It seems like I have always loved to garden. I can remember working side by side with my parents planting groundcover when I was in the 3^rd grade. Maybe the joy was more in spending time with my parents, but the result became a love for being on my hands and knees and working in the dirt. Through the years it has become a place where I can relax, lower my blood pressure, pray and enjoy the sun. Imagine my excitement when we moved to the mountains and I now had 3 ½ acres of undeveloped dirt to plant!

I found out the hard way that gardening in the mountains is different! After planting 16 prized roses, watering, fertilizing, nurturing and awaiting those first gorgeous blooms only to see them stripped of all flowers, leaves, and thorns overnight…..I learned that roses are like candy to deer. They are better purchased from a florist and enjoyed in a vase in your home.

I’ve lived in the mountains of Oakhurst for 16 years and here’s what I’ve found in a nutshell: If it’s purple, there’s a pretty good chance the deer won’t like it. I know there are always exceptions, but here are some plants I’ve had luck with:

Purple Iris

Lilacs

Lily of the Nile

Society Garlic

Butterfly Bush

If you’re just starting a garden in the mountains, give these a try and I guarantee you’ll enjoy the blossoms and the deer won’t!

In continuation to the post last Friday.

Sadly, a mere nine years after the first official Mother’s Day was celebrated, Anna Jarvis became a major opponent of what the holiday had become.  She wanted to keep the holiday simple, yet commercialization became rampant and this was quite different than how she had envisioned her original idea.
 
Mother’s Day is now the most popular day of the entire year to dine out at a restaurant.  American’s are expected to pay $3.51 billion dollars dining out on Mother’s Day.  Most people dine out for brunch or dinner.   It is by far the most commercially successful holiday that is celebrated in the United States, even surpassing Christmas.  Americans will spend approximately 68 million on greeting cards this Mother’s Day.  There is expected to be approximately $2.6 billion spent on flowers.  There will be approximately $1.53 billion spent on spa treatments and other lovely pampering gifts for Mom.

Mother’s everywhere work hard and deserve all the thanks that they can be given.  The commercialism is certainly a far cry from the day of rest for Mom’s that was what Anna Jarvis set out to accomplish in 1908, but everyone seems to enjoy pampering their Mom on one special day.

Here’s wishing all Mom’s a Happy Mother’s Day….no matter how you decide to celebrate it.

A Mother’s Day History Lesson Part I Of II

Mothers’ Day is celebrated on various days in various ways depending on what country you reside in.  In the United States, Mother’s Day is always celebrated on the second Sunday in May.
 
Originally it was inspired by the British Mother’s Day which is also called “Mothering Sunday”.  In 1858, Ann Jarvis who was a young Appalachian homemaker from West Virginia attempted to improve sanitation through what she called “Mothers’ Work Days”.  She organized women throughout the Civil War to work for better sanitation conditions and tried to help reconcile both the Confederate and Union neighbors.  It was originally intended as a call to unite women against war.  In 1870, Julia Ward Howe, wrote the Mother’s Day Proclamation which was a call for peace and disarmament.    She did not ever receive formal recognition for a “Mother’s Day for Peace” that she sought.

After Ann Jarvis passed away 1907, her daughter Anna Jarvis, began to work to find a way to honor her mother as well as all mothers.  She wanted to make it a simple celebration to show appreciation for all her mother had done for her.   Her efforts paid off and led to the first recognized Mother’s Day.  The first Mother’s Day was celebrated in Grafton, West Virginia on May 10, 1908.  Other states began to declare Mother’s Day an official holiday beginning in 1912.  In 1914 President Woodrow Wilson declared the first national Mother’s Day as a day for all American citizens to show the flag in honor of those mothers whose sons have died in war.

Please check back on Monday for the conclusion to this post.

Although many of us are blessed with healthy children, I was reminded once again that childhood Cancer is on the rise in the United States. 

Did you know…?

Each year in the U.S., approximately 12,500 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer.  That is the equivalent to two average size classrooms diagnosed each school day.

Childhood Cancer can affect any child - from newborns to teenagers. There is no known cause for Cancer.  No one knows why some children get Cancer.   No one knows why some children get well and some children don’t.

Children tend to develop different types of Cancer than adults do.

There are currently over 40,000 children receiving treatment for Cancer in the United States.

Cancer remains the number one disease that claims the lives of children in the US.  More children, under the age of 20, will die from cancer than AIDS, asthma, cystic fibrosis and diabetes combined.

Leukemia’s, tumors of the brain and nervous system, the lymphatic system, kidneys, bones and muscles are the most common childhood cancers in the US.

Combined, the cancers of children, adolescents and young adults to age 20 are the sixth most common cancer in the U.S.

In the 1950, less than 10 percent of children with cancer survived.  Currently, nearly 80 percent of children diagnosed become long term survivors and the majority of those are considered cured.

Many breakthroughs in pediatric oncology have helped increase the survivability of adults with cancer.  Many of the principles in therapy used today in treating adults were first developed and tested in children.

Research is needed to end all types of Cancer and funding is the key.  There are many organizations that are leading the charge in the US.  Please consider donating money to organizations like St. Jude’s Children Research Center, The Pediatric Cancer Foundation or New York’s Sloan Kettering.

Nothing touches my heart more than animals in need.  If I could, I would take all of these beautiful kitties into my home.

There are about 45 adult cats left to adopt that need a good home NOW.  Tisa Lynch has been quietly running a cat sanctuary in the Mountain Area for over 23 years.  Unfortunately, she is renting property that is currently in foreclosure.   Sadly, she is about to lose her home, through no fault of her own.  She needs areas residents to adopt her rescued furry friends.

She is not a cat hoarder. She has simply provided a much needed place for cats that had no other place to live.   Tisa has taken care of these animals with her own personal funding, which is certainly a huge undertaking.  Now is the time for the public to help out.  Starting with nearly 75 cats, some kitties have been adopted, but more still need loving homes.

The cats come in different shapes and colors.  All of the remaining cats need a loving home as soon as possible.  If you are in need of a cat for wonderful companionship, contact: Tisa Lynch at (559) 683-3590 or Sharon Fitzgerald at the Eastern Madera County SPCA at (559) 642-6611 as soon as possible.

Feel free to spread the word about these animals in need.  It would be a shame if any of them had to be euthanized.  The foreclosure clock is ticking, only 3 weeks to go.  Please help out if you can.

In continuation from Friday’s post….

Pick a realistic time frame to accomplish your goals.  Try setting your time period for three or six month intervals.  This way, your goals will not seem like a never ending task.

Choose your own resolution.  Make sure that it is something that YOU personally want to accomplish or participate in.  Pick an attainable goal that you will be happy with once you succeed.

Write your goals down.  Track your progress.  This will provide you with the encouragement to continue to forge ahead.

Tell your family and friends of your goals for the New Year.  This way, they will be able to provide you will the support you might need.

Forgive yourself.  Don’t beat yourself up if you fail.  If you get off track,  does it mean that you are a failure?  No way!  Remember, you can always try again next New Year.

Reward yourself for your accomplishments.  If you are dieting, a yummy treat might be out of the question.  Find an award that will help keep you motivated to keep up with your goals.

Your New Year’s Resolution doesn’t have to occur on January 1st.  Why not make your resolutions year round?  It does not matter when you start.  The goal is to do something for the betterment of mankind or yourself.  Good luck and Happy New Year!

The new year is upon us once again. 

Celebrating the New Year is the oldest of all holidays.  It was first recognized in Babylon about 4000 years ago.

The dreaded New Year’s Resolution…..we all have them.  From promises to stop smoking, to eating healthier, to losing weight, to helping the poor, to getting organized, to finding a new career or to spending less money.  Everyone has made some sort of resolution over the years.  The big question is….do they work?

Resolutions are often times something that we think we “need” to do, not something that we “want” to do.  These usually result in conflicting results.  Many times, we fail at accomplishing our resolutions.  The most important point to take into consideration is if you are willing to make the life changes that will make you successful in your resolution goals.  Once you make your resolutions, have a plan of actions and list the ways that it will enhance your life.

Here are some tips to help you accomplish your goals for the New Year.

Make realistic resolutions.  Don’t be afraid of past failures.  A positive approach will continue to push you farther towards your goals.

Don’t make to many resolutions.  If you try to accomplish everything at one time, you are sure to fail.  Start small and tackle a little at a time.

Check back on Monday for the conclusion to this post.

It may sound cliché, but it is a new year and it is time to develop new habits get rid of addictive behaviors.

Whether you consider an addiction to be a disease, a learned pattern of behavior, or something based on genetics, if you or someone you love has a problem, it is time to get help.

Drugs and alcohol are common addictions, but addictive behavior goes beyond substance abuse. Some people are addicted to shopping. Others can’t stop gambling. There are people who cannot keep themselves away from MySpace, Facebook or Xbox. Addiction can creep into someone’s life wearing many disguises.

When someone has an addiction, they obsess over it, become compulsive about it, and will often hid evidence of the activity from family and friends. Once they start getting a kind of “high” from the activity, it is very hard to stop. Ending an addiction may be difficult, but it is not impossible, and it is much easier if you have some assistance.

To help area residents get the new year off to a good start, the Oakhurst Seventh Day Adventist Church is sponsoring “Kick the habit and live!” Overcome addictions. This free program runs from January 6-10. The church is located at 50690 Crane Valley Road (426) in Oakhurst. To learn more, contact Jacob Gibbs at 559-760-8117.

In continuation from Friday’s post….

Consider combining your balances from all of your credit cards into a consolidation loan or putting all of your debt on one card. This way, you will be able to make larger lump sum payments. Making smaller payments to several cards will take you longer to get out of debt. It is also not as daunting having only one payment to make instead of many. If you cannot combine your debt, then make large payments to your highest interest rate credit card, and minimum payments to your lower interest rate credit cards, until your debt is paid in full.

Do not add more debt to what you currently owe. Put away or cut up your credit cards. Think how every $50 you charge is another monthly payment that you must pay back.

Always pay more than the minimum payments. How sad to look back 20 years from now and realize that you are still paying for Aunt Dolly’s fuzzy robe and slippers. Give till it hurts. It will make you proud to see that balance drifting away!

Try to reduce your interest rate. Many banking institutions are willing to negotiate your rate once they know that you might be having trouble. They would rather keep you as a customer, with you paying some interest, rather than Charging Off your debt and then having nothing in return. Of course they are always hopeful that you might want to charge some more too.

Return unused purchases. Don’t let them lay around the house. If you don’t need them, take them back. You will appreciate the credit issued on your credit card more than the clutter in your closet.

Keep track of how you are doing. Log your payments. One of the biggest motivators is to see that debt going away. In time, and with careful planning, you will be free of all of your credit card worries.

Christmas and Hanukah are now over.  Your guests have gone home.  Many people experience the post holiday blues.  One reason you might be feeling a bit down is knowing that those credit card bills will be rolling in soon.

A small amount credit card debt can be good to have.  It helps to keep your FICO credit score in a positive place.  Unfortunately many American’s carry too much credit card debt.  The average American has $9205 on their credit cards.  This is triple what the amount was in 1990.  The holiday season does not help, as shoppers will be driving those totals up even higher.

Nationwide, foreclosures and bankruptcy are up.  It is important that consumers pay more than the minimum payment on their credit cards to get out of debt.  Take into consideration, that if you pay the minimum payment on $1000, it will take you almost 22 years to pay it off.
 
Here are some steps you can take to become debt free.

Firstly, don’t ignore the bills as they come in.  It might seem easy to pretend that they do not exist, but ignoring them will only make matters worse.  Once creditors add late fees, plus interest, plus potentially raise your current interest rate, you will find that it will be more difficult to get out of this financial suicide.  Don’t forget that creditors will report all late payments to Credit Reporting Agencies once they are 30 days late.

Check back on Monday for the continuation of this post.