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Technical Problem With This Chapter?
Author: Northumbrian
Story: The Question
Part: The Question
Rating: Young Teens
Setting: Post-DH
Status: Completed
Reviews: 2
Words: 5,238
Updated: April 13, 2013, 3:42am
The Question
My palms are sweating.
I am walking down the main street of Itchen Worthy. I'm walking at Hermione's pace, not my own and at this rate it will take me a little longer to reach her parents' house.
Cars speed past as I stroll along the path. The drivers are strangers. Those anonymous faces are going about their own business, doing whatever it is that Muggles do. They don't know me, they have no idea what I'm about to do and even if they knew, they wouldn't care.
That is an astonishing thought.
I look down at my feet as they move inexorably onwards. One of my shoelaces is coming loose. Should I refasten it? If I stop walking, will I be able to start again?
I am thinking about walking! Walking isn't something you think about; it's something you do automatically. You certainly don't think about putting one foot in front of another using words that your girlfriend would use, words like inexorably.
I have sweaty palms and my tongue is dry.
Can the moisture which is so obviously missing from my tongue be draining out through my palms?
Don't be ridiculous, Ron.
I'm scared. That's ridiculous too.
I spent my school years alongside Harry and for the last three years I've been working as an Auror. I know what being scared feels like, and I know that I am scared. But why should I be scared now? Scared is how you should feel when you think that you're about to die, not when you're going to…
If only she'd been at her flat in Cheyne Walk. This would have been so much easier if she'd been in Chelsea. I had imagined that I'd be walking into her flat to ask the question. But no, I've had to change my plans because Hermione is in Hampshire, visiting her parents. This is going to be really difficult. How am I going to…?
I need to think about something else.
Hermione! I should think about Hermione. After all, she is the reason I'm here.
Hermione is beautiful. She is surprisingly passionate too – and not just about house-elf rights. I haven't seen her for four days, because she's been in Brussels again. She will have brought back some wine; she always does, and tonight she planned for us to stay in, just the two of us, and say hello properly. That reminds me of what we did the night before she left. She was…
I am walking up to the front door of her parents' house, so I must not, under any circumstances think about what Hermione and I were doing on the night before she left. But now I've started, how can I stop? I need a distraction.
I need to stick to the plan.
I pull my watch from my pocket and check it. I know that I have to time this carefully, but it's already five minutes past ten.
No sooner than ten o'clock and no later than eleven, that's what we agreed. I wonder how Harry's doing. He's probably already got his answer. I wonder what he was thinking about as he walked up to The Burrow. Then I remember what I have just been thinking about.
Now I must desperately try not to wonder what Harry is thinking.
What will I do if she says no?
That thought brings me to my senses. That's when I finally realise why I'm scared, because if she says no, that would be worse than dying. At least – it would be a different sort of death. In a way I would die if she said no.
How did she get the power of life and death over me, and when?
Malfoy Manor? That was when I knew that I had to do something about it. Dumbledore's funeral? That was when I was finally certain. The Yule Ball? That was pathetic. I was jealous, and too stupid to realise it. Hermione wasn't, and she will never let me forget that.
This is life-changing, Ron. This is commitment. This is … this is what I've wanted since I was … seventeen … probably. But is it what she wants?
This is a stupid idea.
Why did Harry and I agree to do it like this?
Hermione and I have been together for a long time; so have Harry and Ginny. We have been two very public couples for more than three years and yet we are still news. We'll be in the news again soon.
Synchronicity! That's what Harry said when I told him what I intended to do, and he told me that he was planning the same thing.
We independently had the same idea. We had reached the same decision. Our girls probably won't believe us, but we hadn't discussed it. Neither Harry nor I said anything to the other until after we had the rings.
I spent weeks looking for the right ring, the ring in my pocket (my hand reaches inside my jacket to make certain that it's still there). I half-emptied my vault to buy it. Harry didn't have to look for the right ring. His mother's jewellery, including her engagement ring, had all been placed in his vault. He simply had it resized for Ginny.
When we discovered that we were both planning the same thing, Harry suggested that we do it this way. I agreed. I had little choice, really. We know what our girlfriends will do when we ask the question. Each will want to tell the other as quickly as possible, and the other will either be disappointed or expectant, and that would ruin the surprise.
I am still walking, but I think that my pace is getting even slower. My heart isn't. Listening to my heartbeat, you'd think that I was sprinting.
It is going to be fine. There won't be any problems – unless she says no.
But why would she say no?
Unfortunately, my brain can find dozens of answers to that question. I wish that it couldn't.
I'm useless. I'm untidy. I'm clumsy. I bait her. I annoy her. She's cleverer than me. We argue. I leave toast crumbs in her bed. I completely ignore her when the Cannons are playing.
Let's face it; I'm not exactly a great catch. This is forever. This is commitment. Today, she could leave. I'd follow, of course, and I'd beg, like the pathetic fool I am. But she could lose me easily. If she says yes, she's stuck with me forever.
That's almost enough to put me off! Why would she say yes? She'd have to be crazy to say yes.
I turn onto the drive of her parent's large red brick house. I see movement in an upstairs window. It's Hermione's room. She's seen me approaching. This is it! My feet are crunching on the gravel. My legs are still moving, carrying me slowly towards the door. Good legs, sensible legs. They aren't panicking, unlike my brain.
Why is it my job to ask? Why is it the bloke's job? Why are all of the difficult things in life always the bloke's job? Why couldn't she ask me? Then I'd know the answer.
I know exactly what I'd do if she asked me the question. I'd say yes!
I'd tease her first, of course; I'd make her think that I would say—no.
Oh, damn!
Pull yourself together, Ron!
Legs, keep walking, ignore that stupid brain.
The front door opens, and there she is.
'Hi, Ron,' she says, smiling.
'Ghjgh-hi,' I say because my dry tongue has stuck to the roof of my mouth.
'What's wrong?' she asks. Her face creases into a worried frown.
She cares, my brain tells me.
Unfortunately, it must have been that part of my brain which should have been watching my legs, because I manage to trip over my own feet.
I should have refastened that shoelace.
I stumble and with flailing, windmilling arms, I fall. I land heavily on my hands and knees on the red gravel. I've ripped the knees of my jeans, and probably skinned my knees too. I think that my palms have stopped sweating. I can't be sure, because now they are bleeding. Hermione dashes towards me, laughing.
I'm bleeding, and she's laughing.
For a moment I am annoyed; then I see that concern and laughter are combined on her face. I try to visualise what she saw, and realise that I must have looked ridiculous. I certainly sounded ridiculous.
'Ghjgh! Hi,' I say. 'I think I must have tripped over my tongue.'
She laughs again. I bring my right leg forwards and place my foot firmly on the ground, I'm about to stand, when my brain finally starts working. It stops me from standing and reminds me exactly where I am.
I am in front of my girlfriend, on bended knee and she is laughing at me. And she doesn't realise what I have in my pocket. She cannot suspect what I'm about to do.
Ignoring the pain in my grazed knees, I reach into my jacket pocket with a bloody hand.
'Hermione Jean Granger, I love you. Will you marry me?' I ask.
Her face is wonderful. I watch the emotions, read the thoughts.
It begins with exasperation: he's down on one knee and he thought that it would be a funny thing to say.
It moves instantly to annoyance: I can almost hear her saying "this is not something you make jokes about, Ron!"
Then there is astonishment, because by that point, before she can speak, I have pulled the tiny box from my pocket and opened it. Her eyes have registered the fact that they are looking at a ring, and that I'm not joking.
I have confused that mighty brain!
'Yes,' she whispers her reply without hesitation, almost without thinking.
I stand and gently slide the ring onto her finger.
Then she begins to cry.
I hug her clumsily, trying not to get blood on her pale green t-shirt.
Sod it, it's only a t-shirt! I hug her tightly.
'Well, that went smoothly, didn't it?' I ask.
She begins to laugh again, but has to stop, because I kiss her.
She said yes.
There was never any doubt, not really.
'Training?' I ask, desperately trying to keep the panic from my voice. She can't be training!
'Training,' Molly confirms.
'But I asked her yesterday m...' Damn, don't say morning; Molly will want to know when! And 'over breakfast' is not an acceptable answer. At least, if this works, that will be one less thing for me to worry about. '…Molly.' Good recovery, I hope. 'She told me that she was going to be here all day,' I protest. My carefully laid plan collapses. My opportunity to ask Ginny if I can have a "quiet word" with her in the orchard is gone.
'Gwenog scheduled an extra session because of their poor performance in training yesterday,' Molly tells me. 'They have an important European Cup match next week,' she adds.
'I know that!' I say. Molly raises an eyebrow. I came perilously close to snapping at her with that remark. But really, does she think that I don't always know when and where Ginny is playing?
'Was she expecting you?' Molly asks. Her question is rather sharp too. 'Ginny told us that we wouldn't see you today, Harry. That's probably why she didn't tell you. She said that you were working. Why aren't you at work?'
'Er, change of plan,' I lie. I keep my head down; I can't look into her deep brown eyes, eyes like Ginny's, and lie to her.
I nervously finger the small box in my pocket. Molly notices my fidgeting hand. She notices almost everything. I look around the kitchen. Arthur appears to be dozing in his chair, but I know him well enough to know that he's not. He's watching me too.
'She'll be back early this afternoon; would you like to wait?' Molly changes tack and I can sense ripples of suspicion rising inside her head. She senses that I'm up to something. 'I'll make you a cup of tea. When did you last eat? You seem a little nervous. Is something wrong?'
I need to get out of here before the waves of curiosity break and Molly overwhelms me with a surging tide of questions. She's the most single-minded interrogator I know, and now she correctly suspects that I'm up to something. I check my watch. It's almost ten minutes past ten. I have fifty minutes left.
'No, thanks, Molly,' I tell her. 'I'll just, er, go; er, things to do. Bye,' I say and I hurry to the door.
'I hope that you find her, Harry. Good luck, not that you'll need it,' Arthur says. He glances at my pocket and smiles. He knows! I don't know how, but he knows.
I wonder how Ron is doing. He's got it easy; Hermione is alone in her flat.
This was a stupid idea. This was my stupid idea. Sometime between ten o'clock and eleven o'clock, that's what Ron and I agreed, and I cannot let Ginny contact Hermione until after eleven. I still have fifty minutes left, but now, I'm going to have to face the Harpies.
I leave the Burrow and Apparate to Holyhead, to the Harpies ground.
The Harpies don't like people watching them training, especially when they are practicing set-pieces, so the stadium is secure. That doesn't matter; I'm an Auror and getting inside doesn't present a problem for me.
The big question is: can I really do it here, in front of her team?
Of course I can, because I know that isn't the big question. The big question is the one I'm going to ask her.
Ginny and I have talked about this, or at least the possibility of this, for years.
She is Ginny Weasley, Harpies and England Chaser. The press use her name; she's not merely "Potter's girlfriend". She's famous in her own right. Together, we're Harry and Ginny, or Potter and Weasley. I know how important that is to Ginny. What she has achieved, she's achieved by hard work and dedication, not because she's my girl. Everyone knows that simply being "Potter's girlfriend" would never be enough to get her a place on Harpies squad, much less the England squad.
She is Ginny, she is my girl, but that is because I am hers too.
We've discussed marriage several times over the years. We agreed to wait.
I think that we've waited long enough.
She won't say no.
She can't say no!
What would I do if she said no?
That's when the worry hits me. Do I really deserve her?
My feet are encased in lead boots as I clamber up the final few stairs and walk out onto the stands.
What will I do if she says no?
Gwenog Jones pulls me out of my sudden panic by greeting me with characteristic hostility.
'Potter!' she shouts from midair. 'How many times do I have to tell you? You're trespassing. Get out of here now! And anyway, your girlfriend isn't here!'
I look around the stadium. Gwenog is telling the truth. Ginny is not flying; her glorious and unmistakably bright red hair is nowhere to be seen. I wonder if they've hidden her from me for some reason. But that's a crazy thought, isn't it?
'Hi, Harry,' the Seeker, Olivia Aitkenhead yells. 'Can anyone else help?'
'If you've got an itch that needs scratching, I'm your girl,' offers Tegan as she flies down towards me. Tegan Godolphin is a bigger flirt than Lavender, and I'm now certain that Gwenog is telling me the truth. If Ginny was here, Tegan wouldn't dare behave like that.
'I've already got the best girl in the world,' I snap. 'Where is she?'
'She's left you! She's skipped training and gone off to see her other bloke,' says Tegan, pouting petulantly. Talking to Tegan is always a complete waste of time.
'She got hit by a Bludger and broke a couple of fingers.' Olivia swoops down to join us and I get a sensible answer to my question. 'She's with Alison in the Healer's room.'
'Thanks, Livy,' I say to her.
As I hurry towards the players' tunnel, I glance back up into the air to count the Harpies. The remaining fifteen squad members are still flying. That's good to know; I don't want to walk in on a naked girl in the changing rooms, unless it's Ginny of course. But a naked Ginny now would not be good. Would it?
I begin to fantasise about the possibilities of asking a naked Ginny the question. That could be … interesting.
It's a simple question, four short words, three of them single syllables; how difficult can it be to ask it? I'll find out very soon. She can't be far away. I haven't been this nervous since …
I've never been this nervous.
As I vault over the fence and walk through the players' tunnel, I meet the Harpies' Healer coming in the opposite direction.
'Hello, Alison,' I say. 'How's Ginny?'
'She's fine, Harry. Two fingers were crushed. I've fixed them, but I want her to keep them strapped up for a couple of days. It was nothing serious, but how did you know? Was she expecting you?' the Healer asks.
'No,' I reply.
'Ah, well, I think that she's probably left. When I told her that she couldn't fly, she said that she was going home. I'm just going to tell Gwenog the bad news.'
I dash along the tunnel. This would be the ideal time and place, just the two of us, at the Harpies ground. I'd considered trying to decoy her to platform nine and three-quarters, but decided that The Burrow would be just as good. We have good memories of this place, too. Unfortunately, there is no sign of Ginny in the changing room. It's a room I'm very familiar with, although I'm not supposed to enter it.
Ginny's Quidditch gear lies in a crumpled heap on a bench, waiting for the laundry staff. I lift her shirt to my face; it still smells of Ginny, but it's no longer warm. I wonder if she's in the showers. I listen; the room is silent. Her locker door is ajar and her locker is empty. She has gone. I've missed her.
For obvious reasons, it is impossible to Apparate within the Harpies ground, so I leave via the other door. As I stride rapidly down the corridor towards the player's entrance, I have to pass the security office. My polite nod to the security witch isn't enough. She leaps to her feet, wand in hand, and bars my way.
'How the hell did you get in this time, Harry?' she demands.
'Ginny?' I ask urgently. She hesitates.
'She left a few minutes ago,' she tells me. I groan in frustration.
'I need to find her. It's important; please?' I beg, trying to sidestep her. She gives me a very odd look. I don't think I've ever begged before.
'I'll tell Gwenog that you ran past before I could stop you,' she says, sighing. 'You owe me!'
'I'll invite you to our wedding,' I tell her gratefully, and then I realise what I've said. I am an idiot. Her face lights up and I see the realisation spark. She immediately steps aside.
'You are a man on a mission, aren't you?' she asks. 'Good luck.'
I've said too much. 'Don't tell anyone,' I say as I step outside.
About a dozen fans are standing outside the players' entrance, patiently waiting for autographs. They all step forward as the door opens. All but one of them stops immediately. I'm not a Harpies player, so I'm unimportant to them. Ginny loves that, and so do I. I can usually stand quietly aside and watch as my famous girlfriend signs autographs. Sometimes, however, the fans want my autograph too.
'Has Ginny left?' I say to the solitary young woman who is still approaching me.
'You've just missed her, Mr Potter,' the girl tells me breathlessly. 'Would you sign this for me, please, next to hers?' She presents me with an "Official Harpies 2002 Calendar" and a quill. The girl scrabbles her way through the calendar. I should simply ignore her and Disapparate, but suddenly, I'm faced with Ginny.
She is August.
It's a back shot. She's wearing her Harpies breeches and boots but has her robes dangling from her left hand. With her right, she is throwing and catching a Quaffle, a Quaffle I bought for her. Her freckled back is bare. Her torrent of red hair disguises the fact that she's wearing a backless halter swimsuit. She is turning, glancing sidelong at the camera and smiling. It's a very sexy photo, although she reveals nothing more than a bare back.
Molly and Ron were unhappy about the photograph. Arthur was surprisingly accepting, once Ginny showed him the costume she'd worn and how she'd posed. Charlie and Percy were outraged. Ginny simply shrugged off their criticism.
She was well paid for the calendar; all of the players were. In fact she earned more posing for that photograph than I earn in three months. The players are receiving royalties from the calendar sales too. The calendar has sold out twice and made the club a fortune. The Harpies management want the team to do another one next year, and because of the calendar, Ginny has been offered a lucrative Quaffle sponsorship deal.
We had discussed the photo shoot beforehand. Nothing too risqué, she promised, and I agreed. Unfortunately, as I discovered later, we had defined risqué differently. My protests didn't get very far. Ginny reminded me that the backless gown she wore to the Ministry Ball last year was equally revealing. She even had a photo from Witch Weekly to prove it.
'All of the back, but none of the front!' she told me when she showed me the calendar.
'And don't worry, it's your Quaffle I'm tossing,' she added, her voice low and sultry. 'Want me to demonstrate the technique?'
I try to shake myself free of that memory.
At least Ginny is clothed from the waist down. Several players are in their underwear and Tegan Godolphin was quite obviously wearing nothing. The Harpies towel she held teasingly in front of her only just covered the bits it needed too.
Ginny is beautiful. I stare her smooth back and then at her face. The photograph winks at me.
'She's never done that before,' the young fan says in surprise, staring at the photo.
'She does it to me all the time,' I tell the girl as I am pulled from my dreams of Ginny.
That's when I remember that I'm looking at a photograph instead of looking for the real thing.
Only Ginny could distract me from Ginny!
Ginny has scribbled her signature diagonally over the photograph, an x beneath it. I write my name across the opposite diagonal, carefully making the Y in Harry overlay the Y in Ginny. I surround our names in a heart and stick an x on Ginny's right buttock. She winks again.
'Thanks, Mr Potter,' the girl says.
I stare at the photograph. Ginny has, of course, signed Ginny Weasley. One day, if things go according to plan, she'll be Ginny Potter.
Harry Potter—Ginny Potter.
Five letters: consonant, vowel, double consonant, Y – Potter. G and H sit next to each other in the alphabet too. It's almost mystical. I wonder if she's ever noticed. I imagine myself telling her and I know immediately what she'll say: "And G comes first; just remember that, Harry!" and then she'll start that wonderfully infectious laugh of hers.
'Mr Potter.' The girl is trying to prise her calendar from my hands and is reaching for her quill. I quickly and impetuously scratch the quill across the photo, drawing an inky line across the third finger of Ginny's left hand. The photo freezes and fails to catch the Quaffle. I stare at the suddenly still photograph. I didn't expect that, but I've no idea how the magic of photography works.
'Sorry, she'll probably start moving again soon,' I say to the girl.
I'm speaking more from hope than knowledge. I hand both calendar and quill back to the girl, who is staring at the photograph in disbelief. I move away from her and Disapparate.
'Hi, Ginny,' I shout as I let myself into her flat in Beaumaris. There is no reply.
'Ginny?' I try again. The silence remains. I check. My Homenum Revelio spell instantly tells me that she isn't here. Alison said that she was going home, but she is not at this home. Home could be any one of three places, I realise.
I lock up her flat and return to The Burrow. That's where she was supposed to be. Surely that's the most likely place. Molly opens the kitchen door the moment I arrive in the yard.
She beams excitedly at me, and then looks confused. 'Where's Ginny?' she asks.
She knows! If I don't find Ginny soon, the whole world will know what I'm planning before she does. Molly looks puzzled, confused. She doesn't know, I decide, but she suspects; that's obvious from her expression.
Keeping anything secret from Arthur and Molly is almost impossible. I'm sure they know what Ginny and I get up to. Ginny thinks that they don't.
'I haven't found her; isn't she here?' I ask.
Molly shakes her head in confusion and I twist and Disapparate.
I check my watch as I arrive at Grimmauld Place. It is now twenty minutes to eleven. I wonder how Ron is doing? I expect everything went smoothly for Ron. He'll probably be celebrating with Hermione's parents by now.
This time I don't shout. I use the Homenum Revelio charm the moment I enter my house. The place is empty. She isn't here either! I can't find her, and the minutes are ticking away.
'Kreacher,' I shout. He appears instantly. 'Where's Ginny? Have you seen her?' I ask.
'Mistress has just left, Master. She said that she was going to Diagon Alley,' he tells me.
I swear in frustration, upsetting Kreacher, and I have to apologise.
'Sorry, it's not your fault, Kreacher. It's me. I've been chasing her for almost three-quarters of an hour and I still haven't caught her,' I say.
'Master has been chasing Mistress for many years,' my house-elf tells me. 'And he always catches her. But not until she wants to be caught.'
I stare at Kreacher in astonishment. His face is as respectful as ever, but I think that he's just tried to make a joke, at my expense. I smile at him.
'You're quite right, Kreacher, but this time, she doesn't know that I'm chasing her. If she comes back here, let me know, and don't let her leave,' I order. 'I'm going to Diagon Alley.'
Kreacher nods and watches me leave.
'Good luck, Master,' he murmurs, as I Disapparate from my front step.
There is an alley almost opposite The Leaky Cauldron which is protected by a Muggle-Repelling Charm. I stride from it, dash across the road and enter the pub. It's still early and the place is quiet.
'Hello, Mr Potter,' the barmaid says loudly. The pub immediately falls quiet and everyone stares at me. I try to ignore the stares. Hannah would not have shouted my name; she knows that I don't like being the centre of attention.
'Hello, Frankie, have you seen Ginny?' I ask.
Hannah appears from the back room and glares at Frankie.
'She went through about five minutes ago, Harry,' Hannah tells me.
'Thanks, Hannah.' I smile gratefully.
I dash out through the back door and touch the bricks with my wand. I have less than ten minutes, and an entire street to search. I hope that she is in one of the two most likely places.
Quality Quidditch Supplies is closest. I sprint along the street and dash into the shop.
'Ginny?' I ask. The shopkeeper shakes his head.
'I haven't seen her for weeks…' he begins.
I hear no more. I'm out and running along to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.
'Ginny?' I ask as I burst through the door. Unfortunately, George is the one standing behind the counter.
'No, Harry,' George explains patiently. 'I'm George. Ginny is my sister.' George gestures, sliding his hands through the air to describe an hourglass figure. 'She's a girl. I thought that you'd be able to tell us apart by now!'
'Is she here?' I demand. George grins wickedly and I know that I'm not going to get a straight answer. Time is pressing, so I step outside.
'Sonorus' I say, and then I yell, 'GINNY!'
My magically amplified voice rattles the windows up and down Diagon Alley. An uncomfortable silence falls over the entire street as everyone stops and stares at me. The silence stretches on for hours, days, although the sun remains motionless in the sky. Where is she?
'What's wrong, Harry?' Ginny asks quietly. I whirl around. She has followed me from the shop.
I will kill George!
'I LOVE YOU, GINNY,' I tell her loudly.
That's when I realise that I have not ended my Sonorus spell. My declaration echoes loudly down the street. Ginny is startled by my high volume declaration, but she looks into my astonished face and begins to laugh.
'I know,' she says. 'And I love you too.' I take the opportunity to remove the spell.
I've found her, but my plan for a quiet and romantic proposal under our favourite tree at The Burrow has failed. Time is now of the essence. This isn't how I'd wanted things to go.
Ginny suddenly becomes serious, worried. 'What's happened? What have you done? What is so terrible that you have to make a public declaration of…?'
She stops, because I have gone down on bended knee and reached inside my pocket. Her mouth forms an astonished "O" when I pull out the ring and ask the question.
'Ginny, will you marry me?' It is not until I reach for her hand that I discover that it was her left hand which suffered the Bludger hit. Both her little finger and her ring finger are splinted and bandaged.
'Of course I will, you idiot,' she says. She looks at the ring, which I've clumsily slid onto her fingertip. It will go no further. She pulls me to my feet and kisses me, and Diagon Alley applauds.
Perhaps a public proposal is romantic, too.
Ginny smiles happily and looks down at the ring, which she's holding in place with her thumb.
'You didn't get it made big enough,' she teases.
We are still laughing when Hermione's voice screeches excitedly from Ginny's handbag.
'Ginny, Ginny!'
Ginny pulls out a mirror and stares into it, 'Hello, Hermione,' she begins excitedly. 'I've …'
'Ron … me … us … look!' Hermione babbles. She holds up a hand and shows Ginny the ring Ron has bought for her.
'Me, too,' Ginny tells her, holding up her own ring.
Hermione's excited squeal is so high-pitched that I'm surprised the mirror doesn't break.
'We'll meet you at The Burrow!' Ginny tells her.
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Mom Banned From Ranting on Facebook
FLEMINGTON, N.J. (AP) — A New Jersey appellate court has ruled that a mother's rights were not violated by a judge's ruling that barred her from ranting about her children and ex-husband on Facebook.
The Courier News reports the judge's 2011 order was a special condition of the woman's probation stemming from an attempt to kidnap her two children and take them to Canada.
Her ex-husband's family and Hunterdon County prosecutors had argued the woman's Facebook postings were frightening, saying they referenced the Book of Revelation, serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, Satan and Adolf Hitler.
The woman said the order violated her rights of free speech and due process because it was too vague.
The appellate panel disagreed, finding the order was specific and didn't prevent her from making posts about other issues.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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To quickly register your drone in Montana please register online by clicking the button below.


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What you get through wealth disappears as soon as wealth disappears, but what you achieve through knowledge remains even after you. Imam Ali(a.s)
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MADRID — Paramount's 3D toon "Tad, the Lost Explorer" has discovered box office gold in Spain. A comedy-adventure yarn about a construction worker who becomes a daredevil treasure hunter in Peru, "Tad" has topped the B.O. chart five weeks running through Sept. 30 — a feat last achieved by another 3D film, "Avatar" — on its way to cuming €12.8 million ($16.5 million).
The biggest Spanish film this year, and the highest-grossing homegrown animated film ever in Spain, "Tad" fell just 6% in its fifth frame. With no rival tyke toon on the horizon, it has a sporting chance to pass "The Intouchables" ($21.1 million) as Spain's numero uno movie of 2012.
El Toro Pics, Lighting Entertainment and Ikiru Films produced "Tad," alongside two powerful media congloms: Telecinco Cinema (the film arm of Spain's biggest commercial broadcaster, Mediaset Espana), and Telefonica Producciones y Media Networks.
Mediaset Espana gave "Tad" a colossal push across its seven channels, and the results suggest that if an indie film is good enough and promoted at studio-pic levels, it just might yield studio-pic results.
Both Toro's Jordi Gasull and Telecinco Cinema CEO Ghislain Barrois agree that while some of the explanation for "Tad's" success has to do with promotion, some has to do with the film as well. Gasull says the pic is generating excellent word of mouth, while Barrios notes that it may be striking a nerve among those hit by Spain's economic crisis.
Slack-jawed and cringing, Tad is no Harrison Ford. But somehow, he wins the day. "This is a great time to bring Spanish audiences a hero who's just a regular guy thrown into an incredible adventure," Barrois says.


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Our little family of five has nearly wiped out an entire orchard of Honeycrisp apples this season. There is rarely a Fall day that passes without me returning to the kitchen several times to cut up more. And while the naked slice of a Honeycrisp is the perfect snack – sweet, tangy, floral and crisp – It's the Honey Roasted Peanut Butter riding on the back of the apple that has us going back for more.
I've told you about our favorite orchard, the one we return to year after year. While we love being back in Seattle it has unfortunately left us further away from Bellewood Acres, making weekly trips to the orchard not possible.
This year we left our one trip to the farm with two large bags filled with Honeycrisps, apple cider, caramel apples, caramel dip and of course their Honey Roasted Peanut Butter that they process right on the farm. While we tried to ration our peanut butter intake we quickly ran out, leaving us eating bare apples while longing for the salty, sweet companion that we've grown accustomed too.
To solve this problem I set out to make my own Honey Roasted Peanut Butter. Our apples were now dressed and we resumed our daily habit.
The peanut butter was complex and rich from a deep roasting of the peanuts in the oven. Each bite was both sweet and salty and the texture was a cross between chunky and smooth. I enjoyed feeling in control of my peanut butter. I had all the power to create my perfect spread and I was very happy with the results.
While I think you too will be very satisfied with this recipe, please feel free to be in control of your own peanut butter.
Honey Roasted Peanut Butter
12 ounces roasted, Spanish peanuts
1/2 – 1 teaspoon kosher salt (I used vanilla salt)
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup canola oil
*I recommend buying the peanuts raw so that you can control the amount of roasting. I like a deep golden color on the peanuts. Color equals flavor is what I always say. The end product will be full of flavor. I used Spanish Peanuts then rubbed off the papery skin after roasting.
Place the peanuts, salt and honey into the bowl of a food processor. Process for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Place the lid back on and continue to process while slowly drizzling in the oil and process until the mixture is smooth, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the flavor according to your preference.
Place the peanut butter in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. This will keep for up to two months.


text: Kimo: 2 Report post Posted April 27, 2004 Its an old game but its funny someone asks a question and the next person answer and puts another question omidvaram khosheton biad agar ham khosheton naiomad be darak Q : esme mamanet chie ? na na shookhi mikonam mmm How many times a week you take a shower ? khkhkhkh 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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just got one from edingburgh cycles for £65.00! happy days
The Carrera Radius helmet is the top-of-the-range model from specialist manufacturer Carrera. It's pretty light, claims good aero credentials, and has an adjustable set of straps at the back to hold it firmly on your head.
The Radius is made from expanded polystyrene with a polycarbonate outer shell – just like most bike helmets – but also has an internal aluminium 'skeleton'. It's not clear if this makes the helmet any stronger (the Carrera website makes no such claim), but Carrera says it means there's less polystyrene, which means the helmet is slightly smaller, which means less drag.
We compared the Radius to a few other helmets here on the shelf at the road.cc office and although the Radius is indeed neat and compact, there are helmets from other brands with very similar dimensions.
The relatively smaller size may also help save weight, although on the road.cc scales our test model (size 54-57cm) weighs in at 260g – which is pretty light, but there are several helmets from other brands which are lighter.
Comfort is good. As well as the usual fabric straps that come down in an inverted V on either side of the ears to join and then clip under the chin, there's also a thin plastic strap round the back of the head with two silicon pads for grip and comfort, plus a ratchet-dial to adjust the size so it fits perfectly. The plastic strap is joined to the helmet only at the sides, meaning it can go up or down at the back, which in turn means the helmet is held more firmly in position, without being any tighter on your head. Carrera call this feature the Flex Control System.
As well as providing a close fit, the Flex Control System means the helmet can be adjusted to fit just about any shaped head. It's also handy if you sport a large ponytail.
The Radius comes in various colours. We're testing the white and grey variety, which Carerra describe as Grey Silver Matte. Other options include black and yellow, white and red – as worn last year by the Katusha team – red, white and blue (nicely patriotic if you're British, or Russian) and a multi-hued combo of red, white, light blue and yellow.
The recommended retail price for the Radiius is a penny under £130, but you can find this helmet for nearer a hundred quid at your local bike shop, and for well under £80 at some on-line stores.
A comfortable and close-fitting helmet for putting in serious miles.
If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website
road.cc test report
Make and model: Carrera Radius
Size tested: Small
Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
This product is a helmet for road cycling, aimed at racers but also suitable for riders taking part in sportives. The Carrera website says "RADIUS revolutionises the pro helmet. Developed using the innovate "ATF" (Aluminium Tech Frame) system, Radius offers the best aerodynamic penetration which is synonymous of optimised internal ventilation and less frontal air resistance."
The website goes on to list the following features:
Developed in Wind Tunnel
Alu-Tech Frame
Thermodynamic Air Channels
Flex Control System
Extra Light Straps
Washable Lining
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Under the tchnical pages on the Carrera website, we find this information:
"Carrera helmets feature air vents that allow the hot and humid air to circulate out of the helmet and be constantly replaced by fresh and dry air, maintaining the constant inner temperature.
In-moulding technology consists of inspecting polystyrene shell with the polycarbonate outer shell. Such technology guarantees extreme lightness, capacity to absorb the impact energy protecting the cyclist's head.
The Total fitting system assures the right fit tensioning for the best comfort and stability."
afrer a few hundred miles of test-riding, construction seems good. The plastic straps that go round the back of the head feel a bit fimsy, but we have no evidence they're any weaker or stronger than the rest of the strapping.
Performance is good. The helmet is comfortable, even on long rides of several hours, and the strap system means it stays firmly in place.
At 260g, the weight of this helmet is OK but there are lighter options available from other brands.
The helmet is comfortable, even on long rides of several hours, and the strap system means it stays firmly in place.
At its recommend retail price of £130, this helmet is not good value, though on a par with various top-end options from other brands. At around £100 it's fair value, and if you can find it for nearer £80 you're getting a bargain. At the time of writing the Edinburgh Cycle Coop is selling the Carerra Radius for £65. The price includes a storage/carrying bag as well.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Comfort. Close fit.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.
Would you consider buying the product? Yes.
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.
Anything further to say about the product in conclusion?
Overall, this helmet is very good, but to be brutally frank there's nothing exceptional about it. At its recommended price, value is not good, which would contribute an overall score of 7, but the various bargains available make it an affordable option with an overal score of 8.
About the tester
Age: 51 Height: 5ft 10 / 178cm Weight: 11 stone / 70kg
I usually ride: an old Marin Alp, or an old steel classic My best bike is: an old Giant Cadex (can you see a theme here?)
I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: A few times a week I would class myself as: Experienced
I regularly do the following types of riding: touring, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding,


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In battle over U.S. top doc, medical journal slams NRA
WASHINGTON -- The influential New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday lashed out against the powerful National Rifle Association for its push to derail President Obama's pick to become the next surgeon general.
In an editorial written by four of the Journal's editors, the authors question the NRA for flexing its "political muscle" over the nomination of Vivek Murthy, who as the founder of Doctors for America advocated for tougher gun laws.
"The critical question is this: Should a special-interest organization like the NRA have veto power over the appointment of the nation's top doctor? The very idea is unacceptable," wrote editors Gregory Curfman, Stephen Morrissey, Debra Malina, and Jeffrey Drazen.
Murthy, 36, was approved in a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee vote last month with the support of all Democrats and one Republican. And he has received the endorsements of several prominent groups and individuals in the health and wellness community.
But the White House announced last week that it was rethinking its strategy around Murthy's floor vote before the full Senate. T
The decision by the White House to slow down the push came amid reports that as many as 10 Democratic senators would vote against Murthy after the NRA publicly raised questions about Murthy's past advocacy for tighter gun laws.
The White House publicly won't say that the decision to slow the push for Murthy is directly connected to the NRA's lobbying against Murthy. Instead, aides note that Obama also is coming off a bruising defeat in the Democratic-controlled Senate earlier this month when his nominee for a key Justice Department position was blocked because of objections to the role he played in the defense of convicted cop killer Mumia Abu-Jamal.
"After the confirmation vote of Debo Adegbile, we are recalibrating the strategy around Dr. Murthy's floor vote," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said.
The NRA last month raised concerns to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, R-Nev., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., about Murthy's call for mandatory licensing for anyone purchasing a firearm or ammunition and a federal ban on assault weapons.
The NRA's lobbyist, Chris Cox, also took exception to Murthy, calling for Congress to remove restrictions barring the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from funding "anti-gun advocacy research" as well as removing restrictions in Obama's health care law that prohibits health officials from data collection on gun violence.
But the Journal editors noted that the NRA opposition persists "even though Murthy made it clear in his testimony before the Senate HELP Committee that if he is confirmed, his principal focus will be on the important national problem of obesity prevention, not firearm policy."
"The NRA opposes Murthy solely on the grounds that he has advocated reasonable and mainstream forms of gun regulation, including an assault-weapons ban, a limit on ammunition sales, and required safety training," the Journal said in its editorial. "Given that there are more than 30,000 firearm deaths in the United States each year, Murthy's views on potential safeguards are unsurprising."
Carney stressed earlier this week that Obama is not giving up on getting Murthy confirmed.
"We expect him to get confirmed ultimately and be one of the country's most powerful messengers on health and wellness," Carney said.


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Dollinger Master of Real Estate Development
Real estate developers are the impresarios of the built environment. They orchestrate the talents of many players and balance the needs and interests of the various constituents touched by a real estate project. It is their job to discover how we want to live and work and to provide the settings accordingly.
In many ways, real estate professionals are the creators of the urban landscape, working within a complex system of finance and governance to tackle the challenge of converting undeveloped or under-utilized resources into homes, employment centers, and places of recreation and commerce. With the excitement of finding place-based solutions to the unique set of problems presented by a real estate project, there also are the risks, rewards, and responsibilities that come with making our built environments more habitable and prosperous.
With greater frequency, community groups, government agencies, other property owners, and even the media are becoming involved in the development process. The capital markets, political and regulatory context, and major players change so rapidly that it is difficult to remain informed, let alone competitive. To deal with the complexity of the field and its far-reaching effects, today's real estate professionals require advanced training to prepare them to operate in increasingly technical and interrelated areas.
What makes the Dollinger MRED program unique?
USC Price's Dollinger Master of Real Estate Development program prepares graduates for key positions in real estate development and investment. The program does this by delivering a strong academic framework on which professional practice is built. Courses combine lectures, cases, and active engagement with the industry so students experience and master all facets of real estate's tasks and challenges: finance and deal structuring, market analysis, site planning, political approvals, and project management; and across all product types: residential, retail, office, industrial, and hospitality.
The USC Dollinger MRED has a long tradition of providing education focused on real estate fundamentals and the recent market fluctuations have only served to sharpen our commitment to this legacy. The particulars of real estate are moving targets but the essential tools of underwriting are the same durable framework around which we oriented the program. Leadership requires looking ahead. While our curriculum is always evolving to meet the needs of our students, the structure remains constant: fundamentals matter and USC Dollinger MRED graduates leave the program skilled as complete real estate professionals.
The Dollinger MRED program offers a number of distinct features, including:
- An Exceptional Faculty:
Full-time USC faculty are joined by developers, lawyers, architects, planners, and other prominent professionals who bring cutting-edge relevance to the classroom and bridge learning with practice.
- Lusk Center for Real Estate:
USC's Lusk Center for Real Estate serves as the liaison between the academic program and the real estate industry. It provides MRED students with a forum for professional development and offers them unique opportunities to connect with the real estate community.
- Distinguished Tradition:
Created in 1986, USC's MRED degree is among the oldest, most respected, and one of few graduate degrees focused on real estate in the country.
- Southern California:
The Los Angeles metropolitan area and its surrounding counties provide a rich urban environment within which to study real estate. In this world-class hub of real estate innovation and activity, MRED students study an exceptionally wide range of projects, learning equally from failures as well as successes.
- International Focus:
Recognizing the increasingly global nature of real estate, the School is dedicated to preparing our students to be effective practitioners throughout the world through the international study tour class. MRED students can travel on a 10-day professional-level overseas visit, which most recently have focused on Asian markets such as Hong Kong and Seoul. Students meet with notable developers, government officials, and prominent business leaders actively involved in the real estate community of the international setting, thereby enhancing their global perspective and network while gaining valuable practical exposure in the field.


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When I was doing my internship, there was an eastern European guy named Pedrus in my class. Pedrus had just immigrated, but had a decent grasp of English.
Occasionally, though, he'd encounter something that he only knew in the medical-speak of his home country. When that occurred he'd grasp at the closest-sounding English phrase he knew, and use that.
One night he was on call, and I picked up his admissions the next morning. One of the patients was a lady in her 60's.
Pedrus, in his note on her past GYN history, had written "the patient began her climax at age 51, and it has since continued."


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With any conference there will always be battles on the recruiting trail within the Big Ten. Coaching changes, different philosophies and geographic location all factor in to who battles who.
Here is a look at the top five Big Ten recruiting rivalries.
1. Ohio State-Michigan
This season's list of battles includes recruits like Kyle Berger (Cleveland/St. Ignatius), Damon Webb (Detroit/Cass Tech) and Jamarco Jones (Chicago/De La Salle), who chose the Buckeyes over the Wolverines. Michigan counts wins with Ian Bunting (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central), Mason Cole (Tarpon Springs, Fla./East Lake) Michael Ferns (St. Clairsville, St. Clairsville), Chase Winovich (Jefferson Hills, Pa./Thomas Jefferson), Jabrill Peppers (Paramus, N.J./Paramus Catholic) and Drake Harris (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids).
While Ohio State coach Urban Meyer rarely loses a battle head-to-head for athletes from Ohio, Michigan coach Brady Hoke wins many national wars for recruits against the Buckeyes. This recruiting rivalry is one of the fiercest in the nation and goes beyond just Meyer and Hoke. Woody Hayes battled Bo Schembechler forever on the field and in recruiting for players. Gary Moeller and John Cooper waged battles, and recruits aren't afraid to bark at each other during camps. There have been recruiting letters set on fire much to the delight of Twitter followers. For Ohio State, much like Michigan, a win in anything over the other is a feather in the cap in what is known as the No. 1 rivalry in college sports.
2. Michigan-Michigan State
The two in-state rivals will naturally target similar recruits, since they are only about 65 miles from each other. Michigan has been winning a lot of the battles under Hoke with defensive end Lawrence Marshall (Southfield, Mich./Southfield) in the 2014 class picking Michigan. Probably the most well-known battle is wide receiver Drake Harris (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian), who initially was committed to Michigan State but later flipped to the Wolverines. There have already been some recruiting battles picking up in the 2015 class as well, especially with the Spartans recent hire of Detroit native Curtis Blackwell to aid recruiting in the city. These two programs have gone after similar prospects for years and those battles will undoubtedly continue in the future.
3. Ohio State-Penn State
This one has really heated up as of late after Meyer raided the Nittany Lions after Joe Paterno's dismissal. In 2012, the two-time national champion flipped Joey O'Connor (Windsor, Col./Windsor), Tommy Schutt (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard), Armani Reeves (West Roxbury, Mass./Catholic Memorial) and Camren Williams (West Roxbury, Mass./Catholic Memorial) from Penn State.
On national signing day this year, Nittany Lions coach Bill O'Brien made it a point to say his program would concentrate on Western Pennsylvania and Ohio where many headed to Columbus in the past. This year, Alex Bookser (Pittsburgh/Mt. Lebanon) is one of the biggest remaining targets for both squads. In 2015, prospects like Jerome Baker (Cleveland/Benedictine), Andrew and David Dowell (Lakewood, Ohio/St. Edward), Justin Hilliard (Cincinnati/St. Xavier) and Sterling Jenkins (Pittsburgh/Baldwin) are already being fought over. Back in the days of Paterno this wasn't that big of a recruiting rivalry as Penn State focused elsewhere for players. Now the two seem to butt heads on virtually every potential pledge and it doesn't look likes it's going to slow anytime soon.
4. Michigan-Northwestern
This one might seem out there at first, but it makes sense. Northwestern is recruiting better than it ever has and the program is on the rise. Much like Michigan, the Wildcats pride themselves on academics and are going to target similar prospects. There hasn't been a real head-to-head recruiting battle yet between the two, but it's building up to where there will be in the future. Northwestern has offered and targeted plenty of prospects that Michigan has and it's looking like that is shaping up to stay the same in 2015. Michigan's recruiting has taken off under Hoke, but around the Midwest and the East Coast these two programs will see a lot of each other on the recruiting trail.
5. Indiana-Purdue
Let's start with the fact that it's just a little over a two-hour drive between universities. That backdrop alone says a lot. But it's much more than that and it's not just about basketball between the two universities.
Think these two don't go after the same type of player? Think again. In 2014, the Boilermakers and Hoosiers have both offered the same player 51 times so far.
While Purdue has won both head-to-head commitments with Indiana -- the Boilermakers grabbed Drue Tranquill (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll) and Gelen Robinson (St. John, Ind./Lake Central -- national signing day is a long ways away.
Both Indiana and Purdue are heavily targeting Nile Sykes (Lombard, Ill./Montini Catholic), Kenric Young (Gainesville, Fla./Gainesville) and Lukayus McNeil (Indianapolis/Decatur Central). Wins by either school as the final months close will surely be felt at both universities.


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Last friday, at the National Museum of the USAF, the Apollo 11 astronauts participated in a panel discussion about their historic Moon landing. They spent a good portion of the discussion, however, not on the Moon — but Mars.
The discussion took place during the National Aviation Hall of Fame Spirit of Flight Award. Neil Armstrong talked generally about the benefits of setting large future goals, but Buzz Aldrin specifically said that humans should aim next to land on Mars.
It's interesting that NASA hasn't had a clearly defined goal like the Moon landing since that goal came to fruition. The Moon landing forced NASA to quickly develop highly experimental technologies. A similar push to Mars, at least according to Neil Armstrong, would spur additional new technologies and jump-start the future.
So no matter what NASA actually intends to do, it's clear that the men who actually journeyed to the Moon are tired of all this Moon talk. They are taking their official Mars pitch to the president today.
Apollo 11 astronauts look beyond moon, toward Mars [via Physorg]


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Adjustable Colormap and Z-Axis Range in Rappture Contour Plots
Currently with Rappture contour plots, the colormap is determined from the minimum to maximum value in the dataset. However, any outliers or noisy points can washout the color scale so that the features of interest are hard to view. For instance, if most of my dataset varies between 0 and 0.1, but I have some points around 1, it's hard to see the variations between 0 and 0.1


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The U.K. economy will get a boost from those who have had a "good recession" after its economic fundamentals changed for the better, according to an influential group of economists.
"You've got a lot of families who've had a good recession , kept their jobs and taken advantage of low rates to pay their debt down, " Peter Spencer, chief economic advisor to the Ernst & Young ITEM Club, told CNBC Europe's "Squawk Box " Monday.
The group of economists predicted a surge in growth in the U.K. in the second half of 2012, after a depressed first half, which has led to renewed pressure on the government and Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne.
U.K. gross domestic product will shrink by 0.2 percent this year, they predicted, before increasing to 1.2 percent in 2013 and 2.4 percent in 2014.
"Ultimately the fundamentals have changed. We've stabilized and things are looking good for consumers, " Spencer said. "Inflation is falling still and the surprise is that employment is strong, too. Add those factors together and you're talking about a growth in real disposable income."
However, the outlook is far from unequivocally positive, as the euro zone crisis and its own large public sector debt continue to hamper the U.K.'s growth. (Read More: Britain Remains Committed to Europe—For Now .)
The Item Club predicted net trade will subtract 0.6 percent from GDP this year, but will make a positive contribution to growth in 2013.
"The good news very definitely ends with the consumer. We're not going to be seeing much growth in exports. This is the wrong kind of growth coming from the high street, but at least it's some kind of growth, " Spencer said.
The amount average consumers have to spend will grow by about 1 percent this year, according to Spencer. His statement chimed with data from GfK last month indicating that U.K. consumer confidence was slowly returning to health. (Read More: Does the U.K. Need Plan B? )
The U.K.'s housing market could be the next area of the economy to be boosted by improvements to the consumer outlook.
"The big question is: The money's on the table, are there going to be families which are in a position to move in the housing market?" Spencer asked. "After five years of a very severe mortgage famine, the funding markets have suddenly moved from being extremely tight to being very relaxed. Regulators are much more relaxed about lending as well. I don't think we're going back to feast, but hopefully to a more normal situation which regulators will be able to control better."
The Bank of England should increase its quantitative easing program, Spencer said, ahead of the release of its interest rate-setting committee's latest set of minutes on Wednesday.
"The trick will really be to see action on quantitative easing, to see them buying commercial paper and things like that, " he said, adding that buying gilts is "a waste of time" at the moment because of low returns.
—By CNBC's Catherine Boyle


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What is measles?
What causes measles?
Who gets measles?
How does the measles virus cause disease?
What are the common findings?
How is measles diagnosed?
How is measles treated?
What are the complications?
How can measles be prevented?
What research is being done?
by Hal B. Jenson, M.D.
Chief, Pediatric Infectious Diseases
University of Texas Health Science Center
San Antonio, TX
by Charles T. Leach, M.D.
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
University of Texas Health Science Center
San Antonio, TX
Measles, also commonly known as "rubeola," is a viral infection that is characterized
primarily by a fever, a cough, a runny nose, red eyes, a rash, and spots inside
the mouth.
The measles virus, an RNA virus of the paramyxovirus family of viruses, causes measles.
Measles was an important disease that occurred in almost all children before the
introduction of the measles vaccine. Measles is highly contagious, and, historically,
it has caused large outbreaks. Prior to the use of the measles vaccine, which was
introduced in 1963, more than 500,000 cases of measles were reported each year in
the United States. The disease is now very uncommon. In 1998, only approximately
100 cases were reported in the United States.
Today, measles is usually seen only in those persons who have not received the vaccine,
typically, in children one to four years of age. Most cases in the United States
have occurred in inner city or isolated rural areas, where poverty is common and
access to health care, including measles vaccination, is difficult, or in persons
traveling to or visiting from other countries.
The measles virus is transmitted from person-to-person by direct contact or by contaminated
secretions of the nose and the mouth. The measles virus infects the lining of the
nose and the upper respiratory tract. Then, it is spread through the blood throughout
the body, which causes the rash. In the lungs, the measles virus infection can cause
pneumonia, which can be severe and life threatening, especially in infants.
Measles can be divided into four phases: 1) the incubation phase, 2) the prodromal
(catarrhal) phase, 3) the rash phase, and 4) the recovery phase.
The incubation phase typically lasts 8 to 12 days after exposure to the virus and
does not have any symptoms. The prodromal phase begins at the onset of the first
symptoms, which begin gradually and include a fever, a cough, a runny nose, and
red eyes. Usually, the fever is the first symptom noticed by parents. The fever
rises steadily and may reach maximum temperatures of 103F to 104F. At the height
of the fever, the rash develops.
The runny nose with a profuse watery discharge, nasal congestion, and sneezing becomes
prominent. Typically, there is a pronounced cough, which is hoarse, dry, and hacking.
Some children may complain of tightening in the chest. The red eyes are characterized
by increased tearing, eye pain that may be severe, and sensitivity to light. Other
symptoms that are frequently observed during the prodromal phase include fatigue,
irritability, a decreased appetite, a headache, abdominal pain, and a dry mouth
and throat.
Approximately two to four days after the onset of the symptoms, the rash appears,
marking the beginning of the rash phase. The symptoms of the prodromal phase worsen
with the onset of the rash, but then begin to decrease in severity. The measles
rash is a flat or slightly raised rash, and is not itchy. It first appears as irregular
spots on the upper forehead or behind the ears and on the neck. Within 24 hours,
it progresses to the entire face, head, and neck. Over the next two to four days,
the rash extends to the chest, back, and extremities, including the palms of the
hands and the soles of the feet. It remains most prominent on the face, especially
on the cheeks.
After four to five days, the rash begins to subside, marking the beginning of the
recovery phase. Sometimes, a very fine flaking of the skin is noted as the rash
fades. About 10 to 14 days after developing the rash, the child is back to a normal
level of activity.
One of the characteristic findings of measles is the presence of spots, known as
"Koplik spots," inside the mouth. These tiny pinpoint blue-white spots begin as
a few lesions on the inside of the cheeks, typically occurring 1 to 2 days before
the rash, and increase rapidly in number over the next 24 hours. They begin to fade
as the rash appears, and usually disappear by the second day of the rash.
Measles is diagnosed primarily on the clinical and physical examination findings.
The appearance of the rash is characteristic, and when found in association with
Koplik spots inside the mouth, an experienced physician can diagnose measles. There
also is a specific antibody blood test that can be used to confirm the diagnosis.
There is no specific treatment for measles. Antibiotics are not helpful because
a virus causes measles. Viruses cannot be treated with antibiotics. The disease
is usually mild with complete recovery. Some children, especially infants and young
children, require hospitalization for intravenous fluids and occasionally because
of severe pneumonia. The fever should be treated with acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
Severe measles has been associated with very low levels of vitamin A. In developing
countries, vitamin A supplements appear to improve the course of measles, especially
in children younger than two years of age. In the United States, the American Academy
of Pediatrics recommends vitamin A supplements for certain children with measles
who are not already receiving additional daily vitamin A. Children who might need
additional vitamin A include those with:
For these children, a single dose of vitamin A (100,000 IU for infants, 6 months
to 1 year of age; 200,000 IU for older children) is given at the time that measles
is diagnosed. Excess vitamin A can be dangerous for the developing fetus of pregnant
The most frequent complications of measles are diarrhea, middle ear infection ("bacterial
otitis media"), bacterial pneumonia, and inflammation of the brain ("encephalitis").
Diarrhea is the most common complication of measles in the United States, and it
occurs in approximately 10% of children who develop measles. The diarrhea usually
begins after the rash appears, lasts for only a few days, and usually does not require
hospitalization for intravenous fluids. Otitis media occurs in approximately 5%
to 15% of children with measles, and usually begins during the second week of illness
after the rash has faded.
Pneumonia is one of the most serious complications of measles, and it can be caused
either by the measles virus itself or by bacteria that cause additional infection
during the course of measles. Children who have an immunodeficiency are at a particularly
high risk for pneumonia with measles.
Acute encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) is an uncommon complication of measles
and occurs in approximately 1 to 2 of every 1,000 cases of measles. It is a more
serious complication because it can be very severe and can lead to death.
Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is a very rare, but fatal, form of degenerative
encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) that develops an average of 8 to 10 years
after a typical case of measles. SSPE occurs in approximately one out of every one
million persons with measles. The onset is usually very gradual, but results in
behavioral changes and impairment of intellectual function, leading to seizures,
coma, and death in a few years. Patients with SSPE are not contagious. SSPE has
been very uncommon in the United States since the initiation of the routine measles
Measles is effectively prevented by the routine administration of the measles vaccine,
usually given as Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccines to all children. This vaccine
is recommended beginning at 12 months of age. A single dose of the measles vaccine
results in protection of approximately 95% of children. To ensure that all children
are immunized, a second dose of MMR is recommended at four to six years of age;
however, it can be given to children at any age as soon as one month after the first
Many states require two doses of the measles vaccine for school entry, and many
colleges and universities require evidence of two doses of the measles vaccine for
admission. It is not a problem if an additional dose of the measles vaccine is given
in addition to the two recommended doses.
The spread of measles can be prevented by minimizing exposure to children who have
symptoms of the disease, and by good handwashing after exposure to the disease.
Because measles is now extremely uncommon, and because the vaccine is extremely
safe and effective in preventing measles, there is not much research on measles
currently being conducted. There is some research being performed on the long-term
immunity of the measles vaccine to confirm that it does provide lifelong immunity.
Hal Jenson, M.D.
Dr. Jenson graduated from George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington,
He also completed a residency in pediatrics at the Rainbow Babies and Children's
Hospital of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and a fellowship
in pediatric infectious diseases and epidemiology at Yale University School of Medicine.
Dr. Jenson has an active research program on the biology of Epstein-Barr virus and
other human and non-human primate herpes viruses.
He is active in the general pediatric and infectious diseases teaching and clinical
activities of his Department and Division, is a co-editor of Nelson Textbook of
Pediatrics and of Pediatric Infectious Diseases: Principles and Practice, and authors
the book Pocket Guide to Vaccination and Prophylaxis.
Charles T. Leach, M.D.
Dr. Leach received his medical degree at the University of Utah School of Medicine
and completed his pediatrics residency as well as a fellowship in pediatric infectious
diseases at UCLA.
He is currently Associate Professor and Director of Research in the Department of
Pediatrics at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.
Dr. Leach conducts scientific research in the areas of herpes virus infections,
pediatric AIDS, and infectious diseases among residents of the Texas-Mexico border.
Copyright 2012 Hal B. Jenson, M.D., All Rights Reserved
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Carlisle stars in Essendon's big AFL win
Essendon coach Mark Thompson admits even he was surprised by Jake Carlisle's best-afield performance in the thumping AFL win over Collingwood.
Carlisle took 19 marks around the ground and kicked four goals, leading the Bombers to a 64-point upset of the Magpies on Sunday at the MCG.
The 16.7 (103) to 5.9 (39) win meant Essendon jumped from 10th to seventh, one spot above Collingwood and the first time they have been in the top eight since round four.
This season, Thompson has experimented with Carlisle as a key forward, rather than playing him in defence.
The tactic has attracted plenty of criticism because of the Carlisle's inconsistent form.
Lately, Carlisle has had more licence to play at either end when necessary and everything clicked on Sunday.
"He was fantastic - I've never seen it coming, didn't expect it," said Thompson, who has defended Carlisle staunchly.
"But obviously the coaches have been doing good work with him .
"It wouldn't have mattered where he played today, he just had one of those days."
While Carlisle's performance stood out, the Bombers had no passengers as they destroyed the slumping Magpies.
Essendon fell away badly at the end of the last two seasons, but Thompson is upbeat about their prospects this time.
"Who knows how far we can go?," he said
"Anyone would be silly to try and predict that with Essendon.
"You'd think by the fourth year, we'd finally work it out (and) I think we have.
"We're still running, we still have legs.
"I'm very confident we'll be right."
Essendon beat the 'Pies without Brendon Goddard, who was suspended last week, and injured stars Jobe Watson and Michael Hibberd.
Thompson said Watson could return from his leg injury in three weeks' time.
While Essendon are surging, Collingwood have lost four of their last five games.
"At times when you looked across the field, it looked like Essendon had 20 blokes ... and we had 15," Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley said.
"We were pretty-well dismantled.
"We've made a massive withdrawal from what we've been trying to build."
Buckley said they now had to show the same grit and endeavour that followed the heavy round-one loss to Fremantle.
Magpies key forward Travis Cloke went scoreless, but Buckley revealed he had been ill.
And Buckley also pointed out team-mates up the field did not make it easy for Cloke with some terrible ball use.
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Albert Breer went 12-3 with his predictions in Week 13 and is now 124-66 for the season. How will he fare in Week 14? His picks are below, with home teams listed second:
Baltimore remains in great shape to get a first-round bye, and last week's win over Cleveland -- staying the course after an emotional victory -- was a step forward.
My guess is this winds up being one of the weekend's most entertaining contests. And I have an inkling Julio Jones could break out in a big way in Charlotte, N.C.
Mike Zimmer's defense, in my estimation, is where the rubber meets the road for the T.J. Yates-led Texans. The Bengals will do just enough to get it turned around this week.
Raheem Morris had the look of a coach coming unraveled last Sunday. My guess is his team rallies to his defense on Sunday.
Michael Vick's return helps, but the Eagles defense won't be capable of stopping the Dolphins controlling from the pace of the game at the line of scrimmage.
Last week, Shonn Greene told me coming off the field that his two fourth-quarter touchdown runs signified a return to playing "Jet Football." Cliché? Yup. But there's truth in it, too.
The Redskins' pass rush presents serious issues for New England. Washington's chances of pulling this off, though, will ride on Rex Grossman's ability to exploit the Patriot secondary.
Niners get to 11-2, heading into their Monday Night showcase against the Steelers. And in that one, a first-round bye could well be at stake for both teams.
Consider me checked in on Tim Tebow (as an option QB), and checked out on Caleb Hanie. And give me Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil against that Bears line every day of the week.
Green Bay isn't entirely happy with the way that last one went at the Meadowlands. And the Raiders simply are in the way of this freight train.
Philip Rivers told me he's encouraged the Chargers finally got themselves right in Jacksonville. It's probably too late, but it would set up an interesting one against Baltimore next week.
Gotta love how Pete Carroll has his team playing, and the direction Seattle is going. And it's hard not to like the Seahawks' draw this week, with Tom Brandstater piloting the Rams.
Follow Albert Breer on Twitter @albertbreer.


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Friend: Chiefs LB, slain girlfriend 'seemed fine'
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A friend of the woman killed by Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher says the couple briefly lived apart last month.
But Brianne York said Sunday that Belcher and his girlfriend, Kasandra M. Perkins, had gotten back together by Thanksgiving.
She said they had argued about "normal couple issues" and Perkins had gone to visit her family in Texas and briefly stayed with her cousin, who is married to Chiefs player Jamaal Charles.
Recently, she said, the couple "seemed fine."
She thought there was a mistake when she learned that Belcher killed Perkins at the couple's home Saturday.
Police said Belcher then drove to Arrowhead Stadium, where he thanked his coach and fatally shot himself.
Belcher and Perkins had a 3-month-old daughter.
Police didn't release any additional information Sunday.


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polkadotmittens necesitaba un nuevo diseño de otro y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 87 diseños de 22 diseñadores freelance.
Our Company
We sell name program products to retailers throughout the country.
Ever hit a mental block?! We have!!
It's been one of those projects that's just causing us some challenges, maybe we've looked at it too much or we've just been overthinking it but we're open for some ideas and we're crunched for time!
We're looking for a new direction on a theme we just haven't thought of.
We're stuck in our box, can you see what's outside of it?
What we need:
A cool, funky and fun design that appeals to kids for their lunch bags!
-Must have a child's name as primary focus with artwork theme/style that appeals to kids ages 4 – 9
-Submit a design for a boy, girl, both or unisex
Sample names to be used in the submission (to see what the design looks like with a long name or a short name):
Girls: Madison & Ava
Boys: Matthew & Jacob
Unisex: Taylor
What's it going on:
A lunch bag
The flap (see photos provided)
Heat transfer
What is the size limit for the design?
5.5'' wide
2.75'' high
WHATEVER! Get creative!!


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Katherine FitzGibbon
Associate Professor of Music, Director of Choral Activities.
Katherine FitzGibbon conducts the Lewis & Clark College choirs, teaches music history and conducting, and oversees the vibrant voice and choral area. In 2014, she was an inaugural winner of the Lorry Lokey Faculty Excellence Award, honoring "inspired teaching, rigorous scholarship, demonstrated leadership, and creative accomplishments." At Lewis & Clark, she has conducted concerts including Mozart's Requiem, Orff's Carmina Burana, Carol Barnett's The World Beloved: A Bluegrass Mass, Britten's Ceremony of Carols, and music ranging from medieval chant to the premiere of a work for symphonic chorus and Javanese gamelan.
As Artistic Director of Portland's professional Resonance Ensemble, she has conducted repertoire ranging from Schütz's Singet dem Herrn to Feldman's Rothko Chapel as part of innovative thematic concert programs. These programs represent collaborations between the Northwest's finest professional singers and visual artists, poets (including the Oregon Poet Laureate), actors, dancers, and other musical organizations including Third Angle New Music, FearNoMusic, Cascadia Composers, and the Portland Chamber Orchestra. Resonance has been called "one of the finest choirs in the Northwest" by Willamette Week, and Dr. FitzGibbon's interdisciplinary approach was cited in an article in the Wall Street Journal about Portland's collaborative arts scene.
She is also Head of Faculty at the summertime Berkshire Choral Festival. She has served as Director of Choral Activities at Clark University, Interim Director of Choirs at Cornell University, and has conducted undergraduate choirs at Harvard University, Boston University, and the University of Michigan. Dr. FitzGibbon has been Assistant Conductor of the professional ensemble Boston Secession, Chorusmaster of the Windsor Symphony Chorus in Windsor, Ontario, guest conductor of the Windsor Symphony Orchestra, and a staff conductor at the Rome Opera Festival in Rome, Italy. She has directed secondary school choral programs, guest conducted honor choirs, adjudicated solo and choral competitions, and she serves on the boards of the Northwest division of the American Choral Directors Association and the National Collegiate Choral Organization.
A lyric soprano, Dr. FitzGibbon is a frequent recitalist and performer of early through new music, having performed with Friends of Rain, Third Angle New Music Ensemble, Cappella Romana, the Portland Baroque Orchestra, Clark University's Faculty Recital Series, the Boston Secession Artist Series, Cornell University Mid-Day Music, and recitals at the Berkshire Choral Festival. On the concert stage, she has sung solos with ensembles including the Windsor Symphony, Berkshire Choral Festival, Boston Secession, Kings Chapel Concert Series, Ocean City Pops Orchestra, Boston University Chamber Chorus, and University of Michigan Early Music Ensemble, in works from Schütz to Beethoven to world premieres.
Dr. FitzGibbon's research discusses the use of historicism and German nationalism in the German Requiems of Brahms, Reger, and Distler, considering links between monumental choral music and political nationalism in the Bismarck era through the Third Reich. She has presented her research at conferences for the Institute of Advanced Study of the Social Sciences in Paris, France; the National Collegiate Choral Organization; and the American Choral Directors Association. In 2012, she received a Deutsche Akademische Austauschdienst fellowship (DAAD, the German equivalent of a Fulbright) to travel to Berlin to conduct further research on Brahms reception, German Requiems, and the Third Reich.
Academic Credentials
D.M.A. 2008 Boston University, M.A. 2002 University of Michigan, B.A. 1998 Princeton University


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A few months ago, there was a Groupon offer for a treatment at Innersound – I had no idea what it was, or what they did but I did know that at £10, I would give it a go!
Innersound offers alternative treatment based on Qi (which means Energy, more commonly known as Chi) and through their masters, restore energy and clear 'blockages'. (Qi is Korean, Chi is Chinese. The treatment at Innersound originates from Korea).
They say:
In the Qi Treatments the Qi Master presses on your energy points and stimulates the circulation while removing deep rooted tension and stress. From insomnia to backpain, from allergies to arthritis…you can experience a feeling of relief, wellbeing and pecefulness from the first treatment.
I believe very much that there is Chi and that if harnessed there are a lot of things we could push ourselves to do. This treatment is VERY unusual in that the master pushes into certain points in your body whilst making a loud 'SHOO' sound to push the energy in.
See their video here.
So what did I think?…First off, the atmosphere was lovely, so serene and calm. You are asked to remove your shoes at the door and fill in a form explaining where you feel pain and what you hope to get from the treatment etc.
You are then led to a treatment room and you lie down fully clothed as a Qi master does the treatment which takes about 15 minutes.
It can be painful – certainly around my stomach area the Qi Master pressed very hard and it also hurt around my lower back. The treatment covers your entire body, head to toe.
What I also liked was talking to the Qi master about stresses in day to day like and she explained to me how negative influences, thinking negatively, talking negatively drained us of energy and it was important to move away from these thinking patterns.
Now how did I feel after the treatment? I felt a bit brighter but with all honesty, I didn't feel more energised and was still quite run down. She did tell me that a course of treatments was necessary to truly become replenished but I wasn't sure if I felt enough of a difference to rebook.
I am so low on energy that if in fact what they say is true (about topping up energy levels) then I probably need about 50 treatments to get me up to normal human levels!
Having said that, overall the experience was incredibly interesting but I just didn't have the time and inclination to book again. I will consider going back in the future but I think it might have to be a time when I know for a fact I can appreciate the treatment rather than having it and still pushing myself to my limit in terms working till I drop!
You can contact Innersound here for try out the treatment.


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Felicia Day, star of the Internet series The Guild, will also be the star of Dragon Age: Redemption a web spin-off to the dark fantasy Dragon Age series that will debut this summer.
She also has a huge crush on Thane, the dying green alien from Mass Effect 2 ("He is not a lizard man!" she protested when I referred to him as such.) In New York yesterday she was promoting Redemption and effortlessly testifying to her gaming credentials. That's a combo that could benefit those of us who are disappointed with the live-action versions of video games that we've been subjected to so far.
Day would love to make a Mass Effect or Fallout movie someday, she told me. She gets it; she gets that gaming worlds are places you visit for eight or 80 hours, not two — something she thinks the current makers of video game movies miss. She's taking that respect to Dragon Age Redemption, though not with a Hollywood-size budget.
You'll get the gist from the quick video interview we shot. Not seen in the video: the picture she showed me on her iPhone of the nasty-looking busted lip she got while learning sword-fighting for the series. Look for its debut this summer. We've got a teaser for now.


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In my article "A Therapist's Mantras for Early Intervention" on Pediastaff's Blog, I mention the importance of asking questions in early intervention. We all ask a series of questions when we are completing an evaluation, then during treatment we often ask families how things are going to check in on a child's progress, but there are so many more questions to ask that can help build a healthy parent-therapist relationship. These questions get to the heart of what's going on and can truly impact the success of intervention.
By asking the right questions you can get to know a family for who they really are and allow them to see your genuine interest in their opinions and their child's success. With appropriate questioning you can also establish communication with even the most shutdown of families, repair misunderstandings, and most importantly, encourage families to own the early intervention process as their own.
The following are the categories and sequence of questions I have found to be most useful in my own practice, to first build a foundation of trust and then allow for open and honest conversations as the therapeutic relationship grows. The first few categories may seem obvious, but if you stick with me, hopefully by the end you will have found an idea that you hadn't thought of or tried before. Here goes…
1. Ask questions that establish roles.
When first working with a family, it's important to find out what ideas they have about how the intervention will work, what you will do when you come for a visit, and what their part as parents will be. I like to ask questions like these:
- How would you like my help?
- What do you hope to get out of working with me?
- How would you like to take part in your child's therapy?
The answers to these questions then provide an opportunity for you to discuss things like the importance of attendance, how your sessions will be set up to include them as the parents, and what therapy is and isn't.
2. Ask questions that set goals.
The next category of questions gets more specific about what a family wants to see their child accomplish. You may have discussed some of this when completing the evaluation or other paperwork with the family, but due to time that has likely lapsed and changes that can happen quickly in a child's development, it's important at the beginning of therapy to re-establish those goals. I also like to focus parents very specifically on one thing we can start with that their child can likely accomplish right away so that parents are motivated to continue to work hard and set new goals. Questions to help set goals may sound like this:
- What time of the day is particularly difficult for your child?
- When do you get frustrated with your child's difficulty communicating?
- What's one thing you think your child could do with a little help that would make a huge difference in his life?
Keep in mind that answers to the last question may still be broad behaviors like, "pay attention", "talk more", "listen better", or "have better behavior". It helps to take those answers and explain how a specific behavior, like taking a turn during an interaction, attending to an activity, pointing to make a request, imitating gross motor movements, or looking at an adult to ask for help can be the first steps to helping their child get to the overall goal. Once parents know what specific behavior they are looking for, they know when their child's accomplished it, and they can see progress happening. Establishing those successes early on goes a long way in earning a parent's trust for the long-term.
3. Questions that build routines.
Questions that build routines help parents figure out how they are going to implement these new behaviors and strategies you have introduced. Without a plan, a set day, time of day, activity, and specific behavior, it is unlikely that a parent will follow-through on your interventions for the simple fact that change is hard. With a specific plan, established by the family itself, it makes it much more possible to integrate these new behaviors into daily life. Examples of these questions include:
- What times of the day do you think would be good to help your child practice taking turns?
- Out of the toys here in this room, what toy do you think you'd like to use this week to help your child practice pointing?
- What kind of activity would you enjoy doing with your child where he can imitate your movements?
- Can you think of several times during the day you can make sure your child hears you saying the word "up"?
4. Questions that gather feedback.
This one is easy. To gather feedback you can simply ask, "How'd it go?"
5. Questions that spark action.
The questions that spark action are where the real relationship building happens. This is where you can encourage parents in their successes and help them to solve problems and overcome obstacles. It's easy enough to guide parents through what therapy is all about, help them set goals, plan activities and then drop the ball. And, yes, just asking, "So, how'd it go?" with no follow-up questions still counts as dropping the ball. We've all done it because we're frustrated that a parent didn't follow through and we can't seem to politely muster another question, or we can sense the parent is shutdown and we don't want to push too hard. BUT the question after the "How'd it go?" is where you get the 411. Those questions are tricky, take special care, and go something like this:
- So _________ pointed to what he wanted when you were working with him on the puzzle. Wow! How did that feel when he did that for the first time?
- I know you said you didn't have a chance to work on the word "up" this past week. Do you think you'll have a chance this week or would it be easier to work on something different?
- I know we had a difficult conversation last week after you got the diagnosis from your doctor. How are you feeling about all of that now?
- I know _______ didn't want to imitate your movements when you sang "Old McDonald". What do you think made it difficult for him to participate?
- Since _______ didn't want to take a turn with stacking the blocks, would you like to practice it together today so that we can see if we can find a way to make it easier for him to participate?
Depending on the answers to these last questions, you may also need to go back to the previous questions to make sure you and the family are still on the same page as far as setting goals and building routines.
To sum it up…
And now I would love to hear what you think. What questions have you found to be helpful? How do you feel asking the tough questions? Other than asking questions, how do you keep the lines of communication open?
Kim Rowe, MA, CCC-SLP, is a speech-language pathologist working in early intervention in Savannah, GA. She is Hanen certified and passionate about family-centered services. When she's not working, Kim enjoys writing at Little Stories, spending time with her husband, volunteering with her therapy dog Charlie, and listening to her daughter's story unfold as she develops language.