I Couldn't Have Said It Better Myself

In lieu of posting my own today, I urge you to read this. Not only was this a word in season, it reflects how I so often feel when dealing with my own strong-willed children.

In case you ever noticed that I linked to you, Jenny, thank you.

Alternative to Flu Vaccine & Off my Duff!

Here's an interesting article on Dr. Mercola's blog about a study that was done on mice about how exercise may help prevent and/or cure the flu. Besides, the flu vaccine apparently doesn't even work, anyway. Food for thought.

If you aren't convinced about the potential dangers of vaccines, I am sure you would still be interested in finding out a safer alternative.

On a related note, I actually got quite a bit of exercise today, myself. I've been noticing a certain softness about my middle of late, and a certain jiggle to my thighs. Not flab, exactly, since my current weight is at the low end of what would be considered healthy for me. Just a total lack of definition.

When we lived at the camp, I used to take walks with the kids several times a week--usually only slowing down a little in winter, as our summer-village road was kept fairly snow-free, often being cleared even before many places in the town of Sylvan Lake were. I've really missed this here in Peace River. We live on top of a hill. A really looong, STEEP hill. So, I can either go for a walk around the neighbourhood--and it's pretty tough to get your heartrate up in a block and a half, unless you do it eight times, but the kids tend to whine about silly things like boredom when you try that trick--or walk downtown. Down the long, steep hill.

Well, today I said "To heck with it! I will not have a soft keester, 90% grade be darned!", and me and the kids walked downtown. It took the better part of an hour (and that was down!). We went to A&W for burgers (yes, the irony of that is apparent to me--but it's one of our "big treats" with the kids, and they love it. And Jude can say "double-u", which is way too cute.), then went to the pet store and saw the fish and bunnies, then went to Riverside Park to the playground, which from a distance had looked quite nice, but I noticed it was a little overgrown and poorly-maintained when we arrived there. Oh, well, the kids had a blast.

Then we made the VERY long, VERY steep walk back UP the hill! Jude was such a trooper--he was the only child walking, as I was pushing the other two in the double stroller. But he did really well, not complaining at all. We just stopped to rest a time or two.

As the name implies, Peace River is built in a river valley. It's gorgeous. However, it's not a broad, gently-sloping river valley with lots of room for industry, downtown, and residential areas such as Red Deer. Peace River is all about retaining walls. And steeply-sloped yards. And lots of stairs. In fact, we are kind of a rarity in that both our front and back yards are flat.
This photo is of some access stairs near the bottom of the long, steep hill to the residences on a different hill behind it.---->

On our walk down the hill, it was interesting to see the differences in levels of care people take with their yards. Sloped yards have lots of landscaping potential, I've always thought. We saw some gorgeous gardens. This one made me want to step in and run away with the faeries again. It was all stepping stones, faux-randomly placed plants of varying colours and sizes under large, overshadowing trees. Especially on the way down, earlier in the day. (By the time I took these photos on our way home, the sun was slanting right in.) Contrast that with the yard three houses previously that looked like it hadn't been mown all summer, the daisies are running rampant (where they aren't being choked out by the weeds), and the mums looked like they had seen their better, happier days. I'm thinking a gardener USED to live there, but whoever the current occupant is couldn't be bothered with yardwork. So sad. The yard has so much potential.

By the way, to all of those of you who have asked me "Is there anything you DON'T do?" I would have to say, I'm not really a gardener. Oh, sure, I can buy a few bedding plants, put them in pots, and water them. I can weed, on occasion. I can help things grow. But to actually conceptualize a garden, to know just where to put the juniper, and the flagstones, and the beautiful stone sculpture (which I didn't take a picture of, but I was in awe none-the-less), and the daisies and glads and mums and all the other plants and bushes and accessories so that it looks like a cohesive whole, and each plant is happy where it lives--that is an art I have not been able to wrap my head around. I love gardens, as you can tell, and I have dreams of someday having my own little magical faerie kingdom to retreat to, but it will have to be created by someone I hire--I'll do all the enjoying, if someone else does the creating.

Oh, and last night after I got off the computer, I went out to check the mail before the rain hit, and look at this REALLY COOL photo I got of a double-arc rainbow on the hill behind our house. This was taken around dusk--at like, 11:30!



Well, I'm off to nurse my blisters--but at least my duff is getting tough! 'Night, all!

Serendipity--Knitting Post

Today, I was knitting outside watching the boys play in the backyard, and look what I discovered by accident:

When my ball of yarn accidentally fell in the cup-holder, I realized that this was a great way to keep it out of the way, and to prevent tangles. Bonus!

By the way, this is the little lace dress I've been working on--and designing on the fly. Yup, you got it, no pattern here. Either I'm crazy or a knitting genius. Don't tell me which you think it is. Oh, and please no comments on the different dye lots apparent in the skirt. I meant to do that, right?

Here are the other projects I have just completed:


Sweater for Noah. I'm hoping I can stretch the sleeves in blocking, to prolong wearability. Also, the hood, since it's too short. (Hah! Thanks to Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, I now know what "blocking" is!) Made from Sirdar Denim Sport. Hoping it will soften a bit in the wash, as Noah finds it a bit scratchy, I think. Of course, it probably didn't help that it was about 30 degrees C when I made him put it on for this photo! (This pattern was originally written for Lion Brand Microspun, and although I've made it three times, I've never used that yarn for it. It was featured in the premiere issue of Knit It!, and the first two times I made it was a baby sweater for Jude in lime green, which all of my boys have worn, and another baby sweater in the same size in variegated purple, green and blue yarn for my niece Kayla.)


Duck baby blanket from Bernat Baby Boucle. The pattern was on the sleeve of one of the balls of yarn, and too cute to pass up. This is my first foray into Intarsia Knitting (for the uninitiated, this means knitting colour patterns in designated areas, rather than carrying the yarn behind the fabric). I have to say, I did not enjoy it. Way too many little strings and balls of yarn to keep straight. I think my next challenge will be more to do with stitch pattern than colour.

'Kay, lightning storm's a-comin', and I gotta shut off the 'puter. Have a great night, all!

I'd Rather Be...

Well, the last mini-poll was my most-voted-on-by-far. Thank you to those who made it fun, even if you put a ridiculous number of votes on everything on there. Good to see you are well-rounded--either that or you can't make up your mind! ;-)

I'd Rather Be:

Camping: 6 - I could vote for this one right now. It's just way too hot to be in a house.

Knitting: 0 - (Dang, I forgot to vote on that one when I was in a knitting mood!)

Golfing: 13 - Hmmm...wonder who voted for golfing TEN TIMES?! You WON, already, okay?

Blogging: 0 - Admittedly, it was a little silly to put this one in here, since anyone reading it already was blogging!

Scrapbooking: 4 - I'm pretty sure the first 3 were me. Pretty sure the last one was Christa. C'mon, I know I have more scrapbookers than that reading this blog! 1 in 4 families in America has a scrapbooker in it! Stand up and be counted already!

Gaming: 1 - 'Kay, I have no idea who this was. One lone gamer who didn't want to be left out.

Playing poker: 12 - This was seriously skewed, too, but by several ISPs. Apparently, there are several people out there who feel passionately about poker. Okay, obviously, there are more than several people, since it's like this whole nation continent-wide phenomenon, but at least a few of them actually voted here.

Reading: 3 - I meant a book, people!

Watching TV: 3 - So glad this number came out so low. Renews my faith in humanity. Okay, that might be a bit extreme, but at least my blog is more interesting than a television program to all but three people! (Not sure what that says about my blog from those three, though.)

Riding: 2 - Well, I guess it's not quite the pastime that it used to be.

Total votes: 44

I realize that I should have had an "other" for all those circumstances not covered here, but I figured that with the variety of options available, most people could find something they wanted to vote on!

Check out the new mini-poll, now in its new home in my right side-bar. For a great list of catch-phrases that have become part of the popular culture, check out this page. The list is so long, it's Inconceivable! Really, I needed about another 5 mini-polls to get a really great selection going. Oh, well, like my momma always said, life is like a box of chocolates: you never know what you're gonna get. Know what I mean, Vern?

Man, I'm baked. My skin is assuming the pinkish tinge of a lobster fully cooked. I'm heading to the basement to cut trim for my kitchen. (Let's get dangerous!)

You may wonder, is this wise? I mean, I'm a housewife, not a carpenter! For God's sakes, Jim!

Holy Quotes, Batman! Can Talena overwork this any more?

Hasta la vista, Baby!

(Apparently she can.)

Wrapped!

For my high school graduation, my wonderful aunt Mary made me an absolutely gorgeous pink quilt, all hand-stitched, with wonderful detailed work on it. I love this quilt. Apparently, so do my kids.

One of Jude's favourite activities is to run around the partition wall between the living room, dining room, and kitchen (with access out of the kitchen on both sides), dragging this quilt behind him, and with Noah hanging onto the back. This drives me crazy for several reasons:

1. Thanks to my ongoing-for-two-and-a-half-months-now-will-it-never-end renovation project in my kitchen, the hutch is pulled out far enough, with a jutting countertop at just the right height, that Noah often clocks himself on the forehead on the way by. Two-year-olds aren't known to really be in the habit of looking at anything above eye level, so this is really not all that surprising.

2. I don't want this masterpiece of craftsmanship destroyed by inadvertently catching and ripping on something on the way by. Or getting hopelessly stained by something that hasn't been cleaned off the kitchen floor yet. Or whatever else could possibly happen to it.

So, I have banned this particular passtime. (I know. I'm such a killjoy.) However, that hasn't stopped Jude from playing with the quilt--fortunately in a less-destructive manner.

The other day he wrapped himself up in it whilst rolling on the floor, and declared that he was a "chicken wrap!"

It gets better.

Today, he did the same thing and told Jason he was a "French Fry wrap!"

Where does he come up with these things?

This and That, plus Cream of Potato Soup

First of all, if you have the time, check out this five-minute video parody:

Town of Allopath --make sure you turn up your speakers!

---------------------------------

Next of all, this blog post on Dr. Mercola's blog surprised me with information that thimerosol, the mercury-based preservative used in vaccines, is still being used! If you're not sure why this is a bad thing, bop over there and check it out.

---------------------------------

Today, I had Naomi and her youngest daughter, Mikayla, over for lunch. (Hi, Naomi!) Lots of fun. It was short, but it was nice to have someone to visit with, even for an hour. Now that Jason is working at DMI, it means that I am vehicle-less during the day again, and it is easy to feel house-bound. It hasn't been too bad, since it has been summer and we can still get outside to play and go for walks, etc., but come winter it could get interesting. Hopefully we will be able to either afford a second vehicle by then, or find someone for Jason to carpool with a few days a week.

I have also been busy getting class outlines together for the scrapbooking classes I will be teaching at Scrap Away this fall. Scrap Away is the weekend event the Baptist Church puts on, which I was able to attend this spring. They have decided to move it to the fall, and Amanda and I are teaching classes at it. I am really looking forward to it, although I was a bit stressed trying to get all my information in, since I thought I had more time than I actually did. However, it's done, it's in, and I can breathe easier now. The Scrap Away link is where Amanda and I will be posting our class information and projects, so if it's not working yet when you try it, try again a little later to see what we'll be up to.

Anyhoo, as a final bonus (before I go get to work on the Scrap Away site), I'd like to post the soup recipe I made at lunch today. This is a super-yummy soup that everyone I've served it to likes--even my vegetarian grandparents! (Although I'm not sure if it dampened their enjoyment or not when I told them it was made with chicken stock. Homemade stock is really key for great-tasting soups. I'll post a recipe for that another time.)

Cream of Potato Soup
Recipe by Talena Winters. Serves 8.

2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 med. onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. cumin seeds
8 med. potatoes, peeled and diced into small chunks
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
8 cups homemade chicken stock
1 tbsp. Celtic sea salt
1 cup heavy or whipping cream
fresh ground black pepper, to taste

In a large pot, sauté onions in butter and olive oil over medium-low heat until soft. Add garlic and cumin seeds and sauté for another minute or two, then add potatoes, carrots, stock, and sea salt. Cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Turn off heat and blend in pot using hand-held blender, or run through a blender in batches and return to pot. Add cream and pepper, and serve immediately.

The Case For Saturated Fats (Previous Sidebar Post)

Politically correct dietary gurus tell us that polyunsaturated oils are good for us and that saturated fats cause cancer and heart disease. Such misinformation about the relative virtues of saturated fats versus polyunsaturated oils has caused profound changes in western eating habits. At the turn of the century, most of the fatty acids in the diet were either saturated or monounsaturated, primarily from butter, lard, tallows, coconut oil and small amounts of olive oil. Today, most of the fats in the diet are polyunsaturated, primarily from vegetable oils derived from soy, as well as from corn, safflower, and canola.

...Excess consumption of polyunsaturated oils has been shown to contribute to a large number of disease conditions including cancer and heart disease, immune system dysfunction, damage to the liver, reproductive organs and lungs, digestive disorders, depressed learning ability, impaired growth, and weight gain.

...The demonized saturated fats--which Americans are trying to avoid--are not the cause of our modern diseases. In fact, they play many important roles in the body chemistry:

• Saturated fatty acids constitute at least 50 percent of the cell membranes, giving them necessary stiffness and integrity so they can function properly.
  
• They play a vital role in the health of our bones. For calcium to be effectively incorporated into the skeletal structure, at least 50 percent of dietary fats should be saturated.
• They lower Lp(a), a substance in the blood that indicates proneness to heart disease.
• They protect the liver from alcohol and other toxins, such as Tylenol.
• They enhance the immune system.
• They are needed for the proper utilization of essential fatty acids. Elongated omega-3 fatty acids are better retained in the tissues when the diet is rich in saturated fats.
• Saturated 18-carbon stearic acid and 16-carbon palmitic acid are the preferred foods for the heart, which is why the fat around the heart muscle is highly saturated. The heart draws on this reserve of fat in times of stress.
• Short- and medium-chain saturated fatty acids have important antimicrobial properties. They protect us against harmful microorganisms in the digestive tract.

-Taken from Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, Ph.D., Copyright 2001 New Trends Publishing, Inc.,

For some great articles about the roles of different fats in our diet, please visit this page on the Weston A. Price Foundation site.

The Reason I Never Accomplish Anything

This e-mail from Christa arrived in my inbox last night, and it so epitomized how I spend every day of my life, I had to put it into here:

--------------------------------

Dear Friends, if you have been secretly wondering what is wrong with me, I now have the answer...

Recently, I was diagnosed with C. A. A. D. D. (Child Activated Attention Deficit Disorder)

This is how it manifests:

I decide to do the laundry. As I start toward the basement, I notice that there are Cheerios all over the floor and my car keys are in the cereal bowl.

I decide to pick up the Cheerios before I do the laundry. I lay my car keys down on the counter, put the Cheerios in the trash can under the counter, and notice that the trash can is full. So, I decide to take out the trash.

But then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox when I take out the trash I may as well pay the bills first. I take my chequebook off the table, and see that there is only one cheque left, my extra cheques are in my desk in the office/playroom, so I go to my desk where I find a sippy cup full of juice. I'm going to look for my cheques, but first I decide I should put the
sippy cup in the refrigerator to keep it cold.

As I head toward the kitchen with the sippy cup a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye - they need to be watered. I set the sippy cup on the counter, and I discover baby wipes that I've been searching for all morning. I decide I better put them back in the bathroom, but first I'm going to water the flowers.

I set the wipes back down and splash some water on the flowers, but most of it spills on the floor. So, I get some paper towels and wipe up the spill.

Then I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.

At the end of the day: the laundry isn't washed, the bills aren't paid, there is a warm cup of juice sitting on the counter, the flowers aren't watered, there is still only one check in my checkbook, I can't find the wipes, and I don't remember what I did with the car keys.

Then when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all day long, and I'm really tired.

I realize this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help for it, but first I'll check my e-mail.

Do me a favour, will you? Forward this message, because I don't remember to whom it has been sent.

Don't laugh - if this isn't you yet, your day is coming.

-------------------------------------

Just a few days ago, I re-instated my habit of writing lists of things I want to accomplish in a day. The only problem is, with kids in the picture now, I should really only put about 2, maybe three, items on a day's agenda. But it just looks silly to make a List only 2 items long. So of course I put more things on there, but then at the end of the day, I'm lucky if I've completed any of them, instead of wandering from task to task, working on each for a few minutes before getting distracted by the next.

The List has helped in that if I do notice myself roaming vaguely around, it can ground me by reminding me of what I actually wanted to accomplish that day. Perhaps with a few more days' use, I will find that the habit of working on the List will overcome the habit of being distracted by the Now, and at the end of the day I will once again be able to look with satisfaction upon the check-marks of several jobs-well-done.

Perhaps.

While I'm dreaming, could I have a pony?

Top 10 Reasons You Should Switch to Mozilla Firefox--NOW!

10. Because Internet Explorer is of the devil.
9. So is Netscape Navigator. (Okay, I've never used Netscape, and I know it owns Firefox--so my husband just informed me. But apparently it has all these weird ways of reading code that you have to work around when designing a web page. Just like IE.)
8. It's free.
7. Firefox is the only popular browser that knows how to handle HTML properly.
6. To save every web page designer out there a lot of headache, because they would only have to design for the best browser, not the other inferior ones. (Including me.)
5. You can open your blogroll in tabs, so instead of going back and forth to your blogroll links, or your bookmarks folder, you can open them all at once and just click through the tabs, closing them as you read.
4. You can open any link in a tab, which is a real bonus if you are on dial-up--you can open a link, so it can be loading, but not have to navigate away from the page you are currently on.
3. Block more pop-ups you DON'T want, without blocking the ones you do!
2. Firefox is faster.
1. It is the choice of professional computer programmers everywhere. (Okay, at least one--my brother, who got me started--AND I CAN'T THANK HIM ENOUGH!!)

Still not convinced? Read this article.

PLEASE! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD AND ALL THINGS HOLY! TRY FIREFOX!

Back In The Saddle

Well. We survived our whirlwind trip to Sylvan over the weekend. The reception went smoothly. We got to visit with friends and babies. And when the Oilers lost game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals, we were still about 45 minutes south of Peace River, with no radio reception of the game. Thanks so much for calling our cell phone to gloat, Dad. Nice. ;-)

There was so much that happened this weekend, I don't want to overload you with dumping it all in this one post. So, I will just touch on some highlights:

On Friday, we were "cruising the strip" in Sylvan Lake, and Jude looked at the water and said "River!" We explained to him that it was actually a lake, and asked him if he remembered when we used to live here. He didn't really seem to. However, later on in the day, when we were in Red Deer, out of the blue he says "Go to the beach and have ice cream?"

"Oh! Suddenly it's all coming back!" we laughed!

We managed to get all of our errands done, which was nice. Jason got Friday and Monday off, and having that extra day (Monday) really made a difference for how cramped the trip felt. We had arrived at Dad's late on Thursday night (2 a.m.--is that late, or early?) and spent most of Friday in a sleep-deprived, caffeine-sustained haze. Starbuck's was a nice treat that night. We had breakfast out at Humpty's in Sylvan Lake, stopped by the camp to see Jason's mom (she's the receptionist there), spent most of the day in Red Deer doing errands, came home to get more bottles for Jabin, since I didn't pack enough for the day (I'm out of practice being out all day!), had supper in Red Deer with Dad, stopped by Starbuck's, then came home and collapsed gratefully into bed.

Oh, I forgot that before bed, Dad taught Jude how to play Memory, and used a deck of cards as flash cards to drill him and Noah on their numbers and colours. They both really enjoyed it, and Jude is totally hooked on Memory now. It was also a great way for Noah to learn more of his numbers--he loves looking at numbers, and counting books, but does not necessarily remember their names.

Saturday I got to visit with my friend Christa in the morning, and see her new baby, Desten--a total chubby cutie.

We had lunch at Alberta Springs Golf Course with Dad and Jason (after they finished a round at Lakewood Golf Course), and the boys went and fooled around on the putting green for about half an hour afterwards. Jude had a little mini-putter that was still too big, and Noah had fun dropping balls in the hole and popping them out with the flag again.

Then, of course, Nick & Jen's wedding reception was in the afternoon, and it was so great to visit with family that we rarely see. We got to spend Saturday evening with our good friends the Guteks (Dawn, you should start a blog, because that would have been a totally great time to link to you, right there!), catching up a little here and there. Well, the guys were actually buried in the basement watching Game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals, but us girls and the kids got to catch up! We're trying our best to convince them to come to Peace River, "the land of milk and honey," but it's a tough sell. To anyone else, either. The great area, the beauty, the low cost of living, the cheap land, and the high income potential are all offset by the fact that it's really friggin' far away from Red Deer, family, and friends. If we had had another choice, we wouldn't have moved here, either, but now that we're here, it's just so tempting to stay forever.

Sunday we enjoyed a leisurely brunch at Jason's parents' house (Ang was there, too), spent the afternoon lolling on a blanket on the lawn, and then had dinner at Tony and Candace Virkamaki's in Red Deer. We basically ate all day. Is that called gluttony? If so, we are totally guilty. Of course, that's a pretty rare occasion. After dinner, we took the boys to the beach at Sylvan, because we had promised we would. They had SO. MUCH. FUN! I also got some great photos. Ironic that we moved away from the lake right around the time the boys were getting old enough to really enjoy it.


I was startled several times by what seemed to be a "jump" in Jude's maturity level this weekend. He was speaking more articulately, with more complete sentences, and a larger vocabulary than he seemed to be doing before. Also, he had fewer conflicts with Noah. (That last one has been made up for, and then some, today--something about being home, stuck inside on a rainy day, I think.) It may be that it was more noticable to me because we were out of our normal routine, and doing more together as a family, but it almost seemed like he reached a point where he just "clicked" on certain things developmentally. That seems to happen every so often.

Also, thanks to the long drives to and from, as well as visits with people where my kids were other-wise occupied, I was able to get a lot of knitting done. I finished a baby blanket that is a gift for a friend, fixed a mistake in sleeve length on a sweater that had originally been intended for Jude but will now be Noah's, and picked up a baby dress that had been stalled for, oh, about a year. I'll post pictures of these projects later, 'cause I haven't photographed them, yet.

So, a weekend of food, friends, family, fun, and several other words that don't start with an "f" so I'm not going to put them in this sentence. It was nice to get home last night, though. Not so nice "playing catch-up" today, but c'ést la vie.

Also, my computer-programming-guru of a brother pointed out a mistake in my template code that made it look all wonky to anyone who was not viewing it at exactly the same size I am. So sorry about that. I have applied a temporary fix that required I delete my cute footer, which bothers me, but the rest should look okay in the meantime. Hopefully, a "footer epiphany" will strike me in my sleep tonight, so I can put it back in there.

Quote of the Day:

"For people to judge a man's worth and his very manhood according to the way he feels about sport, and not to recognize it for the piddly, inconsequential goings on that it really is..."
-Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess, Northern Exposure, Birds of a Feather, 1993

(Sorry, guys. It was there. Okay, here's a better one:)

"I went to a fight the other night, and a hockey game broke out."
-Rodney Dangerfield (1921 - 2004)

Noah in the lake.

Do Not Adjust Your Monitor!

Yes, you are in the right place, if you be looking for the Winters Family Matron. (Matron makes me sounds so old, doesn't it?)

I have been busy as a bee, working on this template, and through trial, error, and sleepless nights, I finally figured out how to create it. I even found out that CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheet, which is the type of template that Blogger likes. Wheee! I've learned so much about HTML over the last week, my head hurts! All because I'm too cheap to pay someone else to do what I knew I could do myself. (That, and I like a challenge.) I'm sure I'll be tweaking it a bit over the next week or so, but I was so excited about it, I figured it was high time to go live.

Speaking of excitement, we are going down to Sylvan Lake for the weekend. Jason managed to get a 4-day weekend at work, thanks to the way the altered schedule there works. We are going down for Jason's brother Nick's wedding reception. (The wedding happened in April in the Bahamas, or some other such tropical place.) This will likely be our last trip down for the year, so we are hoping to make the most of it. I've got two friends with new babies to see, errands to do in Red Deer, and of course, a ton of friends and family to visit, if possible.

I told Jude on Monday that we would be going to visit Papa (my dad), and he's been counting sleeps ever since. He asked, "and Grandpa and Grandma, too?" meaning Jason's parents, and was pretty stoked when I answered in the affirmative. Too cool. It will be great when we can start having conversations like that with Noah.

Well, I better go get some laundry done, to get ready for the trip. Before I go, though, I would like you to meet my friend Christa from Sylvan Lake. This busy "oilpatch widow" just had baby #4, and just began blogging a few weeks ago. C'mon, welcome her to bloggy land and drop a line on her blog!

Quote of the Day:

"I believe in an open mind, but not so open that your brains fall out." -Arthur Hays Sulzberger

The "Good-Parts" Version

My favourite things about this last weekend:

• Sleeping a little bit late.
• Hanging out with Jason.
• Getting my kitchen project that much closer to being done.
• Playing with the kids.
• Watching Jason play baseball--in the rain.
• Noah's attraction to all the deepest puddles.
  
• Finishing a scrapbook page.
• Going to the Church Picnic and running in the three-legged race with Jay, (No, we didn't win, but we did okay), watching our kids be totally thrilled with the parachute games, and meeting new friends
• Going for a quick visit at the Berreths afterwards and seeing their baby chickens (the boys loved this)
  

Cream of Broccoli, Chicken and Cheddar Soup

This is what I made for supper last night. (Okay, okay. I know that I said Sunday is traditionally Rice Pudding night in our house, but yesterday was the Sunday School picnic, and we didn't get home in time for me to make that for supper.

It was super-delish, and thanks to the chicken in it, Jude even consumed about half a bowl, despite it's otherwise-greenish pallor that is usually the "Don't Eat This!" flag to the oldest child in our house.

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. butter
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 heads broccoli, stems and florets finely chopped, separately
4 cloves garlic, minced
4-6 med. red potatoes, peeled and diced in 1/2-inch chunks (amount depends on how thick you like your soup)
8 c. homemade chicken stock
3 tsp. sea salt
1/8-1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (depending on how hot you like it)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 c. whole milk
1 c. diced cooked chicken
1 c. shredded cheddar (organic is best)
1 c. whipping cream (opt.) or serve with sour cream or Creme Fraiche.

Melt butter and olive oil together in a large pot. Add chopped onion, chopped broccoli stems and minced garlic--saute until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add chicken stock, broccoli florets, potatoes, and sea salt. Cook on med-low heat until potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes. Blend in pot with hand-held blender, or put through blender in batches and return to pot.

Add cayenne pepper, pepper, milk, chicken, cheddar, and whipping cream. Heat gently over low, do not let it boil. Serve immediately with a dollop of sour cream or Creme Fraiche, if you wish.

(I will add Crème Fraiche recipe at a later date--this is so much yummier than sour cream from the store!)

Makes about 16 cups. Freezes wonderfully.

So What's Wrong With Soda?

Although I've never been a big fan of soft drinks, these beverages have been effectively banned from my household, for the following reasons:

• It increases risk of obesity.
  
• It contains extremely high levels of sugar, which is bad for you, or aspartame, which is worse.
  
• It causes tooth decay and bone density loss. (Due mostly to the amount of sugar it contains.) This also increases the likelihood of broken bones and osteoporosis.
  
• It promotes caffeine dependency.

For scientific proof backing these claims, please read these articles:

• Soft Drinks: America's Other Drinking Problem.
  
• The Amazing Statistics and Dangers of Soda Pop
  
• Each Daily Soda Increases Obesity Risk 60%
  
• The Real Dangers of Soda to You and Your Children
  

Health Nuggets

About Canola Oil
ADHD: Risky Treatment, Fruitful Prevention
Alternative to Flu Vaccine
Ants and Aspartame
Autism & Vaccines
A Word About Oils...

Benefits of Eating Eggs - Including raw ones!
Benefits of Homemade Mayo
Benefits of Superfoods: "You Mean I Don't HAVE To Be Sick?"

Breast Cancer: Racing For A Cure That Already Exists

Can't Beat the Real Thing - Eggs vs. Artificial Egg Replacement
The Case for Saturated Fats
Clogged Arteries? - Do saturated fats cause heart disease?
The Coca-Cola Myth--and the Truth - Why is it so bad for you, really?
Coffee and Tea: An Objective Look
Consequences of Sugar

Cook From Scratch--Fast!

• Part One
• Part Two: The Right Tools For The Job
• Part Three: What To Bring On Vacation
  

Dangers of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Dangers of Sugar

Diseases and Toxins:

• ADHD: Risky Treatment, Fruitful Prevention
• Alternative to Flu Vaccine
• Breast Cancer: Racing For A Cure That Already Exists
• Dangers of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate
• Diabetes Caused by Consuming Refined Foods
  
• Does Sunscreen cause skin cancer?
• Hazards of Chlorinated Water - find out how asthma and cancer are both related to drinking tap water
• How To Protect Yourself From Cancer With Food
• Is your cookware killing you? - Teflon vs. Cast Iron
• MSG - A Slow Poison Could this be a root cause in the obesity epidemic?
• Two Keys To Optimal Health
• Why do I need Vitamin D? - Does sunlight cause or prevent skin cancer?
  
• Will This Phage You? - about bacteriaphage on cold cuts

Diabetes Caused by Consuming Refined Foods
Diva Cup
Does Sunscreen cause skin cancer?

Eggs, Benefits of
Eggs - Can't Beat the Real Thing

Essential Oils

• The Scents of Heaven
  

Fat Processing: Extraction (#1 in series)
Fat Processing: Hydrogenation (#2 in series)
Fat Processing: Homogenization (#3 in series)

Hazards of Chlorinated Water - find out how asthma and cancer are both related to drinking tap water

Honey:

• More Benefits of Raw Honey
• Pass the Honey - Benefits of raw honey.

How To Protect Yourself From Cancer With Food

Is your cookware killing you? - Teflon vs. Cast Iron

Lipid Hypothesis - Is a low-fat diet actually good for you?

Microwave Ovens: The Curse of Convenience
Milk: Raw vs. Pasteurized
More Benefits of Raw Honey
MSG - A Slow Poison Could this be a root cause in the obesity epidemic?

Pass the Honey - Benefits of raw honey.

Raising a Whole Food Child In a Processed Food World
Raw Milk vs. Pasteurized - What's the difference?
The Real Scoop on Vaccination

Saturated Fat:

• About Canola Oil
  
• A Word About Oils...
• The Case for Saturated Fats
• Clogged Arteries? - Do saturated fats cause heart disease?
• Lipid Hypothesis - Is a low-fat diet actually good for you?
• Why Butter Is Better
• The Wonders of Bee Pollen
• Would you like a Side of Radiation with that? - on irradiated food.

Say No to Crack(le, Snap, and Pop!) - Why you should switch away from cold cereal. Alternative breakfast foods.
The Scents of Heaven - about essential oils and ways I have used them.
So What's Wrong With Soda?
Soy Milk is Unhealthy

Sugar:

• The Coca-Cola Myth--and the Truth - Why is it so bad for you, really?
• Consequences of Sugar
• Dangers of Sugar
• So What's Wrong With Soda?
• Sugar and Your Immune System
• Sugar: Root cause of degenerative disease

Sugar and Your Immune System
Sugar: Root cause of degenerative disease

Superfoods and Supplements:

• The Wonders of Bee Pollen
• Why do I need Vitamin D?
• "You Mean I Don't HAVE To Be Sick?"--Benefits of Superfoods, Ningxia Red (Goji Berries, Blueberries, Lemon Essential Oil)
  

Sweeteners, Natural:

• More Benefits of Raw Honey
• Pass the Honey - Benefits of raw honey.

Two Keys To Optimal Health

Vaccines:

• Autism & Vaccines
• The Real Scoop on Vaccination
• Vaccine Ingredients List
  

Vaccine Ingredients List

Whole Foods:

• A Word About Oils...
• Benefits of Eating Eggs - Including raw ones!
  
• Benefits of Homemade Mayo
• The Case for Saturated Fats
• Eggs - Can't Beat The Real Thing
  
• How To Protect Yourself From Cancer With Food
• Milk: Raw vs. Pasteurized
• More Benefits of Raw Honey
• Pass the Honey - Benefits of raw honey.
• Raising a Whole Food Child In a Processed Food World
• Say No to Crack(le, Snap, and Pop!) - Why you should switch away from cold cereal. Alternative breakfast foods.
• Why Butter Is Better
• Why Sprout?
• The Wonders of Bee Pollen
• Would you like a Side of Radiation with that? - on irradiated food.

Why Butter Is Better
Why do I need Vitamin D?
Why is Alphalpha Toxic?
Why Not Soy Formula?
Why Sprout?
Will This Phage You? - about bacteriaphage on cold cuts
The Wonders of Bee Pollen
Would you like a Side of Radiation with that? - on irradiated food.

"You Mean I Don't HAVE To Be Sick?"--Benefits of Superfoods

My Recipes

Apple & Cranberry Cider, Mulled
Apricot Old-Fashioned Jam

Baked Beans
Banana-Nog
Banana-Nog, Chocolate
Banana Oatmeal Cookies
Basic Beans
Basic Brown Rice
Basic Quick Mix
Bean-and-Cheese Panbread
Beet Soup, "Inspired by Borscht"
Beet Soup, Minted Coconut

Beverages:

• Buttermilk
• Ginger Ale
  
• Hot Chocolate, Guilt-Free
• Kefir
• Melted Creamsicle Tea
• Mulled Cranberry Apple Cider
  
• Shake formula
• Summer Strawberry or Peach Smoothie
  

Biscuits, Quick Mix
Black Currant Old-Fashioned Jam
Blueberry Old-Fashioned Jam
Bread, Whole Wheat 

Breakfast:

• Double Chocolate Whole-Grain Pancakes
  
• Fancy Scrambled Eggs
• Fruity Breakfast Pizza
  
• Shake formula
• Sprouted Hot Cereal (porridge)
  
• Talena's Pancake Recipe (soaked)
• Quick Mix Pancakes (Whole Grain or Pumpkin Spice)
  

Buttermilk

Caramelized Onion & Garlic Portabellas
Carrot Spice Muffins
Cheesy Garlic Bread
Cheesy Tomato Bread
Cherry Old-Fashioned Jam
Chicken and Wild Rice Soup, Hearty 
Chicken Poppyseed Rotini
Chicken Stock
Chocolate Banana-Nog
Chocolate Gingerbread Cake (with pumpkin!)
Chocolate Gingerbread Muffins (Quick Mix)
Coconut Macaroons
Coconut Beet Soup, Minted
Cranberry Apple Cider, Mulled

Condiments:

• Crème Fraiche
• Mayo Recipe
• Spiced Cranberry Sauce

Cookies:

• Banana Oatmeal Cookies
• Coconut Macaroons
  

Cottage Cheese

Cranberry:

• Fruit Stuffing
  
• Spiced Cranberry Sauce
• Turkey & Cranberry Quesadillas

Cranberry Sauce, Spiced
Cream of Broccoli, Chicken and Cheddar Soup
Cream of Celery and Potato Soup
Cream of Potato Soup
Crème Fraiche

Cultured Milk Products:

• Buttermilk
• Cottage Cheese
  
• Crème Fraiche
• Kefir
• Whey (& Cream Cheese)
• Yogurt Recipe

Curried Carrot Soup

Desserts:

• Chocolate Gingerbread Cake
• Summer Strawberry or Peach Pops
  
• Rice Pudding - with Brown Rice.

Double Chocolate Whole-Grain Pancakes

Egg-Nog

Fall Bounty Yam and Apple Soup
Fancy Scrambled Eggs
Formula For a Perfect Salad
Fruit Stuffing
Fruity Breakfast Pizza

Garlic Bread, Cheesy
Ginger Ale

Hearty Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Hot Chocolate, Guilt-Free - made with raw honey

Kefir

"Inspired by Borscht" Beet Soup
Italian Turkey Soup

Main Dishes:

• Basic Beans
• Fancy Scrambled Eggs
  
• Sweet & Sour Meatballs (or Sausages)
• Quesadillas, Turkey & Cranberry
  

Mayo Recipe - Oh, so much better than the store-bought kind--and only takes minutes to make!
Melted Creamsicle Tea
Minted Coconut Beet Soup

Muffins:

• Carrot Spice, Quick Mix
• Chocolate Gingerbread Muffins (Quick Mix)
• Raisin Spice Muffins (Quick Mix)
  

Mulled Cranberry Apple Cider
Mulligatawny Soup

Naturally Sweetened Whipped Cream

Old-Fashioned Jam (Black Currant, Apricot, Cherry, and Blueberry)
Oven-Roasted Squash, Garlic and Apple Soup

Panbread Crust, Quick Mix
Panbread, Bean-and-Cheese
Pancakes, Double Chocolate Whole-Grain
Pancakes, Talena's Whole-Grain (soaked)
Pancakes, Quick Mix
Peanut Butter and ? Sandwich Ideas
Penne Pasta in Juniper Rosa Sauce
Playdough - Just for fun!

Preserves:

•  Old-Fashioned Jam (Black Currant, Apricot, Cherry, and Blueberry)

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes, Quick Mix
Purple Purée

Quesadillas, Turkey & Cranberry

Quick Mix:

• Basic Quick Mix
• Bean-and-Cheese Panbread
• Carrot Spice Muffins
• Chocolate Gingerbread Muffins
  
• Quick Mix Biscuits
• Quick Mix Pancakes (Whole Grain or Pumpkin Spice)
• Quick Mix Panbread Crust
• Raisin Spice Muffins
  

Raisin Spice Muffins
Red Lentil Soup 


Rice:

• Basic Brown Rice
• Rice Pilaf
• Rice Pudding

Rice Pilaf
Rice Pudding - with Brown Rice.

Sandwiches:

• Cheesy Garlic Bread
• Cheesy Tomato Bread
• Peanut Butter and ? Ideas
  
• Tuna and Cheese Melts
  

Shake formula

Sides:

• Basic Beans
• Basic Brown Rice
• Caramelized Onion & Garlic Portabellas
  
• Formula For a Perfect Salad
• Fruit Stuffing
  
• Rice Pilaf

Soups:

• Cream of Broccoli, Chicken and Cheddar Soup
• Cream of Celery and Potato Soup
• Cream of Potato Soup
• Curried Carrot Soup
• Fall Bounty Yam and Apple Soup
• Hearty Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
• "Inspired by Borscht" Beet Soup
• Italian Turkey Soup
• Minted Coconut Beet Soup
  
• Mulligatawny Soup
• Oven-Roasted Squash, Garlic and Apple Soup
• Red Lentil Soup
  

Spiced Cranberry Sauce
Sprouted Hot Cereal (porridge)

Stocks:

• Chicken Stock
• Turkey Stock
  

Stuffing, Fruit
Summer Strawberry or Peach Smoothie and Freezer Pops
Sweet & Sour Meatballs (or Sausages)

Talena's Pancake Recipe - Made with soaked/sprouted whole wheat flour.
Tuna and Cheese Melts
Turkey & Cranberry Quesadillas
Turkey Soup, Italian
Turkey Stock

Whey (& Cream Cheese) - use whey for all kinds of sprouted and lacto-fermented dishes.
Whipped Cream, Naturally Sweetened
Whole Wheat Bread
Wild Rice Soup, Hearty Chicken and

Yogurt Recipe - (Yogourt, Yoghurt)

Most of the recipes here are my own creations. I don't mind you sharing, but please give credit. Include the following on any recipe you forward or print out:

© 2006 Talena Winters. All rights reserved.

The Age of Innocence

I'm still completely frustrated by the right sidebar on my other blog, and since only two of my three kids are sleeping, meaning I can't go nap off the frustration myself, I've been consoling myself by reading other people's blogs, but then decided it's high time I wrote something myself.

Yesterday, it rained all day. However, I didn't feel this was a big loss, since I was so overtired from only getting about four hours sleep the night before.

By the way, the first night of my concerted effort was a so-so success. I was almost in bed by 12:03, then remembered a mistake I made in my blog entry in reference to the Princess Bride that certain members of my family would probably have thrown the ignorance of into my face until the day I die politely corrected me about, so I came and fixed it quickly and was laying in bed at 12:18 a.m. Not bad, I thought. At 1:45 a.m., I was remembering the "See Talena toss and turn for an hour and a half" line in my blog and wondering if I had spoken that into existence, or what. However, I determined to just stay in bed no matter now long it took to fall asleep, and blissfully, sleep did come not long after that.

The next night? Let's not talk about it.

But LAST night I got about eight hours of (non-continuous) sleep! I wish Jabin would just make up his mind that he can sleep for 11 to 12 hours straight every night, and not just once a week or so. I guess I should just be thankful for what I get, but waking up with the sun (which is around 4 a.m. up here) is getting old. And so am I, apparently, because when I was younger, surviving on 6 hours of sleep a night was just something I did, all the time, with no afternoon nap to buoy up my flagging energies, and no caffeine addiction, either. I didn't even like pop. (I will confess to the occasionaly chocolate bar. Oh, and I was rather fond of chocolate milk, although that indulgence was also sporadic.)

Anyways, today the sun! the glorious sun! is shining, and little white puffy clouds are dotting the sky like cotton balls on a sapphire-coloured blanket, and I hear the green, green grass and the trees calling me. So, as soon as the boys wake up, I think we will go for a walk.

We went for a walk on Wednesday, and the boys played for a while at a little grassy park about a block away from here for over half an hour. On one side, it has a rather large clump of poplars, carraganna bushes, and underbrush that the boys were whacking with their "swords", and attacking the "monsters" that came issuing forth. (I love that Jude's imagination is really becoming apparent, now.)

When I was a girl, one of my favourite things to do was to walk in the trees. On our acreage, we only had one thin treeline that ran the length of the east side, but I would walk down the paths the horses had made for shade and shelter, straight down the middle, and pretend I was in a huge forest with faeries and wood nymphs under every leaf and on every branch. I was a princess in a world of my own making, with magical flying talking horses, beautiful dresses, and handsome prince charmings. I even had magical powers myself, and could morph into any creature I wanted.

What a wonderful thing imagination is. Even now, when the sun is shining, and I stick my head into the trees, I can almost hear the faeries calling my name...

I hope my boys continue to have active imaginations. What a great tool.

And thank you, Lord, that my imagination--and my remembered fantasyland--are both still active. Thank you for reminding me a bit about the wonders of being a child, when everything is still magical and not explained away by technical-sounding scientific terms.

Thank you for the age of innocence.

The Mighty Peace, taken on Wednesday.

Just a Quickie

I've had all these wonderful posts rattling around in my head the last few days, but sadly, have not had time to do them. Ironically, I have been spending as much time, or more, in front of my computer, but it's because I've been working on this, my business blog template. And I am getting SO FRUSTRATED! It's supposed to have a right sidebar, which I can't seem to make appear. Also, the footer is on a holiday somewhere, too, even though the code all seems to be sitting there nicely, just like it's supposed to.

No wonder I didn't become a computer programmer.

Hmmm, I wonder if I know any programmers? Personally, perhaps? One who would give me free tech support over the phone? *wink at my brother*

Have a great day!

P.S. Tell me what you guys think of the new look of my business blog. Guess what: changes are also coming here, soon and very soon!

Eclectica

I'm trying to blog this morning, and my hands are flippin' FREEZING so bad that I keep making typos that shouldn't be made 'cause I can barely move my fingers. However, I'm too flippin' CHEAP to go turn up the furnace, even though the day is overcast and the house not likely to warm up anytime soon.

It's June, goshdarnit! I shouldn't have to be relying on a furnace for heat in June!

This morning, Mark and Colleen packed their bags and headed south to warmer pastures. Okay, so chances are it will not be any warmer, and most likely it will be cooler, in Sylvan Lake where they are headed. (Something about this little town being located in a weird weather belt extending from the mountains. They always get more snow and rain than most other places in Alberta, except for other towns located deeper in the same belt.) Anyways, they had been staying here since Sunday night, on their way through from the REAL Far North, Yellowknife. (Not to be confused with the FAR, FAR North, Inuvik, or even Kugluktuk!) Yep, Canada is really flippin' big.

"Flippin'" is a word I'm favouring this morning.

Speaking of Kugluktuk, that reminds me that I know a young couple about our age, Timothy and Angela Jeske, who serve up there as missionaries for the PAOC. They are working as pastors there, serving the large native community. Drug and alcohol addictions are very rampant there. Apparently they have really been able to connect with some families through their kids church program. A couple of years ago, Timothy was saying that it costs over $1000 a month just to heat their house in the winter. That was before the gas prices got jacked so high! They can always use an encouraging comment, so if you would like to e-mail them, contact me for their address. (Sorry I couldn't find better links about them.)

------------------------

Okay, so it is now almost bedtime. The kids' movie didn't last quite long enough to finish this blog entry this morning. C'est la vie. Living my daily routine with the kids is more important than blogging about it, anyway.

I was relieved to discover tonight that I am not as sleep deprived as I thought. Although, apparently, I seriously need to work on the hours I am getting my sleep in. From this article on the same site:

Get to bed as early as possible. Our systems, particularly the adrenals, do a majority of their recharging or recovering during the hours of 11PM and 1AM. In addition, your gallbladder dumps toxins during this same period. If you are awake, the toxins back up into the liver which then secondarily back up into your entire system and cause further disruption of your health. Prior to the widespread use of electricity, people would go to bed shortly after sundown, as most animals do, and which nature intended for humans as well.

Of course, "shortly after sundown" in this case is actually NOT that far off of what I've been doing! Okay, okay--I have just told Jason that I am going to make a concerted effort to get to bed before midnight every night. Concerted effort. That's kind of fun to say. I hope it's as fun to put into practice. See Talena, tossing and turning for an hour and a half every night before falling asleep, cursing under her breath and saying "If I'm going to be awake anyway, I may as well be doing something useful!" See Talena, getting frustrated and saying, "To heck with it!" See Talena getting toxins backing up into her liver. Oh, well.

When I first started my radical dietary revolution over a year ago, one of my biggest frustrations was the grocery store. Or, should I say, "stores." No longer could I find nearly everything I needed at one store. It was difficult to find the full range of organic and healthful food in the small town of Sylvan Lake, even between the two stores there. So I would occasionally shop in Red Deer as well, "stocking up" on items only available from the stores there.

But by far, the most frustrating thing was the amount of time it took to go shopping. Learning where the food items on my new diet were located. Getting frustrated because it was only hit-and-miss whether they were in stock. Reading labels and labels and labels and getting sickened to the point of vomiting at some of the ingredients, which had now been de-mystified for me as to what they really were.

At last! A simple formula for figuring out if you should buy that bottle of barbeque sauce, or jug of orange juice! This article had two major key points on deciding whether something is a "food" (nutritious and good for you) or a "food product" (manufactured and bad for you.)

1. Did it exist before the year 1903 (when the process of hydrogenation was invented?)
2. Does it take large amounts of advertising dollars to sell it? (If so, chances are that large amounts of profit are being made from its sale, therefore DO AVOID! Real food, although more expensive than food products, has never turned anyone into a millionaire.)

Also, they say, if it comes in a wrapper, it's a food product, not food. I recommend checking out the full article. It's a quick, informative, but lightly-written read.

-----------------------

Cute Kid Corner:

Jabin is now at the "head-shaking" stage. Do all babies go through this? All of mine have, anyway. It's like they suddenly discover that if they shake their head back and forth repeatedly, the world moves in a crazy way, and keeps moving for a while even after they stop! And they can't get enough! Noah is still in this stage! Crazy kids. Oh, well, I guess it's cheap entertainment.

I've been noticing subtle things about Jude--difficult to describe--that tell me he is maturing. For one, his pronunciation has become WAY better. Despite the comment I received yesterday that perhaps I should get his hearing checked, I know it's just fine, he's just been very lazy with his words. We have been working with him on it steadily, and he has improved A LOT over the last few months. And he is continually surprising me with new words in his vocabulary, and new sounds that he is able to say. (What is with people's obsession at comparing their kids to everyone else's? So my kid can't SAY "clock" yet, but he already has a beginner's grasp of telling time! Does yours? Does it matter to me? Not two beans! Every kid is different! If he can't talk clearly at five, then I'll be concerned.)

Besides his improved speech patterns, his height has also been a dead-on giveaway that time is NOT standing still, as much as I may like it to. (Especially now that it's summer. If time were to really stand still, it should do it on June 1st. That's gotta be one of the best times of year, don't you think? Well, except maybe in Australia.) He is also occasionally becoming more considerate of Noah. Most of the time, it's still pick pick pick all day though. He's only three and a half. What do I expect, anyway? (Addendum: It has been gratifying to see Jude actually use his words more often with Noah though. I often overhear, "Noah, no! No, no, Noah!" Much better than physical force, and it usually prompts me to at least go and see what's going on. Without already being mad before I get there.)

For his part, Noah still hasn't really learned to stand up for himself when Jude is bugging him. He mostly just squeals. So annoying. However, he is trying to use words more often, although his pronunciation is absolutely terrible, and unless I really think about it, I don't realize that he's actually trying to talk. However, he is fascinated with letters and numbers, and it is so cute to see him reading his counting book, pointing at the numbers and trying to make counting words, albeit in his own little language.

I know I haven't posted pictures recently. I'll try to take some soon to get on here.

Well, this has been a rather long, eclectic post. And if I'm going to make good on my concerted effort, I better get going.

One last thing: Thank you Fence for the link to these Irish phrases. Now that I know that "fecking" isn't an only-slightly-less-vulgar swear than it's sound-alike counterpart, but is in fact a not-really-vulgar mild expletive equivalent to "darned" (which I use all the time), I think I'm going to make it a goal to use "fecking" in conversation this week. Oh, and call someone a screeching langer, just to see the confused look on their face. Irish is such a fun language. I'll just tell people I'm getting in touch with my Irish roots. (They don't need to know how watered-down they are, do they?) Tee hee!

Oh, and something else: I see there is a "war of the Rather Be's" going on with my mini-poll, including about 10 votes from someone who can't make up their mind. C'mon, everybody, give the golfer/poker player with a twitchy voting finger a run for his money! I'll leave this poll up until the weekend, and we'll see who is right, and who is dead. I mean, um, who wins. Cheers!

Would You Like a Side of Radiation with That? (Previous Sidebar Post)

I was not aware until recently that not overly long ago, the United States Food and Drug Association approved irradiating foods and spices (exposing them to radioactive waste materials for a period of time) to kill harmful bacteria and prolong shelf-life. Does this sound like a bad idea to anyone besides me? Here are just a few things I have soused out that also happen to irradiated food:

• Irradiating food can destroy vitamins, essential fatty acids and other essential nutrients. (This seems like a no-brainer.)
• Irradiation can change the odour, flavour, and texture of food.
• Irradiation disrupts the chemical process of everything in its path, not just harmful bacteria.

Not only that, but it encourages slovenliness in health and sanitation practices in slaughterhouses and meat processing plants, and there is no scientific research done on how much radiation is safe for human consumption (don't you think the answer would be NONE?!), or how it affects the human body in the long-term.

"Research dating to the 1950s has revealed a wide range of problems in animals that ate irradiated food, including premature death, a rare form of cancer, reproductive dysfunction, chromosomal abnormalities, liver damage, low weight gain and vitamin deficiencies." (Taken from Dr. Mercola's Site)

Yet again, this is another case where "money talks," because the research that the FDA approved this practice on did not even meet scientific protocols. Worse yet, these foods are often on our supermarket shelves, marketed to an unknowing public with little or no warning about their nature.

For more information on the dangers of irradiation, please visit this site.