did you know ....

Sipping on a cup of hot tea may be a safeguard against cancer.  Population studies have linked the consumption of tea with a reduction in risk for several types of cancer. Researchers speculate that the polyphenols in tea may inhibit certain mechanisms that promote cancer growth. Both green and black teas have been credited with cancer-inhibiting powers.  Order your Watkins Theratea today and enjoy not only these benefits, but the great flavor of our green tea blends, too! 

Hot peppers will keep you cool! The use of hot peppers dates back thousands of years to the civilizations of South America and the West Indies.  Although hot to the taste, peppers such as cayenne, chile and red peppers, also called capsicum, actually help people stay cooler by triggering a mechanism that stimulates the cooling center of the brain.  Native inhabitants of tropical regions have long known that ingestion of foods spiced with hot peppers offers them a way to stay cool in high temperatures.  You, too, can use this knowledge to stay cool this summer! 

Here's more data from the 1500's to make you feel GREAT about life today! ...
( a VERY special thanks to Watkins Associates, Lerine & Jim Gillespie for sharing this with us!)

Houses had thatched roofs - thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath.  It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the dogs, cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof.  Hence the saying "It's raining cats and dogs."

There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could really mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.

The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying "dirt poor." The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on the floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they kept adding more thresh until when you opened the door it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entranceway. Hence the saying a "thresh hold."