Search Results for: blog garden your way to peace

Gardening Dilemma: The Cats, Oh The Cats!

I have an ongoing war with the cats in our townhouse complex. This is a quiet and relatively peaceful war. It mostly involves cat pee, with the occasional #2 added in there for good effect. Yes, there are cats in my vegetable garden, and I want them out. Only one of the cats is my cat. In our complex, we have a high cat-to-garden-space ratio, with nine cats in a space half the size of a standard garden. No wonder there are marking wars, and no wonder they occur in my garden. What’s a gardener to do? I’ve tried the … Continue reading →

Ways of Saying ‘I’m Sorry.’

Different people have different ways of saying, ’I’m sorry.’ Some people don’t seem to ever be able to manage to say the words. They might choose instead to make their apology by bringing flowers. Mick is not much of a flower person, perhaps because we’ve seen too many movies where the guy brings flowers not because he’s sorry after an argument but because he’s feeling guilty because he’s having an affair. So for us, flowers tend to be more equated with guilt and other motives. Others might bring some other gift that is a peace offering. Others will simply say … Continue reading →

Get Out in Nature to Boost Your Green

Yesterday was a great day for myself and my family. My husband took the day off of work for our anniversary, and we celebrated by getting way from the indoors. My oldest son still had to go to school, but we packed up the two younger kids and headed to our favorite botanical gardens/historical estate. Fall was in evidence everywhere. From the mums that decorated everything, such as the new electric trains display and the inside of the conservatory, to the pumpkin playground, where the kids could climb over straw bales and use wheelbarrows to cart pumpkins. As the sky … Continue reading →

Stress: Always Look for the Bigger Picture

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It’s a strange fact, yet I encounter it over and over again. The people who have relatively minor worries in their lives often stress more than those who have genuine life-threatening or life-destroying illnesses. Now this doesn’t seem to make sense. Yet, as stressed as many of my clients are, in general, they worry a lot less than those who live more seemingly carefree lives. As a psychologist, I have over the years heard some terrible stories of extreme hardship, and yes, these people are often chronically depressed and anxious. And yet, the majority of the so-called “normal” and “healthy” … Continue reading →

Unique Summer Getaways

If you are tired of taking the same summer sojourn to the local pool or neighborhood quarry to soak up the season’s rays then you might consider the following unique travel destinations. By venturing off the beaten path you will be rewarded with the joys of experiencing sun-filled summer adventures minus the summer crowds. ITALY Italy’s island of Ischia is well known to European and Asian travelers, but most Americans have never stepped foot on the green and mountainous island. Most travelers from the U.S. overlook the tiny island and set their sights instead on the more popular island of … Continue reading →

Celebrate the Peaceful Times

I know that not every single parent experiences single parenthood in the same way that I do and that it also depends on where a person is on the adjustment scale. For those who are newly divorced, or just getting started with single parenthood it can seem scary, daunting, chaotic and overwhelming. Since I have been at this for several years, however, I have found that while there is still plenty of stress and chaos that comes along with single parenting and family life, there is also a certain amount of peace that comes with my life experience as a … Continue reading →

Organize Your Family

In “To the Aaronic Priesthood: Preparing for the Decade of Decision” Elder Robert D Hales mentions the need to organize yourself so that you can be in tune with the Holy Ghost. I think that this counsel can apply to each of us as individuals, as well as to our families as a whole. Organization leads to order and to peace. When I think of organization when it comes to family, the first thing that pops into my head is a scene from the original “Yours, Mine and Ours.” Frank, the dad, has set up a system as they move … Continue reading →

Five Cool Ways to Beat the Heat!

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Boy-o-boy is it hot here on the East Coast and I see that the rest of the country is also baking under the summer sun. Oppressive heat is just no fun at all for families, as being outside for long stretches becomes increasing difficult and kids wear themselves out more easily so extended sightseeing or playtime itineraries are nearly impossible to manage. It is important then to find fun things to do with your kids while staying cool. Here are five tips for having fun beating the summer heat as a family. Play in a sprinkler. Sprinklers are cheap, easy … Continue reading →

Sing Your Way to Calm

Anyone who has suffered from debilitating anxiety will know that correct breathing is one of the principal weapons against anxiety and panic attacks. There are countless references to the importance of breathing correctly in many schools of relaxation therapy, including yoga. While all of these methods are excellent and should be pursued, it can take a considerable length of time to make correct breathing your everyday style. Patterns of quick, shallow breathing which promote anxiety due to the changing oxygen/carbon dioxide ratio in the blood, are often firmly entrenched. It can take a lot of conscious effort to make correct, … Continue reading →

Let’s Talk About Finding a Gift for Your Midwife

When you hire someone to catch your baby, they ought to be someone you can trust and confide in. As it often happens when a woman hires a homebirth midwife, the relationship can even be taken a step further. This is generally due to the long appointment visits, where a woman will get to know and like her midwife. Many women keep in contact with their midwives after developing a special bond with them during pregnancy and childbirth. Also, they play a pivotal role in a very special time in your life. As this can surely happen with doctor or … Continue reading →