Be thankful for what you have.... A personal reflection

Always, and especially on days like today with the bone chilling cold weather and wind chills, my wife and I try to impress upon our daughters how fortunate we are as a family to have a nice home, food on the table, clothes on our backs and a nice warm bed to retire to at the end of the day. Our daughters are 7 and 4 years of age, but they are beginning to realize that not all folks out there are doing as well as we are. Even at their young ages, they know that many in our country, the greatest country in the world, go to bed every night hungry, without adequate shelter and clothing, with many losing hope and living in quiet despair.

We have begun a family tradition at the nightly dinner table where we say grace and each of us will add something that they are specifically thankful for on that particular day. Most nights, our four year old Sophie sticks to the basics, enthusiastically annoucing, "FOOD or DESSERT!". On a day like today, they realize how fortunate we are with a warm comfortable home, and my older daughter will ask questions about where the homeless people will sleep, how will they will stay warm, etc. It is our hope that our girls will remember these nightly reflections as they become adolescents and then adults and will incorporate these types of family values as they move on in their lives as citizens of this great land.

I was fortunate to be able to take both my daughters out today to lunch and for some toy shopping as my older daughter Caitlin had saved up some of her allowance money and Sophie had received a gift card for her birthday. We went to McDonald's, which was a special treat for the girls, as we rarely eat "fast food", prefering for many reasons to make something at home and sit down for dinner as a family, which was a tradition for both my and my wife's family when we were growing up. I thoroughly enjoyed my hours today with my ever growing girls and look forward to many "date" days with them as they continue to mature and thrive.

I'll sign off now, and ask that all who read this post say an extra prayer for those in need, especially the homeless, as this frigid weather continues to grip the nation. Let's pray that those in need find work worthy of their abilities and a chance to prosper in the coming year. I know they'll be in my thoughts and prayers tonight.

Lucas County focuses on physical fitness

What a great way to start out the new year, focusing on physical fitness. The story below reprinted from the Toledo Blade chronicles the new fitness program being instituted by the county with the unofficial "weight loss czar" being named.

I'm interested in other components to the program, as obesity and lack of conditioning affect many in NW Ohio and obviously leads to more serious health care concerns including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and others. Just think how much money could be saved and think of the better quality of life that could be led by citizens in NW Ohio and elsewhere with even a 10 percent drop in the number of folks suffering the affects of obesity.

Healthy eating habits and daily exercise are essential to good health and these are life style choices that my wife and I are trying to instill in our daughters who are now 7 and 4 years of age. Here's to "Looking fine in 2009" and beyond from Dansack District 46.


Panel puts its weight behind new officialCommissioners OK 'loss czar' appointee

By JC REINDLBLADE STAFF WRITER

For the record, no spandex, leg-warmers, or magenta tights were in sight when Lucas County commissioners met yesterday. So with 325 pounds on his 5-foot-9-inch frame, the county's new "weight loss czar" stood before commissioners and stated the obvious: He is no Jane Fonda.

That's just the point. Andrew Zepeda, known as Andrew "Z" on his 92.5 WVKS morning show, said that experiencing firsthand the tribulations of losing weight will help him push residents to achieve the county's goal of dropping a total of a million pounds in 2009.

"Why not somebody that's in shape?," Mr. Zepeda asked aloud. "It's because I'm going through the struggles that everybody goes through on a daily basis. Every meal is a struggle that you don't overeat."

The commissioners seemed convinced and voted 3-0 to appoint him the county's first such czar. Mr. Zepeda lost about 80 pounds in the past 12 months through diet, exercise, and a surgical procedure and is trying to lose more.

Commissioner Ben Konop said Mr. Zepeda's appointment is the first step in a comprehensive weight-loss program for residents, with more details to come this month.

The program will have a jingly theme: "Looking fine in 2009."

"This is a pretty ambitious program for Lucas County," said Mr. Konop, who noted that statistically, each citizen would have to lose just over 2 pounds to achieve the million-pound goal.