Rosemary’s Baby or at least her Benefits

“Oh, and it cures world hunger.” This was a sarcastic taunt from my middle son as we were reviewing the medicinal benefits of Rosmarinus officinalis.

Flickr.cc.dnak_Rosemary

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Tammy’s Top Ten (t3 report) Reasons to Shop Locally

I don’t believe that shopping locally is the end-all to the current economic disruption. I also don’t believe it has to be branded as a new kind of protectionism. In these trying times, I believe a multi-faceted recovery approach is necessary. It starts with a strong education system. The second and third prongs are attracting new industries and supporting those businesses that are here now – especially those that contribute to placemaking – which is part of why new industries would be attracted. Here’s why I think supporting local business matters:

Flickr.cc.2.0 Homini

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When the Frost Hands you Lemons

Our winter has been unseasonably cold. In the beginning, DH hustled out each evening with drop cloth to protect our beautiful plants from the frost and now, we’ve thrown in the drop cloth so to speak. We’re patiently waiting for spring warmth to see what might emerge and recover from our brown and crispy landscape. At the same time, across town I did find a group however that was quite productive when they heard the frost was near.

Using Local Ag to Build Community and Microenterprise!

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Ant Farm

I admit to a self-centered fascination with wordpress stats. I know, write for good content, write for enjoyment, write to write, the subscribers will follow. I still look at the numbers and marvel at what drives them.

Oddly, one of things I learn when examining my search term stats are that a great deal of the googlers in the world find me by using the search words: Ant Farm.

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Valentine’s Day

I’ve seen two movies recently that captured a long-term love affair between a wife and her husband. Of course, most of us bloggers have watched Julie and Julia and if you haven’t, please do take in Meryl Streep’s amazing performance as Julia Child. I learned so much about Julia in watching it but the part that touched me most was her deep and enduring love for Paul.  Tonight my Valentine and I watched, the King’s Speech and again, if you have not seen, please do. It was portrayed that Queen Liz really loved her King George VI.

Julia

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Poop

“There is nothing so overrated as orgasm and as underrated as excrement.” I’ve heard this quote attributed to Benjamin Franklin but now I can’t seem to find a source. So what is it doing here? It began innocently. I asked my youngest son what I ought to blog about this week and with 8 year old humor he answered, “Poop.” Don’t worry, there’s no photo of the product.

An Underrated Experience

Girlfriends

If you’re a guy reading this, I apologize in advance. This is about chicks. Not hot botox babes with shiny lip gloss but about girlfriends, the kind that I can spend an afternoon with when I’m not wearing make-up and maybe not shoes – even if I haven’t had a pedicure. The kind that I belly laugh with and then cry alongside when one gets divorced or another’s child is struggling to learn to read.

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Microgrants in the Utah Food Space

Once each year at the end of January, an amazing economic development activity erupts in Utah. Founded by actor, Robert Redford, the Sundance Film Festival is an incredible combination of art and tourism.  I’ve been coming here for at least nine years to indulge in the creativity of independent screenwriters, actors, directors and producers.  So far this year, I’ve seen a handful of good films, a couple that didn’t meet my expectations and my next day is planned with a few more.

flickr.cc.2.0 lowjumpingfrog

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The Volunteers Seem to Thrive

My husband and I were working in the area around our front patio this weekend. Over the last year, we changed out some of the plants and added some new ones. There’s a lovely new agave that we’ve planted and artfully swirled around it, a flowering vine has grown. I mentioned the vine to him, impressed that it had grown on it own. “We didn’t even plant this yellow microdot.”  His comment back, “yeah, the volunteers always seem to thrive.”

In surveying our yard, I quickly decide this is a truth. Some of the things I’ve purchased at nurseries didn’t make it but many of the plants that were taken as cuttings from others or that have come up on their own – aka volunteered, are thriving.

flickr.creativecommons/photos/heraklit/169568227

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Tammy’s Top Ten (t3 report) Food Songs

I thought it would be hard to find ten. But the struggle came in the whittling down of a brutally long list of food songs. Who knew there were so many and that I’d have had to spend hours on youtube listening to ensure that I’ve happened upon the right selection. I don’t know that I have. I loosened my criteria. Weird Al was disqualified. I closed out anything from Sesame Street or Raffi. And while Taco Wagon by Dick Dale and the Del-Tones is right up there for great music, it had no lyrics. The good news is, that while there are oodles of old songs about savory morsels, the new genre is keeping up just fine. This however, is a sort of an oldies list.

I’d never heard this song before and thought that it was quite fitting for my own story.

Agrigirl’s List of Food Songs

1. Canned Goods by Greg Brown Read the full post »