Naptha? Isn't that kerosene? Yuck! Oh, right. Aldehydes. I guess that goes. Some O-Chem hydrocarbon petroleum thing. (shudder) I use 7th Generation Free & Clear. It doesn't smell like much of anything. And glycerine handsoaps with flower scents (rose or cucumber). (Method green tea + aloe pump is foul (much too much tea) but the color looks good with my powder room sink top and the guests don't seem to mind.) MaryS, thanks for bringing up the cumin thing! It's fine in a complex curry, but it tastes like dirt to me on it's own, and I can't eat samosas, and things like that, that are heavy on cumin. Or taco meat without the rest of the taco (tomatoes help). On the other hand, I love turmeric. It's been decades since I did this, if I had a soup that just wouldn't come together, I'd dump some turmeric into it. I called it my yummifing agent. Which probably makes up for the cumin in the curry. :) Hey! Speaking of tea, I wonder if this all that we're talking about is also why some people think green tea ice cream is a good idea? I don't even like the smell on my hands from the soap, and think green tea ice cream is an insult to Flossie. Though back when I did caffeine, I didn't mind drinking green tea as tea.

I have said for years..way before MRSA was a common problem, the antibiotics are over used/prescribed and it starts with INFANTS! People run their kids to the Dr. at the 1st sign of a sniffle. They almost always leave with a few prescriptions..one of them being an antibiotic! Most sniffles will last 3-7 days with or without meds! Honestly, I can count on 1 hand the times I took my kids to the Drs. Both of them are healthy as can be now. If and when they have to have an antibiotic now, it starts working almost immediately! It's scary to think we start medicating our kids almost from birth, then they grown up with immune systems that can't fight off even a minor infection. I also never gave my kids anything for a "fever" until it got to 102* or higher. A fever is the body's way of naturally fighting infections.

Personally, I love veggies and have served them to my kids all of their lives. When my son was 6, he informed me seriously, "Mom, I'm a carnivore!". Still, he would eat his broccoli, so I didn't complain. He's never been a 'dipper'. My daughter loves ranch and Caesar dressing and will dip cauliflower or carrots as a snack. They've grown up with veggies unsneaked and served straight up--or with minimal dressing up. They through and out of picky stages, and now as teens they're fairly adventurous eaters. They love my roasted vegetable samosas, and will almost always try just about anything served to them. Meat on the side, of course--the hubs likes his meat so I've reached a balance. I have never nagged them much about sugar or sweets, and I took a lot of heat for that from certain family members who are a lot more strict than I was. While both went through stages where they'd overdo it, as teenagers they are more conservative and do self-limit. Both are label readers and have become conscious of serving sizes, calories, fat and carbs. They are both of healthy weights, though my son was chubby in his early years and I worried a little. I now breathe a huge sigh of relief. :-) I have a sister in law that was very strict about what her children must eat during each meal, and extremely limiting of sugary items and anything 'fattening'. While her children are all thin as rails and healthy in their teens, when mom isn't around they do not self limit sugar or fat consumption at all. I've seen two of them demolish an entire bag of Oreos in less than 15 minutes. (the big pack!) Still, every child responds to parental controls in their own way--what works for one may not work for another. I try not to criticize, but I do feel that not making a huge deal out of food is more conducive to developing a healthy attitude towards it. Just my $.02 and sorry for the ramble... Cj

A few years ago a large builder proposed a large elderly housing facility for our town. It was to include assisted living (different levels) as well as independent living. Our town is very anti-development, but it finally got approved (there were a lot of issues, like dealing with increased police and ambulance calls, how to address the major traffic issues due to the location, fire issues since we all volunteer, etc.). They cleared the land, put in the stone entranceway and then pretty much abandoned the project, according to one of the neighbors. Aside from the elderly not being able to sell their homes, their kids are less likely to be able to held them financially now as well.