countdown

I am counting down hours now to my trip to Kansas City. I am a nervous wreck. I will be taking my beautiful child to show the people i love out there oh so much. It will be a rush rush tho seeing each person for only a day or less. I sure do love in in KC and would almost live there in a heartbeat if Jarrod wanted to. He probably won't ever want to leave Texas tho, and I can understand. Anna is helping me get my to do list and to pack list in order. Tomorrow will be filled w/ lots of laundry for not only do I need to wash Mahna's and my wardrobe but I must make sure my husband will have a semi clean house and laundry to survive w/out me for six days. Housecleaning is a big stresser for me because I can't seem to put Mahna down long enough to DO IT! Plus this home of ours which we share with Casey is all wood/linoleum and we have a big gravel driveway which means constant dust and dirt which is only controllable by daily vacuuming/sweeping/mopping. I was once the queen of the most challenging home to keep clean. ANyway thanks to Anna staying w/ me the last few days I have been able to do more than usual as she entertains Mahna. Mahna just keeps getting cuter and cuter. Tonight we gave her some nibbles of snowcone and she got very hyper. Casey was chasing her as she crawled w/ all her might screaming like only girls do in delight. Quite adorable. I am glad I get to take her every where with me. Even at Don Pablos tonight when she was hollering to get other patron's attention I could just see the most adorable baby ever sitting in the highchair. OH and she got her 9 month pics taken today. She was quite clingy w/ me as it was a new photographer, so I ended up sitting UNDER the sheet/background while she was photographed. U actually can't even tell in the pictures but it was amusing.

Last night we, as in me and Anna, watched DONNIE DARKO. If you have not seen this movie you must see this movie!!!!!!! It was so great. So unlike any other movie I have seen. TOtally unpredictable, as most mainstream movies are. It is a Sundance film, which made me like it before I even saw it. I actually got to watch two movies this Memorial day weekend. The other one was MEET THE FOCKERS, which I thought was totally hilarious.

Anna is doing my toenails now, what a lucky sister am I!

Adios and Goodnight. Thanks for reading...........

2 much fun

I have found the music downloads and it is fun! :) I am using music net at aol and I do admit that they don't have a few of the songs i am trying to find, but maybe all muzic sites are that way. Who knows. Can you believe this costs $9 a month plus one buck per song??? Oh well it is still fun. So far I have downloaded, Eminem mockingbird, No Doubt "It's my life", Britney Spears "Slave 4 u", Lita Ford/Ozzy "Close my eyes forever", Remy Zero "Save me", 50 Cent "in da club". I am so addicted! :) It is cool in a way cuz u can download whatever u want for free and then if you want to burn them to CD that is when they cost a dollar. I have only paid for two so far. I heard there is a free way to get songs but I am so behind on this music thing because of having a crapped out no memory having computer for such a long time. I feel like such a supastar having my own CD BURNER NOW!!!!!!!!!! yippee

Today was fun. I got up at the buttcrack of dawn to take my parents to the airport so they could celebrate 30 yrs of marriage in San Fran. I hope they have a glorious time. Anyone who still likes each other after that many years of cohabitation deserves a good trip. :) I am proud to have parents who are still married and purdy darn happy about it. Anyway Jarrod kept Mahna which meant he had to get out of bed w/ her from 6-7 a.m. on a Sunday. Not his favorite thing but they were having a blast by the time I got home at 7:30. I got her to go back to sleep w/ me for about 30 min and that didn't work so we got up and got ready and made it to the 9 am church service. My grandma was happy to sit w/ us in the "parent's box". Then she got to show Mahna off to her friends and I got to chat w/ my friend Brent. A while later me and Mahna and Anna Banana went to Lara's graduation swim party and Mahna enjoyed a sorda cold swim but she was very excited about being in such a huge bathtub.

Well Mahna poo is sleeping now so I guess I will find something fun to do or maybe just go to sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.. xoxo caroline

ok

maybe we are moving maybe we are not. who knows. apartments that are cheap are uber ghettoish and that sucks. the good thing would be carpet for Mahna..... maybe we can "tough" it out here a little longer and look for a cheap hud home or sumthing.......... this is all depressing me and making me think constant negatory thoughts yo!

on a happy note i get to go to Kansas City next weekend to see Gold, Nikki, Kimmy and the rest of my family I miss and love oh so much. Jarrod gets to go see Freddy in Virginia the weekend after that. Purdy COOL!

adios

okay it is final

We are moving....... Now the question is just whether we are moving by the end of this month or if we are waiting another month. More to come tomorrow........

moving pros and cons

wE might be moving to an apartment. we have not made our decision. Pros of an apartment are our own space and privacy. back to using our nice dishes etc in a kitchen thats not ghetto. no more wood floors, nice fluffy carpet for mahna. cons of moving sad to leave our neighbors, puts stress on Casey to make money faster, costs us more so we won't be able to save as much. it would be safer for mahna than this house is so that is a pro. also it is across the street from the gym i like to go to so that is cool. who knows!

Take the good with the bad

The day started out bad. My dear lovely soulmate friend Bryn moved to Idaho. My husband asked me to find us an apartment so we can move in the next two weeks. He is having too too many problems with his brother, and parents. It is a situation coming to a boiling point.

The day has gotten better because I got a LAPTOP!!!!!!!!! Anyone who has been around me at all lately has known that is ALL I have had on my mind. I wanted to purchase one with credit on DELL.COM but could only qualify for 18% interest and UM NO!!!! So my mom offered to let me get a computer on their credit and pay them back. Jarrod said NO MORE BORROWING (I borrowed b/c of tuition and car repairs before) and that I would have to save up for it. Well I saved up almost $200 so far, so it was in the future for me but not the IMMEDIATE future. Today my mom asked if I could come over and wait for a delivery she had coming and might not be here for. So after touring a crappy but cheap apartment close to my gym in Lewisville I solemly drove over to package sit for her. Much to my shock and oh my gosh just SHOCK my dad had bought me a laptop!!! He said I can trade in my old laptop and the Macintosh that i have for this one! Where else could I get such a great deal??? I mean my laptop is worth didly but the Mac is actually sellable and loaded for anyone who would be LOOKING for a Mac. So I am just on cloud nine! This screen is enormous! It has wireless, 512 mb memory and I can burn CDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HOLY COW!!!!!! I am going to be up all night now! ha! This is so killer it just makes everything okay. Of course Jarrod is not thrilled. he wanted to teach me a lesson and lost on that one but he will enjoy the computer too. HOORay!!!!!!!!!!

yo yo

I had a good 1st Momma's day. It didn't feel like it was about me, I don't know how to explain it but I didn't feel like mothers day was abou tCaroline. i felt like it was for my mom. I wanted to make her feel happy and queen for the day. It was cool cuz Kendra was here and so we all got to be together. Minus franky of course. I am glad he at least called my mom. I was worried she would be secretly depressed because he blew her off. Of course he was too bizy cleaning the house he lives in now to come by and see her or his sister who came from Austin....... Oh well. Maybe he will come around someday. It is just wierd when you grow up all close to all your siblings and then one of them sort of falls off the face of the earth. Change of subject but there are three CD's that I want that are all quite different genres. I want the new 50 Cent, Gwen Stefani and In Utero by Nirvana. i think I will check out what Amazon.com has to offer me. I got to talk to my buddy ol' pal Cynde tonight who is the designer of my website and a lifelong friend. That was cool. My friend Bryn is moving to Idaho in a week or so and that really bums me out cuz she is a soulmate type friend. Mahna got her first tooth on Mother's day and I broke my toe by accidently kicking an ottoman at my parents house. Lucky for me there is a clinic for people w/out insurance here in lewisville that only costs $30. I have only one house to clean this week on Thursday and an option for another one on Friday, but I dunno. i got a suprise package from my friend Nikki in Kansas City today with an outfit for Mahna, a really awesome fairy card and some stickers and a homemade CD. I am looking into buying a Dell laptop for about $550. Mine is pretty crappy and the screen is broken off the keyboard. I got a new pair of pants yesterday that was two sizes smaller than I wore a few months ago. THAT is a good feeling!!! well that is my update for those of you that love me
XOXO

Go Mavs

Let's hope the MAVERICKS can kick some booty tonight and stay inthe playoffs! We are having a few peeps over so hopefully it will be a good night. I am dead tired from staying up too late w/ Bryn last night. It was a lot of fun tho so I don' t regret it. She is moving to Idaho in 10 days so I am trying to get her to come over every day!!! I can't believe all my friends always MOVE AWAY!!! Grrrrr. Well I have a yummy recipe for you. I never knew how EASY it is to make stromboli. All you need is a refrigerated pizza crust and a few insides.

Here is the one I made, but you could make one w/ pepperoni and mozzerella or whatever.

1/4 C low fat deli ham
1/2 C low fat mozzerella
1 refrigerated pizza crust
broccoli, peppers etc
1 egg
Italian seasoning

roll out pizza crust (I put mine on my pizza stone) put in ingredients except EGG and fold over to close and seal ends then flip over so seal is on bottom. Beat the egg w/ a fork and brush egg over dough. Cook at 350 for 15-25 minutes until golden brown. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM Serves about 4 people

i feel like a princess!

I feel like a princess because I have a dishwasher, AND a stove! Yes thank you Casey! I actually have a pretty much normal kitchen. It stays clean looking most of the time now and it is just so awesome. I have also lost another four pounds so I am happy about that, I feel like i am on my way to where I want to be. I am still not on a really regular workout thing, but I am working toward it. I have a gym membership. It has free babysitting. Mahna hates it! Darn. But I figure eventually she will get used to it and enjoy the other lil kiddos and have a good time. Jarrod's job is pretty wacky right now. He started a new one and the deal is that he learns each route, as in running them for 2 wks and then someone is hired to run the route, he gets a different one and is in charge of phone calls and problems on the past route(s). So that is cool, except that he is doing two jobs at once now and getting paid one salary. He is really keeping his head up and looking toward the future benefits of it, but I know it is mentally grueling. The new route he started just two days ago starts at 6:30 AM in downtown dallas and ends at 5:15 pm. THIS is why I do not like the courier business. LONG days. Well hopefully it will lead up to a paid vacation and office job w/ no need for buying a tank of gas every other day. We will see! my dryer is working today, which those who know me know that is rare. I am happy to be doing LAUNDRY. yes I am a domestic wierdo. Haha. This is the first time I have done Mahna's laundry in 3 wks. She is lucky enough to have a very LARGE wardrobe. This also has to do with the fact she can still wear things she was wearing at Thanksgiving. she is just a little peanut child. Weighing maybe 15 pounds these days. Poor thing has a cold right now and it really does make her miserable at times. She is a busy one nonetheless. Crawling all over the house, eating the cat's food and opening up cabinets. So far I think it is pretty fun chasing her. Cleaning jobs have been pretty good lately. I guess it really comes in spurts and this is a busy spurt. My grandma is out of town visiting her sister, who has alzheimers, which must be very hard for her since her sister was her best friend growing up. She usually babysits Mahna and really LOVES the job. My mom has been watching Mahna this week and Mahna is sick so not so much fun to watch, but they do like eachother a lot and are cute together. My mom is very good at getting her to take a nap on her chest. So sweet! Well I better go. Thanks for reading!

Weight Watchers Promo

I am happy to say after 5 wks on the "weightwatchers plan" I have lost 9.4 pounds! Yippee! Of course, I need to lose a lot more and it is not very obvious I have lost anything yet, but it is good to know it is going DOWN. My parents are putting in a pool so ya know I gotta look 1/2 way decent in my skivvies. (a swimsuit is skivvies, right???) haha. So far it is the best diet I have tried because you can eat whatever you want as long as you count the "point value" for each thing and don't go over a certain amt of points per day. So I don't feel so depraved and I am forcing myself to learn to eat smaller portions. So it's all good, 'yo! That's all for now. Tomorrow and Friday are cleaning days, Sat. is Mahna's 8 month pics and sunday is Jarrod's 27th bday. ADIOS!

no title

Well I was very close to getting a free king size bed but darn! The ppl had already given it away last week. Oh well. Casey got out last weds. Things have been fine. We are all getting along great. He rigged my dryer so I didn't have to do laundry at my mom's this week. Should be a relief to her since I have been over taking her laundry room every Monday for a couple months now. I have nothing interesting to say so I will talk to u later!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

news!

Casey is getting out of jail on Weds. I am hopeful that things will be fine. It is really good to hear that he will be out of jail. I know it will be a big relief for him and his family. We all got along fine before, so hopefully it will still be the same. Things will be different for him. 2 1/2 years of missing out on daily happenings and not driving etc. Lucky for him he has a very supportive family and an uncle who just started a new company which he will be offered a decent paying job at. Now we just need to get him a BED. hmmmmmmmmmm......

I think I am goign to go get a haircut this week! Tomorrow I have a new house to clean in Irving and then I get to spend my earnings on my cat Nina's shots. Joy! One of our neighbors is making Mahna a pole thing to hang her new swing from! She loves to swing. This morning while I was making my bed she crawled from her bedroom to mine. It was so cute, and she was so proud of herself!!!

Well Jarrod is home for lunch so I better go!

coated?

Today I actually made it to church. I am sorry to say I really got nothing out of it. I enjoyed the singing but came away with no deep thoughts. I wonder if I should have just stayed home and read more of "messy spirituality" my new favorite book.

We spent the day w/ jarrods grandparents and it was magical. I saw a rainbow that was vivid and purdy purdy purdy.

Jarrod starts a new job tomorrow. I hope that he will be relaxed and confident and do a good job. Mostly I hope that this new company his uncle signed him into is going to be successful.

Casey should be out in a couple weeks. I wonder how things will be for him. For us. Hmmm. I wonder how much longer until we get a house of our own. I am anxious.

like the new look?

Yes as you have probably looked in on my blog for the last two weeks you have noticed the new picture and design of my blog. Thanks to my talented friend Cynde I have a whole new appearance to the sight. My friend not only does this website for me with her own design, but she is also an inspiration to me. If anyone on the planet should be a personal trainer it is her. All my life I have wanted someone to say get up and go DO and she does. So yea. THanx CC.

Last weekend as you may know if you read Kendra's blog (www.crylaughsnort.blogspot.com) my parents, Jarrod, me mahna, anna and my gma went to Austin for Easter. It was oh so fun. Maybe double fun for me because I had extra help with Mahna and therefor got to partake in some fun activities I usually don't. Hee hee. I also bask in the warm feeling of being with MANY family members. This part of me wants to have many children. Then I snap back into reality. Haha. My favorite time during childhood/teenagehood was goign to the Lake of the Ozarks to my Mimi and Papa's lake house during summer. There would be lots of family members just swarms in the kitchen then on the dock, and swimming, watching tv. It was a safe, secure and always fun environment.

Mahna learned to sit up by herself!!!!!!! I am so proud of her! I know EVERY baby does this but it was so cool to watch her try and try for about 3-4 weeks and finally one day...... POP she got up by herself. Too cool. She is also on a steady twice a day babyfood diet now, although most of her food is still Mama's Milk. I hadn't blogged about this, but I was having a hard time getting her to eat any rice cereal etc. and the DR said "it was time". Well I read part of my new favorite book "NIGHTTIME PARENTING" by Dr. Sears and his advice is every child is different and just let it happen when it is good for them. So I completely quit with the baby food fight for a week straight. When I started up again...... she loves it! She is so funny and cute to watch eat. She makes sounds for everything and I swear this child has electricity in her blood. Crazy crazy cool

I did honestly have intentions of goign to church this morning. I stayed up til 2 am doing digital picture stuff and then when I woke up at 8:15 I realized there was not much chance of getting me and Mahna ready in time for church. Then I was going to go to the later service but when it was time to take a shower Mahna and Jarrod were playing in the bed and it was just too cute to leave....... Ugh. I really gotta work on this section of my life. At least I have MOPS. I am very thankful for my mom's friend signing me up for that. It is good to have other people who discuss spiritual things, things that are real. I don't know why the rest of the WORLD doesn't, since it really is an important thing to so many... Hmm I dunno.

Well Stephanie had her baby! I am so happy for her. She had to have a C section which sucks but I am glad her baby and her are okay. I can't wait to meet little Addy. I wish I had money so I could go buy her a cute little preemie outfit>.. She is only 6 pounds!!!

Thanks for reading! Come back soon.

OKay I am just a big puss. I talked to "boss lady" today and didn't even tell her I didn't want to clean for her anymore. ( if this makes no sense read yesterdays blog) I guess I will wait and either call her or just clean for her again and see what her "list" consists of. My momma says I shouldn't be doing someone's house who just stresses me out. Hmmmmmm.... Well anywayz

today is a good day. I pretty much finished the taxes! WHOO HOO! Self employment + baby = complicated taxes. Mom held Mahna while I did them and Anna kept me silent company. She is staying w/ me for spring break so it should be FUN! She got her braces off today and looks like a whole new Anna! :) We took Mahna for an adventure walk today in a new snobby unbuilt $400,000 house neighborhood close to my parents neighborhood. Crazy that ppl pay so much for houses so cramped together. How great can they really be??? EEK

Well Casey supposedly gets out in 2-3 wks. Wow is that going to be a big change in lifestyle. I have been getting lots of new cleaning offers lately which is pretty groovacious. I am thinking a about joining WEIGHT WATCHERS. It is the only place/gimmick/fad diet I have found that offers something for breastfeeding mothers other than "eat healthy and small portions". And we all know if I could do that I would not be a heffulump.

ADIOS!

VENT

Today I busted my ass cleaning a house. I literally worked to the point of being sore tonight. I strive to always please my clients, not only for the reason of their satisfaction, but for myself to feel that I did a wonderful job and am a good cleaning lady. I know that I am good at what I do and I enjoy it and I love to make people feel good about their home and brighten their day with no dirt in the corners, etc. It makes pretty much anyone feel great to come home to a clean shiny house. If someone asks me to do something, I do more than what they ask me to do. For example if someone asks me to dust their blinds, I will dust them and wipe the dirt off with a wet cloth. I enjoy serving people. I like to be a flexible housekeeper who can adjust to each individual for what they personally want for their money. Now for the lady I cleaned for today. First of all her husband has a problem with how much I charge. Before me they had a hispanic woman who stayed for 6 hours every Saturday to do whatever Boss Lady told her to (for less than I charge). I explained during our initial meeting that I charge a certain amount for four hours of work and I will get their house cleaned in that amount of time and am willing to do whatever else she might need once I finish the main cleaning, IF there is extra time. I am very prompt and am known to stay 10 minutes extra, even. If I say I will be there at 9 a.m. I will be. I also agreed to do this womans house every other Saturday which I am not really fond of working the weekend, but I agreed, since she works out of her home. So the second time I cleaned for her she came in (while I am scrubbing her toilet, I might add) 1 1/2 hours before I was to leave upset that I might not finish cleaning the whole house. She said her husband was worried they were paying me this large amount of money and I would not be finishing their house like I promised, and that I had spent TOO MUCH time cleaning their kitchen. I pushed down my hurt feelings and told her nicely that I would definately finish cleaning her house within the allotted time frame and resisted the urge to remind her both sides of her sink had been overflowing with crusty dishes. So okay then today I was there over my four hours, their vacuum quit working, so I had to sweep all their floors with a broom that was basically a worn down nub. I mop the floors then dry them with towels to prevent water spots. I offered to bring my vacuum over tomorrow for free, if they couldn't get theirs working. So I get a message on my answering machine tonight (in a sweet as sugar voice) that they would really appreciate if I could bring my vacuum over tomorrow, oh and also they need to "go over a few things with me" because I didn't finish all they wanted done today and she guesses she just "needs to make me a list" because I must not be used to their house yet.

Okay I am just irritated. I don't like being talked down to and I just want to tell this woman to go get her cheap maid back again if that is what she wants. I am not a slave and if she and her husband don't like what I charge for CLEANING than they can find someone else! I have a few other people offering me work right now and everyone I clean for compliments my work and no one has EVER treated me like a lower life form or something like that. I do this job because I want to and I enjoy cleaning and making things beautiful. I do not HAVE to do this. I am not some brainless person waiting to be talked down to.

So I am thinking about quitting her house. I am going to load up my vacuum and my baby and vacuum her house tomorrow for free. I will listen to her side of things and what she sees. I will decide whether this business relationship is worth it or not. Maybe I am being too touchy, sensitive or defensive? If you have read this far, tell me what you think.

finally!

I swear Mahna has been against me blogging this week. Every time I have sat down to answer these interview questions she has needed something! Well here is my attempt, one week later...

1. What 5 CD's would I have if that is all I could have?

Sarah McLachlan Fumbling Toward Ecstacy (high school)
Chemical Bros. Exit Planet Dust (kendra)
Venus Hum (or) Apoctygma Berserk (sp?)I can't choose !!!!!!
Tori Amos To Venus and Back
City of Angels soundtrack (this is a must b/c it is what I listened to in the hospital over and over when Gold was born)

2. What's the thing u like best about your parents?


They are very generous and don't expect anything in return. They are innocent and cute in a lot of ways. My mom is one of my best friends. Most of all I think I like that they love me no matter what and forgive me for my numerous and repeated mistakes, and don't remind me of them or rub them in!

3. Based on your experience in Highschool what advice would you give to current high schoolers?

My initaial answer is NOTHING because most teenagers don't want to hear any advice because they can figure it all out for themself. Haha! I don't mean that to be mean, it is just true.

But if they would listen, I would say

DON"T HAVE SEX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think that if more kids could/would abstain they could find themselves easier and figure out what they really wanted after highschool better. Also, to take advantage of "extracirricular activities" such as drama, sports, clubs, volunteering etc etc etc to just broaden their horizons and experience MORE and not just pigeon hole their life into a social experience that won't even matter in a few years.
(I may continue this answer later)

4. What has being married taught you thus far about yourself?

That I am freakin lucky to have not ended up with an abusive freaky loser!!!!!!!!!!! haha

It has taught me that I am strong and determined! It has made me realize that I really am able to be a "happy person".

5. What book influenced you the most at this point in your life?

Hm....... The book I think about the most is either certain bible verses, or books I have read about babies. I also really enjoyed Anne Lammott "Travelling Mercies" which sort of gave me a new view of being able to have strong faith and spirituality without expecting myself to be someone else or be 'sinless'.

Thanks for the questions, Brent. Sorry it took so long to get around to answering!

go ahead & ask

i have been seeing interviews among blogz lately and i want to be interviewed! so ask away and if u want to ask something offensive anonymously i am game for that, too!

Just Say No (to cokes)

I think this essay is very informative and convincing: Just say no to drinking sodas and feeding them to yer kids! EEK


WHY I DON'T DRINK SOFT DRINKS (AND WISH YOU DIDN'T)

by William Frazier, M.P.H., N.C.

There has never been motivation until now for me to assemble in one place

all the information I have accumulated through the years on the harmful

effects of soft drinks, especially colas and those containing phosphoric

acid. Here is a partial list. (My prayer is that multitudes will be able to

personally profit from reading this compendium of facts.)



DISEASE FLOURISHES IN AN ACID ph - COLA-TYPE DRINKS ARE ACID

"All kinds of soft drinks are very acidic, especially colas. In order to

neutralize a glass of cola, it takes 32 glasses of high ph alkaline water."

It is well known by the medical profession that disease loves acid. In

fact, a physician from Loma Linda University said in a speech that if we

could get our cells to maintain a normal ph (slightly alkaline), cancer

could not grow in our bodies."



CERTAIN SOFT DRINKS AND CANCER MAY BE RELATED

Francisco Contraries, M.D., of the Contraries Cancer Clinic in Kiajuana,

Mexico said, "Cancer is like a plant cell; it can't live in an oxygen-rich

environment. cola drinks make our bodies poor in oxygen. cancer is the

second cause of death in America. The average American is consuming 800 Or

more soft drinks annually. Be more responsible for your own life; doctors

have no responsibility for another's health."



SOFT DRINKS OFFEND THE KIDNEYS

A three year study of over 1,000 men with a history of kidney stones

showed: "There was a clear-cut difference in the group's experiences, with

much less renal colic in the men who had avoided soft drinks. Of those who

continued to use soft drinks, there was also a big difference in outcome

depending upon the nature of the soft drink consumed. Soft drinks acidified

with phosphoric acid were the worst offenders. Colas of all kinds, of

course, are well known for their high phosphoric acid content."



COLA DRINKS PROVIDE ZERO NUTRIENTS

As pointed out by Beatrice Hunter in her book, CONSUMER BEWARE (published

in 1971), "Nutritionally, soft drinks are low in value. Their food energy

comes solely from refined sugar. Every element of nutritional importance,

except calories, is zero. Soft drinks have much in common with hard liquor,

claimed the co-discoverer of insulin, Dr. Charles Best. Cirrhosis of the

liver has been found among teenagers who drink large quantities of soft

drinks, as well as among chronic alcoholics." Can we live without a

functioning liver? No. And do doctors have a cure for cirrhosis of the

liver? Not really!



CAFFEINE IS ADDICTIVE; COLAS PROVIDE IT

Soft drinks, including the cola and pepper-type drinks that have caffeine

in them, are the number one beverage of Americans today, with coffee

second. Caffeine is a drug and it acts as a stimulant to the central

nervous system. "In the amounts presently being consumed, it can cause

insomnia, nervousness, irritability, anxiety and disturbances in the heart

rate and rhythm. Cola and pepper-type drinks account for 80-90 percent of

the caffeine added to foods today. Its long term effects on people are not

clearly known."



BIRTH DEFECTS AREA POSSIBILITY

Here is advice on caffeine from the FDA. "In making the public announcement

in September of caffeine's possible dangers to unborn children, FDA

commissioner Dr. Jere E. Goyan urged prudence by pregnant women in the use

of caffeine products. Goyan's words to mothers-to-be: "So while further

evidence is being gathered on the possible relationship between caffeine

and birth defects, a prudent and protective mother-to-be will want to put

caffeine on her list of unnecessary substances which she should avoid." The

old saying that a pregnant woman is "eating for two" has a special meaning

in regard to caffeine.



The Commissioner also noted that studies to date support the wisdom passed

down from generation to generation that caffeine is not for pregnant women

or children. "We hope some day to have better scientific assessments,"

Goyan said, "but for now adhering to the guidance of our parents seems to

be the most prudent course."



ANOTHER PROBLEM: CARAMEL COLORING

"Cola drinks contain caramel coloring which, according to some researchers,

has genetic effects and is a cancer-causing suspect. Polyethylene glycol is

used as an ingredient sometimes. Glycol is used in anti-freeze in

automobiles and as an oil solvent." Perhaps you have noticed that pouring

cola drinks on your windshield in a snow or ice storm will keep the

windshield from freezing over with ice.



BUBBLES AND FIZZ - NOT INNOCENT

"The bubbles and fizz in soft drinks can potently burn human insides; this

is caused by the phosphoric acid and carbon dioxide. The phosphorus in the

acid upsets the body's calcium-phosphorus ratio and dissolves calcium out

of the bones. This can eventually result in osteoporosis, a weakening of

the skeletal structure, which can make one susceptible to broken bones.

Also, the phosphorus fights with the hydrochloric acid in human stomachs

and renders it ineffective. This promotes indigestion, bloating and

gassiness in many individuals. Carbon dioxide is a waste product exhaled by

humans, but they ingest it when they drink cola drinks."



SUGAR - SUGAR - SUGAR: A WHITE DECEIVER

Soft drinks use predominately three types of sweeteners - saccharin or

aspartame in the diet type and sugar, cane syrup or corn syrup in the

regular drinks. "These substances enhance taste appeal and come touted as

"refreshing" and "high energy". The truth is that saccharin has been shown

to cause cancer in laboratory animals and Nutra-sweet and Equal are linked

to convulsions, depression, insomnia, irritability, weakness, dizziness,

migraine headaches, mood changes and mental retardation. (Which of these, I

ask, is something you really want in your life?)



ALLERGIES: WITH OR WITHOUT HIVES

Dr. George M. Halpem, Division of Allergy at the University of California

Davis School of Medicine says that diet soft drinks may cause allergies.

"The potential problem may be due to toxicity because of the increase in

consumption of diet drinks. Acute or chronic hives may be symptoms caused

by this low-calorie, artificial sweetener."



MALFORMED FETUSES IN MICE A REALITY

Another study that caught my attention was done in Japan, by Dr. Yoshihide

Hagiwara and published under the title, The Effects of Foods on the Bones

of Mice. The experiments involved sustaining mice with feed containing

calcium and phosphoric acid in varying ratios. When the amount of

phosphoric acid was increased beyond a certain limit, bone malformation

occurred in the mice. Further increase of phosphoric acid in the food of

pregnant mice yielded 40 malformed fetuses out of 100. the meaning of these

results are self-evident. Too much phosphoric acid can cause birth

defects." Does it happen in humans? Why take a chance!



HOW TO DISSOLVE YOUR TEETH

"Nor am I alone in this conclusion," Haglwara said. "A government warning

was once issued to the manufacturer of a certain world-famous refreshing

soft drink for its suspected effect on the bones of children because of the

large amount of phosphoric acid contained in it. Pour cola over an

extracted baby tooth or a 10-penny nail and see it totally dissolve in a

few days!"



Dr. Clive McCay, working at the Naval Research Institute, placed extracted

human teeth in cola drinks. Within two days, the teeth became very soft,

and the enamel surface lost much of its calcium. Rats, well fed but given

nothing to drink except cola beverages, after six months had their molar

teeth dissolved down to the gum line. When Dr. McCay reported years ago the

rat experiments before the Delaney hearing on chemical in foods, a lawmaker

reminded him that the soft drink industry represented huge economic

investments. He suggested that these alarming findings be soft-pedaled to

avoid disrupting the industry and the economy as a whole. Dr. McCay

countered by stating that the health of the nation's children might be as

important as the welfare of the soft-drink industry." How do you feel about

your children's teeth being damaged?



SOFT BONES OR NO BONES!

My file is full of examples of Americans with soft bones (dissolved, I

believe, by their phosphoric acid consumption) any my heart-felt concern

for fetuses is now a reality - many are being born without face bones, with

missing ribs, with fewer than normal carpal bones, and so forth. Do we

really care? Do we care enough to change our lifestyle? I sincerely hope

so.

If changes are not made by millions soon, Dr. James Beasley's prediction

can be upon us. He said, "If Americans do not change their eating and

drinking habits, within twenty years we will have nutritional

obliteration." I see that as a very viable possibility.



KIDNEY VS COLA: A REAL PROBLEM FOR MANY

Dr. Earl Mantel in his book, "Unsafe At Any Meal" says, "For anyone over

forty, soft drinks can be especially hazardous because the kidneys are less

able to excrete excess phosphorous, causing depletion of vital calcium."

Can a person live without kidneys? No. Is it easy and/or cheap to get a

kidney transplant? No!



METABOLISM CAN BE ALTERED: THAT SPELLS TROUBLE

Heavy soft drink consumption can interfere with your body's metabolization

of iron and diminish nerve-impulse transmission. Sodas may contain - but

are not required to disclose - such ingredients as ethyl alcohol, sodium

alginate (possibly hazardous for pregnant women), brominated vegetable oil

(found harmful to vital organs of animals and considered a health risk to

heavy consumers of beverages containing it) and caffeine.



MORE "REAL" SYMPTOMS

Cola drinks can interact adversely with antacids, possible causing

constipation, calcium loss, hypertension, nausea, vomiting, headaches and

kidney damage. Soft drinks can decrease the antibacterial action of

penicillin and ampicillin.



MORE "SUGAR BLUES"

"The average 12 ounce cola has about 150 calories and over an ounce (9

teaspoons) of refined sugar, a 12 ounce up-cola has 71/2 teaspoons of

sugar." Dr. A. Thrash, M.D., found that 24 teaspoons of sugar in on day

destroys 92% of the body's ability to destroy bacteria.



BLOOD PRESSURE ALTERATION: ON THE HIGH SIDE

Diet sodas that are low in calories are high in sodium. Six ounces of

regular Pepsi cola has 5 mg of sodium; Diet Pepsi has 31 mg (But who only

drinks 6 oz at a time now? - classic Coke Cola has 19 mg sodium. High blood

pressure is very common ailment in our society, I wonder why!

And who shouldn't have high sodium in their diets? My personal answer to

that question, is that the condition which causes a person to have high

blood pressure should be considered a condition where limiting sodium

intake would be helpful. Here are a few of those; certain tumors, kidney

disease, adrenal or thyroid or pituitary gland malfunction, even diabetes

and arteriosclerosis or hardening of the arteries. Soft drinks should be

off limits to persons with these conditions.



A DECEITFUL ADDICTION: CAFFEINE

Caffeine is a member of the same alkaloid group of chemicals as morphine,

nicotine, cocaine, purine and strychnine. These alkaloids all have one

thing in common: they are addictive. Colas are responsible for giving

millions of Americans addicts their daily "fixes". (Forgive my poignant

language - but think about it).

howdy

Well it is March. To me this means that there is about one month left until Jarrod's brother gets out of jail. This means we are getting to the end of living on Poydras street. Soon we will be househunting. I am so anxious to get a place of our own that we actually OWN. I am not anxious for all the paperwork, talking to loan officers or whatever it takes to get a house. As you can see I really have no clue and therefor am afraid of the unknown. Since Jarrod is a courier whose income is sort of strange because taxes are not taken out but mileage is deducted at the end of the year on our tax form, on one piece of paper it looks like he makes money. On another piece it looks like he doesn't. It is more complicated than the average American qualifying for a loan. We want to stay in the area but not the ghetto, so who knows. I just pray that it all works out and doesn't cause too much tension.

Mahna is six months old now! I can't believe a half year has gone by. I want to cry, but I am having too much fun with her. Her new fave game is throwing things on the floor. My mom informed me I won't think this is so "CUTE" for very much longer. It is all part of her figuring things out though! Gotta go, she is beckoning me. ADIOS!