Bridging

This was bookworm's first year as a Girl Scout, actually she was a Brownie. Last night along with her troop and all the troops in town, Bookworm participated in a Bridging Ceremony. She is now officially a Junior Girl Scout. She got to walk across the stage and receive the first patches that will go on her new uniform and then she got to cross the bridge and be welcomed by a Junior Girl Scout to her new ranks.

Cheeseburger Boy, Super Why, & The Babe with the Power were there with Dad and I. Also Grampa Da Cow, Kiki and Papa were able to come and watch. The auditorium was packed, all seats were taken almost an hour before the ceremony began.

The troops brought in goodies to host a small reception afterward where the girls who bridged could ask the older girls questions about what to expect in the coming year.

Stroke awareness

May is stroke awareness month. A stroke can really change life in an instant. Here are a few tips to help you recognize a stroke. FAST is one way to remember,

F is for facial weakness - is the person able to smile or is their face drooping,
A is for arms - ask them to hold their arms in the air- are they having trouble with one arm?
S is for speech - are they slurring or unable to get words out?
T is for time - if any of these symptoms are present, call 911 immediately. There is a treatment Tissue Plasminogen Activator (tPA) available that can prevent further damage and even reverse damage done by a stroke, however you need to be diagnosed and treated within 3 hours or it isn't an option.

Other symptoms to be aware of are sudden or severe headaches and vision loss, double vision or blurry vision, especially if accompanied by dizziness or lack of balance and coordination.

Strokes aren't prejudice, they can strike anyone at any age, please make yourself aware of these symptoms, they could help you save a life.