Money for Blogging?!?!?!?!?

Hugh Smith, Of Two Minds, discusses a senario in which Democrats and Republicans compete to see who can give away the most money....see excerpts below.

"Sources indicate that the giveaway to bloggers was a coup for the Democrats, who had temporarily run out of giveaway ideas."

"A source who spoke off the record said 'the power players were frantic to find new giveaways , because the Republicans seemed to be catching up'."

What in the World?

Past, Future, and Present?
Check out Chiles Chews for interesting info about what's inaccurate and inadequate about some past and future science constants.

And what about the present? Sharon Astyk pulls together links on the current food situation.

Let's be thankful right now for today, for life, for family, for friends, for freedom.
Happy Thanksgiving.
We had our first snow yesterday. The rain melted it last night but I hear from family in Oregon that they have a foot already. Guess Maine was the right move.

Happy Holiday Travel?

Planning to fly somewhere for the Holidays? Look at this...
Perhaps you should drive.

Minnesota born

Once upon a time...

Long ago and far away in the territory of Heaven lived the Angels. All Angels were strong, healthy, beautiful and very happy. Perfect in every way. Regularly their Master would communicate with them and tell them, "I AM the one who created you. I AM who loves you. I AM the one who provides everything you need for a perfectly happy life in Heaven." The Angels cheered and worshipped the Master. They felt exhilarating joy even at the sound of the words, "I AM all for you." The Angels were perfectly content, until...

In the middle of perfection one Angel asked the question, "How do we know the Master isn't keeping something from us? How do we know The Master is creator? Or withholding some pleasure? How do we know we're loved as much as possible? I would offer full disclosure if I was in charge."

Angels had never exercised their minds in questions about the Master before, but found they were free to think as they chose. After analyzing their situation and relationship with the Master, most Angels chose not to examine these questions any further but remain content in the Master's Heaven. But a few listened to the questions. Questions grew into doubt. Doubt grew into mistrust. Mistrust grew into unrest and rebellion.

The Master created a new planet called Earth and a new race - Humans. The peace and happiness of Heaven filled Earth also. Regularly the Master would visit the Humans to teach them about their origin and all the life around them. Lucifer, the leader of the rebellious Angels, jealous of the Master's ability to create, purposed to the Master, "I can offer a life of freedom to these brand new Humans. Let me have this planet to show everyone that there is more to life than what you offer." The Master considered Lucifer's proposal and allowed Lucifer limited access to the new Humans. So the Master communicated with the Humans and told them to stay away from one particular tree in their beautiful garden. Eating the fruit of that tree would cause death. The Humans were happy to comply until one day they found themselves near the tree, listening to a different voice, admiring the deadly fruit, and ultimately choosing to eat it.

In their next communication with the Master the consequence of their choice was presented. "You have chosen to separate yourselves from My Plan for your happiness. I AM life to you and you have chosen to deny that. Your course is set for death as you have chosen to be The Demonstration of dissention and rebellion. I AM now to you Everlasting Love. I AM now to you the Promise of Salvation. I AM now to you the Sacrificial Lamb who alone stands in the position to offer eternal life to those destined for eternal death. The choice is yours.

The Choice

From our infancy we each learn about opposites:

self-indulgence/self-control

roughness/gentleness

inconstancy/faithfulness

greed/goodness

neglectfulness/kindness

intolerance/patience

disharmony/peace

sadness/joy

hate/love

We find that no matter how hard we try to "live right",

we can't escape the "dark side".

For me Christianity offers the way of escape for every individual who will choose it through the Justice/Mercy provided by our Source of Life through the substitutionary death of Jesus the Christ.

The Christian Creation Account

Through the centuries many accounts of creation have survived and some still believed today. Tepeu and Gucumatz, Vishnu and Brahma, Primordial Singularity and Cosmic Egg, Allah, String Theory and the Theory of Everything, etc.

Recently a friend asked, "Why do you prefer the Christian creation account?"

I believe in a Creator God, a sovereign self-existent being of infinite love, a God who did not design me to be a robot but gave me a free will. I may choose to deny Him and even hate Him. I may choose to thank Him and even worship Him. He does not interfere with or coerce my choice but in fact has provided through Jesus the Christ the assurance that our individual choice will be preserved for eternity. So whether Creator God thought, breathed, spoke, or plucked strings, the whole Cosmic Egg is in His Hands.

Messenger of Reassurance

Since childhood eagles have played a special role in my life. At signature times a Bald Eagle has been a messenger of reassurance to me. As on a trip to the local reservior with my husband and a long time friend before my cancer surgery, the eagle sored overhead, circling and circling. Or the time an eagle swooped up from that same reservior during a snow storm just clearing my car on the day I later found my husband lying in the dark with chest pain.

Today as I washed out some antique canning jars, I looked out the kitchen window at the exact moment an adult Bald Eagle flew directly over the house no higher then the treetops. A messenger of reassurance from God. I praise Him and thank Him for this blessed place.

Cabbagegate?

Check out the following links for some bizarre real happenings as the power/money grabbing attitude, which not long ago focused on making it big in the market, now turns inward:

ChileChews in Southwest USA

VegetableFarming in Georgia

LESSON: How is globalization acting out in your neck of the woods?

The Wheat and the Tares

Along the north side of the two acre mowed open area is a wild blackberry patch. This year the patch produced thousands of berries that dried and died on the plant due to lack of water and attention. So today, with pruning shears in hand, dressed in long sleeves, long pants, and a sailor hat coated with insect repellent, I decided to cut out the dead canes and drag them out of the patch to make room for next year's crop. Blackberry thorns are extremely sharp and stiff like rose thorns only 1/2 inch long! My clothes, now covered with snagged threads where the blackberries showed their resistance to pruning, has become my blackberry patch outfit.

Hesitant at first I tried to reach in with my shears but the patch held me at arm's length. As I got bolder holding the green canes out of the way with my arm or leg, more dead canes could be cut and removed. For about two hours I trimmed and cut until I had created a path wide enough for me to walk into the patch then cut only the dead cane to the left and right of the path as far as I could reach. Dave drove by on his lawn tractor with trailer and hauled the canes to the burn pile. Tomorrow I will make another path. The patch is large enough for approximately twelve similar paths. In the spring the first year canes (the green ones that didn't produce berries this year) will be pruned to about 3 to 4 feet high to encourage branching for berry formation. (I will enjoy the blackberries much more when they aren't taller than I am.) The antioxidant value of the berries in our diet is definitely worth the effort to grow and harvest them. Meanwhile I need to read up on blackberry nutrient and soil requirements.

We arrived in Maine two weeks ago and find settling in quite enjoyable. The preparation and move itself proved very stressful what with quitting my job. But now that we are moved, finding our way has indeed been an adventure. I praise God for preparing this place for us. There is much work to do and many things to learn. I can hardly wait for each new day to begin. And the stars, oh my, the stars. On a clear night we can see thousands of galaxies, billions of stars, all of the Big Dipper with the last star in the handle being just above the horizon.
Magnificent creation. Magnificent Creator.

LESSON: "Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of the world." Matthew 13:40

We've Arrived ...

Our move to Maine is complete. Internet access is still not established in the house. The extremely hot weather and approaching heavy winds and rain of Hurricane Earl are making it necessary to harvest the garden. So we've been busy with that and not focusing on settling in yet. More about the Homestead in future posts.

BIG MOVE ALMOST COMPLETE

Save the World's Seeds

Alert! Join Seed Savers Exchange in helping to save the Pavlovsk Station from development


A Russian court recently ruled that one of the world's most important seed banks near St. Petersburg, Russia may be destroyed in order to make way for a housing development. If allowed to stand, this decision will have a catastrophic impact on global plant diversity. Called a "living library", the Pavlovsk Experimental Station is widely considered the crown jewel of agricultural biodiversity, since 90% of the collection's varieties are not found anywhere else on the planet.

Join scientists and concerned people around the world in petitioning President Medvedev and Prime Minister Putin to overrule the court decision. To learn more about this issue and to sign the petition, click on this link to the

Global Crop Diversity Trust

Tomatoes

YUM!!

Why Move Out of the City

Our move from the city to the country has stirred many emotions and broken many ties. Distance from family members stirs many emotions. Leaving the concentration of population strains and breaks many ties. The excerpts taken from Eric Andrews' essay describe the ties we choose to change in our lives and hope our move will facilitate. The whole essay is published online on Of Two Minds.

taken from an essay by Eric Andrews entitled
TRUE CONFESSIONS (on Liberty and The Republic)

"Remember the phrase “Be the change you wish to see in the world”? Yes, that’s Mohandas Gandhi. So what did our Founding Fathers just tell us, what did promise to uphold? That true power lies NOT with the Federal Government, but with the People of the United States. So why are we looking to the Federal government to save us? When there’s a disaster, who do we look to for help, who do we blame? The Federal Government. When somebody spills oil in International Waters, which then washes ashore in State waters, who do we look to? The Federal Government. When somebody smokes in a restaurant, throws their taco wrapper on the streets, talks too loud, will or won’t hire you, pay you, promote you, doesn’t like the look of your jib, who do we want to pass a law to make the men with guns come down and stop it? The Federal Government. When stocks go down instead of up, who do we cry to for help? The Federal Government.

I thought the Federal Government, the concentration of money, power, and influence was the problem. So why do we look to the Federal Government for the answer? Not only do they not have the answer, they are specifically prohibited by the Constitution from acting on almost any problem you can name. That’s YOUR job, people. YOU are supposed to fix the stuff you want fixed. That’s called “Liberty”, the poor lady who’s been banished from our coins and now all but banished from society. “Liberty” is Freedom, but with the addition of restraint not to hurt others, and responsibility to work and do what must be done.

America was not founded on Freedom and Democracy: America was founded on Liberty and Republic. Freedom is when the strongest do whatever they want unless you have the power to stop them; Democracy is two wolves and a sheep voting on what’s for dinner. Liberty demands the strongest are restrained by justice and due process, and Republic restrains the 51% from doing whatever they like to the other 49%. I regret to say that presently Freedom and Democracy have free reign in the United States: Freedom for the Strong to do whatever they please, and for any privileged group to vote to themselves the rights and property of anyone who can‘t defend themselves.

And you look for this government to save you? You’re looking for it to reform itself? Liberty asks that if you want something done, YOU do it. You don’t pass a law to force your neighbor to do it.

Liberty asks, what am I going to do? What is my duty, to myself and to my country? And what are my limitations, so that other men are able to live free without being oppressed by me?"

LESSON: "Be the change you wish to see in the world." Gandhi

The Big Green Move

Moving stuff...personal stuff...functional stuff...necessary stuff...can be a huge job. But deciding what to do with all the stuff - stuff you no longer want to keep or do not have room to keep - now that's a HUGE job.

Here are some ideas:

Recycle paper, shred personal papers before recycling
Recycle plastic
Return bottles for deposit
Return plastic bags to the market
Recycle light weight cardboard
Divide metal items by element and sell by the pound
Recycle books
Recycle vinyl records, video tapes, DVDs
Donate clothing and shoes
Donate furniture and useable household items
Advertise on a local bulletin board - free items
Advertise on Craig's List
Contact a local auctioneer
Visit a local antique dealer with items to offer
Contact relatives to take memoribilia and photos
Have a garage sale
Hire someone to come clean out your basement or attic
Advertise larger items - cars, boats, snow blowers, etc. in appropriate local papers
Check with a local school or day care center to see if they need supplies
Donate food to a local pantry

Some methods are individual, for instance, I gave a crafty friend my left over remnants of fleece fabric. She assembled them all into a quilt and gave it to me as a retirement gift! Nice.

There must be more avenues to use to place unwanted items. Any ideas?

Worked My Last Day

Retirement is here!!!

Packing will begin in ernest now. Yeah!

Coming Soon - A Change

Not a little change...not a change in routine...more of a lifestyle change...a whole lifestyle change. Hubby and I are leaving our outskirts-of-a-major-city-living for outskirts-of-a-minor-town-living.

Remember when I surprised Hubby by telling him I quit my job? Well, this time I really did it! One more month and the packing up begins.

Dot Earth with Andrew C. Revkin has inspirational music for choosing to change. Follow the link and make sure you PLAY to hear him sing his own composition entitled, "Liberated Carbon".

What Is Life Coming To?

Scientists May Have Created "The First Synthetic Cell."

ABC World News (5/20, story 4, 2:30, Sawyer) reported, "World renowned geneticist Craig Venter has been trying to unlock the mystery of life for 15 years." Now, it appears his team at the J. Craig Venter Institute has made "a major breakthrough in the quest" to harness that phenomenon: They've "created life from nonliving parts." That is, they developed "the first synthetic cell." Explaining that "astonishing" feat, Dr. Venter said, "Instead of having a genetic relative that it evolved from, the parent of this cell is a computer."

It is possible that one day, such cells "will make up designer organisms that can be programmed to do specific tasks like creating new biofuels or breaking down oil -- which would come in handy about now," CBS Evening News (5/20, story 3, 0:30, Couric) reported.

This week's breakthrough stems from a step that was taken some three years ago, when Dr. Venter was able to show that "the natural DNA from one bacterium could be inserted into another and that it would take over the host cell's operation," the New York Times (5/21, A17, Wade) reports. In 2009, "his team synthesized a piece of DNA with 1,080,000 bases." Now, according to the paper in Science, the team has found that the "synthetic DNA takes over a bacterial cell just as the natural DNA did, making the cell generate the proteins specified by the new DNA's genetic information in preference to those of its own genome."

In other words, the "donor genome reprogrammed the recipient cell, which went on to replicate and divide," the Washington Post (5/21, Brown) reports. "The result was new colonies of Mycoplasma mycoides." Notably, the "man-made copy of the genome that Mycoplasma mycoides produces naturally" was "not an exact duplicate," as 14 "of the bacterium's 850 genes were altered or deleted during the experiment -- 12 intentionally, two accidentally."

Nevertheless, Venter said the work "changes conceptually how I think about life." Other scientists, however, "characterize the experiment in less revolutionary terms," pointing out that "only the genome was synthetic; the recipient cell was equipped by nature and billions of years of evolution to make sense of the genes it received and turn them on."

What's more, "other researchers have made microorganisms that can achieve" certain remarkable "feats," the Los Angeles Times (5/21, Maugh, Roan) notes. But, a "purpose-designed organism created from scratch would presumably be much more efficient, and it should be easier to control its products." And, "most scientists overwhelmingly praised the achievement," with one calling it "a tour de force and a landmark paper...that is akin to Jurassic Park or Frankenstein."

Venter himself referred to the cells as "biological transformers," according to Time (5/20, Park). Already, through a collaboration "with Novartis, he is building a bank of man-made versions of every known influenza strain so that if a new strain, such as H1N1, begins to circulate during flu season, vaccine makers can simply pull the appropriate synthetic segments off the shelf and begin the vaccine making process." The "promising" field of synthetic biology, however, "raises as much concern as it does excitement."

In fact, just moments after briefing Congress, several federal agencies, and the White House, the Committee on Energy and Commerce scheduled a public hearing for next week to discuss the new technology, the Wall Street Journal (5/21, A1, Hotz) reports on its front page. Similarly, the paper prompted a quick response from environmental groups like Friends of the Earth, which asked the FDA and the EPA, in a statement, "to fully regulate all synthetic biology experiments and products."

Gregory Kaebnick, employed at "a bioethics think" tank, "says there are two basic concerns about what Venter and others in the new field of synthetic biology are doing," NPR (5/20, Palca) reported. "First, that one of these synthetic organisms will escape from the lab and run amok. And the other is whether this kind of work crosses a line where humans start playing God." Yet, "for the moment, Venter and his colleagues are the only ones with the money and techniques to do this kind of genomic manipulation," but "others are working in related areas, and a new world of synthetic microorganisms might not be far off."

Shorting Out the Situation

NASA reports in, As the Sun Awakens, NASA Keeps a Weary Eye on Space Weather, on the sun's recent solar activity. The following is taken from the article.

"2010 marks the 4th year in a row that policymakers, researchers, legislators and reporters have gathered in Washington DC to share ideas about space weather. This year, forum organizers plan to sharpen the focus on critical infrastructure protection. The ultimate goal is to improve the nation’s ability to prepare, mitigate, and respond to potentially devastating space weather events.
'I believe we're on the threshold of a new era in which space weather can be as influential in our daily lives as ordinary terrestrial weather." Fisher concludes. "We take this very seriously indeed.'"

SDO Observes Massive Eruption, Scorching Rain has a couple videos of the sun activity.

LESSON: If we can not control what we do, how do we expect to control the effect of the sun?

Oil, oil everywhere, and not a drop to burn

Why didn't BP close the deep water oil well after the explosion? Why doesn't BP abandon the well. $$$$$$$$$$$. So far BP seems satisfied with recovering 10% of the gushing oil leak.

The tears we shed as we watch and read, are they sadness over the loss or remorse for our greed? Why is our focus on clean up rather than permanent shut down? Where will we put the millions of gallons of oil contaminating the Gulf of Mexico? Are we so addicted to oil that we will destroy to Earth to get it?

There is nothing natural about this disaster. It is all manmade.

LESSON: Turn to CREATOR LORD now. Only He can save us from ourselves.

Listen To This...

LAUGHING AS YOU SINK

Found this on Market Ticker.

On a Lighter Note, or Beat

Think three years old...little Howard Wong

Irreversible Damage to the Earth

One on many articles, this one taken from Yahoo news.

UN fears 'irreversible' damage to natural environment

Mon May 10, 7:08 am ET
GENEVA (AFP) – The UN warned on Monday that "massive" loss in life-sustaining natural environments was likely to deepen to the point of being irreversible after global targets to cut the decline by this year were missed.
As a result of the degradation, the world is moving closer to several "tipping points" beyond which some ecosystems that play a part in natural processes such as climate or the food chain may be permanently damaged, a United Nations report said.
The third "Global Biodiversity Outlook" found that deforestation, pollution or overexploitation were damaging the productive capacity of the most vulnerable environments, including the Amazon rainforest, lakes and coral reefs.
"This report is saying that we are reaching the tipping point where the irreversible damage to the planet is going to be done unless we act urgently," Ahmed Djoghlaf, executive secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, told journalists.
Djoghlaf argued that extinction rates for some animal or plant species were at a historic high, up to 1,000 times those seen before, even affecting crops and livestock.
The UN report was partly based on 110 national reports on steps taken to meet a 2002 pledge to "significantly reduce" or reverse the loss in biodiversity.
Djoghlaf told journalists: "There is not a single country in the world that has achieved these targets, we continue to lose biodioversity at unprecedented rate."
Three potential tipping points were identified.
Global climate, regional rainfall and loss of plant and animal species were harmed by continued deforestation of the Amazon rainforest, the report said.
Many freshwater lakes and rivers were becoming contaminated by algae, starving them of oxygen and killing off fish, affecting local livelihoods and recreation for local populations.
And coral reefs were collapsing due to the combined blow of more acid and warming oceans, as well as overfishing, the UN found.
UN Environment Programme (UNEP) director general Achim Steiner underlined the economic value and returns of "natural capital" and its role in ensuring the health of soil, oceans and the atmosphere.
"Humanity has fabricated the illusion that somehow we can get by without biodiversity or that it is somehow peripheral to the contemporary world," Steiner said.
"The truth is we need it more than ever on a planet of six billion heading to over nine billion people by 2050."
The report argued that biodiversity was a core concern for society that would help tackle poverty and improve health, meriting as much attention as the economic crisis for only a fraction of the cost of recent financial bailouts.
It advocated a new strategy to tackle the loss alongside more traditional steps such as the expansion of protected natural areas and pollution control.
They included attempts to regulate land consumption, fishing, increased trade and population growth or shifts, partly through a halt to "harmful" or "perverse" subsidies.
The issues raised by the report are due to be discussed at a UN biodiversity meeting in Japan in October.
UNEP report

The Farmland

Davis' Farmland, a great place for young grandkids.

News As He Sees It

Hubby offers a summation of today's headline news,

"What we do to compensate for what we do is worse than what we do."

LESSON: Stop doing it.

Roots and Shoots, Shingles and Studs

INSIDE: baby tomatoes, cucumbers, and, believe it or not, a sweet potato grow and get ready for transplantation outside into the garden.

OUTSIDE: Jennifer and Nicholas, her puggle, help re-roof the shed so split wood can be stacked inside.

LESSON: cycles, cycles, cycles

Health Reform - What's In It For You?

As I health care worker, I've heard very little discussion at work about the recent health care bill and vote. Today the laboratory manager posted this Press Ganey article for anyone interested. It is a very brief summary of some practical points taken from the Health Care Bill.

To me it says:
charge all individuals (healthy and ill alike) the amount of an operation every year paid to the federal government for health insurance
reduce medicare payments to all health care facilities
reduce medicare payments to all physicians
threaten to increase the medicare payment reduction to facilities that do not comply on schedule to demands of the government
further continued reduction in payments to facilities that do not comply with a "smile" (patient satisfaction)
offer educational loans and grants to encourage students to enter medicine as a general practitioner

By the time more new doctors enter their general practice to handle the millions of new insured patients, hospitals will be bankrupt...and I'll be without a job. This is not about health care, but rather, about money and power. Government control over your money and you.

Read it for yourself and draw your own conclusions.

Early March at Our House

Sprouts!!! The tomato and cucumber seeds I saved last year from my plants really sprouted and here's a photo to prove it. This is all so exciting! Right now they are under a small grow light in the living room.

But more than plants is going on at home...

Along with a major reorganize, clean out and clean up of the cellar, we had some plumbing updated. We were told that in order to properly vent the new drain in the basement, they would have to look into the bathroom walls!!!

So now we've started the remodel of the bathroom with a brand new toilet and spiff up of the heater.

So far, so good.

A potent global warming gas...

Methane Seen As A Growing Climate Risk
Associated Press

Thu Mar 4, 2:00 pm ET
WASHINGTON – Methane, a potent global warming gas, is bubbling out of the frozen Arctic faster than had been expected.
Methane had become trapped in the permafrost over time and a warming climate is now resulting in its release, researchers report in Friday's edition of the journal Science.
"The amount of methane currently coming out of the East Siberian Arctic Shelf is comparable to the amount coming out of the entire world's oceans," said Natalia Shakhova, of the University of Alaska Fairbanks International Arctic Research Center and the co-author.
Concerns about global warming have centered on rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, but scientists note that methane can be 30 times more effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide.
Historically, methane concentrations in the world's atmosphere have ranged between 0.3 and 0.4 parts per million in cool periods to 0.6 to 0.7 in warm periods. Current methane concentrations in the Arctic average about 1.85 parts per million, the scientists said, the highest in 400,000 years.
___
On the Net:
Science: http://www.sciencemag.org

Answers To Prayer

When your heart cries out to God and pleads for His intervention in your life, He may answer you in His "still, small voice" or in His stormy, large voice. Both are a comfort and a wonder. Our God is an awesome God.

Wisdom From Eating

"Either we restrict the foods we eat when we have a choice, or our diet will eventually be restricted by chronic diseases." (CHS, May 9, 2009)

Amazing Grace

Dave and I watched this movie today. Quite amazing. It could motivate you to never eat sugar again in remembrance of those that died during the development of the sugar industry.

Watch it.

Globalization: Good vs. Bad

"At first glance, of course, one might think that globalization is a good thing: each country or people liberated to exchange the fruits of their labor on the world's markets; each culture free to learn from all the others; more buying and selling, higher standards of living, and modernity; less poverty and backwardness. In practice, however, much of globalization tends to promote an extremely selective, and often quite destructive and unjust, distribution of power and wealth. It supports certain cultures and communities and eliminates others. Its successes tend to be measured by the simplest and least humane of economic measures -- more economic activity, more 'wealth' understood purely as purchasing power -- while its crushing human and ecological effects are ignored. Above all, globalization's transformations of the way people work, live, and raise families are not democratically chosen but created and managed by political and economic elites."

"To get a sense of globalization's dark side, consider and example of the international production of energy involving Enron in the Indian state of Maharastra. Enron contracted to build power plants there, and Maharastra agreed to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in return. Because the resulting facilities produced electricity that was between two and seven times more expensive than previously existing Indian plants, a new state government attempted to break the disastrous agreement. Pressure was applied by the U.S. ambassador (who soon retired from government service to become an Enron director), and soon a new contract was signed that was even more expensive. Millions of dollars of bribes to local officials secured the contract, threats from U.S. and other global institutions solidified Enron's position, and Enron made billions in profits. An already poverty-stricken area of a third world country became poorer, but economic activity measured as the exchange of funds increased. National boundaries, and to some extent national sovereignty, were diminished. Some people did quite well out of the deal, but many more suffered."

"Another harmful impact of globalization arises when subsistence farming is replaced by huge plantations growing a single export corp, and peasants who used to support themselves on the land move to already overcrowded cities with high unemployment. In such cases, people who had been living a reasonably secure existence, with access to land and food, get turned into consumers who must pay for everything they need. Economic activity increases, more money circulates, but the loss of access to their own fields, forests, or coastlines is not registered as a monetary loss, and because the ensuing poverty involves more cash flow, it can be seen as a 'better life.'"

Quotation taken from: A Greener Faith, by Roger S. Gottlieb

Ta Dah!!

Announcing a new baby girl!! Just fresh into the world. Praise God!!

Consumerism, An Addiction

Two weeks ago hubby and I heard Roger S. Gottlieb, Professor of Philosophy at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), speak on religious environmentalism. The following is a quote from his book, A Greener Faith, Religious Environmentalism and Our Planet.

"Consumerism, we should be clear, is not simply about buying a lot, though it certainly includes that. All through history people have wanted their basic needs met, and that small group with extra cash on hand made a point of getting a good deal more than that. The shape taken by consumerism in the modern world, however, involves not just the multiplication of what you get, but the endless expansion of what you want. Consumerism teaches that the central goal of human existence is the satisfaction of an ever growing, ever changing array of personal desires. To be a consumer, in this sense, is always to be wanting something else: the newest, fastest, largest (or smallest), best, prettiest, or most impressive. If the superlatives in these categories are restricted to the truly wealthy, the goal will be to get the best knock-offs one can afford. In this sense, consumerism is a quasi-addictive pattern, made up of unending cycles of the stimulation of desire - the satisfaction of desire (buying) - and the stimulation of new desires. Like any other addiction, we feel a rush of craving, a brief moment of contentment, the inevitable letdown - and then a new craving."

What does a life free from addiction look like? What is that freedom?

"Jesus answered them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, every one who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not continue in the house for ever; the son continues for ever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.'"

John 8: 34-35

Motivational quotes and application

MOTIVATIONAL WORDS OF WISDOM
from http://www.inspirational-quotes.info/

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit. Aristotle
Work spares us from three evils: boredom, vice, and need. Voltaire
Experience is the child of thought, and thought is the child of action. Benjamin Disraeli
You cannot plough a field by turning it over in your mind. Author Unknown
The best way out is always through. Robert Frost
Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking. William B. Sprague
Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome. Samuel Johnson
Fortune favors the brave. Publius Terence
He who hesitates is lost. Proverb
Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall. Confucius
Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. Albert Einstein
Knowing is not enough; we must apply.Willing is not enough; we must do. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
We are still masters of our fate.We are still captains of our souls. Winston Churchill
Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Constant dripping hollows out a stone. Lucretius
Nothing contributes so much to tranquilize the mind as a steady purpose--a point on which the soul may fix its intellectual eye. Mary Shelley

FBL Team member personal application:

“I have always had lots of reasons to "want" to lose weight. I wanted that little black dress, or to be attractive. Even to not look like a dumpy late thirty's mother of two. But a few weeks ago I got a new reason. Being over weight I am at a high risk for diabetes. My brother-in-law has had to deal with diabetes for a lot of his life. This past year has been very bad for him. Finally around Christmas he started cascading organ failure. He died 3 weeks ago because his liver and kidneys just plain failed and there wasn't anything else they could do. We went to see him the night before he died and I stood there, knowing I should be feeling only for him, but thinking "I don’t want to die this way!" He was only 43. I guess getting an up-close look at what the possible health issues can really mean just scared me. Of course I haven't been eating right every day since then. But at least I am making conscious efforts everyday to do at least something better for my body. Add in some protein I wouldn't have eaten, cut a carb I normally do. Do a few extra minutes with the wii fit.”

ASSIGNMENT: Each of you has personal reasons to change your eating habits. Focus on that reason. Keep it before you all the time. Work for it.

(My favorite quote above is: “You can not plow a field by turning it over in your mind.”)

What Motivates You To Change?

Hello everyone,
An FBL member is feeling alone and needs our help.

Here is the problem:

“I can be good for a day and then have 3 or 4 days when I just don't care. I understand all the medical reasons to lose weight but somehow it just doesn't make me change my ways. I think I would feel better if I lost weight but again still doesn't make me change my eating.”

OK, team. Thinking caps on.

What motivates you?

Prayer/Care/Share/Act

The Creator made us a community dependent on each other for our well-being. For the most part we have given up that idea and done our own thing. Colin Beavan, aKa No Impact Man, has put together of a list actions for heading back to living with care for each other in mind.

No Impact Man's Top Ten Eco-Lifestyle Changes
For more ideas and ways to join a community of people who are searching for happier, more eco-friendly lives, got to NoImpactProject.org.

1. Stop eating beef. Worldwide, beef production contributes more substantially to climate change than the entire transportation sector. Plus, a diet with no or less beef is better for you anyway.

2. Give up bottled water. The production of plastic water bottles together with the privatization of our drinking water is an environmental and social catastrophe. Bottled water costs more per gallon than gasoline. Plus, the health consequences of drinking water from plastic are not clear.

3. Observe an eco-sabbath. For one day or afternoon or even hour a week, don't buy anything, don't use any machines, don't switch on anything electric, don't cook, don't answer your phone, and, in general, don't use any resources. In other words, for this regular period, give yourself and the planet a break. Keep your regular eco-sabbath for a month. You'll find that the enforced downtime represents an improvement to your life.

4. Tithe a fixed percentage of your income. Currently, many of our societal health and welfare services, at home and abroad, are tied to consumer spending which, in turn, depends upon planetary resource use. But the idea of buying stuff to help people is crazy, especially when you consider that our consumption is harming the habitat that we depend upon for our health, happiness and security. If you want to help, don't go shopping. Just help. Commit to tithing part of your income to the non-profits of your choice.

5. Get there under your own steam. Commit to getting around by bike or by foot a certain number of days a month. Not only does this mean using fewer fossil fuels and creating less greenhouse gasses, it means you'll get good, healthy exercise and we'll all breathe fewer fumes. A city with pedestrian and bike traffic is a lot more pleasant to live in than a city filled with vehicles.

6. Commit to not wasting. Wasting resources costs the planet and your wallet. Don't overheat or overcool your home--a few degrees make a huge difference. Let your clothes hang dry instead of using the dryer. Take half the trips but stay twice as long. If your old cell phone works, consider not getting another. Repair instead of rebuy. The list goes on and on.

7. Build a community. Play charades. Have dinners with friends. Sing together. Enjoying each other costs the planet much less than enjoying its resources. Let's relearn to joke around and play in ways that cost nothing to our pocketbooks or our planet.

8. Take your principles to work. The old adage "the cost of doing business" can no longer hold true. We must act as though we care about the world at work as much as we do at home. A company CEO or a product designer has the power to make a gigantic difference through their business, and so do the rest of us.

9. Dedicate a day's worth of TV viewing to eco-service each week. The average American watches four and a half hours of TV a day. Take one day off from the tube each week and joining with others to improve our planet. Voluntary eco-service is a great way to find community who support your values and also a great way to learn about environmental issues and the quality of life issues that go along with them.

10. Believe with all your heart that how you live your life makes a difference to all of us. We are all interconnected. We make a difference to each other on many different levels. Every step towards living a conscious life where we consider the consequences of our actions provides support to everyone else--whether you know it or not--who is trying to do the same thing. We are the masters of our destinies. Let's act as though it is so.

For more ideas and ways to join a community of people who are searching for happier, more eco-friendly lives, got to NoImpactProject.org.

Special K Tips For Success

Found these tips on SpecialK.com. They sound like our FBL team!
Habits are hard to change. Keep working. It will happen.

1. Doggie bag it. Portions at restaurants are growing bigger by the day. Tell yourself at the beginning of the meal that you only need half and ask your server for a take-out bag as soon as you're done. This will prevent you from picking at your plate and provide you with some lovely leftovers for tomorrow.

2. Visualize your outcome. Cut a picture of the dress you like out of a magazine or tape up a picture of you in your skinny jeans on the fridge. Whatever you're aiming for, make sure it's somewhere you can see it and make sure it's a realistic goal.

3. Mind over menu. Eating out while trying to stay on track can be pretty challenging. Avoid overdoing your order by picking your meal ahead of time. Many restaurants have their menus available on their websites. Figure out what you want to fill up on and you'll be ready to avoid temptation come dinnertime.

4. Pre-game for parties. If you've got a party coming up, don't fret over getting off track. Instead, fill up on a healthy meal before you go. You'll have less of an appetite for greasy appetizers and still be able to enjoy the festivities.

5. Prevent idle hands. Being in front of the television is one of the biggest reasons people forget about portion control. To avoid bad snacking throughout a show, give your hands something else to do. Take up knitting, fill in a crossword or fold some laundry—the more your hands have to do, the less time they'll spend reaching for food.

6. Stair step your goals. Having just one big goal may be simple, but it can be more frustrating to reach. Try adding a few small goals along the way, like going to the gym three days in a week or eating a vegetable at every meal. Small accomplishments will help make the whole experience more rewarding.

7. Close the kitchen. Chances are the more times you have to go into your kitchen each day, the more you're going to be tempted to grab a bite to eat. As soon as you finish with each meal, clean up dishes and turn off the lights. Tell yourself that the kitchen is closed and find an activity in another room of your house.

8. Keep a diary. Just like when you were a kid and you wrote out what you did that day or how you were feeling, the practice of keeping a journal can be a great asset when you're starting a weight-loss plan. Record what you're eating and how you're exercising. Also, make note of how you're feeling during different times of the day. It will give you an idea of what's working and where your routine could use improvement.

9. Be your biggest fan. If you don't root yourself on, then no one will. Take some time each morning to look in the mirror and point out three things you like about yourself or what small results you've seen. Focusing on the positive will give you a healthier outlook on your goals.

10. Don't be a stress mess. Stress can sabotage your body's ability to stick to a diet and trigger a lot of unhealthy choices. Find ways you can minimize your stress in your life and you'll also minimize your bad eating habits. For some extra backup, keep yummy Special K® snack bars and a bottle of water in your purse or desk drawer for those moments that are out of your control.

11. Shop smarter. Never get groceries on an empty stomach. Time your trip after a meal or a small snack. When your tummy isn't grumbling, you'll be more likely to make healthier decisions. Take a list with you too. It will help keep you focused on the things you need and away from the things you don't.

12. H2O like a pro. Drink plenty of water throughout your day to ensure that you have enough energy to stay on track. For some extra fuel and to take the edge off hunger, try a refreshing Special K20™ Protein Water Mix with 5 grams of protein and fiber.

13. BYOL. Taking your lunch to work is a great way to save some pennies and avoid fast food invitations. Plan out what you want to pack before each work week and you'll save time making something in the morning. Add raw vegetables like carrots and celery to give your lunch some crunch.

14. Pose slimmer. Everyone knows the camera adds ten pounds, but what celebrities know is how to make it look like you lost a few. Make your next photo more flattering by placing one hand on your hip and leaning toward the opposite side. This will elongate your torso and make your arms look leaner. (This works. RIGHT!!?!)

15. Think ahead. When it comes to meals and snacks, don’t “play it by ear” if you know that everyday at 4 you are starving and end up heading to the vending machine or newsstand for a candy bar. Losing weight is a formula—one that is different from the one that helped you to gain weight. So be prepared. A nutritious snack like a piece of fruit, or a Special K® cereal bar will take care of that temptation and provide you with a way to stave off cravings as you build a system for healthy weight loss success.

Support For The Hungry

After writing this morning, it struck me that we live in a country where most are overeating to death while others are starving to death.

ASSIGNMENT: As part of FBL Team let’s each find a way to support efforts to relieve hunger. For instance, support your local food pantry, support your local church’s relief efforts, contribute to an agency that supplies food, water, and necessities to those in need, make a contribution to Haiti earthquake relief, etc.

When Should I Eat?

Biggest Loser Nutritionist Tip- Meal Skipping Promotes Weight GAIN not loss
by Cheryl Forberg, RD

Contestants arriving at the Biggest Loser Ranch for the first time are often surprised to learn that one of the reasons they’ve gained so much weight is because they've had a habit of skipping meals. It sounds counterintuitive, but skipping meals can actually contribute to weight gain, not loss.

Metabolism journal documented a meal-skipping study at the National Institute on Aging. They found that people who skipped meals during the day and had all of their calories at one nightly meal exhibited unhealthy changes in their metabolism, similar to unhealthy blood sugar levels observed in diabetics. The non-meal skippers on the other hand, consumed the same number of calories each day, but the calories were distributed throughout the day at 3 regular meal intervals. The non meal skippers maintained healthy blood sugar levels.

Another problem with skipping meals is that by the time meal time rolls around, you're so hungry, it’s easy to eat too much and very often choose the wrong things. Who wants to nibble on carrot sticks when you’re starving? Fat has more than twice as many calories as protein and carbohydrate. It satisfies hunger very quickly and often plays a big role in unhealthy meal choices made by meal skippers.

The other problem with skipping meals is that when you wait too long to eat, you lose sight of your body's natural hunger cues. You don’t really know when you’re hungry anymore (and when you’re too full). Here is a sample of a hunger scale from Lisa Sasson MS RD, a clinical professor of Nutrition at NYU.

Hunger Scale

1. Famished /starving (don’t allow yourself to be this hungry; this is what happens when you skip meals
2. Very hungry; can’t think of anything else but eating; maybe cranky; low energy
3. Hungry; stomach feels empty
4. Just starting to think about eating again; maybe a little bit hungry
5. Satisfied; not really thinking about eating; stomach feels fine; alert and good energy level
6. Fully satisfied
7. Had plenty to eat; may take a few more bites because it tastes so good even though you know you probably shouldn’t
8. Very full; probably ate a little too much but it tasted really good
9. Very uncomfortable; bloated; tired; don’t feel great
10. Stuffed (need to loosen your clothing) never allow yourself to be this uncomfortable

It is recommended that you start eating at #3 and stop around #5 or #6. Always stay between #3 and #8.
ASSIGNMENT: If you're not in the habit of eating regular meals throughout the day, try to set up a schedule that works for you.

How Can Sugar Affect You?

How Can Sugar Affect Your Health?

Sugar can suppress the immune system.
Sugar can upset the body's mineral balance.
Sugar can contribute to hyperactivity, anxiety, depression.
Sugar can produce a significant rise in triglycerides.
Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children.
Sugar can reduce helpful high density cholesterol (HDLs).
Sugar can promote an elevation of harmful cholesterol (LDLs).
Sugar can cause hypoglycemia.
Sugar contributes to a weakened defense against bacterial and viral infection.
Sugar can cause kidney damage.
Sugar can increase the risk of coronary heart disease.
Sugar may lead to chromium deficiency. [and chromium is essential including in keeping blood sugar under control]
Sugar can cause copper deficiency.
Sugar interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium.
Sugar can increase fasting levels of blood glucose.
Sugar can promote tooth decay.
Sugar can produce an acidic stomach.
Sugar can raise adrenaline levels in children.
Sugar can lead to periodontal disease.
Sugar can speed the aging process, causing wrinkles and grey hair.
Sugar can increase total cholesterol.
Sugar can contribute to weight gain and obesity.
High intake of sugar increases the risk of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
Sugar can contribute to diabetes.
Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis.
Sugar can cause a decrease in insulin sensitivity.
Sugar leads to decreased glucose tolerance.
Sugar can cause cardiovascular disease.
Sugar can increase systolic blood pressure.
Sugar causes food allergies.
Sugar can cause free radical formation in the bloodstream.
Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy.
Sugar can contribute to eczema in children.
Sugar can overstress the pancreas, causing damage.
Sugar can cause atherosclerosis.
Sugar can compromise the lining of the capillaries.
Sugar can cause liver cells to divide, increasing the size of the liver.
Sugar can increase the amount of fat in the liver.
Sugar can increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in the kidney.
Sugar can cause depression.
Sugar can increase the body's fluid retention.
Sugar can cause hormonal imbalance.
Sugar can cause hypertension.
Sugar can cause headaches, including migraines.
Sugar can cause an increase in delta, alpha and theta brain waves, which can alter the mind's ability to think clearly. [nothing so common as sugar confusion; but when confused people often have no idea what state they're in or WHY]
Sugar can increase blood platelet adhesiveness which increases risk of blood clots and strokes.
Sugar can increase insulin responses in those consuming high-sugar diets compared to low sugar diets.
Sugar increases bacterial fermentation in the colon.


ASSIGNMENT: Read this list. Read it again. You know you’ve experienced something on this list. Find yourself. Now find motivation to improve your health and leave off the harmful habit of refined sugar.

Do You Have A Saboteur At Hand?

When you’re in the midst of making a life style change, family members and friends can be very supportive, even helpful. But beware of the saboteur. He’s the one who works underhandedly to defeat or obstruct your endeavor to change. The one who keeps offering you “a bite” or “a taste” of some food you are struggling to avoid. The one who insists on going out to your favorite restaurant where you always over-indulge. The one who says he “just wants you to be happy” (since you’ve been a little irritable with the diet change). He presents a temptation to you.

This is exactly where you learn to build your strength of resolve, your character. This is where your prayers will be answered as you say,
“No, thank you. Not today.”

Ultimately you’re on your own. But don’t be afraid. You know the Source of strength outside yourself. You can pray it. You can think it.
YOU CAN DO IT.
ASSIGNMENT 5: Practice this technique, “No, thank you. Not today”, then change the subject as you turn and walk away. (Perhaps head for a glass of cold water).

How Much Do YOU Eat?

Found this blog entry when looking for a photo of measuring cups.
What an incredible amount of information all in one place.
Definitely check it out. Here's a short excerpt:


Cheryl Forberg, dietician for NBC's Biggest Loser program.
Weight Loss Secret -- It Pays to Measure

One of the first things The Biggest Loser contestants learn about is the importance of a food journal. Not only is it one of the key secrets to a successful weight loss plan, it's often a very loud wake-up call. Most of us eat (and drink) much more than we think....until we start recording it.
The more detailed your food journal entries are, the more accurate your calorie count for the day will be. The first thing you need to know is -- how big is a serving size? Weighing and measuring food is crucial in order to calculate an accurate number of your daily calories.
For this, you will need
a liquid measuring cup (2-cup capacity)
a set of dry measuring cups (1 cup, 1/2 cup, 1/3 cup and 1/4 cup sizes)
a set of measuring spoons (1 tablespoon, 1 teaspoon, 1/2 teaspoon, 1/4 teaspoon)
food scale
calculator
The food scale should measure pounds and ounces as well as grams. Most measurements will be in ounces but some foods are very concentrated sources of calories so the portion sizes will be smaller (nuts are a good example of this).

Clean up with WATER

A frequent reason for an elderly person to visit an emergency room is altered mental status. Often the cause of altered mental status is a urinary tract infection! What connection does the urinary tract have with the brain? Water. Keep yourself hydrated. Drink water first thing in the morning. Reach for a glass of water first before you choose to eat. Drink water instead of soft drinks, coffee, tea, commercial power drinks or vitamin drinks, and even fruit juice.

Water has ZERO calories and works to clean the body inside and out. Drinking plenty of water refreshes every cell in your body including the brain.

As you change your eating habits, your body will seem likes it’s rebelling. It is only beginning to function at a healthier level. Water will help in the transition by flushing out of your system any cell waste your body had stored up.

Get clean! Drink water!

Are You Insane?

FAMILY BIGGEST LOSER EVENT– 4

The definition of insanity is continuing to do what you have always done while expecting different results.

Practice saying out loud, “No, thank you. None for me right now.”
In order to give you added incentive to begin the change, here’s your next assignment.

ASSIGNMENT Think about the number of pounds that you would like to lose. Go to the supermarket. Take your cart to the aisle of baking ingredients and put into it enough 10 lb. bags of flour, 5 lb. bags of sugar, and 1 lb. packages of butter to equal your weight loss number. Study it. Try carrying it all. Think of how much more comfortable you would be if you lost that many pounds.

Food Pyramid

FAMILY BIGGEST LOSER EVENT – PYRAMID


For an explanation of this Healthy Eating Food Pyramid see:
www.foodpyramid.com/food-pyramids/healthy-eating-pyramid

If you haven’t really chosen a particular diet but prefer to create your own healthy eating program, this Healthy Eating Food Pyramid should be quite helpful.

Compare the healthy pyramid to the one you use to use:

Let's Get Started

FAMILY BIGGEST LOSER EVENT– 3

A favorite routine or habit of mine is stopping at Crown Bakery on my way home from a doctor’s appointment. I always buy a medium coffee with cream and sugar and a coffee ring (a rich, sweet, raised dough with raisins, almonds, and coarsely granulated sugar on top - yum). This is not a single roll but a whole ring. I can finish it off in two days all by myself.

Getting mentally ready to change a habit takes some serious thought. A year and a half ago I blogged the following:

"Hi, my name is Wildblues. I'm a foodaholic.

In the course of our spiritual journey we discovered the spirit-mind-body connection. When one of the links is weak, the whole chain is weak. The health of the body lends to the health of mind and spirit. With over 59 years of habitual do-what-you-want-to attitude as far as what and when to eat, making an improvement is not so easy.With the help of ChileChews Discretionary Eating Challenge we made a decision to change our eating behavior. Well... That's like sending a soldier into battle without boot camp. So we've put ourselves into Food Rehab. This boot camp for healthy living is a concentrated effort to weed out intemperate habits and learn to just say "no". "

2010 arrived with no significant change in my eating habits. No wait, I changed to coffee with milk and no sugar. Feeling pretty pathetic here.

OK, so yesterday I went to a doctor’s appointment…the question came up. Should I go into the bakery and find a healthy choice of comfort food or just skip the stop? I decided to stop, or rather I didn’t say “no” to a habit. Thankfully they were closed for vacation!

Today is a new day. A new beginning. A new decision to change a habit. Have you ever driven on a dirt road after the mud has dried? The road becomes two cemented tire ruts and it’s very difficult to not drive in the ruts. Time to create a new road! Time to get out of the rut!!

GOALS

1. Admit you need help controlling your eating habits
2. Admit that help is available
3. Seek out that help
4. Surrender your current eating habits
5. Follow a designated plan (use the buddy system if necessary)
6. Practice the plan until "no" is as loud as "yes"
7. Graduate to independent eating choices

ASSIGNMENT: OK, it’s time to put up that photo, write the date in your notebook, and weigh in. If you still don’t have a plan in mind, a list of possibilities is coming via email. A couple of you have chosen a pseudonym and are willing to share numbers. That’s fabulous and serious business. Others are still getting ready to begin. That’s fine. Keep at it.

What Motivates You?

FAMILY BIGGEST LOSER EVENT – 2

What motivates you? A healthier life style brings with it positive results – some more attractive to you than others – for instance…

Lower blood pressure
Lower cholesterol or triglyceride level
Lower fasting glucose
Less or no joint pain
Smaller clothing size
Smaller hip measurement
More natural energy
More restful sleep
Easier movement
More strength and coordination
Better circulation of oxygen to brain and muscles
A more attractive you

Besides weighing in once a week, choose other goals that will motivate you.
It’s about time for our first weigh in. Select a day, time of day and an outfit (or lack of outfit) so each week your weigh in will be consistent. Get yourself a little notebook to record your progress. Along with date and weight, I think change in hip measurement will also go in my notebook.
Remember this is a gradual process.

Slow and steady equals success.

ASSIGNMENT: Think about what most motivates you and set goals. Get a small notebook to record progress.

Study Yourself

FAMILY BIGGEST LOSER EVENT - 1
There will be announcements, updates, informational material, just general encouragement and presents!

Welcome.
The group consists of thick and thin, older and younger, active and sedentary, alone or with family, female and male, single and married, with medical issues and without, vegetarian and not, with religious affiliation or not, Republican, Democrat and Undeclared.
No matter where you fit in, we all have one thing in common –
We each desire to make a change to a healthier life style.

Some of you checked out this height/weight chart with photos.
www.cockeyed.com/photos/bodies/heightweight.shtml .
It’s kind of fun.

Let’s take a good close look at ourselves:
Get dressed in clothes that make you look your best. Dress for a photo.
Yup. The “before” photo. The photo for your refrigerator door or somewhere in sight. Have someone take a photo of you, maybe several different angles or do it yourself if you are that skilled with a camera.
This is how everyone sees you.

Of course, there are certain aspects of ourselves that we cannot change – eye color, height, bone structure, shoe size, age, ancestry. But…
we can choose to change our habits.

This will not be a how to lose weight program but encouragement to make a change, to find a healthy life style that works for each of us, and to stay with it until our habits change.

ASSIGNMENT: Make a print of your before photo. Study it. Think about your current habits. Which of them would you like to change? Choose a diet/health program that you would like to try. If you don’t know of a program, we will put together a list of possibilities. (And get rid of those left over holiday treats! Trash them, freeze them, or eat them, but make them disappear.)

The Family Biggest Loser

Whether you want to lose 2 or 20, 5 or 50, or just want to be part of an email group that encourages each other to stay healthy,

YOU ARE INVITED to participate in the 2010…

ROSENWALD FAMILY BIGGEST LOSER EVENT

There will be announcements, updates, informational material, just general encouragement and presents!

To become a participant: you must be a Rosenwald, be married to a Rosenwald, be an offspring of a Rosenwald, be an ancestor of a Rosenwald, be a friend of a Rosenwald, be a neighbor of a Rosenwald, be a co-worker of a Rosenwald, need a weight loss buddy and think a Rosenwald would do, or have a desire to be healthy and encourage others to healthier living.

To join and become eligible for email announcements, updates, informational material, just general encouragement and presents…

Email me (Susan Jeane Margaret Mary Rosenwald Peavey Bruso)
at wildbluesbysus@comcast.net
or comment on my blog
at http://www.wildbluesbysus.blogspot.com/
Just say “I want to join. Here’s my name and email address.”

For starters check out the height/weight chart at www.cockeyed.com/photos/bodies/heightweight.shtml .
Select a photo of someone with the same height and weight as you are now. This should give you a rough idea of what you look like. Then select a photo of a height and weight that you would like to weigh and check it out.
Get in mind a reasonable goal for yourself.

We will begin soon so let me know if you want to participate.
There is no cost to join. Just fun to share and pounds to lose.