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Old Testament Essays
versión On-line ISSN 2312-3621
versión impresa ISSN 1010-9919
Old testam. essays vol.22 no.1 Pretoria 2009
"For better or for worse?" - The (Christian) Bible and Africana women1
Madipoane Masenya (ngwan'a Mphahlele)
University of South Africa
In her quest for the continued close connection between the Christian Bible and Africana women's realities, the author uses the folktale of the Rabbit and the Lion (cf. Ndebele 2007) as a background to portray the ambiguous post-apartheid South African reality. The South African context, which is the author's social location, serves both as a point of departure and a connecting link between African women in South Africa, those on the African continent as well as women of the Africa Diaspora regarding the intersection of power, the Christian Bible and Africana women's realities. The main question addressed by the article is: Why do Africana women continue to cling dearly to this Book that has, historically, mostly been used "for worse" in their varying interpretive contexts? The agency of these women in the interpretative processes is also highlighted. As one form of redress, a communal Africana women's reading strategy is employed to read some of the texts from the Hebrew Bible.
"Full text available only in PDF format"
Bailey, R. C. and Grant, G. eds. The Recovery of the Black Presence: An Interdisciplinary Exploration. Nashville: Abingdon, 1995. [ Links ]
Bailey, R. C. Yet with a Steady Beat: Contemporary U.S. Afrocentric Biblical Interpretation. Atlanta: SBL, 2003. [ Links ]
Bediako, K. Christianity in Africa: the renewal of a non-western relgion. Edinburg: Edinburg University Press, 1995. [ Links ]
Brueggemann, W. The Bible and Post-Modern Imagination: Texts under Negotiation. London: SCM, 1993. [ Links ]
Cannon, K. G. Black Womanist Ethics. Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1988. [ Links ]
_____ "Slave Ideology and Biblical Interpretation." Semeia 49(1989): 9-24. [ Links ]
Ceresco, A. R. Introduction to Old Testament Wisdom: Spirituality of Liberation. Maryknoll: Orbis, 1999. [ Links ]
Cohen, L. "South African Leaders live world apart from the people." Sunday Times, 24, August (2008): 6. [ Links ]
Cone, J. A. Black Theology and Black Power. New York: Seabury, 1969. [ Links ]
Dube, M. W. "Reading for Decolonization (John 4:1-42)." Semeia 75(1996): 37-59. [ Links ]
_____ Postcolonial Feminist Interpretation. St Louis: Chalice, 2000. [ Links ]
_____ "Rahab is hanging Out a Ribbon: One African Woman's Perspective on the Future of Feminist New Testament Scholarship." Pages 175-202 in Feminist New Testament Studies: Global and Future Perspectives. Edited by Wicker, K. O. et al. Palgrave: Macmillan, 2005. [ Links ]
Fabella, V. and Oduyoye, M. A. eds. With Passion and Compassion: Third World Women Doing Theology. Maryknoll: Orbis, 1989. [ Links ]
Felder, C. H. Stony the Way we Trod: African-American Biblical Interpretation. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1991. [ Links ]
Fewell, D. N. and Gunn, M. G. "'A Son is Born to Naomi!' Literary Allusions and Interpretation in the Book of Ruth." Pages 233-239 in Women in the Hebrew Bible. Edited by Bach, A. New York and London: Routledge, 1999. [ Links ]
Fontein, C. "Proverbs." Pages 145-152 in The Women's Bible Commentary. Edited by Newsom, C. A. and Ringe, S. H. Louisville: Westminster / John Knox Press, 1992. [ Links ]
Leo-Rhyne, E. Poverty and the Caribbean Family. Unpublished Paper read at the Pan-African Seminar on Religion and Poverty, Kingston, Jamaica, 2003. [ Links ]
Levine, A. "Ruth." Pages 78-84 in The Women's Bible Commentary. Edited by Newsom, C. A. and Ringe, S. H. Louisville: Westminster / John Know Press, 1992. [ Links ]
Lartey, S. C. "Elmina Castle, 1-3." No pages. [ Links ] [Cited 23/08/ 2008]. Online: http://www.blackhistorysociety.ca/Elmina.htm.
Maluleke, T. S. and Nadar, S. "Alien Fraudsters in the White Academy: Agency in Gendered Colour." Journal of Theology for Southern Africa 120(2007): 5-17. [ Links ]
Masenya, M. J. "In the School of Wisdom: an Interpretation of Some Old Testament proverbs in a Northern Sotho Context." [M. A. diss., University of South Africa, Pretoria, 1989]. [ Links ]
Masenya (ngwana' Mphahlele), M. "Proverbs 31:10-31 in a South African Context: A Bosadi (Womanhood) Perspective. [ Links ]" [D. Litt et Phil thesis, University of South Africa, Pretoria, 1996].
_____ 'Trapped Between Two Canons: African-South African Christian Women in the HIV/AIDS Era' Pages 113-127 in HIV/AIDS, African Women and Faith Communities. Edited by Phiri, I. et al. Pietermaritzburg: Cluster, 2003. [ Links ]
_____ How Worthy is the Woman of Worth: Rereading Proverbs 31:10-31 in African-South Africa. New York: Peter Lang, 2004. [ Links ]
_____ "Theirs Hermeneutics was Strange! Ours is a Necessity! Reading Vashti in Esther 1 as African Women in South Africa." Pages 179-194 in Her Master's Tools? Feminist Challenges to Historical-Critical Interpretations: Global Perspectives on Biblical Scholarship. Edited by Van der Stichele, C. and Penner, T. Atlanta: SBL, 2005a. [ Links ]
_____ "The Sword that Heals! The Bible and African Women in African-South African Pentecostal Churches." Pages 47-59 in On Being Church: African women's Voices and Visions. Edited by Phiri, I. A. and Nadar, S. Geneva; WCC, 2005b. [ Links ]
_____ "The Bible, HIV/Aids and African-South African women: A bosadi (womanhood) Perspective." Studia Histororiae Ecclesiasticae XXXI/1(2005c): 187-20, [ Links ]
Martin, J. P. "Toward a post-critical paradigm." New Testament Studies 33(1987): 370-385. [ Links ]
Mbiti, J. S. African Religions and Philosophy. London: Heinemann, 1989. [ Links ]
Mofokeng, T. "Black Christians, the Bible and Liberation." Journal of Black Theology in South Africa 2(1988): 34-42. [ Links ]
Morran E. S. & Schlemmer. L. 1984. Faith for the Fearful. Durban: Centre for Applied Social Sciences, University of Natal. [ Links ]
Mosala, I. T. "The Implications of the Text of Esther for African Women's Struggle for Liberation." Journal of Black Theology in South Africa, 2(1988): 3-9. [ Links ]
_____ Biblical Hermeneutics and Black Theology in South Africa. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans 1989. [ Links ]
Mosala, I. T. and Tlhagale, B. eds. The Unquestionable Right to be free: Black Theology from South Africa. Braamfontein: Skotaville, 1986. [ Links ]
Murphy, R. E. 1990. The Tree of Life: An Exploration of Biblical Wisdom Literature. Grand Rapids: Michigan; Cambridge, U. K: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. [ Links ]
Nadar, S. "On Being the Pentecostal Church: Pentecostal women's voices and visions." Pages 60-79 in On Being Church: African women's Voices and Visions. Edited by Phiri, I. A. and Nadar, S. Geneva; WCC, 2005. [ Links ]
Ndebele, N. S. Fine Lines from the Box: Further Thoughts about our Country. Umuzi, 2007. [ Links ]
Nzimande, M. K. "Post-Colonial Biblical Interpretation in Postcolonial South Africa: The Gebirah in the Hebrew Bible in the Light of Queen Jezebel and the Queen Mother of Lemuel." [Ph.D. diss., Brite Divinity Sachool, Texas Christian University, 2005. [ Links ]
Oduyoye, M. A. and Kanyoro, M. R. A. eds. The Will to Arise: Women, Tradition and the Church in Africa. Maryknoll: Orbis, 1992 [ Links ]
Thurman, H. Jesus and the Disinherited. Nashville: Abingdon, 1949. Okure, T. "Invitation to African Women's Hermeneutical Concerns." African Journal of Biblical Studies, Volume XIX/2 (2003):71-95. [ Links ]
Pataki 2007, Personal [telephonic] Conversation, [ Links ] 18 March, 2007.
Phiri I. A et al. 2002. Herstories: Hidden Histories of Women of faith in Africa. Pietermaritzburg: Cluster. [ Links ]
Raboteau , A. 1978. Slave Religion: The "Invisible Institution" in the Antebellum South. New York: Oxford University. [ Links ]
Weems R. J. "Reading Her Way through the Struggle: African American Women and the Bible." Pages 31-50 in The Bible and Political Liberation: Political and Social Hermeneutics. Edited by Gottwald, N. K. and Horseley, R. A. Maryknoll; Orbis, 1993. [ Links ]
Welsing, F. C. The Isis Papers - The Keys to the Colors. Chicago: Third World Press, 1999. [ Links ]
West, G. O. Biblical Hermeneutics of Liberation: Modes of Reading the Bible in the South African Context. Pietermaritzburg: Cluster, 1991. [ Links ]
Ziervogel, D. and Mokgokong, P. C. Comprehensive Northern Sotho Dictionary. Pretoria: Van Schaik, 1975. [ Links ]
Prof. Madipoane Masenya (ngwan'a Mphahlele)
Department of Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Studies
P.O. Box 392, University of South Africa, UNISA, 0003, South Africa
E-mail: email@example.com
1 This article was first, albeit with a few revisions, read as the inaugural lecture at the University of South Africa, 28 August 2008.


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Do you like this contemporary sculpture, of a big and heavy female visage who appears to be in a dream as it rests in the center of the action in the town square (Rynek Gl/o'wny) which was designed in the 13th century? It's placement reminds me of how Krakow strikes me as a spiral or an onion. There are layers and layers to discover of the town itself along with myself in this town.
For me the sculpture represents something that has become apparent relatively quickly during my first week here. Time mingles, layers and spirals in and out, around in this place. Evidence of habitation in the Paleolithic Era rest within Wawel Hill. The hill houses churches and palaces where within beautiful representations of Medieval, Gothic, Romanesque, Baroque and art nouveaux architecture, religious art and decoration reside.

subset: commoncrawl


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Like the nerd I am, today I read through my latest issue of The Costco Connection. On page eleven, I found this quote from Brian Tracy, the chairman and CEO of Brian Tracy International, a training and personal development company:"All successful people do four things. They set clear goals, take risks beyond their comfort zones and accept feedback and self-correct. Above all, successful people never give up."
How about if I unpack this a bit for all your writerly types?
- Set clear goals. What are your goals this year? What would you like to see happen in your writing career in the next five years? Ten? Over a lifetime? If you haven't yet written them down, stop reading this post and do it. Of course, that means going to Jesus and asking Him to enlighten you to the best goals. Of course it means that He will supply the strength to accomplish those goals. I'll share one of mine for the next five years: Learn to write a screenplay. Someday I want to see Watching the Tree Limbs on the silver screen.
- Take risks beyond your comfort zones. I think all writers intrinsically know this. We reach beyond our comfort zones every time we query or send a proposal or write in a genre we're not familiar with. I certainly felt out of my element writing a memoir in the present tense, but I'm so glad I did it. I'm a better writer because of the risk, I believe. But let's take it further to marketing. For some of you it means you'll need to get past timidity to do a radio interview or book signing. It may mean you have to practice speaking in case you land on TV someday.
- Accept feedback and self-correct. Oh how true this is! All along the writing, marketing and publicity journey, we receive tons of feedback. It's not easy on our egos to take it all, but it's necessary. Self-correcting means we heed the well-seasoned advice of professionals and make alterations to our writing, speaking, and marketing campaigns. Every day we have the potential to get helpful feedback. And every day we have a choice to become bitter about it or better. Which will you choose?
- Never give up. I truly believe that the difference between those who get published and those who don't is the never-giving-up factor. Keep at it. Slam into those brick walls if you must; then bandage your head, wait until your vision stops blurring, and keep writing. Write the next word, then the next. Write, write, write. Trust, trust, trust.
And through it all, write for God's fame, not yours.
www.marydemuth.com, www.wannabepublished.blogspot.com, www.relevantblog.blogspot.com


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The Tacoma News Tribune reported this week that the City of Lakewood and the Nisqually Tribe have entered into a fee for service agreement related to the Tribe's new convenience store. The Tribe will reportedly pay $19,000/year for services. The article notes, "Without the agreement, the tribe wasn't required to pay taxes, but the city also wasn't on the hook to provide public services." This may be half true. Once in trust, the tribe wouldn't be liable for certain taxes. But do cities withhold services from non-Tribal entities who do not pay taxes or refuse to enter into fee-for-service agreements? Especially when such entities are exempt as a matter of federal law? Probably not.
Moreover, withholding services based on citizenship of an owner seems problematic. Regardless, these potential problems illustrate the wisdom of such agreements . Like good fences, good interlocal agreements make for much better neighbors.
Anthony Broadman is a partner at Galanda Broadman PLLC. He can be reached at 206.321.2672, email@example.com, or via www.galandabroadman.com.


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The first day of the WMUTE conference was opened by a keynote of Prof. David Cavallo from the University of Maryland iSchool and College of Education on Liberating Learning: How Ubiquitous Access to Connected Computational Devices Releases Education from the Tyranny of Information Recall. In his keynote he explained why the focus on mostly trivial information recall is the wrong educational focus for the ubiquitous age and that different approaches are needed. Furthermore he showcased some projects where he guided students to solve real-world problems using open engineering environments to foster their expression, construction, design & collaboration rather than presenting and recalling information.
The following sessions were then devoted to Mobile Learning Activity Design and Mobile Collaborative Learning. In the first session a design for mobile activity support across learning contexts, a scaffolded participatory and collaborative reading application, as well as the results of a survey covering the possibilities and challenges in mobile learning for K-12 teachers were presented. In the second session 3 collaborative system prototypes (i.e., SCROLL a context-aware ubiquitous learning-log system, LETS GO a system to support ecology field work for upper secondary schools, and SMS-HIT an approach to integrate SMS components into CSCL scripts) as well as a conceptual framework towards the support of field and in-class collaborative learning were presented. If you are interested in one of the presentations or would like to have some more information, please do not hesitate to contact me.


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Owning Year Six
I had a lot of fears in comedy. Bombing (or people not getting the joke), not getting likes (on Facebook or in person), even friends that say they'll come see you (because it means they won't). Ever watch a showcase on Comedy Central like Premium Blend or A Night At Catch A Rising Starbecause you see names like Silverman and C.K. under the description? Then fast forward thru some random comic because you want to see a young Chris Rock? That's another fear. Me being that random.
I went from trying too hard and not enough to maybe I should do homework (year 1) to cole mining. No shortcuts or flashlight. Just a shovel (year 2) to when I was on stage, I compared it to spinning plates. I was doing the act, feeling out the room, thinking on the fly with crowd work or reorganizing jokes, and hearing myself think while the spotlight was on me (year 3) to hosting and producing a weekly comedy show. Creating a show for paying regulars that attend every Monday night for over a year (year 4) to stopped caring about the act but wanting the regulars to have a good time or at least stay and pay attention (year 5). Bombing isn't so bad. Neither is people that don't like your posts or me in real life and people still walk past me or reintroduce themselves like they forgot we met.
Most people wear something inspirational about not fearing, be yourself, or selling themselves short with "I'm the next big thing" and hide behind how they really think about themselves. Year six is me putting myself out there. When I was getting away with saying things at open mic nights and not documenting anything, it's time I take ownership. I'm not running for office, just want to be accountable and put out content for people to laugh. Even when it's painful for me.
Where did this confidence come from? The confidence is always in us. We dance by ourselves and have hip hop names. Sometimes it takes being alone in a dark room for it to come out. I dressed up in my Superman costume and posed for a polaroid. My grandmother asked, I did it, don't know why. With a little attitude change and support from my friends, I'm sharing moments.
My only advice is: Get better by accepting any situation as a challenge and a experience. The more experience you experience, the better you are at handling situations. I'm not the most popular or have the most friends. All I can control is how I treat them and how hard I work at something. A good attitude and hard work will only get you so far. Sometimes when someone tells you no it's time to kick down your own doors. Own 2016. Whatever you put out there. Own it.


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The Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association (RVDA) filed its fourth set of federal comments this week with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), asking for clarification on the issue of whether RVs constitute "dwellings" and, more importantly, whether the CFPB has the legal authority to regulate RV dealers under Regulation Z.
According to an article in RV Executive Today Online, RVDA provided numerous justifications why all RV sales should be treated as motor vehicle sales and not as mortgage-type transactions, and why RV dealers should face only one set of regulations enforced by the FTC, rather than an additional set of rules and regulations administered by the CFPB.
In 2010, RV dealers were given an exemption from CFPB oversight in return for more vigorous scrutiny and enforcement by its current regulators – the Federal Trade Commission enforcing rules established by the Federal Reserve. Now, however, it appears that the CFPB is formalizing a back route to regulate RV dealers when they sell RVs to full-timers, since this may be seen as a mortgage type transaction on a dwelling rather than a traditional vehicle sale. This would bring RV dealers back into CFPB oversight. RVDA is highlighting the difficulties and expenses this would cause to the industry.
RVDA said that RV dealerships, which are overwhelmingly small-business enterprises, would face unconscionable financial risks and logistical difficulties when selling an RV to a full-timer unless the CFPB clarifies that an RV is not a dwelling when sold to a small market niche of RV enthusiasts.


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'Restaurant: Impossible' gives Red Lion restaurant a makeover
Video: Chef Robert Irvine on surprising the Cape Horn Family Restaurant
Watch the show
What: "Restaurant: Impossible," featuring Cape Horn Family Restaurant in Red Lion
Air date: 10 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 17 (tentatively)
Channel: Food Network
As restaurant owner Joni Kauffman served customers at Cape Horn Family Restaurant in Red Lion earlier this week, she assumed it would be just another typical work day.
But when Chef Robert Irvine from the Food Network reality show "Restaurant: Impossible" walked through the doors, she knew it would be anything but typical.
"Restaurant: Impossible" has been renovating failing restaurants across the country and restoring them to profitability for 12 seasons.
This season - which begins Oct. 22 - is an "ambush season," co-executive producer Jill Littman said, which means that each of the restaurants featured, including Cape Horn, had no idea that "Restaurant: Impossible" was coming.
It's a very different experience from the last time the "Restaurant: Impossible" came to Central Pa. to renovate Harrisburg's Dodge City Steakhouse , Irvine said.
When Irvine told Kauffman Cape Horn was chosen to be featured on the show, he said she cried for 45 minutes.
"If I showed up in your business and walked in your kitchen, and you were serving food and you saw me, how would you feel?" Irvine said.
Cape Horn Family Restaurant, located at 601 Lombard Road, Red Lion, was chosen by producers after Kauffman's husband, Barry, submitted an application, explaining that his wife was struggling both personally and financially, Littman said.
"It was a compelling application," she said, "and it seemed like she really was desperate for help."
Joni Kauffman opened the restaurant four years ago after working as an EMT for 36 years. She had no formal training or knowledge about how to run a restaurant.
Now, more than $250,000 later, Irvine said the restaurant is on the verge of bankruptcy. Without "Restaurant: Impossible," he predicted Cape Horn would have been closed by next week.
Walking in to Cape Horn Tuesday was Irvine's "biggest nightmare," he said.
"The carpets were disgusting, no cleaning, the staff doing not what they're supposed to do — taking a paycheck and taking advantage of the owner."
According to York County restaurant health inspections, Cape Horn has also been out of compliance as recently as May 5.
But in the next 36 hours and with a $10,000 budget, Irvine planned to fix all of that.
He and his crew, along with dozens of volunteers from the area, started working around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday and didn't stop until about 2:30 a.m. About 90 local volunteers also helped with the renovation in three shifts, Irvine said. After a couple hours of sleep, they were back at it again bright and early Wednesday morning.
By Wednesday night, Irvine said the restaurant would have a new menu, new food, new décor and a trained staff. He couldn't go into the specifics of the renovation, but he said the restaurant will look "nothing like it was."
Joni Kauffman was also unable to comment on the renovations and restaurant changes, due to a non-disclosure agreement with the show. But she did post on Facebook that Cape Horn is looking to fill positions for servers, bussers, a host or hostess and prep and line cooks.
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IF ANYBODY OUT THERE KNOWS ANYBODY OUT THERE WHO IS INTERESTED IN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS STARTING... Posted by Joni Griffith Kauffman on Friday, October 9, 2015
Alysha Bauer, of Red Lion, stopped by the restaurant Wednesday morning and said she can't wait to see the transformation.
"This was our go-to breakfast spot," she said, but she hasn't been back for about a year due to slow service and poor quality of food. "It just got to the point where we stopped coming, so I'm really excited to have it back."
If everything remains on schedule, Irvine said he planned to reopen the restaurant at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.
The restaurant is no longer accepting reservations for Wednesday night, but customers can stop by Thursday morning, when the restaurant will resume normal business hours.
"It's amazing to watch," Irvine said of the renovation process. "It's a life transformation. People think 'Restaurant: Impossible' is about a restaurant. Yes, we fix the restaurant, we make it work. (But) to see (Kauffman's) face tonight (at the reopening), and see the food put out instead of the food they put out yesterday and the way the staff has changed and all those things, these are real people. They have lives, they have businesses, they have mortgages - my job is to make sure they're not thrown out on their feet."
If you go
What: Cape Horn Family Restaurant
Where: 601 Lombard Road, Red Lion
Hours: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday
More information: Call 717-246-6314, email firstname.lastname@example.com or visit Cape Horn Family Restaurant on Facebook .
Dover paranormal research team to appear on Destination America's 'A Haunting'
Watch New Freedom resident on 'Dr. Oz'
Reality TV? Monica and 'The Bachelor'


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PMD: Why You Should NOT Treat Patients Like Family/
Welcome to this week's Future Proof post on Physician's Money Digest (PMD). I want to veer off the track of talking about money today and share a story from my time as a medical student. If anyone ever told you that you should treat your patients "like your own family," this post is for you. As usual, read the full post at PMD. An excerpt is provided below.
One of the most memorable moments I remember from medical school was when one of my family medicine attendings told me "If you treat your patients like family, you'll do alright." Since then, I've gone through clinical clerkships, survived internship and now on my way to becoming an interventional radiologist. As I reflect on all the years in between, I realize I do indeed treat my patients like family - although not in the way you would imagine...
Meet My family:
I have a decent sized family, not huge by American standards, but full of different characters. Let me share a few of my family members with you.
The overly-involved mom - my mother was the prototypical tiger mom which means not only does she have very high standards for me, she also tend to get a little too interested in how I live my life. I love her dearly but I rarely ask for her opinion on anything of substance for the fear that she'll just take over. For example, when I excitedly told her I scored in the 96th percentile on my MCAT exam, her response was "why were there 4% of the people who scored higher?" And she immediately launched into attack mode trying to plan out daily study plans for when I retake the exam.
Patient correlate - know any patients who try to tell you how to do your job down to every last detail?
The contrarian dad - my stepfather is a good man, but he loves to play devil's advocate. Often it feels like he prefers to argue because he enjoys confrontation rather than actually care about the topic of discussion. Case in point, I once repeated back to him his exact words: "so what you're telling me is this [insert quote here]..." and he immediately began to argue against himself!
Patient correlate - know any patients who try to point out why nothing you suggest would work but can't seem to offer any coherent suggestions of their own?
Read the full post at PMD, then come back here to share your thoughts and comments.


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I have really struggled this week to get used to the new points system. But I think I am getting there slowly. My replacement Fitbit Flex came this week and I used my first full day with it back on my wrist to see how I have been getting on without my lovely long walks (which with work and a strong will toddler who insists on walking but at a snails pace) is a rare treat indeed. The results were not good! Not even hitting my most basic of goals.
I am giving myself today and tomorrow (because it's a bank holiday and I'm off to the cinema with the kids) to get the last of my negativity and junk snacks out of my system and then I'm going for it! Determined to hit my 3 miles on the days I'm not tied to my desk at work, and to stay within my points. I have been really half-arsed about it this week and missed out on that lovely first week mega loss as a result.
I did lose though!
2016 start weight: 13 st 5lb
Current weight: 13 st 2lb
Loss: 3 lb
So this weeks goals are:
Lose 1-2 lb
3 miles of steps when I'm not at work
Track all my food (from Tuesday on anyway)
And because it's the start of a new month, here's a montlhy target:
Drop half a stone in May
Facebook has changed it's policy for posts to Facebook pages like mine. They are only showing posts to a few likers unless I pay to boost the views. Since I don't earn money from my blog (or at least not much, not even enough to buy one posh a coffee a week) I wont be doing that. The best way to make sure you will see my blog posts is to subscribe by email up there on the right. I usually only email once a week and include an invitation to my blog hop so you can share your posts too.
You can also go to my page, hover over the "liked" button and select get notifications. Then you will see my posts and status updates in your notifications. Mumma Walker on Facebook


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To relieve stress with the answers you need from an experienced professional. Call us at 506.638.9220 or send us a message so that we can contact you.
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text: Ireland (shown here in this Dingle Peninsula photo) has been among the greenest pastures for countries seeking to reduce their tax liabilities through a process called "corporate inversion." iStockphoto hide caption toggle caption iStockphoto News White House Urges Lawmakers To Address Popular Tax Dodge July 17, 2014 Treasury Secretary Jack Lew has signaled his intention to push for legislation shutting down "corporate inversions," techniques commonly used by companies to dodge the corporate income tax. White House Urges Lawmakers To Address Popular Tax Dodge Listen · 3:53 3:53 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/332351634/332351635" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript


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GOSHEN — The long, rancorous debate over the fate of the Orange County Government Center ended abruptly Wednesday, as a group of Republican lawmakers sided with Democrats to pass a proposal to renovate the 43-year-old complex.
The 15-6 vote marked another stinging defeat for County Executive Ed Diana, who has pushed to demolish and replace the county government's main office building since 2010, and a victory for Democratic lawmakers and others who defended the architectural landmark and insisted it could be upgraded much more cheaply.
Chairman Michael Pillmeier's resolution, which authorizes bonding $10 million to design the renovations, was sprung on lawmakers on Wednesday, only two days after Democrats and Republicans clashed over whether to renovate or embrace Diana's fallback plan — replacing two-thirds of the building and renovating the court section alone.
Pressure has mounted recently with an approaching March 12 deadline to decide what path to take or risk losing up to $2.7 million in federal funds to repair water damage caused by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee in 2011. Until Wednesday, neither side appeared to have the two-thirds majority, or 14 of 21 votes, needed to approve bonding.
During debate at Thursday's meeting, Democrats — who have supported renovating the building all along — applauded Pillmeier, a Republican, for showing leadership in bringing forward the proposal, something no one had done since Diana's previous plan for a $75 million complex failed to win enough votes last May.
"I am thrilled to see us moving forward on something," said Roxanne Donnery, a Highland Falls Democrat.
Republicans Melissa Bonacic and Katie Bonelli both said they supported Diana's new construction plan, estimated to cost up to $68 million, but were voting for Pillmeier's resolution to end the conflict. Bonelli said she was concerned about the toll the closure of the Government Center has had on businesses in downtown Goshen, which she represents.
Voting against the proposal were Republicans Leigh Benton, Patrick Berardinelli, Steve Brescia and Dennis Simmons; Independence Party member Michael Amo; and Democrat Harvey Burger.
Brescia argued that renovating would cost more than building new in the long run and still leave the county with an inefficient building. Benton and Simmons pressed unsuccessfully for amendments limiting the total renovation cost and the time for the initial designs.
Only a handful of renovation advocates were on hand to witness the strangely anti-climatic conclusion to the Government Center battle. As he left afterward, architect Francis Wickham said, "After years of neglect, the building will now get some attention. I'm very pleased. I just hope the building will become part of the legacy of the county."
Goshen officials and business advocates, who stayed neutral in the debate, cheered the Legislature's decision.
"The Village Board and I never advocated a specific course of action," Mayor Kyle Roddey said. "I'm happy about any action that's taken, any action that brings activity back to the downtown, back to the site."
Lynn Cione, executive director of the Goshen Chamber of Commerce, said, "We think it should have been done last year. We want them to not just vote, but to continue on with some momentum."
Diana closed the building in September 2011, citing water damage and mold left by the back-to-back storms.
Staff writer James Walsh contributed to this report.
Orange County lawmakers vote to renovate Government Center
GOSHEN — The long, rancorous debate over the fate of the Orange County Government Center ended abruptly Wednesday, as a group of Republican lawmakers sided with Democrats to pass a proposal to renovate the 43-year-old complex.


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It's hard to imagine a time before the internet, when brands relied on the physical appearance of their bricks and mortar stores and smart advertising in traditional media to entice consumers to buy.
With the advent of the internet, this all changed. Brands had another way to grow their following, and even more ways to reach their audience. At this time, websites were acting as advertising vehicles, taking on a marketing role that was supported by a technical platform.
These static websites have now evolved into complex ecommerce offerings, with online and offline channels merging to provide fully integrated and seamless shopping experiences.
As a result, ecommerce's place with an organisation's structure has been disrupted.
Quite often ecommerce has found itself aligned with marketing, as it is seen as a direct-to-consumer channel. The ecommerce channel does double time as a retailer's 'store front', acting as an advertising and branding tool in additional to taking on a sales role.
But is marketing the one and only place that ecommerce needs to be found?
Structure should follow strategy
Any organisational structure needs to be designed to best support the execution of the business strategy. Ecommerce has a role in brands, sales, and customer experience, yet it would be naive to suggest that it sits in an identical position in every organisation.
Each business has its own strategy and operating environment, therefore each business requires a different approach. Consider the differences between those businesses that are new to ecommerce, and those who are pure plays and considering opening physical stores.
Ecommerce needs to be transactional, while also being the touchpoint of a brand. It is a mechanism for the other non-transactional parts of the shopping process, such as customer research and inspiration, as well as the events of collection and delivery.
A good customer experience is determined by a combination of business functions – from price to promotions, to a supply chain's range and availability of stock, to logistic's delivery and collection, to the ease of use and navigation of the website's design.
So the implications of ecommerce reporting to the 'wrong' place can be subtle, yet potentially damaging.
Inappropriate bias towards department objectives
There could be an inappropriate bias towards the objective of a department. Think about the situation where a standalone ecommerce team reports directly to finance – the focus of the ecommerce team is on sales value through the website, rather than capturing the overall business sales that are influenced by ecommerce, such as those sales that are made to consumers who search online and then make the trip to the bricks and mortar store to make their purchase.
Inefficient processes
Omitting operations could result in inefficient processes related to delivery or collection. This means more work internally, and potentially, a suboptimal customer experience.
An ecommerce operation without some marketing involvement may not place enough importance on understanding how, when, and why the consumer is using the channel.
So where does ecommerce belong?
The question of where ecommerce needs to report within an organisation is almost contradictory. While ecommerce is a distinct channel and needs to have its differences leveraged, and ultimately it has to be integrated and consistent with every other channel.
In my view, distributed reporting is important in a consumer centric organisation, because it reinforces that you are one brand, not many channels. It's also important to remember that sales are not typically completed in a single channel.
Ecommerce needs to comprise representatives from all parts of the business that are responsible for customer experience – marketing, sales, operations, and logistics.
Technology also needs to be considered, especially for reliability and speed of the customer experience. As with most business deliverables, technology should be a support function.
There is no one solution.
Ecommerce should be developed based on what the customer wants from a product or service, and what experience the customer is looking for. Consumers are changing fast and therefore, so too should our business models that support them.


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LAW Writer® Ohio Laws and Rules
The board of nursing, by vote of a quorum, may deny, revoke, or suspend a community health worker certificate. The board may impose one or more of the sanctions against an applicant or certificate holder for any of the reasons it specifies in rules adopted under section 4723.88 of the Revised Code. All actions to impose a sanction shall be taken in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.
Effective Date: 09-26-2003 .


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Years of racing and years of winning… we are dedicated to provide Australian European car owners with high quality products that are meticulously engineered and manufactured to standards far surpassing the local exhaust industry for highly sophisticated European vehicles.
Tuning World provides top quality, performance and race exhaust system solutions for Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, VW, Mini and other European vehicles. The Tuning World exhaust system manufacturers are not just your average, run of the mill automotive performance products. Every product manufacturer we support is done so with a purpose. Be it sound, power and performance, quality at a value or unflinching style, we have the products for your European performance car.
We offer best-performing exhaust products that money can buy including:
– Headers
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Our suppliers include:
AC Schnitzer, Bastuck exhaust, Borla exhaust, Brabus, Capristo exhaust, Cargraphic, Eisenmann exhaust, Fabspeed, Hamann Motorsport, Lumma Design, Milltek, MTM, MEC Design, Supersprint, Sebring, Techart, Tubi Style, Vorsteiner and many more..
CONTACT US for the best performance and sound optimised exhaust system for your vehicle.


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The art and science of inserting very fine needles into specific and carefully selected points on the body to influence the flow of Qi and restore health
The needles used are extremely fine, pre-sterilized, single-use and disposable. Unlike hollow hypodermic needles, acupuncture needles are very gentle and are tapped into the body quickly for painless insertion. Once the needles are in place, you may feel a sensation of tingling, warmth or heaviness at the insertion site which indicates the arrival of Qi at that point.
Acupuncture stimulates the central nervous system to normalize physiological function, reduce pain and enhance the immune system. Most people find acupuncture treatments very relaxing and experience a sense of well-being after a session.
General benefits include:
- Decreased anxiety
- Improved sleep quality
- Increased energy and circulation
- Greater concentration
- Strengthened Immune System
- Initial Acupuncture Visit (1 ½ hr.): $150
- Follow-up Acupuncture Visit (1 hr.): $95
- Extended Follow-up Visit, includes bodywork (1 1/2 hr.): $125
"She has such a wonderful healing touch, is gentle and the needles go in effortlessly. She has provided the best experience of acupuncture that I have had. After the treatment I feel deeply relaxed and my energy levels are enhanced and supported." ~ Richard B.


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This infographic from UNAIDS shows the legal status of protection or discrimination against homosexuality in different countries around the world. Obviously, the criminalization of homosexuality presents major barriers to accessing treatment and healthcare services for HIV/AIDS and other STIs, which is the focus of the organization. While more than half the world's countries either protect or do not punish people for being gay, there are more countries with laws punishing homosexuality than there are that protect them from discrimination.
H/t Tom Paulson on Humanosphere
Infographic from UNAIDS shows levels of discrimination against gays around the world
Friday, January 10, 2014
Labels: gay rights , human rights , UNAIDS
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Sunday, June 5, 2011
You Haven't Lived Until You've Watched a Drag Queen Perform in Downtown Conway
As you (hopefully) know, we celebrate the month of June as LGBTQ Pride Month. Why June, you ask? Contrary to popular belief, it's not because the sweltering heat gives the gay boys an excuse to take their shirts off (I kept my deep v-neck on, because I'm just modest like that). It's because 42 years, June 1969, a police raid at the Stonewall Inn, an underground gay bar in New York during a time when our queer forebears were victims of legal persecution, sparked violent demonstrations that we remember as the Stonewall Riots.
And so every June, we gather together in our towns and cities as a community to express our love, pride, and solidarity as LGBTQ folks and allies. Here in Conway, we've been celebrating Pride for eight years. Our Pride festivities are organized by a Stonewall survivor and his husband, John and Robert from the Pink House, true pillars of the central Arkansas gay community. There's a great crowd of Hendrix kids staying in Conway this summer, and today a bunch of us headed over to the Pink House to march in the parade and join in the festivities. The heat was outrageous, but we didn't really mind. (OK, I minded, but I'm just not used to this kind of heat/humidity!) I made cookies to share with any protesters we ran into (check out these posts on my personal tumblr for more about my decision to greet the protesters with love and compassion), but there weren't too many. Just one family who don't eat sugar but were happy to hand me a pamphlet. They didn't really want to chat, and that's fine. I hope they got felt like they did what they needed to do today.
There were a ton of people there to celebrate, though. It was really heart warming to see all our queer brothers and sisters (and straight allies!) who braved the heinous heat to celebrate who we are as a community. This year in Unity, we'll be exploring a lot more what it means when we call ourselves the/a queer community. For now, in honor of Pride, I'd like to hear from you, my dear Unity members (and friends). What do you celebrate about our community? What do you see in it that makes you proud? I can't entice you with delicious treats over the internet like I can in meetings, but I'm sure I can think of a special reward for any one who answers in the comments section of this blog.
Happy Pride, friends!
In love and solidarity,
1 comment:
Daniel, you are so knowledgeable! I am SO bummed that I did not get to be in Conway to celebrate with you all! For the past couple of Junes I have participated in the AIDS Walk Boston. Sadly I could not go this year due to some family stuff, but I was there in spirit! Here's a little snippet from their website to let you know what it's about:ReplyDelete
Every year since 1986 our community has gathered on the first Sunday in June for AIDS Walk Boston, an annual grassroots community event benefiting AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts, New England's largest and oldest AIDS service organization.
For twenty-five years, thousands of dedicated participants have raised millions of dollars for AIDS Action's innovative programs and services that are essential to maintaining the health of individuals living with the disease and preventing the spread of the epidemic. Just as important, the Walk also raises our awareness of the impact HIV/AIDS has on individuals, families and the community at-large, reminding us all that we must work together to stop the spread of HIV.
Let me just say that I LOVE THIS WALK! My high school's GSA introduced me to the event and then my friends and I continued going after we graduated for several reasons: 1. It is so fun! 2. You meet such amazing people. 3. It is for a great cause. 4. The amount of pride, support, and love at this event will just leave you in awe. I recommend to anyone and everyone that has an AIDS Walk or a similar walk near them to go and join! Even if you only raise $1, every bit counts and the experience itself will blow you away.
This event makes me proud because it demonstrates how the LGBT and ally communities can together make a huge difference in not just raising money to better and save lives of those living with HIV/AIDS, but to create a sense of empowerment, acceptance, and love for those (as the AIDS Walk Boston emphasizes) "from all walks of life."
Happy, happy filled with love Pride!!!


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Sausage, white bean and fennel hot pot
Love this recipe? Click save recipe to create an online cookbook
You can make this sausage, white bean and fennel hotpot with any sort of sausages you like. The trick is to use the best quality ones you can find.
- 4 sausages
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 2 red onions, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, diced
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1 x tin (400g) chopped tomatoes
- 1 cup cannellini beans, soaked and cooked until tender
1Slice the sausages into discs about 2cm thick, heat the olive oil in a heavy-based casserole dish and brown the sausages in batches.
2Add the fennel seeds and cook until fragrant, reduce heat to medium, add a little more olive oil if necessary and cook the onions with the fennel seeds for about five minutes, or until soft.
3Add the garlic and cook for another few minutes. Pour in the wine and allow to reduce by about half. Then pour in the tomatoes and stir through the beans.
4Top up with a little water - there should be enough liquid to just cover the whole lot. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently for about 40 minutes. Serve with lots of chopped parsley and some great bread.
- You can use Italian sausages, lamb or even venison sausages for this recipe.
- If you are in a hurry, swap tinned cannellini beans for dried.
- A good quality sourdough bread is a great match for this.
- This recipe was created by Sophie Hansen for Kidspot, Australia's best recipe finder. You can follow Sophie on Local is Lovely, Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.


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british food fortnight: plum bakewell tart
we're nearing the end of british food fortnight (22 september- 7 october) which celebrates the diversity and range of delicious british food.
i'm not a regular cook of traditional british dishes, preferring to draw my inspiration from around the world, but the celebratory british food fortnight event that hippolyra from fuss free flavours is hosting seemed like the perfect excuse to settle into the british autumn with some british baking. this plum bakewell tart is my contribution.
bakewell tarts are traditional english baked desserts which consists of a shortcrust pastry shell, spread with jam and covered with a sponge-like filling enriched with ground almonds (known as frangipane). the flavouring that i am familiar with is cherry but having spotted a recipe from jamie oliver's new book jamie at home i decided to go with a plum version.
the recipe below uses the quantities which jamie suggests for a single 28cm tart but, as well as making a large tart it also made 6 tartlets so may be a little more generous than necessary. apparently the tart keeps well so larger than expected quantities shouldn't be a problem!
plum bakewell tart* (serves 10-12)
butter for greasing
1kg plums (mixed colours if possible, it looks prettier)
100g sugar
½ teaspoon mixed spice
1 heaped teaspoon corn flour, dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water
50g flaked almonds
sweet shortcrust pastry**:
250g plain flour
50g icing sugar
125g cold butter cut into small cubes
grated zest of an orange
1 large egg, beaten
285g blanched almonds
50g plain flour
½ teaspoon vanilla paste (or 2 vanilla pods)
250g butter, cubed
250g golden caster sugar
3 large eggs, beaten
preheat the oven to 180c. using a little butter, lightly grease your loose-bottomed fluted tart tins (i used a 24cm one plus six 10cm ones, jamie suggests a 28cm tin).
to make the pastry, sift the flour and icing sugar together into a large bowl. mix and add the cubed butter. using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour and sugar until you end up with a fine crumbly texture. mix in the orange zest. add the egg and gently work the mix together until you have a ball of dough. flour lightly and wrap in cling film before refrigerating for at least 30 minutes.
roll out the pastry on a floured surface and use it to line the tart tin(s), easing it into the ridges at the edge. prick all over with a fork then place it in the freezer for 1 hour.
to make the frangipane, use a food processor to blitz the blanched almonds to a fine powder. mix with the flour in a bowl. place the vanilla paste (or, if you are using pods, halve them and scrape out the seeds using the back of a knife), butter and caster sugar in the food processor and blitz until light and creamy. add the eggs gradually and then the almond mixture. blitz together until it is completely mixed and smooth. place the frangipane in the fridge to firm up, for at least 30 minutes.
quarter the plums and cut two-thirds into small pieces. place these in a pan with the sugar and mixed spice. bring to a simmer and cook until the fruit has softened and it looks jammy (boil off any excess liquid). stir in the cornflour and simmer for another minute to allow the mix to thicken. leave to cool.
when the oven is ready and the pastry chilled, bake the pastry case for 10 minutes.
while the pastry case is cooking, slice the remaining plums a little more thinly and sprinkle with a teaspoon of icing sugar, mix and leave to macerate.
when the pastry case is ready, spread the base with the cooled plum jam. dot the frangipane over and spread it across to cover the jam (my frangipane was quite stiff and wouldn't spread so i formed it into flat discs which i place on top of the jam and filled in the gaps as i went). arrange the sliced plums on top, sprinkle with flaked almonds and bake for 1 ¼ hours (the mini tarts took 35 minutes). serve slightly warm, with crème fraiche.
* adapted from a jamie oliver recipe
** can be made the day before and refrigerated until needed


text: A few months ago, I reviewed Windows 7 here. At the time, I was using the Beta version. Since then, I've upgraded to the full version that was officially released two weeks ago. I'm happy to say I've posted an updated review over at YuBlog.org, a great blog dedicated to user-submitted content. I hope to continue submitting articles there in the future. You can read the article here. Leave comments!


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This is following on from the comments on the last blog post about how lazy I am for not moving my bike for the photo. I don't know about these wild allegations that are started on the interweb it's just slander I tells ya, but just to prove that I'm not the lazy slob that everyone thinks I am, I did actually move my bike to take a photo in front of the bridge. The reason I used the other picture was because I wanted a different angle of my bike.
Monday, April 22, 2013
Cool Places to park a Motorcycle Part II
8 comments:
What I'd like to know is how did you get those shots without a million and one tourists in them?ReplyDeleteReplies
Ha ha I can't give away all my trade secrets can I?Delete
Well it seems that even tourists couldn't be bothered to be up at 8am on a sunday morning.
I'm amazed that they let you ride your bike onto the pedestrian areas. And Up before 8am on a weekend ? That takes dedication
Riding the Wet CoastReplies
Yes there is a bit of a story behind that. It will be on my next post.Delete
So what you are really saying is that you had too many interesting shots to choose from.ReplyDeleteReplies
Yes exactly Brandy.Delete
Its hard to believe but yes we finally built one.....Delete
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Your Custom Text Here
StroMiké is part of the first Straw-k'Art edition and is a mix between Mickey Mouse and the prodigious electro singer Stromaé. The piece is made of 3 combined parts: an authentic baroque frame customized in the back with red lasercut Plexiglass, a transparent lasercut Plexiglass where the Straw-k piece is inserted and finally the StroMiké itself dripping of the frame. It is sold as a single copy.
Don't hesitate to email us if you'd like to purchase StroMiké.
Size: 63 x 63 x 12 cm
Number of straws: 5 200
Date: 2014


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Scoutmaster Musings
Weather Hazard Training
My biggest concern about bad weather when leading an outing is lightning. Everything else takes time to build, or is avoidable, but lightning is common, unpredicatable, and deadly. So, I keep a thought towards lightning when hiking, choosing a campsite, and scheduling activities.
You should begin to prepare for outdoor adventures by completing the online BSA Weather Hazards training. It takes about 45 minutes to go through the ten sections and print your certificate.
This training is a quick overview of potential weather dangers you may encounter on outings. Extending your knowledge about hazards in your area would be a good next step.
The training starts with a set of questions which is a good way to review what you already know. This is followed by ten sections, each with pictures and narrated text about the weather hazard and then some review questions or activities to check your understanding.
The sections covered are:
- Planning
- Lightning
- Cold Weather
- Hot Weather
- Hail
- Flash Floods
- Tornadoes
- Windsotrms
- Weather Signs
- Hurricanes
A complete tour plan requires someone currently certified in Weather Hazard training. Now, before your spring outings, is a great time to have everyone complete this training at MyScouting.org It might be a fun training topic at a troop meeting for all the scouts, or a crew meeting for the guys heading out on a High Adventure this summer.
The Weather merit badge pamphlet is another good resource for learning more about reading weather signs and anticipating adverse weather conditions on your treks.
Posted: 11:21 01-28-2013 940
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Let Mom put her feet up this Mother's Day
Mom you're the bee's knees. The berry on top. One in a Sorbet billion. That's you. So put your feet up, kick back, relax and let me spoil you!
What's better than a POWER Pedi and Foot Massage for Mom? Having one with her! Yes, that's right this Mother's Day it's all about quality time with Mom. Our Power Pedi Duo Voucher is the perfect treat for a little one-on-one girl time. Plus you get to save R100.
The voucher entitles you to 2 x power pedicures for only R430 (save R100).


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Flow Academy
Flow Academy brings to the stage, for the first time, for Splore, their dynamic acrobatic trickery. With skills born on the streets, life with all its craziness, humour and drama plays out on stage in rapid-fire urban stunts, tricks and flips to a soundtrack that comes from the gritty heart of the city.
During the weekend, Flow Academy bring fun and flips once again for everyone to have a go. Find this Auckland crew and their awesome parkour set-up on the main Festival site and go chuck some tricks in the sunshine!


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HCV Current Initiative
HCV Current is a national initiative among the ATTC Regional Centers to increase hepatitis C (HCV) knowledge among medical and behavioral health professionals.
To disseminate the latest on the rapidly evolving field of HCV, this initiative provides comprehensive resources for health professionals, including:
- online and in-person curriculum and training
- downloadable provider tools
- region-specific resources
Click here to download an overview of the HCV Current initiative.
HCV Current is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Why Hepatitis C?
Approximately 2.5 to 4 million people are infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the United States (SAMHSA, 2014). Approximately 75% were born between 1945 and 1965 and are unaware of their infection. The CDC and U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended in 2013 that baby boomers should be offered a one-time screening for HCV. Research shows that since then, there was a very small increase in testing of 12.3 to 13.8% consequently keeping the birth cohort at highest risk for liver cancer and HCV related disease and cirrhotic liver complications.
Approximately 70 percent of new HCV infections are believed to occur among people who inject drugs. This increase has been driven by the opioid epidemic that affects many communities across the country. Unsafe injection drug use has contributed to a 250 percent increase in HCV infections between 2010 and 2014. (National Viral Hepatitis Plan 2017-2020).
Free Training!
HCV Current offers multiple training options, including:
HCV Snapshot: An Introduction to Hepatitis C for Health Care Professionals (Updated, 2017)
- Free, 90-minute online course providing an overview of HCV. The four self-paced modules cover: populations at risk, overview of HCV, screening processes, and treatment options. Continuing education is available.
- Click here to learn more about the course, or
- Register now for the course at: http://healtheknowledge.org/course/index.php?categoryid=52#HCVSnapshot
Increasing Hepatitis C Knowledge for Behavioral Health and Medical Providers
This 6-hour face-to-face training curriculum is designed to instruct behavioral health and medical providers on hepatitis C (HCV) epidemiology, opportunities for promoting HCV screening and testing, treatment options and considerations, and linking persons infected to HCV health care.
By the end of this training, participants should be able to:
- List at least three populations at-risk for HCV infection
- Explain the difference between acute and chronic hepatitis C infection
- Discuss at least two reasons why it is important to promote hepatitis C screening and testing
- Describe at least three prevention messages that can be used when promoting hepatitis C screening and testing
- List at least three treatment factors to consider and describe at least two new treatment options available to for patients with HCV
- Provide examples of at least three strategies to link persons infected with HCV to health care
To request a Hepatitis C training, please contact the ATTC in your region.
HCV RNA Provider Card (PDF)
Hepatitis C Infographic and Initiative Overview (PDF)
Motivational Interviewing to Address Hepatitis C - Vignettes (Link)
National HCV Products and Resources
SAMHSA's TIP #53: Addressing Viral Hepatitis in People with Substance Use Disorders (PDF)
National Viral Hepatitis Action Plan 2017-2020 (PDF)
Viral Hepatitis Prevention Coordinators (Link)


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Cover image used with licensed permission.
February 9, 2016 — From time to time, some celebrities and public figures will open up in the media to reveal their struggles with endometriosis. While it can be validating for some people to see personalities like Padma Lakshmi (arguably the most outspoken public figure to begin speaking openly about her struggles back in 2009) discuss endometriosis, the ensuing press coverage around their stories is typically rife with misinformation and gross inaccuracies, which in turn get shared in perpetuity because of the high profile personality attached to the feature.
Articles and books featuring the stories of those who have come forth to talk about their experiences with endometriosis such as Susan Sarandon, Jamie King, Kirsten Storms, Halsey, Stephanie March, Daisy Ridley, Pamela Anderson, Cyndi Lauper, Tia Mowry, Jillian Michaels, Abbvie spokesperson Julianne Hough and many, many others – even Marilyn Monroe and Hillary Clinton – all had disease inaccuracies in common when the articles were run (sometimes through no fault of the profiled subject who was merely sharing her story, but as a result of poor fact gathering by the authors who cover them). The situation is further compounded when certain organizations and key leaders within the endometriosis community cosign the misinformation with erroneous "facts" of their own. One need only check a news source or social media feed on the disease to see the far-reaching fallout. Unfortunately, this is the kind of awareness that endometriosis does not need more of, and we must insist on better. The moment an article begins framing endometriosis as a 'hard to diagnose' illness affecting older women, characterized by normal endometrium merely implanted elsewhere and growing like weeds by means of 'backwards periods,' easily treated by drug therapy, hysterectomy or non-excisional surgery, the author has ceased to be informative – and is in fact doing harm by publishing such statements.
Endometriosis is not a simple disease nor hard to diagnose, though diagnosis is considered uncertain until surgery is performed. The disease should be treated at the time of diagnosis – by the hands of someone who is an expert on endometriosis. To be certain, this is not a universal indictment of all media nor of any public figure who chooses bravely to share their endometriosis story. However, this type of feature all too often goes 'viral' and media transmits the wrong messaging about the disease; thus we owe it to the global endometriosis community – patients, our dedicated colleagues, providers and researchers alike – to oppose the damaging information contained within such articles.
Unlike The Guardian, which published an incredible, well-researched 8-part series on endometriosis recently, most media gets it wrong time and again – serving only to further increase delayed diagnoses, contribute to poor information systems surrounding the disease, uphold deficient treatment options, and result in isolation and lack of support for those suffering. Enter CNN and their latest article covering Lena Dunham's announcement that she would be "taking time off to rest" because of her struggles with the disease.
Predictably, CNN's widespread feature posted both on their site as well as many social media outlets contained erroneous, outdated information on endometriosis, sparking immediate backlash from countless sufferers (all far more educated on their disease than the sources behind CNN's article). We would be remiss if we did not also respond on behalf of our patients and those struggling with endometriosis, and have shared a copy of our response posted to the producers below.
Updated 2/13/16: as of this writing, countless responses have spiraled out across social media; CNN has yet to respond to any – however, they did make subtle changes in their article. Instead of 'absolute cure,' the statement now reads 'hysterectomy may be the only cure' – still incorrect. Sampson's Theory is also still cited, as are the other areas of debate we responded to. Unfortunately, as of this writing, the same information found in CNN's article now also appears in over 150,000 subsequent media/news articles and videos – including a viral feature on Good Morning America, further contributing to the spread of misinformation. Updated 6/15/16: while no corrections were ever made to this specific article, Ms. Dunham later acknowledged that her statement in a video she widely shared, in which she said "Lupron is the same as surgery," was not entirely accurate. We thank her for clarifying.
Sent to CNN and publicly posted on February 9, 2016 — This entire article is straight out of the Old Wives' Tale playbook. An opportunity to share helpful information with a broad cross section of society has again been squandered by media that remains too irresponsible to undertake actual research required to report authoritatively on the disease, instead opting for the superficial "first five hits on Google" approach. The legacy of misinformation enshrouding endometriosis unfortunately continues to be shared in perpetuity by sources like this – and even from well-meaning, well-respected providers to patients, from medical educators to next-generation healthcare professionals, from health publishers to media, from parents to children, from generation to generation; and even from some of the very organizations founded to advocate for the disease. The enduring lack of awareness at every level of society continues to undermine endometriosis, despite its status as a true community health crisis. Misinformation remains ubiquitous, pervading the media, healthcare community and general public alike – and once again, fails the individual with the disease.
The statement that "[E]ndometriosis [is] a condition most common in women in their 30s and 40s" is erroneous at best and dangerously irresponsible at worst, hinting that symptoms in youth should be ignored. In fact, as many as 70% of teens/adolescents experience symptoms early in life and even before onset of menstruation – yet the outdated notion that endometriosis cannot affect young patients leads to postponed diagnosis for several years – 30s, 40s – by which time 'destructive lesions have affected the tubo-ovarian structures and severely compromised fecundability.' [Brosen et al.] See also http://endometriosis.org/news/opinion/albee-is-endometriosis-all-in-your-head.
Re: "Most people think that when women have a period, a few of these cells travel through the fallopian tubes into the abdomen and then they end up implanting where they shouldn't be" – "Most people" think that because it's largely what the press and those who lack knowledge about the disease continue to perpetuate. However, despite propagation of this premise by certain high profile endo organizations and others concerned with the disease, endometriosis is not simply bits of rogue, normal endometrium implanted via backflow periods, scattering wildly about the body like weeds. Long gone are the days of Sampson. Normal endometrium is profoundly, histologically different from the functional glands and stroma that comprise the disease, and while it somewhat resembles the tissue, it is not the same. This outdated, widely-touted notion continues to keep endometriosis mired needlessly in – and excuses – delayed diagnoses, oft-needless hysterectomy, poor surgical treatments, ineffective medical suppressives and wholly deficient support of individuals with the disease. See also http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23721717.
Re: "It can cause bowel problems, diarrhea, and cramping" – and infertility, painful sex, pregnancy loss, bladder pain, lower back/leg pain, organ dysfunction, crippling fatigue, debilitating periods, chronic pelvic pain, collapsed lung in the cases of pleural endometriosis, an increased risk of comorbid conditions…the list goes on. Endometriosis is not just simply painful periods with transient minor symptoms. See also http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23847114.
While it is true some may not even be aware they have the disease, such is the exception vs. rule. In contrast, most have tirelessly sought a diagnosis for more than a decade across as many as 5 or more physicians before someone took them seriously and listened to, rather than dismissed, their narrative. The problem does not lie in symptom presentation – it lies in the fact that most are not listened to by their providers/loved ones when they do present with symptoms. See also http://www.menstruationresearch.org/2016/03/03/fighting-for-endometriosis-awareness-in-a-culture-of-menstrual-misinformation/.
It is obvious those consulted for this article do not have the benefit of widespread exposure to the global endometriosis community and the 176 million individuals struggling with the disease. Those of us who do, know that a great proportion of individuals living with endometriosis indicate that "significant disease-related affects interfere with their daily lives" and that their pain is often "incapacitating." [Fourquet et al.] Endometriosis is a *major* public health problem affecting every single aspect of nearly 200 million lives (and costs society billions annually), not just a "small group" of some individuals in pain.
Re: "[T]he only absolute cure, said Sullivan, is a hysterectomy." – This egregious statement and the outdated mindset which supports it are responsible for countless, unnecessary hysterectomies. Though hysterectomy does have a place in treatment for select cases, endometriosis is not "cured" by the procedure. Abundant data supports the fact that "endometriosis will be found…in a significant number of women with chronic pelvic pain status post hysterectomy with or without BSO, especially if the woman has a positive history of endometriosis." [Nezhat et al.] Worse; an individual may read articles such as this and request a hysterectomy when other conservative approaches would be more successful. We must put an end to this irresponsible, dangerous myth, along with the notions that hormone/drug therapy, pregnancy, 'rest' and other such 'treatments' are somehow curative. In fact, most patients will need complex, multidisciplinary (excisional) surgery combined with adaptation of lifestyle changes – yet few are guided towards Laparoscopic Excision (LAPEX) surgery by their providers and remain unaware of other non-invasive, adjuncts such as physical therapy, nutritional approaches and alternatives that may help when combined with quality surgical treatment. Despite the increased challenges presented by meticulous and thorough dissection of disease, complete excision is possible in most cases and offers significant improvement in sexual functioning, quality of life and pain to many individuals, including in those with deeply infiltrating/fibrotic disease. Superficial surgery and medical treatment, however, will undoubtedly result in the continued pain, symptoms, and vicious cycle of ongoing, failed superficial surgical + hormonal suppressive approaches that are characteristic of the disease.
As we have stated before, the conversation about the physical, conceptual and political facets of endometriosis is limitless – but making the difference starts with all of us. In our work, in our conversations, in our presence in society at large, among our healthcare providers – and particularly among our media which has the capacity to help so many individuals who may be suffering silently. The global endometriosis community deserves nothing less. Truly, endometriosis is a key public health initiative needing further promotion, understanding, research, empathy and our united voices – not superficial click bait using the latest "It Girl" to spread more misinformation and inaccuracies to readers.


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I'm floating in a deep ocean of sadness. My body goes through the motions of normal daily routines but my mind is somewhere else. The sound that goes in through my ears is distorted and muted like under water. My chest feels too tight and I have to remind myself to breathe. I can see light at the surface but am too tired to swim towards it.
Sunday, 22 November 2009
Early Pregnancy Loss
I'm floating in a deep ocean of sadness. My body goes through the motions of normal daily routines but my mind is somewhere else. The sound that goes in through my ears is distorted and muted like under water. My chest feels too tight and I have to remind myself to breathe. I can see light at the surface but am too tired to swim towards it.
35 comments:
- Anonymous22 November 2009 at 17:29
Visiting from ICLW, I have been reading about your journey and you have deeply moved me, so sorry for your loss. Sending you hugs from across the pond.ReplyDelete
Thinking of you.ReplyDelete
I am so sorry, and am thinking of you.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous22 November 2009 at 19:51
*hugs* I'm so sorry.ReplyDelete
Oh, honey, I'm so sorry for your loss. I know what you mean about "early pregnancy loss" - especially as you have been trying so hard.ReplyDelete
Take as long as you need to mourn. It's totally okay to be completely miserable.
And a glimmer of hope: your frozen blast.
This is such a well written post. You verbalized exactly what DH and I have been feeling for the past several days. I can't believe the amount of energy it took me to get out of bed and go to work this week and then even more energy to pretend all was fine.ReplyDelete
And you are right. Pregnancy via IVF is such a hard-fought victory, to have it taken away is like having part of your heart ripped right out of your body. Because it isn't like we can just try again next month as the lab tech told me a few days ago. Nope. In order to get here again we have to ride the IVF roller coaster (which makes it sound far more pleasant than it really is). And we get to pay lots of money just to get on that ride.
Please take care of yourself. I've been thinking of you lots.
I've been following you for the past few weeks. I'm so sorry for your loss.
so sorry! I wish this did not happen to you. I wish itReplyDelete
so much! please spend the time you need to grieve,
like you said, its not been 6 weeks, its been 2 years plus
6 weeks, give yourself some time.
Having to go through this really stinks. And you are 100% right early pregnancy loss, my butt. Thinking of you.ReplyDelete
Hi Sweetie, just wanted to check in on you. I wish I could give you a hug, or do something to take the pain away. Unless someone has been through it, there's no way they can understand the pain associated with an IVF loss. I'm so, so sorry.ReplyDelete
I am so so sad for you. I understand the pain as we've been through a vasectomy reversal that wasn't successful enough to conceive naturally and then endured 4 IVFs and a FET. This journey is so painful and to finally get your BFP and then have a loss, that is just unbearable. Sending you lots of hugs.ReplyDelete
I'm so sorry for your loss.ReplyDelete
Thinking about you. So sorry. ICLWReplyDelete
It's good to hear from you, CP, even if you are floating in this ocean of sadness right now. We're all treading water right here with you, girl. I've been thinking of you this week. I love your poignant words about this not being an "early" loss--oh so painfully true. {hug}ReplyDelete
I'm so sorry for your loss. I agree with you - I think that us infertiles feel the loss of our babies that much more because there is no guarantee that we'll get pregnant again. It's a major loss of innocence.ReplyDelete
Please give yourself the time and space you need to grieve in your own way and time.
- Anonymous23 November 2009 at 01:01
I am terribly sorry for your loss. ICLWReplyDelete
I have been thinking of you so much recently, I read your blog and feel like we are connected thru this sisterhood of loss and hope against odds.ReplyDelete
I too lost a very early pregnancy (just before Halloween) this year. It was our third loss after many years of unassisted trying, mis-diganoses and hope.
I carry this loss daily, and agree with you; It is a loss of something pure; something perfect and innocent.
You are only the third person I have told our loss, as the reality is still too overwhelming.
I am so sorry you are floating in that vast sea; it is lonely and deep. Just promise to kick a leg every once in a while and eventually you will reach a shore.
Hello my lovely.ReplyDelete
Sending you love.
I have been thinking of you.
Much love.
Thinking of you. xoReplyDelete
I am visiting from ICLW. I am so sorry to hear of your loss. I know how heartbreaking pregnancy loss is.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous23 November 2009 at 10:26
I'm SO sorry, I was hoping for your happily ever after.ReplyDelete
Honey. Please consider surrogacy. I can walk you through it.... KEEP the hope alive.ReplyDelete
My friend became a mom at 45 of twins after 12 m/cs and 14 rounds of IVF.
Hugs and blessings and I appreciate the comment about giving you hope. I became a mom at nearly 46. DO NOT GIVE UP.
so sad, so sorry. I'll go and find that music of the movie "The Piano". When the piano falls overboard it drags her with it into the depth. It seems to take forever for her to free herself from the tangle. But she does. May the music help you find the way up.ReplyDelete
I'm sorry to come by from ICLW on such a sad time, I can understand it is not as simple as an early pregnancy loss (well, not really, but I can see from your post that it is). I'm glad you have a community to support you during these times.ReplyDelete
I'm sending you lots of Hugs!! And your still in my thoughts and prayers!!!ReplyDelete
Love & Hugs
Mrs. Farmer
You are in my thoughts.ReplyDelete
Here for ICLW. I hope you can find some peace after your loss.ReplyDelete
So very sorry for your loss. I too lost a much-longed-for baby at 6 weeks after my first IVF. That was almost two years ago, and I'm still a little heartbroken, but it does get easier. My thoughts are with you as you grieve.ReplyDelete
Oh hon, I am so sorry for your loss and your pain. I've been through many early losses myself and it is heartbreaking. Once, getupgrrl wrote a brilliant post about a Japanese ceremony called Mizuko which recognizes the loss of a pregnancy. I think grieving a miscarriage would be so much easier if we had something like that. If there is anything I can do for you, please email me.ReplyDelete
I'm so sorry hun *hugs*ReplyDelete
Still thinking of you and you know I always do and will. xoxoxoxoxoxReplyDelete
I am so sorry for what you are going through.ReplyDelete
I'm so so sorry. *hugs*ReplyDelete
- Anonymous24 November 2009 at 22:21
I'm so sorry for your loss. I've been there, & you described it all too accurately. I've also had the pregnant 2 weeks later part and lost that one too.ReplyDelete
I hope you don't have to go through this again, and your next wait is a good deal shorter. *hug*
Sending you love....ReplyDelete
Hoping 2morrow will be ok.
Hugs sweetie. I have been there and it is brutal.
You will make it through, I promise. Even if you break down. It's ok.


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$700 (Speaker $400)Fee includes Exhibitor Reception, all Technical Paper Sessions, Two Lunches, Exhibits and Proceedings. Does not include courses.
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ON-SITE REGISTRATIONRegistration will be located in the Bayshore Foyer. Upon entrance to the hotel, proceed to the registration desk to retrieve your conference materials. Registered workshop attendees will receive further instructions next week.
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We reserve the right to cancel any tutorial with less than 10 registrants.


text:
Q: How long after ordering will it take to complete my pedal/device?
A: Web orders typically ship in two - four weeks. If for some reason your order will take longer to fulfill, we'll let you know.
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A: Domestic orders ship via USPS Priority Mail. International orders ship via USPS Registered First Class International. We will not mark international shipments as "gift" or falsify the form in any way.
Q: Can you tell me something about these "one off" devices and limited editions that I've seen?
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A: These specs (and more) can be found on the individual product pages.
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A: Unless otherwise noted, all Mountainking pedals and devices can be powered by a 9V battery or a standard 9VDC (center negative) power supply. If you choose to use a battery remember to unplug the instrument/guitar cable from the input jack when not in use to help conserve battery life. If you choose to use a power supply, be sure that it is of high quality and is filtered to avoid introducing hum and noise into your signal chain.
Q: What forms of payment do you accept?
A: We use a PayPal shopping cart system. This allows the use of all major credit cards in addition to standard PayPal payments. You do not need to have a PayPal account to complete your purchase.


text:
Watch Google's Pixel 2 launch here, live
Google's Pixel smartphones were among the best Android flagships released last year, and Google is expected to announce their successors today.
In addition to the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL smartphones, we're also expecting the search giant to reveal other products, including a new Google Home, a new Daydream headset, and a new Chromebook.
It will be the new flagship Android smartphones that will be the real draw of course, and they are tipped to be faster, with better cameras and water resistance. The Pixel 2 XL is also expected to have a new bezel-free design.
The launch event starts at 9:00am PDT/12:00pm EDT/17:00 BST, and you'll be able to watch it live here.
Please let us know what you think of Google's new products in the comments below.


text:
Love Punjab (2016)
Family2016 Year 130 Mins 7.7 Imdb
Sargun Mehta Dubey, Amrinder Gill, Bethany Myers
The story of Love Punjab revolves around a family in which husband and wife fights daily for small reasons and their son is only victim of these fights. After suffering from all these ...
Love Punjab Movie Information
- Production Co: Dara Productions
- Released: 11 March 2016
- Imdb Rating: 7.7
- Runtime: 130 Mins.
- Writer: Amberdeep Singh
- Director: Rajiv Dhingra
- Cast: Sargun Mehta Dubey, Amrinder Gill, Bethany Myers


text:
Welcome to the Kansas Oil Museum!
The Kansas Oil Museum is the one of the largest museums in the state with a focus on the history of America's early 20th-century oil industry. We also preserve and interpret the history of Butler County, Kansas, from the earliest days of the Native American tribes and the pioneers, to small-town and ranch life of the 1900s.
In addition to curating both permanent and seasonal exhibits, we function as the Historical Society of Butler County, with a large research library and extensive archival and photographic collections.
All ages are invited to come and visit our large indoor exhibit hall and 10-acre outdoor area!
Indoors you will experience the story of:
The Kansas Flint Hills
Butler County, Kansas
The history and science of oil exploration and production
Outdoors you will experience the story of:
Oil Field Equipment from the past 100+ years, restored and operated during special events and tours. See how "black gold" was (and still is) extracted from deep within the earth, using this massive and powerful equipment.
Historic Oil Boom Town, furnished as if the town's inhabitants had never moved on. These oil boom towns operated as divisions of the oil companies, and were under the authority of company officials. Developed in response to oil strikes, these oil communities had their own stores, company offices, schools, and entertainment.
*During Inclement Weather the outdoor exhibits will not be open*
News & Upcoming Events
Summer Lecture Series
August 1: Rachelle Meinecke: Augusta to the Rescue
August 15: Orin Friesen: The History of Kansas Music
Concerts on the Green/Ice Cream Socials
August 1: Rusty Rierson
August 15: Diamond W Wranglers
Next Free Family Fun Day: August 17th
Are you interested in becoming a consignor at the Gusher Gift Shop? The goal of the Gusher Gift Shop is to provide a unique shopping experience for our guest, by featuring local artists' work and providing an additional source of revenue for our educational museum programs, as well as the local artist whose consigned work is offered for sale.
Mission: The Kansas Oil Museum will preserve and promote the history and the culture of oil in our county and state.


text: Today I looked out my 2nd floor window and spied Pekka Usva having lunch in a small ad hoc meeting room.And that reminded me…I read an e-mail of his last week (while home, attempting to recover from bronchitis) — F-Secure is hiring!There are currently two developer positions publicly open in Helsinki: • Junior Software Engineer • Senior/Lead Software Engineer (Server side, Python)There were some UX designer positions open last week. And possibly more stuff in the future.A lot of Pekka's hiring revolves around our corporate security business line's goal of developing cloud security for SMBs (combining a lot of our recent consumer offerings into one SMB product).Combining younited, Freedome, and mobile device management with a completely redesigned UX? Plenty of folks will need to be very busy…No wonder this is Pekka's "executive" lunch:Actually, I've socialized with Pekka outside of the office and he's a rather regular kind of guy, like a lot of our management. If he wasn't doing a working lunch while meeting with Jussi (out of frame), then he'd just be next door at the company commissary.That's life at a Finnish company. (Join us!)R,Sean


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Japanese Style Salon
Customers can book well known hairstylists from Japan. Our hairstylists use Melbon Japan & Shisedo products.
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Collagen Machines use different wavelengths of light to treat a variety of skin conditions. Discovered by NASA, red light therapy, which uses infrared light wavelengths, has been proven to penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin to help strengthen the skin's natural healing ability as well as its ability to produce collagen. As we age, our bodies typically begin producing less collagen, resulting in loose, sagging skin.
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Kinect hacks yet? We didn't think so -- good thing too 'cause we're not done bringing 'em to you. The latest one to hit our tips box comes from designer Jean-Christophe Naour (Innoiz Interactive), a 3D light-painting program he calls Kinect Graffiti. While calling the results "graffiti" might be a little misleading (Naour isn't exactly bombing virtual walls) it does whip up some nice streaky neon images that can capture the act of tagging, if not the final product. We won't waste any more of your time with our rambling -- a picture is worth a thousand words, and the video after the break is composed of over 4,000 of those. Don't miss the flood of photos at the more coverage link either.
Sponsored Links


text: After too long, "Sick" finally has its first European screening at the Lille Short Film Festival in March. It's showing in a programme with six other shorts which will be screened three times over the week of the 21st-28th (Easter week). The Sick People will be going to the final showing on Friday 28th, so I'll be taking the Eurostar for the 1 hour 25 minute journey from St. Pancras International... Details of times, panels and other participants will be posted here nearer the time.


text:
Late summer of 2003…
Late summer of 2003…
The month of August usually ends with all the doctor check-ups. I try to get them scheduled before school starts so they are out of the way & we don't have to interrupt school for appointments. We usually get a big block of time & all go together. So, this week included the trips to various doctors: check-ups, eye, etc. Somewhere in the middle of all that, the boys developed a cough that won't quit & Keith & I picked up a bug or two requiring antibiotics. Now mind you, we are a family that takes vitamins every day, but I think Nate & Callie have had all of two antibiotics each in their lives & I only remember Anders having to take some once. We don't do antibiotics often.
One doctor we didn't see this week was the dentist. We used to be on a simple January & July routine – easy to remember. Somehow we got bumped into August & now it looks like this time it will be September visits.
Anyway, this last week has made me SO appreciate the fact that our family has been blessed with wonderful health! We don't have to do the doctor thing very often. The appointments, waiting rooms, paper work, insurance!! It's ridiculous! It is a rude reminder to pray for those families who have to deal with this kind of stuff routinely. Wow – my heart really goes out to them!
It also reminds me of a Nate funny I've not had the opportunity to share. So here I share it before I forget it entirely. It was a few years back – I think Nate was maybe six? I try hard to have everyone's teeth fairly clean before we all traipse into Dr. Van's office & he has to dig around in them. This time, however, I realized Nate had recently eaten a cereal bar. So, since I didn't have his brush along, I handed him a couple mints & told him to take them for Dr. Van. Afterwards, I went in to ask the Dr. how things went & all. He said fine. He told me Nate had come in & offered him a couple mints for his breath even. Nate had apparently misunderstood & thought I was giving him the mints to spare my sweet boy the smell of the Dr.'s breath!!! My child. It never dawned on him that HE could be the one with the lousy breath. I guess we're doing okay in the self-esteem & confidence department!
The other day I picked the brain of my little gal for posterity's sake. Here are the results…
What are some of your favorite things?
taking a break from seeing Anders
playing with my cousins
pretty hair ribbons
princess dresses
chicken nuggets
hoop earrings
dramatic things
Uncle Paul on stage
reading Magic Tree House books
night lights
my beautiful mom
my handsome dad (It's flattering to make the list & all, I just note where we are – somewhere between night lights &… pork?)
bread & butter
the big fat pig at the Iowa State Fair – Toot
music boxes
paper dolls
glasses (she wants 'em)
hanging upside down on the trapeze bar
cotton candy
climbing trees
family camping trips
fairy tales
my slip (it's white & satin so feels fancy)
hot chocolate with whipped cream
I love this little guy!!
And of course, they had to make it "better"…
It is possible to be totally in the right, but have the completely wrong attitude behind it. That's exactly what Jesus had against the Pharisees. It's so easy to shake a head at the Pharisees in disbelief, yet turn around & be the exact same way. That big ole' log was hanging so far out of my eye the other night it was hitting people all around me!
Over the weekend, my dear hubby & I had a "discussion" about something where obviously I felt I was in the right. It was one of those topics dear to my heart. I was "right" to be upset, disappointed, my thought process was legitimate & all. But my attitude was so horrible behind it, I am ashamed to say! The only reason I do is so, hopefully by writing about it, the next time I can stop myself & remember to give myself better advice, & give Callie good advice when she's in this situation someday. Mom's advice to me was, " Where will it get you? You're right, but let it go. It's not going to get you anywhere." She's right! As a wife, sometimes we might get hurt & have a "right" to feel hurt, etc. We might be totally correct about something. But if you start disrespecting your husband in your tone of voice & thinking all the while how right you are on this one, you are suddenly TOTALLY in the wrong! That's where I was the other night. Totally wrong in one bad attitude. Thank God He (and he) loves me even when I pull that garbage! My horrible attitude was ten times more out of line than my husband's wrong, no matter how important the discussion.
Note to self: In the future, instead of the BA, try remembering how much your husband loves you & the family. Try dishing out a little of the patience & understanding he hands you on a regular basis. Serve up a heapin' helping of that grace you've been given. "A wise woman builds her house; a foolish woman tears hers down with her own hands." – Proverbs 14:1 Be the wise woman next time.
Just reading a few posts elsewhere. Interestingly, they are complete opposite ends of the same spectrum. I shake my head with incredible sadness as I think about where our culture is & how it got here when it comes to our children. On one hand we've got this…
I really like that song. I can feel for those who are not able to have children. But it seems everybody wants & expects to get one or two children. We are "entitled" to have what we want & anything goes to get it!
On the other hand… more than one per gender is seen in a whole different way. I have never felt this personally from others because we have the "perfect little family" of three (so far, Lord willing). But even when we were expecting our third, some thought it was an accident because we already had one of each gender! We couldn't possibly WANT another. And it is assumed we are done, right?
Our culture just doesn't get it.
How sad…
Click here to read a thought provoking article.
A thank you to Jess for passing these along.
Our Callie's now an official bike-rider! Keith removed the training wheels & took her down to the local school parking lot the last couple evenings to try her hand at two wheels. She got it down tonight after only her second night out! She's so proud of herself & so are we.:) I'll come back & post a picture when I get one.