Another post today (duh)

Hi again!

While trying to familiarize myself with this website, tweaking the first blog and trying to come up with appropriate 'key words,' I've come to a couple of conclusions. As well as a thought (we're in deep trouble now!).

One, Bruce Willis and Jeffrey Dean Morgan have a great deal to do with health. Just looking at their pretty faces improves my mental health dramatically. And two, the Jonas Brother's improve my daughter's mental health dramatically which, in turn, reduces my stress levels.

Therefore...

Bruce Willis, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and the Jonas Brother's will be staying in the keywords. Not really. Much as I like the first two, and kind of like the 'kids,' that's not really the purpose of this blog.

Now...

I did mention something about a thought, didn't I?

Actually it has a little to do with the main subject matter of my first post. In this day and age, when gas prices make you want to faint (or punch someone!), when the cost of living would make your great, great granny roll over in her grave and when utility bills are through the roof, how does one not only survive, but thrive.

If you're not Bruce Willis, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, the Jonas Brother's, or the rest of the 'have's?' If you're one of us lowly 'have not's?' Or 'not have as much of's?"

More specifically, how do people manage to eat healthily? It's one thing to walk, do crunches and lift weights. Those are vital aspects to good health and fitness.

Food is another matter entirely.

When a gallon of milk or orange juice goes for roughly $4.00 a gallon (pretty much the same as gasoline!), and you can get two-3 liter bottles of Faygo soda at the local dollar store for half that price, what are you more likely to drink?

Granted it would probably taste terrible on a bowl of cereal (although OJ probably wouldn't go over any better), as a beverage you can still get a whopping three gallons of soda to a single gallon of the others. For the same price.

Then there's the fresh produce dilemma.

Five bucks for ten pounds of potatoes! A dollar for a tomato or green pepper! Forty cents per ear of corn!

It kind of makes you cringe at the 5-7 servings a day recommended by the FDA, huh? Especially if you have more than one in your family. Just the minimum would be twenty servings a day per household for a family of four!

So where does that leave someone who wants to lose a few pounds? Out of luck? Probably not. There options.

Beans are still pretty affordable. And high in fiber so they'll fill you up. In more ways than one! You'd just have to decide if the....um....side effects were worth the benefits.

Portion control is another-and perhaps the best-option. Yeah, you'll feel hungry for a few days. Or a week or two, depending on how much you're used to eating.

But face it, unless the government does something drastic, the days of your munching on fruits and veggies to fill you up and keep you from snacking on foods that taste better are over.

And for those of you who love healthy eating, I apologize. But you know what? America wouldn't have an epidemic of weight problems if an apple tasted as good as a brownie. If a carrot tasted as good as a Frito. If a half a cup of tuna tasted as good as an inch thick rib eye steak, charbroiled to medium and eaten with homemade rolls and baked potatoes dripping in butter. If a glass of iced tea was as satisfying as a hot fudge shake.

Nope. No epidemic at all. We'd all be at our ideal weights and heart disease, high blood pressure, many cancers, etc... wouldn't be nearly as prevalent as they are today.

So what are you doing to keep healthy in this economy? Those of you have normal incomes, anyway.

Hello all

For anyone who read my first version of this post, you will note that I have changed the title of the page. Upon further consideration, however, I realized that the original title might bring in an invasion of people whose opinions and lifestyles do not reflect that of my own.

So what is my blog about?

Only God would know the answer to that particular question. At this point in time, my guess is that it will be quite similar to my myspace.com blog, which is filled with random thoughts, opinions and ramblings.

I'm very into natural health solutions (whenever possible), Bruce Willis, exercise that doesn't leave you panting for breath and ready to collapse, my family, the economy, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, some politics, our pets...and a lot of other stuff. I try to look at the comical side of life as often as possible-and my writing often reflects that tendency.

My particular thoughts for today?

Hmm

I guess it would have to be regarding the present state of our American economy and the absolutely staggering burden it's placing on all but the very wealthy. And I'd bet, if things continue the way they're going, even they will be taking a hit to their wallets eventually.

But it's 'normal' people like us whose jaws are hitting the floor every time we turn around.

Here's a 'for instance.'

I usually do my grocery shopping on Saturday's. Not the wisest day of the week, considering I'm not all that thrilled with big crowds and long lines at the check-outs. Regardless, that's when I tend to go.

And when I go, I tend to purchase pretty much the same items because I'm what some might consider a stick-in-the-mud when it comes to trying new foods. Not that I serve a boring menu. I'm a good cook and I have quite a repertoire of recipes.

Okay. That's an exaggeration. I don't generally use recipes. Sometimes not even for cakes or cookies. Unless they're special ones, like for Christmas. The once-a-year kind you don't want to take a chance on screwing up.

I guess this would be where 'ramblings' came in.... Sigh.

Okay. So what happened today?

Well. A couple of items I bought two weeks ago have had a price increase.

Big deal, you might say. Actually it is a big deal. One item went up by $1.54 and the other went up $1.11. Those are pretty huge increases. In a matter of days.

And I find it annoying as all get out.

Annoyance aside, it's time to do some clicker training for Jack, the 70 pound, eight month old puppy who has chewed through five leashes in the three months we've had him. Not really surprising since he's a strong dog. Both in will and muscle. If you like your arm where it belongs in your shoulder socket, you probably wouldn't want to try walking Jack.


***Just a quick P.S....my daughter said I should put the Jonas Brother's in the search part of this because a lot of people search for them. So I will. And I'll do some future blogs about them, too. Especially Nick. I think he's a cutie! My daughter, however, likes Kevin. (She's looking over my shoulder right now so I'm doing this to embarrass her! :o)