World Of Tourism

I was recently having a conversation with a client about relationships and we uncovered an interesting fact: Sometimes, the way we need to show love isn't the way that others need to feel love. I'm sure there are many books written on this subject, but we came up with a simple way to find out how the other important people in your life get to feel loved. Just pay attention to how they show love to you. For the most part, we know what makes us feel loved, so we assume that is true for everyone else. When we encounter others we love, we show them our love by what works for us. Most of us don't even think about, let alone talk about it, so it's not surprising that we don't 'get' that there are different ways to show and feel loved. Some examples might be: (a) Physical demonstration, lots and lots of hugs (b) Small gifts or 'necessities' that say 'I was thinking about you when you weren't in my face'. (c) Saying, frequently, 'I love you'. (d) Asking pertinent questions about your day, how you're feeling, what you think about things, etc. (e) Working their butt off to provide the other person with stability, security, food, shelter. Here are some ideas to make use of this information:1. Once you notice how they are showing love to you, and you know how you show love to them, try an experiment. Within a half hour period, show them love in two ways. First, show it your normal way and then within 20 to 30 minutes, show them love the way you notice they show you love. Check out the reaction from each. Which one seemed to be felt deeper? Which one got the biggest smile? Wow! Just think what it would do to your relationship if you always got that biggest smile! 2. Either share the experiment or tell the others in your life what really makes you feel loved. Unless it's pointed out to us, most of us don't get this 'intuitively'. Why sit around waiting for them to figure it out when you could be feeling loved? After all, you needed someone to point it out to you! 3. If the other person shows their love by working their butt off to make your life better, I think the simplest way to have them feel love is to acknowledge what they do and how much you appreciate it. 4. What makes me feel loved might be different depending on who the person is (a parent vs a spouse, for example) 5. I probably need all the different forms of being shown love at different times, depending on what I'm experiencing at the time. However, there is one that is dominant, that will do the trick most of the time. 6. It is possible to experience the shift of 'knowing' that you are loved to 'feeling' you are loved. And feeling that you are loved may be one of the greatest tonics ever.

Marked cards

Think Green

This month, our theme is Think Green. Spring is just around the corner. Even though there is still snow on the ground in many parts of the country, here in the South our daffodils have already begun to bloom. You too, can enjoy a little bit of spring indoors. Use your green thumb to try planting some seeds in a terrarium or forcing some bulbs.
Did you know that the shamrock, or three-leafed clover, is a sacred plant in Ireland because it symbolizes the rebirth of spring? Check your local nurseries. Many will carry shamrocks on or around St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th.
Speaking of St. Patrick’s Day, children love fables of leprechauns. In Celtic folktales, ornery leprechauns were notorious for the tricks they used to protect their pots of gold. Here, we’ve included our own concoction, fit for any leprechaun.
March is the 100th anniversary of Theodor Seuss Geisel's (Dr. Seuss) birthday. Celebrate by reading your favorite Dr. Seuss books with your family. Do you like green eggs and ham?
Project: Forcing Spring Bulbs
Bring a bit of Nature indoors. You can force hyacinth, paper whites, crocus, and tulip bulbs to bloom by placing them in a shallow bowl filled with gravel.
Bury the bottom half of the bulb in the gravel.
Add just enough water to cover the stones.
Place the bowl in a cool dark place for three weeks.
When green shoots emerge, move the bowl to a sunny window. Soon fragrant blooms will appear.
Recipe: Leprechaun Limeade
Ingredients:
2 Cups Water1 Cup Sugar10-20 Mint leaves½ Cup Lime Juice (3-5 limes)4 Cups Cold Water1 Drop Green Food Coloring (optional)
Directions:
Combine the first 3 ingredients. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. (This can be done on the stovetop or in the microwave).
Remove from heat. Once the mixture has cooled, remove the mint leaves from the sugar syrup.
In a 2-quart pitcher, combine the syrup, lime juice, and 4 cups of cold water. Add food coloring, if desired. Serve over ice. Just for fun, garnish with shamrocks.

As A Child

As a child I wanted to ask why I was handed a remote control; As a child I wanted to touch a leafI was told to wash my hands; As a child I wanted to hear the sounds of a bird I was told they were "dirty" and full of germs; As a child I wanted to reach for the starsI was told that weapons and rockets were already there; As a child I saw other children crying in the news and on the TV I was told we were "winning the war"; As a child I wanted to color a rainbowBut I wasn't allowed to play on the computer; As a child I took a stick and drew pictures in the soil, I was told that it interfered with the landscaping; As a child my heart was full of joyI was told to be quiet so everyone could hear the TV; As a child my eyes wanted to take everything in I was told to close them and dance to the beat; As a child I was bewildered and hurtingI was told that we live in a Great Nation; As a child - I grew up Into a world filled with greed, rage, and anger, Now my child asks, wonders, and feels, And I will let him discover, ask, and find; I will let him explore his world, holding in my heart the fear that there won't be one soon; But, in the meantime, he will know what love, and fun, and touching and feeling is all about So help me God.