I Am Thankful For?.. | Single Mothers by Choice

This is a compilation of posts by some of our SMC members. They were posted on?our SMC discussion Forum this week,?inspired by the Thanksgiving holiday. Good Thanksgiving wishes to you all!

I am thankful for:
My two beautiful, healthy, smart, funny girls.
My amazing family, who are supportive, though many miles away.
My job, which was at risk for many months, but is once again mostly stable and secure.
My friends, without whose help some weekends would last months, and who have provided a local family for my family.
The internet, without which I never would have found SMC and the incredible community of women you are.

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For parents who, after struggling to accept me, are excited and supportive of my journey.
For friends, past, present and future, some of whom are other SMCs I?ve met through this wonderful community.
I am finally on my way to building the family I?ve wanted for so long. ?I?m 6 weeks pregnant today.

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I?m thankful for God?s perfect timing ? I was blessed with a family-perfect job and a larger apartment right on time for my journey into motherhood.
I am thankful for unexpected kindness and favor, which seems to be showing up more and more in my life.
I am thankful for having found a nurturing, spiritual home where I am challenged to do better, to be better, to raise my consciousness.
I am thankful for this beautiful baby boy growing inside of me; thankful for my big belly, swollen feet, unnumerable trips to the bathroom ? all of it is good because all of it is part of growing and nurturing my son.

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I am thankful for my loving, generous, gracious, reliable mom. Whatever may have come before, she is here, fully, now.
I am thankful for having true friends; people who love and support and cheer for me and who have my best interest at heart.
I am thankful for so many things that are easy to take for granted ? food, shelter, clean water, a peaceful city, fall folliage, a crisp, clear day.

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I am thankful that I had options on my path to motherhood.
I am thankful for the great job I have that made it possible for me to afford my IVF.
I am thankful for the SMC forum, ?and the local SMCs that I have become close to.
I am thankful for my supportive friends who have been sending me lots of positive light.

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I am thankful for the advances in medicine that allow premature infants, including my son, to survive and thrive.

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I am thankful for my beautiful, precious, wonderful, amazing, sweet baby boy. Every single day.
I?m thankful for my job, and my lifestyle that allow me to spoil him, and myself, occasionally.
I am thankful for all my friends and family. I?m thankful for my life, and everything in it.

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I?m so thankful for all the wonderful ways my life has changed in precisely one year.
Last year at this time, I was in the thick of battling my fears and undergoing my first round of medications after many unsuccessful attempts to conceive. This year I am 25 weeks pregnant.
It may have taken a lot longer than I thought it would, and a lot more tears and frustration, but I learned that I am a lot stronger than I ever believed I was ? for that, I?m grateful. And I?m grateful for every little kick I feel in my belly right now!

My precious, sweet, cuddly, funny, and wonderful daughter.
That we have family close by, so my daughter gets to spend time with her grandparents who love and spoil her.
For the advances in asthma medication that make it possible for my daughter to live.
That my mom loves to cook so I don?t have to cook on Thanksgiving at all!
And, of course, for this wonderful group of women who provide daily humor, insight and encouragement!

I am thankful that I discovered the concept of a Single Mother by Choice and had the emotional, financial and physical ability to become one.?
I am thankful for my amazing family and friends that really have gone above and beyond to help me.
And most of all, I am thankful for everything that God has given me this Thanksgiving. I am so totally in love with my baby and cannot believe he?s mine. Being a mom is the most amazing thing I?ve ever done.

I?m so thankful for this wonderful community, with whom I?ve shared almost every step of this journey.
I?m thankful for my donor, who may or may not have realized what a gift he was giving, but it was an amazing gift all the same.
I?m thankful for my REs, thankful for all the other medical professionals I?ve interacted with, thankful for my wonderfully supportive family.
And I?m thankful to be starting off a new life with this new little person!

For more discussion on this and other subjects, join SMC and take part in our discussions on our lively 24/7 Forum and at local chapter meetings.

Source: http://www.singlemothersbychoice.org/2012/11/22/i-am-thankful-for/

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10 Great Thanksgiving Movies: From 'Home for the Holidays' to ...

"Miracle on 34th Street" (1947): Christmas is the holiday commonly associated with this classic, which actually is set in motion by the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, in which the man (Oscar winner Edmund Gwenn) playing Santa claims to be the real Kris Kringle.

"Alice's Restaurant" (1969): Arlo Guthrie adapts his classic song by playing himself as he visits eatery owner Alice (Patricia Quinn) at Thanksgiving ... and ends up in trouble with the law.

"Hannah and Her Sisters" (1986): One of Woody Allen's warmest comedies gathers an extended family for two Thanksgivings and boasts Oscar-honored performances by Dianne Wiest and Michael Caine.

"Planes, Trains and Automobiles" (1987): High on many lists of holiday humor, filmmaker John Hughes' tale makes mismatched traveling companions of Steve Martin and John Candy. How mismatched? Well, let's just say, "Those aren't pillows."

"Dutch" (1991): A man (Ed O'Neill) volunteers to bring his love interest's ill-mannered son (Ethan Randall, later known as Ethan Embry) home from prep school for Thanksgiving in another John Hughes-written piece.

"Grumpy Old Men" (1993): Thanksgiving figures into the comedy about longtime enemies (Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau) who start another battle over a new neighbor (Ann-Margret).

"Nobody's Fool" (1994): The holiday of turkey and stuffing also is a factor in director Robert Benton's affecting character study of a small-town ne'er-do-well (Paul Newman).

"Home for the Holidays" (1995): Jodie Foster directed this dysfunctional family story about a woman (Holly Hunter) who heads to her family's Thanksgiving as her life seems to be coming apart.

"The Ice Storm" (1997): It's hardly a happy holiday weekend for Connecticut families stranded by bad weather, and stunned by revelations, in the early '70s. Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver star.

"Pieces of April" (2003): In one of her strongest performances to date, Katie Holmes plays an offbeat young woman determined to reunite her estranged family for Thanksgiving.

Source: http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2012/11/10-great-thanksgiving-movies-from-home-for-the-holidays-to-planes-trains-and-automobiles.html

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Pilot whales use synchronized swimming when they sense danger

ScienceDaily (Nov. 23, 2012) ? An international team of scientists have observed the behavior of various groups of cetaceans in the Strait of Gibraltar and Cape Breton in Canada belonging to the Globicephala melas species, which are also known as long-finned pilot whales. These results show that these whales use synchronized swimming when they identify the presence of an external threat.

There are 300 pilot whales inhabiting the Straight of Gibraltar. Here these cetaceans remain throughout the entire year in the water of the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. But, little is known about their social structure.

Headed by the University of Aberdeen (United Kingdom) in collaboration with the Do?ana Biological Station (CSIC) and Conservation, Information and Study on Cetaceans (CIRCE) group, the study analyzed the patterns of association between individuals within this whale community. The aim was to provide a long-term vision of their social system.

"The important point is that we compared two different populations: one inhabiting the Strait of Gibraltar which is exposed to predators (boats in this case) and another with an ecotype where there are not so many boats (Cape Breton in Canada). The pilot whales are social species and we were interested in seeing how mothers teach their young, for example. We observed that they use synchronized swimming when in danger," as explained Renaud de Stephanis, researcher of the Biological Station of Do?ana and coauthor of the study published in the journal behavioral Processes.

Between 1999 and 2006 the scientists gathered samples in an area of 23,004 km in the Strait of Gibraltar and took 4,887 images of the dorsal fins of whales to compare them with those in Canada.

"They swim in complete synchrony both in the Strait of Gibraltar and Canada. When sea traffic or whale watching vessels are nearby, the whole group collectively reacts to such external stimuli. When we arrived at the watching area they were swimming at their normal rhythm but after 10 or 15 minutes near to them, the mothers and their young began to swim in a synchronized manner in alert position. This is a sign of affiliation to the group," adds the expert.

According to the researcher, these cetaceans also have a social structure formed by permanent partnerships. This means that they spend their life with the same whales and they do not interchange between different groups, as in the case of bottlenose dolphins.

Thanks to the study we now know that the presence of vessels also disturbs diving behavior. "As such, when we began observing the whales up close, they tended to spend quite some time on the surface. However, the longer we spent nearby, the longer they stayed under water. This behavioral change could affect their energy levels, since they then have to make more of an effort to protect themselves and their young. In turn this limits hunting time, which means that they cannot feed their young properly," concludes the researcher.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Plataforma SINC, via AlphaGalileo.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Valeria Senigaglia, Renaud de Stephanis, Phillippe Verborgh, David Lusseau. The role of synchronized swimming as affiliative and anti-predatory behavior in long-finned pilot whales. Behavioural Processes, 2012; 91 (1): 8 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2012.04.011

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/8onN0oO3aFs/121123092740.htm

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Look up in the air, it?s SoundFly!

Maybe the JBL SoundFly is appropriately named. With Apple?s AirPlay technology, sound kinda flies from your iDevice to the speaker. There?s no wires, so how else is it going to get there? Now that Apple has nixed the 30-pin dock, it?s a given that AirPlay wireless speakers will only become more popular. New speakers seem [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2012/11/22/look-up-in-the-air-its-soundfly/

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Ban urges "maximum restraint" after Israel-Hamas ceasefire

AMMAN (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement to stick to pledges under a ceasefire deal which came into effect on Wednesday to end the eight-day conflict around the Gaza Strip

"We urge the parties who agreed to the ceasefire to keep their promises. There may be still challenges in the course of implementing this agreement," Ban told reporters after talks with King Abdullah at the monarch's residence in the Jordanian capital.

Ban urged the two sides to exercise "maximum restraint and patience with mutual understanding".

"I commend the parties for stepping from the brink and commend President Mursi of Egypt for his exceptional leadership," Ban said.

"Our focus now must be on ensuring that the ceasefire holds and all those in need in Gaza and there are many receive the humanitarian assistance they need," he added.

Ban said tough talks lay ahead to iron out the ceasefire.

"I know the parties will sit down together and detail out implementing the provisions. It is still very hard but we are encouraged and we are relieved they have at last agreed to halt the fire. This is a very important historic moment."

(Reporting by Suleiman al-Khalidi; Editing by Michael Roddy)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ban-urges-maximum-restraint-israel-hamas-ceasefire-004952011.html

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Ron Paul stands with secessionists. But how many are there, really?

Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, a bastion of secessionist sentiment, issued a statement in defense of state petitions to secede from the US, citing American 'principles of self-governance.'

By Peter Grier,?Staff Writer / November 20, 2012

Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, speaks in Tampa, Fla. in August 2012.

Charles Dharapak/AP

Enlarge

Rep. Ron Paul (R) of Texas may be retiring from Congress but he still knows how to stir a pot, metaphorically speaking. In the latest example of his ability to get people talking he?s issued a statement that?s supportive of state petitions to secede from the US.

Skip to next paragraph Peter Grier

Washington Editor

Peter Grier is The Christian Science Monitor's Washington editor. In this capacity, he helps direct coverage for the paper on most news events in the nation's capital.

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You?ve heard about those petitions, right? They?re on a section of the White House website intended to allow citizens the ability to express their opinions about the direction of the US government. Disgruntled voters have now initiated petitions for each of the 50 states to withdraw from the union. The one for Texas has the most signatures ? 115,751 the last time we looked.

Anyway, all this got Congressman Paul thinking. ?Is it treasonous to want to secede from the United States?? he writes.

While many people might think this question was answered by the Civil War, the ?principles of self-governance and voluntary association are at the core of our founding,? Paul argues. He adds that if secession is off the table, there?s nothing to stop the federal government from continuing to encroach on individual liberties.

?Consider the ballot measures that passed in Colorado and Washington State regarding marijuana laws,? Paul writes, pointing out that the residents of those states have indicated they want pot policy to be different than the federal government's.

"At what point should the people dissolve the political bands which have connected them to an increasingly tyrannical and oppressive federal government?" Paul concludes.

Well, we?ve got a couple of comments here. The first is that, yes, for all practical purposes the Civil War did settle this question. But we?ll move past that since Paul is just writing rhetorically here. He notes that he has no expectation Texas is really going to secede.

The second is that this argument appears to greatly discount the power of democracy. Without the threat of secession, there?s nothing to stop the gradual slide toward a police state? That would mean elections don?t matter. Why bother to have them?

Which brings us to pot. Yes indeed, voters in Colorado and Washington indicated a desire for a different kind of antidrug regime. But would it be churlish to note that voters in both those states delivered their electoral votes to President Obama? That means they also approved of the administration that?s supposed to enforce national antidrug laws, which were passed by duly elected members of Congress. At the least, they're sending a mixed message here. Paul is picking the result he agrees with and discounting the one he opposes.

It's the same thing with regards to Obamacare. He says the federal government doesn't appear to be respecting the wishes of states that refuse to establish the health insurance stores, or "exchanges," called for under the law. But the law makes clear that if states don't establish these, the federal government will step in and do it for them. If US voters truly wished to get rid of the Affordable Care Act, they could have elected Mitt Romney. They didn't.

Lastly, it's possible that Paul is overstating the popularity of the secession petitions in general. He wouldn't be alone in this ? even the media, in reacting to them, in essence elevate them to a level they may not quite deserve.

That's because many fewer individuals may have signed them than appears at first glance. While the petitions focus on particular states, signees may be from anywhere. They can ? and do ? sign more than one petition.

Neal Caron, an assistant professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina, has, with the help of his students, analyzed the particulars of more than 900,000 of the signatures, and his conclusion is that they represent about 321,000 different people. In essence, each signee put their John Hancock down in three places.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, support for secession was strongest by far in red states Obama lost, and strongest of all in ? you guessed it ? Texas.

What does this mean? It means that the secession craze is narrower than it at first appeared. And maybe it also means that in the end, talk of secession is about rejecting other American voters the secessionists don't agree with, as much as the federal government.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/ZfPzuOZ2bIQ/Ron-Paul-stands-with-secessionists.-But-how-many-are-there-really

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The classic beauty and practicality of wooden kitchen cabinets for ...

Buying cabinets for your kitchen is an essential when it comes to storage purposes. After all, where else are you supposed to store your food and cutlery? There are lots of different types of cabinets available on the internet and in stores around the UK today. This is great on one hand because it means that there is a lot to choose from and thus you are bound to find something for you. But, it can also make it more difficult when it comes to making a final decision.

One choice which has been popular for many years now, and seems to be excelling in popularity as of late is that of wooden kitchen cabinets. There are lots of reasons why this is the case. First and foremost, wood is considered extremely stylish. It has established a timeless quality to it which means that it will never look dated or go out of fashion. Moreover, it is extremely versatile, meaning that wood goods with every colour, pattern and even other materials that are present in your kitchen at the moment.

There are lots of different types of wooden cabinets available. This means that there is a lot for you to select from, and thus you can find something that suits your taste, your personality and of course your kitchen. You can opt for something which is modern or conventional. At the moment there seems to be a evident trend for something which meets in the middle of these two things; contemporary vintage. Nevertheless, which option you go for all depends on personal preference.

Aside from style, another reason why wood is popular is because it is extremely durable and sturdy. This is important because it means that your kitchen cabinets are bound to last you a long time, and thus you won?t need to spend extra money getting them repaired or replaced sooner than you would like to.

In addition to style and durability, you can also find wooden cabinets available for a cheaper price nowadays than they once were, and thus you can find a real bargain if you look around. This has been made possible because of the boom in online shopping. There are a lot of deals to be found on the internet and some great savings to be made. Nevertheless, it is of course important to remember not to be blinded by a good price. You should never sacrifice quality, because it will end up costing you more money in the long run.

Another desirable aspect you will receive from wooden kitchen cabinets, which is simply unattainable from any other material, is warmth. The material of wood literally adds warmness to any room it is placed in. This is a quality which is highly desirable and very much sought after in any home. After all, it is these things that turn a building into a homely place.

A final point worth contemplating is because wood has established itself as something which is ever fashionable, and because of its durability, it is something which tends to rarely decline with regards to value. This means that it actually lends itself to be a solid investment, even if this is something you were not thinking about when you bought the product.

All in all, it is quite easy to see why so many people opt for wooden cabinets in their kitchen rather than the other options available today. Their qualities, such as affordability, durability and style, are ones which are highly advantageous and wanted by many.

Author Bio : Diyana Lobo is a freelance journalist. She specialises in home improvement. She utilised Solid Wood Kitchen Cabinets as a source for information on this article regarding kitchen cabinets, thus it is recommended to view that site if you need added information.

Diyana Lobo

I work as a content manager in many communities and love the opportunity to guest post for your readers.

Last Posts By diyana

• Make the Most of the Space You Have and Save with Office Storage Solutions - November 20th, 2012
• The skirt: the rise and fall of hemlines - November 8th, 2012
• Want to Boost Your Sports Performance? - November 8th, 2012
• How to find the right solicitors to deal with compensation claims! - November 6th, 2012
• Reap the rewards of style and quality with Denby pottery! - October 31st, 2012
• Add style and a lot more to your home with eyelet curtains! - October 17th, 2012
• The Importance of High Quality Cheap Catering Equipment - October 15th, 2012
• Style and Quality in Natural Tones ? How to Use Oak Flooring to Finish Your Home - October 15th, 2012
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• Reasons Why Business Owners Are Considering New Offices to Rent - October 8th, 2012
• The Science of Protection ? Containing Biological Materials in a Laminar Air Flow Cabinet - October 3rd, 2012

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The classic beauty and practicality of wooden kitchen cabinets for your home!

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<p><span><span>Buying cabinets for your kitchen is an essential when it comes to storage purposes. After all, where else are you supposed to store your food and cutlery? There are lots of different types of cabinets available on the internet and in stores around the UK today. This is great on one hand because it means that there is a lot to choose from and thus you are bound to find something for you. But, it can also make it more difficult when it comes to making a final decision.</span></span></p> <p><span><span>One choice which has been popular for many years now, and seems to be excelling in popularity as of late is that of wooden </span><span>kitchen cabinets</span><span>. There are lots of reasons why this is the case. First and foremost, wood is considered extremely stylish. It has established a timeless quality to it which means that it will never look dated or go out of fashion. Moreover, it is extremely versatile, meaning that wood goods with every colour, pattern and even other materials that are present in your kitchen at the moment.</span></span></p> <p><span><span>There are lots of different types of wooden cabinets available. This means that there is a lot for you to select from, and thus you can find something that suits your taste, your personality and of course your kitchen. You can opt for something which is modern or conventional. At the moment there seems to be a evident trend for something which meets in the middle of these two things; contemporary vintage. Nevertheless, which option you go for all depends on personal preference.</span></span></p> <p><span><span>Aside from style, another reason why wood is popular is because it is extremely durable and sturdy. This is important because it means that your </span><span><span><span>kitchen cabinets</span></span></span><span> are bound to last you a long time, and thus you won?t need to spend extra money getting them repaired or replaced sooner than you would like to. </span></span></p> <p><span><span>In addition to style and durability, you can also find wooden cabinets available for a cheaper price nowadays than they once were, and thus you can find a real bargain if you look around. This has been made possible because of the boom in online shopping. There are a lot of deals to be found on the internet and some great savings to be made. Nevertheless, it is of course important to remember not to be blinded by a good price. You should never sacrifice quality, because it will end up costing you more money in the long run.</span></span></p> <p><span><span>Another desirable aspect you will receive from wooden </span><span>kitchen cabinets</span><span>, which is simply unattainable from any other material, is warmth. The material of wood literally adds warmness to any room it is placed in. This is a quality which is highly desirable and very much sought after in any home. After all, it is these things that turn a building into a homely place.</span></span></p> <p><span><span>A final point worth contemplating is because wood has established itself as something which is ever fashionable, and because of its durability, it is something which tends to rarely decline with regards to value. This means that it actually lends itself to be a solid investment, even if this is something you were not thinking about when you bought the product.</span></span></p> <p><span><span>All in all, it is quite easy to see why so many people opt for wooden cabinets in their kitchen rather than the other options available today. Their qualities, such as affordability, durability and style, are ones which are highly advantageous and wanted by many.</span></span></p> <p><span><span><strong>Author Bio :</strong></span><span> Diyana Lobo is a freelance journalist. She specialises in home improvement. She utilised Solid Wood Kitchen Cabinets as a source for information on this article regarding kitchen cabinets, thus it is recommended to view that site if you need added information.</span></span></p> <img alt="" src="http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/4d445fd58bf07d406345bac336c3b836?s=75&d=&r=G" class="avatar avatar-75 photo" height="75" width="75" /> <p>Diyana Lobo</p> <p>I work as a content manager in many communities and love the opportunity to guest post for your readers.</p> <h3>Last Posts By diyana</h3><ul><li>Make the Most of the Space You Have and Save with Office Storage Solutions - November 20th, 2012</li><li>The skirt: the rise and fall of hemlines - November 8th, 2012</li><li>Want to Boost Your Sports Performance? - November 8th, 2012</li><li>How to find the right solicitors to deal with compensation claims! - November 6th, 2012</li><li>Reap the rewards of style and quality with Denby pottery! - October 31st, 2012</li><li>Add style and a lot more to your home with eyelet curtains! - October 17th, 2012</li><li>The Importance of High Quality Cheap Catering Equipment - October 15th, 2012</li><li>Style and Quality in Natural Tones ? How to Use Oak Flooring to Finish Your Home - October 15th, 2012</li><li>Points to consider when trying to find the best office furniture - October 15th, 2012</li><li>Reasons Why Business Owners Are Considering New Offices to Rent - October 8th, 2012</li><li>The Science of Protection ? Containing Biological Materials in a Laminar Air Flow Cabinet - October 3rd, 2012</li></ul><p>Source: The classic beauty and practicality of wooden kitchen cabinets for your home!</p> <p>[ Link to this article ] [ Republish this article ] [ Read Comments ] [ Comment on this article ]</p>

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