Brainerd, MN

The last Fall Women's Health Speaker Class was on breast cancer, a topic that has probably affected most families. Dr Troy Duininck, who gave an overview of cancer, stated that one in eight women get breast cancer and in 2007 there were 178,480 new breast cancer cases that were diagnosed. He said that in Minnesota there were about 3000 new cases and that Brainerd St Joseph's hospital had 72. Duininck also said that 85-90% of breast cancer cases are not heriditary.

In my family my Grandmother, aunt and sister all had breast cancer. Doctors recommend that women have a mammogram every year starting at age 40 and I do. The Brainerd hospital is getting a breast specific gamma imaging machine that will give doctors a better look at the cancerous cells to better assist their patients.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Make Breast Cancer a National Priority

We need your help! Take action now. Visit the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Advocacy Alliance. Tell our nation's leaders, "I Vote for the Cure."

The Komen Advocacy Alliance engages policymakers and opinion leaders at all levels of government to advocate for an increased investment in breast cancer research and greater access to breast health services for all women. For more information, visit www.IVotefortheCure.org.

What did our founding fathers say about religion and America?

George Washington
Farewell Address, 1796
"And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."

John Adams
"We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a religious and moral people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other."

Benjamin Rush,
"The only foundation for... a republic is to be laid in Religion. Without this there can be no virtue, and without virtue there can be no liberty, and liberty is the object and life of all republican governments. "

Yes, Gov. Sarah, if "under God" is good enough for the founding fathers, it is good enough for me.

How do you keep visitors & Realtors at open houses and showings from using your nicely folded, perfectly hung, and oh so clean and dry towels? I have read that some suggest tying them in ribbons or raffia and therefore signal that they are off limits. Does everyone know how to read raffia? A sign "Do Not Use Towels" along with "Do Not Use Toilet or If in the case of an Emergency : please close lid & flush (or maybe flush and then close lid)", "Do Not Sit on Bed" , "Don't kiss the Mirror", "No eating or drinking in any room", & "No smoking right outside the door and then throwing butt on doorstep" (still referring to the cigarette here) - might help!

What I do is provide a wicker or metal holder with lovely paper guest towels or on a low budget - nicely folded printed Bounty. The reality exists that - "when you've go to go, you've got to go". Realtors at open houses are sometimes there for hours. Children are always unpredictable in their potty habits, some are still in training! I designate a powder room or the guest bathroom for use and indicate that in the other bathrooms. This has helped with the towel problem - the others are still out of control!

What do you do?

Kathleen Lordbock

Re$ale Design & Home Staging

Brainerd Lakes area of Minnesota

~Changing the way houses are sold in Minnesota~

The new Interstate 35W bridge which goes across the Mississippi is now open to public traffic. Thirteen months ago there were thirteen people killed as a result of the collapse of the bridge. Another 145 were injured and the lives of many were touched and changed forever. The design of the bridge is to be a lasting memorial for all those affected by the collapse.

The concrete span includes high-tech sensors and other back up features that were not around to be used forty years ago, when the steel truss original bridge was built. The $234 Million bridge's construction was moved along at a fast pace to accommodate the 140,000 trips a day that will be once again be driving over this section of the mighty Mississippi.

The new ballpark for the Minnesota Twins will be called the Target Field. This is right across the street from the Target Center, home to the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves. The retailer and the Twins will be collaborating on the design of Target Plaza which will connect the $517 Million 40,000 seat Target Field to downtown Minneapolis. This will include a pedestrian bridge and public gathering space. All this Target stuff will be just a few blocks away from the Target corporation's headquarters in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Go Target, oops I meant , Go Twins.