Uses for Olive Oil

Ease snoring
Taking a sip of olive oil before heading to bed can help lubricate your throat muscles, cutting down on snoring, according to the handy website AltUse. We won't tell if you drizzle some extra olive oil on Grandma's salad the next time she comes to visit!
Others have noted that downing a teaspoon of olive oil can help soothe a scratchy or ticklish throat.


Cure an earache
A number of folks swear by olive oil as a natural remedy for earaches. One suggestion is to "very carefully use a cotton swab to apply olive oil to the outside ear cavity to help with earaches and excess wax." One online tip suggests: Heat up some olive oil in a microwave for 30 seconds then apply it to the ear that hurts for relief.


Tame tangled and damaged hair
Olive oil also has benefits for hair. Comb a bit of the stuff through dry or frizzy hair to help tame and moisturize your locks, especially in winter or on humid days.
Olive oil can also provide some relief for damaged hair. In the book Clean Body, Michael de Jong suggests treating your tresses by kneading a few tablespoons of olive oil into your scalp and hair. "Swathe your oiled-up curls with a shower cap and take a 30-minute breather ... snooze, toss back a latté, whatever. Then just shampoo as usual to reveal a refurbished mane that even Fabio would envy," he writes.



Get healthy skin (and fight cancer!)
People have used olive oil for centuries for personal care. It is a great skin moisturizer, in part because it contains linoleic acid, a compound not made by the body, but which prevents water from evaporating.
According to Leslie Baumann, M.D., author of The Skin Type Solution, consuming olives and olive oil can promote healthy skin, as can applying it directly as a moisturizer. You can also add a bit of olive oil to a warm bath for a good healthy soak.
Some of the most exciting news, according to Baumann, is that olive oil also contains at least four different antioxidants, which can help "neutralize damaging free radicals that can lead to skin aging and skin cancer." Baumann writes that, in studies, mice that drank extra-virgin olive oil developed less skin cancer after exposure to UV light.
Olive oil can also provide a safe and natural lubricant for a close shave. As a soothing aftershave, rub in an extra teaspoon of the stuff after rinsing off. In fact, some products from The Art of Shaving are based on olive oil.
Similarly, olive oil can soothe chapped lips. Make your own balm by mixing olive oil and melted beeswax in a 1:1 ratio (add an essential oil if you want a nice fragrance).
According to AltUse, you can moisturize your cuticles by soaking in olive oil mixed with water, or apply olive oil directly to cuticles before applying polish or buffing nails.


Care for your cat
Just as humans can benefit from grooming with olive oil, so can cats Fluffy and Mittens. According to curbly.com, add a teaspoon of olive oil to your cat’s food to help prevent hairballs, as well as promote a shiny, healthy coat. Olive oil is likely to be more gentle on a cat's system than petroleum-based anti-hairball lubricants. Plus, it has the benefit of coming from a renewable resource, as opposed to oil from the ground.



Free stuck zippers
There are few things more annoying than stuck zippers (remember that episode of Seinfeld when George visits his therapist?).
So if you are vexed by this particular problem, break out the olive oil. Swab some of the stuff on the teeth of the zipper, then try gently easing it unstuck. Good luck!


Polish furniture and metal (and condition leather)
Silverware, copper, and other metal items can be polished with ketchup or toothpaste. After you're done rub a bit of olive oil on to prevent streaks, corrosion, and tarnish.
To polish your wood desk according to Michael de Jong, use two parts olive oil mixed with one part lemon juice. Pour just a few drops on a soft cloth, wipe away the dust, scuffs, and fingerprints, and your desk will shine. This technique works well for a range of wooden furniture and objects.
You can also condition and revitalize leather goods, such as baseball mitts, by rubbing in olive oil. Let set for 30 minutes, then wipe away any excess.


Fix squeaky doors
Olive oil can be used as a lubricant in many applications. It's safe to keep around the house, so you don’t have to worry about children or pets getting into it. Try it out on squeaky doors, hinges, and anywhere else you might consider using WD-40 or another lubricant.
While WD-40 may work well, it's also based on hydrocarbons, so any time we can use less of those we're taking a step toward a cleaner world.



Other uses?
Some folks also swear by the alternative health treatment ozonated olive oil, which is made by bubbling ozone into the oil until it forms a paste. The result is said to be good for soothing skin and promoting healing. We haven't had a chance yet to try it for ourselves, but if anyone has any experience with it let us know!

"Five Habits of Happy People"

Here are excerpts of Wm J. Monahan's "Five Habits of Happy People" which I feel all of us could use in our lives to not only help ourselves but to help our neighbors, our family, our community and our nation.

1. "Service - Serving others is the hallmark of a happy people. ... Serving others is a matter of the heart, not the calendar. Ironically, service yields its sweetest fruit from high-hanging branches when we reach up from our lowest points; especially the valley of our own trouble and trial. Lifting the burdens of others makes our own burdens easier to bear.


2. Love - President Uchtdorf (from the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) has said, "Love is the true altitude of our discipleship" and because love is the greatest commandment, it ought to be at the center of everything we do in our own family, in our church callings and in our livelihood."


3. Gratitude - ... Practice daily gratitude.


4. Self-Control - The more control from within, the less control from without. Happy is the person who is free from the chains of addiction or unbridled desire.


5. Resilience - Is resilience a habit? It can be. ... The habit of responding to adversity with a consistent and eternal perspective allows us to bounce back. When we recognize that we are beloved sons and daughters of God, we can endure anything because Jesus endured everything on our behalf. Faith fuels resilience and is essential for peace of mind. Peace of mind and happiness go hand in hand."

-Shelly

Mornings at the Pentagon

My sister sent this to me via E-mail nd I thought it worth repeating.

I thought I would pass this on to you I think it is awsome!!!
A great memorial day.


I WOULD BET THERE IS NOT ONE IN 500,000 THAT KNOW THIS, OR EVEN HEARD ABOUT IT. DID YOU KNOW???


Every Friday At The Pentagon
I was not aware of this practice until now. I am pleased that it happens, And am astounded that it does happen, Given the political situation that exists in our government today.

It really breaks my heart to know that we didn't know this goes on every Friday, well at least I didn't know.
Instead, I guess the media feels it's more important to report on Hollywood stars as heroes.
I hope this article gives you a sense of pride for what our men and women are doing for us, Every day, as they serve in the armed forces here and abroad.

IT HAPPENS EVERY FRIDAY! WERE YOU AWARE?

________________________________


Mornings at the Pentagon

By JOSEPH L. GALLOWAY
McClatchy Newspapers
Over the last 12 months, 1,042 soldiers, Marines, sailors and Air Force personnel have given their lives in the terrible duty that is war.

Thousands more have come home on stretchers, horribly wounded and facing months or years in military hospitals.

This week, I'm turning my space over to a good friend and former roommate, Army Lt. Col.. Robert Bateman, who recently completed a yearlong tour of duty and is now back at the Pentagon.

Here's Lt. Col. Bateman's account of a little-known ceremony that fills the halls of the Army corridor of the Pentagon with cheers, applause and many tears every Friday morning. It first appeared on May 17 on the Weblog of media critic and pundit Eric Alterman at the Media Matters for America Website.
____________________________________________________________


"It is 110 yards from the "E" ring to the "A" ring of the Pentagon. This section of the Pentagon is newly renovated; the floors shine, the hallway is broad, and the lighting is bright. At this instant the entire length of the corridor is packed with officers, a few sergeants and some civilians, all crammed tightly three and four deep against the walls. There are thousands here.

"This hallway, more than any other, is the `Army' hallway. The G3 offices line one side, G2 the other, G8 is around the corner. All Army. Moderate conversations flow in a low buzz. Friends who may not have seen each other for a few weeks, or a few years, spot each other, cross the way and renew.

"Everyone shifts to ensure an open path remains down the center. The air conditioning system was not designed for this press of bodies in this area.

"The temperature is rising already. Nobody cares. "10:36 hours: The clapping starts at the E-Ring. That is the outermost of the five rings of the Pentagon and it is closest to the entrance to the building. This clapping is low, sustained, hearty. It is applause with a deep emotion behind it as it moves forward in a wave down the length of the hallway.

"A steady rolling wave of sound it is, moving at the pace of the soldier in the wheelchair who marks the forward edge with his presence. He is the first. He is missing the greater part of one leg, and some of his wounds are still suppurating. By his age I expect that he is a private, or perhaps a private first class.

"Captains, majors, lieutenant colonels and colonels meet his gaze and nod as they applaud, soldier to soldier. Three years ago when I described one of these events, those lining the hallways were somewhat different. The applause a little wilder, perhaps in private guilt for not having shared in the burden ... Yet.

"Now almost everyone lining the hallway is, like the man in the wheelchair, also a combat veteran. This steadies the applause, but I think deepens the sentiment. We have all been there now. The soldier's chair is pushed by, I believe, a full colonel.

"Behind him, and stretching the length from Rings E to A, come more of his peers, each private, corporal, or sergeant assisted as need be by a field grade officer.

"11:00 hours: Twenty-four minutes of steady applause. My hands hurt, and I laugh to myself at how stupid that sounds in my own head. My hands hurt. Please! Shut up and clap. For twenty-four minutes, soldier after soldier has come down this hallway - 20, 25, 30.. Fifty-three legs come with them, and perhaps only 52 hands or arms, but down this hall came 30 solid hearts.

"They pass down this corridor of officers and applause, and then meet for a private lunch, at which they are the guests of honor, hosted by the generals. Some are wheeled along. Some insist upon getting out of their chairs, to march as best they can with their chin held up, down this hallway, through this most unique audience. Some are catching handshakes and smiling like a politician at a Fourth of July parade. More than a couple of them seem amazed and are smiling shyly.

"There are families with them as well: the 18-year-old war-bride pushing her 19-year-old husband's wheelchair and not quite understanding why her husband is so affected by this, the boy she grew up with, now a man, who had never shed a tear is crying; the older immigrant Latino parents who have, perhaps more than their wounded mid-20s son, an appreciation for the emotion given on their son's behalf. No man in that hallway, walking or clapping, is ashamed by the silent tears on more than a few cheeks. An Airborne Ranger wipes his eyes only to better see. A couple of the officers in this crowd have themselves been a part of this parade in the past.

"These are our men, broken in body they may be, but they are our brothers, and we welcome them home. This parade has gone on, every single Friday, all year long, for more than four years.”

Shampoo Alert !!!

As I was conditioning my hair in the shower this morning, I took time to read my shampoo bottle. I am in shock! The shampoo I use in the shower that runs down my entire body says "for extra volume and body"! Seriously, why have I not noticed this before? Now I understand why I am so "full-figured"!

Tomorrow I am going to start using "Dawn" dish soap. It says right on the label "dissolves fat that is otherwise difficult to remove."

It pays to read the labels! ;)

-Shelly

(Received by way of e-mail from my friend, Evelyn Gowans, who worked w/me at the Health Dept. in UT.)

Parenting Notes

Lynn and I are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints, more commonly known to the world as the Mormons. Lynn and I have not been blessed in our home life with the pitter patter of little feet on our linoleum floors; however, we are encompassed and surrounded by extraordinary nieces, nephews and beautiful young men and women whom we cherish and feel extremely close to and love very much.

We have been discussing in our church meetings some of the challenges parents have right now as they are raising children to become influential citizens and meaningful adults. The Bishop in our ward provided us with a list that he and his wife came up with on ways he which we could be better parents, more efficient aunts, uncles, grandparents, neighbors, etc., to those children and the youth in our lives. It is my hope that our Bishop's list can be as beneficial to you as it was to us.

1. DO NOT SAY ANYTHING THAT YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH.



2. PROVIDE A 2-MINUTE WARNING.



3. THERE ARE ONLY THREE SITUATIONS FOR LISTENING TO CHILDREN WHINE, THEY ARE 'HUNGRY', 'TIRED', AND 'SICK'.



4. LEARN TO SAY NO.



5. IF IT IS IMPORTANT TO YOUR CHILD, IT IS THEREFORE IMPORTANT TO YOU.



6. SHOW PHYSICAL LOVE.



7. APOLOGIZE SINCERELY.



8. ADMIT MISTAKES TO CHILDREN.



9. ALLOW CHILDREN TO MAKE MISTAKES AND TO ACCEPT THE CONSEQUENCES.



10. SET EXPECTATIONS FOR STANDARDS AND RENEW THEM OFTEN.



11. LET CHILDREN HAVE RESPONSIBILITY (AND CONSEQUENCES).



12. LET CHILDREN TEACH EACH OTHER.



13. PROVIDE YOUR CHILD WITH A HOBBY/SPORT THAT CONSUMES THEM (ANYTHING THAT IS LAWFUL AND ETHICAL), BUT DO NOT OVERSCHEDULE (FOCUS ON THE ACTIVITY).



14. TEACH CHILDREN HOW TO WORK (EARN EXTRA MONEY FOR EXTRA EFFORT).



15. 10-MINUTE CLEAN RULE - SET EXPECTATION FOR COMPLETION.



16. CONSISTENCY AND TRADITIONS (FAMILY HOME EVENING, FAMILY COUNSEL).



17. HAVE THEM BE ANXIOUSLY ENGAGED.



18. SCRIPTURE STUDY AND DISCUSSION.



19. RESPECT THAT SOME CHILDREN LEARN LESSONS AT DIFFERENT RATES.



20. PROFILE HOW CHILDREN LEARN, INTERACT, AND DEVELOP, AND FOLLOW AGE APPROPRIATE AND DEVELOPMENTAL EXPECTATIONS.



21. SHOW LOVE AND KINDNESS TO SPOUSE AT ALL TIMES IN FRONT OF CHILDREN.



22. THE GOAL IS SELF-RELIANCE AND INTERDEPENDENCE. WEAN WHEN SIGNS OF INTERDEPENDENCE ARE NOTICED AND SEEN.



23. THE PLAN OF SALVATION ALLOWS INDIVIDUALS TO MAKE THEIR OWN DECISIONS-BE WILLING TO ALLOW CHILDREN TO MAKE POOR DECISIONS.



24. DESCRIBE THE "WHY" OF DECISIONS, NOT JUST "NO".



25. GIVE CHOICES TO ENCOURAGE GOOD PLAN OF SALVATION DECISIONS.

*Bishop Ken Fisher