SEASON's GREETINGS!

IT'S NEARLY CHRISTMAS

I write this in September
And I can already see my breath
Because the temperature is falling
To fifty degrees or less;
There are frosted mornings
And skies are turning gray;
Next thing, there'll be snowdrifts
Fit for a sleigh.

In stores, they're gearing for Halloween
With pumpkins on display;
After October 31, we'll count the days
To shop til Kris Kringle Day;
Just when I thought the craze was over
And the presents were put away,
Alas! I hear Santa "ho-hoing",
It's nearly Christmas Day.

Christmas is a magical time,
Is there any doubt?
But I'm going to need a psychotherapist
To get my anxeties out!
The sugarplums might be dancing,
But they're messing up my mind;
The silver bells aren't doing much
To help me unwind.

September comes and October goes,
November is just a glance;
Once again, there'll be invitations
To another holiday dance;
I'll decorate the Christmas tree
With icicles, stars, and lights,
But I'll need a ton of eggnog
To get me through this night!

--Joel Bjorling, Gilson, USA Age 58

Secrets to a Long and Healthy Life

Your grandfather ate eggs every day for breakfast. He lived to be 100. Your aunt, who ate only healthful foods and never touched alcohol, died of cancer at 40.

Why is it that some people defy logic and outlive people who have healthier lifestyles? Scientists aren't sure.

People are different, and they age differently. Plus, aging is affected by a lifetime of habits, and it's difficult to discern one habit's effect from another's.

But scientists do know that people who eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and remain active throughout their lives tend to live longer.

Research may someday provide more insight. But until more is known, everyone - regardless of heredity - can improve his or her odds of living healthier now.

Thanks to : Mayo Clinic

10 Tips for Tackling TOUGH TALKS with FRIENDS

1. Don't preach. Your friend needs a real friend, not a parent or a pastor.

2. Bring a friend. Maybe one or two friends can help you out, but make sure everyone knows each other well.

3. Start with affirmation. Before you bite into the thick meat of situation, serve up something easier to swallow like how important the friendship is to you.

4. Make it clear that you're condemning, just showing concern.

5. Be specific. Don't refer to vague situations. Present clear facts that are based on truth, not rumors or exaggerations.

6. Avoid words such as "always," "never," every." They don't mean much.

7. Find good place to meet that'll be free of distractions.

8. Be willing to own up to situations/conflicts/inconsistencies about your own life that your friend may bring up. Honesty is a good bridge builder.

9. Focus on your feelings rather than on your friend's failures. He's already going to feel awkward enough without someone beating it into him.

10. Be ready to go the distance with your friend. Everything probably won't change in one meeting. Be willing to meet again and again. Pray for your friend and ask God to give you the wisdom you need.

Source: Health&Home 2003 Jul-Aug (Friendly Fire: It's so big a deal!) -Joey O' Connor

ELEPHANTASTIC!

Elephant herds post their own sentries. When danger threatens, the sentry raises its trunk and though it may be as far as a half-mile away, the rest of the herd is instantly alerted. How this communication takes place is not understood. (Wow! Cool!)

Elephant tusks grow throughout an elephant's life and can weigh more than 200 pounds. Among Asian elephants, only males have tusks. Both sexes of African elephant have tusks. (Only African elephants? But, why?)

Elephant are covered with hair. Although it is not apparent from a distance, at close range, one can discern a thin coat of light hairs covering practically every part of an elephant's body. (Ows? Maybe I just have to take a closer look of their bodies.)

Elephants communicate in sound waves below the frequency that humans can hear. (Quite cool huh?)

Elephants are known to remain standing after they die. (What? I can hardly believe that! Over!)

Elephants perform greeting ceremonies when a member of the group returns after a long time away. The welcoming animals spin around, flap their ears, and trumpet. (Wow! Now I know that even animals know how to welcome a family member or a visitor; just like human used to do.)

Elephants sleep only two hours a day. (Oh gosh! Could you imagine sleeping 2 hrs daily? Whoa! Kinda hard thing to do!)

Elephants use leafy branches and plant stalks as fly swatters. (No comment!)

Source: www.absolutetrivia.com

Note : Sentences inside the parentheses are my reactions to each fact about elephants.

REMembering SLEEP

There are two types of sleep: REM and non-REM.

For the first 90 minutes of your sleep, you experience non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) sleep. Here you drift from consciousness to total unconsciousness. REM sleep then follows. This is the dreaming stage.

The NREM-REM cycle is repeated six to 10 times throughout the night.

Do you know that:

• bed wetting, snoring, sleepwalking, and night terrors occur during stage IV or NREM sleep?
• NREM sleep relaxes the body, while REM sleep relaxes the mind?
• when you wake up in the middle of a REM sleep, you will remember your dream, but when you wake up during NREM sleep, you won't even know you dreamed?
• lack of REM sleep is more upsetting than lack of NREM sleep?

In a study conducted by N.R. Culler and H.B. Cohen, people who had been deprived of REM sleep for days became less well-integrated and effective. They also became confused and suspicious of other people. Thus, they withdrew from society. Moreover, sleep-deprived individuals appear anxious, insecure, irritable, and have a marked increase in appetite, leading to weight gain.

SOURCE: "A Healthy Rest"