Consumer Reports

Years ago, after a period of struggling with infertility and failed attempts to get pregnant, my husband and I began exploring the option of adopting a child . We eventually decided to not pursue adoption, but for many couples unable to have a child, adoption is an excellent alternative. There are tens of thousands of children adopted every year in the U.S. Adoption can be a complicated and expensive process. In the U.S., adoption laws vary from state to state. Intercountry adoption is even more complicated, because not only do U.S. federal and state laws need to be considered, but the laws of the child’s home country come into play. Navigating through either type of adoption process can take a considerable amount of time and can become incredibly stressful. One of the important steps to a successful adoption is learning about, and fully understanding, the adoption process. There are so many things to prepare and consider when contemplating an adoption. The good news is that there are many resources available for families considering adoption. Here are just a few resources that I found: Adoption Assistance by State AdoptUsKids Adoption Support Groups Child Welfare Information Gateway Costs of Adopting List of Child Welfare Related Organizations MedlinePlus Adoption National Foster Care & Adoption Directory Search Support Groups for Adopting Families Tax Adoption Credit For those of you pursuing adoption, my thoughts are with you as you navigate this journey. If you have an adoption story or experiences that you are willing to share, please post a comment.

Sunday, June 20, is Father’s Day . As I was thinking about what I would say for my Father’s Day blog, I began thinking about my own dad. He died a couple of weeks after Father’s Day two years ago. Even though my dad only went to school through the 8th grade, I consider him to have been one of the smartest and wisest men I’ve ever known. This Father’s Day I wanted to share some of the things I learned from my dad. I heard my father say, on more than one occasion, “If you’re gonna look up a sow’s rear… don’t expect a purty view.” In other words, Dad felt that if he chose to look at things in life expecting to see the ugly or the bad, that is exactly what he would see. He felt that looking for the negative in life took so much more energy, so he might as well try to see the good in things (both in people and in life events), and hope for the best. My dad was mostly a quiet man, although he could slip into story mode and tell the funniest stories. As a little girl, I was a total chatterbox. Dad would advise me, “Sometimes if you just sit patiently, don’t talk, just listen and observe, you will learn the most amazing things.” Dad grew up in the country, in the hills outside of Dubuque, Iowa. He hunted, fished, farmed, and he grew up learning to listen to the land. He was quite skilled at understanding nature and working with nature. He said the ability to listen and quietly observe doesn’t just work with nature, it would also teach me a lot about people. He was right. My dad was a “do-it-yourselfer.” He rarely paid anyone to do home projects. Dad was an electrician by trade, but he was also a very capable plumber, and an all around handy-man. If he didn’t have the skill set he needed, he would go learn it. He always felt, “If you can do it yourself, you will save yourself money and at the end of the project you will be rewarded with that feeling of great achievement.” I took this philosophy as my own. I try to do many of my own home projects. His philosophy taught me to be self-reliant, it gave me a lot of confidence, and a strong belief that I can do anything, if I put my mind to it. These are just a few of the things I learned from Dad. He had such a huge impact on my life. I am the person that I am today, because he was in my life. I want to give all of you the opportunity to share lessons from your fathers. Please take the time to drop me a line and share your stories.

You know summertime is approaching when your local grocery store begins stocking an aisle with bags of charcoal briquettes, lighter fluid, barbecuing utensils and other grilling paraphernalia. Summer barbecuing is a favorite tradition with most Americans. I personally like barbecuing season, because I know that I will get a little break from cooking when my husband takes over as chief preparer of all things meat. Over the years, my husband has become quite skillful with the grill. He uses dry rubs, marinades, and will occasionally smoke meat and poultry . He makes wonderful steaks, pork chops, barbecued ribs and chicken, but my favorite has got to be his smoked salmon. I have taken his salmon to parties and it is always the first thing to disappear from the table. With any kind of food preparation, there are some basic guidelines for handling food safely , but this is particularly important during the summer. Did you know foodborne illness peaks in the summer ? Bacteria that can contaminate food grow faster in warmer temperatures. In addition, during summer people are doing more things like barbecuing, picnics, and camping where refrigeration and washing facilities may not be available. The Food Safety and Inspection Service has put together these fact sheets on Barbecue and Food Safety and Handling Food Safely on the Road . Foodborne illness isn’t the only danger that needs to be considered when it comes to preparing food on a grill. When cooking with open flame, fire safety needs to be considered. Here are some safety tips for barbecuing . While you are enjoying your own grilling efforts, you should consider checking out some of the cook off and barbecue competitions in your area. Go to your preferred search engine and search on “barbecue cook off” or “barbecue competition” and type your state name. Here in Texas, as you can imagine, we have quite a few barbecuing contests. Have a good time with your grills and if you have any great recipes, feel free to drop me a line.

My mom used to tell her school friends that she was related to the actor, Roy Rogers. She wasn’t. As a kid I used to tell people I was half German, half English, half Irish, and half American. Knowing these two things, you could extrapolate that my family tree contains liars and people that can’t do fractions. On my dad’s side, it was believed that my first ancestor in America was born in Germany, because he spoke German. Some relatives said he came to America with a brother and that they were from Frankfurt, Germany. However, these details turned out to be incorrect.

People who join the military do so knowing that they may be asked to serve in ways that may put their lives on the line. Sometimes they are asked to work in hostile areas in less than desirable conditions, far away from family and loved ones.

My nephew was making my sister and her husband crazy. He was fidgety, he couldn’t keep his hands to himself, and he was always losing things. His grades weren’t very good and his teachers were frustrated because he was constantly distracting other kids. He would do impulsive things that ended up with him breaking things or getting hurt. My sister took him to be evaluated. It was determined that he was suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and he was put on medicine to help control it. That was several years ago. He is a sophomore in high school now and he is doing much better. On occasion, he still does impulsive things that get him into trouble. My sister isn’t sure if that is due to his ADHD or just that he is a teenager doing teenager things. When I decided to write on this topic, I called him up and asked him about his ADHD. I asked him to think back before his diagnosis and what that was like. He said it was like his mind was bouncing around a lot. It was really difficult for him to stay on one topic. School was torture for him. The teachers would want him to do his work, but his mind was off somewhere else. He would try to bring his focus back, but then his thoughts would turn to something else. I asked him if he ever felt that something was wrong or not normal. He said at times he couldn’t understand why he kept doing things that were getting him in trouble. It was upsetting to him when everyone was angry with him. He was angry with himself whenever he got in to trouble, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself. It wasn’t until he was put on medicine that he finally felt like he could think more clearly. He was surprised at how much easier it was to keep his focus on his tasks. The fact that his teachers and parents aren’t getting angry with him so much anymore is a relief. Finally, I asked him how he felt about having to take medicine to control his ADHD. He admitted he does not like taking the medicine, but he knows that the medicine is important to help him keep in control. He feels good when he gets good grades now. He likes that he can stay focused enough to be on sports teams and participate in other school activities. If it hadn’t been for the medicine helping him to stay focused, he doubts that his parents would have trusted him to get his driver’s license. As of 2006, 4.5 million children 5-17 years of age have been diagnosed with ADHD. It isn’t just kids who suffer from ADHD. Adults do too. If you, or someone you know has been diagnosed with ADHD, you may want to check out these resources: Center’s for Disease Control and Prevention has information on Diagnosing ADHD , Data and Statistics , and Take the Next Step After Diagnosis . Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) has a list of blogs on ADHD , a finding support section , and a list of conferences and training programs to help professionals, parents, and individuals dealing with ADHD. Medlineplus.gov has compiled ADHD resources for you, including information on Managing ADHD , Treatments , and Related Issues . They also have many links to materials written in Spanish. National Institute of Mental Health has publications on ADHD . National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has information on ADHD . National Resource Center on ADHD has an “Ask the Expert” Online Chat where you can get answers to your questions. Or you can call 1-800-233-4050 . They have an FAQs section, and a large library of books, scientific articles and other materials so you can conduct your own research. Sometimes kids grow into adulthood having not been diagnosed. If you are an adult who suspects you may be suffering from ADHD, here is an article on Diagnosing ADHD in Adults . Usa.gov’s ADHD results page .

When you think of Washington, DC, does your mind summon images of politicians debating in senate/house chambers, judges ruling on national legal matters, or the president going about the business of running our country? Washington DC is a place where serious, history-making decisions and events take place, but in early April, when parts of the city become canopied in delicate, pale-pink, cherry blossoms, the city takes on a softness that is absolutely stunning. We’ve all heard people say, “Pictures don’t do it justice.” DC in early April is one of those examples. Imagine walking under a delicate umbrella of thousands of barely-pink, cherry blossoms. A gentle, but crisp, breeze causes the petals to ripple, and across the shimmering water of the Tidal Basin, you see the white colonnades of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. At that moment, the world feels very alive, fresh, and full of promise. Although I no longer work in DC, whenever I think of my time there, I think of DC in April, and I immediately remember that feeling. If you want to see it for yourself, the National Cherry Blossom Festival runs from March 27 through April 11. To find out about festival events, peak bloom predictions, directions, reservations, and other details, check out these resources: Cherry Tree Locations and Types of Trees Frequently Asked Questions About the Festival National Cherry Blossom Festival Events National Cherry Blossom Festival History National Park Service Information Peak Bloom Predictions Preserving the Cherry Trees Washington.org While you are in DC, for those of you who have an interest in science, don’t forget to check out the National Academy of Sciences’ Einstein Memorial . It is one of my favorite places in DC. It’s a great place to eat a sack lunch, read a good book, or just ponder life’s big questions. The memorial is tucked away in a grove of trees across the street from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Constitution Avenue. If you get a chance to go to the festival or if you just make a trip to see the blossoms, drop me a line. I would love to hear your impressions. A word of caution, the festival and the blossoms are very popular. Getting around in a car may be a bit of a challenge. Your best bet may be taking the metro into the city. P.S. If you haven’t done your federal taxes yet, maybe on your way to the National Cherry Blossom Festival on March 27th, you can stop at one of the 180 Local IRS Offices to get help completing your taxes. Sorry… they made me put in that reminder.

The other night, I was awake the whole night. I haven’t had a night like that in a long time, but it reminded me of my past issues with insomnia . I was pretty young when it dawned on me that I didn’t have the same sleeping patterns as my sisters. I had frequent episodes of getting very little, or no, sleep 3-4 times a week. While my sisters were sleeping, I was awake for hours thinking, thinking, thinking. I would think about happy things, things that worried me, or sometimes I would ponder world problems. One night I didn’t want to eat my stew. My mom told me that children were starving in Africa and they would love to have that stew. I stayed awake the whole night thinking about it. I was only 8, but it seemed impossible to me that anyone would want to eat my mom’s stew… no offense Mom! I spent the rest of the night plotting how I could send those kids my stew. Around 3:30 am, I came up with the idea of borrowing my dad’s thermos on Friday night and, when my parents weren’t looking, filling it with the stew. I could take it to the post office on Saturday to mail it to those hungry, African kids. As long as they got the thermos back to me by Sunday night, my parents would never know. Around 4:30 am, I figured out I could probably ship them my mom’s liver, spinach, and beets too! My parents would take us to drive-in movies. While my sisters were zonked out after the first movie, I secretly watched the rest of the movies with my folks. One movie had zombies in it. The zombies roamed around at night and they didn’t sleep. Hey, that was my problem! Oh no, I was becoming a zombie! Of course, zombies also had sharp teeth and ate people, but I figured it was just a matter of time before I started snacking on arms and legs. For a while, I spent sleepless nights not only pondering those hungry, African children, but feeling my teeth to see if they were becoming pointy. Despite the fact that I outgrew my zombie fears, to this day, I still have this mental association with sleep disorders and being a zombie. These sleepless episodes followed me into adulthood. At some point I understood that I was experiencing insomnia. I read up on insomnia and tried various things to help myself. Nothing really seemed to help. I signed up for a relaxation class and was surprised to discover that it helped me a little, but the truth is that the “real cure” for my insomnia was… to develop severe sleep apnea . Yeah, isn’t that a kicker? I no longer had trouble falling asleep, but while I was sleeping, I would stop breathing 100s of times a night. In order to keep living, I had to wake myself up to breathe. Oddly, I didn’t even know that this was happening to me. It took me years to get a sleep apnea diagnosis, but eventually I got help. Sleep disorders impact a person’s life in many ways and they are quite dangerous to have. If you suspect that you or a loved one may have a sleep disorder, you may want to check out these additional resources: Brain Basics: Understanding Sleep How Much Sleep Do You Need How Well Are You Sleeping Insomnia Podcast Restless Leg Syndrome Sleep Studies Sleep Walking Teacher’s Guide: Information About Sleep

I’m not the kind of person to be the first in line to buy the newest technology right when it hits the store shelves. I’m more of a “sit back, observe, and collect data” kind of a person. I like to let the masses do the leg work for me and then reap the benefits of getting lots of opinions on features and the pros/cons of the available products. It gives me time to assess what features I want, what features are available, and to consider what I am willing to pay. I have had a standard cell phone with an inexpensive pay as you go plan for years, but I must admit I am experiencing phone envy. Many of my friends and co-workers have purchased smart phones that have all kinds of nice features: listening to music, uploading pictures, managing a calendar, browsing the Internet, and using a small keyboard to text and email. I am evaluating whether a smart phone makes sense for me. It would be nice to have a phone and those nice features in one device. However, I really don’t use a cell phone that much. I work from home and I am usually at home. I don’t have kids who need to be able to get a hold of me when I am out and about. I keep a phone in my purse for emergencies, but it is almost always turned off. Most people know this about me, so they never call my cell phone number. Would my phone habits change if I had a smart phone? Maybe. My call volume would increase slightly, because I would be more likely to have a smart phone turned on, but I don’t think my phone usage would increase that much. My current thinking is that it doesn’t make much sense to get a smart phone and pay for a more expensive service plan, when I simply don’t use a cell phone that much. For now, I am keeping my standard phone; I will look at other wireless devices that have the features I am interested in, but don’t require expensive phone plans. If you are going through a similar debate about a standard phone vs. a smart phone, here are some resources you might find useful: Cell Phone Reviews Consumer Action Website – Cell Phones Consumer Reports Customer reviews – Cell Phones Filing a Consumer Complaint with the FCC New World of Mobile Phones Understanding Wireless Telephone Coverage Areas Wireless Phones and the Do Not Call Registry If you have any suggestions or opinions you want to share, drop me a line.

Ginger’s note: This is Part 1 of a two-part blog. Stay tuned for Part 2 next Friday. I have known Scott since grade school. He has always been a very gifted artist. When the rest of us were drawing stick people, Scott was drawing superheros that looked like they came out of a comic book. By high school he was painting wonderful pictures of wildlife. It was in high school that I learned that he suffered from Type 1 Diabetes (Juvenile Diabetes) . Recently, Scott and I reconnected in Facebook . I learned that his niece, Anna , was diagnosed in 2008 with Type 1 Diabetes. He also told me that he was the recipient of an organ transplant. I found his story interesting and I asked him if I could share it in my blog. Here is his story. At the age of 7, Scott was hospitalized with a serious urinary system infection. Although he recovered from the infection, it had significantly damaged his pancreas. Within 2 years Scott again faced a health crisis. Scott has a vivid memory of his parents holding him in bed and they all cried together after receiving the devastating diagnosis that Scott had Type 1 diabetes. He was just 9 years old. At the time of his diagnosis, Scott and his parents only had a vague awareness of the full impact this diagnosis would have on Scott and the family. It meant that, at the age of 9, Scott had to learn to give himself daily injections. During the early days of his disease, he had to carry around tubes of test strips to test his urine. Scott recalls being especially embarrassed about this as a child. Despite this health obstacle, outwardly, Scott appeared to be just a normal kid. He participated on the tennis team, he got very good grades, he pursued his art, and he teased girls occasionally… yes Scott, don’t think I forgot about the nickname you gave me. You are not off the hook for that one, buddy! I lost touch with Scott when we graduated high school. He went off to college to pursue an art degree and became an artist. He took care of his diabetes while keeping an active lifestyle. As medical advancements were made, Scott adapted to new types of insulin and glucose monitoring devices. When he was 28, during a routine check-up, the doctor noted some abnormal blood work indicating a small issue with his kidneys. In the following years the kidney problems worsened. By the time he was 38, Scott was feeling exhausted and sick. His kidneys were beginning to fail. Scott’s doctor thought he was a good candidate for an organ transplant , so the process began to get Scott on the list. In order to get on the organ donation list , Scott had to pass many medical tests. There were regular tissue and blood workups, because doctors look at a host of indicators to determine the best match in organ donation . Doctor’s consider other variables as well. Not everyone makes the list. Patients who have overall poor general health, or who demonstrate poor health maintenance (smoking, excessive drinking, or not able to follow doctor’s orders) may have trouble qualifying. Donated organs are considered a precious resource and doctor’s are looking for patients who will have the best possible chance of success. There is a high rate of people who die while waiting on the list. When Scott’s name was added to the organ donation list, it became a waiting game for him. He purchased a cell phone in order to ensure he could be reached at all times by the transplant network. He also had to limit his travel in order to be near his medical facility should the call come in. As his wait continued, his kidneys reached the point that he was put on dialysis . He had to go to regularly scheduled dialysis appointments in order to clean the poisons out of his blood and draw the excess water out of his body. These treatments were keeping him alive as he waited for the call. Check back next week for Part 2 of this blog to read the rest of the story.