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Reusable Lunch Bags & Kits
Living green is easy with zero waste solutions! Bringing your own lunch is healthier and more economical than eating out and Nubius Organics is proud to offer eco-friendly, reusable lunch bags that are selected for the best combination of style, durability and functionality. With these options there's a green eco-friendly, reusable lunch bag solution for everyone!
So head to work, out for a hike, or send the kids back to school or camp with reusable lunch bags, a solution that is as eco-friendly as it is economical. Disposable or "brown paper" lunch bags create anywhere from 4–8 ounces of garbage every day (about 100 pounds per year!), so it only makes sense to switch to reusable products for your zero waste solution needs.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Journey of the Beaver Dam Pepper
26 Nov 2012
Joe Hussli tucked the seeds of his favorite pepper into his garments before he glanced one last time over the land that has been his home. He took his bags and left, towards the new land that seemed to promise a better future in light of the political tensions that were building in Apatin in 1912 (then the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, now Serbia).
Last month – exactly 100 years after Joe left for the new world – the pepper traveled back to Europe, to the Salone del Gusto and Terra Madre in Turin. It traveled as an Ark of Taste passenger, as a pickle in the Scrumptious Pantry's line of heirloom foods: an effort to revive interest in this delicious heirloom varietal and preserve it. A lot has changed in agriculture over the last century, and with the advancement of hybrid varietals, cultivation of the pepper has been pretty much abandoned. What would Joe think of this?
I often wonder what emotions he experienced when he delicately tended to the pepper plants in his new hometown of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. What did he feel when he took a bite of this mildly spicy, delicious pepper that was traditionally served stuffed or on the grill? Was he sad, homesick or did he enjoy the memories he tasted with every bite?
Joe's pepper – now adequately named the "Beaver Dam Pepper" – is a prime example of an Ark of Taste varietal. It has been passed down through generations and is now on the brink of extinction. Growing over nine inches long, the pepper is much more labor intensive to grow than hybrids, so as a result its commercial cultivation – which Joe Hussli and his son had successfully encouraged in his new community – has been abandoned. When I embarked on the mission to create a commercial food product with the Beaver Dam Pepper in the Scrumptious Pantry in order to preserve it, it took me a good six months to find a farmer who had some experience in cultivating the pepper. Although "cultivating" might be a little exaggerated. John had grown some experimental plants after seeing the Beaver Dam Pepper in the Seed Saver Exchange catalog. This year, the second year of collaboration with John and another farmer in the area, we grew close to three tons of peppers and are planning to double production again next year. A small step for mankind, but a giant leap for this pepper.
It has been a rewarding journey, working with farmers to rebuild the competencies needed to cultivate this pepper and developing a food product around it, so we can bring the pepper to market on a potentially larger scale. We humans have the weird behavior to predominantly buy foods we know. So growing the pepper for sale in the produce aisle was clearly not a solution. We needed to find a way to put it up, make it a shelf stable product, in a preparation that appealed to today's lifestyle, eating habits and taste buds – while staying true to its heritage.
So we developed the "Heirloom Pickles Beaver Dam Peppers". They are preserved in our signature low-salt, low-vinegar brine, highlighting the Eastern European heritage of the pepper with just a little bay leaf, coriander and black peppercorns. Food is a powerful ambassador of traditions and history, a celebration of regional differences, of the land and the climate. Reviving authentic food products that are deeply rooted in the culinary traditions of the regions – that is what we do at the Scrumptious Pantry.
You can imagine my excitement when we were asked by Slow Food to participate in the Salone del Gusto and Terra Madre as the first ever commercial producer to represent Slow Food made in the USA. We are honored to have had a chance to represent this country's great food movement in Turin, answering many questions on American food culture from visitors that came form all over the world and chatting pepper varietals with growers from – you guessed it – Apatin! It might well be that our Wisconsin Beaver Dam Pepper is the sole survivor of that pepper variety Joe Hussli packed, as our new Serbian friends were not able to identify the Beaver Dam Pepper as any varietal they knew. Is it extinct in Serbia or has it adapted so much to US soil and climate that it cannot be matched to local Serbian varieties anymore? The truth is to be unearthed, but I think Joe would be proud to know that when he tucked those seeds in his garments 100 years ago, he did much more than just preserving them for his family. And he would be thankful to Slow Food for that ticket which boarded the pepper on the Ark of Taste for curious farmers, cooks, foodies and gardeners to discover.
By M. Lee Greene, Owner, Scrumptious Pantry
Article first published on the Slow Food USA Blog.
Find out more about the Ark of Taste, Slow Food's catalogue of quality products at risk of extinction.
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By KATE BRUMBACK
FILE – In this June 13, 2011 file photo, outgoing schools superintendent, Dr. Beverly Hall, center, arrives for her last Atlanta school board meeting at the Atlanta Public Schools headquarters in Atlanta. Hall and nearly three dozen other administrators, teachers, principals and other educators were indicted Friday, March 29, 2013, in one of the nation's largest cheating scandals. (AP Photo/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Curtis Compton) MARIETTA DAILY OUT; GWINNETT DAILY POST OUT; LOCAL TV OUT; WXIA-TV OUT; WGCL-TV OUT
ATLANTA (AP) — In another embarrassing blow to Atlanta public schools, nearly three dozen former educators, including the ex-superintendent, were indicted Friday in one of the nation's largest test cheating scandals.
Former Superintendent Beverly Hall faced charges including racketeering, false statements and theft because prosecutors said some of the bonuses she received were tied to falsified scores.
Hall retired just days before a state probe was released in 2011. She has long denied knowing about the cheating or ordering it.
During a news conference Friday, Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard provided examples of two students who demonstrated "the plight of many children" in the Atlanta school system. He described a third-grader who failed a benchmark exam and received the worst score in her reading class in 2006. The girl was held back, yet when she took a separate assessment test not long after, she passed with flying colors.
Howard said the girl's mother, Justina Collins, knew something was awry, but was told by school officials that the child simply was a good test-taker. The girl is now in ninth grade, reading at a fifth-grade level.
"I have a 15-year-old now who is behind in achieving her goal of becoming what she wants to be when she graduates. It's been hard trying to help her catch up," Collins said.
The criminal investigation lasted 21 months and the allegations date back to 2005. In addition to Hall, 34 people were indicted: four high-level administrators, six principals; two assistant principals; six testing coordinators; 14 teachers; a school improvement specialist and a school secretary.
All of the people named in the indictment face conspiracy charges. Other charges in the 65-count indictment include false statements and writings, false swearing, theft and influencing witnesses.
The investigation involved at least 50 schools as well as hundreds of interviews with school administrators, staff, parents and students. The district has about 50,000 students.
Howard would not directly answer a question about whether Hall led the conspiracy.
"What we're saying is that without her, this conspiracy could not have taken place," he said. "It would not have taken place if her actions had not made that possible."
Hall faces up to 45 years in prison, Howard said.
Richard Deane, an attorney for Hall, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
The tests were the key measure the state used to determine whether it met the federal No Child Left Behind law. Schools with good test scores get extra federal dollars to spend in the classroom or on teacher bonuses.
It wasn't immediately clear how much bonus money Hall received. Howard did not say and the amount wasn't mentioned in the indictment.
"Those results were caused by cheating. … And the money that she received, we are alleging that money was ill-gotten," Howard said.
The previous state investigation in 2011 found cheating by nearly 180 educators in 44 Atlanta schools. Educators gave answers to students or changed answers on tests after they were turned in, investigators said. Teachers who tried to report it faced retaliation, creating a culture of "fear and intimidation" in the district.
State schools Superintendent John Barge said last year he believed the state's new accountability system would remove the pressure to cheat on standardized tests because it won't be the sole way the state determines student growth. The pressure was part of what some educators in Atlanta Public Schools blamed for their cheating.
Hall served as superintendent for more than a decade, which is rare for an urban schools chief. She was named Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators in 2009 and credited with raising student test scores and graduation rates, particularly among the district's poor and minority students. But the award quickly lost its luster as her district became mired in the scandal.
In a video message to schools staff before she retired, Hall warned that the state investigation launched by former Gov. Sonny Perdue would likely reveal "alarming" behavior.
"It's become increasingly clear that a segment of our staff chose to violate the trust that was placed in them," Hall said. "There is simply no excuse for unethical behavior and no room in this district for unethical conduct. I am confident that aggressive, swift action will be taken against anyone who believed so little in our students and in our system of support that they turned to dishonesty as the only option."
The cheating came to light after The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that some scores were statistically improbable.
Most of the 178 educators named in the special investigators' report in 2011 resigned, retired, did not have their contracts renewed or appealed their dismissals and lost. Twenty-one educators have been reinstated and three await hearings to appeal their dismissals, said Atlanta Public Schools spokesman Stephen Alford.
Superintendent Erroll Davis said the district was focused on nurturing an ethical environment, providing quality education and supporting the employees who were not implicated.
"I know that our children will succeed when the adults around them work hard, work together, and do so with integrity," he said in a statement.
The Georgia Professional Standards Commission is responsible for licensing teachers and has been going through the complaints against teachers, said commission executive secretary Kelly Henson. Of the 159 cases the commission has reviewed, 44 resulted in license revocations, 100 got two-year suspensions and nine were suspended for less than two years, Henson said. No action was taken against six of the educators.


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Paint by numbers Is An Artistic Activity, That Is Not Only Fun, But It Is Also Amazingly Good For The Brain!
In our stressful world, relaxation is becoming more and more important. Our Krabi Ao Nang Thailand paint by numbers will keep you relaxed, just follow the instructions, and without realizing it you'll end up exploring your creative side and creating your marvelous work of art.
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Step 3: Stand Back and Marvel at your creation. Thanks to adult paint by numbers, will have the power to create the most beautiful piece of art. And the best part is that you have a clear, less cluttered, and less stressed body


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Seriously? A little girl's room? I. Could. Not. Wait! And the fact that is was a birthday gift was the icing on the cake!
The room was previously being used by their son, but it was soon going to be Catherine's new personal haven. Here is the blank slate I was given to work with:
Catherine already had a lovely white bed frame and I was given some fabric swatches her incredibly talented grandmother was using to make her new birthday quilt, which is what I used as inspiration for the entire room.
The plan was to paint the room a super light and airy neutral {I selected Behr's White Truffle}. This was beyond my comfort zone as I typically want to add boatloads of color to a space. However, my goal was to give her a room she could grow with, so neutral was the name of the game. To give the walls a little extra interest, I proposed a stripe focal wall {painted in Behr's Ocean Pearl}. A simple valance would have to do the trick, since the window would be tightly framed with furniture due to the overall size of the room. A gallery wall of frames filled with the fabric swatches would add some life to the walls, as would a large tree decal combined with 3D wallflowers. She already owned a desk and chair, I just proposed the desk legs be softened with some twine. The light fixture was still builders grade, so I envisioned a simple drum shade to replace it. Finally a decorative mirror, floral pillow and baskets for the closet would finish things off.
Here is the kicker. Because we wanted to surprise Catherine, the whole project was going to be done in a single day. You read that right. ONE DAY! To make this happen, I gave Becky some homework, like getting the walls painted with the solid color and priming these pieces of furniture that I planned on reusing in the space:
The hubs and I showed up on Saturday morning, goodies and tools in hand, and went straight to work. Bryan started taping out the stripes on the wall...
While I quickly gave the furniture a coat of paint {which was already primed for me}:
While the paint dried, Bryan began installing a new closet system, very similar to the one we used in our boy's bedroom here. I took the 14 cabinet knobs outside and stuck them through a piece of cardboard to be sprayed:
Still lots to do! Like dress up the owl lamp shade with ribbon and the desk legs with twine:
And install that giant tree decal:
Once the knobs were dry, they were a little too bright pink for my liking. So, I just used a craft paint dobber to add a softer rosey pink dot to the middle:
Bryan finished up the closet, installed the hanging drum pendant, valance, picture ledge, mirror and a surprise chalk board feature. The sun was starting to go down and we just finished in time to snag a couple of photos before the big reveal!
So what did Catherine think?
The reveal went wonderful. She entered with bright eyes and after a solid, "Wow!" she was basically left speechless! I loved watching her sit on her new pouf and just take it all in. You could feel her delight and it was a very touching and amazing experience to be a part of!
I had so much fun working with Becky and her family on their spaces, a huge THANK YOU goes out to them for letting me invade their home and play with paint!


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[scribbling note] Good, good. Alright then, everything seems to be in order! You may proceed.
No, seriously; looking at this photo is making me sea-sick. I can't even manage a scathing remark about the misspelling or wonky left-justified spacing; my head just hurts too much.
Richelle and Jenna D., pass the Tylenol, will ya?


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How To Buy A Classic: Part V
Text by Brendan Moran and Rick Jensen, photos by Brendan Moran
Over the past several months, you've learned valuable lessons on how to buy a classic vehicle. Starting with pre-purchase inspections and appraisals, we've covered financing, insurance, and finally, shipping. At this point and with any luck, you now possess the classic ride that you've always wanted.
Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Some of you may have purchased a dead-on original vehicle, or a fully restored gem. If so, your journey is over for now, and we wish you the best of luck. However, many of you might have a project car that needs some work. We realize that you guys have put countless hours into the research needed to not only find what you were looking for, but to get it appraised, financed, insured, and shipped to your doorstep. But don't let project fatigue and new-car excitement get in the way of possibly the most important decision regarding your new baby: the shop that will restore it.
Our great land is filled with amazing restoration shops that do outstanding work–but it's also filled with not-so-great shops that at best, can leave you light in the wallet with only a poor-quality restoration to show for it. Making matters worse, it is not always easy for enthusiasts to separate the good shops from the bad.
To gain some valuable insight on this subject, we turned to Melvin Benzaquen of Classic Restorations in Pine Island, NY. Benzaquen owns one of those amazing restoration shops–from minor enhancements to late-model performers, to a full-on restoration of 9/11 survivor and NYC Port Authority Police Officer Sgt. John McLoughlin's 1955 Thunderbird, Classic Restorations does it all, and does it right.
As usual we had a ton of questions, so we traveled up to Pine Island to sit down with Melvin. Follow along to learn how to choose the best restoration shop for your needs.
AutoTrader Classics: Thanks for your time Melvin. What should the first step be for people looking for a restoration shop?
Melvin Benzaquen: First off, they should educate themselves about what a quality restoration is by going to car shows and seeing nice cars. Talk to their owners to get an understanding of what a quality restoration is and what it should look like.
When looking for a shop, ask for references, see if they have a website, Google them, and go on the forums of the particular make and model–because there's usually a forum for everything. See if anyone has heard of them or had any dealings with them. It doesn't necessarily have to be a local shop either. We get cars from all over the world because of our reputation. It's always nice to have something local, but local doesn't guarantee anything.
Then call to see how [the shop employee or owner] handles himself on the phone. Are they people you feel like you can deal with? Personality has a lot to do with the general public: everybody likes to buy from or deal with somebody they like–it's human nature. It's good to identify with the owner or GM of the shop, depending on how it's structured. They need to show interest in the vehicle, be willing to listen, and give constructive advice. I've heard a lot of stories where a shop owner will just say "X dollars" without even seeing the vehicle–that's just not right. Now, it's okay if he's just throwing you a ballpark because you're backing him into a corner. But I've heard stories where shops will go, "Give me $20,000 down and we'll go from there." That's not somebody you're going to want to deal with.
ATC: What comes next?
M.B.: If they pass the first hurdle of conversation over the phone–it goes well, they seem knowledgeable, interested, and nice–then it's time to visit the shop. Once there, take a look at the shop conditions: is it well lit, is it managed right? Keep in mind that not every shop is a laboratory. There are some shops out there run like laboratories, and that's not an indication of anything other than maybe some anal-ness on the owners' parts. A working shop doesn't have to be a laboratory, but you don't want to see cars with nine inches of dust on them. Look for any finished cars around, look at door gaps, look at the quality of the restoration–does the paint reflect nicely? Look to see if they have a spray booth. Check to see if the cars are stored indoors or outdoors. Because whatever the conditions are is what your car is going to be subjected to. Ask if they photo document. Ask what kind of quality control they have once the project is done. And don't forget to look at the employees. Do they look like they don't want to say anything, or are unhappy? Genuinely happy employees can tell you a lot about a shop.
And then you want to visit again a few weeks down the road. Drop in unannounced–see if the shop has what I call an open-door policy, or if they keep it very secretive where they hide behind insurance regulations and say customers can't come in the shop because they're hiding their work. Have the cars moved, has anything progressed? These are all good things to look for.
ATC: If a first-timer will be buying a classic to restore it, is there a make or model that you'd recommend as a good starter?
M.B.: No, buy what you like–that's the most important thing. Don't buy what's popular, buy what you like because ultimately you are the one that's going to have to enjoy the car. My test is if you can walk out into your garage on a weekend and go, "WOW, I can't wait to drive this car," then you bought what you wanted. Buy what you like, buy what you can afford, and buy something that's not too weird, unless you have the ability to afford the weirdness of it as far as upkeep or restoration.
ATC: Say someone wanted to find a project car–could they consult with a shop prior to buying it?
M.B.: We offer pre-purchase inspections, and the best advice I can give anybody looking for a so-called project car is to make sure it's complete. Something somebody took apart in their garage and didn't know how to put it back together, or they lost interest in it, is going to be a nightmare to put back together even if you're very familiar with the car. And not only that, but many times project cars purchased through the Internet or a friend are usually missing the most expensive and hard-to-find parts, which can make it much more expensive. There's a lot you can tell even from a distance just through pictures. If you're buying a disassembled, abandoned project car, look how he took the car apart. Is he handing you a bucket of nuts and bolts, or is he handing you Ziploc bags that are individually labeled? How was the project performed? If the guy was meticulous in dismantling the car and labeling everything, there's a very good chance that one, you can go through everything and make sure it's complete, and two, you'll probably have a very good project to put back together. If the thing is in boxes, unlabeled, and strewn about, there's a good chance that there's probably something not there that you really do need.
ATC: If somebody contacts you long distance, and they're trying to get somewhat of a ballpark figure of what you charge, how do you handle it?
M.B.: I get these inquires every day. I tell people to take one overall picture of the car, and pictures of any problem areas. I generally know what they look like but it still gives me an idea of what I'm looking at. Based on my experience with that particular make and model, and their known history of the vehicle, I ask where are they going with the car. Whether they want it back to original, concours, restomod, street rod; whatever it is they want, I can then start narrowing down through a series of emails or telephone conversations of what they want, and give them a ballpark that way. The only way to truly have a close ballpark is to have the car physically here, strip it down to bare metal, and see what it needs, but a lot of people aren't willing to do that.
ATC: What would you recommend to people who started the restoration themselves and got in over their heads?
M.B.: Usually if they come here, they've gotten over their head and they've finally realized it! From an experienced shop owner's perspective, the problem is as soon as I touch anything on the car, I basically own it as far as responsibility goes. If they're working on the body and they're reading out of a book on how to apply Bondo, generally speaking I'm going to start over. If a motor came in clacking and I changed the lifters to make it quiet, and two weeks later it blows up, the only thing the owner is going to think is that I touched his motor. It puts me in an interesting predicament because I have to be able to assess what the guy did, and whether he did it properly or not. But generally speaking, if someone is doing their own restoration and gotten in over their head, there's a good possibility that things haven't been done right to begin with. And that doesn't mean people can't do it, because I've seen a ton of amateur restorations that are just mind-blowing because they were done with love and the time was taken to do it right. We also do partials–we've taken cars where they've gotten 90 percent of it done, and I will be able to undo some screw-ups and be able to progress it from there or get them over the hump.
ATC: Do you have an example?
M.B.: We had a guy come in with a 1980 or 1981 Trans Am Turbo that he had taken the turbo engine out of and put a LS1 in. He got completely over his head with wiring and just couldn't figure out how to make the engine or instruments work. We took it in and had it running and everything working in two weeks. I think that if you're at the point where you can't see the forest through the trees then you need to go find help before you really start screwing things up.
ATC: How do you estimate the cost of the job?
M.B.: Generally speaking, we give what we call a ballpark figure. This is based on how complete or incomplete and how solid or rotted the car is, the availability of reproduction or used parts, and our experience with that particular type of car. It's impossible to give an exact estimate because you don't know what you're getting into. Shops should really be working on a time and material expense structure. If they're giving you a flat rate, generally shortcuts are made because not every car is a grandma-owned, never driven in the winter, complete car.
ATC: What are some hidden costs, or costs that people may not think about?
M.B.: Usually the biggest expense is in the labor, which is usually because of what we call "butcher work" that somebody has not done the proper repair in the past either due to an accident or rust. Because the car looks fine with the paint on it, when you strip it off and you find all sorts of rust that's usually your biggest surprise or hidden cost. Rust is your single most labor-intensive repair on a vehicle in restoration. The more rust, the more expense because you basically have to keep cutting until you hit good metal and then you're back to the problem of whether or not the car has substantial reproduction parts available for it, or an availability of used parts. But rust is your single most expensive. As far as parts go they vary widely. If you are missing mirrors, not many people would think they would be expensive, one-off pieces. But some parts–some stupid molding or some rare accessory that the car was supposed to have–could be.
ATC: Regarding concours-type restorations, where would owners find the knowledge of what is truly a stock restoration? Is there an Internet site or books that you'd recommend?
M.B.: That's kind of hit or miss depending on the vehicle. Corvettes are probably the absolute best vehicle to buy for concours judging because the NCRS–which publishes everything for every generation of Corvette–has judging manuals. That way you know it's a standardized test so there's no wiggle room. Some of the more exotic cars such as the Duesenbergs get into a whole different level like Pebble Beach. But generally speaking, you can Google whatever your make or model is and generally speaking, there are some guides out there depending on the car. The problem with concours judging is the subjectivity of judges, and their interpretation of what is original or what is correct, may or may not actually be right–and without any kind of standardized judging manual to back it up you're kind of fighting a moving target.
The best thing is to buy an original, un-restored car, which is probably one of the hardest things to do and is the only way to guarantee a 100 percent authentic car. There are numerous restoration guides out there; some of them have flaws and some don't. It depends on what you're after. If you're after buying a car and going on the judging concours circuit, then don't buy a project. If you buy a car that's already been judged, you're going to pay for it. If you're doing a project, you're going to run into numerous pitfalls because it is a moving target with a lot of vehicles. There's no Pontiac GTO or Chevy Camaro standardized society of judging with manuals anywhere near the degree of what the NCRS has.
ATC: Is there typically a charge for research into the vehicle, your time tracking down the proper parts, or identifying those parts?
M.B.: We don't charge like a lawyer, we don't charge for phone time. We do charge a markup on our parts. That's generally covered under that but we don't charge looking for a part–that's just part of the service.
ATC: Is there ever a situation where the restorer should contact the customer as far as decision-making, or should a restorer make decisions for the customer?
M.B.: As a restorer, if you have a good relationship with your customer, then you should already know what they want and how to achieve it. As a rule, I always involve the customer, and especially if there's a decision to be made that involves two options and neither one is wrong, I let the customer make the decisions. I do that for a couple of reasons: one, it does involve the customer and they like that. Two, it protects the restorer because if the guy doesn't like it down the road, if you made the decision unilaterally then it's on the owner to fix it. If he made the decision then he's either got to live with it or pay you to fix it. You should always involve the customer as much as possible.
ATC: Does insurance ever pay for restoration work?
M.B.: Insurance only pays for repairs to a vehicle. For example, we have a 1976 280Z that's here for an insurance job. The car was rear-ended. The rear body panel had to be removed, and upon removal we found rust. The insurance company isn't going to pay for the rust part of it. The customer was presented with the opportunity to do the proper repair to the vehicle by addressing the rust problem. Since the car is here that's the responsibility of the restorer to communicate that to the customer. A collision shop probably wouldn't even look. They would repair the part that was allowed by the insurance company, and move on. An insurer's only responsibility–whether it's classic insurance or regular automobile insurance–is to put the vehicle back in pre-accident condition. If there's something found as a result of the accident they are responsible for that, but if something was found but was a pre-existing condition they aren't responsible for it. So if you think about it, whether it's an accident or if paint falls on the car or some environmental thing happens to the car, you're not really restoring it, you're repairing it. There's a difference. Restoring means to basically go through everything and renew it. Repairing means to fix what is not right with the vehicle, whether it's a part that doesn't work, or it was damaged as a result of an accident.
ATC: What about using a combination collision/restoration shop?
M.B.: This is really important…you don't want a collision shop that's going to work on the car only when they have the time. This is because a body man–whether he's working for a collision shop or restoration shop–is really kind of an artist. If Peter or Paul or Rick [Thanks Mel!–Ed.] or whoever worked on the car before only on their own time, they're not going to give a crap, and it'll never be a quality job. It's just going to be something to do until the next wreck gets dragged in. The way we run our shop is one guy starts it body-wise, one guy starts it mechanical-wise, and they finish it. That's the way to make sure the job is done right, because inevitably if Peter starts it and Paul finishes it, he's not going to like what Peter did and either want to completely redo it or just say I don't care because I didn't start this whole thing and it's not going to look great.
I can't say this for all of them, but for a majority: a collision shop is only going to repair your car, not restore it. They are more than likely going to put your car back together as if it was in an accident. They will very quickly use high-build primers, not do their final sandings, probably put all of the exterior trim on, and then tape it off and paint it. Their mentality is to get it in and get it out. A restoration shop does not have that mentality. That's the difference.
ATC: How is payment customarily handled?
M.B.: For us, customarily what we do is every Friday we close out the billing week and we email, fax, or mail our customers invoices. We have local customers that either drop off a check or give us a credit card number to use, but that's generally a weekly basis. It's easier to have a customer pay for a job on weekly basis than it is for them to pay a lump sum at the end. We have people come and give us a third or a quarter at a time. I had a barber that we did a Model A Ford for who would bring me a hundred $1 bills in Ziploc bags because that was his tip money. Some people get bonuses at the end of the year, some of the Wall Street guys we deal with pay in a lump sum.
ATC: Do shops ask for deposits?
M.B.: If a shop asks for a large deposit, that's a big red flag. I see it all the time, it's not unlike the Madoff Ponzi scheme: if the shop takes a large deposit up front it usually means he's under-capitalized, which can be a problem to get your restoration done. Or it's a worst-case situation where he's using your deposit to finish Paul's restoration and then he has to get some other victim in there to leave a large deposit to start your restoration. I've seen cars in shops for seven, 10, 15 years because the owners are too busy and they just keep pumping money in. Generally the only deposits we ever take is when we're booking for a job down the road, because right now we book for six to 18 months out depending on what the job is, and I take a $500 deposit for a date which is refunded into their first invoice once we start work on the car. I don't believe in taking big deposits. I don't see why there's even a reason to take a big deposit unless you're under-capitalized.
ATC: What about the car's storage?
M.B.: For people who have storage situations where they can't keep it at home–paying for a storage facility or whatever the case may be, we store the car for free until we start it. We don't take a deposit; we've got your car. For the people that don't have a storage situation and are willing to wait until we can get to them, we take a deposit just to hold the date just so that we know on our book that we've got it coming up. So when that date is near, we call and say, "We're ready for your car next week, are you ready?"
ATC: How much work should be done in-house?
M.B.: As much as possible, this is very important. If anybody has ever had a house done and you don't have a general contractor–instead there's one guy putting up the drywall, another guy doing the wiring, another guy doing the installation–if something goes wrong they all point the finger at each other and who's left holding the bag? The homeowner.
Overall, they should have a mechanic, body man, and interior person, and you should be able to get 90 percent of the car done in one facility. And the shop should offer the services of handling everything else. For instance, we do everything in-house except for machine shop work, automatic transmissions, and chroming, which can cause environmental issues with the chemicals.
ATC: What about insurance?
M.B.: It's very important that you make sure that the shop is insured, but also that you insure your car as well. Classic insurance is not that expensive. I bring this up because even if the shop is insured, lets say for $1 million, if it totally burns down and there are 15 cars in there, neither you nor the shop have control of the insurance company and what they're going to pay. There may be a $500,000 Hemi 'Cuda convertible sitting in the guy's shop and that guy may get $500,000, and the other 10 guys are left fighting for the rest. If you have classic insurance on your car, then at least that can pick up the slack and you're covered. And there are companies that offer insurance while the car is under restoration, as well.
ATC: Do you have a favorite restoration that you did, something you're really proud of?
M.B.: I love every car that comes in here, but some of my more favorite ones would be a 1929 Stutz Model M–an absolutely beautiful, stunning, gorgeous car. We have a 1949 DeSoto Woody wagon that I'm absolutely in love with and I'm not a wagon guy. It's a celebrity-owned car and the guy has given me quite a bit of license to do what I want with it. His basic requirement was he wanted it to look totally stock, but drive like a modern car. His line was, "I want to be able to pull up to a light and have a rice burner pull up next to me, and he has to go home to tell daddy that a block of wood blew him into the weeds."
My favorite part of my job? At the end of a project I drive them home, I qualify them, I make sure they're roadworthy and they're going to hold together so the customer is happy.
Special thanks to Melvin Benzaquen and Ericka DeKruger for their assistance with this article.
Published Dec 7th, 2015


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From Dodgers.com:
While [today's earlier split-squad] game is ongoing, another squad of Dodgers will fly to Las Vegas, where it will play the Cincinnati Reds in a 7:05 p.m. PT start. Pitching in that game will be four pitchers fighting for jobs -- Josh Towers, Carlos Monasterios, Ramon Ortiz and Justin Miller. Manager Joe Torre will accompany the squad to Las Vegas.
photo by Ed Andrieski/AP


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Not everyone is aware that more than 60 human diseases are related to them and their droppings, and some of them can even be fatal to humans. When they cause damage to your home, they leave ugly stains, cause the structure to deteriorate, and may also lessen the value of your property.
So it is very important for using pigeon control in Sandoval around your home, garden, yards, porches, buildings and greenhouses.
Get Professional Pigeon Control In Sandoval
As you plan your strategy, remember that pest can be very determined in finding what they want and need. Since they seek out roosts and nesting places where they will feel comfortable and content, you want to make your home and garden unappealing and unwelcoming to them without causing them any harm. This can make a new need for bird control in Illinois.
This article provides solutions for the most common pest problems home owners' encounter. If you have a pest problem, there is a solution! You can choose from many options for complete pigeon control.
For pigeon control on a budget, there are an almost endless number of "scary" products currently on the market. They discourage pests from landing on trees, overhangs, gazebos, patios, eaves, pool areas, and other areas. You can also get prowler owl, blow-up balloons and terror eyes emblazoned with threatening predator eyes. Be sure to change the position and color of these bird repellent, since they get used to them in short order.
Bird netting is another highly effective bird control solution. Bird netting is most effective pigeon control product when used to keep them out of specific areas like courtyards, patio covers, and rooftops. Most bird netting is so strong; it even stands up to larger animals like deer, coyotes, and dogs which can help to protect your garden.
One of the all-time favorite bird repellent is the Bird Spike. Bird Spikes are perfect for roof peaks, awnings, gutters, signs, girders, and ledges. Yes, they look like they would impale any of them coming near them, but they are perfectly harmless. You can get bird spikes with rigid U.V.-resistant unbreakable poly-carbonate spikes or high strength, durable stainless steel spikes. Pests take one look at these threatening looking bird spikes and realize very quickly that landing on or near them are impossible.
Ultrasonic bird Repellent keeps away pests and animals from your property without messy or expensive chemical solutions. This Repel them away up to 4,000 square feet using an ultrasonic bird Repellent which makes it an Ideal bird Repellent for yards, gardens, porches, buildings, greenhouses and more.
More importantly, bird control can save lives. The FAA says that birds are attracted to airports with disastrous results. A tragic example is U.S. Airways flight 1549, which was forced to make an emergency landing in the Hudson River after a flock of geese flew into its engines. Between1976 and 2007, there were 76,000 reports of accidents with birds and aircraft, and of those, 11 people died.
So whether it's pigeons, sparrows, seagulls, starlings, crows or geese, bird pests can cause all sorts of problems. Not the least of which is the high concentration of uric acid found in bird droppings. It can discolor paint, stain wood, erode metal, even crumble concrete and expensive stonework. And don't forget the health risk of bacteria, fungi and parasites that live and grow in bird droppings, which can carry and transmit any of 60 known diseases. The fleas, mites and ticks that attach themselves to birds can also carry disease. All told, the costs to cleanup and repair what pest birds do runs into the millions of dollars annually.
Professional Bird Control For 62887
One especially effective bird control device is the bird spike. Ideal for keeping pest birds from landing on rooftops, awnings, gutters and girders. Some spikes are made of rigid U.V.-resistant unbreakable poly-carbonate. Others have flexible stainless steel spikes. They come in a variety of widths and colors, are easy to install and won't harm birds. Be sure to install a sufficient amount of spikes to cover an entire ledge to keep birds from sneaking around them. And close off corners and all open sides of a ledge.
Bird control netting is another highly effective bird control solution. Ideal for courtyards, patio covers, and rooftops. Properly installed, pigeon netting presents an impenetrable barrier against these pest birds. If you want to keep birds away from fruit trees, crops, vineyards, you'll need agricultural netting. For buildings and other structures, try heavy-duty bird netting. It's most often prescribed by architects. Its ISO 1806 mesh test polyethylene fabric is U.V. stabilized, flame resistant and rot and waterproof. The sub-zero stable, non-conductive webbing comes in 3/4″, 1-1/8″ and 2″ mesh sizes to control a variety of birds. Be sure to place the netting over window recesses, balconies or even whole rooftops to prevent birds from reaching nesting areas.
Another simple, but effective bird control measure is the bird slope. These slippery PVC panels are ideal for ledges, eaves, beams and other 90-degree areas where birds tend to nest and roost. The steep angles they present won't allow birds to get a grip, causing them to simply slide off and move on. Bird slope panels come in a variety of colors to match any structure's décor. They can be easily glued to any surface or screwed to wood. Be sure to use UV stabilized poly-carbonate panels that can be painted to match the structure.
Other bird control products used by many building managers include electric-track bird repellers. These present birds with a harmless, but irritating mild electric shock that discourages them from landing. Once shocked, birds alter their habits to nest or feed on that particular building. Ideal for use on ledges, rooftops, and flat or curved surfaces like signs.
Bird Exterminators in Illinois
1-(844) 597-0370
Building and restaurant owners often prefer this method of bird control because its low-profile electrified track conforms to any architectural configuration. And because it's almost invisible close-up or to those looking up from below. Choose a flow-through design to prevent water from damming up on rooftops and other surfaces.
These systems use copper knitted wire mesh that's stronger than steel, resistant to corrosion and highly resistant to alkali and acidic environments. The knitted design features a single strand of higher gauge wire and a tube-within-a-tube design for greater conductivity, strength and reliability.
One novel bird control device is a Solar Powered bird repeller. Its arms rotate at 30 RPM and gently sweep birds away. Ideal for pigeons, seagulls and larger birds, the repeller can be used on signs, billboards, parapet walls, roofs, or any flat surface, including outdoor eating areas. Their are also a number of sonic bird repellers available for a wide range of outdoor applications.
Get Pigeon Control In Sandoval, IL
For bird control on a budget, there are an almost endless number of "bird scare" products currently on the market. They discourage birds from landing on trees, overhangs, gazebos, patios, eaves, pool areas, and other areas. They include iridescent reflective foil or flash tape and inflatable balloons imprinted with lifelike reflective predator eyes and markings. Some bird repellers have iridescent foil eyes to scare away birds by day and glow-in-the-dark backsides to keep them away at night.
Birds are becoming a significant problem in our society. Another reason for this is that they can cause some fatal health problems through transmitting diseases from their feces. Therefore it is extremely essential to be able to deter them in a secure and humane fashion. Bird control tools like spikes, gels, liquids, netting and audible repellers are available to ensure that the property is safe.
Bird nets are made up of fiber and nylon and are the best way to practice to get rid of pigeon. Bird nets can be spread along with screws and hooks over the house roof to trap the birds. Netting bird is most practiced and reliable bird control solution to catch them. Nets come in various sizes and shapes. It is one of the most preferred pigeon control methods.
Bird spike is also a useful method to repel them from your property and premises. Spikes are used to stop them from roosting and roofing on the ledges of the wall or buildings. Bird taste repellers are also a great medium to repel them. They are used to spray on roofs and grass surface to repel them. Liquid and gel repeller annoy birds when get on to their feet and thereby repel them.
Ultrasonic bird repellents drive back any type of bird and bats up to 10,000 square feet using both audible and silent repellents. They can be surprisingly helpful. These audible and silent repellers create ultrasonic sound which is beyond the reach of human hearing, but drive birds away very effectively.
Bird repellers come in many shapes and sizes and rely on different tricks to frighten pests away. Coyote replica drives away birds and other water fowl. An owl decoy is also an excellent repeller to take into practice. Birds get frighten with the movement of these repellents and drive back away from the fields and buildings.
You Need Bird Control In Your Home
Long established techniques are still very trendy too. The older one is reliable scare crow but it came into distrust when birds used to sit on the shoulders of this repeller.
The nesting materials and droppings of these living organisms carry ectoparasites and transmittable diseases. Their droppings are acidic in nature and therefore they can corrode the materials used in our buildings. When they nest in warehouses, they can contaminate the inventory and food production. On the other hand, when these warehouse-owners opt for regular cleaning of bird droppings, it will cost them more every year.
Also, they can create slip and fall risks particularly when there are infants and old people in homes. Even they can clog drains and can pose even fire accidents near lighting and other fixtures.
If the birds are allowed to nest for a longer period in a particular place, it will be difficult to evade them. Therefore, proactive measures should be taken when it comes to pest bird control. Proactive measures will be helpful in saving of a lot of money and time as well for the homeowners. Some of the problems that can come if pest birds are not controlled are given below:
As mentioned earlier, bird droppings can create nearly 60 different diseases. When it comes to damage to inventory, droppings can contaminate the storage facilities and warehouses where these living beings live. Furthermore, when composts or nests are found all over the building, it will not create a good image in the minds of clients or visitors. Furthermore, if they are not prevented, the cleaning up cost can be greatly reduced for building owners.
There are professional firms engaged in offering the best pest control equipment. This equipment can be purchased by homeowners or owners of commercial building to protect their buildings against any form of damages and also inmates from any form of health risks. Professional firms are offering bed bug pest treatments as well bird nets.
1-(844) 597-0370 toll free
Other pest control services we offer :
- Ant Control Sandoval IL
- Mosquito Control Sandoval IL
- Rat Removal Sandoval IL
- Squirrel Exterminator Sandoval IL
- Fly Fumigation Sandoval IL
- Flea Exterminator Sandoval IL
- Earwig Infestation Sandoval IL
- Mite Pest Control Sandoval IL
- Wasp Killer Sandoval IL
- Raccoon Control Sandoval IL
See our Pigeon Control Done Wrong video.
Get city data on Sandoval, Illinois.


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The ham and cheese sandwich is a classic and a while ago I came across a new way of enjoying that classic, in the form of a monte cristo sandwich . A monte cristo sandwich is a ham and cheese sandwich that is dipped in french toast batter, fried up and then served with strawberry or raspberry jam or even maple syrup. The sweetness of the jam added to the otherwise savoury ham and cheese sandwich was surprisingly good and I have been addicted ever since. The idea of a mote cristo quesadilla has been percolating in the back of my head for a while now and now that I had some ham leftovers I seized the opportunity to try making it.
I started off with the basics of the ham and cheese sandwich, the ham and cheese, and then I added some mustard for some zing and I figured that I might as well add some jam inside the quesadilla as well. Since I was using ham from the leftover apricot glazed ham I decided to go with apricot preserves but raspberry or strawberry jam would also be great. The next question was whether to batter the quesadilla up like french toast or not… I knew that that was an essential part of the monte cristo sandwich but I was not sure how a french toast quesadilla would work out. In the end I decided to try it and see how it worked.
The french toast battered quesadilla took a bit longer to cook and it was a bit softer that the quesadillas that I am used to but otherwise it worked out really well! The sweet and savoury combination was even better in quesadilla form. (There was less of that pesky bread to get in the way of the flavour.) I really enjoyed the flavour combinations of this quesadilla and the confectioners sugar sprinkled on top was nice extra sweet touch. I served the quesadilla with some extra apricot preserves for dipping the quesadillas into.
Alright, enough with the ham leftovers already! I will take a break and freeze the rest for later. 🙂
Monte Cristo Quesadillas
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 tablespoon butter
- 2 (8 inch) tortillas
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 1/2 cheddar cheese (grated)
- 1/4 cup cooked ham (sliced or shredded, warmed)
- 1 tablespoon apricot jam (or other flavour)
- Mix the egg, milk and vanilla in a large shallow bowl.
- Melt the butter in a pan.
- Dip one side of a tortilla in the egg mixture and then place it in the pan.
- Spread the mustard out over the top of the tortilla and cover with one handful of cheese, the ham and the remaining cheese.
- Spread the jam on one side of the remaining tortilla, dip the other side into the egg mixture and place it on top of everything in the pan with the egg mixture facing up.
- Let cook until the bottom is golden brown, about 3-4 minutes and flip. (Tip: I slid the quesadilla onto a plate and then flipped the pan, placed it on top of the plate, flipped the pan upright again and removed the plate.)
- Let cook until golden brown, about 2-4 minutes.
- Slide the tortilla out of the pan, cut it into triangles and serve topped with powdered sugar and a side of jam for dipping. (Note: You could also drench the quesadilla in maple syrup!)


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Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau contributes regular music reviews to All Things Considered.
Christgau began writing rock criticism for Esquire in 1967 and became a columnist at New York's Village Voice in 1969. He moved to Newsday in 1972, but in 1974 returned to the Voice, where he was the music editor for the next 10 years. From 1985 to 2006, he was a senior editor at the weekly as well as its chief music critic. He is best known for the Pazz & Jop Critics' Poll, for over 30 years the nation's most respected survey of rock-critical opinion, and his Consumer Guide column, where he began to publish letter-graded capsule album reviews in 1969. The Consumer Guide is now published by MSN Networks. Christgau is also a senior critic at Blender.
Christgau has taught at several colleges and universities, most extensively NYU, where after stints with the English and journalism departments, he now teaches music history in the Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music. In 1987, he won a Guggenheim fellowship to study the history of popular music. In 2002, he was a senior fellow at the National Arts Journalism Program, where he is now a member of the national board. He was the keynote speaker at the first EMP Pop Conference in 2002, and a Ferris Professor of Journalism at Princeton University in 2007.
Christgau has published five books: the collections Any Old Way You Choose It (1973) and Grown Up All Wrong (1998), and three record guides based on his Consumer Guide columns. He has written for The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The London Times, Playboy, The New Yorker, Video Review, Blender, Spin, The Nation, Salon, Believer, numerous alt-weeklies and many other publications. Most of his writing can be read on his website, robertchristgau.com. His capsule reviews are also part of the editorial content at the online music service Rhapsody.
Christgau was born in 1942. He attended New York City public schools and got his B.A. from Dartmouth in 1962. He married Carola Dibbell in 1974. In 1985, they became parents of a daughter, Nina.
The Austin singer-songwriter's latest album is his fourth since he started making them in 2004, at age 50. Critic Robert Christgau says Baker's backstory, which includes surviving a terrorist attack, "must be told."


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Do It Yourself: No-Sew Pillow Covers
I'm a sucker for pretty decorative pillows on the bed and sofa and all my decorating projects usually include several that I've handmade specifically for that project. There is something very special about one-of-a-kind elements in a room. Pillows are also a great way to switch out colors and styles without breaking the bank. Interior decorators working on even the most high-end projects will routinely use the most expensive fabrics on small items like pillows in order to stretch the dollars as far as possible. While many home stores carry loads of inexpensive pillows, it doesn't take big DIY skills to make your own, or customize a basic pillow from a store.
While I am capable of making quite ornamental pillows requiring decent sewing skills, sometimes I just want a quick and easy change. I recently made a cover for an existing oblong 10x18" pillow by taking a sample of a fabric I like and sewing a single seam in the fabric to make it a "tube" into which I inserted the existing pillow. The pillow ends were cut with pinking sheers to reduce unraveling and I left them "raw". The quickest five minute pillow going and when I want something different, I can just pull the fabric off and slip on something new. The best part of this project is that I could have done it by hand if I didn't have a sewing machine.
If your sewing skills are completely non-existent, have no fear - there is something just for you on the market. The June Tailor Decowrap No Sew Pillows come in three shapes: round, square and oblong bolster and come with small cuts in the foam which allow you to wrap them in fabric and tuck in the ends. I have tested the bolster and it worked very nicely and was quite snug and secure.
A great way to get a customized look without the need for sewing skills is to decorate a plain fabric pillow cover with purchased ribbon or decorator trim, available at any sewing or crafts store. Using a hot glue gun, craft or fabric glue, afix the ribbon trim to the pillow in a pattern or simply frame in the outer edges of the pillow. It's a great look and couldn't be any easier.
You can also create a simple fabric pillow cover by cutting two pieces of fabric to your pillow size plus 1" seam allowance all around. Use Stitch Witchery, a narrow fusible bonding web available at any sewing store, to adhere the two sides together within the seam allowance, leaving one of the ends open. Insert the pillow into the opening and then close up the opening with the Stitch Witchery. If you tire of the fabric cover, simply cut off and make a new cover.
Linda Merrill is a Boston-area interior designer who works with Boston garage door contractors and remodelers.
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BERLIN (AP) — Forget texting while driving. German police say they nabbed a driver who had wired his Ford station wagon with an entire mobile office.
Saarland state police said Friday the 35-year-old man was pulled over for doing 130 kph (80 mph) in a 100 kph zone while passing a truck Monday.
Built on a wooden frame on his passenger seat they found a laptop on a docking station tilted for easy driver access, a printer, router, wireless internet stick, WLAN antenna, and an inverter to power it all.
A navigation system and cellphone mounted to the windshield completed the array.
Since there was no evidence he used the office while moving, he got away with a (EURO)120 ($153) speeding ticket and a possible fine for having unsecured items in his car.


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It's come to my attention that some people simply do not grasp the situation...
We do this show from a public access studio. These are studios that were built when the cable companies first started in order to promote free, community-run programming. These studios are old and vanishing...very few cities have studios and even fewer support live shows or call-in shows. We're fortunate to be able to do the show at all. (Just ask the Seattle Atheists...)
The studio equipment is largely beyond our control. We can't rewire the studio and while we've spent quite a bit of money on our own equipment, you can have the best equipment in the world and if you're plugging it into antiquated or improperly configured gear, it won't make a bit of difference. Their recent $1M renovation doesn't seem to have involved any significant improvements to the audio.
The studio uses a Telos digital telephone hybrid but the soundboard at the studio isn't properly wired for a mix-minus setup and doesn't have sufficient discrete channels.
We use the studio on Sunday afternoons and it's used by many other people throughout the week. Those people change settings. They break things. They attempt to "fix" the problems that others have created...which creates more problems. They have different needs and requirements for their show, so they reconfigure things to suit them.
Every week we show up an hour (or more) before the show, run cables, configure lights, set up the table, reconfigure equipment, figure out what is broken and try to find a way to fix it before the show starts.
Every week we're walking into an unknown configuration and doing our best to get it back to "our" setup. We're talking lights, sound, camera, CG, DVD recorder, background, telephone (and more)...and most of it has been "adjusted" by someone else during the week. (I can count, on one hand, the weeks where we've had nothing to fix.)
Additionally, there are settings we're not allowed to change (though it doesn't stop other people from messing with them).
We then do a 'test call' - which seems to work just fine, though it doesn't seem to indicate whether or not all of the calls on a given show will work fine. The problem is intermittent. Some calls are worse than others...some have NO feedback, some have a little and some have a lot. Some calls seem to only be working in half-duplex, some are full. We've found no discernible pattern (I do suspect that cell phones are a huge part of the problem as they're notoriously horrible at full-duplex and signal quality).
If you think we're unaware of the problems, you're wrong.
If you think we're not MORE frustrated than anyone who watches or listens to the show, you're wrong.
If you think we wouldn't love to fix the problems and aren't doing everything we can, you're wrong.
This isn't just a matter of finding the right expert or throwing more money at it. (I'd recommend watching the Super Bowl half-time show for a prime example of how knowing what you're doing and having money to throw at something is no guarantee that things are going to work correctly.)
I appreciate the feedback and the suggestions. I appreciate that people care enough to try to improve the show....but I'm also baffled at how anyone could think we're unaware of the very problems we've spoken about countless times on and off the show - often WHILE the problems are happening.
One recent letter added a rather ironic note (which did make me laugh):
"Please fix the phone problem! (This is your money maker, and it's ruining discussions. Stable and clear sounding phone-lines are crucial"
Wow, I've never thought of that! The irony of using the phrase "money maker" when referring to a show that we actually pay to produce and freely donate thousands of hours to, is sadly humorous.
Don't misunderstand - I'm not writing this simply to bitch at the people who are writing us about this problem, I'm just expressing my own frustration and letting people know that e-mails that are essentially pointing out the elephant that I'm riding have been read, and won't be getting individual responses.
We'll also continue to look for solutions, but I wanted to give people a taste of what we're dealing with in order to avoid some of the suggestions that aren't very helpful.


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Okay - so no giveaway today! I will be doing two more next week and then I probably will take a break until about February. But I am possibly giving something away next week that will blow your socks off. So you might want to check back! (OH MY GOODNESS it's big!)
I had kind of a tough Mom day yesterday. I think God was trying to show me something. We talked in our Bible Study about how we keep life from being all about us - how to keep our eyes on Jesus and I shared how going to El Salvador kept me from having pity parties because I kept thinking about the children and mothers I met there.
and then I came home and had a pity party. Pitiful.
Harper hasn't been taking naps and yesterday afternoon she mostly cried and fussed for 5 straight hours. I was starting to wonder if almost 11 month olds can have colic? ha! I didn't get anything done and I was just a mess by the time Scott got home. I was pretty convicted last night about how I didn't stop during that time and remember how blessed I truly am.
But today has been so much better. Harper took a long morning nap and I got two Christmas trees up (yes - we have four) and even cooked lunch for Scott. I have felt SO behind for weeks and just one good day makes me feel so much better. It's cold and icky outside so we are home in our PJ's and it feels good to cross a few things off my list. I thought I would give you a few sneak peeks at my decorations.
I'm hitting up Wal-Mart and Hobby Lobby tonight and then trying to finish my other trees and the mantle and then I'll be done!!! This weekend we have a Christmas party and two big Christmas services at church I'm helping with and then I can finally relax and enjoy the season.
I'm so thankful because both sides of our families have decided to not exchange gifts this year. WE love giving and there is nothing wrong with giving gifts at Christmas but I think it has reached a point where we are just buying to buy and none of us need anything. So instead Scott's family is sponsoring a Compassion child and we are going to sponsor a child survival program with Compassion. And then my family decided we would all take the money we would normally spend on gifts for each other and pool it together and give it to the Arkansas Baptist Children's home. I am so happy knowing that instead of giving my dad one more razorback tie or my mom one more bath and body gift basket .......we are giving a child a warm, safe home to live in. To me - that is what makes this time of year special. (not that giving should only be in December). And it gives me back my peace and joy.
Instead of stressing about buying the right gift - I'm going to sit back and be thankful for the reason for the season. Every night when I rock Harper - I'm singing "Silent Night" and "Away in the Manger" and even "Mary did you know" and I think about Mary and how much she must have loved her son. We are going to drive around and look at Christmas lights in our PJ's and watch Christmas movies and just try to be still and thankful.
And yes - she has learned to open drawers and doors now. It's time to baby proof. I just can't believe she will be ONE in 6 more weeks. This year has gone by way too fast. I have to start planning her birthday party. I just can't believe it's already here!


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Nativity icon
The traditional icon style of the Nativity of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is from the 15th century and attributed to Saint Andrei Rublev.citation needed It depicts the Creator of the universe entering history as a newborn babe. The icon of the Nativity also shows the effect of this event on the natural life of the world.
The background is an inhospitable world, the world since the expulsion from Paradise. In the center of the icon are Mary, the central and disproportionately large figure, resting in a cave, and Jesus as a baby in a manger wrapped in swaddling clothes. Around the icon is much that deals with the Incarnation of Christ, explained below.
The icon has much symbolism. The helpless figure in swaddling clothes represents the complete submission of Christ to the physical conditions governing the human race.
The earth provides Him with a cave. The animals watch Him in silent wonder and humanity offer him one of its own, the Virgin Mother. The manger is like a casket and His swaddling clothes are very much like the grave clothes.
The sky salutes Him with a star, the light of wisdom. This is a sign that Christ came for everyone: "For by it, those who worshiped the stars, were taught by a star to adore Thee, the Sun of Righteousness, and to know Thee, the Orient on high" (from the troparion of Christmas). Some icons have three rays from the star, representing the Holy Trinity.
The Magi and the shepherds bring their gifts, also a sign that Christ came for everyone.
The women on the bottom right are midwives. This indicates that Jesus was born in the normal way and would have needed washing, as a regular human baby would.
Old Testament prophecy
Below the center are a tree, an ox, and an ass. The tree is the "Jesse Tree" from prophecy, which says that a shoot will sprout from the stump of Jesse (the father of King David): "A shoot shall sprout from the stump (tree) of Jesse and from his roots a bud shall blossom. The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him" (Isaiah 11:1-2). The ox and the ass are also from an Old Testament prophecy: "The ox knows his owner, and the donkey his master's crib" (Isaiah 1:3). Sometimes they are shown near the Christ child, providing warmth from their breath.
The Righteous Joseph is depicted away from Jesus and the Theotokos, off to the bottom left. This is because he was not involved in the miracle of the Incarnation of the Son of God, but he was the protector of Mary and Jesus. The old man speaking to him represents the devil bringing new doubts to Joseph. The devil suggests that if the infant were truly divine He would not have been born in the human way. (This argument, assuming different forms, keeps on reappearing through the whole history of the Church. It is the basis of many heresies.) In the person of Joseph, the icon discloses not only his personal drama, but the drama of all mankind, the difficulty of accepting that which is beyond reason, the Incarnation of God.
Mary in the center, from her reclining position, looks at Joseph as if trying to overcome his doubts and temptations. She is not the most important figure in the icon, but the most dominant. Sometime she is depicted kneeling, still concerned.
The angels are glorifying God, tending to the action, and ministering: announcing the Good News to the shepherds, or singing. To the right, a young shepherd sits, wearing a wreath and playing his flute, showing the joy of the Good News.


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It's World Nutella Day tomorrow! Time to indulge in some decadence. How do you enjoy your Nutella best?
Come back tomorrow and indulge in some Nutella flakiness with me! In the meantime have a lick of this ;-)
All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2009 Meeta Khurana unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First


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