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Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Here's MY Water Challenge!

Does anyone else think Corned Beef Hash smells like dog food?

Back to the smells again.

I have been such a good girl. Yesterday, I had my lovely fruit/green smoothie and a tasty cold veggie vegan soup for dinner.

This morning, corned beef hash and grits! (Please, no one ask me what a 'grit' is.)

The smell turned me off so much, I couldn't eat it. That's a first, People!

So, the plan tonight is zucchini spaghetti and tomato sauce. I get to use my new Spirooli! It's a contraption that makes spiral shapes, slices, etc. from vegetables and fruit. I wasn't going to buy it because I have NO room for any more appliances or kitchenware in my tiny kitchen. However, this called my name (it did!) from Bed, Bath, and Beyond's clearance bin. It was missing one blade for making chips (no biggie!) and cost me a whopping US$7.98. A employee even handed me a 20% discount coupon to use so it was even less. Color me happy!

It seems to be the latest thing to make "spaghetti" from anything besides spaghetti. That's intriguing to me. But then, I don't get out much.

I'm not too off-topic today. It occurred to me that there are so many vegans, vegetarians, gluten-haters, and more who are trying to make the foods they 'used' to eat from foods they are allowing themselves. Why? What is the point? I've tried fake bologna. Never again. There's fake beef in a can. I don't even want to imagine what that looks like (or smells like!). Tofu is big enough of a stretch, in my book.

Meanwhile, companies create colorless Frankenfoods, processed foods, and pseudo-foods that trick our bodies and minds into thinking they are real and we all starve and are malnourished. While we drop ice and water over our heads, others have no clean water to drink or to use for safe sanitation.

Downer? Yeah, it's meant to be.

Usually, to the average American the term "water shortage" brings to mind poor, dried out, drought-stricken areas in Africa and India and the "not my problem" and "why don't they move?" mentality. What is not known by many is that the water shortages include parts of Spain, Turkey, areas between Nebraska and Texas AND California. This should make us a little more concerned as it is closer to home, eh?

Still not convinced?

About 95% of our fresh water is underground. We use that water to drink, bathe, and flush. Even more of it is used in agriculture, oil and coal extraction (the two largest) and watering the multitude of grassy golf courses in places like Arizona (it's a DESERT!). I read that Mexico City is essentially sinking because of the water being pumped from it's foundation. Lake levels are decreasing and even disappearing. Rivers are slowing. Streams and creeks have dried up.

The farmers who previously over-pumped our groundwater from places like the Ogallala Aquifer (North America's largest)  got a clue and stopped irrigating their crops. They finally realized the rainfalls weren't keeping up. Ogallala is still being depleted at a rate of 12 Billion cubic meters per year, or more by the time you read this. We are safe from Keystone pipeline for now but there are others that have been making their way across for years now on the 'chance' of no or very little leakage or spills into the aquifer. This information is brought to you by the letter O. Oil companies and our government reassure us that we will never have a problem that threatens our water supply. (Anyone else see the fingers crossed behind them?) 

So, forgive me if I don't jump to the Ice Water challenge which has pervaded our sense of common decency and murdered the phrase, "Waste not, want not". Forgive me if I scoff at the latest diet's bandwagon of intermittent fasting, trying not to eat 2 days per week and feed on the other 5. Try not eating for 5, as many do weekly.

Not eat? Have you lost your mind? I'll starve!

No, you won't.

The human body can go long periods without food but only 3-4 days, typically, without water.

Please consider this the next time the water runs while you turn your back on it in the kitchen, while brushing your teeth, or when there's a drip in your sink or a toilet that 'runs' constantly. Fix it. Think of it when over-watering your lawn...maybe give desert landscaping a shot. Are you pouring out that water bottle your kid didn't finish or that thermal cooler that held the drinks at the party? Water the plants. Lastly, does that shower really need to take that long? There are many ways we can look to avoid wasting what is desperately valued in other places on Earth today.

Let's look for them. Make it a challenge.

And, now that I have sounded the alarm.....

Yes, of course, if you've been following this blog, you know I'm doing the 5:2 'dealio' but keeping others and our planet in mind and using the 2 fast days as prayer days for us all.

Happy Back-to-School Days for the young 'uns! Wishing them all a good and safe year!