Tilting Windmills in Iowa

Driving through Iowa, I have always loved the rolling hills of corn in long rows through the fields. It's been a few years since I've driven through on I-80, but this year as I was appreciating the beauty of small farms and their trees nestled in between the hills of corn, I came upon a new sight. As I dipped down and then up, I saw something strange poking up off in the distance. It was rotating windmill blades. First one, then another,  then a whole cornfield full of them extending off into the distance. Wow! As I rolled up and down the hills, the turbines would rise into and out of sight. I found they had a unique kind of beauty to them. 

     I asked a resident Iowan about how much wind they get. He said, "It never stops blowing here." The wind energy turbines are a great way to put that wind to use! The farmers benefit from leasing small parts of their land. The energy consumers pay less for power. Wind energy is cleaner than fossil fuel energy and emits much less greenhouse gases. Iowa is only one of several states that are building up their grid with clean wind power. And it is the first state to get over 25 percent of its energy from wind. There are many more benefits to making and using wind energy. It's still a big experiment as to how much wind energy will serve to cut down reliance on foreign energy sources. It will be interesting to watch how wind power develops over the years as an alternative energy source.

Healthy Life Actions

A healthy life is a choice and an ongoing activity. I used to think a healthy body was a benefit of nature and a good genes. I've since come to the conclusion that pursuing a healthy life is something that one must seek out and actively participate. When I go online to look at health and medicine information, I've noticed that many of you are there looking up multitudes of small symptoms. It seems that many of us have lots of small health issues, aches, and pains that are part of our daily lives.
       For so many major health conditions and smaller health issues, I've noticed that the primary natural approach is to eat right, exercise, and rest. Does that sound familiar? It's the best approach to everything from losing weight, to protect against cancer, to having smooth glowing skin. I like to look at it as a three-pronged approach.

     Eat Right, mostly organic, with whole grains, lots of vegetables and fruit, and simple high-quality proteins.
     Exercise with aerobic activities like running or biking, stretching with yoga or pilates, with posture corrections and breathing.
     Rest is a very important part of the mix and something we often overlook—plenty of good sleep, physical relaxation of muscles, and mental relaxation with meditation.

     These are all steps that must be actively employed. We learn how to do them and then we practice them. Sometimes we are better at following, sometimes we backslide, always to come back to these three main elements of creating a healthy, vibrant life.