Spring showers may bring beautiful flowers, but often times, severe weather situations can bring more than we are prepared for.  As the first day of spring approaches on March 20, the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), Energizer and the American Meteorological Society (AMS) are working together to help families prepare for whatever weather situations spring, summer and hurricane seasons might bring their way.  Storms can lead to power outages and can put families at risk for potentially harmful and serious outcomes.  A simple way to prepare for inconvenient and unavoidable power outages is to have an emergency power kit ready before the blackout occurs. 

Recognizing a need for citizens across the nation to be prepared with back-up power supplies other than candles, as well as other necessities for use during power outages caused by severe weather, the Energizer Keep Safe. Keep Going public safety campaign was developed.  Through this preparedness initiative, Energizer, the IAFC, the AMS and more than 6,200 fire departments nationwide work together to provide tips for building a complete emergency power kit and ways for families to stay powered and connected.  In addition, the organizations work to provide reminders about the importance of resisting the urge to use candles as light sources during power outages. 
 
“We cannot stress enough the importance of using flashlights and lanterns instead of candles during power outages,” said Chief Jeffrey Johnson, EFO, CFO, MIFireE and president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs.  “Candles cause an average of nearly 15,000 home fires each year, resulting in significant numbers of preventable injuries and deaths.  An emergency power kit can literally be a beacon of light in a storm and can help prevent needless home fires caused by candles.”

In an effort to reach even more communities with tips and tools to help them stay safe during varying weather situations, the AMS has joined this year’s effort. 

“It is our goal at the AMS to educate and help spread important messages on weather preparedness,” said Keith Seitter, CCM and Executive Director of the American Meteorological Society.  “Education is key in helping families be prepared for potential hazardous weather situations and programs like this public education weather safety campaign are easy reminders.”

What to Include in Your Emergency Power Kit

• Battery-powered radio or crank radio, to keep your family apprised of current weather-related news.
• Plenty of extra batteries. Energizer Ultimate Lithium and Energizer MAX batteries (AA, AAA, C, D and 9-volt) provide long-lasting power before, during and after the storm. Lithium batteries have a long storage life, perform well in extreme temperatures and are perfect for use in LED flashlights and other high-tech devices, while Energizer MAX batteries are an ideal power source for standard flashlights and lanterns.   
• Flashlight for every member of the family. Use flashlights instead of candles when the power goes out.  Energizer Weatheready lights feature long-lasting LED technology. With versatile flashlights and area lights, the Weatheready line is designed to keep your family out of the dark.
• Battery-powered cell phone charger, to help keep the lines of communication open. Energizer Energi To Go power packs help keep cell phones charged.
• Extra specialty batteries. Your health is your most important asset.  Specialty batteries power critical health devices like hearing aids and blood glucose and blood pressure monitors.

“An emergency power kit can offer peace of mind to families caught in spring storms,” said Jim Olsen, Vice President of Marketing for Energizer North America.  “Through the Energizer Keep Safe. Keep Going program, we are reminding families to stay prepared for blackouts by preparing their own back-up power kits so they are ready for power outages during whatever type of severe weather situations that may head their way.”

In addition to back-up power, it is important to gather additional emergency supplies such as water and nonperishable food and to be sure to have copies of important documents such as medical records and insurance papers.  For a complete list of tips for preparing for storms and important home fire safety tips, Click here…

Ivie loved her baby brother even before he was born… often giving hugs and kisses to my growing belly. But she looked surprised after he came out. Maybe finally coming to an actual understanding of what we’d been saying would eventually happen.

From the minute we took Beckam home, she's been so proud of her baby brother... often calling him her own baby! She eagerly showers him with hugs and kisses all day...we're always having to remind her to be gentle.

So she has been wonderful with him, but has been "testing" her Mommy and Daddy more. I know she just misses the undivided attention, and her little bouts of acting out are just a way to get a little back.

The adjustment from one to two has been a little hard on mom too. Nursing 8+ times a day is not only tiring, but hard to explain to a 2 1/2 year old. As I was feeding Beckam the other day, and talking to my little chatterbox, an overwhelming feeling of missing her came over me. I hope she feels just as loved as always. Even though I'm thrilled with my new lil guy, my daughter is and always will be my "lil Ivie girl"... my sunshine.

One more from “Ivie’s high chair show.”

If you have more than one child, how did you deal with the adjustment? In what ways did you try to make your first-born feel just as important?

My bathroom floor would make state trooper do a double take. Seed trays germinating.

Nothing illegal here, just vegetables and herbs for cooking.

This year, I’m starting some oddball tomatoes, both green sausage variety and a medium sized pink one.

Five, count ‘em, five kinds of peppers. Sweet Hungarian wax, red bell, Anaheim chile (for stuffing, fajitas or stir frying) and a Caribbean hot pepper.

Two kinds of basil. I had some leftover seeds and usually have okay luck with two year old garden seeds. One’s supposed to have large leaves.

Five different packets of lettuce seed. Boston, romaine, a mezclun, buttercrunch and some other type of head lettuce.

I’m trying again to grow a strange South American orange eggplant. Last year I got the seeds to sprout and later the plants died.
Maybe they’ll grow better this time around. I do like eating eggplant, but these just sound pretty.

Cilantro is already starting to sprout in my yard. Catnip, too. It’s so good to see things growing again.

Hopefully I can keep remembering to water the indoor seedlings. Having them on the bathroom floor next to the shower door where I can almost trip over them will probably help.

It is concert season for Heather! Yep, I got my tickets to see Elton John at the Lucas County Arena on April 24th. I will be joined by two other Fox Toledo staffers – anchor, Laura Emerson and graphics guru, Alex Dennis. We tried for the $89 seats, but we only able to score the $39 seats before they sold out. $189 a ticket just isn’t in my budget (sorry Elton.)

This will be the first actual event I will be attending at the new arena. Sure, I’ve been they plenty of times for stories, but I have not been there for anything other than work. So, needless to say, I’m pretty excited.

However, before I see Sir Elton I will be seeing Vince Gill in Nashville. I’m heading to Music City for Easter to spend time with my country music singin’ sister and bro-in-law before Frank (bro-in-law) heads out on tour. While we are there, we will head over to the Grand Ole Opry. Vince Gill is on the line up that night, but no other artists are scheduled. They Opry usually doesn’t firm up all the artists until a day or so before the concert. No matter who ends up playing, I’m sure it will be great.

And – if those two concerts aren’t enough, the hubby and I (and maybe Laura and some other friends) plan to catch ‘A Prairie Home Companion’ live in Cleveland in June. We caught Garrison Keillor and Company two years ago and it was great. “A Prairie Home Companion’ is a radio show that airs on Saturday evenings on National Public Radio. As a broadcaster my self, it is really interesting watching a radio show live.

Those are just a few of the upcoming events I have planned. I still would like to see Wicked during its Toledo run. And, I am still waiting for Carrie Underwood tickets to fall in my lap (I doubt that will really happen.) Whew – I’m exhausted just typing all that.

One of my favorite times of day is after I drop my daughter off at preschool and I have a couple minutes to myself on my drive into work.  I enjoy it because I am able to sip my coffee, listen to the radio and collect my thoughts before getting to work.

It’s ironic … because I think my least favorite part of my day is the drive home.  By then I just can’t wait to get home and see my daughter and am usually hungry and can’t wait to have a family dinner.  The drive home always seems so much longer.  But it is nice driving home with sunshine rather then in the dark now, since the time change.

This was an absolutely random blog … but isn’t that what they are all about … writing about what is on your mind:)

This video makes it seems like Ashley Johncola and I got to LA in a flash.  Here are some shots our travels, and a look at the top 12 American Idol contestants on the red carpet in Hollywood.

It started on Monday, February 22nd, I was dialated to 3 at my doctor’s appointment and started to feel regular contractations that night… but they were gone by morning.

I started to feel more by Wednesday the 24th, so I went to the hospital and they said I was dialated to 5 and could be admitted if I wanted. My husband and I decided to make sure I was making progress instead, so after a couple hours of walking laps and flights of stairs at the hospital, I got checked again. Much to my chagrin I hadn’t made any real progress, so we headed home to get some sleep.

I woke up the morning of my due date depressed. I wasn’t feeling anything, and started to think I would be pregnant for a couple more weeks. So I sent Nick off to work. About an hour later, I started to feel some contractions, but I wrote them off, and watched TV a little more. When they kept up, I decided to draw myself a bath. The contractions quickly intensified, and after about a half hour of regular 2 to 3 minute apart contractions, I called Nick. He didn’t answer. After another call and a text, I called him at work and said, “Get home!” About five minutes later we were off…

Have you ever felt you needed a change?  Well I think the warmer weather will be just the change I need.  There’s just something awesome about 60 degree temperatures after dealing with the freezing cold for months.

I think it will give me a good boost in all aspects of life.  This is the time of year I get to thinking about what else I can do to make things better.
Bring it on!

“Cut it out Gray, let’s just get this over with,” I said, still furious with him.

“Fine lets,” he said as he pulled out two chairs one for him and the other for me.

“Gray Jackson, tell me about your life.  You grew up in Maple Heights, Ohio and played basketball since you were four.  Tell me why basketball why not football or baseball?” I asked trying to stem my emotions.

“Well, Lee my father played…” he began but I stopped him.

“Gray, don’t use my name in the interview.  Janice is reporting the spot not me,” I rudely interrupted.

“It’s good to know,” he smiled and began again.  “Well my father and mother both played basketball in high school so it’s easy to say it’s in my blood.  My father gave me my first basketball at the age of two.  I didn’t know what to do with it I mean I was two for Christ sake.  My father sent me to basketball camp at six and…” he continued.

The next question was pretty basic.

“You’re the top guard for the Miami Heat,  scoring an average of thirty points a game, any chance of your team winning the NBA Finals?”

He went on answering the question, but as I looked down at the next question I noticed something strange.

“While playing for Miami for three and a half years you suffered from hypomania, a disorder caused by bipolar,” I said guiltily.

Hypomania? I thought.

“Correct Lee.  I’ve been cured for two years now,” he said to me with a serious look on his face.  “I couldn’t tell you Lee I was going through a lot at the time and when you told me all of those things I couldn’t help myself to feel the same way,” he said with an intense stare. “When I got back to Miami, all I could think about was you and how you only had those feelings because I was a basketball player.  I didn’t think you loved me I mean come on, girls think they love me all the time,” he said.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked confused and concerned.

“Lee, I couldn’t tell you.  You would have treated me differently.  When I called Paula to ask her about her brother she automatically told me, without me even asking, that you were dating that fragment of your imagination dude,” he started to chuckle.  “I was torn when I heard that you were dating someone else.  I went through one of my episodes and didn’t contact you.  I only got engage because she resembled you Lee.”

I was completely stunned I didn’t know what to do or how to respond.  I should have known something was wrong.

“Why didn’t you return any of my calls then?”

“Lee, it’s a psychiatric disorder characterized by excessive impulsive behavior. I didn’t know how to respond I just wanted to be alone,” he finally said.

“Gray I, I, I didn’t know I’m sorry you went through this,” I said.

I couldn’t believe it but I felt sorry for him.  I had no clue this was going on.

“But congratulations,” he said back in high spirits.

“What?” I asked

“Congratulations on your engagement.  Look Lee, can we just be friends?  I always appreciated our friendship,” he said smiling.

The rest of the interview went smoothly.  We laughed and joked like old times. I rather have Gray as a friend than nothing at all.

“Hey Lee, after the game tomorrow night would you like to have dinner?” he asked as I was walking out the door.

“Um, I don’t think that’s a good idea Gray,” I hedged in my response.

“Come on Lee, just the two of us at B Johnson’s over on Massachusetts Avenue.  Some of the other players say it’s a place to die for.  I never actually been there,” he said.  “We can catch up and you can tell me all about your fiancé’.”

I had put Sam and my engagement out of my mind during the whole interview.  But one dinner for old time sake shouldn’t be a problem. Right?

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Tune in next week