Natural Health and Wellness

The Ruby Tuesday carnival hosted by "Work of the Poet" has caught my attention as I've gone visiting so many new blogs out there. While participating in "Blue Monday" has been a sweet blessing, ruby is much more a color of choice in my surroundings (along with purple and gold and green and rust and black and even a touch of orange -- just imagine all of that together). Important to a great night's sleep is an inviting "sanctuary" calling out to you each evening. A couple of years ago after finding this great print for the bedspread, the reds were just calling out to be highlighted. A passionate ruby wall is framing our bed. The serenity of green grace the remaining walls. Now add the peaceful scents of lavendar, orange, sandalwood (to name a few you might experience here) and sleepytime music playing softly in the background, and I love the tropical paradise we've created. Usually a quite tranquil spot in which to retire for the evening. Lovin

Childhood obesity is a growing problem in the US. Does that disturb you? It certainly is scary when you think of all the health problems associated with the extra pounds, and these children will be at risk at a very early age. The figure is that about 30% of American kids fall into this category and the number is rising. Some of them are severely obese. Sadly, I remember as a child that the few fat kids were pretty much the object of other kids' jokes as well -- at the very least, they were not usually among the popular kids and rarely chosen for anyone's team. In this Washington Post article you can read about this growing problem and some initiatives being taken to address it . Another article in the Washington Post that came to my attention this week focuses on one aspect: SODAS! There are those who would like to place a stiff tax on sodas sweetened with sugar and high fructose corn syrup. While I'm not sure exactly what my opinion is of this idea, it might at least giv

My blue contribution to this week's Smiling Sally's Blue Monday . Blue is a always a challenge for me. Except for turquoise and the deep teals, my space doesn't come to life in the blue family. This photo, however, holds an especially fond "blue" memory. Sweet memories are balm to the soul. Before sharing a little explanation of its current use, and my sweet memory about this box, please allow me to digress for a paragraph here. It's all a part of the story. From previous posts you may know that my son and d-i-l are adopting two children from Ethiopia. The cost of adoption is quite high -- While most adoptive families are willing to make some enormous personal sacrifices to bring their children home, they just don't have big enough piggy banks to meet the financial requirements without help of family, friends, and even some they don't know. As a family we have some pretty creative fundraisers in the works. . . what you see here is just a glimpse of the