Entry #4 The Finale

I would love to say that I have found a new passion in writing in the form of blogs.  That my desire to share stories and interesting facts via the web has been realized.  Sadly, this is not the truth.  I am so glad it is finally over. Blogging just isn't something that I have the desire to continue.  I'm sure it relates to my lack of social media site interest.

I tried very hard to take this experience seriously, because I wanted a good grade and in the beginning it was very hard to do.  I had such a hard time coming up with interesting topics for my self generated entries that didn't sound lame or know-it-all like.  After the first blog assignment I started to have some fun with it.  I have never had a school assignment that required me to use so much creative ability.  I had an excuse to search the web for fun pictures and loud video clips.  I did enjoy the blog project more than an essay.

 If the class had been a normal sixteen week course, the blog project would have been easy to accomplish, but because the class only lasted five weeks, it was a touch overwhelming.  And when I say a touch, I mean that I was ready to cry some nights out of frustration.  A summer class is like that though and a few tears are to be expected.  I can't think of anything else I would have changed about this experience, just the amount of time to take with it.

I think writing blogs instead of an extra essay was a very good way of allowing us to practice our skills on a less intense scale.  An essay sounds so formal and requires so much work, while a blog is much less daunting.  The idea that we were writing for our peers instead of our professor was freeing.  I learned more about rhetoric, the basis of the class, writing a blog than I would have writing an essay.  I learned how to write for my audience and how to write with a different medium.

So, it was hard, very hard, but I enjoyed the project, even though I will probably never try blogging again.

Morning Versus Night

I am not a morning person, also known as an A person, an early bird, or a lark.  I am a full fledged night owl.  I was happy to stay up late at night and sleep the mornings away.  It was going in in that fashion very well, for a very long time.  The only bump in the road that I faced was a very badly chosen job that required me to clock in at 4:30 AM.  It was not a very good decision on my part.

Everything was chugging along perfectly until I became a mother and my son had different ideas about my sleeping habits.  Now every morning starts at 6:30 AM on the dot.  I don't know how he does it.  I still stay up late to get chores done around the house and to finish up on homework.  So, here I am at one in the morning.  I, as well as most of the parents I know, have taken up a hybrid version of early bird and night owl.

Thankfully for me, all is not lost.  A person's sleep habits are regulated by their circadian rhythm, or a biological clock that runs on a 24-hour cycle.  Most of the time a person's circadian rhythm is controlled by hormones and the rising and falling of the sun.  Circadian rhythms can shift, and in a normal life it does, from an early riser to a late riser and slowly to an early riser, yet again later in life.  In my case an early bird child has changed my rhythm.  The adjustment was not an easy one, but it can be done.  I rely on chugging coffee every morning and I take a nap almost as often as my son does.  I think it is a good thing.  I am learning to adjust and change my own perspectives, even though that might be the sleeplessness talking.

Entry #3 The Food Behind the Curtain?

I have been interested in knowing where my food comes from for quite a few years.  I remember watching Super Size Me; I couldn't believe how many health problems fast food caused Morgan Spurlock.  After seeing the proof on the screen, it was obvious to me that there was something wrong with the system that promoted unhealthy food to hungry Americans.  I can't say that I have researched a lot about where food comes from, but I have been more conscientious about what I put in my body and my family's bodies. 

Even though I knew that things weren't "kosher" with the food industry, I was still shocked with the information presented in Food Inc. at the power that some companies have over everyone, from the farmers to the consumers.  I am upset, as a mother and as a consumer, that a handful of wealthy business people put money and power over the quality of their product and the integrity of their corporation.  Not only do they not care about the American population, they knowingly market and sell unhealthy, sometimes contaminated food to unsuspecting people.  The thought of their arrogance makes me almost as sick as their products.

After learning about the conspiracy between Big Businesses and the Federal Government I wanted to not know.  I wanted to forget everything I had learned and go back to being ignorant.  I thought that it would be easier to live without the knowledge of betrayal; I could be content again.  Yes it would be easier to not know, bit the unfortunate truth is that you cannot unlearn anything, and ignorance is certainly not bliss.  The ignorant are like cattle being herded off to slaughter, and all for a few dollars. 

 They know what they are doing is wrong; they have seen the results of their actions and they refuse to fix the problem.  They know that cows that feed on corn are carriers of sometimes deadly diseases, but they still feed them corn.  They know that farmers can't afford to stand up to them in court, so they push them around.  Why do they do these terrible things, knowing what they know?  The big companies in control also know that consumers don't know about what is being fed to our meat consumers don't know what is being done to the farmers that don't comply with their rules.  Big Business is the equivalent of the bully on the playground, taking all the younger kids lunch money, and they need to be stopped.

I alone cannot make a difference, but everyone working together can.  We can stop their lies and we can prevent future generations from living in the dark.  I vow to only buy free range meat, and to grow a garden.  I vow to use coconut oil instead of oils made from corn and soybeans.  I vow to become more informed about where my food comes from and I vow to not believe the lies anymore.
What will you do to tear down the11 curtain? 

Summer Treats

Summer is here and it is hot!  Because I love to cook and because it is too warm to turn on the stove, I began searching for some cool treats. 
Warning: The following may induce a longing for anything fresh and icy.

Enjoy!

Double Berry Coconut Pops

These patriotic pops are made from fresh berries and coconut milk.  They are as easy on the waistline as they are to prepare, making them number one on my list of things to try this summer.

 

 

Berry Mint Ice Cubes

I don't know about everyone else, but I sometimes find it hard to drink enough water in the summer time.  These icy additions will make it much easier to drink my daily serving of H2O and be fun all at the same time.

 

Frozen Banana Bonbons

This is a treat right up my alley.  If there was ever a way to get me to eat fruit, covering it in chocolate is that way.  These are perfect for a snack or after dinner desert.

 

  



Entry #2 A Happy End to the Water Crisis

Safe drinking water should be available to every person on the planet.  I hope most people would agree with this statement.  Unfortunately, safe, clean water can be hard to come by in some third world countries. 
  

   Even in America in times of disaster it can be very difficult for people in the greatest need to get non-contaminated water to drink.  Michael Pritchard has solved this problem with the aptly named Lifesaver Bottle.   

It's magic.  Well, not really magic, but pretty close.  With this wonderful technology, no one should have to go thirsty again.  Everyone from the smallest tribe in Africa to the California after an earthquake will have access to the most vital substance on earth without the worry of deadly diseases or other contaminates.     

Back To School

School is hard.  It is much harder when you have not been in school for years.  I learned this lesson last semester when I decided to go to college after being out of school for eight years.  I have learned a few things outside of the classroom to help those who don't know exactly what to expect when they decide to take this life altering step.

1. Pay attention in class.  This one may wound like a no brainer, but it is easy to day dream and not stay focused, especially in a class that is not interesting.
2. Do your homework every day.  For procrastinators, like myself, this is a hard one.  If your homework is done every night it will be easier to stay on top of your classes and you will know what is being discussed during the next class period.
3. Take plenty of time to study for tests.  This may mean that you have to start studying a week before the test is scheduled and you may have to start studying before having all of the information from the class.  It will behoove you to make sure that you have adequate time to put all of the information into your long term memory.  
4. Keep all of your work until the end of the class.  Even though it has been turned in and returned to you, make sure to hold on to it just in case it didn't get recorded correctly or at all.
5. Have fun.  This one is a must.

Entry #1 So Many Blogs, So Little Time

Blogs are good.  We like them.  Everyone can have their own and tell the rest of the world their opinions and ideas.  I don't normally like to read blogs.  I prefer to read books and watch movies myself.  I did, however, find a few out there that I liked.  I'm sure there are many more that I would like, if I took the time to find them.
The first blog I found is all about Fashion, Beauty, Food, and everything in between.  This one was a diamond in the rough so to say.  I didn't really think that I would like it because as much as I like the beauty aspects of these posts I am not very "into" fashion.  I did like it though.  With the additional topics of food and the big bright pictures it drew me in and it was hard to stop reading.  
The second blog I came across tells stories about Veterinarians and how they care for the pets and how they deal with the pet owners that come in.  This blog has a fun look to it and I found the posts very endearing.  Again it was hard to stop reading.  I laughed and I cried.  I think this blog is really well put together and I look forward to reading more from them in the future.
The last blog I took a look at I thought I would really like.  Mommy Wants Vodka, however, was very hard to follow along with.  The page is fairly simple and I have to say that it did not hold my attention for very long.
So far I have been pleasantly surprised at the amount of good content I have found out there to read.  As I have not been a blog reader before I was unsure if I would come across anything I liked.  This experience has opened my eyes to entertainment I did not know about before and I hope to continue to find fun and interesting things out there in the blogging world. 
Happy reading.