Archive for March 16, 2019

Bio-degradable Mini-Planter

Here’s how to make a bunch of starter mini-planters that are bio-degradable: Cut 6-8 small slits in a toilet paper roll and fold them over each other.  Fill with damp soil and place, with others, on a cookie sheet.  Put in a single seed and care for them until it the seeds germinate.   Plant the whole roll in your garden.  

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[For more easy, money-saving, Earth-friendly tips, download a FREE copy of Green Riches: Help the Earth & Your Budget. Go to www.Smashwords.com/books/view/7000 or your favorite e-book seller and download to your computer or e-book device. Totally free, with no strings attached.]

Three Gates

Today’s Thursday Thought concerns words and how we use them. Anything that doesn’t make it through these three gates should never be spoken.

Earth-Shaking Concerns for Fun)

From time to time I offer you deep thoughts to ponder, so deep they’d take a mm of dirt to cover a penny. Just for fun, then, here are some of those thoughts:

The word “swims” upside down is still “swims.”

Which letter is silent in the word “scent,” the s or the c?

What if my dog only brings back the ball because he thinks I like throwing it?

It’s just as hard to intentionally lose a game of Rock, Paper, Sissors as it is to win.

Maybe oxygen is slowly killing you and it takes 75 – 100 years to fully work?

If poison is past its expiration date, is it more poisonous or no longer poisonous?

Do twins ever realize that one of them was not planned?

Every time you clean something you make something else dirty.

A Birthday and a Warning

Thirty years ago today a British computer scientist submitted a proposal that formed the basis for today’s World Wide Web, making today the Web’s 3oth birthday. It’s a marvelous invention, but one that we must protect our children from. Consider these scenarios:

A kid you know is complaining about mean messages about him on Twitter, an embarrassing picture of him on Facebook, a humiliating profile that popped up on another site, a rumor about him sent out on all his friends’ email or texts.  All of these are examples of cyber bullying, and none of it is harmless fun that will just fade away.  In fact, kids who are victims of cyber bullying tend to have life changes: cut classes, use drugs and alcohol, do poorly in school, become unhealthy (physically and emotionally), and be victims of in-person bullying. 

All adults in a youngster’s life need to be vigilant to guard against this.  We must keep aware of what our kids are doing online, and that includes the Internet, social sites, emails, and texting.  We must talk with our kids about what goes on in cyber-space, set rules, and monitor adherence to those rules.   All schools have such rules, and we must make sure that we and our kids are familiar with them.  Yes, the kids will complain.  But—and here’s what’s important—they’ll be safe.

Not Down on Down Syndrome

If you know someone with Down Syndrome, you know this is true:

Free Book Download

Saturdays I call “Sensible Saturday” on my blog. It’s a day when I tell about new inventions or ideas aimed at saving our planet, or I give suggestions for little things anyone can do. Those suggestions are simple, easy, and often save money. If you’d like to try some of them, you can find an abundance of them in my FREE e-book, Green Riches: Help the Earth & Your Budget. More than 2200 people have already downloaded it. You can find it at your favorite e-book seller or go to Smashwords.com and search Jackie O’Donnell. Again, it’s totally free for you to download and use.

To Women Everywhere

Happy International Women’s Day to all my female friends. Let’s be extra kind to all of our sisters today.

Head, Hands, and Heart

This struck me because of the artists I know. Some paint, some sculpt, some write, some are simply artists of life. Here’s today’s Thursday Thought.

Speak English, Darn It!

SPEAK ENGLISH, DARN IT!  My blood boils as I wait to be seated at a restaurant, two people near me talking in another language.  They’re in America, so they should speak English!  But why?  Do I think they’re talking about me?  Or planning to rob the place?  Do I really want (or need) to know what they’re saying?  If they were speaking English, it would be rude of me to eavesdrop.  I’m not bothered by people speaking in sign language or teens speaking their brand of “English” (although I could do without some of those words).  I, like most people, pepper my everyday language with borrowings from Spanish, German, Yiddish, Italian.  And I know that if I go to England, people there will complain that I don’t really speak English at all!  Next time, then, I resolve to turn boiling blood into thankfulness for living in a country made up of a rich tapestry of cultures, all of which add words to that ever-evolving banquet of language we call “English.”

It’s Party Time! But Why?

It’s Mardi Gras! OooooooKay. It’s a wild party, especially in New Orleans. But how the heck did the capital of Mardi Gras develop all its traditions around what is called “Fat Tuesday” the meaning of the French term “mardi gras”)? Why all the purple, green, and gold, and the costumes and masks? Why toss beads and fake jewelry at each other? Why the cake with a baby Jesus baked inside? Believe it or not, there’s a reason behind all of these. Find answers at The History Behind 5 of New Orleans’ Favorite Mardi Gras Traditions.