Honey’s Value as a Food

Honey is a great choice of a food item that is often overlooked for its value. As natural sweeteners, honey and sugar are neck and neck, but where honey really pulls ahead is in its medicinal values. Honey has a variety of nutrients, like B and C vitamins, iron and magnesium, and has powerful anti-fungal, antibacterial, and antiseptic qualities. These facts combined together mean that honey is a digestive aid and can even be used to topically treat injuries like cuts and burns. Also, honey never goes bad. Literally, it can’t go bad. As moisture leaves it, the honey will take on a crystalline structure, but a little heat will melt the honey back to its more usable state.

So, the next time you are feeling a little under the weather or have a small burn or cut that needs treatment, pull out the honey. What could it hurt?

Until the next random bit of information appears,
Becky

The Average Cost of a Wedding in America in 2013

Did you know that the average amount spent on a wedding in the United States stands at $28,000??? Can you even believe that? I can't. Why would anyone spend that kind of money to get married - on one single day in their life? I mean, let me tell you. I get it. You want a pretty wedding. Nice flowers, nice dress, fun reception, etc., etc. But, come on. Who the heck spends $28,000 on ANYTHING in one day unless you are a millionaire?? I just don't get it. I would rather use the money for a down payment on a house or invest it for my future or anything.

Granted, I got married in 1977 and was pretty much as poor as a pauper, but I spent about $500 on my wedding and had a beautiful dress (I wore my Mom's which was 25 years old, fit me like a glove, and was beautiful to boot), had beautiful flowers (which we paid $75 to buy wholesale and had a florist friend help us make the bouquets, boutonnieres, etc.), had my future mother-in-law sew three bridesmaids dresses and she was even able to eek out the flower girl dress (from the material I picked out to have the colors I wanted and paid for it myself), and the ladies in our church supplied the kitchen help for the dinner (which me and my parents paid for). Okay, I know not everyone can do that kind of stuff, but with a little bit of planning and some ingenuity, you can have a great wedding and not break the bank. We had a wonderful and fun wedding and still have great memories of that day. If I had spent that kind of money on my wedding, even back then, I would have been sick trying to figure out why and how long it was going to take us to pay for it all.

I know it's not for everyone (having a homespun, do-it-yourself type of wedding), but hey, something must have worked - we're still married! Thirty-six years later (July 9, 2013) we will be celebrating together and also will be thankful we aren't still paying for a single day in our wonderful life together.

Something to think about, no?

Until the next random bit of information appears,
Becky

Overflowing

I am a self-confessed information gathering junkie. Not a day goes by that I don't gather information. From the Internet. From the radio. From the television. From a book. From a magazine. From other people. Some days my mind is absolutely overflowing with new information. Some of it is so random that it would be useless standing alone, but added to other bits and pieces of information that I have gathered over my lifetime, it may be very useful. Some days I gain so much new information that I think I will never be able to remember it all. I have several small journals that I write down all the new blog addresses, new authors, new books I want to read, new ideas, and various and sundry other items. I am so fascinated with new information or ideas that I am compelled to write it down or put it into the notepad feature of my iPad. Currently, I have 569 pages of random information that I have put into my iPad. That doesn't even count all the other information that I have stored away in my head! Psychologists refer to the information one knows or is aware of in their global setting, as a "General Fund of Knowledge." Some people have a huge general fund of knowledge, while others are so unaware of society in general, that they harbor very little knowledge (new or old) in their lives. Some people are so unaware of their surroundings or what is going on in the world, that when they are asked to identify a picture of our President or of some other famous person, they have not a clue. I really think that being "in the know," so to speak, is a good thing and I am practically obsessed with garnering as much info each day that I am able to absorb. The reason I write it all down is that I am figuring some day I may need to know it and will be able to refer back to it in some form or fashion.

Reading and writing have always been passions of mine and so obtaining and gathering information just seems to follow naturally. It also makes for very interesting conversations with others when you have even small tidbits of information to share and start a conversation with. And, believe it or not, I have never attended a cocktail party! Of course, not every piece of information you gather will matter to everyone, and it may not matter to anyone, but it can't but help broaden your horizons or keep your mind sharp by exercising it trying to remember what you have learned.

Life is so complex and interesting that it doesn't take much to learn something new. You can be an adventurer in actuality, or just an adventurer in your reading or even in your own mind. No matter where or how you venture through life, it can be one of the most exciting and fun things you will ever experience.

Through this blog, I will be sharing random bits of knowledge that I have gathered throughout my life. Hopefully, you will enjoy reading this blog as much as I have enjoyed gathering random information. Thus, the title. Come along as we venture into the world of the Random Information Junkie.