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Introduction Text A sign of love... I work in an upscale suburb of Chicago and often spend my lunch and break time (combined) walking through the neighborhoods. I admire the beautiful homes, mansions and seemingly endless landscaping. Another thing I admired was a sign that kept popping up on more and more front lawns, "Hate has no home here." Intrigued, I decided to do a little research on it. It seems that in a neighborhood in Chicago - North Park (coincidentally North Park University also in that neighborhood is where I obtained my Bachelor's degree) is where it all started. North Park is a very diverse area - Swedish, Arab, Jewish, Korean, Hispanic, etc. After 9/11 occurred, this neighborhood was feeling particularly vulnerable. The neighbors decided to do what they had always done - work together celebrating their diversity. A third grader and a kindergartener from Peterson Elementary School imagined the phrase and other neighbors designed the graphics and secured the translations. " The purpose of this sign is to declare neighborhood residences, businesses, and places of community free from hate speech and behavior, providing safe places for conversation, work, learning, and living. Hate, unchecked, can make neighbors feel fearful and unwelcome in their own communities. The Hate Has No Home Here project reminds us what it means to be American." I have decided to embrace the sentiments of this sign and now have one in my front yard and I now declare in English, Hebrew, Arabic, Urdu, Korean and Spanish that Hate has no home here in my neighborhood either.

1) Bring my weight down to be within healthy BMI levels for my height and body build/type. 2) Increase my strength so that my bones grow stronger as I age. 3.) Continue to eat mindfully - including more fresh, organic fruits and vegetables. 4.) Meditate daily (even if only for 5 - 10 minutes) 5.) Show kindness to EVERYONE. 6.) Exercise every day

I take advantage of every program available: 1.) SparkPeople 2.) Vitality 2.) Fitbit 4.) Shapa 5.) 40forYou - (a fitness plan during Lent offered at work)

I love to garden and share my backyard with a few feral cats, some rascally squirrels,gorgeous sphynx moths and other assorted flora and fauna. I keep my backyard organic - no toxic pesticides,herbicides or fertilizers. This year I am growing eggplant, butternut squash, and pumpkins along with tomatoes and cucumbers and a few herbs.I have so many different flowers- perennials and annuals like rudbeckia,echinacea,roses,bee balm, shasta daisy, phlox,canna,day lilies, assorted grasses, marigolds, zinnias, gerbera daisies, raspberries, blueberries,milkweed, butterfly bush, garlic, onions, hostas, columbine, tulips, crocuses, daffodils, peonies, bleeding heart, vinca minor, pachysandra, alcepias tuberosa, lavender, snap dragons, thyme, rosemary, basil, asters,pansies, petunias,geraniums, Mexican heather, cosmos,butterfly weed, salvia brunnera,english ivy, ferns,coral bells,dwarf alberta spruce, lilies of the valley, hydrangeas,veronica, and a bunch of others I can't remember their names.



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