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Lime Squeeze (Ladies who are Livin' Lime by Monica Ho Ehlers) |
Congratulations to Jeanne Barrett
by Monica Ho Ehlers (October 1, 2009)
The program runs seven days a week delivering to families who can request the service once a month. Barrett, a Bay Area native and mother of three has been involved with St. Vincent de Paul since she was a little girl. "I remember going to serve meals to those less fortunate with my parents during the holidays," she recalled.
Thirteen years ago, she continued her involvement with St. Vincent de Paul through the parish at St. Matthew's with her husband Pat.
Before starting a family, she and Pat would deliver food. When her kids were little, they would help pack bags of groceries. Now that the kids are older, the family works together to organize the food locker and make deliveries. As coordinator, Barrett trains volunteers and plans delivery schedules as well as helping out wherever she is needed.
With regards to the lean economy, she offers a fresh perspective. "If you make good choices, you can live a fulfilled life, even with your family. It is important to stop and take a break from the speed of life and just play," said Barrett, who hung out with her kids in the back yard in lieu of signing them up for camps during the summer.
Combining fitness with practicality, Barrett squeezes in walks almost every day of the week. "We are fortunate to live near downtown. We like to go to the library, park and super market, where the kids pick out produce that I'll cook for the next meal."
Barrett's spirit of generosity is reflected throughout her life, with friends, family and neighbors constantly dropping by her home. "You are always guaranteed a cup of coffee or tea if you stop by," said Barrett, who often accompanies it with a slice of applesauce cake fresh from the oven. "Anyone could drop in for dinner and we would easily have a quick pasta dish with pine nuts, spinach, chicken, dressed with olive oil and lemon juice."
Her spirit of generosity has brought a smile to so many faces, and food to many in the community. Jeanne Barrett brings out "sweetness" by Livin' Lime every day!
For more information about the St. Paul De Vincent organization and how you can help, please check out http://www.svdpusa.org/
September 5, 2009
Look for her Livin' Lime articles this month!
Congratulations to Anne Rankine
Aussie Supermum Makes A Difference
PERTH, AUSTRALIA – The word “supermum” is an understatement when used to describe Anne Rankine. She and her husband, Greg, are “Livin’ Lime” every day by fostering newborn babies. Their children, Rachel (10) and Jake (8), are fantastic with the precious bundles of joy and have learned some important life lessons of their own.
“The loveliest part of fostering newborns, besides the obvious cuddles and smiles, is the effect it has had on my family,” Rankine noted. “Rachel and Jake are learning about day-to-day baby care, parenting and compassion for others – the power of love and pride in themselves for helping another human being in need.
“Rachel and Jake have adjusted really well,” she added. “I’m still trying to get them to change nappies, though! When the babies go, the kids are very resilient. They may miss them for a day or two, but they just get right back into life. We keep a special photo album of our foster babies.”
Anne and Greg met in the United States in 1989 at a summer camp. Anne worked with children with special needs. She completed her graduate diploma in education with an emphasis on early childhood studies. She also worked as a child support worker at a refuge for women and children escaping domestic violence situations.
“When I was 39, I started to have a mid-life review,” she noted. “I loved my life but knew there somehow had to be more. It was then that Greg and I decided to attend an information night on fostering services. We chose to foster for the pre-adoption program 18 months ago and have never regretted a minute of it. There are so many childless couples on the waiting list. What a gift they will receive! I feel honored to be a part of this amazing process.”
The Belmont-raised mother of two moved to Australia 14 years ago and settled in the beautiful Perth Hills.
“I love living in Australia for many reasons,” Rankine said. “The people are so friendly, the lifestyle is as laid back as you want it to be, and the landscape is diverse. I also love Vegemite on toast!”
The family enjoys an acre of land and a cottage-style home surrounded by eucalyptus trees, wildflowers, and wildlife. Imagine waking up to the chatter of kookaburras, parrots, and red-tailed cockatoos. How about befriending a scorpion, blue-tongued lizard, or kangaroo?
“Currently, we have our winter crop of broccoli, cauliflower, snow peas, sprig onions, spinach, and herbs,” she said. “The kids each have a dwarf apple tree in a pot to look after, as well as blood orange and a nectarine. My lemon tree is my favorite. The smell of the blossoms can lift my mood any day.”
Now that’s "Livin' Lime" down under, and we are proud to acknowledge Anne Rankine as our "Lime Squeeze" of the month.
Congratulations to Monica Ehlers
A Mom who manages to SQUEEZE it all in…
by Antonia Ehlers (June 4th, 2009)
Fitness instructor Monica Ehlers felt guilty when she left her kids to teach group exercise. She was, after all, MOM. A friend suggested Monica create a class where families could work out together. After teaching fitness classes for 22 years, she developed Moms’ Gym and Gym Daddy classes based on the way she played with her own daughters in the park.
“A lot of moms view exercise as one more thing to do on an unending list,” said Ehlers, who was wearing the Livin’ Lime Chocolate Brown Tank when we talked. “Children are less active these days because technology is so convenient.” Moms’ Gym addresses both challenges.
It is a sad fact, one out of every three children in the United States are considered obese. She and her six instructors teach classes from South San Francisco to Menlo Park in Northern California. There are several different formats offered to families with children between the ages of 18 months and 10 years old.
The best part is that parents don’t need to find a babysitter to work out – they exercise with their tots, using them as weights while having a ball.
“We use kid-friendly songs and add a fitness twist so everyone can relate on some level.” said Monica, a self-proclaimed goofball.
“The only thing serious about the class is the workout.”
Games like “Fetch with Yo’ Momma” get hearts pumping as moms retrieve bean bags tossed by their children. Try doing “Kid Jockey” (lateral squats and lunges) with a 40-pound toddler on your back – that’s serious business! Monica gets dagger eyes during this portion of the class, however, moms always return… they feel great after the class.
“My job is to make parents and kids laugh while they play. Our classes build self-esteem. The moms leave in a better mood and the kids go home for a nap.”
Monica, we appreciate how you are in the moment, combining your passion and your family. You are a true Lime Squeeze!
For more information about Monica's Mom Gym and Gym Daddy, check out www.moms-gym.com.
Michelle Runs the Gamut
She Squeezes through Tangy, Sour, and Sweet in 3hrs 57mins
by Antonia Ehlers (April 20, 2009)
Boston Marathon Results
Overall: 14901 out of 22849
Female: 5029 out of 9302
Age 40-44 Female: 972 out of 1644
As she crossed the finish line on April 20, Michelle Ladcani heaved a bittersweet sigh of relief, she ran the event with sprained ankle. “I feel awesome I did so well with an injury, it hurt for every step of the 26.2 miles,” Ladcani said several hours after the grueling race.
The weather was chilly – 48 degrees with 20-mile-an-hour winds. Ladcani wore a white Lime Tank which she customized with sparkly green and silver. Michele heard lots of “Go Livin’ Lime!” shout outs along the way with plenty of cheers. In addition to finishing the race in less than four hours, Ladcani raised $2,754 for Brigham and Women’s hospital. Overall, $4 million was raised for charities in this year’s race.
Ladcani’s long-term goals include running a 3:30 marathon and an ultra marathon – as long as she can find a babysitter. The multitasking mother of two children and three stepchildren lives in Belmont, CA. She balances a 35-hour work week as a technology analyst with running 12 miles each week during power lunch hours. While her coworkers munch on quesadillas and chicken wraps at a local restaurant, Ladcani can be spotted in her pink Livin’ Lime tank top and striped track shorts. Most likely, her hair is twisted into a smart ponytail and she is blasting Quiet Riot, Night Ranger or Twisted Sister on her MP3 player.
“I love running because it’s peaceful and I feel like I have some control in my hurried, hectic life,” Ladcani said. “I would love to run Boston again and hope I can do it with my children one day.”
Michelle Ladcani is squeezing in every bit of training she can before the Boston Marathon.
This weekend she is participating in the Mermaid Run of Mountain View (CA). A half-marathon event comprised of 1000 women competeing in 3 events. (5k, 10k & half-marathon)
In our efforts to support Michelle, we will donate 10% of all our sales between now the the Boston Marathon to her cause.
Thank you,
Marie
