Highland Maple Festival

I went on an educational field trip this weekend, I thought I'd share. This is definitely not something I got to see living in Texas!

Some of us from the family drove about an hour away to the Highland Maple Festival. We started the morning at an all you can eat pancake breakfast. They had buckwheat pancakes (didn't care for), regular pancakes, homemade sausage (delicious!), and pure maple syrup (of course). I was impressed, this is obviously a major event every year for this small town but they got everyone through pretty quickly and all the volunteers were friendly and helpful. Gotta love small town USA!

After loading up on carbs we went to some farms to see how the syrup was made. Here are some pictures of how it was done "back in the day".

 

                                                                    

Buckets were placed on taps to collect the sap dripping from maple trees. They left this one uncovered to show visitors so yes, I tasted it. Didn't taste like much of anything to me.

The collected sap would be poured into long troughs like this. A fire burned underneath and the sap would be stirred occasionally, boiling off most of the water. It takes 40-60 gallons of sap to make one gallon of pure maple syrup!

Once most of the water was boiled off they'd transfer the liquid to smaller kettles where they could better control the heat of the fire. Here they would cook it more until the desired consistency and flavor.

They had samples to taste and I surprised myself by liking the hickory syrup they were selling. Hickory syrup is an old process for making syrup that was popular before 1850. Basically, you remove some bark from the hickory tree, roast it in an oven, then soak it in water to make a tea. You strain out the solids, add sugar, and cook it down until it has the consistency you like. Now a days it's called Grandma's syrup because only the older Grandma's would take the time to make it. I got some as a novelty, it has a unique smoky sweet flavor.

 Then we went to a modern day operation, wow! Here you can see the tubing on one of the trees and then you can see that tubing weaving in and out, connecting all the maple trees together.

Tubes were running everywhere but they eventually led here, to the Sugar Shack. Starting in the 1970's, some maple syrup producers started using reverse osmosis to remove water from the sap before it would be boiled down. Reverse osmosis allows approximately 75% to 80% of the water to be removed prior to boiling.

Here's a video of the pumps in action:

And what festival could be complete without vendors? We parked and then wandered around the main street, oohing and ahhing at all the different items for sale. One vendor was making baby rattles with his foot powered lathe. He made it look so easy that of course I wanted to try when he asked for volunteers. FYI, I had been "working" a lot longer than this video shows but phew, it was tiring work!

A fun day and I learned a lot.

Botox Review

Sorry, folks, I've still not been too good at updating my blog. But I have gone through 4 rounds of Botox now so I can give you a pretty good description of what it's been like!

Let me be completely honest, I've taken an Ativan (an anti-anxiety pill) before each treatment because it's nerve wracking. Yes, I've had someone drive each time (big shout out here to my sis-in-law, son, and nephew.)

The first time I went I the nurse was taking my weight and blood pressure, getting my medical background and all that good stuff, and she asked me, "Where are you getting Botox today?" 

That threw me for a loop in my half sedated state. "Don't you know, you guys are the ones who do this all the time?!?"

She must have seen the extra fear on my face because she laughed a little and assured me that, yes, she did know, she asks that every time to make sure the patient knows. I guess they want to be reassured that I'm not expecting it to make my face free of wrinkles or something. I told her I wasn't exactly sure but I'd been told it was going to be in my head, shoulders, and neck. Ding, ding, I passed!

A few minutes later the neurologist ushered us (me and my sis-in-law) into a nearby room, answered any questions I had, and then it was time to get started. I laid down on the table, he raised it to his height, and then he would announce, "A prick, now a sting," every time he gave an injection. After 6 or so times of that he asked me if he needed to tell me every time and I told him to just get on with it already.

It was the prick of the needle and then a sting as he inserted the medicine. He started in my hairline at my forehead and then he had me turn my head to the left. I'd have to clench my jaws so he could tell exactly where the muscle was, I'd release, and in went the needle. Then it was time to turn to the right and get that side done. 

I wish I had a picture to show you, believe me, we asked but he said no. He wasn't comfortable letting her take pictures while he was giving the shots. Ha ha, my sis-in-law and I are like two peas in a pod when it comes to stuff like that, we both want to be there watching exactly what's going on. 

The relaxing music going on during the shots didn't do much for me personally, what distracted me more was listening to my sis-in-law asking him questions and listening to their discussions. I kept my eyes shut and just focused on my breathing and trying to stay calm and relaxed.

When the front and sides were done (none were injected right on my face btw) he lowered the table and had me sit there for a second and make sure I wasn't going to pass out. I was fine so he had me sit on a little stool and put my head down on the table. Now it was time for the shots in the back of my neck. Ouch, they stung the worse and my headache flared up big time! (As a side note, he completely missed with one shot, my hair is so thick he didn't even get it under the skin.)

Then we waited a few more seconds for me to get my bearings, I sat up, pulled down the collar of my shirt on one side, and he injected a few more along the muscles of my neck/upper shoulder. Repeat on the other side and I was finally done! Thirty one shots in all.

The whole thing took 30 minutes or so. It wasn't pleasant by any means but it wasn't too bad, either. By the time I got home 45 minutes later I just went upstairs to sleep. 

It was when I woke up that "recovery" began. Ugh, I felt sore on all the injection sites and my daughter was calling me "Bobble Head Dumbo" because my neck felt so weak that I could hardly hold my head up. The botulism in my system made me feel nauseated and gross, my head and stomach ached, and my head felt as heavy as a bowling ball for about 10 days. That was no fun!

Since then my neurologist has given me half doses in the back of my neck so I don't get so bobble head like. It has helped. Every time I still have about a 10 day recovery time right after the shots. But you know what, it does help!?! My migraines are not as long lasting and I do get about half as many. I can tell after about 10 weeks that the Botox has started to wear off. Unfortunately, insurance will only cover it every 12 weeks and my doctor is so booked that I'm usually more like 13-15 weeks between shots. 

Who would have thought that botulism would decrease migraines? Who would have thought that I actually start looking forward to the shots (because my migraines get worse when the medicine wears off)? Huh, life sure throws you some curve balls! 

My verdict is in, I would recommend it. It takes a few rounds before you really start to see the benefits, it's expensive, and recovery is no fun but hey, 10 migraines a month is so much better than 20 or 25!  

Update

Why did I wait for over a year to blog? Probably because the benefits of my experimental treatment quickly wore off and I was back to my old "normal" of chronic migraines and fibromyalgia. Ugh! Not very happy making. 

Did the other effects of the treatment wear off, too? Hmm, that's hard to answer. I would say no, it was more like I had to relearn everything. You know how people of my generation are super glad they grew up without social media so they didn't embarrass themselves as teens? I seemed to have to go through a childlike state, then a teen state, and then back to an adult state. All chronicled on social media...lovely!

I'm kind of embarrassed as I reread my blog. There's a lot of anger and emotion in there. A lot of arguing debating and not very much tact. Yeah, that was kind of more my teenage state. So let me just give a blanket apology right here and now to any and everyone I may have offended during that time. I wasn't really in my right mind. I know, I know, that's an excuse but it was kind of an extreme case. I've changed a lot.

I don't have to say everything I think now, that's a good thing! I'm not nearly as emotional, or confrontational, or argumentative. As I look back I think I was bored. For the first time in years I had energy and no pain so I wasn't content being at home with not much to do. Sigh. That sure isn't the case now.

My memory isn't what it used to be and don't even talk to me about mental math. Good grief, let's just say you'd better double check my counting when I'm playing a game. I would never cheat on purpose but sometimes my mental math is way off.   :)  

Obviously I can't have those treatments anymore so what have I been doing instead? Trial and error of different meds, elimination diets, etc. None have worked. This week I go for my first set of Botox injections for migraines. Yep, you read that right, Botox. I'm really quite nervous about it. You see, it isn't just one shot in the forehead, it's a set of 31 shots on both sides of your head, face, and neck. Shudder! Here's a link if you want to check it out: https://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/news/20101018/fda-approves-botox-to-treat-chronic-migraines#1

And it has to be done every 3 months. Not too excited about this but I'm getting desperate right about now.

Don't even get me started on how difficult it is to get pain medication! Let me just say this...as if chronic pain isn't hard enough to deal with now those of us with it get to make a copay and go to the pharmacy EVERY. SINGLE. WEEK! https://www.reuters.com/article/us-walmart-opioids/walmart-to-restrict-opioid-dispensing-at-its-pharmacies-idUSKBN1I81YH

Lucky!!! 

In all seriousness, I'm even considering this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1N_cn-hcuA

Now you see how desperate I am...OUCH! But I'll give this Botox a go first. I've been told it could take "a couple rounds" before you can tell if it helps and even then it usually only reduces migraines by half. A one time daith piercing sounds tame in comparison, doesn't it? 

I'll try to do better at keeping you updated.

Oops, My Bad!

I do not have a poker face, people tell me they can read me like a book. What do you think this face says?

Let me tell you the story behind it because I'd really like to hear your comments.

Recently I went to UT for my niece's wedding. My daughter, Amanda, and I were helping my sister set up for the reception. We set the guest book outside on this little table they had and we decided to sign it right then and there. Immediately afterward, I mean like we had just capped the pen, this lady (a friend of the groom's family) came up to us and gasped.

(Gasp) "You just signed the front page! Didn't you know you aren't supposed to sign the front page of a wedding album when it's a picture album, too?"

I gave her the "Are you trying to pull my leg?" face and just stared at her. "Are you kidding me?"

"No. Most brides put a post it note on the front page asking people not to sign there."

Let me show you again the look I gave her...the "Oops, My Bad!" face:

To that she gave me a conciliatory pat on the arm, "I'm sure it's OK. The bride didn't put anything on there so I'm sure it'll be just fine." And then she walked away.

Um, yeah, I'm sure it'll HAVE to be fine since we've already done it. Plus I'm her aunt so there's no escaping me. And we asked other ignorant family members to sign with us so we wouldn't be the only ones on there for long. Ha ha, I know I say Being Happy is Better Than Being Smart but I don't want to look like the only dumb one! 

But that makes me ask: Am I ignorant about that? I've been to many wedding receptions, even had one for my own daughter(!), so why am I just now hearing about this? When did this become a THING or was she just trying to pull a fast one on me?

BHiBTBS but I don't want to be behind the times. Fill me in people!

Longest week of my life

I've been reminiscing lately (I've been getting more migraines again and that gives me a lot of time to think) and I'm trying to remind myself that even though I've had many better times, I've sure had worse times, too. That reminded me of the worst week of my life. I thought I'd share it with you since I haven't blogged in a while. It was sure a doozy!

I know I've shared some background on my two oldest children but I haven't really said much about the two youngest. See how lazy moms become with the younger kids? It's so true :)

I'll give them their own special blog another time, let me just give you a quick intro to child # 3, Tyler. He was born 3 weeks early and needed oxygen for 24 hours but seemed fine...at first. By the time he was 6 months old he was having respiratory problems and needed albuterol nebulizer treatments every 3 hours. This was all new to Dave and me but we learned and dealt with it.

When Tyler was 10 months old we were in for another surprise, I was pregnant again! Baby #4 was a girl, Amanda. Two months before she was born we moved from Oregon to Washington and I was promptly put on bed rest. Ugh, hard times! But she was born healthy and we were settling into our new normal...a six year old in first grade, a three year old, an almost two year old, and a newborn. Three kids in diapers, yay!

Now, on to the longest week of my life: My dad was flying from Ohio to WA to see the new place and the new baby. He arrived in the evening after the kids were in bed. I had already arranged with him that he would watch the two boys the next morning while I went to my 8 week postpartum doctor's appointment. Well, the day he was scheduled to come I became concerned about baby Amanda's breathing. She was beginning to sound a lot like her brother so I called the pediatrician and he agreed to see her first thing in the morning. That would be perfect, the pediatrician's office was just a few doors down from my obgyn and I would go there right after wards. Perfect!

The next morning Dave left about 6:00 am to drive down to Portland for work meetings, the kids woke up and got to see Grandpa (only Jennifer remembered him, the boys were too little, of course), Jennifer went off to school,  and I left with the baby for the doctor appointments. I figured I'd be gone two-three hours at most. Sure, the boys didn't know their grandpa and he probably wasn't too comfortable taking care of two little guys but hey, he could turn on a movie and they'd be fine for that short of a time, right?

The pediatrician spent five minutes with Amanda and told me it was serious, he thought she had RSV (a respiratory virus) and that I needed to take her right over to the hospital. He'll call them and tell them to expect us. Uhhh, oh crap, what do I do now? Mind you, this is before either Dave or I had a cell phone! I told the doctor that Tyler was just as bad at home. He let me use his personal cell phone and man, did I put some minutes on that thing! I had to try and get in touch with someone from Dave's work. They said they would alert him to turn around and drive back home as soon as he made it to Portland (a three hour drive). I had to call my obgyn and let them know I wouldn't be making it. Then I had to call my dad and let him know I was going over to the hospital with Amanda.

My poor dad, this was not going to be the visit he was expecting! I had to give him a crash course in respiratory nursing over the phone because he would now have to take care of Tyler until Dave could get home and take over. And here's where you can find stuff for lunch, here's where diapers are, here's nap time, Jennifer's bus time, etc. Good luck and thanks! And then I was off.

Yuck, seeing your two month old baby hooked up and so tiny on that hospital bed was not easy!

I didn't want to leave her for a moment and I couldn't leave her for too long because I was nursing anyway. But what was I going to do about Tyler?

As soon as Dave got to Portland he got the message about a family emergency so he headed back home. He grabbed Tyler and I met the two of them back at the doctor's office. My pediatrician was wonderful. He told me later that normally he would have admitted Tyler, too, but he didn't in our case because 1. He didn't think I could handle it 2. He knew Dave could take time off work and we already had all the equipment at home and were comfortable/knowledgeable with how it worked and 3. Dave committed to bringing him back in daily to show he had improved. He was given steroid shots, all kinds of medicines to take at home, and we went our separate ways...Dave back home with sick Tyler and me back to the hospital with sick baby Amanda.

Needless to say, I didn't get much visiting done with my dad that week. He was able to use Dave's car and go to the school and have lunch with Jennifer one day, they both loved that! I guess he was able to get to know Alan better and help Dave with Tyler, I don't really know. I only went home once to shower during that whole time.

But wait, there's more! We had ordered a super deluxe tree house swing set with three slides, a rock wall, three swings, a hanging bar, etc, and it was supposed to be delivered that Friday. I wasn't about ready to pay an extra $200 to have them unload it so I told them we'd help unload it ourselves and they said fine. I figured my dad was there, no problem. They didn't give me a window of time when they'd be coming, they just said it'd be some time on Friday. OK.

Dave had missed work that entire week so he had to go back on Friday since I was now home. He had gotten a ride with a friend so my dad could take Jennifer out shopping for a baseball glove (she was going to start tee ball) and to take her to Dairy Queen for lunch (his traditional Grandpa visit.) My brother was flying in that evening from out of state to see the new house and baby and he, my dad, and Dave were going to put together the new swing set the next day. By this time I had no food in the house and I really needed to go grocery shopping. You know how difficult it is to bring little kids out shopping any time? Now imagine you have two sick little ones who need breathing treatments, you have to nurse one of them, you get all three of them changed and ready to go, it's raining (of course it's raining, we lived in Washington!), you drive the 20 minutes to the store, get your shopping done, get home, and by now it's time for lunch. I am starving, the kids are starving, and the two sick ones need breathing treatments again.

To my horror, the delivery truck is sitting in my driveway!!! Now! Of course they show up now...when I have a mini van full of groceries that need to be put in the fridge along with everything else going on! And you know my dad was still out with Jennifer! So what do I do? Start crying. Call every neighbor and finally find one at home and tell her I need help RIGHT NOW, can she please come over? She is making lunch for her son but says she'll be over in 5 minutes. I use that 5 minutes wisely...I leave the kids in the car and get the cold stuff in the fridge. :)

The neighbor comes running over minus her kid (she left him at home alone) and bless her heart, she feeds the two boys, tries to comfort the screaming baby, and even starts the breathing treatments while I help unload the stupid truck. Thankfully the rain hides the tears streaming down my face or else the delivery guy just ignores them but needless to say, I wasn't a whole lot of help unloading that heavy stuff. Oh well. We got everything off the truck and off he went.

As soon as I walked in the neighbor took off to get back to her son. My dad walked in with my daughter about half an hour later to see grocery bags all over the table and counters and me soaking wet sitting in the rocking chair nursing the baby with crumbs all over her from my hurriedly scarfed down peanut butter and jelly sandwich. You seriously don't want to mess with a hungry nursing mother! All three kids needed changed and all three of us needed naps.

My brother did arrive safely that evening. The swing set did get put together. And I even made a lasagna for dinner for us that Saturday night. I remember, I was so proud of myself for pulling that off, it seemed like such a momentous feat to be able to put all that together with everything else I had going on. An actual home cooked meal!

So yeah, what's a migraine in comparison? Not such a big deal compared to that! Reminiscing can be good, it reminds me that I've had it worse. And I'm so glad my kids grew out of that asthma and are healthy today! And weren't they just so dang cute and so tiny?!? Now they are all grown up. Sniff, sniff.

Here's Why We Celebrate Today

I shared an article on FB about Trump not taking away the LGBTQ's rights. In response a friend sent me this link:
http://johnpavlovitz.com/2016/11/09/heres-why-we-grieve-today/

This is too long to share on a FB post AND I don't want anyone to say I was shoving my opinion in their face so I am posting my response here on my blog. That way you can keep on scrolling and/or click away if you don't like it or are offended. Let me be clear, my intent is not to offend! I personally don't know why everyone seems to get so offended so easily but that seems to be the case. I'm just voicing my opinion in response to this article. I understand a lot of people are grieving. I'm now taking the opportunity to share why I am "celebrating". I wouldn't really even call it celebrating for me personally. I'd say I'm more hopeful but I'd say Republicans in general are more in a celebratory mood and they deserve to be.

So here you go, my response is in red:

http://johnpavlovitz.com/2016/11/09/heres-why-we-grieve-today/

Here’s Why We Grieve Today

Here’s Why We Celebrate Today

I don’t think you understand us right now.

I think you think this is about politics. 

I think you believe this is all just sour grapes; the crocodile tears of the losing locker room with the scoreboard going against us at the buzzer.

I don’t think you understand us right now.

I think you think this is about politics. 

I think you believe this is all just a victory dance; the fist pumps of the winning locker room with the scoreboard shining for us at the buzzer.

I can only tell you that you’re wrong. This is not about losing an election.This isn’t about not winning a contest. This is about two very different ways of seeing the world.

I can only tell you that you’re wrong. This is not about winning an election. This isn’t about not losing a contest. This is about two very different ways of seeing the world.

Hillary supporters believe in a diverse America; one where religion or skin color or sexual orientation or place of birth aren’t liabilities or deficiencies or moral defects. Her campaign was one of inclusion and connection and interdependency. It was about building bridges and breaking ceilings. It was about going high. 

Hillary’s America was also about giving perks to those who pay. It rewarded dreamers who did not follow rules (the laws of American immigration) and allowed illegal immigrants to cut line over those who did try to obey the law. It supported women’s rights but not viable infant’s rights. Her campaign was shown to be one of secret supporters, manipulation, actors/rioters paid to cause dissent and discord against the opposition.

Trump supporters believe in a very selective America; one that is largely white and straight and Christian, and the voting verified this. America is largely straight and Christian and the voting verified this. Most Americans have never made any assertion otherwise and are trying to make it clear that they are tired of being told gender is fluid, pronouns are fluid, Christianity is wrong, the Constitution needs to be changed, and we are deplorable and uneducated for feeling the way we do. Donald Trump has never made any assertions otherwise. He ran a campaign of fear and exclusion and isolation—and that’s the vision of the world those who voted for him have endorsed. Donald Trump’s campaign was of safety. A border with immigration laws that would be enforced. Background checks that would be thorough and vetted. That’s the vision of the America those who voted for him have endorsed.

They have aligned with the wall-builder and the professed p*ssy-grabber, and they have co-signed his body of work, regardless of the reasons they give for their vote:

Every horrible thing Donald Trump ever said about women or Muslims or people of color has now been validated.

Every profanity-laced press conference and every call to bully protestors and every ignorant diatribe has been endorsed.Every piece of anti-LGBTQ legislation Mike Pence has championed has been signed-off on.
This is not about one candidate over the other.
It’s not about one’s ideas over another’s.
It is not blue vs. red.
It’s not her emails vs. his bad language.
It’s not her dishonesty vs. his indecency.
It’s about religion being weaponized.
It’s about crassness and vulgarity and disregard for women.
It’s about a barricaded, militarized, bully nation.
It’s about an unapologetic, open-faced ugliness.

Half of our country has declared these things acceptable, noble,American. 

This is the disconnect and the source of our grief today. It isn’t a political defeat that we’re lamenting, it’s a defeat for Humanity.

We’re not angry that our candidate lost. We’re angry because our candidate’s losing means this country will be less safe, less kind, and less available to a huge segment of its population, and that’s just the truth.

Those who have always felt vulnerable are now left more so. Those whose voices have been silenced will be further quieted. Those who always felt marginalized will be pushed further to the periphery. Those who feared they were seen as inferior now have confirmation in actual percentages.

Those things have essentially been campaign promises of Donald Trump, and so many of our fellow citizens have said this is what they want too.  

Half of our country has voiced that we are ready to make a stand against illegal immigration, about common sense genetics, about maturity and agreeing to disagree. We feel safe again because we are not having to pay our taxes to support people who do not belong here. Not because of the color of their skin or because of their religion but because they are here illegally. We feel safe again because we have a leader who isn’t being paid secretly from special interest groups or from foreign governments who, by the way, throw gay people off buildings and don’t even allow women to drive. We feel safe again to properly call people Him and Her, He and She, instead of having to call people a Ze or Zit. We feel safe in knowing our 2^nd Amendment rights will not be stripped. We feel safe knowing refugees will be vetted more stringently instead of allowing people in who openly state they hate our country and our own FBI states they cannot properly do background checks on all of them. This is what Donald Trump promised in his campaign and this is what so many of our fellow citizens want too.

This has never been about politics.

This IS about politics.

This IS about one’s ideas over another’s, the ideas of where America is headed.

This is about who will be appointed to the Supreme Court.

This is about more big government versus a smaller government.

This is about more taxes or less.

This is about more Big Brother or less. More gun rules or more enforcing what is already on the books.

This IS about her emails, her dishonesty, her lack of prosecution and the American people tired of the double standard.

This IS about the American people tired of the lies, the deceit, the behind doors politicking going on that affects our lives and the money involved.

This is about our money being wasted. Any money the government uses is OUR money. We are tired of it being taken and used and wasted without a say in it. We are tired of it being given to people who should work for it themselves and/or for people who don’t deserve it. If you are in America illegally, you DO NOT DESERVE MY TAXPAYER MONEY!

This is about mandatory health care that is outrageously expensive and was a bunch of lies from the get go.

It’s about overt racism and hostility toward minorities.

And it is not only that these things have been ratified by our nation that grieve us; all this hatred, fear, racism, bigotry, and intolerance—it’s knowing that these things have been amen-ed by our neighbors, our families, our friends, those we work with and worship alongside. That is the most horrific thing of all. We now know how close this is.

It feels like living in enemy territory being here now, and there’s no way around that. We wake up today in a home we no longer recognize. We are grieving the loss of a place we used to love but no longer do. This may be America today but it is not the America we believe in or recognize or want.

This is not about a difference of political opinion, as that’s far too small to mourn over. It’s about a fundamental difference in how we view the worth of all people—not just those who look or talk or think or vote the way we do.

Grief always laments what might have been, the future we were robbed of, the tomorrow that we won’t get to see, and that is what we walk through today. As a nation we had an opportunity to affirm the beauty of our diversity this day, to choose ideas over sound bytes, to let everyone know they had a place at the table, to be the beacon of goodness and decency we imagine that we are—and we said no.

The Scriptures say that weeping endures for a night but joy comes in the morning. We can’t see that dawn coming any time soon.

And this is why we grieve.

 Mourning is a process, we understand because we’ve dealt with it. You’ll go through the stages and you’ll survive. The good news is that “the winners” are better winners than you are “losers”. Notice the difference 8 years has made. There was no rioting, no burning flags, no disrupting the peace and blocking traffic, no shouting obscenities at high school and college campuses when Obama was elected president. There was fear but maturity.

Do some research. The media has clouded you with a lot of negativity. Go back and look at Donald Trump before he was a candidate. You will find many flattering and uplifting pieces about him as a businessman, about his dealings with people of color, homosexuals, etc. He is firm but fair. No, he isn’t the best example of a gentleman but can you say that Bill Clinton was, either? Can you say that Hillary Clinton is the best example of honesty and integrity? You’ll still need to be the parent in your home and teach family values, no politician will ever take your place. Stop buying into the hysteria and propaganda. Fear sells. Sex sells. Scandal sells.

Do you want kindness, acceptance, neighborhoods that are friendly and welcoming? Stay where you are and keep doing what you are doing. If you weren’t in enemy territory before you won’t be in enemy territory now. Your neighborhood hasn’t changed unless you as community members do. Eight years ago our neighborhoods didn’t change overnight, either. We learned firsthand that our friends were still our friends if we treated them the same. You’ll see the same thing.

Stop the fear-mongering. Take it one day at a time and you’ll be surprised at how resilient we can be.

Big Brother IS helping in Louisiana

There has been a huge outcry because Big Brother, as in Uncle Sam, hasn't come to the aid of the flood victims in Louisiana recently. President Obama was vacationing, playing golf, and what not and waited until his vacation was over before he decided to comment and/or come see what the people needed.

Yes, I understand that President Bush was criticized for not doing more and not doing it faster when there was flooding during hurricane Katrina and that was when he called out FEMA within days. I'm not trying to make excuses for President Obama. Instead I'm hoping that Americans can learn an important lesson from this. Yes, some government assistance was expected and would have been nice but when in trouble there is a different Big Brother we should turn to first...Jesus Christ.

Remember America was founded on "In God We Trust"? Not in Uncle Sam. When there are troubled times God WILL help. How, you ask? He works through others. This flooding is the perfect example. Because the government was absent we were able to witness Americans stepping up and showing Christlike love and service for their fellow man.

The mainstream media might not spend a lot of air time reporting on those people willing to serve others but you CAN find numerous stories on social media. People taking their boats out to go and rescue homeowners from flooded homes, people bringing food and water to those stranded and hungry, a 9 year old boy giving up his birthday party and presents to deliver pizzas to those who have been stranded and need food, and on and on.

If you don't believe in God, fine, believe in the goodness of the American people. They weren't asking what religion you were. They didn't care what race you were. They didn't care about your job, your education, your social standing, etc. All they knew was that you needed help and they pitched in and got the job done. To me, that is the Lord working miracles through others. People acting as disciples of Christ as they listen to promptings to help and serve those in need.

Politicians and the media are really playing up scare tactics right now and getting people worked up about race, religion, politics, and highlighting differences. They seem to delight in causing friction. Take note, folks. When things get bad and we really need one another, that stuff really doesn't matter. Stop turning to the politicians and media for what's important. Start remembering the basic principles of what America was founded on..."In God We Trust". You'll be a lot happier. You'll appreciate your neighbors more. You'll be more independent.

America IS still great because of it's people...don't forget it!