California and Oregon have laws banning trans fats in meals served at schools. California has now became the first state to ban trans fats from restaurant food, following several cities and major fast-food chains in erasing the notorious artery-clogger from menus.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation that will ban restaurants and other retail food establishments from using oil, margarine and shortening containing trans fats. Violations could result in fines of $25 to $1,000. Food items sold in their manufacturers' sealed packaging would be exempt.
New York City, Philadelphia, Seattle, Baltimore and Montgomery County, Md., have ordinances banning trans fats, but California is the first state to adopt such a law covering restaurants, said Amy Winterfeld, a health policy analyst for the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Read the entire article.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
States Passing Laws Against Trans Fats
Identifying Ticks - Lyme Disease
Tick identification is important. Everyone is worried about Lyme Disease. So how do I protect myself, my family -and my dog- from this terrible plague? Knowledge. Tick repellent. Tight clothing. Inspections. But what if you've done all that, and you still find an engorged tick? You need to be able to differentiate, or identify, between the different tick species to avoid unnecessary worry and unnecessary trips to the vet.
The tick that primarily carries lyme disease is I. Scapularis, also called the Black-Legged Tick, or the Deer Tick. The deer tick is very very very tiny, approximately the size of a fleck of black pepper. They are very nearly impossible to see on a dog, and can still be difficult to see even when engorged.
The common dog tick can range in size from very small, but clearly visible, to quite large. Then when they're engorged, they blow up like a big greyish/greenish blob.
Read the entire article and view photos.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Green Guide: Laundry Savings
Here's how to get clean clothes and leave a lighter eco footprint in the process.
Read the Article
Watch the Video
Take the Quiz
Calculate Your CO2
Source: The Green Guide - www.thegreenguide.com
More Bird Species - Less West Nile Cases
Here's proof that biodiversity is good for your health: Having more bird species present in a given area reduces the incidence of West Nile virus infection in humans.
That's the finding of a new study analyzing every U.S. county east of the Mississippi River where human cases of West Nile virus infection have been documented, and comparing each with a neighboring county where human West Nile cases have not been reported.
Applying statistical analysis while controlling for socioeconomic factors and how urbanized each county is, John Swaddle and Stavros Calos at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va., found that bird diversity and other factors related to the bird population could explain 50 percent of the variation in West Nile cases. "We were surprised by how high it was," Swaddle said.
Read the entire article.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Health Advocates Help
Currently, the health advocacy business is an industry with about $50 million to $75 million in annual revenue but only about a half-dozen companies of any significant size, said Richard Rakowski of Intersection LLC, a Connecticut-based investment and development firm that has researched the field.
But those numbers have grown from a few years ago, and it may be on track to become a $1 billion industry based on the demand for the service, said Rakowski, the firm's principal.
The field is blossoming in the wake of cutbacks in corporate health benefits, an overhaul of Medicare and other changes that have forced medical consumers to shop more for medical care.
More than ever, people need help negotiating the medical system, said Jessica Greene, a University of Oregon health policy analyst.
"We're asking consumers to make more complicated decisions, but the numeracy and health literacy skills of many consumers are not at the level needed to handle this new responsibility," Greene said.
Health Advocate claims to be the largest of these companies. Founded in 2001, it now has more than 3,500 companies, unions and other organizations as clients, including Johnson & Johnson, American Express and The Home Depot Inc.
Altogether, about 2.6 million employees, or members, are signed up with Health Advocate. But the number who can use it is actually higher: Members can share the call-in number with spouses, children, parents and parents-in-law — including elderly kin who need help picking a Medicare prescription drug plan, finding a nursing home or arranging transportation for health care. With all relatives added in, Health Advocate's membership as roughly 12 million, Fischer said.
Read the entire article.
How To Prune Tomatoes
When growing tomatoes, the ultimate goal is getting the maximum yield of crops, with the best flavour possible. If you're growing indeterminate or "vining" varieties, pruning your plants to remove unwanted shoots and leaves can be an important part of ensuring that all the nutrients are going to the fruit. Read the entire article.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Natural Burials - A Better Way To Go
The coffin, the hearse, the black clothes, granite memorials, burial gowns, drapes and, most of all, the job of the funeral director are all essentially a Victorian invention. More and more people are considering different sorts of funeral as an alternative to traditional religious services and cremations.
A modern natural burial is an environmentally sustainable alternative to existing funeral practices where the body is returned to the earth to decompose naturally and be recycled into new life.
The body is prepared for burial without chemical preservatives and is buried in a simple shroud or biodegradable casket that might be made from locally harvested wood, wicker or even recycled paper, perhaps even decorated with good-bye messages from friends.
A natural burial ground often uses grave markers that don’t intrude on the landscape. These natural markers can include shrubs and trees, an engraved flat stone native to the area or centralized memorial structure set within the emerging forest that provides places for visitors to sit. As in all cemeteries, there are careful records kept of the exact location of each interment, often using modern survey techniques such as GIS (geographic information system).
Planting native trees, shrubs and flowers on or near the grave establishes a living memorial and helps form a protected wildlife preserve. A completed natural burial preserve is a green place with trees, grasses, and wildflowers, which in turn bring birds and other wildlife to the area.
Get more information and find locations around the world.
Non-Toxic Flea Options
Fleas are a common concern for pet owners. Flea Powders Do Kill pets, but just because your pet is still alive after use of the chemical flea and tick products, doesn't mean their health has not been compromised.
Educate yourself a bit on this topic and choose a natural alternative.
Here's some links:
Spot On Flea Killers Not Safe
Eco Pet Care Resources
Fleas, Ticks and Mosquitoes
Parasite Proof Your Pet
Non-Toxic Flea Control
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Make Yard Safer For Family and Wildlife
Our backyards are our private spaces, but also part of a larger landscape we share with our human and wildlife neighbors. With the right tools and information, we all can do simple things to create a healthier place to live for our families, our communities, and birds, plants, and other wildlife.
5 Simple Actions Can Make a World of Difference
1 - Eliminate or Reduce Pesticide Use
2 - Conserve water
3 - Protect water quality
4 - Remove exotic plant pests
5 - Plant native species
Recycling, Reusing Newspapers Saves Millions of Trees
If everyone in the U.S. recycled just 1/10th of their newsprint, it would save approximately 25 million trees a year!
38.2 percent of our total waste is from paper and paperboard.
Recycling is great, but you can even get some benefit from them by reusing them. There are many things that newspapers can be used for around the home and especially in the garden.
View some ideas here.
Remember the old-fashioned school paper drives? Nothing says we can't begin doing that again!
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Hang On To Passion
by Donna L. Watkins
All photos remain the property of Donna L. Watkins and may not be republished without written permission. You may forward or use this copyrighted article on a website if you include the following credit and an active link back to this site:
© 2000-2008 Donna L. Watkins - This article was reprinted with permission. Visit the author's website, TheNatureInUs.com for more articles and free email subscription.
Link URL: http://www.TheNatureInUs.com
Hair, Skin and Nails
Hair, skin and nails provide a look at the inner health of the body. These outward "signs" can tell you a lot about the condition of your inward health. Often we may have problems with our skin such as dull skin, skin likely to break out in blotches or skin that dehydrates easily. All of these problems and many more indicate the lack of proper nutrition.
Poor diet, drugs, alcohol, excessive sun exposure, environmental toxins and tobacco smoke increase free radical damage and decrease enzyme activity. Both free radical damage and the reduction in enzyme activity can hasten the appearance of the following problems; wrinkles, age spots, sagging skin and ultimately to serious skin problmes.
Free radicals oxidize cells, making normal cell metabolism impossible. Enzymes can help prevent or treat skin damage by fighting these free radicals and reducing stress on bodily systems.
The skin reflects our overall health and acts as a barrier against the outside world, is the largest organ and is composed primarily of collagen. Collagen fibers form an elastin network that makes up connective tissues. The skins elasticity, strength and smoothness come from the makeup of the collagen fibers.
Read the entire article.
Sleep Problems In 67% Of Women
A 2007 poll by the National Sleep Foundation found that 67 percent of women frequently experience sleep problems and 29 percent use some type of sleep aid at least a few nights a week. Other surveys have consistently found that nearly half again as many women as men complain of insomnia.
Yet 75 percent of sleep research has been done on men, and until recently the researchers have been primarily men. The major texts for sleep studies have had, until recently, little to say about women's sleep. Read the entire article.More about insomnia.
Try a natural approach. Feed the nervous system and relax the body with Herbal Sleep.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Heal Your Home and Protect Your Health
Heal Your Home: The Case For Precaution is a download available from CoopAmerica.org.
Get solid information on cleaning supplies that don't contain poisons and lots of information on non-toxic living from Annie Bond. Other experts offer answers to many common questions.
The Precautionary Principle is revolutionizing business and politics. No longer does do people want to take chances with their life and health when there are safe and effective choices without the toxic chemical.
Download the free 40-page publication to your desktop.
Walking Sticks
Growing up and as an adult I was terrified of bugs. When we moved to "the woods" at age 40 I fell in love with all the trees, birds, and wildlife. Even snakes. But bugs were an issue that I needed to work on. Loving all of Creation that was now around me, I knew I could love bugs also.
They had a purpose and design and it was ridiculous to be fearful of something so small compared to my size. The Walking Stick is one of the first bugs I became fascinated with (along with the Praying Mantis).
© 2008 Donna L. Watkins - Walking Stick - Bluebird Cove
Although Walking Sticks are common, they are often overlooked, because it is not a pest to farmers or gardens. It uses camouflage for protection since it takes on the appearance of some other object.
Although predators can easily distinguish it from its surroundings, because the insect looks like an ordinary twig, it gets ignored. When disturbed stick insects will sometimes 'play dead' for a few minutes to trick predators. These insects have suckers and claws on their feet which allows them to go up and down vertical surfaces even upside down, but they move very slowly.
There are 2700-3000 stick insects identified in the world, depending on which study you read, and they are found mostly in temperate and tropical regions.
They are from 3-7 inches long depending on the specific species. They have six slender legs that can easily compress against the body to look like a stick or mimic smaller twigs coming from the main body.
These peaceful insects are strict vegetarians eating only plant foods such as berry, cherry and rose leaves. These critters generally feed in the dark, so they usually spend their days hanging from leaves or bark waiting for evening. They emit a foul smelling odor from glands on the thorax which also discourages things from eating them.
© 2008 Donna L. Watkins - Walking Stick - Bluebird Cove
If there are no males in the area, a female Walking Stick can lay healthy eggs which hatch, but this has disadvantages. The young are identical to the female, allowing no random variations.
Stick insects find mates easily in groups, but scattered females attract mates by emitting a pheromone, which is a seductive scent. The two then mate while clinging to a twig or leaf.
The female scatters her eggs which fall to the ground and each egg, protected by its seedlike appearance and hard shell, may stay on the forest floor for up to three years. Eventually the young insect emerges. Young walking sticks are usually olive green and turn brown as adults.
The Walking Stick has the unusual ability of partial regeneration. If a leg is lost or damaged it will grow back after several successive molts, or shedding of its skin. By molting the walking stick is able to grow quickly in size in just a few months. The Walking Stick eats its own molt.
Copyright and Reprint Information
All photos remain the property of Donna L. Watkins and may not be republished without written permission. You may forward or use this copyrighted article on a website if you include the following credit and an active link back to this site:
© 2000-2008 Donna L. Watkins - This article was reprinted with permission. Visit the author's website, TheNatureInUs.com for more articles and free email subscription.
Link URL: http://www.TheNatureInUs.com
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Are We Beautiful or Twisted?
by Donna L. Watkins
I was enjoying the garden one morning with scissors in hand, dead-heading plants so they continue to bloom on and on. After all the blooming stage of a plant is the most glorious, right?
Our Blackberry Lily (which is actually part of the iris family) provides lots of snips each morning since it is profuse with flowers daily. It's one of the plants that the deer have never nibbled on.
The progression of the flowers from bud to being snipped particularly fascinated me on this particular morning.
I looked at the tiny little buds that would soon be spread wide open and they reminded me of the infant stage of our lives.
As babies we are so "perfect" looking with all toes and fingers presented and it doesn't matter what your definition of cute is, there's something about a baby that is just precious and "perfect." Innocent and naive, total abandon and expectations that strain and drain the strongest of mothers.
There's a stage generally around the time we graduate from school that we've come into full bloom.
We've gotten through the awkward years and hopefully learned that our identity is not about what we wear or how we look. There is a maturity about us adorned with the cap and gown of graduation.
Dreams, goals, future plans ... all looks bright and all is possible. There's an air of immortality in us at that age. Life is full of living well.
As you can see the expired bloom wraps itself up and the seed pod would continue to grow and take energy from the plant. I do let some seed pods grow into full size, but it's at the end of the summer for the Fall berry pickings of the birds preparing for winter. In summer they've got plenty of food choices and aren't as interested in these berries.
As I was clipping away at these twisted flowers I thought about another stage of life. Somewhere along the path we hit the bumps and dips in the road or sometimes a concrete wall. Life has a way of kicking you when you're down so it's easy to revert back to the not-so-great moments of childhood during the difficult years.
After all, issues that are not dealt with only mount up to become mountains to climb later in life, so it's always best to spend some time working through things ... stuffing them back inside doesn't work at all.
At times like this nothing makes sense and you feel twisted and hung out to dry. We get better or bitter. It's our choice.
The best choice is to reach out to God and His promises will hold you up. His Word will sustain you each and every day if you spend time in it.
There is truly grace sufficient to keep joy in your life regardless of the circumstances.
I noticed a few expired blooms reaching out and hanging on to a stem or other bloom. It reminded me that we can reach out and grab hold of anchors. There are friends and family to help you make it through. It's not the time to bury yourself in self-pity and shrink away. Reach out and touch someone. You've got something to offer them and they've got something for you.
More Info on Blackberry Lilies
Copyright and Reprint Information
All photos remain the property of Donna L. Watkins and may not be republished without written permission. You may forward or use this copyrighted article on a website if you include the following credit and an active link back to this site:
© 2000-2008 Donna L. Watkins - This article was reprinted with permission. Visit the author's website, TheNatureInUs.com for more articles and free email subscription.
Link URL: http://www.TheNatureInUs.com
Convert Cat Years to Human Years
Use this handy chart for quickly finding your cat's age in human years. It will help you understand the physiological changes your cat encounters as she ages, as well as anticipate and forestall age-related health problems before they start.
Our sweet FIV cat turned 12 this month so that means she's 64 in human years. We're so happy to have her two and a half years after the vet told us she would die in a few days.
She looks healthier than ever, and with the herbs she uses to support her immune system, she should be. Our program has changed since she became stable after the raging infection, but she seems very willing to take whatever we put on her food, like she knows it's keeping her healthy.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Causes Of Acid Reflux
What are the common causes of acid reflux disease? Doctors aren't always sure. Triggered by an increase of acid in your esophagus, acid reflux disease may develop for a variety of reasons. Here are some of the common causes of acid reflux disease.
Consider Stomach Comfort. How does Stomach Comfort compare to other options?
Voluntary Simplicity
The movement for voluntary simplicity (or simple living) is still somewhat under the radar, but it is growing in strength. The basic philosophy is to "downshift" from a high-pressure, high-cost lifestyle to one that is more spiritual, humble, and less materialistic.
For example, a person who is practicing voluntary simplicity may give up a large, expensive "McMansion" to move into a smaller home that needs less energy to heat in the winter and cool down in the summer. Instead of driving a luxury car to work at a distant office requiring a long commute, a worker might take a cut in pay to work closer to home or telecommute. Then, instead of needing to spend large amounts of money on gas and car payments, public transportation or bicycling could be used for travel.
Critics of voluntary simplicity suggest that it requires too much "sacrifice" and as such, is unappealing and counter to the "American Dream." Others hint that simple living could hurt the American economy, which is dependent on consumer spending to run effectively.
Yet, for those who practice voluntary simplicity, the rewards can be more free time, better family relations, and an enhanced spirituality.
Enjoy the entire article which includes a segment on Simple Ways You Can Enjoy Simple Living.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Dangers For Off-Leash Dogs
So many of us know the joy of seeing our dogs run free and enjoy the wide open spaces--even in the city. But, how often have you seen dogs running off-leash in a public park and wondered whether they have any impact on the local wildlife? Is this just harmless fun? Maybe not.
Unfortunately, birds, squirrels and other wildlife are not happy to have a visit from your dog. From their viewpoint, dogs constitute a threat.
Generally speaking, your dog should be on leash unless in a designated off-leash area. Some cities set aside certain parks or natural areas for dogs to run free. Check with city offices to see if this is the case for your area.
Keep in mind that because there are so many dogs running free there are many dangers to consider.
Coca-Cola Offsets Water Use
Coca-Cola announced it is funding a $20 million project to try and offset the 76 billion gallons of water it uses each year to make Coke, Sprite, Fanta and its other drinks.
According to the Coca-Cola's press release, they will work to conserve seven major rivers worldwide and will also revamp its bottling practices to reduce pollution and water use. The campaign was announced at the World Wildlife Foundation's annual meeting in Beijing.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Lowering Cholesterol With Fish Oil And Red Yeast Rice
A great deal of scientific evidence shows that cholesterol-reducing medications known as statins can help prevent coronary artery disease. Although the safety of these medications has been well documented, as many as 40 percent of patients who receive a prescription for statins take the drug for less than one year.
In the July issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, a group of researchers from Pennsylvania examine whether an alternative approach to treating high blood cholesterol may provide an effective treatment option for patients who are unable or unwilling to take statins.
Researchers followed 74 patients with high blood cholesterol who met standard criteria for using statin therapy. Patients were randomly assigned to either the alternative treatment group or the statin group and followed for three months.
Results? The researchers noted that there was a reduction in LDL cholesterol levels in both groups. The alternative treatment group experienced a 42.4 percent reduction, and the statin group experienced a 39.6 percent reduction. Members of the alternative therapy group also had a substantial reduction in triglycerides, another form of fat found in the blood, and lost more weight. Read the entire article.
Omega 3 Fish Oils
Red Yeast Rice
Ailanthus Webworm Moth
The Ailanthus Webworm Moth (Callosamia cynthia) is often mistaken for a beetle because of its unusually bright coloring and habit of being on flowers in the daytime.
© 2006 Donna L. Watkins - Ailanthus Webworm Moth
These moths keep their wings rolled up tightly against their bodies, unlike other moths we are used to seeing with wings outspread.
Its native habitat is South and Central America where they build communal webs in native trees. Another exotic species imported into the United States from China for the silk industry in the mid 1800's.
This moth is of little consequence ecologically but the host plant brought along for food is a major invasive noxious weed tree along roadways and everywhere else its seeds and suckers can find disturbed soil in Virginia.
This insect has now spread through most of the United States where the caterpillar stage uses the introduced tree known as Tree of Heaven or Paradise Tree (Ailanthus altissima) for food. This 'Tree of Heaven' has turned out to be anything but heavenly since it is displacing many of our own native trees and is especially difficult to eradicate because of its root structure.
The larval (caterpillar) stage of this moth feeds on the leaves, flowers, seeds and even bark of this tree. It will also feed on other deciduous trees and shrubs. The caterpillars make loose webs on their food plants and live inside them.
The colorful adult Ailanthus webworm moth pictured here on a Butterfly Bush (buddleia) is a pollinator. They visit flowers of many different species during the daytime. They mate at dawn and lay eggs at dusk producing one generation per year. It is unlikely that it overwinters in our area, but rather migrates here each year.
Copyright and Reprint Information
All photos remain the property of Donna L. Watkins and may not be republished without written permission. You may forward or use this copyrighted article on a website if you include the following credit and an active link back to this site:
© 2000-2008 Donna L. Watkins - This article was reprinted with permission. Visit the author's website, TheNatureInUs.com for more articles and free email subscription.
Link URL: http://www.TheNatureInUs.com
Sunday, July 20, 2008
We're In Birds and Blooms Magazine
We certified our habitat as a Monarch Waystation a few years back and have so enjoyed being a part of it and encouraging others to do the same.
© 2006 Donna L. Watkins - First Day Monarch With Chrysalis Beside
Chip Taylor, the director of the program, emailed me a couple months ago that Birds and Bloom wanted to promote the Monarch program and he was recommending me for them to interview and use some of my photos.
He gave me the person's name and email to get in touch if I was interested. Of course I was interested. Monarchs really need help!
I dug out a bunch of photos and answered all her questions. She said I'd receive a copy of the magazine but didn't tell me when it would be run.
Two days ago I got an email from a friend in GA who told me she got her August/September issue in the mail and was totally shocked to see our photos there. Actually I was totally shocked also since I never knew for sure if they were going to use anything or not. The girl was leaving for vacation a couple of days after the interview and I never heard from her again.
The article in Birds and Bloom has a photo of Randal and me but none of my Monarch photos, however it's also published on their website with two of my photos.
© 2006 Randal and Donna Watkins - Certified Monarch Waystation
So, as my Auntie says, now I'm famous. And my reply to her was, "only for today." Fame certainly doesn't last long, so there's no use in clinging to it. I'm just grateful that the Monarch Waystation Program will reach such a huge audience. Birds and Blooms magazine has 1.6 million subscribers in the U.S. and Canada.
Have any of you seen it? Do you think it promotes the program well? I'm sure looking forward to my copy in the mail. If we go to town before it arrives, I'll check it out at a newsstand. We don't subscribe to magazines for environmental reasons (boreal forest and birds), but it's nice to think about the good they do in getting the word around on ways to make a difference for Creation.
Free Green House Plans
Think you can’t afford an architect to design your green dream home? Now you can get Free Green Home Plans from FreeGreen.com. The eco-minded architects at FreeGreen are giving out free designs for green homes. Just hand them over to your builder and you're good to go.
Hawks and Owls Eat Dogs and Cats
Large hawks prey on small mammals. The Red-tailed Hawk feeds on rodents and rabbits but also catches larger animals, including pheasants, hares, and jackrabbits. Likewise, Ferruginous and Harris's Hawks chase rabbits, rodents, and ground squirrels. Swainson's Hawks eat mice and large insects.
Of the prey items I've mentioned, jackrabbits are the heaviest. They weigh no more than 10 pounds, less than your pet. Since a small dog could look about the same size as a hawk's usual prey, however, it's possible that a hungry raptor might at least attempt to capture the dog, injuring it in the process.
Be more cautious, though, about leaving your dog outdoors at night. Great Horned Owls are powerful hunters that eat a wide variety of prey, including raccoons, porcupines, and house cats - all of which can weigh as much as your pet.
Recently in Great Britain, a Eurasian Eagle-Owl made headlines when it repeatedly attacked at least five dogs. The owner of one of the dogs, a miniature wire-haired dachshund, said, "It is very frightening for Heidi to have this giant bird trying to eat her all the time. I have no doubt that it wants to make her into its next meal. I guess Heidi looks like a rabbit or a tasty snack." A falconer captured the bird, which was believed to have escaped from an aviary.
Source: Q&A at Birder's World Magazine's Website
Have a bird question? Ask it at Birder's World.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Gratitude Attitude
by Donna L. Watkins
It's so easy to grumble about our daily circumstances. It can become a habit, especially when you attract others who love to grumble. That turns into being "pegged" as a negative person. It doesn't do your health any good either.
© 2008 Donna L. Watkins - Early Morning Passion Flower
Everybody has bad circumstances going on in their lives in one way or another, and some more than most, but that doesn't mean we have to focus on and rehearse mentally and verbally all that's wrong.
Do you consider yourself a positive or negative person?
There is always a list of things to be grateful for. I read somewhere that Oprah always wrote down 5 things to be grateful for before going to bed each night. That's certainly a good way to get better sleep, but I think more importantly, you need to list 5 things to be grateful for when you get up in the morning because that's when we choose our mindset for the day.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Paul writes, "In everything give thanks for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
John MacArthur
"Paul simply says very directly, "In everything give thanks." No exceptions, no excuses, nothing is outside those parameters, in everything give thanks. That little phrase enpante in the Greek means in connection with everything that occurs ... in connection with everything in life give thanks no matter what it might be, with obvious exceptions of personal sin. He is saying no matter what happens to you in life, be thankful. No matter lot, no matter what circumstance, no matter what struggle, vicissitude, trial, testing, be thankful, give thanks. No matter what the situation we are to find reason to thank God. This is not some nebulous thanks fired off into space, it is a thanks given directly to God."
God doesn't ask us to BE thankful, but does require that we GIVE thanks. In trusting Him to make all things good (Romans 8) and surrendering to His providential will brings forth the words of thanks regardless of our broken heart. In return, God fills us with peace and comfort and enough grace to endure through the situation.
Gratitude changes our attitude. It only takes a moment to turn your attitude around.
At a Women of Faith conference, they were short of space for 150 attendees and had to bring in chairs which weren't as wide or comfortable. Everybody had a seat, but it was cramped, so there was an unhappy buzz covering the auditorium. The director asked Joni Eareckson Tada to help calm the crowd.
A childhood accident left Joni a quadriplegic confined to a wheelchair. She came onto the stage and said to the audience: "I understand some of you don't like the chair you're sitting in. Well, neither do I! But I've got a 1,000 handicapped friends who'd gladly trade places with you." Immediately the complaining stopped and the hall was quiet.
A spark of gratitude changed the attitude of the entire crowd. After all, Isn't Happiness A Choice?
Copyright and Reprint Information
All photos remain the property of Donna L. Watkins and may not be republished without written permission. You may forward or use this copyrighted article on a website if you include the following credit and an active link back to this site:
© 2000-2008 Donna L. Watkins - This article was reprinted with permission. Visit the author's website, TheNatureInUs.com for more articles and free email subscription.
Link URL: http://www.TheNatureInUs.com
Paul Newman vs. Robert Redford
Robert Redford and the Law of 1900
Robert Redford is now about as sexy as an orange that's been forgotten at the back of the refrigerator. It seems a shame. Robert Redford says he was born in 1937, and yet he looks far more used up than Paul Newman, born in 1925. It's not necessarily Newman that's the outlier; Joanne Woodward, born in 1930, looks pretty good, too.
So what will you look like when you're, uh, well, 83 years old, just like Paul Newman? I'm hoping to not look like a little plot of grass, six feet long, with a hunk of granite at one end. I've been struggling with "health foods" and so on for more than four decades, and it's finally all coming together in a few rules, but most important is the Rule Of 1900.
Read the entire article.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Weight Loss Food Diaries Work
The study, published in the August edition of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, included 1,685 overweight or obese U.S. adults aged 25 and older.
For six months, they kept food diaries and were encouraged to eat a healthy diet and be physically active. They also met weekly in groups to share their food diaries and brush up on skills like how to judge portion size.
After six months, participants had shed almost 13 pounds, on average. The most powerful predictor of their weight loss was how many days per week they kept their food diary, says Victor Stevens, PhD, senior investigator at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Ore.
Those who kept food records six days a week -- jotting down everything they ate and drank on those days -- lost about twice as much weight as those who kept food records one day a week or less, Stevens tells WebMD. Read the entire article.
The Four Pillars of Weight Loss
Video: Squirrel Eating Apple
We throw our fruit and veggie scraps out for the wildlife and we often catch great entertainment for the small effort. No reason to throw food into the landfill when it can provide life for an animal.
We also notice that we don't have problems with raccoons getting into our trash can. I guess we have an unspoken agreeement. View video of squirrel eating apple.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Teach Your Dog To Swim Safely
There are certain things we assume dogs know by instinct. Sniffing, for instance, sometimes in embarrassing places. Barking, too, and begging for food scraps are also downloaded onto dogs’ internal computers at the factory.
Then there’s swimming. It seems so integral to being a dog that we’ve even named a stroke after them, the dog-paddle — so you’d assume that’s another thing that every dog is born knowing how to do.
It turns out that you’d be wrong. Not every dog knows instinctively how to swim, and some can’t swim at all, Wendy Diamond, the founder and editorial director of Animal Fair magazine, told TODAY. Dogs’ aquatic abilities are so misunderstood, in fact, that she put together a list of water safety tips for dog owners.
Read the entire article.
Best Green Cities in USA
Country Home magazine, in conjunction with Sperling's BestPlaces, reveals that Burlington, Vermont is the 2007 Best Green Place to live in America.
Burlington is located on the eastern shore of Lake Champlain between the Adirondack and Green Mountains in northwest Vermont and has a population of 40,000. With programs like Burlington Eco Info Project, the community of Burlington, including the residents, businesses and government, values a green lifestyle and makes it a priority.
"We are seeing a real interest, by both our readers and the marketplace, in exploring a green lifestyle," said Editor-in-Chief Carol Sheehan. "We wanted to find out who in America is actually taking action, where they are, and what they are doing."
1. Burlington, VT
2. Ithaca, NY
3. Corvallis, OR
4. Springfield, MA
5. Wenatchee, WA
6. Charlottesville, VA
7. Boulder, CO
8. Madison, WI
9. Binghamton, NY
10. Champaign-Urbana, IL
11. Ann Arbor, MI
12. San Diego, CA
13. La Crosse, WI
14. Pittsfield, MA
15. Eau Claire, WI
16. Durham, NC
17. Norwich-New London, CT
18. Eugene, OR
19. San Francisco, CA
20. Chico, CA
21. Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA
22. Barnstable Town, MA
23. Utica-Rome, NY
24. Missoula, MT
25. Asheville, NC
The Best Green Places study, which is based on data discovered by Sperling's BestPlaces, examines 24 data metrics in 5 major categories -- including air and watershed quality, mass transit usage, power usage, farmers markets, organic producers, and number of green-certified buildings -- to determine which metro areas are the best places to live a green life. Sperling's BestPlaces ranked the 379 major metropolitan areas, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. Over 80 percent of all U.S. residents live in these 379 metro areas.
Data was collected from sources which include the Census Bureau, the U.S. Green Building Council, Department of Transportation, Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture, the GreenPeople.org online directory.
Among its unique green attributes, Burlington has developed a compost facility that collects food scraps from restaurants, supermarkets, institutions and food manufacturers, and the yard clippings and leaves from local residents and landscapers. Once finished composting, local farmers, gardeners and landscapers purchase this nutrient rich soil to use.
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