The Sign

Hi,
It's all about size. The bigger the better. It's why we put up skyscrapers, build jumbo jets and super-size our Coke. The yard sale sign for our event this weekend, it had to be huge!

Sign painting is not my strong point, I make a better cheesecake, but this one didn't come out too badly and it paid for itself in one day. We put it out by the road late Sunday afternoon and first thing Monday morning there was a huge guy with a van parked in the driveway. Scott introduced himself, produced a business card and asked if he could look at what we wanted to sell before the sales event. Sure, come on in! He said he dealt in antiques and collectables 'did I have anything?' You betcha! Eight hundred dollars later he was happy and we had a little less stuff to deal with. We also had another guy show up from Philadelphia who talked a big game but ended up spending $50 and took opened bottles of liquor. Please don't ask me what that was all about, I have no idea why. I didn't want to know what they planned to do with Chinese rotgut whiskey that could strip paint off a car.... And please don't ask me why we even had a bottle of this stuff. That is too long a tale.

It's all about the sign. Come join in on the fun Saturday, June 14th, 9am-2pm... All reasonable offers accepted. Everything must go!

Xox
M

What do you eat?

Hi,
What do you eat versus what should you eat? It is the new modern dilemma. Making good food choices has never been more difficult. Genetically modified, organically grown, processed, packaged, pre-made.... No matter which way you turn there is an issue to deal with.

We watched the documentary "Vanishing Bees" the other evening. It dealt with the bee colony collapse problem that was all over the news in 2007-2009. Commercial bee colonies used for pollenization of crops were 'disappearing' from their hives, leaving the bee keepers completely stumped and putting them in financial jeopardy. The documentary brought to light the issue of chemically induced seeds that were developed to grow insect repellent plants. The pollen and nectar produced from these mature plants was affecting not the bees collecting the pollen, but the next generation being feed the nectar. The baby bees were 'drugged' and unable to do their jobs as adults causing the hives to collapse. Sounded like the 60's all over again.

Now take that problem and extrapolate it to the human condition. We eat these plants, fruits, nuts, seeds, produce everyday. Our meats, dairy and grains are all raised so that we see perfection on the plate but when was the last time you thought the tomato tasted like a real tomato or the strawberry and peach had that aroma you remember as a kid. We have bred the flavour out of almost all our foods in exchange for visual appeal. Sure, the apples have fewer bruises but they taste like potatoes. Yes we can pick peaches when they are green, they ripen slowly in shipping and they look pretty, but they have no smell or taste. The beef is big and juicy looking but without a ton of flavour enhances as you cook it, there is no taste to your meal. The growth hormones we feed the animals has made us big and fat they way we expect them to be before  slaughtering them. My favorite example is the giant Asian kid whose parents are barely 5' in height but the children are over 6' tall. How did one short generation produce such a tall next generation? It's not just better food, it's chemically enhanced  food. Bigger chickens produce bigger humans when consumed.

I don't believe most food sensitivities are actually about the food. I think they are sensitivities to all the chemicals we use to produce our food. Why do so many children have peanut allergies? Why are we all going gluten-free because our stomachs are rebelling? Why is autism on such a scary rise in the population? Could it be the chemical overdose we take in on a daily basis? That's my bet.

We demand perfect looking, inexpensive, out of season foods. Maybe we need to rethink our wants and look closer at our needs. One hundred years ago we had a healthier diet. I believe it's time to reset the clock and go back to eating what is local and in season. It may not be pretty but I'm betting it will be healthier.

M