tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67890715840996129942024-03-19T08:58:50.683-04:00Lal's NicheLALhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03103942634390315596noreply@blogger.comBlogger159125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789071584099612994.post-8174964480832100042024-01-17T12:56:00.000-05:002024-01-17T12:56:32.964-05:00<p><b>MINDFULNESS REFLECTIONS: <span style="color: #ff00fe;">The Power of PAUSE</span><br /></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I was recently at a Caregiver Conference through Oaks
Integrated Care, the internship that I am currently working at. Surprisingly
there was a Meditation that was done during the conference for the attendees. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b>The
meditation leader called it “Pause Meditation”. </b></span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy7sXazWOIgmViT0udv_014UxeCFl8dZB7eUPlynSRrpjFJjyhqVwLCu-9Dul5j0QxX9u7AgIKJnxKPnumE9ByG-Q8hMAocsP0tWeb-3N17zL5YFSyuzlrk5jAjOGsbL7uCbt0ogDd5XtTw848Yt6X96N3KaM7xtTAPxqhEyjURYLe5P9QE6_SvPVQKu4V/s330/PAUSE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="330" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy7sXazWOIgmViT0udv_014UxeCFl8dZB7eUPlynSRrpjFJjyhqVwLCu-9Dul5j0QxX9u7AgIKJnxKPnumE9ByG-Q8hMAocsP0tWeb-3N17zL5YFSyuzlrk5jAjOGsbL7uCbt0ogDd5XtTw848Yt6X96N3KaM7xtTAPxqhEyjURYLe5P9QE6_SvPVQKu4V/s320/PAUSE.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal">She said that we could do this
meditation anywhere we wanted to, in order to give pause to ourselves and have
a moment of mindfulness. <br />
I enjoyed her tone, and the simplicity of the meditation. I took notes right
afterward. I feel like I can use this with my clients, especially over the
phone or virtually. Since I am just starting to meditate, and make place for
mindfulness in my life, I feel that simplicity is best. Less is more. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>PAUSE MEDITATION:<br /><span style="color: #ff00fe;">Close your eyes. <br />
Become aware of your breath. How you breathe in and out. <br />
You might notice that thoughts come into your mind. That’s okay. <br />
Bring yourself back to your breath. <br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Now bring your awareness to your body.<br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Be aware of your feet. Your legs, your arms, your shoulders, your neck.<br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Be aware of the parts of your body that are tight or stiff.<br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #ff00fe;">Sit up straight on a chair.<br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #ff00fe;">Place one hand on your chest and one hand on your belly.<br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #ff00fe;">When you breathe in, your belly should go up and fill up with air.<br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Try and slow down your breath.<br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Don’t force it. Let your breath flow naturally.<br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Breathe in and breathe out slowly.<br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">You can count to yourself as you breathe in, 1, 2, 3 and count to yourself as
you breathe out, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.<br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #ff00fe;">Your exhale should be longer than your inhale.<br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #ff00fe;">Counting fills up your mind. Keep breathing.<br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #ff00fe;">Let your breath flow. Let every inhale flow into your exhale, and every exhale flow
into your inhale.<br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Let your breath be smooth.<br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Take three more breaths and come back to the room.<br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Check in with yourself as you wrap up your breathing practice.<br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Remember, Breathing is like your seatbelt in life. </span></b></p>LALhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03103942634390315596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789071584099612994.post-84723580874928513532022-02-26T21:10:00.007-05:002022-02-26T21:10:40.025-05:00<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lato",sans-serif;">Fair
Fares NYC<br />
By Sharon Joag<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 9.0pt;"><strong><span style="color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Lato",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal;">A ‘Fair Fares’ Program So Exclusive, Barely
Anyone Can Qualify For It – February 15, 2022</span></strong><span style="color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Lato",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 9.0pt; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Lato",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/15/nyregion/nyc-mta-discount-fare.html?searchResultPosition=4" style="color: var(--ic-link-color-darkened-10);" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/15/nyregion/nyc-mta-discount-fare.html?searchResultPosition=4</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Lato",sans-serif;">The
title of the article grabbed my attention, in its sad reality. I was curious to
investigate the site where a person would go to apply for fair fares. I found
access.nyc.gov where I tried to apply to the program. There was a “determine
your eligibility” tab, so I clicked on it to see how far I would get and to
understand who was being accepted and who wasn’t. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Lato",sans-serif;">The
first question asked for age, and whether I was between the ages of 18-64. I am
between that age group, however it got me thinking about what would happen if I
was 65 and still working. Not everyone retires at 65, especially people who are
living at the poverty line and those who don’t have savings, and those who
could not save. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Lato",sans-serif;">The
next question asked if I lived in New York City. I actually got rejected at this
question, since I live in New Jersey. However, I was baffled that this was a
criteria.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are so very many people
who live in the tri-state area, but who commute to work in New York City. I
feel that where you work should determine if you qualify for Fair Fares; as
long as a person works in New York City and can prove it, this should be the qualifier.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Lato",sans-serif;">Finally,
the last question asked about annual income for one person. I did further
research on a website: <a href="http://minimum-wage.org/newyork"><span style="color: windowtext;">http://minimum-wage.org/newyork</span></a>. This
website had the following information: “</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Lato",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">A full time minimum wage worker in New York working 40 hours a week, 52
weeks a year, will earn </span>$105.60<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> per day, </span>$528.00<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> per week, and </span>$27,456.00<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> per year</span>. The national poverty line for a family
unit consisting of two people is $16,020.00 per year (in New York City)”.<br />
<br />
I went a bit further and found the website (<span style="font-family: "Lato",sans-serif;">https://aspe.hhs.gov/topics/poverty)</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Lato",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> for poverty levels to corroborate
the poverty income line. I found that the poverty threshold for one person
living in New York is $12,880. This threshold is for the contiguous 48 states
in the United States (excluding Hawaii and Alaska). <br />
The cut off income for a person living in New York City, to qualify for Fair
Fares in NYC is $13,500. This is only a difference of $620. Many people are at
the poverty line, even though they fall above the poverty threshold. Sadly, this
poverty threshold does not take into account the high cost of living in New York
City. </span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Lato",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Lato",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">A positive is that there will be more funding provided to this program,
however, poverty thresholds need to be reexamined based on cost of living in
each state and even each city. </span><span style="font-family: "Lato",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Lato",sans-serif;">References:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 9.0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Lato",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Garfinkel, I., Rainwater, L., &
Smeeding, T. (2010). The size, nature, and universality of welfare state
transfers. <em><span style="font-family: "Lato",sans-serif;">Wealth and
welfare states: Is America laggard or leader?</span></em> (pp. 39-61). New
York, NY: Oxford University Press.</span><span style="font-family: "Lato",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 9.0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Lato",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Ley, A. (2022, February 15). A ‘fair
fares’ program so exclusive, barely anyone can qualify for it. <em><span style="font-family: "Lato",sans-serif;">The New York Times.</span></em> <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/15/nyregion/nyc-mta-discount-fare.html?searchResultPosition=4" style="color: var(--ic-link-color);" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/15/nyregion/nyc-mta-discount-fare.html?searchResultPosition=4<span class="screenreader-only"></span><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span aria-hidden="true" style="background-position-x: -32px; background-position-y: -80px; display: inline-block; overflow: hidden;" title="Links to an external site."><span style="clip: rect(0px, 0px, 0px, 0px); overflow: hidden; transform: translateZ(0px);"> (Links to an external
site.)</span></span></span></span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Lato",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 9.0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Lato",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">McNutt, J.G & Hoefer, R. (2021).
Poverty, inequality, and income maintenance policy. <em><span style="font-family: "Lato",sans-serif;">Social</span></em> <em><span style="font-family: "Lato",sans-serif;">welfare policy: Responding to a changing
world.</span></em> (pp. 175-196). OxfordUniversity Press, New York.</span><span style="font-family: "Lato",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Lato",sans-serif;">Access
NYC. Access.nyc.gov<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Lato",sans-serif;">Office
of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE). https://aspe.hhs.gov/topics/poverty-economic-mobility/poverty-guidelines/prior-hhs-poverty-guidelines-federal-register-references/2021-poverty-guidelines#threshholds<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>LALhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03103942634390315596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789071584099612994.post-34864044418366407212022-02-23T22:45:00.004-05:002022-02-23T22:45:45.614-05:00<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> <strong style="background-color: white; color: #444444;">Nuclear Power in the United States</strong></span></p><div class="message user_content enhanced" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; max-width: 100%; min-height: 5px; overflow: unset; position: relative;"><p style="margin: 12px 0px;"><strong><span style="font-family: verdana;">By Sharon Joag</span></strong></p><p style="margin: 12px 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">An article in the Wall Street Journal titled “Nuclear Power Spinoff Looks for U.S. Aid” immediately grabbed my attention. This particular issue dives into the distinct individualistic vs socialist viewpoints on the Social Welfare State. Nuclear Power would sit under the Platform Programs, a program, more socialist in nature with the hope of eventually having nuclear power as another source of renewable energy for our country. As of today, many Nuclear Power Plants are close to shutting down, due to lack of funding, however with the help of state subsidies, they are surviving.<br />Until February 2, 2022, Exelon Corp was servicing 10 million customers in 5 states and Washington D.C., after which, Exelon created a company called Constellation, a subsidiary of Exelon, which would focus entirely on Nuclear Power.<br />As of today, Constellation, the new stand-alone company is waiting on a bill that is currently stalled in Congress, called the “Build Back Better” climate bill. This bill would establish tax credit for nuclear power production. This Bill sits under the $2 Trillion dollar Infrastructure Bill, which includes many socialist concepts including Education, HealthCare etc. which would fall under the Platform Services, those tax-based invisible programs that we all benefit from; and would make Nuclear Power more available.<br />Constellation has outlined a plan, where they can use nuclear power to produce something called “green hydrogen”; this hydrogen can be used as fuel in cars, which would eliminate vehicle emissions. It could also be used in power plants, and heavy industry, where pollution is great in those areas. This also ties in with the political climate in our administration in 2022. President Biden has said that he aims to have a carbon-free grid by 2035. However, 2035 is far off, and many Administrations will come and go in that time; Biden’s aim may or may not come to fruition.<br /><br />If this “Build Back Better” Bill passes through Congress, it will create and establish tax credits for nuclear power production. Compared to Solar, Wind and Natural Gas farms, Nuclear Power Plants are much more expensive to run and operate. However, the one very positive aspect is that Nuclear Power can be made available at any time, any day; the Solar and Wind farms have to rely on the weather and the time of day.<br />Currently, Nuclear Power via Constellation, operates in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York and New Jersey. With the passage of this bill, we might see more states relying on Nuclear Power in the near future, and that will get the country closer to having a carbon free grid by 2035.</span></p><p style="margin: 12px 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><strong>References:</strong><br />Blunt, K. (2022, February 2). This New Company is Betting Big on Nuclear Power in America. <em>The Wall Street Journal. </em><a class="external" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/this-new-company-is-betting-big-on-nuclear-power-in-america-11643820916?st=gukmteqmkswc07q&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">https://www.wsj.com/articles/this-new-company-is-betting-big-on-nuclear-power-in-america-11643820916?st=gukmteqmkswc07q&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink<span aria-hidden="true" class="ui-icon ui-icon-extlink ui-icon-inline" style="background-image: url("/dist/images/jqueryui/ui-icons_222222_256x240-a2c05c5e96.png"); background-position: -32px -80px; background-repeat: no-repeat; display: inline-block; height: 16px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; text-indent: -99999px; vertical-align: middle; width: 16px;" title="Links to an external site."></span></a></span><span class="screenreader-only" style="border: 0px; clip: rect(0px, 0px, 0px, 0px); height: 1px; margin: -1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; transform: translateZ(0px); width: 1px;"><a class="external" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/this-new-company-is-betting-big-on-nuclear-power-in-america-11643820916?st=gukmteqmkswc07q&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> (Links to an external site.)</span></a></span></p><div><br /></div><p></p></div><div class="link_box" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Lato Extended", Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><div class="clear" style="clear: both;"></div></div>LALhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03103942634390315596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789071584099612994.post-18683189281584483332022-02-23T22:39:00.003-05:002022-02-23T22:39:32.670-05:00<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">Discussion Post: Acculturation &
Assimilation<br />By Sharon S. Joag<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Afghan crisis has been weighing in
my mind since the Taliban returned to power on August 16, 2021. The Afghanistan
history is complex, and deep; and the culture of the Afghan people is fraught
with both fundamentalism and liberalism at different periods of time in its
history. Now that the more fundamental Taliban government has returned, it has
caused a dramatic scramble to flee the country. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I was especially interested in the
time when the United States airlifted more than 80,000 Afghans and brought them
to the United States. At that time, I wondered how the United States would
process these immigrants. They had no visa, and they did not come through
either a legal visa or work permit; neither were they considered illegal. This
article discusses a program called the “humanitarian parole”, where foreigners
can come to the United States, without a Visa and usually in emergency
situations. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A Humanitarian Parole is a very kind
and ethical program for the immigrants in need. However, this parole was given
only to those immigrants that already had family ties to the United States and only
to those immigrants who were air-lifted out of Afghanistan. There are still
thousands more Afghans (approximately 40,000) who have applied for the
humanitarian parole, and most have been denied. The application fee for the Humanitarian
Parole Application is $575 per person, as found on the USCIS website: <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/forms/explore-my-options/humanitarian-parole">https://www.uscis.gov/forms/explore-my-options/humanitarian-parole</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The article I chose is titled, “Thousands of Afghans Face Narrow Path to Gain Entry to U.S.”, and can
be accessed here: <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/thousands-of-afghans-face-narrow-path-to-gain-entry-to-u-s-11643727602?st=8l182hu6o8xbvfk&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink">https://www.wsj.com/articles/thousands-of-afghans-face-narrow-path-to-gain-entry-to-u-s-11643727602?st=8l182hu6o8xbvfk&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It follows a family who fled from
Afghanistan, into Pakistan where they are now living illegally on the outskirts
of Islamabad. The family consists of a mother and her three children. They paid
$2300 to the USCIS for the application fee for the Humanitarian Parole
application and got denied. She was denied since she has no ties to the United
States, and did not work for a United States. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Many Afghans have applied for the
Humanitarian Parole application and have been denied. Refugee advocates,
members of Congress, and US Government Officials encouraged many Afghans to
apply to this program, not fully understanding that the United States only
granted the Humanitarian Parole initially to speed up the processes when they
initially airlifted and brought the Afghan civilians to the United States.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the process has now changed and they
are only accepting Special Immigrant Visas (SIV) or Refugee applications which
have a clearer path, on entry to the United States. <br />
I feel that his important piece of information should have been outlined in
bold print online, so the Afghanis don’t blindly fill out an application that
they are sure to be denied. Also, the refugee advocates and the members of
Congress should have been made aware of the changes that had occurred as far as
which applications the Afghanis should fill out. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Resettlement of the Afghan refugees
already in the United States is taking place, albeit slowly. Falicov describes
the transition of migration that is “full of loss and disarray” (Falicov, 2016,
pp.223). This is undoubtedly true for the Afghans. However, Falicov also talks
about the young adult feeling a “separation from and attachment to a country
and a national identity (which) may be dislocating both in the cognitive and
the emotional levels. (Falicov, 2016, pp. 234). I agreed with Falicov for the
most part, and for the immigrants that I had in my mind as I was reading the
Falicov chapter. However, I tend to now disagree with these findings, in the
case of the Afghan refugee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Falicov was
assuming that the country the immigrant is from has a sense and feeling of
“home”, which may not be true for all Afghans, due to the country’s tumultuous
history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">While trying to resettle so many
Afghans into the country, new specialized programs need to be put into place to
provide adequate economic and social opportunities for the Afghans, as Falicov
explains (Falicov, 2016, pp.226). Placing them initially with family is a short
term fix, however, the families already in the United States will eventually
feel the psychosocial and economic stress as well. The unrest and imbalance in
the Afghan families and community will happen as they try and forge a new life
in the American society, however there needs to be special programs and tools
in place that can help these immigrant families to optimally adapt to our American
society. Through this project I hope I will be able to find ways to advocate
for the Afghan refugee, and their families. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">References:<br />
1. https://www.uscis.gov/forms/explore-my-options/humanitarian-parole<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">2. <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/thousands-of-afghans-face-narrow-path-to-gain-entry-to-u-s-11643727602?st=8l182hu6o8xbvfk&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink">https://www.wsj.com/articles/thousands-of-afghans-face-narrow-path-to-gain-entry-to-u-s-11643727602?st=8l182hu6o8xbvfk&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">3. <span style="background: white; color: #2d3b45;">Falicov, C. J. (2016).
Migration and the Family Life Cycle. In <em>Expanding
Family Life Cycle, The: Individual, Family, and Social Perspectives</em>,
5th Edition. (pp. 222-237, Ch. 12). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. </span><a href="https://courseworks2.columbia.edu/courses/151190/files/13145423/download?wrap=1" title="2016 Migration and the Family Life Cycle.pdf"><span style="background: white;">2016 Migration and the Family Life
Cycle.pdf</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Lato",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>LALhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03103942634390315596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789071584099612994.post-43888807566932017632022-02-23T22:38:00.002-05:002022-02-23T22:39:45.301-05:00<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u>Immigrant Population: Filipino American Families<br />
</u>Sharon S. Joag<u><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--></u><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background: white; color: #2d3b45;">Ying, Y. W., & Han, M. (2008). </span><a href="https://courseworks2.columbia.edu/courses/151190/files/13145432/download?wrap=1" title="Parental Acculturation Filipino American Families.pdf"><span style="background: white;">Parental acculturation,
parental involvement, intergenerational relationship and adolescent outcomes in
immigrant Filipino American families.</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #2d3b45;"> <em>Journal
of Immigrant & Refugee Studies</em>, <em>6</em>(1), 112-131.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The above article studied 365 Filipino American adolescents,
and their parents. The adolescents completed surveys, while their parents went
through interviews, in order to study the hypothesis that immigrant Filipino
parents’ acculturation would increase if the parents were more involved in all
aspects of a child’s life, from school, to education at home and involvement in
the adolescent’s social lives; this increased parental involvement would foster
positive family relationships, as well as create a positive influence on the
lives of the adolescents, by increasing their self-esteem, and decreasing any
depressive symptoms. <br />
<br />
One of the major weakness of the study was the limited and narrow population of
Filipino American families that were studied.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The majority of the population were speaking English even before they
came to the United States. The study measured acculturation primarily on the
English speaking ability of the parents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They are also highly educated, with approximately 43.8% of those studied
having a Bachelor’s degree (Ying, 2008), and most had a higher overall income.
All adolescents enrolled in the study were also enrolled in school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The study excluded the adolescents who were
not enrolled. A future study should include children who are enrolled in school
and those that are not in school; also acculturation should be measured not
just by English speaking ability of the parental figures, but also by the
length of residence in the United States, or on immigration status of the
parents. This would be a more interesting study, and I would be interested in
understanding how these factors influence the outcomes of adolescents in the
Filipino community, as “acculturation and traditional values [of Filipino
Americans] intersect” (Garcia, 2015).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Filipino Americans have a hierarchical society, and a strong
family structure, with language continuity for generations after the first
generation immigrants came to this country (Ying, 2008). This creates a strong
family network and bond, which is one of the major factors in keeping the
mental health, and mental stability of the immigrant intact, which in turn
leads to overall physical well-being. Filipino culture is “highly
collectivistic, with the family as the center of life… [the members of the
family are] socialized to sacrifice individual desires in the interest of
family harmony. Agbayani-Siewert, 1994 (as cited in Ying 2008). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As future social workers, while helping Filipino American
families, it is important to note the relevance of the Family Systems Theory,
“where the family unit is the primary social system, including multiple
generations as well as extended family…”(Lundy, 2018). Vastly different from
the Filipino American culture, is the American culture which is “highly
individualistic, and open expressions of feelings and thoughts are highly
valued” Althen, 1988; Stewart, 1972 (as cited in Ying, 2008). This difference
in cultures can cause a conflict of emotions and a tug of war between two
opposing cultures, in the mind of the adolescent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This intergenerational conflict can be
approached and managed by first taking the time to understand the family
dynamics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A culturagram might by helpful
in visualizing the family structure and getting a better understanding of the
family as a whole (Hendricks & Congress, 2015). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">REFERENCES:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background: white; color: #2d3b45;">Garcia, B. (2015). Theory and social work practice with
immigrant populations. In Chang-Muy, F. & Congress, E. P. <em>Social Work with Immigrants and Refugees,
Second Edition.</em> (pp. 87-108). New York, NY: Springer
Publishing Company. </span><a href="https://courseworks2.columbia.edu/courses/151190/files/13145438/download?wrap=1" title="Chpt 4 Theory and Social Work Practice with Immigrant Populations 2015.pdf"><span style="background: white;">Chpt 4 Theory and Social
Work Practice with Immigrant Populations</span></a><span class="instructurefileholder"><span style="background: white; color: #2d3b45;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background: white; color: #2d3b45;">Hendricks, C.O., & Congress, E. P. (2015) Culturally
competent social work practice with immigrant populations. In Chang-Muy, F.
& Congress, E. P. <em>Social
Work with Immigrants and Refugees, Second Edition.</em> (pp.
69-85). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company. </span><a href="https://courseworks2.columbia.edu/courses/151190/files/13145437/download?wrap=1" title="Chpt 3 Culturally Competent Social Work Practice with Immigrant Populations 2015.pdf"><span style="background: white;">Chpt 3 Culturally
Competent Social Work Practice with Immigrant Populations </span></a><span class="instructurefileholder"><span style="background: white; color: #2d3b45;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background: white; color: #2d3b45;">Lundy, M. (2018). Practice with families. In Hilado, &
Lundy, M. (Eds.). <em>Models
for practice with immigrants and refugees: Collaboration, cultural
awareness, and integrative theory</em>, (pp. 152-174). Los Angeles,
CA: Sage. </span><a href="https://courseworks2.columbia.edu/courses/151190/files/13145424/download?wrap=1" title="Lundy 2018 Practice with Families.pdf"><span style="background: white;">Lundy 2018 Practice with Families</span></a><span class="instructurefileholder"><span style="background: white; color: #2d3b45;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background: white; color: #2d3b45;">Ying, Y. W., & Han, M. (2008). </span><a href="https://courseworks2.columbia.edu/courses/151190/files/13145432/download?wrap=1" title="Parental Acculturation Filipino American Families.pdf"><span style="background: white;">Parental acculturation,
parental involvement, intergenerational relationship and adolescent outcomes in
immigrant Filipino American families.</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #2d3b45;"> <em>Journal
of Immigrant & Refugee Studies</em>, <em>6</em>(1), 112-131.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>LALhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03103942634390315596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789071584099612994.post-1504239418836923862022-02-23T19:46:00.004-05:002022-02-23T19:46:43.557-05:00<p><span style="color: #073763; font-family: verdana;">America's Mental Health Crisis<br />By Sharon S. Joag <br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #073763; font-family: verdana;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">Mental Health has been a topic of discussion in the United States since
the population started to grow, and communities started to form, in the 1800’s.
From the time of Dorothea Dix in the late 1800’s, who was one of the foremost
champions of mental health asylums in the United States, until today, there has
been an ever changing need for mental health care in the United States. Through
Dix’s efforts, by 1854, she helped to establish mental asylums in 9 different
states </span><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">(Blau, 2014, pp.251).</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: verdana;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">
In 1945, the NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health) was authorized by President
Harry S. Truman, who signed it into law, called the National Mental Health Act.
In 1949, the NIMH finally opened its doors (<a href="https://www.nimh.nih.gov/about">https://www.nimh.nih.gov/about</a>). However,
in the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s, “states closed hundreds of psychiatric hospitals
but offered very little in its place” (Bobrow, 2022). Many people started to shuffle
between emergency rooms, homeless shelters, jails, and prisons; and this is true
even today (Bobrow, 2022). </span><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: verdana;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">Thomas Insel, a neuroscientist and a psychiatrist was the director of
NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health) from 2002-2015. In his article in
the Wall Street Journal, he gives a hopeful, yet constructive criticism about
the health care system that exists in America as it relates to Mental Health.
He says that there is much research in human behavior and the brain, however,
that research is not translated into actual implementation of the findings. The
gap in what researchers know, and what is actually done to help the public at
large, is called the “implementation gap”(Bobrow, 2022).</span><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: verdana;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">Dr. Insel traveled the world after his tenure at the NIMH, and he did
research on various health care models in other countries. He compiled his research
in a book that he recently published, called “Healing”. In his book he details
a new approach to mental healthcare in patients with mental illness. He
believes that creating a structural support for patients, which includes social
support (involving families and case management), in additional to medical
support (medications), is the key to helping patients to be able to function optimally
in society, and to be able to overcome their mental illness. This view was
touted by Dorothea Dix in the 1800’s when she was an advocate for having
smaller mental health facilities in various communities to help people with
mental illness </span><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">(Gollaher, 1995)</span><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">. Dr. Insel also believes in a more encompassing mental
health therapy; a step further than Dix. He says that it is important to “(find
a) connection, sanctuary, and meaning (which is) not defined or delimited by
mental illness”. Dr. Insel talks about offering housing, job training, and
opportunities for patients to join the social world and create social
connections.<br />
<br />
It is interesting to note that in over 100 years, there has been so much change
in the research arm associated with mental health care; Insel talked about how
he oversaw $20 billion in grants for research in human behavior as it relates
to the brain (Bobrow, 2022). However the translation into tangible aid for the
mentally handicapped has been slow. </span><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: verdana;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">One of the major problems in mental health care in general are the lack
of official standards or protocols for treatments, and doctors are not held
accountable if the treatments garner minimal to no results. “Doctors get paid
when patients are in treatment, and not if they get better” (Bobrow, 2022). In
contrast to mental health care, doctors who treat other physical issues, such
as Orthopedists, or Primary Care physicians, get paid based on a model that is
based on whether the patient gets better. If the patient does not get better or
if the treatment does not garner a good result, patients can and do sue (the
reason for malpractice). However, if a mental health patient sues, there are
virtually no repercussions for doctors, since they are not held accountable for
the results of their therapy. <br />
Many mental health providers also cluster in wealthy urban areas and often only
accept cash payments as they do not take insurance (Bobrow, 2022). </span><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: verdana;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">This article is a red flag, and a call to action. We as social workers
need to find ways to help to affect change in policies affected the mentally ill.
There should be more local community programs that are functioning, with the help
of the state or federal government. These programs should have various branches
in place to offer assistance when needed. Social workers should be hired to understand
each individual problem, and schedule appointments with the correct medical
professional, or institute programs to help socialize patients. Doctors should
be required to volunteer a few hours a week at these clinics to help the
mentally ill. Utilizing technology might also be an online option for doctors
and patients to get required treatments, as Dr. Insel has started doing more
recently. He co-founded an organization called “Humanest” with his daughter,
Lara Gregorio, who is a licensed social worker. Their company utilizes
technology by offering online group intervention (Bobrow, 2022). </span><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="color: #073763; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: verdana;"><b><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">References:</span></b><b><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #073763; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Blau,
J. & Abramovitz, M. (2014). <i>The Dynamics of Social Welfare Policy. 3<sup>rd</sup></i>,<i>
237-263</i>, Oxford University Press.</span><span style="background: white; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #073763; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">Bobrow, E. (2022,
February 11). Psychiatrist Thomas Insel Looks for a Cure to America’s Mental
Health Crisis. The Wall Street Journal. <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/psychiatrist-thomas-insel-looks-for-a-cure-to-americas-mental-health-crisis-11644600489?st=teehdmjgcb8216z&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink">https://www.wsj.com/articles/psychiatrist-thomas-insel-looks-for-a-cure-to-americas-mental-health-crisis-11644600489?st=teehdmjgcb8216z&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink</a></span><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #073763; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">Gollaher, D.
(1995). <i>Voice for the mad: The life of Dorothea Dix, 163-182</i>. New
York, NY: Free Press.</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #073763; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">National Institute of
Mental Health (NIMH) <a href="https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health">https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health</a></span><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="color: #073763; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>LALhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03103942634390315596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789071584099612994.post-20801935591038019202020-01-21T00:24:00.004-05:002020-01-21T00:26:13.651-05:00Recipe: Chicken Salsa & Bean Salad<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>Recipe: Chicken & Peppers with Salsa & Bean Salad</b><br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
1. Chicken Breast x 2<br />
2. Black beans pre-soaked overnight and softened (or your choice of bean, i.e. pinto beans, kidney beans, etc)<br />
3. Tomato x 2<br />
4. Red onion x 1<br />
5. Yellow Onion x 1<br />
6. Sweet Pepper x 1 (Any color of your choice)<br />
7. Cilantro chopped (1/4 cup)<br />
8. Lime x 1<br />
9. Salt<br />
10. Pepper<br />
<br />
Directions:<br />
Baked Chicken & Peppers<br />
1. Preheat oven to 350F<br />
2. Cut the boneless chicken into strips<br />
3. Cut sweet peppers & yellow onions into strips<br />
4. Put all in oven safe container. Drizzle with olive oil,<br />
1/2 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp salt, and squeeze one lemon on top.<br />
5. Place in oven for 30 min, until chicken is cooked.<br />
6. Remove from oven and set aside<br />
<br />
Salsa:<br />
1. Cut red onion, tomato x 2, and a handful of cilantro, chopped<br />
2. Place all in a bowl and add 1tsp salt or to taste.<br />
3. Squeeze one lime into the bowl and stir<br />
4. Set aside<br />
<br />
Beans:<br />
1. Sauté soaked black beans in a pan with olive oil.<br />
2. Add salt & pepper to taste. <br />
<br />
Salad: Spring mix salad as a base, or your choice of salad<br />
Add chicken & peppers, salsa and beans!!<br />
<br />
<br />
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LALhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03103942634390315596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789071584099612994.post-70906100519763772772015-12-10T05:14:00.001-05:002015-12-10T05:14:36.298-05:00Quotes"Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions." -- Oliver Wendall HolmesLALhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03103942634390315596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789071584099612994.post-28179506690753827462015-12-10T04:46:00.001-05:002015-12-10T04:46:30.530-05:00Quotes"A man without decision of character can never be said to belong to himself. He belongs to whatever can make captive of him." --John FosterLALhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03103942634390315596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789071584099612994.post-31843773369598931362015-12-02T23:19:00.003-05:002015-12-02T23:19:45.863-05:00Gratitude for the Day: December 2nd, 2015<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"Live, Laugh, Love"</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Today, I found out a patient of mine died. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I was on my way to do a house visit, and her daugher answered the phone. At first, I thought it was my patient and I said, "Hi! It's Dr. Joag. I'm on my way to your home."<br />Her daughter explained who she was, and quietly and very slowly told me that her mother had passed away last week, right before Thanksgiving. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />"Are you sure?" I asked. I didn't want it to be true. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />"Do I have the right phone number? You're her daughter? How is this possible? I just spoke to her yesterday.", I sputtered. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />Her daughter went on to give me more details, but I had mentally checked out. I didn't hear a word she said to me. I was barely trying to register that she died... that's she's dead. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The past 3 months have been tough for all of us at the office. We've lost six patients in the past 3 months, and it doesn't get any easier. It's always shocking, and I never fail to break down into tears. <br />Some have lived long lives, into their 90's and others are barely 60. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Each time I am face to face with the death of a close patient, it reminds me to just be in the here and now. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"Live for today!", I tell myself. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW_NJ3TORuNUefw_alRimrNW2POKU7zTUePvD7z-WLcvU2so8e5r2nE1sJXtmzerUNiVwAfC1KhTO7W4fgQfBn1fHAyybvHGYGRKkfr_CR9BilTPEzo5E485w5aRoJaiM3L2bX2XSUFPJL/s1600/live+laugh+love.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW_NJ3TORuNUefw_alRimrNW2POKU7zTUePvD7z-WLcvU2so8e5r2nE1sJXtmzerUNiVwAfC1KhTO7W4fgQfBn1fHAyybvHGYGRKkfr_CR9BilTPEzo5E485w5aRoJaiM3L2bX2XSUFPJL/s320/live+laugh+love.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"Make the most out of every day that you have here in this life time. You never know what the next day, next hour, or next minute may bring. LIVE, LAUGH, LOVE", I keep saying those three words, like my mantra. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">JUST BE. Enjoy each and every day, as a precious gift, and RELISH IT! </span><br />
<br /></div>
LALhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03103942634390315596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789071584099612994.post-1763764935235391952015-11-30T22:52:00.001-05:002015-11-30T23:21:00.364-05:00Gratitude for the Day: November 30, 2015<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
"Please excuse our mess. We are making family memories."<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I have to admit... I hate having a messy home! My mind feels clogged, and I literally can't think until my space is clean. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sometimes it drives my husband wild. "Just sit down!", he says. But I can't get myself to relax until I have things in order. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Today, I just didn't feel like cleaning. I had a long, long day at work, and I just wanted to curl up with a book, snuggle under a warm blanket, and immerse myself into another world. </div>
<div>
But my 2 year old bundle of love and energy wouldn't allow me to live in my own bubbly book world. So, I sat with her, and we played, talked, and read together. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But that nagging thought keep creeping into my mind...that I needed to clean up!!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That's when I spotted my little pillow in the corner of the couch in my family room. It was squished into the side of the couch. I pulled it out, and read what was written on it. </div>
<div>
It read,"Please excuse our mess. We are making family memories."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I looked up from the pillow to find my daughter standing in front of me, staring into my face. I must have zoned out in my own thoughts, for she asked, "Mommy, you're not talking to me?"</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I grabbed her little body and hugged her tightly. "I love you baby. Of course I'm talking to you." I said. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I shook that crazy thought of cleaning out of my head. Wasn't it more important, after all, to create family memories?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Cleaning...I think I can find some time when she's asleep... </div>
<div>
Those little reminder pillows are great to keep around... We all need a quiet reminder of what's important in our lives. </div>
<br />
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LALhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03103942634390315596noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789071584099612994.post-16298802600109129112015-11-26T19:57:00.001-05:002015-11-26T19:57:37.790-05:00Gratitude for the day- 11/26/2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSrV2BmzuyUlVWOZ8xxeev9rsLb6yEaox3MtznXjlzKHTONkuiiDthWtH8b7SdGqwYouYQn301ucB1yyWvUc1rHXFGfMIPhH2-b_qavXlSeedcvNi9S0JumGwQ_N2dGsk-PVyAE-kQUIgQ/s640/blogger-image-2082517888.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSrV2BmzuyUlVWOZ8xxeev9rsLb6yEaox3MtznXjlzKHTONkuiiDthWtH8b7SdGqwYouYQn301ucB1yyWvUc1rHXFGfMIPhH2-b_qavXlSeedcvNi9S0JumGwQ_N2dGsk-PVyAE-kQUIgQ/s640/blogger-image-2082517888.jpg"></a></div>I am thankful today for everyone I have ever encountered in my lifetime thus far. <div><br></div><div>I think that we are all transformed one way or another by each person that enters our life for a second or for a lifetime. </div><div><br></div><div>Today, I feel that I should acknowledge each person young and old for affecting me. I wouldn't be the person I am today without all of you. </div><div><br></div><div>Happy Thanksgiving!! </div>LALhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03103942634390315596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789071584099612994.post-87163903179012837432015-11-24T13:59:00.000-05:002015-11-24T13:59:27.821-05:00Snorkeling...Isolation in the Boundless Beauty of the Formidable Ocean<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Snorkeling...Isolation in the Boundless Beauty of the Formidable Ocean<br />By Sharon S. Joag</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjxeLHSPdSZJ-jjz_cmSCFexdUjfy6Ba0-UnT_ZtfdJ-HJDVKS7C24GdpgtIvyTrSiuFpaYXTrQTyQlHmAEu5w5NVpBnmLHUgsj-TfUfSxm3No1USVa_7ajhlplrGfPwVUM5E97QuCSxXy/s1600/trunk-bay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjxeLHSPdSZJ-jjz_cmSCFexdUjfy6Ba0-UnT_ZtfdJ-HJDVKS7C24GdpgtIvyTrSiuFpaYXTrQTyQlHmAEu5w5NVpBnmLHUgsj-TfUfSxm3No1USVa_7ajhlplrGfPwVUM5E97QuCSxXy/s320/trunk-bay.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Incredibly thrilling to swim out with fins and snorkel gear into the depths of the ocean. Starting from shore on a small island, I saw that the depth increases almost instantly and I was faced with the vastness of the ocean. <br />
<br />
It's an undeniably solitary sport, even if you are snorkeling with a group. Since once your snorkel gear is on, and your head is under water, all you can see is the ocean and the fish, and all you can really hear is your own amplified breathing, in and out. It feels like pure isolation, almost meditative and you are left with your own mind. Your own thoughts to guide you or to torment you. <br />
<br />Challenging your natural instinct to breathe in through your nose, and forced to breathe with your mouth; the snorkel mask helping to keep your nose from doing any work. Unlike scuba diving, where you can go to depths of exploration unlike any other, into the ocean, snorkeling gives you the amazing glimpse into the ocean, yet keeps you "grounded" to the air, where you can come up at any time and feel secure that you can breathe normally in a matter of seconds. <br />
<br />
One day, I decided that I didn't need any snorkel gear. Having only a mask, I decided to dive under, and take a look at all the wonderful, colorful fish I'd never seen. Having only a mask gave me a false sense of security, and I automatically started to breathe underwater, like it was second nature. <br />
Then, realizing it was a fatal move, I rushed to the surface to spit up the water, and frantically gulped in some fresh air. </div>
LALhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03103942634390315596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789071584099612994.post-9292330037988460862015-11-22T22:18:00.001-05:002015-11-22T22:18:04.959-05:00Persimmon Obsession<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY8Rh5032NbFUdX-dDlktsc4Xq_4m3IGNMyzr_qjABTbnMURzGbRw01431Y-36dpIVbB94BU96gF7zi17X2UzUvCqprhR93QktHjq01CHj_CXzn4XxolWcVneuxp5GqmUmbimi2Y3hyphenhyphenDwx/s640/blogger-image--807995861.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY8Rh5032NbFUdX-dDlktsc4Xq_4m3IGNMyzr_qjABTbnMURzGbRw01431Y-36dpIVbB94BU96gF7zi17X2UzUvCqprhR93QktHjq01CHj_CXzn4XxolWcVneuxp5GqmUmbimi2Y3hyphenhyphenDwx/s640/blogger-image--807995861.jpg"></a></div>So, I'm still thinking about Persimmons, but I haven't actually found a store which has any good ones. <div>The other day, I very excitedly took my daughter to the farmers market to get my share of those delicious beauties. </div><div>Just before I could even touch one, a little voice called out, "Mommy, what are you doing?"</div><div>"I'm getting us some persimmons." I said. </div><div>"I want to get one all by myself!" Came the instant <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">quip. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"Okay.", I said as I picked my daughter up in my arms so she could grab one and put it into the shopping cart. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">With her gloved hands, she reached for one over-enthusiastically, putting her entire thumb right through the fruit! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">She immediately dropped the fruit and as if time was in slow motion, she looked at her now wet thumb, and then looked at me. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"Guess we're not getting those." I said, as I touched the other ones quickly just to see if they were all just as soft. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"But Mommy! My thumb!" I pulled off my daughter's gloves and put them in my purse. I quickly walked away from the cart of persimmons before someone noticed the hole in one! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Bottom Line- I've still only had but one persimmon! </span></div>LALhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03103942634390315596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789071584099612994.post-63395203366778611562015-11-17T03:02:00.001-05:002015-11-17T03:02:11.941-05:00<div>"The ocean breathes in waves"</div><div>By Sharon Joag</div><div><br></div><div>With each wave that crashes on shore, </div><div>The ocean exhales just once more. </div><div>And with all it's might</div><div>The ocean breathes in,</div><div>Pulling each wave back to it's origin.</div><div>I sat on the beach that day,</div><div>Right at the point where the ocean and sand were at play.</div><div>There I watched,</div><div>As the ocean brought to land...</div><div>Those schools of fish</div><div>To play in the sand.</div><div>With each breath the ocean took,</div><div>Those clear white fish struggled to find their nook.</div><div>Uncertain if each breath of the ocean may throw them on shore;</div><div>Yet, fearful of going out too far, as bigger fish may like them more...</div>LALhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03103942634390315596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789071584099612994.post-46314099664125059602014-11-13T22:19:00.001-05:002014-11-13T22:19:32.247-05:00Healthy Eating This Thanksgiving<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">HEALTHY EATING THIS THANKSGIVING<br />
</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">By Sharon S. Joag,
DPM<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Like most of
us, you will most likely be with your family this Thanksgiving. It’s a time to catch up, be with your family
and EAT! This Thanksgiving, try and add
in some power foods into your diet, and share a healthy meal with your
family. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Q: Why should I add these foods into
my diet?<br />
</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A: It is important
for us to share healthy eating habits with our family, especially our
kids. Kids develop habits as children
and they learn by example, so eating a healthy diet and including some super
foods regularly into their diet can prevent them from acquiring systemic
diseases, such as Diabetes when they grow to be adults.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Q: What are these power foods? <br />
</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A: You can remember what these super foods are
by the Acronym: <b>GOMBBS</b>. <br />
<b>G</b>reens, <b>O</b>nions, <b>M</b>ushrooms, <b>B</b>eans, <b>B</b>erries and <b>S</b>eeds or
Nuts. Try and incorporate some of these
foods into your Thanksgiving meal this year!
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Q: What’s so good about Greens,
Onions & Mushrooms?<br />
</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A: Raw Green Leafy
Vegetables are the MOST Nutrient Dense of all foods out there. They protect blood vessels, and the can lower
the risk of developing Diabetes. Onions
also have anti-diabetic properties and have a positive impact on cardiovascular
health, and also have anti-cancer effects.
Mushrooms are associated with decreased risk of Breast Cancer, Stomach
and Colorectal Cancer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Q: What about Berries, Beans and
Seeds?<br />
</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A: Berries are
superfoods! They also are associated with a decreased risk of Diabetes as well
as , blood sugar. They also stabilize
food cravings. <br />
Nuts and Seeds contain healthy fats and have benefits on your cardiovascular
system. Nuts help maintain weight and it
prevents Diabetes. <br />
As long as your family does not have Nut allergies, try sprinkling powered nuts
over any food. You won’t even notice it
and it will add to the nutritional value of your food. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMK46n8NnamjRakN0PqNwnedw_rq93Ax_lYCKE6dB8CZS7a8HMYAtHM3KA7LrJ3zK0Mp2wPiVJ4TFrgFe8_0aEzBo6vwJAIIyfJciEr6p0PGD7NVNe2TDHBzQkzCZWs4DRvHdV2Af417KZ/s1600/veggies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMK46n8NnamjRakN0PqNwnedw_rq93Ax_lYCKE6dB8CZS7a8HMYAtHM3KA7LrJ3zK0Mp2wPiVJ4TFrgFe8_0aEzBo6vwJAIIyfJciEr6p0PGD7NVNe2TDHBzQkzCZWs4DRvHdV2Af417KZ/s1600/veggies.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Q: Will GOMBBS prevent my children
from acquiring Diabetes?<br />
</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A: If your child has
Diabetes Type 1, also known as Juvenile Onset Diabetes, this type of Diabetes
requires insulin, as the pancreas is unable to produce Insulin; a healthy diet
is essential, however Diabetes cannot be prevented. <br />
It is important to teach children about the power foods that are out there, and
to nurture a love for the GOMBBS foods.
This basic healthy diet will help children as they grow to combat
systemic diseases such as Diabetes Type 2, which is affecting more and more
children every year. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
LALhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03103942634390315596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789071584099612994.post-72504689277017577232014-03-04T19:00:00.004-05:002014-03-04T19:00:49.172-05:00I'm Queen of this Land and I want to be Free!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>I want to be Free!</b><br />
<br />
I can't open the door<br />
I can't open the screen<br />
I just want to come out<br />
Please, Don't be mean...<br />
<br />
I'll keep hiding you see,<br />
Inside my locked house<br />
Please come in and Find me<br />
I feel like a trapped Mouse<br />
<br />
Why can't you find me?<br />
I want to be seen<br />
Come in and Find me<br />
I want to be Queen<br />
<br />
They know I'm in here<br />
No one will tell<br />
Keep this big secret<br />
Or you'll go straight to Hell<br />
<br />
All I can tell you about me, you see<br />
Is that I'm a just woman<br />
And I want to be Free<br />
<br />
I'll be Queen of this Land<br />
I'll be Queen of the Sun<br />
I want to be Queen<br />
Queen of all Fun!<br />
<br />
I can't make a sound<br />
I can't make a peep<br />
Just look all around<br />
I'm buried quite deep.<br />
<br />
Over the hedges and over the trees,<br />
Come in and find me...<br />
Just get on your knees!<br />
<div>
Just dig through the dirt and you will see...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm waiting for someone<br />
By someone I mean<br />
I'm waiting for You<br />
To set me Free! </div>
</div>
LALhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03103942634390315596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789071584099612994.post-51723555934597419372014-03-02T23:42:00.002-05:002014-03-02T23:42:26.497-05:00Angels, Their Wings on so High! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Angels…Their Wings on
so high!<br />
By Sharon S. Joag</span></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Angels, Their Wings on
so high!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We Stop, and We Watch</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As Their Feathers go
by...</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqdsSAvK-E3gCvpCF5ke9SUgID1uuKTqFYuEsYrMfGP2KdJx1ISn0ZUzAThOS-J7UFcxMSq7-oHRHvIls3p03YPGtexzI9alrTcHAPuJ2AweqFZGQKxpgykDxrEp8RtFHW2KjqT-4WnGwf/s1600/angel3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqdsSAvK-E3gCvpCF5ke9SUgID1uuKTqFYuEsYrMfGP2KdJx1ISn0ZUzAThOS-J7UFcxMSq7-oHRHvIls3p03YPGtexzI9alrTcHAPuJ2AweqFZGQKxpgykDxrEp8RtFHW2KjqT-4WnGwf/s1600/angel3.jpg" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What are we
to do </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">With Angels so true?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We Watch and We Learn</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Until They return.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Where can we find
these angels?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In the
souls of little girls, </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">With big long curls?</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Or do they live in
little boys</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While they play with
their toys?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5N_Tw1Sah2cWo2vaLDJdn_XVaK2GGfe57sDUW82JF3wIUT7yaGZmKF0Is16yr7cs6v5ietRCcSLiHjzrk8Sgh3-HiOFWpK02SJh1HADJUGmQfLkCst2yCG8BAxl5O_SG6MQPC9E4KOTh5/s1600/angel4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5N_Tw1Sah2cWo2vaLDJdn_XVaK2GGfe57sDUW82JF3wIUT7yaGZmKF0Is16yr7cs6v5ietRCcSLiHjzrk8Sgh3-HiOFWpK02SJh1HADJUGmQfLkCst2yCG8BAxl5O_SG6MQPC9E4KOTh5/s1600/angel4.jpg" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">These angels we are
after... </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Are they in our
laughter?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Are they so very near</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That we don't see them
or hear?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There are so many faces.. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Am I looking in all
the right places?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Find them Where you
least expect, they say...</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Are they hiding in my
cats as they play?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As I sit and I
ponder...</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My mind starts to
wander..</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oh My! Oh My! Why Couldn't I see?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Haven't you ever thought of this Possi-bility?</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKxtac1BXfAGs0-QPIy7-cMm_VT9OvaBLapwoqo72cGy3NE5jzFvzSIxi98D_TMNeRVl5mvp722p8RJ2kvg-6lBV9wm1EAeQYXrI6SvmfxbcDX5uB1LciEzEIifETWeI491N1bx4sEfsbJ/s1600/angel2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKxtac1BXfAGs0-QPIy7-cMm_VT9OvaBLapwoqo72cGy3NE5jzFvzSIxi98D_TMNeRVl5mvp722p8RJ2kvg-6lBV9wm1EAeQYXrI6SvmfxbcDX5uB1LciEzEIifETWeI491N1bx4sEfsbJ/s1600/angel2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A little whisper in your ear</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That beautiful angel is so near</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That voice that says very quietly</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"There's an angel hiding inside of ME!"</span></div>
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LALhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03103942634390315596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789071584099612994.post-32515456033160640492012-02-23T16:40:00.000-05:002012-02-23T16:40:14.065-05:00Cars<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div style="background-color: #ccffff; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: #ccffff; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">I appreciate the guest post, Vito Rivers</div><div style="background-color: #ccffff; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Why are guys so obsessed with cars? We were driving north through Kentucky and saw signs for the “Tear Jerker Car and Craft Show.” Obviously the craft part was to convince the ladies to allow their husbands to go. And yes, we went. The crafts were less than desirable, but according to my husband, the cars were legendary. Really? I don’t see it. Shiny and loud, yes, but worthy of tears, no. I get that you can customize them. I even get that you can paint them pretty colors, but that just makes them sound like the crafts we saw: scintillating, custom, and in all kinds of colors. But I don’t get tingly inside from crafts. My husband practically drools over custom antique cars. He could watch car shows on TV all day long. I wonder if the “Tear Jerker” show hooked up with <a href="http://www.tvbydirect.com/directv-deal/Lexington-KENTUCKY-KY-direct-tv.html">direct tv lexington</a> to get on the local Do-It-Yourself channels. My husband and many other men like him would definitely watch, so I guess that’s one way to get him out of my hair.</div></div>LALhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03103942634390315596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789071584099612994.post-58213835242939554022012-02-06T17:15:00.000-05:002012-02-06T17:15:46.331-05:00PAPERCLIP: The Beginning…<div class="MsoNormal">I have finally been formed, sitting her in a box full of my brothers. I can’t wait to move. I feel so stiff, with my legs and arms twisted; I wish I were a girl. At least I’d be pretty, and be able to have different colors. But I know I’m a boy, because boys are always put into these huge boxes with other boys, and there are no windows to look out of. I saw a few of my sisters when they were being made. They had a large window where everyone could look into, and they could look out and see the world too. They looked so bright and cheery with their pink, yellow and green coats on. I wonder if I’ll be able to wear coats like that one day. <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsJIMSk9Xi1gMFnlzQNfW9yQiJZVg4gX2dWZrlux1jcQCsW9-LLl6rlcIq5yijy6Ur7OVba1SGkrlDP-nAvSAqXQ3tw3n5Dk56fG_DD-9TzdmhgbtVjc-PVMgNG7aLEp3HrGl-N1HG0hnq/s1600/boyclips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsJIMSk9Xi1gMFnlzQNfW9yQiJZVg4gX2dWZrlux1jcQCsW9-LLl6rlcIq5yijy6Ur7OVba1SGkrlDP-nAvSAqXQ3tw3n5Dk56fG_DD-9TzdmhgbtVjc-PVMgNG7aLEp3HrGl-N1HG0hnq/s1600/boyclips.jpg" /></a></div>But from what the elders have told me about their adventures, until they returned years and years later, our lives will be full of excitement; unless of course we get stuck with a company. If that happens, who knows what may happen to us; they say the boys usually end up under piles and piles of white sheets if they end up involved with a big firm, or some large facility which uses us daily. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjX_eLS5UjENNBnxiUle1L3DE5Bg3R9mo5VGNytTAP6kc0GzJrD53p4CPtyrc9YnS2taN6tTteyNiw-UfsxixM6JRpP9mz6gopGADqw_vt5OjkfpbqLfhAxlIhZMpNTh43jw1ezlAZWZcc/s1600/girlclips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjX_eLS5UjENNBnxiUle1L3DE5Bg3R9mo5VGNytTAP6kc0GzJrD53p4CPtyrc9YnS2taN6tTteyNiw-UfsxixM6JRpP9mz6gopGADqw_vt5OjkfpbqLfhAxlIhZMpNTh43jw1ezlAZWZcc/s1600/girlclips.jpg" /></a></div>The girls on the other hand are so lucky. They only stay at one place for a short time and flit around to another place where they are wanted more for their coats. The girls have a much richer life, full of travel, escapades and fun!<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">My only hope is that they send me back to the factory one day and I will be transformed into a girl. <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span> <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></div>LALhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03103942634390315596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789071584099612994.post-42012586001475922242012-02-02T21:43:00.000-05:002012-02-02T21:43:21.478-05:00Sagging Skin, Fine Lines, Wrinkles, Uneven Skin Tone….<div class="MsoNormal">What do you think of when you think of these words? </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Yes, OLD! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">To all humans, these words signify age. Finding that fountain of youth that would make us all look like we were in our 20’s has been an age old desire. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Many people have opted for plastic surgery or laser treatments to correct their sagging skin and fine lines, but there are other less painful and less expensive alternatives to getting rid of your fine lines and wrinkles. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>First, you have to start by taking care of your body. </b> 1. Make sure to <i><b>stop all your bad habits</b></i>, like smoking, drinking and not protecting yourself in the sun. 2. Then, yes, you must get on a <i><b>diet and exercise</b></i> regimen. <br />
3. Finally, you should look into an <b><i>anti-aging skin care lotion/cream</i></b> that you can use daily on your face. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Anti-Aging Laser Treatment:</b> Laser treatment involves using a laser, which means that it can and will generate a lot of heat. The purpose of using Laser is to cause damage to the top layer of skin. It allows the body to heal with new skin underneath. The heat from the laser is what damages the top layer of the skin. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Anti-Aging Light Therapy:</b> This is a relatively new treatment which has become quite popular for the treatment of fine lines and wrinkles. It is interesting, in that, <a href="http://www.tanda.com/" target="_blank">anti-aging light therapy</a> has the same light frequency as the laser treatment, but does not generate heat, as the laser treatment does. Therefore, it does not burn the top layer of the skin. But what it does do, is stimulate the collagen production on your face or hands over time. Take a look at this picture to see what your skin looks like: <br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="infographichttp://tanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/tanda_infographic.png" target="_blank">infographichttp://tanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/tanda_infographic.png</a> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal">There is still ongoing research into light therapy for treatment of wrinkles. Red Light is the specific type of light used to treat aging skin. <br />
There is another type of light, blue light, which has an anti-inflammatory effect and also will kill bacteria. Blue light is use most often to treat bad cases of acne. <br />
Studies now show that Red and Blue light used together have the best effect on aging skin. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">My personal opinion, take it or leave it.... Don't do surgery unless you absolutely HAVE to. Surgery does have its place, and it can be beneficial, but first exhaust all conservative measures before opting for surgery. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<b>Who Know?? Our Fountain of Youth may just be in Light Therapy! </b><o:p></o:p></div>LALhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03103942634390315596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789071584099612994.post-50167106693060776362012-02-02T08:52:00.000-05:002012-02-02T08:52:27.049-05:00The Airport, A basket, and a Rabbit!!<div class="MsoNormal">I decided to take a trip to California during the summer. I couldn’t sit alone all week while my husband was on a business trip, so I thought that I would go to Las Vegas, and possibly include a quick trip to San Francisco and even the Grand Canyon. I packed a large suitcase and decided to go on my trip for one week. While packing, I realized that I had no one to drive me to the airport, so I decided to call for a cab. I called a local cab company, and gave them my flight information and when I needed to be picked up. They decided that they would come and get me around 7pm. My flight was at 8:30pm and the airport was not too far from my home. Not to mention, that it was not an international flight, so there were not as many checks to go through. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">When I got to the airport, I checked my suitcase in, and I decided to keep a small purse with my kindle, so I could read on the plane. I found a nice quiet spot in the terminal area, right by my gate. I sat myself down, with a cup of coffee that I bought at the deli and opened my purse to get my kindle out. As I reached into my purse, I heard a bit of rustling near me, so I instinctively looked up and around to make sure that no one around me needed help. But the terminal was virtually empty. I bent down to look under my seat, to see if the rustling was coming from there, and that’s when I saw a basket, which was moving from side to side. The basket was causing the rustling motion! <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I reached down and pulled the basket out, and looked all around once again, hoping to find the owner of the basket running toward me, but there was not a soul that even noticed what I was doing. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So, I pulled the basket completely out. It was light brown, made of wicker and looked almost like a picnic basket, with a top covering the opening of the basket and a large handle. The top cover had two openings, one on the left and one on the right. I was staring at the moving basket wondering what to do next, when the lid on the right side of the basket quickly opened and closed. I knew that obviously something was in that basket and it was alive. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It took all my courage to lift up the lid on the basket and right there was the little face of a rabbit. He was all white, with a pink nose, shivering and frightened. Oh My! What do I do now?? I went up to the desk by the gate entrance and asked the employee if someone had reported a missing basket. She looked at my quizzically and said that she would look at the lost and found list on the computer. She said that no one had reported any such thing. I decided not to tell her about my bunny rabbit and for some reason, I made up my mind to take my rabbit to Vegas. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I quickly picked up the basket and went to the bathroom, where I opened the top of the basket and peered inside. The rabbit was only a baby, and he had plenty of food and water left for him. In the container of food, I noticed something glistening. I took the container out of the basket to get a better look, and that’s when I noticed that the container had a clear bottom. Under all the food, was another compartment filled with rose petals, and a heart shaped emerald sitting in the bed of roses. And right underneath all of that was a little white piece of paper. I carefully twisted open the bottom container. The emerald was glistening and breath taking as it sat on the rose petals. I reached in and pulled out the little note.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“To the love of my life…. Happy Anniversary! Yours Forever.” <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Now, I really felt bad. I had removed a surprise gift to someone else!!! I had to go back to the same place I was sitting before and return the basket. I felt like such a big confounded fool !! I quickly put the food container back, and rushed out of the bathroom, only to find my husband standing there with his arms wide open. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“Hi sweetheart!” he said. “You found the basket!! I knew you would pick the quietest corner, so I put the basket there.” <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">“Did you really think I would let you go to Vegas ALONE??” he mused… <o:p></o:p></div>LALhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03103942634390315596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789071584099612994.post-3505545350452554042012-02-02T07:27:00.000-05:002012-02-02T07:27:03.723-05:00Irony of LifeWhy is it that when we are single, we crave to find that one person in our lives that we can become one with...<br />
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Yet, when we find that person and become one, we crave to look outside ourselves, grasping for anything that will help us to not lose our true selves.LALhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03103942634390315596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789071584099612994.post-8494165683272191042012-01-30T18:02:00.000-05:002012-01-30T18:02:42.346-05:00Is Nomorerack For Real??Yes, Nomorerack is For Real!! In our fast-paced lives, sometimes it's nice to have one and only one website where you can sit at home and shop for anything. Everything is at your fingertips, especially when its cold outside and you just don't want to have to trudge out into the cold Again! An added bonus would be that this website has prices that are just right, and maybe even better than just right; prices that you just can't refuse!! <br />
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I know! You think that I am living in La-La-Land and that there is no such thing, but I want you to go right now, and see for yourself. Check out Nomorerack.com. Its an internet based online shopping site. You sign up and every day you will get 8 new deals. You will also get an "insanity deal", once a month, where you can get items like an IPad for less than $50!! <br />
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Another pet-peeve of mine are shipping costs! That's where they get ya! Even with the best deals, you still have to pay shipping!! But at Nomorerack, shipping is $2.00 flat, regardless of the item that you purchased. I like that a lot!! <br />
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If you are STILL not sure, read about them some more. There are several <a href="http://iphoneexploit.com/shop-for-more-for-less-on-no-more-rack-today/" target="_blank">nomorerack reviews</a> out there. You can see what other people are saying before you decide to sign up. But its probably the best thing you will do for yourself this year. <br />
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One more thing I need to address is the fact that I noticed that there was some negative publicity about a <a href="http://reviews.lavender-bliss.net/cheaper-as-it-goes/" target="_blank">nomorerack scam</a>! So of course, my nosey little self had to look into it. <br />
I found that the scam was not a scam at all. In fact, it was just the opposite! (Someone had scammed Nomorerack, and hacked into their system!). There is so much hacking going on these days, but all the clients information was safe and secure. <br />
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Whatever you do this year, make sure that you sign up for Nomorerack! Its the best present you will give yourself this winter! :)LALhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03103942634390315596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789071584099612994.post-46323540705712372032012-01-26T19:57:00.001-05:002012-01-26T20:41:24.180-05:00DO YOU HAVE A WEBSITE FOR YOUR BUSINESS?<div class="MsoNormal">Today’s small businesses need to get with the program. An increasingly large number of small businesses do not have a presence on the internet. Why is this? The answer is that several small companies which have been present for years, even prior to the internet boom just don’t want to change. They do not think that they need to go online.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">The problem arises when these business owners start to lose clients, or their clients start to decrease in number. The world has changed dramatically with the internet. Businesses can market themselves completely only by having an internet presence. Many people today, especially the new generation go online to look for everything; from finding a new pet to finding a mortgage to finding something new to buy. It’s all on the internet. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Businesses will only grow from now on if they have a signature on the internet. If you are a small business and do not have a website, a good place to start is with <a href="http://freshout.us/" target="_blank">a web development company</a>. This company is a web development company; they will help you to build your website. They even have a part of the website where they can speak to you online about your situation and give you a quote depending on what you require. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Getting started with a website is not as expensive as it used to be. Make sure to read thoroughly about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_development" target="_blank">web development</a> before you start to build your website. Remember, building a website for your business needs is essential in today’s economy and in today’s world. <o:p></o:p></div>LALhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03103942634390315596noreply@blogger.com0