9/11 tribute

This is a wonderfully done and very moving video tribute....  

The memorial at the World Trade Center site will conduct a service, in memory of all those who lost their lives ten years ago, now called simply '9 / 11'.  Click on the Video provided below: World Trade Center Memorial Opening September 11, 2011 Thanks so much, Jeanne.

From a friend

"Here's my favorite quote given the fact that I left my car running while in exercise class today.  I'm living more and more by these words."

He who laughs at his own mistakes will be entertained for a lifetime.

Excellent message.

On so many levels.  Thank you for reminding us about that, Meg!

No nubs.

"This product is not for you.  It's for people who don't have exceptional oral hygiene habits."  

YES!!!

My morning "walks around the block" are paying off!

This is the first time EVER that a dental hygienist has had rave reviews about the state of my teeth.  OK, don't look too closely/my gums are receding and I DO NOT WANT TO DO THAT AGAIN, thank you very much.    

Second bit of success: I carry a rubber tipped gum stimulator in the car and pull it out at stop lights.

Oh so attractive.  

Who has talent?

WOW! Clearly Silhouettes has what it takes to dance into the finals tonight.

This exemplifies what I so appreciate about America's-Got-Talent-type shows.  People in large and small towns across America have exposure to a much broader audience, the opportunity to pursue a career in a field of interest AND the ability to share their talent with the rest of the world.  BRAVO!

Some amazing acts this year. Tune in next Tuesday for the final competition.  Remarkable, really.  

One pretty wonderful artist.

JANE SEABROOK is an illustrator and designer who lives in Auckland, New Zealand. 
In recent years, her artwork has focused on paintings of wildlife for the Furry Logic series of books. 
She shares her life with her husband, two teenage children, and a growing menagerie of assorted animals. 

Following are some excerpts from her Furry Logic books.

Thanks, once again, BB!

Getting out the grill?

This article is definitely worth revisiting.

New info

http://freshperspectives.squarespace.com/blog/2010/4/23/buddy-doesnt-either.html

I found something much, much, MUCH better.  Trader Joe's to the rescue once again.

   

The space between your ears

I used to think that golf was the final activity elderly folks undertook just moments before death.  

Then I had my first Real Golf Experience. Before this point my only contact with the sport was waitressing at a country club while working my way through college.  It wasn't exactly Caddy Shack.  But it came close. 

The Amazing Golf Experience changed all that. Sort of. We signed up with another couple for a three-day course where, as I recall, you mostly imagined hitting the ball.  Everyone, scratch golfers and beginners alike, progressed rapidly. Our group spent a lot of time sitting around a table sharing how much we were learning and how terrific we all were. I distinctly remember being totally brilliant. In my mind, I sank every putt. My drives were extraordinary. We were ready to take on the world.

Then we came home. And began playing with actual golf balls. This was majorly disappointing.

Since then I've had a LOT of lessons but I don't find/make time to practice in between which sort of defeats the purpose but I do love learning the tricks. The challenge would be to put all those tricks together into a package that plays well out on the course. Am I ready? Is the world ready? Probably not. I'm a nine-holer/at best/who like my friend, RF, thinks that "scoring is overrated."

Another day's topic:  playing in the Cypress Point Ladies Invitational. OMG. Big Mistake. We weren't last the first day. But that's not the worst part.  TBContinued.

"Competitive golf is played mainly on a five-and-a-half-inch course...the space between your ears." 

Bobby Jones 
 

Another life lesson

Fable of the porcupine 
It was the coldest winter ever. Many animals died because of the cold. The porcupines, realizing the situation, decided to group together to keep warm. This way they covered and protected themselves; but the quills of each one wounded their closest companions. After awhile, they decided to distance themselves one from the other and they began to die, alone and frozen. So they had to make a choice: either accept the quills of their companions or disappear from the Earth. Wisely, they decided to go back to being together. They learned to live with the little wounds caused by the close relationship with their companions in order to receive the warmth that came from the others. This way they were able to survive. Moral of the story: The best relationship is not the one that brings together perfect people, but when each individual learns to live with the imperfections of others and can admire the other person's good qualities.

      

Thank you, Gretchen!

Better now than November

Are you just a few or a few too many pounds overweight?

I am.

According to recent FATSTATS, two out of three Americans are obese or overweight.  That figure is rapidly expanding.  Not good.

Well, I think I'm on to something that doesn't require counting calories, attending weekly meetings, purchasing fake food, recording each bite or summoning every ounce of whatever will power you may or may not have/apparently, I have none.

Here's my plan:

You know that horribly uncomfortable, far-too-full, feeling we've all experienced after a big Thanksgiving meal? And you've no doubt heard about or know someone who has had Laparoscopic Gastric Band (lap-band) surgery, right? Well, why not capitalize on these two bits of information not by undergoing surgery but by creating your own DIY EXTERNAL LAP BAND instead.  

Simply tighten your belt one notch before each meal.  Next week tighten it one more notch until you're where we want to be.  Easy.  This might serve as a reminder about where you want to be.  And where you are now.

I'm in.  Are you?  Let me know how it goes.

One more time!

"One can choose to back toward safety or forward toward growth.  Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again."
 

Abraham Maslow

Feel the fear

And do it anyway.

That was the title of a book several of us read two decades or so ago.  Because the book so succinctly laid out categories to consider, Susan Jeffers' thoughts became the basis for what would become our Goals Group. It's less about fear and more about goal setting though feeling the fear and doing it anyway is definitely a concept I endorse.  As long as I don't kill myself in the process.

As my son indicated at the time, "You don't have to actually read the book/just the title!"  I love it!

For us, Feel the Fear...was the beginning of an extraordinary adventure.  One which lead to stretching beyond what we ever thought possible. Each us spent time thinking about and preparing for our monthly meetings, adding to our list when another member's idea struck a resonant chord. Our lists were long and varied.

Once on paper and articulated in front of our small group, things magically began to fall in place. And because life often took over, we'd neglect referring to our personal list (not necessarily recommended) between sessions. Amazingly, but not surprisingly, what we had jotted down months before had taken on a life of its own.

I love that about the subconscious mind.

All of this leads to today's post:

Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway.  

What better way to life life.  I often forget that.  Today, dipping into frigid mountain waters/OK, I'm a total woos when it comes to cold water/I gave Stand Up Paddling (SUP) another try/after cracking several ribs on an earlier attempt a few years ago.  Not to worry if you, too, are considering this sport.  I'm the only one I know who did a face plant rather than falling sideways. I'm sure you'll be perfectly fine.

So for the past week I've been grabbing my paddle and board and taking a Big Step outside my comfort zone. It feels so good. Am I ready to take on The Big Waves? Not yet. But I'm thinking that this should be my next goal/the ocean.  Want to join me?

A small step toward pushing past one fear. Hmmmmm. What's next? And what would you add to your list?  Read the book and see if you aren't inspired to feel fear.  And do it anyway.

 

What were they thinking?

More specifically, what was she thinking?

You have to be kidding, right?

YouTube video of bullet proof glass tests.

On second thought, I found this video too disturbing.  I just removed it.  

So simple.

Here's the Story of the Day:

Straight Forward

"Start here & go until you die, he said. What's so complicated about that?" Why am I laughing out loud?  Don't you wish life felt this simple and straightforward?

Upcoming reunion?

Well worth remembering!

Thank you, Judi! 

So well done!

Thank you, Linda!  Hilarious!

Squandering squash?

No need now that you know about Zucchini Fritters aka another way to consume an overabundance of garden squash left on the vine a little too long.

Delightfully delicious!

Ingredients

1 lb zucchini, seeds removed if very mature

1/2 cup chopped green onions 

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped 

4 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped 

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled 

4 eggs, slightly beaten 

1 cup all-purpose flour

fresh ground pepper

olive oil, for frying

Directions 

Grate the zucchini and place in a colander; sprinkle with salt and let drain for 30 minutes; squeeze out moisture and pat with paper towels.

Place the zucchini in a bowl and add the green and yellow or red onions, dill, parsley, cheese, eggs, flour and salt and pepper to taste; mix well.

In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, pour in oil to a depth of ¼ inch; when the oil is hot, drop the batter by heaping tablespoonfuls into the pan (or form into small patties), allow space in between fritters; fry for 2 minutes on the fist side, then turn to brown on the second side for about 3 minutes; using a slotted spatula transfer to paper towels or newspaper to drain; repeat with remaining batter.

Serve hot or at room temperature, alone or with the following creamy garlic-lemon yogurt sauce:

1 cup sour cream or plain, full-fat yogurt
1 to 2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
a few pinches of salt
1 small minced or crushed clove of garlic

Preparation:

In a small mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days. 

Update on Monday, August 15, 2011 at 10:43AM by Lois

This is what I so enjoy about gardening.  The many surprises!

From Barb:

"LOVE this recipe.  Made extra scrumptious sounding/appealing with the photo.  

I do have a zucchini that is the size of a small submarine and this should work just great.  Very timely. 

I didn't plant zukes this year. The spring was so wet I wasn't going to plant anything but I DID throw outside the gourds from last fall and I think maybe some pumpkin seeds?  At any rate, vines have sprouted.  More than sprouted.  Two are taking over the whole garden area and I have no idea what they plan to produce.  I'm talking like eight feet long and growing!  I don't see any beginnings at all.  I figured they were gourds when they first sprouted, but now I really don't know.  Jack and the bean stalk comes to mind if i had this on a trellis.  One leg went right over the tops of the pepper enclosure...really like some very strange growth out there."

Update on Monday, August 22, 2011 at 10:39AM by Lois

I've now made these several times and have enjoyed plain, with sour cream and salsa as well as yogurt. Many other possibilities, I'm sure.  Let me know about additions you found particularly flavorful.   

Speed reading test.

Of sorts.  Sorry, cannot slow this slide show down.  Watch it a few times to see if your time improves.

Very clever.  Thanks, Anne!

Please don't tell me...

...that I look like this.

OK, I followed the very natural, beautifully tanned legs of a friend into a spray tanning salon.  I was feeling very Pasty White at that moment.  

I left looking a Tad Too Tan/Something About Mary style.

Nice feature:  no time in the sun and backs of legs "tan" without the requisite time in the sun on stomach. Thankfully I just did my legs.

Not so great feature:  dark spots emerged that I didn't know existed. Yes, I've been to the dermatologist to be sure they were all OK.

Why is it that the most suspicious spots are totally benign? Other, surely safe, scaly/itchy spots give you a few weeks to live? This is not good.  Particularly since you often cannot get into the your dermatologist for many months.

Your recommendations? 

Update on Monday, August 22, 2011 at 10:51AM by Lois

I thought I'd try again but the schedule was filled and I was determined to tan before Tahoe.  Instead, I purchased a DIY can of spray.  Excellent results.  Even better than the salon system.  Will share the specific product ASAP.