February is upon us and that means Valentine's Day. But the shortest month of the year has a lot more going for it than just this one special day. To prove my point, just check out all the awesome days for February, 2019!
February Calendar
1.  National Freedom (from slavery) Day, National Get Up Day, National Baked Alaska Day, National Serpent Day, National Wear Day, National Bubble Gum Day.
2.  Groundhog Day, National Heavenly Hash Day, National Tater Tot Day.
3.  National Day The Music Died, National Carrot Cake Day, National Missing Persons Day, National Women Physicians Day.
4.  National  Football Hangover Day, National Hemp Day, National Thank A Mail Carrier Day, National Homemade Soup Day, National Create A Vacuum Day.
5.  National Weatherperson's Day, World Nutella Day, US Safer Internet Day.
6.  National Lame Duck Day, National Girls and Women In Sports Day, National Frozen Yogurt Day.
7.  National Periodic Table Day, National Send A Card To A Friend Day.
8.  National Boy Scouts Day, National Kite Flying Day.
9.  National Pizza Day, National Toothache Day (weird thing to celebrate, right?), National Bagel Day.
​10. National Home Warranty Day, National Umbrella Day, National Cream Cheese Brownie Day.
11. National Make A Friend Day, Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk Day, National White Shirt Day, National Shut-In Visitation Day, National Peppermint Patty Day, National Inventors' Day, National Clean Out Your Computer Day.
12. National Plum Pudding Day.
13. Break Up With Your Carrier Day, National Cheddar Cheese Day, 
14. National Organ Donor Day, National Ferris Wheel Day, National Cream-Filled Chocolates Day, and, of course, Valentine's Day.
15. National Gumdrop Day, Singles Awareness Day, National Caregivers Day, No One Eats Alone Day.
16. National Almond Day, National Do A Grouch A Favor Day.
17. National Random Acts Of Kindness Day, National Cabbage Day.
18. National Battery Day, Presidents Day.
19. National Vet Girls ROCK Day, National Lash Day, National Chocolate Mint Day.
20. National Cherry Pie Day, National Love Your Pet Day (Isn';t this every day??).
21. National Grain-Free Day, National Sticky Bun Day. (Odd that they'd pair these two together....)
22. National Cook A Sweet Potato Day, National Skip The Straw Day.
23. National Banana Bread Day, National Dog Biscuit Day, National Tile Day, National Toast Day.
24. National Tortilla Chip Day. (This is a great day to make up your own special holiday!)
25. National Chocolate Covered Nut Day, National Clam Chowder Day.
26. National Pistachio Day, National Tell A Fairy Tale Day, Spay Day USA. (This is a super important day for all pet owners!)
27. National Strawberry Day (Is it me, or is this a weird time of year to celebrate this?),National Polar Bear Day, National Retro Day.
28. National Public Sleeping Day, National Chocolate Souffle Day, National Floral Design Day, National Chili Day, Rare Disease Day (USA), National Tooth Fairy Day.
That's a bunch of fun and worthy celebrations to cram into one short month! Which days will you choose to celebrate? After I make my final decisions, I'll head over to the Land of Lily Pad Party Store and get all my supplies. Please stop back by tomorrow for a unique Friday blog. Until then, my friend, I wish you
                                                                       PEACE.

I can't believe it's already Wednesday again. The days are just flying by.  We've had a little cold snap here in Lily pad and I found myself not really wanting to get up this morning. Wrapped up in a nice warm leaf, I laid in bed thinking about Dharma and what I could cobble together for our breakfast. As soon as I figured out what I was going to make, I dragged myself out of bed, went for a quick swim to dust myself off, then headed for the kitchen to prepare our simple meal.
Dharma arrived right on schedule and quickly poured himself a cup of freshly-brewed tea. He poured one for me, too, and as we warmed ourselves up, he thoughtfully asked me, "Tadpole, why do most humans think they know everything? You have many human friends and I'm hoping that you can help me understand why it is that people have such a hard time accepting learning from the experience of others." Honestly, I had to scratch my head on this one because I didn't have a clear answer for him. "Sir, I don't know why. But you are right. Many humans believe that they're experts in everything. It seems that they have great difficulty in admitting, even to themselves, that they don't know all there is to know." Dharma smiled a little. "Son, one frog's head cannot hold all the wisdom. And your human friends would do well to learn from us." And so began our breakfast and my weekly lesson.
Dharma explained that while it's good to learn from our own experience, it can be even more beneficial to learn from the experience of others. It is often more efficient, as well. Many others before us have traveled down the road we're on. And while no two paths are exactly the same, there are usually enough similarities that the problems they've encountered and the solutions they've found can help us accelerate our own progress. 
I was reminded that discoveries and inventions develop in an exact fashion.  Humans start with the existing body of knowledge and then advance from there.  If everyone felt they had to discover everything for themselves, society would never have evolved from the Stone Age. Humans. and more than a few frogs, believe that it's best to simply learn things for yourself. Dharma agrees, but only to a point. "Although self-discovery is certainly beneficial, my boy, ignoring proven cause and effect scenarios experienced by others wastes time and is a pathway to frustration." I can see where he's going with this and I wanted to know more. "Teacher, what is the best way to learn from others? Maybe those in my circle of acquaintances don't have the experience I need. What then?" "Good question, Irwin. The first step, and often the easiest way to learn from others is by reading and researching the subject you need help with. Countless books have been written on every subject imaginable. Whether you want to lose weight but don't know which diet and exercise plan will work best for you, or you want to know what kind of wood to purchase to build a bookcase, you can find that books will be an invaluable resource. And don't forget the internet. A world of knowledge is available with just a few strokes on your computer's keyboard. But keep in mind that much of what is found online is erroneous. Be discriminating with your choice of sources.
If you still need more information, check out local classes or seek a mentor in your area who is an expert on the subject you want to learn. Working with an authority in a particular field is a great way to acquire lots of experience quickly. Another way to learn is by joining a group or association. Let's say you want to know about bird-watching. Your local library can help you find a local group that will be very happy to have you as a new member. Humans, frogs too, love to talk about their favorite subjects. By joining a club, you'll have many opportunities to learn from the collective experience of the membership.
Spend time enhancing your experience on a regular basis and you will be surprised how quickly your knowledge grows.  Be proactive.  Go out and find the experience you need.  Practice applying what you learn.  Knowledge is effective only when it’s utilized. 
Dharma had this to say on learning from others. "Gaining experience is fun.  It keeps your mind sharp.  It makes life more interesting.  As your experience grows, you are in a position to expand on what you have learned.  Other people’s experience provides you with a great foundation from which to reach higher goals." Wise words from a wise frog.
In summary, don’t waste time learning from your own experiences. I mean, really, do you want to spend your time reinventing the wheel? Acquire an edge by learning from what others have already been through.  Whatever your goals may be, there are those who have a lot to teach you because they have already hopped down your path. Another valuable lesson from Dharma.
Please join me back here tomorrow for a look at the February Calendar of Special Days. Until then, Dharma and I wish you           PEACE.

​http://www.presspublications.com/opinionscolumns/146-dare-to-live-without-limits/8521-learn-from-the-experience-of-others

By now, we all know that working out helps our bodies stay strong and healthy. Exercise is good for our heart. And a good fitness routine keeps us feeling and looking our best. But what about the brain? We don't do much to keep that organ in shape and with all the social media junk being hurled at it daily, it can seem like our brains are turning to mush. But we can change that and today is a good day to start a brain fitness progress. And have some fun while we're at it. Today is National Puzzle Day.
It doesn't matter what kind they are; jigsaw, word searches, trivia, brain teasers, or Soduku. Doing puzzles gives our brain a workout. The best part is that no special clothes or membership is required! Studies have shown that working on puzzles utilizes both sides of the brain. Left-brain thinks logically and follows sequence while the right brain is creative, intuitive and emotional. When you try to put together a jigsaw puzzle, you harness both the brain powers. Puzzles improve our memory, cognitive function, and problem-solving skills. Word searches and crossword puzzles help build a better vocabulary, as well. Puzzles also help physical health by lowering our breath rate, reducing heart rate, and lowering blood pressure. Working on puzzles helps to stimulate us creatively and helps stimulate visualization. Research has shown that staring at the same image for long periods of time has the same effect as meditation; inducing calming and bringing peace of mind. Who knew that puzzles could do so much?
The origins of jigsaw puzzles date back to the 1760s when European map makers pasted maps onto wood then cut them up into small pieces.  John Spilsbury, an engraver and mapmaker, is credited with making the first jigsaw puzzle in 1767. The dissected map has been a successful educational toy ever since. But a great deal has changed in the 250 years since the birth of the map puzzle. Children's puzzles have moved from strictly educational into the world of entertainment with puzzle subjects as diverse as animals, nursery rhymes, and modern superheroes. The biggest surprise to Mr. Spilsbury and his fellow puzzle-makers might be how adults have embraced the "puzzling" over the last century.
Puzzles for adults emerged in the turn of the Twentieth Century. By 1908 it was a full-blown craze in the United States.  Since puzzles made of wood had to be cut one piece at a time, the cost of $5 per 500-piece puzzle in 1908 was far beyond the means of the typical worker who was, at that time, earning $50 a month. "High society, however, embraced the new amusement. Peak sales came on Saturday mornings when customers selected puzzles for their weekend house parties in Newport, Rhode Island, and other country retreats."
The next few years, however, brought significant changes to the puzzle industry. Parker Brothers, the famous game manufacturer, introduced figure pieces into its Pastime brand puzzles. Figure pieces made puzzles a bit easier to assemble. But the fascination with pieces shaped like dogs, birds, and other recognizable objects more than offset the somewhat reduced challenge. Second, Pastimes and other brands moved to an interlocking style that reduced the risk of spilling or losing pieces. Pastime puzzles were so successful that Parker Brothers stopped making games and devoted its entire factory to puzzle production in 1909. Following this craze, puzzles continued as a regular adult diversion for the next two decades.
With the onset of the Great Depression in 1929, puzzles for adults had a resurgence in popularity, reaching its peak in 1933 when sales reached an astounding 10 million per week! Completing puzzles gave people a sense of accomplishment when it was hard to come by otherwise. The national unemployment rate was rising to about 25%.  With job-loss and incomes depleted home entertainment replaced outside activities like going to restaurants, nightclubs, and movies. Puzzles were becoming more affordable and "many of the unemployed architects, carpenters, and other skilled craftsmen began to cut jigsaw puzzles in home workshops and to sell or rent them locally. During the 1930s craze for puzzles, drugstores and circulating libraries added puzzle rentals to their offerings. They charged three to ten cents per day, depending on size."
So how can you celebrate today? Spend time putting together a jigsaw puzzle with a friend, or grab a cup of coffee and complete a Sudoku or crossword puzzle. Use #NationalPuzzleDay to post on social media. If you don't already work on puzzles, today might be a good time to start!
Tomorrow is Wednesday and that means my friend and mentor, The Dharma Frog will stop by for another life lesson. Please join me. Until then, I wish you all
                                                                       PEACE.

https://www.puzzlewarehouse.com/history-of-puzzles/
​https://memoryjoggingpuzzles.com/why-jigsaw-puzzles-good-for-the-brain/

For some reason or other, humans and we frogs to I dare say, think it is wrong to hide our darker emotions. We want everyone, friends and strangers alike, to see our sunny and happy disposition. And while focusing on being happy has an upside, certainly, ignoring the darker side of ourselves can have lasting repercussions.
There is a desire in each of us to avoid what's unpleasant. I venture to say nat none of us gets up in the morning with the aim of finding all the bad stuff in the world. We don't have to, for it has a way of finding us. But having some unpleasantness in life is part of being alive. But avoiding unpleasant emotions—rather than accepting them—only increases our psychological distress, inflexibility, anxiety, and depression, diminishing our well-being. "New research suggests that when we turn toward our cravings we are actually less likely to engage in addictive behaviors; when we turn toward our physical pain, we are less likely to be trapped in cycles of chronic pain; when we turn toward our sadness, we are less likely to be stuck in depression; and when we turn toward our anxiety, we are less likely to be paralyzed by it and can find it easier to bear," says Dr. Beth Kurland in her new book, Dancing on the Tightrope. Learning to embrace these dark emotions, facing the unpleasantness in our lives, can bring not only a significant reduction in our anxiety but also give us the ability to experience the joys of life more fully. Facing our darker side allows us to grow in our ability to trust that we can handle life's challenges. 
If we want to live more fully and be our most authentic selves, we need to turn towards our pain, not try to suppress it. But what can help us get there? Experts say that mindful awareness, self-compassion, and acceptance are the keys.
1.  Develop a willingness to open the door. "Imagine that you are opening the door and welcoming your emotions in, to come and have a seat somewhere in the room. You can picture this seat as close to or as far away from you as you like. From this perspective, you can take a gentle and curious look at what is there. Often people will picture their emotions as having some kind of color, shape, or form; sometimes they envision their emotions as cartoon characters or as younger parts of themselves. Part of the practice is simply to accept whatever arrives." And while no one really wants to let in anger and sadness, when we let it in whatever arrives and look at it from a distance with curiosity, we can explore it and become less fearful of it.
2.  Take a curious look at whatever walks through the door. Experts say to be mindful of what walks through the door. Putting a name to it can help; anger, jealousy, fear, sadness, etc. it might sound simplistic, but humans don't always pay close attention to what they are feeling. They just know it doesn't feel good so they tend to just ignore it. When that happens, the unpleasant feeling has a way of growing and taking over their life. It can be beneficial to see these emotions as temporary guests in our home. You can do this by saying, "In this moment I am feeling....."
3.  Give yourself the gift of compassion. many of us (humans and frogs too) have been taught to view unpleasant emotions in a negative way; showing sadness or fear is a weakness. We mistakenly believe that if we are angry or jealous we are somehow bad. How often have you told yourself, or maybe someone else to "Buck up" when they're feeling one of these dark emotions? But I can tell you that they are only dark because they've been kept in the closet for far too long! How about instead of "bucking up" you tell yourself that it's okay...maybe even natural...to feel this emotion? Self-compassion has been linked in many recent studies to well-being. Treating ourselves with a little loving-kindness can go a long way toward helping us cope with difficulties we face. 
While embracing our darker emotions takes courage and bravery, using "The Door" technique can help each of us open the gift that is waiting on the other side. Each time we practice "being with our darker emotions" we grow in our capacity to face head-on the challenges that each of us will face at some point. We may not think of our dark emotions as being gifts, but learning to accept them is truly a gift that can make our lives more pleasant in the long run.
My weekend was super-fun and I trust that yours was, as well. And even though it's Monday, it's wonderful being back on the job. Please stop by again tomorrow; I have good stuff to share with you all week long! I wish you a great start to your week.
                                                                   PEACE.

ttps://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/what_happens_when_you_embrace_dark_emotions?

At the end of yesterday's blog, I said that today's blog would be seedy. And indeed it is. Tomorrow is National Seed Swap Day. This day occurs annually on the last Saturday in January. Seed Swap Day came into being in January 2006 after the first annual Washington Gardener Magazine Seed Exchange was held. After the event's success, seed swaps were held in other cities and National Seed Swap Day was born.
I can hear you now saying, "Irwin, what does this have to do with me? I'm sure not a farmer."  I can see how this might look on the surface. But really anybody, no matter where they live can grow something. Maybe it's fresh herbs in a kitchen window box or a few small pots brimming with sunny marigolds. It's fun to grow things and fairly easy to do, even if you have a brown thumb. Heck, I have no thumbs and even I can do it! So why should we swap seeds? When you attend a seed swap event, you have access to a greater variety of seeds. Many of the interesting seeds that pass from hand to hand at a seed swap (or online) can be hard to find in traditional seed catalogs. Cost can be a factor, too. When you've been doing this for a while, you'll end up with more seeds than you need. Thus, you can swap them for something new to you...often for FREE!
Here's what you need to know about swapping seeds. Like everything else, there are a few simple rules to follow. 1.  Trade only heirloom seeds. Hybrid seeds are created through cross-pollination and therefore rarely yield the same kind of plant the following year. Heirloom seeds, hower, are open-pollinated which will produce the same characteristics season after season. That's why heirloom tomatoes taste the best! And be sure to label your seeds. If you grow more than one kind of herb, flower, or vegetable, be sure and label your seeds as soon as you collect them. Otherwise, you probably won't remember which one is which.
if you're interested in swapping seeds, here are some of the best places to do that. Or just to learn more.
​1.  American Horticultural Society. these folks have been coordinating seed exchanges for over 50 years!
2.  Dave's Garden (davesgarden.com) - A thorough resource for all things gardening.
3.  Local seed swaps -m Check with your local garden society or local public library for events near you.
4.  GardenWeb.com - Another great resource for all things gardening.
5.  Seed Savers Exchange - These folks claim to have the largest online seed swap. If you're looking for something odd, here's the place to find it!
6.  Social Media Sites - Check out Facebook, Nextdoor, and Reddit
Looking for seeds and, perhaps, starting a few indoor plants is a great January weekend activity. And especially fun if you have children!
This does it for me this week. I hope you have a super-duper weekend, whatever you have planned. please join me back here again on Monday. Until then, I wish you
                                                                     PEACE.

​https://www.towergarden.com/blog.read.html/en/2016/1/seed-swap.html

What a lovely day this is! And may I say, dear reader, that I've never seen you look better. Your outfit really plays up the color of your eyes! Happy National Compliment Day!
The word compliment dates back to the 1300s. The first version of the word "compliment" was derived from the Latin word “complementum," which was created during this time. The version meaning “a present or favor bestowed, a complimentary gift" was added to the English language in 1722. Frogs, and humans have giving each other compliments for a long, long time. Giving and receiving compliments can be powerful. Everyone, man and beast alike, is hungry for compliments. Even your dog will wag his tail when he's told, "You're a good boy!" Why, then, aren't we all doling out compliments with more abandon?
Think about the last time you received a compliment. Maybe it was from a loved one or a friend. Perhaps it came from a perfect stranger. Regardless of who uttered the words, it left you feeling uplifted, buoyed even. The words were transformative in how you lived the rest of day. They might not have caused a big or even a conscious shift, but I bet you walked with your head a little higher, you smiled a little more and were kinder to others. Why? Someone was paying attention to YOU. And at that moment, they were present...with YOU.  It's a beautiful feeling!
If it feels so good to receive and to give a compliment, then why don't humans do it more often? I believe that it's because, in our current society, we're all too caught up in the busyness of our lives...a life that is all too often is about the self; me, myself, and I. The obvious solution is to work on becoming "other-centered." Don't just think to yourself about how nice someone looks, or what a great job they did on that project. Vocalize those thoughts. No matter how big or small they might be. We want to HEAR those good things you're thinking! Here's why compliments matter.
1.  You'll brighten someone's day. Mark Twain famously said, "I can live for two months on a good compliment." And he's not alone. it's kind of remarkable what a few positive words can do for your psyche.
2.  The giver of the compliment, becomes more positive, too. When we are present with others and take the time to pay them a compliment their happiness, in turn, makes us happy. And in the end, we all become kinder and nicer. Nice!
3.  Your positivity will be passed on. There is a very good possibility that the compliment you give will cause the receiver to give a compliment to someone else. it causes a chain reaction. And just try to imagine all those happy people. it's kind of inspiring, isn't it? And it can all start with you. As a friend of mine once said, "Giving a compliment can have a beautiful domino effect."
Words are powerful. Use them for good, not evil. The kind words you speak to someone might be the only kind thing they hear all day. Giving compliments is an intuitively simple that could benefit all of us. Yet we don't do it. At least not as often as we might. Challenge yourself today on #NationalComplimentDay to throw compliments around like confetti. Be the start of a happiness chain reaction. You have something better to do today?
Please join me back here tomorrow for my final blog of the week. I'll tell you right now that it will be a little "seedy."  But don't let that put you off.
Until then I wish you many compliments and, of course,
                                                                       PEACE.

Another Wednesday has rolled around. And that can mean only one thing...my weekly life lesson with my wise and dear teacher, The Dharma Frog. I got up at my usual time and, after taking my morning dip in the swamp, I prepared a simple breakfast and brewed the tea. Just as I finished setting the table, Dharma arrived looking even more peaceful than usual. "You look well-rested and happy, Dharma," I greeted him warmly. "Yes, Irwin, it may only be January but I have spring in my heart. I've learned through the years that being happy with each day, just as it is, keeps away the winter chill inside of us. Each day becomes a new beginning...just like springtime." Dharma always has had a way with words and all I could really add was, "Beautifully said."
As we sat down to our meal, Dharma asked me why I seemed a bit fidgety. I have to admit that I was very excited. I explained to him that I have plans to see my friends this weekend and I was anxious to have the work week end. As soon as I said it, I could see the wheels turning in Dharma's head. After a minute or so, he spoke. "Irwin, my boy, the frog who can master patience, masters everything. patience is a virtue that everyone, of all species, can use more of. In the hurry-up world we live in, we are always waiting for the next thing to occur while totally ignoring what's going on in the present. We miss life when we do this." I kind of agreed with him and asked him if he had any suggestions for how to improve one's patience. And, of course, he did. In a nutshell, here are Dharma Frog's top four ways to help all of us become more patient creatures.
1.  Make yourself wait. This is a tough one for most of us. In today's hectic society we want what we want and we want it NOW! But recent studies have shown that waiting for things actually makes us happier in the long run. The trick is learning to wait is to start something with something small, perhaps like buying a piece of chocolate and then waiting a few minutes before eating it. Once you've mastered this, move on to something a little bigger. Work your way up gradually. Dharma suggested making a little game out of it...see how long you can go without caving into your desires. It might sound silly, but it works. Challenge yourself!
2.  Stop doing things that aren't important. I think it's safe to say that we all have things in our lives that we do that aren't really important. One way to alleviate some of the stress in our daily lives is to simply stop doing these things. Take a look at your weekly schedule from the time you wake up until you go to bed at night. Then find one or two tasks that you can eliminate; things that just aren't super important to you. Dharma advises, "It's time to learn to say no to things that cause stress and make us impatient."
3.  Pay attention (be mindful) to the things that cause you to be impatient. Humans, and frogs too live interrupted lives when we multitask; jumping from task to task and from thought to thought. What happens, then, is that we become frustrated and feel as if we're not making any progress with anything. Dharma suggests becoming more mindful of our thoughts and then write down those things that make us feel impatient. This will help you slow down and focus on one task at a time and remove those things that stress you out. 
4.  Relax and take deep breaths. This one can seem too simple on the surface. But stopping to take a few deep breaths when we're stressed and feeling impatient, helps to slow down the mind and calm the body. This really works! If you are especially "keyed up" and you find that deep breathing isn't enough to calm you and clear your head, then try going for a short walk. Walking outdoors not only helps alleviate some nervous energy but breathing in fresh air can help restore your sense of balance. The point of all of this to find some time each day to decompress. Living in a perpetually stressed and hectic world isn't good for your health nor is it good for your psyche. 
"Tadpole, we all need to take time to slow down and practice patience. In doing so, we can learn to leave at least some of stressors and worries behind. If that leads us to feel happier, calmer, and to live more in the moment...then isn't it worth a try?" Dharma was right, as always. I am so eager to see my friends this weekend that I am missing what's going on here and now. I am missing opportunities to enjoy my life, moment by moment. Our lives are short enough as it is without us rushing to to make them pass by even more quickly.
After Dharma left this morning, I decided to do a few household chores that I've been putting off. Not only will my pad look cleaner and neater, I also won't be focused quite so much on meeting my friends this Saturday. I don't know how he does it, but Dharma always has the perfect lesson for me. And today was no exception! I hope you'll join me back here again tomorrow. Until then, I wish you
                                                                   PEACE.

​https://www.inc.com/rhett-power/4-tips-to-help-you-be-a-more-patient-person-science-says-you-will-be-happier.html

Do you hate the sound of your own voice? I know I sure do. I think my croaking sounds like a fog horn while the croaking of my friends and family sounds melodious. Most humans, I think, do hate hearing the sound of their own voice. And there's a reason for it. It's the same reason no one enjoys the noise made by fingernails on a chalkboard or that of a fork scraping along a plate. Today, I thought we'd take a look at human's hearing and find out why certain sounds make up cringe.
Scientists have learned that when humans (and frogs, too, I bet) hear unpleasant sounds, the auditory cortex of the brain and an area of the brain called the amygdala interact together to produce a negative response. The auditory complex processes sound while the amygdala is responsible for processing emotions such as fear, anger, or pleasure. "When humans hear an unpleasant sound, the amygdala heightens our perception of the sound. This heightened perception is deemed distressing and memories are formed associating the sound with unpleasantness."
You may remember from your science or biology class that sound is a form of energy. That energy causes air to vibrate and, thus, creates sound waves. Hearing involves the conversion of sound energy to electrical impulses. Sound waves from the air travel to our ears and are carried down the auditory canal to the eardrum.  When you really think about it, hearing is a pretty complex sense!
​An article in the Journal of Neuroscience states that sounds with frequencies in the 2,000 to 5,000 hertz (Hz) range are unpleasant to humans. That range, we are told, is when human ears are most sensitive. Humans with good hearing can hear sounds that range from as low as 20 Hz to as much as 20,000 Hz. Based on their research work, here are the ten most annoying sounds for most humans, in order of their unpleasantness: 1. Knife on a bottle, 2. Fork on a glass, 3. Chalk on a blackboard, 4. ruler on a bottle, 5. fingernails on a blackboard, 6. a female scream, 7. angle grinder, 8. breaks on a cycle squealing, 9. a baby crying,  and 10. electric drill.
"Listening to these sounds induced more activity in the amygdala and auditory cortex than did other sounds. When we hear an unpleasant noise, we often have an automatic physical reaction. This is due to the fact that the amygdala controls our flight or fight response" which means that when humans hear these sounds, the brain sends signals to prepare for possible danger. So what are the least unpleasant sounds? The study found that applause, laughing, thunder, and water flowing were the participants top four. 
So let's get back to the sound of our own voice and why most of us don't like it. Our own voice sounds different to us when we speak because the sounds vibrate internally and are transmitted directly to our inner ear. As a result, our voice sounds deeper to us than it does to others. But when we hear a recording of our voice, the sound is transmitted through the air and travels down the ear canal before reaching our inner ear. "We hear this sound at a higher frequency than the sound we hear when we are speaking. The sound of our recorded voice is strange to us because it is not the same sound we hear when we speak."
Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you'll join me again tomorrow when my wise friend and teacher, The Dharma Frog will visit for my weekly life lesson. One thing about Dharma, he always has something important and helpful to say. Until we meet again, I wish you a pleasant day.
                                                                       PEACE.

​Bailey, Regina. "10 Sounds We Hate Most." ThoughtCo, Dec. 28, 2018, thoughtco.com/sounds-we-hate-most-373597.

There are lots of cool things to celebrate on this Monday, the 21st day of January 2019. First and foremost, it's Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. But if that's not enough, it is also Squirrel Appreciation Day and National Hugging Day. I will let the great writers and orators discuss the legacy of Reverend King's life. And I will let the naturists expound on the wonders of the humble squirrel. As for me, I am dedicating this space today to hugging. I mean, really, who doesn't like to give...and receive...a good ol' fashioned hug. 
Rebecca Fox, an artist from San Francisco, sums up hugging in this eloquent sentence, "Hugging is the most beautiful form of communication that allows the other person to know beyond a doubt that they matter." Hugs are a universal language that needs no translation. And a hug says so much in its simplicity. Hugs express many emotions better than words because they are physically felt. A hug can say, "I understand." They say, "I'm here for you," or "I'm proud of you," and "Everything's going to be okay." This one small gesture can say it all. But did you know that there are actual benefits to giving and receiving hugs? According to scientists, the benefits of hugging go beyond that warm feeling you get when you hold someone in your arms.
1.  Hugs reduce stress by showing your support. When a friend or family member is dealing with something painful or unpleasant in their lives, give them a hug. Scientists say that giving another person support through touch can reduce the stress of the person being comforted. It can even reduce the stress of the person doing the comforting
2.  Hugs may protect you against illness. The stress-reducing effects of hugging might work to keep you healthier. In a study of over 400 adults, researchers found that hugging may reduce the chance a person will get sick. The participants with a greater support system were less likely to get sick. And those with the greater support system who did get sick had less severe symptoms than those with little or no support system. And a hug sure beats taking a pill 
3.  Hugs may boost your heart health.  Holding someone's hand and giving them a hug can, according to recent statistics, reduce blood pressure levels and heart rate.
4.  Hugs can make you happier. Oxytocin is a chemical in our bodies that scientists sometimes call the “cuddle hormone.” This is because its levels rise when we hug, touch, or sit close to someone else. Oxytocin is associated with happiness and less stress.
​5.  Hugs reduce your fears. Scientists have found that touch can reduce anxiety in people with low self-esteem. Touch can also keep people from isolating themselves when reminded of their mortality. They found that even touching an inanimate object — in this case, a teddy bear — helped reduce people’s fears about their existence. (Frogs work well, too!)
6.  Hugs may help to reduce your pain. Research has shown that forms of touch may be capable of reducing pain. I'd rather have a bunch of hugs than take a little pill, wouldn't you?
7.  Hugs help you communicate with others. Most human communication occurs verbally or through facial expressions. But touch is another important way that people can send messages to one another. Scientists have found that a stranger was capable of expressing a wide range of emotions to another person by touching different parts of their body. Some emotions expressed include anger, fear, disgust, love, gratitude, happiness, sadness, and sympathy. Hugging is a very comforting and communicative type of touch.
So how many hugs do humans and frogs need? Family therapist, Virginia Satir believed, “We need four hugs a day for survival. We need 8 hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth.” While that may sound like a lot of hugs, it seems that many hugs are better than not enough."  If you want to feel better about yourself, reduce your stress, improve communication, and be happier and healthier, go ahead and ask for more hugs...that is a good place to start. What about if you feel shy or nervous about asking for those hugs? Start slowly by asking for them from friends and family members closest to you first. Science proves that regular hugs with those closest to you, even if brief, can have especially positive effects on your brain and body. Sounds good to me!
I hope you get...and receive, many hugs today. I firmly believe that every day should be National Hugging Day. The week is just beginning and I have lots of interesting blogs planned. As always, I invite you back again tomorrow and every day all week long.
Until then, I send you a virtual hug and, of course,  I wish you
                                                                     PEACE.

​https://www.healthline.com/health/hugging-benefits#3

I'm very excited about today because it is National Winnie the Pooh Day. I mean, come on, who doesn't love the honey-obsessed bear and his adorable friends, right? A couple of months ago, I had a friend who rented the 2017 film, Goodbye Christopher Robin and he loved it, even suggesting that it would be a something I'd enjoy, too. It didn't appeal to me so I passed on his recommendation. But then it aired on a cable TV station here in Land of Lily pad and so I watched it. And you know what? I was soooo wrong! it is an excellent film and one I can highly recommend, especially for Pooh-lovers everywhere.
This classic children's story has been entertaining young people since it first appeared in 1926. And today is the perfect time to visit, or revisit, the Hundred Acre Wood and take a step back to a kinder, gentler time. To celebrate Pooh's special day, I dug up some weird and wonderful facts about Winnie the Pooh that I would like to share with you.
1.  Although A. A. Milne was British, Winnie the bear was not. The real bear who inspired him, Winnie, was a Canadian female black bear.
2. The real Winnie was adopted as a cub by a Canadian veterinarian named Harry Coleburn in 1914. Colebourn, originally from Winnipeg, found the bear cub on a train platform in White River, Ontario. war trains would routinely stop at White River for four to six hours for maintenance and supplies, and to let the horses off for food and water. 
3.  Harry Colebourn, the vet, purchased the bear cub doe $20 which would be about $450 in today's currency. On August 24th, 1914, he recorded the event in his diary.
4.  After Winnie and Colebourn were stationed at the Canadian Forces Base Valcartier in Quebec for a bit, Winnie traveled overseas with the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade and was a mascot for the men.
5. When the time came to ship out to France, Colebourn drove Winnie to the London Zoo. His intention was to loan Winnie to the zoo during the war. Her stay there started on Dec. 9, 1914. However, when Colebourn visited Winnie at the zoo at the war's end, he saw how happy the bear was and decided to make the loan a permanent one.  
6.  The real Winnie had a sweet tooth and preferred condensed milk to raw meat.
7.  Christopher Robin Milne loved the real Winnie and was once allowed to feed her in her enclosure at the zoo.
8.  Christopher Robin's stuffed animals...Winnie, Tigger, Eeyore, Piglet, and Roo were donated to the New York Public Library in 1987. The toys recently underwent a major repair job with cleaning, getting patched up, and vacuumed. Eeyore needed the most work.
9.  Tigger was not an original character and didn't show up until the second book, The House at Pooh Corner. 
10. In a new collection of stories to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Winnie-the-Pooh in 2016, Pooh makes a new friend: Penguin. The new character was inspired by a photo of Milne and young Christopher plating with a stuffed teddy and toy penguin.
​11. The Hundred Acre Wood characters Owl and Rabbit were the only two that weren't inspired by Christopher Robin's toys. Instead, their characters came from real animals on Cotchford Farm, the Milnes' property in Sussex.
12. From the 1960s to the 1980s the Sears department store chain had the exclusive American rights to sell Winnie the Pooh merchandise. And that included a line of
Pooh-rated children's clothing.
13. The Cambridge University Pembroke College Winnie-the-Pooh Society was established in 1993. The Queen is apparently a member. They regularly meet at 4 p.m. every Saturday of the full term to drink tea, eat cake and read from the works of A.A. Milne. The annual membership fee is £2. 
14. The Latin translation of Winnie the Pooh is the only book in Latin to ever make it onto the New York Time's best seller list. And finally,
15. Winnie the Pooh is the patron saint of teddy bears.
That does it for me this week. I hope you enjoyed learning these fun facts about Pooh and his friends. I wish you a safe and happy weekend. Consider spending time with your own BFFs, exploring a Hundred Acre Woods near you. I'll be back here again on Monday and I invite you to join me. Until then, 
                                                                     PEACE.

​https://www.cbc.ca/books/90-weird-and-wonderful-facts-about-winnie-the-pooh-1.4089859