Saturday Morning Walkers - September 2, 2007

Hi everyone!

Lots to cover on this long Labor Day weekend! Barb, Christie, Mary, Jan, Laila and I had our "first Saturday of the month" planning walk and coffee date at Caffe Sole. Christie offered to lead next week's (September 8) walk but we realized that many of our group will not be able to join her. Christie will send her "invite" later in the week - please do let her know if you will be joining her! Andrea, we've put you down for September 15, Mary for September 22 and Christie or I will do the 29th.

I want to wish a "bon voyage" to Barb and Laila who are leaving this week for their Danube River Cruise to be followed up with a "women's" tour of Italy. They will be joined there by Jan and Terri on September 15.
I know that you will have an amazing time. Barb will have her laptop with her so hopefully we'll get some updates as they travel and of course, we'll keep you posted on news from home.

Book Report:
A special report for our Italy travelers! I heard about a wonderful book on The Splendid Table (www.splendidtable.org) Podcast - Fred Plotkin's Italy's Gourmet Traveler.
From Booklist
In this exhaustive guide, Plotkin provides travelers to Bella Italia with information on the best places to eat in 300 cities and villages. Practical advice, such as making reservations, goes hand-in-hand with colorful descriptions of the Italian ristorante, trattoria, pizzeria, friggitoria, and other types of eating establishments. Plotkin is particularly adept at depicting the cultural climate of each region, listing appealing towns a traveler must not pass by and those area culinary specialities to be savored. Whether one desires the address of a fine butcher shop, has a hankering for pastries and an espresso, or seeks a dining experience fit for a king, these listings more than fit the bill. When seeking out excellent culinary fare, doubtless, the true gourmet will be undaunted by this weighty tome.

Mary wants to let us know about the book she just read - Sweet Death by Hugo Rodier - this book will enlighten us about the epidemic consumption of sugar that is threatening our health and our health care costs.
"Sweet Death" is a recent publication by Dr. Rodier MD
There is an epidemic sweeping our country which kills more people than any war. Sadly, our health care system, our governments, and even our schools are failing to educate the public about this massive epidemic of "sweet death."
Obesity and diabetes are literally changing the way we look, and how our bodies function. we are poisoning our cells so that they are unable to optimally communicate, resulting in many of the diseases that are so prevalent today. Billions of dollars are being spent on the consequences of the problem, often with calamitous results. Yet, very little is being done in the realm of prevention.
Sweet Death will help to open your eyes to this overwhelming epidemic that is killing America.
You can order this book, Sweet Death, by calling 1-888-225-6601 or logging onto mpptools.com.
You can also buy the book by visiting my clinic at:
12433 Fort St.
Draper, UT 84020

I have a correction to the book I reported on 2 weeks ago from Chris - she has read The Not So Big House by Sarah Susanka - but she is currently reading Susanka's more recent book, The Not So Big Life.
Book Description
Most of us have lives that are as cluttered with unwanted obligations as our attics are cluttered with things. The bigger-is-better idea that triggered the explosion of McMansions has spilled over to give us McLives. For many of us, our ability to find the time to do what we want to do has come to a grinding halt. Now we barely have time to take a breath before making the next call on our cell phone, while at the same time messaging someone else on our Blackberry. Our schedules are chaotic and overcommitted, leaving us so stressed that we are numb, yet we wonder why we cannot fall asleep at night.

In The Not So Big Life, Susanka shows us that it is possible to take our finger off the fast-forward button, and to our surprise we find how effortless and rewarding this change can be. We do not have to lead a monastic life or give up the things we love. In fact, the real joy of leading a not so big life is discovering that the life we love has been there the entire time. Through simple exercises and inspiring stories, Susanka shows us that all we need to do is make small shifts in our day–subtle movements that open our minds as if we were finally opening the windows to let in fresh air.

The Not So Big Life reveals that form and function serve not only architectural aims but life goals as well. Just as we can tear down interior walls to reveal space, we can tear down our fears and assumptions to open up new possibilities. The result is that we quickly discover we have all the space and time we need for the things in our lives that really matter. But perhaps the greatest reward is the discovery that small changes can yield enormous results. In her elegant, clear style, Susanka convinces us that less truly is more–much more.

Vocabulary Word of the Week - Caucus - the selection of this word came out of our discussion yesterday about my plans to participate next Saturday in The Colorado Caucus Convention in Denver. http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/meredithbennett/CW4l
caucus definition
n. pl. cau·cus·es or cau·cus·ses
1.
a. A meeting of the local members of a political party especially to select delegates to a convention or register preferences for candidates running for office.
b. A closed meeting of party members within a legislative body to decide on questions of policy or leadership.
c. A group within a legislative or decision-making body seeking to represent a specific interest or influence a particular area of policy: a minority caucus.
2. Chiefly British A committee within a political party charged with determining policy.
v. cau·cused or cau·cussed, cau·cus·ing or cau·cus·sing, cau·cus·es or cau·cus·ses
v.intr.
To assemble in or hold a caucus.
v.tr.
To assemble or canvass (members of a caucus).
caucus etymology
[After the Caucus Club of Boston (in the 1760s), possibly from Medieval Latin caucus, drinking vessel.]


Website of the Week - http://www.davidco.com/coaches_corner/Julie_Daniel/article9.html - this is a life-coach's approach to handling our mountains of emails in our inbox.

Podcast of the Week - http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17 - a relatively new newsmagazine format on NPR.

Cooking and Food Report:

Not too much to report in the way of new recipes except that tonight (Sunday) both Janet and I are making two different recipes for spaghetti sauce with sausage

Janet's is from the Daily Camera - Phil Veneziano's Tomato Sauce - http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2007/aug/21/no-headline---22fgr2/

Susan's is Christiano`s Italian Sausage Spaghetti Sauce from www.justtherecipe.com - http://www.justtherecipe.com/rapidrecipe/522.html - just from the way it is "perfuming" the house, I can tell its a winner!


Words of Wisdom - this is wonderful tale that Laila shared with us - it was particularly poignant to me - those of you who know me and my thin hair "issues" will appreciate why.

The Attitude of Three Hairs

There was once a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the
mirror and noticed she had only three hairs on her head.

"Well," she said, "I think I'll braid my hair today," so she did
and she had a wonderful day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw she had
only two hairs on her head.

"HMM," she said, "I think I'll part my hair down the middle
today," and she did and she had a grand day.

The next morning she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw she
had only one hair left on her head.

"Well," she said, "Today I'm going to wear my hair in a pony
tail." So she did and it was a fun, fun day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that
there wasn't a single hair on her head.

"YEAH!" she exclaimed, "I don't have to fix my hair today!"

Remember you may not be able to control what someone says or
does or some of the situations that life throws you, but you can
sure control the way you react.
Author Unknown


Here's a special bonus quote dedicated to one our special 3-Day "Leading Ladies" -
"Sometimes in life, you find a special friend. Someone who changes your life just by being a part of it. Someone who makes you laugh until you can't stop. Someone who makes you believe that there really is good in the world. Someone who convinces you that there really is an unlocked door just waiting for you to open it. This is forever friendship. When you're down and the world seems dark and empty, your forever friend lifts you up in spirit and makes that dark and empty world suddenly seem bright and full. Your forever friend gets you through the hard times, the sad times and the confused times. If you turn and walk away, your forever friend follows. If you lose your way, your forever friend guides you and cheers you on. Your forever friend holds your hand and tells you that everything is going to be okay. And if you find such a friend, you feel happy and complete because you need not worry. You have a forever friend, and forever has no end."
---Unknown

Have a good week!

Love,
Susan