Laying Low...

Well, isn't she having fun!

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Good Afternoon!
Thursday already, and am still having a few problems with respect to my back.
Ok, so it hurts to breathe even.
And it Reeeeeeeeee~Leeeeeeee  hurts to move

Laughing is out of the question, although giggling is very much allowed

Yes, it has been long enough.
And no, it has proven itself time and time and time again that it won't kill me.
Damn hey? 

• First off, my apologies to a few on my email list that might have been taken aback by my bitchiness in my last "sent" to you.  (But it really is my blog)! hehehe  I will reassure you that it certainly has nothing to do with anyone receiving this through email each posting.

It doesn't happen often; and usually only happens when my fur is rubbed the wrong way for quite some time.
I believe the immediate problem has been resolved on my part.

And life goes on!   ......Say "YAY "

I have a few more pictures of our trip- Seems as though that is all I have been doing is trying to upload my pics to Flickr.
It is tedious, but worth it to me. (Dang dial up).
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While at my grandmothers home in Sault Ste Marie, I took pictures of pictures.

I took this one especially for Cousin Buttercup, Tiffany.
This is her favorite, and since it is her birthday today, it's quite appropriate.


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It is my grandmothers coffee table
complete with all her grandbabies photos as they grew.
I am not in there, so stop squinting-
(I hadn't done my adoption search for those years).

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And this one is of my 2 Uncles and my Aunt Marlene- (She's the one that sends me all the funnies in my email)!
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Aren't they sweet?!?!
Uncle Hector in back,
From left,  my birthfather, Aunt Marlene, and Uncle Chum

(Missing is Uncle Marvin, who hadn't been born yet)

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And then a picture of my grandmothers family as she was growing up.
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The Mayotte Family
Yes, she is in there.
No, I do not know which one she is.

But I really think that Master Gabriel will be looking much like my Great Grandfather.

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Another of my Grandfather, Louis Menard.
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The first night Casey and I were there, I had lay down on the couch.
I couldn't sleep, but I surely had my camera nearby.

Curious, I took the first two with the night vision setting on...

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And then two regular pictures too...
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My new friends may not have had the opportunity to read what I had previously written about my belief in the paranormal, or of my Grandma Rose's home; recalling my first trip to The Soo.
Please CLICK HERE for that conversation blog.

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Those that knew my grandmother will know how much she loved puzzles, among many other things-  Every time we go there, we always put a puzzle together.  During the course of this trip, Casey put two of her own together...

Yes, I helped find some pieces. (I found at least 3 of them too)!   

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Greg had bought Casey 10 puzzles for Valentines Day.
These are only two of those puzzles...
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We had to leave... (God, I really HATE that part).

As we left town, I snapped this picture looking towards Canada.
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I think that someone had built a fire to say goodbye with smoke signals.
hehehe

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And it surely rained while we had been there too. The sound of the wind and the rain, thunder etc, were sounds that we had to reacquaint ourselves with.
So nice to hear though.

As we drove west on highway 2, the skies darkened a bit, and we were heading into even more rain.

And a bit of entertainment too...


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The picture represents about 1/3rd of what that family had in their field
AND, it was ALL for sale!

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hehehe

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Nearer to Manistique, the clouds became even more evident...
So pretty too!

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Casey was driving as my back was not up for it at all.
I sat in the back with Punk, and this is what we saw out of the windows for the rest of the ride home.
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Looking out over the Bay of Green Bay, near Escanaba

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Has anyone read the book, "Truck" by Michael Perry?

This next picture reminded me of that book...
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?????????

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Am thinking that it's pretty cool to be riding in the backseat in the rain!

And soon we were home!
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We had even gotten rain here while we were gone!

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?????????

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Punk was not satified by just seeing the rain gauge, and demanded to be the first in the pool...

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And then she demanded more water...

Greg offered to help her out...

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hehehe

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Casey was hungry for a treat, so she went inside...

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All joking aside, she is one hell of a good cook!
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Fish and Taters!
(Are you hungry yet)?!

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Have a "wunnaful" day!

Love to all

XOXO
Me

· There are two kinds of pedestrians: the quick and the dead.

PRIVATE- For my friends, Re:Paranoia

Help please.
I am losing my mind...

As a few of you might recall, when Casey left for college 4 years ago, all the shit with Randy had been coming to a head.
He had already had his stroke, (to date he is still a changed man, and has never recovered his personality).

It was right after Casey had left for college, (and she had come home, unnaounced, for a weekend), that my garage door came falling down, 2 rollers completely missing.  Although I have my suspicions, I do not know if those 2 incidents are related.
I had fortunately been bending over, holding Miss Milly, or that door would have possibly knocked me out for good.

A few weeks later, as I returned home, and upon opening my garage door, those 2 rollers were right in the middle of the floor of the garage.
To say I was freaked out would be an understatement.

Long story short(er), I had put those rollers into a plastic bag, not touching them, and had locked them in my safe.

Yesterday, Casey and I had reason to go in the upstairs closet for something or another.

My safe sat directly in front of the closet door (One couldn't miss it)! Keys and whatnot IN it.
AND the rollers gone.

• Randy ?
• Daughter ? (Which one? Why?) ?
  
• Gaslight ?
• Paranoia ?
  

Am I being paranoid?
Again, there is NO way I can go to the police. (Although Miss Nyk was good enough to calm Casey down last evening)...
Thank you Nykquee

No. I am not in love with him.
No. I have NOT trusted him since.
But GAWD, I do sure need the help around here...

Additionally, Casey has a key. Kelli has a key.
NO ONE else has any keys.


XOXO
Me


Steely Dan - Gaslighting abbie lyrics

Funny

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Other

While I sat in the reception area of my doctor's office, a woman rolled an elderly man in a wheelchair into the room. As she went to the receptionist's desk, the man sat there, alone and silent. Just as I was thinking I should make small talk with him, a little boy slipped off his mother's lap and walked over to the wheelchair. Placing his hand on the man's, he said, 'I know how you feel. My mom makes me ride in the stroller too.'.

* * *

As I was nursing my baby, my cousin's six-year-old daughter, Krissy, came into the room. Never having seen anyone breast feed before, she was intrigued and full of all kinds of questions about what I was doing. After mulling over my answers, she remarked, 'My mom has some of those, but I don't think she knows how to use them.'

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Out bicycling one day with my eight-year-old granddaughter, Carolyn, I got a little wistful. 'In ten years,' I said, 'you'll want to be with your friends and you won't go walking, biking, and swimming with me like you do now. Carolyn shrugged. 'In ten years you'll be too old to do all those things anyway.'

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Working as a pediatric nurse, I had the difficult assignment of giving immunization shots to children. One day I entered the examining room to give four-year-old Lizzie her needle. 'No, no, no!' she screamed. 'Lizzie,' scolded her mother, 'that's not polite behavior.' With that, the girl yelled even louder, 'No, thank you! No, thank you!

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On the way back from a Cub Scout meeting, my grandson asked my son the question. 'Dad, I know that babies come from mommies' tummies, but how do they get there in the first place?' he asked innocently. After my son hemmed and hawed awhile, my grandson finally spoke up in disgust. 'You don't have to make something up, Dad. It's OK if you don't know the answer.'

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Just before I was deployed to Iraq , I sat my eight-year-old son down and broke the news to him. 'I'm going to be away for a long time,' I told him. 'I'm going to Iraq .' 'Why?' he asked. 'Don't you know there's a war going on over there?'

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Paul Newman founded the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp for children stricken with cancer, AIDS and blood diseases. One afternoon he and his wife, Joanne Woodward, stopped by to have lunch with the kids. A counselor at a nearby table, suspecting the young patients wouldn't know that Newman was a famous movie star, explained, 'That's the man who made this camp possible. Maybe you've seen his picture on his salad dressing bottle?' Blank stares. 'Well, you've probably seen his face on his lemonade carton.' An eight-year-old girl perked up. 'How long was he missing?'

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His wife's grave side service was just barely finished, when there was a massive clap of thunder, followed by a tremendous bolt of lightning, accompanied by even more thunder rumbling in the distance. The little old man looked at the pastor and calmly said, 'Well, she's there.

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May happiness smile on your world and in your heart...

Thank You to my Aunt Marlene!

XOXO
Me

Risk of Pancreatic Cancer Linked to Variation in Gene that Determines Blood Type,

http://www.nih.gov/news/health/aug2009/nci-02.htm
August 2, 2009
News Release -
National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Common variants of the gene that determines human blood type are associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer, according to a study by scientists at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, and colleagues from many universities and research institutions. The study, published online Aug. 2, 2009, in Nature Genetics, is consistent with an observation first made more than 50 years ago.

In the study, the researchers discovered that genetic variation in a region of chromosome 9 that contains the gene for ABO blood type was associated with pancreatic cancer risk. Individuals with the variant that results in blood types A, B, or AB were at an increased risk of pancreatic cancer, compared to those with the variant for blood type O. This finding is consistent with previous research, some of it dating back to the 1950s and 1960s, that had shown increased risks of gastric and pancreatic cancer among individuals of the A and B blood groups (i.e., blood types A, B, and AB). The latest results provide a genetic basis for those earlier observations.

A person's blood type depends on which form or forms of the ABO gene they inherit from their parents. The protein produced by the ABO gene determines the type of carbohydrates (complex sugars) that are present on the surface of red blood cells and other cells, including cells of the pancreas. The proteins encoded by the A and B forms of the gene transfer different carbohydrates onto the cell surfaces to make A and B blood types. The O form encodes a protein that is unable to transfer carbohydrates. Studies by other researchers have shown that ABO protein encoding in pancreatic tumor cells is different than in normal pancreatic cells.

To discover genetic variations that contribute to pancreatic cancer risk, the research team conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS). In a GWAS, researchers analyze common variants, called single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), in the genomes of people with a disease and people without the disease. Initially, the research team studied the genomes of 1,896 patients with pancreatic cancer and 1,939 control subjects to identify SNPs with a strong association with pancreatic cancer. The team then verified its findings by studying the genomes of another 2,457 people with pancreatic cancer and 2,654 people without the disease. In the end, they identified several SNPs on the long arm of chromosome 9 that were associated with pancreatic cancer risk and mapped to the ABO gene.

"Only by working across disciplines and with more than a dozen research groups were we able to make this important discovery of the potential role of the ABO gene in pancreatic cancer risk," said co-author Patricia Hartge, Sc.D., of NCI's Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG). "Although it will take much more work, this finding may lead to improved diagnostic and therapeutic interventions that are so desperately needed."

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States. It is difficult to detect, and in many people it is not diagnosed until after the disease has spread to other parts of the body. Less than five percent of Americans with pancreatic cancer survive five years past diagnosis. Risk factors include smoking, diabetes, race, and a family history of the disease.

"Pancreatic cancer is the newest beneficiary of so-called high-throughput genotyping that, over the past two years, has yielded scores of genetic hot-spots linked to risk for cancer and other diseases," said co-author Stephen J. Chanock, M.D., chief of NCI's Laboratory of Translational Genomics in DCEG. "As more variants are discovered and follow-up studies are conducted to examine the biological effects of these variants, a better understanding will emerge of the inherited risk factors and mechanisms that lead to the development of pancreatic cancer."

The study was part of PanScan, a GWAS of pancreatic cancer conducted by the Pancreatic Cancer Cohort Consortium, composed of 14 academic centers. The investigators are conducting whole-genome scans to identify common genetic variants that may be markers of susceptibility to pancreatic cancer.

Analyses and data from PanScan will be available through NCI's caBIG (Cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid). The summary results for similar data on breast and prostate cancer are already freely available to other researchers at this Web site.

For more information on Dr. Hartge's research, please go to http://dceg.cancer.gov/about/staff-bios/hartge-patricia.

For more information on Dr. Chanock's research, please go to http://dceg.cancer.gov/about/staff-bios/chanock-stephen.

For more information about PanScan, please go to http://epi.grants.cancer.gov/PanScan.

NCI leads the National Cancer Program and the NIH effort to dramatically reduce the burden of cancer and improve the lives of cancer patients and their families, through research into prevention and cancer biology, the development of new interventions, and the training and mentoring of new researchers.
For more information about cancer, please visit the NCI Web site at http://www.cancer.gov or call NCI's Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237).

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation's Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

Reference: Amundadottir L., et al.
Genome-wide association study identifies ABO Blood Group Susceptibility Variants for Pancreatic Cancer.
Nature Genetics.

Longleat - As featured on BBC's Animal Park

http://www.longleat.co.uk/attractions/hedge-maze.html

---------- Travel site picks world's top mazes -----------

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. - The Longleat Hedge Maze in
Warminster, England, topped a California-based travel
Web site's list of the "Top Five Most Amazing Mazes."
VirtualTourist.com said it chose the Longleat Hedge
Maze for the top position on the list because of its
observation tower at the end that allows those who have
completed the maze to observe people who are still lost.
Coming in second was the Ashcombe Maze & Water Gardens
in Victoria, Australia, which was cited for its more
than 1,200 rose bushes including 200 varieties of the
flower. The Web site chose Cowtown Cattlepen Maze in
Fort Worth, Texas, for the No. 3 spot, saying the maze
is made more enjoyable by prizes offered for beating
the clock and other maze-goers. Soekershof Mazes and
Gardens in Klaas Voogds West, South Africa, was given
a mention for its local history-related clues that help
visitors find their way through the maze and the final
maze on the list, Schonbrunn in Vienna, Austria, was
chosen to round out the list for its rich history,
having been built in the 17th or 18th century and
restored at the end of the 20th century.
From here: www.bizarrenews.com

Click at top for more pictures...
Would you, could you do this?

XOXO
Me

Recall ~Soups, Hot Chocolate and Cappuccino (Salmonella).

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm174749.htm
United Food Group, Inc. Recalling Product Because Of Possible Health Risk



Contact:
Barbara Boyer
(847) 622-1803



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- July 30, 2009 -- United Food Group, Inc announced a voluntary recall of products that contain instant nonfat dry milk manufactured by Plainview Milk Products Cooperative. This recall is a precautionary measure due to the voluntary recall of instant nonfat dry milk announced by Plainview Milk Products Cooperative on June 29, 2009.


Due to the products potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, the following are being recalled:



Victorian Inn®
Cream of Mushroom Soup
.66 lb Can


Victorian Inn®
Baked Potato w/ Bacon Soup
.66 lb Can


Victorian Inn®
Cream of Chicken Soup
.66 lb Can


Victorian Inn®
Cream of Broccoli Soup
.55 lb Can


Victorian Inn®
Cream of Chicken Soup
21g Single Serve Packet


Victorian Inn®
Cream of Broccoli
21g Single Serve Packet


Victorian Inn®
Baked Potato w/ Bacon Soup
21g Single Serve Packet


Perfect Servings™
French Vanilla Cappuccino
1.5 lb. Bags


Perfect Servings™
Cream of Mushroom
1.5 lb. Bags


Perfect Servings™
Potato w/ Bacon
1.5 lb. Bags


Perfect Servings™
Cream of Chicken
1.5 lb. Bags


Perfect Servings™
Cream of Broccoli
1.5 lb. Bags


Victorian Inn®
Cappuccino Topping
1.1 lb. bags


Victorian Inn®
Cappuccino Frothing Milk
1.5 lb. Bags


Herico™
Horchata, Can
1.25 lb. Can


Herico™
Horchata, Bag
1.25 lb. Bags


Herico™
Horchata, Bucket
25lb. Bucket


Perfect Servings™
Double Dutch Hot Chocolate w/ Marshmallows
1.5 lb. Bags



No other products other than these listed above are involved in the recall and only if distributed between 6/4/2007 and 6/4/2009. These products were distributed nationwide.

Consumers who have purchased these products are urged to return them to the place of purchase. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-847-622-1803.

United Food Group, Inc. has not received any reports of illness in connection with the items listed above to date, and no other United Food Group, Inc. products are affected by this action. For more information on Salmonella, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Website at http://www.cdc.gov.

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How Many Americans Die Yearly Without Health Insurance? ~PolitiFact ~

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2009/jul/30/bill-pascrell/pascrell-says-22000-americans-die-yearly-because-t/
"As many as 22,000 Americans die each year because they don’t have health insurance."


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Bill Pascrell on Tuesday, July 28th, 2009 in a speech on the House floor
Pascrell says up to 22,000 Americans die yearly because they don’t have health insurance
True

The debate over reforming the U.S. health care system has inspired a torrent of often conflicting statistics. We will look at three assertions made by Democratic Rep. Bill Pascrell of New Jersey. In this item, we will test his assertion that “as many as 22,000 Americans die each year because they don’t have health insurance.”

On July 28, 2009, Pascrell took to the House floor to counter assertions by Republicans and others that a Democratic bill under consideration in the chamber would lead to the rationing of health care. Pascrell’s larger point was that rationing already exists today, just a different type – thanks to the financial barriers to coverage faced by millions of Americans.

Specifically, Pascrell said: “Forty-five percent of Americans went without needed care because of costs in this country in 2007. That’s rationing. Fifty-three percent of Americans cut back on their health care in the last year because of costs. That’s rationing. … As many as 22,000 Americans die each year because they don’t have health insurance. My brothers and sisters, that’s rationing.”

We are not going to weigh in on the question of whether it’s fair to equate Pascrell’s examples of “rationing” with what the bill’s critics charge the bill would do if enacted. Rather, we wanted to gauge whether Pascrell’s numbers were sound. So we looked at these three claims individually.

The number in this claim comes from “Uninsured and Dying Because of It: Updating the Institute of Medicine Analysis on the Impact of Uninsurance on Mortality,” a paper published in January 2008 by the Urban Institute, a think tank. Stan Dorn, a senior research associate, wrote the paper to bring up to date a 2002 study by the federally chartered Institute of Medicine that estimated that 18,000 Americans died in 2000 because they were uninsured.

Dorn replicated the methodology of the Institute of Medicine, which developed long-term studies that measured the links between insurance status and death rates. The intitute’s researchers then used annual statistics on insurance rates and deaths to determine an estimate of extra deaths attributable to the lack of insurance. Dorn used newer data to redo the calculations and concluded that 22,000 people died due to lack of insurance in 2006. We tried to contact Dorn to see if the numbers could be brought even further up to date, but we were unable to reach him.

In his paper, Dorn acknowledges important caveats. He writes that his numbers are estimates that should not be viewed “as precise ‘body counts.’ The true number of deaths resulting from uninsurance may be somewhat higher or lower than the estimates in this paper,” adding that that number “is surely significant.”

To his credit, Pascrell appears to understand these uncertainties, saying “as many as 22,000” in his speech, rather than settling on a specific number. And he’s also more up-to-date than his colleague, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who cited the older, 18,000 figure on the July 28, 2009, edition of MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow Show

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One day you may know and love one of these 22,000 people.
(If you don't already).

XOXO
Me

PLEASE ALSO SEE: my blog entry here:
http://flintville.multiply.com/journal/item/840

Entitled Simply: "Health Care (No Fear, Only FACTS)"

~H1N1 Flu~ U.S. Situation Update CDC

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/update.htm

The 2009 influenza pandemic has spread internationally with unprecedented speed. In past pandemics, influenza viruses have needed more than six months to spread as widely as the new H1N1 virus has spread in less than six weeks.

Novel H1N1 Flu Situation Update
July 31, 2009, 11:00 AM ET

Map: Weekly Influenza Activity Estimates Reported by State and Territorial Epidemiologists
(Activity levels indicate geographic spread of both seasonal and novel influenza A [H1N1] viruses)
(Posted July 31, 2009, 1:30 PM ET, for Week Ending July 25, 2009)

~



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*(If your state is now counted in "regions" here is that US map).
~

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Percentage of Visits for Influenza-like Illness (ILI) Reported by the U.S. Outpatient Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Network (ILINet), National Summary 2008-2009 and Previous Two Seasons
(Posted July 31, 2009, 1:30 PM ET, for Week Ending July 25, 2009)
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Changes in reporting requirements for pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus infection
Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 briefing note 3 (revised)
(From here): http://www.who.int/en/

16 JULY 2009 | GENEVA -- As the 2009 pandemic evolves, the data needed for risk assessment, both within affected countries and at the global level, are also changing.

At this point, further spread of the pandemic, within affected countries and to new countries, is considered inevitable.

This assumption is fully backed by experience. The 2009 influenza pandemic has spread internationally with unprecedented speed. In past pandemics, influenza viruses have needed more than six months to spread as widely as the new H1N1 virus has spread in less than six weeks.

The increasing number of cases in many countries with sustained community transmission is making it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for countries to try and confirm them through laboratory testing. Moreover, the counting of individual cases is now no longer essential in such countries for monitoring either the level or nature of the risk posed by the pandemic virus or to guide implementation of the most appropriate response measures.
Monitoring still needed

This pandemic has been characterized, to date, by the mildness of symptoms in the overwhelming majority of patients, who usually recover, even without medical treatment, within a week of the onset of symptoms. However, there is still an ongoing need in all countries to closely monitor unusual events, such as clusters of cases of severe or fatal pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus infection, clusters of respiratory illness requiring hospitalization, or unexplained or unusual clinical patterns associated with serious or fatal cases.

Other potential signals of change in the currently prevailing pattern include unexpected, unusual or notable changes in patterns of transmission. Signals to be vigilant for include spikes in rates of absenteeism from schools or workplaces, or a more severe disease pattern, as suggested by, for example, a surge in emergency department visits.

In general, indications that health services are having difficulty coping with cases mean that such systems are under stress but they may also be a signal of increasing cases or a more severe clinical picture.

A strategy that concentrates on the detection, laboratory confirmation and investigation of all cases, including those with mild illness, is extremely resource-intensive. In some countries, this strategy is absorbing most national laboratory and response capacity, leaving little capacity for the monitoring and investigation of severe cases and other exceptional events.
Regular updates on newly affected countries

For all of these reasons, WHO will no longer issue the global tables showing the numbers of confirmed cases for all countries. However, as part of continued efforts to document the global spread of the H1N1 pandemic, regular updates will be provided describing the situation in the newly affected countries. WHO will continue to request that these countries report the first confirmed cases and, as far as feasible, provide weekly aggregated case numbers and descriptive epidemiology of the early cases.

For countries already experiencing community-wide transmission, the focus of surveillance activities will shift to reporting against the established indicators for the monitoring of seasonal influenza activity. Those countries are no longer required to submit regular reports of individual laboratory-confirmed cases to WHO.

Monitoring the virological characteristics of the pandemic virus will be important throughout the pandemic and some countries have well-established laboratory-based surveillance systems in place already for seasonal influenza virus monitoring. Even in countries with limited laboratory capacity, WHO recommends that the initial virological assessment is followed by the testing of at least 10 samples per week in order to confirm that disease activity is due to the pandemic virus and to monitor changes in the virus that may be important for case management and vaccine development.

Updated WHO guidelines for global surveillance reflect in greater detail these recommended changes, in line with reporting requirements set out in the International Health Regulations.

Pandemic influenza in pregnant women

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/notes/h1n1_pregnancy_20090731/en/index.html
Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 briefing note 5

31 JULY 2009 | GENEVA -- Research conducted in the USA and published 29 July in The Lancet [1] has drawn attention to an increased risk of severe or fatal illness in pregnant women when infected with the H1N1 pandemic virus.

Several other countries experiencing widespread transmission of the pandemic virus have similarly reported an increased risk in pregnant women, particularly during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. An increased risk of fetal death or spontaneous abortions in infected women has also been reported.
Increased risk for pregnant women

Evidence from previous pandemics further supports the conclusion that pregnant women are at heightened risk.

While pregnant women are also at increased risk during epidemics of seasonal influenza, the risk takes on added importance in the current pandemic, which continues to affect a younger age group than that seen during seasonal epidemics.

WHO strongly recommends that, in areas where infection with the H1N1 virus is widespread, pregnant women, and the clinicians treating them, be alert to symptoms of influenza-like illness.
WHO recommendations for treatment

Treatment with the antiviral drug oseltamivir should be administered as soon as possible after symptom onset. As the benefits of oseltamivir are greatest when administered within 48 hours after symptom onset, clinicians should initiate treatment immediately and not wait for the results of laboratory tests.

While treatment within 48 hours of symptom onset brings the greatest benefits, later initiation of treatment may also be beneficial. Clinical benefits associated with oseltamivir treatment include a reduced risk of pneumonia (one of the most frequently reported causes of death in infected people) and a reduced need for hospitalization.

WHO has further recommended that, when pandemic vaccines become available, health authorities should consider making pregnant women a priority group for immunization.
Danger signs in all patients

Worldwide, the majority of patients infected with the pandemic virus continue to experience mild symptoms and recover fully within a week, even in the absence of any medical treatment. Monitoring of viruses from multiple outbreaks has detected no evidence of change in the ability of the virus to spread or to cause severe illness.

In addition to the enhanced risk documented in pregnant women, groups at increased risk of severe or fatal illness include people with underlying medical conditions, most notably chronic lung disease (including asthma), cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and immunosuppression. Some preliminary studies suggest that obesity, and especially extreme obesity, may be a risk factor for more severe disease.

Within this largely reassuring picture, a small number of otherwise healthy people, usually under the age of 50 years, experience very rapid progression to severe and often fatal illness, characterized by severe pneumonia that destroys the lung tissue, and the failure of multiple organs. No factors that can predict this pattern of severe disease have yet been identified, though studies are under way.

Clinicians, patients, and those providing home-based care need to be alert to danger signs that can signal progression to more severe disease.
As progression can be very rapid, medical attention should be sought when any of the following danger signs appear in a person with confirmed or suspected H1N1 infection:

* shortness of breath, either during physical activity or while resting
* difficulty in breathing
* turning blue
* bloody or coloured sputum
* chest pain
* altered mental status
* high fever that persists beyond 3 days
* low blood pressure.

In children, danger signs include fast or difficult breathing, lack of alertness, difficulty in waking up, and little or no desire to play.

________________________________

[1] Jamiesan DG et al. H1N1 2009 influenza virus infection during pregnancy in the USA. Lancet 2009; published online July 29, 2009

Sault Ste. Marie- And Her People!

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It's raining!

And has been since early morning!

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Good Late Lazy Afternoon!
We came home from The Soo to the fact that it had rained also. More is needed for the crops and for the water tables. As they said on the news this morning, it is still a "moderate drought"- So every little bit helps...

*Better grab a cup of coffee, I might have gotten a little long-winded.
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Back to our trip to Sault Ste. Marie aka "The Soo"..

This is the back of Grandma Rose's home. This is where my birthfather was born on Christmas Day 'way back when. (They also had a place on Sugar Island where they would reside during the warmer weather).
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Dummy that I am,
I never did take a picture of the front, and the new porch Uncle Chum put on.
I may have put that on an earlier entry though...

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This is my Uncle Chum...
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OK...  I will concede that the above picture was taken last year... or so.
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Here he is!
Uncle Chum last week.

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Uncle Chum and I

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We got there on Wednesday- It was the last full day that my cousin Jerry, his wife Maria, and his daughter Kathy, were there. They live in Pennsylvania, and had come to Sugar Island for vacation!
SO nice to see them again- (Missing is oldest daughter Kelly who has just graduated from Chefs School).
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Casey, Maria, Kathy, and Jerry!

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Acting silly!

Maria's shirt says,
"All men are idiots. I married their king."
Sassy. Sassy. Sassy.  hehehe

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I surely did not envy them their drive home- wanting to get to Pennsylvania before pulling off for the night-  They called Uncle Chum the next afternoon and were home safe and sound!

My cousin Tiffany (affectionately known to me as "BUTTERCUP"), came to visit a few times!
She is always so energetic, having such a great sense of humor!
Home only for the Summer, she leaves next week to go back to Colorado. She is a teacher.

Her only downfall is that she is not a Green Bay Packers fan... hehehe
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Buttercup!  And ready for a class reunion!
(She crashed it). hehehe

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Here she is with her nephew Andrew! They were off bumming that day- A visit to her dads place, then off for ice cream too!  Andrew has a twin that stayed at Rose's house that day while his mama worked.
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This is my cousin Rose- Buttercups mama...
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Rose, on her birthday!
They had taken the boys fishing at the park by Clyde's Diner.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday Dear Rosie,
I hope it was sweet!
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

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They had taken the boys fishing at the park by Clyde's Diner.
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Tiffany and her mama.

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Sometimes, when you are only 5, things get messed up with your fishing pole.

Rose went over to see if she could help...
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Nathan and Rose

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But then it was time to show brother Andrew and see if he could help.
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And he really tried to help, showing him how it was together...
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Andrew helping his brother Nathan
This is one of the very best pictures I have ever taken ~contentwise.
Sorry it is so blurry.
Blurry but precious!

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I have other pictures, but boy oh boy, none so grand as that one.

I took a few pictures OF pictures in the house while I was there-
A daguerreotype of my grandfathers ship when he was in the navy- The USS Lake Gakona in The English Channel. (At least I think that it is a daguerreotype; it is very shiny and metallic).
At any rate the picture would not turn out no matter how I changed settings on my camera. Next trip I will have to make a copy of it if possible.  SO COOL!

I took a picture of my grandparents and a new car!

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I have seen this photo many times, and it always makes me smile!
(I would have framed it too)!
Looks like it might have even been for an advertisement, or the like...

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I must close for now-
Will try to post a bit tomorrow to finish off our trip- (Including the pics of the people that were there in spirit too)...

Such a nice day today with the rain- it has gone for now- News said 1/10th of an inch, but like I said above, every little bit helps!

Kelli has just called- Her and Mr Miller will be stopping over shortly

Love to all- Have a "wunnaful" evening!

XOXO
Me

"Recipe" for Warshing Clothes...

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Other

Years ago an Alabama grandmother gave the new bride the following
recipe. This is an exact copy as written and found in an old scrapbook, spelling errors and all.


WARSHING CLOTHES


Build fire in backyard to heat kettle of rain water. Set tubs so smoke
wont blow in eyes if wind is pert. Shave one hole cake of lie soap in
boilin water.

Sort things, make 3 piles

** 1 pile white,
** 1 pile colored,
** 1 pile work britches and rags.

To make starch, stir flour in cool water to smooth, then thin down with
boiling water.

Take white things, rub dirty spots on board, scrub hard, and boil, then rub colored don't boil just wrench and starch.

Take things out of kettle with broom stick handle, then wrench, and
starch.

Hang old rags on fence.

Spread tea towels on grass.

Pore wrench water in flower bed.
Scrub porch with hot soapy water.

Turn tubs upside down.

Go put on clean dress, smooth hair with hair combs..
Brew cup of tea, sit and rock a spell and count your blessings.

================================================

Paste this over your washer and dryer.

Next time when you think things are bleak, read it again, kiss that washing machine and dryer, and give thanks. First thing each morning you should run and hug your washer and dryer.
Maybe also your toilet---those two-holers used to get mighty cold!

*************

Thank you Auntie!

XOXO
Me

Addressing the Masses (Respecting My Blog)...

Good Day All;
Before I post a new blog about our trip to "The Soo", I believe I must address the situation within my previous posted link. (Perhaps I should add this to my "about me" also)?

The greenish highlights below are only a part of a blog I had written years back...
http://flintville.multiply.com/journal/item/67/I_Believe_Still

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am finding it very hard to be keeping up with everyone, and apologize for this- Yet I do wish to be thanking everyone that has asked to be added as my friend too.

I have denied but a few people- on the grounds that I will never add an empty/closed page, or one without a photo; save for my personal friends and relatives.

I am hoping that you will know me as kind, compassionate, caring; (and halfway creative ~at times anyway)-

I have many positive energies- as well as a few negative ones- (we all possess those and work on them daily).

I am active.

I am not afraid to sweat or to get my hands dirty- (although I wish never to get my name dirty).

I love and respect animals, (and yes, I abhor spiders).

I can run hot, cold, ---and every conceivable degree inbetween--- (I reserve my hottest for the most appropriate times-, and know when to be absolutely cold also).

I do NOT tolerate immorality.

I do NOT tolerate drunks, druggies, liars, thieves, or cheats. (Or bloggers that, having NO life of their own, can only gossip and lie)...

I do NOT abide suffering or pain; especially that kind brought on by someone who is supposed to love you with all their being- heart and soul. Nor whether it is physical, mental, psychological, (or even just imagined).

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Simply put,
Pain is pain. ..
.. Suffering is suffering.

As stated, please keep in mind that you need not agree with me on it all.
(Personally), I have a tendency to celebrate our differences, and not whine about them...

And yeah, I really AM the person I have written about. (Kinda boring that way too)! 

"I BELIEVE"....
Click here to read that blog in its entirety

Originally blogged, Wednesday August 16, 2006 - 07:24am

Therefore...
We are all adults.

• I can handle honest~to~goodness, good~natured ribbing, as I believe most of you can as well. Yet when it morphs into surly garbage, I am hurt.
  
  
• I ask that you not be writing profanity or otherwise raunchy or really offensive stuff within my pages.
  
  
• I ask that nothing be "stolen" "borrowed" from me without my permission. (This includes my own words and photos).
  
  
• Know that if you "put yourself out there" and open yourself up, you may be written back at. (After all, that IS the purpose of commenting on my things, is it not)?
  
  
• As always, and without exception, you are welcomed to disagree within any of my blogs, or links or reviews.
  Please just do it nicely.
  
  
  

(The key word in all of the above is "my").

Casey is known to be very, very, fair.
She is also known to be very very passionate.
But there naturally comes a time when that 'level' of hers gets tipped, and all hell breaks loose.
This has happened to one person previously within our Yahoo! 360~Blogs.
I made no apologies for her comments then. I won't do it now.
Actually I do not think I have ever apologized for anyone that has stuck up for me, ever.

Know, and respect, that there is a huge difference between fighting and disagreeing.
There's a big difference between ignorant and "just plain st00pid" too. And I haven't called ANYone names in a bad way; (not with that last sentence, nor ever).
You will never have to ask if I am angry. I promise you will "know".

Should problems arise, please do the right thing, and just ask.
Since I comment "right backatcha" on most of my posts, it will not take long for me to address any issue you might believe you have.
(And I honestly do think of myself as a halfway intelligent and decent person).

Furthermore, I generally do not write what I may link to, save for the links within my blogs that ask you to reread something (see linked words above).

• 99.9% of what I link to is NOT written by me.

Last but not least, it really is MY blog.
I reserve the right to write, post, blog, (and talk back), as I choose, within my pages.
 
Questions? 
Please see the empty boxes below. They really are there for YOU!

I am done with this rant for now.

And NOW, on to my next real blog, (which should be posted within the hour).

XOXO
Me

Coffee Co. Tea Affected by Milk Product Recall

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm173851.htm
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - July 27, 2009 -
Fireside Coffee Co. Swartz Creek, MI is recalling all Fireside Chai Tea that contains dry milk produced by Plainview Milk Products after June 2007. Plainview Milk Products of Plainview, MN has recalled its instant non-fat dry milk because of potential Salmonella contamination. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem.



The Fireside Coffee Co. Chai Tea affected by this recall was distributed nationwide in retail stores, through mail orders and at art fairs. The Chai tea under recall comes in the following four flavors: Spiced, Chocolate, Vanilla and Decaf Vanilla. All four flavors come in a variety of package sizes including a 12oz. box, a 1 lb. sampling bag, 5 lb. bulk packages and single serving packets. The lot number is printed on the bag for each package size and only the following lot numbers are included:

VANILLA CHAI
1LB SAMPLING BAG: D81732157/58/33
12OZ BOX: (UPC: 7-61167-60522-3) A82432157,B827I32156/57, D80932156/57, E8022133/58/32, J831VCHAI32155, L804VCHAI32154, A916VCHAI32216
5LB BAG: C81432158, D81732157/58/33, J831VCHAI32155, A929VCHAI32216
SINGLE SERVE PACKET: (UPC: 7-61167-30522-2) 8311/31255, 8312/31255/35, 8312/31255/3

DECAF VANILLA CHAI ,
12OZ BOX: (UPC: 7-61167-61508-6) A916DVCH32215
SINGLE SERVE PACKET: (UPC: 7-61167-31508-5) 8311/32129/205

CHOCOLATE CHAI
1LB SAMPLING BAG: A83132163/37/38, B801I32137/63/38, D83032141/40, A930CHOCOCHAI32160
12OZ BOX: (UPC: 7-61167-60523-0) A80432162, A81132141/62, A82432137/63, A83132163/37/38, D80932138/63, D82432162/63/38/41, J830CHOCOCHAI32209/139, K812CHOCOCHAI32209/161, L804CHOCOCHAI32160, B917CHOCOCHAI32160/59
5LB BAG: A82432137/63, J814CHOCOCHAI32159, K812CHOCOCHAI32209/161, A929CHOCOCHAI32160
SINGLE SERVE PACKET: (UPC: 7-61167-30523-9) 8215/32209/08

SPICED CHAI
1LB SAMPLING BAG: L70432148/49, B80632148/52/53, D81132150, D83032145, A930SPICEDCHAI32219
12OZ BOX: (UPC: 7-61167-60524-7) A80332147, A81132148, A82432148/47, B80632148/52/53, B80832152/51, B81332151, D81032151/50, J824SPICEDCHAI32207, J830SPICEDCHAI32207/06, J831SPICEDCHAI32206, K810SPICEDCHAI32146/207, K811SPICEDCHAI32146/47/207, K819SPICEDCHAI32147, A908SPICEDCHAI32220
5LB BAG: K72732149, A80732149, A82432148/47, B80632148/52/53, F81932147, K811SPICEDCHAI32146/47/207, A908SPICEDCHAI32220
SINGLE SERVE PACKET: (UPC: 7-61167-30524-6)8312/32206

Consumers who have purchased Fireside Chai Tea with one of the lot numbers listed above should not consume the product and may call 800-344-5282 (M-F from 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.) to discuss how to return the recalled tea.

Contact:
Angie Root, 800-344-5282
Fireside Coffee Company, Inc.
3239 Elms Rd.
Swartz Creek, MI 48473



###

Many Eyes (Earmarks).

http://manyeyes.alphaworks.ibm.com/manyeyes/visualizations/2005-earmarks-by-state-per-capita-up

Click the link above... Check your own state.
Truly, Ms Palin, I would have stepped down too.

XOXO
Me

Day One of Our Trip to Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan

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Good Afternoon!
Casey and I left last week, heading to The Soo.
We made it to St. Ignace that first day- Her tummy and my back refusing to travel that last hour, and knowing we had already pushed it for the day...

We would have stayed at the Kewadin Hotel, but they had recently changed their pet~friendly policy. So... on down the road. We stayed at a little motel- (Can't even remember the name of it right now), but the gal that ran it is one in a million! 
Punk~friendly too!

AND, a mere 20 steps or so away from this...
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Lake Huron, Sunrise.
Can you feel it? Hear it? Smell it?

Neither Casey nor myself had really eaten anything- Casey had a sandwich for lunch, but it was time to eat a bit more...

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Casey- enjoying her steak!
(Sorry, obviously I didn't have the flash on)...
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Only one little wrench in the works came when I had an anxiety attack smack dab in the middle of supper-
We asked for some doggie bags and finished our meal at the motel..

After a night of relaxation, and listening to the beach, I woke about 7 to let Punk out.
We walked down on the beach... But it wasn't time to go in yet.
She had to investigate a bit...
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She adored the smells of the campfire!
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And also loved going through the tall grasses

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She found one little patch that she loved the most...

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By then it was high time to take off the leash and the collar...
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And she ran and ran through the waves...

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And the other way too!

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But this would be even MORE fun when Casey got a stick...
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A few tosses nearer to the shore, and then she flung it out really far...
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Heart attack central--- That darn dog even went under a few times.
(I remember thinking that I would rescue her with a cane and a back brace on).




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Guess Punk was just finding that stick!

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And back she came for more and more!

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Tiring her out, and now having a chance to slow my heart rate, we went back to the table outside the room and dried her off with the doggie towels the lady had given us.
Time to do her ears also.

Right next door to us was another couple of travelers from down Cadillac way.
They had their dog too.
Her name is "Babe".
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Such a nice reminder of Miss Milly too.

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Especially when she looked right at me...
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Please do not think that amiable dog posture lasted long.
Not sure who touched who, but of a sudden there were many growling noises.
(I didn't know that Casey could move that fast either)! hehehe

But all's well that ends well.
The pups made up, and we three were off to The Soo!
(Much more later)...

Love to all

XOXO
Me

Very Important Question

Posting this while my pics are uploading...

--------- If you saw me in a police car what would you think I got arrested for?

XOXO
Me

Cool Prayer!

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Other

Just received this in my email. (Thank you Duane).

XOXO,
Anne

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DEAR GOD:

I want to thank you for what you have already done.
I am not going to wait until I see results or receive rewards,
I am thanking you right now.

I am not going to wait until I feel better or things look better,
I am thanking you right now.

I am not going to wait until people say they are sorry or
until they stop talking about me,
I am thanking you right now.

I am not going to wait until the pain in my body disappears,
I am thanking you right now.

I am not going to wait until my financial situation improves,
I am going to thank you right now.

I am not going to wait until the children are asleep and
the house is quiet,
I am going to thank you right now.

I am not going to wait until I get promoted at work or
until I get the job,
I am going to thank you right now.

I am not going to wait until I understand every
experience in my life that has caused me pain or grief,
I am going thank you right now.

I am not going to wait until the journey gets easier or
the challenges are removed.
I am thanking you right now.

I am thanking you because I am alive,
so I may continue being your vessel
I am thanking you because
I made it through the day's difficulties.
I am thanking you because
I have walked around the obstacles.

I am thanking you because I have the ability
and the opportunity to do more and do better.
I am thanking you because
You have not given up on me.

I am home... But for now must go mow a few weeds. Love to all. XOXO, Me