Featured Post
Posted by Lizzie on Sep-5-2008
There’s a lot of talk about women’s issues this election cycle. Thanks to Hillary Clinton, and now Sarah Palin, we’re back in the spotlight. In that vein, Congress is pressing for a revote on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which failed to pass previously. McCain has come out again it:
“I am all in favor of pay equity for women, but this kind of legislation, as is typical of what’s being proposed by my friends on the other side of the aisle, opens us up to lawsuits for all kinds of problems,” the expected GOP presidential nominee told reporters. “This is government playing a much, much greater role in the business of a private enterprise system.”
I’ve recently engaged in a half-hearted IT job search - in anticipation of my eventual graduation from the Tech program. There seems to be a little available, but I’ve heard that women are not treated favorably in the IT industry. It would please me, and thousands of other women, tremendously if this actually became law. Would I know that my male counterparts were making more than me? Probably not. But this act would give me recourse should I find out about a pay discrepancy after the fact. As a woman hoping to work in a male-dominated field, I would feel just a little better knowing I had a safety net.
There was some talk that this law isn’t necessary. I beg to differ. I worked with a company (unrelated to the tech field) that cut me a mystery check. When I inquired to what the purpose of the check was, I was told that it was to make up for a pay difference between me and my male counterparts. I had no idea that the men were making that much more per hour than I was, but there was a lawsuit and the settlement agreement was that this company would pay the hourly difference to each female for whatever period of time they agreed to (I think it was 3 months, even though I’d been there for over a year at that point). I left that company not long afterward, but my eyes had been opened. The reasoning for the lower pay was that women are mothers and so are prone to miss work because of their sick children. Men, on the other hand, are more reliable and should be rewarded. Really?
At a time when a major political party has nominated a self-proclaimed “hockey mom” to be vice president, there should be no more “she should get less because she’s a mom”. This woman is seeking a job while parenting 5 children (and potentially helping parent a grandchild) so the reason listed above would apply to her and her pay should be cut significantly. Right? No. Wrong. Her husband will be able to tend to the children while she runs for office and he can tend to the children while she continues to govern Alaska (except that he’s got a full-time job plus an extra job on the side in the summer, but that’s not this issue). It’s only fair that the rest of American women enjoy the same equality in pay as the women who govern them.
Sphere: Related Content
Archive for the ‘health&wellness’ Category
Jul
06
Posted by Lizzie
I’ve been spending a lot of time outdoors. For some strange reason, my illness seems to have gone into remission and I don’t get sick from the sun anymore. As a matter of fact, I don’t even get the rash on my face anymore. I’m not complaining though. I’m thrilled. I love being out in my yard planting flowers or playing or just writing. The writing part is doing a lot better now that it’s done out among the trees.
I get a couple of cheap pens, some loose-leaf paper and go to work. As long as I’m not interrupted I can really churn some stuff out. Right now I have a couple of articles in rough draft and those are destined for BellaOnline, but I’m hoping to start putting some gardening articles up on my other blog soon.
I love to garden. I’m not an expert by any means, but I don’t care. I love to plant stuff and watch it grow. So far I’ve only killed one thing, I think, and it was almost dead anyway. Last summer my poor flower beds were horrible. I couldn’t get out to them because I was so sick. Not so this summer. Except for the vegetable garden. Sadly, since it’s been raining so much, the weeds are gaining ground at there. In my defense, that’s supposed to be Grump’s spot in the yard. We say that, but we all know that it’s Lizzie’s job to keep it up. 
At any rate, my mother brought me a couple of things that she can’t plant at her house and I’ve determined that it’s time to build another bed. I’m hoping I’ll have enough beds soon that I won’t have to mow such a huge patch a grass anymore.
So, back to what I was saying about writing. We have a couple of tables in our yard and I plop myself at one and go to work. Mags will usually find something better to than bug me, but occasionally she’ll sit right with me (trying to get me to identify various insecti). Grump will randomly come over to attempt to start up a conversation about something that makes no sense to me (when he thinks about things he forgets that the conversation was in his head and I wasn’t privy to the first part of it). I don’t mind the small interruptions, though. It’s nice to be able to write like that. This is why I want to move south. So I can have more seasons of warmth and always feel this good.
Sphere: Related Content
May
22
Posted by Lizzie
I have been trying to lose some pounds for a while now. I’ve been doing yoga, dancercise and even considered top diet pills. All to no avail (of course, just considering the diet pills doesn’t help, buy you get my gist). I have been steadily gaining the pounds. I was having a difficult time understanding it, but then realized something.
My medication for the FM is probably making this happen.
One of the methods of treating Fibromyalgia is anti-depressants. I can’t take the usual kind- such as Lexapro - because I’m allergic to SSRIs. So I’m taking Elavil in small doses. Still, one of the side effects is, sadly, weight gain. And it’s working a little too well in that area, I think. Yikes!
Another thing that could be working against my efforts to slim down is my reproductive ills. I have a 3.3 cm (1.15… inch) cystic mass on my left ovary. My Gyn says that it’s nothing to be worried about, but that it could be messing with my hormones. That can cause a whole range of issues, most of which I’m certain affect me right now. The solution? Medication, of course. Birth control pills. I think we all know what one of the side effects of those is. That’s right, folks. Weight gain.
I should be thinking about my self in a more positive manner, but I am absolutely convinced that some of my medical issues are stemming from my weight. For instance, my lack of energy. Were I a few pounds lighter I would no doubt have more energy. Also, my hip and ankle issues. Hello? I’m 5 foot 1 inch tall and my poor ankles and hips aren’t designed to carry this much weight. I think if I dropped down to a more healthy weight these issues would resolve themselves. Ya know?
Of course, it doesn’t help that my beautiful daughter weighed in at 161 lbs when she gave birth and almost two weeks later is a svelt 120 lbs. She’s lost 40 pounds and that makes me green, green, GREEN with envy. Seriously, I want to do that. LOL! I would like to mention, though, that I’m happy for her because she’s gotten past the danger of the pre-eclampsia and my jealously is purely selfish wishing. She still looks much better than that cheeky friend of hers that I can’t stand.
Today we go for a long walk and HOPEFULLY I’ll be able to manage my pain afterward.
Keep your fingers crossed.
Sphere: Related Content
May
03
Posted by Lizzie
A few years ago we went to South Carolina and stayed in a Hilton Head rental. We stayed for a week and a half and I loved it. It was the best vacation I’d ever had. We had immediate access to a private beach, a pool and spent a lot of time strolling along the walking paths (like a sidewalk but different). Being so close to the ocean was calming for me and so I use my memories from there for meditation purposes.
There are many health benefits of meditation which include but are not limited to:
- Stress reduction
Meditating properly helps bring stress chemicals down to normal levels, eases anxiety, and for some people even cures phobias.
Neuroscientists have found that meditators shift their brain activity to different areas of the cortex - brain waves in the stress-prone right frontal cortex move to the calmer left frontal cortex. This mental shift decreases the negative effects of stress, mild depression and anxiety.[source]
- Decreases blood pressure
See Above for why.
- Decreases muscle tension which can reduce the frequency and severity of headaches
Learning to recognize muscle tension through meditation is an excellent way of controlling chronic pain. Many people suffer from tension (stress) headaches and proper meditation can reduce that.
- Increases self-awareness
This can help with problem solving and issues with low self-confidence. Most meditation requires that you remove all thought from your mind and float in “nothing”. Because of emotional conflicts, the practitioner is forced to deal with issues s/he wasn’t aware of previously. Then the brain follows paths to a resolution to these conflicts, leading to higher levels of self-confidence. [source]
How Do I Do It?
Depending on what you read regarding meditation you are either supposed to empty your mind and completely relax or focus on something that relaxes you. It’s almost impossible for me to completely empty my mind. Just thinking about emptying my mind causes me to think about something. Obviously that method doesn’t work for me. And it may not work for you. My method may not work for you either, so take that into consideration if you try it.
First, I make sure that I have absolute solitude. I cannot be disturbed during my meditation. Because I’m a mom and wife, I have to make sure there’s no one home and the dog is outside. I go into a room with no phone and no television. Nothing to distract me from my meditation time.
Then, I put on a CD of sounds of nature. I particularly like the sounds of thunderstorms or waves breaking in the ocean. I try to limit the sounds of animals as they can be too distracting for me. I place a folded blanket on the floor and sit cross-legged on that. Then I close my eyes.
This is when I go back to Hilton Head. It’s a more complex type of meditation than what you may have read about elsewhere. With my eyes closed I imagine the blue sky above me. Then, if I’m using the ocean CD, I imagine looking toward the shore with the waves crashing against the sand. I imagine the smell of a salty breeze and the feel of fine sand under my legs. I use my mind’s eye to walk me from one sensation to the next until all of my senses are utilized.
When I’m at a place where I can almost believe I’m really on that beach in Hilton Head, I start to really relax. I start by relaxing the muscles on the top of my head and work my way down to my toes. I mentally find every muscle that is being used and relax it just enough (I don’t want to fall asleep or fall over). This is amazingly useful in finding those trouble spots that you didn’t know were troublesome. I imagine that each muscle is being smoothed over by a warm breeze. I do this for each part of my body, including my face and, yes, my ears.
Finally I’m completely relaxed and I let myself “walk” down the beach. When I was physically in Hilton Head, the early morning was the best time of day for me. I could walk on that beach and not be bothered by anyone- save for the occasional jogger. Since I was the only one in my family who enjoyed these walks, I was left alone with myself and Mother Nature. It was peaceful and I was completely content. It was a near-perfect experience for me. And so, when I meditate I take myself back there.
Today there is much emphasis on medications to ease your mind and calm your body. Many people still scoff at the “New Age” practice of meditation and refuse to contemplate it. But when you’ve exhausted the options modern medicine offers for stress-relief and pain management, meditation is really something to consider. Because, believe it or not, it really works.
Sphere: Related Content
