The ezPalm Blog

Virtually any state in the country has the appeal of multiple small towns. Ask almost anyone who lives in small town why they are here and they’ll tell you they enjoy the small town feeling while being close to all the conveniences of a larger city. One of the greatest joys of living in a small town is how familiar people are with one another. When you walk into a store or restaurant you are welcomed by name. As an area grows, you risk losing the “down home” charm.

On the other hand, due to the growth in many areas you will find a more diverse population. This too has appeal to many. Maintaining the magic that is small town while embracing the inevitable changes that are occurring is something everyone in your community can participate in.

One of the appeals of a small town is how longtime residents frequently make an effort to get to know the new folks who move into the area. For those who are new to the area introduce yourself to your neighbors. Whether a familiar face in your town or new to the area you can host a block party to get to know your neighbors.

Knowing whom you live next to is more than a neighborly thing to do. It is also a safety measure you can put in place. Exchange phone numbers with your neighbors so that if there is ever an emergency you have someone close to call on.

For newer residence ask your neighbors about the community. Seek out a common-interest support network. On the other hand, be willing to stretch beyond your common-interest support network. Human nature is such that often we only associate with those whom we feel we have something in common with. Due to the changing face of our country, you will find there are often some incredible opportunities to learn so much about many types of people.

Familiarize your children with the neighborhood. Find activities for your children to join in on. This is a great way for young people to quickly adapt to a new area.

If you have pets, make choosing a veterinarian a top priority. Often, animals develop unfamiliar behaviors when relocated. Unfortunately, there may be occasions where an emergency situation occurs with a pet when you first move. It is best to have a good vet who you feel comfortable with rather than have to try to find one in a panic. Talk to your neighbors to find out whom they recommend.

Check the local paper to find out about classes, seminars and events being held in the area. You may be amazed at how much goes on here. If you have a special event coming up contact the editor of this paper to let them know. The editor welcomes timely and relevant information.

Regardless of where you live in this great country, there are fantastic communities that can be enhanced by each and every one of us.

Copyright © 2004 by DeAnna Dipos

Publishing Guidelines: You may publish my article in your newsletter, on your web site, or in your print publication provided you include the resource box at the end. Notification would be appreciated but is not required.

About The Author

DeAnna Dipo is a member of the Distinctive Properties team, a unique personalized real estate agency serving the south end of the Salt Lake valley including Draper, Riverton and Sandy. Family owned and operated, Darlene Dipo, Debbie Dahmen and DeAnna Dipo are known for the fact they live, work and play in the very community they serve. The Distinctive Properties team offers more than a run of the mill real estate experience. With their reputation and repeat business being their best referral, they offer a “boutique” experience and a personal relationship with each person they work with. Offering services including buying and selling, Distinctive Properties offers relocation services throughout the United States. Visit www.distinctivepropertiesSLC.com for further information.

We are quickly approaching that time of the year where the Internet pays off in spades - the holidays. Here’s a primer on protecting yourself while buying online.

Avoiding the Malls

I hate going to the malls during the holidays. They are packed with people, elbows are flying and I inevitably get in line behind the person who needs a price check or lost their checkbook. Thankfully, the Internet has largely solved this problem.

Millions of people now do most or all of their holiday shopping online. Frankly, it is hard to imagine how many brick and mortar stores stay in business. While shopping from your desk is great, you need to keep in mind the following legal cautions.

Don’t Buy Off An Email

In a few weeks, you are going to get bombarded by emails from businesses. Unfortunately, there is no way to be sure the email messages are actually from the business in question. Phishing scam artists have become masters at kicking out email messages that look extremely authentic. If you get an email message and want to visit a site, do not click the link in the email message. Instead, type the site domain name directly into a browser or find it through a search engine. Doing so will get you to the real site, not a fake.

Credit Cards

Most people have multiple credit cards and use them willy nilly. When shopping online, try to limit all of your charges to one credit card that doesn’t have a massive credit line on it. Also, print out all receipts. If a scam artist gets a hold of your credit card information, this should limit the damage. When you receive the credit card statement, make sure to check the charges against your receipts. If you find unauthorized charges, report them immediately.

Delivery Times

Sites selling products online have to comply with “prompt delivery” rules. To this end, sites are encouraged, but not required to tell you how long it will take to deliver products. In addition, they absolutely must deliver within 30 days unless stated otherwise on the site. When ordering gifts, make sure you note how long it is going to take to receive the item. If you are going out of town, make sure you keep the departure date in mind before you leave.

The Internet is a godsend when it comes to avoiding the stress of holiday shopping. Just keep an eye on those credit card statements!

Richard A. Chapo is a San Diego business lawyer with www.sandiegobusinesslawfirm.com - providing legal services and legal advice to businesses in San Diego, California.

It is the nature of soul to grow, to heal, and to love. As we
enter into the world, we emerge as a tiny child. We are open. We
do not have conditions placed on us by our parents or ourselves.
We have not closed ourselves off from any possibility. It is
though the world lay at our feet. We are a bundle of
unconditioned purity.

As we age, conditions are placed on us to direct us along our
paths intended to keep us from harm. Even if we manage to stay
out of harms way, we move into a state of stimulus-response
reactions toward life. This draws us further and further away
from the natural state of pure being we came into the world with
as an infant.

How can we return to our natural state of being? How can we call
our soul back and gain a sense of spiritual well-being? The
following are ways we can return to the wholeness and healing we
seek as spiritual beings incarnated into the human race:

1. Do Something Creative.

Creativity engages our heart, our mind, and our imagination.
These activities allow us to utilize our whole being. Our
attention moves from outer expressions of the world and enters
the inner dynamics of living giving rise to our heart and our
imagination. When our heart and our imagination are given
attention, we enter into the realm of insight. Insight is our
ability to see from within just how sacred and magical our lives
really are.

In the realm of soul, our humanity becomes sacred. Through
creativity we are aware how life flows through us and not from
us. The more we identify with these qualities of attention
flowing through us, the more we are identifying with qualities
residing in us that are whole and healing. It is our natural
state.

2. Spend Time With A Child.

Children have a way of drawing our attention away from
activities and responsibilities defining us as adults. All a
child wants to do in this world is have fun. They seem to never
tire of such activities. Children are constantly motivated by
play.

As adults, we tend to think of play as wasted time. Adults who
lose a sense of play and joy in their lives are in danger of
losing self-motivation. The kind of self-motivation I am
referring to involves the desire to have fun in life. This can
lead to a depressive state lacking creativity, spontaneity, and
the heart of a child.

Each of us has the heart of a child within us that never tires.
It is the part of us fully participating in and with life. As
our imagination and heart begin to guide us over the mind, we
are in soul. In soul, our mind is in its proper perspective.
This part of us is our inner awareness not bound by the
pressures of the world. When we return to soul, the possibility
of living whole and healed becomes a reality.

3. Become A Child.

The next time you look into a child’s eyes try to feel their
heart. Notice the difference and similarities of your heart and
their heart. Is there a difference? Is this awareness a long or
short distance from where you were as a child?

What happened to that little boy or little girl inside you?
Since we cannot retrieve childhood physically, maybe we can from
within. Remember your past as a child - the good times and the
bad times. As you look at your life through the eyes of a child,
recall how active your heart and imagination were. Embrace it.
Let this inner vision penetrate your entire awareness. Let go of
your adult interpretations of your childhood and view it with
innocence and love.

Our true nature is to live in the world without being fully of
it. Inside us are endless avenues that can move us toward the
experience of joy. When we let go of our tendency to view the
world as right or wrong, good or bad, we leave behind dualism
and enter into Unity.

This Unity behind all appearances of diversity is a healing
state of unconditional love. It is the part of us bringing all
life into being, leading us through life, and what will lead us
home. It is the force of nature giving us life. It is our soul.

Samuel Oliver, author of, “What the Dying Teach Us: Lessons on
Living” For more on this author; http://www.soulandspirit.org

Many think that when they get older they will deal with rheumatoid arthritis. But, many are sadly mistaken if they think that this condition is far off for them. In many cases, it starts much earlier than you would think. Having the knowledge you need, though, can help you to see the symptoms, understand what is happening to you and to seek out the right treatment for it. Rheumatoid arthritis strikes thousands of people every day. Will it strike you?

An Overview

Rheumatoid arthritis is a condition that is chronic meaning that it does not go away. Most of the time, it is thought of as a condition of inflamed joints. Long term damage to the joints is what leads to severe pain. Eventually, it will worsen to an extreme in which the individual can no longer use the joint and can become disabled for it.

There are three stages of the disease. In the first, there is often swelling in the synovial lining. This is the lining of the joints. The swelling will cause pain, stiffness and even a feeling of warmth in the area. The joint and the area surrounding it will be swollen.

In the second stage, the disease is characterized by the growth of cells. The cells will grow and reproduce quickly. This causes the lining or synovium to thicken rapidly.

In the last stage, these cells are now inflamed. They are releasing enzymes that will begin to actually work away at the bone and cartilage of the joint. The joint will become misshapen and its alignment will be off. In turn, this causes more pain and leads to the loss of function of the joint all together.

It is also important to note that Rheumatoid arthritis can lead to other conditions throughout the body. The disease can effect many organs and therefore cripple the lifestyle that you know. It is important to seek treatment early on before the condition worsens beyond control.

Rheumatoid arthritis affects about two million people within the United States. There is no cure for it, but medications can slow and even stop the progression of the disease and therefore prevent it from becoming severe. The cause of the disease is also unknown.

Do I Have it?

Understanding the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis can help you to know when you should take action. It can affect any joint within the body. Smaller joints are the most common area for it to begin. For example, fingers, the hands and the wrists are the mot common first signs of the disease. Most common systems include the following.

Stiffness in any joint. It tends to be worse in the morning or after sitting still for long periods of time. The longer this stiffness lasts, the worse the diseases is.

Fatigue can be a symptom as well.

Flu like symptoms including a fever may be present.

Feelings of weakness.

Pain may be evident especially when there are long periods of sitting or stillness.

The disease can go into remission in which it may not feel as bad. Many mistakenly think that they are better. But, it will flare up again.

Muscle pain may be evident.

Also, a loss of appetite, the onset of depression, anemia, sweaty hands and feet and weight loss can be a sign that there is something happening.

As the disease progresses, symptoms will worsen. Pain becomes more so and there is a withdrawal from activity because it is just too painful.

Seeking Help

The treatment that you will receive will be fitted to your specific conditions. Because the disease of rheumatoid arthritis is so varied, treatment must be administered to your severity and your symptoms. It is important to seek the advice of a doctor when you begin to experience pain because early detection can slow and stop the progression of the disease. It can help to stop the spread as well.

It is important for you to seek early treatment for any joint pain that you may have. As mentioned, rheumatoid arthritis is a condition that can affect other systems within the body. These will worsen as the disease progresses. Taking the first steps when you first see a problem can help you to maintain your lifestyle without having to stop because of the pain that rheumatoid arthritis is bound to cause.

For more rheumatoid arthritis treatment information visit http://www.rheumatoid-arthritis-info.org/ . You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice, link and URL remain intact.