They stay its good to get it of your chest

They say it’s good to get it of your chest.





I send Whats App to wish my sister a happy birthday.  She never responded until the following day. Her response was "thank you".
I know that things are happening in both our lives.  Some not of our own making and others of our own making................
My sister lost her husband to cancer; I could never imagine how this feels like.  Her whole world must have felt like it had ended.  I guess I was or am jealous of the love they shared, that he loved her and their children very, very much.  No I am not saying that they had a wonderful life.  They must have had their ups and downs but they stuck it out together.
Be strong dear sister; remember the good in all things.  Remember that I always love you!!!
I have done some things earlier on in this year that was not very nice.  I wanted to make a point, but I think it backfired.  Yes it did back fire........... Cause the person involved is incapable of seeing above his own needs, his own insecurities.
Of cause retaliation was in the cards.  He contacted my sister, god knows what he said, but whatever it was, I don't think it was very nice.  This sister is not very forgiving, and will never forget anything that has happened in her life.  This does not apply to the better times in her life, but the worst times that have occurred.
This is something that I never did, I could have contacted his ex-girlfriend, his ex-wife, his children, his mother, but it was between me and him and nobody else.
Except, he never thought like this.  He even contacted my daughter's boyfriend on Facebook.
My daughter and her boyfriend thought him a raving lunatic.  What did my sister think?  Did his actions destroy a sister relationship that already was in the disaster area?
He even contacted my boss? Why? I was through this before when another person sent malicious emails to my boss.  After that, every day was hell, I did not even know if I would have a job still.  Until one day my boss came to the conclusion that this person was out to hurt me.  When I was aware that he contacted my boss, I phoned my boss and apologised.  He must have recalled the other time, and he was much more understanding than I could ever hope for.
He did later contact me, and he wanted an explanation of why I did what I did.  I doubt he really listened to what I was saying.  He told me that he had forgiven me, but would never forget, and promptly blocked me on Whats App.
No loss really, I guess we kind of project things on to people, that they kind, loving, supportive, loyal and when push comes to the shuff we learn that it was an illusion that we are our self are responsible for.
What he wanted was like a 15 day return policy with his relationships.  You know not go down the usual way of developing a beautiful loving relationship and by the end or before the 15 days return policy expired, he could cancel the sale.
People that really know me will know that I am beating around the bush and I have not really come up to what is really getting to me.  People shout at me for this tactic.
Don't ever deceive yourself that giving a person forgiveness, gives you a license to never forget what they have done.  With forgiveness there is healing, in other words with time, things start healing as ones memories become more faded with time, in other words it becomes a blur and what really went down is not remembered clearly anymore.
The first step in forgiveness is to forgive oneself! Cause no one is blameless, and there is usually two sides to a story.  Then only one can extend forgiveness to others, and moving on and forgetting is the best tonic.
What really bugs me that I can't tell others be wary of him, he will just break you and throw you aside when he has got his 15 days use before the refund policy is over and he can't back out of the deal.  He uses dating sites to pick up his next victims.  I guess his guests get free holiday accommodation and food for the exchange of casual sex, and when they leave, will never hear from him again.
I feel very sorry for him as he is looking for the one that will change is whole life, and probably support him when he retires.  That one that makes life worth living, that one that makes life have meaning.
That is just a fairy tale, one has to take chances and take risks in order to get the benefits and I see the relationships that have lasted, there is so much work, from both parties that go on, extremely hard work but I guess it’s really worth it, just to have that one person, that is above everyone else.
It would be wonderful to have a partner in my life, someone to love me, someone I can love.  Someone that would worry that I am not home yet.   Someone that shares everything with me, that nothing I can't share.
Relationships are usually built on sexual attraction, sexual gratification, and when sex is not in play, there is nothing left to hold it together.  People go head first into a relationship, sex first and expect the rest to follow.  More likely the rest will not follow, what’s the point?  After the object is met and sex is got, why the bother to get to know each other. Sad, very sad!!!
I have someone in my life.  No we have not met, but we have come to know each other.  And no even this kind of relationship is very hard.  We sure can fight, and swear and call each other names, yet we still together and yes we do have to forgive a lot, and yes we can't keep remembering the shitty stuff.  The bottom line is we there for each other; I guess he is more there for me than I am for him.  My life is ups and downs, sometimes more downs than up.  There is one thing my life would totally be fucked without him, He is the reason I want to get up in the morning and he is the reason I can sleep at night.  And my day starts really shitty if I don't hear from him in the mornings
I watched the film called the "octopus", it’s about this man whose wife has found another man and he decides to go to this hotel.  This hotel is like a dating site, where people found their soul mates, but they have 45 days to do so.  At the end of this time if they have been unsuccessful they will be transformed into animals.
For people that only watch movies on their rating, I don't think this movie would be rated very high.  One should watch it, it shows how desperate people become to have a loving partner in their lives and they are not left alone to face old age by themselves.  The movie is different and the cast has good actors.
Every relationship has its challenges.  It comes in different ways and forms.  I guess it test us to our limits and puts a strain on any relationship, it does not matter how wonderful a relationship it is, a single straw can break a camel’s back.  I know it’s only a saying, but what it means to me is that a relationship can go through some very difficult periods but it’s the stupid things that can end that relationship.  A simple sentence that is translate incorrectly and taken the wrong way, feelings of hurt and rejection following these words.  And all it required was to hash it out and clear the air.
The one night I returned home from work and found several people outside by the boxes that have the fuses that control the supply of electricity to the various houses.  Apparently in South Africa, they use the powder from these fuses to make a deadly drug, and they sell these drugs to the kids.  As a result there were two houses that did not have electricity, and they were wondering whom to contact.
They did contact the neighbourhood watch and these people got in contact with the municipality and the problem was resolved.  The neighbourhood watch came to my door and said I must be more aware as they are sure that these people stole the fuses so they later could launch an attack on me, as I am living alone.
I felt fear paralysing me, and the more I thought on it, this did not make logical sense, why did they not take out all the fuses until they got to the fuse that controlled the electricity for my house.  Fear is terrible thing to experience.
I decided fear would not become my prisoner, if they want to come let them, if it’s meant to be my time, then so be it.
People would say it’s the area I am staying in and I know it happens even in the rich areas of where I stay.
I also know that drugs are mostly responsible for what goes down.  People with young teenagers have lost their children through drugs.
Nobody can control the effects of drugs; drugs are the enemy that take control of one’s life.  When one takes this road, there is not really much hope of recovery.  It would be a life time of having a completely fucked up life.  It's not a solution to any problem, a few hours of bliss, to come crashing down, and losing everything one has in one’s life, work, home, friends and family, they all just disappear.
Advice for those who are travelling, or maybe one day thinking of travelling.  Remember to keep all travel documents up to date.  God knows if there is an emergency and you would have to travel at short notice and only to discover, oh shit, passport is outdated.  Educated yourself on the travelling requirements before booking and make sure you ask question.  Spend a few more rand on getting travel insurance, so if shit hits the fan, it would cost a nominal fee to reschedule the flights.
My daughter and her boyfriend made plans to visit my other daughter in the UK.  Her boyfriend was under the impression that he could travel out of South Africa, using his Portuguese passport.  Only to discover before the flight that it not allowed for South Africans to fly out of the country on a passport from another country.
It's been a very hard lessons for them both, a lot of stress that has made my daughter physically ill.  I can't imagine how he is feeling right now.  My daughter still went to the UK.   I just wish I could do more but I looked it up and there are no more emergency passports or temporary passports for South Africans.  It will take from a week to two weeks to get his new passport.  For South Africa that is amazing.  The Department of Home Affairs has a very good turnaround time.  Any way who of us as never made a mistake?  My love and my pray, go to them.  Stay strong and believe, everything will work out, never give in ..............Even if you think the situation is beyond your control, don't believe that, JUST DO IT!








I had a call from the security company that the alarm at my house went off.  They later phoned to say that the garage door was open and everything else seemed to be in order.  The only way that the garage door was open is if it had been broken into.   One of my work colleges went with me to check up with me.  He never asked if I required help, he just gave it to me.  Sometimes people shock me, because they do things without any rewards what’s so ever.  Sure enough the garage door look had been tampered with.  The security guard had closed the garage door.  I switched off the alarm, expecting to find when I opened them, to found that things had been stolen.  Everything was as I had left it.  I was thinking the words, thank God; it would have been a sit back to replace the lawn mower that is all that I seemed to be worried about, lol.
Again the fear set in.  Now I am not so lack with setting the alarm at night.  Making sure that everything is locked up for the evening.  One reason why I got slack in the evenings is when the alarm did go of at night; I would kind of have a panic attack.  Now I must just deal with it if it goes off and get the security company to come out and just check the place over.
It’s just something that I must learn to control, this terrible fear, and fear usually comes from the unknown, and how can I be hurt from the unknown, something that might never ever happen and if it does that I have the strength to cope with it and the people in my life that care enough to be there for me.








I have been living in this house for just over a year now and a couple of months.  I fall in love because of the garden.  It has an amazing garden, with tons of plants and some really amazing flowering plants.  It's so much different than living in a flat, it seems like everybody business becomes yours, and to be truthful I was not used to having other people basically living on top of me, so to say.  I was very unhappy living at the flat.  With the house I regained my freedom to my privacy and I don't have to put up with other people and how lazy they all are.
My debts are now my own and not everyone mine.  If the owners or tenants did not pay, then the municipality bill would not get paid, and then, even I that did pay on time every month, would have to face the fact that the electricity would be cut off by the municipality. The one time the electricity was off for several weeks.  So you can see why I was so happy to get out of that situation, and it was like everything was meant to be.  Sold the flat very quickly, and got another bond very fast.
Not long after settling in, I heard this cat cry by my front door.  This cat was soaked right through to the skin.  I took her in and dried her with a towel.  She was the first of the cats that would be coming to my home.  This cat came into my life when I need someone.  She is a calico cat and they are extremely loving and caring.  The ideal cat, for those who need a bit of love and attention.  Now I have 8 cats in total.  The last was a mother cat and her two kittens.  She decided to have her babies in one of the flower pots outside.  She is so temperamental, but again I never had an option.  She can be so loving, and so are the kittens.
I come to the point in the story, that the kindness of people totally over whelmed me.  I had just gone to the pets store to get 40kg of cat litter, and as I was leaving this woman arrived and she had cat food that she was giving as donations.  I asked if she knew of a place that I could buy cat food as cat food is very expensive, and you can imagine the amount of cat for that the cats and kittens eat in a month.
I told her why I needed to know where I could purchase cat food cheaper, the next thing she had donated over 12 packets of cat food.  A mixture of food for adults and kittens.  I got to my car, and I just broke down and cried.

I had come to a stage in my life that I had forgotten that people can be kind and generous and caring.  It kind of restored my believe in humans again.  That not all people are just thinking about themselves.  I must remember to continue this chain of giving.  It’s very rewarding to be able to give.

 

Victims, Survivors, Perpetrators

Not long ago I was faced with suppressing a feeling of deep hatred.  All these ugly feelings came to the surface and I had real difficulty in control my thoughts and my actions.  I was afraid that I would let my deep hatred rear its ugly head.  I might have said some nasty things, before I got in control again.

Where I became indifferent and asked the questions, I should, said the things that I should.

I started asking questions.  Why should I have these feelings?  After all it’s a long time ago that it happened.  I always managed before.  What was different now?

Everyone has ups and downs in life.  Life is hard if we let it be.  The question of being a survivor or a victim comes strongly to mind.

What happens in our past shapes us makes us stronger, better people.  I guess it all depends on how we handle the situation.  We can become bitter people, or we can use it and become more compassionate to others.

In life we do become victims, and those who do not survive being victims, end up taking their own lives.  Ultimately victims that manage to do get on with life are survivors.

Or victims move on and target others, keeping the cycle going. 

No there is more to this, than victims and survivor,

Being a victim means that the abuser has won, and the victim is left without any “power” and is “stuck” where she or he is. The only hope for the victim is not a revolution, or community accountability and care, but “a change in mentality.” This leads to victim blaming.

Many people prefer the word “survivor” to “victim” because “survivor” feels strong and proactive.  I understand this, but then I started thinking we need to honour and embrace weakness, vulnerability, and passivity as well, or else we end up blaming and invalidating victims, who do not feel strong some or most of the times. 

Society views victimhood as something that must be overcome.  When we are victimized, we are (sometimes) afforded a small allowance of time, space and resources in order to recover, limited and conditional exemptions from normal societal expectations and responsibilities, and are given a different set of expectations and responsibilities that we must live up (mainly focused around getting help, taking care of ourselves, and recovering).  “Healing is not optional, but is a mandatory process by which a “victim” is transformed into a “survivor”; the failure to successfully complete this transformation results in victim-blaming and sanctions.

 

To say that I was the victim, could be true, that I asked for what had happened and in order to survive this, I never dealt with it.  Like lots of things in my life, no time to break down, just the need to continue as nothing had happened.  Then the consequences of what happened when it became known to others would have been very bad.

What I really am getting at, is society has to take a stance.  It’s a sick society, that makes victims out of people. 

A lot of attention on is focused on the “victim” becoming the “survivor” and nothing is mentioned about the perpetrator.   Would it be true to say the perpetrator is a victim?

 

The cycle of the victim and the Perpetrator

http://wakeup-world.com/2015/05/18/transcending-the-victim-perpetrator-cycle-duality/

These two roles are opposite in nature, but yet they are mirror reflections of each other.

 

The Overt Perpetrator

The perpetrator motivation is power. The actions he takes to gain this perceived power are through dominating others. Be it physically or not, it is the act of overpowering, humiliating, and inflicting pain on another.

The Overt Perpetrator has an inner-victim and internal oppressor that is overcompensating for its powerlessness by acting outwardly domineering. This is rooted in trauma, as is the entire victim/perpetrator cycle. Therefore, each individual expression is also rooted in trauma

 

The Covert Perpetrator

The second form is the covert method of predator —the shadow-side of the overt predator. The Covert Perpetrator does not view himself as the predator; he operates from a state of victimhood where he justifies his motives and actions as necessary. This archetype rationalizes their predatory behavior as serving a cause or for self-preservation. The covert predator is more identified with his inner-victim even though both forms of perpetrator outwardly act from the place of his internal oppressor.

Likewise, the overt and covert victim both outwardly acts from their inner-victim.

 

The Overt Victim

The Overt Victim is identified with being powerless and helpless therefore cannot be responsible for his life. Because the overt victim believes he is helpless, he also perceives both the problems and the solutions to his life having to come from outside himself. This constant disempowerment can lead to habitually blaming and praising others for everything created in their world due to holding the belief that they do not have the power to create.

 

The Covert Victim

The Covert Victim holds the inverted beliefs of this; he believes everything is his fault. He is mostly identified with unworthiness and worthlessness.

The common denominator, that each form of expression shares is that they are all rooted in self-loathing.

The Victim/Perpetrator Cycle harbours unconscious hatred directed at the self for deeply held beliefs of being inadequate. The root cause of this self-loathing is from the deepest wound known to our species: Abandonment — the vague notion held in our collective psyche that we were left behind.

Even though we can be polarized to one of these archetypes, the victim/perpetrator energy takes turns fluctuating so it can be difficult to discern which aspect is being consciously or unconsciously played out. This is because their the same energy and only differ in degree, and the difference in degree means the actions taken to heal the cycle will each be in accordance to however severe of degree the experience is manifested.

For instance, in the case of a large-scale collective victimization of humanity, part of breaking the victim/perpetrator cycle – once the energetic theme is manifested to such a degree of brute physicality – is being able to identify each role in the dynamic and then before it can come to a neutral centre point for healing, the victim has to take back their power and refuse to be victimized anymore. This kind of mass catharsis and purging of the victim energy will not look very classy, but is absolutely necessary once it’s reached critical mass of oppression.

The trick is to not fall into the trap of combative dualism and become the perpetrator thus cycling in the pattern, rather than healing the cycle.

 

Transcending the cycle

 

Albert Einstein couldn’t have been more right when he stated that no problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it. When we are identified as a victim, our ability to create solutions is hindered because those solutions are being generated from the same level of consciousness that the problem was created on.

The cosmic catch-22 here is to honour your wounds by validating them and giving yourself as much unconditional acceptance as you have capacity to give yourself, while simultaneously taking full ownership of your unhealthy patterns and recognizing the parts you have played in these patterns.

The third character in this cycle is the Rescuer. This role can be used constructively, but even this too needs to eventually be integrated. In its exalted form, the rescuer is the aspect of ourselves that retrieves us from this cycle. The rescuer is born out of the necessity to correct this wounded pattern. If we use this character properly, it’s the part of ourselves that dives into the deep seas of our subconscious to observe what trauma imprinting is generating these dynamics within us.

This is alchemy in its truest sense; where we retrieve our abandoned, less desirable aspects that keep us stuck looping, and learn to accept them so unconditionally that we no longer perceive them as undesirable, shameful qualities that need to be buried and hidden, but rather as unpolished aspects of ourselves that we have the power to transmute through our acceptance. This is a radical act of self-love. When we nurture this relationship with ourselves, what we are really doing, loving ourselves, enough to liberate us from disempowering narratives and meet life as a co-creator.

[ Stand together. ]

Stand together.
Walk together.
Survive together.

If someone falls down
pick them up.
If you fall down
let someone pick you up.

Live together.
Bleed together.
Survive together.

If someone bleeds
give them your blood.
If you are bleeding
take someone's blood.

Love together.
Cry together.
Survive together.

If someone cry's
cheer them up.
If you cry
let someone cheer you up.

Stand, Live, Love.
Survive
Together.

Nobody has to be alone,
cancer is a disease.
It is not death.

Strength is shown
by how you deal
not by how you hide.

Show your strength
help others
show their strength.

Stand, Live, Love.
Survive
Together.

 

 

 

Does cortisone cause weight gain?

My sister has chronic back pain.  It’s now over a year since she had her last operation on her back.  The doctors have taken x-rays, and from those x-rays, they cannot see where the problem is.  To the specialist that did this operation, the operation has been successful.  She was waiting to go for a MRI.

Recently she went for the MRI and they have come up with diagnoses.  Now they need to treat her and find an effective method that she does not have to continually live in pain.

The doctor did mention treating her condition with cortisone.  The main concern that my sister has with regards to this treatment that it will cause her to gain weight.

When my sister asked me, does cortisone cause weight gain?  I lied to her and said no!!

A better understanding what cortisone is to give a brief description what it is.  Cortisone is a steroid that is closely related to a hormone that our body produces naturally in the adrenal gland.  This hormone is called cortisol.  Cortisol plays a role in metabolic regulation as well as the body’s fight or flight response.  Cortisone may have the same effects.

Doctors prescribe cortisone for a variety of inflammatory conditions to reduce the swelling, pain and discomfort of the patients.  Patients with asthma and other chronic conditions associated with inflammation may take this hormone for extended courses.  Cortisone is also used for the treatment of very bad eczema.  Treatment of eyes; and certain cancers.

What matters is how much of the steroid gets into the body. An asthma inhaler will deliver most of the steroid only to where it is needed; the tubes of the lungs. Eczema creams stay largely on the skin. In both cases very little steroid is absorbed into the rest of the body so side effects can be kept low. Steroid tablets or injections are different because the drug is absorbed and distributed throughout the body by those routes.

The main to minimize the side effects of cortisone it to keep the dose as low as possible.  There is a limit on how this can be done and still get the necessary benefits.

Side effects of taking cortisone orally are as follows:-

Stomach upsets, headache, dizziness, menstrual changes (irregular, delayed, absent periods), trouble with sleeping, increased appetite, or weight gain may occur.

This medication should not be used if you have certain medical conditions.  bleeding problems, history of blood clots, brittle bones (osteoporosis), diabetes, eye diseases (e.g., cataracts, glaucoma, herpes infection of the eye), heart problems (e.g., congestive heart failure), high blood pressure, other infections (e.g., tuberculosis, herpes), kidney disease, liver problems (e.g., cirrhosis), mental/mood conditions (e.g., psychosis, anxiety, depression), low blood minerals (e.g., low potassium or calcium), stomach/intestinal problems (e.g., ulcer, ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis), thyroid problems.

Side effects of cortisone injections are as follow:-

The injected cortisone can crystallize in the body.  These crystals can cause pain and inflammation that is worse than the problem that is actually being treated.

There could be some skin discoloration around the injection site, but this is not harmful.

Cortisone can increase sugar levels.  People with diabetes should closely monitor sugar levers for a day or two following a cortisone injection.

The injection site can become infected, but this is rare.

Some people have an allergic reaction to cortisone. This is rare as the cortisone is similar to the naturally hormone found in the body.  Some can have an allergic reaction to the local anesthetic which is added to the injection.

Doctors do not recommend cortisone injections for patients who have an existing infection, including skin infections and septic arthritis. In addition, cortisone injections may be inappropriate for patients who are taking blood thinners or who have broken bones.

Some patients may be concerned about weight gain and water retention from corticosteroid use. However, these side effects are common only for patients who take corticosteroid medications orally for an extended period of time.

When cortisone medication is injected into a joint, these side effects do not occur.

While doing this research, I really believed that I had lied to my sister when she asked me the question, does cortisone make a person fat, and my answer was no.  The doctors wanted to inject the cortisone in the effect site and that weight gain is typical of cortisone taking orally.

The good news for those that take cortisone orally, a person does not have to get fat because they taking cortisone orally.  There are certain things that one can do that will prevent weight gain.  Cortisone taking orally will increase appetite.

To stop gaining weight you will have to reduce your calorie intake and increase your physical activity.

The easiest way to eat fewer calories without feeling hungry is to fill up on high-fiber (whole-grain breads and cereals) and low-energy foods (such as fruit and vegetables) and to include a source of protein at each meal (lean meat, chicken, fish, and pulses).  Don’t be tempted to skip meals, especially breakfast, as you are likely to snack on high-fat/calorie foods instead.  Kick start your metabolism with a healthy breakfast such as porridge or another whole-grain breakfast cereal with lower-fat milk, or a poached egg on whole meal toast – this should keep you going until lunchtime.  For lunch, go for whole-grain sandwiches and lower-fat fillings such as chicken and salad, hummus or grilled vegetables.  Also good are baked potatoes with baked beans, which will provide you both fiber and protein.

It is worth keeping a simple food diary for a couple of days – not necessarily to “calorie count” but so that you can spot easy ways to cut back.

Drinks can also make a substantial contribution to calorie intake, and simply having a filter coffee instead of a latte, opting for diet drinks or water instead of standard soft drinks and cutting back on alcohol can all make a difference.

Use the diary to look at your eating patterns and identify the times when you eat most or are likely to snack on higher-calorie foods. If you continue to gain weight, it might be worth joining a slimming group to give you some support or asking your GP if you can be referred to a dietitian for more advice.

People with concerns about cortisone and their weight can discuss some strategies with their doctor or a nutritionist.  It may be helpful to measure meals and take other steps to regulate the amount of food eaten over the course of the day, and to eat several small meals instead of one or two large ones.  Some patients may need to cut back on certain foods while taking the medication.  Gentle exercise like yoga or swimming may help patients stay fit on cortisone without running the risk of incurring an injury.

Why do children love dinosaurs?

Why do children have such a fascination for dinosaurs?  In all honesty, I have no idea.  I had daughters not sons.  My daughters never showed an interest in dinosaurs, but my grandson loves playing with his dinosaurs. 

Is this a boy only thing?  I went to Google and did some research and found, no, it’s not only a boys thing, plus other facts.

Given some thought to the above question.  Where would children see dinosaurs?  They see them on television and the movies.  Then with my daughters I did not encourage them at an early age, to sit in front of the television set, all day long.  I did not need to get my children out of my hair for a couple of hours, and expect the television to keep them quiet for a few hours.  As a working mother, I enjoyed the time shared with them.

Not to say that I disapprove of television, it helps increase children’s attention span that helps them later on when they go to school.  Children that have difficulty in concentrating for periods of time do seem to have more difficulties at learning at school.

It’s good that children develop an interest at an early age.  It helps children blow off steam, and an active child is better to deal with than a child that is having tantrums at the drop of a hat.

There a lot of children that goes through a dinosaur phase, whereby she or he, eats, sleeps and breathes dinosaurs.  It can happen as early as the age from two to three.

Usually it occurs around the age of six or seven, when kids are just starting to come to grips with scientific concepts and can extrapolate the behavior of dinosaurs from the wildlife they see at the zoo.

Occasionally, a particularly bright child will carry his love of dinosaurs through adolescence and adulthood; some of these lucky individuals go on to be biologists and paleontologists. But why, exactly, do kids love dinosaurs so much?

Children have vivid imaginations and creative visualization usually comes naturally to them.  Kids watch programs on television that feature dinosaurs.  One that comes to mind is Barney.

Barney & Friends is an American children's television series aimed at children from ages 1 to 8, created by Sheryl Leach and produced by HIT Entertainment. It premiered on PBS Kids on April 6, 1992. The series features the title character Barney, a purple anthropomorphic tyrannosaurus rex who conveys educational messages through songs and small dance routines with a friendly, optimistic attitude

Another of the reasons that children love dinosaurs is the movie called Jurassic Park; there are 5 movies that have been released already.  The latest Jurassic movie, Jurassic World released in 2015, will definitely spark more interest in dinosaurs.  The first Jurassic movie was released in 1993. 

Another reason, the dinosaur toys that is now available.

Dinosaur toys have been a prominent member of the toy industry for quite some time, but this is going to be their biggest year ever, especially when parents start considering Christmas gifts for kids.  

There are many different types of cool dinosaur toys to choose from, such as remote controlled dinos, action figure dinos, LEGO dinos, and more.

Another reason why kids are interested in dinosaurs is books.  Children’s books about dinosaurs have always been popular, but these days there are more options than ever. From educational to hilarious, there are great choices for kids who can’t get enough of dinosaurs.
When I needed to buy a Christmas gift for my grandson, I asked my daughter what I should buy for him.  I was told anything that had something to do with dinosaurs.  I remember having a lot of fun looking around; to be truthful the dinosaur’s toys are a bit out of my price range, so I decided to look for books.  Not any book.  I looked for the popup book.

Pop up books are an excellent choice for reluctant readers who need a little incentive to become book lovers for life, but they’re also great choices for kids who already look forward to their parents reading them their bedtime book.

Open this book and a massive T. REX springs 
out, flashing a startling jaw full of jagged teeth. Turn the next spread and a ravishing raptor unfurls and appears to fly off the edge of the page.

A very obvious explanation why children love dinosaurs, is that they were extinct over 65 million years ago.  They were dangerous reptiles, roaming the land.  Dinosaurs are very big and scary.  An average grade goer may have only a vague idea when dinosaurs went extinct, but they know for a fact that they are no longer around.  There is no chance of running into a hungry dinosaur by accident.

Believe it or not, until 20 years ago, most kids learned about dinosaurs from mounted skeletons in museums, and not computer-animated documentaries on The Discovery Channel or the BBC. Because they're so big and so unfamiliar, dinosaur skeletons are somehow less creepy than the skeletons left by modern wolves or big cats (or human beings, for that matter). In fact, many kids prefer their dinosaurs in skeleton form--especially when they're putting together scale-sized models of a Stegosaurus or Brachiosaurus!




Finally, and most important, dinosaurs are really, really cool. If you don't get that simple idea, then you probably shouldn't be reading this article in the first place. Perhaps you'd be more comfortable learning about birding or potted plants!

Vegetarians and Vegans

My daughter and her boyfriend have become vegans.  They get a lot of shock responses from people, when they tell them.  The main reason that they have become vegans is they have become aware of some shocking facts on how the animals that we eat are being treated. 

Treatment on life stock is not only the reasons, but there are other reasons as well.

Do you know that you are drinking blood, when you drink cow’s milk?  There is blood in cow’s milk. A shocking fact! 

The USDA allows up to 1.5 million white blood cells per milliliter of commonly-sold milk.  http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/dangers-of-cows-milk/

What is a Vegan?

Vegans are vegetarians.  Vegetarians do not eat meat, fish or poultry.  Vegans also do not use animal products or by-products, such as eggs, dairy products, honey, leather, fur, silk, wool, cosmetics and soaps derived from animals.

There are several levels of vegetarianism or types of vegetarians.  Starting from the most restrictive, they are as follows.

·         Vegan: Vegans do not consume any animal products or by-products. So vegans of course do not consume red or white meat, fish or fowl. They also do not consume eggs and dairy. Vegans do not use honey or beeswax, gelatine and any other animal by-product ingredients or products. Vegans typically do not use animal products such as silk, leather and wool, as well.

·         Lacto Vegetarian: Lacto-vegetarians do not eat red or white meat, fish, fowl or eggs. However, lacto-vegetarians do consume dairy products such as cheese, milk and yogurt.

·         Ovo Vegetarian: Ovo-vegetarians do not eat red or white meat, fish, fowl or dairy products. However, ovo-vegetarians do consume egg products.

·         Lacto-ovo vegetarian: Lacto-ovo vegetarians do not consume red meat, white meat, fish or fowl. However, lacto-ovo vegetarians do consume dairy products and egg products. This is the most common type of vegetarian.

·         Pollotarian: Much like the pescatarian, this “semi-vegetarian” diet restricts meat consumption to poultry and fowl only. Pollotarians do not consume red meat or fish and seafood

·         Pescatarian (Pescetarian): While technically not a type of vegetarian, these individuals do restrict their meat consumption to fish and seafood only. Pescatarians do not consume red meat, white meat or fowl. This is considered a “semi-vegetarian” or “flexitarian” diet.

·         Flexitarian – A plant-based diet with the occasional meat item on the menu. These folks do their best to limit meat intake as much as possible and they have an almost entirely plant-based diet. This is not technically considered a “vegetarian” diet, but we commend the effort!

Why would anybody want to go Vegan?

There are several reasons why.  Taking a stance against cruelty, and exploitation of animals. 

The suffering caused by the dairy and egg industry is possibly less well publicised than the plight of factory farmed animals. The production of dairy products necessitates the death of countless male calves that are of no use to the dairy farmer, as well as the premature death of cows slaughtered when their milk production decreases. Similarly, in the egg industry, even 'ethical' or 'free range' eggs involve the killing of the 'unnecessary' male chicks when just a day old.

Health is another reason why people become vegans.  Energy is increased.  Skin looks much better.  Well-planned plant-based diets are rich in protein, iron, calcium and other essential vitamins and minerals. The plant-based sources of these nutrients tend to be low in saturated fat, high in fibre and packed with antioxidants, helping mitigate some of the modern world's biggest health issues like obesity, heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

From recycling our household rubbish to cycling to work, we're all aware of ways to live a greener life. One of the most effective things an individual can do to lower their carbon footprint is to avoid all animal products. This goes way beyond the problem of cow flatulence!

The production of meat and other animal products places a heavy burden on the environment - from crops and water required to feed the animals, to the transport and other processes involved from farm to fork. The vast amount of grain feed required for meat production is a significant contributor to deforestation, habitat loss and species extinction. In Brazil alone, the equivalent of 5.6 million acres of land is used to grow soya beans for animals in Europe. This land contributes to developing world malnutrition by driving impoverished populations to grow cash crops for animal feed, rather than food for themselves. On the other hand, considerably lower quantities of crops and water are required to sustain a vegan diet, making the switch to veganism one of the easiest, and most enjoyable and most effective ways to reduce our impact on the environment.

Just like veganism is the sustainable option when it comes to looking after our planet, plant-based living is also a more sustainable way of feeding the human family. A plant-based diet requires only one third of the land needed to support a meat and dairy diet. With rising global food and water insecurity due to a myriad of environmental and socio-economic problems, there's never been a better time to adopt a more sustainable way of living. Avoiding animal products is not just one of the simplest ways an individual can reduce the strain on food as well as other resources, it's the simplest way to take a stand against inefficient food systems which disproportionately affects the poorest people all over the world.

It's tempting to want to believe that the meat we eat is ethical, that our 'food animals' have lived full, happy lives and that they have experienced no pain or fear at the slaughterhouse. Yet the sad truth is that all living creatures (even those labelled 'free range' or 'organic') fear death, just as we do. No matter how they are treated when alive, they all experience the same fear when it comes to slaughter.

The good news is there IS something we can do about it. Every time we shop or order food in a restaurant - every time we eat - we can choose to help these animals. Every time we make the switch from an animal product to a vegan one we are standing up for farmed animals everywhere. Going vegan is easier than ever before with veganism becoming increasingly main stream as more and more people from all walks of life discover the benefits of living this way.   

 It's time to ask ourselves: if it is now possible to live a life that involves delicious food and drink, delivers better health, leaves a smaller carbon footprint and avoids killing other creatures - then why don't we?

https://www.vegansociety.com/go-vegan/why-go-vegan

The Miracle of Life and Death

The miracle of life and death

Death is not far from my mind.  When one is a child one never thinks of dying, one see the world through the eyes of a child.  There is no evil, there is no hatred, and life is not complicated. 

In loving memory of a very special person, who reached out and touched my life, who will I will never forget, who I will carry in my heart till I too depart from this earth.  I fear not death, I fear life.  Death will end sadness and misery and trials of life, it’s a new journey into the unknown.

Death teaches us certain things that we forget in our daily lives.  Too treasure and love the people in our lives even more.  Never hold a grudge and really forgive.  Not forgive once but countless times.

Born To Die

Tue, 01/07/2014 - 18:01 -- brownjada296

We are born to die.

Some of us live a full life.

Some,  only half a life.

Some, hardly a life at all.

We all come to a day that we fall.

But we have to make the most of it as much as we can;

because we could be here today

and gone tomorrow.

I'm working hard to make the most of it:

finding a place that I fit,

getting up when i stumble,

and walking right along.

I don't know who I am

but I'm learning everyday.

And maybe when it's my time,

I will know who I am

and what to say.

I will have made the most of it.

That's all that matters.

That's what we are born for, right?

http://trulyheal.com/the-miracle-of-death/

The miracle of Death – by Paula Burchart

The miracle of birth is a common concept, but is not death a miracle in itself?

The only one thing that we can count on is our birth and ultimately our death.

What is being discussed here is not the tragic loss of a child or an accidental death. It is about the ability of a person whose body is ravaged by disease and beyond repair, to see going out of this world as great a miracle as it was coming in.

The end of life is viewed as a failure to live. Somewhere along the way, a war will be raged and we will all find ourselves caught in this fight for our lives. If we win, we live and if we die, we lose. Is that not what we have all been taught? Do we not go through life fearing that one day we will die? It is a subject that no one wants to talk about, especially when someone is approaching their last days on earth.

Marcus teaches a belief alternating exercise where he asks you to list the benefits of dying right now. When he suggests this to a room full of cancer patients, the response is less than positive. The avoidance of death is why they are here and it is not something they are willing to discuss. People are speechless and cannot come up with a single benefit. Marcus starts it off by telling them a few from his list. His number one benefit is to find out if what he believes about the afterlife is true. Then he goes on to tell about no more diets, eating whatever he wants and before long no one can resist weighing in. The energy in the room shifts and becomes noticeably lighter. People are agreeing and laughing and the list grows longer with comments of no more money worries and never having to talk to my mother-in-law again. Only when you have a list of the benefits of dying that equal the benefits of living, can you dissolve the belief that in the end you lose.

I believe that sometimes the suffering at the end of life is a result of the need to hang on.

A lifetime of unfulfilled dreams and regrets can defer one from the natural process of death. When you keep looking back and hoping for a do-over, you miss the beauty of what is happening in the here and now. I believe that death is similar to giving birth. During a natural birth, you get to a point where you can move past the pain. Sure, the pain is still evident but your focus shifts. You trust your body to do the work and you watch from a place of amazement.

As crazy as it may sound, aspire to the death you desire so that you can live your life beyond your wildest dreams. Is it really that easy? If I am mistaken, I will have a lifetime of happiness to reflect upon instead of a lifetime of misery. I am stacking the odds in my favour by cultivating life changing habits that will predict the end of my love story.

I am not an expert in living or an expert in dying. I do not advocate that you commit suicide or give up trying to heal. The purpose of this writing is to provoke thought and in return you may question whether everything is as black or white, good or bad, right or wrong as previously perceived. There are people who do not want to live. There are people who will do anything not to die. Healing is about the here and now. It is every choice you make and every thought you think. Watching someone suffering is extremely difficult and rattles you to your very core. Being present and witnessing a person’s last breathe, is a miracle and a gift.