The Most Important Room in the House

Sunday has always been family day in our home.  It's the one day we make sure to eat together, and it keeps us close.  The kitchen for us is probably the most important room in our house.  Not only have my daughter and I shared many hours cooking together I truly believe it has helped maintained open lines of communication between us. Cooking and talking makes the time go by fast, but it's a very important part of our family bond as well.

My daughter, who is now in her second year of college, has remained very close to me and I'm very proud of that fact.  She is heading into the nursing program soon and I contribute a large part of that to family values. We always knew where she was, what she was doing and who she was with.  I have always been a parent first and friend second. Kids need to know they are loved and I believe the most important way to show that love is to make sure you know what's happening in their lives.

Now that she is in college I really don't worry about her because I know she knows right from wrong.  She has always exercised good judgement and I trust her completely.  As a parent, that is the best gift you can receive from your child.  As parents my husband and I can't take all the credit because we have a child who has respected our judgement and I believe that says more about her than it does about us.

She turned 20 years old and she still wants to cook with me.  She still gets excited about the holidays and we still make Christmas Cookies together every year.  We are always together on Christmas Eve.  As a family every year we head to the Italian store Christmas Eve day.  We buy cold cuts, cheese, olives and bread and come home and partake in all the imported Italian food we bought.  It's been a tradition and it's always something we've done together as a family and we look forward to it each year.

I know some day she will get married and leave home, but I will always treasure the time I've spent with her. I hope that will continue after she has her own children.  I look forward to growing old with my husband and having everyone over for our Sunday meals.  I can see me in the kitchen with my daughter and grandchildren and I hope she will be as close to her children as I have been with her.  So indeed the kitchen is the most important place in our home.  I hope this carries on from generation to generation because family is the most important part of life and the only thing that will last.  Family love never dies and memories will last long after we are gone.

Behavior Of "The Bachelor" Inexcusable, But A Lesson May Be Learned

People are buzzing about "The Bachelor" on ABC. I watched it unfold and if it was true and unscripted this Jason is a total disappointment.

I felt so bad for Melissa. My heart absolutely broke for her. If this was actually true, I hope Melissa finds true happiness because she deserves it.

I find this so ironic that the guy who was so afraid of being hurt could actually hurt someone else so deeply. Especially knowing how much Melissa has been hurt in the past. I remember how Jason's brother was so verbal about not wanting Jason hurt. Yet Jason turns around and does the same thing to poor Melissa. How ironic!

Actually Melissa is better off without this guy, and though she may not realize it he did her a huge favor.

Jason through this whole process kept mentioning his son, Ty. However, what kind of example does this set for this little boy? Jason didn't think about Ty nor Melissa -- just himself and "following his heart". I'm sure Melissa and Ty during the last several months had formed some kind of bond. He not only hurt Melissa, but also hurt his son. This is a very selfish person who thinks of nothing but himself. He acts like such a great father, but in reality he is no such thing. He didn't even try to work on the relationship with Melissa. The message he sent his son is that nothing is worth fighting for; just follow your heart and your head. What kind of example is that?


"The Bachelor", Jason Mesnick, and son Ty; what sort of lesson is being taught to the little guy?


Well, if Molly thinks he won't hurt her she is mistaken. Men like this are just interested in the flavor of the month. The "grass is always greener" syndrome. Certainly he is no one you would consider having a long term relationship with.

Melissa showed a lot of class and she can hold her head up high. The man who gets her is a very lucky guy. She is not only pretty outside, but also inside. I hope this whole experience doesn't change her. Because not all guys are like this and it's worth the wait for the right man. Jason is not a man he is a boy and needs to grow up. To do what he did to her on national television was inexcusable and nothing a real man would ever do.

So go ahead Jason -- follow your heart and head. You will fail every time. If you think that a successful realtionship isn't constant work you are fooling no one but yourself. As someone who has been married to the same man for 17 years, I can honestly say we have worked every day to keep our relationship going. It isn't easy and if you aren't committed to the other person it will never work. No, you aren't happy all the time. You have peaks and valleys, but you endure and work. Why do you work on the relationship? Because not only does it affect you, but it affects others. If there are children involved it's even more important to work and fight to have a successful relationship. Because the peaks are worth more than the valleys! Are you happy all the time? Absolutely not. Is it worth fighting for? Absolutely!

The lesson here is that anything worth having is worth fighting for.

Seizures In Dogs: You Can Stop Them With A Bag Of Ice

We have a precious little Jack Russell Terrier named Scamp. He's a wonderful part of our family and like most people who have pets, we love him. We have gone to the ends of the earth to take care of him and make sure he has all he needs to be happy.

He is a very special dog because first he was saved as a little puppy and second he is one of many dogs who have epilepsy. This has broken our hearts over the last three-and-a-half years. To see the animal you love so dearly have seizures is heartbreaking, to say the least. It has cost us both emotionally and financially as a family. We love this dog so much and he's such a big part of our family. We do our best for him. Even though at times we couldn't afford the cost at the emergency vet in the middle of the night, we took him there.

Recently my husband and I did research on the Internet regarding dogs with epilepsy. What we found was amazing. Something the eight or so vets we have seen over the past years had never even mentioned to us. It's as simple as keeping a bag of ice in your freezer.

We had never tried this until this morning at 5:00 a.m. when Scamp began seizuring. I've never seen anything work so fast in my life. As I write this this morning I'm still amazed and can't believe that what ended a seziure was as simple as a bag of ice and 2 teaspoons of vanilla ice cream to elevate his blood sugar level.

Here's how it works: all you do is fill a food storage bag (at least one quart size) with crushed ice and leave it in the freezer. When your dog starts to seizure remove the bag of ice from the freezer and place it firmly on his lower back. Scamp came out of his seizure in about 30 to 60 seconds. Never have I seen this happen so quickly. I know I keep using this word but it was truly amazing. There's no other word for it.

He came out of the seizure smoothly and with no post-ictal symptoms whatsoever. He began to walk and followed my husband and I right into the kitchen. I went to the freezer and took out vanilla ice cream and took two teaspoons out of the carton. I placed them in a microwave safe bowl and zapped it for about 10 seconds, mushed it, put it in his clean food dish and he lapped it up. He was fine. He wanted to go outside so my husband followed him out to make sure he would be OK. He went to the bathroom, roamed around the yard for a bit and came in and went back to sleep on our bed. I'm still in shock.


The blue area above is approximately where you need to place the ice bag using the "ice pack method"


It is now 11:00 am and he is doing just fine. The emotional and financial burden this has placed on our family has been so very difficult over the years. Not to mention how upset our daughter gets when this happens. To see your precious little dog clench and seizure is not an easy thing to endure, but we did. Now to find out that a simple bag of ice on his back and two teaspoons of vanilla ice cream is all it takes to get him out of an epileptic seizure just makes me crazy.

Why over the past three-and-a-half years hadn't one vet even mentioned this method? Especially knowing how hard a seizure can be on our little guy's body. This makes me more than angry. Not to mention all the emotional things we go through as a family. Watching my daughter have tears streaming down her face as we try to get the seizure under control. Then we have to take him to the emergency vet, knowing how much money they will charge.

This "ice pack method" has been in medical journals for the past five years. Scamp has been having seizures since he was about two years old. This has been going on for over three years and neither our regular vet nor any of the many emergency vets had said one thing about using something as simple as a bag of ice and two teaspoons of ice cream. Better they pump him full of medication, shave his paw and put a needle in his vein I guess.

I hope I'm wrong in what I'm thinking, but I'm wondering if money isn't the root of all evil. How else can you have a little 15-pound dog go through seizure after seizure and not mention something as simple as a bag of ice to try to help him and his owners? I'm more than stunned. However, in this day and age why should I be?

If you want more information about the "ice pack method", click HERE.

Books Don't Have To Be New To Be Enjoyed

If you enjoy reading a good book like I do, one way to save money is to take advantage of used bookstores.

They're a great alternative to having access to reading material you enjoy, at an affordable price. Of course, you probably won't find the books that are on the current best sellers list. However, they have many great books that may be older. And if you haven't read it yet, it's new to you, right?

Most of the books I find are in very good condition. They may have only been read once. For instance, I'm reading a series of books right now that have twelve in the series. The price in the regular book store, new, is $14.99 per book. Yesterday I paid only $3.95 for book no. 4 in the series at my local used bookstore. That's a saving of $11.00. Needless to say I was very excited.

The books in a used bookstore usually have two prices on the cover. One price is with "trade in". The other price is what you pay if you haven't brought in other used books to trade with. All this means is that you bring your old paperbacks to the store and they give you credit for each one. It's a great way to get rid of old books that are just laying around the house. Also a wonderful way to help a local small business while at the same time putting a little extra money in your pocket.


They're used, but so what?

My daughter is reading the Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer. I paid full price for these books. Yesterday I saw this series at the used bookstore for one-quarter of what I paid. You can encourage your kids to read at an affordable price too.

Your whole family can get many hours of enjoyable entertainment, and reading is a great stress reliever for everyone.

Make reading fun for the whole family. Have a family reading night. Take turns discussing your books together. This is another way to talk to each other and it helps keep the family close. We all need outlets right now and that includes our kids. Don't think for a minute our kids don't feel stress too.

Keeping lines of communication open with our kids is important and this is another way to achieve this at an affordable price.

We all deserve to relax and enjoy a good book!

Republicans Not Credible When They Cry About Spending

There is a huge divide in the Haves and Have Nots in this country and it's getting downright ugly now.

The Republicans, the party of the Haves, are frankly out of touch with middle America and most middle-class Americans are fed up.

President Obama is trying to boost the economy and get it going again. Republicans keep saying the Obama Administration is increasing government spending. Well, the GOP didn't seem to be too worried about government spending during the Bush years. Especially when you were the recipient of all the tax cuts and perks you received. I guess that was okay.



Now that the poor and middle class are finally getting the help we need you worry about government spending. Republicans are the party of spending, too; just take a look back at history. The country always goes south during the times when the Republicans have been completely in power. High deficits, tax cuts for the wealthy and deregulation are just a few of their hallmarks.

If the Republicans are so worried about government spending why don't they all take a pay cut or better yet give up their pay for a few years until the country is back on track? Especially you, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal. You want the people of your state to not receive extended unemployment benefits. Why don't you give up your paycheck too, and see how it goes? Also give up that big mansion you live in courtesy of the taxpayers in your state. Yes, some of them may be unemployed. People need unemployment insurance right now to pay the bills and feed their families. Come on, Mr. Jindal, why don't you give it a try? If the Republicans want America to cut back they should be willing to do the same. I'm sure they all have plenty of money to get by with. You expect us to get by on nothing; then you should be willing to do the same. Don't expect more from others than you do from yourself. That's how I was brought up!

If they don't get paid we'll see how fast they can come up with a solution. I'm sure we will all be amazed at how fast they can solve the problems that we the poor and middle class are facing right now if it hit them in the pocket book too.

Republicans should come up with fresh ideas, not the same ole stuff. Look at the last eight years. Wake up; it didn't work! People are getting more and more upset with the GOP.

One last word of advice for the Republicans: You can't win elections without the poor and middle class on your side.

Obama Again Shows His Leadership Skills

"We will recover" stated our President. Last night's speech reaffirmed in my mind that I made the right decision when I voted for Barack Obama last November.

President Obama delivered an inspiring speech to a joint session of Congress and our country. He spoke about energy, health care, education and the auto industry.

I'm positive this man is leading the country in the right direction. He is committed to the people of this country and especially our children. After only 35 days in office he's doing an amazing job.

The GOP has done nothing but say "No". However, I haven't heard one inspiring person nor have I heard any new ideas. They have the same old stale ideas such as tax cuts for the rich. Don't they realize that prosperity really doesn't trickle down, but actually rises up. The nation isn't upset with the poor, they are mad at the rich.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal is the GOP's "rising star". If that is all they have they certainly have a long hard road ahead of them. You don't win elections with this type of uninspiring and strange perfomance that Mr. Jindal gave in response to President Obama last night.

Lousiana got kicked in the teeth by the Republicans during Hurricane Katrina. Yet here was Bobby Jindal trying to use that as an example in the GOP's favor. The only word I keep coming up with for Mr. Jindal is strange.


Good, inspiring!



Strange.


The American people are well aware that we have a long hard road ahead of us. However, Republicans are not making it any easier. We are Americans first, not Democrats or Republicans. This country is in trouble and we need to come together, which has been what President Obama has continually said.

The people are mad at the Republicans for what's happened the last eight years. We spoke loud and clear in this past election, but somehow they still haven't gotten the message. Without new young blood and fresh ideas from the GOP they have no hope of rising any time soon. If all they have are people such as Bobby Jindal, Sarah Palin and Rush Linbaugh, then they are in deep trouble.

The world is changing all around, but the GOP remains standing on the same platform that the train left behind months ago.

I will leave you with these parting words from our President. "Someday," he said, "years from now, our children can tell their children that this was the time when we performed."

That's a responsibility we all share -- Democrats and Republicans.

Mean Kids: They're Out There; How Do You Handle Them, As A Parent?

How mean can some teenage girls be? Very mean! Now how do I know this? I was a teenaged girl, and now I'm raising a teenage girl.


The hardest part, I'm finding out, about being a parent is knowing that you can't stop your kids from getting hurt. Part of being a good parent is knowing when to get involved and when to just let them work it out for themselves.


Some teenaged girls are very mean and my daughter is finding that out right now. The hardest part is finding out that the person you thought was your best friend is really in competition with you and truly isn't your friend.


Being a teenager is tough enough as it is, especially today. When the person you thought was your friend stabs you in the back it hurts. Not only does it hurt your child, but as a parent it makes you mad and hurts you as well.




How you handle any situation with your child is always tough for any parent. Do I keep quiet and let her continue to get hurt or do I say something? You try to handle it calmly, but emotions sometimes get in the way.


The best way I found is to bring it to their attention, and hope they make the right choice to not hang around with the offending "friend" any longer. However, you can't choose your kids' friends for them and as long as it isn't anything harmful to their bodies like drugs or any substance, sometimes you have to watch from the sidelines.

The thing about my daughter is that she always thinks the best of everyone. She doesn't want to believe anyone would intentionally want to hurt her. However, that's not always the case. If this was the first instance, I would've shut my mouth, but this is the second time and I had to say something to her. I don't trust this particular so called "friend" and with good reason. I guess it doesn't matter what I believe; my daughter has to come to terms with it in her own way.

However, this so called friend of hers is a very lonely, unhappy person. My personal belief is I think hurting others makes her feel better about herself. My daughter feels sorry for her, but you can't be friends with someone you feel sorry for. Especially if hurting you makes them feel better about themselves. That isn't friendship; it's abuse.

The awkward part about the situation is that not only do I know this child, but I know her parents as well. She has proved to my daughter before that she isn't really her friend and she's doing it again to her. I have to let my daughter work this out for herself, but when you're a parent, that's the most difficult thing to do. That being said, my daughter is smart; I brought her up the very best I could and I trust her judgment.

She told me last night, "Mom, trust me. I can handle this," and I know she is very capable and is intelligent enough to take care of this situation her own way. So now I sit back and pray and bite my tongue.

The Internet is where this situation came to light, and that's something that I never had to deal with as a teenaged girl. The Internet and Instant Messaging isn't always a good thing. People can be mean and stab you in the back and not have to face you. Basically, it's just a new way of how someone can be a coward. Just what we all need to complicate raising our children!

I recently read this on line. If you're like me -- raising a teenage girl in today's world -- I believe it's worth taking a little time to read.

If I'm thankful for anything during this time it's that my daughter and I have an open relationship. We talk and I hope I guide her in the right direction. The hardest part about being a parent is knowing when to back off. Believe me, I know how hard that can be!