REUSE or TRASH

This isn't my normal type of article for this blog, but it doesn't fit either of my other blogs.  It isn't garden related and I am not creating something.  Recycling is the "Thing" now.   Around our house it has always been the "thing".  Life was on the meager side for the first 10 years of married life. 

I learned how to make do or do with out.  I figured out how to remake and reuse.  Today I was tinkering in the kitchen and realized I have a labor saver and reuse hint. 

This is the century of boxed and prepackaged items.  All this packaging ends up in land fills.  Some of it pollutes, never breaking down.  I had an elderly friend who always cut apart her cracker boxes to use for dust pans.  I picked up on that and started doing the same thing especially if I broke a glass dish.

One day I needed a cutting board to chop onions (mine was in the dishwasher) and I grabbed one of these cardboards.  Voila a cutting board which I didn't have to wash.  I could just throw it away. 

I theorized if it was made to hold food then it was food safe (I wouldn't use the outside of the box because the dyes and inks used to print the box may not be food safe).

I now save all boxes food comes in.  I open them out and the large ones cut in half down a seam.  Small ones I leave whole.  I use them to chop all sorts of veggies on (if your cardboard becomes wet you just get a new cardboard).  This saves me time (I didn't need to wash them).  Saves money on electric, soap, and water. 

The cardboard was going to be trashed anyway, I made it useful before it went in the trash.

I have a time saver kitchen hint.  If you make boxed puddings that are the cook type, use your microwave to help.  Put the required milk in a pyrex cup.  Heat it to extremely hot.  Stir the hot milk into the pan containing the mix.  Turn on the burner and stir away.  You don't have to be standing and stirring forever,  the pudding starts to simmer very quickly.  You have saved electric and you are not adding as much heat to the house (very helpful in the summer).

From other blogs here you know I have cats.  My cat hint for the day:  When you wash your litter box, dry it thoroughly and then spray with PAM cooking spray (not the one with flour).  It prevents the clumps from sticking, helping the box to stay cleaner longer.

For more blogs by me visit at:

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com

A blog mostly about quilting, but cooking, poetry, prose and a little gardening,

New blog, tutorial on how to make 5 panel Boxer Shorts.

New Blog about dolls.

http://organicinstlouis.blogspot.com/

blogs about the wildflowers on our farm

Organic methods we use, some cooking and some poetry

New Blogs about seed sprouting.

As always, any pictures or writings are my own. 

Credit has been given to contributions not my own.

Please do not use without permission.

A MOTHER'S GIFT

A gift of love given each day,

Mothers' don't even have to say,

The words which tell us they love us so,

By their actions it is something we know.

A gift for mom, what do we pick,

A day of help when she is sick,

Or do we plan a moment to spend,

Talking and laughing for hours on end?

Mothers don't need an object d'art,

Nor do they wish a filled shopping cart,

They wish to fill their heart and mind,

With memories of the happiest kind.

For more blogs by me visit at:

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com

A blog mostly about quilting, but cooking, poetry, prose and a little gardening,

New blog, tutorial on how to make 5 panel Boxer Shorts.

New Blog about dolls.

http://organicinstlouis.blogspot.com/

blogs about the wildflowers on our farm

Organic methods we use, some cooking and some poetry

New Blogs about seed sprouting.

As always, any pictures or writings are my own. 

Credit has been given to contributions not my own.

Please do not use without permission.

OPTIMIST or PESSIMIST

The sky is covered with clouds,

My day is filled with sunshine,

I surround  myself with happiness,

And good thoughts all the time.

Making my dreams a reality,

Each waking moment I sing,

My words, though unspoken,

Will, warmth and love bring.

The sun is shining brightly,

Nothing's right with your world,

You've filled your day with anger,

Placing blame as the day unfurls.

No moments to treasure,

No thoughts to share,

Your shadow is your company,

That's why no one's there.

For more blogs by me visit at:

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com

A blog mostly about quilting, but cooking, poetry, prose and a little gardening,

New blog, tutorial on how to make 5 panel Boxer Shorts.

New Blog about dolls.

http://organicinstlouis.blogspot.com/

blogs about the wildflowers on our farm

Organic methods we use, some cooking and some poetry

New Blogs about seed sprouting.

As always, any pictures or writings are my own. 

Credit has been given to contributions not my own.

Please do not use without permission.

BEETLE IN NEED OF PROTECTION

"BURYING BEETLE" RE INTRODUCTION

Each morning the alarm wakes us an hour before our intended waking time.  We do this because we have discovered we get our best sleep after the alarm goes off.  The radio is set on the local PBS channel.  This is fund raiser week.  They have interesting articles not the regular early morning news and stock reports.  Normally I will hear excerpts here and there and dose back off.  This morning I heard what I thought was "Dairying Beetle being re introduced in Missouri"  Googled when I got up and discovered it was "Burying Beetle".



The above picture was copied from the following site:

http://www.rwpzoo.org/143/american-burying-beetle-repopulation-project

I remember seeing this beetle when I was growing up in the boot heel of Missouri.  Dad had a garden in Caruthersville. In fact we were always finding all kinds of beetles under rocks and in leaf piles.  It was difficult to read the information on this beetle knowing mankind is contributing to his demise. 

The following link takes you to the Columbia, Missouri News report:

http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2012/02/09/endangered-beetle-species-will-be-first-endangered-animal-be-reintroduced-missouri/

An indepth article on the beetle:

http://www-museum.unl.edu/research/entomology/endanger.htm

These Beetles only live for a year.  They mate for life.  They co parent.  They farm. 

Makes you stop and think.

"WHAT'S IN STORE FOR US"

For more blogs by me visit at:

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com

A blog mostly about quilting, but cooking, poetry, prose and a little gardening,

New blog, tutorial on how to make 5 panel Boxer Shorts.

New Blog about dolls.

http://organicinstlouis.blogspot.com/

blogs about the wildflowers on our farm

Organic methods we use, some cooking and some poetry

New Blogs about seed sprouting.

As always, any pictures or writings are my own. 

Credit has been given to contributions not my own.

Please do not use without permission.

MEDICINE ABUSE IN HOSPITALS?

I put a lot of thought into what to title this blog.  I have noticed the correct title brings in readers you would have never reached normally and who would not accidentally happened on your blog.  I want to reach more people than I would normally to warn them they must be vigilant in their health care.

Last night I received a call from my sister.  She was spending the night with our Mom who is in ICU.  Our Mother was admitted at 2 AM, two nights ago with a nosebleed that could not be stopped.   Nosebleeds are usually taken care of with cauterization. 

Mother has complications, she is on coumadin for her heart condition.  She is 87 years old.  They tried several means of stopping it and after 24 hours they called in a specialist.  He cauterized the nose,  along with that comes the packing of the nose.  If anyone has ever had nose surgery of any kind  they know how horribly uncomfortable it is.  In addition to that factor, you have the feeling like you can't breathe and the pain of the packing.  You know how a toothache can drive you mad, this can do the same thing.

She is also in extreme pain from being told she can't move around.  Her bones are riddled with arthritis and the muscles are screaming.  She has spinal stinosis? Spelling?  Her back bone is brittle and deteriorating and sitting for any period of time causes even more pain. 

The reason I am explaining this is, because of all these things and she has not found relief with pain medication, she is complaining a lot, who wouldn't.  She is allergic to a lot of medication for pain, most slows her heart to the point it isn't beating properly, even with the defibrillator.   This has given her a fear of anything people suggest.  She has a zest for life and doesn't want it cut short for any reason, even if it means living in extreme pain.

My sister called to ask me to check out a medication on the Internet.  They were told it was a mild pain medication that would help mom get some rest.  Mom was afraid of it even though she was told both of her doctors had okayed it.  The nurse on duty said all patients it's given to have had good reactions.

I went to look it up and was so shocked!  If I had been at the hospital I would have been yelling and asking to speak to the administrator and I would have called newspapers.  The drug they wanted to give her had nothing to do with pain, or even sleeping pills.  The alternate uses were not to promote the betterment of the patient in these circumstances. 

The drug is Seroquel.  It is an anti psychotic given to schizophrenics, manic depressives, and bi polar cases.  It specifically states, in the top 3 negatives, that it can cause an irregular heart beat (Mother has been having trouble in that department.)  There were other negatives that would, if I were a doctor, I would say, this patient should not be administered this drug. 

Another fact about Mom, she weighs maybe 100 lbs.  The drug had a big warning, do not give to under 18.  I have read that older people do not metabolize meds well.  It made me think to myself, "what are they thinking, or are they thinking?". 

Why did they tell her it was for pain? Why did they tell her it was for sleep?  In my opinion they were giving it to her to shut her up.  Haven't you heard of nurses dosing nursing home patients to keep them quiet?

I went back to visit the sites about Seroquel.  I was looking for anything I might have missed that related to pain or sleep management.  I couldn't find a thing but I did find the following note:

Off-label uses include the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder and behavior problems associated with dementia in the elderly.

Do you think I am being paranoid, thinking they are trying to quiet my mother to make their night job easier?  Why else did they lie to her about what the drug was for?

You can also visit me at:

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/

This is mainly a quilting blog with cooking and gardening too.

New blog Feb 16, tutorial for making 5 panel boxer shorts.

http://organicinstlouis.blogspot.com/

blogs about the wildflowers on our farm

Organic methods we use, some cooking and some poetry

New Blogs about seed sprouting.

Thank you for visiting.  I love sharing my projects.  All writings, patterns, and pictures shown here are mine.  Please ask permission before using.  (Credit is given for pictures and ideas not my own.)

READ LABLES WHEN SHOPPING

I am sure you noticed when you arrived at my blog that it is called Glo's Garden.  It was set up as a garden blog, to be a journal.  I already had a garden blog and it sat there unused for almost a year.  I decided to put it to use for a blog to discuss things which bothered me or excited me.  A blog where I could speak about things which would be of no interest to the readers of my other blogs.  A blog about things which effect my life.  A place where ideas are "cultivated".

 

This morning I planned to make a New York Cheese Cake.  I got all the ingredients out of the refrigerator to come to room temperature.  When I retrieved the heavy cream from the back of the ice box my only worry was, is this still fresh (I had purchased it quite a while ago.)?  I turned it on its side to check for the use by date (which I never go by), but just wondered.  I re-opened it (it had been used before) I smelled it, I tasted it, all was fine. 

 

While I was checking it out, I decided to read the whole box including the "health " info.  I was shocked.  Not by the 300 mg per serving of cholesterol but by what I read under it.  Did you know there are ingredients in heavy Cream?  At least in this carton there are.

 

My husband brought home this quart of " Heavy Whipping Cream", which I needed the minute he came through the door, the only thing I noticed was the note on the front which said "ultra pasteurized".  I am not a fan of it but it seems to be a fact of life on a lot of products.  This morning, in detail, I began reading the carton.

 

FRONT OF CARTON:

Under the name it has in small print "made with" and then larger decorative print, "All Natural Cream".

Then if you get a magnifying glass, on the bottom left corner in red printing on top of red strawberries is, "see side panel for complete ingredient listing".  WHAT ingredients, okay I will give them that, the carton contains cream; the ingredient.

 

LEFT SIDE OF CARTON AS YOU LOOK AT THE FRONT:

A beautifully done rendition of how to whip cream.

 

RIGHT SIDE OF CARTON:

The nutrition fact label.  Under that the ingredients.  My whipping cream is not pure cream. 

 

HEAVY CREAM

CONTAINS LESS THAN 0.5% OF THE FOLLOWING: MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, POLYSORBATE 80 AND CARRAGEENAN.

CONTAINS MILK

 

BACK OF THE CARTON :

A lovely statement with a picture of a bowl of whipped cream telling us how it is produced without preservatives or artificial flavors. 

 

I am used to reading ingredient labels on lots of products because I am cholesterol conscious.  Heart Disease runs in my family.  I also try to stay away from additives.  There are products I don't think I need to look at the labels, because I know what they contain.  I.E. you don't think you have to read the labels on a dozen eggs.  They are after all a self contained product.  Do I now need to read the label of a pound of butter?

 

I have a pound of butter in the refrigerator.  Guess what's there!  It contains:  Pasteurized cream,  natural flavor and contains milk.  BTW what is Natural flavor that it is an ingredient?  Isn't the butter "naturally flavored" by the cow.  Why is it added and what is added to give it "natural flavor".

 

Our food is being over salted, teaching our tastebuds to consume too much.  Our food is being filled with preservatives giving it a longer shelf life, what do they do to our quality of life when ingested.  Our food is being sprayed to control the bugs, ZAP! what does it do to us?  Our food is being dyed to be pleasing to our eyes, does it dye our brain too?

 

Years ago, We (as in my hubby and I) produced 80 percent of the foods we injested.  We had our own milk, eggs, and meat.  We raised all of our vegetables; drying, canning and freezing.  It was hard work and we miss the products.  Now we only have the garden and the chickens.  I would like to say our good health then was due to the consumption of the foods we were eating, but is our declining health now due to food additives or just old age?

 

The point of this rant is reading labels.  Be concious of the contents of your foods.  Return to cooking from scratch (you will know what's in your dinner).  People say they don't have time.  How much time did you spend running to and from the fast food place?  Was it maybe around 30 minutes. In 30 minutes you can fix a multitude of meals, ask Rachel Raye.  Breakfast can be made in 15 minutes.  If you are worried about dishes to wash and the time, there are disposables which BTW is what you get at the fast food places.  Dishwashers are a green alternative and those kids you are catering to by buying fast food, They can learn responsibility by loading the dishwasher.  When you are in the kitchen together you are spending time with each other. 

 

You can also visit me at:

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/

This is mainly a quilting blog with cooking and gardening too.

New blog Feb 16, tutorial for making 5 panel boxer shorts.

http://organicinstlouis.blogspot.com/

blogs about the wildflowers on our farm

Organic methods we use, some cooking and some poetry

New Blog Feb 16, about seeds sprouting.

Thank you for visiting.  I love sharing my projects.  All writings, patterns, and pictures shown here are mine.  Please ask permission before using.  (Credit is given for pictures and ideas not my own.)

IN THESE HARD TIMES

In these hard times there are moments we smile,

Mine happened holding the hand of a child,

A late afternoon walk on a chilly day,

The little one on my right hand did say,

"Baba, I have to tell you this,

Are you listening, if not you will miss,

Today I met you and I love you so,

I wish I could stay, I don't want to go."

The little boy with cheeks ruddy and cold,

Put a smile on the face of someone who's old,

Made me glad I went the extra mile,

Taking time, catering to a little child.

You can also visit me at:

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/

This is mainly a quilting blog with cooking and gardening too.

New blog: Cookie recipes

http://organicinstlouis.blogspot.com/

blogs about the wildflowers on our farm

Organic methods we use,

some cooking and some poetry

Thank you for visiting.  I love sharing my projects.  All writings, patterns, and pictures shown here are mine.  Please ask permission before using.  (Credit is given for pictures and ideas not my own.)