Myth is as dangerous as fact when it comes to violence against women. The key to staying safe is to separate truth from urban legend and other misconceptions.  One of the first questions I ask women when I teach a violence prevention class is “What steps do you currently take to avoid violence and rape?”  Inevitably I will hear one or more of these answers:

“I avoid dark streets and alleys.”
“I don’t go out at night.”
And even…
“I dress in ‘guy’ clothes when I go out alone so that I don’t attract attention.”

In one Portland area high school, a health teacher told female students to not wear ponytails. The teacher had read an Internet report in which a rapist told an interviewer that he looked for girls with ponytails that he could grab during an attack.

These violence prevention steps are all based in myth and misconceptions. Not only do they do little to help avoid the majority of rape situations, they give a woman the false sense that she’s done something significant to keep herself safe.

The reality:

Rape occurs anywhere, any time of day, and not just in dark alleys. Nearly half of all rapes occur in a home.

While many women see strangers as a danger, eight out of every ten rapes are committed by someone whom the victim knows.

Rapists attack anyone they feel they can overpower: Women, elderly, children, the handicapped. It is a crime of power, not sex. Looking “unattractive” does nothing to prevent rape.

Women need to learn the facts in order to stay safe. One of the best resources is the national best-seller, The Gift of Fear, by Gavin de Becker. Written by the nation’s leading violence prediction and prevention expert, this guide offers fact-based suggestions on how to avoid rape situations.

— About the author: Ken Niezgoda is a Portland-area violence prevention instructor and Tae Kwon Do black belt. He is also a professional instructional designer and has created a violence and sexual assault prevention curriculum for young women that any school or non-profit organization can download and use free of charge from: http://tkd.pacificpaper.us/.

The latest buzzword flying around the travel and leisure sector is “staycation,” a blend of the phrase “stay at home” and the word “vacation.” Instead of blowing a bundle of money on a pricey trip somewhere else, “staycationers” vacation at or very near home. In this challenged economy, it’s a really great idea.

Who doesn’t need a vacation? Who wouldn’t like to spend a week relaxing, exploring the local region, and enjoying entertainment, dining out, spa treatments and more? The beauty of a “staycation” is that you can avoid the stress of travel and save a ton of money by staying home. And, by patronizing local businesses and attractions, you’ll help support the local economy.

Believe it or not, an effective “staycation” takes planning. The danger of staying at home for a vacation is spending the whole time doing chores and things you feel you have to do. Because a vacation by nature means a break from your regular routine, planning will help you make the most of your time at home.

Experts suggest making a list of things you want to do during your time off. Of course, if you have a family or a partner taking time off with you, the planning should take into account everyone’s wishes. You may want to do a few things in advance, such as making dinner reservations, spa appointments, or buying tickets to an event. Also, before the “staycation” begins, consider cleaning your house or having it cleaned and get the grocery shopping done in advance. That way you can really relax when your holiday begins.

In a region rich with scenic beauty and ample tourist attractions, Oregon is an ideal place for a “staycation.” Whether you take the family to a mountain sno-park or visit a museum, make a point to do something new. The website www.traveloregon.com has great suggestions for what to do and see throughout the state. A word of caution: Don’t over-schedule yourself, or you many end up just as tired as you would be after a busy vacation.

Finally, if you are craving a night or two away from home, hotels are offering affordable lodging and packages at discounted rates. Most off-season rates stay in effect until March. Visit www.traveloregon.com for more information.

###

Erika Weisensee is a writing mom. She lives in Milwaukie and teaches journalism at the University of Portland.

It’s time.  You’re ready, ready to start that fitness program you’ve been thinking about but you’re not sure how to begin. Getting started is often the hardest part because of so much conflicting information and downright misinformation about exercise.  One way to take that first step and to make it personally yours is to follow the F.I.T.T. principle.  This acronym stands for Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type.  If you are a novice exerciser, the F.I.T.T. principle can help you develop a program.  If you’re already exercising, it provides a framework for making some changes in your program.  This week, I will focus on how you can use the F.I.T.T. principle to take that first step.  Next week, I will discuss ways to add variation to your program using the F.I.T.T. principle to progress.

Frequency refers to how often you will be exercising and is determined by several factors and guidelines.
Intensity is how hard you work at any given exercise session.
Time, or duration, refers to how long each workout will be.
Type refers to the kind of exercise you will be doing, for instance, cardiovascular, weight training and stretching.  It also refers to the specific exercises you will be doing, for example, walking, swimming or biking.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has F.I.T.T. guidelines for the components of an exercise program which I have addressed in prior articles.  For the sake of review, they recommend a frequency of 3 - 5 days per week for cardiovascular benefits, at a moderate intensity, for a time between 20 - 60 minutes.  For resistance training, a schedule of 2 - 3 times per week on non-consecutive days, using weights, resistance bands or weight machines that you can do 8 - 12 repetitions for 1 - 3 sets is the ACSM recommendation.

As you begin, perhaps the most important of the F.I.T.T. components is the type of exercise you choose to do.  It should be something that you like to do and will be motivated to continue.  An idea for getting started is to look at a map of your neighborhood and draw a one-to-two mile radius around your home.  What is there?  Is there a park nearby?  Is there a swimming pool, a bike path, a gym, a high school track, anything within a convenient walking or jogging distance?  The more convenient it is to get to where you plan to exercise, the more likely you are to be consistent. If you plan to start walking or jogging, pick out a couple of courses–an out and back, a loop and maybe a hill or two.

When you’ve decided what you will be doing, be realistic as you get started about how often you can exercise and what the best times are for your schedule.  Keep your goals small and manageable.  Pick two or three days initially if you’re planning to start a regular walking program.  Start with 15 - 20 minutes and work up to 30 over a period of three-to-four weeks.  Signing up for a class can be helpful especially in the cold and rain of winter.  Find a community program or a gym and commit to a Tuesday-Thursday or a Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule for six weeks.

There will be days when you have more time to exercise.  Perhaps you could go for a longer walk of 45 – minutes one day but the next day you may only have 20 or 30 minutes.  That’s where you can vary the intensity of your workout as you vary the time.  If you only have 20 or 30 minutes, pick up your pace since you won’t be going as far as you did on your 45 - minute walk.  In that instance, you can walk at a slower, lower intensity since you are walking for a longer duration or time.  Higher intensity workouts burn more calories in a shorter time.  What you do in a 30-minute jog or run may take an hour or more of walking.  Both are great exercises but done at different intensities and times.  It all comes down to how much time you can devote and, more importantly, what you like to do.  It’s also a good idea to vary your program from day to day or week to week to avoid injury, overuse and boredom.

Let me end with a specific example using the F.I.T.T principle for a cardiovascular (aerobic) and a weight (resistance) workout.  For the cardiovascular component:
Walking (Type) at 3.5mph (Intensity) for 30 minutes (Time) 3 days a week (Frequency).  For the weight workout:  Hand-weights (Type) using a weight, for example 5 -10-lbs (Intensity), that you can do 8 -12 repetitions (Time), 2 – 3 times per week, (Frequency).

Substitute the underlined words in the above paragraph with your own choices and you will have a “F.I.T.T.”-ness program that is personally yours.

Olivia C. Rossi, RN, MSN
Certified Clinical Exercise Specialist, ACSM
Certified Personal Trainer, ACSM

The results just came in and the top selling musical artist of 2008 went to Taylor Swift a country/pop singer.  Swift is a talented musician and quality role model for young girls.  In 2008 Hollywood promoted the value of the often neglected women audience with the much talked about debut of Sex and the City.  The movie did not disappoint as it brought in $152 million in the box office .  This was just shy of the year’s top 10 films.   Less hyped was the musical Mama Mia which still brought in an amazing $143 million.

Also new gains were made with Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin as the closest any women have ever achieved to winning the presidency and vice presidency positions.    Michale Phelps may have stolen the spotlight, but Dara Torres was a single mom age 41 who broke Olympic records for being the oldest woman ever to compete.

To view full Article please click on: Virtual Schools

Recognizing that traditional bricks-and-mortar schools aren’t a good fit for every child, a group of Lane County superintendents is calling for the creation of a state-led virtual school that would be available to any student.

The draft proposal, the work of a committee led by Springfield schools Superintendent Nancy Golden, comes amid an escalating statewide debate over online education — much of it focused on virtual charter schools, which have sprouted in a half-dozen mostly small communities over the past four years.

Golden, who worked with Bethel Superintendent Colt Gill and Oakridge Superintendent Don Kordosky on the plan, said the effort stems from a combination of growing local interest in online learning, and mounting concern about the shape it’s taking in Oregon.

Though a handful of school districts offer some form of online learning, virtual public charter schools — which operate independently under sponsorship by local districts — essentially have cornered the market.

That’s raised concerns over the lack of uniform standards and — most controversial — the loss of students, and the state per-pupil funds that follow them, to charter schools that in some cases are run by private, for-profit companies.

But that isn’t Golden’s chief worry.

“I’m less concerned about that than the fact that, if this works for some kids, then shouldn’t we be providing it for our kids?” said Golden, who has long been interested in expanding technology in public schools and has testified before the Legislature on related issues.

The local proposal, which most likely will be presented at this month’s regular meeting of Lane County superintendents, envisions the Oregon Department of Education acting as a broker for online education, responsible for managing vendors, contracts and staff; evaluating current online courses and creating new ones; and ensuring that every district has equal access to services.

Though the proposal emphasizes that attempts should be made to hold existing virtual schools harmless, Golden conceded it’s unlikely to win praise from online charter operators.

“In essence, if I was them, I’d feel like I might be driven out of business,” she said.

The proposal refers to a “blurring of lines” between charter and virtual schools. “Currently, virtual schools in Oregon are run according to laws never designed for virtual schools, but designed instead for charter and alternative education schools,” it says.

Not so, insists Jeff Kropf of Sublimity, a former state legislator who supported the 1999 charter school law and now chairs the board of Oregon Connections Academy, the state’s first and largest online charter school.

“I don’t see it as any different than the current bricks-and-mortar charter school,” he said, noting that in either case, sponsoring districts keep a portion of the roughly $6,300 annual per-pupil funds. “I think we’re getting really outstanding results, if you look at our test results and you listen to our parents and our students. We think the online framework that exists is working really well.”

As for the notion of a state-led virtual school, “we oppose that direction, because that is not within the spirit of the charter school law,” he said. “We believe in the online charter school business it is better to have competition. It forces each of our organizations to continually excel and improve the program. If you have one state-run online charter school, you have a monopoly with no incentive to constantly improve.”

Another proposal, put forth by the Oregon Association of Education Service Districts, echoes the Lane County group’s call for equitable access and uniform standards for online education, but suggests that ESDs, rather than the state, provide the service

Christmas Day as we sang along with the choir…”What Child is this…bring Him laud”, I turned to my son and said, “Exactly what is laud?”

Over the years I’ve sung along to some tunes, barely recognizing what words I was saying. Remember Creedence Clearwater’s “Bad Moon Rising”?  To everyone else it was “bad moon on the rise”. To me it was “bathroom on the right”. 

Not wanting to make that kind of mistake again, I thought it best I find out just what I was “drinking a cup of kindness to” for “Auld Lang Syne”. I found that it is actually an old Scottish tune that says we are drinking to days gone by.

So, from my family to yours, I hope the new year brings you many new friends and memories that you will be able to drink to for many years to come. 

And, today, if you are in the mood for a nostalgic view of Auld Lang Syne, check it out as the theme song to an old movie, “Waterloo Bridge”. But, let me warn you, it’ll bring a tear to your eyes. Just click on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eG3afAIi6IQ

Oh, and by the way, “laud” means we are to bring Him praise, glory, and honor. A nice way to start the year, wouldn’t you say?

Happy New Year everyone!

Kay was an insurance adjuster and executive for 15 years, a small business owner and a teacher for 10. But, her most fulfilling work has been as a mother of her two boys. She is now looking forward to an empty nest with her best friend—her husband.

It’s that time of year again. Millions of Americans are promising to get fit, break their bad habits, and spend more time with family and friends.  On January 1st, many of us will toss our ‘08 calendars into recycle bins, eager to begin the New Year with a fresh start. But the reality is, most of us will fall back into old patterns before we even hit spring.

A recent survey by FranklinCovey revealed the most common New Year’s resolutions for ‘09. According to the survey, which polled more than 15,000 people, the most popular resolutions are: 1) getting out of debt or saving money; 2) losing weight; and 3) developing a healthy habit (e.g., exercise or eating healthy).

Given the economy, it is heartening to see financial responsibility at the top of the list. It’s also not surprising to see losing weight and developing healthy habits ranking high. While Americans don’t seem to have problems making resolutions, we do have difficulty keeping them.

The FranklinCovey survey found that 35 percent of people break their resolutions by the end of January, and only 23 percent don’t break their resolutions at all.  Numerous factors keep us from keeping the vows we make to ourselves. Maybe our resolutions are unrealistic, maybe we’re not really committed to them, maybe be need more support in achieving our goals. Whatever the obstacle, experts offer advice that can help people stick to their resolutions:

1) Set just one goal. Stephen R. Covey, best-selling author of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” suggests setting just one New Year’s resolution. Keep the resolution simple, like “contact old friends,” or “read more.”

2) If you slip up, don’t give up. Don’t let one mistake get you permanently off track. For instance, if you resolve to eat healthy but indulge in too many tasty treats at a Super Bowl party, get to the gym the next day and resume your healthy habits.

3) Make sure it really matters to you.  Choose a resolution that has the ability to greatly enhance your life, and you may be more committed to keeping it. And, don’t punish yourself. Instead of never allowing yourself to eat a piece of chocolate, resolve to just eat healthier.

4) Get others involved. Don’t go it alone. Find someone who wants the same thing and keep each other accountable. Also, ask your partner or a friend to check in with you about your goal and how you are doing.

Good luck and happy ‘09!

###

In two days, a new year begins.  Two of the most popular resolutions of the New Year are associated with starting a weight loss program or starting a physical fitness program.  The key word is “starting.”  The New Year is a great motivator for change, but too often our New Year’s resolutions don’t last and our good intentions fall apart.  Why?  Think about it.  “Making” a New Year’s resolution means making a change and change doesn’t happen all at once.  It’s a process.  That’s why I’d like to propose a change to the phrase “Making a New Year’s resolution.”  I prefer to call it “Starting a New Year’s resolution,” or, starting a change.

Researchers and social scientists love theoretical models.  A well-known model of behavior change that I find particularly helpful in my work is called the “Stages of Change” model by psychologist James Prochaska.  You may have heard of it.  I will outline it briefly and add my own twist to it.  The five stages of change are:

1. Pre-contemplation ( you’re not even thinking about it)
2. Contemplation ( you’re giving it a thought now and then, but not doing it)
3. Preparation (you’re doing it irregularly)
4. Action (you’re working on the new habit regularly but for less than six months)
5. Maintenance (you’ve been maintaining the new habit for six months or more)

Think of the five stages along a line with arrows between each stage.  Change happens in stages and sometimes you slip up.  In fact, slip ups will happen.  It’s a normal part of the change process.  One of the arrows may loop back from action to preparation and you’ll find yourself slipping back to a former stage . . . one step forward, two steps back.  You may not go to the gym for a week or two.  Think of it as a lapse.  A longer lapse may become a relapse, perhaps a drop in motivation, an illness, life just “happening,” or an extended snow storm!  Don’t think of a lapse or relapse as a failure to keep your New Year’s resolution.  It’s all part of the change process and change is difficult.  Try not to let a lapse or relapse turn into a total “collapse” by giving up.  You can always start over, but you don’t have to go all the way back to square one.  Consider the pre-lapse practice!

The New Year is a powerful motivator for starting a resolution or a change, a new page, a clean slate.  Think about where you are now and where you want to go.  Start with the first step and make each additional step that follows a small and manageable one.  It takes time to form a new habit.  When you start to see results and to feel good, when you begin to look forward to your new activity, whether it is a new way of eating, an exercise program or if you are starting to stop smoking, you’ll know you’re on your way to a new lifelong habit–a positive change.  This time next year, you won’t be starting a resolution, you’ll be continuing it and maybe starting a new one.  Happy New Year!

Olivia C. Rossi, RN, MSN
Certified Clinical Specialist, ACSM
Certified Personal Trainer, ACSM

On a trip to Bali earlier this year, there was a certain appealingly radiant distinction to its people.

That certain “something” went beyond surface appearance of gentle features and jet-black hair. For two weeks I saw not a single person slouching or slumping along. There is a physical grace inherent to their movement coupled with a lovely upright posture. As I strolled the tourist town streets or got off the beaten path to remote locations, everyone seemed relaxed, shone genuine warm smiles, and moved with physical elegance.

People still carry bundles on their heads, which is part of where their beautifully upright postures are developed. They also engage in arts and dance as a part of daily life. Children go from school to dance classes with a local master, much in the way that American children go to play on a sport team after school. This cultural embrace of the arts and social manner of respect shown to one another was conspicuously attractive.

Sure, living on an exotic island of tropical splendor, it seems a person could live with less stress than the daily demands of juggling careers, families, city traffic, and, well, typical life as we know it. However, the citizens juggle work and family life on a densely populated island through grace, good manners, and pride of community, all inherent in their culture.

The full impact of this distinction really resonated after I returned home and went to the grocery store. Walking up and down the aisles, I heard people speaking very poor English (simply the one language versus the multiple languages the people on the other side of the world were able to speak), several children were rude and unruly, and it was only the occasional person seen walking with lovely upright posture and grace of movement. Think of the posture and manners exhibited by some of our enduring style icons: Audrey Hepburn, Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, Jacqueline Kennedy, John Kennedy, even our new President-elect. These characteristics do not cost a dime. Simple awareness and choice to behave with charm and grace radiates with an indelible mark of good taste and style.

Written by: Lynne Horner

Oh, goody — a chance to be politically incorrect: Merry Christmas!

Here’s what I did: I asked Santa for a herd of something — a herd of female somethings, to be exact — but so far nothing’s shown up.

Cows, sheep, horses or goats would be my favorites, but what we maybe have room for are a flock of chickens, say, or ducks.

Here’s why.

I have a bunch of names I need to assign before I die, because no one else is using them and they stand to be lost forever. Extinct as dodo birds. Goners.

A shame. Someone has to come to their rescue, and I’m not hearing about it from anyone else, so it’s probably up to me.

Dagmar and her sister, Tillie, also Hortense, Lucille and Edwina were the names of my mother’s closest friends — and she was a Doris.

You see the problem. These are names no longer popular, and some of them just plain scary.

Who holds a tiny baby in her arms, all soft and sweet-smelling, and names her something as pointy-sounding as Hortense? Well. And consider the nicknames.

Hermione. Estelle. Cloris, Eunice, Edith and Beatrice. Mabel, Myra, Gladys and Eloise.

Endangered, every one, although very popular a hundred years ago and probably dangling from a branch in every family tree in America.

I’m hoping young parents-to-be will help me out here, come to the rescue and consider a look to the past when choosing names for girl babies — or I’m going to need a farm. And you can guess what that means.

“No farm,” Himself will say.

I know this because I was hoping for one when we were house-hunting nine years ago, and “no farm” was what he had to say about it.

“Not a big farm,” I whined. “Not a farm farm,” I simpered. “Just a half-dozen acres, or so. Something small and manageable and where we could have a few animals.”

“And who do you suppose is going to have to ‘manage’ these acres, when you can’t keep the weeds out of a window box?”

The man’s got a mean streak.

Well. And a point. Possibly, I like the idea of some things more than the things themselves.

And, OK, I’m not so naive as to suppose that some in my collection of names are going to be high on anyone’s list. But I’m hoping young women will consider an oldie-but-goodie as a middle name, at least for daughters.

That way, they’ll still be viable, still in the mix, held in reserve.

In a kind of holding pattern, let’s call it, until such time as all the cute names reach the saturation point.

When there are sufficient Briannas and Ashleys, Emmas and Madisons, Jennifers, Jessicas, Kaylas and Emilys in the country. It seems to me an Agatha, an Elmira or an Esther might be a welcome relief.

Unless, of course, we’ll have to do the whole gamut of fruit first, since Gwyneth Paltrow went and named her daughter Apple.

Antiquated men’s names aren’t as threatened as women’s, for some reason. That’s probably because the tradition of passing a family name down through male babies, in order to ensure some kind of continuum, always has been the way of it.

(Although I will say men’s names — particularly in the South, where quite often the mother’s maiden name becomes a baby boy’s first name, can get problematical if one decides to move north, east or west, say, where neighborhoods are jam-packed with Dougs, Jacks, Eddies and Kevins.)

“Boynton Beauregard Howell, you get yourself in this house and in that bathtub, this minute!”

Ouch. But nothing a year of karate and some boxing lessons can’t take care of.

So, here’s my plea to help preserve the good old names of yore, and my wishes for your Merry Christmas — because we’ve gotten just plain silly about all this “happy holidays” business. What more could one woman hope for.

Well, besides a small manageable farm.

Not a farm farm — just a couple of acres.

A trip to the emergency room last month was the impetus for sharing this bit of news to you. And, no better time to share it then on Christmas Day.

It was just a day before Thanksgiving, the beginning of the busy holiday season. The nurse said it is one of the busiest times for them. I assumed it was the slip and falls from the weather or maybe heart attacks from the stress. In fact, the reason she gave left me speechless.

During the holidays, they receive a rush of elderly brought in by their caring children. You see, some of these moms and dads and grandmas and grandpas are only seen by their kids during the holidays. So, when they find them short of breath or having a hard time getting around it scares them. To them the change is drastic. Something must be wrong. Off they go, to the emergency room.

To these elderly, the condition has been slowly progressing but no one noticed, because they weren’t there.  There was no emergency care needed, only some tender, loving care.

If you are like me and live thousands of miles from a parent or grandparent, maybe the greatest gift we can give them is not wrapped with a shiny bow & ribbon but in the warmth of a big, strong hug. Not just at Christmas but throughout the year.

This Christmas, as we leave their home or make our annual Christmas call, besides telling them we love them, maybe we should offer them one more present—a promise. A promise to call and visit them twice as often. To stay in touch with their life and that we want them to stay in touch with ours. I think that would be the best gift we can give them because, most certainly, love is “the greatest gift of all”.

Kay was an insurance adjuster and executive for 15 years, a small business owner and a teacher for 10. But, her most fulfilling work has been as a mother of her two boys. She is now looking forward to an empty nest with her best friend—her husband

I want everyone to know that I did try to follow Oregon Women’s Report fitness instructor, Olivia Rossi’s advice on diet strategies for the holidays.  I must announce that several extraordinary circumstances made it much more difficult for me this year.

The worst example came when someone dropped by a huge plate of Christmas cookies the day before the snowstorm.  I had no intention of eating any of them but rather leaving them around fro everyone else in the house.  After a few days trapped in the house with limited food the allure of those cookies broke down my will and I devoured the entire lot in 48 hours.  That started a ravenous chain of events within itself.

I did appreciate Rossi’s suggestion that one eat healthy before going a holiday Christmas party.   This year I happened to have two Christmas parties back-to-back.  No rice cake can properly defend myself against the double sugar assault that waited for me.

Would you believe that during all this horrific struggle my health club decided to close down the swimming pool for an entire week (annual cleaning).  After that week we had the snow which shut down the club altogether.    My healthy counter-attack was thwarted.   Even though the pool was closed I know I should have taken more walks, more stretching, more activity.  I was just unmotivated.  This is why I like swimming because if you do not get active in the pool – you drown (a very stark motivator).

Nothing beats getting active which is not dependent on any unusual circumstances (unless I become paralyzed).  Now I have a new New Year’s Resolution

It was as tough, if not tougher than I had imagined, to let go of my son and watch him walk away.  Parenthood is the only job in the world with the goal of becoming unemployed in eighteen years.  It was 1998 when he left for college.  I found myself dwelling a lot on his birth and his early months, kind of like I was reliving them.  I had written a lot of insights and poems when he was a baby which seemed to provide me comfort in those early days of his absence.  I thought of the quote I had on my desk at home, “Children are like snowflakes–unique, but only here for awhile,” and of the mother who told me to “Savor each moment” when she gave me his “Baby’s First Christmas” ornament in 1979.  He was two-weeks old.  That ornament is always the first one on my tree and the last one off.

For those of you whose nests are empty this year, and for those of you receiving your baby’s first ornament, and for all of you somewhere in between your first and final “post-parting” blues,” I share this short poem I wrote one afternoon while my son was sleeping on my shoulder.  We were stationed in Iceland.  It was 1980 and he was nine months old.  I called it simply “Rain.”

Subtle smile upon his lips,
Eyes dancing beneath their lids,
A baby sleeps.

Rain pelting the window pane
Wind in sheets across the grass,
A baby sleeps.

But for the moment he is mine
Soft warm breath against my cheek,
A mother smiles.

Merry Christmas…Savor each moment.

Olivia

By Sharon Lacey, Portland comedian

I travel all across the country doing stand up comedy. Now that the holidays are over, I have a moment to reflect on all of the creative ways people decorated their yards this Christmas.  In Tucson, tall cacti wore red Santa hats. In Pendleton, little twinkling lights adorned the tumbleweed.  But somebody crossed the line into “tacky” when they lined up life-sized blow-up dolls, put wings, halos, and white robes on them, and called them “Caroling Angels”.  My neighbors suggested I never do that again…..

— Portlander Sharon Lacey performs stand-up comedy all across the U.S. and Canada. She’ll be entertaining our troops in Iraq in January. Clips & contact info:  sharonlaceycomedy.com or  myspace.com/sharonlacey

A convicted Lane County predatory sex offender who was released from prison last week after serving time for sex-related crimes has absconded from parole supervision, authorities announced Monday December 16th 2008.

Rickey Allen Robbins has been convicted of rape, sexual abuse and burglary.

His whereabouts are unknown, county authorities said.

In 1983, Robbins unlawfully entered a woman’s house and raped her. The victim was able to get away from Robbins, get a gun and shoot Robbins.

Robbins was arrested and convicted of the crimes. Robbins was paroled in 2007 and fled from his supervision. During that time, Lane County parole officials said he traveled to the East Coast, where police linked him to an incident there.

New York po-lice investigated a report of a man entering a woman’s house and rubbing her leg while she slept. When the woman woke up, the suspect fled. A hat was found outside the residence. DNA on the hat pointed to Robbins.

Robbins was arrested in New Orleans shortly after that in connection with allegedly viewing child pornography in a university library.

Robbins was extradited to Oregon on the warrant that was issued. His parole was revoked, and he was incarcerated until his release from the prison last Wednesday.

On Friday, Robbins had fled from parole supervision and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

He is described as:

HEIGHT: 5′ 10” WEIGHT: 170 lbs

HAIR/EYES: Brown/ Hazel

PLEASE DIRECT ALL INQUIRIES/QUESTIONS TO

Joan Copperwheat, Manager 682-3058

After Hours Supervisor: 541-682-3146

Amber Fossen
Public Information Officer
Lane County Government
125 E. Eighth Ave.
Eugene, Oregon 97401
(541) 682.3718
(541) 359.9143 (cell)

Sex offender wanted for fleeing parole supervision

While we make plans to squeeze in our Christmas shopping after work, the owners of the small, corner retail shop have been working from the early hours till late into the night stocking shelves and balancing their cash registers.

We wrap, label and package our gifts, then  head down to the corner Mailboxes or UPS Store. Understanding the importance of Christmas deliveries are owners like Hank and Fran who work nonstop making sure your packages are ready for the “brown truck’s” pickup schedule.

We spend one afternoon bundling up the kids for the trek through the tree farm to pick out the perfect tree. Followed by an evening of Christmas tunes and cider while dad tries to get it to stand straight. Behind the scenes, the tree farmers have been working every daylight hour trimming and cutting and hauling, and the evenings planning work shifts and completing bookkeeping.

Greg and Marianne who have tree lots across the Metro area have not sat down to a real Christmas dinner in years. They spend Christmas Day closing out the lots that they’ve rented and catching up on long, lost sleep. But, through it all, they never lose sight of the real meaning of the season. They are sure to have someone cover their lots so they can make Sunday service. And, some of us even earn a free tree when we come onto their lot with a merry “Jesus is the reason for the season”.

Then, we can’t forget the 7/11 or Plaid Pantry corner grocers who are ready for the last minute carton of eggs, cream, or milk we need to make those cookies that Santa will be expecting. Or, the little café that is there with a smile and greeting of holiday cheer for those who would otherwise be eating alone.

When we are done for the week, small businesses across Oregon continue to work. To all of them, we say, “Merry Christmas” and thank you for making our season bright.

Kay was an insurance adjuster and executive for 15 years, a small business owner and a teacher for 10. But, her most fulfilling work has been as a mother of her two boys. She is now looking forward to an empty nest with her best friend—her husband

The video store I rent movies from has an entire section of holiday films. Every year, it seems, there are more and more choices, but of all the movies in this growing seasonal genre, my favorite is “A Christmas Story.” Oh, I can feel the messages coming in already, so let me add this little disclaimer: There are many, many great Christmas films out there, and I would love to hear your opinions.

The original “Miracle on 34th Street” is magical, and “It’s a Wonderful Life” really is wonderful. I also love “Elf,” a delightful, heart-warming, and funny movie, thanks to the comic talent of Will Ferrell. But of all the holiday flicks on the shelf, “A Christmas Story” is the movie I long to see every December, sometimes again and again.

Adapted for film from the writings of Jean Shepherd, “A Christmas Story” is celebrating its 25th Anniversary this year. This holiday classic is set in 1940s Indiana and tells the story of Ralphie, played by Peter Billingsley, as he dreams of the greatest Christmas gift he can imagine, a genuine Red Ryder 200-shot Carbine Action Air Rifle. Ralphie’s hopes are squashed over and over by his mother, teacher, and even a shopping center Santa, who all tell him, “You’ll shoot your eye out!”

Jean Shepherd memorably narrates the story, as the grown-up voice of Ralphie.  His descriptions are among my favorite parts of the movie. When reminiscing about using a certain four-letter word, grown-up Ralphie speculates that he probably heard it first from his “old man,” played by Darin McGavin. “My father worked in profanity the way other artists work in clay or oil. It was his true medium. . .a master!” the narrator explains. And that’s just one example of the clever writing that takes place throughout the film.

Without question, the movie has an excellent cast, including Melinda Dillon, who plays the doting mother. Statements like “Don’t you give me that look!” and “Starving people would be happy to have that,” make me think fondly of mothers I know.

From Ralphie’s visit with Santa, where he gives the wrong answer when asked what he wants for Christmas, to the famous tongue-on-the-frozen-flagpole scene, the kids in the cast are hilarious and convincing. And I can’t forget Ralphie’s little brother, Randy, who is at the heart of several laughs. Remember the snowsuit?

Though set in a different time, “A Christmas Story” has universal qualities that make it a timeless film. Maybe it’s the anticipation of Christmas from a child’s perspective. Maybe Ralphie’s family reminds us of our own.  Maybe it’s the great storytelling. Whatever it is, this movie is worth seeing, again and again.

###

There’s a concept in the fitness and exercise physiology field called “Core Stabilization.”  That sounds like a pretty “out there” term but it is a really, really important concept.  I’m going to explain it to you but first let me tell you something about myself.  I love anatomy and physiology.  Each year, I attend two conferences sponsored by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) so I can keep up on the latest research in the field of exercise physiology.  I want to learn it so I can pass it on to my patients at work in cardiac rehabilitation and to you because it is really important for you to know.  It was at one of those recent meetings that I had what I like to call an “ah-ha” moment.  That is a moment in which something becomes totally clear and understandable.  In this case, it gave me a clear picture of a difficult concept that I can pass on to you, and that brings me back to the concept of “Core Stabilization.”

What exactly is it?  Simply put, core stabilization refers to how the muscles of your trunk keep your spine and body upright and stable.  These important muscles help to keep you balanced when you stand and walk.  When your core muscles are strong, they contribute to better posture, better balance, more efficient movement and less chance of injury.  A strong core can help you prevent and recover from low back pain.  I have to get into a little anatomy lesson here and then I’ll tell you about my “ah-ha” moment.

Your spine, or vertebral column, is composed of individual bones, or vertebrae, with cushions in between them called discs.  They are all connected by fibrous tissue, cartilage, ligaments and muscles.  This gets a little complicated, so if you love anatomy as I do, I am listing some references for you to explore in more depth at the end of my article.  There are two basic units that comprise the core muscles:  the inner and the outer system.  “The inner (or deep) muscles are not responsible for specific movement but provide stability during joint movement.  The outer muscles mainly perform movement of the trunk and limbs and provide support of the spine.”1   Think of the inner, or deep muscles (one of them is the transversus abdominis), as an “inner corset.”  That’s the muscle that helps you to hold in your stomach.  Some of the outer muscles, those closer to the surface, are the ones that help you move, such as the rectus abdominis, aka, your “six-pack!”  They also include the muscles of your back, your buttocks, your pelvis and those that wrap around your waist and help you turn, the abdominal obliques.

Two exercises for your inner and outer core muscles are:  for the deep, inner muscles, sit on a chair and contract, or pull in your abdominal muscles as if you wanted your belly button to touch your spine.  This is an isometric exercise.  You shouldn’t see anything move except your stomach going in.  Don’t bend your back.  Just tighten your abs.  To help strengthen your outer muscles, doing a bird dog, either standing or on the floor, helps both the abdominal and back muscles.  You may recognize the bird dog.  If you are on all fours, lift your right leg off the floor, straight, and your left arm, keeping your back in neutral and your abdominal muscles taut.  If you are standing, hold onto the back of a chair and lift your right leg straight behind you and your left arm up so that your back, your leg and your arm are all at a 45-degree angle in a straight line.  Hold for 3-5 seconds on each side.  Do about 10-15 repetitions on each side.  And while I’m on the subject of core exercises, you might want to explore Pilates, named for its founder, Joseph Pilates.  It includes specific exercises designed to help strengthen the body’s core, such as the abdominal, gluteal and back muscles with the intent of improving posture, balance, coordination and overall quality of life.

Why is all of this so important?  It’s because as you travel through time and space, the more efficiently you do it, the less pain and injury you will experience throughout your life, whether you are doing the activities of daily living or engaging in athletic pursuits.  There are a few primary things to keep in mind.  First, keep your back in its neutral position, its normal curvature.  Good posture will help to keep you free of back pain.  Keep your ears over your shoulders and your head and neck in line with your spine.  When you reach down to pick something up, bend your knees and keep your back in neutral.  In other words, don’t bend from your waist.  If you want to stretch your hamstrings, the backs of your thighs, sit on the edge of your chair, keep one leg straight and the other at 90-degrees Bend forward from your hip joint until you feel a mild stretch in the back of your thigh.  Don’t bend from your waist or your shoulders.  Hold the stretch on each leg for 15-30 seconds.

Now for my “ah-ha” moment.  It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words.  Now that I’ve written almost that many, let me give you a mental picture that I hope will pull together all of the anatomy and exercises above.  This is a core concept.  Quite literally, it’s an “apple” core concept.  It was at an ACSM lecture I attended last March that all of the intricate musculature was explained and illustrated in a Power Point presentation, and that’s what I took away with me and presented to my patients at work and now to you.  The speaker superimposed a graphic of an apple core over the muscles of the spine, the abdomen and the back.  It made it all so simple.

Picture a large apple core.  Now, envision the top of it fitting under your ribs where your diaphragm is located.  The middle of the apple core is your spine and the bottom of it fits into your pelvis between your hip bones.  Now, with that picture in mind, stand up straight, ears over your shoulders, shoulders back, spine in neutral, abdominal muscles firm and your head high.  Whether you’re walking, running, swimming, riding a bike or sitting at your computer, think about the apple core and see if it doesn’t help you keep your posture just a little bit more upright and your low back pain just a little less apparent.  An apple a day applies in more ways than one!

References:  1 Women’s Health and Fitness Guide, Kettles, Cole, Wright.  Human Kinetics, Publisher,  2006
THIEME:  Atlas of Anatomy, Lawrence M. Ross, M.D., PhD., Edward D. Lamperti, PhD. Thieme. Stuttgart, New York

Yours in fitness,

Olivia C.  Rossi, RN, MSN
Certified Clinical Specialist, ACSM
Certified Personal Trainer, ACSM

1. Driving safely on icy roads
2. If your rear wheels skid…
3. If your front wheels skid…
4. If you get stuck…

Driving safely on icy roads

1. Decrease your speed and leave yourself plenty of room to stop. You should allow at least three times more space than usual between you and the car in front of you.
2. Brake gently to avoid skidding. If your wheels start to lock up, ease off the brake.
3. Turn on your lights to increase your visibility to other motorists.
4. Keep your lights and windshield clean.
5. Use low gears to keep traction, especially on hills.
6. Don’t use cruise control or overdrive on icy roads.
7. Be especially careful on bridges, overpasses and infrequently traveled roads, which will freeze first. Even at temperatures above freezing, if the conditions are wet, you might encounter ice in shady areas or on exposed roadways like bridges.
8. Don’t pass snow plows and sanding trucks. The drivers have limited visibility, and you’re likely to find the road in front of them worse than the road behind.
9. Don’t assume your vehicle can handle all conditions. Even four-wheel and front-wheel drive vehicles can encounter trouble on winter roads.

If your rear wheels skid…

1. Take your foot off the accelerator.
2. Steer in the direction you want the front wheels to go. If your rear wheels are sliding left, steer left. If they’re sliding right, steer right.
3. If your rear wheels start sliding the other way as you recover, ease the steering wheel toward that side. You might have to steer left and right a few times to get your vehicle completely under control.
4. If you have standard brakes, pump them gently.
5. If you have anti-lock brakes (ABS), do not pump the brakes. Apply steady pressure to the brakes. You will feel the brakes pulse — this is normal.

If your front wheels skid…

1. Take your foot off the gas and shift to neutral, but don’t try to steer immediately.
2. As the wheels skid sideways, they will slow the vehicle and traction will return. As it does, steer in the direction you want to go. Then put the transmission in “drive” or release the clutch, and accelerate gently.

If you get stuck…

1. Do not spin your wheels. This will only dig you in deeper.
2. Turn your wheels from side to side a few times to push snow out of the way.
3. Use a light touch on the gas, to ease your car out.
4. Use a shovel to clear snow away from the wheels and the underside of the car.
5. Pour sand, kitty litter, gravel or salt in the path of the wheels, to help get traction.
6. Try rocking the vehicle. (Check your owner’s manual first — it can damage the transmission on some vehicles.) Shift from forward to reverse, and back again. Each time you’re in gear, give a light touch on the gas until the vehicle gets going.
### For more travel winter tips please visit everyone’s favorite weather friend at Weather.com

http://www.weather.com/activities/driving/drivingsafety/drivingsafetytips/snow.html

Being a mother of 4–soon to be 5 kids doesn’t leave me a whole lot of time to do much of anything.  I do make a point to–some time during my day–pick up the local paper (The Register Guard) and read the latest edition of news surrounding me.

I’m rarely surprised, often irritated, and almost always sit down to write a response to someones nonsense.  ( I probably have thousands of drafts which have never been submitted HA! )

Needless to say, sometimes I come across stories like this one below:

EAGLE POINT — Parents in a Southern Oregon school district submitted a petition seeking the removal of a bus driver accused of spanking a 6-year-old boy who wouldn’t sit down.

The parents also contend the woman is a bad driver.

The petition was submitted to the Eagle Point School District on Tuesday. It was signed by the parents of roughly three dozen students on Bus Route 22, a rural stretch that’s 25 miles long and keeps some children on the bus for up to an hour.

School district officials said they investigated the matter and took appropriate action. They said they couldn’t disclose what measures they took because laws prohibit them from discussing personnel matters.

Parents Petition for Firing of Bus Driver

——————-

This situation saddens me…for so many reasons. 

First, whose to say the child didn’t fabricate details of what actually happened.  What if the child was angry with an adult and wanted to get back at them by getting them into trouble?  Even if an allogation is false, it still has to be investigated, which wastes a lot of time and money, and almost always has no real consequences for the person who reported the false claim.

I am in no way implying that is what happened in the case above, but I know of situations where students themselves told lies regarding adult activity’s, creating unnecessary concern all because of an immediate need for attention and/or revenge.  The outcome is never good in situations like these and even if the adult is found innocent of all wrong doing, the allegation hangs over them and alters their lives forever.

Second, The story above very well could be true.  Which causes great concern for me as a parent.  Obviously, there is no way I can prevent my children from being exposed to some type of danger.  They’re lives are at risk every time we get into the car.  But uncontrollable situations are understandable, or at least easier to cope with.

The situation above could have been prevented, and if the accusations are true, I fear for those kids, and whatever else they were exposed to.

Either way you look at it, the threat is out there, because at some point, something bad happened.  But, there really isn’t any protection put into place for the kids or the adults. 

Prevention just isn’t worth the investment to some businesses unless something terrible has already taken place.  It’s only after the train wrecks do we ever hear of preventive measures being taken. 

Still, situations like this draw a boundary line so grey it’s hard to see. 

Obviously spanking a child that doesn’t belong to you WITHOUT the permission of the parents is unacceptable. 

But because of situations like this, and the liability issues surrounding them…kids now have to go to schools, where teachers aren’t even allowed to initiate a hug.

My own church has a policy in effect for all childcare workers.  No one is allowed to initiate a hug or touch a child in any way because of statewide regulations and the risk of being sued by an unhappy parent.

I’m saddened times have brought upon us regulations such as these! 

In my home, my kids are hugged and praised all the time.  There’s just something about receiving a warm touch from friendly and praising hands.  It just makes you feel good! 

Aren’t there scientific studies on how hugs and positive touches make you healthier?  I’m sure there are.

All the same, because of some bad eggs, everyone has to suffer.  Its just a shame!