at the heart of the matter

LOVE is such an undefined word...if you really think about it. We love on so many different levels and for so many different reasons that it would be a shame not to experience all that we can squeeze into this life for however long we are meant to be here. Take care of yourself. February is National Heart Month and Heart Disease is the number one killer of women. I know I want to be around for a long time, at least long enough to be a burden to my children, so eating healthy and being active needs to be a priority other than just thinking about it and this is especially difficult for me during the winter months because I walk less and exercise is sporadic. I tend to consume more comfort foods like soups and chowders that are loaded with sodium and I don't eat nearly the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables that I do during the other seasons. I guess this is just one more reason to look forward to the arrival of spring! So here's to a conscious effort to be heart smart! And look at this list! Chocolate! Even though it is Dark Chocolate, I can live with that!


Foods Rich in Heart-Healthy Flavonoids:

Apples
Apricots
Blackberries
Chocolate
Cranberries
Grapes
Green tea
Onions
Red wine

morning s-t-r-e-t-c-h

I am so enjoying this break from school, except I am beginning to get my schedule out of whack...staying up later and sleeping in longer. I've been reading more, writing more, and just enjoying not having any obligations. The weather has been so nice and I've had the joy of experiencing the sun on my face, warming my bones...it has even inspired me to get back into a yoga routine and I feel so much better. When my body feels better it motivates me to eat healthier too, so it's a win-win situation. Last night there were more homeless people out, more than I was prepared for, but it was nice to learn a few new names and offer what I had. In our area, many of the homeless congregate around the public library because there are covered places to sit and eat. When our time changed I began arriving earlier to avoid being in the dark, but the library is still open to the public and it has been very interesting to me watching "normal" people respond to the homeless groups as they leave the library. Sometimes I wonder if they think I am homeless too. I have seen people nearly trip over themselves avoiding a path and I have seen parents pull their children near and have them look away. I know in my heart that is part of the problem...too many people look away...and of course I understand the mentality behind their actions, but I wonder if God does...I pray harder for those people than I do for those who don't know where their next meal is coming from. Next week: an extra pot of soup and pictures in the park. I'm excited to share some of those sweet and soiled souls with you.


Aren't the Koi located on my sidebar so darned cute?! I got them here. So just sit a spell, listen to the music, and enjoy feeding them (click anywhere near the fish)...very relaxing....or maybe I'm just easily entertained...lol.

thankful thursday...life is sweet

Days of peaceful reflection
…fresh sun tea
…hydrangeas blooming
…mourning doves cooing
…porch swing swaying
…Norah Jones, Natalie Merchant
…new magazines to leaf through
…no heavy heart of worry or concern
…no alarm clocks, assignments due
…oh, the blessings of these lazy days
with my feet in the pool
making little circles in the water…
little rings that gather
around my ankles,
reminding me inner tranquility can
be found in the most obscure places
in a back yard
where sun touches skin
between fences
in a city
where wind chimes
sparkle and jingle in the wind.

Bee-ing supportive

• honey is antibacteria
• honey is hydroscopic, meaning "water loving"...honey holds moisture in place and even draws moisture out of the air (hence, the reason for the bread not drying out)


• honey gives a slow steady release of energy instead of peaks and valleys that come from eating sugar!


• weight lifters, triatheletes, and competitive sport figures use honey before, during and after a workout.


• honey does not cause cavities. The sugars in honey don't begin breaking down until they reach the stomach.


• find a local beekeeper to purchase raw, unfiltered, unheated honey to obtain all its natural vitamins and nutrients


• The National Honey Board and the American Medical Association found through research that eating honey raised within a 50 mile radius of your home would help with allergies.
  

santa cruz...

Gone to the beach!

matters of the heart

What conversation is your heart trying to have with you?

Mine is saying…

be strong,
please walk more,
engage in yoga,
drink lots of water,
eat healthy,
and by all means follow me…
because that’s where divine love
and faithful friends reside.

Your Body's Cry For Water

*The body is made up of one-half to four-fifths water. Water makes up nearly eighty-five percent of the brain, about eighty percent of blood and about seventy percent of lean muscle.

* The lack of water is the number one cause of daytime fatigue.

*Seventy-five percent of Americans are chronically dehydrated.

*A mere two percent drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, difficulties with basic math, and problems focusing on a computer screen or printed page.

*Drinking five glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by forty-five percent, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by seventy-nine percent, and decrease bladder cancer by fifty percent.

*Preliminary research indicates that eight to ten glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to eighty percent of sufferers.

*Even mild dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as three percent.

*In thirty-seven percent of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak it is often mistaken for hunger.

by Dr. F. Batmanghelidj. M.D.