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Spelling Tip: Remembering Desert v. Dessert

26 Jan

Got into a discussion with a friend about how to remember which one has the second “s” – This is how I remember it 😛

This dry and sandy spot exists because it has limited amounts of water–generally an entire absence of the stuff.  Thus it is limited to only one “s”–it’s missing something. 

This stuff is all about overkill — sweetness and calories galore.  Ergo it get’s an overabundance of the letter “s.”  

Winter Storm Tonight

26 Jan

Lucky Us! Iowa is currently being hit with winds of up to 50 MPH and more snow. Yippee! Sometimes the wind is so strong, the snow is blowing straight sideways instead of down. As in a straight line side to side.  Snow isn’t falling here, it’s blowing past!

Cool Google Chrome Change

23 Jan

Great news for Laurence the Laptop!

He might actually survive his stint as the lifeline for a professional writer/researcher/teacher. 😛

If you are anything like me, you threaten the poor darling’s life at least three times on any given day thanks to random unidentifiable voices streaming from the speakers.  I mean seriously, how can 4 ads be running just slighting off so that they scream over each other and I be unable to locate even one to shut the stupid thing off?  It drives me nuts!  I usually just throw a temper tantrum, shut down all the tab, lose all of my research, and let Laurence have it for being such a stupid nitwit.  

Fortunately, Google Chrome has come through finally!  At long last they have added a way for you to tell which tabs have sounds playing.  Check out the new little volume symbol on your tab at the top of the browser.

 If you see it, then that means that something is playing sounds on that tab.  The same is true regardless of whether it’s music, videos, random beeping noises, or advertisements–if it has some noise going on the symbol shows up.

 

Untitled picture

All the other browsers should adopt this change; it’s a keeper.  

Five Beverages For The Common Cold

13 Jan

Follow-up to my recent post “Five Foods for the Common Cold.”  This is a list of five drinks that can help when you’re sick, via healing or soothing properties.  This mostly comes from years of studying and working with ill family and friends (as well as myself).  Much of it was passed down to me by my mother and grandmother.

1. Tea with Honey

You can try this with any kind of tea, include good old original Lipton, but something herbal might be better.  Some good teas to consider might be a soothing mint or ginger based tea, or perhaps an echinacea or dandelion tea for their healing element.  Thus the tea itself is calms the throat and stomach without the nasty taste of some vitamins or medicine.  In regards to the honey,  natural honey is the best, and it offers sugar to maintain blood sugar levels when you aren’t eating much as well as a number of other natural healing properties. The recipe itself isn’t difficult: 1 mug of water, 1 tea bag, and 1-2 TBSP of Honey.

2. Cloves and Ginger Tea

My mother happily swears by this tea, thanks to its healing and numbing abilities.  Cloves is a natural numbing agent, easing pain in sore throats, bad teeth, and aching ears.  Whenever I had an ear infection, we’d pack it with cloves and olive oil until it healed; and added to water, it will numb a sore throat and nauseous stomach for a while.  Ginger is known for its ability to help the intestinal track function properly, to fight viruses and bacteria, and to serve as a fairly effective natural healer.  It works for many ills, and is frequently administered to those with sick stomachs.  The recipe usually goes, a mug of water with at least half a  teaspoon each of cloves and ginger thrown in.  Heat to a boil and drink.

3.  Orange Juice Slushy

When I was a kid, this was my all time favorite recipe and really the only way my mom got me to drink fruit juices for ages.  I’ve never been a big fruit juice person, but I love this drink, especially when I don’t feel well.  You’ll need a blender1 can of frozen Orange Juice, 1  Cup of Milk, and 1 tray of ice (about 12-14 large cubes).  Throw in the ice, add the orange juice, and pour in 1 cup of Milk.  Blend together until it’s in slushy form.  This drink is good in all ways. It has a lot of ice which helps with liquidating the sick person. The milk has some protein. And the Orange Juice has all those lovely healing properties of Oranges (not least of which is Vitamin C).  All around great drink for the sick.

4. Apple Vinegar Water

I must admit that this is probably my least favorite of these drinks–in fact I find it hard to drink at all.  However, many members of my family drink the mixture regularly and greatly preach about how much it helps.  And, when I can gag it down, I have to agree–this works.  Grab a bottle of water and some Apple Cider Vinegar (white vinegar will not work). Mix 1-2 TBSP of Vinegar into the water and slug it down.  Nasty, huh? Well, lucky you, this drink is one of my best recommendations for a sick stomach.  It has a lot of anti-bacterial nutrients and soothes cramping or upset stomachs.

5. White Soda and Orange Sherbet 

I drink way too much soda on average (I don’t drink coffee and only tea on rare occasions), so I’m always happy when I actually have a good reason to down the drink.  However, this only really works with the “white” or “clear” sodas–Sprite, Sierra Mist, Ginger Ale, and 7-Up.  They may not have a lot of healthy nutrients, but sometimes the bubbly stuff can really help a sore throat and sick stomach.  I generally like to drink the soda, but it’s even more beneficial when you add in orange sherbet.  The sherbet has a water base that helps with liquidation, as well as Vitamin C, and the refreshing nature.  I find that I’m better able to keep this down when well and truly sick.

Hope some of this helps!

Please Note: I Am NOT A Doctor!!  If you are ill, it is HIGHLY recommended that you talk with your doctor right away.

Sightsmap – 2013 Most Photographed Locations

9 Jan
Most of you probably have already heard of this, but I think it’s rather cool!  When Instagram published their “Top Locations on Instagram in 2013,” many were surprised that a Thai mall found its way into first place.  Even higher than Times Square which was knocked squarely into second place.  It was only natural that people would then beginning wondering what other surprising locations would have made their way onto a longer list, and of course, where their favorite places would rank.  
So Google stepped in and has released their new “Sightsmap” program, based somewhat apparently on their “Google Map” system.  They have taken all photos tagged with geographic locations and combined them on a searchable world mapping system. So while it doesn’t take into account all photos taken, it does consider by far the vast majority.  And the result is the Sightsmap, a huge mapped system that uses a color-coding system to show which locations in the world have been photographed most.  The brighter/hotter the color shown, the more photographed the place is.

Check out the world:

Sightmaps
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The United States:

Sightmaps

 

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Even my Hometown of North Liberty, IA!

Sightmaps
If you want to see where your hometown falls on the map, check it out at www.sightsmap.com!

 

“Epiphany 2014: Dates, Customs, Scripture And History Of ‘Three Kings Day’ Explained”

6 Jan

“Epiphany 2014: Dates, Customs, Scripture And History Of ‘Three Kings Day’ Explained”

via “Huffington Post

“The Feast of the Epiphany, marking the end of the 12 Days of Christmas and the new season of Epiphany, is observed on Monday, January 6, 2014.

Epiphany — which is variously known as Theophany, Three Kings Day and El Dia de los Tres Reyes — is a Christian celebration of the revelation of the birth of Jesus to the wider world. This is embodied most in the story of three wise men visiting a newborn Jesus with gifts, found in the Gospel of Matthew 2:1-12.

In this story, Magi (wise men) from the east follow a star to Jerusalem . . . . “

Five Foods For The Common Cold

6 Jan

“Sick” by Axel-Desu

The Christmas holiday was somewhat dampened this season when some of the family fell to that dreadful flu/cold that swept through the area. We were all complaining about sore throats, runny noses, and sick stomachs–poor dears.

Result–I began scavenging about for some foods that were both soothing and that we kept down long enough to keep from starving.  Since this is a horrible time for the flu, I figured I’d share what I learned 🙂  

1. Vanilla Ice Cream (or Orange Sherbet)

There is no better excuse for junk food than illness (although a break-up ranks up there too).  And vanilla ice cream actually does have some nutrition in it.  It has enough sugar to help keep your blood sugar up when you can’t eat as much as you usually do, while also bringing in a small amount of protein from the milk-base.  Plus the cold can numb your throat and is easy going down.  

Sometimes though, Vanilla Ice Cream can be a little thick when you’re craving that refreshing feeling.  In that case, Orange Sherbet is an excellent alternative. It has Vitamin C and a stronger water base, which helps with keeping liquids down.

2. Ginger Snaps

Dry Toast is often recommended as a food for colds, but I’ve usually found that it’s too dry and somewhat tasteless.  A better alternative is a bag of Ginger Snaps.  Ginger is a natural cure that is actually recommended for pregnant women as a soother when their nauseous. Many Asian cultures use it in hundreds of foods and natural baths for it’s nutritional element, and it can be really great for those who are sick to the stomach. It works as a soother, to help calm your stomach and ease the cramping.  Ginger comes in many varieties, including Capsular Vitamins, in a candied form, or even in Ginger cookies. However, I’ve found that the the candies and cookies aren’t my favorite when ill–too sugary.  Instead I try to pick up a bag of simple old-fashioned Ginger Snaps. They have the same dried-nature as toast, but are a little more flavorful and have a healing property.  Plus, if you don’t want dried, they’re great dipped and softened in tea.

3. Saltine Crackers

I actually figured this one out last summer on a trip to Korea when I was hit with a severely queasy stomach for a couple days, but most of the food around was unrecognizable or too much.  When I found a small box of Saltines at a convenience store, I grabbed them up and lived on those for the next 3 days.  The biggest healing property in the crackers is the salt content–doctors often recommend gargling with salt water when you have a sore throat or have allergies.  Salt works in two ways–it cleans out your sinuses (helpful with the runny or stuffed-up nose) and soothes your throat.  You can’t eat too many because salt also dries you out, but a few every so often can be soothing. Plus, they can be softened in water or tea if you have a sore throat and can’t swallow the hard foods.

4. Soups

Everyone knows about the amazing thing that is Chicken Noodle Soup; it’s soft and goes down easy, plus it has that same salt element that’s in the crackers. But other soups can work just as well; you might even want to consider making your own.  Some ingredients to look for are Turkey (High-Protein, Vitamin B, zinc, Iron, and potassium), Organic Corn (Vitamin C), Black Pepper (Kills off bad bacteria and is a Stomach Soother), Oats (Maintains Blood Sugar, Strengthens Immune System, Anti-Oxidant), Lentils (Maintains Blood Sugar, Iron), Tomatoes (Anti-Oxidant, Vitamin C), Carrots (Vitamin A), Cheese (Protein), and Broccoli (Vitamin C).  It helps if you make it with V8 or Tomato Juice, so that the juice is beneficial as well.  It’s recommended that you use soft foods (well-cooked) so that it isn’t hard to eat. The melt-in-your mouth kind of soup.

5.  Home-Made Mashed Potatoes.

Pre-packaged Mashed Potatoes are going to have a bunch or preservatives and additives that you probably don’t need when you’re sick, but home-made Mashed Potatoes can actually be a good food when you’re sick.  Potatoes themselves have a ton of nutritional elements–Vitamin C, Potassium, Vitamin B6, Iron, and Zinc: all great for the ill.  In fact, it’s the best source of Potassium in the area of produce.  If you mash them up, you get a healthy dose of carbs and vitamins in an easy-to-swallow dish.  If you mash them with milk, you’ve also got a little protein going.   

What Are Your Favorite  When-I’m-Sick Foods?

Please Note: I Am NOT A Doctor!!  If you are ill, it is HIGHLY recommended that you talk with your doctor right away.

Sunset on the Ice

24 Dec

And yes, these are all real-sparkles. No Photoshopping or Picture Modification. It looked like the trees were filled with diamonds!

 

Winter Ice Storm Hits Midwest

23 Dec

Photos of the Trees after the Ice Storm hit us here in Illinois. I hear at home we got 6 inches of snow!  Praying that all of you made it out okay and that your Christmas trips are safe and sound!

Car Games for Children

7 Dec

I’m always surprised at the number of people who didn’t play the Alphabet game as children.  We always started at least one round while on long trips in the car.  

Alphabet Car Game 

Tell the kids to watch out for billboards, signs, anything with letters on it –  if it has letters, it’s fair game. Then the whole family watches out for the letters of the alphabet, one after another.  No two letters from the same sign, and it doesn’t count if you find a letter out of order!  So if that Q came while you were looking for C, you’re just out of luck. 😛

Great game that teaches kids the alphabet in order, helps them practice their letters, and brings awareness to beginning readers of the importance that letters and words play in our lives.  Doesn’t hurt that it occupies their time and results in fewer “Are we there yets” too. 🙂