The Life of Mrs. Miles

CROC-O-DIAL ELEMENT

(thanks to F. Curry @ sxc for permission for use of reference photo!)

download

You folks are simply THE BEST - your comments and encouragement mean so much to me. I guess over 50,000 - since last September, according to my blog patrol counter, I guess with that many people visiting I must be doing something right with the content. Remember, this is YOUR blog as much as mine - please send me your layouts using my elements etc, (clean) jokes, interesting facts, funny pictures and good links to share with others!

Here are some interesting facts about crocodiles and alligators:

Estuarine crocodiles are the biggest of all 26 species of the crocodilian family.

A crocodile can run up to a speed of 11 miles per hour.

The sex of a baby crocodile is determined by the temperature in the nest and how deeply the eggs are buried.

A crocodile can open and close its jaw but cannot move it side to side.

Early British explorers misnamed the East Alligator River in Australia's Northern Territory. It contains crocodiles not alligators.

The first known contraceptive was crocodile dung, used by Egyptians in 2000 B.C.

Female alligators lay about 40 eggs that hatch in 60 - 70 days.

An alligator has about 80 teeth in its mouth at one time. An alligator can go through 3,000 teeth in a lifetime.

YOUR MAMA MAY HAVE USED IT FOR FLOWERS,

BUT ITS A PEN HOLDER FOR MY HONEY!

Packing and waiting, waiting and packing... so go my days. But its a good excitement! You know I have been completely humbled this week by watching Oprah and also listening to the BBC. Oprah has been featuring stories all week about women who have done amazing things. In particular were school aged girls who were forced to raise their siblings, due to horrible circumstances in their lives. One girl had her parents ripped away from her when they were murdered by a robber in their jewellery store. The girl went on to raise her four or five siblings, put herself through college and now the kids are going to college too.

Another young lady had a mom who was addicted to drugs. When this girl grew up her home was a flophouse for all the druggies and her mom was 'so gone' she was not a mother at all... the girl singlehandedly held it all together for herself and her two siblings, while attending school. When eventually someone reported it to Social Services, the family was seperated... but the girl managed later to bring them all together again. The mom, in the meantime had recovered, had a set of twins and has now been 'clean' for three years. It brought me to tears to hear the young lady defend her mother and say publically that her mom is her best freind and has forgiven her. We all have a lot to learn from this young lady - who of us does not have a (spot in our eye) - an area of our life we have failed someone, or them us? How gracious to forgive.

LUKE 6:42

How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

I also was so moved by the african woman who has to work every day for mere pennies to support her family and others she has taken in. Her life is an endless cycle of working. Who am I to ever complain?

THESE MOROCCAN GOATS LOVE TO CLIMB

THEY ARE AFTER THE ARGO NUTS IN THE TREES!

(amazing, hey?)

I heard on the radio the other night that there is a new concept 'out there'... Its the concept of web-cast funerals. I was immediately repelled by the idea, but then when I thougth about it more, and listened more I can see it might have it's place. What happens is, the entire service is caught and cast on streaming web. The viewers have to be "invited" with a secure email and code. I imagine, for someone who was medically or financially unable to attend, this might be a viable option.

I also was listening to a very interesting article by a doctor this morning on NPR. As many of you readers have ailments, I thought it might be relevant and perhaps even helpful to some of you. This is what it was about:

Dr. Jerome Groopman

holds a chair at Harvard Medical School.

His latest book is called How Doctors Think.

Jerome Groopman is a doctor who discovered that he needed a doctor. When his hand was hurt, he went to six prominent surgeons and got four different opinions about what was wrong. Groopman was advised to have unnecessary surgery and got a seemingly made-up diagnosis for a nonexistent condition.

"Usually doctors are right, but conservatively about 15 percent of all people are misdiagnosed. Some experts think it's as high as 20 to 25 percent," Groopman tells Steve Inskeep. "And in half of those cases, there is serious injury or even death to the patient."

LISTEN TO THE REST OF THE INTERVIEW HERE

What is a Mom?

A woman, renewing her driver's license at the County Clerk's office was asked by the woman recorder what is her occupation. She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself.

"What I mean is," explained the recorder, "do you have a job or are you just a......?"

"Of course I have a job," snapped the woman. "I'm a Mom."

"We don't list 'Mom' as an occupation, 'housewife' covers it," said the recorder emphatically.

I forgot all about her story until one day I found myself in the same situation, this time at our own Town Hall. The Clerk was obviously a career woman, poised, efficient and possessed of a high sounding title like, "Official Interrogator" or "Town Registrar."

"What is your occupation?" she probed.

What made me say it? I do not know. The words simply popped out.

"I'm a Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations."

The clerk paused, ball-point pen frozen in midair and looked up as though she had not heard right. I repeated the title slowly emphasizing the most significant words. Then I stared with wonder as my pronouncement was written, in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire.

"Might I ask," said the clerk with new interest, "just what you do in your field?"

Coolly, without any trace of fluster in my voice, I heard myself reply, "I have a continuing program of research, [what mother doesn't) in the laboratory and in the field, (normally I would have said indoors and out). I'm working for my Masters, (first the Lord and then the whole family) and already have four credits (all daughters). Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities, (any mother care to disagree?) and I often work 14 hours a day, (24 is more like it). But the job is more challenging than most run-of-the-mill careers and the rewards

There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk's voice as she completed the form, stood up and personally ushered me to the door. As I drove into our driveway, buoyed up by my glamorous new career, I was greeted by my lab assistants -- ages 13, 7, and 3. Upstairs I could hear our new experimental model, (a 6 month old baby) in the child development program, testing out a new vocal pattern.

I felt I had scored a beat on bureaucracy! And I had gone on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable to mankind than "just another Mom."

Motherhood! What a glorious career!

Especially when there's a title on the door. Does this make grandmothers "Senior Research associates in the field of Child Development and Human Relations" and great grandmothers "Executive Senior Research Associates"?

I think so!!! I also think it makes Aunts "Associate Research Assistants".

Please share this with another Mom, Grandmother, Aunt, and other friends you know.

BARB'S HANDY TIP #224

More Maps! - Weather This Time...

This is a very handy website too, a marriage of weather and maps and live webcams. Enjoy!

WEATHER BONK