Groundhog Day

            We’re coming up on my favorite holiday – Groundhog Day.  I like it because it’s not commercialized. I don’t see many Groundhog Day cards and there’s no official menu (like an Easter ham or Thanksgiving turkey) so we can chow down on comfort food because it’s still cold, snowy and windy and we need a little extra pizza, cake, popcorn, wine or cheesecake to chase away the doldrums.

            Besides, I like the little varmint. We had a resident groundhog that lived under the trees and amid  the bushes and brush at the far end of our backyard. He was chunky with a large behind and we enjoyed watching him waddle quickly along the perimeter. We named him Wally. After a while we noticed another groundhog and we figured found a mate - “Walletta.” They made a cute pair but Good Neighbor Dave didn’t agree. It seems they decided their growing family needed more shelter and they found it under his shed.

            Nevertheless, I get a kick out of Puxatony Phil every year.  Whether he sees his shadow or not, I know winter is half over. There’s something corny and homey about the good people of Puxatony, PA as they gather around the gentleman dressed in top hat and old time suit as he holds up the furry critter. Where else is nonsense celebrated so well?

Some people rent the movie Groundhog Day for February 2^nd. Not a bad idea; it is one of those heartwarming movies that stays in your mind for years.

            Have a happy Groundhog Day and remember this winter WILL end.

 

Three Cheers for Cheerios Cereal

            There’s a huge war going on in state legislatures across America over making producers of the food we eat put the presence of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) on their food labels. Big agribusiness is spending mucho bucks to block this initiative yet millions of Americans are speaking up. You would think this is a David and Goliath story with Goliath about to take home all the marbles.

 But no. Despite the money and rhetoric flooding the legislatures, there is one card we consumers hold and that is our purchasing power. I’ve noticed our grocery stores are offering more and more organic choices and people are willing to pay a little more to avoid chemicals with every bite. General Mills got an earful when it claimed Cheerios was healthy and we said, in essence, not if it contains GMOs.

            Now General Mills is bringing out non GMO Cheerios – only the original formula, mind you. You know - the stuff we ate in the 50’s. Yum. Yum. Now we need to literally put our money where our mouth is.

            Personally, I say even if you HATE Cheerios buy a box of non GMO Cheerios anyway, even if you feed it to the birds.  If grocers can’t keep the stuff on the shelves, we consumers will have won a battle that no amount of agri- bucks could have purchased.

            It’s all about truth in labeling. Now, get out your cereal bowl and milk and eat your darn Cheerios.  This time they’re better for you than you think!