July 2018 - Sipping Cups of Inspiration

HOW DO YOU EAT A HOT DOG?

HOW DO YOU EAT A HOT DOG? This topic may surprise you, especially if you eat a hot dog as it was designed to eat. I decided to share a little secret about how you can tell a lot about someone’s personality how they eat a simple hot dog. I love going off the normal track and wander off the beaten trail. It is amazing how much you can learn by observation and this is really the point of the blog today. Follow me off the path of normal behavior to find those who are willing to take a chance. How do you eat your hot dog? How do you cut your sandwich? What order do you eat your food?

Okay, you may say this is the way I eat my hot dog so what is the big deal? Well, I don’t eat my hot dog this way and I think it speaks volumes. I have always been a “in the moment” person and never have boasted about having patience. I want it now attitude has been a force in my life and I will do what I need to do to get it done. So why is the fact that I never eat a hot dog from one end but I take a bite out of the other end at some point while I am eating my hot dog. It is anticipation and curiosity that drives that bite. I have had people to ask why I do this but most people never notice. This will be the second point of my topic, how observant are we?

Let me find out a little bit about you:

How do you hold your hot dog? One or two hands?

Do you ever use utensils to eat a hot dog?

Do you start from one end and eat your dog all the way to the other end?

Do you ever take a bite from the other end while eating a hot dog?

Do you dress the dog or the bun or both?

From my observation of life and people, may I lend some insight in your personality derived from the way you eat your dog as it pertains to your life:

If you hold the dog with both hands, you tend to be over cautious in life with hesitations to take risks but you are dependable and detailed in any task you undertake. If you hold it with only one hand, you willingly take on risks and new adventures without a lot of thought. In other words, you are more spontaneous if you eat it with one hand.
If you eat with utensils, you are too meticulous and have a problem dealing with the unexpected. You tend to be a worry wart and are always conscious of your clothes, your dress, your status and others’ opinions.
If you eat the hot dog by starting from one end and taking each bite in the same direction and would never consider taking a bite from the other end before you finish, you are steady and driven by normal behavior and patterns. In other words, you are predictable. But what does it say if you take a bite from the other end? It says nothing is set in stone but you are willing to think outside the box, creative juices flow from your mind, and you can accept a new way to do things and are very flexible in your way of doing things.
If you dress the hot dog and not the bun, you are consistent and organized but could lean to the rigid way of doing things. You can be slightly inflexible and have to live on a schedule or routine. Your drawers have to be neat and organized. If you dress the bun, you don’t like too much neatness and organization. You prefer life to be a little messy and dripping with problems. Stuffy people bore you and you prefer to be around people who can deal with irresponsibility. Now, for the one that may surprise you is if you dress both the dog and the bun. In other words, you pile it all on the bun and dog. You want it all and you will eat through the messy parts, enjoy the flavors, and savor each bite. This is the person you know who knows no boundaries and rules. They live for the next bite and don’t worry about the possible indigestion.

Did you find this interesting? How do you eat your hot dog if you eat hot dogs at all? This is another subject for another day. What you will find out about people is through observation. Look at the next person you meet and wonder how they would eat a hot dog. You will be surprised when you combine those traits, which we all have, and the actions/personalities. Live Life, Love Life, and Live Life to the fullest by listening, observing, and getting to know your fellow woman or man.

(C) Copyright Arline Miller of Sipping Cups of Inspiration with all rights and privileges reserved. Third party material is sourced, if known, to original location for credit references.

THE LESSON FROM THE BLENDER

THE LESSON FROM THE BLENDER may seem a little strange. This is an appliance that chops, pulses, purees, and blends. What kind of lesson can come from a electrical tool, you may ask. As always, I love to bring cooking into play since it is something I love to do and life presents a lesson when I pay attention. How many of you have never given any thought of the functions or how to properly use this handy tool? I will compare how a correctly used blender can be similar to a properly used life. So let’s open the lid on this topic.

Let us examine how to properly use a blender from an article I found.

5 Tips to Use Your Blender Efficiently.

Having the right blender in your kitchen arsenal can make all the difference. A good blender can make preparing everything from blended drinks to pureed soups a snap, as long as you know how to use it. Unfortunately, many people do not use their blenders properly or as efficiently as they could. Below you will find a collection of useful tips to help you get the most out of your blender.

Use the Lid Correctly

We have all made the mistake of forgetting to put the lid on the blender before hitting the power button. If you’ve done this before, you know that it can not only make a big mess in your kitchen, but it can set your meal preparation back to square one. Putting the lid firmly on the blender before starting it may seem like a no-brainer, but it is surprisingly easy to forget this step. Not only do you need to put the lid on firmly, but you should know how to use the lid correctly. Many modern blenders have lids that enable you to use extra features. For example, many blender lids have a removable center piece that allows you to add ingredients while the blender is running. This option is great for blending solid ingredients because you may need to add extra liquid during the blending process to ensure a smooth and even blend.

Start at Low Speed and Work Your Way Up

Many people make the mistake of only using their blender on the highest setting. It might seem like choosing the highest power setting will blend your ingredients more quickly, but it could just leave you with an uneven blend. Especially when blending liquids and solids together, you want to start on a low power setting and work your way up. If the blender is having a hard time with solid ingredients, add a little extra liquid before moving up in speed.

Don’t Forget About the Pulse Button

Most people do not even know the real intended function of the pulse button on their blender. You can certainly use the pulse feature to chop ingredients before blending them, but the pulse button was actually designed to help dislodge food that gets stuck in the blade. When using your blender, if it suddenly starts to shudder or make a loud grinding noise, it is probably because something is stuck in the blade. Turn the power off then hit the pulse button a few times to dislodge the stuck ingredients, then go back to blending.

Vent the Steam When Blending Hot Ingredients

Most blenders can be used to blend hot ingredients, but you need to be careful when doing so. For one thing, the hot ingredients could cause the blender to heat up so be careful when touching it after blending hot ingredients. Second, blending hot ingredients will produce steam and that steam needs to be vented. If your blender has a removable filler cap in the middle of the lid, remove it when blending hot ingredients to prevent steam buildup. If you are worried about ingredients coming out the top of the blender, you can cover it loosely with a towel as you blend.

Clean Your Blender Properly After Each Use

Depending what model you have, cleaning your blender can take a bit of time. If you don’t do it properly after each use, however, you will have food build-up on the blade and in the blender housing which could affect future performance. Your best bet is to rinse the blender carafe with hot water immediately after emptying it and to rinse the blade as well. Some blenders are dishwasher-safe which makes the task of cleaning them much easier, but a good rinse before throwing it in the dishwasher is still a good idea to make sure you get rid of all food residue. Don’t make the mistake of leaving the blender sitting on the counter or in the sink for a day or two before cleaning – it will only make your job that much more difficult.

Understanding your blender and all of its extra features can take time but it is a must if you want to get the most out of your blender. Be sure to peruse the instruction manual when you open up your blender for the first time to ensure that you understand all of the safety features as well as the special functions. Keeping the tips listed above in mind will also help you to make the most of your blender.

Here is my comparison of life’s blender instructions:

Use the Lid Correctly: I apply this to Use Your Head/Mind Correctly. Life presents challenges and it is important to “Keep the lid on” while considering any major move or decision. What looks great in the blend might not look as good splattered all over your life in the same way if you do not place the lid on a blender correctly, it may go everywhere.

Start at Low Speed and Work Your Way Up: As exciting as a new venture, relationship, career, and/or hobby might appear, take it a little slowly to absorb all of the challenges of the new undertaking. In other words, the same way to properly blend or puree ingredients in a blender, take time to ramp up the speed. Ingredients in a relationship need time to evaluate the similarities, the differences, and the time for those different flavors to blend properly. One ingredient may need to be added at the end to prevent premature break down. Sometimes, combining ingredients that truly don’t work together, as in non compatibility aspects in personalties will not be as tasty if thrown together without consideration. Will it work? Will it taste good later?

Don’t Forget About the Pulse Button: In a relationship or even in life itself, we need to push the pulse button. Let’s think about diet, exercise, motivation, and inspiration. Pulsing is better when properly applied. Every dish doesn’t require pulsing, but there are times in our lives we need to hit that pulse button, get a new outfit, start a new program of eating or exercising or both.

Vent the Steam When Blending Hot Ingredients: Oh is this one a wise instruction for all of us to vent a little steam when life adds some hot ingredients (disagreements, disputes, emotional disappointments, unreciprocated love, passovers for promotions, etc). Take time to vent the anger, hurt, or disappointment so that you do not have an overflow that you cannot control.

Clean Your Blender Properly After Each Use: This is an important and necessary step in living life to the max. If you do not take the time to properly clean up afterwards and take care of yourself in the process, life will become nasty and undesirable. There will always be a mess to clean up, a cleansing of your mind and body and especially your soul. Take the time to keep it spotless and properly displayed by sharing your love and life with others.

As you can see, life lessons are present in every action or thought we have. Take time to look around and think “Can I learn from this?” Live Life; Love Life: Live Life to the Fullest by Blending Love into Your Life.

CAN WE GO BACK TO FLOWER POWER?

CAN WE GO BACK TO FLOWER POWER? For some of you, flower power, the 60’s and the hippie days will not mean anything to you but for those of us who lived through them, we will happily relate. This week, this 69 year old gal had run out of energy after working on a web project and overseeing the field implementation of that project. In other words I was whipped. I thought I would share a little of my walk back to a time when we lived to live and love.

I was busy with work and found out my dear sister who I love so deeply and who has had more than her share of health issues in the last few years had a doctor’s appointment in the town we now live in. I haven’t had a chance to actually talk more than a couple minutes here and there. I invited them to come to lunch so we could visit. There wasn’t time for me to do one of my Arline lunches but my wonderful husband volunteered to pick up some barbecue and some ribs. I had fresh fruit along with some watermelon and lunch was on.

I have not been doing the “get every hair in place” routine and during this work marathon, there have been a lot of days my hair would be banded on top and not even worry about it. That seems like I am living the hippie life anyway, right? Well, I was in a hurry, grabbed a scarf and threw on a loose top, and some comfy pants. I took a picture and so many people complimented it when I posted it to be funny about me in a scarf. It caused me to pause and look at life through flower power, fields of poppies, tie died shirts, live for the moment. Before you think drugs and stuff, I didn’t participate in drugs at all. I didn’t drink except for a few experimental attempts at beer (sorry but that would never be a temptation for me) and a few take my breath away sips of alcohol which I wondered what was the appeal? I escaped that era of pot and other drugs but I don’t think it was drugs that was the big draw. Let me explain.

We lived with a wonderful love of change. Most of us had lived with segregation but integration was introduced and we found out we liked and welcomed the change. We found new friends and the world became larger and certainly more interesting. There was also an infiltration of losing the “status” thinking. Sure, some of us were poor, some were higher income origin, and even our upper echelon friends didn’t act like they were uppity. We talked, laughed, and were even silly together. The world became a playhouse and it was interesting to interact. There was no need for us to prove anything except the school requirements. It was okay to like all people of all races, and occasionally one of the stubborn hold to the old regime folks would act up but it was stopped by the rest of us. Times were changing and so were we! Love was in the air and we joined together as a group.

As we grew older, the world left us as hipsters but some of the 60’s children have hung onto the flower power decade. I have one of the most loving friends who still loves tie died and brilliant colors who served as a detective for over 30 years, almost 40 and give that gal any semblance of the 60’s and she flashes the biggest smile. I am trying to find a picture of her in some of her most favorite shirts. Here is my life long friend Jan Malphus Downing, hippie extraordinaire. Her dream would be to possess Janis Joplin’s Porsche.

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What is the most remarkable result of the 60’s? I think we are the most accepting of the decade kids. We usually love and let live. You don’t have to believe as we do; you have the right to be unique. We invite uniqueness but love to intertwine in the mixture of talents and gifts. We love our Maker and our Earth and the inhabitants. Can you stir us up if you want to fight and explode without a true cause, by all means we will tell you how we feel.

My final thoughts about flower power is in this time of turmoil and sheer rudeness, is maybe you need to braid some flowers in your hair, throw on a tie died shirt or moo-moo, put on some groovy music and escape all of this nonsensical drama. Find a field of flowers and lay down and watch the clouds. You will be surprised at how trivial all of the hoopla is and what is really important. While you return to our time of love and laughter, you may find yourself smiling while twirling a flower stem in your hands.

Live Life, Love Life, and Live Life to the fullest by stopping to laugh and love with Flower Power!

LET GO EGO II

This was posted in 2016 and after watching all of the ego maniacs wandering through our news media, our politicians and our celebrities, it is time for an average person to say to all of them, LET GO OF YOUR EGO! I have been amazed and truly disappointed at the brazen nature of people’s statements and acting like they are all that. I say, get off the soap boxes and get real with ourselves. Egos can get in the way of true recognition for a person’s talents. Let’s read this post again and maybe we can let it sink in…..we all bleed red and who are we to say hateful and spiteful speeches when the same spiteful person would not look so great under a microscope. Together we rise, divided we fall!

TODAY THE WORDS are LET GO EGO. This one can be a very sensitive, two sided sword subject but here we go. Ego, oh ego, I might could get something accomplished it I let go of my ego! I say, however, we have attached a label to something and given it a “not so nice” name.

e·go /ˈēgō/ Noun

A person’s sense of self-esteem or self-importance: “a boost to my ego”.
The part of the mind that mediates between the conscious and the unconscious and is responsible for reality testing and a sense of…

In my opinion, the reference to self-esteem is more important than the self-importance and also pay attention to the mind section that deals with reality testing. Now let’s get real as I normally do. We, as humans, need a good self-esteem or as I had rather call it self confidence to give us a boost of courage to try things, take well thought out risks, and sometimes we have to fly by the seats of our pants. These elements have to be completed in the adventure of life. So in order to do those things, we have to possess some ego. The reference to a double edge sword is because it can cut both ways. At some point in some people’s lives, and I was in my past among that count, ego can become the enemy of life. We have some successes due to the good side of “ego” and unfortunately, if we are not careful; we flip the sword of ego to the “self-importance side”. We sometimes stop using the portion of ego that gives us a reality check and we can become self absorbed. Now, we have trouble; it has to be our way or the highway; our plan or no plan; our spotlight or no light at all; or me, me, me is the theme. This is now ego on the destructive side. When self-esteem is replaced by the other side of the sword, self-importance, what usually happens is non-productive action.

Let me give us a deeper thought on this….A crossroad if you please. We travel down the road of life, we struggle to find the right path, we get lost a few times on the road. We make this trip several times and each time we become more familiar with our destination. We start feeling confident, we move faster, we make better time each trip, and finally we know this road by heart and feel good about ourselves (in other words we have a healthy ego). Another trip down the same road, and we start feeling so confident and feel really strong about our talents and have this feeling that we can travel this road better than anyone else can travel and we get a little over confident (self important). Our mind starts shutting down on the reality check and we come to a crossroad and all of a sudden, even though we have traveled this road so many times, we take a different turn and guess what, we become lost all over again. Instead of asking a fellow traveler what is the way to go, we struggle and find our ego defeated by itself. God wants us to have confidence He has given us all we need to go down the road of life without getting lost, but if we do, He wants us to check His road map and get us going in the right direction.

ego

FEATURED BIBLE VERSE:

Proverbs 13:10 (#4 of 10 Bible Verses about Pride and Arrogance)
¹⁰Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T what it means to me.

I keep this picture of Mother Theresa and I can’t remember where I saw it first but it keeps me in check about the meaning of true love. Also I have learned about respect for fellow human beings from her. If you have never read her background, google her story and it will astonish you of her dedication to serving others. I thought about the word respect and thought I would share some of my feelings about respect with all of you.

I come from a different generation than most of my readers but not all so some of you will remember having some of the same memories. I am not advocating a return to the world I grew up in but a few of those life philosophies could be revived to create a better world of respect and harmony. Before I visit my childhood, I found an excerpt about Respect for the Parent which is based on Respect for Themselves.

Respect For You, Respect For Themselves

When you earn your children’s respect, they also learn to respect themselves. Respect is so important because, without it, children can’t value themselves or others. Children who don’t respect themselves are more likely to drink alcohol, take drugs, have sex, and treat others badly. Children who lack self-respect simply don’t care about themselves or anyone else.

Children who have self-respect treat themselves well. They’re less likely to do harmful things, they make good choices, and they tend to act in ways that are in their own best interests. The benefits of teaching the value of respect early include children who:

Are happier, more successful, and have healthier relationships.

Are unselfish, considerate, caring, and generous.

Respect you and other influential adults.

Honor reasonable boundaries placed on them.

Are more likely to trust you and abide by your directives.

Contrary to the assertions of popular culture, when you act like parents you engender healthy respect, encourage caring relationships, and foster their positive development.

Be the Parent

Popular culture tells you that to be a good parent, you should be friends with your children. You should hang out with them, tell them anything, and treat them as equals. But when you’re friends with your children, you actually detract from the strength of your relationship and surrender your influence over them. When you become friends with your children, you give up your unique relationship with them because they have many friends, but they have only two (hopefully) parents.

Now, back to the good ole days which were filled with fun and laughter, tears and fears, but also with a lot of respect to parents, family, neighbors, friends, traditions and conditions. Oh yes, there was discipline if disrespect was shown. It was usually quick and probably without much thought given. It worked off the theory, that it only takes one time if you put your hand on a hot stove to teach you not to touch it again. No, our parents didn’t stick our hands on hot stove but they worked up some heat on our rear ends. You, as a parent, can make the decision whether or not you will use discipline or not…..not my circus! What I can say, is whatever you say as a response to disrespect will forever implant the future actions of your children. If it is nothing but a verbal reprimand or time out or however you deem “respectful” of your child’s action, mean it and claim it. Do not be indecisive; be firm but respectful.

I have made it a practice as I am sure many of you have practiced the same thing; I do not call a child stupid or even an adult. They may, and I may, do stupid things but to say someone is stupid is an insult to those mentally challenged and their actions out of their control. The person or even yourself can control our actions, words, and/or responses. We have the mental capacity to exercise R-E-S-P-E-C-T when interacting with others, both children and adults.

To prevent hate is not to exercise hate. Who do we ever think we are in life that we can exercise disrespect for another human being? If someone is down on their luck, unhappy, unhealthy, or any other state of life, show respect and compassion. Count your blessings that you have been spared of this discomfort. In other words, Put A Little Love in Your Heart as the song says.

Put A Little Love In Your Heart (1969) lyrics:

Think of your fellow man

Lend him a helping hand

Put a little love in your heart

You see it’s getting late

Oh please don’t hesitate

Put a little love in your heart

And the world will be a better place

For you and me

You just wait and to see

Another day goes by And still the children cry

Put a little love in you heart

If you want the world to know

We won’t let hatred grow

Put a little love in your heart

And the world will be a better plac

e And the world will be a better place

For you and me

You just wait and to see

Wait and see

Take a good look around

And if you’re look in’ down

Put a little love in your heart

I hope when you decide

Kindness will be your guide

Put a little love in your heart

And the world will be a better place

For you and me

You just wait and see

Put a little love in your heart

License

Standard YouTube License

Suggested by UMG

Annie Lennox – Memphis In June

Click on the link below for the video and enjoy a little love in your heart.

Put A Little Love in Your Heart

I leave you with a little love from my heart to yours so don’t be selfish and pass it around. Live Life; Love Love; and Live Life to the Fullest by loving and giving until it hurts…..Arline Miller, blogger and Lover of Life

LIFE IS A NEW DRESS II

Once in a while, I will hear from a reader who had the experience of a post really touching them. This is why I write the blog as it is not for fortune or fame, it is for moments like this one. I decided to bring it back to the forefront and see if more of you enjoy its meaning as well. Please feel free to comment on this or any blog that moves you or inspires you in your dreams…..Until We Read Again….Arline Miller, blogger

Photo courtesy of PROMGIRL
LIFE IS A NEW DRESS is the topic for the blog. I had a recent opportunity to share this thought with a young person about relationships and life. As I usually do, I compared relationships to something I can easily relate and felt you may enjoy this true to life analogy too.

Have you ever seen a dress or other piece of clothing in a store and thought immediately this had to have been made with you in mind? As you looked at it hanging up, it was perfect. It would hang on your body exactly as it should and would compliment everything you liked about yourself. The length (or height) was a compatible match. The color was one that made you feel good about yourself and lightened your mood. It was dazzling on how easy it was to put on. It simply was the best dress and even though it was expensive and you might have to sacrifice to have it as your own, the sacrifice seemed worth it. You might have had to wait a time period before you could actually acquire it to take it home to be yours and yours alone.

While this thought may seem the ideal analogy of a relationship of love, I am not quite finished with this life lesson. Let’s go back to the store and acquire that relished dress. We buy it and with the highest anticipation, we leave the store where we first encountered this dress. The dress was placed in a bag to protect it but it got somewhat wrinkled from the bagging. You are disappointed by the wrinkling as this dress was perfect and a little resentment toward the clerk who should have taken better care of your prized possession. A little of the glittering desire seems to diminish and you have to consider how to get the wrinkles out. That is okay and once the dress has had a little time to hang, the wrinkles disappear and all is well again.

You take painstaking effort to present yourself with proper hair, makeup and accessories to show off your newly acquired beautiful dress to anyone who will look and hear about how it was made for you. If anyone compliments your attire, you beam. If anyone doesn’t think it is the best thing you have ever put on, you write them off your friend’s list forever……and then it happens!

By accident, someone spills a drink on your beautiful dress. The stain, even though it is small, seems to take center stage and that is all you can see. You forget how the dress fits you to a tee, how everyone thinks it is wonderful, and how you feel in the dress. The stain, that dreadful stain has “ruined” your dress. Even though the stain is reversible and can be removed, do you let it spoil that perfect moment you first laid eyes on it? Do you allow this awkward moment to overwhelm you? Do you feel like throwing it away since it can never be pure and stainless again?

Now, for the life lesson and how this moment and experience is similar to a new relationship in life. We meet someone and we feel they are perfect. That same desire and longing is present and we will sacrifice and do whatever we can to have the relationship we have longed for all of our lives. We begin to spend time with this person and even if it has a wrinkle or two, we overlook them and even hang them up for a while by backing away for a little space to give our hearts time to realize we still like this person and maybe even love them.

You introduce them to your friends and some of your friends think they are the best thing that ever happened you. You beam from the compliments and sorely disagree with those who don’t click immediately with your newly found love. And then it happens……it can be a multitude of life accidents that put a stain on your new relationship and many times, it is a misunderstanding or circumstances you cannot control. The stain appears and it is exactly the same as I described with the new dress. The same feelings can arise. You doubt if it was that perfect. You question if it fit that well after all and in many cases, you may consider throwing it away.

Final Thoughts: All of us will experience the stains of life. We have to learn to move past those episodes in our lives to remain excited and encouraged. The dress of life or a deep relationship can survive many stains and we have to remember that we would never feel true love or existence if we shy away from acquiring a love to protect ourselves from true reality of life. A good stain remover is having a great sense of humor and not to embed our minds in disappointment but invest ourselves in those fun and loving moments A NEW DRESS can bring. LIVE LIFE; LOVE LIFE; AND KEEP A GOOD STAIN REMOVER OF LAUGHTER ON HAND.

(C) COPYRIGHT 2012-2018 Arline Miller with all rights and privileges reserved. Third party material if source is known is referenced for credit. All photos are not exclusively the property of Sipping Cups unless stated

TIMES TO LIVE BY

11 WAYS TO ENJOY LIFE MORE

1. Take Discovery Walks

In a piece for Tiny Buddha, lifestyle and happiness writer Izmael Arkin highly recommended taking what he calls “discovery walks” a couple times a week. “It is important to remember that there is always something new to be discovered in our everyday environments. Go on a walk and commit to finding 10 new interesting things,” Arkin wrote.

2. Take A New Class

Arkin also recommended signing up for a class in something you’re interested or curious about. “Push yourself to try new activities, even if you think they aren’t for you,” he wrote, noting that he recently took a Japanese tea-making class where he connected with people he normally would have never even met.

3. Seek Out Laughter

In a piece for MindBodyGreen.com, yoga instructor Dani Marie Robinson noted the importance of seeking out laughter in your day, whether it be texting a friend who makes you laugh, or even just checking out your favorite comedian on YouTube. “It’s impossible to feel the crippling burden of negative emotions while engrossed in laughter,” Robinson wrote. “It gives the mind and body a much needed reset and forces us into the moment. It is uplifting, energizing and oddly calming at the same time.”

4. Hug Someone

Robinson also sited studies that show a long embrace boosts oxytocin in our brains, meaning they genuinely have the power to elevate our moods. So if you’re ever feeling a little down, don’t be afraid to get a little TLC and hug somebody close to you.

5. Quit Comparing Yourself To Others

In a piece for Forbes, former journalist and behavioral expert Kare Anderson stressed that we should avoid comparing ourselves to others whenever possible. “As soon as you notice that you are feeling “less than” or “better than” others step back a moment emotionally. Save yourself from the twin pangs of torment,” Anderson wrote.

6. Say No To More Things

This is a personal tip, and it goes a little against the usual advise of “always say yes!” I have always found that one of the fastest ways to feel weighed down and unhappy is by over-committing ourselves and letting too much pile up on our plate. Pretty soon we’re a big ball of stress going from one obligation to the next, without any time to actually look around and smell the flowers. If you’re feeling over-extended, try taking one or two things off your agenda, or say no to the next thing that comes your way in favor of a little decompression time. I promise your mood will improve.

7. Schedule Self-Indulgence Time

This is another personal tip that goes hand-in-hand with the last one. If you’re a hyper-busy person, schedule in some down time for yourself! Whether it be the gym, drinks with friends, or just vegging out and binge watching some TV, make sure you’re scheduling in time for your own enjoyment, whatever that may be.

8. Phone A Friend

A study featured on Science Daily out of the University of Michigan found that while time spent on social media, like Facebook and Twitter, generally made study participants less happy, talking to a friend on the phone made them more happy. So close that laptop and pick up the phone!

9. Listen To Upbeat Music

According to a study featured in the Journal of Positive Psychology, research has shown that listening to upbeat music can genuinely make us happier. However, the study’s author notes that we shouldn’t start listening with the mentality of “am I happy yet?” and instead just let the experience take its course.

10. Get More Sleep

According to Harvard Medical School, there is a strong link between sleep and mood, but it probably doesn’t take a scientific study to tell you that it can be extremely difficult to feel good when you’re sleep deprived. I personally find it that my coping mechanisms go out the window after several days of minimal sleep, and always feel like an entirely new person once I’ve given my body the rest it needs.

11. Get A Plant

A study featured in The Guardian found that employees were generally happier and 15 percent more productive when there were plants in their work space. So take a cue from the study and add some green to your life! It’s a super small change that could make a noticeable difference.

There’s no secret formula to enjoying life. It’s often just about recognizing what’s making us unhappy and making moves to change it. So incorporate some or all of the above tips and embrace the good that follows!

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I found this article to be a great reference guide on making the most out of life. One of the tips is to get a plant. At Christmas, my sister and brother in law gave us a palm tree. I researched on how to water it and was told it can grow very slowly. The first few months, I felt blessed it stayed green. Then I looked down in the middle about a month ago and saw frongs which were small and I thought the info was right, slow and steady as it goes. Well about a week ago when I went to water it, I was so shocked at the height of those new leaves. Wow, I see what #11 means as I was like a new Mom watching my baby grow.

Live Life; Love Life; and Live Life to the fullest by loving to the fullest!

INGREDIENTS IN A FRIEND

Sometimes the best friend comes in a furry body, my daughter Missy and her best bud Luna.

TODAY THE WORDS are INGREDIENTS IN A FRIEND. I think I can speak on this subject very profoundly as I have been blessed with a great assortment of friends throughout my lifetime. Some have come and gone out of my life; some have been there for a lifetime; some are very close and we keep in touch; and some are my infrequent friends with whom I communicate rarely but they are still dear to me. In thinking about friends and a person who loves to cook, I thought I would come up with a recipe for those friends we can’t do without (kind of like chocolate cake) and this was my thoughts:

Recipe for a Friend Cake:

First, find a person or maybe they will find you.
Blend your likes and their likes and see if they mix together.
Stir up some fun and laughter.
Slow down the mixer and just chill.
Add some sugar and some seasonings as it has to be sweet but spicy.
If the batter starts to separate, stir it again as you want it all to stay together.
Pour it in a pan making sure you don’t leave any of it left behind.
Bake with love, caring, sacrifice and charity to each other.
Savor the taste of friendship and enjoy each bite of life.
If the slice breaks, do everything you can to put it back together.
And if you have to stop enjoying your friend cake, keep the memory of the taste.
The good times, the sad times, the silly times and the times you wish you could do over again.

The next time you start to make a new friend cake, make sure you have all of the ingredients for being a great friend to them. Live life; love life; and live life to the fullest by adding friends to your life and keep the dear friends you already have!

Here is an excerpt from an interesting article about friendship:

The True Meaning Of Friendship by Alex Lickerman, MD

https://www.psychologytoday.com/experts/alex-lickerman-md

WHAT DRAWS PEOPLE TOGETHER AS FRIENDS?

Common interests. This probably ties us closer to our friends than many would like to admit. When our interests diverge and we can find nothing to enjoy jointly, time spent together tends to rapidly diminish. Not that we can’t still care deeply about friends with whom we no longer share common interests, but it’s probably uncommon for such friends to interact on a regular basis.
History. Nothing ties people together, even people with little in common, than having gone through the same difficult experience. As the sole glue to keep friendships whole in the long run, however, it often dries, cracks, and ultimately fails.
Common values. Though not necessarily enough to create a friendship, if values are too divergent, it’s difficult for a friendship to thrive.
Equality. If one friend needs the support of the other on a consistent basis such that the person depended upon receives no benefit other than the opportunity to support and encourage, while the relationship may be significant and valuable, it can’t be said to define a true friendship.

WHAT MAKES A FRIEND WORTHY OF THE NAME?

A commitment to your happiness. A true friend is consistently willing to put your happiness before your friendship. It’s said that “good advice grates on the ear,” but a true friend won’t refrain from telling you something you don’t want to hear, something that may even risk fracturing the friendship, if hearing it lies in your best interest. A true friend will not lack the mercy to correct you when you’re wrong. A true friend will confront you with your drinking problem as quickly as inform you about a malignant-looking skin lesion on your back that you can’t see yourself.
Not asking you to place the friendship before your principles. A true friend won’t ask you to compromise your principles in the name of your friendship or anything else. Ever.
A good influence. A true friend inspires you to live up to your best potential, not to indulge your basest drives.

You can check out the friendly article by clicking on the link above.

FRIENDS COME IN ALL AGES, SIZES, COLORS AND SHAPES. Here is a little taste of friendships of long standing, endearing, funny, and friendships in family and friends.

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FEATURED BIBLE VERSE:
Proverbs 18:24

A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

(c) copyright 2012-2018 Arline Lott Miller. The material here copyrighted, use only by permission. Third party material sourced to original location for reference credit.

FIREWORKS YEAR ROUND ARE FREE

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY for all Americans! I woke up this morning thinking about how much money is spent on America’s Independence Day and all countries have holidays which have a big fireworks display for their finale. I have always loved fireworks and the colors in the sky, the anticipated explosion of spectacle along with the unexpected booms. However, this morning it seemed to hit me we are missing out on a year round display of fireworks provided by God and Nature (His assistant). There are not admittance fees to attend. It doesn’t have a start and end time clock as Nature is on the colorful display 24/7. We have to keep our eyes open and look for the free shows which are available.

36226767_1838687862819051_5682023720068055040_n — Wanda Hutto Medders shared this magnificent shot.

Today I will give you an example for what to look for when craving some excitement and creative displays of lights and colors provided for your pleasure and delight. After the pictures, I want to share with you a life lesson if you want to keep reading. Sit back and enjoy the show, given to you by nature and some regular folks who know what I am about to show. You don’t have to wait for holidays as these shows are right out your back door.

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I have collected some photos that are mostly shot by amateurs but wow, what a display of colorful displays of delight and amazement. What a Natural Fireworks Show brought to you by Our Higher Power, the best artist ever!

36533219_10160317832060018_2730420493726253056_n — Missy Smith Haas my daughter is mesmerized by the amazing sunsets at her Dad’s home in Georgia

My message for celebrating this holiday and life: When we are blessed to have been awakened, start admiring the natural fireworks of life. Do not wait until someone has assembled a 30 minute to one hour of drama, excitement, and colorful show. There is an ongoing life fireworks show all around us. God gave us the ticket to not only view this magnificent show, God encourages us to view it and live it. It costs nothing but opening our eyes to Earth’s natural beauty and believe me, man has tried but has never managed to outdo The Masterpiece of Life itself.

Today, and everyday, wake up and look around.

What are the colors you see? Thank God as you have sight.

What are the sounds you hear? Thank God as you have your hearing.

What textures can you feel when you touch something? Thank God as you have feeling in your body.

What taste does your food and drink have? Thank God as you have your taste to appreciate the good taste and to know when something isn’t good.

What do you smell? Good or bad smells means another reason to Thank God as we love to smell the flowers but are given the bad smells to know when to take out the trash.

26498480_Unknown — CARDINAL IN THE PINES by Greg Miller

LIVE LIFE; LOVE LIFE; AND LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST by honoring God’s gifts to us in the most magnificent, colorful, delightful ways and they are not to be wasted but appreciated.

DO WE EXPECT EXPECTED HURT?

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE EXPECT EXPECTED HURT? I realize this is a seemingly absurd play on words, but please be patient as there is a good message to learn from this topic. I see so many young and even older people being hurt from relationships, and this is not saying I have been exempt from relationships gone wrong in the past. Maybe it is because I am older and hopefully a little wiser. The jury may be still out on that one; but I am hopeful on the verdict anyway. I thought I would share a thought on how we may set ourselves up by expecting to be hurt again; we place ourselves in the very situation to be hurt again.

Let us look at this concept of expecting expected hurt in an abstract way as it will seem more impersonal and it may open some thought process otherwise blocked by emotions. I was diagnosed a few years ago with diabetes. Thankfully, due to a lot of life changes, it is managed. Each morning, I have to prick my finger to monitor my glucose. Even though it is a small prick from the end of my finger or the side of my thumb where nerves are abundant; it hurts more than I think a small prick should. Each morning, I know this prick will hurt and I expect it to hurt so for some reason, I have become accepting of this pain as I realize it is necessary for the purpose it serves. In a nutshell, since I expect pain; it seems more comfortable than a new kind of pain.

I used this example for the definition of an “expected hurt” and now we can look at expected hurt in relationships. I am sharing a fictitious story, but it could be a real one, about a young lady in her early 40’s and from this story, I feel you can understand the “emotional set up” we can throw ourselves into if we aren’t careful. During this gorgeous lady’s marriage, her husband cheated on her. This devastated her and followed her after the divorce. The next event is the tie to this topic. Left vulnerable, she found attention by a man who showered affection and they became involved. She didn’t ask the right questions until she developed feelings for this man and the truth came out….He was married. The next year was filled with highs and lows; unfulfilled promises; statements of love; bouts of breaking up because he and his wife were talking and maybe working it out; and then he returns to start this vicious cycle again. I ask you now; are you feeling compassion for this lady; are you feeling anger for her seeing a married man; are you seeing yourself in her situation; or are you wanting to hit the guy over his head for cheating on his wife?

I found a great except from a great article

Why Do You Keep Making the Same Relationship Mistake?

Imagine that you are going to a park to feed the ducks on the lake. You park your car at the top of a hill. There is high grass going down the hill towards the lake. You don’t see a path through the grass, so you walk carefully down through the high grass. You feed the ducks and then head back up the hill. Of course, you walk on the same path through the high grass that you have just created. It wouldn’t make sense to struggle through the grass to make a new path.

Then someone else comes to feed the ducks. They follow the same path that you took. And then someone else follows the same path. Before long, that is the path everyone takes down to feed the ducks.

Our neurons fire in the same way – once a path is carved through the “high grass” of our brains, it’s just the path that neurons follow.

To change our behavior means to change the neurons. Not an easy task, but not impossible, as you know if you’ve ever tried doing something new. The great psychoanalyst Stephen Mitchell gives us another image for this process. Let’s say you are a good tennis player, but you want to get better. You go for tennis lessons, and the pro has you hit the ball a few times and then tells you that your problem is the way you’re holding the racket. The pro shows you a different grip and practices with you for an hour. Then new grip feels a little awkward, but you can feel that your strokes are stronger, more powerful when you get it right.

But then you go to play a game, and you’re completely off. You lose worse than you’ve ever lost before. You feel like an idiot. You go back to the pro and angrily describe the situation. More than likely, the pro will take a look at how you’re holding the racket, make a couple of small corrections, and then tell you that you have to get used to the new grip, but that soon you’ll be playing better than ever.

If you keep practicing the new grip (and if the pro knows her business), you’ll discover that she’s completely right. What initially felt new and awkward soon becomes familiar, comfortable and powerful.

When it comes to relationships, of course, it’s a little more complicated. But the principles are the same:

We are comfortable with familiar patterns, even when they cause us stress or pain. We therefore continue to repeat them, even when they do not get us where we want to go.

We often do not recognize what the patterns are, and we frequently cannot see where we step off onto the familiar path.

To change, we often need good advice, but we also need to remember to take change in small increments.

Small steps, like a small shift in the way we hold a tennis racket, can lead to significant change.

We also need to remember that even a tiny change often feels uncomfortable at first.

And finally, practice makes the change feel familiar. And then we have a new pattern that our neurons can follow – without even thinking about it.

Now for the deeper thought……This is a very important and painful vision of how we, as humans, sometimes find it more comfortable, even as painful and hurtful as a situation like this can become. We accept it because for whatever reason; if we expect expected hurt; we find ourselves cushioned for the hurt. Believe me; it is coming when we set ourselves up. Why wouldn’t it be simpler to expect expected love and hold ourselves accountable for our own actions. Improve life by improving what we expect out of life. If you expect hurt; you will get hurt. If you expect love; you may get hurt as life has no guarantees but if you love yourself; you can love again.

Proverbs 28:26 KJV

Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.

Month: July 2018

HOW DO YOU EAT A HOT DOG?

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THE LESSON FROM THE BLENDER

Use the Lid Correctly

Start at Low Speed and Work Your Way Up

Don’t Forget About the Pulse Button

Vent the Steam When Blending Hot Ingredients

Clean Your Blender Properly After Each Use

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CAN WE GO BACK TO FLOWER POWER?

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