Thursday, October 25, 2012

The Raw Truth

“Why are you doing this to us?”
Don’t worry, no foul play here. That’s the question I heard at the dinner table when I told the kids to eat their lima beans. I can think of worse things to eat. As a child, I was curious and didn’t mind tasting various foods. I’ve eaten liver, the dreaded brussels sprouts and several parts of a pig that I wouldn’t touch now.

I don’t know how I survived eating grade school lunches. Back then, my classmates seemed to have an unspoken rule for not admitting that we enjoyed any of the meals, even after grabbing  second helpings. Despite the school administration’s attempt to make the lunches nutritious, the vegetables still tasted awful. Many times they arrived cold, undercooked and flavorless. The school cooks should have skipped the cooking and served the veggies raw.  Most people probably prefer raw vegetables anyway, except in this video. Forget flavor, these people think certain vegetables are downright dangerous.  Take a look:

                                          http://youtu.be/MPMGqvLo7fM
I’m sure my kids would love to toss lima beans off their plates. Unfortunately, following our initial instincts doesn’t always cause us to choose the best option. What do you resist doing, but muddle through because it’s the wisest decision?        
 

Friday, October 19, 2012

Our Window of Opportunity

 My husband brought two avocados home from the store this weekend. They’re good in a variety of foods, the kids used them for guacamole. The only problem is that you have to eat it quickly because it has a short, refrigerator shelf life. I kept asking, “Hey, when are we eating the guacamole?” No one answered. I should have dived into it by myself. By the time we allowed the flavors to marinate, we couldn’t fully enjoy it. Instead of creamy green, it had turned into a mushy, brown mess which is what happens when a little air gets to it. My advice?  If you want it, eat it. Don’t play with the guac.

As we know, all good things change. Seasons change, family situations change and according to scientists, the world is changing, too. We discussed the wild December 2012 predictions in an earlier post. Now, scientists believe something odd is happening. Have a listen:



                                          http://youtu.be/23uwKo6vd0Y
Who knows what kinds of ramifications pole shifting will have on the world. Scientists, the military and lawmakers can’t prevent it. So, let’s focus on what we can change before our window of opportunity closes. What impact will you make in your world before the end of 2012?
      

Friday, October 12, 2012

The Alarming Situation

It is official. Autumn is here and you know what that means. Every morning’s chilly and grey skies start our days. Bliss is lying in bed under the warm covers minutes before the alarm clock rings. But, if you have to get up, you’ll need all your strength to push back the blankets and roll out of bed. Fall makes getting up especially hard and the Battle of the Sheets isn’t an easy victory. Of course, we offer a good fight by hitting the snooze button (several times) and vowing to get up in “two more minutes.” Kids and pets can be great motivators to drag us out of bed, but if you rise first in your home or live alone—good luck!

Many of us use some type of gadget to wake up, but those obnoxious alarm clocks fail to offer the real encouragement we need. Most alarm clocks lack pizzazz. Here’s a guy who donned his thinking cap and got creative:

                                          http://youtu.be/kQ-l5PlDa-k
If I had an alarm clock like that one, I’d have to blame my tardiness on something besides oversleeping. I could blame it on the concussion I would surely get from using that contraption. Barring extreme alarm clocks, what makes you leap out of bed, eager to start a new day?     

Thursday, October 4, 2012

The Dirty Truth

What do I dislike about housework? I’d say it’s the repetition. If the kitchen looks clean and the floor sparkles, turn your back to clean something else and within moments you’ll have a water-plashed sink and crumb-covered floors.  We should put a moratorium on our house. I’ll clean it from top to bottom and we’ll live elsewhere for several days. If you see the trees draped with yellow caution tape and a sign stuck to the front door that says: Just Cleaned! – Do Not Enter,  you’ll know what happened.

Not long ago my dear child watched as I emptied the dishwasher for what felt like the fiftieth time that day. My heart-warming moment came when I heard the precious words every mother longs to hear. I translated it as, “Mom, you’re so wonderful and I’m so grateful for all the hard work you do in our home.” In fact, the actual words were, “I feel bad for you.” I’ll accept that. Face it, we love to put our own spin on situations. Look at what happened in Texas:


                                       http://youtu.be/emPPKjyU_NI
The sign hackers thought their prank was funny, but local officials saw it as a public hazard.  It’s amazing how people can experience identical circumstances and arrive at totally different conclusions. For instance, consider the anchorwoman who responded on air to an email that criticized her appearance. When viewers commented, one person applauded
(yes!) the anchorwoman’s response, while another person called it “whiny.” What surprising comments have you heard in response to seemingly harmless statements or situations?