In the Quiet

The 1948 version of Joan of Arc with Ingrid Bergman is an excellent movie, and is also pretty family-friendly. I admire Ingrid Bergman's great acting abilities. She can cry on cue, and shows great emotion at every moment she is focused on. Joan is a fourteen year old girl who is hearing voices from Heaven. She is supposed to lead God's Army against Orleans and crown the Dauphin, Charles VII, as King of France. She does succeed in conquering Orleans. When her army prepares to march against Paris, King Charles sells his country to England. Unfortunately, Joan is then arrested, sold, and subjected to horrible trials that are political, though she is accused of being a heretic and a witch. She was only doing the will of God. There were a couple of faults in this movie. For example, Joan's hair should have grown if she was really on trial for five months. Also, some of the Latin words during the coronation ceremony were mispronounced. The film elements were appropriately si

This book is a great read. It is a part of a series of sorts in the Patch of Heaven novels.  Sarah's Garden  by Kelly Long is thought-provoking, realistic, and a great story. Sarah is an Amish girl who lives with her family and works at the family stand. She meets an English man, meaning that he is not in the Amish community. Over time, she finds that she is falling for him. To make matters worse, so is he; basically, if you're Amish, you're not supposed to marry an English person. The man's name is Grant. Grant learns of this rule, and makes himself scarce. Of course, Sarah's heart is broken. She doesn't even find any enjoyment in gardening anymore. What she doesn't know is that secretly, Grant is studying the Amish ways and is on his way to joining the community because that is what he feels called to. In the meantime, her friend Jacob wants her to be in a relationship with him. She isn't interested because she doesn't feel love for him. She fina

Sleep better! 1. Pump it Up  Regular aerobic exercise — bicycling, walking at a moderate pace, swimming laps — for 30 to 40 minutes, four times a week, improves sleep quality. You can break it up into two 20-minute sessions if that fits better into your life. But don't schedule it in the evening; while exercise helps regulate your sleep/wake cycle, the stimulation that comes from a workout in the three hours before bedtime may cancel the benefit. 2. Combine Carbs and Proteins  Carbohydrates help your brain use tryptophan, an amino acid that causes sleepiness. And proteins help your body build tryptophan. Get the duo in a light bedtime snack of peanut butter on toast or cheese and crackers. 3. Choose Cherry  The fruit is rich in melatonin, which helps the body regulate its sleep/wake cycle. When study participants drank eight ounces of a tart cherry — juice beverage twice a day for two weeks, they reported significant improvements in insomnia. Find the juice at Whole Fo

Recover from a long day with an easy detox: Add a cup of epsom salt to a warm bath and soak. The salt draws impurities out of the skin. Light some candles. Remember to silence your phone unless you want to be interrupted by incessant ringing. In a study conducted by Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D., of the University of California, Davis, people who listed five things they were grateful for each day in a journal fell asleep faster, slept for longer periods of time, and also woke up feeling more refreshed than those who didn’t keep a gratitude journal. I keep a gratitude journal, and it helps me to appreciate all the things in my life. Source: "Good Housekeeping" website

Raise your hand if you made any new year's resolutions. *Raises hand* Okay. Now raise your hand if you are still accomplishing those goals! *Raises hand, while mumbling "sort of"* What's that? You're not totally in the program, are you? In January, I was so excited about exercising at least three times a week. Now, I'm exercising six times a week, consistently. I feel like I'm a really fit person now, and I'm in shape for the summer! I can just keep cruising with this one. Unfortunately, my other goal, reading classics (1 per month to be exact) totally went by the wayside. I don't have any valid excuses, either. Everyone can fit in time for reading. Yes, before bed works. Don't tell me that that magazine or iPad is mandatory for your before-bed routine! It's just an excuse. Well, I can revive this one during the summer. I did successfully get through Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. Yep, I was supposed to be working on my sixth classic