Corzine Signs Gay Civil Unions Law in New Jersey

Finally another state, New Jersey, is recognizing partnerships of gay couples - now it's not considered marriage, mind you - God forbid the religious right get their pants in a snit over that - they are calling it a civil union - but this does allow gay couples in New Jersey to enjoy some of the rights of married couples:  adoption, hospital visitation rights, inheritance, and medical decision-making. 

It's not perfect yet it's definitely a step forward for the gay community.  No, it doesn't flow through into the Federal level, but it is a start.

Watching the opponents rant and rave about this on the news I wondered what they are so darn afraid of?  They claim calling these partnerships "marriage" will soil the institution of "marriage" - heck, I know plenty of straight relationships who are soiling the institution of marriage pretty well so what's the rant all about?  You have the cheaters, the beaters, the marriage repeaters - I just don't get it.  And I guess I never will (and wonder if I even want to). 

Anyway, to all my gay friends living in New Jersey - congratulations!   You now have rights that I, as a straight woman, have taken for granted all my life.  I am thrilled for you and continue to support the efforts to move even more into the future where gay partnerships will fully be considered marriage.

Make Sure You Vote!

Tuesday, November 7th, is voting day in most of the US and I urge everyone to get out and VOTE!

While we all have been absolutely pummeled with the most outrageous and negative campaigning in a long time, and while we have all probably had it up to our eyeballs with this election, it's still important for us to make our voices heard at the polls.

In his new book, "The Audacity of Hope", Illinois Senator Barack Obama (my choice for President someday) calls upon us to all practice "citizenship" - we CAN make a change in the way this country is run.  We CAN make a change in Washington and in our own state capitals and local governments.

Don't wait for the "other guy" to make the move - get off your butt and get out and vote on Tuesday.  Your voice DOES count!  I'll see YOU at the polls bright and early tomorrow.

Bert's Allergies

Over a year ago we had a flea problem here.  Not sure how the fleas got in since my kitties never go out (you only need one pregnant female flea to have a major flea infestation).  Using only natural methods I was able to get rid of the fleas in about a month, but the after-affects continue to linger with my Bert.

I'm very grateful for Bert's doctor, however there's just so much chemical intervention I'm willing to go along with.  After two cortisone injections and a course of prednisone the rash on Bert's belly was still there - and of course it came back stronger each time the drugs wore off.  What happened was the flea bites flipped Bert's immune system and now he has a food allergy.  He's allergic to the proteins in chicken - try to find a cat food that doesn't have chicken in it!

So I did a lot of research and I have found a venison cat food that Bert and Ernie both enjoy (I can just hear Ernie whining every time I feed them - "Why do I have to eat this stuff???  I don't have a rash!")  

I also discovered Lita Radford, D.A., Hom, a brilliant homeopathy practitioner, who has an excellent web site: Pets4Homeopathy.  I highly recommend you visit her site.  I purchased several homeopathic remedies from Lita and I'm so happy to say that the rash is just about gone and Bert's growing hair back on his little pink belly.  I'm expecting a full belly of hair by Christmas.  He's a happier cat and I'm a happier cat mom!

Recipe: Black Bean and Corn Salad

This is a tasty salad and one of my fall favorites.  It's so simple and quick to make - you simply cannot fail at this one!
Here's what you will need:

1 can of organic whole kernel corn
1 can of organic black beans
1 medium organic tomato (heirlooms are great in this recipe)
1 bunch of organic cilantro
1 organic lime
1 small organic red onion (a vidalia will work well too)
some extra-virgin olive oil (evoo)

Drain the corn and the beans and add them to a large mixing bowl.  Cut the tomato into a small dice - you can peel and seed it if you like - I don't.  Cut the onion into a small dice.  Add the tomato and onion to the bowl with the corn and beans.  Drizzle the evoo on the veggies and beans just enough to glisten them - you don't want them swimming in the oil - this is part of the dressing.  Then add the juice of the lime and toss well.  Finally, add to the mix about a cup of cilantro leaves (cilantro can often be a bit sandy or dirty, so make sure you wash it well - you can substitute flat leaf parsley, but it just doesn't have the same taste and does change the flavor of the salad).  Season with a tiny bit of salt and ground pepper if you like - not really necessary.  Garnish with a nice sprig of cilantro to serve.  This serves about 4 people.  This is so easy and quick to put together!  Enjoy!

Juggler Chris Bliss

One of the keys to Vital Living is laughter, smiles and just feeling good all over.

A friend introduced me to this video this week and I just have to share it with you.

The video is of Chris Bliss, probably one of the best jugglers ever.  This is his performance from a Juggling Finale in March 2006 and I have to say I've never seen anything quite like this.   Words cannot describe how amazing this man is:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4776181634656145640&pr=goog-sl

Laugh, smile and enjoy!

The Emmaus Halloween Parade

I live in the Borough of Emmaus in Pennsylvania (about an hour north of Philadelphia, in an area called the Lehigh Valley), and when I tell people who don't understand the "borough" part, they think that my town is inhabited by underground creatures.

Well, tonight you wouldn't be too far off.  It's the night of the big 85th annual Emmaus Halloween Parade and it's quite an event in these parts.  In fact, it's the biggest event of the year!  People were already staking out their spots along the parade route this morning.  The french fry and cheesesteak vendors are in place and they are putting the street barricades up as I type this.  It's gotten so big that the Borough has even placed porta-potties along the parade route.  That's a nice touch.

Folks started decorating their homes weeks ago in anticipation of this event.  This is HUGE!  It's televised on local cable and all the Borough dignitaries come out to view the parade (yes, there is a viewing stand) and vote for the best of show.  High School bands from all over the Valley march in this parade.  Local service groups and churches enter floats in the parade and groups of grade school kids and folks who just want to come out and have a good time join in as well.  The whole event has a Mardi Gras flavor and atmosphere to it.

They expect about 900 participants in tonight's parade with each person receiving $1.00 for marching in the parade.   Other monetary prizes are awarded to floats and bands.

Years ago I used to live right on the route. I had my big Halloween party on parade night and served up my famous oyster stew along with lots of freshly made salads and crudite with amazing dips.  Family and friends would join me to watch the parade from our bird's eye view on my third floor balcony or down on the street where all the action was.  It was grand!  I miss those days...

So ghouls and goblins, put on your finest attire and join me tonight at 7:30 - I'm walking into town to see the parade - hope to see you there!

Things I Learned from the USS Rangers CV4 Reunion

This year's USS Ranger CV4 Reunion was such a treat.  I got to spend time with lots of interesting folks and I also got to spend time watching and observing people interacting with one another.  I came away from the trip with several lessons learned...


1.  People love to be heard.  In fact, many people really need to be heard.  I spent a lot of time listening to folks who probably don't get heard enough.  Even I felt I needed to be heard, but I put that aside to listen to the old folks that no one else wanted to listen to.   So I ask you, dear reader, how much do you listen to what others have to say?  Do you find yourself self-referencing more and listening less?  Try to spend a day giving your ego a break and just listening to someone.  You'll be amazed at what good you can do by being a sincere and present listener.

2.  People will surprise you in many different ways.  I found it interesting that only two people asked me what I did for a living and of those two, only one pursued knowing more.  Another person, who most people avoided being around because she's such a talker, totally floored me and was right on when she hugged me on the final day and commented in my ear "You really must retire near the water - I saw the look on your face when we were on the lake and by the ocean."  Our conversation was totally one-sided so it felt good that she noticed that about me even though she was the one doing all the talking.

3.  Customer Service can be tenuous thing - honor excellence!  The service we received at the Best Western Executive Inn and Conference Center was the best I've received in a long time.  Absolutely better than the Sheraton I stayed at in Reston, VA last summer (I will never stay there again, folks).  Their staff was always ready to set things right if something was amiss.  They were eager to please and they made this reunion the best ever.  If you enjoy good service from someone, tell them.  Don't just let people hear about the bad stuff - catch people doing things right and let them know about it.

4.  Honor the oldtimers.  I'm a total pacifist at heart and don't get me started on the current war situations in the world today, but putting that aside for a moment, I found it really important to honor the men and women on this trip who served during World War II.  I took it upon myself to spend as much time as I could talking with these shipmates about their work during the war.  They are proud to have served their country and we are certainly proud of them that they did.

5. Nurture yourself.  In spite of the fiasco around my petsitter bailing on me, I decided that it was not going to set the tone of the trip.  I made it a point to always get my hot bath every evening and give myself a facial and sometimes a foot massage.  We all need to find ways to nurture ourselves, especially when we travel.  I made sure I still exercised every day and I also made sure I ate good healthy meals.  How can you nurture yourself today and every day?  Even if it's only a simple 5 minute thing, find ways to nurture yourself every single day.  Your body, mind and spirit will thank you for it.

6. Nurture others.  Once you nurture yourself, take the time to nurture others.  This goes back to #1 above.  Engage someone in conversation and really listen to what they have to say.  Be in the moment - be totally present for them.  Hear them.  It will do you both a world of good.

7. Do your best to not work on your vacation.  I thought I could do it, but as it turned out, it was a bad idea.  The wireless network, though greatly appreciated, left a lot to be desired.  It was slower than cold maple syrup - dial-up would have seemed like a Nascar race car heading for home.  I don't intend to ever work and vacation at the same time.  You can't guarantee the internet service and you can't rely on clients to behave themselves, knowing full well you are on vacation.  I had so many requests for work that should have been requested before I left - that was so annoying!  So lesson learned - vacations are for vacationing - period!

I may think of more lessons as the weeks go by and I'll be sure to share them with you...