With Your Family in Mind

I discussed how adults partying can be unhealthy.  Now about the adults who allow their kids to party, sometimes because they feel it’s better the kids do it at home “where it’s safe.”  This is not the right message.  With teenagers we need to recognize we do not have any control, only influence.  We cannot stop them but we can be consistent in our message that we prefer they wait or abstain from drugs/alcohol. 

This is a message for the grown-ups: We have to grow up and behave like mature adults.  Some folks are far too comfortable with the adult version of doing exactly what the kids do and that is going out on a regular basis and getting loaded.  Because we have cars, insurance, jobs and families and meet our day-to-day responsibilities it remains hidden even to ourselves, but a favorite pastime is to meet with friends, have dinner, catch a movie and/or drink. 

The human voice is a wonderful musical instrument and we rely on it to transmit the symphony of our thoughts and feelings.  In our professional lives, the ability to persuade determines financial success.  But, lets face it, everything in life is about presentation, we connect with people based on how well we do it.  Whether we are  teachers, CEO’s, sales people, lawyers, politicians, religious leaders or managers, the voice is the engine that carries ideas to people.

Every 70 seconds, someone in the US develops Alzheimer’s, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.  Dependable Senior Assistants LLC is helping raise awareness of the enormous impact of this increasing epidemic.  Structured activities that involve and interest the person with Alzheimer’s will help minimize the disturbing behaviors associated with the disease, such as:
• Motor: Take a walk, do chair exercises, stretch, or even do a dance using just the hands – the important thing is to encourage some sort of movement.

National Foster Parent Appreciation Month in May provides a wonderful opportunity to honor and recognize the work of people making a difference in the lives of children in foster care. 

Your child isn’t talking as much as they should be or they have trouble making some speech sounds.  You think—oh, they’re young, no big deal.  You think this because so many people (often including your pediatrician) tell you not to worry, they’ll outgrow it, many children (especially boys) just develop later, it sounds cute, you’re a worrier, it’s normal.  The list of rationalizations goes on and on.  And, thinking it’s no big deal, you take a “wait and see” attitude.

Readers of The Magazine of Santa Clarita continue to send in interesting questions about the voiceover business.  This month’s questions are about agents.
Q: I have heard that L.A. agents won’t even listen to you without a lot of experience and to start off with local agents in other regions.  What do you think?  I have the Call Sheet Backstage casting directory - is that a good place to start?  Any advice is greatly appreciated! – Sheri A., Pasadena, CA

Joanne and Tony throw the best keg parties in town.  The beer flows and a designated teen collects car keys at the door.  Teens mill around, shouting over the pounding music, hugging and “high-fiving” Joanne and Tony.  They are so popular, they could have been voted Prom King and Queen.
What’s wrong with this picture?  Joanne and Tony graduated high school 25 years ago, and this is their son’s party - and the family is planning a few more beer bashes during the summer.

Hoping to save his children the cost and inconvenience of a probate proceeding after he died, Joe Client had executed a living trust.  He had funded his trust, taking title to his assets as trustee of his trust.
Later, Joe re-financed his house.  He took the house out of the trust, deeding the property back to himself, as “Joe Client, an unmarried man.”  Then, before he could put the house back in the trust, he died.

It is stressful being a caregiver for an elderly parent or loved one, no matter how much you may love them.  There is a significant amount of disruption to your life and schedule, as well as the worry and sorrow of watching one you love become more helpless.  There are also feelings involved with elderly care including frustration, guilt, resentment, and hopelessness.  Feeling unappreciated for all of the work you do also contributes to anxiety. 

The number one enemy in our lives functions under the name “Distraction.”  Distraction comes to shift our perception and hinder our focus.  Distraction’s main goal is to get us to major in the minors and minor in the majors.  Distraction wants us to believe that our lives are worse than what they really are.  Distraction wants us to believe that our family is being destroyed, it’s the end of the road, we’ll never survive this issue, there is no healing or restoration ahead. 

Where can you go in Santa Clarita to improve your skills and knowledge in such diverse areas as Stained Glass, English as a Second Language, Basic Bookkeeping, Woodworking, Computer Skills, Masonry, Parenting, Personal Care Assisting (to name only a few), or earn your High School Diploma or GED Certificate?  Check out Golden Oak Adult School

A recent study by the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP revealed that nearly 30 percent of the United States population (more than 65 million people) spend 20 hours or more each week caring for chronically ill, disabled or aging loved ones.  Most care recipients (“caretakers”) live at home with their care providers (“caregivers”).

Real Estate Executive Brings Valuable Experience to Nonprofit Organization.
Randy Wrage has become the latest in a series of respected community leaders to join the board of trustees for the Santa Clarita Valley Senior Center Foundation.
“We’re very excited to have Randy Wrage joining our governing board,” said Foundation President Myles McNamara.  “His expertise in real estate development, plus his knowledge of the Santa Clarita Valley’s business environment, will prove immensely valuable to the Senior Center Foundation.”

Mother’s Day is a high point of the month of May.  It’s a time to honor all the precious moms in our lives!  For all the moms out there, here’s a little humor to brighten your day!  Enjoy…
I was out walking with my four year-old daughter.  She picked up something off the ground and started to put it in her mouth.  I took the item away from her and I asked her not to do that.  “Why,” my daughter asked.  “Because it’s been lying outside, you don’t know where it’s been, it’s dirty and probably has germs,” I replied. 

If you are one of the many family members caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease, it can be very rewarding, but at times also be very frustrating.  It is so important that you not only provide care for your loved one, but that you also take proper care and time for yourself.  You may come to a point where it may be necessary to reach out to others for support. 

Myles McNamara not only provides in-home care services to area seniors, but was recently honored by Comfort Keepers Franchising, Inc. for his performance as a Comfort Keepers franchise owner.  McNamara, a Certified Senior Advisor, was recognized at the Celebration Dinner and Awards Ceremony recently during the Comfort Keepers Annual National Convention held in Glendale, Arizona.

Many people who are actors ask me, “Why does an actor need to take voice over classes to work in VO?”  Acting skills certainly give a person an ability to deliver lines, so what’s the difference?  There really are many differences and demands.  Let’s say there is a need for additional skills.  The art of Voiceover or voice acting requires: a knowledge of voiceover styles, the ability to change cadence, tone of voice, range, and the rise and fall of your voice on demand in order to deliver what the client wants.