our garden

I'd like to say that this year's garden was a sight to behold, because we said that every year we would tweak it, making it more efficient. I think our failures came with excuses like: we moved, and we thought this or that would be a good idea.

I'm not saying our garden was a complete failure. We were drowning in okra and tomatoes, we had corn, squash, watermelons and canalope that were so good I'll never be able to look at another piece of fruit without drooling, but there were a few mistakes made.

The first mistake was choosing not to have raised rows. We've always had raised rows in the past because it is so much easier to pile the prepared soil up 6-8 inches in about 3 foot wide rows. Then all we would have to do is drag our hoe down the row making a ditch for planting our seeds. The ideal thing is to pile mulch up around the sides to help reduce weeds and to hold moisture in the soil. Here in South MS pine straw serves as the best mulch.

The other mistake we made was to put down this black cloth to help with the weeds. It did, but now that we need the change the direction of our rows (because of water flow) we are having to rip up the ground cover.

We were planning on planting lettuces, broccoli and spinach in our Fall garden, but we have entirely too much rearranging to do to get everything done in time.

Next spring I'd like to try companion planting. If you don't know what that is, it's simply means putting plants together in the garden that like each other. An example would be to plant corn with beans, cucumbers, or melons. Keeping in mind that corn does not need to be planted with tomatoes. Planting this way can have an impact on the health and yield of your plants.

So here's to next year!

Making Lifestyle Choices

Now that I'm up and moving, I decided that I really need to set a long term goal for myself. The scary thing is that I'm going to share my goal and ask that you help me stay focused. Drum roll please, I want to complete a 5k. Ideally, I want to run the entire 3.1 miles. But, I'm going to be practical and not try and do this until next year; I haven't decided when just yet, but before it gets too hot.

I loved running, in fact, I was on my junior highs track team, but I haven't exercised in about 15 years. Something about working, being married, and having kids *shrugs* Well, that's in the past.

I decided that instead of going out there and trying to run 2 miles a day, then 1, and then not at all, I needed to completly change my lifestyle. I cut back on certain foods like cake and potatoes, increased others (mainly fruits) and as time has gone on I've slowly made changes, each week, until I started walking back in mid September.

Since I've had a history of getting shin splint easily, I decided to walk in a small field just outside my bedroom door. Initially I was only able to make 4 laps, but as I decreased the time it took me to complete that distance I've increased the number of laps, more that doubling what I was walking. I walk a minimum of 3 days a week, but my goal is 5 days.

 

The biggest problem I've had is that I don't like wearing tennis shoes. In fact, if you were to look in my closest right now you would only be able to find three pairs of shoes that aren't Birkenstocks. And yes, one of those pair are my brand new Nike Vomero 4. It took some time to find the right shoe, but it has made all the difference.

The training for a 5k is typically done in 8 weeks, but I am not your average couch potato. I'm not going to worry about officially training at this point. I figure by mid-march I will have been walking for 6 months. I think that may be the time to start. There's a great site that has a Couch to 5K training program that I plan on following.

Please keep me honest and offer encouragement when you see me, I'll need it!

Ways to make a difference in the environment.

I realize that most of us aren't going to go out and live in a tree like my hero Julia Butterfly Hill . She live in the tree, Luna, from December 10, 1997 to December 18, 1999. But, there are some very simple things that we can do around our homes that can make a real difference.

Let's start with the no cost actions we can all take. The simplest is to just TURN OFF THE LIGHTS! I am the worlds worst, but I figure there are enough people in this house that if we just keep reminding each other, we'll eventually get the hang of it. Other simple step we can take are to unplug our electronics, air dry our dishes, and wash our cloths in cold water. Also, if you will wash your cloths in the cooler part of the day the heat generated by the dryer won't cause your air conditioner to use more energy trying to cool your home. Unless of course, you're willing to forgo to dryer all together and hang you clothes out on the line to dry.

Now get out your shopping list. I promise none of these suggestions will break the bank, in fact you might find some nice savings on your electric bill this year if you'll give them a try. The first thing I want you to do is to buy energy saving light bulbs. Then when it's time to replace your old bulbs they will be in the cabinet ready to use. I know the cost may be slightly more than what you're used to spending, but you will be saving money because they use less power and have a longer rated life. Just keep in mind that they contain small amounts of mercury and need to be recycled so that the mercury doesn't leach out into our water supply. If you will take your unbroken bulbs to any Home Depot we can leave these bulbs on the positive side of your shopping list. (To read more about Home Depots CFL Bulb Recycling Initiative just click here)

While you're making that environmentally friendly shopping list, go ahead and add an air filter. Make sure you write down the correct size so you don't get confused with all of the choices. If you are unsure of how often you need to change your air filter or which one to buy you can find answers here.

Now add weather stripping and caulk to your list since they can save you hundreds of dollars on your electric bill. If you don't know how to install the stripping just check these these simple steps from BobVila.com.

And finally, make sure you don't leave off the washers and gaskets because according to the Environmental Protection Agency, your household is losing 10,000 gallons of water each year due to dripping faucets and other water leaks, besides fixing leaky faucets can lower your water bills by 10 percent.

Turn your pencil over and start erasing. I want you to stop buying single use batteries. They contain lead, nickel and mercury. When incinerated toxic substances are released into the air that you breath. There are perfectly good rechargeable batteries available so buy them instead.

You will also need to take off all those cleaning products that contain toxic chemical. Imagine what those chemical are doing to your respiratory health. If you're really brave you can make your own or simply read labels.

Now that you're filling your cabinets up with eco friendly products don't make the mistake of tossing out products that are dangerous. For example, did you know that it isn't safe to throw away or flush your prescription or over the counter medications because they are harmful to wildlife and to our water supply. Just recently DREAM (Drug-free Resources and Education Alternatives in Mississippi ) teamed up with local law enforcement and hosted a drug drop off day where people in our community were able to turn in their medications so that they could be properly disposed of instead of contaminating our enviroment. If you aren't sure how to properly dispose of your medications just read this this article.

When it comes to tossing things in the trash don't dispose of any electronics. They contain lead and it may even be illegal to toss out that old computer monitor or antiquated TV. Think about donating or recycling it first.

Also remember that if you currently have products that are toxic, like paint and pesticides, they need to be disposed of properly. Most cities have a Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) disposal site . If you aren't sure where to take them Earth911 offers easy access to drop-off locations in your area. I have discuss the problems with pesticides in a separate post, but know this: PESTICIDES ARE DANGEROUS!

I also want you to remember what I said about freecycle and cloth bags. If you've forgotten just click here and I'll refresh your memory. If you'll pick up one or two cloth bags every time you go to the store, you'll have enough to cut out using all those horrible plastic bags.

If you have, or are planning to have, children consider using cloth diapers. If not all of the time, you should at least use them when you're home, we did. With the advances in cloth diapering system it's really much easier because they have all-in-one diapers and biodegradable inserts.

I've said it before, stop buying bottled water and get yourself a water purification system and some reusable bottles. It's not only good for Mother Earth it's better for your health.

Stop taking bathes and start showering. A bath takes up almost twice as much water as a bath. You can even improve on that by shortening your shower times or better yet shower with a buddy!

Don't forget to buy locally! Take advantage of that farmers market or farmer on the side of the road, you will not only be helping your local economy you will decrease food miles and intern decrease carbon emissions.

If you live somewhere that you access to public transportation, take advantage of it, but if you must drive keep in mind that a properly maintained car will improve it's performance there by decreasing your cost at the pump.

Another simple step you can take is to go paperless. Do you really need all of the bills sent to you by mail when you have a perfectly good email account just itching to fill up. Not only can you receive your bill electronically, you can pay them that way too. No more running out of stamps, hunting up a pen that actually works to write out a check, or forgetting to get it in the mail in time.


This week is national recycling week so, don't forget to recycle, recycle, recycle!

Serving Others

What does it mean to serve others? My DH works in the hospitality industry. He is there to serve five days a week for twelve or more hours a day. He's out there serving others on Mother's Day and Valentine's Day when I’d like to have him all to myself. Of course he’s great at what he does, no matter how tired or frustrated he’s feeling, he make the customer feel special by serving them.

Our pastor, Eddie, recently preached on what Jesus said about service to others. He said that there will be no glory, no power, no honor or privilege. He uses words like deny yourself and lose your life. I think that’s why so many of us are resistant to going out there and serving. In John Ed Mathison’s book, Treasures of the Transformed Life he says that 20% of the people in the church do 80% of the work. How can we say we’re willing to launch into the life God has for us when we don’t do what He has told us needs to be done?

We make following Jesus about all sorts of things. We hear people say that we have to have certain political views if we are Christians, but Jesus is not about political power. Some people think they’re morally superior or they try and participate in the right activities, but they are completely missing the point.

Eddie told a story about his father repairing a boat motor that had been given to him because he thought of himself as a handyman. He told us how his dad had to lower the motor into an oil drum filled with water to watch it churn the water because they didn’t own a boat. Those people that are telling us how to vote, or where to spend our time, money and energy all in the name of God are doing just what that boat motor did in that oil drum, they are churning the water.

Jesus is not talking about some church sanctioned project either. Not that there’s anything wrong with serving through the Rice and Beans Ministry, or leading Vacation Bible School with the Navajo Nation Ministry Mission, but servant-hood is not a project, it’s a lifestyle. Servant-hood is not about where you think you should be tomorrow, it starts right where you are today, and it’s defiantly not about you. Ask yourself, what can I do today to be of service to those I love and to those I don’t love and stop churning the water.

What type of parent are you?

I love to people watch; I especially like to watch parents interact with their children. There are times that I've thought to myself, I hope I don't do that. I don't want to be "that" parent. I doubt I'm the only mother who's said something to their child and immediately regretted saying it, but I'd like to keep those moments to a minimum.

While watching parent-child interaction, I've noticed three basic types of parents. There is the absolute parent, the agreeable parent and the authentic parent.

The first type is harsh and unyielding. They seem to want to control their child's behavior through the use of authority. They want obedience and use physical punishment to obtain their goal. For example, you're standing in line waiting to check out and you see a small child reach for a candy bar. The absolute parent will slap the child's hand and say, "I told you, you can’t have any candy!" and put the screaming child in the shopping cart.

A second parent is indulgent. They use a minimal amount of control. The agreeable parent is indulgent of their child's every whelm. Take that same child waiting in line. When they reach out to pick up the candy bar, the parent says no, but when the child starts to whine, the parent give the child the candy even thought they had originally said “no.”

A confident parent tends to focus on the important issues of keeping their children safe without having to resort to physical punishment. However, they also appear to believe that the child has rights and needs that are important too. This parent is going to explain the rules and their importance to the child. Put yourself back in that same line. This time when the child reaches for the candy bar the parent says, "It's almost dinner time and you know we don't need candy before we eat." The child may fuss, but the parent is loving a firm and never resorts to physical force to make their point nor do they give in.

I want to be that authentic parent every time and never regret what I've said or done. But I know I've been a bit of each. Which parent are you?

A cup of tea for your garden

I have heard from every organic gardener I know that I should use compost tea in my garden. Up until three years ago, I had no idea what compost tea was or why I should use it. Well, there are a number of benefits to using it. First, it will improve your soil structure. Second, it enhances the taste of your fruits and vegetables. Third, it is safer for you, for animals and the environment because it is natural/organic. And finally, it helps to fight off disease in your plants by increasing the number of organisms on and around the plant that will compete with disease-causing organisms.



So now that you know the benefits, here is how to make a batch of simple compost tea.

You will need:
5-gallon bucket
mature compost
Water (not tap water)
Cheesecloth
Spray bottle

1) Fill the bucket about 1/3 of the way with mature compost. Then fill the bucket with water, leaving room to stir the mixture without spilling.
2) Leave the bucket out of direct sunlight, stirring at least once per day for 5 to 7 days. Stirring the mixture at least once a day will provide adequate oxygen for the tea making process. Without enough oxygen, anaerobic bacteria can start to grow and make your compost tea useless.
3) Strain the compost tea by pouring the tea through cheesecloth into a separate 5-gallon bucket.

The finished compost tea is concentrated and will need to be diluted before you apply it to your plants. Add approximately 10 parts water (not tap water) to every 1 part of compost tea.

To apply, simply fill a spray bottle with compost tea and use it to spray plant foliage. It's best if you spray the plant's leaves early in the morning or in the evening near dusk. Apply once or twice per month to control garden pests and to attract beneficial insects.

Do you have the right diagnosis?

Five years ago, while living in Monroe, LA, I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. At that point we had two children. We hadn't had any problems getting pregnant the first time, but we did the second time around. In fact, I took Clomid for six months after trying unsuccessfully for almost a year. We moved shortly after I was diagnosed and the doctors that I used after that ignored the diagnosis since we were no longer trying to get pregnant.

Infertility is not the only symptom; it's a syndrome. If you are not familiar with PCOS, keep in mind I'm not just talking about cyst on your ovaries. This is a metabolic disorder that effects ovulation. Other features include excessive facial hair, obesity, acne, high blood pressure, impaired liver function, sleep apnea, thinning of scalp hair, and excessive amounts of androgenic (masculinizing) hormones. The symptoms and severity of this syndrome vary a great deal from woman to woman.

Most physicians treat the symptoms that their female patients complain about without looking deeper into what is causing the problems. Like I said, I was put on Clomid. Many women are put on birth control pills. Neither of these options will treat the real issue. Hopefully you and your doctor will able to piece together what's really going on, so that you can to receive the appropriate treatment.

That brings me to an important feature of this syndrome; most women find that they are insulin resistance. My blood sugar is within normal limits, I am not and hope to never become a diabetic, but when I was treated with the diabetic medication called Glucophage, I began to lose weight and my menstrual cycle returned. Of course that didn't last for long since I couldn't find a doctor that would agree to prescribe me a medication that isn't approved for the treatment of PCOS. Trust me I've found one now and feel confident that I can lose weight and get off of blood pressure medication through diet, exercise, and taking the right medication.

I have a friend out there that has had the same struggle except that she had thyroid problems. My point is this: if you feel like you aren't receiving the treatment you need, keep looking. There is someone out there that will listen.

A New Take on Lasagna

In the most recent issue of Mother Earth News magazine there is a story by Roger Doiron titled Cozy and Comfy Fall Recipes. Being that I am trying to eat seasonally, I thought that I'd like to try out at least one of the recipes in the article. I spotted an appealing picture of Butternut Squash Lasagna that I was calling my name. Normally I wouldn't post a recipe I've never made before, but I felt like I could pull it off. So, here goes.

1TBSP olive oil
1 1/2- 2 lbs peeled seeded and cubed butternut squash
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk
12 no-boil lasagna noodles
2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Of course I've already made alterations in the original recipe. I wanted to keep the ingredients as fresh and environmentally friendly as possible so I used organic whole grain flour and organic brown rice lasagna noodles. In addition, I purchased the milk from a local dairy and the squash from a local farmer.

I peeled and cubed the squash, placed it in a large skillet with the olive oil and added salt, pepper, and water. I then covered it and let it simmer on medium for about 20-25 minutes.


While the squash was simmering I put the pasta on to boil.

I have made my share of white sauces and never once have I measured the butter, flour or milk, but for the sake of this recipe I did.

Don't be afraid of making a white sauce, it's really not that hard. Simply melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour, making a paste and then slowly add in the milk. I like for my milk to be at room temperature.

You will need to stir it continuously over medium heat until it thickens up. Then add nutmeg, salt and pepper.

After the squash was tender, I transferred it into my food processor and pureed it and added more salt and pepper.

Then I began the layer process; starting out with a buttered 13x9x2 inch baking dish.

I added enough of the white sauce to coat the bottom of the dish. I then layered noodles, squash puree, mozzarella, and more sauce. I repeated it once more. I finished with a layer of noodles that I coated with the white sauce. I covered the pan with foil and baked it for 40 minutes at 375 degrees. I removed the foil adding the Parmesan and remaining mozzarella and baked an additional 15 minutes.

When I took it out of the oven the entire house filled with the most incredible aroma. I can't say that I will make this very often, but it was very tasty. From start to finish it took me about 1 1/2 hours to make. Enjoy!

What You're Really Eating

I've talked about how important it is to buy locally and eat seasonally. Neither of which are very easy things to do when we are so used to getting what we want when we want it. So yes, I buy produce at the grocery store, all of the time.

Now if I'm eating my own fruits and veggies I know I can just rinse them off and they're safe. If I buy from my local farmers market I can just ask the guys I'm buying from if they use any pesticides. Of course I won't buy from them if they're using anything stronger than compost tea. But what about the lettuce I get at the Corner Market?

Did you know that there are pesticides that are actually absorbed by the plant? Systemic pesticides circulate through the plants tissues. The idea is to increase food production by killing the insects that feed on the plant, but unlike traditional pesticides, you can't wash off the residue because it's in the plant's tissues. These chemical are absorbed by the plant and poison all of the plant including the pollen and nectar of the flowers. The butterflies and bees that pollinate these plants are in turn poisoned. Imagine how this affects our entire ecosystem. After a good soaking with these pesticides, this poison is not only eking its way into the tomatoes you’re planning on putting in your salad, it’s in the soil. Now imagine that it rains, those poisons are being washed into our public water supplies and our streams where they are contaminating the fish and other sea food that we eat. Pesticides are poisonous! The most notable case would have been the Bhopal, India disaster in 1984. I realize that may be an extreme example, but people are poisoned by pesticides every year.

There are alternatives to buying contaminated produce. You can purchase organic produce and you don’t even have to search out a speciality health food store anymore. Organic fruits and vegetables are offered at most grocery stores, in fact, I’ve seen them at that big superstore that we invariability run to every week for some necessity. However, you may need to ask for organic fruits and vegetables if they are not currently being offered in you local grocery store.

Another option for avoiding contaminated produce is to support organizations that are trying to protect the health of people and the environment. One such group is the Northwest Coalition of Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP). Supporting organizations like the NCAP is a great way that we can help make pesticide use nothing but a bad memory.

If you want to read more about systemic pesticides you can find an article in the October/November 2010 issue of Mother Earth News .

More Flat Friend Adventures

My flat friends are packed and ready to go on another adventure. As you know from my previous post, they had a blast in Forks, WA; home of Edward and Bella from Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series. This adventure is no where near as dangerous as hunting for vampires, but these girls do like to enjoy themselves.

Here they are on the plane flying out of Dallas. They had quite and interesting conversation with a young man from Nigeria while I napped. Apparently, they got into a bit of mischief because when I woke up they were looking a bit worse for the wear. Thankfully, I brought along some popsicle sticks and some glue. I was able to fix them up so that they didn't have to miss out on any of the fun.

We didn't land and get settled in until after 2am Seattle time so, I had to drag them out of bed the next morning. Fortunately, we were staying at my sister-in-law's house so the girls had a room to themselves.

Being as tired as we were, our first stop was obviously at Starbucks #1. I mean how can you go to Seattle and not stop at the very first Starbucks? I had my usual, a grande java chip frappuccino with a shot of espresso. I don't remember what the girls ordered, they were so busy chatting with everyone in line about their little adventure and of course they had to get a snap shot to commemorate their experience.

Next, we had to eat! My husband was in charge of picking the place since he knew all the great spots. Here you can see the girls sitting out on Pier 56 at Elliott's Oyster House. They had one whole page of all the different types of oysters they offered. The girls once again gorged themselves on oysters and shrimp. Honestly, it's hopeless trying to taking them anywhere.

We drove around and visited some of my husbands old haunts, but after a while the girls were begging me to let them out and stretch their legs. My sister-in-law was nice enough to snap a picture of me with the girls on the beach.



All in all I'd say we had a great day!

Flat Twilight Adventure Tours

How many of you know about Flat Stanly? If you aren't familiar with the book and the character check it out here. He's this cute little kid that flattens himself out and travels through the mail. Teachers, scouts troops, and even parents use him as an opportunity to teach kids about different places. They simply mail Stanly (a paper doll) and have the recipient take pictures or mail post cards at each location.
As many of you already know, I am one of those TwiMoms. I have to admit I think Stephenie Meyer's did a phenomenal job of speaking to women of all ages when she decide to put her dream down on paper. That being said, I didn't care as much for the movies as I did for the books.
On a recent trip to Seattle, for my husbands high school reunion, my sister-in-law and I convinced our husbands to take us to Forks, WA. Being that I don't think you're ever too old to jump on the band wagon, I flattened some of my Twitter/Twilight friends and took them along on the adventure.

Here they are!

LovesSam, KatieBMundiMom, KatzNi, and KatarinasMama.

They're all buckled up for the trip.

We had to take the ferry over the Puget Sound.


Our first stop was in Port Angeles.




We had to see where Bella ate mushroom ravioli with Edward.

The Bloated Toad where they ate in the movie is located in St. Helens, Oregon according to AssociatedContent.com.

This is Bella Italia where they ate in the book.

After a bit of a drive, we finally made it to Forks.
Population 3,120 humans and 7 vampires.

Our first stop was here at Bella's house.

Don't the girls look disappointed?

This isn't the house we all saw on the big screen is it?

The house used in the movie is actually in St. Helens, Oregon according to AssociatedContent.com and looks like this,

remember.

We discovered that Forks High School had been razed, but as you guessed the movie version of the high school was actually Kalama High School, in Kalama, Washington. The sign seen here is the one that was used in the movie, but was moved when the building was destroyed.

Say hello to my flat friends.

I did not find out any information about the hospital. If you know anything please share.
This reserved parking spot is actually in the parking lot of the Forks Hospital.
My flat friends wouldn't miss the opportunity to get their picture taken with Dr Cullen if they could have, but this is a close as they could get on this day.

The Forks Police Station shown in the movie is actually the Wauna Federal Credit Union in Vernonia, Oregon.
This pictures was taken of one of the actual Forks Police cars at the police station.
Notice the girls didn't hesitate to hop up on the car.

Good thing no one was looking.

Here is Bella's truck in front of the Chamber of Commerce.

This truck resembles the one in the movie. It seems that I read somewhere that it was found by someone in Forks and donated to help with tourism, but I can't be sure about that.

Of course, my flat friends still wanted their picture taken on the truck.

As you'll notice I didn't take a picture of the Cullen's house. Why you may ask, because the B&B that was tag as the Cullens house didn't resemble the house used in the movie. The house featured in the move is actually the real home of the Nike Director of footwear design, John Hoke and is located in Portland, OR.

We were so excited on the drive up because there was enough cloud cover to let all the vampires run around town without fear of detection, but as we got closer the sun started to shine through and any hopes of seeing Edward or his family were dashed.

As I had buckled my flat friends in I felt like I was being watched.

I stepped into the edge of the woods and guess who I saw? That's right Flat Edward was watching me. I just gave him a little peck on the cheek before we had to leave.

Please don't tell my flat friends that I met Flat Edward. *wink*

Uncovering Dyslexia

My dear sweet child was not reading on grade level. We started out using a phonics program called Explode the Code, and then we used Hooked on Phonics. We also tried a program call Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. I really thought we were making progress, so we started using old Dick and Jane readers, and graduated up to Level/I Can Read books, but we kept getting stuck and worse yet, we were slipping backwards.






Let me back up and say that, our dear sweet little boy had some significant articulation issues when he was younger. We thought it was because he had so many ear infection as an infant. His speech issues were so severe that we had him in speech from the time he was 3 years old.

I sympathized with him because I had speech issues and problems reading when I was younger too. My sixth grade teacher recommend to my parent that I get my eyes checked by a doctor specializing in vision issues, not an optometrist. The doctor said my eyes weren’t focusing together and that I didn’t 'see' the middle of the word. I was given bifocals and my school work seemed to improve.

Fast forward back to my child, I was feeling like a failure in several different arenas. The obvious was that I couldn’t teach my child to read. The other, to put it bluntly, was that I gave him some crappy genes. Being the persevering homeschooling momma that I am, I talked to anyone that would listen and diligently research our problems on the internet.


The program that I decided to last this year was called Reading Horizons. It uses an Orton-Gillingham approach to teaching reading. Which by the way, so does the local private dyslexia school, DYNAMIC DYSLEXIA DESIGN “3-D” School, which cost over 1,000 a month. You also have to have a number of very expensive test to get the right ruling before you can even be considered for admission. They won’t take any child above 3rd grade and you have to make a two year commitment to the school with full time enrollment. Sorry, there are reasons we decided to homeschool so, that option was out.

Back to Reading Horizons. We, my son and I, started using this very different method of learning to read, and well honestly, there were days I felt like we were making progress and days that I feel like we were spinning our wheels. I noticed that he seems to 'miss' the middle of a lot of words so I scheduled an appointment with a pediatric opthamologist. In the mean time, I went to a dyslexia workshop, present by Susan Barton the founder of Bright Solutions. This is where I finally started to get some answers about dyslexia.

The first thing to understand that there are 5 main points of dyslexia. Most importantly, it’s inherited. If a parent or grandparent had dyslexia, then there is a 50% chance the offspring will have dyslexia. Second, the brain of the dyslexia is different than that of someone without dyslexia (it's bigger). Dyslexics process language differently, in other words it is a language process issue not a reading issue. Next, you will see issues with directionality in dyslectics. And finally, there are two types of memory issues in people with dyslexia 1) sequences that seem illogical and 2) wrote random facts.

Since dyslexia is inherited, it is important be able to identify it in other family members. For so long we denied that anyone in our family had dyslexia because we didn’t have a clue as to what it was to begin with. So, let look at what some of the characteristics of an adult with mild dyslexia may look like. They were probably solid C students, and may have had difficulty taking notes. Their written work was always their weakest skill. They most likely can read, but they are slower, and they probably have to re-read technical things. They dread reading out loud, and are terrible spellers. They are very intelligent, but their written work doesn’t reflect how intelligent they are. They had trouble learning a foreign language, and they probably had trouble with left/rights, up/down, before/after, north/south/east/west. Most importantly, when they are tired, hot, sick or stressed they probable fall back into difficulty with the above problems including confusing b and d and the like.

Did you know that 15-17% of the population is left-handed and that 50% of dyslexics are left-handed and 50% are female? The classic warning signs for dyslexia are that the persons must have problems spelling and 3 or more of the following issues.

-family history

-not speaking by 12 months

-used multi-syllable words out of sequence

-r & l, m & n articulation issues

-slower auditory processing

-smaller auditory memory

-significant auditory discrimination

-chronic ear infections

-problems tying shoe

-problems differentiating between left and right

-late to establish a dominate hand

-problems saying/writing the alphabet (memory & sequencing issue) and includes spelling the last name, address, phone number, remembering abbreviations, letter names and the sound they make, days of the week, months of the year, multiplication tables) -poor spelling and inventive spelling because there are often no vowels they don’t see the letters in the middle of words, often times looking at patterns to decipher the word.



-poor penmanship (dysgraphia) odd pencil grip, inconsistent slant to letters, odd beginning points, inconsistent spacing, can’t copy from the board (this is related to problems with fine motor skills, fading visual memory for two dimensional objects)



Keep in mind that normal style reading test are NOT accurate test. To determine if there is a problem, have them ‘cold read’ from individual word list because they will use picture and context clues to help them decide on a word.

Some of the most common types of mistakes are as follows:

1) girl – gril, form – from, first – fast (same shape)

2) was – saw, who – how, (not backwards reading, it’s sequencing)

3) big – dig, may – way, big – pig (L and R confusion)

4) needed – need, shoulder – should (up/down confusion)

You may also notice that when reading in a book they switch out prepositions because they are more focused on the big words. They may also switch out horse for pony, small for tiny because they are using context clues and not looking at the word.

Be aware that a person with dyslexia can’t break down the individual sounds they are hearing. This is the core and causal factor that separates normal readers from disabled reader. It is an auditory issue to hear and manipulate sounds with in a one syllable worked in your head. Rhyming is an essential pre-reading skill that dyslectics lack.

Remember when I said that dyslexic had bigger brains? Well, they do! The left hemisphere of a normal person in 10% smaller than the right hemisphere, but not so in the dyslexic person. Their left hemisphere is 10% larger than the normal person. They are talented in graphic design, architecture, landscape design, athletic ability, and vocal and instrumental ability (but do not require reading of sheet music). They have wonderful people skills, they are highly intuitive, are creative, global thinkers that are extremely curious. They have mechanical skills; they think logically and often excel in science, medical, and computers or as engineers.

Being dyslexic is not a curse, it is just essential that the problem be recognized so that it can be properly treated. Here is a list of what won’t work:

- Hooked on Phonics

- Reading Recovery

- Reading Naturally

- Accelerated Reader

- Vision Therapy (or colored overlays)

- Brain Gym

- Sylvan, Score & Kuman Centers

- Fast Forward - Ron Davis’ Gift of Dyslexia

- Special Diets

Keep in mind that is better to do nothing that to do the wrong thing.

Here is what will work: Orton – Gillingham (if they are ready for it)

Approved programs include:

- Slingerland

- Alphabetic Phonics

- Project Read

- Wilson - Language!

- Barton Reading & Spelling System

There is an Educational system called Kurzweil that offers comprehensive reading, writing and learning software solution for any struggling reader.


I also recommend reading Overcoming Dyslexia by /Dr Sally Shaysitz. If you want to know more about dyslexia check out the International Dyslexia Association or contact your pediatrician. I am not an expert; this is just some information I've gathered. So please feel free to give me feedback, ask questions, or just tell me your story.

What happened to Christmas?

I am so sick and tired of the buy, buy, buy mentality that so many people have.

George Carlin does this great bit on people and their stuff.



Honestly, is that what Christmas is all about? Our church did a sermon series on

Unwrapping Christmas. Before the service started they played this video:




It's from the Advent Conspiracy web site where they pose the question,

What happened to Christmas? I encourage you to check it out.

Our minister spoke on Beyond the Feast. He brought up that fact that we all get caught up in buying products and services because of the promises that are made, but when the gadget, food, movie or other object doesn't live up to the promise we are back out there looking for more.

Those promises are never truly going to fulfill us; we gorge ourselves asking the question: is there something more? The answer is yes! There is something more, but we can't find it at Target or the grocery store. We need to use our sight, not our eyes, to guide us, to change our hearts so that we can move into action and make lasting changes in our lives. So that we can

find that lasting hope.

I call you into action, make a difference this holiday season and stop

buying all that stuff.

more green ideas

Just a quick review, for the sake of, I don't know, saving the planet. Beth Aldrich and Airwear are teaming up to make sure everyone knows that there are greener choices out there.
Some of the choices we have made are to buy locally when ever possible. If you have a fresh market in your area, you should find out what local farmers are growing. I promise that you will find a lot of healthy choices and you will also be supporting your local growers.
Another greener choice is to use cloth grocery bags when you go shopping I wrote about it here. If you will just buy one bag every time you go to the store, before you know it you won't have to use any plastic bags and you will be saving money. Yes, that right! Many local stores will reimburse you whenever you use your cloth bags.
Most recently, I wrote about using filtered water instead of bottled water here. Plastic bottles aren't not only bad for mother earth, the chemical are dangerous to our bodies too!
Another "environmentally friendly thing we do around here is to recycle.
Any and all of these choices are great. And don't forget that Airwear is using environmentally conscious practices. For example they use 100 percent recycled water and 100 percent recyclable packaging.
Oh, and for those who are plagued with noxious paint fumes, the University of Southern Miss's
polymer science department had developed an environmentally friendly paint. You can read more about it here.

Young Adult Books for Not so Young Adults

When I discovered I was pregnant with my first child I put down the books I read (mainly Anne Rice's vampire chronicles) in favor of those on pregnancy, child development and later, children's books. Several years passed, when quite by accident I happened across a blog that opened the door for me to start reading a genre of books I never would have thought I'd read, much less enjoy. I'm sure you've heard about Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series. Since reading her books, I have found myself reading a number of young adult books including The Mortal Instrument series, by Cassandra Clare.

My sweet daughter decided to dress as the one of the main characters, Clary Fray, for Halloween.

Well, as you might of guessed, I didn't stop there. I have read more than a couple of young adult books that would be considered to be urban fantasy/paranormal romance in nature.

Apparently there's quite a debate over what to call this new genre of book. Urban fantasy books are supposedly set in a modern day time period and contain supernatural elements where as, paranormal romance books have to do with mythical, supernatural or what-have-you love stories. Personally, I don't care what the books are labeled as as long as they are well written and entertaining.

I have provided a list of authors and book with links so that you might find a book or two that you would enjoy reading. I would also appreciate any suggestion of books you've enjoyed.

I recently read Shiver, by Maggie Stiefvater. Shiver is a wonderful book about a girl saved from a wolf attack by one of her attackers. As she grows, she becomes more and more interested in the wolf who saved her. She has an opportunity to return the favor by saving his life. That leads to having to take a second look at her own reality. Maggie has also written several books about fairies, a topic I never really found interesting until I read her first book, Lament. It has a basis in Celtic folk lore that I found interesting. You can purchase it here. I am currently reading the second in that series called Ballad.

Another book that I fell in love with was Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. Hush Hush was just released last month. It is a truly a phenomenal story! I promise that Patch will make you question anything you've ever read about fallen angels. She will soon publish the second book in that series; it will be named Crescendo .

Note: There is a wonderful give-a-way going on over at Books Gardens and Dogs where you can win an ARC of Hush Hush so go forth and tell everyone you know to sign up to win!

Sarah Rees Brennan, an Irish author, wrote a wonderful book called The Demon's Lexicon that is a must read in this genre. It's about two brothers whose father was murdered and their mother was driven mad by magicians. While they are running from the demons and their magic, Alan finds himself marked by a demon. As Nick began to question his brother's honesty his world unravels. You really don't want to pass this book over. The second book in this series will be The Demon's Covenant.

Another good author to read is Holly Black. She is best known for her collaboration with Tony DiTerlizzi on the best-selling Spiderwick Chronicles. You can access her web site here. She has also written Tithe, Valiant, and Ironside, a faerie series.

Lisa McMann has a paranormal series which I found very intriguing. The first in her series is Wake, followed by Fade and soon to be released Gone. Janie has the ability to enter into the dreams of others. It's not until she starts working at a local nursing home and befriends an elderly women with similar skills, that she learns to how she can use her unusual talent. Lisa has a contest going on here where she is giving away copies of Gone. You really don't want to miss out!

Candor by Pam Bachirz provided an interesting look into what I already suspected about all these ideal neighborhoods popping up in Florida. Oscar appears to be the perfect teen, but he knows how to fight "The Message." Now he must save Nia or lose himself trying.

Other authors/books that I have on my 'to read' list include Carrie Jones' Need, Immortal by Gillian Shields, Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games, Melissa Marr's Fragile Eternity, and Evermore by Alyson Noel.

But most importantly Beautiful Creatures by Kami Farcia and Margaret Stohl is to be released December 1, 2009. Now, if you want to win a signed ARC and a plethora of other goodies you can go here and enter the contest!

Irish Beef Stew

When the weather starts to cool off I get a hankering for stew. My favorite is Irish beef stew. I have the ingredients listed below with a rough estimate of how much to use since I'm not really one to measure.

Ingredients

1/8 cup olive oil
1 - 1 1/2 pounds stew beef, cut into 1-inch pieces coated in seasoned flour
6 large garlic cloves, minced
3 cups beef stock or canned beef broth
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
3 pounds potatoes, peeled, cut (about 7 cups)
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups 1/2-inch pieces peeled carrots
Salt and Pepper
2 tablespoons flour

water
Optional:
1 cup of Guinness beer
1 cup of red wine

I like to season my my beef with salt and pepper before I dust with a little flour. Next, I heat my oil in the skillet and brown my meat adding the garlic right at the end. Then, I add the beef stock simmering the meat for an hour before I add the potatoes, onion, carrots, and additional seasonings. I add several cups of water bring to a boil before I turn the heat down, cover, and simmer all afternoon.

Serve with sour cream and crusty bread.

Bottled Water Versus Tap Water; What's Your Choice?

Many times what is right for me and my family isn’t what is right for you and your family. And yes, it is difficult to make the right choice, but I am going to try and forgo convince for the sake of the environment. I drink a lot of water, all bottled. There are so many different thoughts on bottled water. Many people talk about the cost of buying water verses just simply drinking tap water. According to this article here “Commercially-bottled water costs $.25 to $2/bottle…[while] Municipal tap water costs less than a penny to fill a gallon jug! This article here talks about the rise in tooth decay due to the lack of fluoride in bottled water. But, I am only going to focus on two issues; one the chemicals in the bottle that may or may not harm you and two the concern for the environment.

I’m sure you’ve heard the discussions about the chemical bisphenol A (or BPA) but, if you haven’t you need to know that BPA’s a chemical found in soft/flexible plastics that has been found to leach into the food or liquids you drink when heated. Environmental Health News has an article here that explains the side effects of BPA including heart disease and diabetes. The main concern is said to be when the plastic is heated in the microwave or left in the car, but now there is a Harvard study that says BPA is also leached into cold liquids. If BPA is as dangerous whether the food/liquid is cold or heated makes me just a little nervous. If you are concerned about the BPA's in other products, the Green Guide has a great article here about what to look for when purchasing plastic containers.

Being concerned for the environmental is another reason to stop purchasing plastic drinking water.I didn’t feel so bad about my use of plastic bottles while we were collecting them to recycle, but as we found out while living in central Arkansas, no one would take our plastic for the purpose of recycling and we were forced to throw away several large garbage bags of plastic bottles. Now I don’t know what your local recycling center accepts, but you may want to find out before you dismiss the issue. Just click here and enter you zip code to find a recycling center near you.

According to this article only 12% of plastic bottles were recycled in 2003. In fact, I dare you to keep up with ALL the plastic your family uses in a week, including what you use outside the home. Put it all in a garbage bag then at the end of a week look at how much plastic your family has throw away. Now I want you to multiply that by the 112 million families that live in the United States. That’s a lot of plastic; what do you think happens to all of that plastic?

I'm a realistic individual; I know our family won’t be able to give up plastic all together. I'm just talking about taking a small step toward reducing our carbon footprint. So, we decided to buy a PuR water system.

We picked this one up at Sam's Club. It was very reasonably priced and will hold up to 18 8oz cups of water, it even came with 2 aluminium bottles. As you can tell it doesn't take up much room in the fridge.

Okay, so who's up for the challenge? Let see how many plastic bottles we can keep out of the landfill this year!

Exceptional Grace

Remember in school when you learned all the rules. Do you also remember that there are exceptions to rules; like -i before -e except after -c.?

Leviticus, the third book of the Old Testament, contains the laws; including dietary restrictions and rituals of worship, as well as details of ritual cleanliness. Many fundamentalist, people who believe in a strict adherence to the Bible, follow these laws. They live by the rules. Now, that sounds like a very reasonable thing to do; but is really?

In Acts 10: 9-16 Peter is told in a vision to not call anything impure that God has made clean. Now understand that Peter lived by the rules of only eating food that has been cleaned according to the law and now he is being told to eat this food that God has made clean. The story continues in verses 17-28 when Peter is ask to go to a Gentile's house. Jews viewed Gentiles as unclean . For Paul to enter Cornelius home he was saying the he would not call any man impure. Paul was living by the exception to the rules.

The choice is the same for us. Will we be bound by the rules of being friends with people who believe just as we do or will we be more interested in the exceptions. It is not always easy to lay down those rules that we have spent a life time following, but isn't that exactly what God is asking us to do?

I have to believe that God is up to something, and that I should ere on the side of grace. So ask yourself; are you the type of person that lives by the rules? Or are you the type that lives by the exceptions?

How Do You See The World?

When you go to a 3D movie, you have to wear special glasses or you will miss out on the special effects. No one wants to sit in the theater and watch a fuzzy picture while everyone around them is reaching out or dodging the spear aimed at the audience, but don't we do that every day?

Have you ever tried to look at a situation from someone else's perspective? It is not an easy feat. I know I usually think I'm right and everyone else is wrong, but is that really the case? Is it really possible that I am always right and everyone else is just missing the big picture? I have to admit that it is very unlikely that I know more that everyone else. I am like the individual who sits out there without the 3D glasses on wondering why everyone isn't seeing what I'm seeing.

Our sermon was about seeing things differently. Now I'm not much of a Christian praise band music lover, but the band performed Brandon Heath's song Give Me Your Eyes.

The chorus goes something like this:

Give me your eyes for just one second

Give me your eyes so I can see

Everything that I keep missing

Give me your love for humanity

Give me your arms for the broken hearted

Ones that are far beyond my reach

Give me your heart for the ones forgotten

Give me your eyes so I can see

In other words, he is asking to see through the eyes of Jesus. If you did try and do that, would you change the decisions you make? Would you change your behavior? Would you still curse that guy who cut you off in traffic if you knew that his son was being rushed to the hospital? Would you refuse to leave a tip to the waiter who spilled your soup because he was distracted by the because he's being evicted for not being able to pay his rent? Many times we miss the opportunities that are right there in front of us. Then we are faced with living with those regrets. I for one, do not want to have a life filled with regrets.

There's a '98 Gwyneth Paltrow movie titled Sliding Doors . After loosing her job Paltrow's character, Helen, has her life take two different paths because of a very small jester. In one story, her life goes on as if she made the tube. Where as in the other version, the door slide closed causing her life to take a very different path.

It can be just that simple for us too. One small event may cause our lives to take a very different path. Or better yet, we could be the one who changes another's life. We could let that guy in front of us so that he can get where he needs to be, or give that deserving waiter a decent tip and allow them to be able to pay their bills. I would like to be able to change my perspective. I want to look at those around me with love and understanding, instead of with a selfish insipid sense of entitlement.

I am going to change the way I see the world....

Sam Bradlley Live

After listened to Classic Rock for the past IDK how many years, I finally broke free of the Grateful Dead rut I was in and started listing to more modern Indy Rock music. May people who haven't known me for very long would be surprised that I had such narrow musical taste. Others, that have known me for years, can't believe how eclectic my current playlist has become. I can't contribute my recent open-mindedness to any one event, but I am enjoying the freedom to download copious amount of music on my Zune.

I have written about Sam Bradley and my love of his music before. I have also seen YouTube clips and downloaded free MP3 songs from ReverNation. I've known that he puts on shows in the Vancouver area where he lives, but being here in the deep south I seriously doubted I'd ever get to see him.




Then it happened, I read on his MySpace blog, that he was going to be in Nashville. Well, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to drive a mere 350 miles to see him perform in the intimate setting of 3rd and Lindsley.

Yes, the show was incredible. Sam got on stage at 8p and played non stop for an hour. He was funny, charming and very personable.

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I was also able to see him in NOLA at the House of Blues several month later, and he was just as gracious and wonderful as he was in Nashville.