I saw a movie when I was a kid that showed some youth being taken into the woods by a crazy counselor for the summer - it was called White Water Summer and it starred Sean Astin and Kevin Bacon…anyone else remember it? Anyway, it was the first time I heard of such a program, but wildness programs are a big thing now, especially for city kids or troubled youth. We have a camp near us that sort of does the same thing for trouble teens in a camp setting, but this directory of different types of wilderness programs for struggling teens shows this is more than just camp and camping. Programs like this teach how to survive, how to depend on others, how to trust, and how to get over issues that struggling teens have.
I got a GREAT email from the Breast Cancer 3-Day today!
Congratulations – you’re halfway there! Thank you for your hard work fundraising and for your support of Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Philanthropic Breast Cancer Fund.
Because 10 million women around the world could die from breast cancer in the next 25 years without the cure, we are fighting every minute of every day to save every life.
Give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back – and then keep going! Continue with the same fundraising techniques that have been successful for you already, and add a few new approaches to your plan. Visit the Fundraising Tools page at www.The3Day.org for additional fundraising tips and ideas.
Please extend our thanks to your donors. Every dollar makes a difference!
Thank you, donors! Some of you are listed over there in my sidebar —>
If you’d like to be listed there, all it takes is one $20 donation. Your link will stay up til the end of this year, when I start fundraising for the 2008 walk! Leave me a comment if you’d like to donate with your PayPal account, or donate online right now at http://the3day.org/tampabay07/colleenc
You’ve probably heard of “cancerous” small towns and sick houses. These things happen because businesses treat the area they’re in as a personal dumping ground for contaniments. Businesses have been dumping waste in places you wouldn’t even dream of for years, and it’s making people sick, it’s ruining clear streams and healthy trees, and it’s contributing to the overall air quality of the world we live in. Thankfully, some companies DO care about the effect they’ve got on the environment, and they use EHS Compliance Software (Environmental Health & Safety) to make sure they’re staying in compliance with government regulations.
EHS software implementation is being done in wastewater treatment plans, for airlines, and for companies storing hazardous materials to ensure that outdated chemicals are no longer used (and disposed of properly). This EHS Metrics Software ensures that emissions are low, to ensure that spill prevention is done, and to make sure our environment stays as clean as possible.
A lot of people (women in particular I think) hope to find romance at the gym. I’ve often though that gyms and the YMCA should set up events for singles to meet and work out together. If you can’t get hooked up with a hottie while you work out, you could always try a dating site. Make a new friend and get a workout. Put in your profile that you’re into long walks on the beach (5 miles or more!), dinners by candlelight (protein bar and a power shake!) and quiet evenings at home (on the treadmill!) Best of all, the site is 100% free to use - you NEVER need to give up your credit card numbers to find yourself the perfect workout partner 
Some of us need a little jump start to get going in the morning. Most people choose to wake up with coffee. Me, I have to have a can of Coke. Obviously, the reason that some people choose coffee and I need a Coke is due to the main ingredient in both drinks - caffeine! A new bar of soap is being sold that’s infused with caffeine, and it’s called Shower Shock. (Not so sure on the name - I picture a hair dryer falling into the tub and electrocuting someone!) The caffeine in the soap absorbs into your skin for that morning pick me up.
I’m not sure if I’d like this or not - I’ve gotten so used to my morning Coke!
I read a study recently that said if children were allowed to drink at home, they’d be more prone to having problems with alcohol later in life. I was allowed to drink at home, a glass of wine with dinner or something, and I don’t let my kids do the same. I had friends who had parents who let them drink HEAVILY at home, saying that they’d rather their kid do it at home, then out on the street. What the heck? Youth alcohol treatment isn’t anything to take lightly, and I don’t see the point of letting a teen drink when it’s illegal for them to do so. The Echo Malibu approach focuses on the whole teen - not just the drinking. The program covers physical, emotional, social, family, and spiritual health. And helps teens to keep up with school too, while they go through the program.
Lord knows that teens have enough issues without drinking being one of them.
My husband is going to get quite the workout today.
He’s taking our son to a skate and shoot this afternoon. That’s like open session ice skating, except it’s just for hockey players. Basically ice time to play with the puck, but not an organized game. Now, my husband has been ice skating a lot, but this is an hour on the ice with the puck and the stick. I think he’s going to be sore and achy tonight!
As for me, I’ll be watching from the bleachers!
There are always special people in the center of the 3-Day closing ceremonies - people we call survivors. We walk for them, but we also walk for the hundreds and thousands of people who fought as hard as they could, and as long as they could, but lost their battle to cancer. A circle is formed, and an empty space is inside the circle to symbolize the friends, family, and strangers we’ve lost to breast cancer. Losing a loved one is never easy, but this website is trying to make coping with that loss a little easier. They’ve created something called an online remembrance .
Seattle, WA. – The passing of a loved one is difficult but can bring many an opportunity to find meaning and strength. Registry of Life.com – a new Web site developed by clinical psychologist Dr. Wayne Dees – provides an interactive way to share memories, stories, and photos of loved ones long after they are gone.
Registry of Life.com is an online memorial honoring and celebrating the lives of loved ones who have passed away. Providing a link from the past to the present, the Registry provides a legacy in words, pictures and even music accessible by family, friends and future generations.
www.registryoflife.com allows members to create a personal URL for their loved ones and is an easy and beautiful way to continue the legacy of those closest to their hearts. Members can create a customized Web site that includes a photo album with slideshow, a life timeline, music, customized design templates, and a guestbook. It also provides optional password protection to allow personal memories to stay personal. The one-time fee opens the door to a lifetime dedication and allows families and friends to upload memories, share stories, and find strength together, forever.
“As a result of counseling many grieving individuals and understanding how difficult it is for many to tolerate the painful emotions of mourning – it’s wonderful to have a place where families can honor their loved ones, share their memories, and continue their legacy,” explains Dr. Wayne Dees, creator of Registry of Life.com.
Registry of Life.com also features articles on bereavement and loss as well as recommended reading to help individuals cope with the normal but often difficult emotions that arise when dealing with loss: shock, denial, anger, guilt, sadness, and depression, while also helping the griever to move on through awareness, acceptance, and hope.
Registry of Life.com includes suggested readings that can help individuals find a productive means of coping, and more importantly, help their loved ones live on forever through their memories and images. Using the Registry can also be a great tool to help educate future generations about their family’s history.
“The Registry can help individuals in coping with the grieving process and to tell the life stories of their loved ones in words, pictures and music,” adds Dees. “We want people to have the opportunity and ability to commemorate the accomplishments and memories that celebrate life rather than focusing on loss.”
About Registry of Life.com:
Registry of Life.com is the creation of Dr. Wayne Dees, a clinical psychologist licensed in the state of Washington and a member of the American Psychological Association and the American Academy of Bereavement. Dr. Dees has worked extensively in the areas of bereavement, grief and loss. He holds a masters degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University in Los Angeles, CA, and a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Spalding University in Louisville, KY. The American Psychological Association approves both programs. Dr. Dees provides individual, couples, and group counseling in Seattle, WA. The Registry of Life.com is $49.95 after free 14-day trial period. For more information about Registry of Life.com, please visit http://www.registryoflife.com/ or email info@registryoflife.com.
I love the idea of loved ones being able to share funny stories and memories about someone special that they all loved, and this is such a neat idea to help people with the grieving process.
I rescheduled my son’s laser surgery. We had planned it for last weekend, and my husband and I were going out of town. I didn’t want to leave him the day after it, so I reschedule it for next month, without looking at my calendar. And yep, I rescheduled it for the day before our next trip out of town. The receptionist at the dentist office is going to think I’m nuts when I call to reschedule this procedure a 3rd time!
At the opening and closing ceremonies, we have speakers who stand up and say a few words to motivate us. Some quote facts, some tell a story. What I’d really like to hear is a survivor speak though - I think it would add a lot to the motivation factor! I’m not sure that celebrity speakers would be right to open or close the Breast Cancer 3-Day, but they would be great in another instance. I’d pay big money to hear someone like Oprah speak in person. Or Lance Armstrong! Some celebs do speeches for hire, for companies like International Speakers…maybe if you’re lucky, you’ll see & hear someone famous at your next corporate event! (Much better than listening to your CEO drone on, right?)
