Category Food and health

FMM 12 1 17 Choices

“Not what we have, but what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance.” ~Epicurus. In the 1980’s, Jamaica went through some challenging times.  The Prime Minister (Michael Manley, a self-declared Socialist) had aligned himself too closely to Cuba’s Fidel for the US to be comfortable, and actions were taken to squeeze the country.  The IMF and the […]

FMM 11 10 17 Blind Spots

“There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self.” ~ Aldous Huxley. My brother was the only boy in our family, he was born after three girls.  I was told that my purpose in life (I came after him) was to prevent him from being […]

FMM 10 20 17 Exceeding Expectations

“Put your heart, mind and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success.” ~ Swami Sivananda.  I always wanted to be a nurse.  I had two dress-up outfits as a child. One was a cowgirl outfit. It came with the sheriff’s badge, a waistcoat, skirt and holster with gun.  Oh yes, […]

FMM 10 13 17 The Allure of Alliteration

“I would define, in brief, the poetry of words as the rhythmical creation of Beauty.”~ Edgar Allan Poe. As children we were taught the art of remembering by a number of tricks.  Even without big theories of pedagogy, the old time teachers knew that if you presented information in rhyme or in song, it laid […]

FMM 9 29 17 Zip-lining Away!

“The reason why the world lacks unity, and lies broken and in heaps, is, because man is disunited with himself.”~ Ralph Waldo Emerson. There are many beautiful places in Jamaica. The name itself is descriptive: Land of wood and water (Xaymaca was the Arawak name for the island). It is said that when Christopher Columbus […]

FMM 9 22 17 Dry Wit

“Everything is funny, as long as it’s happening to somebody else.”~ Will Rogers. My father had a strange sense of humor.  His jokes would often be met with a split second of silence, before the audience, whether in church, the classroom, or the huge assembly hall where as chaplain he would lead morning devotions each […]

FMM 9 15 17 Stripped Bare

“Good timber does not grow with ease. The stronger the wind the stronger the trees.” ~ Thomas S. Monson.  I traveled to Jamaica with my family in 1963, sailing on the SS Ascania.  Our journey was extended by several days, as we had to observe protocol, and allow a killer to exit the Caribbean before […]

FMM 9 8 17 Silencing Critics

“We cannot change anything until we accept it. Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses.”~ Carl Jung. To those of us who grew up trying to please others, the opinion of others matters far too much.  Children whose parents have a particular standing in the community (here I am thinking of parsons and teachers) grow up […]

FMM 9 1 17 The Less I Know

“Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit.”~ e. e. cummings.  Do you remember the first time you had to question a long-held belief?  When I was young, I was totally flummoxed when my brother tried to tell me that Sunday was the […]

FMM 8 11 17 Timely Reminders

“Everyone needs reminders that the fact of their being on this earth is important and that each life changes everything.”~ Marge Kennedy. A song has been playing in my mind this week, ever since I helped my grandson with his homework.  Did you know that in Finland (so I’ve been told), children have shorter school […]