DIANE'S CORNER ... Celebrate Fun Day

Everyone needs a little unstructured fun in their day, and Fun Day is perfect for having time dedicated to exactly that. In today’s high speed world with its constant pressure to go farther, get more done, be more productive, and climb in our career, having a little fun often goes by the wayside. The stress of this lifestyle has been shown to have a constant and growing negative effect on the overall health of people. Fun Day is a reminder to break the stressful line of day to day living, and to go out and have some Fun!

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Having Fun is a proven way to make sure you have the opportunity to have more fun later, more often. Stress has negative effects on your immune system, making it easier to get sick, and making you stay sick longer. By going out and having Fun, you can reduce your stress level, and help bolster your immune system. For you workaholics out there, this means by slowing down and having fun, you’ll also have more days to work in by making sure you have less sick days, and who couldn’t use that?

Knowing that first impressions can’t be redone, Fun Day also reminds us that stress has a dramatic effect on our appearance. Skin becomes more sallow, acne outbreaks more frequent, and it becomes harder and harder to get rid of those bags under your eyes if you’re stressed all the time. After all, high stress levels lead to not sleeping as deeply or as long, with insomnia being a major side-effect of having stress, and nothing makes someone look and feel better than a good night’s rest!

Fun also gives you a major boost to your mood, every time you smile or laugh you get a boost of endorphins. Endorphins are one of those chemicals the body releases that makes you feel confident and satisfied with life in general. While you can get a similar effect by eating chocolate, just getting out and having a good time will boost your emotional state without increasing your waistline with it!

Fun also helps create bonds between people in a social environment, nothing brings people and loved ones together like having a good time. There is little in our lives that isn’t improved by having fun with a group, whether as part of a BBQ, a night out at the movies, or just getting together and kicking around a ball. If you find your life lacking in Fun, make it a priority to go out and participate things you enjoy that aren’t all centered on work.

We all want to live longer, and who can blame us? Well, if you’re looking for a great way to extend your life and improve your health, guess what’s a proven way to do that? Get out and have some fun, and try to keep your mind in a positive attitude. Doing so can add an additional 8 years to your life, just by making sure you keep your mind off of stressful things and getting out to have a little Fun now and then!

A life without Fun is one hardly worth living, so use Fun Day to get out and have a fantastic time. Get together with friends, get yourself to the movies or out on the Golf Course. All of these will lead to a longer, happier life for you and those you bring with you. Fun Day may only come once a year, but don’t let it be the only day of the year you have fun on!

thanks for the pics, Valerie, Canadian Correspondent

Word of the Day

erose

A leaf of the ligularia plant

MEANING:

adjective: Irregularly notched or jagged.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin erosus, past participle of erodere (to gnaw off), from ex- (off) + rodere (to gnaw). Earliest documented use: 1793.

USAGE:

“He looked to the west, a horizon as defined as the erose scars left by the shark.”
Rich Jackson; Guiding Daniel; Xlibris; 2012.

Idiom of the Day

Explore all avenues

Meaning - Trying out every possibility to get a result.

Example - It is a difficult thing to do but if we really want it done, we must explore all avenues.

This Day in History

1778 - Oliver Pollock, a New Orleans businessman, created the "$" symbol.

1789 - The U.S. House of Representatives held its first full meeting in New York City. Frederick Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania was elected the first House Speaker.

1853 - Cincinnati became the first U.S. city to pay fire fighters a regular salary.

1864 - The first travel accident policy was issued to James Batterson by the Travelers Insurance Company.

1867 - The International Exhibition opened in Paris.

1889 - The first dish washing machine was marketed (in Chicago).

1891 - The William Wrigley Jr. Company was founded in Chicago, IL. The company is most known for its Juicy Fruit gum.

1916 - The first U.S. national women's swimming championships were held.

1929 - Louie Marx introduced the Yo-Yo.

1931 - Jackie Mitchell became the first female in professional baseball when she signed with the Chattanooga Baseball Club.

1938 - The Baseball Hall of Fame opened in Cooperstown, NY.

1946 - Weight Watchers was formed.

1952 - The Big Bang theory was proposed in "Physical Review" by Alpher, Bethe & Gamow.

1954 - The U.S. Air Force Academy was formed in Colorado.

1970 - U.S. President Nixon signed the bill, the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act, that banned cigarette advertisements to be effective on January 1, 1971.

1970 - The "Woodstock" movie premiered in Hollywood.

1976 - Apple Computer began operations.

1983 - New York Islander Mike Bossy became the first National Hockey League (NHL) player to score 60 goals in 3 consecutive seasons.

1987 - Steve Newman became the first man to walk around the world. The walk was 22,000 miles and took 4 years.

1997 - David Carradine received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

1999 - The Canadian territory of Nunavut was created. It was carved from the eastern part of the Northwest Territories and covered about 772,000 square miles.

DAILY SQU-EEK

If You Were Born Today, April 1

You are a person of great faith and conviction. Straightforward and determined, you pick yourself up after a fall quickly. Self-reliant and strong, you also have a sensitive side. You are not afraid to stand apart from the crowd and stand up for your beliefs and convictions. You are not always comfortable asking for others' help, but you should probably do so every once in a while so that you avoid the traps of feeling lonely or uncared for. Famous people born today:

1776 Sophie Germain, French mathematician, born in Paris, France (d. 1831)

1815 Otto von Bismarck, German chancellor (1866-90) who helped unify Germany, born in Schönhausen, Prussia (d. 1898)

1875 Edgar Wallace, English novelist, playwright and journalist (The Terror, The Four Just Men) who created King Kong, born in Greenwich, England (d. 1932)

1886 Wallace Beery, American circus performer (Ringling Brothers Circus) and actor (Alias a Gentleman, Dinner at 8), born in Kansas City, Missouri (d. 1949)

1920 Toshiro Mifune, Japanese writer and actor(Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Shogun), born in Tsingtao, China (d. 1997)

1926 Anne [Inez] McCaffrey, American sci-fi author (Dragonflight, Dragondrums), born in Cambridge, Massachusetts (d. 2011)

1940 Wangari Maathai, Kenyan environmentalist and political activist, founder of the Green Belt Movement, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (2004) and Indira Gandhi Peace Prize (2006), born in Ihithe village, Kenya (d. 2011)

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Sonoma-Mendocino Coast Whale & Jazz Festival 2019

Apr 1 - May 31, 2019 | Gualala, CA

Arena Theater|214 Main St

Whale & Jazz Festival is a highly regarded jazz festival held in Gualala, California, during the Smithsonian Institute’s Jazz Appreciation Month. The event aims to entertain, inspire and educate attendees through jazz performances, film screenings, poetry readings and whale education programs. The festival also offers an annual Chowder Challenge and tastings held at wineries and restaurants throughout the community.

further information: Whale & Jazz Festival 2019

Nashville Fashion Week 2019

Apr 2 - 6, 2019 | Nashville, TN

Nashville kills it on the country stage, but what about on the runway? Fashion Week recruits talent from all over the country to showcase exquisite creations that will make you want to ditch your Cheetoh-stained sweatpants. Watch beauty strut up and down the runway sporting the latest in Nashville’s hot fashion scene.

further information: Nashville Fashion Week

Pictures of the day

Sir Nils Olav, colonel-in-chief of the Norwegian Army's King's Guard, inspects his troops in 2008. Olav was inducted into the army in 1972 with the rank of lance corporal, and has received a series of promotions since then as well as a knighthood. As of 2019 he holds the rank of brigadier. The name Nils Olav, and its associated ranks, have been used by three king penguins over the years, all resident at Edinburgh Zoo. The animal pictured is the second. His military insignia is attached to his flipper.

Mealtime at infantry boot camp