tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68326293514444058492024-03-13T04:53:28.638-07:00Raising "normal"Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832629351444405849.post-21984586556380219922021-10-13T10:56:00.001-07:002021-10-13T10:56:35.078-07:00Good day to you all<p> Wow - it has been several years since I have blogged - but it seems like several life times ago to be honest! Think I may have to come back to blogging, being I have only few (ok, really one) local friends and my husband and kids have heard my rantings so many times they don't want to hear it any more.</p><p><br /></p><p>Today, the 13th of October, has me living here in Ionia, Michigan. Ionia is known for its free fair and prisons. Yes, there is an "s" added to prison. We live a beautiful money pit, I mean house. I have a couple of really nice neighbors, and a set of neighbors that hates us. I now have TWO adult children (how did that happen) and two 14 year olds. All four of my kids are living with us right now. We have one dog still (Olive), four cats of our own and my son's cat (so five total). </p><p><br /></p><p>I currently have a horrible headache. :) </p><p><br /></p><p>Well, that is all I can post on right now. Hopefully we are on the back side of the pandemic and I will post more of our exciting adventures in the future. Who are we kidding - I am sure there will be fairly regular rants about crap. . . .</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832629351444405849.post-33796493703654060582019-03-10T09:38:00.000-07:002019-03-10T09:38:18.384-07:00Abortion thoughts . . Haven't blogged in a while, but read a couple of stories last week that got me thinking about a few things.<br />
<br />
I am fairly pro life. Actually I am pretty strongly pro life. I think birth control should be free and easier to get. I think pregnancy prevention should be taught to our children. With that being said, I do not think people who have abortions are evil. I have never been in a situation where I thought that would be the best option for me, and I can only imagine how difficult it would be to be in the situation where you though that was the best option. I also see a fertilized egg, with a heartbeat as a person - not a parasite, but that is going a little off topic from where I was heading.<br />
<br />
I was reading about abortion, abortion laws, and definitions. In reading that it hit me, I actually had an abortion. I had a pregnancy that we decided to terminate. Yep, Nick and I terminated not just one pregnancy, but three pregnancies. <br />
<br />
The last two that we terminated ended up with the birth of all three of our daughters. I wasn't in labor, they were repeat C-section. Maybe Gabe's birth would have fit this too, but since I was in labor before his emergency C-section I prefer not to count it. I know, it seems stupid to consider them "abortions", but if you look at early termination of pregnancy as the definition, then those would count .<br />
<br />
The one that hit me the hardest was the termination of our first pregnancy, and it is situations like that one that mean, to me, certain abortion rights should be protected.<br />
<br />
I knew from a young age that I may never have children. A tumor damaged me reproductive organs, so I knew it may never happen. My husband and I started trying to get pregnant soon as we got married. Two plus years later, after several tests and procedures, we became pregnant. We were overjoyed!<br />
<br />
Pregnancy went well. Had an ultrasound at 8 weeks that showed a heartbeat. We loving refered to him as "Webbie" after reading one day in the baby books that he no longer had webbed fingers. After 12 weeks we started purchasing baby items. We were past the miscarriage window. <br />
<br />
Went in for my 16 week check up. Everything appwared to be going well. My uterus was measuring fine. Pulled out the little Doppler machine and couldn't find a heartbeat. Had an ultrasound, and there was my sweet little Webbie. He looked perfect. You could see his arms, legs, little head. He looked like a perfect little baby - except he wasn't moving and they could find no heartbeat. Two days later we had another ultrasound, with a higher level machine, that showed the same thing. He had passed away.<br />
<br />
They said I would eventually go into labor any day. Days came and went. Days turned into weeks. My uterus still growing. I looked more and more pregnant every day. My body still did not want to deliver my baby. They had guessed he passed away not long after my 12 week appointment, so when 20 weeks came it was obvious my body was happy keeping him in there forever. My doctor decided I should "deliver" him with a D & C.<br />
<br />
Went into the hospital that day and on my paperwork where it had my diagnosis it said "missed abortion". I lost it. Completely lost it. My husband said, "Um, she didn't have an abortion, she had a miscarriage." The nurse explained that the term "abortion" was any pregnancy that ended before it should.<br />
<br />
I know people are talking about elective abortions when they talk about abortion, but when you think about our situation we did have an elective abortion. We could have waited longer, I am sure my body would have delivered Webbie at some point, but we decided to no longer continue with his pregnancy. I couldn't start healing from his loss while he was still in me. <br />
<br />
This was a startling realization for me. I could not have continued being pregnant with him. I was a mess. What would it mean in that situation if all abortions were banned? I can't help but wonder. What are your thoughts?<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832629351444405849.post-8521034829795851442017-02-21T19:00:00.001-08:002017-02-21T19:00:40.223-08:00Is my personality lacking something . . . . (yep - my rants are back)It has been a long time since I have blogged. Working and raising the kids has kept me pretty busy. Since my last post my husband has accepted his dream job which has him traveling all over the country, we have moved back to Michigan, and I have become a stay at home mom. We live in this big beautiful farmhouse in the middle of nothing. The only neighbors we have are this really nice couple who winter down south. Thus, I am here all week with no real adult contact since my husband is out of state every week. I am pretty sure you will begin to regularly see my rants. . . .<br />
<br />
So here is where I am today, I fear that I may be lacking something deep within me that makes me a good parent or even a decent person. I mean, I know I am not a bad person or an evil person. I am not a psychopath, but I just fear there is something in 90% of other mothers out there that isn't in me. Why do I think this? Let me explain.<br />
<br />
I see other mothers with their children. I see this loving bond between them. I see the child hug the mom. I see the mom lovingly look at their child. I wish I had that. Honestly, I feel like I am closer to the white trash family we all know (and we all have at least seen one in the store) where the kids are all filthy and fighting with each other and I seem to be the one keeping the 16 year old from trying to hug the 10 year old who doesn't want to be hugged, and trying to keep that 10 year old from kicking that 16 year old, while the 14 year old is yelling because someone is chewing gum too loud. . . . OK, I am sure you see where I am going with this (BTW - this situations have actually happened with my kids.) Sometimes I can get a good conversation out of the teenagers. Usually in the evening the twins will cuddle with me on the couch (while both fighting for my lap), but that is it for the loving relationship I have with my kids. <br />
<br />
I hear other moms talk about their children. They talk about how amazing they are. They talk about what groups and sports they are in. They talk about their grades and how smart they are. I hear this pride in their voices about how amazing their children are - then there is me. My kids are total dumb asses. Don't get me wrong, they are smart kids, two of them are in the genius area for IQ, but they do stupid things sometimes. In fact, lately they do stupid things more often then they don't do stupid things. I get to brag that, "My 10 year old peed in a cup and drank it because she wondered what urine would taste like." My kids don't play sports. Gabe skateboards, he loves it, but to be honest he sucks at it (no, he will never read this). Evie loves the Cello but never practices it. I love my kids, I find them amazing, but more in a shake my head and wonder, "How did that come from my DNA?"<br />
<br />
I hear of other moms making wonderful lunches for their kids. Making shaped cheese slices and bento box creations. Leaving stickies in their kids lunches. My kids - well I try to get them to make their own sandwiches the night before (and got yelled at by my mother because, "isn't that your job.") In the morning I toss in their juice box (at least I make sure it is 100% juice), little bag of chips, fruit, and sweet snack type thing. I put them on the counter for them to grab on their way out. Half the time I have to chase them out to the bus stop because they forget it on the way out. No special notes. No cute little designs for them to eat. It is food. By the time they got to school it would be messed up anyway. I love my kids, but I don't have this drive to do cutsie things for them. <br />
<br />
I see other mom's who work full time and take care of four plus kids and have a smile on their face. Their kids are always clean, their homes are clean, healthy meals are on the table, finding time to exercise, and all while working full time. How? I can't. I just can't do it. I get tired. I mean, I get so tired I can't function or think. No matter how much coffee I drink I nod off while driving. I can't function like that. When I get that tired I get grumpy. I tell myself that my kids are "special" kids and take more time an attention than others, I mean two of them have forms of autism, right? I know the truth though, there has to be something missing in me to not be able to do these things - and do them joyfully.<br />
<br />
There are times I don't like being around my kids. There, I said it. I love my kids, but there are times I don't like them. I don't want to listen to their petty fighting. I don't want to have to force them to shower or brush their teeth AGAIN for the thousandth time in a row. I don't like dealing with the "why can't I have my license yet" or "why can't I get a tatoo yet" or "Every other 4th grader has a cell phone, why can't we have one." I don't like having to take the diarrhea soaked underwear off my 10 year old for the 12th time that day, and re-wash the sheets, AGAIN. I love them. I know how lucky I am to have them, but there are times I don't want to be around them. <br />
<br />
I don't enjoy housework. I like a clean house. I love a clean house. I CAN'T STAND a house that smells bad (if you come into my house and it stinks please tell me), but I don't enjoy housework. I see other women joyfully cleaning their homes. I don't get joy out of cleaning. I would rather go out and paint something, or cook something, or mow the law, or rake. . . do just about anything then clean. In fact, when I clean I am usually made madder. "How the heck did a child get poop there?" "Someone would have to work hard to get a sock hidden in that place." "A PLATE?!? IN THE BEDROOM?!? They know the rule of no food in any room with carpet!" So where as I like having a clean house, and I spend Thursday doing my deep cleaning every week, I just find it makes me angry because I live with slobs. My Grandmother would joyfully clean, she did it because she loved her family. I never once heard her yell at us for being slobs or even say anything about the mess we made, yet I just get angry. Why can't my love for my children override my anger over having to pick up their shoes, socks, bags, school work, laundry. . . every single day.<br />
<br />
Finally, I get frustrated . . . . and I yell. . . I hate yelling. I really hate yelling. I never wanted to be that mom who yelled at her kids. But, after cleaning up the exact same mess over and over and over again, or asking the kids to put their clean clothing away (I fold the stuff, they are old enough to put it away) over and over and over and over again, and having them not do it I get frustrated and yell. Watching the 16 year old try to hug the 10 year old, who NEVER wants to be hugged by the 16 year old, and listening to her say "NO!" for the hundredth time I yell. I love my kids, I don't want to yell at my kids, but they make me so frustrated. Why can't they get along for at least 1 hour? Why does the 16 year old purposely do things he knows will piss of the three girls? Why can't they do their chore without being harped on to do it? Why can't they hang their book bags up on the hall tree when they get home from school? These kids know what we expect from them. Putting clothing away, doing dishes and hanging up their book bags are terribly hard chores. Yet they don't do them unless I harp at them. . . and that frustrates me. I NEVER remember my Grandmother yelling or getting frustrated with me. She always had loving patients. I see other mothers deal with these things with getting upset. . .<br />
<br />
I wish more than anything I had in me what I see so many women have in them, what my Grandmother had in her. This sweet loving temperament that is joyful in everything they do, this beaming pride over the things their children accomplish, this boundless energy to get everything done plus knit a scarf, and the patience to never yell. In this journey of creating four adults who will go off and be productive members of society I wish I could show them more love, yet I feel like a drill sergeant. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832629351444405849.post-35441903786053643692015-02-10T16:56:00.002-08:002015-02-10T17:04:19.762-08:00What bothers me the most about the medical community and adverse reactions to vaccinations.Those who know me personally know I don't vaccinate my children. I did vaccinate them. I promote vaccinations. I think vaccinations are a wonderful thing that saves millions of lives. I have worked at two different health departments for almost 10 years now, and in that time have promoted these products on a daily basis. I am not anti-vaccine. <br />
<br />
When I started at the health department around 2002, the Wakefield study on MMR and autism was in it's height. I read it. I was skeptical. It was such a small sample of children. Most of what I read stated that for some reason children with autism also had issues with there intestines, and part of this was that there was measles virus in the intestinal tract of children with autism, and this wasn't found in children without autism. It is a well known fact that GI problems are common in children on the spectrum - my question after reading it was this, "Was this seen because there is some immunological component of autism that caused a weakened GI tract were the virus could grow." Either way - everyone says his study was a fraud and he had now lost his license (haven't read the specifics of it). Even after that, though, I had doubts about autism and vaccinations. My oldest child was autistic and he was born that way - a vaccination did not worse his autism - he was autistic in my womb (trust me - that child NEVER slept even inside of me!)<br />
<br />
My time at the health department did make me question things though. I saw things that made me question the safety of vaccinations. Healthy children who had their first seizure the night of a vaccination. One child had his first stroke the night of his 12 month vaccination, and had his second stroke the night of his 15th month vaccination. All parents said, "the doctor said it wasn't the vaccination," but most of these parents weren't comfortable continuing to vaccinate after that. I came across parents who swore their child was developmentally normal, had a vaccination, and then weren't. There were enough of these things that I started to question that these vaccinations were 100% safe. No, there was no scientific evidence that what happened to these children was caused by the vaccination. Could that child have been meant to have his first stroke the night of those 12 month shots, maybe. Could that same child have been meant to have his second stroke the night of his 15 month shots - to me that seems highly unlikly. To me, and to most people who would look at these situations without a vested interested in either side, it would look like a basic cause/effect relationship - cause was vaccination and it caused a stroke/seizure. Thus, with my twins, my husband and I decided to vaccinate on an alternative schedule and only when they were very healthy. <br />
<br />
That leads me to my beautiful little Lucy. My big blue eyed, curly haired, self confident Lucy. I was on high alert for autism in all my girls since we dealt with it for my oldest. Had the girls all tested three times. All three tests came back the same, developmentally normal. She was 4 years 11 months when everything changed. We had a parent teacher conference that morning, it was glowing. She was wonderful. Got along well with other kids. Funny. Bright. A joy to have in the class. That afternoon we had her last diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccination. She was fine for a couple of hours, but then we noticed she grumpy and wouldn't bend her arm (she had the shot in that arm). We looked at it and it was bright red and swollen to almost twice its size. That was when we noticed the hives. It was a few minutes later that the screaming started - and it didn't stop for three days. When the screaming stopped she was a different child. After many different doctors, and tests the diagnosis was that she had an immunological reaction to the vaccination that caused brain damage and this brain damage is what now causes autism and ADD/ADHD. She was fine the morning of, had the vaccination, and when she stopped reacting to the vaccination she wasn't. I don't need science to prove or disprove what we experienced in our home. The way her body reacted to that vaccination is what caused my child to develop autism and ADD/ADHD. <br />
<br />
Since then I had to change doctors. Her primary pediatrician at that time (we moved to Florida 7 months before so he didn't follow us from birth), who saw her go from a normal potty trained almost 5 year old, to a wild, out of control, un-potty trained child who couldn't function stated that this reaction was Post traumatic stress disorder and I just needed to take her to counseling. There were trying to force me to continue vaccinations by stating they wouldn't sign the school waiver to allow her to go without being fully vaccinated. Even after the neurologist (who he sent us to) stated she had brain damage that was caused by an immunological reaction - he still refused to see it as anything more than PTSD. The therapist (again he sent us to), was the one who eventually started the ball rolling for the diagnosis of autism and add/adhd and said, "No, she does not have PTSD," couldn't even convince him that this was more than what he was thinking it was. "Just don't accept this behavior from her and discipline her more," was his response. <br />
<br />
Thankfully in Florida I was able to go to the health department and sign a waiver that states it is against my religious belief to vaccinate my children. <br />
<br />
Now there is this huge thing in the media about "everyone must be vaccinated or else". Boehner stated, "Yes, all children need to be vaccinated" (yep, because a politician does have the expertise to say that it is safe for my child to be vaccinated.) I have had friends and family members post things on f-book and say things about those "ignorant" people who don't vaccinate their children putting everyone in harms way. It is frustrating. Many of these people knew Lucy before and after the vaccination. <br />
<br />
I still work at a health department and today this was this big bulletin board that said, "VACCINATIONS DON'T CAUSE AUTISM" in large letters. We listened to this woman talk about this for a portion of the meeting. She showed a video that talked about how people who thought vaccinations cause autism are ignorant. Vaccinations NEVER cause autism or developmental delays in anyone. Well, I got angry at this point. You can't make a statement like never when it comes to the human body - because anything is possible.<br />
<br />
After the meeting I went up and spoke to her. I told her what happened to Lucy and that it is impossible to say "never" when you are dealing with something like this. This is how it went after I told her. "So she had an immunological reaction that caused the brain damage that caused the autism, right?" I said, "Yep." She said, "Well, that could have been anything that caused that reaction." I said, "It could have been anything, but it wasn't. She reacted to that vaccination. It was night and day. She was fine in the morning and that night she wasn't." She said, "Well, you don't know that it was the vaccination that was the trigger. I am so sorry this happened to your family, but you don't know it was the vaccination that caused this." <br />
<br />
WTF? <br />
<br />
What else made her arm swell (the arm she had the injection in)? Was it the shirt that she had worn a dozen times before and a dozen times after? What else caused the hives? Tide? I used Tide her entire life. We didn't eat anything different that night than we normally eat, but somehow that caused it? What about the three days of screaming. Non-stop, scream until she fall asleep from exhaustion and then wake up and scream some more?<br />
<br />
Then it hit me. . . . because that Wakefield study was discredited, and because other studies (mostly funded by the CDC and pharmaceutical companies who both have vested interests in the results being a certain way) do not show that vaccinations can cause autism/developmental delays then it must mean that no child can EVER have a reaction that causes the brain damage that causes autism/developmental delays. Doctors and the government can run with this. Here was this woman looking at me telling me that it was just pure coincidence that my child had an allergic like reaction that caused this - and that reaction (even though it started in the arm this was injected in) was not caused by the vaccination. It couldn't happen because the Wakefield study was wrong and no study proved it could happen. Even though when you go back to cause and effect, X happened and then Y happened - that X couldn't have caused it, because a study says it couldn't cause it.<br />
<br />
Heck - there are billions of planets in the universe, but no study has ever come back that there is another planet with life on it, thus there can be no other planets out there with life on them, right? Or, depending on what you believe, there is no scientific evidence that there is a God out there so there must not be a God, right? Thus, because this one study was supposedly discredited, and these other studies don't show that it can happen - thus it proves it can NEVER happen.<br />
<br />
This is what upsets me. Nothing is impossible, improbable maybe, but not impossible. If you give your child a vaccination does it mean they will get autism? No. Does every child with autism have a parent who can say it was caused by the vaccination? No (again - my oldest has autism and he was born this way). That being said, does that mean that every parent who says, "My child was normal until the vaccination" is lying? NO! The fact that a vast majority of the health care community refuses to admit that these reactions, how ever rare they may be, can happen scares the hell out of me. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832629351444405849.post-38761806644130399202015-01-07T09:31:00.001-08:002015-01-07T09:31:03.847-08:00My first rant of the year! <div class="MsoNormal">
My first rant of the year! Took a whole 7 days! LOL! Blogging makes me feel better, so here it goes. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Something has been eating at me and there is nothing I can
do about it. I have tried to do
something about it. I have given
suggestions. I have put my ideas out
there. Alas, I feel helpless and
powerless to change it. That bothers me. I hate seeing people who do things the proper
way get crapped on.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So – here is the hypothetical situation similar to what has been eating away at me. .
. . <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You made reservations at your favorite restaurant. I mean, you love this place. Made them three months ago for this Friday. In that time, you got a gift card for $60 at
that restaurant that expires on Friday night.
You know that will cover the meal of both you and your child, time
worked out perfect for you to use this gift card on that meal. You have that reservation – and are just so
excited to go. The reservation is at
6pm. Your child, who is going to eat
with you, has to be across the street at 8pm – they have a role in the local
play and they have to be there at that time.
Should work out fine – right.
Your reservation is at 6. It will
be busy that night, but you shouldn’t need more than two hours at that restaurant,
right? That is why you made a
reservation, so you could get in and out in a timely manor.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Friday comes. You and
your child show up at 5:50. You give
them your name and tell them you have a reservation – they see that reservation
and say, “Have a seat, it will be a couple of minutes.” That is fine, you are a little early. You look around and see the place is
packed. The line to get a seat is so
long it is outside the restaurant. You are
so glad you made that reservation!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sitting down in the lobby with your child you talk about the
play he/she is going to be in. You talk
about school/work that day. You talk
about what you are going to have for dinner.
While sitting you notice they are calling people back to tables. Hmmmm. . . . Well, maybe they had
reservations too. Time goes by, it is
now 6:30, you go up and say, “Just wanted to remind you that we are here. We had a reservation at 6pm for a table.” Lady says, “Yep, we have you here, it will
just be a few more minutes.” You sit back
down. Glad the play is across the
street. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
More people are being called back. That is strange. You start talking to the person next to
you. “Yah, we have been here for over an
hour,” they say. “We heard this place
was good and decided to stop by and eat.
We were just next door and it sounded good.” They had no reservation, obviously. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The person on the other side of you, chimes in and says, “Same here. We were in the area as well today and just
decided to wonder in. “ <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At that moment the second person who spoke was called back
to their seat.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At this point your son/daughter is very hungry, and that is
turning into being hangry. If you had
known it would have taken this long you would have given him/her a snack. It is now 6:50 and you know at least one
person was called back before you who didn't have a reservation. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Time continues. 7:20
comes and the first person you spoke to gets called back. Now you are mad. You only have 40 minutes to be seated, order,
eat, and be across the street. Why is
this taking so long? You had a
reservation at 6pm. You were there on time. You planned in advance, yet people without a reservation are being seen before you.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By now you go back to the hostess, “Look, I have to be
somewhere at 8, how much longer is it going to take? My reservation was at 6pm.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Let me see. . . .” she looks at list. “There are only two more people in front of
you.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“WHAT! I have to be
somewhere else at 8pm”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Well,” hostess says, “maybe you should have come in sooner
if you had to be somewhere at 8.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“We aren’t going to be able to stay, is there any way I can
get an extension on my gift certificate here so we can use it later, since you
can’t honor my reservation today?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hostess, “You mean you are upset that you aren’t going to
get a free meal from us. Come on. If you want your free meal you will wait, if
you can’t then you lose out.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
So – How would you feel if this happened to you? You came in on time for your reservation –
yet everyone who just walked in before you without a reservation was seated
before you. You are told that it doesn't
matter if you have a reservation or not, you will be treated the same as those
who walk in without a reservation. You are told it is bad customer service to make those who just walked in wait longer than you, even though you had a reservation and they didn't. You
are told that maybe you shouldn't have made a reservation that close to your other engagement. Then, you are told that because the meal was going to be free anyway you shouldn't be mad. Would it
make you mad? Would you ever go back to
that restaurant again? Just
curious. <o:p></o:p></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832629351444405849.post-77818653456164422532014-11-02T12:15:00.000-08:002014-11-02T12:15:07.102-08:00And the world continuesSome people have so much love in them they are able to support all those around them. That love is that beacon that draws people to them, helping them to thrive and continue. They have so much love that it spills out to everyone and can help mend broken hearts and conquer fears of those around them. Then, one day, that love is just gone and to those who knew that love, that beacon, they are left empty and broken.<br />
<br />
To those people, the sun doesn't have the same shine. A piece of them is missing, broken, gone forever. Joy is always marred with knowing that it isn't as joyful without that love. Nothing is ever the same again.<br />
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Yet, somehow, the world continues. Time still moves forward. Babies are born. Jobs move you away. Houses that saw that love and beacon crumble apart by time. People get older. Holidays come and go. Life just continues, yet it is somehow emptier than before. How can time and life just continue to move forward with your beacon gone? Your standing on your own, but it is never really the same. I have said it before - it is how I imagine losing a limb would be like - you learn how to function but it is never the same again. Ever. And to a certain extent a portion of you is forever gone.<br />
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People hold a tremendous amount of love in them. Ask anyone with a pile of kids. You have that first child and you have so much love for them. You couldn't imagine there is room for any more love in your heart - but then you have that second child and now you have twice as much love. The love for those people just continues to grow. You make friends that you also love. Your love just continues to build throughout your life.<br />
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So what happens when someone with a tremendous amount of love dies? Where does that love go?That beacon of love that we all flocked to is gone, but to where? Is it just forever gone, or is that beacon still out there. Is her love for us still strong and thriving, or did it get buried in that vault with her?<br />
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Miss you Grandma. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832629351444405849.post-71963603922754166232014-06-13T15:53:00.001-07:002014-06-13T15:53:53.914-07:00Giving in . . . a littleWell - I have been working for six months now and I am glad I am working. I love working WIC and hope that where ever we end up in the future that there will be a part time WIC job waiting for me. With that - working has given me that sense of connection that I have needed and have been very much missing since we moved to the hang down state. I work with people I really like, and do something a love. That has helped, but there is always a down side - the balance between work and family. I will admit I have been sucking lately at that balancing act. Working four days a week has been hard on my family. . . . four days of rushing around and having no time to do anything but get kids ready in the morning, work, cooking dinner when I get home, getting the kids ready for bed and then passing out to start it all over the next day. Fridays are spent running around doing everything I have to do in the six hours I don't have children - that is the Fridays I am not actually working (because many of my four days a week have turned into five days). Weekends are spent manically trying to get the house cleaned and laundry done so that we can be ready for another week. It has been hard. Thankfully my four days a week is soon going to be down to three days a week. I did three days a week for years in Michigan, so I know I can do it. <br />
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That being said I have realized that something has to give. Part of my crazy week night schedule is that I have refused to budge on what I feed my kids. Real food - that is what I feed them. Things mostly made from scratch and processed as little as possible. A full meal every night - with a main dish, a side dish, and a vegetable. That means that I start cooking at 5:30 when I get home and am cooking until about 7-8 when the meal hits the table. We finish eating clean up and go to bed. To add insult to injury, my efforts to make real food for my kids is usually rewarded with at least one of the children refusing to eat it and the crying of hunger at 9 when they have to go to bed.<br />
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Well - I am admitting defeat here. I am admitting that I just can't keep up the stamina of cooking meals like this anymore. I am going to actually add some meals to our menu cycle that are, well, processed foods. <br />
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Now - I am not saying that I am going to give up cooking. I am not going to have my kids eating pizza rolls and boxed mac n cheese 7 days a week. . . . but. . . maybe just once or twice a week they can have things that come from a box. Those things they say, "normal" families eat. Why? Because I miss actually spending time with my kids. The last six months has been nothing but this manic, "I have to run around and get the million things done that I have to do because I only have 4 hours a day to get 6 hours worth of work done" and I miss having time to actually be with my kids. <br />
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I love my kids, but I must admit that between working 32-40 hours a week, doing house work, and having to clean the same exact things up six different times a day because they have left their shoes on the floor again, and they pulled out all the craft stuff and left it all out on the table and I clean the table off to set it for dinner only to have them re-dirty it again while I am cooking dinner, and finding the socks that the pulled off their feet and tossed under the table so I have to crawl under it to get them, and having to pick up the half empty water glasses everywhere in the house seven times a day. . . . well - to get to my point I am getting kind of resentful towards my kids. I am begging to feel like I am nothing but chef, maid, and money giver - not a person in the house they love - just their slave. I know this resentment isn't fair - I choose to have those kids - they didn't ask to be born. I love my four kids - they are amazing kids - but I have turned into their slave who occasionally drill sergeants them into doing something. <br />
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Well - I don't like this - and if having toaster waffles for dinner one night allows me to re-connect with my kids and be more of a mom and less of a slave than I think the benefit those toaster waffles will bring will far outweigh their processedness. . .Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832629351444405849.post-21566810973040172032014-05-25T19:27:00.002-07:002014-05-25T19:27:09.864-07:00Be a "healthy" weight at all costs. . . .Oh I am angry. . . . .<br />
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Isn't that usually when I blog - when I am angry/upset/sad. . . . well this time I am angry. Mostly at myself - but also at society, healthcare professionals, just the way it is. . . .<br />
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So here it goes. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a registered dietitian, and have been for about 15 years. I have worked mostly through the health department as a WIC/Maternal Infant Health dietitian, but I have also worked at several hospitals. Obesity has always been an interest of mine - especially childhood obesity for several reasons. First - my mother - even though she came from an active family and she herself was an active child - has suffered from obesity her entire life and I have seen what that struggle has done to her. How people have treated her because of her obesity, how her weight has kept her from getting well deserved promotions and raises, how her battle against obesity (which included bariatric surgery) has ruined her health and left her heavier than ever. Second, my own struggles to be my IBW along with three very hard pregnancies that resulted in 50 weeks of bedrest have left me with a BMI of 38 - well in the severely obese range. Thus, I am doing a continuing education module called, "Underage & Overweight. America's Childhood Obesity Crisis - What every family needs to know." It is a great module. It kind of, for the most part, follows my own personal stance of "if you eat right and stay active than your weight is going to be what it is going to be," along with, "focus on health, not weight." The book talks about the changes in childhood obesity in the last few decades, study after study that shows calorie intakes and energy expenditures over those decades, study after study. . . . and I am left with two thoughts - first is, "dang, I have been right all along," and second, "WTF have we all been doing to ourselves all these years!"<br />
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So - here it goes. First - overweight does not mean unhealthy. Normal weight does not mean healthy. These are things I have thought to be true for MANY years but these were things I thought I was wrong about. Things that society and other health care professionals have told me I was wrong about. My BMI is above 25 so I must be unhealthy. My client's BMI is above 25 so they are unhealthy. I hate f-ing BMI and always have. It is a number that really means nothing. Body Mass Index. . . . deals with body density, not body fatness. Something I tell my clients EVERYDAY - but every insurance company, growth chart, and medical professional puts so much on that flippen number. . . and it is just that - a number. <br />
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So, I'll say it again, being overweight does mean someone is inactive and 3000 kcals a day of Doritos and Mc Donalds, while drinking 2 liters of soda pop and kool ade. At the same time just because someone is normal weight it does not mean they are healthy, it does not mean they have three high calcium foods a day and eat five fruits and vegetables a day while getting in their 60 plus minutes of rigorous activity, and it does not mean they have a healthy relationship with food. We, as a society, need to change this conception and stop putting so much emphasis on weight - instead we need to put it on being healthy!<br />
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This module I am studying discusses the increase in obesity over the last few decades - focusing mainly on childhood obesity but also talking about obesity in general. It has been noticed that people/children of today actually consume less calories and fat than the did 20 years ago. Let me repeat that - children of today consume less calories than they did 20 years ago. A third time - our kids are eating less calories today than they did 20 years ago. There goes the thought that we are eating more calories now than we have been and that is why we area a "fat" country with "fat" kids. <br />
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The module goes on further to recite study after study that discussed that the reasons we are gaining weight is because a - we are eating less calories than we need thus our bodies are in boarder-line starvation mode and b - we aren't as active as we once were. It states that if you are active in "starvation" mode than one of two things will happen, 1 - you will lose a small amount of weight before just hitting a point of maintenance until you stop starving yourself which will then cause your body to quickly gain the weight back or 2 - your body will force weight gain even if you are eating less and exercising because it is a protection mechanism. We have all seen people lose a tremendous amount of weight eventually gain it back, or heard people say, "I exercise and eat right but I can't lose weight." In the medical profession we tend not to believe them. We tend to think they are under reporting calories and over reporting activity because if they are eating as little as they say they eat and are doing as much as they say they are doing then they would be "thin", right? WRONG! <br />
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We - as health care professionals - push to have a "healthy" body weight. We focus on the healthy BMI range of 18-25, because we are told that is healthiest. Our insurance companies are even having higher premiums for individuals with BMI's higher than 25. Forcing people to go to drastic measures and even having surgeries to get to that point so they can be "healthy". We have been told over and over that if your BMI is above 25 then you are overweight and you have to do something. Well guess what, that is a pile of shit!<br />
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Please note, I am not promoting obesity or a BMI of 38 like mine - but that "normal" and "healthy" BMI of 25 is not all it is cracked up to be. First, a study did show that individuals who live the longest have a BMI of 25. That is fact. That exact number lives the longest, but the next range of individuals who live the longest is from 25-30, with an average having a BMI of 27.5. So why the heck are we pushing 18-25 if the range for healthy weight should be 25-30? Study after study shows that individuals who are 20-40 pounds overweight don't have any less life longevity than those at their ideal body weight. Again - why then are we pushing people to be at that lower weight with all this researched knowledge? Plus, it has been noted that elderly individuals who are 20 pounds above there IBW are more able to recover from illnesses than those in the "normal" BMI range - yet again we push to be in that 18-25 range. Can someone tell my why this is the case? Finally, and this is the thing that gets me, the Framingham study. Anyone who works in the medical field has heard of this study - it is a huge and very well respected study - well this study shows that men and women who lose weight have the highest death rates - even when the weight is voluntary and not caused by illnesses like cancer and AIDS. Let me repeat that - individuals who lose weight have the highest death rate - higher than those who are obese. This has been corroborated by other studies such as the Harvard Alumni study, MRFIT, CARDIA, and NHANES I. <br />
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WTF?!?!?!?!? So all this time I have been trying the help individuals lose weight because I thought it was healthy for them and would lead to a longer, healthier life when really I was just increasing their chances of earlier death?!?!?! I myself have struggled to be my IBW since I was 18 years old. Increasing my activity more and more and decreasing my intake more and more - I did this because I thought it would mean I would be healthier and live longer. . . and now you are telling me that in doing this I am just sending myself to an earlier grave?<br />
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I turn to myself and I am even more pissed. I look at my own body and just get pissed! I am an obese dietitian. Yep - a dietitian - someone who is supposed to be thin - and I am obese. I have heard other dietitians make fun of fat dietitians, heard them say things like, "I don't even understand how they can be a dietitian and fat, if anyone should be thin it should be them." I have read articles discussing how dietitians with BMI's above 25 should lose their license and not be allowed to practice because they are obviously unhealthy. I have been ashamed of my body for many, many years because my weight is not 90-110 pounds - my ideal body weight range - and have felt very much like a failure because of it. I have even went to doctors with my frustration and I am always told the same thing, "eat less and exercise more." I have looked at them and told them, "I can't eat less and exercise more, if I did that I would be eating nothing and exercising non-stop." Doctor's don't believe me. Even in my quest to run a half marathon, where I was jogging 4 miles three days a week and 8 miles on my long run day I ended up gaining weight and in my frustration I went to the doctor and was told, "Eat less and exercise more." <br />
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That is bull shit. I am obese - and I am obese because I was meant to be more than 110 pounds. Yep - my body liked 135 pounds. That was where my body was healthy. That was where I had energy to be active and could eat a variety of foods. I could drink milk and eat fruits and vegetables, but I was told I needed to lose 25 pounds. I was overweight at 135 pounds and I was unhealthy at 135 pounds - so I started doing something about that. Eating healthier and exercising. I got down to 128 pounds. I actually felt good at that weight, but it wasn't 90-110 pounds. I was still overweight and "unhealthy". I continued to eat a variety of foods and exercise, and I continued to stay at 128 pounds. For a year I worked hard and ate right, and at the end of that year I was still 128 pounds. I felt good - but not the 90-110 pounds I "should" have been. Something had to be done about that - so I did what many people do to lose that weight and be "healthy" - I did things that were un-healthy.<br />
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I see people doing it all the time and they get praised for it, but society and health care professionals. I joke that, "I swear it is OK to be anorexic and bulimic if you are obese, I mean, you gotta do anything you can to be healthy, right, and obese is unhealthy so extreme measures are required!" Heck - there are entire shows dedicated to individuals losing massive amounts of weight in a few months time - which losing that much weight in that amount of time really requires exercise being your full time job or doing very unhealthy things to do it. I know people who pop diet pills like candy and do "cleanses" on a regular basis. A 1200 calorie day is a day to feel guilty about and ashamed of, and every bite of food is an agonizing battle of adding calories in your head mixed with self-hatred and loathing.<br />
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I know that road - I have been there and to a certain extent I am still there - and yes - I am a dietitian. I have had about a dozen glasses of milk in the last 20 years because I decided 20 years ago to no longer drink anything that contained calories. I don't drink juice, any soda I drink is diet and my coffee is sweetened with stevia only, no cream here. Tea is plain, and iced tea is unsweetened. I have never been a sweets fan, so as much as I love to bake cookies and sweet breads I rarely eat them because I don't like them. Even today - I consume two meals a day and no snacks. I eat brunch and dinner. On the days I work it is even less, I have a 190 calorie protein bar for lunch and a balanced, home cooked dinner. I exercise daily - trying to jog at least one mile a day and I get in a mile walk at lunch. I make sure the pedometer has at least 10,000 steps a day, because that is what I have been told is required to be "healthy". I know my diet isn't balanced but I add a calcium supplement, multi vitamin, and fish oil daily to try to fill in any of the things I am missing. Yet - with that - my weight continues to shift up about 10 pounds every year or so. That 10 pound shift usually happens in a week. . . I will be stable and then just suddenly, for no reason at all, be 10 pounds heavier. I know this because I still weigh myself three times a week. <br />
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I eat healthy and exercise regularly, yet I am obese and ashamed of it. Embarrassed to be around other dietitians who are much thinner than I am because I must be doing something wrong. . . . I mean if I weren't doing something wrong than I would be 90-110 pounds, right? WRONG!<br />
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I was NEVER meant to be 90-110 pounds, but was brainwashed into believing that was the case by society and medical professionals. The photo of my great-great grandmother is on my shelf, a hard working farm lady who was probably 40-50 pounds above her IBW. With her is my great grandmother, another hard working farm woman who is 20-30 pounds above her IBW. I should have realized that genetically I was never meant to be 90-110 pounds. . . . NEVER. But instead I did things to be "healthy", because overweight is unhealthy and normal weight is healthy. I got close to it. . . 114 pounds was my lowest adult weight. I even stayed there for a few years, even though I started having seizures. Even though I was dizzy every time I stood up. Even though my head, joints, and bones always ached. . . .I was almost healthy. . . just 4 more pounds and I would finally be in the normal body range. . . . I did that until the day came when I honestly thought I was going to die. That was when I stopped and started eating daily again, twice a day actually. Most of the aches went away. The seizures stopped. And the weight started to go up.<br />
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Today I am many, many pounds more than I was then. My blood pressure is usually 90/60 - which is normal. I still do have issues with low blood sugar, so I have to watch what I eat, make sure I don't overdo carbs and I have protein at each meal because I am a reactive hypoglycemic. Something that was caused from my years of not eating. I have chronic GI and stomach problems, something caused again from years of not eating along with years of laxative abuse. My cholesterol is always very normal. I jog daily. I don't overeat. To be honest, with the exception of the GI issues (again, caused from the things I did to try to lose weight) I am healthier than I have ever been in my adult life. And I am obese.<br />
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My point to this rant is this. . . we have been lied. We have been told that we are fat because we eat too much and don't do enough. We have been told that if we lose weight we will be healthier and we will live longer and our lives will be healthier. We have been told what weight we should be and that anything above that is unhealthy. We have been told that it is OK to do extreme things to get to this weight - have dangerous surgeries - take pills - exercise beyond reason - limit our intake to starvation - it is all OK as long as we have a BMI below 25. . . . because that is what is healthiest and that is what will make us live longer. Well I call bull shit on that. We have been lied to, and study after study shows that.<br />
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Be active, eat healthy, enjoy eating, listen to your body's hunger and full cues, and your weight is going to be what it is going to be. Accept this and accept this in others. BE ACTIVE, EAT HEALTHY, ENJOY EATING, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY'S HUNGER AND FULL CUES, AND ACCEPT THAT YOUR WEIGHT IS GOING TO BE WHAT IT IS GOING TO BE! Healthy weight is different for each person and can not determined by a growth grid or a BMI number. . . .<br />
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That is my rant. . . .Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832629351444405849.post-36344653182624760112014-02-21T14:47:00.002-08:002014-02-21T17:05:52.070-08:00My thoughts to those who work with the poor.I have had several jobs as a dietitian. I have worked for Purdue to create a database of herbal supplements. I have worked at several different hospitals. I have worked at two different health departments - and my health department work is by far my favorite. I honestly love working with programs like WIC and MIHP. I would honestly do it for free if I could afford to.<br />
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Along with that, in my work the health departments I can say that I have worked with some really wonderful people. People who care about others very deeply and get joy out of helping. You will never get rich working in public health, but you can have a very rewarding career if you enjoy helping others.<br />
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For me it is easy, growing up poor I understand where many of these families are coming from. I lived with my Grandma for much of my early childhood and was raised with stories from the great depression. Knowing that my Grandma and her siblings went to bed hungry more often than full gave me my early exposure to nutrition. My grandma talked about how she had to be carried around on a pillow for years because she had rickets. Stories of waiting in long lines at the convent with a pot for soup for the family. Stories of when Grandma got older and at times had to beg for food for her own children. One of her longest friends ever was acquired when she went into B & C (now Ric's in Interlochen) and begged the owners for milk for her new baby Mary Ann. Jack and Jean Bilow who owned the store at that time gave Grandma some milk - got to know her and my Grandfather - and became life long friends. I have my own memories of going places with Grandma and being treated with great kindness by everyone who knew her. Very few people who got to know my Grandma didn't love her. She was pure kindness and love - and those who knew her very easily overlooked the poverty she lived in her entire life.<br />
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With that being said, I also have many memories (stories and personal memories) of watching my family be treated poorly by those who didn't know us because of our obvious poverty. Coming back from the grocery store and watching my Grandma cry because people treat her like she is ,"nothing." Hearing comments by people behind us in line about "lazy welfare rats" and "worthless welfare scum" from early on really does make you start to question your own worth in society. Sitting in parent teacher conferences where the teacher tells your mother that you will never learn to read and it really is a lost cause, while other kids with the same issues get special help and attention to help with their reading skills - kids from "better" families - continues to make you question your value in society. I was a free lunch receiving, poverty stricken child in a small community.<br />
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So like I said, for me it is easy to have empathy for those who require help. I have a picture of my Grandma in my office next to my computer to always remind me of the struggles she went through. When a mom comes in with no money for formula I can't help of thinking of my Great Aunt Dorthy Marie who died of starvation at 8 months of age because my Great Grandma's milk supply dried up and there were no programs like WIC or food stamps. Any time I can work it so that I get formula for a baby I know that I am helping to prevent another mom from having to beg for milk and another baby from going to bed hungry. I love what I do and would do it for free if I could.<br />
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That being said if you are going to work with poor you have to love it. You have to see the value in what you are doing and you have to see the truth in what a smile and encouragement can bring someone. Growing up in generational poverty it can be very easy to fall into the trap of feeling worthless. For some it can make them be more meek. For others this constant treatment can make them angry. Mad that in this country where so many seem to have so much you have to struggle to even put ramen noodles in the mouth of your children. Hopelessness because you know that your minimum wage job will really never make your life any better - and the reality of knowing that if you just stay home and do whatever you want will make you happier than working 40 hours a week at Wal-Mart. When you grow up with that being a reality and having people treat you a certain way - coming across someone who actually is encouraging to you can make a huge difference. In a life where every day is a struggle, and it is a struggle, finding someone who helps to make your struggle less can be monumental. A person who looks past dirt, old clothing, poverty and sees a person of value can make the individual realize their own value - and from self value can come the ability to accomplish things that never seemed possible before. Individuals who work with the poor should always keep that in mind. One smile or word of encouragement can change one person's world.<br />
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I work in WIC, a great program that helps so many people, but at times can seem frustrating. Someone may come in and be very angry because their WIC has run out and you aren't able to give them the formula/milk/cheese they need for one reason or another. They may yell at you. You may think, "Dang, you know you are the one who had the kid maybe you should get a job to feed that kid." It is easy to think thoughts like that, but you have to keep an eye on the big picture. The reality of it is that there is a good chance the person yelling at you does have a job, or two, or maybe even three. They themselves may be very hungry, and have had to hear their child cry for the last three days because there is no food in the house to feed them. They are mad and angry because when they come into your office they can smell the lunch you just had on your breath and you with your full belly are telling them, "No we can't give you the formula you want because of X" or "We can't recertify you today because you missed your appointment so you will have to come back in April." Sure they are mad - I would be mad too! If I had to listen to my kids cry themselves to sleep from hunger while you, with your lunch breath are telling me you can't help me. I would be angry. My babies are hungry, you have the ability to help me and you won't. <br />
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Working in WIC you will, at times, find families that don't want to make their situation better. They are out there - most of them are not in that classification - but their are some. There are some who just expect others to pay for their kids. That is just how it is. If you aren't giving them their formula/milk then they get angry because they are entitled to it and you are not giving it to them. I would be mad if I worked my four days and didn't get a paycheck for my time. I worked for that and I am entitled to it. . . . doesn't matter that it is different - perception is reality and to some people they perceive they are entitled to these services so not getting them makes them angry. It can be frustrating. You can sometimes feel less tempted to help these individuals out, but the reality of it is that you have to keep your focus. Who are you hurting if you don't give that person formula? You aren't really going to hurt that client - it is going to be those kids at home that suffer - not this frustrating individual in front of you. Those kids are who matter - in WIC that is what it is about - helping to produce healthier children.<br />
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What I am getting at is that most people who are poor are just that - people. They are people who work, live, love and who are just trying to do the best for their kids. Many of them work hard, I know my Grandparents where some of the hardest working people I ever knew, but for one reason or another, either lack of education, poor choices, lack of luck or all three, things just do not financially work out for some people. They are coming to you for help in one way or another and most of them appreciate that help. In regards to the ones that are abusing the program, you have to focus on who is really benefiting from that help - the children. It really doesn't matter how terrible and nasty the parent is it will be the kids that suffer the most if you refuse to help them. Along with that, if you assume everyone is from that entitled/abusing group, if you go to work everyday for a paycheck and get angry when someone comes for help, if you laugh and get joy out of denying people benefits because they don't deserve it, if you don't realize that how you act can change someones world than maybe, just maybe, you should start looking on indeed.com for a new job. You aren't doing yourself any favors continuing to work a job you don't like and you really aren't helping those that you are being paid to help.<br />
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Also, remember they are your customer, and without them you would not have a job.<br />
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This is just my opinion - for what it is worth. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832629351444405849.post-55531808268713417932014-01-25T06:26:00.002-08:002014-01-25T06:26:58.557-08:00Chicken Finger French Bread PizzaMy family LOVES this!<br />
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1 loaf French bread, split in half horizontally<br />
2 T EVOO<br />
8 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded<br />
13 oz frozen breaded chicken tenders, cooked according to directions and cut into 1/2 inc pieces<br />
2 cups pasta sauce<br />
1/2 c shredded Parmeasan cheese<br />
1 t basil and garlic seasoning blend<br />
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Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Brush cut sides of bread with EVOO. Place on baking sheets - cut side up. Bake for 5 minutes. Sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese evenly over cut sides of each bread half. Top evenly with the chicken. Top each with mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle each evenly with seasoning blend. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Cut into slices and serve. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832629351444405849.post-56791286072800881502014-01-25T06:04:00.008-08:002014-01-25T06:04:47.670-08:00Super Easy Weeknight PastaI came across this recipe YEARS ago. Haven't made it in a while.<br />
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1 jar Paul Newman's Sackarooney Pasta Sauce<br />
1 jar Classico Cheese Alfredo Sauce<br />
2 pounds Italian Sausage (any spice level you like)<br />
1/2 cup diced yellow onion<br />
1 large can sliced mushrooms<br />
1 pound Bowtie Pasta.<br />
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While pasta is cooking, saute sausage and onion until cooked through. Drain. Add pasta sauces and mushrooms. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Drain pasta thoroughly and add sauce. Serve with shredded fresh Parmesan.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832629351444405849.post-60564571677117493072013-12-27T12:05:00.002-08:002013-12-27T12:05:52.118-08:00Grandpa's chickenI do so love my Grandpa's chicken - we all do! This is more of a braised chicken breast - but we always called it Grandpa's chicken because that is what my Grandma always called it. She said it was my Grandfather's favorite chicken!<br />
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4 chicken breasts - cut to be no thicker than 1/2 inch thick and now bigger than a deck of cards. I usually get 8 to 10 pieces out of four chicken breasts.<br />
Flour<br />
Eggs - beaten<br />
garlic powder<br />
bread crumbs<br />
salt<br />
pepper<br />
Parsley<br />
onion powder<br />
chili powder<br />
oil<br />
water - 1 to 2 cups <br />
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set out two plates and a bowl. In the bowl beat 2-3 eggs. On one plate just put flour. On other plate put flour and all seasoning. Mix well. <br />
<br />
Put oil in large pan - heat until hot. Take each chicken breast -first coat with just flour mixture, then put in beaten eggs, finally cover in flour spice mixture. Fry until brown.<br />
<br />
Once browned put in baking dish. When all chicken is brown and in baking dish you make a pan gravy out of drippings in the frying pan you just used. To do this - have pan still be hot. Had water to pan and drippings - wisking it together. It will be hot! When all drippings have been mixed with water - pour over chicken in baking dish.<br />
<br />
Pre-heat oven to 350. Cover baking dish. Bake for one hour.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832629351444405849.post-70797148275702085552013-12-27T11:45:00.000-08:002013-12-27T11:45:01.279-08:00ChiliHere is my chili recipe Pretty easy!<br />
<br />
Diced tomatoes - 4 cans (with juices!)<br />
Dark red kidney beans - 2 cans - drained<br />
Light red kidney beans - 2 cans - drained<br />
Onion - 1 - chopped<br />
Garlic - 4 cloves - minced<br />
Ground beef - 1 1/2 pound<br />
Taco seasoning - two packets or 1/2 cup homemade<br />
chili powder - 2 T<br />
<br />
Brown ground beef and chopped onion together. Drain.<br />
<br />
Put all ingredients in crock pot. Cook in high for 8 hours. Add extra chili powder and taco seasoning 1/2 hour before serving, if desired. We eat this over corn chips with shredded cheese on top.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832629351444405849.post-719209778609505612013-12-27T11:36:00.001-08:002013-12-27T11:36:29.508-08:00Bean soupThis is my bean soup recipe - everyone loves it.<br />
<br />
Ham bone and fat from cooked ham- 1<br />
Left over ham - diced - 2 cups<br />
Navy beans or northern beans - 2 pounds<br />
onion<br />
Bacon - 1 pound<br />
Salt and pepper - to taste<br />
<br />
Boil clean ham bone and fat for four hours. Remove bones and fat - save broth.<br />
Prepare dried beans according to package to cooking stage. Add beans and chopped onion to ham broth. Cook for two hours - until beans are desired consistency. <br />
<br />
Fry or broil bacon. Chop. <br />
<br />
Before serving add bacon, diced ham, salt, and pepper to broth. Stir and serve hot.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832629351444405849.post-52957790657593225202013-12-27T11:31:00.000-08:002013-12-27T11:31:13.771-08:00Mashed potato pancakesThis is my Grandmother's mashed potato pancake recipe!<br />
<br />
4 cups left over mashed potatoes.<br />
2 tsp garlic powder<br />
1 cup shredded cheese<br />
flour<br />
salt<br />
2 eggs - beaten<br />
oil (I prefer bacon fat for this recipe)<br />
<br />
Mix mashed potatoes, garlic powder and cheese together. Make patties. <br />
<br />
Mix flour and salt together. Dredge each patty in flour, then beaten egg and then back in flour again. Fry in oil until crispy.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832629351444405849.post-36473750705030546332013-12-27T11:27:00.000-08:002013-12-27T11:27:03.860-08:00Meatballs over noodles - recipeHere is an easy recipe that works well for cook outs or just an easy night meal.<br />
<br />
Frozen meatballs (1/2 of a large bag)<br />
Cream of mushroom soup - 2 cans<br />
Brown gravy mix - 2 powders - I get Wal-Mart brand<br />
Milk - 1 cup<br />
Noodles - 1 1/2 pound<br />
<br />
This will serve six people with leftovers.<br />
<br />
Put frozen meatballs in crock pot. Cover with mushroom soup, gravy powder and milk. Stir. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.<br />
<br />
Cook noodles according to package. Drain. Serve meatballs over noodles.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832629351444405849.post-4715758084666041932013-11-03T15:25:00.001-08:002013-11-03T15:25:15.654-08:00Life moves on. . .It has been a rough weekend - for many reasons.<br />
<br />
Today as I was going around the day in my despair a thought crossed my mind - a thought that brought more tears and panic in my stomach. It it me that life just continues to move on, even when those we love aren't here anymore. Forward it moves - without them. Forward - like a car stuck in drive down a hill. . . always forward.<br />
<br />
2 years and 7 months have passed since Grandma died. 2 years and 7 months. . . . Life has continued. Babies have been born. Marriages have fallen apart. Her home is crumbling apart with no one in it to love it. My life has turned into my own version of hell - and she is not here to share any of this with. The one person I need more than anyone on this planet is gone forever - and I am sick about it. 2 years and 7 months and it still hurts so much to not have her here.<br />
<br />
I think of her so much lately. I think of those long winters with her alone. No car. No way to visit anyone - just hoping someone she loves would stop or call. I think of that day my Aunt Mary died, she said my Grandpa could feel the life leave her hands and asked her to go get the doctor. I think of the strength she must have had to keep going. I think of her as a child, cold, hungry, and abused. I think of that day when my Grandpa died. My Grandpa, her rock, her only family, and he died leaving her with three little kids. I remember her talking about how hard it was to have to go home and tell them that their Daddy wasn't ever going to come home again. I am so trying to draw from her strength. . . .<br />
<br />
God I miss her so much. Sometimes I just want to scream and break things. I want to be able to sit by her grave and talk to her - but I can't.<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832629351444405849.post-24917510159281540202013-10-20T15:08:00.002-07:002013-10-20T15:09:41.442-07:00Homesick. . . It has been a rough week. Not sure why. Maybe it has been the full moon. Maybe it is because it is just hot, humid and miserable here AGAIN. Maybe it is because I had to stay home a few days this week instead of volunteering at the school - and when I am alone the real sadness and depression kicks in. Maybe it is because it is fall, my favorite time of year, yet here fall is the same as every other season. . . . hot and humid. Whatever the reason - this week has been rough.<br />
<br />
As a child I read the story of Heidi. I read how she missed her mountains so much that she was actually physically ill. I read it, but really didn't get it. I do now.<br />
<br />
Here we are - in Florida. A place where a soldier during the Seminole war once wrote "If the Devil owned both Hell and Florida, he would rent out Florida and live in Hell!" Every moment I am here I feel a piece of me die. A piece of who I am as a person. What I stand for. I can not exist here as who I am. . . . I either have to change myself or just hide away from everyone. A place where everything I love does not exist (except my husband and kids). I hate living here with every ounce of who I am. The climate is horrible (I thought the cold was terrible - but this non-stop heat and humidity can drive one mad!) The people are so not who I am - they are either scary (the vast majority of the freaky stories you hear on the news come from Florida), closed minded beyond belief, or immoral. The bugs - they are everywhere. Compounded to that is the fact that I am deathly allergic to fireants - and they are everywhere outside - thus even if I did want to suck it up and deal with the heat and humidity to go outside I have to live in constant fear of fireants. . . .<br />
<br />
Florida - where if you have no extra money there really is NOTHING to do. Everything costs money. Everything. Going to the beach you have to pay to park. Going to a farm in the fall to look at animals and you have to pay just to get in. Walking into the county fair just to look at the animals is going to cost you $50. Everyone loves Florida because there is "so much to do" here, but I can tell you that if you don't have extra money then there is NOTHING to do in Florida. <br />
<br />
Florida is 1400 miles from my family. I miss my family. I miss them so much it hurts. I miss seasons. I miss change. I even miss the snow (OK -not 6 months of snow - but I miss snow). I miss just being able to sit on my Grandma's porch and watch the cars drive by. I miss the festivals, the hiking trails, the fall colors, the excitement of change and the holiday season. Florida has none of that. My kids, I love them, but nothing is ever good enough for them. They always find something to complain and fight about - from what I am making for dinner to what we are watching on TV. There is no joy down here in Florida - in the house or out of the house.<br />
<br />
Everyday I long for home. . . . I know this is where my family is and this is what I should consider my home, but I don't. Being here makes me physically and emotionally ill. Everyday that I am here another part of me dies. . . . I keep thinking that tomorrow has to be better than today. . . but it never is. It is just another day living in my hell. I keep waiting for something really bad to happen - one of the kids to get sick or killed - my husband to be killed on his way home from work. . . . that is what Florida is . . . nothing but bad.<br />
<br />
I am afraid that I will never leave this place. That every day will just be like it is - an day worse than the one before. A day with no joy or happiness - another day where another piece of me dies. I fear that I will die down here and that my body will spend eternity in this place - slowly rotting forever in my hell. . .<br />
<br />
I am ashamed for how I feel. I didn't like the long winters of Michigan - they depressed me as well. My husband has a job that he loves down here. My kids are doing OK down here. I know my family would be happy down here if it weren't for me. They like the beaches. Gabe loves Florida. Nick has a job that he really likes. The girls are the girls - they miss Michigan but they are fine where ever. . . It is me. Maybe I am not meant to be happy and I just need to accept my lot in life.<br />
<br />
I can say though that I do fully understand Heidi now. I miss home. I miss the feel of home. I miss family and holidays with my family (even if they did drive me crazy!) I hope and pray I get to see Michigan again someday . . . I do so hate it here. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832629351444405849.post-51544944066105750192013-09-25T11:04:00.001-07:002013-09-25T11:04:34.614-07:00A typical morning in the Shadoff house!Decided to share our morning routine!<br />
<br />
5:45am - alarm clock goes off. Thankfully someone invented "snooze". Clock goes off every seven minutes until 6:06.<br />
<br />
6:06am - stumble out of bed and do bathroom stuff.<br />
<br />
6:15am - check facebook (must get priorities in order!)<br />
<br />
6:25am - get breakfast ready<br />
<br />
6:30 (ish)am - start trying to get children out of bed. First oldest child's room - shut off his TV (which has been on all night), get screamed at by child1, "I AM AWAKE!" Walk across hall to attempt to wake up child2. Hear, "I hate school, I don't want to go!" Walk to other end of home to wake up children 3 and 4. Child three clings to mattress, overs head up with blanket and shoves finger further in mouth (finger sucker, not a thumb sucker), while child4 jumps out of bed with the energy of a chipmunk after four energy drinks and starts singing a song, loudly out of key. Then child 4 begins to talk to you non-stop about something or other (you haven't had coffee yet - mind you), and starts asking what is for breakfast, what is for lunch, what is for dinner, what is the square root of 874, why do we poop. . . . .<br />
<br />
6:40am - finally get out of twins room (child 4 chattering behind you the entire way), dog trips you - which reminds you to let the dog out (which you do). Child 4 then notices how "nasty" breakfast is and starts complaining, then demanding coffee, water, and saying she doesn't want to take her medication. You ignore this and go back to the rooms of the older two. You tell them both that it is time to get up. Child 2 starts moving, thus causing child 1 to start SCREAMING, "I GET TO SHOWER FIRST!" as he bolts out of the room, knocking you over to get to the bathroom first, child 2 (who is 2 feet from your ear at this point), screams, "I KNOW!" With the ringing in your ears you come back to the kitchen area. Child 4 is STILL talking about something, and child 3 is no where in the area. You go back to the twins bedroom, yank her pillow out from under her and lift her to her feet, causing, "I DON'T WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL!" to be cried out of her lips in a cry/whine that only a 6 year old girl can do. You take the loved pillow and put it at her spot at the table. It is now 6:45 and you inform them that they have 15 minutes to eat before it is time to get dressed.<br />
<br />
6:48am - you re-treat back to facebook world . . . . hearing child 2 scream at any child who chews/swallows anything with sound. Child 3 is curled up at the table sleeping while child 4 cries, "You have to eat Child3! You will be hungry!" Child one is now in the shower finally.<br />
<br />
7:00am - Dog is now barking to come in and be fed - but you ignore that. You go to twins bedroom and get clothing for them. You then come out to the kitchen where Child2 is angry and yelling that breakfast wasn't, "good enough." Child 4 is jumping and dancing in the room, Child3 has still not eaten anything yet. Since Child4 is done eating you decide to let them pick which outfit to wear out of the two you brought out. This causes Child3 to SCREAM, because of course Child4 always picks the outfit that Child3 wanted to wear. You put the clothing on Child4 (while she is dancing) and tell her to go get socks for both her and her sister. Child2 is still screaming because breakfast is, "Disgusting." You start trying to dress child3, but she won't get her finger out of her mount long enough to put her shirt on. This is when you notice Child4 is not getting socks like you asked her to, she is instead licking the glass on the French door. You remind her to go get two pairs of socks, still trying to wrestle the finger out of child3's mouth. Child four takes six steps towards the room with the socks in it and then stops to play with something only she can see on the floor, while Child2 is now screaming, "EVERYONE HATES ME AND WANTS ME TO STARVE TO DEATH, I CAN'T EAT THIS DISGUSTING FOOD!" (still trying to wrestle the finger out of Child3's mouth so you can get her shirt on), when you tell Child2 she is more than welcome to eat breakfast at school. This causes Child2 to scream like you just told her you were going to scalp her first born. Child4 is now rolling on the ground (still no closer to those socks), but you have gotten the finger out of Child3's mouth long enough to get her shirt on her. You remind child4 about the socks (probably yelling at this point), and try to get pants on Child3 - who is attached to her pillow. At this point child2 tosses a utensil across the room and proclaims her life is over and everyone is against her. <br />
<br />
7:15am - Child4 finally shows up with socks. Child3 screams because she doesn't like the socks that were picked out for her. You tell her to put them on anyway and state that we are leaving in 5 minutes. Child3 starts screaming because the socks, "don't feel right." Takes them off several times and tries them on the other feet - then proclaims, "These socks don't fit my feet! They feel all wrong!" Child4 is now singing "Take me out to the Ball Game" at the threshold of pain, while Child2 is now screaming because Child1 is still in the shower. You go to the bathroom to tell the child who has now been in the shower for 30 minutes that it is time to get out only to get screamed at, "I JUST GOT IN HERE AND HAVEN'T WASHED ANYTHING YET!" You tell twins to put shoes on - which causes them to start screaming because they don't know where their shoes are (they are all in the hall tree in bags with their mate). You then tell them (again probably yelling at this point) that you are leaving for the school and they better get their shoes on. By now husband has appeared and usually says something helpful like, "This family sucks in the morning." Child3 is still screaming because the socks aren't right and is refusing to put shoes on, Child4 has shoes on but starts screaming and crying, "Sissy, put your shoes on or we will leave you!" Dog is still barking outside to come in, cat is posed at the door to run out as soon as it opens.<br />
<br />
7:25am (five minutes after the time when you were supposed to have left) the twins finally leave the house. Child1 was still in the shower, and Child2 is left in the house crying. Husband is making that cup of coffee that I am going to devour when I get back. Twins stop on the way to the fan to look at the frog, leaf, lizard, piece of dirt, father's car. . .pretty much anything they can find to slow them down. <br />
<br />
7:33 am - you finally pull out of the driveway (yes it took you 8 minutes to walk the 20 feet from the door to the van!) You drive past the old bus stop which has the twins screaming the name of every friend they went to school with last year. Ears start ringing again. <br />
<br />
7:45am - you get to the school. When the twins are getting out of the van you get lectured by the lady at the school because it is too late for them to get breakfast - causing Child3 who didn't eat any of the breakfast in front of her to start crying because she is hungry. Women looks at you like you are a monster for making your child starve to death. You try to explain that you offered her breakfast, she just didn't eat it, woman takes pitty on your "neglected" child and allows her to go straight to the lunchroom to get breakfast, tossing you a dirty look as she walks away with your child.<br />
<br />
7:55am - return home. Child2 is finally in the shower, Child1 has rap music playing at the threshold of pain. Thankfully you are still partially deaf from all the screaming that has happened in the morning so you can only make out a few swear words over the ringing in your ears. Child1 starts laughing and taunting Child2 while they are in the shower because they are "running out of time." I explain to Child1 that the reason Child2 is out of time is because they took a long shower. Child1 laughs. <br />
<br />
8:05am - I tell the children they have 5 minutes before they have to leave. Child2 starts panicing because she just got out of the shower and had nothing packed for school. Child1's music is now really becoming annoying, now that the ringing in the ears has gone down some, and you tell them to turn their music off, causing them to start screaming about their First Amendment rights. <br />
<br />
8:10am - Child1 walks out the door. Child2 is running around like a chicken with its head cut off, screaming they can't find something. Finally the child clucks her way out the door and the house has an eerie quiet. . .but only for a moment because the dog starts barking again (she is still outside BTW).<br />
<br />
8:15am - dog is fed and you are seriously asking yourself if it is too early for a glass of wine. . . Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832629351444405849.post-46772118210744204162013-09-16T12:07:00.001-07:002013-09-16T12:07:06.468-07:0010 things I like about Florida. . . .On trying to be more positive - trying to pull myself out of this funk that I don't want to be in - I figure that I will write 10 things I like about Florida.<br />
<br />
10. The native Floridians sure do crazy things that keep you hoping. Sometimes it is fun to watch two people get into a fight in the Wal-Mart parking lot. They can be entertaining.<br />
<br />
9. Disney. OK - Disney is cool. Don't think I need to say more. . . .<br />
<br />
8. No winter driving. I would always get anxious and worried when I had to drive anywhere with my kids in the winter. Don't have to worry about that here.<br />
<br />
7. Frogs and toads everywhere. They are really cool.<br />
<br />
6. Lizards every where - they are really cool as well.<br />
<br />
5. Impressive storms. The amount of rain you can get in a short amount of time would was roads away in Michigan. Fireworks of lighting are amazing as well. <br />
<br />
4. Being able to wear my Birkenstocks all year. I don't like wearing tight, close toed shoes. In Florida you never have to!<br />
<br />
3. No state income tax. They do make up for it in other ways (1200 to plate our two cars when we moved here, $500 to get my RD license) - but they do not have state income tax. <br />
<br />
2. St. Augustine, and other historic forts. They are just beautiful and a lot of fun to wonder around.<br />
<br />
1. The gulf and the ocean. There are amazing beaches!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832629351444405849.post-47705432297532169292013-09-10T09:58:00.001-07:002013-09-10T09:58:33.116-07:00I am so done. . . OK - first of all I want to apologize for all the whining and crying I have done the last few months. I don't like being that person. I don't like being the person who panics and goes off.<br />
<br />
I was talking to a fellow meals on wheels delivery person today. He was talking about his twin brother and he showed me a photo of him. The man in the photo looked about 10 years older than the person I was talking to, and I mentioned that to him. He said, "Yah, that is my brother. He worries about everything and says few words and I think that is part of it. I always tell my daughter there are three things to live by - 1 - be nice to everyone. Doesn't matter who they are, just be nice to them. 2 - Be happy. The best way to combat worry and anxiety is to just be happy. 3 - Be brave, because when you are brave is when you will leave your comfort zone and go off and do something great." That got me thinking about who I am as a person, lately and my entire life. Really has me thinking. . . .<br />
<br />
For most of my life I have been worried or anxious about something. Would this be the last time I will see Grandma because she will die? Will my parents car make it to where we are driving to? Would my parents have another fight and I have to pack everything up and leave again? Would the house catch on fire tonight when we are sleeping? Would there be enough food tonight to eat? You can see where this is going, right. . So much of my life has been eaten up by worry. I know see my own four children - Gabe already worried about how he is going to pay for college. Lucy who panics when I get out of her sight in public because she thinks I left her. Lucy who is so afraid of drowning that she won't learn to swim. Lucy who panics when ever we have to cross a road, even if no one is coming. I see how this is effecting my children, and altering their happiness. <br />
<br />
Along with this, I have always done what is "safe". I am not a gambler - I don't get enjoyment out of it. I like the sure thing, but, in life, sometimes you have to be brave and gamble. Sometimes the only way to get ahead is to gamble and just jump in. I don't do that. Nick's master's degree was probably the closest thing we have ever done to gambling. Heck - even my BS was calculated - I wanted to be a doctor but I figured if I didn't go that far then I would need a degree that could still get me a job - that is the reason I went into dietetics - it could be a pre-med degree but I could still get a job if I didn't go that far. <br />
<br />
I am so done with worrying about everything - and over thinking every detail. It has gotten me nowhere. I don't want my children to repeat this life I have created for myself - so I am going to change it. I am going to make myself not worry about everything. I am going to make myself stop over thinking things - even if it means I will be drinking more wine until I can re-train my brain. I am done with this. . . .Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832629351444405849.post-69990884068263302562013-08-31T12:44:00.003-07:002013-08-31T12:46:17.230-07:00The greatest social programs in this country. . . .OK - so everyone hates welfare and social programs. Go to facebook to see how your family is doing and somewhere you will see a friend spouting off on how terrible welfare and social programs are. They are destroying this country. . . the entire reason we have the national debt we have and our country is in the state it is in is because of social programs (or at least that is how it would seem by some f-book status!) Well, I want to voice my opinion on few of my favorite programs!<br />
<br />
First - Meals on Wheels. Most of meals on wheels programs is privately funded. Most of the food is purchased from donations. The time spent to prepare and deliver this meals is usually donations from people who are willing to give their own time and use their own gas money to make and deliver these meals. This program is designed to help those who are unable to prepare their own meals have at least one hot, healthy meal. Most of the people on this program are elderly - but I know I have delivered meals to people who are my age but have end stage diseases. This is an AMAZING program. Not only does it provide at least one meal to individuals who may not otherwise have a meal (because of financial problems, their inability to prepare a meal, or just the fact that they are so lonely and depressed that they man not make the meal for themselves), but it also gives these people human contact that many of them may not have if this program didn't exist. For some of these people - this may be the only contact they would have in weeks! This helps these individuals be healthier and overall decreases costs associated with malnutrition related hospital stays.<br />
<br />
Next - WIC. WIC is a program through the USDA that provides formula, milk, cheese, fruit, peanut butter, cereal, eggs, and bread to at need pregnant women, infants and children under the age of five. The guidelines for WIC are more liberal than food stamps - as far as who can get it - with the cut off being ~180% of the poverty level for each family size. This is not like food stamps where you are given a card and can get whatever you want - you are told which formula you can get, and how many pounds of cheese, gallons of milk, oz of peanut butter - etc. This has helped millions of infants and children by nourishing them properly. Proper nutrition from in utero to school age DOES save money from malnutrition related illnesses, as well as promotes proper brain development to help decrease special education needs to malnourished children. <br />
<br />
Third, the free/reduced school lunch program (breakfast program). OK - I know it isn't all that healthy and it should be better than it is - but the reality of it is that for many kids in this country the only food they can reliably get is what they get at school. One out of every five children in this country do not know if they will be offered their next meal. That is a fact. You can go on and on about how the parents should be providing for their kids, and about how they shouldn't have had kids if they couldn't afford it - the fact is that these kids are already here and the do exist, and many go to bed hungry every night. Free breakfast and lunch during the school year has helped millions of kids in this country to have a meal or two each day. The kids born into poverty had no choice in the matter - they were born where they were born - so our tax money helping to give them a bowl of cereal for breakfast and a slice of pizza for lunch is - IMHO - the least we can to to help these kids.<br />
<br />
Fourth, and I don't know if this is a social program but Pell grants and Stafford loans. I know I would have been unable to go to college without these two things. These programs help those to help themselves. Not everyone is born with parents that can help them go to college, but these two programs do help individuals who do excel at college to be able to go to college. <br />
<br />
Last - head start. This is a wonderful program for at risk kids. Head start is not just for individuals with low incomes - it is also for children who have special needs. Gabe qualified for head start because of his autism diagnosis, and the program really did help him be prepared for kindergarten (on a social level because he really could have skipped K and first grade and academically started in second grade.) I once read a report that stated that each dollar spent on head start saved two dollars in future special education costs because it helped kids that much.<br />
<br />
So - these are just my thoughts for the day about social programs I love. There are more - I am sure - but these are my favorite programs. Call me a socialist if you want. Call me a hippy (Gabe does), but I love these programs!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832629351444405849.post-56053490855386806122013-08-27T06:26:00.000-07:002013-08-27T06:26:12.847-07:00The 10 reasons I miss living in Michigan are. . . .<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
So – it is obvious that I miss Michigan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every time I say I miss it Gabe gets very
angry and upset.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He loves Florida (or so
he claims) and doesn’t get why I miss that, “God forsake, hick, white trash
state.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I decided to pick the top 10
reasons as to why I miss Michigan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here
they are, in order of least to the #1 reason as to why I miss Michigan (think of it David Letterman style!)</div>
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10.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are no fire
ants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>OK – this is a lot of northern
states – but I hate fire ants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To make
matters worse – I am deathly allergic to fire ants so I am scared to death that
one sting one of these days will kill me!!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I am scared to even go outdoors because these things stink!!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C-B5VI9gNc0/Uhyla6Mn_qI/AAAAAAAAAII/7MRuKR0lU8c/s1600/blog1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C-B5VI9gNc0/Uhyla6Mn_qI/AAAAAAAAAII/7MRuKR0lU8c/s1600/blog1.jpg" height="252" width="320" /></a></div>
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9.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mackinac
Island.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh how I love that island.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing like the ability to go back in time
for a few days to make you feel relaxed and refreshed!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--2gERGZAM8s/Uhyl0lNtNtI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/fpzGWL9JaZQ/s1600/blog2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--2gERGZAM8s/Uhyl0lNtNtI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/fpzGWL9JaZQ/s1600/blog2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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8.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hiking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I miss all the hiking trails and state
land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I miss taking my family someplace
and walking through the woods with them and seeing the beauty that the state
has to off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, you technically can
hike here in Florida if you are OK with the humidity and bugs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Really – we went walking through a small
wooded area to geo-cash once only to come out covered in cock roaches and
spiders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Florida is hostile and not
enjoyable to hike in!</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.michigan.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/hiking-in-michigan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.michigan.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/hiking-in-michigan.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fresh
produce.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought when we moved to
Florida that we<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>would be in fresh
produce heaven!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Heck – you can grow all
year down here!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The produce down here is
terrible and never tastes fresh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
is nothing like a fresh Michigan apple (or fresh cider during the right time of
year), the sweet strawberries, the fresh cherries, the zucchini that people just
give away because it grows so fast, fresh sweet corn. . . . oh how I miss the
fresh produce and the fresh produce stands!!!</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://dinemichigan.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Michigan-Fruits-and-Vegtables.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://dinemichigan.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Michigan-Fruits-and-Vegtables.jpg" height="218" width="320" /></a></div>
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6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Festivals and
parades.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During the summer and fall I
swear there is some type of festival or parade you can go to<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- and if you are OK not buying anything you
can go to it for free!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here we have
found that most festivals charge you to even enter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Strawberry Festival (which I thought
would be like the Cherry Festival in Traverse City) costs money to even get
onto the grounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As far as parades down
here – most of the parades we have found really aren’t suitable for kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vPGNUcZwQws/Tgy9buK_AvI/AAAAAAAAAKw/XDofVLsVd_o/s1600/cherry+festival.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vPGNUcZwQws/Tgy9buK_AvI/AAAAAAAAAKw/XDofVLsVd_o/s1600/cherry+festival.jpg" height="156" width="320" /></a></div>
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5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
lakes/rivers/fresh water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh how I love swimming
at Duck Lake, or the Grand Traverse Bay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Lakes and rivers so clean you can see the floor of the lake and
river!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may get swimmers itch, but I
never had a ray nibble on my toe when swimming in Duck Lake, or stepped on a
Ray while swimming in the bay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Florida
has the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, but most of the time it is so
murkey you can’t see what you are about to step on.</div>
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4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I miss
seasons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I miss spring, with the fragrance
of lilacs filling the air.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I miss
summer, with comfortable days where you can open the windows and hang your
clothing on the line to dry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I miss fall
– the beauty of fall (my favorite season) – the crisp air – the smell of wood
smoke – the canvas of colors – my heart yearns for fall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I even miss winter to a certain point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I miss the fat snow flakes that stick to
everything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The white blanket of snow
making everything look like a fairy land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I am not going to lie – from mid-January until May I do get sick of
winter (and yes – it sometimes snows in May!) – but I miss some winter.</div>
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3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
life-style.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Michigan has a feel all to
itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Driving across the border from
Ohio or Indiana you notice a difference right away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The state is empty compared to the rest of
the country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It just has a different
feel to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The life-style is a little
less cut throat – a little more laid back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Hard to explain if you haven’t lived anywhere else – but living in
Michigan is nothing like living in Indiana, Georgia, or Florida (the three
other places I have lived) – and I miss that lifestyle. It isn't all perfect - sometimes those small towns where everyone knows everything about everyone can be hard to live in (I lived a way more interesting life through gossip than in real life) - but I miss it just the same!</div>
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2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My Grandma’s
house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I bet you thought this was going
to be the number one reason I wish we could move back to Michigan – but it isn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do love my Grandma’s house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is the one place on Earth where I can feel
myself at peace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is something
about that beautiful brick home that just makes me feel joy and love like no
other place on this planet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I miss that
house and wish we lived closer to it so I could visit it (and my Grandma’s
grave – sad I didn’t get to put flowers on her grave this year)</div>
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And the number one reason I miss Michigan is . . . the
people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yup – I miss the people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of the people I love live in
Michigan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There a few others scattered
around the country – Texas – Georgia – New York – but most of the people I love
live in Michigan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From family I grew up
with, to those who might as well be family because I love them as much as if
they were family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From the owners of the
Karlin Store who have known me from birth and always ask how I am doing, to my
adopted sisters Miss Tonio, Miss Nicole, and Miss Samantha – who I couldn’t
love or miss more if they really were my blood sisters, to neighbors who became
family and their children who I love like they are my own, to my aunts and
uncles, cousins, parents and brother, to my former co-workers at the health
department and all those people I got to work with at the health department who
allowed me to visit them in their homes and who I also love and care for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I miss the people that <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>were in my life there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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So – to those who think I want to leave Florida just because
it sucks here – that isn’t the total reason (but it is part of it!) – and to my
son who really doesn’t get why I could miss the mitten – here it is.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832629351444405849.post-74121344594141383382013-08-22T09:47:00.001-07:002013-08-22T09:47:38.645-07:00Recipe: Patty's pie1 graham cracker crust<br />
1 yogurt (single serving size - any flavor)<br />
1 container of Kool-whip.<br />
<br />
Mix yogurt and kool-whip in a bowl. Put in graham cracker crust. Refridgerate.<br />
<br />
One of my co-workers from the health department gave me this recipe and my kids LOVE it!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832629351444405849.post-26989560543274048802013-08-22T09:42:00.001-07:002013-08-22T09:42:16.722-07:00Recipe: Parm Fish2 pounds of your favorite mild fish (I love fresh whitefish, but cod, or any inexpensive white fish works well)<br />
flour<br />
breadcrumbs <br />
salt<br />
pepper<br />
oil (OK - I like using bacon fat here, but canola oil works well also) <br />
1 T minced garlic<br />
3 eggs<br />
Parmesan cheese.<br />
<br />
Put 1 c. flour on a plate. Set aside. Put eggs in a flat container (a bread pan works well here) - mix so it looks scrambled. On the next plate put ~1c flour, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Mix. <br />
<br />
In large skillet, heat oil. Add garlic to oil.<br />
<br />
Now in assembly line fashion put each fish in plain flour, then egg, then your flour/bread crumb mixture - making sure to cover with each product. Place in hot garlic oil. Cook on medium heat, turning once, after about 3-4. The fish usually cooks rather quickly (10 minutes). When fish cooked take fresh shredded Parmesan cheese (I get a large container at Sam's club) and put on each fish - enough to cover the fish. Cover and continue to cook until cheese melts.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0