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Childhood Cancer and Celebrity Joy – The Dragonfly Foundation Connection

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Recently I had the pleasure of enjoying an early breakfast with my dear friend and respected colleague, Ria Davidson. Ria is co-founder of the Dragonfly Foundation, an organization whose mission is to bring comfort and joy to kids, young adults, and their families enduring cancer and bone marrow transplants. The Dragonfly serves patients, and their families, who are or have been treated at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center’s Cancer and Blood Disease’s Institute, and works to enhance the inpatient experience at Dayton Children’s Hospital in Ohio and Lurie Children’s Hospital and Loyola Children’s Hospital in Chicago, IL. Quite a mission for sure, because the emotional and physical pain and anguish some families and kids can feel following diagnosis and long-term recovery, can last forever.

For information, please visit http://dragonfly.org

Celebrity Involvement Important to The Dragonfly Foundation, Its Young Patients and Their Families! I asked Ria what the Dragonfly Foundation needed the most to support its ongoing programs and she said, more donations and more celebrity involvement. The support, validation and awareness that comes from having celebrities involved not only helps Dragonfly fulfill its mission in the best way, by bringing more donors (and contributions) to events, but enables the organization to arrange for celebs visit ill kids at partner hospitals, bringing the most joyful distraction and creating the best memories ever.

Joy has been proven to promote healing and wellness. Seeing the impact of cancer first hand, would influence and shape how celebrities spend their time and charitable efforts, guiding them to support Dragonfly! Unfortunately, I don’t personally know any tier-one, or even tier-two celebs, despite having been close to several. (One time, I stood next to Paul McCartney at a party and pretended we were dating, but he doesn’t remember. And, there was the time I was walking through a casino in Vegas with my mother, who was then about 88 years old, when she dashed through some slots and maneuvered past several very burly body guards to hug Adam Sandler. I am sure he remembers – my Mom, not me. All I did was thank him for being so nice and calling his guys down. There you go.) The Dragonfly Foundation needs help from generous and willing stars, starlets, TV personalities, comedians, sports figures, moguls, etc., simply because for young cancer patients and their families, time can be far too short, too boring, too isolating, and frankly, too scary to contemplate.

Joy Promotes Healing and Wellness. Dr. John Perentesis, Division Director of Oncology of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, shares how much joyful distractions can mean to both patients and families. He speaks about how important it is to cure the soul, heart and the spirit, along with treating the cancer with medicine. As he says, The Dragonfly Foundation is Dr. Parentesis’s trusted partner, because of how they touch children and families DAILY with their programs, engaging hospital events, and fun outings where Dragonfly families can feel a sense of normalcy. Listen to Dr. Perentesis tell the story himself.

Along with in-hospital support and fun events, The Dragonfly Foundation’s facility in Cincinnati (referred to as “The Landing”) is designed to offer ill kids and their families a place to hangout and meet others in similar circumstances. It brings them a safe haven where they can enjoy age appropriate toys, games, movies, crafts, and other activities. There are also huddle places where Dragonflies can sit quietly or take a quick nap. The Landing is a carefully monitored environment, with consideration to germ contamination, comfort, and privacy.

Fun at the Landing

    Fun at the Landing

Helping can be more than a donation. Don’t get me wrong, financial contributions, new toys and electronic donations (i.e., video games, laptops, tablets, etc.) are extremely important to Dragonfly. The money helps to pay for urgently needed items and hospital requests, including gift cards for patients and families help them buy needed items, food, or even gas to go back and forth to see their hospitalized children, meal cards, emergency help for lives that are disrupted and jobs lost, computers to use while away from school, etc., etc. etc. The help I am asking for with this post is celebrity connections. Many of my Facebook Friends and other online friends and acquaintances have access to celebrities and we need help that only well-known and well-respected famous people can offer.

Please ask, because what you can do to help is really not that complicated or time consuming. I know first-hand that your faith and trust are well-placed with The Dragonfly Foundation.

 

Dragonfly Picnic

   Dragonfly Picnic

We know that many celebrities want to give back to fans that continue to support their endeavors. And, we know the best way to reach them is through their agencies or the companies that hire them to promote their brands or businesses. All you have to do is ask their managers if they would be willing to visit ill kids at Cincinnati Children’s while they are in town The Dragonfly Foundation will manage the rest. The co-founders are experienced public relations professionals who can coordinate visits with their partner hospitals to make it as simple as possible for the celebrity and their handlers.

If a celeb you know will be in town at the same time as The Dragonfly Foundation’s annual Dragonfly Gala on February 11, 2017, perhaps the celeb could attend or perform, and help draw further community involvement to such an important cause and worthy organization.

Why do I care? About eight years ago, my granddaughter (I call her Matters, as in what Matters, Matters Matters) at the age of two was one of the youngest –and actually may have been THE youngest — child in the United States to be diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia, a blood cancer. She was admitted to Columbus, Ohio’s Nationwide Children’s Hospital for treatment. Matters was in a lot of leg pain due to the rapid production of immature white blood cells in her bones. We were scared, and I truly thought we would lose her. But, we didn’t, and today she is doing wonderfully.

Before her chemotherapeutic medication began working to its full extent, my granddaughter wasn’t walking because her legs hurt her. Despite our best attempts to motivate her, we could not get her to walk. Wonderful Ria drove up to Columbus and brought Matters a gift: a bubble machine. With bubbles blowing in the wind, Matters stood up and hesitatingly began chasing them. Yes, not surprisingly, Ria was bringing joy and comfort before Dragonfly.

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          Matters

For those of you looking for a Procter & Gamble connection to the Foundation, there are P&G families who have been recipients of Dragonfly’s joyful programs. Childhood cancer isn’t specific to any socio-economic, racial, or religious demographic. It can hit anyone with its powerful, ugly blow. And, P&G families are no different. Also to note, there are other P&G volunteers at Dragonfly.

Read the inspiring story about how Ria and her close friend, Christine, began The Dragonfly Foundation, after Christine and her husband Jim’s youngest son was diagnosed with cancer. Christine’s family received a lot of support at the time, but saw so many other families struggling alone trying manage the devastating diagnosis. Ria and Christine jumped in to help by creating The Dragonfly Foundation.

I hope you will jump in, too.

https://dragonfly.org

If you can help, please contact Ria at the Dragonfly Foundation: R.Davidson@Dragonfly.org

Book: BEYOND EMBARRASSMENT by JoAnne Lake

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Recently I toured the Country Doctor Museum in Bailey, North Carolina with my friend Linda Anselmi.  While with Linda, I lamented about the lack of writing I have done on my own blog space, even though I have lots of ideas and truly want to write.  Linda was with me at BlogHer when I met the wonderful JoAnne Lake.  With her encouragement, I finally just sat down and blogged about JoAnne and her Book.  My review is posted on Linda’s Blog, Below the Salt News.  I am hopeful that I have raised visibility of the Beyond Embarrassment so that those suffering from Neurogenic Bladder will have information that can truly help them.

The link to Below the Salt News and my review of the book:

Book: BEYOND EMBARRASSMENT by JoAnne Lake

 

Feisty After 45 – Shared experiences and joyful story telling at its best!!

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Best Blogs

How exciting and what an honor to learn that one of my blog posts was selected for the book: Feisty After 45: The Best Blogs from Midlife Women, edited by Elaine Ambrose.

I absolutely love how the women in Feisty After 45 have taken real aspects from their lives, shared through their blogs, and invited us to feel, laugh, and experience with them. Nothing is left unsaid and many stories have an aspect of humorous irony that makes the reader smile along.

The blog of mine included is: HELP!! CELLULITE IS OVERTAKING MY BODY! What makes the blog even better is it includes information from credible websites that use evidenced based research to educate, as do I. However, as I say to anyone who has pranced the beach in her bathing skirt amongst the firm, 20 year-old thong-wearing group …to hell with it and enjoy!

Not all of the blogs are laugh out loud funny, as some are poignant and others take us on journeys we might not experience. For example, one of the blogs, titled Allegorie de Soie, written beautifully by Susan Swicegood Boswell, is a post about her travels to Machu Picchu, a place I have always wanted to visit. For her, it is a life affirming or even a life-changing event. You need to read and decide for yourself, but it truly inspired me. In the end, I felt I wanted to experience all of her encounters first hand.

I could go on and on, as I so connected with the stories on many levels. My only disappointment is that I didn’t get to meet the other writers in person. What a lively group gathering that would be for sure. However, I do get to associate with them through their inclusion in Feisty After 45.

How did Feisty Over 45 become so rich with great story telling? No doubt through the selections by editor, Elaine Ambrose. She is an amazing, well-published humor writer. One of her best selling books, Midlife Cabernet, is a very funny look at love and life in middle age. Loved it too.  Publishers Weekly wrote that the book is “laugh-out-loud funny,” and Foreword Reviews wrote that the collection of essays is “an argument for joy.” Elaine won two national humor awards for Midlife Cabernet.

In this crazy election season, I say take an escape into authentic real-life stories where you will, no doubt, feel the kind of emotion that brings you to a better place created only from shared experiences, humor and joyful story telling. Have a wonderful journey!! I know I did.

Find the book here:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_7?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=feisty+after+45&sprefix=feisty+%2Caps%2C138

 

Farting & Peeing from Sneezing – OH MY!

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canstockphoto6046164

 

Farting and peeing from sneezing happens more often then many want to admit. (I used the word ‘many’ to differentiate from me, since I hardly want to fess up either!) But, I do it and you do it and those we love, some not so much, do it.

What causes this outpouring to occur?

Unexpected urine loss can happen when abdominal pressure from sneezing or laughing is placed on the bladder. Think of the bladder, which stores urine (water and waste from the kidney), like our own personal water balloon. You press on it and it can leak, especially if the muscles that hold our organs like the uterus in place are weak or if there is any neurological damage to the support muscles in the abdominal area.

How does gas develop in our body?

There may be air or gas in the intestines that you aren’t aware of or air that you are, as you experience bloating or puffing in the abdominal area. The air may result from swallowing it or from bacteria breaking down undigested food in the large intestine causing a gas buildup. When you have a big AHH CHOOO, pressure is placed on the air pocket and out it shoots tooting and hooting along the way.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/7622.php

Why the sound effects?

According to the online site fart-sounds:

“The sounds are produced by vibrations of the anal opening. Sounds depend on the velocity of expulsion of the gas and the tightness of the sphincter muscles of the anus.” While I hardly ever reference sites that I don’t know anything about (in fact, this may be a first), I couldn’t resist blasting out a quote from a site called fart sounds. The owner of the site, Chuck Ayoub is a hidden entity. After an exhaustive search, I found nothing about him. There are other Chuck Ayoubs to be found. One who died in 2013, which I don’t believe is the same person since the site appears to be well- maintained. As an aside, when you search using the word ‘fart’ be prepared for a vast number of sites that talk about farts, scientifically, medically, and humorously and those offering sound effects to be downloaded.

http://www.fart-sounds.net/facts_on_farts.htm#Why_do_farts_make_noise

What can you do to reduce gas buildup??

According to the National Institute of Health, you can reduce the amount of gaseousness by:

  • Drinking lots of water and non-fizzy drinks
  • Eating more slowly so you swallow less air when you eat
  • Avoiding milk products if you have lactose intolerance

If you want additional information about bloating and flatulence, the correct medical term for gas, I suggest you visit the American College of Gastroenterology site where there is more detail:

http://patients.gi.org/topics/belching-bloating-and-flatulence/

For more information about unexpected urination, I suggest you read a previous post I wrote titled:

http://www.nurseplummer.com/stress-incontinence-and-maries-public-tinkling-incident/

 

 

This post is dedicated to blogger, humor writer and author extraordinaire, Elaine Ambrose, who encouraged me to write about farting and even contributed to the title of this important blog. You may recognize Elaine as the writer of: “Don’t Fart During an MRI,” as the post received more than 697,000 shares and was translated into six different languages. Thank you Elaine for caring about me and farts!!

http://elaineambrose.com

The American Nurse Project

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American Nurse

In March, 2015, I reviewed the THE AMERICAN NURSE PROJECT, which includes a book, documentary film and ongoing blog interviews, tells the story of the life and professional commitment of nurses across the United States. The creator, photographer Carolyn Jones along with her team, wanted to raise awareness of the uniqueness of the nursing profession by allowing nurses to have their own voice.

I published the review at Below the Salt, a favorite creative site that honors ideas and knowledge about ways to improve the world. You can read more about that compelling thought provoking space when you visit to read the review.

http://belowthesaltnews.com/arts-media/books/the-american-nurse-project-insight-into-a-beloved-profession/

 

 

 

Stuck in an airport overnight: Laments and Tips

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Last week I spent the night at the Tampa Airport. I got stuck there due to a connecting flight cancellation that occurred too late in the evening for me to find an alternative flight home – or anywhere else. After trying my best to find other flight options, I remained smug and unperturbed because I could afford to stay overnight in a hotel. Also, the Marriott is located in the airport and I, being a platinum elite Marriott cardholder, was certain they would welcome me with a smile and a room for the night.

I proceeded to the Tampa Airport Marriott and informed the desk attendant, in a sort of nice way, that I was one of their valued elite members and needed a room. She informed me back, in a sort of nice way, that there were absolutely no rooms available. At first I thought she didn’t hear how important I was to Marriott with my platinum status so I repeated it – though this time a bit more desperately. She said again, with no sound of angst in her voice, that there were NO ROOMS. Also, she told me that there were no rooms at any decent hotels within 49 miles. The desk attendant told me she had previously checked room availability in the area for others inquiring who were also stuck. This was confirmed by my husband, who was at home was making all kinds of calls to try and find me a room. He finally told me that to get one, I would have to drive to Sarasota.

In the meantime, my daughter and son-in-law were online trying to find me other flight options. (If only there had been a flight to Vegas, I would have gone there!) I had a sophisticated search team and an elite card, yet still ended up with no flight or room that evening. However, I managed to get a flight out the next morning to Atlanta at 5:15 AM. That was reassuring actually.

What to do what to do??? As I am not a survivalist or a camper type, my first impulse was not to get sustenance or a comfortable place to nest for the night; it was to post my dilemma on Facebook. Actually, that helped. So many friends responded with nice words of OH NO and STAY SAFE. It made me feel that I wasn’t alone. Unfortunately, none of those wonderful people live in Tampa.

Celebrating the moment despite the circumstances

Celebrating the moment despite the circumstances

Next, realistic survival popped into my head. To that end, I went to the Marriott bar restaurant, ordered a glass of sparkling wine, something to eat and made friends with the waiter. The friendship part was big, as the waiter watched my suitcase and plugged in devices while I used the restroom, as can happen when one drinks sparkly. The bar closed at 1:00 AM and the Marriott lobby was pretty utilitarian with uncomfortable furniture. Plus a woman had taken up residence on the only couch and was sprawled out and sleeping. (It would have been nice if the Marriott had opened up space in one of its meeting rooms to accommodate Marriott members for the night, during inclement weather when flights were cancelled and people stranded). I moved on back to the airport itself to find a place to rest and plug in devices.

I managed to find myself a comfortable chair in the center of the terminal area. There were lots of others in the same predicament hanging out and resting, so I wasn’t alone. While I couldn’t sleep, I was able to read and think about what I would do differently should this type of situation ever happen again and, pooh, pooh, pooh, may it never ever! (Jewish people sometimes say pooh, pooh, pooh with a bit of spit to remove the jinx of something reoccurring).

Here are some tips to prepare and manage should you get stuck overnight in an airport:

Charge up: Make certain all of your electronic devices are charged up before you leave home. No doubt, if you have to use your devices to access flight and hotel information to reschedule and search, you will be glad you have enough power if there aren’t plugs available nearby.

Know your passwords: I was low on data space on my iPad and had to buy more. However, I couldn’t remember my AT&T password to purchase additional data space. Fortunately, via my iPhone, I was able to reset the password on my iPad and continue my searching and entertainment viewing. It was frustrating, as I was trying to act fast. To add to the annoyance, my iPhone was not the latest version and continued to need to be rebooted. UGH!!

Carry nutritional bars or other snacks: Most airport shops close at night and you may get stuck without food or water. It is nice to have something to eat at night and not have to go traipsing around searching for a store or vending machine. I was fortunate that the nice waiter at the Marriott offered me a large glass of water in a take-out cup. It lasted me through the night.

Use the bathroom before settling in your space for the night: Like I have told my grandkids before getting into the car to drive where there isn’t easy access to bathrooms: TRY to go, as you don’t know when we will be able to find a place to stop. Same thing holds true when spending the night at the airport. It is annoying to have to go potty once you found your space. Then it is pack up and leave with the hopes that your well-placed spot will be available when you return. (For the ladies: If you pack product like Always Discreet in your carry-on, it will help keep you feeling fresher for the night when you don’t have a change of unders available – you get my drift.)

Dress comfortably: That idea is never more apparent then when you are wearing the same clothing and shoes for 24 hours. Glad I did – in a mid-life stylish kind of way. Also, if you have room in your carry on, include a fleece top in the winter or sweater in the summer. It can get chilly in the airport at night. I was happy I had my down coat, as it made a great blanket.

Carry antibac: I always do and was glad I had enough to cleanse the chair where I settled for the night. Yes, I tend to be somewhat of a germaphobe and doing that made me more comfortable.  By the way, the Tampa Airport is quite tidy and their cleaning crew was very active during the night scrubbing bathrooms and washing floors and windows.  Thank you Tampa Airport for being so hygienic!

Don’t sleep on the floor: Yes, I saw several people sleeping on the floor with their bare cheeks on the carpet. I wanted to antibac their faces when they awoke. What were they thinking??

Include disposable toothbrushes in your carry-on: I do when traveling internationally, but not in the U.S. Wish I had some in my bag and will next time.

 

Anyone else ever get stuck have additional suggestions or stories?

HELP!! Cellulite is overtaking my body.

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While trying on bathing suits to determine which one is the most flattering (or covers me up the most without looking odd), I became frightened. Cellulite is overtaking me like a bad case of poison ivy. It is showing its ugly face in places I never realized it could happen. Then in my NursePlummer way, I thought it might help to share with others about cellulite – to take the focus off of myself.

What is cellulite and how did it happen in such a scary way? To begin my research, I went to the National Institute of Health (NIH) Medline site and found a helpful article in Scientific American that answered some of my questions.

What is cellulite? According to the NIH, “cellulite is fat that collects in pockets just below the surface of the skin. It forms around the hips, thighs, and buttocks. Cellulite deposits cause the skin to look dimpled.” It doesn’t matter if you are overweight or not, women can still get cellulite.

What makes cellulite so visible? More from the NIH: “Everyone has layers of fat under the skin so even thin people can have cellulite. Collagen fibers that connect fat to the skin may stretch, break down, or pull tight. This allows fat cells to bulge out.”

Does everyone get cellulite or is it the luck of genetics? The NIH states ,“Your genes may play a part in whether or not you have cellulite. Other factors may include your diet, how your body burns energy, hormone changes, and dehydration. “

Is cellulite a female problem? According to Scientific American, 90% of women and only 10% of men in industrialized nations get cellulite. Estrogen is key in fat creation and testosterone breaks down fat.

Do products that advertise a quick and easy fix for ridding the body of cellulite really work? Save your money. According to the NIH “No existing treatments including weight loss, exercise, massages, wraps, creams, supplements, or surgery has yet been shown to get rid of cellulite once you have it. Liposuction is not recommended for cellulite, and may even make it look worse.”

Any hope for the future? Lasers may be a girl’s best friend. The American Academy of Dermatology announced in March, 2014, a new and improved laser technology to treat cellulite. This FDA approved treatment (1440 nanometer laser) can provide “long lasting dramatic results”.

For those of you who are fortunate enough to not have the cellulite gene or those young enough to not have it yet, the NIH offers some tips to avoid cellulite:

  • Eating a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and fiber
  • Staying hydrated with plenty of fluids
  • Exercising regularly to keep muscles toned and bones strong
  • Maintaining a healthy weight (no yo-yo dieting)
  • Not smoking
Strategic Positioning!

STRATEGIC POSITIONING!

 

Want more information:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-cellulite-forever/

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002033.htm

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18489274

https://www.aad.org/stories-and-news/news-releases/new-and-improved-laser-and-light-treatments-take-aim-at-cellulite-fat-tattoos-wrinkles-and-sagging-skin

Do Face Masks Protect Against the FLU?

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The quick and easy answer is: YES, if the person who is ill is wearing the mask!

Recently, when talking to a dear friend, another nurse, and lamenting that I was hesitating taking unnecessary, though desired, plane travel due to concerns about the flu, she said to use a facemask. I pooh poohed it due to my experience using them while a labor and delivery room nurse many years ago.   What I remembered is that once the paper surgical mask became moistened, due to the moisture we exhale while breathing, it became less effective as a barrier. After our discussion, I decided to research this further. After all, technology changes and this may be the answer to coughing, sneezing and nose blowing contamination from fellow passengers.

U.S. Center for Disease Control Doesn’t Recommend Masks

First, I checked out the U.S. Center for Disease Control website for their latest guidance. This is what I found: “CDC does not recommend the routine use of personal protective equipment (PPE), such as respirators, gloves, or surgical masks, for protection against avian influenza exposure (I projected this out to season flu exposures too, as the guidance is about the same), except in health care-related situations. However, gloves are recommended when cleaning potentially contaminated surfaces.” In lieu of gloves, hand washing for at least 30 seconds is key.

However, the CDC does recommend that there be a barrier between the ill person and everyone else. The following guidance is for air flight:

  • If flight crewmembers or other personnel are concerned that a passenger traveling from an area with avian influenza may be infected, they should try to keep the ill passenger separated from the other passengers as much as possible (3-6 feet).
  • If the ill passenger can tolerate a mask, provide a paper or gauze surgical mask to reduce the number of droplets coughed into the air.
  • If a surgical mask is not available, provide tissues and ask the ill person to cover his or her mouth and nose when coughing and to put the used tissues into a wastebasket or bag.
  • If an ill passenger is unable to wear a surgical mask, personnel may wear surgical masks when working with the ill person if 3 feet or closer. (Note that the person is supposed to be separated from others, so no need for facemasks for seatmates, as there should not be any! Just try to forget about the plane’s ventilation system.)

Surgical masks are designed to trap respiratory secretions not to prevent breathing in airborne microorganisms.

From an abstract of a study presented in part to the 48th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy/46th Infectious Diseases Society of America Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, 25-28 October 2008 (abstract K-4206) and printed in the Oxford Journal: Clinical Infectious Diseases comes this finding:

“Surgical masks are designed to trap respiratory secretions (including bacteria and viruses) expelled by the wearer and prevent disease transmission to others [4]. Surgical masks are not designed to prevent inhalation of airborne particles, and their ability to protect HCWs from disease acquisition varies. In contrast, N95 masks (termed respirators in the United States) are designed to reduce an individual’s exposure to airborne contaminants, including infectious viral or bacterial particles. Although N95 masks are designed to primarily protect the wearer from infection, they presumably also prevent transmission if fitted correctly on a patient at high risk of transmitting a virus [4]. However, some HCWs find the more expensive N95 masks difficult to tolerate [2, 6].*”

http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/49/2/275.full

There have been other studies that state that facemask could help reduce the spread of the flu or other droplet type infections that are airborne. Though, it depends on the mask. Also to note, many can’t tolerate wearing masks continually.

Best the ill person stay home and not spread the illness. For those of us who are well, hand washing seems to be the best way to reduce the chance of picking up any infection. As for me, I am going to stay home too. This is the peak of the flu season and I don’t want to throw myself into a wet and wild germ cloud unless it is truly necessary. I miss my grandkids, but we will Facetime for a while longer.

My pup didn't tolerate the mask very long.

My pup didn’t tolerate the mask very long.

BREAK THE CEILING TOUCH THE SKY

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BREAK THE CEILING TOUCH THE SKY

I am starting 2015 out in a very good way by increasing awareness of an inspiring book written by a friend, Anthony Rose. The book, BREAK THE CEILING, TOUCH THE SKY, Success Secrets of the World’s Most Inspirational Women, is a compilation of interviews, conducted by Anthony, with some of the world’s most respected female business, educational and cultural leaders. The review of the book, I have written, has been published on the Below The Salt News. It seemed like the best place to have this review appear, as their mantra is: Honoring Creativity, Pondering Possibilities, Sharing Knowledge and Valuing Usefulness. One could say that the book has a similar mission, as it shares insights from successful women in an effort to inform and offer guidance to others as they seek to achieve in their own lives.

As an added bonus, Anthony has chosen to give 100 percent of the royalties from BREAK THE CEILING. TOUCH THE SKY to the non-profit organization Save the Children.  The proceeds are funding the prevention of maternal anemia across 150 villages in India, impacting over 20,000 women.

 

Here is a link to the review.

http://www.belowthesaltnews.com/arts-media/books/break-the-ceiling-touch-the-sky-by-anthony-rose/

I welcome your comments.

Eight Days of Chanukah Joy in 2014!

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Last year I was asked by BlogHer to do a post on Chanukah gift giving.  I was pleased to see that the article was reposted on the BlogHer site this year too.  In this season of joy and celebration, no need to stress out on what would be an appropriate gift for a friend or loved one when you can get suggestions from the original Chanukah funster – ME!

I do have one addition for this year that isn’t in the original post and that is the Mensch on a Bench.  If you haven’t yet seen Moshe (that is his name), here is a link to the Mensch website.  http://themenschonabench.com/  Should you think he looks familiar, it is because he appeared on the Shark Tank.  And, no surprise, Neal Hoffman, who came up with the idea for the Mensch, came away with two Shark Tank partners.

For those of you who don’t know what a Mensch is, this description is found on Wikipedia: “According to Leo Rosten, the Yiddish maven and author of The Joys of Yiddish, “mensch” is “someone to admire and emulate, someone of noble character. The key to being ‘a real mensch’ is nothing less than character, rectitude, dignity, a sense of what is right, responsible, decorous.”[2] The term is used as a high compliment, expressing the rarity and value of that individual’s qualities.”

Visit the Mensch site to learn more about this special guy: http://themenschonabench.com/the-book/ No matter if you are a Chanukah, Christmas or Kwanza celebrator, you should have your own Mensch.  After all, who wouldn’t want to have Moshe around as a reminder of what it means to be a person of character.

Enjoy the read and let me know if you found an idea that works for you this holiday season.

http://www.blogher.com/chanukah-8-days-joyous-gift-giving

Happy Chanukah, Merry Christmas and may we all have a peaceful and healthy New Year!!

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