My Teachers

Twenty five years ago last month, my first child Nicole arrived.

Two years and six months after Nicole, my second child, Vincent 
arrived.

Twelve years and five months after Nicole, my son 
Kevin was born. (7-27-1996)

At the age of 38, and by choice, I was a Mommy again.

In those early years of parenting, I had no clue as to 
what I know now.

For as much as I think I have been and am a teacher to them,

I have come to know that they indeed  arrived to TEACH ME !

For this I have Kevin to thank.   He has opened my eyes and

enlightened me in ways I was never able to see or even 
comprehend 25 years ago.

So, to you young parents, observe the lessons of your little ones,

and know they are your teachers.

Remember also to mirror back to them the character that 
you would choose for them.

Your actions, repeated over time, will have a great influence.

Enjoy the moments and  ~ learn ~ ……..  
time moves so quickly forward. !

~ UP Words ~

Hey ....

You can't just read me and leave,

please copy us down and hold

us in your thoughts for the day...

ahhhhhhhh okay, that's better.  ;)

Sugar substitute xylitol could be deadly for dogs

There was a news report on our local
news about a lab dog that got in the owners
purse and ate 18 sticks of Trident gum.

The gum contained an ingredient - xylitol -
The woman contact an ER vet right away, and
the dog was saved.

The report said that 1 stick of gum for every
20# dog could kill it.

Trident and Orbit were 2 gums that they mentioned.

I found this article on the web. The tv
channel that I saw the report on did not have
a link on their web site.

Also here is a link to hoax slayer

Dog Owner Alert Email - Xylitol Sweetener Toxic to Dogs
http://www.hoax-slayer.com/xylitol-dog-warning.shtml


xo xo
Deb



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Sugar substitute xylitol could be deadly for dogs


By MICHELLE MARSHALL
Published Sunday, February 4, 2007
Do you think that sugar-free gum in your purse is harmless? If it
contains xylitol and your dog eats it, think again. New research has
shown that ingesting xylitol can cause life-threatening liver failure
in dogs. Articles published in the Oct. 1, 2006, edition of the
Journal of Veterinary Medicine and December 2006 Veterinary Medicine
cite cases of xylitol toxicity in dogs.

Xylitol is a sugar alcohol used as a sweetener in products such as
sugar-free gum and mints, nicotine gum, vitamins, oral-care products
and baked goods. It is available in a granulated form, which measures
equally with sugar, for baking and sweetening cereals and drinks.

In people, the use of xylitol is considered safe, but consuming more
than 130 grams per day will often cause diarrhea. In dogs, xylitol
has long been known to cause hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, but a
recent study has found that it can cause severe liver toxicity as
well. The effects of xylitol on cats are currently unknown.

Xylitol was first identified in 1891 by a German chemist. Its use was
not widespread until the 1970s, when more efficient technology made
its production more affordable. Currently, its use is on the rise as
more people look for a substitute for sugar.

Xylitol has many beneficial properties. Besides being a sugar
substitute with 2/3 the calories of sucrose, it causes little insulin
release in humans. It helps prevent oral bacteria from producing the
acids that damage tooth surfaces, so it is used in chewing gums,
toothpaste and other oral-care products. It also inhibits the growth
of certain bacteria, making it helpful in preventing bacterial otitis
media in children.

In the 1960s, researchers found that xylitol caused a much greater
release of insulin in dogs than an equal amount of glucose. This
could result in a drop in blood glucose concentration, leading to
hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia can seen as soon as 30-60 minutes after
ingestion or take as long as 12 hours to occur. Vomiting is usually
the fist sign. Lethargy, collapse and seizure might follow.

Xylitol's link with liver failure was found during a study of records
from the Animal Poison Control Center, or APCC, from 2003 to 2005.
Eight dogs treated for xylitol ingestion during this time were found
to have suffered liver failure. Five of the pets died or were
euthanized.

The number of cases of xylitol exposure is increasing, partly because
of increased awareness but also because of increased use of xylitol
in this country. In 2005, 170 cases of xylitol exposure were
reported. As of August, the APCC had reported 114 cases for 2006.

So, what should a pet owner do with this information? Knowing which
products contain xylitol and keeping your pet away from these
products is best. If your pet does eat something containing xylitol,
call your veterinarian immediately. If the amount ingested is greater
than 0.1 mg/kg, hypoglycemia might develop, and doses greater than
0.5 mg/kg can damage the liver. In some cases, determining the amount
of xylitol in a product can be difficult. Take any information about
the product with you to the vet's office. Your pet might need to be
hospitalized in order to monitor blood values. Prompt treatment is
essential.

Other sugar substitutes are generally regarded as nontoxic in dogs,
although some might cause diarrhea in high doses. Sorbitol, mannitol,
saccharin, aspartame and sucralose have not been implicated in the
problems seen with xylitol.

~ When Seeing the Big Picture ~ Don't Miss the Details ~

Water Crystals On My Deck This Morning

 

This shot is a bit out of focus as I am learning

to use my Christmas gift of a Canon Camera.

I think this picture is stunning on it's own....

but when you know the BIGGER picture it even

holds more beauty......

The reason I was able to even see the water cystals was

because I was outside taking pictures of the sunrise.

You can see the colors of the sky reflected

in the cystals.....

AND THAT......... is the BIG PICTURE.  :)

 

Border Agents headed to prison for doing their jobs

12/22/2006

Two U.S. Border Patrol Agents have been sentenced to a
decade long prison terms for apprehending an illegal
alien at our border!

Almost as outrageous is that the illegal alien drug
smuggler, who was given immunity for testifying against
the agents is now suing the U.S. for $5 million, claiming
he was permanently injured!

I have just signed a petition calling for the President
to pardon these two Border Agents and I'm asking you to
join with me by clicking here for the full story and the petition:

http://www.grassfire.org/142/petition.asp?PID=12097290&NID=1

Thanks!


Debra Estep

To read more on this:

http://www.godlikeproductions.com/bbs/message.php?messageid=319832&mpage=1&showdate=12/20/06

Midnight Mass Sermon

Midnight Mass Sermon

They come……. often uninvited but not wholly unwelcome…..
But they will surely come…..
As soon as the Christmas tree is lit this evening….
As soon as the Christmas dinner is served tomorrow….
As soon as the presents are unwrapped…. They will come….

Who are they? They are the ghosts of our Christmases past.
Not some scary spooks from out of a Steven King movie,
nor some dour figment of Charles Dickens imagination….
No…. these ghosts are neighbors, who have moved away,
grandchildren, too busy to come home,
childhood friends, long since lost touch with,
and all our beloved dead.

These ghosts come to us at the holy time, tinged with
sadness, but so much a part of our Christmas memories
we could not banish them if we would want to….
but who could wish something so dreadful!

Our memories, and the ghosts they conjure, are as much
a part of today's celebration as the packages sitting under
the tree this very minute or as the lights that beautify our
church this very night.
They are a part of us and they are holy.!

They come back to us….. served up in special Christmas
recipes they hand down….. unique Christmas ornaments that
were theirs, and those special songs of the season that they
loved to sing. They are our special holiday friends.
Aunts smelling like lavender, Grandmother's who baked the
best bread in the world, small friends who shared their newly
arrived red wagons, and brothers and sisters who wrapped
their Santa's workshop gifts with all the love their small
hands could muster. They are our special holiday friends,
these ghosts of Christmas.

For you see…. they are part of our history, and our history
is holy. For if this Christmas celebration means anything at all,
it means that when God became a part of our human story,
our lives took on a part of the divine story.
The moments of our lives, each one of them, bears the mark of
the divine life. And therefore, the people of our lives,
all of them, are holy images of God among us.
These ghosts who visit us, trimmed in evergreen and glowing in
Christmas lights, these ghosts remind us that our story is a part
of God's story…. For God touched our lives on this holy night.

We need not fear them, these ghosts of love and laughter,
these ghosts of family and friendship……
We need not fear them, for they are our own history,
coming back to reminisce in this holy season.

Our history, made holy, by God becoming one of us.

And so, as I drive down the turnpike tomorrow to celebrate
with my family, they will come back to me,
the ghosts of my own Christmases.
My Grandfather fussing to make sure the house is spotless,
my Grandmother standing in her apron in front of the stove
cooking macaroni.

I hope yours visit you, and when they do, when those memories
of people not with us this day come to reminisce,
remember, they are signs to us of how holy our history is….
Our own history that is made holy by God who took on
our history when he came to Earth this very night.

Greet those ghosts with love for they are signs of God's love….
Greet them with love…. welcome them home…..
and Merry Christmas to you and to all who are with you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By Father Patrick Ferraro

St Joan of Arc – Streetsboro Ohio

December 2003

This sermon was given at

my parent’s Church.

I thought it was so touching I had my Dad ask

Fr. Patrick for a copy to send to Vinny who was in Iraq at that time.

.

~ Crystal Garden ~

        We had about 10 inches of snow this past week.

I had to find SOMETHING FUN to do with the icicles

and  ~~~~~ I created a garden on my patio table on the back deck.

For the night scene, I dropped some candles down in the snow.  :)

                   

      

     

Tagged

My bro, David, "tagged" me to write 5 things about
me that most folks don't know.   

Hmmmmmm 

1. I have a pen addiction.  I have to stop myself
   when walking through a store so I don't GO
   into the pen area, or else I HAVE to buy something.



2. I am very challenged when it comes
   
   
   
   to being organized.   But it does not bother me too much.  LOL 



3. I collect quotes.   



4. ?



5. ?

I am drawing a blank on what to add for 4 and 5.

I was now supposed to tag 5 more folks, but honestly I
don't know 5 more people who blog.

 

Military Poem

                                 GIVING THANKS

‘Twas the night before Thanksgiving, in the cold desert air,

He adjusted the night scope and gave the ‘all clear out there’.

No campfires were burning, not one single glow.

Heat from his thermos is the only warmth he will know.

The men in his unit volunteered for this post,

Orders aren’t needed with ‘seasoned young pros’.

The bad guys are rumored to travel this way,

He and his brothers will stop them today.

His mind drifts away to a family back home,

Fond memories of kin gathering when ‘Tom’s’ finally done.

Mom in her apron, with flour on her nose,

And Dad with his eggnog, telling boring old jokes.

The men settle down when football began,

Laughing and cheering, placing bets when they can.

The children are playing games in the yard,

With smells from the kitchen, waiting on dinner is hard.

Grandpa fell asleep right there in his chair,

Mischievous brothers would grease up his hair.

Grandma was knitting her sweaters for gifts,

With sharp needles flashing, she’d blow them a kiss.

A radio crackles, ‘Echo 2, we’ll stand down.

Intel reports there’s no bad guys around.’

He shakes away memories like the sands from his face,

What lies ahead in this faraway place?

Off to the east, the sun starts to rise,

What would he give for one taste of Mom’s pies?

“Lord, let them know, though we’re far apart,

I’m right there beside them, giving thanks from the heart.”

"Dedicated to Every Hero Who Proudly Serves"

                      

Lynn Price © November 18, 2006

Pricewarrior1@carolina.rr.com

www.publishedauthors.net/fourfeathers

Remember Them

Some where in the United States one or many military
Mothers are waiting for a call that will never come.

They KNOW the call will never come, yet they wait for
a phone call from their child.

I'm not just surmising this, I've been told this by
Gold Star Mothers. 
Another Gold Star Mom I know continues to pay her
son's cell phone bill just so she can call his number
and hear his voice mail.

Please remember these heroes.

I've created a web site where you can find the
date and also reflect on the heroes we've lost
on that day.
Bookmark it and visit it often ~ to remember.

http://fallenheroes.topcities.com/USFallenHeroes.htm

I also would encourage you to visit the
military area of Legacy.
There you can post a message of
condolence that I guarantee you the family
will read.

http://www.legacy.com/Soldiers.asp

Legacy has also created an area where folks can
post memorial photos and words of the Fallen Heroes.

http://www.legacy.com/Soldiers.asp?Page=FSMovingTributes

Just please........ Remember.