1 May 2013
29 Apr 2013
18 Apr 2013

Aging.

What a negative connotation society has placed on this word, and what a beautiful thing it can be. Since you won’t listen to your mom, maybe you’ll take some advice from me, a young body with an old soul.

After watching my grandmother go blind from her macular degeneration from not wearing sunglasses when she was my age, or my mom lifting her temples to create a false face lift from not wearing sunscreen as a teenager in California, I’ve decided that there are some ways I can prevent getting older in every aspect: physically, spiritually, and mentally.

So here it goes; the 21-year-old’s guide to aging gracefully.

It takes 21 days to make or break a habit.

Maybe you’ve always wanted to try eating vegan? Start today. By day 21 you’ll be putting pinto beans on a salad instead of chicken, and liking it. This is the only piece of credible advice I’ve gotten from a doctor. As for the rest of the advice, you can just take my word for it.

Ask grandpa the war stories now.

Be open to the indisputable truths of life. We aren’t going to all be here forever, and mom, dad and great-grandma are going to be here shorter than you’d like.

Find some sort of faith.

I’m not telling you what to believe or how you should worship, but I’m telling you, believe in something. Time to yourself to ponder the world is what sets you free from the crap that can sometimes be called daily life.

Learn something new every day. This is as easy as picking up a newspaper.

Put down the iPhone at dinner.

I don’t care if it’s with your best friend and you’re eating on a picnic blanket, it’s just rude. In fact, take one day where you just don’t use the iPhone. What an equal blessing and curse technology has been in our generation. Stand out from the rest and try to check your phone only 50 times a day, not 75.

Go places and be different than everybody else.

A great mom put it the best when she once told me, “Go away and get educated. Come back to the South because you want to, not because you never left.”

Live in the moment.

Quit worrying so much! It may sound cliché, but the problems we face are far more menial than most of the world out there. Tomorrow’s going to come, no matter how bad today was.

Don’t settle.

You try your hardest not to break someone’s heart, why should you settle for someone who breaks yours?

Just once, go to Ms. Velda’s $5 palm reading with a girlfriend.

If anything, it will get you in a good mood. Let’s be honest, we all know she won’t tell you you’ll get fat when you’re older.

People in your life will come and go as you get older, but find a few relationships and work at them.

Those people in your life that you feel smarter around? Stay around them. It may not always be easy to call an old college friend in 5 years, but make the effort.

Deflect gossip and jealousy.

Let it just roll off your back like you’re wearing a repellant. Where have you ever gotten with gossip? It may be hard to be the bigger man all the time, but take the high road, and make it a habit.

Don’t let all your friends getting married at 22 scare you into a marriage you aren’t ready for.

Let them get married now. You have the rest of your life to be married to someone. Maybe you’ll be married for 60 years. Maybe you’ll get divorced. Either way, you’re going to have some fun bachelorette parties.

Take vitamins. Wear sunscreen on your face, neck and hands. Workout. Don’t smoke.

When you’re 50 and look 35, you’ll thank yourself.

Don’t let the day come where you say, I wish I’d done that.

Go do it, whatever it is! Is it study abroad in college? Save up your miles, go to Spain.

And finally, embrace getting older. Don’t fear the real world, no matter how old you are. You may be 40 and don’t know what you want to do with your life yet. Thrive on that.

Travel light. Live light. Share the light. Be the light.

Don’t let getting older make you old.

 

 
1 note
15 Apr 2013
1 Mar 2013
19 Feb 2013
18 Feb 2013

The End of an Era

It’s the end of an agricultural era here in Auburn and in our country! “So God made a Farmer” inspired article on the incredible dairy farming piece of human campital, Dr. Keith Allen Cummins. 

Cummins who was born and raised on a dairy farm talks about his retirement and his apprehension about food production in the near future.

15 Feb 2013
5 Feb 2013
5 Feb 2013
1. Time your visit. Arriving early is the best way to avoid crowds and have your pick of the best selection of produce. The middle hours, however, are generally the most lively and best for people watching. Pickings will be slim near closing time, but that’s also when the best deals are to be found. Most farmers would rather sell their stock at a discounted price than have to haul it back home.2. Know your seasons. Buying in season is tastier and cheaper. Epicurious has a handy dandy interactive mapfor finding out what’s in season where you live. 3. Be a bargain hunter. Not all stalls are created equal. I always do a quick survey of the entire market before making my purchases. This is the best way to ensure you’re getting the prettiest produce at the best price.4. Multitask. In addition to tender greens, juicy peaches, and berries bursting with flavor, most farmers markets have stalls selling coffee, cheese, farm fresh eggs, freshly baked bread, flowers, and even local honey. If you plan things right, you might be able to skip your trip to the grocery store altogether.5. Be adventurous. Never tried kohlrabi, squash blossoms, or fresh passion fruit before? Exotic fruits and vegetables are commonplace at farmers markets, so come prepared with an appetite (literally!) for adventure.6. Ask questions. The growers are right there, so take advantage of it. Ask them where your food comes from and how it was grown. They might even have some tips on how to prepare it or some samples to hand out. 7. Understand organic. Many small farms that follow organic growing practices choose to skip USDA certification because of its high cost. So instead of stopping at “Is your farm organic?” (which refers to the official USDA label) follow up with more specific questions like, “Do you use pesticides?”8. A little dirt won’t hurt. Organic produce won’t always look as pristine as it is in the supermarket, but don’t let that deter you. Just be sure to rinse your produce thoroughly before serving. I try to remind myself that a little dirt (and yes, even the occasional creepy crawly) is a lot less scary than the harmful chemicals used in conventional growing methods.9. Join a CSA. Too busy to shop the farmers market? Joining a CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture program, is a quick and easy way to support your local growers. Think of it as a magazine subscription only with produce. You purchase a “share” from the farm at the beginning of the season, and then they set aside a box of produce for you weekly or monthly.   Courtesy of LC!

1. Time your visit. Arriving early is the best way to avoid crowds and have your pick of the best selection of produce. The middle hours, however, are generally the most lively and best for people watching. Pickings will be slim near closing time, but that’s also when the best deals are to be found. Most farmers would rather sell their stock at a discounted price than have to haul it back home.

2. Know your seasons. Buying in season is tastier and cheaper. Epicurious has a handy dandy interactive mapfor finding out what’s in season where you live.

3. Be a bargain hunter. Not all stalls are created equal. I always do a quick survey of the entire market before making my purchases. This is the best way to ensure you’re getting the prettiest produce at the best price.

4. Multitask. In addition to tender greens, juicy peaches, and berries bursting with flavor, most farmers markets have stalls selling coffee, cheese, farm fresh eggs, freshly baked bread, flowers, and even local honey. If you plan things right, you might be able to skip your trip to the grocery store altogether.

5. Be adventurous. Never tried kohlrabi, squash blossoms, or fresh passion fruit before? Exotic fruits and vegetables are commonplace at farmers markets, so come prepared with an appetite (literally!) for adventure.

6. Ask questions. The growers are right there, so take advantage of it. Ask them where your food comes from and how it was grown. They might even have some tips on how to prepare it or some samples to hand out.

7. Understand organic. Many small farms that follow organic growing practices choose to skip USDA certification because of its high cost. So instead of stopping at “Is your farm organic?” (which refers to the official USDA label) follow up with more specific questions like, “Do you use pesticides?”

8. A little dirt won’t hurt. Organic produce won’t always look as pristine as it is in the supermarket, but don’t let that deter you. Just be sure to rinse your produce thoroughly before serving. I try to remind myself that a little dirt (and yes, even the occasional creepy crawly) is a lot less scary than the harmful chemicals used in conventional growing methods.

9. Join a CSA. Too busy to shop the farmers market? Joining a CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture program, is a quick and easy way to support your local growers. Think of it as a magazine subscription only with produce. You purchase a “share” from the farm at the beginning of the season, and then they set aside a box of produce for you weekly or monthly.

 

Courtesy of LC!

4 Feb 2013
I think you really should make a radical change in your lifestyle and begin to boldly do things which you may previously never have thought of doing, or been too hesitant to attempt. So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun. —Into the Wild

I think you really should make a radical change in your lifestyle and begin to boldly do things which you may previously never have thought of doing, or been too hesitant to attempt. So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun. —Into the Wild
27 Dec 2012
19 Dec 2012
17 Dec 2012
Discipline your mind to dwell on truth. Replace your fear with faith
— Chris Tiegreen
10 Dec 2012