For Sunday, November 1st, 2009

a pictorial journal

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE
NOVEMBER 1ST, 2009

It's SUNDAY…

I hope you all remembered to turn your clocks back one hour last night before you went to bed. I did and got that extra hour of sleep I’ve been missing.

Today as always is my day of R&R. I will be off to church later this morning, but meanwhile it’s a great morning to enjoy my good cup of coffee and take things slow and easy.


THINKING

I’ve got lots to do to get ready for our Thanksgiving Feast this year.


DS#1’s apple butter that he makes every year

NEW IN THE KITCHEN

The expression ‘going bananas’ is from the effects of bananas on the brain. Read on:

Never, put your banana in the refrigerator!!! This is interesting. After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again.

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier. PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood. Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke

Brain Power: 200 students at a school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert. Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives. Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system. Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try e ating a banana for soothing relief

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness. Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation. Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work? Studies have found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady. Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack. Strokes: According to research, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%! Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe it is time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, A banana a day keeps the doctor away

Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time!

I will add one here; my leg cramps stop if I eat a banana every day

Amazing fruit


ATTIRE FOR TODAY

It’s supposed to be a sunny 50 degrees today so a jacket will be in order for sure



PEOPLE

My family at Thanksgiving a couple of years ago. I love having them all together. DS#2 and his family were missing that year. Everyone else is present.

PLACES

A view of the Black River as it runs through the park in our town


PRAYERS

Please pray for God's protection of
our troops and HIS wisdom for their
commanders.

Lord, hold our troops in
your loving hands.
Protect them as they protect us.
Bless them and their families for the
selfless acts they perform for us
in our time of need. I ask this in the
name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

G0D BLESS YOU ALL!


AROUND HOME

DD has her Christmas sweater on here, but it really was at Thanksgiving time that she was wearing it…a reminder that I’ve plenty to do for Christmas time too



TO DO

I’ve got to find out where everyone wants to go the day after Thanksgiving this year. We usually go to a craft festival and shop at some quaint small town shops. We try to stay away from the mobs trying to get the sales at the mall.


FAMILY ALBUM

These are the 3 of my children that usually go along with me each year when we do our Day After Thanksgiving shopping.



COUNTING THE DAYS

50 DAYS UNTIL WINTER !

54 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS

AND

166 DAYS UNTIL CAMPING SEASON BEGINS

Keep looking ON THE BRIGHT SIDE of things.

Love,
ma