what's for breakfast?

Lately, I have been restricting my diet to all-fruit in the morning. A teacher friend shared with me that he has been doing this for years with very positive results. I do not wake up hungry so cantaloupe, oranges, berries, cherries, peaches, bananas, grapes really appeal  (no pun intended!) to me.

the rose police

I have been feeling somewhat guilty lately. It concerns my roses which I have neglected to the point of not even seeing them while I'm taking care of my other container plants. The Japanese Beetles have had their way with them again this summer and I just got tired of mixing up poison, like the old witch-queen in Snow White. This morning I took my shears to them and lets just say--gave them a summer haircut. I'm sure they will start blooming again, after all, this hot/humid weather is just what they strive on. Maybe by that time, the beetles will be on their way back to Japan.
I'm starting The Girls of Room 28 Friendship, Hope, and Survival in Theresienstadt by Hannelore Brenner. I'm on page four...

Repotting plants and book review

I always try to accomplish at least one industrious thing during the day and by the way, I consider laundry to be industrious. Today, I repotted a couple of my plants. Earlier this spring I found an ornamental pepper plant in the clearance aisle at Walmart. I brought it home and made the mistake of putting it into a container that was too small. It loves full sun. I have it sitting next to my rock garden and it has doubled in size. I also purchased a small African violet (half price, again at Walmart) so it went into the pot that the pepper plant was in. My grandmother used to raise African violets, I will keep it in a special spot and watch it like a hawk. I have tried African violets before; in fact she used to give them to me but I guess I had other things on my mind...
I also wanted to spend some time reading Country Driving by Peter Hessler. This is the third book that I have read by him and I am absolutely fascinated with it. Here is a Chinese factory boss explaining why he likes to hire young female workers.
"Girls have more patience and they're easier to handle," he explained. "Men are more trouble--they start fights or cause some other problem." When I asked about the ideal worker, Boss Wang said that she should be young and inexperienced. "If she's already had other jobs, then I'll just have to pay her more." he said. For the same reason he preferred a candidate to have little formal education. It was a bad sign if she dressed well or had a distinctive hairstyle. Pretty girls were a risk. "I want a person to look average, " Boss Wang said. "I don't want anybody who's too complicated. I don't want somebody who thinks, 'If I feel like doing something, then I'm going to do it.' That's no good for me." One of Boss Wang's questions in job interviews was to ask about hobbies. If a candidate said, "Playing cards" or "Spending time with friends," that was a negative--too frivolous. "Reading books" indicated that an applicant was lazy. Worst of all was a job candidate who said she spent free time on the Internet. "I like it if she enjoys being with her family, or caring for her mother, or something like that," Boss Wang said. "That's what a simple person from the countryside should be like. I want somebody who can eat bitterness."

the pencil skirt

I use this skirt more or less as a scale. I step into it every day or so, it fits me well, I look at me in a mirror--both front and side view. I do this every time I try it on. Everyone should have one article of clothing that they can slip on in front of a mirror and get immediate feed-back. For me it's better than standing on a scale which only gives a number. Maintaining a healthy weight is a wonderful thing.

The Fourth etc.

I spent the Fourth with family and friends, enjoying fried fish, Rocky Road ice cream from Central Dairy, and River City's meager fireworks display. As a teacher, I have always considered July my favorite month. Not yet into worrying about bulletin boards or new classroom supplies or class lists. Now that I'm a sub, July has lost some of its luster, but the holiday is still fun, I'm glad about that.

I'm halfway through another good book, The Devil's Rooming House, The True Story of America's Deadliest Female Serial Killer by M. William Phelps. This is the story of the legendary serial killer who inspired the Broadway sensation and classic film Arsenic and Old Lace.

It's true, I am exclusively a reader of non-fiction. I love animals and little children. I am a Christian and I consider it my duty to take care of this earth as best I can. I also love true crime. Is that warped?

sweet treat

Okay, it's summer and it's hot and you need something cool, sweet, and (if you're like me) chocolate; then you need to grab a Fudgsicle. No sugar added and at 40 calories per pop, hey you can have two! Look for the yellow box that says Original Fudge Bars on the side.

5.15 miles or 11,686 steps

The weather today is gorgeous; however my butt could not take another 14 mile bile ride so I walked this morning on the green way. Later I will pick up some new reads at the library and check out the sales at the local mall. Oh, the basket is in my front yard, enjoy!