You may have read the title with shock, thinking “why WOULD anyone poison themselves?” Or, you may think that I’m now going to launch into a diatribe about the evils of meth and other illegal drugs.
Nope. Neither. Little by little, I am loosening the grip of the 21st century on my body. I celebrate my 50th birthday in a few weeks, and I am in better health than I was 10 or 20 years ago.
Americans are infamous for our awful diets. Some of us eat out three meals a day, seven days a week. Then we wonder why we get sick a lot and why we can’t lose weight. But that’s not what I’m talking about either.
I was as guilty as many other American, with respect to my diet. I have a sweet tooth like a 3-year old. I loved chocolate bars, especially those with caramel. I was not as guilty as some; I’ve never smoked or used any illegal drugs. Never. I used to imbibe alcoholic drinks, and no longer do. It’s not that they are bad; they were just bad for me. But these are not what I’m talking about either.
No, I’ve decided to quit poisoning myself with artificial sweeteners.
This started about a year ago when I enlisted in a fat-burning challenge at work. One of the suggestions for diet improvement was to quit using artificial sweeteners. The person running the challenge actually said that full-sugar pop was not as bad as diet pop! At first, I thought she was nuts, then I tried it. I went without my beloved Diet Coke for a few days. Instead, I drank tea sweetened with Sweet N’ Low. What I found was that I no longer craved candy. I was better in control of what I ate at meals. As a bonus, I also noticed that I no longer got that tired, sleepy feeling in the afternoon. So, instead of having my ritual “Diet Coke and candy bar” in the afternoon, I had a cup of fresh brewed tea, and was very satisfied.
So, I bagged the NutraSweet. Over time, I noticed that my headaches were less frequent. That meant that, not only was I not poisoning myself with the NutraSweet, I was using far less over-the-counter pain relievers. Once in a great while I fell “off the wagon” and had a Diet Coke. It tasted good, but later I paid for it with feeling fatigued and ragged. But, I was still using Sweet N Low, which contains saccharine.
As I’ve gotten further down the road from my 40th birthday, I was noticing that the aches and pains of getting up in the morning were getting worse and worse. Daily exercise helped a lot, but I’ve found an even better helper. A couple of months ago, I started sweetening my morning cup o’ tea with organic sugar, not Sweet N Low. I didn’t notice it, but the aches and pains slowly diminished and disappeared. I didn’t notice they were gone until one day, I decided to use Sweet N Low again, and the next day the aches and pains were back in force. IN ONE DAY. I quit using the pink stuff, and within a few days the aches and pains were just a memory. I decided to donate the rest of the box of Sweet N Low in the cupboard to my local church.
Now, I very rarely need to resort to any of the bottles of pain killers that are in my medicine chest. I don’t need to worry about what they are doing to my stomach or kidneys. I am free from pain, and I’m no longer poisoning myself.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
A good friend sent me a New York Times article that attempted to explain away the anger exhibited by the Tea Party. Using a lot of high-falutin' language, this professor and author basically said the Tea Party is mad because they can't count on the government to be their generous Uncle Sam any more.
This is my response.
I don't buy it. The anger in the Tea Party comes from a couple of sources: the very name reveals one source: Taxed Enough Already. Our government, from the local to the federal, has become a bloated beast that has accumulated more debt than can ever be paid. The only way to pay this debt (which apparently they don't plan to do) is to tax us all at 100 percent, but that would completely destroy the economy. The only way out of this is to default on the debt and start over with a new currency. Tea Party Members see this coming, and they are mourning the loss of the greatest nation the world has ever seen.
Another source of anger is, it didn't have to happen. If the Federal Reserve and our corrupt government officials had maintained the sound fiscal policies (money backed with gold and silver, not fiat currency) set up by our founding fathers, this would not have been possible.
And, it isn't just the destruction of our currency. The government at all levels has gone from being the protector of our rights to the theif of them. Property owners no longer own their property: eminent domain has been used all over the country to strip owners of their rights and take their land, often to give it to insiders for private development. The EPA has been used to strip property owners of their rights to use their land as they see fit. Most Tea Party members know people who have lost land or the use of it to one government level or another.
And, it's not just land and property. We don't have the authority to raise our children as we see fit anymore. The "nanny state" knows that we should not own guns, we should vaccinate our children with whatever big pharma says we should, we can't spank our children or discipline them when they need it. The "nanny state" knows best, and parents who disagree lose their children. Yet still, with all the abuses of the nanny state, children die from accidents or abuse at the hands of caregivers every year. These stories are magnified all over the news to give the nanny state more credence and authority.
So, the extreme anger exhibited by the Tea Party is not that of a jilted lover. It is that of a populace who has seen their freedom, autonomy and authority gradually stripped away year after year, and they are saying "ENOUGH." Most of us would like to see 95% of our federal government eradicated, and taken back down to the limits imposed in the Constitution. Would this be painful? YES. But the direction we are headed in is far worse.
This is my response.
I don't buy it. The anger in the Tea Party comes from a couple of sources: the very name reveals one source: Taxed Enough Already. Our government, from the local to the federal, has become a bloated beast that has accumulated more debt than can ever be paid. The only way to pay this debt (which apparently they don't plan to do) is to tax us all at 100 percent, but that would completely destroy the economy. The only way out of this is to default on the debt and start over with a new currency. Tea Party Members see this coming, and they are mourning the loss of the greatest nation the world has ever seen.
Another source of anger is, it didn't have to happen. If the Federal Reserve and our corrupt government officials had maintained the sound fiscal policies (money backed with gold and silver, not fiat currency) set up by our founding fathers, this would not have been possible.
And, it isn't just the destruction of our currency. The government at all levels has gone from being the protector of our rights to the theif of them. Property owners no longer own their property: eminent domain has been used all over the country to strip owners of their rights and take their land, often to give it to insiders for private development. The EPA has been used to strip property owners of their rights to use their land as they see fit. Most Tea Party members know people who have lost land or the use of it to one government level or another.
And, it's not just land and property. We don't have the authority to raise our children as we see fit anymore. The "nanny state" knows that we should not own guns, we should vaccinate our children with whatever big pharma says we should, we can't spank our children or discipline them when they need it. The "nanny state" knows best, and parents who disagree lose their children. Yet still, with all the abuses of the nanny state, children die from accidents or abuse at the hands of caregivers every year. These stories are magnified all over the news to give the nanny state more credence and authority.
So, the extreme anger exhibited by the Tea Party is not that of a jilted lover. It is that of a populace who has seen their freedom, autonomy and authority gradually stripped away year after year, and they are saying "ENOUGH." Most of us would like to see 95% of our federal government eradicated, and taken back down to the limits imposed in the Constitution. Would this be painful? YES. But the direction we are headed in is far worse.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Fiber Fun Day
I had the good fortune yesterday of having a homeschooling family over to my house to learn about making yarn. (Although I took pictures, I don't post pictures of other people's children without their express permission.) I believe the oldest was about fourteen, and the youngest was about eight years old.
When my son was younger, I homeschooled him, so my family has a lot in common with this family. Her four children, like my son, were amazingly well behaved and polite. When they were awaiting their turns at the spinning wheel, they didn't quarrel or tear around my house. So nice.
We started with an overview of the process, and getting to know each other's names. Then we
* washed some raw sheep wool
* carded washed wool with hand cards
* carded washed wool with a drum carder
* spun yarn with drop spindles
* spun yarn with a spinning wheel
* dyed yarn with food colors
All of the children got to do every activity, and we did it all in a single day. Wow.
The best spinner was the youngest, a boy about eight years old. Within a minute he was spinning a perfect, beautiful, fine single yarn. His eldest sister, on the other hand, struggled to make yarn as much as I did when I learned ten years ago. All four of them were genuinely interested in the fiber arts, and genuinely grateful and thankful for the opportunity to learn.
Wow.
When my son was younger, I homeschooled him, so my family has a lot in common with this family. Her four children, like my son, were amazingly well behaved and polite. When they were awaiting their turns at the spinning wheel, they didn't quarrel or tear around my house. So nice.
We started with an overview of the process, and getting to know each other's names. Then we
* washed some raw sheep wool
* carded washed wool with hand cards
* carded washed wool with a drum carder
* spun yarn with drop spindles
* spun yarn with a spinning wheel
* dyed yarn with food colors
All of the children got to do every activity, and we did it all in a single day. Wow.
The best spinner was the youngest, a boy about eight years old. Within a minute he was spinning a perfect, beautiful, fine single yarn. His eldest sister, on the other hand, struggled to make yarn as much as I did when I learned ten years ago. All four of them were genuinely interested in the fiber arts, and genuinely grateful and thankful for the opportunity to learn.
Wow.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Finished my yarn room!
I have a room for my yarn and fiber arts projects. Yes, a whole room. For the past three years I have struggled to keep it tidy and somewhat organized. Since I've been unemployed the past four months, I have finally succeeded.
Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, the famous Yarn Harlot, has commented frequently that a stash like mine cannot be believed by the non-knitting public. Those who don't knit or crochet will simply not believe that anyone would want to own this much yarn.
Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, the famous Yarn Harlot, has commented frequently that a stash like mine cannot be believed by the non-knitting public. Those who don't knit or crochet will simply not believe that anyone would want to own this much yarn.
I've been putting the stuff into bins over the years, and stacking them in the closet of my yarn room. I'm not sure how long I've had a yarn room, but it's been at least 5 years. It helps somewhat; I still have project bags all over the house, but at least I had a place to throw them when company came over.
In the picture below, you see the North wall of my yarn room. Well, you see most of it. You can't see the bottom shelf of the racks. There is another row of these big bins below what you can see here. Each bin is labeled with masking tape (easy to change) and the contents. Contents are general, like "Sock Yarns" or "Wool/Alpaca Blend Yarns"
In the next picture, you can see the NE corner of the room. The black rack contains more bins, but it also contains my prized tools. I have a good collection of knitting needles, crochet hooks, drop spindles, and spinning paraphenalia.
In the picture at the top of the blog, I've placed the sock yarn bin on the table. It contains enough yarn for me to knit nothing but socks for about five years. And it's just ONE of the bins on these shelves.
I have:
one small bin of variegated sock yarns
one big bin of solid color sock yarns
two large bins full of superwash worsted wool yarns
two large bins of alpaca/wool blend yarns
two large bins full of alpaca yarns
two large bins of wool/mohair blend yarns
two large bins of cotton and cotton blend yarns
one small bin of silk blend yarns
ten large bins of spinnable fiber: wool, superwash wool, alpaca, mohair, and angora.
Also, two of the shelves are covered with Works In Progress (WIP) and I have a HUGE bin of Un Finished Objects (UFO) in the closet. The closet also contains my go-box for teaching spinning and dyeing classes, and a big pile of bins containing washed fleeces and more spinning fibers.
Obsessed? Maybe.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Big Boy
My son Gregory is a big guy. To look at him, you'd never know he's just 16.
A week ago, we needed to order football gear for upcoming camps and tryouts. (I have a secret hope that he will get a full football scholarship.) None of the local sporting goods stores have ANY football equipment yet! They said they will start getting it in August. Not too helpful when Greg has football camps in June and July. So, my intrepid husband did some online shopping. He found Football America and we ordered the stuff.
It arrived Thursday night, and the picture shows him trying on the pads. I am so happy it all fits him.
Well, football gear needs to fit the person. I have complained a lot to Greg's school that they need to order stuff big enough for him. They assured me they would, but I had to tailor his practice jersey so he could wear it without it choking him! We were a little leery about ordering stuff online without him trying it on. Fortunately, this site had sizing charts and measurement information. So, I dug out the trusty measuring tape and learned:
Head size: 23 3/4 inches. (Yes, he DOES need an XL helmet.)
Chest size: 51 1/2 inches. XXXL jersey.
Waist: 43 1/2 inches. (At least, where he wears his jeans. His true waist is probably smaller.)
Hips: 47 inches.
Now, lest you think he's a candidate for "The Biggest Loser," let me add: he's 6'4" tall and weighs 290 pounds. Think "meat wall" not "Pillsbury doughboy."
When my husband and I got a new bed recently, we gave our old King size bed to our son. He fills it up all by himself. If he gets any taller he will need a California King. Sheesh.
Oh, and if you are wondering, he wears a size 15 EEEE shoe. He's worn that size over a year now, so we are hoping he won't grow any more. It's hard enough to find shoes and clothes to fit him now.
I still introduce him as "my little boy." He seems to get a kick out of that. I'm 5'2" so he towers over me. As you can see in the picture.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Dawdling
As a parent and a teacher, one of the things that grieves me the most is dawdling. When I assign a task, and then see the child take forever to do it, I become greived and irritated. If the child would just buckle down and DO it, they'd be done and we could both move on to something more fun. But they dawdle and whine. Usually, the task gets done eventually, but at what cost of time and energy!
My mother was a master of negative motivation. Back in the days when it was legal to spank, she wielded that power with authority. But I recall a lesson on dawdling that really struck home.
We had finished a large dinner (I believe it was Christmas or Thanksgiving) and it was my turn to do the dishes. I think I was about eight years old, perhaps ten. I thought with all that mess, I would be given the assistance of one of my sisters. (Not Mother. She didn't do dishes. That's what she had girls for.) No. It was my turn; I would do it alone. I remember standing in the kitchen which seemed full of dirty dishes. Every dish, pot and pan in the house was used and dirty. I wailed "This will take three hours!" My mother said, "I'll give you forty-five minutes. If you aren't done by then, you'll get a whipping."
Now, THAT is motivation.
I don't remember the details, but I do remember moving as fast as my little hands and feet would go. I organized, washed, dried, and put up all those dishes. I think it took a bit over 45 minutes, and I was afraid I would be whipped for overshooting the time. But I was proud of what I'd done. I really hadn't thought it possible to do it all by myself, but there was the proof.
Now, if I could figure out a way to get students to actually DO their assignments when they have class time to do it... is there a Nobel prize for education?
My mother was a master of negative motivation. Back in the days when it was legal to spank, she wielded that power with authority. But I recall a lesson on dawdling that really struck home.
We had finished a large dinner (I believe it was Christmas or Thanksgiving) and it was my turn to do the dishes. I think I was about eight years old, perhaps ten. I thought with all that mess, I would be given the assistance of one of my sisters. (Not Mother. She didn't do dishes. That's what she had girls for.) No. It was my turn; I would do it alone. I remember standing in the kitchen which seemed full of dirty dishes. Every dish, pot and pan in the house was used and dirty. I wailed "This will take three hours!" My mother said, "I'll give you forty-five minutes. If you aren't done by then, you'll get a whipping."
Now, THAT is motivation.
I don't remember the details, but I do remember moving as fast as my little hands and feet would go. I organized, washed, dried, and put up all those dishes. I think it took a bit over 45 minutes, and I was afraid I would be whipped for overshooting the time. But I was proud of what I'd done. I really hadn't thought it possible to do it all by myself, but there was the proof.
Now, if I could figure out a way to get students to actually DO their assignments when they have class time to do it... is there a Nobel prize for education?
Saturday, March 13, 2010
I taught spinning today
I had the privilege of teaching four ladies how to spin yarn today.
Yes, there are people in the 21st Century who choose to spin yarn from wool. I'm not sure what causes this type of insanity, but it's more prevalent than you might imagine.
The scene was a nice yarn and fiber shop inside a beautiful home in Elbert County. I had wanted to visit there previously, but "never got around to it." The home is located on an alpaca farm (or you could say there is an alpaca farm co-located with the yarn shop) and specializes in alpaca yarns and fibers.
Three of the four ladies had planned to rent wheels to practice on. The fourth lady said she had a wheel. But when she arrived, the shop owner and I determined that she had an antique semi-functional wheel. Neither of us could spin on it, so we strongly recommended she rent a wheel with which she could learn.
During the three hour class, I helped each of them learn how to use their wheel, how to change the bobbins, and how to make yarn. One of the ladies decided that spinning was not her thing, and that was perfectly OK. (I recently made a similar discovery in a pottery throwing class.) She was much more interested in learning how to process the fiber. That's good, because a lot of us would much rather spin or knit than wash fleeces or card them.
All four students successfully spun a singles yarn. I sent them home with a bag full of different kinds of prepared fiber to spin. They need to practice a few minutes every day, or as close to it as practicable. A follow-up class about how to ply their yarn is offered in two weeks, but they have to spin some more singles to have something to ply.
The shop owner said something very nice about me. She said I was a very "gentle soul" when it came to teaching spinning. Aw, shucks...
Yes, there are people in the 21st Century who choose to spin yarn from wool. I'm not sure what causes this type of insanity, but it's more prevalent than you might imagine.
The scene was a nice yarn and fiber shop inside a beautiful home in Elbert County. I had wanted to visit there previously, but "never got around to it." The home is located on an alpaca farm (or you could say there is an alpaca farm co-located with the yarn shop) and specializes in alpaca yarns and fibers.
Three of the four ladies had planned to rent wheels to practice on. The fourth lady said she had a wheel. But when she arrived, the shop owner and I determined that she had an antique semi-functional wheel. Neither of us could spin on it, so we strongly recommended she rent a wheel with which she could learn.
During the three hour class, I helped each of them learn how to use their wheel, how to change the bobbins, and how to make yarn. One of the ladies decided that spinning was not her thing, and that was perfectly OK. (I recently made a similar discovery in a pottery throwing class.) She was much more interested in learning how to process the fiber. That's good, because a lot of us would much rather spin or knit than wash fleeces or card them.
All four students successfully spun a singles yarn. I sent them home with a bag full of different kinds of prepared fiber to spin. They need to practice a few minutes every day, or as close to it as practicable. A follow-up class about how to ply their yarn is offered in two weeks, but they have to spin some more singles to have something to ply.
The shop owner said something very nice about me. She said I was a very "gentle soul" when it came to teaching spinning. Aw, shucks...
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