Tornado, Books, Oil and Barley

There was a tornado reported in Leamington, Ontario, on Sunday. It appears to have done a lot of damage in the area. There was one shot on my CBC News page showing a very new looking mini (a pretty expensive car in this neck of the woods) with a tree crashed right down on top of it. I have only been to Leamington once; it is full of greenhouses growing tomatoes for industrial purposes such as making ketchup. They call themselves the Tomato Capital of Ontario. The one time we were there, we were on our way to visit Pelee Island in Lake Erie where we stayed for a few days and had a lot of fun. You cross by ferry and from our bedroom window where we stayed, we could watch the ferry arriving and departing each day. Pictures on the news this morning showed a lot of devastation in the northern States caused by tornadoes yesterday morning, Matt told me there was one school scheduled to celebrate graduation yesterday and the building was flattened. The whole town was a wreck and the library had no roof any more and yet all the books were intact. This is the book I have just started reading and I have connected to Amazon.com to show you the cover; you can click on the ad to link to Amazon. I have read a number of Trudi Canavan books and so far enjoyed them all. This one seems to be no exception. It is a continuation from her Black Magician trilogy. I am new at this and cannot figure out how to wrap text alongside the link instead of underneath like this. Maybe that's it, but I don't think so. BP claim they are now siphoning off half the oil which is still gushing out of the broken pipeline. Better, I guess, but the continued stories of all the damage being caused is enough to break your heart. I actually don't care if people can't swim or paddle or whatever, but I do care about all the wildlife and coastal areas which are being killed or damaged by this spill. I do care about the people who's livlihoods are being ruined by this so I suppose that means tourism and the people who want to swim or paddle. Yesterday was June 6 or D Day for those of us who remember the second world war. I mentioned it to Matt and he said it is a date he will always remember as two American planes collided above his house and narrowly missed killing he and his family when one of them crashed close by. This was a story I had never heard before. Matt had quite a few close calls during that war. I get yet another ezine from RealAge.com and this morning they had a very interesting article about the benefits of barley, in particular its ability to help slim one down go to this page to read the article http://www.realage.com/tips/slim-down-with-this-multitasking-side-dish?eid=7253&memberid=11378869. Barley is apparently good for high cholesterol too. This is a recommended salad although it seems pretty high calorie to me. However, I like barley and black beans so will have to give it a try. I have another barley recipe which used to be a favourite so maybe I will hunt it up and post it. Barley-Black Bean Salad From EatingWell.com This hearty combination of barley and black beans would be a great choice for lunch or dinner. Nutritional Information (per serving) Calories 331 Total Fat 4g Saturated Fat 1g Cholesterol 0 Sodium 161mg Total Carbohydrate 65g Protein 9g Calcium 0 Serves: 4 Ingredients 1 cup(s) barley, cooked according to package directions 1 cup(s) black beans, rinsed 1/2 cup(s) corn (thawed if frozen) 1/3 cup(s) chopped fresh cilantro 2 tablespoon(s) lime juice 1 tablespoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil cayenne pepper Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste Combine cooked barley, beans, corn, cilantro, lime juice, oil, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Have a great day