Fun thought for the day!

Traveling Lady in Combat Boots

If you had a time machine and could travel anyway, where would you go?

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Never stop questioning.

Albert Einstein

The Cardinal

I saw a cardinal this morning. I just happened to look out the window and there it was. I had been thinking about my mother.
My mother passed away 11 years ago. She is truly missed. What is hard is that she has missed so much…but I know she is always with me.

A cardinal is a representative of a loved one who has passed. When you see one, it means they are visiting you. They usually show up when you most need them or miss them. They also make an appearance during times of celebration as well as despair to let you know they will always be with you. Look for them, they’ll appear.

Picture of the Week

Crackle

I just happened to look outside and saw this bird. Common Grackles are blackbirds that look like they’ve been slightly stretched. They’re taller and longer tailed than a typical blackbird, with a longer, more tapered bill and glossy-iridescent bodies. Grackles walk around lawns and fields on their long legs or gather in noisy groups high in trees, typically evergreens. They eat many crops (notably corn) and nearly anything else as well, including garbage. In flight their long tails trail behind them, sometimes folded down the middle into a shallow V shape.

Down Syndrome Awareness Day

Happy Dance

Is Spring here? Picture of the Week.

Over the last week I have taken these pictures. You can see snow and then grass in the background. I have not seen these birds in months. Our weather is unseasonably warm. But…looks like the cold is coming back.

Blue Jay

Hairy Woodpecker

Ring-billed Gull

White-Breasted Nuthatch

Picture of the Week

We rode this wagon to see Ross Castle.

Brain Injury Month

 

Traumatic brain injury (TBI), also known as intracranial injury, occurs when an external force traumatically injures the brain. TBI can be classified based on severity, mechanism (closed or penetrating head injury), or other features (e.g., occurring in a specific location or over a widespread area). Head injury usually refers to TBI, but is a broader category because it can involve damage to structures other than the brain, such as the scalp and skull.

TBI is a major cause of death and disability worldwide, especially in children and young adults. Males sustain traumatic brain injuries more frequently than do females. Causes include falls, vehicle accidents, and violence. Prevention measures include use of technology to protect those suffering from automobile accidents, such as seat belts and sports or motorcycle helmets, as well as efforts to reduce the number of automobile accidents, such as safety education programs and enforcement of traffic laws.

Brain trauma can occur as a consequence of a focal impact upon the head, by a sudden acceleration/deceleration within the cranium or by a complex combination of both movement and sudden impact. In addition to the damage caused at the moment of injury, brain trauma causes secondary injury, a variety of events that take place in the minutes and days following the injury. These processes, which include alterations in cerebral blood flow and the pressure within the skull, contribute substantially to the damage from the initial injury.

TBI can cause a host of physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and behavioral effects, and outcome can range from complete recovery to permanent disability or death. The 20th century saw critical developments in diagnosis and treatment that decreased death rates and improved outcome.

National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NWGHAAD) is an annual, nationwide observance that sheds light on the impact of HIV/AIDS on women and girls. Every year on March 10, and throughout the month of March, federal, national, and community organizations come together to offer support and hope, reduce stigma, share information, and empower women and girls to learn the importance of HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and treatment. This year marks the 10th observance of National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.

Today, about one in four people living with HIV in the United States are women 13 or older. Only about half of women living with HIV are getting care, and only four in 10 of them have the virus under control. Women face unique HIV risks and challenges that can prevent them from getting needed care and treatment. Addressing these issues remains critical to achieving an HIV/AIDS-free generation.

While there are many milestones in HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and treatment, it is important to recognize that the disease affects women all across the country. Some women are living with HIV while working and taking care of families. Other women are caregivers to family members or friends with HIV/AIDS. During National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, we invite everyone to help reduce stigma.

What every woman needs to know about HIV/AIDS

About one in four people living with HIV are women, and about  80% of whom are of childbearing age (15 to 44) — are HIV-positive. This National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, you should know these facts: