"Only in our dreams are we free. The rest of the time we need wages."Terry Pratchett
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Blind Skiers See the Light
About three hours west of Denver lies Snow Mountain Ranch, one of the top cross-country ski centers in the United States. Known as the "YMCA of the Rockies", it boasts a large ski chalet and over 90 kilometers of packed and groomed trails. From ...
Favorite Hobbies - Yard Games
Yard games are a popular and simple hobby. Once you have a yard game, you can play it all you want for free, anywhere, anytime. You can go to the park with friends to play or just play in your backyard. There is no limit to a yard game hobby. Most yard ...
Mission Impossible - Construction of a Backcountry Ski Lodge
How can a 9200sq.ft. ski lodge be built in just six months when it took over three months to finish your downstairs bathroom? Now, place the project at the 5250 ft elevation in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, 90 km from the nearest paved road, and it’s ...
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Are you looking for stress relief? No drugs, no meditation? Have you ever thought about taking up a craft? In fact, doing a craft is a prescription for good health. And more importantly you do not need to be good at the craft to benefit!
Imagine feeling more relaxed. See yourself smiling, pleased with your efforts. All this can be yours - once you start enjoying a hobby.
A craft can be any hand made project that you take pleasure in doing - it could be painting, needle work, knitting, home decoration, wood work. Medical studies have shown that there are physical, psychological, and spiritual benefits from having an active interest in crafting.
One study of 30 female heart patients reported in the American Journal Medical Association showed a significant decrease in heart rate, blood pressure, and perspiration rate while the subjects completed a simple craft project.
Hobbies and crafts provide a distraction from the pressures and stresses of everyday life. When you're engaged in your craft project your mind is concentrating on the project, this stops you thinking about everyday problems.
There is a tremendous feeling of satisfaction when you have completed a craft project. The final piece is all your own work. It is good to have something tangible, something that you can hold and admire.
Another major benefit is that it keeps your brain active - learning is important for keeping your brain "in shape". The size and structure of the neurons in your brain and the
connections between them actually change as you learn.
Crafts are an intellectual activity which helps to keep your brain healthy. You can exercise your brain as you enjoy your craft. A win-win situation!
Many of the finalists in the Learning in Later Life Campaign 2000 to find England's oldest and most inspiring learners had crafts, especially painting, as their pastimes.
England's Oldest Learner was Fred Moore who was then aged 107 years. Fred continued with art classes until he died at the age of 109. The manager of his residential home said "Fred was a remarkable chap. He kept his memory, going back to the death of Queen Victoria, and always retained his great sense of humour."
Painting is an excellent hobby. It can be done both indoors and outdoors. You can paint by yourself or with others in an art group.
So the message is clear - take up a new hobby and keep your brain in shape. It is never too late to start. Local night classes offer a range of options. Visit the painting section at www.learnanddo.com for a free preview of The Acrylic Painting Course. This preview takes you step-by-step to completing your first painting.
Craft your way to a stress-free life!
About the Author
Catherine Calder is the author of the Acrylic Painting Course, a No-Draw step-by-step course ideal for anyone who wants to learn how to paint. Sign up for a free report on How to Paint Abstract Pictures for Pleasure and Profit. http://www.learnanddo.com/acrylic.asp
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 Outdoors news and notes - St. Petersburg Times
Story Tools The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Fish and Wildlife Research Institute released its preliminary manatee mortality data for 2008, and it documented 337 manatee deaths in 2008, 20 fewer than the five-year average. The ...
St. Louis becomes Bevo Mill's landlord - St. Louis Post-Dispatch
ST. LOUIS — Belgian beer barons and Brazilian bean counters might run the show on Pestalozzi Street, but they won't own another south side landmark built by the Busch family. Today, City Hall closes on a deal that gives it ownership of the Bevo ...
Poultry is doing its part for bay - Chincoteague Beacon
Maryland's new statewide poultry regulations will take effect Monday. The new rules will affect about 200 of the state's largest poultry-growing operations. These farms --about a quarter of all poultry growers in the state --produce about half of the ...
Outdoors calendar - State Journal-Register
JAN. 8 * Upland game hunting season closes in the north zone. JAN. 9-11 * Bald Eagle Days, Quad Cities Conservation Alliance Expo Center. Visit www.qccaexpocenter.com. * Archery deer-hunting season closes. * Upland game hunting season closes in the ...
Diane Henry - CBS 2 KCAL 9
Diane Henry originally joined cbs2.com in January 2008 to help the web team coordinate coverage of the TV show "Big Brother." No one is more equipped to serve in this capacity as Diane has been a "BB" cast member not once but twice. First, she ...
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