The Good, the Bad & the Ugly is a Council Chronicle series that offers a glimpse at unusual stories in the news around the world. They are intended to provoke thought, inform and elicit a range of emotions from joy, outrage, anger, amusement to hope. These are a summary of stories worth knowing. Each month we will feature a story of the Good, the Bad & the Ugly around the globe. If you come across a news item that falls into any of these categories, please email it to me for possible inclusion in the monthly e-newsletter.
THE UGLY
A GRIEVING MOTHER IN TEXAS WAS DENIED MATERNITY LEAVE AFTER HER BABY WAS STILLBORN
A Texas woman named Elena Andres was 37 weeks into her pregnancy when she began experiencing food poisoning symptoms and went to the hospital. There, she was told her baby no longer had a heartbeat. The doctors induced her labor, and she endured 15 hours of intense labor only to give birth to a stillborn baby girl. The baby weighed 8 pounds and 13 ounces. Her name was Maxine.
"It was very traumatic," Andres tearfully said. "Immediately when they held her up you could just tell, she was gray. She was gone."
Two days later, as the heartbroken mother left the maternity ward of the hospital without her baby, she thought things couldn't get any worse. She was wrong. After returning home from the hospital, Andres who works for the City of Austin in the Public Health Department, says she contacted her employer to inform Human Resources that she'd "be taking maternity leave a little bit early" because she had lost her child. She was told by HR that she no longer qualified for their eight-week maternity leave. Apparently, the policy is only available to people who “give birth and care for a healthy newborn baby.”
The lack of support from her job added to her grief as the mother made funeral arrangements for her baby, Maxine.
"I felt so small, like they were saying my pregnancy didn’t count,” Andres told the local newspaper. “Like my daughter didn’t count. Apparently, our paid maternity leave is only for bonding with the newborn,” she said. “It’s not for recovering from birth. The whole pregnancy, physically, whatever it does to the body of the person, they don’t care about."
A photo of baby girl Maxine's footprints. (Courtesy Elena Andres)
As a mother of a two-year-old child, Andres needed time to grieve while still caring for her family and recovering postpartum. After a 15-hour labor, she still had pelvic discomfort and other physical distress caused by the birth.
Andes' disappointment lies with the system, especially after leaving everything prepared at work to support her unit.
“There I was, trying to wrap up my work so my leave wasn’t a burden on my co-workers, or so I didn’t get us in trouble for reports being late,” she recalls. “I feel so stupid for even trying.”
The mom used sick time and FMLA to recover from the physical and mental distress she’s enduring. After haggling with her job about why they wouldn’t cover her maternity leave, the HR department told her she could use vacation, sick time and unpaid FMLA to cover her time off.
Austin Mayor Pro Tem Paige Ellis said the city should stand with Andres and parents facing similar experiences.
“Paid parental leave not only allows for bonding with the baby, but it also supports women’s physical health,” Ellis said in a statement. “Beyond her physical health, she will need time to grieve, on top of the heart-rending logistical and paperwork nightmare that accompanies a stillbirth.”
Despite activists pushing for legislative reform around parental leave, the United States is 1 of 6 countries with no paid leave.
ANGELA WEBSTER 8/2
KUMAR RASHAD 8/5
EDWIN ERNEST 8/22
STUART BENSON 8/24
ERICA TURNER 8/24
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
SANTA FE GRILLED CHICKEN SANDWICH
Yep, it is that time of the year again. Time to fire up that grill and get to cooking healthy, easy, and delicious summer meals for your family. From Memorial Day through Labor Day and beyond, these tasty recipes are sure to keep your grill loaded and your belly full all summer long.
SANTA FE GRILLED CHICKEN SANDWICH
Homemade chili-herb mayo oozing between crisp, warm bread and pepper Jack cheese melting its way into slices of juicy chicken breast—this warm chicken sandwich is delicious and filling.
INGREDIENTS
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1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, thinly cut
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olive oil
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salt & pepper
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1 bell pepper, sliced into 1" pieces
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1 small onion, sliced
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1 avocado, sliced
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4 slices of pepper jack cheese
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4 slices sourdough bread
CHILI-HERB MAYO
2 tbsp fresh basil, minced
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2 tbsp fresh cilantro, minced
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1 tbsp fresh chives, minced
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1 cup mayonnaise
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1 tsp chili powder
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salt and pepper
DIRECTIONS
1. In a small bowl mix all ingredients for chili herb mayo. Adjust flavor with salt and pepper and set aside. Can be stored for up to a week in refrigerator.
2. Preheat grill to medium heat. Brush chicken and bell peppers with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add both chicken and bell peppers to the preheated grill and cook until peppers begin to char, and chicken is good through, turning once. About 4 minutes each side. Set aside.
3. In a small skillet add ⅓ cup olive oil and heat over medium/low heat. Add onions and stir until onions begin to brown and are soft. About 10 minutes.
4. Making one sandwich at a time, spread herb mayo on one half of the sourdough. Starting with caramelized onions layer bell peppers, avocado, grilled chicken and pepper jack cheese. Using a second piece of bread, cover the sandwich and brush the remaining bread with olive oil. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
5. Place the sandwiches on a preheated skillet, on low. Allow to cook for 5-7 minutes, flip and continue to cook until cheese begins to melt. Slice each sandwich in half and enjoy.
YES!
TRUTH BOMBS are described in the urban dictionary as surprising but true statements. A fact or piece of knowledge that, when told to a listener, is devastating to the listener's argument or world view.
New Yorker Seth Phillips has gained a cult following for his truth bombs that protest anything from loud engines, phones that shatter easily, “x” in espresso, and other very specific, small things that add up to our daily lives. He has a over 7.5 million followers on social media. Phillips has gone mainstream enough that fashion brands are selling "Dude with Sign" shirts in their collections.
And, of course, there’s always something new to protest. Such as, hot coffee in summer or verifying you’re not a robot online. Those of us who have had enough of everything will get a chuckle out of this series.
Berries are nature's goodness.
In the last several years, we have all experienced new challenges that have affected our mental, physical, and social well-being. Many of us have felt anxiety, increased stress, and emotional exhaustion which is why wellness and self-care are more important than ever before. Our wellness journey is an ongoing one, and we have to prioritize our emotional and physical health. Here are some ideas to care for the many dimensions of wellness, so we can nourish our bodies and nurture our minds.
10 FOODS THAT INCREASE BLOOD CIRCULATION
Before we get to the ten foods that improve blood circulation, lets discuss why blood circulation is of paramount importance to our bodies. Normal blood circulation brings oxygen and nutrients to the cells in the body through the arteries, and the waste products are picked up by the veins and transported back to the liver, heart & lungs. If an area of the circulatory system is impaired, you could experience symptoms such as:
Numbness and tingling in the hands and feet
Swelling in the feet, ankles, or legs
Memory loss
Difficulty concentrating
Fatigue
Muscle cramping
Aching, heaviness, restlessness in the legs
Leg ulcers
Varicose veins
THESE TEN FOODS INCREASE BLOOD CIRCULATION AND BLOOD FLOW
CAPSAICIN
Capsaicin is what makes a cayenne pepper hot and helps lower blood pressure, while expanding your blood vessels due to the nitric oxide it contains. Additionally, it helps prevent plaque buildup in the arteries.
TURMERIC
Turmeric has been utilized in Chinese medicine since ancient times. It helps to dilate blood vessels and improve circulation. The curcumin found in turmeric helps increase nitric oxide production, reduce oxidative stress, and decrease inflammation.
GARLIC
Garlic is not only associated with a better immune system, but it is also associated with decreasing blood pressure! Specifically, the sulfur compounds in garlic cause vasodilation, increasing blood flow in the tissue. It has been shown that people consuming garlic powder tablets containing 1,200 mg of allicin twice daily for three months experienced a 50% improvement in blood flow.
Garlic & Onions.
GINGER
Ginger is another staple to have in your pantry as it not only brings great flavor to dishes, but also works to improve your circulation. Used in Indian and Chinese medicine for thousands of years, to reduce high blood pressure. It is recommended to consume 2-4 grams per day.
NUTS AND WALNUTS
Packed with nutrients such as vitamin E and L-arginine nuts, such as the walnut work to promote your body’s production of nitric oxide. Containing high levels of amino acids as well as magnesium, potassium and calcium, nuts can help lower your blood pressure as well as reduce inflammation which is particularly helpful with diabetes.
FATTY FISH
Fatty Fish containing high levels of omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, mackerel, tuna, trout, sardines, and herring helps release nitric oxide into your body dilating your blood vessels and increasing the blood flow. Omega-3 fats also help prevent blood clot formation, plaque buildup in the arteries, lower blood pressure, increase the healthy HDL cholesterol, and improve blood flow in skeletal muscle during and after exercise.
Salmon.
BEETS
Beets contain nitrates, which the body converts into nitric oxide. This process helps expand blood vessels. Beet juice may help widen arteries, lower blood pressure, and improve athletic endurance. Beet juice supplements improve oxygen flow in muscle tissue, stimulates blood flow, increases increase nitric oxide levels and decreases blood vessel inflammation, all of which can boost performance not only in athletes but in everyone.
ONIONS
Onions are an excellent source of flavonoid antioxidants, which benefit heart health and improves circulation by dilating your arteries and veins. Anti-inflammatory properties in onions, combined with the flavonoid antioxidants can also been linked to a reduction in inflammation in both arteries and veins.
There are many natural ways to improve circulation such as choosing foods that contain antioxidants, nitrates and vitamins that stimulate blood flow. Try incorporating some of these foods into your daily diet and see the positive impact in can make on your circulation. Lifestyle changes such as exercise, drinking more water, along with eating healthy foods can all help promote healthy circulation.
BERRIES
Berries are not only great tasting but can have health benefits as well. The antioxidants contained in berries such as blueberries, blackberries, cranberries, raspberries, strawberries and currants not only contain anti-inflammatory properties, but also assist in lowering blood pressure and improving circulation. Studies have also shown berries can help reduce heart rate and improve arterial dilation.
CITRUS
Citrus fruits like oranges, lemons and grapefruit are packed with antioxidants, including flavonoids. Consuming flavonoid-rich citrus fruits may decrease inflammation in your body, which can reduce stiffness while improving blood flow and nitric oxide production. It has also been shown in recent years that flavonoids can even help with varicose veins, reduce the risk of stroke, and improve cognitive functions.
Citrus Fruits.
All of these amazing foods can help improve your circulation, but there are also some foods which can negatively impact your circulation. In the next Council Chronicle, we will take a look at the foods, or food groups that you should avoid if you have health problems, especially circulatory issues.
Establishing healthy habits is a challenging but important part of maintaining your wellness. Small actions and simple activities can make a big difference in your holistic health. The holistic approach to health care focuses on the health of the entire body and mind and not just parts of the body.
1. The dog ate John Steinbeck’s homework—literally. The author’s pup chewed up an early version of Of Mice and Men. “I was pretty mad, but the poor fellow may have been acting critically,” Steinbeck wrote.
2. Among lost works, this story might be even worse: Ernest Hemingway’s first wife, Hadley, left a suitcase full of the author’s writing on a train. When she went back to get it, it was gone. “I had never seen anyone hurt by a thing other than death or unbearable suffering except Hadley when she told me about the things being gone,” Hemingway wrote in A Moveable Feast.
3. The original title of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice was First Impressions.
4. Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein when she 18, during a ghost story competition while staying in Switzerland with writers Percy Shelley (her lover) and Lord Byron.
5. Cartoonist Mort Walker, creator of Beetle Bailey, came up with names for the things we often see in comics and cartoons: “briffit” is the dust cloud a character makes when he runs away quickly; “plewds” are the beads of sweat when a character is under duress; and “grawlix” are symbols such as “#@*%” that stand in for curse words.
7. Almost all commercially grown artichokes (99.9 percent) come from California. One town in particular, Castroville, is nicknamed “the Artichoke Capital of the World.”
8. The different colors of Froot Loops cereal all taste the same—they are not individual flavors.
9. What’s inside a Kit Kat? Broken Kit Kats that are damaged during production—they get ground up and go between the wafers inside, along with cocoa and sugar. That's a way to not let anything go to waste!
10. German chocolate cake doesn’t come from Germany. It was named for a man named Samuel German, who was a chocolate maker that created dark baking chocolate right here in the U.S. in 1852.
German Chocolate Cake
LOL
ICE CREAM SANDWICH DAY AUGUST 2
FRIENDSHIP DAY AUGUST 6
NATIONAL SISTER DAY AUGUST 6
BOOK LOVER’S DAY AUGUST 9
NATIONAL RELAXATION DAY AUGUST 15
BLACK CAT APPRECIATION DAY AUGUST 17
NATIONAL NON-PROFIT DAY AUGUST 17
SENIOR CITIZEN'S DAY AUGUST 21
NATIONAL WAFFLE DAY AUGUST 24
NATIONAL DOG DAY AUGUST 26
WOMEN’S EQUALITY DAY AUGUST 26
NATIONAL BEACH DAY AUGUST 30
NATIONAL GOLF MONTH
NATIONAL PICNIC MONTH
NATIONAL IMMUNIZATION AWARENESS MONTH
NATIONAL EYE EXAM MONTH
FISHING MONTH
The look of love.
Before & After Rescue Dog Transformation
Who can resist a heartwarming makeover, especially when it involves a sweet dog? Whether they were abandoned, lost or mistreated, these down-on-their luck dogs were in dire need of a loving presence in their lives. That's where caring animal shelters, pet rescues and foster parents come into the picture. With lots of love and much-needed TLC, these rescue dogs started thriving — inside and out. These before-and-after transformation pictures speak for themselves. Hopefully, it will inspire you to adopt a rescue pup of your own.
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This hopeless dog was about to be euthanized but a kindhearted woman took him home and adopted him. All he needed was what all God's creatures need, someone to love and care for them. The look on this pup's face in the AFTER photo is filled with such love and devotion that it warms my heart. The love between a rescue dog and its person is beyond compare. This dog has finally found the loving forever home that every pet deserves. I'm know his adopter is happy that she made the decision to add this fur baby to her family.
Please consider adopting a pet from your local animal shelter or a pet rescue if you have room in your home and heart for a new furry family member. Trust me, you'll be so glad that you did. 🐾❤️
1. Would you rather spend the majority of your time by yourself or a majority of your time with other people?
2. Would you rather always be running late or always be running early?
3. Would you rather be able to read faster than anyone on the planet or be able to run faster than anyone on the planet?
4. Would you rather write a New York Times bestseller or win an Olympic gold medal?
5. Would you rather live somewhere tropical or somewhere cold?
6. Would you rather always be traveling or never be able to travel again?
7. Would you rather live in France or Italy?
8. Would you rather have a vegetable garden or a flower garden?
9. Would you rather act in a movie or sing on an album?
10. Would you rather have a lion or have a hawk as a pet?
THERE ARE NO WORK ANNIVERSERIES IN AUGUST.
Just 5 more minutes, please. 😊
A SEA LION PUP WAS FOUND SLEEPING IN A BOOTH IN A RESTAURANT IN SAN DIEGO
A sickly sea lion was found by staff sleeping in a booth at the Marine Room restaurant in San Diego, CA. When female pup was awoken, she began exploring the restaurant.
“I got to tell you when you see a little pup like this, it touches your heart. It’s such a cute little thing,” the Marine Room’s executive chef Bernard Guillas said. “It looked good to me. It was alert. Then they gave me the news, very much underweight. Ouch. I guess they need to be nice and chubby.”
The restaurant staff called the Sea World San Diego rescue team, which took the 8-month-old pup to its rescue center. Weighing only 20 pounds and about the size of a small dog, it is considered a micro pup because it is about half the weight it should be for its age.
Despite its sickly state, Sea World officials were cautiously optimistic that they could nurse it back to health and eventually return it to the wild. It is currently in Sea World’s rehabilitation center, where veterinarians and animal care specialist are stabilizing the pup and hydrating it.
Sea World officials believe the sea lion found its way into the restaurant seeking a warm, dry place to rest.
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The pup is only the latest young sea lion to turn up in a strange place along the California coast. With high tides as well as warming waters from El Nino limiting the sea lion's food supply, they have been increasingly washing up on shore since 2013 – turning up on beaches and found wandering on California city streets.
Rescue Team members collect the pup to take her back to the SeaWorld Rehabilitation center for treatment.
The sea lion pup, dubbed "Marina" was released back into the wild after 2 months of rehabilitation as her SeaWorld handlers cheered.
The doe-eyed pup slid into the cool water 14 miles offshore where she and other rehabilitated young sea lions were returned to their deep blue ocean home. The Marine Room Executive Chef Bernard Guillas, who took a shine to Marina and visited her as she recovered from near death from starvation, accompanied her rescuers and had the honor of setting her free.
Over the past 52 years, SeaWorld San Diego has rescued more than 16,000 sea lions.
Marina being evaluated by a SeaWorld employee.
I just love when one of God's creatures gets a happy ending, don't you? ❤
I pray for equality, unity and peace in every city in our country. Equality for all people everywhere. I pray for justice for all those who have lost their lives needlessly and unjustly. I pray that all people, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation or socioeconomic status be treated with the dignity and respect we all deserve. I pray for change so that healing can begin in this country and around the world.
Amen.
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