This is not so much color… but a surprise for me…

I know elephant ears love water and I have been watering in the absence of rain…[it's our dry season] but it looked half dead. This – with all the very recent new growth – is since our recent downpours. Good grief, should I uproot the thing and stick it in a bucket of water?

Tommy is seen disciplining his daughter in what would seem an unusual way, but it’s certainly struck a nerve with parents everywhere.

On his Facebook page, Tommy shares how he caught his daughter.

My Mom just gave away or sold my stuff when I acted up… or had me cut a switch. This is much better!

Well, she’ll be joining our family down here in south Florida in a couple of weeks. We’re delighted, of course, and look forward to many happy years with her!

What happened to my plan to wait until we actually had her to tell you? Too excited, I guess…

A few days ago Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius wrote:

And not every woman has used or will use birth control. I am an exception to her rule.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Boehner and fellow Republicans have vowed to fight the mandate. With what, pop guns?

Romney claims that obama is infringing on religious rights… Meanwhile, as Governor, he did the same thing with Romneycare? Oh, what a tangled web we weave…

Though Clint curled his ancient lip at claims that the video was political, others have run with it.

I rather like Rush’s version:

 
The brilliant Iowahawk has stepped in with his own interpretation and as usual it’s a thing of beauty…

Just a teaser…

This is extremely good news for conservatives. But should Newt step aside at this point? I say yes. I like Newt, but he’s not for everyone. My only qualm about Santorum is somewhat petty and would never affect my vote in the general: Rick’s voice is like a sleeping pill for me. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to hear what someone’s saying if you’re asleep.

I filched this from Harvey. It’s just too good…

In an effort to care for the consumer with an obviously depleted sense of personal responsibility, Walmart will label foods they believe to be healthy with bright green and white ‘Great for You’ labels.

To earn Walmart’s stamp of approval, foods must meet specific threshholds. Fresh fruits and vegetables qualify, as do lean cuts of meat. Brown rice makes the cut, while white rice does not. Skim and 1 percent milk qualify, while 2 percent and whole milk do not.

“There are no candy bars,” said Andrea Thomas, the company’s senior vice president of sustainability.

The company spoke with food and nutrition experts, health organizations, government entities and others to decide on its criteria.

“We had a nice, long debate about eggs,” said Thomas.

While some people felt that eggs should not be on the list because of the cholesterol they contain, she said, others argued that they are a good, low-cost source of protein. After hearing the various reasons, Walmart decided that eggs made the cut.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not yet introduced a standardized seal to show foods that meet certain health criteria.

“At the point in time that there is a standardized label that comes out from the FDA then we’ll be happy to make a switch,” said Thomas. “At this point we feel like our customers need help right now; we don’t know how long that’s going to take.”

At first, Walmart’s green and white “Great For You” icon will appear on signs for fresh fruits and vegetables and then pop up on packages of about 20 percent to 25 percent of the company’s Great Value brand food and on some of its Marketside items. Brand-name foods may also qualify for the seal.

Walmart’s efforts also include lowering the amount of sodium and added sugars in some of its food. The company said it cut 15 percent of the sodium in Great Value ketchup, an average of 15 percent of the sodium in Great Value canned vegetables such as corn, green beans and carrots, and more than 70 percent of the sodium in fresh steaks, roasts and certain other cuts of beef.

First lady Michelle Obama, who was with Walmart when it unveiled its plans in January 2011, said that the new seal gives parents information they need to make healthy choices, which is “a key piece of solving childhood obesity.”

 
Oh, so personal responsibility will suddenly grow in people, maybe like the Grinch’s heart? And all the little fat kids will be saved! Hallelujah!

This reminds me of the 17 year old girl named Stacey who ate only McNuggets for 15 years… since the age of TWO. And the ‘occasional portion of chips’, of course. And subsequently collapsed, because as we all know, including Stacey’s mom, man cannot live on McNuggets alone.

Stacey now realizes the error of her ways and is working to change her diet. But where was mom when her TWO year old started turning down everything except McNuggets? Stacey’s 39 year old mother, Evonne, was ‘exasperated’ because the other two kids ate right, dammit. She thinks her daughter should see a specialist.

Now let me tell you what my mother did… If I didn’t want to eat what was put on my plate, be it broccoli or beans, I sat at the table until I came to my senses. If I hadn’t straightened up by bedtime, guess what I got for breakfast? If I had openly defied all logic and insisted on a McNugget diet… she would have beat me until we came to an understanding.

God bless that woman. I hope she’s having tea and cake with Jesus right now.

Header image is the cleanest thing I could find at People of Walmart.

She loves horses and dogs – especially corgis.

Princess Elizabeth married the Duke of Edinburgh in 1947.

King George VI died on February 6, 1952 and Elizabeth ascended to the throne. When asked what name she would take as queen, she replied “Mine, of course”.

President Reagan and Queen Elizabeth II riding at Windsor, 1982.

I love it when she smiles; just cannot help myself.

Long may she reign.

I can’t believe I thought these plants dull when Joe gave me cuttings.. Turns out they’re anything but and their color surprises me.

You can’t blame the fauna for being fooled into growing; there’s been no winter for south Florida this year.

This plant has tender new growth – but on the tips of the naked branches only. Odd.

And this one is busy growing new leaves, but all over.

Endlessly fascinating and they make a nice break from politics…