Front Page Inside Events Entertainment Animal Space Health Features Announcements The Church

About:

Lorton Valley Star Newspaper
monthly and on the web
www.LortonValleyStar.com

Covering the greater Lorton, VA area from Fairfax /Franconia Parkway to Prince William Parkway.

Contact Information:

Floyd Harrison,
Publisher, Editor-in-Chief
Lorton Valley Star Communications, LLC

Please E-mail:
Publisher@
LortonValleyStar.com
for press releases about Lorton or advertising inquiry

Send plain text only in body
Attach separate image files
Do not attach proprietary files
Print deadline is 20th

Office:
703-372-2828 Voice Mail

Mail to:
Lorton Valley Star
P.O. Box 1436
Lorton Valley, VA 22199

Urgent? Publisher Cell:
571-274-7389

© 2005 Floyd Harrison T/A
Lorton Valley Star Comm.
All international rights reserved; No copying in whole or any element is permitted.

We are not responsible for the content of our advertisers web sites.

Our contact list is not available.

Mother's Grieving Heart

On November 10, 2000 Maria's daughter Crystal was killed in a terrible accident. Maria went through what no mother in the world wants or expects to go through.

Go To Site…

To moms who have suffered the loss of a child:

When Maria was faced with the death of her child, all the books she read provided the same answer. This answer was not good enough. She began to write poetry. Her poetry was a way for her to find the answers to the terrible crisis that she could not find in any book. Through writing her poetry, Maria became closer to God and she found during her journey, that God's mercy is a sufficient answer to any crisis or devastating situation.

Those poems are now available in the book, "Crystal, A Mother's Grieving Heart" published by Lorton Valley Star. It is available in Occoquan at the Coffee House of Occoquan and at Attic Treasures. It is also available online from Maria's web site.

Buy the book now…

Copyright © 2003 Maria Carneiro, of Montclair, Prince William County, Virginia, USA

All international rights reserved.

94 Pages
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1994 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.



Catalog Data:

Carneiro, Maria A.
Crystal, A Mother’s Grieving Heart
Original Publication:
A.D. 2005
ISBN 0-9764770-0-9

Grief, Poetry

Library of Congress Number TXu1-189-869

Cover Art:
Michelle Carneiro
Graphics and Layout:
Floyd Harrison




Publisher:
Lorton Valley Star Communications
P.O. Box 1436
Lorton, VA 22199
USA

See Coffee House

See Attic Treasures

Empowerment – It’s in the Words …

By Coach Sally

Empowering Words

Have you met Prince William’s famous cartoonist, Crystal Wormack yet? If you haven’t read her cartoons, you’re in for a treat in this Star edition!

Crystal is 12 year old and in the 7th grade. With the guidance of her mother, Tracy Wormack, Crystal is establishing her own LLC: Wormack Productions and Creations.

Inspiring Personal Power!

Crystal’s language is personal, powerful and full of possibility. “I developed the idea [for Angel the Puppy] when I was 8, and I used to read a lot of comic strips and thought, ‘Why can’t I do that?’“

When I share my own experience, and when I speak or write confidently in 1st person, I convey personal power, and inspire audiences throughout our greater Lorton community! Woohoo!

Giving It Away

Crystal’s teacher is quoted as saying “you can achieve high standards at a young age”. This general, impersonal, generic “you” refers to ‘everyone else’, not to me, and not really to you [the person I’m speaking to] either.

The teacher’s statement doesn’t belong to anyone in particular. It is impersonal, disembodied, so no-one need really take notice nor act. Hence it lacks power.

How much stronger would the teacher sound with “I am proud of Crystal’s success” or “Stop for a moment and think about this. If your fellow student, Crystal, can become a famous, published cartoonist at 12, then every student in this school can…”

Disempowering Role Models

Sadly, many TV characters, politicians, teachers and other role models subscribe to the disempowering “you”. An example of this is the all too common add on “…you know…”

Redskins Defensive Coordinator, Greg Blache, said “You want your guys to understand… you don’t throw him under the bus”. Greg’s using the impersonal “you’. He doesn’t mean YOU [the reader]. He means himself, doesn’t he? However, he isn’t owning it.

Reed Doughty, Redskins Safety, wasn’t thrown under the bus at all. Out of the game with a virus, Reed saw his replacement, Chris Horton, crowned ‘defensive player of the week’. He’s back on the field as I write, as Redskins win over Arizona.

Reed speaks honestly and powerfully from his heart, and introduces next weeks ‘group spirited language’ with his “us”. “I’d be lying if I wasn’t a little jealous… If he beats me out, it’s because he’s a better football player. I’m going to help other guys, help myself by helping other guys to make us the best team”.

Give your kids a head start. Speak from your heart and from your own perspective. Give your children a strong model to emulate. Start now. Be a star!

Join us next week to foster cooperation via the royal “we” and more! Meantime, Star readers who register for Resurgent Thinking’s Personal Empowerment Program, Sports Performance or Learning Enhancement Sessions will receive, as our gift to you, The Power Communication Tool Kit. Email lvs@resurgenthinking.com or call 703-881-9124 to get yours!

Build Muscle for a Faster Metabolism,
Long-Term Results

By Alissa Carpio, NASM-CPT

The thought of building muscle has gotten a bad rap in the eyes of aspiring exercisers, especially women.  There’s a misconception that building muscle equates to bulking up and will make one look bigger.  Another popular stereotype is that cardiovascular (aerobic) training is the only way to go if you are looking to burn fat and lose weight.  Both of these statements are false, and this article will dispel these myths and teach you the important facts about weight training.
Resistance training is essential for anyone wishing to increase their metabolism, have stronger bones and joints, burn fat and have a tight body.  You’d probably agree that those are all good things, right?  So why does weight training get such a bad rap?  One theory is that when people see photos of professional bodybuilders who’ve managed to put on great amounts of muscle mass, it scares the general public away from the weight room.  The truth is, without intentionally following an extremely difficult and rigorous training regimen on an almost daily basis, most people won’t look like a professional bodybuilder.  Arnold Schwarzenegger said it best when he likened it to a recreational golfer saying “I want to be good, but I don’t want to be as good as Tiger Woods.”  Most people don’t have the genetics and drive to become elite athletes, so it shouldn’t be a concern.  Muscle mass is built through hard work, time and consistent effort.  If you get to a point where you feel like you have enough, you can always cut back or simply maintain where you are.  But the benefits are so great, it would be a shame to shy away from such a rewarding form of exercise.
Another theory is that aerobic or cardiovascular exercise is the best way to burn fat.  The truth is, resistance training is the best way to work your anaerobic system.  Having good anaerobic endurance equates to better aerobic endurance.  It makes every day tasks a lot easier, increases energy and stamina, and results in a much faster metabolic rate than aerobics alone can offer.  Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption following a weight workout is anywhere from 3 to 38 hours following the actual exercise session.  This means the body continues to burn fat stores up to that long after you are finished exercising!  Another study showed that performing high-intensity interval training, although using about half as many calories during exercise, burned a larger amount of subcutaneous fat than traditional aerobic exercise.  One of the most important observances to note is that while one session has a profound effect, it is the cumulative effort of the exerciser that results in long-term, dramatic results.  In other words, consistency is the key!  Long-term resistance training will result in a faster metabolism.
Most of the benefits of a higher metabolic rate are obvious.  It gives you more energy.  It gives you a better quality of life.  It also gives you the luxury of being able to eat more calories and actually use them for fuel, rather than have them being stored as body fat.  And when weight is at a healthy level, risk for diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease go way down or are even completely eliminated. 
Experts recommend performing resistance exercises at least 2-3 times per week for a minimum of 30 minutes per session.  It’s best to include several exercises for every major muscle group of the body.  If you’re not sure where to start, talking to a personal trainer can help tremendously.  A trainer will talk with you about your current lifestyle and level of fitness.  She will help you assess and set goals, then develop a plan to get you there.  You will learn how to perform exercises safely and correctly and to maximize your time spent working out to get you the best results. 
The answer to health and fitness is simple, but it’s definitely not easy.  Include resistance training in your exercise regimen, be consistent, and talk to an expert trainer if necessary, and you’ll be well on your way to achieving long-term success and a better lifestyle.

Alissa Carpio
NPC Fitness Competitor
http://www.alissa.net
alissa@alissacarpiofitness.com

By Coach Sally

In July Lorton Valley Star you read how your allergies can be cured the same way that great sportspeople like Tiger Woods improve their game; by simply imagining yourself playing with great success.
In response, allergies have been eased, and readers are asking for more about sports performance.
What intrigues Star readers most about imagining repetitively throwing that slam-dunk, hitting the hole in one, scoring, until success seems normal?

•Is it the sheer ease—15 minutes a day wherever you are?
•Is it the delightful relaxation you get as you do your practice?
•Is it the extra enjoyment and self-confidence this method brings you?
•Is it the speed and effectiveness with which this process works?
•Is it the convenience in practicing without your team, or paying green fees?

Had a bad day? Relive it, but this time make sure that you succeed at every opportunity! Anything and everything becomes possible in your imagination.
Just make time that you will be undisturbed, sit back in your favorite chair, take a series of deep breaths, allow your mind to relax, and imagine freely. See yourself having the very best day, and game, that you can possibly imagine.
When you are improving your game by simply imagining ongoing success, you’ve copying the most successful champions. They know success begins in your mind.
Guess which golfers said… “I am the toughest golfer mentally... Master the mind!”; “I worked hard on the mental side of my game!”; “Golf is a game of inches. The most important are the six inches between your ears.” 
Resurgent Thinking’s Performance Coaches and Certified Clinical Hypnotherapists have perfected The High Performance Mind Coaching SystemTM. and guarantee it will help you improve your game, whether it’s golf, basketball, hockey, football, yoga, whatever.
For Example: The Resurgent Golfing Program is a mental training technique that gives every level of golfer from beginner to professional the ability to hit straighter drives, sink more putts and have more fun on the golf course.
And the best part is, you don’t have to tell anyone that you’re using it. When your golfing buddies see your amazing improvement they’re sure to ask “When did you take all those lessons?”. You can just smile and say “What lessons? I’ve been working on my mental game.”
Remember, it’s how you think during those 3 seconds it takes to swing your club that will determine your golf score. Turn off the confusing mind chatter going on as you swing. Stay relaxed and focused when you putt. Master Your Mental Game…One Shot at a Time.

Parks, Active Fun for the Whole Family

By Alissa Carpio, NASM-CPT

This time of year the days are hot and long, and while parents are anticipating the kids going back to school, the kids are trying to fit in every last bit of fun they can before summer break ends. Whether or not you’ve gone on a family vacation already this summer, there are plenty of fun activities you can do together before the days get shorter and the weather starts to cool.

Enjoy the Local Outdoors

Many opportunities exist for active fun in the greater Lorton area.  The benefits are threefold:  keep the kids active and entertained, enjoy time together as a family, and get everyone moving and participating in healthy activities. Whether you choose to head to the pool, or hike one of the many trails, the choices are almost limitless. Here are some fun activities to consider, right here in your own backyard:

• Ride on the bicycle trails at Mason Neck or Fountainhead
• Boat on Pohick Bay, Occoquan, Fountainhead or Sandy Run
• Camp at Burke Lake, or Pohick Bay
• Fish at Pohick Bay, Fountainhead or Occoquan
• Swim outdoors at Pohick Bay, or Bull Run
• Hike on the trails at Mason Neck, Occoquan, or the Cross County Trail.

For information on all of the Lorton and surrounding area trails and recreational facilities, visit the
• Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority website including Pohick Bay, Occoquan and Fountainhead at www.nvrpa.org, or the
• Meadowood SRMA also known as Meadowood Farm, http://www.es.blm.gov/lands/meadowood/index.php
• Mason Neck State Park, (charge for parking) http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/mas.shtml
• Mason Neck Federal Wildlife Preserve http://www.fws.gov/refuges/profiles/index.cfm?id=51610
• Fairfax Cross County Trail http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/cct/ or
• Gunston Hall even has a trail to the river http://www.gunstonhall.org/

Get Sporty

Team sports are a great way to elicit family bonding while having fun.  Inexpensive sports you can enjoy as a family include:

• Softball, baseball or waffle ball
• Kite flying
• Frisbee
• Flag football
• Miniature golf
• Volleyball
• Badminton

Attractions

Even non-sporting activities can get everyone active.  The best part?  You’re having fun while doing it and don’t realize you’re exercising

• Tour Woodlawn Plantation http://www.woodlawn1805.org/with the Pope-Leighey house. http://www.popeleighey1940.org/
• Tour Gunston Hall (Home of George Mason) http://www.gunstonhall.org/
• Visit the shops at Old Town Occoquan, http://www.historicoccoquan.com/
• Tour the Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens (Home of George Washington)

Outdoor Safety

There are a few safety concerns to be aware of when participating in outdoor fun.  Always bring water to stay well hydrated.  Bring fresh fruit, granola bars and low-fat cheese to snack on for fuel during active fun.  Wear sunblock when activities include prolonged sun exposure.  Wear light, loose, comfortable, moveable clothing and proper footwear for hiking, bicycling and outdoor sports. Bring a change of clothing and hygiene items for long days or possible overnight trips.  If you plan to be near the water or in the woods, don’t forget the bug spray!

Additional Tips

For even more fun, go with family and friends.  As the saying goes, the more the merrier!  Plan a day trip with a picnic lunch and bring along a blanket and cooler with low-sugar drinks, low-fat yogurt, raw vegetables and sandwiches for a day of healthy fun.  Stash a box in your car for the summer that includes sports balls, Frisbees, kites, jump ropes etc. for fun on the go, any time!   For activities at a greater distance see; http://www.fxva.com/things
There’s nothing like spending quality family time together, especially when living busy and hectic lifestyles.  Take the time to care for yourself and your loved ones by enjoying some of these activities and supporting the local community at the same time. http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/ideas-active-family-fun

Alissa Carpio is an NPC Fitness Competitor and NASM Certified Personal Trainer.  She can be contacted through her websites: www.alissa.net or www.chayahwellness.com.

703-491-3888