The View from Here

Shut UP!!!!

Okay, I’ve said this before and it’s getting to be a daily pain in my ear. Stop talking on your phone in the store! It makes you sound stupid, especially if you are talking to an ear device that we can’t even see. Stop talking in the car! A man in a pickup swerved and nearly hit me yesterday because he was TALKING on his cell phone. Stop talking and texting AT WORK- McDonald’s, Lowe’s, school, offices- when you should be WORKING. Put the *%^& phone down and stop talking long enough to let me tell you something important about your child! I honestly had a parent try to talk to me while talking on the phone to someone else!!!

I frankly think that some people will not be happy until they have a cell phone implanted in their heads and they can just walk around talking 24/7. And I saw a report about a teenager who had sent 4,000 text messages in a month. Some people definitely have way too much free time!

Breathe into the bag Mary. Breathe…

What a difference a number makes.

It’s all in the numbers these days. Most people can tell you their age, weight, BMI (body mass index), blood pressure, cholesterol level, heart rate, blood sugar level or how many miles they ran on the track. We’re all about numbers and mine are good this morning! A BP of 130/71 is probably about as good as I can hope to get with my genes. Knowing that my numbers are finally lower makes me feel better, even if it is only psychological and even if it is due to the miracle of modern medicine. I’ll take that until I lose twenty pounds and bring it down naturally. (At least I’ve been assured that will happen.)

Children across the country will be looking for an equally important number during the next four to six weeks, depending on where they live! That is the pass/fail number they need for their report card. Many realize what an impact their final score will make on the rest of their life.  Others seem clueless to the fact that passing or failing in school, at any grade level, alters the future. One of my kindergarten students will be staying with us next year. She hasn’t been in my class for very long, but she is sweet and smart and simply a victim of circumstances beyond her control. Another year in kindergarten, if she stays here, will make her a confident, capable first grader. But it will also alter her friendships and feelings and I’m always hesitant to recommend retention. Of course I feel that it is better to spend an extra year in kindergarten than an extra year in a higher grade.

Another number I can celebrate is four! Yes, that’s how many weeks of school we have left. Don’t tell me you are disappointed in my attitude. J I’m still crazy about teaching, but when we get to the last few weeks it is like being in a marathon and finally seeing the finish line ahead. We’ve worked really hard this year and I’m ready for a rest. My students have their minds on T-ball and fishing and playing with friends.  Parents are tired of homework and behavior reports and conferences. The last week will be celebrated!!

I always knew that my limited math skills would not be a problem in real life. Although I suppose I’ve used a little algebra and geometry from time to time, I would like to tell my former teachers that calculators, forms, graphs, and other people have allowed me to be successful in life, despite my poor grades in both. However, I have always been, and continue to be amazed by the impact of numbers on our life, health, attitude, finances, and status. At our house it begins with the early morning weather report and the news that the high for the day will be 75 degrees. Believe me, the impact of that is very different from those mornings when the number is 35. The next important number is time. Do I have time to finish my blog? Time to do a load of laundry before school? Time to take out the garbage? Then it’s out the door to the truck. Do I have ½ a tank of gas or just ¼? And if you think this is silly, think about how different my life would be if I drove to work at 85mph, or 35mph, vs. 70mph. J

So…it’s all about the numbers. I hope yours are good ones today!

Peace

 

It’s been a difficult week so far and it’s only Wednesday. I don’t say that often, because my life is pretty boring and ordinary.  I like it that way. However, my blood pressure has been out of control again and I’m trying to adjust to a new medication. My foot is bothering me more than usual. I’ve had a sinus headache for two days (whine, whine). We are doing testing at school. The city crew mowed down two of my flower beds. I’m behind on my own mowing and gardening. Breathe into the bag, Mary, breathe into the bag….

Last night I decided that I needed a little peace and contemplation, so I set out with my walking stick and camera and went down to the highway. The birds were out of the pit, the calf was sleeping contentedly next to his mom, I could see another new calf on the far west side of the pasture, and the sun was making pretty streaks of color across the clouds. I didn’t find much to photograph, but the walk was refreshing.

When I got back to the yard I spotted one of the bunnies at the feeder. I walked slowly to within about ten feet of it and just watched for a few minutes. Then it hopped back to the pasture behind the house and I followed. Soon there were three bunnies entertaining me and I managed to take several photos. I named the bunnies Manny, Moe, and Jack after the Pep Boys mascots. I get Manny and Moe confused, but Jack is easy- he has a split in his ear! Jack is also very, very brave and let me get within three feet of him. As I was running out of light a fourth bunny came to see what was going on.

   

I also took a couple of flower shots. After thirty minutes in the yard all was right with the world again. Peace.

Two Bird Tales

I’m not much of a photographer, as my husband and at least one daughter will readily tell you. I don’t know what half the bells and whistles on our camera do and I don’t know how to use them. When I start reading or thinking about apertures and focal points and such, my mind goes blank and I forget all those years (2-lol) of photography classes.  My husband and daughter, however, know everything there is to know about the bells and whistles, and then some. They remember what they read, even if it involves numbers and math. They study the light and plan their shots and turn the right dials and magic happens.

However, I’ve taken a few good photos, and my husband and at least one daughter will readily admit it. I have three things that work to my advantage in photography and help balance out my technical shortcomings. First of all, my natural talent, plus five years of art training, gives me a keen eye for interesting subject matter. Second, my love of nature has endowed me with a penchant for observation. I am also infinitely patient when it comes to that observation.  I spent hours in the woods as a child. I just watched animals and studied plants. Third, digital photography has freed me from the fear of making a mistake. When we used film I was so hesitant to waste it! I knew when I got in the darkroom I would be disappointed. And I couldn’t do all that darkroom magic stuff that corrected some of my mistakes. I’d just stand there in the dark and think “not again!”. When we sent film off to be developed I just prayed I got back something recognizable.

With advances in technology and the automatic features of our camera backing me up, I can now concentrate on subject matter and let luck handle the rest. I just click away and I’m usually not disappointed. I might take ten shots before I get that wonderful one that tells the story I want to remember. But it’s the story that is important, not how I got it.

And for those of you who have asked, I use photo software to crop a photo or change the lighting or blot out a dirty spot, but nothing else, because again, I don’t know how to do anything advanced. And I kind of feel like some of the things that I could learn to do are “plastic surgery” and my photos don’t need that.  I’m not trying to impress anyone or compete for prizes. BTW, I have an extreme distrust for media photos now that I understand what CAN be changed in them.

I say all of that to preface today’s bird photos. This first set tells what appears to be an amusing story. The little “exchange” took place outside my kitchen window, which has a screen. So the photos are a bit blurry, but I don’t care. What I care about is that this bird couple has some definite marital issues! LOL I figure he was supposed to be home working on his chores when his wife caught him out having a good time at the feeder instead. I’ve never before seen a bird “cower”, but I definitely think that is what this one is doing. J

 

The next set of photos shows our attempt at a bird rescue. When I came home yesterday there were killdeer chicks all over the driveway and the adult pair was going crazy with their “fake injury” displays. I stopped and got out to see the source of their despair- two chicks had fallen into the pit below the cattle guard.  I thought at first that we might scoop them up with my big butterfly net, but the combination of their speed and the close proximity of the guard pipes made that seem impossible even without actually attempting it. So we placed two long, slender tree limbs into the pit and angled them out the sides of it. Hopefully the chicks walked up the limbs and out of the pit. I will have to check this morning. And the limbs are placed so that they can stay there and we can still drive over the cattle guard. I would just imagine that if the chicks fell in there once, it won’t be the last time. There was also a chick wandering on the highway, so I’m not sure how many they will have left by the end of the week. Odd that they built a nest so close to the road.

 

 

 

 
  

Of course the cows were curious and had to see what we were doing.

Never know what a day will bring. J Enjoy today!

 

$100 pee

 

Yes, the title is a little gross today, but it makes a point that you will remember as we discuss vitamins. Many people believe that vitamins are perfectly harmless and the more you take, the better you will feel. Now that so many of them are available at your local pharmacy, along with minerals and dozens of other dietary “supplements” it is actually possible to not only overdose on vitamins, but to have an adverse reaction and/or interfere with the effectiveness of your prescription medications.

Most people are familiar with the idea behind the title. Excess water soluble vitamins, such as the B complex and C, can’t be stored in large quantities by the body, so if you take too much they are simply flushed out of your system. By the way, B and C vitamins are essential for weight loss, but chances are you are getting enough from your food or a daily “multi-vitamin” tablet.  Vitamin C seems to be added to everything these days so I don’t know why anyone would take it in pill form. B vitamins are found in meats, potatoes, bananas, lentils, peppers, fortified cereals, and beans.

Fat soluble vitamins such as E, A, and D may pose a problem if taken in excessive quantities. Overdoses of vitamins can lead to headaches, diarrhea, fatigue, vomiting, dry skin, kidney stones, and blurred vision. And large doses of one vitamin may actually interfere with the absorption of another, leading to a deficiency. Large doses of vitamin A are especially harmful to people who also consume large quantities of alcohol.

When it comes to purchasing dietary supplements, most medical professionals advise the public to be wary of the wonderful claims made by the manufacturers. If it sounds too good to be true, it is. Most supplements are going to enhance your diet, not CURE anything. The best way to get your daily requirement of vitamins is through a balanced diet. However, if you are in a specific group (vegan, diabetic) or have a health concern that isn’t met by your diet you may want to take one or two specific supplements such as B-12 or D. Some can interact adversely with prescription drugs so be sure to inform your doctor if you plan to add anything to your daily regimen.

There are dozens of vitamins, herbal supplements, botanicals, amino acids, and enzymes available over the counter to anyone with money. Today’s trendy solution to modern life seems to be microbial probiotics. And of course everything from juice to cereal to supplements claims to be “heart healthy”. Throw a little whole wheat and vitamin E in something and we’re taking out our wallet as fast as we can. I think the solution to all of this is simple: stop, look, listen.

Stop and examine your diet. What are you eating? What are you NOT eating? What essential nutrients might be missing from your diet if you continue to eat this way? Can you add a food or drink that provides it?  Will a simple multi-vitamin provide most of the nutrients you might miss in a day?

Look on food labels. I found three foods on my refrigerator shelves that provide 100% of my daily requirement of vitamin C. Since my daily multi-vitamin also provides 100%, I’m watching a lot of vitamin C flush down the drain.  I found three sources for 25% of my vitamin D, and my multi has 250%. I could go on and on. The point is that most vitamin deficiencies can be adequately covered by a good multi-vitamin. Mine has 23 “key nutrients” plus calcium and iron. Since I eat a diet that includes lots of vegetables and fruits, I figure I’m doing okay without a lot of added supplements. The only other pill I take is fish oil and I take it because of our family history of heart disease. And yes, I’ve checked my brand’s purity in light of the recent PCB controversy.

Listen to your doctor and pharmacist. Ask about over the counter supplements you want to take, especially herbal remedies. First of all, ask what your doctor thinks about the claims made for the supplement. Then find out how they will affect the medications you are taking, or how they might affect your liver or kidneys. I usually find that my pharmacist is more informed than my physician about drug interactions.

I’m not a doctor, but I think moderation is wise in this area. And I hate to watch money go down the drain!

Have a healthy day!

P.S. I’ve decided to balance my Monday nutritional diatribes with cute photos so I don’t lose skinny readers! J These are from yesterday. I found out that animals love to eat in the rain. The bunny was especially grateful that I cleaned out our refrigerator and found some old veggies. I imagine the raccoon finished off the frozen corn last night. And yes, some of the bird photos are a little fuzzy because I took them through a window that has a screen on it. More about the bird scene tomorrow.  

And while I’m rambling and you are wondering- no I don’t walk around with the camera in my hand 24/7. I do keep it on the dining room table when I’m home. That way if I wander past a window and see something, or watch the birds while I’m washing dishes or cooking dinner, I don’t have to go find the camera.

  

 

Green Smoothies

Katrina has been trying to convince me to embrace the “Green Smoothie Revolution”. For those of you who aren’t aware of it, and I certainly wasn’t, it’s an eating plan based on the concept of adding more fruits and vegetables to your daily diet by blending them together in a blender and consuming them as liquids. Sounds simple, but believe me, it is far more complicated than you can imagine. And I have been very reluctant to even try ONE smoothie. I finally agreed to make one this weekend and to supply photographic evidence of my compliance. I felt I owed Katrina that in exchange for all the years I tortured her with “just try one bite” or “you might like it if you taste it” and all the other parent ploys designed to introduce healthy foods to our children.

My first hesitation came at just reading the subtitle of the book! “The Radical Leap Towards Natural Health” did not seem to match my personality. I’ve been known to experiment a little, and take a risk or two, but radical? So not me.

 I also have a little bit of a problem with some of the statements made in the book:

“I was able to trick my body into consuming a large amount of greens without any resistance.” Now, I’m pretty sure that my mind is going to remember what I put into the blender! J

“…if you keep consuming kale, or spinach, or any other single green for many weeks without rotation, eventually the same type of alkaloids can accumulate in your body and cause unwanted symptoms of poisoning.”

“…all wild plants possess more nutrients than commercially grown plants.”  “I enjoy the rich flavor and slightly bitter taste of weeds.” Thankfully she includes a list of twenty-two toxic plants to avoid picking for your smoothie!

“Sometimes I drink only one quart, but more often I drink two, three, and even four quarts a day.” Okay, how does she have the time to do that, and how often does the woman go to the bathroom, because I just don’t get that many breaks in my teaching day!

“Drink your smoothie by itself, and not as a part of a meal. To get the most nutritional benefits out of your green smoothie, don’t consume anything, even as little as a cracker, with it. You can eat anything you want approximately forty minutes before or after your smoothie.” Okay, folks, figure the forty minutes with the 2-4 quarts of smoothies consumed per day and get back to me with the math, because I can’t figure out the scheduling.

Okay, Kat, I tried the smoothie this morning and failed miserably. First of all my blender just isn’t up to the task of the “smooth” part. The author says that you have to have a “strong blender” and she meant it! She says, “If you don’t have a powerful blender, you can still make green smoothies and benefit from them, but you will have to chop your ingredients into smaller pieces, blend for longer periods of time, and put up with some chunks in your smoothie.” Amen. My smoothie had some undesirable chunks in it and felt gritty.

Also, my smoothie wasn’t the pretty color that is advertised, and that Katrina shows on her posts. I think that is because I didn’t add a banana. I haven’t been able to eat them for about a year, so I didn’t add one to my smoothie.

The taste wasn’t bad- mostly strawberry. It dominated the spinach taste. And I like spinach.

So, I tried. I failed. I’m going to go eat my cereal now.

 

The birds, the bees, and a bunny...

 

 
   

There is just something about red...

Little Friends

I was cooking dinner last night when some feathered friends stopped by for a drink and a bath. Of course the minute I took out the camera they all flew to the back yard, except for this brave guy.

I love watching the birds! I should have taken a photo of the nest above the bay window. We will have baby bird heads peeking out soon. And the swallows, though not my favorites, will soon start their nests under the patio eaves, and will be amusing to watch. The bluebirds have been busy at their boxes for weeks. The Cardinals are still here. There was an egret on the pond yesterday. I’ll soon have more time to use my binoculars for some quality bird watching.  

We also have lots of bumble bees this week. They are attracted to the ajuga that is blooming along the path. I’ll try to take some photos tomorrow if it isn’t raining. Don’t worry, bumble bees are good friends and relatively harmless. I’m much more afraid of a horsefly! Big OUCH!

Looking forward to today with my other little friends! My class has been pretty good this week and they have been reading very, very well. We are currently learning about blends and diagraphs. This is the time of year when I start being much less “helpful”. One girl came to my desk yesterday during writing time and asked me to spell “have”. I said, “No, that’s a word you can sound out first. Tell me the first letter.” I got a very quick h.  “Next?” Little more of a struggle to produce the a, but she got it. “Next?” Quick v.  “Okay, put a silent e at the end and you’ve got it!” I love to see the pride in their eyes when they figure out something with their own little brains! J

Hope you have some kind of little friends to entertain you today!

Grandfathers

We don’t see many grandfathers at school. I don’t know why. For most of my teaching career I would say that I’ve met more than half the grandmothers and only about a third of the grandfathers attached to my students. Not exact statics, just an observation. I’ve also noticed that many of my students don’t talk much about their grandfathers unless they are discussing fishing, hunting, or gardening. Perhaps that’s why they have been more of a topic lately- lots of fishing and gardening going on.

I was blessed to know both of my grandfathers despite some major obstacles. As I’ve said before, Grandad Lee (Dad’s father) was an alcoholic, and Pappa Springer (Mom’s father) was often a thousand miles away. My somewhat estranged relationship with Lee is evidenced by the fact that there are so few photos of us together or even of him alone, even though I spent years in his home. He died in 1975 and was buried on my birthday. My memories of Pappa are scattered and fragile- bits and pieces of visits until we moved here when I was in high school. Then I was in CA for many years. He died in 1990, the year before my husband and I returned to live here.

My grandfathers provided quite a contrast for me and I gained some valuable insights into human character from both of them. Grandad was tall and lean, gruff and serious. He often shouted complaints or demands. Pappa was shorter, rounder, softer, and gentler. I don’t remember ever hearing him raise his voice to anyone.  Grandad spoke in terse, sharp sentences accented with words and phrases that my mother cautioned me never to “repeat in public!”  Pappa could drawl out an explanation of something ‘til it was so long that I’d forgotten my question. And he was outspoken about politics and people. I never understood half of what he was talking about, but I loved hearing him talk!

I don’t suppose our childhood memories of our grandparents are ever that accurate. I remember Mom often spoke of how strict her father was and Dad swears that his father was once a hard-working man with a sense of humor. However, our mind stores and recalls what it chooses and impressions are impossible to erase. I will always remember Grandad as the person in my life who made toys and charmed animals and gardened.  And my impression of him was that he hated people, cursed fate for destroying his life plans, and wanted everyone to love him, but understood why they didn’t. Pappa was the gentle soul who linked me to our past with wagon rides and walks in the woods and lessons in the hen house. When I was a young girl who was just visiting I often thought of him as old fashioned and out of touch with the “big world”. As I grew older I began to see him as wise and comfortable with his life.

When I think of my grandfathers I realize that both of them shared a deep, abiding love of nature. Both loved to grow things. Both surrounded themselves with animals. Both loved to just be outside. Both loved their families. Both loved me. I suppose that’s what really matters.