Yellow.............

Taking control

I watched a show this afternoon on TLC: Big as Life, regarding the alarming rate of obesity rising in America. Over half of the US population is overweight. An alarming statistic. The American map pictured illustrates U.S. Obesity Trends 1989–2007. According to the progam by the end of this century 100% of the US population will be overweight. My jaw dropped on THAT one.

Obesity as an epidemic....What could this mean? Are people not controlling their portions? Are we becoming a nation of fast food eaters? Laziness? What is it?

Stress........OCD compulsions.........bad habits.............a quick fix............a set lifestyle?

Yes, I too was overweight at 190 pounds and I decided to take control of what I put in my mouth. Lost 50 pounds in three years. It can be done but not by dieting alone if you do not consciously alter your eating habits. What I found with myself at least....is that when I deprived myself of certain goodies (i.e. McDonald's...love their french fries...chocolate, soda) I would overcompensate and all those intense calorie counting days were shot in an instant.

I had to control my desires, urges...whatever you wish to call it. Quit feeling sorry for myself and take charge of my life. My life.

I completely understand that there are predisposed conditions out there (genetics) which can cause people to gain weight no matter how little they eat. I would think that as the pounds were put on these individuals would actively seek out help in finding out why they continue to gain weight. When do we accept responsibility for our own life?

We don't want to become a society where our health care system becomes overtaxed because of simple solutions. For one, diabetes is a horrible disease, not to mention heart disease, high blood pressure and a slew of other issues out there which can take away a wonderful life.

What makes some individuals take control and others let go?

Depression?

Pity?

What?

Overweight and Obesity: An Overview

--Overweight and obesity result from an energy imbalance. This involves eating too many calories and not getting enough physical activity.
--Body weight is the result of genes, metabolism, behavior, environment, culture, and socioeconomic status.
--Behavior and environment play a large role causing people to be overweight and obese. These are the greatest areas for prevention and treatment actions.

For myself I became tired of being tired so I decided...because something clicked within me to say enough is enough. Diabetes runs in my family, both sides and I didn't want to become a victim as it has claimed my father, grandmother, great grandmother and countless others.

Change.............just a word but can mean so much...............

Taking control of how you live your life and being proactive in staying healthy goes a long way.

A long way.

Intellectual Stimulation

Sometimes I am utterly bored with the direction my life is taking......career wise, personal blah blah....a curse of having too good of an education & trying to find your niche----there simply is not enough years in a lifetime to do what you have a passion for. And you feel like a monkey trapped in a cage.

2 VERY spoiled kitties

The chubby cheeked white one is the devil incarnate..........no really................

Words can mean everything...

Japanese Festival 2008 II

There was so much color, sound, flavors, energy....a wonderful visit. (Click on pictures to enlarge them).

Japanese Festival 2008

Sumo Wrestling--St. Louis Japanese Festival 2008

Watching the American Sumos (from Hawaii) wrestle at the botanical gardens was a wonderful experience. My daughter had her picture taken with them along with gaining their autographs:

Sumo is a Japanese kind of wrestling and Japan’s national sport. It originated in ancient times as religious performances to the Shinto gods. Nowadays, many ancient rituals are still followed. The basic rules of sumo are simple: the wrestler who either first touches the floor with something other than his sole or leaves the ring before his opponent, loses.

My daughter personally meet “Koryu” and “Sunahama” who are former professional sumo who now reside in Hawaii. Their personalities were enigmatic and my kid practiced her Japanese with them...

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For my daughter and I it was quite an honor to be in their presence and for my daughter to meet them in person.

Marlon Brando: An Icon

This was a man who jumped to a cause when it wasn't deemed "fashionable" by Hollywood standards. Not just a pretty boy onscreen his acting abilities and his extraordinary contrast on and off camera could be found in the causes he embraced and the movies he immersed himself in. Whether it be for the Civil Rights movements or his protests regarding the Cold War Marlon was a complex man.

Brando changed modern acting by popularizing "the Method," a technique which emphasized emotional truth and naturalistic style. Brando was a smash hit on Broadway in A Streetcar Named Desire in 1947; in the early 1950s he was nominated in four consecutive years for best actor Oscars, winning once for the 1954 film On the Waterfront. (He was also nominated as Marc Antony in 1953's Julius Caesar, for playing Emiliano Zapata in 1952's Viva Zapata!, and for the 1951 film version of Streetcar.) In the 1970s Brando became hot all over again, winning a second Oscar for playing Mafia kingpin Don Corleone in The Godfather. In later years Brando became famous for his reclusiveness and Orson Welles-like girth. His last feature film was the 2001 heist thriller The Score, in which he was paired with Method-trained actors from two younger generations: Robert DeNiro and Edward Norton.

The Meaning of Dreams

I have always had blockbuster full in color dreams.

Technicolor....yeahhh...anyway had one of those deja vu kind of dreams last night where I was driving down the interstate in a red car (could have been mine but my memory is a tad foggy on some details)....however I do know this: I was in Florida and all of a sudden either a flood or hurricane came washing in and all of my ID was taken...not to mention the road was partially washed out. I sort of remember that I was on my way to New York....why? Don't know. Maybe the impending trip to Florida is screwing with my psyche.....................




I tend to dream allot about floods and hurricanes. Found this information regarding water:

Flood
Floods are caused by heavy rain and the melting of snow. Water in any form, including rain and snow, symbolizes emotions. Dreaming about being in a flood is an indication that the dreamer is currently experiencing powerful emotions that may be overwhelming. The flood in your dream could represent a very powerful, or even violent, emotionally cleansing experience. But don't worry, just like in an actual flood, waters reside and so do emotions. Water at times represents the flow of life and this dream may point to your feelings of being overwhelmed by it. Depending on the content of the dream and your emotional experience in it, the flood could also represent sexuality and be a sexual dream symbol. (On that one I would say errrr NO.)

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Never boring....had dreams of being chased by aliens, witches, you name it. World Wars, haunted mansions, dreaming of my childhood home....Like I said....they are never boring...you could sit back, pop some popcorn and enjoy the show. ;^)

Japanese Festival

My daughter wants to attend this year's Japanese Festival at the Missouri Botanical Gardens, which is being held from August 30th through September 1st. She wore her authentic kimono last year and probably will do so again.

The Missouri Botanical Gardens offers various cultural activities throughout the year and this festival is just one of them. They offer a variety of wonderful venues of entertainment:

Festival Events
Opening Ceremony*AkidoBon Odori*BonsaiCalligraphy *Candlelight Walks*CandymanChildren's Activities*Choral GroupCinemaCooking DemosCraft Demos*Dashi*Fujima Ryu / NamiGakuHana and Niji*Ice Sculpture*IkebanaJapanese GardenJudoKaraoke Karate
KendoKimono*Kodomo No Asobi*KoinoboriKoma‑MawashiKoryu BugeiMartial ArtsMusicOkinawa Deigo Kai*OmikoshiOrigami*Rakugo*Raku YakiShiboriSumo*Tea CeremonyTaiko*Tozan RyuWalking Tours*Zen

With my daughter's avid interest in the Japanese culture (can speak, read, and write the language) along with her knowledge of their various customs it is always a treat to take her to such events.

Prayers answered

I was hoping overtime would be offered for September and it has. With our backlog (God bless you the public, veterans and whoever else is coming in for military records)....Ecstatic yet not at the same time because it means long hours here at the office.

Trying to create a semblance of order regarding certain aspects of my life is sorely wanted......how does overtime have anything to do with this? It just does and though it means more work it is work I will gladly do for the sake of what I am hoping to accomplish.

Memories of another life

I was surfing the net for an item and came upon this article regarding the International Student Organization and how I co-founded this innovative way of bringing together diverse mixture of international students under the academic umbrella:

People gathered for International Night, presented by the International Student Organization, on Friday in Dede I and II to experience through speakers, food, a fashion show and dance the ethnic diversity that exists on campus.

"The biggest reason for having an International Night is to show how diverse ISU is," said Timur Mirzoev, president of ISO.

Mirzoev said another reason for having such a night was to educate people.
"They can learn something from this night just by interacting and talking with all these people coming from different countries," he said.

Steve Chao, associate director of the International Affairs Center and special guest of the night, also spoke to the audience. He said it was great to see so many people from so many different ethnic groups.

"This night helps to understand and interact with the aspect of different cultures," he said. "It also teaches to be respectful."

...ISO was created two years ago to help international students cope with any problems they may face. The organization has grown since then under the presidency of Mirzoev, elected a year ago.
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I haven't seen too many articles regarding ISO since its inception and subsequent year after we left it in the hands of another student...and hope that this innovative way of bringing different cultures together within the university is still thriving.

Renewing America

The Democratic Convention will focus on the need to revitalize the image of America, Americans and our reputation at large. There is the fever of Renewing America's Promise.

For myself, a self-professed patriot who dearly loves her country....I am yearning for some well-needed change for my country...a better life for her citizens.

These past few years have really slammed hard our reputation overseas and created an internal struggle for the average American. I hurt for my country and many Americans are desperate for change.

Every day Americans will be appearing such as Iraqi Bronze Star recipient Koby Langley, and a laid off Michigan autoworker and another laid off North Carolina textile worker with mounting medical bills.

The 2008 convention will be a convention of firsts and will try to do my best to watch what I can when home:

"The 2008 Democratic National Convention will be a first-rate, technologically savvy Convention that will celebrate the strength of Barack Obama and the Democratic Party, the diversity we embrace, the values we share and our vision for America."

You can also check out the convention blog and keep up to date to the events scheduled and get an "inside" look at the process.

Ms. Black Thumb (in cooking)

I am not the greatest of cooks...there I said it and I do get teased for it at times. I tried, oh yes I have tried from the time I was a teen until now...is it impatience? Is cooking not part of my DNA?

I attempted to make my first homemade Stromboli last night.....it came up a tad dry and listless...sigh...nothing like what I had hoped it would be. However perseverance does pay off and I will delve into the kitchen once more to see if something resembling a Stromboli will come out...though my kid loved it (she is such a sweetheart)...I know what I am up against at work...(a coworker is going to be making one also to bring in tomorrow and her cooking always rocks).

I think I am getting by just like this blogger.

The NCO Creed

No one is more professional than I. I am a Noncommissioned Officer, a leader of soldiers. As a Noncommissioned Officer, I realize that I am a member of a time honored corps, which is known as "The Backbone of the Army". I am proud of the Corps of Noncommissioned Officers and will at all times conduct myself so as to bring credit upon the Corps, the Military Service and my country regardless of the situation in which I find myself. I will not use my grade or position to attain pleasure, profit, or personal safety.

Competence is my watchword. My two basic responsibilities will always be uppermost in my mind -- accomplishment of my mission and the welfare of my soldiers. I will strive to remain tactically and technically proficient. I am aware of my role as a Noncommissioned Officer. I will fulfill my responsibilities inherent in that role. All soldiers are entitled to outstanding leadership; I will provide that leadership. I know my soldiers and I will always place their needs above my own. I will communicate consistently with my soldiers and never leave them uninformed. I will be fair and impartial when recommending both rewards and punishment.

Officers of my unit will have maximum time to accomplish their duties; they will not have to accomplish mine. I will earn their respect and confidence as well as that of my soldiers. I will be loyal to those with whom I serve; seniors, peers, and subordinates alike. I will exercise initiative by taking appropriate action in the absence of orders. I will not compromise my integrity, nor my moral courage. I will not forget, nor will I allow my comrades to forget that we are professionals, Noncommissioned Officers, leaders!

Simba on the prowl

" Where is it mama?"

(As I write this he is still trying to capture his imaginary butterfly...)

All Summer Long

This song reminds me of the music I used to listen to "back in the day":

It was 1989, my thoughts were short my hair was long
Caught somewhere between a boy and man
She was seventeen and she was far from in-between
It was summertime in Northern Michigan
Ahh Ahh Ahh
Ahh Ahh Ahh

Splashing through the sand bar
Talking by the campfire
It's the simple things in life, like when and where
We didn't have no internet
But man I never will forget
The way the moonlight shined upon her hair

[Chorus:]
And we were trying different things
We were smoking funny things
Making love out by the lake to our favorite song
Sipping whiskey out the bottle, not thinking 'bout tomorrow
Singing Sweet home Alabama all summer long
Singing Sweet home Alabama all summer long

Catching Walleye from the dock
Watching the waves roll off the rocks
She'll forever hold a spot inside my soul
We'd blister in the sun
We couldn't wait for night to come
To hit that sand and play some rock and roll

While we were trying different things
And we were smoking funny things
Making love out by the lake to our favorite song
Sipping whiskey out the bottle, not thinking 'bout tomorrow
Singing Sweet Home Alabama all summer long
Singing Sweet Home Alabama all summer long

Now nothing seems as strange as when the leaves began to change
Or how we thought those days would never end
Sometimes I'll hear that song and I'll start to sing along
And think man I'd love to see that girl again

[Repeat Chorus x2]

Singing Sweet Home Alabama all summer long
Singing Sweet Home Alabama all summer long
Singing Sweet Home Alabama all summer long
Singing Sweet Home Alabama all summer long

My song of inspiration

"The frontier place is for people like my white son and his woman and their children. And one day there will be no more frontier. And men like you will go too, like the Mohicans. And new people will come, work, struggle. Some will make their life. But once, we were here."

"There is a destiny in war, to which a brave man knows how to submit with the same courage that he faces his foes."

"The gifts of our colors may be different, but God has so placed us as to journey in the same path."

"Death and honor are thought to be the same, but today I have learned that sometimes they are not."

MY DAUGHTER'S ARTWORK

GOD BLESS THAT CREATIVITY OF HERS! :^)

More pictures fm Festival of Nations taken 8/23/08

Culture, Music, and Food Midwestern Style

Festival of Nations was a'rockin' at St. Louis' Tower Grove Park. I really enjoyed myself. Food from a wide assortment of countries created by people originally from another nation or citizens here in the USA. I love emmersing myself in such events...if I cannot see the world...I bring the world to me. Crafts and live entertainment covering a broad spectrum of colors were abouding and I for one had to simply soak it all in.


My daughter and I posing. :^)

I felt sorry for this statue and wanted to abscond it...give it a nice home. (No really)

International Institute’s Festival of Nations is St. Louis leading multicultural celebration featuring:
--traditional dance and music,
--ethnic food, (Ended up eating Mediterranean style...I just love love love it)
--cultural and educational exhibits,
--folk art demonstrations,
--and an international market.

My new Barbarian Friend.........he had to leave suddenly to lop off a few heads)....

It was muggy....you could feel the sun beating down on all your exposed skin....boy was I hot...oh however (and thankfully) it didn't bother me until the very end.

Traditional Indian dancing they reminded me of exotic beautiful birds....

I brought my daughter and a couple of her friends....We ended up spending roughly three hours there and still that was NOT enough time to cover all the variety of colorful activities offered.

Activities & Entertainment

Adorable children...part of an awesome Indian dance group.

Music & Dance

Listen to traditional music and song in Folk Grove. Dance and swing with traditional ethnic artists at the Forest Stage. See you local world music favorites at the World Music Stage. From Spanish flamenco to a Vietnamese dragon dance, from thundering Ivorian drums to Jewish klezmer, there is something for every taste.

Food & Drink

30+ food booths featuring delicate Bosnian baklava, Brazil's national dish feijoada, Ethiopian injera with doro wt, Filipino kebabs, and other mouth-watering ethnic treats!


Shopping

25+ gift booths selling African Drums, Israeli jewelry, Indian saris and other hand-made items.

Not sure what this contraption is but was found with the Highlanders.....

The Highlanders...just something about a man in a kilt....(oh and the one to the far right..that's a lady--gents)

Quite a crowd showed up and it was difficult to get some good pictures of the dancing going on...so please forgive the detail of some of the pictures (I was standing in the back)...but still had to capture the moment.

Traditional Russian Dancing.