You Are The Sky October 25, 2018
Posted by nrhatch in Happiness, Health & Wellness, Life Balance.comments closed
“You are the sky. Everything else—it’s just the weather.” ~ Pema Chödrön
Aah . . . that’s better!
Related: It’s OK to Feel Bad for No Reason (Raptitude)
A Bit of This & That October 23, 2018
Posted by nrhatch in Life Balance, Mindfulness, People, Travel & Leisure.comments closed
For a terrific article on Friendship:
Friends are honest with each other: Friends will always tell you what you need to hear, not what you want them to say. There are plenty of people in the world who will flatter you for their own purposes, but only a real friend — or an enemy — will risk your anger by telling you the truth. And being a good person yourself, you should listen to your friends and welcome what they have to say.
How to be a Good Friend, According to Cicero (an Ancient Philosopher) (Time)
For an interesting article on Master Manipulators:
“People who are trying to manipulate others are trying to control others.”
There are many different forms of manipulation, ranging from a pushy salesperson to an emotionally abusive partner—and some behaviors are easier to spot than others.
Here, experts explain the telltale signs that you could be the subject of manipulation.
How to Tell If Someone Is Manipulating You—And What to Do About It (Time)
For a Bunch of Hot Air, here’s a video posted by my little bro after his recent trip to the Balloon Festival in Albuquerque, NM:
Aah . . . that’s better!
Strategic “Laziness” is a Good Thing! October 20, 2018
Posted by nrhatch in Life Balance, Mindfulness, Travel & Leisure.comments closed
Next time you’re vegging out on the couch, or relaxing to the strains of Eine Klein Nachtmusik, or watching the clouds scuttle across the sky, reach around and give yourself a pat on the back . . . for being lazy!
That’s right.
Strategic “laziness” is a good thing!
Research shows that doing nothing can be just the boost you need to expand your creativity:
Laziness is a lost art. I don’t mean laziness in the sense of filling each moment with mindless distraction. I mean proper idleness, when we choose to do nothing. In a world of constant distraction, we rarely put our mental feet up. Instead, we spend our spare time bouncing between novel distractions — going from checking our email, to reading the news, to surfing Facebook, and so on — activities that often make us even more tired.
In any given moment, our attention is either focused or unfocused. Focus gets all the attention — it’s what lets us get work done, have meaningful conversations and move our lives forward. But as it turns out, research shows that unfocusing is just as powerful, albeit in different ways. While focusing makes us more productive, unfocusing makes us more creative.
Chances are you should be lazy more often. Whether it’s to give your brain a rest, dig up insightful ideas or plot future plans, sometimes the best way to make stuff happen is by doing nothing at all.
To read more: Why Being Lazy is Actually Good For You (Time)
Aah . . . that’s better!
A Scary Time For . . . October 17, 2018
Posted by nrhatch in Music & Dance, People.comments closed
Trump says this is a scary time for American men . . . because just look what’s happened to Bill Cosby, and Harvey Weinstein, and Louis C.K., and all those other powerful men who thought they should be allowed to assault women with impunity just because they’re men.
Trump’s rather lopsided view of the #metoo movement inspired Lynzy Lab Stewart to counter with a song:
Dancer, choreographer, singer-songwriter Lynzy Lab Stewart took to social media to share a song titled “A Scary Time” that appears to be written in response to Trump’s assertion. To the tune of a melody plucked out on her ukelele, Lynzy sings about the ways in which the world has always been a dangerous place for a woman, calling out the inherent privilege for men in a patriarchal system.
Aah . . . that’s better!
To read more: Dancer Lynzy Lab Wrote A Song(Time)
An After-Dinner Stroll => A+ October 15, 2018
Posted by nrhatch in Exercise & Fitness, Happiness, Health & Wellness.comments closed
So we all know that exercise is good for us.
Right?
It improves our mood, helps us sleep better, moderates our weight, relieves stress, etc.
Turns out that taking a short 10-15 minute walk AFTER dinner pays even more dividends.
Engaging in moderate exercise after eating helps us utilize glucose stores, digest our food efficiently, and avoid heartburn.
To read more: The Case For Taking a Walk After You Eat (Time)
Since daylight savings time is winding down, it’s dark out when we’re done eating. And there are coyotes (and other things that go bump in the night) out there. Plus I want to stay inside and watch Jeopardy.
So . . . I’m compromising, by marching/dancing/moving in place for 30 minutes after dinner.
It feels better than just “parking it.”
Aah . . . that’s better!
Related: 7 Simple Ways to Motivate Yourself to Exercise (Time)
Don’t Drink And . . . Diet October 13, 2018
Posted by nrhatch in Food & Drink, Humor, Life Balance.comments closed
Last week, we enjoyed Happy Hour at the Chart House.
The menu now includes the calorie count for each of the well-priced appetizers. Wow! No wonder two or three appetizers washed down with a couple of drinks has always left us too full for dinner.
One of the appetizers we’ve never ordered ~ fish tacos ~ has more than 1,100 calories. Yowsa!
Doing our best to ignore the calorie counts, we forged ahead and foraged on Spinach Artichoke Dip and assorted Cheese and Crackers.
Life is short: Don’t Drink And . . . Diet!
Aah . . . that’s better!
“Here . . . Have a Teddy!” October 11, 2018
Posted by nrhatch in Humor.comments closed
Note to the thinking-impaired: Leave Your Emotional Support RODENT at Home:
‘Emotional Support Squirrel’ Gets Woman Kicked Off Flight and Then Everyone Just Had to Deplane
We saw a short segment on the news a few weeks ago showing an airline passenger who needed 28 stitches after being bitten in the face by a dog.
On a plane!
The 50-pound dog was allowed on the flight as an “emotional support animal.”
QUACK!!!
What next? An emotional support alligator? Tarantula? Cobra?
Perhaps it’s time to rein in political correctness in favor of common sense by telling passengers that their right to fly with “emotional support animals” is limited by the rights of other passengers to fly the friendly skies.
Then hand them a teddy to hug for the duration of the flight.
Aah . . . that’s better!
As part of her investigation, the reporter applied for and received an “emotional support animal” certificate for…
View original post 29 more words
Mote Aquarium October 11, 2018
Posted by nrhatch in Animals, Nature, Travel & Leisure.comments closed
We finally had a chance to visit the “new” river otter exhibit at Mote Aquarium on City Island in Sarasota. We adored watching the antics of Pippi, Huck, and Jane from the 2nd floor mezzanine:
Here they are enjoying some non-stop action:
As we walked through the shark exhibit, this brave lad in the Hurricane Simulator blew us away:
We loved the decor in the 50’s diner ~ everything back then was so black & white, no shades of gray:
And check out these giant “Egyptian” Seahorses standing guard:
Perhaps they’re there to protect the flowers in the adjoining lily pad pond:
Our enjoyable, educational, and entertaining afternoon featured a surprising highlight: a small aquarium of mesmerizing jellyfish:
Gorgeous and graceful, they were gliding up and down with gentle and perpetual undulations ~ it was rather like watching a live-action lava lamp!
Aah . . . that’s better!
Tampa Bay History Center October 9, 2018
Posted by nrhatch in Art & Photography, Food & Drink, Travel & Leisure.comments closed
For Smithsonian Museum Day, we paid a visit to Tampa Bay History Center, located on the Riverwalk in Tampa:
We enjoyed some Cuban Fare at the Columbia Restaurant:
Black Beans & Rice, Cuban Bread, Churros (with 3 dipping sauces):
After lunch, we checked out the exhibits, which focused on Cigars:
Seminole Dolls (I had one of these as a kid and gave it to one of my nieces ~ I learned it’s worth hundreds of dollars):
Audubon Artwork:
Maritime History:
Local Wildlife ~ then:
And now:
Aah . . . that’s better!
Don’t Drink And . . . Die October 6, 2018
Posted by nrhatch in Food & Drink, Humor, Life Balance.comments closed
A few weeks back, while visiting family in Orlando, we had a late (vegetarian) lunch at Lone Star Steakhouse.
On the way out, I snapped a shot of this critter in the bar:
His message (which would be perfect for a Wordless Wednesday):
Don’t Drink And . . . Die!
Aah . . . that’s better!
Spirit Lights The Way 