The Heat Of Ginger

I have experienced the most delicious candy...called ginger chews. It seems to me to be a more "adult" candy. I use it as a supplement while sick or just when I need a pep. Originally I had a product found at Target at Christmas made by a company called The Ginger People. I guess it was a seasonal item because we couldn't find it again but later I found the same candy except made by another company,
Reed's at my favorite local health food store.

The only difference I can see is that the Reed's product is a little harder to chew than The Ginger People. But, it has the same flavor and texture. It is a wonderful product that gives a nice BITE of heat. Ginger is good for a host of ailments and is good for many functions including: travel sickness, stomach upset, hypertension, throat inflammation, constipation, protects lungs & colon, reduces & expels mucous, stimulates circulation, increases metabolic rate, heart & artery renewal, is a natural diuretic and much more. Look at your nearest health food store or order online.

OOPS! CORRECTION FROM LAST ARTICLE

TO EVERYONE THAT READ MY LAST ARTICLE ABOUT HERBAL TEA. THE TEA SHOP IS NOT IN CHICAGO!!! IT IS IN INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA. After my daughter left Chicago they came home through Indianapolis and the tea shop was near the square. So, please don't go looking for it in Chicago. I realized my mistake after I clicked on the link tonight since I had not spent a lot of time there the last time, I wanted to go back and visit it again. I'm glad I did. The next time I will be more careful before giving you information. Please forgive me!

TEA FOR WHAT AILS YOU

I have been on an herbal tea kick for quite some time. It is almost like a hobby because there is always a new one to try. My daughter went to Chicago last month and found a tea shop called TeaPots n Treasures. She bought me a wonderful tea blend that has Egyptian chamomile, orange peel, ginger, rooibos and mint. It is named "When You Feel Ichy Tea". The label says when you feel a sore throat comin on, or a cold headache, out in the cold & got a chill, feel puny or just really sick & ichy.
It really does make you feel better and helps you sleep. I always sweeten it with honey and sometimes I will add extra mint or green tea to brighten up the flavors. Ginger has been one of my favorites because it is good for colds or when you have a stomach ache. The color of this tea is really vivid and the flavors come together nicely.

TEACHING MYSELF VIOLIN

Yes, I have been teaching myself the violin since about last August. I took 4 lessons with a man that owns his own music store but I found out that I really wasn't doing much wrong. I would ask him a lot of questions and he finally said, "LIZ, JUST PLAY". It was the way he looked at me that brought back memories of my days in the high school band. He reminded me of my band director. All he wanted was to play, hear and be a part of music. I played the flute and was a perfectionist, always thinking I had to be first chair. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with that BUT I quickly found out that 30+ years later, I could never be first chair with the violin. I am my own worse critic!!! I had come a LONG way and decided to play everyday, even if it was for just 10 minutes and that brought me along nicely BUT I haven't played AT ALL for the past 3 weeks AND that is BAD!!! I played again tonight and realized that was a very huge mistake that I won't make again. It took me 10 minutes just to tune it and now, afterwards my left arm is really shaking. It reminds me of the old saying, "A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips". Except I guess I should say, "When you don't play every day, you don't want to play everyday" and "When you play everyday, you want to play everyday."

The Blarney Stone

The Blarney stone is part of Blarney Castle, just north of Cork Ireland. It is a block of bluestone that was set into the castle walls when it was built in 1446. The stone is said to be magical but it's origin in shrouded in mystery. No one knows for sure where it came from. It is said that if you kiss the stone, you will be blessed with the gift of gab. You have to actually sit down with your back to the stone, then lean backwards, while holding onto iron bars. There is an attendant that holds onto you so you don't fall to your death. I don't know about you but...I wouldn't want to kiss something that has been kissed thousands of times before and probably never been wiped off. YUG!

LEPRECHAUN WATCH

There is an actual live web cam in Tipperary Ireland where you can watch for leprechaun's and other creatures. It is in a remote area and is hidden in a tree and if you see anything you can right click and take a picture of it. Go visit and try your luck to get a glimpse of a real Irish leprechaun.

CHANGING YOUR LUCK

3 more days! You may ask yourself..."How can I change my luck from bad to good?" First of all, YES you can change your luck. You don't have to always have bad luck, like having a dark cloud hovering over your head. But, it will take some effort and just telling yourself you WILL have good luck. I am talking about your mindset. Start thinking like a lucky person, bring good or lucky thoughts into your head by being optimistic. Imagine yourself being successful in the things you are doing or have to do. This will open yourself up to better fortune and pretty soon you will see a difference. At least once a week, take a few minutes to think about what's going well in your life. You are always thinking about what is going bad in your life, so why not give yourself a break and focus on what's going good. Also try to give someone else a compliment about anything, even how their hair looks that day. This will open a pathway for your luck to change for the better. GOOD LUCK TO YOU!

4 MORE DAYS

Better late than never! It's 10:00 p.m., four days until St. Patrick's Day. I've been gone all day and am just now getting around to writing my post on day 2 of the 5 day countdown. I'll let you in on a little secret. I have been waiting a couple of years to use this following information, ever since I learned it. There is an old Irish saying; "Top O' the morning to ya". If someone says this to you, the correct response would be; "And the rest of the day to yourself". I guess I haven't had anyone say it to me because I don't know any real Irish people. BUT-I'm still waiting to give the correct response...I can't wait. I have been prepared and will keep it on the tip of my tongue...just in case!

I'm sure everybody knows this is a picture of the Chicago River on St. Patty's Day, they've been dyeing the water since 1962.

FIVE DAYS OF "LUCK"

There are 5 days until St. Patrick's Day so I have decided to write an article every day leading up to the 17th. This is not only Friday the 13th but also the second month in a row where we have had a Friday the 13th. I always say we have good luck on Friday the 13th, mainly because we have never had "bad" luck. We are part Irish (isn't everybody?) and have always had a special liking to all things green. After all it is the color of spring, money, lucky 4 leaf clovers and not to mention all the talk about being "green", environmentally speaking. So, here's to a "LUCKY DAY ALL DAY LONG---FRIDAY THE 13TH" Hurrah!This is a picture of an Oxalis. I have always been fond of the purple variety but had to post a picture of this, iron cross variety because I have never seen it before. It is also called the "lucky shamrock".

LADYBUG LADYBUG FLY AWAY HOME

I have always loved ladybugs and have never seen one stretching it's wings quite like this one. It took me a couple of minutes to figure out it was not dead. I watched it almost 10 minutes before taking the picture.

Sedona Arizona - Red Rock

My son recently went on a day trip to Sedona Arizona and took these pictures of the famed Red Rock formations. I have always wanted to go to Sedona to experience the energy there. The area is known for it's energy vortexes. We will be returning to Arizona in September and Sedona is where we will be spending some time. I can't wait to experience the energy for myself. It is supposed to be a great place to meditate.

Looks like a perfect spot to throw down a mat and meditate!

7 DAYS OF INSPIRATION

TAKEN FROM THE FEB. 23RD ISSUE OF WOMAN'S WORLD MAGAZINE:

DAY 1: Success can happen anytime.

DAY 2: Your problems are temporary.

DAY 3: Each new day brings new joys.

DAY 4: Believe in yourself. There's no reason not to.

DAY 5: Everyone needs some "me" time. Including yourself!

DAY 6: For a wish to come true, you have to make one!

DAY 7: Cheer someone up. It'll cheer you up, too!

Western Scrub Jay

Birdwatching is one of my favorite hobbies. I'm not an expert, just a fan. Recently, my son captured this image of a Western Scrub Jay while on a day trip to Sedona Arizona. In winter it is fairly rare because it is a migratory bird for Arizona. I wish I could've been there...maybe next time.

GIVEAWAY THANKS

I just received a pleasant surprise in the mail today. One of the Steampunk hearts that

Susan gave away. Thank you Susan!

It is a little treasure that I will keep with my little red heart rock that I found in the desert. It has been nice making online friendships with people I don't even know. She even included a precious little note card expressing her feelings. This is going into a scrapbook the next time I have time to create a few pages.

EARLY BLOOMING FORSYTHIA

This is a forsythia that I spied Friday, coming home from work. It is the first one in bloom that I have seen so far. It seems to have come into full bloom in just one day. It is amazing how fast some plants bloom out so quickly.

Then last night we had a blowing snow that lasted from about 4:00 pm until about midnight. At times it looked like the flakes were falling UP! Mostly it was coming down sideways because the wind was blowing so hard. Some of it stuck to the ground but was melted off by midday. This was not so unusual for us here in Arkansas, I can remember several times in the past when it snowed in March and not just flurries but several inches. Certain areas around the state DID get several inches of accumulation though. I was hoping we would actually get some snow this Winter but we didn't. Now I am just ready for Spring.