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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Behind the strength of a natural hat-trick by senior Michelle Teplensky (Somers, N.Y.), the No. 18 MIT field hockey team defeated Wheaton College, 4-1, in a NEWMAC game on Tuesday night. Senior Emily Chick (Bangor, Maine) provided the lone marker for the Lyons who saw their ledger move to 4-9 on the year and 0-4 in conference play.
MIT (10-1, 3-0 NEWMAC) opened the scoring after 2:16 elapsed in the contest. Following a penalty corner, junior Elizabeth Dethy (Morristown, N.J.) chipped the ball up which Teplensky batted down towards the middle of the cage. Wheaton almost tallied the equalizer two minutes later when junior Sarah McNicholas (Boxboro, Mass.) picked up a turnover in the Engineers' defensive end. She found herself in a 1-on-3 situation but the attempt was thwarted by MIT junior Diane Kim (Acton, Mass.) at the last second.
Despite solid play by the Lyons' defense just outside of the arc, junior Caitlin Mackey (San Diego, Calif.) intercepted a pass and quickly sent it to Teplensky for her second goal of the night in the 11th minute. Wheaton's back line continued to stymie the Engineers' attack and eventually produced a bid by Chick that resulted in MIT sophomore goalie Evie Kyritsis (Mountain Lakes, N.J.) making a diving stick-save. The loose ball stayed within the arc but the visitors couldn't put another attempt on net.
The game became a back-and-forth affair until the Engineers capped the first-half scoring in the 29th minute. Courtesy of the Cardinal and Gray's sixth penalty corner of the frame, feeds from freshman Jane Coffrin (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) and Dethy helped Teplensky record the first hat-trick of her career.
Coming out of the intermission, Wheaton generated four penalty corners and two shots but it was the hosts who found the back of the net. MIT capitalized on its own penalty corner in the 40th minute when sophomore Siobhan Rigby (Richmond, Va.) sent a blast from the far side after being set up by Coffrin and freshman Emma Valentine (Endwell, N.Y.).
The Lyons almost got on the board midway through the second half when a feed in front of the goal rolled past Kyritsis. Facing a wide open near post, senior Jenna Rocha (Rehoboth, Mass.) pursued the loose ball but couldn't put a stick on it. Wheaton ended the shutout attempt during a counterattack with 8:02 left to play as Chick redirected a pass from freshman Amelia Gage (Lebanon, N.H.).
In net, Kyritsis collected three saves in 62 minutes while sophomore Paige Kennedy (Eastchester, N.Y.) turned away two shots in relief. For the Lyons, senior Ellie Massengill (Amherst, Mass.) played the first half and did not make a save as junior Madison Wolters (Marstons Mills, Mass.) closed out the game with five stops.
Both squads will face league foe Clark University in their next outing. MIT will host the Cougars on Saturday, Oct. 12 while Wheaton will make the trip to Worcester, Mass. the following Saturday.


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A MYSTERIOUS apparition spotted in the car park of a Worcester restaurant has captured the imagination of people across the city.
Worcester News reader Ross Withers recorded a video of what appears to be a small tornado in the car park of The Pavilion in the Park in Tybridge Street on Saturday afternoon.
In the video the strange apparition can be seen moving across the car park surrounded by curious onlookers before fizzling out at the fence with Cripplegate Park.
Ross, who lives in Lower Broadheath, said he had just gone into the bar with some friends when he heard a commotion from outside and went out to see what was happening.
"We heard screaming and went outside to see an umbrella about 60 feet in the air," he said.
"Someone shouted 'there's a whirlwind'.
"It was a bit scary, really."
He said a lot of people were recording videos of the strange occurrence.
"Quite a few people were recording it and a lot of people were trying to keep their kids away from it because it was spitting stones all over the place.
"It left a trail on the car park – it was quite powerful."
Bar supervisor of The Pavilion Jack Fletcher was at the scene and said it was like "a massive gust of wind".
"It was really weird – everyone was backing away from it," he said.
"We had one of our umbrellas fly out towards the river. Luckily no one was hurt.
"I've seen mini tornados on the internet, but nothing like this."
But Ian Michaelwaite from Pershore-based netweather.tv identified the mysterious formation as a dust devil.
"It was a reasonable warm day and the tarmac obviously gets fairly warm so the hot air rises," he said.
"But there was a layer of colder air so when the hot air rose it clashed with the low pressure and creates a kind of upside-down tornado.
"As you can see in the video it stops as soon as it gets to the grass.
"It's more often seen in fields after harvests."
He said they are more commonly seen in rural areas of America, where they can sometimes get very large.
"It does look quite bizarre," he said.
"Sometimes you can't see them because there's no dust.
"It's very fortunate to be that close to one."
Here's another video of the dirt devil. This one's from Olivia Hartley:

subset: commoncrawl


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Federal research scientists are linking the deep underground injection of waste water from oil and gas exploration to a major increase in minor earthquakes from Colorado to Ohio.
A modest increase in such quakes was noticed beginning in 2001 in coal-bed methane fields near the Colorado-New Mexico border. That number accelerated rapidly from 2009 through 2011 and was especially pronounced in the oil and gas fields of northern Arkansas and central and southern Oklahoma, the scientists found.
Across that region, 50 earthquakes were larger than magnitude 3 in 2009. The number rose to 87 quakes in 2010 and reached 134 earthquakes in 2011 – more than six times the annual average levels recorded from 1970 to 2000.
The large jump is "a remarkable increase" in the rate of minor earthquakes that is "almost certainly manmade," according to the abstract of a new study by US Geological Survey scientists, which is expected to be delivered at a scientific conference next week in San Diego. The full study was unavailable.
In Oklahoma, for instance, the rate of earthquakes larger than magnitude 3 (considered a minor quake) abruptly increased around 2009 – rising from 1.2 per year over the past half century to more than 25 per year, the study found.
"A naturally-occurring rate change of this magnitude is unprecedented outside of volcanic settings or in the absence of a main shock, of which there were neither in this region," the study abstract notes.
Even though the higher frequency indicates that quakes are probably being induced by human activity, "it remains to be determined how they are related to either changes in extraction methodologies or the rate of oil and gas production," the abstract says.
In an interview with the online news service Energy Wire, lead study author William Ellsworth, a USGS scientist, called the increase that his team documented "very peculiar."
The soaring number of quakes overlaps with a huge jump in the amount of drilling for natural gas occurring in shale beds – an approach called "fracking," which produces millions of gallons of waste water. While some fracking waste water is treated aboveground, much of it is injected into deep waste-water wells.
Is that activity inducing man-made earthquakes by lubricating the faces of underground earthquake faults, so that they slip and slide more easily and frequently?
Not according to a senior Department of Interior official, who was quick to note that no link between quakes and fracking has been established – even if the waste water from the process, when injected, might be behind the quake mystery.
The USGS findings "do not suggest that hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as 'fracking,' causes the increased rate of earthquakes," David Hayes, deputy secretary of Interior, wrote on his blog Wednesday.
While it appears likely that the increased rate of earthquakes is man-made, it's unclear if that is related to changes in production methods or the rate of oil and gas production, he wrote.
"USGS's scientists have found, however, that at some locations the increase in seismicity coincides with the injection of wastewater in deep disposal wells," he continued. Even so, "[w]e also find that there is no evidence to suggest that hydraulic fracturing itself is the cause of the increased rate of earthquakes."


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Scotland 22-51 New Zealand, November 11
All Blacks see off determined Scots
November 11, 2012
Winger Julian Savea grabbed two tries for the All Blacks at Murrayfield
© Getty Images
Match Analysis by ESPNscrum's Graham Jenkins
New Zealand weathered a gutsy performance from Scotland to claim a 51-22 victory in their clash at Murrayfield on Sunday.
Tim Visser scored a try in each half and Geoff Cross also went over for the hosts, for whom Greig Laidlaw kicked seven points, but the All Blacks ruthlessly punished any mistakes. Julian Savea grabbed two tries of his own with Israel Dagg, Corey Jane, Andrew Hore and Ben Smith also getting in on the act while Dan Carter kicked 21 points in a majestic display.
Kelly Brown won his 50th cap and first as captain as Scotland went in search of a first victory over the world champions. No.8 Brown was included as one of five changes from Scotland's previous outing, the June 23 win in Samoa, with Jim Hamilton returning at lock alongside Richie Gray, who proved his fitness following an ankle injury. New Zealand, unbeaten in 17 Tests, fielded a team showing 10 changes from the draw with Australia, but included captain Richie McCaw at openside flanker and fly-half Dan Carter.
Murrayfield's famous pre-match welcome included a parade by Scotland's Olympians and Paralympians, a match-ball presentation by cyclist Sir Chris Hoy and a statement of intent from the hosts, who walked towards the Haka.
In the opening minute the pressure was released as Scotland openside flanker Ross Rennie was penalised for hands in the ruck and Carter kicked over the resulting penalty. Tight-head prop Geoff Cross conceded another penalty for collapsing a scrum, but unusually Carter's effort was short and off target.
Carter's afternoon soon worsened when his pass was intercepted by Matt Scott at the halfway line and the centre popped the ball to supporting wing Tim Visser, who touched down on his Murrayfield debut. It was Scotland's first try against the All Blacks in four Tests, since Simon Webster's score in 2005. Greig Laidlaw converted.
The visitors responded swiftly though, as Carter's midfield break was the spark for Israel Dagg to go over on the right as New Zealand reclaimed the lead with ease. Rennie was injured in the build-up and went off nursing a shoulder injury, with David Denton coming on, and Carter kicked the conversion to put the All Blacks 10-7 in front.
Cross ignored an overlap in the Scotland back-line, but the hosts won a penalty for an indiscretion on the floor by New Zealand and Laidlaw levelled the scores from in front of the posts. Dagg clashed heads with Sean Lamont and went off for Beauden Barrett before Scott was penalised for not rolling away from the tackle, allowing Carter to restore his side's three-point lead.
Just a few moments later, New Zealand stretched Scotland from one wing to the other, making space for Julian Savea to breeze by Visser and score in the left corner. Carter converted.
A poor kick-off then gifted the ball back to New Zealand and Wyatt Crockett punched a hole through the home defence to create an overlap which allowed Corey Jane to score in the right corner. Carter again converted.
The direct route was next, with hooker Andrew Hore rolling out of an attempted Cross tackle to dot down on the right. Again Carter's kick was successful. Scotland finished the half on the attack with a tap-and-go penalty in stoppage time.
Denton bounced out of a McCaw tackle, Lamont was stopped short of the line and then Scott went over, but the television match official ruled Piri Weepu held him up. Another penalty followed, Gray twice going close, before Cross bundled over for his first Test try which Laidlaw converted.
Scotland were granted a numerical advantage for 10 minutes early in the second half when Adam Thomson was shown a yellow card for stamping on the head of Alasdair Strokosch at a ruck. Replays suggested Thomson's punishment might have been more severe than 10 minutes in the sin-bin.
A succession of lineouts followed, but Brown was unable to gather Ross Ford's throw, allowing the All Blacks to clear. Scotland surged back, but loose play saw the ball in All Black possession once more, only for the tourists to uncharacteristically lose it at the breakdown.
Centre Tamati Ellison was tackled and Laidlaw stepped over to kick the ball through for Mike Blair to scoop it up. Blair in turn fed Visser for the wing to claim his second try of the afternoon. Scotland kept the pressure on the world champions, but could not find a further way through the stern defence.
Despite toiling in their own half for much of the third quarter, New Zealand quickly responded after a poor Ford lineout throw resulted in an All Blacks scrum. Carter chipped to the left where Savea gathered and scorched past Hogg for his second try of the game.
Numerous changes ensued, with Glasgow Warriors scrum-half Henry Pyrgos among them to make his debut, before a flat conclusion to the contest was enlivened by the tourists' sixth try. Scotland substitute Max Evans missed a tackle on Carter and Ben Smith was able to go over in the corner. Carter converted to complete a handsome victory.
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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May 2005 - Two Australians moved to Tuscany where they planned to live for two years. Two weeks later their dogs, Snowy and Dermott, arrived. Seven years and a property purchase later, they're still here.
Friday, June 03, 2011
Dream Car - Fiat 500 watercolour sketch
I've been wondering how I am going to get to Provence for my two week painting holiday this month. Anyone who has tried to plan a train journey from Tuscany to Avignon, France will have a fair idea of the problems. Of course I could drive, if I wasn't absolutely terrified of the Italian Autostrada and if our old Mitsibishi would make it.
Anyway, since I first laid eyes on the revamped Fiat 500 or cinquecento, as she's called here in Italy, I've been in love. Now La Bianca and I are an item.
Anyone who wants to follow us to Provence - not too closely, please - should follow the blog, Four Go Painting in Provence.
16 comments:
- Felicity said...
Super sketch Robyn, and lucky you, what a fun car! Dermott should look very colour co-ordinated in that! ;) I'm with you on the driving though - I hate going anywhere I don't know because I have absolutely no sense of direction!
- 8:09 pm
- Beyond My Garden said...
very cute car. I wish I was having to plan such a trip.I would love to be in Italy or France this week!
- 8:48 pm
- Joan Sandford-Cook said...
She's gorgeous Robyn. Have a good trip and can't wait to see all the sketches.
- 11:43 pm
- dinahmow said...
La Bianca! Oooh! Bella-bella!
Can we expect to see some prints once you get back to the studio?
Have fun!
- 12:23 am
- Cathy Gatland said...
Do I see a certain similarity between Dermott and La Bianca..? I think he may get jealous of the new cutie, but what a nice way to travel to Provence Robyn, enjoy her!
- 11:41 am
- Scintilla said...
oooohhhh, I've so been enjoying your sketches but now you've painted my car! I have a red one and I love it! Thank you.
- 6:42 pm
- Robyn Sinclair said...
Felicity - I've been hoping that at the eleventh hour you would decided to pop over and join us. You couldn't have worse sense of direction than I.
Nellie - thank you.
Joan - Hi, I've forgotten when you are going to be in Italy?
Di - There's a spare seat for you any time. And yes I have to get back into the print studio or Rick will take away my key!
Cathy - In theory it's a nice way to travel to Provence. I'll get back to you once I've done it! :)
Scintilla - Has yours ever driven from Italy to France? If she has please tell me how it went. I'd like to paint your little red one for you when I get back if you let me have a photo.
- 7:16 pm
- Africantapestry and Myfrenchkitchen said...
Robyn...she is so cute and I'm oing to have to have top opprotunity to sit in yher...that is a hightlight of the trip! I thibk she befits you(and Dermott) perfectly...I have this romantic image of you in fornt of the weheel and Demrott's fur flying in the wind by the passenger seat...Is Dermott close by? What do you think Dermott...passenger seat..wow!
- 10:47 am
- Dermott said...
My fur flying in the wind? What am I? A cat?
Regardless, I'm not remotely interested in an updated Italian motoring icon, a classic of Italian design turned into a comfy little runabout targeted at people like this one's owner, a middle-aged female desperate to recapture her long-lost youth.
Romance? Meh. Humbug.
- 11:31 am
- Anita said...
I love your little car - a little green with envy as him indoors insists on what I consider a tank (OK, I admit its a small tank!). Hope you have a lovely time! Understand your fear of driving - I hate driving in Germany because of the speed everyone goes at!
- 3:54 pm
- Sue Pownall said...
Have a fabulous holiday and I'm sure your sweet little car will make the trip enjoyable.
- 7:49 pm
- Joan T said...
Looks like a fun car to zip around in anywhere!!! Have a great time in Provence. How long will you be there? Hubby and I will be in Venice again this summer...maybe we can meet again.
- 4:33 pm
- Bhutan Tour said...
Beautiful awesome distribute. It is usually pleasant and valuable submit. Appreciate it for expressing some of these perfect search topics
- 10:32 pm
What a dear little car!! And how wonderful you have one of your own. But how will HWEM fit in?
- 9:33 am
- Dermott said...
Neither HWEM nor io are remotely interested in the heap of scrap aluminium foil.
Mmmm. The first four letters of the Word Verification are C-R-O-P. One letter away from apposite.
- 11:06 am
- Craigslist Search said...
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- 10:59 pm


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IMO the animations on Caeda and especially Tiki are embarrassingly bad. Not that the game looked that good to begin with.I dunno, maybe it's just streamed videos being fuzzy unfocused crapheaps but I feel like Hyrule Warriors looked so much better than this. The mooks and the PCs look like they took assets from two separate games and threw them together.
From what I've been hearing, this game is also going to be a clonefest as well. Lyn fights with two swords much like Ryoma does and Navarre is rumored to as well, Celica and Marth are basically running Zelda's moveset from HW, Caeda is basically Lance using Peg Knight no. 3, Elise is Faux Leo, Sakura is Takumini, and we're getting 1 Robin and Corrin for the price of 2. At least the Promotion Mechanic might shake things up (or it might not).As for the visuals, nevermind the mooks, the weapon models are just awful looking in general.Also, Azura has been deconfirmed. There will be no PC Lance using Infantry or Armored Knights in the base game (although there's always DLC ).And yet, even as an awful Warriors/Musou game (seriously, where the hell is Camus or someone else not to pursue?), its still a better crossover than fucking TMS was.
Welp. TGS has basically come and gone and all we're left with in regards to this topic is the inevitable DLC. Looks like Navarre really won't be available for the base game, so his status as a clone to somebody is all but confirmed at this point (unless he's a background filling NPC in the base game). There'll be three packs to add in characters beyond the starters starting with Shadow Dragon, then Fates and finally Awakening. Additionally, Lucina will invoke her PXZ2 magical girl transformation powers to unleash Bride Lucina upon those who're willing to pay for it.It's kinda unfortunate that this is the note this ends on, but not entirely unexpected as KT has basically mishandled the marketing for this game from the word go. But then, making a good FE crossover game just doesn't seem to be possible really.Basically FEW2 when?
A few more characters that may or may not be playable.Darius (the new original guy that's been seen hanging out with the twins)NavarreOwainOboroNilesWell, I'm glad they included Owain and Oboro. They're two of my favourites from their respective games.
Do we have Nephenee or Oscar, yet?
Quote from: Arvis on September 27, 2017, 11:02:51 AMDo we have Nephenee or Oscar, yet?Unfortunately, no. I highly doubt we'll see any PoR or RD characters in this game. MAYBE Ike as DLC but that will be it.


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Colorado State mostly solid in second preseason scrimmage
FORT COLLINS – It was a brisk, more matter-of-fact scrimmage that took place today at Hughes Stadium, Colorado State's second major scrimmage of preseason camp.
At issue: Clarification.
CSU coach Jim McElwain was looking for playmakers and young players to step up and grab jobs. With two weeks to the season opener against Colorado, the roster needs to start to make sense from a who-is-playing-and-who-isn't standpoint.
"From the offensive side of the ball we threw the ball really well, we moved the ball efficiently," McElwain said. "Had some explosive plays."
The first-year CSU coach was particularly complimentary of the play of wide receivers Lou Greenwood, Joe Hansley and Jordon Vaden, the latter two "young guys that stepped to the plate a little bit. And then we had consistent play at the wide receiver spot."
McElwain pointed out a positive spike in the play of wideout Lee Clubb, who he says had kind of "disappeared" during preseason camp.
Running back Chris Nwoke (ankle) was held out of the scrimmage. In his place the Rams featured Donnell Alexander and Tommey Morris, who has been battling a sore ankle himself. Mark Woodbury and Joe Brown also figured into the mix, getting ball carrying opportunities.
Defensively, corner Bernard Blake showed well, McElwain said.
"He needed to get as many reps as he could," McElwain said. "And he got a lot."
The coach was pleased with safeties supporting the run game as well. He was not particularly pleased with reducing penalties, an area of focus.
Otherwise, it was a dry run for the coaches as well, getting their communication from booth to sideline its first real test. That will continue on Thursday in the Rams' final scrimmage of the preseason.
Momo Thomas (ankle) did not participate, either. But, McElwain said, with Thomas and most of the other injury cases, if today had been an actual game, most the injured players would have played. So not much is of serious concern.
Overall, McElwain said, "You can tell where we're at in practice. Our enthusiasm wasn't there but I was really happy with our intensity."
Follow Chris Dempsey on Twitter @dempseypost or email him at firstname.lastname@example.com


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Horse Feathers
An indie folk band from Portland, Oregon, Horse Feathers consists of singer/songwriter Justin Ringle (acoustic guitar, vocals, percussion) and a rotating cast of supporting musicians, including multi-instrumentalist Peter Broderick and several string players. Ringle grew up in Idaho and performed in several short-lived indie rock bands before moving to Portland, where he began playing shows under the name Horse Feathers. It was in Portland that he met Broderick, a member of the established local act Norfolk & Western. The two spent much of 2005 writing songs and honing their live performances at various Portland open-mike nights, effectively turning Horse Feathers from a solo project into a duo.
Influenced by both the stark folk music of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska and the post-classical work of Scandinavian composer Max Richter, the duo entered the studio in February 2006 to record Words Are Dead, a chamber-folk album featuring Ringle's high, reedy vocals and Broderick's Baroque filigree. Words Are Dead was released on Lucky Madison Records in September 2006. The band inked a deal with the Kill Rock Stars label the following year and released House with No Home in 2008. House with No Home became one of the highest-selling debuts in Kill Rock Stars' history, and Thistled Spring followed in 2010, marking the group's first release without Broderick. The band's fourth full-length outing, Cynic's New Year, arrived in 2012, followed in 2014 by the breezy So It Is with Us.
Andy Whitman
Read more


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Serbian teams prepare for Continental Cup at Vip Beach Masters
Belgrade, Serbia, June 18, 2014 - Serbia's women's and men's beach volleyball teams will play in pool G of the 1st Round of the 2014-2016 CEV Beach Volleyball Continental Cup, which marks the start of Europe's qualification campaign for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016.
The Serbian teams prepared for the competition during this year's Vip Beach Masters tour, which is the Serbian beach volleyball national championship. Three of the twelve tournaments scheduled this year have taken place. They were hosted by the cities of Novi Pazar, Uzice and Krusevac.
Antonic / Galesev emerged as winners from all three national events. They also participated in the FIVB World Tour Shanghai Grand Slam tournament and the Fuzhou Open in China, as well as the 2014 CEV Beach Volleyball European Championship Baden Masters. They are the 2012 and 2013 Serbian national champions and 2013 Balkan champions and also participated at the Mediterranean Games in Mersin in 2013.
Basta / Kikovic is a new partnership playing together for the first time this year. They won the third place at the 2014 Vip Beach Masters tournament in Krusevac. Miljan Kikovic won bronze at the 2013 Balkan Championship with Marko Nikolic. Stefan Basta won sixth place at the 2013 Mediterranean Games in Mersin. He was also the winner of the final tournament of the 2013 Vip Beach Masters in Belgrade, and won seventh place at the 2012 CEV Beach Volleyball European Championship Novi Sad Masters.
Matic / Egic are also playing together for the first time this year. In Uzice and Krusevac, they won two out of the three tournaments in the 2014 Vip Beach Masters which have taken place so far. Isidora participated in the 2013 Mediterranean Games in Mersin. She was the winner of the final tournament of the 2012 Vip Beach Masters in Belgrade and became national champion in the same year.
Raicevic / Savovic participated in the 2013 BVA U22 Balkan Championship and won sixth place. This year, they won bronze at the 2014 Vip Beach Masters Novi Pazar tournament and fourth place at the tournament in Krusevac.
Click here for more detailed information on the 2014-2016 CEV Beach Volleyball Continental Cup.


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The desert of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt is extremely diverse, from huge areas covered by fine sand to mountains, high plateaus with bare rocks and colorful sandstone and granite formations.
Egypt ; Arabic: مصر, Miṣr or Máṣr) is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia. Covering an area of about 1,010,000 square kilometers (390,000 sq mi), Egypt borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Gaza Strip and Israel to the northeast, the Red Sea to the east, Sudan to the south and Libya to the west.Egypt is one of the most populous countries in Africa and the Middle East. The great majority of its estimated 82 million live near the banks of the Nile River, in an area of about 40,000 square kilometers (15,000 sq mi), where the only arable agricultural land is found. The large areas of the Sahara Desert are sparsely inhabited. About half of Egypt's residents live in urban areas, with the majority spread across the densely-populated centres of greater Cairo, Alexandria and other major cities in the Nile Delta.Egypt is famous for its ancient civilization and some of the world's most famous monuments, including the Giza pyramid complex and its Great Sphinx. The southern city of Luxor contains numerous ancient artifacts, such as the Karnak Temple and the Valley of the Kings. Egypt is widely regarded as an important political and cultural nation of the Middle East.


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WARSAW, Poland — Pope John Paul II's secretary "did not have the courage" to burn all of the pontiff's notes after his death, and is now having some of them published, he said Wednesday.
The secretary, Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, said the book, "Very Much in God's Hands: Personal Notes 1962-2003," comes out on Feb. 5 in Poland, where the late pope is still a much-loved figure.
It contains religious meditations that Karol Wojtyla recorded between July 1962, when he was a bishop in Poland, and March 2003, when he was elevated to the papacy.
Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz told a news conference that in preserving some of the notes he was motivated by the "despair of historians" when the letters of Pope Pius XII were burned after his death, as he had wished.
In his last will, John Paul commissioned Dziwisz, his personal secretary and closest aide of almost 40 years, to burn his personal notes. Instead, Dziwisz kept them and is having them published before John Paul is declared a saint April 27 in Rome. They were made available to the Vatican in the pope's fast-track beatification and sainthood processes.
In his notes, contained in two bound notebooks, the pope "reveals a part of his soul, of his meeting with God, contemplation and piety and that is the greatest value," Dziwisz said in the southern city of Krakow, where he is archbishop and where Wojtyla was also bishop and cardinal.
He said he burned "those letters and notes that required burning," but said it would have been a crime to burn all the notes which give insight into the pope's soul.
"In keeping them I respected his will," he insisted.
At first, Wojtyla made notes only in Polish, but later also in Italian and Latin with Greek and Spanish inclusions, according to Henryk Wozniakowski, head of the Catholic publishers Znak.
The book's editor, Agnieszka Rudziewicz, said the notes are an "extraordinary record of a spiritual path" and a record of Wojtyla's "self-development and road to sainthood," but readers should not expect "sensation."
John Paul died in 2005 at the age of 84, after 26 years as pope.


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$13.91 $17.39
Add your special words and we will engrave the charm with your special message and sentiments to create a beautiful gift that will be loved.
⭐18ct Yellow Gold Vermeil
⭐Diameter: 14mm
✨ Day of the Dead Skull: Small skulls are placed on an offrenda (altar) in Mexico on November 1st, representing children who have passed away. Larger, more detailed ones would then replace them on the 2nd November, which represent the adults. The departed are believed to return home to enjoy the offerings on the altar. The idea of this tradition is that the Mexican families choose to celebrate the lives of their dearly departed friends and relatives as an opposite to most cultures that tend to mourn the dead.
✨ Sun: Used to represent someone or something that brings happiness, joy and hope in your life.
✨ Horseshoe: Used symbolically to represent good luck.
✨ Elephant: The elephant deals primarily with strength, honor, stability and tenacity, among other attributes. To the Hindu way of thought, the elephant is found in the form of Ganesha who is the god of luck, fortune, protection and is a blessing upon all new projects.
✨ Boho Heart: Love
✨ Boho Yin Yang: The ubiquitous yin-yang symbol holds its roots in Taoism/Daoism, a Chinese religion and philosophy. The yin, the dark swirl, is associated with shadows, femininity, and the trough of a wave; the yang, the light swirl, represents brightness, passion and growth.
✨ Butterfly: To Native Americans, the butterfly is a symbol of change, joy and color. The exquisite butterfly was considered a miracle of transformation and resurrection. In the Old World, the connotation was negative; the butterfly was thought to be the spirit of the dead.
✨ Outline Heart: Love
✨ Compass: The compass points in four directions; North, South, East and West, hearkening back to sailors and ships traversing the stormy seas on their way home from a long journey. The compass holds meaning for a traveler, being a symbol for guidance, the ability to point you in the right direction.
✨ Baby Feet: Children / Child
✨ Lotus flower: The Buddhist Lotus represents: Patience, Purity, Mysticism, Direct Spiritual Contact, Emptiness from Desire, Victory over Attachments, Enlightenment and the Bodhi State, Love and Compassion for All Things, Self-Awareness, Faithfulness During Spiritual Development, Rising Out of Suffering
✨ Outline Star: Remembering those lost shining down on us
✨ Angel Wing: Those Lost, A Guardian Angel
✨ Buddha: A Buddha is one who has attained Bodhi; and by Bodhi is meant wisdom, an ideal state of intellectual and ethical perfection which can be achieved by man through purely human means. The term Buddha literally means enlightened one, a knower.
✨ Dream-catcher: Sometimes referred to as "Sacred Hoops," Dreamcatchers were traditionally used as talismans to protect sleeping people, usually children, from bad dreams and nightmares. Native Americans believe that the night air is filled with dreams, both good and bad.
✨ Om: Om is a very simple sound with a complex meaning. It is the whole universe coalesced into a single word, representing the union of mind, body, and spirit that is at the heart of yoga.
✨ Evil Eye: The Eye of Providence (or the all-seeing eye of God) is a symbol, having its origin in Christian iconography, showing an eye often surrounded by rays of light or a glory and usually enclosed by a triangle. It represents the eye of God watching over humanity (the concept of divine providence).
✨ Hamsa Hand: The Hamsa Hand is an ancient Middle Eastern amulet symbolizing the Hand of God. In all faiths it is a protective sign. It brings its owner happiness, luck, health, and good fortune.
This includes 20 characters of engraving over one side (maximum of 20 characters including spaces and punctuation).
It is a fantastic way to add a personal touch to a very beautiful piece of jewellery. You are able to choose your connector - whether it is a lobster claw style trigger clasp or a ring. The choice is entirely yours.
⭐ If you have a message you would like us to read regarding your order, please leave this in the "Message to Seller" box when you check out. Please note that we cannot guarantee that we can make changes to personalisation if these changes are not requested within the first 12 hours of ordering. We try to make and post our items as soon as possible and after this time we may have already started working on this part of your order.
⭐ For added long lasting tarnish protection for your jewellery, we highly recommend purchasing our tarnish resistant coating and Town Talk Silver Polishing Cloth as shown here: https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/717261860 . This can be added to your basket when you check out, or you can purchase separately when needed. When used alongside our recommended care instructions will keep your jewellery tarnish free for longer.
⭐ For information about how we recommend keeping your jewellery in the best possible condition (along with recommended cleaning ideas using normal household products) please visit - https://www.songsofinkandsteel.com/post/415437375456
⭐ If you need a little inspiration for the right words to engrave, please visit: https://www.songsofinkandsteel.com/post/422849065773
⭐ We conform to all UK regulations in respect to Hallmarking with the Assay office. This means that we hallmark all of our items. The only exceptions are items which fall beneath the specified weight thresholds which are 1 gram for gold, 7.78 grams for silver, 0.5 grams for platinum and 1 gram for palladium. We are happy to hallmark any items below this weight, but there will be an extra charge of £20 for doing so as this will not have been factored into our pricing for that item as it isn't required as standard.
⭐ Although we try our hardest to show you an accurate representation of what you will receive - there may be small differences as each item is made to order and not mass produced. For more information, please see our blog post - https://www.songsofinkandsteel.com/post/537276227386
⭐ All gemstones that we use are responsibly sourced and always genuine unless otherwise stated. Due to natural variation in Gemstones and semi-precious stones, we cannot guarantee that each item will be identical to that shown, or that multiple orders of the same item would be a complete match.
1-3 business days
I'll do my best to meet these shipping estimates, but can't guarantee them. Actual delivery time will depend on the shipping method you choose.
Buyers are responsible for any customs and import taxes that may apply. I'm not responsible for delays due to customs.
Just contact me within: 14 days of delivery
Ship items back to me within: 30 days of delivery
Request a cancellation within: 0 hours of purchase
But please contact me if you have any problems with your order.
Because of the nature of these items, unless they arrive damaged or defective, I can't accept returns for:
Buyers are responsible for return shipping costs. If the item is not returned in its original condition, the buyer is responsible for any loss in value.
Please contact me if you have any problems with your order.
This Privacy Notice explains in detail the types of personal data we may collect about you when you interact with us. It also explains how we'll store and handle that data, and keep it safe.
We want you to be fully informed about your rights, and how Songs of Ink and Steel uses your data; for example, we will explain things such as how we combine data to build a picture of you.
We hope the following sections will answer any questions you have but if not, please do get in touch with us.
It's likely that we'll need to update this Privacy Notice from time to time. We will notify you of any significant changes, but you are welcome to come back and check it whenever you wish.
In specific situations, we can collect and process your data with your consent. For example, when you tick a box to receive email newsletters.
Contractual obligations
In certain circumstances, we need your personal data to comply with our contractual obligations.For example, if you order an item from us for delivery, we'll collect your address details to deliver your purchase, and pass them to our courier.
Legal compliance
If the law requires us to, we may need to collect and process your data. For example, we can pass on details of people involved in fraud or other criminal activity affecting Songs of Ink and Steel.
Legitimate interest
In specific situations, we require your data to pursue our legitimate interests in a way which might reasonably be expected as part of running our business and which does not materially impact your rights, freedom or interests. For example, we will use your purchase history to send you or make available personalised offers.We also combine the ordering history of many customers to identify trends and ensure we can keep up with demand, or develop new products.
We will also use your address details to send you marketing information by post, telling you about products that we think might interest you.
When do we collect your personal data?
When you visit any of our websites, and use your account to buy products on the phone, by fax in person or online.
When you create an account with us.
When you purchase a product in person or by phone but don't have an account.
When you engage with us on social media.
When you download or install one of our apps.
When you contact us by any means with queries, complaints etc.
When you ask our team to email you information about a product.
When you choose to complete any surveys we send you.
When you comment on or review our products and services.
Any individual may access personal data related to them, including opinions. So if your comment or review includes information about a member of staff who provided that service, it may be passed on to them if requested.
When you fill in any forms we may collect your personal data.
When you've given a third party permission to share with us the information they hold about you.
We collect data from publicly-available sources (such as Companies House) when you have given your consent to share information or where the information is made public as a matter of law.
What sort of personal data do we collect?
If you have a web account with us: your name, gender, date of birth, billing/delivery address, orders, receipts and payment details, email and telephone number. For your security, we'll also keep a record of your login password.
Details of your interactions with us by telephone, email and online.For example, we collect notes from our conversations with you, details of any complaints or comments you make, details of purchases you made, items viewed or added to your basket, brands you show interest in, web pages you visit and how and when you contact us.
Copies of documents you provide to prove your age or identity where the law requires this (including your passport and driver's licence). This will include details of your full name, address, date of birth and facial image. If you provide a passport, the data will also include your place of birth, gender and nationality.
Details of your visits to our websites or apps, and which site you came from to ours.
Information gathered by the use of cookies in your web browser
Payment card information.
Your comments and product reviews.
To deliver the best possible web experience, we collect technical information about your internet connection and browser as well as the country and telephone code where your computer is located, the web pages viewed during your visit, the advertisements you clicked on, and any search terms you entered.
Your social media username, if you interact with us through those channels, to help us respond to your comments, questions or feedback.
How and why do we use your personal data?
We want to give you the best possible customer experience. One way to achieve that is to get the richest picture we can of who you are by combining the data we have about you. We then use this to offer you promotions, products and services that are most likely to interest you. The data privacy law allows this as part of our legitimate interest in understanding our customers and providing the highest levels of service.
Of course, if you wish to change how we use your data, you'll find details in the 'What are my rights?' section below.
Remember, if you choose not to share your personal data with us, or refuse certain contact permissions, we might not be able to provide some services you've asked for. For example, if you've asked us to let you know when an item comes back into stock, we can't do that if you've withdrawn your general consent to hear from us.
Here's how we'll use your personal data and why:
To process any orders that you make by using our websites or apps. If we don't
collect your personal data during checkout, we won't be able to process your order and comply with our legal obligations. For example, your details may need to be passed to a third party to supply or deliver the product or service that you ordered, and we may keep your details for a reasonable period afterwards in order to fulfil any contractual obligations such as refunds, guarantees and so on.
To respond to your queries, refund requests and complaints. Handling the information you sent enables us to respond. We may also keep a record of these to inform any future communication with us and to demonstrate how we communicated with you throughout. We do this on the basis of our contractual obligations to you, our legal obligations and our legitimate interests in providing you with the best service and understanding how we can improve our service based on your experience.
To protect our business and your account from fraud and other illegal activities. This includes using your personal data to maintain, update and safeguard your account. We'll also monitor your browsing activity with us to quickly identify and resolve any problems and protect the integrity of our websites. We'll do all of this as part of our legitimate interest.For example, by checking your password when you login and using automated monitoring of IP addresses to identify possible fraudulent log-ins from unexpected locations.
To process payments and to prevent fraudulent transactions. We do this on the basis of our legitimate business interests. This also helps to protect our customers from fraud.
If we discover any criminal activity or alleged criminal activity through our use of fraud monitoring and suspicious transaction monitoring, we will process this data for the purposes of preventing or detecting unlawful acts. We aim is to protect the individuals we interact with from criminal activities.
With your consent, we will use your personal data, preferences and details of your transactions to keep you informed by email, web, text and telephone about relevant products and services including tailored special offers, discounts, promotions, events and so on. Of course, you are free to opt out of hearing from us by any of these channels at any time.
To send you relevant, personalised communications by post in relation to updates, offers, services and products. We'll do this on the basis of our legitimate business interest. You are free to opt out of hearing from us by post at any time.
To send you communications required by law or which are necessary to inform you about our changes to the services we provide you. For example, updates to this Privacy Notice, product recall notices, and legally required information relating to your orders. These service messages will not include any promotional content and do not require prior consent when sent by email or text message. If we do not use your personal data for these purposes, we would be unable
to comply with our legal obligations.
To display the most interesting content to you on our websites or apps, we'll use data we hold about your favourite brands or products and so on. We do so on the basis of your consent to receive app notifications and/or for our website to place cookies or similar technology on your device.
For example, we might display a list of items you've recently looked at, or offer you recommendations based on your purchase history and any other data you've shared with us.
To develop, test and improve the systems, services and products we provide to you. We'll do this on the basis of our legitimate business interests.
For example, we'll record your browser's Session ID to help us understand more when you leave us online feedback about any problems you're having to comply with our contractual or legal obligations to share data with law enforcement.
To send you survey and feedback requests to help improve our services. These messages will not include any promotional content and do not require prior consent when sent by email or text message. We have a legitimate interest to do so as this helps make our products or services more relevant to you.
Of course, you are free to opt out of receiving these requests from us at any time by updating your preferences in your online account.
Combining your data for personalised direct marketing
We want to bring you offers and promotions that are most relevant to your interests at particular times. To help us form a better, overall understanding of you as a customer, we combine your personal data, for example your ordering history. For this purpose, we also combine the data that we collect directly from you with data that we obtain from third parties to whom you have given your consent to pass that data onto us – such as Companies House
mentioned above.
How we protect your personal data
We know how much data security matters to all our customers. With this in mind we will treat your data with the utmost care and take all appropriate steps to protect it. We secure access to all transactional areas of our websites and apps using 'https' technology.
Access to your personal data is password-protected, and sensitive data (such as payment card information) is secured by SSL encryption.
How long will we keep your personal data?
Whenever we collect or process your personal data, we'll only keep it for as long as is necessary for the purpose for which it was collected. At the end of that retention period, your data will either be deleted completely or anonymised,
for example by aggregation with other data so that it can be used in a non-identifiable way for statistical analysis and business planning.
Some examples of customer data retention periods:
Orders - When you place an order, we'll keep the personal data you give us for seven years so we can comply with our legal and contractual obligations.
Who do we share your personal data with?
We sometimes share your personal data with trusted third parties.For example, delivery couriers, for fraud management, to handle complaints, to help us personalise our offers to you and so on.
Here's the policy we apply to those organisations to keep your data safe and protect your privacy:
We provide only the information they need to perform their specific services.They may only use your data for the exact purposes we specify in our contract with them.We work closely with them to ensure that your privacy is respected and protected at all times. If we stop using their services, any of your data held by them will either be deleted or
rendered anonymous.
Examples of the kind of third parties we work with are:
IT companies who support our website and other business systems.
Operational companies such as delivery couriers.
Direct marketing companies who help us manage our electronic communications with you.
Google/Facebook to show you products that might interest you while you're browsing the internet. This is based on either your marketing consent or your acceptance of cookies on our websites.
For fraud management, we may share information about fraudulent or potentially fraudulent activity in our premises or systems. This may include sharing data about individuals with law enforcement bodies.
We may also be required to disclose your personal data to the police or other enforcement, regulatory or Government body, in your country of origin or elsewhere, upon a valid request to do so. These requests are assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Where your personal data may be processed:
International orders - If you are based outside the UK and place an order with us, we will transfer the personal data that we collect from you to the UK.
Protecting your data outside the EEA - The EEA includes all EU Member countries as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. We may transfer personal data that we collect from you to third-party data processors in countries that are outside the EEA. For example, this might be required in order to fulfil your order, process your payment details or provide support services. If we do this, we have procedures in place to ensure your data receives the same protection as if it were being processed inside the EEA. For example, our contracts with third parties stipulate the standards they must follow at all times. If you wish for more information about these contracts, please contact our Customer Service Team.
Any transfer of your personal data will follow applicable laws and we will treat the information under the guiding principles of this Privacy Notice.
What are your rights over your personal data
You have the right to request:
Access to the personal data we hold about you, free of charge in most cases.
The correction of your personal data when incorrect, out of date or incomplete.
For example, when you withdraw consent, or object and we have no legitimate overriding interest, or once the purpose for which we hold the data has come to an end (such as the end of a warranty).
That we stop using your personal data for direct marketing (either through specific channels, or all channels).
That we stop any consent-based processing of your personal data after you withdraw that consent.
Review by a staff member of any decision made based solely on automatic processing of your data (i.e. where no human has yet reviewed the outcome and criteria for the decision).
You have the right to request a copy of any information about you that Songs of Ink and Steel holds at any time, and also to have that information corrected if it is inaccurate. To ask for your information, please contact our Customer Service Team. If we choose not to action your request, we will explain to you the reasons for our refusal.
Your right to withdraw consent
Whenever you have given us your consent to use your personal data, you have the right to change your mind at any time and withdraw that consent, by doing so Songs of Ink and Steel will be unable to continue trading with you.
Where we rely on our legitimate interest
In cases where we are processing your personal data on the basis of our legitimate interest, you can ask us to stop for reasons connected to your individual situation. We must then do so unless we believe we have a legitimate overriding reason to continue processing your personal data.
Direct marketing
You have the right to stop the use of your personal data for direct marketing activity through all channels, or selected channels. We must always comply with your request.
Checking your identity
To protect the confidentiality of your information, we will ask you to verify your identity before proceeding with any request you make under this Privacy Notice. If you have authorised a third party to submit a request on your behalf, we will ask them to prove they have your permission to act.
How can you stop the use of your personal data for direct marketing?
There are several ways you can stop direct marketing communications from us:
Click the 'unsubscribe' link in any email communication that we send you. We will then stop any further emails.
Email us at firstname.lastname@example.com
Please note that you may continue to receive communications for a short period after changing your preferences while our systems are fully updated.
Contacting the Regulator
If you feel that your data has not been handled correctly, or you are unhappy with our response to any requests you have made to us regarding the use of your personal data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office.
You can contact them by calling 0303 123 1113.
Your jewellery will arrive in a branded box with a white foam inner as standard along with a jewellery care card suitable for gift giving straightaway.
Tarnish during transit is unlikely due to careful packaging. For long lasting tarnish protection for your jewellery after it arrives, we highly recommend purchasing our tarnish resistant coating and polishing cloth as this is easily remedied with a quick polish before wear.
We recommend reading our blog post entitled 'Ring Sizing - How to get it right on your first try' which can be found here: www.songsofinkandsteel.com/post/419532562026
We recommend always getting sized by a jeweller for the larger width rings (10mm+) as these need to be measured slightly differently than a standard ring. We are happy to exchange any ring that doesn't fit you quite right - even if you have opted for a personalised disc, but we won't be able to offer a refund on personalised items or sets.
If there is any transit damage to the goods, shortages or incorrect goods, it is your responsibility to let me know within 3 days of receipt. (All goods are sent using a tracked service, so if someone is signing for the goods on your behalf, please remember that this policy will still apply).
Any faulty/damaged items must be reported including photographic evidence and either a full refund or an exchange will be provided upon return. I do not accept any responsibility for items not received by me so please use a tracked service.
We engrave our pieces to create bespoke items especially for you. Although we are always happy to try and help if something is unsuitable, we regret we are unable to offer refunds on personalised orders.
For us to accept a return or an exchange on a non-personalised item, the white label attached to your item needs to be unbroken so please do not remove this unless you are completely happy and want it to live with you forever! Just send us a message and we will give you your returns code. Your item needs to be in the post back to us within 14 days of you signing for this package. If you send your item back after 14 days of receipt, we will not be able to accept it and it will be returned to the address it was sent to originally.
We include invoices with all purchases. This invoice does include full price details. If you are sending a gift directly to your recipient and you do not wish for them to see prices, you can mark your purchase as a gift. This will then generate a gift invoice with message that we can include in with your package for no extra cost.
We are happy to gift wrap your gift for you too - just choose this option at the checkout.
As all items are made by hand, we need time to make your items. The time we need varies, and you can find this information on their individual listings.
If you pay for upgraded postage, this does not change the time it takes us to make your item as we work on all orders in the order that they have been received.
So, for example, two people buy the same item on the same day. The item takes 5 business days to make. Person 1 chooses standard second class postage. Person 2 chooses next day delivery. Their items will be taken to the post office on the same day (as the items take the same amount of time to make) but person 1's item is posted second class, while person 2 gets theirs posted next day delivery.
In the unlikely and unfortunate case your item should be faulty, you are entitled to a refund or repair within 6 months of receiving the item, but only if the fault was due to a flaw within the way the piece was initially made and not if it is damaged from misuse or wear and tear.
Fair wear and tear is not a fault and you have no right to return, refund or exchange if a problem arises because of failure to follow any care instructions you were given on purchase as this will fall under misuse. Please do not assume that because other items of jewellery that you may own tolerate a level of wear and tear that all items can be treated the same.
We conform to all UK regulations in respect to Hallmarking with the Assay office.
This means that we hallmark all of our items. The only exceptions are items which fall beneath the specified weight thresholds which are 1 gram for gold, 7.78 grams for silver, 0.5 grams for platinum and 1 gram for palladium.
We are happy to hallmark any items below this weight, but there will be an extra charge of £20 for doing so as this will not have been factored into our pricing for that item as it isn't required as standard.
As standard your parcels are shipped with Royal Mail Second Class for delivery within 1 to 5 working days in the UK, 6-8 working days in the EU and 10-15 working days internationally.
Keep in mind that these dates are from the date it's shipped and not the date the order was placed.
Unfortunately, we don't deliver your parcels ourselves so we can't guarantee these times, and if your order hasn't arrived when expected then it's likely due to delays with Royal Mail. Please leave up to 10 working days from dispatch in the UK, and 28 working days in the EU and internationally before contacting us for a replacement (though after this time has passed we'll issue a replacement and do everything we can to track down the missing parcel).