Monthly Archives: June 2015

Relaxing in Redondo Beach

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“Together with a culture of work,
there must be a culture
of leisure as gratification.
To put it another way:
people who work must take the time
to relax, to be with their families,
to enjoy themselves, read,
listen to music, play a sport.”
Pope Francis

Redondo Beach

Old Time Wood Poster of Redondo Beach

Such a quiet and relaxing day. So much to be thankful for, I feel very fortunate.

My son and his girlfriend stopped by for dinner. We ate early because his girlfriends grandma is in the hospital, and they wanted to pay her a visit.

We hope her grandma has a speedy recovery and will soon return back home.

Shine On

Slumberland

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“Laugh and the world laughs with you,
snore and you sleep alone.”
Anthony Burgess

Slumberland

Recently I’ve been going to bed earlier and earlier. I’m working on not staying up so late, so that I can get an early start on my day. I had been sleeping maybe three to four hours in the night and it was taking a toll on my mind and body.

The benefits of sleep make a big difference in every area of your life. People don’t realize how much sleep they need and why it is so important. Adequate sleep is a key part of a healthy lifestyle, and can benefit your heart, weight, mind, and more.

Inflammation is linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, and premature aging. Research shows that people who get less sleep—six or fewer hours a night—have higher blood levels of inflammatory proteins than those who get more.

Harvard Medical School Division of Sleep Medicine has done a great deal of research to find out how your body manages sleep. According to their findings, your body manages and requires sleep in much the same way that it regulates the need for eating, drinking, and breathing. Throughout the years, extensive research has been done on the effects of sleep. These studies show that sleep plays a vital role in promoting physical health, longevity, and emotional well-being.

That explains why after a good night’s sleep, I feel better, my thoughts are clearer, and my emotions are less fragile. Without adequate sleep, judgment, mood, and ability to learn and retain information are weakened.

I sympathize with young mothers who have great difficulty obtaining enough sleep. But, maybe somethings will just have to wait while you get some rest. Maybe even taking a catnap with the kiddies will make a big difference in your entire day.

So, make a commitment to yourself to get at least seven to eight hours sleep each night. You will feel and see a big difference in all aspects of your life when you get that much-needed slumberland.

Shine On

Jack of Spades

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“I was brought up to be sympathetic toward others.”
Joyce Carol Oates

Jack of Spades

I just finished reading another Joyce Carol Oates novel. I discovered Joyce Carol Oates after watching her interviewed on Well Read. I can’t believe I had never read one of her books prior to this interview.

Her writing is exciting and quickly draws you in by her lively characters. All of her plots are fresh and the characters are so real you think these people truly exist.

Jack of Spades is suspenseful and keeps you guessing from beginning to end. I read this book in a half a day because I just couldn’t put it down.

If you’re looking for a great read and a real page turner, pick up a copy of Jack of Spades

Shine On

Smart TV Making Us Lazy

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“I think it’s brought the world a lot closer together,
and will continue to do that. There are downsides
to everything; there are unintended
consequences to everything. The most corrosive
piece of technology that I’ve ever seen
is called television – but then, again,
television, at its best, is magnificent.”
Steve Jobs

Smart TV

Everyday our gadgets are getting smarter and smarter. Whether its our cars that park itself, or our shoes that tell us the length of our stride.

It won’t be long before instead of driving our cars, we will all be sitting in the back seat watching a movie together.

Today I read that you now can buy a television that will change channels with voice commands. I remember when our television didn’t have a remote and I was the human remote that changed the channel for my dad when he wanted to watch one of the three channels on our tv.

Technology will never stop changing and evolving and will undoubtedly improve. But, is this technology improving our lives or is the new smart tv making us lazy?

Shine On

The American Overachiever

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“Tell me and I forget.
Teach me and I remember.
Involve me and I learn.”
Benjamin Franklin

American Overachiever

He’s one of the father’s of our country and he coined a number of terms and proverbs that are used today, including battery, conductor and electrician.

It was on this day in 1752, Benjamin Franklin flies a kite during a thunderstorm and collects a charge in a Leyden jar when the kite is struck by lightning, enabling him to demonstrate the electrical nature of lightning.

Franklin became interested in electricity in the mid-1740s, a time when much was still unknown on the topic, and spent almost a decade conducting electrical experiments.

Franklin also wrote and published Poor Richard’s Almanack, a collection of proverbs advocating hard work and honesty in order to get ahead. The almanac, which Franklin first published in 1733 under the pen name Richard Saunders, included such wisdom as: “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.”

Whether or not Franklin followed this advice in his own life is unknown, but he came to represent the American overachiever.

Shine On