Kuch Khaas Hai...

A Jat and his family were on their way to the city. At noon on the second day of their journey they came upon a huge banyan tree and decided to rest under it for a while.
The Jat did not want to stay idle so he decided to make a rope. He sent his eldest son to a town nearby to buy jute; he sent his second son to buy vegetables, and the third to buy provisions. He assigned duties to his daughters-in-law too. One was sent to fetch water; another, firewood. The third one was asked to knead the dough.
When he had got all the materials he needed, the Jat sat under the tree to make the rope. Now there was a giant living on the tree. He had been observing the Jat and his family ever since they had camped under his tree. He wondered why the man was making a rope. Finally unable to contain his curiosity, he got down and asked him.
The Jat concealed his fear and kept on working. Looking defiantly at the giant he said he was making the rope to tie him.
The giant was shaken. Though big he was timid at heart. He fell at the Jat's feet and begged for mercy.
"I'll make you rich," he said, and digging up a chest of treasure, gave it to him.
The Jat was overjoyed. He cut short his journey and returned to his village, a rich man.
When his neighbour heard how he had come by his wealth he immediately gathered his own family and set out for the giant's abode.
There, he began issuing instructions to his sons and daughters-in-law. But his sons refused to leave the shade of the tree to run errands and his daughters-in-law just ignored him.
He had to do everything himself. Eventually he got all the materials he needed and he sat down under the tree to make the rope.
He was thrilled when the giant descended from the tree.
"Why are you making that rope?" asked the giant.
"Why else but to tie you," said the man.
The giant smiled.
"So you're afraid," said the man. "Better give me a chest of treasure or I won't spare you."
"If your own family is not afraid of you why should I be?" laughed the giant, climbing back onto his tree. "Tie your sons and daughters-in-law before thinking of tying anybody else."

A man was expecting a visit from an acquaintance. He gave two ripe mangoes to his servant and asked him to slice them and serve the fruit when the man came.
The servant gave in to temptation and ate a slice. It was so sweet he could not resist eating another one. Then the madness of gluttony seized him and he devoured all the remaining pieces.
Suddenly he saw the man his master was expecting coming towards the house. He thought fast. He grabbed a rusty knife and rushing to his master told him he couldn't cut the mangoes as the knife was blunt.
"I'll sharpen it," said his master and going to a stone in the garden began to rub the cutting edge of the knife against it.
Leaving him to the task the servant ran out to meet the man who was coming.
"Beware! Beware!" he said when he reached him. "Don't come to our house. My master has gone mad. He's planning to cut both your ears."
"Cut my ears!" exclaimed the man, turning pale. "Why?!"
"There he is sharpening the knife," said the servant. The man saw that his host did indeed have a knife in his hands and was sharpening it with what looked to him like a maniacal fury. He did not wait to find out why his host wanted his ears. He turned around and started walking away as fast as he could.
The servant rushed back to his master and told him that the man he had invited was running away with the mangoes.
"What!" said his master. "The greedy fellow! Has he taken both the mangoes?!"
"Yes," said the servant.
The man ran after the acquaintance shouting:
"Give me one! Give me one at least!"
The other man thought he was asking for one of his ears and ran for his life!

A fly was flying around a web but it seemed reluctant to land, so finally the resident spider poked its head out and invited it in.
“No, thank you,” said the fly. “I was looking for other flies but I don’t see any. I only feel safe in a crowd.”
The fly streaked away. Presently, it came across a large number of flies sitting on a large piece of paper.
“Don’t land!” warned a bee flying past. “ It’s flypaper. All those flies are stuck to it!”
“What nonsense,” retorted the fly. “They’re enjoying themselves! See they’re dancing!!”
“They’re not dancing! They’re trying to free themselves!!” yelled the bee, but the fly wasn’t listening.
It settled on the flypaper, and got stuck.

Moral: ‘Safety in Numbers’ may be a good slogan, but it’s not always true.

Lal Bujhakkad is a comic hero of Hindi folklore.
He is fond of offering elaborate but foolish explanations for simple phenomena and suggesting outlandish solutions for simple problems or riddles. But he lives among foolish people who are in awe of his learning. They readily believe whatever he tells them and never hesitate to carry out his instructions.

Here is a Lal Bujhakkad story.

One morning a villager stepped out of his hut and saw huge, round footmarks in the mud outside his dwelling.
"Oh, my God! What's this!" he shouted.
Soon there was a large crowd outside his hut. None of the villagers had ever seen such large footprints before and they were bewildered by them.
They followed the tracks and found that they ran all through the village to the other side.
"I think... I think," said a villager, finally, "we were visited by a demon last night."
"He must've been of a monstrous size," said another man, shuddering.
"Let us not panic," advised a third villager. "There might be a simple explanation for all this. Let's call Lal Bujhakkad. He has helped us so many times in the past..."
So Lal Bujhakkad who lived in a neighbouring village, was sent for and he came without fuss. He bent over the prints and studied them from every angle.
"Some of us think they were made by a d-demon," said the headman, hesitatingly.
"You people have such fertile imaginations," said Lal Bujhakkad, giving him a withering look. "No, these tracks were not made by a demon or monster. They were made by a deer."
"A deer!" exclaimed the headman. "But they're so big!"
"That's because," explained Lal Bujhakkad patiently, "the animal tied large stones to its feet to fool us."
The villagers stood gaping in wonder at Lal Bujhakkad.
"Only you could have seen through the deer's clever trick," said the headman.
Lal Bujhakkad graciously acknowledged the compliment and admonishing the villagers for their foolishness, returned home.
Some nights later, the animal who had made the tracks, a large elephant, came that way again. The villagers saw the tracks the next morning but this time they were not afraid. They knew the deer was trying to fool them again.

A man, reading a book by candle-light, came across a sentence which stated that men with long beards were fools.
This distressed the man because he had a long beard himself. He had always thought the beard made him look scholarly and dignified, but now he began to wonder if perhaps he had not been labouring under a delusion.
He decided to do away with the beard there and then and gathering it up in his hands, held the tip to the candle flame. It caught fire and burnt faster than he had expected. In a moment the beard was all gone. Then a spark leapt up into the hair on his head and before he knew what was happening, the hair on his head was reduced to ash. His cry of alarm brought his neighbours running. They were shocked to see his scorched face and the smoke curling up from his head.
"What happened?" they asked, dowsing him with water.
"Whatever was to have happened, has happened," said the man, sadly. "I read that men with long beards were fools and I behaved like one."

A squirrel joined the service of the King of the Forest, the lion.
He did whatever work was given him, quickly and well. The lion became fond of him and promised to give him a cartload of almonds as pension when he retired.
The squirrel envied the other squirrels in the forest because of their carefree life. He longed to run up and down trees and leap from branch to branch like them but he could not leave the king's side and even if he could he had to move with courtly dignity. He consoled himself with the thought that at the end of his career, he would receive a cartload of almonds, a food that few squirrels got to taste in their lifetime.
"They will envy me then," he would tell himself.
The years passed. The squirrel became old and then it was time for him to retire. The king gave a grand banquet in his honour and at the end of it, presented him with a cartload of almonds as he had promised.
The squirrel had waited so long for this day but when he saw the almonds, he was seized with sadness. He realised they were of no use to him now. He had lost all his teeth.

A pandit crossing a field felt that there was something in his mouth and spat it out. It turned out to be a heron's feather. He could not understand how it had got into his mouth and it perplexed him a great deal. When he reached home he told his wife about it but asked her not to tell anyone lest somebody put a bad interpretation on it.

His wife was even more intrigued by the strange occurrence and felt the need to confide in someone. So she swore her neighbour to secrecy and told her what had happened.

Perhaps it was the way she told it, but her neighbour got the impression that several feathers had come out of the pandit's mouth. She was shocked. However, she assured the woman that such things could happen and advised her not to worry about it.

"Please don't tell anyone," said the pandit's wife.

"My lips are sealed," said the woman. But she was longing to tell someone and when she saw the dhobi's wife going past, called her in and told her the whole story. Only, she made it sound as if a whole heron had come out of the pandit's mouth.

"Never have I heard of such a thing," said the dhobi's wife, her eyes popping with excitement, "and he being a vegetarian and all that, but one can never tell..."

She went away promising not to tell anyone but on the way she met her friend and the whole story sort of tumbled out of her mouth. Perhaps in her excitement she said 'herons' instead of 'heron' or perhaps her friend just imagined she had said herons but when she told her husband the story sometime later, she was emphatic that a whole flock of herons had come out of the pandit's mouth.

And as the story spread "herons" became "herons and other birds" and then "hundreds of birds of all shapes and sizes".

By evening the whole village and several other neighbouring villages had heard the story and people began to arrive in droves at the pandit's house to witness the miraculous happenings there.

The pandit steadfastly denied that any bird had come out of his mouth but nobody would believe him and everybody begged him to demonstrate his wonderful power of producing birds from his mouth.

Finally in exasperation, he asked them all to sit in front of his house and when they had done so ran out of the back and hid in the jungle where he remained several days till the excitement had died down and the people had realised that the news was false.."

A folktale from Bengal

We've all heard of milkmen adding water to milk. Madho was one such man. His customers knew but were helpless. There was no other milkman in the locality.
One day as Madho was about to start on his rounds in the morning, there was a flash of light and a godly being stood before him.
Madho cowered in fright.
"Why do you add water to milk, Madho?" asked the god.
"I...I..." stammered Madho.
"Speak up!" said the god.
"I-I do it to increase the quantity of milk so that I can make more money, Lord," said Madho.
The god waved his hand and a can of milk identical to the one Madho was carrying appeared before him.
"Behold!" said the deity, "I have given you another can of milk. You now have double the quantity of milk you got from your cows, this morning."
Madho thanked the god profusely and picking up the can, started walking. He took a few steps and stopped.
"Yes?" asked the god. "Is there anything more you want?"
"I was wondering," said Madho, "If you could..."
"Yes! You want another can of milk?" asked the god, kindly.
"No...No!" protested Madho. "I'm not that greedy... just give me another can of water.

A shipwrecked man, struggled mightily against the waves and was finally cast ashore, more dead than alive. When finally he regained consciousness, he saw that the sea was as calm as a pond.
"How deceitful you are!" he shouted to the sea. "You draw men unto you showing your peaceful side but when they are in your power you wreak fury against them!"
The sea took the form of a woman to defend herself.
"Blame me not!" said the woman. "I'm always peaceful. It is the wind that creates waves and turns me into a monster."

Moral: Beware of people who are controlled by others.

A young student of Zen was going to the market to buy vegetables for the monastery where he was studying. On the way he met a student from another monastery.
“Where are you going?” asked the first student.
“Wherever my legs take me,” replied the other.
The first student pondered over the answer as he was sure it had some deep significance. When he returned to the monastery, he reported the conversation to his teacher, who said: “You should have asked him what he would do if he had no legs.”
The next day the student was thrilled to see the same boy coming towards him.
“Where are you going?” he asked and without waiting for a reply continued, “Wherever your legs take you, I suppose. Well, let me ask you . . .”
“You’re mistaken,” interrupted the other boy. “Today I’m going wherever the wind blows.”
This answer so confused the first boy that he could not think of anything to say.
When he reported the matter to his teacher, the old man said: “You should have asked him what he would do if there were no wind.”
Some days later the student saw the boy in the market again and rushed to confront him, confident that this time he would have the last word.
“Where are you going?” he asked. “Wherever your legs take you or wherever the wind blows? Well, let me ask you . . . . ”
“No, no,” interrupted the boy. “Today I’m going to buy vegetables.”

"Where is God?" asked the disciple.
"Everywhere, in everyone and everything," said his Guru.
Later, as the disciple was going home, he saw an elephant charging towards him.
"Get out of the way, get out of the way," shouted the elephant-driver. "He has gone mad!"
But the disciple thought: "God is everywhere. He is in the elephant and he is in me. Would God attack God? No, therefore the elephant will not attack me."
He stood where he was. The elephant picked him up in his trunk and flung him aside. Fortunately, he landed in a haystack and was not too badly hurt. But he was terribly shaken and confused.
When the Guru and the other disciples came to help him and take him home, he said, "You said God is in everything, but see what the elephant did to me!"
"It is true that God is in everything," said his Guru. "He is in the elephant, but he is also in the mahout who kept telling you to get out of the way. Why didn't you listen to him?"
A Bengali Folktale

Yield: 12 servings
(With buttercream cocoa frosting. Height: 2 to 2.5 inch)

Ingredients:

1 + 1/2 cup (170 g) all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (dutched/dark)
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 pinches salt
1 cup (220 g) sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
1/2 cup (1.2 dl) milk or water
1/2 cup (1.2 dl) vegetable oil (flavorless)
2 eggs

Ingredients for frosting:

1 stick (1/2 cup) + 3 tablespoons (160 g) softened butter
3 cups (7.2 dl) powdered sugar or confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 to 5 tablespoons lukewarm milk

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg F (Gas mark 4 or 180 deg C)
2. Grease a 9 inch (23 cm) cake tin.
3. Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, sugar and vanilla essence in a bowl.
4. Add milk/water, vegetable oil and eggs.
5. Mix everything together until smooth, either by hand or by using an electric mixer at slow speed. If the batter is too runny you may add slightly more flour.
6. Transfer to bake tin and bake at 350 degrees until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, approximately 35 to 45 minutes.
7. After the cake has cooled, slice the cake through the middle to make two layers (easier if the cake has been in the fridge).

Frosting:

1. Cream the softened butter with powdered sugar in a bowl. Add cocoa, vanilla and 4 tablespoons lukewarm milk, and mix until smooth. Do not over-mix. If necessary, add some more milk.
2. Use one 1/3 of the frosting between the two layers, 1/3 on top, and the rest around the cake.
3. This cake should have room temperature when served.

Variations:

1. You may cut the top of the cake to make a flat surface before adding the frosting.
2. You may divide the the batter in two and transfer to two bake tins. The baking time would then be about 15-20 minutes
3. Instead of vanilla extract, you may use an equivalent amount of freeze dried coffee (Suggested by Carol, October 2008)
4. You may use ½ cup of freshly brewed coffee instead of milk or water to get mocca flavor (Suggested by Noreen, January 2009)

There was a rich merchant who had 4 wives. He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to delicacies. He took great care of her and gave her nothing but the best.

He also loved the 3rd wife very much. He's very proud of her and always wanted to show off her to his friends. However, the merchant is always in great fear that she might run away with some other men.

He too, loved his 2nd wife. She is a very considerate person, always patient and in fact is the merchant's confidante. Whenever the merchant faced some problems, he always turned to his 2nd wife and she would always help him out and tide him through difficult times.

Now, the merchant's 1st wife is a very loyal partner and has made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and business as well as taking care of the household. However, the merchant did not love the first wife and although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her.

One day, the merchant fell ill. Before long, he knew that he was going to die soon. He thought of his luxurious life and told himself, "Now I have 4 wives with me. But when I die, I'll be alone. How lonely I'll be!"

Thus, he asked the 4th wife, "I loved you most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No way!" replied the 4th wife and she walked away without another word.

The answer cut like a sharp knife right into the merchant's heart. The sad merchant then asked the 3rd wife, "I have loved you so much for all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No!" replied the 3rd wife. "Life is so good over here! I'm going to remarry when you die!" The merchant's heart sank and turned cold.

He then asked the 2nd wife, "I always turned to you for help and you've always helped me out. Now I need your help again. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?" "I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!" replied the 2nd wife. "At the very most, I can only send you to your grave." The answer came like a bolt of thunder and the merchant was devastated.

Then a voice called out : "I'll leave with you. I'll follow you no matter where you go." The merchant looked up and there was his first wife. She was so skinny, almost like she suffered from malnutrition. Greatly grieved, the merchant said, "I should have taken much better care of you while I could have !"

Actually, we all have 4 wives in our lives

a. The 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it'll leave us when we die.

b. Our 3rd wife ? Our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, they all go to others.

c. The 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how close they had been there for us when we're alive, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.

d. The 1st wife is in fact our soul, often neglected in our pursuit of material, wealth and sensual pleasure.

Guess what? It is actually the only thing that follows us wherever we go. Perhaps it's a good idea to cultivate and strengthen it now rather than to wait until we're on our deathbed to lament

Ryokan was a Zen teacher of repute. One day a fisherman saw him walking on the beach soon after a storm. The storm had washed up thousands of starfish on the shore, and they were beginning to dry up. Soon all of them would be dead. Ryokan was picking up starfish and throwing them into the sea.
The fisherman caught up with the teacher and said, “Surely, you cannot hope to throw all these starfish back into the sea? They will die in their thousands here. I’ve seen it happen before. Your effort will make no difference.”
“It will to this one,” said Ryokan, throwing back another starfish into the sea.

Guru Gampar had told his four disciples that they were never to do anything without his permission.
One day while they were on their way to a distant town, Guru Gampar fell asleep in the bullock cart they were travelling in. His head rolled from side to side and suddenly his turban slipped from his head and fell on to the road. But as their guru had told them never to do anything without his permission, none of the disciples made a move to get down and pick it up. When the guru woke up and was told about the loss of his turban he was furious.
"Next time anything falls off pick it up at once!" he thundered. Some time later the bullock dropped its dung and the four foolish disciples leaped down and picked it up. Guru Gampar was horrified. He made a list of the things that could fall off from a moving cart. "Pick up any of these things if they fall," he told them, handing them the list. "Don't pick up anything that is not mentioned here."
Just then the cart lurched violently and Guru Gampar was thrown headlong into a ditch.
Guru Gampar yelled to his disciples to pull him out.
"We can't, guruji," said his disciples, sadly. "Your name is not on the list you gave us." Guru Gampar pleaded with them to pull him out, but in vain.
"We know you are testing us, guruji," they told him. "But you can rest assured that we will never disobey you. You told us not pick up anything that was not mentioned in your list and we will not do so."
"Give me the list!" yelled Guru Gampar. They threw him the list and the pen and the guru hastily scrawled his name on it. Then and then only did the obedient disciples pull their beloved guru out of the ditch and put him back into the cart!

Moral of the story:Beware of foolish and too much dependent disciples(or employees)

There were two brothers who were always up to some mischief. If
somebody had been locked up in his house or if somebody's dog had been painted green, one always knew who the culprits were — the brothers.
One day the boys' mother asked a priest to talk to her sons and put the fear of God in them so that they would mend their ways. The priest asked her to send her sons to him one at a time.
When the younger boy, a lad of thirteen, came, he made him sit and asked him:
"Where is God?"
The boy did not answer.
The priest asked again, in a louder voice: "Where is God?"
The boy remained silent. But when the priest asked the same question a third time, the boy jumped up and ran away.
He went straight to his brother.
"We are in big trouble!" he gasped.
"What's wrong?" asked the older boy, warily, wondering which of their sins had caught up with them.
"God is missing," said the youngster, "and they think we have something to do with it!"

Instead of using oil to keep chicken moist while cooking, use an oil-free marinade or spritz it with broth, water, or juice. This recipe requires just seven ingredients.


Ingredients

* 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/4 pounds total)
* 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
* 1 tablespoon finely shredded lemon peel (zest)
* 1/4 cup lemon juice
* 1 tablespoon finely snipped fresh lemon thyme or thyme
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 2 lemons, halved
* Fresh lemon thyme or thyme sprigs, optional

Directions

1. Place the chicken in a resealable plastic bag in a shallow bowl. For marinade, in a small bowl stir together chicken broth, lemon peel, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon thyme, and pepper. Pour over chicken. Seal bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours, turning bag occasionally. Drain chicken, reserving marinade.

2. Grill chicken on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 12 to 15 minutes or until no longer pink (170 degrees F), turning and brushing with marinade halfway through grilling. Discard any remaining marinade. Add lemon halves to grill for the last 3 minutes of grilling.

3. Serve chicken with grilled lemons and, if desired, top with additional fresh thyme.

Once a boy went to a shop with his mother. The shop keeper looked at the small cute child and showed him a bottle with sweets

And said 'Dear Child..u can take the sweets...

But the child didn't take. The shop keeper was surprised.. Such a small child he is and why is he not taking the sweets from the bottle. Again he said take the sweets....

Now the mother also heard that and said.. Take the sweets dear.. Yet he didn't take... The shopkeeper seeing the child not taking the sweets... He himself took the sweets and gave to the child. The child was happy to get two hands full of sweets.


While returning home the Mother asked the child... Why didn't you take the sweets, when the shop keeper told you to take?..

Can you guess the response: Child replies... Mom! My hands are very small and if I take the sweets I can only take few.. But now you see when uncle gave with his big hands.... How many more sweets I got!


Moral: When we take we may get little but when God gives... HE gives us more beyond our expectations. .. More than what we can hold..!!

The sweet flavor of tomatoes is nicely complemented by a zesty herb vinaigrette. A light sprinkling of feta cheese adds a tang but also an extra gram of fat per serving.


Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons olive oil or salad oil
* 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
* 1 tablespoon thinly sliced green onion or snipped fresh chives
* 2 teaspoons snipped fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil crushed
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 3 roma tomatoes, sliced
* 2 medium red tomatoes, sliced
* 1 medium yellow tomato, sliced
* 1/2 cup red cherry tomatoes, halved
* 1/2 cup yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
* Spinach leaves
* 1/4 cup crumbled feta, Gorgonzola, or blue cheese (1 ounce) (optional)
* Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

For dressing, in a screw-top jar, combine the olive or salad oil, vinegar, green onion or chives, basil, sugar, mustard, and salt. Cover and shake well. Chill, if desired.

To serve, arrange tomatoes on a spinach-lined platter. Shake dressing well; drizzle atop tomatoes. If desired, sprinkle crumbled cheese atop salad. Sprinkle with pepper.

the fairy story (strategic alliances, tactical awareness, ageism, sexism, being careful about what you wish for and how you go about getting it)

A couple were dining out together celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary.

After the meal, the husband presented his wife romantically with a beautiful very old gold antique locket on a chain.

Amazingly when his wife opened the locket, a tiny fairy appeared.

Addressing the astonished couple, the fairy said, "Your forty years of devotion to each other has released me from this locket, and in return I can now grant you both one wish each - anything you want.."

Without hesitating, the wife asked, "Please, can I travel to the four corners of the world with my husband, as happy and in love as we've always been?"

The fairy waved her wand with a flourish, and magically there on the table were two first-class tickets for a round-the-world holiday.

Staggered, the couple looked at each other, unable to believe their luck.

"Your turn," said the fairy and the wife to the husband.

The husband thought for a few seconds, and then said, with a little guilt in his voice, "Forgive me, but to really enjoy that holiday of a lifetime - I yearn for a younger woman - so I wish that my wife could be thirty years younger than me."

Shocked, the fairy glanced at the wife, and with a knowing look in her eye, waved her wand.....

and the husband became ninety-three.

Moral of the story:try to treasure what you have and respect it and think twice before you ask for anything.

After tragedy and loss, moving forward with life takes a commitment to find or create joy, laughter, and love. Here's how:

Hints for Happiness

Remembering is painful. But even as we think about a tragedy like 9/11, sharing the joy of living is possible -- and more important than ever. BHG.com spoke about remembering, recovering, and rebuilding with Leigh Anne Jasheway of Eugene, Oregon, Masters of Public Health and a consultant on stress management for 16 years. Jasheway is author of Don't Get Mad, Get Funny -- A Light-Hearted Approach to Stress Management (Whole Person/Pfeiffer Hamilton Press, 1996), among many other books. Ms. Jasheway offered ideas about finding joy for moms, dads, kids, and families.


1. Every day, do something that reaffirms the beauty and joy of living.

Take time to look around and you'll find plenty of proof that beauty is everywhere. Have your morning cup of coffee in sight of the sunrise, or make it a point to see the sunset. Nature brims with the miracle of life -- get outside and soak it in. Walk through a park listening for birds, watch clouds in a robin's-egg-blue sky, go barefoot in lush grass, skip stones. Stop to smell those roses, and while you're at it, buy some fresh flowers for the house.

2. Do something.

A feeling of helplessness in the face of tragedy or human need and suffering contributes to stress. Activity is therapeutic, and volunteerism is one of the best ways to give activity purpose. In helping others, you help yourself. Build a house for the less fortunate with Habitat for Humanity. Or look to Volunteers of America for many other opportunities to help others. Its programs serve some 300 communities across the country, with more than 30,000 volunteers annually doing all kinds of good, from delivering meals to the elderly to reading mail to residents of nursing homes. Or get active on a smaller scale -- there's a lot to be said for just practicing random acts of kindness. Recent research found that a "joy center" of the brain thrills more to unanticipated delights than to what's expected. So surprise someone with a little gift. The payoff for you is experiencing the joy of giving.

3. Turn off the television and radio news.

Reliving the horror of 9/11 in documentary form can open old wounds. Choose instead to rent a feel-good movie or watch family videos you haven't seen in a while. Or pull out those scrapbooks and albums. Gather everyone around the stereo for an old-fashioned life-affirming radio show. Even just turning up some favorite old tunes can rejuvenate the spirit. Sing along!

4. Get to know your neighbors.

A sense of neighborhood and community increases feelings of security and connectedness. Don't let the month of September become tainted forever, or allow loss and grief to steal your joy. Welcome fall with new neighborhood traditions: Plan a block-party cookout or chili cook-off, organize a pre-holiday cookie exchange, or host a multifamily garage sale. It need not be anything elaborate. Share a batch of cookies with the folks next door or just sit on the front porch talking with the neighbors. Friendships develop in the details of daily living.

5. Laugh.

It really is the best medicine, reducing anxiety, depression, and fear. In fact, studies show that laughter is one of the best ways to let out negative emotions without causing harm. Buy a funny book and chortle away, tell silly knock-knock jokes with the kids, invent a stupid pet trick, or rent a screwball comedy the whole family will enjoy. Grownups can check out Amelie (rated R), the heartwarming and funny French film that had all of France practicing anonymous acts of goodwill and kindness.

6. Start and end the day on a positive note.

Your mother always told you to, and the advice is still great: Count your blessings. When you wake up, start your day with a thankful thought. Ditto at bedtime. If you feel down during the day, actually make a list of the good things in your life. Meditate, sing, practice yoga, light a candle -- find small positive rituals that center you with good thoughts and positive energy as you begin and close the day.

7. Don't allow anger and rage to rule your life.

Misdirected anger isn't healthy. Consciously replace churning emotions with serene thoughts. Think of a particularly tranquil time at the ocean, or imagine yourself in a favorite soothing place. Find healthy ways to let off steam: exercise, make music, garden, paint, write out your thoughts in a journal. If you continue to feel overwhelmed or undermined, you can turn to prayer or professional assistance for help in handling upsetting feelings.

8. Before you get out of bed in the morning, think of something that makes you smile.

Before you even brush your teeth, get your mental and visual focus on something that will warm your heart. Try putting a favorite picture -- hospital photos of your newborns, the brand-new kitten, a perfect moment on a family vacation -- on your bedside table. Look at it first thing in the morning. Starting off your day in a positive frame of mind will set your spiritual metabolism for the rest of the day. Smiles not only exercise muscles that fight frown lines, they actually boost your immune system.

9. Be forgiving.

Forgiveness is an act of the will, an action you can take even when your heart and feelings seem to be lagging behind in bitterness. It might be impossible to forgive actual perpetrators, but you can hope and pray for transformation in them. In your own life, give up grudges and let go of old toxic memories. Reconcile with estranged friends and family members if you can, and commit yourself to giving others the measure of forgiveness you would like extended to you. Don't sweat small grievances.

10. Nurture your family spirit.

We live in a different world now, a world that needs love more than ever. Show your commitment to those you love in word and deed. "I love you" means a lot, and so do the actions that make the words more than greeting-card sentiment. So say it, show it, and hug a lot. Strengthening family ties cultivates stability in your home. See and call out-of-town family and nearby relatives more often. That family feeling can grow well beyond your natural kin.

A generous king once ruled in the land of Andhra. Every day two beggars used to come to him for alms and he always gave them food and money.
On receiving the alms one of them, the older one, used to say: "God provides." The other beggar, the younger of the two, would say: "Our king provides."
One day the king gave them more money than usual, whereupon the older man cried out lustily: "God provides." This annoyed the king who thought: "It is I who am feeding him and he keeps saying: 'God provides, God provides'. It is time he learnt who his real benefactor is."
The next day after he had given them alms he asked the beggars to go by a little-used road instead of their usual one.
"I have provided for one of you," he said. "God will provide for the other."
He made sure that the one who always praised him went first. He had ordered that a purse of gold be kept on the road in the beggar's path so that he would find it.

But as the beggar walked down the road he wondered why the king had sent him that way.
"Perhaps he wants me to enjoy the privacy of this road," he thought. "It is indeed a beautiful road and so broad. One can walk with eyes closed." And he closed his eyes. As a result he missed seeing the purse. It was spotted and picked up by the other beggar who was coming behind him.
The next day the king asked the beggars whether they had found anything on the road he had sent them by and he looked meaningfully at the younger man. But the beggar shook his head.."
"It was a beautiful road," he said. "But I did not find anything on it."
"But I did," said the other man. "I found a purse of gold. God provides

Now the king became even more determined to show the older beggar that he was their true benefactor. So while the beggars were going away he called the younger one back and gave him a pumpkin.
The pumpkin had been hollowed out and filled with silver coins. But the beggar did not know that. On the way he sold it to a baniya for a few coins.
The next day the king asked the beggars if anything eventful had happened the previous day, looking meaningfully at the younger beggar.
"Nothing," said the beggar. "Except that I earned a few more coins than usual by selling the pumpkin you had so generously given me."
The king tried hard not to show his dismay.
"And you?" he said to the other beggar. "Did you too earn more than usual?"
"I certainly did," said the beggar. "As I was passing by a baniya's shop he called me and gave me a pumpkin. When I went home and cut it I found that it was full of silver. As I always say, God provides."

— A folktale from Andhra Pradesh

Sweet fruit chunks with a tart red wine vinaigrette make a terrific flavor combination on mixed greens.

Ingredients

* 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
* 1 tablespoon orange juice
* 1 tablespoon olive, canola, or canola-soybean blend
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
* 6 cups mixed greens (such as baby spinach, pea fronds, Bibb lettuce, and/or escarole)
* 1 10.5-ounce can mandarin orange sections (juice pack), drained
* 1/2 cup fresh raspberries
* 1/4 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted

Directions

In a screw-top jar combine the vinegar, orange juice, oil, sugar, and mustard. Cover and shake well.

Place greens in a large salad bowl. Pour dressing over salad. Toss gently to coat. Arrange orange sections and raspberries over greens. Sprinkle with almonds. Makes six 1-cup servings.

Bring together the fresh taste of melons and the ease of cooking pasta shells for this surprising, light twist on dinner. All the ingredients are available at your local grocery store

Ingredients

* 1/2 of a medium cantaloupe, halved and seeded
* 4 dried jumbo macaroni shells
* 3 ounces chopped cooked chicken breast
* 1/4 cup diced honeydew melon
* 2 tablespoons plain fat-free yogurt
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice
* 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives
* 1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
* Fresh thyme sprigs (optional)

Directions

Cut the cantaloupe half into thirds; cover and chill two of the wedges. Peel and dice remaining wedge; set aside.

Cook macaroni shells according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain again; set aside.

In a small bowl, combine diced cantaloupe, chicken, honeydew, yogurt, lemon juice, chives, and mustard. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the mixture into each pasta shell. Arrange two filled shells and a chilled cantaloupe wedge on each of two serving dishes. If desired, garnish with thyme sprigs.

A golden oldie ...

A husband and wife were having dinner at a very fine restaurant when this absolutely stunning young woman comes over to their table, gives the husband a big kiss, then says she’ll see him later and walks away.

The wife glares at her husband and says, “Who the hell was that?”

“Oh,” replies the husband, “she’s my mistress.”

“Well, that’s the last straw,” says the wife. “I’ve had enough, I want a divorce!”

“I can understand that,” replies her husband, “but remember, if we get a divorce it will mean no more shopping trips to Paris, no more wintering in Barbados, no more summers in Tuscany, no more Infiniti or Lexus in the garage, and no more yacht club. But, My Dearest, the decision is yours.”

Just then, a mutual friend enters the restaurant with a gorgeous babe on his arm. “Who’s that woman with Jim?” asks the wife.

“That’s his mistress,” says her husband.

"Ours is prettier," she replies.

Gopal Bhand was once taken to court by a man who claimed that he owned the land on which Gopal's house stood.
Gopal had the documents to prove that he owned the land but he knew that the judge who was to try the case was corrupt and could be bought. Gopal decided to take a gift for the judge.
At the hearing, the complainant stated his case and then taking out a fat wallet from one pocket transferred it to another in a slow and deliberate manner. The judge understood. He looked at Gopal as if to ask him if he could match the offer.
In answer, Gopal patted his own pocket. The judge was pleased to see that it was bulging. He could make out the outlines of two large objects in it and he felt sure they were gold ornaments.
He gave a verdict in Gopal's favour and called him to his chambers. Gopal went round to the judge's chambers and began to thank him for deciding the case in his favour. But the judge cut him short with an impatient gesture of his hand.
"The gift," he snapped. "Give me whatever you have brought for me!"
Gopal took out two large stones from his pocket and gave them to him.