Hairy Days ~ Throw back Thursday!

As a child of the hair generation, well the 90's, you gotta love the hair. I was a principle dancer on a show called "Nite Life". It aired on UHF! We were hoping to be the next generation of solid gold dancers and I was oh so young with so many big dreams. NO I WAS NOT THE SHORTEST! People always go there with this photo! It makes me wonder about so many great artist. What happened to the one hit wonders? I skipped school to watch Paul Young on MTV, Loved INX's and the 1st concert I went to on May 2, 1985 was U2! Howard Jones, Tears for Fears! My greatest was Madonna. She made bad movies and I watched them over and over but she is a great artist.

Its kind of fun to throw back!

Today's The DAY!!!! Time to start moving!

What You Don't See

I have to admit, I can be a Martyr. We all have stories. We all are victims of something. I am a victim of bad choices and bad situations. What I did not see was the good. I have an amazing friend who works with Operation Smile. It made me think a lot. My vision and eyes have been bad for 8 weeks. I took them for granted and they were my best feature. I have been laying in bed crying. Feeling sorry for myself. Am I that person?

You never appreciate those around you or the gifts we are given everyday. Its simplistic in some ways but yet so amazing.

God gives us lessons.

See what's in front of you. If you look behind you will be chasing the wind as it blows by.

My heart truth~

My secret crush on Bobby Flay

He may be my pass but don't we all want to eat what looks good. Lol. I am loving cooking or should I say designing and I think have become addicted to all things food. It's kind of fun. So my Bobby Flay is like Rachel Ray to me.  They can do nothing wrong. Home cook verses Iron Chef. This brings me to my new love. Short ribs. I grew up and as an adult have always thought of ribs as a grill thing. Who would have thought a pressure cooker would be the savior!

As a new cook, dare I say chef...key essentials.

• Patience
• Good knifes
• Food processor not to be confused with a blender
• Pressure cooker
• Iron skillet
• Great spices! 
• Great wines! 
• Treadmill :)

You can do it an be heart healthy. Remember,everything in moderation! 

My heart truth

D

Being a Father~Happy Birthday

My Birthday always comes with so many thoughts. A lot of my Dad. His Birthday was April 1st. I remember the stories of him not wanting me born on the same day. He also shared the day with one of his 4 Brothers. My Mom was adopted and I know that had its burdens. My Dad was a workaholic, smart and with a very strong temper. My Mom did have that too. The Cherokee in her.

When I was 16 I ran away to Canada. It was not a Pat Benatar song but I did kind of feel it. My  Brother and Sister joined the military and I was left alone. It was hard. I ran away to sleep not to sleep with. I did runaway with a girlfriend to Canada. I just wanted to sleep through the night.

My friend and I were in New York when we had to call her parents. 

In 7th grade in Georgia, my parents owned a business with my grandparents. It was like a kick in the night and we moved to Florida. It's was like moving from a big house to small and so vague. We did not get a reason.  We moved a few times in Florida. My siblings had their journeys and all I wanted was to believe in something more. I grew up skating and we could not afford it. When we got to Florida I was smart but so emotional. I was an outcast. 

I try to gain clarity of the men in my life. My Dad drove me in a very stern way. I am blessed for that in so many ways. My Brother is very much the same. Much like  my Grandpa's and Andy, they love me through everything and have never left my side, My Mom was adopted and I times I questioned that myself. It always amazes me when a grown man makes a choice to discard a child. All for ego.

What would you regret? What do you think about? Who do you think about? Would you pick your career over a person? If it were your own? What do you say one day when they knock on your door? Hey, I had great promotions. Hope you were well. Who is that person?

I sang this song for my Dad when I gave up a local Miss America crown

 

There are so many great men and women. Count your blessings and love those in your life.

To my Daddy. Happy Birthday. Your heart gave out but your love never did. You fought for me and I will carry on and fight for you and my family. I miss you so much. You were never an April fool, you were my King and the greatest man I never knew.

Golden wings.

Rainy days on Saturdays always make me smile:)

Being a self proclaimed Floridian, I have always loved the rain. I should clarify, warm rain. It reminds me of the beach and just relaxing days. In Florida, during the summer months we get rain but it passes. They are summer storms that feed the humidity. After this winter, I will not longer allow myself to complain about the heat. If it's warm, I'll take it!

I have been a wake for a while hence a crying child over night and my over crazy thoughts in my head. I did manage to find my glasses in the crib this morning. Guess where I slept last night! Hey who does not love some great cuddle time. I did manage to get some reading in and I am continuing to process the new move. I have to admit, for the first time in a long time I am so excited. Let's just hope my vision is not too cloudy when I look back in the future. It just is going to offer a freshness and it's time!

I have a lot coming up with the American Heart Association which should also be great. With this weather, I am hoping the Celebrity Golf Tournament brings with it some sunshine! We also have Lawyers Have Heart and Hearts Delight Wine Tasting and Auction. I feel so blessed to work with and formally for such a great organization. I am a heart and stroke survivor because of the work the AHA/ASA does. I am happy that my eyes are so much better and I am finally off the treatment as of two days ago. My stomach has been a mess to I welcome the healing process!

On this rainy morning, I am feeling blessed for the love in my life, for the family and friends around me and looking forward to a great week. God has given me a lot of lessons in life. Sometimes it's what that is front of you that can make you great. Let's just avoid the land mines!

My heart truth- d

Has anyone ever written anything for you.........................

Music and cooking are a part of me. Its comfort in art. I have written songs. Expressed songs and lets face it you can come off a but unhinged to some if they are not open to the lyrics, not so much the melody.

When I was young, today is my Birthday, so not feeling so young but I was a journal writer. Before Facebook. I have always loved autobiographies. I have always felt there is something to learn. As a parent, I have learned that even more. Don't we all wish that every child came out with an owners manual. Yep, that's not happening! I spoke with my Grandmother today. She said something I never heard before. If I were your Mother, I would have been better to you. Hurt but I wonder about that. I have always gotten lost in music. It's was skating, writing and just a very sad childhood. They did their best. I have never doubted that but also why I will also fight for my family. Always. No one should ever feel alone in the dark and never a child.

I had an unhinged moment today. First, it was not me but a conversation. It was someone who was cold. It was a Father who wants nothing to do with his child. EVER. He by all rights is impressive but it just makes me so sad. His family is accepting of his behavior and he is not young. How are people dismissed so easily?

This probably is why I write so much. My Brother did too. I hope he still does. There are stories in everyone and yes they can be uncomfortable, martyr like, bitter but there is also happy and blessed.

I can't and won't ever get hurt or hate. I'll do your hair and you will hate me but at the end of the day, I could never hate you.

My hate is missing someone. I miss my parents. I DO HATE THEY ARE NOT HERE. I don't hate them. Just left confused at my lessons but I will get them .

Has anyone ever written a song for you? Even if seems so meaningless to you, listen to the words.

Listen to your heart. Your heart truth.

The Go Red for Women Cookbook!

First and foremost, its not just for Women. I was so excited to receive this edition as a gift from American Heart Association and more excited to cook with it! As a new student of the culinary arts and one who is obsessed with my weight because I battled an eating disorder as a teenager, to me its important to find balance and health. Listen, I will NEVER be the skinniest, tallest, prettiest or richest but I do hope to make some strides in my health. Fairest, I may come close!

I have never found comfort in food. Maybe in a good pair of shoes or a glass of champagne but food to me has been a struggle. Having lived in Europe for many years gave me a unique palette. Cheese to me is the new chocolate. My issue with food is I hate feeling full. So with all the new recipes I am incorporating a lot of veggies and lean meats. Yes I have tried everything but balance is the key.

I have been plummeted with meds because of my heart, eyes etc so I decided to create my own medicine. HEALTHY EATING! Medications and treatments have made me ridiculously sick so on my third day of a medication cleanse, my eyes are not red and I have not purged on anyone. I think the Zoo was my last straw, sorry Joannie! Love you girl.

Purging and a picture of what's for dinner tonight may not be the ultimate post, LOL, but I a having fun with health!

80% of our life health we have control of. 20% is out of our hands with heart. I'm taking control. Its got to be exhausting to hear me complain!

Next up....Lawyers Have Heart 10K. Yep, some of them do!

My heart truth~D

Animalistic time at the ZOO!

Today was such a nice day as we headed to the zoo. It could not have been better weather and all of the kids had a great time! The Smithsonian Zoo in DC is free and offers a lot to see including the Panda's! Yes, I considered buying a Panda hat or two or three! It was a great family day with great friends. Joannie came to visit from Tennessee and Judy from MD. It was also a great way to get some exercise that did not feel like exercise at all! My favorite of the day was a monkey that was just free ranging in the Amazonian exibit.

Blessed for today and everyday

Here's to your heart

Agh no you didn't just say that?

Since 2001, I have been volunteering, advocating, employed by and spokesperson for the American Heart and Stroke Association. It started with me and my Mother and Father. I think I new EVERY hospital in the St.Pete/Clearwater area. In Florida, trust me we have a lot! It was not my story. It was not something that I could fathom. They looked fine. They were parents. They looked like parents. They passed in 2001 and 2006. 54 and 56. WAYYYYY to young and they didn't drink, were not diabetic, not over weight but yes stress, smoking and my Dad's workaholic state put a tremendous amount of stress on their bodies. My Mom's first stroke she was in her 30's. I was too young to remember much at all but I think she , like I, just carried all of her stress with her everyday. We as humans are capsules. We take everything in. Literally we take it to heart. Without going all Deanna drama, my parents were alive when I had my first case of stress from a bad accident.  My Mom had just had valve replacement, I was in the hospital on and off for months in Chicago and it was like arms reaching out with no one there. My Dad was such my savior. He got me home. That was a journey. (Jerry Springer anyone?)

I honestly never thought, hey, I have heart disease...hello???? What does that mean?

So fast forward and yep, here I am in 2014 after stent placement, 2 surgeries in my LAD and speaking about heart disease in women. Difference is, I am a Mother so maybe I was listening this time. So I am doing an interview at NBC Washington which was just a great experience BUT the cardiologist sitting next to me on air stated the longevity after stent placement was 2-5 years. I was in the middle but I swear you could have seen me doing the math in my head followed by HELLO I AM RIGHT HERE! My first surgery was done in 2010 and then in 2013. Does it just close? What does that mean? Is there not a detour here sign?

My other Mother Judy texted me today to remind me its our Birthday month. Oh no, its happening, I'm 29 again and she better stick around too!

What am I truly doing for my health? What am I repeating? How do I change? What am I changing? Lifestyle choices. What can't I change history. What I don't want to repeat, history.

Here's to your heart~

D

My Brother rocks. Let's not tell him.

Families are tough. We don't pick them, they just are. That always comes with challenges. My family comes with so much grey it's hard to see black and white. I don't and will never get some of the separation that had nothing to do with my siblings or I and my Mom's family is and will always be a question. I hate that for my children. Antkowiak and Lee. That's all I have.

I have never been perfect and continue the reign but gain great strength from my brother Todd. I can't fully explain our relationship but so blessed for his choices in life ( Lois, Danni and Benjamin) and he walked me down the isle and held me with a stupid fake turtle and hung with me on Easter mornings. He can play any instrument and yet can't read music. He is amazing on so many levels and paints or use to without fear and writes with such passion. I could not be more proud of anyone in my life more than my Brother Todd. You have no idea how special you are. I love you. You are just so talented, humble and loved. Thank you for always be there for me.

National Walking Day!

Its funny, whenever I am sad, sick, tired or just having a blah day, the one thing that ALWAYS makes me feel better is WALKING! Walking just 30 minutes 5 days a week can make a huge difference in your overall health! The American Heart Association's NATIONAL walking Day is April 2, 2014! Its a perfect time to start walking!

Time to go by those new walking shoes and get moving!

Here's to your heart!

D

Heart Disease Facts (www.healthline.com) . What are you doing for your heart today?

Teaching Gardens and the AHA

In all of my doctors appointments lately (yes, I did want to punch a young resident  this week as he said to me there is nothing more we can do as long as you are taking all your medications) but instead I just cried; however, it got me thinking about natural health remedies and what we eat. I have been having so many side effects from my treatments and medications and then they give you another pill to offset the effects...its a spiral effect. When my Mom passed she was taking TWENTY SEVEN pills a day. I am up to 10. It reminded me of food. I know, its hard to believe but food can heal. Growing up in Georgia my Mom was a southern cook. FRIED was our dinner and Crisco was a staple. She also made us eat chicken liver but fried it just tasted like a bad mussel. The one thing I remember clearly, mostly because I got to pop beans for HOURS was my Grandparents farm. They had a huge garden and every year we got so many fresh veggies. They also had grape vines so we could eat right off the vine and often did. OK so the crab apples made me really sick but I think I ate about 50 of them but there is something amazing about fresh fruit and veggies. Its hard in the winter to grow things but it can be done. Spring is coming so my goal is to start my new garden and teach my family how fun it can be!

The American Heart Association has a lot of incredible tools and a lot of incredible initiatives. One that is important to me are the Teaching Gardens. Through fundraising efforts, the Teaching Gardens are put in schools that may not have access to fresh veggies and help to teach the children how fun health can be. If they plant it and watch it grow, veggies become a part of their diet in a way that is fun and healthy! This can be done at home too!

I won't fry food for my family even though I love to cook and I know those options are just a part of almost every menu. My goal is to make food fun, nutritional and a part of a healthy lifestyle that can help to prevent so many ailments in our lives.

About the teaching gardens:

Obesity is one of the most expensive health care problems in America. One third of U.S. children are overweight or obese putting them at higher risk of heart disease and stroke.

The American Heart Association is taking a new approach in the fight against childhood obesity. We’ve teamed with noted child-nutrition activist and philanthropist Kelly Meyer to create the American Heart Association Teaching Gardens planted in elementary schools across the country that become real-life learning laboratories for students to learn what it means to be healthy.

Aimed at first graders through fifth, we teach children how to plant seeds, nurture growing plants, harvest produce and ultimately understand the value of good eating habits.

Garden-themed lessons teach nutrition, math, science and other subjects all while having fun in the fresh air and working with your hands.

Together, we can dramatically change the way America thinks about and consumes food.

To learn more log onto www.heart.org

Here's to your heart and your health~

Deanna

Only human

THE DAY MY DADDY DIED~ Harold Thomas Pemberton

It's always been hard for me to share the core of who I am yet I seem to wear my heart on my sleeve. I am a walking contradiction. Strong in spirit and weak in reality at times but not all the time. When I was a little girl I just wanted my Parents to be proud and happy of me and of themselves. My Dad was so strong and stubborn. He had his demons and family was tough at times but to the core he inspired me. He shut off (a familiar guy trait), a gift I am glad I don't have but in some pretty deep scenario's he became my Daddy. The one I thought I never had. Maybe this is why I chased him even when they moved and forgot to give me a forwarding address. Approval, love, he was my Daddy. He did so many little things and some pretty big that offset anything else. I think that is called being a parent.

My Dad owned a business and was 54. My mom had been sick for many years and my Dad even made a room in their business for when she came.  I never doubted their love for each other. He was the healthy one.

I was working at HSN as a beauty buyer and his business was on the causeway not far away. I still can't remember why I did not have my car that day but I called numerous times to check on him and he kept saying to me tell your Mom I'm ok. My Mom stayed home that day and my Dad had gotten upset with an insurance agent and was not feeling great. This started around 9 am. My Dad also cut his finger off a few months prior in a die cutting machine and drove himself to the ER. He was stubborn.

My Dad finally called my Brother around 5pm because he just did not have the strength. In the morning with him getting so upset he blew out a valve and starting going into congestive heart failure. He was filling up with fluid so he just felt full.

We all came to the hospital and my Dads aortic valve was replaced. On the morning of his surgery, I drove across the wrong bridge. It was 5 something in the morning and I was so lost and worried.  I sat with him everyday for two weeks. Same surgeon that my Mom had had so it became routine for us of sorts. He never woke back up and I wonder often if he knew I was there.

We were called to the hospital and I arrived first.  His blood gases were dropping and I just sat there. There was nothing I could do. That was my Daddy. 2 hours later,he met his golden wings. He was 54 and it was Fathers Day.

I am writing this for a few reasons. One is heart month should not be just a month because it was never a minute, hour, month or year for me. It's my lifetime. The reality is if my Dad would have gone in a week earlier for a stress test or earlier that day because he was not feeling right he would still be here. I am absolutely selfish and a martyr when it come to my parents because I miss them.

Everyday

The day of my Dads surgery I walked outside and took a deep breath thinking he would be ok. I have never taken that breathe again. I really thought he would. I forget where I put things all the time yet that moment comes with such clarity to me.

I talk a lot about heart but as I am missing my family and sitting alone typing this I would give so much to have them here.

The day my Daddy died I lost faith and belief because he was the strongest man I ever knew. In so many ways he will always be.

Heart disease is known as the silent killer but yet it says so much. My Dad proceeded my Mom but both died of Cardiovascular disease and both had valves replaced. I am the third. They say 1 in 3 die of heart disease and I am the one in three that lives yet heart disease is nowhere near silent to me. I hear it in my food choices, my lifestyle choice but my genetics, that screams at me.

As March begins and heart month ends, we should not be silent because it is a great deal about lifestyle and about choices. I look back and think what I could do and can change. I am a human with many faults but each day I am trying to be there for my family, make smart choices and TRY (I say TRY), to work on my emotional and lifestyle stress.

Spring is in the air, somewhere (LOL) but being active, knowing your numbers, managing your stress and managing your lifestyle choices can all to help and save your life.

Your heart talks to you. Please chose to listen~

Here's to your heart~

Are you speaking up?

As a heart attack and stroke survivor I am often questioned. Some say, where is your scar and some say you don't look like someone with health challenges. I once, true story, was asked to wait outside of triage so they could evaluate an older man when I was having the same issues. Even those in the medical profession still tend to discard or assume because hey I'm glad I didn't fit their mold but frankly my body had a very different opinion! It bothered me and the President of the hospital called me personally afterwards but it just leads to the realization that heart disease and women is so often over looked. I was asked, did you loose a lot of weight? Did you smoke? Are you diabetic? The answer was no. I will admit I will always welcome any weight loss or a winning lottery ticket but no.

Working with AHA for so many years has taught me so much. Its not just what I have read or learned but honestly a lot about the people whom I have met and their stories. I lobbied with "You're the Cure" last year and we were divided by States and Districts. This to this day was probably one of the most amazing few days I had ever spent. Survivors from all over the US coming together for a cause and sharing our stories. Their were Doctors, survivors, advocates and just people with one voice. NIH funding and Million Hearts.

The questions I was asked were very valid. People don't "see" heart disease.

Cardiovascular Disease effects EVERY part of your body. It remains the number one killer of men and women and a leading cause in disability  with stroke.

Heart month may be coming to a close but the heart beats everyday. Imagine a battery in your favorite item and then imagine wanting or NEEDING to use it to save your life.

The heart matters. Check your engine and understand when the cars not working, you don't go anywhere.

www.heart.org
www.goredforwomen.org

Deanna

Don't close your eyes

My country soul came from my Dad. He was Barbra Mandrell, Patsy and some Yehaw but he always told me to go with the story. This is an incredible song that rings so true. Telling or sharing a story is the artistry in music.

True country, true heart and what a story.

Have a Coke and A Smile~

John Stith Pemberton was

John Stith Pemberton

the inventor of the Coca-Cola beverage. In his day Pemberton was a most respected member of the state's medical establishment, but his gift was for medical chemistry rather than regular medicine. He was a practical pharmacist and chemist of great skill, active all his life in medical reform, and a respected businessman. His most enduring accomplishments involve his laboratories, which are still in operation more than 125 years later as part of the Georgia Department of Agriculture. Converted into the state's first testing labs and staffed with Pemberton's hand-picked employees, these labs almost single-handedly eliminated the sale of fraudulent agricultural chemicals in the state and ensured successful prosecution of those who tried to sell them.

Early Life and Career

Born on January 8, 1831, in Knoxville, in Crawford County, Pemberton grew up and attended the local schools in Rome,

Coca-Cola Bottles

where his family lived for almost thirty years. He studied medicine and pharmacy at the Reform Medical College of Georgia in Macon, and in 1850, at the age of nineteen, he was licensed to practice on Thomsonian or botanic principles (such practitioners relied heavily on herbal remedies and on purifying the body of toxins, and they were viewed with suspicion by the general public). He practiced medicine and surgery first in Rome and its environs and then in Columbus, where in 1855 he established a wholesale-retail drug business specializing in materia medica (substances used in the composition of medical remedies). Some time before the Civil War (1861-65), he acquired a graduate degree in pharmacy, but the exact date and place are unknown.

The analytical

Pemberton House

and manufacturing laboratories of J. S. Pemberton and Company of Columbus were unique in the South. "We are direct importers," the company claimed, "manufacturing all the pharmaceutical and chemical preparations used in the arts and sciences." Established in 1860 and outfitted with some $35,000 worth of the newest and most improved equipment—some of it designed and patented by the company—it was "a magnificent establishment," an enthusiastic reporter from the Atlanta Constitution proclaimed in 1869 when the labs were moved to Atlanta, "one of the most splendid Chemical Laboratories that there is in the country."

Pemberton served with distinction as a lieutenant colonel in the Third Georgia Cavalry Battalion during the Civil War and was almost killed in the fighting at Columbus in April 1865. In 1869 he became a principal partner in the firm of Pemberton, Wilson, Taylor and Company, which was based in Atlanta, where he moved in 1870. Two years later he became a trustee of the Atlanta Medical College (later Emory University School of Medicine) and established a business in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where his own brands of pharmaceuticals were manufactured on a large scale. He also served for six years (1881-87) on the first state examining board that licensed pharmacists in Georgia.

Pemberton was "the most noted physician Atlanta ever had," according to the Atlanta newspapers, but he is best known for his expertise in the laboratory, where he perfected the formula for Coca-Cola.

The Origin of Coca-Cola

A few years before Coca-Cola began its spectacular rise to international acclaim, a drink known as Pemberton's French Wine Coca was extremely popular in Atlanta. Its fame spread throughout the Southeast, and the demand for the tasty beverage was high.

In 1885 a reporter from the Atlanta Journal approached the creator of French Wine Coca and asked him for a detailed analysis of the new drink. Pemberton replied, "It is composed of an extract from the leaf of Peruvian Coca,

Vin Mariani Bottle

the purest wine, and the Kola nut. It is the most excellent of all tonics, assisting digestion, imparting energy to the organs of respiration, and strengthening the muscular and nervous systems." He explained that South American Indians considered the coca plant a sacred herb and praised its beneficial effects on the mind and body. With the aid of the coca plant, the Indians had performed "astonishing" feats, he said, "without fatigue." Pemberton then admitted that his coca and kola beverage was based on Vin Mariani, a French formula perfected by Mariani and Company of Paris, which since 1863 had been the world's only standard preparation of erythroxylon coca.

In 1886 the city of Atlanta introduced prohibition, which, among other things, forbade the sale of wine. Pemberton decided to make another version of his popular drink. He dropped the reference to wine in the name of the beverage, substituted sugar syrup for the wine, and coined the name "Coca-Cola" to identify his formula. Henceforth, he would call Coca-Cola the ideal temperance drink, both on the label and in advertising.

Realizing

Coca-Cola Logo

that he needed financial backing to market this nonalcoholic version of French Wine Coca on a large scale, Pemberton formed a company for that purpose. He put his son Charles in charge of manufacturing Coca-Cola, and after prohibition ended in 1887, he again produced French Wine Coca. He announced that he would retire from active practice, sell his drugstores in Atlanta and elsewhere in the state, and devote all his time to promoting his beverages. Meanwhile, a group of businessmen responded to Pemberton's appeal to finance the new Coca-Cola Company. He was to receive a royalty of five cents for each gallon of Coca-Cola sold.

It was Pemberton's practice to organize a business as a copartnership and then convert it into a corporation. In March 1888, after being in business for eight months as a copartner, he filed the petition for incorporation of the first Coca-Cola Company in the Fulton County Superior Court. Five months later, on August 16, 1888, he died at his home in Atlanta.

On the day of Pemberton's funeral, Atlanta druggists closed their stores and attended the services en masse as a tribute of respect. On that day, not one drop of Coca-Cola was dispensed in the entire city. At sunup the following day, a special train carried his body to Columbus, where a large group of friends, relatives, and admirers laid him to rest. The Atlanta newspapers called him "the oldest druggist of Atlanta and one of her best known citizens."

 

You have to get up and try

I can't fully understand the power of my Grandmother. She just is so strong, so amazing and so willed. This past Tuesday, she went through her second round of chemo. 17 years ago she survived colon cancer, last year an aorta valve replacement and bypass and this year the cancer came back but spread.

I look at her strength and her vision. She keeps me in check. She raised 5 boys. I was in the first round of Granddaughters but we have had plenty of boys in the mix. Our life growing up was complicated like so many. There is nothing about my story that has not been heard before but to me the music in my lyric is my Grandma, Memaw.

She did share with me tonight a lot about our family heart history. We are threaded and most did not live past 60. Scares me a bit. She too had 5 Brothers.

My Grandmother is stunningly beautiful, much like my Mom was so on this flashback Thursday, I thought I would share.

Headache and Heartache

A few years ago I had a very awakening conversation with a friend. We were speaking of blogs, texts, conversations, etc. Some people just seem perfect. They talk perfect. They look perfect. You can't help but think they are perfect. This frankly makes me feel less than perfect. I don't think its anyone's natural intent to do that, ok maybe some, but I just feel like no one is.

I know my blog post sometimes are a bit all over the place but they are real. I think all the time, worry all the time and like everyone I have my ups and down's. Family to me is the most important. This past year has made me realize that more than ever. Faith, Family, Fluffies (family), Friends and Forever love. Corny. Absolutely. I hear a song in everything I do. Music is my rhythm and cooking my latest victim. When I post a song, its not a target but just a really awesome song. I am a writer so I appreciate story tellers. I do realize I need an editor at time and my English teacher would be horrified at my comma slicing but I write like I think. A little all over the place.

Heart is so important to me. I worry. This is not meant to be morbid but what about my children and fur babies? Families are dynamic so the responsibilities are always a tough decision if you have to make them. Some get mad if they aren't chosen as a God parent but then are like what......Heart health is my battery. I was devastated by the loss of my parents, Grandfather, Brother and all that followed. So I absolutely wear everything out there. I am scared everyday but not as a victim but as a Mother, a person. Did I dot the I's and cross the T's? Will they be taken care of?

Heart to me is more than a picture. Its about love and longevity. We all want love. We all want hope. We all want health. We all want hope.

Everyone matters. Everyone has a story. Everyone is born. Everyone dies. These are the FACTS.

The heart matters, in everyone.

Happy Valentines Day!

NBC & Heart Awareness

On the Viewpoint at NBC with Pat Lawson

I had a great morning at NBC News speaking about Go Red for Women and Heart Disease. It was a 30 minute segment and also very informative. Even though I was part of it, I learned too! It was a little strange as I was sitting there hearing about the fact that women are more likely to die after having a heart attack and stent placement within 5 years. My mind started to count! My heart attack/stent  was in 2010. Ok, that was a little unnerving! It just made me further realize that I need to be on top of my health every day! I'll post a link soon.

Although its heart month, don't forget to take care of yours everyday!

Log on to www.goredforwomen.org to learn more!

Here's to your heart!

What does GO RED mean?

Over the years that I have been working with the American Heart Association I have been involved with many of our initiatives. There are valuable tools to educate every age group and make heart health fun too! One of the many initiatives is Go Red for Women. It is celebrating its 10th year and helps to raise awareness of women and heart disease. I remember when my Mom had her congestive heart failure and valve replacement women were just seen as the unlikely, stressed and probably to emotional. When my Mom started showing early symptoms the first thing she was prescribed was an anti-depressant. She was not a 50 year old male that was over weight? She was petite and young. It was not until her and my Father were watching ER, ironic I know, and she suddenly could not catch her breathe that it came to the realization that something was going incredibly wrong. She was taken to the hospital and had a double valve replacement and a triple bypass. She had a zipper and the recovery, well even in the next 15 years she never recovered. I did find it funny that with her mechanical valves that St Jude gave her a warranty card.  

I like most people just did not expect my Mom to have a major heart attack. I didn't expect to have a heart attack and stroke myself and I knew better!

There are disparities in this world. They are gender, racial and personal. This is why education and using resources is so important. I can be dressed in the heart man suit, and I have, and will still see people argue that heart disease is not the number one killer. Did you know that heart disease kills more than all Cancers combined? Most people don't because we don't wear it on the outside. It is known as the silent killer for a reason.

This acronym was shared with me and it really to me defines what Go Red means:

• Get Your Numbers: Ask your doctor to check your blood pressure and cholesterol.
• Own Your Lifestyle: Stop smoking, lose weight, exercise and eat healthy.
• Realize Your Risk: We think it won’t happen to us, but heart disease kills 1 in 3 women.
• Educate Your Family: Make healthy food choices for you and your family. Teach your kids the importance of staying active.
• Don’t be silent: Tell every woman you know that heart disease is our No. 1 killer. Raise your voice at GoRedForWomen.org.

Change can is happening but it only can happen to spread the word and advocate for the #1 killer of women. Please help me share the message and although red is for the heart, GO RED means even more!

GO RED for your Mother's, sisters, friends, aunts. Imagine if it was yours.

Here's to your heart~D

Pageantry, People and Purpose

Like all or most little girls I watched Miss America. That was the dream maker and it had talent. I felt it was obtainable and all though I appreciate the Universe system as a little girl it was America. Like so many things in life I had no clue how to get involved, did not have resources and my parents weren't thrilled at the thought. We weren't the honey BOBO family. I also never felt pretty enough but it was a dream. Life is built on them.

I was a little late in the pageant world. Side lined by a life event but came back to Florida and got a job modeling full time on the Home Shopping Network. I was the fairest, unique in appearance and not model like but different. I had someone who believed in me named Barry Loper. Thank goodness! So I worked all hours of the day and would get fan mail. Most were screened as the convicts loved me but one day I received a letter. They suggested I compete in the Miss Seminole Florida pageant and were on their board. I reached out to have the blessing of having Denny and Judy Pieczonka in my life. The first local I did was Largo. I had NOOOOO clue. I rented, begged and borrowed. I came from theatre at the American Academy so I went Broadway. I even rented a costume and these girls were fierce and I just looked so out of place. I came out in this HUGE gown and it was shameful but probably funny. They had incredible gowns and sang incredible opera's. I was and still am a contralto. I am loud and strong and contemporary country. I rented a white swimsuit from someone and a gown that I taped up the bottom because it was to long.

So there I was, white blonde hair, fair as snow dressed in a gown with no one in the audience to cheer but I am sure I got a few heckles.

I was determined and not shamed. I found out I won interview but bombed the stage. I think I was screaming lost and I was so blessed to have Mary Petre and Don Morgan take me in as another daughter. They drove me to every local and took care of me. Even as far as Orlando. The year Jamie Bolding won Mary Petre told me she would win and hey I did crown Nicole Johnson in Florida and she should have won Florida prior to her winning Miss America but she did ok for herself:) 

I really don't know how to put this but to say my Mom was amazing, beautiful and did her best. Supportive, not really. She told me I won't watch you compete because I don't want to see you loose.

I committed myself to only three locals a year. I was the 1st ru and I just wanted to win Mary Petre's pageant. She drove me everywhere, I stayed with them, they were family.

I competed again in Largo and Mary Petre was in the hospital with lung cancer. I never new a Mother's love like that before. I was first ru and just broke. Two weeks later I won Seminole, she passed two days later. She was always the wings for me.

Denny and Judy Pieczonka took me in as parents and I just forever am taken back by the heart of people. I lived with them and they are and will always be a huge part of my life,

If you ever question pageants, people or faith....I was so lost and someone believed in me when I could not believe in myself.

Because of their support I won Seminole and competed at Miss Florida America and Miss Florida USA.

Dream on......

Chef one day maybe:)

I am a self admitted emotional, passionate and sensitive person. Oh geez don't I wish I could adjust a few of those qualities but I can't. I guess you have to love or like me for being who I am. My biggest accomplishment is being a Mom, although my stomach might like to argue the fact as well as my chest. I think I need birth certificates just for the twins on my chest. They deserve one's of their own. Thank you childbirth!  Probably TMI but as I am really into cooking these days the most important thing is to not eat everything I cook! Healthy choices, right? Moderation...oh and working out A LOT! I am excited for the culinary institute and OBSESSED with cooking shows. I was very happy to learn Rachel Ray never went to a culinary school and she is just amazing but I think I need that extra edge. Having been in live shopping for many years and my name is not Rachel Ray or Bobby Flay, I need that to have some fun on a network with some cooking segments. Here is hoping. I have always been in cosmetics, which I love, but who doesn't eat, right?

You want to be my family or neighbor. I am cooking like crazy and not eating it. I do "taste" while jumping rope (kidding) but it must be the family in me that ALWAYS cook family style. I have learned to adjust menus for the little loves in my life....Bella can't eat fat because of her VLCAD but she did like my cauliflower puree. It was so easy to make! Carter eats puree and Holston is still trying to figure it out. I  also have great friends who are Gluten Free and I never new the menu restrictions but after battling a sickness for the past 6 mos, I get eating things that agree with you. Although I do put Kale in almost everything. I made a pizza from scratch yesterday (a first) and put Kale on it. Much like the crunch you get with kale chips, yum!

Here's a few of my recent recipes!

 

Spaghetti with kale, polenta and homemade meatballs

Eggplant non breaded parm with argula salad and carrots

Stuffed peppers with spinach salad

Homemade pizza with kale,ilives, mushrooms, chedder, parm, oregano and olive oil

Pan fried sirloin with roasted red baby potatoes and mushrooms

Macy's Goes Red!

This is the 11th year for Go Red for Women and one of the major sponsors is Macy's! In fact, if you wear red at any Macy's you get 20% off your purchase! This morning, I was asked to speak at their rally! What a great team and great staff. Everyone was excited and wearing red! Thank you to Tyson's Corners Macy's in McClean VA for all of your support to the AHA and Go Red for Women!

 

 Here's to your heart!

Why I GO RED!

In January 2010 I had a heart attack. My son was one at the time, my husband was active duty so not initially with me. I just felt like something was stuck in my chest after battling a cold and my son was on O2 so I was having a hard time lifting him out of the crib. He was one. I did not initially go there but spoke with my husband who was around the Pentagon and he said call 911 or lay down. Laying down just gives you anxiety and I am not wired that way. How could some my age have anything wrong but anxiety? I called 911 and they were less then thrilled to see me and an infant on 02. I looked like a drama queen. My EKG was normal, I don't smoke, not diabetic, not over weight but I did have my genes working against me.  I was not crazy, crying or anything but just new something was not right. Trust in your body and be your own advocate! They took me to the hospital. Initially, they assessed me as a young women with a special needs child who probably needed just a break. The first cardiologist said well we will keep her and maybe she needs a stress test?  Another cardiologist, maybe the attending, said, well she has a very strong family history so lets do a  workup. Blood does not lie.

At this point, Andy arrived at the hospital, They came, suddenly  and said , relax you are having a heart attack, My cardiac enzymes came back and in fact my dismissal of what might be true was happening, I had a major blockage in my LAD, often called the widow maker, and if they would have sent me home, I may not be here today.  My parents died at 54 and 56 but  was 20 years younger. They placed a stent in my LAD.

Because of my vascular disease I have ischemic optic neuropathy. This has also caused child birth issues.

I have spent far to much time in the ICU from my caths and strokes. It has come to some understanding that I have vascular issues. I am blessed for great friends, great love, the AHA, Adventist Healthcare, Mike Chen, MD and my Go Red Family!


I am FOREVER BLESSED!

Here's to your heart~D

GO RED Rally!

Heart month is among us! Saturday I'll be speaking at Tyson's Corner in Virginia at the Macy's Go Red Rally at 9:45am. Please visit your Macy's department stores this month to help support the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women.

 Don't forget to wear red this Friday!


Here's to your heart!

Go heart, go red!

I am so happy that January has come and gone without a hospital stay! It may sound weird but for the past 5 years, I have spent January in the hospital so my only New Years Resolution was to get through January! I did! I am a heart attack and stroke survivor. Its funny, I was wearing a strapless gown at heart ball a few days ago and someone said to me I don' see your scars. I have stents which means they go through your groin. Hey I have had more action down there than I like and not in a good way. A few months ago I was back in the cath lab and asked if they could at least shave their initials:) My strokes cause some issues. I had to TIA's and one major. My eyesight took the hit and not that I could walk before but I don't think I will ever glide again. OK, I never was graceful.

Heart disease is scary and every day I am afraid. What Bella is going through makes me terrified. She is 8 and your heart is the biggest muscle so the biggest worry is sudden cardiac death. Heart survivors aren't visible for a few reasons. The biggest one is we wear it on the inside. It is heart month. Heart disease kills more people then all cancers combined. Just because you can't see it, it does not mean we don't wear it.

My Glass Slipper

I was so blessed to be at the heart ball last night. I changed at the ball to drive home. I am currently in Virginia Beach. There was a hole in my garment bag. I lost a shoe...how funny. Ok I am upset I lost my glass slipper at the ball before midnight.

The funny thing was when I call the hotel and said, "So I was at the ball last night and I lost my shoe. Ironically it is clear and looks like glass". You can only imagine the laughter.

So if you find a glass slipper in Baltimore and its a size 8....

Cinderella  Cinderella

Baltimore Heart Ball

With former AHA President, Gordon F. Tomaselli, M.D., professor and director of the Division of Cardiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. I had the please of lobbying on the hill with him last year!

Last night I attended the 30th Annual Baltimore Heart Ball. It was a great event with a lot in attendance. It was an amazing event full of everything you would expect in an American Heart Association Heart Ball! Beautiful gowns, beautiful people and a lot of beautiful hearts! I have to say one of my favorite parts of the evening was getting a picture with the Baltimore Orioles Mascot! It was also great catching up with so many beautiful title holders! Thank you so much for taking the time to be involved with the event!

With my beautiful friend, Mrs Hampton Roads, Tamika Jefferson! Her amazing Mom was there also. Love them!

30TH ANNIVERSARY EVENT SPONSORS

Recess Premiere Partner

30th Anniversary Event Chair

Recess 30th Anniversary Signature Partners

  

Beer, Balls, Birthdays, Bowls or Bust. Its just another weekend!

I love busy but coming off this week I would not mind a cat nap or 12 of them! I have company coming in tonight and a Birthday party tomorrow. One of the great parenting joys is going to parties. You want them to come to your children's. It is kind of how many of your weekend's go. I would say its a bit of parental responsibility.  I have the card and gifts done. I always find a girl easier. I just head for the bling:) I am in so much trouble in the future. The first time I ever travelled with my son I brought 22 pairs of shoes for him. Hey he was changing three times a day. LOL. Throw a girl in family and well lets just pull out the rental van for a weekend trip!

I am looking forward to the Heart Ball tomorrow. Nails and Toes are done and I think I have a gown that will work. I have been having some eye issues this week so I am hoping I am not wearing a patch tomorrow night but we shall see.

Sunday I am excited for the Superbowl! I love to cook and have the menu planned. As much as I want to do heart healthy and there will be options but I am doing homemade meatballs, cheese pancetta pockets (homemade, wish me luck) , stuffed olives, beer burgers and stuffed mushrooms. Yes, at my Superbowl party the spirit starts upon arrival and no one leaves with their keys.

Who am I routing for? I am Tampa Bay but since we have not been there in a while, I may go for Seattle. Why? In a state that rains a lot, when the sun breaks free its glorious. It may just be time for the sun to shine.

  

Your're the Cure

Excited to hear the great news from March of Dimes today. The U.S. Senate passed the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Reauthorization Act by unanimous consent. This legislation helps to protect the health and well-being of every infant born in the United States.

Blue Rose

I have been involved with many non profits over the years. Having been a Director with the American Heart Association and a survivor, I can say that most who are committed are because it has effected them in some way. The Blue Rose story touched me in a personal way. One, I am a Mother and secondly I am the Mother of a former preemie. As I sat in the NICU for 165 days with my son, I saw loss. Its the worst pain and the worse fear.

 I am so honored to be involved with this organization and I wanted to share their story.

The Story

The Blue Rose song is dedicated to my daughter, Taryn Maryse - my Blue Rose

It seems like just yesterday when I was transferred by ambulance as a patient from a Daytona, Florida hospital to Arnold Palmer Hospital for Women and Children because my baby was going to be born prematurely. I remember being told that my baby would receive better and more advanced care there, and this is where my relationship with this hospital began. While the event that left a hole in my heart gradually faded into the recesses of my mind, I cannot deny that the past 18 years seemed to have vanished away, denied of too much emotion.
Although I was never able to bring my tiny daughter, Taryn Maryse, home - I recognized that her dignity was preserved in the arms of this magnificent hospital. Taryn stayed in the NICU for premature babies for one month from August to September, 1994 - and I can't think of a better place for her to have been. To this day I am glad she was there under those circumstances.
At the beginning of this difficult journey, I was angry about the loss of my baby. So I vowed to myself to never sing again, though singing was something I have done throughout my life.
It wasn't long afterward that people started coming to me, asking me to sing for this event or some happening, and I couldn't say "No." I later realized that my way of forgiving and dealing with my personal tragedy was to sing my heart out. Singing was actually easier than talking during this difficult time in my life. To help me get through it all, I now believe that the gift of song came as a rescue to me.
Time has now passed to 2012. Included on the Blue Rose Song page I have written how the song Blue Rose was born. Please visit the "Blue Rose Song" page to get the rest of the details. I believe you will find it interesting!
The main theme of the Blue Rose song is that "Anything's Possible…" in our lives if we make it so - and have the right mind-set about whatever our journey may be, realizing that life has its challenges along the way and things aren't perfect. You understand…
Perhaps you may even have a Blue Rose of some kind too…in your own personal experience.
I hope you enjoy this song - a labor of love written in a sparkling and positive spirit - and through it realize inspiration in your life for whatever resides in your hopes and dreams.
http://www.bluerosepress.com/story.html

Hug someone today~Here's to your heart~

Photography!

Working in TV and pageants I have had a lot of pictures taken.  Some are good, and some well not so good. I clearly have better angles but we all do. I admire the selfie taker. I guess the good thing is you can always delete and retake. Instagram just scares me! A photographer I have been so lucky to work with since 2006 is Clay Spann! He is a miracle worker. The amazing thing to me is over the years he shoots as the trends are changing so a very high caliber of artistry. I was excited to receive this picture last week!

I kind of want to state the obvious. Do I look like this in the morning, no. Under beer goggles and a single flicker of candlelight, ABSOLUTELY! Why is it so wrong to want to look your best? Why not work with the best? Why not allow yourself to feel the best? He also is one of the only photographers to capture me and all my teeth! I tend to look very serious. If you know Clay, he just makes you smile and might I add also shares a flair for cooking!

I feel so lucky to have Clay, Joey and Terry  in my life to create the magic that just makes me a better me. I highly recommend taking a visit to Dothan Alabama to visit the Competitive Image and Clay Spann Photography. I was once a Alabama queen and with them in my life, I am forever a BAMA fan UNLESS the Gators are involved. Chomp chomp!

www.clayspannphoto.com
www.thecompetitiveimage.com


Here's to your heart!

It was about a year ago that I lobbied on the hill with You're the Cure. One of our goals was for NIH funding. Medicine is a collaboration and something that effects all of us. It may be a family member, a friend or a stranger but having the dollars for research is so important. Think how far we have come.

It was just a few weeks ago when a doctor said to me, if I were you or you or you were my wife, I would send you to NIH. We do have some genetic issues and frankly a lot that do not make sense. Its like a puzzle with a few missing pieces. You are diagnosed with XYZ yet there are zzz's that don't fit into a text book.

I get so frustrated in speaking with doctors. It is just so black and white for many of them and like they don't care. I worry about Bella, Carter, Holston and just future generations. This is why advocacies are so important. You can save lives with a click of a mouse. You can advocate for issues that matter. You matter. I cannot hope and pray and encourage more.

YOU ARE THE CURE!

Yourethecure.org

Here's to your heart~

A little laugh

Find someone to believe in you because you are worth it.

Sometimes you meet someone that makes you better.

Taking the time

Its hard in life to really figure out the journey sometimes. My niece has cardiac vlcad and back in the hospital because her port is infected. This year alone its probably her 10th visit. It just becomes part of the day. Her parents are amazing, A Navy guy and Carrie is a saint. They also have four adopted children, Bella is biological.

I just can't say enough thank you's.  Bella Boo you are sooooooooooo loved! They sent these messages to her today.

She was granted a Make a Wish for November.

Thank you Amy and Jesse. It means more than you will ever know.

Forever blessed

The strongest come through the smallest souls.

How much is too much and what is not enough?

Social media brings with it some blessings and also some demons. I was speaking with a friend of mine today who just lost a child and was posting. I just spoke with her and she is doing her best. It's tough. It seems more common than some would like to talk about but it just is an awful pain.

When Carter was born 5 years ago most in my life had no idea I was even pregnant. We had had 5 previous losses with no explanation and the previous was late term.  I just felt like every time I went in the tech would leave, the doctor would come in and there would just be that look. At the obgyn I rang like you take her I don't want her no you take her. I took a backlash after Carter from some ,friends they understood my privacy. It has been a long road and a private one. Yes, this past year has been very private also but more because I have learned that there are mysterious people that just like to take every word and twist, turn and hurt with it. Some things are better left private, period. Those who need to know, do and even sometimes they don't care, so why even put some things out there?

This brings me back to my question. How much is too much and how much knowing helps anything? I was reading a FB post from another friend who was questioning someone asking for prayers on FB. I have found comfort at times because no one wants to feel alone. Death, sickness and life changing events can cause someone to feel a lot of loneliness at times. Not everyone has a huge family and even if you do, isn't caring and loving your fellow man part of the scriptures in the bible?

I guess I will continue to write, post, tweet and reflect but also continue to be cautious in doing so. Privacy is important and we all have heard someone say that if you put it out there, expect to be judged. That's probably the best guideline.

One other word of caution, remember when there was a time before social media was out there that you were told to never drink and dial? Well, NEVER, and I mean NEVER, drink and type. Oh that's bad, very bad and you not only virtually but literally can't make it go away. Its out there forever.

Here's to you heart~

The sweetest sound

I have come to a conclusion that I may not ever sleep past 3am again, or at least not for a few more years. As I woke to the sound of crying, to me there is always a level of comfort for me as I am able to cuddle them back to sleep. So now that the house is once again quiet, it made me think about music and my pending new guitar purchase. One of my goals this year is to get back to happy. To me that includes music. Writing, playing and singing are like cooking for me. They are all very soothing  hobbies that give you a sense of completeness when you finish.  I know it may seem silly to say but for me it's true.  So as I am watching Iron Chef, browsing Guitar Center and having a few minutes of quiet time I am feeling blessed.  Peace is good maybe I am just not that excited about quiet. I have the music in me.

Here's to your heart

Food can be the best medicine!

I am trying to make heart healthy choices that will help my cholesterol. Please note this will not be true when I start cooking for my Super bowl party. :) I went off my cholesterol meds about a year ago because there are some side effects that no one likes to talk about like birth defects and leg cramps. It was a personal choice for me. In some cases, they are very necessary, so please consult your doctor before going off any medications but I just prefer to be off the pills. The HDL, HAPPY Cholesterol, is controlled by exercise. LDL, your LOUSY cholesterol is controlled primarily by making healthy life choices. Food is really about moderation so its ok to eat what you want, within reason, but portions can be a huge downfall. When I lived in Germany I lived on cheese and champagne and was thin but I walked everywhere! Oh how I miss those days sometimes! LOL Today I went for the salad. I like sweet and something with some bite so I like to make my own. Lets not even talk about the calorie content in most of the salads prepared at restaurants.

I like a dressing of just a little olive oil, lemon juice and pepper but the combination of the spinach, blueberries, mozzarella, tomatoes, olives, peppers and cucumbers was quite good.  I went for refreshe water as my bubbly.

Continuing to work on my Simple 7! What are the 7 ways you control your heart health? Take the Life check quiz from the American Heart Association! http://mylifecheck.heart.org/

My next step of the day...exercise!

Here's to your heart!

Heart Ball~ Baltimore Maryland

 

 

 

The Orioles announced an exciting partnership with the American Heart Association (AHA) that features the club serving as event chair for the 30th Annual Baltimore Heart Ball, scheduled for February 1, 2014. The team donated $75,000 which will go in part toward Recess, a Heart Ball program educating Baltimore City children on the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. The Orioles are the first professional sports team to lead such an effort since the AHA’s founding in 1929. To learn more go to: www.orioles.com/AHA.

Last year, the Baltimore Heart Ball campaign raised just over $51 million nation-wide allowing us to fund over $123 million of research and programs across the country and in your community.

Our Mission
Building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Our mission drives everything we do

Hope to see you there!