Thin Slices of Joy
Comments
-
Welcome Faith. Finding slivers of joy can be difficult. Serenity is the expert joy finder, I'm trying to do better. I'm enjoying a couple of weeks holiday in Grand Cayman with extended family. Happy children, beautiful turquoise water, white sand and fluffy clouds are a big sliver of joy for me at the moment, especially in contrast to the weather back home. X
0 -
My son came home from college unexpectedly yesterday afternoon so I set the table with the good china and silver and made a nice dinner. Full sunshine today
0 -
badger - My dog is sooooo soft. We expected her fur to be more wiry, but it stayed smooth.
Divine - There must be a huge difference now that the eyesore is gone. Hope you have gentle rain to grow the grass quickly. Glad you're getting better.
Faith - I'm sorry for your loss and your progression. I've found that finding moments of joy has become easier since I started this thread. I laugh more. I've also gotten a new printer and being able to print from my iPad is indeed joyful!
glennie - My dog has been extra adorable. Yesterday we made a pile of sheets to wash. She climbed on top to claim she was queen of the mountain. Think she found the mattress pads were very comfortable. She does things every day that make me laugh.
ScotBird - I have weather and location envy!
jcn - Nice! The sun is out today here, too!
My sciatica continues to improve. I can reach up to get a glass without any pain. I can open my husband's travel mug - not easily, but without the effort triggering pain. Just a month ago I would have needed to ask his help. So, I'm getting stronger, but getting tired from doing more. That's a step in the right direction!
0 -
Nice! Saw yesterday, rhubarb just coming up, little pink nubs in the dirt.
Overcast today but plan to walk downtown for a few things. Maybe some sprinkles but if so will turn my grateful face to the rain like a flower, as I learned to do here. ♥ to all
0 -
I saw this picture the other day. Had to find it to post here.
0 -
0
-
This isn't a nature doc, but I love Peter Gabriel. Play and dance!
0 -
Love that fish photo! Amazing!
0 -
These were great!
0 -
I'm with the otter!
0 -
Me too!
0 -
Went out to a nice lunch with my husband. Then we stopped to pick up dog food. We buy from a local pet store that brings their dogs into the store. There was just one today. When we got home, my dog sniffed my hand to learn I had been petting another dog. Good thing she got distracted from my betrayal by a new treat. It was made of duck and duck liver. Yum!
0 -
Baths are better for you than I thought!
Want to Burn a Few Calories? Hop in the Bath
Taking a nice, hot bath might be good for more than just your mental state. The passive heating from taking a bath—meaning not generated through exercise—can burn some calories, too.In a study published in the journal Temperature, Loughborough University researchers found that hot baths can lower blood sugar, burn calories, and have an anti-inflammatory effect similar to what's seen after exercise, as study co-author Steve Faulkner writes in The Conversation (as spotted by Town&Country).
The researchers had 14 men take a hot bath (104°F) for an hour, or do one hour of cycling, raising their core body temperatures around 1.8°F in both conditions. They measured how many calories the men burned during that hour and measured their blood sugar over the next 24 hours.
While cycling did burn more calories, as you might expect, bathing did have significant benefits. That hour-long soak burned about 140 calories—similar to what you'd see if you took a 30-minute walk. The men's blood sugar levels were about the same in both conditions, but just after eating, peak blood sugar values were about 10 percent lower for the bathers than for the cyclists. The bathers' bodies showed an anti-inflammatory response similar to that associated with exercise, too, which can help protect against infection. All this indicates that raising your body temperature is good for you, whether you do it by running or by taking a long, hot soak.
The study only examined 14 men, making its findings far from definitive. However, people have sworn by the restorative nature of sauna-ing for centuries, and there has been some other modern science to back the idea up. One 20-year study of 2000 Finnish men found that those who spent time in a sauna every day were less likely to die from heart problems than those who only visited a sauna once a week. (Despite some concern over people with heart problems using saunas, scientific reviews have found the practice to be generally safe.) Previous studies have also found that passive heating from saunas and baths raises levels of nitric oxide, which reduces blood pressure, and can reduce dependence on insulin for type 2 diabetics.
So go ahead, treat yourself to that bath. It's for your health. Just make sure it's nice and hot.
http://mentalfloss.com/article/93916/want-burn-few...
0 -
M
0 -
0 -
This is not the kind of bath I recommend!
0 -
Love the puppy, and the info about baths. Very interesting.
0 -
I have a lot of post-treatment weight. Time for a bath.
0 -
Hi all,
I'm struggling to get my mojo back and my stamina after treatment.
When I feel down, this penguin who giggles when tickled never fails to make me smile!
Carrie
0 -
feeling howled out after the delightful owl vids thanks B
0 -
GG - I take regular baths, and sad to report I haven't noticed weight loss. I do feel wiped afterwards. I add Epsom salt and magnesium chloride. Still recommend it for the other benefits. I lose weight when I eat more carefully. Hard to do when my husband buys ice cream. If it's in the house, I can't resist.
Fotheringay - Welcome and thanks for the link! It was really cute at the beginning, and then they dialed it up at the end!
Bright - I watched the owls, too. I've never seen owls move like that!
I'm having "issues" with my pup. I've spoiled her. She takes my spot in bed and the chair. She will climb on top of me to get warm. She stares when I eat. See her under my jello?
0 -
Serenity, what is your beautiful dog's name?
One thing that never fails to bring me joy is springtime. And I absolutely love the way spring unfolds in the Ohio Valley where I live. The lime green buds of trees are starting to come out and that is one of my very favorite sights. Also, the magnolia trees in my area are blossoming. Not sure if the cold snap coming on Friday will zap those flowers; sure hope not; such a beautiful flowering tree.
I've got a lot of my flower beds mulched, I don't care for the physical work cuz it's hard on my body, but it looks super nice the rest of the year when it's done, and I have all kinds of different perrenials that will bloom over these next many months. Knowing that brings me lots of joy.
0 -
Her name is Indie, but I often use different endearments. Most common would be "My Sweet Pup".
0 -
Serenity, I have numerous endearments for my two cats, too. Peach is the male cat, I often call him "Shugga Bear" as in sugar bear and "Kee Boy" as in kitty boy. Our female cat, Lucy, is Shugga Berry, Lulu, and Loo-bee Lu. Also call them nonsensical words like "Ooo-buhs" and "Snoogy" or "Snoogs". They are daily joys.
Here is Peach:
And Lucy:
0 -
Beautiful cats!
0 -
serenity
great dog pic but it sounds like she has top dog alpha tendenacies l wonder how that happened....must be due to long legs! They know they are loved
0 -
She tries to use her cuteness for evil! I'm working on the "scooch" command. Pretty much I say it and sit in the space I want even if it's on top of her. Gently, but if she's awake, she'll grudgingly move. If asleep, I can now move her myself, but it's 26 lbs of limp.
One command I like is "go upstairs - go see <kid name>". I use it when I want one of the kids to take her out. She will go and find the child. That's fun.
0 -
Heavy rain outside. Candle lit inside.
0 -
April showers, indeed. We'll have some flooding by the end of this.
Divine: The snow has just melted. I can see the Bleeding Hearts and the Daffs peaking through the soil.
I have never gained weight like this. Ever, ever. I am watching what I eat and it all looks yummy.
I need to reach for fruit whenever I need a snack.
Hello Peach, Lucy and Indie. I miss my Cloudy Poudy when I am at Hope Lodge. But we do have a therapy dog!
Right now, I am staying here 3 nights a week so that I am closer to my PT and cardio/exercise rehab program.
Do any of you have a Hope Lodge in your region? Serenity, is there something like it in Canada? Free lodging for cancer patients. Very grateful for this community.0 -
It isn't my local hospital, but I don't live that far from my cancer center. Heavy traffic/construction can make the commute much longer by car. I take the commuter train if the schedule works with my appointment time. I did see that in Quebec there are lodges for cancer patients that are low cost and include meals and snacks. I'm glad you're able to stay at a free lodge.
I went to Qi Gong this morning. As I was leaving the receptionist asked if I'd like some flowers. They were given flowers, and she didn't think they would last the weekend. She was giving people small bunches. Now I have some fresh flowers. They smell nice.
0
