The Oregon Women's Report - Women's News from Oregon

by Judy Dippel
Springfield, Oregon

This article is an excerpt from Judy’s interactive group study book, A Mother’s Companion: Refreshing Hope for Postpartum Depression and Perinatal Mood Disorders, release in fall, 2009

Ironic as it sounds, I’m passionate about writing about postpartum depression—bringing to light, facts that will dispel myths—and offering the promise of hope and healing to the helplessness we can feel in the midst of postpartum depression. We need not stay in denial or in ignorance. I speak from experience, having endured a lengthy period of postpartum depression, anxiety and panic. Only those who have personal experience with it know how bizarre a condition it is, and how it can begin to unravel a woman, physically, mentally and emotionally.

Submitted by: Gienie Assink, Springfield Oregon

Hello all, I hope today is productive and wonderful for you.  Through out the last year, I have had the privilege of writing and submitting articles to this magazine.  I’ve learned so many new things like what to look out for when maintaining weight, tips for keeping a neat and clean house and, even new ideas for cooking.  I’ve been blessed by all of you!

Today is my last submission for Oregon Women Report.  I’m sad to go, but I’m excited for what the future holds.  I just wanted to say thank you to all of you for your continued support.  Because of you, Oregon Women’s Report has been successful through out the first year, and I appreciate all who have contributed.  Thank you for your comments and advice and for making me smile.  I’ve enjoyed it very much and I’ll miss you!

Submitted by Kay Helbling

Shopping online has become a casual affair. To many of us it has become the retail outlet of choice…no cars, no time wasted, lots of choices, and great prices—a wonderful service, no doubt. But, don’t get comfortable. Shopping online can be a nightmare. My recent experience was a wakeup call. 

I heard about the healthy Acaiberry herb from none other than Oprah Winphrey’s miracle Dr. Oz. Never before had I went online to purchase a product that was introduced to me on television. But, I found a site that allowed me to purchase a trial supply for only shipping and handling fees. Why not? What do I have to lose?
 

By Evergreen,

I saw this ad on the internet and was a little taken back by how not obese the pre-diet poster girl was.  Is the diet companies going after 95% of Americans as a new audience?   Am I wrong on this?   Please give me your feedback.

By Erika Weisensee

A couple of weeks ago, I did something I swore I never would: I signed up for Facebook. I did it even after a good friend warned me about the trappings of the phenomenally popular online community. “It’s like a disease,” she told me. She was right. Facebook can be addicting. It has some other downsides, too. It encourages people to share mundane details of their lives. And, it forces you to remember another username and password. Yet, for people wanting to keep in touch with friends both old and new, the pros of Facebook far outweigh the cons.

Jan Springer, President
Heritage School of Interior Design

If you have spaces or rooms that you do not use in your home consider the following…

1. How is the space used?  By whom?
2. Does the space have a specific purpose?
3. Is it furnished with comfortable furniture?
4. Is there adequate seating with adjacent tables?

Part Two of BACK FROM IRAQ: Diary of a Comedian
By Sharon Lacey,
Portland Comedian.

In Part One, I told of the first two days of my adventure to entertain the troops. At this point in the story, I am still in Kuwait.

DAY THREE: At Camp Arifjan in Kuwait, we’re finding that maybe things aren’t as tough as we had expected them to be. The troops have two HUGE fitness centers, each the size of a football field, with all brand new state of the art exercise equipment, huge flat screen tv’s to watch the Armed Forces Network (AFN), racquetball courts, basketball courts, tennis courts and baseball diamonds outside.

Weekend national health news focus:

TUESDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) — Deaf children can develop their own language-like gesture systems that expand in the same way that verbal skills grow in other children as they mature.  That’s the finding from a University of Chicago researcher who has studied deaf children in Nicaragua for many years.

Submitted by: Gienie Assink

I recently received one of those forwarded e-mail things I usually delete without opening, because whenever I let myself get sucked in, I am informed in the last sentence that if I don’t send it on to 12 other people, I will have bad luck for the rest of my life for breaking the chain.

I don’t like being threatened, and those things put me in a mood for the rest of the day. (Do not send me any more of them — and you know who you are — or I will construct one of those voodoo dolls with your name on it and use it as a pin cushion.)

By Ken Niezgoda,
Founder of Violence and Sexual Assault Prevention

Stranger Danger. All parents know the phrase. Many children’s books still include the warning “Don’t talk to strangers”. It almost seems a parental sacrilege to say anything to the contrary.  So how is this a problem? By making a child afraid of all strangers, we use fear as a tool. We offer a problem, not a solution. Kids don’t need to be made afraid, they need practical advice.

What happens if your child gets lost in the mall, gets off the bus in a strange neighborhood, or wanders off accidentally during a field trip? Children need to find a way back to you, but now they can’t ask for help. Remember, you’ve taught them to never talk with strangers.

By Erika Weisensee

“Read the best books first, or you may not have a chance
to read them at all.” – Henry David Thoreau

About a year ago, when I had emerged from the haze of my son’s infancy, I was ready and rested enough to reclaim a genuine love of mine: Reading. Feeling a bit isolated, I also wanted more time with a small and special group of family and friends, my inner circle. So, I combined those two needs and started my own book club. I’ve been reading and reaping the rewards of it all year long.

By Olivia C. Rossi, RN, MSN, ACSM
Your Personal Trainer:

If you have recently started an exercise program you may be feeling muscles you’d forgotten you had or never even knew were there in the first place!  Exercise should not be painful.  No pain, no gain is indeed the wrong refrain!  Mild discomfort shows that you are doing more than you have been.  Think of it as a wake-up call for your muscles.  Pain indicates that you may be doing too much too fast, or that perhaps you have sustained an injury.

By Cathy Rae Smith
Co-Founder of Culture Magazine

When making a presentation last month on “The Importance of Beauty, Nature, & High Art,” the question arose, “How do you define beauty?” In the context of that presentation, the question posed related to the distinction of natural splendor, decorative art, and high art. Actually, though, it boils down to an individual assessment spanning any topic of consideration.

When down in L.A. last month, my friend and I met another friend for lunch in Bel Air. She owns and operates a personal training company and had just come from a couple sessions with clients at their homes. She is in her mid-fifties and in amazing shape. Her eyes twinkle with mirth as she smiles. My friend, a few years older, looks like a petite teenager. The three of us discussed our love of active adventures as we travel various places in the world. Life is to be lived to the fullest!

Weekend national health focus:

Offering hard, cold cash to smokers to spur them to stop their unhealthy habit helps more people give up cigarettes, new research finds. The study, published in the Feb. 12 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, included a large group of General Electric Co. employees across the country who were offered up to $750 to give up smoking. After about a year, 14.7 percent of the group that was offered money were still smoke-free, compared to just 5 percent of those who weren’t paid to kick the habit.

On Valentine’s Day we think about
Those matchless people who
Give extra meaning to our lives–
The very special few.

Without them, skies would turn to gray;
Things wouldn’t be the same;
Life wouldn’t be as colorful;
It would be a duller game.

And when I contemplate that group–
Friends and family who are mine,
I appreciate and treasure you;
You’re essential, Valentine!

Submitted by: Gienie Assink, Springfield Oregon

Every March, we pick a day to celebrate our own family holiday.  This holiday (Assink Day as it has become known), we exchange home made cards, eat yummy food and enjoy some lively, friendly family competitions.  Our festivities liven up an other wise slow month and give us a chance to do what we do best: have fun together!

How we got started:

One soggy spring a few years ago, we were experiencing a little cabin fever.  To liven things up, we devised an entire day of fun and games.  For our inaugural event, we split into teams–the kids versus the parents– to complete a hilarious backyard obstacle course.  Later, we cracked open a pinata, then shared a delicious meal.  The first Assink day was so much fun…we’ve done it every year since.

Submitted by Kay Helbling

With gratitude to Joanne Balkovic, who was the inspiration for this article. In this month of love, her story can inspire all women to be strong in mind, body, and spirit, so that we can all measure up to the true tests of love.

You’re walking down the aisle and all you see is the young, fresh, vibrant face of your soon-to-be husband. What a grand life you have ahead—many plans and much joy. You recite the words almost automatically. Not having a doubt in your mind. Not considering the magnitude of the promise…”for better or for worse, for richer or poorer…in sickness and in health”.

On her wedding day, Joanne could picture all the beautiful days that lay ahead. Waiting for her down that aisle was a strapping, handsome, military man. He would be her support and encouragement through so many of the experiences they would be sharing together. Fast forward 60 years.  Never could she have pictured this man as an aged invalid, who could no longer walk or eat on his own.

By Erika Weisensee

Americans are expected to spend 14.7 billion dollars on Valentine’s Day this year. At least that’s what candy, flower, greeting card and jewelry retailers are hoping for, according to the National Retail Federation. I hear that number and wonder, is there really a financial crisis? Since New Year’s, the stores have been oozing pink and red, with teddy bears and heart-shaped boxes, balloons and bouquets of ready-to-go flowers strategically placed by the entryways to attract the most attention.

Over the years, advertising and marketing pros have skillfully crafted a day in which people not only feel pressure to buy but expect to receive gifts from their Valentines. We’ve been programmed to spend, spend, spend on a day when we are supposed to love, love, love.

Your Personal Trainer
By Olivia Rossi, RN, MSN, ACSM

Last Tuesday, I attended a cooking demonstration at Providence Hospital called “Cooking From the Heart, For the Heart.”  It was presented by a team of three:  a registered dietitian, a cardiologist who loves to cook, and the hospital’s own professional chef.  The aromas emanating from the simmering skillet blended garlic, olive oil, oregano, basil and tomatoes, and gave testament to the use of nature’s herbs and spices in heart healthy cooking.  We were all treated to a sample of the sauce and whole wheat pasta.  It was as delicious as it was quick, the perfect fast food!

By Sharon Lacey,
Portland Comedian

I’m a comedian.  When I was given the opportunity to go to Iraq to entertain the troops, I jumped at the chance. I wanted to be able to put it on my resume’. I wanted to travel. I wanted adventure.  I was going for all the wrong reasons. I went to Iraq with ignorant, naïve opinions that I had held for all of my adult life.  I came home a changed person.  This is my diary.

DAY ONE: I’m at Dulles International Airport in Washington D.C.  I have a seven hour layover here after the five hour flight from Seattle.  Plenty of time to talk to the soldiers who, like me, are waiting for the flight to Kuwait.  I show my itinerary to the group of Marines sitting near me.