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*■ 4>m j iPWWSBf -> yMSttK f/ ' '"' - ' : *eSt"4. (Continued from page 14) to travel, and keeping her safe. Gerenon, 38, of Vancouver, British Columbia, who has been blind since birth, didn’t get a guide dog until she collided with a car backing out of a driveway. Now Nicks is her constant companion. “Nicks lets me know if there is a car coming I don’t hear." Gerenon says. Reyes and Gerenon received their dogs for free and ail training expenses were paid for by Guide Dogs for the Blind, which provides financial support for both raisers and graduates. "We are in touch with our graduates throughout the life of their dog,” say's Joanne Ritter, 53, the organization’s director of marketing and communications. When she takes on a new puppy. From meets twice a month with a local puppy-raising club for training support. Sporting green capes labeled “Guide Dogs for the Blind," the pups are taken on outings to accustom them to new surroundings, such as restaurants, malls and street traffic. Each month, From sends a report to help the organization evaluate the puppy’s suitability for guide dog work, since only 50 percent of the pups pass the program's stringent "I’ve seen people’s lives change when they get these dogs,” From says. “It’s amazing what they can do.” fLgir: *-*»“■ : ■ li ' *wlßMßh * ~y"■rilrfe^ y ' -T' Taking Othello to a grocery store helps acquaint him to the environment and become familiar with food aromas. requirements. Dogs that don't make the grade may be deemed better suited as search and rescue dogs, dogs to assist the hearing-impaired or loyal pets. Six of From’s dogs have become guide dogs. “I always told people I would raise guide dogs,” says From, who grew up close to the Guide Dogs cen ter. “But I never knew how until I found out about this program at a dog show. “I love working with dogs,” she adds, “and this feels like I am really making a contribution.’ Karen Kanvnen is a writer in Englewood. Colo. Visit www.guidedogs.com for more information. I | Online extras ... To see more AmericanProfile.com Family Finding Some “Me” Time Time is a valuable asset for any busy woman. So it's important to iden tify the time-robbers in your life, get rid of them, and gradually replace empty' drudgery with activities that rejuvenate you. To discover who or whar is robbing your time, start by keeping a log of how you spend each hour for a day or two. Include things such as regular work, school, caring for kids, housework, ftxxl preparation, shopping, run ning errands and talking on the phone. You may discover that you are allowing your self to be robbed of time tied mg with non-pri onty tasks or doing things for other people that they can do for themselves. You also may find that you're spending dangerously little time on activities that increase, rather than deplete, your energy. Once you see where your time is going, consider die following questions: What are you doing that someone else could do? If a 13-year-old daughter knows her way around the Internet, she cer tainly can learn her way around the kitchen and master a few easy recipes. What are you doing that could be left undone for now? No family ever collapsed for want of perfectly organized closets. How are you allowing other peo ple to determine your schedule? Just because the phone rings doesn’t mean you have to answer it. Let an answering machine take calls so you can talk to chatty friends when it's convenient for you. Do you run errands during high-traf fic times of the day? Whenever possible, shop when others don’t. (Tip: Shop tor groceries on Tuesday mornings. Tire shelves have been re-stocked overnight so the food is fresher, and fewer people shop on Tuesdays.) What’s on your schedule that’s not a top priority? If you'd rather take a photogra phy class than serve as an officer in the Garden Club, give yourself permission to do so. Ridding your life of time-robbers and reclaiming time for yourself not only will benefit you. but your family as well. After all, if you’re tired and resentful because you never have “me” time, the spillover takes its toll on everyone. But when you honor your own needs for personal time, you're honoring others as well. After all, the way we treat our selves affects the way we treat others. 3^ Kathy Peel is frequent American Profile contributor. Page 16 • www.americanprofile.com by KATHY PEEL