Christmas Memories

In sharing a part of our family Christmas, it is hoped it evoked good memories of your own. May each year be better than the last and the Christmas memories last forever.

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Each year our family appears to becomes smaller. Life takes us one and all to new places because of work demands. It also makes the creation of Christmas Memories all the sweeter.

Christmas can be at one house where all gather for merriment and laughter, or it can be at many houses depending on where everyone lives.

This year, Chris and I and my grandson, spent Christmas day with my oldest daughter Ann Marie Lisk and guests. The gift exchange is always a focal point of Christmas and all new Christmas memories get their start here.

Christmas Music makes an awesome background

The afternoon was spent listening, singing and commenting on
a history of Christmas carols.

“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire …” Nat King Cole, Vaughn Monroe, Bing Crosby, Harry Belafonte … the list played on as our favorite singers of our favorite Christmas carols entertained us evoking Christmas Memories of years gone past.

Feasting on Christmas memories of great food.

Every dish was home cooked right down to the dinner rolls and made even more delicious by the lively conversation evoked by each song. Can’t forget to mention that #1 Daughter Ann is an excellent pastry chef as well, from cookies, to butter tarts, to home made pumpkin pie. Sitting at her table is a virtual feast long remembered.

Musical Christmas Memories

The little drummer boy – was it the song, the message, the music? Or was it the drummer? Imagine the consistent beat of one chord played throughout the whole song? “Come they told me, pa rum pum pum pum”

Who Wrote ‘The Little Drummer Boy?’

“The Little Drummer Boy” was written by classical music composer Katherine Kennicott Davis in 1941. Among the most popular versions of the song is a 1977 recording of “The Little Drummer Boy” pairing the unlikely duo of David Bowie and Bing Crosby.

Christmas Memories of a lifetime – The movies of yesteryear –

What are your favorite memory movies of Christmas?  What actors bring
your memories to the future?

From the …
1946 classic – “It’s a wonderful life” starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed.
1935 British fantasy film based on the 1843 novel by Charles Dickens, starred Seymour Hicks. A Christmas Carol.

Did you know A Christmas Carol was adapted in 1938 starring Reginald Owen as Ebenezer Scrooge?

Our all-time favorite, of course, was the 1951 version starring Alastair Sim as Ebenezer Scrooge .

Remakes seldom cut it once the impression has been created by unforgettable characters. Though it does make for lively discussion.

Christmas memories 2018

The greatest gift of Christmas has to be when family and friends get together, eating delicious foods and of course special gifts.

This year my favorite gift was a hand made quilt for our bed. There is so much love and work spent on creating a quilt never mind the material costs. This is a gift of pure love that will last for many years.

Thank you Ann for my special gift – love you too- and a wonderful dinner. Merry Christmas to all our family that were there and to those far away who called because your love helped create  Christmas 2018- memories  that will
last forever whether made in person and over the digital cell phones.

In sharing a part of our family Christmas, it is hoped it evoked good memories of your own. May each year be better than the last and the Christmas memories last forever.

It’s Hallowe’en or is it Halloween?

Halloween pumpkin png clipart from pngtree.com The word Halloween comes from Hallowe’en, meaning ‘hallowed evening‘ or holy evening.

Halloween is a lazy way to write Hallowe’en and thereby destroy its true meaning of All Hallows’Evening. Simply meaning All Saints Evening as it is celebrated on the evening before All Saints” Day also known as All Hallows’Day.

Black cats are part of the Hallowe’en or is it Halloween superstitions.

So where cometh the ghosts and goblins and trick or treat? It marks the one single night, according to Celtic beliefs, when the spirits and the dead can cross over into the world of the living.

At a time, when my children were young, and it was safe to wander the streets in search of a treat earned by doing a trick, we had neighborhoods that decorated. Much like Christmas, these homes went out of their way to make Halloween scary fun for the children

A wondrous Hallowe’en Memory

One such home could talk to you coming within a house of two of their Hallowe’en decked out home. “Go home parent and dress for the occasion in order that your children are safe in my presence! You may not enter until you do for fear your child will be taken across.”

Well easy to imagine you went home and dressed up. Can’t disappoint the kids who were determined to enter his property.

Howling ghosts floating in the windsThere is nothing like crisp October leaves for making wonderful floating ghosts suspended from low hanging tree branches. Floating back and forth in howling fall winds. Not high enough to miss the unsuspected as they walk beneath them; just high enough to float across an unsuspecting head.

There is something about the mood of Hallowe’en or is it Halloween when you are on a trick or treat hunt that can even make a parent jumpy!

There was none more intimidating than this talking house. Who was
the voice? Their excitement high, the children would knock on the door yelling trick or treat. Well this door opened to a vampire complete with long blood soaked teeth and hands and a whispery voice that said “Yes? Come on in” then proceeded to give one hellish laugh.

Nweighborhood Hallowee'en img.

Everyone jumped and added a scream or two when faced with this apparition. He appeased his ‘victims‘ with another laugh and to tell them they were safe because mom and dad had dressed and to his delight, they all jumped. Parent and child alike – which was his way of letting the children pick their treat as he had already received the proper trick response.

Hallowe’en or Halloween and Celtic Observances

The early Celtic beliefs held that spirits from the underworld, and ghosts of dead people, could visit the world of the living on the night of October 31. The belief that these ghosts and spirits could harm the living or take them back to the underworld, caused people to dress up as ghosts and spirits. Thus leaving their homes in hopes of confusing the dead.

This leaves us with an obscure understanding of who were the Celts and where did they originate. Most importantly, are they considered Irish?

That you will have to wander through books and links to be found in this resource I leave to answer your questions. Or should I say begin to answer your questions. Meantime, Happy Hallowe’en!

While you are here and the mood of  Hallowe’en  is in your blood, visit
my friend “Skelly” He too has a creepy  invitation.

Fall Colds and Flu Come Visiting

flu shot img taken from arrticle internal link  It happens every year, sometimes a tad earlier than the year before, however fall heralds the cold and flu season and there is not much we can do to prevent their visit.

What we can do is take certain steps to deal with it.
When I read  what’s in the flu shot, then anything I
can do to prevent or lessen the effects of the flu, beats
the daylights out of taking that shot!

Tips to help avoid the flu

  1. Do take that shot if it is a survival must. Some of us are
    hard heads and some of us are determined to stay
    abreast of our body needs that create good overall
    health.

Viruses like the flu, last seven to 10 days. Anti-biotics
typically do not work for viruses yet they include them in
the shot.

The claim that common type of flu vaccines made up of
parts of inactivated flu viruses cannot give you the flu.
And your experience?

Yet on the other hand, some claims are it gives you a
light version to help you build up your immune system
against this brand of flu.

2. Keep all physical contact clean. Wash your hands often
– in the bathroom, before eating, using good anti-bacterial
soaps and at home, use lysol spray on door handles,
toilet flush handle, taps etc.

*TIP* Alcohol-based sanitzers are a good idea to carry
on your person for when the cleanliness you prefer is not
available.

3. Work Developing a high-functioning immune system

What do your daily health habits say about you?

– Eating regular balanced meals
– staying hydrated
– getting 7-9 hrs sleep every night

Food is a killer!  Inflammation and disease all find their
root cause in what you eat.

Balanced eating does not mean left over pizza for
breakast, eggs and french fries for lunch and a steak
with all the trimmings for supper. You are a heart
attack waiting in the wings if this is how you eat.

simple box of kleenex    Winter is the hardest time to stay hydrated. Furnaces and the fact some have built-in dehumidifiers so your  home can be extra dry.
And the cold outdoors snaps your breath
leaving you in need of a puffer or more water?

And sleep is the buga-boo of 99% of us. Stress, the
number one killer is in our daily actions. Get rid of it and
sleep much better.

Planning early rises need to be balanced with earlier to
bed. Does that work? Probably not0, you end up tossing
and turning until your normal time to go to sleep then it
is restless.

Sleep vs Stress help create bad mental health habits.
Take time to relax. Take a walk – the dog will love you. A
play period will remove the negative stress thoughts for a
little while. And light exercise will be a plus action.

Get back in tune with nature. Do a hike or a drive to see
the fall colors – beauty that lifts your spirits.

There are more things you can probably do to maintain your
good health habits. Add these to them and have a good
and happy life – every day!

These are just some of the things you can do to keep the
flu and other winter colds and virus at bay!

Till next time …

Fran

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I Need To Boost My Dopamine

when your dreams need dopamine supportIt’s what you do when you are in a crisis. When negative feelings over ride common sense. You do something to boost your dopamine. And I sure need my dopamine boosted.

I have a confession to make. More to me than to you but it affects you as well as me.

As a life learner, I know things. As a life learner, I am more apt to share my findings with you rather than keep my big mouth shut.

Sharing feelings does not mean everyone accepts the action. They have their own agenda and when you share, you tend to upset the apple cart. You let out the little bugs that show them up for who they really are.

Something of that nature just happened in my little world and it blew me away. It left me feeling a tad lost until I came across this trending article that simply invited me to read it if I was in a crisis that what I needed was a dopamine boost.

Dopamine The shock effect of understanding

Dopamine is important for many of our daily behaviors. It plays a role in how we move, for instance, as well as what we eat, how we learn and even whether we become addicted to drugs.

A dopamine release tells the brain that whatever it just experienced is worth getting more of. Well, I can tell you, a bit more of what I experienced is not what I needed. Thus I decided to take a stroll outside, check our gardens and how plant life was handling the crisis of forever changing weather patterns.

Our Gardens of Pleasure

Everywhere you look there is color! I never knew there were so many shades of green, Every plant has its own varied shade that distinguishes it one plant from the other.
Sort of like humans with varying skin shades and hair and eye colors that make us who we are.

Then there are the flowers. Some we know many we love and never enough for the surprises they offer us. My dopamine took a mighty jump when I ran across my Easter lilies replanted when their season was over? Who says? One mighty plant has five gorgeous white lilies – two in full bloom, three right behind. And hidden in the mass is another one with a fully developed bloom getting ready to spread its beauty.

Darn. I’m smiling! The grey clouds are lifting and I am on the way back to myself. The lesson was so obvious. Stay away from negative people! Watch out for who you think are worthy of your time and knowledge.The right people will find you.

Dopamine also helps with reinforcement — motivating an animal to do something again and again. I think it works that way much with people as well. It means people like me need to allow myself to attract important things so that we always go back for more of the pleasant things.

anhedonia A state where animals or people no longer find pleasure in activities they used to enjoy. The cause and affect are now something I better understand and I am off to find ways to include more rewarding actions in my life.

Are you in the need of happy times, more pleasure rewards for your actions? You too may be in the need of a dopamine fix.

RESOURCE: 7 ways to increase Dopamine naturally
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBQ9SzwmGLk

Mailer Wailers I don’t get no satisfaction

“I can’t get no satisfaction, I can’t get no satisfaction
‘Cause I try and I try and I try and I try …” ~ Rolling Stones

fransfractured satisfaction rock&RollforeverWhen my focus is on emailing and some memory comes rolling in saying connection is a must.
Well I try but it’s still a bust hey, hey, hey
I can’t get no satisfaction.

No one reads their emails. what a waste of time!
Not the reading but the folks who’ll never make a dime.
Cause they try and they try but hey hey hey
They don’t get no satisfaction.

The writer made the mails but they never made a dime
Well, they tried and they tried no one reads them on time
They still try and they try but Hey hey hey
They can’t get no satisfaction.

Please come on in and listen to member’s sad tale
How they tried and they tried but yet they still cry
No connection, didn’t try hey hey hey
They don’t get no satisfaction.

If you are reading my tale on the mailer wailers, you
are either the writer or the one crying hey hey hey
I don’t get no satisfcation.

If the message is not clear, will give you one more
time to hear
Hey hey hey here comes satisfaction!
Connect and share your woes, because everybody knows
That is how you’ll get satisfaction.

There is a lot of truth both funny and not so fortunate for
either the writers or the wailers.  Excuses tend to run the
show.  As a result, no one gets much satisfaction.

Whch one are you? A wailer about to make a positive change?
If you are then the rewards are many. Come try them and
enjoy the complete satisfaction that will be all yours.

See you inside.

Editor Fran Klasinski no satisfactionFran Klasinski – warriorlady
Mentoring you with common sense
Marketing with finesse.
Join me: SKYPE: Fran.Klasinski

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