STEVE JOBS WHAT I LEARNED FROM HIM

Everyone has a story.  Some are more interesting while others more tragic. In my past blogs I mentioned how eulogies are very interesting as it tells us more about the person who just left us.

For many years I followed Steve Jobs from the beginning when Apple was in battle with Bill Gates at Microsoft.  I traded both stocks on and off for years, kicking myself for not putting them away and forgetting about them.  Oh well, shoulda, woulda, coulda has been my sorrows for years.

Since Steve Job passed away, I have been researching more about him especially after viewing his commencement speech at Stamford University.  If you have not seen it, I recommend it to every student and adult.  He inspired me as well as many other people,  bringing tears to my eyes. 



Learning about how his biological mother, Joanne Schieble, an unwed graduate student,  reluctantly gave her son up for adoption  in 1955 interested me.  The reason for her concern was that she wanted her son to be adopted by parents who were educated and would promise to send their son to college.  The adoptive parents,  Paul and Clara Jobs did  agree however Steve did not see the sense to it years later.  His biological father was Abdulfattah John Jandali, a Syrian man with whom Steve never reconciled

John, his father left Syria at 18 to study at the American University in Beirut, where he was a pan-Arab activist, a "supporter of Arab unity and Arab independence" who organized with some of the most famous activists of his time. After university, he moved to the United States, and the rest is history, though he regreted leaving his homeland. He eventually married Joanne after Steve was adopted 10 months later and had Mona.  However he  left his wife and daughter at age 4 returning back to Syria.  Mona never forgave her father and had nothing to do with him.

Was it because he was a self absorbed, arrogant man who left his young daughter leaving her and her mother for ten years to return to Syria because he believed the culture was better than our country? It appears I have seen nothing published to answer my query. It was a mystery at 27 years old how Steve found his sister, Mona Simpson who later became a famous novelist.  Both brother and sister had nothing to do with their father. Mona took her last name from her mother's second husband

Through her, he found his biological mother who now is in a nursing home suffering from advanced dementia.  She is 79 years old and is unaware that Steve died. Below is a picture of Steve Jobs father, Abdulfattah John Jandali, with his mother Joanne Simpson who later remarried.
 
The reason I feel this is so tragic is he finally found his mother and doubt she was aware of her son's greatness and achievements. I read he took her to several events. But it is unknown the level of her health at that time
 
The happy part is finding a devoted sister catching up with all the years missed and having a loving relationship till the end.
 
Further, it is wonderful to accept his out of wedlock daughter, having a wonderful relationship with  her after so many years not accepting her.  Knowing how bad that was for him as an adopted child wondering who/where your biological parents are, surprises me that he took so long to get it right.
 
Nothing was mentioned how Steve Jobs adoptive parents passed away?
 
It is such a shame with all Steve Jobs money, he could not save his mother nor his life.
 
Your comments?

Biological parents Abdulfattah John Jandali and Joanne Simpson in the nursing home

"THE HELP" MY STORY

‘The Help’ a movie and best selling book, tells a story about black maids during the 60's in Mississippi. It brought back memories of my own childhood born and raised in Brooklyn New York, not down south.

Both my parents worked in a middle class neighborhood. It was a time in 40’s when people were moving away to the suburbs, men and women  were returning home from the war, while others were migrating to America from Europe for a better life.

Hardworking, my parents had little time to give me the attention I craved, although I was loved very much. They hired maids at different times to clean, cook and take care of me. As a young child about less than seven years old, I resented their presence around me. Their skin was different than mine and I was taught not to touch them because they were dirty, and carried diseases. It was as though they were an alien race.

So, if they were unclean, why would my parents allow them to take care of me? Why would they allow them to touch our food, wash our dishes, and give me baths? All these questions bothered me till this day. It just seemed stupid, ignorant and hypocritical.

Looking poor with raggedy clothes, I remember the cleaning women carrying shopping bags and wearing kerchiefs over their hair. They were poor indeed. Most were uneducated and could not obtain decent jobs.

Watching the movie “The Help” I could not get over how a white family built a separate bathroom for their help because they feared catching diseases from them. Yet they were not diseased enough to touch and clean their own white children and household. Those prejudices never made any sense to me. Although I get unsatisfying answers such as “it was just a way of life back then”

When I grew up and had my own children, I too had a business that took me away from my home and children most of the day. I had little choice but to hire help, a young black girl from Alabama. She must have been around sixteen years old, although the agency said she was much older. Mona had a strong southern accent and was very eager to learn how tend chores. She had her own room on the same floor as ours. We insisted she ate with us and we made her feel like part of our family.

Our boys were about three and five years old  when Mona came to live with us. My father was just recuperating from a recent heart attack and was staying with us.. Mona and our family were supposed to take care of him, watching his food intake to make sure salt was eliminated from his diet.

One day Mona asked me to take her to a beauty parlor that knew how to treat her hair. She had a scalp problem that needed attention. I was to pick her up later that day. While there, Mona was approached by black church going ladies. As they were befriending her, they asked her questions about where she was from, and what she was doing. When they heard she was a maid, they became outraged. It took many years for the black community to rise above slavery, rise above lower class, to become prosperous people in the community. In the 60’s, unlike the south, Mona was among those of her color, who were educated, owned homes and were helpful in the church going community. It was a very sensitive time for the black community They gathered around her and took her under their wing. They instigated her into leaving our household at once. When I picked Mona up from the beauty parlor she did not say much except to say the ladies were surprised a young girl her age was a maid. It was a way of life down south though.   I suggested she go to night school and that I would help her.

The following day, I had an appointment in the city leaving Mona in charge of the household and my father. I came home later that evening to find Mona gone. My father was ill and had not eaten. My young children were running around the neighborhood unattended. Mona was gone. I drove through the neighborhood to find her and went to her beauty parlor but she was not there.

Days went by as I was trying to find another sleep in maid. It was difficult to run my business without help and I could not abandon my father and my children. My husband was an officer of a public company at that time and kept long hours at the office.

After one month, I received a call from Mona, asking to come back. I refused, telling her she left her responsibilities without notice and it was not acceptable. I refused to forgive her.

A week later I got a call from her lady friends asking me to forgive her. I refused. Then they came over to my house, nicely dressed in their church clothes. I could not give her another chance. A week later, her Reverend called to ask me to forgive her. I apologized to the Reverend and stood my ground. There was no forgiveness leaving a sick elderly man with two small children unattended all day. Besides, Mona was too young to be a maid and agreed the ladies were right,  Mona needed to go back to school

It seemed that those very nice ladies were right in their thinking. They really wanted to help this young lady. However they did not teach her about responsibility and giving notice to leave employment. They did not teach her that it was wrong to just walk out leaving young children unattended.

They were stuck with her. She was uneducated, they had to feed her, cloth her and provide for her and pay for her medical needs . She became a liability to them. However, they refused to send her out to be a maid again.

Still thinking of her at times, I feel assured  Mona had a tremendous support system in her new community at that time, and decided to go back to school.    I sincerely hope  she  completed her education, acquired a good job and has a nice life with a loving husband and a family of her own.

Email:  Iris@pushthewheel.com
Please click on COMMENT if you wish to add your comment

DOGS HAVE LITTLE RIGHTS

Most dogs have a very acute sense of smell. They can find their way back to their homes  from miles away. Humans do not have that sense. Dogs have the sense to know which person is safe to be with while others are not. They can sense a very bad or dangerous person as well. They know where you have a wound, or where you are hurting.  With proper training dogs can detect drugs, dead bodies, etc.

Dogs give us unconditional love and loyalty. All they require is to be loved and taken care of in return. We try to take every precaution when we are out in public to protect our little dog as well as others passing by.

Once a lady approached Mindy whereby I immediately warned her to step back.  She said she loves dogs and put her face close to our dog's face.  My heart stopped for a minute as I did not know how the outcome would be.  It was too late to pull the dog away as the lady was kissing Mindy face to face.  Mindy loved the lady and all went well.  However, I was filled with anxieties until the lady walked away.

Another time, I entered a Lexus dealership with my six pound Maltese dog. She was on a tight leash as I feared her jumping on anyone who came close. A middle aged salesman approached us wanting to pet Mindy. I asked him very nicely to step back, as my dog does not like strangers. Actually that was partly untrue. Mindy loves most people, licking them profusely. However, one in ten, she senses fear with a particular person wanting to snap. Therefore, to protect all concerned, not knowing how she would react to oncoming admirers, I always request those to step back warning she bites.

The salesman at the Lexus dealership also disregarded my warning, saying, "don't be silly, all dogs love me" and proceeded to approach my dog trying to pet her. Mindy snapped at him, leaving a black and blue mark on his hand. A security guard at the dealership came by to take a report. Within weeks, a lawyer's letter was issued, followed with a summons suing me for $5000 for negligence.

When a person is asked to step back and does not oblige, shouldn't that person be guilty? Yet my dog was, according to my insurance company. Perhaps if a man approaches a woman, wanting to touch her and she said "step back" and he doesn't, isn't that called abuse or assault. It is a shame that dogs have no rights to protect them and their owners. Their only rights are animal cruelty.

Recently we had Mindy fixed hoping when she approaches people her  nervous sense would diminish a little, calming her down to those she sensed fear.  It saddened me, however,  for my fear was that she would loose some of her personality and her remarkable sense in people.  Time will tell.

EMAIL:  iris@pushthewheel.com

If you wish to comment, please click on the underlined comment below this blog

HOW CAN WE PROTECT OUR YOUNG CHILDREN FROM A SEX SICKO

Feeling the anguish and emotions of the acquittal of Casey Anthony, we became enchanted with the story of  Jaycee Dugard's  release from sexual imprisonment two years ago.  A sex slave for eighteen years, she now has her book published telling about her ordeal. "A Stolen Life"

How did that happen?  She was an innocent young eleven year old girl walking to school alone.  No doubt a car came by whereby a passenger might have asked for directions then grabbed her into the car. However Jaycee said it was a stun gun that made her paralyzed, making it easier for her captor to carry her into their car.

Now, just the other day, we read about another horror.  A little eight year old boy, a hasid with payos(side curls) was brutally murdered then chopped up in pieces.  His feet were found in the freezer of the murderer's attic  apartment in Brooklyn, New York.

The little boy was Leiby Kletzky who wanted to walk to day camp by himself. The little guy wanted to be independent.  His parents protested at first, then after constant persuasion, they reconsidered.  They practiced a few trial walks with the boy, making sure he was accustomed to the path of the day camp.  His parents were going to meet the young boy half way home.

Unfortunately the young boy got lost and asked a stranger, Levi Aron, an orthodox man who was driving a car for directions.  Little did he know that man was a sex maniac.  He took the boy to his home, smothered him with a towel, and chopped him up. Little Lelby, however, fought for his life like a man, clawing his attacker with all his might. 

Brooklyn has an excellent surveillancee system.  They have security cameras on every street light which is how they  caught Aron.  There is much more to this story about Aron and his reasons for killing the boy. However, my intention is not make this blog longer than it is but to simply send a message.

People, we must protect our children,  I know you want them to be street smart, you want them to be worldly and free to travel in their neighborhood independently.  But in this day and age we cannot do that.  We can tell our children not to talk to strangers, not to accept candy from strangers.  We can tell them if you are lost only to ask a lady with children, not a man.  We can tell them not to go near a car asking for directions.  Yes these warnings will help save your child.  However, when your child is lost, for example, they may panic, asking the very first person they see.  They may see a nice person in a car, asking for directions and your child may want to be helpful, forgetting your warnings.

But most important, your child needs a buddy system.  A buddy, friend, anyone to walk with him/her.  Teach your child never to walk alone especially going to school.  Going to school is a pattern where a predator or pedophile can watch the child knowing his exact route and timing, just like Jaycee Dugard.

In my humble opinion, a child of eight and older should know what might happen to them as gory as it sounds.  Some parents are afraid if you show graphics they may suffer emotionally or have nightmares.  As a grandmother who loves my grandchildren, I disagree with those who oppose.  It is very important to instill fear.  The fear will save their lives.

Your opinion in this matter will be important to all those who read this.

Please comment on this page

JAYCEE DUGARD TELLS HER STORY ... HER CAPTOR CHANGES PLEA

On September 3, 2009, I wrote my blog about Jaycee Dugard.  I was fascinated  over her kidnapping when she was just 11 years old.  A beautiful bright eyed child with blond hair and big white teeth appeared all over the news stands and poster boards.  When she was found after 18 years the whole world cheered.  I could not wait for the chance to see what she looked like as well as her children. Jaycee told her daughters Angel and Starlit what their father was really like when they were very upset that their father was in prison.


 The family and media protected  Jaycee and her girls for privacy.  They understood the  need for Terry Probyn, Jaycee's mother to get acquainted with her daughter and granddaughters..  Jaycee privacy was respected until such time as she was ready to tell her story.


Last night on the Diane Sawyer ABC's special edition of “Primetime”  I eagerly watched Jaycee Dugard.  Long waiting to see her for almost two years, I found her to be remarkable.  Her complexion was flawless, as she attributed that to her staying indoors most of the time she was held against her will..  Her teeth were as white as snow which amazed me because her captor never gave her medical or dental care even in childbirth.

 Looking at her beautiful face, I noticed her plumb figure which I attributed  to all the pasta, fast food and junk food she ate with lack of exercise. It was amazing to see her beauty especially after living in such filth. You can see the deplorable  pictures of how she lived on my blog posted in September 3, 2009


Jaycee spoke about how she was captured and prisoned in the dark shed in the back yard of Phillip Garrido's home. Scared and confused, she was very lonely with no one to talk to for quite awhile. She spoke of the rapes and how the repeated convicted rapist cried with remorse after each attack. Phillip Garrido tried to make Jaycee feel sympathetic towards him, asking for forgiveness.   However those rapes resulted in Jaycee giving birth to two daughters when she was 14 and 17, almost the age her daughters are now.


Although Jaycee had access to the Internet, telephone and outsiders while captive as a sex slave, we were all wondering why she never ran away or called her mother.  That was the most leading question asked by Diane Sawyer in the interview, "why didn't you run away?"


Jaycee's honest response was that Phillip Garrido told her the world outside was just as dirty as he, but more dangerous.  He made her believe she and her daughters were safer with him.  Jaycee felt shamed if confronted with her mother and wondered how she would react with her having his two children. .She further said that Garrido did not touch her again after her second daughter was born.  Jaycee was definitely brain washed and appeared to be a text book case of most captives. 


"How did you survive and cope with all that abuse", was Sawyer's question.  Jaycee said she did the best she could to survive and gathered scrap paper to write a journal of all her thoughts.  Little did she know that was the best therepy for anyone who either is being abused, disturbed or in mourning



For convicted sex offender Phillip Garrido, the man who has been charged with the kidnapping and rape of Jaycee, holding her captive and in squalor in his backyard for 18 years, has decided to plead not guilty.  That decision was after he previousely pleaded guilty. 


Garrido and his wife Nancy's attornies figured due to our judicial system the way it is,  I guess if O.J.  Simpson and Caysee Anthony could get away with murder, he surely would be free too.  After all they kept letting him free after several rapes in the past. 


There is always a definite message with each tragedy we read in the paper.  We must learn from it to protect our love ones,  I said this before in recent blogs.  Teach your kids to have a buddy system.  Do not let them walk alone to school or after school activities..The world is not  the way it was when we were kids.  Yes, we did have kidnappers then, and we did have predators.  Yes there were rapists and evil people.  But the reasons this world has changed are  due to the fact prisons let the crazy people  and the repeated rapists out early. In addition there are more drugs entering our country  now than ever before and our government chooses  does not have the financial means or the man power to police our safety as  they did years ago.


Jaycee Dugard's tell all book will be out tomorrow "A Stolen Life"  I intend to purchase a copy.

The book was about her memoirs during her captivity which ultimately kept her sane

CAYLEE'S LAW FOR MISSING CHILDREN

Today is the day we finally morn for little Caylee. We are all venting, and shocked by the verdict of  NOT GUILTY in the Casey Amthony case. She was only convicted of four misdemeanor counts of lying to investigators and police The system failed to give the little girl justice. Little Caylee had relied on her mother and grandparents to keep her safe. Like all loved ones, she was entitled to a final resting place with prayers and comfort from friends and relatives who loved her. Not to be dumped into a swamp like a piece of garbage. She also relied on our court system and laws to protect her and all of us.

So what happened here? The prosecutor presented their case way before the trial. They painted a horrid picture of her mother Casey. They showed elaborate evidence proving Casey’s need for freedom from motherhood. Or did she just want freedom for a one night stand, chloroforming Caylee just to keep her asleep safely in her bed. After all, she did go on the Internet to learn more about it making sure it could be safe. But the child must have cried. Afraid to chloroform her more, she probably covered her little mouth with tape. Perhaps the little tot had a cold and could not breath out of her nose. (giving Casey the benefit of the doubt) although the prosecutor claimed differently. But there was no proof of this.

Did she really want to kill her daughter? The circumstantial evidence was clear. Her investigating on the Internet of Chloroform and to learn how to break a neck. To not report her child missing for 31 days and her death. Casey partied happily while Caylee's body was decomposing, as the pictures of her dancing revealed on TV. But lastly, to have a tattoo saying Bella Vita (beautiful life) Your child is dead, you are supposed to morn, so you buy a tattoo to say Bella Vita? None of these actions were ever refuted. They were all true. Yet Casey goes free. There was little evidence of the smell of death and the little girls hair in the trunk.

Years ago, circumstantial evidence has put many people in prisons and death row. Today we have forensic scientific technology which is supposed to protect the innocent. So let’s think about it for a minute. Doesn’t it also protect the guilty?

Casey was not smart enough to plan her defense. Her father was a law enforcement officer who knew that if a body is decomposed for a certain amount of time, no evidence would be found. He probably advised Casey to lie and stall as long as possible for a certain amount of time until all evidence would be gone. Claiming her father abused her was probably absurd just to rectify Casey’s wild irresponsible actions.

Attorney Jose Baez, Casey’s attorney was an average lawyer, not a high profile one as OJ Simpson's. It seemed he would have a difficult time defending Casey. However, the case was very simple. Anyone could have done the job. When the prosecutor gave the evidence of the chloroform searching on the web and the drinking partying, etc., Baez created doubt and gave a different reason of Caylee’s death by dying in the the swimming pool. He created loads of doubt.  Was there proof of that? NO

In my humble opinion there were more evidence of searching for chloroform than Caylee dying in the pool. Baez could have mentioned other causes of death however all he needed was to divert attention away from Casey, and her wild lifestyle and to focus on other scenarios that caused doubt. The judge made it absolutely clear. If there was any doubt what so ever you must find her NOT GUILTY.

Since there were no witnesses, finger prints, DNA or any concrete proof, the jury had no other option but to find her NOT GUILTY of murder. I feel sorry for them as they have to face the public each day. Even Jeff Ashton, lead prosecutor announced he would be retiring end of the week after 30 years as a prosecutor. What does this tell us?

And, Casey, although smiling and happy now, will be in exile for the rest of her life. She will be scorned and alone with little hope of a good life. Her conscience will get the best of her some day She will get rich on TV appearances, book projects and movie deals. But for the rest of her life she will be living in hell.

In honor of Caylee, we should enforce a new Caylee's law making it mandatory to report a missing child. Today the law says that after 48 hours a parent can report a missing child or person but there is no law that makes it a crime not to report a missing child immediately. Perhaps if there were such a law, we would have found Caylee’s body enough time to produce proper evidence.

Note: Only law enforcement agencies can request activation of a Missing Child Alert. If you would like to report a missing person, please contact your local police department or sheriff’s office first, then contact MEPIC at 1-888-FL MISSING (356-4774).

“Suzanne’s Law” amends Section 3701 (a) of the Crime Control Act of 1990 so that there is no waiting period before law enforcement agency initiates an investigation of a missing person under the age of twenty one and reports the missing person to the National Crime Information Center of the Department of Justice.

“Suzanne’s Law” is named after Suzanne Lyall, a student at State University of New York at Albany, who has been missing since 1998

Now we need a law making it a crime not to report a missing child or person.  Please comment as a petition to make this a law

GERALDO RIVERA AND CASEY ANTHONY SHOCKING REPORT

Geraldo Rivera shocked viewers once again tonight on Fox News. I was always a fan of his, as I thought he had a brilliant mind. But tonight I was shocked to hear his opposition on the death penalty of Casey Anthony because she only killed one child and not many others. He said we should save the death penalty for those who kill several people.

His contention was that little Caylee was never mistreated prior, always looked well taken care of and did not appear to have been tortured. I have some questions. How does he know so much about Caylee that he was so sure she was never abused? The fact that Casey probably chloroformed her daughter taping her mouth so her cries would not be heard could have been very often. Wouldn't that be abuse? Too bad he does not know other horrors that perhaps only God knew what  Casey might have done to that poor child. Just because he did not see any scars or bruises, how does he know they might have been hidden inside of her?

Researching various web sites on  "How many parents chloroform their kids each year ". http://wiki.answers.com/  answered 19 thousand.  Many, unlike Casey researched it on the Internet making sure it was safe.  In Casey's case, she researched it however her intent was to kill her daughter by applying duct tape on her mouth and nose to end her little life. And to end it sweetly, she drew a heart shape on the tape covering her little mouth.

Many rely on Snopes for their answers:  Knocking kids out with chloroform? -authors - Last post: Oct 26, 2008 stated " But I have never heard any tale of chloroform, and if that were happening commonly, would there not be many dead children or children in ERs " Thus the parents feel chlorform is safe.  Snopes said so

 In the British Journel, "These and numberless  instances proving that there are without doubt two sets of cases in which lives are endangered or lost, where the heart's action is stopped, and when the breathing ceases. PARENTS TAKE NOTE.  Stop giving your kids sleeping pills or chloroform to make your life easier.

I will assume Geraldo got his information from Casey's parents, watching videos of Caylee smiling and having fun playing with mommy. But what happened after the camera was turned off the child and the doors were closed? Further, a mother like Casey who acted the way she did, partying, the many lies, and deceiving her family, knowing her child recently died can only mean she is psychotic. If so how did she become psychotic? What kind of abuse did she endure to have made her that way? Is her family guilty as well? Who knows the evil horror Casey went through in her childhood? With that said, that is not enough to set her free. There are too many children today being abused and killed by their parents. It is time to send a message. "If they die, you die!

Is Geraldo sending messages to unstable sick parents saying it is okay to kill your child? " Don't worry, you wont get the death penalty. Our system will pay for your legal team to get you off. We will just let you say one lie after another to cause doubt, and perhaps get you off with a mental illness."

Why couldn't Geraldo simply say, Casey is psychotic, probably has a split personality and must be committed to an institution for 5 yrs and therefore not be sentenced to death.

Anyone remember the book Sybil?. She had 16 separate multiple split personalities caused by serious abuse by her mentally ill mother. She looked well fed, well clothed. No one knew the hidden scars within her. Her mother gave her enemas frequently until water came out of her mouth. She inserted sharp objects into her private parts, and many more horrific acts of abuse. Read the book, It was also a movie back in 1976

Jaycee Lee Dugard appeared normal as well as her children. No one thought anything wrong until one day someone got suspicious of the unkept looking children.  Jaycee and her children were returned to her family after 18 years of enslavement and rape.

Read my blog September , 2009 on Jaycee Lee Dugard watch video and pictures


What are your thoughts. Please comment below

BASHERT

While recuperating from my recent illness, I developed writers block. To stop being self absorbed with feeling tired all the time, I started reading my emails from faithful readers. One comes to mind. Her name is Marlene. She titled her email "BASHERT" Marlene mentioned she visited a town unexpectedly, and on the street she met a Chassidic man who approached her. After discussing who he was and where he came from, it turned out he was a grandson of a Cantor she knew in her home town. It was Bashert she took that path on the street to meet someone from Jewish Geography.

BASHERT means “fate” a word most Jewish people use pertaining to fate. When people don't have an answer to why something happened, they say its bashert. Or perhaps a coincidence occurs, they say it is bashert. They romanticize, for example, the whole idea of a guy and a girl meeting. It was fate that put them together. Gentiles also like to think that relationships come from fate, but they don't put quite as much stock in it as Jews do. To find the right mate, gentiles think you have to travel around a lot, meet people, join three hundred singles groups, vacation with Club Med, attend a matching session, go to another group, then to a singles bar. Finally, you meet someone. And they say "that is fate."

We have all heard of Jewish geography. Put ten people in a room, find out where they are from, and mention some people you know from their town and for sure they will know someone.

BASHERT: When I was a teenager, I decided after going to Camp Olympus for seven years I 'd try Camp Na Sho Pa. It was Bashert I picked that camp as that is where I met my husband.

BASHERT: In my previous blogs on Psychics, it was Bashert when I could not go to the beach that warm day and had to finish cleaning my garage. It was Bashert I found my lost diamond ring on the floor missing for several months. (Read my past blog on "HOW I FOUND MY LOST TREASURE." March 6, 2011)

BASHERT: My son did not want to go to college and wanted to find himself climbing a mountain and learn how to survive in the wilderness all for $1000. Although I was against it, my husband said he should get it out of his system. He paid the fee. Worried about what kind of idiots he might meet there, it was Bashert, they were all medical students, chiropractors and doctors. He was the youngest in the group. When they learned about his lack of confidence, they took him under their wing giving him guidance and recommended a school in Wisconsin that would accept him. It was Bashert they influenced him in the right direction where we couldn't. (Read my 2/20/2011 blog on "WHAT ABOUT PSYCHICS, ASTROLOGERS AND SPIRITS OF THE DEAD")

BASHERT: An unexpected force drove me to a nearby office asking for a job. I had no idea they were planning on advertising for someone to bring in more sales. After a few interviews I was hired.

Did fate come into your life? Was it Bashert for you? Please click on the comment box below. Would love to hear other stories.

WHY MY RECENT BLOGS WERE MISSING

I must apologize to my faithful readers for not blogging recently. I had no idea I was missed. Recently emails were sent to me asking if I was okay as they have not read anything new. Others who knew me asked the same question. Curious, I checked with Sitemeter which tells me how many visits went into my website during my absence. I never knew who they were. To my surprise, without sending out announcements of a new blog, I was getting almost the same amount of hits as if I sent out emails. It was very gratifying to me and has inspired me to continue writing.

The truth is, I was quite ill and did not realize it. I was getting a strange feeling in my chest. Although it was not painful, it felt as if I had gas or indigestion. It lasted 2 minutes then went away. However, every evening at about the same time it returned for another two minutes. At the same time my molar teeth were hurting.  My jaw did not bother me, but felt weird. I was having a problem with vertigo, and a painful tooth prior to this. That was why I had been ignoring those symptoms, My arm, shoulder and neck, did not bother me as many books claim those are the symptoms of a heart attack.  With women, however doctors say heart attack symtoms vary and  could be different than men

Anxious to take me to the ER,  I promised my husband if that same feeling came back for more than 5 minutes he could take me.

The following morning I received an aggravating phone call. My chest became tight, whereby I could not barely speak and had to hang up on the caller. My doc said later it was angina

After waiting an hour I felt better. That evening at one in the morning, the symptoms came back only this time it lasted 15 minutes. At that point I became frightened and allowed my husband to take me to the hospital.

My EKG was fine but my pressure was 200 over ? They made me stay for observation and a couple of days later I had angioplasty and two stents in my left artery. The doc said I was very lucky, as  there were no heart or muscle damage.  However I must take loads of pills forever. Diet and exercise will now be my new way of life.

Released from the hospital, I had a couple of days to shop for Passover. Excitedly, my daughter and her family were flying down to Florida to spend the holidays with us. I was thankful to be alive to see my family come together.  I was equally thankful  to have lived for that moment  listening and watching  our 14 year old grandson lead the Seder and our younger grandson and granddaughter "ask the four questions".

TO EAT OR NOT TO EAT "MEAT GLUE"

For years I've heard some say eating processed salami, bologna, ham, turkey breast, etc  are not healthy. Those foods contained sodium,  however I  never heard they contained meat glue.


We have been bombarded with beware stories of so many things, you could go crazy. Some closed their ears and eyes continuing to do what they have always done. I, however, keep the door a little open and observe what's been told.


Just the other day, On AOL news I learned of meat glue. The secret was just released. After hearing about it, the horrid news was on my mind for days. I researched until I was blue in the face and wish to report my findings to you for quick reference


Meat glue  called Transglutaminases was first known in 1959. The exact biochemical activity of transglutaminases was discovered in blood coagulation protein factor XIII in 1968.


Meat glue is an enzyme composed of thrombin and fibrogen, obtained from blood plasma. It can be used by the meat industry as a food additive for reconstituting fresh meat. In commercial food processing, transglutaminase is used to bond proteins together. Examples of foods made using ham, Bologna salami turkey breast.  It combines small pieces of meat, making one larger steak.


TG is delivered as a powder and, like all powders, should not be inhaled. TG should not be consumed directly in large quantities, but consuming active TG in the levels recommended for food usage is harmless. (so they say) TG is classified by the FDA as a GRAS product (generally recognized as safe) when used properly. Although some studies have shown that stomach enzymes have difficulty breaking down proteins after they have been bonded by TG, other studies have shown that these bonded proteins are absorbed and broken down in the body into normal products as though they had never been bonded. (two different therories


When TG-ases are improperly regulated in the body, they are associated with very bad things like the plaques in the brains of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s disease patients as well as in the development of cataracts in the eyes, arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), various skin disorders, etc*. None of these are related to eating food made with mTG, but rather due to imbalances in the body’s ability to regulate the TG that it produces. Isn't that what they say about how people get cancer.  It is not the food but how the body reacts to the food.  "does not sound right to me"


Ajinomoto is the only producer of food grade TG, marketed under the brand name Activa (not Activia, which is a pro-biotic yogurt for women). Ajinomoto claims TG  is safe, natural, and easy to use. In the kitchen, TG is primarily used to produce special effects, like peanut butter noodles, shrimp spaghetti, meat, fish, poultry, dairy products, and bread.


Safety isn’t uppermost in consumer’s minds. The outrage which lead to meat glue being banned in the E.U. focused on paying premium prices for inferior foods. Yet how much of the blood-clotting enzyme gets into the bloodstream through the skin – a concern for food workers – or through the mucous membranes when we put glued food in our mouths? Nobody knows.


In other words, meat glue allows the manufacturer to economize at the expense of the consumer, who gets less protein in his yogurt but enjoys the mouthful of the real thing.
One could absorb blood-clotting enzyme without suspecting it.


It’s very difficult to tell if the food on your plate has been glued. Most people can’t taste transglutaminase. The seams that join disparate pieces of flesh are hardly visible. And a nice, smooth puree could be just that, or a slurry of meat or vegetables made smoother with gelatin and our friend, meat glue.

On Thursday, May 20,  2010, the European Parliament voted to ban bovine. Another consideration EU lawmakers considered was the higher risk of bacterial infection in meat products created with thrombin, due to the larger surface area of meat and the cold bonding process that is used and porcine thrombin used as an additive to bind separate pieces of meat together into one piece. 

Meanwhile, others said that "consumers in Europe should be able to trust that they are buying a real steak or ham, not pieces of meat that have been glued together," and "beyond this specific case, the European Parliament has sent a political message to the Commission defending transparency towards the consumer and refusing to accept poor quality food".  And I heard that Europe has refused shipments of our meat.

Be suspicious of  perfectly round slices of meat or fish in restaurants and  perfectly round logs of beef in the supermarket. Novelty foods, like  shrimp noodles or quinoa chips, are surely synthetically bound. In any case, ask the restaurateur or the butcher, and hope they give you an honest answer. I think we should all demand more labelling.  We have the right to know everything about what we consume.

Below are some clips you might find interesting.  One was from  chef Wylie Dufresne, a leader in molecular gastronomy, owner and chef of the prestigious WD-50 restaurant in New York, and winner of culinary prizes. The lecture was given at the Harvard school of science and engineering. The audience, all sciences students, watched in rapt fascination. Nobody seemed to be thinking how unnatural  it is to eat synthetically transformed food.  But what got me crazy was there was a Q & A after the presentation and no one questioned cooking with plastic. Harmful chemicals can migrate into food cooked in plastic containers or covered in plastic wrap.  Please read my Nov 27 2010.

PUSH THE WHEEL: ARE WE REHEATING OUR LEFTOVERS WITH PLASTIC WRAP

WHAT ABOUT CAB DRIVERS IN NYC

It was the winter of 1967 and the beginning of my costume jewelry business. I was meeting the editor of Mademoiselle magazine who was very interested in my costume jewelry line. But first I had to  make a stop at a boutique in Great Neck to deliver an order and pick up cash. When I arrived in the city I found a great parking spot in front of the stores on Lexington Ave.  I put money in the meter and all I had to do was walk a block to her office. Wearing a thin coat seemed appropriate as the weather was sunny and not too cool.

The editor was a young attractive woman who liked my creations. She handed me a bone bracelet and asked me to find the beads that matched to create some jewelry pieces for her. If she liked them she promised to give me a free editorial in her magazine.

Overwhelmed with joy, I left her office to head for home. Our sleep in maid was watching our young boys and we planned a Christmas vacation in Florida the following day. Arriving at my parking spot I noticed my car was missing. Running into the nearby store, I asked if they noticed anything wrong. They told me I was parked in an illegal parking spot. "How can that be", I cried. I inserted the coins into the meter. There were no signs" The store keeper said there was a sign all the way down at the end of the block. "Who would know that" I cried." I live in a suburb and did not know about the rules on that street."

The weather was getting cooler as the sun went in. I was dressed in my short mini skirt, high white boots, a Fall hair piece which was in style in those days and a thin coat. I ran to a  nearby telephone booth and told my husband about my car being towed. He was a president of a public company at that time and in the middle of a meeting.  " Don't worry, I will come and get you. Meet me on the south west corner of Lexington Ave." He said

Walking up the street, I approached a few people asking them where the South West corner was. They all looked at me as if I was crazy and nodded that they did not know. After an hour of looking for him, I was starting to feel chilled because the weather was getting very bad with rain and sleet. My hair was soaking wet with the alcohol  from my Fall  running down into my face and burning my eyes.

Thinking I was fortunate to make that stop earlier at the boutique shop picking up some cash, I decided to hail a cab. It was dark at 6:30 in the evening and many cabs were occupied with passengers.

Whenever I saw a cab with their lights on I jumped in, only to have them ask me to get out as they were heading home. After the 10th cab, I pleaded with a cab driver to please take me to the pound were all the towed vehicles were. Every minute the weather was getting nastier and I found myself shivering. "Please, I beg you, I have children home waiting for me. I am tired, hungry and cold. Please do not make me get out"  I cried.  Okay lady, take it easy. I will take you to the pound. I was on my way home, but I will take you." His accent sounded like a foreigner from India, or from a Muslim country.

The snow was coming down heavier, and I could not stop shivering. Riding  up town, the cab driver stopped his cab and said he had to get out of the cab for a minute. He  told me to wait there and not get out. When he left, fear came over me. I was horrified over what might come next. "He is getting his friends to rape me", I thought. "GET OUT OF THE CAR, I kept saying to myself, GET OUT, GET OUT. But I was cold, tired, scared, afraid to move. "What was taking him so long. Where did he go?" I wondered

Fifteen minutes later he came back to the cab alone (thank God) with a hot cup of coffee for me.

GOD BLESS HIM!

HOW I FOUND MY LOST TREASURE

After many years of wearing my engagement ring, I noticed a chip on the edge of the diamond. A jeweler suggested cutting it down to keep its value. Pondering the decision to make my stone smaller, I took it to the diamond institute to map my stone. I wanted to insure my returned diamond was mine after it was cut smaller.

Extremely disappointed over the new size of my stone, after it was cut, I had no desire to purchase a ring setting. However until I figured out what to do with it, I temporarily set it in my mother's eternity diamond ring. My mother passed away leaving me heartbroken. I had the ring widened to fit my finger. Some people gave me compliments while others said it did not belong. Years later it became stylish.

After wearing my ring for several years I noticed a cut in the eternity band where they resized it. It seemed safe as it did not expand. I was waiting for my next trip to New York to take it to the Jewelry Exchange where most jewelers send their work.

Preparing to attend a party, I could not find my ring. I went crazy because it was always with me. "Did I take it off and not remember," I thought. I searched everywhere and afterwards having the cleanest draws and closets in the world.

Months went by leaving my mind tormented and heartbroken. Although I was once very disappointed with the size, I realized the sentimental feelings and history I had with my diamond and my mother's ring.

One day, shopping in the mall, a lady approached me in front of Estee Lauder's cosmetic counter. She was sitting at a bridge table asking me if I wanted my fortune told. Passing her by saying "no thank you", my mind was not on nonsense. Walking a few steps past her, I reconsidered and thought "hmm maybe she might have common sense and suggest where I put my ring.

Walking back to her table, I agreed to sit down and let her do her thing. After all, it was free. She dealt her cards. Not remembering all too well what kind of cards she drew, the first startling thing she said was "you are married to a very mild mannered man" Without telling her anything about myself, other than loosing my engagement stone set in my mothers diamond wedding band. "how did you know that?", I asked. She said, "lets continue" the next card said I was very sensitive and kind hearted and some take advantage of me."that's incredible" I thought. The next card she drew was a 7. She asked me what the number 7 meant to me. I said, "my birthday is in July the 7th month. The number of my house is 7. My son got married on the 7th day of January, and "oh, yes, my mother's birthday was on the same date January 7."

"Let's use the number 7 for your mother's birthday because it was her ring you lost" Picking another card, she said "your mother will return your ring on or about Jan 7th and she will forgive you. Trying not to believe her, "How did she know my mother was angry with me before she passed." My mother wanted desperately to get out of the hospital where I took her. They were short staffed and were not attentive to her needs. We were waiting to find a doctor at another hospital to admit her when she passed. Never telling anyone about that day, I just dismissed it as a lucky guess.

January 2nd I decided to clean my garage by moving everything out and sweeping up. Using a dust pan with all the dirt in it, I noticed a crystal sparkling thing set in the dirt. Picking it up, I noticed it was half my ring with the diamond. The other half was missing. After screaming "Oh my God" several times, I ran to the phone calling everyone who knew my anguish.. Hours later I returned to the garage to finish the dirty task. Moving a big TV from where it was sitting for years, I swept that spot and found the other half.

All the births of my children were surprising events in my life especially having a girl after two boys . The return of my ring was indeed the second best surprise.

Question: How did the psychic know?

 "ON OR ABOUT JAN 7 YOUR MOTHER WILL RETURN YOUR RING"

WHY THE ASTROLOGERS SHOOK WITH FEAR FOR ME

One day, my husband suggested I go to the library near where we lived, as they were having a meeting for women in business. He thought it might be a good idea to network with other business women, since I worked with him in business.

The meeting started promptly at 7 PM. Attending late, I found a seat tightly squeezed between others around a large conference table. To my astonishment, the meeting was being conducted by a well known psychic who is an astrologer and two of her assistants.

As soon as I was seated I heard the psychic say to one woman,  "your husband is going to make a move shortly. "Will I be making the move with him?" the lady asked. The  astrologer said, "No my dear, I am afraid not." I saw the sadness of the lady's face and I became annoyed being there. I wanted to get up from my seat, however it would have caused everyone on my side to get up to make room for me to leave.

The astrologer went on with other people saying "you will be coming into money" Or ' Did you have an accident lately?" All I could think about was being angry with my husband to suggest coming to this meeting. Although he was unaware the entertainment was about astrology.

 Each person had to submit their birthdays, time of birth, and their name. When it was my turn, I wanted to run out the door fast. I did not want to hear gloom and doom  besides I thought it was just pure nonsense.

"You're coming into a lot of money" she said to me. "Sure" I thought. I get checks coming in every day from our business. That is a no brainier. There were two young girls behind her who were reading my charts and passing the information to her. She just froze and shook a little. I did not like their expressions. "Do you have a female in your life?" was another question. "Of course, " I said, thinking everyone has a female in their lives. "May I ask who they are, please" "Well", I said, " my mother who is ill with asthma, my daughter who is away at college, my new daughter in law, and a new girl friend of my older son. I have two female dogs.

"Okay everyone, lets take a break" she said without finishing my reading. She aroused my curiosity and I did not like it one bit. In those days, almost everyone was smoking. During the break, I went over to her and asked how much she charged. She said she gets $50 for half hour. "Why would anyone pay you so much money to find out about terrible things? You make us all feed bad" I said. Her answer was that many people are in relationships and do not know how it will turn out. Some news are better than others.

"Please tell me why my reading shook you up" I asked. "Don't worry" she said as she was patting me on my back. "Everything will be alright" "What is going to be alright" I demanded. At that moment people came up to us and asked the astrologer questions. She drifted away from me. I went to her assistants  asking them about my reading. "It's okay, don't worry. They did not tell me. I left the library feeling very uneasy, convincing myself it was all nonsense.

The next evening, I went shopping with a friend who's daughter went to the same  sleep a way camp as mine.  We were buying candy and goodies to bring to camp on visiting day that coming weekend.  We stopped for coffee and chatted awhile when suddenly I had a terrible thought in my mind. I imagined someone was hanging from the ceiling of our circular stairway at home. I could not see an image but it was unbelievably real. I excused myself and asked that we leave at once. I just had to get home.

As soon as I opened the door my husband  sadly told me horrible news. Pixie, our adorable female dog  died.. My husband put our poodle, Coco and Pixie, a terrier poodle mix together outside on our sun deck off our sitting room. He tied Pixie on a long leash because she caused damage to our glass pane doors.

There were shootings and fireworks behind our house. Pixie obviously wanted to escape and forgot she was tied up and jumped over the railing. She fatally hung herself. Pixie was my daughter's dog. Cocoa was the family's dog.

I remember shopping for a dog with my daughter.  She wanted a little dog of her own.  Kennel after kennel  and no dog with a chemistry to take home.  I remember her saying, "what do you mean you have to pick a dog with chemistry. She would have picked any dog.   Sure enough my daughter found the one we both loved and took her home.

The following day we went to my daughter's camp on visiting day and didn't  tell her about what happened to her dog. We thought it best to wait till she came home. In the arts and craft shack, my daughter showed us a beautiful leather collar she made for Pixie with her name painted on it.

The following Monday back at our home, I got a call from my mother, who at that time always called me collect."Iris, I am mailing you a check I got from winning a court case. I want you to have it" Thinking of what happened to Pixie and the psychic  telling me I was coming into money, I responded "Mom, put it in your account. When I come to Florida to visit you, we will decide what to do with the money" I was so nervous about the chain of events. I was feared if she gave me the money something bad would happened to her. For years my mother has been in and out of the hospitals frequently. I also was concerned for my daughter, daughter in law and any other female in my life.

During that week my head was spinning. Shopping in town, I recognized one of the ladies who was at that library meeting. I never saw her before  nor after that day. Approaching her, I asked if she believed in that psychic crap. She asked me if I had a few moments and suggested we go across the street to Burger King for coffee. This is how she answered me. " I am an art collector. I was being sued for a lot of money it was bothering me so I went to a psychic who said I was going to lose big. But in no time flat you will make it back 10 fold"

 She continued, "About a few months later a dealer called asking for a painting she  had in the attack  thinking it would never get sold." She got 10 fold back. Ever since that time she goes to a psychic whenever she has a need to do so.  I told her my story and asked what she thought.  Was it all a coincidence?  "No" she said,  "by  you refusing to take her money, you may have stopped the chain of events of what could have happened to another female in your life"

Next week  My missing diamond and why astrologers, psychics and tarot card readers can be taken seriously

If you had similar experiences, please comment below

WHAT ABOUT PSYCHICS, ASTROLOGERS AND SPIRITS OF THE DEAD

All of the above were nonsense...until they came into my life. Being careful not to discuss them at first, I am compelled to reveal my experiences with you now. 

It was about 28 years ago on a warm Sunday evening, I was preparing a lovely dinner on our deck in New City, NY.  The table was set with  place mats, our daily china, silverware and  drinking glasses.  With the sweet  aroma of our pine trees, eating outdoors was enjoyable.

It was just the three of us at the table, as our young daughter was in sleep a way camp, and our eldest son was out of town. It was nice to have the time alone with our youngest son, listening to his ideas and discussing plans for his future. 

To our disappointment, he told us he did not want to attend college  that coming fall.  Graduating High School relieved him from all the stress he endured during his last semester.  He had no idea what he wanted to do in the future and needed to find himself. We tried reasoning with him until we were blue in our faces.  After dinner, dishes still on the table, water still in the glasses, he came up with a shocking suggestion.  "I want to go to Outwood Bound, a school to learn how to survive in the wilderness and to learn mountain climbing. It only costs $1000" he said.

My husband and I looked at each other with disbelief.  "No way" I said laughing thinking it was a joke.  My husband remarked, "if my father and your great grandmother were listening, they would crawl out from their graves to stop you, if we ever consented to let you go."  At that very moment, the glass in front of our son shattered into thousands of small pieces.
Naturally we were all stunned and could not figure how that happen.  Could it have been the dead spirits of our dear relatives?

Does anyone have a scientific explanation?  Please click on the "COMMENTS" below

Next week...  Why the astrologists shook with fear and had to take a break after doing my reading

conclusion: A VALENTINE'S DAY MIRACLE

After six weeks from the time our puppies were born, we began trying to sell them. Unfortunately we could not ask a lot of money because the pups were boutique dogs. (Mutts) The father looked part Lhasa Apsos and Poodle  Thus, our pups became Lassa Poos

The first sale came from a couple who lost their business and needed some loving. They could not decide which to purchase so they bought two and named them Buttons and Bows.

The second person was my next door neighbor. A little friend of my daughter's who was in fourth grade. "Can I keep a pup", she asked. “Tell your mom the puppies are $450 each” I said. She came back and said “My mother said I should have it for free” Since they were our neighbors and a best friend of my daughter I agreed to let her have it for free.

The pick of the litter in my opinion was the shortest and cutest.  We named him Buggsie and kept him as our pet and companion for his mother.

The last puppy went to a lovely Irish lady. She was very distraught about her dying dog at home, She reasoned if she got a new puppy it would ease her family’s heartache when their old faithful friend demises.  The lady explained she wanted to give her son a birthday gift as he was very depressed watching their dying dog lay there day after day. They did not have the heart to take him to the vet to put him down.

A week later, the Irish lady called me on the phone asking me to take the pup back and return her money. “What’s the problem” I asked. "Oh” she said, "my husband said I was a moron for paying too much money for a mutt. The dog does not go to my son and he is very disappointed that the puppy is not friendly."

Since she had the puppy only a week, I suggested she keep it for a couple of weeks. If they all felt the same way, I would gladly give them their money back. “Do you promise” she asked. “ Yes, you have my word”, I said

After two weeks of not hearing from her we looked in the paper every day to see if the Irish Lady put ads in the paper to try to sell the puppy.  One week went by then another.  Surprisingly we did not hear from her until almost a month later when she finally made the call.

"Mrs Shapiro, I do not know what religion you follow but we are Irish,  I want to pray that the Lord bless you forever and ever for suggesting we keep our little puppy for a little while longer"  She went on and on about how we should have a good life.  "What happened" I asked.  Well, the dog follows me around all the time and is inseparable with my husband.  He licks him all the time and he loves the little puppy.  My son and the puppy play all the time and he is very happy.  The best of all, our little puppy kept trying to play with our dying dog,.  He has been lying on the ground for months and we do not have the heart to put him to sleep.  The little pup kept licking our dog rumping and jumping on him, barking as if to say "Come on get up and play!  Well, on Valentines day, our dying dog got up from the ground and started running after the pup all over our yard.  Bless you forever"

If you have a similar story, please comment below. Click on the word "comment"

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

A VALENTINE'S DAY MIRACLE

Many years ago we had a female poodle named Cocoa who had just given birth. Anxieties continued for weeks starting when our daughter came home from sleep a way camp and noticed our little poodle felt heavier than before.

Carefully selecting a highly recommended boarder who had a good reputation watching pets, we vacationed in Florida. Prior to leaving our pet, I warned the lady that my dog was not fixed. I explained I was trying to find a proper stud for her.  I asked her to keep my dog away from the other pets.
“Don’t worry, I will keep your little baby in my bedroom away from all the other dogs,” I felt assured all would be well.

When my little girl said “Mommy, you are feeding Cocoa too much.” I just said “yes” continuing to prepare for dinner. “Mommy”, she said “ why are her nipples so red?” Dropping the chicken in the sink, I quickly lifted her up and became horrified

Calling the lady who watched my dog, I told her my dog was pregnant, “Don’t worry, he was a cute little black poodle.” “Does he have papers? ”I asked. “Who are the owners, what are their names and number? I must call them.”

She mentioned the dog owners name and then said, “I’m sorry I cannot tell you any more. I do not want to get into trouble The owner is an attorney."

Looking in the Yellow Pages, I found several telephone numbers with that person’s name. Finally I reached the one who had a black dog. I told the woman my story about our dogs connecting and asked if her dog had AKC papers. “No” she said. He is a mut” He is part Lhasa Apsos and poodle. I asked her what her dog looked like. She told me he was black with a white tuxedo running down his chest. “May I see your dog so that I would know what the puppies will look like."

The woman said “I am very busy and do not have the time to show you my dog, hold on please” While holding I heard her hysterically laughing to her husband telling him about our dogs connecting. He said “don’t talk to her, deny everything and hang up on her “ Please, I am not going to sue you. I just want to see what my pups will look like. I could not bare the thought of having ugly puppies"

She never came by to show me her dog until Cocoa was in labor delivering her first couple of pups. For the last time I called her again pleading to come to my house with her dog. Explaining the markings on the pups were just like her dog’s she came within an hour. As soon as I opened the door she said “Had I’d known sooner, I would have knit a sweater.” Looking at the pups she said “Does this mean we have to celebrate holidays together?”

to be continued.....  an unbelievable and touching story

CONCLUSION: KNEE PAIN AND HOW I AVOIDED SURGERY

For almost 20 years I had been pain free until I started playing tennis again. My knee was hurting like years past. Noticing everyone on the courts wearing knee supports, wrist bands, etc. I figured it was okay for me to purchase a knee support too to help relieve the pressure. But my last day of tennis I had to practically crawl to my car. Walking was impossible.

Living in a different state I went to another orthopedic doctor. I was advised to get arthroscopic knee surgery. Remembering the ordeal prior, I went to my new internist and asked him to prescribe Doxycycline. After his refusal, I researched on Google, typing "knee pain and Doxycycline" Boom, pages and pages of information about the promising effects of the drug. I printed the 20 pages and brought them into my doctor’s office. After he read them, I got a call from his office that my prescription of Doxycycline is waiting for me at the drug store.

Knowing we must be our own advocate, we should always ask questions and acquire information about our health issues. Our doctors are more educated than we are. We rely on them to take good care of us and continue to do research on their patients illnesses. But they are human like the rest of us. They error, and make poor decisions as well. Surprisingly though, they hardly have the time to do research as often as they should.

If we are not feeling better within a reasonable time, it is most important to find a support group and learn from them about the medications they take and the doctors who have treated them satisfactory.
Thankful my doctor took the time to review the information I gave him, I wondered why he was unaware of the wonders of Doxicycline before. For his patients sake and mine, I was glad I made him discover another use of Doxycycline.

The research pointed out that even patients with Fibromyalgia benefited from Doxicycline. Whenever I hear a patient who is suffering from it, I tell them my story and suggest they speak to their doctor in prescribing it for them. Either they do not say anything because they believe their doctor is trying to help them. Others speak about it with their doctors only to have the doctors refuse to prescribe it even if their illness has not improved. I feel helpless watching them suffer and continue to stick to Dr. God's methods.

Wondering why doctors do not prescribe this wonderful drug, perhaps there is a drug shortage from what I am reading in the paper. I also called my Walgreens drug store last week asking if they have 100 milligrams of Doxycycline in stock. Their answer is "their supply is diminishing."
It is scary out there. I think they are trying to save many drugs for life and death situations because it is getting scarce. They are afraid of a pandemic and they do not publicize too much about it.

As for playing tennis again, I made a deal with my knee. I said "knee, if I am good to you and not give you pressure by playung tennis, will you be good to me" It's been a good deal and I am sticking to it.

My knee pain has gone for the past five years. If it ever comes back, I know what I have to do.

Stay well everyone!

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SURGERY

PART 2 - KNEE PAIN AND HOW I AVOIDED SURGERY

While waiting for another opinion to have knee surgery, I read about Lime Disease being ramped not only where we lived in New City, New York, but all over the world. The paper mentioned symptoms most of which I had. It also listed Lime support groups in every neighborhood.

My husband and I went to one which devastated us. The room was filled with about thirty people. Some consisted of very young teenagers and adults. They all claimed they had knee pain at the beginning of their disease. Most of them had unsuccessful arthroscopic knee surgeries.

Everyone in the room were in poor health. Most needed intravenous every day because the oral antibiotics were not effective. Unfortunately they waited too long for proper treatment. Each person spoke one at a time in orderly manner telling their story. Most said they could not get out of bed each day. They all had mood swings, poor concentration and felt ill. It appeared a spirochete from a tick or a bite from a mosquito  invaded their nervous system. The teenagers could not attend school and the adults could not go to work or function normally.

My husband and I looked at each other with complete fear that this was going to happen to me. It was too unbelievable as I was always very healthy up to that point. When it was my turn I spoke about my symptoms which were similar to theirs but definitely not as serious. I said, "Tiredness came often with spells which I could not describe. I found it difficult to concentrate on my business, but still tried pushing myself. I  just assumed the symptoms would go away."

When I told them about my planned operation they all gasped at the same time. "DON'T YOU DARE" they said with anger. "The operation will do nothing. You need to be on Doxycycline at once before it is too late. It is an anti-inflammatory as well as an antibiotic. It will never kill the spirochete, but It will put it to sleep for decades stopping them from further damage in the body.. If it should ever wake up and you are feeling pain with similar symptoms, retake Doxycycline."  They all tried other antibiotics of which none worked as well as Doxycyline. "But you must take Acidophilus with the antibiotic to avoid yeast infection", they said

They laid out a map of what I had to do. They all recommended the same doctor who will treat my symptoms rather than a blood test. There were only a couple of those doctors in the country and the one they suggested was not too far away from home.  They told me most doctors would not treat me unless my blood test shows positive. But their doctors said if my blood was positive I would be helpless and too late to cure me.

The spirochete could have been in my body for years. Perhaps as young as an infant, a mosquito bite could have bit me not knowing how severe it would be later on.  Some times we get aches and pains, never attributing it to a spirochete invading our bodies. We think it might be arthritis  How many times have we been bitten by a mosquito which developed into a rash? Who ever knew about ticks until it was broad casted everywhere in the 80’s?

This toxin, bug eats into your tissues. It can attack your knee, joints, lungs, heart, nervous system, kidneys, and heart, whatever it can find. It starts attacking usually when there is stress to the body. Usually the first place it hits is in the knees.

After the meeting I took a blood test which thank God was negative. My doctor refused to prescribe the antibiotic because by blood was fine. Therefore I went to the support group's doctor who treats the symptoms rather than the blood test. After completing a long questioner and an examination, he prescribed 100 milligrams of Doxycycline for 30 days.

When the 30 days were up, I was not feeling better. So the doctor prescribed another 30 days of the drug. After I got the new prescription, I hesitated taking the pills. I waited almost a  week  as I was dubious about taking too much medication.

When the week was up, I was pain free. The full bottle of antibiotics were not used. My original orthopedic doctor told me I was foolish not to have the operation. He said it was like having a marble in my knee whereby the pain would come and go. Eventually if I did not have the operation, my knee would get worse and I would be a cripple in less than 10 years. Luckily I was happy with my decision. I heard so many stories of people who did not have Lyme disease having the surgery.  Unfortunately they still suffered with their knees and eventually had to go for knee replacement. There are cases as well that arthroscopic knee surgery was successful in some patients.

For about fifteen years I was pain free.  I will never know if I ever did have Lyme Disease.  However, the treatment for it helped me. I was well again, playing  tennis and walking three miles every day.  For a few years I stopped playing tennis when I moved to Florida.  But when I started playing again, guess what happened?

Read what my doctor discovered and how my knee pain left me for good.
Next week

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KNEE PAIN - HOW I AVOIDED SURGERY

Over twenty two years ago, I took my 16 year old daughter to look at a college in Boston. Prior to the trip, I had been lethargic for several months with unexplained spells. Not wanting to disappoint her, we packed an over night bag and started our trip. While driving, my knee started to bother me. The further I drove the more painful it became. I couldn't believe the high level of pain I endured. It felt as though my knee was being sawed off.

Screaming was not what I wanted to do, but found myself actually crying. I never had knee pain prior, nor anything so intense that I could remember. I did not understand how or where this pain came from or what caused it. I wanted to turn back to go home, but we were halfway there. I reasoned with myself that pain eventually goes away.  Getting off the exit, I road into town where I purchased a bottle of pain relievers.

Making the best of it, for my daughter's sake, we continued with her plans to be interviewed at Boston University. Afterwards we drove to the popular Quincy Market which is a tourist area and a college hangout. On the weekends entertainers, jugglers, etc., would come out. We enjoyed a lovely lunch and ventured to the mall. Walking was very difficult so I stayed in the car and told her to go alone. That weekend was a nightmare.

Arriving home, I immediately saw my doctor who referred me to an orthopedist. My exray showed a torn cartilage which had to be repaired immediately by arthroscopic knee surgery.

Before undergoing the operation, I was about to go for a second opinion when I read in the paper about an alternative to knee surgery.

How I got rid of the pain for good. ….. continued next week

WHAT ABOUT THE ELDERLY IN THIS JOB MARKET

Recently I read a blog on AOL about a young woman who was unemployed for two years. Her story won publication with AOL. The title was called The "Forgotten Woman" because she was once a CEO of a successful construction company. Now unemployed like most of us who had great businesses, jobs, and financial income. From that piece she was offered many job offers and hopefully her story will continue to have a happy ending.

There were all sorts of blogs and comments from other unemployed Americans. Some were in their twenties while others were aged in the high fifties. Although heartwarming, no one speaks about the elderly over age sixty. Those who were used to the finer lifestyle and now live in fear as to what will become of them. Some are maxed out on credit cards. Their savings have dwindled down to the minimum and God for bid they wont dare ask their kids for help, as most have their own problems

The job market is almost like a depression these days. How can a healthy elderly person find a good job? Who will hire them? Young employers do not realize the mass amount of successful experiences and knowledge an elderly person can share with his employer. The rewards are definately beneficial.

PUSH THE WHEEL OR GET OFF

It's January 2011, a time for people to get excited about the new year, a new start, and new opportunities. So what's in store for you?

We take stock in our lives as to where we have been and where we are going. Were we happy, did we accomplish what we wanted, did we make others happy?  Were we productive? Did we make enough income to support our families?

Some of us PUSH THE WHEEL. We work very hard at our jobs, sometimes long hours feeling unfulfilled.  Are we making enough money for the time and work we put in? Does our employer appreciate our efforts? is this what I want to do the rest of my life?  Do we want to continue working long hours and have less time to enjoy family?

Are we so busy fulfilling the needs of our adult children and grandchildren that we realize we have little time to enjoy our lives?

And students; are they working  hard at their studies?  Do they see little success in their grades?

All of us are PUSHING THE WHEEL doing whatever we have to every day of every week.  We have to ask ourselves, is it time to get off the wheel?  There are many fortunate people who have pushed the wheel and have seen success and are truly happy.  In that case, stay on the wheel and keep pushing.

Hopefully the job market will open up in 2011 to make it easier for those to get off the wheel and try something else.  Another wheel may roll down the path to a better life.  Perhaps invent another path to push the wheel and help the economy in doing so.  This is the time to start doing something you dreamed about before it is too late.

The college student who works hard without success, should evaluate his situation and realize it is not because of him/her, it is because they are on the wrong wheel.  Get off that wheel and change your major.  I have a cousin who was on probation in college and was given another semester or he would be out.  He changed his major and became a world renowned success.

If you are unhappy with your lifestyle, routine, work, whatever, this is the time to try another direction. The wheel is what you are pushing.  Get off!

Lets hope for a better economy and more jobs.

Good luck!

Would love to hear about your work or school experience.  If you wish to comment below, please do so