Greenscaping With Native Plants August 19, 2010
Posted by nrhatch in Home & Garden, Nature.comments closed
Want to GREEN your landscape? Consider adding native plants:
* Native plants serve an important role in local ecosystems by attracting native wildlife, including the birds and the bees.
* Native plants require less maintenance because they are suited to the climate, soil, and average annual rainfall in your region.
To learn about plants native to your area, visit National Wildlife Federation: Attracting Wildlife With Native Plants ~ among other information, you can find the Top 10 plants for your area:
There are hundreds of plants native to the many different eco-regions of the United States, which might make it hard to know where to start when it comes to deciding what plants might work in your yard. To help, we’ve put together the top 10 common native plants by region.
Regions: Alaska, Midwest, Northeast, Pacific Northwest, Rocky Mountains, Southeast, Southwest.
If you live in New England, the Mid-Atlantic, or the Midwest, check out American Beauties Native Plants:
American Beauties offers four distinct theme gardens that attract beneficial wildlife and contain plants which grow well in varying conditions:
Bird Garden: The plants in this collection provide seeds, berries, nesting places and cover for all kinds of songbirds. Plus, there are lots of plants in this collection that provide interest four seasons of the year.
Butterfly Garden: These colorful plants provide nectar and pollen spring, summer and fall for a parade of butterflies and other pollinators.
If you want flowers in a sunny location, you will be delighted with this collection of plants.
Dry Shade Garden: Dry, shady conditions are a challenge for the most accomplished gardeners. This collection of tough, drought resistant native plants thrives in those conditions while providing great cover for all kinds of woodland creatures.
Moist Sun Garden: Turn that troublesome low area with wet soil into a garden filed with colorful plants that hang tough in the hot sun. Frogs, dragonflies, birds and other critters will love the food and cover this collection provides.
Related posts: Wildlife Gardening with Kids
3GTv . . . A Tenacious Vampire August 19, 2010
Posted by nrhatch in Health & Wellness, Humor, Life Balance, People.comments closed
Now, instead of having to rely on brainwashed memory banks to remember which brands of processed foods to beg, plead, and whine for, young children will have small TV’s mounted right on the product shelves to use as tele-prompters!
Buy me! Buy me!
Buying groceries will become even more enjoyable for mothers shopping with small children (and for other shoppers within earshot!) once all the nutrient depleted, artificially flavored, cartons of cardboard food are linked with TV screens blaring last minute pitches at toddlers who are just itching for a reason to throw a tantrum.
CCFC, the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, alerted concerned parents to this new advertising ploy with the following message:
This fall, Food Lion supermarkets will unleash 3GTv, mini-televisions attached to grocery store shelves running continuous commercials ~ right next to the product being advertised. If a test run in Maryland and Virginia is successful, other supermarkets are sure to follow Food Lion’s lead.
Yippee! Now young children can watch TV (that Tenacious Vampire) at home, in the car, and at the grocery store.
Shopping for nutritious food, especially with small children in tow, is challenging enough without listening to screens blasting commercials in every aisle . . . or children screaming for mom to buy the loudest box of cereal on the shelves.
Whether or not you have screaming children of your own, please take a moment to tell Food Lion to pull the plug on its grocery store TVs.
Oh, get this . . . 3GTv’s Trademarked Slogan: TV as it was meant to be! (You know, for advertising!)
Seconds, Anyone? August 19, 2010
Posted by nrhatch in Humor, Life Balance, People.comments closed
Second fiddle. Second best.
Our birth order may impact our development as we age.
First in line seems to get all the oohs and aahs ~ first steps and words are video-taped, and played for visitors. And #1 is still marching into bold new territory when #2 arrives on the scene.
It’s not that #2 is ignored, but a blob of play-doh (even fresh out of the can with lovely enticing aromas) doesn’t hold our attention long when Speed Racer comes flying into the room.
If parents stop at two, the playing field for first and second borns equalizes eventually. If parents add additional children to the mix . . . #2 tends to become increasingly invisible.
“Can you see me now?”
Related articles: The Power of Birth Order * Effects of Birth Order on Personality * It’s My Life * Birth Order Affects Smarts, Personality * Birth Order and Personality
Take the Birth Order Predictor Quiz
The Cat In The Hat Comes Back August 19, 2010
Posted by nrhatch in Humor, Word Play.comments closed
The Cat in the Hat grinned at Thing 2 and Thing 1
I’ve magic games we can play ~ they’ll be so much fun
He grabbed the fish bowl and tossed it high in the air
I’ll swap out the FISH and put some lean MEAT in there
Then I’ll balance the bowl on the top of my head
While you two grab a greased PIG from under the bed
When they caught the PIG (despite squeals, squirms, and a cry)
The Cat waved his hat, and transformed PIG into STY
Then the Cat tipped his Hat at Thing 2 and Thing 1
Don’t you love playing games? They’re always such fun!
In FUN with WORDS, I tossed out eleven doublet challenges from the Guinness Book of Words.
Here’s Thing 2’s solution to challenge #1:
The PIG wore a WIG and walked with a WAG on his WAY to SAY: Clean up this STY!
And here’s Thing 1’s solution to Challenge #3:
The FISH made a FIST to create a LIST LEST he miss the BEST buys ~ sale prices you can’t BEAT on poultry and MEAT.
Aphorisms from Aa to Zz: Zz August 19, 2010
Posted by nrhatch in Happiness, Humor, Magick & Mystery, Mindfulness, Music & Dance, Nature.comments closed
Zeal/Zest/Zing/Zip
Passion is power. Follow your dreams.
Living life without passion is like trying to go hot air ballooning with an empty balloon.
The world stands aside to let pass those who know where they are going. ~ David Jordan
Nothing can stop a person who refuses to be stopped.
Listen to the mustn’ts child. Listen to the don’ts.
Listen to the shouldn’t haves, the impossibles, the won’ts.
Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me.
Anything can happen child. Anything can be.
~ Shel Silverstein
Those who can, do. Those who can’t, try to tell us why we can’t do it either.
If we limit our choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, we disconnect ourselves from what we truly want; all that’s left is compromise. ~ Robert Fritz
Rather than allowing our thoughts, emotions, and past experiences to dictate our re-actions to new events, we can view life with alert curiosity.
Cultivate optimism. Become the most positive person you know
Zeal for living and Zest for life are great possessions to have.
Zebra
A leopard cannot change its spots, nor a zebra its stripes. ~ Proverb
I’m ten years old. My life is half over and I don’t even know if I’m black with white stripes or white with black stripes! ~ Marty the Zebra (Madagascar)
The zebra epitomizes the wildness of the Serengeti like no other creature. ~ Zalu Mubuto (speech to WWF, 1987)
There is no more fun loving, yet temperamental animal on the plain than the zebra. ~ Zalu Mubuto (comment to reporters, c. 1983)
Alex, do not interrupt me when I’m daydreaming. When a zebra’s in the zone, leave him alone. ~ Marty the Zebra (Madagascar)
As long as we have zebras in our midst, I shall be content. ~ Atlo Dogong (c.1915-1988) (comment at a trade meeting in Nairobi Kenya, 1979)
Look there, daddy. Do you see? There’s a horse in striped pajamas! ~ No, that’s not what it is at all. That’s an animal people call a zebra. ~ I see. But it still looks like a horse in striped pajamas to me. ~ Captain Kangaroo
There’s no end to the things you might know
Depending how far beyond Zebra you go. ~ Dr. Seuss
I asked the zebra, Are you black with white strips? Or white with black strips?
And the zebra asked me:
Are you good with bad habits? Or are you bad with good habits?
Are you noisy with quiet times? Or are you quiet with noisy times?
Are you happy with sad days? Or are you sad with happy days?
Are you neat with some sloppy ways? Or are you sloppy with some neat ways?
And on and on and on and on
And on and on he went.
I’ll never ask a zebra about stripes again.
~ Shel Silverstein, A Light in the Attic
Zen Parable
An arrogant man, who felt that no one could teach him anything, visited a Zen master for tea. The Zen master poured the tea until it overflowed the cup, and still he continued to pour.
The arrogant man cried, “Master, stop! Why do you keep pouring? The cup is full.”
The master replied, “You too are full of your opinions and judgments about the world. You must empty yourself of the past, in order to receive the present.”
Zen Wisdom
How refreshing
the whinny of a pack horse
fully unloaded!
~ Classic Haiku
When we choose to just be, our authentic presence is revealed.
Zydeco
“Ziggy the Zebra” painting by Jan Philpot ~ a talented artist, prolific writer, retired school teacher, and compassionate humanitarian. ♥ ♥ ♥
Spirit Lights The Way 