Let's Make A Difference

Team Dylan

2012-01-25T06:06:00.001-08:00

All my regular readers know that my daughter plays soccer. The soccer team is one big family and now one of the family needs help, so I am bringing the news to my blog for any help we can get.

Dylan, the 6 year old brother of one of the girls has been diagnosed with Adrenoleukodystrophy and is in need of a bone marrow transplant. Fortunately, they found a donor match, but the special treatment that is to be administered out of state is still going to cost the family a lot of money. They have set up an account to help with those bills through the Children's Organ Transplant Association and we are trying to raise funds to cover the expenses. If you are able to donate, please go to the button on the right margin of this page to do so.

If you are not able to donate, please assist us in praying. There is also a local bone marrow registry and blood drive set up on Dylan's behalf. If you can attend that, please do. If you are not local, please donate blood in your own community and participate in the bone marrow registry as you could save numerous lives. Bloggers, feel free to put this advertisement for fundraising on your blog too, together we can save Dylan's life.

HOW CAN YOU HELP SOMEONE LIKE DYLAN?

Dylans’s Story

Like many 6-year-old boys Dylan loves playing soccer and baseball. He also enjoys school and even spent an entire summer reviewing math flashcards for fun. When he began having trouble in school his parents thought he may be having difficulty hearing, so they took him to the doctor.

An MRI revealed that Dylan suffered from a rare genetic disorder called Adrenoleukodystrophy and his best shot at a cure is to have a bone marrow transplant.

You can help other patient’s just like Dylan by joining the National Bone Marrow Registry and getting on the Big Red Bus on January 27^th at Lockmar Elementary School.

Learn more about joining the National Bone Marrow Registry HERE.

LOCKMAR ELEMENTARY

BLOOD & BONE MARROW DRIVE

FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 2012, 10AM-4PM

For appointment, Call Kristine (321) 544-8665, Lorrie (321) 794-6261

or Christopher (321) 537-4051

Great Interview!

2011-10-18T21:05:00.001-07:00

This Video Makes the Hypocrisy Very Clear - Occupy Wall Street

2011-10-14T21:59:00.000-07:00

The similarities are amazing....

The Whole World is Watching....Occupy Boston

2011-10-14T21:16:00.000-07:00

Watch this video to see what the United States of America has come to. I am ashamed that our government is arresting people for voicing their opinion. Our Constitution allows for people to disagree and even challenge the government!

When the people of Egypt protested in the streets, our administration asked Mubarak to step down, then they insisted on it. Now, we have protesting in our streets and our law enforcement is arresting the people. Gee, can we say hypocritical.

Please watch this video!

Check this video out!

2011-10-14T12:09:00.000-07:00

Check out this video and leave me comments with your opinion!

Try to Post More

2011-07-20T08:24:00.000-07:00

I have been away most of the summer and have not posted on this blog for quite a while. I like the concept of this blog and I would like to make a difference in the world but I have to figure out how I want to focus this blog. If you have any ideas on what direction I should check out, feel free to comment. I am open to suggestions. And, yes, I will start posting more on this blog to create a readership so we can make a difference.

Americans Need Us

2011-04-29T06:28:00.000-07:00

I am almost at a loss for words regarding the recent tornadoes in the Southeastern U.S. As of this morning the death toll is up to 297. The footage of the areas hit is shocking and I really feel for everyone affected. I cannot even fathom the emotional turmoil that those who lost loved ones, homes and all their belongings must being going through. I think the entire U.S. is mourning with them now.

Unfortunately, not too much has been on the news about how to help those people who were affected by the devastation, because the event has been trumped by the Royal Wedding. I realized that the wedding is a moment of good news and is uplifting to a lot of people, but it is over now, so let's get back to reality and help these Americans in need.

I suggest everyone visit the American Cross Website to contribute to this disaster relief. And, if you know of any other non-profit organizations that are helping in that area, feel free to let me know so that I can post those as well.

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

2011-04-11T07:44:00.000-07:00

My family and I recently spent spring break visiting family in Kentucky. While we were there, we visited the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, OH. Let me just say, I love this museum. My boyfriend and the kids were bored to death, but I really liked it. The basis of the museum is educating about slavery in the United States and how it affected the economy, politics and the people involved. We opted to read everything ourselves within the museum, but we probably should have taken the audio tour, I think the kids would have liked that better. I saw some of the people that had the audio tour and they had a little handheld device that was the size of an iphone and there was video and audio of the exhibits.

I think the museum could have been set up a little better because they had the most reading in the first area you encounter and everyone was pretty much burned out on the museum before we went to the other sections that were more interactive and interesting. The museum has some great information and I learned a lot about slavery. There were several movies at the museum that were really great, in addition to a building used in the slave trade and quite a few interactive exhibits.

Also, in October they opened a new exhibit within the museum called Invisible: Slavery Today. There was information and exhibits about the slavery trade today and how it is affecting people. Did you know that there are currently at least 12 million people in the world caught up in some form of slavery? I didn't realize the number was that high, until I visited the museum. The whole exhibit has stories about people who were slaves and how we can help end slavery. I picked up a paper that lists different resources so that we can help and/or get more information. They are asking us to become lobbyists for freedom. For more information, you can visit the following websites (taken from a brochure I received at the museum):

www.freetheslaves.net
www.goodweave.org
www.ijm.org
www.polarisproject.org
www.endslaverynow.com
www.notforsalecampaign.org/action/
www.freedomcenter.org

I Received a Stylish Blogger Award

2011-03-24T19:25:00.000-07:00

Wow, I am totally shocked to receive a Stylish Blogger Award from April at My Fitness World . Not only an I honored, but I was surprised that I received the award for this blog since it is so new.

To accept this award the recipients are asked to do a few things:

Thank and link back to the person who gave you this award
Share 7 things about yourself
Award 10-15 blogs you feel deserve the award
Contact these bloggers and let them know about the award

1. My name is Michelle and I am a blogger. I would say that I am unemployed and looking for work, but I am really enjoying this blogging bit, so I am trying to make a go of it as a job.

2. I have a son age 14 and a daughter age 12.

3. I grew up in Kentucky and came to Florida for college and stayed. I have been here ever since.

4. I have a B.S. from Florida Institute of Technology in Aviation Management. I pretty much gave up a career to become a SAHM when the kids were little, so I have been out of my field for years.

5. I consider myself a single mother because I am not married, but I do have a significant other, John, and we have been together for 9 years. Somehow, he still gets to pick and choose when he helps me with my kids, so yes, I am still a single mother.

6. I have been blogging for about 6 months and this is my second blog. My other blog is Rules Do Not Apply

7. The last thing about me is....... my life pretty much revolves around my kids. I really need to get a life of my own, but I figure, I still have years for that. I am looking for some good friends though, so many people are shallow now days, it is hard to find good friends. Besides, you can never have too many good friends.

I would like to pass this award onto my fellow bloggers:

If you choose to participate in the award "pay-it-forward", grab the award button and follow the directions in this post!

Better In Bulk

Diary of a Return-to-Work Mom

Fitness for Children

2011-03-24T09:20:00.000-07:00

One thing that is really important if you have children is making sure they have enough exercise. Kids of today gravitate too easily towards video games, television and computers rather than engaging in good old fashioned physical play. In the past few years, since childhood obesity has become a major problem, video game creators, schools and parents have been pushed to help keep children active. There have been some major improvements. I know my daughter's school is trying to move towards more nutritious lunches and a minimum amount of exercise in a school day. Of course, we all know about the wave of video games like the Wii and Kinect that allow whole body movement and represent more physical play than the traditional games.

Another way that kids can become fit is to engage in sports and competitions. My kids have been participating in sports since they were 5 years old. Both of them have played soccer and basketball, my daughter has played tennis, and my son has played football and baseball. Currently they are each in a sport, my daughter in a competitive soccer team and my son plays varsity baseball for his high school. Sports are a big part of their life as well as being fit.

Other than team sports, there are other competitions that the kids can take part in. My son used to be in bowling competitions and I know of many kids that participate in the Hershey's Track & Field Games every year. In fact, Hershey's is currently in a big push to promote child fitness with their track & field games. I just received a gift pack from them and MyBlogSpark for this promotion and I am running a giveaway for a gift pack just like it. If you are interested in the giveaway, it is posted on my other blog Rules Do Not Apply. I suggest you follow this link to the giveaway.

If you are interested in more information about childhood fitness, there are numerous websites that offer information on the topic. If you are really passionate about helping kids get fit, I recommend contacting some local youth sports organizations to volunteer for coaching. Now, let get these kids moving and help them lead better lives.

Adopt a Pet

2011-03-23T04:07:00.000-07:00

If you are considering getting a pet, please consider adopting a pet rather than buying one. Unless you are breeding purebred animals, an adopted pet is the way to go in my opinion. They are often cheaper than buying your pet and have most likely been checked out by a veterinarian and may already be spayed or neutered. Shelters are full of animals that need homes. These pets are often given up due to no fault of their own due to dire circumstances experienced by their owners. Here in Florida the animal shelters are full of pets that were owned by people that have lost their home due to foreclosure. Also, when someone dies or goes to a nursing home, etc..., often their pet lands at a shelter.

I adopted my dog from a rescue group. I adopted him when he was about 6 months old and paid $75 for him. He was already neutered, had received all his shots and was already potty trained when I got him. The only downside is that I am not sure what breed he is, my vet thinks that he is a Sheltie mix. I must say that he is the best dog I have ever had and he is loved to say the least. (yes, that is his pic above).

Pet ownership is not for everyone. But, there are benefits to having pets if you choose to go that route. And if you do go that route, please consider adoption. There are animals that need owners that will care for them.

Donating Blood

2011-03-20T20:42:00.000-07:00

I donated blood last Friday. That makes it 17 times I have donated blood. Over a period of time, that does not really seem like all that much, but if each pint of blood can save 3 people, then I could have potentially saved 51 people. Yay me! And yes, I do think that is something to be celebrated.

Giving blood is really a selfless act. You do not get paid for it, or get a tax write off, just a pat on the back and maybe some coupons. For the amount and time and effort that the donor puts out, there should be some celebration for the donors.

There are some advantages however to giving blood. Of course the big one is feeling like you are helping someone. This feeling goes a long way in making you feel relevant and valued. A big advantage for me is that since I have allergies, I almost always feel better after giving blood. I guess the bloodstream carries a certain amount of allergens in it, so giving blood dilutes that some. When I mentioned this side effect to my allergist, he said that many allergy patients have told him the same thing. For men, excess iron can become and issue, so donating blood is a good way to dilute iron levels as well.

For me, I just like the feeling of giving. I do have lapses where I do not donate consistently, but whenever there is an emergency I usually donate since I kinda feel like it is my duty since I am a universal donor (anyone can accept my blood type).

Do you give blood? If you do not, you should consider it.

What Can We Do

2011-03-11T04:18:00.000-08:00

As I sit here freaking out because of the HUGE earthquake in Japan and the pending tsunamis in more than 20 other countries, I wonder, how can I help. I am sure that there will be disaster relief organizations popping up all over the world to help. So, I guess that I could donate money for those. I am too far away physically to actually lend a helping hand.

The extent of the devastation will not be know until later today after all the tsunamis have hit. And then the question remains, where will the next major earthquake be? I am quite concerned over this because the New Madrid Fault in the United States has been very active in recent months.

Another question that remains regarding this disaster is how will the shift in news coverage affect the Middle East? Libya is still in the middle of a revolution where their leader is capable of atrocious acts. We must stay informed about what is still going on there and not forget the Libyans and the other countries in the Middle East that are in turmoil.

Of course, the bigger question is how will these events play out in the financial markets? I am not sure the world could take the financial collapse of a major country or currency. So, can Japan (which has the 3rd largest economy) make it through this disaster? I am hoping that this disaster does not put us on the brink of a world depression.

Lord help us. I am asking that we stay informed and help in any way that we can. If you find ways to help out, please post them on the comment here.

Composting

2011-03-08T07:31:00.000-08:00

One of the small things that we can do for our planet is composting. If you have a yard, you can start a compost pile where you put all your living waste products. This would include peelings from fruits and vegetables, spolied produce, and any cut grass or leaves from your yard. there are also fancy bins that that you can build or purchase that keep everything contained, but they are not necessary.

I started a compost pile a couple of year ago. In fact, I do not have one heap, but I have created a compost ring around two of my oak trees in my back yard. Since I live in Florida, we have enough grass clippings to actually create a ring where I can bury spoiled produce, shredded paper and other biodegradable waste. Peelings, seeds (melon) and trimmings from produce I usually just throw on top and the squirrels and rabbits eat it before it can break down.

The ring serves a great purpose in providing a constant supply of nutrients for my trees and they are doing better than they have ever done. Also, when I need organic material for my gardens, I simply rake away the top layer and I have the best loam that I can dig out and use. Needless to say, my plants love it.

If you do not produce waste to provide for enough organic material for you to use for your plants, you can always use coffee grounds. Startbucks created the "Grounds for your Garden" program in 1995. This program allows for individuals to pick up used coffee grounds from Starbucks locations to use in their garden. Of course, after reading about that program, I began putting my own coffee grounds in my compost ring as well.

Another way to compost is with worms. There is a whole culture of people that use worms for their composting as this allows for the composting indoors. I have tried vermiculture (as it is called) and find it quite rewarding. I had some problems however with the heat here in Florida because my garage got too hot for the worms, but it would be great in a cooler climate. My significant other couldn't be talked into letting me move my worm bins into the house, so I just use the compost rings now.

I encourage everyone to compost one way or another. We really do not need to be sending organic material that would create great fertilizer to our landfills. And really, you may not think that you are making a big difference by composting, but if thousands of people compost, it makes a huge difference. Let's not be part of a problem and become part of a solution.

Little Things

2011-03-07T06:02:00.000-08:00

When I look out into the world, I see the need for change. I often find it overwhelming. Between the politics, the environment, human rights issues, crime and a whole myriad of problems, it all seems never ending. It is like looking at a puzzle with no edges or corners and trying to figure out where exactly to start.

I have decided that I am going to start with the little things. I am going to try to do what I can in the moment and build upon it. If the only thing that I accomplish is to sort out my recyclable goods from my garbage, then I am making progress. If all I do is smile at someone so that they feel accepted, then I am making progress. If I choose not to buy a luxury because I really have something already that is usable, then I am making progress.

It is through this progress that I will build confidence in tackling the bigger problems and set an example for my kids. I realize that we cannot all make good choices 100% of the time, but if we do most of the time, we will accomplish something.

Did you make progress today? Did you set an example? What problems are you willing to tackle? Let's Make a Difference.

Replace Them Already!

2011-02-21T04:56:00.000-08:00

All weekend I have been watching what is going on in Madison, WI. It infuriates me that legislators have fled their post across state lines in order to create a circus and mockery of the state. Is this what this country has come to? If I were to not show up because I did not like an aspect of my job, I would be fired! How are these legislators that fled the state able to keep their positions? In fact I think that the Democratic party should be held responsible for these party members and fined heavily. Every minute that the legislators are not there, it is costing the state of WI more money. Are they trying to create more cuts? Their actions are irresponsible and childish and I am appalled that these are the people that were chosen to represent American.

And don't get me started on the teachers that are getting fake doctors notes in order to protest. Those teachers that are forcing schools to close are impacting every working parent in the state of WI. I think that those teachers should be fired as well. I know that other states are laying off a lot of teachers and I am thinking they would be happy to take those teaching positions in WI.

The Latest from my Egyptian Friend

2011-02-18T09:27:00.000-08:00

I am giving my friend in Egypt a platform to try to get help for the Egyptian people. Below is as he posted on facebook:

"up at 5:AM for hearing a bang that i might have been just dreaming!! at this point, i just need to complain! the silence in the international press about the security situation here is disgusting and irresponsible. where is the pressure from the US state department these days, Whats the point of pushing for democracy if that democracy lacks a civil police force that adheres to the laws of human rights to protect it.......hell, i 'll take the old one until they are retrained to have some decency and a bit of civility... about 65%(number from local news) of convicted felons imprisoned before the revolution are roaming free and just waiting for the army to pull out of Cairo and other cities, which in fact it is beginning to do. The real numbers are being kept secret, trying to prevent vigilantly policing which would definitely take us to a no mans land. i have been told by a reliable source from within the interior department that only the short timers gave themselves up and the few more were caught by the army are a drop in the bucket if you consider that thousands and thousands of criminals are still free.... just take a minute and imagine the types of people that were freed. the Hisb-Allah sect that was busted is out and talking on TV shows (no bull, they even showed their leader arriving in the Lebanese airport), the Hamas guys are out too, criminally insane people are out.
some police have come back but even the cops that did come back are standing in front of the interior ministry asking for better pay and work conditions. They don't want to miss their chance, they figure talk while we can. Not understanding that if you protect that democracy that was created so beautifully even if you had nothing to do with it ,you will be able to talk when ever you want, you will be protected.... fear begets fear, i wish people would start claiming their social responsibilities and beginning the rebuilding process...
you were ordered to stop the revolution and you couldn't, so, don't be the last to rejoin and rebuild this post-revolutionary new democracy."

The Egyptian People Need Our Help! Please Read

2011-02-17T09:27:00.000-08:00

Well, I wish for this blog that I did not have to delve into such a serious matter, but we have to make a difference in this situation.

For a little background...I found a very good friend that I went to college with last week. The problem is he is in Cairo, Egypt. And right now Egypt is a mess...I pulled the following from my friend's facebook page. I left it as he posted, though I did make some spelling corrections (English is his second language):

"the disappearance of police for 3 weeks now is crazy, i don't know a single person or relative in Cairo that hasn't had something stolen from them or their cars or their homes, some have been strong armed and robbed, some aren't being allowed to open their shops. Women are being raped and stolen from their men (literally taken from their husbands cars), people are settling old scores and vendettas with automatic weapons and shot guns, approximately 10 to 15 thousand real estate properties have been overrun by squatters (these are minimal figures), a man was butchered in broad daylight today in his jewelry shop in the city of Suhague. this is all true, and i encourage you to verify my information so that you realize the gravity of this deadly problem. i stake my reputation on this, this is becoming a serious humanitarian problem.
we are letting a few spoil everything we achieved so far. The police must return to the streets before the law of the jungle prevails and all we have done goes to waste. this is my only means of communication with the world, so if anyone has a forum they could present this on please step forward. its not wrong to ask for help, its wrong to hide the truth just so you and your countrymen still seem great to the world. I still believe what we did was great but the people can't become a vigilante police forth and leave their jobs. maybe if you wrote a letter to your state department or congressman, something could be done on an international political level, anything, we can't stand by and let a few street thugs and gangsters high-jack the achievements of the Egyptian people, high-jack the White Revolution.... step up and help..... do your part......."

So I am asking you, if there is anyway you can help, please do so. I really hate to think that my friend is in danger.

Egypt Is On My Mind

2011-02-17T02:27:00.000-08:00

For those of you that read my blog, Rules Do Not Apply, you know that I recently made contact with an old college friend from Egypt. I really liked getting a first hand account from him on the revolution that recently took place. I really respect the Egyptian people and their quest for freedom and want to celebrate the success that they have had. More recently however, I have been getting reports from my friend that Cairo is falling into chaos and anarchy. The police are not visible and crime is rampant. The news here in the United States does not seem to be covering these problems at all.

We need to get this information out to the world so that the Egyptian police and military are pressured to step up and protect the Egyptian people. I will have more information as it becomes available.