You can check for those certifications with your state medical society.

Plastic surgery can be a huge boost for battered women giving them the chance to look and feel pretty again. It can be a boon for women competing in the workplace with younger colleagues.

I agree with Dr. Hirmand that it is important to talk with the patient to determine what her motivation for the surgery is. If a woman is getting reshaped for a man rather than herself she may feel as though she is losing her identity. It is my thought that many middle aged women would love to look fresher and less tired. There is nothing wrong with surgery to do just that.

We are the dedicated members of the pondering white umbrella society…

The last company that I worked for taught computer classes for anyone interested in expanding their knowledge. I signed up for every one of them from basic word programs to troubleshooting and repair. Computers and technology are here to stay and will become a greater part of our life in the future. I don’t see this as a generation divide just more of a transition from one media to another. If you learn to deal with the technology as it comes along you will function better in the future.

I give those that admitted their affairs credit for being honest. Does anyone really think that because it was openly admitted it hurt the wives less? These are all men in power using their position to get what they want from women. I’d bet some of the women went along because they knew they couldn’t get a comparable job for the pay elsewhere.

If there is doubt about a deduction, check with the Small Business Administration and a good business accountant. The IRS will give you conflicting advice at times. Keep accurate records of everything! Remember that the ink of receipts fades so copy them and write on the copy what used the purchase for. You should have a weekly file of expenses. Keep a daily log of your work to back up your receipts.

We had a cat that loved to wear scarves around his neck. He used to preen in the mirror when he got a new one. Any other accessory would have met with bared fangs. Our other cats were never warm to the idea of cat clothes either. This is something that you might have to train a compliant kitten to accept before it realizes there is a choice.

After factoring in cultural differences I would go for the way a person treats service people. In many countries the gratuity is added to the bill. Visitors and new immigrants may not realize that tipping is customary. In some countries looking directly at people can be taken as a challenge to authority. This country is an ever increasing melting pot of people raised in ways not familiar to us. It is the ability to recognize that we are all in this human gene pool together and we should treat others the way we want to be treated.

Writing is not an indicator of personality or behavior. Strokes, illness, neuromuscular diseases and accidents can change writing styles. My husband’s deteriorated because of Myasthenia. Mine because of an accident that crushed four fingers on my right hand.

I give to our local food bank and Community Ministries. I am on the family council of the Veteran’s Home where my father-in-law resides. I participate in educational community activities with our local gem and mineral society. I donate to Myasthenia Gravis research. I know that the money I give is working for people in my community.

I stay away from FB because I enjoy my privacy. The people I want to contact me know my e-mail addy, home and cell numbers. Posting excerpts about my daily life or activities is just too much information floating around. There is a wonderful book out called What You Think of Me is None of My Business. I am not living my life for others to critique I am living it for me.

Thanks for running to benefit Fisher House. Most people do not realize that without a place to stay the families of many veterans would be unable to be with an injured soldier. I can remember when these were not available and when families could get very little accurate information about their loved ones.

I am surprised that nobody has posted anything on green burials. In this type of burial the deceased is in a shroud or biodegradable casket that is buried in a forest or green space nature area with a simple flat stone for a marker. The cost of a green burial is less than a traditional funeral or cremation. There are also green cremations where one can become part of a reef. Green cemeteries become permanent nature areas for future generations. It is what my husband and I are planning to do when our time comes. If our children should choose to visit they will see a well-kept nature preserve instead of rows of markers.

Fisher House is the only way that some families are able to be with loved ones during rehabilitation. I am grateful that Kimberly Dozier will run in support of it.

I would like to take issue with people that think that everything that happens in a war zone should be publicized or blogged about. There was an adage during the Second World War that "Loose lips sink ships." It should be remembered today. Our service people put their lives on the line every day in a war zone. If something happens families don’t need to hear some version of it from a blog. As a former reporter I am all for freedom of the press. That has limits if it breaches the personal privacy of families. That also applies to reporters that might be captured because the insurgents that have them might think their death is worth more than the ransom for their particular cause.

Misfit horses and misfit people could probably describe links in many families. I think that is what charms us when we read Jeannette Walls books. I would bet there is a branch in almost every family tree of similar characters that remain unacknowledged. I can understand Jeannette’s mother’s fierce desire for freedom, to remain unbroken. Those of us who learned to conform to society at an early age often admire those willing to be independent no matter what the cost.