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Category: Leisure and Interests

Published on Leave a comment on Chicago Woman, 104, Skydives From Plane, Aiming To break Record For World’s Oldest Skydiver!

I DOUBT THAT ANYONE WILL BE A CANDIDATE TO BREAK HER RECORD, HEY? IT'S 38c TODAY, SO I AM RELAXING AND LOOKING FOR MORE GOOD NEWS ITEMS FOR YOU WHEN I FOUND THIS! THE MORE THE BETTER, HEY???

From the TODAY Program and Associated Press

A 104-year-old Chicago woman is hoping to be certified as the oldest person to ever skydive after leaving her walker on the ground and making a tandem jump in northern Illinois.

Chicago Lady 104 Skydives In Tandem With Instructor Breaks Record

“Age is just a number,” Dorothy Hoffner told a cheering crowd moments after touching the ground Sunday at Skydive Chicago in Ottawa, about 85 miles (140 kilometers) southwest of Chicago, the Chicago Tribune reported.

The Guinness World Record for oldest skydiver was set in May 2022 by 103-year-old Linnéa Ingegärd Larsson from Sweden. But Skydive Chicago is working to have Guinness World Records certify Hoffner’s jump as a record, WLS-TV reported.

Hoffner first skydived when she was 100. On Sunday, she left her walker behind just short of the plane — a Skyvan — and was helped up the steps to join the others waiting inside to skydive.…

Published on Leave a comment on What to Feed Ducks and Geese by Happy Wanderer.

They have Lots of Info! They Say: You Can Feed Them These Alternatives to Bread - As a kid, we regularly got rid of stale bread by taking it down to the pond and feeding the wild ducks. Unfortunately, it is really bad to feed bread to ducks, geese, swans, waterbirds and other wild birds. Beyond the harm it causes the birds, it also pollutes the environment. Here’s what to feed ducks instead of bread, and these alternatives are much healthier for both your feathered friends and the planet.

For Too Long, I Didn't Read

Bread is bad for ducks, geese, and other waterbirds. Like really bad. So just don’t.

I have always loved ducks, from when I was a preschooler to the flock I strolled by every day on campus during graduate school. As a kid, my sister and I thought we were being good citizens of the planet by taking our old bread to the ducks at a nearby pond. In school at the University of New Mexico, I often ate my lunch by the duck pond on campus, sharing a few chunks of bread from my sandwich or a few potato chip crumbs with the braver web-footed creatures who approached me.…

Published on Leave a comment on Benefits In Good Old-Fashion Ways And Values – A New Move – Making Old Things New

By Janet Vargas - Owner Of This Website

Adopting some things from Yesteryear and some of us have not even been brought up with, like having a Clothesline and drying our Clothes Naturally, for instance. In this Article, I hope I can Inspire you towards some beneficial changes that will make a difference in your life or family some time in the very new future. Makes for more Family Orientation - Constant Use of too many Modern "Conveniences" don't.
Shall we go?

Lets Enjoy Sunshine - Nature and Good Old-Fashioned Values!

Here's How Much Money You Save With A Clothesline And Some Advantages

You can Save 20% on your Electricity Bills here in Australia. Your Clothes and Sheets and Towels etc are Fresher. Especially your Tea Towels. You Enjoy the Sunshine and Fresh Air more often - they're actually Good for You, and everything feels fresh and lovely to wear and place on your beds etc. If you've never experienced that before, you're missing something.

Also, a little exercise benefits your health as well. On Autumn, Spring and Summer days, you get to Enjoy the nice Blue Sky and maybe some white fluffy clouds.…

Published on Leave a comment on Lifeguards Carry Woman, 95, To Her Beach Chair Every Day During Her Vacation

Lifeguards in Alabama are being praised for carrying a 95-year-old woman to her beach chair every day while she was on vacation.

Kimberly Waterbury, and her 95-year-old mother, Dottie Schneider, from Indiana, travelled to Alabama's beautiful Orange Beach this October for a week-long vacation.

Kindness and Goodness Prevails - Generous Lifeguards in Alabama USA Help Lady 95

Dottie uses a wheelchair and cannot walk in the sand. Her family was struggling to get her from their condo to their beach chairs.

That's when Shane Martin, the lifeguard on duty, pulled up on an all-terrain utility vehicle and asked if the family needed assistance.

Shane helped Dottie into the vehicle and drove her close to where her family's lounge chairs and umbrella were waiting.

He carried her the rest of the way and gently placed her onto the chair, making sure she was comfortable.

Every day for one week, Orange Beach lifeguards met Dottie and her family to help assist her down to her beach chairs.

Then at days end they escorted her back to her condo.

"We are forever indebted to the guys with Orange Beach Surf Rescue," Waterbury told AL.com.…

Published on Leave a comment on Gardening 2 or 3 Times A Week To Relieve Stress

By SunnySkyz - Based on Survey!

A new study suggests that frequent gardening may be linked to increased health benefits.

According to the study posted on ScienceDirect, gardening just two or three times a week maximized the benefits of better wellbeing and lower stress levels. Gardening Encourages Family Togetherness, and it Keeps You Company if you live on your own too - I love to do this, my plants are great company. Folks, you don't have to have a lot of Plants to do this!

Benefits Of Gardening - Discover Them

The research explored why residents engaged with gardening and the extent to which they recognized any health benefits from the activity.

A questionnaire was distributed electronically within the UK, with 5,766 gardeners and 249 non-gardeners responding. Data was collated on factors including garden typology, frequency of gardening and individual perceptions of health and well-being.

"This is the first time the 'dose response' to gardening has been tested and the evidence overwhelmingly suggests that the more frequently you garden – the greater the health benefits," said Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) wellbeing fellow and lead author Dr Lauriane Chalmin-Pui. "In fact gardening every day has the same positive impact on wellbeing than undertaking regular, vigorous exercise like cycling or running.…

Published on Leave a comment on Mood-Boosting and Over-all Benefits of Having Pets

WE BENEFIT FROM THE COMPANY OF AND INTERACTION WITH PETS AND ANIMALS. GUESS WHAT BENEIFITS HAVING A PET AT HOME AFFORDS? PHYSICALLY, MENTALLY AND EMOTIONALLY. AND THE BETTER WE LOOK AFTER THEM, THE HAPPIER THEY ARE. HAVING A WELL CARED FOR PET/PETS IS A RELATIONSHIP OF RECIPROCATION. PEOPLE DERIVE A SENSE OF COMFORT, CONTENTMENT OR HAPPINESS INTERACTING WITH THEIR PETS. WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT WE BENEFIT PHYSICALLY AS WELL? IT'S AMAZING WHAT SCIENTISTS AND RESEARCHERS CAN TELL YOU ABOUT THESE THINGS NOW. LET'S HAVE A PEAK AND SEE:)

Pets are Cute and Pets are Cuddly - Pets are Great!

Pets come with some powerful health benefits. Here’s how caring for a dog, cat, or other animal can help relieve depression and anxiety, lower stress, and improve your heart health.

The benefits of pets
Most pet owners are clear about the immediate joys that come with sharing their lives with companion animals. However, many of us remain unaware of the physical and mental health benefits that can also accompany the pleasure of snuggling up to a furry friend. It’s only recently that studies have begun to scientifically explore the benefits of the human-animal bond.…

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Published on 1 Comment on 50+ Ways to Cheer Someone Up – See If Some Of These Appeal

IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, SOME OF US HAVE LEARNT SOME GOOD COPING SKILLS, AND OTHERS ARE REALLY COPING NOT SO WELL. MOST TIMES, YOU CAN'T CHANGE CIRCUMSTANCES FOR THEM, BUT YOU CAN MAYBE MAKE THINGS A LITTLE LIGHTER BY BREAKING UP SOME POSSIBLE RUMINATION AND GIVING THEM SOME TANGIBLE IDEAS TO DISPERSE SOME CLOUDY THOUGHTS. SOMETIMES, JUST A SIMPLE INTERVENTION OF HAVING YOUR COMPANY FOR A WHILE AND DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT CAN BREAK UP A SOMBER STATE OF MIND THAT IS MAKING THEM FEEL SAD, LONELY OR VULNERABLE. IT'S SHOWING THEM SOMEONE CARES, HEY? AND THAT CAN MEAN A LOT.

Fill Someone's Day With Sunshine - There's So Many Ways!!!

From Different Authors

By Rachel Sharpe

Write Them A Card

If your goal is to cheer someone up, send snail mail and mail them a card. Let the card be a surprise. Within the card, write down all the reasons why you think that person is incredible. It’s a great way to make the person feel special and appreciated. It’ll likely be kept as a memento for years to come. If the person who needs cheering up typically doesn’t get mail, this will be a pleasant surprise for them.…

Published on Leave a comment on Natural High: Why Birdsong Is The Best Antidote To Our Stressful Lives

From The Guardian Website - Past Edition

Dawn Chorus Day is a good time to celebrate the benefits to mental and physical health of birdsong.
Let us all speak up for protecting the different Species of Birds needing our voice.

A Beautiful Nightingale Photo by National Geographic

When I hear the first willow warbler of the spring, the first cuckoo, or the first booming bittern on my local patch, I feel an enormous sense of comfort and satisfaction. As the poet Ted Hughes wrote about the annual return of swifts, “They’ve made it again, which shows that the globe’s still working…”

It’s International Dawn Chorus Day on Sunday 5 May, and this year the RSPB has released a single of birdsong (currentlyat number 11 in the charts) as part of a campaign to draw attention to the situation facing British birdlife. Populations of once-common species such as the house sparrow, starling and swift are falling fast, while the nightingale, turtle dove and grey partridge are rapidly sliding towards extinction in Britain.

Climate change, intensive farming and pollution are just some of the genuinely existential threats to the future of our birds.…

Published on

DO YOUR TASTE-BUDS FAVOR GREEK AND ITALIAN CUISINE? MAYBE YOU LIKE OREGANO BUT HAVE NOT HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF TRYING IT FRESH - IT'S REALLY NICE, AND ALL YOU NEED IS A FEW LEAVES. I FOUND THIS EXCELLENT ARTICLE BY A 2nd GENERATION HOME GARDENER WITH LOTS OF EXPERIENCE TODAY. HER NAME IS Amy Andrychowicz from GetBusyGardening.Com

How To Grow Oregano Successfully - Surprise Yourself!

Growing oregano is easier than most people think, and require very little care. In this post, I’ll show you everything you need to know in order to have your biggest and best crop yet!

Oregano is a delicious, useful, and a surprisingly low maintenance herb to grow at home.

Once you understand how to care for it, even a beginner can get it established, and keep it going for years in their garden.

This guide is designed to help you discover exactly what it takes to grow oregano.

You’ll find tons of information, including soil, sun, water, and fertilizer requirements, tips on harvesting, pest control, and much more.

Temperature: 60-80°F
Flowers: Purple, pink, or white, blooms in late summer
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Water: Allow soil to dry between waterings, do not overwater
Fertilizer: General purpose plant food in spring and summer
Soil: Fast-draining, fertile soil

The sprawling, hardy growth and drought tolerance makes it popular as a low-maintenance ground cover.…

Published on Leave a comment on A 60-Minute Walk In Nature Decreases Activity In Brain Regions Involved In Stress Processing

Researchers in Germany have found that a one-hour walk in nature reduces
stress-related brain activity.

The amygdala is the brain region involved in stress processing. It has been shown to be less activated in people who live in rural areas, compared to those who live in cities, hinting at the potential benefits of nature.

Nature Walks Are Good For Your Brain

However, no study so far has examined the causal effects of natural and urban environments on stress-related brain mechanisms.

"But so far the hen-and-egg problem could not be disentangled, namely whether nature actually caused the effects in the brain or whether the particular individuals chose to live in rural or urban regions," says Sonja Sudimac, predoctoral fellow in the Lise Meitner Group for Environmental Neuroscience (LMGEN) and lead author of the study.

To address this question, researchers from LMGEN examined brain activity in regions involved in stress processing in 63 healthy volunteers before and after a one-hour walk in Berlin's Grunewald Forest and a busy city street using functional magnetic resonance imaging.

The results of the study revealed that activity in the amygdala decreased after the walk in nature, suggesting that nature elicits beneficial effects on brain regions related to stress.…