Finding Money

Eagles on black background
Originally uploaded by portableantiquities
Do you check the websites that list money that is due to people? This is unclaimed money and could be money owed to you by anyone or any government entity or private company or bank.


So far, I haven't found any money owed to me, but we live in hope, she said, smiling.


Two websites that seem official, and that Kim Komando the computer expert at komando.com wrote about are:

unclaimed.org

missingmoney.com


These are for people living in the USA and in parts of Canada. For my blog friends living elsewhere you may find sites for your country. It helps if your name is a bit unusual, like Dame Edna, rather than Mary Smith. Good luck hunting for treasure and let me know if you find some money please.

Pancho the Terrified Parrot

Parrot on Blue Background
Originally uploaded by richiebits

My blog friend, Elena at her My Quest blog has a charming post about her parrot and about fear and letting go. Elena was inspired to write her post about Pancho when she heard him shrieking in terror. She includes some charming sketches too.
http://elena-myquest.blogspot.com/2011/07/let-go.html
I told Elena that interestingly, yesterday I got a phone call from the woman who is matching me up as  a volunteer visitor with a homebound senior citizen, for me to visit and to cheer her up. The first question to me was "are you allergic to birds?". I said "no", and it turns out the lady has a parrot.
The parrot loves to chatter when visitors come over.
So it is a small world of parrots and of letting go. I think you will like Elena's parrot post.

Dark Chocolate, Berries and Nuts

20070214 1510 hours candy
Originally uploaded by liltree

On her blog post of 2/9/11 my blog friend in Canada at "Falling off a high heeled life" mentioned her favorite super healthy foods: shellfish, strawberries and sweet potatoes. Please visit her to read her post at http://attitudeivlife.blogspot.com

I buy assorted nuts in the shell at Whole Foods for my husband and I. We also like shelled raw almonds and salted nuts in cans and we usually have nuts instead of sweets for a snack.

Prevention Magazine wrote about how Dove dark chocolate is healthy, so that is on my list too, one or two of those little squares. I have read that dark chocolate, red wine and coffee all have health benefits, but do your own research on this!

Cottage cheese with chives (or pineapple) has calcium and tastes delish.

Oh, and I love berries in addition to strawberries, like raspberries, blackberries and blueberries, and grow blackberries and blueberries so I know they are pesticide free. Our blackberry patch is so large that we let the birds eat most of the berries. We enjoy when the berries have their white flowers and are visited by bees, who hum as they work and when the berries are ready we like to go out in the morning and pick berries to have with cereal.

Because all berries are so packed with health benefits I go ahead and buy them, even if they are a little pricey. I buy raspberries and eat them right out of the container.

Popcorn with our air popped popcorn maker is a fun and healthy snack, lacks the weird chemicals of many of the microwaved popcorns, and its cost is very low.

What are your favorite healthy and delicious foods?

Bastille Day Fireworks

Bastille Day Fireworks
Originally uploaded by billerickson

Happy Bastille Day to everyone in France and especially to my blog friends who live in France.
My husband and I were there to celebrate Bastille Day in Paris, years ago.

Laughing and Books

Laughing Star
Originally uploaded by cindy47452
Hi friends.

There is a lot of sadness and worry in our world and as an antidote to that I adore reading books that are funny or make me smile. Do you too?

I think funny books are rare and that humor is difficult to write, and of course, we each have a unique sense of what is funny. I might think something is hilarious and you might have an opposite reaction.

I list here a few books that have given me some chuckles or smiles, and please add your own suggestions for funny books in a comment here.


A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson.


The Boat Who wouldn't Float by Farley Mowat and his The Dog Who wouldn't Be.


Three Men in a Boat: Not to Mention the Dog by Jerome K. Jerome (written about 1896)


Laughing Matters: Learning to Laugh When Life Stinks by Phil Callaway.


Years ago I read P.G. Wodehouse, and I think I may read one of his books again.


Round Ireland with a Fridge. Tony Hawks. Hitchhikes around Ireland with a refrigerator, as the result of a bet, with many stops in pubs. So funny I bought his A Piano in the Pyrenees, which I didn't read yet.


For books that make me cry and laugh, consider Barbara Johnson. She was a Christian motivational speaker and great humorist, who deals with tragedy in her life including death of a child, serious car accident, estrangement from an adult child and more, and yet, loves to share laughter. Her book titles are what grabbed me, and I bought five of them, including Plant a Geranium in Your Cranium; Splashes of Joy in the Cesspools of Life; and Living Somewhere Between Estrogen and Death.


I look forward to hearing about new books for me to buy that will give me a chuckle so give me your ideas here please.

Let Freedom Ring

Flag
Originally uploaded by yorgak

Happy 4th of July to all, and happy weekend to all my blog friends around the world.
Hey, yesterday I did something neat to help our soldiers who protect us.
At the spa where I exercise is a big bin maintained by the Blue Star Moms (a national group), and they collect items for care packages for our soldiers. I went to a nearby drug store and filled a bag with things for the soldiers and dropped it off.
Thank you for all who have served and who serve today in our armed forces.