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Jeb’s birthday was yesterday, so Kathy invited the Athen’s Cashins to a birthday lunch on Sunday. We were invited to be there at 12:30. Grant has been itching to get a convertible and saw one in his price range on Craig’s List Saturday. He called the seller and since it was in Roswell, thought it would be a good idea to just “take a look at it” (with checkbook in hand) on the way to the birthday party. He, Jami and kids went to Roswell in the van. Of course, Grant drove the Miata right on over to Jeb’s house. Jeb said he would always remember his birthday when Grant got a convertible.

Then, Ted’s present to Jeb was a slip-n-slide for children up to age 12, weight to 80 lbs. Of course, this was Grant’s suggestion. So, Fiona and Michael got to try out the slip-n-slide in Jeb’s front yard. I was glad to see Claire get on her bathing suit, then Danny – and yep, they both slipped and slid with Fiona and Michael. Funny!

We had such a nice afternoon with Kathy, Jeb, Danny, Kelly, Claire and Ted. Good lunch, then we ended up at their neighborhood pool and stood around in chest high water with our Bud with lime canned beers, in kuzies, of course.

This is an email I wrote Nicole the other day and I think it would be a good continuation of the Athens in July story:

Never a dull moment here in Athens! Fiona and I went to the YMCA for Silver Sneakers this morning and she worked out with 4 pound weights!!! Amazing. I just use 5 lbs. She enjoys the classes and all of the Seniors really think she is adorable.

Then we went to Memorial Park Zoo. They have a couple of 32 week old bears and they are so cute and playful.

Then we picked Michael up at 2:00 (early) from Y Camp and went to the library for a pirates program. They colored parrots and attached them to clothespins, and clipped them to their shoulders.

Got home about 4:00 and gave Fiona another sewing lesson. She made Jami a pocket bag on the sewing machine.

Michael was so hot because he sat in the car and read for about 15 minutes (doors open), and he took a nap and threw up on the sofa and rug. Poor thing. He had to have a bath.

Fiona went to swim practice then she and Jami went to Five Star Day Cafe and brought Grant back a huge plate of chicken, rice and collard greens and a biscuit. He stayed here and read to Michael.

Now this is just one day. Every day is jammed. Tomorrow morning Fiona is suppose to go to county try outs and they have to leave here about 7. Michael is suppose to go, too, but no telling how he will feel in the morning.

(Written Friday, 7/9)

Grant and Jami and kids moved in with me eleven days ago. It’s fun to be a part of their family while they are in between houses. They are VERY busy with activities and it’s good they are young! The children have swim practice from 5:30-7:00 on week nights and swim meets have been on Wednesdays. Now, they are winding down with no meet tonight but I think one next week.

Jami is in school for this week and next, working on her Teaching Certificate. Michael is in the YMCA camp for 2 weeks and Fiona and I are hanging out together this week. Next week, Fiona will be in trapeze camp in the mornings and that will be for 2 weeks. Michael learned to ride a bike on Monday, July 5th! He is so excited about it that he wants to have a party to celebrate every July 5th from now on. I have a great dead end street where he learned to ride and it’s very safe.

Ted came over on Sunday to celebrate July 4th and the new grill. We grilled hamburgers and hotdogs. He also installed a new 42″ TV that I had bought on Saturday. I could not read the scores of tennis from the sofa with the 32″ TV that I bought in March! Michael is crazy about UT! And, I think UT really likes Michael. They play very nicely together.

Fiona and I did the Silver Sneakers class together in the YMCA this morning and she likes it and wants to go again. She kept up great, using 3 pound weights! Then we went to the Army Store and Normal Hardware. That hardware store is like walking into my past! It’s a fun place to shop. Andrew will love the Army Store when he gets to come to Athens.

Now, Fiona is coloring the play dough ornaments that she made yesterday. She wants to watch Grandaddy’s 70th birthday party tape after lunch. She was 2! Michael was not hatched yet.

To be continued.

A local radio station has been running a contest for the past several weeks and ask a trivia question each day about golf. Last week, one of Grant’s workers, Todd Upchurch, was listening to the station and dialed the number before they asked the question. When the question was announced, he asked Grant if he knew the answer. The question was “what golfer in the top 10 is not from the US or Europe?” Grant did know the answer and it was Ernie Els from South Africa. Todd put Grant on the line and they took his information and said he would be in a drawing that would take place the next day. The next morning about 8 a.m., Grant started receiving calls from friends telling him he had won the contest. He called the station and found out he had won 2 tickets to play with a pro and 2 radio announcers in the Station Athens Classic at UGA for the practice round on Wednesday, April 28th.

Grant called me to tell me the good news and I asked him if I could go watch him play. He said he would check. He did call to ask if his mother could come out and watch and they asked him if I was in a wheelchair! Since I can still walk, they let me come. So, I invited my friend, Bette McNeely, to go with me. Grant invited his friend, Vern Strickland, to play in his group.

As part of the winnings, Grant and Jami attended a very nice banquet on Tuesday night and there were more than 100 people there. Shrimp and Grits were on the buffet. After dinner, they lit up and opened up the stadium and everyone got to go on the field.

Vern and Grant arrived at the course by 6:30 a.m. and were each given goody bags and each received a coupon worth $300 to spend in the pro shop. They put all of their prizes in the car and teed off at 7:40 a.m. on the 10th hole. They played with Fabian Gomez (Pro), and Jeff Dantzler and David Johnston (radio announcers).

Bette and I arrived about 9 a.m. and parked in the designated parking area and took the shuttle over to the course. The tournament actually started the next day, so there were very few spectators. We were escorted out on to the course by the man who was in charge of 500 volunteers. He told us that all of the concession stands would be open and we could get anything we wanted to eat or drink for free. He also told us about where to look for Grant. We headed for the 17th green and waited there until Grant’s group arrived. Grant was playing really well. We followed them for 3 holes, then left and settled on the 13th green. It was a beautiful setting and we sat in bleachers where we could see the 12th, 13th and 14th holes.

We were pretty much the only ones there until two men came up and asked us to participate in the wave when the president of Stadion, Jud Doherty, came to the 13th. One of the men was Tim Chapman, Portfolio Manager for Stadion and the other was was with Mutual of Omaha. We enjoyed visiting with them and learning about the tournament.

Bette and I watched several groups come and go and stayed until about 2 p.m. It was a beautiful day and the course is gorgeous. I personally think it is as pretty as the Augusta National.

Grant plans to use his weekly passes this weekend to watch the finals. His pro, Fabian, is playing great and is in the top 10 for this tournament, so far.

I have beautiful pictures in the gallery.

Several years ago I made a list of 30 suggestions and intended it for each of my grandchildren. I wanted to make each of them a little booklet to keep and I still may do that some day, but the following 44 Ways to Health and Happiness that came to me through Wise Bread are more detailed and excellent for health and happiness. I hope you will take the time to read them! Then, I hope you will see what you might work on to make your body and mind healhier and more joyful!

“Do you want to improve your health and feel better? The human body and mind are fascinating, and the science behind improving your wellbeing is something I find extremely interesting. There are a lot of different tools, methods, and practices that can help you jumpstart your wellbeing into the direction you desire. Some of these work fast, and some of them take awhile, so be patient and persevere. It will pay off.

If you take one thing from this article, then let it be this: take action on the things that make you feel good. Our life on this small, blue planet is short, so make the most of it. Think about what you truly value and cherish. It’s easy to lose touch with what really matters, so stay alert and aware.

1. Hug

Hugs are amazing at relieving stress (and studies have proven this). I’m sure you’ve felt this yourself when hugging a partner or loved one. It feels like you relax, and stress melts away when you hug someone you care about.

2. Give a gift

It feels good to give, and I am not just talking about rampant consumerism. You can give experiences and many other things. It doesn’t have to be things that are of no value. Take your loved one and give them an experience instead of something materialistic.

3. Meditate

Meditation has a profound impact on your brain and can help you release negative thoughts and become happier. (Reading scripture, prayer, listening, putting yourself in the presence of God). Meditation might not be the easiest thing for most people, because of their chattering minds, but try it — and you’ll be surprised at the relaxation!

4. Be grateful

Think about the positive things in life. I’ve always found that being grateful has an amazing ability to pick me up whenever I’m feeling down. Even research studies (pdf) are realizing the powerful effects of counting your blessings and focusing on the positive.

5. Forgive

Research studies have found that those who forgive are healthier and happier, compared to those who hold resentments. Forgiving can be hard, because you think that it somehow helps you to hold on to things, but what you are actually doing is reliving the painful moment over and over and causing emotional harm to yourself.

6. Spend time with your family

Sometimes, we are so inundated with work that we forget to spend time with our family, friends, or even our spouse. This is especially true if you run your own business and love what you do. Take time to relax and be with those who are close to you.

7. Share your feelings

Tell your loved ones that you love them. Thank them for being here with you. Telling people how much you appreciate them can have a snowball effect on everyone involved. It can be scary to share what you feel, but it’s the scary things in life that matter.

8. Walk in nature

Taking a walk in the park and basking in the sun can improve your mood, not only because it gets your body producing vitamin D, which is the sunshine vitamin, but also because there’s something about nature (we belong there).

9. Sit in nature

Sitting and looking at the birds and wildlife is soothing. Enjoying the moment and listening to the birds sing can remind you to not take the dramas in life so seriously and to instead just enjoy the ride.

10. Youtube

We all know Youtube can make us laugh. Who doesn’t like cats or skateboarding dogs? If you’re up for inspiration you can always check out Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford Commencement Address.

11. Watch a movie

I love movies. Watching a comedy, thriller, mystery, or an inspirational drama always manages to get me to shift my perspective and provoke thought. Renting an old movie and grabbing a bag of popcorn — is there anything more awesome?

12. Spend time with your pet

There are many studies out there on how pets can reduce cardiovascular stress, such as by lowering your blood pressure, and helping you release stress. This not only applies to those that own dogs, but to cat owners, as well.

13. Make food you enjoy

You and I both know that there are certain foods that make you happy. I am not talking about gorging yourself on ice cream or anything like that. Preparing food and eating it consciously can be a form of meditation and may help you snap out of the common patterns we find ourselves in.

14. Let go of guilt

Guilt can come about in many different ways. You might feel guilty because you just ate a piece of chocolate cake, or it can be something else. Relax, don’t be so hard on yourself, and let yourself enjoy the simple things in life (in moderation of course).

15. Eat whole foods

Healthy foods, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and so on are filled with fiber, nutrition, and things that scientists probably haven’t even discovered yet. Research proves this and shows that the healthier you eat, the happier you’ll be.

16. Eat fish

Fish contains omega-3 fatty acids, which have been proven to reduce depression and all sorts of mental disorders. We believe this is because the EPA and DHA in fish help transport a chemical in your body called serotonin, which acts as a natural anti-depressant.

17. Drop unnecessary tasks

When you think about everything you have to do, it is easy to get overwhelmed and procrastinate. Simplify your life and drop the things you really don’t need to do. Stop saying yes to more than you can handle.

18. Find your passion

Finding your passion and discovering your purpose in life will bring fulfillment and happiness to your being. Doing what you love energizes and uplifts you like nothing else. Discover your life’s purpose and start taking action to making it come true.

19. Exercise

Exercise is good for your brain. Studies have known this for years, but we still neglect exercise, because it tends to be boring. Find an exercise form you really like. You don’t have to jog if you don’t enjoy it.

20. Organize yourself

I don’t know about you, but I feel less stress when my workplace and home is uncluttered and clean. I’m not saying I’m great at cleaning up, just that it’s nice.

21. Give away stuff

Giving away old clothes is another act of kindness that will open your heart and improve your mood. Imagine how big of a difference just a few sweatshirts can have for someone in a country much poorer than yours.

22. Volunteer

Signing up as a volunteer might seem like a waste of time at first, but once you try it, I promise you that you will walk out of it with a new outlook on helping others.

23. Accept your situation

So often we think about how we could have changed things if we had only done this one thing in the past. What is, is. Let go of trying to control, and just relax into your current situation.

24. Write down goals that make you happy

Setting goals that make you unhappy until you reach them is a recipe for disaster. Instead, set goals that make you happy in the present moment.

25. Visualize what you want

When you visualize, make it feel like you’re there. You should try to smell, feel, hear and taste it. This will enhance the feeling and supercharge your cells with positive energy and catapult you toward your goals.

26. Simplify your finances

We all have a few magazine subscriptions or similar financial burdens that we don’t even think about. They just arrive and we pay the fee. Simplifying your finances and dramatically cutting down your expenses will allow you to save more, work less, and relax.

27. Write a journal

Journaling is something I resisted for a long time, but as I started writing my thoughts down, things started becoming clearer, and I could solve problems and make decisions much easier.

28. Take action

It’s easy to dream and have ideas, but the thing that separate those that love their life and are successful is they take massive action, all the time. What could you do today to get closer to your goals? Why aren’t you doing it?

29. Live in the now

Focus on your breath, on your body, and be aware of your thoughts. The present moment is all that we have. If you dwell in the past, you are doing it in the present moment. Breathe, accept, and relax.

30. Be positive

Clichés are everywhere and a general statement such as “be positive” can get on your nerves. But taking baby steps to just think one more positive thought or do one more positive thing each day can change your life.

31. Lose arguments

We all want to win arguments, but what would happen if you just started letting other people win them? There’s no need to prove your point. Just let someone else win and steer the conversation to a friendlier and happier topic.

32. Live frugally

Living frugally goes hand in hand with simplifying your finances, but it’s a bit more than that. It’s accepting that materialism isn’t that important. You can save a lot of money while still doing the things you love.

33. Be lazy

Sometimes it’s nice to just relax and allow yourself to be lazy. Once in a while, allow yourself to take some time for pure laziness, eating, and joy.

34. Be aware

About 5 years ago I discovered meditation, lucid dreaming, and all those mystical things that people think are airy-fairy. I thought so as well in the beginning, but it lead me to practicing mindfulness and awareness. It has had a dramatic impact on my life, it just might do the same for you.

35. Experience life

When you have bouts of energy and can’t stand to be lazy anymore, go outside and experience something. Drive a go-kart, go to a sauna, or take a short trip. Create experiences that are worth remembering.

36. Call up old friends you’ve been meaning to call

It’s easy to push up calling and connecting with old friends and loved ones. Do that now. Even though it can feel like something you’d rather not do, push past that and do it. You’ll feel better afterwards.

37. Choose to be happier

Choosing to be happier consciously has shown to have an effect on people all around the world. I could not find any scientific evidence, but I can tell from personal experience that when you truly want to be happy, you’ll find a way.

38. Be kind

Do something kind to someone. Just smiling at people when you’re outside is an act of kindness that uplifts the people you meet and in turn improves your mood and happiness.

39. Be social

We humans are social creatures, and although some of us prefer to be alone, we still need human touch and interaction. Without it, we go crazy and fall into depression.

40. Elevate

Jon Haidt, a teacher and author, termed the concept “elevation” (pdf), which means doing things that cause warmth, and an elevation in feelings. It basically means helping others and doing kind acts.

41. Enjoy your life

Accept the way things are, and enjoy what you have. This goes hand in hand with forgiving and being grateful. Forgiving yourself is a big step that many people have to take during their lifetimes. It will feel like a huge weight is dropped off of your shoulders.

42. Release materialism

You don’t have to keep up with the Joneses. “Live more, have less stuff” is truer now than ever before. More and more people are realizing this, and even psychologists now know what makes people happy.

43. Sleep

Lack of sleep has a profound impact on your mood, so make sure you get enough sleep. I’ve found that whenever I can’t get enough sleep, I’m easily irritated, don’t think as well, and am not my cheery old self.

44. Get a massage

Massages feel awesome, but did you know that they can increase your serotonin and dopamine levels? Serotonin and dopamine are two neurotransmitters that help reduce depression and lift your mood.”

Posted by Henri Junttila

My friend, Berry, is an Espiscopal priest and lives in Athens, GA. She and her husband are involved in a ministry called Bethlehem Ministry. They spend a lot of time in the Dominican Republic helping and ministering. The following is an email from her. She was in the Dominican Republic when the earthquake hit Haiti.

From: [email protected]

I am fine up in the Northeast of Haiti. We are beginning to get people fleeing from Port au Prince with broken bones, traumatic stress. We packed up >1 ton of rice, beans, spaghetti, etc. and had a big truck drive it to Port last Sun. It returned last night with people/ We will try to buy some more food and pack it and send it down again. We had another aftershock this a.m. at 6:00 that we felt way up here. It sent folks out into their yards yelling. I don’t know how long these tremors will go on. The school is closed for the week; the clinic is open as needed but Thurs. and Fri. we will be open all day. Any contributions are welcome. People are coming down to TR to help on Sun., bringing cash so that I hope to buy more meds. Let everyone know I am fine and to look on www.BethlehemMinistry.org for updated blogs.

You should hear the folks singing in their time of grief. It is amazing. Love, Berry+

Nicole told me that when she got back to Armenia they would celebrate Christmas. I did not understand why their Christmas is on a different day than ours, and she said that she thought it was because when the Christmas date was originally set, it was January 7th.

Well, today, in my Little Blue Book from Saginaw Press in Michigan, I read that today is Orthodox Christmas. The Orthodox Church is divided into two groups when it comes to determining the dates on which to celebrate certain feast days.

One group, (e.g. Greek, Bulgarian and Cypriot Orthodox churches) generally used the Gregorian calendar, which is the same calendar used by the Roman Catholic Church and many other churches in the West. But this group also uses the old Julian calendar (which is about 13 days behind the newer Gregorian calendar) for movable feasts such as Easter.

The other Orthodox group (e.g. the Coptic Church, Russian, and Serbian Orthodox, and most Orthodox churches in the Middle East) only uses the Julian calendar.

Today is Orthodox Christmas for churches that use the old Julian Calendar. The appearance of the evening star yesterday (Orthodox Christmas Eve) ended their daylong fast before Christmas.

The Servian Orthodox celebrate Christmas by burning a yule log. While the log is burning, participants sing a song hoping that blessings in the new year rise up to heaven like the sparks of the log.

The Orthodox Church separated from the Catholic Church is 1054.

So, Happy Orthodox Christmas to those who are celebrating today!

Thank goodness, Ted came over and helped me fix some lights on the tree and get it decorated. I could not have done it without him. We had to cut off all of the embedded lights on the top tier and wrap around some more lights, but it ended up working just fine. Ted made a cute arrangement of owls and canaries and enjoyed hanging his own cowbell from Thailand and his little cross stitched ornament I made him when he was at Vanderbilt. Also, he reminded me of the Russian egg he brought us from his Peace Corps days.

Friday morning I worked out at LA Fitness, then met my book club for lunch at a Polish restaurant in Norcross. We discussed our book selection, The Zookeepers Wife, a true story taking place in Poland during the Holocast. We really liked the restaurant and recommend it.

Friday night, I ushered for ASO Gospel Christmas at the Symphony with Mary Sydney and Anita. It was pretty good, but not my favorite Christmas program.

Saturday i went to a Widow’s Christmas cookie exchange and that was really a nice time, hosted by my friend, Brenda.

Sunday, I lectored and made the opening announcements at Mass, took communion to a sweet bed ridden lady, then started fooling with the Christmas tree. Sunday night, I attended a Women’s Club Advent program at Holy Cross. There were approximately 150 women there and it was a nice event. The Women’s Club furnished all of the finger food and the attendees set their tables and furnished their own wine. They had tons of door prizes, but I did not win one this time.

I have a pretty calm week this week, but lots of exciting things happening beginning next Sunday. I have 2 prospective buyers coming tomorrow to look at the house. Wouldn’t that be amazing if I got a contract? I’m ready to take it off the market!

The week started last Sunday. I ushered at the Alliance for “Come Fly With Me”. Really good. Frank Sinatra songs and great dancers – no dialog. On Monday at 6 a.m. I left for Tunica, MS with two “girls”, Maci and Stephanie. It’s 413 miles so took 7 hours. We stayed at the Gold Strike. I have never been to Tunica before and was completely surprised that it’s like being out on a prairie. Casinos are miles apart. Gold Strike is clustered with 3 in the group (Horseshow and Sheraton), but no way to walk to another one. No shopping, no shows. So, you just gamble, eat and sleep. Since I started losing right away, I mostly ate and slept. Didn’t come out too bad that way. We left there at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday (6:00 pm in Atlanta), and got home at 1:30 a.m. Thursday morning.

I played ALTA the next morning. Lost miserably. Can’t understand why. Then had to rush home to do some more Bible Study homework and went to class that night.

Friday, I worked at Saint Joseph’s Hospital for the morning. I worked in the critical care waiting area and serve as the liason between families and doctors. Very busy. We had 11 open heart surgeries that day. That night, I ushered at Symphony.

Saturday, I played tennis, but just for fun so that was o.k. Then Ted and Katy and Austin came over for dinner that night.

Sunday, went to church, lectored, and took communion to one of the homebound parishioners. Fr. Cayet was at Mass and concelebrated with our new pastor, Fr. Richard. What a thrill to see my old friend and get a hug. He was at Holy Cross for many years and very loved by all, and especially me. After I took communion, I went to Publix for my one cent coupon shopping. Disappointed that it was a loaf of white bread. Yuk. But, I got it, anyhow. At least they have good buy one get one free specials.

Have enjoyed the rest of the day at home. The phone has not rung once, I’ve walked and took a nap and relaxed. It’s good to be still for a while.

This was the best birthday and I feel like I am at least 95, now, because I have celebrated it many times! My wonderful children took me out to a great dinner on the beach in July and that was the first celebration. Then, I exchanged a Time Share for Hilton Head and Carol, Andrew, Jeb, Kathy, Danny, Kelly, Claire, Grant, Fiona, Michael were all able to come for part of the week and we celebrated on Tuesday night with birthday cake, balloons and they presented me with this wonder IPOD player. Wednesday night, Carol took Andrew and me out to dinner at a jazz restaurant, Jeb took me out for a sunset dinner on Friday night right over the water at Harbor Town. We came home from Hilton Head on Saturday, the 8th. On Monday, my tennis buddies gave me a luncheon at Twin Lakes with great food and friends. On Tuesday, some dear long time friends gave another luncheon at Twin Lakes and we ate and swam for both of these. On Friday, Anne & Ed gave me a dinner party with Bill, Joe, Camille, Francis, and George. They all gave me gifts!

Joe and Sandy gave me a ticket to D.C. for my birthday and I left on Tuesday the 18th and returned on Monday, the 24th. George came over two nights for dinner. Highlights were a visit to Dan’s grave at Arlington, working out with Sandy at her health club, day trip and lunch at Tilghman Island and ice cream and browsing at St. Michaels Island, Sandy and I went to see the movie “Julie and Julia”. Sandy is a wonderful cook and she and I both enjoyed the movie.

I thought that was the end of the celebrations, but I played mah jongg Monday night after I returned, and Jean brought me a birthday present and beautiful card. I have enjoyed each and every person who have been so thoughtful and loving and feel truly blessed with such a wonderful family and friends.

Ted came over for dinner last night and has updated my IPOD with a ton of music that Joe and George gave to me, plus all of the ones I wanted to save that were already on there. Now, it’s on my computer and I can upload my own CD’s to the IPOD. That’s very exciting! When Ted bought a new IPOD last year with 16 GB (this one has 8), he said he would lend me his “old” IPOD. Well, I think maybe it’s mine, now, since he has let me put all of this other music on it.

I think I have had the best birthday of anybody this year, and I don’t need to celebrate any more until I’m 100. Gosh, that’s not that far away.