Tuesday, June 26, 2012 at 7:17PM And knock off a few pounds in the process of duplicating his efforts. What a wonderful way to travel!
Nancy, thank you so much! I love this guy!
Matt Harding Monday, June 18, 2012 at 5:00PM "Veteran English teacher David McCullough Jr., whose unusual graduation speech at Wellesley High School went viral, told NBC Nightly News it’s important for kids to embrace failure rather than always striving to avoid it. Creativity, he added, should be for the good of others because ‘selflessness is the best thing you can do for yourself.’"
Here's the full graduation speech.
Saturday, June 16, 2012 at 9:44PM 
Outstanding In the Field is an organization whose "mission is to re-connect diners to the land and the origins of their food, and to honor the local farmers and food artisans who cultivate it."
We were able to join Jim Denevan, the OITF crew, local farmers, fishermen and the chef and staff members of Haven, Jack London Square this past week for a one-of-a-kind culinary experience on a beach just north of Santa Cruz. You may recall Jim's remarkable land art from an earlier FP post.
We met others who follow OITF around the country. Not a bad way to experience some of the best edible, fresh perspectives on life in other parts of the US.
Check out upcoming events on their North American Tour.
Excellent food, fun/friendly staff, exceptional venue/value.
Here's a bit of background info about the experiences Jim and his staff create around the country.
Thursday, June 14, 2012 at 4:11PM 
So you're not quite up for the entire Joe Cross juicing concept?
I am currently consuming one juice drink a day MAX, with more fruits than I'd like to be part of the ultimate mix. I'll slowly taper off the sweetness as my tastebuds adjust.
Bottom line: You can consume Far More Vegetables IN JUST ONE GLASS each day than you'd probably eat in an entire week.
So cheers to an incredibly colorful addition to your day and your diet!
I hope you did watch the movie/interesting, entertaining and inspiring. You'll find the link to the documentary at the top of this post.
Joe Cross, juicing, vegetables Monday, June 11, 2012 at 5:31PM 
From a friend:
"You've inspired me to start juicing again. And every time I start up again I always wonder why I stopped in the first place. The hardest part is cleaning the juicer right away, other than that it truly is the best way to get loads of vitamins from fruits and vegetables. Because even though I am a vegetarian I don't always eat as many fruits and veggies as I should throughout the day and a juice first thing in the morning helps a lot. I do get hungry two hours after and eat a quinoa broccoli salad snack instead of my usual organic chips. And then eat my usual lunch and dinner. Ive already lost 3 of the 7lbs I had gained recently. So thank you for reminding me how great it is.
I do a simple easy juice first thing in the morning- three kale leaves, two carrots, 1 apple or other fruit, two garlic cloves, one green onion, half a lemon, hunk of ginger. All organic."
fruits, juicing, vegetables Saturday, June 9, 2012 at 8:07AM More from a very fit Joe Cross, Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.
Joe discusses the difference between juicing and blending.
On to supercharging this not-so-supercharged body!
fruits, juicing, vegetables Thursday, June 7, 2012 at 3:23PM
From the darling young man who saved the little hummingbird:
"This is a baby hummingbird I rescued after it was attacked.
The song is "Better Together" by Jack Johnson.
UPDATE!!! when she thought she was ready to leave (and she was) she flew off to her favorite patch of the back yard, and her instincts instantly kicked in, and now she's just like all the other hummingbirds. for those that are concerned that she has imprinted on humans and wouldn't survive in the wild, don't worry, she is thriving. she has even successfully migrated and returned back to my yard. and for those who think i didn't know what i was doing, i did NOT feed her plain sugar water. i went outside 3 times a day and caught flies from my compost bin in big bags, crushed them, and mixed them in as well. I also helped her learn to catch flies while flying (not in the video because you obviously wouldn't be able to see the flies). in the end, i don't think it could have worked out any better."
Thank you so much, Nancy!
baby hummingbird Wednesday, June 6, 2012 at 8:44PM Do not miss this. The information is frightening. We need to do something. Now.
Jamie Oliver, nutrition, weight Tuesday, June 5, 2012 at 7:49PM You might be wondering, "Where does she find these people?"
I had a juicer years ago and am now off to buy a much more modern model. Do not beat me to it. The best ones are, apparently, in short supply.
The following video underscores lessons from FAT, SICK AND NEARLY DEAD. It's short and might inspire you, too, to step into the world of juicing. Why bother? Jason Vale, the Juice Master, will quickly bring you up to speed.
Fat, Jason Vale, Sick and Nearly Dead, juicing Sunday, May 27, 2012 at 4:46PM 
Did you happen to watch the recent HBO series, "The Weight of the Nation"? Sorry about that. I found it disappointing on many levels. The following film, however, while touching on some of the same points, is far superior. I KNOW that you'll find it educational and entertaining. It could be a game changer for friends and family members. And perhaps, you.
Chances are, you know someone who is among the two thirds of our country who needs to shape up and would benefit from watching FAT, SICK and NEARLY DEAD. It's inspiring on so many levels. Access the film via Netflix or Amazon and share with those you love.
Though we will not be duplicating Joe Cross' effort we will be integrating many of his recommendations. Just one juiced drink a day for starters, perhaps. And it's so easy and incredibly satisfying to grow your own greens. Even in small spaces. See: If only in a little red wagon.
Only have time to see the trailer? It's below. I hope it piques your interest in watching the entire documentary.
Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, nutrition, weight Sunday, May 27, 2012 at 7:49AM All on the same page. In the same car. Moving forward. Not just right or left. Forward!
Call me maybe, Obama, Romney, politics Wednesday, May 23, 2012 at 6:40PM Embedding of the video is disabled so click on the link to enjoy. Such a sweet story. Thank you, Connie!
birds, inspiration Monday, May 14, 2012 at 4:46PM Not this incident! But viewing this video again. And again.
A woman was videotaping her son riding a skate board when her attention turned to this wonderful older woman trying to cross the street.
Aren't air bags the best?
Sunday, May 13, 2012 at 5:30PM Back to Belgium and Morocco as soon as I have a moment.
Meanwhile, this woman is nuts. I love her. You may see more of her here. Too, too funny.
And, hey, maybe these tips are really helpful. You tell me. I'm trying the avocado mask. I need all the help I can get at this stage.
Ellen, great tips, helpful tips Thursday, May 10, 2012 at 10:51AM Mrs. Brown's dog is old and not doing so well. The kids are trying to figure out a way to tell her that it's time to put the dog down.
Connie, this is hysterical. Is this getting a little too close to home?
BBC, dogs, laughter, youtube videos Thursday, May 10, 2012 at 9:40AM Why didn't we wander down the path to the Willowman's home at the Floriade? We obviously launched off without listening to our leader's recommendations and missed what was quite possibly The Highlight of Floriade. But as with most of what's wonderful in the world these days, someone made a video and posted it on YouTube. Even if you don't speak his language, you'll appreciate the enthusiasm with which he works and shares his interactive art project with the children who visit him at Floriade.
Here are more photos of this Land Artist and his work: http://www.thewillowman.com/Will_Beckers.html
Pretty phenomenal stuff.
Floriade, Holland, Will Beckers, Willowman, land art Tuesday, May 8, 2012 at 2:30PM OK, this is totally out of sync with our trip sequence but it fit into my life today.
Organized every ten years in the Netherlands, this International Exhibition runs from April to October. You'll find over 150 acres of exhibits, cultural programs, gardening displays/products, innovative gardens and gardening ideas from all over the world.
Highlights for us included:
OK, I wouldn't say that what I photographed provides comprehensive coverage of Floriade. I think we were more intent on seeing the entire show, which required a lot of walking/why didn't we take that aerial tram/gondola? And we lost each other a few times which meant less photos/more time spent searching. Finally, for the first time in Holland/Belgium, we had a lot of sunshine/heat which slowed our pace. In any case, here are the few pictures I culled from the lot.
Why didn't we wander down the path to the Willowman's home? We still didn't know! Tomorrow, links to his exceptional life and work. WOW.
Monday, May 7, 2012 at 3:31PM Bloemenveiling in Aalsmeer. It's the world's largest flower auction house where approximately 20 million flowers from all over the world are auctioned every day, Monday to Friday morning beginning at 6 AM/oops, we missed that time frame. It's proximity to Schiphol Airport, just a stone's throw away, is critical for speeding flowers to distant destinations each day.
I found the following fun/fascinating/educational video that brings all of us (including me) up to speed on our recent visit.
Sunday, May 6, 2012 at 12:33PM 
We visited twice during our short stay in Amsterdam. It rained, as it often does in Holland, during both visits. And the cloud cover provided great light for photographing the beds during the middle of the day.