"Education" has almost become a byword for all that is wrong in the U.S. While most people agree our education system is broken, we can't seem to agree on the "real" problems or what to do to fix them. So our current state of "schooling" limps on. But our youth know and care that the system is failing them. How humbling and awe-inspiring to see … [Read more...]
Pet Owners Against Daylight Saving Time — Unite!
In all the discussions about the pros and cons of Daylight Saving Time, I have yet to hear anyone address the most compelling reason of all for getting rid of Daylight Saving Time -- our pets. In the U.S. alone, 62% of households are pet owners. It breaks down to something like 46 million households with dogs and 36 million households with cats. … [Read more...]
President Lincoln, Inventor and Proponent of Wind Power
In 1849, Abraham Lincoln conceived of and successfully patented a system of air chambers and bellows to lift boats over shoals and obstructions in a river. As a U.S. Congressman (House of Representatives 1847-1849), Lincoln was a frequent boat traveler between Washington D.C. to his home in Illinois and had seen the need for an "improved method of … [Read more...]
The Little Orange Tree That Could
Like a bee, I was lured to the table by the sweet smell of orange blossoms. There it sat, a lone orange among two lemons. Not really trees. Barely even bushes. Mostly twigs, covered with fragrant white blossoms. They were the worst for their time at the garden center. Too much sun. Too little water. I briefly considered buying all three. … [Read more...]
In The Flint Water Debacle – A Story of Successful Activism
We tell a story with everything we do. A story of our priorities -- by what we give our attention to and spend our time on. A story of our fears -- by what we lie about and with whom we share the truth. A story of our values -- by what we create and what we destroy. A story of our ethics -- by when and for what we stand up or shut … [Read more...]
Words: “… Meeting Physical Force With Soul Force”
In 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. didn't just share his dream of the future and his faith in the American peoples' (and world's) ability to come together for equality and justice. He spoke not just of rights and achieving a moral outcome. He cautioned us about responsibilities and a moral process. He challenged us with the necessity "of meeting … [Read more...]
Is It Time For A Three Pyramid Food Chart?
On a very basic level, choosing what foods we eat are some of the most import decisions we make in a day . Too often, though, these decisions fall prey to other priorities -- time, energy, availability, mood. . . So we wind up making less than ideal choices on our food consumption. Every five years Health and … [Read more...]
Cooking With Winter Produce
Just because the farmers’ markets are closed for winter doesn’t mean we have to retreat from fresh fruits and vegetables. Fresh winter produce is abundant, nutritious, and tasty. From hearty root vegetables to bright, sweet citrus, winter produce delivers a surprising range of flavorful fruits and vegetables for you to cook. Citrus fruits, … [Read more...]
For The Love Of Pets
Recently, the Examiner reported the heartbreaking story of a ten year old pet lab that a family surrendered to a shelter. Thankfully, the press he got meant that a rescue organization took him for placement in a forever home. Many dogs will have anywhere from three to five owners in their lifetimes. Having a pet is a huge responsibility requiring … [Read more...]
Caterpillars — Masters of Domination
Evolution does strange and wondrous things -- like creating Caterpillars Masters of Domination! I'm proof of how little we know of nature's complexity and how much we misidentify actions through our limited knowledge... I always thought the most amazing thing about caterpillars, besides their massive appetite and rapid growth, was their ability … [Read more...]
Words: “Do Worthwhile Work”
We all want 'what we do' to be valued. And we want to be valued for what we do ... Since what we do actually builds platforms for future actions by ourselves and others... Wouldn't it make sense that the choices we make every day over what we do and how we do it will have greater impact on our future actions than anyones encouraging or … [Read more...]
Book: EVERGREEN by Rebecca Rasmussen
EVERGREEN by Rebecca Rasmussen -- "The imagery pops, the emotion ignites..." ~ It’s no surprise to anyone who knows me that novels with natural settings are my ‘thing.’ The title of this book alone suggests an outdoorsy feel. The wonderful pine trees stamped on the book jacket, the bird … they speak volumes. Yet this book is SO much more than a … [Read more...]
Even The FDA Doesn’t Know What’s In Our Food
Eating and drinking is about as basic to our survival as it gets. While we might debate whether various manufactured foods are the healthiest choices we can make in a day, we assume the FDA has approved their ingredients before we eat them. We assume all the ingredients meet the standard of a “reasonable certainty” that no harm will come to us … [Read more...]
Behind the Scenes
At night I’ve been known to stare into the quiet darkness beyond our windows, so different from the fierce sunlight of the day and its illumination. And I wonder: what really happens out there, after the sun slithers behind the mountains? What happens behind the scenes? A lot, it appears. When our blinds are drawn to the skies canvassed in the … [Read more...]
Quotable You: “Not All Were Sprinkled With Happiness…”
A dear friend has a favorite saying she shares as needed. Words of wisdom told to her by a boss early in her work life. Since she had her 99th birthday a few months back, one can assume she knows what she is talking about. "This Too Shall Pass!" she confidently assures... A simple reminder to step back and … [Read more...]