Dot`sThoughts

, hoping you can see everyone better. Can`t understand why the pictures won`t enlarge here.

A picture showing the entire Wedding party- all 21 of them. Theresa had all her brothersand sisters, her 2 children from her former marriage and her 4 grandkids.
Starting on the left is her daughter, next is my youngest daughter,the little Flower girl standing in front of her is my youngest 3 year old daughter, next is her husbands sister and in front , this junior bridesmaid is one of his nieces, the other Jr Bridesmaid is her daughter`s little girl, then is the other flower girl- a little one from her day care, next in back row is a niece from my husbands side, next is my oldest daughter, then the lovely Bride with her handsome husband, the next 2 men are from his side, the next two are my twins, and standing in front of them is a Jr Usher-( her daughters son) , then his brother-in-Law, then my youngest son with one of her son`s little boys- another Jr Usher , standing in front, and last is her son- holding theRing bearer- his other son ( who was getting scared standing so long in front of so many strangers, so he picked him up once the wedding ceremony was over.) Missing in this picture is my step son who walked the bride down the Isle in place of her father. He also escorted me into the reception hall. I will post his picture with more pictures later. You will need to enlarge the picture to see everyone better.

From the ArcaMax Publishing, Health & Fitness Newsletter:http://www.arcamax.com/news/healthtips/s-201716-598242 Your Health: Hefty Doses Of Humor And Hearty Laughter Offer Measurable Health BenefitsRallie McAllister, M.D., M.P.H.
Whoever said laughter is the best medicine may have been right. A growing body of scientific evidence supports the notion that laughter has a number of important health benefits. The results of a study conducted at the University of Maryland Medical Center suggest that giggling and guffawing are good for your cardiovascular system. Researchers determined that after healthy subjects watched portions of a funny movie, their blood vessels expanded, significantly increasing the flow of blood to their hearts. After viewing part of a heart-wrenching drama that evoked emotional stress, on the other hand, the volunteers' blood vessels constricted, reducing cardiovascular circulation. On average, the subjects' blood flow increased 22 percent following bouts of laughter and decreased 35 percent after periods of mental stress. In a related study, researchers evaluated the humor responses of adults in various circumstances. Half of the study participants had either suffered a heart attack or had undergone coronary artery bypass surgery, while the other half had no history of heart disease. The results of the study suggest that the individuals with heart disease exhibited more signs of anger and hostility. Compared to people of the same age without cardiovascular disease, the heart patients were roughly 50 percent less likely to laugh in a variety of situations. Scientists aren't entirely sure why a sense of humor seems to benefit cardiovascular health, but some speculate that it could be because laughter stimulates the production of nitric oxide. In the body, nitric oxide helps dilate arteries and lower blood pressure, improving blood flow in and around the heart. Laughter also provides a gentle, invigorating cardiovascular workout. Engaging in just 15 to 20 seconds of hearty laughter elevates the heart rate and expands the lungs, increasing oxygen levels and improving circulation throughout the body. Chuckling and chortling can also boost the disease-fighting powers of the immune system. At Loma Linda School of Medicine in California, students who watched funny videos for just 30 minutes demonstrated significant increases in the number and activity of T cells and natural killer cells, components of the immune system that help protect the body from cancer. The laughing students also had higher blood levels of Immunoglobulin A, a compound involved in defending the body against upper respiratory infections, including colds and flu. Because it is present in human breast milk, Immunoglobulin A can help prevent infection in nursing newborns. Among a group of breastfeeding moms, researchers found that women who actively used humor to cope with stress had fewer upper respiratory infections than those who focused less on the funny side of life. Likewise, the infants of the humor-seeking moms had fewer upper respiratory infections than the offspring of the more serious women. In his book "Anatomy of an Illness," Norman Cousins touted the pain relieving powers of humor. Suffering from a crippling form of arthritis, Cousins found that a 10-minute bout of belly laughter during the day gave him at least two hours of peaceful, pain-free sleep at night. Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, found that when hospitalized children watched cartoons and funny movies, they were better able to tolerate painful treatments ranging from shots to surgeries. Scientists speculate that laughter brings about a measure of pain relief by boosting the body's production of natural painkillers called endorphins. Laughter has long been recognized as an effective stress relieving activity. In response to stress, the body produces cortisol and adrenaline, hormones that fuel the fight-or-flight reaction. A hearty laugh can significantly reduce levels of these hormones in the bloodstream, returning the body to a more relaxed state. Although most adults enjoy a good knee-slapper, we don't laugh nearly as often as we did when we were kids. Compared to the average preschooler, who laughs over 300 times a day, the typical grownup is lucky to laugh a measly 15 times daily. If your funny bone is fractured and you can't quite manage a heartfelt laugh, mustering a simple smile is well worth the effort. In one study, volunteers reported feeling happier and more relaxed after repeatedly saying "eee," an exercise that required them to take on smile-like expressions. Laughter isn't a miracle cure, but there's no doubt that it's good for you. If you're looking for a quick and easy way to improve your health, adding a hefty dose of humor and a few hearty laughs to your daily life is a good place to start. ======== Rallie McAllister, M.D., M.P.H., is a family physician in Kingsport, Tenn., and author of "Healthy Lunchbox: The Working Mom's Guide to Keeping You and Your Kids Trim." Her Web site is http://www.rallieonhealth.com. To find out more about Rallie McAllister, M.D., and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. This news arrived on: 06/16/2007
Copyright © 2007 ArcaMax Publishing, Inc., and its licensors. All rights reserved.

Goblet on the right of the burning candle in picture.

Saturday, June 9th, 2007
What did I accomplish today????

Finally feeling more rested up from the wedding. Should pick up the Wedding pictures Monday or Tuesday and then will post some.

I was just sitting here thinking I haven`t accomplished much today when all the things I did came rushing into my mind.
I started my day off with doing two loads of washing and drying and just finished folding and putting away the second load. I normally never leave the house with either the washer or dryer still running. But when my Son -In-Law came over to see if I wanted to ride to the flower place with him, I gladly accepted and off we went leaving the dryer running. We still needed to buy some lettuce for our garden boxes, plus he also wanted to get flowers for his wife`s ( my daughter who just got married) railing porch boxes. I now have the lettuce planted. I also bought and planted some Monarda didyma flowers in my back smaller flower bed to draw the butterflies and hummingbirds to that area. I still need to mix the humingbird nectar and hang it out there. Might wait till tomorrow to do this.

I also bought a small frog that is supposed to croak when the flower box needs watering. I gave it to my son-I-L to put in one of their flower boxes on their railing. We didn`t tell my daughter and hope we are around the first time she looks to see where the croaking noise is coming from. HaaHaa.
I also picked up a large bag of birdfeed and the large hotel style birdfeeder is already filled. My son-In-Law did the filling for me. Then I sprayed pam spray down the feeder pole to keep the squirrels from climbing the pole and eating the birdfeed. I also filled the bird feeders on my back porch.

Oh, I forgot about the apple tree. First thing this morning , about 7pm I went out and sprayed the apple tree. This year the tree is loaded with apples and I am hoping I get some fit for eating. Took many years waiting for the apple tree to have blossoms. My youngest daughter brought home this tiny apple tree- less than three feet tall at the time- from school during the "Plant a Tree" week. That was about 30 years ago. The first few years I thought it looked like it was dying. Then one winter it did almost die and came back growing into two sections from the one trunk base. Guess that was a good thing as it takes two apple trees to produce apples and the double effect has acted like it was two trees. Boy! It sure has grown into a tall huge tree. Glad my sprayer shoots over 25 feet tall to cover the top of the tree when spraying. I use my well water and hose for the sprayer and also for watering all outside plants. So, I never have to worry if the town sets any outside water regulations on the town water. I had transplanted the apple tree a few times after she brought it home. Seemed every place I planted it was in the way of the mower . Finally I planted it out onto our empty lot. Well, it was never really empty as there is a small wooded area on the further side. I built a three bin compost a ways behind the tree, which I still use. This year the compost was used along the flower beds in front of the house. I have white sand and little grows in it without help. I added fruit fertilizer stakes around the tree. The compost bins helped protect the tree from the mower. :) I wish the apples had been eatable while Walt was still here as he was the one who realy loved apples.

This afternoon I finally brought down the about 30 plants that I keep upstairs on a large desk to rest during the winter. It usually takes me three or four trips up and down those stairs, but this time I used an old cat litter box and was able to pile them enough to make it with just two trips up and down those stairs. I often wonder how many more years I will be able to do all this climbing, and then what will I do with all those Amerilla plants. Only 4 plants flowered last month. Many are too young yet for flowering. They require a cooler darker place for winter resting and they can be set outside during the summer months- right up till frost time in the Fall.

So, I guess I did accomplish something today after all and do deserve a rest now.

What a Beautiful Day -- March 2nd, 2007
1PM- Wedding ceremony
1:30 to 2:30-Cocktail Hour
2:30 to 7:30- Reception

Saturday was my daughter Theresa`s Wedding. It was held at the Beautiful Blue Water Manor over looking Lake George with the mountains showing way off in the background beyond the other side of the Lake. The Wedding ceremony was held outdoor as the weather was great. They had an arch with flowers and the full wedding party went thru the arch and under the edge of a canapy style cover onto a low platform. Chairs were set up in front of the arch. There were real tall glass vases filled with flowers lined up for them to walk between on the way to the front and also where they announced everyone as they entered the reception hall. Her gown was beautiful and the wedding party looked great in their long gowns and tuxes, even the little ones looked so cute in their pretty dresses and Tuxes. Ever see a 2 year old in a Tux carrying the pillow with the rings? He was so cute walking in front of the Bride, and the two 3 year old flower girls in such cute dresses, spreading rose buds from their baskets along the path as they walked along in front of the Ring Bearer. The Jr Bridesmaids walking with the Jr Ushers walked together and separated up front just as neatly as the older ones had in front of them.
The ceremony went off perfectly and when you have 7 kids age 2 (Ring Bearer), 2 Flower Girls-both age 3, 2 Junior Bridemaids -one was age 6 and the other one was younger, 2 Junior Ushers ages 4 and age 10, and then there were 5 Bridesmaids and 5 Ushers walking with them, plus the Maid of Honor and the Best Man. Making a total of 19 people plus the Bride and Groom. So, as you can see, it was a large Wedding.

Her husband was always a person who loved fishing and uses his boat on some fishing tournaments. So, Theresa decided to have a fun joke given to him while he was waiting for her to arrive. She bought this huge oversized crystal goblet, on which she has pasted these words "Gone Fishing" "will be a little late" and it had a water and grass look with a fish hanging from a fish pole on it. Then she had a poem for one friend to read to him when they gave him the goblet. I forget the word in the poem, but the drift of it was she tried to catch him a large fish but this little one was all she caught, etc. I never got a picture of the goblet and wasn`t there when it was given to him, but some who were there said it had everyone laughing for quite a few minutes. While this was going on, Theresa and all the girls and all the kids in the wedding party, plus myself were still riding around in the Limousine that took us from her house to the place of the wedding which was about a 40 minutes drive using the Northway- a65 MPH road - over half the way ( or it would have taken about an hour or so).

At the end of the Lovely Wedding Vows, My Daughter handed her new Husband an open locket holding a couple of pictures of her Father. She told her Husband " I give you this to show that my Father would approve of this wedding." Later, her Husband said that her doing that meant a lot to him. He thought it was so special that she felt that way. He had only known Walt a couple weeks before he passed away. Walt told me he liked him, so I know she was right, he would have approved of this wedding.

After the lovely Marriage ceremony, there was an hour of free cocktails or other drinks ( of course mine was a root beer which was one that came in a brown bottle the size of a beer bottle. So, some were real surprised as they thought it was a beer and all know I don`t drink. One nephew told my youngest son that he better go check on his Mom to be sure she was ok. Guess it had a lot of people wondering till they saw it was just root beer. One of Walt`s nieces husbands asked if he could get me something to drink.
I told him -I wonder if they have root beer and he said he would check. Another nephew told him to get me the beer without the root. This nephew of Walt`s has always kidded that way, so I told him if he did, he just might need to take me home. Of course they all laughed. Later when I carried the same root beer bottle with me into the Adirondack Great Room where the large reception was being held it stirred up more people who thought I was carrying a beer bottle. I never thought a brown "root beer" bottle could cause so many wondering about me. They all knew I was missing Walt not being there with me for our Daughter`s Wedding, but I`m not the type to let it turn me to drinking and embarrasing my family that way.
I still had almost half a bottle full when I walked over to talk to some of my family at a different table. I set it down at their table and we turned to talk to someone else and they cleared off all the empty glasses including my root beer bottle. After we ate, there was a Band playing for dancing. One of my sons went and got me a glass of root beer and we set it at his table and I was asked to dance. While we were all dancing that glass ,with only a little out of it, was also picked up when they were clearing off some tables. When my son heard this, he went to get me another root beer only to find they were out of root beer, so I settled for a Diet Pepsi. My son told me to guard this glass with my life. I told him I was going to set it at the table where one of my grandsons and his gilfriend were sitting so it wouldn`t disappear.

I haven`t danced so much in years. Not since dancing with Walt at our 50th Anniversary Party that our kids threw for us back in 1001- just 7 months before Walt passed away. I sure was tired after all the Dancing. Everyone had a wonderful time. People were constantly telling me how Beautiful Theresa looked, how wonderful the Wedding ceremony was and how much fun they had at the reception. Then later on after the Band quit, some went swimming in the indoor pool and in the jacuzzi ( probably spelled wrong, but I`m just too tired to worry about it tonight), I did try out their warm jacuzzi and it felt good to unwind after a long month of hunting for things for the wedding. Later that evening one son asked me to go with them for supper at the Pot Belly Restaurant , which was about 3 miles from the Blue Water Manor. Had a light snack there and headed back to the cabins. It was late by the time everyone left who wasn`t spending the night and the rest finally decided to call it a night and headed off to their own cabins. By then it was after 11PM and I was ready to crash for the night. Then I had to find who had my C-PAP machine and my son carried that to my cabin. Then I had him go back after the water for the C-PAP as it requires Distilled water which I had sent up with the machine. Then there was nothing to sit my machine on up a ways off the floor, so one son carried a chair from his cabin to mine- 4 cabins down the road from his. I was finally ready to head off to bed.

Theresa and her new husband had their own special Honeymoon cabin. The next morning was fun, trying to figure how to get everyone back home who had gone up in the limo. It was about 1PM the next day when I finally arrived back home. We had relation coming from as far away as the state of Virginia. I`m not sure how many were there, but there sure were many.

There was much for people to do who stayed over as besides the indoor pool, the jucazzi, there were two play parks for the kids, paddle boats for anyone who wanted to use them, a tennis court, pool table, plenty of riding toys and other toys for kids, plus lots more for people to enjoy. A very nice place for a great vacation.

I know I am missing a lot as I am still tired. Tomorrow I will probably remember lots more.

Here it is- now Tuesday. The Honetmooners came home today. She had her wedding bouquet kept in a refrigerator so the flowers wouldn`t die. Today she took her Bouquet down and left it on her Father`s cementary heart shaped stone. I also took down my wooden planter filled with flowering plants . I had made the planter a couple years ago. I also took down a container filled with flowering plants to leave on my Parents grave. On our way home, we stopped and had lunch at a restaurant.
Once back home, I got on my computer to write more here and I just fell asleep. I had started writing this up on Monday, but was too tired to finish it. Think I could still sleep a lot more before i will feel rested up. I will need to stop soon as I can hear the thunderstorm off in the distance, so it should arrive here soon. I will post this much for now.
Such a wonderful time everyone had and such a beautiful Bride she made.

Labels: 6/2/07, Daughter Theresa`s Wedding