My children often wondered why I felt history was important. If you don't study the hisotry of the past, your future history will not show improvement. Failure to understand breeds mistakes. Failure to study and remember past mistakes provides a shaky past on which to build the future. Knowledge is power and too many people don't want to accept it's gift. It's a lack of intellectual curiousity that is bringing down the United States while the crafty, immoral politicians take advantage of it. It would sure be easier to correct a present error than to go back and try to fix the results of the error somewhere down the road.
A friend and I got a firsthand glimpse into the mindless mind set of voters during the last presidential election. We were attending a Rosary making event at a Catholic church with Catholic people yet they gave the definite impression they were voting for the abortion candidate. My friend and I looked at each other in shock and then proceeded to bring up some proven points about the abortion candidate who wanted to run our country and kill our future citizens in the womb. The interest was minimal and the most reaction was a few muttering that they might go home and do some checking. I'm willing to bet they didn't bother and the Catholic vote shows they weren't the only ones.
To me, this was sad. It used to be that you could talk freely about a problem politician or candidate on your parish grounds and be confident that you would meet up with like-minded people. Not these days! If I hear one more Catholic (even some priests included!) say that we have to respect an abortion president, I may be even more irate than I am right now. Yes, I respect everyone's personhood but I cannot respect the aims of a president who is out to destroy the personhood of the tiny, unborn persons of the world. History comes into play here as who knows what part these slaughtered children would have played to the betterment of our country . . . if they had been allowed their constitutional rights?
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Choices, Procrastination, and Making it Work . . .
Several pregnancies and a bout with anemia gifted me with some unwanted weight over the years. The children are grown up but refused to take back the extra pounds they demanded during their residence within me! Although I tried to be more active and cut back on the 'good aka fat' stuff for snacks, a few extra inches remained stubbornly around my middle. I didn't even DARE glance behind!
I've finally figure it out and it helps with avoiding the bad stuff and doing the good stuff. First of all, I had to come to the realization that is is okay to be hungry between meals. There is no rule that you have to be totally content 24/7. In fact, if you are entirely comfortable, you are spending more time eating than doing!
I watched some talk show one evening and it dealt with a gentleman with much, much greater weight issues, like 500-plus pounds. The recommendation was not an immediate starvation diet but they picked out one indulgence and started there. He enjoyed a large bowl of ice cream every night to the tune of around 400 calories extra an evening. Check the labels! Even the 1/2 fat type of ice cream packs in over 100 calories for HALF a cup of the stuff and who can stop there? They figured out that by omitting just the ice cream, he would be eliminately 2800 calories a week and in the space of a year . . . well, you do the math! It was a relatively easy way to start what would show some immediate results.
I inadvertantly tried this in my life one Lent. I gave up my all-time favorite - cola along with any type of soda for the entire six weeks. At Easter, I decided that with the negative medical viewpoints on soda, I would see how long I could continue without it. It's been almost six years now. After just a year of no soda, I noticed my jeans had 'stretched' out and discovered that I had shrunk one size without any effort except for the lack of soda in my diet. The next Lent, it was my favorite StarBucks and, a year later, another size down. Hey, still heavier than I'd like to be but a reduction! I had now run out of much-craved and enjoyed food items to give up and realized that I'd have to start exercising, too. Always a catch!
My husband and I gave each other an elliptical machine for Christmas one year. You've probably seen the commercials on television for various types. The super slender athletes show you how easy it is to carve out abs with only 30 minutes, three times a week. The first time I tried the elliptical, I managed THREE, LONG, exhausting minutes before I stumbled onto the the sofa for a much-deserved rest. I lost about 5 calories!
The exercise required to work off a substantial amount of calories isn't a minor endeavor. My 15 minutes of elliptical in the morning burns off about 115 calories and only because I have it hiked up high effort. Really makes you start paying attention to what you put into your mouth vs. what you know you can work off in the course of a day.
My visual picture when I head for a snack is this: A gooey, nutty candy bar gives your hips around 250 calories. It would take an hour of hard jogging to burn off 250 calories. When I go for the snack, it doesn't take me long to figure out that an apple with vitamins/fiber at around 50 calories will fill me up just as well as that 250-calorie candy bar and no permanent inches to deal with when I want to get my jeans to zip up.
Choices! It's always choices in life but some give better results than others! Another way to look at it is that if you start today, six weeks from now you can look back and know you have done it. If you procrastinate, six weeks down the road, you will realize how much you could have accomplished . . . if only!
I've finally figure it out and it helps with avoiding the bad stuff and doing the good stuff. First of all, I had to come to the realization that is is okay to be hungry between meals. There is no rule that you have to be totally content 24/7. In fact, if you are entirely comfortable, you are spending more time eating than doing!
I watched some talk show one evening and it dealt with a gentleman with much, much greater weight issues, like 500-plus pounds. The recommendation was not an immediate starvation diet but they picked out one indulgence and started there. He enjoyed a large bowl of ice cream every night to the tune of around 400 calories extra an evening. Check the labels! Even the 1/2 fat type of ice cream packs in over 100 calories for HALF a cup of the stuff and who can stop there? They figured out that by omitting just the ice cream, he would be eliminately 2800 calories a week and in the space of a year . . . well, you do the math! It was a relatively easy way to start what would show some immediate results.
I inadvertantly tried this in my life one Lent. I gave up my all-time favorite - cola along with any type of soda for the entire six weeks. At Easter, I decided that with the negative medical viewpoints on soda, I would see how long I could continue without it. It's been almost six years now. After just a year of no soda, I noticed my jeans had 'stretched' out and discovered that I had shrunk one size without any effort except for the lack of soda in my diet. The next Lent, it was my favorite StarBucks and, a year later, another size down. Hey, still heavier than I'd like to be but a reduction! I had now run out of much-craved and enjoyed food items to give up and realized that I'd have to start exercising, too. Always a catch!
My husband and I gave each other an elliptical machine for Christmas one year. You've probably seen the commercials on television for various types. The super slender athletes show you how easy it is to carve out abs with only 30 minutes, three times a week. The first time I tried the elliptical, I managed THREE, LONG, exhausting minutes before I stumbled onto the the sofa for a much-deserved rest. I lost about 5 calories!
The exercise required to work off a substantial amount of calories isn't a minor endeavor. My 15 minutes of elliptical in the morning burns off about 115 calories and only because I have it hiked up high effort. Really makes you start paying attention to what you put into your mouth vs. what you know you can work off in the course of a day.
My visual picture when I head for a snack is this: A gooey, nutty candy bar gives your hips around 250 calories. It would take an hour of hard jogging to burn off 250 calories. When I go for the snack, it doesn't take me long to figure out that an apple with vitamins/fiber at around 50 calories will fill me up just as well as that 250-calorie candy bar and no permanent inches to deal with when I want to get my jeans to zip up.
Choices! It's always choices in life but some give better results than others! Another way to look at it is that if you start today, six weeks from now you can look back and know you have done it. If you procrastinate, six weeks down the road, you will realize how much you could have accomplished . . . if only!
The Last Quote is my Favorite . . .
"Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative."
-- Oscar Wilde
-- Oscar Wilde
"Never try to tell everything you know. It may take too short a
time."
-- Norman Ford
-- Norman Ford
"What we call 'Progress' is the exchange of one nuisance for
another nuisance."
-- Havelock Ellis
-- Havelock Ellis
Prayers for the 2012 election . . .
Interesting open-mike opportunity for the United States to understand more fully that our president doesn't seem to have the best interests of the United States in mind. The issue at hand dealt with the missile defense of the United States against other world powers . . . like Russia yet here is our president making promises of compromise. The administration is trying to smooth it over but, it is what it is and it doesn't seem noble or proper for the president to do business like this.
President Obama: On all these issues, but particularly missile defense, this, this can be solved but it's important for him to give me space.
President Medvedev: Yeah, I understand. I understand your message about space. Space for you...
President Obama: (reaching over and putting his hand on Mr. Medvedev's knee): This is my last election. After my election I have more flexibility.
President Medvedev: I understand. I will transmit this information to Vladimir.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
This is a fast and easy way to get some decadent cookie bars - let the chocolate chips do the work! It is one of those recipes you can throw together and just leave on the counter to cool off while you go about the rest of your kitchen work. Not a fancy cookie but how can you go wrong with an abundance of chocolate and peanut butter tastes?
Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
1 stick softened butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon orange extract
1 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use vegetable oil to grease a 9x13-inch baking pan. You can also line the bottom of the pan with parchment.
Beat together the butter and sugar until thoroughly incorporated. Add the egg, extracts, peanut butter, and beat together. In another bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Mix into the butter/sugar mixture just until a dough forms.
Press the dough out evenly into the baking pan. Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes or until it is baked through and browning a bit around the edges. Remove from oven and scatter the chocolate and peanut butter chips over the surface of the baked dough. Let it set a minute until the chips soften enough to spread. Carefully swirl the melted chocolate and peanut butter chips over the surface of the cookie. Let if finish cooling, cut into bars, and enjoy. The 'frosting' of chips will crack if you refrigerate it before letting in naturally cool down and cutting it into bars.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
1 stick softened butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon orange extract
1 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use vegetable oil to grease a 9x13-inch baking pan. You can also line the bottom of the pan with parchment.
Beat together the butter and sugar until thoroughly incorporated. Add the egg, extracts, peanut butter, and beat together. In another bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Mix into the butter/sugar mixture just until a dough forms.
Press the dough out evenly into the baking pan. Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes or until it is baked through and browning a bit around the edges. Remove from oven and scatter the chocolate and peanut butter chips over the surface of the baked dough. Let it set a minute until the chips soften enough to spread. Carefully swirl the melted chocolate and peanut butter chips over the surface of the cookie. Let if finish cooling, cut into bars, and enjoy. The 'frosting' of chips will crack if you refrigerate it before letting in naturally cool down and cutting it into bars.
Always a lot of truth . . .
"The desire to take medicine is perhaps the greatest feature which
distinguishes man from animals."
-- Sir William Osler
-- Sir William Osler
"A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds."
-- Sir Francis Bacon
-- Sir Francis Bacon
"He hoped and prayed that there wasn't an afterlife. Then he
realized there was a contradiction involved here and merely hoped that there
wasn't an afterlife."
-- Douglas Adams
-- Douglas Adams
"I can't complain, but sometimes I still do."
-- Joe Walsh
-- Joe Walsh
Sunday, March 25, 2012
The weatherman says rain . . . For once, he might be right!
The forecast was a possibility of rain, today. We woke up to a sunny, dry day. The update is rain going into the work week. I noticed the sunshine was dimming and went out with my camera to document whatever might be happening. Judging from the gathering of dark gray clouds, a few sprinkles might dampen our pavement before evening. I'm hoping so! California always needs rain. My husband is putting in his guarden and wouldn't mind some help with the watering, either.
Besides, I'm making Asian noodle soup for dinner and you need a cool to cold evening to enjoy a hot bowl of that spicy stuff. My daughter insists we have sweet potatoes with it . . . Not sure how that would work into the menu, however. I found a sale on them and she has decided, at age 22, that she likes them now!
The house is clean. My husband's hair is cut. He is off to work so I'm thinking some quilting might happen! Quilting does not count as work on Sunday in my book.
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