I know sometimes you all think I exaggerate these stories about this crazy pup named Riley. Let me assure you, I don't. And right here I have both photographic evidence as well as three witnesses to back up my claims. For this demonstration, I've used my friend Susie to show you how well Riley trains humans.
Now, I have explained to you all before that this dog has trained me and not the other way around. He puts his paws together and starts moving his arms up and down, and the response is Pavlovian. It's his way of saying "Please," and our Pavlov response is to reach out and scratch his chest.
You notice how Riley goes into a laid back position well before Susie even responds? It's because he knows how easily and thoroughly we humans are all influenced. Yes. He leans back with the assumption of a chest rub, and he is quickly proven right as Suz gives into his demands.
Upon hearing the camera clicking on the second shot, he realizes that the pesky paparazzi is following him again. Never one to disappoint a fan, he pushes away Susie's hands, turns and looks at me and holds that exact position until I turn the camera back on and get the shot he is going for. He is nothing if not dedicated to his work.
Step 4: "Reward for Services Rendered"
Of course, once the last photo was taken he hopped off of Susie's lap and came over to me, waiting patiently for the Cheerio he knew he had earned for holding so still and posing so gracefully. And, being the well-trained owner I am, I obliged and he was paid in full.
I'm afraid I am going to have to nip in the bud this whole underage drinking thing he's attempting before it gets started, though. I don't want him to be one more statistic in this crazy world of young dog celebrities. I mean, a girl's gotta draw the line somewhere, right?
Friendly reminder to all you humans and dogs alike: Have fun! Enjoy yourselves! Ring in the New Year! NO drinking and driving ever, but especially not tonight on New Year's Eve. Thus ends this public service announcement on behalf of Blog Mascots everywhere.
Tomorrow's post... all about resolutions (or lack thereof)!
But it's not my fault I have this obsession. My friends Kris and Jenny gave me a CRAZY present for Christmas. And when I say crazy, I mean totally out of the blue, shocking, I forgot to breathe for a few minutes crazy. I got a new Canon Rebel xsi camera.
And because most everyone in their family was sick with colds, I wasn't able to get it from them in person and instead opened my door to the hallway to have the gift waiting there to surprise me.
But as soon as they are done with their colds and feeling fit as fiddles, you can bet I'll be taking a few lovely photographs of them and their sweet children (one of whom is my gorgeous goddaughter).
But until then, I have a model ready and waiting to be photographed on demand, one who only requires Cheerios for payment. In fact, as I've played around with the camera and taken photos of random things around my house, he's expressed his displeasure at not being the focus of my camera's attention quite vocally.
"Excuse me... I'm ready for my close up..."
One of the things I love about the holidays is the old movies that play over and over again. I'm sitting here with The Sound of Music playing in the background... last week it was The Wizard of Oz, and sandwiched in between were many repeats of Bing Crosby's White Christmas.
And part of me was grinning at the simplicity of how they acted out the story. He'd repeatedly go to the inn keepers and be turned away... responding with a shrug of the shoulders and a report to Mary. And Mary, ever optimistic, kept telling Joseph that it was ok... they'd just try again. And oh! how excited they were when they found the lovely stable so they could rest.
I have to imagine the real scene was a lot more stressful and a little more dramatic, but I also have to believe that the people chosen to be parents to Christ probably were living with some pretty good perspective and were grateful for the place they were given.
I've done a lot of thinking about perspective and being grateful this week. Because try as we might, life is never going to be perfect and go just how we'd like it to. There is nowhere on Earth I'd rather be right now than at home with my family for my Aunt's funeral. And I'm sure there was nowhere on Earth Mary would have rather been than in a safe home with a roaring fire and a nursemaid to give birth to her son.
But she got three wisemen and a drummer boy and a supportive husband while they treasured their moments on a bed of hay. I got to have moments on the phone with mom when she could tell me about her experiences, and spend some time with them here on Christmas day and help with some details for the funeral Mass. I took my moment to pray the rosary when I knew they were praying at her wake and honored her the best way I knew how.
Mary and Joseph, while making the first home for their child in that stable, accepted where they were and recognized where they were going because they acknowledged their blessings instead of dwelling on their misfortunes.
So here's my challenge to all of you today: think back over the last week to a time when you felt like you were in a stable instead of the inn. And then look at that time again and see where God put a blessing in the hay for you. Because if there is one thing I've learned, it's that the blessing is always there if you take the time to look for it.
It has been a very long night and Stellan is exceedingly sick. Lots of poking, prodding and crying last night. But fantastic news: All interested cardiologists have agreed after examining Stellan's heart and other symptoms thoroughly that there is "no relationship" between his high heartrate (Which has been bouncing up and down through the night,not staying consistently tachycardic.) and his heart failure in the womb. He shows no signs at all of heart failure and his racing heart is due, the doctors tell us, to his illness.
Stellan "just" has a cold! It's a cold that is currently kicking his rear, though. He's in a great deal of discomfort (Sore throat? Achy? Hard to tell exactly why a young baby is hurting...), crying a lot and is having a very hard time sleeping since he can't breathe well at all.
But, we are on our way home!! We're not in the hospital anymore and are going to attempt to drive back home today, too. Stellan is going to see his doctors back home on Monday just to be safe and we're ready to get back into the swing of things anyway.
I'm hoping for smooth traveling, but even if not, I'm just so relieved that all the big stuff has been ruled out and our sick little boy is, in the grand scheme of things, just fine!
Ok, blog peeps... I know how you all followed along with me as little Stellan was born, and born healthy. Well his siblings have all been fighting colds, which he caught as well, and it appears to be doing a number on him. MckMama took him into the ER tonight and his heart rate is significantly higher than it should be, on top of his difficulty breathing. They are hoping it's RSV and not an indication that something is wrong with his heart, but we all know that prayer is a good thing and so that's what I'm hoping you'll all do for them.
I'm posting the latest update verbatim below, but if you want to check her blog you can here.
I just heard from MckMama (Who has been updating Twitter when she can, but that will get harder now as she is alone with Stellan at the hospital for the time being...and she is dictating to me on the phone what to write right now!) and she said that Stellan's symptoms of coughing, wheezing, having low oxygen sats, choking, and struggling for breath (Signs of a terrible cold that may or may not be RSV...still waiting on that) have now taken a back seat to the fact that Stellan's heartrate is running around 220, way too high.
Stellan has had a X-Ray, an EKG of his heart, is on oxygen (because his sats were in the low 80s and they should be in the upper 90s or 100) continuous heart monitoring as well as being hooked up to the pulse oximeter. She's waiting for the lab to come and draw his blood. The doctors at the hospital they're at (They are still away from home visiting her parents) are showing Stellan's heart strips electronically to the pediatric cardiologist who followed Stellan back home when he was so sick before he was born. I guess they are now just waiting for word on if that cardiologist thinks that Stellan's tachycardia is related to his bad cold, or if his heart has indeed flipped into a sustained electrically dangerous pattern.
Please pray that it is the former and that his high heart rate is only because he is sick with a miserable cold, and not because his heart is itself having problems. Please pray for wisdom for the doctors as they try to figure this out and that Stellan's heart rate will come down from its dangerously high pace, no matter what the cause of his tachycardia is.
"Holiday gifts: To your enemy, forgiveness. To a friend, your heart. To all, good will."
As I've been writing this blog the last several months, I have often had one particular person in mind as I wrote about the changes in my life due to my illness. My Aunt Judy was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension a few years ago and had been dealing with the changes and limitations the diagnosis brought into her life. I would talk to mom on the phone and she would say Judy was having a tough time knowing her limitations or adjusting to not being out and about, so I would write about a time in my life when those feelings were new to me and how I adjusted my thinking in order to deal with them.
It was my way of trying to help without being one more person who was trying to tell her what to do. Because I know how I feel when people try to tell me what to do. :) So it's a little strange for me to sit and write this post today knowing that Judy isn't here to read it. She passed away on Monday afternoon with her husband Jon and two boys, Brad and Todd, there to love her into her new life in heaven.
I so wish every one of you could have known Judy, because you would have loved her and she would certainly have loved you. My mom hit the nail on the head when we were talking tonight and she said that everyone Judy met was her best friend. Everyone she introduced mom to was her best friend. She loved big and loved a lot.
And she also whined like no one else I know. Seriously, people... I know it sounds weird but it was my absolute favorite thing about her. She wasn't an annoying whiner... she whined in a way that made you laugh and want to wrap your arms around her and take care of everything for her. When I called her once in the hospital, I was expecting to hear how she was feeling and instead we had a 20 minute conversation about the fact that they had changed her diet and all these food commercials are on TV and it just wasn't fair that she couldn't have a hamburger and fries. I mean, a little grease and fat couldn't be that bad for her heart!
My sister Janette had visited her there and sure enough she had become best friends with the nurses and would lower her head and look at them through those eyelashes and convince them to just bring her a little smidge of coffee. A little whine from Judy and people just couldn't help themselves.
We would be sitting next to each other and she would whine about my long eyelashes and how hers weren't long and, how did I curl them like that? Which would sometimes lead to a full-on makeover for Judy by the time the conversation was ended. But Judy noticed those things because, let me tell you people, Judy had to be classy. Which means everyone around her needed to be classy, too. Mom, Dad, Judy and Jon spent many a holiday together and no one would leave the house without the right clothes, cologne and overall look. I can see her practically taking my dad's white socks off his feet and explaining to him that socks with sandals just aren't classy. Thank goodness Dad and Jon still have Mother to keep them in line and check their outfits before going out the door... because Judy wouldn't have it any other way.
There are so many things I want to tell you about her but just can't on this blog. Because not all of our hog roasts were with nuns and singing, Oh Lord It's Hard to Be Humble. No, we had many a hog roast at their lake house in Brainerd that were equally entertaining in much different ways. There is a video floating around somewhere of Mom, Me, Janette, Judy and Jon in a kick-line singing, Why Don't We Get Drunk and Screw. Let's just say we didn't have many dull moments ... and Mom's right ... everyone in Judy's life was so fortunate to be her best friend.
The world feels a little different without her in it, but it would be a much more beautiful place if we all took a little bit of Aunt Judy into our hearts and greeted every new stranger as our best friend. It's definitely something I'm going to try to emulate from Judy.
As Riley and I have stayed cozy warm and bundled up in the gorgeous afghans we acquired in our first giveaway win, the weather outside has been frightful!
One thing that looks different, however, is the wall above my computer desk, because of that second giveaway win I told you about a few weeks ago! One of the regular blog peeps around here is a bona fide artist. Not a doodler like me, but an actual sells-her-art-for-money-and-makes-lovely-pictures kind of artist. You can see more of Susan's art here, or check out her blog Raisin Toast for all sorts of interesting stories.
Lucky me... I won an absolutely gorgeous oil painting just for guessing that her husband dressed up as a Harley rider for Halloween. And let me tell you, the prize far outweighs the effort of the guess.
I obviously like it because it's beautifully made, but personally I love it because it allows me to look at green grass and blue skies and barns in the country... letting me pretend like I'm closer to home. A cityscape might have been lovely, but a farm scene touches my heart.
Looks like Christmas came early around here... and I'm sending out the canvases today for all of last week's winners so you can have some post-Christmas fun, too!
When I was in college, one of the big traditions on campus was the Men's Glee Club Christmas Concert. It's a big event that is usually sold out every year, and they hold auditions for students to try out and earn a spot to perform. I was always a little bit chicken to try out because I wasn't a part of the music program or any choirs in college and figured I didn't really have a shot.
But my friend Nicole, the one who is sitting at home this Christmas preparing for the arrival of her twin girls, was always one to encourage me... so I sucked up my courage and tried out. When I came back to our apartment one day to find balloons and notes of congratulations, I realized she had gotten to the answering machine before I did and that I was going to be performing at the concert. It's one of those moments that I'm so glad I had the opportunity to experience.
If you missed the story behind my recordings, you can find it here.
Congratulations!!! Email me at gitzengirl@gmail.com with your mailing address and I'll get your canvas sent to you!
See that cute little girl?
My mom is a woman who has taken so many courageous steps in her life. When she was in high school my Grandma Flo had gone to confession as she did every week, and the priest one afternoon refused to give her absolution for her sins unless she started sending her children to the Catholic school. My mom had good friends at her old school, played on a basketball team that won the state championship and had no desire to transfer anywhere... but her junior year she took the plunge and enrolled in the new school so Grandma could get absolution and save her soul.
Because that's where she met my dad. The cool guy who had a van and a boat and loved to dance... he fell in love with my mom and that's where the story gets started. I can't even imagine, with the pace my life exists, the pace my mom was living at my age. She married my dad in 1964 and had her first baby 9 months later... and had her sixth baby 8 years later at the age of 29.
She learned how to help out on a hog farm (clipping pigs tails and teeth... a job I could never bring myself to do) not to mention taking care of six little kids, doing laundry, making meals and everything else that a household entails. And often, in the middle of it, a couple of dad's younger brothers would be living with them while they worked on the farm.
And when I say something like "making meals" I mean full-out meals with meat, potatoes, side salads and dessert... and in the summer time that was how we had lunch and supper. The table was always set properly and while we had fun, we learned manners and how to be respectful.
When we were little and would come in off the bus, mom would sometimes have snacks ready for us... doing the little things that make a difference like putting our pudding in separate little fancy dishes so we would feel special... because sometimes love is in the smallest of details.
Now, truth be told, as we got older and my siblings started leaving the house, mealtime changed and the snacks became different, but that's because mom was taking courageous new steps in her life. She had gone to work for the first time in her married life and she eventually found herself employed at Merle Norman Cosmetics (where her favorite phrase was that natural beauty takes time). :) She started working there, and eventually bought the business and through trial and error made it a success.
I definitely get my creative side from mom and loved going to her store during my junior high and high school years... helping out, doing makeovers, even piercing ears. She taught me about not being afraid to try, assuming you can do anything with enough effort and believing that new challenges are a good thing. She eventually sold that business, but couldn't stay idle for long.
She has had a recurring dream for years about being in an old house and redecorating it, and she woke up one night and told dad she wanted to start an interior design business. Courageous steps. So they took our attached garage and converted it into a show room... and she was in business! At a time when most people would be slowing down my mom was just getting started. Her business (Interior Designs) eventually moved to a space in town and she gets to be creative every day, helping people make their houses into the homes they want for their families.
But today, on her birthday, I want to say that most importantly she helped teach me by her example to not be afraid to try when you have no idea what you're getting yourself into. Because that's the kind of lesson that brought me here to all of you.
Happy Birthday, Mom... I'm very proud of you and love you around the world and back.
Sharleen! She has a blog, ironically, named: Choose Joy!
For as long as I can remember my Mom's side of the family has always gotten together for Christmas. We actually just had our Christmas get-together this past Sunday.
Right now it's just about getting together with one another and food of course. We have started a new tradition over the past few years where my mother makes a birthday cake and we sing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus. I know this tradition has really helped my 4 yr old son have a tangible impression of why we celebrate Christmas. Any time I ask him why we celebrate Christmas he confidently replies...."because it's Jesus' birthday!"
If I had to choose my absolute favorite part of our family Christmases, it would hands-down be our yearly Nativity play.
We have a beautiful baby Jesus that came from a church's nativity scene after it had closed. It used to sit in our curio cabinet, and was so pretty with the lights shining on it that it became awfully tempting to open the glass doors just to touch it every once in awhile. I remember walking into the room more than once to see one of the grandkids gently holding the precious treasure that was supposed to be left alone.
When my nieces and nephews were little, dad built a small manger to hold the baby Jesus... and while mom read the Christmas story from the bible the little ones would each have a role and act out the story. The first year, my oldest nephew Alex had the big job of carrying in the baby Jesus at the appropriate time and laying him in the manger filled with hay. As years went on and the role of carrying in Jesus went to the next in line according to age, the plays became a little more detailed.
Costumes were made and the acting sometimes became more dramatic, with little kings kneeling prostrate on the floor (with no prompting from the adults, mind you... maybe a few chuckles but no prompting). It became a very big deal and often during the year there would be mention of who was in charge of the baby Jesus that Christmas... a few even took it upon themselves to practice at home ahead of time.
The scrapbook page below is from 2002, and shows the kids opening gifts on the left and the nativity play on the right. It was Becca's turn to be an angel and carry in Jesus that year, and she was the cutest angel I'd ever seen. My favorite photo is of Alex being Joseph and Anna being Mary... notice he's holding her arm and gently helping her into Bethlehem. So cute.
As time went on and the kids got older it was difficult to keep the older ones going... but they were good sports for awhile and stuck it out until all of the grandkids had their big moment of carrying Jesus in the procession. Instead of making costumes we eventually let the kids raid Grandma's closet and come up with their own outfit concoctions... which I have to say were actually much more festive than anything we ever did.
A few of the younger ones took part last year, and it's hard to believe that soon there will be no one left still excited about the idea of the play... but all those years of their excitement and commitment to their roles will never diminish in my memories.
Do you have a favorite Christmas play/program memory?
I will have a special Saturday post this week to announce the winner for today's canvas giveaway, so be sure to check back in!
Blog peeps... it has been so.much.fun getting to read about all of your traditions and memories. If anyone is starting to feel "grinchy" about the spirit of Christmas, all they need to do is read yesterday's comments and they would be set straight and filled up again. I'm so glad to know you all.
While we were growing up our church group would go caroling the Wednesday night before Christmas to anyone unable to leave their house : ) One of the stops was always at my grandpa's and grandma's house. Only this one year, he was in intensive care in the hospital. Our pastor, knowing how much it would mean to grandpa, got permission for us to carol through the halls of the hospital so that grandpa wouldn't be left out. The only thing we brought was our voices, our scriptures and prayers, but the way it reflected in the eyes of the recipients I could tell it brought CHRISTmas.
One of the fun things we did as little kids was to draw names for our K.K.s. That's known to most people as Secret Santa these days, but when we were little we called it Kris Kringle. It was fun to play Kris Kringle throughout the season... we'd keep our K.K.s secret (or at least we tried) and do nice things or leave little notes for each other. Stretches of time might go by when it was forgotten about until somebody would mention that their K.K. sure was slacking off... and then an insurgence of notes would be found around the house again. And finally on Christmas Eve we would give the special gift we had gotten for our secret K.K.
My nieces and nephews now draw names for each other and exchange presents at our family Christmas celebration. The last time I was home for Christmas was 2006, and during the gift exchange I was, of course, taking pictures. Alex - being the oldest - went first in the exchange process and gave his gift to Anna. She gave him a hug to say thank you and darn it if I didn't miss the shot by just a second.
So I made them reenact it.
And they humored their Aunt Sara... but to make sure I got the shot this time I said out loud, "Ok, hug... and HOLD." That way that pesky little shutter delay wouldn't matter.
Being the obnoxious little twirps they are (wonder where they get that from?) every time someone would exchange a gift and go to hug, all the kids would say, "aaaaannnnddd... HOLD!" until I got the picture I wanted. I tell them that someday they will thank me for all of these recorded memories, but for now they just roll their eyes and think I'm crazy.
I missed all the hugging-and-holding last year, but I did get a lot of calls on Skype to show me their presents and fill me in on who had their name that year. I love that all the cousins are loving each other and seem to get closer every year.
We open our gifts on Christmas morning and no change there after I got married. Once we had the kiddos, we all open one gift Christmas Eve - and it's always new pajamas! Last year we got my son red "Cars" pjs and discovered later on Christmas day, that they had rubbed off red all over his new stuffed beagle pup AND his bed covers! No more red pj's that aren't washed first!
Hugs to you for your constant inspiration to us all and a blessed and merry holiday to you!!
Even though we had a lot of fun remembering our favorite and most memorable gifts, to me remembering Christmas is really all about the moments.
There was one Christmas after my sister Laura was divorced that she and her two munchkins spent the holiday at my parents' house. My sister Janette and I are both single and were used to it just being the two of us with Mom and Dad over Christmas, with the whole family getting together the weekend after. As much as we enjoyed our quiet, more intimate celebrations... having two little kids in the house made Christmas have magic again.
Thomas and Becca were reluctant to go upstairs to sleep on Christmas Eve, so Grandma had the bright idea of Santa motivating them. We were all in the living room (minus Grandma who was getting ready for bed, *wink *wink) when there was a loud rap on a window in the other room.
Becca flew out of my arms and behind Grandpa's chair faster than I've ever seen a child move (apparently I wasn't security enough in that moment), and Thomas was close behind her. Grandpa declared that Santa must be waiting for them to get to sleep and the two of them tore upstairs with their mom like their heels were on fire.
The funniest part was looking at mom when she came back in; she obviously hadn't considered the snowdrifts she had to walk through to get to the window and she was soaking wet... the things we do for kids!
Laura came down to get their gifts from Santa set up, and I went and laid down with the two little ones... Thomas' heart was still almost beating out of his chest as he told me he was sure he heard the bells. In that moment, I was pretty sure I'd heard them too.
It was so fun to get up that next morning and see their faces and play with their toys. I think my sisters and I had about as much fun with all the stuff as Thomas and Becca. I doubt they remember the gifts they got, but I wonder if they remember Santa rapping on the window that night.
I know with money being tight for many this year, there are a lot of people who are coming up with ways to make Christmas more about the moments rather than the number of presents. My friends Meg and Scott have always had a tradition of getting three gifts for each of their kids every year (one for their body, mind and spirit), just as the wisemen brought three gifts for baby Jesus. I love how that ties all of the gift-giving together with what we are really celebrating, and it also helps their kids to have realistic expectations every year rather than always trying to outdo the year before.
moments and meaning instead of just the gifts?
Ok, THAT was fun. :) It was so hard not to comment back to you on all of your amazing memories, but I didn't think it would be fair to enter myself in the drawing! I have to tell you after reading the ones about children born or pets received on that day I looked over at Riley, and he was giving me the evil eye.
While I wrote about my most memorable gift yesterday, my best Christmas gift ever was Riley in 2003, of course. A few more pupcorn treats and he may just forgive me for that snafu.
So, on with the results! Thanks to Random.org I can say: Congratulations Neas Nuttiness!!!
The most memorable gift that I ever received for Christmas, must be child #7 who was born on Christmas Eve!
I have quick deliveries, and most of the staff at the hospital know me - BUT - on this night there was a new "crew on board", and the sweet little nurse, didn't want to call my doctor when I arrived. Luckily, he is a dear man (and he and his family are dear friends) and we have home and cell numbers, soooooooooo dear husband gave him a call. About 3 minutes after we arrived upstairs, I gave birth (fully dressed I might add) in the birthing room, where said sweet little nurse put me, in order to monitor my progress. I was on top of a lovely comforter (not so lovely afterwards I might add), and sweet little nurse kept saying "STOP - you can't do that...the doctor isn't here!"
Ralph (the doc) showed up after Solomon was "checked, wrapped, and in my arms". He got stuck in Christmas Eve traffic, and was so frantic to get to me, that when he arrived at the hospital...he pulled into the ambulance entrance, jumped out of his car (still running) and came flying up the stairs to the maternity wing. Thank goodness a quick thinking security guard moved the car, locked it up, and brought the keys upstairs.
All this took place during the staff Christmas Party (Yum - I got some really good eats that night!), so several of the staff's husbands got to listen in from down the hall,to the "goings ons" in the birthing room. Thank goodness for them, I'm not a screamer during labor and delivery!
Yes my most memorable Christmas gift, was Solomon Rafael, born December 24, 1989.
Neas: Email me at gitzengirl@gmail.com with your mailing address!
I don't know about all of you, but I've listened to many-a-friend lament over Christmas traditions after they were married. Apparently the debate of when to open Christmas presents is enough to incite talk of divorce, or at the very least great insults toward the opposing side of the family's traditions.
In my family, the tradition was born out of necessity more than anything else. We would start with food: some type of hors d'oeuvres, and then soup and sandwich. And of course sweet treats, too. One of my favorite parts was that we used mom's good china, crystal glasses and wedding silver for the place settings... nothing like a pretty table to make it all feel special.
Of course, trying to be patient through the meal knowing there were gifts under a twinkling tree in the next room wasn't the easiest task, but we managed.
Then we'd gather in the living room and gifts would be handed out one at a time... no random ripping through paper. Everyone would "ooh and ahh" and move on to the next gift. While it was exciting and respectful and fun, what it was really about was stalling for time.
Mom and Dad were just trying to keep six kids awake way past their bedtimes so we wouldn't fall asleep before heading out to Midnight Mass. I always thought it was magical... going into church with the air crisp in the dark of night. We'd walk up to the door with sounds of the choir echoing into the darkness and the light inside illuminating the details of the stained glass windows. Christmas was magical for so many reasons, not the least of which was celebrating the birthday of Jesus as the chimes announced the midnight hour.
We'd get back home all tucked in our beds (I don't remember that part as I usually fell asleep at some point during Mass or the ride home), and waking in the morning knowing that it was Christmas and Santa had arrived was nothing short of spectacular.
Do you open gifts Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? And did you have to compromise about it after marriage?
I decided after my two giveaway wins that I'd have a little fun of my own ... and give to you! Now, I don't have fun sponsors or cameras to raffle, but I did make up five little canvases with some sayings I thought you might enjoy... one to give away each day this week. All you have to do is read to the end of the post and answer the question I give you in the comment section. (Only answer once, please.) :) At midnight I will do a random drawing and announce the winner in tomorrow's post!
I used some flat canvases because I thought they may be more versatile for you... you can attach ribbon on the back to hang them or set them up on a bookshelf or, since they're flat, even put them in a frame if you so choose. I had never used these before but I think they're pretty fun.
So, over the years I've gotten a lot of fun Christmas presents. I've gotten meaningful gifts, silly gifts, homemade gifts and extravagant gifts. My friend Nicole one year sent me this huge box FULL of presents... like 20 of them. She had bought me necessities, like envelopes and kleenex and shampoo and socks... but each and every item was individually wrapped and it was so much fun. I seriously felt like a little kid again.
But if I had to choose the most memorable gift I've ever gotten, the first one that always pops into my head was when I was eight years old. We had been shopping in Sernett's Department Store and I wanted one of those gray sweatsuits with the colorful stripes on it. The cool thing at the time was to have your name across the back of the sweatshirt... and God knows I wanted to be cool.
I showed what I wanted to mom and she said no way. She told me I was too young for something like that and only the big kids wore names on the back of their sweatshirts.
In hindsight, that was the stupidest reasoning ever, but when you're the youngest of six you hear "you're too young for that" so often that I didn't even bat an eyelash. I was so disappointed to once again not have what the big kids had, but I put it out of my mind completely.
And then we opened our presents on Christmas Eve and I got my name on a sweatsuit! I remember being wide eyed and asking mom why she changed her mind, and she rolled her eyes at her youngest and most gullible child. That happens to be something I never outgrew... I sadly would probably fall for the same reasoning today.
My brother Jim, Mom and me in my sweatsuit in 1981.
What is your most memorable Christmas gift?
See that gaggle of little children in the photo? It consists of me and my five siblings (I'm the extremely well-fed baby in the middle). Having six children in eight years either puts my mother in line for sainthood or the loony bin, and I'm sure during the years of raising us all she had moments of leaning toward both.
Standing in the "train" pose ... we have lots of these kind of photos.
The other television show that was a staple for us kids growing up was Lawrence Welk. We'd all gather around the television on Friday nights to watch the bubbles surround Lawrence as he declared all things to be, "Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful." When my brother Steve started playing the clarinet, my parents' motivation for him was to tell him that if he practiced enough maybe he, too, could have a clarinet with gold buttons like the dude in the Lawrence Welk orchestra.
Apparently that wasn't quite enough incentive to practice, as his clarinet dreams didn't last very long.
My favorite part? When Lawrence would announce that a-Bobby and a-Sissy were about to perform. Oh, those two "modern dancers" were exactly who I wanted to be someday. Spiffy, those two were.
So, that was our Brady Bunch moment. Every Friday night we would match up with our closest sibling and dance to Lawrence Welk. Jerry/Laura, Jim/Janette, Steve/Me ... dancing our little hearts out.
Yeah, that's right. You heard me. We freaking danced to Lawrence Welk. Every Friday night. And no one made us... WE LIKED IT. And we're all really pretty good dancers now. But the point is, we lived a life that made the Brady Bunch look scandalous.
You all remember MckMama and her gorgeous little miracle boy, Stellan, right? Well, he's doing beautifully -- healthy and strong and growing. He now has his very own "Mck" nickname and is affectionately referred to by all as MckMuffin... and the sweet name fits him perfectly.
As you can imagine, she's a grateful mama, and a generous one to boot. She and her friend Amie have arranged a raffle/giveaway in order to support three of their favorite charities. And they aren't giving away a podunk little prize here, people. When you buy a $10 raffle ticket you enter for a chance to win a Canon xsi DSLR camera, with an amazing zoom lens and a carrying case and all sorts of other amazing things to go along with it. They are calling it Rebel for a Cause.
Now, I've been lucky lately winning two blog giveaways, and I'm not going to lie... that right there is my dream camera. And if it wasn't such an amazingly good cause I totally wouldn't tell you about it in order to improve my chances of winning. :) I'm not a saint, people. But the truth is, they are a raising a lot of money for some beautiful organizations ... at the time I'm writing this, they have raised $11,784.60. Seriously.
The contest is open until December 14th, and whoever wins will have their brand-spanking new camera in time for taking photos on Christmas morning. If you want more details you can read MckMama's original post here: Rebel For A Cause, and if you want to donate you can click on the button on the left-hand side of my blog. That will take you to her page and the donation link will be the first thing listed.
Ok, let me clarify... me making that statement is kind of like when someone says, "I'm hot!" and it sounds like they're being conceited but really they're just saying their body temperature makes them want to stick their head in the freezer.
When I say, "I'm a winner!" I don't mean that I'm cool and exceptional, I mean I'm actually a winner. And it should actually be plural because I now have won TWO different blog giveaways. I'm on a roll people. Somebody hand me a lottery ticket.
Now, if you've been reading this blog for awhile, you'll know that this is not the norm for me. I don't win stuff. And the one time I did win something, I made a complete fool out of myself by swearing into the microphone at church in front of the whole congregation. Now that was a situation where I'm sure many people have sarcastically thought to themselves, "Wow. She's a winner, that one." But hey, what comes into my head flies out of my mouth... we all have our flaws.
So, today I'll be talking about the first of my miraculous giveaway wins. Coloradolady (who ironically lives in Texas... that cracks me up) has been having giveaways on her blog... and not only did I win, but I won on the very first week. You could have knocked me over with a feather. It also happened around the week of Thanksgiving when I wasn't feeling so hot, which made it all the more fun.
But not as much fun as today when it came in the mail. I'm not going to lie, people. The exact same words flew out of my mouth that did on that day in church... only there was no microphone and Riley didn't know enough to point and laugh. But these boxes were amazing.
See that? It is a beautiful, handmade Christmas afghan knitted by Coloradolady herself. I wish you all could see it in person... it's so heavy and warm. My friend Katie, when we were growing up, had some of these blankets at her house that her Grandma had knitted, and we termed them 'Grandma Blankets.' (I know, you're all marveling at our linguistic creativity.) But when we were hanging out in her basement watching Dirty Dancing for the 763rd time, the first thing all of us girls would do is run to take ownership of the good Grandma Blanket.
And now I not only have one, but two.
I'm going to let my friends use my Christmas Grandma Blanket, but this Coloradolady Blanket is all mine. This lovely woman knitted me one to be left out year round, and said a prayer for me with each and every stitch. This blanket will always be treasured in my home.
I know this was above and beyond what she needed to do in that giveaway, and I want all of you to know that every time I wrap up in it I'm going to be grateful for the friendships I've been given by each and every one of you bloggers. There is nothing I could ever want more than what all of you and Coloradolady have been giving to me for so many months... lovely comments and encouragement and friendship. It truly means the world to me.
Since my first day at college, I was involved at St. Stephen the Witness Catholic Student Center. I loved that place and the ever-evolving community. As a freshman I had upperclassmen who took me under their wing. I had friends my age who were going through the same ups and downs of college life. And as I made my way through the years I eventually mentored others and took them under my wing. While the community changed, the environment didn't. It was a place of love and support and acceptance and learning.
Our best song was, "O Lord, It's Hard to be Humble" and we sang it with enthusiasm. Because the microphone was raised up higher on the stand and I was so much shorter than everyone else, Sr. Martin would take the microphone after we sang and bring it to my level to see if there was anything I would like to say since I couldn't reach.
You know how I like to make everyone happy? This is another shameless attempt at making that happen.
Awhile back I had an email asking me if I had ever thought about making some blog buttons with inspirational sayings on them because a reader wanted to have a visual reminder for herself to think positive on her blog.
I didn't, and didn't know how to go about making any.
More recently I had an email from another reader with an idea that I should have some blog buttons made so people could have visual reminders of positive thinking on their blogs. She even offered to pay to make the buttons.
Here's where I feel the need to put a disclaimer: I'm not promoting anything. I'm not asking you to put these on your blogs to increase my traffic. If no one uses these, it's ok with me. But if you think any of these little buttons will somehow make your day more Pollyanna-ish, then they are all yours. I made four buttons for you to choose from (two are graphics, two are from canvases I had made) or if you have a different post/saying you would prefer let me know and I'll whip one up for you.


text:
Wild Dunes - Charleston's Island Resort
Isle of Palms, South Carolina
Andaz Savannah
14 Barnard St
Chain Hyatt Hotels & Resorts
Kings/Suites/Doubles 0	/ 127	/ 24
Indoor/Outdoor Meeting Space 279m² 3,000ft²
Savannah/ Hilton Head Int'l Airport
Internet stations with complimentary printing
Complimentary wireless internet throughout hotel
Outdoor Terrace with firepits
Visitors enamored with old Savannah seem both pleased and surprised to discover Andaz Savannah, a new six-story, from-the-ground-up boutique hotel in the heart of the historic district that opened its doors in January 2009. What the 151 guest rooms and suites lack in longevity they make up for in Southern charm, with nine-foot ceilings, crown moldings, and plantation shutters overlooking Ellis Square.
Meeting planners appreciate Andaz Savannah's flexible 2,675-square-foot Grand Parlor, which breaks into three function rooms for corporate events. Unlike many of its vintage neighbors, Andaz also boasts a lively outdoor terrace and pool with fire pit and private cabanas ideal for intimate business meetings. Groups may cap a day at City Market with dinner at Paula Deen's The Lady & Sons and a midnight stroll in the garden.
Grand Parlor 249 11.3 x 23.5 N/A 2,675 37'x77' N/A 160 300 180 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Parlor A 83 11.3 x 7.9 N/A 897 37'x26' N/A 50 70 60 N/A N/A 36 N/A N/A
Parlor B 84 7.9 x 11.3 N/A 904 26'x37' N/A 50 70 60 N/A N/A 36 N/A N/A
Parlor C 81 7.6 x 11.3 N/A 875 25'x37' N/A 50 N/A 60 N/A N/A 36 N/A N/A
Add Andaz Savannah to:

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Enrollment Assisters to Guide Health Insurance Enrollment with Katherine Worthington
Achieving Health Equity in Healthcare
課程 3(共 3 門,Addressing Racial Health Inequity in Healthcare 專項課程)
The third and the last course of the Addressing Racial Health Inequity in Healthcare specialization will go through various approaches that are used to addressing racial inequity in healthcare., and the strengths and challenges of those approaches. You will explore legal, policy, and regulatory approaches to interventions such as Title IX in the United States. You will explore what is being done to intervene on providers to reduce differential care. You will unpack quality improvement and multiple approaches to leveraging healthcare systems and community partnerships to address access to care. You will also come to understand the history and role of community health centers in being critical infrastructure in addressing the health needs of diverse populations. Finally, you will be introduced to the workforce initiatives and the reparations that aim to close the racial and ethnic healthcare disparities gaps.
Improving Quality and Access in Healthcare
This week, we will learn about what it means to improve the quality and access to healthcare. We first walk through what quality improvement is and what healthcare systems are doing from a data collection perspective to improve quality. We will then examine in-depth how healthcare systems are utilizing non-traditional provider roles within the healthcare team, such as community health workers and enrollment assisters to improve quality. We will examine what it means for hospitals to improve the health of their surrounding community.
Enrollment Assisters to Guide Health Insurance Enrollment with Katherine Worthington18:18
Minal R. Patel
Associate Professor, Health Behavior & Health Education
My name is Kate Worthington. I am currently a research area specialist at the University of Michigan. I earned my BS in Interdisciplinary Health Services from Saint Joseph's University in Philly in 2015. I currently work at the University of Michigan and last year earned my MPH in health behavior and health education. I've also worked on the clinical side and not just in academia as an enrollment specialist and an enrollment assister at a free clinic in Detroit. Essentially, an enrollment assister is a broad umbrella term that we use. Essentially just to describe a group of people who have been trained to help those seeking to enroll in health insurance or to learn more about their health insurance plan and maybe switch insurance plans. Under the umbrella of enrollment assister, there's actually two categories. There's the navigators and the certified application counselors. Essentially the only difference between those two categories is how the position's funded. Navigators are federally funded through grants and are trained through the government that way. Then certified application counselors work at something called certified designated organizations, which are CDOs in short, are organizations like hospitals, clinics that are given permission by the government after applying to train certified application counselors using a CMS program and essentially oversee them. There's only a little difference between the two in terms of funding. But mostly they do the same thing, which is helping people get insurance. I came into the position essentially because after I graduated from undergrad, I wanted to have a community-facing role to help bridge disparities within health care. I applied for a position at a free clinic and they were as I mentioned, a CDO, so a counselor designated organization. They wanted someone who could be their enrollment assister. Essentially just working with patients on helping them navigate the insurance system. Once I applied and got that position, my training is pre-prescribed for certified application counselors. It's an informal training and a formal training. The formal training through the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services takes about 7-10 hours to complete. They focus mostly on these different modules that take you through just health coverage in general, just the background. What does that look like, topics like privacy and security for your patients, how an assister is supposed to help patients, and how they're not supposed to help patients. Then just go through the basics of the ACA. That's the more formal training, more of the details in the weeds work, then what I considered the informal training was actually working with clients and learning the system. When you're an enrollment assister, depending on what state you're in, you're either going to use the federal websites, so healthcare.gov or some states actually opted to build their own Medicaid websites, and Michigan was one of them. I had to learn the state-based website, and honestly, it's a little tricky to be able to navigate and answer certain questions because of skip patterns. The informal training was just me going into the website and the applications, and learning the best way to answer questions to most accurately represent my clients so that they got their best coverage. Those are the two ways in which I was trained. At the free clinic that I worked at, we had a wide variety of clients, mostly uninsured or underinsured patients. One of the largest categories that I worked with were people who were applying for Medicaid or had consistently been applying to Medicaid and gone through this cycle of acceptance and denial. Let's just say I was working with a patient, for example, who previously had been accepted to have Medicaid as their health insurance. Then a couple months later I received a letter in the mail from the DHS telling them that their health insurance had been terminated. You can imagine that a patient who had just received their health insurance was excited to be able to start going to their primary more regularly and have that financial support when it came to health, would be upset that all of a sudden their insurance was terminated. My role was to have the patient come to me and I would work directly with them to figure out what had happened. Oftentimes, because health care is not just the siloed area, it interacts with a bunch of other things like mailing and housing and those things. Oftentimes, a patient would have been asked by the DHS via mail to provide certain documents. Whether that's their most recent pay stub, whether that's information about whether they moved locations, new contact information. Sometimes the patient wouldn't receive that in time, so they wouldn't receive the letter, so they wouldn't know that they needed to do this thing or give the DHS these documents, and after a certain span of time, the DHS would terminate their Medicaid because they didn't provide those documents. Once they receive a termination letter, you can imagine how frustrating it is like I never received documentation that told me I needed to provide this, so it was this cyclical thing that I was able to work with my patients to have them bring those documents to me, and what I would do is scan them into our system and upload them to their online portal, so, the way that that helped was it removes the necessary trip to the DHS Office for them, and then oftentimes even when they would go to the DHS because it's so busy and such limited hours, they would be asked to use the computers in the front office by themselves and upload it themselves, which not everyone has technology literacy to be able to do that, so that's just one example of some challenges that they faced and how as an enrollment assistant, I was able to provide access to being able to put those documents into the computer so they wouldn't have to worry about that in the future. Then another group of patients I would say that I worked with directly are a group of patients who would fall into this niche area of making too much money to qualify for Medicaid and making too little money to feel comfortable using healthcare.gov to afford health insurance, so they will typically be uninsured. In Michigan and for Medicaid across the board, usually the range for being qualified for Medicaid as a single person there around $16,000 and for four people it's around having $30,000 so if you even made say $35,000 that's not going to be enough to feel comfortable paying for health insurance out of your pocket, but it's also not little enough to afford Medicaid. Some challenges I would face with these participants is when we enroll them, is just health insurance literacy in general, as my job as an enrollment assistant I wanted to make sure they made the right decision for themselves, so a lot of the time it was just education. It was explaining the main components of health insurance rates; deductibles, premiums and co-pays, and not just what they were, but how they interacted with each other was essential, so thinking about healthcare plans when you have a high premium, usually you have a lower deductible and people who select those plans usually are on a medication that they take all the time and will be on for the rest of their life. Usually they have higher chronic diseases that they have to see specialists for, so their costs of healthcare is going to be a lot higher. For people who select health insurance plans with premiums that are lower and deductibles that are higher, usually this is for people who don't go to the doctor too often, you go for a yearly checkup, sometimes something pops up and you need to go get some antibiotics but you're not going frequently, so I would just simply educate my patients on let's talk about what you spend in a year on your healthcare, let's talk about what you will need and then we'll figure out how to pay for it and what different plans will work best for you and honestly, it's super intimidating because there are a lot of options, and so healthcare.gov and the ACA also provided great financial assistance; premium tax credits and the cost-sharing reduction plan that if you selected a silver plan would take place. All to say, my job essentially was to help them navigate that and to help them with their concerns about whether or not they'd be able to afford health insurance, once we crossed that barrier it was a simple matter of signing them up and filling out the paperwork. One of the largest concerns outside of the cost was being able to keep their physician, because we were a very small clinic, we only had two physicians and nurse practitioner, all who were absolutely lovely and their patients adored them. Because we were such a small clinic and funded in a certain way, we only accepted uninsured patients or Medicaid patients that had a specific plan, within Michigan there were 10 different plans under the Medicaid umbrella that people could select from and this clinic only allowed for one of those plans, which I think they have since expanded. But having to break the news that based on their insurance plan choice they would no longer be able to see their physician. It was a really hard battle to talk about the importance of insurance outweighing the love and care they felt for their current physician, so, I would say that that was definitely one of the largest challenges outside of cost. Because the clinic was niche in terms of the populations that we served, whether it was because of the cyclical nature of Medicaid, being pushed off of Medicaid or brought back onto it, I often had clients coming back in who had been kicked off because they had started a new job, but then they had lost the job and so I had helped them back on it. Patients who honestly just wanted to learn more about Charon's and just love to sit down and chat with me about what they could afford and what insurance would pay for them. I got to know my patients really well and lot of the time too though, I would say that once we did get them on a type of insurance that they enjoyed, some of them would just drop by to check in and say they were doing well. Those were always the repeat clients I really enjoyed seeing. A lot of the challenges that we faced were simply just systematic issues. Sometimes when I had a client who did seasonal work. If they had gone to apply for Medicaid before coming to me and had filled out an application a certain way with their seasonal work, and then realize that they were denied even though they technically qualified. That barrier would appear because the next time we logged in and tried to fill out another application, there would be a long-term review process because the way that they had filled it out previously had showed them not being eligible, but the way I just filled it out, which was the proper way to fill it out, showed that being eligible. A lot of times the barriers and challenges came from having to wait. Like if a patient had to wait a few months to actually have their health insurance turned on. If a patient didn't have access to the internet or didn't have time to come in and drop off their pay stubs to me for me to upload it for them. It was just a variety of factors that kept them from following the timetable that was prescribed by the DHS and made it a little difficult to get them health insurance. We figured out a way to do it for all of our patients and worked with them to make sure they got it. I would call their workers and check in with them and check in on their application as was part of my job and developed good relationships that way with workers at DHS. I would say that those were the main challenges. That's a really good question and one that I think a lot of people are interested in and look at. I think the basic thought process is we know that having access to health insurance in general has been shown to help improve health and better health practices for those who have it. I guess getting communities who are under insured and uninsured to have access to insurance would be essential. We saw it in the observation of the 32 states who expanded Medicaid versus those who didn't. We were able to see that those who fell into a group that hadn't previously had health insurance, but now did started using preventative services more so cancer screenings, visiting and maintaining a primary care provider, and all those things have been shown to improve health over time. I feel like as enrollment assisters, our role in creating that trust in the system enough to get insurance is essential. I think enrollment assisters role within a community provides a greater level of trust because typically enrollment assisters are people who live and work in those communities. Especially certified application counselors because they're the ones who are working at those community odds, or those hospitals, or those clinics that are local. For people who hear someone randomly telling them, hey, you should get health insurance like someone they don't know, that might not be enough for them to get the health insurance. But if it's someone who they trust within their community, whether you define community by race or geographic location or culture, however you define community. When someone in your community is telling you this is important, let me show you why. You're more likely to go ahead and do that thing and take it seriously, which is why I think enrollment assisters are so essential because they're parts of their community and they're someone that people can trust. They're like the community health worker with an insurance twist. Often community health workers are actually enrollment assisters as well. I feel like that's why they're so essential to getting people to enroll in health insurance is because they're part of the community. I think the only thing that I honestly would stress is just how essential they are. I mean, I think the main takeaway from this conversation would be how essential enrollment assisters are in not only getting people to have insurance, but also the right insurance for that person. I think the trust that can be built between someone who lives and works in the community and the community itself allows for a better understanding of how these systems work, and therefore a greater autonomy for individuals to be able to care for their own health. I think enrollment assisters do just that and that's why we should keep funding them and keep giving them the resources they need.


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SmartCentres Sevenbridge offer more than 0 brand name stores. SmartCentres Sevenbridge is located in Vaughan, Ontario - 700 Applewood Crescent, Suite 100, Vaughan, Ontario, ON, L4K 5X3, Canada (GPS: 43.797646, -79.537286).
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The Vew-Do Balance Board's "Zippy" is a 9-ply maple deck with just the right amount of concavity to hold onto you while you're "zipping" around. The smooth aesthetic flow of the Zippy's shape make it one of the oldest models still carried on the Vewdo line. This Balance Board classic has been revamped to carry an injection molded rail system, STS deck-top traction surface and a solid hardwood tapered outrigger rock. This intermediate board is ideal for learning edge control and handling. Balance training on this "outrigger rock" increases the toe and heel riding confidence necessary for a beginner or intermediate rider.
Browse more Balance Board or Vew-do products.


The Roches were three sisters from what they described as "deepest New Jersey" who learned to sing harmony in the back of the.
Aug 1, 2017. In the end, you'll need to compare auto insurance quotes using our quote comparison. So, if your teenager is 16 or 17 now, they know all about it. The reason behind the hikes: Teens crash at a much higher rate than older drivers. Car insurance for teens · Bad credit · DUI insurance · Ticket calculator.
Jul 10, 2018. Find out how much car insurance for 17-year-old driver is, plus advice on what. If you're 17 and have a poor driving record, consider buying an older car. Average car insurance rates by age show that premiums begin to.
The letter published by CNN has more detail about Mark Judge's alleged role than the Post story: https://t.co/nVwtRHlZEh pic.
May 24, 2018. Compare cheap new driver car insurance quotes from leading providers. The average annual premium for new drivers aged 17-24 is £1,116.27 for a. statistics and prove to insurers that not all new drivers are bad drivers.
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Registered voters in North Carolina may vote by mail; vote in person from Oct. 17 through Nov. 3; or vote on Election Day.
Asked by lollol123 Jun 05, 2012 at 08:42 AM about the 2005 Ford Mustang GT. How much would insurance be for me I'm 17 years old and looking to get a 2003. The mileage affects the cars value and thus influences the insurance quote. hey guys I feel bad that my parents will buy me (a super old car) but it's a.
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16-year-old drivers pay more for car insurance than do drivers at any other age — $6491 a year on average. Compare quotes online to find the best rates, discounts, and other ways to save when adding a young driver to your. 17, $2,645, $2,325, $320. Lying about the primary driver on a car insurance policy wrong.
Our study of car insurance quotes for young drivers ranged from around $900 to $11,300 depending on where students lived. We'll take a look at the.
More than a million Texans would lose the federal subsidies that help them afford insurance coverage. More than 4.5 million Texans, or roughly one in four under the age of 65, have the kind of pre-.
Apr 26, 2018. Teens cost their insurance companies more money than other age groups. Here's why car insurance is so expensive for teen drivers:. If you have a bad driving record, you may still pay high insurance premiums.
Mar 1, 2017. Car insurance rates vary widely, especially for young drivers. Every state requires that you purchase at least a minimal amount of liability coverage, in order to ensure that, It's not a bad place to start your search, since you can see multiple quotes from multiple companies. May 17, 2014 at 7:54 am.
Paul Durose (PD): "I've been in the construction industry since the age of 17. I set up my own business in 2007 working. ".
If you're in your 50s, and you're not thinking about long-term care. age of 55 [would pay] – and the benefits I own on that old policy are far greater than what I can quote a 55-year-old couple," s.
Term and Whole Life Insurance Quotes for males and females ages 70 years old, 71. Quotes are for a 10 year term life insurance policy as of 3/13/17 and are.
President Donald Trump late Monday said he would impose new tariffs (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/trump-to-impose-another-200-billion-in-tariffs-on-chinese-goods-2018-09-17) on about $200. war'.
Cheap car insurance rates. It is quite interesting to see people drive an extra mile for 1 USD! Yet, very few car owners are ready to spare few minutes and.
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18 hours ago. Car Insurance A 17 Year Old Male Eat. Car Insurance At 17 200 Years Old. The bad news is, cheap car insurance and the word teen just.
The average cost for a 17-22-year-old is already over £1,400/yr. If you're aged over 25 check our main Car Insurance guide for more. In one low-risk young driver quote, we found an annual £1,500 saving for having comprehensive. Be warned, however, that driving badly could also see your premiums increase.
he says he was homeschooled and fed a regular diet of biblical passages from an early age. At 16, he came out as gay to his f.
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One of his highlighted quotes is "Down the Hatch. he knew "Bart O'Kavanaugh," saying she "heard he puked in someone's car.


Project for a luxury apartment with marble surfaces and deluxe lighting fixtures, furniture and carpets in Kiev, Ukraine by and . The designers use trendy patterns and contrast to create an unconventional space. In a living zone are composed two areas for fresh, greenery to complement the luxurious surroundings. Designers are selected Unusual pieces of furniture to show the character of the owner. For the dining area are selected Prop light design by for – lamps that add artistry and style in the room.


Swiss drugmaker Roche is buying U.S.-based Jecure Therapeutics, joining Pfizer, Gilead Sciences and Novartis in pursuit of new drugs to treat fatty liver disease.
Roche did not say how much it was paying for Jecure, which gives it a preclinical portfolio of so-called NLRP3 inhibitors being developed for fighting inflammatory diseases like non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and liver fibrosis as well as gout, inflammatory bowel disease and cardiovascular diseases.
Novartis and Pfizer last month teamed up to develop treatments for NASH, which many drug companies believe will become a hugely lucrative market, as it is tied to the obesity and diabetes epidemics. Unchecked, NASH can lead to advanced cirrhosis and liver failure.
"We're excited to combine Jecure's portfolio with our discovery and development capabilities, as well as our expertise in NLRP3 biology, to potentially help people with inflammatory diseases," James Sabry, Roche's head of partnering, said in a statement on Tuesday.
Jecure Therapeutics is focused on novel therapeutics for the treatment of NASH and liver fibrosis and was founded by Dr. Ariel Feldstein, who heads gastroenterology at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine.
Amgen Inc., the maker of cancer treatments and blood boosters to combat anemia, reported first-quarter profit that topped analysts' estimates and raised its forecast for the year on stronger-than-expected drug sales. The shares rose in late trading.
Researchers at the University of Hertfordshire and a team of European partners have developed a prototype of a robotic glove which stroke sufferers can use in their own home to support rehabilitation and personal independence in receiving therapies.


Tools of Titans by Tim Ferris apply to the Silk Screen Printing Business.
In this Blog post I talk about How Tools of Titans by Tim Ferris apply to the Silk Screen Printing Business.
How Tools of Titans by Tim Ferris apply to the Silk Screen Printing Business. When I was reading this book one section stood out to me above all others. Wise stands out because wisdom comes from experience and I can say that at 35 years old I'm the happiest and most content person I have ever been in my life. This comfort and love of life has been cultivated over the years, I have rid my self of negative people, thoughts, and situations. This simplification of life has lead to an increase in both passion and excitement for my silk screen printing business.
No longer do I concern my self with my competition, my intention is laser focused on the things I want to do, very little outside noise is allowed in. At the time of this writing my passion lies in creating am amazing website that my clients will find useful beyond all other sites in the screen printing industry. Wise leads with a quote that completely summarizes the way I choose to see the world. Stating that the majority of the rules we follow in this world are constructs set by men very similar to me. This means these constructs can be bent and in some cases even broken to achieve the things I want to achieve.
So your asking How Tools of Titans by Tim Ferris apply to the Silk Screen Printing Business. Let me tell you. When I decided what I needed my website to do I looked at all the available options. after tons of research It was clear, not only dose the industry not offer any solutions like what I wanted but that the industry didn't even know what my solution was. If I wanted it I would have to build it. and that is were we are today. working to build the thing that no one considered. Im sure when the industry sees the way I have created my site imitators will follow but that's not the point. point is I'm doing it my way.


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Herd Headed To Frisco For Conference Tournament
The Marshall men's basketball team wrapped up its regular season on Saturday with its first win over a ranked opponent since the Herd defeated West Virginia in 2011 and Marshall's first win on the road versus a ranked team since downing Dayton in 2000.
It was a nice way to cap the fourth regular season under head coach Dan D'Antoni and gives the Thundering Herd some momentum to carry into the Conference USA tournament in Frisco, Texas.
But, more importantly it marked the continuation of a trend with D'Antoni at the helm and that trend is improvement. The win was the Herd's 21st of the year, the most since Marshall went 21-14 in the 2011-2012 season under then coach Tom Herrion.
In D'Antoni's first season, a rebuilding year after the program made a steep decline during Herrion's final two seasons, the Herd went just 11-21 and barely qualified for the CUSA tourney with a 7-11 league record. Then the next season in 2015-2016 Marshall made a leap forward.
The much talked about D'Antoni offense was starting to take shape and the Herd finished that year with a 17-16 overall record, going 12-6 in league play and advancing to the conference tourney semifinals before getting ousted by Middle Tennessee.
Last year marked another step toward D'Antoni's ultimate goal of making Marshall one of the premier teams in Conference USA as the Herd went 20-15 and met up with the Blue Raiders once again, this time in the conference tournament title game. Again, Middle Tennessee would prevail, but the game proved to be a turning pointing for a program looking to return to prominence.
"I keep telling the kids, just keep playing and keep getting after it," D'Antoni said in a radio interview before the final weekend of the regular season. "We were one game away from the big dance last year but we didn't quite get there. We want to be a team that's in that conversation year in and year out. I tell the kids, you keep knocking on that door and eventually it'll open for you."
The strong finish in last season's CUSA tournament gave D'Antoni's group confidence and despite losing three starters to graduation and being picked seventh in the league by conference media members in the preseason, the Herd has once again improved. The Herd enters this year's tournament 21-10 and has Conference USA's top offense for the third consecutive season.
Despite the improved record Marshall will have to win the conference tournament in order to advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1987 and will most likely have to once again square off with perennial CUSA power Middle Tennessee in order to claim the crown.
But, this year is different. Unlike last season where the Blue Raiders had swept the Herd in the regular season, this year Marshall has a pair of wins against Middle, the only two losses for Kermit Davis' team in conference play.
"Marshall has proven they're better than us twice," Davis said. "We're better than every other team in the league, but not Marshall. They've beaten us there; they've beaten us here. We can't do much with their guards. Give them a lot of credit."
To win the conference, the Herd will most likely have to prove itself better than the Blue Raiders a third time. But before the Blue Raiders and Marshall can mix it up again, both teams must get through quarterfinal matchups on Thursday, March 8. Marshall will play the winner of the fifth seeded UTSA Roadrunners and the twelfth seeded UTEP Miners. If the Herd wins that there is a good chance the Blue Raiders will be waiting.
"It's a game of runs," said starting Marshall point guard Jon Elmore. "I think our two best defensive games of the year have been against Middle and hopefully we can keep that up going forward in the tournament. We kind of just run guys at you non-stop."
For fans wanting to make the trip to Frisco to watch the Herd in the conference tournament in person, tickets can be purchased HERE.
Final Two Games Most Important for The Herd
Herd Shocks No. 24 Middle Tennessee With Upset In…
Herd Pulls Away from Owls
Herd Leaves North Texas With Last Minute Win


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"For me an object is alive; this cigarette, this matchbox, contain a secret life much more intense than certain humans. I see a tree, I get a shock, as if it were something breathing, talking. A tree too is something human."


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THE SECOND AND LAST ROUND OF THE WSK CHAMPIONS CUP ON SUNDAY 9TH MARCH AT LA CONCA.
WSK news 14-03-04th - 211 Kb
THE EVENT LIVE IN STREAMING ON WSK.IT. ON RAISPORT 2, ON 5TH MARCH AT 06.00PM, THE DELAYED BROADCAST OF LAST SUNDAY'S FIRST ROUND.
A GREAT WSK FIRST SEASON'S ROUND ON RAISPORT 2.
After the spectacular show seen last Sunday on the International Circuit La Conca, fans will be able to enjoy once again the thrilling finals of the WSK Champions Cup thanks to the delayed broadcast on Rai Sport 2, tomorrow 5th March at 06.00pm. The public on the stands of the facility in Muro Leccese enjoyed the great performance of the kart drivers who challenged each other for the first round of the WSK Champions Cup. After the TV show, it will be time for the second and decisive round of the event, from Thursday 6th March to Sunday 9th March. All the 200 entrants are now analisying the current standings which are given by the points scored by drivers in the Prefinals and in the Finals of the first round. After the races of the second round - where drivers will be able to score more points than in the first round - we will know the names of the winners of this opening event of the 2014 WSK season.
LORANDI ON THE RUN IN KF.
Alessio Lorandi (Tony Kart-TM-Dunlop) leads the standings in KF. He proved how it is always possible to recover in kart racing. Last Sunday, in fact, he had to fight hard to recover and win the Prefinal B and the Final. Thanks to these two victories, Lorandi leads the standings having scored as many points as possible. However, his opponents are eager to close the gap: the Polish Karol Basz (Tony Kart-Vortex-Dunlop) and the Danish Nicklas Nielsen (Kosmic-Vortex-Dunlop) - who follow Lorandi in the standings at the third and fourth place - are ready to battle as well as the surprising Julien Darras (Kosmik-Vortex-Dunlop) - second - winner of the Pre-final A. The English Tom Joyner (Zanardi-Parilla-Dunlop), the reigning World Champion of the category, is fifth and ready to take part in the battle for the victory, which is going to be a gripping one.
AHMED LEADS THE PACK IN KF JUNIOR
The English Enaam Ahmed (FA Kart-Vortex-Vega) is the current leader in KF Junior thanks to his victory in the Final which followed the first place achieved in the Pre-Final B. The German Mick Junior (Tony Kart-Vortex-Vega) did not manage to win the Final after his success in the Prefinal A and lost several positions. The English Daniel Ticktum (Zanardi-Parilla-Vega) was more consistent and he is now occupying the second position behind Ahmed. This was the category which had the most unpredictable results last week: other drivers who made themselves conspicuous are the Russian Matvey Maslov (Tony Kart-Vortex-Vega) and the Italian Tommaso Mosca (Tony Kart-TM-Vega), fourth and fifth of the standings. They are the new names of a category which is experiencing a generational change. More suprises expected next Sunday.
IN KZ2 HANLEY KEEPS CONTROL OF THE GAME.
Ben Hanley (Art GP-TM-Bridgestone) leads the KZ2 standings after his last Sunday's success, a victory achieved thanks to a great overtaking over the Belgian Jonathan Thonon (Praga-Parilla-Bridgestone), the winner of the Prefinal. Eventually, it was the more consistent Jeremy Iglesias (Lenzo-LKE-Bridgestone) who achieved a better result; the French did not manage to take the 3rd place away from the Italian Riccardo Negro (Top Kart-TM-Bridgestone), but thanks to the second position achieved in the Prefinal Iglesias is now 2nd in a current standigs where drivers are separated by very narrow gaps. The Italian Flavio Camponeschi (Tony Kart-Vortex-Bridgestone), the runner-up of the Final, follows in 3rd position preceding Thonon. Negro, eager to close the gap, is 5th.
FUSCO IS THE LEADER IN THE 60 MINI.
Giuseppe Fusco (Lenzo Kart-LKE-Vega) had a good start in the 60 Mini. He is the leader of the standings at the end of the first round of the WSK Champions Cup. Behind the Italian driver there are all his most dangerous opponents: the Russian Dmitrii Bogdanov (Tony Kart-LKE-Vega), the Spanish David Vidales (FA Kart-LKE-Vega), without forgetting the Malaysian Abdul Muizzudin (Hero-LKE-Vega) and the Italian Leonardo Marseglia (Tony Kart-LKE-Vega), 4th and 5th of the standings and always competitive at La Conca.