Terre Pruitt's Blog

In the realm of health, wellness, fitness, and the like, or whatever inspires me.

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Archive for the ‘Misc’ Category

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Cow Guy With Needle In Haunch

Posted by terrepruitt on September 5, 2016

What?  “cow guy with needle in haunch.”  That came up in the “top searches” on my blog.  I read it over and over thinking, “What?”  And even more disturbing . . . “it sounds familiar.”  The more I think about it, the more I think I know something about it, but I can’t remember what.  This situation is very weird and disturbing to me.  Cow guy with needle in haunch . . . . . . . . hmmmmm . . . it will come to me.  I bet just as I am about to press publish I will remember and then I will have to scrap this whole thing and think of another post.  It is at the edge of my brain.  I am sure it has to do with a TV show that my husband and I watch because I have no other connection to a “cow guy.”  I might have a connection to a needle in a haunch, but more like the skin of neck.  Hmmmmm . . . . don’t you hate that?  When you think something is familiar but you have no idea why?  It is like that thing on the tip of your tongue.  Or the thing on the edge of your brain or in the corner of your mind.  But what I don’t know is why that is a top search on my blog.  Even if I was searching for it because it has to do with a TV show we watch, why is it on my blog?

Next top searches are:  wrist blood pressure higher than arm, granola for gout, piyo satya.  The search terms used to be so much more useful but then a long time ago Google changed the way they did things and so the information we get on WordPress is pretty useless.  At least WordPress claims it was Google’s fault for the change.  I don’t really know.  I do know that at one point I used the searches to sometimes come up with post topics.  I figured if people were looking for the information I could write about it.

But in this case (“cow guy with needle in haunch”).  I got nothing.  I am somewhat wondering.  Is it the cow with the needle in its haunch or the guy who has something to do with cows?  Kinda sounds like there is a guy who has something to do with cows so he is called “cow guy” and HE has a needle in his haunch.  What kind of needle?  This search just really raises a lot more questions then there could ever be answers, don’t you think?

I kind of wish that people would have to explain WHY they were searching for the things they do.  But then I think about it more and realize that something like that could actually be pretty terrifying.  Eeeeek!

The highest search that comes up on my blog is the wrist monitor for blood pressure.  Always surprises me.  That is always the top search.  Which takes people to my post Blood Pressure Monitors – It’s All In the Wrist.

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Everyday I see more and more post on Facebook with links to how dance is really good for you.  I don’t read any of them, because I know.  I don’t read them because if you don’t like to dance then it doesn’t really matter.  Me telling you that they have done studies about how great it is for your health, if you don’t like to do it, you’re not just gonna start because it is good for you.  And I don’t need to read it for me, because I know.  I do believe Nia helps blood pressure, just like any mind-body or body-mind practice.

Anyway . . . I started off wondering about an odd search term and ended up on blood pressure which brought me to Nia because I think Nia helps with mine.  How is that for sitting down and just typing/writing?

What kind of search odd search terms do you see on your blog?  Do you do any type of mind-body or body-mind practice?  Yoga?  Pilates?  Meditation?  Chanting?

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Quick Re-Visit Of Somethings

Posted by terrepruitt on August 31, 2016

I have some follow up information on some of the posts I have posted:

I made another batch of Sweet and Savory Mixed Nuts, actually I made two.  I made one like before actually sweet and savory, and I made a sweet and spicy.  I didn’t measure the cayenne pepper, I just sprinkled a lot more in the mixture.  I also found a packet of crushed hot red pepper flakes in the refrigerator, ya know the kind you get when you order pizza to be delivered?  I used a package of those.  So I don’t know how much that is.  But last I heard it was a good amount.  When I first told John he said, “Is that all?”  And I reminded him I am not really trying to make them HOT, just give them a little warmth.  But then he ate them and said it was a perfect amount.  But ya know, sometimes with things like this it seems like the spices can be all in one spot.  But hopefully the batch he took to work this morning for a snack was just as good.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFitOur cats, formerly known as Smokey and Esmeralda, have adjusted to their new names.  They are now Teagan and Nessa.  My hubby and I are convinced that Teagan actually likes her name as about the same time we decided to change it she became a little bit more affectionate.  I think that Nessa likes her new name too, now, but she was quick to warm up to it.  Who knows if cats actually care, but it SEEMS like they do.

When I taught yoga at The Dancing Cat earlier this month, I forgot to mention that they have adopted out eight one cats!  That is awesome.  I am not sure if that number has gone up, but I am hoping for them to hit at least 100 when they close in November.  Again, them closing in November is the last I heard, but perhaps that has changed.

Awhile back I posted about this sugar that I had purchased because it was the only kind in the store.  I had posted about it because I thought that maybe since it was less processed it actually “lasted” longer in the hummingbird feeders.  By “lasted” longer I meant it didn’t get grungy as fast.  Well, I have to take that back as I think it didn’t get grungy because the birds were eating it so fast.  We have had a very active hummingbird community this year.  It is really cool.  Over the many years that we have lived here we have probably had about 10 hummingbirds at a time come into the yard to feed.  But there is usually one very possessive bird that thinks he rules the yard and he spends most of his time chasing all the other birds off.  This year they all seem to chase each other around, but no one bird stands out as the boss.  And we have had more birds than ever.  It is really cool.  I filled five of our six feeders on Friday, today is Wednesday and I filled three again today.  I filled one yesterday.  So in about five days I had to refill our feeders.

Speaking of hummingbird feeders, I still maintain that our old hummingbird feeder, the one that is really difficult to clean, is still the favorite amongst the birds.  They will always empty that one first.  It always has the most birds around it.  I really think they can get to the nectar better because of the way it is designed.  I can’t get in and clean it better because the way it is designed, but I think they like it best.  The birds do eat off the other ones, but they don’t get emptied as fast as the old one.  The new ones, though, as so awesome to clean.  It literally takes less than five minutes each to soap ’em up, scrub ’em down, and rinse them out.  I love it.

We are planning on taking down at least three of the feeders this winter.  I will leave up the two large easy to clean ones and the small one that is super easy to clean.  The hummingbirds LOVE that one.  We take down the oriole feeder, the hard to clean feeder, and the hummingbird bar.  Any birds that are still around will still have enough to eat.  If as many birds that are around now, stay around, I will keep up all the feeders, but the numbers seem to dwindle in October.  We will see.

 

Well, that is all for the updates for now.  I have thought to do a post on some of these things, but then realized none of them really warrant an entire post on its own, so I am lumping it all together!

Posted in Birds, Cats, Misc, Teagan and Nessa | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Negative Stuff At The Beach Is Positive

Posted by terrepruitt on August 29, 2016

My last post having something to do with the beach was in April, when my hubby and I had a little get-away.  While many people go to the beach much more often, it is pretty good for me to have gotten to the beach again only four and a half months later.  I was going with a friend to take a Nia class over the hill.  After the class we were going to go have breakfast then go to the ocean.  We always figure if we drive over the hill we might as well go to the ocean.  Turns out, the Nia class wasn’t being held but we decided to go over the hill anyway.  First we had breakfast at a place not too far from the ocean.  Then we sat there, at the breakfast place, talking for about an hour.  It was kind of overcast and we had no plans so we weren’t in a hurry.  But we finally did make it to the beach.  It was awesome.  Just a handful of people and a nice little cloud cover.  First we walked one way on the beach, then back the other way.  Then we decided to sit down.  The weather was perfect!  The sun actually came out around noon.  We just talked and enjoyed the ocean. We were immersing ourselves in the negative ions.

I had heard this a long time ago, but never looked into it until now.  And I barely glanced into it.  But I can tell you that what I am seeing out there in the way of information is that the air is full of invisible particles called ions.  Sometimes these ions can be positively charged or negatively charged.  Oddly enough, it is the negatively charged or “negative ions” that can possibly have a positive effect on us.

According to an article on WebMD:

The director of research at the Center for Applied Cognitive Sciences in Charlotte, N.C. is quoted as saying, “Generally speaking, negative ions increase the flow of oxygen to the brain; resulting in higher alertness, decreased drowsiness, and more mental energy.”

The article further states:

Once they reach our bloodstream, negative ions are believed to produce biochemical reactions that increase levels of the mood chemical serotonin, helping to alleviate depression, relieve stress, and boost our daytime energy.

When I heard of negative ions long ago, I had only heard of the ocean as being a place to experience them.  Or if other places were mentioned I only remember the ocean.  But the WebMD article mentions mountains, waterfalls, and even the shower.  So there might be more to it than just feeling good when you are in these places because you are not at work.  It could be because of the negative ions in the air.

Unfortunately watching the video or playing it on your computer or device will not give you the same effects.  No negative ions via video, but I thought I would share it anyway.  Along with some pictures.

 

My friend and I sure enjoyed our breakfast and our ocean time.

Would you rather go to the mountains or the ocean?

 

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Posted in Misc | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Thinking About Posture

Posted by terrepruitt on August 1, 2016

Last week I was walking to my car from class.  I had just taught yoga and Nia, so I was feeling tall and in good posture.  I was sensing the spaces that allows for comfortable movement.  I looked up at a woman coming towards me and at first I thought it was a woman I knew.  The woman walking toward me bore a resemblance to my friend, but as I watched her it occurred to me that the woman I was looking at had completely different body language than the person I thought it could be.  The woman I was thinking of walked tall and erect.  She exuded confidence. The person walking towards me didn’t do that (stand tall) or give off that impression (confidence).  It made me pause.  It made me think.  It had me saying to myself, “Egads, what does my posture say?”

When I am walking on a campus of one of the places I teach, I try not to use my phone.  There are occasions where I have gotten delayed by traffic so I am turning my phone to airplane mode and preparing my music because I am going to be walking in with less time than I would like to have before starting class.  But, I think of walking to class as a time where I might have an opportunity to engage a member or student, so normally I am not on my phone.  I don’t usually walk bent over/looking down.  But I see a lot of people who are.

I AM normally juggling with my stuff, I take in my purse, a canvas briefcase, a water bottle, my phone, my keys, sometimes a jacket, sometimes other papers, sometimes my yoga mat.  So I am sure my posture is not very regal looking.  And when I think about it, I love the people I see who walk tall and look out at the world.

I often think about my posture while I am sitting at my desk, or watching TV, in a yoga class, or teaching a yoga class, but I don’t usually think of it while I am walking.  And I don’t usually think about it as an identifier.  As in I saw this stranger’s face from afar and thought it could be my friend, but then her posture and her gait made me realize instantly it was not my friend.  Even though I don’t think about it all the time, it is something we do, right?  We include body movement in the way we identify people.  The way we carry ourselves is part of our identity.  Well, duh, huh?

Sigh.  I don’t really know where I am going with this.  Perhaps I want to be more conscious of my posture.  Not just because I believe standing tall and having good posture is good for me, but I guess I would rather have part of my identity be tall, erect, confident, than bent over, slumped, and juggling.  Hmmmm.

What do you think?  Do you think about your posture at all?

 

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Easy To Clean, Perhaps Not So Easy To Drink From

Posted by terrepruitt on July 11, 2016

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFitI have written about how my hubby and I feed the hummingbirds. I have written about their tongues. I have written about the sugar we use.  I have shared them being in our yard. In one of those posts I’ve had to have mentioned how difficult it is to clean the feeders. With the hummingbirds putting their tongues in the feeders there is a lot of stuff that grows in there. It pretty much looks like black slime. It is pretty gross. The way the feeders are constructed it is difficult to get in there and clean it out. We have several different brushes and we poke ’em through the little holes and clean the sludge out as best as we can. But it is time consuming – and gross. I have always wondered why someone hasn’t made a feeder that comes apart easily so that it is easier to clean. Easier to make sure all the gunk is gone. Well, I found one. I was so excited. I think I had food made up on the day they were scheduled to arrive so once they got here I could just fill them and put them outside. Well, sadly, I am disappointed in them.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFitI had found them on Perky Pet. But we had two that were still useable so I was going to wait until we needed one before I bought it. Well, it just happened within days of me finding it, I was washing the ones we had and I broke one. It fell in the sink and broke. Then I found the feeder sold through Amazon and it was Prime so it would get here faster and free. The new ones look the same as our old ones.  With slight differences.

When I got it I filled it and put it outside. The birds didn’t touch it. They used the other feeder. I even put the new one in the spot where the old one was – 1) I didn’t trust that it wouldn’t leak (so I put it over the dirt) 2) I thought that would encourage them to use it.

When I saw a bird at the new feed what I saw was the little hummingbird sitting on it and then having to REACH his neck up really tall in order to get his beak into the “bee guard” flower. The flowers on the new feeders have a little tube that are supposed to keep bees out. But our birds are so tiny they really have to reach to get at the right angle.

I thought I could use the OLD flowers in the new feeder, but of course not. They are not interchangeable. Since I thought the little tube was the problem, I cut them off all of the flowers. But still, the birds were not using it as much as the old feeder.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFitI am not sure what the issue is. I THINK that the nectar doesn’t flow freely from the bottle into the reservoirs. So what I do is go outside every once in awhile and jiggle the feeder. When I jiggle it, bubbles blurp in the bottle and then I can actually see the sugar water at the holes of the flowers. So I know they can get at it.

The past two nights the old feeder has been empty so we have seen increased activity by the new feeder, but they still don’t seem to be using it as much. Or they try and they can’t get at the water . . . I am not sure. I am not filling the feeders as much, but there seems to be the same amount of birds and activity in the yard. To me if the birds are there in full force the feeders should be empting faster.

We will see. It is REALLY nice to have the feeders come apart. When they are apart I can ensure that I get it clean. There are no nooks and crannies for the slime to hide in. I really like that part. I just want to make sure that the birds can drink out of them.

I am about to fill all three again . . . . we will see how it goes. Perhaps it was just a matter of the birds getting used to using the new one. They might have to use the new feeders differently because they are configured little differently inside.

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Wrist Relief

Posted by terrepruitt on July 6, 2016

So this past Monday was a Holiday, it was Fourth of July, on holidays often gyms, yoga studios, and fitness places have different schedules.  Such was the case with the YMCA on Monday.  Some Y’s were closed.  The ones that were open had shortened open hours and adjusted group exercise schedules.  I saw that one of the YMCAs in my area had an adjusted schedule on the Holiday.  It had classes that it normally does not have on Monday.  And not only did they have a class I wanted to take, but it was at the perfect time!  So, I schlepped myself over there to try it out.  I was hoping it was the same teacher that I had taken a class from before and I could ask her if I could post about a technique she had shared in that class.  It was, I did, and she granted me permission.  So this post is about a pain relieving technique for the wrists.

When I took a class with her before I was trying out a new-to-me type of yoga and in that class she did a technique to help relived some discomfort in our wrists because we had done a few poses on them.  She did it again in this class, although a little differently, but we had not been on our wrists as long as we had been in the other class.

She, Cindy Piccoli – a yoga instructor at the YMCA, said that her chiropractor taught her this technique.  She said she had carpal tunnel and did this movement to relieve it.  She said she did this frequently for two years and she no longer suffers from carpal tunnel.*

Since having done it in her class that one day, I do it to relieve aching wrists after doing poses that make my wrists hurt.  I also have had my students do it after we do poses that affect the wrist in class.

It is amazingly simple, perhaps it can help you after those “wrist” poses.

  • Somewhat straighten out one arm palm up.  The elbow can be relaxed.  Then form a “U” with your index finger and thumb of the OTHER hand.

  • Grasp the wrist of the straight arm, right where the palm and the arm meet, and squeeze.  While you are squeezing bring each finger in one at a time on the hand of your straight arm.  I recommend keeping the fingers that are forming the “U” straight as that allows for a strong squeeze.  (My model allowed his fingers to close around the wrist . . . )

  • Start with the pinky, them move onto the ring finger, moving all fingers until you end up with a “closed palm”.  Do that a couple of times.

  • Then draw your fingers toward you allowing your hand to move toward you.  Straighten the fingers out, flexing the hand, then bend the wrist pointing the fingers toward you.  Do that a couple of times.

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https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7409/28143970835_f910de2fde_b.jpg

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If your other wrist is bothering you, don’t forget to do this on the other one.

Give it a try after you have had your weight on your wrists and see what you think.

Do you have any techniques or remedies for sore wrists?

*Keep in mind this site/post makes no claims as to this technique or any others mentioned on this site healing or curing any ailment, affliction, illness.  This post is sharing an a persons individual experience.

Oh, and thank you to my wonderful hand model.  😉

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Health Benefits Of Cardamom

Posted by terrepruitt on June 20, 2016

You may have read my post about Chai Tea.  A Nia Teacher friend gave me a yummy recipe for chai tea.  I had futzed with it because I wanted it a bit spicier — what?  Me?  I know.  But it is not HOT spice, just more flavorful.  Well, I was excited until I saw the price of cardamom.  And, as is my habit, I posted about how outrageous it was.  As is my friends’ way . . .one of them helped me out.  First of all she GAVE me some Cardamom, then she reminded me of where I live.  I live in one of the most diverse areas in the country – well, I think I do.  But whether that is true or not we have all types of different markets around.  There are Asian Markets, Hispanic Markets, Indian Markets, Spice Markets, Vegetable Markets, Fabric Markets . . . you name it, I bet there is one within 5 miles of me.  Well, Spice Markets have way more affordable spices then grocery stores.  I got a bag of cardamom and I have been using it in my tea.

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First of all wiki states:  “It is the world’s third-most expensive spice, surpassed in price per weight only by vanilla and saffron.”  Well, that explains the high price at the store.  I did not know that!

Cardamom has been used in Ayurveda and Chinese medicine for thousands of years to treat many ailments.

According to several websites (Sunwarrior, Organic Facts, Food Facts, and The Health Site), cardamom is good for digestion.  Some compared it to ginger, in that it can aid in digestion. It can help relieve things like nausea, bloating, gas, heartburn, acidity, loss of appetite, and constipation.

It helps eliminate toxins from the body.

It helps with bad breath. And mouth ulcers and throat infections.

It is a diuretic, which could be one way it helps eliminate toxins.

It can act as an anti-depressant.

It can also help prevent colds and flus.

Studies on animals are showing it might help protect against some cancers.

Studies on humans have shown it helps lower blood pressure.

It controls cholesterol according to a study in India done on mice.

Can possibly prevent or aid in the prevention of blood clots, by improving circulation.

It is an antioxidant, an anti inflammatory, and an aphrodisiac.

It’s essential oil can be used in aromatherapy.

Research has been done at the King Saud University concluding that cardamom can be used to control muscle spasms on animals.

Cardamom can help with some respiratory issues such as asthma and bronchitis.

It can help with sore throats and hiccups.

It is said to cure impotency and a bevy of penis problems.  I occurred to me with better circulation, these types of problems could possibly be helped.  And then if these types of problems are improved upon it could definitely relieve some depression.  🙂

In a tablespoon of cardamom there is 80 percent of the recommended value of manganese, which is really important for healthy skin.

Cardamom is a good source of potassium, calcium, magnesium, and iron.

Well, I didn’t quiet get to the part on how to use it other than in tea.  But perhaps you can help.  Do you use cardamom?  How do you use it?

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Hummingbirds On A BEAUTIFUL Day

Posted by terrepruitt on June 15, 2016

Wow.  We are having the best weather here in the South Bay Area.  It is June and I have my windows open!  Usually it is too hot and we have everything shut up until it cools down.  At about 8:30 or 9:00 pm we open the house and try to let it cool down.  We keep the windows open for as long as we can hoping that will help keep it cool for the next day’s heat.  But we have not been having heat!  YAY!  So excited.  So loving it.  The other day when I got up, I was enjoying the hummingbirds around the feeders.  There was four to five of them.  When I got home from teaching Nia and yoga, I noticed the feeders were empty, so I texted my hubby asking him if he would make food that night.  He is the expert hummingbird food maker.  That is his job.  I made sure they were cleaned out so all he had to do was “cook” and fill the feeders.  And, today, I was able to enjoy the fruits of his labor.  With the weather being so awesome, I had the doors open so I could hear their chittering.  I can also hear the buzz of their wings.  So awesome.  I love it.

I was watching them fly all around and I was able to take this video.  As I often say when I take pictures or videos – and it sounds lame, but hey, that is the way it is – I couldn’t see what I was shooting.  The sun was very bright and I was at an odd angle – half in, half out of the house.  I was trying not to disturb the birds.  I THOUGHT I was capturing two birds on the feeder.  I also was fascinated by the crazy one that is off in the distance.  See him?  He was flying around as if he were drunk.  It was so funny.  When I looked at the video I was so surprised to see FOUR on the feeder.  I mean, that happens, that is why I wanted to be sure to fill the feeders again right away.  But I didn’t even see them, when I was recording.  That portion of the feeder was out of sight.  Basically only my arms were sticking out of the house trying to capture the birds eating.

I could sit there all day and take pictures and make recordings, but . . . I do have other things to do.

I have not been able to get a good picture of an oriole yet.  They are very shy and fly away the moment I move towards the door or window.  I hope to have all summer long to try to get a good photo.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFitI love our hummingbirds – oh, except the on that was getting back at me for walking by him.  I was outside, there was a bird on the feeder.  I didn’t want to wait for him to finish so I squeezed by as close to our yard furniture as I could . . . giving him as wide of a berth as I could.  He flew off the feeder.  I turned around to and said, “Sorry about that.”  And he flew up and then flew straight at me!  Bugger!

They are so entertaining.

As a note . . . there is no added coloring to the water, it is that color because of the sugar.  You can read about that in my post Another Case Where Less Might Be More.

Do you have hummingbirds?  Do you have other birds? 

Posted in Birds, Misc | Tagged: , , , , , | 4 Comments »

Another Case Where Less Might Be More

Posted by terrepruitt on June 8, 2016

One day I was in the store and I decided to buy sugar.  I was in the Grocery Outlet.  Do you have those in your area?  Have you ever been to one?  My parents used to go and I wrinkled my nose at that, thinking it was a bunch of weird off-brand stuff.  Then one day I went in there and I discovered brand name stuff for about half the price as you find in regular grocery stores.  Granted most of the stuff in there is snack food and basically over-processed food, but we do eat bread and often times you can find it there for half the price as the other stores.  I had seen C&H Pure Cane sugar there before so I thought I would drop in and get some.  I mean, if I am going to buy what I consider to be less-than-healthy food, I might as well spend less.  Well, they didn’t have any and I didn’t want to go to another store, because really?  It’s sugar.  So I saw something that attracted my attention.  It was  Zulka Morena Pure Cane Sugar.  The package said that it was less processed than other sugar and it was organic so I thought I would give it a try.  I discovered something interesting about it.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFitThis sugar is not white like C&H Pure Cane white sugar yet it is not brown either.  It is off white.  Well, when I used it I notice things in it.  What type of things, I don’t know.  They could be pieces of bugs or leaves.  They kind of look like pieces of leaves.  But it somewhat turned me off of using it.  I put it in my sugar container, but I would reach for some other sugar I had before I reached for it.

One day my husband told me to stop by the store to pick up sugar because he was going to make hummingbird food, I said we have sugar.  I actually thought I had seen another bag of white sugar in the closet, but when I got home and looked all we had was the Zulka Morena.  It is used like regular sugar.  It is “regular” sugar it is just processed less.  So I talked him into using it.  He didn’t want to.**updated 04.29.18

Well, he made the food and it came out kinda tan.  It was not clear/white like when we use our familiar white sugar.  It wasn’t cloudy, it was just colored.  I was kind of concerned, thinking perhaps it wouldn’t be good for the birds.  I wondered if they would care.  I wondered if they would notice a difference.  I wondered if they would like it.

The reason I had him make the food (he is the hummingbird food maker in the house so when it is needed, he makes it) was because I had seen some hummingbirds flitting around the empty feeders.  So I was thinking when he put full ones up they would be there.  But there were not. I was worried.  I thought that the food must not be good.  I thought they didn’t like it.  Usually, when we see them at the feeders and we put food out they are right there!  But they weren’t.

I am gonna say it took at least a week for them to come.  But then, it seemed like when I looked out the window, they were always there.  But oddly enough, they were only at one feeder.  Usually they will eat off of both.  One more than the other, but both.  This time – I had seen them at the other feeder once or twice, but they actually emptied one out before they used the other.  So that means that the unused one was there for even longer than the first one.

Our feeders are in the sun.  SUN.  Sometimes the bottles start to have stuff grow in them.  This isn’t good for the birds.  So it is a drag when that happens.  And sometimes it can happen fast.  I mentioned the sun because I figure that the sun is a contributing factor to the growth in the bottles.  It could be the shade.  Either way, sometimes it happens really fast.

You may or may not know that hummingbirds don’t suck the nectar out of the feeders.  Their beaks are not straws.  I had thought that until I saw one stick its tongue out.  So they actually stick their tongue into the feeder.  I believe that the way they eat helps contribute to the stuff growing in the bottles.  So a busy feeder with a few hot days stuff can grow pretty fast.

Well, it is my opinion – I don’t think my hubby agrees with me – that this sugar does not grow stuff as fast.  We had the bottles out there a long time and there wasn’t the weird stringy black stuff that has seen to pop up really fast in the feeders in the batches we made before these last ones.  I think it is cool.

I just cleaned the feeders and my hubby is going to come home and make food tonight.  So we will have them up again by tomorrow.  I am going to watch them again closely and see.  I know there are many things that can contribute to the stuff growing in them, but it seems our last few batches have gotten it awful fast.  So we will see how this new batch fares.

At least the birds seem to like the sugar.  They don’t care about the color.  Who cares that it is not clear, as long as it is not red (the red dye is not good for the birds).

Do you feed the hummingbirds?  Do you have hummingbird feeders?  What type of sugar do you use? What is your recipe?  What type of sugar do you use?

**updated 04.29.18 – please see comments below, as this type of sugar has traces of iron in it and hummingbirds have a low tolerance to iron.

Posted in Birds, Misc | Tagged: , , , , , | 19 Comments »

Affordable Wireless Earbuds

Posted by terrepruitt on April 27, 2016

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFitI teach a cardio dance exercise called Nia.  It is dance, it is exercise, it is a cardio workout.  It is done to music.  Nia teachers pay a licensing fee and included in that are routines.  The Nia Technique creates routines.  One part to learning a routine is to listen to the music.  I listen to it a lot.  Sometimes I have difficulty or I feel I do, if I don’t like the music.  But most of the time I like it.  But either way, I listen to it a lot.  Sometimes I listen to it while I am cleaning, but when I have the vacuum on I can’t hear it so I have been wanting some Bluetooth headphones.  I have had my earbuds in with my phone in my pocket or tucked in somewhere when the wire has gotten caught and the earbuds RIPPED out of my ears or out of the phone.  Neither one is good.  So I thought it would be cool to have a wireless pair.  Originally I was looking for headphones.  Everything I found was expensive.  I didn’t even realize they made wireless earbuds!  My husband found some that were affordable.  It turned out he liked them and they worked well.  Sometimes the affordable things don’t always work well, so it is nice that these did.  So I went looking and I found a pair that looked almost exactly like his but were even less expensive.  I’m only talking $4.00, but, $4.00 is $4.00.  So I got some.  And I like ’em.  I like mine better than his.

Both pair are over the ear type of wearables.  Both pair stick IN your ear.  On mine, the earbud part seems to be made of metal whereas his are plastic.  Also, the over-the-ear holder on mine seems a little softer more flexible.  I liked that a lot better.  It made them more comfortable.  When I tried his on, one of my ears started to hurt.  With the softer holder they might flex more and allow for better movement with my glasses.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFitOf course, at $13.99 they are from a brand I have never heard of – Parasom.  But they work.  Who knows if they will keep working.  I have experienced many off-brand – or more accurately – not a name brand – product that has stopped working after a couple of months.  So we will see.

Mine also had a little clip, which I liked.  The control portion of the earbuds on mine is about an inch or so closer to the earbud than his, but that is ok for me.  I am not using mine while running like he is, so it is easy for me to stop what I am doing if I need to in order to work the controls.  Although they are pretty easy and pretty standard controls.

One button powers it on – and it says, “Power on” and off (it says “Power off”).  The same button starts the play of music and pauses it.  One button turns the volume up, goes to the previous song, and restarts the song.  Another button turns the volume down and advances the music to the next song.

I haven’t used it as a headset for phone calls because the first time I tried it with my hubby’s he said he didn’t like the quality of my voice, so I haven’t bothered trying mine.  I know when I am using my regular headset and driving I can’t be on the phone that long because the quality of the caller’s voice is distorted.  Probably has to do with the fact that it is only coming through one ear bud.

Anyway, I am always excited when I get a product that I think of as expensive at an affordable price AND it works.  So, I like to share.  So far, this was at an affordable price, it works, so I am sharing.  I would like to point out that I did NOT receive this product for free or at a discounted rate for my unbiased and impartial review.  But, hey, how do I do that?  I read A LOT of blogs and reviews where the people say that.  Sign me up for that!

Anyway . . . if you are looking for an affordable wireless headset the one my husband got is good or mine is – which I think is better.

Have you ever had your earbuds ripped out of your ears because the wire to the phone get caught on something?  Have you been thinking about a wireless pair?

Posted in Misc | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

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