Slow Down on Your Race To The Grave

Slow down and sit for a while. There is no charge for this restorative experience and it may save your health. Look around you at nature and the beautiful world we have. Sit on a park bench or at an outdoor cafe and watch the people go by. Notice their expressions and the variety of shapes and styles people have. See if you can figure out their nationality by their looks. Think about how an artist would see them. Notice how they move, whether fluid, halting or some other way. Watch the birds and listen to their different calls. Listen to any breeze and the noise it makes as it passes. Look at the clouds in the sky and the patterns on the sidewalks or paths. Enjoy the trees, the flowers, the plants. Notice any smells in the air and see if you can focus on individuals smells. See how many different ones you can detect. Notice the feel of the air and the temperature. How are you sitting there, slumped, straight or otherwise. Notice how you body feels as you sit and watch the world go by. As you concentrate on your surroundings and your senses, your heart should relax and it will be good for you mind, soul, spirit and body. Be alive while you live. If you have a child, watch them play as you observe your surroundings. Teach them to see the things in their environment and to slow down. Go for a walk in nature, or just for a walk through your neighborhood. Most people live in safe places. (If you live in a dangerous place, consider moving. The stress of forever living in danger, plus the possible air pollution and other factors are robbing you of your quality of life and peace.) Walk around your neighborhood and take in all of the details. Notice the people, the cars, the landscaping, the architecture, the various pavements, the smells, the sounds and how you feel as you walk around. Walk each day for your daily "constitution" as the old timers called it. There is no need to hurry. Slow walking has benefits too in feeding the soul and calming the mind. Notice tiny changes from day to day as you take the same path. If you are lucky enough to have a nature center or a park nearby, enjoy all the sights, scents and sounds that are there in abundance. Look at the birds, the squirrels, the chipmunks, the bugs, and any other wildlife that may be around. Enjoy the clean air and the feel of the ground under your feet. Teach your children to do the same. Find a place on your porch or in your yard to sit out and enjoy nature and your neighborhood. You worked hard for your home, so slow down and enjoy it. If you sit in the front yard, you may notice other people and make new friends. There will not be many, but there will be a few. Do these things to take care of yourself instead of going places you really do not want to go with people that you don't care much about while spending money you do not have on things you don't care much if you have or not. Relax instead of mindlessly watching TV shows that you really don't care much about and add nothing to your life while being tempted to buy things you do not really want or need. Slow down, nurture your soul, lift your spirit and live while you are alive. Life is not about stuff and a frenzy of activity. It's about relationships and health.

Food - Bone Soup

Bone soup is very popular right now. It is inexpensive to make and can be high in vitamins and minerals. The bones include marrow and cartilage, which contain the ingredients used to make up supplements for treating aches and pains and bone and joint problems. It is very healthy for people of all ages. Home made bone soup is far healthier than store bought, canned and packaged, broth. Making bone soup is easy. While there are many recipes online, this is the simple way I make it. Bones can be from chicken, turkey, beef, pork, mutton or even duck. For a darker broth and a richer flavor, (my preference) brown the bones in the oven first before boiling, but it is not necessary. Put the bones, with a bit of meat on them if possible for more flavor, in the crock pot and cover with water. I prefer the have the crock pot at least 1/3 full of bones. Let them cook all day in the crock pot. I add salt and a teaspoon of vinegar to dissolve some of the calcium into the broth. I cook it at least 10 to 12 hours. If too much water evaporates, a bit of boiling water can be added (not cold water which can crack a crock pot). If the bones are small, such as with chicken, duck or turkey, I remove them before adding other ingredients. Sometimes, I put the cooked broth in a glass container in the refrigerator over night. If desired, fat that rises to the top as it cools can be skimmed. As it cools, some bone broths will turn to a jell. That's all the healthy stuff. Once the bone broth is ready, any vegetables can be added as desired. Possibilities include, garlic, onions, carrots, celery, greens such as spinach, mushrooms, potatoes, corn, peas, beans, tomatoes, root vegetables, squash and anything else you like. Do not add all of those ingredients at once. Add flavors you like that compliment each other. Adding a starch food, such as rice, noodles, pasta, spaghetti or potatoes is very good, inexpensive and filling. I like to add herbs and spices to my broth, depending on my mood at the time. A broth can be made spicy by adding cayenne or red pepper flakes to the broth. (I am not fond of spicy food.) I like a bone soup, either chicken or beef, cooked with rice, a handful of mushrooms and sometimes a bit of celery or onion. It's wonderful comfort food and not expensive. In Asia, where noodles are king, bone soup will be made of pork bones, and noodles and a few vegetables, such as a carrot or green onions, will be added to the cooked broth. It is very inexpensive. If you choose ingredients that are inexpensive, and that you like, this soup is very economical and satisfying.