this challenges me

http://news.aol.com/story/_a/hungry-haitians-resort-to-eating-dirt/20080129175709990001?

Noteworthy

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/weekinreview/27bittman.html?ref=science

Yum.

Heading to the "state of the church" soon (does that introduce as many question marks into your hovering thought bubble as it does mine?) and enjoying one of my favorite food combinations: Apples and peanut butter (gracias al Dios!).

What I'm wondering is, does the Krema natural peanut butter factory downtown give tours? And if so, do said tours include peanut butter tasting? If so, I'm in, and bringing apples.

N.ever E.at S.oggy W.affles

I didn't realize that half the soles of my shoes were not attached until today when I walked in the rain and through many puddles after work. It made me thankful for socks, because as uncomfortable as that was (and who am I to be comfortable?), it would have been worse if for some reason I wasn't wearing socks. Now if only I had some superglue...

ALSO this:

I was just reading in (wiki wiki) Wikipedia about gluten and how a gluten-free diet is recommended for folks with autoimmune diseases, so I then I clicked on the autoimmune disease link, and was presented with a short description of Crohn's disease (among many others). The two sentence blurb contained a reference to the possibility of Crohn's being an infectious disease (WHAT?!) and cited the bacteria MAP ("Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis is a pathogenic bacteria in the genus Mycobacteria.[1] It is often abbreviated Map, M. paratuberculosis, or M. avium sub. paratuberculosis.") as "being suspected as a causative agent" in Crohn's! What?????! Let me add, it does note that this connection to Crohn's is controversial.

Then it says that this same Map bacteria (all Crohn's patients are destined to be cartographers, is all I can think) is what causes Johne's disease. "Johne's disease (pronounced "john-knees") is a contagious, chronic and usually fatal infection that affects primarily the small intestine of ruminants."

"Map, like most mycobacteria, is difficult to treat. It is not susceptible to anti-tuberculosis drugs (which can generally kill Mycobacterium tuberculosis), but can only be treated with a combination of antibiotics such as Rifabutin and a macrolide such as Clarithromycin. Treatment regimes can last years."

-all wiki.

I realize how so very scholarly (!) the infamous wikipedia is, but all I can say is, good thing I have hands and not hooves (as do ruminants), lest the Map do me in.

Off to look at Tim and Ginny's indoor herb garden with Mary and some hot beverages.

the worst for most is my very best

It is strange that a new calendar year is so symbolic of change, of new times. This cycle is invented anyway, so what really makes Jan 1 different from Dec 31 is the same thing that made Dec 30 different from Dec 31. Oh, THE SUN and its rising!

Even so, the prospects of new beginnings excite most people, including myself. I noted recently to a friend that I had changed at least ten times within 2007, and he suggested that perhaps there are never specific points when we change, because that would mean there are points when we are not changing. What really happens is that we are continually being shaped and evolving and sometimes that's more evident than other times. I like this idea because the thought of stagnation is a scary one. Though, it sure does feel realistic on occasion.

Lord have mercy.

To do:
Seek first the kingdom.

second nola installment

Family dinner night in an hour or two!
(note to self: oatmeal cookies only need to bake for 18 mins if you're adapting the recipe to be vegan)