WebMD might be the death of me; Go Sniff a Lemon!

I love WebMD...and I hate it.

 

I love being able to look up diseases and medicines and symptoms...

and then of course, I think I have every condition I find, of course.

A little bit of knowledge can be a dangerous thing.

However, I recently started following them on Twitter.  

@WebMD  

And their tweets are interesting.

Did you know that taking 10,000 steps a day may lower your risk of getting Diabetes? 

They have email newsletters you can sign up to receive in your inbox daily.

And I signed up.

Because knowledge is power, right?

And I want to be healthy.

And aware of hot topics and health issues.

And now, my inbox is swamped.

It's sagging under the weight of newletters.

The problem?  I don't want to delete them, because they all look interesting, 

and surely some time soon I'll have the time to read them all.  

Ineed to know the "Fourteen common causes of fatigue."

What do my "fingernails say about my overall health!?"

(A touch of white here, a rosy tinge there, 

or some rippling or bumps may be a sign of disease in the body. 

Problems in the liver, lungs, and heart can show up in your nails.) 

I discovered the #1 brain boosting activity for preschoolers 

is one-on-one time with their parents!  

Oh, course, it's too late for my kids because they're 9 & 13 now, 

but maybe it's not too late for your kids.

Do you know how to "spice up your workout?"

I figure it would be handy to know "common lies about depression" 

and how to prep my pooch for winter weather (puppy coats and reflective collars?).

OH, this one grabbed my attention immediately: 10 Quick ways to improve your day.

1. Make your bed

2. Pack a healthy snack (Fruit, cheese, peanuts)

3. Clear off your desk

4. Pump up the music

5. Sniff a lemon  (they're serious!)

They also send recipes.

I'm becoming addicted to WebMD.

What's their advice about that?!

Anna the Mannequin goes on a Quest

So, this story began with yesterday's post,
where we met Anna & saw her fall in love with Prince Sergei.

But, alas, their love did not seem meant to be,
because Sergei was only allowed out during the Christmas season.

Anna was determined to wait for him,
because he was her first love,
and he loved her for who she was.

But as she contemplated facing the entire year without him,
she realized it was too much.
She couldn't wait that long to be with Sergei.

So she sought out the circle of wise women to help her.

Anna wanted to turn into a nutcracker princess, so she could remain with her prince.

The wise women conferred around their fire and came to a conclusion.

Anna needed to seek out the Supreme Rojo.
But, first, she had to deliver an Orb of Truth to the Icicle Pond of Clarity

And poof, a golden orb appeared in their fire.

The wise women also told Anna that she would have a Happiness Companion to guide her way.

She tucked the orb into her pocket and set off, following a map,
and soon met her Happiness guide,
a yellow lab named Bliss.

Bliss and Anna continued on their way until they ran into the Talkative Tortoise.
He wanted their golden Truth Orb, so he tried to talk them out of it.

He said, "In order to pass by me, you must answer this:

I was once a mannequin like you, but I fell in love with a tortoise, so I petitioned the Supreme Rojo to change my shape. He did, but soon after my love left me & know I'm stuck in this form.
Should I petition to be changed back?
Or should I remain the way I am?"

Anna thought about this for a while, then said, "You know what, Mr. Tortoise, it doesn't matter what form you have, its what inside that matters most. When you find someone who loves you no matter what, then that's what is most important, just like my Sergei."

The tortoise started crying and said, "I hope I find someone like your Sergei. Good luck, Anna, on your quest."

Not long after this, Anna started to hear beautiful music coming from the path ahead.

The music of angels. She couldn't help it. She had to dance. She was filled with joy and happiness.

The angels asked her to stay with them, to become one of them. To dance and make music forever.

Anna almost said yes, but she saw Bliss, her guide dog waiting paitently for her, and she remembered why she was on this quest.

"Thank you, beautiful angels, but I must decline. I'm off to find out how to stay with my Sergei forever."

The angels disappeared in a cloud of sparkles.

And in their spot was the Icicle Pond of Clarity.

She delicately placed her Golden Orb of Truth into the pond.

And wondered why she had to deliver the orb in the first place and what was the point of all of this?

And then she heard a mighty roar, and a huge dragon appeared.

Anna screamed and started to run away, but she saw Bliss wasn't moving, so she stopped.

The dragon said, "Who are you and what do you want?"

Anna replied, "I'm Anna Mannequin, and I'm searching for the Supreme Rojo so I can ask him to turn me in to a nutcracker princess so I can remain with my one true love Sergei forever."

The dragon snorted.

and turned into...

The Surpreme Rojo.

He smiled at Anna and thanked her for returning the golden orb to the Icicle Pond.

And she in turn implored him to change her into a nutcracker princess.

And his reply was...to be continued tomorrow.

Should he turn her into a Nutcracker Princess so she can remain with Prince Sergei forever?

Or should he deny her this chance at true love?

Or should he send her on a further quest to test her and make sure this is what she really wants?