Think "Thaw"

Who would have thought there would still be this much ice on Lake Michigan by the end of March?  Parking on the bluff today just doesn't give me the same sense of infinite space and freedom that I usually experience when the lake is all liquid.  Confined to my car by the cold, the sun shining through the window provides a false sense of warmth that is somewhat enjoyable, but the lack of movement upon the water's surface causes me to yearn for a quick thaw.  In its current solid state, there are no glistening diamonds dancing on top.  Still, I consider myself blessed to see the reddish sandy ice hills that remind me of what Mars might look like.  It is a peculiar sight, one that most tourists will never see, and that's why I've included this photo instead of a beach glass or rock shot.  So if that's what you clicked on this blog for, I hope you're not disappointed.  The seasonal changes you've witnessed in this picture are sure to bring lots of new treasures to the water's edge.

BEANiTOS

Every now and then I find myself doing a free commercial for a product that I just can't keep my mouth shut about.  This post is one of those times.  A friend gave me a bag of "BEANiTOS Original Black Bean Chips with Sea Salt" to try.  The bookstore she manages ran out, and she had one bag left.  With my first bite, I was intrigued.  With two bigger bites, I was hooked.  Then after turning the bag to the back, what I read sent me straight to my car to find more.  Here's why:  BEANiTOS are an American made gluten-free, cholesterol-free, super tasty chip that has no MSG, no preservatives, and no trans fats.  The first ingredient listed is black beans, followed by whole long grain rice, pure sunflower and/or safflower oil, guar bean gum, and sea salt.  That's a mighty short list for a whole lot of flavor that is also certified low glycemic, kosher, and vegan.  A serving size is 12 chips, and with that you'll get five grams of fiber and four grams of protein.  I wasn't able to find them in my small town, so I went to www.beanitos.com.  With this link, finding where BEANiTOS are sold was easily done, and I'll be heading there soon.  

Did I mention that if I had had my eyes shut with my first taste of BEANiTOS, I would have thought they were from a basket of home-made potato chips at one of my favorite restaurants?  It's true.  I was bamboozled by black beans.

This one is called, "Sea Glass Doodle with Ink Line Filter".  The dark colors on the bottom give you some idea of the color of the black bean chips. 

The West Wing

My husband and I have a new addiction.  It's not something harmful, but it has become a mutual monkey on our backs.  It sometimes keeps us from doing what we should be doing, like going for a walk, getting groceries, or calling our moms.  While physically inactive, the highly intellectual aspect of our new pastime draws us with a pull that stems from our need to feel smarter.  We've been told that the aging brain is a shrinking brain, so yes, it is a bit of a treat to immerse ourselves into a pool of intelligent, clever conversation.  Unfortunately, we are only observers, not actual participants, and any dialogue my husband and I might have in response goes unheard.   Nevertheless, each time we satisfy our craving for our new "brain drug", we ultimately find ourselves saying, "Let's do one more".  If this sounds like something you'd like to try, look up the old "West Wing" political drama series, and begin with season one from 1999 on Netflix.  Make sure to stay in sequence; it won't take long to get hooked.

This beach glass picture is called "Driftwood Platform".  Platform is a word used in politics, so it's the obvious choice for today's post.  See you next week!

Color in a Box

It's a job that I dread doing, and yet, every six to eight weeks, I force myself to do it.  Sure, I could pay someone else to do it for me.  I could even stop doing it altogether, but I've tried that, and it wasn't pretty.  You see, there is no actual name for the natural color of my hair, and so I buy a color in a box.  The act of applying the new hue to my head is a real chore.  The mixture is smelly, it stings my skin, and it takes a long time to rinse out.  The most difficult step, aside from the timing so that my hair doesn't break off, is coverage.  I never know if I got the goop on all of my roots.  If you color your own hair, you know what I mean.  It would be easy to just empty the contents all over my noggin and lather the stuff up like shampoo, but no, that would be hair-suicide, too many chemicals too often.  So to save a few bucks (more like $50 to $80),  and when I can no longer stand to look at the dark stripe down the center of my scalp, I do my own roots.  It may not be much to write about, but it was the topic in, and on, my head today.  Count yourself blessed if you're happy with your hair.

This one is called "Merged Brown Bottle", but doesn't it look like "Color in a Box"?