Because Coffee Is Amazing

My mom was going through her emails the other day and started telling me about Dr. Mercola's new opinion on coffee. I'm not sure if this is a direct quote of Dr. Mercola or if it's information he found somewhere else, but it goes something like this:

"Coffee is a potent opioid receptor antagonist, and contains compounds such as cafestrol -- found plentifully in both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee -- which can bind to your opioid receptors, occupy them and essentially block your addiction to other opioid-releasing foods. This may profoundly reduce the addictive power of other substances, such as sugar.”

It is important to note that this applies only to organic, black coffee. Most people spruce up their 'cup o' Joe'  with a few pounds of sweetener and all sorts of curious flavorings. With the exception of cream or fresh milk, adding things to your coffee defeats any health benefits you would get from drinking it. However, this is definitely good news if you're trying to stay away from sweets.

Sugar or no, I am quite thrilled by such news. Coffee always has been subject to debate and so confirmation of it's excellence is always acceptable to me. ;)

Unseasonable

Sunshine, Flowers & Music

The weather is beautiful! It's not even the middle of March and it feels like summer! Quite a change from endless winter we had last year. Everyone here has been soaking up the sunshine while getting loads of work done outdoors. The farm will be well prepared for summer if this glorious weather keeps up.
Today we're working on putting a new roof on part of our house. It's quite a bit project and even Patrick and Janelle are helping out! 

Anyways, I don't have a ton of time to do much on the computer as there is lots waiting to be done and sunshine to be had! I hope you are also enjoying this unseasonable condition.  Cheers!

Pastel Picture

After my messy endeavor the other night, I decided I might as well try something in color. Pastel's are so much fun.... all of the blending, mixing and creating of colors!

I need to work on dimensions. 3D definitely takes skill which I haven't really developed yet.  

Anyways, it's a rather curious picture: 

Promotional Video

Friends from my church made a promotional video of the Mid-Winter Retreat! I greatly enjoyed watching it as it was like reliving the event though it was only bits and pieces of the weekend. :) 

This first video is an overview of the whole weekend and all of the different activities:

This second video is an overview of the "Singpsiration" on Saturday night and it also includes a few interviews of what some of the people thought about the conference: 

The Inspiration

I posted my midnight tower sketch on facebook and a friend left a comment saying that it, "...looks like something out of a Poe novel or Sherlock Holmes."

My inspiration was really from the song, "Kiss From a Rose," by Seal. 

 "There used to be a graying tower alone on the sea.
You became the light on the dark side of me...."

Nevertheless, when my friend mentioned Poe it made me wonder. I recently read two poems that Poe wrote. They were titled, "Annabel Lee" and "City in the Sea." Although I do not enjoy Poe's literature very much (the darkness of his work and of his life aren't appealing to me) and I was thinking of the song when I was inspired to create the picture, I can't help but wonder if subconsciously I was inspired or influenced by Edgar Allen Poe's poems. 

I don't think there is any way to really discover the answer to such a pondering. The subconscious is an intriguing mystery to me.

Sketchy Things I Do at Night

Had this image in my mind last night while I was working. It was inspired by a song I had stuck in my head. I decided to try and put it onto paper when I came in from chores. Midnight is always the best time for having a little bit of artistic fun!

I attempted something I'd been wanting to try for a while: completely cover a page with charcoal and then use an eraser to create the picture. It was a rather messy, and therefore satisfying, experience!  It probably took me five minutes to wash my blackened hands and arms by the time I was finished. ;)

Two Ears, One Mouth

I read a fascinating article a month ago on "Conversational Narcissism." Narcissism is a pretty strong word. The unusual extent to which a narcissistic person is self absorbed isn't something you'd just nonchalantly attribute to any random fellow. However, what I read in this article on the conversations we have with others surprised me. 

Have you ever looked back on a chat you had with someone and wondered if maybe you should have just shut up for a while? Or possibly you remember the person that you got stuck talking to for an hour... that is.... you got stuck listening to?! We all get a bit carried away from time to time, we forget to "converse" enough now and then but what really defines a Conversational Narcissist?

The article, titled, "The Art of Conversation: How to Avoid Conversational Narcissism," is easiest to find on a blog for men, The Art of Manliness (A blog that I would recommend you check out... because it is that cool). Whether you are male or female it's a piece worth the read and a topic worth considering. The servant attitude will always be accepted wherever we go and more people learning to have a humble, giving spirit wouldn't hurt a bit in this modern, "me first" society.

While we're on the subject of conversations, and now that you're on guard against the very negative side to communication, here's another "Art of Manliness" article on Conversational Etiquette! Although alot of this may already be familiar to most of us it's always good to refresh ourselves on how to behave and excel in conversation. 

...and do forgive the end of this article on Etiquette if you happen to be of the gentler sort. Not that it is inappropriate, but it is after all a blog that is made for men. ;) 

.....and so now that you have come to the end of this reading I urge you to carry on with life.... but for goodness sake, do not "carry on" in conversation!