Essential Oils

An essential oil is a concentrated liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, or ethereal oils. An oil is 'essential' in the sense that it carries a distinctive scent, or essence, of the plant. Essential oils do not form a distinctive category for any medical, pharmacological, or culinary purpose. They are not essential for health.

Sage is best for blood-pressure reduction. In a 2013 study, women who smelled clary sage experienced reduced blood pressure and breathing rates. They were also able to relax during a stressful medical exam. Sage also increases memory and attention.



Peppermint is best for stress relief. Research shows that breathing in eau de peppermint can decrease the body's levels of cortisol, a stress hormone. It also reduces fatigue.

Orange is best for decreasing anxiety. A study found that people who sniffed it before a stressful test were able to stay calm under pressure without anxiety spikes.


Rosemary is best for enhancing brainpower. Breathing it in can improve speed and accuracy during demanding mental tasks, per a 2012 study. Other research found its scent left people feeling refreshed and mentally stimulated. It also has been known to reduce fatigue.


Cinnamon is best for improving focus. It may stoke the area of the brain that governs alertness. Research found that drivers were more focused after breathing in cinnamon-oil scents.


Lavender increases relaxation and relieves some symptoms of PMS. A 2013 study found that it also eases pre-period symptoms such as mental confusion and depression. It also reduces some migraine pain.


Olive Oil  may help you lose weight, according to a recent study in the American Journal of Nutrition. It says the scent of olive oil might help you feel full.

A diffuser is the most effective way to unleash essential oils into the air, but you can add one or two drops of oil into a bowl of steaming hot water. Another option is to place one drop of oil on a cotton ball, put it under your nose, and inhale normally for one to two minutes.


Essential oils should never be used for more than one hour at a time. Look for 100 percent pure and organic oils free of fillers, pesticides, and synthetic chemicals.

Island in a Lake

The largest island on a lake which is itself on an island in a lake is eighty two acre Treasure Island (Ontario, Canada) in Lake Mindemoya, which is on Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron.

Manitoulin Island contains two more, Lake Manitou and Lake Kegawong. Each of these lakes also have islands within them.

Monty Python

Speaking of essential, Monty Python just updated one of its songs for the World Cup. LINK  The timeless comedy troupe is doing ten reunion shows in London starting next month.

In addition, a box set of all their albums is also coming out. It will be called Monty Python's Total Rubbish: The Complete Collection. The set contains remastered versions of all nine UK-released albums.


Their final live show next month is to be broadcast into 450 UK cinemas and 1,500 worldwide. It will be on my calendar and always better to watch with a crowd, because laughing obscures the next rapid fire bit of humor and it is difficult for a person to take it all in at one time.

Smile, Be Happy

In one set of studies, depressed participants were invited to take a few minutes once a day to relish something that they usually hurry through, such as eating a meal or taking a shower. When it was over, they were instructed to write down in what ways they had experienced the event differently as well as how that felt compared with the times when they rushed through it.


In another study, healthy students and community members were instructed to savor two pleasurable experiences per day, by reflecting on each for two or three minutes and trying to make the pleasure last as long and as intensely as possible. In all these studies those participants prompted to practice savoring, regularly showed significant increases in happiness and reductions in depression.


Researchers told people to smile and the subjects actually felt happier. More than 26,000 people were randomly assigned to groups and asked to carry out various exercises designed to make them happier. When it came to increasing happiness, those altering their facial expressions came out on top.

Dale Carnegie

 His teachings never go out of style. Here are a few worth adopting.
- Become genuinely interested in other people.
- Smile.
- Remember that a person’s name is, to that person, the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
- Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
- Talk in terms of the other person’s interest.
- Make the other person feel important – and do it sincerely.

Monkey Business

This is a bit out of the ordinary, but came across this site and felt the need to share. If you have a friend or family member that needs cheering up, or has a birthday, or anniversary or whatever. You can buy them a monkey phone call. You can order from this site http://www.monkeyphonecall.com  and they will call your friend/victim, explain the reason for the call and make monkey sounds into the phone. We are never too old to be silly.

Wordology, Ultimate and Penultimate

When 'ultimate' it is used as an adjective it describes something that is the best, highest, or the most extreme example. As a noun the word ultimate means the final or last in a series or the best, greatest, and most extreme.


Penultimate means the second-to-last item in a series of things. It does not signify a large or vast number of variables, or the abundance of something. It is one.



To clarify, Chapter 14 in a 15-chapter book is the penultimate chapter and the ultimate chapter would be the 15th chapter, not necessarily the best or most exciting.

High Temperature

Summer will soon be here and with it high temperatures. When it comes to body temperature, anything up to 102°F is mild and can be treated by drinking plenty of fluids. To quickly bring down a temperature above that, put an ice pack under your arm or near your groin. Icing either spot will cool your body's core. Another remedy is to take a cool, but not cold bath.

For children, take a pair of cotton socks that are long enough to cover the child's ankles. Thoroughly wet the socks in cold tap water. Wring out excess water. Put the socks on the child's feet and repeat process when the socks dry out.

Free Friday Smile