Healthy Communication

Just read an interesting blurb on Time.com that talks about how in people who use two or more languages regularly throughout adulthood, the onset of dementia is delayed by 4.1 years. Perhaps we should rethink having a second official language in the states . . .

You can check out the article here.

Fight Terror? End Poverty.

In this three part Canadian interview, Jeffrey Sachs discusses his ideas in his book, The End of Poverty.

Part 2

Part 3

The End of Poverty

For just about all of Christmas break, I avoided this book. Before they left Jacob and Tania had lent it to us encouraging us to read it, and usually I dive right into a good read. This time, I walked the other way every time I saw it on the shelf. I think I expected either a guilt trip or a real downer or both. Instead, what I've been reading is fresh, inspiring, and hopeful.

Jeffrey Sachs in The End of Poverty describes how within our generation we can eradicate extreme poverty (a term he defines as those who live with less than $1 a day). Not relative poverty, but extreme poverty - people who live with out access to clean water, adequate nutrition, education, or health care. He proposes that we as a global community can end this not with handouts, but through investments in simple yet life-changing things such as paved roads, anti-malarial bed nets, community health workers, and fertilizer.

Besides, making me want to go back to school and get my PhD in development economics, reading this book is making me rethink other issues - such as how things like vaccines, wells, and high yield grains are just as much weapons we can use to fight the"war on terror" as smart bombs are. And to accomplish this all we have to do is adhere to our current commitments.

In 2002, the U.S. and other developed nations pledged .7% of each developed country's GNP as official development assitsance in the Monterrey Consensus. Five years later our nation is still only contributing .14% of GNP. Every year we put off meeting our pledge, millions of people remain stuck in an ever worsening cycle of poverty. We only need to get them to what Sachs describes as the first rung on the development ladder, and then they'll be able to climb on their own. But for so many, there remains no ladder in sight.

Go Bucks!

Healthful Eating

I've started a new blog, called Healthful Eating. Many of you may know that Matt was diagnosed with high cholesterol right around when Eden was born and since then we've been eating "heart-healthy." His cholesterol is significantly lower (as is his weight!) than when we began and I've come across a number of great-tasting new recipes. Since meal planning and cooking is a significant part of what I do, I thought I would start a blog to record some of my new findings as I'm learning to cook all over again.

San Pelayo Christmas Program

Yea! I finally figured out how to get video out of our analog camera, into our computer and out again to YouTube! For all of you who heard so much about the Christmas Program at the girls' pre-school, you can now watch it online here. And for all of you who didn't, the whole family was involved: Abigail danced and had some lines (yes, in Spanish!), Isa was an angel, Eden was Baby Jesus and because of a shortage this year of 3-5 year-old boys, Matt ended up (largely, this was my fault) being Gaspar, one of the Three Kings. I hid up onstage behind an inn in case Eden needed to be rescued, but she did great!! It's in 5 parts, so if you want to see more (and the Kings don't come in till later!) click where it says "more from this user."

Abigail and Isa loved being part of the play, the only disappointment was for Isa who after it was all over said, "But Mama, I wanted to dance!" Next year, sweetie.

Christmas Program Part 2

Abigail starts this one off.

Christmas Program Part 3

Christmas Program Part 4 "The Kings"

Click here to see part 4.
Matt does make for a very handsome King. By the way, in Spain, the Three Kings traditionally have names: Melchor, Gaspar, and Baltasar. Matt got to be Gaspar.

Christmas Program Part 5 "Jingle Bells"