Sunday, November 13, 2011

HOW COULD YOU NOT WANT TO WATCH THIS MOVIE!!

The Brain From Planet Arous (1958)
Bad alien Gor takes over scientist Steve's brain; good alien Vol takes over Steve's dog's brain.

SWAPPING CHICKEN-POX INFECTED LOLLIPOPS ILLEGAL...[not to mention incredibly stupid]!

A federal prosecutor is warning parents against trading chicken pox-laced lollipops by mail in what authorities describe as misguided attempts to expose their children to the virus to build immunity later in life.
The warning came after media reports surfaced about a multi-state ring of parents, wary of vaccinations that prevent the disease, who were swapping lollipops licked by a sick child in a modern day incarnation of a chicken pox party.
In those so-called parties, parents purposely put sick children together with healthy children in order to spread the ailment and build immunity without having the children vaccinated. This new form of party shares the disease anonymously and long-distance.
"Sending a virus or disease through the U.S. mail (and private carriers) is illegal. It doesn't matter if it crosses state lines," said David Boling, public information officer for the Attorney in Nashville.
"Also, it is against federal law to adulterate or tamper with consumer products, such as candy."
Boling said the issue came to light after a television "news report out of Phoenix that involved a Nashville woman that was shipping and receiving adulterated products."
Sending chicken pox-infected lollipops, swabs or vials of saliva to parents who want to infect their children and avoid vaccinations is not only illegal, it can be lethal, said Dr. Tim Jones, Tennessee's state epidemiologist.
"They are putting at risk the people around them," said Jones, commenting on a controversy that has sparked anger in both the medical and legal communities.
An epidemiologist for the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta agrees. "It's an incredibly bad idea for a variety of reasons," said Dr. Rafael Harpaz, of the CDC's Division of Viral Diseases.
The transport and sale of contaminated items has been linked to a Facebook group called "Find a Pox Party in Your Area," which helps people anonymously arrange for the swapping and sale of contaminated items.
"There are a substantial number of people involved in it," Boling said, referring to the ring.
Nashville-based U.S. Attorney Jerry Martin has been outspoken on the matter because he wants to warn "folks that want to continue to engage in this kind of activity that they are certainly exposing themselves to criminal prosecution," said Boling, who would "neither confirm (nor) deny existence of an investigation."
POX PARTIES
Jones said old-fashioned "pox parties" were bad enough, but shipping items to infect children "is utterly inexcusable. In this case, these are people who are buying and selling infected or contaminated body fluids from complete strangers."
"There are a bunch of things wrong with this," he said, adding that parents could also be inadvertently giving their children items contaminated with influenza or hepatitis, in addition to chicken pox.
CDC's Harpaz said one major issue is that giving children the chicken pox instead of a vaccine could be a fatal mistake.
"Before the vaccine was licensed, there were in the order of 100 kids (in the U.S.) who died of chicken pox per year. Now there are very few among vaccinated children... It's kind of like playing Russian roulette with your child."
In addition to exposing children to chicken pox, those who have it are more susceptible to getting shingles later in life than are vaccinated children, Harpaz said.
"The idea that it's safer to give your kid the infection than it is to immunize them is just wrong, completely misguided and puts your child at unnecessary risk," said Tennessee epidemiologist Jones.
First of all, he said, the vaccine is safe, while those who give the children the disease "are putting at risk people around them. There may be people they could infect that don't have a choice, who can't take the vaccine."
The CDC's Harpaz said symptoms of chicken pox aren't noticeable for "10 days to 21 days when you are exposed." But that doesn't mean children aren't contagious.
Children taking chemotherapy or other medications that affect the immune system are among those who can't take the vaccine and would be at risk if exposed to infected children.
"You could infect them and kill them," said Jones. "That's murder."
(Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Jerry Norton)

Monday, November 7, 2011

The First Snowfall November 2011

It's depressing.  After the nicest October in living memory we get this??  Yes I know it's time but it's always a downer when reality flies in your face, literally!  Actually once the season gets along and I get used the boots and jackets, scarves and mittens, I like winter.  It's a quieter season, car noises are muffled and there just isn't the hustle and bustle and goings on outside when it gets cold and that's just fine by me.  I watched a young man trying to clear the snow off his truck on the street.  He searched long and hard for the scraper/brush with no avail.  He sat in the truck and turned the wipers on and off many times without much success.  So two of them sat there for a long time doing that and no doubt discussed the wisdom of preparedness......hey it's NOVEMBER not September.  Suddenly someone must have remembered how well a credit card works in an other-than-financial emergency situation and after using a little elbow grease they were gone.
  But I love the winter scenes that snow makes especially after a storm and the sculpting of snow drifts with shadows in the bright sun are immensely interesting, photographically speaking, and just plain beautiful from a nature lover's perspective.  For now I just scowl out the window at the procrastinating squirrels as they scurry by looking for that last peanut handout before they curl up for the winter which is such a good idea.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

WHAT THE HECK IS AN 'UNFLOWER CHIMNEY' ANYWAY??

Glen Ullin man invents unflower chimney

Dust mixed with a little oil and moving machinery make combine fires a common threat during sunflower harvest.

Ag Reporter Sarah Gustin takes you south of Glen Ullin to show you one farmer's invention that's preventing flare-ups in the field.

Monday, October 31, 2011

A BOUQET


Recently I received some flowers from a dear friend and the card with it matched the pink flowers which I thought was quite a coincidence and it really added to the moment.  The vase is a matte black and I will be adding it to my collection of vases on top of my china cabinet.  I either have to start a second row or buy another china cabinet! 

Saturday, October 29, 2011

What's The McRib Made Of Anyway??

SEE IF YOU CAN STOMACH THIS.......IT MAKES ME  THINK ABOUT THE SWANSON'S RIBLESS RIBS............SHUDDER!

 The popular McDonald's sandwich is back. Find out what's inside — if you dare
McDonalds' McRib and its cult-like following are back. Thank goodness the "disconcerting" sandwich is only returning for a limited time only, says Meredith Melnick at TIME. Because if you knew about all the unpronounceable ingredients packed into the McRib, you might think twice about wolfing down the sauce-drenched pork concoction. Think you can stomach what's inside? Read on:
How many ingredients are there?
At face value, the sandwich contains just pork, onions, and pickle slices slathered in barbecue sauce and laid out on a bun. But the truth is, there are roughly 70 ingredients. The bun alone contains 34, says TIME's Melnick. In addition to chemicals like ammonium sulfate and polysorbate 80, the most egregious may be azodicarbonamide — "a flour-bleaching agent most commonly used in the manufactur[ing] of foamed plastics like gym mats the and soles of shoes." According to McDonald's own ingredient list, the bun also includes calcium sulfate and ethoxylated mono- and diglycerides, among other chemicals.
Ooof. What's the meat made of?
Pig innards and plenty of salt. Typically, "restructured meat product" includes pig bits like tripe, heart, and scalded stomach, says Whet Moser at Chicago Magazine, citing a 1995 article by Robert Mandigo, a professor at the University of Nebraska. These parts are cooked and blended with salt and water to extract salt-soluble proteins, which act as a "glue" that helps bind the reshaped meat together.
Is it really that bad for you?Well, it's certainly not good for you. Though "slightly trimmer than the Big Mac," which contains 540 calories and 29 grams of fat, says Christina Rexrode at USA Today, the McRib, first introduced in 1982, still packs in 500 calories and 26 grams of fat. And despite its name, one thing you won't find inside a McRib is bones. The absence of any detectable "rib" is what gives the unnutritious mush its "quirky sense of humor," says Marta Fearon, McDonald's U.S. marketing director.
View this article on TheWeek.com Get 4 Free Issues of The Week

Thursday, October 27, 2011

A FINE FALL DAY


It was such a nice day, windy, but nice for the 27th of October.  I went for a walk and when I got back I decided to sit outside for perhaps the last time this year.  As I looked around I see a crow's nest next door which tells me that we will have noisy 'neighbors' again in the spring.  This year was their first year in our neighborhood and until now I did not know exactly where the nest was.  If it was my yard I'd hire someone to remove it.  I hate their noisy clamor that goes on for weeks and weeks once the eggs hatch.
Funny isn't it?  I love to hear the first crow caw in the very early days of spring but that's it...... the rest of the time they could it all to themselves!!

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

SHE SAID "SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE"

 Please note that http://deltajoy.blogspot.com will enable you to find me once again just look for SHE SAID.

Monday, October 24, 2011

TWO COMMON DRUGS THAT SHOULD NOT BE GIVEN TO ALZHEIMER PATIENTS--STUDY

Two antidepressants that are commonly given to Alzheimer's disease patients appear not only to be ineffective but may give side effects such as nausea and drowsiness, a study in Britain has found.
In a paper published in the medical journal The Lancet on Tuesday, researchers urged doctors to think twice before prescribing these drugs to Alzheimer's patients with depression.
The two drugs used in the study were sertraline, marketed by Pfizer under the brand name Zoloft, and mirtazapine, known as Remeron in the United States.
"The two classes of antidepressants most likely to be prescribed for depression in Alzheimer's disease are no more effective than placebo (dummy with no medicinal value)," wrote the researchers, led by Professor Sube Banerjee at the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London.
"In our study, there were more adverse reactions in individuals treated with antidepressants than there were with placebo."
They urged clinicians and investigators to reframe the way they treat Alzheimer's patients with depression and to reconsider routine prescription of antidepressants.
The study involved 326 Alzheimer's patients from nine clinical centers in Britain who were diagnosed with depression lasting for at least four weeks.
Divided into three groups, 107 of them were given sertraline, 108 mirtazapine and 111 received placebo.
After 39 weeks, researchers found no significant differences among the three groups when it came to declines in depression levels. Instead, more patients given the two drugs reported adverse reactions compared with those given placebo.
In the sertraline group, 43 percent of patients reported having gastrointestinal reactions like nausea, while 41 percent who received mirtazapine complained of drowsiness and sedation. Only 26 percent who took placebo reported feeling unwell.
Currently, there are no drugs that can alter the course of Alzheimer's disease, which affects 26 million people globally and costs more than US$600 billion a year to treat.
(Editing by Yoko Nishikawa)

Sunday, October 23, 2011

PRODUCT APPRECIATION DAY


Anytime I come across a product that I really am impressed with I feel it is my duty to pass it on.  I'm not normally a fan of frozen entrees or TV dinners as they used to be called but I love the new Swanson Rib Style Boneless Pork.  The bonus was the brownie desert which really surprised me because when I looked at it frozen I thought what the heck is that??  It turned out to be very tasty and pretty much a perfect brownie.




I usually buy Dr. Oetker's Ristorante thin-crust types because I just love the crunchy taste and the crust doesn't overpower the toppings. The Casa di Mama was a nice change and as a 'Hawaiian' pizza lover it was very, very good.  Calorie-wise they are just about right for me and because I'm trying to gain some weight so I can happily say I eat half a pizza for my supper on occasion!

Friday, October 21, 2011




This is what a picture looks like through a clean window for a change.  Yesterday was a wonderful opportunity to bask in the 16 C afternoon and wash windows on the west side of the apartment.  Today or tomorrow I will do the east side but not in the cold morning sun when I usually like doing them.  Afternoon will just have to do.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

FAT AND SASSY FOR WINTER


This squirrel and many of his friends and family have been frantically scurrying around the last couple of weeks looking for and hiding the peanuts provided by a tenant in an apartment nearby.  Now that I killed my petunias day before yesterday they can have my boxes for their booty until spring.  Perhaps I will get another peanut plant growing in with the flowers next year again but our season isn't long or hot enough for them to produce any peanuts.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

SUPPOSED HOSPITAL CHART BLOOPERS

One never can say for sure if these are true or not and in my own experience I have never read a 'blooper' and hope I never wrote one!  However, if they are true they are really are funny.

  1. The patient refused autopsy.
  2. The patient has no previous history of suicides.
  3. Patient has left white blood cells at another hospital.
  4. She has no rigors or shaking chills, but her husband states she was very hot in bed last night.
  5. Patient has chest pain if she lies on her left side for over a year.
  6. On the second day the knee was better and on the third day it disappeared.
  7. The patien is tearful and crying constantly. She also appears to be depressed.
  8. The patient has been depressed since she began seeing me in 1993.
  9. Discharge status: Alive but without permission.
  10. Healthy appearing decrepit 69-year old male, mentally alert but forgetful.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

HAIR THEFT, THE AMISH AND THE MULLET

Five men were arrested and accused of cutting the hair of several people, offensive acts to the Amish, who believe the Bible instructs women to let their hair grow long and men to grow beards and stop shaving once they marry.
Two of those arrested a week ago are the sons of the breakaway group's leader, Sam Mullet. He has denied ordering the beard-cuttings but says they were in response to criticism he has received from other Amish religious leaders about his leadership practices, including excommunicating people in his own group.




There are times that I see the bizarre where others don't and this article is one very good example.  These self-proclaimed barbers who are running around shearing their brethren are I'm sure, ignorant of the fact that their leader, Sam Mullet, has the name of a once a very popular hair style, the mullet.  Perhaps he saw it as a sign from God.


The mullet is a hairstyle that is short at the front and sides, and long in the back.  Often ridiculed as a lowbrow and unappealing hairstyle, the mullet began to appear in popular media in the 1960s and 1970s but did not become generally well-known until the early 1980s. It continued to be popular until the mid-1990.










For the full story see http://news.yahoo.com/hair-attacks-force-ohio-amish-seek-outside-help-170921965.html

Saturday, October 15, 2011

U.S. TROOPS IN KENYA? -- OVERLY CONFIDENT ME THINKS

PERHAPS THEY SHOULD HAVE FOUND OUT JUST WHO THEY WOULD BE FIGHTING AGAINST OVER THERE!  I'M NOT SURE THEY CAN WIN THIS ONE.....


 NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Why is the U.S. sending its troops to finish off a fractured band of bush fighters in the middle of Africa? Political payback for the quiet sacrifices of Uganda's troops in Somalia could be one reason.
President Barack Obama announced Friday he is dispatching about 100 U.S. troops — mostly special operations forces — to central Africa to advise in the fight against the Lord's Resistance Army — a guerrilla group accused of widespread atrocities across several countries. The first U.S. troops arrived Wednesday.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Protein Linked To Parkinson's Disease May Regulate Fat Metabolism

Protein Linked To Parkinson's Disease May Regulate Fat Metabolism

National Institutes of Health researchers have found that Parkin, an important protein linked with some cases of early-onset Parkinson's disease, regulates how cells in our bodies take up and process dietary fats.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

CREATIVITY IN PHOTOGRAPHY

This was recently posted by Irelynkiss to Pioneer Woman's photography assignment this week from Flikr.  It's a most unusual and creative edit.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

THE FIFTH DRAGON KING OF BHUTAN TO WED


 I LOVE A FEEL GOOD STORY AND THIS IS ONE OF THEM.  THE SIMPLICITY AND LACK OF POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE IS CHARMING IN THIS WORLD OF PUBLICITY AND FISCAL OVERKILL AT THE DROP OF A HAT.  
AS AN ANCESTRY BUFF HOWEVER I AM BAFFLED BY HIS SEEMINGLY EASTERN EUROPEAN, WANGCHUCK.  MY IMAGINATION RUN S WILD......IS THERE PERHAPS A ROYAL KING OF POLISH/UKRAINIAN DESCENT LANGUISHING SOMEWHERE IN THE DEEP AND SHADOWY RECESSES OF ROYAL CORRIDORS OF LONG, LONG AGO?
 
THIMPHU, Bhutan (AP) — Children composed poems of joy, flight attendants and bank clerks practiced celebratory dances and the airwaves were flooded with wedding fever as the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan prepared for the marriage of its beloved fifth Dragon King.
The ceremony Thursday, while far less star-studded than the year's other royal wedding — of William and Kate — will be no less elaborate in its uniquely Bhutanese way.
"It's the biggest occasion I'll ever see in my life," said Tshewang Rinzin, 27, a loan officer.
The couple will be married by Bhutan's top Buddhist cleric in the country's most sacred monastery fortress in the old capital of Punakha early in the morning at an auspicious time determined by astrologers.
During the hours of ceremonies, the 31-year-old king, Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck, will be adorned with royal scarves. His bride, 21-year-old Jetsun Pema, will present him a chalice filled with the ambrosia of eternal life that he will drink, and he will place a crown upon the new queen's head.
"It's a very emotional experience, a spiritual experience as well," Prime Minister Jigmi Thinley told The Associated Press.
Yet there will be no foreign princes, no visiting heads of state, no global celebrities, just the royal family, thousands of nearby villagers and the rest of the country's 700,000 people watching live on TV.
"The whole theme of the wedding was to keep it a simple family affair, that is the Bhutanese family," said Kinley Dorji, Bhutan's secretary of information.
Bhutanese have been waiting for their bachelor king to find a bride and start a family of his own since his father retired and handed power to him five years ago.
The Oxford-educated king is adored for pushing development and ushering in democratic reforms. His teen-idol looks — slicked back hair, long sideburns — his penchant for evening bike rides through the streets and his reputation as a laid back, accessible leader, also make him the rare monarch whose picture adorns the bedroom walls of teenage girls.
"He's lovable, he's kind, he loves his people, he always interacts with us, he always makes us feel like we are his family," said Anu Chhetri, 14, who often sees the king pedaling through nearby villages. "He inspires us. He's everything to us."
His bride, the daughter of a pilot, has been on an introductory tour of the remote villages of the nation since the king told Parliament in May, "It's now time for me to marry."
Buddhist kings had reigned supreme in the stunning, mountainous country until the current king's father established a constitutional monarchy and legislature in 2008.
The small nation of 700,000 people began slowly opening up to the rest of the world in the 1960s. Foreigners and the international media were first admitted in 1974, and television finally arrived in 1999.
Still, only 20,000 foreigners are allowed in each year on heavily supervised, expensive trips, and society remains tightly controlled. Bhutanese say the gently paced reforms have allowed them to keep their culture and sovereignty intact.
The country has not had a royal wedding since the fourth king held a mass ceremony in 1988 with his four wives — four sisters whom he had informally married years earlier. The current king says he will take only one wife, so the country is unlikely to see another such celebration for a long time.
"It's a moment when the entire nation is coming together," said Dorji Wangchuk, spokesman for the king.
Bhutanese TV has been running a wedding countdown clock as it repeatedly shows footage of the royal couple on tour, including a puzzling shot of the royal bride hitting putts on a golf course as the king looks on. Local radio has been broadcasting endless greetings from government agencies hoping the wedding will bring "more happiness in this land of happiness" and "the light of hope and aspiration to all couples around the globe."
Phub Dorji, a flight attendant for the national airline, Druk Air, has been practicing four hours a day for more than a month for a dance exhibition he and his colleagues will perform for the couple at a mass celebration Saturday at the main stadium in the capital, Thimphu.
"The king and queen and royal family have done so much for the people," he said. "We wanted to give something back."
Students have composed poems to the couple — "the brightest stars in the sky." Their images adorn traffic circles and buildings across Thimphu, and every other person seems to be wearing a button with their official picture.
Phub Dorji, 70, a retired soldier unrelated to the flight attendant, spent the relative fortune of 200 ngultrum ($4) to come to Thimphu for the wedding festival.
"I might die any time," he said. "I would have paid anything to see the wedding of the king and queen."
Now that the king is fulfilling their pleas for him to marry, many Bhutanese are hoping he will move on to his next mission: producing an heir.
"I'm eager to see the sixth king," Ugyen Gazom, 15, said with a giggle.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES UNCOVER RED FLAGS

Missing Baby Lisa Irwin's Parents' Statements Picked Apart by Internet Sleuths

 

By Carol Bengle Gilbert

Whenever the news reports a child's disappearance as happened with Kansas City, mo., baby Lisa Irwin last week, Internet sleuths set to speculating. The publicly known details of the case are passed around and dissected. Did the mother do it? Did the father do it? Was the kidnapping the work of a stranger? No matter the case, the thrust of much discussion is whether the parents who reported their child missing are trustworthy.
Internet sleuths are not privy to inside information. They parse through news reports and sometimes gossip repeated in the community where the disappearance took place, trying to ascertain the truth. One tool they use is statement analysis. That's a tool that's resulted in some pretty harsh criticism of grieving parents, including Lisa's parents, Deborah Bradley and Jeremy Irwin.
What Is Statement Analysis?
Statement analysis is taking a statement apart word by word to assess its truthfulness and completeness.
How Do Investigators Analyze Statements?
Premises underlying statement analysis include these:
* A statement based on experience has different characteristics than a statement based on supposition or imagination.
* A statement containing more than 25 percent to 35 percent extraneous information is not complete; a high volume of extraneous information indicates evasion.
* Changing pronouns are a strong indicator of deception, as is changing between use of a proper noun and either a pronoun or generic noun like "the baby."
* Routine actions presented out of sequence indicate deceit.
* Volunteered justifications are cause for suspicion.
* Changes in body language relative to certain topics of discussion is a red flag.
* Comparisons of descriptions before a critical event, the event itself, and the aftermath may reveal discrepancies in the level or quality of detail.

I HAVE ALWAYS FOUND 'SLEUTHING' FASCINATING AND THIS ARTICLE UNCOVERS SOME OF THE WAYS INVESTIGATORS LOOK AT A CASE SUCH AS 'MISSING BABY LISA' WITH A PROVERBIAL MICROSCOPE.  
THE ARTICLE CONCLUDES THAT THERE ARE MANY RED FLAGS IN THE LANGUAGE USED BY BOTH PARENTS.  TIME WILL TELL JUST HOW WELL THAT MICROSCOPE IS WORKING.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

OCTOBER SUNSET



 This is out my kitchen window after supper tonight and I thought it was so pretty.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

LADY

<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" bgcolor="#ffffff"><tr><td><a href="http://smilebox.com/play/4d6a63774f4463794e446b3d0d0a&blogview=true&campaign=blog_playback_link" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="303" alt="Click to play this Smilebox slideshow" src="http://smilebox.com/snap/4d6a63774f4463794e446b3d0d0a.jpg" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/?partner=smilebox&campaign=blog_snapshot" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="46" alt="Create your own slideshow - Powered by Smilebox" src="http://www.smilebox.com/globalImages/blogInstructions/blogLogoSmileboxSmall.gif" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td align="center">Customize a photo slideshow</td></tr></table>

9 Amish Men Sentenced in Safety Triangle Case

WARNING


IN ORDER NOT TO INSULT THE SENSIBILITIES OF THOSE WHO PREFER NOT TO BE SWAYED BY TRUTH I WILL ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION


 THIS BLOG CITES PASSAGES FROM THE HOLY WRITINGS BOTH HEBREW AND GREEK.


  I found the following article from Mayfield, KY interesting on a number of levels not the least the fact that Mayfield is in the area where my grandmother was born and raised before she came to Canada.  The terminology referring to a 'safety triangle' was what really piqued my curiosity in the first place.  My own picture from a trip to Manitoba in 2009 was unusable but the above is virtually the same likeness.


On the WEBSITE Amish Buggy Trivia and Information "The primary mode of transportation among the the plain people is the horse and buggy'" they do not see pin-stripping or solar-powered batteries attached to the top of the vehicle as immodest only the 'safety triangle' that's sole purpose is to draw attention to slow-moving vehicles to prevent injury and loss of life, NOT to draw attention to the driver or their lifestyle.  Some have questioned why this mode of transportation does not require license plates in some jurisdictions.
MAYFIELD, Ky. (AP) — Nine Amish men who refused to display an orange reflective triangle on their horse-drawn buggies have been ordered to jail for not paying court-imposed fines.
The men belong to the ultraconservative Old Order Swartzentruber Amish sect in western Kentucky. They object to the triangles because the bright color violates their modesty code.
The Courier-Journal reports (http://bit.ly/njcW9w ) that the men say paying the fines would amount to complying with a law they believe violates their religious strictures.
Graves County District Judge Deborah Hawkins Crooks sentenced the men Monday to three to 10 days in jail.
The Kentucky Court of Appeals in June denied the defendants' appeal on the misdemeanor convictions.


The other thing that interested me is the 'code of modesty' cited by the Amish as the reason for the conflict with the laws of the land.  A sorely needed 'safety code' aside, if they are standing on the Bible as their 'guiding light' in this case there are many overriding Biblical references of more substantive reasoning that would negate this rather flimsy, if not life threatening, stance.  
Jesus said to "PAY BACK CAESAR'S THINGS TO CAESAR AND GOD'S THINGS TO GOD".  Mark 12:17.  NOWHERE in the Bible does it say or even infer that it is okay to break the law.  In fact those opposing the law put in place by God would be taking a stand 'against the arrangement of God and actually taking a stand against Him' [Romans 13:1,2]  The only exception to that law is if it is in direct opposition to a Biblical command or principle.  The sanctity of life [Psalms 36:9; Psalms 139:16 and the principle of 'reasonableness before all men' [Philippians 4:5] surely trump the principal of  'modesty' here.
The tenet of modesty does more than dictate the usual connotation in the fashion sense but in the Christian sense it is one's demeanor as well.  Modesty is an accurate estimate of one's own self and limitations that aids in avoiding the dishonor that accompanies presumptuousness or boastfulness.
  







Friday, October 7, 2011

Europe May Have Less Headaches: New Neuro Migraine Device Approved

Europe May Have Less Headaches: New Neuro Migraine Device Approved

This looks promising for many who suffer from severe headaches.  I have a very good friend who is frequently debilitated by terrible migraines, it affects her job and interferes with family and friends.  I am always hoping that someday something will work for her.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

THE LAST COLORS OF SUMMER



At the end of the first week in October my flowers are still flourishing and with the little bit of rain today and perhaps tomorrow they should last into the second week and who knows how long?  I don't recall having many flowers much after the first week end in September.  I'm glad for the rain as the landlord shut the water off last week and it's a bit much hauling water up from my apartment.


Slow Cooker Venison Roast Recipe

Slow Cooker Venison Roast Recipe

I came across this recipe today and just in time for hunting season. 

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

You Just Can't 'Beet' This



This is a favorite 'around the house' shirt I wear often, it's baggy and soft and yet acceptable to answer the door in.  Last week as I finished up the fresh beets my friend gave me I happened to be wearing it and so to being very careful at suppertime I spread a napkin down the front.  All went very well I must say not even dropping a tiny bit on the napkin. 
The trouble began however when I put the dish into the sink and trying to rinse it I turned on the tap just a might too hard and 'SWOOOSH' !!  I swear every little red piece projected itself directly at me dotting the left side and sleeve with soon to be unpretty little dark pink spots.  I figured right there and then all was lost, wore until bedtime and left it to moulder all alone in the dark until today.  I had guilt feelings about it in the past 4 days thinking I should have at least tried to wash it out while it was fresh, oh well. 
Today as a last ditch effort I sprayed it with an old and trusted friend Shout and waited with unabated breath for the results. 
I show you with happiness and joy that I can still wear my baby blue shirt in public.  I hung it back lit for you to see that there are no, none, zip, and zilch spots of pink!~!
LETS ALL SHOUT TOGETHER!!

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

A friend of mine grows this plant every year and I think it is such a nice plant and even in October it struts it's stuff this year.  I must write it down because I can never remember what it is but no doubt some of you know exactly what it is and where it originates........hmmmmm????

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Killer cantaloupe, scary sprouts — what to do?



Rotting cantaloupes on the Jensen Farm in Holly, Colorado, USA.  This fruit alone has caused 19 disease outbreaks since 1984 and is particularly dangerous for pregnant women, children and the elderly and is to be avoided by these groups unless you know exactly where it comes from.  The outbreak of Listeria is new to cantaloupes and it actually grows in the coldness of our refrigerators. Organic affords NO protection against germs.  Read the many safety guidelines and maybe you will be like me and skip all that haggle and worry and not buy any until they can guarantee them to be disease free.  After all who can't live without cantaloupe?

http://health.yahoo.net/news/s/ap/us_cantaloupe_what_to_do

Saturday, October 1, 2011

LEILA--SMELL ME

This is quite the interesting story about a man who started his own fragrance line to reminded him of Norway.  Lacking any finances, his own self promotion is really the story here and it involves among other things a garage sale suit and a camera without film!


Norway in a bottle: Geir Ness fragrance represents home country - MinotDailyNews.com | News, sports, business, jobs - Minot Daily News

Friday, September 30, 2011

ODDS AND ENDS OF FALL

It looks like fall.
My geranium before the first frost.  Around here the flowers are at their showiness come September unfortunately the risk of frost starts as early as the first weekend  Those that survive go on to greatness.
A beautiful but windy day at Kenosee Lake, Saskatchewan.








Thursday, September 29, 2011

THE LAGGARD!!!!


 There are very few robins left and this one looks fat and sassy and ready for a long trip.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011


Bright and beautiful.  I can hear the sounds of  Canada Geese in the sky strengthening their wings and testing their GPS's but they really won't be on their way until late October.




Presbyterian church established in 1896 Whitewood, Saskatchewan.  My grandparents may have taken their children, which would have included my mother, to town for shopping in the years 1915-1927.





An abandoned bridge along side the highway in the Qu'Appelle Valley, Saskatchewan, a reminder of a time when they made things to last.



Tuesday, September 27, 2011

A PARENT'S LAMENT

 

“The biggest mistake I made [as a parent] is that I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs.
There is one picture of my kids sitting in the grass on a quilt on a summer day, ages six, four, and one. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night.
I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less.” — Anna Quindlen

Monday, September 26, 2011

NEW DISEASE ATTACKING FEMALE CHILDREN IN CANADA

First diagnosed in Canada in 2007 anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis has affected 22 young female victims.  Some of the cases were profiled on the CTV News last night and there is an article on their web page.  The symptoms are frightening and bizarre thus early recognition and treatment is of the utmost urgency.  The more the public and medical personnel become aware of this new disease the earlier it will can be recognized and the sooner intervention and treatment can begin.

Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (anti-NMDA-R) encephalitis is an immune-mediated syndrome that remains under-recognized despite a growing body of literature. This syndrome has been predominantly described in young females with a constellation of symptoms, including personality changes, autonomic dysfunction and neurologic decompensation. It is commonly associated with mature ovarian teratomas. We describe the classic presentation of anti-NMDA-R encephalitis in three dramatically different patients: Case A, a young woman with ovarian teratoma; Case B, the eldest case reported to date; and Case C, a young male with no identifiable tumor. We review the literature summarizing the differential diagnosis, investigative approach, treatment options and challenges inherent to this disorder. We advocate good supportive care, involvement of multiple health disciplines and use of immune-modulating therapies in patient management. These cases underscore the need for increased awareness and high diagnostic suspicion when approaching the patient with suspected viral encephalitis.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

GROVER CLEVELAND ALEXANDER

Line-Up for Yesterday
A is for Alex
The Great Alexander;
More goose eggs he pitched
Than a popular gander.
                                         — Ogden Nash, Sport magazine (January 1949)

Grover Cleveland Alexander was one of the greatest pitchers in history who played for two decades in major league baseball.  His story was on Turner Classic Movies {TCM} today in the movie THE WINNING TEAM portrayed by Ronald Reagan in 1952.  He won the 1926 World Series against the New York Yankees pitching as a St. Louis Cardinal in arguably his best game ever.
 Alexander was born in Elba, Nebraska, one of thirteen children. While overcoming the setbacks of epilepsy, hearing loss, and double vision, the man they called "Old Pete" compiled 373 victories, ranking third behind Young and Johnson.
 His biography is worth the read from history making feats on the mound to the answer why and how his eyesight and hearing were damaged.

Saturday, September 24, 2011



Now I can say I was in Stockholm!  Saskatchewan that is.  The marker notes the town was incorporated in 1905 as a reminder of those who settled here from Sweden in the late 19th and early 20th century.  Now it appears with an homage to the disappearing prairie icon that dotted the landscape for decades....the grain elevator. 

Friday, September 23, 2011

EARLY FALL IN THE QU'APPELLE VALLEY, SASKATCHEWAN CANADA


The scenery wasn't as advanced as I'd hope as I passed through thIS valley but there are a few trees starting to turn.  Likely the large amounts of moisture this year plus our lovely, very warm fall it may be a couple of more weeks yet before they show us their glory.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

TUESDAY SEPT 20/11

This is a Sphinx Moth genus ligustri
This is a much better image than the one I attempted to get last evening.  They are more difficult to capture than a hummingbird and often are taken for one because they have a long probe to get into the flowers.  I've only seen them in the fall and sometimes it was almost too dark to see them as try to get the last of the summer nectar.  
If I hadn't had to run for my camera I would have gotten a better one; they are gone within seconds and usually don't come back again. 

 Don't strain your eyes but if you look under the red geranium and seemingly attached to the black pot, there it is, just barely.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Our Healthy Eating Plate More Scientifically Sound Than Govt's MyPlate Say Harvard Scientists

Our Healthy Eating Plate More Scientifically Sound Than Govt's MyPlate Say Harvard Scientists

This is a very interesting and thought provoking article that reveals a rather large divide between the 'science' based observations of the government compared to findings of the Harvard group. May I also add a much, much more common sense approach as well. So just what is the government selling??? READ IT.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

SEPT 12-18 THE WEEKEND

SATURDAY--I had a satisfying morning doing 2.5 hours of volunteer community service which I do every Saturday morning as a rule.
After lunch and a rest I delivered the last of the bouquet of roses that you saw in yesterday's picture, including the not-too-handsome vase, to my friend's mother, an 85-year old dear lady who has been battling health issues for a long time.  We had a nice little visit and  I was happy to see that she is up and around on her own today while her daughter went home to her own place to get some fresh clothes.  The whole family, including some adult grandchildren, had rallied around dear lady for the last month some even coming from South America where they reside temporarily.  While it was nice to see all of them  over the weeks as a testimony to the very close family ties in this family, it's also sad because of the emotional realities of why they were here in the first place.
I came home and found that the chicken I put in the oven hadn't been reduced to a crisp, I peeled and reduced the second 6-lb bag of apples to applesauce, cooked potatoes and veggies and had a great supper including some of the hot apples for desert.
SUNDAY--Just before I left my apartment building today I suddenly became aware of a lot of activity in and outside.  EMS had arrived, the gurney was on the sidewalk, there two emergency vehicles out there already and I heard sirens in the distance.  I'm glad I was able to escape out the back and down the alley so I didn't have to go around the huge fire truck that arrived as well.  As it turned out my friend's husband upstairs was taken to hospital and I've heard nothing since but did see that their second son had arrived from out of town.  I hope all goes well for him.
That about wraps up my week and a very much needed holiday is on the horizon and I'm aiming to leave Wednesday morning sometime after my dental appointment.  I've made my lists and cleaned out my vehicle today and tomorrow will start getting things together.  I am hoping to get some good pictures during my time away and will keep this blog busy with the adventures of the day.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

WEEK OF SEPT 12-18 2ND PART



 FRIDAY--I wanted to just stay in bed today.  It's cloudy, cool and windy and I ached.  But I phoned a friend with whom I share aches and pains together in this kind of weather.  So I got some drive-thru coffee and sat with her in the living room enjoying the action of two small kittens.  Man they are crazy energetic little things and provide a lot of laughs.  By the end of the coffee and nearly two hours of confidential talk back and forth I left with both of us feeling upbeat.  There you go.....kittens and coffee to go make for an uplifting of spirits.  Of course the up lifting of spirits of the other sort would do the same but we stuck to coffee.
Afterwards I went to a local furniture store that also had a flower shop in one corner, to check out their supply of beds and chairs.  I left with a dozen gorgeous roses free gratis from Growers Direct  because, they told me, they could not sell 'last weeks flowers'.  WOW talk about being at the right place at the right time!  My day just gets better all the time!!!  What you see above is all that remains as I went back to my friend's place and gave her and her daughter who had come home for lunch, each a rose and continued around town and the nursing home until I was too tired to deliver any more.  It's amazing how one red rose can perk a person up and you get beautiful rewarding smiles.for your effort.  I got more joy this afternoon doing that tiny little gesture than anything I've done for a long time.  Giving IS better than receiving.
I'm trying to rest before I go out this evening for a special bi-annual meeting--if you notice me nodding off and drooling at some point poke me gently please.

Friday, September 16, 2011

MY WEEK OF SEPT 12-18--A PREVIEW

I've decided to post this today because this week already seems to be a lengthy read and I do not wish to bore you more than necessary.

MONDAY--My visit to the doctor this morning was helpful and I came away with some new ideas and dashed a few old ones as well.  I always learn something from her and it's great to be able to have a trusting relationship with you MD.  However it did lead to a trip to my local pharmacy and then to the ER.
As I was about to check in at the desk a very emaciated looking young woman wandered around the corner from the direction of the ER obviously in some kind of abdominal pain by the moaning and and bent over stature while waiting in between me and the lady who was already seated.  When the seat was vacant she sat down and I overheard her tell the receptionist that she was told by ER that she had to wait until her doctor was contacted before her request for an injection of pain killer could be given.  So she waited across from me in the waiting room with a lot of moaning and rocking while her male companion hid behind a coffee row paper trying to ignore her.  Soon she got up and went into the bathroom making very loud monotone wretching noises.  I've never heard such controlled wretching noises in my whole life.  While that was going on I overheard the desk receive an ambulance call that was 2 minutes away and an elderly man having breathing difficulties nearly ran over my toe with his rolling walker.  Putting all these things together and coming up with a long wait ahead of me I told the desk I'd return in an hour hopefully things would be much quieter by and went home.
It was indeed quieter an hour later, I got in within 10 minutes, received what I went in for and was home in much better time than if I hand hung around for the unfolding events.
TUESDAY--I made cookies--it was a good day.  I started to sort out the summer clothes I won't likely use again this year and replace the with cool weather duds. There is a frost warning tonight and when I went out for a couple of hours this evening I believe it.
WEDNESDAY--It's -3C and I will welcome the warm laundry room this morning.  Three loads and a hundred stairs later and there went the morning.  I had a few things to do downtown and after lunch I went to the post office, had my news glasses readjusted AGAIN..... she said I had a screw loose and after I thought that over I decided she must be talking about the glasses.  Then I ran the car through the automatic car wash and finally to the grocery store, picked out my groceries for delivery and was home before 2:30.  Apples were on sale which only means work!  I peeled and pared and sliced up one bag, threw it into the oven and being very very hungry I went out for an A&W cheeseburger [hold the cheese] because the cheeseburger had the root beer AND the fries where as the other coupon offerings didn't.  So I got what I wanted anyway on the cheap:D.  At home I pulled out the apples-near-sauce and had desert.  Later when it cooled down I pureed them, packaged them and froze all 7 cups.  I'm happy.
THURSDAY--It should be a quieter day........we'll see.
I was to have met a friend for our weekly visit to a friend at 9:40 AM this morning but due to a misunderstanding on BOTH our parts she failed to show.  I went for the visit anyway thinking she had been kidnapped, fallen into a sink hole, had a family crisis or a car accident.  Obviously it was none of those and when we talked later we both had a good laugh over it.  But something interesting did come out of it though.  While I was waiting in the lobby of the apartment for her I joined by a man that we waved at and said hello to every Thursday while he was waiting for his ride to get groceries.  I found out his name is Morley, with an e or without he didn't say.  As we chatted the inevitable subject that comes around is the effects of the aging process we all undergo.  He was more than willing to share and I wished my friend would hurry up!  He talked about the death of his mother in 1982 and stated that he had given her "great send off" because he buried her in a steel casket for $10,000.  I asked why he thought that was necessary and he said and I quote, "To keep her longer."  I thought about that for a minute and I asked the only intelligent question there could be to that statement "Why?" and he said matter-of-factly and without pause, "I don't know".  I'm not sure what I expected the answer might be but I thought it rather sad for him that he may have been duped and led to believe that.  I didn't think he would want me to go into a discourse on just how fast that natural forces occur in a steel box or not.  I excused myself and went to my appointment.
In the afternoon I took my car in for it's 5,000 k service and to deal with a problem I'm having with the brakes in reverse.  When I try to slow down they are as hard as a rock, unresponsive until I pump them hard.  It's happened three times over the last year and a bit scary every time.  They said they couldn't 'see' anything.  Hmmm. Well I made sure the it was fully documented in case I get into an accident sometime.
I had sometime to rest in between taking it in and getting it back before I had to get ready for my Thursday evening friends group.
The whole day was not as quiet as I'd like it to have been but everyone left at 9 PM then it was really, really quiet.

Hospital Births Saving Babies in China, Study Says

New data show that encouraging Chinese women to give birth in the hospital has contributed to a sharp drop in infant deaths over a 12-year period.
A study released Friday in The Lancet, a British medical journal, says that newborn deaths fell 62 percent between 1996 and 2008 based on analysis of 1.5 million births.
The study, co-authored by researchers from Peking University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said more babies survived mainly because women were increasingly giving birth in hospitals or clinics.
"In 1988, less than half of all women in China gave birth in hospital, but only 20 years later, hospital births have become almost universal," it said.
"Where you give birth really matters," said one of the authors, Carine Ronsmans, a professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
There were 24.7 deaths of newborns in China per 1,000 live births in 1996 but by 2008 that figure had fallen to 9.3 per 1,000, it said.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

WORLDBANK CALLS AFRICAN FAMINE MAN MADE

World Bank calls Horn of Africa famine manmade............the result of artificially high prices for food and civil conflict, the World Bank' lead economist for Kenya Wolfgang Fengler told Reuters Tuesday.
"This crisis is man made," Fengler said in a telephone interview. "Droughts have occurred over and again, but you need bad policy making for that to lead to a famine."
Some 12.4 million people in the Horn of Africa - including Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti - are affected by the worst drought in decades, according to the United Nations. Tens of thousands of people have already died.
Fengler said the price of maize, or corn, was significantly higher in east Africa than in the rest of the world due to controls on local food markets.
"In Kenya, the price for corn is 60 to 70 percent above the world average at the moment," he said. "A small number of farmers are controlling the market which is keeping prices artificially high."
The World Bank said Monday its Food Price index increased 33 percent in July from a year ago and stayed close to 2008 peak levels, with large rises in the prices for maize and sugar.
High food and energy prices have stoked inflation pressures around the globe, but the problem has been more acute in developing nations.
"Maize is cheaper in the United States and in Germany than it is in eastern Africa," said Fengler.
Somalia's two-decade long war is also seen as exacerbating the famine in the Horn of Africa.
Some 3.7 million Somalis risk starvation in two regions of south Somalia controlled by militant group al Shabaab, which has blamed food aid for creating dependency and blocked humanitarian deliveries in the past.
The group has accused the United Nations of exaggerating the severity of the drought and politicizing the crisis.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

JUST THE HEADLINE IS SUFFICIENT

Strong Activation Of Various Brain Sites Produced By Stimulation Of Female Genital Regions

That's a DUH moment!  When did the great intellectual brain 'disconnect' happen anyway?  This is not news.  The female brain or male brain for that matter has never been severed from sexuality.  The brain has always been known as the biggest 'sex organ' we have.  I don't know anyone who has had sex that would think there is no connection unless it's people who addictively pursue to 'study' what is already known by everyone.... well females anyway.
The following excerpt from the article makes the point: 


Nipple self-stimulation activated not only the chest region of the homunculus as expected, but also surprisingly the genital region of the sensory homunculus.......  Surprisingly???? Get a clue!!!

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

FROM EUCLID TO TEREX



 Curiosity got the better of me after I posted 'THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD' the other day so I had to check out what was written on the machines.  As I found out indeed the Euclid had now become the TEREX when GM lost the anti-trust suit after an 8 year battle in 1966 and could not sell under the name Euclid so they just changed the name to TEREX.   tThe Euclid line was to a Swedish company in 1978 and then became Euclid Hitachi and orange in color since 2004.  These just haven't worn out yet I guess.



Here's what it looks like as of last evening.  The building in the distance is a public school.


Monday, September 12, 2011

TELEVISION HARMS CHILDREN'S 'EXECUTIVE FUNCTION'--Pediatrics

Watching fast-paced, fantasy television programs like SpongeBob Squarepants may impede children's learning by compromising their "executive function", or their ability to pay attention, problem-solve and control their behavior, according to new research soon to be published in the October issue of Pediatrics.

Executive function is a concept that psychologists and neuroscientists use to describe a set of brain processes that helps people connect experience to action, and includes skills such as planning, organizing, paying attention, remembering details, and inhibiting inappropriate behavior.

Executive function helps us in many ways in our day to day lives, whether at school, at work, at home or in social settings. For instance it helps us make plans, keep track of activity and finish on time, "multi-task", reflect on what we try to accomplish and evaluate it, correct ourselves as we go along, take part in group and written discussions using past knowledge meaningfully, and modify our behavior according to social norms (for instance wait for our turn, not interrupt, show respect).

In a randomized, controlled study, psychologists from the University of Virginia in the US tested 4-year-olds just after they watched nine minutes of television shows or sat drawing for nine minutes. The children watched two types of show: SpongeBob Squarepants a fast-paced cartoon fantasy show, and Caillou, a slower-paced, more realistic public television educational cartoon about a pre-school boy.

The tests measured their ability to solve problems, follow rules, remember what they had been told, and how well they were able to delay gratification.

Lead investigator Angeline Lillard, a psychology professor in the University of Virginia's College of Arts & Sciences, wrote the paper with her graduate student Jennifer Peterson. Lillard told the press that:

"There was little difference on the tests between the drawing group and the group that watched Caillou."

She suggests two reasons why a show like SpongeBob Squarepants might interfere with young children's ability to learn and modify their behavior:

"It is possible that the fast pacing, where characters are constantly in motion from one thing to the next, and extreme fantasy, where the characters do things that make no sense in the real world, may disrupt the child's ability to concentrate immediately afterward," said Lillard.

"Another possibility is that children identify with unfocused and frenetic characters, and then adopt their characteristics," she added.

Although Lillard and Peterson express concern that watching such shows at the age of 4, where young children are at an important developmental stage, may damage lifelong learning and behavior, their study did not look at this, it measured only the immediate effects, and the children did not watch a complete show.

This, and the small sample size of only 60 children are "notable weaknesses" of the study, says Dimitri Christakis of the University of Washington in Seattle, in an accompanying editorial. He says the study raises questions, such as whether the effects it found are permanent, and whether the age of the children matters, but does not answer them.

Another point he raises is that the amount of exposure may also be an issue: does watching an incomplete show have an effect? And how might the other programs children watch influence this?

However, Lillard urges parents to bear their findings in mind when they allow their young children to watch television.

"Parents should know that children who have just watched SpongeBob Squarepants, or shows like it, might become compromised in their ability to learn and behave with self-control," said Lillard.

"Young children are beginning to learn how to behave as well as how to learn. At school, they have to behave properly, they need to sit at a table and eat properly, they need to be respectful, and all of that requires executive functions. If a child has just watched a television show that has handicapped these abilities, we cannot expect the child to behave at their normal level in everyday situations," she added.

Lillard suggests parents help their young children to develop sound behaviors and learning skills by encouraging creative activity, such as drawing, playing with building blocks and board games, and playing outdoors.

"Executive function is extremely important to children's success in school and in everyday life. It's important to their psychological and physical well-being," said Lillard.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

ANOTHER WEEK

MONDAY--Thank goodness it's a holiday so I can stay home!~!
TUESDAY--Grocery trip this morning and my friend and I arrived in the parking lot just in time for her help me carry them in.  That'll teach her to holler hello from the other end of the building!!  I was a bit under the weather since Sunday evening so I welcomed the help and another day of not doing very much else.  Tomorrow is another day.
WEDNESDAY--I had a list by this middle week day and it started with laundering towels and some reading while I waited for that but also some stores do not open until 9:30 AM which always irritates the heck out of me.  The morning is half gone by then as far as I'm concerned.  Because we are having a late summer heat wave I watered my flowers and went off to a number of sales in various places and got some good bargains today particularly bacon.  I went for the $4.99 offering and came home with 2 pkg of another brand for 2.49 each and perfect for the intended purpose of rendering it all down to use the lard for my next cornbread adventure.  Another place had Campbell's Tomato Soup for .57 each.  Off to the health food store for quinoa, couscous and low sodium chicken and beef stock.  I came home and carried in my own groceries this time.  It was time before supper to do another load so decided to do my bedding.  Isn't it wonderful to climb into a fresh bed?
THURSDAY--the morning went well and had a nice visit with a friend but the rest of the day and Friday and Saturday not so much.
SUNDAY--I was out for this morning and a stop at the grocery store is about all the excitement for me today unless the football game says otherwise.  It has been so crazy hot this week and it's still 31C near to 5 PM.  I can't seem to get myself out for a walk but by tomorrow they say it will be only be 16C and a very fast end to summer so I won't have any excuses anymore.  I do love the fall because it will be cool enough to use the oven and whittle down  a pile of recipes waiting for me on the counter.