Have you ever had a secret crush? It’s like this wonderful feeling when you like this person and they don’t know and you are not sure if you want them to know because if they did they may not like you. (I know I sound like a teenager, right?)

The feeling is liking someone new is almost like being a teenager all again. Living with a teenager I can remember how it feels to do silly things at 14 years old. I see how he acts when he’s on the phone with a girl. He’s lucky though. In the 1980s there were no cell phones, laptop computers or text messaging. Cordless phones were the biggest thing back then, because it meant you didn’t have to sit in the kitchen to talk on the phone with your parents hovering over you. When he

I wonder if kids these days could live without the technology? I think it would be hard, because since we’ve been introduced to it how many of us leave our homes without our cell phone and if we do we fell lost. I am still getting used to texting though. My son however has it down perfect. So much that he went 664 minutes over his plan. I never realized he talked so much.

The amazing part about texting is the abbreviations of words. I still have a hard time when I use Messenger to shorten my words. I still type long texts, I think that’s because of what I do for a living and I know words count. I am slowing learning the lingo though. I know that vowels can be dropped and numbers used as actuall words. So TTFN and CULTR.

I just finished reading a story about how the Spanish government just completed a $2.5 million study by measuring 10,000 women in order to create new guidelines in the clothing industry.

The study basically concluded that Spanish women come in three basic sizes — hourglass, pear and barrel. The government wants to try and standardize women’s sizes.
The sizing system is taking into consideration the perimeter of a woman’s bust, waist and hips, in relation to height.

Wow, finally a country is trying to change the way the clothing industry does business.

You know that when you step into the dressing room that you can take three different pairs of pants, each the same size and all three will fit differently. It’s aggravating. Sizing inconsistency is rampant around the world and I’m glad to see that a country is doing something about the way women feel about their bodies. Spain is the first country to take such action.

In 2006, during international fashion week the Madrid regional government decided to ban models with a body mass index of fewer than 18. Italy banned underweight models from its Milan fashion show that same year. New York City, where fashion week takes place twice each year has yet to ban ultra-thin models.

Europe leads the way in many things and taking on the fashion industry standard by revealing that a size 2 is no longer normal is wonderful. I think it’s only a matter of time before changes are made in the United States.

I am tired of people’s attitudes that if you are not a size 8 then you are not healthy. In the fashion world and 8 is considered “fat.”

This year Lifetime television debuted “How Do I Look Naked?” It’s a journey to show women that no matter what size they are that they are beautiful. The host — Carson Kressley (you may know him from Bravo TV’s Queer Eye) — helps a woman transform the way she feels by showing her how to wear the proper underwear and the right clothing for her body style.

It’s a great show and it would be really great to see more people embracing the “Botticelli” woman. There are so many women out there who have beautiful bodies — regardless of size — but there are people who attack the way they look and in turn cause countless women to feel negative about themselves.

I learned a long time ago that it’s not men, as much as it is women, who make nasty remarks about looks. So if you’ve got a problem with big girls then really you should keep it to yourself because no one wants to hear it.

Oh, It’s another “Manic Monday.” I wish it were my fun day. How many of you feel the same way when you wake up on the first day of the work week?

I like The Bangles song. Other of you may prefer their tune “Walk Like and Egyptian,” but I think their first hit time is not only fun it’s something we can all relate too.

The song’s lyrics start “Six o’clock already, I was just in the middle of a dream “ and I think everyone knows how that feels. The chorus

It’s just another manic Monday
I wish it was Sunday
‘Cause that’s my funday
An I-don’t-have-to-run day
It’s just another manic Monday

speaks volumes because it’s the one day where people do things for themselves or spend time with their family. However, my Sunday is actually my Monday. For more than six years I’ve worked the Sunday through Thursday shift.

I cover spot news and other events , but one of the things I cover more than anything is church related events. I attend on average two services a month thoughout the year at area churches.

I’ve been to many where it’s lively and entertaining. One might look at that the congregation as being fans at a rock concert rather than praising parishoners. I’ve also attended services that are calm and quiet. I mean no disrepect, but it’s usually at these events where I almost fall asleep.

It doesn’t matter what “house of worship” I’m in because I have a purpose for being there. It’s hard sometimes to write a story about something that maybe only church members find newsworthy and other times I could write volumes on the history and information that is presented.

This past Sunday I attended Rocky Fork New Bethel A.M.E. Church in Godfrey. I was impressed with their Black History presentation and the fact they honored a local woman — Charlotte Johnson –for her efforts in getting the Rocky Fork on the National Underground Railroad: Network to Freedom. If you didn’t know the area served as a refuge for runaway slaves prior to and during the Civil War.

It takes a lot of work to get the federal government to recognize something and give its stamp of approval. So kudos to Johnson and to the church. I enjoyed the service and I guess you could say it “was a fun day.”

Jane Fonda used a vulgar slang term today on NBC’s Today show as she told the story about being asked to use the word for “The Vagina Monologes.”

Fonda said she was asked to do a monolgue using the term, but she said “no.” She said she had enough problems and didn’t need anymore. Good for her, but the word and why its used is just one of the reasons for the monologues.

The monologues relate to the vagina, be it through sex, love, rape, menstruation, mutilation, masturbation, birth, orgasm, the variety of names for the vagina, or simply as a physical aspect of the female body.

A recurring theme throughout is the vagina is a tool of female empowerment, and the ultimate embodiment of individuality.

If you don’t know “The Vagina Monologues” is an episodic play written by Eve Ensler that first ran off-Broadway in 1996. Ensler originally starred in the production, playing all the various women who share their views about their vaginas with the audience; when she left the play it was recast with celebrity monologists. The play continues to run in venues around the country.

“The Vagina Monologues” is also the cornerstone of the “V-Day” movement whose participants stage benefit performances of the show worldwide each year between February 1 and March 8 to raise awareness. The “V” in V-Day stands for Valentine, Vagina, and Victory, linking love and respect for women to ending violence against women and girls.

Whether you agree with Fonda’s use of the word or not, I bet you’ve heard worse. I know it was morning television, but let’s face it there are worse things women hear and see on television than a slang word that describes a female body part.

It’s been more than a week since I updated my blog. I know I should be more vigilant about it, but on my behalf I would like to say — I have been busy.

I know its no excuse, but it happens. During the past week beside the time I’ve been working I have also had to take my son to a pediatric cardiologist.

During the past month I’ve learned several new acronyms –ALP, EKG and ECHO. The first one is for alkaline phosphate, which is present in everyone’s blood. The second and third are short for tests that deal specifically with the heart.

Yes, the heart. I know 14 year olds is not supposed to have heart trouble, but for whatever reason my son did.

The trouble started with him being tired and whenever he would stand he would get dizzy. He became sick at school twice and passed out at home another time. His heart rate was high and he said that it felt like his heart was about to come out of his chest.

So I took him to the doctor and after two visits he scheduled us to see a specialist at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Dr. Barbara Ferdman was wonderful and she was able to assure me that the problems Cole is having were normal for his age and his significant growth spurt.

The solution to his problem was also simple. He needs to increase his water and salt intake.

Simple. Maybe, if you have a teenager then you know nothing is as easy as it seems because according to them adults are clueless, especially parents. It took a heart doctor to tell him to get more sleep, eat healthy (he already does that) and drink plenty of water.

What I gained from the experience is that I should watch what I do for my heart health. The No. 1 killer of women is heart disease and if my son is lerning to take care of his heart then I should lead by example to take care of mine.

For more information visit the American Heart Association.