Happy Birthday Skip!
This is Skip's daughter Brooke, hijacking Word of Wisdom Living for a minute to wish my dad a Happy Birthday! You might not be aware of the many hours he puts into this little site: researching questions, trying out recipes, exploring the aisles of the grocery store.. it's almost a full time job for him.
Why does he do it? Because he wants to share what he's learned about nutrition and living well, and because he likes to learn from all of you and your wonderful comments.
The photo above was taken for an article Martha Stewart ran this summer about our family reunion. I know when you see a photo in a magazine, you might assume things are just posed for the camera, but this photo rings true for me. My dad loves to share things. He loves to research and study and read, and make his own conclusions and then share his findings. (Okay, we might not do it with lanterns in the trees and coordinating quilts!)
All my life my dad has tried to teach me things. He's an engineer, so he's always trying to figure out how things work and how they can be done better. Growing up, he was the kind of dad who drew a lot of graphs, who asked a lot of questions, who would never just give me the "easy answer".
In college he would mail me articles he had read in the morning paper. Now he emails links he thinks I need to see and pulls me aside when I come over for dinner to tell me about the interesting story he heard that week.
For all these years it's just been his family who he shared with, and that's why I pushed him to start this blog, to share with a larger audience all the things I've been lucky enough to hear my whole life. I think he's doing a really great job, and I know my family is healthier because of his time and effort.
Happy Birthday Dad.
Leave a comment telling my dad one way this blog has helped you.. I think that would really put a smile on his face!
Friday, October 7, 2011 at 1:11PM
Reader Comments (85)
Happy birthday Skip! I must say that I hardly ever comment, but I am a faithful reader of your blog. I also love to recommend your blog to my friends (mothers and cooks). I feel much better informed about nutrition and I feel I am more apt to question the health claims made by food producers, which leads to making healthier choices for me and my family. I am so glad I don't have to read 100 books on nutrition! I can find out what I need to know through you. I am also happy to say that my family enjoys my homecooked foods much more than store bought varities. For instance, I made the granola recipe that you shared and my husband exclaimed, "this is the best granola I have ever had!" You are wonderful for sharing your knowledge and for helping others to have better lives. Thank you for all your hard work!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the man I brag about second only to my Wonderful Husband. You have changed and inspired our household!!!!!!
Happy birthday! I love your blog. It's helped me in so many little ways to make healthier decisions. I'm always excited to see what you'll write next. Great work!
Happy Birthday, Skip! Thank you for your curious mind, its ponderings and musings, and your willingness to share. You have enhanced and enriched our lives!
Happy Birthday Skip! Your blog is one of my absolute must-reads! I'm young and just starting my family, so your site has brought me some valuable lessons and insights on how to begin and continue those essential healthy habits. I had a wonderful mother who believed in the importance of whole living and I've been lucky to share a few things with her from your site! (The ratio of fiber to sugar in whole grain bread is one that really comes to mind) So for all of your hard work and sharing, a great big Thank You! Have a wonderful day! :)
Happy birthday! This blog is truly one of my favorites. I check it every day. I am very grateful for your generous donation of time and knowlege--it has benefitted so many. I hope you have a wonderful day filled with fun, friends and family!
One way this blog has helped me? Well, I've got a chicken carcass in the fridge that is going to be used to make stock tomorrow. That will be a first for me, but something I hope to turn into a habit.
Happy, happy birthday!
Thank you for your wonderful blog. I read every post and appreciate all that goes into them. Thank you!
Best wishes for a wonderful year--
Kristen
Happy Birthday, Skip! I really love your blog and have made a huge cuback in meat and sugar since reading your entries. My husband and I have always been healthy eaters, and I consider myself a "foodie", but I am constantly surprised by what I don't know. Please keep up the good work!
I hope you had a wonderful birthday! I want to thank you for the time and effort you put into this blog. You present your ideas so well here and I appreciate the wisdom and research that are behind the suggestions you make. You have helped me to make better choices for my family. I thought I was providing healthy meals for them, but, since I started reading your blog many months ago, I have learned many ways to improve upon our eating habits. I think it is safe to say that your blog has improved the health of many. Thank you!
I think this blog is inspiring and full of great information. I love the weekly changes, even if I'm already doing some of them. I still learn a ton about the whys. This is the first source I've ever read for nutrition that really makes sense while applying the Gospel. Keep those posts coming! I look forward to reading the rest of the healthy changes for the year and for new recipes. The roasted potatoes are to die for!
A belated Happy Birthday! I hope you had a wonderful day. This is the most interesting factual blog I read - no fluff, just well researched, well considered facts, thoughts and ideas. It is also the only blog that makes me properly consider exactly what I eat and has been instrumental in a few changes we have made at home, fine tuning our pretty healthy diet. So thank you, for the time and effort that you go into to bring this information to us in a neat package.
Feliz aniversario!
My Skip Happy List:
Learning so much on your blog.
Making a new friend.
Being motivated to do better.
Looking forward to each week's post +
Trying new recipes
Feeling grateful
Cheers
Thank you for creating this blog! I have been reading since the beginning of the year and love the knowledge you have shared with us. My awareness of my health and habits has been raised and I'm grateful to be able to share that with my family.
Thank you Skip!
Happy Birthday, Skip! I have really appreciated the weekly changes. It's kind of like the idea "how do you eat an elephant?", "one bite at a time". You really broke down good healthy habit changes into managable steps. Besides learning a lot from you by reading the blog, I've learned a lot from you by your example. I really admire someone who spends time and effort on something that's not for work, not to try and make money from it, but just because you think it matters. Health and faith do matter, and I'm glad for the difference you've made in helping me increase my understanding of and faith in both of those things. Here's to good health and divine guidance!
Skip! I feel like your blog has given me a perspective on food that is wise. I feel smarter about my choices in food, cooking more and making a meal plan because you have shared your information. Thanks!
Happy Birthday! Thank you so much for all your wonderful words of wisdom in this blog. I have been following from almost day one and trying to get all my loved ones in the loop. This knowledge that you are sharing has the potential to change each one of our lives and the world! My husband and I recently had a baby and you are always inspiring my to want to create a healthy and wholesome home for my family with lots of good home cooked meals! THANK YOU!! I can't wait until this blog goes to book form so I can have it on hand!
ps- no joke I have a ham bone and bay leaves simmering right now! :)
Happy Belated Birthday to the author of a great blog that inspires all of us to be a little better every day. Thanks for the encouragement!!!
Oh Skip...Hope you had a wonderfully happy birthday! Spent with family and friends that love and admire you would be a lovely day indeed...
I do so appreciate your blog, your postings offer so much information and validation and I often reference you when my husband questions why we are buying, eating doing something differently from before.
Thanks again and birthday hugs~
Happy Birthday Skip!!!! I love your blog. You have completely changed my life for the better. Thanks for doing it.