giggling

It sure can. This is not according to my opinion and experience only, but I have read more and more reports from Scientists and Doctors of the many health and psychological benefits of laughing. I think the saying an Apple a day, keeps the doctor away, need to be modified by now saying: “An Apple and a Good Laugh a day keeps the doctor away”.

This might seem like something new in our generation, but even as far back as about 4000 years ago when the Bible was written, the good book of Proverbs speaks about a joyful or a merry heart doing the body good as medicine, or a curer, in contrasts to a broken or sad spirit which makes it sick.

And during the centuries before our times, the ancient Greeks had Comedians to make them laugh to improve their health, while the Romans had funny men to help people feel better. The American Indians had medicine men but also had Tribal Clowns to make them laugh. The British are known for their sense of humor, and this goes back to centuries ago when even the Royal Courts of England had Court Jokers to help their staff take their minds off of their problems.

Aunt Louise used to throw her hands up in the air, swing her head back and laugh out loud at almost anything. She made everybody else laugh with her attitude. Up into her 90’s she was still walking, laughing, cooking and doing almost everything for herself. She has proven to me that by eating healthy foods, exercising which she did daily, and having a great sense of humor can indeed keep you healthy and living long.

When I first heard that term “Laughing Therapist” that made me laugh because I had no idea there was such a thing as a Therapist to teach people to laugh. I love laughing and it is so natural to me that I didn’t know that people need someone else to teach them to laugh. But there are now senior centers throughout New York City that have Laughing Therapists teaching older people the benefits of Laugher through “Laughing Yoga”. There are reports that many of them say that it helped them to feel much better, and to suffer from less pain.

A good laugh or even the anticipation of it can start the production of hormones such as endorphins, serotonin and other hormones in the body that makes us feel content and happy. It can instantly change a bad mood into a good one by the increase of these hormones.

It takes as many as 15 facial muscles to squeeze together into a smile. This increases blood flow around the face making you look younger. And even if we should get laugh lines later in life, they are much more pleasant and softer than frown lines. (A frowning or unsmiling face has more lines and is less attractive). 

I think if many families, husbands and wives with children or no children, or even single parents will take the time to just relax and laugh together can save many marriages and families from becoming broken homes. Children learn laughter at home and this in turn can carry over into their own adult lives. That is where I learned it at home, it is a part of my personality, maybe genetic, but also learned from growing up in a home where we laughed often.

Everybody no matter what race we belong to or wherever we live on earth have the ability to laugh. It is one of the great Gifts from our Creator to make us happy and healthy. If we all laugh more often, there will be less need for healthcare and the expense associated with it. So whenever you feel blue, got a pain somewhere, don’t reach for that recreational or prescription drug (unless prescribed for a particular medical problem by a doctor), or that bottle of alcohol, instead think on something funny, get together with family or friends and tell each other funny experiences.

Read a funny story, find a humorous Channel on TV or Get some Funny DVD’s (see sidebar of this blog) and laugh out loud, yes, that good Belly laugh will make you healthy, happy and possible live longer. And if you are part of a family it will make everyone else laugh along with you. Because laughing is contagious. (See post: Contagious, Infectious Behavior - Catch this One!)

Written and Illustrated by: Glenda Brill (C)

The earth shook on January 12, 2010 crushing everything in the city of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. One of the worst catastrophe to hit an island resulting in so much death and human suffering. Reports and scenes of all this devastation depicted on TV and the masses of homeless people in the streets with dead corpses amidst them send chills down my spine and bring tears to my eyes every time I watch the news on TV.

Unlike most of the other islands in the Caribbean whose inhabitants are mixtures of European, Indian, African and Asian, a multi-racial rainbow of rich different color skintones, eyes and hair colors, a colorful people found hardly no where else on earth, Haitians are about 95% of all African descent, and the poorest of all the other islands. I don’t know why this is so, maybe because of years of bad government. They also have many of the African customs, such as carrying bags and luggage on their heads, something you don’t see anymore in the other islands.

The Haitian People are admirable for their inner strength, faith, perseverance and resilience in dealing with all of this destruction.

But what is most admirable about the Haitian people is their inner strength, faith, perseverance and resilience in dealing with all of this destruction. Millions of them have lost everything, they were hungry for days until help came, but they were not complaining, but doing everything they could to help save each other. We saw some of them using their bare hands, digging into their crumbled concrete homes trying to find someone alive in the ruins. These people are very religious, with deep faith, and seem to find comfort in singing and praising God. It has been reported that they stayed up all night singing, chanting and clapping their hands right in the midst of the rubble. Truly amazing!

This no doubt is another one of their African traditions that were passed down to them. Africans are known to use singing and music as a source of comfort. In the days of slavery since the slaves had nothing, they did the one thing they could do to comfort themselves and each other, which was singing, and making music. The voices of the slaves could be heard for miles throughout the plantations, and in the United States this was the beginning of Soul Music, since these poor people were singing from their heart, their soul.  Singing and music has become a integral part of all black people whether living in the United States, the Caribbean or anywhere else in the world. This is what helped them to endure hardship, and this is what is helping these poor Haitians, revealing inner spirits of extreme strength, like steel.

Every time someone is rescued the people rejoice

There has been amazing news of survival. Even today after 14 days another man was pulled out of the rubble alive. Fourteen days buried in ruins without water and food, and still alive! And every time someone is rescued, the people rejoice and clap! One lady whom was pulled out alive came out singing and smiling. Even an 84 year old woman was rescued alive after 10 days buried in the crushed debris and ruins. How these people stayed alive for so long without water and food is indeed a miracle. No doubt this strengthens their faith even more, and fills their hearts with gratitude for just being alive.

We can all learn a lesson from them. I can truly sympathize with the people of Haiti since I have experienced and survived two earthquakes myself. Born and raised in the Caribbean on the island of St. Maarten, none of these islands are immune to natural disasters. If it is not the threat of hurricanes, it could be an earthquake at anytime. Ofcourse earthquakes can take place anywhere on earth, and I am sure they happen more often than we know, but are very low on the Richter scale that they go unnoticed most of the time.

The first time I experienced an earthquake I was a young girl still in elementary school. I can still remember the loud roaring, like rolling thunder and then the uncontrollable shaking of the entire building, and our desks. All of us children being pitched out of our seats, books and pencils being thrown off and scattered across the floor. Some children went running out of the classroom. Then suddenly the shaking stopped, but that scary feeling from that shaking building have last with me up until today even after so many years. Even though some of the walls of the School building were cracked, and some parts fell, no life was lost.

We were all thrown down and hurdled together expecting the roof and the walls to come crashing down on us.

The other earthquake was later when I was about 20 years old. I was at home, and I was standing and talking to my mother whom was sitting on the bed. Suddenly there was this loud roar and the whole house started shaking. My younger siblings came running into the bedroom where my mother and myself were. We all were thrown down and hurdled together trying to hold on to each other expecting the roof and the walls to come crashing down on us.

We could hear the crashing of dishes coming from the kitchen as they were thrown off of the kitchen counter and out of the cupboards. Things were flying off of the dressing table. I have never been so frightened in my life. The way the whole house was swaying we were sure those walls were going to fall down on us. I really thought then that we were going to die. I remember praying in my heart.

After what seemed like an eternity the shaking stopped, and we also thanked God that we were spared alive. Again, even though some damage was done, dishes, and vases were broken and scattered on the floor, it was not half as bad as what happened in Haiti. This could be because of the size of the quake but also of the structure of the buildings, the homes in St. Maarten. Later we had a hurricane that caused much more damage than the earthquakes.

So I am sure that is how many Haitians died, children hurdled together with their parents, not knowing what to do, and then their homes just came crashing down on them, and killing thousands of them altogether. I can just imagine the frightening screams coming from them before they were crushed to death. That is how I felt that day when my siblings and myself, were all together while our home was shaking and swaying in the quake, but fortunately we survived. But the experience of having survived two earthquakes helps me to empathize and sympathize with the Haitian people, even though their outcome is far far worst.

Their inner Spirits of Steel have brought out the Gold in Hearts, the best in people from around the world.

But their faith and endurance is encouraging to the whole world, and that is the reason they are receiving so much help from all around the world. Their inner spirits of steel have brought out the gold in hearts, the best in people all over. Tremendous amount of help has already been given. So many volunteers from the United States and other countries have helped in rescuing thousands more, as well as brought these poor people food and water to drink. But there is still a lot more help that is needed for years to come. Thousands of orphans are left behind, young children whom have lost parents, and now are alone with no home.

These people are living in make shift tents. The entire city will need to be rebuilt, new homes for all these millions of survivors. These new homes will need to be built strong enough to be able to withstand another disaster. That was the reason there was so much destruction, the homes that were destroyed in the earthquake were built of such poor material, and shanty structures that they could not withstand an earthquake. All this rebuilding will take a lot of money. They have already received a lot, but more is needed. So let all of us give whatever we can to help these poor people get a home and a life again, strong homes built with steel re-enforcements, like their own inner spirits.

Give whatever you can to the “Hope for Haiti Now. Org” and your local “Red Cross”, these are the two reputable Organizations that you can be sure will get them the money they need. (You can donate directly through their websites). Yes, we all can be their light in this time of darkness by giving them whatever help they need now. They in turn are teaching us a lot about the power of faith, hope, and love and how we should cope with disaster if it should suddenly come our way someday. Because it could! Natural calamities are not prejudiced, they can hit anyone at anytime no matter where you live on earth, or whether you’re rich, poor or of any race. 

(See post: People are basically all just people)

 Written by: Glenda Brill (C)

Because eating is closely related to LIVING and DYING. We need to eat to live, but on the other hand if we don’t eat, or eat right we can die. The word Diet, which means habitual nourishment of the body, if we take away the “t”, we have the word die, meaning the body will stop functioning or living, it will die. Obese is being excessively fat, it  doesn’t only make us look disfigured or out of shape on the outside but can lead to all kinds of other internal health problems. Obese  rhymes also with disease among some of them: diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis, heart disease, joint problems, breathing problems, and even cancer, which again causes the eventual ceasing of life, and we become deceased.

America which has been called the richest country in the world has also some of the fattest people living more so than most other countries. So losing weight has become an American obsession. Every New Year it is the number One New Year’s Resolution.

Then after a few weeks of trying different kinds of crash diets, and exercise programs some people just fall right back into their old eating and living habits, and the weight comes right back on.

 We are already eleven days into the New Year. If you are among those of us that put losing weight as the number one thing we want to accomplish this year, are you keeping to your resolution, or have you already given up? If you are struggling to keep on a diet, or have already given up, what do you think can help you stick to your plans?

I personally don’t like following any crash diets. I find it very hard to follow a prescribed calorie counting way of eating. It takes away from the joy of eating when you have to keep counting the calorie content in everything we put in our mouth. Life should be enjoyable, and eating contributes to our enjoyment of life. It is just that we eat too much of the wrong foods that make us fat, or gain too much weight. And some people don’t like to exercise and that plays a great part in weight gain. People who lead a sedentary lifestyle with very little body movements have the hardest time shedding those extra pounds.

 The first thing we need to do, is to educate ourselves as to what is the right foods to eat, and discipline ourselves to get the necessary exercise. We need to read and find out everything about what is nutritious healthy and what is damaging to the body, and develop a new way of eating naturally. Rather than following a strict prescribed diet, which can be a chore, our way of eating natural should become as easy as brushing our teeth or combing our hair. It wouldn’t be hard anymore to stick to a diet, because it will be our regular way of eating.

There is a lot of information about the benefits of eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, lean meats, fish, all natural foods. So a rule of thumb is that foods that are wholesome, fresh, brown, crunchy, green, leafy, and colorful such as all kinds of fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, beans, wholegrains, these are already low calorie lowfat foods, and high in fiber, are good for the body and will not make us fat when eaten in moderation, and in small portions throughout the day.

While foods that are white, sweet, smooth and greasy these are the processed foods, anything that contains white flour (includes white bread, cakes, ice-creams, all snacks etc), white sugars, white rice, syrups, whole milk, soft drinks, saturated fats and trans fats. So the goal is to substitute all the junk and processed foods with wholesome nutritional low calorie, lowfat, high in fiber foods instead. How we cook foods, fried versus bake or broiled, also make a difference in how much fat we are consuming.

 Now this doesn’t mean you have to stop eating everything you love. If you love cakes, and pasta, just substitute the white flour, white sugar, and whole milk, with wholegrain flour, natural nectar or cane sugar for sweetening and use skim milk instead. And replace white pastas with wholegrain pastas. (See how I made my chocolate cake and turkey stuffing using all natural substitutes, in the posts on: Where is that Stuffed Turkey going? and Mistaken Ingredients - To Eat, Or Not to Eat?) You are just cutting out the high fat, high calorie ingredients for the lowfat, low calorie more fiber rich foods which will nourish the body and aid in weight loss when eaten in moderation.

And what if you don’t like exercise or don’t have time to go to the gym? As I mentioned above you have to discipline yourself to find a exercise program that you enjoy, make the time to do it, and stick to it so it becomes a natural routine, rather than a chore.

If you drive everywhere you go, if you can get to some places within a half hour walking, then walk there instead. Develop a love of walking to some places, then you will do it naturally. You will also save on gas, but burn some necessary body fuel, some of that stored up fat.

Walking is one thing I love and I walk anywhere that is within walking distance. Even if it is 20 or 30 blocks away, I would rather walk than drive or take a bus. Also I love Dancing, Yoga, and Pilates. How do I find the time to do them?  By waking up early and starting my day with exercise. That is the only time I have to do so.

It gets my metabolism working and makes me feel good during the rest of the day. Also I don’t do the same thing everyday, I alternate between the different exercises so it becomes enjoyable rather than a chore just like I mentioned about eating. Enjoy what you do, then you will do it naturally.

I follow the exercises on several instructional DVD’s on Yoga, Pilates (*see some DVD’s on Pilates and Yoga exercises you can do at home on the sidebar of this blog) Aerobic Dancing and weight lifting. I get my exercises at least 4 times a week, doing a different one each day.

But if you are not a early riser and still can’t discipline yourself to exercise at home, if you would rather go to a gym, then find one that fits your schedule, and select the exercises that you love and stick to them weekly. So just like eating, make exercise something that you enjoy doing, then you will do it naturally and stick to it.

So instead of trying one diet after the other and then falling back into the old way of unhealthy eating habits, create your own life of eating natural healthy foods in moderation along with exercise. After you get used to it, it will no longer be a job or burden to lose weight or stay healthy.

You will be slim and fit, and it will be easy staying in shape, because it will be your new way of life, your lifestyle. You will become a New You, and you can be that way every New Year without making anymore new weight loss resolutions.

Written and Illustrated by: Glenda Brill (C)

 Eat it or throw it out?

What do you do when cooking or baking you accidentally pour the wrong seasoning or flavoring into your food? Do you throw the whole bowl or pot of food out, or keep and eat it?

These were the questions I was faced with as I was preparing my favorite Chocolate cake this week. I love chocolate, and the only beverage I drank while growing up was Hot Cocoa. My mother used to give it to us for breakfast. So instead of having a cup of coffee, I still prefer a cup of Hot Cocoa (with cinnamon added). I never met anyone whom doesn’t like Chocolate, and in recent times there has been new information on the many health benefits of dark chocolate that should make all of us whom were already hooked on it, happy that this is one delicious food we can eat and feel good. Because besides all the other health benefits, it is a great mood lifter. With the exception of Banana, Carrot and Zucchini cake, Chocolate cake is about the only kind of cake I love to make and bake more so than all the others.

I make it all from scratch, never from a package. I love making my own batter using real natural Dutch Cocoa (the kind I use for my Hot Cocoa) with all other wholesome ingredients. Instead of using white flour and sugar, I use wholegrain flour, natural cane sugar, cinnamon, along with omega 3 eggs, skim milk and vanilla essence to give it that real nice flavor. In this way I cut down on calories and make it a healthy food dessert. 

 I was cooking and watching TV at the same time, and accidentally pour the wrong ingredient in. 

But while I was busy cooking and mixing my batter I was at the same time looking at a movie on TV. I have my TV and DVD Player in the corner of my Dining area where I can see it from the kitchen. So while cooking or eating I can look at TV or Movies at the same time. I guess you can call that multi-tasking, preparing food and watching Movies at the same time.

I had just finished seasoning my chicken, so I had all the different seasonings and spices all out together on my kitchen counter. Once I finish with my chocolate cake batter I would put everything in the oven, so they would bake together.

I must have gotten caught up in a scene in the movie, because I picked up a bottle without looking and started pouring into my chocolate batter. When I took my eyes off of the TV to put the bottle down… Ooops! I was horrified. What the heck did I poured into my cake?  It wasn’t the bottle of Vanilla Essence which I thought I picked up and poured into my almost finished cake batter but it was Worcestershire Sauce!  Worcestershire Sauce!

Worcestershire Sauce is a liquid food sauce that is used for basting and seasoning meat, fish and chicken dishes, not cakes. At the moment all I could think of was that I ruined my cake. No, I couldn’t throw all this good wholesome chocolate batter out. Food is too expensive these days, especially wholesome foods at the Health Food store, where I bought all my wholegrain flour and natural sugar.

I didn’t want to waste any food, so I decided to go ahead and bake it anyway

That is when I was faced with the question of: “To eat or, not to eat?”. So I decided to go ahead and bake the cake anyway. If it tastes real bad, I will crumble it up and give it to the birds and squirrels in the back yard of my apartment. I am a strong believer that food if it is not bad or poisonous should never be thrown out or wasted. Somebody else, or the birds and squirrels can eat it if I can’t.  That is something my parents taught me as a child growing up in a family of eight children, you never waste food, only if it is poisonous or spoiled.

After all it was a food ingredient that was added to the batter, it was not as if I had cut off my finger and it fell into the cake. Or mistakenly put something else in like dish washing liquid or bleach. Then I know for sure I would have to throw it out. But it was just the mistaken ingredient for the cake, it should have been the vanilla essence which I thought I had poured in.

After about a half hour in the oven the sweet smell of that chocolate cake was breath taking. I expected it to smell terrible, but it smelled like regular chocolate cake in spite of the addition of Worcestershire sauce!  I couldn’t wait for it to finish so I could try a small piece to see how it tasted. I hoped it tasted as good as it smelled.

It was delicious! 

And it did! It was delicious! I was shocked. How could it still taste so good with a mistaken food sauce added to it? I had to check to see what this Worcestershire Sauce was made of. I checked the ingredients on the bottle label and it lists them all as: Vinegar, molasses, high fructose corn syrup, anchovies, water, salt, garlic, onions, tamarind concentrate, cloves, natural flavorings, chili pepper extract.

Huh? What? Chocolate cake with anchovies, garlic, onions, cloves, and chili pepper extract added to it? And strangely on the front of the bottle under the name it says: Unwrap the possibilities. I did so by mistake and was baffled at the results.

Maybe it was the other spices that I had already put in the batter or it was the molasses and high fructose corn syrup in the Worcestershire Sauce that overpowered all the other ingredients was the reason it tasted so good.  It was good also that I read the ingredients on the label since there is a lot of advice against using high fructose corn syrup. It is one of those empty non nutritional calories like white flour and sugar that only add excess fat in the body which leads to all other health problems. It is not good for us, especially if you are watching your weight and counting calories. 

So in the future I don’t think I will be using Worcestershire Sauce on anything anymore, especially not in cakes. But this time it was a mistake, and it didn’t make sense to throw out the whole cake because of this one bad ingredient, especially since it consisted of so many other wholesome food sources that were nutritional and it tasted soo good. 

How do we know how many new recipes are discovered by great cooks everyday? I am sure some of them have been discovered by mistake or by sheer experimentation. Experimenting with different foods and seasonings I do all the time and I have made some of my own recipes myself. (Like my eggplant stuffing in my previous post: Where is that stuffed turkey going?). I should write a cookbook someday when I find the time.

And just to see how it will taste, the next time I plan on baking chicken I will add some Vanilla Essence to it. Because the Worcestershire Sauce was meant to be poured on the chicken, and the Vanilla Essence was for the cake. So since I accidentally put the chicken ingredient into the cake, I will try just the opposite and see how it tastes. I will call it: “Vanilla Chicken, or Chicken @ la Vanilla”. And if it tastes good, there will be no more question as to eat or not to eat, because it will be eaten, just like the Worcestershire Sauce Chocolate Cake was. I may have just discovered two new recipes!

If the same thing ever happens to any of you, and a food ingredient is mistakenly put in the wrong pot, if it tastes good and won’t kill you, then go ahead and eat it, and “Have A Happy New Year”, and make this a year to enjoy healthy eating!

Written and Illustrated: by Glenda Brill (C)

All of us have been the victim of someone holding up the line either at the Post Office, Bank, Supermarket or in a store. We know how irritating it is and how impatient we get standing in line while waiting for this person to resolve their problem. But we never think that we can be that person some day. Well, I was and it was not so pleasant to be the target of angry stares, curse words and eye rolls.

I had to get a few necessary items from the Pharmacy. Since it is not too far from the Supermarket where I buy my food, I decided to stop in and get some milk and a few other groceries that I thought I needed. Usually when I go grocery shopping, I always make a list of what I need, but since I was not planning on going food shopping this day, I did not check before I left home. I just assumed that I needed a few things and decided to get them since I was already in the neighborhood, and could save myself another trip to the Supermarket.

She looked more like she was dressed to be on a movie set rather than working in a supermarket

After picking up a gallon of 1% skim milk, eggs, mixed nuts and a few other things, it was time to find a Check-Out Cashier that didn’t have a long line. Fortunately I had about ten items so I could get on the Express Line.  I noticed that the last Register was empty, no lines yet, so I hurried over there and put my food on the conveyor belt that rolls your food items up to the Cashier. The Check-Out Cashier was a young pretty African American girl all dolled up, completely with false eyelashes, long decorated false nails and full red lips. She looked more like she was dressed to be on a movie set rather than working in a supermarket. “She must be new,” I thought to myself since I hadn’t seen her before.

As I finished putting my food on the belt, I noticed that it was not moving. Then the all dolled up Cashier crossed her arms, flapped her false lashes, rolled her eyes at me, and while shaking her head with an attitude said: “You will have to push your stuff up, this conveyor belt ain’t rolling and I can’t reach that far back, aikay?

“Okay”, I said, and thought to myself, “ofcourse trying to reach that far back and grabbing my food stuff she might risk breaking her long nails.” So I stretched back and brought all my groceries up close to her so she could start adding them up. I was standing looking to see how much everything would add up to, since I didn’t want it to be more than $30. One can of nuts brought it over $30, so I asked her to take that off. She did, and now the total was $29.78.

Now I started looking in my big over the shoulder handbag for my Debit Card. I had just recently used it at the Pharmacy, so I knew I had it in my handbag. But I couldn’t find it. I started grabbling through my bag, trying to find my check book with my Debit Card, but still could not find it. By now other people started joining the line waiting for me to pay and move on.

I was getting nervous, because I couldn’t understand why my check book with my Debit Card was not in my Handbag since I had put it there less than one hour ago. I saw the Cashier Girl, I will call her Ms Dolled-Up, rolling her eyes, flapping her eyelashes and pouting at me while again crossing her arms waiting for me to pay her. I slightly glanced sideways and saw a now long line of angry faces looking at me, waiting for me to find my card.

I was trying to find my Debit Card while apologizing to the ever increasing long line of customers.

I apologized to the crowd and explained that I was trying to find my Debit Card, but it probably got stuck somewhere at the bottom of my Big Bag. Most of us women have the bad habit of carrying around these big handbags as if we need to take our whole apartment around with us.  I continued nervously groping around in my bag while glancing sideways now and then at the ever growing long line of customers, and apologizing.

Finally, I signed with relief as I found my checkbook at the bottom of my bag and there was my Debit Card inside the flap of the cover where I usually carry it. Now this is how the drama proceeded. I will call the Dolled-up Cashier Ms Dolled-up, and myself simple as “Me”.

Me: (talking to Ms Dolled-up) Since the total is $29.78 just subtract an even $30 from my Debit Card and give me the change back as cashback.

Ms Dolled-up: So, you want $30 back as cashback?

Me: No, it is easier for me to subtract $30 from my checking account balance than $29.78, so just debit my account for $30, and just gave me the difference as cashback.

Ms. Dolled-up: So you want $29.78 as cashback instead?

Me: No, just give me the difference between $30 and $29.78.

Ms Dolled-up: So you want me to add $30 to $29.78 and debit your account for the total?

By now the waiting line of angry customers were yelling and cursing at me.

By now I heard yelling coming from the standing line of customers. I could see the angry faces looking at me. Some F and S words started flying my way. I was afraid to even glance sideways anymore for fear I might be looking at somebody with a gun pointing straight at me. Well, this is New York, people don’t have patience and when they get angry they sometimes kill.

Me: (again talking to Ms. Dolled-up) You know what, forget the cashback, just debit my card for the total of $29.78, okay?

Ms. Dolled-up: So now you want the $29.78 as cashback instead?

Me: (By now I felt like jumping over that conveyor belt, pulling that Cashier out of the way and checking out myself.) But I patiently responded: No Sweetheart forget the cashback, I just want to pay the total amount of $29.78.

Ms Dolled-up: I don’t understand, you don’t want the $30 cashback anymore?

Oh Lord, now I know I need to pray, for somebody is going to get killed, either me or this Cashier. I heard angry shouts coming my way from the waiting customers standing on line, another F word and somebody yelling for the Manager. I ducked as it looked like somebody threw something at me, or was it just my fearful imagination?

Me: (trying to remain calm I said once more):  Forget the cashback and just let me pay the total of $29.78, okay?

Ms. Dolled-up: Pointing to the can of nuts that was taken off and put aside she asked: “So you sure you don’t want these anymore?”

Me: No, I don’t need the nuts again, please just debit my card for the total.

Ms. Dolled-up: Aikay, and finally she debited my card. I quickly glanced at the line of customers and apologized again, while grabbing my bag of groceries and rushing out hoping no one was following me. Never know angry people can do crazy things.

Finally I got home safe, still trying to recover from the drama over a simple stop I decided to make just because I thought I needed some milk. And you know what? When I opened my refrigerator I had a half gallon of milk left.  I didn’t really need to buy any milk. Can you believe it? Well, it sure taught me a lesson again about shopping without making a list and checking to see beforehand what I really needed. Even shopping for food can fall into the category of impulse buying, buying on the spot without being sure you really need it. (See previous post: Holiday Sales and Impulse Buying, Make your list…)

I also learned it is better to have the payment method in your hand before the Cashier rings you up, and it is easier to pay in cash.

I also learned that it is better to have the payment method in your hand before the Cashier rings you up, and it is easier to pay in cash. And if the Cashier in a Supermarket looks new, and is too dressed up and looks like she should be working somewhere else, she probably should. Then I will get on another line. It could have been her first day on the job, or maybe she was just stressed out and I confused her with requesting cashback. I should have told her to just give me back 0.22 cents change from the $30 I wanted debited from my card. 

Oh well, in these stressful shopping times a little drama at the Check-Out Cash Register certainly can bring some humor into your life and help ease the stress.

Written and illustrated by: Glenda Brill (C)

Yes the Holiday shopping frenzy is in full swing. People are out shopping like crazy. Maybe it is better to say looking for something to buy without being sure what they are looking for, if they can afford it, or whether they need it. Then when a discount sign catches their eye, they practically run to grab whatever the sign is advertising. This is called impulse buying. This kind of buying can get us into unnecessary debt. And this is exactly how so many people get themselves deeper into debt by buying what they see on sale, and may not really need.

The word SALE acts as bait that

gets us hooked on impulse buying

This is the trick most department stores use to get people to buy their products. It seems like that word SALE can get people to do anything just to spend a few less dollars. Like getting up at 4 am in the morning to be the first in line to enter a store when the doors opened and then doing the mass run to get the items before they are finished.

With so many people out of work this time of the year and already in debt if you are caught in this mad holiday shopping frenzy, you better think twice before you spend your unemployment check, welfare check or swipe a nearly depleted Credit card on impulse buying. Even if you have a job, it is still wise to be careful when spending money in this unstable economy. You might have to do like it says about Santa Claus: Make a list and check it twice, not for whose naughty or nice, but for how much money you can spend.

Don’t get me wrong. This time of the year most stores carry many useful products at a discounted price, and it is the best time to find many bargains that normally sell higher during the year. Buying things on sale can really save you some money. But there is always the temptation to buy some things that you may not really need just because they are on sale. I am guilty of this myself, I still have some products I bought on sale years ago, still unused, just got them because they were on sale. And if your budget is limited and you are shopping for gifts for other people you still have to watch what you pick up from that sale bin. All those discounted items eventually add up to a large sum of money if you are getting a bunch of stuff for different people.

Don’t  buy items just because they are on sale

It is always good to have a list of what you want, need

and the price range you can afford.

So how can you avoid buying unnecessary items on impulse just because they are on sale? As mentioned above it is always good to have a list of what you want and the price range you can afford. How many you need and how you will pay for them. Once you have reached your budget limit, JUST GET OUT OF THE STORE. Because if you remain and keep looking around, you will see other things, and you are bound to spend more money on things you may not really need, or can afford.

And if you are shopping for gifts for other people or family you should have a good idea what they will appreciate, and buy accordingly. It is so sad to see so many people go into debt every year to buy gifts for people and then to have these gifts returned by these individuals because they didn’t like the items that were giving to them, or just to get the money back themselves.

But what if your unemployment check is very small, or you are on welfare, or you may have a job but already too deeply in debt? You can’t afford any sales to buy for self or anyone else. If you have a family they will understand your situation. Remember a lot of people are in your shoes.  Some large stores hire sales help for the holidays, and they give their Sales Associates a discount. So try applying to all the stores to find a temporary holiday job. These jobs are very flexible, you may be able to find one that allows evenings, and weekend hours.

If not successful in finding in store sales jobs, you can offer to do some other odd jobs just to get some money. Offer to shop for someone else whom can’t stand in long lines or carry packages. Just ask for a commission for your work. If you do this for several people in a week you can accumulate quite a bit of money within one week. Or offer some other kind of service, like a bake or cookie sale, or anything that you think you are good at and that people need at this time of year (see post: Swallowing pride while digesting the brain)

A couple of winters ago when we had heavy snow in New York, a few teenage boys came around to every home on the block offering to clean the snow off of their stoops and sidewalks. They got a good response at every door. And those young boys went home happy because each of them had made some money for the day just offering a service that was needed.  This can also be done by a full grown man who has the energy to shovel snow from people’s stoops, driveways and sidewalks. And ask for a fee according to the work involved and time it takes to do the job.

Young children don’t know the difference

between an expensive gift or an inexpensive one.

And if you try everything and still find yourself broke with no money, don’t let this depress you. You can always find something in life to cheer you up. (See post: Finding humor amidst hard times) If you have very young children and are worried that you can’t afford nice gifts for them this year, just remember young children really don’t know the difference between an expensive gift or an inexpensive one. Some people go out of their way to get the most expensive toys for their children and the child may completely ignore the toy and end up playing with an old shoe box, or any empty box, can, bag or bottle left lying around. 

Anything that attracts their curiosity becomes a toy to them. So you can create toys from empty colorful boxes or tin cans, or stuff some old socks and shape them into different objects or animals. Sit back and watch how these self made toys keep your little ones entertained for hours as they try to get the top off of the boxes or tin cans, and try to figure out what each of the stuffed socks mean. This is sure to bring some big smiles to your face, and help forget your financial problems.

 The most important gifts in life are love and time

Always remember the most important gifts in life are love and time. By spending time with your family, sharing your thoughts and laughter with them even if you can’t afford anything else materially, this can do a lot to strengthen family ties and will be remembered for years after by your family. And isn’t this what the Holidays are really all about?

So if you have a few dollars to spend and must go shopping, just make sure you have a list of what you can afford, how much you can spend, for whom you are shopping and their appreciation of what you could give them. But by all means don’t let holiday sales get you more into financial distress by engaging in impulse buying. Avoid it like the plague, because it will lead to the horrible plague of never ending debt. 

Written and illustrated by: Glenda Brill

Straight to your stomach, waist, hips, belly and thighs! Yes, during the holiday seasons people who spend so much time dieting and exercising during the year trying to keep excess weight off, completely go overboard in stuffing themselves during this time of the year with all the wrong foods that will put that weight right back on. Especially during the upcoming Thanksgiving Day feast. This is a typical American all you can eat Holiday. It is even sometimes called: “Turkey Eating Day”. Most people who celebrate the traditional Thanksgiving Day even don’t know what it means or when it began. It has become a general Holiday now, rather than the giving of thanks after which it was named.

But why was it called Thanksgiving Day?

Thanksgiving Day, presently celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, has been an annual tradition in the United States since 1863. It did not become a national federal holiday until 1941. Thanksgiving was historically a religious observation to give thanks to Almighty God. The pilgrims celebrated the first Thanksgiving out of appreciation to God for helping them survive the brutal winter, and finally reaching the United States. The feast lasted three days providing enough food for 53 pilgrims and 90 Indians.

The modern day traditional Thanksgiving menu often features turkey with stuffing, sweet potatoes, corn bread, and pumpkin pie. But on the first Thanksgiving the pilgrims didn’t have these traditional foods back then. They hunted and ate any kind of fowl, duck, geese, venison, fish, lobster, clams, and swan. They ate berries, dried fruit, pumpkin which was boiled because there were no ovens for baking food or bread. There was also squash, and other kinds of vegetables.

The Pilgrims were thanking God

for survival to the United States

So the traditional stuffed turkey dinner today, the stuffing made mostly from bread, accompanied by more bread or corn bread, pumpkin pie, and candied sweet potatoes all very high calorie foods, were not part of the original thanksgiving that the pilgrims celebrated. These poor immigrants were just thankful to God for bringing them alive to the United States and celebrated this by eating a simple meal of meat and vegetables.

As the modern world evolved Americans became more affluent, people now had ovens for baking meat and bread. The face of agriculture changed, and supermarkets were selling more processed foods. So people didn’t have to hunt for food anymore, they could walk into a supermarket and buy any pre-packaged meal or processed food in a can, box or bag.

Their diets changed, and many of the new additions to the Thanksgiving meal were added, and so did the very meaning of the Day, “A Giving of Thanks to God”. How many young Americans and modern immigrants to the United States really remember that this was the real meaning of Thanksgiving? With all the supermarkets selling discounted turkeys, and all the Thanksgiving sales taking place it has become just another Holiday for family reunions, to overeat and for sports fans to watch football. 

But why a stuffed turkey for Thanksgiving?

This was no doubt another start in the modern traditional celebration. There is no record that the early settlers had turkey at their first meal. They certainly didn’t have bread for stuffing. And in our modern times no where does it say that this was the only day to eat stuffed turkey, or any of the other side dishes that comes with the traditional Thanksgiving Day. Turkey is a big bird, and can provide a lot of food for a large crowd especially when stuffed. Probably this was one of the reasons why turkey became the traditional meat instead of other fowls.  As families gather together to eat, they needed a lot of meat to go around to everyone present.

I love turkey, and I eat it all year round. It is such a delicious bird, whether stuffed, plainly baked, ground up or cut up for other recipes, it can be a healthy protein food source any time of the year. And I certainly don’t believe that we should give thanks to God only one day of the year, but everyday for the food we have for each day. This was no doubt the custom of the early settlers, they were accustomed to giving thanks before each meal and just this particular day became special to them because they were also thanking God for their survival and for reaching their final destination, the United States.

For some couples this might be their first Thanksgiving Day together, or some others might have another special reason for celebrating the day. Most people though are simple following the tradition.  But if you are watching your weight and have health problems, you might want to consider what you are stuffing that turkey with. A lot of the prepared package stuffing I see on the supermarkets shelves are made mostly of white dried bread with some artificial seasonings added to them, not very nutritious.

You might be able to find some healthy stuffing mixes at some of the health food stores, but for me I love making my own from scratch. Growing up in the Dutch Caribbean as the oldest girl in a family of eight I learned to cook very young. I never use any pre-packaged or processed foods when cooking, but prepare and cook everything myself, even making up my own recipes according to what I know is healthy and nutritious.

So if you are a new bride or anyone whom may be stuffing that turkey for the first time this year and want to keep watching your diet or health here are one of my own created and tried turkey stuffing. (You can also use it to stuff chicken and as a side dish):

 You will need:

1. Eggplant, carrots, green and red bell peppers, mushrooms, scallions, onions, garlic, and celery. A package of wholegrain ziti. First boil the wholegrain ziti until medium soft and set aside.

2. Cut up the eggplant into medium square cubes. Chop the bell peppers, carrots, onions, garlic, scallions, and celery in medium size pieces. Slice the mushrooms.

3. Heat a large frying pan or skillet and pour some olive oil into it. When hot pour all the cut up vegetables into the hot olive oil. Simmer while stirring constantly.

4. Add seasonings: I use  “Goya Adobo All Purpose Seasoning with pimiento”.  But if you can’t find this you can use the same ingredients in that seasoning: which is salt, black pepper, thyme, oregano, turmeric, garlic powder. Add a dash of hot pepper sauce, a large tablespoon of tomato paste, and some ketchup.  Stir into the simmering eggplant and vegetable mixture. Add more seasoning until satisfied with the taste.

5. Add the boiled ziti small portions at a time. By now the eggplant should be soft and you can mash it together with the noodles and other vegetables. If you cook too much ziti just save for another occasion. You don’t want the ziti to overpower the other vegetables, but to only hold them together. Cook until soft and sticking together.

6. When slightly cooled stuff into the cavities of the turkey that you should have seasoned well the night before with the same seasonings you used for the stuffing. Rub the seasonings inside and outside of the bird. 

 7. Mix some of the seasonings with water and tomato paste or ketchup and pour over the bird letting the rest fall into the bottom of the baking pan. The bird will be baking in its own gravy, and you can keep basting it with this gravy to keep it from drying out. Cover with foil paper or special turkey bag and bake in a moderate hot (350) oven for several hours. 

of Cancer fighting Antioxidants

Keep checking and sticking with a fork to feel if the meat is soft. Keep the bottom of the pan well covered with gravy from the droppings of the baked bird and that you made yourself with some of the tomato paste along with the seasonings. After feeling soft remove the foil and let it bake uncovered some more until the outside is brown. When cut the flesh should be well seasoned, soft, juicy and fall easily from the bones. Also the stuffing will be healthy and delicious, not only from its own seasoning but from absorbing the juices from the baking bird. Unlike the customary bread stuffing you will be eating stuffing that is nutritious, fat free, full of cancer fighting antioxidants, high in fiber, and very low in calories.

Did you know eggplant is also a great breast cancer fighter?  With such a healthy alternative to traditional turkey stuffing you may not even need all the extra side dishes. But if you must have sweet potatoes which are also good for you, just don’t use any sugar on them, leave them plain or make the dressing from honey instead. Add some green salads or broccoli and there you have a delicious turkey meal that can be eaten not just for the holidays but anytime of the year. And don’t forget to give Thanks, this will make it truly a real Thanksgiving meal! 

Written and illustrated by: Glenda Brill (C)

 Who else is getting the Swine Flu??

Fear of catching the Swine Flu is on the minds of everyone these days. Many Medical Centers offer vaccinations against this strange flu. I heard of some hospitals running out of the Swine Flu shots already and people being put on a waiting list until more comes in. One of the precautions for people whom feel like they are coming down with the Swine Flu is to stay home. This is in order not to be around other people and infect them with the disease. Nobody thought then that if you stay home and have pets around that they to can be infected. Most of the time when we are sick we like curling up in bed with our cat or dog. They become our closest comforting companions at this time since we can’t be around other humans.

Swine Flu spreading to house pets

Now with the swine flu, we can’t let our pets be around us anymore. There are a few reported cases of dogs and a cat, pets in the home catching  the Swine Flu. With the name Swine Flu which is believed first began with a pig and later transmitted to humans, it sounds ironic that just the opposite now is happening, that humans can transmit the flu back to other animals. It is like what comes around  goes around.

In the case of the cat that became sick, when its owner took it to the veterinarian, and discovered that it had the swine flu, the owner then remembered sneezing on the cat. So for those of us whom have pets, dogs or cats, if you have flu like symptoms, instead of letting that pet curl up with you in the bed, you better keep it out of sight under the bed if you are going around sneezing and coughing. That might be the best cover for the little creature right now, to keep it covered from your flu germs. Unless you have a special little dog or cat house where you can keep it away from you until you get better.

Young children can also give or catch the flu from pets

But what about young children? It would be the same if you have young kids at home. They to can get the infectious disease from you or other children, and again since children love playing with their pet animals can also spread it back to them. So keep them away from each other. Humans and children can be vaccinated, but so far there is no vaccination for animals.

How can you tell if you are coming down with the Swine Flu? In humans some of the symptoms are: coughing and sneezing, with fever sometimes, vomiting, and much the same symptoms like the regular flu. Some people may feel worst than others. It also helps to keep your immune system healthy so that you can resist the flu. And we are constantly warned about washing our hands several times a day. This may be one of the safest ways of protecting ourselves against the virus.

Take advice to wash hands often very seriously

Some people don’t take this serious, but our hands are the easiest way of catching and transmitting germs. Whether we work in a restaurant, office, store, hospital or any other business, we use our hands to handle paper or other documents that came from other people. We use cash to buy lunch or groceries that passes through the hands of thousands of different people each day. I read once that money is one of the biggest transmitters of all kinds of bacteria. We handle money every day, and we just don’t  know who else has been holding those same dollar bills we are now counting.

Also using office restrooms or public restrooms, just touching the door knob can be another way flu viruses get on your hands. Again there is where washing our hands before and after we use the restroom can be helpful advice to follow. Those same hands you use to put your makeup on or touch your face, eyes or your skin, eat your meals, and if your immune system is weak then any transmitted viruses can start growing and make you sick.  Make sure we get the flu shot to keep the Swine Flu virus away.

Keep your pets away from you,

there is no flu shots for them

And if you are worry about your little pet at home, and you happen to come down with the Swine Flu, you may want to follow the advice above or find some other way to keep the little creature away from you. Please don’t sneeze on it. It has been said that a sneeze can travel very far into the air. So somebody in a different location can pick up a virus from another person sneezing out of sight several feet away. And if you must sneeze in the present of your pet or anyone else, don’t sneeze into your hand, as you might use those same hands to touch your pets and this can spread the infection to them.

Sneeze inside your elbow, this stops the sneeze from getting into the air, and prevents anyone else around from picking up the virus. So a rule of thumb should be when we are sick with the flu treat our pets like we would treat anyone else. Stay away from them, certainly don’t let them be in the bed with us, keep them away until we are well again.

Written by: Glenda Brill (C)

It was the night before Halloween.  Before going to bed I usually like to drink some skim milk as it helps me fall asleep.  I turned off my computer and walked to the kitchen. I switched on the light at the entrance, and the sight at what I saw next froze me in my tracks. I was shocked since I had never seen this before. There on my kitchen counter were Roa and Ches lying on top of each other, shamelessly making out, on my clean kitchen counter!

I couldn’t believe it! How did these bastards get in here? Completely uninvited and have the nerve to use my kitchen counter for their gratification? I can understand now why she is always giving birth to another baby. They were so into what they were doing that even when I turned the light on, they didn’t move or stopped, or saw me standing there.  I felt anger rising in my body, and before I explained what I did next, I want to tell you a little about the family of Roa and Ches.

 The family of Roa and Ches

This is a family of Scum Bags. And they are international. You can find them in almost every country and city. Some more so than others. They are freeloaders, homeless bums and don’t care where they hang out. Since they are always looking for free food and drink some of them live around sewage systems, and garbage dumps.

It doesn’t matter whether you are rich or poor if there is a colony of these nasty beings in the neighborhood, you can expect to somehow cross their paths, or see one or two of them around. They try to find shelter into people’s basements and that is how they manage to get into other people’s home. They have been caught hiding even in Restaurants and food establishments ofcourse because these are places where they can find food. Also in unoccupied apartment buildings, as these provide protection from the cold outside.

They are very fast reproducers of their kind, the females are always pregnant and their small children follow in their parents footsteps. This has resulted in a good thing for our economy inspiring many to become entrepreneurs in developing products and providing services to help curb their reproduction. Today you can find entire supermarket aisles full of products designed specifically for the Roa and Ches family. All kinds of can foods, bottled drinks, and specialty foods to keep these freeloaders out of people’s homes. There has even been special hotels and motels built just for them. 

Some young men make a good living by selling their products and services one on one to different families that had trouble with them. But no matter what has been done some of them continue to remain on the loose, to bypass their own hotels and foods while preferring to remain homeless and sneak around, steal and find ways into people’s homes, eating whatever they can put their dirty hands on. Because they hang out in dirty areas like sewages, and around garbage dumps they are full of diseases and can infect others. Can you imagine these nasty scummy dirty beings nibbling on your food and drink?

I couldn’t help thinking on all the little children whom might be eating goodies on Halloween night that Roa and Ches may have been nibbling on.

As I stood there frozen at the entrance of my kitchen I couldn’t help thinking on all the little children that will be tricker treating around the neighborhood on Halloween night accepting candies and different kinds of goodies from complete strangers.  Many of them not even knowing whether Roa and Ches have been sneaking around in their homes and putting their germy hands on these goodies. This can make those children sick and their parents will never know what caused their illness.

With all these thoughts going through my head, my anger rising, and Roa and Ches disrespectfully continuing to make out on my kitchen counter, I carefully grabbed my big heavy straw broom, and banged them both into their heads, several times until I was sure they were dead. After that I had the horrible task of removing their remains and disposing of them.

I know I had committed murder, but I felt justified and relieved that I had done so. If anyone in the neighborhood and the Police Department finds out, they would all thank me for helping them in removing one more pair of these disgusting scum bags from the neighborhood. After cleaning up my kitchen counter with bleach disinfectant, I drunk a small glass of milk and went to bed.

I felt no shame over what had just happened, as a matter of fact I felt happy instead that I had at least helped some families in the neighborhood and the city of New York in getting rid of another pair of disgusting ROACHES.

Why roaches are bad for us, and you should do everything to get rid of them if you see them around

According to the National Pest Management Association, there are nearly 33 different kinds of bacteria, six kinds of parasitic worms, and at least seven other kinds of human pathogens carried by cockroaches. Cockroaches walk through sewage and decaying matter and transmit bacteria into your home.

Cockroaches have been shown to transport a number of pathogenic bacteria and viruses on their legs and bodies. They carry the pathogens that cause tuberculosis, cholera, leprosy, dysentery, and typhoid, as well as over 40 other bacteria (like salmonella) or viruses that can cause disease.

Cockroaches will eat almost anything: left-over human food, wood, leather, cigarette butts, tooth paste, milk, sugary materials, coffee grinds, glue, so if any of the above is left open and we use them we can get sick from their left over germs.

Tips to help keep Roaches away

 Even though I do all these tips below myself somehow some roaches still manage to get into my apartment. Usually if there is a colony of them in the neighborhood, they can get into even clean apartments. So if you have not seen any in your home yet, it is good to try the below tips if you are not already doing so, to help keep them away.

• Always sweep your floors at night, making sure no crumbs or any food at all is left on the floors. Make sure all garbage is put out at night. Vacuum your carpets if you have such often. Vacuuming sucks up any eggs that roaches lay, and stop their reproduction. 

• Always wash your dishes, never leaving dirty dishes in the sink, and after drying put them away. Leaving them out somehow still attracts roaches, looking for food and water. 

• Never leave any food or drink uncovered, either in your refrigerator, on the stove, or kitchen counter. 

• Find some sort of roach bait, I use the small black baits, and put them around in different areas of your kitchen and under the sink, in corners of cabinets, under the stove, and around any cracks in the walls. Also in the bathroom, remember they are always looking for water, so the kitchen and bathroom are their favorite places.  Don’t eat in your bedroom as this might also attract them into that room. 

• If you have small children, be careful about leaving them on the bare floor, put them on a blanket or something. You never know if roaches were crawling on the floor unknown to you. Children pick up germs faster than adults.   As a general rule always make sure your home is clean and free of clutter. Disinfect often as this kills germs.  

• And if you happen to see any in sight like I did, kill them on the spot. Sometimes I see one or two crawling on the bottom of my bathtub. I kill them by turning the hot water faucet on and blasting them to death with hot water.

Yes, if you think about all the little children that could be eating roach infected candy on Halloween night you will also be happy that I killed Roa and Ches on the night before. Who knows if they were planning on going somewhere else to nibble on some goodies and those were later given to these children to eat?

 Written and Illustrated by: Glenda Brill ©   

All  fear disappeared!

When I was brought home, that is when I was faced with the challenge of getting into my building. I could feel fear gripping my heart. There are 6 stairs leading up to the front door.  I broke down and start crying as I was wondering : “how am I going to get up those stairs on one foot using crutches? This is impossible, I can’t do this.”  But I knew I had to get into my apartment, I couldn’t stay out on the sidewalk forever, so it means finding a way to get up those stairs on crutches. With determination I slowly put the crutches on the bottom stair and hopped onto that stair, and then did the same with the other one, and finally reached the top of the stairs to the front door.

I couldn’t believe it, I had actually climbed those stairs on one foot using two crutches. I did the same thing while going down the stairs, placing the crutches on one stair then hopping onto it, and the same until I got all the way down to the street. By the end of the 2 months that my right foot was in a cast I had become an expert at climbing those stairs on one foot using two crutches.

All fear had disappeared. And I thought that I couldn’t do it. But I did. Now when I see other temporary disabled people using crutches to get around, I admire their courage because I know how it feels. And that we can do whatever we need to do in whatever situation we find ourselves in if we just let go of fear. 

Count your blessings, appreciate what you have.

So if you really have a strong heart desire to do something that you really love or to serve other people, and you feel that you can’t do it, just reflect back on these few examples given above. Some people with only half a body accomplishing so much. And watch this video below with your music speakers on.

After seeing this and if you are a full able-bodied man or woman, just count your blessings. Appreciate what you have, and use it to the full. It is amazing to see what these two disabled young people do and accomplish it so well. You will conclude that our bodies whether we are full able-bodied, or disabled are only following something deeper that is the motivating force behind what we can accomplish, which is the heart. (See previous post: Courageously putting your heart into it, your body will follow..).

 So whether you think you are too old, young, fat, thin, tall, ugly or too whatever all these excuses, fears or barriers you put up around your heart, if you replace them with the right attitude and put your heart’s desires up front, it will motivate you to do your best,  and you can successfully accomplish anything that might seem impossible. YES YOU CAN DO IT!

Written by: Glenda Brill(C)

Our heart is the seat of all emotions

We often hear these phrases concerning the human heart: wholehearted, with all my heart, heart desire, take to heart, or hurt at heart, feeling sickened at heart, cold hearted and so many many other phrases or expressions involving the human heart. But why is the heart used so often in describing so many different situations?  Because our heart is more than just a pump that keeps our blood flowing, but it keeps us warm, and responsible for our very life. 

It is the seat of motivation, of all of our activities and attitudes, joys, loves, feelings, enjoyments, moral character, speech, conduct, all emotions. It is what causes us to express laughter, enthusiasm, courage and everything that we do with our bodies. A whole hearted person is complete, fervent, supportive, has a keen interest in wanting to do something well.

Here is an example to show how our hearts is indeed the seat of our desires and motives.  A couple of years ago I heard about a middle aged woman who needed a heart transplant and was giving the heart of a young 19 year old football player and motor cycle rider. He died in an accident on his way to a football game. But he stopped to eat at a fast food restaurant before going to the game. Unfortunately he died before getting there. His heart was transplanted into this middle aged woman. When she came out of surgery, to the surprise of her doctor and family she asked for french fries and hamburger and started talking about football!

A transplanted heart still keeps its original desires.

This woman had never had any interest in football or cared about fast foods before ever in her life. Understandable her doctor and family were shocked when they realized that her new heart was full of desires different from what she had or even what she was. It was the desires of the dead young man whom heart she now had to live with. His heart was into fast foods and football like most 19 year olds, and it was very interesting that his heart survived with all his desires impact and now operating in another person.

It wouldn’t be surprising either if she later started actually playing football, since this was what the young man’s heart was into, and now operating in her. This would indeed take a lot of courage to go through with these new desires in her new heart. It is funny imagining a middle aged woman playing football. Maybe later on the heart was trained to fully adapt to her own desires if possible. I never heard anything more about what happened later on with this story.  But it really shows how our heart operates. 

 Our heart is the finall decision maker 

The heart makes decisions, either for good or bad. Our eyes take pictures of things around us, sound and information goes through our ears, our mind and brain take all this information, assimilate it and pass all this on to the heart.  It makes the final decision, moving the body to act on whatever direction it gives. So in reality we “see and listen” with our heart, the eyes and ears are only channels to this important decision making organ. That is the reason why a blind man can say: “I see”, or a deaf person can communicate back even in sign language “Yes I hear what you say”. Their hearts see and hear.

Both persons blind or deaf if they were born that way have never seen light, or heard a single sound or whisper.  A blind person can’t see the beauty of things including other people around them, or the deaf hear their voices, or music. Yet some of them become singers, musicians, dancers, communicators, all because their courageous enthusiastic hearts are into what they do. Their bodies just follow what their hearts hear and see and this motivates them to action, performing, serving or giving back to others.

 Learning to love what you do so you can serve others

And this is another key to putting your heart into something you are doing or want to do: Learning to love what you do so that you can serve people or give back to others. Many people go through life half hearted, they hate their jobs, or if in school they hate school and studying. They complain about everything, only going through the motions without enthusiasm, or zeal. Some people go to some jobs just to get a paycheck, can’t wait for the weekend. Their hearts are not into it, there is no real interest in serving and the body can’t follow by expressing joy, enthusiasm, good energy, or a good attitude. Therefore a half hearted person becomes unhappy, and unhealthy.

Even a monotonous job can be enjoyable if your heart is into it. I see this all the time. Every week I go to this Fish Market in my neighborhood to buy fresh fish. They have 3 men standing behind the area where they clean the fish. One of them is always humming, whistling or singing while working cleaning fish. “Who can be happy working in a smelly place like this?” I wondered.  “And what is so interesting about cleaning fish?” I approached the counter one day and asked him: “You look like you really love your job, how long have you been doing this? “It is going to be 15 years this year, and I love it!”, he enthusiastically replied.

Love it? Now this man looks pretty young, maybe in his late thirties. Why couldn’t he have gone to school and studied for something else? And how much money can you make cleaning fish? I stood there wondering to myself as I waited.  He continued talking and said how enjoyable it was for him to meet and serve so many hundreds of people that come to the fish market every week. Just to be able to imagine all they can do in preparing their fish meals and know he had a small part in helping them by giving them cleaned fish to start with. Now that is a great attitude to have. His heart is really into what he does, and his body performs the same service for years from an enthusiastic heart because he loves serving people by cleaning fish, and this makes him happy.

 Not a very glamorous job, but when you think about it don’t we need all kinds of services? Somebody goes fishing and another person cleans the fish. We need them both, otherwise we wouldn’t have fish to eat, which is a contributor to our health. What about other professions whose jobs are much more sophisticated and valuable? A medical surgeon working in a hospital duties may be similar in some ways.  The only difference is that he is cutting people open, and getting paid more money. But still both of them can be equally happy if their hearts are into what they do and realize that they are both doing a job for the preservation of people’s lives, one providing food to eat while the other keeping people alive so they can eat.

It takes courage to put your heart into something inspite of difficulties

And it takes courage to persist in putting your heart into something. Courage means to persevere inspite of difficulties, to hold one’s own, or keep up one’s morale, to hold to a good spirit even when faced with failure. I am sure it must be tiring and difficult standing on your feet all day cleaning fish, or being a surgeon performing the same duties each day. And there is always the possibility of failure, not doing something right, making mistakes, but if the courageous heart is into what it does, it keeps the body performing at its best, never letting fear cause it to pull back.

And that is the main reason why some people never put their hearts into anything. Fear. Fear of failure, or being hurt, or of what other people might say or think. Being rejected or fear of so many imagined difficulties. Fear is one of the negative emotions that can cripple or paralyze the heart preventing the body from taking courageous action. Many people are afraid of starting a business for fear of failing, or from some sales jobs because it might involve public speaking. There are so many barriers that we sometimes put up from putting our hearts into what we really love or want to do, preventing our bodies from following.

Most of us have good health, all our senses, our full body, and circumstances, but still letting fear keep us from putting our best heart forward. I already gave some examples of people that were born blind or deaf and are courageously putting their hearts into what they do to serve people. In my next post I will give some more examples of others, some of them with severe disabilities but successful in doing what might seem impossible because they put their hearts into whatever they do.

Written by Glenda Brill (C)

 Our behavior can affect people for good or bad

In my last post I mentioned how people affect each other every day, knowingly or unknowingly. (See People are basically all just people).  Just like the flu or some types of diseases are contagious or infectious, our behavior toward other people is the same, we can infect people with something good or bad.  

I experience this myself just recently. I was going uptown to Manhattan in New York City, and like almost everyone in this Big City we take the subway trains everywhere, even the Mayor does. It is the easiest and least expensive way to get around. You will notice that in a lot of my posts I mentioned experiences or things while riding the trains. Because it is the place you can see the most interesting people in New York from all over the world.  No wonder this city is called the melting pot of nationalities and cultures.  

I am very observant by nature, probably like most creative people I love looking at people, admiring what they wear, their hairstyles, everything from head to toe. It inspires me with new ideas for different creative projects. If you don’t understand people you cannot design or even promote products for them. 

Ebony Legs with Hot Bright Pink Stiletto Shoes

A few seats from where I was sitting on the same side of the train, I saw the long very dark legs of a young woman, african american or maybe just african, with long spiky heels neon bright pink shoes stretching out from under her seat. Now ofcourse I knew I started smiling because she just stood out. She had real dark smooth ebony skin, so these neon very bright pink shoes just stood out in the crowd.  

I was watching her and thinking to myself where in the world is she going with such high heels bright shoes at midday? She couldn’t be going on a business or job interview dressed like that.  She sure would make a nice Shoe Poster, or Billboard Ad. 

Or maybe she is planning on going to a night club after dark and just in case she gets lost or killed her shoes will help the police find her in the dark. Ofcourse my wild creative imagination started designing posters and newspaper scenes in my head about these ebony legs with the bright pink stiletto shoes.  That’s how my mind works when I see something that gets my creative juices flowing.

Again the more people I came across and looked at were smiling. Now I was convinced that I must look funny or something was wrong with me. Did I button my blouse up wrong, maybe missing a spot? Or was my blouse opened in the wrong place? Was there something stuck on my face, or did my upsweep hairdo bun came loosed and looked funny hanging out of place? 

Keep smiling Sweetheart, you have made my day! 

I saw a McDonald Restaurant in the near distance, and just as I was about to rush in so that I could use the restroom and check in the mirror to see if there was something wrong with me, an older businessman with a briefcase walking toward me, looked at me and smilingly said:  “Keep smiling sweetheart, you have made my day.”   “Thank you”, I replied puzzled and surprised. 

Huh? Was that it? Was everybody smiling because I was smiling?  Just to be sure that was the reason for everyone’s smiling back at me, I checked myself in the fast food restroom mirror anyway to make sure nothing was out of place, and I looked fine.  So it was true! People were smiling when I looked at them because I was smiling. I was infecting their spirit, they were catching the smile and responding with same.

A warm smile is contagious, it makes others feel safe

A smile is contagious, if we smile it automatically make others smile back because it sends a friendly message and makes them feel safe. I must have been still musing over that girl I saw with the neon bright pink shoes and smiling. It doesn’t take much for me to giggle or smile anyway, that is just me. People often tell me that I was smiling even when I didn’t know I was. 

But a simple smile affected so many people I came across, and made that businessman day. Who knows he could have been going through some financial, or family problems, or even health problems like most of us, but the simple kind act of smiling helped eased his inner or spiritual need for comfort from a complete stranger.     

What we give out, we get back 

It is true that what we give out we get back because the other person is very much like ourselves, so they can respond to whatever act of kindness we are sending out. And small acts of kindness can do so much good for someone else. 

Unknown to her I was affected by the stranger with the ebony legs and bright hot pink stiletto shoes that started me smiling, and in turn I infected others with my smile. It shows how people or even just one person can affect a whole crowd in even small ways, because we are very much alike, needing the same things. (See “People are basically all just people”). 

 I love the words of the song in this Video, “Smile” sung by Michael Jackson. Turn on the music speakers on your computer and listen carefully to these words. It is also funny and I hope it will bring a smile to your face.  

If it means a simple smile can make another person’s day, then do so, and I hope I have also made your day.  

Written by: (C) Glenda Brill