HAPPY GO LIGHTLY EVERYDAY (c) By Polly Guerin

My friend Tony is a delight and every time I meet her it’s an uplifting experience. She possesses something that eludes many people, It’s the “The Happiness Factor,” Doesn’t it make you wonder, “How does she do it?” Well, with Tony it just seems to come naturally to her because she just doesn’t let negativity enter her brain and that is why she looks years younger and really, really enjoys life.
MOOD BUSTER As summer becomes a distant memory, hormone output plunges, triggering an uptick in pessimism. Don’t let it get you down relax at home and cozy up in something soft like pj’s or fuzzy socks. For the office, take along a sweater or soft jacket with the soothing comfort of lofty polyester warmth. Yale University researchers say snugly fabrics activate nerves in the skin and fire off feel-good messages.
HAPPINESS TIPS Even if you wake up and feel out of sorts, or work gets you down you can literally talk yourself into a happier mood. Put positive affirmation messages on heart-shaped Post-its around the house or on your computer screen, like “I Feel Pretty,” “Life is Marvelous,” and even “I love my Work.” Okay that last one is a bit extreme, but you get the point. Better yet change your password to happier messages, like “Hello Awesome.” Experts say that to feel better you need to focus on the positive and by taking an optimistic attitude each day it promotes the promise of happy vibes.
SELF ANALYSIS Never allow yourself to wallow in self-pity or to dwell unnecessarily on disappointments, delays, broken promises. When you’re caught in traffic jam or your computer crashes why fume and stress yourself out of your comfort zone. Take a deep breath and engage yourself in some self-compassion to soften the blow and know that in time it will all be resolved and that momentarily there is nothing you can do about it anyway. However, you can change how you address the problem by training your brain to focus on the posit
 FAN MAIL REMINDERS If you ever doubt about just how wonderful you are pull out those birthday cards and reread all the sentimental prose that praised you and made you feel special. Save your fan mail in a separate folder and when the slightest hint of negativity looms re-read how much you have touched the lives of other people by your compassion or help. Better yet, make a list of all the positive things that happened in just one day. Read the list out loud and repeat each item over again and be amazed about how much good has come into your life.

IT’S TIME TO BE GOOD TO YOURSELF AND SPEND LESS TIME DWELLING ON THINGS THAT CANNOT BE CHANGED AND ADAPT TO THE SITUATION WITH POSITIVE VIBES THAT WILL GET YOU THROUGH ANOTHER SPLENDID DAY.

MIND OVER MUSIC, A HEALTHY BRAIN (c) By Polly Guerin

Remember how uplifting you felt when you listened to a symphony program in a concert hall? Do you remember how you were transported away into the land of your imagination, free of the cares of the day and spirited on with sound stimulation into unknown realms of peaceful contemplation and happiness? That is what music does; it’s a transformational process, a modern sound healing technique that has been given the modern name of Solfeggio, which in musical terms represents the tones of a melody.
VIBRATIONAL ENERGY Although science does not recognize Solfeggio as a healing tool, traditional healers and modern String Theory recognize that every living body carries vibrational energy. That is why we feel so rejuvenated after listening to a music performance. Its restorative energy vibrations influence the physical body to heal itself,  induce relaxation, soothe frayed nerves and restore equilibrium.
ANCIENT SOFEGGIO Even in the Temple Beautiful in Egypt ancient Soffeggio used music and chanting to balance, curtail illness and balance the physical body. Vibrational energy, the tones of the musical scale each have their own specific relationship to the Chakras and the meridians and sound healers today frequently use ‘new age’ music to enhance health and wellness.
SOUND HEALING TODAY While informed individuals continue to seek alternative methods to heal, the growth of energy healers has expanded with solutions to de-stress, detoxify and bring the individual into total well being. For best results, seek out a qualified sound healer. There are CDs on the market now that address different issues like consciousness expansion, awakening intuition, relationship harmonization and meditation. Even in rehabilitation centers music has been the tool that awakens seniors who have been silent for years.
RESEARCH HITS A HIGH NOTE Now an MIT team has created music software to help diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. Users compose songs and then play a Concentration-like game that involves recalling excerpts of melody pairs and other memory tasks. You can track your own results and watch for signs of more serious cognitive decline. “If Alzheimer’s can be detected early, medication and mental exercises have a better chance of stabilizing memory loss or at least slowing down the progressions,” says one of the software’s creators, Adam Boulanger, Ph.D. Although the software is in clinical trials, researchers hope to release a commercial version to the public within a year.

WHEN JULIE ANDREWS SINGS ‘THE HILLS ARE ALIVE WITH THE SOUND OF MUSIC’ WE CAN VICARIOUSLY HEAR THE MELODY AND THROUGH SOUND HEALING BEGIN TO FEEL REJUVENATED AND YOUNG AT HEART AGAIN.

EGGS, CODDLED IF YOU PLEASE (c) By Polly Guerin

When is the last time that you ordered ‘coddled eggs’ at your favorite diner? Imagine the surprise on the face of the waiter who, unless he was British, would think you daft. Well, I never heard of coddled eggs before so being the type of person who likes to be coddled, “pampered and handled with care,” so says the dictionary, I looked into this fascinating culinary art, which incidentally goes way, way back to the 1800s and remains popular in Great Britain. Great chefs’ use coddled eggs to make sweet custard, but they are also used in a traditional Caesar salad dressing recipe.
DEMYSTIFYING CODDLED EGGS At this point you may justifiable ask, “Just what is this coddled fancy anyway?” Well, a coddled egg is somewhat similar to a poached egg but there is quite a difference in the preparation. If you’re a good poacher then you know that all you need to do is to crack open the egg and place it into water just below the boiling point. However, a single degree too high in hot water, eggsperts say, is all it takes to upset the delicate balance of texture, appearance and flavor. A coddled egg, on the other hand, should be immersed slowing in its shell in near boiling water. Carefully watch over this little treasure and let it stand for 5 minutes, then take it out, crack the shell and consume.
A HEALTH SEER’S ADVISORY In over 140 readings Edgar Cayce advised individuals to make coddled eggs a part of their diet as the perfect solution for benefiting from the egg’s considerable nutritional potential. Because coddled eggs are not boiled, some people may be concerned of the risk of salmonella and other bacteria. Therefore, it is recommended to use only very, very fresh eggs. The way an egg is cooked, as well as an individual’s physical condition, may determine whether the egg should be eaten whole or only the yoke. In one reading Cayce recommended eating, “Coddled egg and only the yoke of same, not the white---for this carries too much of those properties that are hard for digestion, or too much albumin that is producing an irritation in the adrenal gland secretion and the glands in the pelvis area. (844-1)
EGG CODDLER COLLECTIONS Quite recently I visited a charming lady who had a fascinating collection of little porcelain pots with metal lids, which at first I thought held some cosmetic secret or might be used for a chocolate, pot de crème. So wrong was I to discover that those little pots with painted flowers or other whimsical designs were "Egg Coddlers." Coddlers have been manufactured by Royal Worcester in Worcester, UK, since at least the 1890s, and were probably invented there. Many companies now make egg coddlers, and some are highly sought after collector’s items.
EGG CODDLER HOSPITALITY And so the aforementioned lady promptly made a coddled egg for me. She buttered the sides and bottom of a pretty egg coddler and gently broke an egg into it and seasoned it on top, then gently screwed on the little lid and lowered the egg coddler into a pot of near boiling water. “Make sure that the water level only reaches halfway up the porcelain body of the coddler,” she advised, “and the egg coddler should not be totally submerged in the water. There it should rest for about 5-6 or 7-8 minutes, depending on the size of the egg.” She then lifted the egg coddler from the pot, gently twisted the lid and served it to me at the table. Delicious!!! Especially when she sprinkled on some salmon flakes and a bit of parsley.

DON’T YOU DESERVE TO GET CODDLED? IF ‘FOOD BE ELIXIR OF LOVE’ CODDLED EGGS ARE A RARE AND DELICIOUS WAY TO IMPRESS YOUR GUESTS. ENJOY!!!