I read a story today about a blood test that is being developed by scientists to predict when a woman will go through the menopause.

The scientists say this new blood test will help women who are juggling a family and a career decide when to have their children.
The blood test measures levels of a single hormone, AMH, that falls as women become less fertile.
Levels of the AMH hormone reflect the store of egg follicles in the ovaries. As the stock falls, women become less fertile.
Apparently it is easier and cheaper than existing tests which measure three different markers in the blood, and give an idea of how many eggs are left in the ovaries.

This new test will apparently predict to within two or three years when the menopause will actually occur.
Two or three years. I don’t see how that will make much difference to a women’s timetable for motherhood.

Women usually reach the menopause between the ages of 40 and 60, 50 is the average, although fertility starts to fall rapidly after 35.

Dutch researcher Dr Jeroen van Disseldorp, who is working on developing this blood test said,
“Increasingly, people are waiting until they’re over 30 before they have children.
“Because women start the menopause at different ages, this means that by then some of them are already significantly less fertile.
“Knowing when the menopause is going to begin could play a major role when it comes to deciding when to start trying to have children.”

There are Menopause testing kits already available, I have seen them costing as little as £12. These test three hormones, Inhibin B, AMH and FSH. Levels of Inhibin B, and AMH drop as a woman approaches menopause, while FSH levels rise.
Critics of theses tests say they may give misleading information to women because even though they reveal how many eggs are left, the quality of the eggs remain unknown.

Dr Simon Fishel, head of CARE Fertility, Nottingham, said a more reliable method would be for women to use their date of birth to work out how fertile they were.

Professor Bill Ledger, who developed the Plan Ahead fertility kit, said, “The best way of predicting menopause is to ask your mother when she had hers.”

Whenever I read news like this the first thought that always comes to mind is, “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”
Do women really need any more pressure regarding their fertility?
There is no exact science, and maybe some things are better left alone?
If every women who wanted children had them, there would obviously be even more people living than there already are.
Not every women is meant to have children.
It’s not a women’s (or man’s for that matter) right to have children.
Children are a gift, a blessing, and there are already a large number of children who are living without a mother and/or father for whatever reason who would love to be welcomed into a more traditional family life.
If every women who wants children was able to have her own, then the number of adoptions, and fostering etc would no doubt decline.

Having said that, would I take this blood test? I don’t think I would.
I think I would prefer to let nature take its course.

My eggs on a shelf in the fridge. Que Sera Sera.

Volupté 2005 Cotes du Ventoux

This tortoise is reportedly addicted to smoking, and can apparently finish a cigarette in four minutes, according to its owner.
The unfortunate tortoise is owned by Li Yun from Kouqian in Yongji county, he said his pet tortoise was addicted to cigarettes after it started smoking smouldering butts he had left lying around in his garden.

Li YUn also said, “Whenever I smoke in front of it, it will stick its head out of the water and fidget about until I give it the stub.”

Li Yun said the tortoise is addicted, and gets upset if he can’t smoke half a pack of cigarettes a day.
He said, “Whenever I smoke the tortoise lifts its head out of the water and stares at the cigarette. If I don’t let it smoke, it swims around crazily in its little pond, scratching the sides.
“The tortoise won’t stop until I give it a cigarette and it bites the butt, and you can see the tip glowing. Within four minutes the cigarette is gone.”

Tang Jingwen, deputy secretary-general of the Jilin City Animal Protection Association, said they intend to contact Li Yun regarding the smoking tortoise.
He said, “If the tortoise smokes voluntarily there is little we can do, but we want him to stop making it public.”

This shot of the tortoise doesn’t look like voluntary smoking to me, it looks like a terrapin being offered a cigarette?

Barking Mad!

I first watched this video many months ago, it’s really funny.
1 year old makes 5 in a row and wins on America’s Funniest Home Videos!

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I have always liked Moschino designs, and the Cheap & Chic range often has fun pieces too.
This Black and White cotton blend face print dress is very simple and quite fun. It’s A-line shape will flatter most figures, it’s sleeveless and has side slit pockets, and it’s fully lined.
The only negative things about this dress is the material, it is 85% cotton, which is good, but unfortunately it is 13% polyamid-nylon, and as I tend to suffer from static shocks off of everything I touch, I definitely wouldn’t wear it which is a shame as I think it’s pretty cool. It costs €620.

I can see Victoria Beckham wearing this dress, I think it would look good on her lovely slim body. I wish I was as slim as her, but I won’t ever be as I like food too much. Or should that be, I like too much food.

Condoleezza Rice Comments on Food Shortage

AGE

OFT am I by the women told,
“Poor Anacreon! thou growest old;
Look; how thy hairs are falling all;
Poor Anacreon, how they fall!”–
Whether I grow old or no,
By the effects I do not know;
But this I know, without being told,
‘Tis time to live, if i grow old;
‘Tis time short pleasures now to take,
Of little life the best to make,
And manage wisely the last stake.

by: Anacreon (c.572-488 BC)

Herman Melville ~ THE MALDIVE SHARK

There is another beauty product that is flying off the shelves, but this time it’s a cream intended for baby’s bottoms.
Apparently staff at Waitrose supermarkets noticed that pots of Waitrose’s own-label Baby Bottom Butter priced at £2.49 a pot was being snapped up by their customers.
After a little research they discovered that the bottom butter wasn’t being slathered on babies bums, it was being used by mums as a facial moisturiser.

The cheap as chips £2.49 cream became popular as it cost a lot less than the usual designer products, and it apparently received glowing endorsements on several parenting websites.
One fan commented on mumsnet.com saying, “I can’t even remember what made me put it on my face one day but OMG, it is fab.
“I have been using it constantly for 2 weeks now and my skin now has the smoothest texture, which I don’t think it’s had since prepubescence.
“And it makes my foundation look super dewy and youthful too. It is SO much better than all the expensive face creams I have tried, including Creme de la Mer.”
Another Baby Bottom Butter user said, “I have taken to putting it on twice a day, I am eighteen again!”
While another fan said, “Really really impressed with how plumped and smooth it makes my skin look, especially around the eyes”.

Not only is the Baby Bottom Butter cheap it is also free from nasty artificial chemicals, the ingredients include olive oil, lavender, and camomile, for nappy rash!
Waitrose reported that they have seen sales of chemical free natural baby toiletries rise by 38% after removing parabens, petrochemicals, and colourings from its own-label products.

Unsurprisingly once word got out about this latest must-have beauty find sales of it doubled to 30,000 pots in the first part of 2008.
The supplier of Waitrose Baby Bottom Butter, based in Hampshire, was taken by surprise over the increased demand for the product, which lead to shortages on the supermarket shelves.

Waitrose’s baby care buyer Jo Maclaine said, “It seems that the botty butter gives softer cheeks wherever they are.
“The feedback we have had has been amazing and proof that looking good does not have to cost the Earth.”

With good news there is often a flip side, and the benefits of Waitrose Baby Bottom Butter have provoked Dr Patrick Bowler, a cosmetic surgery expert who appeared on the TV programme Ten Years Younger, to comment on the benefits of the product.
He said, “The women buying this may think it will make their faces as smooth as a baby’s bottom, but the truth is that while it’s likely to be quite a good moisturiser there’s really nothing extraordinary about it.
“And if they’re buying it because they have babies, they’re likely to be quite young themselves, which means they’ll have pretty good skin anyway.”

Anything that adds or locks moisture into your skin is a good thing, and if you are on a tight budget at just £2.49 for a 125ml pot it may be worth a try.
Than again as Olive Oil is the main ingredient in Waitrose’s Baby Bottom Butter, maybe you should cut out the middle man and just slather Olive Oil on your face? Using regular Olive Oil would work out even cheaper too.
I often use Olive Oil as a facial moisturiser, as I think if it’s safe to eat then it’s definitely safe for my skin, and it works very well too.

Microsoft plans hostile bid for Yahoo!

I remember reading ages ago that Treacle is good for you. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to find any in any of the supermarkets or shops that we use here in France.
But a couple of days ago I was flicking through the numerous television channels when I saw Nigella Lawson making pancakes. I love pancakes, they are one of my favourite foods to eat; as they can be eaten hot, cold, sweet or savoury.
Anyway, as I watched Nigella rambling on about pancakes she happened to mention that the blueberry and maple syrup she was making to go with the pancakes wasn’t as bad as it seemed because, “maple syrup is good for you.”
I hadn’t thought about it again until this afternoon. So after a quick search online it seems that Nigella knows her onions, or in this case her maple syrup, as it is indeed good stuff.
I’m sure you know what Maple Syrup is and where it comes from, but just in case. Maple Syrup is a sweetener made from the sap of maple trees. It is commonly eaten (in Canada and America) with pancakes and waffles. Basically maple syrup is harvested by tapping a maple tree through its bark into the wood, and then the sap runs out to be collected.
I read lots of interesting information about Real Maple Syrup and its health benefits including ~

• Maple syrup is one of the many wonders of the world!
• Maple syrup contains fewer calories and a higher concentration of minerals than honey.
• Maple syrup is an excellent source of manganese, and a good source of zinc, natural antioxidents which are good for your immune system, male reproductive system, and help prevent damage to your heart.
• Maple Syrup can help decrease inflammation.
• Maple Syrup has the same calcium content as whole milk, without the fat content.
• Maple syrup is not a commonly allergenic food and is not known to contain measurable amounts of goitrogens, oxalates, or purines.

Nutritional profile of Maple Syrup ~

• Serving Size 1 tablespoon
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories 52
• Calories From Fat 0
• Calories 52.00 kcal
• Carbohydrates 13.44 g
• Calories from Carbohydrates 52.00 kcal
• % Calories from Carbohydrates 100.00 %
• Fat 0.04 g
• Calories from Fat 0.352 kcal
• % Calories from Fat 0.67 %
• Monounsaturated Fat 0.0128 g
• Polyunsaturated Fat 0.02 g
• Saturated Fat 0.0072 g
• Ash 0.12 g
• Calcium, Ca 13.4 mg
• Copper, Cu 0.0148 mg
• FA 16:0 Palmitic 0.0072 g
• FA 18:0 Stearic 0.0008 g
• FA 18:1 Oleic 0.0128 g
• FA 18:2 Linoleic 0.02 g
• Iron, Fe 0.24 mg
• Magnesium, Mg 2.8 mg
• Manganese, Mn 0.6596 mg
• Niacin 0.006 mg
• Pantothenic acid 0.0072 mg
• Phosphorus, P 0.4 mg
• Potassium, K 40.8 mg
• Riboflavin 0.002 mg
• Selenium, Se 0.12 mcg
• Sodium, Na 1.8 mg
• Sugars, total 12.74 g
• Thiamin 0.0012 mg
• Vitamin B-6 0.0004 mg
• Water 6.4 g
• Zinc, Zn 0.832 mg

So, even though I absolutely loath food shopping and supermarkets, I am looking forward to our next visit to Carrefour because I know they sell Maple Syrup and I am definitely going to be purchasing a bottle or two.

I purchased Lavera Volume Organic Mascara several months ago when I was in one of my chemical free beauty products phases. I paid £9.00, €11.49 for it.
I’m now in a full on love affair with lots of beauty products that are all heavily laden with nasty chemicals.
I like the Lavera brand, and the mascara I purchased is nice. I wouldn’t buy it again though, mainly because I didn’t realise that it isn’t waterproof, and as I cry like Shirley Temple (my mother’s description) I need waterproof mascara.
It didn’t give my lashes any extra volume either, but then I didn’t really expect it to.
I know that most beauty products don’t perform the miracles that they claim to. I also know that even though deep down we all know they won’t we still purchase them. We are all looking for that one miracle product that will change our life; or at least our looks.
Also this particular Lavera mascara is rose scented, why do the manufacturers think that adding perfume to a product that is worn on the eyes is a good idea?
So although I liked the Lavera Volume Organic Mascara, I wouldn’t recommend it.
If you do fancy trying it I purchased mine from LoveLula, which is a great organic beauty website.

It’s true what they say, exercise does make you feel better.
It really does, and I don’t like the fact that it’s true. But it is.
This morning when I woke up and opened my eyes I knew it was going to be a bad day. I felt, actually I can’t describe how I felt, the word Yuk comes to mind.
As usual I dragged myself out of bed after several minutes of laying there staring at the ceiling, and when I eventually came downstairs I was greeted by Richard. As is also usual he said good morning and gave me one of his gorgeous smiles as he set about making me a cup of tea.

I have no idea how he must feel seeing my miserable face looking back at him every morning, but he always smiles and seems happy to see me. I guess there’s no accounting for taste.

Anyway, after I’d had a cuddle and cried (not sure why, just felt like it) I drank my tea and then Richard popped out to to the local village of Durban Corbieres to get some bread and wine. Bread and wine, the corner stone of any healthy, well balanced diet.
As Richard drove off, with the car stereo at full volume, I decided that I would not spend the day feeling like crap so I went straight into the kitchen and began jumping on my rebounder. The kitchen is probably an odd place to keep the rebounder but that’s where it likes to live. I jumped up and down, as high as my aching body, fat thighs, and fat arse could manage for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes I was knackered, it’s shocking how quick the body gets unfit. I used to be able to jump up and down for 15 minutes quite comfortably without getting out of breath, and that was only a few months ago.
Actually it was probably a lot longer than a few months ago, I think I am becoming like most old people and I’m beginning to remember things such as dates etc completely incorrectly.
It is also quite amazing just how quickly the body gets fit again. I have noticed this whenever I stop and then start reusing my eliptical trainer.

Anyway, as usual I seem to be getting sidetracked. Exercise. Yes, right what was I trying to say?
This mind wandering must be down to aging too.

Exercise. Right, I am focused again. I jumped on the rebounder for 5 minutes and then got off and dragged the rebounder in to the lounge, where I proceeded to run for 30 minutes.
The lounge is where the TV is, and being a TV addict I found that watching Phillip Scofield and Ruth Langsford presenting This Morning on ITV as I ran made the time fly by.
I once posted on a forum somewhere? about running on a rebounder whilst watching TV and a fitness ‘expert’ replied to me telling me that I shouldn’t watch TV whilst exercising. He said that by focusing on the television images I wasn’t focusing on my muscles and my workout wouldn’t be as effective.
I appreciate his reasons, and they may well be correct. But I figure that exercising in front of the TV is surely better that not exercising at all, which would be the alternative and my preference.

I’ve done it again, I don’t know why I get so side tracked when typing?

What I basically wanted to say, in very few words, is that I began today feeling crap, I exercised very gently for 35 minutes, got my blood pumping; that’s the important thing about exercising, and voila I felt better.

This whole post could have, and should have, been two or three sentences maximum.
Does typing on a computer keyboard count as exercise?

Syria goes Nuclear

The weather today is glorious so we opened up all of the windows and the warm breeze has been flowing through the house all day, lovely.
It is a very comfortable 23c inside at the moment, and considering that the downstairs is open plan and usually quite cold because of the huge thick stone walls, it’s a pretty impressive temperature for April and it’s at least 10 degrees warmer outside.
I have been enjoying listening to the birds singing and just the feel of the warm air reminded me why I love living in France.
This then reminded me of the wonderful days out exploring the local area we have enjoyed in the past.
I remember visiting the beautiful city of Montpellier where we enjoyed everything it has to offer.
We admired the architecture, enjoyed a little shopping, loved the people watching, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend a trip to Montpellier as I think it has something for everyone.

Here’s a short video of a little of what we shot in sunny Montpellier.

Montpellier