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  12. <title>Open Door to an Eclectic Mind</title>
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  15. <description>Enter at your own risk!</description>
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  32. <title>Test IT before touching IT</title>
  33. <link>https://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/2009/12/02/check-it-out/</link>
  34. <comments>https://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/2009/12/02/check-it-out/#respond</comments>
  36. <dc:creator><![CDATA[mina75]]></dc:creator>
  37. <pubDate>Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:40:31 +0000</pubDate>
  38. <category><![CDATA[Awareness]]></category>
  39. <category><![CDATA[relationships]]></category>
  40. <category><![CDATA[dating]]></category>
  41. <category><![CDATA[herpes]]></category>
  42. <category><![CDATA[HIV]]></category>
  43. <category><![CDATA[relationship]]></category>
  44. <category><![CDATA[sex]]></category>
  45. <category><![CDATA[STD]]></category>
  46. <category><![CDATA[STD Screening]]></category>
  47. <category><![CDATA[tSTD.org]]></category>
  48. <guid isPermaLink="false">http://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/?p=252</guid>
  49.  
  50. <description><![CDATA[Dating is a necessary evil that  hopefully leads to a long standing relationship&#8230; While dating there are inevitably hurtles; some I clear, some I knock right over and either stumble or my date opts out of continuing the race.  Hurtles are both little things and big ones, that cover every genre known to man &#8211; [&#8230;]]]></description>
  51. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/std-kids-will-need-treatment2.jpg"><img data-attachment-id="251" data-permalink="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/?attachment_id=251" data-orig-file="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/std-kids-will-need-treatment2.jpg" data-orig-size="341,355" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}" data-image-title="STD kids will need treatment" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/std-kids-will-need-treatment2.jpg?w=288" data-large-file="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/std-kids-will-need-treatment2.jpg?w=341" class="alignright size-full wp-image-251" title="STD kids will need treatment" src="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/std-kids-will-need-treatment2.jpg?w=497" alt=""   srcset="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/std-kids-will-need-treatment2.jpg 341w, https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/std-kids-will-need-treatment2.jpg?w=144&amp;h=150 144w, https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/std-kids-will-need-treatment2.jpg?w=288&amp;h=300 288w" sizes="(max-width: 341px) 100vw, 341px" /></a>Dating is a necessary evil that  <em>hopefully </em>leads to a long standing relationship&#8230; While dating there are inevitably hurtles; some I clear, some I knock right over and either stumble or my date opts out of continuing the race.  Hurtles are both little things and big ones, that cover every genre known to man &#8211; personal habits, religion, family, etc.  The one that always causes a knot in my stomach is sex.</p>
  52. <p>Mostly due to my past, I really hesitate rushing into a sexual relationship with someone; not for a lack of desire, or even religious belief, but with a history that includes molestation and rape, as well as a cheating former spouse, sex is something I strongly protect.  It is the most intimate part of myself, not to mention a risky activity if I don&#8217;t know someone well and have an emotional bond with them.  When dating intimacy almost always becomes a subject.  Sometimes it&#8217;s brought on due to physical contact, but most of the time its a conversation that I choose to have before a circumstance may arise.  While it may not be typical dating conversation early on, for me it is and so far that&#8217;s worked for me.  Bringing up sex isn&#8217;t hard for me, even discussing my feelings on the subject and listening to their responses&#8230; what&#8217;s hard is their reaction, or my anticipation of it I guess.</p>
  53. <p>Far too often I&#8217;m met with silence, shock, or disgust.  What brings on this reaction?  Not my desire to take a little bit of time&#8230; well usually not my desire for waiting a bit; what ruffles some&#8217;s feathers is my want for my future partner (when and only when I get to an emotional point where sex is probable) to have a full <a title="TSTD Testing" href="www.tstd.org" target="_blank">STD screening</a>, to include herpes and HIV.  I don&#8217;t ask to accompany them, though I have been asked to.  I do though ask to know the results, especially if they come back with <em>something</em>.</p>
  54. <p>I have been dating for a while since my last relationship and had this conversation a few times.  In the last six months two of the three men that I&#8217;ve gone on dates with have been offended, disgusted, or just plain turned off by the idea of getting tested.  I of course never saw them again.  Sometimes I have been asked to &#8221;just let it go&#8230; [they] <em>obviously </em>don&#8217;t have anything&#8230;&#8221;  Obviously my foot!  Depending on the <a title="CDC - STD's" href="http://www.cdc.gov/STD/" target="_blank">STD</a>, up to 90% of carriers are asymptomatic!  (meaning that they show NO SYMPTOMS)  There is no way, no matter how attracted I am, I will risk my health, my life, my family for sex!  A man hesitating at the thought of STD testing is an automatic deal breaker for me.</p>
  55. <p>Even though most of the time the results have been negative for the men that have honored my request, it hasn&#8217;t always come back that way.  Two men that thought they were  <em>clean </em>found that they had chlamydia/herpes/gonorrhea.  These men are attractive, adult, business men.  They were surprised and devastated by their results; they showed NO symptoms and wouldn&#8217;t have know they were carriers if they hadn&#8217;t gotten tested.</p>
  56. <p>For the last six years, I have had a standing annual appointment with my GP.  In a relationship or not, I have a full STD/HIV screening.  I have never dealt with a positive result. (Thankfully)  The man that I&#8217;m currently seeing took <em>the </em><em>news </em>wonderfully.  So far he&#8217;s a keeper, not just because of the sex topic, due to so many things&#8230; I&#8217;m looking forward to seeing if this turns into a relationship! <img src="https://s0.wp.com/wp-content/mu-plugins/wpcom-smileys/twemoji/2/72x72/1f642.png" alt="🙂" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /></p>
  57. ]]></content:encoded>
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  60. <slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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  65. <media:title type="html">mina75</media:title>
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  67.  
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  69. <media:title type="html">STD kids will need treatment</media:title>
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  71. </item>
  72. <item>
  73. <title>Health Care Questions</title>
  74. <link>https://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/2009/11/28/health-care-questions/</link>
  75. <comments>https://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/2009/11/28/health-care-questions/#respond</comments>
  77. <dc:creator><![CDATA[mina75]]></dc:creator>
  78. <pubDate>Sat, 28 Nov 2009 20:37:53 +0000</pubDate>
  79. <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
  80. <category><![CDATA[congress]]></category>
  81. <category><![CDATA[contact congress]]></category>
  82. <category><![CDATA[health care reform]]></category>
  83. <category><![CDATA[Healthcare Bill]]></category>
  84. <category><![CDATA[house of representatives]]></category>
  85. <category><![CDATA[statesmen]]></category>
  86. <category><![CDATA[zagot]]></category>
  87. <guid isPermaLink="false">http://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/?p=242</guid>
  88.  
  89. <description><![CDATA[Health care reform is a hot topic!   The problem is that there are far too many politics involved and too few constituent&#8217;s desires being honored.  Our statesmen are in office because we chose them.  We have the option not to choose them again if they do not listen to the voices of their people.  In my [&#8230;]]]></description>
  90. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div data-shortcode="caption" id="attachment_243" style="width: 410px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/healthcare-reform.jpg"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-243" data-attachment-id="243" data-permalink="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/2009/11/28/health-care-questions/healthcare-reform/" data-orig-file="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/healthcare-reform.jpg" data-orig-size="400,400" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}" data-image-title="healthcare reform" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/healthcare-reform.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/healthcare-reform.jpg?w=400" class="size-full wp-image-243 " title="healthcare reform" src="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/healthcare-reform.jpg?w=497" alt=""   srcset="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/healthcare-reform.jpg 400w, https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/healthcare-reform.jpg?w=150&amp;h=150 150w, https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/healthcare-reform.jpg?w=300&amp;h=300 300w" sizes="(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-243" class="wp-caption-text">A Dolighan political cartoon</p></div>
  91. <p>Health care reform is a hot topic!   The problem is that there are far too many politics involved and too few constituent&#8217;s desires being honored.  Our statesmen are in office because we chose them.  We have the option not to choose them again if they do not listen to the voices of their people.  In my humble opinion, a political representative can not stand <em>for</em> his people if he or she does not stand <em>with </em>them.  They have to hear the opinions of their constituents in order to act on their behalf.</p>
  92. <p>Healthcarevote.com has created a balanced <a title="Healthcarevote.com" href="www.healthcarevote.com" target="_blank">survey </a>on heath care reform available for the public to complete and send on to their statesmen.  The website takes the survey information and forwards it on to each individual&#8217;s representative at no cost.  After completing the survey you are given the option to keep a short three sentence or so memo that is attached to your questionere or to write your own.  I chose to write my own, highlighting my position on the exorbitant costs required by healthcare providers, thus passed on through the insurance companies (the main cause for healthcare&#8217;s HIGH costs,) pre-existing conditions, the right of choice for care, abortion, the coverage of illegal residents, and more.  This is an opportunity for each individual to express their opinion and have it heard by their elected official.</p>
  93. <p>The site is associated, from what I can find, with Zogby, an individual that contacts their statesman via the site has the opportunity to opt out of any information sharing for future political surveying purposes.</p>
  94. ]]></content:encoded>
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  97. <slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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  102. <media:title type="html">mina75</media:title>
  103. </media:content>
  104.  
  105. <media:content url="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/healthcare-reform.jpg" medium="image">
  106. <media:title type="html">healthcare reform</media:title>
  107. </media:content>
  108. </item>
  109. <item>
  110. <title>Angel Food</title>
  111. <link>https://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/angel-food/</link>
  112. <comments>https://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/angel-food/#respond</comments>
  114. <dc:creator><![CDATA[mina75]]></dc:creator>
  115. <pubDate>Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:57:57 +0000</pubDate>
  116. <category><![CDATA[Awareness]]></category>
  117. <category><![CDATA[Budget Friendly]]></category>
  118. <category><![CDATA[Family Friendly]]></category>
  119. <category><![CDATA[angel food ministries]]></category>
  120. <category><![CDATA[difficult economy]]></category>
  121. <category><![CDATA[food pantry]]></category>
  122. <category><![CDATA[help]]></category>
  123. <category><![CDATA[low cost food]]></category>
  124. <category><![CDATA[unemployment]]></category>
  125. <guid isPermaLink="false">http://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/?p=239</guid>
  126.  
  127. <description><![CDATA[In the past month alone 4 of my friends have lost their jobs.  They all have families, rent/mortgage and bills to pay.  While unemployment will help, it won&#8217;t come close to their usual monthly income.  I found out about Angel Food Ministries today. They seem to serve people across the United States.  In my area [&#8230;]]]></description>
  128. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<iframe class="youtube-player" width="497" height="280" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/24owMUFOwu8?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent" allowfullscreen="true" style="border:0;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox"></iframe>
  129. <p>In the past month alone 4 of my friends have lost their jobs.  They all have families, rent/mortgage and bills to pay.  While unemployment will help, it won&#8217;t come close to their usual monthly income.  I found out about <a title="Angel Food Ministries" href="http://www.angelfoodministries.com/" target="_blank">Angel Food Ministries</a> today. They seem to serve people across the United States.  In my area alone there are 5 Angel Food Ministries locations.  They are helping people in their time of need. This is not a food pantry, its a service through which people can purchase food at a minimal cost; brand name foods, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, chicken, beef, pork, etc.  They have prepared meals for seniors as well as staples that individuals and families can use to create their own meals.  Individuals must order on or before the due date for their area.  Here, in my area the order deadline is December 5th.  I&#8217;ve talked with people that have ordered from Angel Food. They were all very impressed with their orders and they continue to utilize Angel Food&#8217;s services today.  If you, or someone you know, could benefit from their services, please pass along their information.  Angel Food is helping to feed America, one box at a time.</p>
  130. ]]></content:encoded>
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  133. <slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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  138. <media:title type="html">mina75</media:title>
  139. </media:content>
  140. </item>
  141. <item>
  142. <title>Pink &#038; Blue: Preemie Awareness Month</title>
  143. <link>https://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/pink-blue-preemie-awareness-month/</link>
  144. <comments>https://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/pink-blue-preemie-awareness-month/#respond</comments>
  146. <dc:creator><![CDATA[mina75]]></dc:creator>
  147. <pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:04:15 +0000</pubDate>
  148. <category><![CDATA[Awareness]]></category>
  149. <category><![CDATA[Causes]]></category>
  150. <category><![CDATA[Family Life]]></category>
  151. <category><![CDATA[March of Dimes]]></category>
  152. <category><![CDATA[November]]></category>
  153. <category><![CDATA[Prematurity]]></category>
  154. <category><![CDATA[Prematurity Awareness Month]]></category>
  155. <category><![CDATA[surfectant]]></category>
  156. <guid isPermaLink="false">http://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/?p=233</guid>
  157.  
  158. <description><![CDATA[November is Prematurity Awareness Month.  At this time each year my family and I contact local businesses, churches, schools, and social groups to spread the word about prematurity.  We ask locals to find ways to recognize prematurity by incorporating pink and blue into their offices, school projects, and awareness ribbons.  Prematurity isn&#8217;t just another cause [&#8230;]]]></description>
  159. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/premature-baby-girl.jpg"><img data-attachment-id="235" data-permalink="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/pink-blue-preemie-awareness-month/premature-baby-girl/" data-orig-file="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/premature-baby-girl.jpg" data-orig-size="362,249" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}" data-image-title="premature baby girl" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/premature-baby-girl.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/premature-baby-girl.jpg?w=362" class="alignright size-full wp-image-235" title="premature baby girl" src="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/premature-baby-girl.jpg?w=497" alt=""   srcset="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/premature-baby-girl.jpg 362w, https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/premature-baby-girl.jpg?w=150&amp;h=103 150w, https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/premature-baby-girl.jpg?w=300&amp;h=206 300w" sizes="(max-width: 362px) 100vw, 362px" /></a>November is Prematurity Awareness Month.  At this time each year my family and I contact local businesses, churches, schools, and social groups to spread the word about prematurity.  We ask locals to find ways to recognize prematurity by incorporating pink and blue into their offices, school projects, and awareness ribbons.  Prematurity isn&#8217;t <em>just another cause</em> to us, its a family affair that hit home on July 29, 2007.</p>
  160. <p>On July 28, 2007 I attended my 7 month OB appointment.  The doctor went about things as he always had, weight, belly measurements, listening to the tiny baby inside me, he then asked about her movement.  I explained that she was such a calm baby, all I ever felt to that point were hick-ups and occasional small swishes.  His eyes popped!  He sent me home with strict orders to down a 2 liter of highly caffeinated soda within one hour then to lay still for one hour, noting any and all movements on a form.  I was then instructed to call him immediately following that hour.  I went home terrified.  I drank the soda and then settled in on the couch.  I watched as the time slipped away, minute by minute, second by second&#8230; nothing, not a hick-up, swish, or twitch.  I began to panic.  I gave it more time, 30 more minutes, until my husband returned home from duty.  He walked in and found me crying.  I was too upset to call the doctor so he did it for me.  I was immediately rushed to the local hospital where I was evaluated by my doctor once more.  He left the room without saying a word.  I was overwhelmed with fear.  A nurse walked in, she was carrying a large syringe.  I asked why I needed an injection and all she would say is &#8220;The doctor has ordered it.&#8221;  I refused until I could speak with my OB.  He came into the room immediately, sitting down on the foot of the bed he explained that my daughter was in serious trouble.  She had an extremely low fetal heartbeat and showed no movement.  Due to her gestation level he wanted to try his best to keep her in-utero for as long as possible.  The shot was steroids, to help her lungs develop as quickly as possible.  I was being admitted to the hospital until her birth.  He said he was hoping to deliver her in about a week.  I was moved upstairs.</p>
  161. <p>We hadn&#8217;t planned for this.  Would she survive? Would her big brother ever have the chance to meet her? Is she going to be ok?  What would we name her?  All of these questions and more flooded my mind.  I was fitted with a fetal monitor and taken for ultra sounds every few hours.  The next morning, before the sun had peeked over the desert&#8217;s edge, the nurse woke me for my morning ultra sound.  She, like all of the technicians before her, sat silently as they rolled around my still belly.  No one would talk to me, no one would answer my questions when I asked if my baby was ok.  I was wheeled back to my room where I took a shower.  A few minutes later I came out of the restroom and found that my bag had been packed and it was sitting neatly on my bed, alongside the rest of my belongings.  A nurse was standing in the corner.  She told me I was being medivaced to New Mexico State for an emergency c-section.  The hospital that I was staying in wasn&#8217;t equipped for a preemie in such serious condition.  I panicked.  My husband had left early that morning to drive to El Paso, about 2 1/2 hours away, to pick up my mother, who had flown in from KY to care for our son. I didn&#8217;t know where he was or when he would return.  I began making calls to his Sargent, the air port, anyone I could think of.  Friends came to sit with me while we waited for the helicopter to arrive in Alamogordo, my friend&#8217;s husband, Ernie, stood by the entrance of the hospital waiting for my husband.  (this was well before we owned cell phones)  About an hour had passed, the nurse and two tech&#8217;s came into my room.  They asked me to lay on a portable stretcher so they could take me to an ambulance that was waiting downstairs.  I felt lost.  I climbed onto the stretcher fearful that my husband was going to miss the birth of our daughter.  The nurse slowly wheeled me down the hall.  As they were crossing the hospital drive my husband, son, and mother pulled in.  Ernie, ran to them explaining what was happening.  My ex had made it!  We piled into the ambulance and began the 30 minute drive back to the base for air transport.  Ernie explained to my Mom, whom had never been to New Mexico, how to make the 4 1/2 hour drive to Albuquerque.  The ambulance arrived at Holloman AFB just as the helicopter touched the tarmac.  My husband and I were transfered to a tiny area in the center of the helicopter bay, strapped in, and we took off.  The flight seemed to take forever.  When we landed I was rushed inside and prepped for surgery.  Our beautiful baby girl was born minutes later.</p>
  162. <p>E didn&#8217;t make a sound as a horde of doctors and nurses surrounded her and swept her away to another room.  I was cleaned up and transfered to a room at the far end of the L&amp;D floor.  I couldn&#8217;t get out of bed and kept calling to my nurse.  I wanted to see my baby.  The nurse reassured me, more times than I can count, that my daughter was doing well.  She promised to take me to the NICU as soon as the doctors would allow for it.  Again, time moved slowly.  After 8 hours of waiting I had enough, I tried to get out of bed on my own and fell to the floor.  The nurses ran in as I screamed to see my daughter.  I hadn&#8217;t seen her or my husband since the moments after my delivery.  I was told that my husband had gone to arrange for a place to stay with my Mom and my son as the nurses handed me a very fuzzy Polaroid of my tiny little baby girl.  While in the hospital the night before I had decided to name her E. F.  Her name means STRENGTH and TRUST.  The nurses wrote her name on the picture and promised to come back with a wheel chair as soon as the doctor&#8217;s OKed visitors for little E.</p>
  163. <p>About 2 hours later they rolled me from my room at New Mexico State, down the long corridors to the NICU.  There  I washed with iodine soap and medicated nail brushes before slipping on a hair net, mask and bright yellow scrub gown.  I was SO excited to see my little girl!  I was wheeled to the back of the NICU to a warmer.  She looked so small and fragile.  There seemed to be wires and tubes coming from every part of her.  She lay there still and quiet as I was told that I could touch her.  I began to cry as I thought about the tiny life before me.  I was aloud to hold her for a few brief moments, wrapping her tiny little arms and legs snuggly in a warm blanket, being sure to leave access for all of her tubes and wires through the bottom of her wrapping.  I sat with her, singing to her, touching her, and crying over her for two hours before the nurses wheeled me back to my room.</p>
  164. <p>E spent 5 weeks in the NICU.  She battled jaundice, apnea, and the inability to breathe on her own, and a myriad of other challenges.  Little E was a trooper.  To this day I am in awe of her strength.  She came so close to leaving us a number of times, but always managed to pull through.  We had daily visits from home nurses for the next 3 months while E continued with oxygen and apnea monitoring.  Every day was a challenge but also a blessing.  As she grew we learned more and more about preemie development, risks, and challenges.  E was constantly followed by developmental specialists; working with occupational therapy, physical therapy, and other such assistance.  She came along at her own pace.</p>
  165. <p>Now at 12, E lives with Autism Spectrum Disorder, hyper sensitivity (Audio/Visual), Central Auditory Processing Disorder, Dyslexia, and a few other challenges.  She takes them all in stride.  She&#8217;s my perfect little angel.  The March of Dimes has been there for us from the beginning, with surfectant for her lungs, to programs to encourage her development, and now allowing her to speak on their behalf at local events so that other parents, preemies, and the local community can hear her story and know the importance of the battle against prematurity.</p>
  166. <p>November is Prematurity Awareness Month, please contact your local March of Dimes office for Prematurity Awareness ribbons and tips on how you can help shine a light on prematurity.</p>
  167. <iframe class="youtube-player" width="497" height="280" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bhS5S4WO-mQ?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent" allowfullscreen="true" style="border:0;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox"></iframe>
  168. ]]></content:encoded>
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  171. <slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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  176. <media:title type="html">mina75</media:title>
  177. </media:content>
  178.  
  179. <media:content url="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/premature-baby-girl.jpg" medium="image">
  180. <media:title type="html">premature baby girl</media:title>
  181. </media:content>
  182. </item>
  183. <item>
  184. <title>Sister Teresa: The TRUTH of H1N1</title>
  185. <link>https://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/sister-teresa-the-truth-of-h1n1/</link>
  186. <comments>https://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/sister-teresa-the-truth-of-h1n1/#respond</comments>
  188. <dc:creator><![CDATA[mina75]]></dc:creator>
  189. <pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:02:45 +0000</pubDate>
  190. <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
  191. <category><![CDATA[Benedictine Sister]]></category>
  192. <category><![CDATA[Crimes and Abuses of the Pharmaceutical Industry]]></category>
  193. <category><![CDATA[H1N1]]></category>
  194. <category><![CDATA[Internal Medicine]]></category>
  195. <category><![CDATA[medical journal evidence]]></category>
  196. <category><![CDATA[Pandemic]]></category>
  197. <category><![CDATA[Sister Teresa Forcades PhD]]></category>
  198. <category><![CDATA[Swine Flu]]></category>
  199. <category><![CDATA[University of Barcelona]]></category>
  200. <category><![CDATA[World Health Organization's H1N1 Vaccination Program]]></category>
  201. <guid isPermaLink="false">http://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/?p=224</guid>
  202.  
  203. <description><![CDATA[Sister Teresa Forcades is speaking out regarding the  hiden truth of the H1N1 virus.  She graduated with her doctorate in Public Health from the University of Barcelona and received her specialization in Internal Medicine through the University of New York.  Sister Teresa also has her Masters in Divinity from Harvard University and a doctorate from the [&#8230;]]]></description>
  204. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Sister Teresa Forcades is speaking out regarding the  <em>hiden truth</em> of the H1N1 virus.  She graduated with her doctorate in Public Health from the University of Barcelona and received her specialization in Internal Medicine through the University of New York.  Sister Teresa also has her Masters in Divinity from Harvard University and a doctorate from the Facultad de Teología de Catalunya.  Sister Teresa is a published author (<strong><a href="http://www.fespinal.com/espinal/llib/en124.pdf">Crimes and Abuses of the Pharmaceutical Industry</a> ,</strong> The Trinity Today, and Feminist Theology in History)</p>
  205. <p>Sister Teresa is speaking out against the World Health Organization&#8217;s global H1N1 vaccination program and she gives a very detailed account of the flu&#8217;s history, the political and social impacts of the flu and the vaccine, and she calls for urgent public action.  While the video does take some time to watch, about 45 minutes, it is well worth the time taken.  You may also read an excerpt of Sister Teresa&#8217;s (translated into English) <a title="Sister Teresa interview" href="http://iglesiadescalza.blogspot.com/2009/10/nun-speaks-out-on-h1n1-pandemic.html" target="_blank">interview </a> at Iglesia Descalza.</p>
  206. <iframe class="youtube-player" width="497" height="280" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A0JqQyl09zQ?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent" allowfullscreen="true" style="border:0;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox"></iframe>
  207. ]]></content:encoded>
  209. <wfw:commentRss>https://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/sister-teresa-the-truth-of-h1n1/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
  210. <slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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  215. <media:title type="html">mina75</media:title>
  216. </media:content>
  217. </item>
  218. <item>
  219. <title>Puberty Germs</title>
  220. <link>https://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/2009/10/28/puberty-germs/</link>
  221. <comments>https://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/2009/10/28/puberty-germs/#respond</comments>
  223. <dc:creator><![CDATA[mina75]]></dc:creator>
  224. <pubDate>Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:42:07 +0000</pubDate>
  225. <category><![CDATA[Family Life]]></category>
  226. <category><![CDATA[acne]]></category>
  227. <category><![CDATA[facial hair]]></category>
  228. <category><![CDATA[puberty]]></category>
  229. <category><![CDATA[voice changes]]></category>
  230. <guid isPermaLink="false">http://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/?p=209</guid>
  231.  
  232. <description><![CDATA[Sitting at breakfast today B&#8217;s voice cracked.  He immediately blushed and began rambling about his current situation: Mom, this sucks.  The day I caught puberty my life ended.  I hate all of this hair in my arm pits; my deodorant makes it stick to me.  It itches!  I&#8217;ve got zits.  I hate zits!  They&#8217;re nasty and it [&#8230;]]]></description>
  233. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="211" data-permalink="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/2009/10/28/puberty-germs/picaso-puberty/" data-orig-file="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/picaso-puberty.jpg" data-orig-size="359,400" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}" data-image-title="picaso puberty" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/picaso-puberty.jpg?w=269" data-large-file="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/picaso-puberty.jpg?w=359" class="size-medium wp-image-211 alignleft" title="picaso puberty" src="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/picaso-puberty.jpg?w=269&#038;h=300" alt="picaso puberty" width="269" height="300" srcset="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/picaso-puberty.jpg?w=269 269w, https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/picaso-puberty.jpg?w=135 135w, https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/picaso-puberty.jpg 359w" sizes="(max-width: 269px) 100vw, 269px" />Sitting at breakfast today B&#8217;s voice cracked.  He immediately blushed and began rambling about his current situation:</p>
  234. <blockquote><p><em>Mom, this sucks.  The day I caught puberty my life ended.  I hate all of this hair in my arm pits; my deodorant makes it stick to me.  It itches!  I&#8217;ve got zits.  I hate zits!  They&#8217;re nasty and it looks like my nose is HUGE!  I hate talking because I keep doing this squeak thing.  Going out in public is embarrassing.  When&#8217;s it going to stop?  Why did I have to catch puberty? This SUCKS!</em></p></blockquote>
  235. <p>By this point I was struggling to hide my smile.  The day he <em>caught </em>puberty?!  I spent the next 5 minutes explaining that we don&#8217;t <em>catch it; puberty isn&#8217;</em>t a germ that we pick up if we don&#8217;t wash our hands and it won&#8217;t be over any time soon. Poor B, I could see that he&#8217;s going through a lot and I know its going to get worse before it gets better, but couldn&#8217;t bring myself to tell <em>him </em>that.   I remember my own crazy ride through puberty, but being female, I never (thankfully) had to experience many of the outwardly noticeable effects that it has on boys.  I dealt with mood swings, learning to shave my legs and underarms, and growing breasts, not a cracking voice, spontaneous erections, and what looks like a dirty lip due to burgeoning facial hair.  My little guy is becoming a man, much faster than I imagined possible.  I wish I could hand him a pill or rub in a cream that would slow down or even stop puberty, I really do, but I can&#8217;t.  So, for at least the next few years, we&#8217;re both going to have to deal with the effects of puberty, symptom by miserable symptom.  For now, I&#8217;m off to the store to buy medicated face wash and less <em>sticky </em>deodorant!</p>
  236. ]]></content:encoded>
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  239. <slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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  244. <media:title type="html">mina75</media:title>
  245. </media:content>
  246.  
  247. <media:content url="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/picaso-puberty.jpg?w=269" medium="image">
  248. <media:title type="html">picaso puberty</media:title>
  249. </media:content>
  250. </item>
  251. <item>
  252. <title>The Gathering of Ghouls</title>
  253. <link>https://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/2009/10/26/the-gathering-of-ghouls/</link>
  254. <comments>https://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/2009/10/26/the-gathering-of-ghouls/#respond</comments>
  256. <dc:creator><![CDATA[mina75]]></dc:creator>
  257. <pubDate>Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:39:11 +0000</pubDate>
  258. <category><![CDATA[Family Friendly]]></category>
  259. <category><![CDATA[Family Life]]></category>
  260. <category><![CDATA[Holiday]]></category>
  261. <category><![CDATA[Recipes]]></category>
  262. <category><![CDATA[Bat wings]]></category>
  263. <category><![CDATA[cheeseball]]></category>
  264. <category><![CDATA[do it yourself]]></category>
  265. <category><![CDATA[graveyard]]></category>
  266. <category><![CDATA[halloween party]]></category>
  267. <category><![CDATA[halloween party games]]></category>
  268. <category><![CDATA[Halloween recipes]]></category>
  269. <category><![CDATA[hummus]]></category>
  270. <category><![CDATA[rib cage]]></category>
  271. <category><![CDATA[skull]]></category>
  272. <guid isPermaLink="false">http://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/?p=203</guid>
  273.  
  274. <description><![CDATA[Saturday was our annual Gathering of Ghouls!  Our friends arrived just before sunset to an evening full of Halloween themed games and treats. Costumes were a requirement!  Those that arrived without a costume were ordered to the dungeon (basement) where the were promptly dressed by the children in the house.  (We keep a large supply [&#8230;]]]></description>
  275. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div data-shortcode="caption" id="attachment_193" style="width: 235px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-193" loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="193" data-permalink="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/img_2564/" data-orig-file="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/img_2564.jpg" data-orig-size="2448,3264" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;3.5&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon PowerShot S5 IS&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1256362473&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;12.9&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;200&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.016666666666667&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}" data-image-title="IMG_2564" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="&lt;p&gt;Our beloved Fred, the cheese ball head&lt;/p&gt;
  276. " data-medium-file="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/img_2564.jpg?w=225" data-large-file="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/img_2564.jpg?w=497" class="size-medium wp-image-193" title="IMG_2564" src="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/img_2564.jpg?w=225&#038;h=300" alt="IMG_2564" width="225" height="300" srcset="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/img_2564.jpg?w=225 225w, https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/img_2564.jpg?w=450 450w, https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/img_2564.jpg?w=113 113w" sizes="(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /><p id="caption-attachment-193" class="wp-caption-text">Our beloved Fred, the cheese ball head</p></div>
  277. <p>Saturday was our annual Gathering of Ghouls!  Our friends arrived just before sunset to an evening full of Halloween themed games and treats.</p>
  278. <p>Costumes were a requirement!  Those that arrived without a costume were ordered to the dungeon (basement) where the were promptly dressed by the children in the house.  (We keep a large supply of dress up clothes and old Halloween costumes for occasions just like this!)  Every year there are a few that wander in un-dressed. The kids couldn&#8217;t wait to get their hands on them.  This year they created a construction worker costume, using Little Jr. Tools and the matching tool belt, paired with my old hard hat.  They also somehow managed to squeeze a 6&#8217;6&#8221; man into my old Morticia costume.</p>
  279. <p>For dinner we had Fred, the Carcass of The Beast, bat wings, zombie melon brain,  hummus grave yard, Witch&#8217;s hats, fingers, and toes, veggies and dip, couscous salad, and more.   I spent the days prior to the party preparing the food.  I whipped up Fred (pictured above) by slathering my favorite<a title="Cheese Ball Recipe" href="http://www.recipezaar.com/Als-Award-Winning-Garlic-Cheese-Ball-224997" target="_blank"> cheese ball mixture</a> on a sanitized skull then topped him with Budding Beef.  I was supposed to insert hard boiled egg and olive eyes.. but lost track of time and forgot the day of the party.  Oops!  The Carcass of the Beast was fairly easy to make as well.  I used a small (new and sanitized) trash can and cut it into a rib cage.  I then covered the exterior with expanding foam.  Once that dried, I sprayed it with watered down red, brown, black, <img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="194" data-permalink="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/?attachment_id=194" data-orig-file="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/img_2563.jpg" data-orig-size="3264,2448" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;2.7&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon PowerShot S5 IS&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1256362463&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;6.6&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;200&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.016666666666667&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}" data-image-title="IMG_2563" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/img_2563.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/img_2563.jpg?w=497" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-194" title="IMG_2563" src="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/img_2563.jpg?w=150&#038;h=112" alt="IMG_2563" width="150" height="112" srcset="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/img_2563.jpg?w=150 150w, https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/img_2563.jpg?w=300 300w" sizes="(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />and purple paints.  The day of the party I lined the rib cage with foil and filled it with pulled pork.  It would have presented a bit better laid onto a silver platter lined with greens, but again &#8211; that pesky time thing.   The<a title="Black Bat Wings Recipe" href="http://www.perfectentertaining.com/halloween/hr185.html" target="_blank"> Bat Wings</a> were fairly simple; I love that the sauce gives them a black glaze, perfect for a bat-ish look!  The <a title="Watermelon Brain" href="http://www.boingboing.net/2008/10/24/howto-make-a-brain-o.html" target="_blank">Zombie Brain</a> was easy, but time consuming.  It is a small ball watermelon, carved to look like a brain.  It took several hours to complete due to having to remove all of the green <em>skin</em> then carving the white flesh to look like wrinkles in the brain, with pink melon showing through between the whitish brain curls.  It was worth it though, it looked great and tasted yummy too. I also made a bleeding eyeball cake&#8230; I used the Wilton ball cake pan and a quarter sheet cake pan.  I filled them with red velvet cake and once cooled I cut the top off of each half of the ball cake sides&#8230; which were going to become my eyeballs.  I hollowed out some of the 1/2 balls and then iced the interior with royal icing.  I filled the hollow area with raspberry sauce (a simple sauce made with puree&#8217;d raspberries, strained to remove the seeds, blended with powdered sugar to taste) I then reapplied the top of each &#8216;eye&#8217; and then did a crumb coat of royal icing.  Then I placed the eyes on the sheet cake and ice the entire cake.  I let it sit over night and the next morning I hand painted, using icing gel colors, a small paint brush and water, directly onto the icing.  It had crusted overnight which made it easy to paint.  I added veins, an iris and pupil. I was going to make rounds of clear gelatin for the iris/pupil and paint those with icing color, but ran out of time.  I think it would have looked far more realistic&#8230; but what I did end up doing worked great as well.  I pulled the plastic covering off of my son&#8217;s zombie gloves and used the zombie hands to  <em>hold </em>the eyeballs on the cake.  I poured, very carefully, red icing color around the eyes to look like dripping blood and used black reflective sprinkles on the rest of the cake. The hummus graveyard was simple and quick.  I found the idea and <a title="Hummus Graveyard" href="http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/the-haunted-graveyard-784933/" target="_blank">recipe </a>in Family Fun Magazine.  Of course we had punch too&#8230; blood punch.  I poured ice into a very large cauldron  then set a glass punch bowl inside, filled with strawberry-kiwi juice.  The ice lightened up the inside of the cauldron which helped to show the red tent of the  <em>Blood Punch</em>.  I then put hands and a face made from ice inside<em>. </em>These were very easy to make.. simply fill two, well<img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="200" data-permalink="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/img_2565/" data-orig-file="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/img_2565.jpg" data-orig-size="3264,2448" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;3.2&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon PowerShot S5 IS&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1256362489&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;10.2&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;200&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.016666666666667&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}" data-image-title="IMG_2565" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/img_2565.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/img_2565.jpg?w=497" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-200" title="IMG_2565" src="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/img_2565.jpg?w=150&#038;h=112" alt="IMG_2565" width="150" height="112" srcset="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/img_2565.jpg?w=150 150w, https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/img_2565.jpg?w=300 300w" sizes="(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />washed, latex gloves with water and freeze, do the same for a cheap face mask with the eye and mouth holes covered.  Floating the ice face/hands in the water adds a nice effect, as the face/hands melt, your victim appears to drown in the punch.  I found labels for condiment bottles, salt and pepper shakers, drink bottles, etc that said things like Black Widow Venom, Eye of Newt, etc I printed them on photo paper and applied them to containers/bottles/etc.</p>
  280. <p>We also played a number of games.  All but one of the games were the same for both the kids and adult parties:</p>
  281. <ul>
  282. <li>During the kids portion of the evening we wrapped adult volunteers in toilet paper (for the older kids) and white streamer (for the younger kids) to create Mummies.  The kids broke into teams and raced to see who could cover their mummy in the least amount of time.</li>
  283. <li> Halloween Monster trivia game &#8211; I collected both well known and obscure facts on 13 Halloween Monsters</li>
  284. <li>Guess the Gross Body Part &#8211; Placing various houshold items and foods into plastic bags, covered with paper bags for a guessing game.  Some of the items used were:  a wet ball sponge (Brain), carved carrot bites (fingers/toes), pull apart Twizzlers covered with olive oil (intestines), popcorn kernels (teeth), torn up lunch meat (skin), peeled grapes (eyes)&#8230; etc
  285. <p><div data-shortcode="caption" id="attachment_196" style="width: 160px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-196" loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="196" data-permalink="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/img_2571/" data-orig-file="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/img_2571.jpg" data-orig-size="3264,2448" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;3.2&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon PowerShot S5 IS&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1256364898&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;12.6&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;200&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.016666666666667&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}" data-image-title="IMG_2571" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="&lt;p&gt;This is me&#8230; trying to slurp down my jello&lt;/p&gt;
  286. " data-medium-file="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/img_2571.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/img_2571.jpg?w=497" class="size-thumbnail wp-image-196" title="IMG_2571" src="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/img_2571.jpg?w=150&#038;h=112" alt="IMG_2571" width="150" height="112" srcset="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/img_2571.jpg?w=150 150w, https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/img_2571.jpg?w=300 300w" sizes="(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /><p id="caption-attachment-196" class="wp-caption-text">This is me... trying to slurp down my jello</p></div></li>
  287. <li>Marshmallow Munch &#8211; Thread a string through a marshmallow and hang from the ceiling/door frame/bar.  Each participant held their arms behind their backs and had to eat the entire marshmallow, the first one to have the entire marshmallow eaten wins</li>
  288. <li>I &#8216;Vant to Suck Your Blood &#8211; I made thin sheets of jello jigglers out of cherry jello, each participant was given a 2&#215;2 inch square (that is only about 1/2 in. deep) and a soda straw. The objective is to use the straw to suck up the blood (jello) The sound this game makes is quite disgusting, everyone couldn&#8217;t help but laugh our way though</li>
  289. </ul>
  290. <p>We wrapped up the planned festivities at midnight with a Costume Contest.  I found ribbons for each category this year, but in years past I&#8217;ve given out trophies.  It all depends on what I find for that year.  The contest categories are:  Sexiest (adults only), Funniest, Scariest, Cutest, Most Original and Best Overall. I also gave out cardboard tags that I for Lamest and Halloween Slacker (no costume or took their costume off before midnight)  I&#8217;ve found these at novelty stores and stock up when I see them.</p>
  291. <p>&nbsp;</p>
  292. <div data-shortcode="caption" id="attachment_201" style="width: 160px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-201" loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="201" data-permalink="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/img_2561/" data-orig-file="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/img_2561.jpg" data-orig-size="3264,2448" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;2.7&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon PowerShot S5 IS&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1256362336&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;6&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;200&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.016666666666667&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}" data-image-title="IMG_2561" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="&lt;p&gt;Most of the 21 and up party gang&#8230;&lt;/p&gt;
  293. " data-medium-file="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/img_2561.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/img_2561.jpg?w=497" class="size-thumbnail wp-image-201" title="IMG_2561" src="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/img_2561.jpg?w=150&#038;h=112" alt="IMG_2561" width="150" height="112" srcset="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/img_2561.jpg?w=150 150w, https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/img_2561.jpg?w=300 300w" sizes="(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /><p id="caption-attachment-201" class="wp-caption-text">Most of the 21 and up party gang...</p></div>
  294. <p>It&#8217;s our family tradition to hold the kids party from 6 to 8 and the adult&#8217;s party from 9 to whenever&#8230; this year we wrapped up just before 4 am!  Its always SO much fun!  After midnight everyone gets more comfortable, we kick off our shoes, some wash their faces and we settle in for a good game of<a title="Lunch Money" href="http://www.atlas-games.com/lunchmoney/" target="_blank"> Lunch Money</a>, or whatever else seems to sound good at the time.  This year we also got into the Wii.  Have you ever tried to play balance games while drinking wine?  That&#8217;s awesome material for laughter and pictures!</p>
  295. <p>Happy Halloween everyone!</p>
  296. ]]></content:encoded>
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  327. <item>
  328. <title>An Unwelcome Visitor</title>
  329. <link>https://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/2009/10/19/an-unwelcome-visitor/</link>
  330. <comments>https://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/2009/10/19/an-unwelcome-visitor/#respond</comments>
  332. <dc:creator><![CDATA[mina75]]></dc:creator>
  333. <pubDate>Tue, 20 Oct 2009 02:09:41 +0000</pubDate>
  334. <category><![CDATA[Family Life]]></category>
  335. <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
  336. <category><![CDATA[H1N1]]></category>
  337. <category><![CDATA[hand sanitizer]]></category>
  338. <category><![CDATA[hand washing]]></category>
  339. <category><![CDATA[hydrogen peroxide]]></category>
  340. <category><![CDATA[medical masks]]></category>
  341. <category><![CDATA[sick]]></category>
  342. <category><![CDATA[Swine Flu]]></category>
  343. <guid isPermaLink="false">http://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/?p=184</guid>
  344.  
  345. <description><![CDATA[The kids and I have been down and out for nearly 6 weeks now due to passing around the Swine Flu, otherwise known as the H1N1 virus. It started out innocently enough; I thought it was a cold!  I woke up on Wednesday morning feeling a little out of sorts, by that night I had a [&#8230;]]]></description>
  346. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The kids and I have been down and out for nearly 6 weeks now due to passing around the <a title="CDC H1N1" href="http://www.cdc.gov/H1N1FLU/" target="_blank">Swine Flu</a>, otherwise known as the H1N1 virus.</p>
  347. <p><img style="float:right;border:0 initial initial;" title="h1n1 flu sign" src="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/h1n1-flu-sign2.jpg?w=300&#038;h=300" alt="h1n1 flu sign" width="300" height="300" /> It started out innocently enough; I thought it was a cold!  I woke up on Wednesday morning feeling a little out of sorts, by that night I had a stuffy head.  That was it, until Friday.  In my household I don&#8217;t have time to be sick.  If I&#8217;m down and out, who will cook, do the laundry, and chase away dust bunnies?  No one, thats who.  My immune system wasn&#8217;t cooperating.  By mid day Friday I felt like death warmed over.  It was bad.  I&#8217;ve never felt so sick in my life.  B (my 13 yr old) kept asking me if I felt ok and ordering me to bed.  In true Mom fashion, I refused and pushed through the rising fever and body aches until the room began to spin around 2 pm.  That was it, I was toast.  I went to bed and didn&#8217;t move again until Monday.  When I finally crawled out of my germ filled pit, I found the kids had done their best to take care of themselves, cooking and cleaning in true teen fashion&#8230; meaning that things were everywhere.  I didn&#8217;t have the energy to say anything.  I moved from my bed to the couch, where I stayed for the next 4 days, exceptions only being necessity.  All in all though, the kids did a great job.  They were wonderful caretakers; almost too wonderful.  By the time I was feeling half human again, E (my 12 yr old) was showing signs of the crud, B soon followed.</p>
  348. <p>I had watched the tv blurbs, worded perfectly to scare the be-geebies out of folks.  I had read articles and talked to other mom&#8217;s about the <em>impending </em><em>doom </em>of the H1N1 epidemic.  All the while, thinking very little of it.  Now, looking back, I&#8217;m glad that I didn&#8217;t buy into the hype.  The flu is horrid; I wouldn&#8217;t wish it on my worst enemy, but in the end, it&#8217;s just the flu.  It swept through our household like a steroid ravaged gremlin, but left no scars.</p>
  349. <p>During our handful of doctors appointments the pediatrician and my own doctor added a few tid-bits that some of you may find useful:</p>
  350. <ul>
  351. <li>If you&#8217;re feeling under the weather, don&#8217;t go out amongst the public.  Keep your germies to yourself until you know for sure that you&#8217;re not carrying <em>the </em><em>funk</em>.  (H1N1, like many other bugs, takes 3-4 days to fully <em>bloom</em>)</li>
  352. <li>If you have a cough, don&#8217;t bother with a medical mask (they don&#8217;t work; the virus&#8217; particles are too small and pass right through).  Instead, cover your mouth with the inside of your elbow.  This will lessen the transfer of your germs to others by keeping most of your cooties on your shirt, which isn&#8217;t normally touched by yourself or others.  Also immediately throw away used tissues and follow with proper sanitary measures.</li>
  353. <li>H1N1 can live for <strong>several hours to days</strong> on surfaces.  The BEST cleaner is HYDROGEN PEROXIDE!  The virus isn&#8217;t resistant to it and it doesn&#8217;t leave a foul smell or residue.   It&#8217;s also safe for most surfaces and fabrics.</li>
  354. <li>Daily use of saline nasal rinses and gargling are highly suggested for their germ killing abilities.  Since the H1N1 virus takes a few days to settle in, rinses/gargling can assist in washing the virus away before it has a chance to take hold.  Drinking hot beverages also helps.</li>
  355. <li>Taking your daily multiple vitamin and some extra vitamin C can help to boost your immune system.  I also suggest a table-spoon or two of raw honey each day and/or ginger (in tea form or raw) for their antiviral abilities.</li>
  356. <li>Most importantly, WASH YOUR HANDS!  Not just after using the restroom or before eating, but <strong>often</strong>.  Hand sanitizer is nice and sometimes effective, but many <a title="Purdue Study of hand sanitizer" href="http://www.purdue.edu/UNS/html4ever/000211.Almanza.sanitizers.html" target="_blank">studies</a> have shown that many sanitizing gels/sprays aren&#8217;t as menacing against germs as they claim to be.</li>
  357. </ul>
  358. <p>All in all, a little commonsense goes a long way.  Stay well!</p>
  359. ]]></content:encoded>
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  369.  
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  371. <media:title type="html">h1n1 flu sign</media:title>
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  373. </item>
  374. <item>
  375. <title>Don&#8217;t Judge A Book By It&#8217;s Cover</title>
  376. <link>https://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/2009/09/17/dont-judge-a-book-by-its-cover/</link>
  377. <comments>https://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/2009/09/17/dont-judge-a-book-by-its-cover/#comments</comments>
  379. <dc:creator><![CDATA[mina75]]></dc:creator>
  380. <pubDate>Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:13:19 +0000</pubDate>
  381. <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
  382. <category><![CDATA[arthritus]]></category>
  383. <category><![CDATA[back pain]]></category>
  384. <category><![CDATA[brain mass]]></category>
  385. <category><![CDATA[But You Don't Look Sick]]></category>
  386. <category><![CDATA[BYLDS]]></category>
  387. <category><![CDATA[Chronic Illness]]></category>
  388. <category><![CDATA[epilepsy]]></category>
  389. <category><![CDATA[heart disease]]></category>
  390. <category><![CDATA[Invisible Illness]]></category>
  391. <category><![CDATA[living with illness]]></category>
  392. <category><![CDATA[looking healthy]]></category>
  393. <category><![CDATA[National Invisible Illness Awareness Week]]></category>
  394. <category><![CDATA[National Organization of Rare Disorders]]></category>
  395. <category><![CDATA[NORD]]></category>
  396. <category><![CDATA[seizures]]></category>
  397. <category><![CDATA[September 14-20 2009]]></category>
  398. <category><![CDATA[Spoon Theory]]></category>
  399. <category><![CDATA[syncope]]></category>
  400. <guid isPermaLink="false">http://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/?p=178</guid>
  401.  
  402. <description><![CDATA[It&#8217;s National Invisible Illness Awareness Week, September 14th to 20th! I&#8217;m a 33 year old mom of two busy, young teens.  I have soft pale skin, barely a wrinkle has begun around my eyes or on my forehead.  I have gentle curves, blue-green eyes, curly, long brown hair, and long legs.  I&#8217;m often told that I [&#8230;]]]></description>
  403. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="181" data-permalink="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/2009/09/17/dont-judge-a-book-by-its-cover/invisable-illness-roller-coaster/" data-orig-file="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/invisable-illness-roller-coaster.gif" data-orig-size="250,244" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}" data-image-title="Invisable Illness roller coaster" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/invisable-illness-roller-coaster.gif?w=250" data-large-file="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/invisable-illness-roller-coaster.gif?w=250" class="alignright size-full wp-image-181" title="Invisable Illness roller coaster" src="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/invisable-illness-roller-coaster.gif?w=497" alt="Invisable Illness roller coaster"   srcset="https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/invisable-illness-roller-coaster.gif 250w, https://opendoor2eclecticmind.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/invisable-illness-roller-coaster.gif?w=150&amp;h=146 150w" sizes="(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px" /></p>
  404. <p>It&#8217;s National Invisible Illness Awareness Week, September 14th to 20th!</p>
  405. <p>I&#8217;m a 33 year old mom of two busy, young teens.  I have soft pale skin, barely a wrinkle has begun around my eyes or on my forehead.  I have gentle curves, blue-green eyes, curly, long brown hair, and long legs.  I&#8217;m often told that I look much younger than I truly am.  I <em>look </em>healthy, so why am I wanting to talk about National Invisible Illness Week?</p>
  406. <p>All of my life, I&#8217;ve <em>looked </em>healthy.  On the outside, I am the picture of health!  Inside though is another story.  From birth I have lived with invisible disorders.  Everything from internal birth defects to chronic disorders.  I learned at a very young age that I was <em>a little different</em>.  As I&#8217;ve grown older, my list of medical snafus has grown; all are chronic, most will worsten as time goes on.</p>
  407. <p>I first stumbled upon <a title="NORD" href="http://www.rarediseases.org/" target="_blank">NORD </a>(National Organization for Rare Disorders) when I was in my late 20&#8217;s.  A friend of mine, whom is also a doctor, suggested that I check into it.  At 27, I had already been diagnosed with two rare disorders, by 33 I now live with four.  Nord is an EXCELLENT information resource for anyone that lives with a rare disorder or loves someone who does.  They offer a wealth of information, seminars, current medically related politics, message boards, and more.</p>
  408. <p>Two other priceless resources are <a title="BYLDS" href="www.butyoudontlooksick.com" target="_blank">But You Don&#8217;t Look Sic</a>k and <a title="Invisible Illness" href="http://invisibleillnessweek.com/" target="_blank">Invisible Illness</a>.  Both were started by people who live with chronic invisible illnesses and grew into amazing support networks with message boards, blogs, research information, and more.  I have been a member at BYLDS for three years now.  It has been an amazing avenue of support and information.  Like anyone living with illness, the support of others, knowing that you&#8217;re not alone, is one of the most important parts of ongoing treatment.</p>
  409. <p>As you may or may not have noticed, I keep saying  <em>living wit</em><em>h</em> instead of  <em>dealing with,  suffering from</em> , etc.  I do this very purposefully.  In my short 33 years I have <em>lived with</em> epilepsy (age 7 through 17), cancer (at age 24), ongoing heart disease, syncope, renal disorders (coupled with renal deformities), degenerative spinal disorders (coupled with spinal deformities), arthritus, a mass on my brain, and more.  There was a time in my life, many years ago, as a teen struggling with self-identity, when I looked at my medical complications as burdens.  I frequently sat crying <em>WHY ME? </em>After some time I realized that my medical complexities are part of <em>who I am</em>.  I have a choice:  I can allow them to drain me and guide every aspect of my life or I can see them as part of who I am, a stepping stone of strength, understanding, and uniqueness. I can live <em>with </em>them instead of <em>in spite </em>of them.  Some days are harder than others.  There are days when it takes all I can muster to simply get out of bed, walk about, take care of my household and enjoy activities with my children, but I do it.  Every day I <em><a title="The Spoon Theory" href="http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/navigation/BYDLS-TheSpoonTheory.pdf" target="_blank">count my spoons</a></em> and I move forward.  I appreciate the lessons I have learned due to my health and embrace every moment, big and small.</p>
  410. <p>So, as with books, don&#8217;t judge a person by their <em>cover!</em> All of our stories have complexities, mine happens to have a lot of medical twists and turns, but its a good story none the less.   My story may be longer or shorter than some, but it&#8217;s just right for me.  All I ask is that people don&#8217;t judge me, or anyone else, by individual chapters, but instead take in the whole story.</p>
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  421. <media:title type="html">mina75</media:title>
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  429. <title>BlogCatalog</title>
  430. <link>https://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/2009/09/17/blogcatalog/</link>
  431. <comments>https://opendoor2eclecticmind.wordpress.com/2009/09/17/blogcatalog/#respond</comments>
  433. <dc:creator><![CDATA[mina75]]></dc:creator>
  434. <pubDate>Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:25:34 +0000</pubDate>
  435. <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
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