What's In Your Shopping Bag?

What does our shopping cart reveal about us?

I have no idea, but when I returned home from a quick visit to the big box store, I looked at the contents of my bags and thought, “what an odd assortment of items."

I needed another roll of shelf liner for our recently refinished kitchen cabinets (thanks Claus! You did a great job and they look gorgeous) so I decided to combine that errand with a visit to Goodwill to drop off the eight large bags of donation items.

While walking through the store, I saw a Yoga DVD which I hope will encourage me to keep up my exercises daily, now that I'm no longer in class. A replacement eyelash curler; face exfoliant and night cream (cheap); and coconut oil hydrating oil mist for hair.

I also decided to see if I could find a pocket pedometer (see yesterday's post) and a replacement iPhone protective case for the one I managed to rip by taking it in and out of my pocket too many times.

Now if I can just decipher the instructions on how to set it!

The challenge of this type of packaging is ever getting inside!

I couldn't pass up this dark chocolate because I want to make chocolate covered peanuts and this stuff makes the best I've ever eaten. Maybe not totally healthy eating, but at least it's dark chocolate and peanuts! And if I make it myself at least it'll be free of all the additives found in bought candy.

These were the only true food items I needed.

And something to plant in the potager garden in a few weeks!

Like I mentioned, an odd assortment. What's on your shopping list this week? 

Stepping Our Way to Fitness

How many steps do we take each day? A relatively active person takes 5,000-7,500. To get up to 10,000 takes a bit more effort.

Impetcare.com

I started the regimen of 10,000 steps each day about three years ago but haven’t always followed it consistently. I would lose my pedometer, or the weather was bad (too hot or too cold)---you know the drill.

Today I’m returning to my commitment of walking 10,000 steps each day, but I’ll have to guess at it until I get a new pedometer. I know what 10,000/day feels like: pretty tired at night and ready for bed, which is a good thing!

I'm going to get this pocket pedometer, which will be more convenient than the type that clips on at the waist.

So how far is 10,000 steps anyway? About 5 miles, the experts say.

Tamy Blanding via Pinterest

On the days I really made the effort to walk as much as possible, I found I still needed to take one extra walk at the end of the day to get my 10,000. But it's surprising how many steps you take just performing your daily activities, remembering to take the stairs instead of the elevator, park farther from the store, do the extra chores instead of watching television, and taking the dog for an extra walk. 

Here are a few tips on how to get the most out of walking:

Mayo Clinic

I read that the Japanese first started using the 10,000 steps a day number, as part of a marketing campaign for pedometers. Since that campaign, however, medical authorities around the world have agreed that 10,000 is a healthy number to aim for.

The American Heart Association uses the 10,000 steps metric as a guideline  for improving health and decreasing risk of heart disease.

Another good thing about walking: it’s free! No expensive exercise equipment; no gym fees; no driving to get to a class. And oh yes, it’s a way to lose those extra pounds we might have accumulated over the holidays!

Will you join me in getting into the habit of walking 10,000 steps each day?

Presidential Poets and Poems

I remember Robert Frost reading a poem at the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy in 1961. Frost was, in fact, the first ever poet included in a presidential inauguration program. 

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Kennedy sent the invitation to Frost via telegram and Frost's reply was by the same means the following day. It read:

IF YOU CAN BEAR AT YOUR AGE THE HONOR OF BEING MADE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, I OUGHT TO BE ABLE AT MY AGE TO BEAR THE HONOR OF TAKING SOME PART IN YOUR INAUGURATION. I MAY NOT BE EQUAL TO IT BUT I CAN ACCEPT IT FOR MY CAUSE—THE ARTS, POETRY, NOW FOR THE FIRST TIME TAKEN INTO THE AFFAIRS OF STATESMEN.

Kennedy asked if Frost planned to recite a new poem. If not, could he recite "The Gift Outright," a poem Frost has called "a history of the United States in a dozen [actually, sixteen] lines of blank verse." Kennedy also requested changing the phrase in the last line to "such as she will become" from "such as she would become." Frost agreed.

The original last line, which Frost claims to have written in the middle of the Great Depression, was first published in the spring 1942 issue of the Virginia Quarterly Review and read, "Such as she was, such as she might become." It seemed appropriate that Frost agreed to further change the poem to reflect the optimism surrounding the new Presidency.

As inauguration day approached, however, Frost surprised himself by composing a new poem, "Dedication" (later re-titled "For John F. Kennedy His Inauguration"), which he planned to read as a preface to the poem Kennedy requested.

But on the drive to the Capitol on January 20, 1961, Frost worried that the piece, typed on one of the hotel typewriters the night before, was difficult to read even in good light.

When he stood to recite the poem, the wind and the bright reflection of sunlight off new fallen snow made the reading the poem impossible. He was able, however, to recite "The Gift Outright" from memory.

Read the text of both poems here.

Though Frost was somewhat embarrassed by his faltering, it made for a memorable and dramatic moment. The Washington Post reported that Frost "stole the hearts of the Inaugural crowd," somewhat as Kennedy had jokingly predicted.

Before leaving, Frost called on the new President and First Lady at the White House to receive Kennedy's thanks for participating in the event. He presented Kennedy with a manuscript copy of the "Dedication" poem, on which he wrote: "Amended copy. And now let us mend our ways." He also gave the President the advice: "Be more Irish than Harvard. Poetry and power is the formula for another Augustan Age. Don't be afraid of power."

At the foot of the typed thank-you letter Kennedy sent, he wrote, "It's poetry and power all the way!"

Fast forward 52 years to the inauguration of President Barrack Obama today. I was touched by the beauty and simplicity of Richard Blanco's innaugural poem. I hope you enjoyed it, too (or will read it below if you did not hear it).

 

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"One Today"

One sun rose on us today, kindled over our shores,

peeking over the Smokies, greeting the faces

of the Great Lakes, spreading a simple truth

across the Great Plains, then charging across the Rockies.

One light, waking up rooftops, under each one, a story

told by our silent gestures moving behind windows.

My face, your face, millions of faces in morning's mirrors,

each one yawning to life, crescendoing into our day:

pencil-yellow school buses, the rhythm of traffic lights,

fruit stands: apples, limes, and oranges arrayed like rainbows

begging our praise. Silver trucks heavy with oil or paper—

bricks or milk, teeming over highways alongside us,

on our way to clean tables, read ledgers, or save lives—

to teach geometry, or ring-up groceries as my mother did

for twenty years, so I could write this poem.

All of us as vital as the one light we move through,

the same light on blackboards with lessons for the day:

equations to solve, history to question, or atoms imagined,

the "I have a dream" we keep dreaming,

or the impossible vocabulary of sorrow that won't explain

the empty desks of twenty children marked absent

today, and forever. Many prayers, but one light

breathing color into stained glass windows,

life into the faces of bronze statues, warmth

onto the steps of our museums and park benches 

as mothers watch children slide into the day.

One ground. Our ground, rooting us to every stalk

of corn, every head of wheat sown by sweat

and hands, hands gleaning coal or planting windmills

in deserts and hilltops that keep us warm, hands

digging trenches, routing pipes and cables, hands

as worn as my father's cutting sugarcane

so my brother and I could have books and shoes.

The dust of farms and deserts, cities and plains

mingled by one wind—our breath. Breathe. Hear it

through the day's gorgeous din of honking cabs,

buses launching down avenues, the symphony

of footsteps, guitars, and screeching subways,

the unexpected song bird on your clothes line.

Hear: squeaky playground swings, trains whistling,

or whispers across café tables, Hear: the doors we open

for each other all day, saying: hello, shalom,

buon giorno, howdy, namaste, or buenos días

in the language my mother taught me—in every language

spoken into one wind carrying our lives

without prejudice, as these words break from my lips.

One sky: since the Appalachians and Sierras claimed

their majesty, and the Mississippi and Colorado worked

their way to the sea. Thank the work of our hands:

weaving steel into bridges, finishing one more report

for the boss on time, stitching another wound

or uniform, the first brush stroke on a portrait,

or the last floor on the Freedom Tower

jutting into a sky that yields to our resilience.

One sky, toward which we sometimes lift our eyes

tired from work: some days guessing at the weather

of our lives, some days giving thanks for a love

that loves you back, sometimes praising a mother

who knew how to give, or forgiving a father

who couldn't give what you wanted.

We head home: through the gloss of rain or weight

of snow, or the plum blush of dusk, but always—home,

always under one sky, our sky. And always one moon

like a silent drum tapping on every rooftop

and every window, of one country—all of us—

facing the stars

hope—a new constellation

waiting for us to map it,

waiting for us to name it—together.

The ABCs of Tea

When the weather gets cold and damp, my beverage of choice is a restorative cup of hot tea. And during cold and flu season nothing feels better to a scratchy throat than tea, preferably flavored with honey and lemon.

Here in the South, we are known for our iced tea, and most people drink it year ‘round. It seems that in recent years, however, more people here are enjoying tea served hot from a mug or poured from a teapot.

I want my coffee in the morning, but by noon I’m ready for a mug of Earl Grey, a tea blend with a distinctive flavor. Its aroma and taste is derived from the addition of oil extracted from the rind of the bergamot orange, a fragrant citrus fruit.

I may have another cup of green or white tea in the afternoon; peppermint to soothe an upset stomach; and Chamomile at bedtime.

I used to drink a lot of Twinings Lapsang Souchong, a smokey tasting tea infused with pinewood. For some reason I haven’t bought it in a while but need to add to my next shopping list.

Another tea I really enjoy is Rooibos tea from South Africa. It’s unique taste, with hints of toffee, cherry and vanilla, has a very smooth taste.

There are tons of teas on the market and taste is such a personal thing so sometimes you just have to experiment until you find the one that suits you.

Here are some fun facts about tea

Tea Facts A to Z: 26 Things You Didn't Know About Tea

Astrotea. You can use tea leaves to read the future. Just leave a small amount of tea in the bottom of the cup along with some tea leaves, and after stirring the remains three times, the pattern you’re left with will tell you what’s in store. In Asia, readers of tea leaves are just as respected as astrologers.

Bags. Tea bags were invented in America in the early 1800s, and were initially used to hold samples of teas brought from India. Today, 96% of all cups of tea served around the world were made using teabags.

Camellia sinensis. There are many different kinds of tea, but they are all derived from just one plant: Camellia sinensis. The color and variety of the tea (green, black, white, oolong) depends, however, on the way the leaves are treated.

Darjeeling. It’s called the champagne of tea: a black tea, it is grown in the eponymous area of Indian Bengal. One of the world’s most highly-prized tea varieties, teas are often falsely sold as coming from this area: for every 400 tons of tea sold under this name every year, only 100 tons actually comes from Darjeeling.

Elevenses. At 11 o’clock in the morning, to stay alert, in England it’s common to take a break with a cup of tea and some cakes: Elevenses. Before dinner, however, you can take ‘high tea’: a kind of reinforced snack.

Food. You can’t have a cup without something to go with it: from cookies and English cucumber sandwiches to seafood accompanied by green tea in Japan, by way of spicy Indian meat dishes, and all-chocolate desserts from Assam.

Gin. Mix gin and cold tea, flavor with little lemon rind, and you’ll get a great summer cocktail. In the mid 1700s, in Great Britain, tea replaced gin as the drink of the masses, and became the nation’s favorite beverage.

Hot or cold. Perfect when drunk steaming hot, tea is also one of the most thirst-quenching summer drinks when drunk cold, perhaps with ice, and possibly some lemon, lime or leaves of mint to add flavor.

India. After tourism, the cultivation of tea is India’s second largest industry. And India tea is the variety most commonly drunk the world over, despite the fact that it originally came from China.

Joan Cusack. "Can I get you anything? Coffee? Tea? Me?" is one of cinema’s best-known quotes. It’s the famously cheeky line uttered by Joan Cusack to Harrison Ford in the classic film Working Girl.

Kettle. You won’t find a kitchen in England without one: the kettle, used to boil the water for tea, can be either electric or heated up on the hob.

Loose tea. Loose tea is, for connoisseurs, the best way to taste tea: the quality of the tea leaves, which are often whole, and not broken up as in tea bags, is often higher, and retains more of their original flavor.

Mosquitoes. Tea leaves are a natural means of keeping mosquitoes away. All you have to do is use slightly damp leaves to add the scent of tea to the areas you want to keep insect-free.

Not just for drinking. Here are five good reasons for not giving up tea, even if you don’t drink it - it helps to heal shaving cuts, eliminates bad odors when added to a foot bath, can be used to marinade meat, is a great fertilizer for roses, and is also good for cleaning floors.

Oolong. Oolong tea, a Chinese and Taiwanese tea with a fruity aroma, is also often called Dragon’s Tea: these tea leaves, when put in teapot, often start to look like a dragon. The world’s most expensive tea is an oolong tea: it’s called Tieguanyin, and its leaves cost up to $3,000 per kilo.

Party. The Tea Party is the American political movement which calls for less state intervention in key areas like the economy and healthcare. Its name harks back to the Boston Tea Party, an act of protest carried out in the 1700s when Americans rebelled against the British government, destroying cases of tea which had arrived from India.

Quotes. «Women are like tea bags. They do not know how strong they are until they get into hot water.» - Eleanor Roosevelt.

Ritz Carlton of Hong Kong. This is where the world’s most expensive afternoon tea is drunk – you can spend up to $8,888 dollars here. You can taste the world’s best teas, finger food, fantastic cakes and enjoy the best view of the city.

Samovar. In Russia, the water for tea is boiled using a samovar. They were initially heated using coal, but these days usually run on electricity. They’re traditional, common household items found in Russia, Iran and Turkey.

Theanine. The stimulant found in tea leaves is theanine, an antioxidant whose equivalent in coffee is caffeine. Tea, however, contains less caffeine than coffee: around half the amount.

UK. The London Tea Auction was an institution which lasted for 300 years. Tea was sold using the ‘by the candle’ system: bidding for lots went on until an inch of a candle had burnt away.

Vitamins. Tea is a natural antioxidant, and rich in vitamins: it contains vitamins B2, B1 and B6. Tea, however, is also rich in potassium, manganese, folic acid and calcium.

Water. Experts have always advised on the best kind of water for making tea. In early Chinese texts we can find suggestions that the best water should be taken from rivers and lakes.

X-rated. Among the many thousands of qualities that tea can boast, it has relaxing effects that can help improve your sex life. In particular, Ashwagandha tea is regarded as a stimulant to virility.

Yin Zhen or Silver Needle. This is the most highly prized of white teas. It comes from China, and takes its name from the leaves used to make it, which are harvested when they’re young and still unfurled, and look like needles.

Zillah. The world’s oldest gas pump is still going strong, and can be found in Zillah, in Washington State. It’s known as the Teapot Dome Service Station, as it happens to look like a teapot.

My tea time usually doesn't include any of these delicious looking foods  associated with afternoon tea. Just a dry cookie, perhaps. But a girl can dream.

What kind of tea do you prefer? Do you have interesting tea facts to share?

50 Uses for Petroleum Jelly

Good old Petroleum Jelly. Vaseline. Who knew it had so many uses?

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I’ve been applying it for dry, winter itchy skin and can report it works wonders. I've also been dabbing a small amount under make-up and it does give a dewy, luminescent look.

Using it regularly caused me to do a bit of research to find out if it was an accepted potion to apply to the skin. What I found out is, yes, it’s OK on your skin. The cosmetic-grade petroleum jelly, according to some sources, will NOT clog pores.

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I found out Marilyn Monroe was devoted to using petroleum jelly under her makeup for a dewy look. Read the article here for her make-up secrets.   Here's another article about Jennifer Aniston and her use of the product.

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There are multiple uses for the product, not just those beauty related. Sharing here some of what I have found. Perhaps you’d like to try them, too.

50 Uses for Vaseline (from christinalove.com)

1. Put a coat on your eyelashes before you go to bed. Lots of people swear by this – and say it will make your lashes grow longer and thicker over time.

2. Put a coat on your feet, day or night, cover them with socks several hours and greet your softer feet.

3. Put on your elbows every day – they will stay soft!

4. Put on your cuticles several times a day for softer and better looking cuticles.

5. Put on chapped lips

6. Use as lip gloss

7. Mix a little with a little Kool-Aid powder and make a colored and flavored lip gloss! (This one is not for me!)

8. Melt with one chocolate chip in the microwave, mix and let resolidify for chocolate lip gloss! (Nor is this one.)

9. Maintains perfume scent longer when applied at perfume points before spritzing the perfume. (I'll try it!)

10. Can be used as a moisturizer for acne sufferers (it is a misconception that it clogs pores).

11. Moisturizes severely dry skin. (Yes it does!)

12. Use on your knees to prevent that dry, ashy look.

13. Mix with sea salts to make a scrub!

14. Apply on your teeth prevents lips from sticking to teeth.

15. Applied on teeth before applying lipstick prevents lipstick from sticking on them.

16. Massage over entire body.

17. Warmed up can be used as a night cream.

18. Makeup remover. (I have been using as an eye make-up remover.)

19. Protects skin exposed to adverse weather.

20. Apply under eye shadow for a shimmery effect.

21. Apply on cheeks for a dewy look.

22. Can be used to smooth and soothe skin after shaving.

23. Used in manicures under cuticles.(Not sure I know what this means. Under cuticles?)

24. Gets rid of dry skin lines which can arise from washing.

25. Lubricates ear lobes and helps to make earring insertion easy and painless.

26. Keeps fingernails pliable and resilient.

27. Use with your lipstick to create a cream blusher for your cheeks.

28. Helps to ease off stuck on rings.

29. Tames unruly eyebrows.

30. Defines eyelashes and leaves them with a glossy and waterproof look.

31. Conditions scalp pre-shampooing.

32. Can help prevent chaffing.

33. Aids with healing after cosmetic surgery procedures.

34. Reduces scaling and itching associated with dandruff.

35. Therapeutic when applied to lesions caused by poison ivy.

36. Can help improve condition of those with atopic eczema.

37. Helps heal and protect new tattoos. (No tattoos here!)

38. Can protect against harmful hair dyeing, perming and straightening chemicals when used as a mask around the hairline.

39. Use a tiny dab to put a quick shine on your shoes and bags. (Works!)

40. Smear a tiny bit on your hands and scrunch through your hair for a choppy look.

41. Use just a touch on the ends of your hair to hide dry and split ends.

42. Remove makeup stains from clothing.

43. Rub Vaseline on the neck of your nail polish bottles and they won’t get stuck to the caps. (What a great idea!)

44. Make your week old nail polish look new again – rub a small dab over the polish.

45. Use a touch of Vaseline mixed with powder eyeshadow pigment to make new colors, or a more solid eyeshadow that won’t get all over your face when you put it on.

46. Stretch your favorite lotion by mixing it with Vaseline.

47. Put Vaseline on your lips, leave it a few minutes, then scrub your lips with a toothbrush to exfoliate and leave them SO smooth

48. Remove false eyelash glue from your lash line. (No false eyelashes here!)

49. Apply a small amount on dry spots on your body before fake tanning lotions are applied, and prevent uneven tanning!

50. Generously apply Vaseline all over before taking flights to combat associated dryness.

Beautylish.com has an article about what petroleum jelly "is" in an article titled, Is Vaseline the Secret to Ageless Skin?

Have you already -- or do you think you will try -- any of the above tips?

Small Town Life

I was reminded today of one difference between living in a small town and a larger city.

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It happened at the dentist’s office today when I was there for my semi-annual cleaning. The hygienist and I were trying to remember the name of a person we both knew years ago (the hygienist and I go back years, to grade school). As we stumbled over the name, miscalling it several times, someone from the next room loudly called it out.

I was astounded, as I have been several times in past years when this happens. Now I know the person (dentist office employee or client I know not) felt she was doing us a favor by providing the name we couldn't remember. And yet……

You see, my feeling about such situations is you don’t eavesdrop on other people’s conversations; and if you should happen to overhear, you don’t confirm it by joining in their discussion!

greenstreet.com

I have had similar situation arise more than one time in the past years. I suppose it has to do with small town life – where everybody knows everybody else and in many cases, their “business.”

Being the private person that I am, I don’t share personal thoughts and opinions with others (except here on my blog!). 

And yet, there are some advantages to living in a small town -- where the pharmacist, grocery store checker, librarian and sandwich shop owner greet you by name; where if there’s sickness or death in a family, numerous people show up with a covered dish; where most cars you meet on the road wave or at least raise an index finger in greeting.

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In small towns such as mine, it's not unusual for a downtown parade to include bikers, dogs on leashes, even riding lawn mowers!

In small towns, not everyone lives "in town" even. Some like me are a few miles out in the open countryside. This living situation has many advantages.

Like getting up early to watch a glorious sunrise:

Or capturing in pictures the sun sinking in the western sky:

Or being awe-stricken by the beautiful sunsets:

And being able to photograph the full moon without interference from surrounding artificial lights

Tell me some of the disadvantages AND joys of your situation, whether it be urban, suburban  small town or rural.

Baking Day.....for the DOGS

Can someone please tell me what's going on with Blogger! All these different sized texts that I didn't program in. I hope they "fix" this soon. 

I had a choice of getting out in the rain and cold and driving 5 miles to buy dog treats, or finding a recipe and making them. I opted for the latter.

It was the first time in years I've baked dog treats. I did so in the 1970s for my sweet little Cocker Spanier, Gamby. I made them back then because someone gave me a cute cookie cutter in the shape of a bone. The cutter is long gone, but I found a plain old cookie cutter that worked just fine. The dogs certainly don't care about the shape.

Here's the recipe I used (from all.recipes.com).

1 cup rolled oats

1/3 cup margarine

1 cup boiling water

3/4 cup cornmeal

2 teaspoons white sugar

2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules

1/2 cup milk

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1 egg, beaten

3 cups whole wheat flour

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

In a large bowl, combine rolled oats, margarine, and boiling water. Let stand 10 minutes. Grease cookie sheets

Thoroughly stir in cornmeal, sugar, bouillon, milk, Cheddar cheese, and egg.

Looks good enough to eat, doesn't it? (I tasted one after baking, and no, not so good to my taste)

.Mix in flour, 1 cup at a time, until a stiff dough has formed.

Knead dough on a lightly floured surface, mixing in additional flour as necessary until dough is smooth and no longer sticky.

Roll or pat out dough to 1/2" thickness.

The dough was easy to work with; don't forget to dust the kneeding/rolling surface heavily with flour.

Cut with cookie cutter, and place 1 inch apart on the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake 35 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Cool before serving. Store in a loosely covered container.

Using the cutter I had, the yield was three dozen treats.

Here are the substitutions I made in the recipe:

• I used chicken broth instead of milk.
• Since I didn't have whole wheat flour, I used two cups white and one cup oat bran.
• Substituted canola oil for margarine

They look like Ritz crackers, don't they? I'm likely going to store these in the refrigerator, at least most of them. to avoid mold.

I read the reviews and one person said these don't last as long as commercial brands due to no added preservatives. It might be a good idea to keep the dough refrigerated and bake only enough to last a few days, or refrigerate the baked ones.

The recipe uses corn meal; some dogs may be allergic.

One person left out the bouillon and cheese and substituted peanut butter.

Not a super-healthy recipe because of the white flour; but these are probably  more healthy than grocery store variety.

Water droplets frozen on cedar tree branches.

So this is how I spent my Monday morning. By afternoon, ice was beginning to form on tree limbs and there's a potential we could have an ice storm tonight. It all depends on just how cold it gets outside.

A goofy-looking picture of Valerie, not helped by my not holding the camera still.

Now, that's better.

Kris giving his sad look. But it IS cold outside!

By now the dogs have tried the dog treats and given a paw up. I told them not to get used to this homemade variety though. While they are easy enough to make, I don't believe I want to do this every week!

So how did you spend your Monday?