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- – Tree-climbing lions and spectacular scenery in Lake Manyara– Extensive game viewing in the vast Serengeti looking out for the Big 5 and following the wildebeest migration from December to July– Crater tour into the Ngorongoro crater which offers captivating scenery and is a sanctuary for some of Africa's largest populations of large mammals.
– Visit the historical Olduvai Gorge also know as the "cradle of mankind" with its ancient instruments used by early man
– The multi-faceted jewel of Arusha national park where you can see colobus monkeys and the stunning Momela Lakes, each one a different hue of green or blue.
The game parks in the Northern Tanzania circuit offer excellent game viewing; Ngorongoro Crater is said to have the world's densest population of lion whilst in nearby Lake Manyara lions have developed a liking for residing in the branches of trees, where they can both sleep and watch for prey. The Serengeti is notable for its large migratory herds of wildebeest and zebras with strings of predators in trail. The world-renowned Olduvai Gorge offers insights into the origins of man and Tarangire has one of the highest concentrations of wildlife of any of the country's parks. This safari ends at the small Arusha National Park which is one of the most beautiful Parks that Tanzania has to offer.
Day 1 – Arusha
We depart Nairobi City for Arusha and you spend the night at a hotel of your choice at an extra cost. Arusha is the safari capital of Tanzania and is a main tourism centre being the gateway to the Serengeti, Lake Manyara, Tarangire, Arusha National Parks, and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
Day 2 – Lake Manyara
After breakfast, we drive to Lake Manyara National park where we have our picnic lunch at the campsite and then proceed on an afternoon game drive. Regardless of the direction we approach Manyara from, the view is always fantastic. This shallow, alkaline lake is at the base of a dramatic escarpment giving it a beautiful and serene setting. In addition to this peaceful setting, Lake Manyara's main attractions are its rich bird life, tree climbing lions and its hippos.
Day 3 – Serengeti
After breakfast we drive to the great Serengeti National Park viewing game enroute. Serengeti is Africa's most famous and Tanzania's largest park covering 14,736 sq km and is adjoining with the Masai Mara National reserve in Kenya. With a wildebeest population of about 2 million and several other hoofed species (which include zebra, Thomson's gazelle, impala, topi, Grants gazelle, Kongoni, Eland, Kirk's dik dik, klipspringer, roan, Oryx, oribi, waterbuck, buffalo, giraffe and warthog), it is sure to attract a string of prey such as lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena, golden jackals and bat eared foxes. We overnight at Seronera Campsite.
Day 4 – Serengeti
Spend the whole day game viewing in the Serengeti with a break for lunch at the campsite. Dinner and overnight at Simba Campsite.
You can visit the park all year round but there is less game in the park during the dry season – July /October, where they migrate to the Masai Mara in Kenya. During March to May the herds move in search of grazing to the southern section and in May to June, they move towards the western corridor of the park.
Day 5 – Ngorongoro via Olduvai Gorge
Wake up early for a morning sunrise game drive returning to the camp for breakfast. We then proceed towards Olduvai Gorge with picnic lunches viewing game en route. It is here where humanoid bones and fossil foot prints have been found dating back to over millions of years. Dinner and overnight on the edge of the Ngorongoro crater; Simba (Lion) Campsite (very cold night; but you will enjoy breathtaking views of the crater below).
Day 6 – Ngorongoro to Arusha
After an early breakfast, we descend into the magnificent Ngorongoro Crater for a morning crater tour with picnic lunches. In the afternoon we drive back to the bustling Arusha town where we spend the night at the campsite.
Day 7 – Arusha
Depart for Arusha National Park after breakfast for a game drive with packed lunches. This small park brags obvious views to the continent's highest peak (Kilimanjaro), a number of striking lakes, a stunning volcanic crater, as well as a fine variety of great mammals and birds. We drop you off at a hotel of your choice in Arusha at an extra cost.
Day 8 – Nairobi
Drive back to Nairobi via Namanga border post. END OF SERVICES.
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- camping safaris Kenya
- Kenya


text: After many months of putting it off, I finally took a trip down to the MAC store and got myself a new tube of Ruby Woo (my previous tube rolled out of my pocket at a fashion week last year). You don't have to wait for special occasions to put on a red lip – pairing it with casual, slouchy getups adds a fresh touch and injects a little glamour to the overall look. Ruby Woo remains my ultimate favourite red lipstick! I've tried looking for substitutes but nothing came close to this wonderful colour that I would describe as a pin-up girl red… of course, being a matte lipstick, it is very drying, but nothing that a little lip balm can't fix!

subset: commoncrawl


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New York City is widely known for its towering skyscrapers, the beautiful parks, the amazing museums, the long avenues where you can shop your heart out, and the quaint little neighborhoods and boroughs to explore. But one thing most people don't realize is that NYC is a great start-off point to explore other areas as well.Read More
New York City is such a vibrant, diverse and cultural city -- there's a reason why it's one of the most popular cities around the world. No doubt there's so much to see, do, eat, and experience -- a bucketlist was perfect in narrowing down what we want to achieve when we move to the Big Apple!Read More


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The Advantages of Online Casinos
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With MPL Casino best online casinos you have unlimited possibilities to enjoy that gaming life that you have longed for all this time. What is your favorite casino games? Do you visit a casino to place a …


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Van Cleef & Arpels. Dodecanese Coral, Amethyst, Diamond and Yellow Gold Choker, Ear clips and Ring (1970). © Christie's Images 2011. Ring sold for $122,500. Earrings sold for $182,500.
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Coal mole
Lurking in the depths of the planet, enduring a long after-life, the forest yearned to see daylight again. Turning every bit of its being into an intense black, it wondered if it can ever be amidst the rest of the life forms that seemed so far away now. Yet, when the miners gave the former forest a rebirth, it was ready to give itself completely to the rest of the world – all over again.
Steal the show in style and aplomb with this absolutely simple yet gorgeous black raw silk lehenga skirt!
Raw silk exudes a grandeur that very few other fabrics can. The regal shine that vibrates from a raw silk saree spells class and traditional beauty. The process of producing raw silk involves multiple stages such as extracting silk threads from the cocoons of silk-worms, twisting multiple silk threads to make strong threads and weaving the threads on handlooms. Particularly, raw silk is that which contains sericin, which is a gummy substance produced by the silk worms while building the cocoon. The silk worms are made to feed on Mulberry trees for high-quality silk. India is one of the top producers of silk in the world and the fabric is always in demand for its visual attractiveness. People associate silk with special occasions and richness. Raw silk is versatile and can boast of a grand appeal as well as a quiet grace; you can dress it down or go over the top. On the whole, raw silk is a fabric that can never go wrong. So, whether you are all set for a night of glamour or you want to turn on your traditional charm, raw silk can be just the thing you are looking for!
Wash Care: Dry Wash


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By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
I am so happy to welcome my friends, The Brooklyn Baking Barons (Chris Poeschl and Tony Lanuza), to Jake's Take!
I met Chris and Tony, two years ago, while waiting in line for a taping of The View and they were offering everyone that was waiting in line a bite of their world famous Honey Whiskey Cake. Since I took my first bite of this irresistible dessert, I became an instant fan. But, I was not the only person that became a fan. When Chris and Tony presented the Honey Whiskey Cake to The View hosts, Whoopi Goldberg nearly "stole" the whole cake and almost walked off the ABC daytime talk show with it.
After that chance encounter on The View, Chris and Tony found themselves on HGTV, NBC 4 New York, and on The Chew, where both Mario Batali and Michael Symon praised the cake. Also, The Pioneer Woman and Food Network star Ree Drummond stated that the cake was "pretty much the best thing I've ever tasted in my life."
Besides appearing on television, the Brooklyn Baking Barons attracted the attention of numerous publications such as Coastal Style, Forbes, The Huffington Post, Jarry, People Magazine, and the Robb Report.
In this edition of A Conversation, Chris and Tony shared their origin story, which Food Network show they turned down three times and talked about the differences between their social media strategies for Facebook and Instagram.
Jacob Elyachar: Could you please describe the Brooklyn Baking Barons' origin story to my readers?
Chris Poeschl: Tony and I were both working in entertainment. He was a costume designer on Broadway, and I was a musical theater actor. Like all freelance work, one day you have the best job and the next you're unemployed. We were in between jobs and Tony, and I were incredibly poor. My birthday was a few days away, and Tony told me that he could not afford to get me a gift, and he offered to make me a cake instead. After I had said, "Of course." he asked me what kind of cake I wanted. I stated that I wanted a Rum Cake but not a Rum Cake. When I came back from an audition, Tony made the first version of the Honey Whiskey Cake. It immediately became legendary.
Tony Lanuza: After that first bite, I said: "Chris, this cake will make us millions." We rapidly tried to get the word out about the cake. Originally, we wanted to start a food blog, but neither of us is organized to do a blog. (Chris shakes his head) We decided to go a different route, and that's when we met you.
JE: What were some of the challenges that you faced building your culinary brand? How did you overcome them?
CP: A lot of challenges come about when you need to grow and expand. This past year, our cake was featured in People Magazine on The Pioneer Woman's holiday gift list. We got a call from them in October, and they shared the news that we made their list. They also asked us: "Can you handle being on our list?" We told them: "Totally, it is going to be great!" After we screamed in delight, reality set in. We were in a 500-square-foot kitchen space, and we realized we needed to look for a bigger kitchen. Tony and I had to leave the city for a little while, and we found a 5,000-square-foot bakery for a fraction of the cost of commercial space in Brooklyn. Getting into that space and figuring out all of the logistics for this holiday gift list, while maintaining our current orders, booking events, and moving our equipment were the challenges.
TL: We are primarily a 21st-century pop-and-pop shop. We have all of the old fashioned problems such as keeping up with customer demands and inventory. But, because we are in the 21st century, we have to keep up with marketing and social media. Every day is a learning experience and what makes this an amazing experience is that we get to work together.
CP: There are all these additional skills that you have to learn. Food is such a visual industry, and we had to teach ourselves how to create beautiful photos with a quality camera. If you looked at our first Instagram posts and to our current posts, there is a huge difference between the quality of pictures. We have learned a lot through trial, error, and time. It helped us grow as professionals.
JE: Your cake has attracted a lot of love from various media personalities. What have been some of your favorite encounters with the press?
TL: Since we were a part of the entertainment industry, people always forget about the crew. While all of the actors or media personalities would get these great things, the crew would feel left out. First, we went to The Chew. Then, the week after that we met you at The View. We brought two boxes of cake, one for the hosts and one for the crew.
CP: Initially, we offered the cake to the crew first. We thought if we scratched the crew's back, they would scratch ours.
TL: When we finally got the box to The Chew, the crew gave it to Michael Symon. After we had left the studio, we walked to Lincoln Center. Suddenly, we got a lot of tweets. Mario Batali said "I tasted them, now I dream of them!", while Michael Symon said it was "the best sweet bite of the year." Two days later, Daphne Oz wrote us this massive e-mail saying how it was the most amazing cake she ever tasted and asked us if we could send the cake out to all of her agents and to this woman named Ree Drummond. Two days after we sent out the cake, I was looking through our e-mail, and I found an e-mail from a very familiar name, and I shouted: "Oh my god, it's The Pioneer Woman!" and one year later, she puts us on her favorite things list.
JE: Speaking of Ree Drummond, have you thought about bringing your brand to either the Food Network or the Cooking Channel?
CP: We have been pursued to some extent by the Food Network. It asked us to do Chopped three times, but every time producers speak with us: "I tell them that we are a duo. If the show decides to a team edition of Chopped, we are your guys."
TL: But, we would love to be involved in the television side of the industry. Our initial goal was and still is to make people want to cook, and we feel like they can. We feel like we could be a good fit for the network.
CP: Right now, there is nobody on television that is representing our age group.
TL: While, the Food Network has launched the careers of Mario, Emeril, and Giada, there is always room for some fresh blood.
JE: Let's talk about social media. The Brooklyn Baking Barons' two primary social media platforms are Facebook and Instagram. Are there any similarities or differences between the strategies you use for the platforms?
TL: Food is such a visual experience. Don't get me wrong; I like Twitter, but it is not the right platform for our brand. Pictures say a thousand words, so Instagram makes it very easy to get our message across. While we do have a Facebook page, we feel like that New York City is a very Instagram city.
CP: Some of the biggest lessons that we learned as we grew our brand's presence on social media included the time and the day we post, the types of images to use, and how to tag things correctly. There is a strategy that we use when it comes to social media.
JE: What's next for the Brooklyn Baking Barons?
CP: We launched two new flavors of cake this year. Now, we have a trio of cakes.
TL: In addition to the original Honey Whiskey cake, we now have a Churro Cake, which is our version of a Rum Cake coated in cinnamon and sugar.
CP: As fall begins, we would probably put out a chocolate cake of some variety.
TL: Maybe, our version of a Chocolate Kahlua Cake!
JE: If you had to chance to meet with entrepreneurs who want to pursue a career in the culinary industry, what advice would you share with them?
CP: There is a lot of room at the table. Since we have moved from entertainment into the culinary industry, people have been very supportive. There is respect for the game. You should not fear the competition, while it is out there, they will have your back when you need them. Also, people need to plan to work 12 to 14 hours a day, because there is no part-time work when it comes to starting a business.
TL: We have had only two days off since November.
CP: We work seven days a week, but only after two years are we able to say: "We can take a day for ourselves now."
TL: If you are creating a business with someone else, you need to be supportive of each other.
CP: Be bold and be fearless! If you have something that is unique and original that you know better than anything else out there, then the business will build itself.
To learn more about the Brooklyn Baking Barons and how you can get your order of Honey Whiskey Cake, visit their website!
You can also connect with Chris and Tony on Facebook and Instagram.


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Senior Master Andrew K H Rhee teaches a range of classes, from beginners to advanced, from age 5 years old and up at ITFA Headquarters, Alexandria. Close to The Grounds, this Alexandria location is and approved ACTIVE KIDS provider!
A new full time facility for the ITFA, it has long been an ambition for Senior Master Rhee to have his own training venue and the ITFA is very excited about it!
Utilising and supporting the local community, the classes are split into different abilities to enable growth and develop for the students in the Art. A work in progress, the Dojang will open in Term 4, 2015 with a temporary matted floor in place but with many new additions to be made over the coming months! Watch this space!!!
Senior Master Rhee teaches all aspects of ITF-style Taekwon-Do including pattern, sparring, destruction and terminology. F0r a full timetable of classes, look in the image gallery on the right of this page..
ITFA Taekwon-Do Alexandria classes run through the NSW school terms, with a reduced timetable during school holidays. Grading exams are held at one. There are ITFA Taekwon-Do Sydney Gradings available at the end of each term if the students are deemed ready to try for promotion to their next grade/belt. There is no hurry to promote, the emphasis being on learning and having fun!
If you would like to attend a free trial Taekwon-Do class, please contact Senior Master Rhee on +61 450 459 927 or email firstname.lastname@example.com


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Crux over Gemini Observatory, Mauna Kea, Hawaii
Photo: © Ovidiu Vaduvescu
This is taken from Favourite Consetellations, the latest offering from SARM's Astropoetry Master Club and Friends coordinated by Andrei Dorian Gheorghe and designed by Florin Stancu after an idea by Mihai Petrache.
Ovidiu Vaduvescu writes
What do you say about the Southern Cross seen in other conditions (4200 m altitude, 12000 km and 12 h distance from Romania)? AlohaMy own contribution to the project is
in a cold fielda reflection from the day I went Stargazing in New Zealand.
on the other side of my world
the southern cross
Gerald England
Other contributions include
88 optical illusions crawl across the sky
Trailing myths and legends in their wake,
As Gods and monsters slowly fade away
We'll find new shapes among the points of light
And tell ourselves new stories round the fire,
New myths and legends for a star-struck age.
John Francis Haines
(U.K., Leader of the Eight Hand Gang - British network of SF poets and Editor of its newsletter Handshake)
ALSO HER NAME'S INITIALPerhaps my favourite though is this tanka
Three she sky-traces
Cassiopeia's W
for woe, love-ending
Steve Sneyd
(U.K., Director of Hilltop Press and Editor of the Data Dump newsletter)
dogs bark
under Canis Major
I feel hunted
by a cell phone's
distant ringing
Deborah P. Kolodji
(U.S.A., President of the Science Fiction Poetry Association)


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- author |
- Ari Heljakka
- year published |
- 2014
What is real?
You are inclined to drift deeper and deeper into fictional thinking and obsolescence. You keep constructing and sticking with increasingly obsolete ideas about the world, even though many of them were rather fictional to begin with.
Model Zero shows how these forces emerge. Some very basic operating principles of your mind, mental models and language pull you towards fiction. The way you interact with the… read more


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362 days of no clothes shopping, 3 days of weakness
In hindsight, I think I did better than expected (I totally thought I had bought more shoes, but I couldn't find any others). I didn't count gifts into my recap, but I did get some nice wearable ones, too. My closet still isn't as pared down as I'd like it to be, but it's getting there. And I'm appreciating my pieces more, too. For the longest time I was a basic basic basic girl. I had crew-neck short-sleeve tees in 6-7 colors, crew-neck long-sleeve tees in 5 colors, 5-6 of the same basic tank, 5 pairs of flip-flops, and the same pair of jeans in 3 different washes. As I've become more creative with my outfits and pairings, I'm drawn less and less to my simple staples and more to special pieces and finishing accessories. Somewhere in the past I had apparently decided that I needed an excuse to dress up (beyond jeans, tees, and flip-flops) and look put together--this diet (and this blog) has showed me that I don't.
Thinking about starting your own shopping diet? Here are some tips.
- Set parameters. Are you abstaining from clothes, shoes, accessories, or all of the above?
- Set a timeline. That way you'll know when you've succeeded. Start small if you have to. My first shopping diet was for a quarter in college (10 weeks), and then I did 6 months in 2009. Baby steps.
- Unsubscribe to retailer and sale emails or delete them immediately. DO. NOT. OPEN.
- Ask for help and support from your friends and shopping buddies. It helps.
- Swap and accept. Whether it's permanently (through a swap event), borrowing clothes from a friend, or scouring your mom's closet for hand-me-downs, there are several ways to work new pieces into your outfit without spending a dime. Even if they're not your style at first glance, try it out. You can always give it back or pass it on.
Have you ever embarked on a shopping diet? For how long? What did you learn?


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Home > Gift Ideas > Snow Globes And Waterballs > Peter Rabbit Waterball
Home > Childrens Characters Toys and Gifts > Peter Rabbit > Peter Rabbit Waterball
We are sorry, this product is discontinued and is no longer available. Please select another item.
Reference: TBF01728
Model: A26011
Size: 10cm
Peter Rabbit is the star of this beautiful little glitter filled snow globe.
A charming gift for a newborn baby, turn the small waterglobe upside down and Peter Rabbit becomes immersed in a cloud of fine glitter.
Border Fine Arts design the most delightful nursery ornaments to be found on the high street and their range of Beatrix Potter Classics have proved to be some of their most popular.
The artwork for each product is taken from the original illustrations from the Beatrix Potter stories, this water ball has been lovingly hand painted helping to bring the character to life.
A wonderful little baby nursery gift.
Material: Resin.
Presented in a branded box.
Aurora Princess Waterball
Disney Traditions
Peter Rabbit Posting Letter Moneybox
Border Fine Arts
Squirrel Nutkin
New Peter Rabbit Pull Along
Rainbow Designs
Leslie Dolly
Baby Gund
Jointed Panda Bear
Jumbo Manni
A quality laminated gift bag, matching colour tissue and gift tag to present your gift item. Order during checkout.
Send a greetings card with your gift item to add a personal touch.
You can also add a box of chocolates to make the perfect gift.
© All images and text copyright Teddy Bear Friends 2004-2019. All rights reserved.
Westview Trading Limited. Registered Co No: 6555031
trading as Teddy Bear Friends
6 West View


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I painted the 170 year old brick wall in my dining room last week. It's the kind of thing only an a) brave b) stupid c) bored and d) mentally deranged person would do. It's a project that's been 17 years in the making. Those beautiful, old, uneven, hand formed bricks are now white and I feel sick. I've wasted 17 years worth of time and energy hating that brick wall; I should have painted it years ago.
So why didn't I? I was scared.
Painting brick isn't 100% irreversible, but it's pretty close. It's like gaining 400 pounds. Technically you could lose that weight but it's gonna take a lot of work, a lotta tears, enough swear words to fill a penitentiary and some kind of surgery.
Even though the brick wall was beautiful, it didn't make my room beautiful. At all. In fact it ruined my dining room. That one end of the rectangular room always felt dark and heavy. I put LED strip lighting above it to brighten it up. That worked(ish). But not enough.
Plus. OMG. SO orange. I couldn't hang any art on the wall because absolutely everything just looked like barf on it. The wall always felt a bit dirty and scary. Those are great qualities for certain things in your life, but not your dining room wall.
One of the larger reasons I wanted to paint the wall white was so I could hang my beloved non-relative, never even met her or anyone related to her, Margaret, on it. I wanted Margaret on the big brick wall.
I told many people I was going to paint this brick wall over the years and I had many people tell me back "NO!", while simultaneously whipping their hand up in the universally recognized stop position. "You cannot!'. No one ever had a really solid reason for me, other than they didn't think it should be done. So I didn't. Not necessarily because they said so, but because I was already afraid to do it myself. Even though I didn't like it. It makes no sense that I didn't like it but I didn't.
Whenever I watch television shows where perpetually cool characters live in lofts with exposed brick, I love it. I wondered if it was possible I needed to dress cooler and go out later at night in order to like my brick wall.
Upon further reflection I realized that those huge New York lofts are also styled by professionals, and usually have wall to wall windows to bathe everything in light.
Then I took a trip to Lynne Knowlton's treehouse and cabin where literally everything is painted white and I said SUCK IT. I'm going home and painting that brick wall the second I walk through the door.
And a mere 2 months later I did just that.
Kind of.
I primed my brick wall, put my brush and paint away and called it a day. I liked it exactly like this. Not a perfectly painted brick wall. Not a Pinterest brick wall. An interesting looking, aged, antiqued looking brick wall.
THIS was the kind of wall a super-cool New Yorker would like in their dining room.
Here's a lesson for you. Roll with the punches. I just made that phrase up this very second. I'm also considering inventing the phrase "prime the pump".
I started off thinking I was going to completely paint my brick wall. Then on a whim I decided to see if I would like it whitewashed.
Whitewashing a brick wall (or anything) is as simple as using 50% water mixed with 50% paint. The paint has to be a water based paint, not oil. If it seems too solid still, just water it down a bit more.
Then paint it on the surface and blot the runs with a rag right away.
I didn't like it.
I didn't like it one bit.
I got out my primer and started slapping it onto the wall with a brush and a roller, realizing I'd have to just paint the whole wall in a solid white. Because my bricks are so old and irregular it was almost impossible to get into every groove and hole so I gave up on that after a while and just brushed the primer on quickly, thinking I'd go back and clean it up after one quick coat.
But then I stood back and I liked it. I really liked it. I Big Mac liked it.
And just like that I knew I was done.
How to Antique a Brick Wall
- Slap some primer on the wall being careful not to cover every bit of it.
- Clean your brush, put your paint can away.
I did finish priming the entire wall, but after I was done a quick coat of primer I packed up my paint, washed my brush and started sending photos to family members and friends.
Well guess what. They liked it. I mean, they gasped of course, but they liked it. A few people asked me if I was finished. I told them I thought that I actually liked it the way it was. To which they replied, "Yeah, I think I like it like that too."
Do you know what's funny?
Never once, in 17 years has anyone ever walked into my dining room and commented on how beautiful they thought my brick wall was.
Not. Once.
So I don't know what everyone's issue with painting it was.
You may have noticed that Margaret is not on the brick wall. I love it so much I don't want to cover it up. Also, the room is better balanced with Margaret where she is, but instead of leaning against the wall, for the first time in the 15 or so years that I've owned her, she's hanging.
My plan was to paint my brick wall solid white and hang Margaret on it.
I ended up with a kind of painted wall and Margaret stayed where she was. Roll. With. The. Punches. Be aware. Go with your hunch. Prime the pump.
The truth is I'm glad it took me this long to paint the dining room wall because had I done it 6 or 7 years ago I wouldn't have had the confidence to leave it the way it is, half-assedly painted. I'm also glad I didn't know I was going to haphazzardly paint my wall. If I knew I wanted a "random" look to the wall I would have given WAY too much thought to what areas got more paint than others. I would have stood back and assessed and made it way more difficult than it needed to be. By not knowing what the hell I was doing, I got a genuinely random look. The kind of random look I never would have been able to achieve if I was trying.
I know; you maybe liked the brick wall natural. I know; it was a beautiful brick wall. I know; it's very difficult to lose 400 pounds. But it can be done.
I'm not sure why I was so scared, because I don't think there's ever been anything I haven't liked better after painting it white and that includes my kitchen brick wall, my interior trim and my first cat.
Now if you'll excuse me I have a wall to look at.


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{Today's Letters}
Monday, January 03, 2011
Today's Letters: Dear Mr. Loerke, this weekend we rang in the New Year by looking for the dime that mysteriously disappeared into our black-eyed peas. Whoops. Dear Proposed Food Truck Park in Dallas, you had us at Lower Greenville, 6 Airstreams, and street food. If you build it, they will come. Dear Frigidaire, sayonara expired condiments. Sometimes all I need is a clean slate to channel my inner organizational mojo. Dear Timothy James PA-S III, in honor of it being the first day of your pediatric rotation, I figured you could at least use this to your advantage. Love you more than leaky cups patched with Scotch tape. Over and out.
What are you most looking forward to this week?
Also, thanks to those of you who voted ... we made it into the finals! Click HERE to vote.
Rambling Man by Laura Marling
Husband's Dirty 30!
Our Happy Little Christmas
Today's Letters Got Botox
Salt Dough Ornaments featured on Fly Through Our Window*
Be sure and check back later for a post about our JANUARY sponsors!
Note: Some of you emailed asking where Twinner had my Christmas stamps made. She got them at a family owned shop in Berkeley called Berkeley Stamp. You can check them out HERE.
8 comments:
Pediatric rotation will bring about the desire to begin practicing to have your first daughter... a year after graduation. Hey, I found a time in the front floorboard of the car. Could it be? Maybe just that we are related somewhere along the line. Love you more than another year of mail, letters, calls and fishing trips. Papa
- January 3, 2011 at 8:44 AM
- Michelle (michabella) said...
Happy New Year!! Love the new layout!
- January 3, 2011 at 9:23 AM
- ZigZagKitty said...
Voted! :) And so glad to see a letter! I've missed them!
- January 3, 2011 at 12:36 PM
- Jessibee08 said...
hey em~my hubby surprised me with a trip to Dallas for New Years! Sad I didnt have your contact info to hang, I will just have to come again soon :) BUT, I did get Erynn and Sara to take me to the Pearl Cup and had one of the best Dirty Chai's of my life!!! :) Happy 2011!
- January 3, 2011 at 2:01 PM
- Grace @ Arms Wide Open said...
we are going to the beach (mexico) for 3 days and I can't wait to show my hubby how much our little guy loves the ocean now! (he's 2 and a half... Sooo big. and brave.)
happy new year to you two!
- January 3, 2011 at 2:58 PM
- megan said...
Happy New Year! If you ask me, more blogs should get botox every so often- Today's Letters is looking sharp...and dare I say- wrinkle free. Looking forward to boyfriend's 25th this week!
Which reminds me- I feel the need to share this with probably the only 2 other people in the world that will understand the magic of this moment. Scene: Morning. Time to get out of bed. Boyfriend pulls the covers over his head and puts the pillow over where his face should be. Wiggles happen in an effort to become as flat as Flat Stanley... Another wiggle- and legs emerge as he slides out onto the floor. Boyfriend stands to assess his work of "making the bed" and proudly exclaims "WOW! I can't believe that worked, but it DID!" End scene. Somebody else has been reading the "How to be Awesomely Efficient at Being an Efficient and Awesome Dude" guidebook, apparently. Two words. LOVE. IT.
Happy Monday!
Megan @ i love lovenotes
- January 3, 2011 at 4:14 PM
- Don Dinnerville said...
Hey neighbor - great minds . . . . I did a little bit of refrigerator (and pantry) purging this weekend too. I'm a serious "list" guy, and in the process of working through monthly, quarterly, and annual lists, the desire to clean out some old foodstuffs became overwhelming. :-)
- January 3, 2011 at 4:36 PM
- Today's Letters said...
papa, i love it that you found a dime on the floorboard of your car and thought of me. i hope it was because you were getting ready for your new cherry(iot). vroom! vroom!
michelle, happy new year to you, too! glad you like the new layout. my web guy is a design ninja.
zigzag, i've missed writing them! ps, thanks fo' yo' vote lady.
jess, are you serious? major points for zak! sad to have missed you, hopefully next time we can have a reunion! xoxo ps, glad you liked the pearl cup!
grace, your trip sounds delightful. take lots of pics. you'll have to let us know how it goes!
megan, we tumble dried the blog on low and added extra fabric softener. glad you likey. your story about your bf shimmying and shaking out of the biscuit made me laugh. tim swears it's the most fun and efficient way!
neighbor, on my list next: the medicine cabinet. but don't tell hubs. he things medicine never expires.
- January 3, 2011 at 9:35 PM


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"Creative Christmas – A gift guide for crafters who already have more yarn than close space"
If you're like me, chances are you got a big yarn stash. There's a part 'practical' stash which you use for swatching, designing, actually making items. This is the stash that gets regularly replaced and contains all you favourite yarns to work with. The high-turnover stash, so to speak. Then there's also a 'pretty' stash. Skeins and hanks you might not have a plan for, but were begging you to take them home. Novelty yarns that were so special that you just had to get them. A rainbow of silk/cashmere/merino yarn that you just needed, because, rainbow. Am I right?
Bottom line, I've got a lot of yarn. And the stash keeps growing, because family and friends think that there's no such thing as too much yarn for a crochet designer. While this is not necessarily false, I'm running out of closet and storage space and frankly I'm starting to feel a bit guilty!
While I was visiting Scheepjes HQ last september, we were introduced to a brand unlike anything I've ever seen before: Cohana. It is a Japanese collective of craftsman, creating handmade crafting tools. The name has a symbolic meaning, according to the group:
"The brand name 'Cohana' is derived from the goddess Konohanasakuya-hime from Japanese mythology. Konohanasakuya-hime is beautiful like the blooming of cherry tree blossoms, and worshipped as a goddess of Mt. Fuji, the symbol of Japan, and symbolises prosperity."
Do give their website a read, if you have time. They've captured the look and feel of their products perfectly!
First impression
Us lucky birds got to take a parcel filled with Cohana supplies home with us to review. I've been using them for a while now and my first impression is that the items breathe quality, and will last you for a long time. Due to the fact that the items are handmade in Japan they're relatively expensive. Although it might not appeal to all, I think it is the perfect gift for the crafter who already 'has it all', especially yarn.
Cohana is an exclusive brand. I've searched for sellers and thankfully Habbedash.com, an online retailer, stocks Cohana. And, they ship worldwide. So now we've got all bases covered, let me introduce you to my favourites!
Gift # 1 – The 'Shozaburo' Thread Clipper
I want to start off with the (in my opinion) prettiest of them all: the thread clipper. They make that 'snappy' sound when they close. They're (very) sharp, and come with a protective leather casing which you definitely need if you want to carry them in a bag without them poking holes in your fabric. The handle of the clippers are wrapped in silk 'Iga braids', which were also used in traditional Japanese armours. Details like this make something so simple as a pair of clippers special, don't they? The clippers are available at Habbedash, and come in multiple colours. Mine is the yellow colour.
Gift # 2 – The 'Hinoki' Pincushion
In my parcel was a very dainty pincushion. As I'm not very fluent in Japanese, I had to rely on the pictures to tell me they are meant to wear around your neck. Thus far I haven't used it like this, but as it's very light I can imagine it won't be a burden as opposed to those pincushions which you wear around your finger or wrist (I can't stand anything on my wrists when working). They're perfect to pair up with the handblown 'Tombo-dama' glass pins! Both the pincushion and pins are available at Habbedash. As you can see, the pincushion also comes in multiple colours!
Gift #3 – The paperweight
When unpacking, I didn't realise it was a paperweight so I was very surprised by the weight of this. It's pure cast iron, with a rough surface and holes big enough to put your crochet hooks in. I can definitely see this paperweight being put to use when I'm working in the garden where my papers tend to fly away with every gust. Also, it's a very pretty photo prop!
The paperweights come in several colours. There's also a polished brass one. I think that's my favourite!
Gift #4 – The Canvas bag
This is my little happy canvas bag which I use for smaller projects. It's made out of very sturdy canvas and it's waterproof as it's been treated with paraffine. It has space for a couple of (small) balls of cotton and has a few extra pockets for hooks and needles. There are inserts available to put in the big bag too, if you'd rather use it more compartmentalised. Isn't the tassel cute? Keep it away from pets though, they find it a very attractive bag too ;).
I've found some of the bags at Black Sheep Wools. Mine is the grey bag with the blue tassel.
I hope this has given you some inspiration for the upcoming holidays and beyond! I know it can be very hard to find a present for somebody who already seems to have everything. Quality products like Cohana are ALWAYS a good idea.
All opinions provided in this blogpost are my own.


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Really it is; one "slow and lazy day" is even more learning then what can be done in a public school setting. HONEST!! There is nothing wrong with having a sleeping, lazy, day or week. As a homeschooler I set the pace, I set the schedule, I set the routines, etc. There is NO such thing as "behind"!! There is no such thing as "catching up"!! If you want to sleep the day away with the dogs then do it. Well granted you don't want everyday to be that -- because then you are going to be dealing with heart issues and sloth -- but if your week is slow that's okay, if your month is distracted because of the holidays or a new baby, that's okay. If not much was done because illness that's okay!
Just pick up where you left off and go with it. You are NOT behind. You do NOT have catching up to do. Honest!
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something. See our full disclosure policy for more details.
Have you had a slow lazy day, week, month before? Do you feel like your behind? Leave me a comment!


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Jessie started working for us in production, account management & graphic design in 2005 and has been an invaluable part of SugarLove's branding ever since. Her very successful design firm Follow Studio is testament to her highly individual award winning gift that is now well sought after in many industries. We are fortunate to continue with our collaborative work together and were equally excited to cover her own wedding day to long time love Russell in January this year. These are just 2 of our photographs from the day (and also 2 of her favs)!!
What is your favourite part of the job? Being able to create every day. Even since I was little I have drawn and made things so to be able to do that for a living is really a dream come true for me.
What are you reading at the moment? The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
What was the favourite moment of your wedding? Many of our special memories of our wedding are from before the day, spending time together and with our family making & creating for the day - we designed and made everything from our paper goods to the hand stamped linen bunting, our festoon light canopy and the signature rose sherbert drink. But at the end of the day looking out over this reception and seeing all of our family & friends together having shared the most beautiful day with us was the most special memory of our day - it was everything we could have asked for and it just felt like we were home.
Wedding advice? Your wedding should be about the two of you and your special story. Everyone will have their own idea of what a wedding should be. Listen to your friends & family then decide for yourselves how you would like your day to be. Most of all make sure you have the best time of your life planning your day together and dont get too caught up in the details - let things happen naturally on the day and dont expect everything to go perfectly as planned.
Who inspires you? Personally my family inspires me to keep going and work hard. My dog Richie inspires me to never never give up and my creative friends inspire me to dream big. Creatively the beautiful clients I am honoured to work with are just so inspiring and too many to name. I count myself lucky to be able to work with them every day.
Top three songs on your playlist? Orange Sky (Alexi Murdoch) / Find Your Way (Pablo Blaqk) / Rolling In The Deep (Adele)
Favourite place? Home
Never without? Pencil & Paper
Lastly 3 words that describe you best? Thoughtful, Bowerbird, Maker


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Outstanding review, but you're still out of here
Looking back on it now I know things could have been handled much better than they were. I had worked for a midsized software company, which was recently acquired by another midsized company. I had been with the original company for 6-7 years, and had risen quickly through the various levels of my profession.
I was called on Monday and told that we would be going over my review on Wednesday. I had scored well, in fact I had gotten a 4.3 out of a possible 5, which was almost unheard of at my company. In fact my company had an unwritten rule that NO ONE was to get above a 3.5 on their reviews. This was something that several managers had become upset about, because it forced them to "grade on a curve", which didn't exactly sit well with their employees.
On the morning of my review I called my boss and began by telling him about some of the issues I had fixed, and some which were on their way to being fixed. It was then he said the words that both shocked me and angered me all within the span of a second. "I hate to say this, but I'm going to have to let you go." I must have gone through all of the stages of grief within seconds. I began by asking if this was a joke (denial). Once I had confirmed that I had hear correctly I asked "How, why? I've closed more bugs than I was assigned for this release (I am a software developer), you gave me a 4.3 on my review." I then asked if I could possibly join another development team, but as I found out most of those had suffered losses as well.
After finding out that this was for real and that life as I knew it was suddenly about to change, I was told that I had until Friday to return my equipment, and clean out my office.
I cannot begin to describe the cold, detached way in which my removal was described. I was to report into the office on Friday, with my laptop, and any other company provided equipment, clean out my desk, sign my termination papers and leave immediately. It was as if I was speaking to a completely different person then the boss I had come to admire. What made things worse was when I was informed that, per company policy, management unable to give me a letter of recommendation. I could not ask my present or any previous supervisors for any kind of letter detailing my work ethics, or performance.
Several days passed, and I was called by HR because there had been an error in my termination papers. Apparently they had miscalculated my severance pay, and I would be receiving about $3000 less than I had expected. I was asked to resign the new termination papers and send them back in to the company. When I objected I was informed that my check would not be sent until the newly signed papers had been received by HR.
In truth this batch of layoffs, as well as the one just 3 months later, did not need to happen, the company continues to report great numbers in this poor economy, and is still growing strong. The reason for the layoffs; greed plain and simple. You see, I like all of the people let go did not get my bonus for the previous year's hard work.
This post was submitted by Michael Diaz.


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Performing Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy
Researcher Objectives
Dr. Nilam C. Shah, an assistant professor of chemistry at Lake Forest College in Illinois, specializes in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), localized surface plasmon spectroscopy, and nanoparticle fabrication. Dr. Shah teaches several introductory chemistry and instrumental analysis courses.
"FERGIE is so simple to use; we have seen great SERS results."
— Dr. Nilam C. Shah
Before coming to Lake Forest College, Dr. Shah served as a research assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry at Northwestern University. Prior to her appointment at Northwestern, she completed her Ph.D. and postdoctoral research fellowship in Prof. Richard Van Duyne's group.
"I can teach undergraduates with no experience in optics or spectroscopy to operate the system in less than one hour."
FERGIE in Action
Dr. Shah notes that the FERGIE system has already "…been great for getting lots of SERS data for undergraduate summer research programs."
Figure 1 shows Dr. Shah's experimental setup for performing surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy with FERGIE.
Click image below to enlarge and see caption.
"With all of the features, FERGIE will be great for instrumental teaching labs since it is so versatile."
Assistant Professor Nilam C. Shah
Department of Chemistry
Lake Forest College, USA


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Back-to-school time is a great time to evaluate asthma and allergy control with kids. When school starts, students tend to share viral upper respiratory infections (cold viruses). These often trigger flares of asthma and are a common cause of "asthma attacks." Unfortunately, this occurs at a time while there is heavy exposure to late-summer and fall pollens, which further worsen people's asthma and underlying allergies.
A lot of parents take advantage of this time of year to meet with their allergist or primary doctor to make sure their child's asthma and allergies are fully controlled and to make sure medications are up-to-date. Back to school doctor visits for children with asthma and allergy concerns is also a great opportunity to take care of school medication forms.


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Help support B-study
My wife, Dawn, and I are full-time missionary staff members with GLINTS. We depend on the gifts of others to conduct the work God has given us to do.
If you have been encouraged and edified by studying with me and feel you would like to help support our ministry you may do so by going to our GLINTS page and there make a gift by credit/debit card or by check. Go to http://glints.org/index.php/global-staff/patterson-tim-and-dawn
Thank you for considering this.
Tim Patterson
Last modified: Saturday, March 30, 2019, 12:42 AM


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Keep Your Social Media Accounts Active and Engaging
Whether you use social media to market your small business or simply to share content, it's important that you are active and engaging. With social media, consistency in frequency and message is as important as it is with other forms of advertising.
Participate with your social media networks through a combination of three activities:
Sharing useful, relevant, interesting information, called content, created by your business.
Sharing — basically re-gifting — useful, relevant, interesting content created and shared by others.
Sharing your thanks, praise, expertise, and input by adding your comments to others' posts.
Share small business content through social media
Businesses that pull people to their pages online do so with useful, relevant, consistently presented information that takes time and discipline to create.
If you have a blog this part gets easier, because maintaining a blog forces you to create useful information that you can then repurpose to feed into your Facebook and LinkedIn pages, feature on Twitter, pin on Pinterest, and compile into newsletters and mailings.
With or without a blog, however, do these things:
Develop content that supports your social media objectives.
If you're seeking awareness and credibility, share content that gains attention and establishes your business as a uniquely valuable resource. Examples include links to publicity, favorable reviews, research findings, and white papers or blog posts with helpful and interesting content that people will want to read and share.
If you're seeking interaction with your target audience, create and share surveys, host forums, or announce online or off-line events that prompt input, comments, and conversations. LinkedIn Answers is a good place for this activity, as are Facebook Questions or Polls and Twitter Chats, which you can stay on top of by following @ChatSchedule.
If you're seeking customers, create and share content that draws people to your business, perhaps by offering free samples or material, such as white papers, e-books, or other useful, relevant information.
Just be sure you link the offer to your website home page or, better, to a landing page on your website that's customized to greet new visitors, fulfill their interest, and invite them to join your mailing list or any customer-registration database.
Develop a reputation for content that supports your brand image. For example, become known as the business that puts out a monthly list of top five tips in your business arena or that releases a quarterly opinion poll or annual best-practices white papers.
The For Dummies brand is known for reader-friendly reference information. Other brands are known for their unique (and highly shareable) graphical presentations of information, known as infographics. By deciding on a type of content to share on an ongoing basis, you not only make content development easier but also create higher awareness, recognition, and credibility.
Establish and stick to a posting schedule. You can't achieve visibility or credibility with once-in-awhile social media involvement. Commit to a schedule that keeps your business visible without inundating your audience. (The consensus seems to be that eight Twitter messages and four Facebook posts a day touches on the outer limit.)
Involve your employees by sharing your social media objectives and approaches and assigning responsibilities that allow you to share the burden — and the enthusiasm.
Automate the process of posting across multiple networks by using free tools like Seesmic Ping, HootSuite, or Buffer.
Become a content conduit for small business content
If you share content from others, you benefit in a number of ways:
You become known as a connected person who relays valuable information.
You generate social media activity without having to generate content.
You attract the attention of those whose content you share, likely leading them into your network and possibly gaining their interest in sharing your content as well.
To find interesting and shareable content, study your own social media feeds, read news sites that carry interesting information, and scan industry blogs, sites, and pages. Identify several sources worth watching carefully and use an RSS reader like Google Reader to receive alerts every time the sites are updated.
When you see something that may interest your audience, don't just share it — let your audience know why you're sharing it and where it came from (for example, "Great industry stats: Tip of the hat to @greatcontact").
On social media, sharing is the sincerest form of flattery.
Get conversational with your small business content
Use the social media networks you establish to interact with customers, associates, and followers online.
Watch for comments posted to your content and respond, preferably within 24 hours. On Facebook, a simple "like" may be enough. On Twitter, a retweet with a "thx" may do. Best of all, a thoughtful response posted as a reply gives you a chance to say thanks and provide more information.
Watch for any mentions of your business, products, or people. Whenever appropriate, immediately retweet, repost, share, or reply with thanks. You'll amplify your own presence and deepen connections all in a few keystrokes.


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Frenemies, 2016
7 min video projection, 4 kiddie chairs and a round table, 5 layer digital map collage
The video stages a Whatsapp group conversation between British Political Agents John More (Kuwait), Sir Percy Cox (Bushire), Arnold Wilson (Baghdad) and Major Dickson (Bahrain) with Sheikh Salem AlSabah (Kuwait), Sheikh Hamad AlKhalifa (Bahrain) and King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud (Saudi Arabia). The conversation is an adaptation of telegrams, letters and notes found on the Qatar Digital Library regarding the dispute between Ibn Saud and the Sheikh of Kuwait. The information is archived under the British Government's proposals to settle the Kuwait-Najd boundary dispute by Arbitration, the defeat of Shaikh Salim at Jahra, the Ikhwan withdrawal and the truce termination by Ikhwan. John More gives accounts of the Battle of Jahra (1920) via urgent telegrams to his P.A. peers. Eventually, the British bomb and desperse the Ikhwan to protect Kuwait from the tribe.
On the table is an overlay of 5 maps dating from the Sykes-Picot map (a secret border agreement between the French and the British, 1916) to Sir Percy Cox's final outlines of Kuwait (1922). The chairs are assigned to the Political Agents involved in what seems to have initiated Sir P. Cox's red pen onto the paper, two years after the Battle of Jahra. This defining moment, the Uqair Protocol, defined the boundaries between Iraq, Najd and Kuwait. Shaikh Salem AlSabah was not permitted any role in the outcome during the meeting between Ibn Saud and Sir Percy. In turn Kuwait lost more than two thirds of its territory and is still being challenged at its modern borders.


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These are my favorite items that I use to work out at home and in the gym.
Remember to always talk to your doctor before starting a new exercise program!
As a mom, I can't live without my Amazon Prime membership and FREE 2-day shipping, so I scored a free trial for you to test it out for yourself!
This page contains affiliate links. If you use these links and decide to sign up or make a purchase, I make money.
Thank you for supporting My Whole Healthy!


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Gardner, Polis applaud House for getting Colorado wildfire restoration money
WASHINGTON — Reps. Cory Gardner and Jared Polis both applauded the GOP-controlled House Appropriations Committee Monday for squeezing in $48 million to help 10 states — including Colorado — deal with watershed damage.
Both Gardner's and Polis' congressional districts sustained devastating damage to watersheds after the severe wildfires of 2012 tore through drought-stricken Colorado.
While Colorado won't get all the money, of course, Gardner said the severity of the damage there means it will likely get a large chunk to rebuild and repair soil and land damaged by the natural disasters.
Monday's decision was a victory for the Colorado delegation which has jointly pushed to get emergency watershed protection money since last year. Previous efforts, including a push in a national disaster relief bill, failed.
"If you look at what happened in the High Park fire, specifically … the damage done to the water shed was catastrophic," Gardner, R-Yuma, said. "With these funds we'll be able to make sure we're mitigating that damage."
Polis, D-Boulder, said he was "proud to have worked with other members of the Colorado congressional delegation in a bipartisan and bicameral fashion" to secure the $48 million.
Both Democratic Sens. Mark Udall and Michael Bennet are supportive of the effort and hope for success in the Senate, which included the money in the original disaster relief bill.
"The House's decision to finally provide this assistance to Colorado and other states that suffered devastating natural disasters last year is a welcome sign," Bennet said, in a statement. "Our communities need these resources to safeguard their drinking water and rebuild in the wake of last year's terrible wildfire season."


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Award-winning creative studio The Sequence Group (that's us) has opened a new operation in Melbourne, Australia. Creative director Luke Bicevskis will lead the Melbourne team's work for Sequence's high-profile clients, including Disney and Microsoft.
Named Sequence Melbourne, the new studio will partner with Sequence's headquarters in Vancouver on existing animation and film projects. Sequence Melbourne will provide a powerful transnational resource to Australia and Asia's booming creative sectors, while bolstering the wider company's working capacity and headcount.
The Melbourne team will continue in the spirit of Sequence Vancouver's artful and ambitious approach to animation, design and VFX for TV, film, advertising and video game projects.
Luke Bicevskis, partner and creative director, Sequence, comments: "Coming on board with Sequence I was immediately struck by the unique nature of the studio's visual style, the talent of its staff, and its amazing work culture. Sequence has become known across Canada and the US for its distinct artistic approach. I'm excited to be introducing that level of imagination and originality back home in Australia."
Ian Kirby, founder and executive creative director, Sequence, comments: "The new studio is an opportunity for us to retain Luke's remarkable creative vision while expanding further into the Australian creative market. It also presents an opportunity to discover new talent and work with agencies that share the same goal of producing unique, narrative-led content that truly resonates with an audience."


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What's in the box?
head lettuce
green top beets
bagged spinach
salad mix
lacinato kale
hakurei turnips
red onion
acorn squash
Single Share
same as above, but no head lettuce or green top beets
broccoli OR cauliflower
Notes on the box...
About 20% of the Cauliflower seems to have been hit with a frost that discolored it a bit. If your Cauliflower looks a bit different, it should still taste great, though it might not hold quite as long as the ones that hadn't gotten the frost. But we had to give the frosted stuff in order to get cauliflower into everyones boxes. Sorry! But this will likely be the last cauliflower of the season.
The carrots are mostly bagged baby carrots with a handful of shares getting regular sized topped carrots. These are true baby carrots, not the whittled down ones you might find at the grocery. They are wonderful cut in half lengthwise or left whole and roasted.
Hakuri Turnips or Salad Turnips are ones you may remember from the beginning of the season. They are such a treat! Remove greens from turnips to store. The turnips in butter recipe below is so simple and perfectly delicious. Or you can see the Week 3 blog for this season for a Turnips with White Miso recipe from Deborah Madison. You can also slice or dice them and add them raw to salads.
Full shares got green top beets this week. The greens should be removed from the beets for storage. Greens can be added to or used in place of spinach or kale.
Lacinato Kale is back! Enjoy its sweetness since it has been touched by a frost!
Like all other winter squash, Acorn Squash should be stored on your counter, adding to your festive fall decor.
[yumprint-recipe id='54']Vegan Red Lentil Stuffed Acorn Squash
Roasted Acorn Squash with Onion, Grapes, and Thyme
Tuscan Kale Salad with Roasted Chickpeas
Farro Beet Salad (with the greens!)
On the farm...
We got a little snow the other day! We woke up and there it was, sitting on the ground! Then there was a very very thick layer of frost. The temperatures have been 10 degrees below average for this time of year. We have been feeling it and so have the veggies. Things have slowed their growth a little. We have a planting of broccoli that we are tapping our toes, arms crossed, waiting for it to head up. We also have some little bitty brussel sprouts that will hopefully size up in the next couple of weeks. The good news is that the cool weather sweetens up the greens and the carrots. Yum!
Yes! We still have Winter Shares available! Some people have had trouble with the sign up and if you'd like a Winter Share but couldn't get signed up, you can email us directly at firstname.lastname@example.com and we will add it to your account.
It's also time to get your early sign up in for 2015!
As returning members can use the coupon code RETURNIP for a discount on your share, if you'd like to! If you are a dropsite host, you will have a different discount code that will be emailed to you.
Signing up early ensures that you will be charged the 2014 seasons price. Egg share options are first come first serve and we aren't expanding our flock! These sell out every season and we have a long wait list. Signing up early is the best way to make sure you get eggs. Also, If you think you can handle the amount of veggies included and you easily went through your half share, please consider a full share! We LOVE seeing the early sign-ups rolling in! Please contact us if you have any questions or any trouble with signups.
Last week we put a flier in the boxes about Red Clover Herbal Apothecary with information about Nancy's Winter wellness CSA share. We cannot recommend this enough. It is so amazing and effective and a good deal, too! Everything is handcrafted by a talented and experienced healer. This is your reminder to sign up! Here's the link!
Enjoy your veggies and the beautiful fall season!


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I've always found it odd that farmers tend top side with the party that's big on the whole free market idea. Not that I can see them being particularly chummy with Labour either mind. The user-pays proposal that Labour is fronting at the moment, is something that I can see National gleefully bringing in for pretty much any sector other than farmers. Which is odd. Farms are after all, businesses. Which means they should be incurring the costs associated with running that business. Farmers might not have much in the way of ready cash, but I doubt there's many of them that are actually poor. It's like the capital gains thing - if you own a house, especially if you own an investment property, you are pretty much by definition rich. Everyone who is rich seems to forget that being rich doesn't necessarily mean that you have lots of money floating around, it means that you own a significant amount of capital. If you can't find the cash to live day to day then you are managing your wealth wrong and you need to rearrange your finances (sell something, invest elsewhere etc).
If a business is using a public resource, they should be paying for it. Quite possibly some would go broke, but I'm fairly sure that's one of the tenets of free market economics - that non-viable businesses should be allowed to go under. Not that that's been allowed to happen much, look at the huge tax breaks that mediaworks got or the guarantees the government put behind the investment companies.
And it's here, for me, where the disconnect kicks in. The market is supposedly the best mechanism for making things efficient. Leaving aside the arguments that markets are not necessarily the best at making things efficient if that economics were the be all and end all of life (which they're not), then why should the principles of market economies be applied to government ministries and government owned companies, but not to actual companies, where economics are the primary motivator?


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|Project by luckysawdust
|posted 11-24-2012 09:06 PM
|6543 views
|4 times favorited
|6 comments
This is my very first "by myself" project. Sure, back in the day in cub-scouts I build a tool caddy and a few other things, but this bed, from design to final assembly all had my name on it. I did have a extra pair of hands a couple of times (thanks Honey!), but this was the first time I took some think from the drawing board to the workbench to it's full-time use.
I learned a lot in the process – and it only whetted my appetite to improve my design, construction techniques, and fit of parts. (I'm in the process of building a table for my brother-in-law so he can play a game called 'Warhammer 40k' on it – a lot of what I learned in this project is helping here).
In any case, I built this during my senior year of college for my wife and I, and it needed to be done one a budget, and quickly. So, I build it out of cedar posts, and pine dimensional lumber. I had a sander, a power drill, and a shop that one of my neighbors was very kind to let me use (compound miter saw, small table saw). I wanted it to be easy to assemble/disassemble, and I succeeded at least in that regard.
All in all, not bad for a first project, and I left it with my brother-in-law (different one) so he and his wife would have a bed of their own, since I graduated and my wife and I would be moving on.
I'd be happy to share my sketch-up file for it, if you'd like to use it as a starting place for a similar project.
-- "In my walks, every man I meet is my superior in some way, and in that I learn from him." ― Ralph Waldo Emerson
6 comments so far
#1 posted 11-24-2012 09:15 PM
good lines,good job
-- may not always be right,but,never in doubt.
#2 posted 11-24-2012 10:41 PM
Looks good.
#3 posted 11-25-2012 11:33 AM
very simple, i love seeing quick assembly.
#4 posted 11-25-2012 04:17 PM
Nice, Simple design…
Looking forward to seeing more of it…
Thank you.
-- Have Fun! Joe Lyddon - Alta Loma, CA USA - Home: http://www.WoodworkStuff.net ... My Small Gallery: https://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/index.php
#5 posted 11-25-2012 06:05 PM
One thing I forgot to add in the description—the house we were living in had 550 sq. ft. of living space, to storing our few possessions became an art. I specifically designed this bed to allow for ample under-bed storage… so it's a little higher off the ground than most commercial frames I had seen at the time. There is ~18 inches of clearance between the side rail and the ground – enough to fit boxes, suitecases, and camping gear. It was great! Better than propping it up on cinder-blocks, anyhow. :-)
-- "In my walks, every man I meet is my superior in some way, and in that I learn from him." ― Ralph Waldo Emerson
#6 posted 01-15-2013 04:56 PM
This looks almost exactly like an idea for a bed I had in my head! Would you be able to provide me with the sketch up for a starting place? I just graduated college last year and I'm still in a college town so I'm in need of a bed with ample storage underneath like this one has. I love the simplicity behind this bed because I'm just getting into woodworking.
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29. December, 2014 Yesterday there was real Vermont weather in Mainz–clear blue skies, snow on the ground, bracing cold. I was restless and giddy from the sun, and decided to take the train to Worms, a small city about half an hour to the south.
Worms is, along with Wittenberg, a city of Martin Luther, one of the great players in the Protestant Reformation of the early 16th century. In 1521, the city hosted the Diet of Worms, the council at which Luther was ordered to first claim authorship of and then recant his theological works. He refused, and an edict was issued several weeks later condemning him as a heretic and enemy of the Church.
Today, the city is home to the largest monument to the Reformation in the world. It was completed in 1868, and features statues and carvings of Martin Luther along with some twenty other figures involved in the movement.
So much for Luther–Worms' other great narrative stands in almost comic opposition to the stringent, overtly Christian story of the Reformation. Worms is the Nibelungenstadt, City of the Nibelunglied, the anonymous epic poem at the root of German myth. The work is a sweeping re-working of pagan Norse legend, spanning generations and playing out against a backdrop of gods and men, giants and dragons, swords and treasure.
Worms serves as the setting for much of the story. Brunhild and Kriemhild fought on the steps of the cathedral; Siegfried himself is buried before the old wall; part of the great Rhine hoard is supposedly hidden somewhere deep under the city. Today, there's a museum and a yearly festival and a dozen monuments dedicated to the original epic and its countless reworkings over the past millennium. The boundaries between history and legend are not clear in Worms, and the myth is still very much alive.
For me, it is all especially close to home. The Nibelungen saga, and more specifically Richard Wagner's operatic rendition of it, was the story that drew me to German. The figures in the monument above have a great deal of power over me.
There is a flexibility and strength to this myth, to all myths. Over the past thousand years, the story has served as a study of Medieval courtly love, of Jungian psychology, of German nationalism, of Gesamtkunstwerk, of Western politics. The events of the narrative are big enough to contain the entire world, yet small enough to fit within a single human psyche.


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Stock prices fell for Allscripts on the announcement of the replacements for the CEO and President jobs.
Over the years Allscripts has grown by purchasing other technologies and the last one being Eclipsys may have proven to be bigger bite to chew than anticipated. Both companies used Microsoft technologies to build each medical record system; however even staying within one company's technology can be a challenge as well.
A former COO from Cerner, Paul Black who was on the board at Allscripts has been chosen to be the CEO at present. Black left Cerner in 2007 after more than 12 years with the company. Also, in the news was the lawsuit that Allscripts filed again the New York Health system over choosing Epic medical records. In addition Allscripts recently hired a new CFO.
Restoring customer confidence has to be a bit priority now with the rocky year the company has experienced. Allscripts also agreed earlier this year to putting some of HealthCor's appointees on their board. This decision was made after the first quarter results were released which is where their chaotic year began. So for right now the company is in a rebuilding mode of sorts to utilize internal intelligence and resources before looking outside.
Allscripts is a versatile records system that works well for the ambulatory private practice doctor and can connect to larger healthcare systems such as hospitals to share records. The level of sharing of course depends on how far along the technologies have been developed at each location.
As a reminder if you are a client using the older system "MyWay" from Allscripts you can upgrade for free and here's a couple solutions that involve two ways to do this.
Allscripts and Aprima Settle Legal Battle Relative to "Allscripts MyWay" EMR Advertising–Two Options for "MyWay" Users to Convert
If you have not entered the world of electronic medical records yet, let us help you. Our services from EMRConsultant is 100% free for doctors and you can begin here with a short questionnaire and we will go to work for you.


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Success for Everyone/
Success depends on a plus condition of mind and body, on power of work, on courage.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Enough of scary headlines and dire predictions. And that, my friend, includes the frightening stories we tell ourselves and the disbelieving comments that cripple us at every turn.
Every morning I wake up to a choice: Will I believe that low energy whine that tells me, "You'll never succeed, the obstacles are too overwhelming, and besides, you wouldn't be in this place if you could anything right." If I listen to that voice, I'll never get out of bed.
Or will I choose to listen to a more subtle voice that says, "Accept that things are not as you would like them to be. Accept that you played your part in co-creating these circumstances. But do not accept that you are helpless in the face of these difficult truths. Instead, choose to trust God (and yourself) in a new way today. Release your regrets and set aside your fears. Do today's work with your whole heart. Live in the moment and plan for success."
That inspiring voice also says, "Take small steps in the right direction and trust that you will be led. Believe that you are a child of God, and you are greater than any conditions that life presents. You can create better conditions, with the help of Spirit, if you'll just see yourself as a powerful spiritual being capable of creating amazing things. Even in loss and failure the human spirit can triumph, and unexpected victories can come to the heart that believes."
One day when I was feeling anxious, I took a small positive step and bought a book. Cash in a Flash: Fast Money in Slow Times by Mark Victor Hansen and Robert G. Allen gave me lots of ideas for building my business and taking positive action to create a life I love. Since then, I have been sorting through empowering ideas and choosing to listen to my "inner winner" instead of my "inner whiner."
One other idea I have taken from the book: create a mastermind group. So now I'm having regular meetings with three of the most powerful women I know. These ladies are survivors who know how to thrive, who never give up, and who have created meaningful lives out of the ashes of their failures and losses. They inspire me to do the same, and to believe that even when things feel like they are falling apart, they are also coming together. A new and better pattern is replacing the old ways.
Our mastermind group is reading through the book and applying the lessons from Cash in a Flash. We are discussing some great ideas for co-creating and collaborating on projects. We encourage and pray daily for each other as we make progress toward building happier and more prosperous lives.
Here's the website address for the Cash in a Flash book. They offer lots of extra practical and inspiring goodies online, so it's a great investment. http://www.cashinaflashthebook.com/
Success = a focused mind + a determined heart + a focused, determined team.
from Cash in a Flash
There is no combination of experiences so hard, so black, so complicated but that God can work a miracle in them.
Emma Curtis Hopkins
A self-pitying life is a doomed life. Only the life which deliberately picks up and starts over again is victorious.
James Gordon Gilkey
Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time we fall.
Men were born to succeed, not to fail.
Henry David Thoreau
If we want more roses, we must plant more trees!
George Eliot
The thing we wish to do, then, is to find a faith greater than our fears, whether they are fears of people, of conditions, of life, or of death. Such faith is born out of a complete conviction of the eternal destiny of one's own soul and of all other souls.
Ernest Holmes
Affirmative prayer
From this moment on, life is forever changed for me in magnificent, prosperous, and graceful ways. All things are unfolding for the highest good and there is no resistance, only divine timing and perfect peace. Love is the true motivation for all I do, even in the simplest routines of my daily life. I now claim God's great idea of amazing success and vision to help, heal, and touch the world. I am now open and willing to receive the blessings which make this so.
Introducing an inspiring friend:
I have Pam Slim's blog on my bookmarks bar. I check it every week. She has a great blog on starting your first website right now. But I especially appreciated her blog on the three types of people described in Malcolm Gladwell's book, The Tipping Point.
Here is Pam's description of the three kinds of people that make things happen:
Connectors are fantastic at expanding your network. They will say things like:
"Oh you should talk to …"
"Have you heard about…"
"Let me introduce you to…"
They think in nodes, not individuals, and like nothing more than to help you. They see people first, then money.
Salesmen will take the idea that you have been working on for years and help you package it, price it and sell it. They say things like:
"But if you do that, you won't make any money!"
"Here is how you should position it, and here is the upsell…"
"You have to have an offer. Traffic means nothing if it doesn't lead to a sale."
"What is your pricing structure?"
"What specific value will this have to your market? How much is that worth?"
Mavens will dig deeply into your product and give very specific, detailed and relevant information on how it can fit within the marketplace.
"I was researching that last month, and I noticed a slight discrepancy in …."
"Your work fits right in the xxx part of yyy's essay on the zzz topic."
"You could add videos to this to bring the lessons alive! And you could expand on the content in Chapter 3, Section 2, by listing …"
I realized that I'm a "maven." My bookshelves and my collections of quotes tell you that I like resources and research. For example, when people ask me about writing and publishing, I'm the one who says,
"Have you checked out the writer's section at your local bookstore?"
"Have you read this or that person's blog?"
"Do you realize you can create a great information product with this?"
"Did you read this document on the developing e-book story?"
"Have you gone to Smashwords and read Mark Coker's blog and clicked through on to the other blogs he recommends?
So what are you—connector, salesperson, or maven? And how can you use your unique gifts to collaborate with others to create a success that multiplies good for everyone?
read the entire blog post at:
Connectors, Mavens and Salesmen: The secret to your success
Pam Slim's blog on August 23, 2010
September 19, 2010 11:08 AM CDT
I came across your book by chance, or so I thought. I have really enjoyed how you write and put things. I choose to make the best of every day. Keep writing, people need you. God has used you in such a great way. Never live in a box. Throw the box away.
- Tammy Pitarro


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An old saying claims that "one bad apple will spoil the whole bunch." And given the events of last week in West, TX, I fear this phrase may begin to haunt the entire fertilizer manufacturing industry as well.
By now, you've undoubtedly heard about the explosion at the West Fertilizer Co. plant in Texas. This blast not only virtually destroyed the facility, but killed 14 people and injured hundreds more. The plant's owner, Adair Grain Inc. issued this statement Monday.
However, there is evidence of safety neglect on the part of the company in the past concerning this facility. According to published reports, the EPA fined the plant $2,300 in 2006 for not having an emergency plan on file for handling anhydrous ammonia produced there. Just last year, the company was fined $5,000 for transporting anhydrous ammonia in unauthorized cargo tanks and failing to develop/follow a security plan.
Furthermore, in its most recent emergency plan filing with EPA in 2011, West Fertilizer said its operation "did not pose a risk of either explosion or fire." And if anhydrous ammonia was all the company was producing, this would have been true. According to most fertilizer experts, anhydrous ammonia needs to be heated to almost 1,600 degrees to explode.
But another filing with EPA by West Fertilizer in 2012 indicated the plant had not only 110,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia on site, but 540,000 pounds of ammonium nitrate. Unfortunately, this material can be explosive if ignited with a fuel booster (which conceivably could have happened in an out-of-control fire situation).
Not surprisingly, the calls for tighter regulations on fertilizer plants are now making the rounds in the popular press. "This tragic explosion points to the need for stricter regulations of plants that store and use large quantities of hazardous chemicals," said Tom O'Connor of the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health in an interview with NBC. "We need a system in which facilities that are inherently dangerous are required to develop detailed disaster prevention plans before they're allowed to operate."
On the face of it, I can't disagree with having a detailed disaster plan in place. West Fertilizer certainly needed an updated one once the facility started storing different materials vs. what was cited in its original plan.
But the company apparently didn't do this. So now, everyone in the fertilizer business might end up suffering because of this "one bad apple."


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Gerald Albright has been serving up "sweet pain" on his soulful saxophone for an ever-growing audience that spans across R&B, "Quiet Storm," traditional jazz and smooth jazz lines. On his latest release Albright once again demonstrates his unique soulful sound while paying homage to one of the greatest eras of American music history. Amazon
Monday, June 23, 2008
Gerald Albright Sax For Stax
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New technical developments are changing our society! Digitization and networking offer entirely new opportunities and challenges for entrepreneurs and their operational action. This applies not only to high-tech fields and e-commerce, but for all foundations and organizational activities, from "Lebensmittelheimbelieferung" over creative industries to the health economy. With the "Startup Source Code" we are developing the basic structure for the foundation of an enterprise (quasi the source code) and stimulate to reflect the challenges of current technologies and organizational forms. In summary, this course gives the first overview about the most important topics in digital entrepreneurship in German and English.
Our goal is to sensitize the participants to these challenges, to offer an overview of relevant topics, to provide the first tools for founding and to connect this with the newest cutting edge knowledge. We believe that the participants need experts which are developing and researching this knowledge. For this reason, we put together a team consisting of nine professors and in cooperation with other experts present 15 focuses with one central topic, each with a special relevance for digital entrepreneurs.
This course is designed as extended MOOC (xMOOC) and shall enable the entry into the topic for a big number of participants at the same time. Furthermore, it shall form the core of the curricular anchored educational courses (6 credit point, workload for students: 180h) at the participating universities, as well as the desire to specialize in the fields which were presented. Each of the following topics is designed self-explanatory and offers all target groups a first, easy to understand overview and starting point, which could be specialized target-group-specific by additional materials (in brackets is a proposal for the line-up indicated):