Stop Smoking, the Simple, Always Effective Way

An excerpt from a chapter in a forthcoming book.

       As usual, what should be obvious has been made complex;  ballooning into just another high priced, time consuming industry. 

     This simple, always successful way to stop smoking involves no money, no groups, no appointments with any kind of "professions," no childish gimmicks, no patches, no pills with their grim warning of possible dire reactions, even death, and no difficult or seemingly impossible habits to try to stop, and no feelings of guilt or shame for what has not been done.

      During the time "it takes," a person can continues to purchase and smoke cigarettes.

      The only action that needs to be stopped is looking at, reading or listening to the so called "Public Service Announcements" that implore people to "Quit Smoking."

      The writers of such pronouncements are obviously from another planet, because the old adage, "Don't be a quitter" is well known by people of any age. 

      Starting early in the lives of most people, their parents, teachers and coaches instruct them to ~ "Do your best, don't be a quitter."

       The simple, effective cure has been used successfully by many hundreds of people.  All that needs to be done, several times a day and prior to going to sleep, is to say with conviction just four words,

               "I Am A Non-smoker."

     The words ~ I am ~ are more powerful than the shorter ~ I'm ~ .

     Regularly said phrases and sentences become affirmations and affirmations become reality.

      It can take as little time as a week to two weeks to convince the body that it does not need or want nicotine.

      In addition to regularly saying ~ I Am A Non-smoker, use the words as a computer screen saver, the words seen when a cell phone is turned on, write it on paper to secure to the bathroom mirror, the inside of a clothes closet door, the front of the refrigerator, the dashboard of a car and...... think of other places to post the affirmation.

      Or some people prefer to keep their endeavors secret from doubting family and friends to avoid their negative remarks.

     If someone reeks of cigarette smoke, perhaps, at work, without speaking about it, just keep leaving little signs in various places that the worker can easily see . . . and soon that will become the truth.

And, of course, advise reading this entry.
I Am A Non-Smoker

A Spread Laughter Project

(Return often to read the additions from the large collection I carry in my mind.)

     Whether it is a slight smile, a full smile, a chuckle or outright laughter, it is enjoyable for oneself and gratifying when you have produced one of those for someone else.

     Make certain to always have with you, in your memory, at least two riddles, plus a spare, that you can tell to everyone you encounter.

     After spreading laughter with riddles for many years, I have found that ~
     1 ~ There are two ways to introduce a riddle,
              ~ Just ask "Do you know why...."
              ~ Politely say, "May I ask you a question?"
                       ~ Most people say "yes," only 3 women and one man said "No! Don't bother me!!!"
          To those people, say in your most sympathetic tone, "I am so sorry that you have had such a difficult day so far."

     2 ~ Never try to explain a riddle to anyone who says

"I don't get it."

          ~ Just smile sweetly and say, "I am certain that you will when you think about it."

     3 ~ Do not be surprised that many people will want to hug you as they repeatedly thank you for giving them something to laugh about. 

     One of my nicest compliments came from a clerk, Keith, with whom I often exchanged comments when I shopped at Whole Foods Store.  He was working in the far aisle, when I got there, he said "I knew you were coming because I kept hearing laughter getting closer and closer."

     Remember that these are riddles, not jokes.  I have a few un-true stories, (I do not like the word - jokes) to share with you another time.

     Of course, you do know, that all riddles must be ~ nice ~.         No put downs of people, religion, race, country of origin,or creed ~.

    Through the years, after I shared a riddle, I often said to myself "I am clever, why can't I think of a riddle?"  Then one day, I decided to change my words to "I am clever, I can think of riddles."

     So, I said to myself my first riddle is~ about a ~ (the word, pigs jumped into my mind)  "What about pigs?"  I asked myself.  And suddenly, all the rest came into my mind ~ and I laughed.

Why don't pigs fly?
               (Because they are afraid of heights.)

Then recently, about a year later, the following came into my mind.

How do you know that a multi-level parking garage is unhappy?
       (It is in tiers.)

What can you never repeat?
       (Anything done for the 1st time.)

     There are few places, where riddles can not be told, places I have told one or two ~ on a stretcher going into an Emergency Room, going into an Operating Room, asked loudly in a public so-called "rest" room, people who telephone requesting money are appreciative, asking people ahead and behind you in a line, etc.

     Enjoy all the appreciative people you will meet as a result of your Riddle Gifts.

     Enjoy the good feeling of knowing that you have left a trail of laughter.

What do you get when you cross a brook and a creek?
       (Wet feet.)

How do you arrange for a space party?
       (You planet.)

How do you make antifreeze? Ask this in the winter.
       (Take away her nightgown.)

There are two goldfish in a tank.  What did one say to the other?
       (You man the gun, I'll drive.)

Why did the teacher wear sunglasses as she looked at her class?
       (They were all so bright.)

Why don't pigs fly?
       (Because they have not finished their classes at flight school.)

What color is rain on a metal roof?
       (Pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink.)

Where did the man work who was given more money because he was always loafing?
       (A bread factory)

Do the British have a Fourth of July?
       (Yes, and a third and a fifth.)

What did the bald man say when he was given a comb for his birthday?
       (Thanks, I'll never part with it.")

Where do penguins keep their money?

     (In a snow bank)

 

Why don't clams like to share?

     (Because they are shell fish)

 

How much does a pirate have to pay for corn?

     (A buck an ear)

Everyone knows why 6 was afraid of 7 (because 7, 8 ,9)

but do you know what the zero said to the eight?

         (Nice belt)

What gets bigger the more you take away from it?

          (A hole)

What do you call a belt made of watches?

          (A waist of time)

Why was the man fired from the orange juice factory?

          (Because he could not concentrate)

Non-riddles

Did you hear of the man who woke up February 2nd, saw his shadow, and went back to bed?

Did you hear about the woman who thought that she was going to have puppies because her stomach growled?

 

     When, possible I like to ask a riddle that is appropriate to a person's profession ~ to a bank teller, the penguin riddle, ~ in a grocery store any riddle about food.

 

     Surprise, please and amuse people in a waiting room, especially in a doctor's office with riddles.

 

Become an Active Participant,

and enlist others in this

Spread Laughter Project.

Only English, or All Other Languages

     There have been countless, but failed, attempts through the years to eliminate the addition of Spanish, a foreign language, from being coupled with English, the one and only national language of the U.S.A.

     This new approach is based on fairness and the elimination of prejudice.

     This is a positive approach that assures a successful outcome.

     No waiting for some town, state or government official to act upon a request.  

     Just a minimum (or maximum) of action by you can make this a reality.  

Recognize the fact, that the increased use of Spanish is a concentrated effort
to create a wedge to divide the peoples of this great nation.

DO NOT ALLOW

This Unfair Situation to Continue

     If people do not want to use English, our national language, then they should go to a country where the language they insist upon speaking, is spoken.

This well-known motto continues to be appropriate. 

 ~"America, Love It or Leave It"~

       English-As-A-Second-Language-Americans

Need to insist that when Spanish is used in addition to English

that your 1st language also be added.

       It is not fair to single out only one group of people and ignore all the many millions of Americans who came from other countries.

     When you are someplace where Spanish is printed along with English, take a photo of it so that you can reproduce it on your computer with additions.  

     By now, you know to add your 1st language under, and along          with, the Spanish.

     Many places have added a Spanish translation on the doors of restrooms.  (Crazy name!  I do not know about you, but a public room containing many toilets is fairly close to the top of a list of 

places I do not want to rest.)

     To encourage the owners or manager of the bank, store or mall to display the signs, it is important for them to know how the signs can be a benefit to their business, so title the sign thus.....

Because We (the name of the business) Believe In Fairness To All, 

We Are Listing The 1st Languages Of All Those

 Who Live In This Area. 

Come In To Tell Us Your 1st Language.

     When you return to the business where you encountered the original sign, be certain to dress simply and cleanly.  No jeans with holes or t-shirts with obscene words or the name of a competitor's company, slogan, address, etc..  Save cleavage display for a bar, the signs and their messages are to be the focus.  This is not the time or place for any distractions.  Also avoid flip-flops during your meeting with the owner or manager, especially if they are older as they associate such footwear with the Flower Child Era.

     As you explain about the sign, stress that listing only Spanish as another language is a form of prejudice, which is against the law, thus they could be sued.

Do These Sign Projects Now

Seek out places where you can make a difference.

     State of Virginia, we who are true Americans offer our sincere sympathy in this time of your great embarrassment when on June 11, 2013, your State Senator gave an entire speech in Spanish.  He has brought shame to your historic state of this nation's founders.

     One of the worst offenders, if not the worst, is the U.S. Postal Service, which includes a Spanish translation of all English mailing instructions.
     Using the Post Office's own mailing pieces on which to put your 1st language (and any other you know or can find) send to your local, regional, state and national post offices.  
     Swamp the offices with your translations and messages.

Send Repeatedly.

     If one woman in Brooklyn, New York could get Spanish in all the many places it is now, then we together can get it off.

     The aim of this project is to make the owners and managers of large and small businesses become aware of the prejudice and unfairness of their "favoring" one group of foreign speakers while disregarding all the thousands of other Americans.

     The use of Spanish is not a "favor" for Spanish speakers, it is an insult, that who ever puts it as part of a message, whether verbal or printed, is assuming that Spanish speakers are too dumb or lazy to learn English as all other Americans - and we know that is not true.  

     To aid in your letter writing this one is included so that you can use it or adapt it.  
     This letter has been effective.  Locate the names of not only the CEO of companies, but also, their Board of Directors and send letters (on paper letters) to each.     
     Use your letterhead paper, if you have it, (if you do not, make some on your computer.)
     A typed, error-free letter will be a great deal more convincing than a sloppy, hand written one or an e-mail.

- - - - -

SAMPLE LETTER

Greetings:

     In a telephone call recently to your company, I was greatly surprised that a company such as yours with it's outstanding reputation would blatantly have any type of prejudice.

     The United States is the home of people from almost every country in the world, all of whom have their own languages.

     Why would the policy makers of your company choose to disregard all these fine people by telling them with every telephone call to your company that they are unimportant?

     English is our one and only national language, this is not a dual language nation.

     So if another language, in addition to English is used, then the first language of all Americans should be used, or at least of all the people in the areas where your customers live.

     In addition to showing prejudice, your company is an ~Enabler~, a highly unfavorable practice that provides a crutch to people who need to advance on their own.  Your company, in what might have initially been considered a kindly act, is actually insulting Spanish speakers by stating that they are too stupid or lazy to learn English as have all those other people from the many diverse countries.

     Are these really the values for which your company wants to be known?

                                               Sincerely,

__________________________

 

     Enlist acquaintances, friends, family, neighbors, co-workers and not-yet-met-ers to join this important cause.

 



Only English

or

All Other Languages

                                                                                                                                              

                                                                     

Stop Disrespecting The Flag

     There is the famous photograph of battle weary Marines struggling to raise an American flag on a mountaintop on Iwo Jima in 1945 and now another that is equally famous, firemen raising the American flag at Ground Zero at New York's World Trade Center.

     Through the decades, men and women have struggled, fought and died to protect this flag that symbolizes our country, its heritage and traditions.

     Frequently when traveling in another country and unexpectedly encountering an American flag, there is a misty-eyed rush of emotion accompanied by strong feelings of love for the homeland, even for those people who consider themselves unemotional.

     Yet for all their seeming enthusiasm for their flag, Americans, according to a widely traveled friend from Spain, are the only citizens of a country who blatantly disrespect their flag, often on a daily basis.

     When visiting here, he was appalled to see what appeared to be cut-up flags in the form of shorts, shirts, scarves and even underwear and dog leashes.

     He said that not only do the citizens of other countries have more respect for their flag than to purchase such items, but that it is against the law for any company or individual to produce and/or sell them.  There is a sizable fine as well as companies could lose their license to sell anything in that country.

     It is one thing to purchase something with the entire flag displayed, like the "United We Stand" tee and sweat shirts and jackets that appeared after September 11th and quite another to wear what appears to be pieces of our flag cut into strange shapes, then sewn together in a crazy quilt pattern.

     There is a national law that requires that if an American flag becomes weather-weary, badly frayed or torn that it should be taken to a local American Legion Post, where in a special ceremony, the flags are respectively cremated in the presence of an honor guard of veterans, standing at attention.

     Instead of disrespecting the flag, wear the colors of the flag, my outfit has always been a navy blue cotton summer skirt, a red shirt, (when I was thinner, the shirt was tucked in and I added a wide white belt) and I have assembled a red and a white and a blue bead necklaces that can be worn in a variety of ways.  For air conditioned areas, I add a white sweater with a flag lapel pin.  Simple and there are always many compliments.  Assemble your own version of a July 4th outfit.

     Part of your respecting the American flag is to talk about it to your friends and everyone you encounter.  Be certain to speak to anyone who you see wearing flag pieces patterned clothes.

     After introducing these ideas to one group, they made half page sized flyers to put on public bulletin boards and most importantly to hand to anyone they saw wearing the disrespectful clothes.

     Children can take the flyers to school to show their teachers and perhaps do a report on this subject.

     Change from ignoring or apathy to speaking out via letters, the Internet and e-mails to store owners, create blogs and Facebook posts, speak out on social media, in newspapers and magazines, to The American Legion and Veteran's Associations asking that they discourage the sale of items with flag piece or distortion images of our flag designs.

     Proudly display whole American flags on your car, property, house and/or on yourself.  Make your often said statement be: 

~ I respect the American flag ~

Walnuts, Snow Forecaster

 

     "What was that?!!" is the almost certain startled remark by anyone who has never been in my house in August, September or October.

     ~ That ~ was a tremendous thud on the roof, often several thuds together, giving the definite impression that whatever it was, would soon be coming through the ceiling.

     A large, tall Black Walnut tree lives near the front left corner of my house with branches that extend over the roof, providing cooling summer shade.  Each year, starting in early August, Walnuts begin their brief free fall off the tree.

     The edible part of the Walnut is housed in a thick light green casing bearing a slight resemble in color and size to a tennis ball but much harder.

     300 years ago, when I first moved into my house, I started tossing the Walnuts into a tree well for the squirrels eating convenience.

     Several years later, as I did my annual Walnuts tossing, I absentmindedly counted them.  I was surprised to discover that there were 128 Walnuts.  That seemed a great many until the next year when there were over 500, and another year, there were 748 fallen Walnuts.

     For someone as closely connected with Nature, both personally and professionally, as I have always been, I do not know why it took me so long to realize the connection between the number of Walnuts and the amount of snow during the following winter.

     Few Walnuts seems to indicate a winter with little or even no snow.  A snow cover of at least a foot is important for most plants because, like many mulches, it keeps the ground more even tempertured thus reducing the likelihood of often fatal heaving and thawing of the ground that can expose plant roots.

     And it is not just Walnut trees that are so smart, other nut trees like the Oaks with their acorns and fruit trees will also produce record crops followed that winter by heavy or an all ground snow covered winter.

     I reported my findings to my clients as well as the students in my adult school courses and asked that they check their own property and their neighborhood for record crops, then report back to me before Thanksgiving.  Almost all people did.

     One man reported that he usually had to pick up about 2/3's of a plastic garbage can of apples from an old apple tree on his grass to avoid making apple sauce with his lawn mower.  That year, he had been surprised that there were enough apples to fill two cans.  Based on what I had told him, and all the apples, he had purchased new snow removal equipment.  That winter, he needed them.

     Of course as everyone knows, the nuts and fruits are the result of the tree's spring flowers, but did you know that those flowers were determined the autumn before?

     So how does Mother Nature know a year ahead that animals and people will need extra food to stash in their respective abodes to provide food for a long winter?  Many little animals are often in burrows in the ground and can be literally snowed in until spring.

     Autumn 2012, was the record count ~ 1,303 ~ Walnuts that fell from just my one tree ~ the year of Hurricane Sandy, which in my area, resulted in heavy, deep snow, many downed trees and wires which resulted in 12 days without electricity at my house.

     Alas, despite all my positive thinking and affirmation saying for 2013 to be a light snow winter, Black Walnut Tree produced 1,101 Walnuts and there were many heavy snows.

     In November each year, ask your friends, neighbors and your city's forester to learn if this has been an autumn that Nature has produced scarce or abundant crops, so you can purchase added food or whatever might be needed for whatever kind of winter this may be.

 

The Wonders Of Nature Are Ever Unfolding

Can U Guess These Xmas Pictograms?