Single Mom with 4 Children Builds Her Own Business

Carolyn's Shaklee Effect

"I came from nothing," Carolyn Spargur says, "and who would have thought" that she would come so far. Carolyn celebrated 50 years in Shaklee in 2015.

Carolyn started her business as a single mom raising four children. She was working two jobs till someone took the time to show her a better way. I love what she says at the end. smile emoticon

Carolyn built her business back when it wasn't so easy especially being a single mom. If she could do it then, we can definitely do it now! 

To learn more you can click the "Contact Me" button up top and request more information or visit us at www.ToBeHealthy.MyShaklee.com

Hailey's Cranio & BMP 2 Journey

Below is a story from a mom who has experienced a nightmare when it came to her daughter’s medical condition and her subsequent surgeries. This is a horror that no parent should have to endure.

I urge you to watch Hailey’s video, read the explanation below and decide for yourselves.

It is a lesson for all parents to learn.

Here is the link to the video: Hailey’s Cranio Journey

Hi Julie,

Hailey was diagnosed with Craniosynostosis at 4 months of age. Craniosynostosis is where the sutures in a baby's head will prematurely fuse not allowing for the brain to have proper brain growth.

When a suture fuses, surgery is required to fix the suture that is closed to reopen it. The child's skull bone is removed and taken to another table to fix and then is re-inserted into the head. If the surgery is not performed the chances of that the child developing seizures, blindness, chiari (the brain will start to push through the spinal tap), mental defects are very high depending on the severity.

BMP-2 is an implant that is used to help create bone. In some cases, there is not enough bone to be able to reshape the infants/child head, this is where they remove bone from another part of the body to place in these areas or use other known materials that work.

At the present time it is only FDA approved for re-peat adult spinal lumbar surgeries but has had a ton of bad publicity in the past year. The US Justice Department has fined the pharmaceutical company for its "off-Label" usage, which was an extreme off-label usage in Hailey's experiment as is not to be used on an immature skeleton.

The Senate was investigating them last year as well for its off-label usage. The FDA has also requested information as they have claimed that during trial experiments, the doctors that sent the trial experiment information to them was misleading as these doctors were paid thousand/millions of doctors in royalties for their experiments on the BMP-2 and they approved the BMP-2 in adult surgeries from these trial experiments. It is now today being said that BMP-2 is considered a carcinagentic (cancerous).

As a baby’s head growth and brain growth during the first year of life is very important. No one can tell us what will be her outcome as the BMP-2 was so thick with fake bone in areas that it was said that she would have never of expanded on her own as the bone was so thick that her brain at the time of the second surgery was trying to push but that it had been rubbing her bone, this is the Inter Cranial Pressure that I speak of.

During this time the brain tries to grow, the sutures are very important as the brain growth expands at a very fast rate thus allowing the open sutures to move and allow for this growth spurt.  

The second surgery is thought to be a success but there is no guarantee and they have told us this. Currently though, Hailey has been having a golf size bump protruding from her forehead region that is not normal. We are currently waiting it out to see what happens and continuing to monitor her for Inter Cranial pressure while this bump is not normal we are unsure of what will happen next. Her Plastic surgeon just requested again that we travel out to see him soon; we were just in NY in July for a follow up due to this bump on her forehead now. 

Lingering issues, she continues to have absence seizures, central apnea (brain telling the body to breath) no reflexes and we are trying to uncover what else. We just added a new Neurologist to her team in NY ….. She may need another cranio surgery, so at this time we are waiting to see what happens. Her jaw will need to be broken and reset when she turns five. She doesn't have enough room in her mouth for any more teeth and due to the cranio coronal sutures fusing it did not allow for proper facial growth. Her eyes have hypotolarism (spaced to close together) but that's the least of our concerns right now in her medical issues.

It's a VERY long story, hopefully I made this helpful?

Thank you!!!!!!! for all your help!!! 

Tricia

Note: Please keep in mind, I am only passing this information on as a support to this mother and her family to help educate the rest of us parents. We must scrutinize every medical procedure, ask lots of questions and understand everything being done when it comes to the medical care for our children. Then we must never stop searching for answers when we know in our hearts something is wrong.

My own son would have died as a newborn if I didn't insist that the pediatrician on call was wrong when she said nothing was wrong with him. I pushed and luckily found one nurse who insisted on further investigation, if nothing else to just to appease a worried new mom. 

To all their surprise, I was right. They then rushed him to the NICU (Newborn Intensive Care Unit) He received the care he needed, albeit later than he should have, but thankfully it all turned out alright. I shudder to think about what might have happened if I had let the hospital staff convince me that there was nothing wrong. I listened to my mother's instinct and insisted they keep searching. Their tests were initially done I believe to shut me up, but it turned out to confirm my fears. 

Always listen to that mother's instinct.

Most medical professionals only have our children’s best interests at heart and would never intentionally do anything to cause harm, but just like in all professions, there may be exceptions.

In all fairness, I did not contact any of the medical professionals connected to this case because of the medical confidentiality involved. I am not related to Hailey or her family and therefore am not entitled to discuss her case. These restrictions prevent me from hearing the other side of the story and being able to present it here.

I assume no responsibility for this case and am merely passing along one mother’s story.

That being said, as a mom, you can probably guess who my thoughts go to.

Here is the link to the video: Hailey’s Cranio Journey

Julie

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

The Ring in the Tub

There is something really great about having a ring in the bathtub. Knowing that I’m going to be on my hands and knees scrubbing isn’t what I’m talking about. It’s what left the ring there that makes me smile.

The dirt and grime comes from a little boy playing with dump trucks in the sandbox, making mud pies and traveling a hundred miles racing toy cars on knees that stick out through holes in his jeans.

My son, like all boys, attracts dirt like a magnet and his day is filled with new and exciting ways to add a pound or more of dirt to every square inch of his body.

Bath time allows me to scrub away the fun he had that day of being rough and tumble and bring forth the sweet smelling innocence of youth. Bath time is a special time where we relax and slow down and talk about our day.

Even though he is growing right before my eyes, I can’t help but travel back in time in my mind to a tiny infant getting his first few baths. I have gone from the time where my gentle hands and a few drops of baby wash was all that was needed to me now contemplating getting a wire brush to get all that ground in dirt off of those knees.

As the water drains, what is left is a dark ring on the sides and a trail of sediment in the bottom. What went in as a screaming, filthy banshee, now comes out a clean, dripping wet, smiling little boy proudly showing off his wrinkly fingers.

As I wrap him in a towel, I drink in the sweet smell of freshly shampooed hair. It is one of the sweetest smells to a mom of a boy. Then I notice his ears with enough dirt still in them to grow potatoes.

Before I can even come close to those dirty ears, he breaks away in a damp, giggly dash to his room. He of course delights in me chasing him declaring that I’m going to beat him there this time.

As he dresses himself in his jammies, I admire his strong, muscular young physique. I wish had muscle tone like that! I watch with a smile as he gets dressed so fast. I remember with a tinge of sadness at the time going by so quickly and think back to when he was just learning to pull a shirt over his head.

My reminiscing is interrupted when I laugh at the funny sight of him running out of the room still struggling at pulling up his pants because he’s still damp from his bath. He can’t wait to have his little snack and snuggle on the couch with his dad and me as part of our nighttime routine. Oh how I wish I could just freeze this moment and be able to pull it out whenever I needed to.

A short time later I try and understand him when he talks as he attempts to tell me something important about his day while trying to brush his teeth at the same time. I think I got it all. 

The bathroom is left in haste with a towel on the floor, toothpaste smeared on the sink and white spots splattered across the mirror. All the tell tale signs a little boy had been there.

He skips down the hall to his room where he heads straight to his books. I sigh as he brings me the same book we’ve read a thousand times. My attempt to convince him to pick another book for a change does nothing to change his one track mind. When he gets stuck on a book, it is all that will do till he gets hooked onto another book. I try and tell myself it’s OK, for when he’s grown up and gone I will long to re-read these little stories I’m sure.

As I sit down and open the worn book with tattered edges and scotch tape on the torn pages I notice the troubles and stresses of the day melt away as this little body crawls into my lap and snuggles in. My heart starts to get filled up again with love and peacefulness that the drain of life as a grown up can suck out of you.

I can’t help but notice all the little bruises on his legs look like blueberry stains. I notice the scrapes on his knobby knees and how the light from the lamp catches the highlights in his hair. All these little things I find beautiful and how grateful I am to have this little miracle sitting in my lap.

After we finish reading he promptly kneels next to his bed for nightly prayers. I’m certain God smiles when he hears that sweet little voice pray, thanking Him for his toys and dog and asking Him to bless those he loves.

My son then catapults himself into bed like he jumped from a springboard. After a few feeble attempts at stalling in the hopes of extending his bedtime he tells me the song he would like for me to sing. I sing a favorite lullaby as I rub his back.

I love the feel of his little arms around my neck squeezing me tightly as I kiss him and whisper the words, “I love you” in his little ear. Then as I straighten up and turn to leave, a sleepy little voice says the most wonderful words a mom can hear, “Goodnight Mama. I love you.” I can feel my jaded and hardened adult heart melt into a warm, gooey liquid as I say, “I love you too, honey. Goodnight.”

I walk to the bathroom to begin the scrub down with a warm satisfaction of knowing that my greatest treasure comes in a small package with sparkling eyes, a crooked smile, skinned knees, blueberry bruises on his shins and who leaves a ring in my tub every night.

And I am grateful.

Julie

~For more information on Children’s Health please visit our website To Be Healthy – Children’s Health to find quality products for the health of your children and everyone in your household.

Surgery Update #1

This week has been one big blur.

Starting on Monday, my husband had major spine surgery.

The surgery took longer than expected. It's a pretty lonely feeling when you start out in a huge waiting room full of people only to be the last one left at night.

The waiting room had a screen with your loved one's name and surgery start time. Each time they are in a different mode they flash an icon up next to the name so you know where they are at in the process. Such as a scalpel for when they start surgery, a bandaid when they are closing, a gurney when they are being transported to recovery, etc.

It was hard to see that icon of a scalpel so long next to my husband’s name. I overheard others as they were being called back to be with their loved one make comments like, “That guy is still in surgery!” Of course I worried the whole time.

I was relieved when the surgeon finally came back and told me everything went well, but when I finally was called back, it was hard to see him in such pain.

What we thought would be a slightly hard surgery and recovery turned into a majorly big surgery with a very hard recovery.

We were not prepared for what lay before us.

He’s home now and I’m grateful as it has been so hard trying to be with him and not neglect my three year old.

Having them both want me with them has torn me in two and I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in over a week.

I must go now as I’m falling asleep while I type and it’s time for another round of meds for my husband.

I ask for prayers if you have them and I hope to have a better update soon.

Gwyneth Paltrow’s New Cookbook Proceeds to Aid in Japan’s Disaster Relief

How can a cookbook written by an Academy Award winning actress help people in Japan to recover from one of the worst natural disasters in history?  Here’s how. 

Recently, Gwyneth Paltrow learned about the Shaklee Family and our values, and about Shaklee Cares® and its mission of providing aid following a natural disaster like the one in Japan.  She was impressed with the way that the Shaklee Family organizes around helping others, and she wanted to participate.

The inspiration for Ms. Paltrow’s new book, My Father's Daughter: Delicious, Easy Recipes Celebrating Family & Togetherness  was the time she spent with her father preparing food for the family – time that taught her the importance of putting people and relationships first.  So taking some of the proceeds from her book to help people rebuild their lives – while at the same time honoring her father – felt like the right thing to do.

Shaklee Cares is pleased to announce that part of the proceeds from purchases of Gwyneth Paltrow’s book through a special Shaklee Cares affiliate page on Amazon.com will benefit the Shaklee Cares for Japan Earthquake Relief effort.

To help make a difference, and to get some ideas for how to make great food that will bring together the people you care about, check out My Father's Daughter: Delicious, Easy Recipes Celebrating Family & Togetherness

Finally, Help with Allergies!

(A Short Story by Tim Bowden)

I had been told by allergists that it was easier to tell me what I was NOT allergic to than what I was. So I resigned to a life of taking prescription medications, allergy shots that would make me sick, and nasal sprays that were awful. Then, I decided to get cats.

Now .. I know what you’re thinking, "He's allergic to everything ... surely cats are on the list!", and you'd be right. But this time I remembered the Shaklee Alfalfa from my youth and I remembered reading info about Shaklee’s NutriFeron.

I went online and ordered these two products. I got the cats. I got my product and started taking it. Then I waited to see what would happen. And here's the best part - Nothing happened!

No

sneezing,

No runny

nose,

No feeling

miserable,

and

No more prescription

medications

with nasty side effects.

NOTHING!

I can actually live in a house with cats and not have an allergic reaction. It's amazing, to say the least. I don't get that lethargic feeling the medications would cause. I have more energy. I sleep better.

Get this.. the only times I feel my allergies kick back up is when I forget to take my Alfalfa and NutriFeron!

I also wanted to let you know I have chosen to build a Shaklee business. After years of working crazy schedules and stressful jobs I decided to take control of my life. I know in my soul that I made the right choice.

Just as Dr. Shaklee said years ago, "Your future will be exactly what you decide to make it", I have decided to make a different future for myself. One that includes helping people live better lives. One that allows me to be with my family and friends. One that lets me be myself.

Tim Bowden

To learn more about or to purchase Alfalfa and NutriFeron, please visit our website: To Be Healthy and save 15%!

We are also accepting at this time a limited number of applications for business partners. If you are interested in owning your own business with very little start up costs, please contact us by filling out our no obligation Contact Form or email us at tobehealthy@yahoo.com

We have 5 different entry levels available and will be happy to work with you at whatever level you choose.

Applications will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis and positions are limited. Visit our Member Center to learn more.

There's God!

At church my 2 year old son asks me, "Where's God, Mama?"
I answered, "God's everywhere, honey. He's invisible."
A few moments later as we sit in the pew on the aisle. He leans out, looks up the aisle to the preacher, points at him and shouts, "There's God, Mama!"
I saw shoulders shaking with laughter in the seats in front of us.
We like to add a little humor to our church services.

2010’s Funny Facebook Postings Part 1 of 2

I never thought about all the little sayings I posted on Facebook about my son and how someday he might enjoy reading them. So I went back through them and copied them all down. Whew! That was a job and I don’t even post that much! So here is the first six months. When December is done, I will post them, too.
You might want to do something similar for your children. They may enjoy hearing what was happening when they were little at the time it was happening.


January

· Jacob is watching the Cars movie for the zillionth time. He LOVES this movie so much! He calls it "Pachow". I don't like for him to watch too much TV, but letting him watch this once or twice a week sure allows me to get something done! OK, I admit it, it's my favorite movie, too!

February

· It’s amazing how a 2 year old turning the computer’s power button on and off really fast while it’s trying to install updates can cause more damage to your operating system than any virus! Ugggh!

March

· My 2 year old brought me his battery operated toy car that quit working. With big sad eyes and very upset he holds his car up to me and says, ”Fix car?” New batteries didn’t work, so I decided to take it apart. After mending a broken wire, handing it back to him and seeing his big smile, that was worth more to me than any paycheck I have ever received before. Five minutes of my time made me a hero in his eyes.

April

· A typical 20 second conversation with my 2 year old. “Jake, will you pick up your crayons please? “NO!” “Jake, please drink your juice in the kitchen.” “NO!” “Jake, are you done eating?” “NO!” “Then sit back down.” “NO!” “Jake, do you have to go potty?” NO!” “Jake, did you just go pee-pee in your pants?” “NO!” “Jake, do you want to go to the track to see the cars?” “YES!”

· What I would give to have an ounce of my 2 year old's energy level.

· My 2 year old locked the front door behind me as I went outside to get something. Luckily I managed to beat him to the backdoor before he did! What have I learned? To always take my keys with me!

· Why do little kids at night in bed flop around like fish in the bottom of a boat? I am up 3-4 times a night covering my son back up. He wakes me up as he gets cold and I find him huddled up in a ball crying with the blanket balled up on the other side of the bed. I guess I am going to have to velcro it to his body.

May

· We were laughing the other day when Jim's blue '63 vette and Stevie's red '63 vette were on the line, Jake started jumping up and down screaming that The King & Pachow (that's what he calls Lighting McQueen) from the movie Cars were on the line racing! He loves those cars. That's my boy!

June

· I've worked for some pretty demanding bosses in my time, but by far the most demanding is my 2 year old. Though he's tough to please, my performance reviews from him have been great and unlike other bosses, I'll accept his kisses as payment. lol :)

· How do you convince a 2 year old that there is no racing today? He doesn't believe me!

· Take 1 screaming mad toddler + 1 haircut + exasperated hair stylist = 1 big, fat tip.

· Finally got cable with Speed channel. While staying up with sick little one, watching neat shows like Pass Time and Pinks. The motor sounds help Jake to sleep as he loves race cars. :)

· So proud of my little one! He is now using the bathroom on his own. Only thing he needs help with is turn the water on and off and help with putting his pants back on. Not bad for a 28 month old!

Adventures in Potty Training - Last Part (I hope)

No More Diapers!

This is the final installment of our Adventures in Potty Training (I hope)
To read our journey through this adventure you can start here: Adventures in Potty Training Part 1

We have decided to add to our bottom line and take away from adding to the landfill by going totally diaperless. I have three packs of unopened pull-ups to return to the store and a lot of loose ones between the cars and diaper bags that I’m not sure what other use I may find for yet.

It’s scary to let go of them for it means we are at the mercy of his bladder. So far we have had a few weeks of dry nights and naps with very few accidents. He also lets me know when he has to go when we are out and about. I haven’t put a pull up on him in weeks, so I think we are ready.

His biggest thrill is pee peeing outside. Like all boys he loves to pee on things outdoors. I don’t mind when we are in the country, but when he loudly announces it at the park and then proceeds to pull down his pants, I panic as I make the mad dash to stop him. Then, red faced I escort him to the restroom. Only the moms with little ones I think understand. The rest just look on in horror and with disgusted looks. I want to scream at them, “Hey! Have you forgotten how hard it is to train a 2 year old to use the potty?” or “Just wait till it’s your turn you prude!”

I don’t mind too much though. I am so thrilled and proud that my son has mastered this very big milestone. For two years (or longer) we teach our kids to “go” in diapers. Then all of a sudden we tell them it’s not OK and we want them to go into a big bowl. This is very confusing to kids. I really believe though, a child has to really want to learn before they do and I also believe you need to stay consistent and keep with it – don’t give up when it gets hard.

As thrilled as I am at getting past this stage, I am also a little sad. As we close this chapter I find myself looking back and missing the little baby he once was. I am enjoying seeing him grow into the little boy, but I can’t help wishing for another little one. I see now why so often children are spaced about 2 years apart. You long for the little infant……Oh my gosh! Somebody slap me!!! Stop me from wanting another as I am too old and I apparently have forgotten about how hard having another infant is! Please, somebody remind me of all the sleepless nights and oh the diapers.

Still, I can’t help but wonder……………

2 year Old Grocery Store Meltdowns

I have officially become THAT mom whose kid has a screaming meltdown in the grocery store. Luckily I was able to diffuse it quick, but I could feel that look of death stares from the other non-moms.
They should have an express lane for those with little kids.

Quack In a Box

I have heard the term, “Quack In a Box” as a reference to the doctors in urgent care type places. This insulting reference is commonplace around here. Not sure if it’s just typical to this area or is a widespread problem. Many people have shared with me some bad stories of ending up at these places. Now, I have my own.

I ended up at an urgent care place because my doctor is out of town and has left no backup doctor. I couldn’t get in to see any other doctor this week and being very ill, I needed some help badly. I didn’t want to go to an urgent care type place because I had heard many stories about the bad care others had received, but I felt I didn’t have much choice. I have been sick for 5 days and feel I am getting worse.

When I went in, the facility was new and nice looking. The staff was courteous and I was seen in a relatively short time. The doctor was nice and friendly. That is where the positives stop.

The doctor came in, asked how long I was sick and what my symptoms were and then asked an unbelievable question. He asked me what medicines I wanted. I was like, huh? He asked me again what I thought I needed. I was like, “I just want to feel better. I want help with relief of the cough and other symptoms.” He said, do you want cough syrup or antibiotics? I was like, “Do you even want to look at my throat to check for strep or listen to my lungs?” He said he didn’t think it could be strep unless I was around someone who had it. “How do I know if I was or not?” I asked. “Don’t you think you should at least look at my throat since I have swelling?” He sighed and looked for a nano second without a tongue depressor and said, “Nope, no problem.” He did listen to my lungs and heart for a few seconds, but I wasn’t able to take any deep breaths. When I told him that, he shrugged.

He then said, “If you want, I can give you some cough syrup and antibiotics if you want.” I was like, “Will the cough syrup make me really drowsy?” He said he didn’t know and to try it out and see. I was, “Look, I just need help to feel better so I can take care of my son and work.” He said, “Well, you can see how you feel in a few days and then take the antibiotic if you feel you need it.”

I was speechless. I was so dumbfounded with the lack of proper care. I’m no medical expert, but even I know when you have the kind of symptoms I have, you may need some kind of steroid or something for the inflammation and help for the cough. And you need to examine the patient, not ask them what they think they need! The medical expert needs to make a decision on what care and what medicines are needed, not leave it up to the patient!

I remember sitting there waiting for him to come back with my prescription and wondering if I had a heart attack and stopped breathing would he ask me what form of CPR I wanted. I should have complained, but feeling so bad and just wanting to get home I was willing to take what he was willing to give me. I should have told him my back hurt and requested Oxy Contin, Vicodin, Percasets and whatever else sells good on the street.

I should have been told as well the high cost of the cough syrup, though I doubt he knew. The syrup was $50 and that was with insurance! Add the $50 co-pay I had to pay for going to an urgent care facility and I’m $100 poorer with very little to show for it. Sheesh! I should have asked for some Preparation-H to go with all that!

I would report my experience, but I’m not sure where or to whom. I doubt it would do any good anyway. Now, unfortunately I have my own “Quack In a Box” story to tell.

He May Be The Next Track Announcer

My 2 year old son just loves cars. I mean he loves cars like no one else I have known. He will play with the track his daddy built for him all day long if you let him.

Above is a picture of him watching the races from the tower. It was cold and windy that day and since we are privileged enough to have access to the tower we decided to watch from up there.

The announcer is only a few feet away announcing the races into the microphone. My son decided he wanted to announce too. Being 2 years old and a self proclaimed expert he was adding his own narrative. He would loudly scream blue dragster, red dragster! Then when a blue ’63 vette and a red ’63 vette happen to meet on the line he got so excited his voice raised 2 octaves! He started screaming, jumping up and down and pointing. He kept repeating, “The King, Pachow!” over and over. The King and Pachow (his name he gives to the character Lightening McQueen) are his favorite cartoon characters from the movie CARS. This is his favorite movie and he begs to see it all the time. I have to admit it’s one of my favorites too and even though we’ve seen it a 100 times, I still find something new I never saw before.

Anyway, I feared his screaming and announcing could be heard over the microphone and out to the track. Add to it the laughter coming from the track announcer and other staff making it hard for him to call the races certainly made for an entertaining race day. But much to the dismay of my son I thought it best we vacate the tower before the track owner got annoyed.

I’m sure his displeasure could be heard throughout the land as I was dragging him out kicking and screaming. He stopped being upset when I told him we would watch the races from the van.

What was nice was the track announcer said he could come back and help him “announce” anytime he wanted. I could still hear their chuckles as we made our way down the steps. Though I was a bit embarrassed, at least we were entertaining.

Though it was hard to get him to leave, I am very proud of my little “gearhead.”

I Had To Say Goodbye To An Old Friend

I had to say goodbye to one of my best buddies, my beloved horse.

He was my 21 year old Arabian gelding and it was one of the hardest things I ever had to do.

He had melanoma that I believe was spreading. He also had arthritis that was getting worse along with bone chips from an old injury flaring up. The worse part was I knew I didn't have anymore money to keep spending every month in trying to keep him healthy and out of pain. I had already spent more money than I had coming in. In an effort to keep him, I was getting into money trouble fast. Something I have always preached about not doing.

I just loved him so and was not wanting to let him go.

I have had other horses and pets that I had to put down before, but by far he was the hardest. Was it because he was my last horse? Was it because he was more special to me? Was it because he was the sweetest horse I ever knew? Was it because I felt guilty that I couldn't afford to give him a better life?

I think it was all of the above.

We had been through so much together and having horses had been such a large part of who I was. When he died, I felt a part of me died right there with him. A big part of who I was, was gone.

I can't even begin to tell you about the level of guilt I am experiencing. Even though I had anguished over this decision for months, it still took so much more strength to do than most other things I have done in my life.

I knew his time was coming, I just wasn't prepared to make it come sooner than it did. So many people said it was the right thing to do and it was time - the vet, the farrier, other experienced horse people. Even though it may have been the right thing to do, it still felt so wrong.

I explored other options, even looking into giving him up to someone else who might be able to give him what he needed to extend his life another year or so. I just couldn't bare to give him to someone who might end up not taking care of him or let him linger, suffering way too long. I couldn't stand the thought of him suffering terribly and not having the power do do anything about it.

So when the time came, I sobbed like a baby. Harder than I had for any other. My husband held me and cried right along side of me. We still tear up from time to time. It's taken me these few days just to get up the strength to write about it.

He was beautiful, funny and the fastest horse I ever knew. In earlier years, he would run with a herd of horses who were running at full speed, pass them up, circle around them and pass them again. He would antagonize any horse just to get the horse to chase him. He just loved to run. He never lost an impromptu match race. Riding him at full speed was dizzying. I wished I had been in a position to professionally race him.

At times he could be a handful to ride, because he was so full of spirit and energy, but he never did anything out of spite. He didn't have a mean bone in his body. His sweetness earned him fans of people wherever he went, but also caused him to be always last in ranking when it came to being in a herd. Though he was very spirited under saddle, he was as gentle as could be on the ground. Babies have toddled under him by mistake and he never moved a muscle. His manners were impeccable and he made even the most timid feel at ease around him. Everyone loved him.

I could go on and on, but it's getting harder to do so.

Whenever I come across a picture, or memento of him, I can't stop the tears from welling up. Though I am happy to have had him and feel blessed to have known such a gentle spirit, I feel that I have lost my best friend and may never totally get over that.

I hope those who have known us do not judge me too harshly for letting him go now instead of later. You have no idea how hard this was for me, but I had to think of my family in addition to my horse's well being. Unless you have been where I'm at, you couldn't possibly understand.

Those of you who have been there, I'm sure you understand.

On earth he could fly without wings. Now he's earned them.

I miss you Jay.

"God forbid that I should go to any heaven in which there are no horses."

---Robert Bontine

Life As A Car Girl – The Early Years

This is the second story of this series. To read the first story see,
Life As A Car Girl – I Was Born Loving Cars

Upon entering school I was already playing with the same toys boys did. This became most evident during show and tell. For show and tell I would rather bring a live animal, but since bringing live animals to school was discouraged, I often brought one of my toy cars. If a teacher asked if there were any dolls at home I could bring, she was always met with a bewildered look. The girls seemed to be confused at my choice and would make fun of me, but the boys always approved and often would ask to play cars with me.

Horses were a large part of my life and just the sight of a horse would make me stop dead in my tracks. That is a whole other story. But always in the background were cars and the roar of a loud motor passing by made me look with wide eyed wonder.

My HotWheels and Matchbox’s were well worn. Though I played with them virtually everyday, I never abused them. I did play with them outside, but never in the mud. If they got too dirty, they got a bath. I guess that was the girl in me.

I loved to take things apart to see how they worked and begged for someone to teach me how to put things together and answer all my inquisitive questions. Most of the time however, no one would. Being a girl at that time meant no one took my love of cars and mechanical things seriously.

Many men recall how as boys they took everything apart – radios, drills, electronic toys, etc. I too, started to do that until caught one day and was harshly punished for it. The threat of not fixing or replacing whatever I took apart on top of the harsh punishment I was to receive was enough to squash the learning on my own activities. They couldn’t squash my love of speed though. Bikes, skates, big wheels, wagons, you name it, I had to be the fastest. If only we had those Power Wheels back then.

Here is an example of my love of speed. A story from when I was young:

We lived on a street that had a very long, steep hill. At the bottom of the hill, both the street and the sidewalk made a 90° turn to the left. Since we weren’t allowed to play in the street, we had to learn to navigate this hill and that sharp turn at a high rate of speed. To top it off, at the bottom of the hill, right at the turn, lived a mean old lady. (Doesn’t every neighborhood have a mean old person living in it?) All of us kids were terrified of her. We were not allowed to step foot in her yard. She was so mean that just the sight of her coming out onto her porch to yell at us made us all scatter like a herd of gazelles. Her yard, being at the bottom of this hill made us experts at handling high speed turns though. You see, being able to handle that sharp turn at high speed was not only cool, to us kids it was a matter of pure survival!. We knew if that mean old lady ever caught us we would never be seen or heard from again! The thrill of it all made it worth it though.

Picture this, if you will. With our big wheels in hand, we made the push up the long, steep hill. (How I long for that cardiovascular strength today!) Upon reaching the top, we would wait for a car to come driving into the neighborhood. You had to have a car to race against down the hill!
Upon seeing a car heading our way we would begin our running push. When the car reached a certain point in the road, like a crack in the pavement to start the “race”, we’d hop on and begin madly pedaling till our feet couldn’t keep up with the spinning pedals. We would then kick our feet out and begin the mad dash down the hill and the harrowing left hand turn at the bottom. The big wheels that had the hand brake were required if you ever hoped to make the turn without spinning out in the mean lady’s yard.

Though I didn’t understand the concept of aerodynamics back then, I did figure out that I went a little faster if I tucked my head down and kept my legs closer to the center rather than have them sticking straight out to the sides. This technique along with my fast sprint at the top allowed me to be one of the very few (and only girl) to be able to beat most of the cars to the bottom of the hill! Keep in mind, this was quite an accomplishment, to ride a big wheel averaging 15-20 mph. My older brothers still remark to this day what an amazing feat that was. Seeing their 5-6 year old little sister flying down the hill on my big wheel with my long hair flying behind me, my feet sticking out, the pedals spinning so fast they were just a blur, then being able to make that amazing turn was a sight to see they say. It was a skill that would amaze everyone who saw it and made our mothers gasp in horror. As a kid, I didn’t understand why my mom would get so upset. As a mom, I now understand, but it was still cool!

My son is showing the early signs of a love of speed, being a daredevil and having a curious nature of how things work. I guess he comes by it honestly since both his father and I were like this as kids and still are. I hope I can learn to be the kind of mother that encourages this adventurous and curious behavior while at the same time keeping him safe. I just don’t know yet how to do this without trips to the emergency room and everything from the toaster to the computer ending up being taken apart! I may get mad if one day I find the appliances in pieces and a little screwdriver in his hand, but I won’t punish him like I was. Though I may love my toaster oven, I love him more and I will want to encourage his curious nature. Even if it means having to buy a new toaster!

Kids Are Quick

THIS IS GREAT...ANYONE WHO TEACHES OR HAS CHILDREN CAN RELATE!!!

____________________________________
TEACHER: Maria, go to the map and find North America .
MARIA: Here it is.
TEACHER: Correct. Now class, who discovered America ?
CLASS: Maria.
____________________________________
TEACHER: John, why are you doing your math multiplication on the floor?
JOHN: You told me to do it without using tables. __________________________________________
TEACHER: Glenn, how do you spell 'crocodile?'
GLENN: K-R-O-K-O-D-I-A-L'
TEACHER: No, that's wrong
GLENN: Maybe it is wrong, but you asked me how I spell it. __________________________________________
TEACHER: Donald, what is the chemical formula for water?
DONALD: H I J K L M N O.
TEACHER: What are you talking about?
DONALD: Yesterday you said it's H to O.
__________________________________
TEACHER: Winnie, name one important thing we have today that we didn't have ten years ago.
WINNIE: Me!
__________________________________________
TEACHER: Glen, why do you always get so dirty?
GLEN: Well, I'm a lot closer to the ground than you are. _______________________________________
TEACHER: Millie, give me a sentence starting with ' I. '
MILLIE: I is..
TEACHER: No, Millie..... Always say, 'I am.'
MILLIE: All right... 'I am the ninth letter of the alphabet.' ________________________________
TEACHER: George Washington not only chopped down his father's cherry tree, but also admitted it. Now, Louie, do you know why his father didn't punish him?
LOUIS: Because George still had the axe in his hand. ______________________________________
TEACHER: Now, Simon, tell me frankly, do you say prayers before eating?
SIMON: No sir, I don't have to, my Mom is a good cook. ______________________________
TEACHER: Clyde , your composition on 'My Dog' is exactly the same as your brother's. Did you copy his?
CLYDE : No, sir. It's the same dog.
___________________________________
TEACHER: Harold, what do you call a person who keeps on talking when people are no longer interested?
HAROLD: A teacher

Can You Jump Rope Like This?

This has GOT to be one of THE most impressive thing I have ever seen.
These girls are amazing!
We used to jump rope in school and did the double rope, slap the ground and pick up sticks - stuff like that. Others would stop and watch like they were impressed, but wow, these girls are so incredible. And some are so young, too.
Enjoy!

click link

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1418565565?bctid=23207933001

Olympian Eli Bremer Teams With Shaklee

Here is a great blog post by Eli Bremer - 2008 Olympian and US Air Force Reservist -He shoots, fences, swims, rides and runs, representing the United States in the sport of Modern Pentathlon.
And he uses Shaklee Nutrition Products to help him achieve his goals!

Click Here for his latest post.

Life As A Car Girl – I Was Born Loving Cars

Having six older brothers definitely helped, but they really aren’t into cars that much. In fact out of six boys and one girl, guess who is the one that races cars?

When I was a little girl the two toys I enjoyed playing with the most weren’t dolls and tea sets, they were horse statues and cars. I grew up loving horses which will be a different story for another time, but I also grew up loving cars. I had a few Hot Wheels and Matchboxes that I wish I still had today. I only had a few and I am assuming they were the cast offs that my brothers didn’t want. I didn’t mind though, I had my own cars to play with. I also would “borrow” my older brothers’ cars to play with at times, which would always end up with me getting shoved aside as my brothers would come and re-claim their cars. I would scream, mom would yell wanting to know what’s going on, my brother would exclaim that I was taking his stuff again and in the end we all ended up in tears and in trouble. I was planning on giving them back. I was!

I would have to say that my very favorite toy though was the combination of horses and cars. One Christmas, I received a pickup truck that was pulling a horse trailer with two horses inside. I loved it! It combined both worlds perfectly. I could unhitch the trailer from the truck, take the horses out of the trailer, haul stuff in the back of the truck – it was great! I really miss that toy now. I know I would still play with it today if I could find one like it.

My poor mother. She tried desperately to get her only girl to wear dresses and play with dolls. Fights always ensued between her and I over her wanting me to wear dresses, to act more ladylike and me wanting to be, well, myself. I can’t imagine the money that was wasted on dolls and tea set and dresses that were either never played with or would end up being a sacrifice for some experiment my brothers and I would dream up. Barbie wants to be an astronaut? Then she should be duct taped to some bottle rockets!

I wasn’t the only girl around who wanted a Barbie Corvette, but I was the only girl around who wanted it with more horsepower options, a five speed, a tow package to haul horses of course, and I did not want it in pink! I thought only sissy girls drove pink cars! Pink has never been and still isn’t my color. To say the least, I never got my Barbie Corvette. I guess my mom knew that the Ken doll would never get to drive and she didn’t want to be responsible for me learning how to be the next Evel Kneviel on four wheels.

Her distaste for me being a tomboy was a little hypocritical of her though, now that I think of it. After all, she is where I get my love of racing from! She was the fastest driver I have ever ridden with and I know my family would back me up on this. She only liked to drive the big V8’s and she had only one speed – fast! My father bought her a nice V6 smaller car once. He thought she would like it better because it was cheaper on gas, smaller and easier to maneuver, which would have made her commute to work downtown easier. After she drove it one day, she came back and threw the keys to him and said she wanted her old car back as this little thing didn’t have any power. She was horrible on gas mileage. She would floor it when the light turned green, pass other cars like she was heading for the finish at the Indy 500 and then slam on the brakes and slide to a stop when the light turned red. If the eggs survived on the way home from the store, it was a miracle.

Shirley Muldowney had nothing on my mom. I know Mom would have put her on the trailer in a heartbeat. All you would have had to do is hold up a sign at the end of the track that said “SALE” in big letters and you wouldn’t have beaten her to it.

We lost my mom to cancer when I was nine, but I am thankful for these fond memories I have. All that work at trying to get me to be more ladylike did stick and I can only hope to be half of the lady she was. So thanks, Mom for passing on your love of speed. Like a true lady, I always check how my makeup looks in the mirror before I put on my helmet to race.

Golfer Makes A Million Dollar Shot

Wow! Imagine you had a sore wrist, had to borrow your brother's clubs to take a longshot at making a million dollars if you hit a 150 yarder and got a hole in one?
Now imagine you did it! Think you were dreaming? That's probably what Jason Hargett thought when he did it!
Watch this amazing video and his reaction:

Are You Too Hard On Yourself?

I am. When I race and when I screw up, which can seem to be pretty often, I am harder on myself than anyone else is. There have been many times I wished I had remembered to put a paper sack in the car to wear over my head when I came back up the return road. One of these days I may do that just to give the guys at the time slip booth something to laugh at.

I must think that everyone including the guy getting popcorn saw my mistake and must be laughing hysterically at me. What do I think they are going to do, boo me or something? I must really think that people care what I did enough to laugh at my mistake. Therein lies the mistake, that most people, one, even notice and two, that they care.

I find myself apologizing to my husband for letting him down. He is always telling me I haven’t let him down and that I should just have fun. I am having fun, just not as much fun as I could be if I wasn’t so hard on myself. I often times hear myself making derogatory remarks about my driving to others in a joke form. Like I’m poking fun at myself, but not in a nice way. That can get old to others. I must sound pathetic like that one round of racing will mean that we won’t eat this week or something. I never thought of myself as a drama queen, but even I get sick of tripping over my bottom lip. One side of my brain is telling me, “You dufus, you have no business being out here.” and the other, more rational side is screaming, “Come on, it’s only racing! Have some fun! Everyone screws up.” You know, things I tell other people.

If I have a bad light or I red light or if I let a guy get around me at the stripe I am always kicking myself and saying I have a great car that has a lousy driver. That is a terrible thing to say and if someone else other than myself had said it to me I’d be fighting mad. So why do I let myself get away with it? Because I have done it for so long I believe it has become a habit. This is a very bad habit that needs to be stopped. Why? Because it is affecting something I love, racing. It’s also affecting the people I love around me like my husband and friends. I’m not sure why I have started to be like this, it may have something to do with my past. I’m not going to waste time however, digging up the past to try and figure out why I feel this way. The past is the past, let’s let it lay there and move on. I can’t change what happened in the past, but there is one thing I do have control over – my thoughts. I must change the way I think which ultimately changes the way I react when things don’t work out at a race.

I know I am always saying encouraging words to other racers who may be having a bad day, so I need to start extending the same kindness to myself. Realizing that everyone has a bad day, that everyone makes mistakes and that my mistake couldn’t possibly be the worst one ever made would be a good first step. Good, seasoned racers have lost every way there is to lose a race. So I must remind myself when I make a mistake that cost me the race I can say with great pride that I am becoming a more seasoned racer - a veteran with more experience than I had when I pulled into the track today.

I also need to remind myself of the times I did really well. I need to tell myself in order to be good, you have to make mistakes. Simple as that. The more mistakes I make then ultimately the better I’ll get. I hope that those of you, who do the same thing, beat up on yourself harder than anyone else does, that you also learn that life is made up of successes and failures. We have to fail so we know when it is we’ve succeeded.

Besides, giving someone else like those in the stands or another racer something to laugh at is a good quality to have. I like to think that when I screw up I bring joy to someone else.