Two little words that can prevent an anxiety

After reading how a restaurant used two little words to cut their reservation "no-shows" from 30% down to 10%, it occurred to me that those same little words could add to harmony at home.

As parents, spouses, or sweethearts, we're always worried when our loved ones are late getting home - and on top of the worry is a bit of anger because they "should" know the worry they're causing.

Well, one restaurant changed it's reservation script from "Please call if you can't make it," to "Will you please call if you can't make it" and that made all the difference. It seems that by getting people to answer in the affirmative - and thus commit to making that call, they created an obligation that most were willing to fulfill.

So, next time a loved one heads out the door to work, school, or play, why not say "Will you please call me if you're going to be late?" And wait for them to answer with a "yes."

I'm definitely going to try it. Meanwhile, I'm going to continue using my Bach Flower Essences from Feel Bach!- because I like feeling good.

Yours for happiness,
Marte

Nature is amazing - in Bach Flower essences, and in gardens

When I wrote two days ago I was really wondering if many of my garden seeds had rotted in the ground. They'd been planted a couple of weeks earlier and some rows showed no signs of life.

Well! We've now had sunny days since last Friday. And what a difference it makes! When I checked last night those seeds had not only sprouted, some of the plants are already over an inch tall! Guess they were just waiting for a warm hug from Mother Nature and her sunshine to burst forth.

Most of us don't really think about nature's power until it brings on destruction - such as hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, etc. But I think we should stand in awe of that power in the small things - like a seed lying there in wait, and the healing and balancing power of Bach flower essences.

I also think that those of us who know about that power owe it to our friends to share the "secret." Just last week-end I was telling a friend how Feel5ive was helping our shelter dogs. She looked at me with a puzzled expression and said "You really believe that kind of thing can work?"

I told her "Of course, I've seen it and I've felt it." I left her pondering - and since she has some problems of her own to deal with, I hope she ponders well. Bach flowers are truly a Godsend for dealing with everything from fear, to insecurity, to being unable to make a decision or get a good night's sleep.

If you have friends who need help, send them to www.feelbach.com to read all about the healing properties of the 38 essences. They'll probably find exactly what they need to put their lives back in the "happy zone."

Here's to happiness!

Sunshine and a working computer - happiness!

Things are looking up around here. I got my computer back on Friday, and the sun has been shining since Friday, too!

We were all starting to wonder if we were going straight from winter back to winter. I'm still a little concerned that some of the garden seeds just mildewed in the ground, but we'll see. The peas are up a couple of inches and I see some tiny green spots where the beans are supposed to show up, so there's hope.

Meanwhile, for whatever reason, this appears to be a "tick summer." I took one off a horse, and a dog who just came into the rescue shelter was covered with them. So, if you have animals that go outside, or if you like walking in the woods, be sure to check for wood ticks. If you find one, don't just panic and pull it loose. You don't want to remove the body and leave the head behind, because you'll get an infected sore from that. If you smother it with something like shortening or if you heat a needle and poke it, it should back out.

The computer still isn't fun - trying to reinstall programs is a time-consuming project and doesn't always go smoothly, but at least the computer guru was able to save most of my files, including the most precious thing of all - the photographs.

I'm really happy over having my keyboard back - still making errors, but not anywhere near so many!

An update on my "scaredy cat" dog at the shelter - He's been on Feel5ive for a couple of weeks and just switched to a custom blend. And today, when I came in he got up and came over instead of hiding in his corner. I feel like we've made terrific progress with a dog who had been severely abused for the last couple of years. Hooray for Augie and for Bach Flower Remedies!

Thanks to a generous donation, all the critters in the shelter are now getting a dose of Feel5ive in their water dishes, and all are more content.

Wishing you a wonderful second half of June!

A word of warning to all... back up your files!

If ever there was a good time for me to have a bottle of Feel5ive on hand, it was this one - when my hard drive suddenly crashed and I realized a bit too late that I hadn't backed up all the photographs stored in my computer!

The other files were important, yes - but the photos are irreplacable. Bach flower essences can help you deal with the disappointment, but even they can't replace photos.

I'm still hoping that the repair man will have good news for me tomorrow, and that he'll have been able to retrieve some or all of my files. But he didn't hold out much hope for that. I'm really kicking myself for not making it a habit to do a back up at least every week or so - instead of every once in a while when I thought about it.

Meanwhile, I'm hoping that all my friends will write to ask why they haven't heard from me and I'll be able to get email addresses back. That's one thing I had never learned how to back up. Now I'll learn.

Tonight I'm blundering along on my husband's laptop - which is awkward at best. Tomorrow I will hopefully get my computer back - with it's new hard drive - and begin the process of re-installing programs and reconstructing my work files.

So - a word to the wise. Get an external hard drive, and USE it to back up your files regularly. Losing things that matter really isn't any fun!