Free-Spirited Ruminations

French Blogs

2012-01-23T20:06:00.020-06:00

Most of my friends know I've always loved Paris. When I was in Europe a few years ago with a couple of friends, we had visited several cities (and countries), and ended up very close to Paris in Luxembourg. When my friends said "We're not so sure we want to go to Paris," I was shocked. "We are four hours away from a city I've always wanted to go to," I said. "I will spring for the room there, and I really want you to go, but I'm going with or without you."

They ended up going to Paris with me, and loved it. From the four hour train ride there, to the visit to the Eiffel Tower, to walking through the streets, to the Louvre, to Notre Dame, to the boat ride on the Seine, I was enchanted. I've always vowed I would not only go back, but I would live there someday - for awhile at least.

Since that time, my French has gotten rusty (I'm working on it), and my house is full of treasures I got there, and have collected since...from mini Eiffel Towers to French books to other decorations. Perhaps it's the language. Perhaps it's the history. Perhaps it's the wonderful food (I chose to ignore the McDonald's stuck right in the middle of wonderful bakeries smelling of fresh-baked bread). I've talked to people that hated it, but I can't understand. But then, I always make a point of being really respectful when visiting somewhere, making an effort to speak their language, and trying to not act like a stereotypical American. I loved it - and can't wait to go back.

I have found a couple of excellent French blogs recently that I started to list on my blog. This one in particular, La Coquette ("Don't hate me because I live in Paris"), is really fun. And I love this post on Fair Trade, a Wednesday night book swap...even though I have a terrible time parting with my precious books. But, what a wonderful idea....and, incidentally, I don't hate her at all - I just want to be her neighbor.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T15:50:00.044-06:00

I'm pretty glad it's 2012. As it turns out, 2011 was a rough year. Not the roughest, but rough. One of those "Okay, so I learned a few things" types of years (that's the good part). But, 2012 is a new year. Better year. I'm starting old habits again (like good workouts and regular writing) that I somehow got too busy for. Both are good for me, and both are part of who I am.

On the workout front, frankly, having aches and pains because I'm not getting workouts in compared to that tight-muscle, invigorating feeling of exercise aches...well, I'll take the exercise ache. I needed that realization. Every year we all think of resolutions. This year I'm sticking to this one...recreating an old and very strictly followed habit of the not so distant past.

So, here's to everyone meeting their resolutions too. It's my hope that all of you have a happy, healthy, prosperous, and joyous new year. May it be a year when a dream or two come true with many blessings, much love, and peace.

Fashion Faux Pas

2011-12-20T13:25:00.086-06:00

There are some articles of clothing that rarely seem to work. What's that old joke...no woman's article of clothing can ever be as bad as a man's Speedo? Unless you are an Olympic swimmer, this is probably true.

This can also be true for capri pants on really short women and super short miniskirts on really tall women...and bike shorts are a whole other story. Naturally, there are exceptions, and people should definitely be themselves and dress the way they want to. But, there are a few things that just scream ridiculous:

1) If you're a man out on a date with a woman who's dressed in a beautiful dress and high heels, leave the old football t-shirt, baggy shorts, and baseball cap at home. At least make an effort - she made a big one.

2) Flannel pajama pants and slippers are really not appropriate attire for shopping, well, anywhere. If you have to run out in an emergency situation, of course that's different. But to be out shopping on a Saturday afternoon in big fluffy slippers and pajamas is just taking it a bit too far. Is it really that hard to pull on a pair of jeans?

3) Pajama Jeans. Their ads say they are so comfy and flattering. Seriously? No, they actually look like pajamas made to look like jeans. My Levi's are quite comfortable. If your jeans are as uncomfortable as the girl in the commercial who's squeezing into jeans so tight that they've left bright red indentations on her stomach, perhaps it's time to buy a bigger size of jeans. There's so many different brands and styles to choose from that are actually flattering.

4) Forever Lazy Suits. Yes, forever lazy. They look like a baby's onesie for adults. I'm sure they're comfortable, warm, and the bright colors make you easy to find in your house. But, do we really need something to be called "Forever Lazy" in America? It doesn't do well for our reputation in other countries as being lazy with such a high percentage of obesity. And, again, just wait...people will think that they're okay to wear out of the house.

Sometimes weekend errands require a good sense of humor. I don't shop at Walmart, but I can only imagine what you see there...if you've seen the hilarious "People of Walmart" pictures, you know what I'm talking about. I suppose you can at least find it entertaining when you're out shopping...but then it does pay to have a camera along.

Loss, Depression & Creativity

2011-11-30T19:14:00.000-06:00

I read recently that one in five people suffer from depression - some more severe than others. Working in the mental health field, I see the extremes, the dual diagnoses, and the wonderful people who struggle with all of them. I'm also acutely aware that I deal with depression as well.

I had an 88 year-old client named Muriel who died last year. Her son called me and told me she had taken a turn for the worse, and asked if I could come by and see her. This was in October, right after my own mother passed away. It was difficult, but strangely therapeutic. I knew Muriel was ill. I knew she had grown terribly thin. But, when I came back into town after my mom's funeral, I was taken aback by how much she had worsened in just a couple of weeks.

I sat with Muriel and talked to her as she went in and out of sleep. I held her hand. I helped her with the things she needed help with. She had been a client for a long time and, as with many of my clients, she was very dear to me. A former schoolteacher who had traveled the world on her own, I admired her strength, and her fierce independence - and loved her warm sense of humor.

Muriel turned to me during my last visit with her and quietly said, "I want you to know, you've always been my sunshine." Needless to say, I will never forget that moment. It touched me so deeply, but also made me sad I hadn't been there for my own mother before she passed away (that plane ride to her funeral was pretty tough the next day - I was too late). I also remembered Muriel asking me one time if I ever got depressed. She said I was always full of laughter and like a ray of light when I visited. She said she simply couldn't see me ever getting depressed. I assured her that I did indeed get depressed at times - just not around her.

A year has passed since that time. Although I know I am still grieving my mother's death, and the holidays are here again, I also still miss Muriel and the two other ladies that died last year. There was Rosemary, who died at 99 1/2, and reminded me of my own grandmother who I lost at fourteen. And then there was Pat, a feisty 86 year-old who always wanted me to stay and play cribbage when we were done working.

But the depression continues to linger on. In fact, it has been there off and on for years. In and out of tough times, losses, and unexpected changes. Although I see it clearly and with compassion in others, it always throws me in myself. Why is the positive, upbeat person others see harboring a sad, disappointed one?

I had recently been thinking I should just give up on writing. I've had to give up on other dreams recently, and I thought maybe it was time to throw in the towel on writing too. But, I've been writing since I was three years old, so maybe stopping isn't really possible. Writers, all artists, have something wired in us that makes us just have to work on our art. Although one in five people deal with depression, the numbers are even higher if you are a creative type. It just goes with the territory.

Searching for encouragement, I came across this post from last March in Joe Konrath's blog A Newbie's Guide to Publishing. He published a letter from writer Kiana Davenport. His response to her discouragement helped mine as well:

Over the years, I've lost count of the conversations I've had with writers who had similar experiences to Kiana and me. Tales of rejection. Of bad luck and stupid publisher decisions. Of getting the shit end of the stick, over and over and over.

It got me thinking. For every writer popping open the champagne because they just got a new deal, there are dozens who have gotten screwed. And no doubt some of them thought about swimming out to sea. While my depression never got that severe, I certainly wouldn't want to relive those dark, depressing, frightening months without a publishing contract.

But I never have to feel that way again. None of us do. We don't have to rely on a gatekeeper's "yes" or "no" to dictate how we feel about ourselves. We don't have to put all of our eggs into the legacy publishing basket anymore. Hell, we don't have to put any eggs in there at all.

I've only published nineteen articles, one in an anthology, and have two incomplete books that have been sitting on a shelf for a few years now. I thought it would be a natural flow to the next published piece. But, it simply doesn't work that way. Joe gives not only encouragement, but ideas for self-publishing. Writing has never been easy. It isn't supposed to be. I wonder if what I've always been told is talent is just mediocre, but I also ask how can you give up something that's such a deep part of you?

Thank you Joe, and thank you Kiana (check out her book, House of Skin) for helping me to realize this. We all get depressed, we all get discouraged. But, writers need to support and help each other get through it, no matter what the outcome.

Dorli Rainey

2011-11-23T22:01:00.037-06:00

I've been fortunate to work with some pretty gutsy elderly women in my day job. They have certainly taught me as much as I could ever teach them. Along with being total sweethearts, their compassion, wisdom, and life experience just made them that much more interesting.

Dorli Rainey, the 84 year-old lady who was pepper-sprayed while at Occupy Seattle, reminds me of them. She was interviewed on Countdown. An activist all her life, including for civil rights and women's rights, her courage and spirit shine through that soft spoken voice:

The Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic

2011-11-17T18:44:00.042-06:00

I really admire JK Rowling's writing. Her ability to create not only rich, complex characters, but the entire world of Harry Potter, is just amazing.

But she's done something else truly amazing. In a post from September 3, 2010, I wrote about the research clinic she planned to open in honor of her mother who had Multiple Sclerosis. Set to open in 2012, the work has now started on building the clinic. According to The Press Association:

Harry Potter author JK Rowling has buried a time capsule to mark the start of building work on a research clinic for patients with neurodegenerative diseases.

The clinic, at the University of Edinburgh, is to be set up following a £10 million donation from Ms. Rowling and will be named after her mother, Anne, who died of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) when she was 45.

The buried capsule contains written accounts from patients living with multiple sclerosis and other neurodegenerative diseases, as well as contributions from clinicians, commenting on current treatments and their hopes for the future.

Ms. Rowling said: "I am both delighted and moved to be marking the start of the official building work for the Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic. This time capsule captures how it is for people living with MS and other neurodegenerative diseases right now, and the current state of research. I believe that this clinic will have a huge positive effect on both of those areas in the future."

"All patients with these tough diseases need treatments that will slow, stop and ideally reverse damage. This clinic will pioneer a range of studies that over time will improve patients' lives through innovative clinical research."

With this kind of genuine compassion in the muggle world, one can see how her fictional characters seem so real.

The Last of the Harvest

2011-11-05T14:29:00.033-05:00

As things have been flying the last few weeks, it has been a bit overwhelming with little time to write. I always feel a bit shorted when I can't write - whether it's blogging, working on an article, or other projects.

So, I'll write about our last dinner with the favorites of our garden harvest. With angel hair pasta, the last bit of pesto (which, try as I might to freeze and save, we always end up eating all too soon), and the last of the kale, sauteed in olive oil with caramelized onions, garlic, and Pepperoncini.

I'm especially proud of the kale this year, and all the new and different ways we learned how to cook it. Bright purple with deep green veins in the leaf, it's beautiful and delicious.

It's almost farewell to autumn. The clocks go back this weekend, but it's already getting darker earlier. The gorgeous bright red, orange and yellow leaves are dropping faster to the ground, creating a blanket of color wrapped around the trees.

I will miss our garden full of rosemary, basil, chives, sage, habanero and green peppers, and the beautiful kale, but then we'll have the cabinet full of fresh, hot salsa and and other canned reminders of the garden...which will be great once the snow starts to fall.

One Year Remembrance

2011-10-09T15:28:00.004-05:00

My mother died a year ago on October 4, 2010. In remembrance of Mom, I planted some daisies early this summer in a big clay pot in the backyard. The plant always had at least two flowers blooming on it all summer long. My mother loved yellow daisies.

I miss her every single day. And, as much as I love autumn, it is still hard to let go of the daisies...and all the other garden delights, as we move toward winter.

Aging is Not Lost Youth

2011-09-18T21:11:00.014-05:00

I've been pretty down, with very little attention span, since I missed my niece's wedding a couple of weeks ago. I'm still pretty bummed about this...and really, really needed the vacation. However, there isn't much you can do when the planes won't fly where you are going. Can't control mother nature. I'm sure the fact that it's almost a year since my mother passed away is not helping matters either...yet alone the list of other things that have happened in the last couple of weeks that haven't exactly been fun.

We went to a birthday party for two friends today (husband and wife, their birthdays are just a couple of days apart). Both of them are a few years older than I am. I so enjoyed all the people there, but found myself sad upon returning home later. Of course, there was talk of getting older at the party, and I am already feeling older and very stuck lately - so in need of change. I came across this quote on Already Pretty that I thought was inspiring and cool:

"Aging is not 'lost youth,' but a new stage of opportunity and strength. It's a different stage of life, and if you are going to pretend it's youth, you are going to miss it. You are going to miss the surprises, the possibilities, and the evolution that we are just beginning to know about because there are no role models, no guideposts, and no signs." - Betty Friedan

Thanks...I needed to see this today. The timing could not have been better. I hope it will inspire others as well.

Trading Beignets for Guacamole?

2011-09-11T12:48:00.037-05:00

I had my new silk dress, bought at a bargain price, and high heel purple pumps. I had all the little necessities like a mini shampoo bottle and a traveling toothbrush. All ready to go, all excited to see New Orleans, all excited to see my sister, and see my niece get married. Had a little gift to give to her before the ceremony, from her aunt...but we never made it there.

It was a weird weekend last weekend - probably because we kept feeling like we were supposed to be somewhere else. But, it was, quite frankly, one obstacle after the other prior to the trip. There was not getting the vacation request back, then my brother couldn't come, then my dad couldn't come, several client emergencies, the earache that wouldn't go away, then finally not only a marsh fire in New Orleans, but then Tropical Storm Lee hit the area with high winds and heavy rains. The flights, which were exorbitant and overbooked from the beginning - well, then we were cautioned that connecting flights would probably be canceled due to the storm anyway (and all of our possibilities were indeed canceled). If we would have ever gotten there, we would have been too late. So, once again, too far away from family, and too late. So disappointing.

I spent the weekend painting, going to bookstores. I tend to do those things when I get down. I'm happy to hear they had a wonderful time, despite the storm, and only a few people couldn't make it. I wish I could have been there to help my sister, wish I could have been there to see my niece get married. I'm sure she was beautiful, I'm sure they were adorable - and I know they will be happy for many years.

We went out later in the weekend to a favorite restaurant that makes fresh guacamole at the table. It was a beautiful, sunny day, but it wasn't the same as the warm beignets and chicory coffee at Cafe du Monde...and it certainly can't make up for the fact that I missed my beloved niece's wedding.

As we sat by the mighty Mississippi River, its thin, dark blue water in such contrast to the other end of the wide and muddy Mississippi we would have seen in New Orleans, we felt somewhat comforted by the river. We toasted the newlyweds, and wished them many long and happy years together. As disappointing as it was missing the whole event - and our very needed vacation - at least we saw the Mississippi...even if it was on the wrong end and only five miles from home.

New Orleans Six Years Later

2011-08-29T22:29:00.178-05:00

I was in New Orleans for the first time a year after Hurricane Katrina. I went to my niece's graduation from Tulane University. Water lines were still clearly seen, signs of the destruction were still everywhere - and only one streetcar was running at the time. Despite all of that, the soul of the city was strong, and I went away thinking the people who lived there were some of the most genuinely nice people I had ever met.

Katrina became a storm like we'd never seen before. It was terrible in the way it happened, and the way it was handled. Today New Orleans is different, forever changed. There are so many who didn't go back, or couldn't go back. It's important we remember New Orleans, and the people who were there, and the ones who still are. They have faced other battles too, but they always display courage.

As I get closer to heading off to New Orleans again - for that same niece's wedding this time - I'm excited to see it again five years later. With its distinct architecture, jambalaya, poboys, gumbo, and beignets with chicory coffee - and that Dixieland, jazz, and Zydeco music - there's really no other place quite like it on earth.

Healing is a long process, but with a city like New Orleans, it will not only continue to heal, but thrive again in the process. And it will hopefully never lose sight of the unique spirit and character that make it so special.

If Only We Could Do What We Love Full-Time

2011-08-27T13:32:00.021-05:00

Whenever I get my hair cut, I marvel at my hair stylist. She is not only really talented - and makes my long hair a piece of cake to take care of - but, she truly loves her job. I call her a hair genius, and a friend.

Unfortunately, in this day and age, that is rare. I love to write, I love my photography. Someday, I will do the latter full-time - and hopefully the photography as well. It's a constant frustration to have a real love and passion for something that I've just HAD to do since I was three years old, but not near enough time to devote to it. Even after all the routes I've taken in careers...chemistry, accounting, social services...it always comes back to the writing. Writing keeps me grounded, keeps me sane...it's a form of therapy, a form of expression, a form of artistry. And, again, just something that's in me that I have to do. I do spend some nights up way too late writing, and try to get up way too early in the morning to write. But, I'm always pulled away to my regular job.

I have a quote I carry around with me that I saw a long time ago. I gave a copy of it to a friend of mine who is a filmmaker, but works as a bartender and a waitress. Her first film was fabulous. The quote is: "Support your art, don't expect it to support you." So, I try to remember that, but as an artist, of course I'd like to work toward just focusing on the art. I try to remember that I like my clients, and am basically collecting book material everyday. But, I do have my moments - many more lately - when I tire of taking care of everyone else, and not having enough time to take good enough care of myself - or enough energy to work on my art and be truly committed to it.

Worst of all, as time goes on, and this week was a good example, I never feel appreciated or respected by the people I work for. I never feel like any abilities or talents I have are utilized, and I don't fit in. For a kid who grew up all over the country, not fitting in...well, you get used to that. But, it would be nice to feel appreciated once in awhile when you try to work so hard.

I talked to one of my oldest and dearest friends this morning. After years of working at a job he loved for the airlines, it was changed drastically, and eventually eliminated after 9/11. What followed was him doing a job just to get by for way too long. He did it well, but hated it. This morning, it was so wonderful to hear the joy in his voice after getting new job a few months ago, which he again loves. It was a long time coming, and well-deserved.

Hopefully, we will all have our turns at this. In the meantime, the free spirit in me feels more than stifled at times. I want to be someone who really loves what they do, be creative and an artist...not someone who is making a living to support it. Guess it gives me something to attain to, and I certainly know I'm not alone on this one. In the long run, the good news is, when it comes to retirement someday way down the road...writing is something I'll never retire from anyway.

Dressing Funky

2011-08-20T13:54:00.020-05:00

I'm really loving some of the fashion blogs lately. Perhaps it's because it's just another way of being creative and expressing yourself in a fun way. For a free spirit, hence the title, I'm not quite adventurous enough with fashion.

I have way too many really fun clothes that stay in my closet. Part of it is my day job. I'm usually relegated to wearing jeans and a shirt (usually layered with a jacket of some sort) because I don't know what I'm doing each day. I also can't really wear my short skirts (which I love) or really nice clothes with my clients. I have so many different things I do each day that one day I might be doing paperwork, the next day moving boxes in a basement. I don't want the clothes to be ruined, and have to dress in a more practical (uh, boring) way. Although, I usually try to wear cool shirts and fun jewelry and funk it up a bit all the time. But, really fun fashion is kept for the weekends. It won't be this way forever...

So, I love the idea of layering skirts and dresses, of layering short skirts with way-too-short skirts over them, and wearing more belts and more of my favorite: tall boots. Harder to do in the heat of the summer, but there are other options for this season. Since it's August, fall is right around the corner anyway.

I particularly like the blog Fashion for Nerds. She has some great ideas and really cool posts. Perhaps it is all the years I spent working at an engineering firm myself, or my years in chemistry, but I can totally relate to where she is coming from. Her blog is a lot of fun, and her outfits are fabulous.

It kind of reminds me of years ago when I finally stopped biting my fingernails and grew them long. Who wants to just wear pale pink nail polish all the time? I went for dark colors...burgundy, black, sparkles, and my favorite: purple. Because, just like fashion, it's yet another way to be creative, fun, and unique. Besides, who wants to be the norm anyway?

Accepting the Red...and the Pale

2011-08-10T18:35:00.014-05:00

I was looking at some fashion blogs a few nights ago and came across a post on Already Pretty about the things we're told are not attractive. Is it our knees? Are we to hide our chests that are too large, or make our small chests look larger? Or, as she says in this blog post, does it even go as far as to say our underarms aren't attractive?

Who comes up with this and why do we believe it?

I grew up with an old-fashioned mother who taught me to hide my chest and didn't think women's knees were attractive. I've always been a fan of miniskirts and happen to be quite tall. So, I forgot about the knee thing pretty quickly. And I finally started wearing more flattering shirts that - gasp - showed some cleavage on occasion. I've even recently started being a fan of tank tops. The heck with a large chest and who cares about the underarms? I mean, seriously.

But one of my biggest insecurities came from years of hearing about how pale my legs were. I was told I had great legs...long, and in good shape. But, they were just too pale. So, over time, I stopped wearing my favorite cutoffs. In fact, I stopped wearing shorts altogether. But, I'm a natural redhead - and we are quite often pale. We don't tan, we burn. And we just have to learn to live with it.

Perhaps it's because I grew up all over the country and many of my friends have darker complexions than I do. Their legs always looked better to me. But, then women - especially younger women - tend to compare, and want what we don't have. If we are tall, we want to be petite. If we have brown eyes, we want blue...and, of course, as a redhead my eyes were supposed to be green. And the red hair - which my hairdresser always loved - I hated, because I stuck out.

Fortunately, we grow older and realize that it's the unique things about us that make us individuals. And after many years of being the new kid with the funny accent who was too tall and too pale, and wanted so desperately to fit in...well, now that isn't so important anymore now that I'm older. Now I want to just be me. Red hair, tall, dark brown eyes...and pale.

I can't say all my insecurities are gone, nor will they ever be. But, I can say I'm a bit more accepting than I used to be. The funny thing about it is that now I'm with an African-American man who I really feel is my soul mate. He is the one I should have been with in the first place (not that silly blond fellow I married - and thankfully divorced - back when I was way too young to get married). My guy has beautiful cocoa-colored skin. And he loves my red hair, and encourages me to show a little cleavage, and wear tank tops, and loves my miniskirts. And the funniest thing of all: He doesn't think I'm pale at all. Go figure.

The Last Harry Potter...

2011-07-24T23:03:00.023-05:00

I did not read the Harry Potter books right away. Maybe it was all the hype. But, after getting the first book at a used bookstore, in the original English version (Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone), I kept reading. And I watched each movie after reading each book - except for the last three. For those I had to wait along with all the other fans.

As a writer, I admire J.K. Rowling's talent. Her storytelling, the way she pulled together seven books, and her rich characters, made them all very compelling to read. It was also fun to see the kids grow up along with the movies...and turn into some pretty good actors. And the rest of the cast is a very impressive list of accomplished actors.

We went on opening night for the last movie. We got VIP tickets for a late showing in a really cool theater. Unfortunately, they did change a few things and leave a few things out that missed the mark. It would be interesting to see why they changed what they did and what ended up on the editing room floor. But, I still enjoyed it.

So, alas, Harry Potter. They were a lot of fun to watch, but I guess I'll always prefer the books in the long run. Because despite all the great effects and great acting in the movies, I really have to agree with Chris Columbus, the director of the first two films. As he stated when being asked about the success of the movies: "It comes down to one simple thing: seven brilliantly written books."

Farewell to a Great First Lady

2011-07-08T21:12:00.021-05:00

Betty Ford died today at 93 years old.

A very active First Lady from 1974 to 1977, she had a huge impact on the culture at the time, and in the years that followed. She was admired for her honesty and candor.

After her 1974 battle with breast cancer, and mastectomy, she raised the awareness of the disease. She supported women's issues and feminism, supported equal pay, and the Equal Rights Amendment. She famously said that "the search for human freedom can never be complete without freedom for women." She also openly admitted to battling drug addiction and alcoholism, and became the founder of the Betty Ford Center, which still helps so many people today.

Although she will be remembered for many great things, she always remained humble. "I was an ordinary woman who was called onstage at an extraordinary time," she said. "I was no different once I became first lady than I had been before. But, through an accident of history, I had become interesting to people."

I always admired her. With courage and compassion, she truly felt that we are on this earth to help others - and she did.

Photograph by Anna Moore Butzner

The Grand Rapids Press, via Associated Press

Does She Seriously Think She's Qualified?

2011-07-03T14:41:00.010-05:00

While talking with a friend the other day, we both said how much of an embarrassment Michele Bachmann is to us as women...and as Minnesota residents.

Her ignorance is only surpassed by just plain stupidity. Wouldn't you look things up before you get up and make a speech about it? As funny as this video is, it is actually not all that far off from some of the things she has said.

Regardless of your opinion, she simply isn't qualified to run the country.

Why Isn't Anyone Talking About Minnesota?

2011-06-26T21:00:00.003-05:00

Is anyone aware of what's going on in Minnesota? Our legislature is trying to cut health care and services for tens of thousands of elderly, disabled, and low income people. This not only means no services or health care for them, but the elimination of jobs for the people who provide these services. Everyone from social workers to ILS (Independent Living Skills) workers to PCA's (Personal Care Attendants) to nurses to many other providers will lose their jobs. Thousands without care, who either won't make it or end up in nursing homes, which might close as well, along with assisted living and group homes.

These are important, needed services. How about a wheelchair-bound man who cannot get out of bed without the assistance of his PCA? What about the hard working woman who cannot pay her bills, get help with her doctor, doesn't know how to renew her health care coverage, get needed legal help, or receive assistance with all the other countless things her ILS worker does for her? What about the man who has 90% blockage in his heart, but now can't have the operation he needs to save his life? What about the transportation services being cut, without which the elderly and infirm cannot even leave their apartments? The list goes on and on.

Thirty-six thousand pink slips have already gone out to state workers. This next week (July 1st) the rest of us in this field will find out if we too will be laid off. As stated in Strong Progressive, it is many, many things that will be affected.

What about all the Republican talk of creating jobs? Does this fit in with eliminating thousands of jobs and having thousands file for unemployment - thousands who will also lose their health care or be forced to pay the enormous fees that go along with COBRA? And what about all the talk of supporting small businesses? The one I work for - and many others - will be put out of business completely. How exactly will this - along with all the unemployment claims - save money again?

I'm tired of the lying that goes on - the talk of cutting spending, creating jobs...blah, blah. It means nothing. The spending cuts only seem to apply to people who are poor and/or disabled. And the rest of us in the middle. While, in the meantime, another tax cut is proposed for the richest citizens. When does the greed stop?

These are so-called Christians? I guess they think they are blessed with so much because they deserve it more than everyone else? Where is the compassionate heart, the idea of looking out for your fellow man? Some of the most giving people I know - financially and otherwise - have the least amount of money. I have clients who live on next to nothing, and they still volunteer their time to help others, work jobs, and are productive members of society. They do this despite difficult disabilities and pain. Once again, they feel like they are being pushed under the bus. They are not numbers, they are real people who need - and deserve - real help.

And what are they talking about in Minnesota? The new proposed football stadium that will cost close to one billion dollars. Or the fact that if the state shuts down, they won't be able to get a fishing license. In the face of tens of thousands losing their jobs, and as many or more losing their services and health care - in comparison, is this really the priority right now? I'm tired of political games which hurt so many people, and don't affect the ones playing the games at all. This is real life - it is not a game. For all those caught in the middle it is very serious and very scary. It is really downright cruel.

A two page letter was sent out to all the people who receive services, in anticipation of their interruption or curtailment. It contains one particular sentence, that very coldly says it all: "If there is a government shutdown, do not call the state offices. It is likely that no one will be there to answer your call."

As the disparity between the super-rich and the rest of us grows bigger and bigger, isn't it about time we seriously started closing the gap? It's for the greater good of everyone. The economy, and the people in it, will never recover unless the mega rich quit trying to get wealthier and wealthier - while the rest of us pay for it with our health, our jobs, and our future.

3 Days, 3 Ways

2011-05-18T21:53:00.006-05:00

In these economic times, it really is nice to have a new way to make things last longer and be more cost effective. With that in mind, Mississippi Market has a fantastic idea with their "3 Days, 3 Ways" Program. The current article in The Mix (another really interesting assignment), also addresses the need to save money, but still keep things interesting:

These days, everyone is trying to make his or her money stretch a little farther. Mississippi Market can help with groceries in a nutritious and economical way with the “3 Days, 3 Ways” Program. With a twist on traditional leftovers, the monthly program’s recipes start with a protein (they call it a main event), that offers different ways to stretch it across three days. The recipes are nutritious and easy to prepare, and they use ingredients that are either on sale or are reasonably priced. They also alternate between meat and vegetable proteins as the main ingredient. The focus is also on locally grown, fresh ingredients when the season permits. More canned food is used when the snow is falling in the winter months.

Another reason Mississippi Market decided to start the program is to encourage customers to make meals at home. “Cooking at home saves money but typically takes more time. The “3 Days, 3 Ways” recipes allow our shoppers to cook a little more on one day, and make creative use of ‘planned-overs’ to save time and money later in the week,” said Liz McMann, consumer affairs manager.

Even the most devoted cook struggles to find time to prepare meals with today’s busy schedules. The recipes in this program are both intentionally time-saving and healthful. “The premise of the program is that nearly everyone can find one day to spend a little extra time cooking—but that traditional leftovers can be boring,” said McMann. “These recipes do away with reheating the same dish for days and show new ways to make leftovers shine in unique ways. The recipes are fairly simple and the instructions are detailed enough that even those new to cooking can feel confident.”

A very timely and innovative idea done in a very creative way, is one of the many reasons the co-ops always seem to stand out.

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T17:25:00.011-05:00

White Roses in Bloom
© Photograph by C.Y. Hunter

The first Mother's Day without Mom.

I've been told that the "firsts" are always hard. I miss her. I think I always knew I had an extra special Mom.

I will light her candle for her today...the one I light on all special occasions now. Seven months after losing her, it still seems rather surreal and very lonely. I have wonderful people in my life: fiance, friends, siblings, and a superb Dad. But, as my mom said for many years after my grandmother died: "You never get over losing your mother."

Happy Mother's Day, Mom. Thanks for being such a wonderful, supportive mom. Thanks for all the things you did for me...and for all the other people you helped in your life. You were a giving, positive person who loved people - and really did light up whatever room you were in at the moment. I was amazingly blessed to have such a great woman for a mom. I will never stop missing you - on all special occasions, and every single day in between.

A Tribute to Fred

2011-04-30T13:13:00.022-05:00

Fred
© Photograph by C.Y. Hunter

On a cold, rainy Saturday afternoon, it seems like a good time to write a tribute.

This tribute is for Fred, a sweet Golden Retriever who was a wonderful service dog and companion to his owner, David, for over twelve years. Fred passed away this morning at the age of 14 1/2 (that's 101 in dog years). He was the oldest working service dog in Minnesota from Helping Paws.

Pets enrich all owners' lives, but for people with disabilities there is an even stronger connection with their service dogs. Fred helped David to live independently in countless ways. Fred did everything from picking things up for David to pulling off his socks at night. And, as with all service dogs, Fred's intelligence and loyalty to his owner had made him so in tune to David, that they really were a team.

To say Fred will be missed is an understatement. My thoughts and prayers go out to David, who has lost an incredible animal and friend. Fred, with his big, fluffy coat and hoarse bark (that sounded a bit like Al Pacino), made a strong presence in any room he was in. His golden face had long turned white, but his always friendly, happy demeanor lifted any gloomy day.

On this truly gloomy day, we know that Fred's presence, his unconditional love, and his companionship will be missed. What a wonderful dog...even as an elderly dog with arthritis, he was still keeping a close watch on his pal - sleeping stretched out across David's bedroom doorway every night. For years of dedication, Fred, we honor you - for not only being a wonderful friend to David, but for a service well done.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T21:54:00.012-05:00

"Cottontail on the Trail," sculpted by Jeff Barber, is a huge, bronze rabbit sculpture on Minnehaha Parkway in Minneapolis. The sculpture is said to "represent both the animal life and whimsey of the neighborhood."

Although I know Easter really isn't about bunnies, I have always particularly liked bunnies...and this one always brings a smile to my face when I drive by...

English Movies You Can't Understand?

2011-03-28T13:16:00.013-05:00

Growing up with a grandfather from Norwich, England, who would tell me stories in his native accent, I often find myself translating to others when watching movies with actors with thick British accents.

But, then there was also the time I got off the Chunnel Train in London, having just left Paris, and made a comment about how nice it was to be back to English again...and then couldn't understand anything the station attendant said.

That being said, this is one of the most hilarious videos I've seen from Saturday Night Live:

In Honor of Knut

2011-03-22T20:39:00.036-05:00

Everyone that knows me knows what a huge dog lover I am. But, I'm really an animal lover in general...and is there anything cuter than a bear cub? Whether it's a grizzly or a polar bear, there's a reason that people started cuddling up with stuffed versions of the real thing many years ago (soon after the famous Teddy Roosevelt Story).

Then there was the more recently famous Knut. An adorable polar bear cub, the world warmed up to him and couldn't get enough of of the little bear. I remember all the videos and pictures of Knut. I watched the videos a few times - he was laying on his back while his owner brushed him or scratched his belly. He was so animated and charming. He may have grown into a giant polar bear, but he still had that lovable face, and the world was captivated by him.

On hearing of his death last Saturday, people mourned the bear in Berlin and beyond. We watched him grow up, heard of his owner's death, and followed the many stories about him. It is sad he had such a short number of years here on earth. According to the Associated Press:

BERLIN (AP) — Hundreds of fans of Knut the polar bear flocked to his zoo enclosure Sunday to mourn the sudden death of the celebrity who burst into the limelight as a cuddly, fluffy cub hand-fed by his keeper.
The beloved four-year-old died Saturday afternoon in front of hundreds of visitors, taking keepers, animal experts and fans by surprise. The life expectancy of polar bear in the wild is between 15 and 20 years, but animals in captivity normally live even longer because they are not exposed to hunger, thirst or infections.
Knut was rejected by his mother at birth, along with his twin brother, who only survived a couple of days. He attracted attention when his main caregiver, Thomas Doerflein, camped out at the zoo to give the button-eyed cub his bottle every two hours, and went on to appear on magazine covers, in a film and on mountains of merchandise.
Even after packing on hundreds of pounds (kilograms) and trading in his soft fuzz for yellowish fur, fans remained loyal. News of Knut's death on Saturday afternoon around 3 p.m. spread instantly and internationally via Twitter, Facebook, and text messaging.
"We received condolences from all over the world: Australia, New Zealand, Honolulu," bear keeper Heiner Kloes told German news agency DAPD.

There are so many sad things happening in the world. As we deal with wars, the catastrophes in Japan, and all of the local, national, and international news that often saddens our hearts, this story really touched me. It really shows the deep connection that people have with animals and the joy that they can bring into our lives. I will miss Knut and all the stories we might have heard as he grew older. Although I never met him in person, I know he was a really special bear.

It's always understandable when a person mourns a pet. The unconditional love and attachment that's lost is so deep. But, when the world loses a famous bear, the loss is felt as well. We will miss you, Knut. Because whether it's a soft cuddly pet that has been a companion for years or a giant bear thousands of miles away...they are always missed, and the connection is a strong one.

Knut as a Cub
Photograph by Markus Schrieber

Donate to Japan

2011-03-16T20:21:00.008-05:00

Watching as Japan deals with one crisis after another is beyond heartbreaking. Although they are far away from many of us, I encourage people to help in any way that they can. Here are just two ways to help:

1) Text "Redcross" to 90999 and $10 will be added to your telephone bill. Just think if everyone donated $10 how fast the number would grow.

2) Another way to help is through Renaissance Art, which makes some of my favorite journals and other leather accessories. They are offering two kids' journals for the Japan Earthquake Tsunami Children Emergency Fund. For every journal purchased, 20% will be sent for their aid. These journals are high quality, and beautifully made - and journaling is a healthy way for kids, and adults - to write out their feelings and thoughts. In addition to helping where it is so needed, they make wonderful, long lasting gifts.

Most importantly, please keep all the people of Japan, and the people helping them, in your prayers. Never forget that prayer is very powerful.

Thoughts and Prayers for Japan

2011-03-12T13:08:00.012-06:00

My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone in Japan. May you find healing, peace, and comfort during this terrible tragedy.

C. trianaei

`You-Oishi`
(Submitted by Nobuo Oishi)
Japan Grand Prix International Orchid Festival 2004

Support to Women in Afghanistan

2011-02-20T22:59:00.026-06:00

Women may still face sexism in this country, but we do have freedom and can speak our mind. Unfortunately, this is not the case in many places. And in Afghanistan, the entire culture is against women - they are abused and treated as property with no rights.

In a recent Marie Claire article, "Why Are These Women in Jail?" women - and their children - are even imprisoned for many years for absurd reasons:

In Afghanistan, the most commonly practiced form of judicial "due process" simply requires two men to accuse a woman of a crime. Case closed. No burden of proof or defense. A group of respected male elders hands down the sentence. (Men also appear before this council, or jirga, but usually to settle debts or property disputes. Their wives and daughters are often traded and enslaved to resolve such debts.) For women, typical "moral crimes" punishable by prison—or death—include refusing to marry a rapist, having an affair (or simply getting accused of having an affair), and murder-by-proxy, wherein a male family member kills someone and assigns the prison sentence to a female.
An estimated 860 women are currently behind bars in the country, along with 620 girls between the ages of 12 and 17, and 280 children, according to the U.S. State Department and the Corrections System Support Program, or CSSP, a private U.S. contractor tasked with reforming Afghan prisons. Ninety-five percent of these women are convicted of "moral crimes."
Kinah, 21, is a striking beauty with the black-coffee eyes of many in Balkh Province. She sits in one of two rooms that imprison 40 women and 18 children, rocking her 6-month-old daughter, who is nestled in a sheet tied to a chair and bedpost. At age 6, Kinah was promised in marriage to a 40-year-old man, but at 16, she ran away, marrying a young man she loved. She is now a convicted adulteress and widow, as her former fiancé tracked her down and shot her husband. The murderer was sentenced to 10 years; Kinah was sentenced to 12. The room echoes incessantly with children's coughing. The courtyard offers the only escape, where tents serve as shelter from below-freezing temperatures. "Sometimes we have no milk for the children," Kinah says, holding her baby close.

For aid groups in the region, yearly budgets are slim. These groups stay afloat thanks to donations, intermittent federal grants, and iron-willed directors who often work without salaries.

It's frightening that this is happening to women. I wish they had the same freedom and voice that we have. One thing that can be done: buy one of their t-shirts for $25 ("Not Guilty" T-shirt). "The Afghan Women's Justice Project will send the proceeds to the nonprofits helping Afghan women and kids in prison. One shirt purchase buys a child's milk for a month or school supplies for 10 prisoners."

Perhaps buying a t-shirt seems like a very small way to help, but it does spread the message - and offers some support for a truly awful situation.

My Name is Not Those People

2011-02-13T21:47:00.018-06:00

There is often a real disconnection from reality with people who are super rich. Working in social services, I see many people who struggle so hard, and get by on so little – and then get such judgment and lack of compassion from those that are so wealthy they aren’t even in reality anymore. Don’t get me wrong, there are many people who make great money who work really hard and really help people. But, there’s just too many super wealthy people who are incredibly disconnected making decisions that they don’t see the implications of.

I saw this wonderful piece framed on the wall at a local food bank that I took a client to. I think there are way too many generalizations that are made in this world. I have some wonderful clients who face terrible health problems, live on next to nothing, and work so hard just to survive.

I especially like: "I live with an income of $621 with $169 in food stamps. Rent is $585. That leaves $36 a month to live on. I am such a genius at surviving that I could balance the state budget in an hour." I can't help but wish that politicians could see this as well. By talking about cutting programs once again, they are not only not getting it, but are truly missing out on getting to know, understand, and help some pretty incredible people.

My Name Is Not "Those People
By Julia Dinsmore

My name is not "Those People."
I am a loving woman, a mother in pain, giving birth to the future, where my babies have the same chance to thrive as anyone.

My name is not "Inadequate."
I did not make my husband leave - he chose to,
and chooses not to pay child support.
Truth is thought, there isn't a job base for all
fathers to support their families.
While society turns its head, my children pay the price.

My name is not "Problem and Case to Be Managed."
I am a capable human being and citizen, not a client.
The social service system can never replace the compassion and concern of loving Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Fathers, Cousins, Community - all the bonded people who need to be but are not present to bring children forward to their potential.

My name is not "Lazy, Dependent Welfare Mother."
If the unwaged work of parenting, homemaking and community building was factored into the Gross National Product, my work would have untold value. And I wonder why my middle-class sisters whose husbands support them to raise their children are glorified - and they don't get called lazy and dependent.

My name is not "Ignorant, Dumb or Uneducated."
I live with an income of $621 with $169 in food stamps.
Rent is $585. That leaves $36 a month to live on. I am such a genius at surviving that I could balance the state budget in an hour.

Never mind that there is a lack of living-wage jobs.
Never mind that it is impossible to be the sole emotional, social and economic support to a family.
Never mind that parents are losing their children to the gangs, drugs, stealing, prostitution, social workers, kidnapping, the streets, the predator.
Forget about putting money into schools - just build more prisons.

My name is not "Lay Down and Die Quietly."
My love is powerful and my urge to keep my children alive will never stop. All children need homes and people who love them. They need safety and the chance to be the people they were born to be.

The wind will stop before I let my children become a statistic.
Before you give in to the urge to blame me,
the blames that lets us go blind and unknowing into
the isolation that disconnects us, take another look.
Don't go away.
For I am not the problem, but the solution.
And...My name is not "Those People."

Food Co-ops LEED Building Practices

2011-01-27T21:04:00.013-06:00

I love having a great co-op right up the street...it's full of natural light, friendly people, and fresh, organic products. It's actually great to have so many co-ops in the Twin Cities. The current article I was fortunate to write for The Mix, "Food Co-ops LEED Building Practices," was especially interesting. I admit, I always enjoy writing for this publication. The assignments are always educational, the editor is wonderful, and they are fun to write. This one in particular really addresses current issues:

The Twin Cities food co-ops have always been ahead of their time. They were selling locally grown produce and organic products long before they gained widespread acceptance. Along with their commitment to natural food and the environment, it only makes sense that co-ops would be innovators who are building to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards. By following these principles, the stores have made energy saving choices on behalf of the business and the environment. With everything from providing more bike racks to utilizing more efficient refrigeration to using more daylight and less electricity, the stores are both eco-friendly and highly efficient."

How great that in a time when we are trying to save energy that these stores, which already provide locally grown, healthy food, are also cutting edge when it comes to the environment:

The bright green Seward Co-op Grocery & Deli received the LEED Gold rating in July 2010 for indoor environmental quality, design and materials reuse. “The store has a rain garden, and water-efficient landscaping. Our site retains at least 90 percent of run-off from a storm event. These initiatives make financial sense over time, and positively affect the aesthetics of the store,” said Eric Hatting, initiatives manager. “Most of the sustainable elements of our operations were implemented to improve the quality of life for employees and our community.” They are also proudly using the HOURCAR car-sharing program.

The Mississippi Market also incorporated LEED features into their store. Said Liz McMann, consumer affairs manager, “We’ve been able to take the green practices we have been doing for years to the next level.” The lights have photocell sensors, which automatically turn off lights on sunny days. They also have a staff shower and bike-repair station. “Staff members are able to commute by bike, deal with a flat, and still be fresh and ready for work,” says McMann. “While some green practices don’t have an immediate measureable benefit—it’s just the right thing to do.”

Linden Hills Co-op opened its new location in September 2010, remodeling an existing building a few blocks away from the old site. “After a year in operation, we’ll have the option to pursue LEED certification,” says Allie Mentzer, marketing and member services manager. Linden Hills has insulated exterior walls, which reduce heat transfer; a white membrane roof that replaced the old black tar roof, reducing heat absorption; and occupancy sensors that turn off lights when rooms are not in use. “The salvage company even resold, recycled or reused 98 percent of the material removed from the existing building,” said Mentzer about their strong commitment to reducing their overall carbon footprint.

The stores are not only making less of an impact on the environment, but also doing it in a smart, beautiful way that makes you not only want to shop there, but to take advantage of some of the other opportunities offered in the stores.

Happy New Year....etc.

2011-01-05T20:34:00.042-06:00

Happy New Year! And here's to 2010 being over...a tough year! The year I said goodbye to three favorite clients, dealt with some other difficult things, and then ultimately said goodbye to my mom as well - which really made everything else pale in comparison. I'll always miss her and always have some sad moments. The holidays were tough, my birthday will be tough...but I was so very fortunate to have her for all the years I did. Losing her at 82, after all the battles she beat so bravely, was unexpected, but she lived a full, wonderful life - and she was a wonderful mom. I was extremely blessed to have her for a mother. I have a special candle I will light in her honor for all important occasions.

As far as other things: Politically, way to go for passing the First Responders Health Bill - finally! And way to go for repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Service men and women are told to stand with honor and integrity...obviously lying about themselves does not fit into that. It is about time this was overturned. In all the game playing, this lame duck session did indeed get some important things done!

So, moving on into 2011, here's to a healthy, happy year...a year of positive changes, perhaps a move east or west (and a few more after that). As I have spent way too much time being unhappy while I make everyone else happy, I'll draw from my mom's courage, and sometimes lack of editing, and make some strong changes...and with her in my heart, I'm pretty sure this year will be the year I can do it!

Let it Snow?

2010-12-24T01:49:00.008-06:00

Okay, okay...two big blizzards, and it's snowing like crazy again! Admittedly, I usually like the snow. But it is really hard to see to pull out over the mountains of it, a lot of lanes have just plain disappeared on roads (they were once three lanes, now they are maybe a lane and a half), and forget the parking lanes - let alone trying to walk anywhere! It's also hard to shovel because there is simply no where to put it....you can barely see the car parked in front of the house behind the seven foot pile...and I took this picture days ago:

It is only December....let it snow? It can stop for awhile now :-)

The Disgrace of Not Helping First Responders

2010-12-17T22:02:00.008-06:00

In all the game playing, or whatever you call it, to halt things passing that need to be passed - in order for the super rich to get super tax cuts - the most disgusting has to be denying a vote on the bill for 911 first responders. Isn't this really just a moral issue? An issue to thank - and take care of - those who took care of everyone else after a terrible terrorist act?

It is remarkable to me that every time you turn around the Republicans are talking about patriotism, 911, and fallen heroes. Yet, they deny helping out people who are literally dying (and the 900 rescue workers who have already died). As one of the responders says in this video: It just shows how disconnected they are.

These people risked their lives to help. They came from all over the country. The Daily Show is a comedy news show, yet it often seems to hit things harder than the "real" news channels do. Way to go to The Daily Show and Jon Stewart. And to the courageous rescue workers: Just know that there are a lot of Americans out there who appreciate what you did and are extremely angered by this. You deserve the best of health care, the highest respect, and to be treated like the heroes that you are. I'm so sorry this has happened to you. It's a sickening, terrible injustice that goes beyond words - and it is about time it was fixed.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

9/11 First Responders React to the Senate Filibuster

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor & Satire Blog

The Daily Show on Facebook

Caving In

2010-12-07T21:20:00.011-06:00

I've been gone for quite some time. First there was my mother's death, then there was the death of a favorite client, working my butt off for a company that doesn't even begin to appreciate or respect me...but, life moves on.

So, politics have brought me back. Namely, a guy I voted for and really believed in. An intelligent man with integrity and - I thought - backbone. So, here he is caving in to the Republicans ridiculous demand? What's the deal? There is no reasonable explanation to giving super wealthy people huge tax cuts - especially when the money has to be borrowed! There is no reasonable explanation to respond this way to threats to hold up everything else so they get their way. And there is certainly no reasonable explanation to why you are going against everything you stood on. This is health care all over again...yes, it passed. But it's lacking the biggest part of it we needed.

Quit trying to be nice and reason with people who are unreasonable. I am in the middle class bracket. Not getting a tax cut for me probably means my check is twenty dollars less. I can live with that. And the unemployment? My significant other - since we are in a state that does not have a huge unemployment number - stopped getting his months ago. So, I think I get it. And I still don't think it's worth it.

Caving in to bullies is exactly what I have done with my boss. It makes you feel like crap. It makes you feel used and abused. And it makes you feel like you have done a lot for absolutely nothing. Not only will you feel this way too, but the majority of the American people will as well.

Please, grow a pair for God's sake. The little promise that one famous Republican made about making it his goal to have you fail and not get to a second term - you just gave into it. You let him win...and you are way too smart for this. And not only are you losing your base and the independents, you are losing your own beliefs. In the long run, by giving 2% of the country a huge break while giving the other 97% a small handout just isn't worth it. At least put up a fight!

And on that note, for my mom's memory, I will do the same.

Grief

2010-11-10T21:18:00.008-06:00

How does one come back from such a deep grief? I still can't believe my mother is gone. I can't call her, can't hear her voice, can't reach out to her...

I also can't concentrate or seem to care about doing anything other than working and coming home. Last night I spent the evening crying and was awake all night. The usual suspects go round and round...denial, grief, anger...and just seem to keep circling around me and getting worse. I know it has only been a month. But, I miss her voice, her laugh. She was the one who always believed in me, was always happy to hear from me, and always stuck up for me.

My mother struggled off and on for a very long time. She was a fighter and I have such enormous respect for her....and my Dad. What a fantastic team they were! He always helped her, always stood by her. The loss he feels after being married to her for over 61 years must be too enormous to comprehend. I feel like my grief doesn't compare to his.

But, I'm still grieving. She was my mom. And she was a great mom.

I had a message on my voice mail she had left a few days before she died. I kept it and kept listening to it because I just liked hearing her voice. I would listen to it among all the other messages I get every day. Somehow, it got erased. Maybe because I knew I was flying down to see her in a couple of days - or maybe because I get so many phone calls and voice mails with my job everyday. I wish I could get it back and keep it forever. I want to be able to hear her voice.

I had a terrible pit in my stomach for two weeks prior to her death. I knew something was wrong but could not put my finger on it. She died the night before I flew down for a planned family get together. That pit in my stomach knew something was going on. It has been replaced with a very empty feeling that won't go away.

I miss her. I always will. Life will never be the same.

I Have You in My Heart

2010-10-26T19:54:00.007-05:00

This came from a friend, who found it for her sister. I post it for my mom:

I wish Heaven had a phone,
so I could hear your voice again.

I thought of you today,
But that is nothing new,
I thought about you yesterday,
And days before that too.

I think of you in silence,
I often speak your name,
All I have are memories,
And a picture in a frame.

Your memory is a keepsake,
From which I'll never part,
God has you in his arms,
I have you in my heart. ♥

- Unknown

Goodbye to the Best Lady Ever

2010-10-16T19:42:00.022-05:00

I have been absent from the blog for awhile. On October 4, 2010, my mother passed away unexpectedly.

Last week was rather surreal. Instead of the planned family get together to celebrate my brother and sister's birthday, my mother took a turn for the worse, and was gone that evening. I arrived the next day, which made it even harder. It is difficult when things happen quickly and you are a long plane ride away. I hope that she knew I was with her in my heart, and that is where I will carry her from now on. She was a beautiful lady, inside and out.

I was fortunate to write my mother's obituary. I hope it really says who she was in the few sentences allowed. I don't know how I wrote it, but I am glad I did. I wanted to honor her. So, thank you, Mom. For being the best. I'm sorry for all the pain you had the last couple of years, I'm sorry for the mistakes I made. I hope you know how much you were loved and appreciated. I thank you, and honor you, and will always miss you.

Margaret, 82, died Monday, October 4, 2010.

One of the most positive and upbeat people that you would ever meet, Margaret was a light to everyone she met. She spent her life dedicated to her husband, her children, and her grandchildren. She spent many hours volunteering and loved being around people - who in turn loved being around her. She was almost always smiling and her laugh was contagious. Even in the midst of a particularly painful period, she still looked at the best in everything. She always saw the cup as half-full, not half-empty, and never missed an opportunity to tell someone how much she loved them. One of the things she said often was: “I sure have great kids, and no one could ask for anyone better than Dad.”

She was born and raised in Michigan, where she met and married her husband. They met in high school, and then were married for sixty-one years. She did many things throughout her lifetime, working in banking and in credit, but most of her time was spent as a homemaker, mother, and in her volunteer work. Her devotion to her family was unwavering.

She is survived by her husband, her children, her grandchildren, many nieces and nephews, and countless friends. She will be remembered for her smile, her laugh, and her abundance for life. She will be missed forever.

National Vegetarian Month

2010-10-01T20:19:00.008-05:00

October is National Vegetarian Month. Check out the facts and healthy suggestions on a few of these websites:

World Vegetarian Day

NAVS.org

The Kind Life

Since going back to being a vegetarian again, I feel better and much more healthy. I've also dropped the extra weight I had put on. I feel better helping the environment and supporting my love for animals as well.

I think people should eat the way they want to, but even making a few choices to eat meat a little less often and try some new vegetarian options can make a difference...and add a bit of variety to your diet!

Linden Hills Co-op

2010-09-23T20:45:00.009-05:00

Congrats to Linden Hills Co-op! They opened their doors today to the new store! How great that a store with such nice people and quality, wholesome products is even bigger with more selection.

I was fortunate to be able to interview Allie Mentzer and write the article for The Mix about the new store (thanks, always, to Pat at The Mix). The new store is not only bigger, but better too:

There will be new features and product improvements in the new location that members have wanted for a while. “We look forward to holding more classes now that we’ll have a dedicated classroom complete with a teaching kitchen,” said Mentzer. There will also be a larger bakery and deli, a meat and seafood counter, and even new flavors of their popular homemade soups. “Our produce and bulk departments will also be larger and easier to navigate,” said Mentzer.

Another advantage of more space is the inclusion of the Linden Hills Natural Home Store, which opened across the street from the current co-op in 2005. Said Mentzer, “Natural Home has always functioned as a department of the co-op—now we’ll all be under one roof.”

With an always helpful and friendly—and downright fun—staff, perhaps the walk will have nearby customers heading in a slightly different direction but only by a few blocks. Of course, it’s well worth it just for the fresh strawberries and kale alone! The co-op’s new location is right next door to Sunnyside Gardens, where customers can buy fresh herb and vegetable plants for their gardens. But most of all, Linden Hills Co-op is thrilled to be able to grow its facility and its ability to meet the needs of its local community.

I wish the co-op much success in the future...and thanks for being such an important part of the community!

Mike Huckabee's Lack of Compassion

2010-09-18T13:50:00.008-05:00

Yesterday Mike Huckabee, a former minister, talk show host, former governor, and supposed Christian came out with a pretty cruel statement. Stated yesterday on the health care plan's preexisting condition clause on Talking Points Memo:

When Republicans attack health care reform, Democrats like to counter by accusing Republicans of wanting to repeal a law that requires insurance companies to cover people with pre-existing conditions. According to Republican Presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee, that's exactly right. People with pre-existing conditions, he explains are like houses that have already burned down.

"It sounds so good, and it's such a warm message to say we're not gonna deny anyone from a preexisting condition," Huckabee explained at the Value Voters Summit today. "Look, I think that sounds terrific, but I want to ask you something from a common sense perspective. Suppose we applied that principle [to] our property insurance. And you can call your insurance agent and say, "I'd like to buy some insurance for my house." He'd say, "Tell me about your house." "Well sir, it burned down yesterday, but I'd like to insure it today." And he'll say "I'm sorry, but we can't insure it after it's already burned." Well, no preexisting conditions."

A moment of candor from the evangelical former Arkansas governor. Hard to say how that comports with voting on values, though.

It's worth pointing out, too, that the health care law's individual mandate is in large part meant to make sure people don't wait until they get ill until they buy insurance. But Republicans want to do away with that part of reform as well.

Once again, it is shameful that another Christian shows such a lack of caring, understanding, or compassion toward people. Many people have preexisting conditions. Children are often even born with them. So they should be denied care? How thoughtful and caring, Mike. I wonder how you will feel if you ever have something that fits into this category.

JK Rowling Gives to MS

2010-09-03T00:37:00.014-05:00

I am a huge fan of the Harry Potter Books. I ended up buying the first book (The English version) at a used bookstore about the time the last book was coming out. I find the series to be cleverly written, with impeccable research, rich characters, and a wonderful imagination. I thank JK Rowling for giving us very entertaining books that all tied together so well.

Today I read something that wanted me to thank her further though: She gave ten million dollars for the Edinburgh MS Center. According to BBC News:

The Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic will aim to put patients at the heart of the research process.
Work at the new clinic will also focus on other degenerative neurological conditions, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease and Motor Neurone Disease.
Ms Rowling said: "I cannot think of anything more important, or of more lasting value, than to help the university attract world-class minds in the field of neuroregeneration, to build on its long and illustrious history of medical research and, ultimately, to seek a cure for a very Scottish disease."

She added: "I have just turned 45, the age at which my mother, Anne, died of complications related to her MS. I know that she would rather have had her name on this clinic than on any statue, flower garden or commemorative plaque, so this donation is on her behalf, too; and in gratitude for everything she gave me in her far-too-short life."

The Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic will enable us to carry out studies that can inform laboratory research and, in turn, this knowledge can be translated back into treatments for patients.

So, thank you for not only being a fun writer, but for sharing your wealth for a worthy cause. This will really help people with Multiple Sclerosis - and so many others with other neurological conditions.

Remember Rabbit Feet?

2010-08-31T22:38:00.005-05:00

I don't know anything about this insurance company, but I do know this commercial cracked me up. I carried one of these when I was a kid. Now, looking back, what were we thinking? And they were died bright colors of green and pink?

As a huge animal lover, advocate, vegetarian, and former bunny owner, what a weird thing to carry around with you - and ick! But, admittedly, it is a funny commercial:

New Orleans Five Years After Katrina

2010-08-29T22:12:00.007-05:00

New Orleans is one of the most original cities I've ever been to. The food and the music are both fabulous, the atmosphere is fun, and the residents are some of the most genuinely nice people I've ever met.

It still bothers me, and many others, how Hurricane Katrina was handled. How a year later when I visited, so little had still not been done. Trailers sat empty and locked, water lines were still very apparent, and only one streetcar was running. The difference in the way poor people and wealthy people in this country are treated, was pretty clear in this disaster. That 100,000 people never returned to New Orleans, and how it looks like a third world country in the footage - and it is right here in the United States. It is amazing to me that a city with more spirit and joy than so many others, was treated with so little respect in their greatest time of need.

First the city had to deal with a natural disaster with Katrina, then the unnatural one with BP these past few months. It is unfair it is hit yet again.

It is my hope that the city will continue in its recovery. Please know that although your government let you down in a time of need, your fellow Americans have not forgotten you. I hope to be there for another visit soon.

May your fight, your spirit, and your courage continue.

Selling Your Book & Memoir, Part 2

2010-08-24T21:18:00.013-05:00

My latest article was sent to me today, a piece on memoir writing for the Loft Literary Center's A View from the Loft. The first part of this I wrote about on April 30, 2010...here is an excerpt from the second, No Longer Silent: On Memoir:

"All writing, even fiction, contains some truth. Characters are usually based, at least in part, on someone we've met in our lives. Our perceptions, beliefs, and experiences can’t help but come through in our stories.
But when writing memoir, the author can’t hide behind a character. And no matter how much you might try to avoid telling a story, it will eventually have to be written or you just can’t move on with your life. I read somewhere that author Kathryn Harrison had to write about her incestuous relationship with her father, something that had been running in her head for years. When she finally wrote it out, she was no longer blocked. Said Harrison, “One of the solaces that art can offer you is the chance to make something out of what’s hurt you. You can objectify an experience, put it on paper, craft it, and shape it. There’s perhaps an illusionary control over it. But it is significant.”

I wrote my memoir piece for the anthology Voices of Multiple Sclerosis several years after being diagnosed with the disease. As often happens with me, essays start to flow out once I have that first line—and it just had to be shared. I suppose it is the same with all artists: writers need to write as painters need to paint as musicians need to play. Many love songs are about being heartbroken; many paintings express incredible pain. I am inspired every day by other people’s stories—told in whatever medium they choose. That is part of the reason I decided to make a very personal piece a public one."

As with most of my writing, it's often my hope that it will help someone else. We go through tough times in our life for a reason. Perhaps to make us stronger, perhaps to make us realize how far we've come, perhaps to teach us something...but definitely in the hope that our difficult times will not be for nothing. In the process of telling my story, it is my biggest hope that it will help someone else not only get through their own tough time, but to tell their own story too.

Freedom of Religion

2010-08-16T20:23:00.024-05:00

America is a country of all backgrounds - a young country where we are supposed to embrace freedoms...including freedom of religion.

I am a Christian. I have friends who are Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim....they are from all different places, all different backgrounds, all different shades - some even speak other languages along with English! Shouldn't this be celebrated? The differences, the diversity...it's what makes this country what it is. I will never understand why some Christians have to pass such judgment on others. What happened to love and compassion - and perhaps an open mind?

The proposed Mosque in lower Manhattan, is actually an Islamic Center, which will also include a culinary school and a recreational area. It is not on Ground Zero, it is actually several blocks from it.

People too often forget we have a large Muslim population in this country - and in New York. There were dozens of Muslims killed during the terrorist attacks of 911, and many more were hurt, along with everyone else. There were others that were rescue workers, nurses, and doctors. To build a center nearby gives them a place to meet and worship and honors them. The fear being drummed up is just that - fear. Have any of them ever even spent time in New York City?

On a special commentary on Countdown tonight, it was really well put:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Let's all try to remember that freedom of religion means all have freedom of religion. No one likes to be stereotyped or generalized about. There are radicals in every religion (remember Oklahoma City?) - that does not make the entire religion bad. Allowing something to be built that actually celebrates peace and diversity is sending a message that is so much deeper than just tolerance. It will surprise many who fear it when it really does a great thing for the community.

My heart goes out to all the people who suffered on 911. It was a terrible act of terrorism. But, don't punish the many peaceful Muslims here who had nothing to do with it.

Even Worse Than the KFC Sandwich?

2010-08-13T20:52:00.028-05:00

Granted, I'm a vegetarian. So, meat isn't on my list for a dinner item. But, Friendly's Restaurants actually came out with something even more disgusting than the KFC Double Down, which I wrote a post about on April 14, 2010. I had pretty fond memories of Friendly's as a kid. I loved living right outside Boston and it's where we went for Frappes (they call them milkshakes in the Midwest...but then they also call casseroles "hot dishes" here).

But, Friendly's sandwich takes the KFC Double Down to a whole new level. It's called a Grilled Cheese Burger Melt. It's a huge beef burger between two grilled cheese sandwiches on white bread. According to SlashFood.com, the numbers are startling:

"1,500 calories (870 of those from fat); 79g of saturated fat; and a whopping 2,090mg of sodium (trouncing the Double Down, which weighs in at a paltry 1,380mg of salt)."

This is actually more calories than I would eat on a normal day! Isn't this just a bit irresponsible? And we wonder why we have an obesity problem in this country when restaurants are coming up with these type of food items (I use that term lightly).

So, sorry Friendly's. Loved you as a kid. But my vegetarian diet - let alone my common sense and heart - wouldn't want this pile of goo even if I did eat meat.

Target is Off Target...

2010-08-08T18:34:00.014-05:00

I am a regular shopper at Target, stopping by there a couple times a week. I happen to live by one of the nicest stores in the country (the CEO lives nearby, I'm told). I've found they have great prices, and have always liked how the corporation gives to social services, education, and other needed areas in the community. I've also always liked how they hire disabled people, giving them a chance. It has gotten so I purchase almost all of my groceries there, except for the organic items and produce I purchase at the co-op.

With Target's latest leap into the political agenda, my thoughts have changed, however. According to Strong Progressive:

Target earlier this month donated $150,000 to MN Forward, a pro-business group backing Rep. Tom Emmer, the conservative Republican-endorsed gubernatorial candidate.

So Target supports a candidate who:

wants to abolish the minimum wage for waitpersons, believing that "some servers make over $100,00 a year;"
is anti-gay rights and a rabid homophobe;
supports Arizona's racist immigration law;
believes that the courts should go easy on drunk drivers, probably because Emmer himself has two DWIs on his record;
was co-author "of a proposed state constitutional amendment that would, to borrow the words of Nigel Tufnel, turn the Tenth Amendment all the way up to 11, with Minnesota preemptively nullifying all federal laws unless a state supermajority consents to them;"
is just plain stupid;
and who, just last fall, "proposed another state constitutional amendment that would prohibit any individual or employer mandate to carry health insurance in the state of Minnesota, if one were to eventually pass at the federal or state level (as it did eventually pass at the federal level)."
And oh, yeah: Target CEO Gregg W. Steinhafel personally donated $10,000 to Michelle Bachman's campaign! If that alone isn't reason enough to stop shopping at Target, the donation to MN Forward certainly is.

Seriously, keep up with the social services and educational donations, but stay out of politics...especially toward two people who are an embarrassment to many of us in Minnesota. Yes, it's a convenient store, and yes it has good prices. But, seriously, with this latest venture and with my return to vegetarianism, along with the opening of a new co-op right by my house, I see no reason to shop there anymore. This is a big city with lots of choices. I choose to not support a corporation that throws large sums of money to politicians who don't seem to believe in their own constituents.

I did hear that the CEO recently apologized, but this is after the fact - and it isn't like they are going to take the money back. Admittedly, I still love the dog: Bullseye is a cutie. But, I'm really beginning to wonder if he's the real brains behind the operation.

Rosemary is for Remembrance

2010-07-26T19:07:00.014-05:00

One of my favorite herbs to grow has always been Rosemary. The old saying is "Rosemary is for remembrance." I always thought of one of my very favorite clients, Rosemary, when I was taking care of my Rosemary plant in my garden. Rosemary passed away last night at the age of 99 1/2.

I got a call from one of Rosemary's sons this morning telling me she had died. Yes, she lived a full life. Yes, she raised a wonderful family of three sons and one daughter. She welcomed many grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, over the years. She lost her husband many years ago, and never remarried. "No one could ever live up to him," she used to say.

I had the privilege of knowing Rosemary for over six years. When I first met her she was 94 years old and still living in her own apartment. She moved into a nursing home a couple of years ago when she needed a little more care. Although part of our job in social services is to teach our clients, Rosemary was one of those clients who taught me more than I could ever teach her. I always left with some great kernel of wisdom, some great quote, some wonderful teaching on faith. Born in 1910, she saw so many changes in her lifetime. She had an infectious laugh that always left me smiling.

She became much more than a client a very long time ago. She was more like an adopted grandmother that I had the privilege of seeing on a regular basis. I hope I helped her over the years. I hope I made a difference. But mostly, I am thankful for knowing her and hope she is now at peace.

She will be missed by so many. Everyone that had the chance to know her. The kids she taught when she was a teacher, the family she left behind. Even when we know someone has gone on to be with God, we still miss them. Even if they did have a long and full life. So, my prayers, my thoughts are with her family now. Especially her son, Tom, and his wife. They were wonderful with his mother.

I am positive she is in Heaven now. Finally, once again, with her husband, her sisters, her parents. She spoke of them often. I will carry her teachings, her laugh, her smile with me. She was a genuine, caring, beautiful woman. Rosemary is for remembrance - and never has there been someone more worthwhile to remember.

Great Quote

2010-07-25T21:39:00.003-05:00

A great quote I pulled out for someone the other day. A good reminder for all of us to see from time to time:

"How far you go in life depends on
your being tender with the young,
compassionate with the aged,
sympathetic with the striving, and
tolerant of the weak and strong.
Because someday in life you
will have been all of these."

- George Washington Carver

On Being an Herbivore Again

2010-07-21T21:48:00.003-05:00

After some time, I'm finally back to a total vegetarian diet. I am just too much of an animal lover, have never liked the texture of meat...and it just wasn't me. Funny, during the time I did eat it, my weight went up, and I felt much more sluggish. Now I am not only feeling more like myself again, I feel better mentally, physically, and spiritually. On that note, I found some great quotes:

"Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances of survival on Earth as much as the evolution of a vegetarian diet." (Albert Einstein)

"Why do we call some animals "pets" and others "dinner?" (K.D. Lang)

"I have no doubt that it is part of the destiny of the human race, in its gradual improvement, to leave off eating animals, as surely as the savage tribes have left off eating each other." (Henry David Thoreau)

"I was a vegetarian until I started leaning toward the sunlight." (Rita Rudner)

Of course the last one is funny. And what's so wrong with leaning toward the sunlight a bit anyway...and being a bit more enlightened? Beats being in the dark for a little too long!

What if the Tea Party was Black?

2010-07-18T16:25:00.006-05:00

This video is just so well done. There should not be all this hate...if this was different, as shown in this video, one has to really wonder if this would be tolerated for even a moment.

Remember Katrina? The white folks breaking into stores to get food and water when no help was arriving were surviving. The people of color were "looting" when they were also just trying to survive.

America is a diverse nation of all backgrounds, colors, and languages. Why oh why can't we celebrate that diversity and respect each other even when we disagree? Women and people of color have dealt with this double standard for too long. He makes a good point in this video:

Needed That Kick...

2010-07-15T21:17:00.010-05:00

Life is funny...and sometimes not. How do we go from a week of such major highs to a week of such major lows? Is it a test, or just a joke? Guess it is just part of life.

Two weeks ago, things couldn't have looked more up. Then an engine blows up on one car, a battery on another dies. There is a serious case of identity theft, and a relapse of terrible pain for two people I love. Someone I thought I'd try to give yet another chance to betrays me AGAIN, most of my clients have some sort of crisis, and, oh yes, a funeral to attend tomorrow.

Live and learn. Kind of puts it all into perspective. And reminds me of that old saying: "Remember that some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue."

The good thing through all of it: I decided to do a fast, get myself re-started, and re-read a great book, "Skinny Bitch." Chocked full of information - and funny to boot - and really kicked my butt back into being a total vegetarian again.

Tough week...but, as always, learned a few things. And thanks to the authors of this book, not only put a few things back into perspective mentally and intellectually, but physically as well.

Independence Day

2010-07-04T15:02:00.019-05:00

Spending many years in New England, I actually lived there during the Bicentennial in 1976. Besides being fortunate to see so much history there (and having a grandfather who came from Norwich, England when he was 14), my parents took me to many historical reenactments. I didn't appreciate it then as much as I do now. But, I can sincerely say that, despite this additional education, I always knew that America's independence was indeed from England.

I was surprised to learn the other day that not everyone in this country seems to know this fact. According to Maris Poll, it states that:

"There's good news for American education. About three-quarters of residents — 74% — know the U.S. declared its independence from Great Britain in 1776. The bad news for the academic system — 26% do not. This 26% includes one-fifth who are unsure and 6% who thought the U.S. separated from another nation. That begs the question, “From where do the latter think the U.S. achieved its independence?” Among the countries mentioned are France, China, Japan, Mexico, and Spain."

Wow! Didn't they ever hear the famous phrase by Paul Revere warning the residents that "The British are coming?" Or ever open a history book? China? MEXICO? Mexico didn't even exist in 1776! Seriously, this level of stupidity is downright scary. Perhaps the fireworks are just pretty colors to this group.

Alas, Happy 4th of July to the American people anyway....the red, white, blue....and all the other colors and backgrounds that make this country so interesting and diverse. And, sadly, to the ignorant as well.

(Painting from "The Sons of Liberty")

Finally, a new car...

2010-06-30T21:55:00.011-05:00

I finally took the plunge. After lots of research and lots of looking, I finally bought a new car a couple of days ago. New car, new style, bright new color! I went from a 1991 sports car to a 2006 sports car that looks (and feels) brand new.

For once I had a crazy day (with 37 phone calls before 10:30...all in crisis mode), and I wasn't melting in the heat and looking for a shady place to park. It was hard to say goodbye to ole Bessy. She went through a lot with me...radiators being stolen, trips across country, and many, many other memories (some good, some bad). So, now a new car, with new memories to make...

And, ahhh, to have a new, air conditioned car again! For the first time in ages, when someone asked me if it was getting hot out there today, I actually said I hadn't noticed.

The New Wheels

Heat & Weakness...and Let It Go Already!

2010-06-23T20:07:00.023-05:00

I have driven my car for too many summers now without air conditioning. I never planned on keeping it as long as I have, and should have put the money into it when it gave out. This wouldn't be such a problem if I wasn't in and out of my car several times a day (and there are only so many shady parking spots). It also probably wouldn't be such a problem if I didn't have Multiple Sclerosis.

My MS is pretty manageable. I work a very hectic job in social services, and also do freelance writing and photography. Most people are shocked when they find out I have MS. They have no idea.

When the humidity and heat goes way up, however, the regular problems I have from time to time become much more frequent and much less manageable. After melting in the heat all day, I often come home and literally collapse. My eyes are blurry, my legs feel weak, my head is fuzzy - and I often have what feels like the start of a migraine.

Put in a better way, Julie Stachowiak, Ph.D., describes it quite well on her blog. It's that anxious feeling that overwhelms you when the heat starts going up:

"For many of us with multiple sclerosis (MS), summer fills us with anxiety. Hot weather means MS symptoms and, well, suffering.
Heat intolerance in MS shows up as a "pseudoexacerbation" -- the experience of having symptoms appear or worsen due to heat exposure. This is different than a true relapse. In the case of a pseudoexacerbation, when the body’s temperature returns to normal, these symptoms disappear. No damage, such as inflammation, demyelination or new lesions, has been done during these pseudoexacerbations.
Heat intolerance is felt as increased symptoms, such as:
Decreased cognitive function
Numbness in the extremities
Fatigue
Blurred vision, known as Uhthoff’s sign
Tremor
Weakness

Really, any MS symptoms can be much worse in the heat. Sometimes, symptoms appear that we might not have felt before, which is the result of a lesion in a corresponding area of the brain or spinal cord that was slight enough that it did not cause a relapse or symptoms dramatic enough to notice."

So, yes heat makes MS worse. And, yes there is an emotional attachment to my little sports car. It took me across country packed to the roof with necessities while the rest of my belongings sat in storage. It had the radiator stolen out of it (a whole other story), it has gotten me through so many things...and it's still a very cool looking car. When I bought it is had 31,000 miles on it. It now has almost 191,000.

But, attachment or not, it's time. It's cute, it's fun, it handles great in the snow. It will probably go another 100,000 miles easily. But, it isn't worth putting the money into it to fix the air.

So cool or not, it's just too hot.

Don't Hate Her Because She's Beautiful?

2010-06-21T21:00:00.014-05:00

On a recent news broadcast it was reported that a conservative writer named A.W.R. Hawkins wrote a piece entitled, "Liberals Hate Palin Because She’s Beautiful." According to Hawkins:

"Liberals have never liked former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. They don’t like that she didn’t go to an Ivy League school, that she doesn’t follow the usual protocol of not speaking until a liberal says it’s okay to do so, and that she chose to carry her Down Syndrome baby to term instead of aborting it. (That last one really drives them crazy.)
They dislike her political support for smaller government, tax cuts, and a strong military. They are outraged by her ongoing push for drilling in ANWR, her participation in hunting sports, and the fact that she’s a card-carrying, Life Member of the NRA.
But all these reasons are trumped by the fact that they despise her beauty. It pushes them over the edge to know that she doesn’t just shoot an assault rifle, but makes an assault rifle look good when shooting it."

From a woman's perspective, let me set the record straight on just a couple of things: I could care less where a person goes to school, as long as they are well-educated and intelligent. On carrying her baby to term, that was an admirable choice as his mother. It is yet another generalization that all liberals are pro-abortion. On the NRA matter: I'm an animal lover, I don't care for guns, and I'm a vegetarian. But, I'm not one of those people who say everyone has to eat like I do. If you hunt and eat your meat (and it isn't just for sport), I don't have a problem with that either. But, to say she "makes an assault rifle look good when shooting it?" Really? Does anyone look good shooting an assault rifle?

The real issues are different:

#1: She isn't all that beautiful. She's sort of pretty - if you can get past the deer-in-the-headlights look. But even if she was gorgeous, liberals are continuously criticized for being intellectuals and independent thinkers (which is really a compliment, by the way). To say they hate someone because she is so pretty, is not really sticking with the whole intellectual thing. It also discounts (once again) all the heterosexual women who don't look at her that way anyway.

#2: She does annoy me, but I don't hate her. My concern with her is she isn't all that bright and only talks about things that she has memorized. Simply said, she is just plain unqualified. There are many people who have stepped out to run for president who are unqualified - male and female, Republican and Democrat. If someone is going by looks alone, they aren't looking deep enough. This isn't a PTA position or a part in a summer play - it is running the country.

#3: As I've said before, the woman has set educated, intelligent, feminist women back years. When she came out in her tight little skirts and spike heels, with her hair perfectly teased that was - again - fine for other forums. Not for vice presidential debates. Not for serious political issues in a time when we have some major ones.

#4: I've always thought Antonio Banderas is, well, pretty fine. If he came out looking all hot and touted off all kinds of memorized political points, guess what? I still wouldn't vote for him for president. Because he isn't qualified.

I have a lot of friends who are beautiful, educated, very intelligent women with good jobs, many of them moms, some of them not, and guess what - they see things the same way. Enough with the superficial junk. She isn't that pretty. She isn't that smart. And even if she looked like Giselle Bündchen, she just plain isn't qualified.

Wasn't Their Old Logo "Beyond Petroleum?"

2010-06-11T20:42:00.019-05:00

There are many bad things about this whole BP Disaster. There's the loss of human life, the loss of wildlife, the obvious pollution of the ocean that will take years to clean up, the loss of money for businesses - not to mention that the gulf coast gets socked...again!

I used to always get my gas at BP stations. This was more for convenience than anything else. Where I live, it seems there is a BP gas station every few miles. You literally have to drive out of your way to find a different station.

Unfortunately, it isn't that a disaster like this hasn't happened before. It's just the outright greediness, complete negligence, lack of being able to see possible consequences - and have a plan in place - is ridiculous! And this is from a company that has BILLIONS in profits each year and could have clearly afforded to have a plan when something like this DID happen.

Flicker is running a contest for new logos for BP right now. People are angry and creative at the same time. There are so many good ones. My personal favorite so far:

I have a car and I have to drive it (even though it's a little car). In my line of work, I have no choice. If I could bike or walk to work, I would. But, most Americans do use oil, and the added problem of depending on foreign oil is not good either. It is more that the record profits made by this company, lack of planning for disasters, and complete disregard for wildlife and for people is sickening.

Quite frankly, this all sucks. Especially for New Orleans. And it isn't even hurricane season yet.

I think it is worth the drive to go elsewhere.

Those Who Save Us

2010-06-05T14:01:00.019-05:00

I finished a book last night that is still with me. Very haunting, very sad....extremely well written. "Those Who Save Us," by Jenna Blum, flips back and forth between a mother in 1940's Germany during World War II, and 1993-1997 Minnesota from her grown daughter's perspective in Minneapolis.

Many parts of the story are very difficult to read - the atrocities inflicted on the Jewish people of the time, the enormous cruelty of the Nazi's, and the horrible struggles of the German people that carry forth into the modern day with both mother and daughter. The vivid images, the sadness and horror of what people lived through...is something that we should never forget. My Uncle Bill, who was one of the soldiers who marched into Dachau, was much like the character, Anna. All these years later, he will not speak of it.

On another interesting note, the detailed descriptions of Minnesota and the cold winters here are obviously written by a woman who has lived here.

A very well-researched, worthwhile read, Blum says it best at the end. In her acknowledgements at the back of the book, Blum states: "And to the survivors themselves, who demonstrated unparalleled courage and generosity in sharing their stories, I cannot express adequate gratitude in words: perhaps it will suffice to say that you are living miracles and nothing you have said will ever be forgotten."

"The Secret Life of Bees"....and Friendship

2010-05-30T12:55:00.011-05:00

I finished the book "The Secret Life of Bees" a few days ago. I had purchased it off of a table at one of my favorite used bookstores, but hadn't gotten around to reading it. What a great story on perseverance, friendship, and the support you get from women. Although it is a sad story, it is also a very uplifting one - and a great read!

I save quotes and always mark up books with things I think are written particularly well or just something to remember. It is amazing to me how many times I will be reading something that really touches on a situation I just went through. This is especially true when it is a well written story.

Sue Monk Kidd, the author of the book, does an interview after the story is completed. She quotes Isak Dinesen in saying: "All sorrows can be borne if we put them in a story or tell a story about them." As a writer, I wholeheartedly agree.

She goes on to say: "When women bond together in a community in such a way that 'sisterhood' is created, it gives them an accepting and intimate forum to tell their stories and have them heard and validated by others. The community not only helps to heal their circumstance, but encourages them to grow into their larger destiny. This is what happened to Lily. She found a sanctuary of women where she could tell her story, and have it heard and validated - an act that allowed her not only to bear her sorrow but transform it."

I always remember the quote "Writers live things twice." Some of the most painful things I've been through in my life are the strongest pieces I've written. And I always learn something from it. It is always my hope that my deepest writing will touch others in a way that will help them when they are facing a difficult time.

I am fortunate to have many wonderful, supportive friends - both male and female. But, there is a special bond with the close female friends. There is something special about that bond, that support, that sisterhood. They believe in me as I believe in them. I am thankful everyday for that.

Rest in Peace, Pat

2010-05-28T02:19:00.020-05:00

There are many difficult parts to social services. There are difficult situations, and sometimes difficult clients - but it is usually the situations, physical pain, mental illness, or a lifetime of hurts that make them difficult. I've always been able to see past all of it. It just takes a little compassion.

The most difficult is when we lose a client. And we aren't supposed to have favorites, but there are always those who just plain are. Pat was one of those. An 86 year-old woman with the exuberance and sharp sense of humor of someone half her age, she was one I always looked forward to seeing. After a long busy week, full of one crisis after another, and constant phone calls, she was a great way to end the week on a Friday afternoon.

At almost 2:30 AM, I am unable to sleep. Pat's oldest son called me today to tell me his mother had passed away on May 12th. He thought I already knew. I knew she was ill, and back in the hospital. I'm sure each kid thought the other had called. In their grief, who can really blame them? She had a wonderful family full of dedicated kids that adored her. In fact her house was often full of one or more of the kids or a neighbor who had stopped by to say hi and play a game of cribbage. When we were done working, she would often ask me to stay a bit longer on my own time and play a game.

Then there were her kids. Her daughter, Mary, who lived with her and tended the backyard garden and cooked for everyone. Her daughter, Katie, who lived a few miles away and stopped by often. The sons who didn't live nearby but who called frequently, and her son, Tom, who she took care of until very recently - resisting putting him in assisted living until she had to. Then there was Buck, a Labradoodle with bushy eyebrows and legs as long as a horse, who would lean his 100 pound body against you and jump through hula hoops on command. Sitting in a nearby chair on the porch, he sat tall and looked around like he was a person. He only barked until he realized a friend had come to visit.

I am awake and sad, quiet and reflective. Pat had one of the greatest senses of humor I've ever been around. She didn't care what people thought, flirted with her doctors, and loved everybody. She surpassed being just a client several years ago. Her "I Love ya" always followed you out the door, and you could never leave without a hug. She was proud of being Irish, happy with her life, and loyal to her Catholic faith.

I will miss the Friday afternoons there. Miss helping her with whatever she needed help with on that day. I am sorry she was so ill at the end, sorry her smoking took over her lungs, sorry she had to resort to an oxygen tank. I will miss Mary and Tom and Katie. And I will miss Buck - one of the funniest dogs I've yet to come across - who once ate an entire tray of chicken drumsticks just off the grill, bones and all.

But, I will miss Pat terribly. She was such a joy, such a sweetheart, and so much fun. I am fortunate to have known her. I hope she is no longer suffering and at peace. She has touched my life in a way that few have. While I have lost clients before, she was an extra special one that it was an honor to know. I will hold you in my heart, Pat, and never forget you - and in your own words: "I love ya."

The Hub Bike Co-op

2010-05-23T14:31:00.006-05:00

I don't always post my articles, but I found this place to be particularly interesting. There are a lot of great co-ops in the Twin Cities. I am often quite glad I can walk to one and drive short distances to the others. There is nothing like fresh, locally grown, organic food...

But this article was on a completely different idea for a co-op: a co-op for bike riders. As it says in my article for The Mix:

The Hub Bike-Co-op is an integral part of bicycle culture in the Twin Cities. As a worker-owned cooperative for eight years, they have focused on the environment and consumer education. They look at riding bikes as much more than just a recreational activity—bikes are a main source of transit that can improve the world, creating less pollution and waste in the process. The co-op’s supplies are also green, from recycled paper to biodegradable chain lube, and they recycle their tires and all aluminum and steel left over from bicycle repairs.

There were three original founders of the Hub Bike Co-op, and now there are 12 current owners as the business has grown. “We decided it was a very democratic way to run a business, with no hierarchy,” said co-owner Amber Schmidt, “It takes a lot of compromise, but it’s very fair and balances out with all the different personalities.”

The co-op’s philosophy is seen in their business motto: “All types of bikes for all types of people.” Although they see bikes as more than recreational, they also realize bikes can be used for all purposes, whether it is for sport, racing, or for transit. Said Schmidt, “We advocate for using your bike the way you want to use it.”

Besides selling bikes, the co-op is strongly focused on bicycle education. “We offer in-store basic maintenance classes and have smaller events on bike safety,” said Schmidt. They also teach about the different types of bikes. Having three stores (Cedar- Riverside, Minnetonka, and the new store set to open on the University of Minnesota campus this spring), really focuses on individual customers’ needs.

“We even have a do-it-yourself stand at our larger Minnehaha store,” said Schmidt, “You can repair your own bikes there, so you don’t have to go out and buy tools.” The new location on the school campus is also set up for commuters with 24-hour access to showers, lockers, bike storage, and a public computer to look up bike routes and offer bicycling tips.

In a time when being green is important - as well as the always important need to get some healthy exercise - what a great idea. This is definitely the place I'll go to now when I need a bike tune-up!

Disappointments & Deadlines

2010-05-22T15:26:00.011-05:00

After a few difficult weeks full of crisis situations (clients), near scares (mom), a huge disappointment turning into being depressed and overwhelmed (me), and illness (my fiance), things are starting to turn around.

It is funny that, as a writer, the most therapeutic thing to do when you are struggling is to write. It is healing, it is meditative, it is beyond helpful. Yet, every time I thought of writing, I ignored it. I'm not sure why I do this. I would do the dishes, be a couch potato....you name it - when the thing I love the most got pushed aside. And I probably lost out on some good material that might have taught me something.

Fortunately, I have an article due and am on a deadline - so I at least had to do an interview and work on writing that. And, thankfully, I have moved on from the ridiculous depressed/overwhelmed state I seemed to have plummeted into - thanks to good friends, a great fiance...and time.

Sometimes we really only get perspective when we have a little hindsight. I am grateful my clients are now okay, my fiance is getting better, my mom is doing better - and I am now very thankful that the huge disappointment didn't work out anyway. What's that old saying? Hindsight is 20/20? Sure beats the fog I had over my eyes for the last couple of weeks....

Selling Your Book & Memoir: Part 1

2010-04-30T22:02:00.018-05:00

We are very fortunate to have a place like The Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis. I have attended many classes, workshops, and events over the years. The staff is fantastic, and the experiences have been wonderful. I've made some friends from The Loft, and enjoy visiting there as often as I can.

I was asked to write a piece about "selling your book out of the trunk of your car" (along with three other writers). I shared my experiences in A View from the Loft:

I’ve never been much of a salesperson. Now I’m faced with selling me. Working for corporations and nonprofits for years, I did get into marketing—brochures, newsletters, promoting the business. But it is harder to promote yourself. This is especially true when it comes to something as personal as a story that you lived through. I think writers tend to focus on the creating, and forget about the legwork.
When Voices of Multiple Sclerosis, the anthology in which I have an essay, was released, I was fortunate to start out with a publicist. She booked me on a local TV talk show for an interview that was less than five minutes long and in which I was asked very basic questions about the book. Since I was not only promoting myself, it was important to mention that there are 32 other authors in the book, who published it, and where people could find it. I thought I would be so nervous, but it was actually fun. Being in the famous “green room” at the television station with a comedian, a musician, and a fellow writer also made it interesting.
In the end, the publicity business is an ongoing process and learning experience. Next time, when the entire book is mine—and I know that time is coming—I hope I can take the experience of the anthology and understand the process better. Finishing the manuscript may give you a great sense of completion—and it should—but it’s really only the beginning.

Thanks again to my fellow writers, both on the site and in the book. And thanks to The Loft....especially Dara! It is so great to have a place that is so supportive of writers in the community. You guys rock!

There is another piece yet to come out attached to this on writing memoir and how the story has to be told - so this is, I guess, to be continued...

Fatigue, Depression & Being Overwhelmed

2010-04-22T21:28:00.022-05:00

I'm often told what an upbeat person I am. I always try to see the best in people, and I always try to see how good things still come out of bad experiences. I try to be positive, and many of my clients tell me I am the bright spot in their week. This is a great compliment, and I'm glad I can help them. But, one client took it further..."Don't you ever get depressed?"

YES! Doesn't everyone?

Lately, it has been very hard. Burnt out on a tough job that is crazy busy with way too many crisis situations all the time, worried about my mother who is still trying to heal from a tough back surgery almost thirty days ago now....and now the incision has broken open, may be infected, and she is retaining over sixty pounds of water - let alone being way too far away from her. But the toughest part is simply not having the energy to deal with all of it. And this in turn seems to turn into more of a depression than just the usual bouts we all get from time to time.

It is hard to understand the fatigue you get with Multiple Sclerosis. The usual response is, "Ya, I get really tired too." It isn't that I don't sympathize, but it isn't the same. I try to describe it as a really extreme jet lag. I usually plow through it all day and drop when I get home, but it isn't easy. And as the days get warmer, the heat makes it even worse. It is hard always having to be strong for everyone else when deep down you feel rather weak.

But today I came across a blog, Suite 101, that explained it better, as well as pulling in the depression that is always there with a chronic illness:

"Imagine feeling like a truck ran over you, not at the end of a long workday, not after coming back from an adventurous hike, not even after a rowdy day playing with your kids, but soon after getting up out of bed. This sort of exhaustion plagues many people with multiple sclerosis. It feels like having legs and arms made of cement, hindering you from performing even small tasks. This symptom can fluctuate throughout the day, leaving a person uncertain as to how much energy they will have. If the fatigue is caused by the disease, there are tricks to conserve energy, as well as medication to relieve it. If the problem stems from depression, therapy and antidepressants can also help. A theory behind disease-producing fatigue is that it takes a lot more energy to send messages along damaged nerves than normal ones."

So, I finally found a medication that helps with the fatigue (recommended by my neurologist), and my insurance (which is supposed to be good insurance) will not cover the generic version ($320), and recommends the the brand name ($85). I know it could be worse, but this just sucks. So, I found myself cutting the dose in half, which ended up not helping at all. Finally finding something that helps and then not being able to justify - or afford - the cost, is way too common of a problem with way too many people.

So, yes I get depressed. Sometimes I am just down, sometimes just overwhelmed, sometimes just sad. Lately all of the above. But, seriously, most of the time I do just push through it - but I, like many others with MS, am really just plain tired of being tired.

Yes, There's a Black Man in the White House

2010-04-19T18:30:00.013-05:00

A read in a recent poll conducted by the New York Times/CBS, that tea party members were more educated than most. What? This sounded like a joke when it came out. If the signs they hold, the "news" channel they watch, and the things they chant are any indication, I beg to differ.

Let's just be honest here. One of the main things they can't stand is the color of President Obama's skin. He may be too liberal for them too, but he's most certainly more intelligent than the last guy who was in office.

In a post on one the funnier blogs out there, Margaret and Helen, she said it so well....once again:

"So now a black man named Barack Obama, elected by the will of the people, has decided to fight for the poor, and work for world peace… and a bunch of white guys who think Fox really is News just can’t stand it.

Well, they can kiss my ass because I am tired of their belly aching.

This is exactly how our political system works. Sometimes your party is in and sometimes it is out. Your party is currently out. So shut the hell up and deal with it.

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m all for a group of disgruntled citizens banding together to form a third political party because they don’t feel represented by the other two. But let’s be honest - this bunch of idiots doesn’t like that a black man is the most powerful man on the globe. I wonder if they know that, while 78% of the world is not white, only 13% of the United States is black. So they can relax. Barack and Michelle most likely will not be buying the house next door.

Tea Party members should listen up. As long as Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann are your torchbearers, you don’t have much credibility with me. One echoes between the ears and the other is 12 shy of a dozen. You honestly want me to think that your biggest issue is the cost of healthcare reform? You sat idly by while Bush squandered billions on a failed war, but all children having health insurance is too much to handle? That’s your beef? You realize, of course, that some of those children are white, don’t you?

Please. You might not be wearing hoods, but your misspelled signs are one step shy of a burning cross. You should be ashamed of yourselves."

Thank you for stating it like it is. And thank you for your honesty...what was that last statement by McCain stating he never said he was a maverick? This honesty seems to be something that is severely lacking on the other side.

Memories of Grease & a Disgusting Invention

2010-04-14T21:13:00.025-05:00

We all make mistakes. And sometimes it takes a long time for us to learn from those mistakes. Sometimes we can blame it on being too young. Sometimes we can blame it on being under the influence of something (probably when we were too young). Most of the time - especially when we are older - we regret these mistakes. I choose to look at them as learning experiences - learn a little, move on, try not to repeat.

I've made quite a few mistakes in my life, and will probably make quite a few more. One of the biggest ones to date was marrying way too young to a man who was wrong for me on way too many levels. As my older brother pleaded with me ("He's a small town boy, you're not a small town girl," along with "You're way too young!"), I went ahead and did it anyway. Looking back, I can't figure out what I was thinking - or if I was thinking at all. Why all the red flags hitting me in the face were ignored. Why I chose to ignore the difference in intelligence, the difference in ambition, the difference in culture....why oh why?

So, I have to admit when I saw the latest concoction that KFC came out with, it reminded me of my former husband. How when everyone else was going to college he was working there. How every night he would be doused in chicken grease, wearing it like cologne on his clothes and in his hair. How he brought buckets full of the nasty stuff home to his roommates (and to the bar where he traded it for beer...yet another red flag). And how his only ambition was to be the assistant manager of the place - in a college town where everyone else was only eating it because it was free and they were up late studying for exams.

I admit I liked the coleslaw. But I think it was about that time that I grossed out on meat altogether and decided to become a vegetarian once and for all. So, I have to say that the latest invention by KFC has to be one of the most disgusting things they have come up with yet. As reported on the Huffington Post:

Do you know what I'm talking about yet? Have you seen it? Apparently, for many months, people who run the snarky junk food blogs on the Interwebs heard rumors that KFC was testing this item, and thought it might be a joke, a viral gimmick. Or if not that, then something that certainly would never make it to market, given how it looks like some sort of frat-boy prank, like the drones at KFC's test kitchens got completely hammered one night and had a bet as to who could come up with the most repulsive menu item imaginable.

Behold, the KFC Double Down sandwich. It is, if you really want to know, two slabs of fried chicken intersliced with two pieces of bacon, two slabs of cheese, and the Colonel's "special sauce." It comes in the form of a sandwich, with the fried chicken where the bread used to be. It's sort of hilarious.
Did you notice? How in one pseudo-food item, you are consuming not one, not two, but the mutated, chemically injected flesh/byproducts of fully three different distended, liquefied, industrially tortured creatures? Feel the love, pitiable animal kingdom.

What's more, some fast food companies are trying, at least a little, to respond to the call for slightly healthier foods, adding salads and fruit and grilled chicken breasts to their menus, even though every single one of those items is just as jammed with chemicals, preservatives, synthetic flavorings and high-fructose corn syrup as the rest, and all the "healthy" meat products are still raised on the most execrable, environmentally rapacious industrial feedlots imaginable. But hey, it's something, right?

Further, some argue that it's a bit disingenuous to blame the junk food purveyors for all the obesity, cancer, impotence, bad skin and colonic pain in the land. After all, the undereducated masses love to eat this garbage, right? KFC test-marketed this Double Down death bomb for months, to (presumably) great effect.

Of course, it's sort of a foregone conclusion, a rigged game. This vile meatwich is crammed like a grenade with sodium, sugar, fat and chemicals. Ergo, the testers, presumably people with taste buds devastated by years of cramming similar compost into their guts, thought it was pure nirvana. And then their colons exploded.

So, as I said, most intelligent people learn from their mistakes. In the case of this food, let's move on to healthier things. Really. I moved on from the former husband covered in this greasy stuff - many years ago. The spots on the shirts were disgusting enough....do we really want to put this into our bodies?

In a similar fashion, neither should have happened in the first place. But, learn I have. And as a writer, its all book material as far as I'm concerned. It reminds me of an old joke I read years ago: "A ham and egg breakfast is a day's work for the chicken, but a lifetime commitment for the pig." Just goes to show you, its all in perspective. And, yes, I made a commitment too, but at least I finally had the sense to walk away. I would suggest the same for this disgusting, can't-possibly-be-good-for-you mess as well.

Hiawatha Yoga in a New Location

2010-04-10T11:35:00.040-05:00

Hiawatha Yoga had its grand opening at its new location last night (see original post from January 19, 2010.) The classes really do stick with the philosophy of "yoga and wellness for every body." The point is that you can learn to be more healthy and flexible, while reducing stress. As one class member commented at the opening, "Sue is great because she asks you not only what you need, but what kind of day you've had. "

She has also added a Sunday class that is yoga in a chair for people that are less mobile. Her classes are small and personable - and she has very reasonable price packages:

Class Schedule from 5/1/10 - 8/31/10:
Wednesdays: 7:30 PM
Saturdays: 9:30 AM
Sundays: Yoga in a Chair: 3:00-3:45 PM
& 4:00-5:00 PM

Intro to Yoga:
Saturdays, 10:45-11:30 AM

Go to hiawathayoga@yahoo.com to register. "Hiawatha Yoga's hatha vinyasa classes are designed to help you escape from stress and revitalize your spirit," and, with practice, can put you on the road to a healthier, more relaxed mind and body.

Service Dogs & Social Services

2010-04-05T19:56:00.036-05:00

In one of those extremely trying days at work which started with very early morning phone calls, I have to admit there are times that I really wonder why I'm in social services. Someday I do indeed plan to write full-time, but for now I see myself as helping people and gathering lots of material...

Near the end of the day, after working with three especially nice clients, I realized that although it is tough, it is indeed rewarding helping people. Especially when the people are so thankful and the help is so needed.

Of all the things I've been able to do over the years, my most fulfilling has been being able to help clients get service dogs. Anyone that knows me knows I am a huge dog lover, but these dogs are actually quite amazing.

One client is a man in a wheelchair who has a wonderful black and white Cockapoo named Oreo. Oreo is a service dog - well-trained, smart, attentive. He adores his owner and would do just about anything for him. He does everything from picking things up for him - including going to get the phone if he falls - to just being a fun, affectionate companion. He is one of the nicest dogs you would ever meet and has the face and temperament of an old soul there to provide you with wisdom and guidance.

Oreo

Another client is a woman who is an amputee with an adorable Yorkie named Tex. A fifteen pound dog who is convinced he is a big dog, Tex seems to almost swagger when he walks, has silky fur, and does everything for his owner from picking things up for her, hitting her Lifeline button when she falls, grabbing her shoe and putting it on her scooter when it is time to go out, and lately he has taken to curling up to her and putting his head on her shoulder and calming her down when she is anxious. He has the face of an angel and the heart to match.

Tex

When Al Franken penned the bill for service dogs for veterans, I was thrilled. Not only are many of them coming back with brain injuries and physical disabilities, but also with a lot of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. According to the New York Times:

Under a bill written by Senator Al Franken, Democrat of Minnesota, veterans with P.T.S.D. will get service dogs as part of a pilot program run by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Training a psychiatric service dog and pairing it with a client costs more than $20,000. The government already helps provide dogs to soldiers who lost their sight or were severely wounded in combat, but had never considered placing dogs for emotional damage.

The bill provides so much for men and women who have suffered from the war. This already confirms something widely known in social services: dogs provide healing, companionship, and courage to so many who are disabled emotionally, mentally, and physically. In a couple of cases cited in the article:

Just weeks after Chris Goehner, 25, an Iraq war veteran, got a dog, he was able to cut in half the dose of anxiety and sleep medications he took for post-traumatic stress disorder. The night terrors and suicidal thoughts that kept him awake for days on end ceased.
Aaron Ellis, 29, another Iraq veteran with the stress disorder, scrapped his medications entirely soon after getting a dog — and set foot in a grocery store for the first time in three years.

The dogs to whom they credit their improved health are not just pets. Rather, they are psychiatric service dogs specially trained to help traumatized veterans leave the battlefield behind as they reintegrate into society.

I am also happy for another client, who, along with a friend, has started the first company in the United States for service dogs for psychiatric disorders: Pet Accolades. Their very first dog is a Springer Spaniel named Kirby. Although there are many dogs trained for the physically disabled, they are working on "providing service dogs for those with invisible disabilities." This will open up service and companion dogs for people who could not get them previously. It's the beginning of something that will help so many.

Kirby

I am proud of Senator Al Franken. I am proud of my clients with service dogs. But I am especially proud of my client who has taken it upon herself to start a company where there has been a huge void. Her innovation, caring, and creativity will open up many doors for many people. Dog lovers know dogs can be great for you in so many ways, but in the case of service and companion dogs, they go way beyond the call of duty.

Rush Limbaugh and His Idle Threat

2010-04-03T13:11:00.009-05:00

I've written about Rush Limbaugh a few times in the past. I find the man to be quite ridiculous...in his sexist comments, in his racist remarks, in his just plain stupidity. He brings hypocrisy to a whole new level, and his disrespect of President Obama is downright wrong.

His recent statement that he would leave the country if healthcare was passed, frankly, had quite a number of people pretty excited. Healthcare was passed, yet he is still here.

According to Joe Queenan in the LA Times, who wrote a great piece: Rush Limbaugh, Healthcare, and Idle Threats:

As the battle over "Obamacare" was reaching fever pitch, Rush Limbaugh threatened to leave the United States if the healthcare bill passed. Well, the bill did pass, and he's still here.

Last week I read about a new poll indicating that if the healthcare bill passed, 46% of primary-care physicians would close up shop. Well, it's passed, so now it's time to put your money where your mouth is, physicians of the republic. The same goes for you, Rush. First you threatened to leave New York City if a new tax on the rich got passed. The legislation is now law, but it took you a year to put your Manhattan apartment on the market. Then came the Costa Rica threat, but two weeks after Obamacare passed, you're not there.
This is unmanly and unconscionable. If you tell everybody that you're so fed up with the direction the country is headed that you're going to leave, then you are morally obligated to leave, or at least give your fellow Americans a timetable for your departure. Otherwise, the rest of us find ourselves in a Boy Who Cried Wolf scenario, wondering what whopper you'll tell next. But unlike the boy, who only told a fib, you committed a truly unforgivable crime. You got people's hopes up.

I agree. I'd be happy to just have the man off the airwaves. No one really needs to hear not only his idle threats, but all the other vile junk he spews. If it isn't sexist, or racist, or disrespectful to someone, what's left. So, keep your promise, Rush. Go. And, in the last move in your hypocrisy, pick a country like Costa Rica...which has a public healthcare system just like the one you've been speaking against.

Health Care and My Mom

2010-03-22T21:28:00.014-05:00

Health Care Reform passed the House last night. It was historic and, like many, I watched all of it. It has been something that was talked about, and needed, for so long. It isn't perfect, but it is a good start.

I won't get into the incredible lack of maturity of the people who opposed it who just kept chanting the same lies. I won't get into the protests that turned so ugly. Frankly, it can be cited everywhere - with pictures, with ridiculous speeches, with spitting on people, with yelling out homophobic and racial slurs. It sounded like something out the mouths of junior high school bullies.

There are some good things that are immediate, two of which are that you can no longer be kicked off of your insurance because of pre-existing conditions, and, for Medicare D prescription coverage, there is no longer that ominous "donut hole" that was hit halfway through the year, making coverage for the rest of the year worthless.

There is much more to say, but my thoughts are elsewhere tonight. My thoughts are with my mother. In her early eighties and dealing with constant back pain for way too long, she went into surgery this morning. A surgery on an already frail lady - but one with a strong spirit and sweet personality that won over the entire hospital staff. A surgery that was originally scheduled for three hours, but went for almost six. A surgery where they discovered that much of her spine had deteriorated. A surgery that was originally scheduled for two weeks ago when I had planned on being there.

I'm glad my sister is with her, being a fantastic nurse helps a lot. I'm glad she is there with my father too, married to my mother for 60 years. But, I'm not happy that I am 2,000 miles away. After my sister called me tonight to tell me my mother was in ICU, was bloated, pale, had lost a lot of blood, had a leakage of spinal fluid, had a breathing tube, and was to remain completely still for 36 hours - I said a prayer, took a walk, and tried to keep busy. But, I knew I had to write about it.

This morning when I got up, I put on a small silver bangle bracelet she had given to me. It is one she wore for years. I wore it all day to remember what was happening...I am not going to take it off until she is better. I talked to my dad, I talked to my brother (also a long way away), and I talked to my sister. I feel better that at least this time my mother is at Duke and is under the best of care.

So, yes, I am happy Health Care Reform has passed the House. And I'm happy change of such significance has occurred. But, right now my thoughts are with my mom and my dad and how I wish I was there. And I know she will get better and I hope to get down there in the next couple of weeks...my brother helped them move, my sister is helping with the surgery, and then it will be my turn to help with the rest. My siblings are not only fantastic people, but we make a great team and realize we have great parents.

So, as the changes start to happen, and my mom gets better, maybe she too will see the significance of the bill passing. It will be a long recovery, but she will recover. And since she was one who always hit the infamous donut hole way too early in the year, maybe that is the one immediate thing she will see go away...along with the pain she put up with for way too long.

Free Speech or Hate Speech?

2010-03-16T21:02:00.019-05:00

America is known for its free speech. But, is it really still free speech when it turns to hateful speech and it is hurtful and devastatingly cruel?

I am consistently appalled at some of the behavior of some supposed Christian organizations. I am a Christian, but I have friends of all different beliefs, backgrounds, and lifestyles. We respect and appreciate each other. I make mistakes - a lot. I do not have all the answers and do not pretend to. I am amazed at some of the judgment, hatred, and downright cruelty thrown at people by so-called Christians. Everyone deserves love and respect.

The Westboro Baptist Church is one of these organizations. According to Wikipdia:

The Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) is an Independent Baptist church and hate group known for its hatred of gays.

The WBC is not affiliated with any known Baptist conventions or associations. The church describes itself as following Primitive Baptist and Calvinist principles, though mainstream Primitive Baptists reject the WBC.
The group is best known for its protest activities, which include picketing funerals and stomping on the American flag.

So, they protest at funerals of fallen soldiers with disgusting signs. Where is the compassion, the love, the just plain decency in this mess? If they want it from the Bible, try 1 John 4:8: "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."

For the record, the Bible is full of verses on love. None of them say it is okay to go out and protest a fallen soldier's funeral while his family is grieving terribly. Also in the Bible: Proverbs 10:12 says: "Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs."

Or how about this for a fallen soldier: John 15:13: "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

According to Yahoo News, the Supreme Court has noticed the latest protest:

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court is getting involved in the legal fight over the anti-gay protesters who show up at military funerals with inflammatory messages like "Thank God for dead soldiers."

So, in the name of love, in the name of compassion, in the name of decency - enough! It is my hope that the Supreme Court will rule that these people have taken free speech too far, and turned it into hateful, cruel speech. There is no God or love in any part of this equation.

MS Awareness Week!

2010-03-08T18:15:00.002-06:00

Boo to Jay

2010-03-04T21:08:00.011-06:00

I had written a short post about Jay Leno's ridiculous show with Sarah Palin doing stand-up, but it was written so well in another blog, Strong: Progressive, that I just had to quote that:

Sarah Palin debuts in her new career as a (deliberate) stand-up comedian....on the Tonight Show??

HuffPost:

The former Republican vice presidential nominee turned into a stand-up comic on Jay Leno's "Tonight Show" Tuesday, dropping one-liners about the White House, Congress and Fey -- the "Saturday Night Live" star known for her impression of the former Alaska governor.
But before Palin hit the stage alone, she sat down with Leno and talked about her role at Fox News and about the Tea Party movement.
Leno asked Palin what she thinks about joining the media by becoming a Fox News analyst. Palin told Leno that she's there to build trust in the media. "I think that the mainstream media is quite broken and I think that there needs to be the fairness, the balance in there. That's why I joined Fox." Leno laughed.
For all the comics who've had to work sleazy dives across the country while getting themselves established, had to simultaneously work two or three day jobs while pursuing their dream of stardom, gotten the 1 AM slot at the comedy club and had to be happy that they got any stage time at all, and who've spent years learning their craft, this has to be an outrage. Her first gig is the Tonight Show?! Why is it that Palin once again gets a opportunity for which she's unqualified, untrained, inexperienced, and in the pursuit of which can only spew out snarky remarks?

Agreed. So, what is she exactly? A vice presidential candidate that got way to close to the White House, a governor who quit two years in, a writer who doesn't write her own books, or now a stand-up comic who thinks she's funny? Let's just face it, for someone who hates the mainstream media so much, she sure is doing her best to become a part of it. I've said from the beginning, she will end up with some reality show or talk show - she just wants to be famous.

Boo to all of this. Boo to Jay Leno. Boo for not stepping aside from his position after having it for years - after dangling the carrot in front of Conan O'Brien and then snatching it away when he failed in prime time. But, most of all, boo for this latest stunt. Quit adding to this woman's ego and wallet, quit giving her a forum - and boo to the people who brought her out of Alaska in the first place. At least as a viewer, we do have the control to keep the remote away from whatever channel she lands on. In the case of Fox, most intelligent beings don't watch that anyway.

Just a Bit Severe

2010-03-03T21:03:00.007-06:00

Having been on the other side of adultery many years ago, I would never say it's okay. If you don't want to be with your spouse anymore, have the decency to say so and move on. Doing it behind a partner's back is never cool.

Here in America - and in other free nations - there is little punishment for this. It causes a great deal of hurt and a betrayal that is hard to get over. What is harder to get over, though, is the double standard in the not-so-free nations, especially the treating of women like they are slaves or property.

I've said often that I'm fortunate that I was born in America. There is still sexism, there always will be. But, in some areas, it is beyond that. You hear of this type of thing way too often. According to CNN World:

For the first time, Malaysian authorities have caned three Muslim women under Islamic law for acts of adultery, the Malaysian national news agency Bernama said.
Home Minister Hishamuddin Hussein announced the canings Wednesday, saying the penalty was carried out February 9 at a womens' prison near Kuala Lumpur.

The canings -- a punishment that persists across Malaysian society since the British colonial era of the 19th century -- have been denounced by one Amnesty International official, who says "caning is tantamount to torture."

But Hishamuddin said the punishment was carried out "to educate and make the offenders realize their mistakes and to return to the right path."

"It is hoped that the issue will not be wrongly interpreted to the extent of tarnishing the sanctity of Islam," he was quoted as saying. He also said the punishment did not cause any injury and that the women were remorseful and repented, Bernama reported.

The women were struck with a rattan cane. One woman was released Sunday after spending a month in prison, another will be released in the next few days, and the third will be released in June.

Malaysia, which considers itself a moderate Muslim country, has a dual-track justice system, in which Islamic courts operate alongside civil ones. Muslims make up about 60 percent of the country's population of 28 million.

Last year, a woman was sentenced to caning under Islamic law for drinking alcohol in public -- beer at a hotel bar -- and that case caused an uproar in the country. Malaysia forbids alcohol consumption by Muslims, even those who are visiting the country.

The caning sentence of Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno has been postponed while the issue is under review, and she said that if she were to be caned, she wanted the flogging to occur in public.

"Let's be transparent about it," said Kartika, a mother and part-time model. An Islamic court also fined her $1,400 for the act. She has pleaded guilty and paid the fine.

No, adultery is not okay. But the severity of the punishment is a bit much. Especially when you consider that men are applauded for the same act and justified for the cruel punishment when their "property" does something they don't like. The punishment is way too severe - and the double standard is way too common in too many places in the world.

The Governor Needs a Heart

2010-02-19T21:45:00.009-06:00

Over the years, I have continually seen Governor Tim Pawlenty cut funds to social services. He only cares about balancing his budget, and nothing about the people who have to live with it (or in this case, without). First there was the battle with cutting people off of health insurance, who have no other way of having health care. Then he decided to cut emergency assistance. Now he has decided that General Assistance should also be cut. In an MPR article it states:

Advocates for the homeless warn that thousands of the state's poorest residents could lose their only source of income under the new budget proposed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

The governor's budget would eliminate General Assistance, the program that provides $203 a month in cash assistance to low-income single adults who are unable to work, and replace it with a less expensive crisis assistance program.

General Assistance served about 19,000 people each month in the last fiscal year, and is the only source of income for many homeless adults.

"It's a devastating cut," said Liz Kuoppala, executive director of Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless. "These are folks who are waiting in line for federal disability. They don't have access to any other money."
Welfare recipient Virginia Weldon participated in the health insurance protests, and has spoken at legislative hearings about welfare reform. Still, she said, the elimination of the monthly cash program, General Assistance, was something she never expected.
"Why would you just all of a sudden want to take GA away?" she said. "People need money to survive."
State Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville, who chairs the Health, Housing and Family Security committee, said the governor could make other cuts to fix the state's deficit.
"It's an attempt to make the poorest and the sickest people pay the brunt of the economic problem," said Marty, who is also candidate for governor. "He's not going to talk about any taxes on people who make large amounts of money. Instead, he's going to, in effect, take people who are very sick and very poor and step on them a little further."

Many people in Minnesota laugh at Pawlenty's lack of charisma and find his bid for a future presidency laughable. But, the way he treats the residents of his own state, and repeatedly takes from people that have nothing, I'm much more concerned about his obvious lack of heart.

No, Not Really.

2010-02-10T21:22:00.005-06:00

(Photo by Bradley Berg)

This billboard is up in Wyoming, Minnesota. Hmmm...wonder who sponsored this one? Either way, in answer to the question: Miss you, no. Still cleaning up your mess, yes.

Demon Sheep?

2010-02-06T12:30:00.011-06:00

My cousin worked for Hewlett Packard for years. An extremely successful company with extremely smart, talented people working for them. The exception to their success seemed to have been Carly Fiorina.

With her latest ads out on the "Demon Sheep," perhaps we can see why. To not even get into how weird and disturbing these commercials are, does this woman really show any intelligence putting something like this out there? They are all over the web as comic relief....Tom Campbell must love them (they clearly can't be hurting him), and, of course, Democrats are saying: do more! The ad is like something out of a low-budget, bad horror movie.

According to the Huffington Post:

Democrats want to get in on the "demon sheep" craze sweeping the political world.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has made a strategic Google ad purchase to piggyback on the popularity of the web ad being run by California GOP Senate candidate Carly Fiorina, in which she accuses her opponent of being a "FCINO" (a.k.a. Fiscal Conservative In Name Only).

Google the phrase "demon sheep" and the second link on the right hand bar -- under titles such as "Demand More Demon Sheep," and "Keep Up the Baaad Work" -- goes to the DSCC's website. (The first link is to Fiorina's primary challenger, Tom Campbell, the target of her notorious web ad).

The DSCC link goes to a petition urging Fiorina, a former Hewlett-Packard CEO and the best-known GOP Senate candidate in California, to make more videos.

"Sign our petition. Tell Carly Fiorina to make more videos, preferably featuring farm animals. This one provided a great laugh on an otherwise typical afternoon -- and we'll gladly accept the risk of a nightmare or two. It's so baaaaaad, but so good at the same time."
A spokesman for the DSCC, Eric Schultz, declined to say how much money was behind the Google ad purchase. But he did offer a rough take on the web ad madness: "We're starting to realize why Hewlett-Packard paid her $21 million to go away."

I agree with the Huffington Post. Funny, yes. But, very weird...and very, very baaaaaad.

And Now for Something Political

2010-02-02T20:45:00.010-06:00

With everything else going on of late, I've taken a bit of a break from political posts. Just a couple of comments:

1) I lived in Massachusetts for many years. Of all the places I grew up, I consider it more home than anything else. Shame on the Democratic candidate for not even trying to campaign and just riding along, and double shame for not knowing anything about the Red Sox. Yes, that is a big deal there. And lastly, a conservative teabagger wins by campaigning with his truck and riding on his so-called looks? It is shameful....a very blue state with a seat held by a Kennedy for decades. It wouldn't be as bad if it wasn't for lack of trying....but it was a lack of trying.

2) The above mentioned win in Massachusetts still does not give Republicans a majority. Since when - and in what math class - is 41 a majority over 59? Time to step up to the plate, Democrats. Get health care passed...get some of these things done and quit playing nice. It isn't about debates, it isn't about winning - it is about what the American people need. As far as the Republicans go, there is something said about standing up for what you believe in, but just saying no to everything and being difficult and playing games is stupid. And while they are at it, watch some old tapes of yourselves. Too many of you are against things that you were for before, but you say you weren't. You are aware these are on videotape? Lieberman is even against a bill he introduced in the first place. Ridiculous, game playing, and a waste of everyone's time.

3) Lastly, thank you President Obama. For finally getting to the point where you aren't overly nice anymore. The President Obama that did the last State of the Union address and his meeting with the Republicans...now that is the man I voted for. As Rachael Maddow said...something like "where's the popcorn?" it was so enjoyable. Calling people on their lies and being strong and direct. Now, that's what I'm talking about....

The Power of Half

2010-01-25T21:22:00.016-06:00

I've always been one to live simply. Stuff is just....well, stuff. I live in a little house in a fun area in the city. I'm only a few blocks from a couple of lakes, close to downtown, and have lots of great places to walk. I'm a renter with no real desire to own a home. Maybe that is weird in today's world, or maybe it is just that I moved around so much as a kid. Or maybe it is just the free-spirited redhead in me.

I like a warm, comfortable home as much as anyone else. I like my books, need my clothes. But the fact is, I get to a point every so often when I go through what I have and give away what I have not worn or am not using. I hate the fact that something is collecting dust in my house when someone else might really need it. I do not have garage sales, I do not sell it. I give it away in the hopes it will help someone else. I prefer to keep it simple, and to make a difference at the same time. To quote Thoreau, "Simplify...simplify."

I came across a new book recently which is based on a family who took their teenage daughter's suggestion to heart. They sold their home, bought a smaller home, and gave fifty percent of the proceeds to charity. This led to other things....and the story of The Power of Half:

Through The Power of Half, our family set out to make a small difference in the world and ended up transforming ourselves. We found that creating a "half" project was an amazing powerful tool to building deeper connections and trust among us. While the book tells our family story, this site is designed to help you learn more about giving and hopefully to better bond your family, community or any group through a unified sense of purpose.

Let's face it, in a very materialistic world where people compete to have more stuff - bigger houses, fancier cars...maybe we need to remember that old saying of "you can't take it with you." There are actually people who have such a huge accumulation of belongings that they can't park their car in their garage or have to keep getting more storage space.

The truth is, someone with a normal size apartment in America actually looks very wealthy to many other people throughout the world. So, appreciate what you have, give what you don't need or use, and learn to live more simply. Because, seriously, more and more stuff, actually just becomes clutter. Or, as stated in one of my favorite quotes by Steven Wright: "You can't have everything, where would you put it?"

A Vow to Get Back to Fit, Part 5

2010-01-24T21:58:00.006-06:00

In my continual effort to get back in shape and back to myself, I will continue to make posts and be accountable. After a fall on the stairs (and a hurt foot), this week was my week to get back to it. Unfortunately, I did not do as well as I had hoped this week. I did have a birthday (which I took off), then had a day I didn't feel too well. But the other days I missed just for the plain old reason of blowing it off.

So, in my vow to pay $5 for every missed workout, this week I paid $15. My fiance enjoyed the cash (he is the recipient of the $5), but as always, was supportive and felt bad taking it. But I say a deal is a deal. So, he was somewhat happy about the extra cash in his pocket - me, not so much.

Next week is a new week and I'll get back on track. This time for real. Really.

New MS Drug

2010-01-22T21:12:00.005-06:00

So many people with Multiple Sclerosis have to deal with a lack of movement and daily injections. The FDA has now approved a new oral drug for MS that will hopefully be of help for many. According to CNN News:

Two phase III clinical trials of Ampyra showed 35 and 43 percent of patients experienced, on average, a consistent improvement in their walking speed, increasing it by about 25 percent.
According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, even a modest improvement in walking ability could mean that thousands of people could benefit from the drug.

Dr. John Richert, executive vice president of Research & Clinical Programs at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, says the drug can be used by most people with MS. However, the drug is not for people with a history of seizures or people who have moderate to severe kidney disease.

Richert says approval means patients can now skip the compounding pharmacy and get a consistent, exact dosage in a guaranteed time-released formula, which would lower the risk of getting a toxic dose instead of a therapeutic dose.

Drugs work differently for different people, but hopefully this new oral medication will help many in allowing more to be ambulatory and give them back their independence.

Hiawatha Yoga

2010-01-19T19:27:00.015-06:00

A friend of mine just recently opened up her own yoga studio in Minneapolis. What is cool about this studio is that the caption "yoga and wellness for every body" is actually true. Some studios can be a bit pretentious and can scare people away who aren't as flexible or as skinny or as perfectly posed. The point of this place is that you can learn to be more flexible and be healthier. Yoga is a unique exercise in that it is good for you physically, spiritually, and mentally.

Coming from many years of "I have to work out with weights and swim laps to be in shape," I'm learning that practicing Yoga does a lot for your health. I'm also learning it has been shown to improve balance, and make for a sleeker, more toned body. As Sue, the owner, states "I have really seen a difference in the people who have been practicing with me for a couple of months." Her classes are small, personable, and comfortable - and her prices are reasonable (4 -pack: $36, Drop in: $11).

Classes:
Mondays: 7:00-8:00 PM
Saturdays: 9:30-10:30 AM
Sundays 4:00-5:00 PM

Intro to Yoga:
Saturdays, 2:00-3:00 PM

Call for 1-1, small group, and yoga parties

Go to hiawathayoga@yahoo.com to register

Yoga and wellness for every body... so maybe you don't have to look perfect when you first walk in the door, but my guess is that - if you stick with it - you will look, and feel, better when you walk out.

MS...And My Vow to Get Back to Fit, Part 4

2010-01-16T22:15:00.007-06:00

I'm slowly getting back into workouts after my fall on the stairs. I tried to convince myself it was just a clumsy slip, that it was my natural gracefulness - same reason I never should have been in ballet - but I have the feeling it is more about being a bit unbalanced with the MS.

Stairs, escalators, they all take a bit of a toll on people with MS. We tend to be a bit unsteady at times and sometimes those long beautiful twirling stairs are not quite as beautiful as they used to be.

I don't like some of the symptoms I am having....waking up with numb hands that I can't shake awake right away, trying to walk on my feet and feeling pins and needles, but that is part of what I have. My injured foot seems to be taking a long time to heal too, and the pain is a little sharper on that side.

But I will perservere. Even if I have to start slowly with yoga and Pilates and then incorporate the weights back in. I think my dream of picking up running is out though...with icy sidewalks it is unbalanced enough. But it is also knowing your limitations. There are plenty of other ways to get fit again...once I'm back to "normal" I will also incorporate swimming laps again. Floating seems a bit easier than falling...and the water is much softer.

Prayers and Help to Haiti

2010-01-14T20:06:00.017-06:00

My prayers are with all the people in Haiti right now. A country that was already very poor and struggling, is now dealing with the aftermath of a devastating earthquake. On Strong Progressive, there is an excellent list of ways to donate and help out:

There are several ways to send aid to earthquake-ravaged Haiti:

PRNewswire:

What: The quickest way to provide monetary relief to those affected by the recent earthquake in Haiti is mobile giving. By texting a keyword to a designated short code via a mobile phone, a micro-donation of $5 or $10 can be made to aid the millions of people affected by this tragedy. 100% of your donation goes to the recipient charity, and the donation appears as a charge on your carrier bill, standard rates may apply.

Who: There are several organizations that are responding to this urgent need with mobile - giving efforts, including the following:

Text the word "Yele" to 501501 to donate $5
On behalf of the Yele Foundation, the leading contributor to rebuilding Haiti founded by Wyclef Jean

Text the word "Haiti" to 85944 to donate $5

On behalf of the Rescue Union Mission and MedCorp International

Text the word "Haiti" to 25383 to donate $5

On behalf of the Internal Rescue Committee

Text the word "Haiti" to 90999 to donate $10

On behalf of the Red Cross in the U.S.

Text the word "Haiti" to 45678 (In Canada Only)

On behalf of the Salvation Army in Canada

When: Please contribute now.
You can also send donations to:
• Heart to Heart International [...] regularly sends humanitarian aid to Haiti and just this week shipped $2 million worth of medicines and other supplies to the country.
The organization expects to send more aid in the coming days.
“Haiti is a nation of tremendous need, even before the earthquake struck,” said Jon D. North, the organization’s chief executive officer. “We’re planning to send medicines and supplies that address waterborne and airborne illnesses, as well as minor injuries.”
People can donate financially to Heart to Heart online at www.hearttoheart.org or by phone at 913-764-5200.
The organization is also asking groups or businesses to assemble care kits made up of personal hygiene items such as soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, combs, bandages, washcloths and hand towels.
•The Salvation Army operates schools, clinics, a hospital, feeding programs, children’s homes and church-related activities in Haiti.
Spokesman Bob Brady said the Salvation Army was committing $50,000 to the relief effort and was preparing for a greater financial commitment along with providing food, water and other emergency supplies.
The organization is accepting donations for the relief effort at www.salvationarmyusa.org or by calling 800-SAL-ARMY (800-725-2769).

Please keep everyone there in your prayers and send any help that you can.

Rest in Peace, Miep Gies

2010-01-12T19:10:00.011-06:00

I was an avid reader as a kid - and as an adult, for that matter - and one of the books that touched me the most was The Diary of Anne Frank. It was an example of the horror that the Jewish people went through at that time. When I was in Amsterdam a few years ago, we went by the house where she and her family had been hidden for so long. It was a skinny, tiny structure and they were in a tiny annex of the place.

My Uncle Bill was a solider in the first U.S. Army unit that marched into Dachau and was shocked by the absolute human tragedy of what they saw in just one concentration camp. All these years later, he still will not talk about it. His work with many rescue operations over the years, including the Salvation Army, was sparked by the need to always continue helping people and how dangerous prejudice is.

Anne Frank's diary and papers were protected for years. Her father, Otto, survived the war and had the diary published - which, of course, became famous. An incredibly mature young girl, one can hardly imagine the pain she faced. The entire family was wiped out, except for her father, along with approximately six million other Jews at the time. It is a horrible part of history.

According to BBC news, "Miep Gies, the last surviving member of the group which helped protect Anne Frank and her family from the Nazis, has died in the Netherlands at age 100."

She and other employees of Anne Frank's father Otto supplied food to the family as they hid in a secret annex above the business premises in Amsterdam.
Anne's diary of their life in hiding, which ended in betrayal, is one of the most famous records of the Holocaust.
It was rescued by Mrs Gies, who kept it safe until after the war.
Miep Gies died in a nursing home after suffering a fall just before Christmas.
Speaking last year as she celebrated her 100th birthday, Mrs Gies played down her role, saying others had done far more to protect Jews in the Netherlands.
She and her fellow employees kept Anne and the seven others supplied for two years, from 1942 to 1944.

What a giving, humble woman. This is someone who truly deserved to live a long life, and really made a difference. May she rest in peace and may her memory live on.

Planes in the Middle of the City on Lake Calhoun

2010-01-11T15:53:00.011-06:00

In a funny news item today, I drove right by Lake Calhoun today and somehow missed this. In a lake surrounded by traffic on all sides, walkers and bikers on the paths, and perhaps even a couple of ice houses in the middle of it, there are two small planes sitting on it today. According to the Star Tribune:

Two small airplanes have landed on frozen Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis for a lunch Monday afternoon and are parked there awaiting federal clearance for takeoff, authorities said.

Park Police Capt. Robert Goodsell said that the two single-engine planes are sitting on very thick ice on the north end of the urban lake, and both pilots were ticketed. The planes landed about noon on one of Minneapolis' most famous bodies of water and went to eat lunch nearby, Goodsell said.

"The pilots are cooperative ... and contrite," the captain said.
A Federal Aviation Administration official was on his way to the scene to size up the situation before the planes can take off, Goodsell said. That clearance was expected later this afternoon.
City ordinance says that the landing or taking off of aircraft of any kind is prohibited from park land without first receiving a permit.

Goodsell said the city would never grant such a permit unless it were for a special event. He said that while landings on lakes in cities as close as Plymouth or White Bear Lake might be common, planes using lakes as runways in Minneapolis cause too much disruption with traffic and pedestrians.

First of all, I never think of the ice being all that thick there - although it has been especially cold this year. But airplanes? When the lake isn't frozen over, I've seen it full of many things...windsurfers, canoes, and sailboats. But, to see two planes sitting there, that is a first.

A Vow to Get Back to Fit, Part 3

2010-01-10T23:42:00.006-06:00

After a little fall on the stairs, and a very bruised up right foot and toes, I am back to the workouts this week. Slowly at first. Perhaps with just Pilates at first until the foot is really better. I seriously thought my big toe was broken and it is still hard to walk without a limp, especially once I slip on boots and go out in this crazy cold weather. But, back on track...

And, on the cold note, it got up to 17 degrees today. It actually felt warm after temperatures hovered below zero for what seems like forever. And the temperature is supposed to keep climbing all week until we hit (gasp!) the lower 30's! It will seem like a heat wave!

Kale...Who Knew?

2010-01-09T17:36:00.019-06:00

While on the radio show yesterday, I learned a few things. One of which is how great Kale is for you. Being a vegetarian, you would think I knew this. And perhaps I've had it in things before, but never just raw and never to purposefully eat a lot of it daily.

The following is from one of my fellow authors, Dr. Terry Wahls. On her website she not only talks of kale and other vegetables and fruits for brain health, she also gives some great recipes as well. In this particular section, "What You Eat and Do Not Eat Affects Your Brain," I found a lot of information that is good for anyone, with or without MS. Here is just a portion of the section:

"The likelihood of acquiring a disease affecting your brain has steadily increased in the last 100 years. Furthermore, the age at which these problems are being diagnosed is steadily dropping. This includes the neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Multiple Sclerosis. It also includes psychiatric disorders like depression, attention deficit, hyperactivity, autism, antisocial, and conduct disorders.
We are finding a variety of genes which are associated with each of these diseases. Yet, not everyone with the incriminated genes, get the disease. There a number of environmental factors, such as infections, toxins and nutrition. Of the three, our nutrition is the one which the individual can most easily control.

The brain is dependent upon mitochondria for energy. The efficiency of ATP production and the burden of toxic free radicals created during the generation of ATP are dependent upon the available B complex vitamins, coenzyme Q 10 and antioxidants. In addition, the brain needs omega 3 fatty acids for the cell membranes and to create healthy myelin, the insulation around the nerve cells. If the mitochondria are not healthy, the brain is stressed, and less healthy. If the myelin is not healthy, then thinking is slower, and impulsivity greater.
The brain however is more plastic than we realized, and has more healing power than has been appreciated. Providing intensive nutrition is unlikely to be harmful, and will likely be beneficial over time. While supplements have been studied – and found to be helpful, it is important to note our clinical understanding of nutrients is still limited. It is likely that there are hundreds and perhaps thousands of different compounds which are helpful to our mitochondria and the trillions of cells which make up our bodies. Therefore, foods, rich in micronutrients, are always preferable to relying on vitamins and supplements."

Hmm....I think I not only got a little reinforcement on what I already know about nutrition, but I also found even more importance in certain nutrients - besides finding a new staple in kale!

Authors on The Exchange

2010-01-07T23:02:00.009-06:00

Tomorrow The Exchange will be talking to three authors from the book "Voices of Multiple Sclerosis," Jessica Lipnack, Dr. Terry Wahls, and myself. Fellow author Jessica Lipnack, did a great post on it in her blog, Endless Knots:

"Voices of MS" authors on The Exchange, Fri, 1PM EST--@IPRTALK

Photo of Ben Kieffer by Tom Jorgensen (thanks!)
Please join me, along with two other authors who contributed to Voices of Multiple Sclerosis, on Iowa Public Radio's The Exchange with Ben Kieffer, tomorrow, Fri, Jan 8, 2010, at 1 PM ET (GMT-5) for an hour-long live show. Here's the copy from the IPR site:
Ben Kieffer talks with individuals who have offered their compelling stories in the new book, 'Voices of Multiple Sclerosis'. The book offers candid, heartfelt, and inspiring testimonials of 40 diverse individuals who have been affected by the crippling disease. Among the guests is Dr. Terry Wahls of Iowa City, who overcame secondary progressive MS through intensive nutrition and exercise coupled with electrical stimulation.
In addition to Terry, whose courageous story, "Telling the World," of revealing her MS to her medical colleagues while maintaining an active clinical and teaching practice, is worthy of its own book, and me (my original essay, "Feeling Numb," from which the one in this book was extracted), will be a third author, Caryl Hunter, whose story in the book, "Tough Year," still haunts me.

Thanks, Jessica, for a great post. I look forward to chatting with you, Terry, and the team at The Exchange.

The Green Room at KARE 11

2010-01-05T22:52:00.011-06:00

It is always cool when you can connect with other artists. I had a great time waiting in the green room at Kare 11 yesterday until my interview. There were some noticeable oddities: 1) The TV had a very snowy reception - at the TV station, and, 2) the room was far from green - much more of an unflattering yellow...

The best part was the people I met. The people at the station were great - friendly from the receptionist to the interviewer. But it was inside the famous green room where I met the really interesting ones. There was a very funny comedian from New York, Steve Hofstetter, a great band with a fantastic singer/songwriter, MJ Kroll, and my chance to meet fellow red haired author, Sid Korpi. Sid authored the book "Good Grief, Finding Peace After Pet Loss."

Anyone who knows me is aware of what a huge animal lover I am. My favorite part of my other job in social services is the work with therapy, companion, and service dogs. I had to buy Sid's book on the spot. From what I have read so far, it's a good one. I highly recommend it - and Sid's blog!

She also especially made me feel at ease before going on television. Not only was she nice as can be and funny, but a fellow author. Besides that, she is a fellow red haired author and we have to stick together and support each other...I mean, really, if there is only something like two percent of the population that are redheads, can you imagine the percent that are also authors?

Showcase Minnesota

2010-01-04T12:27:00.015-06:00

This morning I had the opportunity to appear on "Showcase Minnesota," a local program in the Twin Cities. The book, "Voices of Multiple Sclerosis," was talked about, as well as my story and LaChance Publishing. The book is available at LaChance, as well as at Amazon.com, and in bookstores.

It was a lot of fun doing the show, and it will hopefully get the word out there about the book and MS. One of the best things about this book is that it is 33 different stories and lots of different perspectives. This is the write-up they put on their website:

Voices of Multiple Sclerosis: The Healing Companion

GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn.-- Voices of Multiple Sclerosis:The Healing Companion: Stories for Courage, Comfort and Strength features 33 heartfelt descriptions of people's experiences-from their troubles to their everyday triumphs.

This anthology compiles powerful narratives of those affected by the autoimmune disease including stories by caregivers, doctors and MS patients, the message the writers share is clear: there are always choices to be made and hope to be had.

This morning Caryl Hunter, author of "Tough Year", a story in Voices of Multiple Sclerosis anthology, told us more about it.

Voices of Multiple Sclerosis:The Healing Companion: Stories for Courage, Comfort and Strength is available in bookstores everywhere.

I also mentioned a post I made when the book came out in November. Here is the direct link: "No Longer Silent." Thank you for this opportunity and congrats to all my fellow authors! I hope this is one more step for people to hear our stories, dispelling myths and fears about the disease, and having all of our voices truly heard.

Another Great MS Blog

2010-01-02T14:41:00.003-06:00

Another great blog I came across from one of my fellow authors in "Voices of Multiple Sclerosis" is Joan Wheeler's "A Short in the Cord." Her piece in the book is really inspiring too. I can't tell you how nice it is to read, again, about a story from someone else who really gets it.

Once again, it is an honor to be a part of a book with such talented writers. Thanks, Joan.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T15:27:00.006-06:00

A very happy, healthy, blessed, and prosperous New Year to all! May 2010 be the best year ever!!

New Year's Eve, Times Square

A Vow to Get Back to Fit, Part 2

2009-12-29T17:46:00.005-06:00

Even during a holiday week, things went quite well on my second week of "returning to fitness." I did miss one workout, but it was a Christmas. And, since it kept snowing and snowing over three days, all the shoveling alone was a bit of a workout in itself.

As we get into the new year, I'd also like to make it a goal to let go of the meat. My occasional turkey and chicken consumption has become too frequent and the next couple of steps are getting back to vegetarianism and more water.

The five dollar cost for each missed workout is a good incentive to just do it....

So the quest continues. I wish I was slimmer again already, and I wish I was already in great shape again already...especially since I've now been asked to do some publicity for the book within the next couple of weeks. So the next challenge - how do I look even slimmer (or like my old self) on TV when I'm not quite there yet? Perhaps I should just focus on the book, how well it is doing, and how it will help people...and basically just get over myself. It is, after all, a work in progress.

Merry Christmas....and Let it Snow!

2009-12-24T14:53:00.012-06:00

A backyard tree

The snow started falling here in Twin Cities late yesterday afternoon. After shoveling twice - both times it felt like a few inches - it kept on coming down overnight. I awoke Christmas Eve morning to another 5-6 inches of snow. More snow is expected for a couple more days - up to two feet! Flights have been canceled, there are less cars on the road, and I see lots of people out shoveling and firing up snow blowers. I plan to leave my car tucked away in the garage. Anywhere I needed to go was yesterday, anywhere else will be tying on my hiking boots and walking through the snow - which I wholeheartedly plan on doing today!

I am glad to be staying home this year, and frankly glad to be snowed in with my guy. It is rather cozy actually, and our fridge is full of lots to cook and bake...a nice turkey, fresh raspberries, bananas, grapes, and strawberries for a fruit salad, red potatoes, Delice de Bourgogne triple cream and cheddar cheeses, broccoli casserole, fresh rolls, cranberry sauce, a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting...we even have the traditional Christmas Plum Pudding this year! (I am an English redhead, after all)

Now, granted this food will all last for a week or more....we are very blessed.

To my friends who don't celebrate Christmas, Happy Chanukah and Happy Kwanzaa as well. We all have our own way of celebrating. There are more similarities than differences...and all talk of respect and love. So Happy Holidays to everyone! May the season find you blessed, loved, and happy!

A Vow to Get Back to Fit

2009-12-20T12:56:00.014-06:00

This past week, I started a new thing. Well, an old thing. I've always been in great shape, my entire life. Very athletic, always outside, always active. A few years back, when I was diagnosed with MS, I was put on some pretty major steroids and gained weight. I've been fighting the battle of it ever since, as well as the massive amount of fatigue that comes along with it.

Since this was a few years ago now, enough excuses. I've been carrying quite a few extra pounds around off and on for quite some time now, and I've had about enough of this. I've tried several different things, but what I ultimately end up doing is just berating myself more for what I used to be.

I always hear, "You are lucky you are tall," as I'm told it doesn't show so much. But it does. My normal Size 8's are way too small, so now I'm wearing a 12. Which, again, isn't horrible for a tall person. But, it isn't me. And it hasn't been me for quite some time. I will never be comfortable with an extra 30+ pounds.

So, last week I made a deal. Three times a week for my regular aerobics with weights, three (opposite) days with Pilates. For every workout I miss there are consequences - $5.00 payments to my fiance, and I have to give up something I want to watch or do that day. It has been one week. He made $5.00. So, I only missed one day. Not a horrible start, but that is enough of that. And, honestly, the tiredness/fatigue is only worse with extra weight anyway. It's all about accountability.

My last trip to the doctor not only showed the weight increase but high cholesterol and warnings of pre-diabetes. I've not only been inconsistent with my workouts, but inconsistent with eating. I don't eat all day long, and I don't eat enough or enough of the right things - and I've shut down my metabolism. I don't drink enough water. I used to eat a pure vegetarian diet with very little sugar. I spend all day long in and out of my car, also a contributor to weight gain. I spend so much time taking care of everyone else that I've stopped taking care of me. I'm tired of being tired, tired of making excuses. Tired of feeling like a slug.

Perhaps the real revelation wasn't just the doctor and the closet full of cute clothes that don't fit, the real one was my mother. Ah, mothers, so honest - often when you don't want them to be. When I was trying to encourage her to knit again she asked if I needed anything. I said I would love some things that she made. What did she say? "Well, I'd have to get some more yarn, because you are bigger now." Ouch....but thanks, mom. Perhaps that is the other inspiration I really needed.

So, I vow to once a week post my progress - what I've done for workouts, the changes I see, and how it feels. I was going to put it on a different site, a new blog. But why not just put it on this one. I became open about the MS this week, why not be open about this too. No crash diets, no crazy stuff. Just back to me. Back to my vegetarian diet, back to sweets only occasionally, drinking more water again, and most importantly back to regular exercise. Basically, back to me.

"Voices of Multiple Sclerosis" Sells Out!

2009-12-19T22:01:00.009-06:00

I just heard from one of my fellow authors in "Voices of Multiple Sclerosis" that as of Thursday, December 17th, the book has sold out of its first printing.

Jessica Lipnack, who wrote the piece "Feeling Numb" reported on her blog:

Voices of MS Sells Out!

Publisher Victor Starsia reports this morning that Voices of Multiple Sclerosis, where an excerpt of my essay, "Feeling Numb," appears, has sold out of its first printing in barely three weeks since its publication date. "This is the fastest this has happened for any of the books," Victor told the group of authors in an email just moments ago. Congrats to everyone involved!

Congrats to Jessica and all my fellow authors. Just think of the people this can help!

Links for "Voices of Multiple Sclerosis"

2009-12-16T20:40:00.016-06:00

On November 11, 2009 I did a post titled "No Longer Silent." This post was about the recently published book "Voices of Multiple Sclerosis." I am so honored to be a part of this anthology. I am going to put a list of links to some of the other writer's blogs, as they request. What a wonderful, gifted group of writers...every story is special, moving, and heartfelt.

To my fellow writers: Thank you so much for sharing your story with me. I am truly honored to have been a part of this project.

To other readers: Please take a look at their blogs when you have a chance. There is such a wonderful variety of authors in this book...with some very interesting blogs. Here are the first two:

Jessica Lipnack, "NetAge Endless Knots"

Rachel Pollock "La Bricoleuse"

Brrrrrr......

2009-12-14T21:51:00.003-06:00

We've had two pretty good snowfalls now. The first was a few inches, the second, an unexpected three more that I woke up to this morning.

I admit, I like the snow. I don't even mind shoveling it. I think it is pretty, I love bundling up and walking in as it crunches under my feet.

I don't even mind the cold...when it is in the 30's, or 20's, sometimes even in the teens. Tonight, however, it is 3 degrees. Yes, 3. I'm sure the windchill is a negative number. Everything seems different....cars sound different when they drive by, people hurry more when they are outside, faces are covered with scarves.

Winter wonderland, yes. Nice for Christmas, yes. But, 3 degrees? The birds have it right on that one...I'm thinking of a nice warm beach with ocean waves and soft sunshine. The only word for what we have here is "Brrrrrr...."

The Little Red Haired Girl

2009-12-02T21:14:00.031-06:00

Charles Schulz

I read somewhere once that only two percent of the population are natural redheads. I didn't always appreciate my hair, and really don't appreciate that now there is a little gray mixed in occasionally - but as I get older I like it more.

I've always been a pretty strong individual. Some things were by choice: I changed the spelling of my name in second grade so it wouldn't be like everyone else I knew with the same name. Some things weren't: I was usually the new kid with the funny accent as we moved around a lot, and I was always taller than everyone else - including a couple of teachers in elementary school. Nowadays I appreciate the height and the red hair...and my accent is a mixture of all kinds of places.

Isn't it funny that no matter how much we want to be individuals as kids we still want to fit in? Perhaps that is why I didn't wear heels a lot back then and why I wished I was blond with blue eyes or dark-haired with darker skin. Now it is different. I wear heels most of the time, and I "enhance" my hair to make it even redder (and conveniently cover that gray that is sneaking in).

I recently discovered - or perhaps just didn't remember - that when my fiance was joking around with me and calling me the "little redheaded girl" it actually was a character from the Peanuts that I didn't know about. I remember Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Schroeder and his piano, Peppermint Patty - and, of course, Snoopy. But not the little red haired girl - who was actually named Heather. She was the one Charlie Brown was in love with for years, and the one that Charles Schulz apparently put into the cartoons because of an unrequited love of his own who had red hair. The inspiration for the character was a very real woman named, Donna:

A former coworker, Donna Johnson (born circa 1929 in Minneapolis, Minnesota), was Schulz's inspiration for the character. A 1947 high school graduate, Johnson was working in the accounting department of the Art Instruction, Inc., a correspondence school where Schulz worked. Johnson and Schulz eventually became romantically involved and dated for three years, but in 1950 when Schulz proposed to her, she refused him, ended the relationship and abruptly married fireman Allan Wold on October 21, 1950. Schulz was devastated, but he and Johnson-Wold remained friends for the rest of his life.

Said Schulz of the relationship, "I can think of no more emotionally damaging loss than to be turned down by someone whom you love very much. A person who not only turns you down, but almost immediately will marry the victor. What a bitter blow that is." This experience became arguably the most poignant of all story lines for the entire Peanuts strip.

"I'd like to see Charlie Brown kick that football, and if he gets the little red-haired girl, that's fine with me," Donna said around the time Schulz announced his retirement in 1999.

Even cartoons are based on real life experiences. I can appreciate that as a writer. And, naturally, how can I not appreciate the whole thing about the red hair?

So, to my fiance, thanks for not only appreciating me for being different, free-spirited, rebellious and all, but for introducing me to a character out of a favorite cartoon I didn't even know about. But, just for the record - and to assure you - there is one big difference: your love is not unrequited.

Charles Schulz

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T21:56:00.007-06:00

I remember a few years ago when a coworker, who had just moved here from England, was laughing at all the fuss made over Thanksgiving. "We don't have that in England," she said, "We actually find it quite funny. Sounds like an excuse to eat too much. You Americans do that a lot, you know." I explained to her that it was more than that. That it was the "thankful" part that was important, and getting together with friends and family.

I have a lot to be thankful for this year. I am blessed with so many good friends who are interesting, cool people. A family of equally interesting people - a super-smart older brother, a sweetheart of a sister I love to pieces, and her twin - a very cool, extremely funny brother who I also adore...and parents who celebrated their 60th Anniversary this year. And a great fiance who is supportive, smart, and really fun.

I also feel fortunate that I am a paid writer now. I am on a deadline for an article right now that puts me up in the teen numbers for paid articles, as well as - I still can't believe this one - being published in a book a couple of weeks ago. And my day job isn't all that bad either: I get to help people everyday that are interesting and appreciative.

So, for the former coworker from England, it is more than just going into a food coma for all the food we consume. And for my long passed grandfather - also from England - it may seem like a menial holiday, but it really isn't. Because while we should remember what to be thankful for everyday, often times we get caught up in the busyness of life. So one day a year to pause to give thanks - and have some delicious food to toast it with - is actually a really important thing.