NOISE: Freestyle

Thanks and giving.

                                                                                 
In just a couple of days millions and millions of people will all celebrate a day of thanks and do it by giving.  I am moved by the beauty of the simple act of opening the door to a home and filling it with people you love!  Thanksgiving means many things to many people.  To some it is a fleeting time to spend with those that they miss or the new arrivals to the world.  Maybe it's even a chance to touch base with those who were there in the beginning of the traditions that seem to have become the cornerstone of the holidays.

 

The tables will be covered in hot delicious food.  Drinks will glisten and dinnerware will shine.  Smiles will adorn faces like well wishes attach to greetings and farewells.

 

Thanksgiving means a lot of things to a lot of people, but for me it means just one thing.  That for one more year I have been touched by family and friends.  The people I know have enriched my life in ways that are impossible to put into words.  I will simply say that I am thankful for them and the day that is set aside to honor them and all of the other things that we are thankful for.  

 

This year as a newly married man we are going to provide lunch instead of dinner.  We will be flooding our table with different foods bought locally to continue to support Lansing and to really enjoy eating.  Because we typically eat more organic and and non modified foods we go to places like Lansing City Market.  It's great that we can get the meat and veggies we need to enhance or meal with a variety and still buy from local farmers.  For some things that the market doesn't carry we go to Horrocks.  Horrocks has some of their produce shipped in that aren't native to Michigan but all in all it is still supporting the Lansing area.  Last but not least, there are times that we will also go to the Better Health Store for things like arnica to naturally help with bumps and bruises that tend to happen when moving furniture for large groups and Rescue Remedy which is a natural non drug way to deal with stress that sometimes happens when bringing large groups to a single home.  And when we want to share a bottle of wine we always reach for those produced here in Michigan because it's not just the ones we love but they support us by providing us with a delicious treat to enjoy with lunch.

 

All in all there are ways to make the holidays better.    Enjoying those around you help to make the seasons bright.  And remembering those less fortunate can ensure that everyone have a Happy Thanksgiving.  There are local stores and vendors that are willing be there for us as long as we need.  Visit them and get what you need for your family and while your out get a non parishable item for someone elses.  You can drop them off at many of the local shelters like the Lansing food bank, The city rescue mission of Lansing  and many churches around town. 

 

I pray that you and yours have an amazing Thanksgiving.

Danger Deer!

                              
The fall leaves have fallen. The air is more crisp and cool. The laughter of children sprinting from house to house has been replaced with the howl of the wind. It’s that time of year and though winter doesn't officially begin until December 21st there are days that it lets you know that it’s just around the corner.

In Michigan there are some definite hazards to winter. There are the slippery roads, the tons of salt on your car, but the biggest one for me and many others are deer. Looking through the statistics it is common to see Michigan in the number one or number two spot as the leader in car/deer collisions. I’m all about Michigan being number one but not in this category!

So what can be done about this epidemic? Safety precautions are the name of the game. The majority of these accidents happen in the evening and early morning hours. Slow down and pay attention. Using your high beams and being diligent about watching the road and by the side of the road is key in avoidance. Taking corners slower then normal is another way to avoid potential collisions. Because you can’t see what's coming up in the turn having the ability to stop is a must. Caution: be aware that going too slow can also be a hazard for other drivers because they cannot see you in a turn until they are right on you and this can also be an issue.

One of the other things that can be done to avoid a worse situation when encountering a deer or any other animal in the road is remembering to apply the brake and don't swerve. I am an avid animal lover and would hate to see an animal injured but truth be told if you swerve you may hit an oncoming driver or side swipe someone causing a much worse situation.

There are many other things that can be done to help prevent being in an accident with our beautiful furry friends these are just a few. I hope that you and yours stay safe happy and warm on our amazing Michigan roads.

Did you hear that his life ended from bullying?

Bullying is a HUGE problem in the world today! Anyone who tells you different is either detached from reality or a bully themselves. There are children all over the world dying from bullying. You might think they are just words, or they are just kids and they will get over it. Sometimes they aren't just words and sometimes they don't get over it. You pick your reason; maybe the target is overweight or of a different race or prefers the company of people of the same sex... It doesn't really matter what the reason is for the attacks, it ends the same. Kids are left with broken and battered images of themselves in a world where the only thing they control to any extent is just that their own image of themselves. 

There have been several deaths reported recently due to kids being bullied and then taking their own lives... How horrible of a life must it have been for them to feel alone enough that death was the only release? 

When was the last time we put ourselves in the shoes of a child? Sitting in a room of your peers that judge you every second, being graded on anything and everything you do academically or physically. Then this precious gem that is the future of our world comes home to a place where the process is sometimes repeated and worse intensified! Let’s be honest that sometimes it’s scary to talk about people who could beat you up so these kids keep the information to themselves. This is the worst case because now they have created a situation where they are enabling the bullies. This creates a world of feeling alone and helpless.

How can we help? First, talk to your children and really listen. Just because little Sally says that Bob kicked her doesn't mean you should fly off the handle to call the school and Bob's mom. Make sure your child is OK. Children startle easily sometimes and you reacting in a violent nature may scare them from sharing important things. Second, try not to put your child in the path of the bullies, meaning don't drag them to the school at lunch and scream point out who did it!?!?!? There are a few other helpful points but we will focus on one of the last things and that is getting your child working with other adults to keep them safe. Insure your child that if you aren't around to talk to a teacher a police officer anyone who is known and trusted.

What all of this boils down to is that we are the protectors of our children. Those that we do not help can and sometimes do become bullies themselves to their peers or later on to their own children; others never make it past being bullied... We have the ability to change the world! We can show them how precious they are by knowing how precious we are and showing them the same is true with each and every one of them! Don't let a day go by without helping and smiling and doing your part to make this world better! I know I won’t! How about you?

Want more information on how you can help? Go to these links. How to Help a Child Who is Being Bullied | eHow.com,  Helping Kids Deal With Bullies.  There are many other sites out there designed to help this situation but please take the time to research these sites before trusting them to be safe for your little ones.

Do you know what you need to do?

                                        
Tomorrow is a very important day! Do you know why? Do you know what you need to do? Do you know why you need to do it? 

Tomorrow is a voting day. Most people don’t know this because unless you’re really paying attention to the news it’s not in your face like the presidential elections in 2008. However, this election is very important! You can never complain about what is happening around you if you are not helping it to change! 

I, like many others, used to think "hey, you know I don’t know anything about the candidates or what they stand for or what they really do, so why vote?” A year or so later I decided to go to college for an art degree and found that the person that won had cut funding for the arts... This impacted me greatly! What would have happened if I had voted and the thousands of others that thought like I did had done the same?

Don’t let your future be in the hands of just anyone. Stand up and vote! Make your voice heard! You make a difference!
I will be at the polls! Will you?