SC SHARE

You’ve heard the old saying “living life on life’s terms.” This all sounds good on paper and there may be some truth to this, there is also the choices we make to live a full and productive life on our terms. I stress the word choice.

This spring I started watching a web site called ustream. They have a piece about baby bald eagles. Someone had placed a camera above an eagles nest in Decorah Iowa. I watched from the time the female laid her eggs in February, until they hatched into fuzzy white balls. You could watch live feed 24 hours a day. I was watching this family of eagles live their lives everyday. Watching them grow into a fledging ready to fly within a couple days from now. I have asked myself so many questions concerning the lives of these majestic birds and so many thoughts come to mind. I suppose they live their lives on instinct “life on life’s terms.” Watching the baby eagles, they are sitting on a tree branch almost full grown, flapping their wings and jumping from branch to branch, getting ready to fly. Are they ready to fly but scared? Does instinct tell them, not now, wait? We humans live far more complicated lives than our eagles do and our decision making is more sophisticated; however, they do appear to be comfortable in their lives. I would be asking myself sitting on that tree branch are you really comfortable about this decision, “to fly or not to fly, because it’s a long way down.” So what I have learned is life is not as simple as living life on its terms or my personal comfort ability. What I do know about life it’s a journey and changes daily, I just strive to make good choices like “do I really need to jump out of this tree?”

Be well and make it a great day!

Carol

Well, it has been a year since I last wrote a blog. Seems like this time last year I was complaining about the heat and it appears that I’m going to complain about the heat again this year too!!! Holy Hannah it’s hot.

We have been real busy at SCSHARE. We are still proud of our monthly seminars with Greg Townley. Our next seminar is on July 21, 2011 from 10:00 to 3:00 at the West Columbia Community Center Also, at SHARE we took on a project of writing a curriculum For the Co-occurring client, (it’s for people with mental health problems and substance use) I’m looking forward to presenting the material to our groups. I already did a few seminars with great success. We have also enjoyed the success of our “Dream Team” made up of several young black men sharing their experience, strength and hope with the young people of our state.

We have a great Double Trouble in Recovery meeting that meets every Sunday at 1:00pm in 5 Points. This is a great meeting for fellowshipping for those who have mental health issues and substance use problems. If you are interested call Carol at Share 803-739-5712.

Keeping busy and active in your community with friends is important for our recovery. There are many free activities that we can get involved in this summer. Try picking up the weekly newspaper “Free Times” this news paper comes out weekly for free and has ooddles of stuff to do that is free and some events for a nominal cast. For those coffee drinkers there is a new coffee shop opening up in 5 Points called Drip Coffee. The exact spot was Adriana’s coffee shop, now closed down.

Be Well, and remember to make it a great day!

Carol

May you always make the right moves:

May your cup runneth over with love:

May you always find shelter from any storm:

May you remain good looking and looking good:

May you find the perfect diet for your soul:

May you find perfect balance in the company you keep:

May you have as much fun as you can before someone makes you stop:

May the worst thing that happens to you come in slobbery pink and furry tan:

May you manage to make time for siesta:

May all the new folks you meet be interesting and kind:

May your accessories always harmonize with your natural beauty:

Should your mouth be bigger than your stomach, may you have a chewing good time:

May you always know when to walk away and know when to run:

And may your friends always bring you joy:

BEST OF LUCK TO YOU IN ALL YOU DO!

~ The Staff of SC SHARE ~

“I’ve learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.”

“I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.”
   
“I’ve learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you’ll miss them when they’re gone from your life.”

“I’ve learned that making a “living” is not the same thing as “making a life.”

“I’ve learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.”

“I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back.”

“I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.”

“I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one.”

“I’ve learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone.  People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.”

“I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn.”     

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

HOPE is a kernel of seed felt deep inside the darkness

HOPE is an intimate movement, stirring my heart

HOPE is a better tomorrow, longed for

HOPE is as essential for all of us as is breath

HOPE is the lifeblood to recovery and growth

HOPE is what makes today’s darkness bearable

HOPE is what happens when people join hearts

HOPE is the energy to overcome problems

HOPE is often hidden in plain sight

HOPE opens us up to needy changes

HOPE is the root system to feed our future

HOPE is the tasteful fruit of our recovery

HOPE makes living a full life possible

Welcome HOPE in.

~~  Ed Spenser  ~~

limbers the aging body, but did you know it keeps the mind supple as well?

Research shows that walking can actually boost the connectivity within brain circuits, which tends to diminish as the grey hairs multiply.

“Patterns of connectivity decrease as we get older,” said Dr. Arthur F. Kramer, who led the study team at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

“Networks aren’t as well connected to support the things we do, such as driving,” he said. “But we found as a function of aerobic fitness, the networks became more coherent.”

Kramer’s walking study, which was published in the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, tracked 70 adults from 60 to 80 years old over the course of a year. A toning, stretching, strengthening group served as a control against which to evaluate the previously sedentary walkers.

“Individuals in the walking group, the aerobics training group, got by far the largest benefits,” he said, and not just physically.

“We also measured brain function,” said Kramer, whose team used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine brain networks. A group of 20-to-30-year olds were tested for comparison.

“The aerobic group also improved in memory, attention and a variety of other cognitive processes,” Kramer said. “As the older people in the walking group became more fit, the coherence among different regions in the networks increased and became similar to those of the 20-yr olds,” Kramer explained.

But the results did not happen overnight. Effects in the walking group were observed only after they trained for 12 months. Six-month tests yielded no significant trends.

The findings come as no surprise to Dr. Lynn Millar, an expert with the American College of Sports Medicine. She said while walking might seem like a simple activity, the brain is actually working to integrate information from many different sources.

“When we walk we integrate visual input, auditory input, as well as input that’s coming from joints and muscles regarding where the foot is, how much force, and things like that ” said Millar, a professor of Physical Therapy at Andrews University, in Berrien Springs, Michigan.

“It’s that old concept: if you don’t use it you lose it,” she said. “In order for something to be beneficial we need to do it repetitively, and walking is a repetitive activity.”

Millar, author of “Action Plan for Arthritis,” said while some changes are inevitable with age, they don’t have to happen as quickly as they do in some people.

“We know reaction time gets slower as we age, but activity is a big modifier,” she said, “so if we do trip we’ll be able to get that leg out and catch ourselves.”

Kramer, who also works with the military and people with disabilities, continues to work on mediating the negative effects of aging with lifestyle choices.

“We’re interested in understanding brain plasticity but we’re also interested in doing something about it,” he said. “We can wait for that wonder drug or we can do something today.”

Hey if you live in the Columbia area and want someone to walk with you and keep you motivated about taking care of yourself call Sissy Weaver (803) 739-5712. Sissy is a Certified Personal Trainer and Peer Support Specialist with a passion about wellness!!!! It’s FREE!

For immediate release via Lexington County Sheriff Department

The Lexington County Sheriff’s Department Information Technology Unit will conduct Internet safety classes between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Monday, October 4 and between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Thursday, October 21 in order to inform citizens about how they can fully utilize computer technology without compromising their personal security and financial well-being.

Lexington County Sheriff James R. Metts said the Internet safety classes will be held in the Squad Room at the Lexington County James R. Metts Law Enforcement Complex, 521 Gibson Road, Lexington. Participation will be limited to 75 students in each class, with preference given to citizens who live in Lexington County.

Citizens can register for one of the Internet safety classes by calling the Sheriff’s Department front desk at (803) 785-2400, Metts said. The classes will be free of charge.

Information Technology Unit personnel will inform citizens about the greatest dangers that are posed by the Internet and how citizens can protect themselves from such dangers, Metts said. They also will demonstrate how the Internet can be used to conduct research, earn money, enhance your knowledge and simply have fun.

Citizens will learn how to search on the Internet for information concerning convicted sex offenders who live in South Carolina and how to use computer databases to research public records, Metts said. They also will learn how to determine which web sites have been viewed on a specific computer and what information has been transmitted on a specific computer.

In addition, citizens will receive information about computer viruses, how to determine whether a web site is secure, how to update software on your computer, common scams that are perpetrated via the Internet and how to use e-mail safely and securely, Metts said.

Citizens also will receive information about social media networking sites that are available on the Internet, Metts said. Information Technology Unit personnel also will demonstrate the best practices that citizens should utilize when they conduct financial transactions online, such as handling funds in their bank accounts and paying utility and credit card bills.

Released - 10-2-2010

I want to talk about Looking Forward, after the hottest summer on record we are all looking forward to fall, those crisp clean days and cool evenings where we can finally open our windows at night and snuggle under our covers and unpack our sweaters. I for one am tired of flip flops and sticky hot days.

I need to instill in my personal life that excitement of Looking Forward. I have the tendency to isolate so I must be creative in planning activities that I look forward to. Maybe it’s as simple as putting aside time for people you really want to be with. Looking forward to a cup of coffee and talking to a special friend or family member. What can I do, that won’t cost a lot of money that will give me something to look forward to? These are questions I ask myself and you should be asking yourself too.

The holidays are coming up and it’s time to make plans with friends and loved ones. Start a new tradition, instead of feeling lonely asks people over to make cookies, trim a tree, and make Christmas cards. Start the creative planning process now and look forward instead of backwards.

So for my creative friends especially Bobbie lets plan another arts and crafts Saturday at SCSHARE to do something special for the holidays.

As always….Be well and make it a great day!

Carol Crabtree

Dear Friends,

Is it hot enough for you? Every night when I go to bed I say my prayers to the air conditioner gods, hoping that my unit makes it through the heat of this summer. I guess you have been spending as much time indoors as I have. Can’t wait until winter so I can complain about how cold it is.

We are looking forward to another Recovery for Life workshop on the 17t of August. For those of you who have not attended, the workshop will be held, again, at West Columbia Community Center. What is really great about this venue is that the building is freezing inside, its wonderful makes learning very agreeable.

I’ve been on the road this week. I was driving and it was about 6:45am and I was going to Georgetown and the sun was coming up and I was making up silly songs about what a great way to start your day. This has become my favorite times of the day. The presentation went well. Actually the mental health center is about 20 miles out of Georgetown, way, way, way out in the country. They are really appreciative to have people come visit and do presentations.

Hope to see everyone at the next presentation, for those who need credits they are giving us 7 hours!!!!!!!!!! Holy Hanna, ya’ll come now, hear.

Be well and Make it a Great Day!

Carol

Is it hot enough for you? Every night when I go to bed I say my prayers to the air conditioner gods, hoping that my unit makes it through the heat of this summer. I guess you have been spending as much time indoors as I have. Can’t wait until winter so I can complain about how cold it is.

We are looking forward to another Recovery for Life workshop on the 17t of August. For those of you who have not attended, the workshop will be held, again, at West Columbia Community Center. What is really great about this venue is that the building is freezing inside, its wonderful makes learning very agreeable.

I’ve been on the road this week. I was driving and it was about 6:45am and I was going to Georgetown and the sun was coming up and I was making up silly songs about what a great way to start your day. This has become my favorite times of the day. The presentation went well. Actually the mental health center is about 20 miles out of Georgetown, way, way, way out in the country. They are really appreciative to have people come visit and do presentations.

Hope to see everyone at the next presentation, for those who need credits they are giving us 7 hours!!!!!!!!!! Holy Hanna, ya’ll come now, hear.

Be well and Make it a Great Day!

Carol