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Important Technological Developments during Industrial Revolution
- A major change in the metal industries during the era of the Industrial Revolution was the replacement of wood and other bio-fuels with coal. For a given amount of heat, coal required much less labour to mine than cutting wood and converting it to charcoal, and coal was more abundant than wood.
- Use of coal in smelting started somewhat before the Industrial Revolution, based on innovations by Sir Clement Clerke from 1678, using coal reverberatory furnaces known as cupolas.
- This was followed by Abraham Darby, who made great strides using coke to fuel his blast furnaces in 1709. Henry Cort developed two significant iron manufacturing processes: rolling in 1783 and puddling in 1784
- Up to that time, British iron manufacturers had used considerable amounts of imported iron to supplement native supplies. This came principally from Sweden from the mid-17th century and later also from Russia from the end of the 1720s. However, from 1785, imports decreased because of the new iron making technology, and Britain became an exporter of bar iron as well as manufactured wrought iron consumer goods.
- Hot blast, patented by James Beaumont Neilson in 1828, was the most important development of the 19th century for saving energy in making pig iron.
- An improvement was made in the production of steel, which was an expensive commodity and used only where iron would not do, such as for cutting edge tools and for springs. Benjamin Huntsman developed his crucible steel technique in the 1740s.
- The supply of cheaper iron and steel aided a number of industrie. The development of machine tools allowed better working of iron, causing it to be increasingly used in the rapidly growing machinery and engine industries.
- (Discussed in first part)
Steam power
- The development of the stationary steam engine was an important element of the Industrial Revolution; however, for most of the period of the Industrial Revolution, the majority of industrial power was supplied by water and wind.
- The first real attempt at industrial use of steam power was due to Thomas Savery in 1698. A fundamental change in working principles was brought about by Scotsman James Watt who had succeeded by 1778 in perfecting his steam engine.
- The large scale production of chemicals was an important development during the Industrial Revolution. The first of these was the production of sulphuric acid by the lead chamber process invented by the Englishman John Roebuck in 1746. Many other chemicals were invented and manufactured.
- After 1860 the focus on chemical innovation was in dyestuffs, and Germany took world leadership, building a strong chemical industry.
- Industrial technologies that affected farming included the seed drill, the Dutch plough, which contained iron parts, and the threshing machine.
- Machine tools and metalworking techniques developed during the Industrial Revolution eventually resulted in precision manufacturing techniques in the late 19th century for mass-producing agricultural equipment.
- Coal mining in Britain, particularly in South Wales started early. The limiting factor in minig was the problem of removing water. It could be done by hauling buckets of water up the shaft or to a sough (a tunnel driven into a hill to drain a mine). The introduction of the steam pump by Savery in 1698 and the Newcomen steam engine in 1712 greatly facilitated the removal of water
- Coal mining was very dangerous owing to the presence of firedamp in many coal seams. Some degree of safety was provided by the safety lamp which was invented in 1816 by Sir Humphry Davy and independently by George Stephenson. However, the lamps proved a false dawn because they became unsafe very quickly and provided a weak light. Firedamp explosions continued, often setting off coal dust explosions, so casualties grew during the entire 19th century.
Effects of Industrial Revolution
Working conditions
- The working class—who made up 80% of society—had little or no bargaining power with their new employers. Since population was increasing in Great Britain at the same time that landowners were enclosing common village lands, people from the countryside flocked to the towns and the new factories to get work. This resulted in a very high unemployment rate for workers in the first phases of the Industrial Revolution.
- As a result, the new factory owners could set the terms of work because there were far more unskilled laborers, who had few skills and would take any job, than there were jobs for them. And since the textile industries were so new at the end of the 18th century, there were initially no laws to regulate them. Desperate for work, the migrants to the new industrial towns had no bargaining power to demand higher wages, fairer work hours, or better working conditions.
- Worse still, since only wealthy people in Great Britain were eligible to vote, workers could not use the democratic political system to fight for rights and reforms. In 1799 and 1800, the British Parliament passed the Combination Acts, which made it illegal for workers to unionize, or combine, as a group to ask for better working conditions.
- Many of the unemployed or underemployed were skilled workers, such as hand weavers, whose talents and experience became useless because they could not compete with the efficiency of the new textile machines.
- For the first generation of workers—from the 1790s to the 1840s—working conditions were very tough, and sometimes tragic. Most laborers worked 10 to 14 hours a day, six days a week, with no paid vacation or holidays.
- Each industry had safety hazards too; the process of purifying iron, for example, demanded that workers toiled amidst temperatures as high as 130 degrees in the coolest part of the ironworks. Under such dangerous conditions, accidents on the job occurred regularly.
- Workers could not wander over to chat with their neighbors or family as they would have done while working in the country. They could not return to the village during harvest time to help their families, unless they wanted to lose their jobs. Instead, they were no longer their own bosses; foremen and overseers supervised a new working culture to insure that workers' actions were focused and efficient.
- A few workers were able to improve their lot by going into business for themselves or winning a job as a supervisor, But the majority saw very little social mobility.
Living conditions
- Working in new industrial cities had an effect on people's lives outside of the factories as well. As workers migrated from the country to the city, their lives and the lives of their families were utterly and permanently transformed.
- For workers, the quality of life decreased a great deal during the Industrial Revolution.working-class people had little time or opportunity for recreation. Workers spent all the light of day at work and came home with little energy, space, or light to play sports or games. The new industrial pace and factory system were at odds with the old traditional festivals which dotted the village holiday calendar. Plus, local governments actively sought to ban traditional festivals in the cities.
- Living conditions were, by far, worst for the poorest of the poor. In desperation, many turned to the "poorhouses" set up by the government. The Poor Law of 1834 created workhouses for the destitute. Poorhouses were designed to be deliberately harsh places to discourage people from staying on "relief" (government food aid). Families, including husbands and wives, were separated upon entering the grounds. They were confined each day as inmates in a prison.
- One of the defining and most lasting features of the Industrial Revolution was the rise of cities. In pre-industrial society, over 80% of people lived in rural areas. As migrants moved from the countryside, small towns became large cities. By 1850, for the first time in world history, more people in a country—Great Britain—lived in cities than in rural areas. The city of London grew from a population of two million in 1840 to five million forty years later.
- The small town of Manchester, England also grew rapidly and famously to become the quintessential industrial city. Its cool climate was ideal for textile production. And it was located close to the Atlantic port of Liverpool and the coalfields of Lancashire. The first railroads in the world later connected the textile town to Liverpool. As a result, Manchester quickly became the textile capital of the world, drawing huge numbers of migrants to the city.
- This process of urbanization stimulated the booming new industries by concentrating workers and factories together. And the new industrial cities became sources of wealth for the nation.
- Despite the growth in wealth and industry urbanization also had some negative effects. On the whole, working-class neighborhoods were bleak, crowded, dirty, and polluted.
- In the first half of the 19th century, urban overcrowding, poor diets, poor sanitation, and essentially medieval medical remedies all contributed to very poor public health for the majority of English people.
- The densely packed and poorly constructed working-class neighborhoods contributed to the fast spread of disease. Homes lacked toilets and sewage systems, and as a result, drinking water sources, such as wells, were frequently contaminated with disease. Cholera, tuberculosis, typhus, typhoid, and influenza ravaged through new industrial towns. Poor nutrition, disease, lack of sanitation, and harmful medical care in these urban areas had a devastating effect on the average life expectancy of British people in the first half of the 19th century.
Child Labor
- Child labor was, unfortunately, integral to the first factories, mines, and mills in England. In textile mills, as new power looms and spinning mules took the place of skilled workers, factory owners used cheap, unskilled labor to decrease the cost of production. And, child labor was the cheapest labor of all. Some of these machines were so easy to operate that a small child could perform the simple, repetitive tasks. The tedious and dangerous factory work had negative effects on the health of children.
- In the 1830s, the British Parliament began investigating the conditions in factories for children. One Member of Parliament, Michael Sadler, started a committee, in 1832, to send investigators out to factories to interview children and gather evidence about their working conditions. Sadler sought to pass a bill through Parliament to decrease child labor and regulate all factories to have a 10-hour work day.
Working Class Families and The Role of Women
- The Industrial Revolution completely transformed the role of the family. In traditional, agricultural society, families worked together as a unit of production. Women could parent and also play a role in producing food or goods needed for the household. Work and play time were flexible and interwoven.
- Industrialization changed all that. The same specialization of labor that occurred in factories occurred in the lives of working-class families, and this broke up the family economy. Work and home life became sharply separated. Men earned money for their families. Women took care of the home and saw their economic role decline. While many factory workers were initially women, most of them were young women who would quit working when they married.
- In stark contrast to the various changing tasks that a farmer performed in pre-industrial society, factory workers typically completed repetitive and monotonous tasks for 10 to 14 hours each day.
- Industrial working-class families, though not working together, did serve an economic purpose of raising money to support each other. As we have seen, children often worked to earn some income for the family. In difficult circumstances, mothers struggled to make ends meet and keep the family out of the poorhouses.
The Emerging Middle Class
- Gradually, a middle class emerged in industrial cities, mostly toward the end of the 19th century. Until then, there had been only two major classes in society: aristocrats born into their lives of wealth and privilege, and low-income commoners born in the working classes. However new urban industries gradually required more of "white collar" jobs, such as business people, shopkeepers, bank clerks, insurance agents, merchants, accountants, managers, doctors, lawyers, and teachers.
- In this new middle class, families became a sanctuary from stressful industrial life. Home remained separate from work and took on the role of emotional support, where women of the house created a moral and spiritual safe harbor away from the rough-and-tumble industrial world outside. Most middle-class adult women were discouraged from working outside the home. They could afford to send their children to school. As children became more of an economic burden, and better health care decreased infant mortality, middle-class women gave birth to fewer children.
Worker's Income
- Life did not improved for the working class in the first phase of the Industrial Revolution, from 1790 to 1850. Real wages also did not increase for workers during this time period. However, real wages adjusted for inflation stayed basically steady from 1790 to 1840.
- But, after 1840 or 1850, as England entered the second phase of the Industrial Revolution, it appears that real wages began to increase.Also working conditions slightly improved.
Other Effects of Industrialisation
- Capitalism and two class society (Proletariat: Wage Earners. Bourgeois: Capitalists) were by product of Industrial Revolution.
- Industrial Revolution gave rise to new colonialism to search for more market and source for raw material.
- Socialism emerged as a critique of capitalism. Marxism began essentially as a reaction to the Industrial Revolution.
- Trade Unionism of workers developed due to Industrial Revolution.
- Reforms movements and Chartism in Britain was also result of Industrial Revolution.
- Romanticism: During the Industrial Revolution an intellectual and artistic hostility towards the new industrialisation developed, associated with the Romantic movement. Its major exponents in English included the artist and poet William Blake and others. The movement stressed the importance of "nature" in art and language, in contrast to "monstrous" machines and factories.
- Many new philosophic doctrines developed due to ill effects of Industrial Revolution including Socialism, Romanticism
Ecological Effect
- The Industrial Revolution marked a major turning point in Earth's ecology and humans' relationship with their environment. It was the fossil fuel coal that fueled the Industrial Revolution, forever changing the way people would live and utilize energy. While this propelled human progress to extraordinary levels, it came at extraordinary costs to our environment, and ultimately to the health of all living things.
Reforms for Change in Britain
- During the Industrial Revolution, factories were criticized for long work hours, deplorable conditions, and low wages. Children as young as 5 and 6 could be forced to work a 12-16 hour day and earn as little as 4 shillings per week.
- Finally seeing a problems, the British parliament passed many acts. The first factory act Health and Morals of Apprentices Act 1802 tried to help the condition for workers. The act tried to make factory owners more responsible for the housing and clothing for the workers, but with little success.
- Regulation of Child Labor Law 1833
- Established paid inspectors to inspect factories on child labor regulations and enforce the law
- Set the maximum working in a week to 48 hours
- Made children to spend time in school
- Mines and Collieries Act 1842
- Set a minimum age for children to work in mines at 10
- Made it that no woman or girl could work in the mines
- Factories Act 1844
- Limited working hour to 12 per day for women and children
- Mill owners are more account for protection for workers
- Ten Hours Bill 1847
- Limited working hours to 10 per day for women and children
- Set a maximum hours in a week to 63 for women and children
Q. The Industrial Revolution "Changed England in character & culture". Comment.
Q. Mention social, cultural, technological, political, economic impacts of Industrial Revolution.


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Lupita Nyong'o plays an airline hostess, but her talents are wasted as she has little to do. Julianne Moore (Jen Summers) is excellent as a concerned passenger who is smitten with Neeson. But the real surprise and treat is the performance of Michelle Dockery (Nancy). As a British airline hostess she has the compassion down and the glances and caring in all the right places. Her aristocratic upbringing is not on display as it was in her former character on Downton Abbey.
After the pilot dies and co-pilot takes over, we all await the next murder. And, of course, it happens.
But my real quibble aside from script is the need Neeson (Bill Marks) feels to portray the same character over and over again. In Taken he was terrific and again in Taken Two, but his agents have to switch it up and trust his acting chops more. He is a fine talent who has now become a caricature of himself. His agents must not allow this to happen again or he will lose his fan base and respect. Look at the respect Matthew McConaughey has garnered today. He had been rom-com king and said," No." to them. Look at Jeremy Renner who was superb in the Bourne Legacy for his heroic performance and even garnered an Academy Award nomination for his again heroic performance in The Hurt Locker, then he did comedy in American Hustle. Neeson must say, "No!" to these heroic parts or he will fade into the dusk of his native Ireland as his fans mock his pained expressions and each and every role in which he saved the world. The budget was fifty million and while Neeson will not do commercials, he said on a talk show, as though this would be selling his soul to commerce, he agreed to do this schlock in which he is selling his soul to studios. What's the dif? On this same talk show he mocked his own performance with a sinister scowl. Wrong move. While getting a new agent, I hope he gets a new manager. I pray he has more trust in his talents to choose a new character next film and to stop displaying his insecurity by choosing Liam Neeson saved the world parts. Move on, Liam! But skip Non Stop while Neeson is finding himself.

subset: commoncrawl


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Column Nos. 76 and 78 provided email comments from readers on Parts 1 & 2 about the "accountability" and related "deficits" in the financial services industry, particularly involving the life insurance business.
For reasons of privacy I have withheld the email writers' identities. However in order to provide some context for the views expressed I have preceded each email with a brief reference to the writer's role or business connection.
Words with square [brackets] and italics are mine.
Ref. column No. 79 on RickardsRead.com:
"Pt.3 -- Financial services deficits: a screed"
1. from a former longtime London Life person who remains active in the life insurance business:
I was [..] years with London Life when I was terminated, along with a 1,000 plus others in 1996. I had an experience a year ago that speaks to the deficits you describe -- and then some!
The blood-letting I was part of was [London Life] cleaning house before they absorbed Pru [i.e., the Canadian retail operation of Prudential of America]. The second was was when GWL [Great-West Life] took over.
I still have some inside contacts and they tell me as you outlined in your blog [column No. 79] (1) it's not the same company I remember, e.g., you can shoot a cannon through the place at 4:35 p.m. and not hit anybody and (2) there are a lot of 35 and 40 year employees now retiring -- the big brain drain we read about.
2. from an American of long experience in the life insurance business:
Well said, as always [ref. column No.79]
I believe that a well run mutual life insurance company should in the long run do a better job for policyholders and employees than a stock company. A few mutuals in the States refused to unduly enrich management by turning stock (in whatever form).
I believe that these [mutual companies] will show their heels to the stocks when it comes to individual life sales in the future. Of course management is aware of this but temptations are too great.
3. from a Canadian life insurance executive with extensive international experience:
Once again you are right on the money [ref. column No.79].
Right now many very disgruntled employees at all levels want out of the [life] insurer they are currently working for but the economy is keeping them tied. Once the economy returns to some semblance of order the exit for the doors of the best talent will be a major blow to the big [life insurance] companies who right now rely on "money" to tie their staff down. Since most staff want more than money they will leave for environments that are more employee friendly.
Right now many [life insurance company employees] hate to go to work every day which, to me, results in a quality of work that is far from stellar and more importantly an attitude to service in particular that is felt by the customer -- be that advisor or consumer.
The days of an insurance leader preaching successfully the mantra of "we are all in this to protect the well-being of the company and the policyholder long after you have retired" are but memories for those of us who cannot shake those all too true words.
The downside is we sit helpless as the modern reward junkies get their next fix at year end.
4. from a former senior executive of a Canadian life insurance company:
Excellent article [No.79] and so very true.
Another aspect of the devaluation of the "currency" is the increasing emphasis in [employee] recruiting on experience with several companies over relatively short time periods compared with extended work experience with one or very few employers.
I was increasingly convinced that a choice between two equally competent candidates (experience, age, etc) applying for a position would favor the one who had experience with several companies rather than those who had been a long time employee of one or two other employers.
Loyalty was viewed [by company management] as less valuable than multi-company exposure.
5. from a life insurance sales person of long experience in Canada:
Nice job of articulating my feelings [ref. column No. 79].
I rather think that it is a shame that people are talked about as company "capital" or "assets". [It] changes the game and makes them "commodities" that can be bought, sold or traded. I rather resent that. Wonder when someone will clue into the fact that it takes all of us-- management, employees and customers -- to keep the place going.
Being an optimist I hope there will be enlightenment or perhaps legislation. Don't think they can do the latter as it's hard to legislate stupidity.
The sad part is that it takes the customer a long time to clue in; the good part is that they sometimes do and they have long memories.
Alastair Rickard
email: email@example.com


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"I was blown away by Jaclyn's talent, she literally paints with light! She met and exceeded every expectation I had and could ever imagine. The photos were so beautiful, she listened to my needs, and answered all my questions. If you're looking for high quality long lasting photos, work with Jaclyn."
– Majo of Heroine
"Jaclyn combines her unique sense of the world, keen sense of her subject's inner self, and a mix of magic to capture feelings and inner beauty. Aside from pure talent, she's fun and easy to work with, and a natural with children. She entertained my entire family, making our experience effortless and enjoyable!"
– Huong Le, MD
"I loved having my portrait taken by Jaclyn. One of the things that sets her apart from other photographers is the clear vision she has for the shot, giving incredibly specific directions. Instead of stressing about how I looked, I was able to fully trust that Jaclyn would tell me exactly what to do, I felt like clay in a sculptor's hands. And sure enough, the photos were stunning. There are few people in the world who make me feel as beautiful as Jaclyn does."
– Zai Divecha
"I would best describe Jaclyn's style as natural-- from her aesthetic to her approach in bringing out qualities in her subjects. I'm not very comfortable in front of cameras, but her casual approach and guidance made me feel at ease enough to present my genuine self rather than posing. I am a musician and needed photos for my latest project, and the final product turned out beautifully. There is an honesty and artfulness to her work."
– Carina of Onikho
"I'm lucky to have worked with Jaclyn to capture some of the biggest moments - engagement, maternity and family photos. For those nervous in front of the camera, Jaclyn is great at directing and her warm personality makes you feel at ease. A master of lighting, she captures a moodiness that is beautiful, ethereal and one of a kind, always delivering beyond my expectations."
– Becky of Beq Design
"Jaclyn is undoubtedly a very inspired and talented photographer. I've worked with her a couple of times and her creativity and attention to detail made me immediately trust in her skills. She made me feel very confident and comfortable, and the result of her photography showed me a new side of me I never knew I had. I would love to work with her again in the future!"


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The popularity of programmes showing the daily workings of high court enforcement officers have thrown into sharp relief the sheer amount of personal debt in the UK today. According to figures released by the Money Charity, it's estimated that the average debt per adult (including mortgage payments) is £30,277, more than 114% of the average wage. Credit card borrowing is at an all-time high, despite the years of austerity measures after the 2008 crash, with consumer credit borrowing at around £3,909 per UK adult. Nearly 250 people every day are declared insolvent or bankrupt.
When businesses or individuals are faced with mounting personal debt, it can be tempting to start 'robbing Peter to pay Paul'. But if you owe money to a creditor, eventually you will have to pay that money back.
However, there are procedures that creditors have to go through to reclaim their money. They can't simply send in the bailiffs to 'take it away', and any kind of harassment is regarded as a serious infringement of your rights.
What can you do?
If you are being harassed by a creditor, the first thing you can do is to ask an intermediary to step in and talk to them on your behalf. A solicitor will be able to represent you. They will also be able to tell you if the creditor's behaviour constitutes harassment, such as:
Remember, that while harassment is a criminal matter, owing money is not. It is not a criminal offence to default on a debt, but a civil issue. A creditor cannot threaten you with criminal proceedings, no matter how large the debt, but you can contact the police if you feel you are being threatened or harassed by the creditor or any party acting on their behalf.
Reasonable steps
However, not every action can be regarded as harassment. If you're owed money it can be a frustrating experience, and as a creditor you have a right to take reasonable steps to get your money back. These include:
What you can do
Firstly, it's important to find out who is contacting you and asking for payment, as they may not be the people you actually owe the money to, but are in fact working on behalf of the creditor. Once a creditor has handed the case over to a debt collection agency, they can no longer chase you for money personally. They must also inform you in writing that they are handing the case over to a third party.
If the creditor is harassing you for payment then you or a legal representative can contact them and ask them to stop. This is also a good opportunity to get some dialogue going so that the matter can be resolved before it escalates. Remember that if your debt is referred to a high court enforcement agency then you may also end up paying even more in costs.
Collect evidence of harassment
Harassment for money is a criminal offence, so if the creditor continues to harass you then you can inform the police. You will need to collect evidence to prove that you are being harassed, such as recording the number of calls or visits, and when they took place, letters or documents, and witness statements.
If a third party is acting on behalf of the creditor, and your creditor is ignoring any complaints of harassment you make, you can then elevate the complaint to a professional body such as Trading Standards. If your creditor is a bank, building society or credit card company, then they may be signed up to the Lending Code, which ensures they act in an ethical manner when both lending money, and the collection of debts. If that fails then you can also ask your legal representative to take your case to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
Manzurul Islam, Head of Mullis & Peake's Dispute Resolution Team, said:
"Everyone will have had some experience of debt recovery, whether it is receiving a reminder for a late utility bill or chasing a bad debt for your business. It is a fact of life so communications and contact from businesses and debt recovery agents inevitable. However, the more unscrupulous ones are employing unfair methods to recovery monies that are said to be owed.
If a debt is not disputed but is in arrears owing to financial difficulties, you should contact the creditor as early as possible, preferably before it reached a debt collection agent, to tell them your circumstances. More often than not businesses will work with you and will offer an installment plan.
Similarly, if a debt is disputed you should let the business know as soon as possible, ideally in writing. They will then be expected to respond to the problem or complaint before taking further action.
The key is to be pro-active and remain in dialogue with the creditor. Ignoring matters will only make things worse. Ultimately, it is always preferable to attempt to resolve debt claims amicably. If this is not possible, or the creditor is not acting in a co-operative or reasonable manner, you should seek independent advice from a trusted source, such as the Citizens' Advice Bureau, a registered debt charity or solicitor."


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The Catholic Parishes in Waterloo are committed to collaborative ministry which enables us to share our gifts, talents, resources and opportunities for the benefit of the common good and the entire Catholic community.
The Waterloo Catholic Faith Formation Commission was formed in 2010 as the governing body responsible for all aspects of formal catechesis and faith formation in our parishes. The Commission replaced separate Faith Formation Committees in each parish; it now serves as a committee of the Pastoral Councils of the member parishes and operates according to a Constitution approved by the Councils.
In 2017 the status of the Commission was changed to an advisory body to comply with new guidelines established by the Archdiocese of Dubuque. The Commission now advises the pastors of the four parishes.
The Commission is the voice of the parish communities in catechetical planning, goal setting, and policy development in accord with the guidelines and policies established by the Archdiocesan Faith Formation Commission and the Office of Faith Formation and Education of the Archdiocese of Dubuque.
Membership on the Commission consists of two representatives from each parish (one representative elected from the parish and one representative appointed by the Pastoral Council); one representative of the four parish pastors; and members of the Faith Formation Administrative Team who are not voting members.
The Commission normally meets seven times per year on the second Tuesday evening of the month (beginning with July) at 6:30pm in the Faith Formation Center in the Blessed Sacrament School building.


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Kira is a Chicago-based interior designer with a passion for transforming homes.
From an early age, Kira has been fascinated with the way our environments impact our experiences. Growing up on Chicago's south side, she experienced her first taste of the design world at the ripe age of six, when her mother let her choose the paint colors for her bedroom (pink + purple: a classic little girl's choice). Since then, Kira has lived through the renovation of seven homes. Her first-person experience of living through the construction phase of multiple renovations gives Kira a unique perspective and appreciation for the joys and challenges in undertaking a successful renovation project.
Kira David Design was founded to help clients realize a vision for their space. KDD has helped clients throughout Chicago transform the interiors of their homes, with projects ranging from simple redecorating to complete home remodeling. Before KDD, Kira worked as an interior designer and project manager for a Chicago-based home remodeling company. Kira's clients rely on this experience as she helps them navigate the home renovation process.
Kira studied architecture and interior design, and has a background in fine art and classical ballet. She holds a Certificate of Interior Design from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and a bachelor's in Musical Theatre Performance from Columbia College Chicago. Kira's immersion in the art world has given her a refined aesthetic she carries into her design work. A world traveler, Kira is passionate for finding new influences and unique sources for design inspiration.
KDD designs combine timeless aesthetics with innovation and imagination. The result is a space that feels enduring, yet current.
Kira lives in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood with her husband.


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... 'His nose is too big ... his ears don't go like that and his car doesn't have smoke like that coming out the back.'
Well, my daughter's views on my latest little illustration are quite clear :o)
The title was going to be 'Batman takes a leasurely Sunday drive in the country ... what could possibly go wrong ?', but my daughter would probably have commented that he doesn't look like Batman at all, so I went with her title instead ;o)
Everyone's a critic ....


text: A Quality Improvement Initiative to Enhance Public Health Workforce CapabilitiesDrabczyk, Anne PhD; Epstein, Paul BS; Marshall, Martha MAJournal of Public Health Management and Practice: January/February 2012 - Volume 18 - Issue 1 - p 95–99 doi: 10.1097/PHH.0b013e31823bca32 NEWS FROM NACCHO Free SDC In Brief Author InformationAuthors Article OutlineOutline Article MetricsMetrics This column describes an Advanced Practice Center program to save local health departments substantial time, energy, and money by creating products that are free and easily adaptable. Epstein and Fass Associates, New York (Messrs Epstein and Marshall). Dr Drabczyk is formerly with Advanced Practice Centers, National Association of County and City Health Officials, Washington, District of Columbia. Correspondence: Jack Herrmann, MSEd, NCC, LMHC, Senior Advisor & Chief, Public Health Preparedness, National Association of County and City Health Officials, 1100 17th St, NW, Seventh Floor, Washington, DC 20036 (email@example.com). Disclosure: The authors declare no conflicts of interest Quality Improvement and Public Health The APC QI Initiative The QI Protocol QI Coaching Lessons Learned New preparedness capabilities developed at very low cost Improved existing preparedness capabilities, processes, and... Partnership, organization, or staff development Product versatility and user choice: Users choose only part... Product versatility: Multiple preparedness uses and dual use Recommendations for product improvements Implications Next Steps QI template and uniform product review Community of practice Conclusion REFERENCES Local health jurisdictions work on the front lines to combat threats to the health of their communities including those associated with disasters and other public health all-hazards everyday. In 2003, the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) established the Advanced Practice Centers (APC) program in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide local health departments (LHDs) with access to critical public health preparedness resources. For the last 7 years, the APC program has been at the forefront of public health preparedness and worked diligently to create more than 100 products that benefit LHDs. One intent of the program is that APCs save LHDs substantial time, energy, and money by creating products that are free and easily adaptable and can be quickly and easily integrated into local plans, procedures, and practices. These tools mean that LHDs do not have to reinvent the wheel through access to tried and true products that enhance public health workforce capabilities. During the 2010 to 2011 program year, the APC launched a quality improvement (QI) initiative that captured feedback of end users through a QI product and process evaluation. This column details the lessons learned from the yearlong initiative. Back to Top | Article Outline Quality Improvement and Public Health Quality improvement has been broadly defined for public health as "the use of a deliberate and defined improvement process, such as Plan-Do-Check-Act, which is focused on activities that are responsive to community needs and improving population health. It refers to a continuous and ongoing effort to achieve measurable improvements in the efficiency, effectiveness, performance, accountability, outcomes, and other indicators of quality in services or processes [that] achieve equity and improve the health of the community."1(p6) Quality improvement is especially important now in public health, as state and local health department funding has become more and more constrained and while expectations for performance in protecting and improving public health have not diminished. Awareness has increased regarding the needs for more effective prevention, for better access to services, and for public health to be prepared to respond in emerging challenges, such as the influenza A virus (H1N1) pandemic. This increased awareness has raised the public's expectations of public health performance, making continuous QI a necessity, not an option. Quality improvement is considered important enough by the Public Health Accreditation Board to make it part of an accreditation standard for local, state, and tribal health departments.2 Back to Top | Article Outline The APC QI Initiative The APC program consists of 8 APC sites (Table 1) established by a grant awarded through a competitive bid process from across the United States and representing jurisdictions with different sizes, population demographics, and preparedness priorities. Throughout 2010, APC sites developed 24 new and innovative preparedness products, ranging from a Blueprint for the Use of Volunteers in Hospitals and Rural Medical Centers, a Transitional Framework for Pandemic Readiness and Response, and an eMedCheck, with Blackberry, iPhone, iPod, and iPad applications. TABLE 1 To fully test the efficacy of these new APC products at the local level, the concept of the APC connector sites (connectors) initiative was launched. Connectors were also established through a national competitive bid process. Each new connector was paired with an existing APC site to work in conjunction with a consultant to plan, implement, and evaluate an APC product through a QI process (Table 2). TABLE 2 After formal announcement of the awards, NACCHO solidified the partnerships between the APC sites and connectors through a series of conference calls to familiarize the pairs with the products. The initiative launched in November 2010 with a 2-day QI training workshop for the 8 connectors. The session also introduced connectors to their QI coaches, who, along with the APC program director, would guide them through the initiative. Back to Top | Article Outline The QI Protocol The QI protocol addressed the time constraint challenge posed by having less than a year to implement multiple Plan-Do-Check-Act cycles by using a stepwise Plan-Do-Check-Act approach. Instead of waiting to get through an entire product implementation cycle to analyze data, the connectors broke their product implementation process into key steps and attempted to use what they learned from evaluation at each step to inform and improve efforts at future steps. The protocol was based on using leading indicators, organized by having each connector develop a chain of success, in which they identified implementation steps that offered useful evaluation points. Each evaluation point involved collecting and analyzing data on leading indicators of future success. The leading indicators could be, for example, measures of interim product benefits (eg, strengthen partnerships, develop staff skills, and design exercises faster or more efficiently) or measures of beneficial project attributes (eg, easy to use). For each evaluation point in the chain of success, the connectors defined the expected results or benefits, the time frame for evaluation, evidence to document success, indicators to measure success, and the major learning focus. Back to Top | Article Outline QI Coaching The QI coaches helped connectors develop QI-related evaluation plans, guided them through parts of their QI and evaluation process, as they needed it, and assisted in preparing product evaluation reports. At the start, the coaches facilitated meetings between each connector and its related APC. The first were online meetings to establish mutual expectations. The later meetings were in-person at a NACCHO event to review draft evaluation reports and ways APCs can improve products. The coaches did not collect any evaluation data, which was the responsibility of the connectors, and at no time did either coach go on site to observe projects or provide implementation assistance. Except for the group sessions and meetings at NACCHO events, all coaching was at a distance. Back to Top | Article Outline Lessons Learned The intent of the project was to gauge if the selected APC product would likely impact a specifically identified preparedness challenge in the home jurisdiction of the connector. The QI process would be able to document that impact and qualify the lessons learned. Connectors did demonstrate that they could capture data although implementing the products to enable them to recommend product improvements. Some user departments even made their own product improvements that can be offered to future user departments. Improvements being identified for all 8 APC products do not mean that they were defective. All connectors found the products they tested valuable, and they all achieved benefits from using the products. Specific lessons learned improved capabilities and processes, expanded partnerships, demonstrated product versatility and dual use, and documented recommendations for product improvements. Back to Top | Article Outline New preparedness capabilities developed at very low cost Some sites developed entirely new kinds of skills, preparedness plans, or resources, giving them important new capabilities without having to add staff or take on other major costs. They generally used time of existing personnel to gain capabilities they could not have developed without much greater staff time or cost if the APC products were not freely available. Given the restrictive funding environment of almost all LHDs, it is highly unlikely that they would have developed these capabilities without the use of the APC products. For example, the Southern Nevada Health District developed new capabilities in infectious disease response by developing a National Incident Management Systems–compliant Infectious Disease Emergency Response Plan. The Palm Beach County Health Department developed new capabilities for collaborating with community pharmacists for preparedness by using the Web site that the Montgomery County APC designed for that purpose. Back to Top | Article Outline Improved existing preparedness capabilities, processes, and plans Connectors found that APC products enabled them to improve existing capabilities or make existing preparedness processes and plans more efficient or effective. For example, staff of Champaign-Urbana and partners reported that it took them less time, on average, to develop exercises on the basis of the toolkit used than it took them in the past to develop similar exercises. Gunnison Valley Health Hospital found that the emergency operations plan in the Mesa County APC toolkit identified an area they had not addressed in the hospital's emergency operations plan. They used that information to improve the Gunnison Valley Health Hospital's emergency operations plan. The Thurston County Public Health and Social Services Department expanded its surge capacity for public health outbreak investigations by using an APC product that provides a framework to train department staff and Medical Reserve Corps volunteers who do not normally play investigative roles but have skills transferrable for that purpose. Back to Top | Article Outline Partnership, organization, or staff development A number of sites reported improved coordination or relationships with community partners as a result of using an APC product. In some cases, this involved existing preparedness partners for LHDs such as law enforcement agencies, fire departments, hospitals, medical reserve corps units, and emergency management agencies. In other cases, it involved new preparedness partners, such as with community pharmacists in Palm Beach County and schools and preschools in Oklahoma City County. Back to Top | Article Outline Product versatility and user choice: Users choose only parts of products and still benefit All the APC products evaluated have multiple parts, whether multiple pages and resources on a Web site or multiple tools in a "toolkit." Some are quite comprehensive, such as the Mesa County toolkit for using volunteers with some 136 tools, or the San Francisco Bay Area APC's infectious disease emergency response toolkit with 40 core templates and 178 job action sheets. Although connectors generally examined all parts of the products they tested, only Palm Beach County actually used and thoroughly evaluated all parts of the product. Other connectors selected the parts they found most applicable to their setting and, with occasional local adaptations, used those parts to good advantage and derived benefits as described earlier. The variety of tools or product "parts" that users can pick and choose makes the APC products especially versatile and expands the range of LHDs and communities that can derive benefits by using APC products. Back to Top | Article Outline Product versatility: Multiple preparedness uses and dual use Several products were shown to have more than 1 way to be used to improve public health preparedness, including uses identified by the connectors that the APC did not necessarily anticipate. Gunnison County used parts of a toolkit designed for using volunteers in a rural hospital and applied the directions for use of volunteers in an alternate care sites. Southern Nevada determined that the San Francisco Bay Area APC's infectious disease emergency response toolkit is useful not only for infectious disease emergency response plans, for which it is designed, but also for other types of emergencies. They plan to use the APC toolkit formats and components to develop Radiation Emergency and Chemical Exposure Emergency response plans. This project also revealed significant potential in most APC products tested for "dual use," for both emergency preparedness and other public health applications. For example, Palm Beach County concluded that the Montgomery County APC's Prescription for Preparedness Web site could, with the addition of appropriate content, be used to engage pharmacists on topics of interest to pharmacists and public health in addition to all-hazard preparedness. Palm Beach County suggests that LHDs could succeed in engaging more pharmacists to help address additional public health outcomes, while also building pharmacists' support for preparedness. Cerro Gordo County found that tools from the Seattle-King County APC's Continuity of Operations Plan toolkit are also beneficial for everyday operations. For example, tools such as the Line of Succession template and Delegation of Authority letters (nonmedical) can be valuable to help staff understand their roles and responsibilities in filling in for others in more common operational situations, not just when continuity of operations is threatened. Back to Top | Article Outline Recommendations for product improvements Connectors were serious about their QI role of not only testing and evaluating APC products for their own use but also recommending improvements in the products for other LHDs that can use the products in the future. Recommendations included better-user orientation on products and their use (eg, product summaries and orientation videos), start-up guides (eg, presentations and videos), clearer contextual information on which tools to use, documentation of user requirements (eg, staff skills and internal systems), and clearer user expectations. Some connectors that used exercise materials provided in APC products found that the scenarios were not the best matches for their local jurisdiction. These sites recommended that additional scenarios be provided by the APC for user LHDs to choose from, so they can more likely find locally relevant scenarios. Back to Top | Article Outline Implications Findings from this APC QI process have implications that can have a beneficial impact for LHDs as they build capacity and capabilities for public health preparedness. Valuable user data can be captured at key "learning moments" when implementing APC products. Although APC products differ, all those tested had key points in their implementation process where connector sites collected data to aid their evaluation. In this project, they were called "evaluation points." But they are more generally "learning moments" when critical user data can be captured to inform product improvement, even if complete evaluation projects are not done. Identifying explicit testable benefits and beneficial attributes for each product is important. Although APCs generally identified a purpose or objectives of their products, they often were less clear about explicit benefits to be achieved by product users. Identifying explicit benefits that connectors could test for became an important early step in the coaching process. Similarly, it was important for coaches to work with connectors and APCs early in the process to identify "beneficial project attributes" (eg, ease of use and comprehensiveness) that users could be expected to experience. Local health departments' sharing knowledge and tools to assist each other's learning is useful. From time to time during the project, connectors shared tools they used for QI and evaluation. Sometimes, the coaches saw common needs across sites and facilitated sharing of instruments used for user surveys or for tracking likely recommendations. In 1 case, 1 connector site volunteered to be the first to draft initial sections of an evaluation report based on an outline prepared by the coaches. This enabled other sites to have a better idea of how to prepare reports than if they had just seen a blank outline and enabled the outline to be improved before everyone used it. Sharing across LHDs should be promoted as a valuable way to improve products and how they are used. Useful APC QI processes can be implemented without full-scale evaluations. If NACCHO and APCs can structure product implementation to take advantage of key learning moments, then valuable user data can be captured for QI without the burden of full-scale evaluations. The APCs could embed user survey instruments in some of the tools or parts or their products, or in product Web sites, for user departments to provide data to APCs at learning moments. The use of the same instruments by different users may assist in APC analysis and interpretation of user data. Back to Top | Article Outline Next Steps One key lesson learned from this QI initiative is that continuous learning must be enabled and fostered. If practical sharing and communication tools can be provided, then APC product users can learn from each other and from APCs. They could quickly learn not only about products and how to use them but also about how other users have adapted the product and even gain access to the user adaptations, and APCs will obtain more user data at a faster pace. Also, APCs can learn from each other about QI processes or ways to obtain user data at learning moments in each other's product implementation plans. On the basis of the initial success of the QI pilot, 2 activities will launch during the upcoming 2012 program year: the QI Template for product review and the Community of Practice (COP). Back to Top | Article Outline QI template and uniform product review Insight gained from the chain of success and learning moments documented throughout the QI initiative led to development of a QI template that guides end users through a modified Plan-Do-Check-Act process. The QI template prompts participants reviewing a specific APC product to answer a few questions about expectations for product use and experience in obtaining the product. During and after the implementation process, additional questions are aimed at gathering information about the outcomes of the experience. Each of the existing 8 APC sites will reach out to 4 additional organizations to implement a peer QI review of APC products. Partner organizations will have the benefit of expert tutorials in using the product; they will increase the preparedness capacity of their organizations; and partnerships, both internal and external, will be built and strengthened. The uniform QI template will gather like information and continue to document usefulness of the APC product inventory. Back to Top | Article Outline Community of practice The QI initiative underscored the need to keep conversations going and share lessons learned. An online COP will provide a platform for posting learning moments. The COP can be found under the community tab on the APC Web site (apc.naccho.org). The COP provides additional support for public health practitioners and preparedness partners. Practitioners can post inquiries and cite lessons learned regarding capabilities, functions, tasks, or resource element being implemented in the local jurisdiction. Practitioners can also pose questions about how a product was adapted, adopted, or modified to meet individual needs. Back to Top | Article Outline Conclusion The intent of the APC program is to save LHDs substantial time, energy, and money by creating products that are free and easily adaptable and can be quickly and easily integrated into local plans, procedures, and practices. These actions, if successful, will in turn enhance public health workforce capabilities. Rather than just assume a correlation, the APC QI initiative documented that the process works.Back to Top | Article Outline REFERENCES 1. Riley WJ, Moran JW, Corso LC, Beitsch LM, Bialek R, Cofsky A. Defining quality improvement in public health. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2010;16(1):5–7. Cited Here... | PubMed 2. Public Health Accreditation Board. Standards and Measures. Version 1.0. Alexandria, VA: Public Health Accreditation Board; 2011:192. www.PHABoard.org. Cited Here... © 2012 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.


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The stable, democratic country of Belize awaits visitors, at less than a half-day's bus ride from Cancun, Mexico; an hour-long boat ride from Livingston or Puerto Barrios, Guatemala; or a two-hour flight from Miami, Houston, or Dallas.
Belizean culture blends Hispanic, African and West Indian elements with its own traditions to form a uniquely colorful and friendly society. Although English is the official language, many other languages are spoken among the different races. Belize is considered a "melting pot" because it is home to so many different races and cultures: East Indian, Creole, Mestizo, Garifuna, Spanish, Mayan, Lebanese, Mennonites, Taiwanese and the Chinese.
Belize is an exciting holiday destination for nature lovers and archaeology buffs. Its Barrier Reef, dubbed an "underwater wonder of the world", is an irresistible temptation for snorkelers, divers and marine biologists from around the world. Some 200 small cayes along the coastline offers beautiful sandy beaches and crystal blue water.
Its virgin jungle holds the world's only Jaguar Preserve and is home to over 500 species of birds. Within its area of 8,864 square miles, Belize has over 600 known sites of ancient civilizations, many which are easily accessible.
Please view map of Belize with the locations and attractions Belize has to offer. But this only touches the surface. There is so much to see and do in Belize that you could visit us every year for the rest of your life and never run out of that "special" travel experience that is Belize.


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Transportation & Traffic Patterns
Bus Service
Tipton-Rosemark Academy offers an optional bus service that includes one bus and runs North to Ripley and Covington, with a few stops on the way back through the Atoka area. If you are interested in this service, please contact our facilities director, Keith Owen at 901-829-6500.
Student Drivers
If your student is a driver, there is a $10 annual parking fee. Numbered parking spaces are assigned by the high school office.
Drop off & pick up
Whether at morning drop off or afternoon pickup, our primary goal is the safety of all our children. Please adhere to the following directions when dropping off and picking up your child/children from TRA. We will need for all our drivers to cooperate and follow the stated directions for morning drop off and afternoon dismissal.
You may begin dropping students off at 7:15, and pickup time will be at 2:55 for lower school and 3:00 for upper school. Please do NOT drop your children off prior to this time as there will be no one on duty to supervise them. If you pick up your child after 3:15, they will be sent to After School Care (Rebel Care) for a nominal charge. NOTE: Preschool children may be picked up at 2:30pm and do not follow the same traffic pattern.
Drop Off & Pick Up Procedures
- Upper School Drop Off
- Upper School Pick Up
- Lower School Drop Off
- Lower School Pick Up
- Lower School Rainy Day Pick Up
Upper School Drop Off
Please enter our campus from our high school entrance, the road on the north side of our elementary school, by turning left from the north or turning right from the south lanes of Rosemark Road. Two of the three lanes are entrance lanes. Please follow the road as it winds around to the front of the high school. High school and/or middle grade students can be dropped off in the front of the high school. Then please proceed around the high school and middle school and turn right in front of the middle school to exit by the elementary school.
Upper School Pick Up
During afternoon dismissal, high school drivers will be allowed to use the far right lane of the high school entrance to exit the campus. Vehicles exiting on this road at afternoon dismissal must turn right only. During afternoon dismissal if you have picked up all your riders at the high school entrance, you will be allowed to turn around in the high school parking lot and exit the same way that you entered. Again, you will only be allowed to turn right.
Lower School Drop Off
For middle school and elementary only drop-off, you will be allowed to enter either the PAC entrance to drop off in front or the middle and elementary schools or you can use the high school entrance and keep right all the way around the buildings to drop off in front of the middle and elementary schools. Please remain in your car throughout this process. We will have our staff in this area to help with the unloading of students and directing traffic.
Lower School Pick Up
For middle school and elementary only pick-up, you will only be allowed to enter the high school entrance and keep right all the way around the buildings to pick up in front of the middle and elementary schools. Please display your provided name tag on your rearview mirror. This will allow us to get the students ready and speeds up the loading. We will have our staff in this area to help with the loading of students and directing traffic. When exiting our campus from the PAC or from the elementary exit, please turn right. You will not be allowed to turn left on Rosemark Road until the bulk of the traffic has subsided.
PLEASE DO NOT USE THE SECOND DRIVEWAY (elementary exit) AS AN ENTRANCE. The safety of our students is our primary focus. Please be patient and cooperative.
Lower School Rainy Day Pick Up
Students will exit the back doors of the building closest to Rosemark Rd. (where there is an awning.) Student will remain inside the building until their name is called. They will then stand under the awning until they are able to load their car. We will load cars from the awning to the first speed bump. Teacher will assist students as needed.


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(14 Days - Departs Daily on a Private Basis)
Tokyo, Kanazawa, Naoshima, Kyoto, Hakone
This exclusive Japan tour features private touring of top art museums and galleries, fascinating contemporary architecture, vibrant neighborhoods, the unforgettable art island of Naoshima, and the best in traditional Japanese culture. It also includes accommodation in Japan's best luxury hotels and a luxury ryokan (traditional inn), private airport transfers, first-class train travel, luggage transfers and access to a wide range of unique, art-related activities.
Begin in dynamic Tokyo, Japan's capital of style and innovation. During private touring, explore interesting neighborhoods such as Shibuya, Harajuku, Aoyama and Ginza. Visit noteworthy museums such as the Mori Art Museum, Watari-um, Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery, Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, 21_21 Design Sight and Tokyo National Museum according to interests and current exhibitions. See outstanding contemporary architecture by top Japanese and international architects such as Tadao Ando, Kengo Kuma, Toyo Ito and Herzog & de Meuron. Experience Japan's vibrant pop culture and street fashions. Visit the best specialty food and crafts markets. Upon request, Artisans of Leisure can arrange visits to top art galleries, meetings with gallery owners, meals with culinary and sake experts, and additional touring according to your interests. We can also make reservations for you to dine at our favorite local restaurants and at some of the most acclaimed restaurants in the world.
Continue by first-class shinkansen (bullet train) to Kanazawa, a cultural gem. One of Japan's wealthiest cities during the feudal era, Kanazawa is known for beautiful gardens, traditional architecture, acclaimed contemporary art and folk art museums, and fresh seafood from the nearby Sea of Japan. With your expert local guide, tour former samurai and geisha neighborhoods. Explore the renowned Kenrokuen Garden, one of the most famous gardens in Japan. Tour fascinating Myoryuji (the Ninja Temple), and visit museums such as the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art and Ishikawa Museum for Traditional Products and Crafts. Visit a pottery kiln and shops specializing in Kanazawa's celebrated silk, lacquer and gold leaf products. Also tour the city's central food market, and experience Kanazawa's excellent, refined cuisine at our favorite restaurants. One day, Artisans of Leisure will arrange an exclusive private visit and culinary experience at a traditional Japanese farm in the countryside.
Next, travel to Naoshima, a renowned contemporary art destination on an island in the Seto Inland Sea. Stay at Benesse House, a Tadao Ando-designed hotel and contemporary art museum. During private touring, explore Benesse Art Site Naoshima, a complex of museums, installations and art spaces scattered across the island. Visit Benesse House Museum to see work by artists such as Richard Long and Hiroshi Sugimoto, and see installations by Yayoi Kusama, Cai Guo-Qiang and others along the waterfront. Also see the Art House Projects, where installations by James Turrell, Rei Naito and other artists inhabit buildings in a local village. Depending on time and interests, also explore the Chichu Art Museum, Lee Ufan Museum and I Love Yu Bathhouse. If desired, see additional art installations and architecture on the nearby islands of Teshima and Inujima (also part of Benesse Art Site). Another option is to visit the island of Shikoku, where permission can be arranged to tour the Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum Japan and Ritsurin Garden.
Next, visit enchanting Kyoto, the heart of Japanese culture and tradition. During touring with your private guide and driver, experience the best of this elegant city. Visit important temples and shrines. Gain access to imperial villas and private gardens such as Katsura Rikyu and Saihoji (the Moss Temple). Enjoy an exclusive private tea ceremony. Stroll through a bamboo forest. Enjoy a Buddhist vegetarian lunch at a local temple. Tour traditional geisha districts such as Gion. Visit markets and food purveyors to sample Kyoto's culinary specialties, considered the most refined in Japan. Explore antiques districts, and browse our favorite shops for exquisite ceramics, lacquerware and other crafts. One day, enjoy a private excursion to the I.M. Pei-designed Miho Museum. Alternatively, visit additional contemporary art and architecture sites outside Kyoto, such as Tadao Ando's Church of Light, Honpukuji (Water Temple) and Awaji Yumebutai. Upon request, Artisans of Leisure can also arrange a wide range of other unique activities in and around Kyoto, such as an exclusive private dinner accompanied by geisha and maiko entertainment, private Zen meditation in a local Buddhist temple, meetings with local craftspeople, ikebana (flower arranging) lessons, visiting a master swordsmith, meeting with ceramics experts, tea tastings and tea plantation visits, attending a sumo tournament, manga drawing lessons, a visit to a private machiya (traditional merchant house), hiking to temples in the hills surrounding the city and private Japanese cooking classes.
Take the first-class shinkansen to Odawara to visit the fascinating Enoura Observatory by Hiroshi Sugimoto. Continue by private car to Hakone, a volcanic national park renowned for hot springs and views of nearby Mount Fuji. Stay at one of Japan's most luxurious and renowned ryokan (traditional inns), where you can soak in your own private outdoor hot spring bath and enjoy a gourmet kaiseki ryori (seasonal tasting menu) dinner. During private touring, visit one of Hakone's best art museums or perhaps explore Hakone's geothermal areas, forested mountains and historical sites.
Return to Tokyo for last-minute shopping, dining and free time to enjoy the city.
|Itinerary Overview


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After having the Little Fella (thyroid) nuked back in February - necessary to shut down the war between the body's attacking auto-antibodies and the thyroid - we were in waiting mode - waiting for the final verdict that the Little Fella was dead or essentially non-functioning as a result of the radiation treatment. That final verdict came about 7 weeks ago and thus started my new, daily, life-long regimen of synthetic thyroid hormone replacement ~ levothyroxine. For fellow hypo-thyroid folks, this is ho-hum stuff. For me, it's new territory. I've always had a nicely humming metabolism so there have been many fears and unknowns encountered along the way.
The morning set-up
I have now been on levothyroxine for almost 7 weeks. Doc had said to expect to really start noticing an improvement in how I feel at the 6 - 8 week mark. She was right on target. I felt like a 'switch' finally 'flipped' right around 5 weeks - I started to feel a flicker of 'good' and catch a glimpse what 'normal' is. When a person is in a constant state of various levels of crumminess for so long, she forgets what 'normal and good' really feels like. It's a nice feeling.
Sweet nectar of life
So today, I am two weeks post-banana bread mixing break-through and the improvement has continued. I am seeing the potential of being able to rebuild the withered and lost strength and stamina for the trail running and biking we so love but also the strength and stamina needed for life in general. With the active Graves, I found myself withdrawing socially, to a great extent, because I just didn't have the strength and energy to invest in relationships, which are so precious and invaluable. It is exciting to come full-circle and return to being "me" again. It has been so long.
Despite feeling the remarkable improvement, I am not "there" yet - it will take time. We essentially had to "tear the house" down to the foundation in order to re-build a new and better structure. I wonder, too, if the foundation got a little chunked up in the process. The rebuilding process will need to proceed slowly and not go "buck wild" and try to regain strength and fitness too quickly. I've learned (sort of) the virtue of patience through this process - a necessarily slow and gradual one - exercising that virtue a little longer won't hurt. I have to admit, though, that running and riding SO slowly and somewhat feebly is a bit frustrating but it can't be helped and it IS getting better and will continue to get better. So incredibly THANKFUL and INCREDIBLY BLESSED....... Our bodies are certainly fearfully and wonderfully made!
My doc (whom I started with in Dec 2011) is having me put off blood work for another 2 to 4 weeks and maybe a bit longer if I continue to experience improvement and feel good. Normally, folks go in at 6 to 8 weeks after starting a replacement regimen or a change in dosage. Thyroid is my doc's gig - not only is she a physician who deals ONLY with thyroid related disease, she is an endocrinology professor, and is involved in active research related to thyroid disease. She knows her stuff and is experienced and confident in her treatment protocol. I am confident, as well, as long as I continue to feel good, that is! :-)
Initially, I am/was expecting a dosage adjustment which is normal. But if things keep perking along in a positive manner, maybe not yet. I am carrying around a few pounds of extra 'fluff and puff' which doesn't thrill me and unsavory images of morphing into a puffed pastry or the Pillsbury Dough Girl have flashed through my mind. In actuality, it has had me FREAKING out because I've never had to worry about extra, uncontrollable 'fluff' and seeing numbers on the scale NEVER seen before in my life has been unsettling. After being assured this is part of the normal process, I've subsequently calmed down about it and am hoping that once the hormone levels stabilize and I am able to start rebuilding the muscle that was cannibalized by the Graves, some of that 'fluff and puff' will start to melt away. Fingers crossed...... :-)
I am sensing a spark just beneath the surface - something not felt in a VERY long time. Steve and I are excited to have, at the very least, parked at the Comeback trailhead - soon to be soiling our shoes on the actual trail - the best trail ever!
A BIG THANK YOU for all of your care, concern, encouragement, and from several of you - wise and personal expertise - it has calmed fears, helped keep me going, and has been a priceless treasure to US. You guys are awesome. Thanks, too, for enduring this LONG post! Here's to a return to true Happy Trailing, hopefully just on the horizon......
Steve will do a post on our weekend fun in a few days......
Happy Trails to all this week!


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Floods wash off the first Boat Race League in Kerala
PB Jayakumar September 5, 2018
Traditional snakeboats were to compete in 12 professional league tournaments of the maiden Champions Boat League (CBL).
If the rain god hadn't unleashed its fury on 'god's own country', Kerala would have launched its first boat race league, modelling Indian Premier League (IPL) and Indian Super League (ISL), for attracting foreign tourists.
Planned by the state government's Tourism Department as Champions Boat League (CBL), the plans were to convert various traditional snakeboat races happening in the backwaters and rivers over the years, into a professional sporting league set-up. Sachin Tendulkar was supposed to kick start the league and the season, as chief guest of the most famous Nehru Trophy Boat Race in the Vembanad backwaters of Aalappuzha on August 11 -- a spectacle usually witnessed by thousands of overseas tourists every year.
But, floods played spoilsport during the Onam season and all the boat races in Kerala's backwaters and prominent rivers were either cancelled or postponed. As per a government directive issued on Tuesday, all state sponsored events and festivities would be called off for a year to save money for the disaster relief.
"As of now, we are not clear whether the maiden CBL can be staged this year as the state is going through one of its worst crisis," said Abraham George, member National Tourism Advisory Council and managing director, Intersight Tours and Travels.
Travel and tourism sector estimates Rs 500 crore direct losses due to property damages, mainly in the worst affected Kuttanad, Kumarakom and Aalappuzha backwater regions. Apart from this, Rs 1500 crore worth of business is likely to go down the drain due to cancellations during the peak season. Adding more woes, news reports about spread of Leptospirosis (rat fever) is causing more tourist booking cancellations.
Boat race in the state locally known as Vallam Kali is a traditional sporting event, which attracts millions of tourists during the festival season of Onam and lasts up to November every year. Famous Chundan Vallams (beaked snakeboats) are a unique cultural symbol of the state with its tradition dating back to many centuries. Each of these giant boats has about 30-35 metre (100-120 feet) length and can carry up to 128 trained paddlers aboard at a time. A total of 26 snakeboats had registered to participate in the maiden CBL.
Every year, each team spends about Rs 10-15 lakhs on training and food for the rowers. Besides, there are 56 snakeboats, known as palliyodams, attached to the Aranmula temple in Pathanamthitta and these boats participate only in the rituals related to the Uthrittathi boat festival during the last day of Onam. Many of these boats were damaged due to the floods in Pamba river and are estimated to have caused damages to the tune of over Rs. 3 crore.
As per the plan, nine snakeboats with the fastest timings in the Nehru Trophy Boat Race were to compete in a league of 12 different races of the maiden CBL, with the title clash scheduled at Kollam as part of the President's Trophy race on Kerala's birthday, November 1. CBL was planned at an expense of Rs 20 crore and the government had already allotted Rs 10 crore.


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Don't u think r husbands expect too much from us
Started by Arti on 01/17/2010 in Stay At Work/Professional Mom's In New Mexico
Last update on 01/17/2010 by Arti
Create a local community of professional women in the working world that have children. Women that choose or need to be a part of the working world. Mothers that worked hard to establish a career and desire to still be a part of the working world and juggle motherhood.
Last update on 01/17/2010 by Arti
How do we keep our value as a professional yet still be an involved mom?
Last update on 03/23/2009 by Kimberly


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In honour of #BellLetsTalk day for #MentalHealthAwareness we are incredibly proud to share this short piece entitled 'Godspeed'.
Written by Jessica Reynolds this short gives an inside look at just how important it is to #BreakTheStigma around mental health. So lets #StartTheConversation today and keep it going every day after
A special shoutout and a HUGE thank you to the incredible team who brought this story to life. Be sure to check out and follow these incredible storytellers
Alex - Camille Hollett-French
Nikki - Jessica Reynolds
Directed by: Shailene Garnett
DOP: Agyei Morris-James
AC: Becca Bone
Sound: Ben Barton
Make-Up: Sarah Balanoff
Edit / Colour: Eric Metzloff
Please, please, please share and share again using #BellLetsTalk ... let's get one step closer to ending the stigma.
With every RT of this post WE will personally donate 5 cents to mental health awareness as well.
Court & Mike


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1 ½ C Water
1 C Quinoa, rinsed
4 Lg Green peppers
16 Oz Chunky Salsa, divided
1 Lb Cooked black beans,
½ C Ricotta cheese
½ C Monterey Jack cheese, shredded, divided
Preheat oven to 400˚F. In a saucepan, bring water to boil. Add quinoa. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10-12 minutes. Meanwhile, cut and discard pepper tops; remove seeds. Place in a greased 8" baking dish, cut side down. Microwave, uncovered on high 3-4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Turn peppers cup side up. Save 1/3 cup salsa; add remaining salsa to quinoa. Stir in beans, ricotta cheese and 1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese. Spoon into peppers; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake uncovered 10-15 minutes or until filling is heated through. Top with reserved salsa.


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Conservative Group, Madison Project, Aims To Help Matt Bevin Unseat Mitch McConnell In Kentucky's U. S. Senate Race.
Conservative group to open 5 offices in Kentucky to help Bevin beat McConnell
In another sign that the 2014 U.S. Senate race has kicked into a higher gear, a conservative group allied with Louisville businessman Matt Bevin is opening five field offices as part of the effort to defeat Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
The Madison Project, a player in Sen. Ted Cruz's upset win in 2012, is planning to open Get-Out-The-Vote, or GOTV, offices in Louisville, Florence, Owensboro, Glasgow and Bowling Green, the Herald-Leader has learned.
The offices will have paid staff and trained volunteers, said Drew Ryun, the group's political director and former deputy director of the Republican National Committee.
In an interview during the weekend, Ryun said he and his team had studied turnout results in recent Kentucky elections, especially those in Sen. Rand Paul's 2012 primary win over then-Secretary of State Trey Grayson, whom McCon nell backed. The cities picked for offices, Ryun said, represent traditionally strong areas for McConnell, so they're "going where Mitch McConnell thinks his strength is and kicking the legs out from underneath him.
"If you want to win statewide, you've got to win the right counties," Ryun said. "And if you're going to win the right counties, you've got to win the right precincts."
The offices are opening in coordination with several of Kentucky's different Tea Party organizations, and Ryun said he had been visiting the state since September to train staff and volunteers on the "nuts and bolts" of GOTV plans.
Ryun emphasized the importance of a ground game while noting that conservative groups such as the Senate Conservatives Fund and Club for Growth were in better financial positions to handle costly television advertising.
McConnell and his allies probably will have an overwhelming financial advantage over Bevin and the groups backing him.
"As with all campaigns you can never have enough money, but I do think the ground game can be a great equalizer," Ryun said.
After a string of Republican Senate losses in recent years — losses that McConnell and others in the GOP think have cost the party control of the Senate — Kentucky's senior senator has declared war on groups like the Madison Project.
In an effort to make the May 20 primary the final battle in a lengthy war between establishment Republicans and outside groups, he has been painting Bevin as a proxy for Tea Party fundraising groups.
On Sunday, Allison Moore, McConnell's spokeswoman, said the Madison Project had a failing plan to reach out to conservatives if their strategy was to attack McConnell or Paul, noting that Ryun said in a tweet last week that Paul was a "tool."
"Their genius strategy is to smear Mitch McConnell, call Rand Paul a 'tool,' and then ask Kentucky Republicans to abandon their own and support Matt Bevin," she said. "They've got a better chance of signing up Barack Obama than any Kentucky conservatives to help their cause."
If McConnell sees the stakes of his race as critical to the future of the Republican Party, the feeling is mutual, Ryun said.
He repeatedly declared that the "stakes are high" in the 2014 race. He envisions offices that will stay open after the election to build a permanent infrastructure for Tea Party groups as the Republican Party continues to wrestle with a havoc-wreaking identity crisis.
Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2014/01/12/3030852/conservative-group-to-open-5-offices.html#storylink=cpy
Labels: Kentucky politics, Republicanism


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Search results
November 2019
Extension Agricultural Safety & Health Office. The goal is to provide seasonal safety news and ... Ag Safety S.T.A.T. – Safe Tactics for Ag Today is an electronic newsletter prepared by the OSU ... activities that may be re-published in your own newsletters or programs. If you have safety-related questions ...
National Rural Health Day
Dee Jepsen – Agricultural State Safety and Health Leader National Rural Health Day is Thursday ... rural areas have a 50% higher rate of unintentional injuries than in urban areas. There are increased ... injuries from falls, motor vehicle crashes and drug overdoses. In Ohio, rural health care is a critical ...
Fall Manure Application to Wheat and other Fields
compared to the nightmare of last fall. As harvest continues, more fields become available for manure ... Fall conditions this year have been much more favorable for manure hauling and application ... fall-applied livestock manure to newly planted or growing crop can reduce nutrient losses compared to ...
Develop a Forage Use and Feeding Plan
summer is worth the effort. Fall Sampling for SCN Soybean harvest has made good progress and once the ... forage by forage type and quality. To get tonnage figures use farm harvest records if available or ... Nutritional requirements and ration formulation are based on dry matter (DM). Convert forage inventory tons ...
Safety at the Bin
deficiencies. OSU Ag Safety & Health wishes you a safe fall harvest. ... Lisa Pfeifer – OSU Ag Safety and Health Education Coordinator Approaching harvest makes for a busy ...
Hazard Control in the Workplace
Kent McGuire – OSU CFAES Safety and Health Coordinator There are multiple ways to control hazards ... of controlling hazards to the least effective. The Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety ... workplace. For more information about the OSU Ag Safety visit https://agsafety.osu.edu/ or contact Kent ...
Respiratory Safety
Lisa Pfeifer – OSU Ag Safety and Health Education Coordinator Protect yourself, employees, and ... about the OSU Ag Safety and Health Program or contact Lisa Pfeifer, at firstname.lastname@example.com or ...
Corn Harvest Considerations: Stalk Quality and Combine Adjustments
season, especially if frequent rainfall returns, lodging and harvest loss increase. The October 8 th issue ... after physiological maturity. Harvest delays will increase the risk of stalk lodging and grain yield ... available on-line at https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2019-34/managing-corn-harvest-fall ...
Lifts for Tractors & Combines
company is linked in this article. Ohio AgrAbility and OSU Ag Safety do not receive any benefit from the ...
Milk Quality Workshop
required by November 29. CLICK HERE FOR EVENT FLYER CLICK HERE FOR EVENT AGENDA Event Coordinator: Matthew ...


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As if the regular poster wasn't badass enough...here's an odd motion poster for the new film The Possession. I'm not quite sure why it's cut into 3 sections. It sort of takes away from the effect. Perhaps the marketing team found 3 "walking toward the camera" looks that they really liked but, couldn't decide which was the best? Anyway...look for the film to possess theaters on August 31, 2012.
Official Synopsis:
Based on a true story, THE POSSESSION is the terrifying story of how one family must unite in order to survive the wrath of an unspeakable evil.
Clyde (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Stephanie Brenek (Kyra Sedgwick) see little cause for alarm when their youngest daughter Em becomes oddly obsessed with an antique wooden box she purchased at a yard sale. But as Em's behavior becomes increasingly erratic, the couple fears the presence of a malevolent force in their midst, only to discover that the box was built to contain a Dibbuk, a dislocated spirit that inhabits and ultimately devours its human host.
Starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan (WATCHMEN) and Kyra Sedgwick ("The Closer"), THE POSSESSION is directed by Ole Bornedal (NIGHTWATCH), written by Juliet Snowden & Stiles White, and produced by horror master Sam Raimi along with Robert Tapert and J.R. Young. A Lionsgate and Ghost House Pictures presentation.
Thanks for reading,


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Rachael Ray or Rachel Roy?
Happy Birthday Mom
Mint Julep Across America
Angie and Bax
Face Blindness
Family Portrait
How Do You Like Your Fish?
Holiday Feast
A Seismic Shift in How People Eat
Is Barbie a Feminist?
Dragonfish (Alternative Illustration)
Girl Sleuth (Curious Jane Fall 2015 Issue)
Frank Standford
First Impressions
Lifetime of Dancing
Map of Williamsburg, NY
Jennifer, Donna, and Their Deer Dog
Night Sleeper
ShrubsFor The North American Review's Fall 2018 issue. Thanks to AD Shelly Criswell. Short story about a man cooking an exotic dinner to impress the love of his life.
Rachael Ray or Rachel Roy?Personal assignment. Based on a NYT article about how Beyonce's face (The Beehive) attacked Rachael Ray instead of Rachel Roy. Digital.
Happy Birthday MomBirthday gift to my mother, who is a major fan of hot peppers. Ink and watercolor
Mint Julep Across AmericaBased on article of the different spins of the classic derby cocktail, the mint julep. Ink and Digital.
GutsBased on a segment of RadioLab's episode "Guts." Because of numerous internal complications, New York based writer John Reiner goes about a year without food. The podcast tells his tale of his struggles of going without eating.
Angie and BaxFor The North American Review's Spring 2016 issue. Thanks to AD Shelly Criswell. Short story about two sisters with magic dust.
Face BlindnessPersonal. Based on RadioLab's podcast, "Falling", where a couple met in college and the man suffers from face blindness. Digital.
Family PortraitPersonal work. Digital.
How Do You Like Your Fish?Personal challenge to paint raw and cooked salmon. Digital.
Holiday FeastVariation of different foods during the holiday season. Digital.
A Seismic Shift in How People EatPersonal. Illustration based on an article about how food companies are taking out artificial ingredients to fresher alternatives. Digital.
Is Barbie a Feminist?Personal editorial assignment on whether or not Barbie is a feminist. Based on podcast "How Barbie Works"
Dragonfish (Alternative Illustration)Based on a NYT book review "Dragonfish" by Vu Tran.
Dragonfish(Personal Work with NYT prompt)Digital
Girl Sleuth (Curious Jane Fall 2015 Issue) Digital. Client: Curious Jane MagazineAD: Samantha Murphy
Frank StandfordDigital.
First ImpressionsDigital.
Lifetime of DancingInk on paper.
Map of Williamsburg, NYDigital.
Jennifer, Donna, and Their Deer Dog
Night SleeperInk and Digital
prev / next
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Postdoctoral fellowship application, June 2006
12 months, to write and place two papers developing my doctoral thesis (analysing the Italian protest movements in the 1970s through contemporary press coverage) and submit an application for funding for a follow-up project (looking at British protest movements in the 1990s).
Rejected. Critical feedback.
Research grant application, January 2007
24 months, to analyse press coverage of four episodes of contentious activism (in Italy and Britain) and compare with subsequent legislation.
Rejected. Critical feedback.
Fellowship application, February 2007
24 months, to analyse autobiographical accounts produced by Italian armed struggle veterans, trace processes of desistance and identify the key factors in encouraging and inhibiting cessation of violent activity.
Rejected. No feedback.
Focused research grant application, April 2007
24 months, to analyse autobiographical accounts produced by Italian armed struggle veterans, trace processes of political radicalisation & embrace of violent tactics, and identify the key factors involved.
Rejected. Feedback mostly positive but some scepticism ("It is not clear what the researcher is going to do in the project period other than reading a series of Italian autobiographies.")
Research grant application, September 2007
12 months, to analyse a selection of autobiographical accounts produced by Italian armed struggle veterans together with accounts produced by non-political career criminals, tracing processes of desistance and identifying the key factors involved, with the goal of producing an analystical model which could be applied to subsequent interview-based research.
Rejected. Feedback positive.
Fellowship application, October 2007
24 months, to analyse autobiographical accounts produced by Italian armed struggle veterans, trace processes of desistance and identify the key factors in encouraging and inhibiting cessation of violent activity.
Rejected. Feedback positive.
Fellowship application, February 2008
24 months, to analyse the impact of the Crime and Disorder Act's statutory duty on local authorities to minimise 'disorder' by examining the regulation of disorderly events in the Manchester City Council area over a three-year period.
Rejected. No feedback.
Typically these rejections take about three months to come back. I've only just heard about the last one.
In the same period I've applied for lecturing posts at four other universities (one of them twice) as well as my own (three times), not to mention research posts at my own university (four of them). I may have forgotten one or two. I've had two interviews (I'm pretty sure that figure's right).
A week or so ago, before I got the most recent rejection, I had a dream about all this. I was at a social event at work, with a smartly-dressed, slightly nerdy-looking band set up in one corner. They started playing "Don't worry baby" – complete with harmonies – whereupon a guy from my department seized my hand and started spinning me round, encouraging me to dance. Then he started clapping out a complicated rhythm and encouraged me to join in, but I couldn't pick it up. He looked a bit crestfallen – "Oh, you can't get it? Never mind."
What's lurking here, I think, is a strangely moving account I once read of Keith Moon's solo career, and in particular one recording session where he took lead vocals on "Don't worry, baby" (he was a huge Beach Boys fan) with somebody else on drums. He was a weedy vocalist & the track was decidedly average, but someone who saw the session said that he was obviously loving every moment – this was what it was all about! Except that, of course, it wasn't, not if your talents were Keith Moon's.
On top of that, it evokes the funny bit at the end of Sudden Sway's "Relationships" where a [fictional] percussionist called Kevin persistently fails to get anything like the beat. Groans all round, and the singer wades in and makes matters worse ("OK, so we're only a support band, so what?").
I think there's a bit of Syd in there too – "Have you got it yet?"
So here's me, trying and failing to get a research grant – and a proper contract with it. And here's a drummer who really wants to be a lead singer; no one has the heart to tell him that he really can't sing, so he keeps trying. He thinks he's getting somewhere, but he never will – he really can't sing.
And here's a drummer who can't even drum properly, who will only ever be a support act – and hey, what's wrong with that?
And here's a tune that I try to get, but I can't get it – I can't get it, it's not possible to get it.
It's taken me a long time and a lot of work to get to where I am; ironically enough, it would also take a lot of work to get back to earning a living the way I did before. So what I do next is clear enough: I go on. I'm working on another research funding application and an application for a teaching post. Vedremo.
After a night's sleep, curiously, I remembered that I have actually been in the position of being a percussionist who's berated by the rest of the band for not getting the beat – and a drummer who wants to be a singer. When I was about 16 and half my social life revolved around the local church, some friends of mine were in a drippy acoustic group. They played at church events and sometimes during services; there was a bit of a fuss the week they did "Goodbye Again" during Communion. I longed to join, partly so I'd get to hang out with girls but mainly so I could amaze everyone with my singing; at this point I'd never actually sung in public, but I thought I'd be great when I did. But if you haven't got the nerve to sing in public, the chances are you haven't got the nerve to ask to sing in public either. So I talked myself into a rehearsal, but I didn't dare to suggest singing; I volunteered to improvise on flute or else to play bongos. The flute improvisation didn't work at all; the bongos worked for about a song and a half, but after that got on everyone's nerves. Part of the problem was that I hadn't thought much about patterns, & saw my role essentially as providing a kind of running percussion solo, a la Rebop Kwaku Baah. (Meets John Denver. During a church service. Yup, that'll work.)
It's a pretty embarrassing memory. But it's also a memory of feeling unable to do something – sing in public – which I now do regularly. And something else I longed to do when I was in my teens was to grow up to be a university lecturer – I didn't know how I was going to get there, either. Around the time this thought crossed my mind, I drifted into a half-sleep and dreamed of performing a song called "Fake detector" – probably the angriest thing I've ever written – while stalking up and down in front of a long table, with a row of people sat behind it.
Why do I think I'm suited for this job? You want to know why I think I'm suited for this job?
Maybe not. Still, vedremo. To quote my favourite bit of Gawain,
Of destinés derf and dere
What may mon do bot fonde?


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Island Routes Caribbean Adventures - the island experience, a way of life.
Island Routes is much more than tours and excursions! You will go beyond the resort and into the heart of the islands where setting sail, grabbing the reins, exploring lush peaks and tasting rich flavors are the experiences that become lasting memories.
Island Routes offer adventure seekers the award-winning Caribbean experiences, bringing together and certifying the premier excursions that showcase the culture, beauty and natural resources of twelve idyllic Caribbean destinations: Jamaica, Antigua, Bahamas, Dominican Republic, St. Lucia, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos, Grenada, Aruba, St.Maarten and Mexico. Also offering dynamic and adventurous excursions to cruise passengers in 13 different ports across the Caribbean.
All tours have been hand-picked, and each tour has gone through a comprehensive selection process that includes an assessment of safety standards and procedures, guest satisfaction ratings, training, insurance coverage, and commitment to sustainable tourism protection.


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This one Sew Essentials Cutting Table http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog/p...DID=xprd830869
I got a flyer in the mail today and it's going to be on sale for 69.99.
I was wondering if any one has one and how they like it.
Also, was wondering if you can just have half of the table up at a time? Whether that's an option or not.
Thanks for any feed back.


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Ice Adventure
The children took advantage of the cold snap we had at the beginning of the week and went on an ice hunt around the local fields in the beautiful Dartington Hall Estate. We discovered all sorts of different ice and enjoyed touching it, appreciating it and, of course, smashing it! When they got back to the classroom they wrote some beautiful descriptive writing about their adventure for the next School News.