January 26th begins the Chinese Year of the Ox

Based on new moon change the Chinese New Year seems a good time for a new start. The Chinese Zodiac is a 12 year cycle. Each year of the 12 year cycle is named after one of the original 12 animals. Each animal has a different personality and different characteristics. The animal is believed to be the main factor in each person's life that gives them their traits, success, and happiness in their lifetime.

People born under the influence of the Ox are kind, caring souls, logical, positive; filled with common sense and with their feet firmly planted on the ground. Security is their main preoccupation in life, and they are prepared to toil long and hard in order to provide a warm, comfortable and stable nest for themselves and their families. Strong-minded, stubborn, individualistic, the majority are highly intelligent individuals who don't take kindly to being told what to do. If you were born in 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985 or 1997 - you were born under the sign of the ox.

The twelve animals of Chinese astrology: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig.

To find your own birth animal, and more, you can go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_astrology

Just chat, chat...

Photo is of my mom, Ada Catherine Fritsch. Everyone called her Kay. I took the snap on July 28, 2007 at my brother Glenn's wedding to his lovely bride Ynez. What a great time we had!
The purse on her shoulder is the purse I'm using now.


Misplaced my keys this AM and wouldn't you know it, Sharon came over for a few minutes and found them in seconds. She's amazing at that. Oh, yes, they were in the cushions of the couch. Why didn't I look there? I went through the house, my purse got strip searched (and discarded), I even checked the car, it was locked so was hoping they weren't in there.

So keys restored and carrying a new purse. Well, it's actually one of my mother's purses that I inherited after she died last May. It's the first time I've used it. Smaller, but nicely organised with compartments. I can think even more often about mom by carrying it. Thanks mom, for everything you did for me over the 65 years of being my mom. I sure miss you.


After seeing the preview on another film, I ordered from Netflix the recent DVD of Charlie Bartlett. It's one of the best teen flicks I've ever seen. Which isn't saying much since teen themes are not on the top of my genre list, but this is an extremely well-cast (with Anton Yelchin and Robert Downing, Jr., etc.) , and has a good story flow. Compare to Ferris Bueller film. Laughs and tears in about equal portion.

On the same topic of films the new release The Curious Case of Benjamin Button with Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett sounds like a premise I'm interested in. Sharon told me about it after hearing about my post on 'living life backwards'. John was interested enough to say he'd take me to a showing on Sunday or Monday night as part of Valentine's gift. The preview online looks good. They usually do, eh? But it's the premise that interests me and maybe the nostalgic ambience too.

Good news on the doctor front. The heart specialist says no problems with mine and he gave the green light on knee operation. Pre-op will be the week prior.

3 Easy Exercises for Your Brain

Since reading My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor, Ph.D. I've become more interested in my brain, poor neglected thing that it is. It makes sense to me that both hemispheres could use a little exercise. I found these basic ones:

1. Blood Flow Switch On (especially good before studying or concentration) Sit or stand. On one of your hands, open your fingers so that your thumb and index finger are as wide as possible from each other. Place this open index and thumb into the slight indentations below the collar bone on each side of your sternum. Put the other hand over your navel. Press lightly in a pulsing way for about 2 minutes.


2. Cross Crawl (helps balance the flow between your 2 hemishperes, esp. for spelling, writing,listening, reading, and comprehension) Sit or stand. Put your right hand across your body to the left knee as you raise it, then left hand on right knee as if you were marching. Do this for about 2 minutes.


3. Hook Ups (good for situations where you are nervous to calm your mind and improve concentration) Sit, or if you must stand do so carefully. Cross your right leg over your left at the ankles. Lay your right wrist over your left wrist, link up your fingers, turn your hands toward your body. Rest your clasped fingers on your breast bone (center of your chest). Stay in this position, keeping ankles crossed and wrists crossed and breath evenly. You will feel noticeably calmer in a few minutes.

Another tip: Drink Water (before and during class or any stressful situation) Drinking water is very important since the brain is comprised of more water than any other organ of your body and under stress you can de-hydrate, negatively affecting your concentration.

The site I got these from was:
http://www.iolani.honolulu.hi.us/Academics/UpperSchool/English-Upper_School/EnglishFac/9braingym.htm