Author Archives: Diane

61 years young, Spent 40+ years taking care of people in the Nursing Profession. I have 3 adult children, 2 girls and a boy ages 39, 37, and 36. My girls are 39 and 36 and my son is 37. Born in Chicago, IL. Went to grammar school and High School at St. Gregory High School on Bryn Mawr Ave., in Chicago. Got married in 1969 and then had my children.
In 1977, I moved to Tucson, AZ. Moved to San Antonio, TX in 1992 as I went into the Air Force at the age of 42. In 1996, I moved to Tampa, Florida. In 1999, I got out of the Air Force and moved to Micanopy, Florida. In September, 2006 I moved to Milwaukee, WI and here I am.

What Happened to Summer?

September 7, 2010

It seems so strange to me that yesterday we had the air conditioning on and today, I have to wear a sweater. All of a sudden, it seems like the children are back in school and the weather is cooler. Don’t you wonder whether there is a time clock in the air somewhere telling the weather to change in the Midwest from the heat of summer to cooler weather of Fall?

At any rate, yesterday was Labor Day. Today is Tuesday! The children are back to school and traffic is snarled with people going back to work after summer vacations and breaks.

The change in the weather makes me realize that time keeps going forward whether I keep up with it or not. We need to keep up with our desires and what we hope to accomplish in this life. As time ticks away, as summer turns to autumn and winter, we need to keep going forward with our dreams and goals until we accomplish them. When our goals are accomplished, we must create new ones.

Those of us that are older, marvel at how fast time goes. I don’t feel old. My chronological age is close to 62, however, I feel like a child. My education has only begun. After 60 years of learning, I feel as if my education has only begun.

I wonder why the change in weather patterns causes such introspection! Thinking about years past and years to come brings happiness as well as sadness to me today. The only sadness I feel is about years passed.  There are happenings in my younger days that if I could change, I would. When I was young and foolish, I would change what I did when I was in my late 20’s. Seeing that I cannot change what has already happened, I’m wasting time that I could be using for productive reasoning.

Please don’t start thinking of past happenings and feel bad. Think positively about the future. Create your goals and work everyday to achieve them. What has happened in the past is done and over with. Thinking about the past is counter productive.

Hopefully, the new school year will be an excellent one for all students out there. I’m sure all you parents with school age children are breathing a sigh of relief because your children are now in school and are being taken care of.

My grandchildren are off to school. My granddaughter is in 5th grade-the last year in her elementary education. Next year, she will be in “middle school.” My grandson is enrolled in nursery school three days a week, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

My daughter is hoping that her son will get used to being away from her while he is in nursery school. Right now, he is not comfortable with anyone other than his mother, myself (his grandmother), and his aunt Sara. At any rate, my grandson will start his nursery school experience this Friday. I’m sure his mother is on pins and needles.

Life goes on whether we think about it or not. My best advice is to be as positive about it as you possibly can. If you are negative, you will be very alone and probably very sad.

My call to action today is for all you readers to please comment on my introspection. Are you introspective when the seasons change? Do you think about things when it is raining or when it is cloudy? Let me know what you are thinking. I’m very interested in your points of view.  See you soon!

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What a Wonderful Summer!

August 26, 2010

A big “Hello!” goes out to all my readers who are wondering where I’ve  been and why I haven’t been writing articles these days!

I have to tell you that the dizziness and headache that appeared on June 2nd, is still with me. As I had the same symptoms in the Summer of 2008, I did nothing about the symptoms for the first 6 weeks (because the symptoms disappeared as mysteriously as they had appeared at that time). However, this year (2010), I’m still dealing with these symptoms along with a few others. Needless to say, I went to the emergency clinic at the VA Hospital here in Milwaukee after the sixth week and (strangely enough, I saw the same Nurse Practitioner that treated me in 2008).

The nurse listened to me carefully as she typed everything I said into my computerized record. God love her, she was wonderful. She sent me home with 5 bottles of pills, which she hoped would help with the headache and dizziness, and requested appointments with the Neurology department and the Ear, Nose, and Throat department (because I complained of a very loud ringing in my ears).

The Neurology resident ordered a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan of my brain. She was concerned that I might have had a stroke. I tried to tell her I didn’t have a stroke, but she didn’t take my answer for granted. I told the Neurology resident (a very sweet young lady from Nigeria whose name I couldn’t pronounce) my head hurt and the dizziness was worse in the afternoon. The resident did a few more tests and advised me to call 2 days after the MRI for results.

Two days after the MRI, I paged the Neurology resident to find out the results of the MRI. She didn’t answer the page. A day or two later, I received a call from an Audiologist requesting my presence at an appointment to test my hearing. I thought it was strange that I needed my hearing tested just because I had some ringing in my ears, but I went to the appointment only to have him tell me that my hearing was normal. At least I know now that I have a brain without any indication of a stroke and I’m able to hear without a problem.

However, in 2005, I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease, which had not been diagnosed initially. The disease had advanced to “Chlamydia Pneumonia” (diagnosed by the Infectious Disease specialist in Gainesville Florida), a secondary infection. My internal medicine physician was convinced that I was suffering from Lyme, and even a weird pneumonia diagnosis from the Infectious Disease specialist did not deter him.

I told the audiologist about this diagnosis and he put a request into the computer that I see an Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor ASAP. Within two weeks, I received an appointment letter from the ENT nurse practitioner for an appointment. The nurse was very attentive as I relayed all the information to her. She examined my ears, nose, eyes, and throat and left to talk over my symptoms with her superior.

After awhile, she came back and advised me that they wanted to do some testing to make sure I didn’t have certain problems and then they could give me medicines like “beta blockers” that would help the vestibular dizziness that I feel in addition to the headache. Next Tuesday, I will have a CT Scan at 8:00 am. There will be no treatment until all the testing is done. In the meantime, I can’t work in the afternoons. So much time is being wasted. At least I can do some networking in the early hours of the morning.

Strangely enough, I found out through a friend that a 29 year old man in Sheboygan, WI was experiencing the same symptoms as mine. He felt the same dizziness, headache, numbness and tingling of the hands and feet. The difference with this young man is he was experiencing seizures 2 and 3 times a day.

He went to a doctor in Waupaca, WI (a town not very far from Sheboygan) and was given the antibiotic that is used to treat Lyme. Within one week, his dizziness and headaches were better. When I went to my Primary Care Physicians at the Women’s Clinic at the VA Hospital, the resident treated me with disdain and told me they were leaving the treatment of my symptoms to the specialists.

This resident is to work with me for the next 2 years. I hope he learns something about dealing with people by then, because right now, his attitude stinks. He could have cared less that I was having difficulties. Frankly, I should call a patient advocate and complain about his attitude. No one should be treated with that kind of indifference. Just because I’m a woman vet, doesn’t mean he can treat me with disrespect.

I would love to hear from any of you, my readers, if you have had similar experiences with doctors. Also, if you have been suffering with similar symptoms and have been successfully treated, please comment so I can personally communicate with you. I will keep you all updated with new information as I experience it.

In the meantime, I wish everyone a great day and weekend.

Posted in Lyme Disease, Numbness of Fingers and bottom of feet | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

I’m Sorry For Being Away So Long

August 1, 2010

Hi Everyone!

This article will be a short one letting you all know that I’m still trying to find out why I am so dizzy and head achy. My headache is just pressure in the occipital area of my head. When I get up and move around, the pressure in my head is severe. The occipital muscle contracts all the way to my forehead.

What is really strange is when I lie down, the pressure in my head is tolerable and the dizziness subsides. These symptoms have been with me for more than 2 months.

I went to the VA Medical Center in Milwaukee and was seen by the same nurse practitioner that saw me in 2008 when I came in with the same symptoms. Incidentally, the symptoms I experienced in 2008 were similar to the ones I’m experiencing presently. In 2008, the dizziness and headache lasted for a month, and went away as quickly as they appeared. I never received a diagnosis to account for these symptoms.

This year, in the middle of June, the dizziness and headache came back. Having had these same symptoms two years ago, I waited for the fourth week, and assumed the symptoms would go away as suddenly as they had appeared. Contrary to what I thought, the symptoms continued. The date today is August 1st, and I’m still plagued with the pressure headache, dizziness, and ringing in both ears (which by the way has not caused any deafness (I could have told them that)).

The nurse practitioner I saw recommended that I have an appointment with Neurology and Audiology to find out a diagnosis. The Neurologist took her time and examined all the possibilities. The only test they will do is an MRI of the Brain, to see if I’ve had a stroke (which could cause the headache and dizziness). If I didn’t have a stroke, the MRI will be negative. Then what?

On August 12th, I will have an appointment with an Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor. After the audiologist did his hearing tests, he proclaimed them normal. He told me all the diseases I didn’t have and that my hearing was normal.

After I told him that a friend of mine was exhibiting the same symptoms and had not been appropriately diagnosed and treated for Lyme Disease (just as I had in 2004-2005), he told me he would recommend that I see one of the Ear, Nose, and Throat physicians as soon as possible. I was treated for fibromyalgia for 3-4 weeks before I was forced to find an internist in the community. The internist took one look at me and wrote a prescription for Doxycycline, the antibiotic of choice to treat Lyme Disease. One week and a half after I started taking the antibiotic, I began to feel better. My prayers had been answered.

The wheels of bureaucracy move as slowly in the VA system as they do in every other department, so I have to wait for 2 weeks to get an appointment. My MRI is scheduled for August 3rd, which is only a few days away. Maybe, something will show that can be treated.

I’m getting frustrated with symptoms that do not connect to any disease that can be treated with an antibiotic, an antihistamine, or something in our vast pharmaceutical directory. A few days of rest are helpful, however, after 2 and 1/2 months, boredom has set in. I’ve rested enough.

I hope the doctors can come together and find out what is wrong, so they can figure out how to treat it. If any of you, my readers, have suffered with these symptoms and have been treated and cured, please place a comment on this article. I’m curious to find out what has helped so I can inform my doctors. Hopefully, with your help, I can get better.

Take care and God Bless You!

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Do You Have ADHD?

June 27, 2010

If you are an adult, chances are no one has focused on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) with you. More and more children are being diagnosed and treated for this disorder. Research has shown though that if a child has ADHD, chances are a parent has it and has passed it on.

In the last few years, more and more adults have been diagnosed with ADHD. I just found out, about five months ago, that a dear friend of mine has this disorder. Strangely enough, my friend is in her late 50’s early 60’s. Even though I have spent the better part of 40 years in the medical profession, I didn’t even suspect that my friend had this problem because she had learned to suppress the anxiety that ordinarily accompanies her symptoms.

The reason I’m writing this article is I just read an article from Lifescript.com, written by a medical doctor with ADHD. She writes that women are not easily diagnosed with this disorder because they have learned to suppress the symptoms. Apparently, the symptoms become more obvious when the estrogen level in a post menopausal woman decreases. That means, a woman can suppress symptoms of forgetfulness, losing things, locking her keys in the car, etc., and explain them away for years. When a working woman suffers from ADHD, she works doubly hard to finish one project before she goes on to the next one. If she is aware of her problem, she talks to herself, “I need to work on this project until it is finished.”

In the last 10 to 20 years, more and more children have been diagnosed and treated for ADHD.  About 20 years ago, the drug of choice for these children was the antidepressant, Ritalin. I remember 38 years ago when I had my second C-Section to give birth to my son, my OB doctor prescribed Ritalin afterward. When I asked him why, he told me that he gave Ritalin to all of his patients after the birth of their babies to ward off post partum depression. When I heard they were using Ritalin to treat children with ADHD, I was really surprised. I’m sure there are newer chemicals to put in a child’s system to treat the behavior problems associated with ADHD. Nutritionists have also recommended that children with ADHD decrease their intake of processed sugars and junk food.

More adults have been diagnosed with ADHD since the 1990s, especially women.  Perhaps the diagnosis has helped adults come to terms with the problems they have with inattentiveness, hyperactivity,  and impulsivity; which can also explain why one of their children has this disorder. According to the article, Dr. Patricia Quinn (the author) states that there is a 17% to 34% chance that the mother transmitted the disorder or an 18% to 38% chance that the father transmitted the disorder to their child.

If you have problems with the symptoms mentioned above, please go to your medical provider and be evaluated, especially if these symptoms have become more noticeable or severe. According to the article, the symptoms have to be present for at least 6 months to be considered ADHD. If you have been dealing with these problems and have been overcompensating for them, you are probably dealing with chronic fatigue syndrome or something similar.

Please comment on this article if you have adult ADHD and would like to provide additional information regarding treatment modalities in your specific case. I would also like to hear from you if you have a child with ADHD. Also, please let me know if your parents had this disorder.

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How to tell when you are “happy!”

June 20, 2010

I don’t know about you, but when I’m happy I feel really good all over. There isn’t a headache in sight. My sinuses are clear and wouldn’t think of causing any problems. Of course, a sunny day is always a good thing too; however, it isn’t a necessity.

The entire day goes well when I’m feeling my best. My work day is a “…piece of cake.” Everybody and everything cooperates to make the day a huge success. When I come home at night, I feel good enough to put on my dancing shoes to dance the night away. Hopefully, the following day is just as good as the day before, right?

Everything doesn’t have to go well for me to be happy. If I can make situations right that can sometimes go wrong during the day, or if I can help someone talk through a problem successfully I still feel happy. As long as I am striving to attain my goals and I am not taking any backward steps, I can feel good about the day.

I believe I can still be happy, but be dissatisfied with my part-time business. For example, I can be happy with life overall, but be dissatisfied with the number of phone calls I make to get appointments on my calendar for the day. In order to be more satisfied with myself, I need to make more phone calls that result in appointments.  Did that make sense? Let me explain it another way. Say, for example, that I’m happy as a sales person because I make my quota every week. However, I could be more satisfied if I exceeded my quota and sold 5 more items and received a $10 bonus per item sold above my quota. In that case, I would be happy with life overall, but dissatisfied about selling my quota. I would be more “satisfied” if I sold 5 more items and received a $50 bonus.

This is an example of my life and my happiness. I don’t know if this is the same thing for you. If you are reading this article and thinking “Oh brother,” I would like to hear from you. I realize that happiness is a relative thing and that everyone is different. What makes you happy isn’t necessarily going to make someone else happy. However, I’m not talking about anything specific. I think that happiness comes from within, a more spiritual concept (not religious). Sometimes, people confuse dissatisfaction with unhappiness. You can be dissatisfied with aspects of your day, but the aspects don’t have to make you unhappy with your life.

I would like to hear from you. If you agree with what I wrote please comment. I would also like to hear from those who don’t agree with my thinking, please let me know. Your opinions are very important to me.

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Do You Drink Enough Water?

June 4, 2010

Hi everyone! Here it is June 4th already. Time flies when you’re having fun. I hope everyone is having fun. The weather is nice and warm. People are wearing shorts and flip flops and carrying either plastic water bottles or aluminum containers with some kind of liquid to drink. Keeping hydrated is very important in all seasons, but especially during the spring and summer, when it is warm.

Our bodies are 70% water. Do you understand what that means? We need to drink six to eight glasses of water daily to replenish the fluid lost through perspiring and urinating. During the summer, when it is really warm, it is very important to keep drinking fluids to maintain hydration in our bodies.

I’m sure everyone knows this fact, but if you haven’t heard, when you are aware of your thirst, often times your body is way behind in its fluid requirements. Children and young adults tend not to drink fluids because they don’t feel thirsty or are too busy having fun. That is why educating our children and grandchildren about the importance of keeping themselves hydrated at all times, but especially when it is hot, will keep them from getting dehydrated and very sick.

Now let’s talk about what to drink! I have to tell you that plain water is only to choke down my morning vitamins. Water is very good flavored or sparkling, i.e., club soda, Perrier, Kool Aid, Crystal Light, etc.

Actually, any drink that is mixed with water is good, especially when the weather is warm. What you don’t want to drink are carbonated beverages like Coke, Pepsi, root beer, Sprite, 7-Up, etc. They don’t replenish your fluid content. If you have to drink these beverages on a warm day, try to limit the amount. As long as you drink water-based beverages, you will do your body good.

Another reason people don’t drink enough fluids is because they don’t want to interrupt their summer fun to go to the bathroom. When you limit fluids to decrease trips to the bathroom, you are doing your body more harm than good. Fluids bathe your vital organs and keep you from getting dehydrated. Your kidneys get rid of the body’s toxic waste. If you don’t drink enough fluids to flush toxic waste from your body, it is only a matter of time before your kidneys become adversely affected, even to the point of shutting down completely.

Please don’t take this information lightly! Keeping yourself appropriately hydrated is very important, no matter what the weather is like. However, when the weather is hot and humid, you need to double the amount of fluids you ordinarily take in to compensate for what you lose. Outdoor physical activities can dehydrate your body to the point of causing injuries to your vital organs, including the brain. Your brain needs fluids to function just like the rest of your body. When you become dehydrated, you have trouble focusing and you feel sleepy, right?

From now on, make sure to keep you body hydrated, especially during warm weather months. You will be surprised how much better you will feel.

If you have experienced an episode of dehydration, please provide a comment. I would love to hear from you. Take care and stay hydrated!

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Memorial Day!

May 30, 2010

Today is Memorial Day. This day has been celebrated in various ways, but the most important is remembering the members of our armed forces, i.e., Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, & Coast Guard, that have lost their lives to keep our country free. We here in the United States are free to express ourselves, do what we want, go wherever we want, and write whatever is on our minds.

The United States has become involved in wars and conflicts to make freedom the most important aspect of living in today’s world. We are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan to free the people from oppression and tyranny. The Iraqis have yet to experience a life of freedom. Even though Saddam Hussein is dead, and their government is elected, they cannot experience the happiness of freedom  because they don’t have necessities like water, electricity, and other things that we here in America take for granted. They received all of these necessities through the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein and his regime. When a democratic government can supply these necessities to the people, they will appreciate what the United States is doing to help them receive it. Until then, we will not receive credit where it is due.

Until the terrorists in Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran and other areas quit inciting violence, we will not be able to help the Iraqi people realize what freedom means to them and to their generations to come. Right now, we are so busy fighting terrorists, we cannot start rebuilding Iraq.  However, we have hopes and dreams to help the people of Iraq and everyone in the Middle East to live as good as we do. That is why we fight for their freedom.

This morning, I received an email from a friend describing a true story that brought tears to my eyes. The remains of a service man were being returned home to Virginia by commercial aircraft. The receptacle (coffin) was placed in the cargo bay with the rest of the luggage. Before the flight began to board, the head flight attendant advised the pilot of the presence of the uniformed escort. The pilot asked the flight attendant to bring the escort to the flight deck. When the escort entered the flight deck, the pilot and co-pilot stood up and shook his hand. The escort introduced himself. He advised the pilot that the family of the soldier he was escorting was also on the flight. After the meeting concluded, the pilot requested that the escort and the family of the slain soldier be seated before the rest of the passengers.

During the flight, the head flight attendant called the flight deck almost in tears. Apparently, the family had not had time to view or spend some alone time with the remains of their son before the receptacle was loaded into the cargo bay. The flight attendant wondered if there was any way that could happen at their destination.

The pilot and co-pilot readied the plane for takeoff. Once the plane was in the air and at the altitude where the autopilot could be activated, the pilot radioed for a telephone line. Instead of using the usual communication text message unit, he called his company and requested a change of operation to accommodate this grieving family.

The flight continued while the pilot waited for an answer. Finally, he received a text message allowing the pilot to stop the plane before it got to the gate. The ground crew would open the luggage compartment, remove the soldier’s remains and place them on an open cart. They would place a mobile stair assembly at one of the doors for the family and the escort to disembark, and there would be time for the family to spend some quality time with their son.

As the pilot prepared for landing, he activated the loud speaker and announced a change in normal procedure. He respectfully requested that the passengers remain seated to allow the family and the uniformed escort to get off the plane for a short time. .

When the passengers heard the announcement, they did as they were told. They went to the windows to observe as the family touched the receptacle and openly expressed their grief. Everyone on the plane bowed their heads in prayer for this family and all families of fallen soldiers from this conflict and all previous wars.

Thirty minutes had passed. The family and the escort got back on the plane, and the pilot proceeded to the gate. The passengers expressed their condolences to the family as they disembarked. They also expressed their thanks to the pilot for going above and beyond the call of duty to provide such a special time for this family to touch the receptacle and talk to the escort, who was with their son before he passed away.

Memorial Day! This is a day to remember the soldiers who have lost their lives to assure the freedom of this country and the world. Let us all remember this soldier, his family, and all those who have lost their lives for our freedom.

Please comment on this article if you have experienced a loss of a friend or family member in a war or conflict. I would love to hear from you.

Posted in Holiday Posts, Memorial Day | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

An Alternative to Unemployment

May 23, 2010

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Have you been laid off from your job, knowing your employer will not bring you back? If this has happened to you, take heart. There is an alternative to working for an employer.

The alternative to working for someone else  is working for yourself. That’s right! Start your own business.

In our precarious economic times, with unemployment rates in double digits, and companies having no intentions of hiring back the employees they laid off, the thing to do is to start your own business. This idea probably brings to mind a plethora of questions as well as a modicum of doubt. You might want to know:

  • What kind of business should I start?
  • Where do I begin?
  • How much money will I need?
  • Where will I get the money to start a business?
  • Who will help me if I need it?
  • What if…..

Let’s start at the beginning. Starting a business is not easy, but if you have an idea for a product or service and are passionate about it, you can bring your product or service to the marketplace and make money doing so even in this recession. Help is available to you in the form of education through the Small Business Administration, local Universities and Community Colleges, business coaches, local Chambers of Commerce, etc. However, if you are looking for personal assistance that will take you from starting your business through creation of a will to leave your successful business to your children,  then join the community of businesses being created by Triune Training Systems.

What is Triune Training Systems?

I’m sure you are curious about Triune Training Systems and what this business can do for your new business, correct? Let me provide a description to familiarize you on how Triune Training Systems can help you.

A novice entrepreneur will definitely benefit by becoming a member of the Triune Training Systems community of businesses. As a member, the novice will be educated and coached through the process of creating a business plan, putting the Marketing Pro system in place, and learning a superior referral based system that will keep customers consistently coming into the business, creating a constant flow of income. If necessary, the novice entrepreneur may institute the Accounting Pro system as well as the Business Pro system that will create an excellent foundation for a successful business.

As the entrepreneur initiates these tried and true systems into his or her business, a coach is always available to provide assistance and reassurance. The entrepreneur is also a part of a Mastermind Group. The Group meets as often as the members need it. Many ideas can be generated by a group of people working together to help one another. You’ve heard the old saying, “Two heads are better than one?” The Mastermind Group allows members to identify a concern or a problem while ideas for resolution are presented by the rest of the members.

Lunch and learn meetings will take place monthly. As membership in the Triune Training Systems community increases, these meetings will take place more often. As the terms Lunch and Learn suggest, the meetings incorporate networking among members, lunch, and an educational speaker who will teach attendees about topics of importance that directly impact members and their businesses. Lunch and Learns are open to prospective members of Triune Training Systems as well as entrepreneurs that are already members.

Triune Training Systems also consists of a back office encompassing secretarial support, copy machines, bookkeepers, accountants, computer and information technology (IT) support, web designers, marketing professionals, business forms, etc. Virtual assistance is also available for members with home based businesses requiring this type of support.

As you can see, Triune Training Systems is an all-encompassing community that provides training and coaching to new entrepreneurs who wish to bring their product or service into the marketplace. Triune Training Systems is a membership community that can also assist existing entrepreneurs to revitalize their business with the referral based business that has helped business owners make millions of dollars. Even though entrepreneurs may purchase the systems in an a la carte fashion, membership is recommended because of the long-term benefits associated with it. The long-term benefits of coaching, the Mastermind, Lunch and Learns, the back office services, and a link on the Triune Training Systems’ website to their business are services specific to members only, not necessarily to individuals purchasing a la carte services.

For prospective and existing entrepreneurs interested in this unique service that is necessary in today’s uncertain economy, go to www.TriuneTrainingSystems.com. You can also leave a comment on this blog article with your contact information. You will be contacted within 24 hours. If you are reading this article and have questions about this terrific service, also leave a comment.

Posted in Building a Successful Business, Business, The Power of Education | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

The American Financial Crisis Continues

May 15, 2010

While the media tells us the economy is coming out of its slump; we, the people, know otherwise. Many people are in debt up to their ears with mortgages and credit cards, and then they’ve lost their jobs. How are people going to get ahead, when the economy is NOT getting better.

Unemployment is considered a lagging economic indicator. Companies lay off their employees after they have been adversely affected by a recession. The fact is, many companies are not going to bring back the employees that have been laid off, so what are they to do?

The percentage of bankruptcies and foreclosures are very high and they will continue to grow until something is done to get people back to work. Perhaps this is the time for people to think about their passions and start their own companies to provide their own unique products or services to boost our economy. For those individuals that do not wish to become entrepreneurs, they need to find small business owners to work for. After all, small businesses are doing most of the hiring right now.

Many of us were raised on the premise to get good grades in school, get a good job, retire on our pensions and social securities, and live happily ever after. That may have been appropriate 30 years ago, but not in our economy today. Many companies do not have pensions anymore. Social Security and Medicare are in the red so severely, the government is going to have to pay back the money it owes to these programs in order to continue paying the current retirees.

When President Barack Obama took office, he signed a $787 Million Stimulus Package into law to stimulate our failing economy. The Stimulus Package contained money the Treasury didn’t have. As a result, the Federal Reserve printed the money to disperse to the American people. The Fed printed more money to soften the blow to the Market, providing an artificial floor. The media reported that the economy was getting better because the market was doing well. We, the people, were lied to in an effort to keep us from going into a state of shock and panic.

As we were going through our own crisis, Greece’s economy failed. Italy and Spain are not far behind. Germany is the only country that is solvent enough to bail Greece out.  What is really sad is that the United States is on the same track as Greece. If our officials don’t stop spending money they don’t have, this country will be broke. If that happens, who will bail us out? I doubt whether England will bail us out. We fought a war against England for our freedom.

No one is buying our bonds because they have been devalued. China and other countries are unsure about our solvency. If  we have credit limits put on us, the federal government should also have a spending limit. Presently, the government has no spending limit. The Federal Reserve can print as much money as the government needs to keep going.

What is Congress doing about this situation, anything? One or the other senator and representative is talking about stopping the Federal Reserve from printing more money and initiating a spending ceiling. The rest of Congress needs to get on the band wagon, because they are just as much at fault as the President and the Federal Reserve. If worse comes to worse, we, the people, need to take this situation into our own hands and get rid of the representatives and senators that have been around  too long. Perhaps we should vote in a new crop of lawmakers who will do what their constituents want. Our illustrious Senate and House of Representatives have their own agenda. We can fix that, everyone. Let’s use our right to vote to oust these politicians. Let’s elect officials that can do what they have to do.

We need to get this country out of debt. The budget should be balanced, just like our checkbooks. The President and Congress should not be spending money we don’t have. If you, my readers, agree, please comment on this article.

Posted in Economic Trends, Get the Economy Back on Track | Tagged | Comments (0)

Happy Mother’s Day!

May 9, 2010

Happy Mother’s Day to all my readers. Today, two of my three children came over to be with me. My youngest daughter and her family (her husband and my two grandchildren) brought brunch. Last night, my daughter prepared a wonderful dish made with layers of bread, bacon, ham, sausage, shredded cheese and eggs. She also brought fruit, donut holes, donuts, miniature blueberry and chocolate chip muffins, and orange juice. I made Irish Cream Coffee. What a great brunch.

Everyone was hungry when they got to my house at 11:00 am. As soon as the egg casserole was warm, we sat down at the dining room table while the two children sat at my breakfast bar and ate our fill. While we were eating, we watched “Beethoven”  on the Disney channel. My daughter and her family do not have cable at their home. She puts the money she saves by not paying a monthly cable bill in their savings account. They are saving money to renovate their home a little at a time. My son-in-law sends money to his parents in Mexico monthly as well.

My son came a little late, but better late than never. He was very apologetic. He really enjoyed the egg casserole and the miniature chocolate chip muffins. By the time he was finished eating, the Chicago Cubs were playing the Cincinnati Reds in an away game. During the game, the children played with toys that I had accumulated over the years. My grandson had a great time with the puzzle and coloring books. He and his mama colored pages in the coloring book and worked on puzzles.

I’m usually alone in my little condominium. The children come over so seldom because my daughter is allergic to my little dog, Hank. I thought she would be all right because Hank  was clean and had a haircut yesterday at the groomer. My little dog was wearing his tee shirt and a little blue snuggie my son had given him for Christmas. As long as my daughter doesn’t touch Hank she’s all right.

Mother’s Day is a very special day for me because the children and my grandchildren come to my house. Most of the time, I go to their house, which is only 20 minutes away. My son only comes to my home on Mother’s Day as well. He lives about 30 minutes east of where I live. I felt so warm inside having everyone in the house. God blessed me today as he has every day of my life.

Sometimes, I think about the elderly people that never have their children visit them. Being alone is no fun. Some of these poor people are unable to get around . They are stuck in their homes, alone. At times, even though I am able to get in my car and drive a few minutes to see my family, I still feel alone. On days like today, I thank God for my children and their love for me. I also pray for the elderly folks that are alone and very lonely. Loneliness is difficult for people at any age; however, when a person is unable to get out of their home and be with other people, they also feel helpless.

As I sit here and write this article, I pray for all the people who are alone today. I am very blessed with conscientious children who care enough to spend holidays like Mother’s Day with me. When I am unable to drive or get out of my house alone, I know my children will be there to help me. My prayers go out to the elderly who don’t have any children or relatives to visit them.

If you know of an elderly  couple or individual that have no relatives, whether they live in your neighborhood or not, please take the time to knock on their door and say hello every so often. Let them know you care. Give them your name and telephone number and tell them to call you if they need assistance.

Don’t be afraid to reach out to someone in need of companionship and love, because it will come back to you many times over. Our society is not very reverent to our elderly. In other countries, the elderly are celebrated and highly respected. They are taken care of by their children. We need to learn a thing or two from the Oriental cultures. They all care for their elderly parents and grandparents. There are no old people’s homes in China or Japan like there are in America. We need to start taking care of our elderly relatives. Let’s show them our love and respect, and care for them as they cared for us.

If your elderly parents are in a nursing home, make an effort to visit them as often as you can. Make sure they know you love them and they are special in your life. Even if your parents or grandparents have Alzheimer’s Disease and don’t recognize you, go see them. Let them know you love and care for them. That’s what you can do for them.

Happy Mother’s Day to all you women out there! I hope you had a wonderful day!

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