tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1363412238411484542024-03-18T22:58:04.029-05:00Nourish Create BloomKathiannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13458159184113916430noreply@blogger.comBlogger154125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136341223841148454.post-47320183338242385972021-03-21T15:40:00.006-05:002021-03-22T10:52:40.314-05:00Final Blog Post On Blogger<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiozmm0W_yDBXE85GU02ASatbYWmWZuoWp_hWLad_uEG_fKzoFouabSQyk8rb0Lif_wh_zw6F7eqMXb74kajRnHtqlfAvNXwiXc70_gpVNd1ZbxM83mI0BW8kuGasTKT-hLJiddMw1fBqsd/s2048/NCB-Website-Share-01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiozmm0W_yDBXE85GU02ASatbYWmWZuoWp_hWLad_uEG_fKzoFouabSQyk8rb0Lif_wh_zw6F7eqMXb74kajRnHtqlfAvNXwiXc70_gpVNd1ZbxM83mI0BW8kuGasTKT-hLJiddMw1fBqsd/w400-h400/NCB-Website-Share-01.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Dear Reader,</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">This will be the final blog post on this platform. Don't be sad, it's all good! Nourish Create Bloom has moved to a beautiful new home. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm cordially inviting you to check out the new digs. But please note: if you'd like to continue getting inspiration sent to your inbox, you will need to </span><b style="font-family: arial;">visit the new site</b><span style="font-family: arial;"> <b>and sign up</b>. And while you are there, check out the blog post that I wrote just for you. đ</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="http://www.NourishCreateBloom.com">www.NourishCreateBloom.com</a></span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: arial;">As always, I'm incredibly grateful for your readership and support. I look forward to our new beginning and hope you'll join me there!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">With Lots of Gratitude, </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Kathianne</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p>Kathiannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13458159184113916430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136341223841148454.post-50044938832612881012021-02-10T19:37:00.002-06:002021-02-11T00:42:19.326-06:00For Well-Being and Happiness, Focus on Self-Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz36GiaNJmD6BqnQpPm8xvjTCyTQA4X-iMkE5JWh7ifrpJ60BXMJSsbFZLuUJ8hjDdC4_B3MnuC77ziyXeS8uT53gSRGSSezEFACvREyAFrjXkcJ6I1eVeZfQCiYiZXXv0g7nWSyy3wbLN/s2048/IMG_8852.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz36GiaNJmD6BqnQpPm8xvjTCyTQA4X-iMkE5JWh7ifrpJ60BXMJSsbFZLuUJ8hjDdC4_B3MnuC77ziyXeS8uT53gSRGSSezEFACvREyAFrjXkcJ6I1eVeZfQCiYiZXXv0g7nWSyy3wbLN/w400-h300/IMG_8852.heic" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Valentine's Day is almost here! This year I hope you give kindness and compassion to someone worthy of your attention. You.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Science is clear that </span><b style="font-family: arial;">self-love and self-care are critical to well-being and happiness</b><span style="font-family: arial;">. People who value themselves are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors, have better health, and higher satisfaction in relationships. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">One study, published in <i>Clinical Psychological Science</i>, showed people who focused on self-compassion had lower heart rates and sweat responses compared to those with critical thoughts about themselves. Study author, Dr. Hans Kirschner, explained the results, "These findings suggest that being kind to oneself switches off the threat response and puts the body in a state of safety and relaxation that is important for regeneration and healing." </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Despite the many benefits, I've discovered two common beliefs that hold women back from practicing self-love and self-care:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Belief #1. Self-care is selfish. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">My response: You become better in all of your roles and relationships when you are healthy and happy. In addition, you model the importance of physical and mental self-care to your loved ones. Win-win!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Belief #2. If I accept and love myself and my current body, I will become complacent and won't be motivated to make changes.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">My response: 28</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> years of education and experience have shown me the the opposite! Shame and an "I-hate-my-body" attitude do not motivate positive change and instead reinforce negative behaviors. </span></p><div><span style="font-family: arial;">So what does self-love and self-care look like? Well, it does NOT look like dieting, deprivation, or counting calories or grams! That's not love! Instead, it looks like:</span></div><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Valuing your well-being and happiness.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Setting healthy boundaries with others. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Talking to yourself with kindness and compassion.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Caring for your here-and-now body with respect.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Listening to your body's signals (like hunger and satiety). </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Eating nourishing foods <i>and</i> eating foods that bring you pleasure.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Getting adequate rest and sleep.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Frequent joyful movement.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Forgiving yourself for past mistakes.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Managing your stress in healthy ways.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Surrounding yourself with people who lift you higher.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Spending time in nature.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Participating in activities that bring you joy.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Living your values and speaking your truth.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Acknowledging that self-love is a journey.</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: arial;">This Valentine's Day and beyond, please give yourself some love! </span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">đđđ</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>I h</b></span><b style="font-family: arial;">elp women move beyond dieting and overwhelm, toward their passions and purpose. </b><span style="font-family: arial;">E</span><span style="font-family: arial;">mail me at kathianne.williams(at)gmail.com, to learn more. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">C</span><span style="font-family: arial;">lients who start before t</span><span style="font-family: arial;">he new <i>Nourish.Create.Bloom.</i> website launches on April 1st will receive a discount.</span></div>Kathiannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13458159184113916430noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136341223841148454.post-2627977914051292202020-11-12T12:24:00.002-06:002020-11-12T12:55:08.224-06:00Moe Challenges, Moe Love<p><span style="font-family: arial;">Last week was a stressful week for many in the country. We had a bit more chaos in our home for another reason: we added another family member. Meet Moe.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirfddzMw_JpRVoD2XY55BF-vCKkMHteYhgw7ljdgc5dY6_skLyxcY88mlM6Vu_IeXPsfr0j-nVNTV-yxWN1Y7m9Iu-BXm5MV2ZF9WwpAdklr7nzcKaDzQYzbtJHcyQIRhLI5nPUEKRfzoG/s2048/00723966-FACA-43F3-83E4-61464DAA06F4_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirfddzMw_JpRVoD2XY55BF-vCKkMHteYhgw7ljdgc5dY6_skLyxcY88mlM6Vu_IeXPsfr0j-nVNTV-yxWN1Y7m9Iu-BXm5MV2ZF9WwpAdklr7nzcKaDzQYzbtJHcyQIRhLI5nPUEKRfzoG/s320/00723966-FACA-43F3-83E4-61464DAA06F4_1_201_a.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Moe had a rough life before landing in our home two days after the election. He was found alone in a field in Lubbock, Texas with puncture wounds from a wild animal or large dog on his hind legs and neck. The shelter where he was taken does not provide medical care, so they put out an APB to rescue organizations. <a href="https://doodlerockrescue.org" target="_blank">Doodle Rock Rescue</a> answered the call, had him flown to Dallas, and provided him with medical care and a foster home. After two weeks, he was too active to stay in the first foster home, so he moved to a second. And two weeks after that, he moved in with us. ⥠His forever family.⥠He fit right in with our crew and now plays all day with our 4 year-old golden doodle and sleeps with our 9 year-old daughter at night. </span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWL3UW2ofpEQLaoVTibq8r-HXshnWhMMw0e6TnP4Hmn1jUWlqmhgDCvuPH-zCL_y4hTEnf2XQsQtYD1pJAvQQUxOmOdjZnBsMJFmz6g0Sopmtb7rBP4M17h3Y5kyibVqdqc1s1aT2U2XZa/s4032/IMG_7699.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWL3UW2ofpEQLaoVTibq8r-HXshnWhMMw0e6TnP4Hmn1jUWlqmhgDCvuPH-zCL_y4hTEnf2XQsQtYD1pJAvQQUxOmOdjZnBsMJFmz6g0Sopmtb7rBP4M17h3Y5kyibVqdqc1s1aT2U2XZa/s320/IMG_7699.HEIC" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Moe is a resilient little bugger. His life changed so much in just one month, and he is taking it all in (tiny dog) stride. His journey has me reflecting on the following:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Even when we are at our lowest point- wounded, alone, and afraid- a life-changing blessing might be in our near future. And it will be <a href="https://nourishcreatebloom.blogspot.com/2011/01/worth-wait.html" target="_blank">worth the wait.</a></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">This Fred Rogers' quote, "</span><i style="font-family: arial;">When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.' " </i><span style="font-family: arial;">Moe had a lot of helpers over the past month. A lot of people that gave of their time, money, and love so one little 13 pound dog could have a happy life. I'm so grateful to them all.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">We won't always know the outcome of our efforts. But we put in the effort anyway with the hopes of a positive outcome. I'm certain the person who scooped Moe up in that field, could not have predicted that in a few short weeks, this dog would be a pampered pooch several hundred miles away.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Be present. Don't dwell on the past or worry about the future. Be present! (This one is such a challenge for me. I had a reminder <a href="https://nourishcreatebloom.blogspot.com/2009/05/tattoos-and-spiritual-lessons.html" target="_blank">tattooed on my wrist</a>. In hindsight, I needed it on my forehead.)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Family are the people who love you. (Now we have three <a href="https://nourishcreatebloom.blogspot.com/2011/05/happy-miracle-day.html" target="_blank">adopted </a>children- one with 2 legs and two with four.) All three came to us in their own way and in their own time. With each one, we felt it was meant to be.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Sh*t happens. And when it does, hopefully it's on the hardwood and not the new rug.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">And finally, our scars are reminders of how much we've overcome. Moe's many scars remind us he is one BADASS little doggie! </span></li></ul><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZMSbl3aGMSpXT8X6j3GplP9DoqxrwQzVi3Z7afl5a2tRJOW_b6I_1WBIbB33M1HIudv83AwOaNGr3u-iC-ogMkeRu-DeglFn_N-G6WyHJQ9cysAyD1KUbpcy7wqQpUMglZx52-LzejiZM/s2048/DD277E1C-FA06-4AEA-A753-7D1C80DE228B_1_201_a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1573" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZMSbl3aGMSpXT8X6j3GplP9DoqxrwQzVi3Z7afl5a2tRJOW_b6I_1WBIbB33M1HIudv83AwOaNGr3u-iC-ogMkeRu-DeglFn_N-G6WyHJQ9cysAyD1KUbpcy7wqQpUMglZx52-LzejiZM/s320/DD277E1C-FA06-4AEA-A753-7D1C80DE228B_1_201_a.jpeg" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I hope Moe's story inspires you today. Remember, you are stronger than you think, Dear Reader. </span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Feel free to leave a message of resilience, hope, or faith below. Someone might need to hear your words of wisdom today. </span></div>Kathiannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13458159184113916430noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136341223841148454.post-3609962564142575562020-10-26T12:00:00.004-05:002020-10-27T10:02:39.893-05:00Healthy Living: My WebMD Debut<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxNKPNMLsoxeUN80CRtHUWAcMvDHX_sQZYD8P-BNm9jNL3XeYMmXL3CD-I5aQBuCPZSngpHihhWJghxbZYPKrzD4ZFR1996g4To3_inw-5gNx_0_osBiFycpytpYO_2mo0VljhvTNgPhot/s1364/IMG_20190514_193839.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="842" data-original-width="1364" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxNKPNMLsoxeUN80CRtHUWAcMvDHX_sQZYD8P-BNm9jNL3XeYMmXL3CD-I5aQBuCPZSngpHihhWJghxbZYPKrzD4ZFR1996g4To3_inw-5gNx_0_osBiFycpytpYO_2mo0VljhvTNgPhot/w383-h237/IMG_20190514_193839.jpg" width="383" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Happiness, connection, time outside, and enjoyable <br />movement are all important parts of healthy living.<br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by Brian H. Williams</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Earlier this year, I was disheartened to find my debut WebMD article (I was not the author but was cited as an expert), was replaced on their site. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">It was a highlight of my career at the time when WebMD interviewed me. Twice! And although I did the interview at least three years after my wedding, I remember when I read the article I was thinking, <i>Who is this Williams</i>? đ </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Luckily, I was able to easily find multiple pilfered copies of the article by googling my name plus WebMD. Since my previous links will no longer work, I copied the original version and pasted it below. I'm not sure of the exact date the article was written, but it's between 2008-2010, when I was living in Atlanta. It's all still relevant* and encompasses many aspects of well-being. You can find my insights in steps 1, 3, 4, and 5. Enjoy!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">*Note: If I were the author of this article, I would not include "Gauge Your Girth" in Step 1. I'll write a blog post about my reasoning in the near future and link it back here. </span></p><div class="page_content_wrap" style="border: 0px; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><article class="post_item_single post_type_post post_format_ post-603 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-health category-tips" id="post-603" style="border: 0px; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><div class="post_header entry-header" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 2.1em; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><h3 class="post_title entry-title" style="border: 0px; color: #42464e; letter-spacing: -0.6px; line-height: 1.3em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: -0.2em; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Healthy Living: 8 Steps To Take Today</span></h3><div class="post_meta" style="border: 0px; color: #42464e; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: -0.1px; margin-top: 0.4em; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">By Miranda Hitti, WebMD</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-style: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></b></div><div class="post_meta" style="border: 0px; color: #42464e; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: -0.1px; margin-top: 0.4em; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-style: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div><div class="post_meta" style="border: 0px; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: -0.1px; margin-top: 0.4em; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-style: inherit;">Healthy living is within your reach, starting today. Sure, healthy living is a long-term commitment, not a flash-in-the-pan fad. But there are steps you can take right now that will make today healthier than yesterday and pave the way for healthy living tomorrow, too.</span></div></div><div class="post_content entry-content" itemprop="mainEntityOfPage" style="border: 0px; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 0em; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Hereâs your checklist of practical healthy living tips that are ready to go. Letâs get started.</span></p><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 0em; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="color: #42464e; font-style: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.7px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Healthy Living Step No. 1: Take stock.</b></span></span></p><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 0em; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Your first step toward healthy living is to get a handle on your health status right now. Hereâs your to-do list:</span></p><ul style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 0em; outline: 0px; padding-left: 1.5em; word-wrap: break-word;" type="disc"><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: disc; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Make appointments with your doctor and dentist.</b> Catch up on your routine screening and <a data-crosslink-type="article" data-metrics-link="" href="https://www.webmd.com/vaccines/default.htm" style="border: 0px; color: #42464e; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">immunizations</a>, and take the opportunity to <a data-metrics-link="" href="https://www.webmd.com/prostate-cancer/making-the-most-of-your-appointment" style="border: 0px; color: #42464e; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">ask your doctor</a> any questions you might have.</span></li><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: disc; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Gauge your girth.</b> Measure your height and weight to check your BMI, and measure your waist circumference to see if youâre overweight and if your waistline is putting your health at risk.</span></li><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: disc; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Assess your activity.</b> How much <a data-crosslink-type="article" data-metrics-link="" href="https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/default.htm" style="border: 0px; color: #42464e; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">physical activity</a> do you get in a typical week? How intense is that activity? How much variety do you get in your activity, and how much do you enjoy it? The CDC recommends that adults get at least two and a half hours per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or one hour and 15 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, plus muscle-strengthening activities at least two days per week.</span></li><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: disc; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Keep a food diary.</b> Write down everything you eat for a day â and no fair skipping the items youâre embarrassed about. âThe idea is to write it down ⌠without judgment,â says Kathianne Sellers Williams, MEd, RD, LD, a nutritionist, wellness coach, and personal trainer in Atlanta. âYou canât change what youâre not aware of or donât acknowledge.â</span></li><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: disc; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Check your mood and energy.</b> Healthy living includes emotional wellness and adequate rest. How has your mood been lately? Are you experiencing any symptoms of depression or <a data-crosslink-type="article" data-metrics-link="" href="https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/default.htm" style="border: 0px; color: #42464e; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">anxiety</a>? Do you usually <a data-crosslink-type="article" data-metrics-link="" href="https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/default.htm" style="border: 0px; color: #42464e; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">sleep</a> well for seven to eight hours a night?</span></li><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: disc; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Consider your social network.</b> How strong are your connections with family and friends? Are you plugged in with social or spiritual groups that enrich your life? âPeople have a fundamental need for positive and lasting <a data-crosslink-type="article" data-metrics-link="" href="https://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/default.htm" style="border: 0px; color: #42464e; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">relationships</a>,â C. Nathan DeWall, assistant professor of <a data-crosslink-type="article" data-metrics-link="" href="https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/guide-to-psychiatry-and-counseling" style="border: 0px; color: #42464e; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">psychology</a> at the University of Kentucky, tells WebMD.</span></li></ul><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 0em; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;">If youâre not thrilled with the answers to some of those questions, remember that the point is to figure out where you are today so you can set your healthy living goals. Itâs not about being âgoodâ or âbad,â ârightâ or âwrong.â</span></p><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 0em; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="color: #42464e; font-style: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.7px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Healthy Living Step No. 2: Put out fires.</b></span></span></p><section style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 0em; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;">If you know that you have chronic health problems, whether itâs <span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;">heart disease, diabetes, </span>depression, arthritis, or other conditions, treatment is an obvious priority for healthy living. The same goes for risky behaviors, such as smoking, and addictions of any kind.</span></span></p><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 0em; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Addressing these issues typically isnât a do-it-yourself task. Partner with your doctor. Make the phone call today to schedule that appointment. </span></p><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 0em; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="color: #42464e; font-style: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.7px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Healthy Living Step No. 3: Move more.</b></span></span></p></section><section style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><ul style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 0em; outline: 0px; padding-left: 1.5em; word-wrap: break-word;" type="disc"><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Make it fun.</b> Go on a hike, walk with friends, take a bellydancing or karate class, or whatever you enjoy. âThereâs no need to stick to <a data-crosslink-type="article" data-metrics-link="" href="https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/cardio-workouts-to-try" style="border: 0px; color: #42464e; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">cardio</a>equipment in the gym if youâre dreading it and you donât like it,â Williams says. âFind something thatâs fun.â</span></li><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Keep track of it.</b> Make a note of your physical activity in your date book or calendar. âPut big Xs on the days that you exercise,â Williams says. âKeep a visual record that you look at frequentlyâ as a reminder and motivator.</span></li><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Set a weekly goal for activity.</b> To build your confidence, âmake the first goal so easy that you say, âI know I can do that,'â Williams suggests. She recommends weekly goals because if you set a daily goal and miss a day, you might get discouraged; weekly goals give you more day-to-day flexibility. And at the end of the week, reward yourself with a visual reminder of your accomplishment, such as buying flowers for yourself.</span></li><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Work activity into your day.</b> âTen percent of something is better than 100% of nothing. So even if you have 10 minutes, itâs better than zero minutes,â Williams says. She suggests taking a 10-minute walk before lunch or walking up and down the stairs when youâre feeling drained and tired.</span></li></ul><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 0em; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Other ideas include wearing a pedometer to track how many steps you take per day (health experts recommend shooting for 10,000 steps per day) and working with a personal trainer (double up with a friend to lower the cost) to create an exercise routine.</span></p><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 0em; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="color: #42464e; font-style: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.7px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Healthy Living Step No. 4: Upgrade your diet.</b></span></span></p><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 0em; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Williams, a nutritionist for a dozen years, says her diet advice isnât about eating certain foods and avoiding others as much as it is about awareness and choices. Here are her pointers:</span></p><ul style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 0em; outline: 0px; padding-left: 1.5em; word-wrap: break-word;" type="disc"><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Replace âI shouldâ with âI choose.â</b> So instead of âI should be eating more <a data-crosslink-type="slideshow" data-metrics-link="" href="https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/ss/slideshow-exotic-fruits" style="border: 0px; color: #42464e; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">fruits and vegetables</a>,â itâs âI choose to eat more <a data-crosslink-type="slideshow" data-metrics-link="" href="https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/ss/slideshow-fun-facts-fruits-vegetables" style="border: 0px; color: #42464e; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">fruits and vegetables</a>â or âI choose not to,â because itâs more powerful language,â Williams says. âIt shows that youâre in control, youâre making the choice. So if you choose to or you choose not to, you make the choice and you move on.â</span></li><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Skip the guilt.</b> âUsually, whenever someone feels guilty about something, it feeds right back to the behavior that theyâre trying to get rid of,â Williams says. âSo if someone is an emotional eater and they say, âI know I shouldnât be doing this,â it implies more guilt and judgment on themselves, they feel worse, and then they end up eating to comfort themselves.â</span></li><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Choose to plan.</b> Stock your pantry with healthy fare and bring healthy snacks with you so youâre prepared when you get <a data-crosslink-type="article" data-metrics-link="" href="https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/top-10-ways-to-deal-with-hunger" style="border: 0px; color: #42464e; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">hungry</a>. âWhen weâre really <a data-crosslink-type="tools" data-metrics-link="" href="https://fit.webmd.com/kids/food/rmq/rm-quiz-hunger-what-is-it" style="border: 0px; color: #42464e; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">hungry</a>, our physiology kicks in and thatâs when weâre craving the hamburger and fries; weâre not craving a salad,â Williams says.</span></li><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Slow down and savor your food.</b> Donât watch TV, work, or drive while youâre eating. âA lot of people tell me, âMy problem is that I really like food,â but I think thatâs a really good thing,â Williams says. âIf you really enjoy food, sit down and enjoy your meal. Youâre much more likely to feel psychologically satisfied if you donât multitask while youâre eating.â</span></li><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Shoot for five to nine daily servings of varied <a data-crosslink-type="video" data-metrics-link="" href="https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/video/video-powerhouse-fruits-and-veggies" style="border: 0px; color: #42464e; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">fruits and vegetables</a>.</b> Cover the rainbow of fruit and vegetable colors to get a good mix of <a data-crosslink-type="article" data-metrics-link="" href="https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/tc/major-nutrients-in-food-topic-overview" style="border: 0px; color: #42464e; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">nutrients</a>. âIf youâre not getting the rainbow, youâre probably not getting all the <a data-crosslink-type="slideshow" data-metrics-link="" href="https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/lifestyle-guide-11/slideshow-missing-nutrients" style="border: 0px; color: #42464e; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">nutrients</a> that you need,â Williams says.</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="color: #42464e; font-style: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.7px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Healthy Living Step No. 5: Manage stress.</b></span></span></section><section style="border: 0px; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="color: #42464e; font-family: arial; font-size: large; font-style: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(66, 70, 78); letter-spacing: -0.699999988079071px;"><b><br /></b></span></span><ul style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 0em; outline: 0px; padding-left: 1.5em; word-wrap: break-word;" type="disc"><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Routine maintenance:</b> Develop positive coping skills, such as <a data-crosslink-type="article" data-metrics-link="" href="https://www.webmd.com/balance/meditation" style="border: 0px; color: #42464e; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">meditation</a> and visualization, and look for activities, such as <a data-crosslink-type="article" data-metrics-link="" href="https://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/the-health-benefits-of-yoga" style="border: 0px; color: #42464e; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">yoga</a> or exercise, to keep your baseline stress level in check.</span></li><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Breakthrough stress:</b> Find ways to handle stressful situations that flare up without warning. For instance, Williams says that after a stressful meeting at work, you might run up and down the stairs a few times to burn off anger, or retreat to a bathroom stall to take a few deep breaths and refocus.</span></li><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">C</strong><b>heck your perspective.</b> Ask yourself, âWill this matter to me a year from now?â If not, why are you getting so wound up?</span></li><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Volunteer.</b> Helping to meet other peoplesâ needs may make your own problems seem smaller.</span></li><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Keep a gratitude journal.</b> Write down the positive people, events, and things that youâre thankful for. âIt really switches the focus to, âWow, look how much I have,â Williams says. âMost stress is caused by wishing things were different than they are now.â</span></li><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Breathe.</b> One of the breathing exercises that Williams recommends is to count your breaths for a minute, and then try to cut that number of breaths in half for the next minute.</span></li></ul><span style="color: #42464e; font-family: arial; font-style: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.7px;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Healthy Living Step No. 6: Sleep better.</span></b></span></section><section style="border: 0px; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="color: #42464e; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(66, 70, 78); letter-spacing: -0.699999988079071px;"><br /></span></span><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 0em; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;">If you have trouble sleeping, try these tips from sleep medicine specialist Lisa Shives, MD, medical director of Northshore Sleep Medicine in Evanston, Ill.</span></p><ul style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 0em; outline: 0px; padding-left: 1.5em; word-wrap: break-word;" type="disc"><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>No TV or computer two hours before <a data-crosslink-type="article" data-metrics-link="" href="https://www.webmd.com/parenting/childs-bedtime" style="border: 0px; color: #42464e; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">bedtime</a>.</b> Itâs not just because the TV and computer are stimulating; itâs also because of their light. âWeâre very sensitive to the cue that light gives you that itâs time to be up and about,â Shives says. She recommends light, calming reading lit by a lamp that doesnât shine directly into your <a data-crosslink-type="article" data-metrics-link="" href="https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/picture-of-the-eyes" style="border: 0px; color: #42464e; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">eyes</a>.</span></li><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>No heavy exercise close to <a data-crosslink-type="slideshow" data-metrics-link="" href="https://www.webmd.com/parenting/raising-fit-kids/recharge/slideshow-make-bedtime-easier" style="border: 0px; color: #42464e; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">bedtime</a>.</b> Light <a data-crosslink-type="article" data-metrics-link="" href="https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/how-to-stretch" style="border: 0px; color: #42464e; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">stretching</a> is OK, but vigorous activity will heat up your bodyâs core temperature, which makes it harder to sleep. âIf youâre working up a sweat, youâre working too hard right before bed,â Shives says.</span></li><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Take a hot bath.</b> That will heat up your core <a data-crosslink-type="article" data-metrics-link="" href="https://www.webmd.com/first-aid/body-temperature" style="border: 0px; color: #42464e; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">body temperature</a>, but when you get out of the bath, your core temperature will fall, which may help you get to sleep. Plus, the bath ârelaxes you mentally,â Shives says. She adds that having a hot, noncaffeinated drink, such as chamomile tea, may also help.</span></li><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Set a regular sleep schedule.</b> When Shives treats <a data-crosslink-type="article" data-metrics-link="" href="https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/insomnia-symptoms-and-causes" style="border: 0px; color: #42464e; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">insomnia</a> patients, she tells them that although they canât make themselves fall asleep, they can make themselves get up at a certain time the next morning. And though they may be tired at first, if they donât nap, they may start sleeping better during the following nights. âWeâre going to get nowhere if they take big naps during the day and keep a very erratic sleep schedule; itâs chaos then,â Shives says.</span></li><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Donât count on weekend catch-up sleep.</b> If you have chronic sleep problems, you probably canât make up for that on the weekends. But if you generally sleep well and have a rough week, go ahead and sleep in on the weekend. âI actually think thatâs good for the body,â Shives says.</span></li><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Donât ignore chronic sleep problems. â</b>Donât let sleep troubles linger for months or years. Get to a sleep specialist earlier rather than later, before bad habits set in,â Shives says.</span></li><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Prioritize good sleep.</b> âThis is as important as <a data-crosslink-type="article" data-metrics-link="" href="https://www.webmd.com/diet/default.htm" style="border: 0px; color: #42464e; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">diet and exercise</a>,â Shives says. She says that in our society, âwe disdain sleep, we admire energy and hard work and [have] this notion that sleep is just something that gets in the way.â</span></li></ul><b><span style="color: #42464e; font-family: arial; font-style: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.7px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Healthy Living Step No. 7: Improve your relationships.</span></span></b></section><section style="border: 0px; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><b><span style="color: #42464e; font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; font-style: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.7px;"><br /></span></b></section><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 0em; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Healthy living isnât just about your personal habits for, say, diet and activity. Itâs also about your connections with other people â your social network.</span></p><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 0em; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;">DeWall, the University of Kentucky social psychologist, offers these tips for broadening your social network:</span></p><ul style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 0em; outline: 0px; padding-left: 1.5em; word-wrap: break-word;" type="disc"><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: disc; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Look for people like you.</b> The details of their lives donât have to match yours, but look for a similar level of openness. âWhat really is important in terms of promoting relationship well-being is that you share a similar level of comfort in getting close to people,â DeWall says. For instance, he says that someone who needs a lot of reassurance might not find the best relationship with someone whoâs more standoffish. âFeel people out in terms of, âDoes this person seem like me in terms of wanting to be close to other people?'â DeWall suggests.</span></li><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: disc; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Spend time with people.</b> âThereâs this emphasis in our culture that you need to be very independent â an army of one, you can get along on your own,â DeWall says. âMost people donât know their neighbors as much as they did 50 or 60 years ago.â</span></li><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: disc; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Build both virtual and face-to-face <a data-crosslink-type="tools" data-metrics-link="" href="https://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/rm-quiz-sex-fact-fiction" style="border: 0px; color: #42464e; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">relationships</a>.</b> DeWall isnât against having online connections to other people. âBut I think long term, having all of your <a data-crosslink-type="tools" data-metrics-link="" href="https://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/bhc-healthy-sex-life/default.htm" style="border: 0px; color: #42464e; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">relationships</a> online or virtual ⌠would probably be something that wouldnât be as beneficial as having a mixâ of having virtual and in-person relationships.</span></li><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: disc; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>If a close relationship is painful, get help.</b> âSome of my work and some work that other people are doing suggest that ⌠when you feel rejected by someone, that your body actually registers it as pain. So if Iâm in a relationship thatâs really causing me a lot of pain, then we need to do something, we need to go and seek help,â DeWall says.</span></li></ul><b><span style="color: #42464e; font-family: arial; font-style: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.7px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Healthy Living Step No. 8: Challenge your mind.</span></span></b></div><div class="post_content entry-content" itemprop="mainEntityOfPage" style="border: 0px; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="color: #42464e; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(66, 70, 78); letter-spacing: -0.699999988079071px;"><b><br /></b></span></span><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 0em; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Participating in mentally stimulating activities, especially activities that involve other people, may be good for the brain.</span></p><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 0em; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Thereâs no downside to including brain-challenging activities as part of your healthy living, unless âyou spent $400 on some computer program that makes all sorts of wild claims about brain health,â says David Knopman, MD, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.</span></p><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 0em; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Knopman explains that brain fitness is influenced by many factors, including education and opportunities for mentally stimulating activities starting in childhood, and also by the presence or absence of depression, diabetes, smoking, high blood pressure, and other risks.</span></p><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 0em; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Observational studies have shown that people who engage in mentally stimulating activities may be less likely to develop dementia. But Knopman notes that such studies donât prove cause and effect, so itâs not clear if mentally stimulating activities protect against dementia or whether people with healthier brains are drawn to those activities in the first place.</span></p><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 0em; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;">That said, Knopman says, âI think that socially engaging activities are particularly important, and thatâs why Iâm somewhat skeptical about the various commercial entities that seek to sell computer games to stimulate the brain. ⌠If thatâs done to the exclusion of socially engaging activity, itâs probably counterproductive.â</span></p><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 0em; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;">*****</span></p><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 0em; outline: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-style: inherit;">Article originally posted at https://www.webmd.com/balance/features/healthy-living-8-steps-to-take-today#1</span></p></div></article></div>Kathiannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13458159184113916430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136341223841148454.post-82019914244118776512020-10-22T14:16:00.002-05:002020-10-22T14:16:19.890-05:00Remembering to Take Baby Steps<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI4N17xQgyFu8CpbOuR4M0GNEWTifbj5DNRcXAMAef2cYdI8gvC99QGpgjoEzQpVt1_lFDyQRbatyINX2XpchGVoA9NiFqmcKBpaw8f9ot3t_nYVTBv8ISh_vHzwLurqASsTcmLvh_Zqu6/s2048/IMG_3286.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI4N17xQgyFu8CpbOuR4M0GNEWTifbj5DNRcXAMAef2cYdI8gvC99QGpgjoEzQpVt1_lFDyQRbatyINX2XpchGVoA9NiFqmcKBpaw8f9ot3t_nYVTBv8ISh_vHzwLurqASsTcmLvh_Zqu6/s320/IMG_3286.jpg" /></a></div><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;">I have a lot of ideas/plans/goals swirling around in my head lately. So many in my head, competing for time and attention and leaving me feeling overwhelmed. Then my urge is to retreat; to take a nap, walk Disco, or create some art. These are usually great activities for my well-being, but don't really serve me much when I use them as an escape (verses a quick recharge.)</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">One of my goals has been to update this blog. And to return to writing and sharing my voice/insight/knowledge/self. So this</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> morning I spent at least 90 frustrating minutes trying to get my fancy new logo to work on here. But it's been so long since I've written, that I forgot a lot of the Blogger functionality. And even then it's not really an intuitive system. I started feeling overwhelm. Retreat was tapping on my shoulder. But just then, the thought came into my head that I should just write a small post. Just get started somewhere. Take a baby step towards my goal.</span><div><br /></div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">And that is when I remembered this post, <a href="https://nourishcreatebloom.blogspot.com/2012/01/baby-steps-to-big-changes.html" target="_blank">Taking Baby Steps to Big Changes</a>, that I wrote so many years ago. I reread it and felt impressed with that 8-year-ago version of myself. Sometimes I wonder where she (and her wisdom and moxie) went. But deep down, I know she's still in here somewhere. I have faith that I'll find her again. And that I'll eventually get that fancy-dancy logo on here. I just need to remember to keep moving forward. And keep taking baby steps.</span></div></div></div></div>Kathiannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13458159184113916430noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136341223841148454.post-12503527287317260052017-07-12T20:46:00.001-05:002017-11-06T17:00:38.633-06:00Nourishing Beauty<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHTPdKpK_HLcIWajGkmzLVsysJNbat0btIUVuAhP8DyCXVU8OsaT9DjS6zD1TPme1UsMY4llLqJQOw_PmnMmGCADXgGSu7rh0i9BLiEPBReY4s6mdRS8vuGMV8iq0F9A171-Nq0V5nai53/s1600/IMG_8790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="347" data-original-width="321" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHTPdKpK_HLcIWajGkmzLVsysJNbat0btIUVuAhP8DyCXVU8OsaT9DjS6zD1TPme1UsMY4llLqJQOw_PmnMmGCADXgGSu7rh0i9BLiEPBReY4s6mdRS8vuGMV8iq0F9A171-Nq0V5nai53/s200/IMG_8790.JPG" width="185" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With Emily in 2011</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As a dietitian and health educator, I know how important it is to nourish ourselves with whole foods. That includes limiting our intake of pesticides (especially from the Environmental Working Group's <a href="https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/index.php">Dirty Dozen</a>) and other dubious âingredientsâ like BPA from food packaging. I know quite a few health-conscious mamas who focus on putting healthy foods in their families mouths and end up covering them in toxins anyway. All summer long we slather ourselves and our children in sunscreen to protect them from harmful UV rays while inadvertently exposing them to harmful chemicals. And itâs not just sunscreens, itâs other hair and skin care products as well. Even some specifically advertised as formulated for children. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Did you know your skin is like a second mouth? In fact, a debatable percentage of what you put onto your skin gets absorbed into your body. Donât believe me? Think about medicines that are delivered via skin patches. In addition, people inhale powders and sprays and orally ingest products that are applied to lips and hands. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-0cca687a-376d-0ba7-9f68-4f798f993fce" style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This topic is not my area of expertise, so Iâm introducing you to someone who knows a lot more about this topic. NCB readers, meet Emily Toledo, my crafty soul sister, tribes-woman, and one of my childâs Godmothers (thatâs how much I love and trust her!) Emily has spent countless hours researching and has become a passionate advocate for women and children in the process. On her journey, she joined the company, Beautycounter, so she could spread the word and help others. Beautycounter also helps nourish her own sweet family by providing income so she can be home with her littles.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRT1cRKcBNyzGlk14gE1DXOpy0uHoSoQ8R5M01aZQeAgpaWEp-WTCz1yE7kWbN7NMreve6Yg31kQ8zXr8CUHFROJj2clKE30xZbsMYRV-sOrERIzoVkb_NDQ_Co0hcJH7yAXmihuucZoYa/s1600/03EE7526-390E-45E7-BE40-43D684FDFE91.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="662" data-original-width="452" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRT1cRKcBNyzGlk14gE1DXOpy0uHoSoQ8R5M01aZQeAgpaWEp-WTCz1yE7kWbN7NMreve6Yg31kQ8zXr8CUHFROJj2clKE30xZbsMYRV-sOrERIzoVkb_NDQ_Co0hcJH7yAXmihuucZoYa/s320/03EE7526-390E-45E7-BE40-43D684FDFE91.JPG" width="218" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Emily Toledo</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here is my interview with Emily:</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">KSW: Hi Dear Emily! Iâm excited to introduce you and your mission for safer beauty to my NCB readers. Can you tell us why you felt drawn to this cause and how got involved with Beautycounter?</span></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ET: When our son was 2 years old, he had a severe allergic reaction to a very well known brand (childrenâs formula) of sunscreen. I rushed him to the pediatrician who reassured me that it was just an allergic reaction, quickly told me that children are particularly vulnerable to what we put on their skin, and advised me to just buy a different brand. At the time, I was buying organic food, shopping at the local farmers market, making my own cleaning products, had reduced our use of plastic in the house, etc. I thought I was ahead of the game! Yet, I had never considered what ingredients were in the products I was using on myself and on my family. The experience served as a Pandoraâs Box moment for me and was my catalyst for discovering Beautycounter. That was 2 ½ years ago and educating people on this issue of ingredient safety and empowering them to make safer choices has become my absolute passion. </span></blockquote>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">KSW: Iâve seen you post some pretty crazy/ scary #s about the lack of regulation in the United States vs. Europe. Can you tell my readers a few of these?</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ET: Sadly, the United States lags behind other countries in terms of consumer protection. While </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the European Union restricts nearly 1,400 ingredients from use in products, the United States restricts only 30</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. The last time a major federal law was passed regulating the personal care and cosmetics industry was 1938. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Since then, more than 80,000 chemicals have been introduced into commerce. Approximately, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">12,000</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> of those </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">chemicals are used in the personal care industry and only 10% have been tested for safety.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Of the chemicals we actually DO have data on, many of them have proven links to human health issues such as contact dermatitis, endocrine disruption, and cancer. </span></span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-MCXIC-g45oYwOG_zIszsSJXVfEep6s0MW6xqERU6Qp3VER5WUsdGKISbjvitZVhGscD7P-RPOeLxrRBYhH8RWZmdzhEhRTjKHQB4UcqD0YuHhL45lACES9N9XEqy0uaFeHsStuaytNng/s1600/62+billion+dollar+industry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-MCXIC-g45oYwOG_zIszsSJXVfEep6s0MW6xqERU6Qp3VER5WUsdGKISbjvitZVhGscD7P-RPOeLxrRBYhH8RWZmdzhEhRTjKHQB4UcqD0YuHhL45lACES9N9XEqy0uaFeHsStuaytNng/s320/62+billion+dollar+industry.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is perfectly legal for a company to manufacture and sell a product without disclosing that it contains ingredients known to be harmful for human health. Several major brands actually have safer formulas sold in Europe that are not sold in the U.S. Even worse, due to major loopholes in federal law, cosmetics can be labeled âall-naturalâ and âorganicâ without containing ingredients that accurately meet those descriptions. In fact, products certified as "organic" can contain as little as 10% total organic ingredients. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tricking consumers into thinking they are getting a safe product with a clever marketing campaign is so common that it has its own term - âgreenwashingâ - and itâs rampant in the personal care and cosmetics industry. </span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline;">KSW: Tell us about Beautycounter's current efforts for stricter legislation.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline;">ET: </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Our advocacy work is what truly sets Beautycounter apart from any other brand. We are not only creating safer products and being a part of the solution, but weâre also fighting for legislative change so that one day, all products will be held to the same standard of safety. In 2015 for example, we partnered with the Oregon Environmental Council and were instrumental in helping pass the Toxic Free Kids Act. We are currently working with several other states (California and Hawaii, to name a few) to help draft similar laws to ensure safer products in the marketplace. </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">You can join the fight too! Text "better beauty" to 52886 and follow the prompts to urge your senator to pass more health protective laws. </span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline;">KSW: How can people follow you (on FB, Pinterest, etc) to get more information and get updates?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline;">ET: I love sharing updates on the industry, announcing new products when they launch and discussing strategies for healthy living, in general. My Facebook and Instagram accounts celebrate this! </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">You can find me online:</span></span></blockquote>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline;">Facebook: </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/EmilyToledoforBeautycounter/?ref=group_header" style="text-decoration: none;">Better Beauty & Better Health with Emily Toledo</a></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Instagram: </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">@better_living_with_ectoledo </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Contact me directly at </span><a href="mailto:emilytoledo.bc@gmail.com" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline;">emilytoledo.bc@gmail.com</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Learn more about the Beautycounter brand and collection of products here: www.beautycounter.com/emilytoledo</span></li>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">KSW: Is there anything else you would like to tell NCB readers?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ET: It doesnât matter if a company claims to be âsafe", âpureâ or ânaturalâ. In such an unregulated industry, words like that have little meaning. You need to be your own advocate and read the ingredients. A helpful tool for consumers is <a href="http://www.ewg.org/apps/">Environmental Working Group's âHealthy Livingâ app</a>. Itâs available (and FREE) on iPhone and Android. You can use the camera on your phone to scan the barcode of products in your home (or before buying them in the store) to see how they rank in terms of safety.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I want to introduce everyone to <a href="http://bit.ly/1GmPkPU">Beautycounterâs "Never List"</a>. These are the ingredients that will never be used in the products. Ever. Many are cancer causing agents, skin irritants, or are endocrine disruptors. Even if youâre not ready to make changes to your personal care & cosmetics regimen, I encourage you to compare the Never List with the ingredients in your products. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Knowledge is power! </b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline;">I also want you to know that you can make your own products as well. I use olive and almond oil on my skin, and have put these and essential oils into coarse sugar to make a sugar scrub. These are functional and fun to make, but they donât have the amazing scent of BC oils and feel heavier and greasier than the BC products. I tend to rebel against recipes (I cook, make art, and make body scrubs by throwing things together and hoping for the best- which amazingly works out most of the time) but you may want to find body care recipes online if that is your schtick. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Environmental Working Group <a href="http://www.ewg.org/">www.ewg.org</a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Campaign for Safe Cosmetics <a href="http://www.safecosmetics.org/">www.safecosmetics.org</a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">*Check out the <a href="http://www.safecosmetics.org/get-the-facts/chemicals-of-concern/red-list/">Red Lists</a> of concerning chemicals found in cosmetics and other body care products</span></div>
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Kathiannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13458159184113916430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136341223841148454.post-4860558610336484512017-02-23T22:01:00.000-06:002017-02-23T22:05:26.815-06:00A Shout Out to My Favorite Black Person<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Today I'm giving a shout out to to <b>my favorite black person. </b>(Although in my opinion, he's more of a chocolate brown.) <a href="http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Medical-Perspective-on-Black-History_Dallas-414594463.html">Click here for a segment</a> that </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dallas News 5 aired today on Brian and the history of black men in medicine.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>It's such a gift</b> for me to be able to watch these brief videos. Brian and I have been together since <a href="http://nourishcreatebloom.blogspot.com/2009/07/independence-day.html">July 4, 2001</a> (the first week of his surgical residency!) and up until last year, I hadn't ever seen him doing his "surgical thing." He works A LOT (when we first started dating he was working 120+ hours a week sometimes and no, that is not a typo or an exaggeration.) I've seen his various offices over the years, but I never saw him in the operating room or scrubbing in. To the people at the hospital, he is a big deal trauma surgeon. But to me, (for many years although not recently,) he was my husband who was never home. And that was especially hard when our daughter arrived two months after we moved across the country for his job and I was sans family support or my tribe. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now, this next part is sort of embarassing, but I'll tell you anyway dear reader. Prior to last year's <i><a href="http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/newsroom/video/bmwc-brian.html">Black Men White Coats</a></i> video, I would occasionally watch <i>Trauma: Life in the ER, </i>just so I could just get a sense of what his life was like in those many hours at work. I wanted to better understand him and the demands of his career. And I confess, I would watch the trauma surgeon on the tv show and think: <i>Wow! It is so sexy how that guy is taking command of such a chaotic situation and is literally making life-or-death decisions while his hands are inside someone's guts. </i></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It allowed me to be more tolerant of his absences. It also helped to think about all the people he is helping everyday- not just patients but the underrepresented minority youths who see him and know that being a surgeon (even while being a first generation college graduate!) could be possible for them too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> So, here I am. SHOUTING. </span></div>
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Kathiannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13458159184113916430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136341223841148454.post-33722211179138406462017-02-16T11:28:00.000-06:002017-02-16T11:28:02.120-06:00Love Looks Like a Glitter Lava Lamp<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Apparently all the red and pink in the stores this week inspired me to blog again. Twice in one week. Whoop, whoop! <i>You go me.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Actually, the real inspiration came when my husband, Brian, gifted me with freedom. He took our daughter to school and took Disco to "the doggy spa." </span><span style="font-family: "arial", "helvetica", sans-serif;">So I was totally free for 6 divine, uninterupted hours. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial", "helvetica", sans-serif;">And the whole time I was creating/writing/learning, I </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">gazed at this lovely thing:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Brian gave it to me that morning for Valentine's Day. I could say that he got it for me because he knows me so well. But that's not completely true. Really it's because the last time I was visiting my BFF in Arizona, we saw <b><span style="font-size: large;">this glorious, glittery, glowing thing</span></b> and I asked her to text Brian right away and tell him to get me this. Since it's screaming, "KATHIANNE!" in big sparkly letters, I'm sure he would have bought it for me had he seen it on his own. But since he had to go to 4(!!!!) Target stores without success and then ended up buying this one online from Amazon, I'm guessing he would not have found it and I would not have it and thus you would not be reading this blog post right now. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The morals to this glitter lava lamp love story?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1. Don't be afraid to ask for exactly what you want.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2. Enlist your BFF for assistance in gift-buying. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">3. Love is a verb. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">4. Persistance pays off.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">5. Money cannot buy happiness. But it can buy a glitter lava lamp and for me that's pretty darn close.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Everytime I see this magnificent expression of his love, đ</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I will think of how he went to great efforts to find it for me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">đThat's love with sparkles. đ</span></div>
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Kathiannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13458159184113916430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136341223841148454.post-2234770506491375952017-02-14T11:33:00.001-06:002017-02-14T11:35:48.995-06:00Go Spread Love <div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My Dear Readers,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm sending you </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>love</b></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Texas-sized, sparkly love</span>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">From my home to yours.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's LOVE Week! It's LOVE month! </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Even if you don't have a "Special Lady" or "Special Mister," it's no matter. Surely there is someone (ANYONE) who you love and someone who loves you. This is a great time to send them a đ text, a card via snail mail with glitter in the envelope (it's not too late, it's never too late), a đ posted on their Facebook page, or an extra long hug. You might even consider leaving a comment on a blog post (hint,hint.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 arial\22 " , "\22 helvetica\22 " , sans-serif;">Send love to people (and animals) who really need a reminder that they matter: refugees, foster children, sick kids, the impoverished or homeless, injured veterans, abandoned animals, lonely old folks, and grieving families to name a few. Give a smile, money, hugs, prayers, your time, your gently used clothes and homegoods, and/or notes that say you care. Pick up garbage that you didn't leave to love our verdant planet. Practice self-care (NOURISH yourself with dark chocolate, blackberries, green tea, long walks, and bubble baths. Or gratitude-journal writing, time being creative, and 15 minutes sitting in silence so you can hear your soul.) Love yourself and then love others from your overflow! </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And who doesn't love this bunny who is obviously the life of the fiesta?</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "\22 arial\22 " , "\22 helvetica\22 " , sans-serif;">This world needs more love! So be a love spreader! Spread love like heart-shaped confetti blowing in a 55 mph wind gust. (Biodegradable confetti, of course, because we also love Mother Earth.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Please keep me posted on ways that you are spreading love this month! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>âŁâŁâŁđâ˘â˘â˘</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">PS: If you have little ones at home, try this craft with them. It's super easy and fun.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>I-Spy Sticker Cards</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I save all of the stickers we accumulate (lots of $1 sticker packs from Target, it might be a problem) in a bin and then whip out the bin for projects like this. Just take a notecard and stick, stick, stick away. It's great for fine motor development.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We (and by we, I mean me because God gave me a daughter who is perfect as he made her except that can only sit to do craft projects for 3-8 minutes at a time) made these for some of our little friends that live far away. On the back I wrote: <i>We made you an I-Spy! Can you find.....a strawberry, a squirrel, a teeny skull, and....... What else can you find? </i>I sent the cards in envelopes to keep the stickers from falling off in the mail. A sealant like Mod-Podge would also protect them if you are more inclined to send postcards.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Go spread love Dear Readers!</span></div>
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Kathiannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13458159184113916430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136341223841148454.post-76562529230789867992016-11-10T22:05:00.000-06:002017-02-14T09:28:08.146-06:00Why I Am Hurting After this Election<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Before President-Elect Trump, her future seemed brighter.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lik</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">e many Americans, I've been hurting big time since the election results came in. First I was in shock- my country wouldn't do this (elect a man who was endorsed by the KKK, bragged about sexually assulting women, etc., etc., etc.) Then I was sad, so incredibly sad.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the last two days, I've had several facebook conversations with Trump voters- some that I know and some I do not- because I sincerely wanted to understand what they were thinking. Maybe if I understood, I thought, my suffering would be less. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anger is a secondary emotion. Hurt almost always lies underneath the anger. Trump insulted veterans, women, Muslims, immigrants, people of color, people of size, and disabled people. He didn't offer apologies. He instigated hate at his rallies. His call to "Make America Great Again" in and of itself insulted minorities. What time period was he referring to? American history has not been kind to anyone except white men. The "good old days" were not great for women or minorities. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Each vote for Trump FEELS like a validation of all those hateful comments. And that hurts. Big time. I'm not hurt by him, I had already written him off as a narcissist incapable of empathy. Rather, I am hurt that 50% of the people in this already great country validated the hate he peddled. The people who "held their noses" or overlooked his hate and voted for him anyway. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Today I had lunch with two sweet friends after yoga. We made small talk and one asked how I was doing. I said I wasn't doing well and that I was really hurt by this election. The talk turned to how people were rioting and wasn't that terrible? </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Why can't the people who voted for Hillary accept it and move on?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It <i>is</i> terrible. It's terrible because hate cannot be conquered by hate. It's terrible because the Trump people will now just write off all protestors as "crazy liberals" who are violent and hypocritical and sore losers. It's terrible because it's not ok to destroy property and hurt people because you are angry. But I said that I understood their anger. I don't condone it but I understand it. People are HURTING. People are scared. People feel they are not seen. People feel they do not matter. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One friend said this is why she didn't talk politics. I could tell I was making her uncomfortable. The topic of conversation was changed to her child now in middle school and yadayadayada. I couldn't hear a word. I felt unheard. I felt my hurt was being dismissed. I couldn't eat my lunch. I started to sob. I said "how are we going to heal as a country if we can't even have these discussions with friends?" I said I didn't want to have friends that only talked about things on a superficial level and who didn't try to understand why I was hurting. They said they weren't taking the elections personally. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And BING BING BING- there was the source of my pain. I <i>was</i> taking it personally. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I thought we were making steady progress and that my daughter would not have to endure the blatant racism my husband had endured. I am a mama bear and I am hurt <i>beyond words </i>that <a href="http://nourishcreatebloom.blogspot.com/2011/01/worth-wait.html">my beautiful and long-awaited child</a> is not valued in our society as much as their white children. <b>Literally.</b> The fees for her adoption were less <i>because she was part black</i>. They are lowest for full black children. The waiting time for black children is significantly shorter. And STILL black baby boys are being shipped overseas because they aren't all being adopted here. Why are some people pro-baby when it comes to unborn children but not pro-baby for the ones that are already born? How can someone be staunchly anti-abortion but then not adopt? Where do they think those babies go? Why are the unborn babies seen and valued when babies (and people) of color aren't? What about the suffering right in front of our eyes? How can a vote for a serial cheater (of women and small businesses) and a documented liar who now says he is pro-life in order to get elected be the vote of the conservative Christians? What is Christian about his statements and his actions? Who really wants to claim his "values" as their own?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of my lunch friends was not familiar with <a href="http://nourishcreatebloom.blogspot.com/2016/07/accidental-activists-part-1.html">my husband's recent press coverage</a>. I told her of his role in the Dallas Police shootings and his comments to the media. How he has experienced racism his whole life. How he condems violence but understands the fear of police because he experiences it. He lives it. I told her how he has had patients coming into the hospital literally dying on a stretcher who said they didn't want a black man to be their doctor. (And he was the only trauma surgeon there!) I cannot fathom having so much hate for a group of people that you are willing to DIE rather than have one SAVE YOUR LIFE. And can you imagine how that must feel to be so despised? Just because of your skin pigment? And a lot of white people that I know honestly believe that racism doesn't really exist anymore because they don't see it or experience it. I will tell you I myself was naive about a lot of it until I witnessed it. And I had a very reasonable fear that a white supremacist was going to come to our house and shoot us because my husband spoke out. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our country has a long and complicated history with "all men were created equal." For many, many years, "all men" meant white men and not people of color or women. So, my fellow Americans, do you REALLY believe that ALL MEN (AND WOMEN) ARE CREATED EQUAL? And if we truly believe that, why do black babies cost less? They were created the same way (physically and spiritually.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thank you for reading along this far. I am grateful that you are trying to hear me. What I ask now, is for you to be still. Trump does not appear to be capable of empathy. Are you? Can you put yourself in the "other's" (pun intended) shoes? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How would you FEEL if your precious son was killed serving his country? Then your ultimate sacrifice was belittled by the man running for president? And that man was validated by being elected president? (Trump is now going to be commander-in-chief. How are people of color, women, other religions, etc currently serving in the military going to feel about giving their lives for the country that elected him and ignored them? Why would </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">minorities join the military now after he (and our country) insulted them?)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How would you FEEL if your daughter was sexually assaulted? Then a man who boasts about sexual assault was validated by being elected president? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How would you FEEL if you were unseen, unheard, and unvalidated? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tonight I told a black friend that my husband wasn't as upset by this election as I was. We realized it was because he has felt marginalized by this country his whole life. But for me, this election was a slap in the face. Because I believed things were getting better. I believed the future was brighter for my precious, priceless, miracle daughter. And I'm grieving that the America I believed in said with their votes that her future may now not be as bright as their white childrens' future. <i>For me, it's personal.</i> My black friend told me that she was proud to be an American but that her America wasn't proud of her. It broke my heart. Because to many Americans, that is their truth. And I don't want that to be the truth for my daughter. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As I typed this, she ran into our kitchen in her Elsa pajama top and Wonder Woman underwear full of giggles and joy and love and light. "Mama!!! Put that down and come with me! We are having a tickle fight. Do you want to tickle me?" And my heart breaks because I see her innocence and I know it will soon be shattered by the hateful messages that were just validated. I feel the injustice of this election. I am hurt. I grieve. Trump does not deserve to be <a href="http://nourishcreatebloom.blogspot.com/2013/01/four-years-ago-today.html">her president. </a></span>Kathiannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13458159184113916430noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136341223841148454.post-81644140391222623412016-08-24T11:41:00.001-05:002016-08-24T12:18:31.597-05:00Reflections on Becoming Unexpected Activists (Or Our Life went Crazy Pants) <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6lPSPZ25D97nJeYeqRkX_eZEssV_NHlL_MM7y8DT2_fWXqFTklEuDzmdzpFVOEcIKpB7rXt73-7uAmeYStUJWAtd_rVmkcTewp8zAX3-gk2pZtQxlOfRkFmlHgdsyN7MFLUgepQWDDpGn/s1600/6109-loudmouth-2014.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6lPSPZ25D97nJeYeqRkX_eZEssV_NHlL_MM7y8DT2_fWXqFTklEuDzmdzpFVOEcIKpB7rXt73-7uAmeYStUJWAtd_rVmkcTewp8zAX3-gk2pZtQxlOfRkFmlHgdsyN7MFLUgepQWDDpGn/s400/6109-loudmouth-2014.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <a href="http://www.loudmouthgolf.com/">Photo Source</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here's what I learned when my husband opened his mouth, <a href="http://nourishcreatebloom.blogspot.com/2016/07/accidental-activists-part-2_20.html">cried on international TV,</a> and our life went crazy pants:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1. You really NEVER know what is coming next in life. Good or bad. Control is an illusion. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2. Pack a basic black dress you can wear twice OR pack a second dress. (See number 1.) You just never know what is coming next. Like, <a href="http://nourishcreatebloom.blogspot.com/2016/08/that-day-we-met-president-unexpected.html">that time we were asked to meet the President</a> <i>the very next day </i>and I only had packed one dress- that I was already wearing that night. On T.V.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">3. Be present on the journey. Whatever you are experiencing will likely end soon, so hold on tight and enjoy the ride. (Or throw your arms in the air and scream like hell.) Maybe take notes and take pictures. But be sure to FEEL the wind in your hair and your stomach dropping on the downhill. It's <a href="http://nourishcreatebloom.blogspot.com/2009/05/tattoos-and-spiritual-lessons.html">a challenge to be present</a>- I'm a work in progress on this one. But I'm committed to the practice and I've gotten somewhat better through the years.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">4. Don't read the comments. (I did not do well with this one, I admit.) It amazes me how people watch the same video yet receive messages that are polar opposites. It's a bit scary, actually. But as <a href="http://brenebrown.com/">BrenĂŠ Brown</a> says, the bystanders' opinions don't matter. The only opinions that matter are the ones in the arena. Frankly, I think when people automatically assume the worst of someone, it reflects more on the judger than the judgee. (I'm pretty sure I made those words up. And I'm going to keep them in here anyway.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">5. Don't be afraid to DARE GREATLY. Brian and I read BrenĂŠ Brown's book, <i>Daring Greatly </i>as our own little book club. Brian feels it was life-changing. (And therefore it's life-changing for me too, as my life changed/changes when his does.) Brian only moved people at that press conference because he was courageous enough to be vulnerable. He showed emotion and people FELT that. Vulnerability leads to connection. (If only he had shown emotion the first 14 years we were together...but hey, that leads me to the next point.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">6. Live for the now and believe in the future. Breathe, believe, receive. GREAT things are coming your way. (And excuse me now- I'm going to get a bit spiritual and use the G word) God's plans for you are SO MUCH BIGGER than you can possibly imagine. He will use your pain for good. He will take a man who hadn't cried for 35 years, break him open, and then have him cry on international TV. He took a man who very rarely spoke about race with anyone, who was incredibly private, who turned down press interviews in the past and gave him the courage to <b>Be the Change</b>. I'm telling you- if a year-and-a-half ago you would have told me my husband was going to cry (just cry!) I would have laughed IN YOUR FACE. I used to tell him that I could die and he still probably wouldn't cry. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here are a few links from some of my favorite interviews from that time:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.npr.org/2016/07/15/486208755/dallas-trauma-surgeon-reflects-on-irony-of-treating-wounded-police-officers">Dallas Trauma Surgeon Reflects on Irony of Treating Wounded Police Officers</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With Ari Shapiro on NPR All Things Considered, July 15, 2016 (5 min 40 sec)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/14/opinion/a-history-of-white-delusion.html?_r=0">A History of White Delusion</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nicolas Kristof, The New York Times, July 14, 2016</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/headlines/20160715-parkland-doctors-candid-words-resonated-with-black-professionals.ece">Parkland Doctor's Candid Words Resonated with Black Professionals</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Maria Halkias, The Dallas Morning News, July 15th, 2016</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p042smy5">Surgeon Who Tried to Save Dallas Cops</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">BBC World Service, August 4, 2016 (50 min.)</span><br />
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Kathiannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13458159184113916430noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136341223841148454.post-89187739008667560582016-08-15T13:34:00.000-05:002016-08-15T13:39:19.496-05:00You Only Have to Bloom. <div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I found this quote today and wrote it in my art journal (along with a little doodle). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Something inside me was pushing to post it on here too. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, who else besides me needed to hear this message today?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Transformation doesn't ask that you stop being you. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It demands that you find a way back to the authenticity and strength</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">that's already inside of you. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You only have to bloom.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-Cheryl Strayed</span></div>
Kathiannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13458159184113916430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136341223841148454.post-13302911247638078892016-08-11T00:00:00.001-05:002016-08-11T00:00:47.703-05:00That Day We Met the President (Unexpected Activists- Part 5)<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here it is. The post you have been waiting for. (Is anyone still out there reading this? Bueller, Bueller?) I know, I know. It's part FIVE. (In my defense, I don't like long blog posts. Reading them OR writing them. So I apologize in advance that this one is a bit long. Part 6 just seemed like toooooo much.) You've made it all the way from <a href="http://nourishcreatebloom.blogspot.com/2016/07/accidental-activists-part-1.html">Part 1</a> through <a href="http://nourishcreatebloom.blogspot.com/2016/08/accidental-activists-part-4.html">Part 4</a>. And now we're ready to meet the President of the United States of America.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thursday July 14, 2016</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We woke up early that morning after only a few hours of sleep. Brian and I packed and got dressed and we then attempted to wake Beni. Normally, she is up at the crack of dawn and trying to pull me out of bed. But I swear, whenever we HAVE to be somewhere, she sleeps in. After some coaxing, and a reminder that she got to wear her new sparkly dress, sparkly shoes, and sparkly accessories, she allowed Brian to dress her while she laid there. He even brushed her teeth with in-bed service. We left the room sometime after 6:30am and grabbed a cab to Penn Station. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 arial\22 " , "\22 helvetica\22 " , sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">At the train station, we found a Dunkin Donuts (I've missed you, DD coffee) and grabbed some coffee nirvana for me and some munchkins for the munchkin. And us too, of course! Public transportation, I've missed you too. Although, I realize it's easy to miss you because right now it's not cold, raining, and something I HAVE to do. Every. Single. Day. But it was incredible to be back on the East Coast and experiencing the hustle and bustle of a "real" city. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: '"\\\\\\\\22 arial\\\\\\\\22 "', '"\\\\\\\\22 helvetica\\\\\\\\22 "', sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">After arriving at the DC train station, we headed to a hotel near the ABC taping venue. Brian's hospital had sent a communications expert (thanks Mike!) to provide him with guidance about what he could and could not say (nothing about legislation since B was a state of TX employee.) We had lunch, freshened up in Mike's room, and all left in a rush to make it to the venue. </span></div>
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Arriving at the DC train station</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Once at the venue, we waited outside while the Secret Service swept the theater for security. We entered through metal detectors and they did a quick search of my purse and Beni's koala backpack. It was loaded with activities that would hopefully keep her entertained while Brian and I were at the taping. Once inside, we waited for quite a while longer. I sent this update to my Facebook friends. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">And then, without any warning (for a last minute potty break), Brian and I were ushered to our seats. I called out to Mike, "Take good care of our precious treasure!" Brian was seated in the front row and I was seated directly behind him. David Muir came in and talked to us for a while, and then THE PRESIDENT walked in. I'm trying not to use the word "surreal" too much, but that's the overwhelming feeling that filled me. </span></div>
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That's Brian's big head there on the left. </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">After two-hours, David Muir said- this is the last question- and it was over. Brian was disappointed he did not get to ask his question. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Then the President went around the room to shake hands. Brian got a quick handshake. Everyone had a few seconds with POTUS as he walked around the circular room. Brian urged me to move from my second row seat and move into his path so I could meet him. I tried to maneuver into his path but the Secret Service agents were human obstacles. </span></div>
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Brian chatting with David Muir, ABC newscaster</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">And then, there he was. The President of the United States was looking right at me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Me: (grabbing his hand) It is such an honor to meet you, Mr. President. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Obama: Thank you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Then there was a pause. I assumed he would keep moving on to the next person, so I didn't say anything else. But he didn't move on! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Obama: So, what is your name?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Me: (very animated) I'm Kathianne Williams. My husband, Brian Williams, (I gestured to Brian behind me. B had strategically placed himself to get a photo of me with the POTUS.) was the surgeon who took care of the policemen that were shot in Dallas. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Obama: (to Brian) Oh hey man! (shaking B's hand and then grabbing B's tie) Yeah, he dresses like a surgeon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">And then, miraculously, there was another pause. I had NOT planned anything to say. I wasn't even sure I would get to meet the President. So, I don't know WHERE this came from, because I am usually kicking myself later for not saying something "better." But I opened my mouth, and this came out of nowhere:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Me: (grabbing his hand and pulling Obama even closer) I just want to tell you, that when you were ignaugurated, I wrote a letter to my biracial daughter. I wrote to her that I was so happy that she would never know a world in which only white men were president. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Obama: Thank you. Please tell her I said hello. She must be what? Eight years old now?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Me: No, five.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">And then he moved on to the next person. I hope he put it together that I wasn't confused on my timeline; it was just that I wrote the letter to my daughter <i>before she was even born</i>. Because I had to do <a href="http://nourishcreatebloom.blogspot.com/2011/05/happy-miracle-day.html">A LOT of waiting for her</a>, remember? And do you remember the blog post I wrote several years ago about <a href="http://nourishcreatebloom.blogspot.com/2013/01/four-years-ago-today.html">my letter to Beni on his inauguration</a>? (Please follow the link and read that one.) Looking back now, it all feels magical. I wrote the letter to her in January of 2009, published the blog post in January of 2013, and then met the President and told him about it in July 2016. It was a full-circle moment. A moment when everything seems to fall into place and the Universe is in order. </span></div>
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Can you tell from this photo that I am squeezing his hand kind of hard? </div>
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I was holding his one hand with two of mine at one point. Ha! </div>
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Brian said that the President wasn't going anywhere with my grip. </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Meanwhile, Brian was saying to me, "I thought I had to be quick to take the photo, but you were talking to him forever! After a while, I just held the button down and took a burst of photos." Sadly, we didn't get a photo of Brian with the President, and he didn't really get to say much to him. He's still a bit bummed about that. Frankly, I am just amazed at myself that I thought on my feet and took advantage of the moment. Yippee!!! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">We then collected Beni from Mike (she was alive and happy and had eaten a lot of candy and played with the young relatives of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Eric_Garner">Eric Garner</a>). It was a rush to get back to his hotel for our bags, then into a car for a long drive to BWI airport. Then it was a long flight back to Dallas. We landed at Love Field, but our car was at DFW (from the NYC flight) so we had to take a car service back to DFW. Then drive home from there. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">All in all, it was a VERY looooong day. So long, in fact, that the memories we made will last a lifetime.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Please stay tuned for 2 more posts. One is a final reflection on the events from my point of view. The other is an interview of Brian H. Williams, MD. He was interviewed by Don Lemon of CNN, Ari Shapiro of NPR, and Gayle King of CBS, but he has not faced the toughest interviewer yet! Kathianne Williams of Nourish.Create.Bloom!!! Feel free to write any questions you might have for Brian in the comments below. </span></div>
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Kathiannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13458159184113916430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136341223841148454.post-22625467849692772932016-08-01T22:31:00.000-05:002016-08-01T22:31:47.321-05:00Accidental Activists- Part 4<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thanks for following along so far up to <a href="http://nourishcreatebloom.blogspot.com/2016/07/unexpected-activists-part-3.html">Part 3</a>. It's not long now until we meet the POTUS!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On Wednesday afternoon, we arrived in New York City. That night we were invited to be in the audience of <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/13/us/town-hall-police-minority-communities/">CNN's Black, White, and Blue: America 2016</a>- town hall on a nation divided. Brian was invited by the moderator himself, Don Lemon, and was going to ask a question. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Photo taken from inside the cab</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A car service (complete with carseat) picked us up at La Guardia. I felt like a VIP. *smile* Our hotel was located directly across from Central Park and a few blocks from the Time Warner Building. For some miraculous reason, our room was upgraded to a suite (that was larger than the apartment we'd had for 6 years in Boston.) By the time we checked in, we had 2 and 1/2 hours until the babysitter arrived to walk to the mall, find clothes for tomorrow, and be back at the hotel. We had only packed for 24 hours (and NOT for meeting the President.) Frankly, it was the best excuse I'd ever had to buy a new dress. It seems like it would be exciting, right? We were speed shopping. After a cross country flight. With a travel-weary 5-year-old. (That last part takes the glamour right out of it.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Beni was the big winner and ended up with two adorable and sparkly dresses, coordinating sweaters (one with sequins), along with a pair of black sparkly sneakers and two glittery headbands (one with cat ears, one with a crown. <i>Of course.</i>) Brian got a new suit, 2 shirts, 2 ties, socks, and had the suit tailored for him within 30 minutes. There was 30 minutes left for me to find something. (We mamas often only get "the last 30 minutes" for ourselves.) I got... a pink cashmere cardigan to wear over the dress I'd already had to change the look. Unfortunately, I was unable to find a dress suitable to meet THE POTUS. Fortunately the dress I'd brought was black and not very memorable. And I'm certain no one but me was very concerned with my appearance. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After a sweaty speed walk back to the hotel, I ordered Beni a $30 kids meal (of which she only ate 3 bites). Her meal arrived right after the $35/hr (plus cab fare home) babysitter the hotel concierge arranged for us. (My dear friend, Alexis, was unable to stay with Beni and we didn't have time to ask anyone else we knew in NYC.) I got dressed in less than 10 minutes, gave the sitter, named Honeybee (yes I clarified that), the deets on Beni's bedtime routine, and we were off. To the CNN studio. </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the elevator I looked at Brian and said, "We just left our daughter in the care of someone we'd never met named Honeybee." </b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Life was surreal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At the Time Warner building, we were escorted from the main lobby to the CNN foyer on the 5th floor. When we got off the elevator, about 5-8 men were standing and talking. They all recognized Brian and introduced themselves. At one point, the large flat screen TV in the lobby showed scenes from one of the slain DPD officer's funeral service. Brian had a strong emotional reaction and all the men became silent. He went to the restroom to collect himself. I was/am still not used to seeing this level of emotion from him. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While we were waiting to be taken from the CNN lobby to the studio, Brian was receiving texts from ABC producers about the show the next day in DC. There was a problem getting the Secret Service clearance for our daughter. We didn't have her social security memorized, and hadn't even known about the DC trip until after we landed in NYC. I sent a frantic text and Facebook message to our dear accountant (we love you Dianne Moore in ATL!) requesting her to get it for me if she was able. A few minutes after I sent the text, the ABC producer told Brian that <b>George Stephanopoulis was calling the White House himself to request they clear our daughter </b>even without her social security number.<b> </b>since she was only 5. (Yes. I just said that.) George Stephanpoulis called the White House to discuss OUR CHILD. My dear Readers, I don't think I can express how bizarre it felt to be living this. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQrLLx-eipuu_g1se7t4YyxvQih9u8ltNbWyuXKL9Epk4PoBFB_O_k-5OY8xhD1lIoToXsb14ay9zbsEDuLzuNM8HwJj7ivkoLuvJbJUqqtUjSM2qhXKZna1Q5zg4fw_obVoVchj5yKG-Z/s1600/unnamed-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQrLLx-eipuu_g1se7t4YyxvQih9u8ltNbWyuXKL9Epk4PoBFB_O_k-5OY8xhD1lIoToXsb14ay9zbsEDuLzuNM8HwJj7ivkoLuvJbJUqqtUjSM2qhXKZna1Q5zg4fw_obVoVchj5yKG-Z/s320/unnamed-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Brian was taken up to the "green room" to have his face powdered. Next to <a href="http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2013/08/30/oprah-opens-up-to-dallas-megafest-crowd/">Bishop TD Jakes</a>. And of course I know who TD Jakes is. <a href="http://nourishcreatebloom.blogspot.com/2009/08/dream-big.html">I watch Oprah</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg797DCsou22OKdCIkka2rAXKKh-JjcvwcxBZaYlq3pWnkV7cws8RvaZiGe5JX7su40FxoQbk8IheAedHG-GbETGcA_W-cctfF3D2ZA1Qf75X0Zo70HpZovp8nliDKsFefRrUpKmN-nBjU8/s1600/unnamed-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg797DCsou22OKdCIkka2rAXKKh-JjcvwcxBZaYlq3pWnkV7cws8RvaZiGe5JX7su40FxoQbk8IheAedHG-GbETGcA_W-cctfF3D2ZA1Qf75X0Zo70HpZovp8nliDKsFefRrUpKmN-nBjU8/s320/unnamed-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Eventually, we were led into the studio. It seemed so much smaller in person than it did on TV. The show was 2 hours and live. Brian was one of the audience members who asked a question. After the show, Don Lemon said to Brian- Hey! You didn't cry on national tv tonight! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was 12:30am by the time we left the Time Warner building. We had 30 minutes to get back to Honeybee (she was great with our daughter, BTW) and Beni. We grabbed Subway (the only quick restaurant we saw open in the next two blocks) and headed back to the hotel. Sadly, we needed to leave the apartment-sized room to catch a 7:30am train to DC. We didn't get to enjoy the suite, Central Park, NYC, or visit with any friends. But we were meeting the President (!!!), and that made up for it all. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Stay tuned for the final installment- meeting the POTUS! </span><br />
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Kathiannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13458159184113916430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136341223841148454.post-24456758168616273672016-07-27T22:34:00.000-05:002016-07-27T22:34:46.573-05:00Accidental Activists- Part 3<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thank you for following along so far on </span><a href="http://nourishcreatebloom.blogspot.com/2016/07/accidental-activists-part-1.html" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Part 1</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://nourishcreatebloom.blogspot.com/2016/07/accidental-activists-part-2_20.html" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Part 2</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> of this journey. Brian and I continue to be touched by your words of encouragement and support. We are so very grateful. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 arial\22 " , "\22 helvetica\22 " , sans-serif;">Tuesday July 12, 2016</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Early Tuesday, Brian was interviewed by Gayle King from CBS This Morning. (</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://twitter.com/CBSThisMorning/status/752839772335251457">Click here</a> to see a 56 second clip of this interview.) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He kept his promise to me and told Ms. King I was the biggest fan of her BFF, Oprah. He then said, "Y'all are welcome at the house anytime for dinner." Ha! She laughed (but I'm serious!) Ms. King did ask for his digits though- and crazier things have happened in this past month- so who knows. As I wrote in Part 2, I'm a renewed believer in miracles. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Brian had several more interviews that morning and attended the Dallas Police Department Memorial Service that afternoon. Below is a photo he texted me from his seat. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Brian has received hundreds (and I do mean hundreds) of emails, calls, texts, and letters from people who were moved by his message. Here is one we received that Tuesday from a neighbor. This one touched us both.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wednesday July 13, 2016</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wednesday morning we headed to DFW airport. CNN was flying us to New York City for <i>Black, White, and Blue, </i>a town hall on race moderated by Don Lemon. Brian was recognized and stopped five times on the way to the restroom near our gate. (Strangers still approach him to thank him for speaking out about his experiences with racism. They offer their prayers and tell them him how his words have impacted them personally.) It was an odd feeling for me (and I'm certain for him) to know that when out in public, people may be looking at us and know who we were. I've always appreciated the anonymity factor that came along with living in a big city. Right before our plane took off, I sent this message to my friends on Facebook:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Brian's phone exploded with texts and emails as soon as we landed in NYC. ABC wanted him to go to Washington, DC the next day for a town hall on race moderated by David Muir. Beni and I were also invited. Since President Obama was going to be present, we needed to let them know asap and provide them with information (including our social security numbers) so the Secret Service could start on our clearance. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Say what!?!?! </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Life was getting more and more surreal by the moment! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Stay tuned for more.....</span></div>
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Kathiannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13458159184113916430noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136341223841148454.post-44054323390854795272016-07-20T22:47:00.002-05:002016-08-14T23:09:57.380-05:00Accidental Activists- Part 2<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On Tuesday, I posted <a href="http://nourishcreatebloom.blogspot.com/2016/07/accidental-activists-part-2_20.html"><span id="goog_594725033"></span>Accidental Activists- Part 1<span id="goog_594725034"></span></a>. Thank you, dear Readers, for your blog comments, Facebook comments and shares, and private messages. Most of all, thank you for your support for Brian and me on this roller coaster journey. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Before I get to part 2, I want you all to know that I have B's permission to share all of this. In fact, he is one of my proofreaders. We both believe God has a hand in all of this and we (B and I) are just the instruments. (To show you how much all this affected him, I'll tell you a secret. He could not verbally articulate a belief in God or a greater power prior to all of this happening.) We feel B's role in these events is bigger than us and our "small" problems. <b>Without seeking it, he was given an incredible platform and a chance to give a voice to the voiceless. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now, here we go with part 2: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Monday, July 11th, 2016</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">9:47 am- I received two texts from Brian (he was at work): </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Can you please call me? </i>And then a minute or so later,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>I am reaching out. I need help.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was just leaving the grocery store but called him back immediately. We talked about how he was feeling and what he was thinking. He mentioned a press conference was scheduled for that afternoon at 1:00pm CST. He was asked to attend. We discussed the possibility of him not doing it because he was feeling very emotional. I told him I thought he had a unique perspective on the Dallas police ambush that no one else in the world had, but that I was also afraid he might "lose it." I wasn't used to him being emotional or him asking me for help. This was all new territory for us. At the end of our call, I encouraged him to try to rest at work, if possible, and to meditate and focus on his breaths.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here is an abbreviated exchange of the texts we sent to each other after our phone conversation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">B: <i>I w</i></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>ill speak from the heart. I will not lose it.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Me: <i>Even if you do lose it and the world comes crumbling down, I will stand by you.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">B: </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Thank you. I'm heading over now.</i> [to the press conference]</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Me: <i>Let me know how it goes. Remember, God put you there </i>[at the hospital on the night of the shooting] <i>for a reason. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">B: [Walking into the press conference.] <i>CNN is here.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Neither of us had ANY clue that the press conference was going to be televised live nationally on CNN, MSNBC, or FOX News. And by the time he sent that last text, I was on my way to the gym (and had not set the DVR.) I was on the elliptical machine but hopped off when I saw him on the TV. I held up my phone <i>Say Anything</i>-style, and recorded his close captioned statements. I tapped the guy next to me who was working out on another elliptical machine. He had to pull out an earphone to hear me. "Hey! That's my husband!" Then I proceeded to wave to all the other people in the cardio room and point at the TV screens with one hand (while still holding up my phone and recording with the other hand). "That's my husband!" I'll bet no one heard my excited yell given they all were wearing earphones, so I'm sure that made me appear somewhat unstable. But I was (and still am) such a proud wife. I'm proud that he courageously spoke his truth and expressed his complex feelings regarding this tragic situation. I know him better than anyone else on this earth, so I know just how difficult it was for him to speak out. I can count on one hand the number of times I have seen him get choked up. B very rarely talks about racial issues with others, he is private (people have said he's an enigma) and he does NOT desire to be in the limelight. He didn't know what he was going to say that day, but he told me he felt his mouth open and the words just came spilling out. This was so out of his comfort zone, I'm telling you all now- <b>this was nothing short of a miracle that we all witnessed televised live on national TV.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My sister texted me that she was watching with her kids and they were "glued to the TV." Apparently, they were as excited to see Uncle Brian on TV as I was. My sister's 6-year-old said it was cool that Uncle Brian was now famous but that it was still very sad. Meanwhile, I was trying to read the closed captioning from two different stations- FOX news was playing on a wall-mounted TV and MSNBC was playing on the elliptical machine I was now only standing on. Sadly, I missed the shout out when he said I was helping him get through this tragedy. But, I'm still grateful he said it! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Brian's text to me after the press conference said it all:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Made my decision out of love, not fear.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZb6b2YZ7lM">press conference</a>, he received numerous print, radio, and TV interview requests. Everyone wanted to talk to him. People came out of the woodwork (in a good way!) and were texting and calling and emailing and Facebook posting that they saw B on TV. I continued with normalcy- picking up our daughter from summer camp and taking her to gymnastics class- but things started to feel surreal. While still at gymnastics, Brian texted that Don Lemon wanted B on his CNN show that night. I got a last minute babysitter (thanks Jennifer!) so I could be there to support him, and we headed to a studio downtown. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Getting ready for the live interview via satellite</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Brian got emotional for the second time (in one day!) on national television.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Click below to see segments of the CNN Don Lemon interview.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2016/07/12/brian-williams-dallas-trauma-surgeon-sot-ctn.cnn/video/playlists/dallas-police-officer-shot/">Dallas Trauma Surgeon: This has to stop </a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2016/07/12/trauma-surgeon-brian-williams-part-1-intv-lemon-ctn.cnn/video/playlists/dallas-police-officer-shot/">Surgeon describes treating Dallas officer Part 1</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2016/07/12/trauma-surgeon-brian-williams-part-2-intv-lemon-ctn.cnn/video/playlists/dallas-police-officer-shot/">Surgeon describes treating Dallas officer Part 2</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When we got home Brian casually mentioned he had more media interviews scheduled early the next morning and one was with Gayle King from CBS. Gayle King, Oprah's BFF! As you all know, to say I am a fan of Oprah is a ginormous understatement. I (not so casually) asked him to <i>please</i> tell Gayle that <a href="http://nourishcreatebloom.blogspot.com/2012/10/my-big-day-with-oprah.html">I am Oprah's biggest supporter.</a> Then we collapsed into bed, wondering just where this roller coaster was headed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Stay posted for more of our extraordinary journey including: NYC and the CNN Town Hall, DC and my conversation with the POTUS, and also- are Gayle and Oprah coming for dinner? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Did Brian's emotional statements impact you in a positive way? Do you feel "the miracle" involved in all of this now that you have some insight from "behind the scenes?" Please let me know your thoughts in the comment section below. </span><br />
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Kathiannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13458159184113916430noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136341223841148454.post-40643049261541054382016-07-18T22:45:00.001-05:002017-02-14T09:28:38.454-06:00Accidental Activists- Part 1<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0px;">Hello my dear, dear Readers! I've been meaning to get back to blogging for sometime now, but apparently it has taken my husband trending on Twitter and me meeting the POTUS for that to happen. Surreal, I know. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0px;">My private, introverted husband is all over the interwebs! And for several days last week, he was on television screens all over the world as well. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Brian and I are both in shock and in awe at the events, the schedule, the serendipity, the context, the impact, the travel, and the significance of the past 10 or so days. On Thursday July 7th, I was just a (somewhat) normal stay-at-home mama. By the following Thursday, I was holding the hand of the President (of the United f-ing States!) and having a conversation with him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">So much has happened that I've put off writing about it out of sheer overwhelm. In order to push past my procrastination and get this posted in a timely manner, I've decided to write about my experiences in stages. Here we go...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Part One</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">On the night of July 7, 2016, several Dallas police officers were gunned down in the street following a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest. My husband, Brian, was the trauma surgeon on call at Parkland Memorial Hospital that night. He cared for seven of the officers and had to tell the families of the loved ones he was unable to save. While this incident was horrific, I was still somewhat surprised by Brian's level of distress. I knew the recent police shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile had been weighing on his mind for several days prior to the police shootings. And I knew he'd had several negative experiences himself with the police. (And of course, I knew he was black.) But we've been together for 15 years, and during that time he's seen a lot of horrendous things in the emergency and operating rooms. Trauma is in his job title. He'd never cried before about his job (heck, he'd never cried the first 14 years I knew him!). I didn't put all the pieces together. And neither did he.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The evening following the police ambush (Friday), we attended a kids disco dance party that we hosted along with another family. The only unusual event was that Lester Holt was going to interview Brian on the NBC Nightly news but B ended up being bumped by Hillary Clinton. On Saturday we went to see <i>The Secret Life of Pets</i> with another family. On Sunday we attended church. The reverend said something along the lines of: Don't be afraid of breaking into pieces. Just choose broken open instead of broken apart. Brian cried. He and I spoke about the irony that he was working that night. He wasn't supposed to be but switched to accommodate a coworker's request. Despite the tragic events that rocked Dallas and our country and Brian's important role in them, our lives were still somewhat normal. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Then Monday happened...</span></div>
<br />Kathiannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13458159184113916430noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136341223841148454.post-33326145349942584962014-09-22T20:29:00.002-05:002014-09-22T20:29:29.993-05:00A Woman to Admire: Kristen RoednerDear Reader, I'm so excited for you to meet <a href="http://www.facebook.com/fireupfork.ro">Kristen Roedner</a>. Can't you just feel the sunshine she radiates from her being?<br />
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Kristen is one of the most <span style="color: red;">LIVE OUT LOUD</span> women I know. We met in Boston, circa 2002ish, through our sorority alumnae group. Delta Delta Delta, y'all!<br />
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Kristen hosts "Spread Sparkle" meetings at her home. It kills me that I live too far away to attend. She's been on me to start my own chapter. I'll keep you posted if I do.<br />
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As I mentioned in <a href="http://www.nourishcreatebloom.blogspot.com/2013/11/oh-my-lucky-star.html">a previous post</a>, she drives a freakin' pink flying pig.<br />
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And there's a rainbow painted on the hood. Of course.<br />
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For the past two years, Beni and I spent the last week of summer break with her and her incredible daughter, Rosa Jane. The notes Kristen taped around her house for RJ made my heart melt. And made me excited to do the same once Beni can read.<br />
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Kristen's home is filled with art, art supplies, and inspiration. I took the below photos last August. Two glittering reindeers and a flying pig Christmas tree are on display year round. Because they make her happy.<br />
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(Side note: I've never met anyone with more colored pencils than me. Her stash blew mine out of the water. I'm pretty sure I'd take her on ribbon and glitter though.)<br />
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But why all the pink flying pigs, you ask? She wrote <a href="http://www.faux-toes.com/blog/2012/03/to-define-a-flying-pig.html">an incredible blog post</a> to explain her obsession. After you read it, you will know why I love her so much.<br />
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Kristen oozes sparkle and inspiration. And you want to know the craziest thing? She says I inspire her.<br />
<br />Kathiannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13458159184113916430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136341223841148454.post-85877066252163104342014-09-01T08:00:00.000-05:002014-09-01T08:44:09.573-05:00Mid-Life Reboot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whoa! Today I'm 40!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today is the first of the month and the very first day of the next year (and decade!) of my life. While I'm grateful that I've made it this far (many are not as lucky), I also have some less than positive feelings about entering this next decade. There's no denying that I'm <i>really</i> middle aged now. And it's bizarre to think that tomorrow I will be closer to 50 than I am to 30. And closer to 60 than I am to 20! It's hard to wrap my head around that one.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I lived the last month in my 30's, I started evaluating my life. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the past few weeks </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've asked myself:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Am I creating the life I desire? (A life that sparkles!)</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do my daily </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">activities reflect my values?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Am I living with intention? With mindfulness?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What life goals am I neglecting?</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Am I nourishing myself physically, spiritually, and emotionally?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Am I nourishing my important relationships?</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Am I the mother/ wife/ sister/ friend/ daughter that I want to be?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Would I be happy with how my close friends and family decribe me?</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By sitting with these questions for several weeks, I've identified areas that need attention. While </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm not in a mid-life crisis, I'm definitely in need of a mid-life reboot.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So for the next 365 days, I'm a woman on a mission. I've set nine <a href="http://nourishcreatebloom.blogspot.com/2012/01/baby-steps-to-big-changes.html">goals</a> for myself (symbolic because</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> my birthday is in September). These goals are realisitic but </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">will be challenging as they will require almost daily attention and/or action.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So here goes! By September 1, 2015, I will... </span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">go on 40 health adventures (I'm thinking of activities along the lines of hiking, rollerskating, and pole dancing classes) </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">prepare 40 home-cooked, healthy, whole food, family meals</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">do 40 meditation sessions (each at least 5 minutes long*)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">fill 40 or more pages in my gratitude journal</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">post 40 blog entries</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">participate in 40 Spanish learning sessions (at least 10 minutes each*)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">work on <a href="http://nourishcreatebloom.blogspot.com/2012/01/too-much-knocking.html">my book</a> 40 times (at least 10 minutes each*)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">go on 40 dates with my hubby (not an easy task with a husband who works insane hours)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">snail mail 40 letters to my friends and loved ones</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">* I will probably go longer than 5-10 minutes. But just knowing I only HAVE to do a few minutes, means it's more likely that I'll get started. It's a goal-setting Jedi mind-trick I'm playing on myself.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I look over this list and think about everything else that is going on in my life, I realize this is an ambitious list of goals. But hey, what better time than now?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wish me luck, Dear Readers. I'll be posting about my progress and counting on you to help keep me accountable. I also welcome fellow goal setters on this journey. Is there something you would like to work on?</span></div>
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Kathiannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13458159184113916430noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136341223841148454.post-72524106408631739102014-02-19T18:55:00.001-06:002014-02-19T18:56:28.403-06:00I've Been Busy<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's been a long while since my last post. I'm still working on balancing time between the demands of motherhood, quality time with my husband, traveling to see family and friends, and my wellness, creative, and personal pursuits (of which blogging is one.) My blog ends up on the bottom of the list. And for some crazy reason, I even feel a bit guilty about my lack of blog posts. But why, I ask myself? No one is paying me to post. And while many people have commented that they enjoy reading my blog, I don't think anyone is anxiously awaiting the next NCB update. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(But if you are, please let me know!) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since I haven't been blogging as much, I'll fill you in on some of my activities for the past few months. I've been focusing on some important things in my daughter's life. Things that are here today, but gone tomorrow. And I've been quite busyâŚ.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">clearing traffic jams,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">attempting potty training,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">pimping my child's ride,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">mastering architecture and castle construction,</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhecQBBexnI2Mt7jLd1for8P3evm9UYzeU7wxXcGQjG5Svfo_T4s8iUk1F4VUYtXujweCmqCk4OfSdA4jkcPGhe9h7zolnRarxLnQn6w2wA9YvnbhV19XcPIsIeE44iyjcniOAMP2HQx8wa/s1600/IMG_5729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhecQBBexnI2Mt7jLd1for8P3evm9UYzeU7wxXcGQjG5Svfo_T4s8iUk1F4VUYtXujweCmqCk4OfSdA4jkcPGhe9h7zolnRarxLnQn6w2wA9YvnbhV19XcPIsIeE44iyjcniOAMP2HQx8wa/s1600/IMG_5729.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(and I'm actually quite proud of these),</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYHhWw9tGRM61rgndiafAgQn8V5mj8ybNj-PMUTgrYDVF9VA1ypT_GsszmVM1XpkE2NELvQMgRVTBIsPnPmsim4jHOEqViKWQwZpvib48qbUxiCCURee0HoQCyyAUieMulF8279Gp1_0gW/s1600/IMG_5651.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYHhWw9tGRM61rgndiafAgQn8V5mj8ybNj-PMUTgrYDVF9VA1ypT_GsszmVM1XpkE2NELvQMgRVTBIsPnPmsim4jHOEqViKWQwZpvib48qbUxiCCURee0HoQCyyAUieMulF8279Gp1_0gW/s1600/IMG_5651.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">building a sled MacGyver-style from a diaper box, packing tape, and belt, </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhThv0ERskGlginViIJG9eOogXxfTX5fy9QX12kX6yEg8ekSUGMM_aEubmejyASZqr4f6XcKUl-yfqvSdOO5dYloXmtp_ZAbFf1y4oj0Ru475_plkPC9nBvQNnAGEGBu5_CIuSvAN0CFfw3/s1600/IMG_5674.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhThv0ERskGlginViIJG9eOogXxfTX5fy9QX12kX6yEg8ekSUGMM_aEubmejyASZqr4f6XcKUl-yfqvSdOO5dYloXmtp_ZAbFf1y4oj0Ru475_plkPC9nBvQNnAGEGBu5_CIuSvAN0CFfw3/s1600/IMG_5674.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(and then letting go of the reign),</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh835T5bANlTc4RupNlCygFTPPsQCifvEgKyp18Py55hMWh_v88aYLvfpoYI3s_RO3MUElJYtw7MLuWYLhjDKQqwn8Run7Smd0HTmt7lyFGotdCLjKGMlAzjDa2PcdxJTxaoZn6RxVccgIr/s1600/IMG_5707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh835T5bANlTc4RupNlCygFTPPsQCifvEgKyp18Py55hMWh_v88aYLvfpoYI3s_RO3MUElJYtw7MLuWYLhjDKQqwn8Run7Smd0HTmt7lyFGotdCLjKGMlAzjDa2PcdxJTxaoZn6RxVccgIr/s1600/IMG_5707.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">encouraging self-expression,</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRfbxq3filqzGd-tp0bYiY-QouZQL_hLEwzyqSbms_UlxiiJ1CvrchvfHPwpWr73MPjibFk7zTb0XtpXd0eB_4Z09kHA932DYJnERgZHMjYDRiM9TQwANZMcso8McvAfoW03qgkq0XcRHV/s1600/IMG_3198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRfbxq3filqzGd-tp0bYiY-QouZQL_hLEwzyqSbms_UlxiiJ1CvrchvfHPwpWr73MPjibFk7zTb0XtpXd0eB_4Z09kHA932DYJnERgZHMjYDRiM9TQwANZMcso8McvAfoW03qgkq0XcRHV/s1600/IMG_3198.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">exploring our city,</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQxyQ_H8McZctK5W9_PsxawcESvN3prQuj9IygcjcJcOfJqHSyOtsm0QxC7656jIPsBoTP78Q85oq1UtpjTXl3EC9luGfl4_iWgp1rpQsic4C79ChNlErjuwm2a_CrFzB8f6RoYgLf3YF8/s1600/IMG_6364.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQxyQ_H8McZctK5W9_PsxawcESvN3prQuj9IygcjcJcOfJqHSyOtsm0QxC7656jIPsBoTP78Q85oq1UtpjTXl3EC9luGfl4_iWgp1rpQsic4C79ChNlErjuwm2a_CrFzB8f6RoYgLf3YF8/s1600/IMG_6364.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">giving Elmo dreadlocks and then supervising his haircut,</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLedfI24aIbeZdVcXb8z9y1wyR9-gPU7YhWBRWeE-F9fEJ9wHYbnoaEIi5i65SrFuRiVHfUtlQQq3dQ-pIGRhoJJxNZ3z5B7jbze1RGsnN88B7x7j5OLZ5xrupRZymzg3b9zvJEm7aQxl6/s1600/IMG_6731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLedfI24aIbeZdVcXb8z9y1wyR9-gPU7YhWBRWeE-F9fEJ9wHYbnoaEIi5i65SrFuRiVHfUtlQQq3dQ-pIGRhoJJxNZ3z5B7jbze1RGsnN88B7x7j5OLZ5xrupRZymzg3b9zvJEm7aQxl6/s1600/IMG_6731.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and driving a rocketship-sized cart throughout </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whole Foods </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">while navigating wild animals and an "I want this!" meltdown. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(In full disclosure, this might have been the first time I didn't run into an aisle. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These carts are huge. And tricky, my friend.)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqC2HYUTBZSjKFWZftPugsspHU7A31SbSuBlqj0U_V_XerbvjjYM6iCRPC6SnqSGBDkwPILAdaCZ3Q5ftSkthFOsmgdUHXdmarKWQWivXskeaF0nqBdBuNCy3tYv6Vz0-hrk7ruQy1nnz/s1600/IMG_6476.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqC2HYUTBZSjKFWZftPugsspHU7A31SbSuBlqj0U_V_XerbvjjYM6iCRPC6SnqSGBDkwPILAdaCZ3Q5ftSkthFOsmgdUHXdmarKWQWivXskeaF0nqBdBuNCy3tYv6Vz0-hrk7ruQy1nnz/s1600/IMG_6476.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks for your patience between my posts. And thank you for following Nourish. Create. Bloom, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">my Dear Readers.</span></div>
Kathiannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13458159184113916430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136341223841148454.post-30895997424806385992013-11-30T21:14:00.000-06:002013-11-30T21:20:25.768-06:00Glittering Thanks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A Very Happy Thanksgiving 2013</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik14Q07m8HNISvSeA9RZvosdDk1DkeLDUmQTFNbECbR878dONyU1RjjFvwqcmgb8ug7Ienp-jBNsoErc919yMSOvHKzQ1r2TXq7oqcU7bgT8yCECU_pEaCNOkRe00fCTVzXLeA0KEq2A1e/s1600/IMG_5320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik14Q07m8HNISvSeA9RZvosdDk1DkeLDUmQTFNbECbR878dONyU1RjjFvwqcmgb8ug7Ienp-jBNsoErc919yMSOvHKzQ1r2TXq7oqcU7bgT8yCECU_pEaCNOkRe00fCTVzXLeA0KEq2A1e/s320/IMG_5320.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">Here's how we <strike>give</strike> glitter thanks at our house.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Turkey Craft Number 1: Glam Gobbler</b></span></div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_-H6X5H9MoFnj-I-GFJkhfKALHREGC2yG9dARoQohkFnFvuzkYjPY2hQOw0C5zQKQrzcI7_qiLScVQ6Y0nhexGWlDogyxZmNso6F33TIa0oJj-vMztOK2fJz8xQ3hTp-3b1Xwj7QE2K7/s1600/IMG_5473.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_-H6X5H9MoFnj-I-GFJkhfKALHREGC2yG9dARoQohkFnFvuzkYjPY2hQOw0C5zQKQrzcI7_qiLScVQ6Y0nhexGWlDogyxZmNso6F33TIa0oJj-vMztOK2fJz8xQ3hTp-3b1Xwj7QE2K7/s320/IMG_5473.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Clockwise from top left:<br />1. We found the inspiration for our turkey on a window at Beni's preschool.<br />2. I'm teaching her early- you can NEVER add too much sparkle.<br />3. Turkey in progressâŚ</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">And here is our Glam Gobbler making his internet debut:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjttIZRvQQPW1Aqg_ZaxOUrX-BX0eNVybz71ufYSHNzjcFcsQj_Lsuojs6GJDrsEo3wyCgN3-yP7mYAS03c82ubRJ1z1cM-xd78qXxox72d5l6Iu4W_4xa2jL0ZbOWVZGbgSQKagjDaVF61/s1600/IMG_5313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjttIZRvQQPW1Aqg_ZaxOUrX-BX0eNVybz71ufYSHNzjcFcsQj_Lsuojs6GJDrsEo3wyCgN3-yP7mYAS03c82ubRJ1z1cM-xd78qXxox72d5l6Iu4W_4xa2jL0ZbOWVZGbgSQKagjDaVF61/s320/IMG_5313.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were both so happy with how he turned out. He's a keeper for sure.</span></td></tr>
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Turkey Craft Number 2: Sending Gratitude</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4oskGtQp-mh-nFZKs4_ihnzhzlvfCe85SbBkEM1dXhNtX8j2uvIqX78DP1SsdTuX5R951O1_UF5ZMRGy7Rlfm2u8iAYAtFzb2QZHw5vMj1czi0RiDsAgRsOgdNzunHHoptPnFSCkmL9uT/s1600/IMG_5471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4oskGtQp-mh-nFZKs4_ihnzhzlvfCe85SbBkEM1dXhNtX8j2uvIqX78DP1SsdTuX5R951O1_UF5ZMRGy7Rlfm2u8iAYAtFzb2QZHw5vMj1czi0RiDsAgRsOgdNzunHHoptPnFSCkmL9uT/s320/IMG_5471.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Clockwise from top left:<br />1. and 2. Making handprint turkeys with paint and glitter.<br />3. The finished product says: We are thankful for you.<br />4. Sending our love to Godparents, grandparents, and beloved aunts and uncles.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Celebrating Thanksgiving at Preschool</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi15F_1r5y96Cia52YILwP47LStLykFsChwxMuGD7vafT0YGAnL6CJJ4Eov1t4pozU0Sg6oXQtxfcjQztVtabk3gLziixIDqTvKY3-svc9WJBBetHKS7cWrIb9kD6_HpKwMLeWKyTLj2Laz/s1600/picstitch-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi15F_1r5y96Cia52YILwP47LStLykFsChwxMuGD7vafT0YGAnL6CJJ4Eov1t4pozU0Sg6oXQtxfcjQztVtabk3gLziixIDqTvKY3-svc9WJBBetHKS7cWrIb9kD6_HpKwMLeWKyTLj2Laz/s320/picstitch-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Clockwise from top left: </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Beni-Bird modeling her Native American headband.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. The Williams family feather: what we are thankful for.</span></span></div>
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3. Side view of previously mentioned fashionable headdress.</div>
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4. A huge turkey of thanks at Beni's school (one feather contributed by each family.)</div>
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanksgiving Day Traditions</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHuY_7px32ppsD1iGou-5o5Ixu3N-IoMImw4ltIvy78p6NdT-gH_WNIhwds18ZXN-LejW88uRaZKWEwKdXbztbEmidTZUUB9k41iyU1hvqelivNhU8s9kHAj0-knCAxajFBraKKfIyYH1O/s1600/picstitch-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHuY_7px32ppsD1iGou-5o5Ixu3N-IoMImw4ltIvy78p6NdT-gH_WNIhwds18ZXN-LejW88uRaZKWEwKdXbztbEmidTZUUB9k41iyU1hvqelivNhU8s9kHAj0-knCAxajFBraKKfIyYH1O/s320/picstitch-4.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Clockwise from top left:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. and 3. Watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Our vegetarian meal.</span></div>
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4. One dessert for each of us. </div>
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<b>A Night of Thanks</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd1Z6FyPaO4fmIsqwz5vvu734NpG6wQfPj8lwGCO9c-utjYgvM6BDGPoEzNmOej8FAYCV4FIIM4B7PF8AYFEgDZyAa5d0fse6DFvsrhf-wcJ4DHKo0tusPvsfJvEQJ7ESLY5i8Tiquk4zd/s1600/IMG_5474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd1Z6FyPaO4fmIsqwz5vvu734NpG6wQfPj8lwGCO9c-utjYgvM6BDGPoEzNmOej8FAYCV4FIIM4B7PF8AYFEgDZyAa5d0fse6DFvsrhf-wcJ4DHKo0tusPvsfJvEQJ7ESLY5i8Tiquk4zd/s320/IMG_5474.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Clockwise from top left:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Gratitude-themed books.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Sitting by the fire for story time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. My art journal entry for 11-28-2013.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. I've been recording blessings in my gratitude journal since 2002.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And one more thing I'm so grateful forâŚ..</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> you, Dear Reader.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">PS: Please forgive the funky formatting and the extra spaces. I swear, it doesn't look like this on my end. I spent over an hour trying to fix it and then decided to publish "as is" before I lose my good feelings of gratitude. What a relief it is to let go of "perfection"!</span></div>
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Kathiannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13458159184113916430noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136341223841148454.post-41583775040203237432013-11-12T22:51:00.000-06:002013-11-12T22:51:02.348-06:00Oh My, Lucky Star!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last March my spirited friend, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/fireupforK.Ro">Kristen Roedner</a> (who's been rumored to poop rainbows), told me about a whole living art camp I just *had* to attend. Since I have the utmost confidence in her creative recommendations, I immediately signed up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, fast forward to early this October when Kristen picked me up at the San Antonio airport in her pink flying pig. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJz9LYbC22WHZL0aSGEVV5xJjHqLso1Ng6NLQuG1iX38o_SBK2v9ugpIDYk8wgSzcPLRxfzhfH0_hNYKV-2025rcc5eQhat4jJQyZ2L8vStyWyAdua3pSR04yYVmWa9CmxgjfKcJZHgoAi/s1600/555911_10150759219317495_555017390_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJz9LYbC22WHZL0aSGEVV5xJjHqLso1Ng6NLQuG1iX38o_SBK2v9ugpIDYk8wgSzcPLRxfzhfH0_hNYKV-2025rcc5eQhat4jJQyZ2L8vStyWyAdua3pSR04yYVmWa9CmxgjfKcJZHgoAi/s320/555911_10150759219317495_555017390_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The two of us headed off on the backroads of the Texas Hill Country with the sun shining, top down, hats on, and me feeling like Thelma. Or Louise. Our destination: <a href="http://www.luckystarartcamp.com/">Lucky Start Art Camp. </a></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHEPVBE-JKKhGyWEMv5s-zinh7v1jtR4qBTOkdIr38HjJK38TubkfKLOFcbzrP0Gyyk1O5kTNnMUuMFvaG-RKCYnQfkVVWPBZ5aUYCAxFGfdnrfOhRawKQVui3a0Lm0NQb6_6kr-KtHYYg/s1600/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHEPVBE-JKKhGyWEMv5s-zinh7v1jtR4qBTOkdIr38HjJK38TubkfKLOFcbzrP0Gyyk1O5kTNnMUuMFvaG-RKCYnQfkVVWPBZ5aUYCAxFGfdnrfOhRawKQVui3a0Lm0NQb6_6kr-KtHYYg/s320/photo.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lucky Star was a Texas-sized experience. I could write several blog posts about it, but since I've been a bit lax on the blogging lately, I'm going to cram it all into this one. I hope the magical essence of the experience shines through my words and photos. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRV50NeIOzTnISr2O-NOvfrbsQjvkd0j4cDQS2xn2Y7Pvhlk28Z0AO-cZWRCPLQgHkPG8LHzhsXuSSCR8emyRS5sStXiJSrlrHbwrx62ed4M_CD-nVr9D0hk3rkEP3TJwbjwEmSA931uxS/s1600/picstitch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRV50NeIOzTnISr2O-NOvfrbsQjvkd0j4cDQS2xn2Y7Pvhlk28Z0AO-cZWRCPLQgHkPG8LHzhsXuSSCR8emyRS5sStXiJSrlrHbwrx62ed4M_CD-nVr9D0hk3rkEP3TJwbjwEmSA931uxS/s320/picstitch.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Look at this place! Lucky Star Art Camp was held at <a href="http://www.waldemar.com/">Waldemar</a>, an all-girl's camp in continuous operation since 1926. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm pretty sure my Waldemar cabin was built (and possibly decorated) in 1926. How I wish I had taken photos to show you! There was a kitschy Western cowboy mural on the wall over the fireplace. And kitschy Western cowboy comforters on the bunks. And kitschy Western cowboy curtains over the windows. I loved it all! Everyday as I stepped into my cowboy boots, this East Coast girl felt like a real Texan. (For the the first time, even though we moved to Dallas three years ago.)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtfwjtzOzQnuraaNBqF7UmYFYdEA8gmdgtQEMuJUv4q2TO4o7wmqriCDSui3s9xWjgvhgMp09SFpb_-hAS9ENhoJjjnOgKDv8EnQO0UJd2RwnsFo2QpOdFahO1ZkdzH_jmPj4_i-XD5ESu/s1600/picstitch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtfwjtzOzQnuraaNBqF7UmYFYdEA8gmdgtQEMuJUv4q2TO4o7wmqriCDSui3s9xWjgvhgMp09SFpb_-hAS9ENhoJjjnOgKDv8EnQO0UJd2RwnsFo2QpOdFahO1ZkdzH_jmPj4_i-XD5ESu/s320/picstitch.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While there were a variety of lodging options, I went for the full-camp experience and bunked with Kristen and four strangers, who I came to adore. My cabinmates were an incredible mix of women: <a href="http://www.katherinecenter.com/">the famous novelist</a>, <a href="http://www.sirisage.com/">the intuitive healer</a>, <a href="http://www.rubyandthemoon.com/">the hilarious Jersey girl </a>who once kissed Bradley Cooper, the super sweet and quiet Houston stay-at-home mama, Kristen, and me. Six of us in a small rustic cabin with one bathroom and four bunk beds. It could have been a disaster, but it was magic. We laughed, we cried, we stayed up late to talk. I felt like I was back in my sorority house. My cabinmates and the other women I met at camp were remarkable, creative, generous spirits who made my experience sparkle.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkB4sTj19_CVK9wEX_QvnpTgV6wKU-wPeFaS36SId3DI2Tx4_Menp1GTB1COHfJB4WvQm2mk_eir5bMiBOHx-KYrTP7xN9pdreh1ckoC7rfG6TfwtgqF_k1WRwarIkXKfeaOw6yDG_gWRA/s1600/picstitch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkB4sTj19_CVK9wEX_QvnpTgV6wKU-wPeFaS36SId3DI2Tx4_Menp1GTB1COHfJB4WvQm2mk_eir5bMiBOHx-KYrTP7xN9pdreh1ckoC7rfG6TfwtgqF_k1WRwarIkXKfeaOw6yDG_gWRA/s320/picstitch.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A wide array of classes were offered at camp: q</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">uilting, jewelry making, sewing, canning and preserving, cheese-making, photography, apothocary, intuitive healing, painting, creative writing, and more. I</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">t was hard to narrow down my choices, but I finally selected:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Happy Painting with <a href="http://www.juliettecrane.com/">Juliette Crane</a> (held on the banks of the Guadalupe River!)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEzZzHCi921-J8VNLYHvXIlS5A4eccLX8Hoo5iHNm5BrxmGDx3aRy2Qq4BfUmxm1PhnTLnETIEpkGclx3V4bw07hFML4jcFyjYNnbAmboiOblckhr-WY3bIiTiEs87hDFN2mYWNtGi_Iz-/s1600/picstitch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEzZzHCi921-J8VNLYHvXIlS5A4eccLX8Hoo5iHNm5BrxmGDx3aRy2Qq4BfUmxm1PhnTLnETIEpkGclx3V4bw07hFML4jcFyjYNnbAmboiOblckhr-WY3bIiTiEs87hDFN2mYWNtGi_Iz-/s320/picstitch.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Dreambook by <a href="http://www.shawnstratmann.com/">Shawn Stratmann</a>, and </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. How to Write a Children's Story by <a href="http://www.katherinecenter.com/">Katherine Center</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(BTW, I just finished her latest novel, The Lost Husband, and I highly recommend it.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Besides our classes, we could hike and explore, paddleboard or canoe, swim, do yoga, or horseback riding. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And the food! Fresh and local and healthy. But most of all, yummy. We </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">had incredible evening programs about slow family living, eating well for the planet, and dream setting. A</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">fter evening program, we sat around the campfire and listened to </span><a href="http://www.mandyrowden.com/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mandy Rowden</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> sing and play her guitar. All that was missing was a round of kumbaya.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I really shouldn't complain about anything. Except that I'm a nature lover who would prefer to never see creepy crawlies. And two cabins down a tarantula was found outside. And scorpions frequent this part of Texas. And a frog got into our cabin one night. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am big-time bug phobic and would also prefer frogs stayed outside. Good thing </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I didn't see any of them, so I was still able to sleep. Braving the wild creatures of Texas was worth it, and I'm already signed up for Lucky Star next year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And don't worry, Dear Reader, I know you want to hear more about my friend, Kristen, so a whole post on her is coming soon.)</span></div>
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Kathiannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13458159184113916430noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136341223841148454.post-2903611982751891282013-11-06T20:50:00.000-06:002013-11-07T08:25:45.976-06:00My Mom and Alzheimer's- Forever Grateful for Just ONE Moment<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Me and my mama, Jacqueline Joslin Sellers.<br />In this photo, my mom is 39, the age I am now.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had a "normal" mother for the first 30 years of my life. But by my wedding date, she was no longer the mom I knew.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My mother has Alzheimer's Disease.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I finally became a mother at the age of 36, the "loss" of my own mother became more apparent. Strands of this deep loss are woven into my extreme joy. I see how my friends' mothers interact with their grandchildren and I feel sad. Sad that my daughter, my mother, and I were all robbed of generational experiences that I now long for. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My mother will never know my daughter. My daughter will know of her maternal grandmother, but she will never know her. Not on this Earth, or in this lifetime anyway. I am comforted by a vivid dream my sister, Marilee, recently shared with me. In it, my mother told Marilee that when she wasn't here (mentally present), she was with God and it was beautiful. Marilee said my mother radiated peace and that Mom was the happiest and most beautiful she'd ever seen her.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm embarrassed and saddened to admit I never truly appreciated my mother until I became a mother myself. Until then, I focused on her flaws and her parenting faults. But now I want to ask her how she did it. How did she manage birthing and caring for my four brothers all by the age of 26? How and why did she manage to have six children when I find one overwhelming? How did she sacrifice so much to raise us all? How did she not seem to be tired, stressed, or depleted? These are questions that will go unanswered.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the end of September, my little girl (I call her Beni-Bird) and I flew from Texas to the east coast to visit my family. We made an overnight trip to my hometown and got a chance to see my mom. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My brother, Paul, and Marilee tried to prepare me as I hadn't seen her for two years. Mom is now in a wheelchair, they said, and sometimes she is unresponsive. Paul said he stayed only three minutes last time because it was just too painful to see her in that state. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As fate would have it, when I saw Mom it was a "good day" for her. She was awake, and alert, and in a pleasant mood. I knew Mom wouldn't know who we were. But still I was unprepared when my brother, Mark, introduced my sister and I and she asked, "But where are the real ones?" </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My active two and 1/2-year-old seemed to sense the seriousness of the moment. She was very still as I introduced her. "Beni, this is my mama, your grandmother."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the end of our visit, we all wheeled Mom back into the dining room of the Alzheimer's unit. We put her at the table amid the other unit residents, some who needed to be fed by an aide because they had forgotten how to feed themselves. Mom asked us not to leave her because then, "Who will I talk to?"</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I put Beni in front of her and once again told Mom this was my daughter, her granddaughter. Mom just kept repeating, "she's so beautiful, she's so beautiful" and even got teary as she said it. This was my ONE moment. My mother acknowledged my daughter on an emotional (and dare I say spiritual) level. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then, with tears streaming down my face, I knelt down by my mother's side and told her she was a good mother. I told her I loved her very much and I gave her a hug. And then I got a second gift- she told me she loved me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a lot my family lost to Alzheimer's disease. But on that visit, I was given one precious moment of my mother, myself, and my daughter all together; and my mom was as aware as she could possibly be. She was moved to tears by my child, and it was a beautiful ONE moment. That moment is all I will likely ever have. So I will hold onto it. And repeat it often to my daughter. And forever be grateful. Forever grateful for ONE moment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dear Reader, please take note:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">November is the month to celebrate gratitude. It also happens to be my mom's birthday month and National Alzheimer's Awareness Month. For all of these reasons, I dedicate this post to my loving mother, <b>Jacqueline Joslin Sellers</b>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Several years ago I wrote a post about my mom's Alzheimer's called <a href="http://nourishcreatebloom.blogspot.com/2009/07/reflections-from-old-folks-home.html">Reflections from the Old Folk's Home</a>. This was before her mental state deteriorated so much that she needed to be moved away from my father's care and into full-time care in the Alzheimer's unit.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A version of this current post first appeared on <a href="http://blog.kidville.com/2013/11/my-mom-and-alzheimers-forever-grateful-for-just-one-moment/#.UnlsxaUyyVh">Voices from the 'Ville</a>.</span>Kathiannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13458159184113916430noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136341223841148454.post-49865564785494070972013-09-02T21:29:00.000-05:002013-09-02T21:29:56.021-05:00Mama's Back-to-School Routine<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back-to-school prep means getting your little one(s) ready for a new academic year; buying backbacks, notebooks, and number two pencils. It's a time of excitement, new beginnings, and brand-new shoes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take advantage of this fresh start! Reassess your personal or family goals and then plan action steps. You can do it! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For example, here are my goals for the upcoming semester:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Continue to exercise 2-5x a week.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Carve out designated writing times 2 or more times a week.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And here's my action plan:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Check out the yoga and Zumba schedule at my gym and add classes into my Google calendar each week. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Schedule at least two weekly sessions of writing time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Invite girlfriends for gym, walking, or writing/work dates. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Track my weekly progress in my goal notebook.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My big plan is to head to the gym right after preschool drop off (before I get side-tracked with other to-dos), work out, and then meet a girlfriend in the cafe for a "work" date. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By putting these appointments on my calendar, I'm honoring my stated priorities. But I took a second step as well- writing down my goals and putting them on my bathroom mirror. I figured a motivational quote and some glitter couldn't hurt either. Now I have a gentle (and sparkly) reminder of my intentions that I'll see several times a day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, Dear Reader, what are your personal or family goals for the next semester? Take a moment to write them down and plan action steps. Put them in your calender, make a sign for extra motivation, and then look ahead for the rewards.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take Note: A version of this post was previously published on <a href="http://blog.kidville.com/2013/08/mamas-back-to-school-routine/#.UiVBwxY92Vg">Voices from the Ville.</a></span></div>
Kathiannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13458159184113916430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136341223841148454.post-5021283452646669352013-08-14T10:41:00.001-05:002013-08-14T20:52:19.553-05:0010 Easy Steps to Regain Your Sparkle<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm taking a brief break from the <a href="http://nourishcreatebloom.blogspot.com/2013/07/a-woman-to-admire-laura-scholz.html">Women to Admire series</a>, to bring you the following <b>Public Sparkle</b> <b>Annoucement</b>:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBWGJhzNWibtGZU660X2dalfg3Q6uZtqNs6hijjC1Imohg0f8rjW58FwZ1Disx1JS5C0IxeujtnNJMVOeTc1Ooj5t0y6oN-cTLreoSrG1liyec5LYeNfhA8_Jtj0S7FI0o2PcoLbp_1YK3/s1600/28791a9e3a1ec2170cda254c59e23a00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBWGJhzNWibtGZU660X2dalfg3Q6uZtqNs6hijjC1Imohg0f8rjW58FwZ1Disx1JS5C0IxeujtnNJMVOeTc1Ooj5t0y6oN-cTLreoSrG1liyec5LYeNfhA8_Jtj0S7FI0o2PcoLbp_1YK3/s320/28791a9e3a1ec2170cda254c59e23a00.jpg" width="237" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.nourishcreatebloom.blogspot.com/2013/03/time-to-confess.html">Several posts ago</a>, I wrote about how the demands of motherhood dulled my sparkle as I put my self-care on the back seat. Since then, I've tackled the mama guilt head-on and I've been taking better care of myself. Operation Reclaim sPaRkLe is in full swing! And these suggestions can help you even if you don't have <strike>little energy suckers</strike> darling little children. So read on, my Sparkle Sisters, read on.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are ten quick and easy steps you can take to aid in your very own Operation Reclaim sPaRkLe.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Record the Happiest Moment of Your Day.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Keep a journal on your bedside table. Before turning out the lights, take 1-2 minutes to jot down your happiest moment of the day. You will end your day on a positive note and will soon have an incredible written record of what actually makes you happy. This can be an invaluable tool for future life planning!</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Take a Bath.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's good for the spirit and for an aching mama's body. Epsom salts, dead sea salts, and a few drops of essential oils can work magic.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Meditate While You Wait.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next time you are waiting (in line, in traffic, or for someone) turn your attention to your breath. On your inhale say to yourself: receive. On your exhale, say: relaxation. Even a few breaths can make you feel more centered and relaxed.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Go For a Walk.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take a walk outside. Exercise and nature are both powerful rejuvenators and sparkle generators.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Clear Clutter.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Clean out one drawer a day (or a week.) Too many <i>things</i> can be a drain on your energy. Let go of some clutter and clear up some space inside your home (and your head.) Sparkle space.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. Send Some Love.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Write a postcard or a letter to someone you love, a "<a href="http://nourishcreatebloom.blogspot.com/2009/06/lets-get-crafty-love-sender-note-cards.html">just because note</a>." The sparkle you send out will come back to you. I promise.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7. Catch more ZZZ's.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Forget the laundry and the dishes and take a nap when your child naps. When my daughter refuses to nap, I have been known to lie on the floor and play "night night mama" while she puts a blanket on me over and over. If a nap isn't possible, go to bed earlier than usual. Sufficient sleep is critical for emotional and physical health.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8. Start with Intention.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Consider starting your day by setting an intention. (For example: Today I am going to focus my attention on how I spend my time. Throughout the day I will ask myself, is this activity adding to my sparkle or taking away from it?) A pack of affirmation cards or an inspirational quote book can be helpful starting points.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">9. Add color.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Go buy yourself an adult coloring book and some new colored pencils. Yes, I'm serious. Creating is therapeutic and coloring is an act of meditation. I know <a href="http://nourishcreatebloom.blogspot.com/2010/05/just-add-color.html">I've said it before</a>, but it's worth repeating.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10. Paint on Your Sparkle.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If all else fails, paint your toenails in pink sparkle polish. See if that doesn't make you smile. (I even painted my toddler's toes. Now she keeps asking for more "fockle polish." Hey, you have to teach them early about the importance of sparkling.) Everytime you see your fun toes, you will be reminded of the above nine steps and your own Operation Reclaim sPaRkLe goals.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dear Readers, Please Take Note:</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The above post was <a href="http://blog.kidville.com/2013/07/ten-steps-reclaim-your-sparkle-and-sizzle/#.Ugub-hb5CVg">originally posted here</a> on the <i>Voices from the Ville</i> blog. I wrote it in response to my previous post there- <a href="http://blog.kidville.com/2013/05/commit-to-sparkle-this-mothers-day-no-to-self-neglect/#.UgubWBb5CVg">Commit to Sparkle this Month- Saying No to Self-Neglect</a>. I'm super honored to be writing on this national parenting blog. Several of you have asked me for mommy blog recommendations. Well, I highly recomend this one. After all, they had the good judgement to include me on their list of esteemed writers. (Smile, I'm joking. Sorta.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">PS: I know sorta isn't a "real" word.</span>Kathiannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13458159184113916430noreply@blogger.com1