is there a Global Warming crisis....

or not?

I live in Florida. A hot spot for Global Warming fanatics who believe in Global Warming. I can't figure it out.

I tried reading somethings about it. And mostly, what I can gather is there is Global Warming. But what I can't get a clear focus on is ....the threat to my homestead.

ReasononLine Blog and This blog provided a piece that I think provides some kind of hope in that we are not in terrific danger. Quoting from a quote in the blog piece --

"If temperatures continue to increase by 0.08 degrees Celsius per decade, the planet will warm by 0.8 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. That compares to an increase of 0.6 degrees Celsius during the 20th century. Not much of a crisis. Richard Lindzen says he's willing to take bets that global average temperatures in 20 years will in fact be lower than they are now."

These blogs I'll probably check out, too. See, I am keying in on that phrase up there "Not much of a crisis". What it is, is, I don't feel a crisis in my gut. I've never had a wrong experience with my gut. Of course, I don't have an 800 # or anything, I kind of keep my gut feeling details to those around my inner circle.

When we went to war with Iraq, I felt a crisis in my gut. My whole being said, "oh expletives of different kinds we are in trouble now why is he doing this he should not do this this will not be good" ...and with Global Warming, I haven't gotten that tug of fear. (Maybe I've lost my abilities to get the gut going?).

I mean, not to think that the state of my insides are the closing statement on important issues ...oh haha, never met to infer that, but it's always worked for me as a leveler in the past.

anyway, my sister in law is a Global Warming fanatic chripping in my ear like a minor bird on a sugar high, and I listen patiently, and suppose I must find some facts of my own. So I'll be researching and if anyone wants to add some thought, that will be great.

I'm thinking an odd thing like - why are people, who are believing Global Warming is going to be the reason Florida will be washed away in less than 10 years, bother to buy plants for their front yard? Why would they spend water watering their yards? Just little things like this pop in my head.

But, that's enough for this evening. I'll look at some more stuff and report back what I (think) I see something that makes a little bit of sense to me. If I am supposed to be worrying. I truly want to know and understand the reason as a truth.

A Sunny Day

What we see depends mainly on what we look for.
- Sir John Lubbock 

What a lovely long day.

I still haven't recovered from the time change and probably won't until June. I'm dragging every morning to get out of bed at 8:30, which is really my normal time of 7:30 ~ (grrrr) ~

My computer is still on the blitz. Right now, I am on Madam B's computer and she is poking me in the back of the head with her parasol or some kind of long strange umbrella thing she bought. It's really cute actually, and she is bouncing her slinky off my back. She is being totally silly.

Sean is frustrated with the computer situation because it worked when he hooked it up at his house, so - what could it beeeeee!! (grrrr)

Jake and I went to the park, as per usual, and no one was there, and I thought, 'oh, pooh, we're going to have a lonely long day.' But then in a little while, after we walked the whole park area, we saw Sage, who is the dog of one of the artists we met who paint together in a garage across the street.

Sage had his lease dragging on the ground, so Jacob and I (oh and haha on this scene) managed to corral Sage and get the leash. If someone had a video, they could have made some money because an old lady, a dog, and a three year old running around in circles is kind of funny.

Anyway, we took Sage back over to the house and the artists - 6 of them who paint together - were working away and Sage's owner didn't know he was gone. Sage is like a big lab who is still a puppy dog and will probably be gigantic when he is finally grown.

We visited for awhile and watched them paint. (Well, I tried, too. Jacob walked around and around and I had to keep track of him. And there is a lovely nature conservatory in the front of the garage with a butterfly garden and stepping stones to follow and you know three year olds, they have to know where stepping stones go)
Anyway,
They all have different styles. It's amazing to watch them just put their brushes to the canvas and make things like flowers and people and oceans and trees and sunsets -- and even gnomes. Which is what Jacob went home with.

Suzanne, the artist who owns the garage studio, said to Sage's owner (who's name I cannot remember, and shame on me), she said that he should paint Jacob a picture because he takes such good care of Sage and brought him back. And he did. He painted a gnome and signed it, and matted it and gave it to us before we left. I'll probably make them some cookies or something next Wednesday. They paint together every Wednesday.

Then we went back over to the park and a friend of mine, that I met at the park, came with her 4 year old son, Daniel. And we had just a great visit, and walked around and enjoyed the most beautiful day. We didn't leave until almost three o'clock!!

I didn't cook dinner today. We had left overs and I made a big salad. Then I decided I needed to go to the beach. So I called my sister in law and we did that. It was just so good to breathe all that air and I felt the need to be overwhelmed by something bigger than myself. And the ocean does that for me.

It was windy tonight. The waves were rough. But I love the colors of the ocean this time of year.

Madam B has stopped poking me and is now trying to put together a new digital camera I have. And she keeps asking me to turn around and she is taking photos to test the flash. I am blind now.

I'm going to bed early tonight in hopes of combating this time change thing. Maybe that's the way to do it. I really don't know.

I just got flashed again.

If you're going through hell, keep going.
~~Winston Churchill

Computer problems

Yep. What a bummer. Don't know what is going on, 'cause I just don't have that computer gene. My son Sean has taken my hard drive and is trying to save me and my stuff. Tell you what, it's a nightmare not being able to take care of your own stuff.

It's actually been a rough two weeks, not feeling well. Not getting much done, and now that I'm finally feeling better -- Mr. B is not better and Madam Blueberry is sick!

And this month is presenting a list of things to do - My sister is having surgery on her knee and is coming here to recover. Then there is Easter and my husband's relatives are coming to town (they bought a huge house here, have furniture but haven't totally moved in), and I guess they are being talked to about hosting the whole Easter dinner there. They wouldn't provide the food (we would). Just the place. Ummm, I don't know how I would feel about having 20 people in for dinner when I didn't quite live in my house. Oh well. They are certainly better folks than I.

I think I'm going to go ahead and get a laptop. That will free up some space in one of the rooms. And we need space.

I have fallen behind on my organizing my tiny house. That's bugging me. But how can I let it bug me when it's something I just can't get to? So therefore, I have to just accept. And just carry on.

Some people swallow the universe like a pill; they travel on through the world, like smiling images pushed from behind.
~~Robert Louis Stevenson

Splog ahead for the sake of time

The hour - messing with my mind and body. I will be jet lagged. I should be sleeping now! Right now! Now! And I'm not.

I set my clock back last night. That didn't help. That only meant that I got up 'late' as 9:45 IS late to me even when it was really 8:45.

So, I ended up giving my car a cat's lick of a washing, as Mr. B was going to do it, but he is still sick, and which I didn't want to do because I have scheduled a mobile cleaning place to do it Tuesday, but I had to do it today because there were 6 of us going to a concert tonight,

but it wasn't until the last minute that two cancelled and Mr. B had already cancelled (real bummer because he is the one I got the tickets for!!) - so my niece Shannon got one ticket and she was beyond the zone of thrilled - that was fun to witness- but we didn't take my car.

Therefore, if you've followed any of this trip down whinery lane, I didn't have to wash after all and vacuum my car. Today. But I did anyway. It gave me a headache and my chest hurts. I'll take two ibruprofen and probably survive. However, now the debate. Do I cancel the guys for Tuesday? Mr. B says no.

The concert was great - Lindsey Buckingham. I'll write about that later.

yesterday, I spent the entire day - and I worked all day - doing laundry. Washing, folding and putting away. I was exhuasted by days end. I did take a nap and that was wonderful. But clothes can get boring. I did go to the store for food for dinner. Oh. how so exciting.

We watched Man of the Year last night. Did I mention that? No? Well, it's nothing to run out to the video store for, but it certainly won't harm anyone to watch it.

Why Me Lord?
~~Kris Kristofferson

why me lord?
what have i ever done,
to deserve even one,
of the pleasure i've known,
tell me Lord,
what did i ever do,
that was worth lovin' you,
for the kindness you've shown,

Lord help me Jesus,
i've wasted it so help me Jesus,
i know what i am,
but now that i know,
that i needed you so help me Jesus,
my soul's in your hand,


try me Lord,
if you think there's a way,
i can try to repay,
all i've takin' from you,
maybe Lord,
i can show someone else,
what i've been through myself,
on my way back to you,


Jesus, my soul's in your hands

Getting Over it

The 'bug' I mean, the one that is going around, or the allergy,or the 'whatever it is' that has everyone sick one way or another - hacking, coughing, under the weather - I am ready to abandon ship! I think I have coughed unattractively for long enough.

I have done everything right except get enough rest. There is no rest for the cougher/hacker/choker woman who also has to keep up the rest of her deal in the bargain of life. If you get that, you are a mom, wife, friend, neighbor, sister, aunt, and might have a job.

Life will not stop for me, probably even when I'm dead.

It is all including of a wave of dirty laundry and unpaid, unopened bills, and an empty refrigerator that people stare into. They, most probably, are looking for the wisdom to impart into their brain that there must be some way in which they too, can participate in filling it -- only without going out of the house and to an actual grocery store. (Unlike MY car, which goes there automatically if I change the radio station or happen to be distracted for just a second while driving.)

The others in the home are not interested in the envelopes that lay in a pile freshly gathered from the daily trips to the mail box, or the mounds of laundry that refuses to color code itself with an honor guard salute --

No. They are interested in The Food.

But. No matter how hard I try to avoid it, things will shuffle around to a version of normal again, and again, the laundry will dance into it's proper places, and the bills will circulate around the world to it's proper topographic point, and food will once again fill the 'fridge.

Meantime, I think I'll take a short nap.

“When a thing is new, people say: ‘It is not true.’ Later, when its truth
becomes obvious, they say: ‘It is not important.’ Finally, when its
importance cannot be denied, they say: ‘Anyway, it is not new.’”
—William James

Kris Kristofferson - After all these years!

Last month I saw Kris Kristofferson in concert. I cannot believe the man is 70 years old!! He was great! And he sang for an hour and 50 minutes.

I attended the concert with my brother, who is nine years younger than I, and I'm not as old as Kris, and my dad, who is almost a generation older than Kris - and we all thought this concert was great!

The audience was loaded though with every fan in the city that could get a ticket, as Kris' concert sold out in one hour. It was the only Sold Out concert at the Lyric Theater in the 8 months I've lived in this town.

Kris came out with just a guitar. Just walked out on stage and said hello and started playing. His set list was great. He sang all the best ones that you could remember, and all the new ones, I totally enjoyed.

If one is to believe he is a songwriter who tells about himself than you know these things:

He realizes he is a lucky man.
He believes in God.
He loves his family and friends.
He appreciates everyone who ever gave him a break or covered one of his songs.
He owns up to his past mistakes.
He is saddened when he looks around and sees the state of the world.
He is not happy with this administration.
He is grateful for his fans.
He is still not sure why women might find him attractive. (And he still is!)

Although, he didn't talk a lot, you could feel his conversation with you in the songs he sang. His voice is raggedy, but it fits him so well. That's part of the draw. Probably a love him/or leave him kind of fella!

Kris got a standing ovation and was giving a signal to the audience that he would sing one more song by holding up one finger and smiling. He sang that song. Then the applause and he signaled, okay two more. He sang those songs. Then more applause, with people standing, and he signaled again, one more.

The hairs on my head were standing on end for a lot of the songs – but especially In The News. If you click on the song title, you can hear the song. There is a video to watch, and honestly, I think, regardless of your voter’s registration card, you will feel something deep in your soul when you listen and watch it.

To me, that song is saying, we are throwing away innocence in the name of God, and how sad that is. I’m not asking anyone to agree with me or disagree with me, or change your mind about things that you think – I just feel that the world is in a very sad state of affairs. It makes my heart heavy.

I’m so glad I had the opportunity to attend the concert. My brother had bought tickets for my mom and dad and himself, but when I moved here and found out about the concert, it was too late to get tickets, so my mom gave me hers. It's funny to see Kris up there after all these years of being a fan. I'd never seen him before.

At this point, Kris may not be someone's cup of tea because he's never been a singer, nor I think did he claim to be. So listening to him sing might not bring one solace or pleasure, for that you might have to be a fan. And for the life of me, I just can't figure out why I am!! But I am. And have been since I bought his first album Me and Bobby McGee back in the early seventies, and the song Why Me Lord? has always been one of my favorites. Matter of fact, that song kind of sums up some of what, I think, he was trying to say.

Maybe his age has caused him to touch more openly on his spiritual side? Maybe he's always been that way and that was the attraction for me.

In the end, to each his own. But I am glad that I attended the concert!

The New Blogger sent me here

For weeks I have been ignoring the New Blogger notice. I've not the time as of late to participate in one more thing -- but yikes and bewilderment, Old Blogger was saying good-by and New Blogger was saying, no more warnings, this is it - figure it out you ole duckie. So I did (I think - haha)

Anyway, much has been happening - I'm tired right now. I've had that hacking, very unattractive cough from unknown sources called allergies. I don't know. Just been coughing and loosing my voice and making all kinds of weird noises.

I need to catch up with myself - so I'll best make a quick list and then expand later ...

My sister came to visit.
Saw my niece in prison.
I got laryngitis.
I developed a bad, annoying, hacking cough.
Rented the movies Wah-Wah and Sherrybaby (Don't recommend them to children).
Jacob went through some discomfort going to library classes this and last week - I figured out he uses his 'park behavior' during library story time and it's not a hit with some of the moms.
Went to the park almost every day - I enjoy it actually.

Sean was in a car accident, and I was so proud of him for how he handled the whole situation. He wasn't hurt and it wasn't his fault. I went down to the scene anyway, just to make sure his car would start, and it did and he went on to work, after being in the road (one of the main ones) for 2 1/2 hours! Three cars were involved and the real culprit got away!

Here's what happened:
This is an intersection at which the left turn lane has it's own light and it is delayed as the southbound traffic has a green light first. So Sean is proceeding with the green light --
suddenly, someone in his lane realizes they can't turn left -- SO
they hit their brakes because (like an idiot) they don't want to keep going south and miss their left turn!
(When all they need to do is go up a short distance and make a U-turn) -- SO
the cars following this (idiot) car begin to brake, and the car behind Sean, a young girl, doesn't get what's going on because she's all focused on the fact that the traffic next to her is moving, and the light is green, so therefore, she doesn't think about STOPPING,
and she doesn't.
She plowed right into Sean, who barely bumped the guy in front of him, but Sean's car has about $4,000 worth of damage.
(Of course, these days, even a bumper costs $500.00) -- SO
she tries to blame the whole accident on Sean saying he had just STOPPED because he had hit the car in front of him (which when you look at the damage, you can see that's not so) --
Sean wasn't ticketed. She was. The other guy had just a scratch, but he had to stay there for the 2 1/2 hours anyway...I felt sorry for her at first, but I didn't after I realized she wasn't going to own up when she saw the evidence of what happened, and almost lost my cool when she started screaming about Sean not getting a ticket.

But the officer on duty explained to her that Sean getting a ticket or not, had nothing to do with her situation. She was getting a ticket regardless.

Anyway, Sean handled all the rest of the stuff, insurance calls, rent a car, getting his car dropped off -- and I very proud of my son. He didn't lose his cool for not even one minute.

The rest of the days ~ just a blurr.

Mindwalk

I saw parts of this movie yesterday and I loved it.

A poet, a politian, and a scientist meet up and walk together and talk. They talk about things they know, things they think they know, things others have said they know, things they are still wanting to know, and really not knowing all the answers but believing some stuff at the end of the day.

There is hardly anyone in the film. Maybe 6 people that I saw. It's all just talking and thinking, and walking.

If you liked the movie What the Beep Do We Know ~ then you will most likely enjoy Mindwalk.

And I like the word Mindwalk ...I've never thought about it that way, but I walk through my mind everyday!!

Living in a small town

The town I live in is very small. The big towns, if you can call them that, are 20 minutes in either direction - north or south. The ocean can drown us should she decide so.

This town was created with the idea of encouraging walking. You can walk to purchase anything you need, go to churches, doctors, dentists, parks, sports activities, fire department, police department, water and utilities, library, movie rentals, banks, one fast food, plenty of other restaurants and eateries, dry cleaning, hair salons, businesses, plenty of shopping ... you can see, they meant it. It was built to encourage walking.

Recently, there has been a lot of conversation about a Starbucks Cafe and Drive Thru buying out one of the banks on the main intersection corner. A lot of people don't want it. They say a Coffee Drive Thru will encourage ... driving thru and not walking.

I'm not sure what they thought the Wendy's drive thru or the Banks drive thru-s encouraged...but they don't like the idea of the Starbucks.

I do suppose that many people would be going there for a Latte on their way to work and that particular intersection will slow down. It's bad enough now with people pulling out of the gas station there across from that particular bank, who want to make a left turn across two lanes of traffic (I get so annoyed with people who do that), and cause a real slow up when they get into the first lane because they have tricked the oncoming traffic as to what their true intentions are of where they are headed...

anyway,

We'll see what happens.

You cannot step twice into the same river, for other waters are continually flowing in.
Heraclitus ca. 500 BCE

(I really don't know if that has anything to do with walking and a possible increase of traffice problems, but I thought it was a neat quote.)

Once again and around ~ It's Friday

1. Thank God it's Friday. I love Friday's! I celebrate them. They are wonderful. (However, I know this is Saturday – blogger would not accept my post last night!)
   
   2. I am tired of people's negative thinking. Why? Do they want to stimulate conversation? It's boring. Go away from me with it. Negative voice, negative thinking ~ be gone!
   
   3. I can't believe this idea I had with my closet! I wish I had Nate Berkus the decorator from the Oprah show right now, along with her checkbook, to bail me out of this. This is not a pretty picture here. Messy, messy, messy. I did begin to organize (but you can only know that from a distance) and have begun to put all my photographs on one side of the closet. (I need a closet as big as New York, really.)
   
   4. I have a concert schedule. It doesn't include Jackson Browne, sadly, but I'll be seeing Kris Kristofferson next week on the 28th, then Lindsey Buckingham on the 11th of March, then Leo Kottke on the 30th. Not bad entertainment any of them.
   
   5. I tried to get to the beach the other day, Thursday it was, and couldn't get there!! I think it was just so beautiful and we had come out of some very cold weather, that everyone had the same idea! I could have walked from my house, but I had Jacob with me and didn't feel up to that. At some point he would have said, 'carry me' and I would have said, 'no' ... I suppose I could have pushed the stroller. Oh well, maybe another day I'll do that.
   
   6. There was a lady at the park yesterday with her 4-year-old son. She has 5 children total, but only the youngest with her. She knew everything there was about child rearing (she seemed to think. She interrupted every activity with the explanation of what to do and how to do it and what not to worry about. Like no one knew but her.) Ever met that person? Funny thing was this -- she said she would have liked to have had the opportunity to have hired someone to be with her children for a several hours everyday.
   
   I asked her, if she could have done that, what would she have paid them. And she spoke very boldly in her answer saying she would definitely have paid them at least $7.00 an hour.
   
   $7.00 an hour? That's almost laughable. Someone is 'in charge' of your CHILDREN, (and five at that) and you would pay them at least $7.00 an hour? (Well. Good luck with that honey. You need Nanny MacPhee, my guess is).
   
   Why does someone think, that a person who is paid to be with your children - to replace the parent for any given length of time - is worth only at least $7.00 an hour? They are not laundry, you know. People get twelve to fifteen dollars an hour to clean a house!
   
   I do understand that some people don't have a choice about working (or think they don’t) and have to leave their children in some kind of 'care' somewhere, be it a school or a home or someone coming in the house, but I really think the value of that service, of that time someone is putting into your child (or not actually) is worth something so much more than people seem to acknowledge. Are people really that stupid?
   
   I take care of my nephew and his parents do pay me. Do I get paid what I'm worth? No. They could not afford me if they tried to measure it in dollars. The worth of me, and my time spent with their child, cannot be measured in dollars and cents because the total will keep coming up - forever and ever. And if you don't get that -- you just don't get it.

Whatever one puts into a child, one puts into the world. And that is on and on ad infinitium.

Out in the great wide open

...that's a line from a Tom Petty song that I borrowed for today's theme. Which stems from judgment...

This Judgment I am thinking of is the judgment regarding the power that one feels another's thoughts, ideas, or actions have on your thoughts, ideas, or actions. And Really - they don't have Any, other than the power one gives them.

Today's Judgment is of how my place - my home - looks. I have a closest that is not serving me well because I have, since I moved here, just basically shoved stuff in there.

Why? Because someone was always coming to visit, and so therefore, no one could see all my stuff.

Why? Because they might judge me or pass remarks on my stuff or amount of stuff or boast on their success of having attained distachment from or dealt successfully with their stuff...

It's silly, I know. That thought is all in my head. Regardless of what the person might say or think, right?

So today - Out in the Great Wide Open - is the contents of my closest. And I shall begin, today, to put it away as I would like it put away, arrange it as I would like it arranged, and judgment be damned. In other words, I shall no longer be silly about this.

For This Day

To You who are out there sharing this day with me,

Think positive today.
Start the day with being grateful in all the things you can.
Do something today to make someone feel great. And give them the gift of being able to pay forward a good action into the universe.

I don't think I mentioned the day I ran out of gas and some gentlemen helped me out - well, I'll tell the story later - but today I'm going over to their shop and giving them some money even though they asked me for nothing in return. And that day, I didn't have a dollar in my pocket.

Be well this day.
Treat this day well.

It is a gift to you.

Love always,Miss Roxie

Check this out

Arinocdcg to rencet rseaerch, the hmuan brian is plrectfey albe to raed colmpex pasasges of txet caiinontng wdors in whcih the lrettes hvae been jmblued, pvioedrd the frsit and lsat leetrts rmeian in teihr crcerot piiotsons.

The fcat taht you are ridenag tihs now wtih reaitvle esae is poorf of the thoery.

Wehre did all of tihs strat?

It smees taht the trehoy orgteiinad form a 1976 ppaer at the Uvnitsriey of Nigaonthtm wtiertn by Graahm Rwsnailon of Asrhodelt, wichh gvae rsie to an acirlte wihch aaeprrped in the 'Narute' pbuolitaicn in 1999.

A fhrtuer alircte in the Tiems neppeawsr in Speemebtr 2003 pivroedd mroe eanxopiatln auobt the peohoemnnn.

In the Tmeis aitlcre, Dr Reoaesln MhActcry, a neruo-phylcoogsy lruecter form Knig’s Ceglloe, Cgmdbriae, ssegegtud taht hmuan bnegis are albe to usnatdnerd jeublmd up wdors buaecse the hmaun bairn parimliry raeds the mannieg rehatr tahn the piothenc cnontet of wdors (the sdnuos of the wrdos and leertts).

Dr McRtcahy was qoteud as saiyng, taht "...if you can acaitinpte waht the nxet wrod in a snnetece cloud be, you wlil not nslsciareey ntcoie if smoe of the leettrs in taht wrod are out of pclae...", and she aslo taht she was sepsrruid at jsut how rosubt the barin’s rgceotnioin aeiibtils had been pverod to be. "The hamun biarn is a lot mroe toanelrt tahn we had pahrpes risaeled, and it has to cpoe wtih diisputrng in eevydray lfie."

The torehy pdeoivrs a fiatsincang pprciesetve on mderon cutonacniimmos and the dmveelnoept of laguange.

The terohy aslo hples to eaipxln the doepmevnlet of merodn txet mseniagsg lagunage, and how the hamun biran so rlaidey utendrnsdas atboivbinears and cimtonobnais of lrettes and nbrmeus mainkg new 'wdros' whcih we've nveer seen beofre and yet stlil are albe to usterdannd alsomt iammeiltdey. For emxpale: 'c u lte8r', wihch you'll nitcoe you can utransnded eevn thgouh it's jmulebd.

One of the gerat lsneoss form tihs troehy dmsttnareoes the rmaaebrlke pweor of the huamn biarn.

Wehn we are yonug we not olny lraen how to raed, but aslo ibcerndily and uninaenionltlty lraen how to raed waht wuold by nmoral cooevntnin be decerbisd as uettr nnsosnee.

Tihs bges qtuseonis abuot the dicrieotn of laagngue eolotuvin.

Waht wlil lgganaue look lkie in geotrnaiens to cmoe?

Whtuoit dobut hmuan binegs are albe to asobrb pvrseiogerlsy mroe maening form pvolesesrrigy rucdnieg anotmus of wrdos and lrttees.

We now raed in shohtnrad - and iamegs - and sfcginltianiy we are beord by aiytnhng taht is too lhtngey.

Posorneiafl witerrs need to get tehir pniot asorcs in jsut a few seodcns, or the raeedr's anitttoen is lsot.

The jmbleud wdros torhey datrmneeosts jsut how caalbpe the biarn is at arnboibsg mneaing far mroe qilcuky tahn msot wrietrs wuold eevr iaimnge.

And a fnail daioertomstnn of how celver yuor barin is - can you raed tihs?...

Compliments of
Scrambled, Jumbled Words and Language Recognition Theory ---

Did you know that ....

1. Chewing each bite of food 25 times causes women to eat up to 210 fewer calories a day? (It doesn't say men, it says women.) True Study. It has to do with our satiety signals. They need time. Time to tell us, we are satieated. We rush them when we eat fast. (I eat fast) ...

Eating fast makes us race ahead of our bodies ability to keep track of our total food intake and we don't when we are full because we have interferred with the signal! (Source: Food Timing Diet, Mike Adams). Slow Down. You're moving to fast. Ya' got to make that cookie last -

2. A 10 to 15 minutes daily walk in the natural sunlight not only clears our head, relieves stress and increses circulation, it could also cure the risk of breast cancer at least 30 to 40 %. (Source: Target News.com)

3. Hula Hoops are back! I'm going to steal one from my little nephew! It's a pink one, I don't think he'll care. Hula Hooping is now considered a very "approachable fitness method", according to Christabel Zamor. Cool Beans! Anybody else willing to get on board for Hula Hooping!?

What I do think is charming, though, is that there are 'instructions'.....you need a DVD or you should take classes. They even tell you to be sure to move your furniture should you do this at home. No offense, but ...Duh.

And you are supposed to buy a 'fitness hoop' not a child's hoop ....Shucks, I'm still gonna steal one from my nephew. He has four of them. I just don't think life should be all this complicated. It's a Hula Hoop.

The Music is Returning

...and life goes on -- in a good way.

Anyone who has come near my blog has heard me with this long drolling _w-h-i-n-e_ about this moving situation I am in.

Well, in the midst of it all, my brother decided to buy my husband a bass guitar. (I always spell it 'base' but apparently that's wrong?).

Does my husband play guitar? No.

Does he have time to practice? He says No.

But he's got the music in him. He did play drums. His father had a band and played accordian, his family can sing, my kids have some musical genes (I just sing ...ah, because I want too, not because I can!) ...so we all have faith in him.

Anyway, so he's out there practicing with a burnt CD of the particular tunes he will be playing on, my kids are helping him (Madam B is learning guitar and Sean already plays in the band*)...the music is playing, everyone is singing and dancing, and I am so happy right now.

*The Band - Seldom Seen and The Remainders. That would be my brother, my brother in law, my son Sean, and now Mr. B!! LOL.

"The Girls" (myself, my sister, and my sister in law and one of my nieces, Shannon who also plays guitar very, very well) will be practicing our way to officially step up to the mike. Mostly, up until now, we've just jumped in whenever and wherever -- well, mostly me, because I just do that. It's my little brother after all. Big sisters have some rights. Just ask Lucy.

"Poetic Art for the Heart"

I just love the title of this article I found recently. I was in a doctor's office and there is a little magazine called Natural Awakenings. It's one of those black and white, free, publications.

The article sites it's source as Prevention.Com --

The summary is this --

Reciting Poetry with a good beat can give your heart a relaxing break. Some researchers in Germany have discovered that "walking around a room breathing in time to a poem with lines long enough to afford a long, full exhale" can actually calm our heartbeat. (Isn't this amazing? I love this!)

It also works "to enhance how well our heart rests and recuperates from daily stresses." According to the International Journal of Cardiology, the latter signals decreased risk of out of rhythm heartbeats and even heart attack or stroke. (Is this not so cool?!)

"Recitation links body and soul-mind, breath and body-in a unique way," says researcher Dietrich Von Bonin of the Institure for Complementary Medicine at the University of Bern. Von Bonin suggest using verse comprised of long lines with "three or four repreated rhythmical stresses throughout each line." Rhyme is optional!!

Samples of effective poems include Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "The Song of Hiawatha" almost anything by Charles Kingsley or "modern poems with requisite long lines and rhythmic pattern."

I'm not sure yet about my knowledge of modern poetry or who they would refer to as a modern poet, but I love that research has found that poetry can help the heart. Because poetry has been a matter of the heart, in my opinion, since the first poem was uttered.

Happy Valentine's Day

I realize my blog has been neglected. I'm still on the planet. I am very tired these days.

I am dealing with the left over 'stuff' from the storage shed clean out, planted some flowers along the side of the house and have been properly fighting with the cats for the territory.

I didn't really honor Valentine's Day this year. Madam Blueberry made some be-yout-ti-ful chocolate covered fruits for her boyfriend! What a great job she did. She gave us the -shall we say-ugly ones? But there is nothing ugly about chocolate to me!!

I made some candy. Which is now known and very popular - around this house.

Mostly, I am just trying very hard to still make some sense out of moving in! We have maybe one more BIG project (I need my shelves for my books) aside from buying some furniture.

Madam B is still working away at here school. I have some new books to add next week and she needs a new Shakespeare book. I saw that the Sonnets were on the list - so I'll be picking those up then. She just finished Merchant of Venice. We need to watch the movie now.

In the meantime, in between time, ain't we got fun?

All because of the peanuts

...I decided to make my own candy. I was frustrated beyond a measure about the peanuts left in the can of mixed nuts. No one would eat the peanuts.

So I thought, I had to find a way to use those peanuts. Candy. I thought "Candy" ...I would make candy.

I do it the easy way. I don't buy any fancy ingredients, just semi-sweet chocolate chips.
I melt the chocolate and add -- whatever I want.

Madam Blueberry likes just raisins. So I just put some raisins in a bowl with the melted chocolate ,and stir them around, and then drop them in teaspoon size pieces on a piece of foil (you can use wax paper) that I have sprayed with some non-stick spray, and then put them in the freezer. When they are frozen enough to stay together (doesn't take that long), I put them in a zip lock bag and store them in the freezer. Yum.

Mr. B and I like a bit more stuff in our candy. So in the bowl with the melted chocolate I add, raisins, nuts, and anything else I want. I've added Cherries from Smuckers Jam, Peanut Butter from a jar of Natural Peanut Butter, different cereals - you can try anything.

So the recipe --

Pour chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl
Melt chips in microwave
Take out and stir
Add whatever ingredients you like (I'll bet you could get away with adding finely chopped carrots!)
Drop by teaspoonful amounts on prepared surface
Freeze in Freezer.
Transport to ziplock bag.

Easy Peasy. And your popularity rate will sore!!

Because I said So

If you have already seen this movie, I do apologize for not getting here sooner. I just got home. But please, please, please, as the review in my newspaper said …do not see this movie because I said so.

It is so bad. I have never in my life seen a movie that was (so) bad from the first second of the first sentences, before they even showed the name of the movie – it was like you wanted to choke the character that was played badly and annoyingly by Diane Keaton.

Honestly, do not walk into the theater that is playing this film. Run to the nearest exit and scream so everyone else will leave.

This movie not only is bad, but it gets worse as it goes along. How much worse? So much worse that you feel like you are having an out of body experience because your body is trying to get you out of the chair and back to your car and into happy hour somewhere to convince yourself that you have not made such a terrible error as to have purchased tickets for this film because you could have done so much more good with your $5.50. You will forever be punished for this sin. The best thing you can do is warn others.

My sincerest condolences to those of you who have already suffered through this film.

And, please, should have liked it, please post a message to my blog. I can't believe there is someone out there ...

the YARD SALE

Quick Notes from a Crazy Lady in a little Blue House –

Tomorrow is the huge Yard Sale. I really don’t like them. This one is very big with police and yellow ribbons and cones and markers. We have two booths and tons of junk, ‘er, uh, stuff – goodies – fares and wares – with little red, yellow and green tags on them.

Some of them are white tags, so as to contain an explanation of what the item might be. Isn’t this a weird world? Buying something the likes of which had to be explained to you what it was…. how ingenious.

So my car is loaded up, and Mr. B’s truck is going to be loaded in the morning with the rest of the storage/attic treasures.

AN OPEN LETTER:

Please, please find a home with someone else, dear stuff, it’s not that I don’t love you any more, I just don’t have the room here, and you have served us well, and we have looked at you long and in all it’s propers, so now it’s time to allow us to exchange a few tokens with someone new, and they can take you home and have a good look at you and feel the joy that you have brought to us.

ON THE HOME FRONT:

I will be glad when this is over! My house and porch are once again filled with more things to make a decision about. I look through it and think how can I throw this away? So. I’m not. I’m just putting it in the attic for another day.

THE BEANIE BABIES

I think the Beanies are cute. We have lots of them. My son Sean won 100 in a drawing so that started us off really well, then gifts they were from relatives and friends, and the kids buying their own in the collecting of them, so what I’ve decided is not to sell them. I’m giving some to special friends, and then I’ll donate the rest to someplace that helps children who might need a little beanie friend to help him through something. They’re just to darn cute to sell to a stranger on a hot humid day.

Or. If all else fails and I keep them. Perhaps they can be used for money one day – along with everything else here that was Made in China.

I find Yard Sales overwhelming. I want to crawl under a cover and sleep until it’s over. I’m nervous right now about being able to get up in the morning!! What kind of person gets stressed out over a Yard Sale!! They are supposed to be fun! And Prosperous!

But for right now, I’m hangin’ in – just hangin’ in.