News, at least a little….

So, we’re now nearly at the end of May, where has the year gone?

The weather here in the Okanagan is hotting up, every day now for a couple of weeks has been sunny, and the temperature is now in the high 20’s every day. Give it a few more and the water should start to warm up too.

Leigh and me have been a bit slack with the hit yoga, although we’ve been hitting the pool for a few lengths, which feels good. She’s been getting more of her ideas ready for her site and trying to decide where she’s is going to take it. I’m still trading and have a couple of projects and ideas bubbling under the surface, which may see the light of day sooner rather than later, as we may be looking to move across to Vancouver and need a fast injection of cash!

The footie is still going, for Samuel. They had a couple of defeats and then a draw. Another match this weekend, against a couple of his school friends, so it should be competitive.

Holly is at a bit of a loose end, although she’s been honing her story writing, which I hope one day will be her trade. She’s getting good at getting her imagination down on paper, which is interesting, to say the least. She was explaining to me about a weird world she dreamed of when she was younger, but you’ll have to wait for the story….

We’ve had a load of requests from around the world for more of Mojo. He’s obviously now the star of the show! So, as requested, here’s another photo of our little bundle, mid yawn. There’s more of them over at our online photo album, click here to go see ’em

That’s all for now then, folks, I can’t think of anything else, if I do, I’m sure you’ll be the first to know.

Take it easy,

M

Bugs ate her eyes….

I was reading the local paper, on a break from the trading day, enjoying some ham, scrambled eggs and coffee and came upon this delightful article, about a Kelowna girl….

Bugs ate her eyes

A recent backpacking trip through Africa turned into a nightmare when bacteria began destroying Trasey Plouffe‘s corneas and she lost sight in both eyes. (Read Full Article)

If you don’t fancy it, I’ll understand….

The New Addition….

On the way home from Sam’s soccer match, on Saturday, we stopped in at the SPCA Animal Resuce Home. The kids had been on about getting a pet for ages and we figured it was about time they had something. With not enough space for a dog right now, we saw some kittens…

Meet Mojo, the latest member of the clan. 8 weeks old, a boy, the markings won him a new home, along with some insane climbing up the inside of the cage he was in. If you’re going to get a pet, get one with character I say. And the best thing of all is he is litter trained! He trotted off down the corrider to the tray to do his business last night without a second thought.

Only trouble is, he’s sitting on the keyboard right now as I try to type….

Tags: Pets, Kittens, Okanagan, British Columbia, Canada

Missing Madeleine!

This is the first time I have passed on a chain letter – I sincerely hope it is the last but I could not refuse this request. As you will read in her Uncle’s letter further down, they need to get this message out across Europe, FAST. So, if you want to do something useful today, get involved. We can all do a little to try and help.

Madeleine McCann was abducted from Praia Da Luz, Portugal on 03/05/07.

A MESSAGE FROM MADELEINE McCANN’s UNCLE:

As you are aware my niece is still missing and I am asking everyone I know to send this a a chain letter i.e. you send it to everyone you know and ask them to do the same, as the story is only being covered in Britain, Eire and Portugal.

We don’t believe that she is in Portugal anymore and need to get her picture and the story across Europe as quickly as possible.

Suggestions are welcome. Phil McCann

Copy the letter from Phil McCann and paste it into an email, or copy the whole article, I don’t mind, then send it to everyone in your mailbox. If you have any information about her whereabouts, please contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 (UK) and  +441883731336 (Outside UK)

Please, do what you can to help. Time is running out.

Tags: Madeleine McCann, McCann, Praia de Luz, Portugal

Food, for thought….

I know I bang on about organic food, but I remember a conversation with a new mother, when asked about her baby food and what was in it.

“Oh, they wouldn’t put it into food if it was bad for you….”

Well, I’ve long known about the dangers of artificial sweeteners, aspartame being a particular bug bear of mine. It’s in most of the diet sodas and also anything that’s sugar free. I remember drinking ordinary Coca Cola, and ordinary Ribena, but the one thing i did do was CLEAN MY TEETH. I have no fillings, I have no teeth problems at all, neither do my 2 brothers, so it can’t have been the level of sugar, but the care, the responsibility I took in looking after my teeth.

So take a moment, to read the following report, from the National Library of Medicine, in the United States, on the “The effect of aspartame administration on oncogene and suppressor gene expressions.”

BACKGROUND: Aspartame (L-phenylalanine N-L-alpha-aspartyl-1-methyl ester) is an artificial sweetener with widespread applications. Previously published results have shown that among rats receiving aspartame a significant increase of lymphoreticular neoplasms, brain tumours and transitional cell tumours occurred. The aim of our short-term experiment was to investigate the biological effect of aspartame consumption by determining the expressions of key oncogenes and a tumour suppressor gene. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After one week per os administration of various doses of aspartame to CBA/CA female mice, p53, c-myc, Ha-ras gene expression alterations were determined in individual organs. RESULTS: The results showed an increase in gene expressions concerning all the investigated genes especially in organs with a high proliferation rate: lymphoreticular organs, bone-marrow and kidney.

CONCLUSION: Aspartame has a biological effect even at the recommended daily maximum dose.

So, erm, next time you are doing the shopping, just check out the ingredients, eh. Avoid at all costs. artificial sweeteners. They might not put it in if it’s bad for, but they sure will put it in if they can make a profit.

Take care one and all,

M

PS. I am starting a new site, all about organic food and healthy living. Click here to visit the Organic World blog.