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Wednesday, September 21, 2011
ISO Challenge (Again)
My addiction, hobby, and passion is photography. I also love my sewing, but not like photography. I spend my evening Internet time on Pinterest and reading about things like exposure, lighting, & tips for taking pictures of kids. One of my favorite sites is ISO created by Nicole & Michelle....2 very talented photographers. They clearly state that their contests are not restricted to professionals and that anyone can enter. So here we go, another entry.
Week 9: Silhouette
I live in the Midwest.
We love Chicago as the closet big city.
Last July, I visited with 3 kids for a bridal shower.
I was alone in a hotel room with 3 small children.
It. Was. Awful.
Urban camping stinks & I strongly discourage it.
On the flip side, we did enjoy our room right on Michigan St.
Our room faced Lake Michigan & the view was beautiful.
We were 36 floors up and Mark loved it.
3 comments:
- Michelle Leigh said...
Great shot! I would never even dare take my 3 kids to a hotel room alone. Wow, no thanks. Kudos to you.
The weekly contests begin on Sunday and end on Sunday. This week is an off week, but our new contest will be posted this Sunday. Glad you love our site, we are having fun with it!
- September 22, 2011 at 9:14 AM
Wow, that's a fantastic shot!!!
- December 25, 2011 at 2:33 AM
- Nina Munchen said...
those are very nice photo :)
Pinterest is a great way to socialized with everyone :)
I love Pinterest's unique interface :)
Just in case you haven't heard. There's also another site developed for Pinterest user to submit their favorite pins, discuss and do social voting as well. You might want to check it out.
don't forget to vote, there's a $15 Amazon Card weekly for the most votes :D
if you are not sure about it, you can visit http://blog.pinfaves.com/
and guess who's the winner this weeks? not me :(
- April 4, 2012 at 3:30 AM


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Lummi Island collectively breathed a sigh of relief when the Whatcom County announced a new deal with the Lummi Tribe to use the Gooseberry Point dock for possibly another fifty years.
Why were we concerned? From late October to February we were faced with the possibility of a threat to the status quo, a change so dramatic that it would have altered life as we know it. We were concerned about transportation and supply, about medical care, about mainland activities, about real estate values and long term mobility. We were concerned about being cut off from the larger world.
The Whatcom Chief is literally our lifeboat. The idea that it could suddenly disappear seems not to have occurred to some people. Realistically, it is a tenuous connection, reliant on the financial health of the County, the willingness of County officials to support it, the motivation of the Tribe to host it and the physical condition of the boat itself. As far as I can tell from reading the excellent material on the Lummi Ferry Forum site by Jim Dickinson, there is no back up vessel for the ferry. If the Chief were to go down from maintenance or for any other conceivable reason we would be right back where we have been for the last three months faced with the harsh fact that Lummi Island is…well…an island. Continue reading »

subset: commoncrawl


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Goldfoot fuses musical elements from the past, present, and future with good vibes and dance beats. Their super-fresh single, "Feel Like Dancin" embodies that fusion with a myriad of groove and a heart full of soul. It's a sweet dose of funk that targets the booty and alleviates your non-dance symptoms.
The Goldfoot groove materialized during a jam session in late 2013 when Trevor Forbess (vocals/guitar), Joe McClain (guitar/samples), and Elijah Medina (bass/vocals) joined forces in an old dusty woodshop in SE Portland. Shortly thereafter, Ruth Heald added percussion and vocals to the band and no dance floor has been safe ever since.


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Children at Westminster Preschool learned just as much as their adult teachers about caring for puppies and kittens Monday.
Eva Sippel, who is in charge of shelter community relations and volunteers, and seven members of the Volunteers of the Burbank Animal Shelter brought several kittens and a Labrador puppy and talked about pet safety. The youngsters, ages 3 to 5, were shown how to approach a dog they don't know and how to hold and pet an animal.
"I believe it's important to teach kids how to approach an animal so they are not afraid and they can learn what wonderful friendships exist between animals and people," said Sippel, who is a volunteer. "It's a wonderful gift."
Mary Seward of Glendale, who was picking up her son, Luke, after the session, said youngsters learn a lot by having pets.
"We have a kitty in our home, and sometimes Luke squeezes it too hard because he loves her. He has to understand it's alive and he is much bigger than she is," she said. "I don't think children realize how much power they have because they are smaller than most people around them. And it's better for him to hear it from someone else."


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Back in 2013 I wrote a review for Onstage Magazine about the Eagles' performance at the Salmon Festival. Those who read it know it wasn't favourable, and there were reasons for the direction in which I took the critique. I called it as I saw it. Some agreed, and some wrote hate mail. The Eagles of 2013 were quite a different entity from that of their original '70s run (of which I was a dedicated fan), and I admittedly could not reconcile the two for a number of reasons – not all musical. I was particularly rough on Frey and his apparent lack of enthusiasm for performing. This, of course, stings me a bit this week as I process his passing.
Oddly enough, I occasionally perform in an Eagles tribute and sing lead on several Glenn Frey songs. As such, I've come to deeply respect his talent and the role he played in that band. One piece of information that I'd not really thought about until I started performing with the tribute was that Frey only sang one lead vocal on the Hotel California album. Up until this record it had essentially been a 50/50 split between him and Henley for lead vocals. The song in question is, of course, "New Kid in Town." It happens to be my favourite Eagles song, and it's also too high for my vocal range. So when we play it I get to lay back and listen to my bandmates hit all those high notes while I strum along. And every time we play it, I'm reminded that for all of the things we've read about egos in the Eagles, Glenn Frey's ego must have been fairly in check to make the decision to lay back – no doubt in the spirit of some larger production plan – and let Henley take the lion's share of the vocals while Frey strummed acoustic guitar, played some keys, and sang harmonies. It had to take confidence to be that man, especially after the string of hits that featured Frey's lead vocals prior to Hotel California. He definitely saw the Eagles in a larger context at this point and seemingly felt deeply connected to the unit as a whole, whether he was in the limelight or simply strumming and grinning.
One other thing that surprised me about Frey's role in the Eagles was his lead guitar playing. I assumed that Frey's musical contributions were limited to vocals and acoustic guitar. I had no idea that Frey played the lead guitar solos on "Witchy Woman, "James Dean," and "I Can't Tell You Why." He also played piano on "Desperado" and "The Last Resort." It is refreshing to realize that Frey asserted his musicality to a far greater extent than many listeners realize, and he did so with very little fanfare. In the promo video for "I Can't Tell You Why," for example, lead guitarist Don Felder mimes Frey's guitar solo over the original track while Frey plays keys.
An unabashed fan and imitator of Gram Parsons (who, ironically, hated the Eagles), Glenn Frey's voice was stronger and more polished than that of his idol. He was also better-looking and had something that Parsons never possessed: a business sense. Teaming with Henley and, shortly thereafter, manager Irving Azoff, the band dreamed big and set its sights on British mega-producer Glyn Johns who had overseen some of the biggest records of the '60s and early '70s. The Eagles recorded their self-titled debut album in late '71 over the pond, in the same studio that The Who had used just months earlier with Johns to record one of the biggest rock albums of all time, Who's Next. You would never say in a million years that the reverb on Roger Daltrey's big scream in "Won't Get Fooled Again" is the exact same reverb you hear on Henley's "Witchy Woman" vocal.
This tenuous alliance with Johns would eventually dissolve after their concept album Desperato failed to meet the gargantuan expectations placed upon it by their debut, which spawned the massive "Take it Easy" and "Witchy Woman." Switching to producer Bill Szymczyk, their star continued to rise throughout the early and mid '70s. During this time and up until Hotel California, Frey had sung lead on some of the band's biggest hits: "Take it Easy," Peaceful Easy Feeling," "Lyin' Eyes," "Already Gone," and "Tequila Sunrise." By the time he was 27 years old, Glenn Frey's vulnerable, yearning tenor was embedded in the minds of millions around the world.
Satisfied to take a back seat to the lead vocals on Hotel California, he once again showed his balanced vision on their last album before the big split, The Long Run. He only sang lead on "Heartache Tonight." Interestingly, the songs he did sing on these two landmark albums were, arguably, the best ones on the records. The latter was a co-write with Henley along with Frey's old friend from Detroit, Bob Seger, who had a 20-year-old Frey sing background vocals on "Ramblin', Gamblin' Man" in 1969 – three years before the world would get a larger dose of Frey's vocals.
Both Henley and Felder called Frey "generous" in their statements this week upon his passing. I think this trait can easily be seen in Frey's large, yet generous role he played in the Eagles. Even though his presence looms as large as Henley's in the band, Frey actually comes out as the consummate team player under close scrutiny of the band's history. He no doubt saw Henley's voice as a better match for their purposeful switch from country-rock to straight-out rock in '76. Granted, some of this was based on a business-oriented ambition. However, by this time, rock had become a corporate-driven entity anyway – and Frey and Henley were at the forefront of this new model of artist-as-businessman (for better or worse).
By 1980 it was all over but the mud-slinging. Even Henley and Frey weren't speaking for a while. But of course they inevitably came together again in '94, and the new Eagles became the ubiquitous money monster of the music business. Up until 2015 they were still raking in millions until Frey took ill and the train came to a halt. After all, the Eagles cannot go on without Frey – no matter how wavering a role he played as lead singer throughout the band's career. Henley may have stood out in front of Frey vocally, but Henley was stuck behind the drum kit on stage. Back in the heyday it was Frey who was really out front: the svelte California Dionysus with long hair flowing down over a sports jersey, shoulder cocked, playing a big-ass Martin 12-string, winking at the girls, driving them mad. Frey, as Henley said, was "the man with the plan." And that plan certainly panned out for him and all those who rode with him on his mission for musical greatness. His death leaves a chasm that will not and cannot be filled. It can only sit as a looming reminder of all we are poised to lose as a massive group of people lucky to have been alive at this time of musical development and ingenuity.


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When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe."
A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name. (John 20: 19-31)
There they are, huddled together in a familiar place, a safe place, a place to which each has instinctively fled in the midst of terror and uncertainty. Violence and confusion swirl outside. But here, they hope, safety and comfort may be found. This is a place where they can sustain one another, a place in which to hide from a world so taken with death that not even their dear leader and friend has been spared. Each wants the support of the others; all hope to ride out the storm raging outside in the company of this community of the like-minded. But togetherness is not enough; they must also lock the doors to make sure no one else gets in. They are huddled together, the gospel says, "for fear."
"Smart move!", some might say. After all, "a fearful people is a prepared people." Violent and confusing events are indeed taking place outside. Be sure to stock up on duct tape. Fill your cupboards with enough jugs of clean water for yourself and your family, just in case. Keep a suspicious eye on your neighbors, especially those from certain parts of the world. And if you must go out, be careful. Put on your armor first; see to it that your family is strapped into the vehicle that will win if there is a collision.
"A fearful people is a prepared people"—this is what some top officials of our government say. And so today we are the ones who are huddling, clinging to those who are like us and locking the doors against those who are not. We huddle in groups shaped by family and friendship. We huddle as a nation, striking out lest anyone strike us first and disdaining the collaboration of other nations.
And often we huddle within our churches too, clinging to the like-minded in a familiar and supposedly safe space, behind locked doors. For fear.
But then into the room, through the locked door, comes the Risen One. He walks right into the middle of this fear. And he does so, amazingly, without condemnation or condescension, without the sarcastic dismissal of danger and anxiety that I have tried, unsuccessfully, to keep out of my own voice. He knows where to find these fearful ones, and he does not criticize their fear or mock their effort to support one another. But notice this: neither does he allow them to cling to their fear. He comes speaking Peace. He comes breathing Spirit. He comes to get them to unlock their doors and go outside, into the world.
The capacity to communicate in print and online and over the air is an amazingly powerful force within and among the peoples of the twenty-first century. Today communications shape individuals and families and churches and nations and the relations among them all. This extraordinary capacity can be a remarkable resource that unlocks doors and allows us to venture into new places . . . but it can also be used to reinforce separation, to encourage fearful huddling, to add deadbolts to doors that previously had simpler locks. Through e-mail and instant messaging, we can now huddle into like-minded groups across great distances—but we can also learn about and become close to those who are different from ourselves, more fully than previous generations could have imagined. Similarly, ever since television coverage of Viet Nam put a war into our living rooms, and especially since a group of hijackers brought terror onto the screens of our computers and televisions one September morning, professional communicators have made it impossible to ignore the violence and confusion outside and have kept us aware of all there is to dread—while, at the same time, professional communicators have also helped those who yearn for reconciliation to tap into the deep wisdom and help that religious traditions offer in this historical moment.
Your calling is to cover the tug-of-war between fearful huddling and expansive embrace and everything in between, to comprehend those who tug in this direction or that, and the tensions that emerge as they do. Your calling is to enhance communications within and among the huddlers, the embracers, and the many who are both by turns. This is tremendously important work, undertaken in the near presence of confusion, occasionally on the edge of violence, and almost always in the midst of fierce pressures—pressures on time, on budgets, on equanimity. For those who answer this calling, at least for those among you whom I know, safety and comfort are rarely attained.
Huddling with the like-minded must be quite tempting, even for those who have been drawn to a field that prizes the exchange of information and insights. (Is that what happens at a trade convention like this one?) But such huddling is an uncertain and unstable enterprise in this world, and especially in this season: for into the room, through the locked door, comes the Risen One. Speaking Peace. Breathing Spirit. Unlocking and opening doors. There is no place into which this One cannot go.
This has been a terrible year of news about religion. Many of my friends, who used to complain that religion got too little attention in the press, confessed that they were waking up each morning with the hope that the paper would bear no new disclosures. In stories about clergy sexual abuse and the failure of church hierarchies to punish and prevent it, the wounds that pierce the Body of Christ, the church, have been laid bare for all to see. The Catholic church got most of the unwanted attention, but wounds upon the bodies of many other churches have also come to light. Not all made the front page, but surely each of us here knows of similar wounds, similar violations, in our own churches. We also know of efforts to cover the wounds prematurely, to lock them away, out of public sight. For fear.
Other wounds inflicted by Christians upon other Christians have also been perpetrated and shamefully exposed to public view this year. Divisive struggles within a number of communions continue, some conducted with great bitterness and vicious acrimony. Deep discouragement grabs hold of denominational leaders forced, once again, to trim their staffs because the money to pay them has vanished—partly because of the economy, but also because of organized opposition to denominational leadership. In other communions, those seeking to fortify the walls between the church and the world also end up building walls within the church itself, as, in the name of purity or unity or truth, they try to evict or exclude others from office, from the sacraments, from ministry.
And war has left countless grievous wounds as well, upon all whom it has touched. It is reported that President Bush plans to declare victory in Iraq this week; but the prospect of more warfare, whether of the officially organized or of the intermittent, everyday kind that is so familiar in many parts of the world, continues to hang over the Middle East, including the land called holy by so many, though with little shared understanding of what that holiness is.
Your calling is to gaze upon all these wounds and countless others and then to go and tell others what you have seen. In the midst of this difficult and exhausting task, it is to you that the Risen One comes speaking Peace . . . and as he speaks—what wonder!—displaying the wounds on his own body. Only within the embrace of Christ's peace can the disciples bear to look at his hands and side; and within the embrace of this same peace, you too are able to look. The disciples even begin to rejoice, as they understand that what was broken has been given back to them whole and new.
This is the heart of this story—the wounds and the joy, both together. And it's the heart of the church's stories and the world's stories as well. You who are called to attend closely to all these stories are unlikely to escape from the painful task of gazing upon horrible wounds; but you are also privileged to be present with and to much joy, as that which has been broken becomes the source of new life. A new congregation flourishes in a once-abandoned building. A long and fruitful life is celebrated at the time of retirement or burial. New hymn texts and melodies arise when some of the older ones seem no longer to give voice to our praise. Young people emerge who are eager to take up the cost and joy of discipleship. How can this be? Only within the embrace of the strange peace of the Risen One is this possible.
Having spoken Peace, this same One breathes Spirit, so close to the disciples' faces that they can't help but inhale the moist, warm, holy air of God's presence. The Risen One gives these exhausted, depleted, fearful women and men a second wind, a renewal of energy, a fresh blast of the life that Yahweh had breathed into their first parents at Creation. "Receive this," he says as he breathes upon them.
Those of us who follow the lectionary contemplate this passage from John's gospel every year on the second Sunday of the Easter season. As the years circle around and we ourselves change over time, this story offers fresh gifts again and again. This year, I notice the fear and the wounds, yes—but I also notice the generosity of the Risen One, who does not condemn or criticize the haggard, fearful disciples for fleeing into the comforting familiarity of their little community. Instead, he greets them, gives them cause for joy, and breathes into them new life.
You do your work at the punishing pace and in the midst of the crushing demands of the information revolution. Do you bring to this place, to this convention, wounds that come from having too much work to do, too little money in your budget, and too few colleagues with whom to share projects and concerns? During this season of Easter . . . and during these days of professional renewal . . . I encourage you to inhale the new life this Risen One offers as it swirls between him and you and your colleagues—including even those who are likeminded. Breathe. Receive.
Along with this warm, moist, holy breath, this Holy Spirit, comes also a commission. "As the Father sent me, so send I you. Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained." This amazing and mysterious commission has been interpreted in many ways across the centuries, as the power to forgive and retain sins has been claimed by some to the exclusion of others. However, there is a sense in which all have a share in this power. How we account for and interpret our own sins and those of others—how we tell our own stories and how we listen to and tell theirs—can open doors to forgiveness or lock us and others into the dark cells where we continue to cling to our sins. For professional communicators, who have such great power as story-shapers in this wired, literate culture, the possibilities of opening or closing doors depending on what you take to be the heart of a given story are immense. Write therefore with compassion, as well as with honesty. Remember the commandment not to bear false witness, and remember also Luther's interpretation of its meaning: put the best construction on the deeds of your neighbor.
To get to the heart of a story, journalists frequently find one person whose experience illustrates its central themes. The author of John's gospel is hardly a journalist; but even so, this is an author who definitely understands the power of the individual story. Again and again in this gospel, Jesus comes face to face with one who has been living in darkness and calls them into the light: Nicodemus, the woman at the well, Mary Magdalene . . . and now Thomas. On Easter night, while most of the disciples huddled together behind locked doors, Thomas was absent. The ones who were there have told Thomas about their encounter with the Risen One, of course, but he just hasn't been able to believe them. Actually, he does believe the part about the wounds—the wounds are what he remembers, what he insists on touching. The part he can't get is the joy, the new life: the peace, and the breath, and the sending out into a way of forgiveness.
A week later, the disciples have gathered once again, and this time Thomas is there. The Risen One appears just as before. "Peace be with you," he says. For Thomas, this is enough; he who doubted falls down and cries out the truth about who this One is: "My Lord and my God." And then Thomas's individual story is woven back into the story of the whole people of God, the story of those who will believe in future generations. Your story. My story. "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe." Blessed are we.
Blessed are we, yes . . . though somehow it's not always easy to accept this blessing. After all, aren't we enlightened ones more comfortable with Doubting Thomas than with the Thomas who comes to believe? Perhaps the assumptions of the modern world view partly account for this difficulty in identifying with Believing Thomas. But I wonder whether something else, something worse, is a more important obstacle: our own fear. It crops up at that moment when we know that the Risen One can enter every one of our locked rooms, but before we have agreed to open the door and depart into the great outside. Will we be undone if we trust this word of Peace, if we inhale this holy Breath, if we set out into unknown territory carrying in our own hearts the power to forgive, or to retain, the sins of those whom we meet?
Thomas, according to tradition, is the apostle who headed east after the closed door of the disciples' gathering place was flung open. As the apostle to Syria, Persia, and India, he must have crossed through what is now called the West Bank, and then trudged on through Jordan, and Iraq, and Afghanistan. History knows little of his journey, but we may be sure that he went unarmed, his only weapons those of the Spirit.
Women and men who have been greeted in peace by the Risen One have been leaving locked rooms and setting out on amazing journeys for two millennia. Today, the capacities for communication of which you are the stewards can both summon God's people to remarkable adventures and play an important role in equipping them for their travels.
Breathe deeply.


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Each year around this time, kids all over start thinking about candy and dreaming up ways to increase their load. The kidlet is nearing the end of his trick-or-treating days (already his friends are eschewing the idea), but this year he is still excited. If it's for the costume or the candy is unclear, but we've got 10 days to go and he's already bouncing off the walls.
One of the challenges we face each year is making up the costume. The kidlet has never wanted to be "a firefighter" or "a crayon" - oh no no. Those might be easy. One year he was an Arcadian Beast (I didn't have a sewing machine, so the whole costume was done by hand), another year he was a Nemian Lion, another year a tank. Last year it was a pilot - but not just any pilot, one who flew a certain type of jet with a unique uniform. And this year... sigh... a "dragon insectoid" (half dragon, half dragonfly).
In the process of creating these amazing works of imagination, we end up piecing together bits and pieces of all sorts of things. Part of the process is creating the plan, but the far more difficult piece is finding everything you need to put it together. And thus begins my story...
As is our usual process, we first travel around the costume shops to gather inspiration and see if there is anything we can use to enhance the costume. Since this year's creation requires the head of a dragon, in particular I was hoping to find something already made for that piece. I can make wings, and the dragonfly eyes I figured out - but how to make a convincing dragon head? So off we went in search of a dragon mask.
Always before this year, I've been extremely careful about which sections of the costume store we walk through - but the dragon mask required a little deviation. The masks are usually back with the zombie costumes. So we found ourselves walking through a horror shop, with kidlet's eyes growing larger with each step. I could see it happening - overactive imagination going wild with all of that horrific new information. The clown costume with glowing eyes (think Stephen King's "It") made him stare for a good 2 minutes until I finally pulled him away (with his eyes not leaving the clown's face until we turned a corner and he couldn't see it any more). That was on top of the skeleton at the first store that was motion-activated, and started moving and laughing maniacally when the kidlet walked by - making him jump about a foot off the ground.
Needless to say, by the end of our shopping trip (which was sadly ineffective in finding a dragon mask), the kidlet was visibly shaken. As we were getting into the car, he complained, "Why is Halloween becoming so much about bad things?!" I had to explain the origins of Halloween (All Hallows Eve and All Saints Day - well that was the version I told him anyway), and also how I've kept him out of those scary parts of the stores before. He listened intently, but I was nervous that the images he'd seen would stay with him, like so many images from the news, or movies, or anything remotely unsettling have done. Welcome to the world of super-sensitivity. He's already hyper-anxious about pretty much everything, and I'd just added some new horrors to his ever-growing list. Great job, mom.
I remembered as a child having a horrible series of nightmares about a billboard in my town that advertised the Stephen King movie, "Carrie." Nothing could convince me that the blood that covered the front of her gown wasn't her own, from having her skin flayed from her body. In my own over-active imagination, she was dying - and the horrors that had been inflicted upon her were coming for me next. I had nightmares for weeks over that scene. (It wasn't until years later I heard the story of pig's blood being thrown on Carrie in the book/movie.)
Seeing that look in my kidlet's eyes reminded me of those days... but fortunately the kidlet is much older than I was (4yo) and managed his fear far better than I was able to. I'm pretty sure he has had some nightmares - he hasn't said anything, but he has been extra tired and hyper-sensitive to stimuli during the days. But he will learn from this, as I did, one more step down the road of learning to manage his own over-excitabilities.
And his costume is going to be great.
A gifted individual is a quick and clever thinker, who is able to deal with complex matters. Autonomous, curious and passionate. A sensitive and emotionally rich person, living intensely. He or she enjoys being creative. -definition of giftedness written by the Netherlands Study on Giftedness in Adults
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Halloween and OEs
2 comments:
It's at times like these I'm really glad Halloween is not such a big deal in Australia! I can just imagine the weird and wonderful (and oh so particular) things my DD would dream up! Good luck with all the added colours, flavourings and preservatives!!ReplyDelete
BTW - I really enjoy your blog and have nominated you for Liebster Blog Award!! Yay!
Oh wow... thank you, Ingi! That is such an honor to be nominated!ReplyDelete
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Congratulations to Chantal Ringuet
FAS extends congratulations to Chantal Ringuet and Gerard Rabinovitch, winners of a Canadian Jewish Literary Award in the category of Jewish Thought and Culture, for their book, Les Revolutions de Leonard Cohen (Presses de l'Université du Québec).
Leonard Cohen, one of the greatest poets and songwriters of the contemporary era, has touched people throughout the world. But moreover, he was both a Montrealer and a Jew. Ringuet and Rabinovitch's collection of essays presents his work as the soul of the Jewish world deeply rooted in Quebec culture.
Nine outstanding books have been chosen to receive the Canadian Jewish Literary Awards for 2017. Now in its third year, the Canadian Jewish Literary Awards is a non-profit organization that annually recognizes and rewards the finest Canadian Jewish writing.
Over 60 works on Jewish themes by Canadian writers were submitted for consideration. Winners have been declared in the following categories: fiction, memoir/biography, poetry, history, scholarship, Jewish thought and culture, Holocaust literature, Yiddish, and children and youth fiction.
"The depth and breadth of the submissions shows the vibrancy of the culture and the appeal of Jewish themes for fiction and non-fiction writers, both Jewish and non-Jewish," says jury Co-chair, Edward Trapunski.
The awards ceremony will be held on October 15.
For more information, visit email@example.com.


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The trials and tribulations of a software tester on the Prairies. I'm a Software tester who is passionate about my craft and career. Software testing is both, it's a highly skilled, thought provoking, challenge and joy. Join me in my journey to become a better tester as I implement the ideas of those smarter than I. I'll talk about what worked, what didn't and why I think it didn't.
October 2, 2013
MindMaps in Testing: Mid-week
So what have I done with mind maps so far? Two of my common tasks have been moved over to mind maps. Test planning for newly completed features, and my daily activity log. I have in fact combined these two into a single map, one for each day, where testing won't span more than a day. Where testing will be a multi-day or multi tester effort, I've split it out into a separate map. The daily activity map has helped me track my day and make notes on the activities that I do. I've marked with color finished tasks, blocked task, bugs found, future investigations and test results. The color enables me to quickly look and see what I need to remember. I used to do this with my notebook, but it's been hard to find the tasks and future investigations easily later when I go looking.
The tool that I've been using has a mode where it will auto color the nodes for you based on a color change at the leaf level to indicate that you have completed a task or been blocked if you are using your MindMap as a plan/to-do. I don't usually write detailed plans, I write down a list of areas I want to test, and some notes under each of those about why or how of that testing area. This feature the MindMap software that I'm using allows me to quickly look back and see what area's I have left to cover in upcoming charters, and update based on the charters that I've completed.
All in all, MindMaps have been a good addition to my work. I haven't had to share the information in them with others yet, but I expect that to be helpful also.
2 comments:
Can u share the mindmaps (sample) ones..and the software u use ?ReplyDelete
"Here - the is repeated "This feature the the MindMap"
Thanks for sharing.
Sure. I have been using xmind, but this week i've been using www.mindmup.com more. It has some nice features for collaborative MindMaps and auto-coloring nodes above the current node for bubble up status when you are using the MindMap for tasking or tracking.ReplyDelete


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Girl Bedroom
Cool Girlish Bedroom Design Ideas for Teen Girls
Days pass so fast, yesterday you were just searching for how to design a nursery room and now you are looking for a design for a teen girl room. It's a different situation because this time you have a partner that you should consider her opinion and am here for you both to make it an easier mission. Starting with choosing the color of the walls; always go for the colors that represent your daughter's character. For example, go for the bright colors like blue, purple or yellow. You can use some dark colors like dark grey, dark green or dark purple. You can also mix between dark and bright colors like painting a wall with dark purple and painting…Read More »
Little Girl's Bedroom Decorations – The Dummies' Guide to Unlock Her OMG Moment!
It is quite challenging to decorate your daughter's bedroom and you may face many difficulties. The hardest challenge is to find a way to design and make her a room that last for many years to come. Of course, do not expect your child to stick to her habits forever of having some cartoons on the walls of her bedroom. That is why you should be able to provide her bedroom with such a design scheme to overtake her growing environment. As a result, you can save a bunch of money instead of remodeling her room from time to time. Unleash your little sweetie girl wow and admiration of her bedroom decorations by following these ideas. Make Her Private…Read More »
Teenage Girl's Bedroom – How to Decorate your Little Princess' Castle
Your little girl's bedroom is her own castle, so the way you decorate it will have a great influence on her lifestyle. It might be a daunting task as teenage girls are extremely hard to please. They have their own preferences and taste about almost everything. If you're trying to get it right, keep reading this article. Hopefully, it'll help you in your task. Firstly, you need to do a thorough cleaning to the entire bedroom. Get rid of everything that's useless and donate things that aren't needed any more. After that, start measuring the bedroom's width and length to know exactly what size of furniture pieces will fit perfectly in there. The most important part of any bedroom is…Read More »
Girl's Bedroom Decoration – Ideas About Girls Bedroom
A lot of ideas are available for girl's bedroom decoration; it needs the incorporation of decoration tools such colors, accessories, and bedding. The choice of theme determines how ornaments like lamps, colors, curtains, and wallpapers will be used. We can explore examples for themes of girl's bedroom decorations which are also suitable for their ages like: 1- Queen's room: the classic dream of girls to be a queen, it's easy to find decoration tools for this theme and it also grows up with girls, so it will save your money. We can use pink, or red. Canopy bed is an important piece of a queen's room. It's suitable for kids. 2- Night time: the most necessary colors for this theme…Read More »
Get the best for your teen-girl from 2018 decorative bedroom ideas
When it comes to your teen-girl bedroom choice, there is no limit to block you from getting the best for your teen-girl. But before making your choice, you should know that it is not your only choice it is a task for two. You and your daughter should work together to create her own palace, her private space, and comfortable zone. 2018 provides many and new decorative ideas to enhance any teen-girl room beauty and creativity. Pink is no more the only and official color for girls; the girls have also different taste and favorites. Man of them may like pinks or even all of them but not alone. Pink is great but in 2018 colors for girls are versatile…Read More »
2018 interior design ideas for decorating baby or teen girl rooms
When it comes to decorating baby or teen girl rooms the interior design ideas are limitless. Just you need only to consider some feature for each room a baby one or a teen girl room. In this article, we are going to discuss everything about these issues and the latest trends available in 2018 market. First, we will talk about a baby room, you need to know what to consider first when decorating a baby room. a baby room needs to be calm and warm where the baby feels comfortable, safe and cheerful. For this purpose, you should get the best of 2018 interior bedroom design for your precious baby. A soft and warm color scheme is great for a…Read More »
Some useful tips for decorating a teen girl room
Does your girl become a teenager and she wants a remodel for her room? if your answer is yes, thus you need to think and rethink about how to help your princess to have her dream room. in this article, we aim to help you to realize this challenging task. The first thing you must keep in mind is that a girl taste and preferences are different from others. Every girl has its unique character and she wants always to show her personality in every aspect of her life from clothes, makeup, and personal stuff to her room decor and furniture. This means that you need to know what the things that your little girl likes are. For doing so,…Read More »


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Mesa Grill Sedona offers the best breakfast in Sedona. We offer a unique mix of Chef Mercer's Award-winning, San Francisco style combined with traditional Southwestern favorites.
With a hustle of the day, Mesa Grill Sedona offers a relaxing venue to take a break and enjoy the scenery. Watch historic biplanes, jets and scenic tours take off across the world.
Offering the best views for dinner in Sedona. Chef Mercer again blends a unique style of modern and traditional All-American and Southwestern dishes. Mesa Grill is also the only place in Sedona that does not have a sound ordinance. Making it a perfect place to have a wedding in Sedona or host your next corporate event.


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Meets monthly on the 4th Tuesday at the Parish Office at 7:00 pm
The Sacred Heart Pastoral Council is a consultative body of elected parishioners who provide vision and assist the pastor in giving direction for our parish. Members serve a 3-year term. Elections for new members are held the 1st weekend in June.
Current members of the Pastoral Council are:
Rob Ronk-President
Stan Johnson
Thomas Fennessy
Kyle Thompson
Jarod Kastl
Jessica Ternus
Kevin Classen
Sarah Jensen
Melanie Wemhoff
Maria Hernandez-Hispanic Representative
Mark Fitzgerald-Appointed member-Secretary
Pat Carney-Trustee
Kathy Rockey-Trustee


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text: It began with a puppy named Clemmie Simone Crawford from London volunteers for Royal Trinity Hospice in Clapham, as part of the Pets as Therapy team. Here Simone shares the reasons for getting involved and the rewards of the role. My husband Jeremy has COPD and had been advised to keep walking, so we thought a dog would be the ideal companion. We decided that a Border Terrier would be an appropriately lively breed and the rights size for a London garden, so in 2009 an 8-week-old Clemmie came into our lives. Then a few months into her twice-a-day walking we realised we had made a whole new circle of friends, not only other dog walkers but also neighbours where Clemmie became a great ice breaker. Sadly, as Jeremy's COPD worsened his share of the dog walking diminished, but 3 years ago, a fellow dog-walker, who was also a GP, suggested that regular physio classes at Trinity might be beneficial. Our own GP duly referred him as an outpatient and so began our association with the Hospice. On occasion, we took Clemmie in and she enjoyed the attention, stunning gardens and odd bit of cake that fell on the floor. Eventually Jeremy became a member of the Patient Liaison Group and in the past year or so Clemmie and I have tagged along at their monthly meetings. I'm sure all pet owners would say the same but Clemmie has always had the ability to lift my spirits and make me smile. So, when another dog walking friend mentioned "Pets as Therapy" (PAT) I knew it was the right sort of volunteering for us. Since stopping work I had wanted to volunteer and get more involved with the local community, but hadn't found the right opportunity. We undertook the PAT training and Clemmie received her one and only certificate, of which we are very proud. It was then up to me to pass Trinity's interview and training course for volunteers, having an HR background I was very impressed with the rigour of this process and the care taken to make sure that you are volunteering in the right area and for the right reasons. We had a full days training and six assessments to pass. Volunteering is very like dog walking. You meet lots of interesting people and for a moment in both your lives you swap stories and experiences. The most poignant lesson is that people don't change; chatterers are chatty, raconteurs are still funny and happy to share their lives and private people remain private and this must be respected. I have had wonderful conversations about mindfulness, religion, and fascinating family stories, shared the beauty of the spring gardens and discussed the merits of Donald Trump. You never know the turn a conversation will take or what you will learn. Clemmie is now nearly 8, loves her weekly visit and happily trots around the hospice and takes the attention in her stride. I feel humbled by the staff's dedication and enriched by the conversations and only hope that our visits have contributed in a small way to the general well-being of staff and patients alike.


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Roseville council votes to buy License Center strip mall
$2.3 million purchase contingent on due diligence period
With the goal of shoring up its License Center's future and addressing long term city storage needs, the Roseville City Council voted Jan. 29 to approve a $2.3 million purchase agreement to buy the strip mall where the center is located.
Barring issues with the building or other circumstances, the agreement becomes official March 30.
What to do with the License Center, located at 2719 Lexington Ave. N. in the Lexington Shoppes strip mall, just north of the Roseville City Hall campus, has been an ongoing discussion on the council since at least late 2016.
Successful despite its cramped, outdated space and long waits for customers, the center was set for expansion and renovation, when, late last year, council members balked at the more than $600,000 price tag for the work.
Though the city just signed a new five-year lease for the center with annual rents topping $100,000 and more through the life of the deal, council members said the cost of improving a space the city does not own was just too high.
"I just can't justify those dollars on something like that," council member Bob Willmus said at the Nov. 27 council meeting, pointing out the city could not rely on a lease renewal being available in a half decade's time, investment or not.
At that same meeting, the council voted to negotiate with the mall's owner, Gaughan Properties, about the possible purchase.
The agreement gives Gaughan a one-year, renewable option to purchase the adjacent city-owned Fairview Fire Station property for $867,000, for possible future redevelopment.
The company would also continue to manage the mall, which currently has four other non-city tenants, for at least a year at a cost of $2,000 a month.
According to Ramsey County property tax records, the county-estimated 2017 market value of the strip mall was $1.58 million.
To buy, or not to buy
The council voted 3-2 at the January meeting to approve the purchase agreement, with those in favor — Willmus, Mayor Dan Roe and council member Jason Etten — arguing that buying the building helps the city in a number of ways.
"It's an opportunity to solve several short- and long-term needs for the city," Etten said, including ensuring future investment in the License Center is not wasted, providing the city with more space, and further off into the future, providing it with a potential place for a community center.
Etten also pointed out that between cost savings on rent, License Center revenue, and potential rent revenue from mall tenants, the purchase could be made without affecting the tax levy.
"We are not asking the taxpayers to subsidize this purchase," Roe said, adding that even if the city owns the entire mall, the non-tax exempt parts of the property can remain on the tax rolls.
Prior to the vote and as a backstop against the purchase agreement falling apart, the council passed a resolution to authorize the use of eminent domain to obtain the strip mall. While discussing that resolution, which passed on the same 3-2 vote, council member Tammy McGehee laid out part of her opposition to purchasing the mall.
"It puts us in the position of being business people in the community, which is a role I don't think we should take," she said.
Later, despite saying she didn't think the purchase was a bad idea, McGehee said she didn't think the city had explored all its options nor had it properly engaged the public in the decision. Nobody spoke during the meeting's public comment time on the purchase.
Council member Lisa Laliberte agreed that the process leading to the purchase agreement vote could have been better; she said the city "failed" in not bringing in the public for a larger discussion of the move and that the decision could have been more transparent.
"In the long term, I think it is a good piece of property. For me, the time for purchasing it is not now," Laliberte said.
Nearly official
A 60-day due diligence time period is built into the purchase agreement. During that time, which ends March 30, the city will conduct an environmental study of the mall, check the condition of the building and property and examine the building's title, among other things, according to City Manager Pat Trudgeon.
Trudgeon said if the city finds any problems with the property, it can back out of the agreement. Otherwise, once the due diligence period has passed, the city will close the deal and own the mall.
As of now, Trudgeon said there are no plans to remove the other tenants in the mall, and the city is looking to rebid the License Center renovations this year, though he said when that will happen has yet to be determined. Assuming the deal is closed, he added, the city will begin to use space at the mall for storage.
The License Center opened at its Lexington Avenue location in 1999. The last major renovation of the current 3,300-square-foot space happened in 2003.
It's a proven money-maker for the city; in 2016, according to city Finance Director Chris Miller, it grossed $1.7 million. After covering center costs, that year there was a surplus of $350,000 that was used to help fund other city programs.
At various council meetings in the past year, Miller, who oversees the center, has said customers are frequently seen turning around and leaving when faced with the long lines at the License Center. He's also described the center's interior as "institutional," and council members have been in agreement that the space is in need of renovation and expansion.
Even with her opposition to the purchase of the strip mall, McGehee has been candid about the License Center's place in the city. "I think it is important for people to have a good experience coming to the License Center because it is a cash cow for Roseville in many ways," she said in November 2016.
– Mike Munzenrider can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com or 651-748-7813


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Red & White Santa Hats
- 1 box Stonewall Kitchen Sugar Cookie Mix
- 2 sticks butter, softened
- 1 large egg
For Royal Icing:
- 1/4 cup meringue powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup water
- 3-4 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
- Find a cute Santa hat cookie cutter and bake cookies according to box instructions.
- Make royal icing*. Dye some of the icing red and keep the remaining icing white**.
- Ice the hat red. Then, ice the pom pom as well as the head band white.
- Then, decorate! Here are some ideas:
- Small white nonpareils, sanding sugar or shredded coconut for pom pom and head band
- Large nonpareils as dots for the red hat
- White dots of icing on the red hat. Drag a toothpick through the dots to form teardrop shapes.
*Royal Icing Directions:
- Combine meringue powder, salt and water in a bowl.
- Mix on low with a whisk attachment. Increase speed to high and beat until soft peaks form.
- Slowly add confectioner's sugar until desired consistency (if icing gets too thick add additional water to adjust).
*Tip: It's hard to achieve a nice, dark red when making colored icing. Use a good quality red food dye, preferably gel or powder. It's best to make it a day ahead - it'll darken over a 24 hour period. Another trick is to make the icing substituting maraschino cherry juice instead of water. The icing will be pink to start, so it'll turn a deep red color after adding the dye... and it'll taste delicious! Be sure to cover the icing with plastic wrap, placing the wrap right on top of the icing, so air doesn't come in contact with the icing (which causes it to harden).
Jam-Filled Cookies
Here are two fun ways to fill cookies with jam. Any flavor jam will do, but my holiday favorites are Stonewall Kitchen Seedless Raspberry, Mixed Berry and Raspberry Peach Champagne Jam.
- 1 box Stonewall Kitchen Sugar Cookie Mix
- 2 sticks butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 jar of your favorite jam
- A touch of confectioner's sugar
Directions (for version number one):
- Make sugar cookie dough according to package instructions.
- Roll dough to 1/8 to 1/4 inch thickness.
- Cut into 1 1/2 - 2-inch rounds.
- Place 1/4 teaspoon jam down center of cookie.
- Bring sides of cookie dough towards center and pinch together.
- Bake according to package instructions or until light golden brown.
- Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar and serve.
Directions (for version number two):
- Make cookie dough according to packages instructions.
- Roll dough to 1/8 to 1/4 inch thickness.
- Cut into 2-inch squares.
- Place 1/4 teaspoon jam in the center of each square.
- Bring corners of the cookie dough towards the center. Pinch dough corners together as well as the seams.
- Bake according to package instructions or until light golden brown. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar and serve.
Chocolate Sugar Cookie Delights
- 1 box Stonewall Kitchen Sugar Cookie Mix
- 2 sticks butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- 4 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate
- Chopped, toasted pecans or crushed peppermint candy
- Bake round or heart shaped cookies according to package instructions.
- Melt chocolate in the microwave or in a double boiler.
- Top or dip half of each cookie into the melted chocolate.
- Sprinkle chopped toasted pecans or crushed peppermint candy over chocolate.


text: PAPUA NEW GUINEA FTO KETO-TAPASI A/X coffee is sourced from family owned farms organized around the Keto Tapasi Progress Association. Keto Tapasi is an association of more than 377 coffee producers located between the Eastern Highlands Province and the Chimbu Province, Papua New Guinea. Keto Tapasi was formed when two tribes (the Keto and Tapasi tribes) came together to work towards a single common goal of creating a bright and a sustainable future for their families through coffee. The tribal communities plan to use fair trade premiums to improve access to healthcare and education.


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Monday, October 12, 2009
What's on the easel ?
"What are you working on now"?
I now invite you into my studio to see what's on the easel.
Most artists are funny about showing work that is not completed. Looking at an unfinished piece you get to see the mistakes, the re-works and you have to remember that the painting may change before it is completed. It's like an author writing a story. The story may change several times before it is finished.
This painting is 30 x 40 on stretched canvas and depicts a trio of hunting wolves. I have been working on this painting for quite some time. My painting time has been greatly reduced due to the Parkinson's disease. When I have a day with no or just minor tremors I have to take advantage of it and work as long as I can.
These three wolves have picked up the scent of a rabbit. The rabbit is hiding in the hollow log in the foreground of the painting. Over to the left, two wolves are standing, watching for some movement.
What is interesting about these two wolves is that wherever you move in the room, not only do their eyes follow you, their entire heads turn and follow your movements. I hope you can move your head from side to side and see that ,indeed, their heads do turn.
I hope you don't get caught moving back and forth at your computer . . . your sanity might be questioned.
The larger wolf in the middle ground has picked up the scent of the rabbit but has been interrupted by the presence of YOU the viewer.
The eyes of this wolf follow you as you move about the room, although the head remains straight forward.
There is alot of work to complete on this painting and many problems to solve. Do you show the rabbit in the hollow log? or not and let it be part of the viewer's imagination? Do you add any more wolves? Many questions to be answered and many problems to be worked out.
This next painting is just about finished. On a stretched 24 x 36 canvas it shows seventeen pelicans and is appropriately titled; "Seventeen Pelicans". I need to finish the pelicans in the foreground and add a little more detail to some of the other pelicans.
Have you found yourself "counting" the pelicans ?
The viewer is automatically drawn into the painting by counting pelicans.
There are only 15 ?
I guess two flew away.
This 30 x 40 stretched gallery canvas shows
Iris . . . . . this was going to be my entry for the
ESMarts team September challenge.
Tremors kept me from getting it done in time.
Oh well, maybe next time.
This 30 x 40 painting of a frog diving below the water is a "toughie". It is painted from a view below the subject, looking up.
Above the frog will be seen the shadow of a Heron.
"The Great Escape" as a title will tell the story for the viewer in just a few words.
I don't know if it is that enjoy a tough challenge or that I am a glutton for punishment.
Besides all the visual problems in completing this painting . . . who wants a painting of an expensive frog hanging on their wall ?
I do have to admit I am enjoying working on this one. Doing all the little air bubbles under the water, caused by the splash of the frog, should really be fun.
The last painting I have on the easel is a 18x24
stretched canvas entitled
"Spirit of the Eagle Dancer "
I love doing pieces like this, it's just in my blood.
This will be posted on my Etsy store . . . .
Well, so much for what I have on the easel. When these will be completed, I have no idea.
At least you can see that I am not just sitting around feeling sorry for myself. I welcome your comments about what I have on the easel and any thoughts you have.
Be sure to take a look at my Etsy store . . . http://coastalartist.etsy.com/
11 comments:
- Sheree said...
Amazing...you are so gifted. I am at a loss for words.
- October 12, 2009 at 11:57 AM
- Betty BeadBug said...
I love them all but the "Great Escape" is my favorite...for all the same reasons you enjoy it. You reminded me today that while having pneumonia hasn't been fun I can't really complain, it's transitory and this to shall pass. Thank you.
- October 12, 2009 at 1:56 PM
- A Beaded Affair said...
Your work is so exciting to me. You know I would love to sit next to you and watch you work. I can be very quiet like the bunny.
- October 12, 2009 at 4:25 PM
- Jewelry Elegance by jill said...
Awesome is only one of many words that describes your beautiful art. I love them all, and yes I counted the Pelicans, more than once. The Iris just might be my favorite!
- October 12, 2009 at 5:53 PM
- Anna Lee H. in Toronto said...
I'd love to watch you work too... but I can't guarantee that I'd be all that quiet! LOL
But I'd keep ya supplied with plenty of your favorite tea and snacks - oh and all kinds of great conversation :)
btw Van we never get enough of your wolves
- October 13, 2009 at 3:06 PM
- Mary Anne Gruen said...
I love the wolf painting the best. But I guess I have a weakness for wolves. Coyotes I'm not so sure about.
Not only is your work a wonder, your drive is too. Keep up the good work!
- October 14, 2009 at 6:19 AM
- Mary Anne Gruen said...
I've given you an award at my blog http://www.StarlightBlog.com Don't worry if you don't have time to do the whole award thing. It's sort of a group award, even though everyone is listed separately. Just know that your blog and your work are appreciated.
- October 31, 2009 at 2:05 PM
I first time visit in this blog. I find this blog have relevant information.
- December 15, 2009 at 9:56 PM
- Dena said...
I just today discovered this blog and I am just blown away by your wonderful talent!!! WOW! I will be back often to see what you are painting. Can't wait to show your paintings to my hubby. He will love everything you have posted on this blog just as much as I do.
- January 9, 2010 at 11:18 AM
- Victoria said...
I love watching a painting in progress. I understand the process. You certainly have a lot on your plate. I believe the frog painting is my fav. Also, it was good to see your studio.
- August 5, 2010 at 9:08 AM
- Sarita said...
Love your blog. You have some great ideas and beautiful pieces. Have you seen this press release and news article? Blogrower on Typobounty is a new game changing concept and could greatly affect online blogs like yours. You can become a registered hunter (it's free to join) and make money by finding errors on internet websites. Secondly, you can submit your blog on their site and increase your blog readership by allowing hunters to hunt for errors on your website. Imagine huge numbers of hunters reading every word. I just thought you or readers might be interested.For more information please check out the press releases at
- January 26, 2013 at 10:20 PM
It's always nice to do a painting that says what you feel or saw without having to explain alot about the work. With a minimum amount of brush strokes and detail, the birds say it all. Morning Gossip!
This oil painting was done on a 24x36 inch stretched canvas. This painting is hanging in our livingroom and has added greatly to our tropical decor. Joyce says it's time to share it with someone else. LOL


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Kicking it off is a review of a new book titled "Inside the Great British Recording Studios." Oh, and that microphone you see in the top photo? That's a Telefunken U47 and it runs about $10,000 US. A great microphone is about the only thing that hasn't changed in the recording studio:
The technology that Jagger and Stones road manager Ian Stewart fitted into a good-sized truck to go mobile is now available inside a well-equipped personal computer and sophisticated audio interface. It's now possible to make a very good sounding record in a project studio -- particularly if the goal is to record a demo recording; drum machines and drum loops eliminate the need for a large room and scads of expensive condenser mics to record a drummer, and excellent samples of strings and other orchestral instruments are readily available. Guitar and bass modeling devices, and beautiful sounding hardware and software synthesizers fill out the rest of the band. A vocalist can be recorded via good condenser mic, a portable vocal booth, and a carefully-treated room.
It's my feeling that we haven't had enough funny items in the miscellanea lately, so, to rectify that, I am going to put up a non-musical item. This is a collection of some of the best corrections of 2015 in the media:
I have no idea what kind of suit Mark Steyn threatened the Ottawa Citizen with, but it must have been a doozy!"Norma Adams-Wade's June 15 column incorrectly called Mary Ann Thompson Frenk a socialist. She is a socialite." - The Dallas Morning News."Correction: An earlier version of this article misidentified the number of years E.B. White wrote for The New Yorker. It was five decades, not centuries." -The New York Times."Just to keep the record straight, it was the famous Whistler's Mother, not Hitler's, that was exhibited at the recent meeting of the Pleasantville Methodists. There is nothing to be gained in trying to explain how the error occurred." -Titusville (Pa.) Herald."Karol Wojtyla was referred to in Saturday's Credo column as "the first non-Catholic pope for 450 years". This should, of course, have read "non-Italian pope." -London Times."The Ottawa Citizen and Southam News wish to apologize for our apology to Mark Steyn, published Oct. 22. In correcting the incorrect statements about Mr. Steyn published Oct. 15, we incorrectly published the incorrect correction. We accept and regret that our original regrets were unacceptable." - Ottawa Citizen and Southam News.
Casals' first visit and tour of the United States came in the year 1901, when he traveled across the nation with a popular vocal artist, Emma Nevada. It was to have been an extensive series of engagements, with performances in 80 different locations! However, midway through the tour Casals suffered a serious injury to his left hand, while hiking in California. He had been climbing Mount Tamalpais, near San Francisco, when a large rock somehow become dislodged, and fell on his hand, crushing some fingers. Casals said that the first thought that came to his mind at the time was, "Thank God, I'll never have to play the cello again!" It may be helpful to amateur cellists, and young professionals, to remember that even the truly great musicians of history have had to contend with self-doubt, stress and burn-out. Casals, master of the cello that he was, still was always nervous before and during performances.
I was in an ear-training class with people like this: ear-training virtuosos that came up through the Québec Conservatoire system from a young age. They could not only do stuff like this, they could sight-sing anything in any clef you liked. But were they musically creative? Not especially. A friend of mine with perfect pitch was nearly driven mad playing in a Baroque ensemble doing the Brandenburgs because they were using A = 415 instead of A = 440. Everything either looked wrong or sounded wrong!
Pierre Boulez, who has died aged 90, was arguably the single dominant figure of the classical musical world through the second half of the 20th century and beyond. Without his compositions, his legacy of recordings as a conductor, his writings on music and his administrative skill and drive, the musical scene today would be of a quite different order. To some extent this dominance was achieved by the application of remorseless logic to both organisational and interpersonal problems. But at the same time he was a man of great warmth and charm.I will have some posts on Boulez in the near future, but I see that Amazon is temporarily out of stock of his Oeuvres Completes. There is much that I would disagree with in the above evaluation, though. As a conductor, he was outstanding, as a composer, however, he had little influence in the last few decades, tied as his music is to the hyper-complexity of the immediate post-war years. There are lots of people that might disagree with that statement, but I hope to provide some basis for it in future posts. It is as an ideologue and behind-the-scenes manipulator that he had perhaps an unfortunate influence on the music world. Still, it is time for a thorough re-evaluation and perhaps I might change my mind!
This discussion, also in the Guardian, is closer to the truth, I think: "Pierre Boulez changed how we listen to the music of our time."
This is not to deny that Williams has a history of drawing heavily on established models. The Tatooine desert in "Star Wars" is a dead ringer for the steppes of Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring." The "Mars" movement of Holst's "Planets" frequently lurks behind menacing situations. Jeremy Orosz, in a recent academic paper, describes these gestures as "paraphrases": rather than quoting outright, Williams "uses pre-existing material as a creative template to compose new music at a remarkable pace." There's another reason that "Star Wars" contains so many near-citations. At first, George Lucas had planned to fill the soundtrack with classical recordings, as Stanley Kubrick had done in "2001." The temp track included Holst and Korngold. Williams, whom Lucas hired at Spielberg's suggestion, acknowledged the director's favorites while demonstrating the power of a freshly composed score. He seems to be saying: I can mimic anything you want, but you need a living voice.


text:
Monday, May 2, 2011
Through the Flames- First Sample Chapter
The first sample chapter, which is Chapter 1, of Through the Flames has been posted on my website.
Here's the link.
That will be one of three sample chapters posted.
Now, I've gone through and proofed that chapter, so there shouldn't been any grammar or spelling errors with it. Hopefully I didn't miss any.
Oh, and when you go to it, you'll notice two things at the bottom of the chapter. It says "Back" and "Next Chapter."
Back is a link.
Next Chapter is not a link.
Don't try to click on Next Chapter in the hopes that the second chapter, which I'm writing at the moment, will show up. I put it like that so that I could turn it into a link after I'm done writing and editing Chapter 2.
Thanks for reading.
7 comments:
- cmcwiki said...
I must say, while the story is original, the ending of the chapter seemed similar to the conversation mikoto and sasuke had about fugaku and itachi. It was almost word for word, but then again ideas and concepts have been unintentionally repeated before.
- May 4, 2011 at 5:17 PM
- Ryne said...
I honestly don't know what you're talking about. I always avoided anything regarding Sasuke when I still watched Naruto, so it has to be a coincidence.
- May 4, 2011 at 5:24 PM
- cmcwiki said...
probably. It was an episode in part one centering itself on sasuke's childhood. basically the conversation i was referring to was: Sasuke is upset because itachi is all his father ever talks about or pays attention to and he desperately wants his approval, Mikoto tells sasuke that whenever they are alone Fugaku only talks about Sasuke.
That is what i was referring to.
- May 4, 2011 at 8:16 PM
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text:
Firestone tires have helped Baltimore residents go the extra mile, time and time again. When you need new tires or are looking to upgrade your current set of wheels, turn to Firestone Complete Auto Care.
Whether you're sporting a Mini or a Mercedes, we can help select the best tires for you and your budget. Our 1,700 tire store locations have a multitude of different tire options that can outfit everything from a minivan to a sports car. And with brands like Destination, Dueler, DriveGuard and Firestone, you know you're getting top quality tires. Find the perfect tires to match your driving needs with Firestone Complete Auto Care. Our crew of tire experts can get the ideal set of tires for your car. Want to shop online? No problem. View our full tire inventory and buy tires online. With the tire selector, you can see tire size, brand, type, and even price. We know that safety is priceless, so we want to help you get more out of your purchase while also helping you stay safer at the wheel. Our Firestone Complete Auto Care team will happily help with all your tire needs. Expect more from your car and make a tire appointment in Baltimore with Firestone Complete Auto Care today.
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text:
Valencia Casanova (ref: B33862)
Monthly rental with 35 m2 private terrace and free internet close to Hospital Clinic
- Floor: Undefined
- Square metres: 80 m²
- Up to: 4 people
- Beds:
- 1 living + dining room
- 2double bedrooms
- 1study
- 1 open-plan kitchen
- 1 bathroom with shower
- Private terrace: 35 m²
- Distance to center: 1.1 Km
The manager
Recently booked
1 bedrooms
From: €1200
2 bedrooms
From: €1150
3 bedrooms
From: €1450
2 bedrooms
From: €950
2 bedrooms
From: €900
2 bedrooms
From: €1120
2 bedrooms
From: €7
1 bedrooms
From: €795
2 bedrooms
From: €900
2 bedrooms
From: €1200
4 bedrooms
From: €1800
We offer you...
- Payment protection
- Lowest price guarantee.
- Transparency, with no additional costs.
- Emergency phone 24h / 365 days
- Office in central Barcelona
- More than 10 years of experience.
Description and details
Apartments in the Eixample district. Wonderful and sunny penthouse with a terrace and excellent views over Barcelona. The apartment comprises two bedrooms with beds of marriage, a kitchenette, a bathroom with shower and a terrace of 35 m². Its modern and comfortable decoration will make you feel at home from the first day. In addition, features with Internet, TV, air conditioning, washing machine and more.
Great location in Barcelona's Eixample, near Hospital Clínic. Perfectly communicated by metro (nearest stop: Hospital Clínic L5) and buses.
- 2 double beds
Bathroom and Laundry
- Bedlinen
- Washing machine
- Elevator
- Air conditioning
- Internet WiFi
- Portable heaters
- TV: International channels
- Heating with split heat pump
- Sea views
- Private terrace: 35 m²
- Dishes and kitchenware
- Refrigerator
- Microwave
Area: Eixample esquerre
- Hospital Clínic: 470 m
Mercat del Ninot
170 m
Paseo de Gracia
(Promenade / Street)
890 m
940 m
(Building / Construction)
1020 m
Show more
View prices and book online
House rules:
Pets Not allowed , Smoking: Allowed
Age restriction: The reservation holder must be at least 18 years old.
Included in price: Internet WiFi, Bedlinen.
Form of payment upon arrival: Cash, Credit card or Bank Transfer. Payment by card has a 1% surcharge. American Express has extra of 3%. Rentals with a duration of more than 3 months will be charged on arrival for the first 2 months. The rest can be paid each month depending on the guarantees offered.
Others: The cost of supplies is estimated to be €120/month. Upon arrival customers will need to make a reading of the relevant meters. The actual expenditure may be higher or lower than the estimate depending on level of consumption. Reservations longer than three months require the client to send the following documentation
Upon receiving the apartment keys you will be asked to pay a deposit of € 3190.
Payment method: Cash, Credit card or Bank Transfer. Payment by card has a 1% surcharge. American Express has extra of 3%. Refund: Between 15 and 45 days after departure.
Check-in and Check-out:
Arrivals from 10:00 h. Arrivals after 19:00h have an additional charge of 30 €. Weekends and/or public holidays arrivals have an extra charge of €30.
Check-out freely according to your schedule. After the departure of each client we reserve two days for a full clean, inspection, and maintenance of the accommodation.
Have a question to ask before booking?
In order to be able to offer economic rentals, we only accept reservations that start within 12 days of another booking.
Valencia Casanova can be reserved only if the booking start date is between 31 Dec 2022 - 12 Jan 2023
Upon clicking accept we will show you a list of available apartments.
Upon clicking accept we will show you a list of available apartments.


text:
Discover How Mutual Awakening Can Expand Your Consciousness So You Can Activate Your Own Potential and Our Shared Evolution.
Sign-Up for Free eBook & Live Event
Download the Mutual Awakening e-book and register for a complimentary event with Patricia Albere
Mutual Awakening is a powerful spiritual opening that occurs between two or more people who have turned toward each other and become sensitively aware of the field between them. This profound level of connection brings us into an inner world that only exists between us. This shared inner space, sometimes called inter-subjectivity or 'we-space,' is a new frontier in consciousness.
During your first experience of the Mutual Awakening Practice, you will sense the connection with something that is much bigger than yourself and know that you have opened a portal to a new world of existence. You will no longer feel separate from the person you are with – no longer trying to meet across the chasm of space between you – you will know viscerally that you are inside reality together. Love and intimacy naturally arise and you will experience a kind of 'being in love' that is evolutionary. It takes us beyond romantic love into what we call 'the multiple beloveds'. It's a force that comes from the heart of the cosmos bringing us together in unity.
Download the Free ebook by Patricia Albere, Mutual Awakening: Mutual Awakening, Opening into a New Paradigm of Human Relatedness. The Mutual Awakening ebook is devoted entirely to exploring the profound experience of mutual awakening.
Then, you will be prompted to register for a Free Live Event with Patricia Albere to talk about Mutual Awakening and the Evolutionary Collective, and how your participation will benefit you personally, your work in the world, and the evolution of humanity.
Sign-Up for Free eBook & Live Event
Download the Mutual Awakening eBook and Register for a Free Live Event with Patricia Albere. You will have the option to register for the Free Live Event during the next few months to suit your schedule.
From these experiences of Mutual Awakening in the Free Live Event with Patricia Albere, you will:
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text:
Mutton (Lamb) chunks with bone-300gms
Onion medium sliced-1
Tomato medium diced-1
Curry leaves-few
Water-1/2 litre
Turmeric powder-1tsp
Salt to taste
Roast and grind
Peppercorns-1tbsp and Coriander seeds-2tbsp
For tempering
Pressure cook mutton pieces with onions, tomatoes, ground spice mixture, curry leaves, turmeric powder, required salt and 1/2 litre water for 20 mins. Meanwhile heat ghee in a tadka or small pan. When hot add vadagam and remove pan from heat. Add this tempering to the prepared soup and serve hot.


text:
|Last of the rolls!
Sesame Bread Rolls
350g plain flour
1 sachet fast action yeast
200ml warm water
1tsp salt
2tbs olive oil
1tbs vegetable oil
beaten egg
1tbs sesame seeds
Sift the flour into a bowl and add the yeast from the sachet.
Dissolve the salt in the warm water and add to the flour and yeast. Add the olive oil and mix it all together to make a dough.
Knead the dough on the table, dust the table with flour if the dough is sticky.
Knead the dough until smooth and springy.
Coat the dough in the vegetable oil and place in the bowl. Cover the bowl with cling film and put in a warm place for 30-45 minutes until doubled in size.
Grease a Swiss roll tin.
Take the dough out and knead again until springy. Divide into 8 or 9 pieces and shape them into rolls, place them onto a Swiss roll tin, leaving space in between them.
Cover with cling film and a tea towel and put them back into the warm place for 30 minutes, until they get bigger and start to touch each other.
Heat the oven to 220˚C, GM 7.
Take the tea towel and film off the rolls, brush the rolls with egg wash and sprinkle on the sesame seeds.
Bake in the hot oven for 20-25 minutes.They will be golden and will sound hollow when wrapped with a knuckle underneath. Cool on a wire rack.


text:
Solution For Brain Control website is a place where people can add their ideas to find a solution to stop mind control. Find solutions for all those targeted which soon be our children. Post your idea on solutions that work.
We need to encourage everybody to look for the solutions to protect citizens against the crimes committed with the use of these remote technology weapons and/or methodologies and diligently promote the care for victims of stalking crimes who have limited resources or avenues for a safe environment.


text:
Director: Scott Rosenfelt
Producer: John M. Bennett, Lawrence Robbins & Scott Rosenfelt
Cinematographer: Massimo Alesseo
Editor: Ellen Goldwasser
Music: Victoria Dolceamore
Running Time: 84 min.
Language: English
Country: USA
Expected to Attend: Scott Rosenfelt
As the editor of the Baltimore Jewish Times, Phil Jacobs grapples with a story that threatens to polarize his readers when he uncovers testimony about sexual abuse by rabbis and other authority figures in the Orthodox Jewish community. Filmmaker Scott Rosenfelt follows Jacobs as he confronts the accused and faces backlash (even death threats) from those who want the scandal concealed.


text:
We decided to forge the 9 hour drive with the baby because a.) we miss Mark and Heather and Charlotte and Ruby and b.) we were pretty sure if we didn't do it now, we would never ever do it.
My MIL, Lori, came with us and her and Scott did most (okay, pretty much all) of the driving. She kept commenting on how the drive "isn't that bad" and how wonderful all the little towns were. And okay, I like small towns- but if you've seen one tiny town in Wyoming, you've seen them all and it really doesn't break up the miles and miles and miles of sagebrush in between haha!
This is why arriving in Gillette was such a breath of fresh air. That city is rich. Like, RICH. There is a coal mine there that keeps the rec center and the library awesome. Sure, they only have Wal-Mart, but they also have many free services and a $65,000/year per capita statistic.
I was thrilled when Heather and Mark gave us a tour of their new town and you could just tell how truly happy they were to be there. They have a cute house and cute kids and a job. I mean, what more could you ask for, right?
I am sad we did not get more pictures, but I was having fun. However, I was much to thrilled with the cousin bath that happened after swimming to not snap a few.
Scott and I had never hung out with just Mark and Heather before (weird) and we were excited. I did feel bad though because EVERYONE who goes to visit them asks to go to Mount Rushmore and they had been there 3 times in 2 months. Whoops.
We were going to go see the Needles, but the roads were super curvy and Heather and I were car-sick. I think we got lost a little too and we decided to just go home. My favorite part, though, was driving through a small rock tunnel only to come out and see a distant Mount Rushmore peaking through the trees. It was so unexpected and cool!
Later, we had the girls play dress-up and paint their nails and put on lipstick. Georgia just had a ball with her cousins and I wish I was a photographer so I could have captured the cuteness of "playing princess."
|This pose happened when I said: "get together for a picture" ... nerds.
The whole trip was a huge breath of fresh air and I am finding myself to be more productive than ever now that I am home. That is how I know the trip was a success- I feel refreshed and motivated instead of sad and sluggish.
But I'm done with traveling for a while, I swear. We have been beyond blessed this summer to have gone on so many amazing trips. In May, I was sure we weren't going to be going anywhere, and by Labor Day we had swam in both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, road-tripped a total of 51 hours, flown on two airplanes, and seen a gigantic statue of Abraham Lincoln in two places on opposite sides of the country.
Blessed does not begin to describe it.
What a pleasantly unexpected summer!


text:
AEA, a United Kingdom based international construction consultancy, provides integrated professional services and expertise across a diverse range of disciplines and sectors.
AEA strives for the highest quality and best practice in its approach to innovative and sustainable design solutions founded in evidence, research and expert knowledge in key sectors.
AEA's emphasis on close working relationships means that all aspects of art, science, technology and, crucially, cost and value management are constantly reviewed and monitored.
Achieving quality requires a subtle mix of culture, processes, resources and people. AEA's extensive experience, a combined 50 years, means its resource base and expertise can be utilised to produce great buildings and places in which to live, work and relax.
AEA's ambition is to apply its skills in a broader geographic context and to explore opportunities for innovation and dynamic projects through collaborations with clients, agencies and like-minded consultancies.


text:
AZOST – Azores Summer Time (Daylight Saving Time)
Also known as: AZODT – Azores Daylight Time
No locations currently on AZOST. Would you like to see AZOT?
Atlantic: AZOST is currently not observed because locations are on standard time and are observing AZOT.
Please use the search field on the right to find the correct local time in any city.
Azores Summer Time (AZOST) has no offset from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). This time zone is a Daylight Saving Time time zone and is used in: Atlantic.
Winter Time & DST
This time zone is a daylight saving/summer time zone, in the winter some places will switch to the corresponding standard time zone: AZOT (Azores Time).
Email Time Zone Indicator: +0000
An email sent from someone in the Azores Summer Time (AZOST) time zone will have the time zone listed as "+0000" in the headers of the email. (However, "+0000" does not have to be in Azores Summer Time, as other time zones could have the same UTC offset).
Where and When is AZOST Observed?
Atlantic islands/territories using AZOST in the summer and AZOT in the winter:
- Azores (Portugal)
Other Time Zones in UTC +0
Some time zones exist that have the same offset as AZOST, but can be found under a different name:
Time zones by continent/region
- Africa
- Antarctica
- Asia
- Atlantic
- Australia
- Caribbean
- Central America
- Europe
- Indian Ocean
- Military
- North America
- Pacific
- South America
No locations currently on AZOST
Find current time and time zone by city
Example cities
Portugal – Ponta Delgada (Summer)
Related time zones
AZOT – Azores Time (Standard Time)


text:
Bugs & Insects, Small Prints, Textures Design from Wallpaper Nation.
Featured in Wallpaper Book Botanical Fantasy by York Wallcovering
Double Roll Dimension 27 Inches X 27 Feet = 60.75 Square Feet
Design Repeat: 24 Inches
Design Match: Drop
Fragile butterflies flit above a solid ground in a delightful and colorful study like flowers on the wing. Mix and match your choice of seven selections, some with a softly crackled background and a bit of shimmer. Suitable partners include Ombre Ogee Damask or Horizontal Grass cloth in similar shades of pinks, greens, purples and more. WB5480
- Composition Fabric Backed Vinyl
- Features Washable - Strippable - Prepasted
- Match Type Drop
- Size 1.75 in x 1.75 in x 27 in
- Pattern Repeat 24 Inches in
- Color Green, Blue, White, Teal


text:
A couple of days ago, the lovely Kat of Kat Got the Cream was awarded a well deserved Kreativ Blogger award. Imagine my delight when I was included in her top 10 favourite blogs. As an award recipient, Kat was required to divulge 10 facts about herself, so in the spirit of sharing, here is my list of...
10 little known facts about myself
1. I still have 2 of my baby-teeth
2. I very much love my vegetables but have eaten llama, alpaca, guinea pig and possum - as well as the usual animals (note: I do NOT recommend possum pie as a hangover cure)
3. I have no real claims to fame - possibly the best I can do is having gone to school with Dennis Waterman's daughters. Oh, and Stephen Fry was at my brother's school play.
4. I must have a tissue with me at ALL times. Usually stuffed down one of my sleeves, or in a pocket. When I stand up, there's usually a tissue on the chair below that I've had tucked under my thigh. I can't explain it, it's just something I have to do. They are known as "my little friends" - thankfully, despite this, I have real friends too.
5. I love taking photos, but these days seem to only take photos of 2 things - bags and my daughter. Sometimes my daughter with a bag, occasionally my daughter in a bag, but most often it's one or the other.
6. I am an avid list writer. Again, it's a compulsion. Sometimes I sneak some easy stuff on there, just so I can tick it off (have a shower, eat lunch) I have lists of my lists. In fact, here I am, right now, writing a list... and I'd written down to do this on another list.
7. I'm just starting to become addicted to twitter. I'm not quite there yet, but can feel myself sliding towards it. Am very nervous about the possibility of overshare.
8. I love my name now, but hated it as a child growing up in Norfolk. I yearned for a nice normal name like Louise or Jane. One summer holiday I told the other girls my name was Aurora. Looking back now, I don't think that would have been any better.
9. My (not-so)secret shameful crushes (past and present) include Hugh Dennis, Jimmy Nail and Nigel Havers. And my girl crush is Claudia Winkelman - it's all about the fringe, the shoes and the sense of humour (for Claudia that is, can't explain the rest of them!)
10. I have many ambitions/goals for the future (being the best Mum I can be, volunteering with a charity, be a nicer person etc ) but right now, the one that makes me take a big deep breath in and out is the thought of a month's yoga retreat, somewhere gorgeous like India or Bali. Feels like a very long way off, but it's okay, it's on my list!
And lastly, here are my fave 10 blogs: