My St. Patrick's Day Sodabread Article

Sure and if it isn't that time of year again. Time to link you to my favorite Irish sodabread recipe. Enjoy!

 Just like Grandma Never Baked.

Bye-Bye Borders

I was saddened this past weekend to enter a favorite Borders store only to find it sporting "store closing" signs. It is the second Borders store I frequented that is closing, and at this point, I don't know if there will be one anywhere within reasonable driving distance for me. It looks like their late entry into the e-reader market may be a big cause of their downfall. Their struggle does provide an example for businesses of all types, as highlighted in this article:

What Associations Can Learn from Borders’ Struggles: Amazons On The Border

HARVEST • by Noreen Braman | Every Day Poets

A poem published today by Everyday Poets.

HARVEST • by Noreen Braman | Every Day Poets

Are Uterus Police in Our Future?

The miscarriage I experienced in 1983 is one of the most devastating experiences of my life. I remember sitting in my rocking chair, holding my toddler daughter, both of us rocking and crying. I remember a former boss, upon meeting my husband in town, saying to him "well you didn't want another baby this soon, anyway, did you?" Until now, I thought that was most insensitive, thoughtless and hurtful thing that could be said to anyone going through such a loss. I can not believe that if an ignorant legislator from Georgia has his way, that women in his state who lose babies will actually have to endure an "investigation" into whether or not the miscarriage happened "naturally." In affect, he wants to create Uterus Police who will invade your HIPPA-guaranteed privacy, insult your intelligence and question your motives and health status. And if those Uterus Police decide that your loss did not occur "naturally," that you will be charged with "fetal murder."

Of course this is an obvious attempt to reveal to the ultraconservatives who in their community may or may not have had an abortion - a way for them to get their hands on Federally-protected information and further their anti-abortion agenda. This legislation is a disgusting affront to women, no matter what one's views of abortion are, and most likely it will never be passed into law. However, the fact that anyone could even propose such barbaric legislation in itself should be a crime.

If you can stand to read the actual bill, click here.

The End of A Decade

2010 is coming to an end, and along with it, the first decade of the new millennium. Seems like it wasn't too long ago we were worried about the Y2K bug, and at work, we were trying to describe exactly how much a million was. (In pennies, it is a block the size of a refrigerator.)

My children have gone from high school students, to college students, to graduates and working adults. There has been one wedding with another one being planned, and in 2011 the vocabulary of infant care will return to family conversations.

I've ridden a wild roller coaster in both my personal life and my professional life, and may finally be reaching a smooth place where I can once again enjoy the ride instead of just closing my eyes and hanging on. At 55, I think I may be justified in saying,  "About time!"

I want to thank all of those friends and relatives who have alternately supported me, mourned with me, struggled alongside me, and laughed with me. We may not see each other as much as we would like, but we know how to jump in the boat and row together when needed. And for that I am eternally grateful.

As we enter the new decade together, may we all experience more joy than sorrow,  more gains than losses and more sunshine than rain. And may we always have each other in our hearts, in our minds and in our dreams, because it is through sharing with friends, family and loved ones that we truly experience life.

Happy Holidays to All and to All a Great New Year.

Have You Shared Any Good Books Lately?

Most writers would agree that the urge to put pen to paper is inspired, at least in part, by an intense love affair with books. Sometimes it is one book that excites the passion or it can be the accumulated influences of hundreds or thousands of books. It is a solitary journey along a well-traveled path, but occasionally there is a serendipitous meeting with a fellow traveler.

The sharing of a book can be one of the most profound and intimate acts two people can engage in. Every day, books are given as gifts, recommended by friends, panned by critics. All these are legitimate ways to share a book but there is nothing special in the transaction. Books are consumed for entertainment, for knowledge, for distraction and for help. All those books hold their own special places and exist for their own special reasons.  But there is another kind of book - the book that speaks directly to the soul, the book whose very presence in a room can serve as a source of courage, inspiration and comfort.

This is the book that someone hands to you with the words "this is a favorite of mine." It is not an easy admission, for in that brief sentence, one becomes vulnerable and exposed. When you read someone's favorite book you touch his essence, reach that hidden place where even lovers are seldom allowed.

It is a weighty responsibility, then, to be on the receiving end of such a gesture.  Rejection, dislike, even a lukewarm response can alienate friends quicker than any pedestrian disagreement. The relationship one has with a favorite book is so intense, that it can feel like a personal renunciation.

Yet, the risk becomes worthwhile when you give someone a book and find out that it speaks to her, too. Suddenly there is a spiritual connection, a shaft of brilliant light that encompasses you both. Both intellectual fulfillment and emotional surrender, it pulsates more intensely than a quasar, providing a potent insight into the heart. The word "soulmate" was created to express just such a relationship, reflecting a union that can be as binding as love.

It may only be a fleeting link between acquaintances, or a sign of a deep, enduring devotion between partners; whichever it is, the feeling that can come from sharing a special book is testament to the power of the written word, and validation of the efforts of everyone who has ever pursued the craft of writing.

Serious Facts about Water for Blog Action Day

• A Human Right: In July, to address the water crisis, the United Nations declared access to clean water and sanitation a human right over. But we are far from implementing solutions to secure basic access to safe drinking water. More Info »
• 40 Billion Hours: African women walk over 40 billion hours each year carrying cisterns weighing up to 18 kilograms to gather water, which is usually still not safe to drink. More Info »
• 38,000 Children a Week: Every week, nearly 38,000 children under the age of 5 die from unsafe drinking water and unhygienic living conditions. More Info »
• Wars Over Water: Many scholars attribute the conflict in Darfur at least in part to lack of access to water. A report commissioned by the UN found that in the 21st century, water scarcity will become one of the leading causes of conflict in Africa. More Info »
• Cell Phones vs. Toilets: Today, 2.5 billion people lack access to toilets, but many more have access to a cell phone. More Info »
• Food Footprint: It takes 24 liters of water to produce one hamburger. That means it would take over 19.9 billion liters of water to make just one hamburger for every person in Europe. More Info »
• Technology Footprint: The shiny new iPhone in your pocket requires half a liter of water to charge. That may not seem like much, but with over 80 million active iPhones in the world, that’s 40 million liters to charge those alone. More Info »
• Fashion Footprint: That cotton t-shirt you’re wearing right now took 1,514 liters of water to produce, and your jeans required an extra 6,813 liters. More Info »
• Bottled Water Footprint: The US, Mexico and China lead the world in bottled water consumption, with people in the US drinking an average of 200 bottles of water per person each year. Over 17 million barrels of oil are needed to manufacture those water bottles, 86 percent of which will never be recycled. More Info »
• Waste Overflow: Every day, 2 million tons of human waste are disposed of in water sources. This not only negatively impacts the environment but also harms the health of surrounding communities. More Info »
• Polluted Oceans: Death and disease caused by polluted coastal waters costs the global economy $12.8 billion a year. More Info »
• Uninhabitable Rivers: Today, 40% of America’s rivers and 46% of America’s lakes are too polluted for fishing, swimming, or aquatic life. More Info »
• Building Wells: Organizations like Water.org and charity: water are leading the charge in bringing fresh water to communities in the developing world. More Info »
• Technology for Good: Do you want to measure how much water it took to make your favorite foods? There’s an app for that. More Info »
• Conservation Starts at Home: The average person uses 465 liters of water per day. Find out how much you use and challenge your readers to do that same. More Info »
• Keeping Rivers Clean: We can all take small steps to help keep pollution out of our rivers and streams, like correctly disposing of household wastes. More Info »
• Drop the Bottle: Communities around the world are taking steps to reduce water bottle waste by eliminating bottled water. More Info »
• Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Schools: Students in developing countries lose 443 million school days each year due to diseases associated with the lack of water, sanitation and hygiene. Repeated episodes of diarrhea and worm infestations diminish a child’s ability to learn and impair cognitive development. More Info »

And as a reward for reading through these important messages about water, here is a link to my own humorous troubles with water through the years:  Treading Water