Florida & Her Beautiful Beaches

I am a native Floridian, I was born in Rockledge Florida and have been a beach baby all my life. Even when I lived in Texas our family made summer pilgrimages to Galveston. The beach has been a constant in my life until now. I have been robbed of my one true love, the beautiful colorful clear waters of the Gulf of Mexico. My favorite thing was snorkeling or diving on the reefs with their flourishing marine life. Everyone has a favorite thing and that was mine. Diving for shells and just exploring the peaceful serene beauty under the water.

Well those days are gone, I have only been in the water once since the BP spill and then I only went in up to my knees. I remember all to well the screaming in my head every time they showed the planes flying over the Gulf spraying dispersant's after the explosion and consequent spill of billions of gallons of oil. But BP said it's ok it is just like dish soap, really it is. Well we all knew that was a lie and with the capping of the gusher one year ago yesterday where are we now you ask?

Here is a link to TampaBay.com from April 17th, 2011.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/wildlife/sick-fish-suggest-oil-spill-still-affecting-gulf/1164042

Here is another from ABC Action News from today...

http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/region_south_pinellas/madeira_beach/usf-scientists-partner-with-commercial-fishermen-to-study-gulf-fish-lesions

I will not eat seafood from the gulf, nor will I go in the water to float leisurely on a raft or any other water activities I used to do. I never imagined that I would be here now looking at a toxic waste dump. Even NOAA is warning people of the sick fish in the gulf.

http://www.floridaoilspilllaw.com/noaa-warns-of-sick-fish-with-lesions-and-discolored-skin-in-gulf-lsu-scientist-studying-problem-very-worried/comment-page-2

http://www.wusf.usf.edu/news/2011/07/12/oil_spill_scientists_made_national_headlines

Read the following article that was written 20 years after the Valdez spill,

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29838444/ns/us_news-environment/t/oil-plagues-sound-years-after-exxon-valdez/

I will leave you with a few youtube videos from this year..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu-amEoBA6U&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOBl1qAPmHw&NR=1

Clinical Trial Treatment For Cancer

First let me say that I did contact the Burzynski Clinic to make sure it was ok for me to share this movie link in my blog. Permission granted so with that being said, Cancer has touched all of us in one way or another. Dr. Burzynski if given the chance to do his clinical trials from the FDA to move forward post haste instead of decades of being harassed by the FDA, US Patent Office, NCI, Elan Pharmaceuticals and others lives could have been saved. After billions of dollors spent in inditments, trials and patent battles Dr. Burzynski is finally working with the FDA in clinical trials on different types of cancers. Watching this movie you will see how once again how our government and big conglomerate companies in this case the pharmaceutical industry don't care about human beings and doing the right thing, they only care about themselves. Thank you to Dr. Burzynski for not backing down and for the work you do. Please watch this movie pass it along to others. I have also provided the link to his clinic in Houston, TX.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBUGVkmmwbk

http://www.burzynskiclinic.com/contact-us.html

Hello Again

I had no idea how long I have been away, but life happens I guess as it does for all. So I will share a poem that I wrote.....

Life's Dance

Life has it's own unique dance to offer

My own is like the sea, sometimes soothing and calm

And other times with strong currents and storms

Growing together and at times apart

Through joy and laughter and broken hearts

It is all part of this dance of life we share

All of these have their purpose and meaning

It is for us to accept and understand

For that is our challenge with the offer of the dance

Shelia

August 2005

Getting Away With Murder ~ More From Goodbye Shelia

Monsanto is getting away with murder on so many levels. If you are a first time reader of my blog please go to this link for my last blog http://www.blogher.com/more-goodbye-shelia. There you will have a total recap of my resent blogs on the subject of the worlds food supply as well as to the farmers under their control. PLEASE go to this link and send a message to Governor Strickland of Ohio, let him know it is our right to have labeling that assures us that our dairy products contain no rbGH which is genetically modified growth hormones.

http://www.responsibletechnology.org/GMFree/TakeAction/LettertoGovStrickland/

Quote from link: "Milk from cows injected with genetically modified bovine growth hormone (rbGH/rbST) has higher levels of pus, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, bovine growth hormone, and insulin-like growth factor-1—linked to higher rates of cancer and fraternal twins"

I don't know about you, but in my world we should have the right to know what a product contains as well as the harm it can do to us. Get mad join this movement our very lives depend on it and the giant Monsanto is very deadly for people all over the globe. Spilling the beans is right, and we are starting to fight back join and take the first step by sending Governor Stickland a message and let him know how you feel.......

Shelia Harris

Life Everyday!

More From Goodbye Shelia

While I respect all the good that the Susan G. Komen foundation has done for breast cancer awareness, I really have a difficult time stomaching their current campaign. The campaign and alliance with KFC is a hard pill to swallow and I can only wonder if they did any research on the chicken giant they have climbed into bed with. The big players in this game of ownership and control over our food are Monsanto, Purdue and Tyson. These three are not all but out of a handful these guys are the big boys in the game. Again I implore you to purchase the documentary "Food Inc." or go to the website to see when it will be showing in your area. I also encourage you to watch the following documentaries as well.

Here is a movie review on "Food Inc.".

http://documentaries.about.com/od/revie2/fr/FoodInc.htm

Documentaries>

http://www.seedsofdeception.com/Public/MediaCenter/Videos/index.cfm

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/the-world-according-to-monsanto/

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/poisonedwaters/view/?utm_campaign=viewpage&utm_medium=grid&utm_source=grid


This following link reports according to Tyson that the antibiotics they inject does not harm humans. However in the documentary "Food Inc." one chicken farmer was interviewed and she is now allergic to all antibiotics from the treated corn she is forced to feed the chickens, along with the atmosphere she was exposed to being a chicken farmer. She is also in the documentary listed above from PBS.org "Poisoned Waters". So don't try to spoon feed me that you really are not hurting anyone because it is a lie for your protection, profit and control. That my friends is the truth and we are just starting to see the effects of the crap that a few corporate giants have done to us and our food supply. We all know people with all types of illnesses coming out of the woodwork. I encourage you to read the following information. We need to take back our rights to what we put into our bodies and everyone has a right to know, so stand up and do the research and lets get GMO's (Genetically Modified Organisms) out of our food. For information on GMO's watch the documentary "The World According To Monsanto". Buy glass or if you buy plastic be aware of PCB's, (Polychlorinated Biphenyls, PCB's are being found in fish bellies, in new born babies they has been passed down while they were in the womb from their mothers. PLEASE take the time to do your own research you certainly do not have to take my word for it.

http://www.epa.gov/waste/hazard/tsd/pcbs/index.htm

http://spofamerica.com/?q=node/2

http://www.naturalnews.com/024756_antibiotic_antibiotics_USDA.html

http://consumerist.com/2008/05/court-tyson-can-no-longer-claim-chickens-are-raised-without-antibiotics.html


Fighting these companies is very difficult, they have the money, power, control of farmers and the Government. The dairy farmers are making some progress in their area, however I spoke with a dairy farmer in New England and he told me that the dairy farmers in New Hampshire are really hurting. Some of the farmers are co-oping now and it is working for them. The suicide rate with in the farming communities around the globe is staggering, and is due in great part for the control and pressure they are under with the companies that control them. Most people around the world clueless about the harm and damage being done to our health and well being of ourselves and those we love.

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2010/01/farmer-suicides-increase-in-poor-economy/

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/annapolis/2010/03/md_senate_threatens_funding_cu.html

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/05/21/1196070/farmers-tell-feds-poultry-companies.html?storylink=rss

Eternal Reefs A Beautiful Continuation Of Life

I always joking refer to myself as a mermaid because I am the happiest when I am in the water. As a native Floridian we were always at the beach, heck I was born in a beach community. Even when I lived in Texas we made three to four pilgrimages to Galveston ever summer. I finally received my diving certification while on a vacation in 2001 to the French Polynesia Islands around Bora Bora and Tahiti. As soon as I dropped out of the dive destination dingy, I put on my mask to look into the water and could not believe the world that was unfolding right before my eyes. Wow! Below me nothing but clear warm water teaming with life and color it was absolutely breath taking! I was hooked to say the least and I knew that when my time came to pass from this life I wanted my ashes to join the life of the sea.

A few years ago I came across a website that provides a way to actually become part of the ocean that I love so much and that is through the formation of producing Eternal Reef Balls. Reef Balls are made with different mixtures of concrete and ash including human ash remains that are mixed together poured into molds to harden, they are then removed and placed on the ocean floor to become reef systems for our oceans ecology. So you really become one with the sea so to speak, you are contributing to the continuance of life.

There are companies all over the country now who are doing this. Here is link to Bradenton County Reef Ball Projects with maps showing where reef balls have been placed along with other helpful information. Also attached are links to reefball.org and The Eternal Reef Foundation. It is truly an amazing way to memorialize a loved one, while at the same time providing eternal life to the sea.

http://www.reefball.com/map/manatee.htm

http://www.reefball.org/

http://www.eternalreefs.com/about/foundation.html

My inspiration for today's blog is from a conversation with a friend last night. "C" this one is for you! xoxo

Watch "Seeds Of Deception"

Foodies if you have not seen this yet please watch Seeds of Deception. This is still on the same vein of the topics that I have been writing about in my other blog posts. PLEASE WATCH, very important information for your health and the ones that you love!

http://www.seedsofdeception.com/Public/MediaCenter/Videos/index.cfm


Also watch this documentary "The World According To Monsanto"

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/the-world-according-to-monsanto/


I welcome all comments!

Shelia Harris

Life Everyday!

McYum Domination

As I stated in my blog "Goodbye Shelia" I am not going to keep quiet on this subject. For those of you who missed "Food Inc." I have found another documentary that you can watch entitled "McLibel".

http://www.freedocumentaries.org/teatro.php?filmID=315&lan=en&size=big

This is another small insight into what everyone needs to be aware of. We really can not continue to stick our head in the sand or just keep looking the other way, because they are literally killing us. Genetically modified (GM) or if you prefer, genetically engineered, food is taking over, our children are developing all kinds of allergies and other illnesses. We are trying to fight off super bugs that are resistant to antibiotics. Disease's like MERCER, TB is back and on the rise, not to mention all of the ecoli outbreaks. Do you ever ask why the antibiotics are not working? Well you should be, don't you think?

Do the research folks, the majority of soy produced is governed my the Monsanto Co. and they have been genetically altered to grow faster and larger and resistant to RoundUp as are so many other things that eventually become "Food". The newest addition from Monsanto is RoundUp resistant alfalfa hay to feed to the "natural" grass grazing animals. Read your labels, products like almond or soy milk will say on the package "Non genetically engineered soybeans". They pay to have chickens, pigs and cattle feed and massed produced with tons of antibiotics and growth hormones. Not to mention the conditions they are produced in, yes I said produced not raised....

http://www.monsanto.com/

McYum is obviously a play on words for McDonald's and Yum corporations who dominate and dictate so much of what we eat and through advertising subliminally steering us in herds towards them. It was so nice to see that the Yum Corp. was the main sponsor for the Kentucky Derby over the weekend splashed across the T.V. screen during every break made me sick.

The problems of heart disease, diabetes, cancers and obesity are not problems of the past, they are problems here and now and in the future. I encourage you to buy the book "Fast Food Nation" as well as set aside room in your yard to plant and garden. Get your kids involved, teach them to get excited about clean healthy food. Please make an investment in your families life.......

Bloody Hands Of Deception

It is so easy for everyone to sit back and run their mouths on any number of topics. Very few will actually have the ability to be slightly open minded and keep their mouth shut before they even bother to get down and dirty and do some research on their own first.

On that note, I am in fact doing my own research on a very hot topic right now, the illegal immigrants issue that is exploding across our nation. In a previous blog entitled "Good Bye Shelia", I was pushing as many folks as possible to watch the Oscar award winning documentary "Food Inc." while there was still a live stream on PBS.org which ended yesterday. Among other things it was brought to my attention during this documentary that certain meat packers here in America posted signs in Mexico for job opportunities in the United States working for them. So lets just take a peek shall we? The deeper you dig the same corporate names keep showing up, Tyson, Purdue, Nebraska Beef Inc., AgriProcessors, ConAgra and IBP to name a few. It is a very short list of companies that control the nations meat packing industry and alligations of immigrent trafficing go way back. For those of you not familiar with AgriProcessors they were/are the nations largest kosher meat packaging plant in the nation. The previous owners are now facing criminal charges over their employment, and treatment of undocumented workers.

So before everyone starts flipping out demanding identification from everyone that appears to be a shade of tan or brown, take a good hard look at where this started. That would be the major corporations that control the meat packing industry! They have bought and paid for the our hands are clean attitude they are maintaining. Their ongoing denial of their practices and their ability to slip through the Justice system time and time again is nothing short of remarkable. But I reiterate BOUGHT AND PAID FOR.....

If you think it does not trickle down into your life everyday you are mistaken. I have attached a few links of which there are far to many to list here. I suggest you do a little light reading from some of the links below, and by all means do your own research. Form your own opinion as this one is just mine......

http://www.forward.com/articles/110373/

http://www.examiner.com/a-2570200~Perdue_accused_in_suit_of_hiring_illegal_workers.html

http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2001/12/19/154608.shtml

http://www.spcnetwork.com/mii/2001/011232.htm

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/13/us/13immig.html?_r=2&ref=business&oref=slogin

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_Food_Nation

Pay It Forward Day!

April 29, 2010 is "Pay It Forward Day" we all remember the sweet touching movie where the little boy did 3 good deeds for others in need. I think this is something that we should all be attempting to do as much as possible, and not need to be reminded of it each year. Don't get me wrong, I know plenty of you out there that are care givers and others who do good things all the time. For my caregivers friends, I think someone should pay it forward to you today to give you a break so you could take a day for yourself, you deserve it! However for others, maybe it is a very good thing that we are reminded each year because we all get tangled up in our own lives where we sometimes forget about others. We are in a hurry rushing around taking care of our own families or perhaps some simply don't want to be bothered.

Myself personally, I try to keep the pay it forward motto in mind as much as I possibly can. If I ignore those around me trust me I get a swift kick from the powers that be very quickly.

I think it would be a novel idea for those who are unemployed to go out and do some type of volunteer work once a week, once every two weeks, heck once a month. First it will look great on a resume, but most important it could help relieve some stress and it just makes you feel good when you do something for someone else. Even if you just help out someone in your own neighborhood community. Organize a community garden that would be beneficial on so many different levels. Help a neighbor with a home project, really if you think about it there are endless possibilities.

I hope everyone takes the pay it forward motto with you through your day and through out the year! If you are at all like me after I have done a good deed I always turn and walk away with a tear in my eye. It is a beautiful feeling you get after having done something totally unexpected for another human being no matter how big or how small. You never know how the smallest act of kindness can effect a persons life by renewing faith in themselves, faith in others or maybe in life itself...

Good Bye Shelia

I am saying good bye to Shelia who is afraid to step to far over the line in expressing herself. I am very passionate about certain things and I have let a few comments cause me to edit myself and not say somethings that I have really felt compelled to say, well no more. Every American should be aware, informed and inquiring on their own. I do not know anyone who has not known someone affected by health issues. If you did not watch Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution you can go the website below and watch every one of the shows in their entirety as well as the Oscar winning documentary "Food Inc.". I have been following Jamie in his journey and I watched Food Inc. Friday morning on PBS.org. They first aired the documentary on Wednesday night April 21st. They are now streaming it live via the web until April 29th, 2010, lucky for me and anyone else who missed it. Both of these should be required viewing for everyone.

After watching Food Inc. Friday morning and then watching Jamie's last show it all came keenly into crystal clear focus in a major OMG moment. To witness the fight that Jamie has been fighting and to see how it slammed like a speeding train into the message from Food Inc. was astonishing.

The conglomerate of companies that now own our food here in American and dictate to our farmers and in turn to each and every American on what we eat is more than disturbing. I encourage everyone to grow some of your own fruits, vegetables and herbs if at all possible. Shop at farmers markets, buy as much locally grown as well as organic produce as possible and seek out organic farm raised meat sources instead of the supermarket offerings.

I myself recently started a new type of garden because I have limited space, called a straw bale garden. I blogged about it and I have been posting on facebook. I went to the farmers market yesterday and then stopped by the feed store where I purchased my straw bales, I spoke to the owner and found that there is someone in my area that raises grass feed organic beef. I am thrilled and plan on contacting them and visiting their farm as soon as possible.

You owe it to yourself and the ones you love to watch these two shows. I really hope that you do, I also realize that just because this is a passionate subject for me does not mean that it will be for everyone else. But all you really have to do is take a look at the health of Americans and that should be enough for you to be at the very least, more than just a little curious...

http://www.pbs.org/pov/foodinc/photo_gallery_watch.php
The documentary Food Inc. is available for purchase on Amazon as well you can find the link at PBS.org.


http://abc.go.com/shows/jamie-olivers-food-revolution

15 Minutes?

I am a self professed reality TV junkie, there I said it, and no I am not in a 12 step program, I am still in denial. I watch as many as humanly possible and I record the others so I can watch them later. Note to self, call Verizon to get a recordable set top box for the bedroom... Anyway while watching the women of The View today, they were having a heated discussion on Kate Gosselin who is now on "Dancing With The Stars". For those of you who do not know who she is she is was first know from the reality show "Jon & Kate plus 8". She sucks as a dancer and needs to be kicked off the show, but back to the subject. Believe it or not reality TV is taking a huge bite out of the available market space over scripted TV. Have you ever thought about being on a reality TV show? Hum, not so sure that I would but who knows until the opportunity presents itself.

Well, if you would like to take a shot at having your 15 minutes of fame here you go, there is a website for casting calls for reality TV... No I am not kidding and I am surprised that I did not discover this sooner. It is a literal buffet for reality TV from existing shows as well as new shows. So if you all are looking for your shot at having your 15 minutes of fame here is your chance...

http://www.realitywanted.com/calls

I did not open any of the calls, so enter at your own risk.

I Promise To Try Very Hard Not To...

Ok, I know I am always posting on facebook about certain things pertaining to restaurants and our food supply. I realize that just because all the information available to us freaks me out does not mean that it does everyone else. I admit that I have issues with pesticides and other junk and that is one of the reasons I am mostly a vegetarian. I made the decision the first of November in 2009 to go mostly vegetarian.

So, I hear by promise to try very hard not to harp on food and restaurants on my postings on facebook. With that said for those of you who would like an alternative to meat the product that I use and I absolutely love is called Gardein Garden Protein. I have included their link below. Now I am not saying that I will never have a hot dog, hamburger or fish sandwich again, I am saying this product is a great substitute for those of you that are interested.

I finally got my mother and aunt to taste the "chicken like" nuggets and they both said "tastes like chicken" go figure......

http://www.gardein.com

What You Need To Know About COPD

I recently had a friend lose a loved one to COPD and have information below about COPD from Wikipedia. If you or a loved one are experiencing the signs or symptoms of COPD please see your doctor. COPD is on the rise and it is a deadly disease. I have also included a link to The Heart Lung And Blood Institute as well as to Wikipedia.

From Wikipedia;

"Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) refers to chronic bronchitis and emphysema, a pair of two commonly co-existing diseases of the lungs in which the airways become narrowed. This leads to a limitation of the flow of air to and from the lungs causing shortness of breath. In contrast to asthma, the limitation of airflow is poorly reversible and usually gets progressively worse over time.

Signs and symptoms
One of the most common symptoms of COPD is shortness of breath (dyspnea). People with COPD commonly describe this as: "My breathing requires effort," "I feel out of breath," or "I can't get enough air in". People with COPD typically first notice dyspnea during vigorous exercise when the demands on the lungs are greatest. Over the years, dyspnea tends to get gradually worse so that it can occur during milder, everyday activities such as housework. In the advanced stages of COPD, dyspnea can become so bad that it occurs during rest and is constantly present.

Other symptoms of COPD are a persistent cough, sputum or mucus production, wheezing, chest tightness, and tiredness.

People with advanced (very severe) COPD sometimes develop respiratory failure. When this happens, cyanosis, a bluish discoloration of the lips caused by a lack of oxygen in the blood, can occur. An excess of carbon dioxide in the blood can cause headaches, drowsiness or twitching (asterixis). A complication of advanced COPD is cor pulmonale, a strain on the heart due to the extra work required by the heart to pump blood through the affected lungs. Symptoms of cor pulmonale are peripheral edema, seen as swelling of the ankles, and dyspnea.

There are a few signs of COPD that a healthcare worker may detect although they can be seen in other diseases. Some people have COPD and have none of these signs. Common signs are:
tachypnea, a rapid breathing rate wheezing sounds or crackles in the lungs heard through a stethoscope breathing out taking a longer time than breathing in
enlargement of the chest, particularly the front-to-back distance (hyperinflation)
active use of muscles in the neck to help with breathing breathing through pursed lips increased anteroposterior to lateral ratio of the chest (i.e. barrel chest)."


http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Copd/Copd_WhatIs.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COPD

For Lisa

Fingerprints

I have had requests to post something else that I have written, so for those friends that asked here it is and I hope you are not disappointed. I have had this laying around to write about for sometime now, so I wrote this today and I hope you enjoy it.


Fingerprints

The fingerprints of our lives
Will never fade away
For each life that we touch
We effect or change

With every impression made
May it leave a sweet warm memory
Like the first bluebonnets of spring
On the vast rolling plains

Let the lives that you touch
Remember you fondly
It is up to you
What fingerprints remain

Shelia
April 10th, 2010

Colors Of Life....

I had a lovely afternoon yesterday spending time on the phone with a friend. I learned a lot and gained a little glimpse into the life of someone I referred to in my blog from Wednesday, January 27, 2010 titled "An Angel Among Us". I have had first hand experience with cancer with in my own family but I had no idea that they have a different color ribbon for the different types of cancer. I feel like I have been living in a bubble or perhaps under a rock. I had a family member with breast cancer and I knew the pink ribbon because that is for the most part what I see and hear about is the pink breast cancer awareness ribbon.

Well to my surprise there are many colors in that rainbow of ribbons, actually there are 26 colors. I also found out about another special angel, this angel was my friends personal angel! My friend had been given nothing but bad news, no hope, no encouragement or positive direction in which to go. My friend sat beside a little old gentleman at M.D. Anderson in Houston waiting her turn to see if they had a miracle to offer. As she relayed the visit to me the gentleman asked her what she was in for? A sense of humor in a place you would perhaps not expect someone to have at that time. She told him she was terminal and he started telling her his story. He had also been very seriously fighting his own cancer demon. He had started specified medical trail treatments for his particular cancer just a mere 10 weeks prior to meeting my friend. On that very day he was expecting to receive confirmation that he was clear of his cancer!

This was the first time she had heard anyone give her any hope or the possibility of life and the future. A gift from one angel among us to another. I do not know this angel that my friend met, but if I did I would thank him for this gentleman gave my friend a gift that know one else had up to that point. Just by a simple chat with a stranger in a waiting area, he gave the gift of hope!

Support M.D. Anderson in their successful work in the fight against cancer. They are making incredible strides that could affect and change the lives for many of us now and in the future!

http://www.mdanderson.org/

Start A Fun New Garden

Over the weekend I was surfing the web looking for what plants grow well in my zone which is 9b. I am in Florida but a lot of my fellow Texans are also in zone 9b. So I thought I would share this with you. I stumbled on a fun new way to garden called Straw Bale Gardening. There were several websites on straw bale gardening but I preferred this approach because it does not involve getting the bale ready by using Ammonia Nitrate. The website I found is called doug green's beginner-gardening.com, he also has a facebook a fan page. This is a perfect way to have a garden if you do not have a lot of space or if you are looking at garden possibilities give this some consideration. It would also provide the ability to garden for those who may not be able to bend over as much, and a fresh fun way to get your children involved and introduce them to gardening. It is also an inexpensive way to getting started. I called my local feed store this morning and asked for straw not hay bales and they do have them for under $7.00 a bale! I told the owner about the website and she is going to post it in her store, so I am already passing the straw bale gardening idea locally as well.

The key is buying a bale of straw, not hay. I am going to purchase extra twine to run tightly around the bale to keep it together good and tight and I am going to put pavers under the bale to keep it off the ground. Besides the benefits you gain from growing your own fresh vegetables and herbs, the straw bale will eventually become compost. An added bonus for other areas of your yard to boot, it is a win win situation.

The inspiration for having my own garden came from several factors, one being that I have been watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, tune in on ABC on Friday nights. If you have missed any of the episodes go his website posted below and you can watch them all from the beginning to date. I was dumb struck when he was talking to children in elementary school and the kids could not identify different vegetable that he held up for them. I have already blogged on this show in my blog from Saturday, March 27, 2010 entitled "Unbelievable, We Need This Wake Up Call". I posted again on facebook after watching this past Friday nights show, one of my facebook peeps said that she thought that it should be required viewing by every parent out there and I agree with her.

The second factor is wanting produce that is not covered in chemicals, I know exactly where it came from, that it has been grown organically, it has not been handled by a ton of people, picked before it was ripe which causes you to loose most of the vitamins and benefits and that it is truly fresh. So this has been my inspiration starting my own garden.

Below are the links to Doug Green and also to Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. If you have not already signed his food revolution petition and recognise the importance of what he is doing sign up today and join in. Lets save our children from obesity and improve our overall health.

http://www.beginner-gardening.com/straw-bale-gardening.html

http://www.jamieoliver.com/campaigns/jamies-food-revolution

The Power Of One

I participated in Earth Hour on March 27, 2010. I know other facebook friends did as well as people from all around the globe. I also know that there are those who say, too little to late, give me a break, your wasting your time, tree hugger and well you get the point. However for myself personally, I do believe in the power of one! I found Earth Hour to be a rewarding experience! I do try on a daily basis to make changes for a more positive and intelligent way of living my life and what I leave behind on the planet. There are those who do not agree with me and that is fine, it is my choice and you are entitled to yours. Life is changing constantly and is to be expected and embraced to the best of our ability. Nothing ever stays the same, all change takes work, time and effort. Thank you to everyone who participated!

I found this somewhere I thought it was appropriate on many different levels.....

One song can spark a moment
One flower can wake a dream
One tree can start a forest
One bird can herald spring
One smile begins a friendship
One clasped hand lifts a soul
One star can guide a ship at sea
One word can frame the goal
One vote can change a nation
One sunbeam lights a room
One candle wipes out darkness
One laugh will conquer gloom
One step must start each journey
One word must start a prayer
One hope will raise our spirits
One touch can show you care
One voice can speak with wisdom
One heart can know what's true
One life can make a difference
That difference starts with you.

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Unbelievable, We Need This Wake Up Call

If you have not been watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, then you should take a look. His first stop is in Huntington, West Virginia at an Elementary School. Last night I thought I would lose it. These children could not even identify vegetables when he held them up. I am not talking about anything difficult, they could not even identify tomato's or potato's! They knew what a french fry was but not what vegetable they came from. He was also trying to show kids the best parts of a fresh chicken as he cut it up. When he had it down to the carcase he asked the kids if they wanted to eat the carcase and they wanted nothing to do with it. He then proceeded to put the carcase in a food processor and turned it into yucky glop. He ran it through a sieve and then mixed it with binders and other stuff and smashed it down and took a cutter and cut out chicken patties which he cooked in oil then the kids wanted to eat it! OMG are you kidding? Gag me! Another thing is these kids did not even have forks and knives to eat with and did not know how to even use them before he got there. They were only eating things that could be eaten with a spoon. This is a great show to watch, I really encourage you to follow Jamie on this journey. It is eye opening, you can go to this link and watch all the shows to date.

http://abc.go.com/shows/jamie-olivers-food-revolution

Guilty or Innocent?

I had family in town and it was just us girls so we decided on a warm sunny day to head out to the beach. The beach was wonderful and we really had a great time. We decided to stop at a beach side cafe on the way back, to finish out our beautiful day enjoying each others company. We chose to sit outside so we could enjoy the sun and water. We ordered our beverages and ordered an array of appetizers. Right before our food arrived they sat a party of four which consisted of two couples and they were seated a couple of tables over. I love to people watch so I noticed them when the were seated.

Our food arrived and we were just starting to get a little of this and a little of that, you know how that goes. Well I looked up to find one of the "ladies" at the newly sat table point here finger in our direction and directly at our party and she was saying something to the others at her table. As I watched the other three slowly turned to look and started to giggle. I knew what they were making fun of with out breaking eye contact with their table, they were making fun of how someone in my group was eating. I thought to myself, how old are you? I wanted to walk over and say to the lady you should learn to act your age....She I would guess was in her mid to late 50's. So I removed my sun glasses, turned my chair slightly and stared right back at them. They soon got the message but would still turn to look over occassionally. I never took my eyes off of them until we left.

Are you as an adult guilty or innocent of being in public and making fun of people and pointing your finger in someones direction for your entire party to enjoy as well? Adults should act their age and not point fingers and giggle. This again is only my oppinion, but I would think you would be grown out of that by this point.

The Day Will Happen Whether Or Not You Get Up!

Love that quote! It is also very true and it reminds me of other quotes like, "Nothing will every happen if you don't show up" and "No matter where you go there you are". Which brings me to today's topic, you can stick your head in the sand and ignore life and everything that entails. However, if you just put all the negative stuff out of your head and put one foot in front of the other and move forward you can take charge and make a positive change in your life. Allowing negativity to take over and sink you is not healthy and it is extremely exhausting.

Take baby steps if you need to, just start making progress in your life, your health, your attitude and your relationships. Lets say for example if you have moved and just can not seem to unpack or decorate, try writing down one or two things to do everyday and make them your goal. When you are comfortable in your surroundings you will feel happier and more content. Trust me on that because I have been mudding and painting walls and now I don't want to stop. In my case a family member gave me a nudge to get started and they were dead right, and now I am obsessed with the projects and I love the results! If your attitude is not great take an honest look at yourself and try to start making some changes. Get help from a professional if you need too, just don't give up, do whatever it takes. If it is your health then take steps to make some changes. Change your diet start exercising, get moving and start taking charge of your health. If it is relationships take a good hard look at what you do have and try not to focus only on the bad. My analogy for relationships is do you have a good foundation or has it been condemned? If you are best friends or if you love them, that to me is a good foundation to build on. If the relationship is unhealthy and abusive that foundation is condemned.

It is not a bed of roses out here in single zombie land with a lot of people who are desperate to be a relationship for fear of sinking into an abyss of loneliness. I am not one of those people but there are a lot of them but perhaps that could be due to my demographic area, just saying.....

It will do no one any good to focus on the things you have no control over. Focus your energy on the things that you can change right now and make the effort to do it!

Texting Dangers..

People are out of control with texting issues and uses. Here are two cases in Florida that are excellent examples. Basically this first one is shear stupidity, the head line reads "Four suspects, victim arrested in botched home invasion". A guy has a friend come over to hang out, the friend is texting his "crew" on how and when to break into the house. The police arrive to hear a struggle in the garage and find the guy who lives there with his friend. They tell the police that they were robbed and two suspects went out the back way. The police find the two suspects and put them in custody. Then they find out about the involvement of the "friend" and place him in custody. Now the whole plot for this home invasion was to steal marijuana from the guy who lived in the home, so that's right now they police have the guy who lives in the house in custody for possession of marijuana. Can it get better than this? You bet, the "Mastermind" behind this whole plan who drove the car that took the crew to the home and provided the 9mm gun that was used during this caper was also charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Why you may be asking yourself, because he allegedly had his girl friends two year old daughter in the car with him on their little crime caper.

I don't even know what to say about that one....The next however is a very sad disturbing story. A teenage girl received a text from her friends boyfriend. Her girl friend did not have a cell phone. The young girl did not agree with the relationship between the teenage boy and her friend and expressed her feelings in a text back to the young man. The enraged teen boy placed a text to message to some of his friends stating that he was going to kill her. He road his bicycle to her bus stop where his girl friend pointed out her friend that he had exchanged the texts with. He preceded to beat the teen girl brutally. He did not even know this 13 year old girl and the 15 year old boy is going to be charged as an adult for premeditated murder and his girl friend has been charge with being an accomplice.

I do not have children so I don't know what the answer is except having conversations with children about what to do and not to do. They are calling incidents like this last one "Text Rage", yes it is becoming so much of an issue that there is a name for it. So let that be a warning to all of us that this is just a precursor of what is to come. Perhaps adults should take note here too......

This Is 2010, Is It Not?

Let me first just say that if this is against your moral or religious views I am sure I will loose you as followers of my blog. If that is the case I will understand, but this is not acceptable to me so here it goes. I am a heterosexual person but I do not judge others for their lifestyles. It goes without saying this includes political, spiritual, ethnicity, religious and sexual preferences. You are welcome to your opionion but keep in mind it is yours and does not give you a right to mess with other peoples lives.

To say this article pissed me off is to put it mildly, a school in Jackson, Mississippi canceled the schools senior prom due to the fact that a lesbian couple that was going to attend. One of the young ladies was also going to wear a tux which is against school policy. Hell I wore a tux to prom in 1979! It is not even like this is a religious school either it is Itawamba Agricultural High School in Fulton. I thought we were moving forward in acceptance and tolerance of each others differences. Unfortunately it takes acts of stupidity like this to remind me we still have a long way to go. I have attached the link to the story below.

http://www.wtvr.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-lesbian-prom-date,0,5261757.story

Food Inc.

I am in no way telling anyone what is right or wrong for your own person or your family when it comes to the food you eat. It is however my prerogative as a blogger to bring information to your attention and let you decide on your own how you feel about it. I will not state where I stand on the issue because it is a personal decision for everyone to make for themselves.

Food Inc. is an American documentary that was made by filmmaker Robert Kenner. It is interesting and does bring up thought provoking questions. The film has been the cause of a lot of controversy as well as a great deal of support. I am attaching a link to the Offical Food, Inc. site. Take a look at the "About the Issues" area on their site. There is information there that is food for thought.

http://www.foodincmovie.com/about-the-issues.php

So What If... Should It Really Matter?

Ok, so I been reading and hearing that the whole global warming thing is one big fat hoax and it has some people very upset. Why do people get so full of themselves and why do some love to say "see I told you so" and completly ignore the bigger picture. So what if it is a hoax, should it really matter? We should still be taking responsibility for the earth and our effect on it and the condition we leave it in.

Let me just say this, coming from someone who lives in Florida near the beach. I snorkel a lot and when I go out I take my mesh bag and free dive down to pick up trash off the ocean floor. I also walk the beaches with bags and pick up all the trash that people leave behind. It really does not matter if global warming is an issue or not. People should be responsible for the care and resources of this planet period. So if you are pissed because you went out and bought some energy efficent light bulbs, don't come crying to me. Everyone should be aware of what you do that effects this planet and if it is something as simple as a light bulb so be it. If you don't think that there is a problem with trash, chemical run off and all of the other lousy things that we do to hurt this planet then you should open you eyes.............

My Personal Outlet

Everyone should have an outlet of some kind. I find it a very helpful tool for life. It does not matter what your personal outlet is, fishing, sports, family, faith, charity work, your job or whatever it may be, for me it is writing. It does not have to be something that you are great at, just something you enjoy. I know for myself I have not been the best communicator verbally at times in my life. So there have been times for me when it was easier to write than verbalize something. I am no great writer by any stretch of the imagination, but it is my personal outlet.

I want to thank you for indulging and supporting me in this endeavor. Thank you to all the alumni and friends from LHHS that have signed up to subscribe to my blog, those who have become followers and those of you who read my blogs! I really do appreciate each and every one of you! I hope that there are times when I write something that perhaps it touches you or that in one way or another makes a difference for you! Again, thank you all!

Roll With It Baby

I realize this post is late today but I have been so busy with....everyday life. We all have days where we get everything done that we need too. Then there are days when there are not enough hours in the day. Today was one of those days where there was not enough hours, so this is short and sweet and I leave you with this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWptXUblA4E

Second Annual Slithering Hunt

I started this blog while eating my lunch, lets just say that was a mistake and lunch got pushed to the side and thrown away. There is such a huge ewe and yuck factor here I could not continue. However moving on, The Sunshine State is getting ready to host it's second annual python, anaconda and monitor lizard hunt. The hunting licenses went on sale today for a mere $26. I am totally serious...so many people obtain these exotic beautiful slithery creatures as pets and when they become to much to deal with they drive to the Everglades and set them free. Which means they have now taken over the glades. So now the hunt for 2010 is about to begin and time line is from March 8th - April 16th for those of you who would like to set up a nice hunting trip.

So that brings me to what do you do with these creatures once you have killed your quota of python, anaconda or monitor lizards. Do you eat it, sell the skin or just kill it for pure sport? So I jumped online and I guess there is not a whole lot of eating going on, plenty of people looking for ways to cook them, but I found websites where you could purchase the meat. However if anyone out there happens to have an old family recipe that you are willing to share please post it in the comment section of my blog. The state of Florida thanks you!

Food For Thought...

I was just on one of my Twitter pages and saw this quote by Scott Hamilton "The only disability in life is a bad attitude" I love that and it is so true! There are so many people who would be entitled to a bad attitude due to their circumstances but they over come it. Not everyone can dig that deep and pull it out, but so many of these people have such an amazing outlook on life! In the big picture if I really take a long hard honest look at myself, I have nothing to complain about. Having a good attitude in life and with all its challenges will go along way to a happier you and everyone around you!

Maybe when you experiencing a bout with a bad attitude you should take a look around you and really consider if you are entitled to have a bad attitude or not. If you really do think your life is all that bad and you can not change it perhaps you should go experience a different reality like oh I don't know... for example like living in Hatti right now. I think that should do the trick. Go and hold a child's hand as they amputate one of their limbs without the aid of anaesthesia or listen to them singing the songs of their culture long before dawn as they line up waiting in the food lines. All the while knowing things are going to get a lot worse before they are going to get better.... Yeah, I don't about you but I've got nothing to compare that with.

Oh Happy Day!

Step into Margaritaville people, pull out a Jimmy Buffet CD, don't worry be happy and pour me another tequila Shelia! I am very pleased to tell you all that today is National Margarita Day!! So celebrate by calling some friends and meeting for a margarita after work or make some of your own at home with family and friends tonight! You don't have to wait for Cinco De Mayo to celebrate this wonderful drink, who knew there was a National Margarita Day! It has put a smile on my face, so now go share the news with someone else and watch the smiles spread!!

Link to Margaritaville:
http://www.margaritaville.com/index.php?page=videos

Link to Margarita recipes:
http://margaritatexas.com/recipes/

My Family Of "Anyway Friends"

"Anyway friends" they are the friends that love you and will always be there for you no matter what. They will be your touch stone, your rock, your confidant those people that you will share all of life's experiences with! Your "anyway friends" will be with you through all the laughter and tears, all the good times and bad. Each of us that are so blessed to have "anyway friends" can get through anything life throws at us. Some people assume that your family is going to fill that space in your life, but that is not true for everyone. In some cases blood is not thicker than water.

I have an "anyway friend" that goes back to the beginning of junior high. Even if we have not talked on the phone for awhile, we pick up right where we left off. It is like we just talked two days ago, "so anyway how do it go with such and such"? So Della is one of my "anyway friends" love you girl! As I have reconnected with old friends and made new ones through social networking I find that my circle of "anyway friends" is growing. Much love to you all, old and new and thank you for being my very special "Anyway Friends"!

Cheating Is Not Gender Specific

There are plenty of women and men who cheat on their spouse, significant other, boy friend or girl friend. But cheating is defiantly not gender specific. If I had a friend that was cheating or I knew their spouse, mate or friend was cheating on them, I would need to do some serious soul searching. To decide to get into someones personal life is not a decision to be taken lightly. It would depend on the situation and I would think about it long and hard. Unfortunately for those who live their life in the public arena they no longer have the privilege of handling their life issues privately.

For those out there, who are or have ever cheated on someone, you are the one who has to live with the consequences of your actions. I am happy that I don't live out my life's dramas out in front of the whole world! Because God knows everyone will have an opinion and make it known. Sometimes I feel that some people are always ready to make a comment or get their jab in. I personally feel that some people just do not have the courage to look at their own life that closely under a microscope. It is much easier to address someone else and the issues and problems that they are dealing with. Or perhaps sometimes it is something smaller like you just don't like someone for whatever reason and go out of your way to make that person uncomfortable. Again maybe it is time to take a really close look at yourself and think about what really gives you the right to judge, make fun of or talk about others.

Everyone is different and we each have our own set of circumstances that are different and I think that we are to quick to judge others when perhaps we should be directing that energy in a more positive direction. Just saying........

Sexting Is Illegal

If you are not aware of the laws in your state regarding sexting, then learn! Have you talked to your children about sexting, if you have not, then do it!

We live in a society where technology is exploding and moving as fast as a light rail train. Sexting is against the law, each and every state and some counties have their own set of laws when it comes to this topic. In Florida if a minor is found guilty of sexting they have to register as a sexual offender and they are tried as an adult. I called the Texas District & County Attorney's Association I was told in Texas it is handled on a case by case basis. However you will be considered to be in possession of child pornography. Sexting can have serious consequences! There are many sexting instances that have lead to many victims committing suicide. There are cases all over the country and it does not matter which side of the sexting you are on, the implications of sexting from the victims to the ones arrested and charged with child pornography, the outcome is not a good one. The minors should be made aware of how bad the implications can be, for the person who takes them and the person or persons who send them out. In most cases the girls have taken pictures of their body parts or complete nude pictures and text them out via their cell phone to boys who they like or who are their boyfriends. Then kids being kids someone gets hurt or angry and they send out the pictures. There may also be cases of just plain and simple bad judgment and sending them to the wrong person and that person just decides to put the picture out there just because.

We live in a society that it seems every week there is a new sex scandal and sex tapes flying all over the place. Kids are aware of all of this and it may seem cool and the thing to do. However, they may not fully understand the laws, danger, harm and serious ramifications of sexting. So please to all parents out there, do some research it is a small thing to and it could make a difference with your child or maybe one of their friends.

Let me, Let You Go. Dedicated to D with love.....

This is a poem I wrote last year and I am dedicating it to D with very much love during this difficult and sad time...Love you D!

Let me, let you go

The beauty of you and the way you touched my life
As precious and lovely as anything I could have ever imagined
But for now my love let me, let you go

Nothing will ever stop the aching and yearning for more
One more touch, one more smile, one more moment to look in your eyes
Just to hold you, to see your beautiful face, but, I have to let you go

To try to hold on, too long and too tight, would never be right
I will hold you close in my heart and carry you with me after this life
But for now my love let me, let you go

From the moment you came into my life you brought joy and light
For all the moments in time that you were a part of my life
You will always and forever have a treasured space in my heart

You will be with me under the shining stars at night
I will feel you on a warm summer breeze blowing over a sunlit sea
Together again someday we shall be, but for now my angel, fly free…..

Shelia November 28th, 2009

Heartburn My Personal All Natural Remedy

I personally had issues with heartburn and it is not at all pleasant. I used to take over the counter heartburn medication on a daily basis, and some of these products are not cheap. We all know about the little purple pill, but do you know about the little red root vegetable? I will share with you a little secret that made a major difference in my life. It is called a radish.....yes you read that right, believe it or not eating raw radishes got rid of my heartburn. I did a little research and they mentioned radishes over and over. So off to the store I went where I purchased my little inexpensive and unassuming red root vegetable. That is when my love affair with the little red root began. Instead of popping a little purple pill, I immediately begun popping radishes!

From that point on whenever I felt the heartburn coming on, off to the refrigerator I went. The change for me happened very quickly, right off the bat I noticed major relief. The heart burn after the first week stopped occurring on a daily basis and was only raising its ugly head a couple of times a week. Eventually after about 3 weeks that stopped as well. As time went on it stopped almost completely. I still have heartburn occasionally, but when I do I pop a raw radish or two and I am good to go. Hope this will assist others out there who experience heartburn. I used to but not so much anymore, so thank you to the little red radish!!

Stalking A Crime Of Obsession

When someone is harassing you to the point that they pursue you obsessively it is a problem. It is not to be taken lightly, you should let others know what is going on. The reason for this blog is because I am dealing with this situation now with someone and it is not a pleasant experience to be sure. It is a scary and uncertain feeling so if I can inform others of what signs to watch out for then I have done my job. I have been doing some research and thought that I should share it with you. A restraining order is not always the best approach, because you may just further push this person. Not to mention people walk right through restraining orders all the time.

The UTC' Women's Center which you may read at this link has some very helpful information.
http://www.utc.edu/Outreach/TransformationProject/stalkingbehaviors.php

If you feel that someone is becoming obsessed with you defiantly take precautions and handle the situation carefully. If you can obtain personal information like a copy of a drivers license etc make copies and give them to a family member or a friend or friends for that matter, to make sure someone has personal information on the person.

January was National Stalking Awareness Month and here is the link: http://stalkingawarenessmonth.org/quiz?gclid=CKHztsG18J8CFQgRswodBUKwXQa
I took the quiz and failed it!! It is more prevalent than I originally thought.

This is only a small portion of the information available out there however I hope it has been helpful....

Celebrate You ~

Let me just start by saying that I spend a lot of holidays, birthdays, new years and valentines days alone and it is by choice. I think there is a lot of pressure and hype on these occasions that lead people to become very lonely during these times if they are not celebrating with others. I will even go so far as to say being with a significant other due to the fact that Valentines Day is this weekend. But here is the thing, you do not have to celebrate every so called special occasion with other people. Maybe this is a great time for you to pamper yourself, put yourself first and just do something that you would generally not do. Make it special for you and about you. Buy some champagne and strawberries and take a relaxing bubble bath. Buy some wine, chocolates, caviar, whatever you like and indulge yourself! Make it about you, not what the hype of the occasion promotes it to be.

The point is to celebrate the beauty in life and in you! I so worry about being alone I relish the fact that I am and enjoy my time with myself. I find that I am always in a much better place for doing so. No worries about stressing out, what to buy, trying to get just the right gift, plus dealing with the pressure and worring about everything not holding up to all the expectations or the awful feeling of someone being disappointed.

I myself will be celebrating being single and celebrating my life! It does not matter how you do it, just celebrate!

More Alarming News On BPA

More and more information is coming forward on the dangers of BPA. Bisphenol A is a harmful chemical found in polycarbonate plastic and is in an alarming amount of everyday products making our exposure to it off the charts. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical that mimics the action of the human hormone estrogen and changes the natural pattern of the body. Some of the effects at even low BPA exposure include prostate cancer, breast cancer, early puberty onset, alterations in gender-specific behavior, decreased sperm count, affects on fertility, behavioral effects including hyperactivity, increased aggressiveness, impaired learning and other changes in behavior. BPA might also be causing diabetes, aggressiveness, heart disease, and decreased sensitivity to chemotherapy in cancer patients.

BPA is contained in everything from baby bottles, sippy cups, water bottles, the lining of canned foods and canned infant formula just to name a few. The infants consuming canned formula are at the greatest risk from the leaching of BPA. They have also discovered that infants are being born with BPA in their systems already. BPA is being passed from the mothers body to the baby through the umbilical cord. Yikes! As if new mothers do not have enough concerns already now it is the baby bottles, sippy cups, canned formula and the amounts of BPA in the expectant mothers body. It is overwhelming!

We should not be heating up anything in the microwave or the oven that is in a hard plastic container, if BPA has not already leached into the food it will during the heating process, it actually leaks out 55 times faster than normal. The same heating issues apply to washing plastic containers in the dishwasher. I was shocked to know that the lining of canned food products contains BPA and it does leach into whatever is contained in the can. Below are some links you may find helpful and contain more information on BPA and a guide on plastics. As always, I may bring something to your attention but I always encourage you to do your own research...

http://www.ewg.org/reports/bisphenola
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1855853,00.html
http://www.healthobservatory.org/library.cfm?refid=77083

Taking Ownership Of You

Everything we do and say in life, all our actions and decisions we make are things that we each have to live with. By "we" that means ourselves and the other people affected by them. Unfortunately, almost everything we do will ultimately affect someone else directly or indirectly. That is reason enough to give me pause. I am not sure that when caught up in a moment or situation that we really consider that fact. Every word that comes out of your mouth you are responsible for, every action and every decision you make you need to accept ownership for all of them. Just because you say something and may mean it one way, does not guaranty that the person on the receiving end will take it the way you may have meant for them to. Once the words have left your mouth you can not just reach out into space and time and reclaim them. The same thing applies to your decisions and actions.

Just think about it the next time you say something, in your actions and all the decisions you make. It will usually affect someone else in one way or another. Whether it is something major or something small, all I am saying is just give it some thought. We all know the old adage "Actions speak louder than words". How true is that statement? In my eyes personally, it rings loud and true.

Sometimes the smallest of things can sometimes have the biggest impact. Just try to take a few extra seconds or minutes to consider what you are doing in a single moment and how it will affect someone, either positively or negatively. You might be surprised how it may change the way you handle and present yourself or even in your own perception of who you are. At the end of the day, you have to live with yourself and take responsibility for who you are and what you do.....

Sugar, Sugar, Sugar!

We all know that Valentines day is right around the corner! I don't want to be a downer, but over the last couple of weeks so much information is coming out about sugar I feel like I had to go ahead and post this now.

I don't know if all of us realize or understand the different ways that sugar damages and ravishes your body unless you are a doctor. The coalition between sugar, pancreatic cancer and diabetes is disturbing. I watch a lot of the informative shows available today like The Doctors and the Dr. Oz show and I am blown away by the amount of information we now have access to. Studies released this week show that people who drink one or two sodas a week have an 87 percent higher risk of pancreatic cancer and to top it off they feel that sugar fuels tumors. I was very surprised to find how much sugar is in things like ranch dressing and ketchup. They say that we eat 40lbs more sugar per person, per year than a generation ago. That is shocking to me.

Diabetes is the fastest growing disease in history and is running rampant in the African American community. Hundreds of people are dying daily from complications from diabetes. Sugar is being terrifyingly described as glass shards ripping through your body, cutting you and leaving scars in its wake, which leads to harding of the arteries. Belly fat is a clue that you may be a prime candidate for becoming a diabetic and if it runs in your family that should be a no brainier that you should monitor your sugar carefully. Apple cider vinegar is a super hero because it lowers the glycemic index in whatever you add it to.

I myself was diagnosed as a boarded line hypoglycemic when I was in my early 20's. I should have joined Chocoholics anonymous. Because heaven to me was a box of Godiva chocolates! Thanks for the fond memories and I will always adore you, but sugar in my life is strongly monitored. I already have hereditary high blood pressure and sugar would have complicated my life even more. So read labels for sodium as well as considering the amount of sugar you have in your life and take care of you!!

Time For Superbowl Sunday Football Grandma!!

Well I will keep this short and sweet! Today is a day to gather around the T.V. for the game we die hard football fans wait for all year. The day is finally here for Superbowl XLIV and everything that comes with it! The great football food, memorable commercials and the companionship with family and friends. Not to mention the competitive spirit in us all! Good luck, have fun and enjoy your day to everyone and to the teams you are supporting today!

I do have one little story to share with you, it is about the Superbowl in 1996 that was the last time my Dallas Cowboys won. My grandmother was there that day, and she was in her mid 80's at the time and at that point was going a little in and out mentally. But she sat there that day laughing and yelling with us, it was a great day. Now grandma really did not know much of anything about football but that really did not matter. After the game and as I got ready to leave and continue on with taking my celebration on to downtown Dallas, she said to me now you all come back next Sunday and we will do this again, she had such a big smile on her face! She had a massive stroke 3 days later and she never spoke or moved again, lived until she was 93. So as I sit here alone waiting for the main event and watching all the pre game stuff, I say ok grandma I'm ready and it is Sunday lets watch another game!

Make every moment count, you never know which one will be that special moment that will stay with you forever!

Superbowl Eats!

Every show on T.V. is showing food for the super bowl! So my question to you is what are you going to be noshing on and what is your main fare for the big day? With this blog I would you guys to participate and under comments list your menu for the Superbowl, include recipes for your favorite Superbowl snack or half time meal. Lets mix it up today and who knows maybe you will be able to pick up a new recipe. I have posted my favorite wing recipe and I have included some links for those of you who are not quite sure at this point!

My Personal Addition:
My favorite wing recipe is made with Tiger Sauce, for every package of wingettes, one bottle of Tiger Sauce should be used. Heat oven at 325* and bake till meat is falling off the bones, 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours your choice. Make sure you have plenty of napkins wet and dry because you are going to need them!

As for who I am pulling for tomorrow it is the New Orleans Saints!! Go Saints!!

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/recipe?id=9625676
http://www.recipezaar.com/Teriyaki-Wingettes-330304
http://www.bellaonline.com/subjects/7702.asp
http://www.foodnetwork.com/

Learning To Let Go Of Things You Can Not Change

We all have different issues in our lives and things that we can not change. I admit that I can be a bit of a control freak when it comes to certain aspects of my life. For me there is one issue that is really hard for me to let go of. But I have to learn in regards to a certain person to let them take care of themselves and their issues. I can not change anything for or about this person and steps have been taken to make sure that I have no control or say over this persons health issues as they are aging. I do not live in the same town and that control has been given to someone else. So I have to learn not to worry myself into a frenzy over issues that are going on with this person. Things will happened and life already has its plan in place for all of us. To to make myself sick with worry and send my blood pressure through the roof is not the answer, I have to let go. Because it is literally and completely out of my control. It is difficult not to worry about those you love but we all have our own lives to live and each of us is responsible for the decisions and directions that our lives take.

You may have times when other people may say you are not doing your job and accuse you of not being a good friend, partner, parent, son or daughter, but lets be clear you are not walking away from them. You are instead allowing them to live their life with the decisions that they are making for themselves. Let them take the responsibility for their health and well being. It is after all their life and not yours. No matter what the situation is, all relationships are at times difficult at best, and learning that you do not have the power to change people should be enough for each of us. But, it is sometimes not as easy as one would think and when it comes to a parent, child or loved one. However it has to be done, so from today I am moving forward I will listen, be concerned ask questions when appropriate and love them, but that is really all I can do. I have to let go of the things that I can not change!

Cleaning Green And News About Teflon

Before you start reading and decide this blog is not for you, I want you to know at the end of this blog I have attached links to the things I have discussed today. So if you decide not to read this in its entirety please go to the links attached below!

The reason I started researching more natural ways of cleaning my home was because of my little parrotlet! Cute little miniature parrot! He changed my life because of the research I did when I got him on proper care of a small bird. First, I had already ditched of all my non-stick pans prior to getting him and that was a good thing because they could have killed him. Teflon poising or more correctly polytetrafluoroethlyene (PTFE) intoxication, is a rapid and lethal gaseous intoxication of all species of birds. Teflon will never be in my house again, the way I see it if it is that bad for a bird and between the fact of the way it wears off the pans and gets into you food and you are ingesting it, that is enough for me to say no!


I found an abundance of information on how to clean your home with natural products you all ready have. One of my favorites is plain white or apple cider vinegar. So I thought I would share some of these great tips with you! One of my favorites is to mix one half white vinegar and one half olive oil in a spray bottle. I use this to polish wood furniture and to clean the inside of my car for the leather seats and non fabric covered areas. But the list goes on from No-wax floors, windows & walls, cutting boards, toilet bowls, your lawn and garden care, to health uses.

Baking Soda is one of those natural products you have at home and it has many uses. It is an acid reducer in foods, reduces the gas producing properties in beans when you are cooking them. There are many other the uses for it like cleaning and eliminating odors. I also use baking soda to clean my stainless steal cookware!

I could go on but I will save that for another day! You can only take in so much at a time and I totally get that. Enjoy and have a great day and maybe I will assist you in making a few easy changes to a healthier and eco-friendlier way of life.


http://www.versatilevinegar.org/
http://www.apfn.org/apfn/teflon.htm
http://www.theherbprof.com/InfoTeflonPoisoning.htm
http://www.bellybytes.com/articles/bakingsoda.shtml

Ban Products From China

I am tired of the fact that every time you turn around there is some new product that is being pulled from the shelves, recalled or major concerns and red flags about products and merchandise coming out of China. To start with the whole Melamine scandal that is an industrial chemical has been mixed into powdered milk products in China made and produced for babies in their own country. Just today there were 4 arrests made in Central China for Melamine because they have continued to use this chemical in powdered milk products. Then there was the Melamine found in the contaminated pet food recall that made so many pets very ill or they died from complications. They use Melamine to fool quality control testers for protein levels in food products for consumption by humans or animals. When ingested Melamine can cause kidney stones and kidney failure.

Lets now move on to all the toys recalled for the high levels of lead in them. Mattel alone has recalled over 20 million toys produced in China. Some of these toys had up to 200 times the legal amounts of lead, according to documents obtained by CNN. Then you have the loose magnets and the GHB drug poisoning hazard. It just does not seem to have any boundaries and is like a run away train. When is it going to hit a wall?

More recently you have the toxic heavy metal Cadmium being found in jewelry for children and adults in store's from Saks Fifth Ave to Walmart. These pieces range in price from $69.99 all the way down the chain to "breast cancer awareness" bracelets with a charm that contains very high levels of Cadmium and retails for $6.99. Not to mention all the children's charms that have been recalled. Cadmium is a carcinogen and can hinder brain development in children. Some of these pieces are not even labeled made in China. Cadmium can cause hinder brain development in children. If you do a little research you will find this is becoming a daily trend with products from China. Instead of being a proud reflection of the country of origin when the merchandise states "Made In China" it should be a warning label.

You can also refer to my past blog about bamboo which I posted on January 6, 2010. For me it is getting harder and harder to over look how many toxic products are coming out of China, and I plan to avoid purchasing things that say made in China. I am not naive and realize there will be those items that I will not be able to avoid. But I do have free will, and I plan to use it when it comes to products made in China.

Love Yourself And Learn To Be Happy With Yourself

You know I found through personal experience that there are not enough people who love their selves, actually know who they are and understand how to be happy being alone. So many men and women that can not be alone and be happy alone. I find that so many of us have not figured out how to do all three of these things. We look to others to find self worth, love and happiness. Well I am here to tell you that if do not love yourself and understand what you want, who you are and what makes you tick, no one else is going to be able to figure that out for you. If you have not been able to live your life and be happy with yourself outside of a relationship, no one else is going to be able to "make" you happy! Any relationship will eventually crumble under that type of pressure and it would not be a healthy relationship. I don't think anyone really desires to be that dependent on another person but they just don't know anything else and perhaps this has never even been explained to them. So here it is folks!! I am going to lay it out for you.

I myself took time off from dating because I was making some bad decisions in regards to partners. So I walked away from dating for 6 years. I have now dated a few people for short periods of time due to the fact I now know who I am what I am looking for and what is not acceptable to me. I am also fine with being alone, something I am not sure I was really doing before. At this point I am comfortable saying that I would rather be alone than be in a bad or unsatisfying relationship. I would add to that, I would rather be alone and happy than in a relationship and be lonely!

So you really need to learn to love yourself first and for most, while learning to be alone and to be happy with yourself and the person that you are! Join groups, join a gym, take up hobbies or spend time volunteering. Find ways to get out of the house and be around other people in a relaxed atmosphere that is not a dating circle. Spend time with yourself to actually get to know you. Read self help books what ever it takes do it, because you will not find that relationship you are looking for until you have done these two very important things!

You know a girl friend of mine from along time ago, she and I had an agreement that has always stuck with me and maybe it might help some else out there. The agreement was to "Never give your power away", never let someone have the power to define who you are and what you do in life. Under no circumstances should you be in relationship if someone is hurting you to the point of putting you in danger from them or from yourself. If someone treats you badly, cheats, lies to you, puts you down all the time, makes you feel bad about yourself and does not support you and treat you with respect, honesty and with unconditional love, maybe it is time to move on. If you feel that you are in a situation that you can not handle alone, find help from someone. Anyone a friend, family members or a professional. The pain will pass trust me on this I know from personal experience, but move forward, put one foot in front of the other, breath in and out and keep moving. It will get better, you will never forget but it will get better!

The bottom line is learn to love and be happy with yourself!

The Battle Is Raging Over The Phrase "Who Dat"

The NFL says they have trademarked the phrase that has been around for 150 years. There are two brothers who say they have owned it since before the inception of the New Orleans Saints in 1966. The battle is just getting started so it seems. The NFL has now sent out cease and desist letters to vendors selling merchandise with different variances of the Saints logo and "Who Dat". There is the question of whether it is public domain or owned by the NFL or anyone else for that matter. The NFL states they are not trying to stop everyone who uses the fleur-de-lis logo and the phrase "Who Dat" just when they are used in combination in regards to the Saints and the team logo.

I find it sad because I feel the state of Louisiana needs this boost not only for the economy but as a morale boost as well. The Governor has contacted the Attorney General to help fight for the rights of the citizens of Louisiana. I am quite sure that the NFL coined the phrase "Who Dat" because so many of them are Cajuns from Louisiana. For a phrase that has been around for the last 150 years and I wonder if they will now lay claim to the spelling of the phrase "Geaux Saints" as well?

Oh and as a side note, yes I am a die hard Dallas Cowboy football fan, and after all this is only my humble female opinion. I personally would NEVER have gone out and hired a college QB who was going to be second string his senior year in college and start him in the NFL. Having said that, I must also include that I have never seen a QB who could throw such a beautifully arched spiralling pass directly into the chest of the opposing team. Quincy Carter......

Pharmaceutical Dangers!

So many of us just take the medications that our Doctors prescribe and don't question them. Make a point to also check with your pharmacist to make sure your new med's will work in conjunction with the other medications you are taking. Whether it something you are taking or giving to your children or your parents are taking you can not be to careful! Get on line and research every medication that you and your family take, it make the difference between life and death! I have a family member who was recently in the hospital and put on a blood thinner called Warfarin by her Cardiologist. Her main Doctor called and wanted to know who put her on it and told her she had to immediately stop taking an anti-inflammatory medication she takes due to tragic side effects of the combination of the drugs. The Warfarin was not explained to her in regards to side effects and she has been getting worse and worse over the last month and a half. I picked up her prescription and she read the insert and she was experiencing half of the side effects that the drug causes. Then she was subscribed Cipro for an internal infection she was having. On July 8, 2008 the FDA gave Cipro a black box warning, black box warnings are the strongest warnings that the FDA can place on a product. It is over prescribed and said to be an antibiotic of last resort and only for very specific illnesses.

There is much that we take for granted and we assume that our Doctors and Pharmacist have our back. Well one hand does not always know what the other is doing so if you have more than one Doctor take matters into your own hands. Ask as many questions as possible from these professionals that is what they are there for. Take the time and do the research on all the medications that your family takes and you may very surprised with what you find.

Side note: My family member is now on the way home to go see all of her Doctors to find out what the hell they did to her, and thank god she is alive!!

Inadequate Eyelashes! Really?

Is it only me or is there a problem with the way the industry promotes products and the terminology they choose for advertising? For instance look up Viagra on their official site, it reads "May help your partner achieve better erections". Hum...now look up the website for Latisse, "Prescription treatment for inadequate or not enough eyelashes growing them longer, fuller and darker". Really? Our eyelashes are inadequate.....Seems a little harsh for our little ole eyelashes don't you think?

No offense gentlemen this is not aimed at you but the people who are in the advertising industry. Could they promote Latisse as a product that would enhance your lashes making them fuller, longer and darker. Not to mention the side effect that will give you permanent eyeliner. Just seems to me they could have done a better job at promoting this product. It is like I tell my doctor every time I go in, if you would just check my blood pressure before you weigh me it would not be so high!

The Butterfly Circus

The Butterfly Circus is a short film by Doug Jones for The Doorpost Film Project 2009, I first saw this on a friends blog. I was so moved and touched by this little film and I still tear up every time I watch it. It is a movie of hope it shows the beauty of our uniqueness and the beauty of the imperfections in us all! It shows how special we all are and we should give each other validation. It has moved me to want to see the beauty in everyone around me and to not judge people harshly. We all have personal struggles and demons to face everyday, and those are difficult enough without the judgements of others. If we give others a chance to succeed and encourage each other what a different world we would live in.... I hope you can take a few minutes out of your day to watch this film, to miss this beautiful piece of art would truly be a loss. I know it will be something you will want to share with others! Please enjoy and leave comments to let me know what you think? Here is the link and enjoy:

This is the direct link to "The Butterfly Circus"
http://www.thedougjonesexperience.com/butterfly.htm


To see more go to http://thedoorpost.com/ there are some wonderful short films in this contest.

To My Caregiver Friends

I have quite a few friends that are being caregivers for their parents right now. They are all in different situations with various circumstances. At this time they are all taking care of their mothers. It is a difficult, stressful and sometimes full filling time of life. One of my friends is losing her mother to cancer and she said it has been hard, but very healing as well. The have fought like hell, cried, laughed and talked about their life's journey. Really, is there anything in the world you would ultimately trade for that little bit of precious time or a small gift of a truly beautiful moment that can come from this time together? I myself did not talk to my own father for years, but my mother made a point of taking me to see him after his cancer diagnosis. Trust me on this, I was not happy that I was tricked into the visit. However, once I got home I called him and we talked a lot that last year! I would not trade that year for anything in the world. I had a chance to have my daddy back, the daddy I had as a little girl. So to my mom, I love you and thank you for the push I needed, so I can now say I don't have to live with any regrets about not reconnecting with my dad while I had the chance. If you are wondering, I was with him when he left this earth.

The little miracles that you can pull out of these times may be ultimately surprising. Many of us may face the fact that we will be a caregiver for a loved one at some point in our life. I hold deep admiration and respect for all of my friends who are going through this and for those of you who will. I understand that it can be a very trying time, but if you can find small moments that you can pull from these difficult times I do believe with all my heart you can take away some very special moments that you will cherish, value and remember forever! So remember what a great person you are and what a fantastic job you are doing and how special each and everyone of you are for doing it!

An Angel Among Us

You never know when someone will come along that will teach you what a beautiful person is truly like and be a inspiration to you and those around you. You know, before our social networks came into our lives we were missing out on so many opportunities that come from reconnecting with people. Now we are able to express ourselves, share our lives, have an incredible support system and maybe, just maybe allows us to feel connected and not like we are out here on our own. I have been given the opportunity to be reconnected with some truly amazing people that have truly touched me and I believe will continue to do so for the rest of my life. I have found old friends and made new friends and I am thankful for all of you!

There is this one woman in particular that has touched my life and is facing a challenging issue. I have never know anyone who has faced such a time in their life and that was able to handle it with such grace and dignity, not to mention never a complaint and still doing things for others. Her positive attitude, unwavering strength, courage and love for her family and friends is a thing of beauty. If she has bad days she never lets on that she does. She is someone that with every passing day touches me as well as others. I truly believe she is an angel among us, and not many of us could live our life at such a challenging time and still be an inspiration to those of us who are lucky enough to know her! As I sit here writing this tears roll down my face, not sad tears, sweet tender tears that I have the privilege of knowing such a remarkable woman! She is for me a beautiful person that has touched my life and I will carry her with me for the rest of my life..........

Loving Life!

I am going to be turning 49 in just a few weeks and I am happy to report that I am totally comfortable with it! I remember getting into my late 20's and how painful every birthday felt, how things change. I would not want to change places with that part of my life at all! I feel in many ways that my life is just starting and mind you I never had children, so it has nothing to do with kids growing up and moving into their own lives. It is just different now in a very refreshing positive way. I don't feel "OLD", I feel young in mind, body and spirit. I started down this path about 4 years ago and in the last two years set a goal for myself for when I turn 50. That is to be a hot, rocking, healthy 50 year old! If you would like to label me vain, I do not have a problem with that because I will go down fighting! So is 50 the new 30 or 35, or is 50 the new 50? Either way I don't care and I am ready to handle anything that comes my way. I am stronger, more independent and smarter than I was in my earlier years and I think over all this is a much better place to be!! So for all of you who are also entering your 40's and 50's, I say bring it on because we are up for the challenge like no generation before us!

Change of Tide

It seems to me that more and more women over let's say 40 years of age are now the ones that are content to be single. More and more men over 40 are now the ones wanting to be in relationships and not single. We have undergone some cosmic shift in the universe that is in effect changing the very basis of the exchange between men and women. We all remember the old joke that said for women the odds were higher to get killed by a terrorist than to get married after the age of 40, that no longer has any merit in regards to the female population. At the time, I remember how popular that phrase was by the males species and the movie industry that poked fun at women with that line and really got a kick out of it. I can only speak for myself, but at the time I found it quite annoying.

In talking with women today that are now in their 40's, we seem to be on the same page about being single as well as a host of other issues. We as women are moving into a new age and women are becoming more independent, self confident and we know what we want and don't want. I am not the only female that is comfortable being single and it seems that men these days are not. Just saying.........

Shake weight, 3 minute legs & the snuggie, Really?

Seriously? Who developed these two "exercise" devices? If you have not seen the Shake Weight or 3 minute leg commercials please google them. You will get a good laugh at the very least. They can not be serious in my mind, but apparently they are. Where does this stuff come from these cult type items that most people just shake their head at and the others who don't question the stupidity of them will buy them. The snuggie is another prime example, do the commercials ever show what they look like from the back? The answer is no because the back is open and the material is hardly enough to cover anything. They are worse than a hospital gown, at least hospital gowns have the same amount of material all the way around. But there are people who will still buy all three products, I just won't be one of them. Maybe instead of being in the rag business I should just come up with a product that makes someone look ridicules while they are using or wearing the product. After all the chia pet is still alive and well! Any suggestions are welcome!

Think twice about bamboo

I like so many others are trying to live green and lower our carbon footprints. When I was starting my business I had many decisions to make and one of those involved what type of shirts I was going to use. I came across the Eco-friendly lines and along with that came bamboo. Well I am a researcher by nature so the investigation began. I have decided that I will not use bamboo apparel and I would suggest that before you jump on the bamboo bandwagon that you do your own research. There are two ways to process bamboo, mechanically or chemically. Mechanically the woody bamboo is crushed and natural enzymes are used to process the bamboo but this is not the most popular method due to the cost. The chemical process cooks the leaves and shoots in sodium hydroxide (lye) and carbon disulphide to break down the bamboo. This process is highly toxic to the people cooking the bamboo and to the environment. Just look up the word lye in Wikipedia. Most bamboo is processed in China and they have just opened a new plant and training facility in Sichuan. They are not regulated for the safety of the people cooking the bamboo or for the environmental damage the process causes.

So before you choose bamboo please do your research, it is not as eco-friendly as we are lead to believe. It is another product being promoted as green but it is more greenwashed than green......

Dating for some people is like playing Texas Hold'em

Dating? Hum...think I will take a pass for awhile. There are so many people out there who are not happy unless they are in a relationship any relationship even if it is a bad one. Are people just lonely? Or are they not happy with their selves and just don't understand that you have to be happy with yourself first. You can not depend on someone else to "make" you happy. So many questions and so little time. Ok, here is what I think, maybe I have been alone for so long now that I am too set in my ways! Or maybe my standards are too high! Whatever, these excuses are bogus and I know it. However, if I can tell a situation is not going to work I am not going to waste my time or another persons time not to mention their emotions to keep myself entertained. Because if you open that door it may not be as easy to close as you think. It's why your parents always said not to feed stray cats because they won't want to leave. If everyone had a visible personal warning label it would be so much easier. I am just saying it is like a hand of Texas Hold'em I guess there are really only two choices "All In" or "Fold" I sure don't want to increase my bet or call, so I am more apt to fold.