Home and Garden: Three (3) Ideas for Improving the Harmony and Balance of Your Home or Office

The Enduring Relevance of Feng Shui

Feng shui is an ancient Chinese practice that has shaped living and working environments for more than 6,000 years. You open by highlighting how feng shui aligns with today’s “eco-friendly” mindset, emphasizing its ability to bring balance, harmony, serenity, and relaxation into any space — whether a home, apartment, or office cubicle.

This ancient practice draws on the natural laws of heaven (astronomy) and earth (geography), and its name literally translates as "wind" (feng) and "water" (shui). Despite its long history and the existence of different schools of thought, its principles remain simple to apply in modern life.

A memorable cultural reference — the garden scene from Enter the Dragon — illustrates how feng shui can shape environments subtly yet powerfully. The peaceful setting that prompts the British agent to remark, “This is very pleasant”, exemplifies feng shui design in action.

You can apply the principles and create feng shui experience for your home or office, just like in this popular movie. My favorite feng shui home/office décor is tabletop water fountains, wind chimes, and suncatchers. These items not only beautify a space but also promote calm and positive energy. You note that feng shui gifts are universally well-received because they symbolize harmony rather than negativity.

The environment for your home or office need not and absolutely should not be stressful.  If you're going to spend most of your working hours in a certain place or expect to be able to have that relaxing "there's no place like home" atmosphere when you come home after a hard day at work, there are a few things you can do to feel like you're in a peaceful paradise!  

Need Ideas For Improving Your Quality of Life?  Here are Three.

IDEA #1:  The combination use of bath salts with aromatherapy can change a mood from anxiety and distress to an experience of comfort and serenity. ...

Dead Sea Bath Salts (and

 Other Relaxation Products)

IDEA #2: The principles of Feng Shui worked 6000 years ago and still work today! Feng shui products are designed to create a truly calm, stress-free, relaxing environment and bring serenity, i.e. harmony and balance, into any environment - be it your home or where you work. ...

Feng Shui Products Make Great Gifts For the Home or Office

Feng Shui Desain Interior Warna Cat Rumah yang Cocok dengan Fengshui

This Last Idea is a Real Estate TIP!

IDEA #3:  (Psst ... MY TIP.) The feng shui experts probably won't mention them, but I think pomegranate trees not only contribute to feng shui but can increase the value of your property. Think about it. Even if you don’t want to sell your home, your house will be the envy of the neighborhood!

Sure, pomegranate trees grow freely all over Asia and Africa. But if you don’t live on that part of the planet, but you do have a warm, dry spot in your front or backyard where the soil doesn’t get waterlogged (there’s good drainage) and the plant will get lots of sunlight, you’ve got the perfect environment to grow this fabulous super fruit. Horticulturists have proven that pomegranates grow quite well in Texas, California, and Florida!

Angel Red is a gourmet pomegranate tree that can grow in areas where you need something tough and not too picky about soil type or care, and the Pomegranate Bonsai trees are unusually lovely and unique gifts that will not likely be returned or re-gifted.

English: Pomegranate Blossom (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Entertainment : Review of TV Drama Series : "Small Island" (2009) [Old But Gold Masterpiece Theater Gem]

"Small Island" is a two-part drama adapted for television, included in the BBC Masterpiece Classic Collection, based on a novel by the same title written by Andrea Levy.

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“Small Island” is a BBC Masterpiece Theater presentation.  The name of the main character is Hortense, an idealistic “proper” young Jamaican woman who dreams of living in England and she will fulfill her dream! It may take a little bit of conniving but … she will make it happen!

The setting is the 1940s; during and after the World War II - Jamaica and London.

* Naomie Harris plays Hortense.  She is something else!!

If the name Naomie Harris sounds familiar, it should. She starred in the James Bond movie, “Skyfall”. At the end of the movie, she finally formally introduced to Mr. Bond as “Miss Moneypenny”.

Here's the plot in a nutshell.

Hortense has a friend who has a fiancé and that fiancé is in the military and intends to take the friend, who will be his wife, with him when he goes to England. Uh huh. That was the original plan. But Hortense figured out a way to get the guy to ditch the friend and take her to England instead.   Like I said:  She is something else!  :)

* David Oyelowo plays Gilbert, the fiancé, scratch that ex-fiancé … dot dot dash … husband of “convenience”.

David Oyelowo. That name sound familiar? It should. He was “Danny” in the popular BBC spook TV show, “MI-5”. Also chosen for the role of “Dr. Martin Luther King”, in the Oscar-nominated film “Selma” about the Civil Rights Movement in America.

“Small Island” is a love story and you will love all of the characters; the ones in the starring roles and the supporting roles. They are very realistic and you will feel like you're a part of their lives.

Authentic costumes, great scenery, believable dialogue, stellar performances, quality entertainment!

My one word to describe this masterpiece? Delightful!

Most memorable line? “Gilbert! I'm perishin' in this bed!” :)

Hortense dreams of England - Small Island - BBC

AZPM. “Masterpiece Classic: Small Island PREVEW.” YouTube, 23 Jan. 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqQ2fijnNGA.

NOTE:  This content was first published at Daily Two Cents; however that site shut down.  

Andrea Levy’s “Small Island” is a gem of a novel that brings #history to life in a way that feels deeply personal. Set between Jamaica & post-war Britain, it explores race, belonging, & the courage it takes to start over. : amzn.to/4uzvfUK 💙📚 #booksky #afflink #Kindle Adapted by #BBCMasterpiece

— [ᴛʀᴇᴀᴛʜʏʟ ꜰᴏx ᴀᴋᴀ ᴄᴍᴏɴᴇʏꜱᴘɪɴɴᴇʀ] 💖 (@cmoneyspinner.bsky.social) 2026-05-25T16:42:51.410Z

Psychology, the Zodiac and Dominant Personality Traits

Do you like quizzes? Like those personality quizzes geared at enlightening you as to the kind of person you really are.

I like taking those kinds of quizzes. Strictly for amusement. Not to explore my inner self and learn new things about me, because having spent 6 decades on this planet, if I haven't figured out who I am by now, I might as well stop wasting time and put that “project” on the shelf. It's never going to get done!

Below are some fun links.

• What Are Your 6 Dominant Personality Traits According To Your Zodiac?

• I Bet We Can Correctly Guess Your Zodiac Sign With This Quiz!

You can save the link and take the quiz later when you're bored and need a distraction.
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I haven't gotten around to taking the quiz yet because:

(A) No fun time! I have been very busy with my work at home projects, and haven't had a minute to become bored. By the end of the day, I'm worn out, and I watch something on TV or online that requires no effort and will make me weary enough to wind down and fall asleep.

(B) Another reason is that the quiz is based on the Zodiac, and if I'm being honest, I don't have any faith in the Zodiac. I'm supposed to a Sagittarius, and even though this article found at another site ~ "7 Best Sagittarius Traits" ~ describes my personality traits to a "T" … I say that was just a lucky guess!

(C) According to Dr. Abraham Maslow (1908 – 1970), who was a psychologist: “Self-actualization, in psychology, is the process of understanding oneself and developing one's capacities and talents. It is the ability to realize fully one's potential.” (Quote source: Create Your Own Rainbow and Own It! ) I agree with Maslow on this point, and I am convinced that the position of the stars at the date and time of a person's birth can not prevent an individual from developing their own unique personality.

(D) Finally, I already know what my 6 dominant personality traits are: prayerful, patient, persistent, persevering, passionate, prayerful.

The “prayer” trait is repeated twice – at the beginning and at the end. A double portion of this trait is necessary to help me develop and maintain the other 4 traits.

Do you know what your dominant personality traits are?



glitter-graphics


NOTE: Content first appeared at LiteracyBase, April 15, 2017.

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Music Quotes That Move Me ( and Probably Move You Too!)

Once upon a time, there was a community on Google+ for music lovers, and it had a category for “Music Quotes”. It was fun!  You share lyrics or quotes from a song that moves or touches you. Doesn't matter whether you're a fan of the artist's singing or even if you don't really like the song; sometimes certain words strike you. 

Sadly, the community no longer exists and also Google plans to shut down the G+ social network during 2019.

I love the idea of sharing music quotes that move me.  Here's an example. In this example, I also have great respect and admiration for the artist performing. Loyal Tina Turner fan. This is a throwback song from the soundtrack for Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome (1985).  This music video turned Tina Turner into a Post Apocalyptic Rock Goddess.

LYRICS / QUOTES: “There's just one thing you've got to know ... You're one of the living.”

“One of the Living” has a surprisingly rich backstory. It wasn’t just a soundtrack cut; it was a deliberate artistic pivot for Tina Turner, a collaboration with some unexpected rock heavyweights, and a music video that pushed her image into full-blown post-apocalyptic glam.

• “We Don’t Need Another Hero” became the emotional anthem of the film, “One of the Living” was the aggressive, rock-driven opener — and it earned Turner a Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. (A Grammy win for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance (1986), but often cited as one of Turner’s most underrated rock performances. Weird (O.o).

• “We Don’t Need Another Hero” is about longing for peace and a future beyond violence; “One of the Living” is about survival in a brutal world.

Who actually played on it?

• Holly Knight (of “Love Is a Battlefield” fame) wrote the song.

• Mike Chapman (Blondie, The Knack) produced it.

• The Fixx’s guitarist, Jamie West-Oram, played the signature guitar parts.

• Tim Cappello, Turner’s famously ripped saxophonist, contributed as well.

The result was a track that blended Turner’s raw power with a distinctly mid 80s rock edge — perfect for the Mad Max universe. This video helped cement Turner’s mid 80s reinvention — not just a comeback pop star, but a cinematic, larger-than-life icon.

song of the day - "One Of The Living" | TINA TURNER | 1985.

On June 15, 2014, Casey Kasem, host of the longtime countdown program, AMERICAN TOP 40, passed away at the age of 82. ...

song of the day - "One Of The Living" | TINA TURNER | 1985.

On June 15, 2014, Casey Kasem, host of the longtime countdown program, AMERICAN TOP 40, passed away at the age of 82. From my first blog post (and probably some more in between then and now), I explained how, in 1979, I was a geeky, lanky, and somewhat lost 12-year-old living in Central Maine, had a...

First published at MyLot, SEPTEMBER 26, 2015

Music is What Feelings Sound Like Quote on a Vinyl Record Album Wall Art | Vinyl Revamped

Holidays and Celebrations : Intro to Halloween Superstitions ~ Happy Halloween!

Halloween superstitions?
For me, many of them were incredibly unbelievable or simply unexplainable.

But the holiday itself has always been fun. Designed to scare ya! Not terrifying heart-stopping scary. Fun scary! The celebration is loaded with superstitious beliefs that have been passed down from generation to generation. Some clouded in gloom and doom. Some harbingers of good fortune and good things to come. Halloween has from bats and black cats to ghosts and spirits to spiders and trick or treat.  Here is a link to a quick study!

A Brief Introduction to Halloween Superstitions

(Image found at glitter-graphics.com.)

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Get into the spirit of the Halloween holiday!!

Historical Places : Alternate Names for the Dead Sea

Almost everybody has heard of the Dead Sea. It is the lowest point on earth: 1,294 feet below sea level. Two things come to my mind when this body of water is mentioned: scrolls and salts.

Dead Sea (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

• In 1947, scrolls which were writings of ancient biblical texts were found in a cave around this area.

• These days all the beauty and health experts rave about the wonderful things Dead Sea bath salts can do to your skin.

Have you ever heard this place called by any other name?

It has several alternate names:

Salt Sea

Eastern Sea

Asphalt Sea

Sodomitish Sea

Sea of Lot

Sea of Zoar

Sea of Arabah

Sea of Overwhelming

Last but not least, known simply as the Sea. Who knew?

People bathing in the Dead Sea

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Content also appears at Persona Paper.

Related articles

• Nine of the world's most tranquil places - according to you(telegraph.co.uk)

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Castle Baths - 16 oz Jubilee Dead Sea Salts for the Soul Bath Salts - Bergamot Pink Grapefruit Infused with a sweet, organic citrus floral blend, our Jubilee Dead Sea Bath Salts are jubilant yet restful - and intensely restorative! Between a busy day and a long evening, take time to revitalize yourself with a Jubilee Dead Sea Salt soak ("the pause that refreshes") and come out dancing! We use only pure, authentic Dead Sea Salt when we make our Dead Sea Bath Salts to ensure a spa-quality bathing experience. No need to settle for those cheap, ultra-dehydrating store-brand salts anymore! Treat yourself to luxury!

Ancient History : Ancient Kingdoms : Lydia and Persia

♦ Quick history lesson. Hope you found it useful.  Learning never gets old.  Agree? 

• The last king of Lydia was Croesus (560–546 B.C.). Some records describe the assets of his kingdom as “proverbial wealth” or “legendary wealth”.

• "... the ruler who took the place of Croesus, is really the one who provided this kingdom with “true wealth”. Here are two interesting summaries of his empire."

The article below shares a few quick facts about Lydia, an ancient kingdom of Central Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey).

Ancient History: Kingdoms : Lydia and Persia