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Survive and Thrive - http://www.thinksurvival.org

What The World Thinks . . .
(These tidbits come from letters I receive and are exclusively
the opinion of the writers. Yet they serve to show you the depth of
attitude and opinion out there.)

DO IT NOW WHEN IT'S FRESH IN YOUR MIND

The Saga Of Pinehill Book II
Money, Marriage And The Way
is now published and available.
Buy direct from:

http://www.publishamerica.com
(enter the name Saga of Pinehill in
the search box)

If you enjoyed the first book, you
won't be able to put
this one down until you've finished
it. Enjoy.

DO IT NOW WHEN IT'S FRESH IN YOUR MIND

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TODAY'S TRIVIA - - -

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At what time of year is the Earth nearest to the sun?

Is it true that nearly two dozen people drowned in molasses
in the Great Molasses Flood of 1919?

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ANSWERS TO YESTERDAY'S TRIVIA - - - -

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Is it true that you can balance raw eggs on end on the
vernal equinox?

Yes, you can! In fact, you can do this trick on ANY day of
the year if you have a steady hand and patience. There's a
superstition that the vernal equinox is the one day each
year that you can stand eggs on end (or, alternatively, that
you can only do it during either the vernal equinox or the
autumnal equinox). In truth, there is absolutely no
astronomical reason, relating to balance of gravity or
anything else, why you should be able to balance raw eggs on
the first day of spring as opposed to any other day.

Who is Flora?

Flora is the Roman goddess of flowers and spring. With a
name like that, who else could you be? Flora, meaning
"flourishing one," is the embodiment of nature. Her name has
come to represent all plant life. Her festival, the
Floralia, was celebrated at the end of April and was marked
by extravagant merriment and lasciviousness. Flora is
credited with providing the queen of the gods, Juno, with a
special flower that made Juno pregnant without male
assistance. According to this myth, Juno had been jealous
that her husband Jupiter had produced the goddess of wisdom,
Minerva, from his head. She wanted to produce life
completely on her own as well. Flora is identified with the
Greek goddess of flowers and spring, Chloris.

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I'LL SEE IT WHEN I BELIEVE IT!

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There are a lot of ways to become a failure,
but never taking a chance is the most successful.

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thePEBBLE CONTENTS:

1. STRANGE BITS AND PIECES!

------------------
2. OPTIMIZE LIFE NOW™ . . . with Dr. Rhoberta Shaler
------------------------------------

The Importance Of Uninterrupted Time

-------------------
3. MEDICAL COLUMN by Karin Henderson

Hypertension, Meniere’s, And Stress:
A Different Way Of Thinking
PART 2 of 4

-------------------
4. PERCEPTIONS by Ken Darby

You Were My Venting Place . . .

-------------------
5. WHY DO WE SAY IT?

-------------------
6. THINK ABOUT THIS TODAY!
7. HA! HA!HA!
8. CONTACT INFO
9. THE LAST LINE - - - - -


DO IT NOW WHEN IT'S FRESH IN YOUR MIND

The Saga Of Pinehill Book II
Money, Marriage And The Way
is now published and available. Buy direct from:

http://www.publishamerica.com
(enter the name Saga of Pinehill in the search box)

If you enjoyed the first book, you won't be able to put
this one down until you're finished it. Enjoy.

DO IT NOW WHEN IT'S FRESH IN YOUR MIND

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STRANGE BITS AND PIECES!

The windiest place in the world is Port Martin, Antarctica.
Winds there can reach 65 mph.

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OPTIMIZE LIFE NOW™ . . . with Dr. Rhoberta Shaler

------------------------------------

The Importance Of Uninterrupted Time

Have you ever been right in the middle of writing the
perfect sentence when a co-worker or spouse appeared at the
door with a need? Ever been working on a proposal and just
as it really begins to come together your phone rings? Not
only are these events annoying, irritating and downright
infuriating, they are extremely inefficient uses of your
time.

Research has shown that, when in the middle of a creative
project, it takes up to twenty minutes to return to the same
high-level of productivity following an interruption. That
one fact alone could transform workplaces, couldn't it?

How do you create uninterrupted time? First, the work
culture has to address the issue. Where there are cubicles,
interruption can be constant. Your own level of
concentration, then, becomes critical. Can you block out
unwanted stimuli easily? Can you see people coming up to
you from your work station? One of the truly disruptive
things both physically and emotionally is the jolt you get
when a person speaks to or touches you unexpectedly. It's a
good idea to create a rear-view mirror for yourself if you
cannot see folks approaching your cubicle. When you have to
overcome both the mental interruption and the shock to the
body, that's even more disturbing!

If you have an office door, you're lucky. Consult your
schedule and block out times when that door will be shut.
You may have to educate other staff members to the meaning
of your closed door. At one business, I saw a sign on a
closed door that read, "If you are thinking of knocking or
opening this door, you really don't understand why it is
closed!!! Think again." That may or may not work for you,
however, it did make the intruder stop and think.

Does that telephone really need to be answered every single
time it rings? Probably not. Does email have to be
answered within thirty seconds of its arrival? Probably
not. If not, what would it take for you to unhook yourself
from the demands of those two instant communication systems.
Develop the habits you need to be the most effective and
efficient.

Constant interruption kills any hope of effective time
management. One solution is to create regular meetings with
the folks with whom you interact most at work. Use that
time to address non-pressing issues and to foresee upcoming
needs. Be pro-active. Head crises off at the path. This
will cut down on your interruptions.

So, what if you are the lowest person on your work totem
pole? That's tough from the perspective of minimizing
interruptions. You may, in fact, be seen as the most
available person in the office. You can still assess your
workload and make suggestions as to when is the best time to
bring you tasks or ask for information. If you are very
wise, you will make those suggestions sound like clear
benefit statements to the staff, e.g., "In order for me to
give you the very best service, I would like to have all
your requests before 2 PM. That way, it is likely I can
respond to them today."

At home, the same thing applies. Everyone needs quiet,
uninterrupted time. Recently I was working with a coaching
client who has a demanding job, a new baby and a husband who
travels extensively for his work. Carving out at least one
half-hour of uninterrupted time for herself is taking some
persistence. Everything seems to be more demanding than her
promises to herself. She's changing that quickly. Some
folks seem to take much longer. How about you? Are you at
the top of your totem pole for some time every day?

Give yourself the gift of uninterrupted time. The returns
are amazing.

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To love yourself strongly enough to be honest with yourself, is
the love that will take you to power and peace.
---- Ken Darby

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MEDICAL COLUMN - - - - by Karin Henderson


Hypertension, Meniere’s, And Stress:
A Different Way Of Thinking
PART 2 of 4

Hypertension
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000468.
htm

Hypertension is recognized when the top number in a
“blood pressure” reading is 140 (systolic) and higher
and the bottom number is 90 and higher (diastolic).
That is considered high blood pressure: “hypertension”
in medical terminology. Nowadays some doctors feel
normal blood pressure should be lower than that and
many doctors feel a drug to prevent higher pressure
from developing, is in order. Some doctors try to find
the underlying causes: many give prescriptions more
readily. Your doctor may recommend and encourage
lifestyle changes including weight loss, exercise, and
nutritional changes, especially a reduction in the use
of salt. Salt is seen as retaining fluids and is
suspect as a possible contributor to hypertension. Here
is an article that gives you more information about
hypertension. Usually, high blood pressure has no
symptoms at all, but in my experience, many people have
tinnitus or ringing in the ear at higher levels.

Meniere’s is not a household name…that is until it
visits and resides in your home! In order to understand
and appreciate Meniere’s, you have to know the classic
symptoms. They include tinnitus, pressure in your ear,
vertigo and or dizziness, and hearing fluctuation.
Meniere’s is also involved in some controversy as to
its name(s) and treatments. So I will stay with the
traditional mainstream symptoms and suggested
treatment.

http://www.menieres-disease.ca/menieres_health_articles
/menieres-and-blood-pressure.htm

-------------------------------------------
Karin Henderson is a registered nurse and is thePEBBLE's
columnist for our MEDICAL COLUMN.
We appreciate her input very much. Thanks Karin.
You can send Karin questions at
mailto:kflh@shaw.ca

Health Information Newsletter.
http://www.prescotts-inc.com

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PERCEPTIONS . . . by Ken Darby

-----------------------DISCLAIMER

Some around me think I am an opinionated old goat.
Whether that be true or not I will sometimes, in this column,
talk about things people don't like to talk about - or don't want
out in the open. Take it all with a grain of salt.

Do your own thinking, and don't accept the things I say as
gospel. They are only mental meanderings from a simple soul.

-----------------------END DISCLAIMER

You Were My Venting Place . . .

I love life. I mean right to the core of my being I love to
embrace life and living. It is full of lessons and new
things to learn and the older I get the more there is to
learn. It is a pure thrill to awake and realize I have
another day. I hope it is for you, too.

Today I was looking back at some of my life and some of the
feelings I have had. I was looking at the fact that when I
was younger and quit a job I would give two weeks notice. I
felt that was a responsibility. Yet I cannot tell you my
work was up to my best level during that two weeks. So when
I became a boss and someone gave me two weeks notice I just
paid them their two weeks and let them go right that minute.

I was wondering why things don’t feel that way with
thePEBBLE and ceasing publication and I discovered two
reasons. I hope you like them both.

The first reason is over the time I have come to regard each
reader as a true, trusted and loyal friend. Be that right or
wrong that is the approach I have always had. I like that
way of looking at things.

The second reason is I might well have been thrown out of my
house if I vented all my ideas at home like I have with you
guys over the time. You have been my release point. You have
served as the place where I could say what I please and only
when you took severe objection did you let me know.
Otherwise I was free to speak and felt accepted. Thank you
for that. I will miss it.

Survive and Thrive - http://thinksurvival.org/

Get this newsletter to a friend. Suggest they subscribe to keep up with the latest. http://the-pebble.com/PAGES/subscribe.html

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WHY DO WE SAY IT?

Sail Close To The Wind: Why do we say a person who is
following a course that is close to being illegal is
"sailing close to the wind"?

Because a sailing vessel "sailing close to the wind" is in
danger of being caught by a gust and jibing or keeling over
- and so being swamped. So, too, a person engaging in a
practice that is just short of being illegal is in danger of
being caught.

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DO IT NOW WHEN IT'S FRESH IN YOUR MIND

The Saga Of Pinehill Book II
Money, Marriage And The Way
is now published and available. Buy direct from:

http://www.publishamerica.com
(enter the name Saga of Pinehill in the search box)

If you enjoyed the first book, you won't be able to put
this one down until you've finished it. Enjoy.

DO IT NOW WHEN IT'S FRESH IN YOUR MIND

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THINK ABOUT THIS TODAY!

We tire of those pleasures we take, but never of those
we give. John Petit-Senn (1792-1870)

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HA! HA! HA!

A bartender is sitting behind the bar on a typical day, when
the door bursts open and in come four exuberant blondes.
They come up to the bar, order five bottles of champagne and
ten glasses, take their order over and sit down at a large
table.

The corks are popped, the glasses are filled and they begin
toasting and chanting, "51 days, 51 days, 51 days!"

Soon, three more blondes arrive, take up their drinks and
the chanting grows. "51 days, 51 days, 51 days!"

Two more blondes show up and soon their voices are joined in
raising the roof. "51 days, 51 days, 51 days!"

Finally, the tenth blonde comes in with a picture under her
arm. She walks over to the table, sets the picture in the
middle and the table erupts. Up jumps the others, they begin
dancing around the table, exchanging high-fives, all the
while chanting "51 days, 51 days, 51 days!"

The bartender can't contain his curiosity any longer, so he
walks over to the table. There in the center is a
beautifully framed children's jigsaw puzzle. When the frenzy
dies down a little bit, the bartender asks one of the
blondes, "What's all the chanting and celebration about?"

The blonde who brought in the picture explains, "Everyone
thinks that blondes are dumb and they make fun of us. So, we
decided to set the record straight. Ten of us got together,
bought that puzzle and put it together.

"The side of the box said 2 to 4 years, but we put it
together in 51 days!"

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CONTACT INFORMATION:

Complete Contact info on web site
http://www.the-pebble.com

To submit articles to thePEBBLE send a blank email to -
mailto:article.submission@emailsystemscentral.com

To subscribe to thePEBBLE just send any email to
mailto:pebble@rr-email.com

PEBBLE RELATED SITES OF INTEREST AND VALUE:

http://www.the-pebble.com
http://www.spiritual-underground.com

Survive and Thrive - http://thinksurvival.org/

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THE LAST LINE - - - - -

The best thing you can give someone is a chance.
Author unknown 

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REMEMBER! - IF YOU SEE IT IN thePEBBLE - IT IS SO!


Emotions lead you down a garden path to nowhere.
Real progress comes from clear thinking and listening
to the small voice inside.
---- Ken Darby