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Get in on this great Blogger Giveaway Event over at A Thrifty Diva!  There will be 2 winners, each winning $150 PayPal Gift!  You know entries will be through the roof!  Why not get in?  Just tell them that A GAL NEEDS...sent you, please?  That would be so nice of you!  Make sure you are available to post for July 1st!  It goes from July 1 - 18! 

Rivers And Treehouses

     Have you heard about Tremain Albright in Bonner's Ferry, Idaho who built a beautiful treehouse in a tree on his property overlooking the River, even getting a variance so that he could build it?  Of course, the Army Core of Engineers decided that it needed to come down because it "Could" impede river flow if it "Did" fall down.  It looks to me as if that treehouse isn't going anywhere, nor the tree, for a really, really long time! I saw a picture of the tree and small it isn't!

     It's kind of like me going out to drive my car.  I "Could" hit someone if I "Did" drive over the yellow line.  First of all, that's not going to stop me or others from driving, and second, that's why I took and passed the driver's test!  Furthermore, the Core of Engineers made it even more difficult to oppose them by tying it to money given to the city, Bonner's Ferry.  Originally, the town supported the treehouse owner and his right to keep it.  But now, if the house doesn't come down, the town may not be getting the $128,000 of Fed money for levee repairs this year.  I guess the treehouse goes.  It's crazy how the government decides when and how to get involved in private citizens' lives.

     More close to home is the Provo River debate where I live.   The Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission, a federal agency, is ready to take lands around the Provo River Route by means of eminent domain, and turn them into marshlands so that the June Sucker can survive.  The June Sucker is a little fish that is native to Utah Lake and was declared endangered in 1986.  Never mind that it has been coming back recently, thanks to fisheries planting them into the lake every year, plus the predatory carp are being extincted from the lake to the tune of 5 million carp per year.  (Ironically, these carp were originally planted in the lake by the Government in the late 1880's!) 

     So already many things are being done and lots of money is being spent to bring about the preservation of this little, teeny, fish.  Now, even more money will be spent--taxpayer dollars--to save this fish!  And really, not a lot of support for it here in Provo, UT.. Certainly not from the dozens of farmers whose lands will be effectively  taken from them or if not, dictated to on how they will be used.  Certainly not the people who live surrounding the greater Provo area.  Marshlands means mosquitoes and we've got enough of those already, thanks!  And certainly not any citizens who realize that this is another earmark by the government, using tax dollars that could be used better in some other way than disturbing life as we know it here in Provo, UT!  

      One good citizen looked at it this way:

"The June sucker restoration plan hinges on constant intervention by man.
Utah Lake would cease to exist if it weren't for structures on the lake's outlet which prevent continued downcutting through the old Lake Bonneville sandbar. If allowed to return to a natural ecosystem, the lake would naturally disappear. In geological time, lakes are short-lived.
The other component is continued removal of carp, in perpetuity.
If either of these steps is terminated, the June sucker is doomed. This is hardly a natural ecosystem. This whole endeavor only will delay, at great cost, what nature will do anyway."

So, like Tremain Albright in Bonner's Ferry, ID whose beautiful dream of a little, harmless getaway overlooking the river could be doomed, a way of life for a town soon could be but a memory.  But there is still some time to try and influence government intervention.  Please sign the petition here and help Save The Provo River and save taxpayers 20 - 30 million dollars! 

Back Support

     For about a year I’ve been dealing with some interesting back issues.  Yes, literally my lower back!  And no, it's not because I am overly endowed in the chest area!  What happens is that my back goes through periods of time where I can hardly move at all, like my muscles have given out.  I never know when it will happen because it isn't connected to some sort of wrenching or specific incident.  It’s not a sharp pain.  It’s more like my lower back just turns to mush and there is nothing there supporting me.   It feels fine when I just sit or lay down. It is when I sit or attempt to get up after laying down that it gives me problems.   I can bend over from standing with ease, though.  I wondered at first whether or not it had anything to do with ‘Aunt Flo’ coming to visit.  (I can't believe I just mentioned that)  But this most recent bout has nothing to do with that.  It has been 5 days now that I'm walking around very gingerly, not bending or lifting much at all.  I’m definitely tired of it.  I suppose it will go away eventually, like it does every time.  But oh, how it messes with my plans!  I don’t feel like doing anything, much less exercise when I feel like this.  I recently talked with a friend who has the same thing happen to her.  She also has a boyfriend who is a physical therapist.  He says that it is very commonplace in women to have back issues periodically.  He said the best thing to shorten the duration of the flare-up is to put ice on it.  So instead of pain for 5-7 days, one can shorten it down to 2-3 days.  Next time, I'm trying the ice!  
     It makes me appreciate my body, though.  When I am feeling well, I am able to do so much!  It is a wonderful vehicle to take me through life.  I definitely want to take care of it more.  So with that said, here are a few things I promise to do for my body this summer.  I’m not getting all crazy, but just these few things should help a lot!

      I’ve been sitting at my desk entirely too much.  I know it and my butt knows it.  My butt is yelling, “Get off me!”  So, I will.  I promise to faithfully get up and walk or do other things every hour.  Sometimes I get so involved in what I am doing at my desk that time can really go by quickly.  But even  right now, I am standing up as I type.  There is no reason to be sitting so much! 

     I will drink more clean, fresh water.  The benefits of drinking good water are so many.  But the thing that interests me right now is that sometimes dehydration can masquerade as hunger.  Our bodies are made of 68% or more of water.  I’m sure that the body needs water way before we are thirsty and that could easily be mistaken as hunger.  There is a new bottled water that is out and it is flavored like herbs and fruits.  I could sip on it all day long!  It’s called Ayala’s Herbal Water and it is wonderful.   Right now I'm loving the  lemongrass mint vanilla!  It is so refreshing!  My husband, however, doesn't quite share my view.  He thinks that the stuff tastes like cough syrup.  Not even!!  Men, sheesh!

      I’ve recently learned how important stretching is.  And this coming from the gal who could drop straight down into the splits without the bat of an eye just a year ago.  I can still do the splits. It's just getting out of them that's the killer for me.  It hurts!  Plus I don't drop down into them anymore.  I ease myself down into them.  But being limber isn't whether you can do the splits or not.  It's your hips, your hamstrings, your pectorals, your back!!!  If you want to stay young and not age, you need to stretch and work every one of the 600 muscles found in the body.  And especially  in view of my back issues, stretching can be one of the weapons in my arsenal to keep myself pain-free.  So, I am incorporating stretching in my daily exercise routine.  If I don’t do ANYTHING else, I will stretch.  It’s that important.  A program I’ve found recently is called Classical Stretch.  It is amazing.  The premise of the method is that without regular stretching our bodies start to atrophy as early as in our twenties.   By doing regular stretching, at least 25 minutes a day, we can alleviate the aging process our bodies go through because of non-use of our muscles and bones! 

     I want to spend more time outdoors.  The weather is beautiful right now.  I’ve got a great bike and a dog who absolutely loves to spend time with me.  I feel like being outside frees the mind, invigorates the body and rejuvenates the spirit!  So out I’ll go. 

     I don’t know how much, if any of this will ultimately help my back, but I know it will help me be a better mom, wife, friend and person!  

Disclaimer:  My post, my opinion, yours may vary!  No compensation  was received,