Buyer beware, part 1

My neighbor came over today with a problem that I could not solve.

She is trying to decide what dietary supplement she should use. She clutched in her hand a sheet with lists of products that she was investigating. She was frustrated.

"This is a big story," she agitated. "Who knows what's good and what's not?"

Good question.

First of all, if one is considering taking any kind of supplement, one should do a lot of research, or talk to a dietitian, nutritionist or your doctor. There are plenty of all of those to be found. Whether or not they can be trusted is another post altogether.

Consider this statement on the front of an FDA website about dietary supplements:

FDA, as well as health professionals and their organizations, receive many inquiries each year from consumers seeking health-related information, especially about dietary supplements. Clearly, people choosing to supplement their diets with herbals, vitamins, minerals, or other substances want to know more about the products they choose so that they can make informed decisions about them. The choice to use a dietary supplement can be a wise decision that provides health benefits. However, under certain circumstances, these products may be unnecessary for good health or they may even create unexpected risks.

Second, one should consider that not everything on the Internet is necessarily accurate, or true. And because dietary supplements are not regulated by the FDA, you should be cautious about claims made by manufacturers of these supplements.

By law (DSHEA), the manufacturer is responsible for ensuring that its dietary supplement products are safe before they are marketed. Unlike drug products that must be proven safe and effective for their intended use before marketing, there are no provisions in the law for FDA to "approve" dietary supplements for safety or effectiveness before they reach the consumer. Also unlike drug products, manufacturers and distributors of dietary supplements are not currently required by law to record, investigate or forward to FDA any reports they receive of injuries or illnesses that may be related to the use of their products. Under DSHEA, once the product is marketed, FDA has the responsibility for showing that a dietary supplement is "unsafe," before it can take action to restrict the product's use or removal from the marketplace. (Source: Overview of Dietary Supplements, FDA)

Take for example this site, ConsumerLab.com. It sounds very impressive - but is it? I located an "About Us" button on the bottom of the page, which sent off alarm bells. Why is the button at the bottom of the page? I clicked the button and found this information, at the bottom of the page:

KEY MANAGEMENT:
Tod Cooperman, M.D., President Dr. Tod Cooperman is a noted researcher, writer, and speaker on consumer healthcare issues. Dr. Cooperman is also the Founder of PharmacyChecker.com (http://www.pharmacychecker.com/), an evaluator of Internet pharmacies, and CareData Reports, Inc., a leading independent evaluator of consumer satisfaction with managed care (now a division of J.D. Power and Associates). Dr. Cooperman is a graduate of the Boston University School of Medicine.

William R. Obermeyer, Ph.D., Vice President for Research Dr. William Obermeyer joined ConsumerLab.com from the U.S. FDA (Food and Drug Administration) where he was a Natural Products Chemist guiding research activities of various natural products and educating the public, academia and industry on the safety and proper manufacture and testing of dietary supplements. Dr. Obermeyer is an internationally recognized authority on pharmacognosy (the science of natural products) and serves on the Executive Board of the AOAC Technical Division for Reference Materials. Dr. Obermeyer received his Ph.D. from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science.

Lisa K. Sabin, Vice President for Business Development Lisa Sabin joined ConsumerLab.com from Prevention Magazine where she was an Account Executive working with healthcare and consumer products companies. Prior to that, she worked for Hearst Magazines, in the Brand Development Department, managing the merchandising of products under the names of its publications, such as Popular Mechanics, Cosmopolitan and Esquire. Ms. Sabin is a graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in Communications.

Elena Suzuki Yoo, CN, Japan Manager Elena Suzuki Yoo coordinates ConsumerLab.com's activities in the Japanese market. Ms. Yoo brings experience in international business and Japanese medical/nutritional writing and translation. Ms. Yoo holds a Certified Nutritionist degree from the American Health Science University in Colorado and a B.A. from Japan Women's University (Nihon Jyoshi Daigaku) in Tokyo.

OWNERSHIP, AFFILIATIONS, AND SOURCES OF REVENUE: ConsumerLab.com, LLC is a privately held company based in White Plains, New York. It is not affiliated with manufacturers of health and nutrition products. Revenues are derived from sales of online subscriptions, books, CL's Product Review Technical Reports, advertisements on its Web site, as well as Voluntary Certification Program fees, and license fees from both the re-publication of its proprietary information and the authorized use of the CL Seal of Approval.

So ... they really had nothing to hide. Some key words in there are Boston University School of Medicine, FDA, Prevention Magazine, and nutritionist.

Is this enough for you to become a member? I would find an alternate citation confirming that all this information is accurate, from at least one other reputable source, but that's me.

The point is, don't take anything at face value. More to come ...

The 'granite ceiling'

Women in New Hampshire comprise 47 percent of the workforce, 61 percent of recent college graduates, and just over half of the state’s managers and professionals, but represent a minority of those serving on governing boards and in executive positions, says a January report from the New Hampshire Women's Policy Institute.

Here are some other interesting facts from the report:

• Women represent 9 percent of directors of publicly held corporations, 21 percent of
financial institution directors, and 26 percent of hospital trustees in New Hampshire.

• Women in New Hampshire comprise 80 percent of the workforce in banking and in
hospitals, and about one-quarter of senior executives and one in five CEOs. Representation in financial institutions has increased in recent years, particularly among credit unions.

• National research suggests having three or more women on a board maximizes
contributions to governance. Most of the state’s hospitals and half of the credit unions had this level of representation; the majority of banks, trust companies, and public companies did not.

• Women represent the majority of college graduates in a shrinking pool of younger workers.

• Nationally, women are responsible for 83 percent of consumer purchasing, including 89 percent of new bank accounts and 80 percent of healthcare decisions.

Do you have an interesting story to share about breaking the "granite ceiling?" If so, write to the publisher at sjcald@comcast.net.

Target, focus, divert

I just had to comment on this story, seeing as how I'm as clueless as writer Martha Beck purports to be in this story on CNN.com (but originating on Oprah.com).

It's about flirting! Something I have never mastered.

I have a friend who lives across the street She tosses her hair, she gazes into men's eyes as if they are not only the most important man in the room, but in the whole Universe; she touches them occasionally on their forearm.

She gets a lot of notice. It goes something akin to what Beck writes:

We'd been waiting 30 minutes for someone to take our order in a busy Mexican restaurant when my friend Cathy decided to take extreme measures.

"Watch this," she whispered. Then she tugged the clip from her hair, opened a collar button, and tossed her head like a frolicking foal. Almost magically, she went from being simply beautiful to what is referred to in the vernacular as "like, totally hot."

Three waiters rushed our table like linebackers. Cathy fluttered her lashes at one, cooing, "Hon, could we order now?" It was a virtuoso performance of attraction in action.

It helps if the hair on the head is long and blonde.

Over to the opposite side of the spectrum, also from Beck:

As "Psychology Today's" contributor Joann Ellison Rodgers described the flirtation ritual: "Women smiled, gazed, swayed, giggled, licked their lips and aided and abetted by the wearing of high heels; they swayed their backs, forcing their buttocks to tilt out and up and their chests to thrust forward."

In researching this article, I recently tried enacting these behaviors in a local Starbucks. Sure enough, I attracted immediate male attention: An elderly gentleman asked me if I needed medical help. The answer was yes. I think I ruptured something.

Now this I can relate to! I do, and always have, hunched over slightly to distract attention away from my ... er ... huge tracts of land (big tits). I don't even realize I'm doing it - until my shoulders start aching and I have to go get a massage - a fine tool for stopping.

I have not stopped since I developed big tits (about fifth grade); why change now?

OK, well Beck gives three steps to attracting attention from whoever it is you want attention.

If you use the three steps above in quick succession, you'll become an attention magnet. It's like a trick move in martial arts: Target your person of interest, focus entirely on them, then abruptly divert your attention. Pow, pow, pow!

For the kiddies

A few weeks ago now, my friend Jennifer Karin Sidford gave me a copy of her new children's book. It looked like a winner then, and it looks like a winner now that it's out in the shops.

The DreamStarter Book contains 50 pages of story beginnings ... as in, Jennifer starts the story and the kids, with their parents, with whoever or alone, figure out where it goes from there.

In the first beginning, for example, a little boy looks in the mirror while brushing his teeth and sees a key inside the mirror. He reaches for the key, grabs the key and ... whee! You're off! (Her lead up is more expansive and literary than this, of course.)

All of the beginnings childhood imaginings and 'fears' ... castles, wolves, pirates, unicorns, dragons, Ninjas. The Wolves of Scotland brought back memories of a book I read as a young adult, The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, so when I read it, I actually started concocting a storyline to finish the story.

I think it's a great way to stimulate a child's imagination and maybe stimulate some future writers, as well as obviously interacting with your child(ren) in a meaningful way.

This is Jennifer's third published work.

The DreamStarter Book Cold Tree Press Softcover; 63 pages (including ideas on how to use the book for activity time and as a game) $12.95

She's happily married?

We don't know what to think about this story on CNN.com, but culled from Oprah.com.

I contemplate divorce every day. It tugs on my sleeve each morning when my husband, Will, greets me in his chipper, smug morning-person voice, because after 16 years of waking up together, he still hasn't quite pieced out that I'm not viable before 10 a.m.

If you contemplate divorce every day, should you not go ahead and get one? Or is the author, Ellen Tien, being satirical, as suggested in the accompanying comments?

We had a hard time slogging through the whole piece, so we picked out some salient points for your consumption.

To be sure, there will be throngs of angry women who will decry me for plunging a stake into the heart of holy matrimony. "My husband is my lifeline," I've heard said (and that's bad news for the aorta). "My husband and I never fight" is another marital chestnut -- again, bad news (not to mention a big fat lie), since according to the experts, the strongest relationships are the ones in which people can continually agree to disagree. "My husband is my best friend," others will aver.

No. Your husband is not your best friend. Your best friend is your best friend. If your husband were your best friend, what would that make your best friend -- the dog? When a woman tells me that her husband is her best friend, what I hear is: I don't really have any friends.

Not entirely sure we go along with this statement. Our husbands are our best friends. We tell them everything - and we don't compete with them over whose outfit looks the best today.

Having choices is a cornerstone of strength: Choosers won't be beggars. "Thinking about divorce is kind of like living in New York City with its museums and theater and culture," a doctor friend of mine said. "You may never actually go to any of these places, but for some reason, just the idea that you could if you wanted to makes you feel better."

Maybe one day, marriage -- like the human appendix, male nipples, or your pinky toes -- will become a vestigial structure that will, in a millennium or two, be obsolete. Our great-great-great-grandchildren's grandchildren will ask each other in passing, "Remember marriage? What was its function again? Was it that maladaptive organ that intermittently produced gastrointestinal antigens and sometimes got so inflamed that it painfully erupted?"

Yes. Yes it was.

Until that day of obsolescence, we can confront the dilemma and consider the choice a privilege. Once upon a time is the stuff of fairy tales. As for happily ever after -- see appendix.

Well, perhaps one day the institution of marriage will be obsolete. But we like to think of a couple we met recently, 61 years together, who still say "I love you" to one another every day.

What do you think?

A masseuse for newborns?

Check out this post, "Tao of Celebrities," on Guidespot.com for some "thrilling" tidbits about celebs and how they live.

The author is Mary Swenson of Newburyport.

Weddings: United on the molecular level

This is a great wedding story from the New York Times.

The couple profiled here met in 2005, on an (unspecified) online dating service. They were married on Aug. 8.

Last Hanukkah, they bought a microscope and traveled to Connecticut just to get pond scum samples to magnify.

Obviously, they are both into science. Translate "pond scum" into "baseball," or whatever you're into, and read on.

At the end of their first date, Mr. Wolkstein took her hand as she got into a cab and asked when he could see her again. Ms. Blitzer flashed a smile and replied, “A.S.A.P.” — a phrase she then repeated after each of their next nine dates.

These people are pretty high society, but don't be put off if you are not.

In May 2007, Mr. Wolkstein asked Ms. Blitzer to get gussied up for a business brunch for six. When no one else showed up, Mr. Wolkstein admitted it was a setup. Switching to the table where they first met, he dropped on one knee and asked her to marry him.
Her reply?: “A.S.A.P.”

It's a nice story, and something like it could happen to us all (if it hasn't already).

Got a great story about how your romance progressed, or about your wedding? Send it to us!

(We promise not to publish a photo of you that emphasizes the see-through nature of your wedding gown!)

Cashing in on Canadians

From this report on WMUR.com, it seems that Canada is now supplying at least an equal number of visitors to New Hampshire vacation spots as Americans (although technically, Canadias are Americans, in that they live on the same continent).

While the bad economy has kept many Americans at home, businesses said it helped bring more visitors from the north.

"Oh, yeah. More than half are from Canada," said Ruxandra Iomscu of T-Shirt City.

From Canadian flags on the hotels to Canadian license plates in the parking lot, it's hard to miss just how many people have come from north of the border. Olivier Fourier, of Quebec, said he drove down for the weekend for a cheap vacation.

"I thought it was really cheap, and there are no taxes here, and all is cheaper than where we come from," Fourier said.

One U.S. dollar is worth about $1.05 Canadian, up significantly over past summers.

So while people in the states are actually looking for the ultimate "staycation" adventure, Canadians are doing the same.

Interesting how these words get infused into our lexicon. Staycation is the new term for people taking vacations close to home due to high gas prices and other economic factors.

The Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce recently ported that 49% of visitors to the city were from Massachusetts, while 19% were from other nearby states, mostly New Hampshire.

Around 11% of the visitors logged at the Chamber's information booth were from foreign countries, and of that most were from Canada.

The message in all this? People are tripping down here for a weekend out in tax-free New Hampshire - and Canada has newspapers and other marketing venues.

It's not too late to be trendy in 2008

There is (at least one) company that tracks color trends several years ahead. I want that job!

In December 2007, Color Marketing Group, the leading international association of color design professionals, announced that genuine concern for the environment remains the strongest influence on the colors we’ll see and buy next year.

"Our members specify color for everything from paint and furniture to cars and carpets," said Jaime Stephens, executive director of CMG. "They track trends several years ahead, and they’ve rarely been wrong in more than 43 years."

So - are you all looking "green?" It seems that people want things they wear, and use, to look "green," no matter what color they are.

In 2008, looking stylish means looking natural. Materials will look hand-made, un-dyed and unbleached. Products will look more like what they're actually made of, with lots of texture and all the natural imperfections proudly showing through. Off-whites, sandy and linen-y colors, rock and soil colors, brownish-greens – the colors of nature are seriously fashionable now.

Does that mean all my pink tops are seriously unfashionable?

I've never been one to wear a lot navy blue - blue being the "trust me" color - but this year, while buying your fall attired, think deep, vibrant navy so dark you'll swear it's black.

So ... why not just wear black? Oh well, onwards.

Metallics are in, but they should be coppery, or bronze-y. Guess that DKNY Jeans shirt I just bought at TJMaxx with (disappearing) metallic lettering and the Life is Good rosy pink one were right on target (no pun intended).

I love that DKNY shirt, by the way. It's my new favorite garment. As soon as it comes down off the line, it's going on my body.

Ah, well, we get to colors that are good for the fall - Moroccan reds, glowing oranges accented by rosy pinks (Hey! Pink!), sunny golden yellows and lots of turquoise.

Color Marketing Group forecasts color trends up to three years into the future for its members, many of whom must plan ahead for product, space and materials introductions.

Good thing they had thick skins

Think things are bad in presidential campaigns these days?

According to this story by biographer Kerwin Swint on CNN.com, negative campaigning began with John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.

Things got ugly fast. Jefferson's camp accused President Adams of having a "hideous hermaphroditical character, which has neither the force and firmness of a man, nor the gentleness and sensibility of a woman."

In return, Adams' men called Vice President Jefferson "a mean-spirited, low-lived fellow, the son of a half-breed Indian squaw, sired by a Virginia mulatto father."

As the slurs piled on, Adams was labeled a fool, a hypocrite, a criminal, and a tyrant, while Jefferson was branded a weakling, an atheist, a libertine, and a coward.

Even Martha Washington succumbed to the propaganda, telling a clergyman that Jefferson was "one of the most detestable of mankind."

Human nature hasn't changed much, has it? Or perhaps it is, and was, just politics - Adams and Jefferson resumed their previous friendship (by letter) until both their deaths, which occurred on the same day - July 4, 1826.

Fortunately for Adams, he didn't live long enough to see his son go down in flames (in that we lost his bid for re-election as president) in 1828.

The slurs flew back and forth, with John Quincy Adams being labeled a pimp, and Andrew Jackson's wife getting called a slut.

One paper, the story continues, reported that Andrew Jackson's mother was a "common prostitute."

Social networking is linked to employee retention

Do you have a profile on LinkedIn? Do you know what LinkedIn is?

How about MySpace, Facebook, Twitter or Flickr?

Blogger Ari Herzog examines employers blocking employee access to social networking tools and the repercussions of same.

Great read.

Making Meaning In Every Moment

Had a phone call this morning from someone who played a huge role in my life about 9 years ago - Jim T. from L'il Iguana Children's Safety Foundation. He called this morning to ask for help with manning a bingo game that he is starting up to raise $$ for the Foundation and said his bones were starting to heal. "What?" I asked. "Oh -didn't I tell you? I hit a tree head on on April 1". So of course I asked for the story. Well it seems he was driving home and about 200 yards from home he started choking in a gummy fish that he had in his mouth. The gummy fish got stuck in his throat and he put on the brakes to try to pull over and help himself, he ended up passing out, his foot slipped off the brake on to the accelerator and the vehicle ended up shooting forward, hitting the tree, deploying the airbag which performed the Heimlich maneuver, dislodging the gummy fish and saving his life. Docs said he had about 3 minutes and that would have been the end. Death by gummy fish. Imagine that......Thanks Angels for saving my buddy Jim. I hope everyone who reads this will take a moment to give gratitude for their every breath and maybe give a little cash to L'il Iguana to keep a good thing going strong while Jim recovers from his "accident'. To donate now click here - Thanks!

Winter Wonders

Another Snow Day!! Winter is a wonderful time to dis-connect from the larger world, the hustle and bustle and just snuggle in for a day or two of hibernation. What a gift a snow day can be! This year we've been gifted with several already - so much for global warming - we've had more snow in NH this year than in the past several combined I think!

As soon as the call came in from the school district that we are off today we all breathed a sigh and rolled over for a good two hours of extra sleep. Snuggling under a warm comforter, all cozy with the kitty, my son James didn't emerge until about 10 and neither did I. By then there were at least 6 inches on the ground already.

Snow Days give us the chance to get outside, to get some great exercise and fresh air. There's nothing like an hour of shoveling to heat you up and make you feel truly, vibrantly alive. We all come in from a great workout - noses red and dripping, hair all sweaty, cheeks bright and shiny with the glow of good hard physical labor. Then it's "Mom, can we have some hot cocoa?" Not the package mix kind for my family - oh no - they like it home made - warm milk in a pan on the stove with some Nestle's Quik or if I"m feeling particularly adventurous we melt Baker's Semi-Sweet in the pan with the milk until the steam is rising and the milk is just under the boiling point. MMmmmm the house smells great and our bellies feel warm and completely satisfied.

Then it's movie or reading time - we like to use a snow day to really, deeply relax. No agendas, except of course the two or three visits outdoors to continue the cleanup process. While we wait for the accumulation we cuddle up on the couch in front of the fire with good books or great movies. Sometimes we cook up a big pot of fresh, hot chicken or vegetable soup. Sometimes we get really motivated and make a batch of homemade cookies or break out the brownie box for some serious comfort food.

What a magical time to unplug, to bond and to deeply relax and enjoy each other. Bring on the Snow Days!

NH Primaries for Anne Armand

I did vote in the primary from Florida. I have voted from a small island in the Caribbean in the past. But this is the first time in a long time that I have had a candidate who espouses my own views. And I am fired up about the contest. Our country faces new challenges from unrelenting enemies. I am, however, very disappointed at how uninformed many people seem to be about the candidates. Even though we have so much information at hand, many voters still cast ballots with their heart and not their heads. Unfortunately some of my friends let the so called pundits decide for them. They regurgitate the 'party line'. This is not AMERICAN IDOL, this is about AMERICA'S LIFE. It is a time for reading, reflecting and voting with real information and not on looks, drama, and promises. Listen to the message but research the messenger.
Anne Armand

Opening to Change

The flurry of National media attention has exited as quickly as it came to NH where we celebrate every four years the distinction of being the First in the Nation Primary for the Presidential elections. The excitement in the air yesterday and in the days leading up to the primary was palpable. Change is in the air no doubt about it!

I found it incredibly uplifting to vote this time around. There is a feeling of excitement that just wasn't there in the last election or in fact in any of the elections that I've ever voted in. A feeling of hope, a feeling that there is a possibility for true, deep and fundamental change in our government. This is a historic election year - to have the opportunity on the Democratic side to be a part of the election of either the first woman or first black person to sit in the Oval office is a profound gift.

What I enjoyed the most about this primary was the level of respect, honor and decorum that is being promoted. Respect for each other's positions even if they are not in alignment, respect for each other as people. The energy is clear. There is no heaviness, negativity or mudslinging going on. Hope is in the air. Hope for a merciful conclusion to the long drawn out drama of war. Hope for a new perspective. Hope for economic restoration and for restoration of our country's reputation in the world. Hope for a redistribution of our vast monetary, governmental and natural resources that is more equitable and more sustainable for the good of all rather than the good of the few.

One of the nice things about living here in the Granite State (Live Free or Die!) is the chance to be an undeclared voter. It allows us to make the choice that we feel is best at the moment of voting and to keep some privacy around our choice until that moment in the ballot box. I've chosen to excercise that right to be undeclared, to not be affiliated with any party but to pick not by party but by personal record the person I think is best to lead our nation.

There is a real sense of empowerment in being able to choose our leaders. I pray that we can as a nation continue to honor this system of choice and to maintain the integrity of the balloting process. We are blessed to be citizens of this country. I pray that the rights that were visioned by our founders will always be upheld by our elected leaders and that we can depend upon them to be in truth and integrity as they represent us in the world.

http://www.amethystwyldfyre.com

New Hampshire Primaries

So what do you all think about the primaries. Personally I'm a democrat so I really didn't pay much attention to the republican race but I'd love to hear who you voted for and why though. I voted for Hillary Clinton. While I attended the Oprah event at the Verizon and was very impressed with Obama (actually I was more impressed with his wife Michelle), I don't think he has the experience and I think his passions will cost us too much money to emplement at a time when we need to increase the treasury not decrease it. I would like to see him act as Governor before running for president. Yes, I realize that Hillary has only been in the Senate as well but she interned at the Presidential masters side. I very much doubt that she spent 8 years in the White House knitting sweaters when she had the opportunity to watch, look and listen to Bill Clinton run the country. I also think she has a stronger record of accomplishing what she sets out to do. Just my opinion for what it's worth.

On another note I am currently working on our next issue. We are looking for businesses and professionals to write articles on careers, makeovers and spring for our feature sections and on divorce, abuse, home and decorating topics, weight loss or fitness, weddings and health etc. As you know we offer our articles to our advertisers first so that they can get the benefit of the FREE PR. So if you know of anyone who would be interested please let me know - 603-895-4699 or susan@applaudonline.com. Please check out our website at www.applaudonline.com

As always if you have a question or issue that you would like to see posted please let me know and I will post it for you. My direct e-mail is sjcald@comcast.net. Please let you friends and family know about this blog so that we can continue to grow our community of NH women, sharing and supporting each other. Thank you Susan

January 5, 2008

Well I'm starting to get the hang of blogging although I'm sure I still have a lot to learn. I want to thank those of you who have commented or posted blogs. I'm very excited to have finally started some interactive communication. I have wanted to do this within in Applaud and have been able to create some feedback in my letter section but there is so much more that I want to do. I think we, as women, have so much to share with each other and as far as I know there is no forum in New Hampshire to do that. So I'm hoping that I have created a place where women here can share their concerns, issues, enlightenment, information and most importantly their support for each other.

I don't know about the rest of you but I'm very happy that the holidays are over. I don't transition well so any kind of change in routine is very difficult for me. It's especially difficult when my major activity at this time is to get advertising sales and during the holidays people have a totally different focus. So thank goodness things are back to normal.

I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce something new that I am working to create in Applaud. Over the last six months I have come in contact with several women who are either in the divorce process or have recently gotten a divorce. Some of these women have also been involved in abusive relationships. I think that the magazine could be of benefit in helping women get through these difficult situations by providing helpful articles. So we are working on that for the next issue. I'm also hoping that this blog will create a forum where women going through the divorce process or who are involved in abusive relationships, whether married or just dating can share their thoughts or learn from others who have directly or indirectly been affected.

Finally, please feel free to either email me directly at sjcald@comcast.net with ideas for postings or to comment here about things that you would like address or share. Please spread the word to other women about this blog so that we can continue to grow our community of NH women.

If you haven't yet read our Tribute to Princess Diana issue please go to www.Applaudonline.com to read it or contact me so you can obtain your own copy. Don't miss this 6-page Tribute to Diana with exclusive quotes and photos.

Saying GoodBye

As is customary at this time of year we all take a few moments to say goodbye. Saying goodbye to the year past, saying goodbye to the frenzy of holiday preparation and celebration, saying goodbye to habits that no longer serve. As the year wound to a close I had to say goodbye to an old friend too. My labrador retriever - Blackjack was assisted to cross over last Thursday. Blackjack was what you'd call a "good old dog". He was a loyal companion and friend, a good watch dog, a guardian and playmate for my son and a true and kind member of our family. At 17 1/2 he lived a long and mostly healthy life. He ran, jumped, played and kibbitzed right on up to 15. Then he started to slow down a bit, he got a little grey around the edges, he lost his vision. Many people told me after he lost his ability to see that he should be put down but I refused to do that. He was still generally healthy, found his way around the house and the yard well enough and was an integral part of our family life. My boy James was insistent that he should live to die a natural death and so this was a most difficult rite of passage for him. In the last year I knew that time was short. Last Christmas Eve I didn't think he'd make it through the night and I stayed up late opening sacred space and showing him where the rainbow bridge was. He surprised us all by staying for another whole year! Finally the end drew much nearer. He made it through this Christmas and then went rapidly down hill. When he couldn't get up anymore, stopped eating and drinking and had to be picked up to go outside we knew it was time. I opened sacred space before we left the house, called in all of the spirit guides, spirit animals and energies of light to make the way clear and obvious for his spirit, opened his chakras and showed him the rainbow bridge to the other side. It was a tough decision to make but the right thing to do. The vet (Dr. Stephen Frye, Clark Veterinary Hospital in Nashua) was incredibly compassionate, gentle and kind. He helped us to say goodbye in a way that was filled with dignity, grace and the ultimate kindness. Blackjack has already come to work with me in my medicine work, to dance in my dreams and will always be a guardian spirit and friend for my son and our family. While saying goodbye is never easy to do I'm incredibly grateful to Dr. Frye, to my husband Ross and to the lovely Marie Glover at Animal Heaven (in Hollis NH) who made this experience the best that it could be. Goodbye Blackjack and hello once more. May you journey joyfully to your home star and illuminate the path for those of us to follow. Your faithful friendship was a magical gift. With all our Love - Amethyst, Ross and James

http://www.amethystwyldfyre.com