Author Archives: Sparks

I am legitimate!

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Ron bought me my very own domain tonight! http://www.careysparks.com is all mine.  That’s right, I am legitimate now.

Reminds me of MC Hammer.  2 Legit 2 Quit!

So now, we have pointed my newly upgraded blog (moved to WordPress) to my new domain.  This means, I will have to blog more often.

I struggle sometimes finding the right topic or I just simply procrastinate.  But now, with my name on the line, I can’t quit.

Not only that, but last April I said I was going to pick up photography as a hobby and look how long it took me to finally just get a camera?  (Ron and I bought the Canon Digital Rebel XSi at the end of December).

So my goal is to use this blog to keep me check, keep me honest!

Ron and I have taken the camera out and have tried out different techniques and just simply trying to figure out all the bells and whistles of the camera.  Just this past week we headed out to Leu Gardens (our very favorite quiet space) and took tons of pictures.

So what is next?  Well, I still want to take some classes at the Crealde School and Ron works with a bunch of photographers, so I plan on picking their brains as well.  I am so excited and plan on sharing my progress here.  It’s a win-win situation.

Why all the uproar?

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Since when is it a problem to have a world leader try to inspire and motivate the youth of America?

There is all this controversy around having President Obama speak to our children today, and I just don’t understand why? Is it because they don’t like the President? And if that is the case, why don’t they like him? Is it because they are on the opposition and aren’t even willing to listen or give him a shot? Are they too afraid of change? Are they afraid of the unknown?

What drives me crazy is people making a decision without all the facts or even wanting the facts. I keep hearing and seeing people oppose the President, just out of spite because he is a Democrat or because he is African-American or because he is young, or because he wants to actually make this country a better place to live now and in the future for our children.

Don’t you know change will happen no matter what? Things can never just stay the same, so why not help make the change a positive change? Why would you want to sit back and let someone else make the decisions for you? You have a voice, so use it.

So back to the issue of today (literally). What is the issue with having the President of the United States speak to our children? Have you read the notes on what he going to speak about? I have. All he wants to do is help motivate and inspire the youth of this country to rise up and reach their full potential. SHOCKING, isn’t it? SCARY, isn’t it? NO, it is not.

I wonder if the opposition is just worried that this next generation will see through all the past mistakes they made and want to fix them. Now that is scary. Because then they will have to admit they made an error. Nobody is perfect and we all make mistakes. It is time to own up to them and move forward, it’s ok. Nobody is saying the President’s plan is perfect either, even he says it won’t be perfect, but what he is trying to do is make a change for the better.

The other thing that scares me is the fact that people are holding their children back from going to school so they don’t see the Presidential address, shows and teaches the children the wrong lesson. You can’t hide from differences of opinion. You can’t teach them to run and hide until the issue is gone. You have to teach them to face it head on and allow them to make up their own minds. They aren’t giving the children a chance to think on their own. One of the best lines I have ever heard is “you may not respect the person, but you should respect the institution of the American Presidency”. So not showing up to school, not being responsible, is the wrong lesson. What if they had a test the next day that they don’t agree with, do they get to stay home from that? Doubtful.

And where was all this opposition when other past presidents addressed the youth of America? Didn’t Reagan and Bush Sr. do the same?

I wish one day, we can all get out of our own way and achieve success together. There will always be different opinions, that is what makes our country so great and helps it move forward. However, blatant disregard for others ideas, just because they may be different from yours, helps nobody. It just delays progress.

I can’t wait to hear what my kids thought of the speech when we get home tonight. Will you be talking to your kids about it?

Funny dreams

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The other morning, I woke up laughing. Literally. What a fun way to wake up.

Let me explain.

I had a dream.


I had a dream that computers were in our bodies.

Not like a robot, per se. In my dream, we projected the computer screen from our eyes and could project them onto walls, tables, etc. Any surface we were looking at. Then, all we needed to do was touch the surface where we were projecting on to interact (type, scroll, etc.). Pretty cool right??

Here comes the funny part. If you come across an issue where you are projecting on a surface that doesn’t react to your touch, not to worry. We have a back-up plan.

Pull up your shirt and touch your belly. Use that as your surface!!


OK, stop laughing.

This was my dream. Pretty cool, huh?? What a great way to wake up!

Countdown Begins

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Ladies and gentlemen, there are now only 95 days until Ron and I get married!

All I can say is HELLO!!

We realized today, we have been procrastinating in some of the few remaining planning details and it is time to light a fire under us!

I logged in to one of my favorite wedding sites today to get some prices on something and first saw the countdown and then, when I went into my personalized checklist they very nicely make you, I have tons of “PAST DUE” activities, and even marked with a red exclamation mark (!). HOLY MOLEY! Way to put a girl into panic mode.


So Ron, better watch out, we are in for some busy days wrapping up the last of the planning. We’ve had it easy for 2 months, but you said you want to be completely involved……

Summertime fun!

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Summer is here and in full bloom!

Kids are out of school, only thing on TV are re-runs, SnowBirds have left to go up North, times are good.

What will you be doing this summer? If you are in my neck of the woods, you will probably have lots of activities outside, right? Hit the beach, go to the park, go to the theme parks, bike riding, canoeing and more.

With that said, here is my PSA for the week. Sun protection is key! Please do yourself and your family a favor and remember to throw on sunscreen and sunblock.

Did you know that skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States? One in five Americans will develop skin cancer. It is no laughing matter and it isn’t being taken serious.

Look at Ron and I. He was diagnosed wth Squamous Cell Carcinoma (the second most common) and I was diagnosed with Basal Cell Carcinoma (the most common). Basal cell is rarely fatal, but can be disfiguring, but Squamous cell can be fatal.

They say that about 90% of non-melanoma skin cancers are associated with exposure to UV rays from the sun.

This is why I am urging everyone to cover up and use sun protection. You can be beautiful without the deep dark tahitian tan. Plus with all the new sprays and lotions, they are easier to apply and not such a hassle, especially with kids.


Here is a quick Q&A guide to tell you what SPF to use and how often you shoud re-apply.

Q: What is the minimum SPF recommended for kids? For adults?
A: For children 6 months of age and older, we recommend sunscreens with an SPF 30 or higher.
Babies under 6 months should be kept out of the sun.
Adults of all skin types should use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15.

Q: What is the difference between UVA rays and UVB rays?
A: UVA rays penetrate deeply into the skin and contribute to premature skin aging and skin cancer. Our exposure to UVA is more constant than to UVB — we encounter UVA rays no matter what the season or time of day.

UVB rays are the main cause of sunburn, but they also contribute significantly to premature skin aging and skin cancer.

High SPF sunscreen products (those with an SPF higher than 30) are designed primarily to absorb UVB plus the shorter UVA rays.

Q: How much should I use and how often should I re-apply?
A: Apply 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of sunscreen to your entire body 30 minutes before going outside. Reapply every two hours.

Long story short, go out, enjoy the sun. Get your vitamin D. Just be safe when you do. You’ll find me at the beach as much as possible this summer, but you’ll find me under a nice umbrella (that also has SPF protection) or out enjoying the waves with my SPF 45+ on. I won’t let cancer get the best of me!

For more helpful information, here are some great sites.

http://www.skincancer.org/
http://www.cancer.org