Mereja

Author: Ginger

  • Family Genealogy

    Man waiting in line to be processed through immigration at Ellis IslandMy mom used to tell her school friends that she was related to the actor, Roy Rogers. She wasn’t. As a kid I used to tell people I was half German, half English, half Irish, and half American. Knowing these two things, you could extrapolate that my family tree contains liars and people that can’t do fractions. :-)

    On my dad’s side, it was believed that my first ancestor in America was born in Germany, because he spoke German. Some relatives said he came to America with a brother and that they were from Frankfurt, Germany. However, these details turned out to be incorrect.  Within a short generational span, no one in the family spoke German and the family history was lost.

    My sister, Paula, the “Nancy Drew” of the family, decided to do some research because she was interested in the details of our ancestry. When she told me she wanted to check into this, I suggested she start with the USA.gov Family History and Genealogy page. It is a great
    launch point with all kinds of links to other resources.

    She then went to the National Archives website. The National Archives has a terrific Genealogists/Family Historian web section. They have guidance on how to start your family history search, search-able databases, publications, and a list of independent researchers you can hire to help you with family history search.

    U.S.
    Citizenship and Immigration Services     website. You can make requests for USCIS to search its historical indices for file citations related to particular individual. From that information you can request copies of specific records. Check the site for the fees for index searches and copies of documents.

    If you are of Native American ancestry, you may want to go to the Department of Interior to trace your Indian ancestry. They have guidance on determining if you are eligible for tribal membership.

    Although my sister was able to obtain additional information about my great-grandfather, it was only dates and locations. She didn’t learn what motivated my great-grandfather to leave Prussia, why he chose to settle in Iowa, how he felt passing through Ellis Island, or what his circumstances were as an immigrant. Those are the types of details that can only be learned through the intimate sharing of family stories. While you are conducting your search into the past, don’t forget to pass on your family stories and share your history with your children.

  • National Arbor Day

    Picture of a weeping willow treeLast week our guest blogger, Erin Pierce, wrote about Making Every Day Earth Day. In keeping with the theme of doing good things for our planet and going green, my Friday blog is dedicated to trees. The last Friday in the month of April is designated as National Arbor Day.

    All around the country there are many schools and organizations carrying out tree planting activities. I remember, as a kid, my teacher had us plant a tree and write a report on our favorite tree. I wrote about the weeping willow in our backyard. My sisters and I used to climb all over that thing. I confess to playing “Tarzan.” I would swing from the vine-like branches doing my best jungle yell. Carol Burnett’s “Tarzan yell” was better, but I think I was a close second.

    Our lovely weeping willow began cracking and dying, so it had to be removed. The tree was large and it had to be cut down in sections. My dad did the cutting, but it was our job to hold the rope and pull when needed. Being a bit of a slacker, I wasn’t really holding the rope… actually, I think I was pretending to be a ballerina dancing around. A large branch broke and my sister, who was dutifully holding the rope, was dragged across the yard on her back as the branch came down. I thought that was the funniest thing, but my dad, who was nearly knocked off the ladder by the branch, did not. I got into big trouble. I held a grudge against all trees for awhile, but I eventually forgave them.

    If you like trees and/or are interested in participating in Arbor Day, here are some resources to check out:

    Throughout the country many schools encourage and educate children on the benefits of planting trees. To see what your state or city is doing for Arbor Day, go to USA.gov and search on Arbor Day and the name of your state.

  • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

    Girl suffering from ADHDMy nephew was making my sister and her husband crazy. He was fidgety, he couldn’t keep his hands to himself, and he was always losing things. His grades weren’t very good and his teachers were frustrated because he was constantly
    distracting other kids. He would do impulsive things that ended up with him breaking things or getting hurt.

    My sister took him to be evaluated. It was determined that he was suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and he was put on medicine to help control it. That was several years ago. He is a sophomore in high
    school now and he is doing much better. On occasion, he still does impulsive things that get him into trouble. My sister isn’t sure if that is due to his ADHD or just that he is a teenager doing teenager things.

    When I decided to write on this topic, I called him up and asked him about his ADHD. I asked him to think
    back before his diagnosis and what that was like. He said it was like his mind was bouncing around a lot. It was really difficult for him to stay on one topic. School was torture for him. The teachers would want him to do his work, but his mind was off somewhere else. He would try to bring his focus back, but then his thoughts would turn to something else.

    I asked him if he ever felt that something was wrong or not normal. He said at times he couldn’t understand why he kept doing things that were getting him in trouble. It was upsetting to him when everyone was angry with him. He was
    angry with himself whenever he got in to trouble, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself. It wasn’t until he was put on medicine that he finally felt like he could think more clearly. He was surprised at how much easier it was to keep his focus on his tasks. The fact that his teachers and parents aren’t getting angry with him so much anymore is a relief.

    Finally, I asked him how he felt about having to take medicine to control his ADHD. He admitted he does not like taking the medicine, but he knows that the medicine is important to help him keep in control. He feels good when he gets good grades now. He likes that he can stay focused enough to be on sports teams and participate in other school activities. If it hadn’t been for the medicine helping him to stay focused, he doubts that his parents would have trusted him to get his driver’s license.

    As of 2006, 4.5 million children 5-17 years of age have been diagnosed with ADHD. It isn’t just kids who suffer from ADHD. Adults do too. If you, or someone you know has been diagnosed with ADHD, you may want to check out these resources:

  • Prom Night Safety

    Picture of a young couple at their high school promMy neighbor was telling me about her daughter’s excitement over her upcoming prom. I felt a tug of regret. I never went to my high school prom. I’ll be honest, I was never asked. I was not the type of girl to inspire crushes from guys in high school. I like to think of it as being a late bloomer. I figure I will begin to bloom when I am 80… just in time for the “senior” dance!

    Hearing about prom put a bee in my bonnet and I announced to my husband that I had a new life goal… to go on a prom date. My husband was horrified at the implications of that statement. In order to avoid the inevitable rental of a tuxedo, he offered a kid down the street 50 bucks to take me to his high school prom! Unfortunately, for my husband, Logan had a prom date already. LOL!

    All kidding aside. Going to the prom is a right of passage for many teens, but it is not without its risks. It makes sense for parents to talk with their kids about situations that could crop up on prom night, but parents can only do so much to make sure their kids are safe. No
    one wants to seem uncool, especially on prom night, but teens can do things to help protect themselves.

    Ask your teen to set up a buddy system amongst his/her friends to follow some common safety rules:

    • Don’t let your friends go off alone or with strangers.
    • Don’t pressure your friends into doing something they don’t want to do.
    • Don’t let your friends get into a car with someone you know has been drinking, and stop your friends from driving if they have been drinking.
    • If your friends are doing something that is stupid and dangerous, speak up!
    • If something bad is going down or something feels wrong… trust your instincts and get out of there.
    • Carry your cell phone with you at all times in case you need to call for help!

    Here are some prom safety resources that may be helpful:

    After a lot of pleading, attempted bribery, and crying (geez, he sure can turn on the waterworks
    when he is desperately trying to get out of doing something), my husband has accepted his fate. He is taking me on a “prom date”. We will be dressing up for an elegant evening of dinner and dancing! Do you have a prom story you want to share?

  • Federal Student Financial Aid Program

    Picture of graduation cap and moneyIf you are a parent of a college-bound senior, your life is probably consumed these days with talk of college. First, there is the drama of your child deciding on which college(s) to apply to for admission. As your child is anxiously awaiting that all important acceptance letter from the dream school of his/her choice, perhaps you are
    mentally working out which money tree to pick the tuition money from. What, no money tree growing in your back yard?

    It’s time for plan B. There are a lot of grant, loan and scholarship options out there, but it can be daunting trying to find them. The first resource you might want to visit is USA.gov’s Education page for information about the Federal Student Aid program. The online FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form and guidelines for filling it out simplify the process considerably. You should know that many scholarship applications require you to fill out a FAFSA form, so this is the best place to start the process for tuition assistance. While you are going through this application process, make sure to pay close attention to federal and state loan deadlines. You’ll want to file well before the deadline, so you can receive aid before funds run out.

    The Department of Education offers a handy student budget calculator. You can plug in tuition costs, room and board and other expenses
    along with how much money you have in student loans or grants to get an idea of where you stand financially. While you are working the numbers, don’t forget to include your kids in the process too, especially since they may be the ones signing on the dotted line to pay back the money if loans are involved. They are becoming adults and they should have an understanding of what this is costing and perhaps that will make them work harder in school. You may also
    want to have them visit College.gov where they can learn to be money savvy at college. They’ll find money saving tips, learn to set up a budget and avoid common scams that target students.

    Getting your kid off to college can be quite the challenge, both emotionally and financially, but in the long run they will reap the benefits. Hopefully, this adventure is starting your child out on the right path to a bright future, but let’s not forget the real reward for you.  Once he/she is gone, you can turn his/her bedroom into that reading/craft/exercise room that you have always wanted! After getting through all of that drama, you deserve it!

    Here are some additional resources that you may find useful:

  • Sleep Disorders: My Life as a Zombie

    Picture of boy sleeping at his deskThe other night, I was awake the whole night. I haven’t had a night like that in a long time, but it reminded me of my past issues with insomnia. I was pretty young when it dawned on me that I didn’t have the same sleeping patterns as my sisters. I had frequent episodes of getting very little, or no, sleep 3-4 times a week. While my sisters were sleeping, I was awake for hours thinking, thinking, thinking. I would think about happy things, things that worried me, or sometimes I would ponder world problems.

    One night I didn’t want to eat my stew. My mom told me that children were starving in Africa and they would love to have that stew. I stayed awake the whole night thinking about it. I was only 8, but it seemed impossible to me that anyone would want to eat my mom’s stew… no offense Mom! I spent the rest of the night plotting how I could send those kids my stew. Around 3:30 am, I came up with the idea of borrowing my dad’s thermos on Friday night and, when my parents weren’t looking, filling it with the stew. I could take it to the post office on Saturday to mail it
    to those hungry, African kids. As long as they got the thermos back to me by Sunday night, my parents would never know. Around 4:30 am, I figured out I could probably ship them my mom’s liver, spinach, and beets too!

    My parents would take us to drive-in movies. While my sisters were zonked out after the first movie, I secretly watched the rest of the movies with my folks. One movie had zombies in it. The zombies roamed around at night and they didn’t sleep. Hey, that was my problem! Oh no, I was becoming a zombie! Of course, zombies also had sharp teeth and ate people, but I figured it was just a matter of time before I started snacking on arms and legs. For a while, I spent sleepless nights not only pondering those hungry, African children, but feeling my teeth to see if they were
    becoming pointy. Despite the fact that I outgrew my zombie fears, to this day, I still have this mental association with sleep disorders and being a zombie.

    These sleepless episodes followed me into adulthood. At some point I understood that I was experiencing insomnia. I read up on insomnia and tried various things to help myself. Nothing really seemed to help. I signed up for a relaxation class and was surprised to discover that it helped me a little, but the truth is that the “real cure” for my insomnia was… to develop severe sleep apnea.

    Yeah, isn’t that a kicker? I no longer had trouble falling asleep, but while I was sleeping, I would stop breathing 100s of times a night. In order to keep living, I had to wake myself up to breathe. Oddly, I didn’t even know that this was happening to me. It took me years to get a sleep apnea diagnosis, but eventually I got help.

    Sleep disorders impact a person’s life in many ways and they are quite dangerous to have. If you suspect that you or a loved one may have a sleep disorder, you may want to check out these additional resources:

  • Organ Transplant – Making the List

    Ginger’s note: This is Part 1 of a two-part blog. Stay tuned for Part 2 next Friday.

    Picture of Scott after being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetesI have known Scott since grade school. He has always been a very gifted artist. When the rest of us were
    drawing stick people, Scott was drawing superheros that looked like they came out of a comic book. By high school he was painting wonderful pictures of wildlife. It was in high school that I learned that he suffered from Type 1 Diabetes (Juvenile Diabetes).

    Recently, Scott and I reconnected in Facebook. I learned that his niece, Anna, was diagnosed in 2008 with Type 1 Diabetes. He also told me that he was the recipient of an organ transplant. I found his story interesting and I asked him if I could share it in my blog. Here is
    his story.

    At the age of 7, Scott was hospitalized with a serious urinary system infection. Although he recovered
    from the infection, it had significantly damaged his pancreas. Within 2 years Scott again faced a health crisis. Scott has a vivid memory of his parents holding him in bed and they all cried together after receiving the devastating diagnosis that Scott had Type 1 diabetes. He was just 9 years old.

    At the time of his diagnosis, Scott and his parents only had a vague awareness of the full impact this diagnosis would have on Scott and the family. It meant that, at the age of 9, Scott had to learn to give himself daily injections. During the early days of his disease, he had to carry around tubes of test strips to test his urine. Scott recalls being especially embarrassed about this as a child.

    Despite this health obstacle, outwardly, Scott appeared to be just a normal kid. He participated on the tennis team, he got very good grades, he pursued his art, and he teased girls occasionally… yes Scott, don’t think I forgot about the nickname you gave me. You are not off the hook for that one, buddy!

    I lost touch with Scott when we graduated high school. He went off to college to pursue an art degree and became an artist. He took care of his diabetes while keeping an active lifestyle. As medical advancements were made,
    Scott adapted to new types of insulin and glucose monitoring devices. When he was 28, during a routine check-up, the doctor noted some abnormal blood work indicating a small issue with his kidneys.

    In the following years the kidney problems worsened. By the time he was 38, Scott was feeling exhausted and sick. His kidneys were beginning to fail. Scott’s doctor thought he was a good candidate for an organ transplant, so the process began to get Scott on the list. In order to get on the organ donation list, Scott had to pass many medical tests. There were regular tissue and blood workups, because doctors look at a host of indicators to determine the best match in organ donation.

    Doctor’s consider other variables as well. Not everyone makes the list. Patients who have overall poor general health, or who demonstrate poor health maintenance (smoking, excessive drinking, or not able to follow doctor’s orders) may have trouble qualifying. Donated organs are considered a precious resource and doctor’s are looking for patients who will have the best possible chance of success. There is a high rate of people who die while waiting on the list.

    When Scott’s name was added to the organ donation list, it became a waiting game for him. He purchased a cell phone in order to ensure he could be reached at all times by the transplant network. He also had to limit his travel in order to be near his medical facility should the call come in. As his wait continued, his kidneys reached the point that he was put on dialysis. He had to go to regularly scheduled dialysis appointments in order to clean the poisons out of his blood and draw the excess water out of his body. These treatments were keeping him alive as he waited
    for the call.

    Check back next week for Part 2 of this blog to read the rest of the story.

  • Government Closed… Not Really

    Ginger’s note: A very special thanks to photographer Gina Gonzalez for the great 2010 Snowmageddon photo!

    Person skiing on the streets in front of the capitolAs you all know, the Washington, DC area is under siege with Snowmageddon 2010, and the federal government
    in the DC area is officially closed. Even though the government in the DC area is closed, our government has offices throughout the country that are doing business as usual. Even many of the DC area agencies, although closed, have people who are teleworking and carrying out their normal duties from home.

    I know this because I am a full-time teleworker that lives in the San Antonio area and I am still carrying
    out my duties for my DC office. All of my work duties are carried out across the internet, so when the DC area is affected by something and I am not, I continue my own work. I also can take over most of the duties from the members on my team. For instance, my office runs www.pueblo.gsa.gov, a web site that allows citizens to order government publications. Every business day, someone from my team runs processes and gets
    orders out to our distribution facility in Pueblo, Colorado. This week, I have been sharing those duties with my DC team members.

    Also this week, while the government was officially closed in DC, I finished database updates and prepared
    reports that will be used to make decisions during a meeting next week. My coworkers are able to access those reports via the internet so they can be prepared for the meeting next week. As a member of the blog team, I am expected to meet my deadlines and have my blog posts up during holidays and during those times when mother nature decides to drop record-breaking amounts of snow.

    My office has other remote teleworkers. Blogger Joanne is a content manager for USA.gov and she is continuing to make updates to that website from her home in Pennsylvania. Diane, in Florida, continues to work with the National Contact Center 1-800-FED-INFO (333-4636). They answer questions about federal agencies, programs, benefits, and services. Questions don’t stop just because DC has to dig out from a cajillion tons of snow.

    It’s not just the remote teleworkers at GSA that are working during the storm. I have been in contact with supervisors and many of my coworkers in the DC area via phone or email and they too are using their laptops to log in to our government networks to continue their work from home.

    GSA works very closely with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management on the government’s telework program to ensure that the government has a workforce that can work during times of natural disasters and other situations. So, when you hear in the news that the federal
    government had to close down in DC, you should know that many dedicated federal workers are still carrying out their duties and serving the public.

  • Fire Prevention

    Male firefighterWhen I was in college, students, who had a little too much to drink, were always pulling the dorm fire alarms in the middle of the night and then running off. These alarm pranks had become a real problem in my dorm and seemed to be happening weekly.

    I considered myself lucky that I lived on the ground floor and sometimes I would be a little slow evacuating
    my room. I assumed it was always just another prank. I had a friend in the dorm who took the fire alarm very seriously and she would come bang on the door to make sure we were getting up and going outside. She became upset with my slacker attitude about evacuating my room every time the fire alarm went off.

    I found out why. She lost 2 brothers in a house fire. Her family lived out in the country on a farm, and
    frequently used a space heater during the winter. Her parents woke up in the middle of the night to flames and smoke. They were able to get my friend and her sisters out of the house, but the little boys were upstairs in a back bedroom and fire blocked the way.

    Her father had loaned his ladder to a neighbor, so when he couldn’t get up the stairs, he ran outside to
    their bedroom window in an attempt to get the boys to jump out the window. The boys were afraid and wouldn’t jump. Her father ran to the neighbor’s house to get the ladder, but by the time he got back, the heat and flames kept him from getting into the bedroom. The fire department came, but it was too late. The boys’ bodies were found
    huddled together in the closet.

    Across the country, stories similar to this one happen all too frequently. In the District of Columbia alone, 9 people died in home fires in January of 2009. January and February are typically the busiest months of the year for firefighters.

    Firefighters will tell you that a small fire can become an out of control fire within minutes. Plan ahead and practice escape routes with every member of your family. Knowing what to do and doing it quickly can save your family. Check out these resources and learn more about preventing home fires, steps to take to survive a fire, and what to do to after a fire:

  • Online Banking

    Woman paying bills onlineRecently my friend mentioned that she and her husband were opening a bank account. I assumed she meant they had decided to switch banks. I asked her where had they banked before and why had they switched. She informed me that they weren’t switching banks and that they haven’t had a bank account for years. She told me this was their first bank account since they were a young married couple.

    I’ve had a bank account since I started earning a paycheck, so this was a completely foreign concept to me,
    and being someone who occasionally blurts out the first thing that comes into my mind, I said, “Holy cannolis (OK, I didn’t really say cannoli. I’m just keeping it clean for all of those kids out there who are interested in online banking)! You have got to be kidding! How have you managed to not have a bank account all of these years?”

    She then went on to explain that when she and her husband were just starting out, they had an account with
    a bank and ordered checks. They never got the checks, because someone had stolen them. The person stole their identities and quickly made use of the checks. By the time they realized what had happened, a lot of damage had been done. Their money was gone and bad checks kept rolling in. She said it was a huge ordeal for them to try to straighten out the situation.

    The experience left them so traumatized that they agreed to never again have a bank account. Since then, it
    was strictly cash transactions for them. They would pay a fee to cash their payday checks at stores. They would go get in lines (sometimes long lines) and pay bills directly. It was a lot of running around for them, but they felt safer doing it that way. It wasn’t until they came into a substantial amount of money that caused them to open a bank account again.

    She asked me about my experience with online banking. I told her that I love the convenience of paying bills online. I can schedule them to be paid on certain days. I can even set up automatic payments or transfer money to different accounts when I need to without having to go stand in line at my bank. I also mentioned that I like to be able to check all of my accounts online whenever I want, not just during banking hours.

    She asked, “Aren’t you worried someone will get access to your money?” I told her that I take precautions. I am careful to safeguard my personal information and financial transactions. I can actually keep a better eye on my
    assets online, because I can see daily activity on my accounts. Could bad stuff happen? Possibly, but bad stuff can happen regardless of whether you are doing your business online or not. Her story is an example of that.

    I told her if she is worried about protecting her assets, there are resources that can help her to keep
    her money safe. I hope you find them useful, as well:

  • Disability Income Insurance

    Woman in a hospital bedMost of us don’t really like to think about events like disabling illness or injury. Let’s face it, who
    wants to think about such bad things? However, we all owe it to ourselves and our families to take a little bit of time out of our busy lives to think about what we would do should a “what if” scenario occur. We all need to determine what resources we would have to keep paying our bills and maintaining our lifestyles.

    Disability insurance can come in 3 forms:

    • Government-sponsored programs like workman’s compensation or Social
      Security Disability Insurance      ;
    • Private employer-sponsored group disability plans that may cover short-term, long-term, or a combination of coverage; and
    • Private individual disability income policies that guarantee income when there isn’t enough coverage from
      employer or government sponsored programs.

    How many of us know exactly where we stand in terms of benefits should a disabling event occur? We can
    all look at our Social Security statements to see what monthly disability income we would get. For most of us, this amount would not cover all of our normal expenditures.

    If you are employed, check with your employer to see if you have disability income coverage. If you do, find out:

    • What benefits would be available to you
    • How long after the start of a disability you would have to wait before benefits begin
    • How long payments would continue
    • If your employer’s plan takes other disability coverage (such as government programs) into account
    • If your long-term disability benefit is subject to a maximum amount you can receive

    You can find most of the answers by asking for a booklet describing the disability coverage your company
    offers.

    These resources that can help you determine how much coverage you have and whether you need additional
    coverage:

    The other thing to keep in mind, it may take a while for disability insurance to begin. You should always have some money saved for emergencies.

  • Organizing for 2010

    Filing systemDid hell freeze over and someone forgot to tell me? I didn’t notice, but was the moon in the 7th house and Jupiter aligned with Mars? (Age
    of Aquarius    ? Doesn’t ring a bell? Never mind.) I don’t know what rare event occurred, but something influenced me last weekend, because I did something that I never do… I organized my paperwork! Just last week, in my blog, I mentioned my total lack of interest in organizing, but on Saturday, something compelled me to sit down to
    sift through the mounds of paper.

    My first inclination was to take all of my paper crap (technical term) and, without sorting through any of it, just dump it in a plastic bin to be stashed in the garage attic, never to see the light of day. I resisted that urge and sorted
    through it. I discovered that quite a bit of it could be thrown away. I organized and filed everything in the expandable folder I had purchased a year ago. I labeled the folder “2009 Crap” (again with the technical jargon). Then I went to an office supply store and purchased another folder for my 2010 paperwork.

    I learned 3 things from this organizing activity:

    1. I feel better when I don’t have all of that clutter surrounding me. It was actually making me feel stressed to see it;
    2. I already have most of my stuff pulled together for the upcoming tax season. I am practically giddy with the thought that I won’t be scrambling at the last minute this year; and
    3. My desk is pretty. It is made of a lovely cherry wood. Who knew?

    Am I turning over a new leaf, and will I permanently stay organized? Probably not. Hopefully, another celestial event will drive me to organize again next year, but for now I am feeling very pleased with myself..

    If you are like me, you may need a little inspiration to get your office and home life more organized and ready for 2010. Here are some resources that offer some organizational tips and tricks, helpful guidance on what to keep, and where to get copies of
    important documents:

    Now, if only someone could send some inspiration my way to get me motivated to organize and put away my Christmas stuff! My goal is to have it all stowed away by Easter….maybe! LOL.

  • My 2010 Resolution

    Blocks spelling 2010My New Year’s resolution last year was to get myself more organized in my paperwork and in my life. I share this with you as I sit typing at my desk which has way too much paperwork and clutter on it. Clearly, I have failed another
    resolution.

    Last year I got as far as purchasing containers to help me organize. The shopping part of the resolution I liked, but the actual act of organizing failed. Why? Because I find organizing to be one of the most boring activities on the
    planet, so I lost interest. My empty containers sit in the corner of my office, a nagging reminder of yet another failed New Year’s resolution.

    My resolutions are always destined to fail because I set resolutions that are in some way a form of punishment for some personal shortcoming. My resolutions are
    typically about correcting traits that I don’t like in myself. I think many popular New Year’s resolutions involve people resolving to give up a bad habit or start a healthy one, because they recognize a personal imperfection and want to correct it. Most of us don’t follow through on these self-correcting resolutions.

    Perhaps part of the problem with resolutions is the inward attempts at personal betterment. There isn’t anything wrong with trying to make ourselves better, but maybe if we focus our resolutions on outward goals, we might have more success. Instead of doing things to make ourselves better, we should be committing to something that helps the world and makes the world a better place. Let’s face it, the world needs everyone’s help.

    In the big scheme of things, I am just one person and it seems doubtful that “little old me” could do anything that would possibly impact the world. Yet, the world is made up of a bunch of “little old me’s.” If we all resolve, in the coming New Year, to perform small, kind acts everyday towards our fellow man, the combined collective of selfless acts could have a global impact. If we all direct our energies on outwardly contributing to the world in small ways everyday, it could bring us that much closer to peace and ultimately make us all better people.

    Distressed woman being comfortedHere is my official 2010 New Year’s resolution: I resolve to help my fellow man, every day. In big ways and in small, I will lend a hand, not only to my loved ones, but to strangers on the streets. My mantra for 2010 will be, “How can I
    help you?”

    May all of you have a wonderful, safe New Year!

  • Holiday Greetings from GovGab

    Around this time every year, synapses begin firing in brains telling people to send out holiday greeting cards. The synapse in my brain that controls card sending behavior doesn’t work properly. It rarely fires at all, but when it does, it doesn’t tell me to send holiday greeting cards. My synapse
    fires and tells me to send… shoelaces. If you ever get a pair of shoelaces in the mail from me, that is my way of saying “Happy Holidays.”

    A bowl of brussel sprouts with a red holiday bowI spent a lot of time searching for the perfect photo for my blog to wish everyone a beautiful, joyous, holiday season. I kept finding gorgeous photos of Christmas trees. There were lots of photos with Santa, ornaments, candles, and poinsettias. I wanted my photo to be perfect for everyone, no matter what holiday traditions they celebrated.

    I found so many photos, but not the perfect one. The more I looked for the perfect photo, the more confused I became. Finally, the “perfect blog photo” synapse fired in my brain and selected a photo. As usual, my synapses fired in a faulty manner. My brain selected this photo of brussel sprouts as the perfect blog photo to wish everyone “Happy Holidays.”

    Forgive me. Most of you probably don’t even like brussel sprouts. Actually, I am not that fond of them myself, but for whatever reason my brain decided the lowly, and mostly disliked, brussel sprout is my symbol of holiday joy this season!

    The GovGab bloggers and the Federal Citizen Information Center staff wish all of you the best this holiday season. May the joy of the season fill your heart… and may my blog photo inspire you to try brussel sprouts at your holiday dinner!

  • White House Holiday Reception

    Ginger’s Note: Our guest blogger is my co-worker, Sarah, from USA.gov.  She was working on a detail assignment at the White House and she was invited to attend the White House Holiday Reception for the staff. Here is her inside scoop on what the party was like.

    White House Holiday ReceptionI’ll be the first to admit that I’m a sucker for a good party. I’ve never been able to turn down an invitation to a soiree – and my resolve gets even weaker when the holidays roll around. There’s something about holiday parties – the carols, the decorations, the eggnog – that really make the season magical.

    This year I had the amazing opportunity to attend the White House Holiday Reception in the East Wing of the White House. This party was being held in honor of White House staff and their families and was hosted by the First Family. It was an unforgettable event!

    Model of White HouseThroughout the East Wing of the White House, all the ceremonial rooms were open for mingling. We could sit on the historic furniture, use the tabletops for our appetizer plates, and mingle around the fireplace. There was a quartet from the Marine Corps band providing music in the Entrance Hall and a very talented soloist who sang beautiful Christmas Carols throughout the evening.

    White House Holiday TreeThe holiday decorations were simply stunning. Every room in the East Wing boasted a soaring, live Christmas tree, and each tree was adorned with handcrafted ornaments from around the nation. There were ornaments celebrating Mount Rushmore, the Red River Valley, the Tennessee River, and over 800 American landmarks.

    Sarah Roper shaking the President Obama's handThe highlight of the evening was an appearance by President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. The President and First Lady graciously thanked the staff for their time and dedication, thanked the families for patience during the long
    work weeks and exhausting schedules, and welcomed us all to enjoy their home for the evening. After the remarks, the President spent just a few minutes shaking hands and greeting his staff. I was thrilled beyond belief when I had the opportunity to meet the President and shake his hand.

    After such an unbelievable evening, I knew I needed more souvenirs than the embossed cocktail napkins I’d stuffed in my handbag. The next morning I immediately hopped on to USA.gov, where I knew I could find gifts and memorabilia from the White House. I’m so
    thankful that years from now, when I unwrap my 2009 White House ornament, I’ll have an unforgettable story to tell my children and grandchildren.