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Fighting Cancer Before It Starts
It was a routine medical appointment, with routine questions. My blood work looked good, my blood pressure was great. My weight… I had gained a few pounds over the winter but for me it’s the typical winter gain that I’ll lose with summer activity. I was a healthy 38 year old. This was a new doctor for me. She started asking family history and cancer was mentioned time and time again. Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the United States but fortunately, many common types of cancer are treatable if detected early. My mom & my son right after she started chemo.This is one of those very emotional…
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For the Health of It
I just ran across a video that I had to share with you. It is about 9 minutes long but it is going to suck you in. Go ahead watch it. I’ll be right here waiting: Wow! Half an hour of walking a day has all that health-benefit?! This isn’t really rocket-science, folks. In fact, to make it personal I struggled with gestational diabetes while pregnant with my youngest son. The food didn’t impact my sugar-levels as much as the exercise. It was all about getting up and burning the sugar. If I didn’t get up and /move/ around every couple of hours (notice I didn’t say lace up my running shoes, put on…
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Soldiering On…
Last night I fell into bed. Sometimes my mind has time to wander after I turn off the lights. I think about what I did earlier in the day, what I accomplished, what I forgot to do, what I can get done tomorrow. I think about my blessings. Thank God for my family. Dream about what our future holds. It can all be a pleasant way to drift into dream world. But last night there was none of that. It was a hectic day that involved making 30 Valentines Cookies for my 3rd grader’s class, which in and of itself involved multiple (yes, multiple) trips to the grocery store. It was laundry and sheet…
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Cleaning your glass-range & inside your microwave (no elbow grease required)
…Don’t Judge…I have to admit. I do not enjoy cleaning. I LOVE a clean house… but the actual process of cleaning?! BLECK! However, this year’s goal has been to get my house organized and for me part of that includes getting into a regular routine of straightening, maintenance and yes… cleaning. So before I show you the before pictures of my range and microwave remember I’m trying, one foot in front of the other. 🙂 Before cleaning my glass-top range.Yucky, yucky grease and burnt on yuckiness.Before cleaning the inside of my microwave.Tomato splatters everywhere.Easy Baking Soda Scrub and Vinegar Wash Start off with a hot-soapy bucket or bowl of water,and add three dish towels…
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Drink More … Feel Better
It was a rough start to our Christmas Break. The night before the final day of school and my first-grader was thinking of a school field trip in the morning and a class-party in the afternoon. What a fun day it was going to be. He had a rough cough for the past week but I just knew it would go away. Eventually. As we were settling into our bedtime routine that Thursday night *C* lost it. Vomit, vomit, vomit. Gross, gross gross. He spiked a fever and I knew he was down for the count. That cough stayed with him for another week. Cough medicine didn’t touch it and I was…
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#79 of 101 Ways to Thank a Veteran: Send a Christmas Card
Have you read 101 Ways to Thank a Veteran? They were written with Veterans Day in mind but many for all year round. 79. Remember Veterans during other holidays, especially those without family. Send a Thanksgiving card, Christmas card or Valentines card, to either a Vet that you know or through a VA Hospital or VFW.– http://www.militaryavenue.com/ways_to_thank_veteran Last night after dinner, we cleared the dishes, did our usual cleanup routine and then I pulled out the craft supplies. Glitter, paint, glue, markers, stock-paper and oh so much more Time to make Christmas Cards for a special Veteran in my life, my Grandfather (and Grandmother). They are far from family, not…
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Cyberspace – The Bears and Packers? The offense and defense from the LandWarNet conference – DoD Roundtable
The use of computers, smart phones, satellite tv, cable, networks, wifi, email, Facebook, Twitter, immediate communications, long distance communications ++ has become so routine we expect them to be available. When we wake up and find our wifi or other electronics not working it is not a good start to the day. Imagine losing these capabilities when we have a cyber attack? Last week I had the privilege to speak with two electronic engineers who have compared cyber war to a football game. US Cyber Command Logo It was a great conversation but a bit over the head of this non geek. Yes, I remember taking a carburetor apart on…
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Those First Day of School Anxieties
I will never forget my first day of 4th grade at a brand new school. We had PCSed from Reese AFB, Lubbock, Texas to Scott AFB, Illinois and once again I was the new kid. I am not sure when exactly Spelling class was that day and I can’t remember the teacher’s name anymore but there I sat at my new desk, amongst all new faces and I started to cry. I was dying. So overwhelmed. So embarrassed. Unacknowledged. Feeling friendless. It was an awful feeling. I can take myself back to that moment instantly and have empathy for /any/ student that is starting a new school. I even remind my own boys to take the time to…
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Swim Lessons: Two Year Later
There are a few things I have done in motherhood that are questionable. As an example, cutting my then 9-months old hair by myself. Disastrous. Thinking I could travel across state-lines, 200+ miles, as a new mom with a six-week old. Excruciating. Attempting to convince my boys that they should like asparagus because it makes your pee stink. Bad choice of reasons. But this weekend I was reminded of one of the best things I have done for my boys in their eight and six years of existence. Swim Lessons. When hubs was in Iraq with the Army National Guard we used our free membership at the YMCA and the boys hopped in the pool every Saturday morning. …
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Oxygen Mask
A quiet but BOOMING voice reminded me throughout this past week. “Leanne, put on your oxygen mask, then help those around you.” It has been a tough week. BabyBoy, diagnosed with an ear infection two weeks ago, was so incredibly crabby. Refusing to nurse, refusing to be put down, refusing to be happy. “Leanne, put on your oxygen mask.” BabyBoy and I headed to the pediatrician Monday afternoon. My happy go lucky boy had taken on a completely different personality and I was at wit’s end. His ears were beautiful according to the doctor. So she took a peek in his mouth. Then I saw it. Ulcers /every where/. Wow. I…
