Tribune Article Part II "The unrelenting power of Heroin

My son did not know! I did not know.

Do your children know how powerful Herion is an how available it is in your own backyard?
This is a sad situation, get yourself involved in your community, make a difference this coming new year!


"This is how powerful heroin is."Street Drugs A Drug Identification Guide

In September 2007, 18-year-old Nick Beinlich overdosed on it in the Buffalo Grove home of his Stevenson High School classmate Matt McGovern and never regained consciousness, dying five days later.

Four months later, River Forest police found McGovern in a shopping center parking lot, slumped over the steering wheel of his car with a needle dangling from his arm.

Just think about that. A friend essentially died in his house, and that didn't stop McGovern from using. It wasn't enough to scare him straight, wasn't enough to shame him straight, wasn't enough to force him to face his addiction.

A friend essentially died in his house, and yet, McGovern went back to heroin. Just think about that.

But the power of heroin didn't stop there.

In September 2008, another Stevenson friend of McGovern's, 18-year-old Phil Capone of Vernon Hills almost died of an overdose, saved only because his mother found him unconscious in time to summon medical help.

Then in April this year, another Stevenson friend, 19-year-old Eddie Sivkov of Buffalo Grove, died on the floor of his bathroom a few months after completing a two-week rehab program.

And two months after that, Lincolnshire police arrested McGovern and charged him with possession of heroin after an auto accident. The 20-year-old driver of the car in which McGovern was riding also was allegedly high on heroin.

Two months after a second friend had died. Less than a year after a third friend almost died. And if the police account is correct, McGovern was still on heroin.

If you're clean, you ask yourself, how could that be? Two high school friends die. Another almost dies. You're arrested once. With all of that happening, who in his right mind would still be using? How could that be?

The answer, unfortunately, is simple. Someone with a heroin addiction isn't in his right mind.

As Jamie Sotonoff's reports sharply described last week, we're facing an epidemic of heroin abuse in the suburbs and in our schools. And it's leaving death and shattered lives in its wake.

Much more needs to be done to combat it. More attention and more funding is needed to try to get addicts off it.

But as McGovern's story clearly illustrates, the most effective way to get off heroin is to never get on it in the first place.

That's a message our community and our schools and parents need to underscore ~ read the article

U Tube Pink Glove Fundraiser - Med Line Money Million Mark Mammograms

I thought I would share this a friend of my mine posted this on one of the forums I frequent ~

This is the note she posted.

"Our daughter-in-law, created, directed and choreographed this in Portland last week for her Med-line glove division as a fundraiser for breast cancer awareness. This was all her idea to help promote their new pink gloves. I don't know how she got so many employees, doctors and patients to participate, but it started to really catch on and they all had a lot of fun doing it.

When the video gets 1 million hits, Med-line will be making a huge contribution to the hospital, as well as offering free mammograms for the community. Please check it out. It's an easy and great way to donate to a wonderful cause, and who hasn't been touched by breast cancer?"

Enjoy your Thanksgiving Holiday!


Pink Glove Dance

If it makes me happy!

Waking up is happy & difficult to do, especially when you realize it will be almost two years since that horrific day that changed my life forever. I continue on this crazy ride of emotions from feeling very sad to very happy. (Not working in over 5 years doesn't make it easy either!)
No ~ I am not depressed, no I am still not crazy yet, and no I am not going through the change. Maybe just a tad slow to realize certain pieces of this puzzle.

WHO KNOWS! What the next year will bring.
Let me tell you what is is like for me, getting a double whammy smack me upside the head girlfriend slow down duh moment.

RESULTS ~
Whammy number #1
Thursday evening of this week the Bead Society of Greater Chicago had their annual election. Mind you I knew I was on the slate as I was nominated. I have been their Vice President of Programming for a year now. I had a lovely afternoon looking for a new facility to house our meetings with the current President. Actually, I had a lovely afternoon circling O'Hare airport while she scoped the new place.  I shall admit one of my minor flaws is giving the gas companies more money; I got lost again. I tell ya, I just have no sense of East, West, North, South.

Whammy #2
Back in June of this year I decided to join in on the juried collaboration project together with
Michigan Glass Beadmakers Guild to create a piece with a Jewelry Designer I had never met, as I am a member of Glass Act another organization that is non-profit in MI.

Ladies and Gentlemen the votes have been counted and the results are in.

Whammy #2
The piece that was entered in the jury show took 3rd place YAY!
Whammy #1
What will the future bring!

Sheryl Crow seemed to sum up my feelings best ~

"I've been long, a long way from here
Put on a poncho, played for mosquito's,
And drank til I was thirsty again
We went searching through thrift store jungles
Found Geronimos rifle, Marilyn's shampoo
And Benny Goodman's corset and pen

Well, o.k. I made this up
I promised you I'd never give up

[Chorus]
If it makes you happy
It can't be that bad
If it makes you happy
Then why the hell are you so sad?"

Sad, not really ~ just a little dumb struck.

The Bead Society of Greater Chicago ~
Join, have fun, meet new peeps, share your stories!

Whether it be a grief group, beading group, reading group, on line forum ~ any group!
It's thearpy for me - That's what makes me happy today!

This is going to be a lot of work as a volunteer position, but down the road this will be good for me, having a job ~ keeping me busy. This is what I can do for me. To make my days go by with more happiness, I think!

PS: if you are in the local area, - join volunteer, let's make some history for the love of beads!

Edited: Update on positition of my presidency position of the Bead Society of Greater Chicago - I resigned before the new year.

The why does not matter if it makes me happy it can't be that bad; in life you have to take care of you.

A Hug Certificate for You!

She wrote to me : LET'S SEE WHO READS THEIR EMAIL

A Hug Certificate for You!

If I could catch a rainbow
I would do it just for you
And share with you its beauty
On the days you're feeling blue.

If I could build a mountain
You could call your very own;
A place to find serenity,
A place to be alone.

If I could take your troubles
I would toss them in the sea,
But all these things I'm finding
Are impossible for me.

I cannot build a mountain
Or catch a rainbow fair,
But let me be what I know best,
A friend who's always there.

This is a Hug Certificate!!

Send One to All Your Friends Who You Think Deserve A Hug
(Which, Hopefully Includes the Person Who Sent It to You).

You might send it to your enemies as well!
It'll really tic 'em off!

If you receive this back 2 times . You're off to a good start,
Unless you sent it to yourself. That's cheating!
If you receive this back 3 times. You're a good friend.

If you receive this back 4 times
..... You are popular I wanna be just like you.
If you are busy or do not forward items, I understand,
you are still my good friend.

If you receive this back 5 times or more,
There are angels watching over you..

Life is a coin, you can spend it anyway you wish, but you can only spend it once!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

my parents never told me

my parents never told me ~

there is a time to grieve
there is a time to breathe
there is a time to wake up
there is a time to go to bed

there is no time to listen to someone tell you when are you going to just STOP!

no, no, no, no, no it won't just stop ~ it will be with you forever
that's why I have such good friends who like to poke me

Grief Support After the Death of a Child

“The Compassionate Friends is about transforming the pain of grief into the elixir of hope. It takes people out of the isolation society imposes on the bereaved and lets them express their grief naturally. With the shedding of tears, healing comes. And the newly bereaved get to see people who have survived and are learning to live and love again.”
—Simon Stephens, founder of  The Compassionate Friends

just type in your zip code after clicking on here ---------> -xxxxxx

black elk

Found a card in my mailbox today from a woman I admire so very much.

"Grown men may learn from very little children, for the hearts of little children are pure, and, therefore, the Great Spirit may show to them many things which older people miss."

Credit - CL's Kids cards 2009 collection - created by Primary School Students on the Pine Ridge Reservation.

Nicholas Black Elk a famous Wichasha Wakan (Medicine Man or Holy Man) He participated at about the age of twelve in the Battle of Little Big Horn of 1876, and was wounded in the massacre that occurred at Wounded Knee in 1890.

I am attending the Drug Forum at the Buffalo Grove High School this evening, but the way things are panning out in the news lately ~

WHO is listening to the children?

Buffalo Grove Community Forum – Drug Abuse October 7, 2009

Found on the Web --- Village of Buffalo Grove Website
Buffalo Grove Community Forum – Drug Abuse

The Buffalo Grove School Safety Partnership is joining forces with Stevenson and Buffalo Grove High Schools to sponsor a community-forum on drug abuse at 7:00 pm, Wednesday, October 7, 2009. The forum will be held in Buffalo Grove High School’s theater at 1100 W. Dundee Road, Buffalo Grove, IL 60089. This event is part of a regional effort to increase awareness and understanding about illicit drug activity, particularly the use of heroin, and its consequences to parents of high school-aged students.

Anyone interested in attending the forum is asked to RSVP please visit the link as you need to call or Email the Buffalo Grove Police Commander, Steve Husak.

It was supposed to get easier!

I thought I would start to feel better after the first year anniversary after Jonathan died but, instead the nightmares, the fears and the memories of the last three months I lived runs like a movie in my head so clear and so profound. I am not in survival mode anymore, it more like "HELP ME" I am sinking. Now what am I supposed to do?

What am I supposed to do for the rest of my life? The rest of my life without him.

Accept the reality that I can not hug him, work through the pain I feel in my heart, adjust the environment that I live in now with all of his pictures still plastered all over the walls! Move from this house in order to heal myself - I don't think so!

My love for Jon shall never go away, he shall not be forgotten.

I do know I have to continue on as he would want me to succeed in life and to continue on my journey this new journey I lead. Educating, supporting my friends of like in kind trying to forge through the horrendous tasks of mourning together may help may help me rekindle my desire to live, thrive, and to survive!

I have my younger daughter and my older son, whom I love so very very much. They are in pain as well, they will come back to me someday.  Right now as they grieve within the life they lead today has this enormous weight of physical sadness. I know - I can see - I can feel it.

Sad thing about our family is that we have all grieved separately through all of this, we all are fumbling through this mess.

We will all make it - we will all survive - we have too ~ for Jonathan..

Just a side note ~ I am still pissed off at him that he did not say goodbye.


We did have lunch together that day! See after all she wrote she had a positive memory to share - go figure.


WORK THROUGH IT YOU CAN DO IT!

He didn't say "goodbye"

I am so not watching TV anymore!
Snap out of it will ya! -- Bad weekend 

Good Grief Bad Grief what is the difference?

Good Grief Bad Grief what is the difference?

Friendship & Understanding.

I am sad - I am angry, I am ~ I don't know what I am ~

I wrote to a friend to apologize for not remembering to do something ~ this is what she wrote to back.

Vonna ~ absolutely no apologies necessary; not between us. This is just from my own experience, but I feel the whole grieving process is going on subconsciously and consciously. We go along, living our lives and a thought or a feeling or a scent overtakes us, and we feel such pain; like we've been blindsided. However, I really believe that along with the grieving is the healing that is also going on, even though it may be hard to perceive. Does this sound like psychobabble? I don't mean it to. If you want to have a chat, just let me know. You know I'm here for you.

The numbness wore off and the reality has set in!
The bad so to speak ~
The time is here for me - in three months it shall be 2 years -- it seems just like yesterday we had lunch, and then I called 911 - you know I can't write anymore, at least anything that would make sense - I just know he is not here and I am afraid that if I don't think about him every day - I shall forget him ~ I can't he was and still is my son - who I miss from the bottom of my heart and soul!

Thank you my friend for being their for me!

The Red Balloon

It was a resturant my daddy used to take me to every Sunday for breakfast - nope not donuts -
Pancakes

I found the book at a garage sale when the kids were little, I still have it.
- in 1956 the film was first released in the United States

A film critic for The New York Times Bosley Crowther ~ praised this film from France stating ~

"Yet with the sensitive cooperation of his own beguiling son and with the gray-blue atmosphere of an old Paris quarter as the background for the shiny balloon, he has got here a tender, humorous drama of the ingenuousness of a child and, indeed, a poignant symbolization of dreams and the cruelty of those who puncture them."

Sad Heart ~ lost memories of my child.

FwR minitage



"Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose."
~From the television show The Wonder Years

It saddens me that Jonathan's friends can't seem to find a way to share the memories they have of him with me, the pictures, the stories, the video's as well as the pain they may still feel.

I am Jonathan's mother and you were all his friends can we try and find a way?

Dear Doc Keller,

Life just happens when you least expect it to. Death does too, but you know this all to well.
I can't imagine what your life is like. I honesty would not want to be in your position, as I am sure you would certainly not want to be in mine.

I was quite shocked today when I read the Daily Herald article. "Dr. Richard Keller won't seek re-election in 2012." Politics has been interfering with his responsibilities and outreach efforts......

I have to apologize as my daddy told me never to talk about politics!
So if the readers of my blog need to know more they can click here article -By Russell Lissau

I will tell you a little story though, my third week into my senior year in high school my chemistry teacher asked me if I had enough credits to graduation if I dropped his class. "Why do you ask?" I said. His response - "We alrighty then, do yourself a favor drop the class, when your grade report comes and you get an "F" it will affect your grade point average!"

So, I ran straight to the office and dropped the class. It was 10:30 AM; yes in the morning.
I went and got myself a job at 17 years old. Nope never went to college to become that Nurse I wanted to be, instead I worked full time everyday up until 2005.

Yes, life does just happen ~ for the good or the bad, for the right and for the wrong.

I am a survivor of my life.

You as well Doc Keller will survive this choice you have made. I respect your decision and thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping take care of my son. Yes, and all the the other boys too.

I will continue my journey helping the only way I know how, as I was taught.
Be good to others and they shall be good to you.

You are a wise and honest man, I respect your decision. Life is to short, do what you need to do.
It's so late and I am so tired - I think I'll finish this in the morning!

Angry Teenagers

I found this article very interesting - as well as this website you should read more - it could help... IMO - boarding school costs money ~ we can as a community help these children ~ OUR CHILDREN!

Enough said - bookmark this if you would like and read it later - just have a Happy 4th of July - do you know what your children are doing tonight?

The Family School

By Jeffrey S. Brain, M.A., C.T.S. (Certified Trauma Specialist)

We live in violent times, in a country where an incident of child abuse is reported every ten seconds; where domestic violence claims the lives of three women every single day; and where every year half a million senior citizens are abused - most often by a member of their own family.

Considering that one in nine murders is committed by youth under 18, we can assume that most perpetrators of violent crimes are - or once were - angry teens. According to a recent survey, three out of four teenage boys admitted to hitting someone in the past year because they were angry. Almost half believe it's okay to hit or threaten a person who makes them mad, and have carried a gun, knife or club in the past month.

And one third agreed with the statement

"When I am really angry, there is no way I can control myself."

Learning to manage one's anger is an essential life skill for anyone, but especially for teenagers who frequently use anger as a response to the frustrations and stresses of growing up.

In this respect, anger (as well as other emotions like sadness, anxiety, hopelessness and self-pity), resembles alcohol. They can all be used to "self-medicate" - to compensate for the pressures and strains the teenager hasn't yet learned to deal with. Often anger itself becomes the coping mechanism, a way of exerting power and control over one's environment. Used habitually in this way, it is a dangerous substitute for healthier, more adaptive coping strategies-strategies that can't be learned until the anger can be managed. And like those who habitually use drugs, alcohol, eating, gambling or sex as coping mechanisms, those who use anger will find that it inevitably interferes with normal functioning, and can eventually destroy any opportunity for happiness or satisfaction in life.

The good news is that the 12-Step program, which has help millions of alcoholics, drug abusers, compulsive eaters, gamblers and others in the throes of addiction, can also help angry teens.

How the 12 Steps Work for Anger The core tenets of the 12 Steps, including rigorous honesty, are related to cognitive-behavioral therapy and share some of the same approaches for permanently changing one's behavior.

The 12 Steps challenge our thinking about the way we see and interpret experiences, and teach us how to respond to stress not in the heat of the moment, but according to our values and principles. The process involves not trusting our own thinking. This is an important concept in managing anger. The judgments and conclusions we draw when we are responding emotionally to a situation (i.e. the things we think when we are angry) often drive our physical reactions. In the 12-Step model, however, we learn to think beyond the emotion to a healthier, more adaptive response. Angry people are like the man whose house is set on fire and goes chasing after the arsonist instead of tending to the more important task of putting the fire out. His response is totally self-defeating, yet those who struggle with managing their anger can easily see themselves doing the same thing. Driven by the emotion of perceived wrong, they chase after others (revenge, resentment) rather than dealing with the real problem - the fire. In fact, many of us have lost the ability to put out our own fires. Instead, we automatically shift the responsibility for our anger to others, chasing them down while our life disintegrates around us. The analogy applies to alcohol and substance abuse as well, and to other addictions that can distract us from the more important work of dealing with the problems at hand. In many cases, teens turn to alcohol, drugs, food or sex to suppress their anger. While they may find temporary relief, the long term effects can be disastrous. With regular use, these substances and behaviors take on lives of their own. So even if the teen gets help and manages to make his or her problems and frustrations go away, the addiction remains.

A weekly Anger Management group what a concept for a school to implement with the lost children of their system. 12 step progman may have a stigma attached ~ get over it people!

Share you experiences with them, teach them strategies to help them regain balance, control and serenity in their lives as they move through the crises of adolescence toward responsible adulthood!

It's a whole new world out their ~ get with the program - on baby step at a time!

Alcohol And Substance Abuse Will Not Take Away Your Fears

By Stanley Popovich

Your fears, anxieties, and other problems have the best of you and you don’t know where to turn for help. At some point you feel totally helpless as you struggle each day. What do you do? As a layman and an author of a Managing Fear book, there were times that my fears had the best of me. Through these experiences, there is one thing that I learned. You can’t hide or run away from your fears.

Alcohol and substance abuse or any other addictions will not take away your problems and fears. In the short run, they might make you feel better, but in the long run these addictions will only make things worse.

So what do you do to make your problems and fears go away? Well, since you can’t runaway from them, then the best solution is to tackle your fears head on no matter how strong they may be. The key is to be smart in how you try to manage these fears. Here are some ways in how to manage your persistent fears and anxieties.

Take it one day at a time. Instead of worrying about how you will get through the rest of the week or coming month, try to focus on today. Each day can provide us with different opportunities to learn new things and that includes learning how to deal with your problems. Focus on the present and stop trying to predict what may happen next week. Next week will take care of itself.

Learn how to manage your fearful thoughts that may be difficult to manage. When experiencing a negative thought, read some positive statements and affirmations that help lift your spirits and make you feel better. Remember that your fearful thoughts may be exaggerated so balance these thoughts with realistic thinking and common sense.

Take advantage of the help that is available around you. If possible, talk to a professional who can help you manage your fears and anxieties. They will be able to provide you with additional advice and insights on how to deal with your current problem. By talking to a professional, a person will be helping themselves in the long run because they will become better able to deal with their problems in the future. Managing your fears and anxieties takes practice. The more you practice, the better you will become.

When managing your fears and anxieties do not try to tackle everything at once. The best solution is to break your fears or problems into a series of smaller steps. Completing these smaller tasks one at a time will make the stress more manageable and increases your chances of success.

Managing your fears and anxieties will take some hard work. Trying to avoid you problems will do nothing in getting rid of your fears and anxieties. Sooner or later, you will have to confront your fears and anxieties. Remember that all you can do is to do your best each day, hope for the best, and take things in stride. Patience, persistence, education, and being committed in trying to solve your problem will go a long way in fixing your problems.

1. Managing Your Persistent Fears And Anxieties

By: Stanley Popovich

Looking for all of the answers in how to manage your persistent fears and anxieties? We all have those times when it is difficult to manage our stresses and anxieties. As a result, here is a brief list of techniques that a person can use to help manage their every day anxieties, stresses, and fears.

When facing a current or upcoming task that overwhelms you with a lot of anxiety, divide the task into a series of smaller steps and then complete each of the smaller tasks one at a time. Completing these smaller tasks will make the stress more manageable and increases your chances of success.

Sometimes we get stressed out when everything happens all at once. When this happens, take a deep breath and try to find something to do for a few minutes to get your mind off of the problem. A person can get some fresh air, listen to some music, or do an activity that will give them a fresh perspective on things.

Sometimes we encounter a scary situation that gets us all upset. When encountering these events, always remember to get all of the facts of the given situation. Gathering the facts can prevent us from relying on exaggerated and fearful assumptions. By focusing on the facts, a person can rely on what is reality and what is not.

In dealing with your anxieties, learn to take it one day at a time. While the consequences of a particular fear may seem real, there are usually other factors that can not be anticipated and can affect the results of any situation. We may be ninety-nine percent correct in predicting the future, but all it takes is for that one percent to make a world of difference.

At times, a person might encounter a fearful thought that may be difficult to manage. When this happens, visualize a red stop sign, which can serve as a reminder to stop thinking about that thought. Regardless of how scary the thought may be, do not dwell on it. This technique is good in dealing with obsessive and scary thoughts.

Sometimes, it helps to be able to talk to someone about our stressful situations. Talking to a trusted friend, counselor, or clergyman can not only make us feel better, but they can give you additional advice and insights on how to deal with your current problem. Managing your fears and anxieties takes practice. In time, you will become better able to deal with your stressful problems.

As a layman, I have over fifteen years of experience in dealing with fear and anxiety. At times, my fears had the best of me, however I never gave up and I was always determined to find the answers to my problems. Regardless of how difficult it may be to manage your fears and anxieties, the answers are out there if you look hard enough.

A dragonfly stopped by!

Late afternoon is the perfect time for me to take pictures this time of year. The weather conditions and sunshine was just perfect.  

I read somewhere ~

I had this dream last night ~

I saw him in the morning when I woke up ~

I saw him as I opened the car door ~

I was just taking pictures ~

This was no accident ~

This little dragonfly stopping by ~

The dragonfly is a creature of water symbolically she deals with thoughts, dreams and intuition, A sign of a balanced mind within  two realms of thought.

The dragonfly skates across the surface of the water which is symbolic of our “highest most thoughts” the daily, surface thoughts that primarily keep us going.

 

But, she knows she is on the edge of a vast watery depth of endlessly profound and potentially life-altering thoughts:

The thought process has begun, it is virtually the beginning of my endless about of energy to express the knowledge I have gained this past year and 1/2. 

My dear friend.

U will be in my heart forever ~ I shall never forget how you became a part of my extended family when I left Arizona, it was you. You gave me a new life, a positive outlook, knowledge, and always reminded me that I had the strength to create a new life for my boys ~ you sent me home to Chicago ~ thank you for fighting so hard to get me back home ~ thank you so much for fighting to keep me here ~

~ go play golf with Jonathan ~
Love you! Roger ~
~R.I.P.~
(my friend)

For everything there is a season,
And a time for every matter under heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to seek, and a time to lose;
A time to keep, and a time to throw away;
A time to tear, and a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate,
A time for war, and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Heroin is alive and living in Lake County, IL.

After over one and a half years ~ COMMUNITY FORUM on Drug Awareness & Heroin

~ Stay on track don't fall off the horse and lose sight of the real issue
~ you can bet on it ~ "Heroin is alive and living in Lake County, IL..

I copied and pasted these article's ~ as I am so tired of waiting for this to awakening withing our community to happen - to many children are not with us today so please ~ make sure you RSVP as well - read the rules!
If you are in the vicinity ~ please take some time out of your day to listen, learn & educate yourselves.

Pioneer Local - Today ~ June 2, 2009
By RONNIE WACHTER rwachter@pioneerlocal.com

The Buffalo Grove School Safety Partnership, in conjunction with Buffalo Grove and Stevenson high schools, will hold a community forum Thursday to address the topic of drug abuse in the area.

The event is part of a regional effort to increase the awareness and understanding of drug activity and its consequences to parents of high school age students.

The meeting is scheduled for 7 to 9 p.m. at the Buffalo Grove Park District's Alcott Center, 530 Bernard Drive, and will place special emphasis on heroin abuse.

Heroin and prescription drug overdoses throughout the area have become a widespread and persistent public safety problem that creates serious personal, social and economic consequences for adolescents, their families and the community.

"We're directing this at parents of high school students, upper grades," Buffalo Grove police Cmdr. Steve Husak said. "There have been a few overdoses and other issues that have been on the rise in the last year."

"The walls need to be put up," said Lisa Stone, a Buffalo Grove trustee who helped organize the meeting because of her concern about heroin use in the community. "It's the most powerful drug on our planet."

Stone said Friday that she would like to see Buffalo Grove become known as the No. 1 community in Illinois in the fight against heroin, as its Police Department is known as a leader in the fight against drunken driving.

The program will feature presentations by:

• Lake County Metropolitan Enforcement Group's regional drug task force

• Lake County Coroner's Office

• Lake County States Attorney's Office

• Northeastern Illinois Regional Crime Laboratory.

The public is invited, and can R.S.V.P at the village of Buffalo Grove Web site vbg.org by following the instructions on the community forum announcement, or by e-mailing Husak at shusak@vbg.org

Good Luck ~ May "God" bless you all - vonna ~

R.I.P. now my son ~ 

Heroin ~ 40% of high school seniors do not believe that there is a great risk in trying heroin.

It's never to late ~ I found this on the web today ~

Recent studies suggest a shift from injecting to snorting or smoking heroin because of increased purity and the misconception that these forms of use will not lead to addiction. Heroin is processed from morphine, a naturally occurring substance extracted from the seed-pod of the Asian poppy plant. Heroin usually appears as a white or brown powder. Street names associated with heroin include "smack," "H," "skag," and "junk." Other names may refer to types of heroin produced in a specific geographical area, such as "Mexican black tar."

Your child's High School Graduation is just around the corner they will be gone from home by summer's end.

Did you know that ~

40% of high school seniors do not believe that there is a great risk in trying heroin.

If you suspect your child is using drugs get proactive; educate yourself to be armed with the facts, you fears will subside and you will know how to confront your child so they do hear you speak!

Listen To Those Who Have Been Through It!~ -------->

"The longer you wait to speak to your child, that day may come where you will speak no more!" ~ jv

TAKE ACTION & visit The Anti Drug get yourself educated!
Follow the Links on the front page

• Take Action
• Get Past the Fear
• Advice & Tips
• Conversations
• Get Help
  
  

Hit the RED ~ PANIC BUTTON
~ to find help in your community.
Find it at the top of this -----------------> page!

What would you do?

I received this from a little girl who isn't so little anymore, she is all grown up with children of her own, yep I used to babysit for her, she was my eldest boy's friend when we lived in Arizona. I watched her grown and grown she did. Into a beautiful woman, into a wonderful friend.

10 people I was to pass this to!

So I send it to all who read this I normally don't read these, but this struck a cord  thank you my friend for sending this to me

What would you do if your best friend died 
tomorrow and you never got to tell them how you felt I just wanted to say, even if I never talk 
to you again in my life, you are special 
to me and you have made a difference in 
my life.

I look up to you, respect 
you, and truly cherish you. 



Send this to all your friends, no matter how 
often you talk, or how close you are, 
and send it to the person who sent it to 
you. 



Let old friends know you haven't
forgotten them, and tell new
friends you never will.

Remember, everyone
 needs a friend; some day you might
feel like you have NO FRIENDS at all

Remember this and take comfort in knowing somebody out there cares about you
and always will..

In times of trouble

In times of need

If you are
feeling sad
You can count on me

I will give you a wink

Until you smile give you a hug

And stand by
your side.

I'll be there for you till the end, I'll always and forever, be your 
friend!




Well, just try walking in my shoes!

I don't believe in coincidence, that is just the way I feel, I was told by someone the other day I was crazy, unstable ~ Who me!

Well, just try walking in my shoes!

If you have lost a loved one and have not found Legacy Connect ~ I highly recommend you do so, it is a part of the Ning Network and is very easy to set up. Of course I am still at a stage of lurkness "so to speak"!

You are able to control your privacy settings, so of course at this moment I am still at a stage of lurkness "so to speak".

I check my email everyday, this one of the email's I received today ~ a day when I really needed to read this!

The article below is one of the many with information you may need to know!

By Russell Friedman and John W. James

For most people, the immediate response to the death of someone important to them is a sense of numbness. After that initial numbness wears off, the most common physiological reaction is a reduced ability to concentrate. The rest of the world goes out of focus. Nothing else is important.

It is normal and natural that your entire being is centered on what happened and your relationship with the person who died. The length of time that the reduced ability to concentrate lasts is individual and can vary from a few days to several months, and even longer. It is not a sign that there’s something wrong with you. The fact that the emotional impact of the death of that person has altered your day-to-day routines is very healthy. It would make no sense for you to not be affected by the death.

It is normal to drift out of focus in response to conscious or unconscious memories of the person who died. Please be gentle with yourself in allowing that your focus is not on the actions of life, but on your reactions to a death.

If you’re at work, you can take little “grief breaks” as needed. It’s a good idea to establish a safe person at work who you can talk to when and if you get overwhelmed. It’s also smart to have a phone pal you can call when the emotions keep you from concentrating. The breaks and chats will make you able to do the work you need to do.

Please keep in mind that it’s important to focus while driving a car. It’s not safe to drive with tears in your eyes. If need be, pull over. Allow yourself to have whatever emotions come up, and maybe call someone and talk for a while before you get back on the road.

When Your Heart Is Broken, Your Head Doesn’t Work Right

Along with not being able to concentrate, your thinking ability and judgment may be limited. That’s why grieving people are advised to be careful about making major life decisions in the aftermath of the death of someone important to them. To put it in simple terms, when your heart is broken, your head doesn’t work right. You must take care either not to make big decisions until you regain your ability to focus, or you must make sure you have people you trust to help you understand your choices and the consequences of what you decide.

There are other common physiological reactions to grief. Sleeping habits are often disrupted for an extended period of time. You may find yourself unable to sleep, or you may not be able to get out of bed. You can even go back and forth between those extremes. Eating patterns are also subject to confusion. You may not be able to eat at all, or you may not be able to stop. You can also ping-pong between those extremes. Sleeping and eating disruptions aren’t as common as the reduced ability to concentrate, but they can be really uncomfortable. If they happen, it also doesn’t mean you’re going crazy. It just means that your routines and habits are out of synch.

Another common grief reaction is best described as a roller coaster of emotions. It can be a wild ride, with tremendous emotional shifts. But, like concentration and the eating and sleeping issues, that roller coaster is one of the typical responses to the death of someone important to you. Don’t fight it, just go along for the ride, no matter how bumpy it might be. When it happens, it’s a good idea to call a friend, and talk about what you’re feeling. Talking about what you’re experiencing helps make sure you don’t trap your feelings inside.

Normal and Natural — Not Crazy

The reduced ability to concentrate; the disruption of sleeping and eating patterns; and the roller coaster of emotions are all normal and natural reactions to death. There is nothing crazy about them or you.

Those reactions usually diminish within time as you adapt to life without the person who died. But time doesn’t heal emotional wounds, nor does it complete anything that may have been left emotionally unfinished when the person died. Sometimes it’s just the feeling of wanting to have said one more “I love you and goodbye.” Sometimes it is a more complex set of communications that would include apologies, forgiveness, and significant emotional statements.

It is always helpful to discover and complete anything that was left unfinished. Doing so will allow you to have fond memories not turn painful. It will also help you remember your person the way you knew them in life. And it will help you continue a life of meaning and value, even though it is altered by the absence of he person who died.

Above all, allow yourself to be out of rhythm. As we said, be careful when you’re driving and be cautious when making major decisions. Be gentle with yourself as you make your re-entry back into the flow of your life. But don’t judge yourself harshly because you are having any or all of the reactions we mentioned.