Women’s History Month

    Earlier today I attended an event held at the Georgia Highlands Library in Cartersville. This event was a presentation given by volunteers who read aloud the thoughts and ideas of several women. One by one a speaker would stand up among his or her audience and with great emotion, quoted women from our past and present. Each quote reflected on how a woman views herself and how she is viewed by society. The tone and attitude towards these views changed per speaker, due to the time era being represented. I wish I could give more depth on the names and dates of these women. While at the library my two year old started working on a poo poo, as I like to call it. I did not want to offend anyone, so I moved off to the side and away from the crowd of audiences. I was able to continue listening to the speakers, but I could not hear them as well as I would have liked. Even though I could not hear every single word, I comprehended that this presentation gave honor and acknowledgment to the ongoing history of women. This history includes where women were and are going based on the issues and expectations women faced and continue to face. Women's history focuses on the progress women have made on issues like women's rights. I began to wonder if I should even be at the library for this special event while having my son with me. Then it dawned on me that all I'm trying to do is balance my work of being a full time mom, with my work of being a part time student. Sometimes I put too much expectation on myself, thinking I have to perfectly balance work, home, and school. I'm glad I came to the event because it was a reminder of how far women have come and that the ideas of past women do not go in vain. I hope everyone who participated and attended this event received a feeling pride and honor towards women's' history. I know I did and I enjoyed how at the end of the event all the speakers came together and with one voice gave the last quote of vision for women today and in the future.

I am BLESSED

    I have days when I complain over the most insignificant things. There have been occasions on the weekend where I'm up and upset because my two year old woke me up too early. I overlook the fact that from my deck is a beautiful view of the sun rise and that the birds are singing good morning to me, or that I'm waking up in a house and not on the streets, and most importantly that I'm ALIVE!!! Other times I'm at school frustrated because my notebook or phone is not working properly. Instead of being annoyed because I'm waiting only a few minutes for information to come up on these devices, I should be thrilled that I'm attending school. I have been given the opportunity to better my life through education. I have financial aid which I am very grateful for and all that is required from me is hard work in studying. I am blessed beyond measure and I know I am undeserving of it all. I am blessed to live in a free country. I am blessed to have healthy children. My husband and I are blessed to be physically and mentally able to work. Too often I overlook these blessings that so many others do not have.

    When I stop focusing energy on my troubles (if I can even call them that) and begin focusing it on what others need, I accomplish great things. When I serve others I don't have time to feel sorry for myself. This makes life so much more enjoyable. I wished I followed this advice all the time but I know some times I forget and get wrapped up in my life. I'm thankful though, that I realize when( me, myself, and I )has had enough attention and I begin making a difference in someone else's life. For me there is truth to finding the silver lining and making lemonade out of lemons. It is my prayer that everyone can see the blessings in their life and use them to bless others as well.

    

Spring Time

    Spring is here and so is the pollen. Like most I am battling allergy symptoms due to the tree pollen but if you ask me it is a small price to pay to see the earth become a canvas of beautiful colors. I have seasonal allergies and if it's not tree pollen this season it will be grass this summer and mold this winter. I've suffered with allergies for the past ten years but have discovered a few helpful tricks along the way that ease my symptoms. Honey in tea comforts my throat and if its local honey it provides local allergen immunity due to the local pollination of bees. In other words if you live in Bartow County and buy honey made in Bartow County then the honey contains the same allergens in pollen that you are being attacked by and this results in a gradual buildup of immunity towards the allergens in local pollen. I also take a daily regimen of Allegra and for emergencies I keep on hand sinus headache medicine. Another useful tip I learned is from my chiropractor who suggests applying a small amount of Vaseline along the inside of your nostrils. Notice how I underlined small; there is no need to complicate things by making it harder to breath: ) The Vaseline catches up the pollen and when you blow your nose the pollen leaves with the Vaseline.

    I not only enjoy the beautiful blooms this time year but also the gardening and planting. I do not have a green thumb but my husband does. We usually begin to plant a few fruits and vegetables around this time. Tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash are a must and this year we are adding cabbage to the list. I'm also ready to take on the challenge of growing blueberries and strawberries. How nice would that be? I could make blueberry pancakes and strawberry milkshakes. OK I know that's not the healthiest way to eat them but I'm just saying occasionally it would be a nice treat. We already have blackberry bushes that ripen in the fall which make the BEST blackberry cobblers. I recommend gardening for everyone because it's therapeutic, good for the environment, and you are rewarded with delicious food to eat for all your hard work. I wish a happy spring to all and hope it's filled with few allergies and lots of soon to be YUMMY home grown fruits and vegetables. Don't forget to take in all the beautiful colors…

Spring Break

I had a wonderful and relaxing spring break even though I did not go away on vacation. I took the opportunity of having my evenings free from school to spend well needed time with my children. I enjoyed cooking a few homemade meals and sitting down with my family during dinner time. After dinner my family and I would watch a movie. I did rent a few movies over the break. I usually use the Red Box even though I am subscribed to Netflix. Lately I have found it difficult finding new release family movies but I did watch a few favorites among my family. "Finding Nemo" and "Earnest goes to camp" played several times at my house last week.

My children enjoyed the extra time I was able to give them before bedtime. We played the Wii which kept us moving. I bought "Just Dance" for the Wii last month and my family and I have the most fun dancing to it. My youngest son Trevor gets so into it. I have videotaped him a few times while he dances. I also had time to focus on helping my oldest son Gavin with his homework. Gavin, Trevor, and I took time with art and craft projects during the evening hours. We also went to the park a couple of times because the weather was definitely spring like. It's the little things in life that mean so much.

Believe it or not I also enjoyed getting some spring cleaning done in my house. All I can say is it gave me instant gratification. I guess you could say my spring break was ordinary but I enjoyed it to say the least. I spent time with my family which is priceless. I got some deep cleaning took care of and plenty of rest at night. Like I said earlier I had a wonderful and relaxing spring break and hope it was the same for all of you!!!

 

    

ZOO ATLANTA

    My family and I went to Zoo Atlanta on Sunday of this week and had a wonderful time. The best part of going to the zoo was that it was free. We had a one day family pass given to us from the Adairsville Library. The Bartow County Library System and Zoo Atlanta work together through a program called Zoo Atlanta Pass. The program is aimed to educate people on the history of Zoo Atlanta and encourage visitation to the zoo. This is achieved by checking out the Zoo Atlanta DVD from any Public Bartow County Library.

The Zoo Atlanta DVD tells more than the history of Zoo Atlanta, but also the dangers facing many animals today, which encourages people to visit the zoo and learn the best way on how to support these animals. After the Zoo Atlanta DVD is checked out for a week and returned, a free one day pass for Zoo Atlanta is given, which can be used within one week. The pass is good for two adults and two children under the age of twelve. The challenge with checking the DVD out, is finding it available due to the program's popularity. My family and I enjoyed watching the DVD and found the challenge well worth it.

The zoo was extremely crowded on Sunday when my family and I visited. It took four and half hours for us to see all the animals and you could not take a step without bumping into another person. I'm not complaining, only stating how busy it was. Our trip to Zoo Atlanta was a first time event for our youngest son Trevor. Trevor loved seeing all the animals in their natural habitat. He especially enjoyed watching the monkeys and Gorillas. The monkeys were active and showing out by swinging from one tree to another. We saw a baby gorilla caress his mom's arms and during this time Trevor caressed his older brother's hair. His older brother Gavin found this amusing and said, "Trevor is a monkey." We all had a wonderful time and saved around sixty dollars because of the Zoo Atlanta Pass Program. I recommend residents of Bartow County to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity.

 

Native American

    Tonight in my English 1101 class at Georgia Highlands, I am presented with a beautiful picture. The picture is of a tall Native American statue. The statue is covered in vibrant yellow feathers and clothed with detailed beaded symbols. The Native American statue stands in front of a white rundown building. I asked myself if the statue has age on it and what is the history behind it. I believe the statue was designed with care and pride due to the detail workmanship. The figure of the statue shows strength with its arms stretched high and bold colors arranged through out it. As I look at this remarkable piece of art, I am reminded of a statue that I helped create. In 1999 I was a senior at Cherokee High School and took art as an elective. My teacher was Ms. Stone and she enjoyed having her students participate in group activities. Ms. Stone began an ongoing project my senior year and wanted all her art students to be part of it. We carved a totem pole from a log that went in length of about eight feet. Ms. Stone encouraged each of her students to get involved and "leave their mark, a piece of history behind". I was thrilled to help in the carving of the totem pole because I knew the totem pole would become school history and I was a part of it. The group I was assigned to have the task of carving an eagle and I shaped the wings. At the end of my senior year, over half of the totem pole was carved. The totem pole started at top with a Native American head which was crowned with feathers and continued down with animal symbols. I'm not sure, but I believe it took the entire following year to completely carve and paint the totem pole. After the totem pole was finished it was placed outside in front of the school, representing the pride and history of Cherokee High. In recent years, a new totem pole has been created by Cherokee High students and now stands where the old one did. The old totem pole was encased and placed inside the school so it may be preserved. I do not know if Ms. Stone is still teaching at Cherokee High and who is continuing to carry out this tradition, of history in the making, but I take pride, knowing that the totem pole stands proudly in the hallway of Cherokee High School, with the history of former art students yearning to "leave their mark, a piece of history behind".

HEART HEALTH

    Since the year began I have been reminded on how important the heart is. In January I lost a neighbor to a massive heart attack. My neighbor Clyde was in his mid-sixty's and in good physical shape. I've seen Clyde out walk me in our neighborhood, which is why I am surprised by his sudden death. This raises the question, is heart health achieved through diet and exercise alone. I know the effect of smoking is more work on the heart, but how about stress.

    We all at one time or another experience stress, if it be physical or emotional. When does stress cross from beneficial to detrimental for our wellbeing? I do not know for certain but I imagine if one of the effects from stress is high blood pressure, then you have crossed over. High blood pressure makes the heart work harder and just like smoking it needs to be removed from your life style for overall health.

February is Heart Health Awareness Month and last week my son brought home from school a fundraiser for The American Heart Association. The idea behind the fundraiser was to give in honor of anyone with heart related problems. I donated in honor of my mom who has heart disease. There are many underlining factors to heart disease and to name a few are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and family history (genetics). Our life style of diet, exercise, smoking, and stress all contribute to these factors.

Saturday, after reading about Whitney Houston's death, I reflected on how much our lifestyles contribute to heart health. I do not know for sure her cause of death but I can't help to think her life style played a role. I am saddened by Whitney Houston's passing and know there will never be another voice like hers. She was only forty-eight and had so much more to give in life.

This week I was able to give back to my community and it warmed my heart. I may never know if a person can die of a sad or lonely heart. I do know for me that having a cheerful and loving heart is beneficial to my heart health. My prayer is that each of you will take care of your heart physically and emotionally. God Bless!!!