I'm back at the keyboard this morning; well-rested and eager to start a new week. I hope all my friends in the US enjoyed spending Thanksgiving weekend with their loved ones. Welcome back, one and all!
Anyone who has ever attended school in any country knows that there are certain grammar rules that you just simply don't break. In English-speaking countries, a few of these rules might be, always capitalized the first word in a sentence, use an apostrophe to connote possession, and never EVER end a sentence with a preposition! But what if I told you that ending a sentence with a preposition isn't always a bad thing?
For those of you who might not know, or remember what exactly a preposition is, in English grammar, it is "a word governing and usually preceding a noun or pronoun and expressing a relation to another word or element in the clause, as in 'the man on the platform' and 'she arrived after dinner.' The words on and after are prepositions." The anti-preposition rule is now considered more of a myth than anything.
it was in the 17th and 18th centuries that Latin grammar rules were applied to the English language. "In Latin, the word “preposition” translates roughly to the words for “before” and “to place.” However, in the years that followed, many have argued that trying to make English conform to Latin standards is not always practical and that the preposition rule should not be followed if it damages the integrity of the sentence. One famous example is Winston Churchill's declaration after someone criticized him for ending a sentence with a preposition: " This is the sort of English up with which I will not put." That does sound kind of weird, though, doesn't it?
Let me state here that if in your effort to not end your sentence with a preposition, the sentence begins to sound awkward, confusing, or too formal, it is now perfectly alright to end the sentence with a preposition. That said, do try to stick to the anti-preposition rule whenever possible. Example, "Which building is he in?" can just as easily be written (or said, "He is in which building?" See? There is often a pretty easy fix for the message or question you are trying to convey. 
Here are the rules for which you may end your sentence with a preposition.

• When beginning a sentence with who, what, where,: “What area of research is she interested in?”
• Infinitive structures, or when the verb is left in its basic form (ie, “to swim,” “to contemplate”): “She had nothing to think about,” “He had no music to listen to.” 

• Relative clauses, or a clause starting with the pronoun who, that, which, whose, where, or when: “She was excited about the responsibility that she was taking on.” 
• Passive structures, or when the subject of a sentence is being acted upon by the verb, rather than doing the verb’s action: “She liked being sick because then she was taken care of.” 
• Phrasal verbs, or verbs that consist of multiple words, including a preposition: “She needs to log on,” “When I was having a bad day, my sister told me to cheer up.” 

I know, it is all still pretty confusing! Many businesses have their own style of writing and if your employer holds to the anti-preposition rule, then please do stick to it. Generally speaking, in any formal situation like business correspondence, it is usually considered preferable to not end your sentence with a preposition, However, if you believe that abandoning this rule is best for your writing, you're in good company: successful writers and orators have been doing it for centuries.
I know that it may be hard for you getting back into the swing of your routine this morning. The good news is that there will be another holiday in about a month and then yet another holiday a week after that! The bad news is that you still have the whole week still in front of you. But I know you'll get through today just fine. I invite you all back here again tomorrow for another special blog by your humble friend, Irwin Q. Frog.
                                                                       PEACE.​

​Bussing, Kimberly Anne. "Is It Always Wrong to End a Sentence With a Preposition?" ThoughtCo, Nov. 24, 2018, thoughtco.com/ending-sentence-with-preposition-4173131.

If you've been reading my blog for a while now, you undoubtedly know that my wise teacher and mentor The Dharma Frog pays me a visit each Wednesday to teach me a life lesson on how to be a better frog. Most of these lessons apply to humans, as well, and so I share what he teaches me with you, my dear reader. Since I am heading out later this afternoon for a much-needed break Dharma, not wanting me to miss my lesson this week, informed me that he would arrive today. So I dutifully got up extra early this morning and prepared a special breakfast for my beloved teacher. Just as I finished setting the table, Dharma arrived. He greeted me, "Hello Irwin. Are you pleased to have a few days of relaxation?" "Yes indeedie, Dharma," I responded. "I am very happy to be off. I don't have anything special planned but it will still be nice to have extra time to visit with my family and friends." We sat done to a piping hot meal and as I poured the tea, Dharma began my lesson.
"Tadpole, many of your human friends will be celebrating Thanksgiving this week. The idea of giving thanks, the idea of gratitude, is something we can all do more of. While it's nice to have a special day for giving thanks, gratitude is best when it becomes a daily habit. Discipline is something that we study, an area of specialty. Wouldn't it be wonderful, my boy, if frogs and humans chose to make gratitude a discipline of the heart; something that we study and practice for an entire lifetime? It is only with gratitude that a frog's life becomes rich. I believe this true for humans, too" "Yes, Dharma, the whole world would be better for it."
Having gratitude for a cozy home and loving friends is a pretty easy thing to do. But being grateful for the storm clouds in life isn't always as easy. But Dharma explained to me that just when thankfulness seems to be in short supply, that is the very time we need it most. Most of us have begun to think of gratitude as an emotion...simply another response to our circumstances. Dharma believes that is a mistake. When things are going well, it’s easy to respond with a thankful heart. But in the seasons where things are difficult, thankfulness never even enters our mind. By thinking of thankfulness as a discipline of the heart, gratitude can become a life-altering designation. But it takes conscious effort and practice.
I asked Dharma how I could learn to be a more grateful frog and he offered a simple solution. His advice is to schedule 5-minute periods of thoughtful thanksgiving each day; intentionally finding gratitude in simple joys. This might be reflecting on the past (particularly if your current season of life is a stormy one), keeping a gratitude journal (on-paper or on-line), expressing thankfulness during life’s little inconveniences (red lights, doctor waits), or seeing the perfection in each new day.

• A thankful heart breeds contentment. It appreciates the many gifts of life itself.
• A thankful heart promotes optimism. Optimism leads to enthusiasm and determination.
• A thankful heart brings healthy attentiveness. It finds time to slow down and count blessings.
• A thankful heart shifts the focus of attention from ourselves to others. It understands that our lives have been enriched by them.
• A thankful heart is more likely to help others.
• It humbly realizes it has benefited from others and as a result, is more apt to notice needs.
• A thankful heart attracts generous people and faithful friends.
• Studies have shown that having gratitude results in better physical health and a deeper mental awareness. 
• Gratitude makes the enjoyable parts of life even more pleasurable and it helps to sustain us in times of stormy weather.

Finding your favorite product on the grocery store shelf where you're looking for it may not seem like much of a big deal. But, in its own way, it is a small miracle when you think of all the moving parts that go into getting it there. Daily life is full of these small miracles. The collection of these small events throughout the day is what makes life feel rich and full. Remembering to stop periodically and be grateful for the little things is the best way I know to practice thankfulness. 
This Thanksgiving, I will be grateful for many things. One of the things that'll be high on my list will be you, dear reader. Thank you for allowing me to share my thoughts and ideas with you through this blog. Every writer needs an audience. And without, I'd be writing all of this for not.
Dharma and I finished our meal and he stayed long enough to help me clean up. He could tell I was anxious to get on with my holiday. I am always grateful for Dharma Frog but even more so today. I wish you all a wonderful week; one that's filled with love, laughter, and gratitude. I 'll be back here again on Monday, but until then, stay safe and
                                                                         PEACE.

Why is it that kids...all kids...love dinosaurs? Adults do too. I mean just look at the phenomenal success of the Jurassic Park franchise. There are dino-themed amusement parks, toys, and clothing. These prehistoric beasts generate a kind of fascination in everyone. We all know that dinosaurs were big, some were really really BIG. A few had feathers. And they all went extinct about 65 million years ago. They continue to hold our fascination even today. But how much do you really know about dinosaurs and the Mesozoic Era when they lived and roamed the earth? Here are 8 fun facts you might not know....but should, if your love dinosaurs!
1.  Dinosaurs were not the first reptiles to rule the earth. The first dinosaurs evolved during the middle to late Triassic period...230 million years ago "in the part of the supercontinent of Pangea that now corresponds with South America." Before then, the dominant land reptiles were archosaurs (ruling lizards), therapsids (mammal-like reptiles), and pelycosaurs (Dimetrodon creatures). And for nearly 20 million years after the first appearance of dinosaurs, the most feared reptiles on the planet were prehistoric crocodiles. "It was only at the beginning of the Jurassic period, 200 million years ago, that dinosaurs truly began their rise to dominance."
2.  Dinosaurs prospered for over 150 million years. Humans can live, if they're lucky, to reach maybe 100 years of age. Geologists say that mankind isn't well-adapted to really understanding "deep time." Here's what they mean. "To put things in perspective: modern humans have only existed for a few hundred thousand years, and human civilization only got started about 10,000 years ago, mere blinks of the eye by Jurassic time scales." Humans tend to think that dinosaurs just suddenly went extinct, but if we look at the amazing 165 million years that they survived and prospered, they might be classified as the most successful vertebrate animal "ever to colonize earth!"
3. The dinosaur kingdom was divided into two main branches. You might think that dinosaurs would be divided into the two groups herbivores (plant eaters) and carnivores (meat eaters) but paleontologists see it differently. They believe that the dinos are classified into these groups: the saurischian (lizard-hipped) and the ornithischian or bird-hipped dinosaurs. Oddly enough, birds evolved from "lizard-hipped," rather than "bird-hipped," dinosaurs! Which brings us to the next point.
4.  Dinosaurs almost certainly evolved into birds. There a few alternative theories, but the bulk of the evidence points to modern birds evolving from small, feathered theropod dinosaurs "during the late Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. Bear in mind, though, that this evolutionary process may have happened more than once."
5.  Some dinosaurs were warm-blooded. Modern turtles and crocodiles are ectothermic, or cold-blooded creatures that rely on the external environment to maintain their internal body temperatures. "There's a solid case to be made that at least some meat-eating dinosaurs--and even a few ornithopods must have been endothermic since it's hard to imagine such an active lifestyle being fueled by a cold-blooded metabolism." But it's reasonable to assume that at least some of the largest dinosaurs were warm-blooded since they would have cooked themselves from the inside out in a matter of hours!
6.  Not all dinosaurs were equally dumb.  It's true that some plant-eating dinosaurs (like Stegosaurus) had brains so tiny compared to the rest of their bodies that they must have been only a little bit smarter than giant ferns. Okay, that was a little mean but, sadly, kind of true. "Meat-eating dinosaurs large and small, ranging from Troodon to T. Rex, possessed more respectable amounts of grey matter compared to their body size since these reptiles required better-than-average sight, smell, agility, and coordination to reliably hunt down prey." That being said, even the smartest dinosaurs were on an "intellectual par with the modern ostrich...D students, at best."
​7. Pterosaurs and marine reptiles weren't technically dinosaurs. The word dinosaur applies only to land-dwelling reptiles possessing a specific hip and leg structure, among other anatomical characteristics. "As large and impressive as some genera (such as Quetzalcoatlus and Liopleurodon) were, flying pterosaurs and swimming plesiosaurs, ichthyosaurs and mosasaurs weren't dinosaurs at all--and some of them weren't even all that closely related to dinosaurs, save for the fact that they're also classified as reptiles." And FYI, Dimetrodon which is often described as a dinosaur was actually a different kind of reptile that flourished tens of millions of years before the dinosaur ever existed! 
8.  Dinosaurs didn't go extinct all at once.  The meteor that impacted the Yucatan Peninsula 65 million years ago didn't instantly incinerate all the dinosaurs on earth. along with many of their cousins. Rathers, extinction was slow and dragged on for hundreds, possibly thousands, of years "as plunging global temperatures, lack of sunlight, and the resulting lack of vegetation profoundly altered the food chain from the bottom up."
There you go, dinosaur fanciers...a few facts that you may have not known about these incredible beasts. Since this will be a short week for me, my beloved friend and teacher The Dharma Frog will be here tomorrow (Tuesday) rather than on his typical Wednesday. I hope you'll stop back by, before getting ready to celebrate Thanksgiving with your loved ones, and hear what Dharma has to say on the subject of gratitude. Bye for now!
                                                                      Peace.

​Strauss, Bob. "The 10 Most Important Facts About Dinosaurs." ThoughtCo, Oct. 19, 2018, thoughtco.com/important-dinosaur-facts-1091959.

The holiday shopping season is once again upon us. And while it lots of fun to go shopping for gifts, it can sometimes get out of hand. Many humans, and lots of frogs as well tend to go crazy buying things. These folks have trouble sticking with their gift lists...and budget...and, at the end of the day, wind up with all sorts of impulse items that they really don't need. Spending money is fun. At least until it gets us into trouble. So why do we spend money on things we don't need when we know it's bad? I came across a fascinating article the other day that addresses this issue in a constructive way.
This time a year it's hard to save money, I know, but cutting back on impulse buying can go a long way toward keeping your budget intact, not only at Christmastime but throughout the year. "I can't really afford this, but I love it! Oh, what the heck, I'll treat myself just this once." Sound familiar? I've said the same thing myself many times.  And I'm not alone. A whopping 64% "regret our spending on short-term pleasures, including food, clothing, new cars, tech gadgets, and vacations," according to a study by banking and brokerage firm Schwab. Most of us wish we could manage our money better and save more for retirement.
So why can't we simply knuckle down and stop our spending? It turns out that living on a tight budget seems to bring about even more impulse spending. "It comes down to a failure to delay gratification and an inclination towards impulsivity, which occurs in all humans — but particularly (and ironically) among those whose budgets are already stretched thin, says psychiatrist Mark Tobak, MD." Humans who live on tight budgets grasp at any opportunity to experience pleasure in the hope of securing something for themselves in an unkind world, The greater the desperation, the greater the desire to take risks, such as buy up lottery tickets; it's a greater risk than a starting a savings account.
Then there's the "must have" ad campaigns that we get caught up in. This is especially true for millennials. "A recent Social Savings Survey from Ally Bank showed that 74 percent of millennials say social media influences their shopping." And let's not forget "Keeping up with the Jones." It's the need to fit in, to feel accepted...that we can have what our friends have. Certain items became status symbols. And for pity sakes, stay away from all the home shopping stations on TV!
Okay, so we know what makes us shop for things we can't afford and don't really need, but how do we curb our inclinations to do so? The key to getting ahead of our impulses seems to lie in a) recognizing them and b) planning for them. Call it money-mindfulness, if you will. it starts with turning off your social media if that is where your spending impulses come from.  or make a deal with yourself that there won't be any online shopping after you've had that glass of wine. But if you do get to the point of purchase ask yourself;
1.  Do I really need this and, more importantly, can I afford it? 2. Am I feeling impulsive and have I really thought this through? If you've managed to NOT buy the item in your shopping basket, congratulate yourself! Then turn your attention to your savings account. If you don't have one, this might be a great time to open one.
If you can get a little money into your savings account first, then you've already accomplished one of your goals. Kudos to you! Impulse spending isn’t the only way to use money to bring us joy. Watching your bank account or retirement savings grow can be a gratifying experience, as can unlocking the front door to your new home or knowing that you're a lot closer to having a wonderful retirement than you'd be if you'd bought all of those thingamabobs. I know this information can help me as I bravely face the shopping barrage that's due to hit this next week and for the next month or so, leading up to Christmas and into the New Year.
This does it for me this week. I'm hopping off for a little R & R with a few of my best buds. We haven't spent time together recently and I do miss seeing them. I'm sure we'll have a blast, even if we don't do much. Sometimes, just being together with friends is enough. Whatever your plans are for the weekend, stave safe and have some fun! Please join me back here on Monday. Until then, I wish you
                                                                           PEACE.

​www.nbcnews.com/better/business/why-we-spend-money-things-we-shouldn-t-how-break-ncna930616

I always think of metals as being heavy and kind of dense. And, for the most part, they are. Some, however, are actually fairly lightweight and I thought it might be kind of interesting to look at a few of the lightest metals in the world.
The lightest, or least dense metal is a pure element called lithium. To refresh your memory, a pure element is "a substance whose atoms all (or in practice almost all) have the same atomic number, or number of protons," according to the dictionary. Lithium is nearly half as dense as water. In fact, if lithium weren't so reactive, a chunk of it could float on water. 
There are, however, two other metals that are also less dense than water. They are potassium and sodium. I love science but I'm certainly not a "whiz kid" when it comes to understanding all of it. So I was surprised to learn that potassium and sodium were metals. Now in all fairness to my teachers, I probably did learn that back in school but I have long since forgotten it. While lithium, potassium, and sodium are light enough to float on water, they are so reactive that when they are placed on water they either burn or explode! And FYI, all other metals on the periodic table are all denser than water.
Hydrogen, however, is the lightest of them all. That is because because it consists simply of a single proton and sometimes a neutron (deuterium). Under certain conditions, it forms a solid metal. "This makes hydrogen the least dense metal, but it isn't generally considered a contender for "lightest" because it doesn't exist as a metal naturally on Earth." Again, I don't remember learning this, but somewhere along the line I must have. 
Elemental metals can be lighter than water but they aren't always lighter than some metal alloys. The lightest metal alloy is a "lattice of nickel phosphorous tubes (Microlattice) that was developed by researchers at the University of California Irvine." This metallic micro-lattice is 100 times lighter than a piece of Styrofoam! Even though the alloy consists of metals that possess ordinary density (nickel and phosphorus), the material is extremely light. This is because the alloy is arranged in a cellular structure, consisting of 99.9% open air space. Although the structure is mostly open space, it's very strong because of how it can distribute weight. It can be helpful to compare this lightweight metal alloy to a human bone. Bones are strong because they are mainly hollow, not solid.
Like I say, I love science and i want to thank you for hangin' in there with today's blog. Sometimes I just have to share things! 
As we enter into the holiday season with lots of shopping to be done, tomorrow's blog is on that very subject. I hope you'll plan on "hopping" by. Until then, it's Irwin Quagmire Wart signing off until tomorrow and wishing you much
                                                                        PEACE.

​Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "What Is the Lightest Metal?" ThoughtCo, Oct. 5, 2018, thoughtco.com/what-is-the-lightest-metal-608450.

Despite a chillier than normal temperatures here in Lily Pad, I woke up early and immediately set to work preparing breakfast for my friend and mentor, The Dharma Frog, who comes for my weekly life lesson every Wednesday morning. After putting my strata in the oven to bake, I went for my swim and got myself clean-up. Just as the timer on my oven went off, Dharma hopped onto my pad with a loud kerplop! "Good morning, Irwin. Something smells delicious!" "Hiya, Dharma," I replied. "I got up early and made one of your favorite breakfast foods. It's cold this morning and that makes for a good day to bake. And having a hot meal won't hurt us, either." "That is certainly true." replied the master.
​We sat down to eat and as I poured our tea, Dharma asked me a leading question. "So tell me Tadpole, what's been going on in your life?" "Glad you asked. I said something to a friend a mine...in an effort to be helpful..but now he's upset with me. And I'm not sure what I did or said that caused him to feel this way." Dharma thought for a minute or so and then offered this advice, "My boy, sometimes a frog's silence can be a source of great strength; learning when to listen and not to speak can be a very valuable lesson. Perhaps we should focus on that today as our lesson.  And we did.
Ever notice when you listen to music that there is often a pause between the notes? If it weren't for those pauses, music wouldn't be melodic. it would simply be a cacophony....a harsh discordant jumble of sounds. Communication can be that way as well. Often, human (and we frogs, too) only want to be heard. They aren't looking for solutions, advice, or criticisms. other times, silence allows others to be clearly heard, to take their turn to speak. Silence can also be important in itself. There are times when quiet is very nice. Silence can be relaxing and restorative as well, and that’s a wise thing to do, from time to time.
For some humans, silence comes naturally. For others, it is a struggle to be quiet. Silence can make them feel uncomfortable. For those of us who struggle to keep quiet, Here are Dharma's five top reasons for zipping up your lips.
1.  Silence gets attention.  When someone pauses every so often while speaking, it can signal our brains that something important will happen or will be said. As a listener, you automatically perk up. In our daily conversations, when we pause and "take a breath" others take note and begin paying closer attention.
2.  Silence can be an obvious answer.  Humans tend to over-explain. Silence, then, on its own becomes the answer. it can soften the blow of a negative response if we simply remain silent; it is an implied "no." Another example is when someone says something we don’t agree with or find offensive. If we are silent, we send a powerful message that communicates that we don’t agree or are not going along with what someone is saying.
3.  Silence uses non-verbal language. Humans are fortunate to have many ways of communicating in addition to talking. Experts agree that non-verbal language can often be far more powerful than verbal language. "Nonverbal communication – our facial expressions, gestures, eye contact, posture, and tone of voice – that speaks the loudest. The ability to understand and use nonverbal communication, or body language, is a powerful tool that can help you connect with others, express what you really mean, and build better relationships.”
​4.  Silence offers empathy to others. We frogs and humans too, I've noticed, always seem to feel obligated to say things to our friends and family when they are experiencing difficult times. It is tempting to do that, I know. But often, all they really need, and want from us is for our presence. Words aren't necessary and often don't really do much good. "We can show someone we care and we are there for them without using a plethora of words. We can offer comfort by our calming silence," says the very wise Dharma.
5.  Silence is polite. We live in a society that is constantly barraged by noises and messages. There is hardly any quiet time in our lives anymore. "We live in a society where we are constantly being barraged by noise and messages. From radio broadcasts, news channels, music in elevators, stores, and most businesses, to the rings of our phones, to the constant chatter of people around us. We often feel with so much going on we don’t have enough time to communicate what we need to communicate. We are fighting with so many other sources of noise." So when we do get a chance to talk, we feel its necessary to cram in everything we need and want to say...all at once. For we never know when the next opportunity to speak will come. When we resist the urge to "toss in our personal 5-cents worth" and give others an opportunity to express themselves, we show them respect; respect and common courtesy. 
I for one believe the world could do with a lot less noise and a little more quiet. How about you?
Dharma and I had a lovely exchange this morning...each allowing the other all the time necessary for them to speak.. I also learned that the next time a friend or family member has a problem, that it can be most helpful to say nothing at all. Silence really is golden.
I invite you back here tomorrow for another blog from yours truly. Until then, my dear reader, I wish you
                                                                    PEACE.

Everybody breathes. We all do it unconsciously. But conscious deep breathing has some surprise benefits. More than just for stress relief! Here's the proof.
1.  Deep breathing improves cognitive skills.
Try this:  Inhale deeply for 5 seconds. Exhale deeply for 5 seconds (really push that air out of your lungs!) Do this for 10 minutes, 6 days a week for six weeks. In one study, after completing this exercise for 6 weeks, the study participants performed mental tasks faster, and scored higher on a rapid-fire arithmetic test.
2.  It can help with single-pointed focus.
Research from trinity College Dublin showed that pranayama, yoga breathing practices can help bring about clearer thinking, namely; improved ability to focus, less mind wandering, improved attention levels, improved emotions, decreased emotional reactivity. Google (and others) can help you find yoga breathing practices you can do at home.
3. It can give new college freshman a better school year. research has shown that incoming college freshman who completed an 8-session mindfulness course that also included deep breathing, showed a significant increase in life satisfaction, a drop in anxiety and depression, and even helped them drink less alcohol. 
4.  It can boost your health and fitness.
In one study, athletes took part in an exhaustive training session then practiced diaphragmatic breathing in a quiet place for an hour. Diaphragmatic breathing is when you breath deeply into your belly and it expands rather than your chest. The results showed that breathing and the relaxation it brings, helped protect the athletes from the long-term adverse effects of free radicals. What that means is that deep breathing after exercise can help decrease cortisol levels and increase melatonin.
5.  A steady heart.
​In another study, people who practiced slow, deep breathing...6 breaths per minute...each day for one month, experienced physical benefits that included a more consistent heart rate than those who didn't. Consistent heart rate helps your heart to function better.
6.  Portable, free stress relief.
A study performed at the University of Catania, Sicily, showed that deep breathing improves mood and helps alleviate stress. If you're feeling stressed out, trying sighing. A study done at the University of London showed that deep breaths, including sighs, reduce physiological tension. Researchers have called spontaneous sighs "psychological and physiological resetters." 
7.  An alternative to medication.
A controlled breathing practice helped alleviate depression in people who didn't respond well to antidepressant medication, according to a study done at the University of Pennsylvania.
8.  A benefit for sleep and depression.
A breathing relaxation exercise combined with cognitive behavioral therapy, has been shown to increase the quality of sleep for people with major depression.
9.  Help for chronic conditions.
Deep breathing can help several, major chronic diseases. As a pain reliever: An intervention as simple as slowing down and breathing deeply was shown to decrease pain. it can help with high blood pressure: Research has shown that 10 minutes of alternate nostril breathing decreased blood pressure in people with a history of hypertension. And for those who suffer from diabetes, deep diaphragmatic breathing for three months can help with significant reduction in body mass index, reduction in hip-waist ratio, and a decrease in fasting and postprandial plasma glucose.  And finally,
10. It can reduce inflammation. 
Yogic breathing can reduce inflammation, an element of many chronic diseases. This was from a study conducted at the medical University of South Carolina. Volunteers who practiced yogic breathing who practiced two 10-minute sessions showed significantly reduced pro-inflammatory biomarkers.
WOW! that's a lot of benefits from something we all do anyway, We simply need to change some of our breathing from unconscious to conscious; a small easy thing to do that lead to big mental and physical health benefits.
Tomorrow is Wednesday and that means a visit from Dharma Frog. Rumor has it, that he has an especially powerful lesson for me this this week. I hope you'll plan on stopping by to see what my wise friend and mentor has to say. Until then, I wish you
                                                                      PEACE.

​Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "How to Convert Fahrenheit to Celsius." ThoughtCo, Aug. 10, 2018, thoughtco.com/fahrenheit-to-celsius-formula-609230.

Here in Lily Pad, we're prone to getting thunderstorms this time of year. We still have warmish weather and every so often cold weather blows in from afar. When they collide, we often get some serious weather. Do you know what actually happens during a thunderstorm? Little brother, Quigley was asking me about it so I did some research and found a wealth of really cool information! We hope you like like it as much as he did.
Lightning is like a giant natural circuit breaker. When the balance in the atmosphere's natural electrical charge becomes overloaded, lightning is what flips nature's switch and restores balance. These bolts of electricity, which emerge from clouds during thunderstorms, can be dramatic and deadly.  Lightning is, however, a pretty common atmospheric phenomena. At any given second, 100 bolts of lightning are striking somewhere on Planet Earth. And cloud-to-cloud strikes are even more common.
​"Lightning typically occurs during thunderstorms when the atmospheric charge between a storm cloud and the ground or a neighboring cloud becomes unbalanced. As precipitation is generated within the cloud, it builds up a negative charge on the underside."  This, then, causes the ground below to develop a positive charge as a response. "The imbalance of energy builds up until a bolt of lightning is released, either from cloud to ground or cloud to cloud, restoring the electrical balance of the atmosphere. Eventually, the storm will pass and the atmosphere's natural equilibrium will be restored. What scientists aren't yet sure of is what causes the spark that triggers the lightning bolt."
Did you know that when a bolt of lightning is released, it's five times hotter than the sun? Wowzers! The thunder that's generated by lightning can be heard as far away as 25 miles or 40.23 km. it is not possible to have thunder without lightning.
This where things get really interesting! "The lighting you see during a typical summer thunderstorm is called cloud-to-ground. It travels from a storm cloud to the ground in a zigzag pattern at a rate of 200,000 miles per hour. That's way too fast for the human eye to see this jagged trajectory, called a stepped leader." And when that leading tip of the lightning bolt gets within 150 feet (40.72 m) of the tallest ground object in its vicinity (usually the tallest tree or a church steeple) a bolt of positive energy called a "streamer" surges upward at the alarming rate of 60,000 miles (96560.64 km) per second)! "The resulting collision creates the blinding white flash we call lightning."
Safety tips for during a thunderstorm.
1.  If you're outside, seek immediate shelter. Houses and other substantial structures with indoor electricity and plumbing, which are grounded, are your best option. Vehicles with solid tops (not convertibles) are also grounded and safe.
2.  If you are caught outdoors, move to the lowest possible ground. it goes without saying but don't ​seek shelter beneath trees or other tall objects.
3.  Avoid plumbing and running water. Metal pipes for water and sewage are not only excellent conductors of electricity, but the water they carry can be laden with impurities that also help conduct electricity.
4.  Don't use landlines with cords or desktop computers. Electricity can also be transmitted through the wiring of your home. Cordless and mobile phones are safe to use. 
5.  Stay away from windows and door. Lightning is a gorgeous sight, especially when arcing across a night sky. But it has been known to strike people after passing through glass or unsealed cracks along doors and window panes.
Do you live in an area that experiences lots of lightning this time of year? We had a heck of a storm last night and I was glad to have a better understanding of what was happening. Quigley, Jr. felt better about it, too!
This does it for me for the week. I'm off for a little bit of weekend R & R. Whatever your do and whatever your plans include, remember to stay safe. I hope to see you back here again on Monday. Until then,
                                                                      PEACE.​

​Means, Tiffany. "What Happens During a Lightning Storm?" ThoughtCo, Jun. 22, 2018, thoughtco.com/things-to-never-do-during-lightning-storm-3444265.

​What is language and how did it begin? That's a question that's been asked by many scholars. It is widely believed by many linguists that the answer to when language began will never be known.  There's probably no other cultural phenomenon that's more important than the development of language. In the absence of any concrete evidence of when language first became a thing, researchers and linguists have developed five possible theories of how it all began.
1. The Bow-Wow Theory. According to this theory, language began when the first humans started imitating the sounds around them. The first speech was onomatopoeic - marked by echoing the sounds they hear; moo, meow, splash, cuckoo, and bang. Sounds good, right? What's wrong with this theory is that the sound of a dog barking, for instance, is heard differently in different places; in Brazil it's au au, in Albania it's ham ham, and in China, it is wang wang. Too, there are many onomatopoeic words that are not derived from natural sounds.
​2.  The Ding-Dong Theory.  I want to point out here that I am not making up these names! That said, this is the theory that Plato and Pythagoras believed to be true. This theory "maintains that speech arose in response to the essential qualities of objects in the environment. The original sounds people made were supposedly in harmony with the world around them." So what's wrong with this idea? Experts say that apart from a few rare instances of sound symbolism, there's no hard or believable evidence "in any language, of an innate connection between sound and meaning."
3.  The La-La Theory. The Danish linguist Otto Jespersen suggested that language may have developed from sounds associated with love, play, and (especially) song. And the problem with this theory? It still "still fails to account for "the gap between the emotional and the rational aspects of speech expression," according to David Crystal in his book, How Language Works. 
4.  The Pooh-Pooh Theory. Is it me, or are these names just getting weirder? Anyway, this theory  states that speech began with interjections like "spontaneous cries of pain ("Ouch!"), surprise ("Oh!"), and other emotions ("Yabba dabba do!"). Just kidding on that last one. There is a flaw in this theory, too,  just like with the others. "No language contains very many interjections, and, author David Crystal points out, 'the clicks, intakes of breath, and other noises which are used in this way bear little relationship to the vowels and consonants found in phonology.' (The branch of linguistics that deals with systems of sounds in a particular language."
5.  The Yo-He-Ho Theory. What, the soldiers in the Wizard of Oz came up with this one? Actually, according to this theory, language evolved from the grunts, groans, and snorts evoked by heavy physical labor. And is there a flaw in this theory? You bet! "Though this notion may account for some of the rhythmic features of the language, it doesn't go very far in explaining where words come from."
So does this mean that all questions about the origin of language are unanswerable? Not necessarily. Over the past 20 years, scholars from such diverse fields as genetics, anthropology, and cognitive science have been engaged in "a cross-discipline, multidimensional treasure hunt" to find out how language began." ig could possibly be the hardest problem in science today.
And here's a little bonus information for you this morning. We may not know exactly how language began, but we do know which languages are the ones most spoken.
                                                                    The list:

1. Chinese/Mandarin—37 countries, 13 dialects, 1,284 million speakers
2. Spanish—31 countries, 437 million
3. English—106 countries, 372 million
4. Arabic—57 countries, 19 dialects, 295 million
5. Hindi—5 countries, 260 million
6. Bengali—4 countries, 242 million
7. Portuguese—13 countries, 219 million
8. Russian—19 countries, 154 million
9. Japanese—2 countries, 128 million
10. Lahnda—6 countries, 119 million

That does it for me today. Have a great day and I invite you all back again here tomorrow. And, as always, I wish you
                                                                    PEACE.

1.  Nordquist, Richard. "Five Theories on the Origins of Language." ThoughtCo, Jun. 11, 2018, thoughtco.com/where-does-language-come-from-1691015.
​2.  ​Rosenberg, Matt. "Top 10 Most Popular Languages." ThoughtCo, Jul. 5, 2018, thoughtco.com/most-popular-languages-1434469.