A good friend of mine way back in our Med. Tech. days found me in Facebook last month and I can feel her excitement when she left a message on me there. I quickly replied and gave her my mobile number so she can reach me anytime. Soon enough, very early morning she called me and there we are talking the good old days that we had while studying in the university and the days we use to do our OJT at the hospitals. It sure did bring lots of good memories after decades of no communication. The endless trips to the ER to get blood samples and our night duties are just some of the things I can’t forget.

I learned that she’s working as a Med. Technologist in one of the hospitals in the US just like her husband, still wearing one of those white medical uniforms at the laboratory. She was quite surprised that I’m not in the medical field anymore but we’re both happy to have reconnected after so many years.

I reckon she loves her profession with the way she talks and I’m happy for her and she even told me that the hospital procedures are more high-tech unlike the days when we’re studying. The facilities, procedures and even medical uniforms or scrubs clothing used in the hospitals have changed through the years and I’m not surprised to see colorful, bright scrub tops and even patterned ones in the hospitals nowadays.

Anyway, I’m certain that with Facebook, email and phone around, my friend and I can continue to keep in touch.

It’s always heartbreaking to see road accidents on the news everyday due to drivers carelessness. How many lives have been taken away because of accidents that can actually be prevented if not for the drivers who are drunk while driving, texting or even sleepy while on the road?

I always remind my brother to be cautious all the times when he drives and don’t even try to disregard traffic rules as much as possible for his own safety and other motorists as well. Car owners should always get insurance once they purchase their cars as a safety net just in case accidents will happen. Companies like Auto Insurance Virginia and Auto Insurance North Carolina are there to provide motorists insurance policies for their vehicles which I believe it is really a must-have. For young and new drivers, it’s not enough that they have license and know how to drive but they need to be responsible once they hit the road.

Do you like to try foreign foods, but you’re not sure that you can follow the recipes or find the foods? You might be surprised to find out that most of the time they aren’t as hard as you thought. For example, authentic Greek food uses much of the same meats and vegetables as American or other ethnic food types. These meats include pork, lamb, and fish.

Fishing is still the one of the main Greek occupations, even in modern Greece, so fish dishes are very common. Greek fish dishes make use of many different types of fish. The types that are used in Greek food maycome from species that you are unfamiliar with, such as bream or porgies. Other dishes use shellfish such as shrimp, lobster, and even calamari (in Greek, it’s Kalamaris or Kalamarakia).

Vegetable dishes include such healthy items as eggplant (the main ingredient in moussaka or vegetable lasagna), zucchini, and cabbage (for stuffed cabbage leaves). Tomatoes are also used in many recipes, including Greek stuffed tomatoes.

Many of the more common foods, such as vegetable, pork, and lamb dishes, can be found in most supermarkets. Further, the dishes use such familiar cuts such as chops or kebobs, so you probably won’t even have to ask for a special cut unless you like meat pieces a little thicker or thinner. The fish items may have to be purchased at a fish market or other specialty store. If you happen to live in an area that sports a Greek market, you can always find them there.

If you want to see pictures of Greek dishes as well as others, go to foodily.com. It has different types of food pictures as well as the recipes to help you create your Greek food experience from home!

I have always admired my mom for being generous and giving to all of us, her children. There are times that I know that she is giving so much already and spoiling one of my brother. She is quick to his rescue and often tells me that we should give to those that need and every time I hear that I’ll just shut my mouth and erase my enviousness. Mom is always helpful to the point that she’s almost abused and always leaned on everytime but I know how mothers are, they just can’t take for granted a child in need.

Aside from that, our helper, who’s been with us for over a decade already also receives blessing from mom from time to time. He is working at a construction site but since he can’t find construction jobs these days, mom are ready to call him to work some few things in the house. Just like today, he is called to clean the backyard, check on our roof and other minor house maintenance just to give him a little job. When he’s about to leave, food, rice and money are given as well. I hope I can be as generous as my mom.

One thing that makes moving so exasperating is not being able to find what you want when you want it — your favorite coffee cup, the right shirt, skirt or belt. It’s the little things that can drive you crazy when you’re moving into a new place. But if you think about what you’ll need once you arrive and pack with your arrival in mind, you may find that moving isn’t so exasperating after all.

Take some time to think about what you’ll be experiencing once you arrive. Will you need warm or cold weather clothes? Will you be starting work soon and need business attire? Once you have a good idea of what you’ll need, pack those items as if you are traveling for vacation and simplify accordingly. For example, if you need to have business attire available, plan your wardrobe around one pair of shoes. You might even pack these items in your suitcases instead of a box to make them easy to find.

The kitchen is another point of contention when arriving at a new place. Think about what you’ll want those first couple of days to make the transition easier; your coffee pot, coffee and mug, a couple of plates, basic condiments — whatever is important to you. Put those items together in one box identified with a kitchen label, and next to the label mark a “#1.” Then when you’re unloading boxes you’ll be able to recognize this one as the one to open and unpack first, whereas the boxes with the crock pot and fine china can wait for later.

We’d like to think that moving companies can do it all, but really, when it comes to being happy in your new place, it’s all up to you. With a little intentionality and advance planning, you can get comfortable in your new home quicker than you’d ever imagine.

One year, when I was a child, we traveled through the midwest. My Dad was headed to a new job and I remember thinking how flat things were; nothing but prairies. Here and there were cattle ranches and the sound of trains off in the distance. Traveling through Nebraska and Kansas, the countryside seemed like one long wheat field. The scenery seldom changed and, to my childish eyes, there was nothing to see.

At the truck stops, old-timers were filled with stories of tornadoes carrying off cattle and children. My sister and I were petrified at the prospect. We had visions of great twisters and wicked witches chasing us across the prairies.

We woke up one evening in the backseat of the car, and discovered we were actually driving in a town. We hadn’t seen any towns in a while and this was a real treat. The only thing I knew about Gary, Indiana was a song from the Music Man that my parents sang. This town did not look like what I remembered on the screen, but at least it was a town.

My Aunt was there to greet us and showed us our new house. We were lucky enough to move into a home that she had owned. And, so we could refurbish the old place, she had actually obtained–with her own money and credit, a very inexpensive mortgage refinance. Indiana became home.

I have to confess that it was not the place of my dreams, at first. But, like my Aunt, the community was filled with salt-of-the-earth good neighbors and I eventually came to love them like family. I learned the meaning of trust and caring from wonderful people.

Although I moved away years ago, I remember Gary, Indiana with fondness, and sometimes, when apprehensive about the future, I find myself singing: ”Gary Indiana, Gary, Indiana, Gary-”

And faith returns.

I reckon that happiness comes from doing what you love. Whether you love being a doctor, a dancer, singer, a writer, blogger, waiter, policemen or just about any profession, if you love and have passion for it then go for it. Keep doing what makes you happy and enjoy the most.

Do you ever look at your life and your home and feel that your possessions are possessing you? Do you feel that your life is too hectic? Everyone wants a relaxing and peaceful life, but you don’t have to turn to sportsbooks to achieve financial security and build your own meditation room. You just need to concentrate on being more peaceful, being more Zen.

If you want to be more Zen, you first have to de-clutter your life. Take a look around your house or apartment; is it full of material things? Chances are you don’t even use half of them on a regular basis. Well, it’s time to get rid of some of them! If an item doesn’t make your life better or help you achieve personal peace, then maybe it’s time to put it out on the curb. When you start to lighten your load and create surroundings that are clean, neat, and peaceful, you’ll be closer to achieving Zen.

Once you’ve gotten rid of a bunch of stuff, it’s time to start collecting the right kind of things: experiences. Instead of saving for the next big TV or couch, maybe it’s time to start concentrating on collecting experiences instead of more possessions. In the end, your experiences are going to make you much happier than anything you buy to keep up with the Joneses. Instead of installing that new cappuccino machine, try planning a trip with someone your love. Try something new and unexpected. You might like it.

Finally, spend more time doing the things you love and less time doing the things you don’t. If you can spend each day in pursuit of something that makes you happy, who cares how much money you have or how big your house is? Spend more time on the things that make you happy, and you’ll be a happier person — more Zen.

Everybody’s had money troubles at some point. It’s completely normal, especially when you’re young and just learning to handle your money. You can also run into trouble even when you’re older – like when the economy tanks and all of a sudden you don’t have the good job that you were used to. You were counting on that job to pay your bills and suddenly your hours have been cut or you’ve been laid off. You may be able to get another job, but will you make the same amount of money? Often, you won’t. You’ll get paid a lot less, but your debt won’t come down along with it. So, what do you do?

If you’re in that situation, don’t give up. It may be frustrating – and even a little bit scary – but getting depressed and giving up on things is never the answer. Fortunately, you can go and see about debt consolidation. It’s a great way to get help, and a lot of people do it. Some of them go because they’ve been careless with their money, but others go through no fault of their own – like when the economy goes bad and they lose their job.

Don’t be ashamed to go to debt consolidation. It’s a great way to end up with just one payment instead of a bunch of them. You’ll know exactly how much you have to pay, you’ll have only one (usually lower) interest rate, and you’ll know how long it will be until your debt is paid off. If you can pay extra that’s great, but you don’t have to. Just making the minimum payment will get you out of debt in a reasonable amount of time, provided that you don’t do anything to get into more debt. Put away those credit cards and see someone today about debt consolidation.

Pet insurance is something you will need to decide on for your pet. Many people see the benefits of it, while others think it is a waste of time. A lot of people view their pets as members of the family, so they have no second thoughts about getting insurance for their pet.

If you are constantly taking your pet to the veterinarian for medical problems or issues, you may want to invest in pet insurance. This will help defray some of the costs you are obtaining. Insurance also helps if there is an emergency, so you won’t end up paying thousands of dollars for the emergency surgery your pet had to have.

Some insurance policies now have all inclusive services, which comes in handy if you are at the vet often. If you only bring your pet in once or twice a year, then it may not be worth it to pay the premiums on the insurance. However, as your pet gets older, more medical problems may arise which would then make the pet insurance a handy thing.

Having pet insurance will also give you peace of mind. If you have pet insurance and the bills are racking up from an illness your pet has had, you can be assured that at least some of it will be paid by the insurance company.

The way the insurance works is that in most cases you will go to the veterinarian like normal. You will then pay your vet when you leave the office. With your receipt, you will take that and submit it to the pet insurance company who will then issue you a check for the amount they will cover. It is a simple process and well worth it so that you can rest easy at night in case something happens to your pet.