Now we know what 5.7 feels like...

The Pacific west coast from North America to South America lies on a major fault line = warning: earthquake zone. On our second day in Nicaragua recently, I took a little nap in the afternoon while my family stayed outside enjoying the pool. I was rudely awakened by what I thought was my husband shaking the bed...but when I turned around to confront him, there was no one in the room. That's when I realized what happened, and made a bee-line out the door. They had felt it too, outside. It WAS an earthquake. It only lasted a few seconds....maybe 5-ish? And, although at the time it make us a little nervous, no one else around us seemed remotely concerned. And, to my surprise, I forgot all about it until now - almost 2 weeks later, while watching tv and hearing about an earthquake that struck Panama today I decided to search via the internet to get some details.

This website that tracks earthquake activity throughout the world, gave me the info I wanted about the Panama quake....and also, after a quick search found that the earthquake we experienced was listed there too! Imagine, 5.7 and no one running for the hills, no damage, nada.

But even more shocking to me was reading about the dozen or more earthquakes that happen every single day!

http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/qed/

Magnitude 5.7 NEAR THE COAST OF NICARAGUA
Thursday, April 14, 2011 at 20:50:19 UTC

Versión en Español

Magnitude	5.7
Date-Time	Thursday, April 14, 2011 at 20:50:19 (UTC) - Coordinated Universal Time Thursday, April 14, 2011 at 02:50:19 PM local time at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location	11.31N 86.25W
Depth	56 kilometers
Region	NEAR THE COAST OF NICARAGUA
Distances	48 km (30 miles) WSW of Rivas, Nicaragua 76 km (47 miles) SSW of Granada, Nicaragua 93 km (58 miles) S of MANAGUA, Nicaragua 1648 km (1024 miles) ESE of MEXICO CITY, D.F., Mexico
Location Uncertainty	Error estimate
Parameters	Nst=305, Nph=305, Dmin=181.1 km, Rmss=1.21 sec, Erho=19.9 km, Erzz=8.5 km, Gp=134.0 degrees
Source	USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Event ID	us2011jsb7

s the story:

The royal "I do's"

Now that was worth every minute of lost sleep....this morning's royal wedding was one of those rare television 'good news' stories! My real life 'royal prince' (alias being used to protect his privacy) was sick and tired of hearing about the wedding since the day it was announced. Bah. Humbug. Me? I couldn't get enough...I was drawn to every news story, magazine article...everything!

So, I had planned carefully and set my alarm clock for 6:00 a.m. so that I wouldn't miss seeing the ceremony 'live' on tv. Instead I woke up around 3:50 am and didn't even try to get back to sleep. So, I put the kettle on and got under a blanket on the couch and watched for more than 2 hours of uninterrupted viewing pleasure.

One highlight for me included seeing all of those hats! Wow - were they ridiculous! Remember that Dr Suess story Go Dog Go where the dogs are driving around in cars and the one dog says to another "Do you like my hat?" and the other dog says "No, I do not like your hat." and then they say "Goodbye" to each other and drive off. They must be British dogs to be so polite.

I've always wanted to be invited somewhere that would provide me with an opportunity to wear one. When I took fashion design in college, one of the elective courses was millinery (hat making). Of course, I didn't take that elective...I took lingerie instead. Useful, hmmm, sure as i type this while sitting in bed in my jammies (a tank from Costco and flannel sleep pants). Could have been sitting here in bed, listening to my prince charming and the dog snore, wearing a hat. Bah. Humbug. What was I thinking?

So, at work today the 3rd floor staff were all wearing these outrageous paper plate style hats to commemorate the royal wedding - even the guys. Some staff on the 4th floor brought in scones and crumpets, jams and jellies, while another wore the famous 'engagement' ring - (Walmart - $10 - looks real! and yes I'm buying myself one tomorrow)

Back to the wedding. Although I had to wait until I got home from work to see the famous balcony scene and 'first' kiss...I never did find out how/why Wills and Kate were driving around (somewhere?) in a convertible wearing their wedding garb? What was that all about - can't find anything that tells me...so if you know....pls share a comment!

Also after work I watched a 2 hour special wrap up of the day - saw Jeannie Becker begin interviewed....scary - and then sadly, realized that all good things must end...and passed the converter to my prince charming, who immediately smiled and switched the channel to American Pickers to watch the hosts digging through a motorcycle graveyard in Louisiana for rusty parts. I don't get that any more than he gets me watching a wedding taking place across the pond in the wee hours of the morning.

Ah well. Ain't love grand! Congratulations to Will and Kate! Thanks for inviting me to the wedding...I wouldn't have missed it for the world!

Respecfully,

Your royal subject,

Marchiness Wanda Duckworth Minninskitt of Barrieshire


ps - what's up with those two ugly stepsisters? Did you see what they were wearing?!?!

Too cool for school - Akinator, baby!

I love this! (Thanks Chris)

So, think of someone real or imaginary. (I did this the first time thinking of Alice Brady - the maid from the Brady Bunch; and then again just now thinking of the next US president, The Donald. Both times, the genie guessed what I was thinking. No kidding.

Try it yourself - here's the link: http://us.akinator.com/

There, now that should keep you entertained while I write my next blog.

Until tomorrow.....

Chia - the new super food...just don't try to take it across two borders in little unlabled plastic bags!

...so after being introduced to Chia in Nicaragua, my paranoid hubby would NOT let me bring a couple baggie-fulls back to Canada....,geeze! He thought it looked too much like opium (not sure how he'd know what opium looks like?), but after I was stopped by customs on the way THERE the week before (for carrying 4 knives in my carry-on luggage - really, not such a big deal...it wasn't my fault!)...he refused to trust me with 2 baggies of Chia.

Instead of paying $2.50 a bag in Nica, it cost me $15.00 in Ontario for the same amount!

CHIA SEEDS ARE FULL OF IT!!

This tiny seed has been labeled the new ''SUPER FOOD'' by many.

Whole Chia seeds are gluten-free and can be sprinkled on cereal, salads, or yogurt. Seeds can be ground and mixed into smoothies or added to baked goods. They can be sprouted and used in salads or sandwiches. The seeds are easily digested and do not have to be ground to be used. And, high levels of antioxidants keep Chia seeds naturally fresh, unlike flax seed, which easily becomes rancid.

Chia seeds soaked in water (for about 30 minutes) form a gel. The seeds soak approximately 5 times their weight in water. The gel can be added to sweet or savory sauces, dips or used to make puddings. In Mexico, the seeds are mixed with water and a little bit of lime or lemon juice to make a drink called “Chia Fresca.” Be creative!

AS SEEN ON THE TODAY SHOW - MARCH 18, 2010
Change Your Life With Chia
Christina Pirello, MFN, CCN one of America’s preeminent authorities on natural and whole foods, tells how to ''Change Your Life With Chia.''

Q. How does Chia Seed compare to flax seed?
A. The biggest difference is that chia seed does not need to be ground. Chia doesn't go rancid quickly like flax seed because chia seed has high levels of antioxidants. Chia seed is also richer than flax seeds in these vital elements: fiber, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus.

Q. Is there a difference between black and white chia seeds?
A. There are more antioxidants in black chia seed.

Q. Is Chia Seed gluten-free?
A. Chia Seed protein is gluten-free. The Argentina Celiac Association tested chia and found it gluten-free, according to the book ''CHIA.''

Q. Do chia seeds contain pesticides? Are they irradiated?
A. Chia Seeds do not require pesticides to be grown. Our chia seeds are pesticide-free, free of heavy metals and not irradited.

While you may associate Chia seeds with the novelty of the same name, Chia seeds are becoming the ''go to'' seed because a 2 tablespoon (1 oz) serving contains:
Serving Size: 1 ounce (28g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 138
Calories from Fat 73
Total Fat 9g
Saturated Fat 1g
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 5mg
Total Carbohydrate 12g
Dietary Fiber 11g
Sugars
Protein 4g
Vitamin A 0% DV
Vitamin C 0% DV
Calcium 18% DV
Iron 28% DV

Baaaaahhhhhh - my new favourite word!

Thinking of the two K's always makes me smile - and always makes me think of Baaaaahhhhh! Say it LOUD, and with ATTITUDE. Baaaaahhhhhhh!

What does it mean? Well, nothing really. But, Baaaaaahhhhhhh - why would you even ask that!?!

HaHaHa - makes me laugh even just thinking it!

Learning when to use Baaaahhhhhh is important so if you're ever going to say it, make sure you know when is appropriate.

For example, next time CNN reports about the US's new 30Billion dollar space program, and they ask a regular guy what they think about it and he says "the gov't should spend the money on the empty space program between their ears" and you think that's a pretty funny response, just say out loud Baaaaaahhhhhh while smiling, and everyone will laugh, and smile and nod their heads.

Or, when you're reading someone's Twitter account and some girl posted "Women should rule the world. There wouldn't be any more wars, just a lot of angry countries that don't talk to each other." and you think that's a pretty funny response, just say out loud Baaaaaahhhhhh while smiling, and everyone will laugh, and smile and nod their heads.

Get it? Now, go try it out on someone....it's powerful stuff, and I'm predicting it will soon be the next overused non-sensical word. "LIKE" move over...."Baaaaahhhhhh" is coming!

Travelling...it's in my genes

Just returned from a wonderful trip to a quaint little town in Central America, right on the Pacific anchored in a small bay surrounded on three sides by rugged and rocky terrain - most not accessible by car. This was my second trip there in a year...and I'm guessing that it may not be my last. One daily ritual that both locals and tourists share together are the nightly sunsets. It's hard to explain to those who live there, that where I live, we never actually get to see the sun set. This picture was taken last week (Apr 19) and as I write this, I know that the sun is again setting on this scene, thousands of miles away. I may have a few more material things than those in this beautiful Nicaraguan town, but there's absolutely no window in my house that I can look through that will give me the same sense of peace and joy that I felt watching God's colourful celebration of the end of another day. Usually what I fall into bed thinking about at the end of the day are problems....work, money, relationships....and those dreaded "what if's". I know that I should have more faith....but it can be a struggle. I, who have more things than some people who I know, have so much less in reality. Life is beautiful. God provides for us all. Tomorrow will come...and the sun will set. My only regret is that most days I miss it.

It reminds me of my favourite Bible verse "

• Matthew 6 verses 25 to 34: 25 (New Living Translation) That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than food and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? 28 And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? 31 So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. 34 So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today.