What does the number 44 mean to You? Anything? On March 25th, i turned 44. Or as my kids remind me: 6 years from the big 5-0. Oh No?!…NO! save the Happy Birthdays, PLEASE!:)…i don’t celebrate the day of my birth. You’re thinking?…What’s up with that?? Yeah, this chick…ummm excuse me, “mature” woman is strange. (Please check out at the bottom of this post for more on birthdays.)

Here’s what’s up: i’m THRILLED to be alive. Life is a sacred gift. THANKFUL to my parents. Each breath, each day, each “bd” is an undeserved kindness. However, it won’t be until after i take my last breath will anyone truly/accurately know what the label/description my parents gave me: Joan Winifred…means: My name, my personality, my life’s course, my life’s work. Will my pattern of living/life demonstrate love, compassion, wisdom, justice?? The label “Winifred” means “peaceful friend”…is that what i will prove to be?? Depending on my choices and depending on what my friends think (IF i have any by then). The label “Joan” which is a Hebrew name means (according to stuff i’ve read) God is gracious or Yahweh is merciful or gift from God. Joan is sometimes considered the female version of the name John. What is your name? What does it mean? Do you like your name?

Growing up had nicknames: “ugly” and “joanie boney–skinny like a stick of macaroni”-lol aka “boney” for short..laughing out loud as i write this:)…not upset by this at all…NOT condoning name-calling, etc…it was in fun among those who i knew loved me that would tease me i.e. relatives, etc…i think it’s kinda healthy to be able to laugh at yourself! These nicknames were NOT used maliciously…well, not by everyone, who used them…and figured (as a kid) IF i was truly that hideous/repulsive looking people probably would feel bad for me & nobody …

How are YOU doing today? Worrying? Worried? or in a state of stress?

Personally, i am always working on NOT worrying (as much)!…i’m prone to worry. Sometimes, i worry for whomever or whatever seems to cross my field of vision on any given day…thereby crossing my field of worry, concern, care and responsibility as well. 

Choosing to care and live compassion is a life-style which at times causes me worry.

As Caregiver and/or Partner/Breathing-Fragile-Life, what makes YOU worry and how do You cope??

For example, did i do the appropriate thing at the appropriate time in just the right, appropriate way to help this Breathing-Fragile-Life endure their day? YES, i’m learning my limits. YES, OBVIOUSLY, i’m NOT super-girl and can’t save the world…however, IF being kind, inconvenienced…worrying and working a little harder in order to help out somebody else and make their day a little better and endurable…i’ll TRY my best and let God do the rest!

HOPE this blog helps You a little IF not, PLEASE don’t read it.

(One hebrew word tsa.rar means to be confined in a physical sense and is thus rendered ‘wrap up,’ ‘shut up,’ and ‘be cramped.’…in a figurative sense it means “grow anxious; be in sore straits.” Another word is da.’agh’, rendered “become anxious; become frighted”…it’s related to dea’ashah’, meaing “anxious care.” Insight from Scriptures)

 Proverbs 12:25: “Anxious care in the heart of a man is what will cause it to bow down, but the good word is what makes it rejoice.

A good word brings some comfort and how about a good song too? The song below brings me back. Way back to another life of sorts…life pre-hubby and pre-kids…a life semi of my own. As a young student/adult and dancer…i taught an after school program for kids called “Little Feet” and they performed to this song …at East Somerville Community School…i absolutely LOVED this school which i attended in elementary…my first teacher, Miss Marjorie Fidel…loved her…along with my parents she helped instill in me a love of life-long learning and reading…still have a first reader, a favorite book, …

The Poor

we have

the flowers and the trees…

we have

the grass beneath our knees

and feet

we have

the air so fresh and sweet!

we have

the rivers and the streams

we have

the butterflys and bees

we have

the mountains and breeze

wind

we have

the sand and seas

wave

 we have
resilience…
have….n

we have

tensile………………………………………………………………………………………..strength

we have

real…(ity)…truth

we have

the birds soaring, flying  high…proof

why???

we have

mind

we have

heart

we have

eyes

we have

ears

we have

hearing

we have

speaking

we have communicating

 laughter…

we have after

(tears with prayers)

we have

giving

we have

living

(immortality)

LOVE <3….we are RICH 

photo-rich-and-poor-isolated-words-in-vintage-letterpress-wood-type available at Shutterstock

photo-sunlight-in-the-forest available at Shutterstock

photo-a-monarch-butterfly-and-a-honey-bee-both-visit-the-same-flower available at Shutterstock

photo-beautiful-blue-ocean-wave available at Shutterstock

photo-flock-of-birds-flying-through-the-sun-rays available at Shutterstock

photo-golden-quote-truth-quot-finally-overcomes-a-row-of-dull-blue-gray-quote-lies-quote-isolated-on available at Shutterstock

photo-background-of-heart-shaped-things-made-of-stone-and-rock available at Shutterstock

photo-hearing-sight-taste-touch-and-smell available at Shutterstock

photo-love-shape-hand-silhouette-in-sky available at Shutterstock

Not that hungry, eh?? Good, You’ve eaten already!:)

The starving and malnourished and famished aren’t too picky, you know. (They cannot afford to be.)

“A 200-page report, released at a news conference at the U.N. agency’s Rome headquarters, says 2 billion people worldwide already supplement their diets with insects, which are high in protein and minerals, and have environmental benefits.”

“Insects are “extremely efficient” in converting feed into edible meat, the agency said.  On average, they can convert 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of feed into 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of insect mass. In comparison, cattle require 8 kilograms (17.6 pounds) of feed to produce a kilo of meat.”

“Most insects are likely to produce fewer environmentally harmful greenhouse gases, and also feed on human and food waste, compost and animal slurry, with the products being used for agricultural feed, the agency said.”

“Insect farming is “one of the many ways to address food and feed security,” the food agency said.

“Insects are everywhere and they reproduce quickly,” the agency said, adding they leave a “low environmental footprint.” They provide high-quality protein and nutrients when compared with meat and fish and are “particularly important as a food supplement for undernourished children,” it said. {Tough enough getting kids to eat veggies, not sure IF kids in the States would go for some ants?…unless chocolate covered, eh?:)}

“Insects can also be rich in copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium and zinc, and are a source of fiber. ~UN says: why not eat more insects? by Frances D’Emilio {Interesting question for contemplation, eh?}

THANK YOU for sharing Your food!:)

Hunger is multi-form…tummy rumbling, mind worrying, heart aching…physical/spiritual, mental/emotional. SADLY, many are susceptible to mental health issues because they don’t have enough physical food to subsist.

SADLY, MULTI-FAKE-LEADERS provide MULTI-FAKE-FOOD…:(
and the masses here in the States and World-wide SUFFER mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically cause of it!:(

Seriously, IF YOU cannot trust/look to today’s so-called leaders/rulers to provide enough food for everyone…WHY?? look to them to solve other (complicated) problems (i.e. world peace)?!…{1 way i pursue peace is by remaining politically …

HOORAY, it’s MAY!:) May i ask YOU: What will YOU DO today?!

What a Privilege to be Breathing:)…Fragile-Life! Each Morning is a Gift. A fresh, new opportunity for compassion.

A New Day: HOORAY! How will YOU show appreciation for this gift. What positive choices will YOU make? What will You feed Your mind and body?! Who will YOU help?! What kind words will YOU use to comfort?!

Waking UP to a Beautiful Morning is a Blessing:

“When one ruling over mankind is righteous, ruling in the fear of God, then it is as the light of morning, when the sun shines forth, a morning without clouds. From brightness, from rain, there is grass out of the earth.”—2 Samuel 23:3, 4.

{The Hebrew verb ma·shal has the meaning “rule, dominate”; the Greek term ar’khon is translated “ruler.”}

Rulers or leaders can bring Happiness, Peace and Prosperity. Sadly, some leaders choose to act like this:

“As a growling lion and an onrushing bear is a wicked ruler over a lowly people.” Proverb 28:15

This world would be such a better place with better leadership! Don’t we all need good management skills. Effective skills to manage our lives, manage our families, manage what ails us. Good government is the cure. Good government starts in the home (at home). Does man practice good government?!

1 on-line dictionary definition of good: adjective: to be desired or approved of;  Noun: That which is morally right; righteousness; Synonyms: adjective: nice, kind, fine, Noun: benefit, profit, advantage, avail, welfare, use.

Another dictionary: Synonyms of good to contemplate: Commonsense, commonsensible, commonsensical, firm, hard, informed, just, justified, levelheaded, logical, rational, reasonable, reasoned, sensible, sober, solid, valid, well-founded.

Bottomline: Learning Goodness is the key to good management/good government…which brings better living for caregivers, partners, friends…ALL-BEAUTIFUL-BREATHING-FRAGILE-LIFE!:)   Ancient books can teach us much:

Goodness is not passive but is dynamically active. Recipients of the “good” person’s kindness, generosity, and self-sacrifice might even be moved to die for him! So it is with good …

Continue reading… »

FYI: On the origin of Mother’s Day, the Encyclopædia Britannica (1959 edition) states:

“A festival derived from the custom of mother worship in ancient Greece. Formal mother worship, with ceremonies to Cybele, or Rhea, the Great Mother of the Gods, were performed on the Ides of March throughout Asia Minor.”

“Regarding the adoption of Mother’s Day in the United States, the New York Times of May 10, 1953, reported”…“In spite of the popularity of Cybele, . . . and sporadic occasions honoring mothers during the Middle Ages, it was not until 1914 that the proper combination of sentimentality, idealistic promotion and hard business sense impelled the United States Congress to designate the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.”

No, THANKS!:)…but this is 1 Mother of 4 who doesn’t want ANY worship whatsoever!…all i need is…L-O-V-E & you know, that’s what All-Breathing-Fragile-Life really needs….2…day and every day…year-round Love & Compassion!

Read this beautiful point recently in an article:

“‘Regardless of age, culture, language, or race, all humans have a deep-rooted need to love and be loved. According to some reports, our nervous system is specially designed to sense love and tenderness.”

(Do You ever feel like you’re talking to the wall??:) or in this case, the writing (“love”) is on my home wall…my son took the above-photo today 5/11/13)…This is a favorite description/definition of Love:

“Love is long-suffering and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, does not get puffed up, does not behave indecently, does not look for its own interests, does not become provoked. It does not keep account of the injury. It does not rejoice over unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things…. Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

Think of the positive impact more LOVE would have on our entire planet! …

Caregiving requires a tireless effort filled with scrapes and bruises (physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually). Don’t forget: scrapes and bruises are temporary and heal.

Lives depend on the tireless efforts of the healthy and wounded Caregiver. (The singular term “Caregiver” is here being used in a composite sense to encompass all who regularly care and/or support sick or disabled persons.)

Many Caregivers are women and some are children…(For further context on Child Caregivers: Please, check out: World Mental Health Day: When the Caregiver is a Child.) …Seemingly soft and vulnerable ones in the hard, chaotic trenches of time consuming pain, agony, work. Caregivers require a special brand of resiliency to press onward!

In a sense, Caregiving is a privilege of compassion. As with all privileges, there comes a measure of added responsiblity and added work which takes added effort. Take COURAGE DEAR CAREGIVER & NEVER GIVE UP!:)

Here’s a THANK YOU! for all the times YOU deserved to hear one, but didn’t get one!:) YOU are making a positive difference! Don’t Stop being a Compassionate Caregiver!

65.7 million caregivers make up 29% of the U.S. adult population providing care to someone who is ill, disabled or aged. [The National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP (2009), Caregiving in the U.S. National Alliance for Caregiving. Washington, DC.] – Updated: November 2012

More women than men are caregivers: an estimated 66% of caregivers are female. One-third (34%) take care of two or more people, and the average age of a female caregiver is 48.0. [The National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP (2009), Caregiving in the U.S. National Alliance for Caregiving. Washington, DC.] – Updated: November 2012

The Home Alone study―a study of family caregivers who provide complex chronic care―found that nearly half of the caregivers surveyed (46% or 777) performed medical & nursing tasks. More than 96% (747) also provided activities of daily living (ADL’s) supports (e.g., personal hygiene, dressing/undressing, or getting in and out of bed) or instrumental activities of daily living (IADL’s) (e.g., taking prescribed medications, shopping …

Continue reading… »

How resilient is your brain? Are You a squirrel brain? Ever experience brain freeze?! (May be, you need a hat??)

Recently read a fun article on two topics of interests: animals and brains.

Please check in & check it out:

A dozen arctic ground squirrels appear to have set a record —when their body temperature dropped to 26.8 degrees Fahrenheit (-2.9°C)! At that temperature, we would expect their brains to freeze.

Every two or three weeks during hibernation, the arctic ground squirrel shivers itself back to its normal body temperature of 97.5 degrees Fahrenheit (36.4°C) and does not get cold again for some 12 to 15 hours. Researchers say that this warming period, although brief, plays a role in the brain’s survival. Moreover, during hibernation the arctic ground squirrel’s head seems to remain slightly warmer than the rest of its body.

When the squirrel emerges from hibernation, its brain returns to normal activity within about two hours. In fact, one study suggests that the squirrel’s brain works even better after hibernation.

They compare it to new growth emerging from scorched earth within days of a forest fire. Researchers hope that their study of the arctic ground squirrel will help them understand the human brain’s potential more fully. (Excerpt from article: The Resilient Brain of the Arctic Ground Squirrel.)

What do You think: Was the Arctic Squirrel’s resilient brain designed?? and by whom?!

Researchers hope to learn ways to prevent or reverse cellular damage occurring in brain diseases. There is so much to learn from nature and the Beautiful-Breathing-Fragile-Life inhabiting our beautiful planet, Earth. PLEASE, help protect the Multi-Major-Ecosystems of  Breathing-Fragile-Life!:)

What will you learn today? What compassionate choices will YOU make that contribute to Your brain health and the health of all Multi-Major-Ecosystems of Breathing-Fragile-Life upon this Beautiful Planet Earth?? Have you been hibernating? Asleep or …

May Flowers?:)…i absolutely LOVE flowers!

Wish my home was a flower garden. Imagine life as a butterfly floating and fluttering wherever the air brings You

in your

peaceful paradise.

My garden would be

called: f~~~r~~~e~~~e~~~d~~~o~~~m!

Lilacs are among my favorites. (Isn’t it hard to pick 1 type of flower? What is your favorite?) i could go for some intoxicating Lilac Liquor (aromatherapy) right now. i LOVE the scent of Lilac. What scents do You like?(…actually, i prefer “common”…sense!:)

P.s. this post is NOT promoting aromatherapy (and/or drinking)…just discussing it (aromatherapy).

Two basic mechanisms are offered to explain the purported effects. One is the influence of aroma on the brain, especially the limbic system through the olfactory system.[13] The other is the direct pharmacological effects of the essential oils.[14] While precise knowledge of the synergy between the body and aromatic oils is often claimed by aromatherapists,  the efficacy of aromatherapy remains unproven. However, some  preliminary clinical studies of aromatherapy in combination with other  techniques show positive effects. Aromatherapy does not cure conditions, but helps the body to find a natural way to cure itself and improve immune response.[15][16] ~Wikipedia

Wouldn’t it be cool technology IF we could some how attach fragrances (i.e. Lilacs) to our posts?? Kinda like a scratch and sniff thing…is there an app for that…yet? It would be a fun feature except if you had allergies. Some parfum et eau de toilette too overpowering and distressing to those who suffer with allergies and asthma. Please, be mindful of other Breathing-Fragile-Life IF You choose to wear or bathe in the stuff.

What are essential oils?

Essential oils are concentrated extracts taken from the roots, leaves, seeds, or blossoms of plants. Each contains its own mix of active ingredients, and this mix determines what the oil is used for. Some oils are used to promote physical healing — for example, to treat swelling or …

Continue reading… »

Shut up!-Part 5, really??…YEP!-lol:) For current context check out: Boyle, Sagan: Scientific & Spiritual “Understanding” of Life Interdependency: Part 1 Tweeting Bird: Say What? aka Boyle, Sagan: Scientific and Spiritual “Understanding” of Life Interdependency Part 2 Boyle, Sagan: Scientific and Spiritual “Understanding” of Life Interdependency Part 3 Boyle, Sagan: Scientific & Spiritual “Understanding” of Life Interdependency: Part 4

Warning: IF your individual digestive needs (as in brain/mind/perception/scientific/spiritual food digestive needs) do not require any green leafy vegetables or you are averse to eating/sampling any food that is different (i.e. hot or spicy, gooey or sour and not necessarily sweet and texturally what you are comfortably accustomed to regularly consuming or If You have any brain/mind allergies)…PLEASE, don’t read on!:)

IF you eat only what you like: Read at your own risk, okay? OKAY-lol:) Are you an advertuous mind-food sampler/eater?? Curiosity can be deadly…but, you’re not a cat..so, i’m sure you’ll be fine! -lol:)

Ah, this post intro reminds me of when my kids were babies and feeding them different veggies to sample for the first time…you know, the song singing, the whirling of the spoon up and down and all around, trying to get them to open up and eat: You’re not gonna spit this post back at me…are YOU?!-lol:)

From: joanie

To: my blog Readers:
i care about Your Wellness or i wouldn’t write!
i’m telling ya, this post series covers a variety of  ingredients/topic(s) of science and spirituality…compassion calls for vegetable soup; Yummy. My last post on this topic series: Boyle, Sagan: Scientific & Spiritual “Understanding” of Life Interdependency: Part 4 spot lighted Sagan….this one will focus on Boyle. …