Virginia Flowers

Ethan's Birthday Party

This Lonely Flower Was in My Cousin's Yard

This seems to be picture week.

The Two Ethans Dawdle Home From The Bus

Iris

The Story of Stuff

This is a gotta see video! The Story of Stuff

Staying Healthy Traveling on Airplanes

Lately I have been catching some bug every time I flew on an airplane. The problem has gotten to the point where I really don't want to fly. But I read an article about the problem just before flying to Arizona. The author's solution was to take 1000mg of vitamin C and 3000 mg of echinacea in each of the two days before you travel. I tried that on the AZ trip and did not get any bug. Neither the article nor my trip means that this regimen really works, but it is inexpensive. On the flight out I was surrounded by people hacking their lungs out, so I fully expected to be doing the same thing on the trip. But I was fine and I am now sold on the strategy. The other part of the strategy is to clean your hands at every opportunity and to not touch your eyes, nose or mouth with your hands. I rubbed the anti-bacterial stuff into my hands before taking any food or drink in both the airports and the planes.

Eggs and Diabetes

Eggs have a negative effect on the body's ability to metabolize glucose. My blood sugar readings surged right after Easter (the massive egg holiday!) and stayed there during my travel in Arizona. In Arizona, the motels had free breakfasts and eggs were the only thing I could eat on my low glycemic index diet. Nothing I was trying reduced my readings. On Wednesday Patricia found this study, which suggests that 6 eggs a week is the limit. Any more egg consumption will significantly increase your risk for diabetes (77% in the women that were being studied). Apparently it is the cholesterol in the yolks that causes the problem. On Thursday I stopped eating all eggs and today my blood sugar reading was 127... whew! I have another 10 points to shed in the readings, but you can be sure that I won't be eating many eggs from now on. My guess is that I was averaging more than 12 eggs a week before I stopped. Eggs are one of the few pleasures in my diet these days. sigh...

509 Miles on a Bike This Year

This milestone was a long time coming. The only good news is GOBA doesn't start until June 20th! So I have extra time to prepare!

Freddie Died Yesterday

Fred Scurry died after a brief illness yesterday. Fred grew up in a small house right next to the railroad tracks... so close that in one derailment, a railroad car hit a corner of the house. Without any support, he worked his way through a law degree at Howard University. That was a huge accomplishment. After that he returned to London where he lived the rest of his life. He was the city law director in the 70's, no small accomplishment for a black man in this town. He used his knowledge and skills to help people in London who needed the most help.

I knew Fred from caddying at the golf club for my mother. He was the leader of the group of teenagers earning money there. He worked and he worked hard. And he played hard as an adult. Alcoholism was his challenge and he did give up alcohol during the last year of his life. I will remember Fred as the Last Cruiser. He would cruise the streets of London with the top down on his convertible, dressed to the nines! An era is completely lost with his passing.

Fred went far on his own hard work. Most of us get some help and support on the way, but he did it all on his own.