Spring Break!

Finally, spring has sprung!!! Living in Louisiana, you don't really expect much cold weather, but this year, has been a lot different. It started out early Fall 2009, with A LOT of rain. By mid October, all the lakes and rivers were above flood stage, and fall isn't even our rainy season.

Not only have we had a tremendous amount of rain, but we have also had some very cold temperatures, and even a little bit of snow. Several weeks ago, we actually got about four inches of that white stuff. From what I understand this area has not had measurable snow for about 15 years. Even though I am not a fan of snow, I will have to say it was BEEUTEEFUL!! Besides its beauty, I will have say what I liked about it, is that it was only around for a short while. It started snowing late into the afternoon, all night through til about noon the next day...then....it started to go away. The kids (and some of us adults) had our fun with it, and then it left. I can remember living in Indiana, once the snow came, it was there for a while. It started out really pretty, but then we got sick of it real quick. When snow lingers, it soon gets dirty and ugly, no beauty about that.

The last couple of days, I have noticed the trees blooming--looks like "Popcorn popping" on those trees! The temperatures have also been nice--70's and yesterday it actually got to 81!. Today--65! We are still getting a lot of rain. The lakes and rivers are still pretty much above flood stage (this is our rainy season). I do think it is time to start getting our gardens ready, as those cold temperatures are a thing of the past. Summer is just around the corner, the rain will cease, and those hot and humid Louisiana temperatures will be back...and that's fine with me!

Save the Space Program!

I grew up right smack dab in the middle of the space program. My dad was a NASA engineer during the Apollo era, so it was a huge part in my growing up years. What an exciting time! Don't our government leaders not realize how important the space
program has been? Not to mention the jobs, but the way we live today,
the comforts we so enjoy–microwave ovens, computers, television,
internet, satellite, news, weather, safer sports equipment, our modern automobiles, cell phones, food, clothing, medical advancements…I could go on forever…are all due to the space program. I sure hope they think twice before they cut the space program!

Check out these sites:
http://gizmodo.com/5461806/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYUcZFlvI_A

Superbowl XLIV

Living in Louisiana, I have seen people going absolutely crazy about anything Saints oriented. After the game last week, there were many who went to the local sports store (after 11 p.m.) to get their championship t-shirts. CRAZY!!! Mine can wait.

As many of you know, the New Orleans Saints have not been very good for many years. They have been referred to as the "Aints" and many so called fans have gone to the games wearing bags on their heads. Now that they have had a winning season, and are headed to the Superbowl, many are taking off their bags and stocking up on anything Saints.

I have a friend that is getting ready to move from here to Utah. For a going away gift, I decided to make her a necklace. I knew I wanted to put a fleur-de-lis pendant on the necklace and thought it would not be difficult to find one here in Louisiana. Well, when I went into the craft store, I was greeted with black and gold ribbons and bows, Mardi gras beeds, etc. in the entrance of the store. As I looked for my pendant, I could not find what I was looking for, so I asked one of the employees and she showed me the one and only in the store...they were almost sold out! So, I grabbed some black and gold beads and headed home to put together these necklaces. Even though I am not a Saints fan, I thought these came out pretty nicely. I've just got to figure out which one to give my friend.

In a couple of weeks we will all be sitting down watching the Superbowl. My husband has been a Colts fan since he was a little boy. He loved watching Johnny Unitas and Mike Curtis. When we lived in Indiana, about an hour northeast of Indianapolis (in Muncie), our kids became Colts fans. I never really got into it that much. I like teams like the Miami Dolphins or the Denver Broncos. Anyway...we will all be rooting for the Indianapolis Colts. I think we may be a little out numbered here in the neighborhood, but that's ok, especially when the Colts win...lol. But even if the Saints win, then that's o.k. They have never had a better season than this one, and for so long, they have struggled. Soooo....may the best team win!

I'm BAaaaack....!

It's been awhile since I've been on my blog. A lot has been going on. As I mentioned before, we had a great Christmas. Soon after all the holidays, though, we had a blast of very cold weather. Something we don't get much of here in Louisiana. We even had a little bit of snow. No, it did not stick, but it did come down to where we had a beautiful show. It was just that the ground was too warm for it to stick. When we lived in Indiana, our dog, Sox, use to love the snow. She hadn't seen the white stuff for quite a while, so when I opened the door to show her (thinking she would be excited) she ran the other way. Yes, she was scared of it. It was pretty funny.

Well, after our cold spell, we all started getting sick. First it was my 16 year old son. He started the coughing, sneezing and watery eyes stuff. Then it was my husband. He actually got it pretty bad. At first he was ok, just a little cold, then it hit him like a rock. He missed two days of work (it would have been three if it had not run into the weekend). Then two days after he was well enough to head to work, I got it, and boy did I ever get it. I was in bed for THREE DAYS!!! I hated every minute of it, but I just could not move. The fourth day, no matter what I was determined to get OUT OF THAT BED! Which I did, but did not accomplish much at all. It has been over a week ago that our family was struck with this crud, and my son and I are still having coughing attacks. I remember last year, once I got the cough, I had it for more than 6 months. I do this every year. Hopefully this will go away soon. Our youngest boy has not gotten sick yet. We are hoping that he stays well.

The weather has warmed a bit. Today it actually got into the 60's and this past weekend it was 70. We are suppose to be getting another round of cold weather, and they are calling for more snow. No, I'm sure it won't stick then either, it will just be a little teaser if it snows at all. I hope that the weather holds for a little while. You see, I have not been able to walk since before Christmas. Between our company, rain, temperatures in the teens, and then being sick, it has been over six weeks since I've walked. So....tomorrow, I am planning on walking! I am really looking forward to it, and hope that I do not have a coughing attack!

Merry Christmas!

WOW! What a busy Christmas vacation we have had! I have enjoyed every minute of it. First my daughter flew in from Utah, the next day my oldest son drove down from Tennessee, and the next day, my mom and dad drove in from Florida. It was so nice to have everyone together again.

Yesterday, my mom and dad left, and my son went back to Tennessee because he had to work today. I miss having all the family together, but am sure grateful for the week we had. In less than a week, my daughter will be back out at school, and my two younger sons will be back in high school, and all will be back to normal around here :(

Acai Juice

In August my husband and I were at Sam's and I noticed in the refrigerated section Acai juice. I quickly opened the door and started examining it. I noticed the price and slowly started to put it back until these words caught my eye, "Supports Healthy: energy levels, weight control, skin, hair and nails, antioxidant levels." I had heard about this juice from Doctor Oz, and wondered where I could get it...and here it was--at Sams! But also at a very high price. Then I got to thinking, this is not like a juice, but more like a vitamin, and so decided to try it. I mainly bought it for the antioxidants and hair health. Now that I've been walking, my energy levels are great, and as far as weight control goes, nothing has ever worked, and so I was not getting my hopes up on this.

Each day with my breakfast I pour me about 1/2 to 1 cup of the juice and sip it throughout the day. It is pretty strong and not sweet at all. At first, I just thought it was ok. I started to drink it with crushed ice which mellowed the flavor a bit. In a couple of days, the flavor was actually good--I had aquired a taste to it. Within about 4 weeks or so, I had lost 7 lbs!

I mentioned the juice to my walking buddies and everyone seemed interested. The next day one of the Walker's told me that her son had called about the juice and wanted to try it. He heard it was very healthy, and he is one of those health nuts. He too thought it was pricey, but bought it anyway. He noticed within a few days that his energy levels had increased and was hooked.

A few weeks after I had lost the 7 lbs, my walking buddies and I were at a party. A mutual friend of ours who is a nutritionist was also at the party. One of the Walker's had told her about my Acai story and the weight loss. She did not agree with the claim, and said it was just probably coincidence. She went on to say that just good old fashioned "not eating so much and exercise" was the only way to loose any weight. I agree to a point, but I've done that, and the only way I've been able to loose weight and keep it off it to not eat at all...and this is not healthy.

When Thanksgiving vacation rolled around, we headed off to Tennessee to visit my in-laws. I decided not to drink it since there were going to be a lot of people there and I know a lot of the kids really like juice. I figured it would get drunk up in a matter of seconds. When we got back from TN, I had my annual physical and a bunch of lab work coming up and was told not to take any vitamins, etc. and that included the Acai juice. So, for about 3 weeks or so I did not drink any of the juice. My eating habits did not change--even with the Thanksgiving--I pretty much ate as normal. I noticed I had gain much of the weight back...ugggg!

Well, as of last week, my lab work was complete, and I was back on the Acai juice. Guess what? I am loosing again. And again, my eating habits are pretty much the same...maybe a little more holiday stuff, but I'm not going that crazy. I'm trying to be careful. Also, it has been so cold and the Walker's so busy with Christmas and family, that we have not been able to walk everyday...and the weight is dropping. So, coincidence or is there actually something to this Acai juice?

Copyright Laws

Laws are for our protection. We have traffic and seat belt laws to keep us safe in case of a wreck. We have laws against armed robbery or breaking and entering to keep our families and possessions safe. There are also silly laws like one in Indiana: "Baths may not be taken between the months of October and March," or in Louisiana, "You may not tie an alligator to a fire hydrant." I can't tell you why these are on the books, but I suppose when they were passed, there was a good reason.

I grew up with two sisters. The three of us danced pretty much our whole lives--up through college years, and two of us continue to be a little involved as adults. My daughter, who is away at a major university has also grown up dancing. In fact, she is majoring in dance, and is on a team that I was on while majoring in dance at this same university. Twenty-seven years ago, when I was dancing on this same team, there were no video cameras to tape the shows we did so that we could reminisce in future years. I've always been sadden by this. I have many pictures, but no video of any of my dancing years. My daughter, on the other hand, has her own video camera, and has taped many of the pieces she has been in. Now that she is many miles away, I am so happy that I am able to see her dances through video. I may not be able to be there, but eventually I can see her talent growing.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of a show that her dance group has done through the years. They have invited all alumni to be a part of the show. Since I am an alumni of the team, I entertained the thought of going--but, with responsibilities at home, it was just not possible. I figured, well, I know I can't be there, but she will have a video of it, and I can enjoy the show when she brings it to me over the Christmas holidays (like she did last year with last year's show). Well, this is not going to happen. I just found out last night, that they will not be filming at all. Usually, they film, and broadcast it on the university's TV station (which through satellite I am able to watch). I was really looking forward to that.

So, why, you may be asking yourself, are they not taping the show? It is because of the copyright laws. Now, don't get the wrong idea. I do believe in copyright laws. I do believe that when one tapes a movie to avoid buying it, it is stealing. I also believe that when one downloads or copies a song without paying for it, it is also stealing. One other thing that has always irritated me, is when one writes a report for school and actually copies it from someone's work...this is also stealing. The laws have really gotten out of hand, though. It is getting to a point, that our little girls will not be able to be in a dance recital to any music because of these same copyright laws.

I remember when my daughter would find out what song they were going to be learning their new dance for recital or competitions. Many times, we had never heard of the song, and upon inquiring who the artist was, more times than not, we would go and purchase the CD. My daughter not only likes to dance, but she likes to put together montages of pictures and videos. She put one together for my 50th birthday. Many of her dance pieces and video montages are on youtube. Because of the copyright laws, they have taken many videos off, or like in the case of my 50th birthday video, changed the song. The song they put on does not even make since. My daughter always puts things together with the song. She also gives credit to the artist in her credits. In some of her work, she has used songs that are not popular, and many have made positive comments on the song and wanted to know who it was, so that they too could purchase the CD. To me, using these songs for dances in recitals, competitions, shows, etc. is like free advertisement for many artists.

In closing, I would like to say that I hope that many of these artists realize how important their music is to the dance world. How are the dancers suppose to express themselves without music? Music is so much a part of all of our lives, and I feel that the copyright laws need to be changed. There needs to be a compromise...