomplished at school and in the creative arts was overlooked or minimized. At the time, my only sibling criticized my drawings, compositions, and poetry. She said, “How babyish and silly.” 

Happy, Healthful, Heavenly New Year!

I delight in imagining the first day of the new year as a fresh start, one that allows me to dream of possibilities. I set the intention to grow and learn from both personal and professional relationships and be a mindful messenger of peace.

What are you longing to accomplish, and what steps are you willing to take to further your goals? What do you envision happening in the new year and how does this differ from past years?

My experience has taught me that positive thought plus action in the right direction will manifest change in my life. It's important for me to recall this now.

Please share your views on this topic by clicking on the envelope below this post or entering your email address to the left of the submit button-then click. I'd really like to know whether you make New Year's Resolutions and how successful you are at sticking to them.

Wishing you a Happy, Healthful, and Heavenly New Year!

The quote for today comes from G.K. Chesterton at Goodreads.

G.K. Chesterton > Quotes > Quotable Quote

“The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul and a new nose; new feet, a new backbone, new ears, and new eyes. Unless a particular man made New Year resolutions, he would make no resolutions. Unless a man starts afresh about things, he will certainly do nothing effective.”

Happy, Healthful, and Heavenly New Year!