Let's talk about INTEGRITY. Integrity is one of the Quaker Testimonies, meaning that this is one of the major values held by Quakers. It means honesty, dependability, and fair dealings.
I have a garden plot at the Senior Citizens' Center. I have yet to harvest any squash or tomatoes because people keep stealing. Most recently they also damaged a thriving squash plant in their pursuit of my summer squash.
I really am trying not to get too angry. Maybe the thieves really need the food, but then, so do I! Are they out there planting, weeding, watering and mulching in the heat and humidity? Nope.
The behavior of the thieves lacks integrity. I can't give them integrity; I can't force them to behave with integrity. But if I'm going to keep my own emotions on an even keel, perhaps trying to use a mindful approach will help preserve my own shreds of integrity.
However, no matter how you cut it, stealing is just wrong. Just plain wrong.
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Let's talk about Disability Service Dogs.
If you want to know what the FEDERAL LAW says, search for the Americans with Disabilities Act, and there is about one page that covers Service Animals in Title III of the ADA. This is on the U.S. Department of Justice website.
At this point in time, only dogs and miniature horses can LEGALLY be used per FEDERAL LAW. Remember, federal law takes precedence over state laws, and state laws take precedence over local regulations. Your duck may be legally recognized as a Service Animal in your state, but don't count on it elsewhere. Federal law is the final word.
Disability Service Animals are different from Emotional Support Animals. A DSA must be able to perform three specific tasks for their human partner, per the federal court's interpretation of the ADA. However, someone cannot ask the human partner to demonstrate this. (It's kind of difficult to signal a seizure if none is immanent.)
A business may ask a person if the animal is a DSA, but they cannot ask what one's disability is or how the dog "works." To do so not only violates the ADA, it also violates the medical privacy act, HIPPA. One's medical information is between the patient and the doctor, and random third parties are not entitled to that information.
Please do not pet, talk to, or otherwise distract a DSA. Ignore the animal! Let the animal do the work it was trained to do.
And absolutely do not feed the DSA.
All DSAs have equal "free access" under the ADA. No one kind has more access than others. A restaurant cannot seat the person with a DSA in a segregated area, a hotel cannot deny a room or charge an extra fee, and the federal courts have ruled that allergies are not a reason to deny access. Besides, the only allergens are the dander from the skin and saliva. DSAs are bathed regularly, given flea treatments, etc., and they aren't licking random third parties, so allergies just are not an issue.
Churches and religious institutions are exempt from the ADA under the First Amendment, however, most churches allow not only DSAs but also DSAs in training.
Using a DSA is not only a right of a person with a disability, it is also a responsibility. The disabled person KNOWS already that they are supposed to clean up after their dog, that their dog is not to run lose, etc. It is insulting to make these suggestions to persons with disabilities. They are usually highly responsible individuals who have been trained in how to care for their animal.
Miniature horses are proving to be highly accomplished guide animals for the blind, and yes, they are house-trained. They are sometimes used for wheel chair assistance.
A federal court in Oregon ruled that breed restrictions are unconstitutional because they are not based on fact. Yes, there are pit bull terriers trained for DSA work. A small dog can perform DSA tasks, especially for persons with seizure disorders, diabetes, deafness and PTSD. I have seen a video of a Jack Russell Terrier who is positively amazing. This little guy even brings in the mail, then returns to the mail box to close it.
If you want to know more, go to the Department of Justice's website and look up the Service Animal section of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
If you want to know what the FEDERAL LAW says, search for the Americans with Disabilities Act, and there is about one page that covers Service Animals in Title III of the ADA. This is on the U.S. Department of Justice website.
At this point in time, only dogs and miniature horses can LEGALLY be used per FEDERAL LAW. Remember, federal law takes precedence over state laws, and state laws take precedence over local regulations. Your duck may be legally recognized as a Service Animal in your state, but don't count on it elsewhere. Federal law is the final word.
Disability Service Animals are different from Emotional Support Animals. A DSA must be able to perform three specific tasks for their human partner, per the federal court's interpretation of the ADA. However, someone cannot ask the human partner to demonstrate this. (It's kind of difficult to signal a seizure if none is immanent.)
A business may ask a person if the animal is a DSA, but they cannot ask what one's disability is or how the dog "works." To do so not only violates the ADA, it also violates the medical privacy act, HIPPA. One's medical information is between the patient and the doctor, and random third parties are not entitled to that information.
Please do not pet, talk to, or otherwise distract a DSA. Ignore the animal! Let the animal do the work it was trained to do.
And absolutely do not feed the DSA.
All DSAs have equal "free access" under the ADA. No one kind has more access than others. A restaurant cannot seat the person with a DSA in a segregated area, a hotel cannot deny a room or charge an extra fee, and the federal courts have ruled that allergies are not a reason to deny access. Besides, the only allergens are the dander from the skin and saliva. DSAs are bathed regularly, given flea treatments, etc., and they aren't licking random third parties, so allergies just are not an issue.
Churches and religious institutions are exempt from the ADA under the First Amendment, however, most churches allow not only DSAs but also DSAs in training.
Using a DSA is not only a right of a person with a disability, it is also a responsibility. The disabled person KNOWS already that they are supposed to clean up after their dog, that their dog is not to run lose, etc. It is insulting to make these suggestions to persons with disabilities. They are usually highly responsible individuals who have been trained in how to care for their animal.
Miniature horses are proving to be highly accomplished guide animals for the blind, and yes, they are house-trained. They are sometimes used for wheel chair assistance.
A federal court in Oregon ruled that breed restrictions are unconstitutional because they are not based on fact. Yes, there are pit bull terriers trained for DSA work. A small dog can perform DSA tasks, especially for persons with seizure disorders, diabetes, deafness and PTSD. I have seen a video of a Jack Russell Terrier who is positively amazing. This little guy even brings in the mail, then returns to the mail box to close it.
If you want to know more, go to the Department of Justice's website and look up the Service Animal section of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Hump Day already! Where is the week going? I spent part of the morning working in my vegetable garden. This afternoon, despite the meanie who teaches, I'm thinking of trying Beginning Line Dancing. It's not that she's mean to just me; she's mean to everyone. Equal opportunity meanness.
Which brings me to today's subject. Kindness. It's just not that hard to be kind!
Being kind does not mean being a doormat. You can stand up for yourself without being nasty about it. Everyone deserves kindness, and in fact, if everyone experienced kindness, perhaps the world could be a very different place. Not only people deserve our kindness, but animals too! The very earth needs our kindness. We are rapidly destroying our own habitat through our greed, which is the opposite of kindness. Generosity is a subset of kindness, and it includes generosity of spirit, a charity of spirit.
Children who grow up in families that lack kindness often grow up unable to show kindness to others. Love and kindness go hand-in-hand. If you are cruel to a child, there is no way you actually love that child. Setting limits is appropriate in parenting; cruelty is not.
If you are cruel to an animal, there is no way you love that animal. You can teach your dog how to behave without using cruelty.
I'm not a "Bible thumper," but that Paul fellow said something right when he said, "Love is patient. Love is kind." Both of those statements are true. Be kind to others; respond to unkindness or accidentally uttered hurtful words with kindness. Stomping off in a huff or getting nasty solves nothing. Using foul language when addressing another person or in the midst of "giving them what for" only makes you look foolish and ignorant.
Road rage, even if you stay in your car and just cut loose with the windows up isn't good for you or for your passengers. Most of the time, the other driver was NOT out to offend you. We all make errors. What will you lose by being forgiving? Roll with the punches. Why get ruffled?
Remember, it's just not that hard to be kind.
Which brings me to today's subject. Kindness. It's just not that hard to be kind!
Being kind does not mean being a doormat. You can stand up for yourself without being nasty about it. Everyone deserves kindness, and in fact, if everyone experienced kindness, perhaps the world could be a very different place. Not only people deserve our kindness, but animals too! The very earth needs our kindness. We are rapidly destroying our own habitat through our greed, which is the opposite of kindness. Generosity is a subset of kindness, and it includes generosity of spirit, a charity of spirit.
Children who grow up in families that lack kindness often grow up unable to show kindness to others. Love and kindness go hand-in-hand. If you are cruel to a child, there is no way you actually love that child. Setting limits is appropriate in parenting; cruelty is not.
If you are cruel to an animal, there is no way you love that animal. You can teach your dog how to behave without using cruelty.
I'm not a "Bible thumper," but that Paul fellow said something right when he said, "Love is patient. Love is kind." Both of those statements are true. Be kind to others; respond to unkindness or accidentally uttered hurtful words with kindness. Stomping off in a huff or getting nasty solves nothing. Using foul language when addressing another person or in the midst of "giving them what for" only makes you look foolish and ignorant.
Road rage, even if you stay in your car and just cut loose with the windows up isn't good for you or for your passengers. Most of the time, the other driver was NOT out to offend you. We all make errors. What will you lose by being forgiving? Roll with the punches. Why get ruffled?
Remember, it's just not that hard to be kind.
Friday, June 12, 2015
It is just about time for Senior Zumba here at the Lexington Senior Citizens' Center. One of my friends here who is in her 70s attends this Zumba class too. Her doctor told her it's great weight-bearing exercise for her bones, as she has osteoporosis. He told her to take it easy.
We need to listen to our bodies when we exercise. Talk to your doctor before beginning an exercise program. If you have any physical problems, perhaps a session with a physical therapist will help you to discover exercises that will be particularly helpful for you.
My physical therapist and orthopedic doc told me to use an exercise bike to help develop my quads which would relieve the pressure on my arthritic knees. Wow! Has this ever helped. After 9 months of dedicated use of the bike, with the addition of "intervals" (high speed segments) in the last few months, the problems with my knees are greatly relieved. I'll be able to put off knee replacement surgery for several years. I have also recently been able to add squats as I'm cooling down, as my body has been warmed up well.
I hop off the bike and do the first set of 10 squats with my arms in front of me, the second set holding a 5 lb. weight in each hand (arms at my sides), and the third set of 10 is with my hands behind my head. Then I hop back on the bike for 3 minutes. I do this 3 times, for a total of 90 squats per workout. I use this routine three days a week, skipping a day in between to let my muscles recover.
Remember, this squat routine was added after months of using the bike, attending a Range of Motion class and Senior Zumba. There is no way I could have done the squat routine a year ago. I had to prepare my body for it.
"All things in moderation," and "Slow but steady wins the race." You won't do yourself any good if you dive in all gung-ho and injure yourself.
We need to listen to our bodies when we exercise. Talk to your doctor before beginning an exercise program. If you have any physical problems, perhaps a session with a physical therapist will help you to discover exercises that will be particularly helpful for you.
My physical therapist and orthopedic doc told me to use an exercise bike to help develop my quads which would relieve the pressure on my arthritic knees. Wow! Has this ever helped. After 9 months of dedicated use of the bike, with the addition of "intervals" (high speed segments) in the last few months, the problems with my knees are greatly relieved. I'll be able to put off knee replacement surgery for several years. I have also recently been able to add squats as I'm cooling down, as my body has been warmed up well.
I hop off the bike and do the first set of 10 squats with my arms in front of me, the second set holding a 5 lb. weight in each hand (arms at my sides), and the third set of 10 is with my hands behind my head. Then I hop back on the bike for 3 minutes. I do this 3 times, for a total of 90 squats per workout. I use this routine three days a week, skipping a day in between to let my muscles recover.
Remember, this squat routine was added after months of using the bike, attending a Range of Motion class and Senior Zumba. There is no way I could have done the squat routine a year ago. I had to prepare my body for it.
"All things in moderation," and "Slow but steady wins the race." You won't do yourself any good if you dive in all gung-ho and injure yourself.
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Last July (2014), I finally got my act together regarding my health. I had already been attending exercise classes at the Lexington Senior Center, but it was time to start passing up the doughnuts that are regularly available, time to cut back on my servings of Thai Peanut Sauce, time to STOP EMOTIONAL EATING habits. I've lost over 40 lbs. since July 1, 2014. "Slow but steady wins the race." My ultimate goal is to NOT REGAIN what I've lost. I am still losing, albeit slowly (and those plateaus are frustrating as heck!), and am over half way to my ultimate goal.
The reality is, you CAN lose weight after having children (I was back down to 118 lbs. two years after my second child was born 27 years ago), you CAN lose weight after menopause, you CAN lose weight after the age of 60, and you CAN lose weight while taking Cymbalta and Neurontin! You CAN get your blood glucose level under control. All those factors make weight loss more difficult, true, but they do not make it impossible. You have to commit to the long haul. You have to be willing to make changes that will last for the rest of your life.
I'm going to be sharing what has worked for me in my pursuit of health. Come along for the ride!
The reality is, you CAN lose weight after having children (I was back down to 118 lbs. two years after my second child was born 27 years ago), you CAN lose weight after menopause, you CAN lose weight after the age of 60, and you CAN lose weight while taking Cymbalta and Neurontin! You CAN get your blood glucose level under control. All those factors make weight loss more difficult, true, but they do not make it impossible. You have to commit to the long haul. You have to be willing to make changes that will last for the rest of your life.
I'm going to be sharing what has worked for me in my pursuit of health. Come along for the ride!
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