Rushing Christmas toward the end of this Year

Slow down, speed up, don't hit the speed bump.  Get over from the curb, don't cross the yellow line, stop in front of the white line, by the stop sign, and be sure to come to a full and complete stop before rolling out. Be very clear and watch how you steer, look both ways before going and use the turn signal in time, and go near the speed limit most all of the time. 

Geez, and this was only the second day out driving the car.  3 hours logged, and we are definitly on a roll...

Did you hear about the guy who explained, " I swerved, and I swerved, and I swerved, and then I hit it! "

Merry Christmas to all, great and small. 

May you receive and discover many more blessings to share throughout this coming year. 

What will move you to action?

http://www.dragonflyeffect.com/blog/dragonfly-in-action/case-studies/the-story-of-sameer-and-vinay/

Legacy leaves faintly a trail, for those who will follow the fading glow of those who have gone before us.


Takes about an hour to read the medical guidelines and fill out the info form to get a testing kit to get on the bone marrow registry.
Donating  Bone Marrow is comparable to donating blood, it is not over invasive and not considered painful.  How lucky if you came up a match for someone else. 


This is the kind of gambling I could recommend whole heartedly.  


The people: 
http://savesameer.com/

http://amitguptaneedsyou.com/

The Process is in the link below (do it now, please do not even delay!)
The more who register, the more matches possible on this big blue ball we call home.
http://www.marrow.org/Join/Join_Now/Join_Now.aspx

Other Bank Food Drive-Can you spare some toiletries?

Other Bank Food Drive-KGY 1240 Radio

I remember a time I was in between jobs and was working a string of part time ones while shutting down my daycare. It was so hard having kids to care and feed and holidays to celebrate with nothing in the cupboard, save what could be picked up at the food bank. And no cash for tampons. 


At the time, I felt useless, worthless and broken. I was. I had to find who I was again, still am. I have to know that today I am richer for the failures to be all that. I just get to be me, hands to give, hands to receive. Life is not over until it is spent.


KGY is hosting an Other Bank drive for the Thurston County area.  The link above lists off acceptable items and drop off locations.


Essentials that food stamps will not buy. KGY and Little Creek Casino are partnering to support community needs at this time. Drop off locations also. 


Even if you do not do this, how do you ask what your neighbors need? Have you let them know if you are needing something?


Repost of KGY info page is below: 

‎"Many families are in real need of items that cannot be purchased with food stamps or are neglected due to other expenses such as food and rent—yet they are essential for maintaining health and personal dignity. That is the basic principleguiding our 3rd Annual “KGY Beyond Food Drive”. KEY ITEMS NEEDED: Toothpaste and Toothbrushes Pet Food and Supplies Men’s and Women’s Deodorant Baby Care Items Shampoo Bar Soap Powdered Laundry Soap Diapers Razors and Shaving Cream Dish Soap Personal Hygiene Products Toilet Paper Paper Towels Cleaning Supplies Donate at the following locations KGY Radio Studios, Waterfront, Olympia The Mailbox, 120 State Ave NE, Olympia Alley Oop Gymnastics Center, 2643 Mottman Ct SW, Tumwater Southgate Center (Tumwater) : The Gift Gallery, 5113 Capitol Blvd SE Fluffy and Floyd’s, 5211 Capitol Blvd SW Martin’s Southgate Drug, 5201 Capitol Blvd SW Average monthly income of an “Other Bank” family of four served is $650 per month Beneficiaries include the homeless, disabled or elderly and those on unemployment or with minimum wage jobs 20,000+ people served annually and need is growing

Get on the Bone Marrow Registry-Do it today!

Why not? 


 If you are on the list then:

1. You are between the ages of 18 and 60 and have your health to be thankful for, and managed well enough, even if you have diabetes, ADHD or some other condition.  
2. You are willing to donate your bone marrow if you are a match for someone who desperately needs it. 
3. You are part of a compassionate solution. Today's technology can match people from one side of the planet to another.  

The links below are for Amit Gupta's story and for the bone marrow registry and the blog post fro Seth Godin about this.  If you are south Asia, please do not delay.   

http://tumblr.amitgupta.com/day/2011/10/06
http://www.marrow.org/Join/Join_Now/Join_Now.aspx

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2011/10/eliminating-the-impulse-to-stall.html


Let us know in comment below how many in your household were able to sign up, or why you decided not to today. 

Are you irreplaceable?

Maybe, Maybe not. 


I am, when it comes to what I choose to do as a mom, the person on shift today, or being aware of personal wellness, or in testing out of things.


The moments add up to the sum on ones existence.  The tide comes and goes, so do storms.  So do seasons and ages.  


Have a great day and a lot of incredible moments.  

Lord's Gym is now Ignite Fitness!

Check out the Gym and watch for joining details.   I for one am ready to shed another 30 lbs and get the muscles in shape this fall to spring. 


And the rains have resumed.  What better time to get in the gym? 


First 300 members are in with no joining fee or contract and $26 a month.  Things are buzzing already this first week.  

DazedAmazed is also my website-Take a look if you like....

I have included simple recipies from what is lurking in the cupboards-buttermilk biscuit pizza, sloppy joe tacos, hot chocolate tapioca pudding, leftover fried rice were our weekend meals. 


This is my website, linked below, by the same name as my blog.  


http://www.dazedamazed.com/



Thank you for following and reading these posts! And have a sweet week. 


RhondaSueDavis




  

Jamie Oliver Pleads for signatures to help end Obesity in Children. Starts at Home, does it not?

Jamie Oliver sure has a lot of fabulous free stuff on the web, how to cook fresh food without all the gunk in it.    He would love to have some folks sign his petition for legislation designed to help end child obesity, and non communicable disease.

His web site link with lots of how to is below. 
You can always find a Zillion helpful videos he has posted on you  tube, starting with the one embedded here. 


Jamie Oliver Official Web site-chock full of useful tidbits


Can you help get to one million on the petition? http://www.jamieoliver.com/us/foundation/jamies-food-revolution/sign-petition HERE

Feed tracker gadget from feedjit.com

http://www.squidoo.com/kipsys-return

http://www.squidoo.com/kipsys-return

Climate Change Pow Wow at the local Petstore today

I could not help but overhear snippits of conversation from three Petco Employees as I picked up cat food this evening.  And I had to get cat food, as I had left home with less than a borrowed bowl from the neighbor in the cats dish.  Cats do not take these things lightly. 


But I digress, the employees were college age, two males and one female.  The woman was talking about climate change and both gentlemen had what sounded like intelligent questions to ask her about this.  


I overheard only a little, but did hear something to the effect " we should be having an ice age right now, but we are not,  due to what we have done to the planet, so once all the ice caps melt.....the oceans may overflow and not any decent living conditions to be found. 


I was really more focused on getting the best buy on the "golden" cat food I buy to keep my cats their healthiest, so I likely did not hear everything correctly. 


And I do realize now as I write this that young people of that age and not yet spoken for often talk to one another because they are interested in each other, in learning something that will help them navigate in life, and in the future.   At least that is the way it should be. 

The links at the bottom of this post are about climate change and ocean pollution.  


Please comment and share on this blog post what you know and think is important on this topic.  Are we able to live sustainably on earth, and in space?  Has mankind started on the way?  Is it already to late, and if so, should we do nothing about that? 


What can be done today?   I heard there is a swirling pool of pollution floating in the ocean larger than the state of Texas. Myth or Truth?   Can we manage to get around that or do we need to work through it best we can? 


  http://www.oprah.com/world/Ocean-Pollution-Fabien-Cousteaus-Warning-to-the-World




Unique Plastic Bag Crafts



     

End Malaria Day is Everyday!

Seth Godin Sept 7,2011 book offering

Seth Godin Sept 7,2011 webinar bonus


Buy this book for $20 and provide a mosquito net to save a life.  Get the book on Kindle or Paperback and if you do, you are invited to listen to the attached 5 hour webinar by many of the 62 authors. 


Courtesy of Seth Godin's Blog dated September 7, 2011


If you purchase a copy from reading this, do click a "tried this below" and thanks! 

How to embed a google app to your web page

Go to http://www.google.com/webmasters/gadgets/foryourpage/index.html


Select the gadget you want for your web page and get the code.  Paste it in your blog or other web page.  Be sure to select "allow interpretation of HTML" instead of "show HTML literally" so the gadget will work. 


For more technology terminology made simple, try out this lens I put together on Squidoo:


http://www.squidoo.com/technology-terminology

Haircuts on Wheels-mobile hair cutting service for Lacey, Olympia, and Tumwater

Haircuts on Wheels

Craig Conway

(360) 701-2129

Mobile Hair Cutting Service in the Lacey, Olympia, and Tumwater area.

This guy has been cutting our families hair since my oldest kid was 2 years old.  I had gotten to the point of trying to cut my toddlers hair while he ate ice cream and I was still losing the battle. And then there was "the incident" when my middle son said I cut his ear, and he often reminds me of it, just about every time we get haircuts.

 Getting everyone into the beauty shop for hair cuts when you are a new mom with a full time job is not an easy task.  

Craig came and charmed the kids, gave us all excellent haircuts and has been doing it ever since then.  

He no longer keeps candy in the kit for them, or has them hold the hair whisk, as the boys stand a head taller than the rest of us.  He has made haircuts a calming and connecting time over the years, and we often have a former room mate join on haircut night for his trim.  

  

Craig  happens to cuts hair for a couple of  people in our neighborhood, our pediatrician, and who knows for how many other people in town.  

He has a shop and can do all the modern styles as well as perms.  Mostly he drives to your office or home on your schedule and does a professional haircut with cleanup.   

Do you know Craig? 

What haircuts on wheels stories do you have to share? 

School starts next week, do you all need haircuts soon? Might want to give Craig a call and take care of that soon, with a smile. 

Alice Cooper-Smart, Sane or Sick? He was inducted into the Hall of Fame this year.

I am not so sure about that. Have put some links and info about Alice Cooper (birth name Vince Furnier) together recently on this Squidoo lens for your reading and pondering. 


What do you do day in and day out and will that matter in 5 years? In 50? What about the next 5 minutes? 


Alice Cooper section added to Notes for Seth (Godin that is) Lens

Swap, shop, or drop of an older bike in Olympia-Sunday's noon to four

Build a Bike in Olympia, Washington - Check the link to the left here for their web site info! 
Location is 2602 18th Ave SE Olympia, WA   Phone is 539-0955 if you are unable to stop by on Sunday afternoons. 

Drop off is every Sunday Noon to Four at  Boulevard Rd. & 18th Ave. (behind the Pit Stop grocery) in Olympia WA.

Do you need a part for your bike? You may be able to find what you need at the community build a bike.


Or you may be able to build a bike from the ground up. 


Provided you live in or around Olympia, WA. 

Community Build a Bike is located in East Olympia. This started in 1998 and used to be at the old Madison elementary school, which is now New Bridge Community Church. For awhile it was behind Ralph's Thriftway. The current location off Boulevard is where they have been the past 5 years, and all three locations are not far from Lion's Park in the Olympia Eastside Neighborhood. 


Are you in need of a tune up, but don't have the tools? Come and tune up yours and help someone else learn how to maintain their bike.   Or come learn how this is done. 


Do you like tearing down and putting things together? 


Is there someone you know needs a bike, but cash is short? 


Do you want a home for the bike you grew out of, or have one that is broke down?


How about backpacks, gloves or other bike accessories sitting in your garage, or that you are in need of? 

Build a bike has a solution for you.  Stop by and brainstorm.  After that it is all about putting it together, together. 

On August 21st, we dropped off an older bike we don't need anymore. It was adopted in about five minutes....thought the thing was a mess and ready for the dump, but all it needed was some expert attention to get on the road again.

Build A Bike is a "spoke" of many similar community groups across America.

Is every homeless person hopeless? Camp Quioxote may become a village in the Mottman Industrial Park. Breaking the stereotypes and choosing a road toward home

If you live in the Olympia area, you may be interested to learn more about this homeless camp. It may soon become a village on county property, at the edges of Olympia and Tumwater city limits, right next to my neighborhood! 


The Olympia City Council is considering a permanent site for this camp. In the past four years, the camp has proven to be a good neighbor and has served to help several individuals find thier way off the streets, and out of the camp onto better situations.


This is to be decided on Sept 6,2011 and public written testimony is being taken until noon on Friday, August 19.  Over two hours of testimony can be heard here if you want to learn more from the public who attended Monday's hearing on the matter. 


Video of Public Hearing 8-15-11 to Zone County Property at Mottman Industrial Park to allow permanent homeless village

City brief on proposal to transform Quixote Camp to Quixote Village 


Olympian Story on Public Hearing 8-16-2011

Wikipedia on Panza and Don Quioxte-the legend and lore

Olympian Story June 27,2010


Youtube Camp Quixote


Camp Quixote website

Camp Quixote Older Website





What are the homeless made of today?   


.....old people who ran out of friends, relatives, time and money? 
.....young people looking for the thrill of freedom? 
...young people dumped or estranged from family, or who have no real family?
.....families who no longer have a home, jobs, a car?
.....middle aged people who lost their grip, or really never had one?
....mentally ill and substance abusers? 
....drug addicts, whino's?
.....old or new hippies?
.....people who failed to plan ahead or invest in others? 
...people who have found a hip way to live off the land?
....irresponsible free loaders?
....people who use our taxes, and do not pay any in? 
....people who got sick and the system either never had them, or no longer supports their needs? 
.....criminals? 
...lazy whiners? 
....unloved people? 
....con artists? 
....stupid people? 
...really unlucky chaps? 
....scammers? 
...people who buy booze at the gas station and live in the woods nearby? 
....losers? 
....socially inept people? 
....people who don't respect business owners? 
....anarchists? 
......people who want a simpler life? 


....the too many people in the cart, with not enough of us to pull it up the hill anymore?
....people who feel they cannot live in a house or follow rules or never feel safe, no matter where they are?
....people who need something much more than a roof over their head, no matter the cost?
....kids with foolish parents? 
.....children of selfish parents? 
....people who traded their time and talent for things that will not last, and continue to do so? 
.....people who lost everything before they even knew there was something worth letting go, or hanging onto? 


I do not know the answer to these questions.   But I do know that today our homeless population consists of people with as many reasons for why as there as people in this situation.  


Loss of jobs and homes, refusal to "conform", feeling entitled, being tricked or tossed out or trapped by things that hurt them over time.   Finding the end road of the slow death they have been seeking over years. Is every homeless person hopeless? 


One thing they all face everyday is "What is there left for me to do today, and where and how am I gonna be able to do that?" 


A panhandler is not always a homeless person. A homeless person is not always safe, or dangerous or dirty or hungry.  A food drive is not always going to make it all better.  And supporting the homeless does not always reduce the problem, but it is an awful good start, if that involves getting all walks of community involved.


And it seems the Homeless Camp Quioxote has begun to break the mold on what it means to be homeless in America.  They have taken the chance to take care of themselves working alongside community.  And many of them have been able to give back much in the process. 


I do wonder how this community of 40 people with 30 sleeping units would be received in my area.  We have college students as it is right by the Community College.  We have Juvenile Hall right down the street.  We have panhandlers at the Freeway exits and underpasses.  We have a bar right down the road where a lot of bikers hang out.   We have people already living in the woods, some mentally ill, some close to where they buy beer, and some it is rumored who go to the college and want to save on expenses.    


Camp Quixote could have some work ahead of them making their own brand, a stand out of their own reputation in our area, as many others, already affected by homelessness in general.  




Excellent photos and video on today's homeless from Squidoo:
Homeless in America

How to organize volunteers for a retirement center meeting

Senior Church

This lens has been updated with tips for setting up and coordinating volunteers, many who may not know one another, to provide a weekly service for a group of seniors. 

How do Media and Politics intertwine with social issues?

What drives unrest and civil disobedience?

Looting In London

London in Flames, On Point Newscast from NPR August 10,2011
National Public Radio Newscast

Did a student protest against rising tuition fees get taken advantage of?


Why are these 10-20 something youths fighting for human rights, as they violate them toward others?  Are the strong or the poor entitled to help themselves in a pinch?  


Now there are vigilante groups forming and the authorities in London do not want to find themselves unable to distinguish the law abiding citizens from the gangsters. 


Can these communities grow beyond their racial and economical prejudices and differences? 




Human Trafficking

Photo courtesy of the Eugene Weekly, see link to article below
Illustration by Sam Wolfe Connelly

People for Sale, Sex Trafficking hits home in Eugene Oregon 


Article in the 8/4/11 Eugene Weekly by Shannon Finnell




Good story on human trafficking and how it is more common than most of the public realizes


I am not so sure that laws that fund entitlement programs for communities with this problem is 


the best tactic, as that creates people wanting there to be a problem to fix. 


We even have people trying to get in jail for room and board in this current economy.




What do you think your community can do to address this issue impacting the I-5 corridor?


How STAR TREK the original series reflected troubled times in history


Squidoo lens about the later 1960s and how social unrest wove itself into society, including the television shows of the day.   


Do you like this lens, and did you realize that America landed on the moon, changed public opinion against winning the war in Vietnam, and Martin Luther King jr and Bobby Kennedy were shot down at the same time the Original episodes of Star Trek were aired on NBC? 

The Dog Park is just a Howl and Skip away if you live in Olympia, Lacey or Tumwater

Lucky had some fun at the dog park weekend before last, this is a great place for the dogs to run and play. It is over the Land fill.