Must-See Movie

If you're tired of going to "kid friendly" movies, only to find the movie isn't really that "kid friendly"....in the words of Bob the Tomato: "Have we got a show for you!"

I took the kiddos to see the newest Veggie flick yesterday. There are only a limited number of theaters showing it. We had to squeeze in a matinee, and were fortunate to see the last showing of it. What a treat!

There is plenty of pirate action, adventure, damsel in distress, etc. Many life lessons. And, of course, the usual Veggie humor we have all come to know and love.

The best lesson of the movie is that the "king" gives us everything we need for the adventure. The characters never used the word "God" or quoted Scripture. But the message was clear: God gives us all everything we need for this adventure we call life.

Nary an objectionable element. Zilch. Nothing. Nada. All good, clean fun. The pirates even drink root beer! The swashbuckling is tame and silly. The monsters, well, let's just say they aren't always all they appear to be.

Definitely a thumbs-up from this movie goer!

My only regret? Our popcorn was gone before the movie even began!

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See my other blog for today's post.

A Quick Monday Note

It is cold, cold, cold in our part of the country! When the windchill is below zero, that is time for me to be inside, for sure. I have a cold, too, so a warm, fuzzy blanket and a cup of hot chocolate are just the ticket!

I wanted to share the latest family news. I'm going to be an aunt again! Our sister-in-law is expecting baby #3 in late August. Hurray!

Happy Birthday to Me!

No big post here...just congratulating myself on surviving another year! :o)

Check my other blog for today's post.

Indian Winter

IT WAS ALREADY LATE FALL AND THE INDIANS ON A REMOTE RESERVATION IN SOUTH DAKOTA ASKED THEIR NEW CHIEF IF THE COMING WINTER WAS GOING TO BE COLD OR MILD.

SINCE HE WAS A CHIEF IN A MODERN SOCIETY HE HAD NEVER BEEN TAUGHT THE OLD SECRETS. WHEN HE LOOKED AT THE SKY HE COULDN'T TELL WHAT THE WINTER WAS GOING TO BE LIKE. NEVERTHELESS, TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE, HE TOLD HIS TRIBE THAT THE WINTER WAS INDEED GOING TO BE COLD AND THAT THE MEMBERS OF THE VILLAGE SHOULD COLLECT FIREWOOD TO BE PREPARED.

BUT BEING A PRACTICAL LEADER, AFTER SEVERAL DAYS HE GOT AN IDEA. HE WENT TO THE PHONE BOOTH, CALLED THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND ASKED, "IS THE COMING WINTER GOING TO BE COLD?"

"IT LOOKS LIKE THIS WINTER IS GOING TO BE QUITE COLD," THE METEOROLOGIST AT THE WEATHER SERVICE RESPONDED.

SO THE CHIEF WENT BACK TO HIS PEOPLE AND TOLD THEM TO COLLECT EVEN MORE FIREWOOD IN ORDER T O BE PREPARED.

A WEEK LATER HE CALLED THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AGAIN. "DOES IT STILL LOOK LIKE IT IS GOING TO BE A VERY COLD WINTER?"

"YES," THE MAN AT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AGAIN REPLIED, "IT'S GOING TO BE A VERY COLD WINTER."

THE CHIEF AGAIN WENT BACK TO HIS PEOPLE AND ORDERED THEM TO COLLECT EVERY SCRAP OF FIREWOOD THEY COULD FIND.

TWO WEEKS LATER THE CHIEF CALLED THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AGAIN. "ARE YOU ABSOLUTELY SURE THAT THE WINTER IS GOING TO BE VERY COLD?"

"ABSOLUTELY," THE MAN REPLIED. "IT'S LOOKING MORE AND MORE LIKE IT IS GOING TO BE ONE OF THE COLDEST WINTERS WE'VE EVER SEEN."

"HOW CAN YOU BE SO SURE?" THE CHIEF ASKED.

THE WEATHERMAN REPLIED, "THE INDIANS ARE COLLECTING FIREWOOD LIKE CRAZY."

Healthy New Year, Part 5

Office Equipment

Office phones typically have more than 25,000 germs per square inch. Your desk, your keyboard, and your mouse aren't that much cleaner. (As she typed on her keyboard and cringed...) Phones, including cell phones, get coated with germs from your mouth and hands.

Ways to reduce the risk:

--Cleaning your desk, phone, and keyboard with a disinfecting wipe once in the middle of the day can rid yourself of 99.99% of the bacteria and viruses.

And one last tip I came up with on my own....

There are times when an individual must sit on a public toilet seat, no matter how much it grosses us out. Carry a small, purse-sized bottled of hand sanitizer in your purse. Place a generous amount of sanitizer on the toilet seat, then wipe it clean with toilet tissue. The alcohol in the sanitizer will kill lots of those "nasties" before you place your derriere in harm's way!

Anyone else have any healthy hints???

Commercial Break

I'm taking a short break in my "healthy habits" series to let you know about a really cute website. The name of it is, "Being Five." The blogger runs his own little comic strips on it. This is one you can share with your kids, too. Definitely a good one to add as a link.

Check it out here.

Healthy New Year, Part 4

Your handbag

Recent studies found that most women's purses have tens of thousands of bacteria on the bottom. A few handbags were overrun with millions of bacteria. Germs causing eye infections and skin infections were found on women's handbags.

Ways to reduce the risk:

--Instead of slinging your purse on the floor, hang it on a hook whenever possible--especially in public bathrooms.

--Don't place your bag on the kitchen counter. (I would add the dining room table to this, too!)

--Stick with leather or vinyl purses, which are typically cleaner than cloth.

And tomorrow...last (but certainly not least)...office equipment.

Healthy New Year, Part 3

The Bathtub

A recent study found staphylococcus bacteria, a common cause of serious skin infections, in 26% of bathtubs tested, as compared with just 6% of garbage cans. Bathtubs had more than 100,000 bacteria per square inch. You're washing germs and viruses off your body. Since the tub is a fairly moist environment, it's an ideal place for bacteria to grow.

Ways to reduce the risk:

--Once a week, apply a disinfecting cleaner to the tub and actually scrub the tub.

--Then you need to wash the germs down the drain with water and dry the tub with a clean towel. If you leave the tub wet, germs are more likely to survive.

--If someone who has a skin infection uses the tub, scrub it afterward with a solution of 2 tablespoons bleach in one quart of water.

Next installment: Your handbag!

Healthy New Year, Part 2

Second set of health tips...

Wet Laundry

Any time you transfer underwear from the washer to the dryer, you may be getting E. coli on your hands. One dirty undergarment in the washer can spread to the whole load and the machine.

Ways to reduce the risk:

-Run washing machines at 150 degrees (you can check the temperature of your washing machine water with a candy thermometer--before adding the clothes!) and wash whites with bleach (not the color-safe type; it doesn't pack the same punch), which can kill 99.9% of germs.

-Transfer wet laundry to the dryer quickly so germs don't multiply.

-Wash underwear separately (there's about a gram of feces in every pair of dirty underwear) and dry them for a minimum of 45 minutes.

-Wash your hands thoroughly after handling dirty laundry.

Tune in next time for...the bathtub! :o)