Archives for February 2021

Unusual Ways to Unstress

Fancy some number counting or how about playing in the mud? I can’t think of better ways to decrease stress than knitting and gardening. Both have been studied and the results show that there is a decrease in anxiety and an increase in wellbeing. I have participated in both activities. Both are a work in progress. My knitting has had some issues. Sometimes many rows will need to be undone. My gardening seems to have followed a similar path. However, I have not quit and I am determined to reduce my stress through these activities. Let us begin the journey of destressing by discovering the benefits of knitting.

Knitting

I have just begun my knitting journey and feel that it does seem to calm my nerves. I use a small loom. This helps me because I can’t count to save my life and everything ended up in a circle before using the loom. Research shows that knitting has a measurable effect on calming anxiety and relieving stress. In one international survey, a strong link was revealed between knitting and feelings of calm and happiness. Knitters can also find benefits in the social nature of knitting.

Dr. Herbert Benson, the author of “The Relaxation Response,” states that the repetitive action of needlework can induce a relaxed state like that associated with meditation and yoga. It can also lower heart rate, blood pressure and reduce harmful blood levels of the stress hormone cortisol. The benefits of knitting don’t stop there either. The Knit to Heal program in Toronto, conducts knitting therapy programs, to help smokers give up the habit and help for people coping with health crises.

Now I am going to do some major name dropping. There are numerous celebrities who knit. Here are some of the actresses who enjoy knitting: Amanda Seyfried, Julia Roberts, Amy Adams, Scarlett Johansson, Sandra Bullock, Whoopi Goldberg, Meryl Streep and Charlize Theron. The knitting list is extensive, far more than I have written down. Onto some of the actors who enjoy knitting: Ryan Gosling, Christopher Walkin, Ewan McGregor, Paul Rudd, Stephen West, and Russell Crowe. The list of actors who knit is also an extensive list and far more then I have recorded here. Also, Director George Lucas knits and Roosevelt “Rosey” Grier who played as a Defensive tackle for the NY Giants and LA Rams.

Gardening

My gardening is a slower process. I think I may lack a “green thumb“, but once in a while I can get something to grow. Keyword something. According to the Royal College of Physicians author Richard Thompson, there is increasing evidence that exposure to plants, green space, and particularly the action of gardening, greatly benefits mental and physical health. In this article, it discussed that in a Japanese study, the mere viewing of plants altered EEG recordings and reduced stress, fear, anger and sadness, as well as reducing blood pressure, pulse rate and muscle tension. The paper goes on to discuss numerous experiments including a randomized experiment in which post-operative patients were exposed to eight different species of indoor plants, the researchers than noted that both pain and length of stay were once again reduced and patients’ satisfaction with their hospital rooms was improved.

Gardening is a great physical activity which can include social interaction. Working in the garden restores strength, and the aerobic exercise that is involved can easily use the same number of calories as might be expended in a gym. By being in the moment and focusing your attention on gardening you are practicing mindfulness—a proven way of reducing stress.

I hope you will find time to try both activities, if you have not done so already. Let me know if you find either stress reducing.

Photo by Surene Palvie from Pexels

Fae from Around the World

Since March is approaching, I begin to think about St. Patrick’s Day. Pots of gold, green shamrocks and of course leprechauns. I have always been curious about leprechauns and finding their gold at the end of the rainbow since I was little. Now that I am older, I have realized how clever the leprechauns truly are.

Rainbows are actually in the shape of a full circle, because the rainbow reflects the round shape of the sun. Apparently, if you use a drone, you might be able to see a circular rainbow from the sky. The reason we see the rainbow on the ground as an arch is because only part of the horizon can be seen. Since rainbows are circles there is no way a leprechaun could leave their pot of gold at the end of one. Like I said, very clever. I am eager to dive into the world of the leprechauns as well as explore Fae in other parts of the world. Let us begin!

Leprechauns

Who doesn’t want a pot of gold? The trick is getting it from a leprechaun. If you somehow manage to catch a leprechaun, he will bargain to be set free, this is typically three wishes. There is a great Disney movie based on this, Darby O’Gill and the Little People. However, my favorite legend with a leprechaun was about a young man who once was crafty enough to capture one.

There once a young man who caught a leprechaun by surprise and refused to let the leprechaun go unless he revealed where the pot of gold was hidden. The leprechaun chooses to comply with the young man since he could not figure out how to get away. He directed the young man to go into the woods. After they entered the forest, the leprechaun pointed a tree and stated the gold was buried deep underground.

The young man was over joyed, but soon realized he needed a shovel to retrieve the gold. This meant that he would need to leave the forest. The young man feared that after returning with the shovel, he might forget the exact place where the treasure was buried. He came with the idea of tying a red handkerchief around the tree so that he could recognize the spot and made the leprechaun promise not to take off the handkerchief. The young man went to fetch the digging equipment and when he returned with the gear, the leprechaun was no longer there. However, every tree in the entire forest was tied with a red handkerchief.

So, how do you recognize a leprechaun? Leprechaun’s are typically male, solitary fairies dressed in either red or green. There are tales stating they are famous cobblers who make all the fairy shoes for the fairy gentry. Leprechauns’ live-in isolated places such as under the hedgerows or in gullies. The word Leprechaun is derived from the Irish word luchorpan. This word means a person with a small body. Now onto shapeshifters in Korea.

Shapeshifters

Shapeshifters can be found around the world and are prevalent in the legends of Korea, Japan and China. Basically, any being with the ability to undergo a complete change of appearance is a Shapeshifter. Shapeshifters have been known to transform from foxes into beautiful maidens. Typically, the stories do not end well for the men, but once in a great while one of the beautiful maidens turn out to be an innocent romantic. Talk about playing the odds. Sometimes, Shapeshifters take other forms, such as snakes, cats, badgers, and raccoon dogs.

A great Korean tale involves a former magistrate of Quelpart, Kim Su-ik, lived inside of the South Gate of Seoul. He was hungry and asked his wife if she could bring him some food since he was in the middle of his studies. She let him know that they were out of food and just had seven or eight chestnuts left. Kim stated that would work and she went to the kitchen to cook them. A short time later she came back with the chestnuts and brought them in a handbasket, cooked and ready served for him. Kim loved the cooked chestnuts. His spouse sat by his desk and watched him eat.

Suddenly the door opened, and another person entered. Kim raised his eyes to see, and there was the exact duplicate of his wife, with a basket in her hand and roasted chestnuts. As he looked at both of them beneath the light the two women were perfect facsimiles of each other. The two also looked back and forth in alarm, saying, “What’s this that’s happened? Who are you?”

Kim grabbed both women by the hands and held onto them both. Finally, when morning came the women whose right hand he held, said, “Why do you hold me so? It hurts; let me go.” She shook and tugged, but Kim held all the tighter. After struggling, she fell to the floor and suddenly changed into a wild cat. Kim, in fear and surprise, let her go, and she escape through the door. Now on to the Yakshas who are prevalent in Hindu and Buddhist mythology.

Yakshas

Yakshas are nature spirits who are the custodians of treasures that are hidden in the earth and in the roots of trees who happen to have a dual personality. Sculptures of Yakshas were among the earliest of deities to be depicted, apparently preceding images of the bodhisattvas and of Brahmanical deities, whose representation they influenced. They are also the template for the attendants of gods and kings in later Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain art.

A great story of a Yaksha is Dharm-Baka Upakhyan (Legend of the Virtuous Crane). The story is about how the youngest brother discovers his brothers are dead by the lake and due to his thirst bends down to have some water. What he doesn’t know is that the lake is poisonous. Before he drinks the water, the Yaksha calls out and requests he answer 18 questions, in order to drink the water. The Yaksha asks 18 questions with philosophical and meta-physical ramifications. The youngest brother answered all the questions in a satisfactory manner, but the Yaksha only allowed him to choose one of his brothers to be restored back to life.

Scary Fairy Godmother

I hope you enjoyed some of the stories in regards to Fae around the world. If you love stories about the Fae as much as I do then you will love the Scary Fairy Godmother‘s YouTube channel. People will send in their experiences to the Scary Fairy Godmother to read and she will also provide retellings of classic fairy tales and dark fairy origin stories. So, get cozy near a fire and listen to the tales of other worldly beings.

Photo by Alice AliNari from Pexels

The Four Elements

I was watching Frozen 2 and I have a confession to make. For the younger audience, it could be quite serious. I have to admit that I enjoy Disney’s Frozen 2 way more than Frozen. What I loved about Frozen 2 was the introduction to the elements: Fire, Water, Earth and Air. Since 450 BC, these four elements were the keystone of philosophy, science, alchemy, astrology and medicine for two-thousand years. Yet, today we hardly speak about the elements and we often treat the idea as if it is antiquated. But, what if I told you they were still relevant?

The Greeks believed that the four elements made up everything and had an unchanging nature. They also believed that the elements were held together or pushed apart by forces of attraction and repulsion which caused the appearance of change. What is fascinating is that this resembles what really happens with elements and all molecules at an atomic level.

The Greeks also believed that the four elements described not only exist on the physical plane, but qualities of human nature. In fact, these four elements are a noticeable influence in Carl Jung’s Psychology Types and Myers Briggs Type Indicator. So, how do each of the four elements affect us individually?

Fire:

The element of fire has so many interesting meanings associated with it. In astrology, it means you are a Sagittarius, Aries or Leo. In alchemy or magic, it is considered a masculine energy and is associated with creativity, passion, freedom, power, vision, will, courage, and dynamism.

It is also associated with the Summer season and its corresponding direction is South. The symbolic portrayal of fire is a triangle pointing upwards. There are also a fire spirits associated with the element of fire, they are known as salamanders (as seen in Frozen 2). The salamanders inspire passion, new life, blessings, creativity and spiritual healing.

Now, in regards to science of the fire element in ancient Greece. As you know, the fire element plays an import role for changing a substance. Plato came up with the concept of basic chemical reactions. An example of this is that he concluded that when water is heated by fire, it produces two “particles” of air (vapor) and one “particle” of fire. This can also be seen in describing a person’s personality with a fire element as their astrology sign. This group is known for change.

Water:

The element of water also has numerous meanings. In astrology, it means you are a Pisces, Cancer or Scorpio. In alchemy or magic, it is considered a feminine energy and is associate with dreaming, healing, flowing, fluidity, purification, regeneration, stability, strength, change, death, rebirth, receiving, and unconditional love.

It is also associated with the Autumn season and the West direction. An inverted triangle is the symbolic portrayal of the water element. The water spirits that are associate with the water element are the naiads, sea nymphs, undines and sprites. These spirits are known for being able to cleanse, refresh, and renew our spirit.

As for the science of the water element in ancient Greece, in Greek Medicine, there was a healing tradition called the Water Cure. The Water Cure was the common term for a collection of therapies, which used the healing virtues of water. This thought process also was reflected in the personality description of a person born with an astrology sign of Pisces, Cancer or Scorpio. This astrology group is also known for the ability to heal.

Earth:

The element of earth possesses many interesting meanings as well. In astrology, it means you are a Capricorn, Taurus or Virgo. In alchemy or magic, it is considered a feminine energy and is associate with prosperity, fertility, stability, orderliness, sustenance, creativity, physical abundance, nourishment, solidity, dependability, security, permanence, intuition, introspection, and wisdom.

Earth is often related to Winter and the associated direction is North. The element is symbolically portrayed by an inverted triangle with a horizontal line running through it. The earth spirits that are connected to the earth element are known as gnomes, fairies, tree devas and elves. The earth spirits provide grounding and attend to emotional healing.

Now for science of the earth element in ancient Greece. One of the downfalls for Plato’s theory is it does not allow for transformation of earth element into other elements. This fits in well with the personality portion of the earth element. In astrology, this group is known for their permanence.

Air:

Last but not least, the element of air. In astrology the air signs are Aquarius, Gemini and Libra. In alchemy or magic, the element of air is considered a masculine energy and is associate with communication, intelligence, perception, knowledge, learning, thinking, imagination, creativity, harmony, and travel.

Air is connected with the Spring season and its corresponding direction is East. The Air symbol is an upright triangle with a horizontal line going through it. The air spirits associated with the air element include devas, builders, zephyrs, and sylphs. The air spirits help calm us down as well as help us with focus and mental clarification.

In regards to science, the air element, according to Aristotle, is both hot and wet and occupies a place between fire and water among the elemental spheres. Aristotle definitively separated air from aether. This also coordinates with the air sign personality. The astrological signs that fall under the air element are great communicators between different groups of people.

I realize this was an extremely long article, but I was trying to touch on all aspects of the 4 elements. The 4 elements can be found in cultures around the world and are fascinating to read about. Unfortunately, I was not able to present information on the 4 elements from all cultures around the world for this article, otherwise this would be closer to a book.

Deep down, I know someone will ask about the 5th element. Not only is the Fifth Element an awesome movie, but it is also mention in the movie Frozen 2, when Elsa discovers that she is the 5th element. Over the centuries the 5th element has taken on a connotation of meaning spirit. However, for this article I am focusing on the 5th element also known as Aether æther, aither, or ether and also called quintessence. Pythagoras and Paracelsus both believed that the Quintessence (5th element) is what the stars are made of and that within every living thing there exists a hidden star that was that thing’s Quintessence. Indeed, one of the symbols for the Quintessence is the star. What is crazy is I just wrote an article about how we are made from stardust. Since we are all made of stardust, we therefore all have a 5th element inside of us and it is then just a matter of time before we unlock our powers like Elsa.

Photo by Pixabay · Photography (pexels.com)

Your Speaking Voice

I haven’t heard my voice in a while and decided to record it and play it back. I don’t know if it is just me or if this happens to other people, but when I hear my voice in the recording, it always shocks me. Mostly because in my head, I certainly don’t sound like the recording. This got me to thinking on how people perceived me because of my voice. When looking on the internet, apparently, people judge the tone of your voice and determine a great deal about you from it.

ScienceNOW conducted a study in U.K. which recruited around 60 undergraduate students and recorded them reading a short passage. Next, the researchers asked over 300 other students to listen to just the word Hello from the recordings and then were asked to give an impression of voice from just the word Hello. ScienceNOW reported the following, “Men who raised the tone of their voices, and women who alternated the pitch of their voices were rated as more trustworthy. Men with lower pitched voices were generally perceived as more dominant. But the opposite was true for women: Those with higher average pitch were rated as more dominant.“

Another study published in the Journal of Psychological Science had MBA students videotaped on why they should be hired. Then prospective employers and professional recruiters reviewed the various pitches. The result of study demonstrated that when it comes to first impressions on intelligence, your voice is more important than your looks.

It has been a trend for women to hire vocal coaches to help lower their voice. British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, even had elocution lessons to make her voice sound lower in order to sound more dominant, but then the public then felt she was less genuine. Another study was completed by the research team from Duke University and the University of California which showed that CEOs with the deeper voices managed larger companies and also made more money.

I find it fascinating that so much is conveyed to people just by your voice tone. I don’t think I will try to change my voice anytime soon. However, I am now inspired to go watch the movie My Fair Lady. Speaking of watching things, I also watched an interesting YouTube video by the GEM Goddess in regards to the speaking tone of your voice and how it is your dominant chakra. She utilizes the app ‘Cleartune’ in order to discover the tone of her voice. If you click on GEM Goddess it will take you to that YouTube video.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

Memorable Valentine’s Day Getaways

This probably should have been posted a couple of weeks ago to give people ideas, but c’est la vie. Valentine’s Day is a great way to sweep your significant other off their feet and take them to a destination of romance. However, due to the unique time that we are living in, it may be hard trying to find a place to get away from it all without having people around. Below are some places you can try to spice things up while keeping safe.

Treehouse Hotel: How romantic, to be swept into the trees and experience life like they did in Swiss Family Robinson. You can now book a Treehouse almost anywhere in the world. Numerous Treehouse’s are listed on Expedia.com. A great example is the Winvian Farm Treehouse. This Treehouse is suspended 35 feet above the forest floor and has a king-sized bed, a gas fireplace, steam shower, Jacuzzi as well as a gas fireplace, a full bar and grand, treetop views of the New England forest (Ok, maybe not just like Swiss Family Robinson).
Lighthouse: What is not to love about a dramatic coastline and watching simmering sunsets disappear on the ocean. A lighthouse is a great way to spend secluded time together. To book an authentic lighthouse experience in the United States and Canada, check out the United States Lighthouse Society. They can provide you information such as on how to be a volunteer keeper, renting the keeper’s quarters for a vacation and where you can experience the life of a lighthouse keeper, even if just for a short time.
Glamping: Fancying camping? Yes, please! Bring on the Harry Potter tent. Some people may be wondering, “What is glamping?” Glamping is typically a tent with additional amenities such as a bed. It is a fun spin on camping. Glamping.com does a great job listing glamping locations around the world. Since it is Winter, why not try a glamping destination in Arizona. Romantic glamping getaways in Arizona are the perfect way to spend some quality time with the one who stole your heart.
Ice Hotel: Have you always wanted to surprise the one you love with an ice palace? Well, you now can make this happen. The ICEHOTEL in Sweden allows you to rent out an art suite surrounded by hand-sculpted ice art year-round. If you do decide to go this winter, make sure to take the clothing they suggest on their website. This trip will make sure you both get cozy.

Photo by Isabella Mendes from Pexels

Fantastic February 14th Facts

Chocolates, flowers, hearts, harps… so, maybe not harps, but February 14th will soon be here and Valentine’s Day will once again grace us with it’s presence. I have my outfit ready. I will be wearing my pink gnome shirt with hearts and might even be super naughty and order a heart shaped pizza. Now that you have be privy to my epic Valentine’s Day plan, I have 5 Valentine’s Day facts that I think you will enjoy.

Have you ever wondered where the pastel-colored heart treats came from? Candy hearts date back to 1866. Daniel Chase, whose brother founded the candy company NECCO, came up with the idea of printing sayings right on the candy. NECCO started churning out miniature candy hearts, then called “motto hearts.” The candy hearts are an acquired taste, often described as tasting like chalk. Manufacturers combine sugar, corn syrup, cornstarch, flavors, gums and colors into a mixing machine to create a dough, which then goes into a machine that presses it flat, stamps it with sayings and cuts it into hearts. Today, more than 8 billion conversation hearts are manufactured each year. I am apparently one of the people who do enjoy the taste of chalk, as I look forward to them every year.

2. Where did XOXO come from? The most common theory states that the X comes from back in the Middle Ages when people used to sign letters that way, a symbol representative of Christ because of its similarity to a cross. They would then reverently kiss the X in a show of piety. The O is believed to have come from Jewish immigrants who, also unable to read or write, arrived in North America and refused to sign documents with the Christian-associated X. The O then made the jump to meaning “hug” simply as an opposite of X, which had already come to mean “kiss.” Another is that the “XOXO” symbol and the game Tic-Tac-Toe gained popularity at the same time, and thus X and O were already an established duo. According to Marcel Denasi, professor of semiotics and linguistic anthropology at the University of Toronto and author of The History of the Kiss: The Birth of Popular Culture, no one has kept a written record of why the symbols of XOXO were used; they simply began using them in letter writing.

3. Does wearing the color red make you more attractive? Valentine’s Day is often associated with the color red and there may be a scientific reason why red is the color of passion. Studies have shown that women wearing a standard, typical red or standing against a similarly red background in photos are seen as more attractive and desirable by men than women not wearing red or near those red backgrounds. Also, the studies showed that when men are in red or against red, women find them more attractive as well as more desirable and they are perceived as having higher status than men who aren’t wearing or near red. So, if you really want to impress your significant other, put on that red outfit you have in your closet.

4. February 14th used to be a Roman fertility festival, Lupercalia. If you are into whipping your body with the skins of sacrificed dogs and goats, then this is your festival. You are probably wondering why anyone would do this and the reason was to become more fertile. Now this festival was partly for the women’s fertility and they would actually line up to get slapped with bloody hides. The feast of Lupercalia lasted from February 13th through the 15th.

5. Jewelry is the Valentine’s Day gift that people spend the most on. According to the National Retail Federation, the category that we typically spend the most on for February 14 is jewelry, at $5.8 billion in 2020. This amount of money spent on Jewelry is insane, but how did this come about? Jewelry came on the Valentine’s Day scene around the 1920’s. Designer houses of the day such as Krementz, Danecraft, and Jonette turned their attention to Valentine’s Day Jewelry, since they had a great deal of success marketing Christmas jewelry. Also, department stores such as Woolworth began offering inexpensive jewelry to celebrate the occasion. Although the traditional gifts of flowers, chocolates and cards remain dominant, public opinion at this time began to change. Feeling that the traditional gifts typically do not last, the public started to want jewelry, since it is something that can be kept for a lifetime. Marketed by department stores and jewelers alike, this sentiment has grown since the 1930’s. It became so popular that Hallmark even created their own line of Valentine’s Day Jewelry. By the 1980’s the Diamond Industry started to take notice of this shift in public opinion. This is when very high-end Valentine Day Jewelry began to be promoted.

Photo by alleksana from Pexels and Photo by Leah Kelley from Pexels

Evidence of Stories

I was thinking about Troy today and how at one time no one thought Troy existed. Prior to 1870, all that was known of Troy was the tale of the Trojan War, which was an epic story originally told by Homer in the Illiad and later used by Virgil in the Aeneas. The precise location and even the very existence of Troy has been a source of dispute throughout the ages. In 1865, archaeologist Frank Calvert excavated trenches into Hisarlik and found enough evidence that convince himself that he had found the correct site. Calvert relayed his findings to Heinrich Schliemann in 1868 at a dinner party, which then turned into a partnership due to Schliemann having financial means. In 1870 Schliemann began excavations at Hisarlik, under the permit which Frank Calvert had obtained for him, and with members of Calvert’s crew. After a couple of years, Schliemann was sure he had found Troy and announced it to the public, however, he deliberately left Calvert’s name out of all of his subsequent official announcements, lectures, and publications, thereby claiming the fame and glory for himself.

It fascinates me how the individuals were able to pull enough information from the Illiad and locate an ancient city. This got me to thinking about other legends and stories I have read and if there is any evidence of them today. I have listed 3 stories/legends that are linked with interesting evidence.

Parting of the Red Sea: The story in the Bible of Moses parting the Red Sea is actually a phenomenon that has occurred. Software engineer and lead study author Carl Drews discovered it wasn’t actually the Red Sea, but the Eastern Nile Delta, at a body of water called the Lake of Tanis, that did the parting. A coastal phenomenon called a “wind setdown” could have blown in from the east, pushing the water to create a storm surge in another part of the lake, but completely clearing water from the area where the wind was blowing. Drews was able to re-create weather patterns and topography utilizing computer models of the ancient system and discovered Moses would have had approximately four hours to cross the lake. A similar event has also happened to Napoleon. Napoleon crossed the Red Sea at the head of the Gulf of Suez on December 28, 1798. At low tide Napoleon and his men were trying to cross the northern end, because the receded water revealed a dry bottom on which they could ride. But they began crossing too late, and when the tide waters returned violently and swirled around them, they were almost overcome.

Rama’s Bridge: In the Indian epic of Ramayana, author Valmiki speaks of a bridge over the ocean connecting India and Sri Lanka. In the story, the bridge, also known as Adam’s Bridge, was created with floating stones so an army could cross the ocean. The existence of the bridge has been known in India as well as Sri Lanka since at least 850 AD, which was first mention by IbnKhordadbeh in his Book of Roads and Kingdoms. The sea separating the two countries has been called Sethusamudram meaning “Sea of the Bridge”. If you look at satellite photos of this region today, you will notice a faint hint of a connecting strip between the two countries. Geological evidence suggests that this bridge is a former land connection between India and Sri Lanka, made with chain of limestone shoals surrounded by a shallow sea of one-to-10 meter depth. The bridge is about 50 km long. Centuries ago, it formed an intermittent, but otherwise solid, connecting link between India and Sri Lanka. The causeway existed as late as the 15th century and was passable on foot, as per records kept at the Rameswaram temple, until it was flooded in a storm.

Turning into Stone: Petrification is a common theme in folklore and mythology, as well as in some works of modern literature. However, there is a lake in Tanzania that can turn you into “stone”. Lake Natron (salt lake) has high amounts of the chemical natron (Na2CO3•10(H2O)). The water’s alkalinity comes from the sodium carbonate and other minerals that flow into the lake from the surrounding hills. The natron content in the lake has given it a pH level of about 10.5 which is comparable to that of ammonia. The waters can also reach temperatures as high as 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Lake Natron is one of two alkaline lakes in that area of East Africa; the other is Lake Bahi. Both are terminal lakes that do not drain out to any river or sea. The lake does support an ecosystem of fish, algae and flamingos. However, if an animal dies in the lake, the petrification is not instantaneous, but does happen very quickly. The shores of this lake are covered with thousands of intact petrified bird and bat corpses. The birds appear to have been preserved almost perfectly, feathers and all. Why the birds crash into the lake is unknown. It is speculated due to the lakes glassy appearance birds become confused and think they are flying over empty space, thus accidently crashing into the lake.

Photo by KEMAL HAYIT from Pexels

The Sorcery of Chocolate

It is February and Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Since it was my New Year’s resolution to lose weight, this then brought me to the bitterest realization. I can’t partake in Valentine’s Day candy. Also, I know I will most likely be watching the movie Chocolat with Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp. I am going to want to devour chocolate after this movie. So, I decided to look up the health benefits of chocolate in order to console myself when consuming mass quantities of it. The health benefits are pretty amazing as long as you have enough cacao in it. Cacao has been considered a beneficial medicine as it contains over 300 identifiable chemical compounds and is a very high source of antioxidants. Unfortunately, many of these beneficial properties are destroyed by cooking, processing, and refining. For example, studies have shown that dairy actually blocks the absorption of antioxidants in chocolate, which is present in most commercially produce chocolate products. When choosing a chocolate product, get those with the highest cacao content possible (around 85%) with no dairy and very little sugar. Below are 10 magical health benefits of chocolate with high cacao content.

Promotes blood flow and prevents coagulation that can result in heart attack or stroke.
Lowers blood pressure.
Reduces the risk of colorectal and colon cancer.
Helps prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s.
Supports weight loss ( I did a little dance when I saw this one).
Improves cognitive function.
Elevates mood and spirits by raising levels of serotonin, endorphins, phenylethylamine, and anadamide.
Contains quercetin, flavonoids, flavanols, xanthenes, polyphenols, theobromine, and anandamide.
Contains one of the highest ORAC (antioxidant) scores of all foods.
Contains exceptional amounts of manganese, copper, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, and potassium. It is also a good source of selenium and calcium.

Photo by Brigitte Tohm from Pexels and Photo by Lisa Fotios from Pexels

Lucky Symbols for Your Home

I want this year to be infinitely better than last year. So I was trying to think of ways of adding luck into my life. Since I am at home most of the time, one way to add luck into my life is to obtain lucky symbols. I thought I would share some of the lucky symbols I found on the internet. Please see 7 lucky symbols below that you can add to your home.

Acorns: The acorn is considered a symbol of luck, due to it’s association with the god in Norse mythology known as Odin. The Norse also believed that acorns could bring divine protection and placed them in the windows of their homes to ward off lightning. Acorns make fun lucky symbols to keep with you because they are so common in the fall. They are fun to gather and even more fun to decorate. Spray paint them gold and silver, or simply use acrylic paints to give them a gorgeous color.
Dream Catcher: The dream catcher was intended to protect the sleeping individual from negative dreams, while letting positive dreams through. The positive dreams would slip through the hole in the center of the dream catcher, and glide down the feathers to the sleeping person below. The negative dreams would get caught up in the web, and expire when the first rays of the sun struck them. The design of the dreamcatcher, its number of points made from tied-together strings or sinews, represent different histories and various strokes of luck. The dream catcher has been a part of Native American culture for generations.
Lucky Bamboo: Lucky bamboo is technically not bamboo, but a close relative called Dracaena. The more stalks a lucky bamboo plant has, the more luck it’s supposed to bring. A plant with three stalks is said to bring happiness, wealth and longevity to the owners.
Goldfish: Goldfish are believed to bring good fortune and prosperity to the homes that take care of them. According to Feng Shui: The number of goldfish in an aquarium must be kept at 8 to bring positivity; A minimum of 2 goldfish in your fish bowl is acceptable, because it is believed to bring harmony in a relationship; A black goldfish is also included in the mix to ward off bad luck.
Horseshoe: Horseshoes are recognized in many cultures as a good luck symbol. For hundreds of years it has been considered lucky to find a horseshoe in your travels, or to have a horseshoe hanging on your wall, or above your door. Finding a horseshoe was considered good luck mainly because of the value of the iron. For people who did not have a lot of money it was considered a sign that your luck was changing if you found one.
Ladybugs: Decorating with Ladybugs is supposed to bring good luck. The number of spots on a Ladybug can indicate the number of happy months that are ahead. Legend also suggests, if you catch a Ladybug in your home, count the number of spots, that’s how much money you’ll soon find. I love Ladybugs and I always feel lucky when I see them. Some ideas for ladybug charms include creating a cute ladybug pot for your computer desk or even a computer screen background.
Elephant symbols: The elephant represents many things, from maternity and fertility to luck and wisdom. The posturing of the elephant in the home is important to its symbolism. An elephant with its trunk in an upright position, for example, is thought to herald good luck.

Photo by Artem Beliaikin from Pexels