82 thoughts on “Our Daily Thread 1-2-13”

  5. I have a sinus problem on the right side of my hear. It’s like I have a half a cold.
    Historically, it hits one side for a week or so, then transfers to the other side before clearing up. So this will be around a while.

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  6. Good morning all . I read with interest all the posts about sugar . most alcoholics crave sugar when the start to get sober .

    I had Christmas with Dr I ends yesterday . my gift was a gorgeous winter coat and matching gloves . I will be quite stylish in Annapolis in a week or two . now if JJill will just discount the boots I want again . 🙂

    I am off to work soon . Have a great day .

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  8. This from the mother who lost her child on Christmas Eve:

    Our hearts are overwhelmed with gratitude to everyone who has reached out to us during this most difficult time in our lives. Through this page and each prayer and kind word, we have been comforted and feel it is helping us celebrate Ann Reese. One of the most wonderful things is seeing and hearing of people’s faith being born or renewed due to the tragic loss of our sweet Lovebug. We pray for each of you to find comfort in God’s love just as we have. We know that our sweet Ann Reese is in the arms of our Savior Jesus Christ.

    2 Corinthians 1:3-5
    “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.”

    God bless you all,

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  9. 6 Arrows, hope your girl who was sick last night is feeling better. Poor kid!

    I love Jjill, haven’t been there in about a year, though. I could probably confine all my clothes shopping to that store and Eddie Bauer and be very content. 🙂

    Which reminds me, I was going through some of the winter sweaters this past couple months and a few of those will probably be heading out of here in a donation bag.

    Feel better AJ. We’ll be good. Honest we will. 😉

    My veggies are chopped, the salad for lunch is made & it’s off to work for me — cop calls early this morning and with yesterday’s overnight (new year’s eve-New year’s day) mayhem, I’ll probably have to follow up on a few IDs, etc. There were several shootings in our area, at least one of them gang related.

    People, people. We can mess things up, can’t we? 😦

    As Chas said, the party’s over.

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  11. Good morning. Had a wonderful time at the ranch with my family. Girls got along well; it was so nice to watch them laughing and playing with each other. Little one fell asleep about 10:00, husband followed around 11:00. Oldest and I stayed up ’til midnight to welcome in the new year. We were going to do sparklers, but it was poring rain, so instead we all sat around and remembered silly things the girls did when they were little. It was fun reminiscing.

    Today, little one and I are headed to WalMart for a second pair of glasses. I’ve been lazy this morning–still need to take a shower–but it’s cold here (at least for Houston–about 45 degrees) and I’ve been snuggling with youngest since she bounded out of bed at 6:30. Hubby is back to work, I suppose I should be as well!

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  12. Yeah, the party’s over. But I get another day until I have to go back to the “real” world.

    Note to Tammy @83 in yesterday’s thread: No, God did not make sugar. ALL sugar is processed. There is natural sugar IN fruits, and IN sugar cane, and IN maple trees, but you have to process it to get it out.

    Your post seems to be defensive. Cool down!

    Yes, God made sugar. It’s called many things depending on the source: fructose, lactose, sucrose, etc. Most of what we think of though, is processed from a natural, God-made plant called “sugar cane”. If you are ever in a warm climate that grows it, try it right on the stalk. Man did not make it, man just used the brain God gave him to use sugar.

    And all food we eat is processed in some way or another. I was referring to those sugars that are bleached and “processed” to the point of being something other than what God made them.

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  13. Yes January is full throttle now. Glad to be back on schedule. The holidays and the parties they produce were fantastic, but still, I am glad to be back at my grindstone.

    Oh, and happy that I got to see Les Miz again yesterday. So for AJ and Chas, rest and lots of fluids. For the res of us working stiffs, “Look down, look down show mercy if you can; look down, look down upon your fellow man.”

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  14. I have been enjoying the quieter compound with so many of the missionaries out of town, but now I’m getting impatient for them to get back. Just heard this morning that I may have to make the trip into town for a week-long meeting next week. I was hoping to get some work done here before the office opens. I didn’t spend these days working because I was thinking I still had next week. Grrrr. I love the African version of advance notice.

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  15. I do hope AJ has only a 24 hour virus and that Chas will be able to chase his cold away with chicken soup. Tofu is good, too. Cold virus germs don’t like the taste of tofu, imagine that!

    Our son has friends coming in for a few days so I will get to do more cooking. I think it is known as a “working vacation.” It is a bit rainy here today. My husband is on call with questions from our office. He says that the Social Security holiday is over and people will be surprised to see a reduction in their paychecks because they have heard there will not be tax increases. January will be a sad, sad time when holiday and routine bills roll around.

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  16. Kim, sounds like the mother of the girl who died Christmas Eve has a very strong faith.

    Donna, 6th Arrow seems to be feeling quite a bit better this morning. She got up a while ago and was her usual talkative self, smiling and chuckling about one of the cats’ morning behavior. She’s still rather tired, though, and went to lie back down in her bed just now under the freshly laundered bedding.

    Also, Donna, I enjoyed the link @10. Lots of nods from me as I read through it, and a smile on my face reading at the end of God’s faithfulness and Christ’s strength in our weakness.

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  18. Good morning everyone. I am back in Oklahoma. Unfortunately I will miss my 35th anniversary. It is January 14th. But, the good news is that Cindi will join me in Oklahoma the end of May.

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  20. I go back to work today–though only for two days. Unfortunately, it’s the last two days my daughter is home, but my husband is here for her and they’re delighted, as always, to be together.

    As I mentioned yesterday, I went to a non-denominational church in Puerto Vallarta and the Canadian pastor challenged us with homework for the new year that has caused me to reflect on some changes in my own life. You can read the four points on my blog: http://wp.me/p1ektw-NG

    Speaking of which, I always feel a little funny when I give you the link to my blog. Is that okay with you or does it feel like I’m taking advantage of AJ’s blog?

    Blessings on your day from frigid northern California–30 degrees here with icy frost outside. It was 24 when I went to Zumba; VERY cold for us!

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  21. “…people will be surprised to see a reduction in their paychecks because they have heard there will not be tax increases.”

    Mmmmhhmmmm… and whose fault is that? The politicians who finagled the biggest tax increase in a long time – calling it a tax decrease – or the media who reported it that way?

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  22. ALL sugar is processed. God did not make it, unless it is still in the package God provided.

    ALL sugar raises blood sugar and causes weight gain.

    ALL sugar is addictive and activates the same centers in the brain as heroin addiction.

    ALL sugar is bad for you. (Honey may be the exception, as it is still “packaged” as God intended and seems to have some additional health benefits. However, it is really “okay” only if you are already maintaining a healthy weight and eat it in moderation.)

    I’m not saying we’re not going to eat it (although, I’m trying to avoid it as much as possible.) I’m not saying that you can’t eat it is very small doses and still be healthy.

    I am saying that telling yourself that “unprocessed” “raw” sugar is somehow an exception to the reality that “Sugar is poison” is fooling yourself.

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  24. This series, by the same people, is really good (and broken up, so it is not so long to watch at one sitting).

    “The Skinny on Obesity”

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  26. Yesterday xylitol was mentioned as a sugar substitute. If you use it, do not let your dogs share your goodies. It can be fatal for them.

    There’s another sugar sub out there that ends with – itol that is also very bad for doggies. Probably for kitties, too.

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  27. Mind you, I don’t like this guy’s overall solution. His ultimate goal is to get government to step in and forcefully limit the consumption of sugar. 😦 Bad, bad, bad. 😦

    But, educating people on it? That’s good. He can keep doing that, as far as I’m concerned. 😉

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  28. Yes, Xylitol will kill your animals. Don’t share!

    It also gives things a “cool” “tingly” or “almost minty” taste.

    And, it will give you bowel issues if you eat enough of it (which, for many people, is just a bit more than a stick of sugarless gum.)

    So, be sure you tolerate it before using it for baking!

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  29. A DVD I have often recommended (available through Netflix) is Fat Head, because it is eye-opening, & also quite entertaining.

    http://www.fathead-movie.com/index.php/about/

    Check out these “No Bologna Facts” on the website…

    http://www.fathead-movie.com/index.php/no-bologna-facts/

    Here are the first three…

    * There’s never been a single study that proves saturated fat causes heart disease.

    * As heart-disease rates were skyrocketing in the mid-1900s, consumption of animal fat was going down, not up. Consumption of vegetable oils, however, was going up dramatically.

    * Half of all heart-attack victims have normal or low cholesterol. Autopsies performed on heart-attack victims routinely reveal plaque-filled arteries in people whose cholesterol was low (as low as 115 in one case).

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  31. Xylitoal and Erythritol are alcohol sugars and what you find in most “sugarless” candy (they are still sugars, but not the standard sugars.)

    Stevia Extract is “natural” and has few to zero negative side-effects. BUT, many of us (and this is genetically determined) can taste a “licorice” after-taste if it is used in great quantities in baking. 😦 I do plan on trying it again, though.

    Splenda gets a bad-rap for not being “natural,” but it is honestly as “natural” as table sugar (which is not really “natural” at all). I tend to like it best for baking, as I don’t taste the aftertaste with it. But, some people say they can taste a “chemical” aftertaste. (I sometimes wonder if it is mostly in people’s heads, though. Because, if I don’t tell them, they always compliment my goodies that have Splenda in them.)

    There is also EZ-Sweet. It is a sucralose (Splenda) liquid sweetener.

    “Just Like Sugar” is a new one out there that I have, but haven’t yet used (I need to experiment so that I don’t ruin any “goodie” I make for a holiday or something important.) It is supposedly very safe, has no side-effects, and measures just like sugar. (lol) I’ve heard that it is important to use the table-top version, even though they have a cheaper “baking” version.

    ALL of the above, have less known side-effects than real sugar does.

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  33. Mind you, I still drink pop (I joke that Diet Coke is the “elixir from Heaven”) but Aspartame is one sweetener that is completely NOT good for you. I know it, and I still drink pop. 😦

    I’m trying to live healthier, and I tried going off pop for awhile, but I couldn’t do it yet. I’m changing SO MUCH about my diet, and that was just one change too many … for now. 🙂

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  34. Michelle,

    You are free to link to whatever you like, whether it’s your personal blog or not. The same goes for everyone of the “regulars”. You folks are what makes this blog what it is. You are free to share anything you like. You have been a huge help to me with getting all this going. I appreciate that, and am thankful for you and your expertise. You’re part of the family here. Anything you want to share from your blog is most welcome here Michelle. And thank you again.

    Allen

    And again, same goes for the rest of you. Just don’t SPAM me dude, mkay?

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  35. Hey Michelle,

    If you were constantly doing it, for obvious self-promotion purposes, I *might* be bothered. But, honestly, who wants to write all that all over again when you’ve already done a great job?

    Link away!! 🙂

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  36. Well, my post with 2 links must be in moderation. So I tried splitting them up, but the first one with only one link does not appear either.

    Here’s the “link” with spaces added…

    http://www. fathead-movie .com /index. php/ about/

    I recommend this DVD (available from Netflix) because it is informative & quite entertaining.

    Here’s some very interesting facts from the website…

    No-Bologna Facts

    * There’s never been a single study that proves saturated fat causes heart disease.

    * As heart-disease rates were skyrocketing in the mid-1900s, consumption of animal fat was going down, not up. Consumption of vegetable oils, however, was going up dramatically.

    * Half of all heart-attack victims have normal or low cholesterol. Autopsies performed on heart-attack victims routinely reveal plaque-filled arteries in people whose cholesterol was low (as low as 115 in one case).

    * Asian Indians – half of whom are vegetarians – have one of the highest rates of heart disease in the entire world. Yup, that fatty meat will kill you, all right.

    * When Morgan Spurlock tells you that a McDonald’s salad supplies almost a day’s allowance of fat, he’s basing that statement on the FDA’s low-fat/high-carbohydrate dietary guidelines, which in turn are based on … absolutely nothing. There’s no science behind those guidelines; they were simply made up by a congressional committee.

    * Kids who were diagnosed as suffering from ADD have been successfully treated by re-introducing natural saturated fats into their diets. Your brain is made largely of fat.

    * Many epileptics have reduced or eliminated seizures by adopting a diet low in sugar and starch and high in saturated animal fats.

    * Despite everything you’ve heard about saturated fat being linked to cancer, that link is statistically weak. However, there is a strong link between sugar and cancer. In Europe, doctors tell patients, “Sugar feeds cancer.”

    * Being fat is not, in and of itself, bad for your health. The behaviors that can make you fat – eating excess sugar and starch, not getting any exercise – can also ruin your health, and that’s why being fat is associated with bad health. But it’s entirely possible to be fat and healthy. It’s also possible to be thin while developing Type II diabetes and heart disease.

    * Saturated fat and cholesterol help produce testosterone. When men limit their saturated fat, their testosterone level drops. So, regardless of what a famous vegan chef believes, saturated fat does not impair sexual performance.

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  37. And, I do apologize, Peter (and others) for sounding defensive.

    I have “friends” who jump ALL OVER ME about our diet changes. They don’t realize that I have researched the HECK out of this. They call my kids “skinny” (although this is the first time in years that my kids have loved the way they look and they now fall into healthy places on the doctors’ charts).

    Despite the fact that I now have excellent blood-work numbers, my kids have lost tons of weight (my husband and I have too, but we’re still very overweight), and that we look and feel healthier, I still am made to feel defensive. 😦

    So, I suppose that here … where I can actually defend myself in writing … I am taking a bit of advantage.

    My apologies. I’m defending myself in a place I don’t need to, because I can’t in real life where I DO need to. 😉

    But, the information really is good, and I do highly recommend checking it out. 🙂

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  38. I don’t know if anyone linked to this yet, but it seems relevant to the “Sugar Debate”.

    http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/20480533/brain-image-study-fructose-may-spur-overeating#axzz2Gpv4O6wS

    “This is your brain on sugar – for real. Scientists have used imaging tests to show for the first time that fructose, a sugar that saturates the American diet, can trigger brain changes that may lead to overeating.

    After drinking a fructose beverage, the brain doesn’t register the feeling of being full as it does when simple glucose is consumed, researchers found.

    It’s a small study and does not prove that fructose or its relative, high-fructose corn syrup, can cause obesity, but experts say it adds evidence they may play a role. These sugars often are added to processed foods and beverages, and consumption has risen dramatically since the 1970s along with obesity. A third of U.S. children and teens and more than two-thirds of adults are obese or overweight.”

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  39. Michelle, I have gone on occasion to your blog but not always, time determines. But I appreciate you posting to it so we can find it easily. Often I don’t think to go anywhere else, so a little prod is good.

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  41. Dr. Lustig (I posted links earlier) has this to say about fructose: “God always packages the antidote with the poison.”

    In other words, fructose IN the fruit, is not too bad for you, because the right amount of fiber is also in the fruit to counterbalance the fructose.

    But, we’ve “divorced” the fructose from the package (i.e. the fruit), and, used alone, it is very bad for us. 😦

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  42. #37- I understand where you are coming from now. But be careful when you say what God did or did not make. In reality, God made everything tangible, including “artificial” sugars, since the ingredients are chemicals found in natural substances. And raw sugar on the cane is delicious! (Almost as good as corn on the cob.)

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  45. And, I want to be clear … I’m not trying to be “holier than thou” with this. I LOVE sugar. I love sweet. I enjoy eating baked goods a lot, and prefer my veggies to have had some sugar added to them.

    I am fully a product of this culture, where even MEAT often has high-fructose corn syrup added to it.

    But, I can’t deny what it does and what eating like that costs.

    The reality is that — even for those that are not prone to diabetes — they *will* pay the cost as they age in other ways.

    Cancer, for example, while not necessarily caused by sugar (debated), does seem to grow faster and better with sugar. 😦

    http://breastcancer.about.com/od/cancerfightingfoods/a/cancer_sugar_myth.htm

    Obesity; fatigue; increased risk of Alzheimer’s; depression; increased risk of arthritis; increased risk of asthma; increased risk of multiple sclerosis; fatty liver; aging skin … these are just some of the 76 or more side-effects of the kind of sugar consumption most the Western world is “guilty” of. 😦

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  46. Tammy, this was an interesting caption by one of the photos (from the link in post 25): “One expert has argued that sugar is harmful enough to be put in the same category as alcohol and tobacco.” Now, granted, the caption might have been written by someone other than the one who wrote the article, but anyone who automatically puts alcohol in the “bad for you” category has my skepticism.

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  47. An article in this week’s World
    “School officials triggered a lockdown at a Florida high school on Dec. 4 after a student brought a amount of mercury into the building for a chemistry project. According to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s office, a teacher assigned students to bring to class one of the materials found on the Periodic Tables of Elements. The offending item containing mercury?
    A thermometer.”

    In 1948, in chemistry class, we used to play with it barehanded. We let the little balls of mercury roll off our hands.
    They say it affects the brain. Some point to me as an example.
    🙂

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  49. I have not been able to follow all of the sugar posts, but something I saw recently indicated that if someone is going to eat something sweet it is good to do it early in the day like at breakfast time. A study done showed that those who had something sweet in the morning who were dieting were less likely to go off their diet otherwise. They lost more weight than others did who were trying to be on the diet without any sweets. The stricter dieting group would more frequently blow their diets because of the restrictions and end up putting on more pounds. Also, if the little bit of sugar is eaten along with cinnamon it does not have as bad of an effect. No sugar is still best, but this information seemed helpful and reasonable to me. I like to eat blueberries with my morning oatmeal but did not have any available this morning so I had cinnamon, walnuts and brown sugar with the oatmeal. I did not feel a spike of blood sugar.

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  52. Cheryl,

    If you don’t like that source, there are plenty of others. It’s pretty well-documented.

    However, I think that the caption was reasonable. Alcohol can be extremely bad for a person if consumed in large quantities. It is not unreasonable to say that alcohol is poison. (I do occasionally drink, btw.)

    Westerners have not eaten sugar in any sort of “reasonable” way since WWI (when it was limited.) And, since the 1980s, we eat so much sugar per person per year (it is just about everything) it really is unbelievable.

    So, if you want to argue with the caption by going back to pre-WWI sugar eating habits, then I could see your point. Otherwise, I think that the caption is very accurate.

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  54. “The first evidence of crystalline sucrose production appears about 500 BC in northern India (37). Before this time, honey would have represented one of the few concentrated sugars to which hominins would have had access. Although honey likely was a favored food by all hominin species, seasonal availability would have restricted regular access. Studies of contemporary hunter-gatherers show that gathered honey represented a relatively minor dietary component over the course of a year, despite high intakes in some groups during short periods of availability.”

    http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/81/2/341.long

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  55. “In 1700, the average person consumed about 4 pounds of sugar per year.
    In 1800, the average person consumed about 18 pounds of sugar per year.
    In 1900, individual consumption had risen to 90 pounds of sugar per year.
    In 2009, more than 50 percent Americans consume 1/2 pound of sugar per day, which is 180 pounds of sugar per year.

    ‘In 1890, obesity rate in US for white males, age group 50’s only, were 3.4%. In 1975, the obesity rate in US of all population was 15%. In 2009, 32% of Americans are obese.

    ‘In 1893, there were fewer than 3 diabetes per 100,000 people in US. Today, there are 8,000 diabetes per 100,000 people in US. ”

    http://www.wholevegan.com/refined_sugar_history.html

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  57. I’ve only read a few comments past my last post this morning, but glancing over this thread right now, I have to say I am AMAZED!

    Just this morning as I was planning some upcoming studies for my homeschooled kids, I prayed to the Lord to lead me to some good resources for Health studies that 3rd Arrow has not studied yet. Now I come here, and there are ALL THESE LINKS on diet, nutrition and health!

    You people are amazing! No, rather, GOD IS AMAZING!! What a treasure trove of information in this one place, and delivered almost immediately after I asked!

    I am pumped! 🙂

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  58. Tammy, I don’t have any problem with assertions that we eat too much sugar. Just about anything (including water) that is consumed beyond “moderation” is bad. But to call it “poison” and to call alcohol “poison” is where my problem lies. They are two of God’s good gifts (along with honey, and bread, and meat, and a lot of other things); but too many people overuse them.

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  59. #58- Ditto. Anything overused is bad for us. And let me change the word that seems to be confusing the discussion. Instead of “processed” I should have said “refined”. So saying “processed foods are the problem”, I should say “refined grains and sugars are the problem.” Even honey is processed. (And Mrs. L says that heating honey reduces its health value. Most of what is sold in the US has been heated, thus killing some of the valuable nutrients.)

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  61. I bought a really large container of honey from Sam’s Warehouse and it appears to have turned to sugar after I had only used a third of the bottle. The plastic bottle says not to microwave it. What do I do with that situation? I have thought of throwing it away, but I hate to be so wasteful. Can anyone advise me about this situation?

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  66. I’ve been following Tammy’s research on Facebook for months and have been amazed and impressed by what she has shared (including photos). I’ve learned a lot and wish I would remember to print out the cauliflower pizza recipe . . . ! 🙂

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  70. Well, this was quite the thread today. I’ve read all the way through it now, and I think I have a virtual sugar high 🙂

    Speaking of virtual, what an awesome video with that virtual choir, Tammy (43)! Thanks!

    Bob Buckles (40), another great video! The music chosen was perfect for it.

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  81. Okay, this is for Donna, because she will understand, and those of you in the South … you may understand too. Those in the further North will just laugh at me. 🙂

    I just had one of the worst dog walks ever. It is 34 degrees outside, but — with wind chill — it feels like 28 degrees. That is TOO COLD for this native Californian. I was almost in tears because I felt so cold.

    Time to find the ear muffs!

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  82. I will agree that processed foods are not healthy. The more processed, the less healthy.

    But, I really hope some of you will research sugar … raw or not, it really isn’t healthy.

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