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Plant Snowdrops (later)
They are bulbs and must therefore be planted in the fall. However, you can "force" them if you don't live where there is snow.
Planting to have for Candlemas if you don't live in an area that gets cold is easy. Snowdrops look best in a wide pot that is at least 4 to 6 inches deep. Make sure that the roots have at least 2 inches to grow down. Use a few rocks on the bottom for drainage and fill the rest with good potting soil. They will look best if they are crowded together so plant them about ½ inch apart, pointy side up.
Then put in refrigerator for 15 weeks, make sure to water every so often. Take them out and gradually wake them up, indirect sunlight and 60 degree temperature. Soon the shoots will be 3 to 5 inches tall. Put them in direct sunlight at room temperature (about 70 or so) and they will bloom within about 2 weeks of coming out of the refrigerator.
If planting in snowy areas plant outside in partial shade and water every so often during the fall and winter. Soon as it starts to warm the snowdrops will grow, sometimes even through the snow.
After blooming, the leaves need to grow and photosynthesize. When they yellow and wither remove those leaves and leave the green leaves. You can fertilize in the fall and winter.
Ice Candles
What better way to celebrate Candlemas than with candles?
You will need:
A clean wax coated cardboard box (like a milk carton)
A chime candle (those small ½ inch by 4 inch candles)
Candlewax (beads are best or you can chop into tiny pieces)
Ice pieces (not crushed)
Take the wax coated cardboard box and place the chime candle in the center. Fill the rest of the carton with ice, the smaller pieces the better. Melt your wax in a double boiler or microwave. Be careful that it doesn't catch on fire by heating it too fast! If using a microwave keep your eye and stop and stir every 10 seconds or so. When it turns liquid take it out – it will be extremely hot, so again be careful. Slowly pour the wax into the mold. When pouring, slowly move the pouring pot to different places so you are not pouring in the same spot constantly. Wait until it is totally cool before ripping away the box. And done.
Prayer for the Blessing of Candles
You can bless your candles with any prayer you choose or take them to church. If they don't bless candles at your church, here is a prayer you can use. In the old days, they would first purify the candle by passing it through incense three time and then the pray over the candles. This is a variation on the prayer from the Vatican Exorcist Father Gabriel Amorth.
"May this candle fix in our minds the image of God who loves us all, who is ever gentle and kind and picks us up when we slip and fall. May He guard us from evil traps and watch over us day and night, that our faith may never collapse as we walk always in the path of the light. May God bless all who use this candle in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen."
Spring Cleaning
Yes, it doesn't sound much like a celebration, but when you're done you'll feel sooo much better. In Scotland in earlier times, they would take everything out of the house and clean it and make sure that light, from the sun or from Candlemas candles shined in every inch of the place so that no darkness (symbolic of remaining evil) would have place in their lives. Once everything was cleaned, light shined upon it and then put back, they would then make crosses. Sometimes Saint Brigid's crosses (her feast day is also Feb 2), and sometimes out of rowan sticks (also representing St. Brigid for legend says a rowan tree grew outside her front door ensnaring any evil that thought to come after her) – either cross would be tied with red sting (representing the flame of the Holy Spirit, shining in the world) and put over the front door inside the house.
Making Saint Brigid's Cross
This can be done with rushes, wheat, long grass, even pipe cleaners, but for clarity's sake I will use the term rush, because in the story of Saint Brigid she made a cross of rushes from the floor and converted a King.
You will need:
16 rushes of equal length
Raffia or Red string
Take the first rush and hold it straight, then taking the second fold it in half around the middle of the first. It should look like a weird sideways T. Then turn it 90 degrees counterclockwise so that the first rush is horizontal to the floor and the second is pointing up. Now take the third rush fold it in half placing it around the second rush and pointing to your right. Make sure it is all the way down and touching the first rush. Rotate 90 degrees counterclockwise again so that the third rush is pointing up and the first rush is now going straight up and down. Then fold the forth in half and place it around the third, and half of the first and pointing to your right. Again, make sure that it is all the way down. Keep turning and adding more rushes until you have used all sixteen. Tie off the ends with a piece of raffia or red string.
Present Jesus at the Temple
I have personally never done this, but it is a very big deal in some Latin American countries. They take the baby Jesus from the manger that they used at Christmas and dress him up, usually baptismal clothes, but sometimes other things like soccer uniforms, tuxedos, etc. Then they put him in a basket and bring him to Church on Candlemas, some churches bless the figurines. Then they bring him back home and set him up in a little chair and celebrate with a feast.
Eat Pancakes
Pancakes are the oldest festive food known to man, and it is the traditional food of Candlemas. The reason being that pancakes are round and golden and therefore representing the sun, one of the main nature symbols of Christ. They are made of eggs for remembrance of God's creative power, flour as a symbol of the staff of life, oil long associated with blessings of God, and sugar for the sweetness of Life. You could have them for breakfast or they make an excellent dessert with blueberries (for peace and protection, and one of the fruits considered a favorite of St. Brigid) and whipped cream (sweet reminder that you should use the "milk of human kindness" as a follower of Christ).
I also like to use a small amount of acorn flour in the pancake batter. I like to use acorn flour for Holy Days because of the symbolism of the oak, also known as the Jesus Tree. For the oak is considered a symbol of strength, virtue, and re-birth. Its tiny acorns feed us as Christ feed the multitude on so little. Its leaves and bark have medicinal properties as Christ healed the sick. And it teaches us to realize that not only are we of the earth as it has its roots firmly in the earth yet we need to strive, just as its branches always reach towards heaven. And it also teaches us love as Jesus did, for the oak's first branches form a cross. A recipe for Spicy Pancakes is in the post Candlemas Recipes.
Peace be with you.


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subset: commoncrawl


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Ever wondering how high your IQ is? You can always test it online for free. Is it accurate? Yes, it is. At least, this one is.
There is a society called the International High IQ Society. If you have an IQ above average (124-132) then you are considered intelligent, or have a high IQ, but not a genius. If your IQ is 133-149) You are gifted. Only less than 5% of the world population have an Iq of 133-149. Yes, you can be considered a Genius. But if you have an IQ of 150-up) You are totally a Genius. You do not think that anybody can have an IQ of 150 and up? I tell you what, i have a friend who worked in Crytek as a programmer, he is from Korea, a member of Mensa and has an IQ of 153!
While my IQ? Only 127.. Well, i was hoping 133 or something, but no...127. At least it is already above average and can be considered as an intelligent woman. But i am still not satisfied! I need to sharpen my brain more and improve my IQ. I will retake the IQ test again until i manage to get an IQ above 133. Is this cheating? No, because the IQ test in this site has different questions every time you take the test, and they do not give you the answers so even though you are answering the same question, you can not know whether you are answering it correctly or not. But the chance for you to get the same question is less than 10%.Maybe 1 or 2 questions from the total 36 questions. The test has 36 questions divided into 6 subtest: analogies, math, factual knowledge, memory, sequential reasoning, and analogical reasoning.
So how do you sharpen your brain? By training your math skills, your art skills, your memory, and eating ginkobilobul capsule might help you a lot because it can make the blood flow smoothly throughout your brain and enhance your memory and concentration.
Is it true? Yes! It actually helped me alot during my studies. I am famous for being a super fast learner. When someone taught me something. He only got to say it once then i will remember it. I guess my 127 IQ plus ginkobilobul supplement everyday equals to super concentration and memory.
The International High IQ Society has two type of test. The eCMA IQ Test and the TA3 IQ Test. You can forget the TA3 IQ test unless you are sure that you are one of those people with giftedly high intelligent. Because the TA3 test is a test that is specially designed for people with gifted high IQ. While the eCMA IQ Test is a normal test for a normal people.
If you got a high score, do not think that it is because this website is trying to trick you into buying their product, no no no. I have been asking my friends randomly to do this IQ test. And not all of them receive a satisfactory results. Some even only got 108 for his IQ test. But do not think that you are stupid if you got only 108. The truth is, 85-115 is normal. Why is it normal? Because almost 64% of the world population has an IQ of 85-115. While 14% has an IQ of 70-85 (means low IQ) and 14% has an IQ of 115-130 (You are only considered to have a high IQ if you have an IQ above 124)
2% people with an IQ of 55-70 (this is a disability), 2% people with an IQ of 130-145(Genius), and above 145-up less than 2% of the world population. Imagine that! And i knew one of them works in Crytek as a programmer.
Well, if you do take your test, and you do not want to buy the certificate, just click 'print screen' on your computer, and save the result as proof.
And also one more thing, do you know that if you have a boyfriend or a girlfriend whose IQ is lower up to 20, you will feel very stressed out going out with him/her? Because of the far IQ differences could make you and your couple unable to share intelligence issues or discuss problems.
It is the same goes for team leader. If the team leader has a too high IQ, he cannot direct his team mates. So a team has to have an IQ of almost the same height, with the leader slightly higher.
The International High IQ Society Website: Click here
International High IQ Society
Ever wondering how high your IQ is? You can always test it online for free. Is it accurate? Yes, it is. At least, this one is.
Leave a Reply.


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Fire Safes
Fire safes are a great way to protect important documents, memorabilia, and photos from destruction. Whether you already have a safe or are looking to purchase one for your home or business, we can help.
Before investing in a fire safe, there are several things to consider including:
- Burglary Rating
- Fire Rating
- Weight
- Measurements
- Fastening Options
What you plan to store in your safe determines which ratings to look at. For example, safes with class C ratings should only be used for storing valuables up to $50,000.
Our team of experts has more than 50 years experience combined servicing safes, changing combinations, and opening safes and is ready to guide you through this list to make sure you choose the best safe for your needs.


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DATE : April 10, 2013
Page 1 of 1
So Radio it is. I have decided to skip the bar and keep listening to Radio Barca for the live feed from their game with PSG. The winner will qualify to the Semifinal of the European Champions League. Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund are already through. They could be joined today by the winners of […]
I have always believed that everything happens for a reason. While it is not always clear at first why things take place in the instant and sequence that they do, there seems to be a connection binding things together.
I had wanted to watch this important game in the European Champions League. It looks like Messi will not be playing and perhaps that poses a problem for the Catalan team.


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One of the most popular foods on the planet is pizza, and it goes all the way back to 997 AD. Like everything else, there has been a battle for the bragging rights to pizza from Chicago to New York to Italy. Now everyone has their own opinion on pizza, and when you think of it, your version of pizza may be different than others. They have thin crust, thick crust, wheat crust, you can get a white pizza now, and even pizza's that look like a garden went and threw up all over the top of it. But, when you are asked the question, "What is the most basic pizza?" The answer is almost always a cheese pizza. Why? Well, cheese pizza is what most people think is the base pizza, before you start changing it or specializing it. So what is my point, and how does this relate to spirituality? I will tell you as I need to finish this article because I have made myself very hungry!
Love: The Innocent Bystander - Spoken Word by Al Fuentes
This is my first shot at spoken word. I didn't practice very much, but my intentions are pure so that is all that matters. This piece was given to me one morning as I was waking up. So in a half fog, I started to hear this beautiful message come through. By the time I was fully awake I was just finishing the piece, amazed at the gift I was just given.
Thanks for listening. Share on Facebook and comment below!
With Love,
Al Fuentes
Setting Suffering Free by Al Fuentes
It has been said that we create our reality, and suffering is a construct of the mind. But there are those that feel different, seeing suffering as something that happens to them, not by them. The one thing that they both agree on is that neither side wants it in their life.
So, what if…
What if the side that believes that we create it--yet still don't seem to stop it for themselves--use their mind to create no suffering for the ones that think it just happens to them.
And, what if the ones that think it happens to them--not creating it for themselves--just focus on stopping the...
The Dirty Truth by Al Fuentes
When I finally landed in Los Angeles, I knew there were many teachings in store for me. What I never suspected was that so many lessons would come from my roommate. I never thought this unassuming man in his mid-fifties would help me let go of so much. Now, before you get an image of a guy who looks like a modern day spiritual guru, let me give you some facts about him. He is a self proclaimed conspiracy theorist who is extremely introverted. He has shared with me that he doesn't like people, rarely comes out of his room, and I have never heard him shower or seen him do laundry in the 8 months I've lived there. He has lived in the apartment for ten plus years, and I don't believe he has cleaned once. This is coming from the five hours it took me to clean the bathroom and kitchen the first day I lived there. I felt like I was in an infomercial doing a before and after demonstration. Everything went from brown to white in just a matter of minutes! I was just missing the crowd clapping and the voice of the "call now" lady giving the 1-800 number. I remember when I was done, exhausted and dripping with sweat, I knocked on his door and asked him to come out and look at the bathroom. I was so excited, "Look! It is all clean!" His blank stare into the bathroom told the story;
The Journey Out of Distraction by Al Fuentes
I have spent a lifetime creating distractions that were designed to pull me away from my center, my truth, my connection with the universe. As I continue to grow I realize none of these distractions matter; not the debt, the house, or the material things. Even as I write this story, the universe has simplified life for me. The pen I used to share these words was borrowed from the coffee shop that I sat in. For paper, I used torn open paper bags, the kind that you would slide a warm muffin in and take on your way. Writing on the paper was especially enjoyable as with every stroke of the pen the paper crinkles, adding texture to the experience.
I cannot help but feel grateful for being given the opportunity to simplify my life. Some of the things that I have let go of have been by choice, and others have been chosen for me. It started when I went from owning a house to renting one, and it progressed from there. In the end of all my transitions I found myself renting a three bedroom house and feeling quite cozy living by myself. At the time, I felt like I had everything I needed. I had a car, bike, scooter, tech gadgets, and many other things, including my amazing clients. But, it is just when you think you have it figured out that the universe reminds you that you don't.


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Last Wednesday, I sat down next to a middle age woman, who rocked my entire world. Up until this last week, I had never had a conversation gone wrong with anyone I reached out to on the beach. Up until her, I felt pretty confident in myself, I guess you could say I had it coming.
She was alone on a blanket looking at the ocean, so I felt pulled to reach out. After commenting on her situation, I sat down and asked to share about my summer. She quickly turned defensive and said, "if I take the time to listen to you you have to respect what I have to say too."
Definitely took me off-guard.
She mentioned her belief that she thinks people should be good without having to "be good for someone or a reason." She hated the church and hypocrisy. I agreed. We all hate hypocrisy. She said her mother was partially Jewish, but she didn't desire to follow neither her heritage or Jesus.
She shared her story and I dug into mine, but somehow the words just wouldn't come out. She was defensive and her reaction made me feel as if she was a lost cause and nothing I said would change her mind. I shared the gospel, but it felt as if I was talking to a wall.
Soon, the tide swept in and she cut off the conversation and I walked away analyzing what happened. Her response made me feel inadequate. I walked away rethinking everything I believed in about sharing the gospel. I felt silenced and as if I couldn't say anything I thought I needed to.
But then I realized nothing I could ever say would ever save anyone. Only Jesus can unveil someone's eyes to every lie they've believed in or lived out and nothing I will do will ever be able to compare.
I walked away realizing I look at Jesus as a TOOL TO BE USED verses looking at myself as the TOOL.
That woman may have become more ignorant towards Christ after that conversation or maybe God used sharing the bridge diagram and my story to allow her to see God for the first time. The saddest part is I will never know.
Personally, the hardest part is knowing not everyone is going to Heaven. In fact, it scares me. How dreadfully scary is it to realize we know and carry the key to Heaven in our hearts. Often, we are so scared and/or selfish to take the time to share it. I let that fear of trying to save everyone hit me like a wall of bricks, but then Jesus sweeps in and reassures me that His plan is His plan alone to carry out. Yes, I should be living out the Gospel and sharing it, but I should not do it out of fear of trying to take everyone off Hell's hit list by my own strength.
I cannot save anyone, you cannot save anybody. Only Jesus saves. He uses us, not the other way around.
Yes, preach the Word and share the Gospel as often as you feel led to, but never let fear become the reason for sharing. Do not walk away from what felt like a dead-end conversation and believe that because it "went wrong" in your eyes means it was a failed mission.
God does not fail missions, in fact He scoops them up and fulfills them in His perfect timing. Jesus completes the mission. He uses you whether or not you reap and/or see the benefits.


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Aimed at project holders and companies in the tourism sector, the Challenge Fund started on 4th December 2017. Its objective is to find new and innovative ideas to meet and exceed the expectations of tourists, and to shake up this expanding sector.
As Claude Borna, Director of Sèmè City, explains, "Here in Africa, we have fertile ground for the development of a new form of entrepreneurship which is economical, agile, resilient, circular and truly inclusive. However we need to better support entrepreneurs, particularly in the area of skills development and access to capital. The Challenge Fund looks to break down these barriers and allow innovators to test their projects, in situ, in one of Benin's six tourist sites under development".
Les candidats finalistes, retenus après examen de leur dossier par les équipes de Sèmè City, d'ESPartner et de Vélior, and then asked to pitch their ideas to a panel at the innovation forum to demonstrate the feasibility of their concept and how it might improve the attractiveness of Benin as a tourist destination.
The chosen projects will receive up to US$500,000 (more than 250,000,000 FCFA) in funding as well as access to experts and Sèmè City incubator resources.
Book your place
Pour payer votre place, rien de plus simple :
Etape 1 : Cliquez sur le bouton Réserver ci-dessous et remplissez vos informations.
Etape 2 : Venez payer votre billet par Mobile Money ou en espèces à l'agence de Développement de Sèmè City.
Pour plus d'infos, veuillez nous contacter par téléphone au +229 69 07 74 99 or by email at email@example.com


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Preschoolers studying games academic enjoyable nick jr.. Play enjoyable online learning video games out of your kid's favourite nick jr. Shows! Something which is tough might be straightforward after we know easy methods to teach and learn about it. Don't ever force your children to review significantly on a regular basis as a result of they have got that situation in school. Kids can start taking part in the Sneaky Snacky Squirrel game as young as age 3 and it will hold their consideration till their effectively over 6 years old. I believe that video games are a very effective approach of getting students to apply abilities, because studying can, and should be enjoyable! Fish Smarty – Excellent web site for on-line learning by the usage of academic video games.
The SquidAngel School Bus is driving by your neighborhood leaving ~~~~~angel dus~~~~~ sprinkles alongside the best way! The recreation is meant for teenagers between the ages of 3 and 7, but even so, you may play it once more proper now and see why kids discover it enjoyable. If you need to encourage your youngsters to go and have fun open air, this toy is certainly for them (or for you). The introductory stage money video games will help your baby to determine the different coins and their values.
If they've transportable digital devices such as laptops, tablets or small devices with cameras, or if the school has a digital camera, college students can create a music video. A very academic article, i feel group work to be probably the most environment friendly approach, but ofc that is my opinion and i know it differs from scenario to state of affairs.
Then we made windmills and whirligigs, Creating a sturdy base from the large plastic wheels and a configuration of the wood connecting rods and the round wooden spools. Some of today's youngsters are already savvy about money and know greater than many of us adults do. It presents a number of video games that concentrate on K-eight math abilities, hosted by Pearson Education, Inc.
The value for these recreation cartridges can really add up, so with the older methods you may have better possibilities of finding used games for affordable. The language talent development options are the best way to show rising children about language in a pleasant method. The InnoTab (and LeapPad) is not going to be compatible with beforehand bought video games for the Mobigo and V.Reader.


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The pride of being called a home owner is one of the sweetest advantages that buying a home can accord to an individual. But beyond this, there are many more advantages that home ownership brings. Right now, you may have some hesitations and you're still contemplating if buying a house is a right move. Listed below are the advantages that will give you more reasons to strive hard and buy your dream house.
Increasing home values
Next to the pride of ownership, knowing that home prices appreciate over the years is another great advantage of buying a house. For the past years since the great recession, the real estate industry is on a rebound. Average home prices are starting to get upscale. With this trend, home owners are assured that a great investment is within their hands.
Deductions in property taxes
Depending on the state, home owners are also qualified to some tax deductions specially for a first home. But there are also instances when vacation homes also qualify for property tax deductions.
Increased privacy
Privacy is another advantage of an owned house. As compared to rented shelters, owned homes give the owners more capacity to decide on how they are going to keep their home activities private. Also, home owners can decide on who comes in and out of their homes at any given period of time – a very good privilege for families who often have visitors, gatherings, and friendly unions.
Provisions for expansion and improvements
Buying a home also gives the owner the right to impose expansions, changes, and other improvements. Shall time comes that an extra room is warranted due to an additional family member, then an existing room can be converted to another bedroom. Wall paint colors can be changed without having to secure permission to landlords. The kitchen and other house parts can be designed, decorated, and treated according to the aesthetic taste and functional wants of the owner.
Being a home owner is a beaming joy for many people. For some, it is a fruit of years of hard work and earning. To others, it is a sanctuary of love, care, and happiness. However you want your space to be called and identified, the advantages of buying a house is yours for grab.
Be a homeowner now and join other persons as they reap the benefits and advantages of the houses they bought. Searching for a house now, reach your local real estate agent and be in-the-know of the current listings.
If you're ready to take the next step in buying a home, La Cross Mortgage is here to help. We know it's sometimes difficult to even figure out where to begin. Our team is here to make sure you understand the loan process and to give you the guidance you need every step of the way! See if you prequalify for a loan today.
Click here to Prequalify with La Cross Mortgage!
Desare is an experienced realtor and Military Relocation Professional servicing the counties of Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade. With a team of 90 real estate agents under her, your chase for your dream house will be an easy and flawless one, assuring you to obtain all the professional assistance they can give. For more details about her services, hop on to http://www.skyelouisrealty.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Desare_A_Kohn-Laski/1496282
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9675360


text: Finance Your Dream Home In The Huntsville Area Imagine buying your dream home. Connect with a lender to help you make it happen. Our preferred financing experts are ready to guide you through the mortgage process. They are committed to fast, professional, courteous and personal service to help you understand and feel at ease throughout the entire process. As trained and certified loan originators, they specialize in financing homes in the Huntsville area real estate market. They are prepared to find the right loan program with the most competitive rates and low down payments for you! 1 Have Sponsored Lender Contact Me About Getting pre-qualified Applying for a home loan Comments, Questions, or Feedback Please do not submit any confidential information. This will be shared with both Keller Williams and Keller Williams. 2 About You First Name Last Name Email Address Phone Number I prefer to be contacted by Phone Email The best time to reach me is Anytime Morning Afternoon Evening Submit Sponsoring Lender Sponsored Lender Keller Williams Let me know how I can assist you with your Huntsville mortgage needs. I am here to help!


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Slack's latest round was made at a 100x ARR ratio!
This article was first published in the SaaS Business Asia's bi-monthly newsletter. Be the first to read future curated news and analysis about the SaaS ecosystem in Southeast Asia: Subscribe for curated news
Strong of 750,000 daily active users including 200,000 paying ones, Slack has raised an additional US$160m in April, this time at a $2.5bn+ (pre-money) valuation.
Founder Stewart Butterfield, says it's the best time to raise money "since the time of the ancient Egyptians" even though he has no use for the money. One of the upsides of fundraising is the impression it gives to customers: "it reinforces the perception for our larger customers that we'll be around for the long haul."
Read Stewart's insights in his interview with The New York Times interview.
While Slack's revenue has not been disclosed, as the basic plan costs US$8 per month, we can estimate the company's Annual Recurring Revenue to be at around $20m... which means that fundraising was done at a 100+ times ARR ratio!


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You are currently browsing the tag archive for the 'birth' tag.
Precipitate birth
After going into labour, some women get to watch a sunrise. Some watch a movie or do seriously silly things like baking a birthday cake – on a real birth day. Some get to light a zillion candles or even get some sleep while they wait. Some get to have an epidural. Awesome.
Well, as mentioned in my birth story's 'main act' (as per my previous post), I got to reach the hospital. In time to deliver baby. The end.
I suppose it doesn't happen all the time that someone books an elective c-sec for her firstborn only to end up with two vaginal births, without as much as an epidural??
From what I've read, only about 2% of women get to experience 'precipitate labour', which means baby appears less than 2 hours after the contractions started.
At the risk of sounding ungrateful, I must say that this was a rather intense experience. If something that normally takes many hours to get done is crammed into 2 hours, it has its downside. It actually carries much more risk to mom and to baby than a 'normal' birth.
I was fortunate to only have a grade 1 tear (the same as with my girl's delivery, whose birth story is here), but I doubt that my pelvic floor will ever regain its former glory. I've actually made an appointment with a gynae as I don't feel fully recovered after the birth yet – and we're nearly at the 4-month mark. I'm already back at my normal weight, so surely all should have been fine by now?
After my little girl's birth, I could immediately get up and walk (as in even before the retained placenta was surgically removed). This time however, it took me hours to summon the strength to go take a shower. I was really sore for at least 2 weeks. I also had really hectic after pains.
After the delivery, the gynae mentioned that a colleague did a photography course 3 years earlier and that he used to say he wanted to be notified if anyone attended an exceptionally bloody birth. I didn't ask why that thought popped into his head, but I can just imagine.
No-one is really sure why some women get to have such fast and furious births. In my case, maybe my ability to put my elbows on the floor like so might have something to do with it, yes?
Beautiful baby boy
As I waited outside the Clicks Clinic for my 2-week old boy to be weighed, I listened to the song playing in the store. "I'm falling in love all over again," someone sang. How wonderfully appropriate it was I thought, as I sat there with my heart lying swaddled in a blue blankie on my lap.
When I compared baby photos, it was amazing to see how similar my girl looked as a baby. Here they are as newborns:
One of the delightful things about babies is that they can't run and they can't hide. Therefore, my little boy is such a sitting duck for all those kisses I love to plant on those chubby baby cheeks. 🙂
And so, this is where the story book would say: "Then they all lived happily ever after."
On Monday 27 February, my little girl woke me during the early morning hours. She settled back to sleep again at 4 am. As was often the case after those nighttime interruptions during the pregnancy, I couldn't find my own way back to dreamland.
I was 38 weeks and 6 days pregnant. I lay in the darkness thinking how much I needed my little boy to arrive on that very day (as per my previous post).
After a while, Braxton Hicks contractions (I thought) started. I didn't take much notice initially as I had had similar 'cramping' during the prior two weeks. After the cramps intensified, I woke DH (it was 5:45 am) so we could start timing things. The contractions were 6 minutes apart and each lasted for about a minute! I realized our boy was probably on his way out!
I told DH I was going to take a shower and wash my hair. He called the labour ward. However, by the time I hopped into the shower, the contractions became excruciating. I realized I didn't have time to wash my hair after all.
I did last minute packing while DH woke my mother-in-law (MIL) and father-in-law (FIL), as well as my little girl. I loathed the idea of being doubled-over with contractions in front of MIL and FIL (in front of anyone, actually), so I ducked into my room whenever another wave surged.
DH packed the car in what felt like sloooow moooootioooon to me.. He told me later on that as my waters didn't break this time, he thought it was probably a false alarm!
I kissed my little girl goodbye and told her I'm going away for a bit, but that 'Ouma Els' would look after her. She simply said 'no' and didn't want to let me go. It was so sweet and I regret having had to rush that last precious moment as mommy to her exclusively. In all truth, I still felt so unprepared to become a mommy again.
The car rolled out of the garage at about 6:30 am. The contractions were no longer a joke. Neither was Monday morning rush hour traffic. I kept telling DH that the baby was in a hurry. A BIG flippen hurry!
I got started on the moaning and screaming part of labour. Between two contractions, I called the maternity ward again and told them they'd better be ready to deliver my hasty little dude once we get there. Provided he didn't make his grand entrance in the car, of course! DH became paler by the minute.
And that is how my dear, law-abiding DH (somewhat irritatingly so, really) ended up speeding along in the yellow, left-hand lane of Cape Town's N1 through the Monday morning rush hour chaos. (I doubt my DH has ever as much as skipped a STOP sign in his life, so when I recounted this bit of the tale to my parents later on they nearly killed themselves laughing.)
All in all, it was a rather embarrassing trip. Not only did I wonder whether my DH might end up killing us all by crashing into one of the (angry-looking) motorists along the way, but watching him weave through the traffic was painful on many levels. Geez, he was such a complete rookie at hell driving! But that's my man, alright! :p
We arrived at the hospital at about 7:00 am. DH parked in a loading zone in front of the hospital entrance and said he'd go park the car while I walk / waddle / crawl to the labour ward – as we had discussed earlier on. However, I was suddenly gripped by fear and begged him to just abandon the car and come with me.
On our way to the labour ward, we had to stop two or three times as contractions wracked my body. I felt somewhat embarrassed although there were fortunately not many onlookers. This preggo lady was obviously busy popping!
At the labour ward, I was instantly ushered into a delivery room. I hastily threw on the gown and provided a urine sample as requested. I kept on insisting they'd better call the gynae that very moment.
Soon as I was on the bed, they checked my cervix. Yip, fully dilated. (TOLD you so..!) They instantly called the gynae (WHAT? You haven't called him yet?!), assuring me that he lived very close by and would be there in minutes.
Every new contraction was by now starting before the previous one had even ended. At 7:11 my waters broke in a huge wave that went splashing onto the floor. There was meconium in the water (I didn't realize it at the time, but the gynae mentioned it afterwards).
Unlike during my girl's birth (which you can read about here), the nursing staff were great. They kept saying that I was doing a great job. It was so nice to hear, although I knew they'd have said it no matter what, considering the circumstances.. They also told me not to push. But my body was saying, "Like hell I won't push! Just watch me now.."
By then I was precariously floundering rather close to the edge of the bed. I was lying on my side and I remember looking down towards the floor, wondering whether I was going to go crashing down onto it before long. The nurses tried getting me to move to the center of the bed, but I could do little but cling to the side of the bed for dear life while my body had its way with me.
Shame, from what I remember poor DH was pretty pale through all the drama.
At about 7:20, just as I asked whether the gynae still hadn't arrived, I heard the doc's voice. I told him it was just my luck to be missing out on an epidural yet again!
During the following contraction he told me that the baby would be there in another push or so. "Yeah right!", I thought. I told him that the last time a gynae said that to me, it was another 2 hours before baby arrived.
Then suddenly, during the very next contraction I felt my boy's head slip out. His body followed during the subsequent contraction. (My little girl slipped out all at once, so I remember feeling slightly surprised at this.)
At 7:23 am, less than 2 hours after my contractions started, I became the mommy of my baby boy.
I asked whether he was beautiful and was told that he was very beautiful. I can't remember whether he cried, but the gynae suctioned him and someone put him on my breast. His fingers and toes were incredibly blue, but the gynae said he was doing great. His Apgars were 8 / 9 / 10.
And so, all of a sudden he was there! I was holding my baby boy. I looked at his shoulders, his arms, his legs and they were the most adorable, chubby little limbs ever.
The nurse asked whether she could take him to be weighed and checked, but everything inside me said, "No! I'm not letting him go." My arms tightened around him as I jokingly spoke those words out loud before reluctantly handing him back.
Whereas my little girl was a wee, gaunt little fairy at birth (at 49 cm and 2.7 kg), my little boy was a padded little cherub weighing 3.4 kg for his length of 51 cm.
Unlike last time, the placenta delivered without further ado (about 15 minutes later) – which was a big relief. It meant I got to spend magic hour with my boy this time round.
After congratulations from everyone around, the gynae asked whether it really took 2 hours last time. Haha, I admitted that I had exaggerated a bit. With my girl's birth, an hour and a bit passed between the gynae's declaration that baby would be there in one or two pushes and my little girl's arrival.
Before he left, the gynae said he was really impressed as it was pretty usual to be called out to a patient who came in fully dilated and to then find her dressed in a hospital gown. At that point the nurse asked about the urine sample. When I told her I had left it on the toilet, the gynae shook his head seemingly in disbelief and said, "You've managed a urine sample too!?" Haha! The things you feel proud of in the labour room.. Must be all those hormones. 🙂
I feel guilty when I recollect how unprepared I felt to be my beautiful boy's mother as I held him for the first time. I kept thinking how my little girl's arrival had totally rocked my world. Holding her for the first time was maybe the most overpowering moment of my life. This time round I felt dazed, to be honest, as well as scared of how the new baby might impact on the relationship I had with my girl.
Yet there in my arms was a wondrous little boy who was, just like my little girl 20 months earlier, in desperate need of all the love my heart could give.
My boy nestled against me and he was so small and so vulnerable. I lay there thinking what a good little boy he was. The month we decided (filled with trepidation) that we had better get our ttc #2 journey on the road, this sweet boy decided that he would be our second little miracle. When I told him that I needed him to arrive on Monday the 27th of February, he did just that.
He found my breast and started sucking with so much enthusiasm that I wondered whether he might suck my nipple right off my breast. He kept at it for what seemed like ages before he fell asleep contentedly.
Note: I'm (yet again) cheating by updating my blog retrospectively!
My little man arrived this morning and he is healthy and strong, weighing in at 3.4 kg. He did so well – made it to 38w6d and waited for daddy to come home before making his appearance.
As with my LG's birth (her birth story is here), there was no time for an epidural or any painkillers.
If my DH (law abiding citizen to the point of usually being irritating in this regard!) didn't speed along in the yellow lane with his hazards on through Monday morning rush traffic, I doubt we'd have made it to the hospital on time. Baby was born about an hour and half after I first mentioned to DH that I think he might be on his way.
In fact, if baby came a few minutes earlier, the gynae would have missed the birth! (Hmm, do they still charge you when they totally miss the birth? Maybe we can save a buck if we're ever blessed with another little one! 😉 )
I'm a very lucky mommy of a perfect little man.
I've finally finished the story of my LO's birth (and about time!), so here goes:
On the 16th of July just before going to bed, I complained to DH that I was feeling crampy. It was past midnight and I thought the fun-filled Friday evening around Chinese take-aways with my brother, SIL and delightful 2-year old nephew explained my discomfort.
I was 35w6d pregnant and the weekend's to do list was crammed with get-ready-for-baby chores: 'pack hospital bag', 'buy car seat' 'cook food to stock freezer', etc. At my gynae appointment only 5 days earlier there was nothing to indicate that baby was anything but cosily awaiting her due date (14 Aug).
At 4 o'clock, I woke up and went to the loo. A trickle started on my way there and I instantly knew it was amnio fluid. I was shocked to see some blood when I got to the bathroom. The trickle soon turned into a steady stream.
It turns out that the quickest way to wake a DH from his slumber is to holler from the bathroom that he should call the labour ward and inform them that we're on our way. I popped into the shower and then hurriedly threw a few things into my hospital bag.
At the hospital, a friendly, but both adamant and clueless porter made me troop through most of the hospital. This is very inconvenient while you're worried about the absorbency of maternity pads and whether you're trailing amnio fluid. I insisted that I needed to go to the labour ward, but he somehow thought I was supposed to first check into the ER. After ER told him to take me to the labour ward, he proceeded to march me to the maternity ward. He then finally took me to the labour ward, i.e. where I was headed before he intercepted. 😕
The monitor showed some contractions, but the cramps were not even close to as bad as my AF cramps so I was unperturbed. The gynae visited at about 5:30. He admitted me and said he won't give any treatment to keep LO in, but hoped that maybe she'd stay put for another week. My cervix was completely closed. He gave me antibiotics and steroids and then left for the beach. It was his day off and I was fine with seeing the on call gynae for the day.
When the on call gynae saw met around 8 am he didn't want to do an internal check as I was clearly not in labour and he didn't want to risk infection.
Considering the pregnancy was only at 36w, I did not want to have a C-sec should I go into premature labour. I previously booked an elective C-sec to avoid a long drawn out labour with a full term LO stuck inside followed by an emergency C-sec. Since preemies are very prone to respiratory problems, I didn't want to compound that risk by having a C-sec for a tiny little baby. Also, by not doing an elective C-sec, LO could stay put for as long as possible.
Not long after the gynae left, the cramps intensified. A nurse hooked me up to the monitor again, but the dumb machine somehow showed that the contractions were less severe than previously. The nurse believed the machine and told me not to worry.. Sheesh!
I popped into the shower after sending DH to buy some shampoo, but by then the cramps became severe. I worried I might pass out in the shower, so I got out and sat down on the physio ball.
At 9:30 I called the hairdresser between contractions to cancel my 10 am appointment. Having a baby seemed a valid reason for cancelling! 😉
DH returned with the shampoo (which was no longer required) to find me on that enormously silly ball, in tears. I then got to do all that undignified moaning, crawling around and screaming I thought I'd avoid when I originally booked a C-sec. 😦
I called a nurse once or twice, but they just went on about Braxton hicks and rolled their eyes at this 'overdramatic first timer'. I kept insisting that the baby was coming and that they'd better call the doctor..
At some stage a nurse thought it an idea to offer me gas for pain relief. I immediately started sucking the stuff like I was trying to make the cylinder implode. Alas, I can't say I was impressed by the pain relieving properties of gas. The nurse warned me to go less heavy on the gas as it could apparently make you pass out. I was still sitting on the physio ball (by then all slippery from amnio fluid) and woozily hanging onto DH – my pillar of strength – for dear life. Actually, passing out sounded like a lovely option!
At around 11 the gynae was back and I asked for an epidural the moment I saw him. He took one look at my cervix and told me it was way too late for that! I was fully dilated and he said that one or two big pushes would bring LO into the world.
His prediction was slightly off as it felt like a lot more than 2 big pushes that was needed. The gynae was generally great, but he kept marvelling at how naturally everything was happening. I was too otherwise engaged to give him a piece of my mind on what I think about 'natural' birth.. (You can read all about those dark thoughts here.)
DH was wonderful even though I would quite frankly have preferred him not seeing me like that. He kept telling me that I was doing amazingly well. He was even assisting the nurses, adjusting the bed and keeping me up to date on LO's progress ("I can see her crowning"!).
LO was born at 12:14 am weighing 2.7 kg and 49 cm tall.
I looked at her and felt the most incredible rush of love. After 9 months of carrying her (OK, 8), I was surprised to catch myself thinking, "There truly is a little baby! It was all true." (Gazing into her dark brown, dazed eyes, I bet she was even more surprised to see me.)
My worries of her being whisked off to an incubator was laid to rest when they put her delicate, pink body on my chest. My late pretermer aced the Apgar tests with with 9/10 and 10/10. As she lay on my chest, she lifted her tiny head turned it to the side and guardedly studied DH's face as he sat next to the bed.
After 45 more mins, the gynae declared the placenta stuck tight and I was rushed into theatre for an evacuation. Not too bad an experience really as I love anaesthetic. (Yes, seriously!) After an eventful night and having missed out on an epidural I loved getting some blissful 'time out'.
DH was kangaroo-caring for LO until I came out of the recovery room. Soon as I got to hold my LO, I wanted to never let go of her again. I fed her and she latched and nursed like a voracious little tiger cub. I thought it was amazing that she knew exactly what to do to be able to nurse.
The nurses kept asking whether they could put her in the nursery for the night and I kept replying that I wanted to hold her just a few more minutes. They finally took her at about 1 am, but I couldn't sleep anyway. At about 3:30 am, I tiptoed to the nursery and fetched my baby angel so I could hold her, love her and marvel at her tiny face some more. I waited for her long enough.
We were discharged two days later with LO weighing 2.5 kg. On my hit parade of favourite days, Take-baby-home day tops the charts as it is right up there with my wedding day. More joy, love and happiness were squeezed into that one day than one could ever dare hope for.
When we carried our little angel into her new home, DH turned to me and said, "Can you believe that we get to keep her? We never have to hand her back to some other parents again".
Before we knew it, she was here! Too quick for nonsense, c-secs, epidurals or episiotomies.
My baby angel was born 12:14 pm today (at 36w 0d) and she's strong and beautiful.
PS: Weighed 2.7 and drinks like a milk-seeking missile.
At yesterday's scan, our 'Babaliefie' weighed 1.47 kg. She is growing beautifully along the 50th percentile line, except for her tummy which is on the 90th percentile.
Sounds as if she's looking a bit like mommy then! My bump has by now totally popped out and I'd be a prime suspect if anyone asked "Who ate the soccer ball?"
As for my birth plan, having perused everything I could find on birth outcomes, I told the gynae that vaginal birth sounds like a good option to me only if it doesn't involve forceps, hoovers or an emergency c-sec.
The risks associated with an elective c-sec is much more acceptable to me than the risks (to both baby and me) associated with these less than ideal 'natural birth' outcomes – even if c-sec recovery would be a lot less convenient for me. All things considered and looking at my risks for having a not so uncomplicated vaginal birth, we're therefore thinking along the lines of an elective c-sec after 39 weeks at the moment.
I'm also doing very well, although I'm (I guess understandably) a lot more tired lately. I'm constantly at war with heartburn, reflux and nausea, although I still feel much better than in the horrible 1st trimester. With my favourite pregnancy reflux drug, Cimetidine, out of stock in the Western Cape (DH says it's cause I bought it all), I switched to Ranitidine which seems to be less effective for me.
Highlight at the moment: When I snuggle close to DH at night and hold him tight ("lepel-lê"), our LG loves kicking her daddy in the back/buttocks. It's the first game that LG plays with her daddy and DH so loves this.
When people ask whether I'm going to give birth 'naturally', I have to wonder: What could possibly be natural about pushing your first child out of your (beloved, nice and tight) vajayjay a month before turning 36?!
If Mother Nature had her way, this would surely have been number 10 or number 15, right? Unless of course I died giving birth to one of the previous little tykes. After all, what could be more natural than dying during child birth – an option that was apparently taken by up to a third of women before the dawn of medical science?
If I compare my life to that of Mrs Flintstone, I frankly don't think I've ever done anything that could be labelled '100% natural'. Except maybe for getting conceived naturally by my super fertile parents (as opposed to my own artificially conceived little angel), albeit in a bed rather than on a cave floor and possibly involving props and outfits that would have puzzled Mrs Flintstone.
And thanks, but I enjoy modern life. One look at myself in the mirror first thing in the morning makes it perfectly clear that Mother Nature has some pretty cruel intentions.
As for experiencing 'natural birth': When I want to feel like a woman, I like to slip on something tiny made of satin, go shopping, or outshine my male colleagues in a male dominated industry. I doubt that crawling around moaning and screaming on the floor during a 'wonderfully natural' home birth would make me feel more feminine. (Yes, yes, an epidural and all – but surely you then miss out on the whole primeval 'natural birth' experience in any case?).
So could we please stick to the term 'vaginal birth' rather than 'natural birth'? Especially for an elderly prima gravida like myself (a term used by doctors to indicate that you're having your first kid once you're way past your prima).
Last point, having looked at studies on the safety of vaginal births when compared to caesars, I'm shocked to see how flawed their methodology is in general. Obviously there are no double-blind random studies, but how could anyone with a brain simply lump all women who had successful vaginal births together and compare this with all women who had caesars and then declare vaginal births the winner? What about those failed traumatic vaginal births that ended in emergency caesars and the high risk pregnancies that necessitated caesars? Also, why are many of these still referenced studies 20 years old?
So am I keen on having a c-sec? Actually, nope.
"Sorry, unfortunately I'm not crazy about the c-sec idea either, Doc. I realize it's got its own set of drawbacks. Don't you have any other options that are maybe a bit more 'Beam me out, Scotty'?"


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Today, I had one of those runs. You start out, wondering why you bothered to leave the house…and by the time you finish, you feel like you could conquer the world. It was hot and sunny and brutal but beautiful. And I was just in the mood to run today, in spite of the hear, and I kept going. I ran about six miles, which is 3 more than I expected to get in.
But man, did that cold shower feel good after.


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The Code for Sustainable Homes means that designers will be encouraged to create ultra low energy houses, with renewable energy technologies and water saving features set to become standard practice. James Parker puts the Code into perspective. Sustainability is rapidly becoming the key issue for new housing. In order to drive the market further into a greener future, the department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) has launched what it calls "A step-change in sustainable home building practice" - Code for Sustainable.
The Code was launched in December 2006, with the technical documents released in April 2007. The Code builds on BRE's EcoHomes system - the domestic version of the BREEAM assessment tool. The Code works by using a point-scoring assessment method in nine design categories. The points from these categories are added together to arrive at a whole-house star rating. One star is the entry level (a basic sustainable home), with six stars reserved for truly carbon-neutral homes. The levels in between reflect increasingly greener hues of sustainability. However, house designers must reach the minimum standard of one star in two key categories, energy and CO2, in order to qualify for points in the other seven categories. Energy and carbon dioxide emissions Energy and CO2 are based on the Target Emission Rate (TER) as used in Part L of the 2006 Building Regulations. The key measurement is the percentage improvement over the 2006 requirements. This ranges from a 10 percent improvement for the 1 star rating, up to the impressive zero-carbon home for a six-star rating. As well as the minimum standards, points are awarded for the level of improvement of overall energy use. This is broken down into smaller increments (15 levels). Other points in this category are awarded for various factors, for which there are no minimum standards. The building fabric is assessed based on the heat loss parameter - a measure on how much heat is lost through walls. Points are available for heat loss values less than 1.3 and more for heat loss values less than 1.1. Points for dedicated energy-efficient fittings for internal lighting are awarded where the percentage of fixed fittings are greater than 40 percent, with extra points for more than 75 percent. External lighting is covered with points for energy efficient fittings, as is security lighting of 150 W or less, along with movement or daylight sensors. Points are awarded when at least 10 percent of the energy demand is supplied from local renewable or low carbon energy sources. Water Water is the only other category with minimum standards applied to multiple star ratings. The minimum standards are based on the internal potable water consumption in litres per head per day. In addition to the internal use, extra points are awarded for the recovery and storage of rainwater for external use. Materials The sustainability of construction materials is measured using the BRE's imminent Green Guide, which will rank the environmental impact of materials using a life-cycle assessment method. To attain the minimum standard, at least three of the five key construction elements (roof, external walls, upper floor, internal walls and windows and doors) must meet the Green Guide rating of D or better. Points are awarded based on responsible sourcing of materials as well as the environmental effects. A dedicated materials calculator has been developed for the Code. Surface water run-off To meet the minimum standards for surface water run-off, housing developments must not have any detrimental effect on the site run-off compared to previous conditions. This includes both the peak rates and annual volumes of run-off. Other points are awarded for sustainable urban drainage systems, including peak time attenuation and the placing of houses in an area of low flood risk. Waste The minimum standard for waste looks at both site waste management and household waste storage. The Code requires a waste management plan on the site, the monitoring of waste and the setting of targets. Points are awarded for recycling and composting facilities. A management plan for the construction waste also gains points. Pollution There are no minimum standards for the pollution effects of sustainable homes house, only point-scoring features. Points are gained for the use of insulating material that avoid substances that have a global warming potential (gwp) of 5 or more (referenced to CO2 which has a gwp of 1). Points are also awarded for low emissions of nitrous oxide from space heating and hot water systems. Health and wellbeing Health and wellbeing effectively means the comfort and live-ability of a new house. Factors assessed are daylight, sound insulation, private space and homes suitable for different stages of life. With daylighting, points are awarded where minimum average daylight factors are reached for specific rooms. These are at least 2 percent for kitchens and at least 1.5 percent for living rooms, dining rooms and studies. Also, they should be designed to have a view of the sky. To gain points for sound insulation, it must be proved that the standard of sound insulation is high than that prescribed in Part E of the Building Regulations. Points are also awarded for complying with the standards of the Lifetime Homes scheme, which looks at the potential of homes to cope with the lifetime requirements of the occupant, such as adaptability for increasing levels of disability. Management Management covers both construction and post construction management. On the construction side, points are awarded for membership of the Considerate Constructors Scheme and on a commitment and strategy to reduce the harmful effects of construction on the site environment. Points are gained for the provision of Home User Guides, which are relevant to the operation, and environmental performance of the home. Ecology The last category, ecology, looks at the effects of house building on existing flora and fauna. Points are gained for building on land with a low ecological value, adding ecological enhancements, protection of ecological features, and minor or positive changes in the ecological value of the site. Supporting documents The technical documentation is due to be published by April this year, and will include a calculation and assessment tool. The calculation tool will link to existing methods, which will provide some consistency across regulatory requirements. For example, the energy calculation will follow the same methodology for the system of energy performance certificates to be introduced in June 2007 as part of the UK's commitment to implement the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). The Code will also share a common calculation tool for water efficiency with that being developed for the Building Regulations. This tool is already out for consultation. BRE will train assessors for the Code. This will be similar to the BREEAM/EcoHomes training schemes. Assessors already accredited to carry out EcoHomes assessments will be re-trained through top-up courses. While the Code is not mandatory, developers will be encouraged to follow it. The government is considering making the Code mandatory, possibly 2008 with the next changes to the Building Regulations. However, government-backed housing, such as those built for the Housing Corporation or English Partnerships, with have to reach set levels of the code. Local authorities, many of which are currently working on new Local Development Frameworks, may also require certain levels to be met on some developments. BSRIA's experience has revealed that certain councils are already asking for EcoHomes assessments. Mandatory or not, the Code is a step forward in an area of construction. Hopefully, the Code will have the desired effect of encouraging the take up of more sustainable practices and products by house builders. The Code will have a knock-on effect across the industry, not just house builders, but materials manufacturers and suppliers and especially manufacturers of energy related products. Some will find their business increasing, while those with less environmentally-beneficial products will be left behind. For more information contact Design & FM Innovation at BSRIA: Tel: +44 (0) 1344 465600 Email firstname.lastname@example.com


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I am Sasha Grey, and when I turned eighteen I left high-school and decided to pursue different career opportunities. I worked as secretary, as teacher. I worked as a waitress. As a nurse I actually made more money than the doctors.
Within a year, these jobs not only brought me respect, but also a lot of money. I like really dirty things. I have been hanged upside down, and tied up. And have a twelve inch dildo stuck in my ass. With my mouth gagged. I am proud of this.
Something I chose to do. Who I am. I am Sasha Grey.
Porn is about the only way for women to make more money than men.
20 March 2012. Belgian Equal Pay Day. Read more on http://www.equalpayday.be/
Sasha Grey for the 2012 Equal Pay Day
This clip features 23-year old Sasha Grey. Sasha is a handsome, intelligent and independent young woman who recently starred in the series Entourage and The Girlfriend Experience, a movie by Steven Soderbergh. But before this, she was also the most well-known pornstar of the last 15 years. It was no coincidence that she joined the porn industry at 18: it is one of the few fields where women earn more than men. So she actively contributed to closing the wage gap.
In the web commercial we see Sasha in a role she plays well: that of the sweet young woman. She tells us the story of her early professional life. She tells us about the choice she made to leave school aged only 18 years old and to take on a different sort of career. She tells us she earned a decent living. And then the commercial changes in mood. And she tells us with the same sweet smile about the things she had to do to earn all this money. Tough things. Things you wouldn't do for all the money in the world. While you're trying to comprehend what she has just said, the commercial tells us:


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Chart beauty Kylie Minogue is the UK's dream date - after landing the year's best-selling calendar, it was announced today.
The Aussie star tops the list thanks to her 2004 LoveKylie calendar, featuring shots wearing her underwear range.
Official calendar firm Danilo has boy band rock trio Busted as second.


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Tender galicky kale and chickpeas are served over quinoa and topped with tangy tahini sriracha dressing to make this simple but flavorful vegan meal.
Every so often I throw something together for dinner, not intending for it to end up on this blog, only to have it turn out so delicious that I decide I have to share it. This was one of those things. Lucky for me, we're getting a lot of daylight this time of year, so last minute dinner photo shoots aren't a big problem.
This actually couldn't have happened at a better time. I was getting a little behind on my posting schedule a few weeks ago, mostly due to unexpected computer problems that not only took away my publishing tool, but ate up a lot of my time. I had a bag of kale in the fridge, and the rest of the ingredients are staples in my kitchen. Nice to know that at any point in time I'm just a pound of kale away from an awesome dinner. This dinner came together on the day my new computer came into my life, so it felt kind of special. After all my stress and worry I got a new computer, a delicious and easy meal, and a bonus blog post. I'll have to check to see if mercury exited retrograde or something on that day.
Now, the secret ingredient to this is the sauce. I have a friend and former co-worker to thank for that part of the recipe. When we worked out of the same office last year, she instructed me one day to borrow some of her tahini dressing at lunch time. It was amazing, and though I can't remember the exact ingredients list, it's safe to say it resembled this one. This version turned out a little unexpectedly though. I don't know if it was the sriracha, or just the entire combo of ingredients here, but, well, it tasted like cheese sauce. That was my first reaction. That was also my boyfriend's first reaction. It was good to get confirmation that I wasn't crazy. In any event, whether you find it cheesy or not, this sauce is delicious and will probably go over all kinds of food that goes into my mouth from now on. It goes perfect with the kale, and I highly recommend incorporating the two ingredients into whatever meal your creativity leads you to. Last night I put everything in a wrap with tofu, skipping the quinoa. Try this recipe. Try a clever variation, and when you do, be sure to let me know how it turns out.
Tahini-Sriracha Dressed Kale and Chickpeas over Quinoa
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups vegetable broth divided
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 lb. kale leaves stems removed
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 can or 1 3/4 cups cooked chickpeas rinsed and drained
For the Dressing
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1 tbsp. soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp. sriracha
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 tbsp. water
- Heat 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and stir in quinoa. Cover and allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until all broth is absorbed.
- Remove from heat and allow to sit for at least five minutes, covered.
- While your quinoa cooks, prepare kale and chickpeas. Heat olive oil in large saucepan or stock pot over medium heat. Add garlic and sautee for one minute.
- Add kale, remaining 1/2 cup broth, vinegar, salt and pepper. Toss to coat kale. Cover and allow to cook until tender, about 5-10 minutes, tossing every so often to prevent the bottom layer from burning.
- Add chickpeas, mix well, cover and allow to cook for another minute or two, just to get the chickpeas hot.
- Whisk together dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
- Divide cooked quinoa into bowls, and top with kale mixture, then with dressing.


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To donate by credit card, click the link below. To donate by check: Please make your donation payable to the "The Center for Independent Documentary" and put "Walking Cinema: Museum Of The Hidden City" in the memo line. Please mail your check to: The Center for Independent Documentary 1300 Soldiers Field Road, Suite #5 Boston, MA 02135.
Walking Cinema: Museum of the Hidden City is an interactive media project that explores the history of affordable housing from multiple perspectives. The upcoming interactive website and series of mobile-guided walking tours will take audiences deep into the lives and landscapes of four people who have completely different--but geographically overlapping--experiences of affordable housing in San Francisco. We found four San Franciscans who come from vastly different walks of life (and even time periods.) Literally walking in their shoes, small features in the cityscape unlock larger stories of injustice, city design, and incomplete experiments.
The walking tour will allow audiences to see the same place from different perspectives and challenge assumptions of "good design," "upward mobility," and "gentrification." Audiences will dig into questions such as "Who was this place originally built for?" "Who is it designed for now?" "What direction is all of this going?". The app uses Augmented Reality to layer plans, interior shots, and animations over your camera's viewfinder, revealing the history, hidden spaces, and imagined futures of the Hidden City. Along the walking routes, the Museum of the Hidden City will include a variety of installations--such as the peephole cinema installation pictured below--that transport audiences back in time or into backstage areas of the story. These installations also create on-the-street awareness of the project and offer short codes to download the app.
Michael Epstein is a writer, interactive director, and expert in outdoor narrative experiences. He has a M.S. degree in Comparative Media Studies from M.I.T. where he specialized in literary mobile applications. Michael's media production career began as a freelance radio reporter filing segments on human issues in technology for NPR's "Morning Edition". At MIT he developed an award-winning radio show, "News Lab," which explored new formats for presenting current events, including live jazz, spoken word, and news satire. In 2006 Michael founded Untravel Media, a transmedia storytelling studio comprised of filmmakers, developers, and designers specializing in cinematic applications for mobile devices. The company has developed cross-platform apps for MTV, PBS, the Venice Biennale, and many museum and broadcast clients. In 2014 Untravel rebranded as "Walking Cinema" based on the success of this series of location-based narratives. Epstein also teaches at the California College of Art where he designed an interdisciplinary studio titled "Landmarks, Memory, and Mobile Media." Student work can be seen here: https://findery.com/tags/CCA.
Website: www.seehidden.city


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November 13, 2017
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It isn't easy running a Valley landmark -- especially when it's a restaurant.
The task of preserving a building's heritage while making updates for a new generation of diners -- whether the changes regard the restaurant's atmosphere, menu, or otherwise -- is akin to a taste-making (or -breaking) tightrope walk for restaurateurs.
Recently, three landmark restaurants in the Valley -- the Pink Pony, Monti's, and The Wrigley Mansion -- have hit significant milestones. This week, I find out what they're doing (or not doing) to survive in today's dining scene, if the changes are working, and get some personal insight from those in charge.
Read my story this week on how the Valley's legendary restaurants keep up with the times here. Want to see some cool past and present pics? Get to the slideshow here.
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Routes and location monitoring of a vehicle in real time can be performed by means of best GPS tracker for car. In case of unplanned car departure from its geofence, an emergency SMS message is sent to a car owner's mobile phone, which will allow him to respond promptly to possible car theft. Note that today most insurance companies require the presence of best GPS tracker for car, especially when insuring luxury vehicles.
If your car is used not only by you, but also by your wife, child, relatives, or if you have several cars, best GPS tracker for car will be very helpful. It will effectively monitor their condition, for example, remind to pass through maintenance. In addition, with best GPS tracker for car, you will always know if your child or relatives are within speed limits. In simple words, considering the newest security requirements, the presence of best GPS tracker for car is a necessity, and it does not require more explanations. This is a global standard of safety and control. It is absolutely normal that drivers want to equip their cars with a satellite monitoring device to continuously watch their vehicles. However, one wonders how to choose the best car GPS tracker? We'll try to help you with the answer to this question.
If you are not a car owner, then it is prohibited to install a tracker on it. For example, even if your employee uses his personal car for work, you don't have the right to track his location. Research data prove that some people use a secret installation of such best trackers, but again this works only for personal or company vehicles. Presence of satellite monitoring of transport disciplines the driver and minimizes his use of a vehicle for other purposes. In other words, secret installation is not needed as usual one prevents any deviations from the route. Vehicle owner has the full right to track the movement of his property and know about any deviations from the intended route.
Vehicle protection is a task of every driver. However, this duty quickly becomes a problem when vehicles are being stolen more and more often. It is possible to build an effective security system only with the introduction of a complex anti-theft tool. One of them is the best gps tracking devices for automobiles. The most important indicator of a perfect device is its reliability. Most often, choosing such tracer with comparable functionality, but at a significantly lower price, you assume risks. In a highly competitive market of such products, you are unlikely to overpay for a brand. You will need to pay extra money for thoughtful engineering solutions based on the rich experience of the manufacturer, which, ultimately, will result in appreciation and loyalty.
The market is full of great products and which of them is the best choice for you depends on your personal needs. Mainly all of them offer a similar set of functions of broadcasting your vehicle's GPS coordinates periodically, usually to a web browser or smartphone app. While you can use a smartphone as a tracking device, standalone trackers have several benefits. So it would be recommended to give preference to these models.
Key advantages of the best vehicle GPS trackers are the following: they notify you of the location of an object at any distance from the owner. It is difficult to detect them even for experienced hijackers armed with the most modern technical means, such as code grabbers, ether scanners and jammers.
Everyone wants to use only the best vehicle protection system. The best GPS tracker for car 2019 is one that efficiently transmits information, works offline for a long time and has a high quality of performance. To simplify your choice of right model, we tested numerous devices and will recommend getting acquainted with the leaders of the segment that are given below. GPS tracker for car reviews are also represented.
When you are looking for the best real time gps tracker for car, consider Real Time Hard Wired GPS Tracker by TrackmateGPS. It is highly-effective for real-time monitoring. It offers numerous alerts and helpful reports. Would be a perfect solution if you need a device to track a teenager who eager to break the speed limit or old parents location. In addition, it informs about problems with power and fuel level in a vehicle. All reports made by a device can be downloaded or sent on e-mail.
This device is one of the best vehicle trackers , famous for its waterproof case and ability to withstand any weather conditions. Based on GPS tracker for car reviews, it can be installed in any location with a magnetic surface. It is possible to mount it even under a vehicle, so only you will be aware of its presence. The special watertight design is responsible for the accurate protection and won't get damaged by corrosion. Size of the box is good enough to store keys, jewelry, and other valuable things.
This small-sized device offers excellent portability. Thanks to high-quality inbuilt motion sensor it helps to prolong battery life. All tracking reports are sent via SMS or on e-mail. This best car GPS tracker is able to get information as for speed. Also, you will always know when a vehicle leaves any area. It is compatible with the iOS and Android application which helps in tracking.
Linxup OBD with 3G GPS Service & GPS System is the best choice for companies who need to monitor their drivers and vehicles. It gathers data about location, speed, traffic, and direction. Information is accurate as Google Maps are used for tracking. What is fantastic – it is possible to reduce the level of fuel usage on a distance. Reports are easy to access from a free mobile application. So, this model is highly recommended for companies.
This best GPS tracker for car is small in size and is easy to install. It should be plugged into the OBD port that is present in any transport. With this product, you will be always aware of tampering geofence and speeding as it will send you informative reports via text or on e-mail. Detects aggressive driving! It comes with a mobile application that can be downloaded for free. It can be accessed from any device which has an Internet connection.
This is another best OBD monitoring system to consider. It serves as a driving coach to teens that tend to break speed limits and visit prohibited places. According to GPS tracker for car reviews, this device allows to set up a geofence and driving time limits. It also helps parents to be aware of direction, location, speed, and traffic on the road. Thanks to route replay function it is possible to view the route in details. A report card is also informative and accurate.
We constantly lose things and spend a lot of time searching for them. Thanks to Tile this problem is solved. You can use as many best trinkets as you like. Moreover, you can share them with your employees or put into your auto. The Tile app remembers where it saw your car keys last time, so you can easily find it. The Tile team takes security seriously. Therefore, only you and the users of the device with whom you have shared access can find keyring you are interested in.
This best GPS tracker for car is ready to help if you take care of safety. It is more than a simple monitoring system because it works also as an alarm with remote functionality. For example, having this product installed, you can lock your auto remotely and get a notification when someone tries to open it. It also allows blocking a fuel pump. This tracker allows setting up a geofence and shows exact information as for location using Google Maps. It can be connected to a microphone if you want to listen to dialogs in a vehicle.
Satellite transport tracking divides into two types: active tracking (satellite monitoring) and passive monitoring or satellite tracking on demand. Let's find out what are the main differences between them.
The best active satellite monitoring system continuously transmits data from the tracker to the satellite monitoring server, from which you can always request a history of movement and status of sensors. In other words, you will always see traffic in real-time transmission. Also, you can clearly see not only data from sensors but also graphs and various cartographic materials.
Passive monitoring or tracking on demand works in the following way: you send an SMS to best GPS tracker for car, and it sends you an SMS with geographic data (latitude, longitude, speed and/or sensor values, for example – fuel level in arbitrary units). In some models of such devices, it's enough to make a call to SIM card installed in a device. Having received such a message, you should be able to read and understand it.
To choose the best car tracking device, it is necessary to consider for which vehicle it will be installed, what is the required battery life, what should be the geographical accuracy of tracking and many other factors. So, you need to pay attention to the parameters below:
Best devices are usually small in size; they are not bigger than a cigarette lighter. The smaller is the unit, the easier it will be to hide it. Also, size parameters influence battery life. The smallest unit needs to be recharged at least once a week, big-size models – once a month.
Battery life of a device depends on battery capacity. It is desirable that the device is equipped with a battery capacity indicator that allows you to see a level of charge.
There are many options for installation of best car tracking device: bolts, magnets or conventional placement without any fasteners. Choose one method or another based on a type of vehicle, a period of use of GPS tracker for cars and conditions of its operation.
Resistance to environmental influences like moisture, dirt, and dust is important for the best devices with outdoor placement. Sealed devices can be mounted on bumpers, wheel arches and other places where for hijacker it will be difficult to detect them. Unsealed models are recommended to be placed in salons or trunk of cars.
Method of activation, software updates and receiving data from the device (SMS alert, website, mobile application) are also important. The accuracy of determination of coordinates makes sense as well. According to GPS tracker for car reviews, inaccuracy should be no more than 2.5 meters.
By purchasing a product of a well-known brand, you get a guarantee of quality of goods. Chinese appliances have the lowest quality level, so it is advisable to give preference to domestic or European products.
When you have decided on technical parameters, you can proceed to the next step – choosing a suitable device model.
When you are looking for best GPS tracker for car, you need to be sure that information it gathers and provides is realistic. So, best GPS tracker for car should be easy to install, should allow to set up a geofence and to track location in real time or by means of reports. Taking into account numerous factors, we made a choice of the best GPS tracker for car 2019, so our top pick is Real Time Hard Wired GPS Tracker. If you are a company owner, such best GPS tracker for car will help to maximize the productivity of drivers and other staff who use vehicles for work. In addition, thanks to its small and compact size, it can be installed at any place and will remain hidden. All the reports are accurate. Moreover, this best GPS tracker for car will send you a report in the most convenient way. With this device, you no longer need to worry about the safety of your car, employees, and kids.


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I have been, or can be if you click on a link and make a purchase, compensated via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value for writing this post. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
This post,Help Students Learn to Read in a Fun Online Environment , was made possible through our review of Reading Kingdom Online from Reading Kingdom.
Are you in the midst of teaching a child how to read and find they need something more than you are currently using?
Or do you have a child who's gone through the process, but still struggling to put the pieces together?
If either of those are true or you just have a child desiring MORE practice than you personally have time to give them, then you very well might be interested in an online learning program called Reading Kingdom.
What is Reading Kingdom and How Does it Help a Student Learn to Read?
When your child logs in for the first time, they are given an assessment to determine placement in the program. There are several different parts where they could be placed after the assessment with skills from each level presented in the assessment. If they can't do a particular section, then they will not be assessed for later ones. Rather, that determines where they start in Reading Kingdom.
Reading & Writing Skills Part 1 has two sections: Seeing Sequences and/or Letter Land. Seeing Sequences has 3 levels to complete which have them learning visual sequencing skills. Specially, they are asked to type (or touch if using a touchscreen device) letters in the order shown going from left to right. Letter Land has 4 levels to complete and engages the child in finding a given letter on the keyboard in a set time frame. This one is more game like with the letter either popped if in the under sea scenario or shot if it is the alien one.
Reading & Writing Skills Part 2 is what many might consider the 'meat' of the program. There are five levels within the section, each with several books they will be able to read along the way. There are word exercises which help develop their skills and each of those levels have a progress check for the level they must pass to move to the next one. If they do not pass that check, there is a review for them to complete.
Check out this video to show you more about the program and how it works:
Our Experience with Reading Kingdom to Help a Child Learn to Read
This is actually our second time reviewing Reading Kingdom. The last time had my youngest really NOT ready for this particular program and my third born was really well beyond the scope of the program. This time, though, my youngest is the prime target age for Reading Kingdom as he is in kindergarten now and in the throws of the whole learn to read frenzy. Sadly, his desire to read is not matching his desire to consistently work at it with some of the book based phonics programs we have tried in the past year.
J's initial exposure this time was not the best. We started the assessment on my newer laptop with a touch screen and didn't realize that by default the program forces the child to use the screen rather than the keyboard. Once we got that figured out things went a little smoother. He wasn't happy to be placed right at the beginning and at first I wondered if our little technology mishap caused him to be placed below where he needed to be. However, I quickly saw through observation that he wasn't always getting the left to right mapping done correctly and he really did need to learn where letters are on the keyboard. So, I have had him working through it all as determined by the program rather than having him retake the assessment.
He likes that for this particular school time he is able to work independently. Yep, that's right. Reading Kingdom actually wants the parent or teacher to let the child follow all the instructions on their own. No sitting there guiding them or giving out clues to help them get things right. I'll admit that I struggled a little with this at first, but can see that it does no service to him in the long run if he isn't figuring out key components on his own.
He is sitting on the verge of finishing up Reading & Writing Skills Part 1 with just a little bit more to finish in the Seeing Sequences section before he will automatically move into Reading & Writing Skills Part 2, level 1. Seeing how excited he gets when unlocking the next section of his 'passport' with a cute little picture playing with more detail each time, I suspect he will be thrilled to start putting things together and reading simple books.
So far we have only used the laptop for his time on Reading Kingdom. However, it is compatible with the iPad and I think he might like that even more. I do like that he can have time working on his own (while I do something like prep for dinner or get in my much needed exercise.) And, the more he achieves in this program the easier his book based work seems to be. As he is just turning 6 this fall, I am not stressing that he be reading on his own in a matter of weeks or months. However, I can see the combination of this program and book based ones which require me to lead the instruction working well in concert to help him learn to read. Who knows, he might be reading ME a bedtime story soon!
Do your children enjoy educational websites that are game like in nature?
Have you found programs like Reading Kingdom helpful for your child who is learning or struggling to read?
Don't just take my word for how we found this to be. Visit the Reading Kingdom Review post on the Schoolhouse Review Crew website to see what other homeschooling parents thought about this and other self-paced courses.