Woman functions despite having no arms

For those of us who are fortunate to have all four limbs, some of us tend to take things for granted.

But how would you adapt if you didn't have any arms?

Take Tisha UnArmed, a 25-year-old woman who was born without arms. What we normally do with our arms, she does with her feet. Tisha created a video blog on YouTube of how she goes about her daily life. In her videos, Tisha tells a bit about herself and shows us how she does the following things: getting dressed, making and eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, eating sushi with chopsticks, operating a vehicle and taking a shower.

To view Tisha's videos on YouTube, go to  http://www.youtube.com/user/tishaunarmed

Joel Burns: The speech heard around the world

Let me be one of the first to admit that I had never heard of Joel Burns prior to October 12, 2010. Then again, I don't often hear about city council meetings making national headlines.

Burns is the councilman in Fort Worth, Texas who gave this heartfelt, poignant and emotional speech about bullying and teenage suicide. If you're the type of person who sheds tears easily, I strongly urge you to keep a box of Kleenex close by.

"One day when I was in the ninth grade I was cornered by some older kids who roughed me up,"  Burns said, sharing his own personal story about the time he was bullied as a teenager in his hometown of Crowley, Texas. "They said that I was a f*****, and that I should die and go to hell where I belonged. That erupted the fear that I had kept pushed down, that what I was beginning to feel on the inside must somehow be showing on the outside. There must be something very wrong with me, I thought. Something I could never let my family or anyone else know."

He then attempted to recall one of his darkest moments following that incident but decided it would be too difficult for him to read aloud out of respect for his parents.

"I think I’m going to have too hard a time with the next couple of sentences that I wrote. And also, I don’t want - I don’t want my mother and father to bear the pain of having to hear me say them…" Burns said as he began to cry.

He paused a while before continuing.


"I have never told this story to anyone before tonight - not my family, not my husband, not anyone," he said through sobs. "But the numerous suicides in recent days have upset me so much and have just torn at my heart. Please stick around to make those happy moments for yourself…Give yourself a chance to see how much better life will get. Yes, high school was difficult, coming out was painful but life got so much better for me. Please, live long enough to be there to see it. To those who are feeling very alone tonight, please know that I understand how you feel, that things will get easier. It may not seem like it tonight, but they will."

If any of you are having problems because of past bullying experiences or are just curious as to what bullying victims like Burns have or had to go through on an almost daily basis, just watch this video in its entirety. You will be touched by it - I know I was. I've learned the hard way that although there may be some difficult points in our lives, it goes to show that it will indeed get better. And it has gotten better for me. We should live our lives the way we want to and never, ever, let any bullies dictate that for us. I sincerely hope that we all take Burns' words of wisdom, hope and encouragement to heart and give ourselves a chance at life.

Merry Christmas

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas!! :-)

Memorial Day

Wishing everybody in the USA a happy Memorial Day!! :-)

Daylight Saving Time

For those of you who observe Daylight Saving Time, don't forget to set your clocks an hour forward at 2 a.m. on Sunday.

Happy Valentine's Day

I hope everybody had a happy Valentine's Day!! :-)

25 random things about me

1. I have lived in 3 different states - Louisiana, Oklahoma and California.

2. I took my first plane trip when I was just a month old, flying with my family from Baton Rouge to Oklahoma City so that my father could finish his graduate studies at Oklahoma State.

3. When I was 9 months old, a bout with the flu left me with minor brain damage.

4. I learned to read before I spoke my first words.

5. I love to write as it has been one of my lifelong passions.

6. I used to be active in Girl Scouts.

7. I was named for both of my grandfathers.

8. I have a weakness for anything sweet and will occasionally splurge.

9. I prefer watching sports over soap operas.

10. I have a scar on my left ankle from getting my foot caught in a bicycle wheel when I was 2 years old.

11. I am trying to save some money for a trip to France next year - it will be my first trip outside North America.

12. I will turn the big "4-0" on August 11th. No plans as of yet.

13. I have a unique sense of humor which I inherited from my father.

14. I started dedicating my life to Christ in 1996. Since then, I've rarely missed church except for a couple of times.

15. I'm a big person with a big heart, always willing to help in a pinch.

16. I have five spoiled cats, all of them "senior citizens."

17. I am blessed to have a lot of church friends.

18. I am a shy person by nature but will open up once I get to know people.

19. I always sleep with the fan on at night, no matter how hot or cold it is.

20. I collect autographs.

21. I like to take pictures and believe in the expression, "A picture is worth a thousand words."

22. I always make sure to bring my camera when traveling or going to events such as a wedding, party or shower.

23. I have narrow feet which sometimes makes it hard for me to find shoes that fit.

24. I always like to read the sports section while I am eating breakfast.

25. I always make sure to thank God for everything.