Laughter is the Best Medicine

There is no simple way of saying it, so I will just come out and say it! Life is stressful, hectic and unbelievably busy, busy, busy! As I glance around while out and about, all I see is a foggy, haze of people in a constant state of motion, running here, going there, doing this, and taking care of that. Personal schedules are oftentimes fraught with mundane, ordinary and robotic-like activities that are continually propelling us into action. Lately, I find myself, more times than I care to admit, quizzically standing in a room unable to recall what external force had swiftly carried me there. It's at these very times when I usually find myself questioning my mental acumen and realize that my plate is plenty full. As I ponder this notion, I reflect on the good ol' days when life was simple and uncomplicated. Part of this simplicity was being afforded nightly opportunities for effortlessly kicking back on a soft, cozy couch and spending a relaxing evening watching a favorite television program with not a care in the world. Nowadays, comedies have become my program of choice as a way to assuage life's stresses. Much thanks to my husband, Jesse, and son, Noah, I have truly grown to love the feeling of a hearty, side-splitting, guffaw. There is nothing better than experiencing the sheer pleasure one derives from feeling the day's stress ebb quickly away while watching any one of today's great comedy classics such as Everybody Loves Raymond, King of Queens, Will and Grace or Curb Your Enthusiasm. So long as life continues on the merry-go-round as it shall, I intend on getting my much-needed daily dose of comedy - for laughter is truly the best medicine!

Vocabulary
1. hectic (adjective) very busy, hurried
2. glance (verb) to look at someone or something for a short time and then quickly look away
3. haze (noun) air that is hard to see through
4. fraught (adjective) to be filled with alot of something (ie. problems, pain, danger)
5. mundane (adj.) not interesting or exciting, ordinary
6. propelling (verb) to move, drive or push something forward
7. acumen (noun) being able to think quickly and make good judgments
8. cozy (adj.) small, comfortable, and warm
9. assuage (verb) to make a bad feeling less intense
10. guffaw (verb) to laugh loudly

Activity

Now that you have learned the meaning of many new words complete the following Matching Exercise.

mundane                  laugh loudly

hectic                       drive or push something forward
 
guffaw                     not interesting or exciting, ordinary

acumen                    air that is hard to see through

glance                      very busy, hurried

assuage                    small, comfortable and warm

fraught                     make a bad feeling less intense

cozy                         look at something for a short time, then quickly look away

haze                         able to think quickly and make good judgments

propelling                  filled with a lot of something (problems, pain, danger)

Grammar Point: Adjectives are words that describe things about a noun, noun phrase or noun clause. When used effectively they can bring "life" to the noun it describes by enhancing its description. Can you identify at least 5 adjectives in the paragraph? What kinds of things do you like to do to relieve stress? Write a short paragraph about them and be sure to include lots of great "describing" words.

Music is a fun way to teach grammar! Check out the following link to learn more about adjectives.

Schoolhouse Rock - Adjectives