"The Business of Being Born"

I have to tell you, this is a great documentary! We saw a showing at my chiropractors office, you can rent it from Netflix.

We are not pregnant, don't have kids, but hope to someday. Personally, what ever decision you make about your birth and your priorities is ok with me. But please, do it armed with information, research things! And don't get all of your information from one source, you'd fail 4th grade if you tried that on your papers! The point of informed consent is *INFORMED*.

Personally, I love the idea of a home birth with a midwife. I hope that we are able to make that a part of our reality someday. Do a little research and the infant and mom mortality rates in the US hospitals vs. at home might surprise you. Then compare the US rates with the rest of the industrial world. Ya, we stink...but find out for yourself! ;-)

More Hugo Stuff

*Above, one of my co-workers, standing on what should be the main floor of a house, tipped at a 90 degree angle. What you can see is the basement ceiling.*

*The debris above used to be a home. It's completely gone down to the foundation. This is not a rare sight in Hugo.*

I can't help it, my head and heart are just wrapped around the folks in Hugo and the losses they have suffered. I am spending 8-10 hours a day in their midst for work and it's just all I can think about.

So, now that the storm has settled, what next? Who helps with cleanup? What if my insurance company hasn't called me back? How do I make a list of the things that are gone? Who can I trust to re-build my house? How long will it take? Will insurance cover that? What about my yard that is *covered* with glass? Where do I live while my home is being repaired? I wonder if I will ever find any of my photo albums? I wonder where my wallet ended up?

Now imagine all of these questions rolling through your head at once...it becomes numbing and confusing and painful all at once. I happen to know the answers to all of those questions because I work in the restoration industry. But so many of these folks are reeling still. Please pray for calm, peace and discernment for all of these folks. They desperately will need the guidance as they make some major decisions.

Busy work weeks

I had some great plans for Memorial day posts, but I am not sure if I will have time to get them together the way I had planned. I hope that tomorrow I can do it.

For those of you who don't know, I work in the disaster restoration industry. The major storms and tornadoes mean that we will be super busy at work for the coming weeks. The part of my job that touches me the most is that most of the time I can tell people after they have a house fire or storm damage, that the most important thing is that everyone is ok and we can fix this...sadly, there is one family that has lost their 2 year old. The whole family was pulled from their house by the wind of the tornado...in this neighborhood, the work will be different. Anytime there is a loss of life it's like there is a pall over the neighborhood, the only noises you will hear will be the big equipment and saws. When the tornado killed a child in Rogers, MN last year, it was the same. No voices, no laughter, no birds, just heavy equipment and saws and hammering...It's going to be a tough few months.

Tornados too close to home...

kare11.com :: KARE 11 TV - Home - Weather News Sports Traffic (Click on the story to hear survivors story video)

Sadly, tonight one family in Hugo, Minnesota has lost their 2 year old child in a tornado that ripped through the city unannounced. Dan, the guy in the video above works with me, we share an office wall...

One thought for tornado preparedness this season. Take an old pair of shoes, (that sill fit!) for each person in your family, a flashlight with fresh batteries, some leather work gloves and some clothes. Put them all in a tote or plastic bin and put it in the basement where you will be when you are taking cover from severe storms. I saw lots of folks in Hugo tonight with cut up feet...most of us Minnesotans leave our shoes at the front door and are in our bare feet or stockings in our homes.

Please keep the residents of Hugo and other storm damaged areas in your prayers. It's going to be a long process to re-build and replace items that have been strewn in swamps and across the countryside.

play time is the best time

My niece, the Princess, had a dance recital last weekend. It has been so much fun to watch her dance each year and see how much she has learned. Of course, she was the *best* little dancer in her group! After the recital I took some pictures of her with her flowers. (You can't congratulate a ballerina without a bouquet.) And I took some pictures of her with her Mom, my sister. My sister tried to take a pic of Princess and I and that's when the antics started! We had a burst of laughter and giggles as we ran around the auditorium gardens, me in dressy, cute ballet flats, her in tap shoes! What a sight we must have been! I love being breathless with giggles after playing a good game of tag!

What does Memorial Day mean to you?

Memorial Day is celebrated on Monday. Many of us have the day off work, we have picnics planned or maybe we are going to the cabin. But what does Memorial Day *really* mean? Why do we have this holiday? I will be putting together a week of posts for next week, starting on Monday talking about my love for this beautiful country (which is different from love for the politicians!), my gratitude for our servicemen and women and highlighting some veterans who are dear to me.

Above is Baxter at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center getting ready to do our therapy work!

Jury Summons!

I am kinda excited; I received my first ever county jury summons in the mail last week. I mailed back my questionnaire and have the chance now to participate in what makes our country so wonderful, a trial by jury of your peers. Hmmmm, I wonder if I will get seated on a jury? I wonder if I will sit bored off my butt in the courthouse all day working on needlepoint crafts? I cannot wait to see how this all plays out at the end of June!

Aaahhhh!

I started my Monday off so wonderfully! I went to see Dr. Pam and got a wonderful full spinal adjustment! I love the way I feel when I get a chiropractic adjustment. It just feels "right" inside me. The headache that plagued me over the weekend is gone, my lower back doesn't have that pressure...it's just like all is well within! Thank you Dr. Pam for getting my week off to a perfect start! There is nothing better for me than health, wellness and relief from pain *without* drugs!

The blossoms are *finally* here!

I have no clue what kind of shrub this is, but it is pretty and blooming and in the woods near our home! We are about 2 weeks late with the spring bloom in Minnesota. I miss the lilacs and apple and plum blossoms! This looks like the start of a gorgeous couple-week-run of sweet smelling blossoms! It's time to close your eyes and just inhale the smell of spring! Ahhhhh!

Therapy Dog

My dog, the Monster, is more than a pet. He is a therapy dog. He'll be three years old this summer and he's been doing volunteer animal assisted therapy with me for almost 2 years. We began obedience training the day we brought him home from the shelter at 20 weeks old. From there we took puppy kindergarten and then additional classes at our local Animal Humane Society. We took our animal assisted therapy test and passed with flying colors when Monster was 14 months old and we've been busy volunteering ever since! We "work" at two women's shelters with the kids and also at the VA Medical Center. Both of these places let Monster shine and really touch hearts. It's a thrill to have such a loving dog who touches lives! Last nite was one of our therapy dog nites at a shelter for women and thier children who are trying to get out of domestic violence situations. It breaks my heart to see these kids and their moms who have suffered so much. Please, please, please, if you see domestic violence or think someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, please call. Get help, get out. There are places that will help you make a plan and there are places you can stay that are safe.