The Power of Laughter (Part 1)

Laughter has a powerful effect on your health and well-being. A good laugh relieves tension and stress, elevates mood, enhances creativity and problem-solving ability, and provides a quick energy boost. But even more importantly, laughter brings people together. Mutual laughter and play are an essential component of strong, healthy relationships. By making a conscious effort to incorporate more humor and play into your daily interactions, you can improve the quality of your love relationships—as well as your connections with co-workers, family members, and friends.

Playful communication is one of the most effective tools for keeping relationships exciting, fresh, and vital. Laughter and play enrich your interactions and give your relationships that extra zing that keeps them interesting, light, and enjoyable. This shared pleasure creates a sense of intimacy and connection—qualities that define solid, lasting relationships.
People are attracted to happy, funny individuals. Laughter draws others to you and keeps them by your side. When you laugh with one another, a positive bond is created. This bond acts as a strong buffer against stress, disagreements, and disappointment. And laughter really is contagious—just hearing laughter primes your brain to smile and join in on the fun.

Playful communication helps you:

• Connect to others. Your health and happiness depend, to a large degree, on the quality of your relationships—and laughter binds people together.
• Smooth over differences. Using gentle humor often helps you broach sensitive subjects, resolve disagreements, and reframe problems.
• Feel relaxed and energized at the same time. Laughter relieves fatigue and relaxes your body, while also recharging your batteries and helping you accomplish more.
• Overcome problems and setbacks. A sense of humor is the key to resilience. It helps you take hardships in stride, weather disappointment, and bounce back from adversity and loss.
• Put things into perspective. Most situations are not as bleak as they appear to be when looked at from a playful and humorous point of view.
• Be more creative. Humor and playfulness loosen you up, energizing thinking and inspiring creative problem solving.

Don't Buy This House!

Top ten things you don't want to hear from your real estate agent when you go to 'close' on your new home . . . .

1. "I think unexplained crop circles add a unique flair to any home's garden."
   
2. "Actually, it's only the rear portion of the yard that overlaps the ancient Indian burial ground."
   
3. "Yes, the last owner did donate the house to the Hell's Angels, but I'm told that the judge has ordered them not to come within 50 feet of it."
   
4. "Listen, one bleeding mirror doesn't necessarily mean it's haunted."
   
5. "Your neighbor has assured me that, technically, they're not really 'killer' bees."
   
6. "Even if there was a full-scale mudslide, it's unlikely that it would reach as far back as your property."
   
7. "I read that it's quite common for roaches to grow that big even when not in the presence of radioactivity."
   
8. "Did you know that the famous punk band "Grave Robber" holds their practice sessions right next door?"
   
9. "Yes it's true that they died in the house, but the prosecutor was never actually been able to prove it was murder."
   
10. "Don't worry, you can barely hear the sheet metal factory at night."

Chocolate is a Vegetable

Other little known Chocolate facts:

• Chocolate is derived from cacao beans. Bean = vegetable. Sugar is derived from either sugar CANE or sugar BEETS. Both are plants, which places them in the vegetable category. Thus, chocolate is a vegetable.
  
• To go one step further, chocolate candy bars also contain milk, which is dairy product. So candy bars are a health food.
  
• Chocolate-covered raisins, cherries, orange slices and strawberries all count as fruit; so eat as many as you want.
  
• If you've got melted chocolate all over your hands, you're eating it too slowly.
  
• Problem: How to get 2 pounds of chocolate home from the store in a hot car. The solution: Eat it in the parking lot.
  
• Diet tip: Eat a chocolate bar before each meal. It'll take the edge off your appetite, and you'll eat less.
  
• If calories are an issue, store your chocolate on top of the fridge. Calories are afraid of heights, and they will jump out of the chocolate to protect themselves. (We're testing this with other snack foods as well.)
  
• If I eat equal amounts of dark chocolate and white chocolate, is that a balanced diet? Don't they actually counteract each other?
  
• Chocolate has many preservatives. Preservatives make you look younger. Therefore, you need to eat more chocolate.
  
• Put "eat chocolate" at the top of your list of things to do today. That way, at least you'll get one thing done.
  
• A nice box of chocolates can provide your total daily intake of calories in one place. Now, isn't that handy?
  
• If you can't eat all your chocolate, it will keep in the freezer. But if you can't eat all your chocolate, what's wrong with you?
  
• If not for chocolate, there would be no need for control top pantyhose. An entire garment industry would be devastated. You can't let that happen, can you?

NEWS FLASH:  "Stressed" spelled backward is "desserts."  So, to reverse being "stressed" . . . CHOCOLATE!!!

Kiss Your Luggage Good-Bye

It was the beginning of December.  The trip had gone reasonably well, and he was ready to go back.  The airport on the other hand had turned a tacky red and green with loudspeakers blared annoying elevator renditions of cherished Christmas carols.

Being someone who took Christmas very seriously, and being slightly tired, he was not in a particularly good mood.

Going to check in his luggage, he saw hanging mistletoe.  Not real mistletoe, but very cheap plastic with red paint on some of the rounder parts and green paint on some of the flatter and "pointier" parts, that could be taken for mistletoe only in a very Picasso sort of way.

With a considerable degree of irritation and nowhere else to vent it, he said to the lady attendant, "Even if I were not married, I would not want to kiss you under such a ghastly mockery of mistletoe."

"Sir, look more closely at where the mistletoe is."

(pause)

"Ok, I see that it's above the luggage scale, which is the place you'd have to step forward for a kiss."

"That's not why it's there."

(pause)

"Ok, I give up.  Why is it there?"

"It's there so you can kiss your luggage goodbye."

Eight Gifts That Do Not Cost A Cent!

1. THE GIFT OF LISTENING . . .
   But you must REALLY listen. No interrupting, no daydreaming, no planning your response. Just listening.
   
2. THE GIFT OF AFFECTION . . .
   Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back and handholds. Let these small actions demonstrate the love you have for family and friends.
   
3. THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER . . .
   Clip cartoons. Share articles and funny stories. Your gift will say, "I love to laugh with you."
   
4. THE GIFT OF A WRITTEN NOTE . . .
   It can be a simple "Thanks for the help" note or a full sonnet. A brief, handwritten note may be remembered for a lifetime, and may even change a life.
   
5. THE GIFT OF A COMPLIMENT . . .
   A simple and sincere, "You look great in red," "You did a super job" or "That was a wonderful meal" can make someone's day.
   
6. THE GIFT OF A FAVOR . . .
   Every day, go out of your way to do something kind.
   
7. THE GIFT OF SOLITUDE . . .
   There are times when we want nothing better, than to be left alone. Be sensitive to those times and give the gift of solitude to others.
   
8. THE GIFT OF A CHEERFUL DISPOSITION . . .
   The easiest way to feel good is to extend a kind word to someone, really it's not that hard to say, Hello or Thank You.

Dog's Rules For Christmas

1. Be especially patient with your humans during this time. They may appear to be more stressed-out than usual and they will appreciate long comforting dog leans.
   
2. They may come home with large bags of things they call gifts. Do not assume that all the gifts are yours.
   
3. Be tolerant if your humans put decorations on you. They seem to get some special kind of pleasure out of seeing how you look with fake antlers.
   
4. They may bring a large tree into the house and set it up in a prominent place and cover it with lights and decorations. Bizarre as this may seem to you, it is an important ritual for your humans, so there are some things you need to know: Don't wet on the tree Don't drink water in the container that holds the tree. Mind your tail when you are near the tree. If there are packages under the tree, even ones that smell interesting or that have your name on them, don't rip them open Don't chew on the cord that runs from the funny-looking hole in the wall to the tree
   
5. Your humans may occasionally invite lots of strangers to come visit during this season. These parties can be lots of fun, but they also call for some discretion on your part: Not all strangers appreciate kisses and leans Don't eat off the buffet table. Beg for goodies subtly Be pleasant, even if unknowing strangers sit on your sofa. Don't drink out of glasses that are left within your reach unless you can get away with it...
   
6. Likewise, your humans may take you visiting. Here your manners will also be important: Observe all the rules in #4 for trees that may be in other people's houses. (4a is particularly important) Respect the territory of other animals that may live in the house Tolerate children Turn on your charm big time.
   
7. A big man with a white beard and a very loud laugh may emerge from your fireplace in the middle of the night.   DO 'NOT' BITE HIM!!!

How Cold Is It?

We have had some real cold weather the past few days which led me to this thought-How cold is it?

-70+   Californians put on sweaters.
-60+   Miami residents turn on the heat.
-50+   Vermont residents go to outdoor concert.
-40+   You can see your breath.Californians shiver uncontrollably. Minnesotans go swimming.
-35+   Italian cars don't start.
-32+   Water freezes.
-30+ You plan your vacation in Australia.
-25+   Ohio water freezes. Californians weep pitiably. Minnesotans eat ice cream. Canadians go swimming.
-20+   Politicians begin to talk about the homeless. New York City water freezes. Miami residents plan vacation further south.
-15+   French cars don't start. Cat insists on sleeping with you.
-10+   You need jumper cables to get the car going.
-05+   American cars don't start.
-0+   Alaskans put on T-shirts.
-10   German cars don't start. Eyes freeze shut when you blink.
-15   You can cut your breath and use it to build an igloo. Arkansans stick tongues on metal objects. Miami residents cease to exist.
-20   Cat insists on sleeping in pajamas with you. Politicians actually do something about the homeless.
Minnesotans shovel snow off roof. Japanese cars don't start.
-25   Too cold to think. You need jumper cables to get the driver going.
-30   You plan a two week hot bath. Swedish cars don't start.
-40   Californians disappear. Minnesotans button top button. Canadians put on sweater. Your cat helps you plan your trip south.
-50   Congressional hot air freezes. Alaskans close the bathroom window.
-80   Hell freezes over. Polar bears move south. Green Bay Packer fans order hot cocoa at the game.
-90   Lawyers put their hands in their own pockets.
-100 Canadian buildings turn off air conditioning.