Ugly buildings

Look at these ugly buildings! Why would we want to build any of these atrocious creations? At the university I attend, I view many uninspiring concrete creations. Why do I have to look at them?

I read an article this week-end about "ugly buildings." Alan de Botton is an architect who suggests that one of the really depressing aspects of modern life are the ugly buildings we have to look at. We seem to have forgotten the important relation between beauty and happiness! Nature gives us so much beauty; why do we scar it with literally millions of ugly buildings?

How old is she, anyway?

I was walking home this morning from my daughter's school, and a few of we "walking parents" were trying to guess how old our gracious Queen was. I guessed late seventies. Others guessed early or mid-seventies.

The answer? Queen Elizabeth the 2nd is hale and hearty at the age of 80 years old! She was born on April 21st, 1926. Her coronation was in 1953, and many people still living recall this event as the first event they watched on their "new" black and white TV's.

So, our Queen is older than any of us thought. And may she continue in good health at the old Buckingham Palace!

Oranges from South Africa

I love eating oranges! When I started packing my daughter's lunches in September, I bought lovely oranges for her to eat at noon. And I bought grapefruits for our breakfast.

My daughter loved the oranges in her lunch. I carefully cut them, so that she could eat sections, and not have difficultly peeling. She came home raving about them. They were so, so juicy, she said.

Unfortunately, there was a problem. I looked at the cute little labels on the oranges and noticed that they were from South Africa! What! These fruits were shipped half way across the globe so that we could eat them! How many kilometers was that?

Any environmentalist will tell you that you need to eat locally grown produce. And at this time of year, that means apples.

At least until Florida's oranges are ripe. Florida is a distance (perhaps acceptable) but South Africa... uh uh.

Yesterday Paul Darcy and I picked up some beautiful organic apples and my they are tasty! They also didn't have to travel the globe to get to us!