'Click' - the Make Poverty History video

See http://www.makepovertyhistory.org/video5.html. Even Tony Blair has been spotted wearing the wrist band!

Holidays

The past week or so has flown - taking some holiday time at home to decorate and cycle (in the rain and fog!)

Great news re Jamie Oliver's campaign success - 271,677 signatures and commitment from the government!

Back soon...

The 'Time' movie

I just came across this - a wonderful reminder to value each second of each day and to enjoy life, now:
http://www.scottstratten.com/movie.html

FeedMeBetter.com - amazing!

I have just checked at www.feedmebetter.com and in the past 10 days, signatures have risen from 30,000 to 164,000 - fantastic. This has got me wondering what other campaigns could be given a boost with a celebrity petition - must give this more thought, as the government is now taking this campaign seriously. It is so good to see the 'power of celebrity' used for something really positive.

Sheep that fall in love...

I have always thought sheep were probably more intelligent than they are given credit for. Now, scientists have proved they can fall in love and that they have best friends. Apparently their brains and ours have 'a startling amount in common'. I wonder why this is deemed surprising - humans can be so arrogant at times!

FeedMeBetter.com - well done Jamie!

Jamie Oliver has started a wonderful campaign - sign his petition at http://www.feedmebetter.com/ for better school dinners!

Isn't the web a great way of getting a petition going!

Food scares

It struck me recently how healthy my general diet has become and how lucky I am to have changed my lifestyle to exclude most processed foods. When the Sudan 1 list was published, I realised that there wasn't a single food on the list which I had used.

This is a result of leaving London 5 years ago, to live in a Northamptonshire village. Here I have a greengrocer, butcher, post office etc., and seldom drive to shops. As a result, I buy fresh food and cook from scratch - something that was unheard of during the 6 years that I lived in the Barbican, just minutes away from the big City M&S which I visited almost daily!

So, having established that Lee & Perrins Worcestershire sauce was not affected, I realised my luck at not needing to use ready meals any more. Then I wondered why I used to, and it struck me that I seldom spend more time cooking mid-week meals than I used to, as it is so easy to cook stir-frys, fish, liver etc. So they don't necessarily save time. I am convinced that I am more healthy now than 5 years ago, despite large quantities of red wine and 70% chocolate! I am certainly sure I consume less salt and sugar...

A lovely story - reacting to adversity

Thanks to my friend Chris Rudge for this wonderful story:

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil.

In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me, what do you see?"

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity ... boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.

The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?"

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

"We are one"

Thanks to the newsletter this week from www.inspirationline.com, for directing me to a beautiful photo essay in response to the tsunami. The song "We Are One" was composed and sung by Dan Seals and the photos were gathered throughout the Internet. See it here: We are One.