CELEBRATING AMERICA’S FREEDOMS

Let Freedom Ring..

By Terry Orr

Independence Day 2013 – It is the anniversary of the publication of the declaration of independence from Great Britain in 1776. How will you celebrate this day?

Giving thanks each and every day when I awake for being alive; for another day to help others; thanking the Lord for all he has provided; and asking for guidance for this new day.

Today is also another day for giving thanks to all those men and women who have protected our country and way of life – far too many have given the ultimate sacrifice so that we may enjoy our freedoms – as freedom is not free!

Please follow this link http://www.tinker.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-100812-059.pdf , read, save and print it!  It is an excellent and informative document that explains why we celebrate our Freedom’s in America throughout the year.

For some interesting facts regarding the Fourth of July – please follow this link http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/cb13-ff14.html

Happy Independence Day America!!  Wishing you a happy, safe and enjoyable celebration.

 (Photos from Google) 

COURAGE OF YOUR CONVICTIONS

By Diane Forrest

I was born in May, which makes me a Taurus according to the Zodiac calendar.  As you may or may not know bulls are very stubborn animals and somehow I possess that quality as well, although my daddy would probably claim that I'm more like a bull in a China shop.  I was raised a certain way with certain beliefs, and it takes a good strong argument to make me change my opinion.  I guess that’s why I did so well in Debate club in high school.  I believe in God, Country and fairness to all. In Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.  While I may not believe in the current issue of Gay Marriage, I do believe that under the contract of marriage, all should have the benefits that accompany that contract such as tax benefits, insurance benefits and other legal obligations.

I believe in free speech, but I do not consider some of these acts being performed today (burning the flag, Westborough Church, and offensive language) under the guise of first amendment – they are not what our forefathers intended.

I believe in the golden rule, not the one that says he who has the gold makes the rules, but the one that says “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

I also believe that while you may believe what you say or do is right, I also believe it takes more than just one person's view to change something, for example, if you don't believe in school praying, then don't participate, but don't keep those who do want to pray from praying. One of my favorite quotes from a book called Life's Instructions Book is "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff, and it’s All Small Stuff!!!"

So if you believe in something strongly, by all means fight for it with all your might, just make sure the battle is worth it.

A Recent Study of Crow Road Kills in Alberta

Submitted by Unknown Email

A recent AB Government study, has found over 200 dead crows near Calgary, Alberta and there was concern that they may have died from the Avian Flu virus.

A Bird Pathologist examined the remains of all the crows, and he confirmed the problem was definitely NOT Avian Flu, to everyone's relief.

However, he was also able to determine that 98% of the crows had been killed by impact with large trucks, and only 2% were killed by car impact.

The Provincial Government hired an Ornithological Behaviorist from Toronto to determine the disproportionate percentages for the large truck versus car kills.

The Ornithological Behaviorist determined the cause in short order.

When crows eat road kill, they always set-up a look-out crow in a nearby tree to warn of impending danger.

His conclusion was that:

The lookout crow could say "Cah", but he could not say "Truck."

Knowing How to Help Others

By Diane Forrest

I recently saw this video  - it  is a short, funny little skit about how a girl just wants to share her problem. Not have someone fix the problem, just to talk it out.  I am not that way.  If I have a problem I am looking for solutions and answers.  I may not choose to follow the answers I receive, but at least there are different options that I may not have considered.   There are some problems that can't be solved though, and I just need someone to listen, and sympathize with my plight.   

The difficult thing – is to know what your confidant is expecting, solutions or a listening ear.   I will discuss a problem with a friend and he will answer - don’t ask don't tell.  He is a very smart man, so I value his thoughts and opinions.   

When I was a newlywed many years ago, when I had my first problem I went to my father.  The words he gave me are still ringing in my ears today.  He advised me to not bring him any marital problems.  I was confused at the time until I later understood.  Sharing my marital woes with my family didn't solve my problem, but changed my family's opinion about my husband.  That can lead to a very difficult situation, because after your dispute has been resolved, your family will still harbor ill will.  I tried to explain this to my son and his wife when they were first married as well. 

So, how do you help? 

When do you help and when do you just say no?  

BEWARE OF STRANGERS

By Diane Forrest

 I love the move Kindergarten Cop.  I loved watching Arnold Swartzenagger trying to communicate with kindergarteners.  It didn’t take him long to realize it's not as easy as one might think.  One of the scenes at the end of the movie talks about strangers.  His partner, Phoebe, tells the children they must never talk to strangers.  But, it was ok to talk to dogs who are strangers. It wasn't long after that discussion that the bad guy shows up at the school and all the children point at him and yell stranger!!  They ended up getting the bad guy and living happily ever after.

When I was growing up I was taught don’t talk to strangers, don't take candy from a stranger, and tell a policeman if a stranger bothers you.  Kids today seem to be so much smarter than when I was going up.  They live in the electronic and information age and you may forget to teach them the basics, like stay away from strangers.  Here are some other examples to teach young children:

"Don't talk to strangers"

"Don't tell anyone your name"

"Don't let strangers touch your food or drink"

"Don't help strangers

"Don't let strangers touch your face"

"If someone acts too friendly in a theater, complain to an usher or the manager"

One thing to remember is too much constant warning is not a good thing either.  The child will then mistrust any adult, even those who will help them. In situations where the child is in danger for other reasons, avoiding strangers (who might help) could in fact be dangerous itself, such as in the case of an 11-year-old Boy Scout who avoided rescue searchers because he feared they might want to 'steal him.  The fear some parents have can cause them to keep the child indoors and then develop other issues such as nature deficit disorder.

Here is a quiz to share with your kids, or children in your life, to make them aware of strangers.

http://pediatrics.about.com/od/parentingquizzes/l/bl_strngdngr.htm

(Photos from Google)

GRANNY

By Terry Orr

For those that may have difficulty reading this:

Grandma’s Pie

Grannie made such beautiful pies!

One day, I asked her, “How do you get such beautiful pies with the crimps around the edge so even?”

“It’s a family secret” she said. “So promise not to tell.”

“I roll out the dough, then cut a bottom layer and carefully put it in the pie plate.  Then I slowly pour the filling, making sure it’s not too full. Next I cut a top layer and put it over the filling.”

“Finally, I take out my teeth and just run them around the edge of the pie crust and they make the nicest even impressions you ever did see.”

My ‘Granny’ was truly a compassionate, loving, and caring role model. A friend and source of many ‘tales’ and life lessons to guide her grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and impact their lives in a well grounded and positive manner.

While her methods of doing things might have seemed strange at times – the results were always a special treat.

Corn on the Cob – the water was to be boiling on the stove - before we could pick the ears off the stalk and clean the ears on way to the house.

Hamburger gravy – Saturday night would be hamburgers cooked in her old cast iron skillet.  The skillet was NOT cleaned when she was done.  It was covered for Sunday morning – when she would prepare her fantastic ‘hamburger gravy and biscuits’ for breakfast.

She had a good way of frustrating future baker’s trying to copy her recipe for Granny’s Chocolate Cake.  She never used measurements – just threw in what she thought would be enough – and only measured the boiling water – one cup!

 

SOCIAL WELLNESS

By Terry Orr

“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” ~World Health Organization, 1948

“Wellness is the conscious and deliberate process by which people are actively involved in enhancing their well-being: intellectual, physical, social, emotional, occupational and spiritual” ~ Hatfield

Social Wellness (family, community and environment) – focuses on how you choose to define and connect with your community and the people around you. 

Physical –your body's health, which involves nutrition, exercise, promoting over-all safety and wellness, and preventing physical illness.

Spiritual (values and ethics) – to understanding your place and purpose, how you make meaning of what happens to you, and what your mind goes to for comfort and relief.

Intellectual – means feeling stimulated and engaged with learning and staying open to new ideas and perspectives.

Emotional – involves being aware of and managing your feelings, being at peace with who you are, and having the tools you need to weather life’s ups and downs.

Occupational – is the work you choose to do and how you feel it contributes to your community and fulfills you.

According to Work Smart. Life Smart –

July is Social Wellness Month and it reminds us that we need to reach out to others and build stronger social ties with family and friends. Social Wellness encourages us to develop better communications with those around us including the ability to share our feelings and needs. It involves respecting yourself and others and developing a solid social support system.

Social Wellness takes planning and effort to carve out time for those activities, as they may not happen naturally in today’s hectic world. We know from our research that socially isolated people are more susceptible to illness and have a death rate two to three times higher than those who are not socially isolated.  However people who maintain their social network and support systems do better under stress and are physically and mentally healthier.  They even achieve higher grade point averages.

So how important in Social Wellness in our daily life – one indication is the explosion of social media over the past decade.  According to eBizMBA the three top Social Media Sites (Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn) average about 1.1 Billion visits each month – that is nearly one in seven people globally.  Folks reaching out to others – finding common ground – communicating – sharing – building relationships – a virtual family/home.

What we are all looking for – is balance in our lives – while sounding fairly straight forward – with our daily lives, most folks deal with the ever increasing demands on their time – and finding true balance is all to often is simply not possible.  The challenge is to prioritizes things best we can – and review what really and truly are the important things in our lives.

References and Links:

http://worksmartlivesmart.com/social-wellness-month-july/

http://www.ebizmba.com/articles/social-networking-websites 

(Photos from Google)