Food deserts

Click here if you stopped by for the Pay it Forward blogfest .

Nutritional food that's easily prepared when
the store is just down the street!

Sounds like an oxymoron doesn't it? A food desert. Shouldn't it be Food Dessert? Actually they are somewhat interchangeable. A food desert is an area where there is no access to nutritious food and you have to take long bus rides or drive long distances to find a grocery store (like Trinchera, Colorado or in certain parts of Denver, Atlanta and New York City). You might be able to get snack food from a local 7-11 or a Pump-N-Pantry and you'll most likely be able to buy a candy bar or a bottle of beer but finding an apple or an orange? Good luck. And buy organic anything? HAH!

But in a country where obesity is epidemic, the urgent need for healthy foods falls into the heading of "Food Justice" according to the Community Food Advocates. They are currently working to get grocery stores into communities that do not currently have them so that people can walk or easily drive to get healthier foods on the table for dinner. It's also important for all us to be aware that we live in a country where poor city planning has created Food Deserts that are encouraging children to be fat while also starving them of nutrition. It's a local issue with local implications. Speak up and know what's going on in you community! YOu can also help by going to the Community Food advocates website and seeing what they are doing to help communities. But more than that, you can stop voting for politicians who are going to reward grocery store chains that move out of urban areas into suburban areas simply because they perceive there is more money to be made there. Or, ask your politicians to give the same tax breaks to local, family owned grocers that big corporations get so that they can stay in business!


I am participating in Blog Action Day 2011. This year's subject: FOOD
#BAD11  
Thanks to Rayna of Coffee Rings Everywhere for drawing this to my attention!

Occupy Denver and Pay it Forward cont.

In order to keep things a uncluttered for the Pay it Forward Blogfest hosted by Alex Cavanaugh and Matthew McNish of QQQE. I am going to direct all participants to the post below so that they can read my introductions. 


Meanwhile, if your interested in hearing about some of the local happenings concerning Occupy Denver you can click here this will take you over to Meanderings of a Wandering Mind- my political blog. Hope to hear your thoughts! Cheers! 

Pay it Forward

This is the easiest blogfest ever... because it's all about Paying it Forward and it's being hosted by Alex Cavanaugh and Matthew McNish of QQQE. We've all had a blogger who came along and commented, befriended us when we didn't think anyone was paying any attention or pulled us into a blogfest that introduced us to another friend we might not have met otherwise, right? For me, it was Michael (or Conchscooter) of Key West Diary,  Rayna of Coffee Rings Everywhere, Michael of In Time who gave me my first blog award and Talei of Musings of an Aspiring Scribe who gave me a second and became a great friend... which then led me to meet more great friends too numerous to count! Well, today's blogfest is about thanking those people by introducing 3 bloggers to the other participants of the blogfest. It's not an award or a contest, just an introduction. Cool, right? Thanks Matthew and Alex!

So here goes:

I'd like to introduce you to:

Ashley Hunt of Broken Simmy and Willows: A Dark Love Story. While she just began blogging in May of 2011, she's been writing for long enough to know the disappointments of the publishing world already. I hope you'll check out her blog and give her an encouraging word or two! 

I'd also like to introduce you to... Sarah of The Unwrapping. Her blog is special because its purpose is to hold her writing and her style is her own. She is a poet and stylist while also expressing the emotions of a mother, woman and... human. When you visit her blog, go expecting to feel as though you have peaked into her world-- but have also met a friend. 

And finally last, but hardly least: is Lissa of A Chance of Sunshine. She's an artist, a writer, a photographer,  and a fellow NaBloWriMo  participant.   

So that's it for my introductions! I hope you enjoy meeting my two new friends and my older but cherished one. 

Thanks to all my blog friends who light up my life every day!!! 

Obligatory cuteness...

I've been hanging on to this picture for over a year-- wanting to post it but not really wanting to just sandwich it between other pictures. So, since I need a post for today in order to make my Thursday posting, here it is: 

A baby Flamingo! 

This guy is over a year old, born on Aug 20, 2010. I'm pretty sure he's probably full grown now but he was the first one the zoo had since 2003 so he was pretty special. The chick looks white in my picture but he's actually gray and will turn pink later which comes from their diet of animal and plant plankton which has carotenoid proteins in it and that's what gives them their color! (Don't you feel a little smarter today?!?!?!) 

Too bad I can't have one as a pet!