things granny could have told us

while beavering away with a sewing machine today i was hearing most intriguing snippets from the wireless...such as that in Chigaco they've discovered that planting trees and grass in the 'negative spaces' (their words, not mine) between apartment blocks has led to a demonstrable drop in the local crime rate of some 7%. well, that's a surprise. it ain't exactly rocket science to determine that people will probably be feeling happier about themselves if their environment is nicer and therefore less likely to throw rocks at windows or fling old Mrs Brinkworth's zimmerframe under the wheels of a passing truck.

and then there were stories about how parents of children with attention deficit disorders were finding that these children showed 'improved learning attitudes' if taken outside into the fresh air and encouraged to run about a bit.

these are strange times indeed, when we have to wait for some authority figure to tell us to take our children outdoors! of course little Johnny is going to be less likely to staple the cat's tail to the sofa if he's encouraged to kick a ball around outside in the greenery. and speaking of which (greenery, i mean) i rather suspect that greenery, or lack of, in the diet may have something to do with all this as well.

the earth's soils are becoming ever more depleted and increasingly acidic in many places, making it difficult for plants to take up magnesium (as just one example). zinc and magnesium levels in the human body both have an effect on people's dispositions...get too low in either and you run the risk of clinical depression. boost intake of both and you'll feel happier & more inclined to enjoy the world around you...and far less likely to be slouching on the sofa coaxing the cat towards the stapler.