WHY MY RECENT BLOGS WERE MISSING

I must apologize to my faithful readers for not blogging recently. I had no idea I was missed. Recently emails were sent to me asking if I was okay as they have not read anything new. Others who knew me asked the same question. Curious, I checked with Sitemeter which tells me how many visits went into my website during my absence. I never knew who they were. To my surprise, without sending out announcements of a new blog, I was getting almost the same amount of hits as if I sent out emails. It was very gratifying to me and has inspired me to continue writing.

The truth is, I was quite ill and did not realize it. I was getting a strange feeling in my chest. Although it was not painful, it felt as if I had gas or indigestion. It lasted 2 minutes then went away. However, every evening at about the same time it returned for another two minutes. At the same time my molar teeth were hurting.  My jaw did not bother me, but felt weird. I was having a problem with vertigo, and a painful tooth prior to this. That was why I had been ignoring those symptoms, My arm, shoulder and neck, did not bother me as many books claim those are the symptoms of a heart attack.  With women, however doctors say heart attack symtoms vary and  could be different than men

Anxious to take me to the ER,  I promised my husband if that same feeling came back for more than 5 minutes he could take me.

The following morning I received an aggravating phone call. My chest became tight, whereby I could not barely speak and had to hang up on the caller. My doc said later it was angina

After waiting an hour I felt better. That evening at one in the morning, the symptoms came back only this time it lasted 15 minutes. At that point I became frightened and allowed my husband to take me to the hospital.

My EKG was fine but my pressure was 200 over ? They made me stay for observation and a couple of days later I had angioplasty and two stents in my left artery. The doc said I was very lucky, as  there were no heart or muscle damage.  However I must take loads of pills forever. Diet and exercise will now be my new way of life.

Released from the hospital, I had a couple of days to shop for Passover. Excitedly, my daughter and her family were flying down to Florida to spend the holidays with us. I was thankful to be alive to see my family come together.  I was equally thankful  to have lived for that moment  listening and watching  our 14 year old grandson lead the Seder and our younger grandson and granddaughter "ask the four questions".

TO EAT OR NOT TO EAT "MEAT GLUE"

For years I've heard some say eating processed salami, bologna, ham, turkey breast, etc  are not healthy. Those foods contained sodium,  however I  never heard they contained meat glue.


We have been bombarded with beware stories of so many things, you could go crazy. Some closed their ears and eyes continuing to do what they have always done. I, however, keep the door a little open and observe what's been told.


Just the other day, On AOL news I learned of meat glue. The secret was just released. After hearing about it, the horrid news was on my mind for days. I researched until I was blue in the face and wish to report my findings to you for quick reference


Meat glue  called Transglutaminases was first known in 1959. The exact biochemical activity of transglutaminases was discovered in blood coagulation protein factor XIII in 1968.


Meat glue is an enzyme composed of thrombin and fibrogen, obtained from blood plasma. It can be used by the meat industry as a food additive for reconstituting fresh meat. In commercial food processing, transglutaminase is used to bond proteins together. Examples of foods made using ham, Bologna salami turkey breast.  It combines small pieces of meat, making one larger steak.


TG is delivered as a powder and, like all powders, should not be inhaled. TG should not be consumed directly in large quantities, but consuming active TG in the levels recommended for food usage is harmless. (so they say) TG is classified by the FDA as a GRAS product (generally recognized as safe) when used properly. Although some studies have shown that stomach enzymes have difficulty breaking down proteins after they have been bonded by TG, other studies have shown that these bonded proteins are absorbed and broken down in the body into normal products as though they had never been bonded. (two different therories


When TG-ases are improperly regulated in the body, they are associated with very bad things like the plaques in the brains of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s disease patients as well as in the development of cataracts in the eyes, arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), various skin disorders, etc*. None of these are related to eating food made with mTG, but rather due to imbalances in the body’s ability to regulate the TG that it produces. Isn't that what they say about how people get cancer.  It is not the food but how the body reacts to the food.  "does not sound right to me"


Ajinomoto is the only producer of food grade TG, marketed under the brand name Activa (not Activia, which is a pro-biotic yogurt for women). Ajinomoto claims TG  is safe, natural, and easy to use. In the kitchen, TG is primarily used to produce special effects, like peanut butter noodles, shrimp spaghetti, meat, fish, poultry, dairy products, and bread.


Safety isn’t uppermost in consumer’s minds. The outrage which lead to meat glue being banned in the E.U. focused on paying premium prices for inferior foods. Yet how much of the blood-clotting enzyme gets into the bloodstream through the skin – a concern for food workers – or through the mucous membranes when we put glued food in our mouths? Nobody knows.


In other words, meat glue allows the manufacturer to economize at the expense of the consumer, who gets less protein in his yogurt but enjoys the mouthful of the real thing.
One could absorb blood-clotting enzyme without suspecting it.


It’s very difficult to tell if the food on your plate has been glued. Most people can’t taste transglutaminase. The seams that join disparate pieces of flesh are hardly visible. And a nice, smooth puree could be just that, or a slurry of meat or vegetables made smoother with gelatin and our friend, meat glue.

On Thursday, May 20,  2010, the European Parliament voted to ban bovine. Another consideration EU lawmakers considered was the higher risk of bacterial infection in meat products created with thrombin, due to the larger surface area of meat and the cold bonding process that is used and porcine thrombin used as an additive to bind separate pieces of meat together into one piece. 

Meanwhile, others said that "consumers in Europe should be able to trust that they are buying a real steak or ham, not pieces of meat that have been glued together," and "beyond this specific case, the European Parliament has sent a political message to the Commission defending transparency towards the consumer and refusing to accept poor quality food".  And I heard that Europe has refused shipments of our meat.

Be suspicious of  perfectly round slices of meat or fish in restaurants and  perfectly round logs of beef in the supermarket. Novelty foods, like  shrimp noodles or quinoa chips, are surely synthetically bound. In any case, ask the restaurateur or the butcher, and hope they give you an honest answer. I think we should all demand more labelling.  We have the right to know everything about what we consume.

Below are some clips you might find interesting.  One was from  chef Wylie Dufresne, a leader in molecular gastronomy, owner and chef of the prestigious WD-50 restaurant in New York, and winner of culinary prizes. The lecture was given at the Harvard school of science and engineering. The audience, all sciences students, watched in rapt fascination. Nobody seemed to be thinking how unnatural  it is to eat synthetically transformed food.  But what got me crazy was there was a Q & A after the presentation and no one questioned cooking with plastic. Harmful chemicals can migrate into food cooked in plastic containers or covered in plastic wrap.  Please read my Nov 27 2010.

PUSH THE WHEEL: ARE WE REHEATING OUR LEFTOVERS WITH PLASTIC WRAP

WHAT ABOUT CAB DRIVERS IN NYC

It was the winter of 1967 and the beginning of my costume jewelry business. I was meeting the editor of Mademoiselle magazine who was very interested in my costume jewelry line. But first I had to  make a stop at a boutique in Great Neck to deliver an order and pick up cash. When I arrived in the city I found a great parking spot in front of the stores on Lexington Ave.  I put money in the meter and all I had to do was walk a block to her office. Wearing a thin coat seemed appropriate as the weather was sunny and not too cool.

The editor was a young attractive woman who liked my creations. She handed me a bone bracelet and asked me to find the beads that matched to create some jewelry pieces for her. If she liked them she promised to give me a free editorial in her magazine.

Overwhelmed with joy, I left her office to head for home. Our sleep in maid was watching our young boys and we planned a Christmas vacation in Florida the following day. Arriving at my parking spot I noticed my car was missing. Running into the nearby store, I asked if they noticed anything wrong. They told me I was parked in an illegal parking spot. "How can that be", I cried. I inserted the coins into the meter. There were no signs" The store keeper said there was a sign all the way down at the end of the block. "Who would know that" I cried." I live in a suburb and did not know about the rules on that street."

The weather was getting cooler as the sun went in. I was dressed in my short mini skirt, high white boots, a Fall hair piece which was in style in those days and a thin coat. I ran to a  nearby telephone booth and told my husband about my car being towed. He was a president of a public company at that time and in the middle of a meeting.  " Don't worry, I will come and get you. Meet me on the south west corner of Lexington Ave." He said

Walking up the street, I approached a few people asking them where the South West corner was. They all looked at me as if I was crazy and nodded that they did not know. After an hour of looking for him, I was starting to feel chilled because the weather was getting very bad with rain and sleet. My hair was soaking wet with the alcohol  from my Fall  running down into my face and burning my eyes.

Thinking I was fortunate to make that stop earlier at the boutique shop picking up some cash, I decided to hail a cab. It was dark at 6:30 in the evening and many cabs were occupied with passengers.

Whenever I saw a cab with their lights on I jumped in, only to have them ask me to get out as they were heading home. After the 10th cab, I pleaded with a cab driver to please take me to the pound were all the towed vehicles were. Every minute the weather was getting nastier and I found myself shivering. "Please, I beg you, I have children home waiting for me. I am tired, hungry and cold. Please do not make me get out"  I cried.  Okay lady, take it easy. I will take you to the pound. I was on my way home, but I will take you." His accent sounded like a foreigner from India, or from a Muslim country.

The snow was coming down heavier, and I could not stop shivering. Riding  up town, the cab driver stopped his cab and said he had to get out of the cab for a minute. He  told me to wait there and not get out. When he left, fear came over me. I was horrified over what might come next. "He is getting his friends to rape me", I thought. "GET OUT OF THE CAR, I kept saying to myself, GET OUT, GET OUT. But I was cold, tired, scared, afraid to move. "What was taking him so long. Where did he go?" I wondered

Fifteen minutes later he came back to the cab alone (thank God) with a hot cup of coffee for me.

GOD BLESS HIM!

HOW I FOUND MY LOST TREASURE

After many years of wearing my engagement ring, I noticed a chip on the edge of the diamond. A jeweler suggested cutting it down to keep its value. Pondering the decision to make my stone smaller, I took it to the diamond institute to map my stone. I wanted to insure my returned diamond was mine after it was cut smaller.

Extremely disappointed over the new size of my stone, after it was cut, I had no desire to purchase a ring setting. However until I figured out what to do with it, I temporarily set it in my mother's eternity diamond ring. My mother passed away leaving me heartbroken. I had the ring widened to fit my finger. Some people gave me compliments while others said it did not belong. Years later it became stylish.

After wearing my ring for several years I noticed a cut in the eternity band where they resized it. It seemed safe as it did not expand. I was waiting for my next trip to New York to take it to the Jewelry Exchange where most jewelers send their work.

Preparing to attend a party, I could not find my ring. I went crazy because it was always with me. "Did I take it off and not remember," I thought. I searched everywhere and afterwards having the cleanest draws and closets in the world.

Months went by leaving my mind tormented and heartbroken. Although I was once very disappointed with the size, I realized the sentimental feelings and history I had with my diamond and my mother's ring.

One day, shopping in the mall, a lady approached me in front of Estee Lauder's cosmetic counter. She was sitting at a bridge table asking me if I wanted my fortune told. Passing her by saying "no thank you", my mind was not on nonsense. Walking a few steps past her, I reconsidered and thought "hmm maybe she might have common sense and suggest where I put my ring.

Walking back to her table, I agreed to sit down and let her do her thing. After all, it was free. She dealt her cards. Not remembering all too well what kind of cards she drew, the first startling thing she said was "you are married to a very mild mannered man" Without telling her anything about myself, other than loosing my engagement stone set in my mothers diamond wedding band. "how did you know that?", I asked. She said, "lets continue" the next card said I was very sensitive and kind hearted and some take advantage of me."that's incredible" I thought. The next card she drew was a 7. She asked me what the number 7 meant to me. I said, "my birthday is in July the 7th month. The number of my house is 7. My son got married on the 7th day of January, and "oh, yes, my mother's birthday was on the same date January 7."

"Let's use the number 7 for your mother's birthday because it was her ring you lost" Picking another card, she said "your mother will return your ring on or about Jan 7th and she will forgive you. Trying not to believe her, "How did she know my mother was angry with me before she passed." My mother wanted desperately to get out of the hospital where I took her. They were short staffed and were not attentive to her needs. We were waiting to find a doctor at another hospital to admit her when she passed. Never telling anyone about that day, I just dismissed it as a lucky guess.

January 2nd I decided to clean my garage by moving everything out and sweeping up. Using a dust pan with all the dirt in it, I noticed a crystal sparkling thing set in the dirt. Picking it up, I noticed it was half my ring with the diamond. The other half was missing. After screaming "Oh my God" several times, I ran to the phone calling everyone who knew my anguish.. Hours later I returned to the garage to finish the dirty task. Moving a big TV from where it was sitting for years, I swept that spot and found the other half.

All the births of my children were surprising events in my life especially having a girl after two boys . The return of my ring was indeed the second best surprise.

Question: How did the psychic know?

 "ON OR ABOUT JAN 7 YOUR MOTHER WILL RETURN YOUR RING"

WHY THE ASTROLOGERS SHOOK WITH FEAR FOR ME

One day, my husband suggested I go to the library near where we lived, as they were having a meeting for women in business. He thought it might be a good idea to network with other business women, since I worked with him in business.

The meeting started promptly at 7 PM. Attending late, I found a seat tightly squeezed between others around a large conference table. To my astonishment, the meeting was being conducted by a well known psychic who is an astrologer and two of her assistants.

As soon as I was seated I heard the psychic say to one woman,  "your husband is going to make a move shortly. "Will I be making the move with him?" the lady asked. The  astrologer said, "No my dear, I am afraid not." I saw the sadness of the lady's face and I became annoyed being there. I wanted to get up from my seat, however it would have caused everyone on my side to get up to make room for me to leave.

The astrologer went on with other people saying "you will be coming into money" Or ' Did you have an accident lately?" All I could think about was being angry with my husband to suggest coming to this meeting. Although he was unaware the entertainment was about astrology.

 Each person had to submit their birthdays, time of birth, and their name. When it was my turn, I wanted to run out the door fast. I did not want to hear gloom and doom  besides I thought it was just pure nonsense.

"You're coming into a lot of money" she said to me. "Sure" I thought. I get checks coming in every day from our business. That is a no brainier. There were two young girls behind her who were reading my charts and passing the information to her. She just froze and shook a little. I did not like their expressions. "Do you have a female in your life?" was another question. "Of course, " I said, thinking everyone has a female in their lives. "May I ask who they are, please" "Well", I said, " my mother who is ill with asthma, my daughter who is away at college, my new daughter in law, and a new girl friend of my older son. I have two female dogs.

"Okay everyone, lets take a break" she said without finishing my reading. She aroused my curiosity and I did not like it one bit. In those days, almost everyone was smoking. During the break, I went over to her and asked how much she charged. She said she gets $50 for half hour. "Why would anyone pay you so much money to find out about terrible things? You make us all feed bad" I said. Her answer was that many people are in relationships and do not know how it will turn out. Some news are better than others.

"Please tell me why my reading shook you up" I asked. "Don't worry" she said as she was patting me on my back. "Everything will be alright" "What is going to be alright" I demanded. At that moment people came up to us and asked the astrologer questions. She drifted away from me. I went to her assistants  asking them about my reading. "It's okay, don't worry. They did not tell me. I left the library feeling very uneasy, convincing myself it was all nonsense.

The next evening, I went shopping with a friend who's daughter went to the same  sleep a way camp as mine.  We were buying candy and goodies to bring to camp on visiting day that coming weekend.  We stopped for coffee and chatted awhile when suddenly I had a terrible thought in my mind. I imagined someone was hanging from the ceiling of our circular stairway at home. I could not see an image but it was unbelievably real. I excused myself and asked that we leave at once. I just had to get home.

As soon as I opened the door my husband  sadly told me horrible news. Pixie, our adorable female dog  died.. My husband put our poodle, Coco and Pixie, a terrier poodle mix together outside on our sun deck off our sitting room. He tied Pixie on a long leash because she caused damage to our glass pane doors.

There were shootings and fireworks behind our house. Pixie obviously wanted to escape and forgot she was tied up and jumped over the railing. She fatally hung herself. Pixie was my daughter's dog. Cocoa was the family's dog.

I remember shopping for a dog with my daughter.  She wanted a little dog of her own.  Kennel after kennel  and no dog with a chemistry to take home.  I remember her saying, "what do you mean you have to pick a dog with chemistry. She would have picked any dog.   Sure enough my daughter found the one we both loved and took her home.

The following day we went to my daughter's camp on visiting day and didn't  tell her about what happened to her dog. We thought it best to wait till she came home. In the arts and craft shack, my daughter showed us a beautiful leather collar she made for Pixie with her name painted on it.

The following Monday back at our home, I got a call from my mother, who at that time always called me collect."Iris, I am mailing you a check I got from winning a court case. I want you to have it" Thinking of what happened to Pixie and the psychic  telling me I was coming into money, I responded "Mom, put it in your account. When I come to Florida to visit you, we will decide what to do with the money" I was so nervous about the chain of events. I was feared if she gave me the money something bad would happened to her. For years my mother has been in and out of the hospitals frequently. I also was concerned for my daughter, daughter in law and any other female in my life.

During that week my head was spinning. Shopping in town, I recognized one of the ladies who was at that library meeting. I never saw her before  nor after that day. Approaching her, I asked if she believed in that psychic crap. She asked me if I had a few moments and suggested we go across the street to Burger King for coffee. This is how she answered me. " I am an art collector. I was being sued for a lot of money it was bothering me so I went to a psychic who said I was going to lose big. But in no time flat you will make it back 10 fold"

 She continued, "About a few months later a dealer called asking for a painting she  had in the attack  thinking it would never get sold." She got 10 fold back. Ever since that time she goes to a psychic whenever she has a need to do so.  I told her my story and asked what she thought.  Was it all a coincidence?  "No" she said,  "by  you refusing to take her money, you may have stopped the chain of events of what could have happened to another female in your life"

Next week  My missing diamond and why astrologers, psychics and tarot card readers can be taken seriously

If you had similar experiences, please comment below

WHAT ABOUT PSYCHICS, ASTROLOGERS AND SPIRITS OF THE DEAD

All of the above were nonsense...until they came into my life. Being careful not to discuss them at first, I am compelled to reveal my experiences with you now. 

It was about 28 years ago on a warm Sunday evening, I was preparing a lovely dinner on our deck in New City, NY.  The table was set with  place mats, our daily china, silverware and  drinking glasses.  With the sweet  aroma of our pine trees, eating outdoors was enjoyable.

It was just the three of us at the table, as our young daughter was in sleep a way camp, and our eldest son was out of town. It was nice to have the time alone with our youngest son, listening to his ideas and discussing plans for his future. 

To our disappointment, he told us he did not want to attend college  that coming fall.  Graduating High School relieved him from all the stress he endured during his last semester.  He had no idea what he wanted to do in the future and needed to find himself. We tried reasoning with him until we were blue in our faces.  After dinner, dishes still on the table, water still in the glasses, he came up with a shocking suggestion.  "I want to go to Outwood Bound, a school to learn how to survive in the wilderness and to learn mountain climbing. It only costs $1000" he said.

My husband and I looked at each other with disbelief.  "No way" I said laughing thinking it was a joke.  My husband remarked, "if my father and your great grandmother were listening, they would crawl out from their graves to stop you, if we ever consented to let you go."  At that very moment, the glass in front of our son shattered into thousands of small pieces.
Naturally we were all stunned and could not figure how that happen.  Could it have been the dead spirits of our dear relatives?

Does anyone have a scientific explanation?  Please click on the "COMMENTS" below

Next week...  Why the astrologists shook with fear and had to take a break after doing my reading

conclusion: A VALENTINE'S DAY MIRACLE

After six weeks from the time our puppies were born, we began trying to sell them. Unfortunately we could not ask a lot of money because the pups were boutique dogs. (Mutts) The father looked part Lhasa Apsos and Poodle  Thus, our pups became Lassa Poos

The first sale came from a couple who lost their business and needed some loving. They could not decide which to purchase so they bought two and named them Buttons and Bows.

The second person was my next door neighbor. A little friend of my daughter's who was in fourth grade. "Can I keep a pup", she asked. “Tell your mom the puppies are $450 each” I said. She came back and said “My mother said I should have it for free” Since they were our neighbors and a best friend of my daughter I agreed to let her have it for free.

The pick of the litter in my opinion was the shortest and cutest.  We named him Buggsie and kept him as our pet and companion for his mother.

The last puppy went to a lovely Irish lady. She was very distraught about her dying dog at home, She reasoned if she got a new puppy it would ease her family’s heartache when their old faithful friend demises.  The lady explained she wanted to give her son a birthday gift as he was very depressed watching their dying dog lay there day after day. They did not have the heart to take him to the vet to put him down.

A week later, the Irish lady called me on the phone asking me to take the pup back and return her money. “What’s the problem” I asked. "Oh” she said, "my husband said I was a moron for paying too much money for a mutt. The dog does not go to my son and he is very disappointed that the puppy is not friendly."

Since she had the puppy only a week, I suggested she keep it for a couple of weeks. If they all felt the same way, I would gladly give them their money back. “Do you promise” she asked. “ Yes, you have my word”, I said

After two weeks of not hearing from her we looked in the paper every day to see if the Irish Lady put ads in the paper to try to sell the puppy.  One week went by then another.  Surprisingly we did not hear from her until almost a month later when she finally made the call.

"Mrs Shapiro, I do not know what religion you follow but we are Irish,  I want to pray that the Lord bless you forever and ever for suggesting we keep our little puppy for a little while longer"  She went on and on about how we should have a good life.  "What happened" I asked.  Well, the dog follows me around all the time and is inseparable with my husband.  He licks him all the time and he loves the little puppy.  My son and the puppy play all the time and he is very happy.  The best of all, our little puppy kept trying to play with our dying dog,.  He has been lying on the ground for months and we do not have the heart to put him to sleep.  The little pup kept licking our dog rumping and jumping on him, barking as if to say "Come on get up and play!  Well, on Valentines day, our dying dog got up from the ground and started running after the pup all over our yard.  Bless you forever"

If you have a similar story, please comment below. Click on the word "comment"

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY