wisdom for a Wednesday...

I want my SMILE!

A normal part of my daily routine is to tune into Smile FM radio station. 88.7. Michigan's postive hits!

Literally, when I first shuffle down stairs in the darkness, I go right to the radio and turn it on. My station is there waiting for me. When I hop in the car, there it is again! Right there waiting for me! I literally think that station plays in my house all the waking hours of our day. The kids know almost all the songs. They are truly positive messages!

Well, then today happened! I turned the radio on, bright and early, and all I got in return was silence! The volume was cranked and the radio WAS plugged in. But, nothing! What in the world is going on, I thought!
When I got into the car to drive daughter to school I was presented with same quiet station. Grrrr!

I went to their website and saw that they didn't suddenly change station channels on me! They were still 88.7. I decided to call the radio station (I LOVE it THAT much!) and spoke with the man on the other end. He told me that there were outages in my area (really? ONLY THAT station, I thought to myself?!)

So here I am, in a quiet house and no radio on! It prompted me to go on youtube and find a song that I WOULD be listening to and share it here.

 

The group is Building 429 and the song is Where I Belong (which I am pretty sure is not in a QUIET house with no radio on! ) But any way, the song is awesome and it speaks to me everytime I hear it ON THE RADIO!!! Lol...



 

 

"Where I Belong"

Sometimes it feels like I'm watching from the outside
Sometimes it feels like I'm breathing but am I alive
I won't keep searching for answers that aren't here to find

All I know is I'm not home yet
This is not where I belong
Take this world and give me Jesus
This is not where I belong

So when the walls come falling down on me
And when I'm lost in the current of a raging sea
I have this blessed assurance holding me.

All I know is I'm not home yet
This is not where I belong
Take this world and give me Jesus
This is not where I belong

When the earth shakes I wanna be found in You
When the lights fade I wanna be found in You

All I know is I'm not home yet
This is not where I belong
Take this world and give me Jesus
This is not where I belong
[x2]

Where I belong, where I belong
Where I belong, where I belong

hello?

This post today serves just as a friendly reminder about general home safety.

Just to remind all that in case of an emergency, if the power goes out and electricity is cut off, it wouldn't be a bad idea to have a phone with an "actual cord" that plugs into the wall, on hand! (Ok, maybe not actually like the vintage one above, but...)
It doesn't even have to be an expensive one. I picked one up at the store yesterday for 5 bucks. You may even have one tucked somewhere in your house already.
Do yourself a favor, a BIG favor! Take a couple of minutes today, search for it or go buy one, for the "just in case" scenario.

Thank you!

population ?

 

Then Jesus said, "When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or sisters, or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment. Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. "

Luke 14:12-14



 

How many times do I daily live in my own little world! I wake up and go about my day as if it is all about me.

 

 I get in the car and drive to where I need to be (even church) and have blinders on...not noticing everything else out there. Not noticing the other stuff that really matters! Well, I probably do this more than I even realize!!

 

In the above video by Matthew West I came to realize that so many times we (me) live in a world of just population ME! A world that is safe, secure, and just big enough for all the things that I need to do in the course of a (overly busy) day.

 My eyes are set on what "I" need to do, when it should rather be set on what "He" wants me to do.

 

I don't know what's best for me. I really don't.

 

How many times I forget that I am a character in someone else's story. Whether I know it or not!!

It may be that homeless man I see walking the cold street every time we are on our way to church.

It also may be that person in the checkout lane that only has one item, but I am in such a hurry that I don't let her go in front of me!

Maybe the child that is standing alone after soccer practice, in the cold, waiting for a parent to pick them up.

 

We never know what "story" the other people in our lives are living. Some of them just have a prettier "cover" than others, and we assume they are just fine, when really they are hurting.

 

Well I have realized it is now time to take those blinders off and scan around me to see the bigger picture... the grander plan.

 

It's NOT all about ME!

 

 

 

Omnia mea tua sunt (All that is mine is yours)

 

 





... a lesson

 

 

Two of my bestest friends and I had the great pleasure of attending a Matthew West concert last Friday. I can honestly say, this was the BEST concert that I have ever been to (and I have been to a LOT of concerts!)

What made it so special to me, other than being with dear Friends, was the important Christian messages that were presented to me. The feeling that all of us under that high school auditorium roof were like-minded enough to be there and feel the presence of Christ's Love!

Of all the highlights of the evening (and there were many!) one that struck a cord was when a young man, named Connor, came onto the stage. Matthew brought him out to "tell his story". Actually, Connor's story is what brought Matthew West to THAT particular city for a concert in the first place! THAT particular young man, Connor, is what inspired Matthew to write the song To Me.

My friend felt a personal tug to Connor's story and song, and wrote about it on her own blog, Notes From a Blessed Life.  I know we ALL have been in Geoffrey and Connor's shoes at one time or another in our own lives! I know I have!! These two young men ARE very special and will indeed change the world.

Stay STRONG!

do SOMETHING!

thoughts for a Tuesday...

You must live in the present,

launch yourself on every wave,

find your eternity in each moment.

Fools stand on their island of opportunities

and look toward another land.

There is no other land; there is no other life but this.
― Henry David Thoreau

 

I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today.

 I can choose which it shall be.

Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet.

I have just one day, today,

and I'm going to be happy in it.
― Groucho Marx

 

Happiness, not in another place but this place...

not for another hour,

but this hour. 
― Walt Whitman

 

 

 

 

 

between the pages...

"Why do I read?
I just can't help myself.
I read to learn and to grow, to laugh
and to be motivated.
I read to understand things I've never
been exposed to.
I read when I'm crabby, when I've just
said monumentally dumb things to the
people I love.
I read for strength to help me when I
feel broken, discouraged, and afraid.
I read when I'm angry at the whole
world.
I read when everything is going right.
I read to find hope.
I read because I'm made up not just of
skin and bones, of sights, feelings,
and a deep need for chocolate, but I'm
also made up of words.
Words describe my thoughts and what's
hidden in my heart.
Words are alive--when I've found a
story that I love, I read it again and
again, like playing a favorite song
over and over.
Reading isn't passive--I enter the
story with the characters, breathe
their air, feel their frustrations,
scream at them to stop when they're
about to do something stupid, cry with
them, laugh with them.
Reading for me, is spending time with a
friend.
A book is a friend.
You can never have too many.”
― Gary Paulsen, Shelf Life: Stories by the Book

My son was never a big reader. Getting him to sit down and read was always a constant struggle with him. One day, though, everything changed!
A friend of his introduced him to the world of Gary Paulsen. You see, my son is a true lover of the outdoors, and he finally met his match, through an author who shares that same love. There is the saying that goes, "do what you love and the money will follow."  Well, I also now believe, "read what you love and the books will follow!"

The first book that my son read of Gary's was Hatchett:
Brian Robeson, a thirteen year old boy traveling in a small airplane to Canada to spend the summer with his father, is involved in a plane crash in an uninhabited part of the Canadian woods after the pilot dies of a heart attack. Brian then must find a way to survive and in the process, discovers much about himself and becomes a man. The motif within this story is a bildungsroman, or a young boy’s coming of age.

After that one book he was hooked! I soon found Gary Paulsen books at rummage and garage sales. Now my sons shelf is lined with a slew of them.
This led to other books by other authors. Jean Craighead George is one of them. A list of her books can be found here. My son is currently reading My Side of the Mountain by George.

“If books could have more, give more, be more, show more, they would still need readers who bring to them sound and smell and light and all the rest that can’t be in books.
The book needs you.”
― Gary Paulsen, The Winter Room

how big is your spoon?

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor

~The Eighth Commandment from the Holy Bible

 

One of the reasons I started this blog was for all those times that I encounter random things throughout the course of my daily life (and there are A LOT of them!!) Things that kinda fall in place, even with out any help from me. They just kind of "show up" and take notice. Kinda like this morning!

 

I was on Pintrest, doing a search on recipes and I just randomly stumbled upon an interesting website. What makes this of great interest to me is that it fits just so nicely into what concerns I am currently having in my own life! The message that I received really hit it home and put a label on "those" people in my life.  The website was lesfemmes-thetruth. The article touches upon the subject of the eight commandment in the Bible and "pot stirring" (gossiping).

 

Just last night a neighbor of mine called to "pot stir" about a certain other neighbor. One that is less-than-adequate in her eyes! I selectively chose NOT to pick the phone up and listen to the "bubbling and boiling" of the pot on the stove! I knew what the "stew" was that was "cooking". I don't need to "taste" or even "look" at it. I could "smell" it! I have just recently learned that I DON'T have to join in the kitchen and hover over the "pot stirrer" anymore! I can let them claim the kitchen, while I choose to go into another room and use my time more wisely, (maybe by praying for the pot stirrer?).

 

 

 

colorfully said...

 

 

 

 

what's your intent?

Philippians 2:2

Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.

~ New American Standard Bible

Intent, according to the Merriam Webster online dictionary is- the state of mind with which an act is done.

When my two best friends and I get together a topic that we fairly often visit, time and time again, is the subject of friendship. We often try to decipher "relationships" in each of our own lives that we may be struggling to understand. We, for a time, have been trying to find a new word for those people in our lives that don't truly fit the "friend" mold, yet are a bit more than a simple acquaintance. It's tricky!

Not long ago I attended a Catholic conference in Illinois with the speaker being Michael Brown of Spiritdaily.  A whole range of current topics were addressed. He talked about what our mission in life should be. We touched on hard to grasp topics like the after-life and what is waiting for us there. Michael talked about the current state of the world and all the changes that are taking place on a religious front. What tied all these things together for me, and what I found to be a common thread in most of his talks, was the subjects of "unforgiveness" and "love" were repeated over, and over, and over again. He addressed these subjects together as in our own relationships that we have, whether they be family or in friendships, we have to learn to forgive and love those that we somehow can't. (no one said this was going to be EASY, though!

Michael suggested that we should "put a cross" between us and those "negative" relationships in our own lives. We need to pray for the "removal of layers" of hurt that others have caused us. Remove the pride that "they" hurt "me" SO badly! We need to forgive AND forget!  God wants us to love everyone. BUT, that doesn't mean to "excuse" everything!

{WHEW!! This really is HARD work!!}

Unforgiveness is the lack of forgiving. If we don't forgive, we are then held back- still attached. Darkness then finds a way to attach to that! By darkness I am referring to "the evil one" or the devil!!
Michael talked about the term "access points". What he means by that is areas of our lives that are weak. Areas of us that are are preoccupied with "other" things (anger, bitterness, negativity) and are easy targets for evil to enter.

This all brings me back to the word intent, as I first started talking about in this post. After the Catholic conference I began to get a clearer sense of those people in my life. People that I call friends and all those that I am still trying to find the right new word for! I began to focus my attention of what their intent was and what MY intent was! Was this a relationship that needed to continue? Does that other relationship need more work, maybe on MY end?

 I also did something dramatic. Actually VERY dramatic on my end! You see, after much thought, I realized that one of those "access points" in my life was actually right in front of me. It was preoccupying a large portion of my time. Time that I now chose to use for other purposes. That access point was Facebook! I had a deep tug in me to look closely at what purpose Facebook was providing me with. Whom was I in connection with that maybe I no longer needed to be. Was it a positive or negative outlet for me? Did I really need to see, hour by hour (and sometimes minute by minute) what certain people (friends as they call them on Facebook....even though "they" need the "other" word that I don't have for them yet) are doing? Sometimes making me feel jealous, angry, sad, etc...?!
I am in the process of removing myself from this outlet. Some of it has been easier than other parts. But, that is OK! It is a process and I am in the swing of it and, you know what? It feels WONDERFUL!!

powerful...

I hear this song by Matthew West on the radio on a daily basis. It's words really hit a nerve last week with me! I feel that this song is such a powerful motivator!

Enjoy!

a prayerful vote...

wake up, People!

Have you ever had one of those moments where you feel something click? Like you are witnessing something for the first time, even though you have been doing the same thing...over and over and over?
I had that experience just last week, and it was as I was reading People magazine of all things!
Let me explain...

A year or so ago, I got the opportunity to order some "free" magazines using unused airline miles that my husband had. I chose a few and was thrilled that People magazine was one of the choices! Wow! I always seem to be intrigued by the cover of it as I am in the check out lane at the grocery store. Now, I can get it sent to my house, weekly, for free!! Woo hoo!! This was to be my one "guilty pleasure" as they (whom ever THEY are) call it. I am not a huge TV watcher. I am not into all of those reality shows, gossip shows and "talkity-talk" shows. Soap opera's never appealed to me. I got my "dirt" from People.

Well, the magazines started to come. Every Friday I would find a fresh People in the mailbox. Full of juicy star gossip and chatter! Waiting for me to dive into.

 But, this is when the "click" occurred. This is when something odd happened! Something really "opened my eyes" as I really paged through that People magazine the last time I read it. I began to really notice the "other stuff".

I first noticed that the magazine was not just entering my mailbox each week, but was also entering my home each week as well. I also noticed that it was covered with not the most positive messages. An almost half-naked woman adored the cover of the last People magazine I received! Was this the message that a Christian Mama wanted to be sending her family? Her girls?? Herself???
The articles about teen moms, diet secrets of the stars and "this star that divorced that star", have jumped at me, hit me in the face and FINALLY woke me up! Enough is ENOUGH!!!
It also didn't help that there was 9 ads in the magazine for some type of medication. 1 cigarette ad and 1 ad for alcohol!! If that wasn't enough, there was also a VERY disturbing ad for a new cable show on TV. The ad depicted, what appeared to be Catholic priests and nuns, doing all sorts of "un-holy" things! This was TOO much! No more!

This is when the Bible verse 2 Corinthians 5:17 came to mind:

¹⁷ Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

I have "seen the light" and things are becoming VERY new to me!! I am ready to let the "old things pass away"!

At that point I put that People magazine promptly in the garbage can. I made a promise to myself that as each new one came in the mail each Friday I would do the same thing with them as well! You can imagine my surprise when last week Friday, as I opened my mailbox, I saw my People magazine sitting there...but this time it was not alone! For a "twin" had decided to join it this week! For now I am getting 2 instead of one! Hmmm... the devil ain't messin' with this Mama!!
 

Why Pray the Rosary? by Brother John Samaha, S.M.

As we enter October, the month of Mary and the Rosary, I found this story from Patti Maguire Armstrong very powerful! Enjoy...

Why Pray the Rosary? by Brother John Samaha, S.M.

More than a century ago a proud university student boarded a train in France and sat next to an older man who seemed to be a peasant of comfortable means. The brash student noticed that the older gentleman was slipping beads through his fingers. He was praying the rosary.

"Sir, do you still believe in such outdated things?" the student inquired.
"Yes, I do. Don't you?" the man responded. The student laughed and admitted, "I do not believe in such silly things. Take my advice. Throw the rosary out the window and learn what science has to say about it."

"Science? I do not understand this science. Perhaps you can explain it to me," the man said humbly, tears welling in his eyes.

The university student noticed that the man was deeply moved. To avoid hurting the older person's feelings, he said, "Please give me your address and I will send you some literature to explain the matter to you."

The man fumbled in the inside pocket of his coat and pulled out his business card. On reading the card, the student lowered his head in shame and was speechless. The card read: "Louis Pasteur, Director of the Institute of Scientific Research, Paris." The deluded student had encountered his country's leading chemist and the man who would give the world the scientific process that would bear his name--pasturization.

Editor's note: This story is part of the collection in the Amazing Grace for the Catholic Heart.

you are what YOU eat!

The best and most efficient pharmacy is within your own system.
– Robert C. Peale

Yesterday as I was in the checkout lane at my Meijer grocery store I couldn't help but notice the lady in front of me. I actually kept staring at her (trying NOT to be TOO noticeable, of course!) She was a slender woman. Graying hair. When I looked at her face, I could tell she was an "older" woman... an older woman than I, that is. But, I couldn't for the life of me try to guess her age! She had no wrinkles. Her skin actually glowed! She looked SO healthy! So vibrant!! She really looked great for being probably a senior citizen. Wow!
I next glanced at her grocery items that she had on the checkout belt next to me. I instantly got a clue as to what this fit womans secret was. It was her FOOD! Her items included a large quantity of organic this and that. Tons of veggies and fruits. I don't think I saw one processed thing out of a box in her bunch of things.
This encounter with "this woman" fell directly in line with an awakening that I have been reintroduced to just this weekend! While at a garage sale this past Saturday, I found a book that really opened my eyes and made me have an A-HA moment. That book I have been reading, non-stop! The author of this book I have heard about in the past. He is an author that is HATED by the government! Why? Well, because he "tells it like it should be told" and THEY don't like that... AT ALL! This book is called "More Natural Cures Revealed" by Kevin Trudeau. This is the second book to his first "Natural Cures THEY Don't Want You to Know About". We have this book, and I have it in line to read next!
I won't go into those books in detail (now), but I will tell you that I feel stronger than ever that the old saying, "you are what you eat" is 100% true and it is becoming a new family motto in this household!

Happy and HEALTHY eating everybody!

home...

Oh! bars don't make a cage,
And a home ain't made by walls;
Build a house upon the sand,
And pretty soon it falls.
But nail some boards together,
Make a window and a door,
Fill it full of loved ones,
And it's home forevermore!

~ How's Inky by Sam Campbell

a random thought...

banana boat s'mores

I have yet to try this recipe. But, it will be VERY soon!

 

Ingredients:

• 1 whole banana, unpeeled
• 6 whole mini marshmallows
• 12 whole chocolate chips

Instructions for:

Peel one side of the banana and cut a wedge in the fruit. Pour a few mini marshmallows and chocolate chips in the wedge. Replace the peel and wrap the banana in aluminum foil. Ask an adult to place the banana on the barbecue grill or in the campfire coals for about 5 minutes.

Nutrition Information Per Serving:

Calories 140; Total Fat 1.5 g (Sat 1 g, Trans 0 g, Poly 0 g, Mono 0 g); Cholesterol 0 mg; Sodium 0 mg; Potassium 440 mg; Total Carbohydrates 33 g; Dietary Fiber 3 g; Total Sugars 20 g; Protein 2 g. Percent Daily Value: Vitamin A 2%; Vitamin B6 20%; Vitamin C 15%; Vitamin D 0%; Calcium 0%; Iron 2%.

...food for thought (fft)

a mission...

Just this past April I made a trip down to Texas to say goodbye to my dear Auntie Marie. She had  lived a full, hearty life. A life that was full of happiness, a caring heart  and a true dedication to her Catholic faith.
It was on this same trip down, however, that I had an experience that would forever touch me, on the inside, at the heart.
I met a very unexpected person on that trip, at my aunts funeral. Her name was Emma. She arrived at my aunts wake and somehow she was drawn to me! She insisted that she sit next to me. She made pleasant conversation with me. She made SURE that she handed me her handmade rosary at the end of a group recitation of the Rosary.
You see, Emma makes handmade rosaries. Her mission, she told me, was to hand them out to all those who needed (or wanted) one. She had even made enough that night to hand out to each person in attendance at my aunts wake. Enough for all of us to recite the Rosary, one of my Auntie Marie's favorite things to do!
After the set of prayers, Emma disappeared, quietly. One of the last things she said to me was, "please, pray for me and my 5 daughters!" Surely, I agreed that I would.

The next day was the funeral mass at the church. As I arrived and walked up to the church a cousin of mine eagerly made his way to me. In hand was a  large Ziploc bag. He told me that a lady had stopped by earlier, she had needed for me to have the bag and the contents in it. I looked over the bag and found that it was filled with more handmade rosaries and a large amount of information to make my own. Emma had left these items for me. For she felt in her heart that I would be a good candidate to pass this "mission" on to others as she had done for me!

I do keep Emma  and her family in my prayers. I also have started to make my own handmade rosaries to pass along.

If anyone is interested in a free handmade rosary, or if you know of someone that may be, please just email me at  junipercards@yahoo.com and I will get them to you at no charge.

                         Click on the rosary above for complete instructions on how to recite it.


God Bless!

food for thought...

the good guys...

Last night I read an article in the Saturday Evening Post. The article talked all about the joys of probiotics. Hmmm... I have heard that word before but didn't know a heck of a lot about what they meant or did. I must say, after reading that article I decided that I needed to give probiotics a try! Probiotics are the "good" bacteria that your body uses for a lot of good!
I went to the store today and bought a bottle of Lifeway keifer (in Pomegranate flavor). I found it in the refrigerated section right by the yogurts. If you have never tasted keifer before it is a thicker consistency then yogurt. It has a bit of a sour edge as well.

Below I have copied the entire article from the Saturday Evening Post for you. Enjoy!

Post Investigates Probiotics

By: Laura Johannes

In Issue: July/August 2012

Yogurt is one of the primary dietary sources of probiotics. Look for products that say “live and active cultures” on the label .

Baba Vasilika, a peasant from a small village in Bulgaria, lived to be 126 years old and her son, Tudor, to 101. The secret to their longevity, says a 20th century text, was a daily diet of sour milk, packed with beneficial bacteria.

The story, recounted in a 1911 book The Bacillus of Long Life, describes healthy bacteria now called probiotics. Today, probiotics—defined by the World Health Organization as live microbes that confer a health benefit—are one of the hottest consumer health products. Last year, according to research firm Euromonitor International, more than 63,000 tons of probiotic cultures were consumed worldwide.

Americans are turning to probiotics in part to counter the sanitizing effect of modern food processing, which minimizes risks of pathogens in food but also kills natural flora which some scientists believe have health benefits. Live bacteria, originally marketed mainly in yogurt and dietary supplements, are now being added to breakfast cereals, juices, sports drinks, muffins, chocolate, and even pizza. Potential health benefits range from better digestive health to prevention of colds and flus.

Consider Herald Hollingshed, a 44-year-old technical director for a computer-services company, who felt his digestion started “slowing” when he hit middle age. He was frequently uncomfortable and bloated, but found relief with a Procter & Gamble product, Align. The pill “helps everything flow as it should,” says Hollingshed, who also switched to a healthier diet. “I feel in my best shape ever.”

For Cheryl Richardson, a 67-year-old retired lab technician from Chestertown, Maryland, probiotics over the years have helped balance the negative effects of antibiotics. Several years ago, after becoming ill from restaurant food while on vacation in the British Isles, a doctor prescribed an antibiotic that seemed to throw her digestive system out of whack. High doses of probiotics put it back on track.

“This replaces all the bacteria and helps your system digest food properly,” says Richardson.

For consumers, it’s simultaneously a cornucopia of choice and a confusing cacophony of marketing messages. The consumer “goes into a supermarket and has no idea which product to buy,” says Gregor Reid, professor of microbiology at the University of Western Ontario’s Lawson Research Institute. Despite the potential for confusion, scientists say probiotics hold great promise for human health. The evidence lies, in part, with the beneficial effects of breast milk. Beneficial gut flora called bifidobacteria are higher in breast-fed infants than in those fed by formula, says Glenn R. Gibson, professor of food microbiology at University of Reading in England, adding that the breast-fed infants have lower incidence of asthma and eczema. Good bacteria drop after babies are weaned, then remain stable through adult life until they drop precipitously around age 60 to 65. “They don’t go away completely, but they decrease and make us more prone to infections,” Gibson says. Low levels of good gut bacteria, he says, is likely at least part of the reason why the elderly suffer most during food-poisoning outbreaks.

The theory of how probiotics help us has for years been simple: The good bacteria crowd out the bad, resulting in better health. In recent years, scientists have learned that probiotic bacteria also take on many more useful tasks, says Philip M. Sherman, a scientist at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. For example, scientists believe some types of probiotic bacteria help boost production of a protective mucus which lines the gut. Others, he says, produce cellular messages that calm harmful inflammation.

A growing number of scientists believe that gut microbes can change overall health. Scientists are beginning to study the use of probiotics to treat depression and even obesity. Benefits have already been shown for the digestive system, immune modulation, and dental health. There is even talk of the potential to increase longevity. “It’s exciting and there’s great promise,” says Joan Salge Blake, a clinical associate professor of nutrition at Boston University and a spokeswoman for the nonprofit Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Meet the Healthy Microbes: These microorganisms have been shown to boost health in published scientific studies.

If you want the benefits of probiotics, you need to select carefully. “It’s not one size fits all,” says Salge Blake. “The one that may help with constipation is different from the one that may help with immune support. Make sure you are getting the right strain for what you want.”

For example, Dannon Activia yogurt and Procter & Gamble Co.’s probiotic capsule Align have shown in scientific studies to improve gastrointestinal health. In four published studies, Activia improved food’s transit time through the gut. Align, shown to be effective in a chronic condition called irritable bowel syndrome, is also helpful for milder digestion problems.

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Yogurt is one of the primary dietary sources of probiotics. Look for products that say “live and active cultures” on the label .

Probiotics can also ease an uncomfortable inflammation of the large intestine called ulcerative colitis, which causes cramps and diarrhea. Jeff Isaacson, 43, of Tempe, Arizona, was taking two prescription drugs for ulcerative colitis but still suffering flare-ups. His doctor suggested adding VSL#3, a probiotic cocktail of eight strains of bacteria, to his daily regimen. After two weeks taking the capsules, Isaacson says, “I became basically symptom free.”

As a preventive measure, Dr. Scott Bautch, Wassau, Wisconsin, says he recommends probiotics to replace any good bacteria that are “wiped out” by antibiotics. Taking probiotics can help patients prevent antibiotic-associated yeast infections and even unpleasant episodes of diarrhea.

Probiotics in Dannon’s DanActive and Yakult—a dairy drink from Japan’s Yakult Honsha Co. Ltd.—can also help the immune system. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) doesn’t allow Dannon to say DanActive prevents colds and flus, so the package reads “helps support your immune system.” But a look at published scientific literature shows there’s at least preliminary evidence that some probiotics, including the ones in DanActive, reduce the duration of upper respiratory infections. And the Cochrane Collaboration, a nonprofit scientific group, concluded in a 2011 review encompassing 14 published studies that probiotics were “better than placebo” in reducing incidence of colds and flus. Further research is needed, particularly in elderly patients, the scientists cautioned.

Probiotics are also a boon to those who can’t digest lactose, a sugar found in dairy products. People who are “lactose intolerant,” can eat yogurt without trouble because it contains bacterial cultures which make lactase, the enzyme needed to digest lactose, says Dennis Savaiano, Ph.D., professor of nutrition science at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.

“It’s very much like taking a Lactaid pill, but it’s a naturally occurring phenomenon,” says Savaiano. Unfortunately, he adds, the helpful bacteria don’t linger in your gut long enough to provide a long-term cure for your lactose intolerance.

In good news for consumers, the quality of products seems to be improving. In a February report, ConsumerLab.com, which tests nutritional products, found ten out of twelve popular probiotic dietary supplements—83 percent—met its quality standards, including the number of live bacteria promised on the label, up from 15 percent in 2009.

Homegrown probiotics: Place veggies in Mason jar, add sea salt and whey, close. After 3 days, refrigerate for two weeks before eating.

Nonetheless, regulators are taking a hard line on product claims. Over the past two years, the FTC has filed administrative actions against French Danone Group’s U.S. unit, Dannon Co. Inc., and Switzerland’s Nestlé S.A., claiming “deceptive” advertising for their probiotic products. To settle the cases, the companies agreed to soften product claims—for example, neither company is now allowed to claim its products prevent colds and flus.

Consumers looking for probiotic benefits can improve their chances with a few simple rules, scientists and nutritionists say. First, take them daily, since the beneficial effects are short term. Look for products that say “live” on the label, says Gary B. Huffnagle, Ph.D., a professor of internal medicine and microbiology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and author of the book The Probiotics Revolution. That doesn’t necessarily mean refrigerated, as live bacteria can survive in dry foods, such as cereal. There is even a variety that can survive heat, Dr. Huffnagle adds, so it can be baked into muffins and other treats. And watch your dose. The strongest efficacy data that Dannon’s Activia improves transit time of waste through the gut was seen in studies on three four-ounce containers a day, says Miguel Freitas, Dannon’s director of health affairs. Some published research show benefits at lower doses.

Finding the right probiotic for you “is definitely trial and error,” says Huffnagle. In addition to studying probiotics in the lab, Huffnagle has been trying out different probiotics for a decade. He’s found Activia helps his digestion, Yakult seems to keep him healthy in wintertime, and Culturelle, a dietary supplement from i-Health Inc., has eased the mold allergies that used to make him miserable. Before deciding if a product works, he adds, “generally, give it four to six weeks.”

Another approach is to skip commercial products and, like the Bulgarian peasants, get your probiotics naturally.

“Traditionally, people got probiotics from fermented foods,” says Sally Fallon Morell, author of Nourishing Traditions, a popular natural-foods cookbook, and president of the Weston A. Price Foundation, a nutritional education nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. Deli dill pickles, for example, are a good source of natural bacteria—but look for the kind made with salt not vinegar. Mass-manufactured, jarred sauerkraut is heat-treated, so buy it from “your mom and pop deli making it in the back,” says Colorado-based probiotic food consultant Mary Ellen Saunders.

You can also make your own probiotic vegetables using a simple recipe says Fallon Morell, whose advice has helped inspire a national movement which calls itself “demented fermenters.” Simply take any vegetable you like—ground carrots and ginger, for example—and put it in a Mason jar. Add sea salt and whey. Close the jar and leave it on the counter for three days. Then transfer to the refrigerator for two weeks before eating.

“It’s really easy to do and it’s kind of magical,” says Fallon Morell. “You leave it on the counter. Three days later you open the top and the bubbles come up. You feel like an alchemist in the kitchen.”

The Role of Pre-biotics

Supporting the good bacteria already dwelling in your digestive tract.

Our hunter-gatherer ancestors ate a diet high in the plant fiber inulin, says British scientist Glenn Gibson. Today, scientists and nutritionists are recommending inulin as a “prebiotic,” or substance that provides food for beneficial probiotic bacteria, helping it grow and thrive in your gut. “Think of it like fertilizer,” says Gibson, a food microbiologist at the University of Reading.

Inulin is found in chicory, onions, garlic, asparagus, artichokes, bananas, and leeks. But studies have shown about five grams of inulin is needed daily to affect your gut flora significantly. “You’d need a good sackful of onions” to get that much, Gibson says.

Consumers looking for a more efficient method can find inulin in many processed foods. For example, General Mills Inc.’s Yoplait Yoplus yogurt contains both a probiotic and a dose of inulin. You can also get inulin in capsule form. “If probiotics are not doing what you think they should, I recommend adding a prebiotic,” says Dr. Scott Bautch.

Other prebiotics, not found in natural foods but often seen in dietary supplements and packaged foods, include fructooligosaccharide, or FOS for short, and galactooligosaccharide, or GOS.

For a video and more information about probiotics, visit, saturdayeveningpost.com/probiotics

...finally!

My youngest daughter recently turned 9 years old.

It was a very special day...but, not as special as she is!

You see, on this birthday she received something that she has been waiting for,

probably for her whole entire life.

She got her own brand-new shiny pink bicycle.

A bicycle that she picked out - all by herself!

A bicycle that (although is WAY too big) is PERFECT for her!

A bicycle that was NOT a hand-me-down or a garage sale purchase.

Nope, a thing all her own and the feeling was priceless!

So, as she rode off for the 1st time, I felt a tug at my heart and a smile on my face.

It was a special day, indeed!

One, I feel, she (and I) will NEVER forget.

Buzz buzz...

Sorry...it has been a while since I last posted.
I wanted to share with you, though, a new book that I just received in the mail the other day.
It is called Queen Bee Moms and Kingpin Dads by Rosalind Wiseman. I first heard about this book by reading about it in the back of Rosalinds other book, Queen Bees and Wannabes.
I dived in last night, but only got through the Introduction. Yet, I have already learned SO much.
It is not your casual reading material.... you have to take notes (or in my case, underline important areas...and I have already underlined quite a bit!)

Some of the stuff I learned so far:

-In this world, many parents compete ruthlessly through their own children.

-Parents' social hierarchies influence how they guide their own children's lives.

-Your job isn't to be your child's best friend!

-Our culture makes us feel that we have to be and look a certain way so that we belong.

- In many circles, being loyal means backing up your "friends" by saying nothing, laughing, or even joining in when their actions are unethical or cruel.

I am ready and eager to continue on with the book.
Just wanted to share...

...deep in the ♥ of Texas

The stars at night,

Are big and bright,

Deep in the heart of Texas,

The prairie sky

Is wide and high,

Deep in the heart of Texas.

The sage in bloom

Is like perfume,

Deep in the heart of Texas,

Reminds me of,

The one I love,

Deep in the heart of Texas.

I got a call yesterday from my Mom. She told me that her sister (my Auntie Marie) is in the hospital and her health is failing. Although the call came to me as a shock, a part of me knew that someday soon this call would come. You see, my aunt has lived a full life; a VERY full life; and now in her mid-90's her time is only that much more brief.
 
My Auntie Marie was married, yet never had children of her own. Her "children" were us nephew and nieces. She was married to my Uncle Otto.
Back in the mid-1980's, she and Uncle Otto packed up there things and moved from their home Chicago and headed down to Texas...to a warmer-retired life.
They settled in the small charming German town of New Braunfels and modestly they lived in a modular home community.
They became heavily involved in their Catholic church. They had many friends that were near-and-dear.
Uncle Otto died in the mid-90's, yet my aunts strong faith continued.
A child of the depression-era, she was a "saver". Nothing went to waste; everything could be re-used, at least one or two more times.
What I remember most about my Auntie Marie is her unwavering faith. She had many adversities in her life, yet she was always a pillar of strength. She was always healthy and always happy. Right until the last time I saw her, which was last summer, her zest for life was still the same.
 
In these last few days, although I am not able to be with her in person, I will re-live those dear and happy memories that I share with her. I will always have etched in my mind her special laugh, the unique smell of her home, and the time she showed me (when I was a little girl) how to make  proper pancakes. As my Godmother, she showed me a love of cooking, life and God.
 
 She was such a giving and caring individual: and  I will give that back to those around me I encounter...always!
 
I ♥ you, Auntie Marie...



 
 

a random Thursday thought...

the Iditarod...

The Iditarod. I know this won't come as any great interest to many of you. But, for some reason it does for me, as well as my family.

 Known as "the last great race", the Iditarod 2012 began in Willow, Alaska last Saturday, March 3rd. Over 60 mushers with their dog teams set out; hoping to finish to the end.
 The race's history is an interesting one, at best. Each year, in early March, mushers and their dogs embark on an 1,049 mile journey, through excruciating conditions, from Anchorage Alaska all the way to Nome.

The race can go on for almost 2 weeks! Along the way the mushers make sure that the dogs are well taken care of. Those dogs just LOVE to run...

I have always had a great fascination with all-things Alaska,the Iditarod being no exception.

When me and the family had the awesome pleasure of visiting Alaska last summer, (see here and here) we stopped in Wasilla (yes, Sarah Palins home-turf.) Wasilla is home to the Iditarod Trial Race Headquarters.

Inside, it contains ALL things Iditarod. It was a fascinating place to visit.

[Joe Redington Sr. - Father of the Iditarod]





[our less than 1 minute dog sled ride...those dogs were FAST!]

                                                         [paw mits from previous sled dogs]               

Later on our trip, at our stop in Denali we learned even more about the power and necessity of these hard working dogs. Our tour guide, Jamie, explained all about how necessary these dogs actually are in the Denali National Park, as well as surrounding areas. No vehicles of any kind are allowed in the park in the winter; yet there are park rangers, field guides and other naturalists that still work and live there over the winter. The only way for supplies/food/ and other items to be delivered into the park and the several miles to where they need to be is with the help of the sled dogs. Without the hard work of these dogs there would be no way to get this job done.

You may or may not have heard the name Balto before? Well, he was the dog that became famous for traveling hundreds of miles to deliver a serum that would help stop the deadly diphtheria epidemic in Alaska. His heroic efforts are still near-and-dear to many people, even to this day.

                                          

A great book: The Great Serum Race by Debbie S. Miller.