Archive for March, 2014
Peeps 2014
It is Peep Season again. My previous Peeps post tells the story of Peeps and their popularity, including, to my absolute amazement, that people actually eat them. I also shared how my partner and I Peep.
Our new home is smaller and the layout much different from our previous abode. This presented a real challenge. Although we have a few Peeps still nesting in their box, we are meeting the challenge.
In addition to the usual Peep placement (see earlier Blog) we have added peeking Peeps, medicine Peeps (open the medicine cabinet and behold a hot pink Peep), and flower Peeps (especially hard to find; yellow Peep in a yellow Lily).
Peep Season is well underway here and we are looking forward to ‘placing’ the new colored and flavored Peeps born into the marketplace this year.
Wishing you a wonderful Spring and happy Peeping!!
Happiness
Happiness was the topic on a recent Dr. Oz show. More specifically, “The Five Signs of Happiness,” aired on March 11, 2014. The boiled down results of a substantial poll revealed these five indicators that create unhappiness. For each there is an action to take that can counter the negative response.
1. Don’t compare yourself to others on social media. I was quite surprised by this one; but surely it is relevant. The positive action, is to refrain from social media for one day a week. Take a day off.
2. Don’t talk negatively about others. Counter action: Do or say something positive for/about another. Find something to compliment.
3. Give gratitude. This simple (and free) action can cut your stress by 30%. Action: Send yourself an email once everyday, stating something you are grateful for; create a file. When you are down in the dumps, open the file and read your gratitudes.
4. Learn to say “No.” Hard to do, but so important to our health and happiness. Action: Take time for yourself at least two times a week.
5. Learn to say “I’m sorry.” Don’t let bitterness take root in your psyche. Action: Review your relationships, and, if appropriate, tell someone you are sorry.
Mark Twain said, “Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.”
Happiness is an attitude, a state of mind, a choice. Be happy!
Spring 2014
Last Saturday at midnight, time changed in an artificial, man-made way. On March 20, time shifts in the natural world. Thursday is the vernal equinox, heralding the arrival of Spring.
Rebirth, rejuvenation, re-invigoration and revival; time to make way for the rising of the light. Coming out of Winter, Spring is the moment when we overcome great difficulties; when we meet the challenges of renewal head on; it is the time for birthing new life.
This Holy Season, I invite you to conceive your future, to plant for the harvest that will come in Autumn. Tend the garden of your dreams. Feed and nourish it with love and dedication; looking forward to reaping abundant yields at harvest.
Daylight
As in Daylight Saving Time. Did you wake up this morning feeling less rested? Perhaps a little cranky and off-center?
Saturday at midnight was the time to “spring forward,” setting our clocks ahead one hour. For all practical purposes, we have moved an hour of light from the beginning of the day to the end of the day. Light is the principal time cue for regulating our circadian rhythm. So we are effectively, out-of-sync.
How well we adjust to the effects of this time change depends on our personal health, sleep habits and lifestyle. The good news is that there are some things we can do to help with the adjustment.
According to WebMD, get as much light exposure as possible during the day. Use a mask and/or earplugs to help you go to sleep. Reduce or eliminate alcohol and caffeine near bedtime. exercise several hours before bedtime. Relax with a hot bath. Meditation and soft music can also be beneficial.
All things considered, your circadian rhythms should adjust within a couple of days, preparing you to enjoy the light of evening.
Bees
It started with the stunningly small population of Monarch butterflies returning to Mission San Juan Capistrano.
Then came more information on the massive meat recall and shut-down of Rancho Feeding Corporation in Petaluma. Followed by a KRON4 News report on the hundreds of foods that contain azodicarbonamide or ADA, a chemical found in Yoga mats and tires. (You can check out the list at KRON4.com).
Then a guided tour through the wonders of Whole Foods (an establishment I have eschewed) and it’s gorgeous organic offerings; coupled with my wish to replace my lawn with natural habitat, all lead me to bees and CCD, Colony Collapse Disorder. There is real, immediate reason for concern as three of every five bites of food we eat is courtesy of these busy pollinators.
The common thread: pesticides and herbicides. Regarding bees, scientists are looking at neonicotinoids, a relatively new class of pesticides. According to The Huffington Post (March 2013) 40-50% of commercial US Hives have been lost due to CCD. With the magnificent Monarchs, herbicides and habitat destruction, including the use of Roundup to eradicate milkweed which is essential to their survival, growth of GMOs and destruction of native forests in Mexico, are all considered causal.
I will be planting milkweed in my garden along with bee and butterfly friendly flowers. Visits to Whole Foods will become more frequent. I will be more diligent reading labels and avoiding refined foods, especially bread products (Oroweat and Saralee are on that list containing ADA).
Lastly, I will, to the best of my ability, patronize local organic and sustainable farms, and back legislation directed toward supporting them and protecting our food supplies. I invite you to join me.