Talk about UN-romantic!  Shuffling through the house with my left arm immobilizedin a sling and feeling fuzzy because of pain killers – shoulder surgery is not for sissies!  However, it has allowed me to take some needed down time  and in that time catch up on the stack of mail, TV shows and magazines that I’ve been meaning to get to, but couldn’t bring myself to sit down and enjoy.

Here’s some of the things I’ve found, that I’d like to share:

MaryJanes Farm Magazine

I was way behind on my MaryJanes Farm editions and that’s too bad because it’s a great magazine to de-stress with; I almost feel guilty stealing time to spend with it.  However, the “Newsroom” section in this gem abates my guilt by providing me with useful information that can really help people and the planet.  Like the new April-May 2013 issue, that, on top of the lovely quilt article, fun “clamping” article, interesting edible flowers article and other cool stuff, provides some serious news on the nasty stuff that’s allowed in our food here in the U.S.  but isn’t in other countries.  See page 34 and carry the list with you to the grocery store!  You will want to read labels and avoid so-called “food” products with these items in them!

Neat New Safety Product!

This is one of those products that makes you wonder “Now why didn’t someone invent and market this BEFORE NOW ?!”    I mean REALLY!  Everyone – parents, grandparents and the government gets all worked up about putting kids in car seats, but what about when the child outgrows the car seat?  He or she is still too small to properly wear a regular  car seatbelt, which, by the way, is regulated in the U.S. car industry by the U.S. government to fit the 50th percentile male (5′ 8″ tall & 172 pounds).  That’s only  about 25% of the population!   If you are not a 5’8″ 172 pound guy, you are going to have an uncomfortable and potentially dangerous ride using standard in-car seatbelts.  

We at A Romance Renaissance give this inventor and product a “thumbs up” because nothing is romantic about a child or small person getting hurt in a car crash because the seatbelt doesn’t fit …! 

Check it out:  http://www.ridetightinfo.com/

Food Rules!

Yes it does!  Food is probably the most talked about and written about aspect of life.  Huge tomes are written about how to cook all kinds of fancy, schmancy stuff, and we LOVE that romantic fancy, schmancy stuff, but Really, I mean Really, what should we be eating?  I found this petite guide at the Gum Spring Library’s website and asked my brother to go get it for me because I still can’t drive for heaven’s sake! After perusing it, I quickly decided I needed to BUY my own copy.  Oh yes, I guess I should tell you the name of it again even though I already did!  It’s Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual by Michael Pollan.  Mike is one of my favorite writers and his In Defense of Food made a big impact on me.  I’m glad he took the most important “to do’s” out of “Defense” and put them in a small handy guide. Between this and MaryJanes Farm, what else do you need to take to the grocery store … I mean besides lots of m-o-n-e-y …

P.S. I haven’t reviewed the “illustrated edition” of Food Rules yet but imagine it’s just a more “fun” version of the pocket manual I read.

More Neat Stuff coming in future blog entries …