Harmful Chemicals in the Home

Indoor air pollution is steadily increasing, and our animals are even more vulnerable to toxic airborne chemicals than we are. Long term chemical exposure can lead to respiratory problems, skin diseases, various other diseases affecting organs such as the liver and kidneys, and even cancer.

We can make our homes more environmentally healthy for our pets by using products that contain fewer toxic chemicals. The following list provides the names of products that may contain airborne chemicals and some healthier alternative products.

CHEMICAL SOURCES - SUBSTITUTES

Paints - Low toxic water based paints (low VOCs), casein

Synthetic Carpets - Natural materials such as sisal, seagrass, coir, wool (untreated with lindate, etc)

Vinyl Flooring - Cork, linoleum

Varnishes - Beeswax, linseed oil, unfinished wood

Cleaning Products - Water & vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide

Fabric Softener - Avoid using (due to amount of chemical emissions)

Plywood, Composition Boards - Solid wood, Exterior plywood only

Room Deodorizers - Cloves, lavendar, scented flowers, open windows

Glue - Use wood glue instead of solvent - based glue. Ventilate house.

Synthetic Pesticides - Clean & vacuum regularly.
Close off any openings in home.
Avoid building materials around foundation that could attract insects.

Laundry Detergents - Unscented products, biodegradable

RESOURCES FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Environmental Protection Agency 800/438-4318, www.epa.gov/iaq/
Environmental Health Clearinghouse 800/643-4794
Washington Toxics Coalition 206/652-1545, www.watoxics.org
National Pesticide Telecommunications Netword 800/858-7378, http://ace.orst.edu/info/nptn/index.html
National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides 202/543-5450, www.beyondpesticides.org

Family Relationships Under Fire

I sat glued to the news conference as three wounded soldiers - Marine Lance Corporal Joshua Menard, Army Staff Sergeant James Villafane, and Army Sergeant Charles Horgan - recounted their experiences of coming under fire from Iraqi troops in civilian dress at the city of Nassiriya. Villafane and Horgan told about being struck by an incoming missile. As I watched, I, too, was struck...by the similarities between their experiences on the battlefield and those of stressed-out families, "under fire." Listen and learn from their experiences. Lesson 1: DON'T BE CAUGHT OFF-GUARD; PREPARE. Menard said, "We were very surprised. We were told that when we were going through Nassiriya that we would see little to no resistance. They weren't rolling over like we thought they would." Realistically anticipate and prepare for the inevitable challenges your family will face. "Prepare for the worst," while guarding the positive attitudes that "create the best." Lesson 2: YOUR GOOD INTENTIONS CAN BE MISUNDERSTOOD. Villafane commented, "The amount of resistance, some of it I don't understand. I mean, we're there to help them to get them out of the regime. It was a shock that they would actually do that, given the treatment we try to give them. We try to treat them fairly." Know this! You can be misunderstood by family members, even when you have the best of intentions and are trying your best. Parents, it takes courage to make wise, yet unpopular decisions. On the other hand, "meaning well" can't substitute for "doing well." Check your actions, being willing to openly consider what it's like to be on the other side of you. Lesson 3: DON'T MAKE MISTAKES ABOUT WHO YOUR ENEMY IS. A group of Iraqi soldiers dressed in the civilian robes of nomad Bedoins opened fire on Menard as he and six other Marines approached them on a bridge in Nassiriya. Military enemies, pretending to be harmless. Even more appalling was the account of the American soldier who allegedly threw the grenade that killed and injured people in his own troop. Yet, we've lost our sensitivity to the shock of similar assaults in our own families...daily "grenades" of hurtful words and destructive actions. "Out there", there are so many enemies to the wellbeing of family members. How can we hope to combat those if we spend our time fighting within our own ranks? What can you do today to mend family rifts? Lesson 4: DON'T PANIC WHEN TROUBLES COME. Sergeant Horgan told about how he worked to stay calm, though he had just been wounded by the enemy missile. He said that he was grateful that "training kicks in" and that he was able not to panic. "My foot may be gone, but I gotta move." When you are faced with an unexpected and distressing challenge in your family, don't panic, reacting impulsively. Seek help if necessary. Don't say or do things that make the situation worse in the long run. Stop...think...plan...then act. Lesson 5: PROTECT YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS, NOT JUST YOURSELF. The way these well-trained, courageous soldiers behaved under fire is, to me, the greatest of our lessons in family teamwork. Listen in, and examine your own habits and actions. Horgan, whose right leg and foot were ripped open when he was blown from his gunning position, described his thoughts when he saw the incoming missile: "Oh, my God, I'm gonna die. I gotta warn my buddies." Villafane quipped, "It's not being shot at that so bad. It's being shot that really sucks!" (Can you relate to that?) Despite the horror of what they had experienced, the three wounded men all said they felt a sense of guilt about leaving friends behind in Iraq. Horgan told reporters, "I'm relieved that I'm out... Nobody can be shot and say, 'Wow, I really want to go back out there. That was great.' But I'm kind of sad that I'm not with the guys who protected me. My friends protected me when I needed them. I joined to serve my country. But when I was there, I was fighting to protect my friends.

What Makes a Home a Home?

When thinking of a home what comes to mind first? Many people would start describing a home with windows, walls, doors, floors, a roof, and a loving family inside. This may not always be the case though. Like many other words in the English language, home can have many meanings. There are also many contributing factors as to why people think of a home as they do. The biggest factor that affects someone's thoughts of what a home is, is how they grew up. This would include their surrounding environment, family, friends, and how either their biological parents or who ever was a parent figure in their life brought them up.

When thinking of a home many people say location is key. Location can determine a lot of things. For one, it could change the meaning of a home for many people. People who live a poor lifestyle moneywise have a different idea as someone who lives middle class lifestyle and even more different from someone who lives a higher-class lifestyle. This means that all three of their ideas of home are different, not only because of their class status but also because all of these lifestyles have different environments that the people encounter. For someone of a higher status their home may be a room in their house they enjoy spending time in, for someone of a poor class their home may be spending time away from their actual house and either outside some where or where ever they find peace with themselves.

Another huge contributor to what people think a home is would be their family and friends. Someone who lives with a healthy and loving family would be more likely say that a home to them would be with their family or even just in their actual house in general. But, someone who lives in an unhealthy living situation with their family, whether it be abusive or just not a good living situation, may say that home is not at all where they actually live. This is where friends would also play a big role. When someone is uncomfortable at home they may look to their friends as the closest thing they have to a family. So this means that a home to them may be spending time with their friends or even someone else's actual home.

Lastly, the third biggest factor would be how the person was raised. When thinking of a family people usually think of the typical family, a father, a mother and a few children, but this is not the case for many families now a days. The definition of a family has changed throughout the years. This generation is a lot more accepting for a family to be one parent, two moms, or two dads. Being raised by not so typical family types can change a person's thoughts of a home. They may have different views, which would give them all different ideas of what a home is. Some of them may be raised in a too strict home and consider home to be a friend's where their parents are not so strict. Or they may be raised in a loud home so where they feel at home could be a quiet place. All these different living situations contribute to how someone feels about what and where they feel at home most.

Every culture has different views on every topic. Even something as simple as a home can have a variety of meanings for many people. Growing up in different locations causes people to have different lifestyles from one another, which creates more than one definition for many words in the English language. The definition of a home changes between each individual because of their biggest contributing factor, location.

The States of Poverty

Poverty is a state of mind as well as a state of being. While some politicians proclaim that the poor have chosen their path by not taking advantage of education and training, they refuse to consider that for some, these opportunities have been elusive and even non-existent. Yes, some kids refuse to go to school, to learn, and to prosper from the knowledge opportunities made available, but others are born into an atmosphere of hunger, hate, and waste with no guidance and direction to find a better life. Some strong individuals do accomplish this on their own - true miracles of resilience in a quagmire of disaster and misfortune - and are to be applauded, others simply cannot find their way out of poverty and misfortune. Poverty on the streets is sometimes manifested by those who do not want a full-time job and who prefer a few dollars - or a few hundred dollars - begged into a cup. For others drugs and mental illness prevent an escape from concrete and asphalt to a warm shelter and nutritious food and success beyond. Where do they turn? Where is the help? How does someone of minimal intellect and a profundity of mental anguish learn a trade and build life equity when no family or friend is there to offer support? When love is found in the arms of another who is in equally distraught straits, how can we hope for or even imagine a happy ending? Training and education can transform a life by retraining that state of mind and transforming it into positive outlook and optimistic future vision. Clean clothes, good food, love and kind words have marvelous transformative powers. All of these can change a course in life and reverse past negativity. There are many barriers to break but it is possible with perseverance and determination. It is not possible, however, when educational opportunities are cut, food stamps are eliminated, or rent stabilization is non-existent. We can talk all we want about "missed opportunity" but these cannot be "missed" if their existence is sketchy at the outset. Who knows, without love and support, where might my steps have led me in life? Education, of course, is a key step in advancing quality of life. This includes educating parents as well as children. If you know no better, can I expect you to know any better? If one is raised in squalor and drowning in hopelessness, how can they know that a better life for them truly exists? Pre-natal counseling can start the positive avalanche as can follow-up and training after birth and through the early years. Over-crowded and over-taxed teachers are not the answers to poverty. By putting the most highly qualified educators in low ratio classrooms the aforementioned avalanche can pick up size and speed. With the best teachers in high poverty area classrooms, students can thrive. When they know that higher education opportunities and technical training really are available and affordable the avalanche can stampede into success for all and a better world will result. Poverty is a state of mind as well as a state of being. By erasing and then eradicating hopelessness and replacing it with possibility we can all benefit. You may think that I need to remove my rose-colored glasses of a dreamlike perception of the world, but I can't and I won't until either I am totally defeated in my positive outlook or the attitude of those who believe that poverty is self-inflicted changes from ignorance and blind-eyed to acceptance to determination to help others help themselves.

Hospice Care: Counseling and Caring for Terminally Ill Patients

Hospice care refers to the philosophy of care which attends to patients who are nearing death due to illness or natural causes. Once it becomes apparent to doctors that a patient's illness has reached a stage where he is beyond cure or recovery, doctors advise the family of the patient to admit him in Hospice Care. In the last stages of a person's life they are likely to be plagued by varied thoughts that are mostly regretful, depressive or fearful in nature. Naturally, no one wants to die, but death is after all an inevitable reality. Therefore, a special field of counseling and care called hospice care has been evolving since the early 11th century. It began in Europe but has slowly spread to the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Africa, Australia and other countries. This field of counseling in hospice care caters to the emotional needs of those who are nearing the end of their life.

During the final stages of one's life, when one is mentally aware of the fact that they will soon pass away, it is quite difficult to be in control of one's thoughts and feelings. One of the most common feelings that is experienced by individuals is that of regret. Nurses of hospice care have reported that people's dying thoughts are mostly about wishing they had spent their life differently. Some patients said that they would have been more happy embracing death if they had lived their life on their own terms as opposed to living a life that was dictated by societal pressures. Others stated that they wished they had not spent their life as a workaholic, but had instead been more conscious of staying connected with their friends and family. Yet another common regret of dying patients was that they wished they had been more expressive towards their loved ones over the course of their life.However, the most recurring wish expressed by patients in hospice care was that they wished they had spent their life being more content and grateful.

Regret is just one of the feelings that needs to be tended to in hospice care. One of the most recommended counseling techniques used to help such patients is to encourage them to try to counter their regrets. They may have limited time but asking patients to make an achievable bucket list and then work towards achieving all that they enlisted is a good way to prevent patients from getting lost in a depressive quicksand.

Another most common feeling that nurses of hospice care have to deal with is that of fear. Nobody knows for sure what death and the life beyond it is actually like.Additionally, most religions have imbedded the belief in their followers of an eventual meeting with their Maker in which He would question the individual's accumulative deeds and intentions. Therefore it is only natural that almost 97%, if not more of those who are aware of their impending death would be fearful.

In hospice care, patients who are fearful of death are reminded of the Lord's inclination and keenness to forgive His people. Patients are helped towards seeking forgiveness and expressing gratitude to God as per their own religion. Any request for religious or spiritual reading material is also fulfilled. Additionally, patients are guided to spend as much time as they can with their families, as family members can best help them heal their emotional wounds.

Another important aspect of hospice care is to give time to the family of the terminally ill patient so as to help them cope with their feelings of bereavement upon the prospect of losing a near and dear one. In hospice care family members are helped to realize that even though their loved one is dying, the ultimate separation does not mean that the love that they shared will come to an end. Life for those who are left behind must go on; and if they believe that the love still lasts, then it is likely that the heaviness of their heart would be lightened.

They Call Us Third Culture Kids

For my younger sisters, my father's military retirement was just another day. They had been born much later in my father's career and hadn't experienced moving every eighteen months, or the long separations from our father. To them, making the final move was just one step away from being "like everyone else." However, for my brother and me, normal life had just abruptly stopped. Without any real warning. When we had transferred overseas, we attended briefings and intercultural relations classes with our parents and other children whose parents were in the military. We had grown up with kids whose parents worked for the State Department, had attended International Schools with kids whose parents worked for oil companies or contracted to DoD in other capacities. Each of us spoke more than one language. We knew the capitals of every country in the world. We had been to most of them. Our network of friends stretched across the globe. Our house at Christmas was THE PLACE for kids who collected stamps. They used to start showing up at our house every year around December first. Everyone said that we were "home" now. Funny. It didn't feel like "home." We knew very little about the United States of America. All that we knew about our country of birth we had learned from stories told by other kids, old shows on the Armed Forces Radio and Television Network and comic books. Everyone said that we were going to be normal. There would be no more moving. Funny. Everyone we knew moved around. A lot. Didn't other people know how abnormal it was not to move? Didn't they know that everyone moves and if you are lucky you move every eighteen months? They call us Third Culture Kids. It means that we have spent the majority of our formative years living in countries that we were not born in. If you've had more than one passport and never had a Driver's License, you're probably a Third Culture Kid. Third Culture Kids are State Department Brats, Military Brats, Oil Company Brats, NGO kids and MNC kids. And, we begin our lives in service to the United States of America, not because we signed on the dotted line, but because our parents did. There are resources for military members and military spouses to assist them with the transition process, however, in my humble opinion, nothing is done to prepare military brats for the transition and I really believe that should change. I remember the day my father retired from the United States Air Force. I was a sophomore in college and home for the summer. My father's retirement ceremony was beautiful. Lots of pictures were taken; my father received another Air Force Commendation medal, tons of kudos from his superior officers, letters of recommendation and commendation from his chain of command, and a little roasting from his subordinates. My father was very proud that day. He was proud of his career and the family that had supported him throughout all of the TDYs, TADs, deployments and separations. You can see it in his smile and the way he looks at my mother and his children. My mother and I cried through the whole ceremony. When it came time for us to speak, neither of us could, we just held each other and wept. Sure, we were proud of him. We were proud to have done our part and supported our Airman. We were proud to have been part of the Air Force community and part of the team; and even if we weren't "issued with the duffel bag" we had had an active role in our Airman's success. But that wasn't why we were crying. We were crying because we knew there would be no more orders. We knew that our I.D. cards were going to change and we would have to move off-base, away from our friends and the support networks we had built. We were going to go "outside the gates" and the transition process would begin. And, we were scared to death.

Take A Break, Increase Productivity

This can be a well known along with recognized idea that our own personal output increases dramatically immediately after getting moment away. This time around away could be by means of an extended trip, or maybe a single day in which the cellular phone is put away, so you are turned off through small business concerns fully. It is usually some sort of well-known idea that getting moment intended for yourself offers benefits in connection with this decline connected with stress. This can be a massive gain seeing that stress is recognized to trigger health issues along with lower personal output. The ironic thing about the regular National reply to this info, is many try and minimize stress by getting a timeshare, some sort of ship, MOBILE HOME, or maybe different games that may encourage those to move out and enjoy more stress-free days and nights. The caress is that these games frequently trigger more stress in comparison with they minimize. More strains attributable to repair service fees, high priced kinetic downfalls, along with above all; jogging previous your model that you are finding cash for but have not found in months.

With reply to Numerous preoccupation with purchasing games to relieve stress, just to find out them to build more stress; wise firms get a fantastic alternative. The most effective they've already come up with is games upon demand. They then offer you many methods from Rv's, motorboats, quads, ATV's, plus much more. The very best aspect is that these games are offered when you would like them without worrying about trouble or maybe charge connected with property. With a established member's program charge, this member could benefit from the exercise of which their unique member's program provides without having to be worried about repair, repairs, or maybe this devaluation of the resource. They will simply tell this company their member's program has once they would like their toy-on-demand, and it is set for the children.

In writing this short article, most of us interviewed a single company of which works some sort of ship golf club with Mn. They will found of which usually individuals who held some sort of ship of their support location just went out within the normal water 10 situations with 2012. Their ship golf club customers inside similar support location went out within the normal water over eighteen situations inside similar interval. If we inquired as to why this was; most of us ended up informed the trouble connected with trailering some sort of ship, releasing this, gassing this in place, along with taking care of from time within the normal water ended up being adequate of the dissuasive to stop a lot of people through commencing a visit. Alternatively, those that acquired some sort of ship golf club member's program could simply turn to some sort of wish and possess some sort of ship gassed in place along with set for the children once they appeared because of their friends.

As we do even more looking, most of us found of which there have been numerous progressive firms you'll find helping to minimize the tension of which so often will come model property. Peace, along with moment with household, offers massive rewards. At this point that there are choices for National households to help have access to games without worrying about headache connected with property, it can be time for you to fit your current cell phones out along with recover your current weekends.