Thoughts from Rural America

Over One Quarter of Pet Products Tested Contained Detectable Amounts of Lead

What is Santa bringing your pet this Christmas? A new bed? A chew toy? What about a ball or new collar? Let’s hope Santa and his elves have read the latest information on pet products over at HealthyStuff.org or your furry friend may end up being exposed to hazards any responsible pet owner would frown upon.

The pet product industry is booming. People love shopping for their pets almost as much (or maybe more than) their children. Of course, nobody would deliberately expose Fluffy or Fido to toxic chemicals. The question is whether or not you are exposing your pets to toxic materials, such as lead, arsenic, mercury, chlorine, or bromine. Chances are there is at least one pet product you’ve purchased over the last year that contains one or more of these toxic compounds.

HealthyStuff.org tested over 400 pet products, including collars, beds, chew toys, stuffed toys and tennis balls. Since there are no restrictions on hazardous materials being used in the manufacture of pet products, it was no surprise that HealthyStuff.org found varying levels of highly poisonous elements, especially lead, across all of the different types of pet products they tested. Twenty-five percent, that’s 100 different products, had detectable levels of lead. More than half of all collars contained detectable levels of lead. Tennis balls sold as dog toys contained the most lead, while tennis balls sold for playing tennis often had no detectable levels of any toxin. (At this writing I tried to locate the reference I’d read a year or so ago stating that a dog should not play with tennis balls meant for the tennis court because they have metal imbedded in them; unfortunately, I couldn’t find the reference, but will keep looking and post it once I find it.) Take a look at the results of the research over at the HealthyStuff.org website. It’s user-friendly and easy to understand.

A word to the wise as we approach the holiday season and you are buying goodies for your pet’s stocking. Keep your pet healthy. Make sure all the products you use are free of any toxins.

It's Time for More Moms to Breastfeed, U.S. Officials Say

Deb's Note:  I think it's about time breastfeeding becomes the norm. This article is from MedicineNet.com.
*************
By Amanda Gardner

HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Aug. 13 (HealthDay News) -- With breastfeeding rates still not at the levels health-care providers and policymakers would like, two U.S. health agencies have decided it's time to take action.

Latest Womens Health News

Representatives of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Office of Women's Health, which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services, are spending much of Thursday at CDC headquarters in Atlanta listening to breastfeeding experts tell them what needs to be done to get more women to breastfeed.

Then, by the middle of next year, the agencies say, they plan to issue a "Call to Action" -- a federal document that recommends specific policies and activities to address what they refer to as "an urgent public health priority."

"Helping women breastfeed is a no-brainer in the health and well-being of mother and baby," said Dr. Sheela R. Geraghty, medical director of the Center for Breastfeeding Medicine at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. "It's a completely cost-effective mechanism to improve maternal and infant health in the U.S. And, it's an economic benefit, with less formula costs, less bottles."

"Everybody welcomes this," Geraghty said of the government's efforts. "Basically, they are trying to gather information to identify the need. We know moms in lower socioeconomic categories don't breastfeed as often as other moms and that the workplace environment [can be a hindrance]."

In the decade since the federal government issued a "Blueprint for Action on Breastfeeding," some gains have been made but not nearly enough, say many experts.

According to CDC statistics, about 68 percent of women in 1999 breastfed in the days right after birth, increasing to about 74 percent in the 2005-2006 period.

By the time their babies were 6 months old, only 32 percent of women were still breastfeeding in 1999, compared with 43 percent in 2005-06. And by the time the babies were 1 year old, the number had declined even further: to 15 percent in 1999 and 22 percent in 2005-06.

"We have come a long way in helping moms start," Geraghty said, but "those are still pathetic numbers."

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization recommend that mothers exclusively breastfeed their infants for the first six months of life and then continue the practice with other nutrition thereafter.

But just 12.3 percent of mothers exclusively breastfed their babies for the first six months of life in 2005, according to the CDC.

Breastfeeding has been shown to benefit both babies and mothers. Breastfed babies, for instance, have a lower risk for sudden infant death syndrome, diabetes, obesity and asthma. And by breastfeeding, women can reduce their risk for ovarian and breast cancer along with hip fractures and osteoporosis later in life.

But there are obstacles to getting more women to breastfeed. A big one, according to Geraghty, is the American "culture of maternal-infant separation," which she said is partly driven by women working and going to school. Also, many hospitals separate mothers and babies.

"If you want to be successful with breastfeeding, you need to keep the mother and baby together as much as possible," said Dr. Michael Giuliano, director of neonatology at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey. "There are routines in hospitals that do not do that very well."

Most women of childbearing age in the United States now work, and some women return to their jobs as early as six weeks after their baby is born. That can interfere with breastfeeding, Geraghty said, because "it can take a month to six weeks just to establish breastfeeding."

To deal with this, women sometimes "pump" their own breast milk so their babies can be given breast milk while they are at work, but this can be difficult for some.

"Pumps are expensive, and often people don't have a place to pump at work," Geraghty said.

In addition, many women becoming mothers today were not breastfed as babies, nor did they see their mothers breastfeeding siblings, so they have few role models. "Women are just starting from scratch, and that's very hard," Geraghty said. "You add all of that together, and women are having such a challenging time."

Giuliano seemed to agree. "Lots of moms have difficulties breastfeeding, and most don't have three generations of family members around to help them," he said. "We've found that lots of mothers need support, and that takes lots of time and specialized training. Our institution has just hired another lactation specialist."

The goal, Geraghty said, is for "moms to breastfeed as long as they can and ... to have a good experience."

SOURCES: Sheela R. Geraghty, M.D., medical director, Center for Breastfeeding Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati; Michael Giuliano, M.D., chief, neonatology, Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack, N.J.; American Academy of Pediatrics, Elk Grove Village, Ill.

Copyright © 2009 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.

From cutewithoutthee.tumblr.com

I'm Too Young to Have Breast Cancer, Aren't I? (part 3)

Is there anything a young woman can do to prevent breast cancer? Like with older women, the chance of developing breast cancer is determined by risk factors. The more risk factors, the higher the chances of getting breast cancer. Some risk factors, like genetics or gender, can’t be changed. Other risk factors, such as consuming the so-called “meat-sweet” Western diet (high fat, meat, sugar, milk, bread, dessert), lack of physical activity and obesity, are changeable. Exercise alone has been shown to decrease risk 30-40% for average and overweight women! Eating a diet high in soy foods has been shown to decrease risk in premenopausal women, including teenagers. So, simply taking care of your body will go a long way to minimizing your risk of breast cancer.

Yes, young women, including teens, can develop breast cancer. But, the odds are low. The best advice to minimize your risk is to live a healthy lifestyle. Eat right, don’t do drugs, don’t smoke, don’t drink, exercise regularly, and keep your body fit.  Pay attention to your body, so you will recognize any changes. If something seems suspicious, see your doctor right away.

I'm Too Young to Have Breast Cancer, Aren't I? (Part 2)

So, although breast cancer is the main cause of death for females between the ages of 15 and 54, the younger you are, the less likely it is for you to develop it. In fact, if you are younger than 19 years old, you have a 0.00025% chance of developing breast cancer. In other words, out of 100,000 females under 19, 25 of them will develop breast cancer. This is according to the National Cancer Institute.

When a young woman is diagnosed with breast cancer her concerns tend to be different than the issues and concerns facing older women. In a younger woman, the cancer is more likely to be very aggressive, more advanced and have a lower survival rate (see my article, You Don’t Have to Have a Lump to Have Breast Cancer).

Body image is more of an issue. Should she have reconstructive surgery or not? How will she pay for it if she doesn’t have insurance? Cancer treatment can mean time out of work. How will she survive without an income? If she’s planning a family, what is chemotherapy going to do to her fertility? What if she does get pregnant after her breast cancer is cured? What if she’s pushed into early menopause by chemotherapy? That’s a problem if she wants children. Early menopause may also raise the risk of osteoporosis and heart disease, which are typically seen in older post-menopausal women.

(to be continued)

I’m Too Young for Breast Cancer, Aren’t I? (Part 1)

The American Cancer Society estimated that in 2008, 182,460 females in America will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Approximately 10,000 of these females will be under age 40, and 23,000 under age 45. The incidence for females under 20 is even fewer. Young women can and do get breast cancer.

For females ages 15-39, breast cancer accounts for 26% of all cancer, and in the 35-39 year old age group, breast cancer accounts for 39% of all cancer. The leading cause of death in young women between the ages of 15 and 54 is breast cancer. These statistics sound scary. But before you panic, let’s take a closer look.

To make this simple, let’s say we have 100 females in our 15-39 year-old age group. Every one of these 100 female has some type of cancer (breast, lung, leukemia, etc.). Out of these 100 females with cancer, 26 of them will have breast cancer. The remaining 74 females will have some other type of cancer. Out of those 26 females with breast cancer, 10 of them (39%) will be between 35-39 years old. The remaining 16 females will be 15-34 years old.

(to be continued)       

You Don’t Have to Have a Lump to Have Breast Cancer?

What? What are you talking about? What about those self-breast exams I do regularly every month? And my yearly mammogram, what about that?! I feel fine, except for my breast is itchy and hot. I must have an infection. Or a bug bite. I do a lot of stuff outside. Cancer? Of course it’s not cancer. There’s no lump.

What do you mean, there’s more than one kind of breast cancer? I can have breast cancer without any lump? Nobody ever told me that! Why not?

Why not? That’s a question women all over the world are asking when their doctors tell them they have Inflammatory Breast Cancer, or IBC.

IBC is not a newly discovered type of breast cancer. it’s been there all along. It’s just that the push has been to get women checking for lumps, which is good and needs to be done, but that’s tended to sideline the other forms of breast cancer that don’t have lumps involved, like IBC.

Out of all breast cancer cases, about 6% of people with breast cancer have IBC. But, out of all the deaths from breast cancer, about 25% of people who die from it have IBC. So, it’s rare in terms of total number of cases, but not so rare in terms of total number of deaths.

IBC is extremely aggressive and fast moving. All cases of IBC are stage III (locally advanced) or stage IV (advanced, spread to other organs) when diagnosed. IBC strikes younger women, rather than older women. Sometimes it’s noticed in pregnancy or when nursing a baby. A lot of times it’s “written off” as mastitis or something relatively mundane. African American women tend to get IBC more than Caucasian women.

If you notice anything out of the ordinary with your breast, get it checked out. Don’t wait. Some things to watch out for are red, swollen, itchy or warmth of the breast. Skin may be dimpled like an orange peel, the nipple may be inverted. The breast may be sore, ache, burn or feel heavy.

For more information on IBC watch the blog and visit the IBC Research Foundation at http://www.ibcresearch.org.

The Sauerkraut Runner

What was your first summer job? I bet it doesn't compare to Bob Goodale's first summer job! According to Bob, one day his father came in and said he (Bob) needed to get a summer job and that working at the cannery would be good. Bob's mother agreed. Bob was 13 at the time and started working at the factory soon thereafter.

His first assignment was a sauerkraut runner! Now, if you know what a sauerkraut runner is, give yourself a pat on the back. I had no idea this job even existed.

Apparently, on the way to becoming sauerkraut, shredded cabbage is put into huge vats along with salt. This mixture sits around in these vats for about six weeks before it's ready to be bottled. If it just sat there without being stirred thoroughly, it would get moldy and rot.

Enter the sauerkraut runner. The sauerkraut runner's job was to put on a pair of fisherman's waders and get into the vat with all the cabbage and salt. He would then proceed to run around for 8 hours, stirring up the brine. Now, Bob says it was a lot of fun because "it was his first job" and he got to talk with all the other guys running around the other vats.The money wasn't bad either. He got $.75 an hour.

I'm not going to tell you the whole story here. It's definitely worth hearing in Bob's own words. You can listen to it at American Public Radio's The Story. website.

It's from the June 22, 2009, show called Back from Afghanistan and linked to here.

You'll never look at sauerkraut in quite the same way again.

By the way, if your kids need something fun to do this summer, you could make sauerkraut with them. I found a recipe for sauerkraut at the Wild Fermentation blog. If you're really feeling ambitious, you could make a whole bunch of sauerkraut in one of those kiddie pools. Hmmm, I see some really good (?) holiday gifts coming out of this project...Bye for now.

Should Backyard Car Washing Be Banned?

Can you believe that around 150 gallons of water are wasted each time someone washes their car in the driveway and leaves the hose running! I was shocked when I found this out, too.

Now we all know that this run-off is full of nasty chemicals that can eat away at our car. Imagine what they can do to the environment. And where do those chemicals end up? Yep. They’re being sent straight into the water supply for us to drink. Yuck!

So, should we ban backyard car washing altogether? Personally, I think that’s a bit drastic. For some people, washing their car is a weekend ritual, more of  a past-time than a chore. So, what’s a person to do?

First of all, make sure you use an eco-friendly, biodegradable cleaner. It needs to break down readily.

Second, don’t leave the hose running. Fill a bucket with some soap and water, wet your car down using a hose with a spray nozzle, and then turn off the hose. This way, you’ll use the least amount of water possible and still get to enjoy your weekend car washing ritual.

Third, after you’ve thoroughly scrubbed your car down, give it a quick rinse. Then turn the hose off.

Fourth, once you’ve completed all of the detail work with your microfiber cloth, and your car is nice and shiny, get the hose and wash away the puddles of soapy water. Yes, this takes water, but birds, neighborhood cats, dogs and squirrels will appreciate not having this toxic watering hole around to tempt them.

Now before you go take a nap in your hammock, you'd better put your car in the garage. And, grab the umbrella on your way out to the hammock. It looks like it's gonna rain.

Introduction to No-Dig Gardening

The idea of no-dig gardening was developed by an Australian named Esther Deans. Esther is the author of Growing Without Digging. (As an aside, as I was preparing this article, I did a quick check on Amazon.com to see if this book was still available. I found two used copies for $96 each.) No-dig gardening was originally developed as a labor saving idea and a method to rejuvenate badly depleted soil in a vegetable garden.

The process involves starting with layers of newspaper. Then by adding lucerne hay, straw and compost in succeeding layers, you can create a nutrient-rich growing medium without resorting to heavy digging. This will simplify weeding and encourage your much-desired plants to grow. The layers compost together, and greatly encourage earthworms. The gardens are maintained by adding manure, compost, etc., and should not be dug up, as this will undo the good work.

Below is an illustration of the various layers of a no-dig garden. I found this at Homage to Esther Deans website.

Some followers of permaculture and organic gardening have translated no-dig into never-dig, which I believe is sadly mistaken. If you start with a base soil that is badly compacted, then your no-dig garden will initially work well, but you may find your garden does not continue to perform well. The fertile layer you have built up will encourage the earthworms, but we do know that the worms need to shelter from excessively hot, dry, cold or wet conditions. Worms seek shelter from extreme conditions by burrowing more deeply into the soil, sometimes many feet down. If they cannot shelter in this way, they will either die out or move out. An initial cultivation of the soil before you apply the no-dig system will guarantee a better environment for the worms, and thus a better garden for growing your plants, over the longer term.

For more information on no-dig gardening visit the Gardening Australia website here or the No-Dig Vegetable Garden.

My Girl Graduated

My oldest daughter graduated this past Saturday. I remember when she started high school. She came home and asked if she could graduate early. We talked to the school. Nobody had done it before. My girl did her whole high school career in three short years by doing 10th and 11th grades in one year! She graduated second in her class! And, she wasn't just a study bug. She was actively involved in 4-H, especially sewing. Her specialty is historic reproductions in various eras.

She did this outfit three years ago.

This one is from two years ago.

She went to State for both of these dresses and placed in the top 10 (they don't award first, second, third place--it's top 10 or nothing).

My girl is very caring, very compassionate and very driven to fulfill her own dreams. I couldn't be more proud.

Check out my new updated website...

Hideeho everybody! I've put a new spin on my Fuller Brush website. Check it out at FullerBrushAmerica.com Cleanliness with a side of humor.

15 Things I've Learned From My Neighbor's Dog

I'm sharing this article with you in honor of my Shih Tzu/Maltese, Max, who shared his 15 wonderful years with me. Max passed away 2 years ago. RIP Maxie. newenglanddeb

By: Debra Wier
My neighbor Donna has an adorable Shih Tzu named CoCo. She is one of the most lovable little dogs I’ve ever seen.She has taken a special liking to me and when I go to my neighbor’s house, CoCo greets me at the door with immense enthusiasm. In other words, she goes completely berserk.

According to Donna, the dog likes most everyone but she loves me. I seem to have a strange effect on her. When I go there, CoCo follows me from room to room until I give her some attention. Sometimes I pretend to ignore her just to see what she’ll do. She usually starts patiently by sitting at my feet. Then, she progresses to standing on her back legs and begins “pawing” my leg with her front paws. When that doesn’t work she starts jumping as if to say, “Hey! What’s the matter with you and why aren’t you paying attention to me?” Then finally, she pulls out the heavy artillery and starts growling.
I interpret this as, “You had better pick me up and give me some love or we simply can’t be friends any longer. And, you’d better make it snappy.”

At this point, I reach down and pick CoCo up and she is in heaven! A licking and tail wagging frenzy ensues. Then she settles down and I hold her in the crook of my arm for about 15 or 20 minutes or until my arm gets tired. No sooner than I put her down and the entire cycle repeats. That little dog is just a bundle of joy and she’s a real pleasure (and a pain!) to be around. CoCo makes me feel like a rock star! She acts as if I’m the greatest thing since sliced bread. You know what? It feels really good to have someone be that excited to see you, even if it that someone is just a dog.

In observing CoCo, I have come to understand why dogs are such popular pets. They give unconditional love. People are always trying to teach their dogs tricks. Instead of always trying to teach them, perhaps we can learn a few things from our wonderful canine friends as well.

Things I’ve learned from my neighbor’s dog:
1. Persistence pays off
2. Kisses are meant to be given away, don’t be stingy
3. Protecting your territory is important
4. It’s alright to be scared in a storm
5. A simple ride in the car can be great fun
6. Its good to show others how you feel
7. Cuddling is a wonderful thing
8. Its important to get fresh air every day
9. You can never have too many toys but it’s also good to share them
10. Treating others like royalty will earn you many friends
11. You should always be adventurous and try new food
12. It’s fun to hog the bed sometimes
13. Having a few tricks up your sleeve is a good thing
14. If you’re cute enough, it’s easy to get attention
15. Tail wagging is an excellent way to show appreciation

About The Author:
Debra Wier is the creator of The Metamorphosis Café, a blog dedicated to personal development and self-growth. Debra is also the author of the popular 40-page ebook How To Flood Your Bank Account With Multiple Streams of Internet Income. Visit http://www.TheMetamorphosisCafe.com - get your free copy now!
Article Source: www.isnare.com

Naan Bread Recipe ~ So Good

The Mean Kitty Song

Special Education Meetings: 13 Steps for Success

Meetings and paperwork are a fact of life for special education teachers. A successful meeting starts several days (or more) ahead of the actual event. Here are some suggestions to help your meetings run smoothly and end on time.

1. The key to a smooth meeting is advanced preparation. All of the necessary paperwork, as determined by the type of meeting, as well as state and national regulations, can be done ahead of time. At a minimum the paperwork you need to prepare will be a written prior notice (aka attendance sign-in) form, parental rights, and something to take minutes on.

2. Two or three days prior to the meeting, make contact with all team members either by phone, in person or email. This is just to remind them of the meeting and confirm that they are ready with their input. Don't forgot to touch base with the parents, too.

3. An agenda will help you keep the meeting on track. Most people like knowing exactly what needs to be discussed before they can leave. Running a meeting is not a group activity. It's your job to make sure you don't get sidetracked and that you end on time.

4. Where is the meeting being held? Make sure people on the team know about this. Be sure the space is reserved, if that's procedure for your school. Most schools that I've worked in have a space issue. If that's the case in your school, you'll need to get creative about possible confidential meeting locations. I typically use a conference room, the principal's office, the library or the speech room if my classroom is occupied.

5. So, now you've gotten your space reserved, confirmed time, date and place with the other team members, and all of your paperwork is finished. At the start of the meeting you may need to go over ground rules for behavior. Some teams can be quite contentious and get into things like personal attacks. If your meeting might veer off in that direction, take a precautionary measure and remind participants that the meeting will be civil, including speaking one at a time, no swearing or personal attacks, or whatever you think needs to be stated.

6. The very last part of your preparation has come. This is a very obvious step, but sometimes gets overlooked. Let the office staff know the location of the meeting. Oh, and don't forget your box of Kleenex.

7. The first order of business is having each team member sign the roll. This includes you. (I've forgotten this a couple of times myself--oops!) Make sure stragglers sign in also.

8. Once all team members are accounted for, do introductions, if needed. Then----it's showtime!

9. After introductions, move on to the meat of the meeting. Quickly summarize the agenda and ground rules and the time you'll be ending.

10. About 20 minutes before the end time, let people know you need to start wrapping up. If it's clear that you'll have to call another meeting to finish your business, stop at a logical point on the agenda and plan another time to get together.

11. At the end of the meeting, thank each member for his or her participation, double check for necessary signatures and get copies of the drafts back so you can shred them.

12. Hopefully, your preparation paid off and the meeting was efficient and productive. If you encountered some bumps, just remember not to be too hard on yourself. Nobody has perfect meetings all of the time. Moderating a meeting well takes practice. You'll get better at this the more meetings you have.

13. If you didn't take notes during the meeting or have someone else do it for you, jot down what was said and decided before you move on to something else. This way you'll have something to go by when you sit down to type the minutes out.

Deborah Walker teaches special education to middle school students with significant disabilities. She is a distributor for Fuller Brush, Watkins and an Ameriplan associate. She lives in northern New Hampshire with her family. Go to Special-Education-Teacher-Resources.com for more great resources.

Scientific Advertising by Claude C. Hopkins: Some Key Points

A pioneer in advertising, Claude C. Hopkins was one of the greatest copywriters of all time. Here are a few key points I took away from my reading of Scientific Advertising.

1.    Advertising Has One Job - To Sell.

"Let us emphasize that point. The only purpose of advertising is to make sales. It is profitable or unprofitable according to its actual sales.

"It is not for general effect. It is not to keep your name before the people. It is not primarily to aid your other salesmen. Treat it as a salesman. Force it to justify itself. Compare it with other salesmen. Figure its cost and result. Accept no excuses which good salesmen do not make. Then you will not go far wrong.

2.    Advertisements Should Offer Service.

"The ads are based entirely on service. They offer wanted information. They site advantages to users. Perhaps they offer a sample, or to buy the first package, or to send something on approval, so the customer may prove the claims without any cost or risks."

3.    Be Specific. Stay Away From Generalities.

"One expects a salesman to put his best foot forward and excuses some exaggeration born of enthusiasm. But just for that reason general statements count for little. And a man inclined to superlatives must expect that his every statement will be taken with some caution

But a man who makes a specific claim is either telling the truth or a lie...So a definite statement is usually accepted. Actual figures are not generally discounted. Specific facts, when stated, have their full weight and effect."

4.    Research. Know Your Product. Know Your Customer and Competition.

"Genius is the art of taking pains. The advertising man who spares the midnight oil will never get very far...A canvas is made, not only of homes, but also of dealers. Competition is measured up."

5.    Samples. Coupons. Risk-Free Trials. Use Them.

"The product itself should be its own best salesman. Not the product alone, but the product plus a mental impression, and atmosphere, which you place around it. That being so, samples are of prime importance. However expensive, they usually form the cheapest selling method...

"Give samples to interested people only. Give them only to people who exhibit that interest by some effort. Give them only to people whom you have told your story. First create an atmosphere of respect, a desire, an expectation. When people are in that mood, your sample will usually confirm the qualities you claim.

6.    Test Your Ads.

Again we come back to scientific advertising. Suppose a chemist would say in an arbitrary way that this compound was best, or that better. You would little respect his opinion. He makes tests - sometimes hundreds of tests - to actually know which is best. He will never state a supposition before he has proved it. How long before advertisers in general will apply that exactness to advertising?

These are the most important points. Hopkins' book is full of stories and examples. You'll have to read those for yourself in your own free copy of Scientific Advertising.

For more information visit Project Gutenberg Europe

4 of My Favorite Social Networking Sites You Need to Try

1.    Retaggr.com:  Retaggr is a social network aggregator. In other words, it's a place where you can centralize your social media pages. Instead of referring people to your Twitter page or your Facebook page or your Twine page, you can give them your single, handy Retaggr.com URL. There are lots of social network aggregators. What's different about Retaggr.com is that you can add whatever social networking site you belong to, even if it's not listed in Retaggr's menu. So even though TwitterMoms.com and CafeMom.com weren't listed in the menu of social networking sites, I was able to add my profile pages at both TwitterMoms and CafeMom simply by typing in the URL.

2.    Twitter:    Ok, I admit it. When Twitter first made NPR, I thought it sounded stupid. I mean, I like my friends and all, but really have no desire to hear when they get gas in the car or go to the market. Then I saw the light, albeit about 2 years later. And, I'm hooked. Twitter gives you more eyes, ears and time than you really have in a day because your eyes and time are multiplied by however many people you follow. That means if you follow 10 people, you have 22 eyes (counting yours) looking for interesting things to Tweet about. It also means that you don't have to spend every minute online sifting through the entire web. Results are quick, too. I'm definitely a Twitter convert.

3.    CafeMom: CafeMom.com is a very friendly bunch of women with all sorts of different interests. Married, single with and without kids at home. It's a place to really relax and get to know people.

4.    TwitterMoms.com:  I found this by chance from someone who was on CafeMom. You can connect your Twitter account to TwitterMoms and keep tabs on things with their toolbar. Again, it's a very diverse group of women with a really friendly, relaxed tone.

Get Out of the Stands & Onto the Court

Invitation to Argument

I read a great quote a couple months ago. It went something like this..."I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to."  I'm thinking of getting this tattooed across my forehead, or at least painted on the wall in my classroom. 

I teach special education to middle schoolers with pretty significant disabilities. Now before you laud me with words of praise, telling me how patient I am, how sweet the kids are and other such baloney, STOP!

Here's a newsflash...The disability never impacts a kid's innate ability to give adults attitude. Hormones are hormones, and rage they will, and do, in spite of disability. 

And, some of the kids have had years of practice honing, perfecting, refining their ability to pull adults into an argument to levels never before conceived of by humankind.  Next time they send me an invitation, I'm stamping it RETURN TO SENDER.

I'll talk to you later...I'm off to call my local tattoo parlor...