Grooming the field

Ever think about hands?

Have you ever really thought about hands? I must admit I haven't given them all that much thought, yet I use them almost constantly. I use them for some of the most basic and ordinary tasks, and for some which are complex and which required practice to master. My hands are almost always exposed  to public view, yet I'll wager they're not noticed as much as other equally visible parts of my body.

Have you ever really thought about the impact hands have? And how enduring that impact can be? Just to give one silly example, I was in my mid- to late- 30's when I glanced down to see a mosquito feasting on my thigh. I reflexively slapped that mosquito with far more force than was required, leaving a distinct handprint that took some time to fade. And I was transported back to a time some 15-20 years previously when I wound up with a similar handprint on my thigh after a particularly memorable argument with my parents.

But don't call social services, please. Far more commonly, the hands in our home were used to serve each other: to perform those tasks that are needed to keep the kids healthy, the house in good repair, the car operational, the lawn mowed, the bills paid, etc.

I've thought about hands a lot more since, during Nursing Appreciation Week, the Pastoral Services of our hospital went to each nursing unit and held a very brief service in which they blessed our hands. Here are the words which were read after our hands were anointed with oil:

May this oil of care and your healing hands be a blessing to all whom you nurse this day and future days.  May your heart be softened by regular attention to loss and change. May you remember why you became a nurse (or why you've chosen to serve others in your work) and what gives you strength and hope. May you notice the small & great joys of compassionate care and the ways that you grow each year. May that which we each call Holy and Sacred bless you and bless the work that we do together. Now go in peace remembering this sign of your inner strength, healing hands, and loving heart.

Whether you're a nurse, a night watchman, or a novelist, your hands can be a source of great blessing to those you meet each day. Use them well.

Watch out, Michael Jordan!

You can click off the stupid ad within 5 seconds, and then watch this kid - he's something else with a basketball!!

Smile!

Hurry on over to try this recipe!

Carrian at Oh Sweet Basil came up with a humdinger of a recipe - and a beautiful presentation, as you can see from the picture below. Just click on the link to head on over to her place and check out the recipe for yourself - you'll be glad you did! After the preceding post on my site, we all deserve a tasty treat!

U.N. Advises Novel Weapon Against World Hunger

In my case, it would be far more effective as a weight loss aid... all I'd need to do is look at this picture and read the article it came from.

Edible insects for sale in Thailand. 

I've lost 40 pounds since logging on to SparkPeople, but I'm thinking I could have darn near doubled that if forced to subsist on a diet of those things. I confess - I'm WAY too squeamish to contemplate sitting down to a meal of that!

More wordless beauty

More orchid photos taken last week at Orchid Trail. Hope you're not bored with the photos - personally, I'm drunk on 'em!!!

Won't you join me in this?

I found a wonderful website through Pintrest the other day that I wanted to share with you. The website is that of an organization in England called Post Pals. Through information on their site, you can forward letters, postcards, emails, or small gifts to children with serious, sometimes life-threatening illnesses.

I'd love to know if there's a similar organization in the U.S. This seems to be such a simple idea; perhaps you'd like to organize something like it yourself! {{Hint, Hint}}

But if you don't find yourself called to organize a Yankee version of Post Pals, I hope you'll find the time to send a smile to one of these kids. For the cost of an international stamp and a little bit of your time, you may just make someone's day!

My my. How presidential.

I hope folks from other countries didn't catch this news clip. It frankly makes me cringe to see our Commander in Chief lose control of himself.

PS - A commenter indicated that this was a Jay Leno spoof. If so, I'm glad to hear it - I would definitely hate to imagine that a sitting U.S. president could lose his cool like that, especially with cameras running. It sure looks all too real to me.

How 'bout a tasty, low-cal cucumber salad?

Quick, easy, & good - what more could one ask for??

Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
1 large cucumber
1 tsp coarse sea salt
1 Tbsp light sour cream
1 tsp finely chopped onion
1 tsp fresh dill, chopped
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp sugar

Directions
Peel your cucumber - or you can leave the peel on if you want - slice cucumber into fairly thin slices. Place into a colander and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Set on something to catch the water that drains off, and set aside.
Mix together sour cream, onion, dill, vinegar, and sugar. Cover and place in fridge.
Let cucumbers drain and dressing chill for at least an hour, up to 2 hours.
Before serving, rinse cucumbers under running water briefly. Pat dry with paper towel.
Toss dressing with cucumbers and serve.

Nutritional information per serving:
Calories - 50
Fat - 1.7
Carbs - 7.9
Protein - 1

Wordless beauty

This past Sunday, we headed on over to Orchid Trail in Morrisville NC. All I can say is beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. If you get the opportunity to visit there, take it!! Tell Paul the lady with the camera who fell in love with bulbophyllum sent ya!

;)