3.Throw a party. While Brian did meet lots of women at cooking class, he didn’t fall in love with any of them. So he threw a party where he could show off his new skills. He wasn’t picky about who he invited and told everybody to bring a friend or two. The result? A woman he’d never met showed up. They fell in love and have been married now for two years. But even if Brian hadn’t met his future wife that night, hosting that party netted him plenty of invitations to others, providing opportunities to meet many more people. A caveat: When you plan your party, don’t exclude married friends from guest list. You don’t want your big night to feel like a singles’ mixer. Instead, invite couples and encourage them to bring a friend.

Remember, trick to meeting new men is to break up your routine. Step one: Put down remote. I assure you that world is full of great single men like Brian who want to meet someone special, and for one of those men, that person is you. Seek and create new social situations. Act naturally. Smile. Whatever you do, don’t keep twisting your neck like you’re casing place for a live one. Maintain eye contact with whomever you’re talking to, whether it’s a man or a woman. Having fun is key. When you’re having fun, you’ll attract men like a magnet.

In fact, far from having their head in clouds, folks spent a good deal of time with their feet firmly planted on ground. For example, home gardens were practical if not pretty places designed to provide nourishment for families while medicine chests were filled with home-remedies although perhaps a tad bare by today’s standards.

And if “humors” got you down, there were always a few tried-and-true remedies you could count on to get you back on your feet (besides bleeding or purging).

-- Cayenne pepper sprinkled on one’s socks could cure “cold feet”.

-- Thorough-wort, red raspberries and sage were said to do wonders to relieve symptoms of flu or a cold.

-- Caraway and fennel seeds in food were used to cure a bilious body of “windy colic”.

-- Pillows stuffed with hop seeds provided an alternative to counting sheep and, more often than not, afforded owners gift of pleasant dreams.

-- Catnip apparently kept wee ones calm and quiet if not cats as well; (and in my day, kids and cats were to be seen and definitely not heard).

Instead of looking to “Father Knows Best”, “Wizard of Oz” or “Superman” to save day, those who came before us lived simpler lives and no doubt understood notion that perhaps “nature knows best”.

So, when your world starts to look like a hodgepodge, and you can’t find silver lining behind your cloud…why not take a break from 500-channel universe and chatterbox of life. Count to ten, take a deep breath...and enjoy a walk in nature – it’s one thing in life that isn’t created by spin doctors, has no brand-name, and doesn’t go blah, blah blah!

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For more information about musings on life, Universe and everything in between...drop by and take a wee peek at "The Quipping Queen" -- www.quippingqueen.blogspot.com.