Thursday Thirteen

Lately, I have had two people, aquaintances, really, not exactly friends, tell me they don't eat dairy.  One of them said that she (and her group at Cross Fit) believe it's strange to eat dairy or drink milk because humans are the only mammals that drink other mammal's milk.  I wanted to say, "That's because we're at the top of the food chain!"  But I didn't say it.  She's about half my age, so I don't argue with her about it.  I just found out another friend thinks dairy is "evil."  Her word; not mine.  So, today's Thursday Thirteen is all about dairy.

1.  There are no antibiotics in milk, regular or orgaic.  Milk is tested, and if it is positive for antibiotics, it is disposed of.
2.  72% of all the calcium in the United States comes from dairy foods (milk, yougurt, cheese.
3.  These products are also a good source of protein.
4.  American eat approximately 350 slices of pizza a year, all topped with cheese.
5.  Calcium in soy milk is not as readily available for the body to use as the calcium in cow's milk.
6.  June is dairy month.  I'll have to be sure and tell my "friends!"

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7.  Calcium and dairy can lower the risk of osteoporosis as well as colon cancer.
8.  Low fat/skim milk and low fat cottage cheese are healthy choices to get your calcium, protein, and Vitamin D while you maintain healthy eating habits.
9.  Eating healthy dairy foods can keep your bones strong so you can live a longer and more active lifestyle.
10. Eating low or no fat dairy products can help lower your cholesterol.
11. Diets higher in dairy calcium caused greater excretion of fat than diets which were lower in calcium.
12. A diet rich in ice cream and other high-fat dairy foods may lower the risk of one type of infertility
13. And the best reason to eat dairy?  Milk tasts great with cookie or cake!

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Thursday Thirteen

On February 24th in history…

1. In 1836, Colonel William B. Travis sent a call for help for Texas troops at the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas . “Remember the Alamo” became a popular cry during the Texas Revolution.

2. In 1803, the landmark Marbury vs. Madison case was decided by the Supreme Court. This established Judicial Review, the ability of the Supreme Court to limit Congressional by declaring legislation to be unconstitutional.

3. In 1955, Alain Prost was born in France. He is a 4 time Formula 1 champion.

4. In 1864, the battle of Dalton, Georgia began in the American Civil War.

5. In 1981, Jean Harris was found guilty in the shooting death of her lover, Dr. Herman Tarnower, author of The Scarsdale Diet.

6. In 1999, an avalanche buried homes killing 13 people in the village of Valzur in the Austrian Alps. On the previous day, an Avalanche had killed 25 people in the nearby village of Galtur.

7. In 1868, President Andrew Johnson was impeached.

8. In 1938, an article in Variety magazine announced the MGM Studios had bought the rights to adapt The Wizard of Oz into a screenplay and that 16 year old Judy Garland would play Dorothy.

9. In 1786, the younger of the Brothers Grimm, Wilhelm Karl Grimm, was born in Hanau, Germany.

10. In 1982, hockey player Wayne Gretzky (The Great One) scored his 77th goal in a single season breaking a record that many thought was unbreakable.

11. In 1840, John Quincy Adams gave his opening argument before the Supreme Court in the Amistad case.

12. In 1968, the Imperial Palace in Hue was recaptured by South Vietnamese troops.

13. And… in 2011, Forgetfulone ate a Skinny Cow chocolate cone! LOL

Dorothy Image Credit

Credit to History.com for information in 1-12. I came up with number 13 on my own!

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Thursday 13

I'm following the lead of my friend at Cafe at the End of the Universe with my post this week. I give you... Getting to Know Me, brought to you by the letter B.

1. Baptized - I was baptized a long time ago at the First United Methodist Church of Humble. My twins were also baptized there when they were three months old.

2. Bells - I used to have quite an extensive collection of bells. Pretty bells, a sterling bell that belonged to my grandmother, a bell my dad bought me, angel bells, a replica of the Liberty Bell, and bell made of cranberry glass, and so on. I don't know why I quit collecting them or why I only kept a few of them.

3. Betrayal - I've had a few of these in my life. I don't want to talk about them, but I believe they shape who we are and how we perceive the world around us.

4. Beverage - My favorite beverage is Coca-Cola Classic.

5. Blood - I don't give blood. There was a period in my life when I was having to give blood so frequently that my veins collapsed. In fact, I collapsed, just passed out, when I was having my blood drawn once not too long ago. It just freaks me out now.

6. Bologna - I ate a lot of bologna when I was a kid... until I got sick after eating a bologna and mayo sandwich and drinking a cream soda. I wouldn't eat bologna for a long time after that, but I do now. I'm the only person in my family that eats it.

7. Bones - I've had two broken bones in my life. When I was about 18 months old, my dad tucked me into bed too tightly (not a crib, but a big double bed). In the process of kicking off the covers, I fell out of bead and broke my collar bone on the metal bed frame. I also broke my wrist doing a back handspring when I was in 8th grade.

8. Books - I love books! I read them, I review them, and I belong to several book clubs (on IRL and a couple online). I just finished I, Alex Cross by my favorite author, James Patterson. Now I am reading Shanghai Girls by Lisa See and Unwind by Neal Shusterman.

9. Brains - I consider myself a "smart girl." I don't know it all, though I sometimes pretend I do, but I know more than enough. I respect myself for my brains.

10. Breaking Free - The is the current Beth Moore Bible study I am attending and loving.

11. Brown - The color of my eyes (which I always wished were blue).

12. Bruise - Poke me on the arm, and I'll get a bruise. I've always bruised easily, but I'm not sure why.

13. Bubble Bath - I love a long soak in a hot, bubbly bath.

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Heads or Tails

Today's Heads or Tails is proudly brought to you by the word "LOUD!"

We recently switched from Dish TV to Direct TV (both are satellite companies). Since the switch, I have noticed that on most of the channels we watch, the commercials are extra loud in comparison with the programs we are watching, and it drives me nuts! No one can get to the remote fast enough to turn it down during the commercials, and should we have to? I don't think so! Dish TV didn't do this to us! Direct TV does.

Marketers use this purposely to capture the attention of the audience who may not want to pay attention to the commercials.

Says one article, "Ask any TV station this question and you’ll get the same answer, 'the commercials are no louder than any of the other programming we broadcast — they just sound louder.'" BUT... A TV program has a mix of audio levels. There are loud parts and soft parts. Nuance is used to build the dramatic effect.

Most advertisers don’t want nuance. They want to grab your attention. To do that, the audio track is electronically processed to make every part of it as loud as possible within legal limits. “Nothing is allowed to be subtle,” says Brian Dooley, Editor-At-Large for CNET.com. “Everything is loud – the voices, the music and the sound effects.” (Source)

I thought it was illegal to do this, but I was wrong. "The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) does not regulate the volume of programs or commercials. FCC rules limit the amount of power that a station can transmit and the peak level of the program material. Within these limitations, however, broadcasters and program producers have considerable latitude to vary the “loudness” of the program material." I was bummed when I read that at this site.

If you have this problem in your area, feel free to sign the Loud Commercials Petition.

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Fabulous Award

Fabulous! Tamy at 3 Sides of Crazy thinks I'm Fabulous! Thank you so much! I think she's pretty fab, too.



For this award, I'm supposed to list 5 things I am addicted to and 5 blogs I am addicted to (only 5? I'm addicted to many!)



1. Coca-cola - I can't make it through a day without a couple of these sugary, caffeine-filled drinks. Diet just won't do!



2. Scrapbooking - I'm still learning new techniques, and I am definitely not a designer, but I love scrapping my memories.



3. Reading - I take a book with me pretty much everywhere I go. My favorite genre is mystery/psychological thriller type books, but I'm broadening my horizons. I joined Reader's Anonymous so I don't get stuck in a rut reading only the same types of books over and over.



4. Internet - I check my email several times a day, blog, read blogs, check facebook, goodreads, mom bloggers, reader's anonymous, and several other sites of this nature.



5. A few TV shows that I love but don't always get to watch and feed my addiction: Grey's Anatomy, 24, Prison Break.



Now, on to five blogs that I can't miss.



1. 3 Sides of Crazy - yes, she nominated me, but I can't miss her blog! There's so much variety on it. Plus, she has great recipes.



2. Queen Sized Funny Bone - Love this blog! She's open-minded, interesting, interested, funny, and real.



3. I'm an Organizing Junkie - I get great ideas here! She does product reviews on her other blog, but she also shows many tips on staying organized, and maybe that should have been one of my addictions. I need some control in my chaotic life.



4. Sunday Scrappin' - I try to participate in this meme/blog every week. It makes me sad when I have nothing crafty to share, but I still visit everyone else and comment on their crafty items for the week.



5. Skittle's Place - There is always something fun going on at this blog! Don't wanna miss it. Real and unique. She also the creator of one of the memes I really like, Heads or Tails.

7 Random Things Tag

Alice Audrey tagged me for this meme.

My post and tags are here. Thanks for the tag, Alice Audrey!

Heads or Tails

This week's Heads or Tales prompt is GUARD!

I started off to write a poem about having my heart on guard, but I just wasn't in the mood. Then it dawned on me that our 15 year old is a guard. Color Guard! With the band!

She's a sophomore, and although she is very musical, she never took band in school. It was mostly piano. Last year, she tried out for color guard with a friend of hers, and they both made it. They are having such a good time, working hard, keeping their grades up, and their performances are so good! They toss those flags like there's no tomorrow! Rifles, too! I can't believe how they have learned so much in just the two months since this picture was taken. I can't wait to get a picture of her in her new uniform as well as an actual video of her performance. Her dad and I are proud and very thankful to have her involved in Color Guard.

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Quirks Meme

Quirks are a symptom of imperfection...therefore I don't think I have any! tee hee! JK

Queen-Size Funny Bone tagged me for this quirky meme!

Here are the rules:

Link to the person who tagged you.

Mention the rules.

Tell six quirky, yet boring, unspectacular details about yourself.

Tag six other bloggers by linking to them.

Go to each person’s blog and leave a comment that lets them know they’ve been tagged.

If you participate, let the person who tagged you know you've posted your quirks!

Here... we... go...!

1. When I sleep on my back, I need to put a pillow over my eyes and ears. All that’s not covered is my mouth and nose. My dad taught me this. I’ve been doing this since I was in high school.

2. I don’t eat pepper on anything except cream gravy. If someone peppers the food while it’s cooking, I will probably still eat it, but I won’t put pepper on anything on purpose, except gravy.

3. The toilet paper has to be put on where it rolls under instead of over. If it’s not, I will change it. Not in other people’s houses, because I’m not that quirky, but in my own house. Besides, I’m the only one in the house that ever puts the paper on the roll anyway.

4. I love the smell of coffee, but I don’t drink it. I don’t even like coffee-flavored ice cream!

5. Although I am right-handed, I have to cut food with my left hand. I just never learned to do it the other way! It feels awkward to hold a steak knife in my right hand.

6. I like to fold my towels and sheets a certain way. If someone else folds them (which would be odd), I will refold them.

I tag the following people:

I see she was already tagged, but I will tag Giggles at Happy Tiler .

Adventure Grrl at 100 Days in Bed

The Mom at My Kids are my World

Laura at Lunatic Fringe

Debbie at Hann-me-downs

D from My Life is Based on a True Story
Amy at Tiny Blessings

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And, if you liked this, you may also like
Pet Peeves around the House or
Folding Linens

Let's Play Tag

I was tagged by Evelyn, one of the bloggers I recently "met" through Scrapping Servant's celebration of National Scrapbook Month. I did this tag In November of 2007, so I'm happy to do it again, and of course, it's different now.



1. Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog

2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.

3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.

4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.



Seven Random Things About Me:



1. Both my ex-husband's paternal grandmother and my paternal grandmother were twins. We have twins (almost 12 years old now!), and I am the grandmother-by-default to my step-son's twins, 8 months old.



2. My favorite Internet game is Candy Drops at Candystand. It's addicting. If I go there now, I won't finish this post for a while.



3. I saw Shaquille O'Neal, currently of the Phoenix Suns, walking through the Belagio Hotel in Las Vegas in 2001. The man is ginormous! My husband and I will be travelling to Phoenix this summer on our way to the Grand Canyon.



4. My first job started the day before my 13th birthday at Rockin R Ranch in Humble, Texas. My sister worked there also. It's an outdoor recreation area for company parties and reunions. It has putt-putt golf, swimming, sports fields, concessions, kiddie rides, and great barbecue. Sounds fun, but not when you work there. I started at the putt-putt area, which is boring. I worked my way up to concessions and lifeguarding. But, at the end of the day, everyone has to pick up trash, and that's not so fun.

--------------------OOPS! I had to take a Candy Drops break here!------------------------

5. I get sleepy when I drive, and I don't like long car trips. 3 or 4 hours MAX. That's my limit! I'd rather take a plane, even though I don't like those much either. It'd be terrible if I had to travel for my job.

6. I am addicted to blogging. Aren't we all?

7. I could be the principal of your child's school someday. Pretty scary, huh? I've had my Master's Degree and Principal Certification since 2001, yet I remain in the classroom with the kids, mostly out of choice.

I'm going to tag some people I have not tagged before, at least not for a while. If you don't feel like playing, that's okay. If you do, let me know so I can go read your answers!
Chrissy
Random Autumness
Jenny
Normal to Natalie
Up the Hill Backwards
Laura
Kay

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
What is the nearest big city to your home?

Houston

Soup
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how well do you keep secrets?

9. I'd like to say 10, but I'm sure over the course of the years I've divulged a secret or two.

Salad
Describe your hair (color, texture, length).

light brown with blonde highlights, bangs, shoulder length, thin, and fine-textured. I hate it.

Main Course
What kind of driver are you? Courteous? Aggressive? Slow?

I am courteous, but I have a tendency to get impatient and have a bit of a lead foot.

Dessert
When was the last time you had a really bad week?

About two weeks ago. Things were awful between my husband and me, and work was hectic with state mandated testing. I was exhausted. I feel silly calling it a really bad week now, knowing there are so many people suffering real traumatic events.

To visit the Friday's Feast homepage and view other participants, click here.

7 Random Things About Me

Jen at http://jenshumbleopinion2.blogspot.com/ tagged me for this meme.

Here are the rules:
Link to the person that tagged you, and post the rules on your blog.
Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself.
Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
Let each person know that they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

1. I love words, and I love to make up my own words. This particular meme is right up my alley because I decided a few weeks ago that "randoming" is my new word. When people are saying random things that have nothing to do with the conversation, or they change the topic abruptly, I say that they are "randoming." Two other phrases I like to use are "soon ago" (versus "long ago," which people always say) and "ever-the-more" when anyone says "nevertheless"). Weird? Strange? Maybe. That's me!

2. Another random fact about me is that I love to take pictures and videos, if I only had more time! I can sit at the computer for hours working with my pictures, making slideshows, adding music to a video I've made, or anything along those lines.

3. I am supposed to be on my way to a martini party right now. It started 45 minutes ago, but we want to be "fashionably late." It's only 2 houses down! And the funny thing is... I don't even like martinis!

4. I have a brown belt in tae-kwon-do. When I remarried and moved 2 and a half years ago, I quit, but I wanted to quit anyway because I'm not getting any younger, and my friend broke her ankle breaking boards, so I figured it was time. Now I am not in shape, though, so I miss that.

5. I have 11 year old twins, a boy and a girl. Both my grandmother and my ex-husband's grandmother were twins. And now I have twin step-grandsons who are about a month old and still in the hospital. Lots of twins in the family.

6. Only two more to go! I have quite a large collection of Dreamsicles which I posted about in Sunday Scribblings http://www.sundayscribblings.blogspot.com/ a couple of weeks ago. They are so sweet and pretty. I have gotten tired of getting them, though, because I have no place to put them anymore, and because I don't want a Dreamsicle for the sake of having a Dreamsicle, only if it is special to me in some way such as signifying the birth of my babies or something of that nature.

7. Last one! What shall I put? This is the first MEME I have been tagged for! It's fun! And now, it's your turn. Who shall I tag?

Scrapperlicious http://scrapperlicious.blogspot.com/

The Quintessential Feline http://quintessentialfeline.blogspot.com/

Liza's Eyeview http://lizas-eyeview.blogspot.com/

And Miles to go Before we Sleep http://brewerfamily8.blogspot.com/

Ellen B http://happywonderer.wordpress.com/2007/11/07/thursday-thirteen-8-friends/

Kellan http://www.ontheupside.info/

Djpare http://djpare.blogspot.com/

...please don't do this if you don't want to, and if anyone who I haven't tagged would like to do this, consider yourself tagged and leave me a comment so that I can read you answers.
Happy writing!