homeschoolmom's Blog

Did you know that teens who will be 18 before the November election can vote in the  upcoming election?  If they are not registered, they can register and vote at the same time, at any early voting precient.  Early voting ends on Saturday.  I only heard about this last week.  If it was on the news or in the papers before that, I must have just missed it.  I didn't want anyone to miss out on this opportunity.  My daughter and I went to vote today.  It was fun watching her vote for the first time.  She was looking forward to voting in November, but was extremely excited to be able to vote this time as well, since there are so many important races.  Whether it is early or on Tuesday, don't forget to get out and vote!

I don't know how many of you had the opportunity to go to your city's day of prayer today, but the one in Thomasville was great!  We had a great school chorus from Lexington Middle School that sang 2 songs for us.  Their prinicipal, Evan Myers, prayed for our schools.  We honored and prayed for our local law enforcement, fire fighters and EMS.  They came forward and received a token of appreciation from the City of Thomasville.  Our Sheriff, David Grice, prayed for them and our Armed Forces Personnel.  We had other special music and prayer from several pastors in our community.  We joined hands at the end while we sang "God Bless America".  There were many people there from all generations.  In the middle of our circle of prayer stood the Sheriff's deputies holding the American flag.  It was a great time of prayer for our country, our leaders, our servicemen and our community. 

Monday, March 24, 2008

 

Four months after he was declared brain dead and doctors were about to remove his organs for transplant, Zach Dunlap says he feels "pretty good."

Dunlap was pronounced dead Nov. 19 at United Regional Healthcare System in Wichita Falls, Texas, after he was injured in an all-terrain vehicle accident. His family approved having his organs harvested.

As family members were paying their last respects, he moved his foot and hand. He reacted to a pocketknife scraped across his foot and to pressure applied under a fingernail. After 48 days in the hospital, he was allowed to return home, where he continues to work on his recovery.

On Monday, he and his family were in New York, appearing on NBC's "Today."

"I feel pretty good. but it's just hard ... just ain't got the patience," Dunlap told NBC.

Dunlap, 21, of Frederick, said he has no recollection of the crash.

"I remember a little bit that was about an hour before the accident happened. But then about six hours before that, I remember," he said.

Dunlap said one thing he does remember is hearing the doctors pronounce him dead.

"I'm glad I couldn't get up and do what I wanted to do," he said.

Asked if he would have wanted to get up and shake them and say he's alive, Dunlap responded: "Probably would have been a broken window that went out."

His father, Doug, said he saw the results of the brain scan.

"There was no activity at all, no blood flow at all."

Zach's mother, Pam, said that when she discovered he was still alive, "That was the most miraculous feeling."

"We had gone, like I said, from the lowest possible emotion that a parent could feel to the top of the mountains again," she said.

She said her son is doing "amazingly well," but still has problems with his memory as his brain heals from the traumatic injury.

"It may take a year or more ... before he completely recovers," she said. "But that's OK. It doesn't matter how long it takes. We're just all so thankful and blessed that we have him here."

Dunlap now has the pocketknife that was scraped across his foot, causing the first reaction.

"Just makes me thankful, makes me thankful that they didn't give up," he said. "Only the good die young, so I didn't go."

I received this in my e-mail and thought I would share.  One of my family's beagles died last week.  He was 12 years old.  I guess that is why I liked this story so much.  Hope you enjoy!

 

This story was submitted by a PetPlace.com reader who asked us to share it with you on our site. This is a wonderful story that we hope you will enjoy.

A Dog's Purpose (from a 6-year-old)

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife, Lisa, and their little boy, Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.
I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.

Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, 'I know why'.

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. He said, 'People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?'

The six-year-old continued, 'Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long'.

Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.

 

 

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

* When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
* Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
* Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
* Take naps.
* Stretch before rising.
* Run, romp, and play daily.
* Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
* Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
* On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
* On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
* When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
* Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
* Be loyal.
* Never pretend to be something you're not.
* If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
* When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.

- Author unknown.

"Would you pass a citizenship test?"  Try this neat trivia at the link below.  No cheating!  Let me know how you did.  I missed 2, but I think one of the questions I missed is a matter of opinion.

 

copy and paste:

http://content.gannettonline.com/gns/citizenship/ci
tizenship_trivia.html

This is a great clip reflecting on what Christmas is all about!  Merry CHRISTmas!

 

http://www.andiesisle.com/thefirstchristmasgift.hs.
html

 

Thomasville is thinking about canceling the mandatory water restrictions that they were going to enforce on Nov. 1st.  I don't think this is a good idea.  Yes, the rain has helped put water in the lakes, but what if we don't get rain again for another month or two?  We need to conserve now so we don't get in this situation again.  What do you think?

I don't know if any of you have heard about this, but if you have ever been to the Lazy 5 Ranch, they need your help right now!   Click on the website to sign the petition and send a letter to the county commissioners.

 

 www.lazy5ranch.com You will need to go to the site and scroll about 1/2 way down to sign the petition.

This is from an e-mail I received:

 

This is a petition to keep the Lazy 5 Ranch agricultural. Some state and local governmental officials are pushing to remove the land on which the Lazy 5 Ranch resides from agricultural use therefore claiming the Lazy 5 Ranch is not agri-tourism.  If this change were to pass, the NC Department of Revenue would force the Lazy 5 Ranch to collect a 3% tax on the admission cost, plus pay for previous years when tax was not collected.  This change would ultimately lead to the closing of the Lazy 5 Ranch.  Our family at the Lazy 5 Ranch strives to provide an educational facility at a low cost.  We truly believe this tax to be unfair to our visitors.  We sincerely appreciate your support in helping us save our family farm. 

 

This is so funny and true!  If you have a few minutes to watch this, you will enjoy!

 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_oc1j5NakY"

I got a chuckle out of this and thought you would too!
HEALTH QUESTION & ANSWER SESSION
Q:  

I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life; is this true?
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... Don't waste them on exercise . Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the lifeof your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.

---

 
Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?

A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products

---

 
 
Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?

A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.

---

 
Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?

A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!

---

 
Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?

A: You're not listening.... Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?

---

 
Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?

A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.

---

 
Q: Is chocolate bad for me?

A: Are you crazy? HELLO! Cocoa beans! Another vegetable.  It's the best feel-good food around! 

---

 
Q:

---

Is swimming good for your figure?

A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.  
Q:
A: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?
Hey! 'Round' is a shape! !

---

 
Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.

This is an e-mail I received from a friend.  Just thought it had a good point to it and wanted to share it with all of you.

Sand and Stone

TWO FRIENDS WERE WALKING
THROUGH THE DESERT.
DURING SOME POINT OF THE
JOURNEY, THEY HAD AN
ARGUMENT; AND ONE FRIEND
SLAPPED THE OTHER ONE
IN THE FACE.



THE ONE WHO GOT SLAPPED
WAS HURT, BUT WITHOUT
SAYING ANYTHING,
WROTE IN THE SAND:

TODAY MY BEST FRIEND
SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE.

THEY KEPT ON WALKING,
UNTIL THEY FOUND AN OASIS,
WHERE THEY DECIDED
TO TAKE A BATH

THE ONE WHO HAD BEEN
SLAPPED GOT STUCK IN THE
MIRE ! AND STARTED DROWNING,
BUT THE FRIEND SAVED HIM.

AFTER HE RECOVERED FROM
THE NEAR DROWNING,
HE WROTE ON A STONE:

'TODAY MY BEST FRIEND
SAVED MY LIFE '.

THE FRIEND WHO HAD SLAPPED
AND SAVED HIS BEST FRIEND
ASKED HIM, 'AFTER I HURT YOU,
YOU WROTE IN THE SAND AND NOW,
YOU WRITE ON A STONE, WHY?'

THE FRIEND REPLIED
'WHEN SOMEONE HURTS US
WE SHOULD WRITE IT DOWN
IN SAND, WHERE WINDS OF
FORGIVENESS CAN ERASE IT AWAY.
BUT, WHEN SOMEONE DOES
SOMETHING GOOD FOR US,
WE MUST ENGRAVE IT IN STONE
WHERE NO WIND
CAN EVER ERASE IT.'

LEARN TO WRITE
YOUR HURTS IN
THE SAND AND TO
CARVE YOUR
BENEFITS IN STONE.

THEY SAY IT TAKES A
MINUTE TO FIND A SPECIAL
PERSON, AN HOUR TO
APPRECIATE THEM, A DAY
TO LOVE THEM, BUT THEN
AN ENTIRE LIFE
TO FORGET THEM.

What do you think about the new fines in Virginia?  As of July 1st, the fees are anywhere from $750 to $3,000 to cut down on reckless driving.  I think that might make people stop and think before they speed and drive recklessly.  Should all states have this kind of penalty?  I read a report that in Davidson county in the first 5 months of this year, compared to last year, the deaths caused by car wrecks is up 64%.   I live in Davidson county, so that scares me.  People do drive crazy.  My husband and I almost got hit head on Friday night because of someone who was driving too fast on wet roads.   This person was sliding all over the road.  If my husband would not have been paying attention, I may not be typing this right now.  Something has to be done to make people more aware of their driving.   I know this is not the only solution, but do you think raising the fines to these large amounts would help?