What If The Sun Didn't Rise?

I used to live in California.  With its long beaches, mountains, extremely fertile farmland, and consistently moderate temperature, some have labeled it as one of the best places to live.  It's a virtual paradise.  But this same state does not have enough water or electricity to satisfy the needs of its people.  Moreover, a large part of it rests on a fault-line.  People have joked about it falling into the ocean should "the big one hit" for years.   Having lived in a place where tremors were so commonplace that one didn't even pause when they occurred, I see the tragedy that has fallen upon Japan and shudder.  My heart aches as I see the tangled mass of cars, homes, and buildings.

Have any of us here in America considered what it would be like if one day the sun did not rise for us?  There are those who fear that, once the reactors have finished doing what they are doing and the dust settles, there will essentially be little left of that once-beautiful country in the Orient that the world knew as The Land of The Rising Sun.   Looking at Japan, I realize that nothing is certain.  One week ago, who would have ever thought?....

The earthquake and resulting tsunami, in and of themselves, were terrible and frightening.  But I think Japan could have risen from those ashes.   However, exploding nuclear reactors?....My husband believes that melting reactors are not as dangerous as the press makes them out to be.  I hope he's right.  I'm sure that the world has installed a lot more safeguards since Chernobyl.  But in my gut, I still don't feel good at all about them.   I just read this in a news story released today by the Associated Press:

"Officials were clearly struggling to keep ahead of the crisis and prevent a worst case scenario: a complete reactor meltdown.
In that case, the uranium core melts through the outer containment shell, releasing a wave of radiation and resulting in major, widespread health problems."

Like I said, I don't feel good at all about problems with nuclear reactors.  And I must ask, do such things belong in lands where the earth beneath them is unstable, shifting, and alive with activity? 

As if flooded and decimated cities and melting reactors are not enough, today we found out that there is a terrible shortage of drinking water in Japan.  People are waiting in line for 2 hours to get some!  There is so much we take for granted - can you imagine not having water to drink?  It makes me thirsty just to think of it!  My husband is half Japanese and still has relatives who live in Japan.  Until this morning, his uncle did not know if his family, who lives in the Fukushima Prefecture where a lot of the damage took place, were even alive.  He was working in Tokyo when the quake hit.   The next few days will be critical for Japan.  We all need to pray for a miracle.  You know that I believe in them - with all my heart.

On a happier note, tonight I made my youngest son's favorite fish recipe - apricot-glazed salmon over herbed rice.  On the side, I served mashed cauliflower and multi-grain bread.  And for dessert,  I made "Can't Be Beet Cake".  It's a chocolate frosted cake that, you guessed it, has pureed beets in it. It is completely Vegan and was surprisingly delicious.  The fish recipe is in the right column of this Blog.  It is so delicious that when I first got the recipe, I used to make it every Sunday night.

I do hope all is well with you and yours.  Until we meet again, happy and healthy eating!