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Another super fruit, but it doesn't come cheap

My friend commented in a previous blog that blueberries are also extremely beneficial to our health because of their anti-oxidants. I'd heard that before too, and even as I was reading the article, I wondered why they left off blueberries. After her comment, I vowed to add blueberries to my new superfruit regime.

By the way, here's the original blog entry: http://frannie.typepad.com/blog/2008/10/the-superfruits.html.

So, tonight I was in Publix, on a quest for blueberries. I found them but was shocked to see that they are $3.99 for a little bitty container. Even more surprising was the marketing sign that said, "Surprisingly low price." My goodness, how much are blueberries regularly priced? Frozen blueberries were also pricey. I ended up getting a bag of frozen blueberries for about $4. I hope they taste good.

Man, eating healthy is expensive!

A bittersweet coincidence

There is an article this month in Guideposts written by Jennifer Hudson entitled "My Grateful Heart." Jennifer talks about her singing and her family full of singers, particularly her grandmother. She talks about growing up in church and singing in the choir at Pleasant Gift Missionary Church. Jennifer emphasizes that music is a blessing from God and that she's totally grateful for this gift.

How sad, that this weekend her mother and brother were murdered. There's even a small family picture of them in the article. It includes a picture of Jennifer's sister whose son Julian has been missing since the killings. They look like such a close-knit family.

Jennifer is such a nice lady in the prime of a fabulous career. Surely her faith in God will get her through this awful time in her life. Maybe she'll sing at the funerals, if not solo than certainly with the congregation. Maybe they'll sing "How Great Thou Art", which Jennifer notes in her article is a family favorite.

The super fruits

According to an article on WebMd, we should eat more super fruits: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/new-superfruits

If you don't want to go to the article, here is the list of the recommended super fruits.

1. Figs - contain lots of calcium and potassium
2. Lychee - Their antioxidants may prevent breast cancer.
3. Guava - Chock full of wrinkle-preventing vitamin C
4. Asian pears - You can get almost half your fiber from one Asian pear.
5. Papaya - Helps with digestion; and used topically, a papaya will speed a burn recovery!

Unless a fig newton counts, I don't think I've ever had any of the above fruit. I'm going to change that the next time I'm grocery shopping.

My favorite fruit is honeydew, although I rarely buy it because it's such a hassle to cut up. But honeydews are so sweet and delicious!

What about you: what's your fave fruit? And can you recommend any of the above super fruits?

What's your favorite song from the 70's?

Here is one blogger's list of the top 25 "cheesiest" songs from the '70s:

http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/listoftheday/99685/the-25-cheesiest-hits-of-the-1970s

You will love it! My favorites from this list are:

1. The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA
2. Tie a Yellow Ribbon around the Ole Oak Tree
3. ... Well, actually, I like most every song on the list! I wonder what that makes me??

The above blogger left off "The Lion Sleeps Tonight!" A song about a lion in a mighty jungle should qualify for cheesy. Why do I remember that song? I got into trouble in 4th grade for singing it in the hallway with my friend.

Since I have older siblings, I got to hear a lot of the wilder songs of 70's.  One such was "Jeremiah was a Bull Frog" by Three Dog Night. I loved that song! I also listened to Elton John, especially "Benny and the Jets" The "Buh Buh Bu Benny and the Jets" part was the best! Even cooler was The Yellow Brick Road, where the dogs of society howl! I can still remember the Yellow Brick Road's funky album cover. Crosby Stills Nash and Young with their long hair was also pretty cool.

What about you? What's a favorite cheesy or otherwise memorable song (or songs) of the 70s to you?

Alternate headlines

The headlines in the papers this week have been dismal. How are these for some alternate, more uplifting ones?

1) Stocks at Bargain Prices; Great time to Buy Low
2) Gasoline Prices Steadily Dropping
3) US starts drilling in ANWR to Recoup Price of Bailout (I know this is just dreaming, but it is an intriguing way to provide tax revenue for the US Government and revenue for US companies.)

This is just an alternative to the depressing headlines that newspapers are throwing at us.

Interesting intelligence

Last night when my flight from Memphis landed, the stewardess asked everyone to keep their seatbelts on. A few moments later, she announced that their system detected 23 passengers whose seatbelts were not fastened, and then asked everyone to fasten their seatbelts again.

Wow... I wonder what else their system can detect?

Aunt Mary

Aunt Mary died this past weekend. She is the third aunt to die in the past year. Mama is the only Graham sister left. This is a sad time for us cousins. We all loved our aunts so much! They were remarkable ladies, even more so given that their mother died when they were still children. But, wasn't it Aunt Mary who said that hard times teach you more than good times?

I have so many memories of Aunt Mary. She was angelic inside out, especially with her pretty blue eyes; and her laugh was so joyful! My most special memory of Aunt Mary ironically involves a funeral: it was when Daddy died, and I don't remember all the circumstances, but Aunt Mary and Uncle Barton couldn't come for the funeral. Maybe someone was sick; that seems to ring a bell. However, they drove to the visitation, all the way from Dancyville. Aunt Mary got out of their car, gave Mama and the rest of us a hug, and then they turned around and drove 3 1/2 hours back to Dancyville.

Isn't that something?

(The picture is from Mama's birthday party last year at Aunt Ora's. Aunt Mary is on the far right, and I do believe that is the only time during the entire weekend that Mama, who is to her left, was alert.)