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Saturday, September 29, 2007
This ain't my idea of a weekend
Friday, 10:30pm - Went to bed. Expecting Greg home between 12:30 & 1:00am.
Sometime in the night - Woken up by crying.
A moment of alarm: Greg isn't home!
Notice the time: 12:39am. Relieved
Crying turns more to shrieking. It's Dale. Having a nightmare, maybe?
I rush to his room, as he is starting to sound pretty panicky. It is then that I understand what he is saying/crying/almost screaming: "I need to throw up!"
We run to the bathroom. Dale soon feels better. I call Greg. He is 5 minutes from home.
1:15 am - Greg is home. Dale pukes again.
2:00 am - We decide that's all we're going to hear from Dale and we go to bed.
Almost 4:00 am - Alan is awake. Nurse him back to sleep.
A little after 4:00 am - I'm back in bed
5:59 am - Alan is awake. I get up with him.
7:30am - Alan and I crawl into bed w/Greg.
7:40am - Dale is awake. And puking.
8:00 am - Alan is asleep. Dale pukes again.
8:15 am - Greg and I 'enjoying' coffee & donuts. Dale pukes again.
Under my breath, while Dale's head is hanging over the toilet, I whisper, "poor baby."
Dale finishes his deed and sits down on the stool. I cool him with a wet washcloth.
He says, "Why'd you say 'poor baby', Mama, why?"
At least he doesn't know to feel sorry for himself!
I on the other hand, see a long, long day ahead. ;-)
Friday, September 28, 2007
"Correct thy son..."
Since it is likely to be different by the time you read this, at this moment it says:
"Correct thy son and he shall give thee rest, yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul." Proverbs 29:17
This is a hot topic in our house lately, as we daily see more and more evidence that Dale very much has a mind of his own. And it is made up. Always. And it usually doesn't agree with whatever the current figure of authority has just said.
One of the parenting gurus for the last 20+ years, Dr. James Dobson has a phrase for kids like this: Stong-willed child. I think the next time he publishes a revised version of his book, he is going to put Dale's picture in it!
I joke, but it is something we are taking really seriously around here. We firmly believe that now is the time for us to teach Dale the value of submitting to authority. First us, and then later his Saviour, the Bible, employers, teachers...the list goes on.
Don't get me wrong...I'm not 'dissing' Dale. He is smart, funny, sweet. My precious first-born. My little buddy. But he is stubborn beyond stubborn. Some kids can be disciplined with a look, a talking-to, some gentle redirecting. (I was one of those.) Others, I am quickly learning, need a little more. Okay - a lot more, in some cases. But he's learning. And so are we. :)
A giveaway!
Life in a Shoe is hosting a giveaway of Vision Forum's exciting new adventure series, Ballantyne books.
Sounds like something fun to read-aloud to my boys, if not now, then not too far in the future! :)
Be sure and visit Kim and her gang!
Life, rest, joy, peace
Every once in a while, I will suddenly see a hymn in a fresh, new way. It's like the words and the message of the song are suddenly clear and new. Yesterday was one of those days. Instead of me analyzing and telling you what all it meant to me, I'm just going to leave you with the words, and let you soak them up for yourself.
'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take him at his word;
Just to rest upon his promise, just to know, "Thus saith the Lord."
Yes, 'tis sweet to trust in Jesus, Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking Life and rest, and joy and peace.
I'm so glad I learned to trust him, Precious Jesus, Savior friend;
And I know that he is with me, will be with me to the end.
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him! How I've proved him o'er and o'er!
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! O for grace to trust him more!
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Ummmm....would you mind repeating that?
Twelve days went by and I hadn't heard a word from the company and I didn't have my item.
So on Monday, I sent them a little email. Not rude, but no smileys.
And I didn't hear anything.
On Tuesday (yesterday) I sent them another little email. Not rude, but pretty ... firm.
And didn't hear anything.
Until now.
This is what I found in my inbox at noon today:
My guess is the person(s) on the other side of this email either:
1 - Are not speakers native of the English (ya think?)
2 - Are somehow related to Miss Upton
I'll let you know when my item arrives (or when the tracking number they so thoughtfully included actually starts to work).
... or something like that.
Why I don't like Halloween, part 1
About this time yesterday morning I sat down in the rocker in Alan's room to put him to sleep for his morning nap, leaving Dale sitting at the kitchen table with a snack.
I had barely settled in when Dale appeared at Alan's door, voice shaky and on the verge of tears.
"Mama, there is a huge, huge, black spider in the second kitchen window. Can you come and kill it?"
Despite his calm bravado, I could tell by his emotion he wasn't reporting just any bug, so, even though Alan was just minutes away from being asleep, I went to check it out.
oh. my. heck.
This is what I saw...
Geez louise what was I going to do?
Well, of course, first things first, I took a couple of pics. Obviously there was a very good story developing here, and what's a good story without a picture to go with it?
Come on. You can handle this.
Still thinking of my dad, I remember he came by the day before with a can of wasp spray so Dale could (finally) use his slide again. It's the best thing I've got (ok the only) in the line of Poisons in a Can. And while I usually try to avoid poisons in the house (especially those that spray) I glady made an exception for monster spider.
Thankfully, when I come back, I see the wasp spray has done its job. Spidey has curled up and died precisely where I had stood to spray.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Works-for-me Wednesday - How are you Peeling?
There has been an ongoing debate in our 7 years of marriage over the usefulness vs. not-worth-it-ness of garbage disposals in kitchen sinks.
Our first home was a very small, basic-as-they-come rent house and did not have a disposal, so these discussions were rare in those first days. But HEY - it was a real HOUSE, on a STREET, with LAWN, and real NEIGHBORS. Plus we were newlyweds, and I was fresh out of the college dorm. We thought we had hit the big-time for sure and definitely didn't miss a silly little disposal.
Our second dwelling was a fun little townhouse apartment. While in some ways an apartment felt like a step down, we at least were on the end, so only had neighbors on one side, plus we had an extra 1/2 bath and a walk-in closet. And...a garbage disposal. Oh yeah...we were hip & chic city-dwellers for sure in the apartment. (This might be a good place to mention that one of my WORST memories of the apartment involved pregnancy hormones, the disposal, 2 backed up sinks, and a very rude and grumpy maintenance man. At 10:00. On a Friday night.)
Next came another rent-house, this one a little more 'grown-up' feeling. But no disposal. (Thank you Lord. I needed a break after the apartment incident).
Soon we decided it was finally time to own and bought us a cozy little house just 3 streets over. Never mind that it was our favorite in the few options in our price range: it had a DISPOSAL!
Which brings me back to the debate. Bigger than the question of is a disposal worth it or not, and even beyond the fear of losing a hand (or even just a couple of fingers) in the thing, is the question of what is safe to put in, and what isn't. There is more confusion and contradicting information than the whole "eggs are good for you, no they're not, yes they are Thing.
Coffee grounds? Eggshells? Chicken bones? Potato peels?
I can at least answer that last one. Based on the unfortunate apartment-sink backup, I can tell you it's not so good to put potato peels down your disposal. Maybe you do, and with no negative results. Super! I, on the other hand, don't want to risk a repeat, especially since there would be no maintenance man to call....grumpy or not.
This leaves the dilemma of what to do with those pesky peels. You can:
1. Just leave them on the potato. An option I choose fairly often.
2. Gather them up from all over the sink(s) and/or counter. Not fun.
3. Bend uncomfortably over the trashcan, then gather up the runaways from the floor, side of the fridge, and/or wall, and later hope some kind soul will work the kinks out of your neck & shoulders. Not fun. (Or maybe I'm just a little rambunctious with my peels??)
And finally, my current solution, and my Works-for-me Wednesday tip, if you are amazingly still reading after having to sit through the history of my married-life abodes....
**Open up a plastic grocery bag in the bottom of the sink. Peel into it. When you're done, gather up the few escapees (if you're a passionate peeler like me, anyway) and throw the whole thing in the garbage!**
Be sure and visit Shannon @ Rocks in my Dryer for more WFMW ideas!
If you've just had a slightly de-ja-vuish moment reading this, Yes - I posted it once before. My first WFMW attempt was 2 weeks ago today and I kind of 'oopsed' it, so I took it down to try again. :)
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Isn't it amazing how God planned that? Over and over again through that tough first year, He doesn't let us go very long without a reminder that this is a real life He has placed in our care. A true person, and individual, with a soul and thoughts and a heart.
There are times when I look at my beautiful babies and think, in awe, "We made this." And then I realized how silly that thought is. Not the awe part, but to even begin to think that we did that. We made that baby just like a 3 year old holds the tape dispenser and puts his finger against the folds of the paper while you secure it and then gets to say "I wrapped this present for you."
Monday, September 24, 2007
All's Fair in Livestock and Literature
but now...
I can take it or leave it.
Usually leave it. (Although you can get a pretty good hamburger or order of tamales...if it's worth all the rigamorole of getting out there).
But, just when you get to the point of being able to stay home and not wonder what you're missing, you have kids. And you start teaching them what a wonderful and fun thing stuff like that is. Lol.
It all starts with the parade on Wednesday. Having always had my main interest & participation in the band for one reason or another, I never knew much about the how the floats got organized. Turns out they all meet and line up at our church parking lot, of all places! I got Dale out there in plenty of time to join up with his classmates. Mom and Dad were out there also for the Library Junior Board - their first year to have a float in the fair parade. Once Dale was where he needed to be I went back up the road and settled in to watch. Just like he had promised, he threw a handful of Tootsie Rolls in my direction. Notice the arm pulled back, ready to release cheap chocolatey goodness:
Never mind that I would have had to run out and get IN the parade myself to be able to pick up the tootsie rolls. Never said he was going to be a ball player or anything. ;)
And as soon as they had passed by where I was, he stood up, in the middle of a moving trailer, to wave at me.
And as soon as he stood up, an anonymous mom-hand grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him down.
I thanked her later. If not for saving his life or limbs, at least saving his dignity and years worth of bad memories and parade-float fear.
The next day his class took a field trip to see the fair. Of course, Alan and I went along. We made our way through the exhibit buildings, and then on to what all of the kids wanted to see: the animals.
The little girls were the first to notice (and comment on) the smell as we entered the barns. First stop were the rabbits. Amazingly, no one got bit, in spite of a hundred little fingers being poked into the cages of a couple-dozen fluffy bunnies. :)
Ducks & chickens were next. Both Dale and Alan seemed to enjoy a rooster that had a perfect "a-doodle-doo" and wasn't afraid to use it.
Sheep were next. Disappointingly, the cows were all out being showed...but at least we didn't run the risk of anybody getting kicked or stepped on.
Last of the animals was the pig barn. Alan and I didn't wind our way through this one...just stayed at the entrance. But Alan got to see a giant pink pig up close and personal.
And then: The Coolest Thing.
I looked up, and directly over Giant Pink Pig's pen was a great, big, spider web. And since I am easily amused&entertained I thought that was just the neatest thing I'd seen all week.
I tried taking pics but the light wasn't right. Granted, it wasn't sporting any nifty adjectives about Giant Pink Pig below. Ok, it didn't have any messages or words at all...and it was kind of torn up by bugs...but still....
It made me wish I had read Charlotte's Web to Dale already so he could enjoy it too. It will be one of the first ones when we start longer chapter read-alouds.
The big field trip ended with a picnic 'lunch' (at 9:30am, lol).
Here's Dale & Friends, inventing games after lunch:
And that my friends, is my report on Our Day at the Fair.
Friday, September 21, 2007
PhotoHunt: Paper
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Blah, blah, blog.
I can't believe it's been almost a week since my last 'real' post. There are several reasons for this, a leading once being my lack of sleep. Anytime my fingers start to think about writing a blog entry, the internal whining begins. And really, I don't think you want to hear all of the ways and times my children can come up with to interrupt my sleep. We've all been there, right?
Another effect of this unfortunate turn of events, is the fact that one doesn't feel like taking note of and documenting every cute or funny little thing one's children do or say when said children are the direct cause of a significant loss of sleep. Which is sad really, seeing as how we can never recover any particular period in life. Don't get me wrong, we're still playing blocks & peek-a-boo, playing in the sandbox and pat-a-caking, and reading lots of books....it's just all kind of a hazy blur, lol.
This past week was Birthday Week in my family. 7 Birthdays in 7 days!
My Aunt, my PawPaw, my Nana, my sister, my Grandad, & my Mom (and my great-grandmother would have been 103).
My mom and I have developed a little system that we each think we're getting the better end of. Every once in a while, either for some occasion or just because, she will buy the groceries and I do the cooking. Like I said, we both think we're getting the better deal on that one. This was our arrangement for the birthday celebration. Since Gramps was still doing dirtwork and Mimi & Gramps were spending the weekend in the country, I made a picnic supper for 8 to take out:
Cornflake chicken - yum! First time I had made it - and will make again! Had this with bbq sauce and honey-mustard
Potato salad
(Nana brought baked beans)
Banana pudding
Monday was Double Doctor Day. Took Dale in for his 4-year checkup. (We found out, incidentally, that his hearing is fine, something that has been debated for a few weeks in this house. This means that all of those "What?"s are habit and Greg and I can stop repeating ourselves. Repeating ourselves. Saying things over again!) Dale got FOUR shots and Alan got 2. And let me tell you - those immunization folks know what they are doing. She had Dale lay down on the exam table with his knees bent over the end, just like they always do with the babies. Then she stood against his shins, just like with the babies. Then she suggested I hold his arms.
Excuse me? I'm thinking - he's four! But I place my hands on his, as his arms crossed over his chest. Just for looks, and comforting purposes, of course.
Ha. That first needle went in and Dale's immediate reaction was to push it away! I had to hold him down, firmer for each one, as he cried louder for each one. Poor kid. He is a quick recoverer though, and just had to work through the sniffles as he picked out his pencil and sticker and we left. Glad we don't have to do that again for another couple of years. I have to admit though, I didn't even tear up. My boys were poked a cumulative SIX times and I didn't even flinch. Is all this liver stuff making me calloused!? More likely it was just a down-to-business day for me. Catch me on another day and I'd probably cry if their bandaid hurt coming off. :)
Anyway, Double Doctor Day was also my mom's birthday. She was kind enough to go with me and help herd baby buffaloes through the injection corrals, so mostly for birthday, and partly for thanks, we got together for supper that night. Among other things, I made a jello salad in a jello mold, and it actually set, and released from the mold beautfiully!!! I was pretty excited. Mark that one down for another to make again.
Now that I have amazingly managed to find something to say (haha), I must leave rather abruptly. Duty calls. But now that I've broken the ice, broken through the barrier of fatigue (blah, blah, whine whine) hopefully it won't be long before another post, and next time with pictures! :)
Friday, September 14, 2007
PhotoHunt: Plastic
Thursday, September 13, 2007
I need your help!
This is yesterday's attempt at getting Dale outside. He seemed to enjoy it, and the toys did need a good scrubbing. What kid can resist a bucket of suds, anyway?
How I entertained myself while Dale scrubbed...
Fast forward to the present. I want my kids to spend time and enjoy outside as much as I did, or even more! So far, Dale hasn't really taken to it. He just doesn't seem to 'get it'. Today I spread out a sheet for me & Alan so we could all get some 'outside time' together and keep Dale company.
At one point I tried a little 'treasure-hunt' type game: I asked Dale to go find a yellow leaf with green spots, thinking he'd head off across the yard in search. Instead, he looked down at his feet and picked up the closest one he could find. It looked kind of puny. I accepted it with some excitement and laid on the blanket.
"Okay! Now go find a BIG yellow leaf with green spots!"
Again, he hardly takes a step and hands me a slightly larger spotty leaf.
Then: "Why are you savin' leaves Mama, why?"
So much for that game.
We have been blessed with a pretty big backyard, with a wonderful shade tree.
Daddy and Gramps worked very hard one spring a couple of years ago and put up a privacy fence.
Dale has a tall slide one the side of an up-high, covered, fort-thing with a ladder and a ramp. (At the moment the wasps are still there...I know...bad, procrastinating Mommy! ....shows how often he actually uses it!) He also has a sandbox, which he does play in a lot.
In the front, he rides his tricycle in the driveway and colors with sidewalk chalk. Neither of those activities would work in the backyard.
We are entering a season of crisp, cool mornings and comfortable afternoons. Pleasant days that should be enjoyed. My questions to all of you:
How did you fill your childhood days outside? What did you do? What did you play with?
What did/do your kids do outside? Please click on "Comments" below and let me know! You can post anonymously or tell us who you are, but please share! I need your help! :)
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Yee-haw and say cheese!
Went out to the "dig" site to see how the pool was filling after the rain recently. Slowly. But I love this pic:
As we left Dale said, "Gramps, can we come back tomorrow and go fishing?" :)
Greg came along this time, and I was soooo glad because it poured the last hour of the drive. I can't believe I ever make that drive at all, and to do it in the pouring rain would probably send me to the side of the road in some sort of nervous breakdown. Not something you want your children to see!! lol But Greg handled it flawlessly, and sort-of-almost-kinda looked like he was having fun doing it. Didn't hurt that Alan was sleeping the last 30 mintues. Everything doctor-wise went great. You can check here for the full update.
Children's has been doing some major construction for several months now. And since we go about once a month, it is fun to follow the progress. A great place to do this is from the sky-bridge that goes from one part of the hospital complex to the parking garage. As we were leaving yesterday, Greg and Dale had made a bathroom stop and I waited for them on the sky-bridge. I noticed a large American flag that hadn't been out when we got there that morning. I thought this was maybe in honor of Sept. 11 and was pretty neat, so I got out my camera and started taking pics. (I need to interject here that I am a very careful rule-follower. I may have mentioned this before. Anything remotely rebelious and I start worrying about getting caught.) At one point, while loitering on the bridge, I noticed that a blue emergency light on the inside wall of the bridge was flashing. I've always wondered what that was for. Next I hear a recorded voice in the overhead soundsystem repeating very calmly, "Security. Security. Security." Now I start to worry. Is there some anti-terrorist law that says you aren't supposed to take pictures of under-construction buildings!? I didn't know!!
Thankfully, Greg and Dale finally appear about this time and I start walking, leaving them to catch up. It is at this point a young man in scrubs meets me along the walkway and asks, "Is everything ok ma'am?" I motioned behind me and said I was waiting for 'them'. He answers, "Ok. Someone pushed the security button."
I'm thinking, "IT WASN"T ME!! I DIDN'T DO IT!!" Do you think he believed me? :) lol
Tuesday - Preschool Day 2 - "Cowboy Day"
So. After Day 1 started with enthusiasm and ended in disinterest, I didn't know what to expect for Day 2. Dale woke up and I got worried. He didn't want to go. He didn't want to have school on Tuesday. He didn't want to wear his cowboy clothes. He didn't want to eat breakfast. Well - ok. On second thought he at least decided he could have some cereal. Don't want to go too far with this "I don't want to" stuff I guess. I insisted all along the way that he WAS going to school, and he WAS going to wear his cowboy clothes. All the while thinking I'd give him the month of September and then if he doesn't like it we'll just forget preschool! And I couldn't help wonder... is he scared? Is he lonely? Are they mean to him? Is some kid a biter? Is he having some sort of 'issue'!!??
As we began to cross the parking lot, I was happy enough to see him at least CARRY the cowboy hat. I couldn't imagine how in the world I could get him to wear it and didn't even want to try. And I tell you...that parking lot must be magic. Halfway across it, I had to go back to the van to get Dale's backpack, but DALE said, "I'm just going to follow those people and go ahead inside."
Hmph. So much for issues.
He's just a grump in the mornings!
This will be something we can work on together....fun Mother-Son Project for Self-Improvement. I'm sure Greg will be praying for success for all participants.
So...back to preschool. First thing out for Cowboy Day was a ride on a real Longhorn! His name? Bubba. Isn't that just the coolest? (Notice the cowboy hat is ON Dale's head - and with no objections!)
Alan got a ride on Bubba too!
Only in Texas. (And yes - my child is the only one wearing tennis shoes for Cowboy Day.)
After they got their rides, all the kids lined up and sat on the curb in front of Bubba for a picture. It's really cute. I would show it here, but #1 - I think there is some kind of internet law or ettiquite or something about not posting pictures of other people's children without some serious looking written permission. #2 I'm not sure if my photo editor has a nifty blurring tool. #3 - It would take too long to blur 12 kids faces, and I'm ready to go to bed. And, #4 - I'd feel kind of weird about doing that blurry thing to Dale's new classmates anyway.
So anyway...point of the story...the kids line up and start saying cheese, and Dale's hands immediately fly up into those weird and random meaningless gestures (is this some sort of disorder?!). BUT - lucky for me, Dale is sitting next to a GIRL. A GIRL that knows that is NOT how you act for a picture. A GIRL who reaches over and promptly pushes Dale's hands into his lap. Where they stay, for a very cute picture. I'm going to have to buy that girl a birthday present.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
If a little sparrow picked up one grain of sand in its beak and flew with it all the way to the moon, a 10,000 year journey, (-stay with me here....never mind all of those impossible scientific logistics...this is for figurative purposes! :) ), dropped the grain of sand on the moon, flew 10,000 years back, to pick up another grain of sand and start all over...
By the time that little bird went back and forth enough to transfer the entire earth to the moon, one grain of sand at a time (again...don't think logistics!) ...by that time, eternity would just be beginning.
Wow. I think most of the time we just don't get how insignificant most of the things we worry about here on earth are. We can so easily get so caught up in so much, for good and bad - we worry, we want, we wish, we whine. The Bible says our life is nothing more than a vapor or mist that soon vanishes.
If we could just GET that eternity is a REALLY LOOOOOOOOOONG time and that all that matters are those things that are eternal, how different our perspecitve of this life would be!
Jesus said, to store up our treasures in heaven, where they will last. Where they will matter.
This means #1 - we had better take a good look at our hearts and know for sure where we will be spending this looooooong eternity. It is real, and there are no second chances.
#2 - what are these treasures that matter?
Honestly, I'm not sure how to answer that in this moment. I have some ideas. Some truths that I know. But to say them concretely, out in the big blog world? Not something I want to do. So....sorry to spell this out and then leave you hanging, but maybe you have ideas of your own? Maybe we should all take our Bibles and go to our separate corners and reconvene someday soon! Lol. I've been thinking lately about a book I read a couple of years ago. You wouldn't know it by the way this question has left me stammering, but it made a pretty big impact on me at the time. I think it's time to read it again!! lol A Life God Rewards: Why Everything You Do Today Matters Forever by Bruce Wilkinson
Anyone want to join me and read along? :)
Eternally His,
Friday, September 7, 2007
Artists, geniuses, cowboys and car guys
While he still seems almost indifferent to the whole thing, little bits and pieces of Dale's one day of preschool experience have surfaced. For one thing, he told the other day that one of the songs he sang at school was one Kristin taught him this summer, and then today I actually heard him singing it when he didn't know anyone was listening! :) He has also mentioned a few times about Tuesday being Cowboy Day. (They are supposed to dress in Western wear and there is going to be a real, live longhorn there). Don't get me wrong....it's not that I think he doesn't like it. In fact, I'm almost certain he does. I just thought he be more excited and talkative about it (you know, Mr. Exuberance and all), but instead he just seems to be taking it in stride. It's really got me baffled....can ya tell!!?? :)
And while I'm talking about Dale, I want to show you a piece of his genius artwork. It is a watercolor. I call it "Giant Earthworm in a Cave. With a doorbell and a mailbox."
And Dale isn't the only genius around. I loved, loved, loved seeing Alan play with this toy and figuring out how it is really supposed to work!! You put the firetruck on top of the station and it rolls down the slide and out the front door. Alan would put it on top, Dale or I would help him sit it upright and give it a shove down the slide, Alan would giggle when it came out the door right in front of him, and put it on top to go again! Smart boy! And so darn cute.
And finally, imagine this:
I talked to Greg this afternoon while he was at school getting ready to leave for the football game. He was really happy about some towing equipment (a sway bar) that has been added to the school vechicle he drives pulling the band's equipment trailer. Dale overheard this conversation, and wanted to know what a sway bar is. Uhhhh... I sort of kind of know what it is for...in general... but not really how it works...ummmm.... and finally - "you'll have to ask Daddy."
So I relayed this conversation back to Greg later and he said, "So you were trying to explain something technical you don't really understand and put it in 4 year old terms."
Yup. That's basically it.
This is where I hand the phone to Dale and he says to Daddy, "Daddy, what's a sway bar?"
And Greg proceeds to tell him.
And Dale answers in a very satisfied and oh-so-knowledgable, "Oh. Okay!" :)
Thursday, September 6, 2007
School? yeah, sure, ok...
I walked him in and he looked around at everything in wonder, like he'd never seen it before. Never mind that he'd been there 2 days before and didn't have a moment's hesitation then. But he hung up his backpack and was guided into the toy room with the other 2 or 3 kids who were already there. He didn't mind at all when I told him bye and left. He was checking out all the toys and talking to his director. I on the other hand was extremely disappointed to have to go - I wanted to see what all they did and 'play' along!! :) But Alan and I went back home and had a nice morning together. I rearranged some toys in Alan's room and he actually had a mid-morning nap! He hasn't done that in weeks!!!
Headed out to pick Dale up just before 11:00, eager to hear all his first-day adventures. He didn't offer much info that I didn't ask specifically for. More than anything he was interested in his prize from the prize box for staying in his seat (a paper party-favor blower roll-up horn thing...you know what I'm talking about....do those things have a name?). I was very pleased to see his behavior report was green for 'awesome day'. :) Yay Dale! I looked through his folder of papers he had made and worked on. Again - he didn't seem all that excited to show me. Hmmm. Maybe the first day was just a lot to take in. Maybe it's the maleness in him. I think next time I'm not going to ask any questions. I'm just going to give him 1,000 details of mine and Alan's morning to show him how a 'report' is done!! :)
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
I pledge allegiance to color-coded EXUBERANCE
Don't get me wrong: Dale is a good kid. But Dale is .... loud. Dale is .... exuberant. I looked it up to make sure I've been using it right:
exuberant - characterized by good health and high spirits; full of life; uninhibited
Yep. That's Dale.
Dale has never met a stranger.
Dale gets excited.
At first I was only mildly concerned about how Dale would fare out on his own. And then I got to the last page of the information packet:
"This year we will send home daily behavior reports for your child." Uh-oh.
It's color coded.
Green - Awesome day!
Blue - Good day - only one verbal warning.
Purple - Pretty good day - I have been warned two times, and if I have to be told again, I will have to go to time out.
Yellow - We are still doing OK. I have been told twice. I had to sit in time out in front of my friends.
Orange - Not so hot. I have been warned 4 times and I had to sit in time out and stand at the wall for a few minutes at recess.
Red - TROUBLE! I had to go to the director's office. I better get my act together ASAP!
Like I said - Dale is a good kid. The director assured us all at the orientation meeting last night that the kids get plenty of warnings. I honestly don't ever expect to see orange or red. And hopefully not yellow. Dale just hasn't been around a lot of kids. And he loves kids. Did I mention he gets excited? Mr. Exuberance and all. I think its the 'uninhibited high spirits'.
He did pretty good at the orientation last night. Had a hard time keeping his goldfish crackers off of the floor, and bonked the kid behind him on the head with a balloon, but other than that... lol. Oh yeah, and everything he said he felt the need to BE REALLY LOUD. He told his teacher "I HAVE LIGHTENING MCQUEEN ON MY SHIRT!" and "YES! I'M DONE WITH MY PICTURE!"
We were told last night that the kids will start each day with the pledge of allegiance. Since Dale doesn't know it, we said it a few times together this morning. Now I know why teachers of little kids everywhere start the day with the pledge. It's not that they are overly patriotic or anything. Nope. They've got to be using it for laughs. Better endorphins than any cup of coffee, I'm sure. Imagine a roomful of little kids mangling words like 'allegiance', 'republic', 'United States of America', and 'indivisible'. Here was Dale's version this morning, repeating after me (and he is usually a very clear and fairly easy to understand speaker!):
"I pledge allidgence ...to the flag... of the United States of America. And to the replublic ...for which it stands... one nation... under God... indabibable... with liverty and justice for all." (I can't blame him for the 'liverty' part...there is a lot of talk about livers around here). He's still pretty shaky on the whole thing, but at least maybe that's one part of the day that he won't be shouting! :)
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Everywhere you look
What I love even more is the fact that God can use anything to teach a spiritual truth. This morning, it was a Supreme Court case, of all things!
In 1829 a man named George Wilson was convicted by a grand jury of robbery of the U.S. mail and jeopordizing the life of the carrier. He was sentenced to death.
Three weeks before his scheduled execution, he was granted a pardon by President Andrew Jackson, who had been presented a lengthy petition on Wilson's behalf.
Wilson refused to accept the pardon, and the decision on whether or not he should be executed was passed all the way up to the Supreme Court. The Court's opinion was that Wilson's execution orders still stood, in spite of the pardon. The Court stated:
That the court cannot give the prisoner the benefit of the pardon, unless he claims the benefit of it, and relies on it by plea or motion. …. It is a grant to him; it is his property; and he may accept it or not, as he pleases. …. But is insisted, that unless he pleads it, or in some way claims its benefit, thereby denoting his acceptance of the proffered grace, the court cannot notice it, nor allow it to prevent them from passing sentence…. The necessity of his pleading it, or claiming it in some other manner, grows out of the nature of the grant; he must accept it. U.S. v. Wilson (1833)
So basically - "the pardon has been offerred, but we can't make him take it." See the parallel? It is the same decision hundreds of people in this world make every day. Every single one of us have committed the 'crime' of sin.
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23 KJV
"There is not a righteous man on earth who does what it right and never sins." Ecclesiastes 7:10 NIV
And, where there is crime, there is punishment. In our case, death.
"For the wages of sin is death..." Romans 6:23a
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23 KJV
Jesus took our punishment for us when he died on the cross, and God wrote our pardon.
But. The fact of Jesus' death alone does not give us our pardon (eternity in Heaven). We have to accept it.
"That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." Romans 10:9-10 NIV
For Andrew Jackson's pardon to save George Wilson's life, George Wilson had to appear in court and accept it. For God's pardon to give us eternal life, there must be a point in our life that we appear before God in prayer and accept His gift. Until that is done, the death sentence for our sin still stands.
"Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" 2 Corinthians 9:15 NIV
And thanks be to God for reaching out to us in every way imaginable....even 'boring' old court cases! :)
For more information on God's pardon, click here.
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Hey y'all, look at this!
I am country. I am Southern, I am Texan, I am country. Not cowgirl, not hillbilly. Just country. I live in town. I do not own a horse, a cow, a tractor, or wear boots or a cowboy hat. But I love sweet tea, gravy, pound cake, fried chicken, pastures & prairies. And I say "y'all". (I do, however, try not to spend too much time barefoot, especially while outside or pregnant! I have my limits...) lol :)
We have been spending some time out at my parents' property. My Dad (Gramps) is digging a pool (or, depending on where you live: a pond, a tank, etc). He goes around and around on a tractor, making one place deeper and deeper, while redistributing the dirt to make another place a little higher. Now when you are a 4 year old little boy, with honest-to-goodness country roots in you (his daddy has no qualms about being barefoot...he's kind of country too....the Arkansas kind ;) ) anyway...for boys like Dale, having Gramps digging dirt on a tractor in the middle of a pasture is COOL. We went out for a picnic supper the other day, and Dale helped Gramps, doing some dirt-work of his own:
Alan watched it all:
This is also a great way to put a little pinkish-red tint to your hair. Or at least the top/front part. :)
And now you know.
Come Sail Away
Dale watched Blue's Clues while I did other stuff. I didn't follow along and had no idea what the story line had been.
As soon as it was over, Dale wanted to fill the pool. Sounded like a great idea to me, so we did. Before it was even finished filling, it was full of little bits of grass. ("I had to rinse my hands & feet, Mama") All this floating matter would drive me CRAZY, but Dale didn't seem to mind a bit, so I decided not to worry about it either.
As soon as the pool was filled, Dale wanted to make a sailboat, "Just like they did on Blue's Clues." Ahhhhh....so that's why we filled the pool.
Since I didn't SEE how Blue & Joe made their boat, and I didn't want to take the time to look up online how to make a super-duper kid-craft floating boat, we improvised.
Took one heavy-duty paper plate, folded over the edges to make 4 sides (a square-bottomed boat) - this took a little one-inch or so scissor cut. Then we taped (clear packing tape) those four edges to each other to make 4 corners and taped a stick in the middle and taped a paper sail to the stick. And all of this didn't take nearly as much tape as it sounds. :) We made our sail a triangle, because that's how Blue did. Blue's mast was a straw, but Dale was satisfied with our stick - thank goodness!
We were both really proud of our boat. Took it out to the pool and let it set sail for points far....across the wading pool. I was thrilled to see the little square thingy-dinghy actually sail in the breeze. Oh yes - I am a true ship engineer!! Went in to get my camera to take a picture of our fabulous mini-vessel, patting myself on the back the whole way in and out for not being a perfectionist about the whole thing. Grass in the newly filled pool? No problem! A hastily cut & folded paper plate with a (very) tacky tape job? No problem! It was at this high moment of all my self-congratulations (a whole 45 seconds, I"m sure) that I returned to find 'our' once-jaunty triangle sail WILTED & DRIPPING!? What happened to our boat?!
"I sank it, Mama!" Ooooookay.
No problem, right?
I took a picture anyway. :)


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subset: commoncrawl


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This is two minutes and forty three seconds of just pure sublime. It's Ryan Coogler's Creed, the MGM/New Line film that Warner Bros will release this fall. This isn't just another installment of Rocky. After Coogler and Michael B. Jordan teamed on the Sundance sensation Fruitvale Station, each of these young guys had their pick of projects. Coogler used his currency on his dream to make Creed. Turns out that while he was growing up, Coogler's father showed him the Rocky movies to instill the notion of heroes and the idea that dreams can come true with hard work.
As he became an accomplished wide receiver at Sacramento State and a budding filmmaker, Coogler's father later came down with ALS. All of the touchstones of his life are rolled into this movie and it required him to win the trust of Sylvester Stallone, who was very protective over his first and most memorable character creation. When the movie became a reality, there was no one else he wanted to play the role of Apollo Creed's son (it started out as grandson, but that evolved).
It is becoming a right of passage for actors to play ring heroes, and, just like Jake Gyllenhaal in Southpaw, Miles Teller in Bleed for This and Edgar Ramirez in Hands Of Stone, Jordan accepted the challenge and got himself into rocking gym shape. The film follows the late Apollo Creed's son Adonis Johnson stepping into the boxing ring, a profession which killed his father in Rocky IV when he battled Russian fighter Drago. "Your Daddy died in the ring," a trainer reminds the young Creed who retorts, "That got nothin' to do with me." Adonis turns to Rocky Balboa to train him. At this point, The Italian Stallion has completely checked out of the boxing game.
Best part in the trailer that will raise hairs, is when the young Creed meets Rocky:
"I heard about a third fight between you and Apollo behind close doors, is that true?," asks the fighter.
"How do you know all this?" asks Rocky.
Declares Johnson: "I'm his son."
article by Anthony D'Alassandro via deadline.com
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Don't Be Afraid of Cristina Maldonado
I am never going to a show to be abused, and I strongly believe that most audience members are with me on this one. This is am older argument I am having with performance-makers, whom I encourage on this occasion again to offer if not entertainment, at least something positive. Have mercy on your audience, they most probably have already had a tough day in the office. To this I add that I am scared of one-on-one and participative performances. I do not like leaving my comfort zone offered by my seat in the audience, I do not want to be in the spot light, and in the words of a friend "I am sporting emotional difficulties in the interrelating area".
These being said, you can imagine I was in no hurry to sign up for The Stranger Gets a Gift Service – Interruptor (Czech Republic), performance-installation experienced by one User at a time (45 minutes). However, faith decided otherwise, and I met Cristina Maldonado in person one night before the show. And she totally won me over with her open personality, she proved to be a decent human being, and I decided then and there I have no reason to be afraid of her show.
It resembles Cristina very much: it is open, it is nice, and there is no reason to be afraid of it. Imagine two clean slates, they are projected one on top of the other as the only channel of communication between two people. You can do anything, you can create, you can try to communicate. You can try to find out things about the other person, you can tell something about yourself, you can choreograph an interaction with the other person. Afterwards, it is an opportunity to reflect on what it means not to be able to use one of your senses, there is no hearing, how restriction can influence your creative process or your communication, and, finally, to what extent you are structured for collaboration. At this very moment, Cristina's performance is booked solid to the last day of #ReDance, so I can only say I am happy for all the people that had the guts to try her game and wish them a meaningful interaction, the kind that I experienced. Thank you, Cristina.
a text by Dany Kozak


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Over at ALDO, the LECAROS boot is really slick, I like it a lot and I could get around the city great in these boots. The black colored boot is nice but I am leaning towards the Cognac color! It has a mid heel only like 2 inches but hey every inch counts! :) $130
I like the BREGON ankle bootie in black most. I wasn't crazy about the blue trim color on the Khaki color, but the Khaki color itself is pretty. The little buttons on the BREGON are very cute, classy and have a pop of personality and character I like but not too blingy. I hate over size bling on my shoe. When I shop for shoes I want to buy a shoe I can wear when this trend is over, I want the timeless looks. This bootie is very cute, elegant and I am sure someone would ask you, Where did you get those? $120
Over at BAKERS shoes I saw Jessica Simpson's COPITO bootie, and it is really great for a girl on the go. Cute tights a sweater dress, with a 4 1/2 in heel to stand on, bam! Laced-up is hot! $139.95 ~Isobella


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LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Two former South El Monte High School student athletes are suing the El Monte Union High School District after a senior tug-of-war event severed several of their fingers.
The plaintiffs, Pablo Ocegueda and Edith Rodriguez, were seniors at the time they took part in a Spirit Week activity during lunch to celebrate homecoming on Feb. 4, 2013. According to the lawsuit, Ocegueda, a football player, and Rodriguez, a soccer player, had their fingers torn off by the rope they were holding during the activity.
The rope was tied with a slip knot that created a loop near the middle, according to the lawsuit. Ocegueda and Rodriguez were allowed to grab the knot "in clear sight of teachers and faculty members who were supposed to be supervising the event and keeping the student safe. They were allowed to place their hands in grave danger without any interference by any faculty member," the lawsuit states.
After the tug-of-war began, the knot slipped and pulled the plaintiffs' hands into it, causing their injuries, according to the lawsuit.
The former students filed their lawsuit Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging that the incident would not have happened had school officials properly supervised the event. They also allege the district has no general plan for monitoring students involved in the tug-of-war.
The former students are seeking unspecified damages.
Students the ages of Ocegueda and Rodriguez often have a "herd instinct" and "competitive spirit" that causes them to relax their vigilance in a way that more mature persons would not, the suit states.
Media reports at the time say both students underwent surgery to try to reattach the fingers.
(©2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)


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Strange Bedfellows of the U.S. Left and Right
R. J. Pestritto in his Woodrow Wilson and the Roots of Modern Liberalism, notes that Wilson is famous for his "leadership in the international arena." He says that as president, leading into and coming out of WWI, Woodrow Wilson embraced a "universal vision of democratic government for all nations and peoples." Internationalism is the "principle for which Wilson is most well known today." In his "Fourteen Points" he called upon Congress to declare WWI because, "the world must be made safe for democracy." Sound familiar? It should. America's continuing foreign policy of internationalism is Wilsonian at its core. After the war he "repeated this thinking when he outlined the road map for peace," again in fourteen points, calling for "'a general association of nations' founded on the 'principles of justice' for 'all peoples and nationalities.'" This led to the League of Nations, which of course led on to the United Nations and to the international framework for "peace" of the early 21st century. (p.263)
But for Pestritto it was not Wilson's internationalist leadership that needed discussion; it was Wilson's approach to political leadership that needed to be addressed. That approach, he said, was Hegelian (p.263 Woodrow Wilson and the roots of modern liberalism, By Ronald J. Pestritto). One might add, though, that it is not only Wilson's Hegelian approach to politics that bears discussion, but the inspiration for it. While president, his closest advisor was Colonel Mandell House, a man, according to Hudnall, "employed by Rockefeller interests, (who worked) to force our entry into the war that Wilson had promised to keep this country out of." Hudnall cites historian Walter Mills to say that the Colonel's sole motive for war was "establishing a new world order of peace and security." (p.61 The Occult Connection II: The Hidden Race by Ken Hudnall) Rockefeller interests instigating a war for peace? The entry of the U.S. Into World War I was an example of the financial elite using the Hegelian method to manage the course of history in the cause of internationalism.
In a more contemporary context, Hegel's dialectic could be described this way: "The Hegelian dialectic process is the notion that conflict creates history. From this axiom it follows that controlled conflict can create a predetermined history. For example when the Trilateral Commission discusses 'managed conflict', as it does extensively in its literature, it implies the managed use of conflict for long run predetermined ends… . In Hegelian terms, an existing force (the thesis) generates a counterforce (the antithesis). Conflict between the two forces results in the forming of a synthesis. Then the process starts all over again: Thesis vs. antithesis results in synthesis." (from an internet post by someone calling him/herself Giahn)
So internationalism was and is promoted by members of the financial elite using a Hegelian dialectical method. It is appropriate for the wealthy to take an interest in and influence politics, especially international politics; but in the Judeo-Christian west it is expected that their power be balanced by the interests of the general population. Is it? Wilson himself famously said, "Some of the biggest men in the United States, in the field of commerce and manufacture, are afraid of somebody, are afraid of something. They know that there is a power somewhere so organized, so subtle, so watchful, so interlocked, so complete, so pervasive, that they had better not speak above their breath when they speak in condemnation of it." Franklin Delano Roosevelt revealed the surprising nature of Colonel House and his friends when he wrote to him saying, "'the real truth of the matter is, as you and I know, that a financial element in the large centers has owned the government of the U.S. since the days of Andrew Jackson.'" (Fruit From a Poisonous Tree, by Melvin Stamper Jd, p.115) Roosevelt was referring to the internationalist bankers and elite families of western Europe and their representation in north America known as the "eastern establishment". This does not sound like a balanced power.
There is much more to Colonel House and his "surprising friends", and Hudnell devotes a chapter to them (p.61 The Occult Connection II: The Hidden Race). But Colonel House is probably most famous as, "the chief architect of the Federal Reserve Act" of 1913 (Fruit From a Poisonous Tree, by Melvin Stamper Jd, p.115). So, we have Colonel House in the service of the Rockefellers, et al., stumping for a central bank charter and for world governance. Well presently, if you haven't noticed, the world central banking system is about to blow up and cascade the bankrupted nations into the waiting arms of the current successors of that world governance.
Ben Shapiro offers a good history of this in his excellent internet article, About the Birth Certificate. During or before the early 1920s, he says, "even as Wilson and Roosevelt began implementing German philosophy in American government – with disastrous results (for America) – Europeans abroad began to plan the next step of the American takeover. Members of the Frankfurt School, (Hegelian Marxist) German philosophers who recognized that class conflict would not take place openly, traveled to the United States, where they proceeded to agitate for an even more extreme version of German Hegelian-Marxism. (About the Birth Certificate, by Ben Shapiro. )
"Frankfurt School philosophers believed that Marxism had failed (and that American) culture and society themselves had to be destroyed in order to make way for a new brand of equality. And the first step toward such a revolution was destruction of traditional logic, destruction of traditional mores, and destruction of America's homegrown culture. (About the Birth Certificate, by Ben Shapiro.) This effort has been manifestly and broadly successful, as we have seen America's students dumbed down and America's traditionally Christian culture destroyed in just a little over a generation.
As the twentieth century wore on, "the philosophy of the Frankfurt School, making an alliance with trendy French post modernism, spread like wildfire through the academic world. Traditional history courses were torn down in favor of "queer" studies, black studies, Asian studies, women's studies; language was deconstructed in order to remove its capitalistic foundations; traditional sexual mores were torn asunder in the name of 'tolerance.' … men like Herbert Marcuse led the charge here, telling members of … Obama's generation to make love, not war, and to fight the powers that be. (About the Birth Certificate, by Ben Shapiro.)
Eventually, the election of President Obama "was the result. He grew up abroad, to be sure, but he spent most of his educational career right here in the United States, indoctrinated in the traditions of the progressives and the Frankfurt School. Ironically enough, the biggest problem for America arises if President Obama was born here – because if he was, the problem of un-Americanism is now internal rather than external. … " (About the Birth Certificate, by Ben Shapiro. Ben Shapiro is an attorney and writer and a Shillman Journalism Fellow at the Freedom Center, and author of the upcoming book"Primetime Propaganda: The True Hollywood Story of How The Left Took Over Your TV" from Broadside Books, an imprint of HarperCollins.)
But we've jumped ahead again. At the end of the nineteenth century, a few years following the financial panic of 1893, a pair of organizations came into existence that were to run parallel to Wilson and his Hegelians . "The Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society was founded … to form the nucleus of a Universal Brotherhood which should ultimately embrace all the nations of the earth. It would seem that the Helpers of Humanity, our Elder Brothers (a group of discarnate spirit guides) from whom the impulse came, foresaw the evil that has befallen the race and were preparing the means to combat it." ("The Theosophical Path," p.158) The Universal Brotherhood was founded by Katherine A. Tingley Jan 13 1898 in New York City as, "the outgrowth and expansion of the Theosophical Society founded by HP Blavatsky … ." (Harper's encyclopaedia of United States history from 458 A. D. to …, Volume 9; By Benson John Lossing, Woodrow Wilson) During Wilson's presidency Tingley founded the "Parliament of Peace" which convened around the start of WWI and remained in session for some years after it ended and while the League of Nations was being formed. ("The Theosophical Path," c. 1915; Volume 9, p.ii)
Actually the Theosophical Society and the larger spiritualistic movement of which it was a part in the west could be viewed as a dialectic antithesis to the war-like materialism of the late nineteenth, early twentieth centuries. It had become, so-to-speak, the inspiration for liberalism. Theosophy is Masonic in character, stands today at the core of the New Age philosophies, and is the spirit driving liberal Christian theology.
During Wilson's presidency Tingley's magazine announced there was a, "new spirit that is stirring in men's hearts. It has been active in many ways especially in the endeavor to bring about a better understanding between nations. The numerous efforts that have been made to give practical expression to this desire find their culmination and their raison d'etre in the teachings of Theosophy which were made known again to mankind by Madame HP Blavatsky in 1875 and have since then been molding the thought of the world, guiding it to an ever clearer apprehension of the great truth that Brotherhood is a fact in Nature, the only sure basis for morality and all human relationship." ("The Theosophical Path,"Vol. 9, p.157)
This spirit became ensconced in the halls of American political power by at least 1909. In this year, the "American Peace and Arbitration League Inc. (31 Nassau, Mhtn.) was founded with the following officers and members: "Woodrow Wilson, W.H. Taft, Theodore Roosevelt, Hon. Pres.; Henry Clews, Pres.; A.B. Humphrey, Ex. Dir. 31 Nassau, Mhtn. Amer. Peace Soc. Washington. T.E. Burton, Pres.; A.D. Call, Sec., Washington" (p337, Brooklyn Daily Eagle Almanac by American Almanac Collection (Library of Congress). A year later in 1910, Andrew Carnegie (U.S. Steel) established the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace with a gift of $10 million. The intent of these organizations is underscored by the following.
That the Parliament of Peace aligned with the Wilsonian political contingent is evident from this address to one of their assemblies. "Greeting to Madame Katherine Tingley Foundress President Parliament of Peace and Universal Brotherhood and other officers and members. We Americans should be grateful that in Woodrow Wilson we have a President … to reflect in official act and word … all organizations having for their purpose the effectuation of ultimate peace (and we) should follow and co operate with him in the great task to which he has so patriotically and courageously committed himself. JAMES E FERGUSON Governor of Texas …" (The Theosophical path, Vol. 9, p 93)
During these days, there was a plethora of organizations stumping for world peace, but according to Hudnall, Wilson had a particular allegiance to some very wealthy promoters. "The truth was that Woodrow Wilson had been owned since he had been Governor of New Jersey. When Senator Nelson Aldrich was pushing his plan for a central bank, Woodrow Wilson came out in strong support of it. During the financial panic of 1907, caused almost entirely by J.P. Morgan, Wilson had delared that 'All of this trouble could be averted if we appointed a committee of six or seven public-spirited men like J.P. Morgan to handle the affairs of our country.'" (p. 61 The Occult Connection II: The Hidden Race By Ken Hudnall) Sound like 2008-2010? It should. At any rate, this all is beginning to look rather interwoven. Is it?
As for the war-mongering materialists, according to Webster Tarpley and Anton Chaitkin in George Bush, the Unauthorized Biography, WWI made "an immense amount of money for the clan of stock speculators and British bankers who had just taken over U.S. industry (things like steel, railroads, oil, and arms). The Harrimans (Union Pacific Railroad) were stars of this new Anglo-American elite," (p.14) as were the Rockefellers (Standard Oil).
By 1914 Percy A. Rockefeller had taken, "direct control of the Remington Arms company," (p.15) a supplier of the United States' war machine through the War Industries Board. This board was in turn "run by Bernard Baruch, a Wall Street speculator with close personal and business ties to old E.H. Harriman." (p.15) When the U.S. entered the war in 1917, "Prescott's father, Samuel P. Bush, became chief of the Ordnance, Small Arms and Ammunition Section of the War Industries Board," and a year later moved up to, "director of the Facilities Division of the War Industries Board." (P.15) That was Rockefeller, Baruch, Harriman, and Bush.
"With the war mobilization conducted under the supervision of the War Industries Board, U.S. consumers and taxpayers showered unprecedented fortunes on war producers and certain holders of raw materials and patents. Hearings in 1934 by the committee of U.S. Senator Gerald Nye attacked the 'Merchants of Death' — war profiteers such as Remington Arms and the British Vickers company — whose salesmen had manipulated many nations into wars, and then supplied all sides with the weapons to fight them." (p.15)
"Samuel Bush's wartime relationship to these businessmen would continue after the war, and would especiallly aid his son Prescott's career of service to the Harrimans," when the same group, "later supplied weapons and money to Hitler's Nazis." (p.16) In 1919 one Bert Walker of St. Louis moved to New York at the behest of the Harriman family, organized the W.A. Harriman & Co. private bank, and became its president. "Averell Harriman was chairman and controlling co-owner with his brother Roland … and Percy Rockefeller was a director and a founding financial sponsor." (p.20) Prescott Bush married Bert Walker's daughter in 1921, and in 1926 "joined W.A. Harriman & Co. as its vice president." (p.21) That was Rockefeller, Walker, Harriman, and Bush.
Prescott was close friends with the brothers Roland and (William) Averell Harriman. In 1916, while both at Yale, he and Roland had been inducted into the Skull and Bones society, joining Roland's father Averell Harriman (class of 1913) and the patriarch Percy A. Rockefeller (Remington Arms, and Yale class of 1900) as members of that elite group. That was Rockefeller, Harriman, and Bush.
During WWII, "on Oct. 20, 1942, the U.S. government ordered the seizure of Nazi German banking operations in New York City which were being conducted by Prescott Bush." As it turns out, Prescott and a friend of Harriman had set up the German Steel Trust for Fritz Thyssen, the primary sponsor of a budding politician and theosophist, Adolph Hitler. Before that, in 1920 Bert Walker had arranged for the company to revive and dominate Germany's shipping industry by re-starting the Hamburg-Amerika Line, creating the world's largest private shipping company. This deal had required the capital and credit of two of the largest New York financial houses: J.P. Morgan and the Harriman family, and "created an effective instrument for the manipulation and fatal subversion of (post WWI) Germany" (p.21,22). In 1922 Walker and Harriman had set up a European headquarters in Berlin. Then "with the aid of the Hamburg-based Warburg bank, W.A. Harriman & Co. began spreading an investment net over German industry and raw materials" (p.22). By 1931 W.A. Harriman & Co. had merged "with the British-American banking house Brown Brothers," becoming Brown Brothers Harriman with Prescott Bush as managing partner. This became the "largest and politically the most important private banking house in America" (p.23). That was Thyssen, Hitler, Walker, Morgan, Lovett (Brown Brothers), Montague Norman (Governor of the Bank of England and former Brown Brothers partner), Harriman, and Bush (p.31).
"The powerful Anglo-American family associations which later boosted (George Herbert Walker Bush) into the Central Intelligence Agency and up to the White House, were his father's partners in the Hitler project." (p.28) George Bush, the Unauthorized Biography, by Webster G. Tarpley and Anton Chaitkin.
(The following is quoted from Beyond Science Fiction, by Jim Wilhelmsen.)
"An interesting connection (between the) cultures that claim contact with various white gods, brothers and masters, is the common use of the Swastika. Only the Assyrian and Egyptian cultures do not use this symbol. However they do use the German Knights Cross. These icons are primarily used as a "good luck" and fortune symbol" (power symbol).
"Theosophy as taught by Madame Blavatsky says that at the center of the North Pole is the location of pure "Atma" … which she also calls "the gate". … This gate or axis has (a meaning) as common as the flood story. (Its) common theme is a center location for an opening to other words … . To true Nazi initiates, the Axis powers" referred to something one might call supernatural.
The "swastika … according to Blavatsky, depicts the flowing (of) 'Atma Power'. The left-handed … clockwise rotation … depicts the flowing in (to the earth) of the Atma power at the North Pole. The right-handed swastika (the one the Nazi's used) … depicts the flowing out of the Atma power from … the South Pole referred to as the "Pit". This … is also the "Wheel of the Black Sun". (The SS or storm troopers are also from the "Order of the Black Sun" hence the black uniforms). This also prophetically depicts the Aryan return … via the South Pole … to (sic) an inner earth," which they believed to be the abode of the Nordic race, prepared by the Atlanteans in anticipation of the destruction of Atlantis for the purpose of raising the surviving human race up into their image.
"This centripetal and centrifugal motion is said to preserve harmony and keeps the universe in steady unceasing motion, including the earth on its axis. The swastika displays this action. This "Atma" power that holds this action together in the physical realm is what we call "gravity"! In this sense the swastika displays the power of (the) four winds as gravity and the harnessing of a power only dreamed of."
"Adolph Hitler understood this (to be the) meaning behind the swastika. The final decision to make the arms of the swastika show the right-handed counterclockwise movement was (based on comparing) the skies from the Aryan capital of Thule from before the flood in his 'golden age of the god-men'," to the present-day skies in anticipation of a resurrection of a Nordic rule.
"Taking into account (the) shifting of the earths axis with a change in the pole star from Draconis (in his golden age) to the present day Polaris we get" the big and little dippers revolving around the pole star in different positions. Diagramming this movement by showing four seasonal positions describes a Knight's Cross when circling around Draconis and a swastika when around Polaris. Both represent the spinning of all things in response to the universal force we typically think of as gravity. But according to this theosophical model gravity and spin are the responses to the "in-breathing" and "outgassing" of the Atma power. Gravity and spin form a material world in response to the spiritual. (pp. 266-268)
Check this vid on the Nazi occult connection (close to 2 hours): nazis-the-occult-conspiracy.html
So who are the nazi's today? Most of us know them as "radical Muslims."
(More to come…)
(While we're waiting for more, here is some important reading about what it really means to "make the world safe for democracy," and what the color revolutions and the rising spring in the middle east, circa 2010, are all about. Power, Propaganda, and Purpose in American Democracy)
The New World Order vs. the Post- New World Order Order
Theosophy and the Post-New World Order
So how far up in the chain of command does this craziness go in the world's power structure? Consider this, if you are not already familiar:
And for a more advanced view, check out Carolyn Hamlett's testimony.
Social media? Facebook, Youtube, and Google are suppressing the discourse.
Join the rest of the conversation, at Minds!


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I ride the stallion thru the dust storm, my guardian rides along side me. I have been warned beforehand that this is a life or death ride. no grays. no subtle shades. no middle ground.
-- Patti Smith
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Drugs Used to Manage SLE
Daniel J Wallace MD
Clinical Professor of Medicine
Cedars-Sinai/UCLA School of Medicine
The management of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is divided into four parts: physical measures, medication, counseling, and surgical procedures (e.g., joint replacement, splenectomy, biopsy). This monograph will review medication aspects for treating the disease. However the reader shoud be cognizant that the other three
aspects of management play an important interactive role as well.
In considering therapies for SLE,
it should be noted that half of SLE
is organ threatening; which is
defined as involving th
lung,kidney, liver, central nervous system vasculitis, hemolytic anemia or thrombocytopenia. Half with SLE may have constitutional symptoms (e.g., fevers, swollen glands, fatigue, weight loss), serositis (inflammation of the lining of the heart or lung known as pleurisy or pericarditis), swollen or painful
Non-organ threatening disease is managed differently than its more serious counterpart and only has a 20% of disseminating to the organs. The risk of this spread is almost entirely limited to the first 5 years after diagnosis. Finally, medications are used to prevent certain aspects of lupus from manifesting themselves or involving specific organ systems and others are used to treat lupus subsets. With this in mind, we will now begin.
Therapies for non-organ threatening disease
The first line of treatment for SLE involves preventing sun induced damage to the skin. Ultraviolet radiation from the sun comes in several waves (UVA1, UVA2, UVB and UVC). Wavelengths of UVA2 and UVB are harmful in lupus and can lead to constitutional symptoms and promote inflammation. Agents which protect the skin are listed in Table 1. They should have a SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 15; if the SPF is too high they tend to dry, burn, sting or itch. Skin lupus rashes are managed with topical corticosteroids. A few rules of thumb: ointments are the best vehicle (80% absorbed), followed by lotions (50% absorbed) and creams (20% absorbed). Fluorinated steroids are more powerful than non-fluorinated ones (which include hydrocortisone creams available over the counter without a prescription). However, the former should never be used on the face for more than two weeks, since they are very powerful and can cause cutaneous atrophy which makes a rash look worse ( e.g., thinning of the skin allows one to see superficial vessels more easily).
The second line treatment for SLE involves the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, known as NSAIDs. None of these agents are approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the disease, even though 75% of lupus patients use them daily. NSAIDs are effective in alleviating headaches, muscle aches, joint aches, fevers, pleuritc or pericardial symptoms and reducing the size of swollen glands. Unfortunately, they do nothing to slow down the overall disease process and are viewed more as symptomatic therapy. Traditional NSAIDs include aspirin (3 325 mg tablets every four hours while awake), ibuprofen (used as needed or in doses up to 3000 mg a day), or naproxen (usually as 500 mg twice a day). All these are available without prescription under names such as Advil or Aleve. Prescription traditional NSAIDs are listed in Table 2 with their dosing. In 1998, a selective form of NSAIDs, known as cox-2 inhibitors were introduced. This includes celecoxib (Celebrex). The principal concerns of using NSAIDs include potential stomach upset with or without ulceration, liver damage, rise in blood pressure, fluid retention, and kidney problems. 3% of all patients taking traditional NSAIDs and 1% taking cox-2 inhibitors on a daily basis are hospitalized for gastrointestinal bleeds every year. These agents may interfere with other drugs, especially blood thinners. Despite this, NSAIDs are usually quite safe and well tolerated. Your doctor may be consulted if you take an NSAID on a daily basis and he or she should obtain blood testing to monitor the safety of these agents every 3-4 months.
During the Second World War, 3 million Americans in the South Pacific theater took antimalarial drugs daily. It was serendipitously discovered that some of the soliders had rheumatoid or lupus related diseases and felt better when they took these agents. As our knowledge increased, it turns out that antimalarials have anti-inflammatory properties and act by raising the pH of the cell. When an acid cell is made more basic, certain autoimmune pathways are turned off. Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ, Plaquenil) is the only antimalarial approved by the FDA for use in SLE. 80% of patients with non-organ threatening disease who are given hydroxychloroquine are in remission after two years of therapy. HCQ is especially useful for fatigue, aching, and rashes and also has additional properties which are potentially important in SLE. These include lowering cholesterol, inhibiting platelets, decreasing sun sensitivity, and improving Sjogren's syndrome symptoms (dry eyes, dry mouth). HCQ is generally very well tolerated. Approximately 10% develop a stomach upset, rash or headache within the first two weeks of use. To minimize toxicity, patients are often started on 200 mg a day for the first two weeks and the dose is raised to 400 mg afterwards. Some patients have fewer reactions when they use the brand name Plaquenil preparation. Since HCQ therapy can lead to pigment changes in the retina, toxicity from this affecting vision has been reported in 3% of those using the drug after 10 years, and in less than 1 in 10,000 cases in those using the drug for 5 years of less. All patients on HCQ should see an ophthalmologist at least once a year; these changes are reversible with the drugs' discontinuation. Occasionally, other antimalarial agents are used in SLE. These include chlroquine (Aralen) for serious lupus rashes and quinacrine (Atabrine) which is synergistic with HCQ, does not affect the eyes, and is helpful for fatigue and cognitive impairment associated with SLE.
Corticosteroids are used in high doses (>40 mg of prednisone a day) for acute flares short term or stable low doses for non-organ threatening disease in several circumstances. These include early disease when antimalarials have not had an opportunity to be effective for a few months, acute flares, or into a joint for localized inflammation. In doses for prednisone equivalent, stable dailiy doses of more than 15-20 mg are almost never required. If patients cannot be tapered within a short time to less than 10 mg of prednisone a day, the addition of a group of steroid-sparing agents can be considered. This is because prednisone can induce cataracts, glaucoma, ulcers, thinning of the bones, mood and behavior changes, edema, and lead to diabetes, hypertension and elevated cholesterol levels. The American College of Rheumatology has recommended that all patients who are going to take more than 5 mg of prednisone daily for 3 months have a baseline bone density evaluation and strong consideration should be given to the weekly administration of a bisphosphonate such as risedronate (Actonel) or alendronate (Fosamax).
Steroid-sparing agents for organ sparing disease include methotrexate, a rheumatoid arthritis agent administered weekly for individuals with prominent inflammation of the joints, leflunomide (Arava) which works in similar situations, DHEA (compounded or at a health food store) for those with prominent fatigue or cognitive dysfunction, or azathioprine (Imuran) which is rarely used for severe rashes or joint manifestations. Refractory skin disease can be managed with retinoids (e.g., Accutane, Soriatene), antileprosy drugs (thalidomide, Lamprene, dapsone), topical immunophylles (e.g., Elidel, Protopic), or ultraviolet A1 light treatments. Some subsets of lupus may require special interventions. These include low dose aspirin for patients with antiphospholipid antibodies who are at risk for clotting, Salagen or Evoxac for those with symptomatic Sjogren's syndrome and lupus. In addition to DHEA, other hormonal interventions have been utilized in SLE such as danazol for low platelet counts, and bromocriptine (which lowers prolactin levels) for mild disease. Raynaud's phenomenon can be ameliorated with calcium channel blockers (e.g., nifedipine) and topical nitroglycerine applications among other interventions.
Treatments for serious lupus
When SLE attacks the internal organs, practitioners usually prescribe prednisone in doses of 1 mg/kg/day for four to six weeks. Failure to do so often leads to compromised organ functioning. Very active disease can be managed with the use of "pulse steroids", where doses of 1000 mg of intravenous methylprednisolone are given for 1-3 days. Many of these individuals also benefit from the addition of an immune suppressive regimen. For serious disease (e.g., aggressive proliferative nephritis, alveolar hemorrhage, mesenteric vasculitis), cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan, CTX) is usually given intravenously in monthly doses of 500-750 mg/M2. This agent has been available since the mid-1960s and is the most powerful weapon rheumatologists in practice have other than corticosteroids. CTX is associated with hair loss, low blood counts, altered immune responses, the development of blood in the urine in 10% of patients and nausea the day after administration. The most important factor deterring doctors
Occasionally, other agents are used for serious lupus. These include chlorambucil, nitrogen mustard, 6-mercaptopurine, and intravenous immunoglobulin. A blood filtering treatment known as apheresis can be employed for rare complications of SLE such as thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, cryoglobulinemia, hypervisicosity syndrome, or alveolar hemorrhage. Bosentan (Tracleer) and intravenous prostaglandin therapies lower pulmonary pressures in those with pulmonary hypertension.
Investigational therapies
Using very high doses of CTX is known as immune ablative therapy (a single dose of 13G; the usual dose is less than 1 G) and has been studied in small groups of patients with otherwise terminal disease. These doses can be given with or without a stem cell transplanatation. The use of "smart bombs" to manage SLE involves a family of drugs known as biologics. Though none are approved for SLE at this time, some of the agents being studied include rituximab (Rituxan), Lymphostat (an antibody to BlyS), and LJP-394 (an anti-anti-DNA).
Only aspirin, corticosteroids and HCQ are approved for use in SLE in the Untied States. Sun protective measures, the use of topical steroids for rashes and NSAIDs for constitutional symptoms is also an important part of managing SLE. Non organ-threatening disease can be ameliorated with HCQ, low dose corticosteroids, DHEA and methotrexate. Serious lupus is treated with high dose corticosteroids, and immune suppressive regimens which emphasize CTX, mycophenolate mofetil, and azathioprine. Biologic therapies are on the horizon and will no doubt have an important impact in the disease. Lupus International is committed to supporting research and increasing patient awareness relating to newer lupus treatments.
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There are heaps of tracks all around Cradle Mountain – Lake St. Clair National Park. They vary in difficulty and length, ensuring that there is something for everyone and with so much to see – waterfalls, lakes, fairy-tale forests, buttongrass plains, mountain ranges and an abundance of wildlife, I would definitely recommend spending a good chunk of time here.
We spent a week exploring the place. This was partially due to the terrible weather, which allowed us just one glimpse of the mountain (and not a chance in hell to actually reach the summit). For the rest of the time, its craggy peaks were hidden behind thick cloud and we had to endure hiking in torrential rain. This was all part of the fun though. In no particular order, here are my favourite walks:
Ronny Creek
Ronny Creek was one of my favourite spots in the National Park and I used it as a starting (and sometimes finishing) point for each walk I completed. The boardwalk takes you over bright green buttongrass moorland surrounded by mountains and during my short time there, I witnessed the landscape change dramatically. Over a week, the weather fluctuated between bright, sunny days and trickling streams, to torrential rain, hail and gale force winds, which caused raging torrents of water to flood the area. I even got my first glimpse of snow in a long time, high up on the mountains.
So, it was an interesting place and I absolutely loved seeing it flooded; there was something mesmerising about watching the water rush past right under me. It was also a place I was guaranteed to see wombats, something I had been deprived of until now.
One particular day after a long, wet hike up to Crater Lake, myself and Yasmin decided to walk back via Ronny Creek to see if we could catch sight of any more wombats. As we trudged along the boardwalk in our soggy boots, I just so happened to glance down into one of the fast flowing streams. There, looking back up at me, was a platypus.
I stopped dead in disbelief, I think I let out a few swear words too as I beckoned Yasmin over to confirm that I wasn't hallucinating from overexposure to the cold. It was real. And for a good ten minutes, we watched it swim around, forage for food and burrow into the grass and pop up elsewhere. It swam right next to our feet, completely unfazed by our presence. I felt like the luckiest person alive in that moment and when it finally disappeared out of sight, I continued to have the stupidest grin on my face for the next two days.
I even managed to get the little chap on film. You can check out the footage on my Instagram account: @kate___butler or Facebook Page (links in menu).
The tracks around the park all link up, so depending on how far you want to walk, you can reach pretty much anywhere from Ronny Creek. I started here when walking to Dove Lake, Crater Lake and Marions Lookout. Ronny Creek is also less touristy than Dove Lake, so catching the bus here was always easier and quieter.
Dove Lake Circuit
You can catch the bus directly to Dove Lake, but with most people having the same idea, I chose to walk from Ronny Creek (it only adds on about an hour of walking time and you are very likely to see wombats here).
Dove Lake is beautiful and on a good day, Cradle Mountain stands proudly behind in all its glory. Being there in winter, I only actually saw the full mountain on one day. The walk around the lake can be done in under two hours. Most people walk it in a clockwise direction, however, coming from Ronny Creek, I went anti-clockwise, seeing the iconic boat shed first.
There are a few uphill sections, but most of the track is boardwalk. Along the walk, the highlights for me were the magnificent waterfalls cascading down the mountain side and the Ballroom Forest, which feels like you are entering a fairy-tale.
This walk is hugely popular with tourists and having been spoilt with so many deserted spots around Tasmania, I felt glad to be walking it in off-peak season (I imagine summer to be horrendous).
Weindorfers Forest Walk
Don't forget to squeeze this short little walk into your itinerary. It can be reached via Ronny Creek in a 10 minute detour and takes you through some beautiful moss coated rainforest.
Crater Lake Circuit
Another favourite of mine. Departing from Ronny Creek, I actually walked this route twice; once in the torrential rain with zero visibility of the surrounding mountains and once on a beautifully sunny day.
On the rainy day, the track had turned into a stream in places, making it a hard old slog, especially on the steep rocky sections. After climbing for a while, we reached the forest and followed the frothy waters up to Crater Falls, which was violently raging away in a loud, white, misty haze.
In contrast, on the fine day, the path was just a little damp in some sections. The temporary streams had ceased and Crater Falls had calmed slightly. After a lot more climbing, you reach Crater Lake, which, depending on the weather, will look like this:
Seeing as I couldn't see anything on my first attempt, I'll talk about my second.
The surrounding mountains were perfectly reflected in the lake. There were no sounds except the distant roar of a waterfall and the pathway around the lake was littered by the remains of fagus, making a pretty yellowy-brown blanket.
The walk eventually comes up to an intersection, where you can carry on to Marions Lookout or down past Wombat Pool, joining back onto the Ronny Creek/Dove Lake track.
Marions Lookout
Absolutely worth the ridiculous climb! At the junction coming from Crater Lake, turn right and this short, steep track will reward you with the most glorious views of Crater Lake, Dove Lake… hell, all the lakes! Plus Cradle Mountain and a panoramic view of distant mountain ranges, as far as the eye can see.
To get there, you really do have to climb, so wear proper boots and for the love of god, do not attempt this in high winds! I will let my photos do the rest of the talking:
Happy hiking folks!


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One Day retreats are a great opportunity to enjoy deep meditation and to experience support for our practice. The day includes sitting and walking meditation, a dharma talk, and a time for questions. There will be a break-out session for beginners to help establish their practice. The day will be held in silence—those who wish complete silence will have the ability to do so. Held in a beautiful wooded spiritual center 2 miles North of Chelsea. Link to directions
Saturday, November 16th
Dates for 2020
Saturday, March 21st
Saturday, June 6th
(Fall & Winter dates TBA)
The retreat is at Michigan Friends Center, a conference facility, on a beautiful piece of woods and lakefront; you may enjoy coming early to walk the trails and see where you are. Arrivals will be greeted beginning at 8:30 AM; the program begins at 9:00 and is over at 4:00 PM. Please plan on attending the entire program.
--Bring a bag lunch for yourself; we encourage you to make it something you will really enjoy. Some beverages (tea, coffee, water) will be provided.
--Wear comfortable clothes. There is walking meditation that may occur outside.
--We take our shoes off so bring warm socks or slippers.
--If you have your own meditation pillows, by all means bring them.There will be comfortable chairs as well. For those who would like to sit on the floor, but do not have pillows, we recommend bringing two blankets – one to fold up as a pad to sit on, and one to cushion the feet.
The suggested donation for the fundraiser is $30 but any amount is gratefully accepted. You may pay at the front desk on the Day of Meditation. Checks should be made out to Michigan Friends Center. This is a fundraiser for Michigan Friends Center. The teachers receive no payment for their services. At the end of the program, there will be a dana (donation) basket for your free-will offering in Gratitude and support to the teachers.
REGISTRATION and NOTIFICATION:
Please email email@example.com or call (734) 475-0942
to register. Include your name, email address and phone number (for cancelations). If you'd like to be added to our monthly email list,
use the above contacts as well.
Michigan Friends Center address is 7748 Clarks Lake Road
Phone is (734) 475-1892.
I'll be there at 8:30 on retreat days. Please call the center phone if you need directions on your way out.
From I-94 East or West
Turn off at M-52 exit #159. Go north 2.5 miles past the town of Chelsea. Turn left at Waterloo Road. In less than a mile, the road splits two ways. Go right on Oakridge which ends at Clark's Lake Road. Turn right and find the entrance sign of Michigan Friends Center immediately on your left. Drive 100 yards of dirt road and you will find the MFC building on your left. You can park your car at either side.
Turn off M-52 exit and go south. About 15 miles past Stockbridge turn right at Clark's Lake Road. About half a mile down find the entrance sign of Michigan Friends Center on your right. Drive about 100 yards of dirt road and you will find the MFC building on your left. You can park your car at either side.
Daylong Retreats - 2019
- Saturday, November 16
- Saturday, March 21
- Saturday, June 6
Meditate & Book Group
Chelsea Meditation
P.O. Box 273
Chelsea, MI 48118
Phone: 734 475 0942 Ext 3
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Best-selling resin sea turtle now in pearlized turquoise blue - measure approximately 8" x 7".
Create an account with us and you'll be able to:
Fill in your email below to request a new password. An email will be sent to the address below containing a link to verify your email address.


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You may consider yourself a Android master, but chances are even you've forgotten Screen Pinning feature. When Screen Pinning is active, the following behavior happens:
- The status bar is blank, and user notifications and status information are hidden.
- The Home and Recent Apps buttons are hidden.
- Other apps cannot launch new activities.
- The current app can start new activities, as long as doing so does not create new tasks.
- If screen pinning is activity by another app that is not a device owner or by the user directly, the user can exit by holding both the Back and Recent buttons.
Screen pinning feature could be extremely useful, for example, when playing games, you may accidentally tap the home button or back button. This may kill some games, at least it can be very annoying.
How to enable screen pinning on your Android Device?
By default, screen pinning is not enabled. To enable this feature you may follow these steps.
Step 1: Go to Settings > Security and go to Advanced section to enable Screen pinning at the bottom of the list. (Note: You can also set password to protect the screen pinning).
Step 2: After enabling it, open the Recent apps screen and tap on the little push-pin button in the lower right corner of the front-most card to get started.
Tap and hold back button to exit screen pinning. If you request password for unpinning when pinning the app, you will be directed to the lock screen to proceed.


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Dr. George Cassar will be leading the cultural tour to three very interesting sites on the northwest outskirts of Mosta. The tour will start with a guided visit to the Bistra catacombs, which have recently been given an expertly face-lift … Continue reading
Monthly Archives: May 2017
An extra walks will be held in May as follows. Wednesday 10th May: Girgenti – Buskett and surrounding country side The walk will take us downhiil Wied Girgenti, thru the green valley of Wied Il-Luq, uphill along the wooded fringes … Continue reading


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St Gerald's College Aston Hooded Top (Kids)
Please Note: This is a personalised product that cannot be exchanged or refunded. Please ensure to order the correct size when purchasing if you need further advice on this product please check our size guide, email us on firstname.lastname@example.com or call direct 03301231918
Aston Hooded Top from O'Neills. Blended fleece Hoodie with Koolite properties. With O'Neills logo,poly micro lining and hood.
- New blended fleece with brushed back qualities for durability and warmth
- Hood with poly micro lining and tie cord
- Pouch Pocket
- Mesh and Piping Effect on front panel
- Polycotton rib waist band and cuffs
- O'Neills embroidered logo
International shipping
Your order will be manufactured and personalised in our factory to your requirements. Getting your order dispatched swiftly is of the utmost importance to us. Dispatch will take between 7-10 working days for personalised or made to order garments (Jerseys & Club products). Dispatch will take between 1-5 working days for all other products. We will notify you when your order has been dispatched.
Delivery in 10-15 working days after dispatch. Delivery cost varies, depending on weight and dimensions of the package.
Delivery to Ireland and the UK
Delivery for all orders is €3.99 and FREE for all orders over €50.
For full information on delivery click here
Click here for full details on returns and exchanges


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Cliffside Houses
The November backpage of Paper Magazine, which hits stands this week. I snuck an Obama pin on the dress in the finish and they ended up crediting it in the printed version.. Brillz!
(dress: Proenza Schouler, Flower Headpiece: Anna Sui, Pin: Obama campaign)
See the rest of this series HERE.
Friendly reminder: No matter who you support, GO VOTE!


text: How sweet and delicate are the pink roses in this Mother's day email card... and very a propos to celebrate Mom. I remember as a child, when Mother's day was coming around, I would start thinking about what I wanted to give my Mom to make her feel special. Flowers were always at the top of the list and her favorite flower was the Bird of Paradise... and still is today! Mothers are priceless and thank God we have a day in the year to celebrate them. When you think about it, Mothers should be celebrated every single day. This Happy Mother's day ecard filled with love and warmth is just perfect her. I am thankful for you Mom!


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Partners join to conserve rare prairie barrens in Kentucky
Monarch butterflies descend on the fields in droves, drawn by the abundance of milkweed, their favorite pollinator plant. Endangered northern long-eared and Indiana bats swoop through the sky. On the ground, biodiversity abounds, with rare plants like scurf pea and false gromwell.
This little Eden - 160 acres now owned by the non-profit Southern Conservation Corps (SCC) – is a combination of forest and extremely rare prairie barrens habitat in Garrard County, a mostly rural county in central Kentucky. Kentucky used to be home to 3 million acres of prairie barrens, but today, less than 1 percent of that remains.
Because of the delicate nature of the habitat, it is not open to the public.
The plot was previously owned by a private landowner, who decided it was time to sell. But he wanted his beautiful land protected, so in 2016, he sold it to SCC, and it is now protected in perpetuity for conservation. SCC was founded in 2003 to help government agencies and private landowners conserve important land and wildlife habitat in the southeastern United States.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program has helped the SCC to expand and restore habitat conditions for the area by providing funding, technical and biological expertise for eastern red cedar removal, herbicide treatments to control invasive species and implementation of prescribed fire.
An array of partners has also come together, including the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, The Nature Conservancy, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Forest Bat Conservation Fund.
This barrens is important regionally, as it connects to larger conservation areas to the south and connects to the state's bird conservation areas to the north. It is also on the Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission registry for very rare habitats.
It contains a vast amount of rare prairie plants and other fauna, such as scurf pea, which is the sole host to the state-listed flower moth. The site also has a host of other prairie plant species such as prairie dock, six species of milkweeds, and false gromwell, a state critically imperiled species. These plants are highly beneficial to monarch butterflies, other pollinators, and some migratory birds.
It would be difficult to find a site in Kentucky with greater biodiversity than this beautiful barrens.