Everyone is sequestered during this time of uncertainty. We as humans are helping each other in many ways to weather the unpredictable future. Using all of the parameters of social distancing and medical awareness we can offer helping hands to our fellow man. We can carry groceries to someone who can’t grocery shop for themselves. Using our nimble hands to clean house for a person who has arthritis is a kind gesture. Helping an elderly person with gardening by carrying…..
The national news reports a field hospital in New York’s Central Park. Battle conditions exist and we must be prepared to meet the invader, head-on. I look at health issues from a nursing point of view and often get frustrated when the health solutions I see aren’t occurring within the system I occupy. When this happens I get aggravated. This aggravation comes from working for 35 years within the nursing profession. Control is an illusion, especially in a rapidly changing…..
A recent article in the Feb/March issue of the AARP magazine describes Georgiette Morgan-Thomas a dynamic 71-year-old woman who sees a need and fills it. When Georgiette can’t find a particular hat that she likes because the manufacturer has shut down their shop she decides to buy the shop and put all the employees back to work, learning the ropes as she goes. Georgiette’s motto seems to be: “This is what happens when you’re not afraid.” According to the National…..
YOU, seems like such a small word – much like IT, or IS, or TO, or IN, or OUT. However, when you examine the word from different directions, YOU can assume many meanings. People use this small word when they are annoyed with someone; “you no good …” Terms of endearment often contain the word; “Oh darling, I love you so dear.” Sarcasm enters the scene when proper etiquette is used inappropriately; “You want to do what”? Songs and melodies…..
HELLO, AFFECTION, DESIRE Meeting and greeting is how it began, for a girl named Joyce and a boy named Van. Waiting and searching each one’s soul tentatively wondering if they should risk adventure and seek out the goal. Life experiences taught them to wait… Like checking out the water before you jump in the lake. If only this time the feeling would grow, maybe the heart would truly know. They learned together what things seem to flow…..
‘Marketing information for this decade is in flux.’ This statement is from an article re-posted by a blogger, Nicholas Rossis, titled “How To Market Your Book In 2020.” It describes the changing landscape of book advancement from aggressively promoting immediate upcoming book launches that morph into promoting year-round book presentations. The changing mindset of book promotions reflects that readers, whether by turning pages or placing an earbud in their ear, want to be offered quality, not quantity information. Social media…..
We enter a New Year with a decade attached. Hopes are high and resolutions sharp. Anticipation drips off words and actions. Verbosity and intention our worth. Too much adrenaline may be our curse. Enjoying the feeling sways easy. Focusing attention skews the anticipation. Throttle and measure the pedal of movement. Counter annihilation of anticipation and propel yourself on a true course of achievement.
This is a busy week full of travel, adventure, and socializing with authors who write about adventure, science fiction, intrigue, suspense, family drama, animal science, and police investigations. I’m honored to be a Finalist in the Readers’ Favorite 2019 International Book Awards Contest with my latest book RIPPLES IN THE GENERATIONS. The award ceremony recognized gifted authors from around the world who received not only prestigious peer reviews but were recognized as credible storytellers in the publishing world. My book…..
Just like our bodies are made to move, being healthy is dynamic. When was the last time that you made a health mistake? Did you correct yourself harshly or grant yourself a free pass? Often when we’re trying to achieve our healthiest selves we hold ourselves to a level of perfection that’s impossible to reach. Imagine that you’re a work in progress – you’re not done with yourself!!! Medical literature and research give us some measurable goals to observe along…..
A poem from my life experience. Her desperate voice: Mom, it’s burning Mom, it’s gone Assistance, immediate Life, gutted Repairs, hard Mourn Rebuild Smile Rest
Our neighborhood community garden has a pumpkin patch full of ripe, multi-colored, multi-sized gourds. I marvel at the variety of shapes in this garden yet each different fruit seems to occupy its own distinct place to make the garden a beautiful, restful place. There are small, white gourds with deep ridges lying next to large, deep-yellow colored pumpkins marked with misshaped forms. Long-necked gourds snuggle next to orange, perfectly round pumpkins that resemble artist-shaped displays. Surprisingly, this mismatched arrangement reveals…..
It’s the end of a busy, stressful day your feet are tired and the blood pressure monitor would probably register high enough so that your doctor is concerned. The fatty, salty burger you gobble for lunch is only partially digested because the hectic office environment keeps you jittery all afternoon. Evening commute Interstate bumper-to-bumper traffic jams have cars backed up for ten miles. Your drive home is eventful enough: you don’t need the road construction barriers marking a detour at…..
A Generational Saga My recent book of fiction ‘Ripples in the Generations’ is a generational saga that explores the delicate process of blending the heart-lifting joy of a life-long high school friendship with a soul-searching genetic relationship. Two factions of the Henry family share a common interest; Williams’ indiscretions, yet each is unaware of just how much they have in common. The next generation of William’s family share his DNA, but William has divided his legacy. Even though this novel…..
Epigenetics piggybacks with CRISPR. The addition of methyl groups (methylation) to our (deoxyribonucleic acid) DNA can change rapidly during the life span of a cell or organism, or it can be essentially permanent once set early in the development of the embryo (Epigenetics). (Encyclopeaedia Britannica Inc., 2018. Web. 29 Jul. 2018) So, what does this mean? It means what you do in your everyday life or what your ancestors were exposed to can ‘tweak’ your DNA (chemical modification). Essentially, the…..
‘Take 2 and call me in the morning.’ Dr. John Whyte Chief Medical Officer at WebMD states that for more than a century aspirin has been considered a wonder drug; treating conditions from heart disease to easing pain. However, medical providers and scientists are gaining a greater understanding of this ‘wonder drug.’ Even though you can purchase this item over the counter (OTC) without a prescription it may not always be safe. Aspirin works by inhibiting the blood from clotting…..
When was the last time you gave something to someone that was good for their health? We all read information about how to keep ourselves healthy – it’s usually while we’re reading through a magazine article in the waiting room of a doctor’s office or when a friend says to us “Ya just gotta read this great article about vitamins.” But do we actually sit down with someone we care for and talk about health issues or share our time…..
You’re in the spotlight every day. A bright light may not be blinding your eyes or beads of sweat forming on your forehead but a glaring spotlight may be shining right in your direction just the same. That heat is the glare of potential illness. Cancer, diabetes, eczema, multiple sclerosis, depression, asthma, psoriasis, deep vein thrombosis, leukemia, lymphoma, allergies, irritable bowel syndrome, meningitis, myocardial infarction are just a few of the potential illnesses that are interrogated under the extreme glow…..
‘Having a capacity for adaptive change‘ is Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary definition for malleable. This remolding can be accomplished either by beating with a hammer or intentional pressure from an internal force. However, both of these methods require that the shape being changed is flexible, elastic, fluid, adjustable and adaptable. Gee! That sounds like a shapeshifter. Yet everyone can do it. It simply takes desire, planning, and routine. Sounds easy I know but these 3 steps are the basis of any change,…..
Each likes to design their personal space – a comfy chair, pretty flowers, favorite foods. Often we customize our exercise routine too much and end up with ‘tunnel vision’ when it comes to an expanded viewpoint on alternatives. Some swear by free weights. Others use aerobics. Still, others profess that it’s only truly pure if yoga tops the list. Possibly, the answer lies in a combination of all. The key is to get up and move! Your body has multiple…..
Saying NO isn’t easy – but vitally necessary. Especially true when someone you care for asks you to postpone your physical workout. Your workout routine keeps you healthy not only for yourself but your loved ones. Health, wellness, and vitality is part of being totally present for your family and friends. Truly, if the people in your life want you to be in their life for a long time they’ll understand your “NO.” “I love you, but no.” is a…..
Reaching centenarian status is a real possibility. A study in PLOS One indicates that adults who perceive aging in a positive light have a nearly 44% lower risk of developing dementia (WebMD.com, Sept./2018). Extensive studies by WebMD provide interesting statistics: 14 million, # of adults 65 and older with chronic health problems 67%, adults older than 65 with high blood pressure 88%, drop in dementia risk for women who are physically fit in middle age 1 in 4, adults 65…..
While driving I noticed an unattended bicycle lying on a public sidewalk. The cycle was discarded along the side of a busy public street. A well-worn black baseball hat hung from the handlebars and the dirty strap of a battered red water bottle languished on the bike’s universal bar. This bike had a story. My nursing instinct urged me to approach to see if the rider had fallen and was lying nearby on the pavement in need of help. But…..
We’ve all been there, albeit for just a brief moment, as we unexpectedly catch the fleeting eye glance of a truly beautiful woman. It occurs as we’re bustling through a busy airport terminal or while hurriedly buying that last-minute item in a congested shopping mall. Whatever the situation, we are intrigued by eye contact. Eye contact increases our pulse rate, decreases our dishonesty factor (we lie less often), increases our adherence to rules and norms and helps us to attend…..
Flowers play a prominent part in spring. Pink, yellow, purple, red, orange, white, green, brown, blue, turquoise, coral, speckled – flowers seem to come in all colors and a variety of shapes and sizes. Well, I guess that nature reflects human beings when it comes to variety. Nature seems to take a fancy pleasure in the diversity in its creation spreading the wonder of color and texture over the landscape of the weary winter soil. Smart humans viewing nature’s array…..
Writing is and can be an exhilarating pass time, fascination and/or profession. I appreciate my friend sharing this professionally created door marker. The insignia surely is not my creation but inspires me when I get a writing block. I took a short break from public writing which turned out for me to be a restless time because as we all know – ‘writers, write.’ The writing bug is beginning to buzz just like all of the busy birds and bees of…..
UNDENIABLE I was watching an interview between Dan Patrick and Ray Anthony Lewis. Ray Lewis completed a distinguished 16-year career as a middle linebacker with the Baltimore Ravens wearing #52 and is inducted into the Football Hall of Fame. Ray mentioned many inspiring quotes during the process of the conversation but one particular thought remains with me: “If you stay ready then you ain’t never got to get ready.” This seems to be his mantra for success. Even though Ray…..
100 million is the estimated number of Americans who live with chronic pain. Special nerve endings in our body can distinguish pain signals from other signals. These nerve endings send messages to our spinal cord. That’s why you yank your hand from the fire without thinking, “That’s hot.” – Your cerebral cortex thinks about the pain and decides what to do. (WebMD July/Aug 2018p.76,77) Your nerves, spine and brain constantly message each other to determine how you feel the…..
By the time you’re 2 years old, your environment has already influenced your developing brain. The message that both early stress and loving tactile interaction affects a child’s brain is nothing new (DiscoverMagazine.com5/2018). When you feed your precious newborn hold them and look into their eyes – don’t lay them on the couch and prop up the bottle with a baby blanket, it’s important! Developmental research shows that having one or more caring adults in a child’s life increases the…..
Co-hosting with James Kelly the syndicated radio talk show “Aspects of Writing” that is devoted to showcasing writers, authors, illustrators, visual arts, and creative composition gives me an opportunity to meet professionals in these fields. Recently we were privileged to host 4 distinguished guests who offered an exciting glimpse into the arena of creative writing and graphic design. These award winning creators share their unique talents with not only the general public but individual children. You may often spot them…..
This web site focuses on maintaining health and wellness. That’s why I’m writing about an invisible lifelong family legacy that you can pass on to future generations by simply making an educational decision. Epigenetics is the chemical modification of genes and how the information in our genes is expressed and used by our cells – how cells read our genes. The scientific journal Nature Neuroscience (June 2004) proved and reinforced this evidence. A mother’s behavior can cause epigenetic changes in…..