Election year... how should we respond?

The vinegar lady wins a basket of vinegar!

TGIVF!!

Wow, Vinegar Fridays come up quickly these days! I mean, seriously! Where does the time go?

Last weekend was rather special. On Saturday afternoon, my husband and I attended our friend, Colonel Daryl Hartman's, retirement ceremony at the 911 Air Force Base here in Pittsburgh. It was an impressive and moving ceremony. Colonel Hartman had an amazing and distinguished career. He spoke about his devotion to his country, his family and to his God. We felt honored to be included. 

We left the Air Force Base and headed back to North Hills to attend a fundraising benefit for Denise's People. Denise was the sister of another friend of ours, and we were privileged to get to know her through her battle with brain cancer. A battle she eventually lost, but not without a valiant fight.

Following her death nearly 3 years ago, her mother started Denise's People, a non-profit organization with the tagline, "Joining forces to cure brain tumors." Denise's mom is determined to do just that. So she hosts fundraisers, like the one we attended on Saturday night -- The Grey Ribbon Affair.

So... what does all of this have to do with vinegar?!

Good question. And I have a pretty nifty answer for you.

You see, there was a Chinese auction benefiting the cause. We purchased 3 tickets for $10. There was a certain basket I really wanted to win. And guess what? I won it. It was a basket full of related items, including organic olive oils, spices, a bottle of wine and... 3 bottles of balsamic vinegars! The vinegar lady won the vinegar basket! How cool is that?! 

So this week, we've been playing with D'Avolio vinegars and oils. I love the 18 year old balsamic in particular. And the oils are wonderful mixed with the spices and poured into the little bread dipping plates (also part of the prize). Problem is, I've been eating much too much bread this week. It's just hard to resist. 

Anyway, I just wanted to share this lovely news with you. While we were helping a cause, we were rewarded with a basket valued at well over $150! 

You know how much I love giving away stuff here on the blog. But I admit, I love winning stuff as well. 

Enjoy your Vinegar Friday. I know I'm going to enjoy mine!

Halloween with Hyland's

What a gorgeous October day in Western Pennsylvania! For many of you, mid-October means making plans for Halloween parties and trying to decide what to do about Halloween costumes. Neither of these things have been an issue for me, since my family does not participate in Halloween, for a variety of reasons that I have blogged about these past few years. 

However, I know lots of you do, at one level or another, and so, when I was asked me to be part of the Halloween with Hyland's, I couldn't refuse. After all, there are some fabulous prizes to win.

And it's all about fun! What they're looking for is pictures of your kids in the cutest, most creative, or most elaborate costumes you can come up with! Between now and November 5th, you can visit the Hyland's Facebook page to enter to win the costume contest. 

Alternatively, you can also enter the contest via Instagram and Twitter, by tagging photographs using the hashtag #halloweenwithhylands. 

After the submission period ends on November 5th, fans will be able to vote for their favorites by selecting the vote link adjacent to every submission. The voting period will end on November 9th. At that time, the Grand prize winner will be determined by votes. 

In addition to a Grand Prize winner, there will be three additional second place winners chosen in the categories of Most Creative, Cutest and Most Elaborate. These will be chosen by a juried review. 

Here's the best part! The winners will receive the following:

Grand Prize:

• $100 VISA gift card 
• Hyland’s Backpack 
• Hyland’s Sore Throat
• Hyland’s Cold Tablets with Zinc
• Hyland’s Compete Flu Care
• Hyland’s Complete Flu Care 4 Kids
• Hyland’s Nightime Cold n’ Cough 4 Kids
• Hyland’s DEFEND Nightime Cold & Cough
• Hyland’s Sniffles ‘n Sneezes 4 Kids
• Hyland’s Baby Tiny Cold Tablets 

• Approximate value: $200

   Most Elaborate, Cutest and Most Creative winners:

• Hyland’s Backpack
• Hyland’s Sore Throat 
• Hyland’s Cold Tablets with Zinc
• Hyland’s Compete Flu Care
• Hyland’s Complete Flu Care 4 Kids
• Hyland’s Nightime Cold n’ Cough 4 Kids
• Hyland’s DEFEND Nightime Cold & Cough
• Hyland’s Sniffles ‘n Sneezes 4 Kids
• Hyland’s Baby Tiny Cold Tablets

• Approximate value: $100

Now, when it comes to costumes, I know what I'd like for those of you in the GG community to do -- 

First of all, stay away from evil or adult-themed costumes. Little girls do not look cute dressed up like sexy devils, or French maids, or whatever. Seriously, folks. And it's not endearing to see little boys carrying bloody hatchets or chain saws. No. Notta. Not cool. And no children should be dressed up like characters from R-rated movies. They shouldn't even know about those characters, right?

Secondly, I think it would be awesome if one of you won for a costume made entirely out of repurposed or recycled material! Costumes with plastic masks from Kmart just won't do. If you are going to let your kids dress up for Halloween, why not use this as an opportunity to teach them more about taking care of the earth? Go green on Halloween! I'm certain Pinterest has lots of ideas for you crafty moms and dads out there. Of course, they do.

This post is all about the costumes and the prizes. But I'll be posting a Halloween safety guide next week, so be sure to check it out. Beyond anything, I want your kids to be safe this Halloween. And then, I want you to win the Halloween with Hyland's contest, because, let's face it, the GG community members and their kids ROCK!

Wishing you a burst of creativity,

Hana

GG is not the only one who cares about your family's health and safety! Check out Hyland's Health Naturally and their Mom's First eNewsletter.

And, by the way, I received a backpack full of Hyland's goodies for posting this. But that's just a bonus. I would have done it anyway :-)

 

Hand sanitizer and deodorant -- non-toxic and up for grabs

I'll start off today's Review It Wednesday with an automatic 2 green thumbs up!

A few weeks ago, while taking a break from my booth at the Allegheny Green & Innovation Festival, I stopped by a booth with a variety of wonderful natural toxin-free products. I asked if they ever give away products for review, and to make a long story short, I walked away with two products to try.

When I returned to my booth, my daughter, Bethany, saw what I had and, without my reviewing it yet, went over and purchased the DEO deodorant. So, I'll start with that.

I love the tag line for DEO -- "Only perfection for your pits!™"

I chose Jasmine and Bethany bought Eucalyptus. Both of us, as well as my husband, love this deodorant! The 2.0 oz. solid bar costs $11 and is so worth it. Of course, I received mine for free in exchange for this review. But that in no way influenced my decision to give it 2 green thumbs up! And in this case, add my husband's thumbs and Bethany's thumbs, and the DEO deodorant gets 6 thumbs up altogether! I guess that means we like it! We really like it.

"Sometimes when I go to bed, I can still smell the eucalyptus," Bethany told me. And I can honestly say that since we started using this deodorant daily, we haven't experience any bad odors from sweating. Keep in mind, this is a deodorant and not an antiperspirant.

The ingredient list on the Jasmine deodorant includes:

• grapeseed oil
• canedelillia wax 
• apricot kernel oil
• virgin wheatgerm oil
• jasmine wax
• organic rosehip seed oil
• tocopherol
• essential oils of cypress, clove, cinnamon, peppermint, lavender, lemon, bergamot and geranium

It smells wonderful. And it works. And Green Grandma highly recommends it for both men and women. You can purchase it on the WRRYFree SkinCare website or enter to WIN some below!

But wait. There's more! (Sorry, just had to add the infomercial touch).

I was also given a 4 oz. bottle of Climb On! Products Hand Sanitizer ($8.50) and love it as well! This essential oil-based, non-toxic sanitizer had a delightful aroma and it really softens my hands when I use it. Of course, the added bonus is that there is no triclosan in it (always a plus). But there is isopropyl alcohol as the active ingredient. The botanical active ingredients are:

• certified organic aloe vera gel
• lemon essential oil
• cinnamon essential oil

Like I said, it is delightfully scented, which I love because I tend to have so much trouble breathing around many of the commercial hand sanitizers, like the ones from Bath & Body Works. I can almost feel an instant asthma attack when I'm exposed to many of them.

The downside of this particular hand sanitizer, however, is the size of the bottle. It's not exactly purse sized. I'm just keeping mine in my car so I have something available to clean my hands after pumping gas, grocery shopping, or even attending church and shaking a bunch of hands. I'm counting on this to help keep me healthy during cold and flu season. And you can enter to win a bottle, too!

Just follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter below. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and will run from October 17th through midnight (EST) October 22nd. Winner will be announced on Tuesday, October 23rd and will have 48 hours to respond.  

  a Rafflecopter giveaway


Disclaimer: This is giveaway and is in no way affiliated with Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Pinterest. I was given these products at no charge. However, that did not influence my review. The opinions stated in my reviews are just that... opinions. Individuals may have different responses and results when using these products. Since Rafflecopter is a fair and nondiscriminatory winner-selection widget, friends and family members are eligible to win this prize. Entries will be verified.

TIDE: Take the cancer OUT!

Hidden Cancer-Causing Chemical Found in Tide Free & Gentle®

It turns out that Tide Free & Gentle® isn’t so gentle. A report recently released by Women’s Voices for Earth, Dirty Secrets: What’s Hiding in Your Cleaning Products? found high levels of the cancer-causing chemical 1,4-dioxane in both Tide and Tide Free & Gentle. 1,4-dioxane doesn’t appear on the product label or on the product website, so consumers have no way of knowing it’s even there!! 

This is especially concerning, because Tide Free & Gentle® is marketed to moms as a healthier choice for their children’s laundry. Infants and children are more vulnerable to chemical exposures, because their immune, neurological, and hormone systems are still developing.

The Tide website says: Safety: The Most Important Ingredient in Tide®. If that’s true, then 1,4-dioxane should never have been in the product in the first place. 

Procter & Gamble has ignored almost 80,000 consumers and dozens of health organizations who have contacted the company demanding the removal of this cancer-causing chemical.

To do your part to help fight breast cancer during October, join Women’s Voices for the Earth, Healthy Child Healthy World, and MomsRising and demand that Procter & Gamble (makers of Tide) strip this harmful cancer-causing chemical out of Tide and Tide Free & Gentle®!

What is 1,4-Dioxane?

1,4-dioxane is a known cancer-causing chemical, and had been linked in animal studies to increased risk of breast cancer. It acts as a solvent, and is an expected contaminant from other commonly used ingredients like sodium laureth sulfate, PEG compounds, and others. This chemical can actually be stripped out of products effectively. Procter & Gamble (makers of Tide®) reformulated its Herbal Essences® shampoo in 2009 to strip out 1,4-dioxane. Unfortunately, Dirty Secrets test results show that the company has not chosen to make the same effort for its laundry detergent.

Link to Campaign Page & Action

WVE campaign page with Dirty Secrets test results and science: http://bit.ly/ywwTEH 

This is important folks. Join the fight to keep carginogens and other toxins away from our babies and the rest of the family.

Get involved! Show you care.

Blame it on the compost pile

Photo by Jiri Hodan

I called in sick today. Well, that's not exactly accurate, since I work from home. But I made the decision to take it easy today. I'm just not feeling at all well. I blame the compost pile. 

I have two diseases that both flare up when I'm exposed to the leaf mold spores in the autumn. Therefore, I cannot rake leaves, an activity I actually enjoy. But if I do it, I know I will be paying for it for the next several days to weeks. Quite honestly, excuse my language, but it sucks.

The weather was beautiful yesterday, so I spent some time outside. I even decided to turn the compost pile and add some freshly fallen leaves to it. Big mistake. Today I feel like a truck hit me. Head to toe pain and physical exhaustion. Fibromyalgia and Epstein Barr Virus Syndrome will do that to you. If you have one or both of these diseases, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Finding a comfortable position to sleep in is nearly impossible. When I lie on my left side, everything hurts on my left side. When I lie on my right side, everything hurts on my right side. Every contact point feels bruised. And working is difficult because even my fingertips hurt.

That's what it's like for those of us suffering from fibro or EBVS. And walking... forget it. Especially when stairs are involved. 

So that's my day today. And that's why I "called in" sick. 

I hope your day is much better than mine. And I hope to be bringing you relevant content in the next day or so -- content that will improve your life in one way or another.

Until then, I'm going to listen to my body and take it easy.

I'd love to hear about the last time you called in sick. Was it legit?

Every life is beautiful

Vinegar Friday FAIL!

TGIVF!

I don't often have a Vinegar Friday fail to share with you, but today is an exception. And it's a doozy! 

Recently, I've been a bit addicted to the Martha Washington mask that I talk about in Chapter 8 of my book, Vinegar Fridays. The mask is simple and is rumored to have caused such glowing skin on the former first lady, that it's somewhat responsible for the president being drawn to her in the first place.
In order to make the mask, you simply need 3 ingredients from your kitchen:  

• an egg
• 1 tsp. of honey
• 1/2 tsp. of apple cider vinegar

Mix it up and apply it to your face. Wait about 20 minutes and rinse off. Easy, right?

Well, after throwing away the mixture time and time again, I suddenly got the brilliant idea to use the leftover mask ingredients on my hair. 

Certain it would make my hair supple and shiny, I poured the egg mixture over my freshly washed (with baking soda) hair. I rubbed it in and then, standing in a steaming hot shower, rinsed it out.  Or so I thought.

Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, I grabbed my white bath towel and dried off my hair. As I was combing it, I started noticing white specks in my hair. 

That's weird, I thought. I never had fuzzies from my towel before. 

As I started picked the 'fuzzies' out of my hair, I discovered they had a spongy consistency and smooshed between my fingers. Puzzled, I examined my hair closer in the mirror, and then... started to laugh. Loudly. Heartily. I had scrambled eggs in my hair!! The heat from the shower must have cooked the egg as I was trying to rinse it out!

Grabbing my bottle of ACV, I hopped back in the shower for a very long, and thorough, vinegar rinse.

So, there you have it folks. A Vinegar Friday fail. From now on, I'm saving my mask concoction in the fridge for future masks and keeping it as far away from my hair as possible!

Scrambling it up with a bit of vinegar,

Hana 

Do you really have a right to know? Celebrities speak out about Prop 37

Review it Wednesday -- Making baby food, the easy way

Several months ago, I received a Baby Brezza One Step Baby Food Maker to try. Since we don't currently have any babies in the family, I didn't have a pressing need to test it. However, my daughter, Jessica, is currently pregnant and I thought it would be a good product for her to have on hand once her baby is 6-months-old and starting on solids. Plus, Jess is the one in the family who likes to make smoothies, vegetable drinks and soups. So I gave it to her, and quite honestly, forgot about it. A follow-up email from the company reminded me that I needed to get on with reviewing this product and giving it either a green thumbs up or down. So, this week, Jess gave it a try. 

Like I said, there were no babies to feed, so she made a drink from the recipes booklet that came with the Baby Brezza. It is called Drink Your Greens and is for older babies through adults.

Jess started off by adding spinach, pear and melon into the machine. She then set the easy "steam and blend" button at 10 minutes. After it was done steaming, the machine beeped, then started into the blend cycle.

 After it was done steaming, the machine beeped, then started into the blend cycle. After 30 seconds, Jess added a cup of organic French Vanilla Yogurt, stirred it and served it. 

She enjoyed the drink, but her almost-four-year-old daughter, Laura, LOVED it! 

Here's what Jess thought about the Baby Brezza One Step Baby Food Maker:

It worked well and was easy to use.

The machine has "steam & blend," "steam," and  "blend" buttons. You can set the steam time to 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30 minutes. The instructions are thorough and easy to understand. However, I didn't like how the instruction book stated that the plastic "bucket" thing had a 160mL line engraved so you know how much water to pour in the back of it, when it is actually engraved with 180mL. I know that's not that big a deal, but it's still a mistake nonetheless. The only other thing I didn't like about it was that when I set the time and pressed start a blue light started flashing. I wasn't sure if that meant something was wrong and it wasn't going to start or if that just meant it was starting. I tried finding it in the book somewhere and nothing was said about a flashing light. So I just let it go and it worked, so I suppose the flashing light was an indicator that the machine was operating.

After it was all done, I realized that as a soon-to-be mom of a new baby, I will definitely enjoy using this baby food maker. It was just so easy not having to get out the pots and pans for steaming and then having to process the food. This will make making baby food so much easier this time around, that I'm actually looking forward to it!  

You can also reheat and defrost in the Baby Brezza and clean up with easy with 4 dishwasher-safe parts.

I really wish this product had been available when my own children were babies, because I love everything about it. First of all, making your own baby food is less expensive than buying the prepackaged food. Studies have shown that you can save at least 50% by making your own. And, of course, with all the concerns over BPA and food additives, you can ensure your baby's eating healthier foods when you make it yourself, especially if you are particular about buying organic foods.

And, of course, the Baby Brezza One Step Baby Food Maker is an environmentally-friendly solution, as you eliminate the packaging that goes into all those serving sized baby food containers populating the grocery store shelves. 

This product warrants an easy green thumbs up from Green Grandma. I truly believe that if you are feeding, or planning to feed, pureed foods to your baby, the Baby Brezza is a must-have. And for those of you who like to make nutritious smoothies for yourself or your children, it doesn't get much easier or cost effective than the Baby Brezza, available on their website or other retail outlets for just $99.99.

While visiting the Baby Brezza website, make sure you check out their recipes!

Reviewing it for you,

Hana

Corn ethanol -- a wolf in sheep's clothing

Photo by Petr Kratochvil

You pull up to the gas station and fill up with gasoline that's labeled 10% ethanol. Feels pretty good, doesn't it? Hey, that's 10% less foreign fuel you're using, and it's the environmentally-friendly choice. That's gotta count for something, right?

Well, not exactly. If you really care about the environment, you should steer clear of ethanol completely. Why is that?

Well, 40% of the U.S. corn crop is currently being used to produce ethanol. This is causing a whole slew of environmental costs, not to mention harmful consequences. Prior to this demand for ethanol, U.S. corn acreage was at about 80 million acres. Now, it's 92 million plus, which is startling, considering that acreage used to be available for other crops or is in areas in western Nebraska and South Dakota that have been suffering from drought conditions. Since the corn yields have not been meeting the demands, other options had to be viewed and utilized. Options such as draining wetlands (talk about messing up the eco-system), plowing down pastures, transforming grassed waterways into corn fields, and more. The demand is higher than common sense allows. The sad thing is, it's not about feeding the poor, it's about gassing up our vehicles. 

Think about the wildlife habitats that are being destroyed. Think about water conservation and soil conservation. If you understand anything about farming, you know how important crop rotations are for the soil. However, since the ethanol explosion, the annual rotations of crops such as wheat and soybeans have ceased. I'm asking you to think about these things, because apparently the growers involved in this travesty do not. 

They didn't give any of this a second thought. That is, until the news started broadcasting about water pollution and soil erosion. Consider this: it is estimated that U.S. municipalities spend nearly 5 billion dollars annually to remove nitrates from drinking water supplies; $1.7 billion of that is because of the runoff from agricultural fertilizers. It's starting to look like a not-so-environmentally-friendly option now, isn't it?

Now, let's take it a step further into the dark side of ethanol production. Currently, there are many experts who believe ethanol production may actually emit more greenhouse gases than gasoline. Imagine that! And... according to the National Research Council, producing corn ethanol uses significantly more water than gasoline production! Yeah, that'll help the drought conditions nationwide.

Aside from the environmental nightmare caused by ethanol production, there is also the horror of rising prices at the grocery store. What is the connection? Well, two out of every five bushels of corn farmers are growing is being diverted to ethanol production. Much of this is corn we would readily have available for food production. Not only are we forking out more food for our groceries, but, as taxpayers, we are also subsidizing the oil and gas companies as much as $6 billion a year. For what? For the blending of ethanol with gasoline.

My husband bought a flex fuel car, recently selling it to our youngest daughter. Flex fuel quite simply means that you can fill the car with 85% ethanol. While the E85 may be cheaper, therefore a seeming bargain, the facts are that the vehicle will average 27% lower gas mileage than with regular gasoline. Hmm.

One more thing to consider is that corn ethanol has done little to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. As it turns out, it has only displace about 3% - 4% of imported gasoline.

You will notice that most fuel in the U.S. is E10. That means it's a mix of 90% gasoline and 10% ethanol. However, under the federal Clean Air Act, the EPA approved the sale of E15 for vehicles manufactured in 2001 or later. Herein lies more problems. For one thing, every major car maker states that using E15 in their vehicles could nullify the manufacturer warranty. And because the E15 blend runs hotter than pure gasoline, and is known to be more corrosive, it can severely damage older engines, gas-powered motors and lawn equipment. That means more junk in the landfill and more of a dent in consumers' pockets. Why? Because of a misleading campaign of an environmentally-friendly option that is simply a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Who is behind the fight against corn ethanol? Concerned consumers, environmental groups, livestock farmers, car manufacturers, the anti-hunger community and the food industry. Phew. That seems like a lot of shepherds trying to protect the flock. But that wolf is mighty crafty.



Information obtained from the Environmental Working Group (EWG).

Exhausted after the Sabbath

Photo by David Wagner

I did not work in my office yesterday (it was the Sabbath, remember?) Never even turned on my computer to check out FB statuses. Not working = rest, right? Not in this case, and today my body is rebelling in all sorts of ways.

This coming Wednesday is our daughter, Mindy's, birthday. So we gathered the family together last evening to celebrate. We started off the day with Sunday School and worship service. I led the adult SS class discussion on the book/DVD series, Beautiful Outlaw, by John Eldredge, and then I sang with the worship team, which meant being on my feet a lot.

We skipped lunch out with the kids and headed to a couple stores on our way home from church, in preparation for the evening meal. Again, more time spent on my feet.

Once home, it was meal preparation, last minute cleaning, and creative table setting (that's something I enjoy, and if I must say so, I outdid myself... wish I had pictures). I was on my feet and up and down stairs (mostly related to the creative table setting and the need to retrieve items from the basement to make it just right). By 5:00, I was beat and the kids and grandkids started to arrive. 

By midnight, as we were closing the door as the last couple left, I was beat. I put away the remaining pieces of pumpkin cheesecake (yes, there was actually some cheesecake left!) and I headed for bed. Washing my face and brushing my teeth was even a struggle. 

I woke up this morning feeling like I'd been hit by a bus. My fibromyalgia and Epstein Barr Virus Syndrome tend to rear their ugly heads when autumn rolls around and this year is no exception. Ouch.

Was it worth it? Of course, it was. I love having the family gathered around the table sharing a meal and lots of laughter. I just wish we'd start doing this at someone else's house from time to time. Green Grandma's getting old. 

Why am I sharing all of this with you on this chilly Monday morning? Simply because it reiterates what I've been saying for 2 years now... Sabbath rest is necessary. At least it is for me. I wish my schedule allowed for me to substitute Monday for my Sabbath Experience this week, but there are deadlines to meet and meetings to plan for. So, I'm just going to have to wait until next week to savor the sweetness of a day of rest. 

Until then, I'll keep plowing through. 

Sharing my Sabbath experience with you week-by-week,

Hana

My grandbabies

Jesus loves me,this I know.

For the Bible tells me so.

Little ones to Him belong,

they are weak, but He is strong.

Yes, Jesus loves me.

Yes, Jesus loves me.

Yes, Jesus loves me.

The Bible tells me so.

                                                  -- Anna Bartlett Warner      

Green Grandma on the receiving end of an interview

I was thrilled to be interviewed by Amity Hook-Sopko, editor of Green Child Magazine. Here is an excerpt from the interview, which was posted on their website on October 1st.

Vinegar Fridays: An Interview with Green Grandma

You know Hana Haatainen Caye, as The Green Grandma – Green Child Magazine’s own green living and cleaning go-to source.  She’s also a wife, mother, and grandmother who shares her passion for common sense green and healthy living.  Hana’s book, Vinegar Fridays, came from the most popular section of her blog.

Hana is no stranger to answering questions and dishing out helpful advice.  In this Q & A, she gets to talk about herself for once!

GCM:  Tell us more about Vinegar Fridays and how your blog inspired you to write it.

Green Grandma:  Six months after I started my blog, I launched a weekly feature called Vinegar Fridays. Every Friday, I wrote about vinegar and its many uses and purposes. One year later, I was sitting at my desk staring at a blank screen and thinking, “I have nothing else to say about vinegar!”

I guess I had vinegar burnout, so I wrote a poem to the Green Grandma community announcing the end of Vinegar Fridays. That didn’t go over too well! People were emailing me and calling me saying, “You can’t quit Vinegar Fridays!” So I made them a promise that someday I would put together all the posts into a book. And that’s what I did.

To read the rest of the interview, please click here.

Thursday's Truths, Tidbits and Trivia

Do you ever find you are too busy to even think straight? That's how I'm feeling lately. Too many projects all demanding my attention. Too many clients thinking they're the only ones. Something has to give. Today, I think it will be the blog. 

I had some lovely posts already this week... on the need for rest, on aging, and then the review and giveaway yesterday for the Exergen Temporal Scanner. Check out the other days, if you haven't already done so. Enter to win the Scanner. Sit for a few minutes and listen to the story Bette Midler tells, and then the sentimental song she sings. 

I still remember crying through her song on the final episode of The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. He was my favorite, and spent many a late night entertaining me after my husband died in 1989. I miss Johnny. His last show aired on my 35th birthday, which basically ruined the day for me. And here's a bit of trivia... his widow grew up 1/2 mile from where I live now here in Pittsburgh. Last I heard, her parents still live there. I delivered a floral arrangement to them once, after taking the order over the phone from Alexis herself. Then I arranged the flowers and offered to deliver them on my way home from work. I was such a diehard fan of Johnny's after all. I always hoped I would see him in the neighborhood, but his visits to Alexis' family home were well-kept secrets. 

So, there you have it on this Thursday. Some truths, tidbits and trivia! Enjoy your day, and don't forget to check out Vinegar Friday tomorrow. 

Oh, and, what the heck, here's another delightful bit of Bette Midler nostalgia (in the video below). And a funny bit of Bette Midler trivia. My husband was sitting in a bar/restaurant in Wexford, PA several years ago when a woman who resembled Bette walked past his booth. 

"Excuse me," he said, "but has anyone ever told you you look like Bette Midler?"

A sweet smile crossed her face. "I am Bette Midler," she said coyly.

"Sure you are," Bill countered, "and I'm Charlton Heston."

She tried to convince him, but he didn't really buy it. That is, not until he met me later that night after Christmas shopping.

As we sat in a different restaurant, the singer's raspy voice filled the air.

"Some say love, it is a river..."

"Oh, this is weird," I said. "Listen. Bette Midler's singing. Did you hear that she was in Wexford today?"

I watched as Bill swallowed. He swallowed hard.