Honor at Appomattox

Hope you had a good Fourth of July holiday. We spent the Fourth driving back from Virginia, after a stop in Appomattox the day before.

No battle was fought in Appomattox during the Civil War, but the place is held in high regard in American history because it is the stie where General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant and ended the American conflict.

The events took place in a small farm house that has been reproduced on the original site, based on actual photos of the home. Treating each other with honor was the goal of both sides that Palm Sundy in 1865, and in that they succeeded.

Geese on the Lake

While walking around the newly cleaned up North Park Lake (Allegheny County, PA) today, I spotted this group of Canadian geese. There were more than 40 of them, sitting along side the shore until one of them decided to go back out on the lake and the others followed.

This lake was closed for a long time while workers scraped silt and muck off the bottom of it. After cleaning it out, they allowed it to fill with water and become an asset again to the county park. The water capacity is not at its peak yet, allowing only small craft to float on it. Today's rain may help the cause.

Twyla Tharp at the Dollar Store

I've always wanted to write a book. I have probably written a thousand times as many words as I would need for one volume over the past 35 years or so, but an actual, physical book I have not done.

So much goes into a book. It is a huge project and takes tons of dedication and care, often with no outlet once you are ready to release it into the universe. But these days, with ebooks and self-publishing, publishing a book is easier than ever.

With most large publishers tied up with with the written words of stars and celebrities, it would be easy to just publish one on my own. I'm not sure that would fulfill the dream, but it would come close.

Today I was at the local dollar store shopping. I don't go often, but when I need a couple of items (toothbrushes: $1! Liquid Soap: $1!) that's where I go to look. I spent a few minutes walking around to see what else I might add to a future shopping list when I came across a book by Twyla Tharp, the famous dancer and choreographer. I own a copy of her book, The Creative Habit, and here was a copy of her sequel: The Collaborative Habit. Amazingly enough, it was on sale for the same price as my toothbrushes and soap (Book: $1!).

All that work she put into the book and it was on sale for a buck. It made me wonder what she would think about that. Would she be upset that her work was being sold so cheaply or would she just be happy that her ideas were out there for anyone to share.

I don't know about Twyla, but I think I still would have wanted to have written that book. On sale at the dollar store? I could live with that.

Tips for Healthy Boomer Eating

Guest Blogger Gloria Troyer:

Eating healthy when you are a boomer is particularly important. When we age our appetite decreases and our nutritional needs change. Even our sense of taste or smell can be altered. Older adults don’t need as many calories per day. They must be diligent, though, to make sure that they are getting enough nutrients.


Research has shown that people over 50 need more calcium, vitamin D and vitamin B6. Bone care is extremely important. The following tips will help keep you on track to maximize the health benefits from the foods that you eat:

Vegetables and Fruit
Make sure that you choose more vegetables and fruits. Foods that have a brighter color have more nutrients. Be adventuresome and try something you have never eaten before. You might find a new favorite.

Milk and Alternatives
Calcium and vitamin D are very important for bone health. Dairy and dairy products are ideal if you do not have an allergy, food sensitivity or personal belief regarding animal foodstuffs. There are many alternatives made from soy or almonds. Find products that you like. Make sure that you check their sugar content and that they are fortified with vitamin D and other vitamins.

Meat and Alternatives
If you eat meat, choose leaner cuts and include poultry and fish. Consider adding more beans, lentils and dried peas into your day to day meal plan.

Grains
The best choice for energy and fiber are whole grains and enriched grain products. Check with a nutritionist, dietician or your family doctor to find out what and how much you need to eat from a dietary perspective. Reduced activity and extra servings of grains can lead to weight gain.

A good place to check for valuable information related to food and aging is at Canada’s Food Guide http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index-eng.php and USDA’s My Plate http://www.choosemyplate.gov/ . Both sites offer valuable information regarding the dietary needs of boomers.

Gloria Troyer is an award winning freelance writer, broadcaster and author. Her writing career has branched out into many areas. She is keenly interested in the education of elementary students especially when it comes to food and diet. She also writes about health issues. She is a member of the Professional Writers Association of Canada. You can read more about her at www.writers.ca or http://tempteverypalate.blogspot.com/

Hello, hummingbird

Well, I finally got a photo of a little hummingbird at a feeder. But it wasn't at mine.

This little guy frequents my friend's feeder and was a little disturbed I think by the camera but I was able to catch him in flight after several attempts. (He is in the upper right hand corner of the photo if you are having trouble seeing him).

I told him to tell his friends to fly as fast as they can over to my house and eat from my feeder too sometime. He said he would get the word out. Now I just have to wait.

Hummingbirds Wanted

Mini HummZinger Hummingbird Feeder

I finally gave up on my leaking hummingbird feeder since there was more nectar on the deck than in any hummingbirds (and it was seriously leaving a stain on the wood).

After doing some research, I learned that the HummZinger brand of feeders is "the best" for feeding the little guys. So I ordered one and installed it this week. I also made my own nectar this time (spurred on by friends and my research which said that this homemade nectar is better for the hummies than the popular red nectar you can buy. And it's thriftier!)

So far I have seen one beautiful hummingbird fly by, pausing briefly to eye the new feeder before he flew away. I have actually seen more birds when I didn't have a feeder hanging from my deck than I have since I have been trying to lure them.

Smart birds that they are, it seems they just want to scope out the place before they commit to adding my feeder to their feeding schedule. Or maybe they have seen me poised in the kitchen behind my glass door waiting to shoot a picture of them as they nosh.That would scare anything away.

Either way I hope they will come to visit often this summer. What a treat!

Summer's Messiest Job

Along with all the joys I have been sharing about flowers and summer, there are some unpleasant household chores that can usually only be done in the warmer weather.
So on Sunday I tackled the job of cleaning out the grill, not my favorite way to spend a sunny afternoon.

Our grill is attached to our deck which is right outside the sliding glass doors from the kitchen. Since it is so handy, we use the grill all year long except when the snow and ice is piled so high on it that it's not worth trying to clear it. That's when I fry burgers on the stove.

We clean the grill after each time we use it, but once a year at least it needs a thorough cleaning.

It's a process to clean the grill. I have to remove the charcoal grates and grill racks and set them aside, pull out all of the little round briquettes and scrub each off, and remove all of the burned up stuff that accumulates in the bottom of the grill base.

After that, I have to soak and scrub the grates using my wire brush and a lot of elbow (in this instance) grease.

I wore my surgical gloves to do this project (having found out the hard way just how much grease can stain). I guess it really was sort of a surgical strike on my part, and I was glad when the job was done and the grill was ready for the next BBQ.

Now, onto scrubbing out the garbage cans and the recyclable bins.
Ah, summertime, sweet summertime. . .