Gold Sawtooth Star

 

If you want to increase your endorphin levels, there are several things you can try:

Go outside and get some exercise.

Expose yourself to a little sun light. (This becomes more important as days grow shorter.)

Eat more complex carbohydrates, like whole grains and vegetables.

Choose foods with tryptophan, like turkey, eggs, nuts and salmon.

Reduce stress.

Pet your dog or cat.

Hug a loved one.

Make a donation to a good cause, or help someone in need.

Practice yoga or meditation.

Listen to your favorite music (or make some music of your own).

Get a massage, or give one.

Give someone a complement, or tell someone you love them.

Spend time with your friends.

October 5th is Do Something Nice Day. It occurs to me that this list is just full of nice things you can do. Isn’t it gratifying that doing something nice can also make you feel good?

Feeling Crabby

 

I have friends who quilt on demand. When they learn a friend’s expecting a baby, their niece just announced her wedding date, or their grandson is about to graduate from high school, they get started. They consult with the recipient about bed size and color preferences, and they whip up something in time for the big day. I’ve done my share of these, but most of the quilts I make are very different. I’ll stumble on a pattern or a print that catches my eye and I’ll buy it, not knowing what the end goal is. It may sit a while – sometimes years – until inspiration strikes. Usually, by the time I’ve finished the top, I know exactly what I’ll do with the finished product. I’m still unsure about this one. It could hang in next year’s Garden of Quilts, or be donated to Quilts of Valor or Festival of Trees. Or I may just keep it for myself.

Yellow House

 

 "All of us, at some time or other, need help. Whether we're giving or receiving help, each of us has something valuable to bring to this world. That's one of the things that connects us as neighbors –  in our own way, each one of us is a giver and a receiver."

"As human beings, our job in life is to help people realize how rare and valuable each one of us really is. Each of us has something no one else has – or ever will have – something inside that’s unique to all time. It's our job to encourage each other to discover that uniqueness and provide ways of developing its expression."

"It's not the honors and the prizes and the fancy outsides of life which ultimately nourish our souls. It's the knowing we can be trusted, we never have to fear the truth, the bedrock of our very being is good stuff." – Fred Rogers

Chickadee

 

Honey-Mustard Dipping Sauce

 

1/3 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (We like the smooth variety, but coarse mustard works, too.)

1 tablespoon honey

 

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and serve. This is a great dip for chicken fingers, chicken nuggets, grilled chicken, French fries, sausage bites, steak bites, hot fresh pretzels, and cut fresh vegetables. It also makes a terrific marinade for grilled salmon, chicken or pork, and a wonderful spread for burgers, wraps and sandwiches. You can even use it as dressing for a green salad! In a sealed container, this sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to five days. This recipe serves 6, but it can be doubled or tripled as necessary. 

Two Aloes

 

Heather ALWAYS knows what day it is, and she sees it as her job to keep us informed. Yesterday she reminded us today would be the first day of October, and there are certain things expected of us because of it:

Halloween is coming, and we’ll be required to search the garage for the inflatable dragon and set it up.

Cool weather is on the way, so she’ll be wanting her long-sleeved shirts, especially the orange one that says, “BOO!” (We binned the shirt over a decade ago, but she never stops asking for it.)

She’ll need Halloween socks. (Way ahead of her here. I ordered a pair of candy corn socks last week.)

She also expects a Halloween-themed notebook and pumpkin bubble bath. (Office Depot no longer carries composition notebooks with skulls on the cover; Philosophy discontinued their pumpkin icing bubble bath. Looks like I have my work cut out for me.)