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On our way to Austin
We've had fun in Fort Worth but oh my, the driving! We were glad to leave the bridges and overpasses of urban driving behind and set out on the country roads on the last stretch of our journey, to Austin.
It's a strange landscape though. Green, for sure, but with industrial bits here and there,
We passed through a town called "Railroad town" or something, where we drove alongside a train for a while.
As you know, someone enjoys this kind of thing but has to keep his eyes on the road, so I take pictures.
But of course, I have no idea what of!
It was an interesting drive. There were not many occasions when it was a purely rural scene for more often than not there was a power plant or cement works there in the view.
Sometimes, there were more brown housing developments too.
But soon, the urban sprawl ended and we found ourselves driving through old, Western towns where a horse or two tied up to the rail would look perfectly in place.
We smiled as we passed by the Cowboy Bank.
Do they have a ride up service, do you think?
Then there was the Cowboy Church. I'm sure Cowgirls are welcome too.
We'd passed by several of these ranch signs before I was ready with my camera to snap one as we passed. What's the odds of catching one with fish on it in cowboy country!? Bleh. Try as I might, I didn't see another one this side of Waco, either.
By now, we really were out in the country proper. The long straight road stretched out in front of us and rather than grumble at the lack of interest, we thanked our stars for no urban driving!
Eventually, we crossed the river and into Waco, where we had two things on our list.
My hero spotted we'd arrived at the first when he saw the crowds.
Whilst we are here with Mary, our usual evening viewing is HGTV and particular favourites are Chip and Joanna; a couple who present a programme called Fixer Upper, where they buy a wreck and do it up.
In an idle moment, my hero had googled their business and when we found they were based in Waco, TX, we looked a little closer.
Sure enough, Magnolia Market was there and open today, so we thought we'd stop by. The thing is, so did half the population of Texas, I think.
We recognised many things from the show, since we've seen quite a few in the last couple of weeks.
People were clearly familiar with the programmes and most were carrying armfuls of goods.
In this quiet corner, I overheard a young man telling his wife that he thought he could make something nearly like that. I smiled to myself…I'll bet those words were spoken quite a few times!
This couple were trying to decide if their wall was large enough for this sign, whilst the young woman staff member was filling up shelves with goods as quickly as they were emptying.
A license to print money? you bet.
The queue to pay was nearly as long as the queue for the loos!
Of course, the use of social media was encouraged and young families seemed to be having a great time here.
Well, they had thought of everything, including the garden and it was all really well done.
But of course we were not here to shop, so arming ourselves with a refreshing ice lolly from one of the food carts in the yard (they really had thought of everything…), we made our escape and headed a block or two to the other destination on our list.
Bye bye Magnolia Silos!
Hello Dr Pepper Museum.
Dr Pepper is another Waco product and having a fan travelling with us, we were interested to find out more.
But this was a poor relation to the Coca Cola experience in so many ways – not that we'd expected anything quite so commercial.
But if a manufacturer of soft drinks creates a visitor centre, for which there is a charge, wouldn't it be reasonable to expect a taste? Not necessarily a whole bottle, not even a whole glass…but maybe just a small, tiny taste? Not a bit of it!
So on this hot hot hot day, we didn't spend long looking at strange and unexplained machines. We didn't linger by the old displays with no background. We did purchase drinks at the soda fountain (but only one of us chose Dr Pepper!) because the queues were nothing like those at Magnolia. But as a memorable experience, sorry, Dr Pepper, you fell short of expectations.
Back to the car then, parked in the Baptist Church car park next door to Magnolia, where crowds were still streaming in and police patrols were controlling traffic and parking.
We were on the last lap to Austin now.
And look what I spotted!
Of course, this water tower made us smile too.
Austin is the capital of Texas, so the Capitol is there, awaiting our visit.
But first things first. Dinner at Coopers BBQ. "It's all about the meat" as they say here…


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Fred enlisted in the Marines at the age of 28 and served his country in the Pacific Theatre. His unit served as clean up on the islands taking care of Japanese snipers.
His unit was to be the first to invade Japan, but the atomic bomb stopped the invasion. President Harry Truman holds a special place in his heart today.
Fred left the Marines with an honorable discharge, and eventually became a dairy farmer.
He farmed until a tractor accident took his sight when he was 69 years old.
He is 89 years young at this time and considers his duty in WWII a privilege and the most honorable experience in his life.

subset: commoncrawl


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Snapshot: The 2018 PGA CareerBuilder Challenge Championship's First Day of Play Is All About the Local KidJanuary 19 2018
Jon Rahm, the current No. 3 player in the world, carved up the La Quinta Country Club course on his way to a 62—and the lead of the 2018 PGA CareerBuilder Championship after the first day of play.
Familiar names in the PGA golfing world like Patrick Reed, Canadian fan favorite Mike Weir (back after missing last year's tournament) and player ambassador Phil Mickelson were among the field playing over the three competition courses—the PGA West Stadium Course and Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course, and the La Quinta Country Club course.
But the talk of Day 1, both among players and fans, was the debut appearance of 17-year-old golfing phenom and Palm Desert High School senior Charles Reiter. Reiter performed well, shooting a 4-under-par 68—which put him two shots ahead of that all-time fan favorite, Phil Mickelson, at the end of the day.
After several days of primetime press attention, the self-described nervous teenager overcame all the pressure.
"From the beginning, I kind of was just trying to have fun," Reiter said at a post-round press conference. "I was trying to settle my nerves on the first tee, took a little slow start, and then I kind of got settled in, and had a lot of fun out there."
With his father dealing with some health issues, Reiter's longtime coach, Dave Stockton Jr., took over caddying duties for the precocious golfer. "It's actually really nice to have somebody who is … one of my really good friends. I've known him since I was 10," Reiter said. "Having him on the bag, knowing that he's played out on these courses and won out here, allows me to be more comfortable on the course, knowing that he will be able to help me play through the course."
Reiter's ability to crush his tee shots has drawn quite a bit of attention from the other players in Coachella Valley this week. So what are his expectations for this weekend?
"Just go out and have fun—that's it," he said.
Tickets for the remaining days of play are $30 per day and include access to tented viewing venues, offering lots of different food and drink options, as well as end of day concerts—Huey Lewis and the News on Friday, and the Goo Goo Dolls on Saturday.
See photos from Day 1 below.
- John Daly John Daly
- Tom Whitney Tom Whitney
- View From the Tee Box on the 18th View From the Tee Box on the 18th
- Fans on the 18th Fans on the 18th
- Charlie Reiter Drives Charlie Reiter Drives
- Reiter Talks to the Press Reiter Talks to the Press
- Johnson and Mickelson Johnson and Mickelson
- Enjoying the View Enjoying the View
- The Vons Fans Pavilion The Vons Fans Pavilion
Snapshot: Local Amateurs Play at the Humana ChallengeJanuary 21 2014
The crowd on the Arnold Palmer Private course was pretty thin during the first two days of last weekend's Humana Challenge Golf Tournament. In fact, during Thursday's first round of play, only Canadian Mike Weir attracted a sizable fan following—composed mostly of his snowbird countrymen and women.
But during Saturday's third round (Jan. 18), the crowd was noticeably larger. One of the largest galleries was following the U.S. pro pairing of Zach Johnson (arguably the hottest golfer on the tour) and Keegan Bradley (winner of the 2011 PGA Championship major title).
Along for the ride in the foursome: Coachella Valley amateur competitors Ralph Hemingway and Ed Michaels.
"I've played the last eight years with the (Bob) Hope Tournament and now the Humana," Ralph Hemingway told me after his round. "And right now, I'd say the format of the Humana is the best of any of the pro-ams I've ever played at."
The traditional pro-am format for decades had three amateurs playing with one PGA Tour pro in each foursome, and the tournament stretched over five days and 90 holes of competition.
"This is the second year that they've changed to a four-day, 1-on-1 (pros and amateurs) format. And being able to play with a different pro each day is just fantastic," explained Hemingway. "You talk to the pros. … They felt like an oddball with a pro and three amateurs. Now they've got another pro to walk with, and somebody in the same tee box." (Amateur competitors play from a tee box closer to the hole than the pros do.)
Back in the days of the Bob Hope Desert Classic, the tournament was known for the multitude of entertainers and celebrities who showed up to play as amateurs—attracting lots of star-gazers to the fairways.
"People would come to watch the celebrities … not the golf, just the celebrities," Hemingway recalled. "People with the tournament ask me quite a bit if I miss the celebrities, and I said I really don't. Celebrities are celebrities. I'm not really a celebrity nut anyway. They can play their game, and I'll play mine."
Does he plan on going back to play in the 2015 Humana Challenge?
"Oh sure, I'll be there," said Hemingway. "No doubt about it. I've played in the Dinah Shore and the Frank Sinatra, and I keep coming back to the Humana. They've done a lot of great charity work, and that's a real factor."
One last question for Hemingway: Is he related to Ernest?
"Yeah we're fourth-cousins, and I have a collection of first-edition printings of all his books."
Scroll down to see a few shots of Hemingway in action.


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Author Profile - Mary Hopper
Author of: Unlocking Speaking and Listening in Every Child.
I grew up in a small village in Northamptonshire, East Haddon, where I went to primary school. I studied Classical Civilisation and English at the University of Nottingham, before travelling through Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Canada for a year.
I currently work as an Independent Literacy Consultant through my company Three Bears. I provide courses, coaching and bespoke CPD for schools, charities and other organisations developing children's mastery of English. Before this, I worked as the lead Adviser for Primary English at Northamptonshire Local Authority and was a Primary National Strategy Literacy Consultant.
I work voluntarily with the charity Beanstalk and am currently the Chair of the Northamptonshire Branch Support Group. They place volunteers in schools to support children struggling with reading.
I am also a keen writer of children's fiction and am an active member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.
I live in a village on the edge of a forest and am a lover of the countryside, animals (we've got two cats and a dog) and being outdoors. I've been practicing Tai Chi for over 15 years and enjoy reading, singing, gardening and pretty much anything creative!


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Give us a call at (847) 607-6098
Let's Talk
We are happy to discuss your needs in more detail. Please fill out the form below and a member of the Surgical Solutions Team will reach out to you.
Corporate Headquarters
Surgical Solutions' headquarters is located at 1751 Lake Cook Road, Suite 240 in Deerfield, Illinois.
Surgical Solutions, LLC
1751 Lake Cook Road, Suite 240
Deerfield, IL 60015
Ph. (847) 607-6098
Fax. (844) 363-9536


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UIC: "Solving Poverty" Book LaunchWed. Mar. 18 05:30 PM - Wed. Mar. 18 06:30 PM
Location: The Atrium at McNally Robinson Grant Park
Please join us for the book launch of Solving Poverty: Innovative Strategies from Winnipeg's Inner City by Dr. Jim Silver, Professor and Chair of the Department of Urban and Inner-City Studies.
April 7, 2016, 7:00 PM
McNally Robinson Grant Park (Atrium)
1120 Grant Avenue
All are welcome to attend!
From the Fernwood Publishing website (2016):
In "Solving Poverty," Jim Silver, a veteran scholar actively engaged in anti-poverty efforts in Winnipeg's inner city for decades, offers an on-the-ground analysis of urban poverty.Silver focuses particularly on the urban Aboriginal experience, and describes a variety of creative and effective urban Aboriginal community development initiatives, as well as other anti-poverty initiatives that have been successful in Winnipeg's inner city. In the concluding chapter Silver offers a comprehensive, pan-Canadian strategy to dramatically reduce the incidence of urban poverty in Canada.


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At Alert Plumbing and Heating we try and offer impartial and unbiased plumbing advice to all of our domestic clients. Some of our key domestic boiler system hints and tips are presented below. While these are mainly focused on landlords, the information should also be relevant to home owners and tenants.
For more information on the Gas Safe Register from a landlord's perspective, visit www.gassaferegister.co.uk
If you're in any doubt as to any aspect of gas safety, boiler difficulties, radiator issues or pipe problems please do not hesitate to contact us now on 01843 265 009
Check EVC valve on gas meter is operational, correctly labelled and easy to turn off. If tenant present they should be made aware of its location. If this valve is too stiff to turn off, missing its handle or faulty, call your local gas transporter who will be happy to change it for you - in most cases free of charge. In Kent this will be Southern Gas Networks - they can be contacted on 0845 605 6677. Please note that the operator will have to read you a gas safety declaration before completing the call; please use common sense in regards to this and do not be frightened by it.
If you have any heating or plumbing problem, let us take care of it today. Ring Alert Plumbing and Heating on
01843 265 009


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2016 Vera Farminga, Patrick Wilson, Madison Wolfe
Director James Wan has become somewhat of a household name in the mainstream horror circles. The original film achieved major success and was met with a great reception, The Conjuring name as a brand and franchise has cemented its way into the horror history books. With the less than satisfactory Annabelle spin off failing to wet the audiences appetite for a true sequel, people were relieved when they got to see another glimpse into the life of the Warrens and their paranormal investigations.
This time we travel to London and if you have any interest in the paranormal you will have almost certainly heard of the infamous Enfield haunting. Depending on what you believe, this 'based on a true story' premise is pushed to the forefront. Despite having a paranormal theme this constant reminder keeps the film grounded in an often frightening reality.
The sequel, like it's predecessor has scares in abundance and very rarely breaks away from it's extremely tense vibe. The scares themselves come in many forms, yes there is still Wan's stylised quiet quiet BANG moments but he also throws in some very clever false flags and other surprises to keep viewers on their toes. There are no shortage of creepy characters here, demon nuns, possessed children and even a nightmarish version of famous nursery rhyme character The Crooked Man. Make up effects are high quality and the camera work is top notch, the film is let down slightly by its CGI elements however. there is a more frequent use of these techniques here and occasionally they were noticeable enough to break immersion and lessen a few of the scares.
What was particularly clever was how well Wan conveys a sense of helplessness, the 5 members of the Hodgson family go through a horrific ordeal and you almost feel part of it. They are characters that you care about and honest working class individuals. The fact that the supernatural entity attached itself to the youngest girl out of the siblings made the ordeal even more chilling. She is often controlled and tormented by the spirit while all her family can do is look on in terror. Young actress Madison Wolfe gives a great performance that even horror icon Linda Blair would approve of. The Hodgson family are the unlikely stars of this sequel and often over shadow the Warrens for the first 3rd of the film, this change of focus sets the story's climax up nicely when the whole family plus the Warrens join forces for the film's closing set piece.
We see the ghost hunting duo fleshed out quite a bit more here, they are seen attending talk shows and we see the difficulties that come attached to their new found fame. Lorraine appears more vulnerable this time around and the effects of all the paranormal things they have both seen are apparent. This resilience is tested as the Enfield spirit becomes increasingly aggressive. I really like how the human elemnt is explored more here, both Wilson and Farminga do a fine job of making thier characters seem like sincere and genuine people despite their bizarre occupation.
The Verdict
James Wan's second instalment of The Conjuring franchise is a everything horror sequel should be. It is frightening, more ambitious and very character driven, the balance between shocks and solid story telling applies a polish that many other mainstream horrors lack. The runtime may appear a little long to some but Wan's signature style and barrage of scares will have you trembling till the last minute.


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The map for this month's special election in Pierce County is a holy mess – or, put another way, a holey mess. Auditor Julie Anderson sounds less like an election manager and more like a deli manager when she tells of her "Swiss cheese special."
Eight versions of the ballot will go out in the mail next Friday, each distributed according to where voters live and whether they have a school bond, fire levy or parks measure in their community. Tens of thousands of households in Tacoma, Lakewood, Puyallup and other municipalities are in holes that won't receive ballots.
What makes the April 26 election so complicated is not the usual array of local ballot items. The culprit is the undying question, coming around again like a zombie, that asks county voters if they really, truly want to legalize marijuana, 3 1/2 years after they helped approve Initiative 502. The state measure was favored by 54 percent of Pierce voters.
In essence, they're being invited to renege on the holistic approach to recreational pot regulation they accepted with I-502, and change it to a parochial expression of NWIMBYism (no weed in my backyard).
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They should reject that invitation. By voting yes, they can help bring some coherence to the South Sound's mishmash of marijuana rules, which – like Anderson's map – resembles a slice of Swiss cheese.
Election recommendation
Pierce County Advisory Vote No. 1 has the look, feel and cost of a countywide measure, but it isn't. The council decided to submit it only to voters in unincorporated areas, not cities and towns – an unprecedented move, Anderson says.
This means more than half of county voters won't get to weigh in on important, long-deferred matters of drug policy. But maybe they shouldn't feel neglected; after all, the vote will be nonbinding, which means the council can ignore it.
So doesn't this election amount to little more than a $300,000, taxpayer-funded straw poll, riddled with holes?
Councilwoman Joyce McDonald led the effort to put it on the ballot. The Puyallup Republican personally opposes legalizing the production, processing and retail sale of pot, and her concerns are genuine.
Marijuana is harmful to children and a potential gateway to harder drugs. Left unchecked, it feeds a black market that spawns curbside drug deals, property crime and worse.
That there are an estimated 60 to 80 pot vendors, possibly more, selling with impunity under Green Cross banners in Pierce County shows that bad actors are exploiting Washington's patchwork system.
A slim majority of the council finally recognized last December that it's time to allow legal marijuana, coupled with careful zoning and strict enforcement. The ordinance goes into effect July 1.
McDonald was on the losing end of that debate, but she did win the concession of the advisory vote. The question remains: What's the point?
In an interview last week, she said she believes some citizens have changed their minds since supporting I-502. Unincorporated voters, many of whom she represents, have grown weary of marijuana sellers fleeing to the frontier after many cities banned pot businesses.
If voters say yes to marijuana this month, "then I feel I've done my job" and will stand down, McDonald said.
If they say no? She hopes her urban colleagues on the council "will have enough moral fortitude to represent the people in unincorporated Pierce County, too." In other words, rescind the December ordinance.
We hope voters don't provide them that excuse.
After three years of dithering, the county has given I-502 a chance to work. Any pot stores that gain licenses in the vast unincorporated areas, from the shadow of Mount Rainier to the tip of the Key Peninsula, will be monitored and inspected by the state Liquor and Cannabis Board. They won't be allowed next to residential areas, parks and schools.
Fewer fly-by-night Green Cross scofflaws are likely to decamp to their next stop as soon as neighbors complain too loudly about smells and traffic.
The holdouts who keep running dispensaries and grow operations outside the system – including those who sell to clients under age 21 – will finally face arrest and prosecution. A new enforcement fund for that purpose will start with $359,000 in county seed money and will be backfilled with marijuana excise-tax revenue.
Advisory votes are crutches, often used by elected officials who want to apply pressure (e.g., last August's vote on the county's proposed general services building) or who lack the resolve to make tough decisions.
In the case of marijuana, County Council members already made a decision, and they should stick with it – regardless of how this wholly unnecessary, half-slice vote turns out.


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If you're planning to sell your house any time soon, home improvements that build property value should be on your to-do list. It's a buyer's market, and between tighter purse strings and plenty of properties to choose from, shoppers want homes that are move-in ready and free of the need for home improvement projects that will add to their own bottom lines.
Click here to read which home improvements put more cash in your pocket.


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Sunday, February 25, 2018
Feb Sketchwalk at Pang Sua Pond
February sketchwalk 2018 at a totally new location right in the heartland. Its Pang Sua Pond at Bukit Panjang all the way to the west of Singapore. I like it that the pond or wetland is next to the swimming complex and the community centre connected by an overhead bridge to the multi storey carpark, Bukit Panjang Plaza where I can find NTUC finest, food and shops.
"This is in fact the second-largest man-made floating wetland in Singapore," said PUB's chief sustainability officer Tan Nguan Sen. "The floating wetland has a few benefits. The plants will absorb the nutrients from the water and helps improve the water quality in the pond. And the floating wetland is a very good outdoor classroom for students and residents to learn about how you can use plants to treat the water."
The pond was built in the 1990s and serves as a stormwater collection pond. It takes in rainwater runoff from the surrounding areas, which is then pumped to the Upper Seletar Reservoir for storage and treatment.
Read more at www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/revamped-pang-sua-...
Posted by T IA at 7:11 PM Tags: Bukit Panjang, ink, sketchwalk, watercolour


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Liz Whittemore
Photo Editor
Sigma Alpha Pi is a new club on campus this semester.
As a chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS), the club is goal oriented and focuses on developing leadership skills and encouraging community interaction.
The club meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month from 4-5:30 p.m. in room 112 of the Main Building on SC4 campus. The executive board meets on the second and fourth Tuesday at the same time and location.
Any student is welcome to apply to become a member. The cost for membership is $85 and gives you access to online advantages in addition to bragging rights. Membership gives you access to an online job bank, success coaching, interview tips, and scholarship opportunities.
Sigma Alpha Pi Club president Charles King explains why skills acquired from being a member is beneficial to students.
"We work with individuals to help build their leadership skills and give them a bigger advantage when they transfer to a four year university or into the workforce," said King.
Sigma Alpha Pi has helped with the call in campaign to request donations for the SC4 Foundation's All Aboard: Campaign for Talent, Technology and Tomorrow. Most recently they have helped at Chilly Fest with the Red Wings signing.
King encourages students to stop by a meeting.
"I have a passion for leadership and I look forward to sharing that passion with students at SC4 through the National Society of Leadership and Success," said King.
For more information on Sigma Alpha Pi or student clubs, visit www. sc4 .edu.


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I had a discussion during a worship practice over some song lyrics which is always a good thing to do. The question of our state of being pleasing before the Lord came up. Now the preface was where does the Bible say "I am pleased with you" You know, chapter and verse? Well, it doesn't that specifically because that would require God speaking to us specifically which he doesn't often do. He is usually speaking to the disciples.
I immediately responded that the concept of being pleasing to God was all over scripture. That is a benefit of being a child of God. We all know that Jesus was the beloved Son in whom God was well pleased not us! But, I would posit that because we are in Christ, because of his precious blood and wondrous work of the cross, I can be brought near as an adopted son. I can come boldly to the throne to receive mercy and grace because I am now a family member.
I do not shrink away from his presence because of feelings of guilt, or unworthiness, or wonder if I am pleasing to God…not anymore. I suppose that this is part of every Christian's growing experience, to believe the promises of God. To believe that I am accepted in the beloved and will make it into his presence on that final day. This I believe is why the author of Hebrews writes without faith it is impossible to please him. (Heb 11:6) If we do not believe and live in such a way that his truths are true for us then our relationship with God will be very different than what he desires for us.
Colossians 1 teaches that God was pleased to not only fully dwell in Christ but to do this for the purpose of reconciling the world to him.
19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
God was pleased to make peace with us. So I have to ask did God do these things, pleasing himself, to remain not pleased with his people? This really brings to mind the idea of an angry God in heaven who scowls as his people that he was so pleased to reconcile himself to. It doesn't really follow, does it? But I know that our sin has a tendency to trap our minds in this cage. This is basic theology that perhaps we forget when we are looking at ourselves instead of God. If God has taken the time to reconcile himself to us it follows that he wanted a relationship with us. He desires us.
Now I understand the reasoning for this. When I first heard the song that caused such tumult I thought it was perhaps a bit light, to say the least, but I did not think that author was intending to communicate that we were pleasing to God in a vacuum. If the author was intending to communicate that we are so pleasing, and therefore God cannot but simply recognize our merit, then yes we would have a problem. But this gets back to the filter issue I wrote about before. If I am weighed down by my past, or I am thinking about someone else's lack of righteousness then my lens might cause me to come to the phrase in this song and think "We are not pleasing! Haven't you read Romans?"
This is putting the Bible at odds with itself. Yes, there is no one who does good, no not even one. But this is the reality of fallen humanity not the regenerated son of Christ. Yes, we as sons and daughters of Christ are people who still sin, but the glorious gift is that we can turn to him who is faithful and just to forgive us of all unrighteousness. "Jesus paid it all", to quote another song. We do not believe that we are perfect by any means but we understand that our filthy garments have been replaced by robes of righteousness. This is what makes a relationship with him possible.
See if we forget this truth then we fall into a performance-based relationship. We seek relationship through obedience, however, the real way it works is because of my relationship with him that he established I desire obedience because of love for him.
I wanted to exhort us to not walk around with our hands covering our face just in case God is pitching burning embers our way. God is pleased with us as we walk with him. This is not to say that perhaps some of us do not have some repentance and Christian discipline to do, but God is not shocked at our failures to be perfect. We should always strive to keep short accounts with God for sure. It isn't different than going to seek forgiveness on account of any transgression that we seek to repair for the sake of a relationship.
I walk with my head held high not because I know I am some awesome human specimen, but because "I know that my Redeemer lives." To quote another song. I know that I have a relationship with the most powerful, most beautiful, most loving, most forgiving, most welcoming, most just, most good, most best-est God ever! My words fail to even give majesty to him, but I know that he loves me and thus I try to be pleasing to him as Paul writes many times over and thus I love him in return.
Now I didn't have the benefit of this one in my back pocket during the discussion but I am thankful because it led to this entry, but I am glad but the Bible does teach this:
For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the afflicted ones with salvation. (Psalm 149:4)
This psalm teaches that God does delight in his people, he takes pleasure in them and that he beautifies them with salvation. God did this very thing, he came and beautified his bride with his righteousness. Jesus made his bride beautiful because of his gift of redemption. Now we cannot say we are pleasing in a vacuum just as I would not say I made my wife Kimberly beautiful because of her distance to me. Only God has the power to cleanse and make beauty from ashes and this is the very thing he did.
This is not simply Israel because, remember, John teaches that each of us has been grafted into the promise through Christ. We are part of the people of God. We can know we are pleasing to God as much as Flanders knows he is pleasing to God.
So are we pleasing to God? Yes, but for you to believe that perhaps you might need to pray and talk with God about it and do some heart examination. Be encouraged.


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Culinary Journey Tour Terms
To Reserve a Place
Registrations are accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis but are not completed until we receive your initial deposit in the amount specified on the registration page. The deposit is required to reserve a place. Space is limited, so early reservations are advised.
The balance of your tour payment is due no later than ninety (90) days before the first day the tour begins. This is the "final payment date." You will be notified by email that the final payment date is approaching. The balance is to be paid by personal check or bank wire transfer only.
If the final payment is not received by the final payment date, Joanne Weir LLC reserves the right to cancel your reservation and your deposit will be forfeited.
Price is inclusive of accommodations, cooking classes, excursions, tuition, food, and alcoholic beverages and wine during meals. The price is also inclusive of transfers to and from the pre-arranged group meeting point and at the pre-arranged group meeting time.
Joanne Weir LLC is not responsible for any other expenses incurred by you in preparing to attend the tour. You are responsible for airfare and transportation to the pre-arranged group meeting point, any other hotel stays, and other ground transportation. Prices do not include possible optional trips or special transfers before or after the tour that you may take before and/or after the tour.
Price is quoted on a double occupancy basis. Single room supplements are as noted, if single rooms are available. If requested, Joanne Weir LLC will do our best to try to find another participant to share a double room with you, but this is not guaranteed. If we cannot find a participant to share your room, you may incur a single supplement charge.
Upon receipt of your deposit, provided space is available, Joanne Weir LLC will send you a confirmation, and frequently requested information regarding itinerary, transfers, dress, etc.
Cancellation and Refunds
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Signature on the reservation form of the participant or authorized representative signifies acceptance of and agreement to be bound by all the terms and conditions.
It is strongly recommended and encouraged that all participants secure travel insurance.


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Easter = An extra day off for drift.
That's about as deep as it gets for me and for many international readers, Easter also has zero significance.
So we just drift.
J's new Z got its debut track run.
Overdose DIB holding some good angle.
Gallardo is all style.
The mix was certainly on track.
From Street to Rally. 4WD escort? Yes!
Super GT + 50:50
Don't be lured by the 4WD angle.
4WD GT-R turns 2WD
Yokomo GP Sports S15 still looks good.
This is a great option for RWD entry. Wes testing a new conversion on an old chassis.
Used HPI Sprint 2
Yeah Racing RWD conversion.
Basic electrics.
My plastic DP tried to be cheap. But the cheap only comes if you can pick up the chassis for a "used" price.
Yes there were many battles.
Hand off for images.
GCRCD Sliders
Battles and trains.
Waiting for the next challenge.
Mini Shoot.
We now have
R / Gold D-Like S13
A / Green D-Like S13
D / Blue D-Like S13
D / Flame D-Like S13
N / Purple Pandora labo S13
J / PurplePink Pandora labo S13
J / Pink Pandora labo S13
J / Blue ABC 180sx
T / Blue/White Pandora Cefiro
J / Red HPI Z33
M / Orange Supra MA90
N / Pandora labo S13 WIP
Thats 8x S13 and 1 S chassis + 3 others = 12 and there's and a couple more out there.
Thanks to all for hooking in the mood.
trains and training.
on vacation.


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Yes, Romans 13 clearly supports government right to kill law-breakers in an act of justice.
Thus, ICE agents and Border Patrol have the right to shoot to kill illegal immigrants who resist arrest or run away.
All illegal immigrants are breaking the law and are trespassing on American soil.
Illegal immigrants are law-breakers who have no respect for law and order in the United States of America.
Justice demands that that theybe extradited back to their home countries.
Their presence in the United States of America represents unfair burden on American families, particularly inner-city African-Americans who are struggling to find jobs and working-class white Americans who are trying to survive financially in their own country of citizenship.
It is not fair for American citizens that these illegal citizens are not arrested and sent back to the country of their citizenship.
America's politicians must fight to drive out illegals and bring respect and jobs back to American citizens.
Illegals are the primary reason why college graduates (who are American citizens!) in America are struggling to find jobs in America.
Illegals are driving home rental prices sky high. It is important for President Trump to use the United States Military to drive out 13,000,000 illegals from America as soon as possible.
Sanctuary cities are causing economic problems for American citizens!
US Congress needs to do a better job in driving out illegals and helping American citizens get dignity, self-respect, and jobs in the country of their citizenship.
Why should America's college graduates continue to be jobless?
Why should America's working class struggle to survive and feed their children?
It is negligence for US Congress to not pass laws to drive out 13,000,000 illegals from all 50 US states.
US Congress needs to represent American citizens.
It is important to vote Democrats out of Congress in 2018 mid-term elections.
Democrats protecting illegals is proliferating crimes in America and making America less safe for US citizens.
It is important to vote Democrats out in 2018 mid-term elections.
Washington, DC, does not care about US citizens and their safety. It is important to vote out establishment politicians who want to protect illegal immigrants.


text:
With garlic supplements taking the clinical sector by tornado, there has actually been an unprecedented walk in the demand for these supplements providing highly reliable treatment alternatives for countless health problems, these supplements have currently end up being a pressure to reckon with. These previously unknown supplements are currently becoming an essential part of everyday life due to their incredibly easy to use attributes. With increased demand, the competitors in the marketplace is really rigid, with thousands of pharmaceutical firms taken part in establishing more recent garlic supplements which are much more efficient. As an outcome of this, comparable garlic supplements are now readily available under different brand names. To keep abreast of this fierce competition, it has actually become necessary for manufacturing companies to adopt hostile advertising strategies to advertise their items.
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Different individuals might have various needs and also looking for the aid of a certified doctor is always suggested. Quality suppliers will always make the customers aware of the active ingredients and also you will be much better furnished to make a judgment concerning the top quality of the supplement. The majority of the specialists feel that supplements with all natural ingredients are a lot more reliable and also much less unsafe to the human body. The extreme existence of chemicals in a garlic supplements will invite serious wellness implications. In short, it could be stated that a quality garlic supplements will certainly assist you to wage a war against the reckless and unhealthy modern day living. Garlic supplements for men of any ages there are numerous sorts of all natural dietary supplements for males, which are specifically created for males' body. These kinds of garlic supplements unwind them from stress as well as exhaustion.


text:
Keep Left
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We have a team of 25 media and communications experts, video producers, designers, copywriters and digital specialists that together bring our clients' stories to life through a combination of strategy, words, design and video.
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Phone number: 03 9268 7800
Website: keepleft.com.au
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Events from 1 Jul '18 for season '18 – '19
PLEASE NOTE: Flyers are added as they are received….if the flyer is a PDF it will automatically go to your Downloads file, all you have to do is check out your downloads file (or the little blue arrow top right, which appears and moves as downloading happens). If the flyer is in a picture format it will automatically open for you to view. If you struggle with this please let me know. Cheers!
11 May '19 – Finley (NSW) "Arm Tussle" 3BP's
2X8 ends, 1X10 ends. Contact Karen: 0458 324 004 OR firstname.lastname@example.com
21 Apr '19 – Warracknabeal Triples
Contact – Bill Kerr – 0407 682 234 or email@example.com
7 Apr '19 – City of Frankston OBat3T's
To enter you will need to download the flyer on the above link.
Contact John Crook at email@example.com 9783 2877 or 0418 331 337
17 Mar '19 – City of Echuca
Contact – Kerryn Evans – firstname.lastname@example.com
24 Feb '19 – Newborough
Contact – Michael Weatherall – 5126 1421 or email@example.com
Keith Evans – 0418 514 162 or firstname.lastname@example.com
10 Feb '19 – Karingal
Contact Graeme Avery firstname.lastname@example.com or ring 0417 939 376
3 Feb '19 – Highton 2 & 3 BT's
Contact: John Jackson 0415 955322 Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Enter via the flyer entry slip. Click on the link to download the flyer & entry form.
8-11 Jan. '19 – The Victorian Bowlers Arm State Championships.
The Bowlers Arm State Championships will be held from Armadale Bowls Club, 41 Sussex Rd, Caulfield South VIC 3162 with a
Secondary Venue in use (Day 1 & as necessary) at Caulfield Park Alma Bowls Club, 280 Balaclava Rd, Caulfield North VIC 3161. "Get your app. in quick to Bowls Vic.!"
You can download the Entry forms at http://www.bowlsvic.org.au/Get-Involved/Bowlers-Arm OR Singles Here, Pairs Here
The Draw is Out!!! Click here!
Conditions of Play Click here.
(Made available 18 Dec '18)
Enquiries to Graeme Hegarty 0428 380 180 or by email to email@example.com Enter via the flyer entry slip. Click on the link to download the flyer & entry form which will be in your downloads folder.
Contact David Bernard 0459 733 444, or to download the entry form with the flyer click here and go to your downloads folder.
18 Nov '18 – Werribee Open 2BT's
Contact: Pat Bristow 0411 316 795 E: firstname.lastname@example.com
John Greygoose 0439 633 194 E: firstname.lastname@example.com
12 Nov '18 – Berwick Open Pairs
This is Berwick's first foray into an Armed Event, you can make further enquiries by ringing Mike Hodges on 0427 926 914, but please use the flyer entry form to enter. Click on the link to download the flyer & entry form which will be in your Downloads Folder.
(Sponsored by member Octave Sarkissian) 3 games of 11 ends, afternoon tea and lunch $20, contact Wayne Frazer at firstname.lastname@example.com Mobile: 0403558965, Home 9795 9141)
(Regrettably this event was cancelled, today 11 Oct. '18.)
8 Sep '18 – Swan Hill Open 2 Bowl Triples
(Regrettably this event was cancelled, today 6 Sep. '18.)
Contact Bill King : 0428 324 083, HOME 50324083 or Email: email@example.com.
Events from 1 Jul '17 for season '17 – '18
Click on the blue link for each event to reveal the flyer or other information. (Did you know, you can also check out the results from last years tournament (with photos) under the heading "Tournament Results" and "Vic"?
20 May '18 – Benalla BC 2-4-2 Pairs
Contact Ray or June Bezett 0409 072 539 or 0411 064 697 or email firstname.lastname@example.com (Check back later for the flyer.)
15 Apr '18 "The Original and the best, Battle of the Arms"
This is the 10th anniversary of this event, you can read more about it on the Profile of Alby Ashley, the instigator, who'll no doubt be there to compete and enjoy a proud moment, reflecting on how far his vision has come, and indeed how much it is loved.
Hey, and did I mention the prize money (!) it's a massive $2,000 overall. I'd like a bit of that!!!
1st Prize $600, 2nd $330, 3rd $240, 4th $180, 5th $150, 6th $150
Best 1st, 2nd and 3rd game winners $120 (One prize per team only)
8 Apr "18 – Mike Menz Charity Day supporting the Sunraysia Cancer Support Group at the Mildura Bowls Club – 2 Sections Armed & Corporate. Contact Mike McHugh 5023 8446
1 Apr '18 – Warracknabeal BC Triples
Contact Bill Kerr, 0407 682 234 or email firstname.lastname@example.com
25 Feb '18 Dromana Open Triples
Contact Graeme Hegarty by email to: email@example.com Prize money $900 courtesy of, long term sponsor Travability.
18 Feb '18 – Warragul BC 2 Bowl Triples
Contact Peter Gallasch 0475 601 266.
15 Feb '18 – Belmont BC Random 2 Bowl Mx Triples
Contact Peter Cornell 0439412769, (03)5243 2526 or email email@example.com
This event is a "one of kind" ….not to be missed!
"Assembled, Random, 2 bowl Triples."
2 Jan '18 – 5 Jan '18 The Victorian Bowlers Arm State Championships, including the Phil Gude State Singles Championships, will be held at the City of Frankston B. C.
- Vic. State Armed Pairs (Men's) Draw. Click Here. For more go to : Bowls Vic.
- Vic. State Armed Pairs (Women's) Draw. Click Here. For more go to : Bowls Vic.
- Vic. State Armed Singles (Men's) Draw. Click Here. For more go to : Bowls Vic.
- Vic. State Armed Singles (Women's) Draw. Click Here. For more go to : Bowls Vic.
2017-18 BV State Armed Singles Championship Entry Form
2017-18 BV State Armed Pairs Championship Entry Form
2017-18 Bowlers Arm Singles Conditions of Play
2017-18 Bowlers Arm Pairs Conditions of Play
30 Dec '17 City of Frankston "Battle of the Arms – Singles"
Click here for the format, conditions of play and more.
"HELLO ARMERS"….this is a "must not miss" opportunity!! It's just before the State Armed C'ships, on the greens that will host the C'ships!
Contact the Club 9783 2877 OR Rob Huddle 0432 378 896 OR email firstname.lastname@example.com. Prize money $1,000.
7 Dec '17 Burden Park Open 2 Bowl Triples. Prize money $900
Contact: Wayne Frazer 0403 558 965 or firstname.lastname@example.com
3 Dec '17 Dromana Open Triples
(Cancelled due to rain!) Could be re programmed to 4th Feb '18 – check later for more details.)
Contact Graeme Hegarty by email to: firstname.lastname@example.com Prize money $900 courtesy of, long term sponsor Travability.
26 Nov '17 – Armadale 2 Bowl Triples
Contact David Bernard 0459 733 444 or firstname.lastname@example.com
See last years results and a video of the days fun on the "tournament results" page.
19 Nov '17 – Werribee BC 2 Bowl Triples
Contact John Greygoose or Patricia Bristow 0439 633 194 or 0411 316 795 or email
12 Nov '17 – City of Echuca BC Pairs
Contact John Dinsdale 5482 2427 or Steve Morgan 0474 137 319 or email firstname.lastname@example.com
5 Nov '17 Mooroopna Open 2 bowl triples
Contact Arthur Drust 5825 2499, 0478 002 833 or firstname.lastname@example.com
22 Oct '17 Karingal 2 bowl triples
Contact Graeme Avery 0417 939 376 OR email firstname.lastname@example.com
09 Sep '17 Swan Hill. Open 2 bowl triples.
Contact Bill King 0428324083 or preferably email email@example.com
7 Aug '17 Finley R.S.B.C. "Bowlers Armed Tussle" 3 Bowl Pairs.
What a great warm up "tussle" for those competing in the National C'ships ….Finley is just down the road "really", from Moama. (Check out Tournament organizer Karen Peacock's wonderful report with lot's of photo's from last years event, under the "Tournament Results" heading. "Vic.". You can contact her on 0458 324 004 or email her at firstname.lastname@example.com She'd love to hear from you!
07 May '17 Shepparton Park Open 2 bowl triples
Contact Ross Higgins, Jenny Hill 0428 580 111 or 0419570116 email@example.com or firstname.lastname@example.com
09 Apr '17 City of Frankston the original and the best "Battle of the Arms" Triples.
Richard Keogh 0418 960 694
14 Mar '17 Korumburra BC 2 Bowl Triples
Contact Ken Cecil 03 5658 1902 or 0432 305 740 or email email@example.com
16 Feb '17 Belmont BC. Assembled 2 bowl triples! There is no other day like this….you just have to try this one. Contact Peter Cornell 0439412769, 52432526 or firstname.lastname@example.com Check out last years event results with photos!
12 Feb '17 Warragul BC 2 Bowl Triples
Or click here for another version of their flyer
Contact Brian Barby 0447591935, 56236555 or email@example.com
22 January 2017 Keilor B. C. 2 bowl triples
Contact Rick Kristitz on (03) 9361 3253 or 0409 470 73 or firstname.lastname@example.com
Victoria locks in State Arm title dates
All arm bowlers are invited to enter the inaugural Victorian State Arm Championships to be played at MCC Swinburne Avenue, Hawthorn, from January 3-6, 2017.
This event series is Victoria's premier Arm Bowling event and offers single gender playing for both women and men to be contested in singles and pairs playing over four days.
Arm Bowling State Coordinator Phil Gude said: "This represents another first for Bowls Victoria as it is the first State Association to formally present State Titles for Arm players.
"This builds on the support already given to disability bowlers and places Bowls Victoria at the forefront of bowling in Australia as the State that supports and embraces all bowlers irrespective of physical capacity, age or gender. We are the inclusive State."
Bowls Victoria President John Fisher said: "From under 18s to over 60s, Bowlers with a Disability and now Arm Bowlers, Victoria is the inclusive State. That's something for every Victorian to be very proud of."
Bowls Victoria Chief Executive and State Arm Selector Graeme Bridge said: "The State Arm Selectors will be keeping a close watch on the State Titles and other events this season as Victoria will again be hosting the next Arm National Championship and shooting for an historic "five-peat" result and we will be looking to field a very strong side again."
Mr Gude said: "State Selection trials will be held in March over two weekends and this year we will run a day specifically for ladies in recognition of the growing number of talented female arm players."
"I have been keen to do this for some time and expect we will have a very strong contingent from which selection will be made."
This puts added importance particularly on the State Titles performances and of course other events in the schedule.
Trial dates are in the Arm Schedule and more information will be available closer to the trials.
Mr Gude said: "We expect that with almost 7,000 arm players in Victoria this will develop into a major event on the bowls calendar. Entry forms are now available only on the Bowls Victoria website and we urge players to not miss out by nominating early."
Click here for the Singles entry form
Click here for the Pairs entry form
Click here for the Singles Conditions of Play
Click here for the Pairs Conditions of Play
(The above courtesy of Bowls Vic. 18th Oct '16)
You cannot enter from here but you can download the entry form here.
OR….. go too http://www.bowlsvic.org.au/Get-Involved/Bowlers-Arm
An important notice to Arm Bowlers from Bowls Vic. 25/11/2017 states:
Many arm players will have Credential Cards that are unnumbered dating back over five years and will not have a number to include with their registration for the upcoming State Arm Titles at MCC Swinburne Avenue in January 2017.
In this case we request players simply tick the form in the area requiring their Registration number and bring along the credential to the event and have it replaced with a new numbered credential that will be there for them.
New credentials will only be handed over on receipt of the now outdated card and players will need to prove their certification prior to play.
News from 1/1/16 below.
To read more about this and Queensland's entry into the 2016 Interstate Challenge click here.
02 Jan '16 Central Wendouree B.C. (Vic) (Results Posted)
10 Jan '16 Heathmont B.C. (Vic) 2 bowl open triples. (Results and photos posted)
14 Feb '16 Keilor B.C. (Vic) 2 bowl triples. (Results Posted)
14 Feb '16 Warragul B.C. (Vic) 2 bowl triples. (Results Posted)
18 Feb '16 Belmont B.C. (Vic) Assembled 2 bowl triples (Results Posted)
13 Mar '16 Golden Square B.C. (Vic) 2 bowl triples (Postponed till September '16)
15 Mar '16 Korumburra B.C. (Vic.) 2 bowl triples. (Results and Photos Posted)
20 Mar '16 Edithvale B.C. (Vic.) "A & D" open medley pairs (Results and Photos Posted)
20 Mar '16 Mt Martha B. C. (Vic.) "Stick it to 'em" 2BT's (Cancelled)
26 Mar '16 (Easter Sat.) Sale B.C. "A Call to Arms" 2BT's (Results and photos posted)
03 Apr '16 – State Armed Bowlers Selection Trials. ( See "State Reps – 2016")
10 Apr '16 City of Frankston (Vic) The original and the best "Battle of the Arms" 3 bowl triples. (Results and photos posted)
16 & 17 Apr '16 Benalla B.C. (Vic.) 2 bowl "Arm Wrestle" triples.
May '16 – "A self-funded Australian Bowling Arm Team has been chosen from National Championships participants to tour New Zealand. They are:
VIC – Barry Anset, Ray Arnold, Doug Corrigan, Harry Dahllof, Phil Gude, Tony Long, Ann Power, Adele Ryan, Lee Wesley. NSW – Mick Cleary, Jeff King, John Passfield, Allan Starrett, Roger Sydenham, Stan Wrzeczycki. SA – Arch Baxter, Rodney Egge, Stuart Reither, Don Sheldon. Q'LD – David Johnson.
28 Aug '16 Finley RS BC 3 Bowl Pairs (Results and photos posted.)
10 Sep '16 Swan Hill B.C. 2 Bowl Triples (Results & photos posted)
24 Sep '16 Shepparton Park BC 2 Bowl Triples(Results & photos posted)
25 Sep '16 Mooroopna BC 2 Bowl Triples(Results & photos posted)
6 Oct '16 Corowa Civic BC Pairs
23 Oct '16 Karingal BC 2 Bowl Triples(Results & photos posted)
30 Oct.'16 Mt Martha "Stick it to 'em" Open 2 Bowl Triples(Results & photos posted)
Kevin Dungey 0439553 676 firstname.lastname@example.com
6 Nov '16 Werribee BC 2 Bowl Triples(Results & photos posted)
13 Nov '16 City of Echuca BC 3 Bowl Pairs(Results & photos posted)
13 Nov '16 City of Frankston BC Singles(Results & photos posted)
20 Nov '16 Lilydale B.C.2x2x2x2 Pairs (Results & photos posted)
Rod Nicholson 0433 547 554 firstname.lastname@example.com
27 Nov '16 Armadale 2 Bowl Triples
4 Dec '16 Dromana BC 2-4-2 Pairs (Results posted)
3, 4, 5 & 6 Jan '17 (Tuesday to Friday) MCC Bowls Section (2 venues)
State Singles & Pairs for Armed Bowlers.
Good luck and good bowling to all entrants in the very first Armed State Singles Title draw to be played this Tuesday and Wednesday. (The Pairs are on Thursday and Friday.) There are 4 Sections for the women and a massive 16 Sections for the men in the singles draw. Competitors are traveling from all points of Victoria to try their luck with all games to be hosted by MCC (both venues).
You can keep up to date with all the draws and scores through the Bowls Vic. Draw and Results portal https://sportsdesq.sportstg.com/portal/index.cfm…
- Section 1
Pam Wakeford (Glen Waverley)
Carmel Healy (Dromana)
Margaret Watson (Whittlesea)
Section 2
Kerry Ralph (Barooga)
Janet Hamblin (Heywood)
Ann Power (City of Frankston)
Section 3
Joan Moss (City of Echuca)
Pamela Bryant (Edithvale)
Lorna Howell (Horsham Golf)
Section 4
Carole Klop (Glen Waverley)Adele Ryan (Ocean Grove)
15 Jan '17 Benalla BC "North East Arm Wrestle" 2 Bowl Triples.
Email : firstname.lastname@example.com or email@example.com or Phone: Ray Bezett 0409 072 539.
22 January 2017 Keilor B. C. 2 bowl triples
Contact Rick Kristitz on (03) 9361 3253 or 0409 470 73 or email@example.com


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The number of times I speak to $50M+ ARR companies who are just now starting to look at churn is startling. Here's why.
Imagine you're a new SaaS company that just reached your first 100 customers. You notice that in the past month, 3% of your customers have churned. You're not too phased—getting those 3 customers back might be as easy as getting on the phone or sending them a personalized email.
Thanks for reporting a problem. We'll attach technical data about this session to help us figure out the issue. Which of these best describes the problem?
Any other details or context?
This monthly customer churn rate doesn't seem so bad when you have 100 customers. But when you have 100,000 customers, your unaddressed 3% churn is a bad look. It's not as easy to win back 3,000 customers a month with nice emails.
As your customer base grows, churn becomes a bigger and bigger problem and not just because you're losing customer - it's because your CAC costs just to grow 1% is out of control, especially if the market is closing around you. Let's dig into this concept and get you on the right track.
Churn comes back to bite you
Preventing churn from destroying your company years down the line comes down to establishing good foundational business practices early on. This means measuring churn, understanding where it's coming from, and taking steps to retain those customers.
Churn compounds with growth because it is a percentage of your total customer base. This can hurt you in many ways:
The more customers churn, the more revenue you have to pour back into your company just to keep the bottom line flat.
If you've set goals to grow month-over-month or year-over-year, those goals are going to be harder to reach and will take longer.
You'll have to spend money to acquire customers and replace the ones you've lost that could have been spent on other things like product improvements or hiring.
To add insult to injury, churn reflects poorly on the health of your company. High churn will hurt you whether you're bootstrapped or venture-backed—but if you're trying to raise money, poor retention metrics are a hard sell to an investor. According to SaaS investor David Skok, growth and retention are two major factors that VCs use to determine valuations for your company. Churn sabotages both of these.
But what is the threshold for really dangerous churn? In the early days of your company, it's hard to tell. Let's model out the growth of three different companies with different user churn rates over time to demonstrate the disastrous effects of short-term thinking. Then we'll look at how you can adjust your strategy to plan for long-term success.
Churn looks different 5 years down the line
Your current churn rate won't have the same effects on your company in a few years as it does today. One of the most significant changes is financial: customer churn makes it more expensive to grow as your company gets bigger.
For example: Imagine three different SaaS companies who are all going to try to scale up in the next five years. Each company makes $500,000 in annual recurring revenue. They each have 1,000 customers that pay $500/year each, and each customer costs $625 to acquire. Each company's sales efficiency is about 0.8, meaning that 80% of the CAC is repaid within a year.
Each company plans to grow from 1,000 customers to 10,000 customers over five years. These numbers below show hypothetical growth, as each company aims to increase the size of their customer base year after year.
Company A has 1% monthly churn, Company B has 3% monthly churn, and Company C has 5% monthly churn. Even though these three companies have identical metrics except for churn, this growth is going to come at very different costs.
Company A: 1% monthly churn
Company A loses 1% of their customers each month and 12% of their customers each year. As the company grows, 12% of their customer base becomes a bigger and bigger number of customers.
Company A aims to grow from 1,000 to 10,000 customers over 5 years, despite the fact that they lose customers to churn every year.
By Year 5, losing 1% of customers a month means Company A is losing 1,200 customers in that year. In order to grow, Company A has to replace all of those lost customers and then acquire more on top. This comes at a steep cost, because each customer costs $656 to acquire.
In Year 5, Company A will have to feed 15% of the revenue they make that year into replacing churned customers.
In total, Company A will have to spend $1.8M to replace customers that churn over the course of 5 years.
This isn't to acquire customers that help them grow from 1,000 to 10,000 customers—this is just to replace the ones that are leaving each year due to 1% monthly churn.
Company B: 3% monthly churn
The churn rate for Company B is slightly higher than that for Company A. With 3% monthly churn, Company B loses 36% of their customers each year.
Company B wants to grow by the same numbers each year as Company A. In five years, they aim to grow from 1,000 to 10,000 customers.
By Year 5, when Company B is losing 3,600 customers, they'll have a huge churn problem on their hands.
The only way Company B can grow their customer base is by first replacing those churned customers.
Replacing 3,600 customers in Year 5 means spending $2.25M in CAC, which is almost half of what the company makes that year in revenue.
Over 5 years, Company B will have to spend $5.4M to replace churned customers and stay at flatline, before they spend a penny on acquiring new customers that will grow their user base.
Losing 360 customers in Year 1 probably hurt Company B, but they could afford to fix it. But it's unreasonable to think that spending half of your yearly revenue to refill your customer base and get back to flatline is sustainable for long-term growth.
Company C: 5% monthly churn
From Day 1, Company C's 5% monthly churn rate is alarming. In the first year, they'll lose 60% of their initial cohort.
Over 5 years, growth from 1,000 to 10,000 customers seems improbable. More than half of the customers from the cohort at the beginning of the year churn after 12 months.
In Year 5, Company starts with 10,000 customers and loses 6,000 of then in one year. This makes growth next to impossible.
From a market standpoint, Company C will run through much of the market trying to acquire customers to replace those who've churned. The more customers churn, the smaller their potential market gets and the harder it is to replace churned customers. From a financial standpoint, acquiring customers to refill the customer base is not a viable option.
It would cost Company C $3.75M to replace the customers that churned in Year 5 alone, in order to reach a baseline from which they could grow the next year. This is three-quarters of the revenue they'll make that year.
In total, Company C would spend $9M over five years just to refill their leaky customer bucket to baseline.
Customer churn is one of your most expensive oversights. It only gets worse with every day, month, and year that you don't address it. Even if churn isn't a huge problem today, creating a long-term retention strategy will be worth its weight in gold in one, five, or even ten years.
Shift your thinking from short-term to long-term
You can make important changes to your growth strategy by simply changing your mindset. Short-term growth goals tend to involve "growth-hacks" that prioritize aggressive acquisition above all. They aren't sustainable over time, and eventually your acquisition channels will dry up and those customers that aren't great fits will churn.
Long-term growth goals involve acquiring customers who have genuine interest in and need for your product. Then you need to figure out what they're willing to pay and create a value-metric. This ensures that customers are satisfied with the value they're paying for, and that you can grow without leaving any money on the table.
SaaS teams looking for actionable ways to stop churn and plan for long-term success need to consider:
What factors about your customers correlate with churn? Small companies tend to be bigger churn risks than larger companies because they may run out of resources more quickly or go out of business. But other factors may correlate with churn as well. For example, if customers from a certain industry tend to churn more than others, don't focus so heavily on acquiring those customers.
What features do customers with high lifetime value engage with the most? What keeps your ideal customers coming back? When during their onboarding do they first engage with this feature? If you find, for example, that customers who connect with friends through social media on your app tend to retain longer, show users where to find the social share features in their first session.
Why did customers churn? If your company is small and just starting to see customer churn, you have a great opportunity to reach out to those churned customers and personally ask them why they left. You may find ways that you can improve the product, the customer experience, or the pricing that you wouldn't have thought about otherwise.
Can you create less opportunities to churn? Customers with higher ARPU are less likely to churn—so by growing customers' accounts through up-selling and cross-selling, you're both increasing revenue and aiding long-term churn reduction. As the ARPU of your customers grows, you may also find opportunities to switch customers from monthly plans to annual plans. A higher percentage of annual plans is also correlated with lower gross churn rate.
Pull together the information you learn from talking to your customers and looking for patterns in your data. Use this to inform your customer acquisition tactics: focus your efforts on customers that really find value in your product and are willing to pay, because they will have long lifetimes at your company.
Use your findings to shape your retention strategies, too: understand what customers really want and make sure they're getting this value from day one, and look for ways to up-sell them and deliver more and more value over time.
Fixing your churn problem puts money back in your bank account
In 5 years, you don't have to be worrying about where you'll get several million dollars to replace your churned customers. You can pre-empt and prevent that problem by making customer retention a top priority.
The money that you'll save in CAC can be put towards growing your business in other ways like building out a sales team, hiring customer success team members, doing product development—the list is endless. The one place you shouldn't spend your hard-earned dollars is in fixing churn that you can prevent.


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Out of all the businesses in the country, gas stations are some of the busiest around. There is so much to maintain, it can be dizzying. On top of that, there needs to be a shop to provide all the little snacks, drinks, smokes, and more than people will want while they are traveling about the town.
One of the main concerns is safety and that is something that requires some special attention on a professional level. Just because you are a station owner or franchiser does not mean you can do it all.
From installation of systems and tanks right to the selling of the gas, you will need gas station maintenance companies to do the job right. Those huge tanks underground need to be installed perfectly. Keeping everything will need to be maintained at a perfect level to keep the situation safe.
Dispensers will need to be installed and sometimes replaced. Parts will break down and new software will be needed to keep POS systems up to date. The actual gas sales are what drive all the station's profits. Meanwhile, there are state and federal regulations to maintain in order to continue business. Everything depends on precision. This is why it is wise to use a third party company to make the grade.
Don't trust anything less. Do not risk getting shut down because you decided to drop the ball and drop the maintenance at any point. With the better companies you get guaranteed work done on time just the way it should be done. Be sure that all sensors are functional and that leaks are well maintained should they arise.
The facilities will need to be maintained as well. There needs to be bathrooms and coolers, handicap access, price signs, lights, HVAC, ATMS, and much more. Get it all done by one good company.


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Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Magan Vernon to HJ!
Hi Magan and welcome to HJ! We're so excited to chat with you about your new release, Straight Up Irish!
Tell us about the book with this fun little challenge using the title of the book:
S is for Sinfully hot Irish playboy
T is for Temptation in the form of his brother's American assistant
R is for Romance set in Dublin
A is for Arsehole and other fun Irish slang
I is for Interoffice relations
G is for Gobshite
H is for Hottie priest who is technically not a priest but has the nickname "Father What A Waste"
T is for Telephone chats at all hours of the day.
U is for Underlining Pros and Cons of a fake marriage
P is for Putting on a front for the board
I is for Irresistible Irish charm
R is for Running into each other at first meeting, literally.
I is for Insider Info
S is for Stills for whiskey making.
Please share the opening lines of this book:
The harsh morning light streamed in through the windows as if it were a switch that made the pounding in my head even worse.
The Irish sun I swore was worse than the American one, and so was the alcohol. Nothing in the world compared to Irish whiskey and it had been a while since I'd been back to my hometown of Dublin.
Please share a few Fun facts about this book…
- It's set in Dublin, Ireland
- Connor and Fallon are loosely based on Oliver and Felicity from Arrow #Olicity
- For the cover, I literally made everyone I know search for a Stephen Amell look-a-like in stock art
- Some of my research for this book included calling my father-in-law, a business owner, and asking questions about CEOs, wills, and marriage clauses. This garnered a lot of weird questions.
- A few Irish authors and bloggers helped me get the Irish slang down for this book, even explaining to me some American lingo that isn't the same in Ireland (like fanny…)
Was there a scene in this book that was harder to write than others?
I needed to angst up a certain…ahem…scene. So I had the hero and heroine fight.
"Something wrong?" he asked, running his hands down my arms, leaving goosebumps in their wake.
I sucked in a breath, trying to muster up all of the courage I could before I turned in his arms, keeping my gaze on the way his shirt bulged against his arm muscles instead of at his face.
With the past rejections, I couldn't take another one. But if I was going to test out this fairy tale and live in the moment, then I had to go with my rapidly beating heart. I mustered up all of the courage I had. "Why?"
His hands stilled. "Why what?"
"Why all of this? If it's just a thing to get your company, why not just hand me a contract and be done with it?"
Pressing his body flush with mine, every will I had to pull away started to melt in his arms as he slowly cupped my face.
"Fallon," he growled. "I told you I was going to take care of you. I meant every word I said. You should know how I feel by now, about all of this."
"And you should know that I feel the same, okay? I don't want either of us to muck this up either, but I can't stop thinking…" My words trailed. I'd already said too much, and now it was probably time to just shut up and play the role of the good fake girlfriend.
His thumb brushed against my lip, every nerve in my body coming alive in response as I let out a ragged breath.
"If we do this, there's no going back. I want you so badly it's all I can think about. If we start this, I'm not stopping until you come at least seven times," his raspy words spilled onto my lips, tasting him.
"Seven…?" I managed to squeak out, my words caught in my throat.
He smiled, his hands trailing to my waist, leaving goosebumps in their wake. "Luck of the Irish, Mo Gra."
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
What do you want people to take away from reading this book?
I want people to walk away thinking "You know what? That Magan Vernon is kind of funny. I'd read her again. And maybe take her for a pint in Ireland."
Thanks for blogging at HJ!
Giveaway: Straight Up Irish Bookstagram box including Shot Glass, Murphy's Pub towel. Recipe magnet, sticker, and bookmark.
To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: What would you want to see more of from me in writing? Either the characters in this series or other ones?
Book Info:
I need a wife if I want to help save my family's billion-dollar pub empire. There's just one problem: I never plan on marrying. So, I need someone who understands that this is just another business deal. I don't do commitments. And my brother's executive assistant, Fallon Smith, fits that bill.
Fallon needs help with her grandmother's expenses, and her pretending to be my fake wife is a way we can make that happen. She's not my biggest fan, but we can help each other and then go our separate ways. That she's beautiful and I enjoy spending time with her–doesn't matter. When all of this is done, she's heading home to America, and I've got a company to run.
A fake wedding and a whole lot of whiskey. What could go wrong?
Book Links: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | kobo | BAM |
Meet the Author:
Magan Vernon has been living off of reader tears since she wrote her first short story in 2004. She now spends her time killing off fictional characters, pretending to plot while she really just watches Netflix, and she tries to do this all while her two young children run amok around her Texas ranch.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | GoodReads |


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Brigitte makes getting ready seem like a walk in the park!
The first look :-)
The entire wedding party!
A kiss after our vows!
Ready for the post-wedding festivities
Having a blast at our retro reception!
So hungry!!
Cutting the cake
Visiting with friends and family
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+ 34 916 593 606
Avenida de europa 11 San Sebastian de los Reyes 28700 Spain
Location This hotel is located within the San Sebastián de los Reyes business park, 15 km from Madrid. The Circuito de Jarama racetrack and the La Moraleja golf club are both situated directly adjacent to the hotel. The cathedral can also easily be reached from here. Links to the public transport network can be reached in about 5 minutes on foot and it is some 12 km to Madrid-Barajas airport. Facilities The hotel was built in 2004. The accommodation comprises a total of 99 rooms. A lobby and a reception are available to guests. Most of the storeys can be reached by lift. Amenities include a baggage storage service and a safe. Wireless internet access in public areas allows travellers to stay connected. Among the culinary options available at the establishment are a restaurant, a café and a bar. There is also a garden. Those arriving in their own vehicles can leave them in the car park of the hotel. Additional services include car hire, room service and a laundry service. Rooms Each of the rooms is appointed with air conditioning and a bathroom. A double bed ensures a good night's sleep. A safe, a minibar and a desk are also available. Other features include internet access, a telephone, a TV, a games console and WiFi. Some of the rooms are adapted for wheelchair users. The bathroom offers convenient facilities including a bathtub. A hairdryer is also available. The accommodation offers non-smoking rooms. Sports/Entertainment The establishment offers golf (for a fee) to guests. Meals Breakfast can be booked.


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Claudia Maria Guenther
Structure resolution expert with the CMG method
As the owner of CMG Quantum Consulting, clients and coachees benefit from the toolboxes of the traditional consultancy and coaching systems as well as my ability to recognize and resolve informal structures in their company
I use the CMG methodto resolve these structures in an efficient and caring manner. In the process, I combine elements of the logic-driven business world with those of the mental and emotional world. Companies benefit from my broad range of experience in different roles and long-standing know-how in the areas of consultancy, coaching and training.
Consultant: Cultural change agent, value-based company management with the CMG method, innovation management, project management and change management with mental techniques, which are an integral part of the CMG method
Coach: Stress relief with the CMG method, personal development, executive development, shadowing, strategy development
Trainer: Team building, communication, resilience, mindfulness, mental techniques, CMG method
Industry/professional experience
Coaching and training: 2009 – present
Companies and individuals from the following industries:
- Logistics, manufacturing industry
- Gastronomy, business
- Real estate, insurance, etc.
Company consultancy – freelance company projects: 2004 – present
- Aviation/aircraft construction: Airbus Deutschland
- IT: Telekom Deutschland
- Medical technology: Philips Medical
- Care industry: Marseille-Kliniken AG
Professional experience: 1990 – 2003
- Media/Advertising: Alden Image Network, New York, NY and Westport, CT, USA
- Telecommunications: Siemens Information and Communication Mobile, ICM, San Diego, CA, USA
- Tourism and service industry:
- Lufthansa
- Hapag Lloyd Kreuzfahrten
- Touristik Union International (TUI)
- Deutsches Reisebüro


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Some weird things happened on Saturday!
1. I found the only pile of ants in the whole track complex and proceeded to lay down in it to relax before the competition. Luckily, I noticed early and they were only tiny little black ones, not red and scary. I'm a disaster sometimes.
2. I forgot my back brace at the hotel. As soon as I noticed that it wasn't in my backpack, I said to myself, "Forget about it. Move on. Nothing you can do now." If I'd let myself dwell on its absence, it would've become a bigger deal than it needed to be.
3. We warmed up on the soccer field adjacent to the track complex. This was kind of cool, as throwing in a warm-up area before a competition starts is what happens at the big meets. Since Tucson tries to mimic a Worlds/Olympics qualifying and finals scenario, this deviation from the norm seemed fitting!
My warm-up went better on Thursday than it did on Saturday, and that's the way I like it sometimes. A good warm-up messes with me a little bit; I think I lose focus because it seems like I've just "got it," and then I don't hit positions as well in the competition. A shaky warm-up brings my focus right down to what I need to do. My plan going into Saturday (as previously mentioned), was to relax on the first four throws and then get after it on the last two. I also wanted to get my right leg out of the way going into my block to make the right-left transition faster than Thursday, and to control the tip of the javelin a bit better.
My first throw went 59.67m, or exactly one centimeter further than my best throw on Thursday! That made me chuckle. I had a solid block and kept my arm back, but didn't quite hold my chest up like I wanted to. My second attempt went 60.36m with a little better upper body position. Then I threw 58m and had two 57m attempts before finishing with a forced 60.03m on my final toss. Here are the results (click on "#13 Women Javelin Throw") and Paul Merca's recap.
I stuck to my plan okay! I actually stayed relaxed almost all the way through the competition, because it was going well. I had nothing to lose on my last attempt though, and the crowd clapped for me, which always pumps me up! I felt ready for that extra adrenaline, but my technique didn't quite agree, and the javelin flew pretty much sideways to 60 meters. Cool, though! The javelin flew sideways to 60 meters! Which means it might fly further if it were straight. :) My technical take-aways to work on are javelin tip control (as always), making my right-to-left transition fast (as always), and finishing the throw a little better; I felt like I let go of the javelin a millisecond too early on every attempt in Tucson.
I'm happy with two throws in a series over 60 meters at this point. I've been throwing so much in practice all year that I'm really excited to be competing now. As hard as you try to throw at a high intensity in practice, it always feels much faster in competition, and I'm looking forward to getting comfortable with that. I'm in the Czech Republic (a new country for me!) for the Ostrava Golden Spike on Friday!


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I've been working on an outfit to enter into a competition. I will reveal the rest of the outfit at a later date, but first of all wanted to show my hair piece/fascinator.
I have made this hair piece out of things from around (and outside) the house: a shoulder pad, mens necktie fabric, tissue pattern paper, a yellow napkin, Christmas cracker decorations, foliage from the back yard, and a magpie feather, some eco-fi Kunin felt backing, and hair clips.
Bear in mind, this is not for every day wear!
Friday, February 18, 2011
A recycled fascinator
4 comments:
...and yet, they all go together perfectly!!! Hope you post photos of the whole ensemble after the big reveal!ReplyDelete
Hi Anne K, thanks for the comment - I cant wait to blog about the final outfit, its in the making and involves curtains, a chair cover, plastic, reusable grocery bags, the frills from a table cloth a cushion and a pillow case =)ReplyDelete
Super cute!! :) I love how crafty and eco friendly you are! :DReplyDelete
Thanks RosMari!ReplyDelete
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What all do you think of when you hear 'Himachal Pradesh'? Most probably mountains, snow and freezing weather, and destinations like Shimla, Manali. But have you heard of the lakes of Himachal?
Yes! Apart from the mountains, Himachal has a number of beautiful and enchanting lakes. There are lakes on high altitudes like the Chandra Tal and Suraj Tal which are favourite among the campers and trekkers, and then there are mid or low altitude lakes like the Khajjiar Lake and Rewalsar Lake that are ideal for weekends spent by the lakeside.
A delight for the sore eyes, these beautiful lakes of Himachal are a MUST visit!
The Chandra Tal translated, as 'The Lake of the Moon' is located at a high altitude of 4,300 metres in the Spiti Valley. The lake is 2.5 kms wide and it changes colours according to the moody sky. The lake is surrounded by beautiful Himalayan vistas and is popular amongst the campers. Trekkers camp on its bank during spring when it's profusely covered in wildflowers. The Kunzum pass is only 7 kms away and can be travelled on foot. A motorable route to Batal is also accessible.
Fun Fact: It is said that the underground water replenishes this crescent-shaped lake because it doesn't have a water source.
The Suraj Tal Lake is in the Lahaul Valley quite close to the Chandra Tal. It is considered holy because it's the Lake of the Sun God. It lies at the heel of the Baralacha-la Pass, which connects Lahaul to Ladakh. The enchanting Suraj Tal Lake is the source of the Bagha River, which is a tributary of the Chenab River. As it's considered a sacred lake and is situated at an altitude of 4950 meters, this lake attracts a lot of devotees as well as campers. This place is a photographer's and nature lover's paradise.
Fun Fact: The Suraj Tal is India's 3rd highest lake and the 21st highest lake in the World.
The Parashar Lake is named after the Sage Parashar. It's 49 kms from the Mandi district and at an altitude of 2730 meters. Legends say that Sage Parashar meditated at this place for a while. There is a three-storied pagoda temple devoted to the sage right next to the lake and the lake is guarded by majestic peaks. You can go to Lake Parashar through Drang. This is a perfect spot for a little getaway or even a fun picnic.
Fun Fact: Mythology says that Bheem, one of the Pandava brothers pushed a mountain with his elbow to create this lake and that's why this lake is unfathomable.
The Nako Lake is at an altitude of 3662 meters above sea level and is situated in Kinnaur district. The lake looks ethereal as it reflects the trees and the village on its clear surface. Poplar and willow trees encircle this lake. The Nako lake serves as a part of the border of the quaint Nako village and is a good spot for exploring, hiking and experiencing a spiritual atmosphere.
Fun Fact: There are four Buddhist temples around the lake and footprint impressions of Guru Padmasambhava.
The Khajjiar lake is situated in a small town called Khajjiar in the Chamba district. The lake is located in the heart of a vast evergreen meadow that is cupped by the dense cedar trees that surround it. Khajjiar gets its name from the deity Khajji Nag. Khajjiar is situated between Dalhousie and Chamba, two frequently visited hill stations of Himachal Pradesh. The Khajjiar Lake is now drying up and steps are being taken to conserve it.
Fun Fact: Khajjiar is also called "Mini Switzerland" because of its beauty.
The Manimahesh lake also known as Dal lake of Himachal is considered one of the holiest lakes in India. It's situated near the Manimahesh Kailash Peak in the Pir Panjal range of the mighty Himalayas, in Chamba district. Devotees of Shiva come here from all over the country to seek blessings. The 'Manimahesh Yatra' or the religious pilgrimage starts around the month of August and September. There are three routes to the Manimahesh Lake i.e via Kugti Pass, via Karwasi pass or Jalsu pass and via Bharmour.
Fun Fact: Mythology says that Lord Shiva performed penance for about a 100 year here. It's said that a waterfall gushed out of this tangled hair and formed this lake.
Popularly known as Tso Pema, the Rewalsar Lake is a mid-altitude lake, 1360 meters above sea level. The lake is 25 kms from Mandi. Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs consider this square-shaped lake sacred. There are 3 Hindu temples, a Gurudwara and 4 Buddhist monasteries in its vicinity. The view from the lake is beautiful as it's surrounded by natural wonders. The Sisu fair is held here and the festival of Baisakhi is celebrated here with gusto.
Fun Fact: Rewalsar Lake is known for its floating reeds. It's said that Guru Padmasambhava's spirit resides on the island of floating reed.
Aren't these lakes beautiful and worth going to?
So, plan a long weekend getaway with friends and family. And this time when you are in Himachal, don't forget to visit the Lakes of Himachal for an unusual experience!
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Friday, October 30, 2009
Decorator Tip
Place tall decor elements around the perimeter of the room. High-hung drapes or 15-foot branches in urns impart a sense of coziness and intimacy. {Thanks to Brilliant Idea for the tip!}
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Seating Charts for Fans
One of Lucky Orchid's brides just sent over a picture of her St. Louis Cardinals seating chart from her rehearsal dinner - and we think it is so adorable!
The bride had surprised the groom with this special touch to the event! She had this to say: "Brian loved the rehearsal dinner seating chart...It was a HUGE hit!!! Lots of STL fans were there so they all thought it was the best thing ever...Brian was SO surprised."
Here is another example for an Atlanta Braves fan...
This is just another idea on how to make your big day personal to you. The rehearsal dinner is a great time to incorporate fun ideas that may not fit in with the mood or feel of the wedding itself. Thanks to Lucky Orchid for the pics and ideas!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Bella Pictures Invites you to Win their Complete Wedding Photography Package.
Custom-designed wedding photography package worth approximately $4,800 includes 8hours of coverage with two Bella Pictures photographers, a personalized wedding album, digital negatives, archival-quality prints, photo retouching, and much more.
ENTER to win!
Have Martha Stewart Design Your Wedding for Just $1500!?
That's what Sandals resort is offering couples who book one of their new Martha Stewart theme weddings, which start at $1500. The legendary tastemaker Martha Stewart has worked with the resort to create five different wedding themes that have her stamp of approval and sense of design. Of course, Martha won't be there to individually style your wedding, although there's probably no harm in telling your coworkers that you're having a Martha Stewart wedding in the islands. If you're budget conscious, you might want to just get inspired by her magazine, as the price only covers some design elements and not essentials like photography, music, or dinner for your guests. To learn more, visit Sandals Resorts. {Thanks to Nina Callaway for the Info!}
Friday, October 23, 2009
RSVP Reminder
Number the guest list and the backs of the RSVP cards, in case someone forgets to write in his or her name. {Thanks to Brides.com for the idea and photocardchef.com for the image.} Happy Planing!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Branding Your Marriage!
Move beyond monograms and create a decorative logo to "brand" your wedding. Designs can be based on your initials, but can also incorporate your hobbies and interests. Use your personalized logo on save-the-dates, invitations, napkins, table decor and more. {Thanks to Modern Bride for the tip!}
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Wedding Day Beauty Count Down...
6 months prior: Start growing hair out, or try a new color.
5 months prior: Get serious about skin care & drink lots of water. If you can do it, get monthly facials by a professional - it will make your makeup application so much smoother and you will need less coverage. It's not a bad idea to have to groom visit the esthetician with you and begin a skin care regim. He can glow too!
4 months prior: Schedule consults with makeup artists.
3 months prior: Experiment with self-tanners for a natural glow.
2 months prior: Have your eyebrows professionally shaped.
1 month prior: Whiten your teeth to add sparkle to your smile.
2 weeks prior: Exfoliate and moisturize for silky smooth skin. (This should be on-going...Start much earlier and having it as a daily routine keeps skin healthy)
1 week prior: Get a bikini wax and splurge on a massage.
1 day prior: Have a professional pedicure and manicure.
Wedding Day: Be sure to schedule enoughtime for your make-up artist to get your make-up done in time for the photographer. Keep this in mind also for the bridal party, if they are also getting makeup done by the same artist. Then, sit back and get gorgeous! Happy Planning!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Saving on Flowers
One great way to save on cut flowers: Splurge on the reception, where people will see the flowers for four to five hours. Ceremony flowers will be seen for an hour, tops. Thanks to brides.com for the tip! Happy Planning!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Showing Your Personality
Couples are often looking for interesting ways to showcase their personalities through their weddings, and having meaningful table names is one way to do just that! But what "themes" work best? Here is a list of recent ideas that our couples have come up with:
Places the couple has traveled
Places the couple wants to travel
Sports players
Sports teams
Icons (rather than names)
The word "love" in various languages
Various words in different languages (ie. Italian, Portuguese, or French)
Lakes and Fish (the groom was really into fishing)
Names of buildings at/around your college(s)
Local street names
{Thanks to Luck Orchid for the ideas and info! Be sure to visit them for more inspiration.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Your Rehersal "Dinner"
A rehearsal dinner doesn't have to be a dinner at all. Host a brunch or lunch if it's easier for your schedule—the point is to have an intimate event that allows families to mingle. Happy Planning!
{courtesy of brides.com}
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