No, I'm not lying. I'm really 39! I swear! It sounds like I should be wink-wink, nudge-nudging and saying that I'm "39" with air quotes around it. But, I am quite happy about turning 39. I have never felt more comfortable in my own skin than I do now. And next year, I get to turn 40. This isn't my last ditch attempt at hanging on to my youth. Truth be told, from the time I was 10, I have always felt about 30. So, you see, the more birthdays I get, the younger I really am. This is nicer since I am on the other side of 30 now.
A few years ago, I took my son (who's birthday is 2 days before mine) and my niece (who's birthday is 3 days after mine) to Disneyland. We went to the special office where you declare you are there to celebrate your birthday and get a cute little sticker that pronounces both your name and how old you are. To my son, they asked how old he was. He told them "12". To my niece, they asked how old she was. She told them "12". The kid behind the counter pulled out a sticker. I saw him squirm and knew he was trying to figure out how exactly to ask me what my age was or even if he should ask me. To save him the embarrassment, I simply told him "36". His shoulders relaxed and a big smile came over his face. I told him, "I'm 36 and I'm in Disneyland. I don't care who knows it." The rest of the day, we were each greeted with a smile, a "Happy Birthday" and felt very special.
You're only as old as you feel! I'm not lying...I'm really 39!
A government task force has released new guidelines for mammograms. Instead of the annual mammogram from the age of 40 that is currently in effect, the task force recommends that women don't start getting mammograms until the age of 50 and then only every other year. They also said that breast self-exams don't work and shouldn't even be taught to women. As a person who has personally known women who survived breast cancer as well as one who has had close friends and even my own grandmother die after a breast cancer diagnosis, this is an outrage to me. My biggest concern is that, if insurance companies follow these guidelines, they won't cover the cost of mammograms for women under 50 if they choose to be proactive about early detection. Further, if women ages 50 and older decide they want an annual mammogram instead of one every other year, will insurance companies cover that?
The key to survival of breast cancer is early detection. I know of several women who detected a lump that didn't show up on their annual mammogram but was instead found during their monthly self-exam. So, the idea that self-exams do absolutely no good is ludicrous to me. Some of the more famous women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and survived include Olivia Newton-John, Sheryl Crow, Melissa Ethridge, Edie Falco, Ann Jillian (all in their 40s when they were diagnosed) and Christina Applegate (who was 36 when she was diagnosed). They would not have been so fortunate for early detection if they had followed these new guidelines.
Are the new guidelines for mammograms really a way for insurance companies to save money or are they an honest look at what works best? You will have to be the judge. But answer this question for me. Are you willing to gamble the life of your mother, sister, wife, cousin, daughter, granddaughter or friend?
For some reason, when I was pumping gas the other day (appropriate, no?), the song "Beans, Beans the Magical Fruit" came to mind. Can you see why that might be?
Apparently, "So nice, you'll taste it twice" is considered a great advertising campaign. Of course, if you're buying your lunch at the gas station's convenience store, I guess you're not a real "stickler" for quality.
This is one of my family's absolute most favoritest commercials in the world. If you don't have a Kaiser Hospital in your area, you've probably never seen this before. This little boy is cute, hilarious and poignant all at the same time. Enjoy!
The Cosmic Cow's Carra Riley sent me a message on Facebook from one of her other Facebook friends telling me about this heartbreaking/heartwarming story that I wanted to pass along to everyone else in hopes that you, dear Active Rain members, will help this little boy and his family create a legacy of help and hope for other little kids.
Little Noah Biorkman is a typical 5-year-old boy: he loves Christmas. However, what is atypical for this little guy is that he has been fighting cancer since he was 3 years old. When it went into remission in late 2007, the family was overjoyed. But, a year later, Noah experienced a relapse. Currently, Noah is in hospice care in Michigan after being diagnosed with end stage neuroblastoma. Both he and his family have come to terms with the fact that Noah most likely will not make it to Christmas. But, instead of focusing on the negative, they have decided to make the most of the time Noah has left in this world. Christmas was brougth to Noah this weekend.
After the family had put out Noah's request to receive as many Christmas cards as possible, they were overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and wishes from all over the world, including a package from as far away as Hong Kong. So far, they have received around 8000 cards. The family is forever grateful to all these people for showing such tremendous support to their little boy. Since the Biorkman family has received so many packages, they have set up a trust fund in Noah's name and have asked that, in lieu of gifts, please send a card with $1 inside and they will donate all money received in Noah's name to the University of Michigan's neuroblastoma research center and the Michigan Make-a-Wish chapter. Please send a card to the family. If you wish to also send them a gift, please make a donation instead of anything you are comfortable with.
Cards can be sent to:
Noah Biorkman 1141 Fountain View Circle South Lyon, MI 48178
Thank you, Carra, for letting me know about this story. It is heartbreaking as well as heartwarming. My card and donation are in the mail tomorrow. I hope more people join me in this.
This is a series of texts between my son, the genius, and I yesterday between his classes:
Genius Son: "Guess what. I got B's on both of my last two tests."
Momma Genius: "Which class?"
G.S.: "They was math."
M.G.: "Way to go!"
G.S.: "LOL. I is a mad genius. We must celebrate with Survivor and chocolate strawberries."
M.G.: "Why don't we celebrate with you not getting anything else taken away because you acted like an idiot, genius? (and Survivor & chocolate strawberries)."
G.S.: "Sounds fair. I am a genius. LOLOLOLOLOLOL."
M.G.: " You is a mad genius, doooood!"
Apple doesn't fall very far from the tree, does it? He had his X-box taken away earlier in the semester when we found out he wasn't completing all his work in his math class, thus causing his grade to suffer. That's where the "not getting anything else taken away" comes from. Behold! My son, the Genius!
THIS IS HAPPENING RIGHT HERE IN OUR OWN COUNTRY! We must stop this immediately!
Have you noticed that stairs are getting steeper?
Groceries are heavier and everything is farther away. Yesterday, I walked to the corner and I was dumbfounded to discover how long our street had become!
You know, people are less considerate now, especially the young ones. They speak in whispers all the time! If you ask them to speak up, they just keep repeating themselves, endlessly mouthing the same silent message until they're red in the face! What do they think I am...a lip reader?
I also think they are much younger than I was at the same age. On the other hand, people my own age are so much older than I am. I ran into an old friend the other day and she has aged so much that she didn't even recognize me. I got to thinking about the poor dear while I was combing my hair this morning and, in doing so, I glanced at my own reflection. Well, REALLY NOW - even mirrors are not made the way they used to be!
Another thing, everyone drives so fast these days! You're risking life and limb if you happen to pull onto the freeway in front of them. All I can say is their brakes must wear out awfully fast, the way I see them screech and swerve in my rear view mirror.
Clothing manufacturers are less civilized these days. Why else would they suddenly start labeling a size 10 or 12 dress as 18 or 20? Do they think no one notices? The people who make bathroom scales are pulling the same prank. Do they think I actually 'believe' the number I see on that dial? HA! I would never let myself weigh that much! Just who do these people think they're fooling?
I'd like to call up someone in authority to report what's going on -- but the telephone company is in on the conspiracy too. They've printed the phone books in such small type that no one could ever find a number in there!
All I can do is pass along this warning: WE ARE UNDER ATTACK!
Unless something drastic happens, pretty soon everyone will have to suffer these awful indignities.
PLEASE TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO WE CAN GET THIS CONSPIRACY STOPPED!
PS: I am sending this to you in a larger font size, because something has happened to my computer's fonts - they are smaller than they once were.
One of my most absolute favoritist commercials ever:
If you have ever seen a dancing cow in your neighborhood, then you might know what restaurant he is promoting:
This little guy (or gal, you can't really tell) is always working his/her tail off to tell everyone to not both with eating beef. It's so passe. "Eat More Chikn". I saw him/her dancing on the corner when I went to pick up some lunch today. Chik-Fil-A is a fantastic fast food restaurant with tons of healthy food to eat that tastes fantastic. Had to share!
Save the cows! Eat More Chickn!
**These photos were taken by my very own camera and are my property. However, if you like what you see and want to use them for yourself, please let me know. I might give my permission, I might not. I gotta hear the reason first. ;-)**
When the weather changes, I like to make homemade chili. You can either go completely from scratch by buying dry pinto beans, soaking them overnight, sifting through and rinsing them out before putting them into the slow cooker and then making your own rue. But, I like to keep things simple. So, here is the quicker method for a great wintertime chili.
Ingredients:
2 lbs ground maple sausage* 3 cloves garlic, minced 3 cans pinto beans 1 can kidney beans 1 can stewed, diced tomatoes 1 tablespoon dried Oregano 1 tablespoon Allspice 1 tablespoon Coriander 1 tablespoon Cinnamon 1/2 medium chopped white onion Cheddar cheese, shredded
*You can use any ground meat you like. I like ground maple sausage because it has a rich flavor with a hint of sweetness in the maple. Jimmy Dean sausage is the best.
1. Heat the minced garlic over medium heat and then brown the sausage*. Drain.
2. Add beans, tomatoes, sausage and spices to pot. Stir.
3. You can either leave the pot on a low flame on the stove for an hour and a half or you can put it in a slow cooker at the lowest setting for a few hours. I prefer the slow cooker because of the "set it and forget it" theory of cooking.
4. When it's all heated up and you can't stand to just smell it anymore, it's done.
5. Add chopped onion and cheddar cheese as garnish on top and serve.
Happiness really is a state of mind. If you think it, you can be it. Here are five easy ways that you can be a happier you:
1. Enjoy your own company. If you like being with you, other people will, too. And, you'll never be alone if you are fine with being by yourself.
2. Smile and/or laugh. Not only does this usually elicit the same response in others, but it releases a chemical in the brain called "serotonin" that makes you feel happy.
3. Wear fuzzy socks. OK, they don't HAVE to be fuzzy. But, slipping on some warm socks and wiggling your toes makes you just feel cozy and happy. Especially against the chilly winter weather.
4. Sing! You don't have to be Mariah Carey or Whitney Houston. Just pick up a hairbrush, turn the radio up loud and sing and dance along to your favorite song. If you're in the car, turn the radio up as loud as you dare and sing to your heart's content. Don't worry what people in the other cars think. They're probably doing the same thing.
5. Chocolate. Yeah, too much is a bad thing. However, indulging in a little dark chocolate when you're feeling blue is not only a health benefit, but a nice little mood booster as well.
There are tons of other simple, easy ways for you to be a happier you. What do you do that makes you happy?
Second Self offers support services for real estate professionals, including website maintenance & design, online listing & contact management, marketing, SEO, ghostwriting & blogging.
Second Self: when there just isn't enough of you to go around!
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
This is a series of texts between my son, the genius, and I yesterday between his classes:
Ingredients:
Happiness really is a state of mind. If you think it, you can be it. Here are five easy ways that you can be a happier you:
;)
;)
