Daydreaming Has So Many Emotional Benefits

 

"For the moment. You're just daydreaming now. Go wherever you want."

"If it were warmer, I'd slide into the river."

"It's as warm as you want it to be. Close your eyes, Dru. Dream a little."

She did as he asked. The music, soft, romantic, was a caress on the air.

Chesapeake Blue

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Giora Eshkol, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Here's How to Reclaim This Childhood Pastime

Mentally drifting away to a better time or place can aid adults during times of stress, new research shows.

MARTHA STEWART

Easy Christmas Ornaments Kids Can Make

On the table there was a papier-mâché reindeer with only one ear. 

Compliments of Freddie's second-grade art class.

Taming Natasha

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Yogendra Joshi, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Kids can show holiday spirit with their own handmade ornaments.

Better Homes & Gardens

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"Look at that," Ethan murmured, sliding a hand over Seth's hair as the boy bristled. "It's a picture of the house."

"Looks good," Phillip angled it to get a better view of the clever pencil sketch of the two-story house on the bay.

"Really good."

"It's no big deal."

"I decide what's a big deal around here," Cam kept a hand on Seth's shoulder as he studied the sketch. Yes, it was clever. The boy had talent. But more, it meant home. To all of them.

"And this qualifies. This is a very big deal. Who's it for?"

The Quinn's Christmas

Can people be saved from a terrible childhood?

"But answer this last question.
Do you think that bright, troubled child should be denied a full and
normal life as an adult because he had the bad luck to be conceived by a
heartless, perhaps even evil woman?"
"No." His breath shuddered out. "No, that's not what I think."
"No buts this time? No qualifications? Then I'll tell you that in my
professional opinion, I couldn't agree with you more. He deserves
everything he can grab, everything he can make, and everything we can
give him to show him that he's his own person and not the damaged
product of one vile woman."


Rising Tides

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By Mohamed Haddi [CC BY-SA 3.0  

(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons

US researchers have found early intervention can help prevent
negative experiences in infancy turning into long-term health risks

At bottom there is a revolutionary idea. It’s about moving 
from ‘what’s wrong with you?’ to ‘what happened to you?’

The Guardian

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"He knew them—better than I did. When he died, I figured they'd ship me off,
or I'd have to run off.
I never figured they'd keep me around.
They didn't know me, so what did they care? But they kept their promise to Ray. They changed their lives around for him,  and for me. They made a home—
pretty wild one at first with Cam running it."
For the first time since he'd begun, some of the misery lifted.  Humor slid into his voice.
"He was always blowing something up in the microwave or flooding
the kitchen. Guy didn't have a clue. I pushed at them, gave them—Cam mostly—as much grief as I could dish out. And I could dish out plenty. I kept waiting for them to kick me out, or smack me senseless.
But they stuck with me. They stood up for me, and when Gloria tried to hose them like she'd done with Ray,  they fought for me.
Even before we found out I was Ray's grandson, they'd made me one of them."


Chesapeake Blue

Does awe lift your spirits or stress you out?

"It's not for sale," Cam said simply.

"It… is it…" It couldn't be, he thought, while his heart thumped with nerves and hope and shock. But hope was paramount. In the past year he'd learned to hope. "Is it mine?"

"You're the only one with a birthday around here," Cam reminded him. "Don't you want a closer look?"

"It's mine?" He whispered it first, with such staggered delight and shock that Sybill felt her eyes sting. "

Mine?" He exploded with it as he whirled around. This time the sheer joy on his face closed her throat. "To keep?"

Inner Harbor

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By {{{1}}} - Flickr: 'Hands Across the Divide' sculpture, CC BY 2.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19153395

Awe is an awfully complex emotion, conjuring feelings of reverence that can range from wonder to dread. It's a blend of fear and surprise, according to some definitions, although it often feels like more than the sum of those parts.

"Awe is an overwhelming and bewildering sense of connection with a startling universe that is usually far beyond the narrow band of our consciousness," 

mother nature network

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"Reed Valentine would like to schedule a meeting and arrange for a professional demo, in studio, in New York, when it suits you."

She couldn't feel her hands. Or her feet. She realized dizzily that all she could feel was the sudden, ferocious hammering of her heart.

"Reed Valentine? Valentine Records? A meeting? With me? Why?"

"Suddenly you're full of questions." With a laugh, he toasted her again. "Yes, Reed Valentine of Valentine Records wants a meeting with you because he was very favorably impressed with the tape you put together."

"You sent it in? You sent it to Reed Valentine."

"I told you I was going to send it to a connection of mine."

Valentine Records. Now she couldn't feel her own lips. But she could feel the abrupt lurch of her stomach. "I didn't expect—I never thought…"

"Didn't you think I meant it, Cat? I don't play games like that."

"No, I don't—God, I can't breathe." She pressed a hand to her chest as if to push out air, but couldn't find any. "I can't get my breath."

Alarmed, he reached for her. She'd gone dead white. "Hey. Sit down."

"No. Yes. No. I need some air."

She shoved the wineglass into his hand and bolted for the balcony doors. Her head was light, as if she'd swallowed the whole bottle of champagne in one gulp. She couldn't get her breath because the air was trapped somewhere under her diaphragm.

Duncan @ MacGregor Grooms

memories as infants might not be lost

The light from the lamp slanted over her face, caught something, something in her eyes that jiggled at the corners of his memory.

"Did you have a picture on the wall? Flowers, white flowers in a blue vase?"

Her fingers tightened on the brush. "Yes, in my bedroom in New York. One of my watercolors. Not a very good one."

"And you had colored bottles on a table. Lots of them, different sizes and stuff."

"Perfume bottles." Her throat was closing again, so she was forced to clear it. "I used to collect them."

"You let me sleep in your bed with you." His eyes narrowed as he concentrated on the vague blips of memory. Soft smells, soft voice, colors and shapes. "You told me some story, about a frog."

The Frog Prince. Into her mind flashed the image of how a little boy had curled against her, the bedside lamp holding back the dark for both of them, his bright-blue eyes intense on her face as she'd calmed his fears with a tale of magic and happily ever after.

"You had—when you came to visit, you had bad dreams. You were just a little boy."

Inner Harbor

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By © Nevit Dilmen, CC BY-SA 3.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28857001

Memory traces from our earliest years might stay in our brains.

Most people don't remember anything before the age of 3, but a new study out of New York University suggests that memories formed in our early years might still be latent in our brains. With the right triggers, those memories might get unlocked, reports New Scientist.

Mother Nature Network

10 Powerful Reasons People Have Gotten Tattoos

"You've got a tattoo on your incredibly perfect bottom."

She laughed then, and tossed her hair back. "I didn't think you'd noticed."

"I noticed. Why do you have a tattoo of a winged horse on your butt, Grace?"

"It was an impulse, one of those wild-girl things I dragged M.J. and Bailey into."

"They have winged horses on their—"

"No, and what they do have is their little secret. I wanted the winged horse because it was free. You couldn't catch it unless it wanted to be caught." She lifted a hand to his face, changed the mood subtly. "I never wanted to be caught. Before."

Secret Star

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By chris_natt (Angelina Jolie) [CC BY 2.0 

(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

"This tattoo reminds me to turn the page and that *I* get to write my story - no one else."

YAHOO!

You And Your Dog Share A Bed

 "Yeah, you fell into roses, didn't you? And didn't have to do a thing to earn it. Goofy-looking dog." 
Seth nearly blinked, realizing Cam was speaking to Foolish and not him. 
"It'll be his problem, won't it, when you're grown and take up more of the bed than he does."
 Cautious, Seth slitted his eyes open just enough so he could see through his lashes. He saw Cam's hand come down, give Foolish a quick, careless stroke. Then the tangled sheets and blanket came up, smoothed over his shoulders. That same hand gave Seth's head a quick and careless stroke.
 When the door closed again, Seth waited thirty full seconds before daring to open his eyes. He looked straight into Foolish's face. The pup seemed to be grinning at him as though they'd gotten away with something. 
Grinning back, Seth draped an arm around the pup's pudgy body.
 "I guess it is a pretty good deal, huh, boy?" he whispered.
 In agreement, Foolish licked Seth's face, then yawning hugely, settled down to sleep again.
 This time, when Seth dropped off to sleep, there were no sweaty dreams to haunt him.


Sea Swept
  

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Sleeping with another person can be cozy, but being able to snuggle up with your dog is great.

By Edralis - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26565004

Like people, dogs have all kinds of sleeping habits. In fact, the way your dog sleeps can say a lot about who they are, other than just being a good boy.

LITTLE THINGS

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With that mess sorted out, he moved into the bedroom, tossed down one of the big pillows that grouped on the sofa in his sitting area. 
But the dog, fully at home now, jumped onto the big, high bed, stretched out like a potentate at his ease. 
“Well, at least you’re clean.” He climbed in himself, decided on a book rather than TV to ease him toward sleep. 
By the time Fin turned off the light, Bugs was quietly snoring. 
Fin found the sound of it a small comfort, and wondered how pathetic it was when a snoring dog eased the lonely. 



Blood Magick

Best Christmas Cookies of All Time

He was only sneaking downstairs to scarf up some cookies. How was a guy supposed to sleep when there were a million cookies in the house?

The Quinn's Christmas 

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If these don't convince Santa to hand over the goods, nothing will. 

GOOD HOUSEKEEPING

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"I thought you were cut off from the cookie supply."

"That was yesterday." Needing to brazen it out, Seth plucked one out, bit it. 

"It's after midnight, so it's today."

"Good point."

The Quinn's Christmas

Creative Christmas Tree Themes

There, before the wide windows that opened onto a view of the cliffs, the Christmas tree soared, fifteen feet of glossy pine, every bough and branch heavy with ornaments and twinkling with lights.

It would stay lit, day and night, until Epiphany.

Beneath it were mountains of gifts. At midnight, following family tradition, there would be a minor riot of ripping and laughing and love.

Most of all love, she thought. No matter how they fought, no matter how much noise and confusion there was, this house was always filled with love.

And how she hated to think of Royce alone on Christmas Eve.

"I don't know how they do it," Caine said from behind her. He stepped up, laying his hands on her shoulders to rub. "Every year they manage to find the perfect tree. Ever since I was a boy, there's been a tree right there at Christmas. And it's always been the perfect tree."

The MacGregor Brides - Laura 

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Whether coastal, snow-covered, or Charlie Brown-approved, 

these Christmas tree theme ideas are sure

to make your home all the more merry.

BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS

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As he crept downstairs, Seth saw they'd left the tree on. He'd never seen anything like it. Anna had wanted a real one, and in Seth's opinion, Anna ruled.

So they'd hauled in this big pine, and the guys had grumbled about stringing lights. But Seth knew they'd liked it. Now it was loaded with what seemed like a thousand ornaments, and presents with big bows and miles of ribbon were stacked under it.

Some of them had his name on them.

Probably dopey stuff like underwear and socks, he told himself, struggling against the sheer thrill of seeing those brightly wrapped boxes sparkle under the lights. Like they belonged there.

Like he belonged there.

The Quinn's Christmas

Here’s Why Your Pizza Delivery Person Hates You

"Pizza," he said at the brisk knock on the door.

He snatched his wallet off the workbench and, still shirtless and barefoot, went to the door. "Hey, Mike, how's it going?"

"Hanging loose."

The skinny, pimply-faced teenager handed Seth the pizza box. Then his gaze shifted, and he caught sight of Dru. The way his Adam's apple bobbed, the way surprise, interest and envy sped over his young, bumpy face, warned Dru there would be fresh fruit on the grapevine, and it would have her and Seth clustered together.

"Um, hi. Um. Grandma sent you a bunch of napkins and stuff." He shoved the paper bag into Seth's hands as well.

"Great. Tell her thanks. Here you go, Mike. Keep the change."

"Yeah. Well. Um. See you."

"Looks like Mike's got a little crush on you," Seth commented as he booted the door closed.

"I'd say Mike's double-timing it back to Village Pizza so he can spread the word that the artist and the florist are having hot pizza and hot sex."

"I hope he's right. If we're going to make the first part come true, we'd better dig into this." 

Chesapeake Blue

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By U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate Airman Bo J. Flannigan - This Image was released by the United States Navy with the ID 040814-N-5781F-033

Delivering pizza isn’t the most glamorous job. Most of the time pizza delivery people are high school or college kids just trying to make a few bucks after school, but some may even be trying to make a more substantial living. They sacrifice their evenings and weekends to hand-deliver your dinner so you can cook less and enjoy life more. Here are all the reasons they might secretly hate you — and how to fix them.

CHEAT SHEET

qualities that make a person attractive regardless of their physical appearance

She thought for a moment, then spoke in a lazy Shore accent. "Old Mrs. Wilcox died—would've been eighty-nine come September. Came home from the market and had a stroke right there in the kitchen while she was putting away her canned goods. Too bad she didn't make things up with her sister before it was too late. They haven't spoke word one to each other in twelve years."

"That's good." Amused, Cam propped his chin on his hand. More than looks and brains, he thought.

There was warmth and humor in there, too. Once you tickled it out of her.

Seth was toast.

Chesapeake Blue

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By Quinn Dombrowski - Interlocking, CC BY-SA 2.0,

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35723047

Some of us might believe that only beautiful people are attractive. But actually, we find people attractive based on other factors aside from physical appearance. In fact, the charm and attractiveness of a person are not always determined by their physical appearance. The main thing here is the magic of the attractiveness.

Bright Side put together a list of ten ‘magical’ qualities that the opposite sex finds attractive.

Bright Side

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Interesting-looking woman, though, he decided as he poked around a little. The hair that wasn’t really red, wasn’t really blond, the eyes of absolutely clear and perfect blue. Her nose tilted up a little on the end and sported a dusting of freckles, and a slight overbite made her bottom lip seem particularly full.
Long neck, he thought as he poured the coffee, lanky build with no rack to speak of.
Not beautiful. Not pretty or cute. But . . . interesting, and the few times she’d smiled? Almost
arresting. Almost.


The Search 

open letter to the foster parents

Seth stuck his hands in his pockets and lifted his chin. He didn't want to be there, didn't want to talk to anybody. 
At Grace's he'd been able to just sit on her little stoop, be alone with his thoughts. 
Even when she'd come out for a little while and sat beside him with Aubrey on her knee, 
she'd let him be.
Because she understood he'd wanted to be quiet.


Sea Swept

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By Mferr020 at en.wikibooks, CC BY-SA 3.0, 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9097807

What I hope is that by sharing the tips for foster parents that follow — what hurt and what helped — I can ease the delicate transition from “home” to “foster home."

Here's what I really wish I could have said to those foster parents:

SheKnows

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The smile, Phillip noted, came much more quickly and easily than it had a few months before. But there was a gap in it.
"Hey." Phillip butted a finger on the bill of the cap. "Lose something?"
"Huh?"
Phillip tapped a finger against his own straight, white teeth.
"Oh, yeah." With a typical Quinn shrug, Seth grinned, pushing his tongue into the gap. His face was fuller than it had been six months before, and his eyes less wary.



Inner Harbor

Mentions in Nora's Novels

He could smell Anna's red sauce simmering, like ambrosia on the air. "God

bless us, every one," he murmured.

"Manicotti," Seth informed him.

"Yeah? I've got a Chianti I've been saving just for this moment." He tossed his briefcase aside. "We'll hit the books after dinner."

He found his sister-in-law in the kitchen, filling pasta tubes with cheese.

Inner Harbor

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MANICOTTI RECIPE - ALLRECIPES

happy kids from all over the world who’re just enjoying their day

When he stepped into his bedroom, Cam heard the commotion from the backyard. He walked to the window and looked down on Seth and the dogs. 

Simon was sitting stoically while Seth soaped him down. Foolish raced in mad circles, barking in excitement and terror at the hose that was pouring out water where it had been carelessly tossed on the grass.

Of course, the kid was wearing his brand-new shoes, which were now soaking wet and muddy. He was laughing like a loon.

He hadn't known the boy could laugh like that, Cam realized as he kept watching. He hadn't known he could look like that, unreservedly happy and young and silly.

Simon stood up, gave a long, violent shake that sent water and soap flying. Backing up, Seth slipped in the wet grass and tumbled onto his back. 

He continued to howl with laughter as both dogs pounced on him. They wrestled over the water and mud and soap until the three of them were soaked and filthy.

Upstairs Cam just stood watching with a mile-wide grin on his face.

Sea Swept

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Por Kwameghana (Obra do próprio) [CC BY-SA 4.0 

(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], undefined

No matter what their culture, or where they live, or whether they have toys, kids will always find ways to have fun.

Today, Bright Side would like to suggest that you forget all about your troubles and just stay positive. 

Give your inner adult a well-deserved break. 

You can start by taking a look at these 30 amazing images — we’re convinced that they’ll remind you to enjoy the simple things in life!

BRIGHT SIDE

Raise Successful Kids

"I still say the essay's a raw deal," Seth complained as he walked into the house. "That kind of stuff's crap. And I don't see why—"

"You'll do it." Cam pulled the bag out of Seth's arms. "And I don't want to hear any bitching about it. You can get started right after you clean up the mess your dog just made on the rug."

"My dog? He's not mine."

"He is now, and you better make sure he's housebroken all the way or he stays outside."

He stalked off toward the kitchen, with Phillip, who was trying desperately not to laugh, following.

Seth stood where he was, staring down at Foolish. "Dumb dog," he murmured, and when he crouched down, the puppy launched himself into Seth's arms, where he was welcomed with a fierce hug. "You're my dog now."

Sea Swept

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By Сања Малохоџиќ - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45675159

If there's one thing many parents want more than to lead happy, successful lives, it's to make sure their kids lead happy, successful lives.

Now a former dean of Stanford University freshmen, Julie Lythocott-Haims, says many parents' hearts may be in the right place--but they're screwing things up big-time nonetheless. 

HUFFINGTON POST

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Ethan stepped back from the controls. "We've got to go into the boatyard. You want to take her in?"

Though Seth's eyes were shielded by the dark sunglasses, Ethan imagined that their expression matched

the boy's dropped jaw. It only amused him when Seth jerked a shoulder as if such things were an

everyday occurrence.

"Sure. No problem." With sweaty palms, Seth took the helm.

Ethan stood by, hands casually tucked in his back pockets, eyes alert. There was plenty of water traffic. A pretty weekend afternoon drew the recreational sailors to the Bay. But they didn't have far to go, and the kid had to learn sometime. You couldn't live in St. Chris and not know how to pilot a workboat.

Rising Tides