text:
There's a blog title for you ... lol!
When I got up this morning I checked Weather.com & was excited to find the strong storms they predicted for today were still being predicted & now included a chance of tornadoes! Weirdo that I am, if I can't have a good blizzard then I'll take a good storm. I've been through my share of strong storms in my lifetime including a hurricane when we lived in Florida. Fond memories ... truly! Well, at about 11:45 this morning the security alarm began beeping with a tornado warning. I immediately looked out the windows, spotted the darkest area of the sky, & then went out into the garage & opened up the garage door to watch Mother Nature in all her glory. I've never experienced a tornado before although I remember every once in a while hearing about one touching down in a nearby town. So there I was standing at the open garage door watching the sky getting darker & darker in the west. The clouds were gathering low & moving quickly. There was a strange sound which I assumed was the tornado. I've always heard that a tornado sounds like a train but this sound was more like a continuous whirring sound. The next thing I knew the town turned on its emergency alert siren. A little while later the wind picked up, the temperature dropped, & the whirring sound became a whining sound. Very distinctive! I guess you could say it sounded like a train. The sky looked exactly like this but without the funnel.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Cool ... but not directly pertaining to temperature although the temperature has been affected
There's a blog title for you ... lol!
Posted by Shirlee at 2:31 PM 15 comments
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
I don't even know what to title this post ... lol! It's going to be a conglomeration of many things : )
First of all, I did not do any stitching yesterday. It was just "one of those days." However, the day before I decided to stitch the Pineberry Lane Joy freebie again but on a smaller count ... 32 instead of 28 ... still stitched with 1 strand of floss over 2. I didn't purposely choose to do this. If the truth be told, I initially cut a piece of 32 ct fabric for the project & then after zig-zagging the edges & sitting down to find my starting point I discovered I should've cut 28 ct fabric. Since the 32 ct was already cut & zig-zagged & the stitching for Joy goes so very quickly I decided to have at it. I think I like it better with the higher count. As you can see I still have to stain the pieces & then stitch on the snowflakes. In the future when I stitch this pattern ... & I will ... I will choose a darker color of fabric, maybe something prestained. I might even "go wild" & change some floss colors! What a wild woman I am becoming : )
Posted by Shirlee at 9:34 AM 15 comments
Sunday, February 26, 2012
This, That, & The Other Thing
I have been absent for a few days. Way too many things going on & YIKES! I can't believe it's going to be the end of February in just a few days! There is still so very much to do to get the house ready to sell in April. I am fighting a constant battle within myself regarding this. I know that hoards of people aren't lining up to move to Perryville, Kentucky. I see myself putting all this work into getting the house ready & then no one is going to want it. I know that's "defeatist thinking" & I need to be more positive.
Thanks to all of you who have voiced your concern & offered prayers for John regarding the need for 4 of his teeth to be pulled. They were pulled on Friday & he was pretty miserable all that day & night. However, yesterday he felt better & by late afternoon he let me make him some mashed potatoes & then later on he ate a bit of jello. I think things can only get better from here : )
Posted by Shirlee at 9:55 AM 12 comments
Thursday, February 23, 2012
I'm Sorry If This Makes You Unhappy
I truly understand everyone's frustration with the new word verification. I personally don't have much of a problem with it. Yes, that one word is rather blurry but I kind of make a game out of it ... see if I can get the letters right on the first go. I don't think I've ever had to make more than 2 tries which is pretty surprising since my eyesight is not the best & my glasses are somewhere in the neighborhood of 7 years old. Anyway, in an attempt to help my followers I removed word verification yesterday. I try to check my computer a couple times each day for emails & blog posts. After removing the word verification I came back later to find several emails in my spam folder. Deleting spam is not a one-click thing because sometimes good emails end up in there ... therefore I have to open my spam folder, take a look at the sender & the subject of each email, & determine if it's to be kept or deleted. A few hours later when I checked my emails again I had even more spam messages & a couple of them made their way into my inbox. Once again I reviewed & deleted them. I then thought okay, I'll adjust my blog settings so that all comments will need to be viewed by me first before being posted. That did nothing to rid me of the multiplying spam messages & added the burden of having to locate them on blogger rather than them showing up in my inbox where I can respond to them. Therefore I have once again enabled word verification.
Tomorrow John goes to the dentist to get 4 teeth pulled. He is rather anxious about it so please do remember him in your prayers.
I have been working off & on upstairs. Yesterday I took a big pile of stuff out of one corner & sorted it into 4 boxes ... good yard sale stuff, not so great yard sale stuff which is probably just going to get thrown away, stuff to try to sell on eBay, & stuff to give away. Sadly out in the garage there are probably 8 boxes filled with more stuff that needs sorted through. The garage is going to be "the last frontier" as far as cleaning goes.
My Christmas Goose Pinkeep is almost finished. Last night I stitched 1-1/2 geese. There are 2 of them. I really have enjoyed stitching this even considering my error in pattern reading. I have no idea what I will choose next ... maybe another prim design : )
Posted by Shirlee at 9:28 AM 18 comments
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
New Glasses, Or New Brain?
I need one or the other. I suppose I could need both.
Posted by Shirlee at 8:58 AM 12 comments
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
A New Stitching Blog!
My friend Vickie has been a blog reader for quite a while & now she has started her own blog ... A Stitcher's Story! Please pay her a visit & make her feel welcome. Vickie is a very sweet Christian lady who enjoys cross stitching & quilting & is blessed to live in that little part of heaven known as Wisconsin : )
Posted by Shirlee at 5:17 PM 4 comments
I did not get to do as much stitching as I would've liked to have done this weekend but I did accomplish something so I'm happy about that : ) Of course I ran out of floss for my mystery project but I did as much stitching on that as I could on Saturday. See my Sunday post for a photo of this. Then I looked through my stash & decided to torture myself with a Stacy Nash design which requires stitching with 1 strand of floss over 1 on 32 ct linen. Actually it's not really a torture. For some reason I enjoy stitching like this despite the fact that I am way overdue for new glasses & feel like I'm stitching through fog most of the time. I decided to stick with my decision to stitch Christmas/winter related things this year. This design is called Christmas Goose Pinkeep. This is how far I've gotten on it.
Posted by Shirlee at 11:37 AM 12 comments
Q-Snap Huggies
Last week Dawn of In Stitches fame did a blog post regarding a tutorial to make Q-Snap huggies, sometimes called Grime Guards or Snap Wraps. You can find the tutorial here. Chris, the cowgirl from Hanna, Indiana is the person who posted the tutorial. It is one of the best tutorials I have ever had the pleasure to view. Every step on how to make these huggies is clearly photographed & described. Even I could make them! However, the thought of digging out my fabric, measuring, cutting, sewing, etc made me shudder. I just don't have the time! Well, luckily at the bottom of her tutorial Chris makes mention of the fact that she sells these ... $5.00 for the small sizes, $7.50 for the medium sizes, & $10 for anything larger than 11x11. Beings that I've only seen these offered at Nordic Needle & their prices begin at $4.99 for the smallest size & go all the way up to $21.99 for the largest adjustable model ... & you don't get to pick your fabrics ... I couldn't send Chris an email fast enough to order a few. I received them last week & am positively delighted! I am not a rich person by any means but I will gladly pay someone to make something for me rather than frustrating myself trying to make it myself ... no matter how simple it is. Chris has a website, Christine's Q-Snap Huggies, where you can see the huggies & all the different fabrics you can choose from.
Posted by Shirlee at 11:15 AM 7 comments
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Exchanges To Share
Last month I participated in my first Stitched With Love Exchange & I enjoyed it immensely! I received a wonderful package of goodies from Tricia whose blog is The Stamper's Stitches. As you can see in the photo below she stitched the most gorgeous pin pillow for me! She also sent me a package of John James platinum needles, a little pair of scissors, & she kitted up a Trilogy design, Patriotic Tree: Truth, complete with stitching fabric, backing fabric, embellishments & DMC threads! She also sent me the cutest handmade notecard! I love it all : )
Posted by Shirlee at 9:25 AM 12 comments
Friday, February 17, 2012
You've GOT To Be Kidding Me!
Yes, two blog posts in one day ... but that's not the kidding part. I'll get to that in a minute.
First of all, my waking up at 3:30 in the morning after 3 hours of sleep left me amazingly productive! I made my sort of homemade loaf of bread. It was edible but my aunt has apparently either lost her memory or her sense of taste because it tastes nothing like dad's bread : ( Ah well, the search goes on. Anyway, after my blog post I decided to tidy up my cross stitch charts & fabrics. That led me to tidying up the dining table which really acts as a desk, file cabinet, & general catch-all as opposed to a piece of furniture where you eat meals. While doing this tidying up I spied some long overdue insurance forms. Yes, they truly are never ending. I decided to tackle a couple of what I knew would be the simple ones merely involving the writing of a letter. Finished those & felt a nice sense of accomplishment ... but did I stop there? No ... I oh so foolishly decided to tackle "just one more." Three hours later I was still struggling with this huge mess which I have been trying to get straightened out for 8 months now. ARGH! I swear this particular set of claims has traveled back & forth between our house & the insurance company office in Arizona more times than I used to travel back & forth to the neighborhood penny candy store when I was a kid. John suggested we go into town for lunch. Since at that point I felt like running out of the house screaming I thought it was a good idea to leave.
We had a nice lunch & then stopped to take advantage of a sale on sheets & towels, both of which we have been in need of for quite some time. Found what I hope will be good choices ... including new bed pillows ... & came home. Checked my emails & found one from my doctor's office. I had some blood tests done a couple weeks ago & the email said they have called three times & left messages for me to call them back but I never have. Well, I never got the messages! I suspect they have been calling my cell phone number which I told them very clearly is a phone I do not use except for emergencies when I'm traveling somewhere out of town. Grrrr! And the reason they were trying to get in touch with me? Are you ready for this? I've got Lyme disease! The doctor told me at my last visit that she suspected this & tested for it in a previous blood draw & the test came back positive. I told her surely it was a lab error. She didn't think so but she humored me & ordered several other tests to make sure. All positive. Now ... Lyme disease is pretty unusual, wouldn't you say? Especially since it's been apparently lying dormant in me for years & now suddenly Whoomp! There it is! I swear, I get the strangest ailments. First I was diagnosed with adult growth hormone deficiency. A couple months ago I had a brain MRI & my pituitary has, in layman's terms, "shriveled up & died." It's called empty sella syndrome. Now Lyme disease. I am actually laughing here. What's next?
Oh! Before I forget, I want to thank everyone for your concern regarding my doctor visits the other day. The gyn appointment revealed nothing but some irritation. Got a couple pills for that. The blood tests were fine. My pregnant eye turned out to be caused by backed-up oil glands at the base of my eyelashes. Warm compresses & a gentle scrubbing with No More Tears baby shampoo should remedy it in no time. John says my eye is looking better already although it is still a bit sore.
I did not get any stitching done today. Thankfully the weekend isn't over & I have no set amount of stitches I have to do for IHSW. I am going to try to put in a few tonight before I head off to bed.
And th-th-th-th-th- ... that's all folks : )
Posted by Shirlee at 10:56 PM 10 comments
Linen Woes
I have been trying to buy some designer suggested fabrics for projects I want to stitch in the coming months but I am having a less than happy time doing so. Quite a few of the fabrics I need are not to be found anywhere ... at least anywhere I have looked. I've Googled them all without success. The 35 counts seem to be almost nonexistent. I therefore thought I would just go ahead & substitute with a 36 count. I was able to find a fabric or two this way but the place I did find it only sold it in 1/2 or 1 yard cuts. Since I only need less than a fat eighth size it really would not behoove me to buy that much even if I had that kind of money. I have even thought of substituting with a like color of fabric but have likewise come up empty. It's impossible to tell what a color is truly like by looking at it on a computer monitor. Also, colors differ from one manufacturer to another so for instance the color "straw" could be a dark gold when purchased from one source but a light tan when purchased from another. I once heard tell of a supplier who sold her fabric with DMC color comparisons noted in the descriptions. What a godsend that would be! Unfortunately I have never found her. Does anyone know if this supplier exists?
In particular I am searching for WDW 35 ct Straw & Parchment (although I'll take a 36), R&R 36 ct Creme Brulee, & Lakeside 36 ct Vintage Examplar. I'm also on the hunt for 28 ct Chardonay & 28 ct Cranberry Bog. Does anyone know where I can get any of these fabrics? I have no idea who the manufacturers are for those last two.
My WIP is coming along rather well. Does anyone want to venture a guess yet as to what it is? You need to tell me both the name of the designer & the name of the design. Just saying "it's a howler monkey" or "it's a bowl of soup" won't do : )
Posted by Shirlee at 7:12 AM 14 comments
Thursday, February 16, 2012
A Wonderful Surprise!
Last month I was chosen by Cathy to be one of the Pay It Forward recipients on her blog, With Needle & Thread. If you aren't familiar with Pay It Forward you can read Cathy's invitation here. As you will note, the explanation stated that the recipients will each receive 5 stitching related gifts & examples were given as follows ...
Posted by Shirlee at 6:43 PM 9 comments
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
A Yucky Doctor Appointment, A New Start, & A Big Fat Eye
John & I had a lovely day yesterday. It was rainy & gray & overcast but not so much so that we couldn't follow through with our plans to go to Richmond, Kentucky which is about an hour from here. We hadn't been there for quite a while. We had planned to have our Valentines Day/wedding anniversary dinner at Red Lobster but strangely enough we both had a desire for pizza so we ended up eating at our favorite pizza place close to home : )
I will be leaving soon for an early morning appointment with my gynecologist. Even though I had a total hysterectomy back in 2010 my regular doctor wanted me to make this appointment. I have dealt with her often enough to know that when she suggests something like this she has "suspicions" of one sort or another. Hopefully they won't amount to anything. My appointment is scheduled for 8:30. At 9 o'clock I have an appointment for blood tests at the hospital 2 blocks away so hopefully the gyn will do what he needs to do & I will still be able to make it to the hospital in time. After that I'm guessing I will probably have to stop by the eye doctor's office because this morning my right eye looks like it's about 8 months pregnant. Hey ... I wonder if the gyn can help me with that???
I didn't do any stitching yesterday but on Monday I did start a new project. Can you guess what it is???
Posted by Shirlee at 7:37 AM 12 comments
Monday, February 13, 2012
Monday? Really?
It's strange but I can't shake the feeling that this is Sunday! I woke up thinking it was Sunday & I've been thinking that ever since although at one point I did realize it's Monday.
As you can see I have a new stitching finish to show you! The Christmas All Year Round SAL theme for February is a Christmas tree ornament & I chose this one ...
Posted by Shirlee at 10:03 AM 20 comments
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Upstairs Update
I have been working upstairs almost daily this past week & I've worked especially hard this morning. I have been sorting things in order to put like items/boxes together, made a pile of boxes that need to be put inside other boxes & brought downstairs, made a mental note of boxes that need to be brought upstairs from downstairs in order to make room for the aforementioned boxes I'll be bringing downstairs, & marveled again at how very much craft stuff one person can accumulate in a couple decades. It's hard to imagine that there was a time when John & I moved from Florida to Montana & sold just about everything we owned except our clothes & special momentos. It's also hard to imagine that there were times when I decided "I don't want to do this anymore" & sold more crafting supplies than I can shake a stick at. How is it that I have so much stuff?!?!? I got to do a count of my huge Rubbermaid containers packed full of quilting fabric. There are 13 of them. There are an additional 5 smaller containers which are holding quilt tops I've finished but have never quilted, quilt blocks I've made but have never sewn into quilt tops, & various fabric pattern pieces cut out & waiting to be made into quilt blocks. Then there is a huge container filled with quilts that are almost finished ... they only need the binding sewn on. I'm guessing there's about 10 of those binding-deprived quilts.
I have the 4 huge containers crammed full of wool strips cut & ready to be made in to braided rugs. I was surprised to find an additional container filled almost to the brim with yards of wool ... some solids, some herringbones, & some plaids.
There are a lot of boxes packed with things I know I'm not going to use but I really don't have the time to go through them all to sort things out right now. My main focus is to get everything rounded up, looking neat, & out of the way for when prospective buyers come to look at the house. I'm still flip-flopping on what to do with the yard sale stuff.
I am maybe done upstairs for today. John is having a lot of pain with his teeth so he wasn't up very long this morning before he went back to bed. He has been sleeping for about 2 hours now & I don't think there is much more I can do up there without making too much noise & disturbing him. I'm therefore going to treat myself to some lunch, maybe read a bit, & take it from there.
Posted by Shirlee at 12:38 PM 16 comments
Friday, February 10, 2012
Bakeries, Biscuits, Scroll Frames, & Selling Stuff
I love a good bakery but I haven't had the pleasure of finding one for more years than some of you are old. The only exception has been a few bakeries we frequented while visiting Europe. The pastries & cakes that John & I have had in Italy, Germany, Switzerland, & especially France still make us drool when we think of them ... especially the patisseries in Metz, France! Well, last month we discovered there is a Whole Foods grocery store in Louisville, Kentucky. Whole Foods has delicious organic meats, eggs, & breads as well as other yummy things. We usually go to the Whole Foods store in Lexington but since John had a doctor appointment in Louisville we decided to see if there was one there & there was, just 8 miles from his doctor's office, so we made it a point to stop by.
Whole Foods in Louisville is larger & has a wider variety of things to offer than does their store in Lexington ... most especially their bakery. The Lexington store has a teeny, tiny little bakery which is barely worth a second glance whereas the Louisville store's bakery is at least 10 times the size! They have more than a dozen different varieties of cookies to choose from (& not always the same kinds), just as many different varieties of cupcakes, & then lots of breads, coffee cakes, pies, bundt cakes ... you name it! We brought home one of each of the cookies that day & an almond coffee cake. They were not with us for very long. It was like eating homemade baked goods! I thought about them every day since that time & yesterday when we had to go to Louisville for John's dental appointment we first stopped by Whole Foods to buy more cookies & another almond coffee cake. Right next to the cookies they had little packages buttermilk biscuits.
Posted by Shirlee at 10:58 AM 11 comments
Thursday, February 9, 2012
A WIP, A Giveaway Win, Gifts, & Other Stuff
Frosty & I would like to thank everyone who has come to attend his week long celebration party! I thought I would break away for a moment to share some long overdue photos, a stitching update, & other stuff : )
When I finished stitching the January Trip Into Hell (the designer calls it January Word Play) I immediately took it out of my Q-Snap hoop & replaced it with this ...
Posted by Shirlee at 9:52 PM 11 comments
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Posted by Shirlee at 1:46 PM 26 comments
Quickie Question Regarding Stitching With White Floss
I have started a new project which calls for some white floss. Thankfully it does not call for GAST Shaker White ... it instead calls for CC Bamboo & I must say that I feel like I'm stitching with the floss the angels use! I swear it's almost like using pearl cotton rather than floss! It's so lush & thick compared to that horrible GAST Shaker White ... & it's WHITE too! Beautiful, beautiful white without splotches of mold growing on it here & there. Oh happy day : )
Anyway, I wanted to ask you stitchers how you go about stitching a design when the pattern calls for white to be used. Do you stitch all the other colors first & then stitch the white last, or do you stitch the white whenever you get to it? It seems to me that once long ago I read that you should stitch anything white last so as to avoid getting the white dirty or picking up colors of floss dust on it as you stitch. This pattern design includes a large snowflake & a little mound of snow. It also includes little patches of snow on a pine tree which is stitched using a hand-dyed dark green. Some of the white on the tree is in little confetti stitches. I'm not sure if I should stitch the green first & then try to go back & fit in the white stitches ... or if I should stitch all the white & then go back & stitch all the green.
I did have another successful day of "doing something" with our Fibber McGee-like second floor. I have dreaded working up there for months now but between yesterday & the day before I actually accomplished a few things that have already made the place look better ... at least in one little corner! Of course there are those spots which I dread more than anything & they will undoubtedly be pushed aside until last ... most of all the mounds of yard sale stuff. Yard sales don't do well around here ... at least I rarely see any. I was going to box everything up & take it to my aunt in Pittsburgh who loves-loves-loves doing yard sales but that would be a 7-hour drive one way & it would involve pricing everything, wrapping it, & probably spending whatever amount I'd make from the yard sale on gas for the trip. Some of it is "good stuff" but you know how it is trying to get a good price for "good stuff" at a yard sale. I'm tempted to just drop it all off at Goodwill or even just take it to the dump just to avoid the hassle. Will have to think on this a bit more. Whatever the decision, these yard sale things do not have priority at this time.
Believe it or not it SNOWED last night! Yes, it's the usual "God shaking His talcum powder can" snow that plagues central Kentucky ... at least 40% of the grass is still visible ... but snow is snow so I am doing a happy dance : )
Posted by Shirlee at 9:25 AM 8 comments
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
First Step
As many of you know, my husband & I are planning to sell our home this year.
Posted by Shirlee at 9:59 AM 19 comments
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Still Stitching Away on Frosty
I wish I had kept track of the hours ... which have turned into days, weeks, & nearly months ... that I have been working on this blasted January Word Play. Some stitchers do that. I've seen them post a photo of a completed project & make mention that it took them a total of 19 hours, for example, to stitch that particular piece. I have thought that it would maybe be a good idea to do that & to perhaps include the information on a little label attached to the back of a framed piece or note it in a little stitching journal. I imagine it would be interesting to someone one day.
I've also seen stitchers just make a general note of their stitching time. They will, for example, post a photo of something like this & add a caption similar to the one below it ...
Posted by Shirlee at 9:45 AM 15 comments
Friday, February 3, 2012
A Finish (sort of) & An Exchange Gift
My camera seems to be working semi-well this morning although it wants to make the color of the linen in my first photo appear white instead of the antique copper lookalike linen (kind of tea dyed looking) it is in real life. Sigh ... you never know how a picture is going to turn out when I get a camera in my hands : ) Anyway, this first photo shows my finished stitching of Homespun Elegance's Santa Sampler design which I chose to do for my first Christmas All Year Round ornament. I still need to attach a little stocking charm between Santa's hands & then make him into an ornament but that is going to have to wait a while. We all know how I dread finishing a stitched piece : )
Posted by Shirlee at 2:42 PM 12 comments
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Happy Groundhog Day!
First off I want to say thank you for wishing me well regarding my upset tummy yesterday. The peppermint tea actually did help! I only had this one tea bag which was sent to me as a little thank you gift when I ordered some of my favorite tea (Hot Cinnamon Sunset by Haney & Sons) from a supplier on Amazon or eBay. I usually buy directly from the company but went through this supplier instead for some reason. Anyway, he included the peppermint tea bag (organic) so I had it here to try sometime. It was actually very good!
I decided to lay low yesterday so basically my day was spent in the recliner stitching on the January Word Play. I learned, if nothing else, that my stitching is even slower than I thought it was. I really should have called my blog The Slower Than Molasses Stitcher or something like that. After several hours of stitching all I got done were the 6 bottom rows that were still remaining on Frosty, a couple small snowflakes over on that side, the leaf, vine, & berries to the right of Frosty, & maybe a little over half the cart. I still have several words, a bird, Frosty's arms along with his scarf & buttons, & the cart wheels/handle to do. What's that going to take me ... a week of constant stitching? I know I've said in the past that I don't care about the time it takes me to stitch something ... it's the process of stitching that I enjoy ... but it's like I've been working on this thing half my life! My goal is to finish stitching it in the next day or two & then have a big cyber party celebrating it being done : )
I have several things to take pictures of but my new camera, purchased in October, is driving me nuts. It has this built-in stabilizer thingie in it & that is one of the reasons I bought it. It's supposed to keep things steady so your pictures don't blur. It was doing that for a while but the other day I tried to photograph my progress on Frosty & I got blurry photo after blurry photo. Grrrrr! If anyone has any suggestions to remedy this ... or suggestions for a replacement camera that will take a good picture even while you're galloping around on a horse ... please let me know.
Today is Groundhog Day. I have heard that the famous Phil saw his shadow so we are in for 6 more weeks of winter. However, Gracie ... the groundhog who lives underneath a small grouping of trees in our front yard, has been roaming around for at least 2 weeks now so she obviously does not agree with Phil. All this talk of groundhogs today made me think of a wonderful movie ...
Posted by Shirlee at 10:10 AM 11 comments
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
A Finish (A Good Thing) & An Upset Tummy (A Not-So-Good Thing)
Good morning ... & Happy February!
I woke up early this morning not feeling too well & things have not improved. I have been eating things best left alone for about the past week & I think it has finally caught up with me. What has this experience taught me? It has taught me that when you've been off sugar for 8 months it's not smart to decide to give yourself a few days of a sugar binge. Not smart at all.
On a happier note I can share a finish with you! No, it's not Frosty. We are on friendly terms but I haven't been stitching for a couple days now. My lack of motivation to do anything is probably tied into the sugar overload. Anyway, I did accomplish 4 finishes in January. Two of them I can't show you yet because they were for exchange gifts. Once my exchange partners have received them I will post pictures for you : ) Another finish ... as far as stitching is concerned anyway ... is my Santa ornament for the Christmas All Year Round SAL. I haven't taken a photo yet. Our assignment for February is to stitch a design featuring a Christmas tree. I've got mine picked out & kitted up & am looking forward to starting it. What I can share with you today is this little Pine Mountain Designs pillow I made for Shar over at Sharlene's Stitching Site. Shar & I decided to do a monthly friendship exchange this year. I thought this Making Friends design was perfect to stitch for our first exchange : )
Posted by Shirlee at 6:53 AM 20 comments


text:
If we have a relationship with another person, and we love the person but don't understand him or her, the relationship is incomplete; if we understand the person but don't love him or her, it is equally unfulfilling. How much more so on our spiritual path. We have to understand the meaning of the teaching and also love it. In the beginning our understanding will only be partial, so our love has to be even greater.
~ Ayya Khema, from When the Iron Eagle Flies
* * *
I'm holding a scissored and revolved version of what I think of as Crow Pose – an arm balance – in an asana room of Cosmic Dog Yoga, a Livermore California studio that's under construction but nearly finished. Sunlight streams in from the west-facing windows.
"Come forward about three feet, and face this way." She gestures. I come out of the pose, back to my feet, and move forward. I resume the pose. Now I can't see her, but I hear.
"Extend your foot from the ankle."
I adjust the foot.
"Now holding the foot-ankle extension, draw your toes back toward the shin."
My peripheral vision notes that she's lying on the floor nearby, propped on her elbows. She begins taking pictures.
The heels of my hands press into the floor. The right, unweighted, forearm begins to tremble.
"Lift the forward foot slightly, the light angle's wrong."
I shift. Another picture.
"Can you draw your spine and neck into alignment?"
I try lifting my neck into alignment. Maybe the neck moves a half inch, but no more.
* * *
In the world of yoga, the word bhakti is Sanksrit for devotion. It is a path toward liberation through devotion – encountering the divine as You. Not an impersonal third-person Independent Divine that we perceive as a Deist might the Kosmos. Not a first-person manifestation of Divinity as Walt Whitman conceived of Self. But rather second person – You – a relationship – a friend.
St. Teresa of Ávila wrote that her form of contemplative prayer, oración mental, "is nothing else than a close sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with him who we know loves us." This is also the essence of bhakti yoga – a relationship of worship. It is the path described in the Bhagavad Gita: "One can understand Me as I am, as the absolute, only by devotion. And when one is in full consciousness of Me by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God. (B-Gita 18.55). It was Jesus' message to his disciples: "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends…"
* * *
Laurie climbs the construction scaffolding, and I hand up the cameras.
"Let's see Triangle."
I move through the eight or nine actions involved in building a Triangle Pose: ground back foot heel-to-toe, angle foot out 30˚; place front foot four feet ahead, align heel and toes to the front. Lift the arches of the feet, engaging the groin muscles. Extend torso and abdomen, draw front arm forward…
As I move, from above the camera clicks.
* * *
In the political circles I frequent, devotion isn't at the top of the agenda. It does not affirm or fortify the independence of a soul, but rather the discovery of spirit in the utter interbeing of each with the other. It is not the clear, structured rationality of logic and formalism, but rather the discovery of freedom through submission, of liberation through discarding insistence on self, of coming to life by uprooting the individuality-hedgerows we've planted and watered and groomed. It does not bear the hallmarks of scientistic objectivity. It is, instead, a path into and through subjectivity. Not so much a "moving toward" as a self-surrender.
* * *
"Let's try uttanasana."
I stand, big toes touching, side by side, heels parted an inch or so. I raise my arms and gaze up to the ceiling, then bend at the waist, bringing my hands first to the floor, then to the backs of my calves, my face to my knees. I extend my spine. My face presses into my shins.
"Rotate slightly to your left."
I shift to the left.
* * *
Part of the modern objection to self-surrender is rooted in historical recognition of Jim-Jones style cultism, "just-following-orders" war crimes, and perversely co-dependent pathologies. Those problems are painfully real, and I'm not entirely sure how to describe and contour my sense of how they differ from bhakti yoga. I suppose one could avoid those problems by confining the scope of one's devotion to bounds set by rationality, but that very constraint seems inconsistent with the whole-hearted connection and liberation that characterizes bhaki. Perhaps there are more and less mature ways of engaging in bhakti, just as one can engage in a variety of non-rational ways of being, some pre-rational, unaware and dismissive of all that rationality has to offer, others post-rational, incorporating all that rationality offers, but wider and deeper than rationality, not confined by its limitations.
Or perhaps, though, bhakti is just stepping through a darkened doorway.
* * *
"Deepen the twist."
"Now lift your head."
"Draw your chin back a bit."
I comply.
* * *
Bhakti is the part of yoga that most resembles religious practices. Consequently, it is the part that can make those devoted to a particular religious practice –and equally those opposed to religious practice altogether – distinctly uncomfortable.
In bhakti, I find joyful, whole-hearted connection. Some bhaktis love the embodiment of that connection in imagined images of divine. For me, I find it in the twisting wisps of smoke rising from a smoldering incense stick, in chanting.
Now in fairness to my specific-religion friends and to my specific-no-religion friends, if I chant Jaia Ganesha Jaia Jaia Ganesha Jaia intending to curry special favor with an invisible, portly-human-bodied, elephant-headed god named Ganesha who is particularly inclined to remove obstacles from human endeavors for those who worship him repeatedly, then yes, I'm engaged in a kind of pre-rational worship that may well conflict with a belief in a different deity that is appeased or approached through a different set of practices or with a "no-deity-no-way" policy. I get those ways of looking at the world. I lived versions of them myself for a long time. And I don't criticize anyone who finds them useful or good or important. There is neither point nor good in rejecting what is.
But there's a way of devotion, a tao, that is more immediate, that is neither petitioning of an independent Other, nor simply empty ritual, but that is intermeshed with consciousness in the very act of devotion itself, whatever form that devotion might take, whether burning incense or paying tithing or feeding the hungry or cleaning toilets or weaving flower garlands or painting the Sistine Chapel. And that tao dissolves everything but the devotion, both lover and beloved, both teacher and student, both subject and object.
* * *
I sit. Balance. Grasp my toes. Extend my legs. I lift my heart toward the ceiling.
"Hold it there."
I hold.
* * *
My first experience with bhakti was singing. My earliest memory in life is sitting on my mother's lap in a rocking chair, singing with her before bedtime. I was, I think, about 3 years old at the time. The memory remains, I'm sure, because it was the first time I recall singing dissolving into harmony – perfect fourths, if such a distant memory can be trusted. As I grew up, I sang in children's choirs at funerals and church meetings. I sang in school choirs throughout grade school. I spent more hours singing in college than I spent in course work for either of my majors.
Singing – an activity made of breath, vibration, and mind – can be entirely self-focused concentration. But it can also be bhakti – devotion. It takes all kinds of forms, ranging from Protestant hymns in 4/4 time with rhyming lyrics sung in well-lit chapels, to textured drum-beating, tabla-droning, body-swaying kirtan chants in Sanskrit to Ganesha in a half-dark yoga studio, to Gregorian plainsong chants intoned in stone cathedrals, to OM continuously chanted in a circle of friends sitting on the floor of an office, converted for a time into a sacred space.
Or, as happens most mornings of my life, an invocation sung quietly to the field above my yoga mat before I step into that sacred space.
Really, we don't sing to communicate information. We sing to embody feeling. We sing to embody ideas. We sing to vibrate in a harmonic dance with the universe.
When I sing, I open my heart, not to myself, not to I, but to You.
* * *
I'm in hurdle pose – balanced on my hands, arms bent at elbows, my left leg angled forward, resting on the back of my left tricep, right leg extended into the air behind me.
"Can you draw your left leg forward a bit?"
I press. Not sure whether anything moves or not.
"Engage your toes."
"Now lift the left leg a bit."
I lift.
* * *
As I said, for a variety of reasons –some pre-rational, some quite rational – not everyone finds the path of bhakti to be particularly appealing, so many yoga studios scale back the overtly bhakti aspects of the yoga they practice. The studios where I practice most of the time tend toward the austerity of postures, heat, and breath. But for a person inclined toward bhakti, the lack of a Shiva statute or a Buddha mural isn't really an impediment. The basic elements of bhakti yoga are still always present: there's the devotee, and there's the teacher.
Exactly what it is about working with a gifted teacher, I truly don't know. There isn't much about the western practice of yoga asana, breath, and meditation that makes obvious the need for a teacher. Lots of people practice their yoga based on a few books, a video or two, in the solitude of their own homes. I have a home practice, myself. But nonetheless, many of the most profound experiences I've ever had have come through yoga, and almost always have come through teachers.
…love is the vehicle through which you can much more quickly learn the language of your own True Self. Precisely because this learning is driven by love, it happens more rapidly than sitting alone, in the corner, on your meditation mat, counting your breaths.
Ken Wilber, One Taste, pg. 209
* * *
"Do you have a standing backbend?"
I position my feet.
"Come closer to the scaffold."
I move toward the platform.
"Face away from me, and bend back toward me."
I turn 180˚, lift my arms to Mountain Pose, then widen the pelvis, rotating the femurs inward, creating space for the sacrum to descend. The tailbone rotates down and under, the pubic bone rotates up and forward, bringing a stretch to the quads. Spine lengthened, the shoulder girdle begins its motion up and back.
"Relax your arms – bring your hands to heart center, anjali mudra."
I press my palms together, just above my heart. The back bend deepens. My eyes gaze upward, but now up is back. I breathe slowly, each exhale taking me more deeply back, the entire front of my body from knees to pelvis to ribcage to sternum to chin is bow-string taut, vibrating with fatigue.
"A bit more."
I exhale again, the backbend deepens, my gaze travels across the ceiling and suddenly, I'm seeing into the inverted eyes of the photographer above and behind me in the air.
Looking into Laurie's eyes, I feel the prana of devotion to the presence above me, and I see that the next stage of the backbend is constricted not by the limitations of muscle or sinew, but by fear and self-protection. I release them and trust the pose, the teacher, the photographer, the alignment of existence, the internal point of singleness, Shiva.
Ishvara pranidhana indeed.
The spine arches more deeply, the abdominal and diaphragm muscles release slightly, and my gaze moves from the photographer's eyes, to what is beyond them.
* * *
Eye-to-eye, we connect: the unity, the dance, the connection, the not-two-ness of the experience – bhakti – a way of relaxing the attachment to self.
It is momentary freedom, beginning as one, discovering another, and each disappearing, leaving only the twining.
[For more pix, go here.]

subset: commoncrawl


text:
-- Tour de Force Performance by Demi Lovato --
-- Jonas Brothers Deliver the Charm and Rock the House --
-- Soundtrack Debuts Tuesday, August 10 --
-- DVD Combo Pack with Additional Musical Scenes Available September 7 --
The premiere of Disney's exhilarating rock 'n roll musical "Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam," starring Demi Lovato and Jonas Brothers, will be presented across Labor Day weekend with four event telecasts -- each celebrating music and dance with a storyline that suggests life is about the way you play. The fun for kids, tweens and families begins FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 and goes through MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 (8:00 p.m., ET/PT, each night) on Disney Channel. An extended edition of the movie, featuring two exclusive new music numbers, will be available on Disney Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD on Tuesday, September 7.
During breaks in some of the premiere weekend telecasts, sponsorship messages that extend the movie's underlying theme will be presented by Sara Lee Soft & Smooth bread, Best Western International, the all-new Honda Odyssey and Verizon.
The soundtrack, featuring 15 songs spanning hip-hip, rock and pop/rock performed by the cast, releases on iTunes and in stores nationwide, Tuesday, August 10.
The 2008 premiere of "Camp Rock" was cable TV's #1 entertainment telecast of the year in Total Viewers (10.1 million) and TV's #1 entertainment telecast in Tweens 9-14. Among TV's live action movies, it was #1 among Kids 6-11 for the year.
The sequel, choreographed by Rosero McCoy, is a tour de force for actress and recording artist Demi Lovato. It showcases both the music and charm of Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas, and includes their younger brother Frankie Jonas in his TV movie debut. The highly anticipated sequel also brings back fan favorites from "Camp Rock," 2008's #1 cable TV movie. They are: Maria Canals-Barrera ("Wizards of Waverly Place"), Meaghan Martin ("10 Things I Hate About You"), Alyson Stoner ("Phineas and Ferb," Step Up 3D"), Anna Maria Perez de Tagle ("Fame"), Jasmine Richards, Daniel Fathers, Roshon Fegan (Disney Channel's upcoming "Shake it Up") and Jordan "J" Francis. "Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam" introduces two exciting new performers, Matthew Mdot Finley and Chloe Bridges. Daniel Kash also stars.
The sequel follows Mitchie and her friends as they return to Camp Rock for another great summer of music and fun. But when big-money, state-of-the-art Camp Star opens across the lake, it lures away many instructors and campers -- putting the future of Camp Rock in jeopardy. Mitchie emerges as a leader determined to save the camp and challenges the egocentric Luke Williams and his fellow Camp Star campers to a Final Jam -- an end-of-summer performance duel, may the best camp win.
Music from "Camp Rock 2" is part of a spectacular live concert show headlined by Jonas Brothers, special guest Demi Lovato and "Camp Rock" stars Alyson Stoner, Matthew Mdot Finley, Anna Maria Perez de Tagle and Jordan Francis. Information on the concert, produced by Live Nation, is available at www.jonasbrothers.com.
The schedule for the world premiere of "Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam" is:
Wednesday, September 1
"Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam" available on Disney Channel on Demand for Verizon FiOS subscribers (also available via select affiliates).
Radio Disney presents part one of "On the Set," a special telecast from the set of "Camp Rock: 2 The Final Jam" (6:00-8:00 p.m., ET/3:00-5:00 p.m., PT). It will also be available at RadioDisney.com.
Friday, September 3
Radio Disney presents part two of "On the Set" (6:00-8:00 p.m., ET/3:00-5:00 p.m., PT) and a pre-show hosted by Ernie D (6:00-8:00 p.m., ET/3:00-5:00 p.m., PT) that leads to the TV telecast.
The cast hosts the world premiere of "Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam" on Disney Channel U.S. (8:00 p.m., ET/PT) with an audio simulcast on Radio Disney.
Mobile video simulcast of "Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam" available for Flo TV, MobiTV and Sprint TV
Fans are invited to customize a page for the official "Camp Rock 2 Year Book," collect mementos, access exclusive content and more on DisneyChannel.com.
Saturday, September 4
The Rock Along edition of "Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam" invites viewers to sing along to the songs. Lyrics will be visible on screen and at DisneyChannel.com.
Sunday, September 5
Disney Channel presents the Sunday Dance Jam edition of "Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam" (8:00 p.m., ET/PT). Hosted by Demi Lovato and Jonas Brothers, it gives viewers a look at the making of the spectacular dance scenes.
Monday, September 6
Disney Channel presents an encore of "Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam" (8:00 p.m., ET/PT).
Tuesday, September 7
"Camp Rock 2 The Final Jam: Extended Edition" featuring two exclusive new music numbers -- "Walking in My Shoes" and "Different Summers" -- will be available in stores on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital combo-pack, from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.
The movie was written by Dan Berendsen (Disney's "Hannah Montana The Movie" and "Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie") and the team of Karin Gist and Regina Hicks. It is based on characters created by Karin Gist, Regina Hicks, Julie Brown and Paul Brown. The director and co-producer is DGA Award winner Paul Hoen (Disney Channel's "The Cheetah Girls One World" and "Jump In"). The producer is Kevin Lafferty and the executive producer is Alan Sacks. "Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam" is a production of Coin Flip Productions, Ltd. and Alan Sacks Productions in association with Disney Channel.
Disney Channel is a 24-hour kid-driven, family inclusive television network that taps into the world of kids and families through original series and movies. Currently available on basic cable in over 99 million U.S. homes and to millions of other viewers on Disney Channels around the world, Disney Channel is part of the Disney/ABC Television Group.


text:
Cito clarifies comments; Game 112 lineups
TORONTO — Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston wanted to clarify some comments he made Tuesday afternoon during a MLB Network SIRUIS XM radio interview with Jim Bowden. Gaston is not considering returning as Toronto's manager after this season.
According to Bowden's Twitter page, Gaston said, "If I was pushed to stay another year I would … but if I'm asked to step aside I will."
Gaston explained his comment to reporters prior to Tuesday's game against the Red Sox at Rogers Centre.
"You should've heard what he said," Gaston said of the interview. "He said, 'It's unacceptable for you to leave.' So I said to him, 'You should be my agent,' and he said, 'Ten percent,' and he'll do it. So I said to him, 'No. You know what? I'm going to leave.' I said, 'If they ask me to come back, I might think about it, but I'm probably still going to leave.' That's the way that went."
Gaston plans on shifting into an advisory role with the Blue Jays following this season and general manager Alex Anthopoulos is currently in the midst of conducting a search for a new manager. Asked if the issue of returning or retiring was completely settled in his mind, Gaston said it was.
"In my mind? Yeah, it's pretty final for me that I'm going to leave," Gaston said. "I've said it a few times that I think it's best for the ballclub. I think they'll get somebody in here that's going to be here for a few years. As I told him, if I was a little bit younger, and I wanted to be around for two or three more years, which I think that would be OK, then I'd probably be kicking and screaming trying to stay here.
"But, that's not the case for me. If I do come back, it would only be for one year, so what is that going to do for anybody unless it gives them time to find who they want. But, Alex, I'm pretty sure he's on the job looking right now. It's OK. I'm ready to go. No problem"
at 7:07 p.m. ET, Rogers Centre
1. Marco Scutaro, SS
2. J.D. Drew, RF
3. Victor Martinez, C
4. David Ortiz, DH
5. Adrian Beltre, 3B
6. Mike Lowell, 1B
7. Bill Hall, LF
8. Jed Lowrie, 2B
9. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Pitching: Daisuke Matsuzaka (8-3, 3.96)
1. Fred Lewis, CF
2. Travis Snider, LF
3. Jose Bautista, RF
4. Aaron Hill, 2B
5. Adam Lind, DH
6. Edwin Encarnacion, 3B
7. Lyle Overbay, 1B
8. J.P. Arencibia, C
9. John McDonald, SS
Pitching: Ricky Romero (9-7, 3.37)
NOTES: SS Yunel Escobar was a late scratch with a sore right knee. … CF Vernon Wells is sidelined with a dislocated right big toe. Wells and Gaston were both optimistic that the center fielder would return to the lineup on Wednesday. Wells said the toe will be taped and noted that there is more discomfort when running than when hitting. … LHP Brett Cecil cut his left knee this week and has been pushed back until Saturday for his next start. Cecil required three stitches, according to Gaston. … LHP Brad Mills will start on Thursday and then will be sent back to Triple-A Las Vegas. The Jays will promote LHP Marc Rzepczynski from Vegas to start on Friday. … RHP Brandon Morrow is being given some extra rest after Sunday's 137-pitch gem. Morrow's next start will be on Aug. 17. … All of this means the upcoming rotation will be Romero (today), followed by Shaun Marcum, Mills, Rzepcznynski, Cecil, Romero, Marcum and Morrow.
UPDATE: Here is the transcript from Gaston's interview with Bowden earlier today on the MLB Newtork Radio channel on SIRIUS XM:
Bowden: "Cito, you said before the season started that you would step aside after the season, maybe stay in an advisory role, but your club is seven games over .500. This is a team that's up and coming, it's developing, it's only going to get better. I think it's unacceptable that you step aside. Will you reconsider your position?"
Gaston: (laughs) "I like that. You should be my agent."
Bowden: "Well for 10 percent I'm willing to take it on. Call me after the show." (laughs)
Gaston: "Well, you know what, if I was a little bit younger I would love to stay here 'cause I can see them moving forward nd I want to be a part of it and I will be a part of it, but probably as an advisor. If I was pushed to stay here another year that's fine, but I think they really need to get somebody in here that's going to be around here two or three, maybe three more years and I don't intend to stay that long one way or the other. So you know what, it's no problem for me to step aside and as I said before if I'm asked to stay another year I might think about it, but I doubt it. I'm just going to be on the outside looking in and trying to help a little bit while I'm looking in."
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3 Comments
I guess first point is why would anyone trust Jim Bowden. Clearly, that ******* Bowden tried to set Cito up, why is that a surprise this is the guy who took graft under the table from Latin American signings and kept Washington in the hinterlands for years.
Wasn't it Brett Cecil who cut his finger in Spring Training? They should dress this boy in a Kevlar suit when he isn't pitching!
It seems as though the Best Bet Diet is very close to the Paleo diet and is just slightly less restrictive in that some select grains can be eaten on the Best Bet Diet. Then, there is the MS Recovery Diet which indicates that it is also very similar to the Paleo Diet.


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text:
Quentin Blake: 80 and still a hit with youth
Issued on: Modified:
British illustrator Quentin Blake's drawings can be both terrific and terrifying at the same time, which is why he is still a children's favorite even as he celebrates his 80th birthday. Also, Morocco sells itself as the ideal shooting location in the hope of attracting film tycoons from around the globe.
And Georja Calvin-Smith meets American author Nic Mcdonnell, who wowed critics with his first novel when he was just 17. Ten years later and with several more successes under his belt, he's in Paris ahead of the publication of the French version of two more of his books.


text:
White House e-mail list tops 4 million
New technology allows President Obama's team to distribute their own messages to voters, and there is evidence they have built quite a large quasi-news network.
The White House says its website e-mail list now tops 4 million recipients, dwarfing the size of the traditional media e-mail lists that receive administration press items.
Four million is larger than the circulation of any daily newspaper in the United States.
Users of the White House website can sign up for what it calls "Updates from President Obama and Other Senior Officials."
White House website users "can also sign up for our Daily Snapshot that includes the photo of the day, President's schedule and highlights from the blog or one of our weekly topic newsletters."
The White House reported that "more than four million people have signed up to receive emails" via the website.


text:
sponsored by
New Apps Help People Avoid Unwanted
Send a link to a friend
[April 01, 2014]
By Natasha Baker
(Reuters) — Trying to avoid an awkward
encounter with an ex? Fearful of an embarrassing meeting after an
argument? New apps can help people avoid bumping into others and provide
escape routes if they do.
By logging on to Facebook and other social networking sites, users
can choose people they do not want to see.
"Everybody has somebody they want to avoid," said Udi Dagan, chief
executive officer of Israel-based technology company Split. "For
some people, it's their exes; for others, it's their bosses or even
relatives that they don't feel like bumping into during their free
With Split, a free app for iOS and Android devices, users log on to
Facebook and select people from their social network they do not
want to meet. The app sends an alert when they are nearby and shows
a route on a map to avoid them.
The Cloak app for iOS works in a similar way through Foursquare or
Instagram, sending a notification if the person comes from within
half a block to 2 miles away.
"You can tap on someone and flag them," said Brian Moore, co-founder
of Cloak, a New York-based company. "That means you'll get
background notifications whenever they come close to you."
The creators of the apps, which are available worldwide, said all
the information was already publicly available and that they were
simply aggregating it into one place.
Split and Cloak gather location data from social network updates and
check-ins. Photo-sharing network Instagram includes location data
whenever a photo is uploaded. Both apps gather data from Foursquare
and Instagram, and Split gets additional data from Facebook and
The information is as accurate as a person's last update or check-in
that contained his or her location.
[to top of second column]
Split also collects data from people using their app, and allows
them to hide their location so others cannot see where they are.
Some people may consider the apps anti-social, but Moore does not.
"Anti-social is when you never want to see anybody," he said. "In
reality, everyone has a side where they just want to be alone."
Craig Palli, chief strategy office at Boston-based mobile marketing
company Fiksu, said the apps were an inevitable progression in the
"So much of our lives have become open and public," he said. "It's
the first sign of a trend that people want to break from that."
(Editing by Patricia Reaney and Lisa Von Ahn)
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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text:
Jay Leno may have inadvertently insulted NBA legend Michael Jordan last night.
During his "10 and 10" question-and-answer session, the embattled talk show host asked, "Can you still dunk?"
Jordan, incredulous, replied: "Can I still dunk? Are you stupid?"
His airness, who turns 47 next month went on to tell Leno that he's "old, not lame," as the two chuckled through the question and answer session.
The question is akin to asking Leno if he can still tell a funny joke.
Wait, actually, that's a matter of opinion.


text:
Christmas cream liqueur
Prep: 12 mins
Simply delectable over ice and the perfect end to your Christmas meal. Or, why not wrap a bottle up and give it to a friend
Nutrition and extra info
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- fat-
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- carbs-
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- salt-
Save to My Good Food
Spoon the dulce de leche into a bowl, then beat in the coffee, vanilla and brandy until smooth. Stir in both pots of cream until well mixed.
Pour into 1 large or several smaller sterilised bottles. This will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks. Drink in liqueur glasses or serve over ice.
Recipe Tip
Sara says...If you like Baileys, you are going to love this! I usually make it with condensed milk but had a flash of inspiration when I saw a jar of dulce de leche, the soft spoonable toffee often used to make banoffee pie, in the supermarket. If you want to make a batch to give as gifts, stick a label on the bottles to make sure that the lucky recipient knows to store it in the fridge.
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Comments, questions and tips
28th Oct, 2011
Toffee sauce in Rachel Allen 'Bake' recipe (goes with her equally delicious sticky toffee pudding) I feel sure would work a treat instead of the Dulce de Leche. I've noticed the Caramel condensed milk cans now have a little flag on the can 'dulce de leche' too - save anyone decorating their ceiling! Bring on the next batch :)
28th Oct, 2011
If I had known it tasted this good I would have made it years ago! Made some on Tuesday & took into Lobbs Farm Shop where I work for staff & Customers to try. Staff, all but one, enjoyed it & will be having some as Christmas presents along with brandy butter & Customers wanted to buy it! Recipe says it will keep for 2 weeks - mine lasted about 24 hours - devine!


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I've always loved the classic, textured look of grasscloth wallpaper. When planning out the office I was inspired by these images to possibly give it a shot in the space:
Cue my 'ooohs' and 'ahhhhs'.
With all of this great inspiration it's definitely worth a shot, right? I placed a sample order with Thibaut for several promising swatches and settled on Hakka Grass in Khaki (note – if you search 'grasscloth' on the fabric website the results come up blank, but they have plenty of choices so try 'grass' instead).
It arrived in the mail and I was beyond excited. The wallpaper is comprised of small reeds and fibers in a variety of natural colors, all of which are woven tightly together to create that perfect grasscloth look.
Sooo… at no less than 2am the other night we hung grasscloth on one wall of our office. Why the late time? (or early??) I was so excited to install the wallpaper that I happily agreed to Kevin's suggestion that we 'knock it out' post-painting (which we finished up at… 2am) before the carpet installer came that same morning.
Given the ridiculous time of day, these next photos might be a bit dark… but the grasscloth is up!
Grasscloth Walls
Materials: two people (very helpful!), grasscloth wallpaper, textured wallpaper paste (the thick, sturdy stuff is definitely worth the extra few dollar splurge), paint roller and tray, utility knife, staple gun, baking mitts, level and pencil
1. We discovered (the hard way) that the very first step in applying grasscloth is ensuring a level working surface. This might mean that that first panel of paper is hung at a bit of an angle (if there's anything we've found over the years it's that not all walls are level). If you attempt to hang straight from floor to ceiling without leveling, you might step back several panels in to see the textured pattern angle down or up. So first things first: lay your level vertically against the wall and mark the straight line with a pencil. Go ahead and take a moment to remove all wall switch and outlet covers as well.
2. Using your paint roller (we used both a hand held roller and a roller with an extended wall arm), apply a coat of paste to the wall from top to bottom (as you get used to the process of applying the paper, you can add a coat to the back of the grasscloth as well).
3. Using the penciled line as your guide (and not the corner of your room), hold the top of your first grasscloth panel up against the wall. You'll notice right away that the panel that touches the ceiling, corner and floor will be unlevel, that's okay – we're working by the penciled level line and not the natural wall.
4. Staple the top of the panel at the point there the panel meets the ceiling and smooth, smooth, smooth. I've heard a large brush works well for this but I covered my hands in baking mitts (to protect them from the reeds in the grasscloth) and smoothed the heck out of those panels over and over and over again to prevent bubbles. Apply more paste at the edges when necessary with a small paint brush. Feel free to throw in a few more staples along the edges as well – but keep those staples horizontal and not vertical so that you don't put holes into the paper that you can't hide.
If you find that applying the paste to the wall before you hang the paper is resulting in a dry wall, try stapling the top of the panel to wall (as mentioned above) and have one person hold the panel high while the other reapplies paste underneath. Then slowly lowered the stapled grasscloth and continue to smooth.
5. Trim excess grasscloth at the edges with a sharp utility knife (those textured reeds are thick so the sharper the knife, the cleaner the cut). Now's a great time to trim paper for electrical outlets and wall switches as well.
Note: We worked straight off of the roll and didn't find it necessary to cut wall-sized panels from the roll first. If you do, be sure to add extra inches to account for trimming those unleveled edges.
6. Repeat! We needed four full panels and a small narrow strip at the end. The beauty of grasscloth is that there is no pattern to match as you hang the next panel. Seams are okay and come with grasscloth territory so don't worry about seeing them here and there. Plus, when you have your artwork and furniture added to the room there will be too many distractions to focus on rather than any lined wall seams. (If you're extra nervous about seams, cut your full wall panels first and line up the most closely colored panels with each other).
7. Wait a full day for the wallpaper paste to dry, then carefully remove each staple with a staple remover or flat head screwdriver. An alternate to removing the staples (especially if you're nervous about how well the paper will hang) is to take a bit of tan paint and with a thin brush paint right over the horizontal staples so that the blend in with the grasscloth – I promise, if your grasscloth is thick and textured with real reeds like ours, NO one will know the difference!
We finished up the project in about 2 ½ hours including prep and clean-up. Having two people to hang, smooth and cut the wallpaper for the entire wall is extemely helpful in such a hands on project.
I was so happy to wake up to a freshly wallpapered room the next morning! I was also a bit nervous that working at 3am might cause a few mishaps that we were unaware of, and I did spot several bubbles that made me nervous enough to consider pulling a panel down to reapply – but amazingly those bubbles dried themselves out by midafternoon and the wall was flat as a pancake.
Love the new wall! The room is much in need of new molding (painted a bright white), a new window there on the right and a bit of window refurbishing in the guest 'nook' – but it's well on its way.
What do you think of grasscloth? And for that matter, do you ever finish projects at odd times of the day?
For more Office Makeover posts, check out: painting the office nook, finding carpet for the office, chocolate brown wall ideas, plastering progress, inspiration for a diy desk, back in action!, desking hunting for under $300, bookcases under $300, inspirational rooms, room layout options, demo part 1 & demo part 2.


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Courtesy of Chris Perkins
Chris Perkins is a former U.S. Marine who served in Iraq until 2006. His battalion suffered heavy casualties.
At job fairs this summer from Denver to Colorado Springs, retired Army sergeant Thomas Maretich always bumps into the usual suspects and an all-too-familiar gaze of frustration — as if he's staring into a mirror.
"I keep seeing the same people — mostly veterans — and I'm talking about captains, people with college degrees. They've been all over the world, have all kinds of experience. But it's just the same guys over and over," said Maretich, who in June earned a medical retirement from the Army.
"There are just a handful of jobs and thousands of veterans lined up for them. How are you supposed to get a job?" asked Maretich, a Colorado Springs resident with more than 20 years of Army experience. "Our veteran numbers are growing and jobs aren't growing fast enough. It's a real problem."
Yet amid the listless hiring rates of a slack economy, men and women with combat experience are being purposely ignored by some employers who fear they may have the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, thus making them — in their view — risky candidates, said John E. Pickens III, executive director of VeteransPlus.
"While it's good that employers and general public understand (PTSD) issues, there may be some employers who know just enough to be reluctant, and who say: I want to hire this guy but I don't want this guy having his war experiences affect his work," Pickens said. His nonprofit has offered financial counseling to more than 150,000 current and former service members.
"Some of the folks we talk to say they feel a little bit conspicuous. Employers are even reluctant to talk to them about their military experiences," added Pickens, a former combat medic. "While eventually transitioning (into corporate jobs), their co-workers become aware that this is a veteran, and the veteran feels scrutinized to the point where it's like: 'Are you OK?' "
Through his consultations with veterans over myriad money issues, Pickens said he has learned that some have opted not to seek treatment for PTSD symptoms at Veterans Affairs hospitals exactly because "they don't want to be labeled or stigmatized" in their civilian jobs — or while trying to land one.
Related: Opera about Iraq war reaches out to veterans
Related: Vets battle PTSD stigma -- even if they don't have it
"It's like nobody wants to hire anybody with PTSD," Maretich said. "It's ridiculous. The whole thing got a bad name."
On his final mission in Iraq on Aug. 27, 2009 — during his fourth tour in a war zone — sergeant first class Maretich was stationed as the gunner atop an Army vehicle. A car approached, driven by "a kid," he recalled. After Maretich determined the vehicle was an imminent threat, he shot and killed the driver, he said. The car, loaded with an estimated 500 pounds of explosives, nonetheless detonated, causing Maretich to suffer a traumatic brain injury, sleep problems, chronic back pain and a knee that required replacement.
Related: 'Got Your 6' campaign helps vets return to civilian life
He also was diagnosed with PTSD — now, be believes, an unmentioned roadblock to his hopes for a corporate job due to its attached stigma.
The irony, he added, is that his duties in Iraq — including in operational intelligence and serving as a combat advisor to Iraqi soldiers — make him an ideal contender for a stateside job.
"I don't think there is better job training anywhere," he said. "I'm pretty sure that if I can get an Iraqi soldier to do what we're training him to do — in a different language and a different culture — I can handle any kind of training job in America where the people speak the same language."
Some companies, including New York-based financial giant Citi, have recognized that service members who have weathered combat carry unique talents into the boardroom. Last year, Citi hired 700 veterans and this year the company plans to hire at least 1,000 more, said Citi spokesman David Roskin.
Courtesy of Chris Perkins
Former U.S. Marine Chris Perkins has successfully moved from the lethal streets of Iraq to the fierce ways of Wall Street.
Former U.S. Marine Chris Perkins has maneuvered from lethal hot spots in Iraq to a high-pressure job on Wall Street. He exited the Marine Corps in 2006 and immediately recognized, he said, the same talents that fuel success in Manhattan's hard-charging financial district are not dissimilar from the skills that helped Perkins thrive while serving in Ar Ramadi, the capital of the Al Anbar Province.
Related: Mortgage woes afflict high rate of active troops, veterans
"My job over there was to make very timely and accurate, quantitative decisions with the understanding of risk and risk managements," said Perkins, now managing director and global head of OTC derivatives intermediation and clearing for Citi. He recalled one frightening moment — delivering bicycles to an Iraqi school then being pinned down by insurgent gunfire five minutes later and about one block away.
Over time, 260 Marines were wounded within his battalion of 1,000 and 16 were killed in action.
Courtesy of Citi
Today, Perkins is an executive with Citi but also helping other veterans ease into the corporate workforce.
"When I was able to navigate into the financial services sector, I asked: 'Hey, you guys are traders, right? Isn't that what you're doing? Aren't you making quantitative decisions all day long while understanding the risks you are taking?'
"The successful traders said, 'Yes, that's exactly we're doing.' So I was able to transfer my skills into that job," said Perkins, who later founded the Citi Military Veterans Network and played a leading role in working with fellow veterans within the financial services industry to co-found Veterans on Wall Street.
Veterans who apply for corporate gigs should carry not a stigma, Perkins said, but a stamp of approval: they're wired to work long hours with minimal sleep, start early, complete assigned tasks — all with a certain intensity and focus that only can be sharpened by battle experience.
But maybe too many hiring managers and human resources honchos "have just seen too many 'Rambo' movies," Maretich speculated. "Maybe they think we're all going to come back and not be productive.
"Believe me, man, if I could go out there and swing a hammer, I would. I can't anymore. The one thing I can do is work in a corporate environment," he added. "And the thing is, I've been really training to do that for years.
"In the civilian world, it's not life and death. You're not working 12 hours a day 7 days a week. You're not worried whether your next decision is going to get everybody killed when they go out there. The corporate world would actually be a lot easier."
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30 in 30: Rolston, Leino among Sabres' questionsby Davis Harper
The Buffalo Sabres are rebuilding. That much is known. Everything else is uncertain.
The Sabres are the youngest team in the NHL. As of early August, the average age of the roster is 26.17. Tyler Myers and Cody Hodgson, each 23 years old, rank among the veterans.
Ron Rolston, who stood behind an NHL bench for the first time when he was promoted to interim coach last season, is being asked to lead Buffalo back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in his first full season in charge.
Buffalo's on-ice leader for the better part of four seasons, captain Jason Pominville, was traded in April, and rumors of a similar outcome for goaltender Ryan Miller and right wing Thomas Vanek have swirled since the end of last season.
Here are six questions facing the Sabres entering 2013-14:
1. How will coach Ron Rolston fare in his first full season? -- Rolston's first game as interim coach of the Sabres, a 3-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, was his first game behind an NHL bench. A former assistant around the NCAA, Rolston spent seven seasons coaching the USA Hockey National Team Development Program before taking over as coach of Buffalo's American Hockey League affiliate, the Rochester Americans, in 2011.
Promoted at midseason to replace Lindy Ruff, Rolston performed well enough over the final 31 games of the season (the Sabres went 15-11-5) for the organization to remove the interim tag on May 7.
Now Rolston faces a simple challenge: Lead the rebuilding Sabres back from the brink in his first full season as an NHL coach. Despite lofty expectations, Rolston assured NHL.com he was up to the challenge.
"Being able to come in during the season and coach 31 games, I think it gave me a good opportunity to get acclimated to the organization here, the players here and also the League," Rolston said. "Now in the offseason, because of that experience it gives me an opportunity to hit the ground running and get a head start on what to expect and exactly what kind of team we'll have."
2. Who will provide offense? -- Offensive impotency made it a very long 48-game schedule for the Sabres last season. They suffered in all situations, most glaringly on a power play that ranked 29th out of 30 NHL teams. The Sabres managed 118 goals overall, one of many offensive statistics that found them in the bottom-third of the League. Vanek scored 20 goals, and Hodgson broke out for 15, but no one else on the team scored more than 10.
Rather than adding any free-agent forwards in the offseason, the Sabres are hopeful scorers on the roster and in the system can step up. Drew Stafford and Ville Leino have proven scoring records, and second-year forwards Brian Flynn and Marcus Foligno will be expected to produce at a higher rate. There are forward prospects on the NHL cusp -- Mikhail Grigorenko, Joel Armia and Johan Larsson -- who could boost the attack should it struggle like it did last season.
Expect those same players and prospects to be rotated in on the power play, where Buffalo's 14-percent conversion rate looks even more one-dimensional when you consider Vanek scored nine of the team's 23 goals with the man-advantage.
3. Will veteran acquisitions or NHL-ready prospects anchor the blue line? -- For all of Buffalo's offensive struggles in 2012-13, the defense might have been worse. The Sabres gave up more shots per game than any team (33.8) and killed penalties 79.2 percent of the time. The Sabres often seemed to capitulate well before the final whistle, witnessed by their 1-10-1 record when trailing after the first period. At one point early in the season, Buffalo allowed four or more goals for six consecutive games.
This season, in addition to familiar faces Myers, Mike Weber and Christian Ehrhoff, a couple of veteran acquisitions will be battling for top-six spots against a slew of eager prospects. Buffalo acquired Henrik Tallinder, who paired with Myers in his Calder-winning season, and Jamie McBain, who had a goal and seven assists in 40 games for the Carolina Hurricanes last season. Those two will be competing with prospects Chad Ruhwedel, Mark Pysyk and Brayden McNabb, all of whom have spent stints with the senior Sabres.
Don't be surprised when Rolston tries a few different pairings in October, looking for the effective combinations that eluded Buffalo last season.
4. Will Jhonas Enroth have an increased role in goal? -- Miller, for seven straight seasons the undisputed starting goalie in Buffalo, saw his grip on the position slip slightly last season. Miller started 40 of the 48 games but posted the worst stat line of his career: 17-17-5 with a .915 save percentage and 2.81 goals-against average.
The best evidence of his struggles, whether due to age, lack of motivation or unhappiness, was when he allowed four goals on 14 shots against the New York Rangers on April 19, a loss that officially eliminated Buffalo from the postseason. It was the 14th start of the season in which Miller allowed four or more goals.
But the No. 1 job is still Miller's to lose. Should those poor performances seep into this season, 25-year-old backup Enroth may be asked to assume a larger role, and the Swede appears primed for a chance to show his skills on a nightly basis. Enroth took advantage of limited minutes last season to post career-best numbers and earn a two-year contract extension this summer. After the season, Enroth earned best goaltender honors at the World Championship, where he posted a .956 save percentage and 1.15 GAA and helped Sweden win the gold medal.
"He had a real positive second half in terms of the way he played, just in his preparation not only in game situations, but in practice to put himself in those situations in games where he could play well," Rolston said. "He was able to build up confidence in himself, and the organization knew what he had."
5. Will Ville Leino become the player the Sabres were hoping for? -- Leino signed a six-year, $27 million contract with Buffalo in the summer of 2011, months after helping the Philadelphia Flyers eliminate the Sabres from the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Thus far with the Sabres, the forward has shown none of the killer instinct that earned him that lucrative deal.
After scoring eight goals in 71 games in 2011-12, Leino was slowed by injuries last season and played in eight games. When general manager Darcy Regier chose to not buy him out this summer, questions turned to whether Leino can finally earn his salary-cap charge of $4.5 million in 2013-14.
Barring another injury, things are shaping up for the Finn's return to form. Before he went down with a collapsed lung that ended his season, Leino had two goals and four assists in those eight games. More than the points, Leino gave fans a glimpse of the talent and fire he can bring to the Sabres. This year's projected lineup also suits him; Leino had played his entire NHL career on the wing before arriving in Buffalo, where he was slotted at center to fill a need. With the emergence of Hodgson and the rise of prospects Grigorenko and Zemgus Girgensons, Leino should again be given the freedom to create offense as a top-line wing.
6. Which Drew Stafford will show up? -- There were individual disappointments up and down the Buffalo roster last season, but Stafford might have been the most troubling. Formerly part of the core group along with Pominville, Vanek and Miller, the forward has one 30-goal and two 20-goal seasons to his name. However, last season (the second of a four-year, $16 million contract), Stafford managed six goals, none of which came on the man-advantage. He had a team-worst minus-16 rating, the first time he's finished with a minus rating in his seven-year career.
Even when one considers the decline of the Sabres as a team, Stafford's lack of production is a concern. He obviously has the talent to be a dynamic second- or third-line wing, and just a couple of seasons ago scored 31 goals, 11 on the power play. As an alternate captain on the League's youngest team, Stafford will need to set an example.For all 30 in 30 stories go to NHL.com/30in30stories and for the full 30 in 30 schedule visit NHL.com/30in30.


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Babe Thank You Card
Baby Birthday Thank You Cards
Babe Thank You Card, Item# TYBI400
Note: Sparkles are simulated and will not light up.
Babe Thank You Card, Item# TYBI400
Note: Sparkles are simulated and will not light up.
Babe Envelope Seals
Babe Return Address Labels
Your Baby Photo Postage Stamps
Babe Postage Stamps Sheet
11 Ounce Photo Mug
This fold-over note card, "Babe" features an "au naturale" little baby wearing only a light blue baseball cap adoringly turned backwards. Holding a white baseball, the baby's little legs stretch to touch a football helmet. Soft Grey tones on a white background highlight this studio design.
A custom message can be printed with flat printing inside the fold-over card (for an additional $0.50), to acknowledge that special gift.
You will be able to select the typestyle and ink colors to use for your personalized text during the design process. Start by clicking on the green 'Personalize and Continue' button. We recommend using the default typestyle and ink colors.
|Estimated Postage Required:
|$0.55 stamp - if other items are not added into the Envelope. Click here for additional postage information.
|Item Type:
|Foldover Notecard
|Card Dimensions:
|5 1/2" X 4 1/8" (W x H)
|Printing Process:
|Thermography Printing
|Paper Weight:
|80 lb. White Matte Cardstock
|Typestyle Shown:
|Matching Ink Color:
|Envelopes included. Printed return address and/or Calligraphy is available for an additional cost.


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Obama's recess gamble goes bust
President Barack Obama's big gamble on recess appointments was smacked down unanimously by the Supreme Court on Thursday, an embarrassing setback for the administration just as Republicans are turning up the heat on alleged overreaches by the chief executive.
The justices all agreed that Obama took executive power too far by naming three nominees to a key labor panel during a three-day Senate recess in 2012.
Story Continued Below
GOP lawmakers are already seizing on the decision as more proof of claims they make in a lawsuit House Speaker John Boehner just announced plans to file: that this is a president gone rogue.
( Also on POLITICO: Supreme Court strikes down Obama recess appointments)
So while the White House braces for a new legal showdown with Congress over policies ranging from health care to immigration, they're heading in with one loss already under their belt and Republicans feeling emboldened.
"It represents a clear — clear rebuke to the president's brazen power grab," Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said on the Senate floor. "It was a unanimous — unanimous — rebuke of the president of the United States. … The administration's tendency to abide only by the laws it likes represents a disturbing and dangerous threat to the rule of law. That's true whether we're talking about recess appointments or Obamacare."
Conservative legal experts said the ruling will bolster the Republican message.
"This will put wind in the sails of Boehner's effort," said the Pacific Legal Foundation's Todd Gaziano. "The court didn't say today, 'Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.' The court clearly said, 'Meet the new boss, worse than the old boss.' … No one has gone as far as this president since Nixon in trying to suspend laws he didn't like."
( Also on POLITICO: Democrats: SCOTUS validates Senate rules change)
White House officials defended the recess appointments and many of Obama's other actions as legitimate efforts to work around legislative gridlock caused by the Senate GOP.
"We're of course deeply disappointed in today's decision. … The president, though, remains committed to using every element of his executive authority to make progress on behalf of middle-class families," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said. "The president is in no way considering scaling back his efforts to make progress for the American people. … We would much prefer to work in bipartisan fashion with Congress to get that done. But if Congress refuses to act, the president will not hesitate to act on his own."
While the court's liberals and Justice Anthony Kennedy cushioned the blow for the White House a bit by narrowing Thursday's ruling, Republicans gleefully noted that every sitting justice had concluded that Obama's appointments violated the Constitution.
( PHOTOS: 15 times White House was labeled lawless)
"All the liberals on the Supreme Court agreed that the president was trying to overreach his power," GOP consultant John Feehery said on MSNBC.
Complaints about overreach by Obama have been simmering for months, if not longer, but recent controversies have pushed that criticism to the fore.
A flood of child immigrants crossing into the U.S. from Mexico has drawn new attention to Obama's decision to allow illegal immigrants who arrived as children years ago to stay in America in a quasi-legal status. The new arrivals aren't eligible for that program, but some were sent based on rumors they might be.
Before swapping five Taliban prisoners at Guantánamo for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl last month, the president failed to make the 30-day advance congressional notification the law requires.
And some liberals and conservatives remain aghast at the National Security Agency surveillance Obama authorized — efforts that echoed, and at times broadened, programs in effect under President George W. Bush.
It's clear the president and his aides view his use of executive actions as a net political plus. They've even branded it as his "pen and phone" strategy — wielding a pen to issue executive orders and using his phone to urge outside groups to pressure Congress to act.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) issued a statement on the court ruling that didn't offer a view on the decision, but praised the president for standing up to GOP gridlock.


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This recipe is a super simple way to recieve your daily intake of omega-3's and is very easy to make and adapt. Add spices, herbs, chopped veggies, etc. to make this recipe according to your taste buds.
2 cups flax seeds, soaked for 1-2 hours
1 cup pumpkin seeds, soaked for 1-2 hours
1 tsp Himalayan or Kalahari Salt
1/4 cup olive oil
Rinse soaked flax and pumpkin seeds well. Add to a large bowl and add salt and olive oil. Mix well. Taste and add more salt if needed. Spread evenly on a paraflexx sheet and place in Ex-Calibur dehydrator. Dehydrate overnight (approximately 8 hours). Flip gently over and peel off paraflexx sheet. Dehydrate until dry. Store in an air-tight container in a cool, dry place. Will last for at least 3 months.


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X-Rays negative on Tulo's leg as Rockies avert serious injury
SAN FRANCISCO — Moments after Dexter Fowler's foul ball struck Troy Tulowitzki on the left fibula in the eighth inning Monday night, he thought his leg was broken.
"When I went to the on-deck circle, I was sure it was because I couldn't feel anything," said Tulowitzki after the Rockies' 3-2 loss, their 12th in 15 games. "I guess you have a nerve in there like the elbow and that's what caused it to go numb. I know I am going to be really sore tomorrow. I don't know after that. I am not a doctor. But I glad that it's not worse."
X-Rays were negative on the leg, leaving the all-star shortstop listed as day-to-day with a deep bruise on his fibula. However, he's unlikely to play in the series finale against the Giants.
The incident unfolded as follows: Tulo, as he as always done throughout his pro career, was standing on the top step of the dugout as the third batter due up. He never saw Fowler's foul ball as it caromed off his left fibula, leaving him writhing in pain as head trainer Keith Dugger rushed to his side.
"My stomach just dropped. He's been a guy I've looked up to long before I got here," said starter Christian Friedrich, who authored another masterpiece, allowing just one run and striking out 10 in seven innings. "He's our leader. That was tough to see."
Before Tulowitzki could get treatment, he was hitting, limping to the batter's box. He topped a slow roller to third and legged out an infield single, but knew his night was over.
"I couldn't move at that point. I wouldn't have been able to run or play defense," said Tulowitzki. "Of course it's frustrating."
Manager Jim Tracy removed the all-star after talking with him at first base. Tulowitzki has not had much success or luck at AT&T Park, which is located roughly 40 minutes from where he grew up. The shortstop tore his quadriceps here in 2008, missing several weeks.
Marco Scutaro moved over to shortstop, with Chris Nelson going in at third base and Jonathan Herrera shifting to second. Scutaro would likely play short if Tulowitzki is unable to start or becomes a candidate for the disabled list. Nelson hit in Tulo's spot and grounded out to third with bases loaded for the game's final out.


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Signs of stimulus times to remain roadside
An effort to keep the state from posting more roadside signs touting construction projects funded by federal stimulus dollars and mentioning Gov. Bill Ritter failed this morning on a 7-4 party line vote in a committee dominated by Democrats.
Colorado spent as much as $247,000 of its American Recovery and Reinvestment Act money posting those signs at about 100 sites, according to legislative estimates. The figure represents just a tiny fraction of the $385 million in transportation money Colorado is expected to receive from the stimulus package.
Rep. David Balmer, R-Centennial, who hinted at the political benefits behind touting the stimulus, said he was bringing the bill on behalf of the public.
"They don't understand why we're spending money on signs instead of cement," Balmer said. "This is a clear case of protecting the taxpayers' money."
But Democrats on the State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee found a multitude of reasons to reject House Bill 1079, which would have prevented new signs from being purchased and allowed the old signs to be recycled to other project sites.
Rep. Ed Casso, D-Commerce City, said stopping posting the signs now would be inconsistent and cause confusion among drivers.
Rep. Jeanne Labuda, D-Denver, said the signs promote public safety, because they point out construction in process.
Rep. Joe Miklosi, D-Denver, said the signs were important to providing transparency to taxpayers, who want to know where the stimulus is being spent.
And Chairwoman Nancy Todd, D-Aurora, said the signs help point out the lack of roads funding at the state level.
"This distinguishes where people think we have all this money for transportation in Colorado, we don't," Todd said. "This did not come from Colorado tax dollars. The infrastructure of our nation is at stake."
Rep. Carole Murray, R-Castle Rock, said that at a time when people are frustrated with government spending, it becomes important to save even relatively small amounts of money.
"Shame on us if at this point we see a way to save taxpayer dollars and we don't take advantage of that opportunity," Murray said. "These are different times. We're in a near depression. Taxpayers are very sensitive."