Shared Joy is Double-Joy

 

Growing up, all my friends wanted the usual pets – dogs, cats, hamsters, horses. You know, the regular pet arsenal. Me? I wanted a chimp. Oh, did I want a chimpanzee. I had pictures of chimps on the walls of my room, I checked out library books and pored over chimp-related details, I even tried to dress as a chimp for Halloween once. Any time which seemed like the right time (but, in retrospect, clearly wasn’t), I nudged my parents about maybe bringing a chimp home to live with us. To my unending surprise, through all my pleading and well thought-out reasoning, they remained unmoved. Couldn’t they see what a great pet a chimp would make? Still, you had to give me points for my single-minded dedication to this cause.

It wasn’t until years later that my dream was realized. Well, sort of. My partner, Michael, endeared himself to me forever, when early on in our relationship, he displayed an inspired performance for me. Jumping wildly around the room and perfectly imitating the ooh-ooh-aah-aah of my favorite animal, he made me laugh until the tears flowed and won my heart like no other.

Roots and Wings

There’s a new-ish term I’ve been hearing a lot lately - helicopter parents. It refers to those parents, usually mothers, who hover over their children, scheduling every aspect of their lives, and going to extremes to shield them from disappointment and difficulty. No doubt about it, the mothers’ behavior stems from loving and wanting only the best for their children. I, too, share this desire, but my methods are a little different.

We know that exposure to germs in childhood helps strengthen the immune system and protects children from developing allergies and asthma. Ongoing studies are also suggesting that there is an age threshold to this building up of the immune system – lack of exposure during the early years can’t be compensated for in adulthood.

Video Caption Contest!

Would you like to win your choice of great prizes? Then head on over to YouTube and add your wittiest comments on this video. Enter as many times as you like! More info in the drop down box under the video. Hurry, contest closes on August 10th.




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The Goldmine in Your Kitchen

You know that old adage that goes, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is? Most of the time, I totally agree with it. But in this case, we have an exception. 

What if I told you that you could grow your very own fresh food right in your kitchen, and that it would be just about the most nutritious stuff you could put in your body? And that all it would cost would be a few minutes of your time and less money than you’d pay for a cup of coffee?

Seems like a sales pitch? Well, it is. Sort of. I want you to start sprouting sunflower seeds, because once you start, you’ll be hooked. Send no money now. Or ever. Just read on and learn the how’s and why’s of having your own indoor sprout garden.