Protect The Land Of The Free

The President of The United States did what he had to do. Barack Obama has used his executive powers to sign off on 23 actions, with more to be voted on by Congress, all in the effort to protect the people of his country.

In my mind, it is long overdue. The gun laws have been too loose for too long. As in Australia in 1996 at Port Arthur, it has taken the mass loss of innocent lives in Connecticut to spur the leader into action. I see no reason for high powered guns in society. There are many people who are too irresponsible or unstable to have firearms at their disposal at all.

"This time must be different" said Obama. "This is the land of the free and home of the brave and always will be".

Certainly, too many people have had to brave the loss of loved ones, taken by the miss use of guns in The United States. Too many have had to endure the terror they have experienced in the many mass shootings across the US, being haunted by visions and sounds forever more.

The people of "the land of the free" should not live everyday in fear. That is not being free! The people they vote into Congress and as The President, to lead their country and make the big decisions, have an obligation to set this right. They must ensure the safety of the people.

I am not anti-guns, if that is your thought. I think they have their place.
My husband owns several, each with a purpose. He uses them to shoot game, which we then use to feed ourselves or our dog. He has also helped a relative cull wildlife on farming land from time to time. He has been taught to shoot and handle guns responsibly, and also that firearms are deadly weapons. We both grew up with our fathers using guns, stored in our homes. Hubby also plans to teach our children how to use guns.

The current gun laws in Australia insist that a gun holder is licensed. To get this license, you must pass the test, both written and practical. You must also give evidence that you have a reason and a place to use your firearm. The firearms must be purchased from an authorised dealer, be registered, and followed by a 21 day cooling off period. The firearms must be stored in an authorised, lockable, gun safe. These are a just a few of the hoops to jump through to be allowed to possess a firearm in Australia. All are necessary. These laws were introduced after The Port Arthur massacre in 1996, which also saw a mass buy-back enforced for all firearms which would now be unlawful, being semi-automatic and automatic guns.

I hope that the new laws for firearms in The United States help to protect the people and help them to feel safe. Guns have no place in day to day living in modern society. These are my hopes and beliefs.
Please follow this link to read more on Obama's Gun Package.

What are your thoughts on the new actions Obama has signed off on? Will they help to make a difference? What is your view on firearms? Please share your opinion, which will not attract judgement.

Joining in with With Some Grace

Power of Beetroot

Did you enjoy the Christmas and New Year festivities? Are you feeling that you may have slightly definitely over-indulged? I love juices for their pure properties, and the following juice is a sure way to help your body get rid of toxins and repair itself. Beetroot and Lemon work well together as a detox blend, but PLEASE note the details below on the power of Beetroot, to make sure this Juice is suitable for you.

Beet & Lemon Juice Detox

• 1/2 small beet
  Handful of beet greens
  1/2 fresh lemon
  4 dandelion leaves
  2 cored apples with skin
  1 inch fresh ginger
  1 cup distilled water
  Preblend the beet in a blender or food processor, then add other ingredients. Strain liquified ingredients through a cheesecloth until smooth. Drink this detoxifying juice as a breakfast substitute. The recipe makes one serving.

Important 

Beets are probably one of the most powerful vegetables available. Beets are known for causing both stools and urine to turn red and if this happens, don't be surprised.

Never drink beet juice by itself. Beet juice should always be mixed with other vegetables and/or apple juice. Pure beet juice (from the bulb or greens) can temporarily paralyze your vocal chords, make you break out in hives, increase your heart rate, cause chills or a fever.
Beets are best used in small amounts. I never use more than 1 to 2 ounces of beet juice (approximately ½ a small beet or ¼ a large beet).
Use moderately. Both the roots and greens are powerful cleansers of the body. Beets are said to really cleanse the blood and kidneys and this is why it is suggested you use beets moderately.
Beets (including beet greens) are high in oxalic acid and therefore should be avoided by those who suffer from or are at risk for kidney stones, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis and those whose stomach is easily irritated.
Since beets are high in oxalic acid, you should also avoid combining beets with other vegetables that are high in calcium, such as broccoli. Oxalic acid combines with calcium to create an indigestible compound. You should also avoid eating calcium rich food immediately after eating or juicing beets or any food high in oxalic acid. This includes foods like tofu.

Instructions

• Wash beets thoroughly.
• Peel the outer layer of skin from the beets using a vegetable peeler.
•  Chop beets into pieces that are small enough to fit into the juicer.
•  Juice the beets.
•  Mix the beet juice with the juice of other vegetables and fruits, such as carrots, spinach, garlic, 

When There Is Wind .... Fly High

There are certain situations in life where you just have to look at it for what it is, and make the most of it. Like lemons! Personally, I like lemons and their flavour. There are many people who don't like them. As the saying goes "If life gives you lemons, make Lemonade".

Wind is one of those things that I find hard to appreciate.
I appreciate the wind's ability to dry my clothes. I also appreciate the role wind plays in creating Energy. Beyond this, I find wind to be an inconvenience and it makes me irritable.

We scored some breezy conditions after Christmas. I had already planned for this though.
Like people given lemons, we embraced the situation and gathered the new kites from Christmas to watch them fly for the first time.
The conditions were perfect for flying kites.
We had so much fun.

I now have a new appreciation for wind. I have also crossed another thing off my 2012 To Do List.

When was the last time you flew a kite?

Grateful for .... electricity.

image source

As I snuggled down next to hubby in bed this week, we oooohed and aaaahed at our pre-warmed bed. My lamp beside the bed was on so I could catch up on the daily catalogues. The television in our room was on and hubby was channel surfing. And that's about all I will tell you about our activities in the bedroom that night.
The point of the blog is... electricity.

I was saying to hubby that in the midst of Winter, with snow falling around our valley and a ghastly breeze outside strong enough to blow the milk out of your tea, how we took it for granted that everything is at the flick of a switch.

There is a book I'm wanting to read about a great change to the world that results in people going back to basic practices. The name of the book escapes me at this moment, but I hope it comes to me soon or I won't be able to read it! I think about this often. What if .... suddenly there was no power? What if .... we lost all current forms of communication? This is almost beyond my depth of thought to think I might be without Blogger and Facebook.

Tell me what you are grateful for by joining in at Maxabella loves