Last one Ya'll!

Well I can’t believe it people! Another semester has come and gone in a blink of an eye. I never thought I’d see the day I was writing my blog for the 16^th week. I’ve really enjoyed making new friends in this class and reading everyone’s stories, so the end is sort of bittersweet. However, I have to admit my brain will enjoy the nice break during Christmas!

I find myself struggling to write this week as I have been fretting over finals and final wedding plans. My life has been a crazy rollercoaster. For example: being on the phone all the time with different vendors and the venue, from finishing my next to last semester of clinic for dental hygiene. As sixteen weeks has flown by I know the next two days of finals will and the wedding will be over in a flash. I just hope that I can take in and enjoy the day, unlike many brides are unable too.

Anyways…I have no specific point for this blog, but I was fresh out of ideas. I just want to take this time to thank each and every one of you who read my paper and put up with my blogs. I really appreciate your kind and generous feed back, helping me succeed in the class. I wish you all a joyous holiday season and may you be blessed in 2012!

Stick a fork in me I'm DONE!

Well we are coming down to the last week and a half of the semester and it can be over any faster! I don’t know about you guys, but I’m completely burnt out! It seems as if I am fresh out of motivation and inspiration. I keep thinking to myself it will all be over in ten days or so, but right now that seems like an eternity!

Today I had an awful quiz in my pharmacology class, I feel like it was completely ridiculous and that any one of my dental hygiene teachers couldn’t have done it, so why should we have to? Throughout this semester we have been through an entire pharmacology book, and being exposed to many different types of drugs. Well on this quiz we had to match twenty drugs, generic name with the brand name, doesn’t sound too bad right? Wrong…the kicker is there was a list of over two hundred drugs to study from, we had no hints or the slightest clue of which ones to study. As a dental hygienist, we don’t have any reason to straight up memorize drugs we can’t even pronounce, that why we have an eighty dollar drug reference book to look them up with! Good news is…quiz is over, bad news…I don’t think I did so hot! But like I said earlier…I’m so burnt out, like many of my other class mates.

There is only two more clinic days left in the semester, a couple papers, a few blogs and three finals standing between me, getting married, and the beautiful sunsets in Jamaica. I’m writing this to build up some courage and go head strong into the last couple weeks here. Also, to help any others struggling with motivation. I found this quote and thought it was really appropriate so I leave you with this: “Don’t be afraid to give your best at what seemingly are small jobs. Every time you conquer one it makes you that much stronger. If you do the little jobs well, the big ones will tend to take care of themselves.” – Dale Carnegie

The History of Christmas Carols

Well folks, it’s that time of year again. Your trees are going up and stockings are being hung. Most every radio stations are playing those classic Christmas tunes. I love them so much I decided to do a bit of research and see where it all started.

Carols were first sung in Europe, but they weren’t really classified as Christmas carols yet. These were songs sung at the winter solstice celebrations. The winter solstice was known as the shortest day of the year; and it usually took place around December 22^nd. Actually the word carol means dance or a song of praise and joy. These old time carols were sung year round at every season, but only the Christmas carols survived the stand of time.

Today the tradition of Christmas caroling is very profound in my family. We try and do it every year, and apparently the tradition has been around for years. Before the popular custom caroling came about the carolers were called ‘Waits’. These folks were like bands, usually lead by important city leaders who had all the power of the towns and villages.  

One of my favorite Christmas carols is “The Twelve Days of Christmas”. This song was written in England to help young Catholics learn the tenets of their faith. This song contains hidden meanings to the teachings of faith. The “true love” mentioned in the song is referring to God himself. The “me” is referring to every person who has been saved by God. The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ, the son of God.  Two Turtle Doves- the Old and New Testaments. Three French hens- Faith, Hope and Charity, the theological virtues. Four Calling Birds- the four gospels and/or the four evangelists. Five Golden Rings- the first five books of the Old Testament. Six Geese A-laying- the six days of creation. Seven Swans A-swimming- the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. Eight Maids a-milking- the eight beatitudes. Nine Ladies Dancing- the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit. Ten Lords A-leaping- the ten commandments. Eleven Pipers Piping- the eleven faithful apostles. And Twelve Drummers Drumming- the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle’s Creed. I find the history of this Carol so interesting and relative. I can see how it would have been so easy to for the young Catholics to learn this catchy tune, obviously many of us today know it by heart! I heard this on the radio and thought it was crazy so I looked it up online and Time is saying its true too! If you were to buy the items of ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas” it would cost you more than $100,000!

A different kind of Thanksgiving

When I think of Thanksgiving, I always picture all of my family around my grandma’s old kitchen table; everyone carrying on, laughing and feeding their faces. Well this year is a lot different and I don’t like it! It’s Thanksgiving morning and usually we are getting ready to head to grandma and grandpa’s house, well as you can tell I’m writing this English blog instead. My grandma and grandpa are in Texas doing what retired people do I guess, “Head south for the winter.” My other grandma and grandpa went to Mississippi to visit family down there. So there won’t be a large family Thanksgiving this year. We are just going to celebrate lunch at Cracker Barrel and do a little bit of “pre-black Friday” scoping out. Then come home to a family supper of ham…no turkey. Well all prefer ham, so that’s what we’re having! But we will of course have all the sides to go along.

I can only hope that next year’s Thanksgiving is back to normal, one being because I hate Cracker Barrel; two, because I really miss all my family and the great memories that are made at holiday events. When you get 30+ family members all in the same room, something is bound to happen. I can remember one year we had a hand stand competition between all the grandkids in my grandma’s living room…bad idea when there are breakables everywhere! But it is something I will never forget!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!!

Showered with Blessings

Well like I said before, this weekend was our first wedding shower! I just had to write about the shower and how amazing it was! I just want to say that it is unbelievable how generous people are! Even in the “hard times” that everyone is experiencing, it’s amazing how everyone is still giving to newlyweds like us!

First off at the shower we play the ol’ Newlywed Game, I’m sure you’ve seen it on the game show network! It was hilarious! Cole and I have been together for five years, so you think we’d know everything in the world about each other! Wrong!! Granted they came up with some pretty tough questions, we still didn’t do so hot! Everyone got a good laugh so in my eyes that’s all that matters!

Next we opened our gifts; I was just blown away by the generosity of these people. This was a church shower, so mainly our church family and friends were in attendance. When we registered, I felt awful! Stuff is so expensive these days, and I felt like we should have been asking for such pricy stuff…but people actually buy it! It made us feel so special and blessed!  I mean these people spend hundreds of dollars just to supply us with things for our new home! I even had one lady come up to me and tell me she forgot that our shower was that day…well she left immediately after church was over and drove forty-five minutes one way just to get us a gift for the shower!  She said, she wouldn’t just do that for anyone and that really touched me!

The shower was such an awesome time! We got to spend that afternoon with many people that are near and dear to our hearts. This afternoon is one that I will never forget! We made so many memories and “inside jokes”. These people really put out all of the stops to make us feel so special, like a king and queen really!

After the shower was over, we loaded up two car loads of gifts! Guess what I did last night and tonight? I wrote thank-you cards until my hand was about to fall off! But it was so worth it! I was thinking to myself about how it was so worth it just to drop a cheap card that took a minute of my time, when these folks have taken time out of their busy schedules to buy us a wonderful wedding gift!

Like I said before, this is a day I will never forget! I will cherish these memories forever! And each time I use the gifts I will remember these people and forever be grateful that they are in my life!! I hope each and every one of you have/or will one day have an experience like ours! Love and marriage is so special and I would give anything for every single person in this world to have this wonderful experience!

There’s an App for that: Medical gone Mobile

Today’s fast-paced environment requires virtually instant gratification in the search for information. An estimated 80 percent of patients today research their health condition on the Internet either before or after seeing their health care provider. Mobile health applications are on the rise, with many clinicians and allied health workers already adopting smart phones successfully in a diverse range of practices. Patients too are accessing health information, actively participating in their own care, and maintaining contact with their health care providers through smart phones.

The Internet and our cell phones will be a central part of our care support system, providing answers to our questions, storing our personal health records, helping us to connect with others who share the same problems, and linking us to our healthcare providers.  Most of us will reorder our medications, get our laboratory test results, make appointments, and consult with our doctors either online or by phone.

A few fast facts about apps for your phone: There are over 350,000 “apps” – applications for the iPhone alone. In 2010, over 295 million smart phones were sold around the world, and over 7 billion applications were downloaded to the devices. 72 percent of physicians own a smart phone, and 95 percent of them reported using their mobile device to download medical reference data and patient-related information. These are some astonishing figures that show the impact that smart phones are having in the medical field.

Now I just want to discuss a few apps that I have found that I think would be extremely beneficial for someone in the medical/dental field like myself. Keep in mind that these apps are geared toward many types of individuals. For example: there are some geared toward dentist, dental hygienist and/or the patients. A few of my favorites are as followed.

DentiApp and DDS GP. These particular apps are geared toward dentist or the owners of a private practice. Apps like these two all for patients to request an appointment with their smart phone, take a birtual tour of the office and facility, gives directions and maps to the office, and has patient education tools such as chair side presentations and treatment plans.

LexiComp and ADA MBDHE Exam Prep. These two apps are geared toward dental hygienist. LexiComp is a drug reference source at your finger tips, including: charts, images and tables for clarification. ADA MBDHE Exam Prep  is an app that contains  simulated board exam questions with detailed explanatory answers that covers all topics that are on the dental hygienist board exam.

MyQuit Coach and Toothbrush Timer. These apps are designed for the patients. MyQuit Coach is an app that helps people quit smoking by motivational tips, progress charts, and helps you set obtainable goals according to individualized needs. The toothbrush timer is a great app for any age. This timer tells when and where to brush your teeth with dentist recommend tips. It also has a tooth brush tracker alerting you when you need to get a new tooth brush.

As one can see with all of these apps that the medical field is going mobile, whether we like it or not. I think it is going to be a long process of change, but defiantly for the better.  Patients will be able to receive top of the line, precise and speedy health care.

Boulos, M. N., Wheeler, S., Tavares, C., & Jones, R. (2011). How smartphones are changing the face of mobile and participatory healthcare: an overview, with example from eCAALYX. Retrieved October 1, 2011, from BioMedical Engineering OnLine: http://www.biomedical-engineering-online.com/content/10/1/24

Brusco, J. M. (2010). Using Smartphone Applications in Perioperative Practice. AORN Journal, 503-508.

Draper, C. (2011). Health Informaiton in the Digital Age: Is There an App for That? Access, 28.

Flucke, J. (2011). Rewrite the history books...the world is flat. Chicago: Advanstar Communications, Inc.

Henderson, L. (2011). Diagnosis on the Run: There's an App for That. Applied Clinical Trials, 18.

Lawrence, D. (2010). Healthcare for Elders in 2050. American Society on Aging, 82-85.

Robertson, H. (2011). MD Consult and First Consult. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 178-179.

Black Friday....Dun Dun Dun

Well…only 15 more days til’ the biggest shopping day of the year. Or better known as black Friday! Last week I wrote about my favorite Christmas traditions, this week I’ll blog about Black Friday. When Black Friday comes around I know we are getting close to Christmas…that’s only one reason why I love it!

So you’re probably thinking I’m totally nuts, but let me explain why I love Black Friday so much!

First of all, unlike most people, I LOVE the rush. I love racing to the door, trying to beat the crowds. To me, it’s so much fun weaving in and out of people trying to get to the isle where the “prize” is located. However, before the rush…were your just waiting in line all night isn’t that great. But if you go with the right people and get in the right crowed, you can really make the time fly and make a good time of it! For example: when the iPhone 3G came out, I waited in line at the AT&T store all night long. Well ended up I got to meet Terry Fator, the winner of the hit television show, America’s Got Talent!

Second of all, I love the deals! Who on earth doesn’t! I can’t tell you all of the great savings I’ve spared each year shopping on black Friday! Even now day stores are extending their sales through “cyber Monday” you can get the same, possibly even better deal the following Monday, it just has be to be purchased online at the website. Just a tid bit here…I read somewhere last week that places like Wal-Mart and Toys R Us are starting their sales a few days early because it will reduce the rush and chaos. Apparently and obviously… I just wasn’t smart enough to think about it but, stores like these have to hire extra employees for black Friday and more stores are spending a bunch of money hiring security officers to help control the crowd. So they think if they start early and run the sales longer, this will reduce these issues, 

Lastly, I love the atmosphere! Sure there are people that are a bit crazy about it and they are the ones shoving someone to the ground to get the last TV, but for the most part people are so kind and friendly. Everyone has the holiday spirit! Jingle Bells is blaring over the store speaker system and I’m probably enjoying some Starbucks!

Well call me crazy, but I’ve already registered online at some stores to be the “first one” to get a sneak peak at their Black Friday ad! There’s only 45 shopping days left til’ Christmas, so why not brave the cold, and the folks for some burning deals and great memories!!

T minus 43 days until the BIG day!

Well my wedding day is quickly approaching, and this weekend is our first wedding shower. I feel like this is the start of all the wedding celebrations. I got to thinking today about how much stuff there is that’s associated with a wedding. Let’s add it up...these figures I’m using are just for my wedding, I would say it’s your “average” wedding. Okay… we are having three wedding showers, I’m having a personal shower, and we are both having bachelor/bachelorette parties, and the rehearsal dinner. This is six events before the big day even comes! It’s literally something every weekend, until the day arrives. So after pondering all of this, I decided to look up some stats on weddings in today’s world.

I found this website cost of a wedding.com, basically you type in your zip code and it gives you average figures of what a wedding would cost in your area of residence.  So I did it…the figures are freighting, and unfortunately fairly accurate. Here are some of the figures it gave me. On average, couples that live in my town spend anywhere from $16,000 to $27,000 on their weddings. Let me remind you that I live in a town with a population of 4,000 people, that’s not very many and a wedding is still this expensive! Also, these totals were figured with an approximated 105-119 guest. And they averaged per guest anywhere between $174-213 per guest…that’s a bit frightening!

The Wedding Report had some interesting stats. They claim there were 2.8 million weddings in 2009 alone. And the average cost of each wedding in 2009 was 19,500 dollars…YIKES!! And if you think that’s bad, just a year later in 2010 the average wedding cost 24,000 dollars. Over the course of time from 1945 till today, the average cost of a wedding has only increased. Guess what? I have a notion its only going to get higher! That’s scary to think about…

Well not to change the subject, but this tid bit I found was too good to not share, and totally appropriate for tomorrow! So tomorrow is 11/11/11, right? Well this date only comes around once in one hundred years and apparently most brides think it must be lucky! According to David’s Bridal, the nation’s largest bridal retailer who has more than three hundred stores, they approximate 57,000 couples to marry tomorrow, 11/11/11!

Well now that I’m depressed about all these wedding stats, I think I’ll call it a blog! Until next time J

Pinterest

If you haven’t heard of it already I’m sure you will soon. Pinterest is a new and upcoming website. It is a virtual cork board where you can “pin” your favorite recipes, DIY crafts and many other categories. To mention a few more of the categories’: travel, photography, weddings, home décor, pets, and outdoor.

Each user creates an account, once you have an account you have your on pinboard, which displays stuff that you like or have made. “Organized and share things you love.” Is the slogan for Pinterest.

The idea of Pinterest has been tried before, but never taken off quite like Pinterest has. With the easy “Pin it” button that Pinterest has that makes the idea so easy, a kindergartener could do it!

Times magazine has given Pinterest a spot in the 50 best websites of 2011, and personally I believe it’s deserving!

Another thing that I absolutely love about Pintrest is that there is an app for my iPhone, so I can get on Pintrest anytime and anywhere!!!

Lately I have been spending wayyy to much time on Pinterest…just an FYI its addicting! I mostly have been looking at all of the wedding ideas for my upcoming wedding. I have gotten so many ideas from Pinterset. People are so creative and crafty it’s not even funny! I wish I was that good!!

So if you’re crafty, or even interested in trying…I would totally recommend you checking out Pinterest! Heck you can just brose around and get an idea for whatever you need!  I’m totally obsessed and more than likely you’ll become that way if you already haven’t J

50 more days til' Christmas!!!!

That’s right folks, only 50 more days! I don’t know about you all, but I’m catching the spirit! Actually as I type I’m watching Christmas with the Kranks! Such a good movie, you should see it if you haven’t! Anyways, I just wanted to take this time to write about my favorite holiday memories and traditions.

Even though this year’s Christmas will be different the all the other 20 I’ve had in my live, I couldn’t be more excited! This year I’ll get to celebrate Christmas in a new home with my new husband!

One of the things I love about Christmas is setting up our tree. The weekend after Thanksgiving is when ours goes up each and every year. We crank up the Christmas tunes, make hot chocolate and decorate the tree. It is such a memorable time with my mom and brother, so I hope to continue this tradition with Cole and our family!

Another favorite tradition of mine is Hallmark Christmas ornaments! I loved collecting these wonderful works of arts. I have been collecting ever since I was a little girl, I just didn’t know it at the time. But one thing I love about Hallmark is they have special series, and they come out with a new ornament in each series each Christmas. Over time these collections become very valuable and great keepsakes. But my favorite ornament isn’t a series ornament. It is one that was given to me a few years ago by my grandma. It was made in 1990, which was the year I was born. It is a popcorn popper that actually makes noise and pops the corn inside when it is plugged in to a strand of lights! It’s sooooo cute!

Another family tradition we have is watching our favorite Christmas movies the entire week before Christmas. To name a few of our favorites: The Polar Express, The Santa Clause, The Santa Clause 2, and Christmas with the Kranks. And that’s just to name a few! The ABC 25 days of Christmas is great too, they play Christmas movies every day, starting 25 days before Christmas.

Also around this time of year I LOVE going to the shopping malls that are decorated in light and garland blaring their Christmas music. I just love the hustle and bustle and the atmosphere that fills the air! Oh and the smell of that Starbucks peppermint latte linger throughout the halls! Mmmm I can imagine it now!

Well ready or not, Christmas is coming. Personally this is my favorite time of year, friends, family, great food and traditions. It really doesn’t get much better; especially this year…getting married on Christmas Eve, spending Christmas day with my new husband and then leaving for Jamaica a few days after. I am so blessed and I hope everyone else has a blessed holiday season this year!

HOLY CARDINALS!!!!!

A long time ago I thought I would write a blog about the comeback cardinals, but I never did because I didn’t think I could come up with enough to talk about. But after last night’s game I couldn’t resist!

The cardinals were ten games behind for first place in the National League. Which would have guaranteed them a spot in the play offs. Well I’ve decided the redbirds like to give all their fans heart attacks and come from behind.  And that they did the Cardinals won them wild card series against the Philly’s in five games. The next challenge: the Milwaukee Brewers, who had earlier in the season grabbed first place in the National League. Check! The cards did it again…in five games!

So this past Wednesday, October 18^th, 2011 was the start of the 2011 World Series. The series started off in St. Louis, Missouri. The Cardinals get off to a great start with a 3 to 2 victory over the Texas Rangers. In no time the series is tied 1-1 after a 2 to one Rangers win. But not for long….the team head back to Texas and the Cardinals make themselves at home with a huge 16 to 7 triumph. Unfortunately the Texans answer back two games in a row. So back to St. Louis for game six. This is where it gets good! The redbirds are trailing in the series 3-2 at this point, but that didn’t mean a thing. Last night the Cardinals were down to their last strike...TWICE. There were two comebacks in the ninth and tenth innings made possible by David Freese and Lance Berkman. This was the perfect set up for David FreesE to score a walk-off homer in the eleventh inning in front of an ecstatic crowd. The World Series hasn’t been into seven games in almost a decade. That all changes tonight, the winner takes it all in game seven of the 2011 World Series. This is arguably one of the best Word Series in history. And history will be made tonight. Tune in tonight on your tv, radio, or maybe your one of the lucky ones that are going to be a Busch Stadium in the heart of St. Louis, Missouri! Join me in cheering on the Cards with their ace Chris Carpenter on the mound, tonight!!! GO CARDS!!!!! :)

The Northern Lights

Recently there was a spotting of the Northern Lights. I have always heard of the Northern Lights, but never really knew what it was. I also had only ever heard that the Northern Lights were in Canada. So with the recent sighting in Fair Grove, MO, it intrigued me to research more about them.

The Northern Lights are also known as Aurora borealis’ in the north and Aurora australis’ in the south. The lights have been reported as shades of red, yellow, green, blue, and violet. They appear as patchy scattered clouds or streams of light.

So what causes the Northern Lights? The Northern Lights are the result of colliding gaseous particles in the Earth’s atmosphere running into charged particles released from the sun’s atmosphere. The various colors that have been reported are due to the different type of gases that are smashing into each other. Of all of the different colors spotted the most common is a light yellowish-green. This shade is produced by oxygen molecules found sixty miles about the Earth’s surface. The rarest reported are the red lights. Red is made by high altitude oxygen, up to two hundred miles. The blueish-purpleish aurora is produced with Nitrogen is present. Since the Northern Lights are seen fifty to two hundred miles about the surface of the Earth, a cloudy night could obstruct the view. It needs to be very dark, even a bright full moon can ruin the view.

Albany.edu reports that in 1575 was the first published illustration by Cornelius Gemma. And the most recent was just the last Monday evening, October 24, 2011.

A few more facts about the Northern Lights: What is the best time of year to see the Northern Lights? March and September are the best months to likely see the lights. For a few reasons this is true…first the Earth’s orbit is in the zone of maximum solar activity and second these months have dark skies along with mild temperatures making it a perfect scene. Where is the best place to see the Northern Lights in the United States? Alaska! This is the best place in the United States to witness the lights, because they occur in the “auroral oval” which is centered on the northern geomagnetic pole, and passes over Alaska. But if you are not in Alaska don’t worry. The Northern Lights have been spotted in the northern states that border Canada, the changes of seeing one decreases the further south you get.  

So I guess the view of the Northern Lights in parts of Kansas, and even closer to home, Fair Grove, Missouri was a rare and special sighting. I wish I could have witness the extraordinary red auroras that were seen randomly throughout the states. I looked for information on patterns or forecast of auroras to see when the next would possibly be seen, but I didn’t find any documentation. The Northern Lights are a rare experience in the Midwest, but I’ll keep my fingers crossed that I get to see them at some point in my life time! 

I said yes!

 Cole and I got engaged on February 13^th, 2011. It was a Sunday afternoon, he was out working and I was home doing homework/studying. He calls me and wants me to meet him out a one of his farms, so I did. When I got there he had his truck at the gate for me to drive back into the pasture. (My car wouldn’t make it in the half melted snow.) So I drive out in to field where he told me to go, a little old barn out in the middle of nowhere pretty much. When I got there Cole was sitting on an upside down five gallon bucket, in the middle of this barn. Puzzled, I asked him, “What are you doing?” He replied with, “Oh just thinking…” I thought to myself this was all kind of strange, but next I asked, “About what?” Before I even had time to comprehend the situation, he pulls out the most beautiful ring I’d ever seen, and asks “Will you marry me?” Shocked, I replied “Are you serious?” Haha… oops! I feel bad looking back that I said that, but I had absolutely NO CLUE this was going to happen. My dad was the only person that knew! J Most people think that it might be kind of a lame story, but the place where he proposed has a lot of sentimental value to us. We have spent a lot of time there together, and hopefully one day we can build our house there!

Anyways…now that you know the proposal story I want to tell let you in on my experience of shopping for a wedding dress. Just shortly after the engagement I started looking for dresses. I had gone to several places and they all ask the same question. “What do you see yourself in? I couldn’t really give them an answer, but I could tell them the two things I absolutely didn’t want; strapless and white. Well if you been through this before, you know that knocks out about 85% of the dresses. So my choices were very slim. After weeks of searching, I finally found the perfect one, I never thought I would! I never understood it when everyone says “oh you will know when you’ve found it!” But, somehow it really is true, you know when it is the one! So I order this dress like the first week in March. Just last Friday the dress came in. Leading up to my alterations appointment I started having these fears of: what if I don’t like it anymore, what if it doesn’t fit, and heck what if they ordered the wrong one!! It took eight months to get the first go around; I don’t have time to order again.  Well I had my fitting appointment this last Friday; yes, they ordered the right one, I stilled loved it, and it fit pretty much just like a glove, with just a few minor adjustments!!  At that moment, it became so real…I’m getting married in 65 days!!!

House Hunting

Some love it and some hate it. Me, well it depends on the day. Some days I enjoy surfing around when I should be doing something more productive; I’d like to know how many hours of my life I’ve wasted looking for a home! And then other days it’s the last thing I want to do or think about. On the days I like house hunting it sort of gives me the feeling of a rush. I’ll get so excited that we have possibly found something then in an instant something doesn’t work out, and it’s gone. It’s a market where we’ve got to be quick on our feet. I’ve found out the word of mouth is so extremely fast and it seems as if everyone is after the same deals as us. After the so called “rush” is the crash. At this point, looking for a house is absolutely the last thing on earth I want to be doing. It makes me mad and sometimes I think I’d rather just live in my parent’s basement. Haha, not really, but it drives me that insane.

The house hunting deal is one of the longest and slowest processes EVER. Now, I know you said you’ve got to be fast, but it’s that hurry up in wait game. For example: when you’re at Disney world and sprint to the next roller coaster to wait forty five minutes in the line. Maybe I’m the only one that knows what I’m talking about, but I doubt it. Anyways…back to house hunting.

It seems like at this time try to buy might be a good thing. It’s just a matter of finding something that has at least the minimum “wants” and isn’t over budget. In the vicinity where we are looking homes are either three hundred thousand dollars plus or under fifty thousand. There is very slim pickin’s in the “middle class” range. This is probably the biggest factor to consider when looking for a house; the cost. I’ve also heard the ol’ saying “the only thing you can’t change about a house is the location.” So I’ve been trying to keep this in the back of my head. I believe it to be true…only if the money is there to do it.

All in all, I’ll be very happy when this whole hunt and HUGE decision to be mad is over. It’s a long commitment and a lot of money. But a lot of people do it, so I think we can too. For now, I’m just going to keep my patience and wait on the perfect first home for me and my future husband to purchase. Patience has never been one of my best attributes, but I’m learning. Because in this situation it’s key; we don’t want to jump into something that would put us over our heads, or something we think is a great deal…after all a better situation could and probably will come along that is just right for us. 

Popcorn!

Well I was eating some kettle corn I purchased at Apple Butter Makin’ Days while trying to come up with something to right about. That’s when I came up with popcorn! I started thinking about where it came from, how it came about, and just anything about popcorn. So I decided I’d do a bit of research and share it with y’all. Here we go…everything you’ve ever wanted to know about popcorn!

The early history of popcorn: Most people believe that corn and popcorn originated in the Americas. But exactly how is still a topic for debate. Some think it was created by centuries of breeding wild grasses. The other side believes popcorn was started from findings in archeological digs.  It is said to be believed that the first use of corn was for popping!

In 1948 and 1950, the oldest years of popcorn that have so far been found were in the Bat Cave of west central New Mexico. Some of the pieces were smaller than a penny and even bigger than two inches. This corn was thought to be approximately four thousand years old.  Also, in the early 16^th century, popcorn was used in the Aztec Indian ceremonies. Supposedly the young women did a popcorn dance, with tassels of maize made popcorn garlands. Popcorn was a very important food for the Aztec Indians. They would use popcorn as decoration, ceremonial headdresses, necklaces and ornaments on the statues of their gods.

Now moving forward in time; from 1890 until the great depression, popcorn was extremely popular. The street vendors would follow the crowd while pushing their poppers at fairs parks, and etcetera. During the great depression popcorn was five or ten cents a bag and was one of the few luxuries families could afford.  While other businesses were failing, the popcorn business was booming. Also, during World War two, sugar was sent overseas for the troops; meaning not much sugar was left in the states to make candy. Therefore, Americans ate three times more popcorn than they normally would.

In the 1940’s was the time that people started heating their popcorn by microwave; which is probably still the most popular means today. In this day and age, we consume 17 billion quarts of popcorn each year. The average American eats about 54 quarts. That’s a lot of popcorn! Today and more than likely forever, popcorn’s a fan favorite. There are companies that have taken popcorn to the extreme. For example: The Popcorn Factory, Big Popper, and Popcornopolis are a few names of some companies that have make the original popcorn into something gourmet. These places offer on the upward of twenty different flavors from sour cream and onion to cupcake and if this wacky flavor are not your taste, don’t worry they have the classics like butter and cheddar too! Anything you could desire, they’ve got it. On the down side, a box of Popcornopolis will cost you $46.99 plus shipping!   

Well now that you have to down low on popcorn, go enjoy some...after all October is national popcorn poppin’ month!  

Apple Butter Makin' Days!

This weekend is one of my favorite times of the year. It feels like fall is finally here when the apple butter is churning. I grew up in Mount Vernon, Missouri; home of Apple Butter Makin’ Days, or better known as ABMD if you’re a local.  And yes it is makin’…not making! This annual festival is always the second weekend in October, for that Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. This is such a big deal around Mount Vernon; we even get out of school on Friday for it. It’s a tradition that has been going for 45 years now, and will more than likely live on forever.

Now let me tell you about ABMD. The madness begins on Thursday evening, vendors start setting up their booths. At the booths there are many things for sale. At the top of my list is the amazing food. But there are also, crafts. The cool thing about Apple Butter Makin’ Days is everything MUST be hand/homemade, I think that’s pretty neat. All of the booths are for non-profit organizations, like the high school band or FFA. Each year the same organization has their same “famous” items for sale. My favorites include: The Southwest Missouri Cattleman’s Association rib eye steak sandwich meal…my mouth is watering now! The First Baptist Church has their one of a kind Taco Salads each year; and of course you can’t forget the renowned APPLE BUTTER! Yes, they actually make mass quantities of apple butter on the courthouse lawn throughout the entire weekend. It also seems like each year there is a “hot” craft item for sale. In past years it’s been, homemade door wreaths to a picture of individual pictures that spell something out…if that makes since! I can’t wait to see what this year’s “must have” item is. Also throughout the entire weekend the “stage” is hopping. There are various types of performers, singers, and contest for your entertainment. Saturday is the main day of the event. There is a parade every Saturday morning, which draws a huge crowd. It’s probably one of the best parades around.  And to top all of it off there is even an Apple Butter Makin’ Days Queen. Yes, that’s right…a Queen. There is a contest that reminds me of how they do the Miss America Pageant, but take it back about 100 years..haha!

The Lawrence County Record, which is the local newspaper, came out today (Wednesday). It had a special edition issue in it for ABMD. I read some interesting facts about Apple Butter Makin’ Days that I would like to share with you, so maybe you can grasp a better understanding of ABMD if you’ve never been.  This article was called ABMD by the Numbers. Now to sum it up: 1967- The first year of Mt. Vernon’s ABMD. 41- The number of people who have chaired the festival.  7- Seven people have chaired the festival more than once. 4- The number of traffic lights in Mt.Vernon (half of which are outside the city limits). 10- The number of feet in an ABMD booth. 380- The number of booths at ABMD each year. 1,600- Is the estimated number of gallons of apple butter that will be made at the 2011 festival. And lastly 52,000- The estimated number in attendance at last year’s Apple Butter Makin’ Days. When I read this today it made me blessed to be part of such an amazing community that holds an astounding event each year. I hope if you haven’t been to at least one ABMD that you attend at least one. Because in my opinion, once you go, you’ll always want to keep going back! 

iPhone 5=BUST

I’m sure there where many other people, other than myself in extreme anticipation for the iPhone 5. Apple was to announce the new phone today, and they did, but it was a disappointment for most. The iPhone 4S was introduced as “the most amazing iPhone yet.” I guess I should have known better than to get my hopes up since the iPhone 3G was followed by the iPhone 3GS. Oh well, I did anyway!

Now that the wait is over and the announcement has been made, all the new “secrets” are out. The iPhone 4S looks basically identical to the previous iPhone 4. However, the “guts” of the phone do have some pretty stellar new features.

The iPhone 4S has the same exact A5 dual-core processor from the iPad 2. This means better graphics; apple is claiming a seven times improvement increase in graphics capability. This will greatly improve gaming, surfing and pretty much everything about the iPhone. Better graphics means better pictures as well, but not without the help of the eight mega pixel camera with built in flash. This camera also shoots in 1080p high definition videos. These are all great improvements and upgrades that apple has made, but there is some stunning new technology with the iPhone 4S. It’s called Siri. Now you can use your voice to use your iPhone. You talk to it just like you would a person. A few examples: “Do I need my sunglasses?” “Are there any good pizza around here?” Or “Where’s the nearest ATM?” The amazing iPhone can figure out the right apps you need to find out the answer to your questions. Then, just when you thought it couldn’t get much better…the iPhone 4S can make phone calls, send messages, schedule your meetings, set a reminder and much more. Say you need a reminder to pick up your dry cleaning after you get off work. Consider it done, with the new technology, Siri. In addition to all these wonderful features, one I’m really excited about is called AirPrint. I’ve always thought this would be a great element for the iPhone. You can print your e-mail, photos, and documents…whatever it might be. No cords or software to install, just a few taps and a wireless connection. Then you’ve got your hard copy, just like that. There is also an app similar to this one, but it’s called AirPlay. Basiclly it’s the same concept, just from your phone to your Apple TV. You can play what’s on your iPhone to your big screen.

Even though the iPhone 5 reveal was a bust, and many tech junkies were disappointed; I think there is still great aspects of the new iPhone 4S. Sure it will hurt for awhile, but I bet eventually we will see an iPhone 5. And there is always a positive side to each bad thing (like no iPhone 5); but see it as I will not go waste two hundred dollars on something that I don’t really need, but selfishly want. So it’s all good! 

Momom

This past Friday I was able to attend the first annual momom, in Springfield, Missouri. Momom stands for Missouri Mission of Mercy. Momom is a fairly new program. Missouri is the ninth state to join the movement project. Momom was designed to give outstanding dental care for people in need. With is program all dental care given, is free.

The day began with my alarm clock going off at 2:45 A.M. Volunteers were required to be there at 4 A.M.  Patients were let in the doors at five. Although they were let in a five, the first person in line had been waiting there since noon on Thursday. Yes, just like a person would do on black Friday… When I arrived on Friday morning the line was literally over a mile long. Thousands of people lined up to rid them of their pain and worries.

As the patients came through the doors they were given a breakfast burrito from McDonalds and a clip board with all their necessary paperwork. The patients went through so called “stations.” First, was medical triage, where their health history and vital signs were reviewed. Second, patients were seen in the dental triage area, where they were diagnosed with the treatment to be preformed that day. Rather if it be an extraction(s), filling(s) or a cleaning. From this point on began the actual treatment phases. The patients were escorted to the proper area for treatment, until all the chairs where full. Then of course, a line began forming…a long line I might add. But what I thought was crazy were that the people didn’t seem to care. The vast majority of the people we so extremely grateful to be given this free dental care that potentially could be life changing for them. No longer would they live in pain or self consciously.

The day that I volunteered there were approximately one thousand patients. Each given, in this environment and situation, the best and most adequate dental treatment one could ask for. 

I just want to share a story that touched my heart while I was at Momom. One of the patients was in tears expressing her EXTREME thankfulness for the Momom program. Her husband had been taken away from her, for being mistakenly accused, and sent to jail. She had just lost her home, and had to move in with her son. She owned four rental homes and not a single one had paid their rent in six months or more. She had nothing…literally. Her budget for food was five dollars a month, she said she had her own meat and fruit she had grown and with her five dollars she bought bread and milk. This woman had no money to get her teeth taken care of, but with the help of the Momom program, she was able to have a glimpse of hope. Just like many others that were served through this wonderful project.

My eyes were opened widely at Momom this past week. I realized how great of need there is for dental care, just here in the Ozarks. Imagine the need around the world. I would strongly encourage anyone and everyone to volunteer a few hours out of their day to participate in a Momom (or any state near you) project…you don’t need any dental experience what so ever. But this experience has changed my aspect and made me much more grateful for my own life. 

Stop the Pop

Whether you call it pop, soda, cola, or coke…it all contains the same, no good properties. Each day, soda consumption alone provides the average teenage boy about fifteen teaspoons of refined sugars, and the average girl about ten teaspoon. These amounts approximately equal the recommended limit for a teens’ daily sugar intake from all foods (MDA). According the National Soft Drink Association (NSDA), the consumption of soft drinks is now over six hundred twelve ounce servings per person, per year. The highest consumption rates recorded are on males between the ages twelve and twenty nine; they average a half gallon a day or one hundred sixty gallons per year…that’s a lot of pop.

Now that you have an idea of just how much pop is consumed, I will discuss why people even bother to drink pop. I believe eMed Expert has really great explanations. The number one reason people consume pop is obvious, it taste good! When people love the flavor they get addicted to it very easy, making it extremely easy to consume with every meal. Next, pop is everywhere we go. It’s in vending machines, at fast food chains, and supermarket checkout lines. With pop being one of the top sellers on the market you can find it virtually everywhere. And since it’s almost anywhere we go, that lead me to the next point. Pop is extremely convenient. It can be grabbed in a hurry and taken on the go. Also being served in a convenient bottle, cup, or can is a plus for pop consumers. Another reason people drink pop is they are intrigued by the soft drink company’s advertisements.  Billions of dollars are spent on advertising, and hey, it works! Pop is also fairly cheap, when compared to 100% fruit juices and milk. You can usually add a large drink to a combo meal for just an extra dollar. After all of these great reasons that people consume pop, lastly they form a habit. When someone gets use to drinking many sodas a day, it becomes a vicious never ending cycle that’s extremely hard to overcome.

All of the things I’ve listed above make not drinking pop near impossible. But with this following information maybe I can changes a few peoples mind. I found this really great blog that campaigns “water for life,” and has some great reasoning to back their campaign. First off, the pH of soda is comparable to the pH of vinegar. Which means is extremely acidic, therefore leading to the next issue. Pop will dissolve your tooth enamel, with pops high sugar count and acidity, it easily dissolves tooth enamel. One of the main concerns with soda consumption is the increased risk of obesity. The comparison between pop consumption and body weight is so strong researchers calculate that for each extra soda consumed, the risk for obesity increases 1.6 times! Last but certainly not least in the case; as people are becoming more obese (much of it from pop) they are just increasing their risk for many other systemic diseases such as: diabetes, weekend bones, increased blood pressure, liver, and kidney damage. Now this is just to name a few, but it gets the point across.

Last I just want to discuss where my title name came from. Stop the Pop is a program from the dentist of the Missouri Dental Association (MDA). This program is used to raise awareness on the harmful effects pop has on our bodies. Many participating dentist have brochures and other material in their offices for patient education. I believe that this program has great potential to help inspire individuals to quit drinking pop for their own good. 

Apple’s greatest technology…

About a year ago, some of my closest family members move 18 hours away from me. When you’re so close to someone, or the entire family, it’s extremely hard to say goodbye. I remember the exact day I found out they were leaving, two weeks later, they were gone. It was such a short notice, and a life changing move, but with this amazing thing call FaceTime I feel like our relationships and lives really haven’t missed a beat.

FaceTime can be done on iPhones or iPads, with a wireless internet connection. Basically, what you do is call the other person in FaceTime mode and it dials through and connects with your camera on that is on the front of the phone or iPad. Once there is a connection, you can see and hear each other, just like you’re talking face to face. I don’t exactly know how it works, but let me tell you…it’s AMAZING!

What makes this so special to me is I get to keep in touch with my three favorite little nephews, who are the ages eight, seven, and two. It’s such a wonderful joy to see their faces light up each time we get to FaceTime. We get to catch up on everything going on in each other’s lives. I get to see them in the football uniforms, as if I were actually at the game myself and seeing their smiles, and hearing there laughs fills my heart every single time!  Now, the two year old doesn’t quite understand how it works, but he’s a little star in front of the camera every time, it never fails!

Recently, my grandparents stay the night at my house. I decided to surprise them with FaceTiming their three great grandchildren; which they hadn’t seen in about a year. We had got the connection going and I handed my phone to my grandma, as she watch little Heston play in the background…it put her in tears!! She got to see and talk to all three boys, just as like they were face to face; and the boys were just as excited to see grandma and grandpa. Of course my grandparents had never seen such a thing, and they obviously live in the dark ages; but they actually admitted how neat that experience was.

Some people think that smart phones and all the technology are dumb and/or a waste of money, but I have to argue differently. Technologies like FaceTime, have changed how we communicate. Some say its weakened communication skills, and it aspects maybe it has. But in my personal opinion, it has changed for the better. My experience with FaceTime, it’s made a world of difference in keeping in touch with my family that’s half way across the country now. It’s almost as if they never left Missouri. Each time we FaceTime, is leaves encouraging feeling that helps me rejuvenate. I can refill my sprit in hopes that we will someday soon see each other again. But for now, I’ll settle for the next best thing, FaceTime.

Buy or Rent?

Currently in my life I am trying to make this decision, so I thought I would do a little research to see what the best choice for me and my future husband to make would be.

First I'll start by explaining the benefits and reasons to buy a home instead of renting. I found this opinion piece that does a good job explaining the top five reasons to buy instead of rent. Makes since, but is it right for everyone? We shall see. Number one, housing cost is more stable. Rent payments can change and typically increase each year and most mortgage payments remain the same for the entire length of the loan. Two, possible tax savings. People who own homes can be qualify for considerable tax savings; because a person can deduct the mortgage interest and property tax from the federal income tax. Three, debt consolidation, if needed a person can refinance a loan to merge other debts, which is also tax deductable. Four, equity; instead of making payments to someone else, a home owner is building their equity. Equity is money in your own pocket when the home sales, instead of the land lord’s. And lastly, it’s yours! When it’s all said and done, the person owns it, can do whatever they want to it and can have as many pets and they please. These benefits of buy a house seem to be pretty good reasoning to purchase instead of rent…

But here is an advocate for renting forever instead of buying that makes a good argument. Renting is more flexible. With renting there are virtually no tie downs. A person can pick up and move at the drop of a hat for job reasons, or whatever may arise. Also, someone else does the repairs. When you own a home, it’s your problem, but with renting, the landlord should be responsible for the maintenance. Another aspect to see it as, renters insurance is much cheaper than home owners insurance. Homes come with a risk of depreciation. Where instead of the house gaining value or staying the same, it decreases; which leaves a person in high chance of losing money when selling, or foreclosure.

A few more factors to consider are: how long will you be staying and how fast pricing and rentals rise. According to the New York Times, if a person stays in their home for six years buying is better. It will cost ten thousand four hundred and sixty dollars less than renting; which is an average savings of almost two thousand dollars each year.  I think this article does a great job reporting all of the facts that a person must consider before deciding to buy or rent.

I’ve read and heard from numerous sources that this is one of the biggest decisions that a person will make in their lives. So with that being said; I believe that this decision is strictly an individualized choice that the person/persons have to make. Each must take into consideration their own personal situation and financial factors to come to the right conclusion. And if there is anyone else at this point in their life trying to make the right decision, good luck!

Brides in Heaven

Everyone knows that trying to plan a wedding is quite a challenge. I believe that’s why God gave somebody the genius idea of a something called a bridal expo. A few weekends ago I attended the Metropolitan Bridal Expo in Springfield, MO. Let me just say Aaaamazing!! If anyone is trying to plan a wedding, I would highly recommend attending some sort of bridal expo.

If you’ve never been to anything like this, don’t worry, I’m about to explain it.

Upon arrival I had pre-registered to attend so I didn’t have to at the door.  It cost $5 to get in, but it’s so worth it, well to me it was. We walk in and there was a duet of violin players blasting love tunes. At the grand entrance, was a recreation of a couple’s wedding that had just taken place a few months ago. The two were there dressed in their wedding day apparel greeting every guest, making us feel as if we were attending their big day. After this grand entry, we walk in to the main attraction. At this particular bridal expo, there were hundreds of vendors lined up side by side and in many rows. These vendors bring their best displays of what they’ve got… and there is quite the variety. There were beautiful florist displays all around, fresh and artificial. Catering was another hot item…literally. I was so stuffed after I left there; the catering companies had endless samples of their specialties. And that doesn’t even include all of the cake I ate from the many different bakers, trying to win me over from all the other competition. There were also many rental companies. Places to rent tables, chairs, chair covers, tents and anything else one could every dream of for their big day. Need a dress, veil, or tux? No worries, the expo has it! There were many retailers showing off their beautiful ball gowns and fancy tuxedos. I’m no exaggerating…whatever is needed for a wedding, the expo has it! It’s a one stop shop for every wedding need.

Another neat thing they had at this expo was many raffles, give aways, and contest. No, sure enough I didn’t win a thing, but it was still great to experience it all. A few pointers I would like to share in case anyone is considering attending a bridal expo… Make some address labels that have your name, phone number, e-mail, and wedding date on them. This way you can just peal one off and stick it on the paper that the vendor wants filled out. This saves a lot of time and is so convenient when you get in with a big crowd trying to sign up too. Also take a big purse or bag, usually they give you one at the door, but if for some reason they don’t you’ll be sorry. The vendors will give out so many papers; you will want some where to put them. And last...wear comfy shoes!

I hope if anyone attends a bridal expo they enjoy it as much as it did. It really is a great way to get started planning a wedding. There is free food and it’s lots of fun, so hey, why not? 

Periodontal Disease

Periodontal disease is often more commonly known as gum disease. According to Perio.org; the definition for chronic periodontitis is: a result in inflammation within the supporting tissues of the teeth, progressive attachment and bone loss. This is the most frequently occurring form of periodontitis and is characterized by pocket formation and/or recession of the gingiva. Periodonal disease affects mostly adults, but is not confined to the adult population and can occur in children as well.

Porphyromonas gingivalis which is pronounced, pour-fy-roh-mo-nas ging-jih-val-lis, is one of the leading bacteria found in the mouth of a patient with periodontal disease. Porphyromomas gingivalis is a gram negative obligate anaerobe; which means this bacteria species stains red in a laboratory test called gram staining. Gram staining is a simple test that reveals all different types of bacteria’s properties. Let’s take for example, Porphyromonas gingivalis. Since it stains as a red bacterium, it is call gram negative; these bacteria have a double cell membrane and are believed to play an important role in tissue destruction associated with periodontitis. Porphyromomas gingivalis is also an anaerobe; this means that the bacteria cannot live in the presence of any oxygen what so ever. Another characteristic of P. gingivalis is that it is a non-motile bacteria; non-motile means that they do not move. ( Foundations of Periodontics for the Dental Hygienist: Textbook) 

Porphyromonas gingivalis is found in nearly everyone’s mouth, just at different levels. Patients with low numbers of P. gingivalis are associated with have healthy gingival tissue or gingivitis with no destruction. On the other hand, if a patient has a much higher amount of P. gingivalis detected they are more likely to suffer from periodontal tissue destruction.

Oxford Journals states that: Porphyromoas gingivalis is most generally found in the sub gingival plaque of patients with periodontal disease. However, the bacterium has also been reported in other oral sites such as: the tonsils, periotonsillar abscesses, saliva and root canals. There have been a low number of reports on the separation of P. gingivalis from patients with infections found outside the oral cavity.

            Treatment of periodontal disease and lowering the number of P. gingivalis that is in the oral cavity is as follows. There are two treatment options depending on how severe the case is. One is non-surgical treatment and the other is surgical treatment. In the majority of cases, non-surgical treatment is what is generally required. Non-surgical treatment consists of a procedure called scaling and root planning. This is a deep cleaning below the gum line, which usually requires local anesthesia to numb the gums. During to procedure the dental profession will remove, plaque, tarter and bacterium such as P. gingivalis. A quick break down: plaque is the white stick substance that you use a toothbrush for to remove daily. If the plaque is not removed it hardens and then is referred to as tarter. Tarter can only be removed by a dental professional with their special instruments.  Surgical treatment can entitle many things. To name a few: bone grafts, soft tissue grafts, bone surgery and pocket reduction surgery. These surgical treatment considerations are extremely severe and complicated, all other options should be review before resorting to surgical treatment of periodontal diseases, but unfortunately it is require in some cases.

            Periodontal disease can be prevented with good oral hygiene home care and regular dental check-ups! 

suggestions anyone?

Well I’m laying here on my couch listening to a hunting show that my dad is watching; lame if you ask me. But hey, at least I’m not interested in watching it so I can write this post! I’ve been at my computer for the past hour or so staring at a blank work document that now has a few words on it…

Each week in this class we have to write two blog post…this is only the fourth post and I’m already having trouble coming up with things to write about. This isn’t good since we have approximately twenty-six more to write for the semester.

So I thought I would use this post to see how everyone else comes up with ideas to blab about. I am open to any suggestions, ideas, ANYTHING!!!! I guess my life is just completely lame. I drive to Joplin every day, go to class, come home do homework, study, eat and repeat! With this schedule, I rarely have time to get inspired and write about it. It’s not that I don’t mind doing it; I just need some major brainwaves to overcome me with thoughts to blog about. I often read other peoples blogs in hopes that it might strike some genius idea that I can write about. But after the fact I just think to myself...wow that was awesome and a good idea, why didn’t I think of that? Hmmm…this hunting show has horrible back ground music and they are roasting an entire dear over an open campfire; WEIRD!

Well now this post has 264 words. Not quite to the goal of 500. But hopefully I can make it up in the next post after I get enlightened by my other great classmates about how to come up with intriguing ideas that make for fabulous blog post. A BIG thanks in advance to anyone who comments with master mind suggestions! J

Your appreciative classmate,

Megan

What was he/she/they/whoever thinking?

It seems like daily hear about unfortunate crimes and robberies all over town; but you never really think about it until it hits home. This weekend was a great Labor Day weekend right? Wrong…my grandma and grandpa were robbed! It was about 7:30ish on Sunday night, the thief came on a stolen motorcycle. They tore through their house, top to bottom, every room, every drawer. After stashing all of my grandma’s jewelry…FINE jewelry I might add, seven guns, two laptops, the thief set my grandpa’s shop on fire…He is a mechanic for many local farmers, I don’t have any idea what the sticker price would be for all of his belongings. And on top of that he was working on someone else’s tractor at the time of the fire that was demolished. And last but certainly not least, they used his pick up as a getaway vehicle and left the burnt up motorcycle, yes they tried to burn the evidence.

So after this incident this weekend, I started wondering how or if the crime rates have fluctuated compared to the past. I feel like the robbery, crime, and murder rates have significantly increased. I believe much of this has to do with the weak economy, unemployed and the desperate time of need United States citizens are experiencing.

According to the FBI; in the years 2006 and 2007 from January to December the robbery rate percentage was -0.5. Within a short for years, we jump to the year of 2010. In this year, the robbery rate had increased to -9.5. That’s a pretty extravagant difference I think.

I found that Neighborhoodscout was a helpful resource to help understand how close the crime really is to home. The population of Missouri is estimated at 5, 837,861. Annually, the report total for burglary was 45,788 and for theft there were 150,032 crimes reported. The national median chances of becoming a victim in crime or theft is 32.1%. In Missouri, your risk is greater at 37.10%. Now I realized that is not a huge difference but if you think about the entire United States…that’s not good, not good at all!

Another view to look at this at this is the fact that since we are in a time of economic lows there is obviously unemployment. I didn’t really think about it until I read this article but, many of these job cuts have been police patrol, security guards and etc. Also many businesses are hurting and in these hurting times they are skipping out on privileges like security cameras or alarm systems.  Sure these things come at an extra expense, but could it pay off in the long run if something were to happen close to your home or business?

It is very sad to see the crime, burglary, and murder have increased. And like I said before; I believe it is from the hard economic times that Americans are facing. I hope to see a decrease in these rates in the near future to help preserve the lives of American citizens. 

two weeks down...fourteen more to go!

Today is Wednesday, August 31^st. Hump day some like to call it; we are over the hump to the second week of school. Fourteen more weeks to go…Woohoo!! The purpose of this opinion piece is to express my feelings to whoever is reading about how important it is to answer your phone and be a reliable person for someone counting on you. As I have said before, I am in the MSSU dental hygiene program. Tuesday I was scheduled to see my first patient, but they didn’t show up, never answered their phone, nor returned my calls…nothing. So here I am this first day of patients, without a patient.  I guess folks don’t understand that my grade depends upon them answering their phone, confirming the appointment and then actually showing up.

Plan B, stalk people in the hallways to come be my patient…NOW! First of all, I feel like a total idiot walking up to a total stranger in worst get up you’ve ever seen; safety glasses and hideous “grape” colored scrubs. “Hi, would you like to come be my patient in the dental hygiene clinic today?” they reply with a seriously confused look on their face”Umm..…Now?” Secondly, I feel horrible for disturbing a diligently studying student, a person eating lunch, or maybe they’re just texting. It doesn’t matter what they are doing, I still feel like a horrible idiot. But yes, I’m that desperate for a patient. Plan B, failed me on Tuesday, but hey you can’t blame the innocent citizens of MSSU.

Tuesday I took a hit on my grade. We have so many requirements in a semester, and so little time. I never thought I would say three and a half hours wasn’t enough time for a dental appointment, but in this program it’s not enough time. So I’m zero for one on meeting my million requirements for the fall, but on the bright side (well sort of bright) there is 14 more weeks to go to get them all done. I often try to remind myself that it’s not impossible; there have been many people graduate from the program before me. They put their pants on the same way I do, so I should be able to manage.

So even though my semester has gotten off to a not so good start, things can only go up from here. I am looking forward to getting back into the swing of things after a few weeks off. Only two hundred and sixty one more days till I graduate, so I’m well on my way.

Well, to wrap this thing up…I hope my rambling made since on how important it is to be reliable when someone (and their grade, success and career) is depending on their word. This is a daily occurrence at the dental hygiene clinic, so I’m not the only one upset over the issue. I know it seems petty at times, but this doesn’t just relate to showing up to a dental appointment. Being trustworthy, reliable and dependable are all features one should desire to possess. 

Why should people really quit smoking?

I’m pretty sure that everyone in their life time has heard about how horrible smoking is. Some people have probably even tried to make the “benefits of smoking” sound good. I’m sure it’s just so they don’t feel as guilty doing it. But I am here to persuade you differently. In this case it’s about weighing the benefits against the risk. So let’s start weighing...

According to Better Health Channel, a government website, Cigarettes contain about 4,000 chemicals that harm just about every organ in the human body. To name a few: Tar, which is sticky, brown and leaves stains on your teeth. Tar also contains an ingredient that is known to trigger cancer tumors. Carbon monoxide is another one. This is an odor less gas that is fatal if consumed in large enough doses. Last, but defiantly not least is radioactive compounds. Hello…RADIOACTIVE; this is also know to be cancer causing. These chemicals harm almost every organ in the body. Let me explain more…I’ll begin with the respiratory system. Smoking creates a permanent affect on how someone breaths and even speaks. It affects the lungs in ways you wouldn’t fathom. Next, the circulatory system; this basically regulate the blood flow and functions the body. Smoking cause sticker blood, reduces the blood flow, therefore less oxygen can be carried by the blood. Smoking also affects the bodies overall immune system; making a person more prone to infection and illness. Not  only are these people at a higher risk of contract something, it takes them much longer to get over it compared to someone with an healthy immune system.

Now let’s discuss the other cost of smoking. The actual financial cost of smoking cigarettes will blow you way. According to Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, we as Americans, spend a total of 96 million dollars each year for public and private health care expenditures caused by smoking alone. Some more facts from KidsHealth: The average cost for a pack of cigarettes is $4.50. Which means, if you buy one pack a day that’s $234 a year; but many people smoke that in a day. This would bring the total spending to $1, 642. Personally, I’d rather spend the money shopping!

Above this paragraph are a lot of really good reasons people shouldn’t smoke. Now I will discuss the “Benefits of Smoking.” Some say that smoking reduces stress. The nicotine that cigarettes contain causes the release of dopamine into the brain, and extends the effect dopamine has on the brain. Another promotion for positive aspects of cigarettes is: nicotine helps your digestive system. It suppresses the appetite making one less hungry and smokers often lose weight. Nicotine is also a laxative, which helps with bowel movements. That concludes the “benefits” smoking.

Well in conclusion, I don’t know how much more clearly the facts could be. Smoking causes detrimental effect on the human organs; and personally I believe there are no true benefits of smoking.  Like I said before, the benefits must out weight the risk; with smoking, the risk out weights the benefit. 

About me.

Hi, my name is Megan! I am currently in my last year of the Dental Hygiene program at MSSU. (So if you every need your teeth cleaned come see me on campus!) I recently got engaged, and am planning a wedding for Christmas Eve! I'm a busy person right now so I don't have a lot of free time...but when I do get to enjoy myself I love to play in co-ed volleyball leagues, go shopping and watch Big Brother :) If you would like to know anything else just ask.