Change of Heart Stress Solutions

Are you looking for me?

2012-10-23T19:38:00.002-07:00

I haven't gone too far. In fact, you may have already visited me on my Auntie Stress site, which is a work in progress.

Now, you'll be able to access both blogs, Auntie Stress Cafe (formerly known as Change of Heart Stress Solutions) and A Rheumful of Tips, as well as learn about some exciting new developments as they unfold.

I'll be looking (out) for you. :)

Warmly,
Marianna
Auntie Stress

Mirthful Monday - Use it or Lose it

2012-10-08T05:30:00.000-07:00

Mirthful Monday - New Definitions - 1

2012-10-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

1. ARBITRATOR: A cook that leaves Arby's to work at McDonalds.

2. AVOIDABLE: What a bullfighter tried to do.

3. BERNADETTE: The act of torching a mortgage.

4. BURGLARIZE: What a crook sees with.

5. CONTROL: A short, ugly inmate.

6. COUNTERFEITERS: Workers who put together kitchen cabinets.

7. ECLIPSE: What an English barber does for a living.

8. EYEDROPPER: A clumsy ophthalmologist.

9. HEROES: What a guy in a boat does.

10. LEFTBANK: What the robber did when his bag was full of money.

Eighteen Easy Ways To Be Kind

2012-09-28T14:40:00.000-07:00

Kindness - it's in you to share, and research is proving why a liberal sprinkling of kindness is not only good for those who are on receiving end, but is also good for you.

I tuned in on Anderson Live at just the right time last week. Here, psychologist Dr. Martin Seligman and Goldie Hawn explain how kindness affects the brain.

Under stress, or duress, kindness often evaporates. The pressure squeezes and reshapes the person that you are, so that you become unrecognizable to yourself and others. This ability to portray another person is much admired on the stage, but in real life - not so much. The great news is that you can rewrite the script by simply using the power of the heart. A daily, mindful practise produces profound changes. When you understand how powerful an act of kindness is and how it affects not only your brain, but your heart, you will feel compelled to go back for more helpings.

Here is a short list to get you started:

Notify the website owner if you notice that something isn't working on their website.
Stopped at an intersection? Safely move over to the left just enough to allow the car behind you to make a right turn.
Hold the door open for someone.
Scrape off your neighbour's windshield in the morning.
Done with your magazine? Share it with your someone else.
If you notice a tripping hazard, such as a curled over mat, straighten it out.
Inform the management if you see an area where safety or accessibility improvements could be made.
Write a thank you note.
Did the letter carrier accidentally place your neighbours' mail in your letter box? Take it to them, rather than returning it to the post office.
Let someone know if you heard a good thing about them.
Call a friend just because.
Clean up after yourself at work - wash your own dishes and put them away.
If you're able to, offer your seat on the bus to someone who looks like they need it.
When you're on your cell phone, leave the room, or speak quietly.
If someone behind you in the line-up only has one item, and you have a full cart, let them go ahead.
When someone drops something, help them pick it up.
When visiting with a friend, be fully present. (Turn your phone off or to vibrate and let the answering machine get it.)
Transform your stress.

To learn more about stress and how to transform it, please email me.

Please tell us how you sprinkle your day with kindness.

Mirthful Monday - One-Liners - Part 1

2012-09-24T05:30:00.000-07:00

If you're not familiar with the work of Steven Wright, he's the guy who once said: "I woke up one morning and all of my stuff had been stolen...and replaced by exact duplicates." His mind sees things differently - to our amazement and amusement.

I'd kill for a Nobel Peace Prize.

Borrow money from pessimists - they don't expect it back.

Half the people you know are below average.

99% of lawyers give the rest a bad name. 42.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot.

A conscience is what hurts when all your other parts feel so good.

~Source Unknown

Mirthful Monday - The Man Cold

2012-09-17T05:30:00.000-07:00

When you undress your stress, you lessen improve your immunity.

Stress dampens natural killer cell cytotoxic activity. (NK cells affect the immune system and provide protection from viral infections and cancer cells.)

Get the “Auntie-dote” from me, Auntie Stress.

Mirthful Monday - Oh, Those Catty Engineers!

2012-09-10T06:30:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Laurel for this one.

If you're in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and are looking for a feline addition to your household, Kitty Kare have cats and kittens to spare.

If you're not, do consider a pet from your local animal shelter. Feeling good, courtesy of four legs and fur.

Related post: Heart of Gold Leads to Second-Chance "Tails".

Stress, Seniors and Care Decisions

2012-09-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

If you had a chance to view an episode of W-5 entitled "Senior's Moments", you may wish to reconsider sending your loved one, or yourself, into a care home.

Your time may be fractured as you look after an ailing relative, while working, taking care of your family and/or dealing with your own health issues.

How do you cope with the stress of doing it all? By not shifting into over-drive - that panicky, hyperactive go-go-go state that is unsustainable. Access a calmer, more intelligent and systematic way of dealing with each hurdle, of which there can be many. Learn to balance your nervous system and undress your stress so that you can not only feel better, but make better-informed decisions. Decisions that may affect the quality of life one experiences in the twilight years.

Not everyone is able to stay at home because of the nature of their health, nor may they be able to afford at-home care, in which case the next step would be to move into a care home.

Dependent upon the situation, you may wish to consider a medical alert service. This service may help to postpone a move into a care home.

Below, is a guest post from Rescue Alert of California, providing tips to help you choose the best service for yourself, or for your loved one.

How to Find an Unbiased Medical Alert Review

Those who are trying to find a good medical alert for the first time may feel that the information they are being given by the alert system provider’s sales representative might not be the big, complete picture. They commonly resort to reading up on the alert system reviews they can find online. But as a single online search could turn up hundreds, even thousands of such reviews, how do you sift through all the information?

Here are a few no-nonsense tips to help you determine not only if the
review is unbiased, but also to know where to proceed from the lead given by a review.

Are the reviews factual or merely opinion? It is a simple matter to determine which is fact and which is opinion—you simply have to read between the lines, so to speak. A factual review will mostly discuss in detail the actual features of the product or service—the underlying technology used by the system, the personnel training, the recorded response time of the personnel to every emergency alert, even professional or industry affiliations and certifications received. If you cannot find these “facts” throughout the text of the review, or if the review relies too much on anecdotes or testimonials without any sufficient supporting evidence to back up the claims, then it is likely that the review is not independent and is being produced by a shill.

Be aware if the review you are reading tries to manipulate your emotions too much; be conscious of certain buzz words that tend to push your emotional buttons. A good alert system can stand on its own list of features.

Is the information being provided to you updated? Most alarm system providers use telemarketers or sales representatives who aggressively try to sell the product or service. If you encounter one, do not immediately whip out your credit card or money—check to see if the alarm provider’s website has updated information.

The industry of personal emergency systems is largely unregulated, but occasionally, certain cities or states release or promulgate a new rule or ordinance concerning the dispensation of such personal alarm systems. The review may not contain the new ordinance, or may even intentionally omit it to the alarm provider’s advantage.

The point is, whether you are reading a review or reading the contents of the alarm provider’s website, make sure you are dealing with updated information.

Does the review recommend several personal alarm providers, or only one?
One obvious red flag that indicates a review may be totally biased is if it mentions or exhaustively discusses the features of only a single company. Any reviewer worth their salt should go to great lengths to keep it fair and independent, which means they should try to at least discuss the leading alarm providers, if not all (even the smaller players).

A review that provides an easy-to-understand graph or chart where the features of several different alarm providers are indicated side by side is best—you can easily see which alarm provider can best address your specific needs.

Does the review site have a disclaimer or a disclosure? A good, independent review site will disclose their source of information. They will also say if they have any business affiliation with the company they are reviewing. Such information disclosure may not affect the site that is being reviewed (after all, if the alarm provider is good, it will still have a good review whether or not the reviewer is affiliated with it or not), but knowing if a business relationship exists between the reviewer and the company being reviewed can help you determine the extent of trust you can invest in the review.

Does the reviewer have a clear, easy-to-understand rating system? A rating system is not an absolute necessity, but it helps in giving you an “at a glance” idea of where the alarm provider stands in the scheme of things. Also, a rating system also indicates that the reviewer cares about its reader’s convenience.

There are many good medical alert reviews online, but you have to take them with a grain of salt and with your own wits intact—use your own sense of critical thinking in order to determine the best course of action for your own advantage.

Mirthful Monday - A Truly Wonderful World

2012-09-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

Stop to appreciate this wonderful world. When you amp up your appreciation and see how it changes your heart rhythms, you'll know that you've just undressed your stress.

Get Well Soon

2012-08-31T05:30:00.000-07:00

It arrived in the mail; so rare in this age of email, Twitter and Facebook.

It had the heft and shape of a card, which it indeed was.

Cheerfully written across the front were the words "Get well soon!"

"Hmmmm," I thought. "Am I sick? Why am I receiving this card?"

I was enlightened when I read the carefully scribed personal note. This card was wishing me well after I broke my arm in a car accident, several weeks before. At that point, I think the cast had been on for four weeks.

It's interesting how I had we forget when we can heal from some injuries. Think about a paper cut. At the time, that little slice into your skin can be quite painful. But, soon healing occurs and you've forgotten all about it.

Yet with other injuries, whether they be physical or emotional, we hold on to the hurt, reluctant to relinquish that familiar, yet not so pleasant pain. Partly responsible, is a small gland called the amygdala - it registers and recalls situations that deeply hurt. When it finds one that looks close enough to the original offending scenario, the stress response kicks in, ready to save the day, ready to save you.

But how efficient is this when the scenario may not necessitate the big guns?

One way to work around this is to pause long enough to realistically evaluate the situation. Recruit the power of your heart to change the chemical cascade so that you aren't soaking in those stress hormones - the ones that can disturb your sleep, make you cranky, disrupt your energy flow and make you give bliss a miss.

Back to the accident and my broken arm . . . I started stress techniques the minute I got out of my vehicle. Not only did it help with the pain, but it also helped to diffuse the memory of that event.

You see, I did get well. Soon, too.

Mirthful Monday - A Party, a Scientist and a Surgeon

2012-08-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

What happens when a rocket scientist and a brain surgeon attend the same party?

Thanks for sharing the laughter, Kathrin.

How To Ignite Your Creativity - Twelve Tips

2012-08-24T05:30:00.000-07:00

Image courtesy of Dimitri Castrique.

Read the newspaper, blogs and magazines. An article you read may very well be the prompt you need to get you started on a topic. This one was prompted by a tweet from Christian Johannsen: The Joys and Health Benefits of Pet Ownership.
Spend some time reading the works of someone whose style you admire. In addition to published authors, check out the tweets and blogs of the people you know. Here are three people whose works inspire me: Kathrin Hardie, Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter and Beth Havey.
Listen to CBC radio. My April newsletter was inspired by CBC's DNTO (Definitely Not the Opera).
Find some artistic challenges on blogs, Twitter or Facebook. Several years ago, Kayt Hoch offered up a daily poetry prompt. Although I didn't "play" daily, it helped spark a new direction for my writing. Here's one that @Accrete recently shared with me: Summer Photo Scavenger Hunt.
Location. Location. Location. Move away from your usual environment. Different sights, sounds and scents will send you down new creative pathways. Many a blog post has been written in various coffee shops in the Lower Mainland.
Go and do something totally unrelated to the project which you're struggling to start or complete. Even for five minutes. Play. Wash the dishes. Dance.
Let Mother Nature wrap you up in her arms. Do some Forest Bathing. Leave technology behind. I know you can do it.
Listen carefully whenever anyone pays you a compliment about your creative abilities. Suspend judgement. Quiet the inner critic. Don't question why someone is praising you. Just believe it.
Travel. The same principles apply as in Tip #5, whether it be to a land far away or within your city. A week in Hawaii resulted in several posts: Hawaii 5 Ohhh! - Part 2.
If you're writing, speak it aloud as you write. I'm doing that now. It helps to hear how the words sound outside of your head.
Change your medium. Pick up a pen and fire up those nerves (and your creative genius). Here is an interesting article about this topic: Sign your name across your brain.
Undress your stress. Don't let the flame of inspiration fizzle out faster than that last match on a camping trip. If you are constantly focused on the things that stress you, you may not be aware of myriad of sources of inspiration that permeate your world.

Tips #1 to #11 may not count for as much when the *IBSC is working overtime. You're too tired, too angry, too frustrated, too depressed, too everything to be creatively productive.

The common denominator will all these tips and stress undressing is how you feel. When you feel better, creativity soars.

Here are Ten Suggestions for Undressing Your Stress. Remember that unless you implement them, they're not going to do you much good. Auntie Stress is here to help. Please email me for further information.

*ISBC - A client once told me that when she is stressed, she knows that the Itty Bitty Sh**** Committee is working full out.

Mirthful Monday - Lexiphiles - Part 3

2012-08-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds.

The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine was fully recovered.

He had a photographic memory which was never developed.

Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.

When she saw her first strands of gray hair, she thought she'd dye.

Acupuncture: a jab well done.

~ Source Unknown

Hawaii 5 Ohhh! - Part 2

2012-08-17T05:34:00.000-07:00

5 Things to Take With You On Vacation

Personal travel mugs and travel cutlery. It's a small way to reduce your ecological footprint, especially if you're going to enjoy the epicurean delights that are on offer at the markets.
A Swiss Army Knife. It comes in handy when you make those market purchases, or gather some fruit that practically falls into your hands.
A few clothes pins to keep those towels and suits in place when they're drying on the lanai.
A flashlight. I was glad I had mine when the power went out one night.
Extra layers for the plane.

Waipio Valley

5 Highlights

A session of Watsu®-Waterdance®, beautifully integrated with Trager Approach® Principles from Sarah Lynn Joy. Please see #318 - An Unexpected Journey to Joy. Whether you have a chronic condition or hurt because unlike mine, your husband didn't forbid you from doing any of those energetic activities from Part 1. The place to go to feel better is Deep Wave Healing.
Volcanoes National Park - their Visitor Centers, plus points of interest make the $10.00 admission price a good bargain.
Ahalanui Park - a swim in this spring and ocean-fed geothermal pool makes for a refreshing break. Unfortunately, we ran out of time or I would have explored the Kapoho Tidal pools.
Macadamia Nut Mahi Mahi. The best we had was at The Fish Hopper in Kona.
Snorkelling - always a plus for me!

Ahalanui Park

5 Reasons a Change of Scene is Good for Me

I learn about new things, like VOG, or volcanic smog. Vog is carried from Kilauea in south-westerly direction by the trade winds. It is seen and smelt along the Kona coast.
Travel provides great blog fodder. Happy Jetting with West Jet, An Unexpected Journey to Joy, Merry at the Marriott King Kamehameha Hotel, plus several other posts in the making.
It deepens my ability to go with the flow and expect the unexpected.
I love to travel, but travel also allows you to appreciate the positive qualities of home.
It gave me an opportunity to observe how my anxiety began to rise and how knowledge, coupled with techniques turned things around for me.

As we headed south from Kona, we soon left the land-before-time tropical scenery behind, and entered a large area that looked as if someone had fun with black spray foam. Lava, as far as the eye could see, with only hints of new growth reaching for the sky.

As we drove, I noticed that in addition to getting edgy, I was also becoming car sick. There's a reason why I don't ride roller-coasters and this road could have qualified as one, albeit one for toddlers.

It wasn't until I had gained more information from the Visitor's Centers at Volcanoes National Park that I realized a big part of my unease was caused by the fear of what might be. My imagination was working overtime; I was anticipating a major eruption, any minute. I now know that those volcanoes are very well monitored and that there are things one can do, should Madame Pele, Hawaiian Goddess of Fire, become enraged.

Once again, education and preparation makes a difference.

How have you benefitted from a change of scenery?

Flight home. Aloha!

Mirthful Monday - Hard Not To Laugh

2012-08-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

This video makes me laugh every time. You?

Hawaii 5 Ohhh! - Part 1

2012-08-08T21:42:00.002-07:00

The Big Island of Hawaii is so diverse; in weather, topography, people and activities. You'll even see signs for Nene and Donkey Crossings on your travels around the island.

I'll hope you'll enjoy my impressions of the-week-that-wasn't-quite-long-enough on The Big Island.

5 Things I Would Have Loved to Do

Balanced and dipped on a Stand-Up Paddleboard (SUP), or in Hawaiian, Hoe he'e nalu.
Zoomed along on a Zip-line.
Rented a scooter.
Parasailed.
Paddled an outrigger canoe.

It's a case of the spirit being willing, but the flesh weak, however. In more practical terms, it was hubby declaring that he doesn't want to see me go the Emergency Department. Again.

Realistically speaking, I know that these activities are verboten with hip replacements, fusions and weak joints; the legacy of rheumatoid arthritis. A girl can dream, can't she?

Why is it so hard to get a picture of me with my eyes open? East coast of Hawaii with a small tidal pool to the left.

5 Must-Sees and Dos

A walk under the canopy of tropical trees. Make sure you also look down, as well as up. There's a bounty of succulent fruits, including my favourite - Liliko'i (Passion fruit).
Volcanoes National Park.
Markets abound in Hawaii - stop in for fresh produce and unique made-in-Hawaii goods. The local papers and guidebooks list days and locations.
Spend some time driving around the entire island; just make sure you stop at points of interest along the way.
A water excursion of some sort - sail, jet-ski, zodiac, outrigger canoe. There's a number of providers offering these services.

We saw these along the side of the road. Does anyone know what they are?

Not exactly what comes to mind when you think of Hawaii, but these market-purchased tomatoes were—quite possibly—the best I've ever eaten.

Just one of the many facts you'll learn at the Visitor's Center in Volcanoes National Park.

5 Products/Services I Love

Positive Drive Fins - I saw these on some of the swimmers. I'm thinking about ordering a pair.
Kona Bay Books (and Cd's and DVD's). I can't go by a bookstore without making a detour. This was one detour will worth taking!
An Unexpected Journey to Joy, thanks to Deep Wave Healing by Sarah Lynn Joy at Kalani.
Kona Brother's Coffee - not acidic, like a number of different cups I sampled.
Kona Natural Soap Company - each morning, it's a bit of Aloha in the shower.

The sense of smell is a powerful memory trigger. It is connected to the Limbic System of the brain, which affects emotion. If you wish to relive your wonderful vacation, I suggest bringing some scentful things—like Kona Brother's Coffee and Kona Natural Soap—home with you. Your sense of smell triggers those pleasant memories. Revisiting them is a powerful stress undresser when you augment it with heart power.

Pool at Kalani. The Watsu Pool, where Sarah Lynn Joy does Deep Wave Healing is beside this one.

To be continued. Aloha!

Mirthful Monday - Lexiphiles - Part 2

2012-08-06T22:24:00.000-07:00

Show me a piano falling down a mineshaft and I'll show you A-flat miner.

You are stuck with your debt if you can't budge it.

Local Area Network in Australia : The LAN down under.

A boiled egg is hard to beat.

When you've seen one shopping centre you've seen a mall.

Police were called to a day care where a three-year-old was resisting a rest.

Did you hear about the fellow whose whole left side was cut off? He's all right now.

If you take a laptop computer for a run you could jog your memory.

A bicycle can't stand alone; it is two tired.

~ Source Unknown

Mirthful Monday - Lexiphiles - Part 1

2012-07-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

To write with a broken pencil is pointless.

When fish are in schools they sometimes take debate.

A thief who stole a calendar got twelve months.

When the smog lifts in Los Angeles , U.C.L.A.

The professor discovered that her theory of earthquakes was on shaky ground.

The batteries were given out free of charge.

A dentist and a manicurist married. They fought tooth and nail.

A will is a dead giveaway.

If you don't pay your exorcist you can get repossessed.

With her marriage, she got a new name and a dress.

~ Source Unknown

Hearing and Stress, Stress and Hearing

2012-07-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

Image courtesy of Jean Scheijen. http://www.sxc.hu/profile/vierdrie

Hearing loss and stress have a number of similarities.

To discover what they are, I invite you to read my guest post, Hear! Hear!, which was published on the blog of Gloveman Supplies, Ltd.

More Like a Cabbage Than an Onion

2012-07-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

When you are learning, changing and growing, the process is often compared to peeling away the layers of an onion. You may think you're done when you get through one layer, but there it is, another layer, lying in wait, ready to be peeled back.

I remember once asking a workshop leader whether I'd be "done", once I healed from an event. The answer was swift. "Not if you're lucky." Life is a process, living it means that we continue to learn, change and grow.

However, I think that a cabbage better describes this process. The layers in an onion are concentric and evenly spaced; they're easily peeled off, too.

Personal growth, can be easy, at times.Yet, other layers can be messy and difficult to peel back. You don't know what you'll find until you get there. The layers are uneven, just like the cabbage.

Perhaps, the personal growth comparison to the onion has more to do with the tears than the layers?

What do you think? Onion or cabbage?

Mirthful Monday - Pinterest

2012-07-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, when you're alone and life is making you lonely, you have to stop what you're doing and just belt it out.

Here are three of my favourite singing scenes, which I've added to a Pinterest board called "Sing It!".

So, go ahead, take a break, turn up the speakers, pick up the microphone and sing it! You know you wanna! ;)

Mirthful Monday - Why, Why, Why?

2012-07-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are getting weak?

Why do banks charge a fee due to insufficient funds when they already know you're broke?

Why is it that when someone tells you that there are one billion stars in the universe, you believe them but, if they tell you there is wet paint, you have to touch it to check?

Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?

Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you throw a revolver at him?

Why did Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?

Whose cruel idea was it to put an "s" in the word "lisp"?

If people evolved from apes, why are there still apes?

Why is it that, no matter what colour bubble bath you use, the bubbles are always white?

Is there ever a day that mattresses are not on sale?

Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that something new to eat will have materialized?

Why do people run over a string a dozen times with their vacuum cleaner, then reach down, pick it up, examine it, then put it down to give the vacuum one more chance?

Why is it that no plastic bag will open from the first end you try?

How do those dead bugs get into enclosed light fixtures?

Why is it that whenever you attempt to catch something that's falling off the table you always manage to knock something else over?

~ Source Unknown

A Change of Heart

2012-07-04T14:40:00.001-07:00

Life. A matter of perception. Stress transformation allows you to view the world a little differently, often with big results.

Here are some examples:

Initial Impression - A colleague who is making more errors than usual.
Change of Heart - You learn that they are dealing with a terminally ill family member.
Initial Impression - You are stuck in traffic going over the bridge. You're worried that you will be late.
Change of Heart - As you inch your way over the bridge, you later discover that the reason for the slow progress is a serious medical emergency.
Initial Impression - (Here is one of a personal nature.) It is my policy to follow-up with the parents after I've finished working with their child. This particular time, I didn't get a return call. I started to worry (worry = stress), thinking that they weren't happy with what I did. Self-doubt began to incubate. Change of Heart - Two weeks later, I received a call, saying a) that they had been out of town and b) that my young client was doing exceptionally well. (I have since learned to step off the treadmill of worry, in circumstances such as this one.)

A change in perception can make a difference to you (and to those around you). It gives you an opportunity to offer up the gift of compassion, which is a powerful stress undresser.

When has a change of heart benefitted you?

Forest Bathing

2012-06-14T19:54:00.004-07:00

Often, a foreign language will have a term that succinctly and exquisitely describes a thought, a feeling or an experience. For example, I wrote about Shibumi, a Japanese word which describes the sophistication of simple things.

A new Japanese word was presented, all thanks to wait in the doctor's office, and a flutter through the June issue of the Oprah magazine.

Shinrin-yoku or "forest bathing" is the Japanese practice of spending time in the forest.

According to this study from Tokyo's Nippon Medical School, participants showed an increase in disease-fighting white blood cells.

Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your walk in the woods:

Leave your music behind. Instead, choose to listen to the symphony of sounds - the drumming of an industrious woodpecker; the hoohoooohooooo of an owl, up too early; the shhhshshsh of rain as it sluices through the leaves; the distant whistle of a train.
Take note of Mother Nature's palette. How many shades of green do you notice? Brown? Blue? What has changed since your last visit?
How do you feel? Is there a lot of head-chatter? (This was something I noticed about myself. I was undoing the benefits of the walk, worrying about this, that and everything else. Fortunately, I learned how to stop the worry by activating the power of my heart. Now, I replace those unproductive thoughts by changing my heart rate variability.)
Speed up. Slow down. Amble. Saunter. Stroll. Stride. Enjoy!

"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." ~ John Muir

When was the last time you had the pleasure of being out in nature? What insights have you had while forest bathing?

Tending to the Garden

2012-06-02T17:27:00.000-07:00

"When the world wearies and society ceases to satisfy, there is always the garden." ~ Minnie Aumonier

To help make your yard and garden more beautiful, whilst saving wear and tear on your hands, there's the Fiskars® line of products. Thanks to their generosity, I am able to offer a giveaway on A Rheumful of Tips.

Even if you don't have a need, this Bypass Pruner makes a great gift for the gardener in your life.

Act quickly. Entries must be received by midnight, PDT, on Monday, June 4th, 2012.

To enter, please visit Love and a Bypass Pruner.