I have a friend. I know. Its amazing. Anyway, she sent me a package. And she warned me before it came that I might think she was crazy. Nonsense. I already thought that. ! Anyway. I get this package. padded envelope. And I open it. Look inside and something is looking back at me. Googgly eyes among some pink crocheting something. I can’t tell what it is at this point. I should have been frightened. I pulled it out. This is what I found. He now sits on my art table with the octobunny (who came from the same friend . Ill have to take a pic of the octobunny, who also needs a name. 

p man

I went to the dentist today. So my gums are tender and just a bit sore. I also needed to start a new medication today. One that I need to take with food for better absorption.  What I had planned on eating when I got home from the dentist was the some more of the beans and barley in the slow cooker. But the heat from that made it a no-go. I needed cold. And in order to take the med I needed filling. So smoothie to the rescue. Blueberry smoothie even. I tossed in some pecans to make it more filling. And more delicious. And some flaxseed to up the nutrition even more. But what if that wasn’t enough? So I made some toast. A quarter of an onion pita, toasted with peanut butter. I tossed on some banana slices at the end just to, again, increase the nutrients and make it even more filling.





And yes, those are the art supplies you see in the background. Where better to have a late lunch/early dinner then messing around at the art table? Just don’t try to eat anything not on the plate or in the cup.

Blueberry Pecan Smoothie*
half a frozen banana, cut into slices
two handfuls frozen blueberries (about 2/3-3/4 cup)
one handful pecans (about 1/3 cup)
enough light vanilla soy milk to cover it all up (about 1 1/2)
one spoonful of ground flaxseeds (about 1TBSP)
more light vanilla soy milk to thickness you like best
~~sometimes I toss in a packet of stevia, that’s a natural sweetener, you could use a bit of sugar, most times I don’t

Blend. Serve. ~~ If you start with 1 1/2 cups of milk you get a thicker smoothie, if that’s what you like, add more milk till you get the thickness you like.
~~~~This makes and extra large smoothie, about three cups~~~

*Yes, I know this is not a ‘true smoothie’ as it doesn’t use yogurt or whatever you are supposed to put in one to make it a ‘real’ smoothie, but it works well and satisfies the sweet tooth and the sore gums that go with it.

Pastor Doug Ferguson stepped up to the pulpit of Houston’s Grace Presbyterian Church with $5,000 in his back pocket. He preached about generosity, neighborly love and the meaninglessness of worldly wealth. Then he handed out $100 bills.


His instructions were simple: Use the money to spread comfort and joy. Show some kindness to strangers. And report back in 90 days on what you did…....
But they didn’t stop with their $100 bills. Their investments were fruitful. They multiplied.

Labors of love
Graham has always been moved by the biblical story of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet, and she knows that foot care is a daunting problem for the homeless community.

Helping the homeless
The challenge also stirred 51-year-old Geoff Edney’s impulse to help the homeless.

9-year-old raises $1,000
Griffin Simpson begged her parents to let her take one of the bills, but they were reluctant. They told the 9-year-old to give everyone else a chance first. Finally they relented, with Ferguson’s encouragement.

Cakes raise cash
Sharon Collins, a director with BP who dabbles in baking, wanted to raise money for her favorite charity: Project C.U.R.E., which donates used medical equipment to Third-World countries.

While I don’t actually celebrate much, I do think this is appropriate to what the season is supposed to be all about. Please read the rest of this story to find out what these wonderful people did with their $100 dollars.

read on...

  * A toymaker, for example, who makes wooden cars in his garage in Maine to supplement his income cannot afford the $4,000 fee per toy that testing labs are charging to assure compliance with the CPSIA.

  * A work at home mom in Minnesota who makes cloth diapers to sell online must choose either to violate the law or cease operations.
 
* A small toy retailer in Vermont who imports wooden toys from Europe, which has long had stringent toy safety standards, must now pay for testing on every toy they import.
 
* And even the handful of larger toy makers who still employ workers in the United States face increased costs to comply with the CPSIA, even though American-made toys had nothing to do with the toy safety problems of 2007.

you can read the full law here

Here are some more links about it….

National bankruptcy day

You have to be kidding me, right? Seriously!

In Texas, graffiti with a Sharpie on a school wall is a more serious crime than carrying a switchblade, making a terroristic threat, burglarizing a vehicle, committing a second DWI, stalking, or assault causing bodily harm.

Here’s something worse than Utah.
I hope.
You never know. Utah does have its own issues.