More Awards for ME??? I'm Not Worthy!!!

OMG... Here are more awards I just received.... I seriously DO not deserve these awards. I am no where near as good as these people think I am... THEY are the ones with the fabulous blogs. But I want to thank Piera for thinking of me, she is just so wonderful. I received the Over the Top Award from Piera who has a wonderful blog called Jolly Mom. Her blog is full of wonderful reviews, giveaways, and terrific posts about her family including the greatest pictures of her adorable son Lucas. PLEASE, head on over to see for yourself what an amazing woman she is.

I was also graciously awarded this fabulous award by my friend Crystal from Simply Being Mommy. She was my VERY FIRST FOLLOWER, and has been by my side from the beginning - for that I am eternally grateful to her. She has always been there to help me build up my blog and answer questions for me, so I owe a lot to her for my blog's success to Crystal, so I wish to thank her very much for that, along with this wonderful award! Crystal is married and has three adorable children and is one of the sweetest and kindest women you could ever meet. I do have one disagreement with her... she says she is married to the most wonderful man in the world, I happen to think that I am, so, on that point, we will have to agree to disagree. :-)

Here are the rules for the Over the Top Award: USE ONLY ONE WORD! Copy and change the answers to suit you and pass it on.

1. Where is your cell phone? Nightstand
2.Your hair? Curly
3. Your mother? Self-Righteous
4. Your father? Deceased
5. Your favorite food? Chocolate
6. Your dream last night? Forgotten
7. Your favorite drink? Water
8. Your dream/goal? Health
9. What room are you in? Bedroom
10. Your hobby? Scrapbook
11. Your fear? Widowhood
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Traveling
13. Where were you last night? Home
14. Something that you aren't? Wealthy
15. Muffins? Blueberry
16. Wish list item? Self-Cleaning-Home
17. Where did you grow up? Connecticut
18. Last thing you did? Blogged
19. What are you wearing? (Ahem... embarrassing) Nude - I'm in bed...
20. Your TV? 56"
21. Your pets? Nano
22. Friends? Loyal
23. Your life? Complicated
24. Your mood? Tired
25. Missing someone? Debbie
26. Vehicle? Jaguar
27. Something you're not wearing? Anything (See #19)
28. Your favorite store? Pyramid.com
29. Your favorite color? Red-or-Green
30. When was the last time you laughed? 5-minutes-ago
31. Last time you cried? Tonight
32. Your best friend? Hubby
33. One place that I go to over and over? Pharmacy
34. One person who emails me regularly? Maria & Alexis (I couldn't do just one)
35. Favorite place to eat? Home

Next, Melissa and Alexis have graced me with the incredible "I Give Good Blog" award.... and I thank them so much.

Melissa over at Outnumbered 3 to 1, shares her home with two sons and a wonderful boyfriend fiance. I can totally relate to her as I was also always surrounded by testosterone living with Bill and my two boys, Nikolaus & Alexander, who are now grown and out of the house. Of course, now I have just have my two men (Hubby and Nano) to outnumber me.

The same award from Alexis at Running Away, I'll Help You Pack, as I've mentioned in a previous post, Alexis is one funny chick!! She LOVES to share her recipes, her favorite books, her favorite shopping tips and finds, anything and everything that makes her happy, to make her readers happy! Her 2 little boys, Caden and Cole are so adorable that you cannot help but want to hug them to death. The things Alexis writes about them remind me SO much about Nikolaus and Alexander when they were little, I get so nostalgic when I read her blog.

Alexis also passed on THREE more awards to me... bestill my heart, I am overwhelmed with love!! She is just too kind!! They are:

~ My Comments Rock Award

~ Dragon Loyalty Award

~ The Best Blog Award

The Best Blog Award was also so generously sent on to me from Felicia at Go Graham Go who is such a wonderful woman. She is a full-time mom and part-time school counselor; all while being a full-time friend, who ALWAYS has time to give an encouraging word to someone who is in need of a lift... and I should know as I have been on the receiving end of those wondrous words many times. So, thank you very much Felicia, you are very dear to my heart.

Please check out all these blogs and say hello from me.....

Since I recently did a post and passed on several awards to very deserving bloggers, some of whom are mentioned above, I will forgo passing these along for now. I do, however, reserve the right to pass them on at a later date.

Wishing you all a wonderful week and a glorious Autumn!

Until next time..... Lorie

Sunday Stealing: The Starrlight Meme

Welcome back to Sunday Stealing. Sunday Stealing originated on WTIT: The Blog authored by Bud Weiser. You may have heard of the expression, “honor amongst thieves”. In that age-old tradition, we also have our rules. First, we always credit the blog that we stole it from and we will “fess up” to the blog owner where we stole the meme

Today we ripped this meme off a blogger known as Starrlight from the blog Here Comes the Storm...In the Form of a Girl. She explains that she "Had this sent to me last night and now I have to share. Ah the Vedder." We really have no idea who she stole it from. But, it was probably stolen there as well. So, of course, that will be as far as we go. Tracing back our theft's thieves might take some time. Link back to us at Sunday Stealing!

Cheers to all us thieves!

Sunday Stealing: The Starrlight Meme

1. What was the last thing you put in your mouth? Stuffed Peppers with Rice

2. Where was your profile picture taken? Disney World

3. Can you play Guitar Hero? Never tried

4. Name someone who made you laugh today. What was it about? The Hubs... I can't remember, he makes me laugh a lot, it is usually a one liner or just something silly - it is one of the main reasons I love him.

5. How late did you stay up last night and why? I was up until 2:00am - which is actually not that late for me... I was blogging, answering emails, talking to my friends via the Internet. It is amazing how many blogger mommies are up at that hour, I think it is the only time they can get a minute to themselves. :-)

6. If you could move somewhere else where would you and why? I really love central Florida, but I would LOVE to live on a yacht sailing around WARM waters such as the Caribbean and the South Pacific, as long as there were no pirates - unless they looked like Johnny Depp.

7. Ever been kissed under fireworks? A few times, but the time I remember the most, is at midnight December 31, 1999 at EPCOT with the love of my life, The Hubs... we celebrated the Millennium at our favorite spot in the world - Disney World, it truly was "magical"! (Yeah, I know you guys are gonna say I'm corny!!)

8. Which of your friends lives closest to you? I have several friends right in my hometown, that I value equally, so I won't name names. My BEST friend died this past year and I miss her so much! Love you Sue, and I always will!

9. Do you believe ex's can be friends? With benefits? OH GOD NO!!!!

10. Do you like Dr. Pepper? On occasion.

11. When was the last time you cried really hard? Really hard as opposed to just sniveling? In the parking lot of the hospital after The Hubs gallbladder surgery, when they told me they also had to take a liver biopsy - there was a potential for some serious consequenses and I didn't know what I would do if I lost him!

12. Who took your profile picture? My youngest son, Alexander... I really miss him, and my oldest, Nikolaus!!

13. Who was the last person you took a picture of? My little Yorkie, Nano... yes, he is a person with feelings! If you mean a homo sapien, it was of The Hubs, Bill.

14. Was yesterday better than today? Why? No - yesterday we were very busy with a yard sale; today was just a very relaxing day watching football. (GO NY Giants!!)

15. Can you live a day without TV? Sure... I have 3 DVRs... I would just catch up the next day... I know, I have a problem... isn't that the first step???? Hello, my name is Lorie, and I am a televisionaholic.....

16. Are you upset about anything now? Sure... isn't everyone? We all have worries every day, but the secret is learning to deal with them daily... that is why I am medicated! (Better living through pharmacology.)

17. Do you think relationships are ever really worth it? Absolutely... I adore The Hubs... we never really fight (me: "been there/done that, doesn't work"; him: "I'm just too old and it doesn't work"), sure we have had disagreements, but we talk about them and work it out - NOTHING is worth losing each other - because we love each other, we mean the world to each other and NEVER want to be without each other. (Sounds hokey, I know, but we have been together for 14 years.)

18. Are you a bad influence? I don't think so, and I try not to be. But my family thinks I am because I don't belong to their religion, so they don't have anything to do with me -- their loss! (Took LOTS of therapy to get to that point, and it is my HEAD, not necessarily my HEART that says that out loud.)

19. Night out or night in? A little of each, depending on how I am feeling. Sometimes a night in can be TONS of fun!!

20. What items could you not go without during the day? Coffee, kisses from The Hubs, my laptop, chocolate.

21. Who was the last person you visited in the hospital? The Hubs, and too many times in the last year!! Let's hope it was the last time (fingers and toes crossed)!!

22. What does the last text message in your inbox say? Final score NY Giants 27 - KC Chiefs 16

23. How do you feel about your life right now? Nervous (hence the pharmacology)

24. Do you hate anyone? Yes... however the terms of the settlement prohibit me from disparaging him in public, or disclosing the amount in my favor! (Truth!)

25. If we were to look in your Facebook inbox, what would we find? Not on Facebook (See above answer - don't want to be found by him.)

26. Say you were given a drug test right now, would you pass? No (again pharmacology - also see answer #24, cause of medication usage!)

27. Has anyone ever called you perfect before? Yes, my children when they were little (now they see the error in their ways); and The Hubs, but he is looking through rose-colored glasses.

28. What song is stuck in your head? That stupid Geico commercial song with that idiotic money bundle with eyes (creepy commercials).

29. Someone knocks on your window at 2 a.m., whom do you want it to be? Someone wearing a Kevlar vest, because I am calling a S.W.A.T team!!!

30. Do you (or did you) want to have grandkids before you’re 50? No way, my kids would be WAY too young to have had babies by then... However The Hubs has grandkids and I love them like they are my own (I'm 43), and it is kinda cool doting on them and not being responsible for them.

31. Tell us your Saturday night. Depending how I feel... TV (catching up on those 3 DVRs) and bedtime... Or heading out to the local Irish Pub for a pint of Guinness and some great food, they have the BEST chocolate cake for dessert, and some wonderful music. They even have Irish Step Dancers sometimes.

32. Do you think too much or too little? WAY too much... I analyze everything, and am afraid of everything, and think about everything bad that can happen (I have PTSD - see question #24).

33. Do you smile a lot? When I am with people I know and am comfortable, yes. If I am in a crowd, no. If I don't know you or if I am in a strange place or situation, I'll have one of those fake-I'm-scared-get-me-the-hell-out-of-here smiles on. But, The Hubs is always right there by my side with his hand in mine or on my back. What a guy (see why relationships are worth it!!!)

Until next time..... Lorie

Self-Portrait Sunday: EPCOT Food & Wine Festival

It's time to get a picture of yourself up there again... remember, don't let yourself always be BEHIND the camera. Head on over to Maria's Space to see her beautiful face and to link up your self-portrait.
Here is my contribution... This is taken at EPCOT in Walt Disney World when The Hubs and I went the other night for some wonderful food and a great mini-concert (full post to follow).

Until next time..... Lorie

Saturday 9: Let's Go to Bed 10/3/09

Crazy Sam started this meme and here are her words:

"Welcome to Saturday: 9 . What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!"

Saturday 9: Let's Go to Bed


1. Has a relationship been effected by how one of you slept? No, not, really - we both snore, and sometimes it bothers one of us... but I don't sleep very well anyway because of other reasons, and neither one of us works (The Hubs is retired and I am disabled) so we can take naps during the day - and we do.

2. What side of the bed do you sleep on? Looking at the bed from the foot of the bed, I sleep on the right, The Hubs on the right, and the dog in the middle (but he is only 7 pounds so he doesn't take up much room) - when he's not sleeping on my head... :-)

3. Do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach? Back and side, or sitting up while I am typing on my blog... The Hubs laughs that he has learned to sleep by the glow of a laptop.

4. Describe the bedding on your bed right now. How does it change with the seasons? Are you particular about your pillows or linens? We have a Mickey Mouse comforter (DO NOT judge me, people!!) We love high thread count, and try to buy them when they are on sale at Target. We also have to have 2 pillows each, and Nano (the dog) has his own blankie.

5. When sleeping with someone, do you hog the bed, steal covers, or snore? See #1, we both snore, we share the covers, and we snuggle... we have to be touching when we sleep. If it gets too hot (often the case, as we live in central Florida) we at least have our feet touching.

6. What do you wear to bed? If it varies, explain. Umm, we call it my "ugly pajamas"... it is "in the buff". (Now I'm really embarrassed! TMI) However, if it gets a little cold, which doesn't happen too often, I wear socks.

7. No matter how much you love someone, would you rather alone? I'm thinking you mean "sleep alone"... and the answer is ABSOLUTELY NOT! When The Hubs was in the hospital, I couldn't sleep at all, and I didn't even TRY to sleep in the bed, I stayed on the couch in the family room with the dog, he didn't even like going into the bedroom.

8. Tell us about a time when you awoke in bed, saw the person next to you and thought, "Oh, no..." Never... believe it or not, I have only slept with my first husband and my current husband, and I ADORE waking up next to my current husband. I have thought "Oh, I cannot wait to get out of this relationship!" when waking up next to my first husband.

9. Tell us about a time when you awoke thinking it was a different day than it was. Easy, it happened this past Friday, both The Hubs and I kept thinking it was Saturday... we don't know why... I think it was because it seemed like a really long week.

Don't forget to link up to Sam at Saturday 9.... Until next time..... Lorie

Bitch and Moan Friday - On Sunday Again

Annette at Fairy Blog Mother began this meme, to be posted on Fridays, to help get whatever pissed you off bugged you each week off your chest before the weekend... Well, I was so busy, that I didn't have time to post it on Friday, so here it is today, Sunday. It's OK, at least I can start off the new week "cleansed"

I really had a pretty good week, not too bad, I only have TWO complaints:

~ Thieves: Not just run-of-the-mill thieves, you know, the kind you hear about every night on the news. I'm talking about the the kind that would steal a $1.00 pair of earrings from a yard sale that I am having to try to raise money to pay for my medication, because I am in the stinking "donut hole" that these idiots in Washington decided was a good idea for those of us on Medicare could "afford" to pay. I mean, COME ON, do you really need those earrings THAT bad, they aren't even THAT nice... WHY do you think I am getting rid of them? If they WERE that nice, don't you think I would WEAR them sometimes. I figured some little girl might like them to play dress-up sometime. You stupid scum-sucking dirtbag... I hope they turn your ears green and give you an infection or a keloid!!

~ Early Shoppers at same yard sale... OK the signs say it begins at 8:00 -- an ungodly hour in my opinion ANYWAY, but it was a community wide porch and yard sale, so I had no say on when it started. By the way, the Community "authorities" wanted us to pay $10.00 - YES, I said that right - to have our little houses placed on the map so people could FIND us - screw that, I knew some sucker on my street would pay, and the signs would go up on the end of the street, and people would "find" my house, hoo-ya!! But, I digress... Anyway, The Hubs and I get up at 7:15 to start setting up, I make massive quantities of coffee, and people are already started to come by the house at 7:30 to see what we have... I don't even have everything out yet and they drive away, shaking their heads... How do they know I don't have a huge container of rare coins that I am saving for the last thing???? I know, would I be selling a 50 cent bowl if I did... But it's the principle!!! Can't you people READ???

Oh, well, that's all for this week... don't forget to link up your B&M post with Annette over at Fairy Blog Mother.....

Until next time..... Lorie

New Guidelines for Immunization

I belong to a website that gives me updated medical information on very relevant information in today's society. I felt that this would be very interesting to my readers. I have enclosed an email at the end for people to contact if they have any questions. It is generally created for medical professional (since I am am a certified Pharmacy Technician, I get the information), I am not sure if they will send you answers, but they may refer you to someone else, or you can always check the CDC's website. Hope you find the information helpful.

Authors:
Laurie Barclay, MD
freelance writer and reviewer, MedscapeCME
Disclosure: Laurie Barclay, MD, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

Brande Nicole Martin
is the News CME editor for Medscape Medical News.
Disclosure: Brande Nicole Martin has disclosed no relevant financial information.

Penny Murata, MD
Penny Murata, MD, is a freelance writer for Medscape.
Disclosure: Penny Murata, MD, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

Laurie E. Scudder, MS, NP
Accreditation Coordinator, Continuing Professional Education Department, MedscapeCME; Clinical Assistant Professor, School of Nursing and Allied Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC; Nurse Practitioner, School-Based Health Centers, Baltimore City Public Schools, Baltimore, Maryland
Disclosure: Laurie E. Scudder, MS, NP, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.



September 22, 2009 — An Expert Panel of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) has prepared updated, evidence-based guidelines for immunization of infants, children, adolescents, and adults. The new guidelines, which are published in the September 15 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, replace the previous IDSA clinical practice guideline for quality standards for immunization, published in 2002.

"The IDSA updates its guidelines when new data or publications change prior recommendations or when the Expert Panel decides that clarification or additional guidance is warranted," write Larry K. Pickering, from the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, and colleagues. "For the 2009 guidelines, vaccine licensure, approval, recommendations, safety, financing, barriers, and implementation issues were reviewed. This report does not include issues involving vaccines and autism and other potential adverse events."

These guidelines are intended to assist clinicians who care for either immunocompetent or immunocompromised people of all ages to provide recommended vaccinations. Since the previous clinical practice guideline was published in 2002, there have been significant improvements in the ability to prevent more infectious diseases.

New Vaccines, Recommendations

New vaccines that have been licensed since 2002 include human papillomavirus vaccine; live, attenuated influenza vaccine; meningococcal conjugate vaccine; rotavirus vaccine; tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis vaccine; and zoster vaccine. New combination vaccines that have become available are measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella vaccine; tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis and inactivated polio vaccine; and tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis and inactivated polio/Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine.

For young children, hepatitis A vaccines are now universally recommended. All children aged 6 months through 18 years and adults who are 50 years or older should receive annual administration of influenza vaccines. The routine childhood and adolescent immunization schedule now includes a second dose of varicella vaccine. The adolescent and adult immunization schedules have expanded to accommodate many of these new recommendations.

Other areas highlighted in the updated guidelines include the need to remove barriers to immunization, to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in access to and compliance with vaccine recommendation, to address issues regarding vaccine safety, and to fund the cost of implementing recommended vaccinations.

The updated guidelines also provide specific recommendations for vaccination of special groups, including healthcare providers, immunocompromised patients, pregnant women, international travelers, and internationally adopted children. If the 46 standards featured in these guidelines are followed, it is hoped that vaccination in multiple population groups should facilitate optimal disease prevention while maintaining high levels of safety.

Specific vaccine recommendations for infants, children, adolescents, and adults, and their accompanying level of evidence rating, are as follows:

Infants, children, adolescents, and adults should be given all age-appropriate vaccines as recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American Academy of Pediatrics (level of evidence, A-1).
When a vaccine dose is not given at the recommended age, it should be given at any subsequent medical visit when indicated and feasible, without restarting the series (level of evidence, A-3).
For people who have delayed immunizations or who want to accelerate their vaccination schedule, recommendations for the minimum interval between doses should still be followed (level of evidence, B-3).
All indicated vaccines should be administered simultaneously when appropriate and feasible (level of evidence, B-3).
Licensed combination vaccines may be given provided the following conditions apply: any components of the combination are indicated, other components are not contraindicated, and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has licensed the vaccine for that dose of the series (level of evidence, A-1).
For childcare, schools and colleges, and nursing homes, specific immunization requirements should be followed (level of evidence, A-2).
Vaccinations delivery should be coordinated with other preventive healthcare services recommended for children, adolescents, and adults (level of evidence, B-3).
Storage and administration of all vaccines should follow recommendations of the manufacturer and licensing requirements from the FDA (level of evidence, B-2).
Performance measures and goals recommended in the updated guidelines are as follows:

Reduce incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases, as monitored through postlicensure surveillance, in accordance with Healthy People 2010 and 2020 goals.
Implement new vaccines recommended for routine use by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices within 6 months of a published recommendation, and reach coverage levels of at least 90% within 5 years of a published recommendation.
Monitor immunization coverage for vaccines recommended for routine use in the general population in each of the 50 states and among people of different racial or ethnic backgrounds.
Regularly measure the immunization rates of patients in each clinical practice.
Implement quality standards in each complementary setting offering immunizations.
Enter data regarding immunizations into state or community population-based immunization information systems. Immunizations administered in complementary settings should be included.

For questions regarding the content of this activity, contact the accredited provider for this CME/CE activity noted above. For technical assistance, contact CME@medscape.net

Maria's Space: Etsy Artists Present: Promos, Sales, Shops, and Specialities - Come Shop With Us

Etsy Artisans... Don't forget... Saturday is the day to link up your site with Maria's Space!!!

You can add your Specials, Promos, or your New Creations on her site with the McLinky.

Have a great weekend, and I wish you all much prosperity.

Maria's Space: Etsy Artists Present: Promos, Sales, Shops, and Specialities - Come Shop With Us

Until next time..... Lorie

Yoplait Thick & Creamy: Giveaway at It's Serious This Time

I came across this blog over on SITS (if you are not familiar with SITS go here), and Kaylen from It's Serious This Time is hosting her VERY FIRST giveaway, so I wanted her to have the most exposure she could, since my very good friends did the same for me....

She has a terrific giveaway for a Yoplait Thick & Creamy Giftpack that is really nice. Head on over to her site to see how you can enter.... and good luck!! And don't forget to congratulate her on her FIRST giveaway!!! It is an exciting event.....

Have a great day, until next time..... Lorie

Cooler Weather in Central Florida

We have finally had some cooler weather here in central Florida... YEAH!!

The weather right now at 2:54 pm on Thursday is a balmy 82 degrees with a wonderful breeze of 5mph with humidity only at 42% (thank you WeatherBug on my iPhone - gotta love those APPS), down from around 95 degrees, NO breeze and humidity around 85% last week.... UGH!

So, The Hubs suggested I work on my laptop on the porch while lying on my chaise lounge as he is doing some work on the porch ceiling (boy owning a house is such a PITA sometimes). It is such a gorgeous day, the sun is shining and Nano is watching everything going on in the neighborhood -- he LOVES sitting on the porch. I have to say, with everything that has gone on in our lives in the last year (lots of you know details - and I thank you SO much for your love and support: Maria, Felicia, Piera, Alexis, Beth, Paige, Ryann), although I'm in pain from over-doing it yesterday (post with pictures to follow later), hence the reason I'm lying on the chaise, today feels like a pretty good day - I hope I have more like it in the days to come.

Until next time..... Lorie

ReliOn Temple Touch Thermometer Giveaway at Go Graham Go

Felicia, a wonderful mom and friend, over at Go Graham Go, is hosting a terrific giveaway for a ReliOn Temple Touch Thermometer. Like her, I really wish this were around when my kids were little... Oh, the memories of rectal temperatures ..... EEEWWWW!!! Not fun for me or for the boys!!!

Head on over to her site to see how you can win... Good luck!!

Until next time..... Lorie