Gray Wolf Productions

Category: Musings

  • About Stress and 5 Stress Busters

    stressAre you stressed?


    Why we have so many more people feeling stressed these days has been attributed to factors such as job concerns, crime, changing societal and religious practices, etc.

    I am not sure what stresses you, but I do know that the two reasons most people do not sleep well at night are worries about their health and about their finances. 

     
    Like the picture shows – when you are worried about health and money – ringing phones are themselves a stressor!

    And I also know that stress leads to a lack of adequate sleep and that stress is a major cause of health problems.
     
    Caveat – some stress is good for us – it can be motivating. 
     

    This post is about that stress which can be harmful and bad stress takes one on a cycle of – well – more stress.

    The cycle goes like this:
    • worry about health and money
    • sleep less well
    • get more stressed
    • get stress-related illnesses
    • worry more about health
    • sleep even less well
    • get even more stressed
    • and so on…..

    Here are 5 ways to start reducing your stress:

    1 – you must get adequate sleep

    How?
    • going to bed at the same time every evening
    • not watching TV in bed
    • not having an argument before bedtime
    • not reading murder mysteries at bedtime
    • no late night eating – except maybe a glass of warm milk
    Hard? Yes. Impossible? No!

    2- you must exercise

    I know it’s harder to exercise when you are stressed. So think of daily small things you can do that make your body move. 
    • stairs instead of elevators 
    • walking more 
    • jumping jacks. 
    • hopping or running in place in your house while watching TV or listening to the radio

    3- you must eat properly

    This means the right nutrition and at the right times because bodies need fuel just like your car does – and your body needs the right fuel and at the right time just like your car does.
    • eat only when you are actually hungry
    • snack on vegetables and fruit
    • drink more water – a lot of “feeling” hungry is actually a need for hydration
    • avoid soft drinks
    • eat breakfast every day

    4- you have to socialize

    • spend quiet time with family
    • go for a walk with friends
    • hang out on Facebook or Twitter
    • chat with your neighbors

    5 – And the hardest for many – you must earn more income

    I know the economy is not great but there are home-based business models that do well in an economic downturn. 
    • check out the company [due diligence]
    • find a product that you really love and use it
    • talk to your friends
    • don’t expect overnight success – be patient but always take a daily step forward with your new business.

     

    Comments? Thoughts? Thank you!

     

     


  • Reading Spam Is Like Reading Comics

    Don't get mad at your computer – laugh at the spam!

     

    I always look at what my spam catchers catch on my blogs because they err on the side of catching too much…

    The email spam I do not open!

    I like that better than catching too few….

    Here are some spam comments that have appeared on a few of my blogs – I bet you get them as well. They sound sort of reasonable until you realize you've seen the same words more than once, or twice, or 50 times…

    So I thought – why not post about what fun it is to read this stuff….giggles sure beats getting ticked off about the spam…It's going to continue to happen and I will continue to giggle at it.

    Here are 3 examples of spam that were on one of my blogs..all comments on a page and not a post. 

    [I'm still wondering what keywords got them there…]

    1- The charm and appeal to our cleverness as bloggers:

    I like what you guys are up also. Such clever work and reporting! Keep up the superb works guys I have incorporated you guys to my blogroll. I think it will improve the value of my site :). "Live among men as if God beheld you speak to God as if men were listening." by Seneca.

    2- Making us feel we are really really special:

    I think other website owners should take this site as an example , very clean and fantastic user friendly design . “Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me.” by Carol Burnett.

    3- Attempt at both of the above

    Fantastic goods from you, man. I’ve understand your stuff previous to and you are just extremely magnificent. I actually like what you’ve acquired here, certainly like what you are stating and the way in which you say it. You make it entertaining and you still take care of to keep it wise. I can’t wait to read far more from you. This is really a tremendous site.

    Spam is a factor in life – so laugh at it…..

    And I'll let you all know if posting these comments leads to lots of spam on this post

     

    YUP – whatever words are in these spam comments above, they attracted more spam

     

    Thoughts? Comments? Thanks….

  • Library Love

    I love libraries! 

     

    I’ve loved libraries all my life.

    I got my 1st library card at whatever age that was allowed back then and went to the library often. My mom drove me but as soon as I was allowed, I walked or biked there.

    As I got older, I spent endless hours in the library at 42nd Street [I loved the lions] and of course, my college library.

    In graduate school and afterwards, I loved the university library.

    When I moved to D.C. I was in heaven – I had the Library of Congress!

    In the past I also bought a lot of books – but when I made this last move, which was cross-country – many of those found new homes because I knew I’d have very limited space.

    But I picked a location that turned out to have a great library system: Multnomah County!

    I can continue to feed my book addiction with all kinds of reading matter…

     

    And even though I live online now, and publish ebooks, I still love to hold a book in may hands as I read!

     

    And I continue to vote for levies to support libraries because everyone should have access to a free public library and all those books!

    I love libraries!

     

     

    Comments? Thank you!

  • Superstitions: What Are Yours?

    We all have some – they seem to be part of human nature.

    Here are some I have met in my life….are any yours?

    Stepping on the white lines on baseball fields?

    [I never noticed this til my son pointed it out.]

    Friday the 13th?

    Any 13s?

    Black cats?

    Ladders?

    Step on a crack – break your mother’s back?

    Wearing specific clothing to take a test?

    Special something to wear on a date?

    Your lucky number[s] for playing the lottery?

    Spitting on your hand when you pass a cemetery?

     

     

    Any additions to the list?

    Care to say how you "got" your superstiiton?

    Thanks

  • Healthy Eating With Your Own Plants

    lettuceIn the summer, I try to avoid supermarket produce.

    Fresh picked foods are so much better for you.

     

    And it is so easy to grow mesclunfresh lettuce, mesclun, cilantro and other greenery in containers.

     

     

     

    My neighbors and I have limited space and no gardens – but we grow almost everything imaginable in our containers.

    Last year I added some dwarf fruit trees and my Meyer lemon has a few tiny lemons – YUM

    meyer lemon

    Lack of space is not excuse for not having fresh vegetables to pick and eat!

    Comments? Thoughts? Thank you!

     

  • Almost Time to Swim

    I should have taken a "before" photo to show the "stuff" that was growing on the end of the boat ramp.

     

    You can see some of what is left [for another day's power washing.]

    Cleaned off ramp means it is now useable for swimming, easy in and out of kayak, and sun bathing.

    While i was power washing, I had the familiar thought about mixing water and electricity. It's supposed to be a no-no – but when I power wash I am not only using electricity and water in the same piece of equipment, I am often washing over the electrical cord.

    Guess the old electric-water adage is not applicable for some things?

    And this year I remembered to move my kayak away from the filthy sprayed off yuk.

    River temp is mid-60s…..so it IS almost time for swimming.

    [It is a cold river so warm-enough-to-swim is relative to how hot the air is]

     

     

     

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