News from the New Year

I just heard a report on NPR about the fastest growing epidemic in the world- obesity. It flies in the face of common sense that the poorest people are the most at risk for diabetes and obesity. There was an experiment in Finland that reduced diabetes by 73% by changing the food supply rather than just focusing on scoldings and lectures. Hmmmmmm...seems possible. Even promoting eating from the local supply could make a difference if veggies and fruits and grains were marketed as strongly as meat and dairy is now.

School districts around here have "wellness" plans that forbid candy rewards for students. I think its a great idea whose time has come! Although developmentally some kids work harder for external rewards, there are a multitude of non-tangibles that kids love- choices of activities, lunch in the classroom or with the teacher, seat choices, more time on the computer, invite a friend activities, etc. Besides, schools could capitalize on the captive lunch business by "changing the food supply". School lunches could be soup and sandwiches instead of nachos and french fries although subsidized lunches appear to be exempt from the wellness campaign. I'm sorry, but enriching the donuts is not changing any students' eating habits for the better.

On other notes- New Year's Eve in Fairbanks was a mostly homegrown affair. There were a few bars and restaurants with music and drinking. The ice rink had a first time activity of skating for families from 8-12:30. I hope it was well attended. We walked up to the University to watch the fireworks at 8pm. We carried folding lawn chairs, blankets and thermoses of cocoa and tea and hunkered down on the bridge overlooking the West Ridge of UAF. The Museum had cocoa and cookies for the community. We came home and had popcorn and watched Big Business starring Lily Tomlin and Bette Midler. At midnight, the town went crazy with fireworks bought in North Pole. We enjoyed the light show from our bedroom window.

We have about 4 hours of daylight now...but it is gaining so it feels like a corner was turned. I used a passive voice on that sentence, a politician's trick. (e.g. Bush: Mistakes were made v. I made a mistake.) I'm going to try that more often this year to avoid conflict without really admitting agreement or compliance.

My husband is out in the garage doing myriad activities- already he's painted a spice rack bracket, gone to the dump and to the store, helped empty the dishwasher, made himself breakfast, called his uncle in Texas, worked on a program from work and checked and answered his email, trimmed and replanted some of his bonsai trees and is currently doing some cleaning in the garage and we've only been up for 3 hours. In comparison, I accompanied him to the dump, assisted in emptying the dishwasher, made breadsticks and dessert (which I didn't like so I dumped it together and stuck in the fridge), made 3 phone calls and used the computer. I like to think of his work as product focused and mine as process focused.

I'm beginning to think this blog might be too superficial, but I think once I get more comfortable, I can be more esoteric. Keep those comments and emails coming.