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If you’re an American you are familiar with the term, “Keeping up with the Jones’”, if you’re from outside the USA, you’re probably not as familiar.  Well let me quickly catch you up to speed, the term refers to keeping up with your neighbors and in essence trying to beat them to the punch, so you’re always one step ahead.

Example- Your neighbor pulls into his/her driveway with a brand new vehicle, and you feel the green gills of envy come your way, do you:

• A) walk over and congratulate them on a great purchase
  
• B) run inside and tell your spouse about your neighbors recent purchase
• C) stand there and feel your blood pressure soar through the roof because YOU should have had the money to purchase something nice for yourself? Just then, you are struck with the thought that, “I’ll show them, I’ll purchase something nicer!”

Well, if you’re a nice person, you’d probably pick A, but all too often people tend to choose C.  What does that say about you? It is really a shame because people can’t seem to be happy for others anymore.  If you like something that someone else has you may tend to feel jealous or envious of it. Remember that if it’s that important to you, you just need to work hard for it and you can attain it too.

But, honestly- my husband and I must be from the minimal population of people who honestly don’t care what other people have.  Good for them.  Their life is their life.
Most people think that if they get the newest cell phone, ipod, gps system, computer, laptop, car, house, boat, jewelry, or whatever, they’ll be at a higher class level and will in turn be somewhat more important. But, NEWS FLASH, it’s a never ending cycle of chasing something to give yourself value.

Every person has value within themselves, they don’t need to do things to keep up with others in order to become complete and whole human beings.  They just need to decide what things are important to them, and work towards attaining those goals.

Because, there’s a really great proverb that I often remember, and translated it loses some of its power, but still it’s so good that I must state it or else I’ll burst.  It goes something like this, “A monkey with money, is nonetheless a monkey.” Basically stating that if you have money or don’t, you’re still a human being and how many things you own, or how much money is in the bank, or what type of status you hold in society, you’re still a human being that puts your clothes on one leg at a time (unless you choose to jump in with both feet, which I never really understood).

So, the next time you feel that you want something that someone else has, remember it may not be as life altering, as you may originally perceive it.

The things we take with us from this life is our kindness and love towards others, the family and friends we have left behind, and above all else no matter how successful we were,  or how much we attained during our lifetimes, the ultimate justice is that we will all eventually return to the earth from whence we came, with nothing.

As far back as I can remember, I was a child who began being obsessed with horror & thriller novels and movies, when I stumbled upon it one day. Psychological thrillers are one of my favorite types of film, to this day.

I can’t think of anything better than eating dinner with the family, putting the baby to bed, snuggling up on the couch with a tub of freshly popped popcorn, and turning the lights down low, to watch a great movie. Of coarse the size of the television has a lot to do with the experience. If you have a smaller tv (like we do) then it’s just not as enjoyable as one of those big screens are.  When you watch on a big screen tv, it feels as if you’re in the movie, not just watching it.

Nothing can beat the heart racing effect these movies have on people, as they anticipate the next move and better yet, these films don’t need to be filled with gore and blood to shock and frighten.

In fact, the movies with excessive blood and gore, just seem to turn me off.  But, a movie with a lot of intricate details, and twists in the plot always leave me with a feeling of satisfaction, in the end.

I prefer films that involve awakening the brain - not just the senses. There is just no sense comparing life before I found out about thrillers and horror flicks, to what I know about it now.

One of the sub-genre’s that always gets my goat, is possession.  I’ve always been fascinated and quite frankly terrified of the whole idea of being possessed by the devil or his counterparts, the detrimental side effects of it and then having to be exorcised, etc.

I tended to watch those types of movies very little over the years, due to the reality factor, but have since come to terms with my own personal fears and started to watch movies about possession.  It still sends a shiver down my spine, but I absolutely love thinking outside the box.  That’s why I have a real love for fiction, especially thrillers and horror. In theses types of movies, anything goes.  You can stick to reality, somewhat, or completely alter the reality of the book/movie and start down your own path.

If you’re a horror and thriller fan, I’m sure you’ll relate to what I’m saying here. But, if you’re someone who is easily terrified, can’t sleep through the night because of having endless nightmares about what you saw earlier in the day, then maybe horrors and thrillers aren’t for you.

But, I honestly recommend finding out what type of horrors and thrillers would best suit you, renting it or downloading it off the internet, and watching with an open mind.  You never know what your reaction will be unless you give it a try.  You may absolutely love it!

Do you know how safe the food you’re eating is? It may not be as harmless as you think. We all need to focus on food safety throughout the year, especially now since the Spring and Summer have rolled around, and the likelihood of picnics involving barbeque’s increase the chances of salmonella poisoning.

Salmonella is bacteria found in raw foods, raw eggs, undercooked meats and poultry, and even on fruits and vegetables, and can survive for months in water, ice, sewage and frozen meats.

Salmonella is transmitted when you eat food that has been contaminated with animal feces. Bacteria from the contaminated foods can also be transferred to and from utensils, cutting boards and other kitchen surfaces.

Typically, people with a salmonella infection develop symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pains and diarrhea within 12 to 72 hours.

Other bacteria and parasites can cause food poisoning, which is a gastrointestinal disorder that results from eating contaminated foods. Signs of food poisoning may begin within hours and last from one to 10 days.

Symptoms of food poisoning include nausea, vomiting, watery diarrhea, abdominal pain and fever.

If you do contract salmonella poisoning, make sure to replenish fluids and electrolytes lost to diarrhea and vomiting. Also, avoid milk products to alleviate abdominal pains.

You can take steps to prevent salmonella and food poisoning: washing your fruits and vegetables can rid them of bacteria. Even fruits with hard covers, such as cantaloupes, can have traces of salmonella on them, and the bacteria can spread if not washed.

Here are some more tips to help make sure you stay healthy while eating:

Wash your hands, utensils and food surfaces often

•Use hot, soapy water to wash utensils and cutting boards.

•Wash hands with warm, soapy water before handling or preparing foods.

Keep raw foods separate from ready-to-eat foods

•This prevents cross-contamination (such as cutting lettuce on a board you just used to cut up raw chicken).

Cook foods to safe temperatures

•The best way is to use a food thermometer.

•You can kill harmful organisms in food by cooking it to an internal temperature of between 145 and 165 degrees.

Refrigerate or freeze perishable foods promptly

•Do so within two hours or purchasing.

•Put food in the freezer if you do not expect to eat it within two days.

Defrost food safely

•Do not thaw foods at room temperature.

•The safest way to defrost is in the refrigerator or microwave, or by running cold water over food.

When in doubt, throw it out

•Food left out at room temperature for too long may contain bacteria or toxins that can’t be destroyed by cooking (remember foods should NOT be in the Temperature Danger Zone of 40-140 degrees for over 4 hours, or it may be likely to become poisonous).

•Don’t taste food you are unsure about.

If you keep these helpful tips in mind when you are preparing and eating your favorite foods, you will surely cut down on your chances of getting salmonella poisoning as well as other harmful illnesses caused by improperly washed and cleaned foods.

*some excerpts from this article were obtained from thedoctorstv.com

Anybody with young children in the family knows that most people dread teething.  I can truthfully say, I am a member of that club.  The, I HATE TEETHING club.

My son started teething early, around two-three months. He started the teething process by drooling non-stop. By five months old, he had already gotten his first two teeth.

For the next several months, every now and then, just when I forgot all ab0ut teething, the drooling would start up again. I went out and bought a bunch of things to have as my teething arsenal.  Plastic lined bibs, teething rings, plastic links (for him to chew on), numbing medication for his gums, Tylenol to reduce fever, etc. But,  when we’d put his plastic lined bibs on, he’d manage to rip them off, when we’d give him a teething ring, he hated them. So, he’d absolutely soak the front of his clothes, and I ended up changing him several times a day to keep him from getting a saliva rash on his chin, neck and chest.

The thing about teething is, it’s not just the irritating buckets of drool to contend with, it’s the fussy behavior, fever, diarrhea, clingyness, runny nose, endless crying and lack of sleep, that makes it hard to deal with.  Sometimes there’s just no pleasing them.

And I’m sure at this point I’m sure you’re saying, “And why aren’t you giving him any medication?”  Well, the truth of the matter is, I surely did give him the medication when the pain was at its worst, but you also can’t give a child medication endlessly, back-to-back, until the pain suffices.  So, I’d use alternate methods.  I’d put fruit in a little mesh (baby bag), then freeze the bag in the freezer for a little while, take it out and give it to him, and he seemed to like that.  He’d chew it and get the nutritional benefit from it.

Most people who don’t have kids, and don’t want kids, say something like, “And there’s another reason why I decided not to have kids. It’s just not worth the hassle.”

But, I couldn’t disagree more.  As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, “Nothing worthwhile is easy to come by.“  Life is hard in so many aspects, and this is just another bump in the road.

I daydream of the day when my son gets all his baby teeth and he will no longer be going through the pain and frustration of teething.  Not to mention, my stress level can go down because I’ll have a happy baby again.

I think some of the most important keys to being a good writer are being:  detail oriented (you notice the little things), someone who is a good reader, as well as someone who is a good listener.

If you’re someone who is always jibber-jabbering (talking) and not taking the time to think things over, essentially mulling over issues by dwelling on the positive and negative aspects of your life, then you’re shutting yourself off to a world of opportunities.

A writer is someone who has an active imagination, someone who gets a whole chapter pounded out, just from a thought that may have sparked and hit them like a bolt of lightening.  A writer is essentially someone who is absolutely driven.

When I am in my writing mode, I don’t want anyone or anything to interrupt my train of thought. My husband knows that when I SHUSH him, I am unable to do anything except type away as fast as I can to get the thought documented.  The speed at which the thoughts shoot out are usually so fast that I don’t have enough time for my fingertips to get the signal from my brain.

But, there is a immense feeling of satisfaction that washes over me when I know that I’ve written something brilliantly, all the while taking heed that I write in a fashion that will keep the reader enticed, wanting to continue to read on and on, to get to the conclusion of my masterpiece.

I remember when I took a non-fiction writing class in college, and we had assignment after assignment on various subjects, our professor would make three or four people hand out copies of the stories they had written to everyone in class. The students would take it home, critique it and get back to the authors about it, the next time we met.

A line that I’d heard over and over about my writing was that I was a, “Born writer,“  and I was, “a person who knows her way with words”.  These comments filled me with immense joy and fueled the passion in me to continue writing.  I knew that I was good at it, but the encouragement of my fellow peers was enough to give me enough confidence in myself to continue on the long road ahead.

Writing is my release. It is a way to forget about everything around me, just focusing on being in a time and place that I create, in my own mind, in my own world.  A place where there are no brick walls or barriers there to limit my imagination, unless I decide to put one there.

Writing may not be your cup of tea, but if you do some internal searching, I’m sure you’ll find something else that completes you, as much as I feel writing completes me.