Live and Learn New Mexico!

We walked out of Walmart today with our groceries packed in paper bags, bags like the ones grocery stores used back in the day, no handles or ties. I'm old. I remember them well.  My son complained a little at the inconvenience, and I said, "Maybe they actually care more about saving the planet than they do about making your life more convenient in the short term." Good for Walmart, I thought, whatever their motives. And that led me to think, what would happen if businesses simply quit selling meat and started selling plant based foods? What if they did the right thing despite inconveniencing their customers?  I've been wondering this for a while. When Carl's Jr. came out with the Beyond burger, I was encouraged; all they had to do, in my opinion, is go vegan across the board. Who cares if customers don't like it as well as dead cows? Who cares if it helps save the planet?  Look, you don't have to like it as well as meat but you can...

Whew! What a crazy five years it's been, right? I've been going through an awakening of sorts, one that focuses on mental health and finding calm and peace in my life. I was sharing my journey on social media and then stopped sharing; I think I overshared...you have to be careful. But I didn't stop learning. I think it's time to recap what I've learned over all so far. There's a lot. If you want to start your own journey to a more peaceful existence, these are my suggestions:  Start with your diet. I take supplements including lots of magnesium, calcium and zinc as well as a daily women's vitamin. I eat food rich in those things, too. For my high BP I take beet gummies.  I am more than vegetarian, less than vegan (I still eat free range eggs and I like baked goods that might contain dairy ingredients), and I rarely eat fast food. Just cutting out meat resulted in my losing a lot of weight. Already I was healthier. And right there, I was feeling m...

You might think that someone like me, an educator with a degree in English, would be preaching correct grammar and spelling, holding onto traditional ways of expressing ourselves in the written word.  Lately I've been bitching about the misused apostrophe in the word "it's".  I'm not insisting, however, that we relearn it all and do things traditionally; I'm saying let's move with the times and make new rules that reflect change. Might be easier that way.  After all, once upon a time, contractions were not allowed to be used in academic writing. You could not smoosh two words together to make one, even though we did that when we spoke. That changed quickly. It was impractical not to.  We're looking at the same thing as we progress to an even more technical age. Ideas are more important than spelling. Conciseness is valued.  Most importantly, no one can spell anymore. I mean, why the hell do we continue to spell it "though", "enough"...

I discovered that the local paper is delivered free to my driveway once a week, or maybe less. I like local newspapers. That is how I found out about the Juvenile Justice Board meeting this month. When I was running the adult ed program at UNM-Los Alamos, I realized that I was reaching out to the wrong organizations in the community. The schools weren't interested in partnering with me to better serve the kids in the district, and our partnership with LANL really didn't serve the populations I hoped to serve, but the LANL Foundation did. They give grants to schools in northern NM and they really make a difference. It isn't just about Los Alamos. In fact, I highly recommend any educational conference they put on. They are usually at a casino in the Santa Fe area and the schools that get grants attend. The keynote speaker is always excellent. Back to the point...when I realized I was reaching out to the wrong people in Los Alamos, I started attending meetin...

Today I got my medical marijuana card. I called the number for Balanced Health (https://balancedhealthnm.com/) that my budtender gave me, made an appointment for a phone interview, and registered online.  The appointment was set up quickly. In a call that lasted ten minutes, I was able to get approval for the card by providing proof of my sciatica history and answering questions about my health history.  Kathy McKenzie was kind, knowledgeable and friendly. She alleviated the anxiety I was feeling about it all. We had a nice conversation as I applied. I paid a reasonable fee and it was done!  I just want to say that I wish marijuana got the recognition for healing that it deserves a long time ago. I know my life would be different in a good way.  It truly is medicinal. I've been trying different strains and learning that some work well for anxiety, others not so much. Some work well for physical pain, and again others don't. Getting my card let...

I was watching a news story about microschools and thought WOW! The final piece of the Be Kind Network mission...with a twist. If you haven't seen earlier posts about the Be Kind Network, please check them out. Now let's get to the point with a basic idea of how it would work.  The Network would be set up as a statewide K-12 microschool. Credentialled educators, community leaders and a learner team (students/parents) will be the hub of the Network.  They will look for weekly learning opportunities statewide and put the word out via radio, television and Internet, etc. for anyone  interested -- parents and homeschoolers, public schools, private schools, you name it.  Learners/parents/schools register with the Be Kind Network and report to them community activities they participate in. There may be connected assignments to complete. They get credit/recognition for their work at whatever school they "formally" attend as well as at the Network.   Th...