Hold the horse hooves please!

Jell-o is a huge hit at my in-laws house. We often have not one but two Jell-o salads at any family gathering. And so, it is rather ironic that my husband won’t even touch the stuff. In fact, my husband likes to tell anyone who will listen to him the origin of gelatin and hot dogs. So if you are a big fan of Jell-o and don’t want to know its shady background, you might want to skip the rest of this post. The popular legend has been that gelatin is made from horses’ and cows’ hooves, but the truth is actually that it comes from the bones, skins, and hides of cows and pigs. I don't think I like either option. The funny thing is that gelatin is not considered an animal product because of its extensive processing. My daughter used to love Jell-o until she received an unsolicited education from her father.

I found a truly vegan "jel dessert" at my local Whole Foods store, and it was a big hit with the family. Instead of sugar, it contains evaporated cane juice and is colored with beet powder rather than the controversial Red #40. And by the way, Kraft, the maker of Jell-o, wants you to know that hooves do not contain the necessary collagen and therefore are not used in the production of its products. Isn't that a relief!

Things we forgot

You would think that the “always remember” signs seem to be unnecessary. How could anyone forget the tragedies of September 11, 2001? But then again who would think that there would be people who would say that the Holocaust never happened. Maybe the signs are to remind us to remember how we felt on that day, and how our country came together, and our desire to preserve freedoms and rid the world of evil. After ten short years, I believe there are things that we already have forgotten.

Remember how grateful we were for the heroes of that day. The courageous New York firefighters, many of whom were off duty and without even being asked showed up to help, bravely risked their lives because that is simply what they do. Many of those who survived that tragic day have now lost their lives to cancer, and our government denied them medical insurance coverage because it was determined that the cancer was not a result of the toxic fumes and debris they came in contact with as they tirelessly looked for survivors. It seemed that the days following 9/11 that there would have been nothing we would have denied these heroes.

I had forgotten that many of our elected leaders stood together on the steps of the Capitol building and spontaneously sang “God Bless America”. It wasn’t our national anthem they relied upon to unite our nation, but a song invoking the very being that many now want out of the pledge of allegiance to protect and guide us.

It is sad that we list the first casualty of 9/11 as Rev. Mychal Judge who was known as the people’s priest and firefighters’ chaplain, but on the tenth anniversary of his death, New York City’s mayor didn’t invite one man of the cloth to speak or pray at the memorial.

Have you forgotten how it felt that day? There is already a great song with that title. Maybe we just need to be reminded.

Children are like trees

As my husband and I were hiking in a local canyon yesterday, I was intrigued by the various directions the aspen trees had grown. Some were very tall and straight, many were a little bowed, while some initially came up straight out of the ground were bent and almost growing parallel to the ground. I wondered what factors caused each tree to grow the way it did. My husband said the different growing patterns of the trees were like our children. I would have to agree.

It seems that some children will grow up to be strong, honest, hardworking individuals regardless of their upbringing. Those are the straight trees of the world. They don’t require a lot of energy from others to point them in the right direction. They just instinctively know what way is up. They just do the right thing.

Other trees want to grow the right way but are influenced by wind and the storms of life. They are a little bent and maybe even have a little more character because of their experiences. Often times these trees are staked to help them grow right, like a rebellious teenager given an abundance of rules to keep him on the right path.

Trees seem to be most productive when they grow the right direction and not giving into the storms. A straight tree will not fall early because it cannot bear its weight.

Some trees just want to do their own thing. They fight against what they should become. They don’t want to take direction and feel they know what is best for them.

Regardless of their stage of growth or direction they want to take, I love all my trees!

Just because you can . . .

Doesn’t mean that you should eat all you can at any buffet! Recently on vacation, because it was cheaper to buy the all-you-can-eat buffet meal combo pass for admission at a theme park, we did. I am not a buffet person. It seems like you eat more than you need to just so you can get your “money’s worth” and then have to watch others do the same. Not my idea of a good night out. As I was enjoying my plate of potato salad and baked beans, at the table next to me was a large gentle man consuming more than his fare share worth of food. One plate contained at least ten servings of fried chicken and beef brisket. When that plate was finished, he asked his daughter to get him some chocolate chip cookies, and then needed her to fill his glass with Mountain Dew in order to take his “pills”. Didn’t ask but I assumed they were probably to help control his high blood pressure and cholesterol and possibly diabetes. So why do we consume the very foods that are causing the problem, and then absentmindedly pop a pill to counteract the effects? I say skip the pill and order a salad!

Just because you can ask certain questions doesn’t mean that you should. We all know that asking someone’s weight, age, or annual income is impolite, but other questions should be taboo as well. Just this morning, I finished watching the Primetime Special featuring Jaycee Dugard. I initially was not going to Tivo this because I felt it was exploitation, but after seeing Diane Sawyer comment on an interview that Jaycee was the most remarkable woman she had ever interviewed, I wanted to understand not only how she survived the horrible 18 years, but how she wasn’t bitter. Her outlook is incredible. I am sure everyone wants to know, and so Diane felt inclined to ask, but really if she felt she had the tools to escape, she would have. I have seen other victims asked the same question. “Why didn’t you escape?” As if they needed to accept some responsibility for their captivity. That question always infuriates me. Survivors of sexual abuse should never be asked “Why didn’t you tell?” or “Did you say no?” or any other ridiculous question that implies they are partly accountable for their perpetrators actions. Maybe when we quit asking these questions, we will empower each victim with the knowledge that the shame belongs solely on the abuser, and they won’t need to ask themselves, “What if . . .?” because everyone will understand there were no other options at the time.

Calling for Ben Matlock

As I heard the verdict on the Casey Anthony trial, I immediately thought how great it would have been for Ben Matlock to have been the defense attorney. When he solved a case, it didn’t make you wonder if the wrong guy was acquitted. Every show of this series was based on a murder and an obvious suspect. Matlock’s client was always proven innocent by him solving the crime and identifying the actual murderer. I guess Ms. Anthony’s attorneys actually tried this approach by accusing her father. It helped to get her off, but I don’t think she thought through the ramifications of that defense. Not only does it seem that her family relationships will be forever strained, but the country finds her even more despicable.

One of the most disturbing facts that I have heard since the verdict is that 200 children die each year at the hands of a parent. It made me wonder with all of the attention on Caylee Anthony why we haven’t heard more about the other 199 children killed that year. I am always saddened to hear news about the very person who should protect and defend a child at all costs is the one who has done them the greatest harm.

Just go ride a bike

The title of this post might lead you to believe that you will read something incredibly cool about fitness or how to single handedly stop global warning, but it is about a more serious problem plaguing our society. I know you can’t believe there could be anything more dangerous than our planet burning up.

“Just go ride a bike!” was the advice my daughter would yell to Jackie Evancho, the ten year-old opera singer who was competing on America’s Got Talent last year. Ten year-olds should be enjoying riding bikes, playing dolls, and cooking in their Easy Bake Ovens and not experiencing the pressures of Hollywood, agents, critics, and parents living their dreams through their children. Parents can plead all they want that it is really what their child wants to do. Well, my children have wanted to drive a car at eight, have a boyfriend at twelve, and move away from home at fifteen, but as a parent it is my responsibility to allow them to do certain things when they possess the skills and maturity to handle each situation.

Any responsible parent watching Lindsey Lohan or Miley Cyrus self-destruct would find it a deterrent and would keep their child as far away from Hollywood as possible. But, we have parents lining up just waiting for their child’s big break. We have parents proudly injecting Botox in their eight year-old daughter’s face. There wouldn’t be padded bikini swim suits and thigh-toning Sketcher’s shape-ups if parents weren’t buying these things for their little nine year-olds. Toddlers and Tiaras exists because parents don’t realize that when their child says they want to play dress-up, it means prancing around the house in mom’s shoes, jewelry, and make-up.

Whether it is a publicity stunt or not, news has circulated about a 16 year-old aspiring singer marrying her 51 year-old actor boyfriend, and the parents couldn’t be any happier. Really? And, the mother is eager to inform us that her daughter was a virgin before this blissful event.

Childhood passes by too quickly all on its own. As parents, we should do our best to preserve the innocence of our children. Let children be children because the pressures of adulthood will find them soon enough. And why not ride a bike with your child today.

Stranger than Fiction

This whole Weiner-gate gets stranger every day. First of all, if the Artist formerly known as Prince can change his name to a symbol, Mister Weiner could at the very least change the pronunciation of his name. Maybe his wife will have enough sense to give the baby her last name.

I saw the two remaining women on Christina Aguilera’s team on The Voice. It made me wonder if she didn’t want anyone on her team with prettier hair than her bleach-blonde locks.

Did you see the Nightline about face recognition technology on facebook? It was just a little scary. My facebook activity is on the minimal side. I have never actually tagged anyone in a picture. Apparently, if I upload a picture, facebook can determine who else from the facebook community is in the picture without me even telling them. It sounded like a strange concept from a science fiction novel. The scary part is it is real.