Betty Drinks Tea

I am a huge herbal tea drinker. If you drink herbal tea, you win all around because not only do they taste great and offer a variety of flavors, but also provide several health benefits.

Tea of the week: Earl Grey

Earl grey is an English tea, named after Earl Charles Grey, Britain's Prime Minister in the 1800s. Earl Grey is lightly spiced black tea with a fruity flavor of Bergamot, a citrus fruit originally from Asia, but now cultivated in Italy. Bergamot has several health benefits all on its own. The following are health benefits from the fruit that is extracted and mixed with the black tea leaves to produce Earl Grey tea.

One benefit is that bergamot is full of antioxidants. These antioxidants attack free radicals that age the body. In this sense, Earl Grey helps your body and skin look younger, helps fight off infections (even known to cure  urinary tract infections), and helps build your immune system.

The bergamot in Earl Grey is also known as a mood booster that soothes mood swings, depression, stress or anxiety.

Also, bergamot helps improve the digestion system. It aids in reducing indigestion, painful stomach aches, colic, and nausea.  The tea has been used to treat intestinal parasites as well.

Earl Grey is known in the past to reduce fever.

Bergamot has disinfectant properties and natural fluoride which helps fight tooth decay and gum disease.

Recently, a study in the UK shows those who drink 2-4 cups of Earl Grey a day reduced high cholesterol and chances for heart disease; also weight loss was a plus from drinking the tea.

Senior citizens claim they have better memory patterns when drinking the tea regularly. Earl grey also contains ECGC, which inhibits beta-amyloid production, a toxic protein known to infests the brains of Alzheimer’s victims

The citrus flavor of Earl Grey mixed with the smoothness of the black tea makes it an energizing and revitalizing tea—a common tea for breakfast; however, its soothing properties makes it appropriate for enjoying at any time of the day.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2109601/A-cup-Earl-Grey-doctor-away-Fruit-extract-help-lose-weight-lower-cholesterol-prevent-diabetes.html

Betty and Books

Why was the story "James and the Giant Peach" banned?

When a book is banned, the negative responses generally reflect the ideas, ethics, beliefs, or fears within society during the period of banishment. In some cases, a book is involved in the process of acceptance and rejection several times during its life cycle; this is the case with the children’s story, James and the Giant Peach, published in 1960 by the author, Roald Dahl. The structure of the story features a boy who loses his parents and is sent to live with his cruel aunts. After a mystic and divine intervention, he finds an escape from his terrible life by traveling in an enormous peach. He meets lively and artistic insect characters inside the giant peach who show him the meaning of true love and friendship.

            James and the Giant Peach struck a dissonant chord with audiences all over the United States. Florida banned the book due to the images of James’ two aunts, Sponge and Spiker. The aunts verbally and physically abuse James, forced him to do all the work around their house, and they do not feed him regularly. The aunts are also prideful and constantly concerned with how “beautiful” they perceive themselves to be, but in reality both aunts are described as ugly. Protestors claimed the description of the aunts cause children to question their outward appearances and question themselves in regards to what is acceptable or attractive in the eyes of peers. Critics also disliked the death of the aunts; they were both rolled over and squashed by the giant peach. The character descriptions of the aunts are vivid, and graphic; however, such depictions are necessary as Dahl uses the imagery to support the grotesque and hateful personas of the two aunts. Structurally speaking, in regards to the plot of the literature, a conflict (cruel aunts) and resolve of that dilemma (death) is necessary for a well-written and entertaining hero’s journey.

            Wisconsin banned the book for profanities because the word “ass” makes approximately three appearances. Also, the character, Grasshopper, speaks of alcohol and tobacco use once. Critics see racism in the book when Grasshopper states, “I’d rather be fried alive and eaten by a Mexican.” (Dahl, 90). Wisconsin banned the book for sexual references. The female spider character is seen as a sexual symbol because she “licks her lips”. Some people see the Wisconsin interpretations of the book as petty and a far reach of actual meaning. If these are reasons for banishing children’s stories, then Sunday school lessons might as well be banned too.

            Other reasons for banishment include disobedience to authority figures, the mystical elements of the magic crocodile tongues given to James by an old man, and the supernatural oversized peach. Ohio banned James and the Giant Peach because of the promotion of communism.

            If viewing the book through a literary Marxist filter, some communist ideals emerge. First, while the aunts are still alive they try to make money from showcasing the peach, charging admission for viewers to experience an aspect of the natural world, even though the peach was chemically or magically enhanced. James lives off the grid, free from authority after his aunts are killed, and James becomes self-sufficient. When he and his friends need food, they eat the peach. When James needs a boat, he floats in the peach. When he needed a hot air balloon, he creatively fashioned the peach to serve that function. The insect creatures he meets inside the peach become his friends. They help each other with their own special talents and represent a free-thinking, communal government. In example, the grasshopper is the musician; he plays music with his legs which is described as a violin sound. His music, songwriting, and dancing soothes and entertains the others. Spider is the weaver, an artist with thread and in several instances aids James when he needs a rope. She also weaves their beds. Earthworm explains to James that he is the most important character because “every grain of soil upon the surface of the land, every tiny little bit of soil that you can see has actually passed through the body of an Earthworm during the last few years.”(Dahl, 74).  The previous statement given by earthworm and the concept of the peach sum up one of the themes of the book (the possible theme causing the most rejection of the book): the natural world will overcome the industrial. The concept is supported at the end of the book when the giant peach lands on top of spike of the Empire State building in New York City. James practices the love he has learned from his insect friends and shares the peach with everyone in the city. After the peach is eaten, James is still independent; he carves out the center of the seed, the pit of the peach, and calls it home while inviting in as many visitors that would like to stop by and hear his story of self-reliance.

     This is an imaginative story for adults and children; the children enjoy the fun characters and mystical elements, while there are obvious social and political overtones for adults. Other than suppression of these ideas, I see no reason why the government should banish the book.

Betty "Bleep Bloop Bleep" D2

What happened here? Creator standing over us.
What happened here? It's shady and mysterious.
It's only been afew years, uncontrolled dependency,
Feeding on our fears, forgotten self-sufficiency.

Rusty bolts fall from the circles
Red windows glow on their own
Mythril in my backbone
Now, I am whole

Machine machine new programming
I have been rewired
Machine machine stop punishing
My gears are on fire

Compute the truth; it wont digest.
Magnet to my head
"Know your place and shut your face."
 Flip the switch to rest

Humans as commodities
Industrial zombies
Feeding on our fears
What happened here?

Betty Dickinson

A blade of grass amoung the flowers

is treaded upon, but not the others.

Flowers are praised for their beauty.

The grass is cut, nothing to see.

A leaf once green and alive

is faded and fallen at the end of its time.

Left to toss in the wind, or

whither and decay for newness to begin.

A raindrop fell with many more,

seperated to be absorbed.

Far from it's home in the clouds,

nestled comfortably in the ground.

Or on blades of grass, petals, leaves,

wherever rain may land,

so, new life may begin again.



Betty Simile

A simple, fun, and playful poem that combines my love for baking and writing.  This poem simply says, "What a wonderful world!"

Paradise perfect as phyllo

Rain redolent as candied rose

Clouds as cotton candy fluff

Ground like green glazed coconut

Trees as thick truffle bark

Flowers as freshly frosted art

Soil soft as sponge cake and

Sun for nature to bake

-a.a. morrow

Betty Smith

This is a poem written by me. The theme is everything turns full circle. We will return to the natural, eventually.

Playground

Concrete Streets,

chain linked Swings,

drones make honey,

for queen bee to eat.

Concrete streets hold

jungle gyms of brass.

little monkeys need

the time to pass.

Conrete Streets,

merry go ‘round,

fun little ride,

until we all fall down.

Aren’t we yet tired?

Lets break for water.

Grass from the past

will grow through the cracks

of concrete streets.

Betty Friedan

Women's literature is an interest of mine. Dr. Julien exposed me to this poem in Introduction to Literary studies.
The following poem titled "Barbie Doll" is by Marge Peircy. The image by Mark Rhyden is appropriate in regards to the content of the poem.

This girlchild was born as usual
and presented dolls that did pee-pee
and miniature GE stoves and irons
and wee lipsticks the color of cherry candy.
Then in the magic of puberty, a classmate said:
You have a great big nose and fat legs.

She was healthy, tested intelligent,
possessed strong arms and back,
abundant sexual drive and manual dexterity.
She went to and fro apologizing.
Everyone saw a fat nose on thick legs.

She was advised to play coy,
exhorted to come on hearty,
exercise, diet, smile and wheedle.
Her good nature wore out
like a fan belt.
So she cut off her nose and her legs
and offered them up.

In the casket displayed on satin she lay
with the undertaker's cosmetics painted on,
a turned-up putty nose,
dressed in a pink and white nightie.
Doesn't she look pretty? everyone said.
Consummation at last.
To every woman a happy ending.


The first verse of the poem implies women are taught how to be what is considered a "normal" girl. She is presented with dolls implying women are primary caregivers or very nurturing. The child is given "GE stoves and irons" and "cherry red lipstick" implying women are only good for looking pretty while cooking in the kitchen. Social roles are the main idea given in these stanzas. I also like when the classmates says, " You have a great big nose and fat legs" we do not know whether the classmate is female or male. This could represent how cruel females are to another, or if the speaker was a male how men expect women to fit the standards of a "Barbie Doll".

In the second paragraph of the poem she is physically portrayed more masculine than feminine; however, metaphorically speaking, the "strong arms and strong back" could imply independence. I find it interesting how she goes to and fro apologizing for having a sexual appetite ( because women certainly can not have that, right?), and apologizing for the way she looks.
The poem does end morbidly, but in actuality this seems to be truth. No one is recogized for their beauty, their thoughts, their artistic abilities until they are dead. Then suddenly, they are respected. This is validated by so many scientist, musicians, artist, poets/authors, and philosophers who were shunned by their ways of thinking until they are discovered years later and suddenly are considered canonical or of "artistic value."

In summary, I believe Marge Piercy to be expressing not ALL women are beauty queens, cooks, or care takers. For some women, art is their child, their expression, or their exsistance.

I think the Mark Rhyden peice of art really ties in all together. In this day and age women, especially young girls, are taught to participate in idol worship of looking like celebrities or a barbie. Nicki Manaj would be a good recent example. (Google image search of her "barbie photoshoot will prove my claim)

 Is it fun to dress up and beautify? Or get in the kitchen and bake cupcakes? Is it necessary to clean and care for a household? Certainly, but it is not the essence of womanhood.