Food’s Foot Soldiers…

{Image via National Service}

My brother has been harping on me to start growing my own food & buying local whenever possible for years.  Of course it’s hard to break bad habits.  I’m set in my ways and to get out of the rut takes a lot of willpower and commitment.  What if I had learned the importance of gardening at an early age…perhaps in school?  Would it be easier to incorporate it into my adult life?

FoodCorps, an extension of AmeriCorps is aiming to do just that…help kids understand the importance of growing & eating healthy foods in a sustainable manner.  Right now it is a relatively small venture with 50 dedicated individuals setting out to work at 41 sites in 10 states, concentrating on communities with high rates of childhood obesity or limited access to healthy food.

The piece that I found most interesting about these volunteers was that:

“FoodCorps members will be paid $15,000 for the year. On this they must find places to live and pay for food, though those without other sources of income are being encouraged to apply for help from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (usually called SNAP, and formerly known as food stamps), so they’ll live like many of those they’re serving.”

Via NY Times

{Image via Time Magazine}

I find FoodCorps to be an admirable venture that will benefit the health of our citizens and country.  Hopefully, in time, it will expand to all 50 states.  Do you know of other programs that are doing a good job of fighting childhood obesity?

To find out more about FoodCorps, click here.

{Image via National Service}

{Click photos for their source}

Honey Badger Don’t Care…

Yesterday’s East Coast earthquake certainly was interesting…it was apparently strong enough to leave cracks in the Washington Monument.  While I’m glad no one was hurt, it did make me smile to see this little gem put on sale at the Etsy shop Corduroy the day of the ground shaking:

{Hand-drawn, one-of-a-kind mug by Corduroy}

I really came to the Etsy shop to purchase one of the Honey Badger mugs for my friend Jen who introduced me to the hilarious YouTube video about the badass Honey Badger.  Have you watched it?  I think it’s a hoot…watch it here, but be forewarned that there is some swearing involved!

{Honey Badger Don't Care Mug by Corduroy}

{Honey Badger Don't Care Can Koozie by Corduroy}

{Click photos for their source}

Snapshot on Confession…

Hmmm, what do you think this woman is confessing?  Looks like it’s good one…she’s got them both in stitches:

{Pedro Armestre / AFP – Getty Images}

~A woman says confession to a priest at one of the 200 temporary confessionals

set up at Madrid’s Buen Retiro park.~

…I confess that I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

{Click photo for source}

Nervous for 2012…

I tend to be disillusioned by politics…and try not to speak too much on the subject.  But I must say…these are not the people I want representing Minnesota (or the nation for that matter)!  Oh dear.

{Tim Pawlenty & Michele Bachmann at the Iowa GOP/Fox News Debate via Star Tribune}

Yikes…

{Rep. Michele Bachmann’s Newsweek Cover via Washington Post}

You have my promise there will be no more politics talk from me…just needed to say that I’m nervous for 2012…

{Click photos for their source}

Our World…the Good, the Bad

Checking the news, both local & international, each morning has become a habit for me…I feel a little more connected to my community & place in this world by being informed.  It also seems to help place things in perspective for me.

But I must admit that sometimes I am overwhelmed…because of course there are wars, famine, crimes & injustices happening all across the corners of the globe.  Then again, maybe I just have to look harder to see that for each devastating event there usually is an outpouring of good that tends to go unnoticed.

Take for instance the current crisis in London with days of restless youths rioting across the city…we are flooded with these images:

{Photo via BBC}

{Photo via BBC}

But here is an expression of support, from citizens in the same city, for a looted shop owner:

{Photo via BBC}

And here is a picture of volunteers responding to a call for help in the worst-hit parts of London.  They are there to not only clean-up, but help local shopkeepers and show solidarity with communities thrown into turmoil by the riots:

{Photo by Matt Dunham/AP}

Does the good outweigh the bad in our world…I don’t know, but I’d like to believe so.  Thank you to all the thoughtful, committed citizens who try to do good each & every day.  It does make a difference.  It does matter!

{Click photos for their source}

Wanderlust…

I have some gift cards & vouchers for a couple of airlines that I still need to use up before the year’s end.  Most of my travel will be inside the continental 48 states…and while that’s always fun; I’ve been yearning for a little bit more of an adventure.

Maybe taking a trip to Turkey & Greece to fuel my love of history, or going zip-lining in Costa Rica’s rainforest, or just relaxing on the beach in Bali…my wanderlust isn’t contained to one continent.  If only I had a few more pennies saved up—well one can dream, right!

I do believe I’ll be dreaming of a safari in Kenya tonight after browsing through these striking photographs from the cherry blossom girl.  You can almost feel the heat radiating out of these pictures…with their rich & vibrant colors.

Check out her blog for many, many more like these…

{All beautiful photos courtesy of “the cherry blossom girl”}

P.S. While it’s fun to browse through these images of Kenya’s natural beauty, I must implore you to also check out the more startling & impactful photo journal of Kenya’s refugee camps from the BBC.  The Horn of Africa is currently suffering from an extended drought, causing a food crisis in Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somalia.  These aid organizations are currently working in the region, please see their sites to donate:

** Disasters Emergency Committee:  DEC is an umbrella organization representing a number of aid agencies.  Participants in the appeal include ActionAid, Age UK, British Red Cross, Cafod, Care International UK, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide, Islamic Relief, Merlin, Oxfam, Plan UK, Save the Children, Tearfund and World Vision.

** Médecins Sans Frontières:  MSF is an international, independent, medical humanitarian organization that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, healthcare exclusion and natural or man-made disasters.

{Click photos for their source}