Recently I heard that a family member in her early 50s was being seen by a doctor for DVT and that she was hoping that there was a more natural way of dealing with it than the medications her doctor was prescribing. When I had digested this scrap of family ''information,'' I thought about my own lax position (denial, really) and how it would make sense for me to make some changes in my life while I still have some shreds of health and potential fitness. And, of course, I have inherited my mother's compulsive pop reading habit (in my case, the Internet mostly). So, I decided to research and write an article that would incorporate some preventative and alternative health principles into my life that might make DVT somewhat less likely to catch up with me than is likely the case now. I would also like to see our family member above and others benefit from these principles if they decide that they want to. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a critical health concern that af
Telling a good joke can be a fine art. In our family it is an emotional connector, an indicator of mental health, and a boost to positive energy. While humor is subjective, there are some general principles that can help increase the likelihood of successful pulling off a knee-slapping pun or cracking a witty story. Here are some tips on what's required to tell a good joke: 1. Know Your Audience: Understanding who you're telling the joke to is crucial. Different people find different things funny, so tailor your joke to your audience's sensibilities. When my husband and I were "new" together, I was invited to a few events with his family. These were lovely, warm European folks who sometimes inserted jokes in their language into the general dinner conversation. When I looked rather lost, my then-boyfriend attempted a translation of the joke that they had all laughed uproariously at. I don't remember what it was, but I do remember thinking, "Ick! Tha