Orange Julius.
6 ounces orange juice, from frozen concentrate, unprepared
1 cup milk, lowfat okay
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
Combine all ingredients, except ice cubes, in blender. Blend 1;2 minutes,
Popeye's Red Beans and Rice
1 ; 16 oz. can Red chili beans in chili gravy
1/4 teas. Cumin
In saucepan, heat beans without letting them boil.
piping hot, add warm rice and gently mix.
Call it survival fire or whatever you want to, there is nothing that can compare to the comfort of a nice, warm, crackling fire whether indoors or out.You would be amazed at how many folks have a nice fireplace in their home and don't have a clue how to start a fire in it!
It may be because of fear or just plain never having a need for using it but just let something happen like a power outage for several days in the middle of winter and they will be glad for any little bit of advice on how to build a survival fire, as by then that is really what it is!
In the outdoors a fire is a very vital in an emergency situation, and the basis to survival as a means of cooking food, heating water, signal for help, heat, and just plain for comfort.
Waking up in the morning to a warm crackling fire and the smell of coffee makes anything more bearable. =)
HOW To Start a Survival Fire...
First of all, make sure your fire area is clean of debris and safe to use. Circle it with rocks if you have those available and scrape the ground bare.(make sure they are dry as rocks from a creek or riverbed are often full of moisture and will explode when they get heated up),
If you want to use your fire mainly for heat, you will want to have it close to your tent or whatever you are staying in but if you only need it to cook some food with, then you may want to move it further away so you won't be fighting smoke and get your belongings all smokey as well.
NEXT, it depends on what you HAVE to start a fire with. Do you have some kindling? Fire starters?? (Magnesium fire starters work really well as you can start a fire in almost ANY kind of weather and don't have to worry about wet matches, etc...
Gather small kindling if you are in a woodsy area....bark, dry grass, small twigs, old birds nests, dry rotted logs, pine needles... all work really well as kindling. If you don't have any of this, a small scrap of clothing works as well.
You can make your own tinder that can be packed into your wilderness pack....stick cotton balls into Vaseline as they ignite and burn quick...stash them into an old film container or other small container. Plus, you can find home-made tender recipes online that can be made into a cake like bar and stuffed into your backpack.
As you make a small tee-pee shaped pile of kindling, remember that fire needs oxygen so don't pile it too tight.
Light it from the bottom, never try to start a fire from the top down and as it starts to burn, carefully lay bigger twigs crisscross over the top of it, being careful not to smother your newly lit fire.
I always like to have some bigger wood gathered BEFORE I start a fire as it is really frustrating to finally get a fire started only to have it go out as you are looking for more wood!
Survival Fire Starter Methods...
There are various ways to start a fire and if you have not done so already, I recommend adding a magnesium fire starter to your survival kit.
Imagine yourself in the worst kind of weather at the worst possible time and you find yourself forced into a survival situation, and it will help you determine what kinds of survival fire starters to pack for YOUR needs...
Matches is the first thing people think of when starting fires and rightfully so. It is the easiest way, in most cases, especially if you have water-proof matches. you can make your own water-proof matches by dipping the ends of wooden matches in melted wax
Once your matches get wet, they are the most frustrating way to get a fire going!
Lighters are great but you also need to keep them dry. A good idea for any survival kit is to have a few lighters, along with your water-proof matches, and a magnesium starter sealed in a plastic bag.
Preparing your horse for riding, well there aren't really in set guidelines to starting a young colt or filly. Every horse has an individual personality so you need to prepare yourself to work in that mind set. As a horseman you need to fit that particular horse to the situation and the circumstances. Remember those circumstances can change on a daily basis with a young horse. I'll try to explain to you briefly how to prepare your horse for its first ride. These are some things that I do that work for me. Everyone has their own method.1. Introduce your saddle pad to your horse. Make sure you do these things in a round pen with a halter and lead rope on. Offer the pad to your horse let him smell it. And look at it, get familiar with it. Then gently rub him all over with it. Rub it on his neck and back and on his over his hindquarters. Make sure you do this on both sides. What you do on one side of your horse you must do it on the other. Next after you feel your horse is comfortable begin to fling the pad on his back in a calm gentle steady rhythm, approach and retreat. When he is relaxed with this then lay the pad on his back and let him feel it I even walk him around with it a couple of steps then take it off rub him then put is back on. I do this a few times. This make take some time so don't rush anything, be patient with your horse you don't want to wreck what you have already accomplished on the ground.
2. Now its time to introduce the saddle. Make sure your saddle is set up cinches tied up correctly so they don't fall and spook your horse. You want to make this an easy pleasurable experience for your horse. Again like with the pad present the saddle to your horse let him smell it see it etc... make sure the lead rope is in the cuff of your left arm saddle in the right. Now place the saddle gently on your horse in one swift move. Then retreat (take it off). Place the saddle on again then retreat. Stop for a minute and rub your horse to let him know every thing is okay. If your horse is moving then move or yield his hindquarters until he stands still. Once he's relaxed then place the saddle on again.
3. Walk around to the right side of you horse and let the cinches down gently. Now walk back on the left side of your horse gently without being timid swiftly reach with your left hand and grab the cinch, don't bend down looking for it unless you wanna bad migraine. Now gently take your latigo and smoothly cinch your horse up in one swift gentle motion not too tight, but enough where the saddle wont fall off and roll under your horses belly (a disaster waiting to happen). If you have a back cinch, gently cinch that up as well not too tight, but enough that he won't get a hind leg caught in it the main function of the back cinch is to keep the saddle from moving up and down in the back. Remember to take your time and read your horse while doing this for any signs of hesitation.
4. Stand next to your horse after he's saddle and let him soak in what happening, don't be in a rush to move just yet let him get used to the weight of the saddle. Once you feel he's relaxed lead him a few steps then stop. If he starts to buck quickly step out of the way and let him buck. Let him figure things out, when he's stopped bucking gently walk over to him and rub him to let him know everything's okay.
"Descartes's Secret Notebook" by Amir D. AczelAmir D. Aczel is the kind of writer I love to read; a "science popularizer", that is, a scientist who can write about science in terms that someone like me, a person who is not a professional scientist yet loves to learn more about science, can understand.
But that's not all. Aczel could've been a great mystery or thriller writer if he didn't write about science since all his books have that page-turner quality to them. Once you pick up an Aczel book it won't be easy to put it down.
Descartes's Secret Notebook: A True Tale of Mathematics, Mysticism, and the Quest to Understand the Universe, as well as his two other important books (The Jesuit and the Skull and Fermat's Last Theorem: Unlocking the Secret of an Ancient Mathematical Problem) all provide a delightful reading experience while teaching a lot about history of science.
Aczel excels in taking us back to the early 17th century and bringing to life the social milieu in which the seeds of Rene Descartes' ideas originated, broke ground and then bloomed into full flower as a new paradigm, i.e. the Cartesian System, that changed our world forever.
However, if all Aczel did was to "explain" Descartes' ideas there would not be any need for the subtitle of the book: "A True Tale of Mathematics, Mysticism, and the Quest to Understand the Universe." He does more than that.
Descartes was a very private and "masked" man who led an eventful life and left behind a mysterious "Secret Book." Aczel unfolds for us the significance of Descartes' unpublished notes which were preserved and deciphered thanks to another scientific giant of that era, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, who made a personal visit to Paris to handcopy Descartes' secret book long after the death of the French Master in 1650.
Throughout the book we are treated to one delectable morsel from history of science after another including Descartes' love of travel and interest in battles and warfare; how Italian mathematicians held public quadratic equation "duels" in the 16th century for fame and riches; the importance of the "Rosicrucian connection" in Descartes' life and work; why Descartes could not publish everything he wrote during his very productive career; his trials and tribulations during his Dutch exile; his constant balancing act between the Catholic and Protestant factions of his day; why the ancient Greeks could not have solved the "Delian puzzle" by using only a straightedge and compass; importance of Kepler in the Descartian world; Descartes' love life; Descartes' unacknowledged contribution to topology (about 100 years before Euler); his Swedish tenure as private tutor to Queen Christina; his death and the strange fate of his skull; and much more...
Diabulimia is an eating disorder that is becoming more common among people with type 1 diabetes, especially in teenagers who are more affected than adults. This is happening because teens often lose weight before their diabetes is diagnosed but then when their insulin treatment begins they quickly gain weight. Some teens get very unhappy with the fact they are putting on weight, they then figure out that if they skip an insulin dose it is possible to lose weight.It is estimated that among type 1 diabetics the prevalence of eating disorders is 2-6 times higher than in general population. Nearly a quota of females with type 1 diabetes may have a diagnosable eating disorder. This happens because both disorders (diabetes and eating disorders) involve the control of food consumption and body weight. Food for both individuals is no longer considered to be just for nutrition but the object of strict control.
Diabulimia can include not only skipping the insulin doses but many kinds of behaviors such as:
- Reducing the insulin dose
- Binging
- Compulsive overeating
- Restrictive diets
- Starving
- Inducing vomiting
- Taking laxatives
- Over exercising
The most dangerous practice is misusing their insulin doses. To lose weight some individuals with type 1 diabetes deliberately miss the dose or take fewer doses than needed of insulin. Why they start to lose weight is because without the insulin their blood sugar rises; the kidneys produce more urine and the sugar then is passed out of the body in their urine.
Skipping insulin doses is very appealing for diabetics who want to lose weight; it is an alternative to engaging in a purging and a vomiting routine. So now they have realized they can overeat but still lose weight simply by not taking the insulin. There is a component of obsessive -compulsiveness in acting out this kind of behavior and if it gets out of hand can be extremely dangerous.
Being a diabulimic results in serious complications such as:
- Kidneys failure
- Heart failure
- Circulation problems
- Loss of vision
- Dangerous infections
- Osteoporosis
- Increased chance of death
As you can see these conditions are not what you want the diabetic to endure.
How to tell if the person has diabulimia?
- weight loss
- increased urination
- lethargy and low energy
- high blood sugar level
- constant thirst
- sugar in the urine
- inability to concentrate
- electrolyte abnormalities
- low sodium levels
- vomiting
- over exercising
- taking laxatives or diuretics in order to lose weight
Dogs have served as mascots on sailboats, Coast Guard and Navy ships, and square riggers. But how do you know if your dog would make a great companion for coastal sailing?Look for these water dog characteristics
Does your friend take to the water or not? To find out, engage in a game of fetch with a rubber ball. A great water dog fetches the ball with gusto every time! But if he or she shies away from the game, leave Fido with a friend before you cast off.
If you're in the market for a new canine companion, look over this short list of well seasoned boat dogs:
* Portuguese Water Dog
* English Springer Spaniel
* Golden Retriever
* Labrador Retriever
* Border Collie
* American Water Spaniel
Consider dog buoyancy and health
All dogs are not created equal, which means some swim and some don't. The less body fat, the less buoyancy. A tubby pooch may float like a cork. Dogs bred for water fowl retrieval have more body fat. On the other hand, leaner dogs like the Doberman or boxer often sink like a stone.
Older, overweight dogs or those with health problems could be in trouble if they fall overboard. All dogs experience fatigue after short periods in cold water, high sea waves, or strong currents. Those out of shape or unhealthy, succumb much faster.
How to choose a dog life jacket
The US Coast Guard sets personal flotation device (pfd) standards for humans, but not for canines. Every owner must make their own decision as to whether to carry a life saving device for their dog. Here are three facts based on tests conducted by Boat US:
1. Dog life jackets keep the dog horizontal, without tilting the head back. This position holds the canine in the normal swim position, where the dog lifts the nose to breathe.
2. Most dog flotation jackets fasten at the chest and around the neck. For comfort, look for a vest with chest straps wider than 1".
3. All dog life jackets come with a lifting strap on the back. Work out a recovery method in case your dog falls overboard. You might disconnect the boom vang from the mast and attach the lower snap shackle to the back strap. Make preparations ahead of time to be ready for the unexpected.
Dogs have served as mascots on sailboats, Coast Guard and Navy ships, and square riggers. But how do you know if your dog would make a great companion for coastal sailing?
Look for these water dog characteristics
Does your friend take to the water or not? To find out, engage in a game of fetch with a rubber ball. A great water dog fetches the ball with gusto every time! But if he or she shies away from the game, leave Fido with a friend before you cast off.
If you're in the market for a new canine companion, look over this short list of well seasoned boat dogs:
* Portuguese Water Dog
* English Springer Spaniel
* Golden Retriever
* Labrador Retriever
* Border Collie
* American Water Spaniel
Consider dog buoyancy and health
All dogs are not created equal, which means some swim and some don't. The less body fat, the less buoyancy. A tubby pooch may float like a cork. Dogs bred for water fowl retrieval have more body fat. On the other hand, leaner dogs like the Doberman or boxer often sink like a stone.
Older, overweight dogs or those with health problems could be in trouble if they fall overboard. All dogs experience fatigue after short periods in cold water, high sea waves, or strong currents. Those out of shape or unhealthy, succumb much faster.
How to choose a dog life jacket
The US Coast Guard sets personal flotation device (pfd) standards for humans, but not for canines. Every owner must make their own decision as to whether to carry a life saving device for their dog. Here are three facts based on tests conducted by Boat US:
1. Dog life jackets keep the dog horizontal, without tilting the head back. This position holds the canine in the normal swim position, where the dog lifts the nose to breathe.
2. Most dog flotation jackets fasten at the chest and around the neck. For comfort, look for a vest with chest straps wider than 1".
3. All dog life jackets come with a lifting strap on the back. Work out a recovery method in case your dog falls overboard. You might disconnect the boom vang from the mast and attach the lower snap shackle to the back strap. Make preparations ahead of time to be ready for the unexpected.
Italy, the birthplace of the mighty Roman civilisation and home to the Pope, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, is also known world wide for its cuisine (or 'cucina' as the Italians would say). Italian cuisine is popular all over the world because of the subtle flavours and universally likable tastes that constitute it. It has captured the imagination - and more importantly the taste buds - of people all over the world and it is impossible not to find an Italian restaurant in any of the major cities of the world.
Located close to the city in Richmond, Church Street Enoteca is an award winning restaurant offering modern Italian cuisine and a comprehensive range of wines from Australia and around the world. They were recently awarded their first "chef's hat" at the 2009 Age Good Food Guide Awards, and two "wine goblets" from the Gourmet Traveller Wine List of the Year.
Church Street Enoteca is also well-known for it's versatility as a venue for corporate dining and social events. Two function rooms are available and can cater for up to 12 guests in the Private Dining Room, and up to 60 guests in the Gallery. The art deco elements of the building and original floor boards dating back to the 1800's make it a stunning venue for functions accommodating up to 140 guests. Church St Enoteca also welcomes group bookings of 10 to 20 guests in the restaurant matched with a limited a la carte menu and bookings are essential.
Two course lunches are also available from late January to November and change on a weekly basis. If you want to have an unforgettable dining experience with the best of Italian cuisine and Australian and other wines, come to Church St Enoteca; the restaurant about which 'The Age' wrote "The food is unpretentiously modern, mostly Italian, and generous. The wine list suggests a serious interest in the subject. And the experience is reinforced by attention to detail and attentive service."
It is virtually impossible to own a home without a mortgage loan. The credit appraisal department of the bank or the mortgage institution shall study your credit score and assess your financial stability in order to determine your ability to service the loan. They would certainly check whether you have filed for either a Chapter-7 or Chapter-13 bankruptcy in the past. Let us just spend a few lines on understanding the difference between a Chapter-7 and a Chapter-13 bankruptcy filing.
A Chapter-13 filing involves a restructuring of one's debt. In a chapter-13 bankruptcy filing, an individual debtor seeks a relief for payment defaults by way of a mutually agreed revised payment plan with the lender. A Chapter-7 bankruptcy involves liquidating the non-exempt assets of the debtor to pay the creditors. It is for this reason that a chapter 7 bankruptcy has a more severe impact on one's credit rating than Chapter-13 bankruptcy filing. There is no doubt that bankruptcy filing does affect your financial rating but the impact can be managed and handled by taking care of a few important points.
You can be assured that there are several instances of individuals who discharged their bankruptcy and have been sanctioned a mortgage loan. This however needs you to manage your finances well, re-establish your credit score and would require good record keeping to convince the lender that you have overcome the difficult phase of your life.
The most important consideration is the time elapsed between the discharge of your bankruptcy and filling for a home mortgage. It is prudent to have a time gap of at least two years between discharge of personal bankruptcy and filing for a fresh mortgage loan. Make sure you apply for a reasonable amount of loan and backed by a 10-15% down payment which would indicate that you have enough resources currently which have allowed you to accumulate this sum ever since you came out of the difficult period. It is essential to prove to the proposed lender that you have a steady stream of cash flows currently. Make sure you keep building your credit score and keep proofs to show that you have been making timely payments to your credit card issuer.
White magic spell chants remind you what the word enchanting truly means! The flow of pure and good energy that runs though a benevolent chant or incantation is wonderful to experience first hand. There is also a great amount of flexibility within white magic spell chants and so you are free to shape them or tailor them to your needs. I have included here some basic tips to consider, leaving the actual examples to the very end. In essence though, you will be aiming to both channel and conjure potent energy forces. Here's how to go about it:
1) At the heart of your white magic spell chants must be a desire to use the universal powers for good only - which in reality means you will channel respect and a sense of honour as strongly as you will channel your intentions.
2) You can use Gods and Goddesses in your spell chants to harness the strength of their noble traits.
3) Rhyming is not essential to white magic spell chants but it can help you with one important ingredient - to build up momentum. This is what you will want to create in an effective chant, something that sounds and feels good to say. It will help you to really get absorbed and even carried away by your spell work. There is a meditative state that can come from chanting - think of the Buddhist chants and you will get an idea of what you want to aim for.
4) Use beads or something similar that you can use along with your words. You may associate this with the Catholic rosary beads and the principal is very much the same. It will help centre you and give you a focal point if you need one. But most importantly it will add to the rhythm and give your chant a pulse.
5) Walk in a circle or with purpose. This will depend of course on you having somewhere private enough to do this but it will really increase the power of your white magic spells chants in that you will be engaging in your physicality. It is the perfect combination of body and soul.
6) White magic spell chants can take the shape of words that build to a peak, affirmations or as a simple sentence repeated as many times as you feel is necessary.
By words that build to a peak, I mean that you can start with 'I pledge...I pledge to be true...I pledge to be true to my heart...I pledge to be true to my heart and follow my dreams'. You will be building your intentions or goals within the words to replicate the pattern of success that you hope to see come about in your life. As you hope to accumulate success by your hard work in reality, your chant will reflect this by becoming more with every stage.
For affirmations you will need to establish where your belief in yourself is letting you down. For example, if it is because you don't believe people like you, you will need to chant something like, 'I am worthy of the love and respect of others'.
When it comes to planning for retirement you really have only a few choices to make for your future. Strategically speaking many people take the approach of "I hope it works." People really never give their retirement a thought until it's to late. When they decide it's time for retirement is when people decide to take a look at their accumulation of wealth for a hard 30 to 40 years of work.
It's at this time when people realize they have not set enough aside funds to carry them from retirement date to the end of their lives. Realizing that they have to embark on a new career just to compensate for their costs of living and the needs of the individual. Rising costs of living are enough to drive the value of your dollars to an all time low.
With a little patience, goal setting and a needs analysis for the individual needs and the needs of the family through the time of their retirement years. People expect that the flow of cash (income) will never stop; yet with a twist of fate, peoples lives can be affected in an instant. This is some of the areas people need to consider for their goal planning and choosing their "NUMBER".
What's the number you ask? The number is the "NET" income you need to achieve after retirement takes place. So let me ask you to stop for a minute and figure out your number. If your current expenses require a monthly budget of $5,000 while you are working; you'll need to almost double it to cover your taxes, medical needs, and the standard costs of living.
By the time you retire you loose certain advantages, for example your home will be paid off so your tax deductions are reduced, medical costs increase since you loose your benefits at retirement. Certain perks that may have come with working suddenly disappear. What if your income suddenly stopped before you were ready? Have you ever given that a thought? If not you should, at a minimum you need three to six months of living expenses socked away to cover any sudden pitfalls in your income.
So how do you plan strategically for retirement and the normal bumps in the road that can pop up in your path at any given time during the travels of your life? Simply put you need to be proactive in your affairs and handle yourself first. This means you ALWAYS pay yourself first! Then you move about your personal business.
Set up your incoming income stream(s) to work for you instead of against you. The first priority is to take care of your retirement and pre tax dollar savings. By setting up your retirement savings you tackle two birds with one stone. A) you are creating a better future for you and your family; B) you are reducing your tax liability and therefor you are saving on the amount of income tax that you pay.
You need to check with your tax person or CPA to make sure you are not saving too little or too much. This way you are reducing your overall exposure to the tax laws and keeping more money in your pocket.
Secondly you need to make sure you are setting aside 10% of your income for personal expenses in the bank. You need to build a nest egg equivalent to three to six months of monthly expenses to shore up your confidence and set you ahead of the rest of America.
Once you have established these cash reserves you can pull back and your cash savings and start a new stream of income not based for retirement, these are accounts to keep liquid money available for quick access and no penalties. By the way liquid investments such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, cd's, and etf's etc should not be used as the main source for your retirement. Strategically planning for your retirement means seeking out the best opportunities for capital appreciation, preservation, and conservation. What I am suggesting to you are solutions that aren't commonly expressed or shown to people by the big financial institutions.
These large institutional financial companies are showing you a path for disaster, look at the dot com bubble bust, the most recent melt down in our economic system. People lost thousands to millions of dollars overnight. Stocks are risky in fact one of my mentors called it "legalized gambling" which in fact is the truth.
Your placing your hard earned dollars into a stock(s) which allow companies to leverage your money for there benefit. If they make a profit you share in the winnings; however if the CEO makes the wrong decision(s) it's your loss! Whew that's a lot to think about, your trying to create wealth, build your future and all of the sudden BAM!
You just lost your precious nest egg, you're about to retire and the next thing you know you are faced with the option to keep working and don't retire or retire and live a miserable, uncomfortable lifestyle. Strategy means you plan through the mini setbacks, allocate & diversify properly. One of the best ways that you can prepare for retirement is by placing "select pre-developed real estate [land banking] into your portfolio."
When doing so you need to know how to locate the the property, look for the crucial signs of future development, have an exit strategy or use the specialists who know all of these details and then some. Strategic land banking is one of the surest ways to grow your retirement portfolio, avoid risk exposure to the stock market and preserve your capital.
You can invest in companies accounts receivables and many other types of non traditional investments that are more secure than stocks or other types of investments that are not as receptive to market volatility. Your retirement is something you need to take seriously. I have many friends who are approaching their early to mid forties and they have no cash reserves or retirement nest egg to speak of.
They are working a plan that will ultimately set them up for failure and certain disaster. The differences in planning for today versus tomorrow are quite simple. You have the ability to fail in your planning for the short term and still have time to recover from the losses. However when you don't plan ahead for retirement you are risking the comfort and security for your future.
You're older and the Government places restrictions on your contribution limits, your age prevents you from having the time to successfully rebuild your retirement nest egg to a point that it can sustain you for the rest of your years.
Sure people bank on the inheritance they may receive I have a friend right now that is doing just that; she's unemployed and the inheritance monies is being held up for many months while the trustee takes care of paying all of the creditors and lien holders, sell the shares of stock and remove their share of the proceeds before the disbursements ever take place.
Now she is facing eviction, loss of her car and other parts of security that comes with being financially prepared. Creating wealth isn't rocket science, it's a simple mathematical equation that simply says it's not how much you make it's how much you keep.
There are so many "rainy days" that people can experience - a sick child, a broken-down car or a late mortgage payment. But what about a lawsuit? These days lawsuits are being filed , not just against big corporations, but also against people like you and me. In the blink of any eye, you could be involved in a car or boating accident, or have someone become injured on your property that could result in litigation against you seeking thousands or even millions of dollars. Even though your primary insurance policies, such as Auto, Homeowners, or Boat owner, may provide substantial liability insurance coverage, it may not be enough. A Personal Liability Umbrella Policy provided additional amount of liability coverage at an affordable price.
What is an umbrella policy? A Personal Liability Umbrella Policy provides additional layers of liability coverage over the liability coverage of your underlying policies. Personal umbrella coverage amounts typically begin at one million dollars and can be increase in increment of one million dollars. Here's an example of how an umbrella policy could work: Let's say your car is insured for liability with limits of $250,000 per person. You pull into an intersection, strike another vehicle and severely injure the other driver. This insured person sues you and the judgement against you totals $800,000. Your auto policy will pay the first $250,000 but an umbrella policy would respond for the next $550,000. Also an umbrella policy often insures against some types of losses for which there is no coverage in the underlying policy. Examples of such loss include liable, slander, and defamation of character.
We are often asked by our customers what can be done about the large flocks of pigeons or doves which come in and wipe out the seed at their bird feeding stations. These birds are much larger in size than most feeder birds and they tend to travel to feeding stations in large numbers. We often have flocks of up to 80 Mourning Doves at our own station during the winter. These birds do not crack or hull their seeds like most other birds. They eat them whole and can eat large amounts in a very short time. Their size, coupled with their feeding habits can certainly make pigeons and doves a big problem at bird feeders.
"Don't forget to stop and smell the roses."This is a very popular sentiment that many people quote in life. What they mean is that we should never forget to enjoy life as we go along. Although, the meaning it has taken on in modern times is a little different. For most people this saying now equates to, "during your life, as you spend most of your time working, taking care of your kids, doing housework and every other manner of chores, every now and again try and fit something into your life that brings you happiness." I feel that this meaning is closer to the way people interpret this saying in today's hectic world. Unfortunately this interpretation sets people up to believe that being happy is something they must fit into their life between all of the other stuff.
Well, I'm here to tell you that that is not the case. Actually, it is the exact opposite.
The challenge is to find ways to make being happy a natural part of your life so that it seamlessly blends into your everyday actions. This guarantees that you won't have to go out of your way to be happy, or do your best to steal some time for your own happiness from the time dedicated for your other "responsibilities".
What I'm suggesting is to approach life in such a way as to make everyday actions pleasurable and fun, so that you are often doing things that make you happy, at the very least daily, if not many times a day.
"OK", you're saying, "how am I going to manage to make my everyday life fun? Do you even know what I have to do in a day? I have to get up by 6:30 am, get the kids up, get them ready for school, feed the dog, have breakfast, somehow get the kids to eat, truck them off to school, fight traffic to get to work on time, deal with a demanding boss and sometimes back-stabbing employees, if I'm lucky steal 15 minutes to scarf down some food for lunch, more demanding boss and bitchy employees, more nasty commuting to get to the babysitters, pick up the kids, go home, make dinner, help the kids with their homework, get them bathed/showered, put them to bed, make lunches for the next day, tidy the kitchen from dinner, put out the garbage, look at that report my boss wants by 9:00 am tomorrow, and then maybe, just maybe, when I'm done all of this, I might find just a smidgeon of energy left to enjoy a TV show, or read a little, or, oh my God, take a relaxing bath, and then finally crawl into bed, ready to do the whole crazy charade all over again tomorrow. Where is there time for happiness and fun?"
Well, I think there was time for happiness and fun and playfulness in almost everything you did that day, it just depends on whether you're willing to look for it. Let's tackle just a few of things that were mentioned earlier. If you're going to get up at 6:30 am, then you might as well help make the beginning of your day set the tone for a great day. Why not set your alarm to play music instead of that harsh beeping that always makes you groan in horror when you hear it. It may take a little getting used to in the beginning, but you'll be amazed at how your mood will be much lighter and more positive after spending the first couple of minutes of your day listening to music that "gets your blood pumping".
As you're getting the kids ready for school, why not talk a bit about what you're going to be doing that evening together, or plan a fun meal that you can all prepare together, or a movie you're going to watch on DVD, etc. Rather than just going through your "getting ready" routine silently (or perhaps grumbling about it), instead focus on looking forward to things to come.
Driving to work can be made more fun if you listen to some of your favourite music, listen to a book on disc, or use a voice recorder to record some thoughts about upcoming events, birthdays, trips, dinner parties, whatever gets your mind off of the traffic and onto more happy things.
Helping the kids with their homework can not only allow you the opportunity to bond more with your kids, but to really get a look into the type of things they are learning, where their head is at, what their strengths and weaknesses are, etc. Instead of approaching it as a chore, look at it as a chance to learn more about your kids lives and an opportunity to spend meaningful time together.
After dinner, when you do have some "free time" for yourself, make sure you use this time to its utmost and really pamper yourself. Enjoy a decadent dessert and really savour it as you eat it. If you're going to have a bubble bath, pour in a lot of soap to get a lot of bubbles going, and light candles and play music to set the mood. If watching a little TV is your thing, get into your comfy clothes, get a nice beverage of your choice, a blanket or two, a pillow or three, and really make that hour an experience to relish, not just a quick hour of television at the end of another hard day.
I think you have an idea of where I'm going with this. Being more happy comes down to how you approach things in life, not what you have or don't have. Study after study has shown that once someone has the basic necessities of life (food, shelter and love), money makes virtually no difference to their happiness levels. You could make $50,000 a year or $5,000,000 a year, it really doesn't matter. In fact, more and more studies are starting to crop up suggesting that the person with the $5,000,000 has even more stress than the person with the $50,000. They are constantly fighting off charities, greedy relatives, scam artists, and at the same time worrying about whether they are spending their money in the best possible manner.
So, if money doesn't make people happier (as we were all led to believe when we were younger), what does? Attitudes and experiences, that's what.
Someone with a positive outlook on life and a willingness to turn everyday moments into deep pleasurable experiences is much more happy than someone who looks at life as nothing but a bunch of stuff to get through. I mean, think about it for a second. If you're just spending every day trying to get through all of the stuff life throws at you, in hopes that every now and again you may stumble across something that brings a ray of happiness into your life, then what are you really living for?
Do you remember back when you were a teenager? Remember the kinds of things you looked forward to being able to do when you "grew up"? You couldn't wait until you could stay up as late as you wanted on a school night, eat Oreos and Coca-Cola for dinner (which I've done btw), get into "R" rated movies, have sex somewhere other than the back seat of your parent's car, etc. What happened to that optimistic teenager that looked forward to adulthood as a time to make all your own choices and get the opportunity to enjoy your life the way you wanted?
Well, for one, we gain responsibilities. Isn't it interesting that as a kid we can't wait to grow up and make our own decisions, and yet when we do finally get to adulthood, all we can say is how much our responsibilities stress us out.
Between the time we were a kid and the time we became an adult, we forgot the benefits of being an adult. Or, more accurately, we let the "responsibilities" of being an adult overshadow all of the "perks". Are you one of the people who forgot that when you were young that those "perks" were some of the things that you looked forward to doing when you got older? I'm just trying to show you that there are lots of great things in your life right now, and you only have to look at the choices you have every day to see them and be happy.
What about laughter? Do you laugh a lot? I'm willing to bet that you don't laugh near as much as you used to when you were younger. I recently read about a disturbing study that found that toddlers laugh on average 100 times more than adults do in a day. 100 more times! What do we do to ourselves as we grow up that so limits our laughter?
Too often we focus on the things we have to get accomplished each day; going to work, chores around the house, etc., instead of focusing on the time in between these things that allow us to do whatever we want to. In fact, one could say that even having the choice to do the chores we have is good, because there are lots of people in the world that don't even have that. They don't have to clean up after dinner, because they rarely have anything to eat. They don't have to go to work every day, because they don't have a job, and as a result no money to do anything fun. They don't have to clean their house because they don't have a home; instead they live on the street.
Too many people take for granted all of the great things they have in their lives right now, and by doing so, miss out on tons of opportunities to greatly increase their happiness levels and have a more positive outlook.
But hey, back to the roses. I'm sure that if you were to take stock of all of the things you do in an average day, you could find at least one thing that you could have a different attitude about - one thing that you could approach from a different perspective and perhaps make it more pleasurable. That's all you need to do. Just pick one thing. Just one! But, when you pick that one thing (however small), really try and find a completely new way of dealing with it. Really make the effort to turn that "chore" into an "experience", something that you may even look forward to as time goes on.
Of course, if you can do it once, you can do it twice. If you can do it twice, you can do it a few more times. Next thing you know, you're on your way to transforming lots of things in your life into moments of pleasure and joy. One day you'll look around and realize you smell the roses every day, sometimes multiple times a day, and the "chores" have diminished to just a couple.
Here's a few of the things in my life that bring me pleasure. Most of these you probably do also, but I'll bet you don't extract the same joy from them that I do. Test yourself. See how many things on the list below you count as "pleasurable".
"Don't forget to stop and smell the roses."
This is a very popular sentiment that many people quote in life. What they mean is that we should never forget to enjoy life as we go along. Although, the meaning it has taken on in modern times is a little different. For most people this saying now equates to, "during your life, as you spend most of your time working, taking care of your kids, doing housework and every other manner of chores, every now and again try and fit something into your life that brings you happiness." I feel that this meaning is closer to the way people interpret this saying in today's hectic world. Unfortunately this interpretation sets people up to believe that being happy is something they must fit into their life between all of the other stuff.
Well, I'm here to tell you that that is not the case. Actually, it is the exact opposite.
The challenge is to find ways to make being happy a natural part of your life so that it seamlessly blends into your everyday actions. This guarantees that you won't have to go out of your way to be happy, or do your best to steal some time for your own happiness from the time dedicated for your other "responsibilities".
What I'm suggesting is to approach life in such a way as to make everyday actions pleasurable and fun, so that you are often doing things that make you happy, at the very least daily, if not many times a day.
"OK", you're saying, "how am I going to manage to make my everyday life fun? Do you even know what I have to do in a day? I have to get up by 6:30 am, get the kids up, get them ready for school, feed the dog, have breakfast, somehow get the kids to eat, truck them off to school, fight traffic to get to work on time, deal with a demanding boss and sometimes back-stabbing employees, if I'm lucky steal 15 minutes to scarf down some food for lunch, more demanding boss and bitchy employees, more nasty commuting to get to the babysitters, pick up the kids, go home, make dinner, help the kids with their homework, get them bathed/showered, put them to bed, make lunches for the next day, tidy the kitchen from dinner, put out the garbage, look at that report my boss wants by 9:00 am tomorrow, and then maybe, just maybe, when I'm done all of this, I might find just a smidgeon of energy left to enjoy a TV show, or read a little, or, oh my God, take a relaxing bath, and then finally crawl into bed, ready to do the whole crazy charade all over again tomorrow. Where is there time for happiness and fun?"
Well, I think there was time for happiness and fun and playfulness in almost everything you did that day, it just depends on whether you're willing to look for it. Let's tackle just a few of things that were mentioned earlier. If you're going to get up at 6:30 am, then you might as well help make the beginning of your day set the tone for a great day. Why not set your alarm to play music instead of that harsh beeping that always makes you groan in horror when you hear it. It may take a little getting used to in the beginning, but you'll be amazed at how your mood will be much lighter and more positive after spending the first couple of minutes of your day listening to music that "gets your blood pumping".
As you're getting the kids ready for school, why not talk a bit about what you're going to be doing that evening together, or plan a fun meal that you can all prepare together, or a movie you're going to watch on DVD, etc. Rather than just going through your "getting ready" routine silently (or perhaps grumbling about it), instead focus on looking forward to things to come.
Driving to work can be made more fun if you listen to some of your favourite music, listen to a book on disc, or use a voice recorder to record some thoughts about upcoming events, birthdays, trips, dinner parties, whatever gets your mind off of the traffic and onto more happy things.
Helping the kids with their homework can not only allow you the opportunity to bond more with your kids, but to really get a look into the type of things they are learning, where their head is at, what their strengths and weaknesses are, etc. Instead of approaching it as a chore, look at it as a chance to learn more about your kids lives and an opportunity to spend meaningful time together.
After dinner, when you do have some "free time" for yourself, make sure you use this time to its utmost and really pamper yourself. Enjoy a decadent dessert and really savour it as you eat it. If you're going to have a bubble bath, pour in a lot of soap to get a lot of bubbles going, and light candles and play music to set the mood. If watching a little TV is your thing, get into your comfy clothes, get a nice beverage of your choice, a blanket or two, a pillow or three, and really make that hour an experience to relish, not just a quick hour of television at the end of another hard day.
I think you have an idea of where I'm going with this. Being more happy comes down to how you approach things in life, not what you have or don't have. Study after study has shown that once someone has the basic necessities of life (food, shelter and love), money makes virtually no difference to their happiness levels. You could make $50,000 a year or $5,000,000 a year, it really doesn't matter. In fact, more and more studies are starting to crop up suggesting that the person with the $5,000,000 has even more stress than the person with the $50,000. They are constantly fighting off charities, greedy relatives, scam artists, and at the same time worrying about whether they are spending their money in the best possible manner.
So, if money doesn't make people happier (as we were all led to believe when we were younger), what does? Attitudes and experiences, that's what.
Someone with a positive outlook on life and a willingness to turn everyday moments into deep pleasurable experiences is much more happy than someone who looks at life as nothing but a bunch of stuff to get through. I mean, think about it for a second. If you're just spending every day trying to get through all of the stuff life throws at you, in hopes that every now and again you may stumble across something that brings a ray of happiness into your life, then what are you really living for?
Do you remember back when you were a teenager? Remember the kinds of things you looked forward to being able to do when you "grew up"? You couldn't wait until you could stay up as late as you wanted on a school night, eat Oreos and Coca-Cola for dinner (which I've done btw), get into "R" rated movies, have sex somewhere other than the back seat of your parent's car, etc. What happened to that optimistic teenager that looked forward to adulthood as a time to make all your own choices and get the opportunity to enjoy your life the way you wanted?
Well, for one, we gain responsibilities. Isn't it interesting that as a kid we can't wait to grow up and make our own decisions, and yet when we do finally get to adulthood, all we can say is how much our responsibilities stress us out.
Between the time we were a kid and the time we became an adult, we forgot the benefits of being an adult. Or, more accurately, we let the "responsibilities" of being an adult overshadow all of the "perks". Are you one of the people who forgot that when you were young that those "perks" were some of the things that you looked forward to doing when you got older? I'm just trying to show you that there are lots of great things in your life right now, and you only have to look at the choices you have every day to see them and be happy.
What about laughter? Do you laugh a lot? I'm willing to bet that you don't laugh near as much as you used to when you were younger. I recently read about a disturbing study that found that toddlers laugh on average 100 times more than adults do in a day. 100 more times! What do we do to ourselves as we grow up that so limits our laughter?
Too often we focus on the things we have to get accomplished each day; going to work, chores around the house, etc., instead of focusing on the time in between these things that allow us to do whatever we want to. In fact, one could say that even having the choice to do the chores we have is good, because there are lots of people in the world that don't even have that. They don't have to clean up after dinner, because they rarely have anything to eat. They don't have to go to work every day, because they don't have a job, and as a result no money to do anything fun. They don't have to clean their house because they don't have a home; instead they live on the street.
Too many people take for granted all of the great things they have in their lives right now, and by doing so, miss out on tons of opportunities to greatly increase their happiness levels and have a more positive outlook.
But hey, back to the roses. I'm sure that if you were to take stock of all of the things you do in an average day, you could find at least one thing that you could have a different attitude about - one thing that you could approach from a different perspective and perhaps make it more pleasurable. That's all you need to do. Just pick one thing. Just one! But, when you pick that one thing (however small), really try and find a completely new way of dealing with it. Really make the effort to turn that "chore" into an "experience", something that you may even look forward to as time goes on.
Of course, if you can do it once, you can do it twice. If you can do it twice, you can do it a few more times. Next thing you know, you're on your way to transforming lots of things in your life into moments of pleasure and joy. One day you'll look around and realize you smell the roses every day, sometimes multiple times a day, and the "chores" have diminished to just a couple.
Here's a few of the things in my life that bring me pleasure. Most of these you probably do also, but I'll bet you don't extract the same joy from them that I do. Test yourself. See how many things on the list below you count as "pleasurable".
Warner Burke (Executive Power, Jossey-Bass 1986) suggests that "leaders tend to be those who have sufficient presence and self belief to be able to recognise the many ways of controlling and directing situations, from a position of clear understanding of themselves".A good leader needs many and diverse skills to enable employees to perform to high standards to ensure organisational goals and corporate objectives are achieved.
It is important for a good leader to be able to motivate team members. The ability to think positively and practically is essential. If the leader is negative and unreasonable members of staff will be dragged down and not achieve the productivity required. Forward looking and a good internal 'SAT NAV' will stand the whole team in good stead for the road forward and reaching the ultimate 'destination' will be guaranteed.
During the 'journey', a good leader needs to be observant. Recognising the strengths and talents of individual team members is necessary so that they can be used to make the task more effective and easier. The ability to listen and be open-minded is also an essential attribute. If employees are confident and comfortable putting their ideas and thoughts forward problems can be dealt with and solutions found without difficulty. It is vital to use the experience within the team to accomplish the task at hand. Respect and loyalty are fundamental qualities and the first rate leader remembers that this runs up and down. Encouraging each person to develop their own particular skills will make them feel valued. It will also mean that the leader can delegate tasks in the full knowledge that they will be expertly executed. A good leader needs the vision to see the plan through and express it in such a way that the rest of the team knows what they have to do as individuals.
A leader has to have confidence, knowledge and understanding of what is expected. Up-to date information on trends and jargon will allow the team to be guided from a position of strength. However a talented leader will remember that knowledge is not always about having all the answers but also knowing who to ask or where to look for a solution.
Warner Burke (Executive Power, Jossey-Bass 1986) suggests that "leaders tend to be those who have sufficient presence and self belief to be able to recognise the many ways of controlling and directing situations, from a position of clear understanding of themselves".
A good leader needs many and diverse skills to enable employees to perform to high standards to ensure organisational goals and corporate objectives are achieved.
It is important for a good leader to be able to motivate team members. The ability to think positively and practically is essential. If the leader is negative and unreasonable members of staff will be dragged down and not achieve the productivity required. Forward looking and a good internal 'SAT NAV' will stand the whole team in good stead for the road forward and reaching the ultimate 'destination' will be guaranteed.
During the 'journey', a good leader needs to be observant. Recognising the strengths and talents of individual team members is necessary so that they can be used to make the task more effective and easier. The ability to listen and be open-minded is also an essential attribute. If employees are confident and comfortable putting their ideas and thoughts forward problems can be dealt with and solutions found without difficulty. It is vital to use the experience within the team to accomplish the task at hand. Respect and loyalty are fundamental qualities and the first rate leader remembers that this runs up and down. Encouraging each person to develop their own particular skills will make them feel valued. It will also mean that the leader can delegate tasks in the full knowledge that they will be expertly executed. A good leader needs the vision to see the plan through and express it in such a way that the rest of the team knows what they have to do as individuals.
A leader has to have confidence, knowledge and understanding of what is expected. Up-to date information on trends and jargon will allow the team to be guided from a position of strength. However a talented leader will remember that knowledge is not always about having all the answers but also knowing who to ask or where to look for a solution.
Discounts – repay or cheat?
