I knew there was a problem of mercury in ocean fish and I thought that it was from contaminated, dumped garbage, but, apparently, I was wrong (though, the garbage has likely contributed to the problem). Mercury is a problem in fresh water fish as well and the mercury comes from a natural source (rocks, volcanic activity, etc) and "small organisms convert naturally occurring inorganic mercury into its organic form, methyl mercury. Methyl mercury binds with particles and sediments eaten by smaller fish. Larger game fish prey on these smaller, mercury contaminated fish." https://doh.sd.gov/food/MercuryFAQ.aspx
One mile! 
You never know what your government will call you to do... here we
have an example of a nation doing what they can in defense against a
global problem. I may not agree with all that China does, but
this... this is a great idea 
I'll tell you what... having horses is not logical when you have so many bills to pay; but, they certainly contribute to my mental well-being and happiness! 
Of course, if you consider the cost of seeing a therapist and needing meds every day... maybe my having one is logical after all! 
Guess what we're doing today...
Why do companies keep hiring managers lacking in people skills? They are supposed to be the head of a TEAM - not the slave driver!
My youngest had a great manager for the last couple of years. He brought out the best in her. She went from an anxiety-ridden introvert to being a bubbly person capable of listening to an angry customer without having a panic attack. A person whom fellow co-workers look up to and contact at all hours to ask for help... whether a question about work or dealing with another co-worker. This is the value of good management.
After losing this manager to a
better paying company, she took all the responsibility of running
the store (aside from being able to hire new help) without the pay
for two months (the old manager really wanted to promote her to the
management position, but she didn't think she could handle the
responsibility... now she knows she CAN ).
Now, a new manager has
been introduced and has caused the ENTIRE staff to want to walk out
in just the few days she's been there. 
The first day, she cleaned
the office with half-gallon of undiluted degreaser without rinsing
and left it for a week, causing 3 employees needing to seek medical
treatment from the toxicity and leaving her toxic mess for others to
clean up. She was reprimanded and her first act on returning was
leaving a message that "Chemicals are our friends. Use
them." My new sassy 20-yr-old left the message "Chemicals
are NOT our friends... use them properly".
The new manager has also angered my youngest enough to slam a door, which hasn't happened in YEARS and (on a separate day) come home in tears, which hasn't happened in well over a year. She's talking about finding a new job with working with this person for only four days. I'm trying to encourage her to give it a week (in hopes that the new manager will relax a little as she settles in), but this is going to be ROUGH. She went from being the manager's right-hand man and keeping the store open for months to being treated like the enemy. It isn't personal though... this new manager treats all the employees like personal slaves. It is so very sad!
I am sensitive to many chemicals (even some that are considered
"safe" or "hypoallergenic" - as are my
children. We have endured plenty of derogatory comments about it too
(each being accused of exaggerating, making it up, or even being
lazy). Now, studies are confirming what our bodies have been saying
all along...
So much for my plans for the afternoon... I slipped twice in the
barn muck and fell once (yuck!). Thankfully, I did NOT re-injure my
back, but my head is letting me know that the day is over. 
I am
soooo looking forward to this mud to dry, but guess what it's going
to do for the next couple of days?! 
https://livingtraditionally.com/vaping-linked-to-brain-damage/
Not the "safer" alternative that it was marketed to be...
Nurses are soooo important! Just remember they are human... yeah,
sometimes they get stuff wrong and some have very horrible bed-side
manners (I get that way too when tired and stressed), but, for the
most part, they are natural care-givers with big hearts and are
doing their best to make our lives a tad easier. 
I get ideas of stuff to write about all of the time that I never
follow through on. I really should start putting my thoughts on
paper... maybe write a book. I think I'll entitle it: Rantings of a
Middle-Aged Woman. At the rate I write, I should be able to publish
it in 2040. Of course, by then, the title should be Ramblings of an
Old Woman
I feel like whining. I haven't been sick in a year, but I didn't take my probiotics for a few days and now have a cold that is progressively getting worse despite my best efforts to nip it. It wouldn't bother me so much, but I made horse plans for the nice long weekend that involved halter training my Dad's newest members that I've been looking forward to for weeks. This stinks.
Congratulations to my youngest for passing the motorcycle training course
and getting her license endorsed yesterday.
Today is a day set apart to remember those who have died in service so that we Americans can live in relative peace and freedom in this great country – regardless of gender, religion (or lack thereof), ancestral heritage, disabilities (seen or unseen), tax bracket, or neighborhood. What better way to honor those who have died, who were willing to die, and who are currently willing to sacrifice themselves than to treat each other with the respect and equality befitting of being an American?
I have lost 8 lbs in the past 2 months!!! Sooo excited!
Bob's turn to be sick