"HOT" says..."It only take a few minutes to read this."

A few weeks ago I read an article about the importance of studying scriptures, so I set my alarm for thirty minutes earlier every day.

Then I remembered I should write in my journal every day, so I stayed up a half-hour later each night.

Then last week in church we were admonished to exercise daily to keep our bodies fit, so I got up a little earlier each day to jog.

Later in the week, I read a magazine article that promised me beautiful skin in only fifteen minutes a day, and another one said that a half-hour a day of meditation could change my life.

A self-help book told me I should spend at least thirty minutes a day visualizing my desires and repeating positive affirmations. I had to get up earlier to do this.

Still, I was able to squeeze other activities into my already heavily scheduled day.

I learned to do the pelvic tilt to relieve my lower back pain while driving to work. I did my isometric exercises while at my desk. I cut my lunch hour in half in order to read a church magazine. In only half an hour a day I was able to finish it before the next one came ...except for the conference issue. For that I had to stay up a little at night and read, after my goal planning was done.

Another woman's magazine said I could give myself professional nail care in only ten minutes a day. It also suggested that a foot soak after work would do wonders to relieve tiredness. I tried to do that while I was preparing dinner, but I got so relaxed I kept dropping the carrot sticks in the gravy. Dinner would have to be delayed a little, and that would push bedtime back about a half-hour.

It was all worth it; I was becoming a new woman.

I learned in a class on success that the only way to make it in life is to write a "to do" list each night and then review it every morning to set priorities for the day. It only takes a few minutes and saves a lot of time in the long run.

Did you know that if you spend only an extra forty-five minutes a day on housework you never have to get bogged down in spring cleaning?

It is marvelous how many things can be done in such a short time, and I would feel negligent if I said I couldn't find those few minutes.

After all, is a few minutes a day for all that improvement too much to ask?

I can always set the alarm a little earlier. But last night as I was setting the alarm after my prayers I realized it was time to get up and jog.

Maybe I should make out a new schedule -
it will only take a few minutes...

(of course FAMILY & WEBTV also deserve PRIORITY TIME... those are at the top of the schedule!)

The following is from an actual 1950's Home Economics textbook intended for High School girls, teaching them how to prepare for married life:

1.Have dinner ready:
Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal -on time. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him, and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospects of a good meal are part of the warm welcome needed.

2.Prepare yourself:
Take 15 minutes to rest so you will be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh- looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people. Be a little gay and a little more interesting. His boring day may need a lift.

3.Prepare the house:
Clear away clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives, gathering up school books, toys, paper, etc. Then run a dust cloth over the tables. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too.

4.Prepare the children:
Take a few minutes to wash the children's hands and faces if they are small, comb their hair, and if necessary, change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part.

5. Minimize the noise:  
At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of washer, dryer, or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet. Greet him with a warm smile and be glad to see him.

6.Some DONT'S:
Don't greet him with problems or complaints. Don't complain if he's late for dinner. Count this as minor compared with what he might have gone through that day.

7.Make him comfortable:
Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or suggest he lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soft, soothing and pleasant voice. Allow him to relax and unwind.

8.Listen to him:
You may have a dozen things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first.

9.Make the evening his:
Never complain if he does not take you out to dinner or to other places of entertainment; instead try to understand his world of strain and pressure and his need to be home and relax.

10.The Goal:
Try to make your home a place of peace and order where your husband can relax.

( OH, PUHLEEEZE !!!!!)

Laughter is the best medicine for a long and happy life. He who laughs............lasts.

      *   Forgiveness is our greatest achievement and our highest calling.

      *   A friend is a person who knows all about you... and still likes you.

      *   If you can't have the best of everything,   make the best of everything you have.

      *   We are as healthy as our relationships.

      *   Touch is a great therapy.

      *   God help the man who won't marry until he finds the perfect woman, and God help him still more if he finds her.

      *   Don't marry someone you can live with. Marry someone you cannot live without.

      *   Life is too precious and marriage is too sweet to rush into relationships that are less than best for you.

      *   The most important things in life aren't things.

      *   The trouble with most people is that they stop trying in trying times.

      *   Don't let your children become more important than your partner.

      *   If you're happy, let your face know it and show it!

      *   Live your life and forget about your age!

      *   Everyone has a future....... some people plan theirs.

      *   We can't change anybody but ourselves.

      *   One of our greatest strengths is to admit our weaknesses.

      *   Obstacles are what you see if you take your eyes off the goal.

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