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Monday, May 28, 2012

Metabolic Syndrome ~ Do You Know Your Risk? (Part 1)

1 in 3 adults in the US meet the indicators for Metabolic Syndrome or Prediabetes. Metabolic Syndrome is not a disease by itself. It is however, a combination of risk factors that help predict and precede the onset of diabetes and heart disease. Prevention is much cheaper than treatment in the long run. Sadly, most people are not even aware they are at risk or already have Metabolic Syndrome. Often they are already insulin-resistant and probably Prediabetic. You probably already know someone affected right now!

More than 90,000 Americans have Metabolic Syndrome. It’s now considered a hidden epidemic. If you are over the age of 50, your chances increase to one in 2 or 50% being affected by this condition. Anyone who already has Metabolic Syndrome or Prediabetes is 5 times more likely to develop Diabetes.

Sunday, May 27, 2012

An Amazing Find ~ Our Habitat Restore

A few weeks back I visited our local Habitat Restore in Bryan, Texas. I was simply amazed at all the items they have for sale! I spent about forty five minutes there walking around the ground floor and upstairs exploring all they have. I could have spent another hour there easily. They had everything you could think of to furnish a home and then some. There might have even been a kitchen sink back in a corner that I didn’t see. This is the epitome of what a green organization does!

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Invaluable Lessons of Happy Trails

Today I took my kiddos out to Happy Trails for their second set of riding lessons. They were so excited to be going. I am ecstatic to be seeing how well they are doing and watch the changes that are taking place from these lessons.

While my son had his lesson, my daughter and I started the first coat on the soon to be chicken coop mural wall. My daughter is going to do the entire mural and she’s got it all planned out in her head from the grass to the sky and sun, to the horses and chickens and flowers the mural will hold. I will post pictures as it progresses. My son and I finished the first coat while my daughter had her lesson. Below is the blank canvas the wall is now after the first coat of paint

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Life Produces Love - A Habitat Story of the Benford Family (Part 1)

Melanie Benford is a remarkable woman. Her story is similar to so many of us, where we work hard to earn the things we have in our lives. She has dealt with many of life’s challenges, including the grave illness of one of her children. However, she stands firm and ready to face this next chapter in her life with courage, faith and love.

I am very excited to be able to write about the Benford’s Habitat for Humanity home. Melanie is really thrilled to be able to be able to move back into an area where she has history. Her family will be one of the first to move into the new subdivision near East MLK. The groundbreaking for the new subdivision will occur on June 6, 2012.

Monday, May 14, 2012

A Bleeding Nation



It really is depressing enough to turn on the news on any given day and hear the constant debate over the economy and employment and which party is the most at fault. Reporters sensationalize the worst case scenarios and feature the doomsday news including murder and kidnapping. It’s no wonder that cable subscribers are cancelling their cable channels in lieu of internet tv such as Hulu and services like Netflix. With these at least you can watch death and destruction only when you want to instead of having to.

It’s hard to find shows like 60 Minutes which used to tell both sides of the story and had newsworthy items which featured feel good stories as well as some doom and gloom. Now our television is prevalent with ‘reality tv shows’ where people try to find love in 2 months, battle it out in exotic locales for the top spot, drive over ice in loaded down eighteen wheeler trucks, haggle with people over the value of items to pawn or hunt alligators. These shows run the gamut of our imagination. Where once “I Dream of Jeannie” or “Bewitched” tantalized us with their wacky magical hijinks, now you can tune in just about any day and time of the week and see people in all kinds of situations imaginable.

Saturday, May 12, 2012

The Wonderful World of Happy Trails

My children and I had the privilege of exploring a wonderful place today. We made it out to Happy Trails and the kids had their first true proper riding lesson. We also learned so many things we had no idea about prior to our trip out there.

Did you know that when you are riding a horse, you use muscles you will not use any other way? Were you aware that more blood flows through your spinal cord when riding a horse? Did you know that once you learn the gait of the horse, you can tell by any change in the gait that something might be wrong?

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Bewildered ~ Peace at Last on the Long Road to Healing (Part 6)

While this may be hard to read for some, it's cathartic in many ways for me having lived it. It is finally time to put it down in writing and share what I went through so many years ago. Thank you for reading and commenting. If you haven't read them already here is Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 and Part 5.

I was in denial for a while after all this happened. I felt like everything was fine. He was gone and out of my life. I had no reason to be depressed or upset or angry. However, I had every right to be all those things and more. My self esteem was damaged and I had no earthly clue that I was in the most vulnerable state I’d ever been in. Even more vulnerable than the night he busted my lip and blackened my eye.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Press Release ~ Three Bryan mothers will become first time homeowners this Mother’s Day weekend

N E W S R E L E A S E

PHOTO AND INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE
Media Contact
Ryan Pierce
Director of Volunteer Experience and Communications
Bryan/College Station Habitat for Humanity
979.703.1895


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Three Bryan mothers will become first time homeowners this Mother’s Day weekend


(May 9, 2012 – Bryan, TX) Vera Love and two other Bryan mothers will celebrate Mother’s Day for the first time in their own homes. “That’s the biggest Mother’s Day present I could ask for,” Vera said.

Bryan/College Station Habitat for Humanity will dedicate three houses Saturday, May 11, new homes for Vera, Latoya Pleasant and Marjorie Gibbs. The dedication ceremonies are open to everyone and will include photo/video opportunities.

Latoya and her four children have never had a place to call home, often unsure of where they were going to live from month to month. Denise Bermudez, the financial sponsor for Latoya’s new home and a mother herself, understands the challenges Latoya faced and praised her for overcoming those difficulties. “Although living in less-than-adequate housing, in a situation that was dangerous for her children, Latoya did everything she could to create a secure, loving environment for her children. But she did not settle. She fought and she sacrificed to find a way to give her children a safe home.” Those sacrifices are finally paying off this Mother’s Day weekend.

Latoya’s new next door neighbor is also moving in this weekend. The neighbor, Marjorie Gibbs is excited about her new Habitat house, but is especially thrilled for her four children. “I love seeing the smiles on my children’s faces when we pull into our driveway,” she said. “Having their own yard is a dream come true! This is our home!”

If you drive through Angel’s Gate subdivision in Bryan on Sunday, you may notice the smell of a barbecue. It’ll be coming from Vera Love’s new house. Her children and grandchildren will all be there, enjoying Vera’s first Mother’s Day celebration.

Marjorie Gibb’s home was sponsored by the Dansby Foundation and Wells Fargo Trusts. Latoya Pleasant’s home was sponsored by Denise and Jorge Bermudez. Vera Love’s home was sponsored by Aggie Habitat. The Aggies not only provided financial backing, but joined Vera in building her home on six Saturdays.

What: Three home dedications for three local mothers
When &Where:
The Love Family - May 12, 2012 at 9:00 AM
1329 Aggie Way, Angels Gate Subdivision, Bryan


The Pleasant Family - May 12, 2012 at 10:15 AM
1212 Thompson, Bryan



The Gibbs Family - May 12, 2012 at 10:15 AM
1205 Thompson, Bryan



About Bryan/College Station Habitat for Humanity
Bryan/College Station Habitat for Humanity is a locally run affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing organization. Formed in 1989, the local affiliate is dedicated to eliminating poverty housing and making the right to simple, decent, shelter a matter of conscience and action. Habitat for Humanity partners with low-income families and gives them an opportunity to work side by side with local volunteers in the construction of their homes. Once the homes are completed, families buy them at cost through zero-interest twenty to thirty-year mortgages. BCS Habitat has partnered with over 200 families impacting over 800 people over the past 21 years. For more information, please visit www.habitatbcs.org

-30-

Ryan Pierce
Director of Volunteer Experience and Communications
Bryan/College Station Habitat for Humanity


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119 Lake Street
Bryan, TX 77801
Phone (979) 703-1895
Fax (979) 775-7412
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Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Bewildered ~ The Monster Won’t Let Go (Part 5)

While this may be hard to read for some, it's cathartic in many ways for me having lived it. It is finally time to put it down in writing and share what I went through so many years ago. Thank you for reading and commenting. If you haven't read them already here is Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.

Breaking up in a regular relationship is hard enough. Adding in the emotional rollercoaster of abuse into the equation and that makes it ten times as hard. As Paul Harvey was so fond of saying “and now the rest of the story.”

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Happy Trails Fundraising

Gentlemen, please consider purchasing some lovely jewelry for that special lady in your life.

Ladies consider pampering yourself with affordable jewelry.

All proceeds to benefit a great program in my local area called Happy Trails. They provide therapeutic riding lessons to people with special needs. You cannot put a price on the confidence, social and life skills this provides. Seeing the change and shy smiles emerge from people who were not smiling when they arrived makes all the difference.

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Job Security ~ Peddling Illusions

Currently I’m reading a fantastic book by Carrie Wilkerson, the Barefoot Executive. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for no nonsense common sense information and mentorship. Here is the link to the information on her book: http://barefootexecutivebook.com

I’m gleaning a lot of insight from this book and several aha moments only a few chapters in. One of them involves job security which I’ve watched evolve over the course of my lifetime. One of my grandfathers worked for Bell Telephone for most of his life. He retired and is still living off his pension and money he saved. He had probably what I would call real job security in the fact that he spent his career with this one company and they completely took care of his golden years.

Friday, May 4, 2012

Miracles and Special Angels

I had the privilege today of learning a lot from someone who runs a non-profit. I had no idea that it costs money and a lot of jumping through hoops just to establish and gain the documentation to prove a non-profit is really a non-profit.

Irregardless of this issue, the fact still remains that funding needs to occur. So what options are normal in these circumstances? Money is tight for a lot of people these days. Many non-profits have cut back to bare bones. Many exist due to the goodness of volunteers also.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Bewildered – The Monster Erupts (Part 4)

While this may be hard to read for some, it's cathartic in many ways for me having lived it. It is finally time to put it down in writing and share what I went through so many years ago. Thank you for reading and commenting. If you haven't read them already here is Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.

There comes a point where something happens that is so terrible, it smacks you hard into reality causing you to finally see clearly and precisely what direction you must go. This is the story of the last night, the last straw that broke the camel’s back.