Mystery Solved

Some time ago, in one of my spasmodic and infrequent (and therefore doomed) attempts to beautify my home, I bought a large pot and some colourful flowers to sit on the porch next to our front door.

It looked like this:

...and I was happy.


But after awhile, the flowers started to sicken, and then the leaves, and despite my best efforts, the pot eventually looked like this:

Vistiors (i.e, my mother) asked occsionally, "Why has that happened?"

I didn't know.

Until, one night recently, I opened the front door in the middle of the night to take out some rubbish, and saw this:

Ah.

* * *

Joining up with Dr Bron's Pick A Post: the animal one:

Science I Like - 1: Drink When You're Thirsty

About time I lived up to my blog description and put some "science" up.
There are so many excellent science blogs out there, written by like, actual scientists, that I hesitate to post comments on much of it. But stuff in the lifestyle section - that I can handle!

So... water. How much do you need to drink?
Answer, as of this week: as much or as little as you want!

Photo by polandeze
via Flickr Creative Commons

Don't you love it when a new study frees you from sticking to some kind of health rule? I sure do. Last week news was made when the British Medical Journal published an article by Scottish GP Dr Margaret McCartney arguing that the common advice to drink 6-8 glasses of water a day was "nonsense". (A good, stern, Scottish-type word, that).

You can read about this, and the "backlash", here. (The comments on this news article are also good reading, as a summary of the varying beliefs held by most of us on this topic).

Now I LOVE water, and I am a big water drinker. Water has always been my preferred drop and I drink it throughout the day. When I was a kid I dreamed of being able to buy water in shops - really! In Australia in the 70's it was all milkshakes and Coke once you left your front door.

But I don't like blanket prescriptions. As in "8 glasses of water a day". At its height, this belief got ridiculous, with some people recommending up to 4 litres of water a day. Granted, these were not necessarily doctors and scientists, but the general advice for a long time has basically been to drink MUCH more water than you think you want.

Another gem I am waiting to be debunked: "Thirst often masquerades as hunger".  I was open minded on this and I have tried to believe it when I am hungry. But seriously, I don't think so.

What about this guy - is he actually hungry?

Photo by Ajagendorf25 via Flickr Creative Commons

So what about you?
What everyday health - or other - "facts" have you been happy to see debunked?

Hide and Seek FAIL

I think my darling daughters need some tutoring on how to play hide and seek.

They're not toddlers anymore - I have no excuses for them.

Hide and Seek: You'reDoingItWrong...

Stay completely still....don't move a muscle!

WHERE could they be??

Most impressive effort yet

Tree of Life

Image by dynamosquito via Flickr Creative Commons

Two nights ago I saw the movie Tree of Life. I expected it to be pretentious and boring, but I actually loved it. LOVED it.

The feeling was not universal. As the credits went up at the end there was an audible "Oh thank Christ!" exhaled from two seats over. And I'd say it's a film you either love or hate.

Greek Protests Explained

Image: free-wallpaperbase.com

This is an off-topic post, about what's happening in Greece.


I lived 4 years in Greece where I met my husband, and spent all of those years fascinated, baffled and exasperated by this country and its culture, history and language. I have grown to understand the country slowly and piecemeal over the years, and 15 years later it is less of a mystery to me.