Life Is Funny: What? Don't Your Pencils Talk To You?

By MAD21

My kids are a source of never-ending entertainment in our house. Way back in September I talked to you about our "bees" and how my girls are so creative in their pretend world. They both have wonderful imaginations.

My youngest, however, seems to do a whole lot more along the story-telling side of her creative play. Her dolls, her bees, or whatever she happens to be playing with have all kinds of adventures, and interact with each other in very dramatic ways... voices included.

Click to read more ...

Tasty Bites: B is for Breakfast!

By Candy, RN (Steele the Day)

There are eight B vitamins, usually referred to as the B-complex vitamins. B vitamins play an important part in the health of skin and mucous membranes, including hair, mouth, and eyes. Folic acid is a B vitamin and proper intake is essential for women to avoid certain birth defects. B vitamins also aid in the function of the nervous system by the breakdown of fats and proteins, and play important roles in heart health, circulation, and immunity. No one B vitamin does the trick – they work their magic when they are consumed together.

Deficiency in Vitamin B can lead to insomnia, memory loss, numbness and tingling, and a host of other symptoms. A well-balanced diet will ensure proper Vitamin B intake, but some people, including the elderly and people under excessive stress, need supplements. Check with your doctor if you think you may be deficient in Vitamin B.

Click to read more ...

Fingerprint Friday: Signs of Life

MAD21

I have to admit... I am not a big fan of spring. It's really only because rainy, gray days start to get to me after awhile. But this year is a little different. After all the snow we have gotten in the last few months, things are really dirty. So at least at the beginning of the season, the rains will be very welcome.

The one thing I love about spring is what it brings: New Life. It's like all things made new again. The rain washes away all the dirt and grime from fall and winter to make way for new green and life full of every color of the rainbow (which spring also has a lot of...).

Click to read more ...

Have You Seen God?

By Pat

Have you seen God lately? I have. I saw Him in Haiti, in the faces of the thousands who have volunteered their time and efforts to bring help, healing and hope to the countless many in dire need. I saw, amid the destruction, death and desperation, the hope that was God in the many He sent.

Have you seen God lately? I have. I saw Him in the form of a neighbor shoveling a neighbor's sidewalk during a recent heavy snow. And I saw Him pushing a stranger's car when it got stuck in an icy ditch.

Have you seen God lately? I have. I saw Him in a group of people pulling together to collect money for a neighbor in need.

Click to read more ...

YOB: #17. Try To Get Something Published: Why I Write

By Beth

I’ve been a “writer” most of my life. I’ve written short stories, poems, essays, research papers (but only for college) and have toyed with writing a full-length book for some time now. My earliest attempts at writing are all very similar. Girl is hurt/a servant/the outcast/the new girl; meets boy who is WAY out of her league (even though I didn’t know what “out of your league” meant back then); boy rescues girl and falls in love with girl; boy and girl live happily ever after. That was elementary school. In middle school I wrote mostly about boys I liked with the occasional poem thrown in. Interestingly enough, all the characters in my stories had names that started with the letter J. All of them, no exceptions. I don’t know why I did that, probably some deep psychological problem that will come out when I least expect it.

Click to read more ...