Sunday, October 30, 2005

How much does Stress weigh?





HOW MUCH DOES STRESS WEIGH?

A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, "How heavy is this glass of water?" Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g. The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.
In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."That's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on."
"As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden."
"So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can. Relax, and pick them up later after you've rested. Life is short. Enjoy it!"

Guest Writer: Elicia Wendling

If Jesus covers us
Then why try so hard
To be anything other than human
Since even that is rough
And he said each day is enough
To worry about at a time

So, if we're forgiven in advance
And it all feels like such improv
The toes we step on in this dance
We can't really be responsible for?

But oh. Oh he calls us to more.
Not because he needs us to relieve his burden
Heh, you aren't THAT Rockstar
But because your brother's feet are weary too
And picking them up day after day can get boring
When you spend them looking at the earth

So, just try not to tread
Hold up your own head
And show them my mantra:
What one man can do;
Another can do.

I 'm a can do gal.
Not because I owe it
(hell, I'm not THAT rich)
But because I believe
I have a graceful neck
Afterall.


- For all of us long necked swans

Thursday, October 27, 2005

Cock-A-Doodle-Doo-Doo!



Safety Tips For Smart Women

1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do! 2. Learned this from a tourist guide in New Orleans. If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you....chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you, and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION! 3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won't see you, but everybody else will. This has saved lives. 4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. DON'T DO THIS!) The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR, LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE.
a. If someone is in the car with a gun to your head DO NOT DRIVE OFF, repeat: DO NOT DRIVE OFF! Instead gun the engine and speed into anything, wrecking the car. Your Air Bag will save you. If the person is in the back seat they will get the worst of it. As soon as the car crashes bail out and run. It is better than having them find your body in a remote location. 5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:A.) Be aware: look around you, look into your car, at the passenger side floor, and in the back seat.B.) If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.C.) Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out.IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.) 6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot. This is especially true at NIGHT!) 7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN, Preferably ! in a zig -zag pattern! 8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP. It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked "for help" into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.
************* Here it is ******* 9. Another Safety Point: Someone just told me that her friend heard a crying baby on her porch the night before last, and she called the police because it was late and she thought it was weird. The police told her "Whatever you do, DO NOT open the door."The lady then said that it sounded like the baby had crawled near a window, and she was worried that it would crawl to the street and get run over. The policeman said, "We already have a unit on the way, whatever you do, DO NOT open the door." He told her that they think a serial killer has a baby's cry recorded and uses it to coax women out of their homes thinking that someone dropped off a baby. He said they have not verified it, but have had several calls by women saying that they hear baby's cries outside their doors when they're home alone at night.Please pass this on and DO NOT open the door for a crying baby ----This e-mail should probably be taken seriously because the Crying Baby theory was mentioned on America's Most Wanted this past Saturday when they profiled the serial killer in Louisiana.

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Have you ever had PPD?


I have been reading some posts on blogs here and there and there seems to be a lot of talk about Post Partem Depression. Have any of you experienced this after the birth of a child or maybe even just the milder form they term the baby blues? I experienced this after RaeElise was born. It was like being in a hole that I was unable to lift myself out of. Actually, no one was able to lift me out. Prayer, singing, friends, the usual fixes for a bad day just didn't help...It finally let up when we moved into our home in Everett. A change of scene, I guess. A dream fulfilled? Who knows. I just know that the time was dark and no one could guide me out. I would love to hear some of your stories...I think it is good to talk (or write) about what we experience as women. I think we can help others cope by doing so.

Monday, October 24, 2005

Do I look proud or what?

My Dad took this photo of me and my two oldest...I think I am so proud of them! I look about to burst with love! It is almost too gushy to post! I have terrific kids, I really do. And these two keep me glowing with admiration and thankfulness.

Friday, October 21, 2005

Pumpkin Carving Fun

Just a few of the early finishers...(from left to right) Blake's, RaeElise's(mom helped), Reuben's, and Jodie's).


We willingly participated in the ancient American, druid, heathen ritual of trooping to the pumpkin patch (with Grandma and Grandpa Paine, no less) and carving out some fun squash! What a great day to spend with our family. It was a blast. And the fresh air and the muddy patch and the little boys and little girls scampering about the field...ahhhh...a day that made me shout, "Now this is living!"

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Our new train table


I found this amazing table at Costco last night and I used some of my photography money to get it for Reese and the others...Blake, bless his heart, stayed up till 12:30 putting it together so it would be ready when they all woke up last night. Reese refused to eat breakfast this AM until he had played and played with "Thomas". I have been pricing these tables, mostly the Brio ones, and this was such a bargain!! So bring your little ones over and lets play trains!

Sunday, October 16, 2005

Media Bias On the Iraq Constitution Vote

I sent this out to three of my favorite talk show hosts: Michael Medved, Bill O'Reilly and Rush. I just could not believe what I heard!! I know the main stream media is pretty biased, but I don't always see it so clearly.
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I am so glad new technology allows me to pause and rewind my television. I was watching the 11 o'clock news Sunday night on an NBC station and I had to stop it, rewind it, and write it down, because I could not believe how they chose to report the historical constitutional vote in Iraq. This is the transcript of what was reported:

"It appears Sunni Arabs fell short in their effort to de-rail Iraq's landmark constitution vote. There's no final nationwide tally yet. But preliminary counts from local officials show opponents failing to secure the necessary 2/3rds no-vote in any three of the country's 18 provinces."

What a negative take on such an extraordinary vote! It sounds like we are disappointed that this move towards freedom and democracy has occurred. Is the left so entrenched in Bush hatred that they are completely blind to what is good for our nation and our world? Shouldn't they be reporting that a historical step towards democracy occurred in Iraq, despite fears that the Sunni Arabs would block the ratification of the constitution? What is scarier to me than the spin is that so many will just absorb it as another negative occurrence in the "conflict" known as Iraq.

Julie Paine

Marysville, WA

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Happy Birthday to my sister, Danna!

You, my dear, are a flower, a lovely blooming woman....you have shone beautifully through a tough year, and come out fragrant. Keep on shining, Danna!

Congratulations, Amber!



My cousin, Amber Schoolcraft, is graduating from High School this Spring. I had the privilege of taking her senior portraits last week. Way to go, Amber! You and Joey look so cute here.

Thursday, October 06, 2005

My Boys

I was just sitting here, thinking about my sweet boys. Here they are, 4th of July candy hunt, close buddies, cute as can be! It is amazing to me that even though they are about 4 years apart in age, they can be so compatible, such good friends. Today, Reuben had a soccer practice, and Riley, even though he usually prefers to hang with me if I am going to leave the soccer field to run errands, decided that he wanted to stay and hang with Reuben. Well, Riley came running breathlessly over to me after practice, "Mom, mom, I got to play! I got to play assistant goalie with Reuben! The coach said if I come on practice days, I can be in that position for them each week! I even knocked some of the bigger kids balls out of the goal box!"

So sweet! And I must admit, that Reuben is such a good sport for letting Riley into his world so often. I think homeschooling has done wonders for their relationship. Riley is not only his brother, but a classmate and a peer. It is a gift to a mother's heart to see the love they share. Don't get me completely wrong, they do have their moments of conflict, but I am glad to say they are quite rare. I am excited to see how Reese is going to blend into the mix when he gets a bit older and more capable of keeping up. A cord of three is not easily broken. Anyway, I just thought I would post a bit of goop about my boys. They are simply the best!

Monday, October 03, 2005

PWO Guest Appearence: Jenny Vanhoff "Blogfest"



I would like to post an insightful blog written by my kindred spirit, Jenny Vanhoff. Her blog is on my right sidebar. It is worth visiting regularly.

Blogfest

by Jenny Vanhoff

Okay- I was thinking about this whole blog concept and it dawns on me that the idea of writing down a bunch of personal thoughts and sharing them with the entire world is a relatively new concept. Remember when good old fashioned diaries were popular. You know the kind with LOCKS on them! Somehow the very fact that they came with a lock seemed to indicate an elevated sense of intrigue and mystery. But today those days are long gone. No more mystery or locks on our journals. Now we post our thoughts in cyberspace for all to read if they feel so inclined. I find this fascinating and at the same time slightly disturbing! I guess it can be viewed as a part of the reality TV craze. You jump on the internet and start reading someones blog and the next thing you know you are part of their life in a small way. For instance I am currently reading about a couple that is in China right now picking up their sweet daughter Gwen. Karen and Scott are a very nice couple that are adopting their first baby as I type this. I have seen Karen in videos that she has posted on her blog and I feel like I know her. It is as if I could call her up and say hey there Karen how is Gwen and how did your kitty do while you were gone? BTW- I love the cute outfit you brought her home in and I just think your family is so cute. Now, the interesting thing is I have never met this woman. She could consider me a crazy stalker or something, but in my head we are great acquaintances! See the power of the internet. Amazing! The very fact that I am writing this for an audience and the very fact that you are reading it are also simply amazing. Gone are the days of jotting down a few words in a sacred book that is locked and then hidden to protect the deepest most intimate spaces of our souls from uninvited onlookers. We have arrived in the information age and it is here we bare our naked blogging souls proudly. But you still don't know what I write in my diary!

My sister is selling her home!


Hey, check this out! Amy and Scott are selling their home! http://www.windermere.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=listing.listingDetail&ListingID=6285540They have put so much time and care into their sweet little house. What an exciting time in their lives. If you happen to know of anyone looking in the Federal Way area, this is a great little starter home.

Sunday, October 02, 2005

You all looked so beautiful!


Thank you to everyone who came over for the Cookie Lee Jewelery party today. It was great to see you all! Thanks, Jenny, for your friendship and for your generosity. For all those who missed it, I am still gathering orders until Thurs. evening. I need a few more orders to reach my party total goal! Help me out, girls!

Saturday, October 01, 2005

What Kind of Human Are you test








Goody Two Shoes
You scored 86% Do Gooder, 66% Drive, and 75% Intellect!
Aw, don't be hurt by that. You're a good person...very nice and helpful to others, always lending a hand. Always, always offering to lend a hand, even perhaps when it's not called for. Oh, and is that your raised hand in the air again? Why not let someone else answer next time? But seriously, there should probably be more people like you in the world. Super-smart, driven, and warm-hearted. There would be many less problems in the world if there were more like you, and you should be proud of that. Just don't forget a little 'me' time now and then, you deserve it.

All human being categories are: Lazy SOB, Rebel w/out a Cause, Evil Mastermind, Henchman, Criminal, Dictator, Frat Boy, Socialite, Philosopher, Stunt Double, Upstanding Citizen, Teacher, Cheerleader, Sister Mary DoGood, Benefactor, Loyal Sidekick, Candy Striper, Goody Two-Shoes.







My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:
















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You scored higher than 94% on Do Gooder





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You scored higher than 60% on Drive





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You scored higher than 72% on Intellect
Link: The What Type of Human Are You? Test written by weeredIII on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test