Hannah Rose Playing the violin

Independence Day

I had a three day weekend for July 4th and I did not do much in the way of patriotic activities. I did not attend a fireworks show or a 4th of July parade, nor did I sing the national anthem, but that does not make me unpatriotic. I believe in independence and I chose to use my freedom and independence to sleep in a bit, finish watching "The Waltons Season 7", cleaning the house, went to the grocery store, etc... We did venture outdoors in the evening and saw some fireworks display over the top of the trees in the yard. I am so grateful and thankful to the men and women who have served and are currently serving to protect our beautiful United States, so that I may continue to cherish the freedoms and choices that I make every day. The Preamble states:

“ We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. ”
I am proud to be an American. God Bless America! Whatever anyone else did to celebrate Independence Day, I hope that it was just as patriotic, or even more so, as what I did. Happy 4th of July!

Back in the Saddle (exercise bike)

I had a run in approximatly 3 months ago with a bad reaction to a switch in my blood pressure medication, and as soon as my dr. switched me back to what I was on previously, there was much improvement noted. I also had joined up with a gym membership and got involved with some personal training, but the elliptical machine did a number on me. And then thirdly I was in a car accident, and my knees hit the under the dashboard, and gratefully the x-rays showed it was a contusion of the knee cap. I have not had any more "mis-adventures", so off I went to the gym after work today and worked out for 15 minutes on the recumbent bike, and then did a little circuit training (hip abductor, leg press)...with no ill side effects. Drank plenty of fluids. So I am feeling pretty positive about that. I spoke with one of the managers at the gym, since I had already paid for training sessions and he said that I have 24 sessions available that I can use at any time, even if it is a year down the road. Well, for now I am just going to be doing my "own" personal training.
"Some people refer to Cardiovascular exercise as aerobic exercise, some people even call it 'cardio' for short. All it amounts to is exercises that involve the large muscles like legs and help make your heart and lungs stronger. Cardiovascular exercise has lots of health benefits like lowering your blood pressure, and also it can burn lots of calories - for those of you who want to lose weight.
Cardiovascular exercise is activity involving the large muscles, such as your legs. The word 'aerobic' refers to something that needs oxygen. During cardiovascular or aerobic exercise oxygen gets continuously delivered to your muscles. Outside of exercise, terms like 'aerobic bacteria' refer to bacteria that need oxygen to survive, and 'anaerobic bacteria' are ones that do not need oxygen to stay alive. To give your heart a proper workout you need to make sure that you do your cardiovacular exercise with a certain amount of intensity, but you don't want to overdo it. One way measure the amount of exertion while exercising is by monitoring your heart rate."----www.ideasforwomen.com
So my intentions are to build up my endurance and then hopefully I can get back in to a more extensive workout. My body was not ready for the elliptical today, or tomorrow, but maybe later. Here is a picture of the "mean" machine that made my legs shake like jello, my heart raced like a race horse, dizzy, etc...

Driving through a local neighborhood, Nature at its best!

I fancied upon this beautiful creature while driving through a local neighborhood in the Dallas area. I think it might be a blue heron. There was just this small pond and this bird seemed to be at home here with a few ducks. I paused to take a picture, because it is not something that I get to see everyday. There is so much development and growth in the surrounding communities, and so it was quite refreshing to catch a glimpse of wildlife in my own backyard, so to speak.

The Cinnaberry Lady

I had the house to myself today, and I had a pretty good day! No, I did not have any wild parties. Mom and dad flew to Lubbock for the day to see their new grandbaby, and I sent them off with a FlipVideo recorder to bring back some footage of their visit. While the cats are away, the mice come out to play. So, yes I did get a wild hair in me and brightened up my hair a bit with some Clairol Natural Instincts "for healthier, truly natural-looking color & shine with antioxidants and vitamins C&E, No ammonia, non-permanent color." As you can see, I am now the Cinnaberry lady. My day was filled with a bit of organization...filing papers, and feeding the local wildlife (family of raccoons) 3 mothers came tonight to have a bite to eat. Sometimes they bring their rolly polly cute babies, and one mother likes to come bang the side door open and poke her head in the house. I filled out my application for the CCM (Certified Case Manager), and sent off my application processing fee. Hopefully I can take the test in the Fall of this year. The CCM exam is now computerized, and more streamlined than it used to be. Ms. Cinnaberry signing off for now.

Being A Great Aunt

This is an introspective look at the role of an aunt, well not just an aunt...but a Great Aunt, in the eyes of the Great Aunt herself. I wanted to explore the role of an aunt a little further, so I did some research.
"Women are typically studied as daughters, sisters, mothers, or grandmothers. However, many, if not most, women are also aunts. In this study, we offer a preliminary exploration of the meaning of aunts as familial figures. We collected 70 nieces' and nephews' written accounts of their aunts. Thematic analysis of these accounts revealed nine themes, which were divided into two categories. The first category represented the role of the aunt as a teacher, role model, confidante, savvy peer, and second mother. The second category represented the practices of aunting: gifts/treats, maintaining family connections, encouragement, and nonengagement. Our analysis illuminates important aspects of aunts in family schema and kin keeping."- Laura L. Ellingson & Patricia J. Sotirin.
"The modern family system is truly being widened by research into the field of
extended family. Within this expansion, the role of aunt has immerged as an important, yet understudied relationship. Extant research on aunting has been limited to the perspective of strictly the nieces and nephews involved, creating a one-sided representation of the aunt relationship. The current study examines the perspectives of both the aunt and niece, shedding light on the more mutually dependant nature of the relationship. Both aunt and niece make decisions that influence the relationship and together, these mutual choices help shape this unique family dyad. The aunting relationship has the potential to escape the constraints of both the parent and friend roles to develop a unique form of its own."-Mary Louise Berry M.A.
There have been numerous studies completed studying the roles an aunt has in a family. Here I am sitting on the bench in my niece and nephews back yard on Mothers Day 2008, holding my two great nieces Remy and Amelie. I still have yet to hold my great nephew on my lap too. I have not been a great aunt for very long, but so far I think it is pretty amazing that I can "escape the constraints" and "develop a role that is a unique form of its own." I am excited about this role. How could I not be? This is an educational experience, and one that evolves with time. I will treasure the moments of "aunting". I will cherish my role as an aunt with honor and respect providing love, knowledge, guidance, leadership, caring, nurturing, and of course a lot of fun!
Love and Truly, Great Aunt Elizabeth

How Do You Know If You Have Too Many Kitties?

I was browsing the internet and came across this funny video, but it could be a serious issue for some people. So here is a glimpse into the life of a man that might have too many cats? What do you think? Enjoy!

www.petvideo.com/play.cgi?showId=23192